Overwhelmed by the blasphemy, Zamanda is dazed for a round and weakened by the evilness.
Bashiel takes flight to fight Koriantu but Cinnabar attempts to strike at him "Not that fast"
The assassin woman strikes once with precision, opening a long gash at the paladin's back.
Reaching Koriantu in the heights of the cavern, Bashiel tries to daze the aasimar, but she blocks his attack with her buckler.
Malen raises his holy symbol and washes the cavern with Pharasma's positive energy, healing everybody's wounds except for Cinnabar, Koriantu and the red assassin who is unconscious but still seems to breath.
Zamanda recovers from her dazed state from blasphemy.
The force sawtooth keeps attacking Kalem.
But the shield spell blocks the force weapon.
Koriantu steps back in the air with ease thanks to her air walk and makes a copycat duplicate of herself appear by her side. "Achaekek make these rioters pay for the chaos they inflict to our guild!" she raises her holy symbol and a blade barrier circle appears in between Kalem, Malen and Bashiel.
"And protect me from their aggressiveness" she follows in with a quickened spell.
Cinnabar, still without commands, steps over Zamanda, on what feels like a very cold move, she starts to attack with very focused slashes at the aasimar "Look me mother. Accept this as my weekly sacrifice."
Zamanda dodges most of the attacks, and one is deflected by Bashiel's angelic bond, but one of them strikes true at the aasimar's chest.
Zamanda starts singing.
(pass)
Zamanda teleports herself into one of the openings near the ceiling.
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Caught by the spell Kalem grunted in pain. Forcing his way through the spell, at the cost of some shed blood, he went for the enemy that was savaging Zamanda.
Cautiously casting, Zamanda blinks away and appears in one of the openings in the wall.
Kalem is not immediately hit by the blade barrier and decides to remain inside. Then he dashes forward through the sheet of force blades that tear him in many places causing bad wounds.
As he approaches Cinnabar tries to strike him with her sawtooth saber.
But she feels compelled not too, as her mind is confused by Ilsa's trying to impose domination on her.
The tiefling cuts her all through her chest causing great pain while his scythe roars in flames.
Malen is immediately rewarded for his healing by enduring a torrent of pain from the blade barrier called into existence. He yelled in pain, seeing his tiefling and aasimar allies take terrible wounds of their own.
Again calling upon Pharasma's grace, he attempts to wash away the worst of the hurts, healing energy again reached out to his allies and avoiding his enemies.
Seeing no reason to try and escape the barrier at the moment, the priest took a step back towards the middle of the area enclosed by the blades.
Bashiel fails to dodge the initial formation of the wall of force blades, earning a horrible series of cuts before he can raise his shield to ward them off. With his opposition beyond the wall, he grits his teeth and flies toward her, through the deadly barrier.
He spins from side to side as he steps, his shield blocking each force construct as it whirls towards him. Now up close with Koriantu, he calls out "Your murders end here. In Osiris' name, may you find a peaceful reincarnation in your next life." As he invokes his god, his rapier begins to glow with green-gold fire. He delivers a hail of lightning quick stabs.
F+18 R+14 W+17
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Though Ilsa had successfully penetrated Cinnabar's mind with her control, she had not yet had time to give her orders.
"Kalem, stand down!" she exclaims. "This one is my play thing now, not theirs! Do not kill what I have a use for!"
Finally having the chance to command her, Ilsa points toward the assassin's former master.
"Protect me and my allies," she commands. "If any oppose us, kill them."
Ilsa begins staring at the last remaining enemy. Avoiding the blades, she rushes forward to support Bashiel.
Bashiel and Malen are badly stricken by the force blades.
The cleric brings more healing to the party, except for Zamanda who is too far and high away.
Bashiel loses stability and cannot hover, forcing him to move in the air to reach Koriantu only 5 feet away. He does cross the blade barrier effectively covering himself with his shield and beating Koriantu's sanctuary while she marks the evil aasimar for death.
With a precise stab of his rapier he looks for a painful spot hitting Koriantu's temple.
She shouts in pain but resists being overwhelmed by it "You will pay for your insolence Bashiel Eland"
Ilsa orders Cinnabar to protect the group instead of accomplishing the orders of the Red Mantis to assassinate them.
Despite she fights to hold herself loyal to the mantis order and her promise to assassinate instead of protect people, Cinnabar finds herself unable to do other but what Ilsa says. She let's the mesmerist pass through her space without retaliation. Ilsa marks Koriantu with her hypnotic stare.
"What are you doing? Traitor!" Koriantu observes angrily how Cinnabar lets Ilsa pass without trying to attack her.
Understanding what is going on, the aasimar spits to the floor "Traitor! You have let yourself be dominated! You failed to assassinate this group in the Cinderlands and you fail now again to do it in person! I knew you would let yourself fall inflicted by this contagion of mercy and goodness that also took my crusader companions in the Worldwound. And now I have enough proves for the church to execute you"
Koriantu steps back in the air "From the beginning I knew working for Queen Ileosa would only damage the Red Mantiss reputation in the long run" she says a word of divine power and disappears from sight.
Despite your true seeing, you cannot see Koriantu anywhere.
Cinnabar drops her sawtooth sabers and falls to her knees in front of Kalem "Please, kill me. Kill me in the fastest way possible, I beg you"
6x alchemist fire
3x bull's strength potion
3x mwk leather armor
3x cloak of resistance +1
12x daggers
3x non magical Red Mantis mask
6x sawtooth sabers (currently +1 due to magic weapon but magic will fade in around 3 minutes)
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With Cinnabar begging for death, Ilsa raises a hand. "Do not kill her," the mesmerist says. "She fears her order, but she does not know fear yet."
She stands in front of the assassin. "Pick up your weapons and stop groveling. I am your master now. Whatever they could do to you, I promise you I am a crueler mistress."
Whatever her companions remember of the timid shop girl, what they see is no longer the Ilsa they remember.
"Your training will come in handy," she says, extending her hand. "For there are more people that need killing. Come with me, and we will teach them true fear."
Kalem shrugged and put his scythe’s blade to her throat. ”Any questions for her before she sees Pharasma?” As he said this his wings faded out of existence and his claws became normal fingers once more.
Zamanda looks around in the little room she is in.
She waits until she is feeling less weak, and then climbs down.
Kalem shrugged and put his scythe’s blade to her throat. ”Any questions for her before she sees Pharasma?” As he said this his wings faded out of existence and his claws became normal fingers once more.
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Once their enemies were routed or dominated, Malen calmly waited until the force barrier subsided. After the initial damage he had sustained he had no desire to try his luck at that whirling fury again.
Seeing that most everyone else had been fully recovered by Pharasma's healing, he called upon a couple quick blessings for himself and Zamanda.
[ooc]19[/dice]
Seeing the huge Mantis assassin being spoken to by Ilsa as a plaything made the priest a little uncomfortable, but he also regarded it as karmic justice. Surely there was balance in this cold-blooded creature turning her blade upon her fellows.
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Bashiel lands back down on the ground, frustrated and wary. "She's not invisible - seems she used magic to teleport home. Here's to hoping that the reputation loss she was talking about was enough to convince her to abandon her efforts here in the city."
Much like Malen, he's uncomfortable at the sight of Ilsa commanding the Mantis leader, but he doesn't offer any comments. Ilsa's powers had proven life saving on more than one occasion. And at the end of the day, Cinnabar would face justice one way or another.
Not taking much of a break, he says "We have a mad creature that may or may not be a goblin, as well as a crystal bug, both of which might overcome their fear and choose to make their way back here. I'm not eager to have that thing that disabled you all sneaking up on us. Which way did it go? We should hunt it down before we regret it."
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After getting over the initial urge to kill the woman, Zamanda realized that it was really, really bothering her to see the other woman crying for death and being denied.
She wasn't sure why she was more uncomfortable with this woman as Ilsa's plaything than she had been with the other man she'd been using previously... was it just because it was a woman and she could relate to her more? She hoped that it wouldn't last long, because she certainly had no argument against it that wouldn't sound utterly hypocritical. I mean, the woman was obviously an assassin. Were her tears a ploy?
Responding to Bashiel just to try to shake off the feeling of wrongness and have something else to talk about, she says
Um, sorry. I honestly don't know which way the bug went. I was getting carved up and not paying attention to that particular threat. Did anyone else see? I think the goblin went further in though, towards the double doors.
Cinnabar closes her eyes ready for her begged mercy when Kalem puts his scythe over her neck. Then, when Ilsa starts to giver her orders, the woman takes her fallen weapons, but she herself seems impressed and surprised of her own movements "What have you done to me?"
"I do not want to follow you" but she does indeed stand up and come by Ilsa. She looks back at Kalem and seems surprised the tiefling does not execute her "Why do you spare my life tiefling? After all the assassins I have sent to kill you? After all the attempts I have done to assassinate you with my own hands" she looks then at Zamanda, then steps by Ilsa the way she has been ordered and goes silent.
Malen waits for a bit, expecting the blade barrier to go away before approaching Zamanda to heal her, but the blades seem to hold on place strong, he trapped inside.
”Nothing personal. Sure you were just doing your job. Just like we’re doing ours. What happens to you now is up to her.” He pointed towards Ilsa nonchalantly.
Zamanda walks over to the blade barrier (without getting too close) and tells Malen
Sorry, I think that is going to last like 10 more minutes at least.
She glances at the assassin as she walks by, wondering how she got to this point in her life.
After speaking to Malen she asks
So, what is your name?
Bad idea, bad idea she thinks to herself, knowing that knowing the name will probably just make it worse, but ... she wants to know anyway.
She waits a beat to see if she will get an answer, and then addresses the group
You guys can go after the bug if you want. I'll stay to guard Malen's back and then we'll catch up.
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Malen sighed as he settled in for a wait. He'd likely survive another encounter with the barrier...he had done so once already, after all. However, it seemed a ruinous waste of resources.
In the end, the need for haste seemed to outstrip the need for resources. Plus, he had a wand just for such an occasion. Steeling himself, he attempted to cross the barrier.
Hissing after taking a beating, though less so than previously, thank Pharasma, Malen performed the healing he had meant for himself and Azarra, feeling just a little less than perfect after the Lady of Graves' blessing.
The priest was a little distraught when the aasimar started speaking to the assassin, shaking his head when he caught the woman's eye. "Where to now, my friends?
Seeing Malen shake his head at her after walking willingly through the blades, Zamanda is even more disturbed, but she gives a slight nod acknowledging that he is right.
Just because it was a bad idea didsn't mean she could let it go though... he likely knew her well enough to understand that.
She stayed close to Malen as the group continued.
Malen endures the blades then he finally is able to heal Zamanda and himself.
While the group talks and decides what to do next, you feel the weakness caused by the blasphemy also disappears.
As you start to look around for the barghest and the centipede-like beast, you also have the opportunity to have a calmer look at this cavern.
To the southeast, eight stone benches face a single pulpit that stands before a flight of stairs. The stairs lead up to a worked stone facade that bears a looming carving of an immense mantis, its arms arrayed downward like an archway over a set of double doors.
The double doors are now open, and Koriantu's words makes you relate this place as a location to venerate Achaekek.
Achaekek is the god of assassins, and the patron god of the Red Mantis assassins based on the island of Mediogalti. Achaekek takes a middle position between Calistria, the goddess of revenge if not necessarily murder, and Norgorber who is the god of all murder, whether paid for or not. His symbol is a pair of mantis claws depicted as if in prayer.
He is a legal evil god whose areas of concern are Blood, Death and Assassination.
Alternative names are The Mantis God, He Who Walks in Blood, although during old Azlant he was also known as He of Bloody Claws and Savage Bite.
Zamanda looked around, seeing the mantis iconography, and wonders why people worshipped things like bugs. She doesn't say anything though, because it would be awkward with the assassin girl here.
Bashiel scowls at all the Mantis iconography "If they had the time and reason to build this whole shrine, the Red Mantis must have been working in Korvosa for quite a long time. I guess before the Queen, there were still no shortage of people looking for their services." He looks back the way the group came, then over at Zamanda when she begins asking personal details.
Rather than interfere or add to the questions, he just says "I'll check back the way we came from."
The group heads back to finish the Cytillipede. After some search, it is found crawling at the ceiling of the undead women. Without its daily use of cytillesh flash, no other creatures to protect it and its already considerable wounds, the creature is no challenge for the group who beats it to death.
About two minutes later the group is already back to the chappel. Two sets of stairs lead to doors, and both sets of doors are open. One to the east where Mogmora went and one to the north from where Cinnabar came.
Zamanda goes up to the double doors to check for traps.
Then she goes over to the western doors to check there as well.
Zamanda finds the doors opened and no traps in their entrances. She is well able to see the rooms contents beyond the door frames.
Six stone pillars support the roof of this T-shaped chamber. The walls are decorated with incredibly detailed paintings of immense mantis-like monsters destroying towns with various forms of architecture. Strangely, the scenes constantly evolve, playing out an eternal scene of slaughter. The most impressive feature in the chamber is a towering stone statue of a four-armed mantis to the west.
Three large stone vats sit in alcoves in this room. Each is big enough to hold a human, but apart from a strange blue residue caking the insides of each, they are empty. A cot and a writing desk sit amid the vats—awkward additions of comfort in what once seems to have been a strange laboratory.
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"What have you done to me?"
"I do not want to follow you" but she does indeed stand up and come by Ilsa. She looks back at Kalem and seems surprised the tiefling does not execute her "Why do you spare my life tiefling? After all the assassins I have sent to kill you? After all the attempts I have done to assassinate you with my own hands" she looks then at Zamanda, then steps by Ilsa the way she has been ordered and goes silent.
Ilsa considers Cinnabar's questions. "You're not in a position to ask me anything. You're going to kill what I tell you to kill, just as you have always done."
With Cinnabar no longer overtly asking to be killed, Ilsa surveys the woman's equipment. "Let me see what you have," she demands.
"So, this life of contract killing," the mesmerist says. "Tell me how you got into it."
"An when I thought I got rid of mother, here you are" Cinnabar says sullen, then shows her equipment for Ilsa to study.
The mesmerist quickly goes through the auras finding she has a magical mask of the mantis (not equipped), 2 potions of cure moderate wounds, a ring of protection +1, boots of springing and striding, +2 mithral chainmail, and two +1 sawtooth sabers.
"I did not have much of a choice. I was the sole child of the notorious Red Mantis cultist Carmine the Lustful Feaster. But I was an egregious disappointment to the family tradition." the woman looks down to the ground before continuing, she seems eager to take it out for Ilsa though "Apparently my meek manner left me ill-suited to be a killer. Carmine, however, had me “fixed” at the age of eight by placing a geas upon myself, compelling my young girl self to kill at least one living creature each week without assistance or suffer wracking pain and potential death"
The woman trembles upon remembrance of the pain in her flesh "Out of necessity, I swiftly grew to become a killer, but it cost me to become dispassionate and self-reliant. As a result, I took to my Red Mantis training with a level of dedication previously unseen in any other initiate. I finally came of age when my mother perished on a job leaving me alone in the world. With the death of my mother came an unforeseen development. Hatred of her had been all the time my main driving force, and with she dead and the regular geas now removed little remained but loyalty to the Red Mantis."
"Of course, you can argue that chilling lack of passion has made me a truly effective killer" the woman looks up unperturbed, and then goes silent looking forward.
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The fact that Cinnabar had been compelled to start this life at such a young age didn't sit well with Ilsa.
"That's quite the family," she says quietly, not sure she was happy she asked.
This is not the time to allow her humanity to come into play. She's probably enjoys killing now.
"And if I released you from my service--what would you do then?" she asks.
Listening to the woman's story and the question that Ilsa asks, Zamanda wonders if there is hope for this woman.
That might not be a fair question at this moment, since she doesn't have anything else to fall back on, and she is little more than a slave right now... but perhaps with time, it is something that would be answered differently. I used to work for the thieves' guild myself, as was probably obvious to everyone back at that meeting. I did things that I regret and found myself pointing my bow at my parents on a job once, which is why I quit. It is a less serious comparison, but similar in some ways. She didn't have the same chance to choose her own life, since her own mother forced her to kill. If we all make it out of here, maybe the best thing would be to allow her some time away from that life so she can see the difference and make her own choice... a more well-informed one. It's a hard thing to think of those kinds of choices right now, but if we can get her away from that life for a while, she'll have time to think about it.
Kalem glanced over at Ilsa warily, unsure of where she was going with this.
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The mesmerist catches Kalem's look, realizing she wasn't sure where she was going with this, either.
Don't ask them questions--it only makes it harder.
"You're right," she says to Zamanda. We will figure out how to deal with her later. For now, you have more people to kill,"[/b] she says to Cinnabar.
"If anyone needs any of her equipment, she'll allow you to take it," she says to her allies.
Looking over at Malen, she says "She will do her job better with some healing. If you could give her a little boost, I'm sure she would appreciate it."
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Cinnabar is startled by Ilsa's question "Why would you release me?"
When Zamanda completes her own story, Cinnabar talks again, this time you see a small shine of brightness in her otherwise unfeeling tone "I... I... The only thing I have done all my life has been to kill. I know no other thing"
"No, I won't, my equipment is mine"
Noticing her wounds, she drinks her potions in quick succession.
"Those boots look nice." Kalem said. "Think some new boots would be a good way of paying back an attempt on my life." As far as he was concerned Cinnabar was as good as dead...well, if it was up to him. The only reason she wasn't dead was because she was still useful. That, and he supposed, morals. Or something like that.
Zamanda casts cure light on Cinnabar.
As she is putting a hand on her to heal her, she says
Well, let's see if there is another way for you then.
Then she hits her with the Cure Moderate wand she is holding, using up 5 charges of it.
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"No, I won't, my equipment is mine"
"Give him your boots," Ilsa commands.
When Cinnabar asks why she might be released, Ilsa responds. "I didn't say I would. But I do feel badly for eight-year-olds ordered to kill under magical compulsion. But what you're about to do for me--let's just say you're already used to it. I wish it could be another way. Do what you're asked, and this situation won't be permanent."
Once the party is ready, Zamanda says
Well I don't see an immediate exit either way, but there has to be a way forward.
She walks into E5 first, examining it for papers or anything useful, and then, once anything like that is put away, she approaches and examines the vats.
Malen thought that Ilsa's promise was sufficiently vague, but he was quite disturbed by the sympathy coming from Ilsa and Zamanda. This enemy had just been poised to kill the group scant minutes ago and even before, and had just admitted that although her childhood was harsh, there was nothing compelling her to act in such a murderous manner now other than habit.
The priest had been on the cusp of refusing Ilsa's request when the aasimar woman took the matter into her own hands, healing their former enemy's wounds. Arching his brow at the action, Malen said nothing else on the matter. He supposed it was ultimately up to Pharasma to judge this woman's soul in the end, but as someone who had willingly served a cult devoted to murder he had a pretty strong opinion on where she would end up.
Making sure to stay behind the assassin, he followed the others into the rooms they had just found, helping to search through them.
Cinnabar let's herself be healed, she just remains silent while Zamanda works in her wounds.
Cinnabar seems clearly reticent to give her equipment, but when Ilsa stares at her, she just removes her boots and hands them to Kalem "I cannot believe I have fallen a slave once more"
Among the materials on the writing desk Zamanda finds out the majority of the notes to be concerned with training exercises, prayers to Achaekek, and detailed illustrations of anatomy and the best methods of delivering fatal coups de grace or sneak attacks. There is nothing here to directly link the Red Mantis presence in Korvosa to Queen Ileosa.
But on her examination she finds a crimson parchment tucked away, out of sight between two desk drawers. While this sheet seems to have nothing more than additional illustrations of attack methods, it bears a dim magic aura when faced with detect magic.
This document is affected by a secret page spell. You have no idea of what might be the word to reveal the true nature of the document.
Cinnabar looks at the finding silently unperturbed.
"You tried to kill us. You're alive, and might even remain so. Stop complaining." Kalem retorted as he put on his new boots.
Bashiel shared Malen's skepticism. Cinnabar's past was tragic, that much went without saying. But her present was one of choosing day after day to kill for personal profit. Days and nights of deaths all in the service of coin and the Mantis God. That would be a difficult habit to break. Given what she'd described, she didn't even have a concept of living a normal life.
Nevertheless, Bashiel gave Zamanda a grateful nod. If someone could be redeemed, an honest try needed to be made. To Cinnabar he just says "Your future from here takes two directions. One - you make an honest effort to help us in our task of stopping Ileosa's reign of terror, one that won't take Ilsa compelling you to do so. If you do this, and you can forswear this life of murder, you could have a chance at a normal life. The life your mother stole from you."
"Two - that you fight us to the last, abandoning that chance at another life in this world. In that case, perhaps your reincarnation would be more peaceful."
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However the woman responds, Bashiel follows by asking "These three vats in your room, what are these for?"
Zamanda finds a crimson parchment and casts Detect Magic as she examines it.
She hands the parchment to Ilsa.
Hey, this shows a slight magical aura, but I can't figure out what it is. Want to try?
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Seeing that Ilsa couldn't figure it out either, Zamanda just tucked it in a pocket of her bandolier so they could try to figure it out later.
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Cinnabar listens to Bashiel. She tenses her lips but remains silent.
You find the vats are empty, except for a few remains of cytilesh. Cinnabar answers Bashiel without Ilsa having to push her "The vats were full of cytilesh. I emptied them when I took this as my office. I think the derros were storing and mixing some toxins there. This was some kind of laboratory"
Actually, when you are to store the parchment Bashiel says he sees a note instead of the illustrations you others are telling. He is able to easily read the note for you all.
Cinnabar—
Agent Koriantu’s reports of your progress in Korvosa paints a very different picture than that you’ve presented previously to the Crimson Citadel, and we are displeased you have downplayed the facts. In particular, we find the disruptions inflicted on the operation by the adventurers you claimed would be ”simple matters to resolve” to be particularly worrisome. If the agents under your command can defeat these adventurers in the Cinderlands as you promise, well and good, but should they continue to act as flies in the ointment, I shall be obliged to relieve you of duty and lead the operation myself. The Blood Mistress is already unhappy with the, shall we say, sloppiness your agents have exhibited to date, and if I am forced to step in to take command of a continually faltering operation, one would hope for your sake that you have not survived this latest mishandling of resources. Any pains inflicted upon you by your simple little adventurers would feel as a lover’s tender caress compared to my ministrations.
Trusting you will do what is needed, and may you walk in blood.
—K
Malen listened to Bashiel recite the contents of the letter, not particularly surprised by any of the information. When it seemed that they had explored the entirety of the rooms, the priest smirked, then looked at Cinnabar. "Where is the hidden door to the rest of the complex?"
After reading it, Bashiel folds up the note and holds onto it. The contents isn't surprising. It had been obvious for a while that the Mantis were determined to hound the group. Though the news that some even higher ranking Mantis member was interested in them was not the most refreshing new piece of info.
He looks over expectantly when Malen asks his question. "You'd do well to answer that."
Rather than simply rely on Cinnabar though, Bashiel takes a quick look at both dead end rooms, wondering if there's something the group is missing. He especially inspects the mantis statue - expecting that any hidden panels, switches or otherwise could have been incorporated as ornamentation.
When Bashiel approaches Koriantu's room, he states he sees a completely different place of what Zamanda told she was seeing. A plain stone chamber once used for meetings between the derros and thieves of the Cerulean Society, where prisoner exchanges and payments were carried out.
The man points to a door at the northern end of the room, and following Boule's indications he soon finds the secret door at the southern wall that leads to Deathhead Vault.
"It seems your friend deals well by himself" Cinnabar answers to Malen.
When Bashiel tells you about the illusion Koriantu created with her screen spell, you focus yourselves in the disbelief and finally see the room as what it really is.