DM Bigrin's Second Darkness (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

Anklebiter finished his communion with the dwarven god, or at least he hoped he had been communing with Torag, and spoke his spell. The magic pulsed in the air and everyone waited anxiously to see the effect.

1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

And waited...

...and waited.

Soon it became clear to all that the goblin's spell had not managed to lift Bruendor's curse. For his own reasons - deafness to a goblin's plea, a calculated snub, or a deliberate intent - Torag had not acted to remove the Sundering. Bruendor would have to carry his shame a little longer.

--------------------------

Over the last year you have helped rescue Riddleport, reclaim a lost elven ruin, infiltrated a drow city, discovered the elves' most hidden secret - the Dark Fate, where an elf with a wicked heart spontaneously changes into a drow - preserved the remnants of the Winter Council, and learned how to stop the coming armageddon. In Hialin's notes, you found some of the secrets of the demon lord Abraxas that Allevrah had gleaned to bring the first starfall onto Riddleport. In those notes, Anklebiter learned how to prevent the magics, though of course you needed to be close by to affect the arcane runes that powered the device.

The aftermath of the events at Thorns End could mean drastic changes to the empire of the Elves. The dissolution of the Winter Council means that the more progressive elements of Kyonin's government might have unfettered power to bring the elven people more integrated into modern society. But, these ramifications must wait, as the information about a second Earthfall means that time is of the essence.

Perelir offered to teleport everyone back to Iadara, intent on meeting with Queen Telandia herself. Once everyone had prepared themselves, Perelir left final instructions for the possible abandonment of Thorns End with Captain Talindil, then motioned for everyone to gather close. The spell she cast filled your minds with light and joy, and all too soon you were standing once more at the gates outside the Queen's palace in Iadara.

Your greeting here is much different than last time. The queen herself met you, along with an honor guard, along with some old friends. Kwava and Shalelu were there as well, having been brought by the queen to serve as character witnesses and first-hand accounts to your actions on behalf of the elven people in your previous adventures.

The queen spoke first.

"Please, before we move to the more public venue of the Court, allow me to escort you to a smaller venue where you can recover both in body and spirit. I know that based on your last visit here, you probably have some doubts about my goodwill and intentions. Please believe that all I did, I did for your good and the good of all people. I will be offering a public apology for your treatment shortly, but as a reigning monarch it cannot be as...personal...as I believe is necessary. But here and now, between these witnesses of friends and..." she arched an eyebrow at Perelir momentarily, "others, let me offer my heartfelt apologies to both your public treatment at Court, and the manipulations I used to guide you to Thorn's End and your actions there."

Waiting upon your consent, Queen Telandia ushered you to a small meeting room, nearly half the size of theone where your combat recently took place. There she indicated the healers and platters of food that were waiting.

"Please, take your ease. I am sure that we have much to talk about, but rest and recovery should be first on your minds."

As you took the queen's advice - or not - Perelir fell to her knees before the Queen, professing her part in the Winter Council, and declaring the group dissolved. She related the recent events, including the actions of the succubus and the defeat of the nalfeshnee leader of the demons around Thorn's End. She even spoke of her intent to abandon the ancient fortress.

Queen Telandia listened with saddened face, and when Perelir was finished, the queen lifted her up with one regal hand.

"There is much to think on and discuss about these matters, but your mention of Hialin's efforts to bring on another great catastrophe correspond to these heroes' story of Allevrah's plans. I think we need to plan our strategies accordingly."

"Last time we were here you locked us in a room with a Succubus. Let us go see the Court directly and start with an apology for that. We've already seen one of your leaders completely corrupted, why would we trust you, especially after your actions? Enough with your charades of 'let us talk and rest' to keep us from exposing this dark plot immediately. To the Court, now, or are we your prisoners, again?" Kel attempts to leave and go directly to the court, testing to see if they are prisoners of the queen again.

Kelendra is free to leave, though the queen is saddened to see it. She does not follow the half-elf, though, simply stating that it her wish to discuss a few things privately prior to the interview at Court.

There's a long silence, during which Bruendor ends up staring into Anklebiter's red orbs, waiting for Torag's approval, disapproval, anything...which never comes.

"Það er fínt," he says quietly, though his eyes glisten with tears. "Þú reyndir." He reaches up the goblin's hands and slowly lowers them from his cheeks. "Vinur," he says, embracing the goblin, sniffling as he tries to find his composure.

* * * * *

Some time later...

"No, I'm pretty sure we're guests this time," Bruendor said to Kelendra's outburst. "After all, we escaped royal custody once. If they wanted us dead, we'd be dead already."

He then turns his attention to the Elf-Queen Herself. "But Kel's right. We did all of this once before, only to be publicly mocked, privately assassinated, and secreted away to some hidden prison. The surface world grows ever closer to destruction as Allevrah prepares for a second Earthfall. We should have already been delving for the Land of Black Blood - instead, our quarry now has a longer lead. Unless your scholars and mages have some knowledge of a lost aiudara close by, we may already be too late."

Anklebiter hugs Bruendor back, tears spilling from his beady eyes.
"I am sorry," the Goblin sobs. "So sorry. I did try, but... I am sorry. You are worthy, no matter what the Dwarf-god says!"

= = = = = = = = = = = =

"You locked us in with a Succubus without warning," Anklebiter says to the Queen in a quiet voice. "You put me in the position that I freed a Succubus. And she got away. Whatever harm she does in the rest of the world now rests on my shoulders.
If you people had just told us what was going on and asked us for help, or even made fixing Thorn's End conditional for your assistance in getting to Orv, we would probably have gone."

The Goblin crosses his arms and folds back his ears.
"But as Bruendor said, we do not have time for this. After we have saved the world, there will be time for a long talk. Right now? There is not. What kind of resources can you get us for the Orv-dive, and how soon can they be ready? I'm going to need some scrolls and inks to scribe them, at the very least."

"Screw him," Bruendor says, pulling back to look Anklebiter back in the eyes, deadly serious. "Torag's teachings taught us that dwarf and goblin must be eternal foes. His teachings were designed to force His creations to view you as unredeemable, savage, and to be shown no mercy, save that which comes at an axe's edge. And He could not have been more wrong. Who knows? Maybe in time, your people will become accepted by the world at large. But for now, know this..."

"You, too, are worthy. No matter what the Dwarf-god says."

"I thank you," Anklebiter says, as he wipes at his eyes with a ragged sleeve. "But Anklebiter is... different. Not many Goblins are worthy. They have a long, long way to go.
It is a gladsome thing to be worthy, friend Bruendor, but not many Goblins even know what worth is. The goblin gods, also, teach wrong things.
It must be a frightful thing to be so absolute and unmoveable, be it in law or in chaos; it cannot allow for much perspective."

A) Sorry for my slow posting; been under the weather but I think I'm mostly back now. B) Nice scene, Brue and AB.

Calla looks on with pride at Kel's words; finally the girl had learned something from the older, wiser half-elf. Vengeance. That was what childhood and Calistria had taught Callumny Tas'Vere, and if she could pass those lessons on to others, so much the better.

She relaxes -- as much as she ever has -- as the queen makes no effort to stop her companion's attempt to leave, waiting to see if the girl comes back or if she must follow to help keep her safe, as well as what the queen will answer to their questions.

She does wonder if the succubus had truly been locked in there with them as well or took advantage of the situation, as demons are known to do.

After finding she is free to walk in the city Kelendra returns and takes a few minutes to relax before entering the room again. "Let's finish our business quickly and then engage the Court. Time is essential, we cannot wait."

"You have brought up the point I find most delicate. You see, while you and your companions have pushed at every turn to make this dire news public, I do not feel that this is the best way to approach matters. As a ruler of a large body of people, I must make decisions based on the good of all, not the betterment of some." She paused here to glance over at Perelir, but said nothing to the woman directly. "One thing I know for certain, based on my personal knowledge of Allevrah and what my diviners have told me since you first arrived on our doorstep, is that our only chance of stopping this disaster is to act in secret, bringing in only the smallest number of people necessary to avert this catastrophe."

"I intend to bring you to the Court, to publicly apologize for your treatment at our hands during your first visit, and to announce that we are looking into your claims. I will bring together our best magical and military advisers to help us plan our response. What I will not condone is the mass panic that is likely to develop if we openly announce a doomsday scenario with no plans for dealing with it. Nor do I think it is right to make that pronouncement widely known, in case Allevrah still has information sources within my government."

Time may be essential, but there is likely more danger to the world in hasty, unprepared action than there is in taking an appropriate amount of time to study and plan. I want my mages to help yours study Allevrah's and Hialin's notes, as they may have more information available to them than Anklebiter may have. "

"As for Quilindra, yes, I admit that I set you up deliberately to meet her, escape, travel to Thorn's End, and hopefully gain entry. I had hoped you would end the Winter Council's stranglehold on certain of our elven nobles who would then be freed to move quickly on Allevrah's threat. I apologize for the troubles you went through, but the blame for the succubus' escape is on me, not you master goblin. You, of course are still free to hold that blame to yourself if you wish - how could I stop you? - but it was my machinations and decision. And I made it for the good of my people, knowing full well that there was a chance Quilindra would escape. And I would make it again. But I must apologize that it was you I was forced to involve. I cannot say that I am sorry for the results, though."

"So, as I said. Please rest and heal, and prepare yourselves. From your words it sounds as if you are ready to pursue this to the bitter end, so let us plan our strategies for maximum potential for success."

"Fine," Bruendor replies, with a bit more curtness than he would have liked. "And for those of us more military minded than mystically, we'll need access to your smiths and magecrafters. We've had too many fights won by the skin of our teeth - we can't delve into Orv unprepared, and if we're going up against the matriarch of House Azinrae, we'll need every edge we can muster."

"When will you be holding court, Your Majesty?"

"I certainly understand the need for secrecy," Calla agrees, "but more than words might help soothe our hurts ... and achieve our mutual goals, if possible. Better armor, weapons, gear could be the difference between life and death."

"Let us please deal with your court as quickly as possible then, your majesty, and afterward discuss all possible preparations," Anklebiter says. "As my friends have noted, we have work before us."

The Court appearance was short, as the Queen had indicated. There, she publicly apologized for the ridicule and treatment that you had received the last time you were there, plus she encouraged each member of the Court to treat you as the valued messengers and heroes you are. She did not mention the fall of Thorn's End, or the dissolution of the Winter Council, but Perelir's presence at her side did not go unnoticed. Several elven nobles slipped out of the room during the proceedings, and did not return.

The entire Court appearance took just over an hour, and when you returned with the queen to the meeting chambers, you were met with mages, scholars, and military strategists, each armed with an armful of papers and scrolls. The large table at the center of the room was quickly covered and conversations ensued.

The study of the notes recovered from Thorn’s End reveals much about the process that the aboleths, and now Allevrah, use to call down meteors and asteroids to strike the world. The process requires powerful magic runes called earthfall glyphs. The larger the destruction required, the more glyphs are needed. The creation of these glyphs is a long and timeconsuming process, and they must be placed at or below the point of impact. As you learned in Zirnakaynin, Allevrah has taken many of the Azrinae forces down into the legendary Land of Black Blood. According to the notes of elven explorers, this land lies directly below Kyonin, making it a perfect place to create the earthfall glyphs in secret. A comparison of what the you know about Allevrah’s progress and the notes themselves indicates that certainly the glyphs have been completed and are in place.

Worse, the queen reports that elven astronomers have actually spotted a faint new star in the sky that seems to be moving slowly across the horizon. Time is growing short— it’s impossible to tell how much time is left, but your fears whwn you came back from Thorn's End are justified. The time to strike against Allevrah is now.

The same notes indicate that for large events, multiple earthfall glyphs are required—one master glyph surrounded by a number of smaller focus glyphs. Each of the focus glyphs serves as a power source for the master glyph, and each focus glyph offers some sort of different protective ward to the master glyph. Destroying the master glyph isn’t possible until all of its focus glyphs are gone. Unfortunately, the types of wards Allevrah’s chosen for her focus glyphs, as well as the number of them she’s built in the Land of Black Blood, aren’t indicated in these partial notes. And although the notes mention some methods by which earthfall glyphs can be destroyed (various spell combinations seem to work, as does physical destruction—but at a much increased risk of dangerous magical backlash), until Allevrah’s specific glyphs can be studied up close, the exact methods will remain unknown. The only option, it seems, is to send someone down into the Land of Black Blood to find the earthfall glyphs, destroy them, and defeat Allevrah. This is, of course, where you come in.

If you can defeat Allevrah and destroy the glyphs, Golarion can continue on its way in oblivious safety. If you cannot, sending a large army down into the Land of Black Blood would be a foolish move—the logisitcs of such a journey boggle the mind, and Allevrah would doubtless learn of the mobilization with plenty of time to raise an army of her own to defend her interests. While Queen Telandia is certain that, given time, her elves could defeat Allevrah— she’s much less certain that they could do so swiftly enough to stop the coming apocalypse. By sending a small group of heroes down, they’ll retain the element of surprise and speed required to pull off this desperate mission. If the heroes fail, Queen Telandia is ready to send an army down anyway—once the element of surprise is gone, desperate times would call for such desperate measures. Yet when she does, she’ll also set into motion plans for both a mass exodus through the Sovyrian Stone portal and a number of warnings to the other nations of the world to prepare for the event—but she hopes it doesn’t come to that.

Assuming you agree to take on this dangerous mission, the Queen can offer a few more bits of aid. The first is a map of the Darklands below Kyonin, leading directly to the Land of Black Blood, created decades ago by an elven Pathfinder. His maps are good and accurate. Furthermore, the Pathfinder’s notes indicate that, while the Land of Black Blood isn’t ruled by any one creature, there does exist a place of note in the eastern limit of the region several miles from the entrance he used. This place is something he calls the “Shrine of Bound Earth,” a strange temple amid a grove of statues wherein a shaitan genie, a creature from the Elemental Plane of Earth, dwells. The Pathfinder’s notes indicate the genie’s name is Haiten Bhaq, and that she is a sort of “caretaker” for the Land of Black Blood. For the right price (a flawless gemstone), she was willing to offer much advice to the Pathfinder about the mysterious realm. Queen Telandia has selected just such a gemstone from her treasury, an emerald worth 5,000 gp, for the PCs to secure advice from Haiten Bhaq if they desire.

Secondly, Queen Telandia said that she will open Iadara's treasuries up to you, partially as a reward for you services so far on behalf of the elven people, and partially to help ensure your success on the mission ahead. Knowing that time is of the essence, she knows that much of what you would wish to craft yourselves will have to be bought instead, and so the offer of the treasury.

you have 20,000 gp to split among you for purchases, but NONE of that can be used for crafting.

"I have distilled a method for disrupting the glyphs from the notes we found in Thorn's End," Anklebiter tells the mages among the assembly. "But I need a little help in refining the technique. Many hands make light work, so let's get to it. We have no time to waste."

Translation: I need to know exactly which 'spell combinations' these are, so I can get the right ones ready.

Kel bites her lip and resists the desire to further criticize the queen. The plans for the party to once again be pawns for the queen does not surprise her.

Kel could use an efficient quiver, we probably have lots of stuff to sell as well, can we do that here?

Calla nods, pleased that they'll have a little more help on their path to vengeance. I should have time to look through some items on Friday/Saturday, I hope.

Lefrik was quiet during the visit with the Queen. His thoughts raced, but truly what could he say that he had not say already, and much that was being said to her majesty was being said more eloquently than he would manage. He is no skald. He was not sure he'd ever fully trust the elves after this. For all their presumed loftiness and claims to antiquity, they proved themselves to run by the same code as warbands at best, and crimebosses at worse.

---------
Later, as plans were unfolded, and needs made, he wants arms and armor sharpened and restored. He also mutters to the others "You know, the more this goes on, the more I'm going to insist on that statuework of us. Not just for the glory, because that's nice, but so the next generation of elves have less chance of ending up intolerent like their hidebound and self endangering sires. They treat the world as if they are at war with it, and if you treat every stranger as the enemy, you are likely to make it so." A shake of his head, "I will follow your lead in this , my friends. But I am not sure the elves DESERVE some secrets safe. They have done nothing to ensure my trust that they act on those secrets with wisdom. I'll take the elves help, but they have lost the right to dictate ANYTHING to us...if they ever had it."

"If we make it through this and the Elves don't put up those statues, I'll sculpt them," Anklebiter promises. "Better yet, get me the money and I'll make stone golems of them, with orders to march around and around the Elven kingdom for as long as they exist. Less pigeon-poop that way, too!"

"If we make it through this and the Elves don't put up those statues, I'll sculpt them," Anklebiter promises. "Better yet, get me the money and I'll make stone golems of them, with orders to march around and around the Elven kingdom for as long as they exist. Less pigeon-poop that way, too!"

"Ha! Can you have them speak as they march about, and say things like 'Your ancestors nearly killed the people trying to rescue them?'" A grin.

"Hmm, stone golems don't talk much, but I bet a couple of permanent Magic mouth-spells would do the trick!" Anklebiter says, grinning as only a Goblin can.

Let's get those purchases made and get going back into the Darklands!

When the party visits the storerooms Kel acquires an efficient quiver loaded with bolts of all types.

20,000 - 1,800 - 100 = 18,100 GP

can we sell stuff here?

Kel, did you see the discussion in the discussion thread? We have more money than that?

Nope, no selling. This AP is setup to really stress your resources.

After working out with Queen Telandia's attendants what you would need, you collected your gear and spent another night in rest before setting out into the Darklands. The same elf gate (Siavenian) that brought you to Iadara took you back to the area that you had left less than a month ago. A volunteer scout went through the portal first to make sure that there was not an army of demons or dark elves laying in wait, and came back reporting that all was clear. When you went through, you saw the scene as you had left it, though the corpses of the demons and the dark elf prince had been ravaged by the scavengers of the Darklands.

From there, the Pathfinder's map took you on a path that none of you had seen as you originally passed through this area, running for your lives as you were. now it was up to you. Travel the path marked on the Pathfinder's map? Or find another way to the Land of Black Blood?

According to the Pathfinder's notes, the path he marked out would take roughly 3 weeks of travel by foot. Knowing this, and knowing the need for haste, Queen Telandia had her mages prepare 6 scrolls of Wind Walk, once for each of you.

"Back here again," Anklebiter sighs after the aiudara has closed and the group is in the Darklands once more.

"I want to do something before we set off; I got a new spell before we left, one that can get us a mighty helper. But I am... not so good at negotiations, and they'll want paying. Will you all help me?"

Calla grunts, not pleased as usual as she looks around, back in the Darklands.

Before she responds to Anklebiter, she casts her spells, empowering her bow and filling herself with heroism. Cast greater magic weapon, heroism

"Yeah, who would expect a goblin to honor their word if they didn't know you," she grumbles when she's ready. "I'll do what I can..."

"As Calla says, I'll do what I can to help," Bruendor replies. "Though when it comes to things mystical, I'm way out of my depth."

"As for trailblazing versus following the Pathfinder's map, I'd vote for trailblazing. Some Cavescouter I'd be if I felt any differently."

Knowledge (planes) 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36

"I thank you," Anklebiter says, bowing his head to his friends.
Then the Goblin sinks to his haunches and starts... doodling patterns on the ground with his dagger?

"I think," the little Wizard says, each word coming as though it needs to be drawn up from some deep well, "that I will start with a being which is good, but … not strong in chaos or order. Our enemies are strong in chaos, demons especially. They would swim in its waters. But they would also guard against law, I think, so… Yes. Yes, I have made a choice."

With the pattern completed, Anklebiter sets up a droning chant. As the words echo off the cave walls, the pattern the Goblin scratched into the stone starts to shine...

Will save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14. Alright, we have incoming!

There are ... places, for lack of a better term, which simply are goodness manifest.
Places of power beyond the mortal veil.
In one of those places, the one mortals name Nirvana, but which surpasses that name, there is … an awareness.

Like the place it inhabits, the awareness is crystallized good.
Like the place it inhabits, its existence transcends mortal comprehension.
Its sensations, its thoughts, can only be paraphrased, not experienced -- not without a phase-shift.

To paraphrase, then.

There is an awareness which could be said to identify itself as one of many. The awareness could be said to identify its tribe as Movanic deva.
And it could be said to suddenly become aware of a voice.
The voice is small. It is limited. It is mortal.
By its nature, it is trying to draw the awareness into a more limited form.

This is only natural. It is understandable. It is … vaguely irritating, but the deva can forgive it. Mortals need to phase-shift before they can understand, after all, and many are doing their best in their own, limited way.

The awareness acknowledges the voice, considers it.
It is calling. There is an … irregularity to the form of it. That means it is the arcane form. In mortal terms, Planar binding.
Planar binding is deeply irritating. It is inappropriate. And yet.

Mortals can be difficult. Some are hideously malicious. But others can be saintly and kind. Some deserve help. Some do not. The problem is, the phase-shift exists between the deva's state of being and mortals'. It is … difficult to determine which kind a mortal is without actually answering the call.

To be personified Good means not turning down those who desperately need help.

With the equivalent of a sigh, the Movanic deva … answers the call.
A pattern of light appears around it; first a circle, then an orb, then a tunnel, which draws it through the phase-shift, into limitation and towards a destination.
Limitation cloaks it, bringing clarity and understanding of the mortal sphere even as it occludes greater awareness and glory.
Such is the lot of the summoned...

"Bones of my fathers" Lefrik says in surprise

"Despite how much I loath to be back here, I'm glad to be away from the queen and her ilk. As a child when times were hard I wished that I had been raised among the elves instead of the humans, now I feel blessed that I was shielded from their society."

Kel has overland flight that we can use as well. What is our light source, or does everyone have darkvision? We could trailblaze because we have a cavescouter

I have Overland flight as well, and can conjure dancing lights as needed.

"Welcome to the Darklands, angel," Calla says. "We have need of your help to save this planet from the plans of the dark elves. My ... friend ... with the starry eyes here can explain better than I."

Kelendra, you've got our best Charisma, I think. You should probably negotiate, not me.

"Welcome Angel, times are dark and we need your help. A group of criminally stupid elves has failed to halt the plans of another group of criminally stupid elves that are attempting to drop massive rocks from outer space upon the planet to destroy all life on the surface. Despite exposing their plans, infiltrating their evil city, and saving the corrupt council of inaction, they have deemed that we need minimal resources and no allies for this quest that the world depends upon for survival. Did I mention they were criminally stupid? Please, angel friend, join us in this thankless task of saving the world."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (16) + 18 = 34

Anklebiter tactfully clears his throat.

"Soldier of Righteousness, I am Anklebiter the Insane, your summoner today. We face a steep challenge; in order to prevent the Drow from drawing stones down from the Dark Tapestry to annihilate the surface of our world, we must destroy eight glyphs and one master node.
The Drow will be sure to have demonic support, not to mention other techniques. I have called you here in hopes that you would consent to be an ace in the hole. Please consent to come to us when I call, to join us in battle.
In compensation for your consent, in acknowledgment of the imposition on your time, I would offer you this."

Anklebiter holds up his staff of dark flame.

"Once the glyphs have been destroyed and the world saved - or when I die, whichever comes first - I will bequeath to you this weapon. If you like, I can charge it first. There is one evil spell in its matrix, but all the other spells are useful in battle.
Or if you prefer, I could forge you a new weapon to order?"

"I am Lefrik Olegson, an honor, holy one" He seems quite respectful and still in awe.

A slow smile creeps across Calumny Tas'Vere's face until she's beaming with pride at Kelendra. The inquisitor feels her work here may well be done. Not the vengeance against the drow, of course -- that's more pleasure than work, after all -- but other parts of what she does for the Savored Sting.

Nice!

Thank you. ^_^ The angel has a character page with full stats for your convenience.
Over to you to play the deva's part for the negotiation?

"Foul creature, take thy staff and destroy it, lest it corrupt thy companions as it has surely corrupted thyself! For naught comes of evil's works but more evil, and cans't thou cleanse a dirty floor with a white cloth without the cloth itself taking on the crust of vileness? No!"

"How dost a goblin such as thyself dare to summon one of my kind? Were I not compelled by this binding, I wouldst leave now, and count yourself fortunate that thy fate was not to be slain by my hand this day! And yet...and yet the binding spell did hath some compassion, some clarity of purpose not usually found amongst the goblins of the Material Plane. And this evil thou spake of, this drawing of stones from the Dark Tapestry. Speak plainly, is it another Earthfall thou wish to prevent?"

"Soldier of Righteousness, you are neither my prisoner nor my slave," Anklebiter says, calmly and with dignity. "If it were your firm wish to depart, I would not stop you. But verily, it is a repetition of Earthfall that we would prevent. A moment."

Anklebiter rummages in his pack and draws out a couple of notebooks, which he holds up for the deva to see.

"Behold; copies I made of the work of Drow we have defeated in the past year, combined with my own observations and extrapolations. We have twice now been witness to attempts to recreate Earthfall; first in our home city of Riddleport, the second time in the pocket dimension known as the Armageddon Echo. Moreover, we have seen the evils that may come unbidden, carried upon such stones as Earthfall brings; voiceless beasts that turn their victims to voracious undead, which have brought ruin to an Island.

You ask how I dare call you? How dare I not? Even if we do not like the Elves who will be first in the line of fire, they are still people of this world, and there are Elves who we do care for. How could we justify abandoning their kingdom to the enemy? And who says that the Drow will stop with the butchery of their surface kin? The kind of madmen who contemplate repeating Earthfall will grow drunk on the power of this weapon!

Movanic deva, I am not "foul creature". I am Anklebiter the Insane, so named by my tribe when they cast me out for learning to read. I am Anklebiter, who has stood alongside my comrades in a terrible battle to save our world of Golarion. For the sake of my friends, my chosen family, I have done all that I could and had to.
Will you help us?"

The angel considered the goblin, divine face peering down at the twisted features, tattoos, and notched ears. For long moments, the angel considered Anklebiter's words, the documents it had been shown, and the character its divine senses could feel radiating from the goblin and his allies. Finally, it nodded to itself and spoke.

"Very well, little goblin. Thou hast convinced me of both thy intent and thy character, and I have made my choice. I will willingly be bound to thy service for a month and a day, or until this task of destroying the Earthfall glyphs and their makers is complete, whichever be first. In payment, I shall ask that thee destroy that staff, here and now, along with any other artifacts of evil that thou encounter on your quest."