Calvin keeps up the pressure, moving up to the skum and chopping at it's face to draw attention away from Gideon.
Weyve moves up until he can see the Skum clearly. He takes another shot...
And manages to shoot the bookcase behind the Skum.
The silver eagle launches into the air and manages to hover in place. It shuffles slightly to the side to strike from behind. Then, with another screech it attacks!
Weyve's eagle tears into the skum again, badly wounding it. While the gillman misses with his crossbow, Tobar proves the superior sniper. His bolt catches the skum in the throat! Blood spurts from the fatal wound as the creature sags to the floor.
Once you have a chance to look around more, you can see a brass plaque next to the door in this room. In Azlanti, it reads "Lower Level Tank and Observation Deck." An elaborate lock is set in the door, but the key is in the lock and turned to disable the mechanism.
Examination of the library stacks may be disappointing for seekers of ancient secrets and lore, as nearly all of the books have disintegrated with time. However, two books made of engraved metal plates survive, as well as three others that appear to be standard paper and ink. These "normal" books radiate a faint necromancy aura.
The only item on the desk that has survived the passage of time is a blue gemstone. The plinth holds a strange clockwork bust of a woman. A small slot is built into the forehead of the bust the same size and shape of the gemstone.
Weyve looks over the magic glaive, without much success.
Weyve begins to peruse the library. "Most of these books are useless," he remarks. "Such a shame. All that knowledge... I wonder if a restore corpse spell would work on a book..."
Glad to have the skum finally dead, Gideon picks up the healing potion left behind by the creature. "Mighty kind of you." he says to the corpse as he pops the cork and downs the brew.
After restoring all of his lost vitality, Gideon turns his attention to the glaive.
...though he has as little luck with it as Weyve did in discerning its properties. With a shrug, the archaeologist turns his attention to something that interests him far more: the gemstone and the clockwork bust.
After examining the gemstone for a moment, Gideon looks to the others. "This is the same kind of gemstone that was in that clockwork spy that we destroyed when we first started exploring the colony. Maybe if we put it in the clockwork bust there, we could hear the recording?"
Calvin picks up the glaive and sheaths his sword and shield before giving the new weapon a test spin.
Tobar shrugs. "Dunno. Worth a try, though."
With a nod, Gideon places the recording crystal in the like-sized slot in the forehead of the bust.
A voice begins to speak in the Azlanti tongue. The bust's mechanical mouth moves along with the words. "This recording gem and the information it contains is for the organization's internal use only and not for dissemination to the public, under penalty of law.
"What follows is sensitive information about the Spindle Solution. As far as the public knows, we are dedicated to improving humanity's quality of life through the use of ioun stone technology. We create and specialize in the spindle series of stones, while also performing humanitarian research here at Spindlelock Tower and other stations throughout Azlant.
"This is just our public face, though. In truth, we are a division of the Ioun Imperative that serves as the empire's intelligence organization. Behind the facade, we perform classified military and intelligence research and development.
"Recently, our group captured a spy. Originally suspected to be an elf from Celwynvian disguised as a human, the spy proved to be tenacious, resourceful, and dangerous. Once captured, the spy was placed in temporal stasis, and since the organization's leadership was unwilling to house the prisoner at our headquarters, the Compass, this facility was renovated in secret to contain the individual. Most of the other researchers here are unaware of this development.
"The Spindle Solution leadership has recently determined that the Empire of Azlant has been manipulated by a hitherto unknown aquatic race. Some speculate that the spy might be related to these creatures, so a second series of renovations were performed on Spindlelock Tower to accommodate the spy's release from stasis and eventual interrogation. At this time, the general public is unaware of this aquatic threat. We intend to keep it that way. We do not want to cause a panic. We will record another gem once the interrogation is complete."
The bust's mouth stops moving as the recording ends.
"Wow. So...that was unexpected. Seems like we've found some kind of ancient prison, or at least a holding facility of some kind. I wonder if the one they captured is still in stasis here? That would be quite the rude awakening if we find him and wake him up. Or her, as the case may be."
"Either way, I think we should try to find this person. I'm assuming that this tower is the Spindlelock Tower the recording referred to, and if they've renovated it to accommodate that spy's release, there's gotta be some sort of switch or something somewhere to let them go. We should make our secondary objective, after finding out what happened to the other settlers."
"What was it they had captured?" Calvin asks. "It probably wasn't just anyone if they're still around. Nothing lives THAT long, do they?"
"Under normal circumstances I'm sure whoever it is would be dust by now, but the message said they were to be put into Temporal Stasis. Just speculating here, but the name makes me think they put whoever it is into some kind of suspended animation...bodily functions virtually cease, aging stops. If they did put them into this state, it's reasonable to think they'd still be alive and in that same suspended state."
"Interesting that they mentioned an 'unknown aquatic'. Maybe one of the deep folks who led to the spin-offs from Azlant...?"
Calvin gives Weyve a look after hearing Tobar mention what kind of creature it was.
"It's definitely a question worth pursuing...but there's not going to be any way to until we can locate whomever it is they have in this stasis."
"Or perhaps this person escaped? Even so-called permanent spells can wane over the aeons. If this person was a spy for..." Weyve pauses for a moment. "...for enemies of the Azlanti, it would make sense that the Skum here would work for such a person. This person may have even summoned them! It seems strange that this tower should be unlocked in the way that we found it. I suspect that this only happened recently, when this prisoner escaped from within, and unlocked things from the inside."
Weyve looks at the others.
"Well... it's only a theory. But if the Azlanti had cause to fear what this person would do if free, we should share that concern."
Weyve looks around the room.
"We should make sure we have checked everything here, then proceed up another level."
The surviving books here are a major historical find, worth 4,000 gp together if sold to a collector (or the Pathfinder Society). The recording gem itself could likely fetch over 1,000 gp from a historian. One of the books is actually a spellbook.
Before heading upstairs, you open the double doors on this level. This enclosed area is an octagonal walkway illuminated by a soft, pervasive light. The overwhelmingly dominant feature is another chamber inside this area, which has transparent walls and appears to be filled with gently bubbling water. This cistern or tank appears to extend up into the next floor, although there is a stone ceiling 15 feet above this external walkway. On the east side of the tank is a transparent door, complete with an opaque handle.
The tank's walls and door radiate auras of moderate abjuration when examined with detect magic. Weyve can see a vaguely humanoid shape floating motionless in the water--it is likely a water elemental.
Gideon looks around the room slowly from where he is standing at the double-door entrance, seeing what he can see from there.
Looking at the water tank now more narrowly, Gideon seems suspicious.
"A water elemental in a tank of water? With abjuration spells on it? Sounds to me like they were trying to keep the elemental inside...and if the people here before were trying to keep it in, I see no reason to disturb it at present. There's no way it can be the spy we heard about earlier, a water elemental wouldn't need to be put into stasis...would it? I don't think elementals age."
"Well, it's harmless in there. So far." Calvin concludes. "Can you even cut an elemental with a sword?"
"Elementals are typically resistant to damage from weapons," Weyve says.
Weyve examines the barrier for a moment.
After looking the tank over, Weyve prepares to leave. "I have neither the means to control the spirit, nor dismiss it. I suggest we leave it alone."
Studying the aura on the tank, Gideon surmises the spell creates a barrier to keep the water from spilling out. Even if you were to open the door, the water would likely remain within its confines.
Deciding to leave the elemental alone, you head up the ramp to the next floor.
Almost the entirety of this floor is open. In the center of the room is a vast tank of water with transparent walls and no floor that extends down to the story below. Much like in the lower level, a single transparent door with an opaque handle is built into the eastern face of the tank.
Just east of the tank is a much smaller transparent chamber with a similar door. This one contains no water, however, and a blanket is hung casually over the open door. On the floor nearby are some damp blankets, and pots and bowls that contain picked-over rations and the remains of partially eaten fish.
Two people sit on the blankets. One is a lean young woman with long red hair, a fair complexion, and large, expressive green eyes. The other is a broad man with a full head of dirty blond hair, bushy eyebrows above piercing blue eyes, and a thick mustache that frames a square jaw. Disturbingly, both of them have skin that is sickeningly translucent. The exposed muscle tissue and circulatory systems revealed by their practically transparent, glistening skin have transformed the humans into grotesque horrors.
When they notice you, the two rise to their feet. "Praise Erastil! Friendly faces at last. Did you kill those skum warriors downstairs? They've been keeping us prisoner here. I'm Eliza Haniver, and this is Rayland Arkley. We're colonists from Talmandor's Bounty."
"Good gods, what happened to you two?" Weyve stammers.
"We are from the relief expedition and have reoccupied Talmandor's Bounty. We slew a few Skum downstairs, but it didn't seem like there were very many. Are there more of them upstairs?"
"This is the top of the tower--if you killed all the ones downstairs, then the way out is clear! Finally, we can go back to the colony. I hope things have been okay there in our absence," Eliza says.
"I'm not entirely sure what happened. I found out about this place from a pair of talking tower was abandoned then. I remember coming up here and opening the small chamber and then...everything gets fuzzy. I think something has been tampering with my memory. Somehow Rayland got here too, and this happened to us." She gestures to her translucent skin. "Our skin dries out if we don't immerse ourselves in water every few hours. I think it's some sort of gruesome curse. Maybe the priests at the colony can help us."
"The colony vanished. Everyone disappeared. Probably the same thing that happened to you - enchanted and taken away, memories wiped. There's a new colony settled, but uh... we maybe oughta get back in a hurry in case whatever did this to you shows up there," says Tobar.
Eliza nods. "I agree. We're ready to leave this place if you are."
At the name of Rayland, Gideon's memory immediately flicks back to the apparition in the colony's chapel and how disturbed it was, not to mention its assertion that Rayland murdered him. But there would be time for that later.
"I want to make sure we've left no stone unturned here before we leave. We still haven't found any hint of the presence of the prisoner that that Azlanti log mentioned. If you need to get back in the water before we go back to the colony, now'd be a good time. It will be a while before we get back."
That said, Gideon will go back through the facility, looking for anything that they may have missed before now.
"We shouldn't linger here," Eliza says. "There's no telling when more of those vile skum could return. If there was anything useful to find up here, Rayland and I would have found it long ago. I just... I just want to go home." Her voice breaks a bit, and she lowers her eyes, her brave facade seeming to falter for a moment.
"Before we go, do you know anything about this tank of water? It appears to have some sort of elemental creature inside."
Weyve snaps his fingers.
"Wait... what if it is the prisoner? That certainly seems like a prison."
Weyve begins to examine the creature in water tank more closely.
He taps lightly on the wall of the tank.
"Hello? Can you understand me?"
Eliza shrugs. "I don't know. It lets us use the water in the tank to keep our skin moist, but we haven't interacted with it further."
The elemental turns to face Weyve, but makes no effort to communicate with him.
"That's actually a good point...maybe it is." Gideon says, turning to look at the elemental along with Weyve.
The elemental in the tank appears to be a typical water elemental of medium size. Studying it closely through the walls of the tank does not reveal anything unusual about it.
While also looking over the water tank, Gideon tries to surreptitiously look over the two prisoners, trying to recall anything that might help him identify their condition.
Studying Eliza and Rayland, a near-forgotten memory rises to the surface of Gideon's mind. An esoteric text pulled from the sodden ruins of Oagon contained accounts of a terrifying race of aquatic monsters called aboleths. Their powers include mystifying illusions and mental domination, but among their most horrifying abilities is the terrible transformation the slime from their tentacles can cause. The change alters skin and flesh to a slimy, clear membrane that weakens a creature's constitution and forces them to keep it moist lest it crack painfully as it dries, ultimately resulting in death. Though not a disease per se, remove disease or similar magic can reverse the transformation.
The sudden surfacing of the memory alarms Gideon, but he doesn't let it show on his face. Instead, he turns to his companions. "I don't know about you guys, but since we've searched this place pretty thoroughly, I'm willing to try opening the door to the tank and seeing what happens. Maybe it won't be hostile toward us, but I'm not comfortable just leaving it here, especially if it has the potential of being an ally or a prisoner, just as these two have been." he says.
Looking back to Eliza and Rayland, he adds, "I would suggest you two stay in this room, away from any fighting, though. Neither of you are in any condition to fight, should it be necessary."
Eliza and Rayland nod. "We'll wait here," Eliza says.
Gideon thanks them, then heads back into the next room (assuming the others will follow). With Weyve's suspicion that the water would remain in place, even if the door were opening, Gideon approaches it and opens the door.
When the door is pulled open, the water doesn't pour out but instead remains within the doorframe as a wall of water held back by a ermeable barrier. It would be a simple matter to simply step in and out of the water.
The elemental continues to look at Gideon, but takes no other actions.
Before he steps forward into the water, Gideon makes a show of handing both his machete and his bow over to the others, dropping his backpack to the floor, then holding up both hands to show that they are empty. He then goes through a simple statement of his peaceful intentions and an expression that he just wants to talk and help in any way he can, beginning with Common and repeating it in Azlanti, Elven, Halfling, and Varisian, hoping that the elemental within will speak at least one of those tongues.
"Wish me luck." he says simply to the others, then steps forward into the water.
The elemental continues to stare at Gideon, making no response. When the bard steals into the tank, he discovers the water is surprisingly tepid and clear. Several pipes and hoses are at the bottom of the tank, their purpose unclear.
The elemental moves to stay out of his way, but otherwise takes no actions.
Gideon emerges from the tank to report to the others what he saw inside. "Whatever it is in there, I don't think it's hostile...not right now at least. It had every advantage over me and only observed, almost as if it were curious. I wonder if there's some way we could empty the tank, or if doing so would free it? There are some pipes and hoses at the bottom of the tank. I'm willing to go have a look at them to see. What do you guys think?"
"Ehh... I don't see that there's anything to be gained, and if our survivors here need to use the tank, it might be bad for us to dismantle it. Might as well leave it be until we know more. Our priority right now should be getting these two back to safety and cured," says Tobar.
"I think there's potential for a lot to be gained. We possibly have a survivor of Azlant right here, and that's the entire reason we even came to this island in the first place, right? I'm not suggesting we spend days here. Just a little more time to try and help out an entity that might have needed someone's help for...heck, millennia. I think that's worth a short delay."
With a glance back toward the other room where the former colonists are, he lowered his voice where they couldn't hear and added,"...and it'll give us a chance to talk something else over in private."
"So... your skin seems similar to mine." Calvin observes, talking it up with the survivors they found. "Gillmen need a dunk in water every few hours too. Or grow oil glands like me." he says.
... He sighs. "So..." he says, suspiciously. "Remember anything with... tentacles?"
Weyve looks the two over after Gideon reveals the origin of their curse.
"The power to do this comes from... something that is anything but good. I don't know what purpose they had, but it does not bode well. But there is a cure, which we ought to be able to arrange once we get back to Talmandor's Bounty."
Weyve turns back to the elemental. He steps into the tank, and addresses it in Aboleth.
"እርስዎ እኔን መረዳት ይችላሉ?"
Tobar frowns slightly and says, "Might be a prisoner or something informative in the tank, versus these two people who will die if we can't find a way to cure them. I think the priorities are pretty clear."
The elemental does not respond to Weyve's question.
Eliza shakes her head when Calvin asks about tentacles. "No, sorry. I can't remember much of anything after coming to this place. Maybe if we find a way to lift this curse, it might restore some of my missing memories as well."
"It probably only speaks Aquan...but unfortunately, I don't know that language. Either way, there's a separate water tank in the next room that will keep their skin moistened." Gideon says in reference to the elemental in the tank.
At Tobar's insistence, Gideon looks to the two prisoners, then back to the other three members of the party, and gives a deep sigh. "Eliza, Rayland, I know what your condition is, and while I can't put a name to it, I know how to cure it. When we get back to the colony, a Remove Disease spell will get rid of it for you. Until then, as long as you keep your skin moist, as you said you have to do now already, you'll be fine. We just need to make sure we have full waterskins for the trek back and you'll be right as rain; hopefully we won't run into any more skum while we make the trip, but if you'll give us a moment to ourselves, I'd like to talk about the walk back; marching order, keeping you two safe, things like that."
Assuming they agree, Gideon moves off a bit, where they aren't able to hear what is being discussed, and he can talk to the others without fear of being overheard. "Alright guys, here's the deal. I didn't tell them everything; I did read about this disease in Oagon, but I also read about where it comes from: aboleths. A race of aquatic monsters that are, by all accounts, terrifying. They can create nearly-real illusions and are capable of mentally dominating a person they focus their abilities on. Remember what I said earlier, when we found the soul soap? About someone having it used on them over and over, until whatever was being done to them took hold? I'm starting to think that may be exactly what happened. Those two have been here for weeks; more than enough time to get dominated. The last thing we want is to bring spies, especially unaware ones, back to the colony. I say we try to get them to agree to a few scrubbings each with the soul soap before we leave, just as a precaution."