Katria nods, ready to follow the others. She's eager to explore the banner and see whether it has any historical value.
Maya nods at Liam's suggestion. She glances at Katria and raises an eyebrow as if to say, Aren't you the one that knows the way?
You head up to the top of the western tower where the memorabilia is stored. Detecting magic reveals the pristine banner is magical, as is a belt among the antiquities. The remainder of the memorabilia is worth 1,200 gp to political historians or collectors.
The following effects apply only if the standard is wielded or carried, and it must be attached to the shaft of a lance, polearm, spear, staff, or similar. The standard-bearer and all allies within 60 feet who can see the banner gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws. They also increase their base speed or fly speed and the base speed or fly speed of mounts they ride by 5 feet. This is treated as an enhancement bonus and doesn’t give a creature a base speed or fly speed if it didn’t have one already. A creature determines whether it can see the banner for the purposes of speed increase at the start of its turn, and it keeps the extra speed even if it moves out of sight later in that turn.
Once per day when the wielder begins a charge action, the standard bearer can use a swift action to call for a battle charge, causing the speed increase from the standard to become 20 feet for 1 round. Any affected creature that charges during this round also ignores the penalty to AC from its charge.
Katria's eyes widen as she examines both items, explaining what they do to her companions.
"This standard is very valuable, or actually in truth probably priceless," she says.
Maya eyes the banner, wondering what battles it had been used in and what generals it had served. In truth, it was just a really fancy, magical standard, but one that could be quite useful.
The first door on the ground floor leads to a large meat locker that matches the description of the one Baron Kustios saw in his nightmares. Several humanoid corpses are piled on the floor beneath four round, grimy windows.
Liam takes the standard and finds a pole to attach it to, if possible.
She eyes the standard but doesn't show too much interest in it, "I'm sure it's valuable in other ways though. I'm ready to take the two of them out and sleep, though I hesitate to leave them alone and unguarded for the evening. Who knows what evil might lurk."
After attaching the standard to a pole, Liam leads the group back downstairs to examine the meat locker filled with corpses. The bodies are all naked and most have long ribbons of flesh stripped away. All bear disturbing mixtures of horror and delight upon their faces.
As you enter the rooom to search it, a ghostlike creature rises from the pile of corpses with a wail. It reeks of death and drips with putrescent green goo.
A festering spirit's slimy touch can drain its victim's constitution. A creature killed by the spirit rises as a spawn under its control.
Maya begins her Blazing Rondo, quickening her allies' steps.
She then draws her rapier, preparing to strike should the ghostlike creature approach.
Amelia looks in horror upon the room and takes a moment to hold in the feeling of nausea welling up inside. She sees a distinct lack of rats, and realizes that something is wrong before the wail happens.
The foe being unknown to her, she acts defensively and draws her pick.
With it in hand she moves a little forward, hoping to keep the people at the back safe from its ghostly magic.
Amelia steps forward to confront the spirit. The creature flies at her but then passes through her! It continues on through all of you, splattering noxious slime everywhere!
Liam begins INSPIRE COURAGE +2 and casts Moment of Greatness.
This doesn't help Inspire Courage (which is a competence bonus), but it can be used to double the +2 morale bonus to saves from the Standard of Conquest. Once per recipient during its duration.
If you have any other active morale bonuses (like Heroism on an attack roll or skill check) you can double that modifier instead, for any one roll.
Doritan sidesteps the spirit with practiced ease, but the goo still manages to incapacitate him and he doubles over as his stomach churns.
HP 52/52
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 19, CMD 17
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +8 (+1 to Ref for resonant powers)
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 1/4
Mental Focus: 14; Abjuration [3/3]; Divination [1/3]; Enchantment [1/2]; Transmutation [1/6]
Resonant powers (+1 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +1 Charisma
checks; +4 Dex)
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][]; 3rd [x][x]
Wands: Scorching ray 23/23; lightning bolt 20/20; magic missile 49/50
Effects: haste, inspired (+2/+2)
Katria barely manages to avoid the slime thanks to Maya's quickening words, and pulls out one of her wands, blasting the spirit with 3 magic missiles.
Doritan, in a weird quirk of time, manages to avoid being splattered by the ectoplasm, and tries to strike at the intangible ghost with his very tangible sword. It goes about as well as one might expect, and he only narrowly avoids stabbing himself.
Not particularly interested in having a spirit pass through her, Maya forgoes her attack of opportunity and dodges out of the way, grateful to have not experienced... whatever it was she might have experienced.
Continuing her rondo, Maya taps Doritan on the shoulder and he vanishes, at least for the moment.
"Make the most of it," she says to him.
Readying herself against an incorporeal foe doesn't seem to do much as it flies through her. She steps out of its way hoping to avoid it's slime.
She gets coated with the disgusting material and nearly wretches.
As Amelia staggers away, Doritan stabs twice at the spirit, missing twice. Katria blasts the spirit with magic missiles, disrupting its form. Liam raises his voice in inspiration while Maya makes Doritan vanish.
The spirit turns its ire on Katria, reaching out for the occultist. It drains her health and coats her in noxious slime!
HP 52/52
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 19, CMD 17
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +8 (+1 to Ref for resonant powers)
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 1/4
Mental Focus: 14; Abjuration [3/3]; Divination [1/3]; Enchantment [1/2]; Transmutation [1/6]
Resonant powers (+1 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +1 Charisma
checks; +4 Dex)
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][]; 3rd [x][x]
Wands: Scorching ray 23/23; lightning bolt 20/20; magic missile 48/50
Effects: haste, inspired (+2/+2), 2 Con damage
Katria pales as the creature passes through her and she feels a bit of her life drain away, but she steps further away from it and again raises the wand to blast it.
Maya decides to risk keeping her rondo going, judging the spirit a worthy threat. Hopefully the room won't contain anymore surprises.
At the same time, she moves over and casts Vanish on Amelia.
Amelia loses balance but manages to keep her stomach before vanishing due to Maya's magic.
Despite the staggering force of the slime she manages to move in quickly and launch a brutal attack despite its ethereality.
Liam holds aloft his holy symbol and channels to damage the undead.
Doritan takes advantage of his invisibility, stepping around the ghost and striking at what looks like a weak point on the ghost.
The spirit resists Liam's channeling. Amelia and Doritan score solid blows, and Katria blasts it with more magic missiles. The spirit is badly damaged but still intact enough to attack Katria again!
HP 52/52
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 19, CMD 17
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +8 (+1 to Ref for resonant powers)
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 1/4
Mental Focus: 14; Abjuration [3/3]; Divination [1/3]; Enchantment [1/2]; Transmutation [1/6]
Resonant powers (+1 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +1 Charisma
checks; +4 Dex)
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][]; 3rd [x][x]
Wands: Scorching ray 23/23; lightning bolt 20/20; magic missile 47/50
Effects: haste, inspired (+2/+2), 5 Con damage
Katria blanches as she feels more of her life ebbing away, but she stands her ground, blasting the thing with missiles for a third time.
Liam once again channels the power of the Everbloom to damage the undead.
Maya continues her performance, willing her allies to move and attack faster.
With the ghost still up, Maya chances approaching, drawing her rapier as she does so. She stabs at the spirit once.
Between Katria's missiles, Liam's channeled energy, and Maya's strike, the spirit crumbles to a pile of putrid slime. Within a minute, the slime flakes away and evaporates into nothingness.
"I guess we should look around," Katria says weakly, her voice tinged with sadness as she surveys the horrible scene in front of her.
"Maybe there's someone alive in here?" she adds, without much hope.
Maya finally lets her rondo end and has to take a few deep breaths before addressing Katria's question.
Shaking her head, Maya replies, "I doubt it. But we've come this far. Might as well be thorough."
Liam also looks for any survivors.
"We should move the bodies from this haunted place to somewhere for the families to identify them for proper burial. Maybe the Temple of Abadar."
He looks around for a cart or wagon, and some sheets suitable for covering the bodies. If there is no cart to be found, he will wait here with the bodies until another party member can bring one back.
"I think you're right, but it's late, and we still need to get the Navins home," Katria disagrees, still looking wan. "I think unfortunately they can probably wait until morning. Perhaps you could bless them, so another undead is less likely to arrive"
"I can try..."
Liam will sprinkle one vial of holy water on the bodies and say some prayers.
"You may be right. Let's get the Navins home. And bring all the evidence we found of Earl Merkondus's actions. It is possible some 'cleaners' could visit this site before we return."
Amelia hears the music stop and with it, the energy seems to float away with the notes. "Would anyone want to see their loved ones like this? I sure as hell wouldn't." She looks around and moves toward Liam, "But whatever you think is needed I'll help with, I can move more weight than you'd think."
She looks over to the scholar, "Though it seems Katria looks a little drained. I'm fine with handling this tomorrow but we can't leave any proof here because I don't trust this place nor the authorities."
You do not find any survivors among the pile of bodies, nor does there seem to be anything of value here. Liam prays over the dead before you leave the slaughterhouse and return the Navins to their homes.
You check into an inn to rest and recover from the day's grueling battles. Rhundle Navin has spread word to the Mercantile Council of your victory over the pairakas, and the councilors summon you to the square outside of Commerce Hall in the late morning to publicly congratulate you and announce the plague of disturbing dreams is at an end. Baron Kustios makes a short appearance at this event, marking his first public appearance in weeks. The elderly man seems haggard but regal and stays only long enough to personally thank you and present each of you a signet ring bearing his personal seal.
Yander Merkondus's expression is perfectly neutral as he watches the proceedings.
Rhundle thanks you for rescuing him in front of the entire Mercantile Council, further bolstering their respect for you. In private afterwards, he mentions that he will endeavor to ignite Loyalist sympathies on the Council.
The first thing in the morning, Liam casts as many Lesser Restoration on Katria as needed.
Then, before the Commerce Hall ceremony, he heads to the Temple of Abadar. "Chief Enumerator Abrun, we have much to talk about. The most immediate matter is a large number of bodies of at the Sanguine Brothers Fine Meats slaughterhouse. Missing citizens of Yanmass, I believe.
The scene of their deaths was so horrific that a vengeful spirit arose."
"The bodies show signs of torture. It will be very hard for their families to look upon them and identify them, but perhaps we can use Speak With Dead for identification and thereby spare the families that grief. Closed-casket funerals.
I would seek to aid you in recovering the bodies and giving them a proper burial. If that spirit has returned, I would suggest we go in force with a number of experienced priests and paladins.
As you may have heard, we were at the Slaughterhouse tracking down the source of the bad dreams affecting so many citizens. A den of Pairaka Divs. What we have not shared widely is that their lair had correspondence from Earl Merkondus. This is not conclusive proof of the Earl's involvement - letters can be stolen or forged - but it is suspicious to me."
---
At the ceremony, Liam simply says "I thank you for this gift, Baron." He keeps a lookout for any figures watching the party.
---
Persona Phase!
Watch Yander Merkondus (Sagacity, Subtlety, Persistent, Risky): Your agents quietly follow Earl Merkondus around Yanmass and report on his activities. This requires a DC 20 Operation check.
Enumerator Abrun nods solemnly as Liam informs him of the situation. "It sounds to me like you faced off against a festering spirit. Fortunately, such spirits do not rejuvenate. I will attend to the task of recovering the bodies with my acolytes presently. We will ensure the unfortunate victims receive their last rites. You and your companions should return to the temple later tonight so that we might discuss the other matter of concern I brought up earlier--the Cult of the Twilight Child."
Liam's agents report back on the cult's ceeremony. All visitors are welcome in the services at the Encircling Bower theater, so long as they are well behaved. Ten minutes before dusk, an aasimar cultist dressed in the standard cult outfit of a sky-blue skullcap, veil, and long tunic with a pattern of overlapping circles, quiets the guests and asks them to take their seats. She briefly acknowledges any attendees she doesn’t recognize, pointing them out publicly and welcoming them to the Cult of the Twilight Child with a wide smile. Dwarf sentries lock the entrances and take their positions near the stage at this time.
At dusk, three more aasimars come on stage, accompanied by the leader of the cult, a man named Vaddrigan Pol. All are identically dressed and lead a simple chant in Celestial as they walk in circles around the stage. The chant is repetitive and easy to follow even for those who do not speak Celestial. Those who know the language understand it expresses a plea for focus and reverence for the eternity of the circle. Cult members in the audience chant along, and some ring bells or chimes they have brought with them.
A few minutes later, a golden mist begins to fill the theater, covering the stage and the audience. The agents report feeling a mild euphoria after breathing in the gas. Vaddrigan steps backstage for a bit and then comes back out. He gives a short homily about the value of the cult as a community or a similar theme. Cult members in the audience seem to hang on Vaddrigan’s words, but his message is never political or controversial.
Then, a young man seems to levitate up out of the stage and hover over it, the purported Twilight Child, Prince Carrius himself. Vaddrigan points out a few members of the audience, and Prince Carrius identifies their "secret worries" or "inner thoughts" and provides assurances that their desires will be met soon. Sometimes, Vaddrigan invites people suffering from ailments onto the stage for Prince Carrius to gesture over and allegedly cure.
After about ten minutes, Carrius descends back into the stage. Vaddrigan asks the audience for those who have previously received the prince’s assurances to stand and testify to the prince’s power. The aasimar high cultists lead the attendees in a few hymns, mostly borrowed from the church of Abadar. Vaddrigan leaves the stage between the hymns to great applause. The service ends, the guards unlock the exists, and the cult members are invited to leave and go forth to spread the word of the cult. Some cultists leave offerings of fine food, money, or other items on the stage as they leave.
Maya is grateful that they're able to return the Navins safely to their home. It reminds her of her own family, hopefully still safe back in Oppara.
Upon receiving the ring, Maya bows low before stating her thanks along with Liam. She's never had a such fancy ring and immediately puts it on, admiring its quality.
-----
With some downtime, Maya decides to try sending some of her agents to infiltrate Earl Merkondus's ranks. One way or another, the bard suspects their group will clash with the Earl. It's just a matter of time.
Though she still feels sick, Katria immediately pulls out quill and paper on her return home, first writing down these most recent experiences, but then reaching out to some of the people she knows to see if she could acquire some alchemist's fire. If they run into any more grubs, that would be very useful to have.
---
In the morning, she nods and smiles her thanks to Liam as he restores her to full health, far more than just the night's sleep could have managed. She slips on the ring, immediately sensing its magic, her eyes widening as she realizes the value of what they've been given.
Meanwhile, she keeps her eyes on the councilors -- while Merkondus may not have reacted, perhaps one of the others let something slip?
Unsure what their next best plan will be, Katria sends her agents into the markets, hoping perhaps she can eventually learn something about the raids and what needs to be dealt with first, or at least as quickly as they can.
Liam will relate what his agents found out about the ritual - while waiting for his next agents to return from following the Earl.
"This euphoric mist or gas concerns me - could be an enchantment or a drug of some form. And I'd like to meet this alleged Prince Carrius once the time is right."
Like Maya, he will also ask around about Vaddrigan Pol.
Amelia accepts the baron's gift graciously and gives a bow, "We are glad we can help. I for one am happy good folks like yourselves can sleep soundly now. I pray nothing of the sort happens again."
She begins to think, someone may have brought them there but it was beyond her magical understanding, whatever it was didn't seem likely to be an ally of theirs on any axiom.
Turning to Katria she sees a look of excitement on her face when the ring slips on and makes a mental note to ask her about it later, now certainly wasn't the time for such things.
---
Morning seems to come for the dandy and she walks out of the rented quarters to hear a report on the cult of the Twilight Child, or the latter end of it at least. The previous day did drain her of energy but it was more due to the hard labour and combat, something she decided was far down on her list of priorities; but a good work ethic paid for the baths and the flowers and the dancing so she shined her armor and listened to Liam.
"Euphoric mists. Honestly with how things are going we cannot rule out that this prince is another masquerading outsider. As much as I would like to believe it can be and will be drugs, I don't want to go into a situation expecting the mundane and getting ambushed by compulsions."
She takes a lean up against a wall and asks the others, "So what priority do you think we should tackle next? Frankly I think we should deal with this cult but we don't have much to go on; perhaps we can see about the Qadiran raiders that have been causing trouble" She didn't know what possessed her to say such a thing, perhaps wanderlust and this heroism thing had seeped into her.
"I will be sending some of my agents out, I'm unsure what they can find but there's always some work to be done. I'm terribly curious what lies below the stage personally but my friends aren't equipped for such a task." She taps her chin, "Though I don't want anyone knowing our true intention, I'll continue to build up our cover here."
Maya listens intently to Liam's description of the cult's ceremony. For as much hullabaloo as there was about the cult, the ceremony itself seems largely harmless.
The bard comments, "Could be the mists. Or it could be that the mists, and even the prince himself, are highly detailed illusions. This Vaddrigan Pol could be an exceptional magic user of some sort. With a bit of practice, he could probably reproduce the same illusions consistently. Has anyone actually been able to talk to the Prince outside of the ceremony? It could all just be a figment.
"As for what we should do next, I agree that the cult is intriguing. However, from what little we know, it doesn't seem particularly nefarious. The Qadiran raiders seem like a much more pressing threat. I suggest we try handling them, or perhaps investigate the missing troops if that's along the way to where the raids have been taking place."
Katria doesn't get much of a read on the reactions of the assembled councilors.
Neither Liam or Amelia know much about Vaddrigan Pol, but Katria possesses a preponderance of pertinent information. Vaddrigan is the high priest of the Cult of the Twilight Child, an arresting aasimar with flawless skin and sparkling silver eyes. Not much is known about his history before he arrived in Yanmass, but there are numerous rumors. Some say that he was a priest of Abadar in Cassomir before converting to his new faith. Others whisper that he was nothing more than a performer in the Everbright Circus. All can agree that the celestially-touch man has an undeniable air of gravitas about him, one that may be linked to some supernatural abilities beyond his mere heritage.
"The bandits, we have heard, may be based in the caravanserai called Talgrasses, out on the Whistling Plains east of the city. I think we should head there.
We could also follow up Lady Aumber's leads. The conspiracy theorist Caradinna Farkin, and whoever is hiding out in Hedge Hill.
Then there is also the Orvestikar Manor that Lady Halliana mentioned."
"I agree. The bandits seem like the most pressing threat. We should head that way if there's nothing more time sensitive," Maya says, agreeing with Liam.
"That seems like a long ways away when we've just started to establish ourselves," Katria disagrees. "I'm more concerned about Caradinna and what happened to her. We could also talk to the church about the cult, and then maybe go to Hedge Hill to see if that's a problem we could solve quickly..."