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Seeing you are about to leave, Khaya, the plant woman, asks that they keep her presence in the Arboretum a secret long enough for her companions to sprout and grow. She wishes to grow a presence of ghoran within the city and then petition the Absalom government to ask for her people to be freed from captivity in Nex.
"Your secret is safe with us, lady Khaya. If you need some help with this petition, I know some friends that can help you. Was a pleasure to meet you."
Andruss does his compliments to her and leave the Arboretum with the others.
... in the Drownyard
Andruss recognizes what those vials are capable to do with haunts.
"Gentlemen, I'll carry one of these with me. They can harm haunts as long as they manifest. I suggest that somebody take the other and stays alert for any unwelcome spirits on our way".
Then, he waits for J.'s concentration result, with the vial in hand...
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Only Quartz is notices the sudden vibration in time to react, and having the Haunt Siphon in hand it, begins to swirl and react on it's own.
Unfortunately, that only seems to piss off the restless spirit even more rather than calm it's wrath. The soft vibrations grow, alerting everyone to the danger, (except J. who seems to be deeper into her concentration than ever), and the roof begins to collapse around you. The spirit of a young girl appears in the center of the tempest, glaring at you.
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-Posted with Wayfinder
That's exactly what just happened. Only Quartz made the Perception check, and acted before Init 10. Since he had called out the Haunt Siphon in hand, (to speed things up by request), I assumed that was his plan, and I just rolled it all out. But it was difficult to deal 15 damage on a 3d6, so didn't put the Haunt to rest permanently. Feel free to go back and check that Perception or Know Religion spoiler.
:p
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The sudden, unexplained apparition and the collapsing ceiling are too much for Dumm's faculties. He lets go of his rationale, reverting to his primal state, and dives at J to protect her from the falling debris.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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After deal with the haunt, J. thanks them for their guidance and protection, but her voice grows distant as if listening for a barely audible whisper. After a moment’s pause, she tells you she is certain another restless force still calls to her from below. Grishan agrees with her and senses a vengeful supernatural presence emanating from inside the entrance to the necropolis. The Haunt caused a small cave in, but one that blocked the door, causing you to spend a little bit of time clearing the way.
Once out of the classroom, you begin to make your way towards the Necropolis. The reek of death chokes this narrow stone corridor, where a trio of corpses slowly rots into the stone.
On their bodies, you find: three suits of leather armor, three short swords, three oils of magic weapon, two potions of cure light wounds, a scroll of remove disease, a wand of lesser restoration, a wand of protection from evil, a collection of excavation tools and sundry items, and 105 gp. The magic items are each marked with a small Glyph of the Open Road, the symbol of the Pathfinder Society.
The spirit of a young girl with blond hair sits in the center of the room. As you approach, the spirit gets up, turns around, and addresses J., “I’ve been waiting for you a long time, Junia. Waiting for you to come back. Why did you leave me? Won’t you come back to me? Then we can all be friends again.”
J. is paralyzed by fear and guilt, and can only mutter “Cassiel, Cassiel, I’m so sorry, please forgive me” over and over again. Grishan explains that this is the spirit of their friend Cassiel Marlinchen who died with him in the necropolis.
You sense anger rising within the spirit, and if you can speak up quickly on J.'s behalf, you might be able to calm the spirit.
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"Yeah, I'm pretty roughed up too," Skerdo grunts. When they find the trio of bodies, he sighs. "Looks like these were some of our former colleagues...wonder what exactly happened to them. Perhaps Andruss should take one of these potions?" He holds one up. "You look like you could use one."
When the angry girl's ghost appears, Skerdo holds out both hands, trying to calm her down somewhat. "Now now, Cassiel, there's no need to get angry...I know it's hard for you to understand, but the world outside's moved on." When she's not looking, he loosens his ax in his belt...just in case.
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"J didn't choose to leave you. She was found unconscious in a tomb. The people who found her took her with them. They brought her back home. If they had know you were her and were her friend they would have found a way for you to come too. J never meant to leave you. She couldn't come back til now because her mother wouldn't let her. You're her friend and the Cap wouldn't leave a friend behind. And thats why shes here now. To find you and help you. We all want to help you." The gnome pleads with the spirit. I'm going out on a few limbs here. I hope they are the right ones. He thinks to himself.
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He relaxes when he realizes the ghost isn't about to attack. He gets up and returns to himself, taking a moment to do so. "We can help if you need we to help."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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J. offers a kind smile at your words, thankful for you all speaking up for her, but before she can say anything for herself, Cassiel speaks, her growing undead rage set aside, "You are right. I see that now. Thank you Grishan, and you too Junia. I had been stuck down here along here for so long, I had forgotten. But I remember now, and I remember some of your friends, too. I remember you staying with us as we died. You didn't leave us."
Cassiels stops for a moment, a look of gentle peace on her spectral face, then suddenly her form explodes in a blinding radiance. At first golden, it soon shifts to white, and then not only her form, but almost as if an aura all around her turns to a soft green. She looks at you all and you feel nothing but serenity. From behind her, materializing from nothingness you see other children, themselves ghostly as well. They walk over to stand near Cassiel, and more and more appear. They smile one last time, then fade from view.
After their departure, finally freed from the darkness and bitterness that had bound them to this place, you can feel the unnaturalness vanish, not only from this room, but the entire Drownyards, and know somehow deep inside that all dark energies have been purged.
J. weeps tears of mixed joy and sadness as a great burden from her past has been lifted. "I think I understand my purpose now. What powers I've been granted, and what I need to do with them. Not every encounter with the supernatural can be resolved with kind words, but some can. . . Some can."
With the Drownyards now purged of it's darkness, J. agrees it's time to leave. The way back up is easy, and nothing troubles your way. As you step out back into the city, suddenly J. stops, looking around confused. She then speaks, but it's not her voice, but rather Grishan's that comes from her mouth, "Brother is here. . ."
A man in a uniform similar to Junia’s, but with more medals and polish, emerges from a side alley at a brisk pace. “Finally, I found you. I heard around the lodge that a team of Pathfinders was headed in to the Tri-Towers Yard.” Andoren Eagle Knight Major Colson Maldris bows his head.
“My brother was one of many children who died when the earthquake hit. As a result, I take great interest in expeditions leading in to that cursed site. The last Pathfinder expedition seven years ago found his body, and as a result, my family was able to give him a proper burial. Those agents also found some...” Colson pauses, and then continues delicately, “reports about my brother’s after-school activities that would have been quite embarrassing if made public. Did you, by chance, find any information about my brother?”
J., hiding Grishan inside of her still, takes a step back behind the group, saying nothing.
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Skerdo stares in amazement as the ghostly form vanishes. "Well, I'll be da--uh, struck down," he mutters. Clearing his throat, he addresses J directly. "You know, you done good, ki--J. I think you've got real potential here...you and Grishan. And you wouldn't've caught me saying anything good about the lingering dead not so long ago!"
Somewhat awkwardly, he steps close to her and offers an arm, and a shoulder to cry on if she should want it.
(If she doesn't, he immediately steps back to a few paces behind her, abashed.)
When Major Maldris appears, everything clicks in Skerdo's head. Of course! The leader of that Andoren faction...what do they call themselves...Liberty's Edge. So this is what we've found. He looks hard at the man before them, trying to determine whether this is a good man with bad ancestors, or something more duplicitous...
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Somewhat awkwardly, he steps close to her and offers an arm, and a shoulder to cry on if she should want it.
(If she doesn't, he immediately steps back to a few paces behind her, abashed.)
She accepts your shoulder, and thanks you, thanks you all for helping her in her ordeal.
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+1
He's a shining beacon of pure Paladinhood. . .
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"I have only heard rumors. Grishan had a brilliant mind, and he was eager to do whatever he could to serve the cause of freedom. I suggested that if he helped the cause of the Eagle Knights before he was old enough to be eligible, they would certainly accept him.”
His words seem to have an affect on J., or more likely on Grishan hiding within her. Colson notices this, but not knowing about Grishan, he simply takes note and continues his explanation.
"These notes paint everyone they touch in a negative light. But, Pathfinders,in situations such as this one, it is important to consider the bigger picture, the greater good, and the unfortunate realities of politics. Skilled orators can take even the hint of scandal and spin it into a mountain to bury their target, preventing almost anyone from seeing the accomplishments and value of the people beneath. Remember what we discovered two years ago, my friends, and the seeds of corruption threatening Andoran that sparked the decision to separate Liberty’s Edge as its own entity."
"Were this information to become public, members of that conspiracy among Andoran’s politicians would use their oratory against all our works, which would deal a crippling blow to our cause’s influence. They would tarnish not only my own reputation, but the reputation of the Liberty’s Edge as a whole, and by extension, the reputations and of all of the Pathfinders who tirelessly work under our banner to promote the cause of freedom. It may even spell the end of our movement to promote the cause of freedom throughout the Inner Sea and beyond!"
As far as you can tell, he does seem to be telling the truth, and not holding anything back.
"If you found them, I simply ask you to hand them over to me to avoid a lot of innocent people being harmed should they become public. I'm not demanding them. I'm not going to try to take them. . . I'm simply asking for you to do the right thing."
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Maldris is slightly less pleased, but he still thanks you for minimally aiding “preventing what could have been a catastrophe.” Seeing that you can not be swayed to hand over the entire bundle like he asked, Colson Maldris shakes his head sorrowfully and departs, commenting "I hope, whatever ill comes from this decision, your consciences can handle it." As he said, he makes no effort to take the documents, but his final words strike you, leaving a lingering sense of dread, and the nagging question, "did you do the right thing". . .
Once he is gone, J. speaks, echoing the words for Grishan still within her. “Thank you. From me and Grishan too.”
Again, Grishan's voice comes from her body, “I always wanted to be an Eagle Knight like Colson. He got his wings so young, and I wanted to follow him anywhere, and fight for freedom, no matter what.' He pauses for a moment, considering the notes, “Now everyone will know. Colson said he trusted me, but he lied. He hid our family from me.”
Both J. and Grishan have learned much about themselves and their power. J. feels that she is ready to finally leave the Drownyard behind her, but has come to realize that she cannot follow in her mother’s footsteps. She instead wishes to strike out on her own and get to know her newfound powers better. As you return to her estate, J. stops, thinking hard about something rather difficult, so much so that she can't manage to bring her hand up to open the large gate to her manor.
"I've been thinking. I heard what you said earlier, and well, I don't think this life is for me,. . ." pointing with one hand towards the noble estate. Her mother's home. "I'd like to ask one of you to sponsor me into the Pathfinder Society. I've read most of your Chronicles, and I've already dealt with a lot of the dangers and loneliness on my own. I've heard of this, "Field Commission". I think I'm ready, and that's what I want."
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"I'd like to ask one of you to sponsor me into the Pathfinder Society. I've read most of your Chronicles, and I've already dealt with a lot of the dangers and loneliness on my own. I've heard of this, "Field Commission". I think I'm ready, and that's what I want."
"For sure, my little child. Will be a pleasure for me and the Sovereign Court sponsor you in this new stage of your life. As you read in the Chronicles, be a field agent is very dangerous, but at the same time, is too much glorious. You learn a lot, you save people, you save nations. Let's talk to your mother about this first. Come with me..."
Andruss will talk to Lady Dacilane about J.'s feelings, and offers the assistance of the Sovereign Court in her training as a member of the Society... Since she can contribute with her influence in some efforts of the faction at the right time, of course.