Appario will stroll over to X10(?...next to where Maddok struggles) and draw Extortion as he goes.
"Again, you have the chance to surrender. This is your last chance...you answer all our questions and you can leave the city and country and never return. You can start again someplace far, far from here. Or you can die."
Ready action to slashify the appropriate square if Appario hears spellcasting.
to hit;
damage.
miss chance, high is good.
"Yahirma, thank you for seeing to the Bear. I don't want him to hibernate permanently."
Bolstered by his little brother's song, Maddok shakes off the worst of the magical fear.
"That's enough magic from you!", Maddok growls as he wraps his arm around the neck of where he assumes the mage's neck is.
"Yield and end the spell that hides you or I will break your neck!"
***
As he wraps his arms tightly around the wizard's arms and staff, Maddok realizes the man's skin feels like solid stone.
Bearath hears the sound of someone being rendered helpless by Maddok, knowing that this is his time for redemption, or another death. Either way he walks over to W10 and attempts to take the staff from him. If successful he will hold it with his teeth.
Standing up from a crouch as the bear scurries away and Maddok flings himself into the air at an unseen target, Yahirma tries to keep a level voice as she responds in Infernal. Her point made, she adds her own two coppers to the pile-up by gathering the ferocious aftermath of the fear cone, inverting its intentions, and preparing to counter any further waves of panic.
The bear bites into the air near Maddok, and makes away with a unique-looking quarterstaff. A serpentine decoration snakes its way up the staff's entire length before culminating in a blue dragon's head adorning its top.
The wizard mentally calculates the low probability of success for each of the extremely limited options remaining to him. The voice in the central chamber sends out a brief stream of curses in an alien language, then the man beneath Maddok ceases any semblance of a struggle.
The voice takes on a more subdued tone for a moment, almost like that of a bully whose favorite victim just mustered the courage to stand up to him.
"I.. hmmmm." A pause, then the voice continues. "I harbor no loyalties here worth my life. A change of scenery would do me good, no doubt."
Another pause, then a handsome robe-clad man, with dark hair and a cultivated beard, becomes visible in Maddok's grip. He speaks with his own voice as he continues. "A sign of my good faith, yes?"
"I accept your terms, and will answer your questions if I can. But only if you let me keep my books and my staff, and refrain from tying me up like some common thief."
"There is no passion, but serenity..." The bear just growls even angrier at the thought of the wizard surrendering now. "No, you die. You will not hide behind parley." The bear will toss the staff away and tear into him, and a rare moment where Xerath's emotion takes over. What he saw in death was fire and agony. This man if one could call him that forced that experience on him.
The bear goes into a frenzy of attacks until either the wizard stops moving or he does.
Several of Xerath's attacks clearly hit the wizard, but both claws and teeth scrape ineffectually against some kind of stone that seems to cover the man's skin.
"Keep your bear-wearing companion away from me if you want answers!"
"Calm yourself!", Maddok chides.
"He's surrendered to our mercy and we will honor that surrender."
The bear-mage seems to not care about his defenses and continues his assault. Eventually he will start tearing flesh from bone. "I care not for answers. I will take my retribution from your hide."
He roars at Maddok. "He deserves no mercy and deserves no honor. He only deserves what he dealt out. A painful death." It is obvious that dying has sparked some change Xerath. He does not look like he will stop.
"You can leave with your life and you should be grateful for that. Your books and staff were forfeit the moment you dared attack us."
After Maddok's stripped him of anything potentially valuable or dangerous he continues.
"Tell us what you know about Eccardian, his plans, the pit fiend, and your Lord of Shadows."
Maddok hands the prisoner over to Appario and then deals with the rabid bear.
"You have surrendered, though your staff is ours. Your spellbook can go with you," Appario answers. "We need answers more than your death."
Appario turns to Xerath. "Xerath, that is enough. Calm yourself or face my blade. This one is under my protection as long as he follows his end of the bargain."
Delay to attack Xerath should he not control himself.
Xerath takes a swipe but misses as Maddok clubs the bear into the ground. He hits the ground with a slump into unconsciousness.
The wizard rises slowly, dusting errant strands of bear-hair from his robe while Maddok removes his valuables, then nods in acceptance of Appario's statement.
"My staff holds little value for others. Anyone who knows the ways of learned mages can confirm this."
***
***
"Ecarrdian. I've seen him only once since he carried the flayed body of his grandfather into the entry hall and propped him up on a table as some kind of trophy, loudly declaring himself the new leader of the Council and offering the same treatment to all who would oppose him. The body still remains where he left it, treated regularly to keep it fresh."
"He calls himself the son of Mammon, and perhaps he is. Mammon sent him an advisor, so there must be some connection. I have attempted to divine more about him, but he keeps my magic at bay. All I know of his plans is what he told me. He seeks to claim Westcrown for himself, his sister, and his true father."
"The pit fiend, yes. I imagine Ecarrdian believes that granting it freedom would secure its loyal aid. But a devil doesn't rise to become an infernal duke by submitting to slavery. Even if the boy's agents should succeed at their task, I suspect they will find little gratitude."
"The Lord of Shadows.. He is the true master of Walcourt, and the bringer of shadows into this city. The dark ones you met before belong to him, but he keeps his most powerful minions close. He resides somewhere in the dungeons below the estate. I have found little reason to visit that place."
"Our interest in the staff is in limiting your magic, not necessarily wealth", Maddok comments as he looks the item over.
"Does he command more than just shadows? Is he also Westcrown's master vampire?"
Appario looks at the slumped bear and shrugs.
Better that he goes down on his own than I take him down.
"And say again what you know of the pit fiend? Where is it kept? Who knows about it? How are they trying to free it?"
Appario ponders.
"And what of the Lady Drovenge? Is she directly involved? Do you have personal knowledge of it?"
An infernal duke...I am a smart man, but not very wise...still, even I see the madness in trying to blackmail a being just one step below a god.
Yahirma performs a quick look over the magical bear to confirm that it's still breathing, then she joins in the remarkably civil interrogation.
"What my comrades ask is important, but I suspect we are not paying you the proper respect. A magus who can trace a group's movements from rooms away if not city blocks distant? An arcanist aware of a society's secrets? A seer so experienced that he might call Ecarrdian a 'boy?' Allow me to interrupt our productive inquiries by asking you, Sandor, who you are. What could lure so well-versed a mage as you to a mansion infested with dark folk that acts as a permeable seal for a criminal mastermind?" Yahirma asks politely while trying to impress upon Sandor that there has clearly been some mistake in everyone having fought a few moments ago. As she does so, she imagines the flight of birds across the starry ceiling.
Hmmm, if a woman like Yahirma started flattering ME like that she would have my pants off and in bed before she could blink.
But this mage might have ice water in his veins...
So, are you susceptable to flattery or not old man?
Yahirma's words seem to return Sandor to his former confident self, and he chuckles to himself at various points as she commends his abilities.
"Well, yes, city blocks may be a little far.. although I could do it, certainly. But then my resources would be spread very thin. It's better to keep watch closer to home."
The wizard looks at Yahirma with newfound respect. "I called some of your companions naive fools before. An error in judgment, for some. You are clearly no fool, nor naive. Who am I? I'm Sandor the Strange, watcher of the stars and the vast emptiness between them." He smiles. "Do you want to see for yourself? Climb to my observatory and look. The stars will come to you."
"The Council once offered me these rooms and access to their wealth and resources, in exchange for keeping watch over the mansion. I found the arrangement convenient. Things have changed in recent months. The dark folk came with the new leadership."
Still smiling from Yahirma's flattery, Sandor returns to answering Maddok. "More than shadows, certainly. His strongest minions are no mere shadows. Many beings favor places of darkness and shadow. A vampire, yes, he is that. He commands several others like him, some nearby and some elsewhere."
He turns his attention to Appario. "The fiend is imprisoned below the Mayor's mansion, in a place called the Nessian Spiral. Crafted by Thrune, who think themselves equal to ancient Thassilon. Foolish. The Council leadership always knew, and so too Ecarrdian and the agents he sent there. I don't know who was sent, or how they intend to free the devil, but I know the Mayor's majordomo has been helping them."
"The young Lady.. Chammady, yes? She was at her brother's heels when he came here with their grandfather's corpse, giving support to his declaration." Sandor thinks for a moment. "Hmm. She seemed slightly uncomfortable, but at the same time devoted to her brother's cause."
At around the same time Sandor suggests Yahirma climbs into his observatory, the archon returns, glowing with a pinkish light and obviously embarrassed. It vanishes again about a minute later as the energies holding it to this world expires.
The bear-suit drips off Xerath's unconscious body at around the time Sandor begins answering Appario.
***
Appario takes a deep intake of breath and wonders about the fanciful tale just given to him. Choosing to trust the man, Appario asks some follow up questions.
"Let me get your spellbook for you in preparation for your departure never to return. Where is it? I can get it for you while you answer some more questions."
Appario will move to get the spell book when it is indicated.
"I have seen the Nessian Spiral and think I would have recognized a greater devil therein. There were only two that I recall...that one there," Appario points at Livia, "...and the crazed one in the cell." Appario rubs his back with the devils spear scar and gives Derek at look. "The one in the cell we slew and you can look at this one yourself, does she look like a greater devil?"
"It might also be true that I misjudged the Lady Drovenge. I shall have words with her when we speak again. I still hold out that there is some other reason she is involved in all this."
Appario returns his attention to the task at hand.
"We faced a few magical traps on our way here. What others lay below? I believe you probably set the ones we faced so far. What else awaits us?"
***
During this session of questions, flirting, and answers, Appario is able to get a good look at both bedchamber and study. If he enlists the aid of someone who can see magical auras, he finds the following items of interest:
- The miniature model of Walcourt is exquisitely detailed. One wall is missing, allowing easy viewing of the rooms inside. The model radiates strong magic.
- A complete Varisian Harrow deck, crafted of elaborately enameled wooden plaques, worth 150 gp.
- A silver mirror worth 1,000 gp.
- A brass orrery worth 50 gp.
- The library contains a number of books on astronomy, astrology, the stars, and speculative books about what worlds and entities may reside there. Appario estimates the entire collection would be worth around 1,000 gp.
- A locked chest in the bedroom is easily opened with a key Maddok found while searching Sandor. The chest contains 880 gp, five diamonds worth 500 gp each, and Sandor's spellbooks.
- Sandor also had a scroll, a set of bracers, and a headband, all radiating magic.
***
Sandor points. "My spellbooks are in that chest over there.. Yes, that one."
"You have seen it?" The wizard looks skeptical. "Perhaps you didn't delve far enough. If the fiend had already escaped, the city would surely have felt it."
"I did indeed. There are no others that I have created, but the Council keeps several more ..mundane.. traps. The room with the many false doors, for instance. Those all harbor traps. There are several more on the ground floor, in an area that has been used to train novice Council members for decades, since long before I arrived in this city."
"I know little of the dungeons. There are surely defenses in place, but none crafted by my hand. There's a box of ash in the council chamber that must be of use down there - those among the leadership who venture below always bring the box with them - but I don't know its purpose."
"Oh, yeah...I guess they are different," Appario nods in reference to the Knot/Spiral.
These things are confusing.
Appario will bring the spellbooks out to Sandor.
"Do you have the magical means to leave here instantly? Or will you require escort out?"
Appario waits for others to ask their questions.
"The house of Thrune would certainly have been willing to trap Liebdaga as a show of power alone, especially if they contacted him and he was not...amendable to whatever bargain they may have offered.
Yet, it seems like the must have had a purpose no?
Her majestix employs a "lesser" pitfiend as an advisor, so one has to assume that they would use Liebdagas presence for their own ends."
Derek begins to pace back and forth, stroking his beard as he thinks out loud.
"For Thrune, it is all about power, and indeed I would think it is the same for Eccardian.
But even if they DID succeed in somehow gain Liebdagas help it would be a very obvious thing wouldn't it?
Something like that would never stand to the rulers.
They would be forced to send in troops to pacify this city.
So either Eccardian is banking on this and have some plan to deal with it...or he is very naive indeed."
Stopping his pacing and leaning back against a wall, Derek crosses his arms over his chest and sighs.
"Assuming the council is all but in Eccardians pocket by now, he has access to a lot of resources, but hardly enough to stand up to an army in a civil war no?
Is it possible he has foreign backers?
Holding a single city in a hostile land is pointless, BUT if you hold several cities you can create a new nation, and if done fast and decisively enough, you may even be able to hold it.
This may have very far reaching consequences indeed."
Maddok follows along listening to Sandor's information carefully until the wizard confirms the Shoanti's question. The master vampire that'd cursed Vahnwynne was below. Revenge for what he'd done to the woman he loved was close at hand.
Fueled by Maddok's lust for battle, Shu-Ak’eh-Di comes ever closer to the surface. The Shoanti's tattoos burn brightly and begin to pulse like a heartbeat.
"What of Eccarian? Where does he hide?"
"Do you have the magical means to leave here instantly? Or will you require escort out?"
"Instantly? No. I can only leave instantly with the aid of my staff, or with the scroll I had on me." He shrugs. "I had no intention of traveling far when I woke this morning."
***
Sandor listens to Derek's speculation. "Certainly there would be a purpose for its imprisonment. Ancient Thassilon used powerful fiends as power sources. Thrune seeks to do the same."
"Ecarrdian keeps much tight to his chest. Perhaps the sister, or Mammon's advisor, know how he wishes to use the fiend and how he seeks to keep the Chelish armies at bay." He pauses. "There are offices here. Perhaps they hold information?"
"What of Eccarian? Where does he hide?"
"That, I do not know. I mentioned before that he keeps himself hidden from my magic. Perhaps he doesn't trust me."
Appario pokes his nose near the miniature Walcourt.
"What is the purpose of this? It's nice work."
"Do you know of an infernal contract binding the boy? Where would such a thing be kept?"
Sandor smiles. "The model allows me to enhance some of my magic, when cast in relation to this mansion. My flying eyes last a full day, as does the shroud hindering magical observation from beyond. That shroud is also widened to cover the entire building."
The wizard frowns. "An infernal contract? I don't know of one, but if such a thing is kept within Walcourt it must be in the treasury below."
Appario nods to Maddok and then to the slumbering Xerath.
"Do you think he's calmed down enough? Might we wake him? He might have questions as well."
Appario hands the scroll to Yahirma. "Do we need this? We could get him out quickly and easily if we don't."
Derek turns to Saldor and nods.
"You are an intelligent man master Sandor, there can be no doubt about that. And you are cordial too.
My advice is for you to find more gainful employment in circumstances not quite so...theatrical.
This may not be a play, but it has all the markings of one, and when it does, "heroes" will always come.
Even if you defeat them, all the time you spend on doing it could be put to better use no?
Take my advice, don't work for obviously "evil" organizations, you know there will come do-gooders to disturb you if you do."
Derek chuckles a little, having said his piece.
"We shall see", Maddok answer Appario as he draws a healing potion and pours it down Xerath's throat.
That is exactly what I've always feared should Shu-Ak’eh-Di ever take control. Does he struggle with his magic as I do to keep the Beast at bay?
This is a scroll of shadow walk.
***
Sandor nods thoughtfully. "Solitude would be good for my studies."
While he waits for the sorcerer to come to, Maddok sees to Derek.
"How do you fare little brother?"
Xerath slowly gets up, blinking his eyes as he does so. At that point he remembers what had just transpired. "Why did you stop me? He took my life, I should take his." He does seem calmer than before.
"Indeed, all arcanists of note has either spent some time in solitude, or retired to it once they have finished their adventuring days.
Even Nex himself left to seek solitude after dropping a mountain on that god.
Besides, a star gazer and scrier won't necessarily be cut off from the world. You'll likely know of anything interesting before most other people do."
Derek then turns to Maddok frowns a little and then punches himself in the chest until he coughs up what appears to be a piece of frozen lung.
"I've had warmer welcomes big brother."
Fishing around in his pack, Derek pulls out a wand he had all but forgotten about.
"But a little healing will make it all better."
Touching the wand to Maddok, Derek gives him a blast of positive energy.
"He was foolish to attack us but you live now. He's surrendered to our mercy and answered our questions."
"The Gardeners don't butcher prisoners."
***
"Thank you little brother."
"He does not deserve mercy. Once he thinks he has the advantage again, he will strike. You are fools."
"And if he tries something that foolish we will defeat him again, only next time there will be no such mercy", Maddok says as he casts a fearsome glare at the wizard.
Derek then turns to the obviously wounded Xerath and gives him a big blast of positive wand energy as well.
Yahirma and Appario appears mostly unharmed, and Derek decides to conserve the more powerful energy of the wand for further use, instead opting to heal himself more with his own spells.
"And by then it'll be too late. Leaving someone as dangerous as he is a mistake."
"Are you saying we should kill dangerously uncontrollable things, Xerath? Because he just passed by on that chance with you."
Appario returns his attention back to Sandor.
"Do those below know we are here? Have you alerted them?"
"He did kill me, idiot. He didn't pass by anything."
”He may have taken your life, but it has been returned no worse for wear. I suspect we can extend the same privilege in return,” chides Yahirma.
That, and if butchery of prisoners is taboo, we have done a commendable job of dehumanizing the darklings that lived here, Yahirma thinks as she climbs up to the observatory. Remembering that there were villains somewhere on the roof, she takes care to remain hidden as she peers at the sky and pieces together what Sandor has told the group thus far.
She takes the opportunity to write out a short message on a sheet of paper that might later be passed to Sandor. Upon climbing back down, she remarks, ”I trust you have been honest with us and that any implied second conflict,” she mentions with a look at Maddok, his countenance firm and unforgiving, ”Will be completely unnecessary. So long as I might have a moment to appraise your library and possessions, I believe we can see you away from here. In the meantime, kindly keep busy with my companions’ questions.”
[In Infernal] I am pursuing my own research into planar boundaries, transportation, and quasi-necromantic regenerative alchemy. Although I have an assistant, I would value being in contact with an academic colleague. As we have not had the benefit of exchanging names formally, I am Yahirma of the Mauxi Mwangi, and I will remain in Westcrown for the foreseeable future. That should be sufficient for any communication magic, should you see fit to contact me in the future.
If given an opportunity, Yahirma will slip her note into the spellbook while perusing things in the adjacent room.
"Worse for wear? I saw the..." Xerath quickly stops himself. "Alright wizard, you owe me a life. And I will collect, but not today. For now, you can answer my questions. Who is behind the shadowbeast attacks?" "One day when I am away from these wretched incompetent Gardeners, I will make you suffer. Then when I am finished, I will allow you to die."