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Having tracked where the giggles are coming from Azarra tried to visualise where Yarash was, knowing he was likely several feet to one side of where his voice appeared to be. On instinct she shot and rewarded by a the sound of Thwack-Slap-AIIIIEEEEEE!
<--- HIT
<--- HIT
Ishta's hands crackle with eerie blue-white power which she forms into a small ball which she flings into the northern room! This detonates with a flash that's too bright to look at and initially nothing seems to happen but then the stench of seared flesh assaults your nostrils.
<--- FAIL
With his master slain, Akie crumpled upon himself and was quickly cut down.
COMBAT OVER
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Zane was again amazed at the awesome display of arcane prowess as Ishta zapped the crazed man out of existence on the material plane. Helping to bring the man's creation down, the priest was almost surprised at the sudden silence that fell over the place after the brief battle. Once they had stripped the valuables off the enemies, Zane moved with the others to the room where the 'Master' had come from, hoping that maybe the man's personal effects would have a hint as to how the poison in the water had come into being and what could be done to permanently disable the devices creating it.
The Thayan display fills Kardas with dread and, as the scent of ozone drifts through the now-quiet hallway, he swallows his fear and disgust. "Might this have been the very sorcerer behind all of this madness? It seems ... an anti-climatic proposition after what just transpired. "
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"If he's the leader here in the ziggurat, we don't know, though he might be" Ishta figures. "What's clear is that he had a deal with the dragon, or is under his command. It seems our draconic friend will play a big part in this after all."
The Paladin watches as Ishta totally blasts the foul Alchemist! The gold elf nods in appreciation of the Arcanist's prowess.
Certainly glad that you are on our side!
He then guards the group; as they loot.
Azarra starts searching the room where Yarash died, figuring they might as well clear this level as they started out to do.
Yarash's bedroom proves to be rather mundane, a single bed and drawers filled with neatly folded clothes, a bedpan (empty) and some rather tasteless fiction books. There's also a large barbed whip hung on the wall encrusted with dried blood. The room has a few rater plain looking wallhangings of no particular value.
It appears he's been here for many decades on the mad quest to transform lizard men from the local marsh into Sahuagin which he planned to introduce into the moonsea in order to search The Bell in the Depths for the hidden secrets of Northkeep. Secrets he was convinced would bring him power and prestige and allow his return to Phlan from where he was exiled 80 years ago.
Yarash's journal is rambling and far from coherent but it seems he began his experiments on the daughter of a councillor who spurned his advances and was going to be hung. Somehow he struck a bargain with one J. Cardona, he would obtain the secrets of how a soul could be trapped in a gem leaving the victim's body little more than a living puppet. In return he would be exiled never to return.
Yarash felt Cardona got the better of the bargain, and feeling hard done by he had no compunction about poisoning the water. This was he felt a necessary step in order to make the Moonsea habitable for his Sahuagin. After reading the this far you become convinced he's never actually seen a Sahuagin and his experiments had no hope of making anything other than abominations.
The power of Northkeep made it an obvious target for orcs, giants, and other evil races. However, these creatures were not inclined toward sea action, until the day when (according to legend) 40,000 inhuman mages, shamans, witch doctors, and priests of all foul races gathered on the northern shore of the Moonsea, and began to chant, bringing the vengeance of their gods down upon the human interlopers. Their gods (at least some of them) came and destroyed their priests for disturbing them, but they also sank Northkeep beneath the waves.
The upper reaches of Northkeep —its slender, now-broken spires— can be seen beneath the water by boats that sailed near by. This is not attempted often, as the region is said to be haunted by the original defenders of Northkeep, seeking company in their watch over the Cold Lands. On foggy nights the bell can be heard as far away as Hillsfar.
Ser Armithia has his visor down.
Azarra stumbles upon a secret panel, and finds a safe with a log book. She thumbs through it for a moment, and at one point says
Freaking CARDONA, how am I not surprised?
(fail)
After glancing through it a little more she says
Hmm, this mentions searching for some hidden secrets, and I feel like something recognizable is in there, but I am not quite getting it... someone else take a look for me, and see what you can pick out.
She hands the log book off to anyone else who wants to try.
You heard stories of every Zulkir that was except for Szass Tam the dread Zulkir of Necromancy, very little was whispered about him. But the one rumor you did hear insinuated was he was secretly a lich despite passing for an ordinary human, capable of fathering sons and daughters. Quite how he could do this was an object of much speculation in certain quarters and the whispers you heard suggested that it involved a simulacrum carved from his own flesh and an infamous spell known as Magic Jar. The very same spell that Jandark sought to learn.
As well as many dark uses dominating the minds of the weak willed, it supposedly played a vital role in the ritual to become a lich. One of the spell's few weaknesses was its relatively short duration of half a day or so. Supposedly there are a number of ways around that, the standard one was when casting the wizard's own soul into a phylactery during the ritual to become a lich. Another use apparently involved a secret technique that made a blood relative especially susceptible.
Whatever the truth of these matters, one thing is for sure Jandark Cardona has been poking into matters best left untouched. There was always a price for such dark rituals, albeit oft long delayed...
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Zane heard the councilman's name and groaned, having hoped that the man wasn't THAT corrupt. Upon the clarification that it was Jandark, it made the priest feel better, though not much more so. The cleric was an amiable sort, but he had come to the opinion that Phlan would be better off if the young councilman decided to seek his fortune and power elsewhere.
When Azarra was looking to hand off the journal, Zane accepted it, having spent much of his youth reading of the history of this area of the Moonsea. Skimming through it, he read eagerly, briefly forgetting where they were at.
After a few minutes he closed the book, shaking his head. "This Yarash was a madman. He sought to turn these poor lizardmen into sea creatures to go search through an artifact called the Bell in the Depths. The Bell was supposedly once in Northkeep, a stronghold of men on an island in the Moonsea long ago. It is said that it was unassailable, and this created such a rage in the monstrous races that thousands of their priests and shamans gathered on the shores of the Moonsea to bring the wrath of their dark gods against the men of Northkeep. Those fools met a terrible end for disturbing their gods, but the terrible beings also cast Northkeep into the sea, the entire island sinking beneath the surface. The Bell sometimes rings, being heard as far away as Hillsfar."
Finishing his summary, he again shook his head. "Crazy. Let's see if we can find where the poison is originating from. And if we encounter any of the lizardmen we can tell them of what Yarash was doing to their cohorts."
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"I've heard so many stories... the detail of trapping the soul in a gem reminds me of one of the requisites to achive immortality through turning into a lich." Ishta comments on the other thoughts that go through her mind right now . "I'm glad we stopped this one here, but there's a really powerful one inside Phlan. Let's finish our job and inform the Council."
Secretly, the image of 40,000 orc shamans invoking holy lightning on something rejoiced a small, hidden part of her mind.
As you discuss the contents of Yarash's log book you hear a pair of footsteps rapidly coming up from below. A pair of agitated young looking lizard men appear on the landing near you, they notice Yarash's corpse and gasp before pointing at you fearfully and muttering in their own language. Neither has any obvious weapons, they look malnourished and are wearing little more than rags, and what exposed skin they do have is criss crossed with healed whip lashes - even their faces.
Azarra activates her Traveler's translator to understand their language.
After 1 minute of exposure to a language other than its base language, the translator learns the new language. Thereafter, the item automatically translates speech of the newly learned language into the translator’s base language, telepathically imparting the translated words to its owner.
____As a standard action, the owner of the stone can designate a single creature within 30 feet. When the owner speaks aloud to that creature in the translator’s base language, the traveler’s translator telepathically transmits the owner’s meaning to the target, using the learned language.
She holds her hands up in a pacifying gesture while it works.
Zane looked upon the two newcomers with pity, but was still wary of the lizardmen. Now that their master was dead, the priest was unsure what their natural tendencies might be. Seeing Azarra attempt to placate them, for the moment, he held back and made ready to assist her should the duo erupt in unexpected violence.
Ser Armithia just glances at the two lizardfolk. The Knight continues to guard against other threats while Azarra attempts to communicate.
It takes a while for translator to kick in but when it does you start to get the gist of the conversation. One hand they thought the inexplicable damage to the pumping room below was going to send Yarash over the edge into one of his rages, the sort where people get dismembered. Seeing the tyrant dead along with one of his clones is a cause for celebration but they are most fearful of your intentions and what the future holds. The refrain is what now? where will we get food, who will lead? Surely it must be you. What manner of master will you be? One like Yarash that's not to be crossed or you disappear? Is there any other kind of master? Will the beatings stop? Or will they get worse as you assert your authority...
Azarra points at one of the lizardmen/lizardpeople (the one that seems like the leader, if there is one), and speaks to him or her through the translator.
We don't mean to become your masters, but rather to free you. We want to destroy the means to poison the river, and capture or kill anyone else that was enslaving your people. All we want is peace between your people and the city of Phlan. Can that be arranged? We have brought gifts, but perhaps it would be better to present them after we clear out this place?
Zane grows puzzled as Azarra spoke to the lizardpeople in the common trade tongue, but he trusted that whatever arcane thing she had just done would make it to where the lizardfolk could understand her. She certainly seemed confident that it would.
Don't the lizardmen normally have a shaman or leader who speaks the tongue of dragons? Hrm, they must have been stripped of knowledge and dignity by this accursed Yarash. Quietly, he waits and lets Azarra do her thing, but Kardas has the feeling that victory has not yet been achieved.
Ser Armithia nods in agreement to the bard's words.
One of the lizardmen is a few inches taller than the other, and while leader isn't the right word the other seems to defer to him. So Azarra used her translator to speak into his mind and when she does he jumped back with fright. It took him some moments to compose himself and he told the other with a wry look, "She speaks in tongues yet I understandsss. Says she wants peace and is bearing gifts..." The other one seems started by this revelation and asks suspiciously, "What new trickery is thisss?"
Oh, yeah... sorry. Should have rolled that in the first place.
Ishta thinks of different spells and could cast to help with the language differences, but when Azarra beings our the dispositive she nods. Those won't spend her resources, and Azarra is the one who has a thing with talking to people anyway.
Azarra senses she hasn't won them over yet, but they seem to be more receptive. The taller one says to the other, "This one claims sound outlandish but what if... What if it's true? The other shorter one look far from convinced and replies emphatically, "Elder Estrassa has the gift of the third eye, ssssshe will know if this one is lying."
The taller one seemed to accept this and then beckoned Azarra to follow, saying, "The elder will want to see you. Know this she is precious to us, and we defend her to the last if necessary."
The pair of emaciated young lizard men lead you downstairs and through a truly opulent apartment, Yarash it seems had a taste for caleshite rugs and impressionistic paintings. There was a teleporter pad in a closet which they ushered you into and spoke a command word which whisked you to another far less luxurious part of the pyramid complex. The stench of unwashed bodies was everywhere in this dank and oppressively hot cavern which appears to be the main accommodation quarters for the lizard folk. All around in shabby conditions where many dozens of resting lizard folk, all of whom looked emaciated. Perhaps one in three sported nasty looking injuries, some apparently from Yarash had them tend, and others sporting whip marks or worse. You notice the shredded remains of half a dozen hollow men, just like Akie you killed upstairs.
All conversation stops as you enter and suspicious eyes follow you as you are lead towards a rare secluded area in the back. Behind a grubby leather partition you are brought face to face with a truly ancient looking lizardwoman. Her skin is mottled with age and her skin is loose and sunken, yet her eyes hold your attention, suggestive of a keen intellect. The taller lizard man reverently whispers into her ear and she glances as you sharply before waving him away.
With a sigh she painfully props herself up in the filthy chair she was resting in and addresses you in the common trade tongue, "Sssso you are the ones responsible for the explosion in the pump room. I don't know whether to thank you or curse you. Half a dozen of my people where badly wounded, ssseveral will never walk again, yet they tell me accursed Yarash is no more. Hmm what do I make of this?"
Her eyes seem to bore into you as she continues, "They tell me you come offering gifts... I don't mean to be rude but we've had bad experiences the powerful and their gifts, Yarash was a truly vile man he will not be mourned. He promised much if only we would offer him our sssouls, naturally we demurred but he insisted and here we are, cattle for his whims and experimentsss."
Rather gruffly she finished, "So what is it you want from usss who have so little to give?"
When Azarra hears that she accidentally harmed lizardpeople she says
I'm sorry that some of your people were gravely wounded in the pump room. What was happening to the river was evil, and I needed to stop it. I didn't know that it would harm your people, but I do apologize and beg your forgiveness if there was a better way to accomplish the cleansing. I hope the harm that we have stopped in some part makes up for the harm that we have caused.
After Elder Estrassa finishes speaking, she says
What we want from you? ... I tried to explain this before, but we don't want ANYTHING from you. We are trying to help you. I mean, if you want to negotiate for something, then we would appreciate peace between your tribe and the city of Phlan, and no pollution of the river going forward. Other than that though... we came here to clean the corruption of the river, kill your captors, and to make sure that you are no longer slaves. The gifts are just a side thing, if you need them. Is there anyone else here that is a danger to your people that we need to take care of? Is the pyramid completely under the control of your people now that Yarash is dead? If so, I would be happy to give you all of the gifts we brought. If not, then let us take care of your enemies first, and then share the gifts. And just to be clear... the gifts are just trade goods and stuff. Not worth your souls. You should keep those. They are too valuable to trade.
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Zane followed the lizardmen to the teleportation pad, eyeing it with distrust. They seemed to be wanting to carry this out, though, and honestly having another ally relatively close to the city couldn't hurt anything. Or at least a truce.
The priest didn't really have time to process the motion before they were standing in another area of the pyramid (hopefully), now in a room full of the lizardfolk. Zane lowered his weapon, wanting to seem as peaceable as possible as they walked towards the seer of the group.
He listened with interest and sadness to the elder's tale, allowing Azarra to speak for the group before offering, "Perhaps I could help with the injuries of your folk, as well, as we meant no harm to your people. The Morninglord is compassionate and will spread His healing to you, if you will allow it."
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Ser Armithia seems angry as he views the lizardfolk's plight! The Paladin places his sword at the feet of the Elder. He then takes off his helm also, setting next to his sword.
The knight of Helm then kneels in front of her.
I, Ser Armithia, Paladin of Helm--Protector and Guardian--offer my life in the pursuit of your freedom!
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After listening to Azarra's words elder Estrassa was genuinely flabbergasted. With tears of joy she told you, "I never thought I would sssee the day. For ssso long we have ached to be free and to return to our old home in the Twilight marshhh. Now by the grace of the godsss it seems our dream shall true! We have little to offer you but gratitude although in times past we traded pearlsss and peat with the humansss, perhaps we shall again! Once established if there'sss ever anything we can do you have but to sssay. Such a debt of gratitude lasts generationsss."
A throng of lizard folk young and old has built up and when Estrassa addresses them explains that their incarceration is over a cheer goes up that rocks the heavens.
Meanwhile Zane is taken to the hospice where he finds several mutilated victims of Yarash's experiments along with a number of badly hurt lizardmen who had been labouring in the pump room when the boiler exploded. By the grace of the morning lord all but the worst damage was dissolved into healthy new flesh by the waves of rose colored light conjured by Zane's piety. This power to heal,more than the destruction of Yarah and his homunculi, was regarded with awe by the Lizard men who had been denied all clerical healing by Yarash.
With the formerly wounded miraculously walking there was little reason to stay in the pyramid, certainly none of the lizard folk wanted to. Of course there was planning to be done, and even though the taint was no longer being pumped into the river it would take time to be safe. Still the water north of the island was pure but that wouldn't help feed and water the whole tribe moving south then east past Phlan to the marsh that formed the southern border between the city and the great grey land of Thar.
Azarra opens up the portable hole and shows Estrassa the urns and other gifts that they brought and suggests they go to the clean side of the river and spend a couple of days catching all the fish they can, then cooking it all, and using the urns to store it for the journey.
a good number of high end copper pots and pans, a number of pattern steel chef's knives with the dimples for better cutting, glazed pottery urns, tea sets, spades, various tools, sewing kits, fishing kits, bulk sugar and spices and so on
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Ishta can offer little in terms of survival or foraging, sadly. She's still wary, though, that the dragon appears - conversations between Yarash and the reptilian creature were mentioned, and she doesn't want to send 200 lizardfolk into their doom if the dragon decides to breath upon them.
"How prepared are we in case the dragon would appear?" she asks her friends in private. "I don't know if the lizardfolk know about him, but it's still a threat. Maybe we should ask."
That's a good point, Ishta. I'm not sure there is a lot we could do, but if the dragon was allied with Yarash, then perhaps that alliance ends with his death? Also, the dragon didn't show up here to help him, so maybe it is still licking its wounds? Hopefully we have a chance to get these people safe before we have to hunt it down.
My question is, do we need to clear out the rest of this pyramid, or do we feel confident that Phlan could send reinforcements out here as is? I thought the lizardmen would want to keep it, but if they aren't, then I think we have to decide what to do with it.
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Ser Armithia seems quite pleased with the current situation.
Madame Elder; there is an angry Green licking its wounds from our initial encounter out there still. Do you have any information about it?
Zane thought his companions were quite wise to think about the dragon and the safety of those that might come after them. After Ser Armithia asked his question of the elder, the priest followed up. "Also, ma'am, do you know of any other defenses in this place besides this Yarash's clones?" He pointed over to the remains of the hollow men close by.
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"We should indeed check the pyramid. There could be things dangerous to be left on its own, or maybe useful items, or info."
So, do we do that now and let the lizardfolk find their own way, or do we escort them and come back, or do they wait while we do it...? What do you guys think?
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The lizardfolk are very impressed by all the practical gifts, knowing they'll make restarting so much easier in their ancestral marsh home. There was some chatter about a dragon, apparently the master used to talk to it regularly. The exact relationship between Yarash and the dragon was never revealed, although as odd as it sounds the lizardfolk thought they where friends or business partners.
When she heard talk of dragons, Elder Estrassa told you "The day before you came the Dragon visited Yarassssh. It was all torn up and burned, and he ordered healing salves brought up from the ssstores. After it was healed they talked long into the night before it flew north at great speed into the mountainsss."
Ishta asked the lizard folk whether there was anything else dangerous in the pyramid and they told her that Yarash employed ten mercenaries lead by a vicious man known as One Eyed Skral. When all the clones died the mercenaries upped and left but not before they'd raided Yarash's strong box, taking all the coin within. The lizard men where frightened of these well armed toughs and watched from a discrete distance - the coin meant nothing to them anyway. The mercenaries took a boat and rowed north before turning west into the grass sea.
Are there still healing salves stored here, or anything else valuable to either you or us?
Should we come along with you to help you stay safe and fed on the journey?
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Zane frowned as he heard the lizardwoman tell of the mercenaries taking off with all the gold. The priest lamented the fact that the gold was gone, surely, but more importantly he was upset that those evil men had escaped and would surely visit their brutality upon others in the future.
Kardas scratches his beard and the others know this to be a tell-tale sign that he's thinking something through. "We can't leave the lizardfolk to fend for themselves, so we should sort that out first. After that, however, I agree, we should head up north and find ourselves some answers. I had hoped to find some here, but alas, that what we've found only led to more questions."
Ser Armithia gathers with the Watchers.
I am under the impression that these fine folk can find their way back home without our guidance; afterall, they are from 'round here.
He smiles.
As to the dragon; it will be dealt with in time. I am encouraged that it will seek us out; although, I suspect it will have friends. We must be wary of any traps once we continue.
The gold elf stretches a bit.
I am in favor of resting here with these fine folk; before departing for the North to seek out this Mirabel. Again; the dragon will arrive between here and there; but with reinforcements. Let us be every watchful!
He winks.
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The Lizardfolk seem a bit surprised when it became apparent they really were free, and that they where more or less on their own. Still elder Estrassa took it all in her stride, "If you tellsss the city we mean no harm, then we shall be fine. Know you have our gratitude, heroesss so we shall share with you the few healing salves that remain."
She makes a motion and a younger lizardman comes forward bearing a battered chest, within is a dozen potions. Each looks identical, a glowing blue liquid inside a crystal vial with a red wax stopper.
[spoiler=Spellcraft 20]These are potions of cure critical wounds.[/spoiler[
Zamanda bows to Estrassa and offers sincere thanks for the potions.
____
If we transition to the morning and it is time for the sending, Azarra encourages Zane (if possible after noting their success and the pact of peace with the lizardmen) to include the fact that Yarash was working under the instructions of Jandark Cardona, who could be a lich.
I know you only have a limited number of words, so obviously your best judgement, but they should know about Cardona if possible. Not the first time we've run into that name... he seems to have been the ringleader of all things evil around here, and the reason Phlan fell in the first place.
"Guys, if they give us all of their potions" Ishta thinks aloud, "what will they do if something goes wrong?"