”I fear that I have spent all of my major arcana for the day, although I can still sing and exhort you lot to greatness, for maybe just over half a minute, if needs be.”
”Come friends, we have that which we sought. No need to tarry. We can return if needed.”
...and CUT! End scene?
As you escort Relstanna out of Lomrick's manse, she asks you about your place of origin and purpose. (Let me know how much you tell her) She tells you that she is a member of the Bellianic Accord, a loose alliance of good-hearted folk across the galaxy who oppose the Ultari Hegemony and especially the vile Scions of the Celestial Helix, of which Lomrick was a member. She pledges to use her contacts to search for a way to return you to your homes as thanks for saving her, and to undo the evil the Hegemony has done in kidnapping you.
For now, though, she asks to be returned to her home to rest and recuperate, and suggests you rest as well, for she suspects the road home will be long and hard for you.
Dilwyn becomes quite talkative, giving as much information as he things can be helpful toward resolving this situation. Recounting an overview everything he knows since they arrived in the town of Holver's Ferry, paying special attention to everything following their surprise awakening in the tubes in the facility.
As he talks he also asks a lot of questions, mainly trying to get more background and context for all of the proper names he's been hearing since they arrived in this world. So many names with nothing really to connect them to. He probably sounds like an infant asking "what's that?" after every name drop, but short of some sort of direct mental connection there isn't any other way he can think of to provide himself some greater context to the situation in which they find themselves.
Relstanna answers Dilwyn's questions about the various names. "The Ultari Hegemony is a vile empire that has conquered many connected worlds. From the sound of it they were attempting an invasion of your home. As you discovered, part of their usual operating method is to take members of a population and bio-engineer them into slaves."
It's clear from her tone of voice that Relstanna is not happy about this at all.
"The Scions of the Celestial Helix are a... cult, you might call it, that is strong in the Ultari Hegemony but also operates independantly. They seek to resurrect an ancient evil, believing it will reward them upon their return." She shudders. "We of the Bellanic Accord do our best to thwart their efforts at every turn."
”I am quite interested in this Bellanic Accord of yours. They sound like the dam standing to hold back the waters of evil and tyranny. Tell me more please.”
I agree! I am always up to thwarting evil! Kit says as he nods in agreement.
Relstanna describes the Bellanic Accord as a loose alliance, consisting of small groups on various worlds who coordinate with one another when needed but mostly operate independantly. They claim descent from an ancient group who stood against the very evil the Scions of the Celestial Helix would unleash, though little detail remains from that time of just what it was or how it was defeated.
What can we do to help? Kit asks.
”Indeed. If they are after fighting the guys wanting to destroy our world, then count me in.”
"If the Scions of the Celestial Helix have some sort of interest in your home, than discovering a way to get you back there may be the most important thing you can be doing just now," Relstanna replies. "They may well find another way there, so we must be ready to drive them back this next time."
”Well, there is no time like now to get started. Which doesn’t mean we need to rush out and do something immediately. It is more important to ensure that the thing we do is the right thing.”
Can you provide any leads on how we can get back home? Kit asks hopefully.
”I can. Step one: keep someone from destroying Golarion!”
Relstanna laughs weakly. "I'm afraid I'm in no shape to start today. I need to rest, and contact some of my allies, then perhaps I will have something for you. In the meantime, perhaps Kaetrix might help you grow more familiar with Argosa."
Iskender, probably with Dilwyn’s assistance, works to get Relstanna back to full health. He is always full of questions about the greater universe he is now exposed to, and wants to learn about the races, animals, planets, and anything else she knows, which he will keep taking Knowledge skills in.
He is also wanting to find more allies for the quest.
Kit jokingly (or is he?) asks Relstanna about where the best taverns are and other questions concerning this planets night life.
Relstanna laughs and directs Kit to Kaetrix for info on the night life.
She recovers quickly over the next couple of days. She mostly just requires rest and nourishment. In the meantime she asks Kaetrix to stay with you.
The Jaskiri helps you find some more comfortable rooms for an extended stay in town--"I've seen when she gets like this, it'll be weeks," she explains.
A couple of days later, Kaetrix shows up a bit later than usual.
"Relstanna thinks she's on to something, but she has to go off-world to follow up on it." She chuckles a bit. "I *told* her this would take weeks, but she only just now is admitting it."
”Kit can be equally obtuse.”
Kit is standing there nodding until Iskender's words finally resonate in his brain. Hey!
Having mentally counted down Kit’s reaction time, and pointed towards him just before his response, Iskender gives Kaetrix a look that says, “I rest my case.”
Dilwyn scratches at his beard. "Is this something we can help with?" he asks. "It seems that last time she went off by herself she got captured, and I would want that to happen again to someone so willing and interested to help us. Seeing another planet seems more interesting to me than the alien pub crawl, too."
Kaetrix shakes her head. "Don't worry, I made sure she's with friends. And yes, she's already gone. I think she might have anticipated a question like that."
“I rest my case.”
If I didn't know better, I'd think I was being insulted! Kit says with a wag of his finger.
seems more interesting to me than the alien pub crawl
You and I have different definitions of interesting! Kit says with a laugh.
I’m gtg when you are!
Chapter 3: The Scavenged Codex
Several days pass uneventfully. One day the three of you are crossing town on an errand. As you cross Zel-Argose's large, busy marketplace, you notice traffic is slower than usual. Looking ahead it seems that a number of particularly large, lumbering creatures are crossing the marketplace square, forcing everyone to find a way around.
Dilwyn notices a pair of hooded passersby watching as your trio passes them. They fall in behind you as you continue across the square.
Iskender nods at the big creatures heading through the crowd and asks Kit and Dil, ”Is that trouble coming our way, or opportunity?”
It depends on if they are heading to the fighting pits and we wager on them or against them. Kit says with a shrug.
Dilwyn glances at the creatures, and finds them fascinating, but he's rather preoccupied by the more mundane occurrence. "We're being followed, guys," he points out quietly, trying not to let on that he noticed. "Three of them in hoods, behind us. I say we duck into the next convenient ally and give them what-for. I don't think I've ever been followed for pleasant reasons."
Iskender mumbles a tune, ”hoods to the rear of us, giants to the front, here I am, stuck in the middle with you!”
Iskender moves to hide as suggested...
Before you can duck out of sight, one of the hooded figures following you starts running towards you, shouting, "There! They were our slaves, they escaped!"
Sensing trouble, the crowd starts to part around you...
Iskender states, ”I do not fancy being anyone’s slave,” as he casts glitterdust on the group of hooded figures.
Yeah! If you very sadly mistaken! Kit says as he raises his axe.
This makes Dilwyn very angry indeed. "May Gozreh smite you for your lies," he says, as his eyes flash with blue sparks. At his direction, a sudden bolt of lightning strike the one which spoke.
Glittering dust settles down over the two hooded figures... and a number of people still trying to get away from the area. Confusion reigns as a number of them start stumbling around blindly--which serves you, as it makes it hard for them to approach you, especially for the one who is also blinded. The other mostly dodges Dilwyn's lightning bolt, but it does scorch his arm enough to burn through his robe... revealing the telltale greenish scale-like growths of a klaven!
The blinded klaven stumbles forward, not making much progress through the press without his sight. The other one makes his way forward into the clear area that has formed between the two groups and throws a net at Iskender.
The net wraps around Iskender, entangling him!
"Of course it would be the Klaven," Dilwyn says, shaking his head. "These guys insist on being a nuisance.". To help Iskender, he draws the keen dagger and starts slicing at the net.
Iskender commences to whistle a song of inspiration...
... after saying, ”Kick their asses Kit!
Yeah! This planet would be nice except for them!
Kit steps up and chops one of the klaven solidly, which hisses at him and slashes at him with its claws.
The other one circles around him and tries to tackle him.
The klaven succeeds in grabbing Kit.
As the crowds around you thin, you notice two more hooded figures approaching from the northeast. They seem to have just left a cart pulled by some sort of six-legged hoofed creature.
"More bad guys coming, hoods from the northeast!"
I don't dance with the likes of you! Kit roars.