Iona let out a sigh when the demon was gone. It took her a moment to get up off the ground with her armor and shield. She sheathed her weapon, and made her way to the room in the back to meet up with the others.
"Let us search the room first. It may give us some idea of where she ran off to." Iona said as she began to look around.
Hunched over in pain from the arrows in his back, the Cambion nonetheless can't seem to contain himself from laughing out loud at each mention of Yaniel's name...
"Searching this room first, seems prudent. I will help the search."
Knowing the significant source of magic to the east possibly somewhere on the other side of those double doors - the ones where the two giants were ordered to go back through - Milamber casts Detect Magic to see if there is anything in this room that might serve as a clue to where Yaniel went.
Aladir glances sidelong toward the demon, narrowing his eyes and mumbling to Hyram,"Our friend over there seems to know something about Yaniel's situation that he finds amusing...any chance you could find out what it is?"
Hyram gives the demon a stern look.
Demon! You know something! Tell us what it is and be quick about it!
The cambion's hands come up in a conciliatory gesture as Hyram's righteous gaze fall on him, "Now , now , no need for all that! A simple please would suffice! " he says, stepping back and taking a seat on the nearby bed.
He smiles ruefully, "I hate that lilitu with a passion ,but I can't help but admire her style...really, getting a bunch of Crusaders to believe for even a moment that their hero Yaniel had taken up with Baphomet!!! Classic Minagho!! " he chuckles again, but then catches sight of Hyram's glare and quickly shuts up.
Glancing back with annoyance at the arrows in his back, he reaches back and begins to pull them out one by one, wincing elaborately as he does so. Between pulls he manages to get out, "I know great many things, but I doubt you'd want to hear an alchemical lecture. Pray tell, do narrow it down for me!"
Lilitus are subversive and hidden horrors, demons who work subtly in their constant quest to destroy and devastate. Whereas most demons prefer to rend and destroy, the lilitu is more akin to the succubus—she prefers to do her work in humanoid form to infect society with sin from within. Lilitus enjoy few things more than leading mortals into all manner of sinful acts, in the hope that when the mortal perishes, its soul will fuel the Abyss. Despite some superficial similarities to succubi, lilitus are not solely concerned with the sin of lust.
The exact nature of sin that a lilitu tempts a mortal into committing varies, for these demons are adept at reading mortal desires and secrets, quickly discerning which sins a specific target can be convinced to perform.
Lilitus have numerous tools at their disposal for the encouragement of sin, but they much prefer their humanoid victims to commit sins of their own free will.
As such, lilitus generally use their abilities to deceive and beguile mortals rather than forcing them to execute heinous acts. A son convinced to kill for his mother (the disguised lilitu) to rectify a grave injustice elicits far more delight than compelling a mind-controlled humanoid to do such a deed.
In her true form, a lilitu appears as an eyeless, horned, snake-tailed—but otherwise beautiful—human woman.
Despite her lack of eyes, a lilitu can see with ease. A lilitu forms from the soul of a mortal who lured others of its kind to commit sins.
The Lilitu have the ability to turn those it kills into husks, whose appearance the lilitu can then assume.
Lilitus are more likely than other demons to devote their work to a specific demon lord, yet they do not generally view such devotion as true servitude. It’s simply convenient to have a specific demigod in mind when seeking to corrupt a mortal’s faith and to convince such fallen souls to shift their own allegiance from a prior deity to the lilitu’s chosen demon lord. When a lilitu chooses to ally herself with a demon lord, she takes on certain physical characteristics that reflect that demon lord’s personality or appearance. For example, a lilitu that serves Dagon, the demon lord of deformity, sea monsters, and the sea might bear scaly skin like that of a fish, webbed fingers and toes, and finlike ridges on her head instead of the more typical goat’s horns.
Milamber relays his recalled knowledge to the party.
"A lilitu is a type of demon that prefers a more subtle approach when performing their acts of evil. They are similar to succubi, but do not limit themselves to acts of lust - they will use any of the seven sins to tempt and corrupt one's soul."
Taking in the cambion's words, Milamber replies to the cambion's query
"So the lilitu pretending to be Yaniel was called Minagho. She must have teleported away - to where we may never know. For now it does not matter. What we need to know is anything you can tell us about these crystals and how they are being made."
"Are we certain that the creature was only pretending to be Yaniel? Is it possible for them to, somehow, inhabit an actual person's flesh? I know well the tales of Yaniel, and I would've sworn that was her..."
The ruler of Raliscrad, it is rumored that Minagho was responsible for the Red Morning Massacre some 100 years ago...she entered Kenabres in disguise and proceeded to murder 62 citizens before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.
There are rumors that she's been responsible for many of the faithful falling into service of the Demons.
The Cambion cocks his head at Aladir's uncertainty, then nods, "Most don't know about the lilitu's tricks: seems that if they kill one of you, they can turn you into a husk. They can use that husk to assume the form of the one they killed...the perfect disguise! She left in a hurry, may bit she left one behind..."
He's inturruped by a gasp from Iona, who's just finished opening up a nearby armoire, "Ah, seems your friend has stumbled upon it! "
You all hurry over, including the Cambion, to see what Iona saw in the armoire... a desiccated human woman; her face is frozen in anguish, her body is twisted in agony, and her flesh is hard and leathery.
Despite the condition of figure , it is instantly recognizable as Yaniel.
You realize the Cambion speaks true, this is Yaniel, reduced to a lilitu husk. The husk is a curse effect, and any spell like break enchantment or remove curse can be used to restore Yaniel to life, although only to the brink of death. If Yaniel can be stabilized
or cured before she dies at this point, she can be saved.
"She has been cursed! And curses can be removed. I did not prepare a spell to remove curses today, but perhaps there is another way..."
Milamber ponders for a moment contemplating possible uses of his new mythic capabilities.
"She looks in pain." Iona said worriedly, and as Milamber cast his spell to remove this curse from Yaniel Iona channeled power from Iomedae.
Motes of magical energy surround Milamber as he gestures and chants, then as he holds his hands above the horrible, contorted figure of Yaniel, the motes settle on her body.
As Milamber continues to chant, the motes interact with Yaniel's form, sending off sparks and tendrils, until her entire body is covered with a writhing blanket of magical energy.
Then with an abrupt, dismissive gesture the magical energy dissipated in an instant, leaving Yaniel , her body as it should be, though with quite a few grievous wounds that were not evident when she'd been a husk
For a moment, the woman's eyes flicker open, then she slumped over, unconscious.
Iona's healing wave passes over Yaniel and the worst of her wounds close up...blinking she sits up and looks up to see your concerned faces.
"Ah...so is that fiend, Minagho dead....or fled? Come, please, help me up..." Yaniel says, holding out her hand...
"Carefully, now." Iona said kindly as she helped Yaniel to her feet and allowed her to lean against herself should she need it. "I have you, tell me how you feel. Are there any other wounds I could heal up?" She asked.
Yaniel! Hyram gasps as he he sees Yaniel return from the brink of death. He is ashamed that for one moment he mistook the demon for her. Not knowing what to say, he holds out Radiance. I believe this is yours...
Milamber is both shocked and relieved at Yaniel's recovery. Relieved that she did not ally with Baphomet and betray her faith. Shocked that she is here and they have found her. He is also somewhat dismayed that the cambion demon would provide assistance to the party. To the demon he continues his previous conversation.
"I must admit, I am surprised by your assistance - what did Minagho do to you? Never mind, it does not matter. Now that she is gone, what are your plans? From looking at your lab, it is clear you were 'recruited' into this plan to make these crystals. Would you please tell us about what you were asked to do here - and is there any chance we can convince you to abandon this plan and possibly pursue other endeavors? I would love to hear all about your alchemical talents. Perhaps we might interest you in working for someone who might appreciate your abilities."
Yaniel gratefully uses Iona to support her, her limbs weak from her ordeal, but she steadies herself as she regards Iona's face seriously. She reaches out to touch the mark on Iona's face, smiling "Iomedae's favoured..." then she looks to Hyram, noting his holy symbol prominently displayed, "Holy Inquisitor..." she says, inclining her head in respect.
She straightens as Hyram extends Radiance towards her, "I didn't think I'd ever..." Yaniel says, her voice tight as she accepts her sword into her hands.
A bright pulse of light flashes from the sword the moment Yaniel's hand touches it, as she grins with delight , holding the glowing sword above her, oblivious to her unclothed state.
Then the light fades, and she lowers the sword, her face pensive as she holds it in front of her, whispering, "Ah, my friend...it isn't to be..."
Turning back to Hyram, she holds the sword, Radiance, back to him, "This is yours now. My time with Radiance is long past..."
The Cambion had been watching this with great interest, but when then burst of light erupted, he took an involuntary step back, stepping on one of Milamber's toes.
He shrugs at Milamber's questions, "Minagho took my place here, " he says, gesturing at the room, "I invented the process whereby the crystals were distilled into elixir! And my reward...stuck here to enhance, perfect the process! But I've done all I can with them! " he rants , then looks at Milamber shrewdly, "What, you wish to employ me in your Crusade? Pshaw! Your rulers would never allow it. Nay, I'll leave this place....in peace, should you allow it."
Hyram hesitates. If one such as Yaniel can no longer wield Radiance, what makes him think he is worthy. He reluctantly reaches out and grasps the sword. Surely this should be with one of your reputation. I am unworthy...
He is half listening to Milamber's exchange with the Cambion. Eh? We hold sway with our rulers. If you wish to change your fate we will support you. What we won't support is for you to go out in the world doing evil!
"It seems my friend would like some kind of assurance that you won't go out and do evil - which is a fair presumption - you being a demon and all. I think we could be persuaded to let you leave in peace if you help us shut down this crystal making venture that was started here. Perhaps you could let us know what that entails."
Before the demon can answer the question, Milamber considers a new tact
"On the other hand, if we could arrange a meeting with one of our rulers would you be willing to listen to what they have to say? I'm pretty sure your talents would be appreciated and supported in a much better way that you have been treated here."
Milamber once again coughs and waves the acrid purple smoke away from his face.
"And that doesn't seem to be a tough ask either."
Iona gave a small smile of thanks when Yaniel recognized her as one of Iomedae's favored. She got it a lot, but still it was nice. After all if Iomedae didn't want it to be noticed why would she have placed the mark upon her forehead?
"Hyram, if Radiance believes you worthy, then none save Radiance can take that back." Iona tells him, keeping her soft smile on her face.
She listened to the group speak with the Cambion demon. "I would have never guess it able for a demon to change it's nature." Iona began. "But, things have happened that have proven me otherwise." She explained with a small chuckle. "But Hyram is correct, we will not support anything evil."
Listening to Iona, Aladir's mouth twitches in a light smile. "We all would've thought that an impossibility not long ago...but fate has seemed to have other plans." he adds.
Then, using his anarchic link with Arueshalae, the elf speaks to his distant friend,*After all, it's only because you rescued me in the Worldwound that I'm even here today. I know I've told you thank you for that before, but...thank you, Arueshalae. You must've spent decades hiding and running from those who tried to hunt you down for that act of kindness. Someday, I hope I can offer you some small recompense for it.*
Yaniel smiles wistfully as she hands Radiance back to Hyram, the sword giving of a smaller burst of light once back in his hands.
She looks a Hyram, "Reputation and worthiness are not necessarily equal....though that you are all here, in this place...I think you are surfeit in both!".
Then she motions to Iona that she needs to sit, and allows the cleric to lead her to nearby chair, saying with a rueful smile, "Ah, simply standing is so taxing..."
The cambion listens to you all , eyes calculating, before speaking, "As long as I can continue perfecting my craft...I care not who my Master is. As for the crystal elixir....here is where I finish the process, using a recipe I devised!" he says proudly, then scowls, "But I was forced to record the process, which they too back to Iz. An now...I am ignored! You have effectively shut down this lab...but they will soon have others...in order to stop the production of the elixir, you need to halt the harvesting of the crystals....and you'll have to go through the Rift and deal with Noticula herself for that! "
Arueshalae responds, "All the recompense I need it that you continue on the path your on....it proves that one act of kindness can have a great impact on the world..."
To the Cambion demon Milamber replies
"Going through the Rift is part of our plan and if you are willing to craft for the Crusade, then please tell us your name so that we can address you properly. We will request an audience with our queen so that we can discuss this matter further."
Milamber goes to speak to Hyram, he whispers
"We need to find the rift and prepare to close it. We can have the queen speak with this demon and see if he can be redeemed like Arueshalae. I think we need to see what is on the other side of those double doors the giants went through. My guess is we will find the rift somewhere near there - the magic I sense from that area is very intense. I have never spoken with Arueshalae, do you think she would help us win the allegiance of this alchemist?"
"Let me take a look at you." Iona said as she helped Yaniel sit down. "Where is the pain most focused?" She asked.
Hyram nods appreciatively at Yaniel.
He pulls out his own sword and offers it to Yaniel. [b]If you will not wield Radiance, at least do me the favor of wielding my old sword.
Hyram is oblivious to the woman's nakedness and that instead of offering her a sword, he should be offering a cloak!
Aladir watches the others, aware enough to know what is being discussed, though most of his focus is on the conversation happening in his own mind.
Yaniel smiles wanly at Iona's solicitude, "Oh...everywhere..." she says.
Yaniel holds up a hand to hold off Hyram's generosity, "You honor me, Inquisitor, but for now I must refuse...I am hardly in fighting trim! " she takes a moment, weariness obviously overcoming her as she lets her head sink down between her knees. After a few moments of breathing deeply, she raises her head again, "Being alive...breathing...after what the Minagho put me through....'tis a miracle, one I have you all to thank for.." she says quietly, including in her regard of thanks the cambion; who looks rather startled to be included , a look on his face as if to ask Who me?!?
He blinks a few times , then answers Milamber's question, "My name is Mutasafen..."
The anarchic link is only thought, no other senses are sent. In other succubi, the link is meant to control. In our case, I will only assit when called upon, I do not want to tempt myself. I appreciate the faith you've shown in me. My path has not been an easy one, having friends on the journey does make it easier.
One of our group is now in talks with a cambion demon named Mutasafen. Does that name ring a bell?
Regarding the path you have found yourself on...from what I know, I believe that Desna chose wisely when she chose to draw you into the light. We'd have been dead many times over if not for your interventions, direct or indirect. And...well...I enjoy talking with you, truth be told. If it's alright with you, I would like to use this link to just know you better. As a person.
Provided the Cambion demon's name, Milamber is now able to address him properly.
"Normally I would say nice to meet you Mutasafen, but this is not a normal situation. Do you know what is behind the double doors to the southeast? I saw a couple of Ash giants go back there and the magic there is very strong."
"She is right, if it wasn't for you telling us that was a demon we may not of known to look for Yaniel at all." Iona pointed out. "Right, As Milamber asked, is there anything else that you can tell us about this place?" She asked.
Mutasafen ponders both what Milamber and Iona said to him, then nods towards the back of the room, "You may want to lie your friend there..." he says, indicating Yaniel, a strange look on his face, as if he wasn't sure he said the right thing. Yaniel for her part, gives the cambion a puzzled look , before nodding and making her way to the tidily made bed, gathering a blanket around her and laying down on her side.
Then he smiles and motions you to follow him back into the lab, waving around expansively, obviously proud of what he's created, "That witch, Areelu Vorlesh, asked me to refine the Nahyndrian crystals...because really, who else would she ask? " he asks rhetorically, "Here in this lab, I take the crushed crystal and place the powder in these 8 collectors, " he says, pointing to strange , convoluted glass contraptions arrayed around the room, "As you can see, the current process is about half complete."
He wanders into the room where the incubi has lounged, "Here, the incubi sifted the powder that came from there...." he said, pointing to the double doors, closed , in the Eastern wall, "That is where the Grinder is...responsible, predictably, for grinding the raw Nayhyndrian crystals into a usable powder. "
He looks at the double doors for a moment, the back to you, "I'm sure the two ash giants and the true master of the Fane, Ursathella are laying in wait for you, those cowardly incubi would have alerted them to your presence. Ursathella will probably appear as a human woman, but she is not...she is a lamia matriarch...and quite dangerous, even a bit deranged if you ask me. Too much proximity to the Rift, I imagine. They will try to prevent you from accessing the Rift...with their lives I daresay!"
"Yaniel, in truth! A great day for the Crusade! Well done! Mutasafen....hmm, I think I'd heard that name...an alchemist, I believe , out of Cerebulim.... ah , he must have devised the formula to create the elixirs! In talks , you say? Curious, he must be a most practical Cambion...
She pauses, as if considering something, then continues You are kind to say such things of me...I am still getting used to the kindness of others. I would enjoy talking with you , though I'm not quite sure what kind of 'person' I am yet...
Oh Demon! If they will pay with their lives, it is a payment I will gladly accept! Hyram says with a nod of satisfaction. Since they know we are here and we know they are there, is there any prep work to be done before we open the doors?
He has mentioned a name I've not heard before...Ursathella. Does that ring any bells for you?
For what it's worth, you'll find that precious few are ever certain what kind of person they are, and just as few stay that same person for any considerable length of time. Life and time change us all. I will say this, though...I would be glad of the chance to help you discover who you truly are.
Iona helped Yaniel get over and into the bed. "Rest, you need it. Once we know the way is safe and clear we'll come back." Iona promised.
"I must agree with Hyram. Their lives will be more then enough payment." Iona said as they made their way. "I am already prepared." She added.
"As am I. Let us destroy this 'grinder' thing - along with those who guard it."
Mutasafen says, "I'll leave you to your planning..." and wanders back into his lab, and begins monitoring the ongoing processes.
Iona placed her shield before the door, but left enough room for Hyram to still open the door. "Stay behind me, and Inheirtor protect." She said.
Unless Arueshalae provides some extra intel, Aladir will agree to the plan as it has been presented.
"My apologies for my silence. I've been using the link I have with Arueshalae to tell her about what we're doing and see if she can provide any extra information to us about what we might be finding around here."
Ah, the witch Vorlesh....always up to something!
Ursathella...Ursathella...no, the name is unfamiliar to me.
I appreciate your interest in my...I think they call it redemption. However, I notice that you may have developed romantic feelings for me. I not , I apologize. But, if you have, be careful. Remember, I am still a succubus, though partially redeemed. I hear your words, and my instincts still want me to manipulate your emotions. Now, for now I have resisted these urges, but should you harbor these feelings for me, do not act on them, lest it become to difficult for me to resist my former proclivities.
Never hesitate, though, to request advice on the creatures and places you encounter!
With a nod, Hyram opens the door!
When Hyram opens the door, the Grinder is revealed :
The ceiling of this vast chamber rises to a height of sixty feet. An immense machine of some sort occupies the center of the room—a frightening-looking contraption of grinding gears, crushing teeth, twisting belts of leather, and shrieking metal that looks almost organic in places. Yet even this strange machine is overshadowed by the spectacle to the east. Here, the room is sheered off by an immense, floor-to-ceiling curtain of churning crimson-and-black fire and electricity that fills the room with a disconcertingly soft whispering sound.
Floating up near the ceiling , a human woman shouts out, her voice unhinged and undulating, "Stop the defilers! Kill them!. You can only assume that this is Ursathella!
She is commanding the two Ash Giants the group saw before, one to each side of the contraption, each standing beside a large pile of piece of crystal. Each already holds one of the large crystals in its hands...
Aladir
Ursathella
Milamber
Hyram
Giants
Iona
Aladir turns his bow against the nearest of the ash giants to him, sending a quick message to Arueshalae to let her know the fight was on and he'd let her know how things turned out.
With the power of the greater invisibility cast on him by his friend, he peppers his enemy with as many arrows as he can fire!