Cats moves into the puzzle cube defined area after Mariner, after all the morning buffs are done. He has his bow out, and is ready to die for no reason at all. He didn’t partake of the wine too much, and is feeling fine.
”Let’s cat this and get the cat out of here.”
After taking time to rest up the Watchmen reopen the Soul and step into the darkness…
You are light as a feather as you slowly float into the space below, landing gently in the center of a massive stone room lit with large burning braziers set in nooks at each corner. A number of grand podiums set throughout the room hold enormous books, and other massive tomes hang from the ceiling on iron chains like condemned prisoners. Despite the burning fires, the air feel cool and crisp, and the scent of old books and flickering flame hangs in the air.
The Watchmen look about, hoping to find the foe, Count Haserton Lowls, but see no one…
..except for Brother Butterfly, whose true vision reveals a massive humanoid figure in tattered white robes carrying a burning sword that matches its flaming wings!
It has no mouth, but a warm glow surrounds its head, almost like a halo. Despite having no ability to physically speak, the being casts a maddened gaze upon you and a mind-numbing wail begins to assault your minds.
INITIATIVE
”It’s empty?” Cats delays, trying to figure out what is cat.
"This place gives me the butterflies", the Mariner looks over at Brother for the dumb joke, "-Hey Butters what wrong? You look either horny or having chest pains."
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"-Hey Butters what wrong? You look either horny..."
Cats moves a few steps away from Catterfly.
"It looks empty but do you hear that wail!" Fearless clutches his head. "Feels like my head is splitting open." With a shaking hand he pulls out a scroll, and turns it to ash in his hands.
Fearless takes a few steps back, "Something is in here with us." He points towards teh angelic being. "It's right there. You still can't see it?"
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I see an angel of good-wreathed in flames and a huge sword. But I'll bet The Necronomicon has warped it in some terrible way. A creature of pure good with a mind that's warped.
Angel! Desna has sent me as a proxy to restore you to your purity! Let this blessing from Desna pass, and you shall find clarity.
Brother bampfs to the spot next to the Angel, reaches out his hand and says the same words of power that had worked on Mariner just the night before.
He attempts to touch the Angel, hoping that Desna intervenes directly - for BB isn't certain that his human level devotion can affect a being of flame and holiness such as this.
Bottlecap
Good Fortune.
Cast HEAL on the angel.
With a prayer to his goddess, Brother Butterfly steps and appears before the angel. He reaches out with desperate hope…
The angel seems almost confused as the rotund man touches his scarred arm and a flash of holy magic spreads across its divine body. A blinding light shines from its eyes, and the terrible scream building in your minds suddenly stops.
…
As the light fades the angel stands before you, his tattered robes now whole, the scars crossing his body gone, his presence cleansed of corruption.
”I am… restored. Thank the gods.” The angel looks down upon the Watchmen, his gaze bearing the power to humble any that try to meet it.
”Who is it that they have sent to stand before me with their blessings?”
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"Just a bunch of fools and a Shapeshifter that seems to have lost their minds." Fearless shrugs. "How did you get trapped in here?"
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Cats stares at the divine being, then shifts his awe-filled gaze from Catterfly to the angel.
"Oh, we were just catting by. We Watchcats just love liberries and learning. Are you okay now?" Cats asks after Fearless finishes his inquiries.
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Fearless and Cats are the first to answer, and he compared to their answers, his sort of falls kinda flat.
"Just a bunch of fools and a Shapeshifter that seems to have lost their minds."
I was going to say eloquently that we call ourselves The Watchmen, and that Desna
pointing to himselfand Sarenrae
pointing to Cats
and the sea
points to Mariner.
and people who eat brown, tasteless food and don't know anything
pointing to Fearless.
sent us... but Fearless's reply was more succinct and slightly more accurate. These two also are asking the best questions.
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The Mariner looks back and forth, certain a bloodbath was about to go down. Instead, there was sudden peace in the room like a great exhale, and now an angel appears to be thanking Butterfly. "Well that was gawd damn weird. What the hell just happened?"
"And who are you?", he addresses the impressive celestial, prepared to answer a resounding YES if asked 'Are you a god?'
The angel gazes upon the Watchmen, its eyes hard to meet without a feeling of fear coursing through one.
”I am not a prisoner, nor a god… though I have met some. In the past an elder of this institution bargained with the forces of Heaven to secure my service as an immortal protector. It was known that the Mysterium would someday need to scour away some of the most dangerous knowledge its Stewards had collected. And so I remained vigilant, but when a man arrived and freed the Necronomicon, so too was freed an otherworldly influence of corruption. I fell victim to its power.”
”I.. failed.”
The angel waves it’s hand and a magical vision comes to you of Lowls tearing the Necronomicon from its stand and pulling a scroll from his coat. He casts a spell from the scroll and vanishes in a flash of magical energy. As he disappears, the scene shifts briefly to allow a glimpse of a steep-walled, cylindrical building brimming with gnolls and topped with a lush garden.
”But it is not too late. This is where he went. If you seek him, this is where you must follow.”
You are reminded of an associate of Lowls. A gnoll slaver in the city of Okeno called Biting Lash. Twice that name has surfaced in your pursuit of Lowls.
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Cats nods as if he understand all that the angel has to say, as if he gets it though he most probably does not.
"Yeah, we can follow him. Probably pretty close, right? Gunna go cat his ass right now, maybe this week. Where is Okeno? Probably just a short cat away, right?"
"Is he still here? You said the Necronomicon was taken, so did he escae?" Fearless wonders.
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He's not here? I almost knew it was too good to have hoped he was trapped inside here and we were going to give a good old fashioned tar and feathering.
Brother sighs deep at the palpable disappointment.
Well, we have a fast ship and a stellar ship captain to go and hunt him in Okeno. But Okeno is just a waypoint in this trip. I have a feeling we know he's going to the Parchlands. For that is where his translations have said a city called Neruzavin is. There might also be a Star Stelae, so we might need some research material on that item too.
Angel of good - I'd like to ask how bad The Necronomicon is - you know - on a scale of 1-10? And are there any books in the Mysterium that pertain to The Parchlands, Neruzavin, or Star Stelae?
BB points to the Halfling that is still looking under the furniture for his old boss Lowls.
Fearless - stop looking under the chairs, he's not hiding under a douvey or chair cover or anything.
Talking once again to the angel.
The short one reads stuff and wants to knows things that make me yawn and puts me to sleep. You got any books about the subjects I mentioned that imitate sleepy-time tea
"Inmate sleepy-tea?" Cats mishears. "Did you make that in the toilet? I've heard of it, but never tried it. Is it cat?" Cats asks, somewhat following.
"But mostly, where is Okeno? How far could it be?"
”The thief Lowls is not here. The world beyond this place is unfamiliar to me, and I am no librarian to help you search it’s shelves. But know that the Necronomicon contains the most dangerous knowledge capable of ending this world, as it has ended others, tearing them from this reality and consuming them. In my madness I heard a terrible voice. Like a madman mumbling in his sleep it spoke of Neruzavin. Of Thrushmoor. Of Carcosa.”
”But there was also another voice. It was old, and frail, but it reached out to warn me. It is called Kaklatath.”
As if summoned by the name, a pressure builds in the Watchmen’s minds, and a voice and vision comes with it…
…an old Keleshite woman sits within a dark cell, her eyes staring into yours.
”Find me in Okeno. Release me from Biting Lash!”
This a woman you have seen before, some as far back as those first days in Briarstone.
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Now it all makes sense!!! We'd better get to Okeno fast. If it takes 10 days, we got to be there in 7. If it takes 5 days, we have got to be there in 2. Let's get a move on Watchmen!
He moves towards the exits, but then stops in his tracks. One last question for the Angel.
If we reclaim the Necronomicon, were do we take it? Back here? Or has this place failed it's mission. You mention it's destroyed worlds before. It needs to be put someplace where no one can get to it.
As they leave, BB responds to Cat's talk about toilet tea.
Giving him a level stare Kast, Just to clarify, sleepy time tea is not made with toilet water. While we were inmates in the asylum, as you well know -- we are not crazy. We were placed there by an evil man. We are sane. All.... almost all of us.
Cats nods along as if he understands that Okeno is far away. He is disappointed by the distance needed to be traveled.
"Haven't we heard from that woman before? Back in the day? I think she catted us a while back too," Cat comments as he hears things. "So I guess her name is Catlatath, then? Perfect. It's good to know the name of the person screaming into my mind."
Cats looks around to see if there is anything to appropriately loot, like a sack of gems and magic that Lowls had left behind.
Kast, Just to clarify, sleepy time tea is not made with toilet water. While we were inmates in the asylum, as you well know -- we are not crazy. We were placed there by an evil man. We are sane. All.... almost all of us.
Cats nods at Brother Butterfly. "Yeah, cat for yourself. My sanity was never in cat. You know I'm cat," Kast says, not really knowing his mistaken language, but knowing something is wrong. "Well, let's get going."
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"Maybe you are crazy Cats." Fearless tries to hear if anyone else is screaming in his mind besides himself and finds none. He is ready to get on the boat. "Are you sure it isn't Shapeshifter's wife screaming at him. I can still hear that shit in my sleep."
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The screaming you heard coming from the tent wasn't the screaming done by my wife during a fight....... It was a different kind of screaming.
BB smiles. The smile of the Cheshire cat. His hand goes back to curling that fine mustache of his. His mind far, far away thinking of evenings of passion. Evenings that are so carnal that just BB's recollection of them probably act as a buffer, subconsciously pushing the holy angel to take steps back.
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The screaming you heard coming from the tent wasn't the screaming done by my wife during a fight....... It was a different kind of screaming.
”Ah! You guys tried it with the lights on for the first time? And she saw…?” Cat questions, trying to figure things out.
"Kaklatath?", the Mariner twists, "-Sounds like a hairball. But I know where Okeno is. Use to be called the Poconoes. There's a ugly turd of gnoll chief there with a bad lisp."
He looks at the celestial. Looks back at the Watchmen. Ponders the effectiveness of four mortals to an ageless immortal. "We got this. We'll be there in 7 days. Any blessings for words of wisdom? Something cryptic?"
"Seven days ain't so long, lets get to the boat." Fearless gathers his stuff. "We wasted enough time in this city."
The angel clears the way out, striking down eldritch monsters and banishing any remaining corruption in order to secure the Mysterium. Following behind, the Watchmen are able to get a better look around and find the dead body of Elder Lythiin, the man Thyrr said had gone missing in the library.
They also find more than a hoard of treasures…
The angel leaves you at the door, but not before offering a parting gift.
”You have guarded this place better than I, and I can see you will pursue the evil that has escaped. Take my sword on your journey, and strike a blow against the enemy for me.”
The angel presents to you his +3 flaming longsword.
Once the weapon has been accepted, he turns and strides back into the Mysterium, humming the familiar tune of the the Fugue de Rue d’Auseil as he returns to his post.
Elder Thyrr watches this exchange with wide eyes, but has little more to say, though her gratitude is proven soon enough in both continued access to the Mysterium (should you need it) and a generous reward of 8,000 gold.
LOOT!
-a withered bridal bouquet with a small black emerald on a long hatpin engraved with the words “Forever H. K.” worth 750 gp
-a small serpentine statue of a six-headed medusa eating mouthfuls of crystal rats (worth 1,000 gp)
-a jade, gold and obsidian corkscrew in the form of a hand (worth 300 gp)
-a silver hip flask worth 50 gp labeled “To MM, from your friends at the Esoteric Knights of Evolvement,” which contains an oil of shrink item.
-a tiny ornate musical box that opens up to allow a tiny colorful hummingbird to sing a Keleshite folk song. This curious art object is worth 3,000 gp.
-an ivory scroll case carved with images of swallows in flight (worth 200 gp)
Hand of glory
Ring of maniacal devices
Boots of friendly terrain (desert)
Periapt of health
2 scrolls of remove disease
3 scrolls of restoration.
scroll of horrid wilting
scroll of hold person
scroll of dimension door
scroll of planar adaptation
scroll of teleport
scroll of lesser restoration
+1 short spear
+1 quarterstaff
Potion of cure serious wounds
24 scattered +3 crossbow bolts
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"Here is a nice longsword. It has fire!"
Cats thanks the Museum for their donation to the party's efforts. The haul is larger than could be expected.
"Let's go get some lunch. I'm again in the mood for sardines in catmeal, hold the catmeal," Cats suggests, thinking that they need another break and a chance to think and talk.
Fearless whistles. "That's a heck of a haul. You sure you can teleport all of us and it Shapeshifter?"
”Anyone want anything before I go sell all this stuff that I, personally, can’t use? I don’t want to have to haul all this crap all over the world, and besides, I might want to get a gold plated tuna dish…for my sardines. So let me cat if you want something, otherwise, it’s all being sold,” Cats explains to the Watchmen.
"It'd be a dishonor to trade off such a personal gift for a few trinkets", the Mariner gazes in wonder at the craftsmanship of the ancient weapon. He looks upon the scared names on his arms, "It would also be a dishonor in my hands."
"It belongs to a redeemer", hands it to Cats.
Once breathing fresh surface air and rinsing off the gore at the birdbath outside of Thyrr's office, the Mariner says, "And what is you lot talkin' about? You wanna tell who to take us to Okano?"
After being explained of the magickery, he offers, "Well the Star was sailed by Skywin while I was in the looney bin. She can handle it but we could get screwed and boatless in gnoll land. That would be bad."
Cats outright refuses the flamed blade. He backs away, hands in the air. ”Oh no, I got me a curveblade. Them straight blades don’t work for me. You cat it. You cat it good,” he explains, pulling out his own curveblade that he has feats for that he doesn’t want to lose. ”It’s yours Catiner, or we sell it. But you keep it. Burn things. That will be cat.”
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A scroll that calls upon the mystics of adapting one to different planes. This is rather interesting.
Hey Fearless, this is a ring you might find useful.
And.... the museum has a mummified hand... I see it as being a convenient item -- but it's aesthetics are appalling. I don't allow hair on my body, I am not putting mummified flesh near my skin. Nuh-Uh!
Who wants the cadaver? Seems like a Mariner thing.
"Glory Hand?", the Mariner looks at the fetish, "That sounds like your thing, Brother."
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Sorry I'm late everyone. Bottom line, I'm ready. I had to go to the shops and get some items.
You wouldn't believe it, but I got talked into a poker game!
Those city people made a bad mistake playing *Poker* with a favored cleric of Desna! of course, I didn't tell them about Desna. And, of boy, there's a bunch of fake Desna worshippers at a Poker Table.
There's a little known quote, [url =https://www.google.com/search?q=rounders+if+you+can%27t+spot+the+sucker&biw=1920&bih=969&tbm=vid&ei=xtvhY-LVFPv0kPIPhrKzkAI&ved=0ahUKEwji0Pyd0YL9AhV7OkQIHQbZDCIQ4dUDCA0&uact=5&oq=rounders+if+you+can%27t+spot+the+sucker&gs_lcp=Cg1nd3Mtd2l6LXZpZGVvEAM6BAgAEEM6BQgAEJECOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToICAAQsQMQgwE6CAgAEIAEELEDOgUIABCABDoHCAAQsQMQQzoKCAAQsQMQgwEQQzoICAAQFhAeEAo6BQgAEIYDOgYIABAWEB46CQgAEBYQHhDxBFAAWLUlYJ4oaABwAHgAgAFSiAGtEpIBAjM3mAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz-video#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:922d3c25,vid:ciWBzhmOC_o] If you can't spot the sucker at the Poker table in the first half hour. You are the sucker![/url]
Well, I pushed the 9K in gold to 19K! I got enough fine material that I finished the two magic Rods I have been working on. Fearless, the second one is certainly for you. This first one can, and should be yours. Do you want it?
He pulls out a long stick bound together with a fine leather from the skin of a minatour.The stick bends at slight angles two times up the shaft, and has some metal beads with holy symbols etched in them. But atop the rod is a globe of multicolored glass. The globe looks disjointed in how it was put together, but closer inspection shows it perfectly round and different sized glass somehow fit with an adept's skill.
[b] This here is a Rod of wonder /[b]
The other item is a rod
Cats considers what to buy, but, in the end, buys little. He doesn't feel he has quite enough to make a good dent in anything just yet.
"You bought a broken rod?", the Mariner looks unimpressed at what appears to be a water witching stick, "I'm sure you know what you are doing", glancing at Brother's curly toed boots.
Regrouping in the cabin of the Star, he shoulders his new pack and gear, "Let us travel with this magic straight to Okeno, be ready for anything on the other side".
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Sorry I'm late everyone. Bottom line, I'm ready. I had to go to the shops and get some items.
You wouldn't believe it, but I got talked into a poker game!
Those city people made a bad mistake playing *Poker* with a favored cleric of Desna! of course, I didn't tell them about Desna. And, of boy, there's a bunch of fake Desna worshippers at a Poker Table.
There's a little known quote, If you can't spot the sucker at the Poker table in the first half hour. You are the sucker!
Well, I pushed the 9K in gold to 19K! I got enough fine material that I finished the two magic Rods I have been working on. Fearless, the second one is certainly for you. This first one can, and should be yours. Do you want it?
He pulls out a long stick bound together with a fine leather from the skin of a minatour. The stick bends at slight angles two times up the shaft, and has some metal beads with holy symbols etched in them. But atop the rod is a globe of multicolored glass. The globe looks disjointed in how it was put together, but closer inspection shows it perfectly round and different sized glass somehow fit with an adept's skill.
This here is a Rod of wonder.
The other item is a rod of metal and mineral detection.
Grab these Fearless. Use them.
I've got to get us teleported to Okeno.
He first casts water walk on everyone. No sense in having an accident while teleporting. A party of four trip into the ocean without the ability to walk on water is a certain way to end our pursuit of Haserton Lowls.
He focuses on the location of the crone woman.
Low is good.