At Richard's words, Lorelei shakes her head. She had been investigating the shadow beasts for years, and now with a clue to its cause in her face, she had forgotten to answer the spirits questions! That wouldn't do.
"Yes, of course we'll lay you to rest. But, I'm afraid none of the Pathfinder you knew in life are with us today. It's been a long time. Most have passed on."
Mera listens intently but quickly loses herself in her thoughts. She was quite surprised that there is so much discussion centered around helping this ... What even is this creature now, a trapped soul?
How would one even free them? That's not what we should be focused on spending our time on.
Shaking her head to snap out of her temporary loss of attention to the topic at hand, the discussion around shadows perks her interest. Leaning to whisper to Lorelei she adds, "Also Ilnerik Sivanshe. We need to know more about Ilnerik and how they summoned or created these beasts."
All gone? How long has it been? The visage asks. Ilnerik Sivanshen? He was good friends with Bisby until they had a falling out. Apparently he had taken half of the relic him and Bisby had discovered.
"And his beasts..?" Lorelei prods. "What do you know about his shadow beasts and how he created them?"
When Bisby and Sivanshen returned from their expedition with the relic, they both 'changed'. Bisby became obsessed with his dolls and Sivanshen with creatures of shadow. Some of the pathfinders laughed at their new 'hobbies' but some of us worried about their delve into what we considered 'dark arts'. They were both secretive with their respective passions that none of us really knew what they were doing.
Lorelei thinks for a moment, then asks, "What happened to Loremaster Liriam after you ordered Delvehaven closed?"
Tal nods his head eagerly at Lorelei as she asks the right questions about the shadow beasts. Yes maybe the rift between Ilnerik and Bisby was interesting but the real answers he wanted were about the shadow demons themselves and how to get rid of them.
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Richard didn't have much to add, he was simply amazed by Lorelei's investigative zeal.
Even if she did shut down all of his ideas. It was like Sherix got bigger and bossier.
Ah! Loremaster Liriam! Him and Bisby left Westcrown and teleported to Absalom. I do not know what happened to him after that.
"What can you tell me about the vaults of Delvehaven and its defences?"
"What can you tell me about Bisby's dolls?"
Mera keeps her hands folded patiently as Lorelei rattles off question after question in search of useful information. She lets her mind wander off on Sivanshe and whether or not there is more information to be had there that they haven't uncovered yet.
Nothing much. We thought he was crazy saying these child's playthings would be great guardians. We thought it was laughable.
As the candle burns out, Lorelei leans back in her chair and thinks, tapping a finger to her lip.
After a few moments she remarks, "Well, we got what we hoped for from him. The Pathfinder cache is within our grasp."
She makes a few more notes on her paper, then puts down her ink pen, stands up, and turns to look at the others. She crosses her arms and leans her butt up against the table. "I would like to make the trip to Cutlass Cove before breaking into Delvehaven. We'll need to ask Ailynn for the use of her Wayfinder to access it." She raises an eyebrow at Richard, asking "Any volunteers to speak with her?"
After a brief pause she continues, "And yet... It's this information on Ilnerik and his shadow creatures I find most intriguing. Could his shadow creatures be the shadow beasts? If he summoned them there, it's plausible he could have done so here. And if so, how can they still be in Westcrown if he left long ago for Nidal..? What kind of magic could do such a thing? Did he ever truly leave? Most of our evidence points to it being related to his bat headed half of the artifact, of course... But what is it?"
Looking at Richard, then Mera she asks, "Have you knowledge of such magics?"
Richard thinks carefully, trying to remember. "So many mysteries, eh? Shadow Beasts have been... always assumed to be here. And yet they may have existed before."
Sherix tweets.
"Yes, if we need a Wayfinder, Ailynn is our best bet. You can't exactly buy those- the Pathfinder Society takes pride in theirs. And yet, each is personalized. It will be difficult to get her cooperation, as the Pathfinder Society doesn't want to be exposed."
Richard emerges from a private meeting with Ailynn. While he is willing to give all of the needed details for the mission, he is quiet about everything else. He presents a wayfinder, too.
"She let me borrow her Wayfinder- I'm surprised, frankly. She also taught me how to recite the Pathfinder Oath."
"Well, that was mediocre, but you get the point. We go to Cutlass Cove, find the Wave Door during nighttime, light up a particular spot with the wayfinder and recite the oath."
Richard reads the GM's notes recalls all of the needed information.
"Now, it's time to give Ghaefin his rest. I say we smash the bust and spray its remains across the sea, like a fine dust. While the smashing is distasteful, at least no sleazy collectors will keep him around as a trophy..."
Tal attends Ailyn with Richard as he was one fo the originals that Ailyn met with and give the mission to. He had nothing against her directly even if he thought the Pathfinders Society should take a greater concern over their lost Lodge. Regardless he listens intently to what she has to tell them. when she is finished he thanks for the information and vows to return the wayfinder to her once they were done with it.
Back with the others Tal lets Richard regail them witht eh information as he ponders what is to be done with Ghaefin. While smashing the bust into pieces and spreading the remains sounds like a great answer are we sure that would give him his peace? I mean would his soul remain trapped in the largest piece still? What if we disintegrate the bust and therefore leave no trace of its remains. That way there is nothing left for his soul to remain attached to?
Lorelei digests the information from Ailyn. She makes a few notes in her papers, transcribing the location details, and the Pathfinder Oath. Then she nods at Richard. "Nice job. Keep a tight grasp on that wayfinder. We'll need it."
When the others are done talking about how to put the spirit of a dead guy to rest, Lorelei says, "I'd like to head out to Cutlass Cove tonight. We should get moving."
Always one for a performance, Mera smirks as Richard recites the Pathfinder Oath, she claps her hands after he completes. "Well done love, I should think that it will do nicely."
To Tal she offers, "I think he can wait until we've finished at the Cove, no? He's waited this long and we have more pressing matters that we should be focusing our attention on."
Nodding to the assumption that they should get moving, Mera adds "I concur, we should not dally with this new information as we are on a bit of schedule with our window for the Wave Door."
"Sounds like we'll have to rest later, Sherix." Richard stands up and feeds Sherix some grains. "To Cutlass Cove!"
Before leaving Lorelei drinks a few healing potions.
Tal looks up from examine the bust with a tired eye. Guys, it’s been a long day. Can’t it wait til tomorrow night. I mean if it has been hidden this long another night won’t hurt. Then I can get some decent sleep tonight and rest during the day as well. Did you forget already that I almost got mauled by a fire tiger earlier?
After a day of doing mundane, errands and routines, you gather that night to go forth to Cutlass Cove. As you near the cove, three oily black sheets of water rising up in angry defiance before their true shadowy natures become apparent.
Richard draws his whip and tries to identify the creatures.
He then casts Heroism on Tal.
He then asks Sherix to begin Inspire Courage (+2). She starts tweeting sweetly, inspiring you to action.
Lorelei spends her free time at her sister's grimy bar. She helps clean the place up, then heads off to her secret basement to work on assembling her printing press. Later that day she cleans herself up and gets to work waitressing. She also dances before dark. Lara was a popular dinner-time attraction (among the dingy bars, at least). When she's done she gives her sister a wave.
"Gotta go. Wish me luck."
Then she head off for the safe house.
------
As the strange things appear before her, Lorelei scowls. She draws a holy water and tosses it at the nearest shadow monster.
Richard realizes that these must be some of Sivanshen's shadow beasts as he casts heroism on Tal.
one of the shadows emerges from the waves and tries to touch Richard.
Lorelei damages one with holy water.
The damaged shadow floats to Lorelei and tries to touch her but misses.
"Blast! Shadow beasts!" Richard recoils as it touches him.
"Damn. I have a wand... maybe it will help!"
Tal feels the power granted to him by Richard and knows that tie is of the spessence against these creatures. Stepping up he drops his shield and swings at the shadow creature with all his might.
Magic Power attack with heroism and inspire courage for
Tal steps up and destroys a shadow!
Mera uses Anvengen's Edge against the shadow.
The last shadow floats onto land at Richard and misses.
Lorelei takes a step back, pulls out another holy water, and douses the shadow with it.
Richard pulls out his wand of Cure Light Wounds and jabs shadow with it.
With his withered arms all he can do is jab the ground. He takes a 5 foot step back as Sherix continues to Inspire Courage (+2)
Lorelei and Richard both miss in their attacks.
The shadow tries to attack Mera.
Tal steps up and tries to bring down the other shadow before it can do any more damage to his companions.
+1 keen longsword power attack with heroism and inspire courage for
Can you crit a shadow? for
As the shadow slashes across her thigh, Mera groans loudly. She reaches down and puts a hand across the wound, pulling her bloody palm back with a gasp.
Make it bleeeeeed! cries the voice from inside Mera's head. She tightens her grip and lunches forward with Anvengen's Edge, but the pain in her thigh causes her step to falter and she misses terribly.
Tal destroys the shadow, but Mera, in pain, misses.
Richard steps up alongside Mera and tries to jab the last shadow.
Briefly regaining his composure, Richard jabs his wand of Cure Light Wounds into the shadowy assailant, and channels positive energy into it!
Sherix continues to Inspire Courage (+2).
Richard destroys the last shadow.
Richard inhales and puts his wand away, catching his breath. "Thank you, Sherix. Those shadows...sapped my strength."
He looks up. "Let us press on."
Sherix stops singing and lands on Richard's shoulder. "Boss, you alright?" She's clearly concerned.