As she continues to look over the mask a though begins to form in Naria's mind.
The masks are indeed all of a similar design differing only in small details of colouring. The Religious types with a bit of thought will identify them as being strongly tied to the murder cult of 'Father Skinsaw'an off-shoot of the Cult of Norgrober.
If you get the masks away from the general ambience of evil in the building they do detect as evil in themselves.
"Well I think I may have a way to find whoever it was that fled from this place but first It may be prudent to have Romon checked by a healer to make sure there are no long term side-affects of wearing one of these masks?"
Just asking, i'll take Power Attack then and at 8th most likely go Fighter depending on what the Ranger gets at 8th.
Romon doesn't respond to the observations, proddings, and well-wishes of his friends at first. His attention is focused inward, but gradually he becomes more responsive. He stares sullenly at the big Shoanti, but smiles faintly at the others.
Moving slowly and quietly, almost meekly, he gathers his gear, cleans his blades and drops the bit of cloth through one of the holes in the floor into the river.
Then he follows his companions.
Even after witnessing Romon's suffering, Inikai does not rid himself of the mask in his pouch. He tells himself that it is an accursed thing and that no good will come from keeping it. He will destroy it for certain, just not right now.
Once it is clear that Romon is going to be fine she begins to explain her plan. "Okay most of the cultists in that building had these masks" She shows the others the mask as she speaks "So it is safe to say that there is a good chance that whoever fled had one or if there are more of them in the city they will have them. Anyway since they are all of a very similair type I may be able to use a spell to get an idea of where they are."
Locate Object
School divination; Level bard 2, cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F/DF (a forked twig)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area circle, centered on you, with a radius of 400 ft. + 40 ft./level
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You sense the direction of a well-known or clearly visualized object. You can search for general items, in which case you locate the nearest of its kind if more than one is within range. Attempting to find a certain item requires a specific and accurate mental image; if the image is not close enough to the actual object, the spell fails. You cannot specify a unique item unless you have observed that particular item firsthand (not through divination).
The spell is blocked by even a thin sheet of lead. Creatures cannot be found by this spell. Polymorph any object and nondetection fool it.
Nice idea...lets see how effective it is..
Seeing the others liking her plan Naria continues "The book Ester found mentions a dark lady in the tower and the letter mentions a clock tower so I think it may be an idea to start looking around for one of them."
Esteriande hangs back to fall in next to Romon, walking close to him such that most of the others cannot overhear their conversation.
"Do you want to talk, mon cher?" she asks him quietly. "You know ze judging zing? I do not do zat lightly," she adds. "People should not judge, unless zey wish to be judged. I 'ave done zings zat are foolish, selfish and, yes, wrong," she confesses. "'Ave you not wonderred 'ow I came to be a servant of Shelyn?"
Muchorak's clarity of purpose is admirable but I fear he might be a bit hasty at times. Still, he has been correct more often than not since this affair begain.
In the back of his mind Inikai knows that he is trying to distract himself from his desire to keep the mask ,and more than that, to try it one. He wants to know the experience of seeing the world through different eyes. It might help him to gain greater control over the vestiges that he calls upon. Perhaps it would steel his will when their influence leaks into his mind.Best not think of that now.
"If our quarry is in a tower she is probably at the top. Is there a way for us to start there, instead of at the bottom? Of course, Ali can fly but I don't see a chance for the rest of us to do so."
"Maybe we can force her to come out of the tower to face us."
Ali follows along with her packmates, it not occurring to her at the moment to change to her Gnome form.
Esteriande hangs back to fall in next to Romon, walking close to him such that most of the others cannot overhear their conversation.
"Do you want to talk, mon cher?" she asks him quietly. "You know ze judging zing? I do not do zat lightly," she adds. "People should not judge, unless zey wish to be judged. I 'ave done zings zat are foolish, selfish and, yes, wrong," she confesses. "'Ave you not wonderred 'ow I came to be a servant of Shelyn?"
Romon shakes his head, trying to appear tough and self-reliant, but his eyes are curious when he glances back at the paladin.
"When my Mozer and I arrived from Galt as exiles, I was young as elves go," Esteriande explains. "It was a large city, and I wanted to experience all of eet. I was foolish and young, barely sixty or so, when I met a 'uman boy. One zing led to anozer, and we 'ad a lot of fun, tryeeng a lot of new zings. I was not ready to settle down - I was too young, 'aving too much fun, you know 'ow it ees. 'Ee said he loved me and we stayed togezer a while, and I did care about 'im. Eventually 'e pressed too 'ard to marry 'im, and I ended eet - I was ze Contessa d'Litran, I 'ad more zings on my mind zan marriage. Not so bad you might zink, non?" I shake my head.
"I was zoughtless. I played wiz 'is affections and never zought of 'ow 'e saw zings. 'Ee killed 'imself, you see. 'Ee said 'e could not live wizout me after so long. I did not understand ... it 'ad only been zirty years or so. Not until 'e died did I realise 'e 'ad given up most of 'is life for me."
Esteriande looks soberly at Romon.
"We can all do zings zat are foolish zat can lead to ze unforeseen, eet ees 'ow we learn from zem zat matters to make ze difference of good from evil. I used to look at love as fun, now I know eet is much more zan zat, as I found out when I visited ze temple of Shelyn to try and come to terms wiz 'ow zis young man could 'ave ended 'is life. Eet opened my eyes and I found myself drawn to ze cause of love and beauty as I never 'ad before.
"You put on ze mask of ze murderers - zat was pretty foolish," she grins. "Almost as bad as walking alone into a ghoul's lair. You 'ave seen zings maybe as zey do, a stain on ze soul. You could become like zem, or you could use ze insight to better fight zem. Ze choice, mon amis, is yours."
Romon listens quietly as Esteriande tells her tale, although an odd half-smile might hint at half-disbelieving pity for her dead lover. There's always another girl. He works hard to disguise that feeling however. He knows it win him no points.
He remains quiet for a few paces before drawing a deep breath and replying. "I figured the masks gave them an edge. They all took time to put them on. Someone walks in on you with a slicer. What do you do? You try some patter. You grab a sticker. You hoof it. You don't slip into something more comfortable. I figured it had to give them an edge. But it doesn't. Well, not much of one. You can smell the fear, the blood. You can see the blood in people's veins, know where to put the knife. But the damn thing makes you crazy. You see blood splashed everywhere, throats opened, stomachs gutted, limbs torn off like some twisted view of the future. It makes you sick but you can't stop looking.
"I saw a drayhorse die once. On Steep Street. The peddler's wagon was overloaded and his brake failed. The wagon ran the horse down from behind, snapped an ankle, then rolled right over it when the horse went down. One of the harness poles snapped off in the horse's belly and the wagon pushed the guts out. And it was trapped there under the wagon guts and blood running down the street and you couldn't look away. You just had to stare.
"The mask is like that you can't look away. -- And it tells you it would be good or fun or they deserve it. We ought to burn them all."
You make your way through the city no-one taking much notice off another group of adventures.
"Oui, ze tools of a dark god will corrupt and addict," Esteriande nods. "We shall destroy zem all, or ze cult will only rise again. Wiz a stout 'eart and a little spiritual purging you will be as good as new. You should not blame yourself for more zan is your doing, zat is what ze priests of Shelyn taught me - I was at fault, but I did not make ze life decisions of my lover. I am not afraid to love again!"
She laughs and throws an arm around Romon and hugs him as they walk along.
Romon returns the hug, but without the enthusiasm or craft that he would normally employ.
Inikai walks silently with his hand on his abdomen. Despite Marak's healing magic the sharp pain and burning sensation still linger where he was slashed. He looks at the blood on his tunic and bootsand draws his cloak around himself in a vain attempt to look less conspicuous.
With the adreneline of battle subsided and still not comfortable in the big city, Aliwolf pads along close to the others, Lunas right by her side.
You get back to the Bazzar of Sails and make your way to the tent where you are admitted immediately.
While waiting for the Queen to receive us Inikai looks around to see if there have been any changes in the personnel of her staff. If there have not been changes, he at least tries to note any prevailing mood among the servants.
When the Queen arrives (after a suitable delay, as befits an august personage) he addresses her respectfully. "My Lady, we prevailed against the minions of our common foe but the one who directed them made his escape from us. But we did learn that he is allied with a 'Lady of the Clocktower' as well as one 'Dr. Rolth' and someone named Davalous. They are making use of a ship called the Direption to convey a dangerous cargo. And all of this is in the service of venerating Norgober."
"Certainly, much of this you at least suspected. But does it suggest anything useful that you might tell us? Do you know of the Clocktower and any weaknesses that we could exploit in essaying against it? Or the ship for that matter?" Inikai asks.
Romon listens quietly. Clocktower. They didn't say anything about any of this to me. The Arvensoar has an angel, but no one would call it dark .... hmmmm.
Know(local), to feel superior if he figures it out before the Queen tells us
Romon
Inikais report is met with a gracious nod and Romon get a questioning look as the answer flies into his mind.
Taking the look as permission to speak, Romon says, "There's a clock tower in Underbridge, in the Shadow. It's been ready to fall down for years. Why didn't you just ask me? Everyone knows about it. I didn't know anyone lived there though."
"I will look into the matter of this ship..the clocktower is your problem however.I do believe you have done a service for us all this day my friends and therefore I will issue an instruction to the merchants of the Bazzar to discount their wears to you to the sum of one coin in ten."
"You are most gracious your 'ighness," Esteriande bows gracefully. "Sadly we zink zat the chief of our foes 'as fled, but ze cult itself is ... depopulated. We would like to get some rest before taking on zis tower, and per'aps stock up on a few items."
"You are most gracious your 'ighness," Esteriande bows gracefully. "Sadly we zink zat the chief of our foes 'as fled, but ze cult itself is ... depopulated. We would like to get some rest before taking on zis tower, and per'aps stock up on a few items."
Romon can scarce believe his ears. We're not rushing off right away? We're usually in such a hurry. Still, he's satisfied. This will give him a chance to lighten his pack and purse in favor of some more useful items.
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"If we are investigating a tumbledown tower, I would suggest some potions of levitation, non?"
So 7596 Gp..not bad for an hours work in the early morning..over 1200Gp each.
"If we are investigating a tumbledown tower, I would suggest some potions of levitation, non?"
"Spider climb lasts longer if you just want to get to the top."
Spider climb
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a live spider)
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 10 min./level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
The subject can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a spider does. The affected creature must have its hands free to climb in this manner. The subject gains a climb speed of 20 feet and a +8 racial bonus on Climb skill checks; furthermore, it need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface (even upside down). A spider climbing creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing.
"I am more concerned about ze tower falling down, or us being pushed off ze top," Esteriande points out.
"If the tower falls, it won't be the drop that kills us. It will be the debris. And whose going to throw us off the top? This guy ran when he had muscle around. We're looking for his doxie's safehole. If he's there he'll take it on the lamb again."
Here are the relevant spells you could use to ascend the tower.You will need to see the Tower to formulate a proper plan.
LEVITATE
School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a leather loop or golden wire bent into a cup shape)
Range personal or close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target you or one willing creature or one object (total weight up to 100 lbs./level)
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Levitate allows you to move yourself, another creature, or an object up and down as you wish. A creature must be willing to be levitated, and an object must be unattended or possessed by a willing creature. You can mentally direct the recipient to move up or down as much as 20 feet each round; doing so is a move action. You cannot move the recipient horizontally, but the recipient could clamber along the face of a cliff, for example, or push against a ceiling to move laterally (generally at half its base land speed).
A levitating creature that attacks with a melee or ranged weapon finds itself increasingly unstable; the first attack has a –1 penalty on attack rolls, the second –2, and so on, to a maximum penalty of –5. A full round spent stabilizing allows the creature to begin again at –1.
FLY
School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a wing feather)
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
The subject can fly at a speed of 60 feet (or 40 feet if it wears medium or heavy armor, or if it carries a medium or heavy load). It can ascend at half speed and descend at double speed, and its maneuverability is good. Using a fly spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. The subject of a fly spell can charge but not run, and it cannot carry aloft more weight than its maximum load, plus any armor it wears. The subject gains a bonus on Fly skill checks equal to 1/2 your caster level.
Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for 1d6 rounds. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends safely in this way if the fly spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.
Romon starts thinking about purchases.
I've got mine. :)