The young lad with the mismatched, hollow set eyes stops suddenly upon seeing the dream spiders. It's not fear that brings him to a halt. It's something else. Hunger. Yesss. You recognize them, don't you? Infesting the city. But always out of reach to you. You're smart enough. Why not make your own?
Dom stares for a moment at the deceased spiders, then shakes his head and comes back to the present. "I know these. They're farmed to make shiver. Dream spiders, I think. The venom is hallucinogenic, at least when it's refined. Gaedren's is... bad. Almost killed me."
The admission seems to be made unconsciously. After it slips from his mouth, he quickly glances about then down to his feet, embarrassed, then back at the spiders. He starts to approach their dead forms.
Kesso accompanies Dom, keeping an eye on the skeletal warriors. Eyeing the tapestry she remarks. "Interesting. It looks like this is a shrine to someone who fought a dragon, considering the earthbreaker's abilities. And someone looted it and raised an angry shade." she pauses and looks down into the well.
Dervin looks over at Dom in shared hardship, "I don't care much for most people, and he killed someone I did care for," he moves in closer, "I just want hom dead, don't care if I'm the one holding the blade. Tell you what, if you want, and we get the chance, I'll hold him down while you do the deed, unless others here beat us to it."
Kesso's mention of the angry shade brings Dervin back to the present from his wistful thoughts.
Dom stares down at the spiders a moment and it almost seems like he didn't hear Dervin. But then, almost whispering, he replies, "I think I'd like that, Dervin. He's probably too strong for me to put to sleep. For now."
Oh, with murder in your heart now, eh? You don't have the guts to do it yourself. You just want another taste...
"Maybe..." He blinks and looks back up, then over at the man, his voice a back to its usual subdued but clear tenor, "I'm sorry about your... friend." He realizes Dervin's loss may have been more than a friend but he isn't sure what other word to use without making presumptions. "I thought I just wanted Gaedren stopped, put in jail, but... maybe you're right."
"Gadren has ruined many lives but the city watch have always failed the bring him to justice. He lets stooges take the fall. He doesn't make enough waves to attract the Order of the Nail or the Sable Company, if he had he would have died long ago." Nanta keeps his shield ready to ward away blows, they kept finding corpses of one kind or another.
"If so many others have failed in their efforts to thwart Lamm what chance to we have," Vyushi says to no one in particular as she eyes the skeletons.
Hmmm... Dervin evaluates the tapestry
"I know you're not having second thoughts, Vyushi. You are definitely smart enough to have already considered that before any of this. Determination can overcome much... Now you have like-minded company.
"Not second thoughts ... just doubts.... but I am comforted by the company," Vyushi said with as she follows along.
"Whoever is manipulating us knows success would near impossible for any one of us alone. I am not pleased an being positioned by some unknown hand but this would be excessive as an investment to kill any of us as I said previously. There must be something of substance to this."
”Hmmm… An unseen hand that knows each of our situation regarding Gaedren, wants him ghosted for their own purposes, but desires separation and deniability. Very plausible… and yes, troubling is too light a term for this unseen hand to have tentacles into each of our background enough to gather us all here. Consider this, however, perhaps a patron of sort? If he? She? They wish our success, we may be protected on some level.”
Dervin casts eyes about to all, ”Or just marks destined for a set-up and take a fall on their behalf.”
Or?
Dom blanches slightly as a thought occurs to him, though with his already pale skin and bad lighting it may not be noticable. "Unless Gaedren sent the notes? As a trap? Don't know why he'd care 'bout me, but..." He looks at the lot of you, then shrugs.
"It's the way the message was delivered that concerns me. I found it in my shoe when I woke up this morning. Whoever put it there could have just as easily killed me." Kesso mentions while continuing to peer into the well.
"Why would someone allow people that want him dead to gather and unify their efforts?
Not sure about all of you, but if he is as well connected and sly as I've researched, he is not even aware of me. I don't even cast a shadow on his thoughts or plans. Truth be told, I'd about given up trying to find him due to his connections and my resources, but alongside others who have also been wronged -- I am renewed.
No, I don't think it likely at all Gaerden gathered his enemies, unless it was to do us in quickly. I actually believe he barely considers any of us -- me in particular -- at all."
"No, I don't think it is a trap and if the person who gave us the message wanted us dead it would have been easier when we were separated," the Varisian woman asserts. "But I will remain wary nonetheless."
@kesso- the well has sounds of rushing water in the bottom as if it connects to the sewer.
@dervin- the tapestry where once it might have been fine it has been slowly rotting for many years.
"I believe I might be of assistance." you hear a voice as if coming from a long tunnel. a large black form comes up through the ground. the form has glowing red eyes and is vaguely humanoid shape. when it completely comes out of the ground the shape then changes into a form of a handsome Shonati warrior with tattoos running down both arms.
"I mean after all, I'm the one that summoned you here."
In addition to the form changing shape your surroundings also change. instead a cobwebs in the corners and skeletons on the wall you see the place as if it just built. four warriors guard this room. and a treasure chest stands below the tapestry. where there wasn't one moments ago.
this is a illusion, the form still appears as a Wraith. and skeletons are still in the Niches.
The lad’s eyes go wide as saucers as the spectre comes up through the floor. The whole thing might as well be from one of his dreams, it is so surreal.
”We weren’t stealin’ it, I swears!” he blurts out. ”The hammer. We were just lookin’ to find where to put it back.”
At the sudden appearance of their 'benefactor', Kesso draws upon her martial training, concentrating on what her senses are telling her. Her eyes wide with amazement she says under her breath to Nanta and the others. "He is still floating a fraction of an inch above the ground. I think he has cloaked himself in an illusion." Advancing to put herself between the others and the Shonati warrior. "Just what is your game?"
"Beware, guard your mind. The specter appears to be real but the skeletons have not risen from the grave," Vyusi warns.
"Speak quickly specter before we're forced to test your abilities and resolve."
Dervin freezes in place. His thoughts go to the Earthbreaker and a tiny voice in the back of his mind tells him to get it out to return or present it, but the reality of this wraith is too overpowering, after Nanta & Vyushi's challenges, he snaps back.
“my name is Amadune, I think” the wraith / warrior shakes his head , ” it seems I am having trouble remembering as if I’m in a bad dream , only a short time ago I awoke from my rest, by people stealing things from me..... things that were important enough to disturb my eternal sleep come , let me show you.. with that the wraith/warrior starts moving down the hall.
Tentatively stepping forward a few steps, Dervin stops to ensure the others are following as well.
Kesso follows, alert to any treachery the wraith may try. But she wonders about the fate of Amadune. He was evidently a great warrior, defended his people and yet he is consigned to an eternity of wraithdom. As they travel down the hall, she makes her thoughts known. "Sir, you seem to be a beloved fighter who died valiantly. Why do you not rest in peace?"
Vyushi warily follows along trying to be ready for any deception.
Dom's mind doesn't register Vyushi's warning, and he is convinced the changes about him are real, the place truly transformed by Amadune's magic rather than mere illusion. He glances down at the klar he strapped to his waist in case one of the fighters needed it and gulps. He looks around, then takes the klar off and, almost unconsciously, shifts to another language.
"I do not know, milady. I know I was happy in my rest and something changed. when I "awoke" I felt men standing over me........ or my body. Its hard to explain there are ............gaps." heading past a well and several statues going into a main room. inside the large room you see a large coffin with the lid thrown off, and discarded on the floor. In addition you see two more bodies much like the two derro. turning to Dom "I don't know, there is something familiar about the weapon, but I cant say for certain." while you are talking you see about five other wraiths appear out of the walls. As they start moving towards your party Amadune turns to look at them and they back off. Dom and others that failed the illusion are not able to perceive them.
Anyone that failed the illusion see a beautifully engineered tomb with tapestry laid over the coffin
"You mentioned you were the one who summoned us.
Despite these unfortunate gaps, you apparently are still witness to goings-on above this crypt. Your missive stated you knew where Gaedren lives and that he may be behind a great change coming - your wording was ominous, like this change would not be for the good... Do you share our animosity to Gaedren? If you wish him ghosted," Dervin winces at his own tactless choice of words, "Umm, I mean... please, follow through and let us know his location. Perhaps we can alter this change you see coming so the ill effects you suspect are mitigated in some way."
Keeping a wary eye on the wraiths and tamping down the urge to just flee this place, Kesso kneels next to the Derro bodies next to coffin and starts looking for holy symbols or other evidence of magic use. "Are these some of the men that were standing over you? she asks.
"You're not sure of what things were taken? Or just that this earthbreaker is unfamiliar? It would be best to know what was taken."
Oblivious to the danger looming about them (though feeling quite threatened enough by the warrior back from the dead that is speaking with them), Dom quietly follows along, waiting for some sort of explanation as to how or why this relates to Gaedren. As for the klar, he quietly lowers his hands back his side and says, "Well, if it's yours, just let me know and I'll put it back. I didn't want it to begin with. We just took it 'cause we thought it might help."
"Yes, I did." the wraith replies to Dervin. " I feel like I have failed. There is something missing from here. I feel it was my responsibility. So I spent some time conjuring divinations and concentrated on Lamn, one of the thieves spoke of him as being their boss. Through that, I felt a connection with all of you. All of you for some reason have very intense emotions regarding him, enough for me to feel it." Once Kesso comes up to the coffin you can see that there is in fact several rotted tapestries and in the coffin you see bones have been moved as it appears that the body was quickly and roughly searched and displaced.
To Nanta's question-
"I don't know. Only some of my memories are intact, but I can remember I was a Divine warrior of some type."
To Dom-
If you can replace the things you have found I would appreciate it, But I cant in all honesty recall what they are."
"So, Lamm possibly has something that was looted from here?" Kesso asks. She can't help but worry. 'That can't be good. Sending so many people, just to die, so that he could acquire whatever Amadune was guarding. It bodes badly that he got it.'
Taking a knee, Dervin removes his pack and unstraps the Earthbreaker, motioning to the coffin, he gingerly steps towards it, putting the weapon inside and backs away.
That thing would have brought some serious coin. And "no" to the tattooed skulls as well... Gotta stay on this spirit's good side... Gaedren is the bigger goal. Wait for the address or whatever.
"Lamm has avoided his punishment for a long time, do you have any promising lead or information on him so we can level the scales of justice and return the stolen items."
Dom sees Dervin return the earthbreaker with remarkably solemnity for a person he'd figured wouldn't part with something of such value quite without more of a fight. After some indecision about exactly how to return the klar, he opts for the simple and direct. The warrior's spirit doesn't seem particularly obsessed with protocol. He removes the klar from his belt and places it in the coffin next to the earthbreaker and the skeleton.
He's half-listening as the others talk, but something about Kesso's question gets him thinking. "Um, 'scuse me, sir, but... when we found your weapons, they were on the bodies of dead thieves. Some dwarves and a human. How did Gaedren get away if they could not? Meanin' no disrespect, just seems hard t'escape with anything that belongs t' you."
Taking a cue from Nanta, "Yes, you mentioned you knew his location."
@kesso- "I'm afraid so."
@Nanta- "My divinations have lead me to a Old fishery in midland."
@domir- "I don't know, Once I awoke my bones were scattered. And Lamn's thugs were around me. I assume only by Pharisma's grace she brought me back. "
"if you are going to the Old fishery there is several things I can do. First I was A diviner in the service of Pharisma and I can do a harrow reading to help you because I foresee that you will need all the help you can get. Also I believe that if you partake in a ritual I will be able to accompany you on your quest. Pharisma must have known about these events to grace me with this knowledge. I have found out that if i travel only a little bit away from my area of rest I slowly fade away. The only way I could do the notes is that it seems I can create very small but powerful illusions."
with that anyone who pulls out their notes slowly see that they fade away once you know that it was a illusion.
'Well, there goes any hope that the guard will be able to track me down if I disappear.' Kesso thinks while she watches the card fade away. "I'm willing to let you do a card reading on me. But first, swear on Pharasma that everything you have said is true."
Assuming that Amadune complies she reaches out to draw a tarot card. "How long will this ritual allow you to stay away from your resting place? she asks. I'm curious, because we probably need to stake the fishery out and see who comes and goes, so we may not be striking immediately."
"By the Lady of the Graves, all I have said is true."
Illusions... eh, decent. Fooled us, but blasting is deadlier. Someday. Not much use for Pharasma. Fortune-telling? Eh, why not, doesn't mean a thing. All the potential coin of this place left untapped... Focus - Gaedren!
Nanta considers the specters words and contemplates as to whether they would be possible.
"I am aware of the place, they sell the best 'dock dumplings' on the wharf. It's ownership is in limbo, due to some legal issues and it has known better days. Seems like a perfect place for Lamm to hold up." Kesso shares what she knows about the fishery as she consents to a tarot reading. She asks the wraith. "Can you do the thing with the notes again. And how long and how far will the notes last."
"I have no fear of your reading fade. Tell what the tapestry has in store for us," Vyushi consents.
"I need someone to take everything from the coffin and dump it into the well. To start the process.". as you come up to the well you can see that the well no longer holds water but a greenish glow is coming from it. when looked into you see a swirling infinity of the beyond.
Nanta eyes the specter suspiciously before beginning to heft objects from the coffin and dumping them into the well.
"How would this possibly help? Dumping treasured belongings that your people interred you with as an honor, and you are not even sure what or why they are? Yet they must be discarded into this..? How is...?"
Dervin is suspicious as well...
Dom doesn't think much of the treasure to begin with. Had it been useful to take, so be it. If it's useful to the warrior, that was fine, too. And he's not so dead after all, is he?
And so the lad does what he can to help objects and toss them into the well. "Hmm. I hope this doesn't wake up any orcs," he muses as he looks down the well after some of the falling items.
@Dervin- " I will be using the arcane energy to create a stronger link to this world. allowing me to physically leave this place, and to create a vessel for me to flow through. "
As the Items are tossed into the well, a kind of greenish glow starts radiating out, and in the vortex of green light streaks shoots out the well filling the room, wrapping around the wraithspawn then dragging them back into the well. then finally the tendrils of light suck the wraith in also and out of the well a harrow deck shoots out. hovering above the well a deep voice echoing from the bottom of the well. "The person who takes this will be linked to me for a time until your death. Choose wisely, for if you try to turn from helping me find justice, and to find out what happened here, you will not last long enough to regret it. After my link is chosen ill be able divine for the future of our party."
Mismatched eyes widen and freeze at the display. Ho ho! How is that, how about another voice rattling around inside your head? Go on boy, do it...
Dom gulps audibly and with a tremulous whisper says, "I, uh... I'm not, I just think that sounds rather permanent. Death, and all that. With more death. I just want t' stop Gaedren is all." He looks around furtively hoping someone else will accept the shade's "offer".
Kesso looks at the 'paladin' before asking Nanta. "Do you think its safe?" She makes a wry face. "I'm not sure I like that 'linked to me until your death'. Sounds like marriage, and I only just met the guy." All joking aside, it appears like she is seriously contemplating picking up the deck. "On the other hand, it will save my brother."