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"I've not seen him since, but I believe I have everything I need with this book." he says as he hands it to Kenza for consumption.
The book is written in Ancient Osiriani and filled with notes on necromantic experiments. Although they contain mere snippets of knowledge attempting to achieve something rather than actual details of experiments.
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He explains what he can, but you have a sense that even he doesn't appreciate or understand the matters it pertains to.
Satisfied that you are unable to learn more from the wayward alchemist, you return to the Scholar's address to report what you've learnt so far in hopes for more answers. Obahar’s home is a dilapidated, ancient stone structure that seems out of place among the more modern dwellings surrounding it. While originally three stories tall, most of the top story fell away long ago. The front door hangs slightly ajar.
Thinking something's amiss, you enter cautiously. Inside the home, the you discover that Obahar lives an austere life—the main floor consists of a tiny kitchen, a sitting room, and a simple bedroom. The second floor is a single large room—the scholar’s study—with a blocked staircase that once led to the third floor. Obahar crouches on a desk in his study, wearing only one shoe and chewing on a scroll. He is addled and unable to speak or understand speech. There are bite scars on his neck and shoulder, though they have mostly healed.
Conveniently, the documents relevant to your investigation—maps of the city from long ago, official records from government archives, and the like—are strewn about Obahar’s desk. However, before you are able to gloss over them, an unexpected guest arrives.
“Good thing I was around, or the old man would be long dead. Those wounds were a lot uglier before I showed up.” The armored half orc tells. "I am Zurnzal, an agent of Grandmaster Torch, and I've come to lend my aid."
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Kenza bows to the alchemist before taking her leave.
"Many thanks, Honoured One."
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The sight of Obahar's house makes Kenza feel right at home. It's ancient construction, and the lack of frivolities reminds her of her own. Noticing the door ajar, she holds up a hand to gesture the others to stay back, before slinking inside. She begins to explore cautiously, leading the others through the silent house and up onto the second floor. Finding Obahar, Kenza looks on with worry, before turning to face the suddenly appearing half-orc.
Kenza eyes him warily, arms out and clearly ready to defend her superior Pathfinders if necessary.
"So you say. Perhaps you harmed Obahar. Speak your explanations quickly, Zurnzal."
"Why did Grandmaster Torch send you here?"
"What happened to Obahar?"
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He laughs and says “My poisons are far more deadly than those. Besides, biting’s not my style.”
Zurnzal explains, “My employer has been watching recent events in Merab with keen interest. The doru attacks seemed to draw the eyes of Amenopheus’ agents, and Grandmaster Torch shares mutual concerns with the Sapphire Sage; both of them think there is more to the sage jewels than anyone dares to believe. I am here to offer information to aid in your search for the Dungeons of the Ever-Dying”—the half-orc smiles knowingly—“if you give the Society’s guarantee that when it comes time to act on the threat to the Jeweled Sages— whatever it may be—Torch will be welcome to stand alongside his, ah, colleagues, in the Society.”
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Kenza considers his words. After a moment she bows her head.
"The pleasure is mine, Zarnzal, servant of the Grandmaster. I am Kenza Bloodborn, servant of the Sapphire Sages." After returning to her full height, Kenza adds. "I vow to bring Grandmaster Torch's proposal before my masters with my firm recommendation, but you should know that the decision itself rests with Agents far greater than I. A guarantee of acceptance is more than I can offer. I can guarantee my support."
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"You're word is as good as the Society, and I believe you shall honour to it."
He uses his short sword to prick his thumb, uses his blood to draw a simple dagger design just below his throat, and beckons Kenza to do the same as a oath swearing gesture.
This is a fairly serious oath-swearing gesture originating from Lastwall, where the dagger represents the adulthood, community, and the tool with which to take one’s life if faced with abduction.
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Kenza considers his words. Then she draws her own dagger and does the same, completely undisturbed by the action.
"You mentioned the creature we are searching for is a doru. I am not familiar with this creature. What do you know of it?"
"What information do you have regarding the Dungeons of the Ever-Dying?"
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Bielsi watches the exchange between Kenza and Zurnzal in silence. He has little doubt that Obahar's affliction is caused by the spirit that they're currently investigating and that until they track her down and deal with her he won't be healed.
The oath exchange has the feeling of a ritual and he combs his memory for details about its meaning.
"Your courage and dedication to the Society is impressive, Kenza. The oath you have made cannot be taken lightly and indicates that you would even give your life to fulfill it," he explains to the half-orc with obvious respect.
He faces Zurnzal. "I have no reason to turn aside anyone who is willing to help us. Assuming it is up to us, we will gladly have your master stand next to us when the time comes to deal with the threat."
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Zurnzal nods favourably. "While I know not of the Doru you speak, I have found a fair amount on the Dungeon of the Ever Dying." He explains.
"Several of the victims of the recent attacks have referenced a few times that the dungeon possibly lies beneath the Red Canals."
Revealing an ancient tablet showing the general’s troops being assigned “permanent duty” at the Dungeons he further adds. "The Dungeons fell under the domain of General Menetashtor, an infamously cruel general who served the Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues."
"The Dungeons were once cleansed by Sarenite priests, who recorded the cleansing but later tampered with their own records to obfuscate knowledge of the Dungeons." Zurnzal offers the altered document as proof.
"Now that is all I know, the society will hear from my master soon." And he leaves thereafter.
As Obahar comes to his senses, he confirms the fact that he was not attacked by Torch's man and tells of being taken by surprise by a fiendish head. The attack has seemed to have left him so disorientated that he is unable to think straight or normally. In his difficulty, he is unable to contribute meaningfully to helping you find the dungeons but does points out all of his resources and research that he has started to put together before he was knocked unconscious.
After an hour of digging through parchments of archived city maps, layout plans, charters, you find to your pleasant surprise that the location of the attacks, and the clues provided by the half-orc all triangulates into an abandoned shrine in the middle of the city’s western market and temple district. There is some strong inclination in the records to suggest that it was built over a destroyed dungeon. Your thirst for discovery leaves you with more questions than answers. And without hesitation, the Pathfinders make ways to investigate this location.
~~~
An abandoned shrine to an unknown deity sits where the Dungeons of the Ever-Dying are supposedly located. The people of Merab go about their business in the surrounding area—a relatively unremarkable market and temple district. None of the citizens come close to this shrine, and a few make warding gestures as they hurriedly pass by.
It is very clear that everyone who comes within sights is wary of the shrine and asking about the shrine is received with weird glares and scorns. “That spot is haunted by the cries of the dead. I wouldn’t go near it!” One of the peddlers say hastily before going back about his business.
Approaching the shrine, it takes only a brief search to discover a secret door behind the crumbling altar. A crumbling, twisting tunnel leads deep beneath the streets of Merab past layers of previous occupation before winding down the side of a large cavern. At the bottom, a twenty-foot-high windowless structure occupies much of this space. Stairs lead to platforms on the north and west sides of the building, but no other entrances are visible from here.
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Bielsi is re-energized when it becomes evident that they have fresh leads. They hurry to the site and he is impressed by the amount of respect this place gets by the surrounding civilians. It must be truly foreboding if no one will go in. He would expect it to at least be the haunt of beggars or criminals.
The structure they find at the bottom of the stairs in the cavern is even more impressive. It's amazing that such a building exists underground below the city.
He, likewise does not notice anything out of the ordinary and prepares himself to approach the building.
"This looks promising, doesn't it?" he asks his companions.
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"Zarisha can scout ahead for us," Bielsi says. "She can walk through doors. But, she's not invisible when she does it, so if there is anyone on the other side, they'll know someone is here and be warned. Do you think we should let her check through the other two doors before we breach the one where we know there are people?"
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The strong majority of the group decide to immediately take on whatever ritualistic happenings is ongoing, but find the door locked! Luckily, Frostwind knows a thing or two about picking locks and starts to work away.
As soon as she does though, the chanting ceases as they have likely been informed of your arrival through the noises in the lock. Kenza kicks open the door as soon as Frostwind allows!
Eight stone pillars stand around this room. At the center of the room, a five-foot-diameter spiral of twisted arcane glyphs is charred into the floor. Broken bones stained with blood encircle the spiral, and an onyx gem sits in the center.
A bald headed man, a cultist leader, dressed in garments of white and gold holds a mornigstar, he stands with similarly dressed acolytes alongside him. "You dare defy the ritual as it takes place! You shall suffer the consequence!" The cultist yells in a manner that suggest he means business.
As soon as you reveal yourselves they jump right into combat! A cultist cast a buff on himself while another cast bane upon the Pathfinders.
The cultist cast a spell that creates a whooping burst centred on the group. *BANG!* A loud ring falls upon your ears.
Everyone takes -7dmg
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Avasir withstands the divine debilitation, but the sound burst catches him off guard...
He feels like he's been slapped all over his body, starts to feel the internal warmth in his nervous system that comes just before fainting, and collapses to the ground.
Fortunately his body wills itself against slipping away.
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Zarisha is not at all surprised by the unfolding fate of her companions, or herself. Such is the nature of existence. One moment you believe you are master of your fate, the next Fate proves to you just how little control you have over yourself, let alone the rest of the world.
Perhaps that willingness to surrender is what causes her to be affected by both spells.
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The group is frozen, stunned from the bursting noise left ringing in their eyes, and are unable to react. As Kenza finds herself the only agent in the midst of the evil doers, the acolytes immediately close in to surround her. Luck has in on Kenza's side as these men are poor with martial arts.
The Cultist takes as a step back and chants another spell, this time his target is Kenza!
The group comes to their senses eventually, can they turn the tide?