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The group, largely consisting of resourceful casters, is able to mostly get up to the the top of this massive deactivated golem with no problems (T'khan/Mak'das shenanigans free up Arisira to d-door herself and Valin and Vera)
Inside the chambers, the temple area is a pristine and marked by a number of columns depicting fiendish frescoes of the Rachikanian devotion to fiends in the latest days of the Imperium.
There is a door on the far end of the chamber, but when you go to open it , there is nothing but mountainous rock. You are certain this must be intended to go somewhere but...you surmise the golem probably moved at some point. Meaning you need to find some way of manipulating the massive creature to move back into its proper position.
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The flash of white light makes the most difficult part of the travel just a formality- and the trio of Arisira, Vera, and Valin appear on the top of the massive golem.
She moves forward, besides Mak'da. "Let me take a look at that panel, if you don't mind. I wonder if this would let me..."
Taking over from the half-elf, she begins to fiddle with the controls.
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Arisira manages to command the golem (after taking 20) and the massive golems movements seem to turn the tide as the mind controlled morlocks dont even get out of the way.
An ornate set of stairs opens into a grand throne room with ten
stone statues as courtiers. At the far end of the room, a gilded
sarcophagus lies before an elevated platform that bears a silver chair and numerous tall bookshelves. Overhead, several glowing orbs wash the tomb in shadowy illumination. Flanking the sarcophagus are two jet obelisks that threaten to pierce this chamber’s orb-filled ceiling.
Sitting on the throne is a regal feminine form, cloaked somewhat by the jet shade of the chamber. She sighs gratitude and speaks low and slow. My...tomb has finally been breached. My captors never anticipated brave adventurers like yourself. Tell me, what boon can I grant you to thank you for may freedom?
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She gives a rasping laugh Petty smallminded men threatened by my power conspired against me and trapped me here. But no small minded idiots could keep me down and I did what it took to overcome.
The gloom flickers and the woman stands I am serious. I owe you my freedom. My life. Tell me what I can do to repay you. Surely you came here for a purpose
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As the doors open, Arisra steels herself before approaching. Once inside the small chamber, she quickly looks over the columns, attempting to identify any particular person or figure. What have we here?
As her attention falls on the enthroned figure, something tickles the back of her mind. Captors? Freedom?
I am Arisira, and I am pleased to have met you- these circumstances aside. With whom do I have the honor of speaking, and apparently freeing? Tell me- what is this imprisonment you suffer, and at whose command?"
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She laughs a dry rasping laugh You come all this way and so all that needed done to unearth me and you do not even know who I am of what happened to me? After thousands of years imprisonment I am grateful you came but that surprises me. I am Despotrix Severina Helsprex. The last ruler of Rachikan after my jealous male advisors turned on me once I was on the brink of saving Rachikan from its fate. I was this close to ascending to godhood before they stopped me. They sentenced me to death by burying me alive in this tomb. Unfortunately for them, I have managed to ascend the mortal lifespan and have outlived them all.
Arisira looks around the gloom. Her halfling eyes cannot see all in this chamber but she is fairly certain she spies the books necessary for a lichening ritual - that is a ritual that would turn its caster into a lich. You also see countless artifacts from old Rachikan and the Jistkan imperium, including a large ivory baton on the throne itself which she knows to be a master command rod for all of the golems which reside in Rachikan.
The woman on the throne appears to be a dark haired woman of chelish descent.
You may have noticed how heavy the defenses of this chamber were. Right on down to sealing my chamber with a colossus golem. But now that that all is gone, here I remain. A living witness from the era of the Jistkan Imperoum. Surely there is some gift I can bestow to you in exchange for the freedom you have now granted me?
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The Despotrix laughs I was a queen. It was a power struggle. And from my prison that they laughably thought would be my tomb, I watched as the regime that couped me failed almost instantly. It is true that I used my magic to dominate those fools who waltzed unwittingly into my reach to use them to try and free me but, you all seem to be of a different make. I don't want this to come to blows. I wish to have my freedom and to pursue my eternal life anywhere but here.
In exchange, I can offer you anything it is within my power to grant. Knowledge of the past. Power over the golems of Rachikan, perhaps. Your society...I have felt their magic on the world. Such tools would make great assets for your paramilitary operations. See these offers as righteous if you must. I see them as a matter of...politics.
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"Ah, so you are a hero in your mind only? The misunderstood protagonist in a story of your own imagination. Many stories speak of your ilk, but I regret to inform you that Helsprex is a name devoid of any meaning to the world... even the most learned have all but forgotten your existence."
She waits and pauses as she talks, to needle home each line.
"And what you seek in immortality is but a wretched half-truth. Powerful magic does not a powerful person make. Surely you know that by now. I admit, there is much knowledge that I wish to possess. These golems, among others such things- you inuit correctly. However, I believe these records, manuals, and books so carelessly scattered about your... home... should serve as more than enough of a starting place."
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((She wants to go free and doesnt necessarily want to fight your to gain that freedom. Makda is gathering that the offer of a reward is more cultural than it is some sort of ruse. Rachikan seems to have been a hospitality culture and offering rewards for services rendered is some thing that she clearly considers to be good manners. She is also clearly stalling for time for some reason. You can roll knowledge arcana for more insight.))
She coughs a dry rasping cough at Arisiras provocations Allow the millennia to pass and so who still remembers your name little halfling! What makes you so virtuous then? What motivated you to come to my tomb and the ruins of my once glorious city? Do you have motives any more pure than simple fame and fortune. You are correct...this form is not the one I wished to attain immortality with. Just the one left available to me by circumstance. I had a much better plan for becoming a goddess! Foiled! But...my divinations tell me of something called the Starstone. That would be my next goal! To think its now so easy.
She gestures at the books all around her You wish unfettered access to my collection. It is yours then. I have no use for these same tomes I have reviewed repeatedly for millennia. Your demand is a wise one. So we have a deal then. You have freed me and I have seen your good deed repaid with the gift of this library?
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"I understand more than you might imagine about the desire for notoriety and fame. However, I simply collect things. Stories. Histories. Lost knowledges, tomes, and experiences. Quite successfully, I might add. And what has that taught me?
It is meaningless. Vanity. A chasing after the wind. One can no sooner add meaning to their life through wisdom or wealth, than they can achieve true immortality. And those that try, with both wisdom and immortality, are often the most unhappy and unfulfilled. What you are chasing, Helsprex, is a figment of your imagination- and nothing more. "What is crooked, cannot be straightened. What is lacking, cannot be counted."
Your library is not a trade, and it is not a request. Simply an observation that the only thing I would consider asking of you doesn't even require your presence. All the power you have accumulated. All the years you have sat here. All the lengths you have taken to achieve immortality and still the most valuable thing about you is a collection of books...
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It occurs to Arisira to look at the threshold behind her the spell - a forbiddance spell that would have instantly slayed her is weakening. You think in a few minutes she will be able to leave with no issue.
You desire a fight with me, collector? You are being incredibly rude when I have been nothing but polite and conciliatory to you. Am I that repulsive to you? Do you so abhor my continued existence that you cannot accept my grace? I do wish someone had bothered teaching your race some manners. Take my books. I will be leaving them behind when I leave this place any way. Best of luck living a normal life
She chuckles at Valin Compared to what I was having to do to reach godhood, yes, a little obstacle course seems trivial in comparison.
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"Grace means little, when the reasons it is offered are selfish. Do you believe I haven't noticed the failing wards? You don't offer grace, you are facing the very moment you have dreamed of for a millennium and are afraid that we will take it all away from you. And you will do, or say, anything you can if it means we delay another 5 minutes. That isn't my definition of hospitality"
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In the gloom she laughs. Her face for a moment flickers and her illusion of middle aged grace slips.
I am immortal. Next best thing to a god. And if you will not allow me to walk out of here....I will take my freedom by force. I did not survive my execution only to be defeated by a lowly uppity slave who refuses the grace of her betters...! We could have been allies. I am nothing but reasonable. It is you who is the one who seeks to destroy knowledge! You will be but an isignificant footnote in my origin story as a God!
As Arisira goes to make a hostile cast they ancient lich sees the spell coming and triggers initiative.
One of the golems eyes lights up as well.
T'Khan
Mak'da
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Helsprex
---
Vera
Valin
Arisira
Golem
T'Khan roars and rushes up to the enemy spellcaster.
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The lich cackles but then flares her aura as she drops the human facade and her terrifying visage filling your minds
Vera and Valin are shocked with fear and enter a panicked state.
The creature follows up by stepping into a slightly better casting position and tries to cast defensively
and a spray of cold ice emits from her position, catching Valin, Vera, Arisira and T'Khan.
And follows up with a quickened magic missile at T'Khan
T'Khan (-53 cold, move at half speed)(-20 force)
Mak'da
---
Helsprex
---
Vera (panicked) (-53 cold, move at half speed)
Valin (panicked) (-53 cold, move at half speed)
Arisira (-26 cold)
T'Khan roars and launches himself at the lich.
Attack bonus: Bab +6, Str +7, GMF +2, Bulls str +2, -1 size, -2 power attack, +1 claws weapon focus
Damage: Str +9, power attack +4,GMF +2
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Vera runs back into the previous room and cowers.
The lich's mage armor and false life get stripped off as T'Khan lands a couple very solid bite but fails to grapple the lich.
T'Khan (-53 cold, move at half speed)(-20 force)
Mak'da
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Helsprex (-40)
---
Vera (panicked) (-53 cold, move at half speed)
Valin (panicked) (-53 cold, move at half speed)
Arisira (-26 cold)
Helsprex once again attempts to cast.
She wreathes herself in cold and then takes a step to put the throne between herself and T'Khan.
T'Khan (-53 cold, move at half speed)(-20 force)
Mak'da
---
Helsprex (chill shield)
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Vera (shaken 14 rds) (-53 cold)
Valin (shaken 14 rds) (-53 cold)
Arisira (-26 cold)
Buffs active: Haste
T'Khan roars, takes a step forward and launches himself at the enemy.
Attack bonus: Bab +6, Str +7, GMF +2, Bulls str +2, -1 size, -2 power attack, +1 claws weapon focus
Damage: Str +9, power attack +4,GMF +2
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Mak'da just barely dispels the magic and the chill shield disappears.
T'Khan mauls the lich and successfully grapples her with his claw.
Arisira's best shots just barely sink into the lich now that T'Khan is holding her still and ends her terrible unlife, at least for the moment.
The party is able to search and find her phylactery without too much issue given that it had to be in this room somewhere. Will you destroy it?
Outside the battle is subsiding. It is clear you have won a major victory.
But from looking around here it becomes clear - Helsprex was far from the only evil that resides in this place. It is clear that there are hundreds of fiends bound here based on the procedures used to trap her.
The hellknights bring you the other major question - do we seal this place forever or do we continue to explore?
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Arisira walks across the room, and gazes at the controller rod that is fashioned on the re-deceased "queens" throne.
"I don't suppose this has any value to the pathfinders, huh?"
She glances around as well, looking with longing at the accumulated knowledge.
"We cannot leave all of this here, nor can we leave this place open for the dangers of these fiends. We should explore what we can, while here- but close and seal it upon our departure. Perhaps this rod, and those that it controls, will be helpful in that endeavour. "
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Mak'da lifts up the Lich's phylactery. We really dont want her coming back, do we? Assuming no-one objects she casually tosses it to T'Khan to use as a chew toy.
Mak'da looks around the room. We should take everything we can. If we can get the golems moving then I can get them back to Absalom quickly and easily although it will take a few days. It will help us get everything else out as well.
Back in the chamber Mak'da takes out a small acorn. Muttering a spell she moulds the stone floor of the cavern, creating a shallow pit which she fills with earth from her pack. Planting the acorn she whispers a word of power and it springs into life as a huge tree.
Standing back she grins, This is where the real magic happens. As she casts another spell a yawning portal opens up in the tree, beyond can be seen the lawns of the Grand Lodge. With that she steps through, taking one of the golems with her.