One of the zombies swipes at Luccinus as he charges on the cleric, giving the cleric a nasty wound to the shoulder. Saki steps in front of the zombies to protect the Taldans and deals the zombie a fell blow.
The two zombies then turn on Luccinus.
Filios attacks the cleric but his blade bounces off of the cleric's armor. Kyroden tries to touch a zombie but it ducks out of the way. Moll, however, tears the zombie to pieces.
Tiasar finishes his spell and the cleric falls asleep.
Saki and Luccinus quickly finish off the zombies as Tiasar moves up to bind the cleric.
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With the threat more or less neutralised for now, Saki will mingle with the nobility, calming any who are distressed and trying to get the gist of what is going on from them. Perhaps someone saw something, or knows something?
All of the nobles are frightened and don't seem to have any clue as to what is going on.
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Filios begins to mingle around amongst the nobles. He steps forward and says,
I seek Magistros Sebastus Hustavan!
If Filios is able to find the noble, he pulls hims aside and whispers in his ear.
When Filios speaks up, a bearded man steps forward. He is a thin aged man who nonetheless walks with his shoulders back and his nose turned up. "I am Magistros Sebastus Hustavan, Emperor Stavian III’s consul for the fourth district of Oppara Prefecture" His short, gray hair sticks to his head as if it were bathed in cooking oil and his thick, white beard, meticulously trimmed and braided, positively glistens with wax. He wears the finery of his office, a blue silk shoulder sash over long white robes, and his fingers are encrusted with bejeweled rings.
"You lot look capable enough in a tough situation and I outrank everyone in this room. Your Emperor requires you to save me! Surely the divine hand of Emperor Stavian has guided you here to save me!"
When Filios leans in closer and whispers something to the old man, his face pales noticeably and he begins to blubber something about his undying loyalty to the Empire.
Meanwhile Kyroden looks about the bodies and finds a holy symbol on the cleric. Kyroden also finds the following note on the cleric:
Loyalists of the Grim Harvestman, our time has come!
My plan to recover the stone, blessed by our beloved Harbinger of Unexpected Tragedy Himself, has succeeded beyond my wildest hopes. The fool Pathfinder I convinced to journey here has fed the strength of our Lord by encountering an unexpected tragedy of his own. His hard work for Grim was not in vain! Come to me at once, at the appointed hour and place, and we shall lay out a bounty before mighty Zyphus that He won’t soon forget. When Pharasma, hated cretin, lies slain in the bowels of hell and our mighty harbinger rules the afterlife, He will reward His faithful few with everlasting life and power of unspeakable might! Come to me, brothers and sisters, come to me!
-Fel
None of the nobles are able to identify the cultist or the bodies of any of the zombies.
Moll is able to slip the letter into his pocket while distracting the frazzled Magistros.
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"Zyphus!" Saki exclaims, her expression a mixture of anger and... ever so slightly, a strained sigh of frustration. She puts a single digit to her temple and massages herself lightly. "I have dealt with this church before. Frustrating that the cult should still infest the streets of Oppara even now!"
When the others are done with their own nefarious deeds involving the Magistros, Saki will comment dryly to him, "It was most definitely not your Emperor that sent us here, but the Pathfinder Society! The nation of Andoran had more to do with your rescue than Taldor, at least my case."
Saki pays careful attention to the reactions of this man and nearby nobles, seeing if any seem to react positively to the mention of Andoran's assistance.
None of the nobles recognize the name Zyphus; he seems to be a minor deity not normally worshiped in these parts.
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As the group works out its plan of action, Saki will strike up a conversation with Hustavan, regaling him with tales of Andoran... how marvellous the streets of Almas and Augustine are, how skilled and powerful the Eagle Knights are, how there is nothing more fabulous than the freedom granted to its citizens by the People's Council.
"I appreciate your respect of your liege here in Taldor, but the bureaucracy is corrupt; it has grown fat with years of decadence. I daresay rooting out some of the worst elements would be good for the place. Perhaps Andoran can help with that... so long as you help it in return as well."
Saki pulls the nondescript bag of gold out of her pack and hands it to Hustavan.
"If you should ever meet another Andoran, do be a friend to them, won't you, Hustavan? I'm sure we'll make it worth your time."
"We should question this cleric before we head elsewhere. Make sure his hands are firmly tied up so he can't cast any spells when he wakes."
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"Let the law judge him. I will not stand for killing him in cold blood. That lowers us to his level," Saki says firmly. "He may be able to tell us what is going on here, and we can use that information to stop more innocents dying."
Once the cleric is firmly tied up (and assuming no-one disagrees), Saki will shake him awake.
"A word of warning," she says to the necromancer, her tone hard as flint. "You are surrounded and have no chance of escape. If you answer our questions as best you're able, I'll make sure that is known to the authorities for your trial. If you wish to be difficult... well, my friend here thinks you should simply be beheaded. I'm sure you wish to avoid that as much as I do."
"Who are you? Why did you attack the opera? Are you alone, or are you in a group?"
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It matters not to me...but I will have the entrance below from him first, if we do kill him.
He gets close to the face of the subdued cleric, draws a dagger, puts it to the cleric's throat, and between gritted teeth, says.
It matters not what they say. I will kill you now, or I will hunt you down if you do not tell me what dwells below ground and how to get in.
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Kyroden puts together a bomb with inhernert fuse and glass vial full of necter. He walks over to the cleric and puts them next him. This vial is filled with alchemical substance that will render you paralazye but able to feel things,this is a specil bomb. It goes off in slower manner burning slowly. So if my friend Filios here gives me the word I will use it. So if I were you I would be nice and answer us.
The cleric blinks awake and stares angrily at the party around him. "You will all fall in devastation before the power of Zyphus. Below us is a power you will not be able to believe or resist. My god grows more powerful with your every faltering step."
He begrudgingly tells you, "Backstage there are staircases that lead to storage below. We located an artifact sacred to our faith nearby and our god commanded us to use this opportune location to carry out what has been to the people of Taldor an inopportune attack. Now the Lady of Graves is denied their souls and Zyphus grows stronger with every soul lost here tonight."
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Well, it certainly appears that less souls were lost as a result of our intervention. Keep an eye on him while Luccinus and I take a peek to see if she tells the truth. Come, friend, I may need your help.
Filios sneaks back stage and investigates the entrance. He will not enter, but just seeks to validate the words of the cleric.
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Not wanting to put too fine a point on it but he's a raving, undead summoning cultist... there isn't many jurisdictions where that sort of thing isn't a crime. If the local authorities don't get them, 'Death by Adventurer' does seem to be the accepted pattern. If you won't behead him then at least get the answer on how many other necromancers are here.
He turns to the Taldan noble who was screaming his position and importance earlier.
Can we get a legal ruling, and possibly a deputisation to execute? I'll let you decide it with the others here.
He nods to Filos.
Lead the way friend Filos, but not too far from the group if you please.
*Clank, Clank* *Jingle, Clatter*
Stealth
Lucinus walks 30 feet behind Filos, unable to replicate his stealth but giving Filos some distance to move quietly without too much overlay of Lucinnus's movement.
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Tiasar takes a deep breath, trying not to get angry "I am not trying to attest to the mans innocence. Yes he appears to be an evil cultist who, despite my demeanor, I would have no problem putting a knife into. However it's a different matter when we have caught and tied up the man. There's a difference between killing a man who's swinging a sword at innocents and executing your captive in cold blood when he's no longer a threat"
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"When a life is cut short, with it goes the potential for better, more beautiful things in this world. It is improper to assume he will never change--evil cults do strange things to peoples' heads. He should be given fair trial for his actions, not extra-judicial corporate punishment." Saki is surprisingly calm about the matter--the result of a lifetime's worth of patience developed from adventuring with many less scrupulous Pathfinders no doubt.
She turns back to the raving cleric. "Tell me more about the God you follow. Who is Zyphus? What is his creed? And what is the sacred artefact you discovered?"
Filios sneaks backstage and confirms that there are two spiral staircases heading down. The rest of the backstage is cluttered with standard acting costumes and props.
Hustavan steps forward at Luccinus' provocation, "No need to discuss, I am the ranking authority here and I hereby grant you permission to treat this man in whatever way necessary with the full support of the Taldan government!"
Answering Saki, the cultist speaks up with a fey fervor in his eyes, "Zyphus, the Grim Harvestman, the Harbinger of Unexpected Tragedy, and Most Hated Rival of Pharasma, holds dominion over unexpected death. Souls who perish by accident do not travel on to Pharasma’s Boneyard in the Great Beyond, but are instead captured by the Grim Harvestman and malignantly absorbed, making Zyphus ever more powerful."