The party searches about the Hall and finds a back room that functions as a speaking hall. A long stage faces out to a shallow and wide room with notoriously bad acoustics. A collection of round wooden tables cram up the remaining floor space. Saphira can be found here listening to the blathering prattle of a Taldan jester (the great Arnaud Deschamp, Glory of the Empire, Ear of the Crown, Wit of the Opparan Court himself) who is giving a loud and bawdy performance.
Devko does not think the bard is fascinating or suggesting; just putting on a regular performance.
After waiting for several more minutes through a few raunchy jokes, there is a break in the show.
|
Devko ask his comrades to not disturb the representation and wait until a break in the show would happend.
He moved first to thanks Arnaud.
Bravo Monsieur Deschamp ! C'était une représentation des plus magnifiques !
He said bowing in deference to the man. Then added.
I'm Devko Obradev, owner of "The Devil's smile" theater and winner of the Ruby Phoenix Championship. It's an honor, and a pleasure, to meet you.
But can I be a little bit spoilport ? I'm sorry but my friend and I we must see the High Priestess. Could we ?
"Be my guest," the man replies to Devko with a bow.
Hearing that she is being summoned, High Priestess Saphira stands up and steps towards you. "Yes?"
|
|
Thank you, Maître said Devko to the famous Bard.
He then bowed to the High Priestess
High Priestess Saphira, it's an honor to meet you. I'm sorry to interrupt such a great representation but It's my duty to warn you of something unusual going on here.
I'm Devko Obradev, winner of the Phoenix Ruby's championship, owner of the "Devil's Smile" Theater and member of the Pathfinder Society as my comrades here.
One of the Pathfinder's sage Xersus Abergris studied demon with one of your collegue, the late Baldimar Trud. As we though his works was lost some strange news came to us. Demon's activity here, near the Great Hall.
We think his work could still be here, hidden in some sort of catacombs or secret chambers. With your permission we want to search for Baldimar Trud's work and find it before they do.
As you knows, the Wardstones are failing to protect Mendev from demons and any knowledge coud be useful in the north's fight.
As Devko explains the situation, Saphira seethes with both anger and fear at the discovery of demons within the midst of her most sacred temple. "Please come with me. This calls for a private conference."
Saphira leads you all to a back room to discuss matters more quietly. "Before we go too much further, you should speak to Baldimar’s former
ward, Brother Dunnamast" She quickly sends an acolyte to fetch him. There are several tense moments during which Saphira worries about the bad news you have brought. Soon, the acolyte returns empty-handed. His mysterious absence fills the high priestess with consternation, and she immediately turns to you. "You seem to know what's going on here more than most. I'd like to enlist your help in locating him—starting with a thorough search of Cayden’s Hall. Would you be kind enough to help us in this matter?"
|
Ceric bows for the priestess
"As my colleague already asked, his normal living quarters would be helpful to know, as well as his general appearance. And perhaps his last know whereabouts. "
Assuming we get a description of what he looks like;
Ceric looks at the rest of the party. " Let's start with looking around here in the building? After that, if we haven't found him or a clue on where to go, we can decide on where to go next."
The party begins a thorough search of Cayden's Hall. It takes some time but eventually you locate the missing cleric. Dunnamast lies unconscious on the second level of the storage room wedged between the wall and a large keg of rum.
The cleric is in poor shape—he smells like a flagon of grog and cannot be woken.
Instantly, Dunnamast’s flesh pales, and his entire body goes into seizure.
Gregor is able to hold the man down. As Gregor restrains him, his eyes roll back in his head and he begins to speak.
"Би өөрийн шигээ энэ мөнх бус нэхэмжлэх
Түүний махан бие Миний махан бие юм!
Түүний цус түүний яс, түүний бодол санаа, түүний бодгаль,
Энэ бүхэн минийх байх болно!
Та нар хөөрхий мөнх бус Өө үгүй байх
Та ядарч бие кластер,
Та тэжээл авгалдай!
Миний нэхэмжлэлийн мөн та нар харна уу
Эсвэл бас та энэ хүний хувь заяаг амсах ёстой
Мөн та нарын Би найрлах болно!
Уурхайн хувьд мянган nightmares ялыг байна!
Мөнхийн Сэрүүн нь цэврүүтэх дөл нь!
Идэж байгаа нь халдварт галзуу өвчин!
Нь үнэ цэнэтэй цөлмөх!"
"I claim this mortal as my own,
His flesh is my flesh!
His blood, his bone, his thoughts, his soul,
All of this is mine!
Be gone oh you pitiful mortals,
You weary flesh clusters,
You maggot fodder!
Look ye not unto my claims,
Or as well shall you suffer this man's fate
And upon you I shall feast!
For mine is the damnation of a thousand nightmares!
Of the blistering flame of eternal waking!
Of the madness that eats!
Of timeless devour!"
Once this is finished, Dunnamast's flesh again pales and he slips into a still, corpse-like rigor while small trickles of blood run from his nose, ears, and eyes.
Batty's spell does not seem to have an effect on him.
Saphira says, "You know a demonologist? Summon him, quickly!"
Once alerted, Xersus and Osprey arrive quickly via teleport and Xersus asks you to explain the experience. Xersus listens intently, his face twisted with consternation. “I see,” he says. He opens a black case filled with weird brass devices, crystals, incense, and other tools, and the proceeds to inspect Dunnamast’s body. He circles it, muttering to himself as he rapidly scribbles notes into a weathered looking tome.
For the next 10 minutes or so, the gnome brushes off any attempts to communicate with him, as he studies his patient with a trance-like intensity. Once he’s finished, he wipes his brow, looks worriedly towards you, and says, “I need to perform an extraction.”
“Extraction involves psychic projection. I shall enter a trancelike state in which I project myself into the psychic realm where Dunnamast suffers. I’m not sure what is attacking him, and thus far have only ever heard tales of the dream realm’s connection to shapeless, primordial demons. I seriously doubted their existence until this moment. In order to succeed in this task, I’ll need all of your help. The realm of dreams and nightmares is both maddening and deadly, and I cannot guarantee your life or sanity should you choose to join me. Without your help, though, Brother Dunnamast will die.”
Not surprisingly, Osprey is the first to volunteer.
The high priestess does not offer to partake in Xersus’s plan, but impresses upon the volunteers the need to ask Brother Dunnamast why he’s in this state and what’s happened in Cayden’s Hall. Once the gnome demonologist has his volunteers, he arranges everyone so that all are seated around Brother Dunnamast and holding hands to complete a circle. Then he sets up his devices, incense, and assorted components and begins to weave a strange spell.
Moments later, everyone’s flesh turns cold, vision blurs, and all color washes to dull gray. The surroundings fade and soon nothing exists but a dull, twilight void.
experience the sensation of falling at first, then floating. Slowly, dark shadows solidify and you see yourselves hovering around Dunnamast's still form. You appear gray and washed out, though sparks of color ripple through you like tiny threads of lighting. Xersus is positioned at Dunnamast’s head, holding him gingerly by the temples, and Osprey is at his feet. Thick, ropey tendrils of color thread through the priest’s translucent form. Xersus begins a slow, peaceful chant. The cleric’s body seems to relax, and the tendrils within him recoil slowly from his body toward the base of his neck. Suddenly, the cleric’s jaw drops and the alien tendrils erupt from his mouth directly into the gnome’s face.
With this sudden and violent attack, Xersus slowly fades and disappears. Osprey touches his necklace and is instantly surrounded by a mysterious shimmering force that renders him invisible for a short time-he shouts out, "Hold the demon off, while I get answers from Dunnamast!"
The creature within Dunnamast’s psyche is a formless primordial demon identifiable only as a cloudy nothingness from which protrude four smoky tendrils tipped with sharp, bone-like protrusions.
|
|
"This is some sort of primordial demon. It is incorporeal and has spell resistance. It is immune to electricity and poison. It also has resistance to acid, cold, and fire."
Ceric will use his shift ability to teleport 20 ft' away from the demon first (as a swift action ,going straight up seems to be possible..so doing that) and then casts haste on the party, including Osprey and the cleric..just in case they have some benefit from the +1 dodge bonus to Ac and reflex saves.
Darius creates images of himself to fool the demon!
Gregor protects himself from evil as he pulls out his weapon.
Ceric disappears and reappears above the fray, giving the party a burst of speed.
Batty gives himself divine favor.
---
The demon casts a spell!