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"I don't see where Wraith and Amelia went, and am concerned that we are running out of time. Perhaps we should try convincing more of the anchors to release the spell. A task which may be easier if we speak to someone who still appears to be sane. I'd prefer to have additional backup should conflict arise, shall meet back up with Ameri and Solange then confront the woman over yonder?"
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Wraith attempts to strike again, but barely misses. Another image is washed away though. Just as Amelia's powerful blast shoots from her hand and coats him in fire, an arrow flies from a neighboring rooftop and strikes him in the back. The man is staggered by the dual onslaught, and falls to the ground. The elemental flees.
However, the green aura still surrounds the man, and you have a fateful decision to make.
Wraith (electric resistance 20) - 13 damage
Electric Blue - unconscious
Amelia (electric resistance 20)
Electric Red - withdraws
Kreighton - 12 damage
Green Man + 2 images - 31 damage - unconscious
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Amelia walks up to the man and shakes her head. "So much tragedy here. However, you chose your fate, and I will not allow your choices to kill my partners and I." With a tear running down her face, she points the tip of her sword at the mans chest before looking around at her friends. "I do not see any other choice.. His aura is still active even though he is unconscious. What say you? We can heal him and try to convince him to give up the power, but I really doubt that will work."
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A glowing woman, surrounded closely by citizens
A glowing man crouched on the ground, playing cards
A glowing man talking in a commanding voice, surrounded by citizens
A glowing woman screaming at citizens to bow before her
A glowing man breaking into shops, aided by coalesced flashes of lightning.
The group reunites and moves toward the first glowing woman.
As you near her, it is obvious that she moves in unison with the crowd around her. Many of them are pointing up the the falling starstone. She carries a small sack, as well.
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Now step down and release your hold on the spell anchoring the sky key."
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"Follower of Iomedae, I am impressed by your concern, for we are all frightened by the events of this day." The green-aura'd woman says hastily (but in perfect common) as she points to the starfall above her. "But I am afraid you are confused. I am not a spellcaster of renown, I am but a simple storekeeper here in Lacsuhnollo. I am trying to flee, along with several of the other citizenry. But I am curious, is there a way I could help you?"
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"It would seem you have been tied into a spell which has far reaching and possibly unplanned results. Did someone give you anything recently, or perhaps cast an enchantment over you?"
Too much blood had been spilled this day. And the thought of having to kill an innocent made her heart weary. But if this woman was an unwitting participant in the ritual, if she didn't even know how she was tied into it... What other choices were there? Please let there be another way. Don't make me do this, don't make me have to shed more blood today. I would happily lay down my life to save another. But please don't ask me to do this. Kahel thought, sick with grief at the things she may have to do to safeguard her world.
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Looking confused (even a bit panicked) at Kahel and Seelah, she maneuvers to start walking away. "Truly, I don't know what any of you are talking about. All I know is that this calamity about to strike will have long-ranging consequences for this world, and if any of us intends to see that, we must all find shelter."
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"You say you live here, right? Well, something occurs to me. Just where did you get those cloths? I've seen their like in the market and I'm not from this time period." Her eyes then narrowed with suspicion. "And why do you sound like someone I'd expect to meet in the market of a city which hasn't been built yet in this time and place? In fact, I suspect you know exactly what we're talking about. So ask yourself this. What will happen if the Key is still active when that hits?"
Kahel pointed towards the sky.
"The clock is ticking, and time is running out. I for one don't want that question answered. Too many lives have been lost senselessly as well. Don't throw away your own away for the dreams of a madwoman. Help us stop this madness. More then just your own life is on the line. It's the entire world at stake."
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"Taldane?...Taldane...Taldor!" A sudden realization washes over her face and she drops to her knees. "I have no store here! I am Alrule Shahan, formerly of Oppara, and now a trader in the center of the world, Absalom. This is not my fight. Lady Arodeth has deceived me. Forgive me."
With that, she falls limply to the ground, her arms stretched wide and you see the green aura coalesce on her back and quickly rise to the dome above, weakening as it gains height. The other citizens, now more frightened than ever, scatter from you.
A glowing woman, surrounded closely by citizens
A glowing man crouched on the ground, playing cards
A glowing man talking in a commanding voice, surrounded by citizens
A glowing woman screaming at citizens to bow before her
A glowing man breaking into shops, aided by coalesced flashes of lightning.
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Amelia rejoins the group just in time to see the woman fall, and the green light once again depart. "Amazing work! I am so proud to be a part of this group!" she exclaims, almost giddy at the idea of being one step closer to safety. She looks about, trying to decide what the next move should be.
"Maybe we have weakened enough anchors to head for the Sky Key??" Amelia questions.
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"So, Mr. Sheine what do you think we should do next?"
Amiri hesitates for a moment then says:
"Though you are good at talking, you are all better fighters. I believe that our group is much stronger that the others, so let's leave talking to them and recapture the Sky Vault. Eventually, where is your curiosity? Don't you wanna explore the Vault a bit? If we have time of course...
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"We are running out of time. If it's uncovered, we should check the vault. That said, Mr Sheine... While I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do, could you please relay to the other groups dealing with anchors that some of them may be innocents who were tricked into doing this? The idea of innocents being sacrificed to stop this insanity sits poorly with me."
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Kreighton does echo what is obvious. Although weakened, the dome still exists and likely prevents your return to the present day. But just as crucial, the Sky Key must be dealt with as well, which likely means an encounter with Lady Arodeth and her minions.
You move quickly to the stairs in the center of town that lead deep into the ground. Eventually, you reach a great central chamber, bustling with other Pathfinders. A battle has just ended, dozens of injured and dead harbinger guards and wizards lay strewn on the floor.
Veins of strange metal line the walls of this massive chamber. Enormous bronze devices connected to the walls by massive cables spark and spew steam, almost obscuring the large vault door at the far end of the room. The door is labeled with a single word in a plethora of languages: danger. Stagnant water collects at the bottom of a ten-foot wide pool in the middle of the room. A gasping, bleeding elf who looks like an aged version of Kreighton Shane lies across the room.
“Good show, Pathfinders,” the injured form of Kreighton Shaine manages between blood-soaked coughs. “But Lady Arodeth is a true savant and driven to fanatical extremes. The same energies that infected her casters above have also seized her soul, and I fear she has already killed several of your fellow chroniclers. Or will have killed them. Blast, but this is confusing.”
Shaine props himself up to continue speaking. “However noble her goals may have been, if Lady Arodeth forces us to remain in this time, we will all die. If the Sky Key is still functional, you must reactivate it before the Starstone arrives.”
The machines in this chamber begin to spark and smoke, and female bodies take shape from the green miasma. Shaine continues, “She has learned to create temporal copies of, as I have. She can produce an army, left unchecked. Some teams will need to hold the line here, in this chamber, so that anyone confronting the true Lady Arodeth in the room beyond isn’t overwhelmed by these simulacra. You know your team’s capabilities better than I, but I promise you Lady Arodeth will not yield easily.”
With that, the chorus of murky green figures announce, “I would have brought destiny back to this world.”
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An army of insane women seeking to undo history? The thought was horrifying. This was a woman who masterminded the attack. Just how dangerous was she on her own? But perhaps the simulacra would be less dangerous.
"What say you," she asked her companions, "Should we hold the line here, or attempt to convince Lady Arodeth to end this? While I may be able to figure out how the sky key works, to be honest I'm not the best researcher. Many of my co-workers are more skilled at manipulating enchanted objects, or know more about the arcane sciences. And there is no way to know if she will even listen to reason."
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Kahel took a step back and calmed herself. She couldn't afford to be conflicted at the moment. Crackling energy gathered in her hands even as tears started to fall. She didn't hate this woman, even though Arodeth had killed many of her fellow pathfinders. No, she felt pity for the woman. And that made this fight all the harder for Kahel.
"I wish it didn't have to come to this," the kitsune woman said sadly even as she unleashed the built up electricity.