"I know little about the denizens of the castle who I have not faced and consumed personally. Mithrodar stopped sending them once he realized I was contained. I DO know a little of the other Spirit Anchors. We are all joined by our link to Mithrodar, and I can sometimes sense things about them, like the fading memories of dreams. That is how I became aware of the Hag, one of the others, Nihil, is a fiend and remembers her of old. They are in similar lines of work, after all."
"You will find Nihil in the heights of Scarwall, in a place called the Lord's Tower. She is a type of devil called an Ashmede who was gifted to Kazavon as a servant centuries ago, but failed to save him and was ensnared by the curse, same as I. She commands the gargoyles who patrol the heights, but is as much a prisoner as I am, unable to leave the tower. As a fiend she has no need to eat or sleep, so Mithrodar sees no reason to allow her even the limited mobility I am afforded."
"Also above, you'll find Castrothane in the gate house. He is an odd case, as he was undead even before Kazavon fell. A mighty skeletal warrior, he worked for Kazavon as a guard captain, which is odd because trafficking with the undead was not his forte, he was devoted to pain, and a skeleton feels none. Still, he possessed some means of commanding the creature and wasn't one to discard a useful tool."
"Last is the castle's donjon, which can be entered by going up those stairs to the north of the cpurtyard. There you will find Zev Ravenka - the castle's bishop. He had long dreamed of obtaining immortality, and sought to become a lich, putting many years of research into this cause. However, when Mandraivus attacked the castle and Kazavon fell, the priest panicked and cast his ritual before it was ready, hoping to escape death. He failed to achieve lichdom, but with the curse that arose on the castle he was not able to die either. He's some sort of degenerate version of a lich now, practically in a torpor unless disturbed."
"Not that these other three, unlike myself, all served Kazavon willingly. Although they may not be as loyal to Mithrodar, they are also no allies to you. I recommend destroying them, they will not be as eager to quit the castle as I am. With each of us destroyed or released, the curse upon this place should grow weaker."
"Ahh, so releasing or destroying the others in turn helps the long term goal as well. Most helpful information. Although, if killing that demon makes an even worse creature, that sounds like something to be avoided for a bit."
"If suppressing the effect will allow one of the anchors to 'escape' then perhaps that can also work with the demon? Perhaps we should all back out for the night, rest and refresh while Tronar goes shopping for that scroll?"
Anastasia is still in thoughts. She moves into the room.
”Mighty dragon, I am eager to aid my companions, and an alliance with you is definitely acceptable! You are a natural being that destroys undead, and this makes you an ally, because I despise these abominations! Can you tell us more about the mighty weapon that destroyed the blue Dragon?“ she asks.
The dragon shudders slightly.
"You speak of Serithial. So that is your quest, it makes sense. Those who dwell in shadows such as myself have reason to fear that weapon. Romor has it the goddess Iomedae herself had a hand in crafting it, which may explain why it has its own personality, and those who wield it can sense its feelings. It was given to the great grandfather of Mandraivus, who took it on several crusades into Nidal. His descendant brought it here and it felled Kazavon. All with a connection to Zon Kuthon are especially vulnerable to it."
Laori: "Exactly why we need it, and why we can't use it ourselves. It would never accept Sial and me."
Sial: "But Queen Ileosa, and the crown that Kazavon influences her through, are equally vulnerable to it. It's the perfect weapon against her."
Belshallam: "As for its whereabouts, I do not know, save that it must be within the castle. Mithrodar and his forces would be unable to bear its touch, and even if he could remove it, I expect it would find its way back here, where it feels it is needed. Treasure that can think is dangerous and stubborn. I once read of some holy axe dropped by a crusader in Geb, which was unknowingly handed to a zombie to chop wood. The axe soon dominated its mindless wielder and went on a rampage, destroying all the undead for miles, and is still out there. Waste of good food if you ask me, but it goes to show that such things are best untrifled with. I expect Serithial is sealed away somewhere, so Mithrodar doesn't have to worry about it much - even its power couldn't prevent him from collapsing a ceiling on it, or bricking it up in a room to forget about it. The curse on the castle may be helping to suppress it, it may regain its ability to cause problems as the curse weakens. I hope to be long gone before that happens, I doubt it would see much difference between me and Kazavon."
Anastasia looks at the team.
“A Dispel evil spell might potentially also free the umbral dragon! I have once been on Axis to obtain such a scroll. So what do we do?“
"I believe that the Dispel Evil spell might be more cost effective. If we get a scroll, I could even cast the spell without wasting the spell." she says to Tronar.
"Dispel Evil? I can cast that tomorrow morning, if needed. Not that I am opposed to helping Tronar gain new spells for his book."
"I like that plan better than me riding a semi-ally in a bubble that prevents me from doing anything useful besides looking menacingly at a threat... so then there is no real need to teleport away. do we continue clearing this level or go out and find a safe place tor rest for Shaeda to prepare?"
Anastasia looks at the group.
"Let us sleep here in our safe space and then try the dispel evil spell!" she says.
Searok shrugs, I am good with whatever you all decide.
"Well in my experience, when the healer says: we need to rest, then we rest. I think there was a safe place back where the archers came from could be easily defended if uninvited guests show up."
"Let us do that then."
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Your night at Scarwall is uneventful...physically. Nothing dangerous happens, but you all find yourselves plagued with nightmares.
In these visions, you see the castle, as if from above. But the structure swirls and distorts, like paint running down a drain. At the center of this maelstrom is a dark smoky figure, surrounded by chains extending outward, and cackling with glee. The chains lash and snap at a multitude of spirits around them. Their behavior reminds you in one moment of vipers striking at prey, and the next of a lion tamer's whip keeping a beast at bay. Several of the spirits around them have been entangled in these chains, and struggle against them like hounds trying to escape the leash. Their fighting churns the very castle around them like water, causing it to continue its endless swirling. You recognize the dragon among these chained beings.
The various other spirits, while not ensnared, are nonetheless caught in the whirlpool. Some try to escape and are pulled back. Others seem to gambol and dance, as if rejoicing in the chaos. The smoky being in the center howls "For you, mighty Kazavon! All for you! Your throne awaits! 777! See it! The answer is there! 777!"
You see one spirit who is neither celebrating nor ensnared. She seems at first glance to be a shapely blonde woman, sitting calmly in the castle's War Tower, as if bored by the proceedings. But she glances up as if noticing you and grins, her flesh melting away to reveal a skull-like countenance with glowing red eyes. "An awful racket, isn't it? Someone really ought to put a stop to it. Come and visit a while."
And one more thing...
You awaken. Or have you? For a second you thought...but no, all is as it should be. The silk-draped posts of the canopy bed are there as always, the first rays of sun are shining through the windows of the royal bedchamber. Too early to rise, was there a knock at the door? Yes, it repeats a moment later, and you bid them enter.
Sabina opens the door, resplendent in her crimson and silver armor, face helmeted as always. You stand to greet her as she salutes, stealing a quick glance in the mirror to make sure you are presentable. Ah, but since when has Queen Ileosa ever been anything but stunning? Still, this early, and after another night of troubled dreams. And the years eventually wear grooves on even the finest face. But we'll see about that, won't we?
By now Sabina has crossed the massive bedchamber. "My queen," she bows. You smile, look behind her to the door to make sure it is closed and she is alone, then raise her visor and collect a kiss. The scars on her face are minor; although you insisted there could be no exceptions to the rule, you couldn't bear to truly ruin a single feature. The lines you notice most are just concern. "Another dragon dream? Perhaps sleeping with the crown on is unwise. The weight may be causing this...stress." She reaches for it, but you pull away.
"I am fine. It wasn't the dragon this time, just the screaming ghost in some decrepit ruin. It means nothing. Did you find something?" You notice that Sabina holds a book.
"Yes but it...well, this can't be what you seek. Few tomes in the castle's library meet the criteria you specified, this is the last one but...well, this can't be it. We expected perhaps the tome of some great mage, or an alchemy manual. This is..." She actually blushes!
"Out with it, what did you find?"
"It's of an...erotic nature, your grace. Some previous monarch's secret stash of lewd material. Disguised as a collection of "Amusing Abadaran Accounting Anecdotes", so no one would ever look at it."
You take the book and open the cover the read the true title. "The Sinful Adventures of Delores Hornsrun?". You smirk.
Sabina can't see the humor. "It's very...er...explicit. And complete balderdash. Fevered imaginings. Some of the contents are physically improbable at BEST. And NOBODY could have that many, um, conquests. Not unless they lived for-"
"A thousand years? If this is what I think it is, she probably left the boring ones out." You smile at Sabina's look of innocent incomprehension. "Delores Hornsrun? Rulelord Sorshen, my dear. This is her memoir. An edited copy I assume, I believe the Pathfinder Society has the original and has to keep it under six inches of ice water at all times. Nobody under the age of ninety is allowed to read it. Still, I imagine this one holds it share of secrets. Let's hope the enchanting enchantress was only as clever about concealing them as she was her name. How does one live a thousand years, you think?"
You turn to page 777. It's about blood.
And then you wake up, for real, back in Scarwall.
Anastasia wakes up and is clearly sweating! She looks around at the others in the room and is momentarily confused.
“What … what is happening? Did … did you all feel and see this as well? This place is so strange and I could almost see the Queen! I had never seen her before, and she is so confident! Almost impressive! But my faction of the church has decided what to do with her… “ she says and looks at all of you.
Shaeda takes a moment to center herself. "The Runelord of Lust?," she gasps. "Huh? What? The Journal! I need that journal! Do you know what that would do for my Order? The secrets therein are only whispered about in the darkest corners of our Abbeys."
Searok, his face a deep crimson, just grunts and moves to a corner of the room.
Ziranu awakens shaking his head, already concentrating to force the more distracting elements of the nightmares from his mind, and then stills when he grasps the significance of Anastasia's and Shaeda's words.
"Zhe dreams you speak of...were also my own, and seem a distraction to zhe hunt. But what does zhis sharing of visions mean? Why did we see bozh Mizhrodar and Ileosa zhis night, and who was zhe spirit zhat was not ensnared, and invited us to visit?"
Shaeda goes about her morning ministrations, praying for a somewhat different collection of spells for the day.
Laori: "Very strange that we all saw that. Took me a while to even figure out what it was supposed to be, I've no connection to the woman. Could something have shown us that intentionally?"
I didn't see nuttin' Searok says rather unconvincingly. His face is still a shade of crimson.
Anastasia nods at Shaeda, Laori and Ziranu.
“It might be possible that the powerful chain spirit wanted us to see all this … I do not know !!“
Ziranu listens and reflects a moment longer, but nothing else comes to mind...
"A good choice of spell, Shaeda. For now, zhen, let us free zhe umbral dragon of his own chains, to weaken zhat spirit before zhe hunt leads us to him..."
"Right, and be ready for it to turn on us, you know, just in case!"
Shaeda directs the group to head back to the dragon's abode.
Hearing that the dragon might turn on the party, Searok perks up and soon the images of the dream book is replaced by images of punching the dragon in the nose.
As you cast Dispel Evil, you feel a strange sensation, as if the air around you begins to tighten and compress...only to suddenly snap like a rope that has reached the limits of its strength.
Belshallam at first seems to be in pain, but then lets out a gasp, snorting a small cloud of cloying shadows from his nostrils.
"It...worked? It worked!"
He spreads his wings, as if feeling a renewed strength.
"Already I can feel the etheric chains snapping aimlessly, trying to ensnare me once more, or someone else in my place. I must flee, it's been so long since I have been free, and I am feeble. If I remain I may be caught again."
He gestures with his tail to a smaller room within this one, to the southeast.
"Your reward, it pains me to leave it, but I won't gamble my freedom on the time it would take to gather. A final warning: do not let yourselves weaken here. Should your lifeforce be sapped, it gives Mithrodar a way in. Farewell!"
With that he casts Shadow Walk, becoming at once a dark blotch on the wall and zipping away at high speed.
Inspecting the room he indicated, you find the door unlocked, the frame having been widened and broken somewhat to permit the dragon comfortable entry. It is indeed a proper dragon hoard, perhaps not as vast as a beast as mighty as Belshallam would merit, but still more wealth than most people will see in a lifetime, especially impressive as the dragon had to cobble it together from whatever he could scrounge near the castle. In addition to coins and gems, it looks like he even squeezed and twisted cutlery together into passable silver ingots, and looted every decent tapestry and painting he could find.
The hoard contains the following:
Coinage:
* 243 PP
* 7,039 GP
* 18,445 SP
* 39,850 CP
(Total Value 11,712 GP)
Gems & Art Objects:
* A velvet bag of black onyx, probably some necromancer's stash
* A diamond encrusted pinky ring
* A beryl coronet
* A pouch of gold dust
* The aforementioned silverware ingots
* A huge tapestry depicting horrific tortures which reminds you vaguely of the works of Salvator Scream, a large portrait of Kazavon in his human guise as a dapper man with a mustache and long black hair, a smaller one that depicts a small fussy looking man, which has been defaced with chalk (which will wipe off) to give him missing teeth and crossed eyes - the nameplate reveals this to be Mithrodar in life, and a banner depicting a golden lion (Mandraivus' sigil, taken no doubt from one of his knights)
(Total Value will require an appraise check - I won't make you roll for each item)
Magic items:
* A battleaxe
* A geatsword
* A small sized suit of chainmail
* A staff
* A set of bracers
(Value and properties will require Spelcraft to determine - this one will take a roll each)
Anastasia claps her hands.
“Well done Shaeda!!“ she says with a smile.
She casts detect magic and investigates the items
Tronar will back up Anastasia on the IDs
Adding up all the gems and art objects, you estimate a value of 15,520 GP for the lot (if there's anything you want to keep for whatever reason, I'll calculate the value of it specifically.
The magic items are:
A +2 Adamantine Battleaxe (5,310 gp)
A +1 Lawful Outsider Bane Greatsword (8,350)
+3 Small Chainmail (9,250 gp)
Staff of Necromancy (currently has 5 charges) (82,000 gp)
Bracers of Armor +3 (9,000 gp)
Laori looks impressed by the tapestry, remarking on its similarity to Scream's work, but otherwise she seems uncharacteristically quiet and sober, and shows little interest in the riches before her. She keeps giving Sial furtive looks and clearing her throat. Finally she stamps her foot and turns to the group.
Laori: "So about that dream..."
Sial: "Laori. This is not a matter for the unfaithful."
Laori: "They need to know, they're our allies and this is probably important."
Sial glowers and wanders off to be cranky alone.
Laori: "So, you said a spirit spoke directly to you as part of the dream? Something spoke to us too. Sial and me. It wished for us to seek it in a place called the Star Tower. I think it's necessary that you know, because it changes the situation somewhat."
"Kazavon, of course, was a chosen favorite of the Midnight Lord. And myself, Sial, and others in the Brotherhood of Bones are considered heretics by some of the more hardline factions in the church by believing that he chose...unwisely. Despite our reputation, Zon-Kuthon's worship is not about mindless brutality. It is about very...mindful brutality. Kazavon was a mad dog. We've always taken his fall to Mandraivus as proof that he lost favor toward the end. The state of this castle backs that up, I'd know if I were standing in a properly desecrated place. There's nothing. The Lord has truly forsaken this awful ruin. Or so I thought..."
"The being that contacted us during the dream spoke with the authority of an emissary of Zon-Kuthon. I don't think that it is working for Mithrodar, or was loyal to Kazavon. But it means that our god has at least some interest in this place, still, and wishes to give us instructions. Which might have some implications. Suppose there's a conflict of interest with our mission? Suppose we're told to cease this quest? Or worse, turn against you in some fashion."
"That's why I felt compelled to tell you. Worst case scenario, I haven't received any orders contrary to our current course yet, so nobody can say I've broken a rule by keeping you informed. And for what it's worth, I'm steadfast in my belief that Kazavon was a moron, and Zon-Kuthon supports us preventing his return. Sial wanted to keep mum until we know what's going on, he'll cool off, he's just worried."
When Laori says that they might turn against them, Searok says Bah! It will go badly for ye if ye do! Ye might want to ignore those orders if ye know what's good for ye!
Anastasia is a little worried after Laori's confession.
"I would not be able to push away the presence of my goddess ... neither will you be able to! We should end it now. I have sworn to protect this group ... you are not part of that group!" she says and is clearly agitated.
Shaeda nods her agreement. "Better that we part ways now, as friends, with no blood between us, than we continue on, and your status be changed to our detriment, when it is least likely to be beneficial to either group."
"I'm good either way. I would be better if you could guarantee you wouldn't stab us in the back some how. But I'm unfamiliar with the forces of gods to make you do things you don't necessarily want to do...and it would be a shame to disintegrate you into less than dust as you have been very helpful, if not comical company."
Laori: "It's up to you, if you dismiss us I won't argue. Damned inconvenient though, if it turns out this is nothing to worry about, then we'd be separating for no reason. Can't say I relish Sial's company without the rest of you to balance him out, we'll be at each other's throats. But maybe the two of us could just beeline toward this tower and deal with whatever it is now, and meet back with you later. Alternately, we could all go together, hear what this emissary has to say. I'll tell you what, I'll hand over my chain when we do, and we'll strong-arm Sial into dismissing Asyra. That way if things go south you'd have the advantage. Is that enough of a guarantee?"
Bah! Keep yer stuff, but if ye turn on us, I guarantee that I'll pound ye into the dust. That is the only guarantee I'm interested in. Searok says with a nod of satisfaction.
Anastasia looks at Searok.
”If Searok is ok with that offer then I’m standing next to him on this.“