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”Pleasant?” repeats the naga, craning her neck back towards the firmament. ”Yes, I suppose. The Dreamer is in the House of the Newlyweds, while the Wanderer trails the Lantern Bearer. A promise of devotion and a new life, protected from danger and monotony. However, since Aballon and Bretheda are in conjunction, fate remains mutable. I wish I could ask him, he would know for certain...”
The creature gets lost in a reverie, staring off into space for so long you begin to suspect she has forgotten you altogether. However, just as you are about to break the awkward silence, she suddenly swivels her head back in Syksy's direction. ”Pardon me, but have I met you before? What is your sign?”
Syksy listens intently as the stargazer writhes and rambles and babbles, her question completely caught her off guard when she snapped back to the situation at present. "Oh, me? Uh, let's see... 6th... no 7th of Rova so... I know this... The Pack?"
Bernard listens on with obvious skepticism, hand hovering close to the hilt of his blade, ready for events to turn violent as he is sure they inevitably will.
Still, he's glad for the reprieve. Just walking down here has tired him out, and his muscles feel sluggish and stiff, while a low grade fever burns through him, causing him to sweat despite feeling cold. He's ready for the fight, but definitely not eager.
"Interesting," muses Thaena, looking over the group. "But are you hounds or wolves, I wonder? The stars did not tell me of your coming."
A sudden change overcomes the naga, who shakes and twitches on her branch. Her coils rasp against the bark of the oak, and her dream-addled voice takes on a wavery, slightly desperate tone. "You are not here to hurt him, are you? I will kill you if you are..."
"I am cuddly, regardless." Syksy can't help but say before the change overtakes the naga. "Whoa, easy star serpent. Who's 'him'?"
"Of course not! But please, carry on, you explanation of the night sky is fascinating." Vibenia chimes in, drawing the naga's attention.
"Whoa, easy star serpent. Who's 'him'?"
The naga blinks in momentary confusion, as if she could not conceive of the existence of any other "he" but hers.
"Sz—" she hisses and chokes, shaking her head violently. "No, I mean Mighty Aeteperax! Please do not tell him I said that!"
"Of course not! But please, carry on, you explanation of the night sky is fascinating." Vibenia chimes in, drawing the naga's attention.
"Oh, but it is fascinating!" Thaena says excitedly, her anger forgotten as quickly as it arose. "Recently, there have been some highly unusual celestial alignments—a formerly unseen comet, multiple dead stars along the trail of the Follower, abrupt changes to Aucturn's orbit... we are not likely to see the like until next millennium. Unfortunately, those very same movements make it hard to foretell what is going to occur next. I am certain it has to do with his plans, and the ley-lines here in the Dragonfen, but he does not confide in me anymore..."
The naga sighs, laying her chin against the branch an pouting in a nigh-juvenile display of heartbreak. "Why?"
Flummoxed by the entirety of the conversation, Bernard decides that discretion is the better part of valor, and remains at the back of the group, cold sweat on his brow as he tries to follow the gist of the exchange.
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... his name actually is Szangi? That's. ADORABLE. Syksy keeps herself from smiling as she and the others continues to listen to the erratic serpent. "Um, perhaps he does not wish to interrupt you in this, uh, once in a millennium opportunity? How did you and him meet anyway? Mighty Aeteperax."
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"Our first meeting? Thaena gasps. "Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday! My lair was in the northern mountains then, near the highest peak. Close to the winter solstice, there was a partial lunar eclipse, with Liavara and Bretheda in trine, all signs pointing towards something particularly auspicious. Then, I saw him flying overheard, so graceful and sinuous, his scales glittering like jade in the pale moonlight..."
The naga pauses for another lingering moment, blissfully lost in the memory—you could swear there is a blush on her marble-white cheeks, though it might be more of an overall impression of hopeless infatuation. "In that moment I knew, I had to know him. And when we spoke, he was so astute, so erudite! He said, 'You are spoken of far and wide as a sage of good repute.' Then he gifted me this necklace, and he asked if he could tutor with me. Me!"
"We used to speak for hours on end,” she carries on, her voice trembling, ”on all topics cosmological. I taught him all I knew, and he advised me in my pursuits. But for some reason, he was always loathe to delve too deeply into his own projects. I admit, his knowledge now far surpasses mine, but that is beside the point. Does he not treasure our time together like I do? Does he not wish to share the wonders of the universe with a trusted companion...?"
The snake-woman raises her head and lets out a sudden wail of anguish, and then deflates completely. "Oh, I am worthless to him! All these years, I have supported him, while forgoing my own studies—no wonder he finds me insipid. Is there nothing I can do to regain his attention, to prove my devotion?"
Bernard can tell they've reached some sort of breaking point, an opportunity, though what exactly is taking place remains beyond him. His gaze slides back to Skysky and Vibenia, hoping that they'll seize this chance and wrest some opportunity.
”Oh sweetie, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Syksy says as she moves over to put a comforting hand on the back-shoulderish area of the depressed snake woman. ”Maybe after all your tutoring he’s finally focusing on his own project and lost track of other things for a bit?”
Syksy has to stand on her tippy-toes to reach Thaena or her branch. Fortunately, she does not shy away from the gesture.
"Maybe," the naga sniffles, obviously grateful for the effort. "Yes, perhaps you are right. I have certainly been similarly distracted in the past. You are such good guests! No one here ever comes visit me, let alone taking the time to listen. Oh, I am being a terrible host..."
She thinks for a moment, looking as if she has calmed down considerably. "Wait just a short moment, if you please. I think I have something for you..."
The snake-woman slithers down from the branch, gliding smoothly through the undergrowth into the doorway in the southwest . You can hear the sounds of rummaging beyond, and Thaena soon re-emerges. Near her 'shoulder' floats a shapeless fabric... thing? Whatever it is, it is very crumpled and dusty.
"I believe it is a 'hat,'" Thaena explains. "Humans like head-coverings, correct? I do not really understand clothes..."
"Awww, thank you Thaena." Syksy says with sincerity and curiosity as to what type of "hat" the naga was offering them. "And yes, humans love them. Especially hats. Gnomes too."
"You've been a great host, thanks for chatting with us."
Nisany's eyes widen slightly as she shifts her vision to the magical spectrum and studies the cap. Turning to Vibenia, she gives her a nod, indicating that it was definitely in their favor to have it.
"Thank you so much, Thaena. It's been a pleasure chatting with you, though we should probably go now. If we come across Aeteperax, perhaps we'll mention that you wouldn't mind him checking in on you when he has a free moment..just sort of offhand." Vibenia says, preparing to leave.
Thaena is visibly happy about how well-received her gift turns out to be. As you say your goodbyes, she appears both pensive and wistful—especially so when Vibenia promises to speak with Aeteperax on her behalf. "Oh, I understand—the outside world is so very busy. Do come again!"
By the time you close the door behind you, the naga has climbed back to her perch and resumed her stargazing.
Absolutely," Sykys says sincerely in farewell.
"That poor dear..." She thinks aloud once they walked a bit from the closed door.
"Let's head to the chapel and see if we can get to patched up Old Man." Vibenia says affectionately to Bernard.
You make your way back down to the shrine. After a moment, Azmur sneaks in behind you. You explain the nature of Bernard's affliction. He nods knowingly and tells the former guardsman to loosen his armour, and then rubs charcoal over the inflamed sting-marks, muttering a spell in the secret language of the druids. Bernard feels better almost instantly: the pain fades and the stiffness of his limbs abates, though at the cost of being covered in soot.
When he hears of Pentosh's fate, Azmur nods grimly. As you tell him about what happened when you met Thaena, however, the druid looks worried. "That might become an issue. I'd suggest coming up with a way to keep her away from the dragon, even if you're not going to fight her. I certainly bear her no ill will after hearing your tale, but please remember that any unnecessary risk you take is a threat to Rima, as well."
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Bernard can't help but let out a heart-felt sigh of relief as the aching and pain abates.
"Thank you, Azmur. Was starting to feel my age there," he jokes, though something wary in his eye belies his attempt at humor.
Stretching, he limbers up for a few moments before setting to buckling his armor back on.
"Perhaps we could send her on a fool's errand," says Bernard, working on a fiddly strap on his greaves. "She's so fixated on getting ol' Szangi's attention that we could trick her into heading out to get some rare component for him. Remove her from the scene, as it were."
He slides the strap in, buckles it tight, and straightens. "You know. Say he really needs... something like... essence of night from Ustalav, or whatever. And that we're certain he'll love her forever if she procures it for him. That'd take her out of the picture quite neatly."
"It's worth a try I guess." Vibenia says after considering Bernard's suggestion.
Azmur waves away Bernard's gratitude with his usual modesty. He nods along as the latter explains his plan, though not without a hint of scepticism on his face. "That could work, though she'd likely be thrice as incensed when she learns you've killed her sweetheart. Then again, if you send her on a long enough goose chase, she might find something else to obsess about. At least there'd be only one angry reptile to deal with right now."
"Maybe we should see what we can do about finding the other lieutenant first and deal with them. The timeframe might be enough to make it more believable that we spoke with the dragon, then came back to her." Vibenia suggests.
The druid nods. "Unless the beast is needed elsewhere, Goladryth serves as the dragon's guard dog—it watches over the Saint's Library, blocking access to the third floor. You can get there either by going through the assembly hall and up the stairs, or past the Chamber of Want on the second floor . Or maybe you could take both at once, if you seek to flank the monster."
"Goladryth it is, then." Bernard stretches, causing his spine to pop, then grins at his friends. "Though you'd all best tie me up so I can't get turned against you again. Ha ha."
The assembly hall is almost as large as the temple to the north, though not nearly as high. Eight pillars painted blue with faded quotations and prayers from Irori's teachings support the ceiling, while the floor bears multiple intricate mandalas of the same colour. A statue of a man with a long braid—likely the god himself—sits in the lotus position at the southern wall, his hand raised as if to gently silence a noisome crowd. The space is currently uninhabited.
As you pass, Vibenia notices a bone scroll tube, also mentioned by Maffei in her annotated map. It has fallen in between the statue and the wall, and upon inspection, contains a yellowed roll of parchment covered in magical diagrams. Nisany is able to discern that it has to do with the projection of souls from a body to another.
Having seized the scroll, you head for the spiral stairway to the northwest.
After a short climb, you emerge into another chamber . The ceiling is twenty feet high and painted with a scene of scholars at study. A polished wooden statue of a woman sitting in the lotus position, eyes closed in meditation, hangs from the centre of the ceiling on several lengths of thin twine, so that she seems to levitate.
Amidst dozens of tattered books at the centre of the room—just below the hanging statue—squats a hulking beast of a grioth. The bat-like creature is truly enormous, with thews so grotesquely bulging they look ready to burst through its taut, half-translucent skin. Most of the musculature is on the arms and the torso, leaving the legs and wings proportionally smaller. Even with its hunched posture, it stands almost twelve feet tall, covered in spiky, armoured plates of some dark metal.
As you enter, the otherwordly monstrosity appraises you with its four, gleaming blue eyes and hefts its huge, crystalline sword, almost as tall as Bernard from the pommel to the tip of the blade. Drool pools at its a feet in silent anticipation—it appears Goladryth has been expecting you.
Able to see well, but not perfectly in the darkness, Nisany calls upon her innate magic, conjuring a quartet of bobbing, dancing balls of fire that orbit the massive grioth's head, illuminating the creature and the room, giving the others a better target.
"All right, all right," mutters Bernard as they enter the room, hefting his blade and doing his best not to let the beast's size intimidate him. "The bigger they are, the harder... for Belhaim!"
And so saying, the older man charges across the room, putting every ounce of strength and vitality into his swing as he crashes down upon the beast.
Syksy follows in right behind Bernard, charging the grotesque beast.
Standing her ground, Vibenia once again finds that odd new mystic focus, directing the full force of her intentions into her weapon, and she gives Dusk the command to attack.
Hearing her pack-leader's command, Dusk races in alongside Syksy, savagely tearing into the monster's leg.
Limned with Nisany's magically conjured nimbus of lights, Goladryth rolls its shoulders and opens its mouth into a silent roar of defiance. As the front line crashes into the hulking grioth, it explodes into action: moving with frightening speed, it rains expert blows on all its attackers. Each one hits its mark, sharpened crystal biting into flesh just as the psychic energy running through it cuts into the mind, sending your thoughts into disarray.
Viterri is about to join in the charge, but only just manages to stop herself before the monster starts dishing out surprise counterattacks against its assailants. Noting the creature's unnatural alacrity, she mutters a litany obscenities, instead opting to circle around and flank the monster.
Though the retaliations are grievous, your combined attack wears the grioth down considerably, as well. Sir Pelle's flaming blade and Wyrmsmite draw blood, ink-blue rivulets welling from the monster's arms and sides. Meanwhile, Dusk tears a chunk of flesh from its thigh, causing a veritable fountain of gore to splatter the floor.
Now terribly wounded, the monstrosity from beyond the stars totters on its disproportioned feet. Driven into a frenzy, it continues to attack hard and fast, now resorting to blade and tooth both. Bernard parries a powerful blow, his patchwork armour rattling as he absorbs the immense force of the attack. Syksy is not as fast, however—the strike that she receives has all the cutting power of a worked blade combined with the crushing weight of falling tree, all aimed at her collarbone.
Dusk attempts to run in between the grioth's legs to avoid being bitten in turn, but is outsped—soon bat-like fangs draw twin furrows of red into her flanks, with an intermixed opalescence signalling envenomation.
Syksy half-cackles, half-gurgles through a maddened grin as she brings her sword up to retaliate.
So, Goladryth takes attacks of opportunity against Bernard, Syksy, and Dusk as they move in (yes, despite being flat-footed!). As a result, Bernard takes 19 lethal damage + 3 nonlethal damage, Syksy takes 18 lethal damage + 1 nonlethal damage, and Dusk takes 18 lethal damage + 4 nonlethal damage.
According to this chart a Charge does not provoke an AoO (scroll down to Full-round actions)
Wincing in pain but knowing that she is getting a fraction of the pain. Pointing a finger towards the oversized monster wailing the frontliners. A think beam of fire shoots out of her fingertip.
Dusk's focused attack ignores the confusing energy rippling through the grioth's weapon, but it's vicious bite begins to affect her.
Shaking off the effects of the monster's mind affecting attack, Bernard lets out another cry of anger and swings as hard as he can.
Dusk presses the attack, working with her pack to bring the monster down, despite her fear.
Eyes locked on to her target, Vibenia fires above the heads of her companions, sending her shots streaking toward the massive creature's chest.
Bernard's attacks get swiped aside or deflected off the armoured plates protecting Goladryth, but the force of the blows does get its attention. Syksy manages to cleave into the monster's midsection while it tangles with the former guardsman, cutting deep where there is a gap in the armour. Viterri moves in from behind, hacking at the grioth's hindquarters and allowing Dusk the distraction she needs to sink her teeth into its other calf.
Nisany's beam of fire also hits its mark, singing Goldaryth across its neck and right shoulder—the room soon fills with the smell of burnt flesh, though it, too, is quite unlike any terrestrial odour. Vibenia peppers the foul mutant's bare, bulging arms with numerous bolts, further hampering its movements.
During the chaos of battle, its hard to say which blow finally brings the beast down. Bleeding from many wounds, it tries to lift its sword for one last strike, but the weight of the blade instead pulls it to its knees, and then face down on the floor amidst the blood-spattered books with a resounding crash of metal on stone.
Much like its smaller kindred, the enormous grioth never uttered a sound.
With the death of Aeteperax's guard dog, you are free to explore the Saint's Library and the adjoining rooms. Despite being called a library, there are few books remaining in the main chamber—none of those serving as Goladryth's nest appear to have been in readable shape for quite a long time, having been claimed by mould or the worm. There are remnants of shelves along the walls, but they have been emptied save for a couple of musty texts on the Iroran faith.
To the north is a storeroom , which contains inks, parchment and various old supplies used for bookbinding and writing. The room is quite dusty.
Accessible by a short hallway to the northwest is a makeshift sleeping chamber . The room contains three bedrolls and other evidence of something like an indoor campsite. Only one of the bedrolls looks like it has seen recent use.
The spiral staircase continues up from the Saint's Library, leading into the third floor of the monastery.
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Syksy begins giggling as the beast finally falls. ”That was... awesome.” she manages to speak through her chattering giggles.
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Viterri attempts to clean her sword, but grimaces as the inky blood soaks into her gambeson.
”Is it just me, or are you even more Syksy-ish than usual?” the armiger says, looking askance at Syksy. "I'm glad this isn't a suicide mission. Otherwise, I might be worried..."
"At least it failed to turn my mind this time," gasps Bernard, propping his blade on his shoulder. "Nice change of pace, that. Well done, everyone."
Still working on catching his breath, Bernard sets to exploring the rooms, taking his time to prod and poke around, searching for anything less obvious than that which immediately meets the eye.
Pausing at the nest made of ruined books, the old guard shakes his head. "I don't read, hardly at all, but even I know that's a crime against knowledge and civilization."
When everyone's ready, he leads the way cautiously up to the third floor.
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Vibenia can't help chuckling at Syksy's exhilaration, ruffling her finger's through Nisany's hair, flashing her a smile as she walks over to crouch before Dusk. "Well done girl! That big scary monster was no match for us was he?" she says playfully scratching behind the wolf-dog's ear.
"Personally I think it's the perfect amount of Syksy-ish."
"I reeeeeeaaaaalllly don't like those things," Syksy replies before beaming at Vibenia.
Ascending the stairs, you find yourselves in an impressive chamber filled with tall bookcases . The elaborate fresco on the ceiling depicts devotees of lrori in meditation—wisps of incense wind through the painted scene like a fanciful ribbon. As with the Saint's Library below, many of the volumes once stored here have been removed: only a few relatively valueless books now remain, dealing mainly with sundry religious and astrological topics.
Try as you might, you find no sign of the so-called Dark Window or the hidden room where it is supposed to be sequestered.
"We might as well spend a bit more time looking before heading back to talk to the naga. It would make the idea that we spoke with the dragon more convincing." Vibenia says as they search.
"What... exactly are we looking for again? Syksy asks as she nods and continues searching the room over. While certain things could easily catch her eye and focus, trapped passageways and treasures were sadly never one of them.