Anzath spins from where she's fiddling with a lock to see Talathel communing with yet-another-demon. Her eyes flicker back and forth between the two of them as her hands move to the hilts of her blades.
"Sh!t."
Damnation. My likely fate now.
Talathel thinks quickly before replying about exactly what his options are, given his potentially fatal slip-up.
Talathel knows that each demon has a true name, that they are almost impossible to learn, and that they have a strong interest in keeping them secret. True names may be used to compel even powerful demons into submission... but to attempt to do so risks the sort of utter destruction that you've seen all around you.
And you know that this is a Glabrezu, and that it grants wishes.
Aurora slooowly sways back on her feet and takes a step away from the circle as it surges to life. She throws a baffled look over her shoulder to Talathel, then back to the creature in the circle, braid whipping around as she does so.
Best to try.
Talathel stands straight and looks up at the demon's eyes, then speaks.
"Glabrezu, I would know why your name has been encoded in this tome, in this library."
"GIVE ME THAT BOOK!!!" Azirax moves towards you, hand and claw extended. "THEY WOULD LEAVE MY NAME IN WRITING! FOOLS, DAMNED FOOLS! I WILL DESTROY IT NOW. I MUST NOT ALLOW IT TO LEAVE THIS ROOM." Do you give him the book?
The dwarf quickly places earplugs in his ears.
Ain't be heard nutt'n.
Adelie babbles in shock and fear, ”Wow! You’re really big. Wow. And scary. Are you sick? Did you make everyone here sick? Do you live here? Do you know what the clerics and their healer were -“
He cuts himself off abruptly, still looking terrified.
From across the room from Tal, from where he can see her but the demon can’t, Anzath signs Leave. Now.
Lolygert putters around, helping where he can or is asked. He looks up when Tal mutters a strange word .
When the demon appears and utters it's question, Lolygert can't help but exclaim, "Whew! You stink! And....what's that smell...is it you? Ugh! "
Tragershen clears his throat. "Terrible bastion of plague, we are humble servants of Nethys, on a quest for knowledge of what folly these dimwitted healers brought upon themselves and the world."
"Monstrous Lord of Vile Disease, surely it was your might and guile behind the foul Fountain of Pestilence in this place? Did the fools try to treat with you? Or worse, think they could command you?"
"Formidable Doom of the Righteous, we have no desire to test your wrath. Will destruction of this tome that bears your name buy our lives?"
"Villainous Deceiver of the Most Clever, do you have a false name that you are known of on this plane, so that we can share the tale of the victory you have won here over the holy healers that dared call upon you?"
Diplomacy
Aurora, for the moment, seems content to let someone else do the speaking.
The demon's voice softens and a grimace spreads across its face.
"Wizard, I know that you know that I know that your worship is merely a ploy to buy your pathetic life and those of your friends. Elves can be so touchy about death, like rich men pinching pennies. And yet, I will take you at your word and spare these pathetic weaklings, if you do as I say." He glares at Lolly, at Adelie, and at Bedlam's deafened grin. "Wish that you and your friends shall retain no memory of our encounter or of... this tome. You shall bear my Mark forth from this place so I can ensure that you spread the tale of my destruction of the monastery as you so halfheartedly promise. You will believe that you learned of it from these books. You will refer to me as Necator. That would be useful. And, I have great respect for Nethys, I could use his favor... Otherwise, the simplest way to wipe out your memories is death. And I am not stingy."
Azirax casts Chaos Hammer on the Book of Notes, blasting it to smithereens, and begins the incantations to grant the Wish.
As the demon and Tragershen begin to deal, Anzath marks Azirax's movements, mannerisms, and potential weak spots.
Bedlam begins inching toward the door...(he may be a bit distracted, since there isn't any door to inch toward....).
Mone slinks over to Adelie, tail tucked very low.
"In all honesty, Necator, Baron of Bloody Chaos, we have not yet finished exploring the healers facilities here. It is entirely possible we may yet come across your name again in doing so. We would certainly pledge to destroy it if we do. But if we cannot recall this encounter, we may just end up right here again. Perhaps if the one that read and spoke your name bore your mark, you could then be sure that the secret remains with him alone; he would recognize it for what it is, and know to act."
"However, if you do not desire that we seek to erase your true name from any other place these priests may have documented it, I will, of course, do as you demand."
Bedlam seems perplexed that he hasn't scooted out of the door....
Knowledge (planes)
As Tragershen negotiates, Talathel focuses.
He does not yet reply about the book, keeping it from the demon's view.
Tragershen's deep knowledge of the planes pulls up this tidbit about the glabrezu's Mark of Treachery:
The glabrezu nods. "You aren't a fool, I'll give you that, elf. Add it to the wish. 'I wish that all traces and memories of the name Azi... of the being designated Necator were erased from this monastery.' Something like that. Then, your proselytizing on my behalf will happen through the Mark, not through your recollection of this bargain."
Tragershen takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. In his mind, he pulls together the threads of language it will take to minimize the damage to him and his friends while satisfying the demon's demands. As he does so, he carefully makes eye contact with each of his allies.
Anzath is sure to meet Tragershen's eyes. She is also sure that they were getting the foul end of this deal. If Talathel could reach the teleporter with the book, she feels, they might not have to deal with the wretched being. But his chances of making it in time are slim to none. A pained look comes across her face as she realizes their hand is forced, much like with the dragon.
She gives Tragershen a resigned nod, and absentmindedly touches the bracelet which binds her.
Tragershen, note the following about True Names, just in case it changes your mind (you did roll a 30+ on Planes a minute ago):
If the creature is within 100 feet, as a move action, you may punish it by deliberately mispronouncing its name, wracking its very essence and giving it the sickened and staggered conditions for 1 round (even if the creature is normally immune to these conditions). You cannot use true name in an area of silence, but the creature does not have to be able to hear you for it to be harmed by the ability.
...also note that it has Greater Teleport and killing it would likely be a temporary measure rather than The End of the Plotline (as I understand it, a dead demon is de-planed, not destroyed, but he'd probably need time to regroup in the Abyss). I'm more cool with you going toe-to-toe with a staggered Glabrezu than a full-power one, even though you may still lose!
Aurora looks back to the group again and shrugs, helplessly. She doesn't look particularly happy with what's going on, but who is happy about an accidental glabrezu summoning in a library? She casts a glance to the teleporter, then back to the summoning circle.
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The magic circle looks pretty defunct. After all, if it had worked, the monastery would be in pretty solid shape right now.
He looks to the others and says "Well, I don't think any of us truly expected to vanquish Orcus from this plane without some scrapes and bruises, right?"
"Of course, Mighty Shadow of Doom, I will have to ask that the wish be carried out once you've returned to the Abyss, lest we see you still here and spoil the purpose of the memory modifications."
Tragershen takes another deep breath, meets the demon's gaze and then speaks.
"I enter this pact of my own free will, though admittedly under some duress."
"I wish that, as soon as the being designated Necator returns to the Abyss, all written traces of him, whether in plain language or coded, are erased from this monastery, and that all beings in this room, save Necator himself, have the memory of all that has transpired from the time that Necator was called here to the time when he is no longer present replaced with a shared memory of learning of the monastery's folly and demise at the hands of the demon under its false name Necator from a tome that has since crumbled to dust."
You are rummaging through an ancient library in a strange monastery. The room seems to have been a summoning chamber, but you can't find anything concrete about what transpired here.
"I have strange taste in moud. Vizard, you kaste spell, no?"
Tragershen kneels by the circle as he answers Anzath. "Just some divinations seeking auras and toxins."
Examining the circle, he comments "I'm no expert on summonings, but I surely hope they didn't try to use this to call an planar outsider."
He stands. "Once we've collected the most valuable books, we should move on. Do we want to check this other carving and see where it leads? It may just go to one of the others we saw in the main complex."
Aurora shakes the fuzzy feeling from her head, glances around, and sets about assisting with the collection of books and their return to either the shelves or the wizard depending on how valuable they seem.
"We should, yes."
Talathel makes to switch to his branched spear - but realises that it is in his hands.
Shaking off his mild surprise, he says:
"Let us - carefully - examine the room more thoroughly."
He begins to search.
Anzath swishes her mouth with a swig of whiskey.
Bedlam smiles.
"I feel no difference.", replies Talathel with quiet concern.
"Hmm. Aurora, did it work? What is Talathel's status?"
"He's still sick."
Lolygert suddenly noticed that his hand was gripping his sword tightly, and he had that feeling at the back of his head that he got whenever he was getting ready to bust some heads.
Relaxing, he couldn't see anything around that would make him feel that way, so with a shrug , he went over and helped with whatever books the smarter ones thought were interesting.
As Tragershen reads through the text, an 'intuition' dawns over him. He puts all the pieces together and explains that the monastery must have foolishly tried to cut off illness from its source: not pathogens, but the force behind pathogens--plague demons, of course! He's uncharacteristically giddy as he explains exactly how it all must have gone wrong--rushing to the books of demonology, he says something like, "It was all in that one book, the one that crumbled into dust... they summoned the glabrezu Necator, the idiots! He unleashed the Pestilence and poisoned their fountain with a planar rift..." Et cetera.
Nobody's seen this 'crumbled tome,' but there are enough damaged books around that folks mostly shrug it off. You gather some of the more esoteric volumes, which look salable if not incredibly valuable.
Anzath starts cracking into the locked cabinets. You find a few more books worth taking, four potions, two scrolls of Remove Disease and... when you open the last cabinet...
...a tide of Green Slime pours out onto you! Anzath is being devoured by slime! All thoughts of the demon fade into the background as you rush to save your friend.
Bedlam--still smiling--tosses a bomb at it.
"Aaammmhhhglurgglurgglack!"
You can knowledge to see how to get rid of it and yell for help! Or you can try to scrape it off yourself. Or smack an alchemist's fire on your own body or something. Lots of stuff to do, really!
Lolygert's eyes widen as the green mass spills out and engulfs Anzath, "Ewww, What is that ? but he marshals his disgust and moves forward to help Anzath.
Bedlam's blast incinerates the green slime, but it also rocks Anzath badly. She's breathing, but she ain't moving.
...Anzath manages to twist away from the main pulse of the blast that saves her life.
"BEDLAM!"
Aurora marches on over to Anzath, looking down at the half-drow and kneeling before her to start applying some of that positive energy TLC.
The cleric sighs. She spontaneously converts her aid into a cure moderate wounds.