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"Actually, Tongues is one of the miracles granted me by Ragathiel. Cones in handy during interrogation and for castigation. As a result he grants it to even the more novice Inquisitors, far earlier than he might grant it to a cleric. Still, I cannot afford to cast it on everyone so if you wish ot be able to converse yourself, you would be well served in requesting the miracle from your deity."
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“No wonder we have a reputation for stealing everything not nailed down.”
Luisila reads the note over Fendahl’s shoulder and shares a glance with her Scarab Lodge allies. “This suggests the good Thurok enjoys a nice Starday afternoon outing to watch Blood Sports.”
“So it shouldn’t be too hard to track him down.”
The cleric grips her bow and inclines her head to VC Eliza. “I’m ready.”
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“Agreed. At least it sounds like he’ll be alive when we get the chance to speak with him.”
Luisila considers the ramifications of such a meeting. “He might even be able to point us in the direction of the Hestram faction, assuming they’re his enemy.”
“It’s kinda odd that the Hestram faction just happened to take Adril’s body to Akiton, when the good VC supposedly didn’t know where Prince Odrian was. Don’t you think?”
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Marta throws up her hands in a rare gesture of dramaticism.
"Who knows! There are too many bad actors in this play. It's hard to pick out any one person - or group - to be the villian. All we can do is keep pulling the threads until the thing comes unravelled. Investigations are usually like that... As you probably already knew."
You complete your preparations, including additional prayers to supplement your prepared magic.
While the others are getting ready, Vladek offers to grant everyone new visions of the future. Myrdon and Luisila accept; Myrdon sees nothing, which indicates that his previous vision has not yet come to pass. Luisila, on the other hand, sees something new ...
================
You enter the Maze of the Open Road, and as before, Condria calls out to you before you come too close. You ask for her help, and she tells you that she does know of a portal that is different from the others. She helps you find a portal made of red-tinged steel, twisted at impossible angles and framing a shimmering swirl of reddish-orange light that sometimes seems to manifest as an impossibly tall pyramid.
The very light twists and bends as you step through the red portal, time seems to stretch and pull at you, your skin tingles and then burns, and then, just when it begins to hurt, the world solidifies once more, only it is not your world any longer.
You find yourself standing atop a vast stepped pyramid made of enormous blocks of red stone. The pyramid has to be at least 500 feet tall and its base occupies nearly half of the dusty city that surrounds it. All around you, down every side of the pyramid, red-skinned humans, their heads shaved clean and dressed only in loincloths and thin shirts, prostrate themselves on every step and chant quietly in unison: “Odrian, Odrian, Odrian.”
A sudden, icy blast of wind tears across the pyramid, disturbing clothes, whipping at red flags, and causing the canvas roof above the portal to groan with age. Though in every direction beyond the city you can clearly see red desert, the air is as cold as a glacier and as thin as the highest mountains on Golarion. None of the red-skinned humans prostrated before you seem to even notice the cold.
Suddenly one of the mourners stands and stares at you from under a thick brow with large, dark eyes. Though he wears the same clothing as the rest, he carries a thick sword on his hip, a shield on his back, and a quiver with a few javelins in it on one shoulder. He regards you silently for a moment and then says, in perfectly unaccented Taldane, “If King Adril is yours, you can have him back.”
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"Ah, that is indeed great news, for we are looking this.., um Adril fellow. But I must admit you have the best of me. Kind of feel like I'm reading a book from the middle, if you know what I mean? So, how this this... um Adril come to be with you? At Akiton of all places?"
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“Qadathra, I’ll go you halves on the endure elements warding.”
Luisila draws her wand. “If you do four Pathfinders, I’ll do the other four. What do you say?”
Protected from the elements with her necklace of adaptation *glowing* Luisila steps forward to back up Myrdon.
“If King Adril is yours, you can have him back.”
Concerned about being caught in a trap of Hestram’s or his Opposition’s making, Luisila’s words exhibit innocent curiosity while remaining politically neutral.
“‘Adril’ is the leader here? We were told it was someone else. What happened to Prince Odrian?”
Her tone is sympathetic. “Are you implying the king’s an alien and not terribly popular? Why is that?”
The man eyes you warily for a moment before responding, "I am Kol Voss, brother of the Princess Verrish, widow of Thurok Odrian, who was slain in his quarters by that cowardly beast Adril Hestram."
The people around him seem to notice that he is talking to someone, and they begin to stir, looking up toward you, then murmuring to each other. Slowly they start to stand, staring wide-eyed at you, with a look of rapture.
A few of the ones nearest to you step hesitantly forward, reaching out to you. They touch your clothing, and a few grab your hands and speak to you in a language you don't recognize.
More and more of them seem to gain courage, and it starts to become a press around you. Women push babies toward you, several of the men draw swords and kneel before you in a sign of fealty, and all of them are calling out to you.
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Myrdon smiles at the masses, but with a tinge of nostalgic sadness, recalling a faint wisp of a memory of worship that was undeserved. He holds up his hands and gently gestures for them to stop. "Please, please stop. We are mortals, no different from you. And no mortal deserved to be worshipped."
He turns back to Kol Voss with grief in his voice. "I am sorry for yours and the Princesses' loss. We came, in fact, seeking primarily Odrian, for we feared for his life. But it seems we came too late."
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I imagine there is more than one Golarion megalomaniac living on this planet.
Luisila shakes her head contritely, points to the kneeling men and makes rapid ‘lifting’ gestures with her upturned open palms.
She points to the triple-dagger emblem on the black ribbon at her throat. “My god.”
The priestess speaks sympathetically to the late Thurok’s brother-in-law. “My condolences as well, my Lord.”
“Your tone suggests you are certain of this man Hestram’s guilt. If there is proof, how was he elevated to his current station?”
“We could be persuaded to investigate Hestram’s … activities on your world. Perhaps we can help each other?”
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Fendahl aids the diplomacy by remaining silent (and not letting the lioness growl at the children).
Hrrmm. It would seem these people envision us saving them from the fiend Hestram has become to them.
Once again, the unfolding of the story paints a very dishonorable picture of our once respected VC. Justice needs to be done. The sooner the better.
He looks for any in the crowd acting differently than the mob.
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Marta turns off her halo, worried that it might send the wrong message to the naive masses.
"Ferreting out the truth is my specialty. I'd love to meet Hestram and ask him some questions. If he's still there. The fellow never seems to stay put for long... Also, is he still king after the murder?"
I wonder if this Thurok is resurrectable, though it may be best if we leave him this way. I'll give Hestram this, his targets are not very likeable.
Marta muses on the moral equivelences between killing someone, letting someone die, and not ressurecting someone if you have the chance.
Marta casts a spell on Myrdon, who then appeals to the crowd in their language. They stop their crush for a moment, and you hear them muttering among themselves, trying to decide whether you are truly mortals or modest gods.
Taking advantage of the pause, Kol Voss says to you, “We musn’t stay here. That won’t work for long and they won’t leave you alone so long as they can see you. The long years of rule by Odrian, the wretch, have convinced the Free Peoples of Arl that you Azlanti are gods. If you wish to see your arms torn off as these people ‘worship you,’ you may stay. If you wish to avoid that, then follow me. Once we are safely away, there will be time for questions.”
With that he turns and begins scurrying down the side of the pyramid.
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“If you wish to see your arms torn off as these people ‘worship you,’ you may stay. If you wish to avoid that, then follow me.”
Did he just say 'Come with me if you want to live'?
Luisila looks over her shoulder at the ‘adoring’ crowd, as she draws a potion of fly. “I’m convinced.”
After checking that nobody will be left behind, she downs the vial’s contents and takes to air with Myrdon and Aegis II.
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Vladek reacts to the sudden press of worship with nervous surprise (though at Qadathra's telepathic goading, he maintains a regal air that would not be at all inappropriate for a "modest god"). Once prompted to leave, he readily does so, flying straight up and out of the crowd before descending to the ground.
As Luisila, Myrdon, and Vladek take to the air alongside Aegis, the crowd gasps and points. Myrdon can just make out several voices trying to decide if that proves you are gods.
Fendahl rides Kirrah down the slope, following the path blazes by Marta around and through the gathered people, and soon you have all left the pyramid behind.
You follow Kol Voss into the city, and once you have put some distance between yourselves and the crowd, he slows down, though he continues travelling as if on a mission.
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“If anyone wants me to cast life bubble straight away, I will do so. The seven of you will be warded for 3 hours, 42 minutes each.”
“As I was saying, Lord Voss.”
Luisila touches down, all business. “How did Adril Hestram become king if there is proof he murdered Prince Odrian?”
“Does he have any associates among the populace of Arl? What is the best way to approach him?”
Kol sighs and says, "Though he brought a kind of peace to Arl, Odrian was still an Azlanti imposter who failed to correct the Free People on their assumptions of his godhood. Odrian wasted our resources fighting idealistic wars against our enemies and neighbors, subjugated the sometimes troublesome lizardfolk of the nearby deserts, and fought two wars against the barbarian tribes who still refuse to settle in the city. I long tried to oust Odrian in ways both fair and foul—I even used my sister to that end, and when she fell in love with Odrian and married him, I began seeking a new way to remove him from the throne."
“Adril was dead when he first came through; a pale woman carried his lifeless body in her arms. The next we saw him was the night he and some of my misguided rebel compatriots invaded Odrian’s estate, killed his household, and murdered Odrian. Adril took my sister, the Princess Verrish, as his new bride and has ruled the city as a tyrant since then. He’s run endless games in the Crimson Forum, slaughtering anyone who dared to speak out against him. His first victims were Odrian’s cabinet and city council and he’s since moved on to petty criminals and anyone who displeases him. Today he has several of my most trusted lieutenants in there and I plan to get them back.”
He ducks into an alley and stops by an open grate. "Down the stairs! Hurry! We’re on our way to meet my few remaining loyal friends in our secret sanctum beneath the Crimson Forum. With your help, we may very well face Adril Hestram today, save my compatriots, and rid Arl of the Beast.”
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“Sounds like you really need our help, Lord Voss.”
Luisila is prepared to be follow Kol Voss, but not before he’s answered some questions.
She holds up a hand. “What is the relationship like between you and your sister? AND between Hestram and your sister?”
“Adril will be the second husband of hers you have tried to overthrow.”
“Adril was dead when he first came through; a pale woman carried his lifeless body in her arms.”
“Can you describe the woman? And please don’t tell me, ‘all you aliens look alike.’”
Luisila listens carefully for a description of VC Eliza, Condria, Geppa, Kyalla or one of the Woodsedge Lodge servants.
I did see the servants unmasked when Cale the Calistrian took them hostage.
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Marta, likewise, tries to read the truth of what the alien is saying and is curious to find out who the pale lady is.
"You say he has cut his way through the entire cabinet? He wasn't dead all that long again. He sure made fast work of it. What, or who, is this beast you speak of? Not Hestram from the sounds of it."
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"Huh..." Myrdon is still hung up over the deeds of this Odrian, someone he knew not just a week or so ago, now he finds out not only is he likely Decemvirate of the Society, but was a tyrant on another world. Speaking to no one in general, or rather to everybody, Myrdon quips "Is it just me or do most of the top leaders of our organisation sound crooked to you? Is it too late to regret signing up?"
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“Sounds like you really need our help, Lord Voss.”
[dice=sense motive he’s not leading us into a trap] d20+7
“What is the relationship like between you and your sister? AND between Hestram and your sister?”
“Adril will be the second husband of hers you have tried to overthrow.”
"I love my sister, and she me. Sadly, she loved Odrian as well, so I was searching for a way to remove him that wouldn't require killing him. When Adril killed the Thurok, she was devastated. His "marriage" to her is a sham, performed only to legitimize his claim to the throne. He cares nothing for her, and she will shed no tears when he is gone."
“Adril was dead when he first came through; a pale woman carried his lifeless body in her arms.”“Can you describe the woman? And please don’t tell me, ‘all you aliens look alike.’”
"Tall and thin, not beautiful but attractive in a severe way. White hair and pale skin."
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” Hrrmm . Interesting. So can you describe the Crimson Forum and the layout and how we can get to Hestram. “
"It is a large arena where the citizens come to watch combat. He will be there."
Fendahl and Kirrah continue to follow. If the passage becomes too narrow or overly crowded, he will call Kirrah into his armor and release her once able.
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[dice=sense motive, heroism]1d20+20
Marta, likewise, tries to read the truth of what the alien is saying and is curious to find out who the pale lady is.
"You say he has cut his way through the entire cabinet? He wasn't dead all that long again. He sure made fast work of it."
"Once his brutality and efficiency were apparent, those who remained ceased opposing him."
"You say he has cut his way through the entire cabinet? He wasn't dead all that long again. He sure made fast work of it. What, or who, is this beast you speak of? Not Hestram from the sounds of it."
“That is how those of us who dare to openly oppose King Adril call him—once you see what he’s done to the Forum, you’ll know him as that too.”
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"Huh..." Myrdon is still hung up over the deeds of this Odrian, someone he knew not just a week or so ago, now he finds out not only is he likely Decemvirate of the Society, but was a tyrant on another world. Speaking to no one in general, or rather to everybody, Myrdon quips "Is it just me or do most of the top leaders of our organisation sound crooked to you? Is it too late to regret signing up?"
Myrdon muses, and suppresses a shudder as he feels a sense of foreboding...
========
Kol Voss leads you through a twisting maze of narrow passages. After about half an hour, what at first seems to be just another wall in the slave passage turns out to hide a secret door, which Kol Voss expertly opens. Inside are a series of linked chambers that may have once held animals of some sort. In the center of the main chamber is an open double door of reddish steel revealing a 20’x20’ room. Outside this room await a dozen men and women dressed like Kol Voss, but wielding a variety of weapons—some familiar and some quite alien. Kol Voss introduces them as his friends but reveals they do not speak Golarion’s common tongue—only Akiton. After the introductions, Kol Voss enters the 20-foot-by-20-foot room and gestures for you to join him.
Kol’s friends smile and gesture for the you to move away from the door. The doors are hurriedly shut and locked, the room falling dark but for a thin sliver of light from somewhere far above. In the distance can be heard a sound like tens of thousands of people cheering in unison. Kol Voss faces you and says, “This problem we have with Adril Hestram must be solved at once and I know only one way to make sure it happens.”
Suddenly the room lurches upward and vibrates with the sound of grinding chains.
“Above us in the Crimson Forum, King Adril himself is about to watch as several of my closest friends are torn apart by monsters. He likely has my sister at his side in chains. Together we will free my friends and then challenge Adril to combat in the arena. He must possess Odrian’s symbol of power—the mighty Starsword—so I will swear the oaths of my ancient tribe and challenge him for the weapon. Should he refuse, the entire city will turn against him. Together we will slay him in combat, take the blade, and free the city and my sister from his tyranny. Prepare yourselves—we rise to face things you have only dreamed of.”
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Luisila ✨casts life bubble on all the Pathfinders present except herself.
“I’ve fought as an Arena Gladiator before -- on Golarion in the River Kingdoms.”
Her expression sours. “Killing things that have done nothing to me for some degenerate’s amusement is NOT my idea of a good time.”
“I bounced an arrow off the side of the helm of my paladin friend, Omrax the Bold. Wasn’t my greatest moment.”
She follows up the first spell with freedom of movement on Marta, and then copycats.
“At least this time there’s a worthwhile goal for all the up front BS. Namely capturing King Adril, First of His Name.”
The priestess adopts a cat-like combat stance. "Expect more short term buffs, once the fighting begins."
"How many waves of combat can one expect, Lord Voss? Or is every-entity dumped into the ring together, with the fighting over when only one group remains?"
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Fendahl would have release Kirrah from his armor (not sure if he would have had the opportunity prior to the 2 round warning, so adjust accordingly)
Hrmm, thanks Lady Luisila. Try not to bounce arrows off our helms in this exhibition.
Hunting wild game for food or sport, I can understand out in the wild. But pitting creatures against the weak or helpless for amusement is highly dishonorable.
He will cast an extended barkskin and resinskin on himself and share with Kirrah (extend with the rod, improved spell sharing with her)
Master Voss, what do you suppose the likelihood of Hestram playing along with your plan? Do you have an alternate if things go amiss?
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Marta positions herself next to Voss and casts shield of faith and tongues (extended) on herself as they rise. She falls into a martial stance in a crouch, ready for anything to come at her or her ward.
"I'll be sticking near you, Voss. Will this fight have rules or is it anything goes? If we can, let's try to knock Hestram out. I'm still not convinced he is acting under his own volition. None of this sounds like him. I wonder if that pale lady has him enthralled."
, +7 if monster lore applies
"Adril likes to see a challenge, so he'll have several groups of creatures to release in waves. I have no way of knowing what he has on today's roster. He himself will be watching from his seat, so we'll have to figure out a way to get to him."