Nithrandyl cures Karos of ghoul fever. The laboratory seems to be an alchemical lab, but one that has been used to cultivate diseases.
In the memory extraction chamber, you can make little sense of the device at the north end of the room. However, when Kramac steps within 5 feet of it a distortion manifests in the place where a bound prisoner would be held by the shackles.
Enora and Vordrek recognise the distortion as the entrance to an immersive mindscape that can either extract or retrieve memories.
The creator dictates the traits of an immersive mindscape, and visitors are subject to whatever strictures the host is able to place upon the mindscape. The construction of the mindscape might be carefully designed, or might be a more instinctive expression drawn from the creator's own desires or intentions (whether conscious or subconscious). Some spells allow the creator to use a target's memories or desires when creating the mindscape to better fool the target.
The means of entering and exiting mindscapes vary, but the physical body always remains in the real world. In this case, the distortion that you see acts as a doorway. You need only step into it.
Enora contemplates on what she has learned.
"This is a very dangerous mindscape and I do not know if we should enter it. But what I can try is to set the device into retrieval mode."
With that Enora starts to look at the device to see how to activate that.
Enora adjusts several of the bone and gold "arms" of the device, and rotates crystals to alter their resonance patterns. She is confident that she has set the device to retrieval mode. Enora theorises that to actually retrieve any memories that might be stored here will require somebody to enter the mindscape.
“We should all go together!“
Karos steps boldly into the distortion, followed almost immediately by Rogar. Their bodies go rigid, as if paralysed.
Their minds, however...
You don't notice any people. But there is a lone, horned giant gazing at you. His skin is like granite, his eyes black as opal. "Oh! Visitors!" says the giant, almost to himself. "Wait, Marouf, nobody has been here for, well forever! You are imagining things! You've finally gone mad! Ah but if you are mad, best thing is to play along. Yes. Pretend that they are real. That's the thing Marouf... Ahem!" He waves at you to get your attention
"Most noble travellers, I am Marouf, a humble Shaitan from the Plane of Earth. It has been... I do not know how long it has been since I saw another person! Welcome to Resa, my prison and my home since forever ago. How may I be of assistance to you?"
Enora blushes after hearing Vordrek’s words.
”You are too kind. If you knew my parents and their views on religion you would understand that my belief in the all seeing god would be unbelievably strange and intolerable for them. But I will endure this burden until I find a way to show them why I believe and that I still love them. Thank you again for your words. Now let us enter this mysterious place.” she says smiling.
In the mindscape, the shaitan smiles: "Thank you, good Karos." But then he becomes gloomy, gazing down at the grass beneath his feet.
"You cannot help me. I deserve my fate, for I am a traitor. I suffered the indignity of enslavement to the elementalists of the Jistka Imperium. There, I served for many years, though it was but a short time by genie standards. Our armies were mighty, but the Pharaoh did not yield. Out of hatred for my masters I deserted. I gave myself up to the Pharaoh and his Usij. I let his necromancer experiment upon me. I was glad when she gifted me with plagues! But again I proved myself a traitor. I refused to die. I was afraid that if my essence returned to the Plane of Earth the Imperium would somehow conjure me forth again. So I tricked the necromancer into placing me in her memory extractor, knowing that when my diseased body perished my mind would stay here! And here I remain, alone with naught but stolen memories for company.
But enough of my lamentations. You do not have the look of Usij about you. How can Marouf help you?"
Enora is also quite fascinated by the environment in this mindscape and observes this being here and the surrounding.
Meanwhile back in the vault Dhiara asks Kramac where he learned his fighting style...
Enora steps nearer to Marouf ”Hello Sir 'Marouf', I first thought you were a shaitan. But now I see that you are in fact a Sepid Div, one of the more powerful Divs. How did they manage to imprison you here? And before you answer ... I know that Sepids are known for always doing and meaning the opposite of what they claim ... so is there deception in your words dear Div???“
"What?!" says 'Marouf'. "No! You are very much mistaken, small friend! I am Marouf, the shaitan. Yes, I am he. I am very much he! I tricked the necromancer into sending me here, so that I could live on after my body perished. Do you see a Div? That can only be your own mind deceiving you, yes. This place will do that to you. Plucks things from your head and steals them! But what are you doing here? You cannot be thralls of the necromancer. So, you must be invaders! In which case, we are allies! You want to know more about her, don't you? Each building that you see holds stolen memories. Many are dangerous! But if you take that door there" - he gestures towards a small house off the village square - "you will find it most informative! I would never deceive you - why would I deceive persons I have just invented? I would only be tricking myself."
"Oh well, I am a halfling lady and will trust you." she says smiling.
Raising an eyebrow she continues "But be assured that any hint of treachery will have consequences, i.e. I will not talk to you anymore!" and then she starts walking to the small house that Marouf pointed at.
"Old one?" says Marouf. "Why, you surely don't mean me, master dwarf?! What year is it anyway, out there?"
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Kramac leans on Jino, absentmindedly scratching the beast's head as he talks and keeps watch over his friends.
My fighting style? Nothing so formal as you learned, I'm sure. Mostly just bits of technique from here and there. I started out training to be a warrior for my tribe in the Mwangi. The rest, I learned over years from bar fights, broken noses, and comrades in-arms. I picked up this odd weapon on an expedition to Tian Xia and took a fancy to it. A few months back I learned to fight in a Dwarven phalanx when dispatched on a few missions to Brevoy and the Plane of Air with a group of Dwarves. Odd fellows - but effective, especially together. I always find having a partner to work with to be invaluable. Jino and I... we are a well oiled team... we know each other.
Maybe some day you will get to see me fight alongside Kiboko and the wise and beautiful Mvumbu. We have been on many missions together, and we are terrifying when working together.
"4718? By what reckoning? Ah, you must be foreigners." Turning to Vordrek, Marouf adds: "Why, that door hides the memory of an important feast in Resa."
In the vault, Dhiara replies to Kramac: "You have learned from many different teachers in a short space of time. I have the luxury of an elven lifespan. For many years I trained at the monastery before deciding that I had a duty to others that obliged me to leave and to travel in order to test myself against villainy, and grow stronger. I note that you work easily with others who are very different than you. But your faith in your friends is a weakness! Oh!" Dhiara gasps and looks shocked. "I apologise Kramac! That - that was her. Black Moon. It was her thought, though it felt like my own when I spoke it. Her power is strong here."
"My friends, you should definitely experience the memories of the Great Feast, an Important Experiment, and the Palace Reception!" Marouf indicates two more doors in addition to the first one he pointed out. "These will certainly tell you much about the necromancer! You should not enter any of the other doors, for they hold only danger for you. Who knows better than Marouf, who has been here forever? As I said, I was imprisoned here. You must have seen the necromancer's machine, yes?"
Enora approaches the door leading to the 'Great Feast' and tentatively opens it, to reveal that the doorway is full of a thick mist.
"Yes, little friend!" calls Marouf. "You will surely find much useful knowledge inside!"
Enora steps in.
Suddenly, a dozen or more ugly, horned heads fly into the house! You are surrounded by monstrous creatures that appear out of thin air! They have the bodies of men and women, but the heads of hunting cats, or goat's legs, or rotting flesh. The creatures begin tearing into everybody, ripping people to pieces and beginning their own gruesome feast. From outside, a woman's voice calls: "Devour them all, my servants! Teach them that empty bellies are filled only by MY command!"
Desperately, you try to flee the slaughter.
Suddenly, a dozen or more ugly, horned heads fly into the house! You are surrounded by monstrous creatures that appear out of thin air! They have the bodies of men and women, but the heads of hunting cats, or goat's legs, or rotting flesh. The creatures begin tearing into everybody, ripping people to pieces and beginning their own gruesome feast. From outside, a woman's voice calls: "Devour them all, my servants! Teach them that empty bellies are filled only by MY command!"
Desperately, you try to flee the slaughter.
The rest of you see Enora rushing out of the doorway just a few seconds after she went in. She is pale, and panting.
Just after Enora returns, Rogar also comes gambolling out of the doorway, pale and worried-looking.
"I trust you enjoyed yourselves at the feast? You learned much, no doubt." says Marouf with a smile.
Enora runs out in panic and is panting "This ... this was ... just horrible ... terrifying."
She then turns towards the Sepid Div and points her staff in his direction "You miserable, corrupting big cheat! I will trust you no more and if you try to tell me any of your lies again I will blow some holes into your body!"
"What? It was a great feast, was it not? One of much importance to the history of Resa and the necromancer who lives here. You could not come to harm, it is only a memory after all. You should try the Important Experiment next!"
"Please... a rope... a ladder! Please let me out" you manage to call out.
"Very good!" says Tahari.
"Oh, merciful gods, thank you!" you gasp. Then, a cauldron of cold water and filthy slurry is poured on top of you.
"On to phase two." says Tahari. More water and slurry is tipped on top of you, and you go under, your strength exhausted, your lungs ready to burst.