The naga replies to Panfalcon. "I was bound here to guard the tome by clerics of Aroden. Though I will be released when the tome is removed, while the tome lays on the altar, I am compelled to attack any, but a cleric of Aroden, who approach the altar.
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"If you think you can throw me all the way back to Oppara, there's an Archbishop namedd Basari who can totally fulfill that request!" He hefts his brass instrument.
"Seriously, though, throwing me at the right book so I can grab it as quickly as possible might be the most amusing answer. Either that, or letting me ride your wolf to get it."
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Taiko said to his comrade under the seal of secrecy
I don't know much about Aroden, but with the proper preparation I can impersonate one of them. He don't seem to have seen much of an Arodenite cleric for a long time. So I think it's playable.
With a message casted on me those more knowledgable than me could help me respond to the naga's question. What do you think ?
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Desmond glances back and forth between his group and the alter. He gives Apoyaye a nod of understanding, the brass book.
"Stay boy," he mutters to Sahrek, softly. He concentrates a moment to cast longstrider on himself for some extra speed. He locks his gaze on the brass book and takes off in a sprint for the altar.
Casting a spell, Desmond dart through the chamber, up to the altar and grabs the brass tome! The naga starts to react, but its aged reflexes are entirely too slow and as Des steps back with the tome, it stops. "Thank you for releasing me from my guardianship."
Examining the tome, you find the Tome of Memory speaks in great detail about an army of Taldan soldiers and its travels throughout Cheliax, clearing the local populations for Taldan settlers, including a passage in the back written by a priest of Aroden.
So desperate were these Kellid gentlefolk to rid themselves of us, so great was their hate, that they sold their eternal souls to summon forth Nicoroux, the Greedy Twilight, a pit fiend of incredible might ! Uncontrolled, the fiend tore an unholy swathe through both our men and the Kellids’, slaughtering soldier and child alike. My faith, and that of my acolytes, proved insignificant against her, and we could not muster the will to return the beast to her fiery home.
I shall regret what we chose instead: to forever bind the devil in this valley and condemn ourselves and our descendants to watch over her resting place to bolster the weakness of our present spirits with lifetimes of service from the unborn.
May Aroden forgive me.
Praised be the Last Azlant. Amen.
The naga shakes its head. "I have never looked at the tome." It then slithers off, telling you that you may have its nest of treasures for releasing it.
After someone takes a little time to study the tome, you realize that it describes in detail everything the party needs to do to restore Nicoroux’s prison. Essentially, the bars must be taken to the center of Silver Tarn, then individually recharged with divine energy and cast into the water.
Looking through the naga's nest, the party finds two scrolls of cure moderate wounds, one scroll of holy smite, two potions of cure serious wounds, a wand of prayer (15 charges), a lesser strand of prayer beads[i/], and a [i]headband of mental prowess +2.
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"So...we gotta get on a boat and head out to the middle of the lake, bless these bars in some way and then throw 'em in the water?" Desmond asks out loud. "Alright, let's go do it. Aponyaye, I agree that you ought to be in charge of the silver bars. Bless them, or whatever and toss 'em. Easy peasy, right?"
Desmond claps his hands together and starts heading back up the stairs to put the plan in action.
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Desmond heads back upstairs and seeks out Adel. "Hey, so... I think we've got it figured out how to put this Nicorux thing back to sleep, or whatever. But seriously - NEVER make bargains with demons or tarnspawns or whatever evil beast this thing is." Desmond shakes his head a little.
"Well, anyway. It seems like we need to bless these silver ingots and take them out to the lake. Care to come along and row the boat? It would be nice to have someone that's familiar with the lake."
What two stats on the headband?
With a plan, the party moves back to the upper floor of the temple. Checking outside, all sounds of tarnspawn seem to be off in the town. Though relative peace marked the journey to the lake, finally arriving at its black, stagnant shore seems to have invited a horde of tarnspawn, gathered at the barest edge of vision through the dense fog. For the first time all night, they stand silent, staring out over the water, waiting.
Nearby, a creaking wooden dock reaches out over the tarn. Two fishing boats of questionable quality bob in the quiet. The only sound to penetrate the blanket of mist is the quiet lap of water against their faded sides.
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"Aponyaye, if nothing else, I've got a wand of cure light wounds that maybe could be used to charge the ingots - if that's what is meant by using divine energy to charge 'em."
Desmond step carefully out onto the dock, "Ain't this a welcome sight. Do ya think we should just take one boat, or divide ourselves up between the two?" Desmond jumps into one immediately, "I'll row."
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"Unless there is a need to go separately, I say we cross together in one boat. This better work, otherwise somebody is going to have to swim to the bottom of the lake to get back those bars."
As the party begins to embark upon the boats, Panfalcon silently whispers behind Weiman . . .
"Ki, ki, ki; ma, ma, ma"
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The headband could be of some use for me, if no one need it.
I took the libery to take the wand of prayer and the scroll of holy might. I could try to cast it. I also have a wand of cure light wounds I could use with ease Aponyaye san.
On the dock Taiko said
Someone know how to use this things, these "boats" ? I'm not...
If you want, I could send ahead Kyofuu or ask him to swirl and disipate some of the mist.
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Desmond leaps back out of the boat, as he sees that there won't be room for Sahrek. "Alright boy, I need you to stay behind and keep these people safe." Desmond softly pushes Sahrek back towards the temple. "Go on. Guard the people at the temple."
The wolf trots off, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth happily.
"Yeah, one boat would probably be better. C'mon, I'll row us out there." Desmond climbs back into the boat and readies the oars.
"Go ahead and take that headband, Taiko. I don't think it would do me much good. If you think it would help, go ahead and send Kyofuu ahead to scout."
As the party moves toward the lake and begins getting into the boat, the
fog condenses into a powerful storm, tossing about anything on the tarn’s surface.
Rowing out into the lake, its placid surface suddenly churns and roils, barely containing something massive. A reek of decay boils up from below, followed by a chest-shuddering scream. A figure of dripping, black water rises from the surface, flexing wings of algae and scum and glaring through empty, tarnished eyes. With unholy speed, the enormous forms leaps into the air and descends upon you!
The nebulous water fomr moves toward the party and suddenly a cold, cloying miasma descends on the party!
2. Charging the Ingot: An ingot must be charged with divine energy to do any good. Charging requires channeling positive energy, casting any cure spell, or pouring a cure potion over the ingot. A character can instead charge an ingot by holding both it and the Tome of Memory (occupying both their hands), reciting the prayers within, and succeeding a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana or religion) check as a standard action. The spell or channeled energy is entirely diverted into the ingot and provides none of its usual benefits. An ingot only retains its charge for 2 rounds unless cast into the lake.
3. Casting the Ingot: The exact placement of the ingots is unimportant; they simply all need to rest at the bottom of the lake, relatively close to their original location. Throwing a charged ingot overboard requires a move action. Should an ingot somehow be dropped into the tarn without being recharged, it can be recovered with a DC 25 Swim check.
Weiman rocks with the boat and casts a spell, hastening everyone's movements!
Desmond's hands move in a blur as he draws an ingot, produces his healing wand, taps the wand to the ingot, then hurls the charged ingot into the lake!
As the ingot sinks beneath the waves the storm's fury intensifies as if in reaction!
Taiko produces an ingot, charges it and has his familiar throw it into the lake! The storm intensifies as if in anger!
Aponyaye does likewise, taking and charging an ingot, before having his dinosaur toss it into the tarn!
Panfalcon evokes some acidic rays and fires them toward the lake monster, but the rays fail to penetrate!
The thing emits a blasphemous sound that washes over the party!