At the offer to teach spells, Khayal gains a glimmer of hope, like a schoolchild offered a sweet candy. Master dragon, do you know of a spell that could help me contact or see my wife. I do not know if she survived that calamity that brought us here and surely she thinks I'm dead.
Bartan chimes up "If it is possible, I would gladly learn to cast the spell to help you see your beloved, friend Khayal."
** spoiler omitted **
In the morning, after Venema makes the sending message, she waits nearly an hour, then says seriously "The person named Shirin says 'Khayal! Help! An army of undead gnolls from Pale Mountain is overrunning Kelmarane! The guard has them at the gates, but red men of fire-' The return message stops there. She does not respond to more sendings."
Rayhan says Describe this Kelmerane to me. I can Scry and get a viewing.
The dragon-head says "There is the Well of Tears at the westernmost portion of this island. The water is meant for divination, and I have deactivated the guardians surrounding it. However, the Well of Tears can cause despair to those who gaze into its' waters."
Hmm. Sounds interesting. Khayal is that something you would like? To see Kelmerane, and perhaps Shirin.
"Dire portents indeed. We must hasten our return to our own plane. Rayhan, I suggest we cut off our studies with Venema, for the sake of our friends' loved ones." and my business Bartan thinks, kind of selfishly, and then he immediately admonishes himself for such thoughts.
"Painter is still working on our stuff though." Yazi points out.
Bartan sags slightly. "You're quite right, my lady. I do worry that we will be no match for our enemies without those weapons. This is a conundrum, to be sure."
The glimmer of happyness that washed over Khayal's face when he heard the words, "the person named Shirin says" quickly turned to steeled determination at the rest of the ill news. If we are near this well, I would have a look. Rayhan and Nasir can finish their studies while I go to take a look. Then we grab the weapons we will need to fight and return to Kelmerane.
Turning to Hajar, Brother, pray for my wife and for our town.
I cannot finish my studies if I'm scrying for you now can I? Rayhan says, some of his earlier churlishness returning.
Besides. We have to use the Untuned Fork to return, and we need to find the Heart of Kakishon to return. I'm afraid that our exit from this plane is no certain thing. Rayhan is beginning to make a habit of tamping down on anything he thinks of as "optimism"
Hajar looks troubled
We could have been speaking with Venema at least a day ago had we not wasted time speaking with the Azer. Now we've placed both Shirin and all of Kelmerane in danger! this is the closest Hajar has come to showing a temper since arriving in Kakishon.
We should go and see what Master Rayhan's magic uncovers. And then we should be about our quest to leave. The Xorn seem a likely place to start. They may know where this "heart" is kept.
So you say Yazi. Meanwhile Kelmerane suffers.
Fighting here amongst ourselves solves nothing. We did not know the gravity of our time spent here, and being prepared for our enemy seemed worth the risk. If we are to be moving about these islands, then perhaps teleportation magic is what we need. Perhaps with Rayhan's new studies we may hasten our return.
Seeing the infighting before her in the sanctified mausoleum, Venema says "Peace! What Andrathi told me about warlord Jhavhul means that the Efreeti general must have left Katapesh. Jhavhul seeks mortals to put his wishes into, in order to twist their words to his own ends. He would not kill indiscriminately. If your town of Kelmarane is under attack, Jhavhul would give orders to ensure as many people as possible were captured alive. The Efreeti knows primitives like gnolls would only wish for things like full bellies and greater personal strength. It would take more intelligent humans and elves to twist his wishcraft to the ends Jhavhul is looking for."
"Andrathi told me Jhavhul is trying to resurrect a Spawn of Rovagug. It will take a thousand wishes for that feat, and genie wish-givers cannot give more than three a day to any mortal. Doubtless Nefeshti and her Templars would have undone any wishes Jhavhul had uttered towards his goal. He will have to start anew. So you have time - and hope." the dragon-head assures you all.
Hajar nods curtly at the Dragon. He doesn't wish to offend the thing. This fight with Yazi has been simmering in him for a day and he can hold his tongue for now.
Indeed. We should get going. Each hour we waste means more people subjected to Jhavhul's treatment, and more power is given to the Spawn of the Rough Beast.
Hajar is ready to move on to the Well.
Rayhan keeps silent, the plight of Kelmerane doesn't concern him, but the waking of a Spawn sends a shudder through the man. Researching extradimensionality is difficult when a giant monster is rampaging through your city.
I can get us where we need to be. Someone needs to describe the place. Mistress Shodair, might I trouble you once more to describe these places.
Khayal steels himself for what he is about to see, this well of tears even sounds foreboding. There is little saying what he will see in its depths.
Edit: And since he's been to the Pleasure Palace, he can teleport there more easily! Added bonus ftw
Rayhan (and whomever goes with him) leave the mausoleum and quickly march to the other side of the island, where a strange arrangement waits for them. A semicircle of four marble platforms stands here, each surmounted by a colonnaded dome inlaid with pearlescent tiles that catch the sun’s rays in a multi-hued fire. Just beyond these shelters is a low limestone platform inscribed with bas-relief of gods, spirits, animals, and all manner of mythological creatures of ancient Katapesh, surmounted at intervals by plinths of stone bearing statues of winged humanoids, male and female, each comforting the other but with a hand extended to beckon. Hovering a foot above the platform’s center is a slowly rippling sphere of blue water.
The shelters are elegantly furnished with carved stone benches and inlaid with mosaic scenes representative of scenes of the four elements, with air to the north, earth and fire in the center, and water to the south. The floating sphere of water itself is dark and cool, with murmuring voices coming from it.
The floating sphere of water is nearly ideal for greater scrying, if you had the spell. But you feel that the sphere is made for divine spellcasting.
You could get free divinations from this artifact, which would be even better than just scrying.
Khayal accompanies those headed to the divination pool. He knows little of magic, but can appreciate the art of the place. He hangs out by the stone angels waiting and listening. His mind races about the 1000 possibilities of what is happening at home. Shirin, is a tough woman. She can handle herself, but not an entire army, and not an army of fire.
Rayhan replies Ah. No. Alas. I know only the lesser scrying arts.
And then to Khayal Do you have something of Shirin's? A locket of hair, some belonging. Also, describe her to me well, every detail.
Once these are done, Rayhal will cast the spell. Since Shirin is on another plane she gets a +5 to her will save, but if Rayhan has a good description and an item that belongs to her it'll net him some bonuses.
Khayal thinks for a second before saying. I don't have her hair, but I do have this clay doll she made for me.
Khayal pulls out a small clay figure, which somewhat resembles Shirin.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As Rayan ask about Shirring, Nasir sits down with a notebook, closing her eyes for a moment and remembering Shirrin smiling at Khayal. Solidly conjuring the image in her mind, the talented Pathfinder sketches a notable likeness of her, tearing out the page and handing it to Rayhan
Rayhan casts scrying upon the floating sphere of water, and the voices coming from it moan in protest at first, but over the course of the hour (yes, it takes an hour), they die down, almost reluctantly.
Rayhan finally opens his eyes, and the ball of dark water changes into a globe seen from all sides to the other adventurers. It shows - Kelmarane! The view changes from above to zoom in on a young woman with her brunette hair done in a braid: Shirin. She and several other humans are shackled near the former inn and stables of the trading town (these look like some of Bartan's gambling, er, friends). They appear beaten but not injured. Gnolls are everywhere on the streets, some snarling at humans that dare open their doors to their homes, only to have them slammed shut again.
A gnoll zombie leers at the shackled humans, and begins lurching towards them, only to have a man six feet tall who looks like one of Dilix's guards casually strike down the undead with a large scimitar, splitting it into pieces with one blow. Pieces fall around the terrified humans as the large, red-skinned men laugh in response.
Several live gnolls begin cheering a figure coming across the North Bridge. It is a tall, red-skinned man with horns, a flaming scimitar, and dressed regally. Beside him is a bald-headed, fat halfling holding some kind of box, and a darkly tanned man with weather-beaten skin, a shaved head, and piercing, pale blue eyes. Several other red-skinned men follow behind them.
Vardishal mutters Janni captains. Beware their invisibility and the ability to change into giants. But the voice lurches to full awareness within you as he sees the red general, shouting Jhavhul! in your mind. But even more unsettling is the dead genie's trembling and response when he sees the other figure next to the general, and you hear Vardishal moan Davashuum! Nefeshti's executioner. And assassin. There are no more Templars left loyal to the dijin princess...
The imposing efreeti and his entourage disappear from the brunette's perspective. Several minutes later, a rumbling is felt, and the Battle Market explodes! A large edifice rises from underneath the shattered dome, a bronze tower with two sub-buildings, one on each side.
The red-skinned men and gnolls cheer furiously when this happens, arching their blades to the sky in celebration. The last image in the floating orb of water is the red leader returning, the halfing still with him, but without the other character. The halfling pulls on a chain leading up to the figure of Almah Roveshki, her face bruised and her robe dirt-caked, as she and the figure of Shirin are pulled behind the general as they march to the North Bridge, and the Brazen Peaks beyond...
The voices coming from the watery sphere moan in agitation now, and the waters churn to and fro, released from their captivity.
Hajar watches the proceedings with a grim look on his face.
It seems we are too late. Jhavhul has taken Kelmerane. All that can be done now is perhaps stopping the Efreet from finishing his evil plan.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Khayal's heart, initially joyous at seeing Shirin is overcome with sadness.
The tall one, I have a blood claim on him. He does not die until I have at least drawn blood.
With that Khayal draws his remaining kukri and knicks his thumb on the notch made for such things. He lets a drop of blood drip into the pool. I stake a claim to his blood with my own.
When the blood hits the pool it makes a small ripple and for a moment there is silence.
Khayal concentrates for a moment and his kukri becomes bathed in nimbus of holy light.