Tarnagius grabs the sides of his head, his fingertips and the parts of his scalp they touch turning red, then white and visibly grimaces as he leans over, muttering.
Yes, obviously she-it's in your head and messing with you, you've dealt with this before. She looks like that one when - no, that one was properly bound and de-fanged, this one will kill you - What'd the boss do in these cases? No, it doesn't have a name, it's a demon, not a person. Horns might be fun, but they kill everyone. Horns might be fun but they kill everyone. Horns might be fun but they kill everyone.
He perks up when Aster starts walking toward it but throws his eyes back to his own boots, but doesn't start his mantra again. "Barzilai used to bind and whip people who were encorcell-pain!"
Tarnagius suddenly stands up and roars as loudly as anyone has heard him and punches the wall as hard as he can.
Xyl smiles and licks her lips as Aster approaches. "I was hoping you would free me, but sometimes we have to give in to our most primal desires. I'm no different."
Everyone can hear the slight snap as Tarnagius punches the wall. His face twists into pain, but now his veins course with adrenaline.
"Wait Aster!" - Ederion growls - "I will take care of it" - he adds - "I mean... This has GOT to be one of those 'once in a lifetime' things, right?" - he looks straight at the demon, taking a step further - "And experiences are to be lived" - he smiles, then shakes his head for a split second, looking back on Aster again.
"This would break you, what you are, wouldn't it?" - then his eyes rest on Tarnagius and chuckles - "And Tarn, well... But not me. It is fine - my morals aren't that resilient or straightforward. And one way or another, I live for things like these"
He turns on the Succubus again - "I stay with you darling. You show me the time of my life" - his eyes positively glow with anticipation - "And then I set you free. But they can go NOW. How about that?" - he winks
"Um Ed let me just suggest that even if you survive this your great story is simply taking it to a randy prisoner in a moldy basement."
Bazzle looks to Rexandi, "I am not sure I can hurt this thing. If it goes free its just killing other folks where ever and when ever it wants. I mean if its a Demon it doesn't have the same compulsion to try and keep its words that the devils do."
Bazzle looks up at Tarn, "Does the Hellknights and other Asmodeans use demons or are they a Devil only kinda group?"
"You might also want to get Ketherea to heal your hand. You wouldn't want that to ruin your chances of . . ." He facepalms again. "Hitting the right spots."
"Not exactly an expert, but that's like asking if elves work with orcs. They all hate each other."
Tarnagius takes his opportunity to get the hell out of there, grabbing Aster by the collar and hauling her along.
Aster will be dragged along.
Just as Aster is about to lean over and feel the succubus' succulent lips, she is wrenched backwards and dragged out of the room. Though the air is certainly more foul here, Aster's mind feels far clearer than the sweet sweat of the bedroom.
The succubus looks right miffed as her food was dragged away from her. If only she could turn her head to Tarnagius, she would be sending glaring daggers his way. Instead she puts on her sly smile and focuses her attention to Ederion. "Please, my sweet. Take off these shackles for me, and then I promise to do anything you want."
"Of course" - Ederion nods, his libidinous intentions momentarily distracted by the orders of his beloved, and getting to work on the shackles as best as he can - "Any idea how to release you? Is there a key?"
Rexandi heaves a sigh of relief as Aster is removed from the room, but growls with frustration as Ederion continues to succumb. Finally she shouts an angry arcane syllable and launches a web bolt at him.
Bazzle talks quietly with Rexandi, "Soooo I don't like our chances here. I mean. She looks trapped. Not sure I can do anything to ya know kill her some demons have weird immunities. Also if we free her and she 'promises to leave'." Bazzle uses air quotes. "Haven't we just freed a murderous predator."
Xyl says "The lictor..." But is cut short as a bolt of web is launched at Ederion.
"My friends are concerned with my well being" - Ederion nods at the woman, while awkwardly hanging from the sticky strands - "Do you plan on hurting me?" - he asks with a wink, then tries to extricate himself.
Bazzle barely looks over at Ed. "The corpses probably though she looked safe enough for tender tussle. Try not to disturb their corpses as you walk over to join them." Bazzle hits the syllables with a sarcastic revealing edge that spreads a layer of concern over his words.
"Damn it, stop Ederion! We need to get out of here!" says Rexandi, frustrated as all get-out.
She gestures at Ederion and he feels a chill settle over him.
Xyl replies "Only if you want me to. How about you just admire me for a moment, Ederion?"
She tries to eye Rexandi. "If you help free me, I'll let you have Ederion. Do any of you have lock-picking tools? Leave them with me, and I'll free your friend."
"Apologies" - Ederion bows at Xyl with a wink - "I'm back. Where were we?" - then turns his attention back on to the manacles - "This will not be easy - I can hammer at them with my mace - won't get you out of the manacles, but might break the chains - shall we give it a try?"
"Sure honey, you can get started on that. I'm just going to chat with these two while you're at it."
Damaging this magical chain works in two steps:
1. Make a sunder check against a DC of 5, nat 20s will count as double damage.
2. Roll damage against the chain. The chain's hardness will be subtracted from the damage rolled.
Stats:
AC 5
Hardness 12
HP 40
Immediately Ederion begins hammering away at the chains nonstop, his mace swinging up and down with urgency.
Yet after a long time hammering the chains, the effect seems to be minimal.
"Alright. Rex are we trying to get Ed out or do I pick her lock and hope she leaves. I'm a juggler dangit not a sex demon expert."
Aster is beat red with embarrassment, and flushed with needs she's not had in forever. And having to be dragged out of there on top of it. She finally sighed, turned to her warrior teammate and bowed low "My appreciation for my life, Tarnagius. I hope, someday, to repay this debt."
As the second web bolt comes at him, Ederion nimbly jumps aside avoiding it.
Rexandi throws up her hands, exasperated, and says, "Someone do something to stop him, as I'm useless as always!"
Bazzle looks to Ed and to the demon. "If you will leave I will free you. But you have to leave without killing my friends."
Bazzle sheepishly approaches. Trying to get a look at the manacles. IF she and Ed will let me get close I will try to jimmy the lock. "Gods forgive me but I need to keep my friends safe."
"Alright pretty boy, I'll do what you say."
Bazzle can intuit that freeing Xyl will definitely make her grateful, but he also knows that demons have no compulsion to honor their word.
The first chain clicks open and Xyl gasps as her arm is finally free. The sensation must be pretty intense, because she seems stunned as she stares off into the distance.
Bazzle looks back at Rexandi clearly uncertain if this is a good plan or not. "I think I have the hang of these."
Milani protect us. Strike this fiend down if she be false.
Bazzle will back away like the demon is a blazing fire if she is freed.
Bazzle can feel the heat as he backs away. With the chains gone, Xyl's power is fully returned. She moans as her body is finally freed, which cracks every time she moves a muscle that hasn't moved in years.
After a few moments of being stunned, Xyl opens her sea blue eyes.
"Ederion... Get out of here. I'm going topside. If you and your friends value their lives, you will get out of my way. Don't look at me."
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Tarnagius begins answering Aster's thanks then immediately throws his hood over his head and turns his back to her, shoving a hand over Aster's eyes. After a minute of waiting for a red-hot claw to come through his back he relaxes.
"We're going to have to deal with that at some point. She doesn't strike me as the type to agree to follow directions or stick to plans."
As the demon's footsteps fade, a rush of hot air spills forth, revealing an intense wall of fire all along the staircase. Though its fuel is non-existent, it continues to burn silently without dwindling.
Now all that can be heard is the dripping of water in this dark, mouldy room of rotted flooring and spider-webbed drapes.
Rexandi backs up against the wall in the hallway, puts her face in her hands, then slumps down onto the floor, her knees up and her head down. She lets out a heavy sigh and says, "This is the worst day ever."
Aster will shuffle back into the room, "Are any of the bones... kids bones? Can anyone... does anyone know how to be sure."
The large clump of black bones belongs to two complete skeletons of human men. They do not appear to have any damage such as sword cuts or bludgeon shatters. Both men were at least in their 20s. The bones are also abnormally brittle.
The other skeleton in the room is not blackened, and it was a male elf. One of its ribs has been slashed, suggesting that the sword stuck in the wall above its head may have had a role in his death. Elf bones are a bit harder to date, but he was definitely an adult.
failed
Rexandi sighs once more, stands, and goes to examine the bones.
"Not children," she says, slightly sharp. "Two men, abnormally brittle - probably had the literal life sucked out of them by that demoness. One elf, probably... killed by the sword."
Anything that can be stabbed into stone is worth looking into.
Tarnagius goes to grab the sword with his remaining useful hand and pulls on it.
Unable to retract it, he slaps the wall (not as hard as before) in frustration.
"Oh Barbatos' burning blood! Can nothing go right this damned day!"
Rexandi purses her lips, then casts detect magic and scrutinizes the sword.
Bazzle can feel the heat as he backs away. With the chains gone, Xyl's power is fully returned. She moans as her body is finally freed, which cracks every time she moves a muscle that hasn't moved in years.
After a few moments of being stunned, Xyl opens her sea blue eyes.
"Ederion... Get out of here. I'm going topside. If you and your friends value their lives, you will get out of my way. Don't look at me."
Somewhere at the back of his consciousness, Ederion manages to look away - "I... Will miss you" - he still mutters.
------
As the others take a look over the area, he remains silent in one corner, nodding only when Rexandi confirms there are no children's bones in the 'pile'.
After she takes a look, he then moves to try and release the sword also, handing it over to Tarnagius if he manages, still without a word.
"Oh, your hand..." Aster will, if allowed, grasp Tarnagius's hand and cast healing into it.
With Rexandi's superior knowledge, she can also divine the planar effects that affect these bones. The souls that resided within these remains have been consumed by the succubus, and are therefor trapped within her true form. They cannot pass on into the afterlife, nor be resurrected.
Ederion pulls out a basket-hilt broadsword made of iron that looks as dark as thick smoke. It is decorated with gold around the hilt, and is particularly cool to the touch.
Though Tarnagius' wounds do heal up, his index and middle fingers jut out in sickening directions. Restoring his hand will either take some potent magic, or will need to be broken again and set properly before healing.
Bazzle listens to Rexandi's pronouncement. "So we are no closer to finding the kids we were sent to find." He turns to the wall and kicks at it. Pressing his head against it. "I suppose that means they didn't die here and might still be somewhere?" He looks out his eyes pleading for hope.
When Tarn curses Bazzle looks back at him. "You'd of preferred death by banging." He thinks a moment. "I mean if you gotta pick a way . . . STILL. You live. Not sure you would have made it through juding by her pile of previous lovers."
Tarnagius is clearly upset as he tries to flex his hand and make a fist, but gives up.
"Well whoever tied up that thing down here clearly has an expansive hidden lair off the street the boys would travel home on. We need to investigate the rest of this place while we're here."
He looks at the wall of fire.
"I don't suppose any of you have a large bucket of water hidden on your person somewhere?"
"I'm hoping it will be gone after a while" - Ederion replies - "I am going to take a look further down the corridor" - and moves off to peek around the corner.
Well, yes, it is the spell Wall of Fire. What you're probably more interested in is that it will remain for at least another minute, maybe more if the succubus concentrates on it. The fire damage is not an instant kill, but there's no saving throw.
At this point, Ederion only sees the hallway extend for a few feet before making a hard right. An open door sits at the end of the hall. He cannot hear, nor smell anything out of the ordinary.
Oh... Aster sighs at what she did to Tarn's hand. Maybe Rexandi can set it and I can try again?
"The wall of fire will burn out" - Ederion comments to the others after a second look.
Broken bones aren't a normal thing in Pathfinder. As such, here's what I've determined.
Technique #1
Step 1: Break his fingers (deals 2d4 damage. A successful DC 15 Heal check reduces the damage to 1.)
Step 2: Set his bones properly (DC 15 Heal check with either a Healer's Kit or Surgeon's Tools)
Step 3: Heal hit point damage and Dex damage (time or magic)
Once all of that is complete, Tarnagius can use his hand.
Technique #2
Step 1: Cast Restoration
Step 2: Heal up any outstanding hit point damage
Rexandi pulls herself together and says clinically, "Yes, I can see to repairing your hand, Tarn. Let me see it? It will probably hurt a lot." She looks like she's about to say something else, but then bites it back.