Kanthuun ignores anything around him for a good while as he strolls through the camp somewhat absently, his skin writhing and changing to otherworldly colors. Acid drips from his hands and leaves a smoking trail behind him. He does not get out of the way of a single entity. Anyone who looks upon his face sees hints of a howling primordial void just beyond the flesh.
After this period of wandering, he politely inquires about the altars' latest ritual.
Hanethes remains calm, perhaps even nonchalant as he leans back and watches the whole thing. His presence seems to exude some natural charisma, while he himself is fairly quiet.
Despite two very large social bungles that involved the same bag of cumin and a perceived cultural insult, the part managed to sell off their canvas, chocolate, and all of their ale. Especially that ale which had been left with Kanthuun, being that the combined magnetism and utter terror seemed to work like a charm on the drow.
Somehow, Hanethes managed to channel the customers to where they needed to be whilst keeping the more aggressive ones coming to Haka rather than Talon from... previous experience. This ended up being a very good thing, as the aforementioned social miscommunications would have had devastating results had they occurred with Haka's customer who introduced himself as "Manglefist", and Rohini's lithe visitor who revealed, when moving to purchase his small cask of ale, to have had an extra pair of arms carrying gleaming, dripping daggers made of some otherwordly material.
While Drovya and Talon didn't manage to hear anything exceptionally exciting, Kanthuun learned that the daemon in charge of the camp only made two appearances per day unless something major happened, and that the soldiers were only anticipating calls from several fronts.
Haka learned that there was a large concentration of soldiers who'd just been dispatched to a location that sounded... well, rather like the Katapeshi desert.
Rohini, meanwhile, heard talk about a something called "The Champion's Key"... which seemed to be rather important, and a buck-toothed dwarf of a drow giggled and said they found nearly all the bits of it to his comrade, who had been sniffing the yard of canvas at the time.
The operation took about two hours, and according to intel, the group had about one hour left until the creature emerged from the pyramid.
"Katapesh? This makes the quarry more specific and part of a larger plan." Kanthuun frowns. "We obviously can't go in there when He is in there."
After the selling is all done, Rohini will describe the creature she saw to the others, since she doesn't appear to recognize it. She also responds quietly to Kanthuun, "Yes, it seems the plan may put many in danger back on the material plane. The situation is urgent indeed. Are you suggesting that we want to enter when the beast emerges from the structure? How do you suggest we proceed? Martial strategy is not exactly my strong point."
We should all go in this time, from the top of the Pyramid, where the pillar emerges Drovya added without looking up from the pile of coins he was counting and placing into the bag of holding.
And then, make our getaway as quickly as we can. Although, perhaps Rohini could play her flute, and we might see a bit more of the Pyramid before it is time to enter. Nevertheless, our merchanting should come to an end soon.
Haka's jolly salesman air fades as Drovya counts their coin and the party begins to turn their attention to the grim task ahead.
"Okay, we go in from the top. How do we know the bad guy is gone?"
"We don't. We could scout the place and watch forever, but that might go nowhere."
The operation took about two hours, and according to intel, the group had about one hour left until the creature emerged from the pyramid.
All we can do is be ready to enter when the beast emerges, then swift as can be, in and out.
The operation took about two hours, and according to intel, the group had about one hour left until the creature emerged from the pyramid.
Wary as ever, (if not more so due to his recent near death experience), Hanethes will attempt to stay back unless his comrades tell him otherwise.
Once all the goods are packed up, Drovya makes his way with the others to the back of the pyramid, neither moving slowly nor quickly, and not trying to draw attention or avoid it. Once at the back, he brews meditation tea using prestidigitation and passes it around to the others. It's only good for ten minutes, so wait until we get inside to drink it. He also pulls out his scroll of obscuring mist. [b]If all else fails, perhaps we can block the images with some mist. Remember Rohini, the positive energy of your god should harm these haunts, at least, that's what you told me. So don't be shy to use it. he adds with a grin.
Haka accepts his freshly-brewed tea, and pours it into his waterskin for later enjoyment. He looks up at his taller compatriots and shrugs, as if to say, Now is as good a time as any.
Talon puts his tea into a waterskin as well.
Hanethes puts his tea in a small alchemical container that maintains its heat. :P
Waiting certainly had its advantages. The party managed to keep a low profile until the massive leonine silhouette of the obcisidaemon materialized outside of the pyramid and began prowling.
Up close, the group could see him in every detail as his footsteps thundered past, the ground smouldering in his wake. The barbed wire on his arms snaked around like living things, and something distinctly human-shaped and ectoplasmic orbited his waist. Blood dripped from three empty eye-sockets... but that was unimportant as the group made their way nonchalantly... well, as nonchalantly as could be done.
They'd cemented their reputation, which was good. How they would conceal the knotted ropes they were feeding up the side of the pyramid seemed to be a moot point as no one, at this point, inhabited one side of the camp, with the exception of a snoozing drow.
It wasn't like the group was going to go out of their way to wake him, right? Not even Haka...
The climb was easy enough, but the light of the pillar was blinding, and the party had to make their way down the drop one by one. The sensations from last time returned for those that knew them.
After fifteen feet came the sounds. The same language Kathuun had heard uttered by the urdhefan holding the rogue hostage began to blare in a cacophony, though gentler, more human sounds permeated the mix in distant echoes. Still, there was little more to see than incredible radiance. Visual sensory organs watered.
It began to dim after what seemed like an eternity, and feet alighted on hardened clay stone, surprisingly warm to the touch. Opening their eyes, they saw a chamber veiled with veins of pulsing light and flashing images appearing on the walls in glorious two-dimensional form.
The images were of the horrid wet jungle above, of what the village perhaps had been before repurposing. Shadows danced below dim canopies, and urdhefan hunters brought decidedly fell creatures past pointed palisades.
In one vision no audience could forget, a hideous female urdhefan nursed her young whilst a cocodaemon zipped right past.
Ritualistic sacrifices took place on the altars viewed outside.
The images would go on, but the mission was imperative.
The tunnel ahead turned into a veritable labyrinth with shifting, living walls of images that did little to orient anyone present.
Those with the keenest ears heard it first. As always, Hanethes was amongst them. The urdhefan voices began their uproar.
At first Talon almost succumbs to the voices, but he grits his teeth as he heroically overcomes it. He draws his waterskin and prepares to give it to whoever seems to be overwhelmed with madness.
Kanthuun grits his teeth against the noise. "Don't give in," he says to himself as much as anyone else.
As instructed by Drovya, Rohni drinks the tea once in the pyramid, before the voices carrying madness overtake their senses.
Although Rohini feels the disturbing effects of the haunt more profoundly than she could have imagined, her training and mental focus through communion with Desna carries her through, with a critical assist from Drovya's tea. Nevertheless, Rohini falls to the ground and holds her hands over her head, and after several seconds looks up at the others with tears in her eyes, and then slowly stands back up.
After regaining her composure, Rohini looks around and sees that Talon and Kanhuun seem to have their senses about them. "you two seem well, but why didn't you drink your tea?" After coming to understand Talon's plan of giving the tea to anyone who succumbs to the voices, she says "I see the wisdom of that plan. You almost needed to use the tea on me.". Rohini stands ready to give a bit of luck to anyone that needs to re-roll a save.
Right. Forgot about that. Then Rohini will use her Good Fortune ability to re-roll the save.
With a rough shake of his head, Drovya clears the horrific visions of the flesh-walls from his mind. Good gods, he mutters, it's even worse in person.
When it becomes clear that Haka has lost his senses, Rohini comes to his side to try to calm him and prepares to give him a bit of luck as soon as Talon gets him to swallow some meditation tea.
Somehow, Haka managed to immerse himself in the bodies of the sacrifices taking place in the moving walls. He felt the fear, the pain, and the distinct pulling in the back of his head that came from trying to wake up from a nightmare and failing. To make matters worse, someone was trying to make him drink something... and succeeded.
Haka's head reeled with the struggle, trying to fight his way free of the nightmare that filled his waking vision, suffused all his senses with horror, pain, and fear. Amidst the fearsome visions, he had the sudden sensation of water rising around him, deeper and deeper, reeking like the swamps where they fought the urdhefan. The water reached his mouth, he stood on the very tips of his toes, somehow unable to get his head any higher as the water rose to where it would overwhelm him. He could fight it no more, the noxious brew began to enter his mouth...and smelled of rosehips and mint, and summer mornings and the gentle night wind of the desert. The dark, intense visions faded, shimmered into transparency, lightened to faint wisps, and then were gone.
He shook his head quickly, as if shaking away a swarm of stinging insects, and when his vision cleared, Haka felt Rohini's supportive hands on him. "I'm okay," he told her quietly. "But I wasn't, for a bit there. Thank you."
Is everyone all right? Drovya looks to the rest of the group, grateful for the tea, and Talon's quick administration of it. If you're ready Haka, let's get moving, and quickly. Which way Kanthya?
As he speaks, a thought occurs to the half-elf. This is a haunt, yes? A kind of undead... I wonder, could we harm it? Positive energy, yes? I have a small spell, shall I try?
"I'm good. We should keep moving." Talon says agreeing with Drovya.
"Yes, let's get this over with. Because we seem to have withstood the haunt or whatever this is, I won't just yet strike at it with my Lady's energies."
Hanethes nods sagely. "Save it for when we need it." He keeps his eyes on their surroundings, searching for any more traps or anything out of place in the chaos that surrounded them.
(+4 to spot traps)
There was a churning maw mechanism placed into the framework of the hall not fifteen feet away that would have undoubtably snapped shut and leaked some form of magic on anyone unfortunate enough to have gotten caught in it.
"Hold it. Trap." Hanethes says quietly. Then moves forward to disarm it, attempting to stay hidden as he moved.
Things seemed to be going well when...(Seriously, the following thing happens about halfway through your attempt).
The rogue left to check the trap as usual, but things appeared to go wrong the second he got too close. Somehow, his shirt got caught in a piece in the side, and the metal maw slid shut around him as he tried to tug it out, leaving a gory mess!
Absolutely nothing was going amiss whatsoever. In fact, Hanethes almost seemed pleasantly immersed in his task.
"Good work. We got a lot more ahead of us, so don't too attached to this one."
Haka looks on in alarm, too startled to even call out, as Han appears to be eaten by a great steel mouth!
Take your time Han, let us know when it's safe to proceed.
Rohini notices Haka's distress, quickly looks around, and whispers, "What's wrong, Haka?"
"What's wrong?!" he says, in a loud whisper indeed. "That huge metal mouth just ate Han, there's nothing but blood and gore left, and you ask what's wrong? Are you under some sort of spell, all of you?" he asks, looking in wonder at his companions' calm in the face of this disaster.
Drovya looks at Haka as though he's grown another head. What are you talking about? he queries in a soft voice as his eyebrows flex together. Han's over there working. He's humming for gods' sake.
As Drovya speaks, Haka's eyes grow wide, his small face a picture of confusion. "Are you mad?" He looks around, sees that his companions all seem to agree with Drovya's description, and pauses a moment, "Wait, perhaps I am under some spell? I must see this for myself." His bare feet carry him forward, to where he is certain he saw Han die - again - and he he reaches out a cautious hand to the steel teeth that killed his friend, hoping to find that none of it is real.
"Yea, he's fine. What are you talking about? You alright Haka?"
"HAN!" Kanthuun rushes towards the rogue's remains, then slows down to tap the floor. "Don't want to trigger...more...deadly traps," the sorcerer exclaims, eyes wide.
