Zotu joins the group to find the scene as described before. Kalkamedes inside the magic circle standing over a near dead female elven warrior.
|
Meredith enters the circle with Kalkamedes and looks curiously down at the woman, "I doubt love is what brought him here. If so, he still stands here in a stupor, unaware of his surroundings. I think something more is at work here..."
She then concentrates on the elven woman, Detecting Evil.
Satisfied, she gingerly picks the woman up, "We're out of healing, and unless Gamin can help us here, or someone can find a healing potion in a nook or cranny somewhere down here, I think taking her and Brother Kalkamedes back to Venture-Captain Heidmarch is our best option. She might be able to heal her. And us, for that matter. The sun should be up soon, so at least we'll have that benefit."
She does not detect as evil.
You pick her up and start to walk away and she cannot pass beyond the border of the magic circle. It is as she alone hits a wall of force as you attempt the egress. Kalklamedes begins to follow the female elven warrior as she is moved around.
Spellcraft- Uncertain but whomever put them here took the time to make them look snazzy.
|
Orik is frustrated by the inability to release the elven woman from the magic circle. "Ach, sae mooch enchantments! Enchanted doors, enchanted cir'les, an' moost oof all enchanged sleeper. Whoot I'd give tae 'ave mae pappy a wizard 'stead oof a warrior, then mebbe I'd bae able tae puzzle oot all this mumbo-jumbo."
Meredith eventually gives up and carefully places the female elven warriors body back on the ground. Everyone spends the rest of the night searching the black edifice top to bottom looking for anything that may be able to help heal the woman, nothing can be found.
Eventually Kalkamedes wakes up. AHHHH!!!! AHHHH!!!! AHHHH!!!! No! No! No!No!No! What did I do? What did I do!? Please! Kalkamedes falls to his knees and cradles the body of the female elf by his feet. I was asleep, I did not mean to kill anyone! He begins to sob.
Gamin:Kalk you wonderfully dumb man! You are not to blame, she is stuck there kinda funny like. You just have been creepily standing over her for hours, she is alive you git.
Kalkamedes heres this and regains his composure, he is still shocked by the sight of all the new faces and waking in his present surroundings. It takes some explaining but he is able to calm down and focus with little time. Everyone stumped it is decided that someone would stay here and guard the lady while the others run to get help.
You return to the cabin and find Captain Sheila Heidmarch, she gives you two cure light wounds potions to assist the cause. They are brought back to the unconscious woman and carefully given to her, after the second potion she painfully opens her eyes.
It takes a minute and she introduces herself as Sulianna. She explains she is a heavenly creature known as a Ghaele, and she had felt that the summoning circle was weakening around the bound demon Koth'Vaul, she had come to destroy him before he could escapre and terrorize the country side. She tells of her epic battle between her and the demon and his undead pets, and by a matter of luck she was able to crawl into this circle before she died, it protected her from the advancing attacks of the zombie dragon. After the group smashes her circle she walks over to Koth'Vaul's circle and begins to cast a spell of banishment. I had hoped to destroy the evil, but this will have to do for the moment. Koth'Vaul shows his true form before he disappears and vanishes from the prime-material plane.
Much like the summoning circle in area C1, this circle
wards against undead and outsider intrusion, but unlike
the other lines, these are still fairly fresh and strong.
Creatures: After Sulianna narrowly escaped
Koth’Vaul’s clutches, in desperation, she dove into this
empty summoning circle to escape Illvaster. The circle’s
outer rings radiate a powerful positive energy that
keeps the undead beast at bay. Unfortunately, once she
entered the circle the ancient wards prevented her from
using her own magic to escape. Having succumbed to
her wounds, she collapsed and has not recovered since.
Unless identified with a DC 23 Knowledge (planes) check,
Sulianna appears to be a beautiful, elven warrior-woman.
Development: If healed to the point of
regaining consciousness—fortunately the
summoning circle also suppresses her
Spell Resistance—Sulianna is able to speak
and explains the nature of Koth’Vaul’s
deception and Kalkamedes’s affliction.
She cannot escape the binding circle on
her own, though, and needs the PCs’
help to destroy it (hardness 5, 50 hp).
Once she is free, she remains too weak
to deal with Koth’Vaul on her own, and
she finds the PCs’ heroic perseverance
admirable. Using a fraction of her
remaining strength, she grants one
of the PCs the ability cast her banish
spell to conclude what they started.
Even though it is not as effective as
destroying Koth’Vaul completely, it at least
spares Varisia the chaos that would ensue should he break
free. Thanks to the summoning circle’s magic, casting
banish easily sends Koth’Vaul back to the Abyss.
Upon being freed and ensuring Koth’Vaul’s banishment,
Sulianna heals Kalkamedes of his affliction. With both
of them restored, the PCs earn powerful, lifelong allies.
Sulianna accompanies the group back to Kalkamedes’s
cottage and then departs for Elysium, but not before
promising a favor in return for the PCs’ assistance.
Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch expresses visible
relief upon seeing the Pathfinders return and offers
them heartfelt thanks for their patience and hard work.
Kalkamedes is also grateful, spreads word of the PCs’
good deed to his long-time Pathfinder colleagues, and—
with Gamin’s consent—gives his sword to the PCs as a
gift. In addition, he might take one or more of the PCs
under his wing and act as a mentor figure.
If the PCs freed Koth’Vaul, the demon terrorizes
Varisia, favoring sites once dedicated to the runelords
and their servants. In sparing the PCs for their
unwitting aid, it may seem that he has repaid a favor.
In fact, he simply allows the Pathfinders to dread what
may have come from their misguided action. Perhaps
years from now, after guilt has wracked the PCs’
consciences, he will return to slay them. Even if the PCs
banish Koth’Vaul, he remembers their faces and nurses a
powerful, long-lasting grudge.
If Sulianna perished before being able to cure
Kalkamedes, the Pathfinder still suffers from nightmares
for the rest of his life, though he no long sleepwalks. So
long as the azata is no longer calling to Kalkamedes, these
nightmares may be removed with the heal spell, should
any PC be willing to pay for Kalkamedes’s restoration.
Otherwise the ex-paladin never fully recovers, and
Gamin refuses to leave his side. In this case, cross Gamin
the Misforged off the characters’ Chronicle sheets.
|
|
After returning from their ordeal and freeing the Ghaele, Meredith approaches Kalkamedes and reverently hands him Gamin, "Brother Kalkamedes, I know that you do not remember me from the previous night, but my name is Meredith Galantra, Holy Paladin of Iomedae, praise Her Glory, but I have heard of you, and I bear greetings from Ollysta Zadrian, who wishes for me to extend an invitation to atone and return to your paladinhood within the Silver Crusade, if you are willing, of course. We have need of great men such as yourself, and it was truly an honor to meet you and Gamin. Thank you."
Meredith bows deeply and waits a moment for a response. After receiving the response, she smiles knowingly and nods her head in acceptance.