Hmmm...immobilize the debris and dig under it, or clear everything away from the top down? I'll probably have to do a combination, and it'll depend on how much help I can get. The wall alone is going to be insane; maybe I can get the Osirians to help? That'd be a change!
Ianez starts from the brown study he's been in since leaving the Library. "Oh, yes. The book! Here it is. And the map."
Phoebe bites a chunk of bread a little more fiercely. She eyes Sandru, some part of her trusting, some other part self-protective.
"It's been hard for all of us," she says. "Onward we go. Into the flames."
The map:
Ianez unfolds the blueprints for the Tower Out of Time. The tower is a turret structure hovering invisibly over the city, 30 feet in the air, with no foundations in the ground. It's composed of four levels, capped by a fifth level that's a giant clock. This final level is secret. It can only be accessed by finding two clock hands, the hour hand and minute hand, and putting them onto the face of the clock.
The book:
Running Out of Time, page 452:
i. The Tower Out of Time is an artifact, a pocket dimension that was built by the powerful temporal wizard, Justinius Crowley, who died in the great fire of 3016 AR. This was before the rise of the great warlord, Tar-Baphon and all of the evil that afterward ensued.
ii. Crowley built the Tower as his own private laboratory. When Tar-Baphon rose to power, he eradicated all of his enemies in the land. One of his first casualties was Crowley and his Tower, which fell under his hand. However, the nature of the Tower is that it cannot be destroyed. Crowley dispersed its energies into three crystals, that when brought together again reconstitute the tower, or more accurately, bind it into the present time.
iii. When the three crystals are brought together in the center of the town square, at the nexus of seven major ley lines in Ustalav, they'll reveal the Tower Out of Time, bind it into the present temporality, and permit the Six to gain access to it.
iv. A prophecy - "The Six" refers to children of the future, who will hasten the Tower to its ultimate reckoning. The first of the Six guards the way to where this tome will be found. She has to fight her own demons across a valley of fog. The second of the Six will recover the first crystal focus, which was buried in the sands of Osirion. The third of the Six will find the second crystal focus, which was flung to the Void and lost to the Abyss.
v. The third crystal was stolen and taken to where ships cut through aerial seas.
vi. The minute hand of the clock is guarded by one who has betrayed. It will be recovered by the fourth of the Six. These two will know each other when they come face to face. Only one of them can prevail.
vii. Even after the three crystals are brought together, the fifth of the Six will be the key to gaining access to the Tower.
viii. The hour hand to the clock will be in the Tower. As also the fate of the last of the Six.
So be it. And so save them our world...
"...'where ships cut through aerial seas'. Hmmm."
what roll to know location of an airship port, or similar?
"Given the sort of people wandering around in this benighted city right now - present company excepted of course - it seems safe to assume that we should check out this Zeppelin Station Sandru found mention of."
"Sadly I have no way of getting us that far quickly. Does anyone else?"
"I agree with Master Caromarc. Our only option right now is Zeppelin Station."
"The Six that the book mentions, is that referring to us? La Sireen, Caromarc, Sandru, Ianez, Gaston and myself? Wondering if this is preordained. The doctor being the traitor and the Six being us."
Quinn, going into policeman mode, looks around Sabina's establishment. He looks if her wares are still about. He wonders if the drowess evacuated the place.
Maybe you and the Dwarf, Copper.
Can Quinn replenish some arrows? Is that locked away too?
Quinn finds a ledger laying on the counter that includes the credit line to "M. Gastnicht et al & co. for purposes of adventuring". Next to the ledger is a pen and inkwell. There is a stock of arrows in the open, not locked away. Madam Sabina has anticipated you would make further purchases. If you record any things you take as a withdrawal on your credit in the ledger, all should be fine.
As Phoebe digs in to the bread and cheese, Blackacre, who was in stone at the time of the goodberry sharing, suddenly realizes the source of some of his weakness. He looks over the food to see if there is enough for two.
...
As the book is read, Blackacre draws out a cigarette and furrows his brow. The Six must be us - La Sireene battling her demons, the first focus found in the Osirian ... tomb, the second focus out in the void. I don't always give this prophecy stuff much attention, but it seems someone had an idea of what would happen to us.
Indeed, Running Out of Time...a book written perhaps by an apprentice to Crowley himself. Probably someone unimportant, except for his part in conveying a chain of events that stretch through time and across generations.
Also, there's enough food to share.
The minute hand of the clock is guarded by one who has betrayed. It will be recovered by the fourth of the Six. These two will know each other when they come face to face. Only one of them can prevail.
"Looks like I'm the fourth of the Six and "Short Stack" is my nemesis. It must be fate that I must face him."
The Zen Archer replenishes his durable arrows and looks at other type of items that he may need, especially a new rope. His previous 50' rope was cut in half.
Blackacre approaches the food with a May I? Unless he hears an objection from Phoebe or Sandru, he stubs out his cigarette and digs in.
The scholar likewise sits down and eats heartily. "I'd forgotten what an appetite hunger will give you."
"You're right - we should eat."
"Unless someone was betrayed by, say, eating a poison cheese."
I look up to the ceiling. There was movement up there. Think we could send light up there?
The Earl whispers some words and four glowing lights materialise around him . Once they have stabilised he starts them ascending slowly.
The ceiling is full of cobwebs, but Sabina's roost is empty. Shadows jump from every corner. Just a trick of the light. The mind jumps to all sorts of conclusions. After all, you are dealing with drow...
The snore of the girl interrupts from the other room. Otherwise, you're alone with your book, the map, your companions, and silence.
"Hurry up with the meal. We must head out."
Quinn continues to look around for a 50 foot rope and a map of the city.
Quinn finds what he is searching for.
"Let's go, then."
Quinn ready to go.
The Mechanical manservant starts looking for rope. Logically a spider-obsessed craftswoman would probably have a spool of spider-silk rope, which might well blend in with the general spider-web look of the place...
The Mechanical Manservant finds a length of spider-silk rope.
Your party moves out to the Littlecog Zeppelin Station at the Windy Way Port.
Do you trust me enough to let me pick you up? We'll move faster. I look for Phoebe's answer.
"Sure," Phoebe says. She's about adds a smartalecky comment, like 'Time is ticking', but this makes her think of Agnes. So she just grunts in solidarity and holds her arms up for Sandru.
The Littlecog Zeppelin Station was thusly named because it's the smaller of two dirigible stations, both flight nodes for airships from all over Golarion. Its sister, the Greatcog Station, is a large glass dome, fortified by a copper, skeletal structure. Greatcog is always busy. Most of the arrivals and departures there are passenger blimps. Of course, it's dangerous to fly on a night such such as this.
The Littlecog Zeppelin Docks are on the opposite side of town from their counterpart. They're much less built up, consisting of merely a large runway, paved in stone, that runs out to, and ends at, a treacherously high cliff. There's a platform that runs parallel to the cliff face, that supports the loading terminal...a rectangular building, again all glass and copper. Off to one side of the runway is another small maintenance shed used by mechanics.
Littlecog receives the occasional passenger blimp, but most of the flights are cargo freight. It is renowned for a particular quirk - the high winds that blow in from off of the cliff face. There's a strong trajectory of air that descends from cold strata up high; when it hits the docks, it rushes inland and sheets in across the runway. This has caused not a few accidents with the zeppelins, as well as toppling over people who are embarking or debarking from the station.
As your party nears the station this night, the wind blows in with a terrible fury. It screams in your ears and requires that you plant your feet steadily as you go.
"You know..." Caromarc starts aimlessly as they arrive "When I was a boy I dreamed of becoming a Zeppelin pilot. Travelling to new places, seeing everything from high above, sailing the world on wings of wind."
He pauses
"Father wouldn't hear of it, of course. Told me I had romantic notions. Claimed I was dreaming of a girl in every port. Told me as eldest Caromarc I had a duty to my country."
I put the Flame Oracle down. Blackacre, let's go... Copper, cover us.
I advance, charging and reaching back for the silver javelin.
The night sky flashes purple with bright jags of lightning. It illuminates two figures on the runway. Hunched, bestial...werewolves. Both of them huddle over a third body lying prostrate on the ground. This one is broken, torn, and lifeless. A drow with a satchel torn to shreds. One of the werewolves continues to feast on their kill, while the other grows bored with picking at the victim, and lopes a few yards away. The winds blow their scent to you, but carry your scent away from them. Consumed with their bloodlust, they do not notice you.
A frost drake circles high above the platform. The two-legged dragon has dull blue scales tinged with bright blue ice. A freezing mist issues from between its powerful jaws. Each time its massive wings slam down the air, the reverberation hurts your eardrums.
Blackacre trots alongside Sandru, drawing his sword as he runs.
Phoebe hangs back, and watches your team close in on the werewolves. The wind whips her hair violently. It's an effort to smooth it away from her face. She lends an ear to the wizard's musings. After he finishes his thought, she pats him on the elbow. "There, there, Jornel," she smiles bemusedly. "I'm sure you would have made a great airship pilot. Perhaps you'll still do it."
As the werewolves are distracted, I try to get around one...
Your party expertly moves into position. La Siréene readies herself for battle. Sandru ducks into a crouch, and slinks around the lycanthrope standing over the drow corpse. He is now upwind of the beast. The creature sniffs at the air, as if detecting the new scent on the wind. There is a tense moment. Nevertheless, it just grunts and returns to its kill.
Confrontation is imminent...
The monk draws an arrow. He gauges his chance of success if she shoots into the strong winds. The taut catgut bowstring slightly creaks. Steady...steady...aim... Thwip! Thud!
The arrow hits the werewolf over the drow square in the back, and drives deep between its shoulder blades. It howls in fury! It rips the fletching out of its back to make sure it isn't silver.
The frost drake whips its neck in a reptilian movement. Its head crashes down to the earth sideways, and chomps the other werewolf. One slurp upends the werewolf headfirst into its jaws. Second slurp...it slides down its gullet.
The dragon screams and the air crackles with rime.
Hareton's monsters are turning on each other. Clearly, the crisis has gotten worse. The whole world is in complete chaos.
Hopefully, you're not too late.
La Siréene sees the Frost Drake chomp down on the werewolf, and smiles to herself. She places a hand on the ground, and dozens of small, indistinct shapes moves out from her touch, like ripples on calm water.
The ripples congregate under the Frost Drake and from the stone into the wet air rises a staircase, a platform in front of the Frost Drake.
Frost drake... they...
Blackacre conjures in his mind the horrors visited upon the city and upon his colleagues as a result of Dr. Hareton Grey's conceit. He then focuses those thoughts and sends them to the drake. He shouts as he approaches the beast, Consider what you have been a part of! Consider the pain unleashed by the man whom you serve!
The frost drake paws the air, turns its neck like a large iguana, and stares down Blackacre. It flicks a forked tongue across its snout, anticipating the satisfaction of this next tasty morsel. However, when the mad man yells into the wind, the drake's slit-like pupils contract, squeeze to a point...the cool, cerulean orbs combust into bright topaz, and its mind burns with the fiery vengeance of Ragathiel! It takes on a haunted expression, and jerks its head back, its impulse to fight is doubled back on itself, knocking the air out of it, punching it repeatedly in the gut.