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Songan sighs when he realizes the brain crab is gone, scratching the back of his head with a claw. He tries to recall any knowledge he may have of this particular species of animal that may've naturally enabled it to escape from the crab pot they had caught it in.
While doing his thinking, he makes a round about the colony, wanting to see if there is anything in particular he can do to make himself useful to the colonists in the first little bit of the day.
Afterward, he tries to get together with the other protectors to confer with them on what exactly should be done about the incursion the previous day as well as what their next move should be with regard to Uriah and the other revelations about where exactly they are.
Try as he might, Songan wracks his brain and comes up with very little. The crab's pot sits empty and alone, forgotten on the dirt when Songan suddenly notices strange little indentations appearing in the dirt coming from the pot and heading toward the gates....
Just as Catila moves to check that the pot is actually empty, instead of just appearing empty, she notices where Songan is looking and finds her guess confirmed. "It wasn't empty, it was just invisible again!" cursing at their combined foolishness, she quickly begins casting a spell, hoping to temporally paralyze the creature before it can get away.
Casts: Guilt for rounds.
Knowing she can't target what she can't see, the wily detective instead grabs a precious inkwell out of her pouch and, hoping Krupt can concoct more of the rare black liquid, she throws it hard towards the area she best judges the invisible crab to be.
Ranged Splash Attack:
Leralt sends a web the annoying things way.
"You know if you dont show yourself, regardless of what the others say I will kill you. Then ask your dead body what I need to know. That being said I suggest you stop playing with us."
If Lena can see the creature enough to target it, she will cast brand, hoping to mark the creature so everyone can see.
If she can't target (or if she knows that the brand wouldn't show up with invisibility ) she will instead draw her crossbow and ready action to shoot the crab as soon as it is visible)
As Songan notices the soft tracks beginning to appear, Catila's quick hand sends an inkpot whirling at the thing. With a CRACK in seeming midair, the pot shatters and covers the form of the crab, very much invisible and now very visible, with ink. As the heroes scramble to act, the thing's mental pleas shriek in their heads.
"Mercy! Mercy! Surrender! No escape, no try to escape! mercy! mercy!"
The inky crab stops and puts its claws into the air, seeming for all the world like a tiny crabby prisoner.
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Songan, thankful for Catila's quick thinking of hurling the inkpot at the crab, revealing the ink-mottled creature for where it really was, scowls down at the creature. The catfolk lunges headlong for the crustacean-like entity, drawing his longsword and beginning a downward swing, stopping only as the creature thrusts it's claws upward to mentally beg for mercy.
"Mercy?! YOU dare beg US for mercy?! YOU invade our camp with YOUR enslaved giants, attack OUR colonists, try to steal OUR children from us, murder OUR companions, and even AFTER we spared your WORTHLESS LIFE last night, despite the fact you saw the other of you nearly eaten alive by our good Doctor, STILL you beg US for MERCY?! What POSSIBLE right do you have to such an act from us?? What can you POSSIBLY OFFER US?!?!"
Lena rushes over to where Songan stands, bearing down on the crab and points her crossbow at the creature, racking the bolt into place she stares menacingly at the creature, lip curled in a stern snarl.
The ink-stained crab dispels its invisibility, appearing normal, if covered in black ink. It seems to cringe, drawing its limbs into itself in an effort to make itself smaller or defend its core. "Mercy, masters, mercy! This one has information, information of the True Key! This one has heard the Plan, knows the Ether Mage's desires! This one knows of the true reason for this place, of the binding of Yrsinius!" Its mental voice seems plaintive and fearful.
"Can you all hear this?" Lena asks, glancing about at the others, while maintaining her aim on the creature. As it speaks she watches it intently, seeking to pick up on any clues
"Yes, I can hear it. Please make it tell us promptly and succinctly. That voice is like nails down a slate board," says Krupt, who appears to have developed a twitch in his right eye each time the thing projects.
"But first, get back in the pot, or I'll let my feline friend have his seafood dinner. I cannot believe I was taken by a simple field of invisibility. Embarassing."
The crab visibly shakes and slinks toward the pot. As it goes, it continues its mental whine. "The Ether Mage wishes to use the True Key to unlock Yrsinius' cage. When the Plague Lord is unleashed, the Ether Mage..." It has no sooner said the words 'ether mage' a third time when it begins to keen and howl with pain and its legs shake and twitch. On its back, the hard brain-etched shell begins to smoke and bubble, and the smell of burning crab assaults your nose as the crab explodes into flame and smoke!
Leralt shrugs at what is left of the creature.
"Well that seems utterly pointless now doesn't it. So it seems that the little girl is the key. As far as I know the safest place on this island is the collective, you could send her there if you want. After all I was fine until I came here and had mind crabs inside giants attacking me on the first day."
He waves away his own thoughts.
"Which does bring me to the reason for my ill fated return. Would anyone be interested in exploring the former home of the guardians. I very much doubt they were destroyed as a favor to us by the enemy."
Krupt raises an eyebrow as he glances sidelong at Songan. "I wouldn't advise eating him. He's probably overcooked."
The Doctor runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Leralt's plan has merit, but we can't be certain our foe doesn't have the power to destroy them as well. We certainly didn't expect him to eradicate the Guardians. Likely he did it so that they wouldn't...kill her...before he could acquire her for his plan." Krupt's last words falter a bit as something obviously occurs to him and he seems unsettled. He starts to say something else, but looks over at Lena for a moment and seems to change his mind.
Lena nods at Leralt's suggestion to explore the Pale Guardians' lair.
"Go on Doctor" Lena says through narrowed eyes, as she unloads her crossbow and stows it at across the small of her bacl "What were you going to say?"
"No, nothing, just a thought for another time and place. Sending Hope to the Collective doesn't assure her safety from being captured, but we also can't take her with us while seeking out the enemy. We might as well hand her to him wrapped in a bow in that instance. I think the angel's chamber might work temporarily. If any crabs drive more giants at us, they certainly won't be squeezing down there." Krupt sighs, rubbing at his temples.
"For now let us assert that under no circumstances can we allow the girl to fall into his hands. Agreed?"
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Songan smirks over to Krupt, though he seems decidedly put out by the fact that their newest ticket to some additional information is no more.
"Bah. Probably one of those poisonous shellfish types, anyway. The assumption regarding Hope seems a fair one, as unpleasant as the idea is. I imagine the former mayor would have no qualms annihilating all of the Guardians if it meant the furtherance of his plans for this...Yrsinius, whomever that may be. We shall all have to try and discern what we can about this entity, as it's return seems to be the ultimate goal of our enemies."
"Regardless, you are correct, Doctor. Under no circumstances can Hope be allowed to fall into our enemy's grasp. The deva's chamber does seem as defensible a position as any. Is his magical circle still intact? Does it still protect as it did when the deva inhabited it?"
Leralt shakes his head.
"Remember what it was built for and by who. The circle will be of no defense, not to mention the location is known by the enemy sense he built it. If my long ago, from Gellius point of view, suggestion had been heeded their would be at least one underground cellar dug for food storage and emergency shelter. Alas, I still say the collective is the safest place. Honestly they are far more powerful then this settlement and once someone is joined to them their are useless to the enemy. A rather interesting but non lethal last resort."
He looked at Gellius on that last statement, having no illusions that he would in fact kill the child if forced rather then lose her.
"To get to the collective, we would need to travel across the wilderness with a baby in tow. No I think the vault is the best place for Hope at the moment. We shall have to trust Wolf, Bear and the colonists to defend her well while we investigate the Pale Guardians' lair"
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"It's hard to say if there IS a safe place for Hope to be right now, given the nature of our enemy. He seems to have a great deal of personal power to do what he wishes...if we were any more than a minor inconvenience to his plans, he'd probably be dealing with us in a more direct manner."
"Regardless, I agree with Lena. Our best course of action is to investigate what became of the Pale Guardians. Surely Mevakh can see to the defense of the homefront should it require defending again."
"Leralt, have you done any further study of the circle in which the angel was contained? I've been pondering something. The angel held a position in some celestial bureaucracy, and was replaced when he went missing. Why didn't they make an attempt to rescue him? Is it possible that there are dweomers in place to block divinatory magics, and would they feasibly hide anything placed within the circle, or only that which the circle was designed to contain? If the former, and the circle still holds power, it would provide some defense."
Krupt rubs his chin and ruminates a moment.
"Then again, it may be best just to keep her above ground in the colony. He wants Hope alive. Since we know he has the power to rain fire down from the sky, it might be best to keep her among the others, so he has a reason not to burn the whole place to ashes while we're gone."
Leralt shakes his head.
"I already explained what I know about it and why placing her there wont be much help, it may in fact make her abduction easier as their is nothing to stop him from teleporting with in and taking her. He lived their for a time, placing her in a location he has never been is far safer in that respect. A simple somewhat thick layer of lead can block out all but the most powerful of divination spells in which case their is nothing to be currently done."
"Hmm. Well, lead is rather malleable. If we've enough supply in the colony, the smiths could hammer it into sheets to screen a small room. Something to consider, I suppose."
At Leralt/Gellius: "That might not be a bad idea, if it is doable"
Well if everyone is in agreement Lena will begin speaking to the colonists in particular those of the People who are here, Sister Mara and the Mayor about leaving Hope in their care. She will stress the importance of keeping her safe.
Over the next day, a council is called and the colonists, the People and the heroes sit down to discuss the situation. The People, as represented by Wolf and Bear, who sports a few new scars, but is otherwise healed, agree to put out a call for some of the more combative of the People to lend their strength while the party heads to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Pale Guardians. The colonists double the guard and set watchers on all the walls to keep an eye out for any trouble and everyone reiterates their commitment to the colony and to keeping Hope safe. The mood is somber, but determined when the council breaks.
The night following the crab's self-immolation is quiet, as the extra watches do their jobs. The following morning bags are packed, weapons stowed and the party begins the march to the caverns of the Pale Guardians, with Dr Krupt leading the way.
As you approach the caverns, the land gets more and more rocky, with what appears to be igneous rock breaking the landscape. The rock seems to be warm to the touch, not hot enough to burn but pleasantly warm. You pass a hot spring that bubbles happily, and it is with regret that you leave it behind.
As you climb a small rise, you reach the top to find a jagged scar in the earth, where rough stairs have been carved in the cliff faces leading into the ground.
"Nothing seems to have changed since I was last here. We take the stair down. Then a tunnel into the cliffside to a great chamber. There are a number of caves leading off from there. I'll let someone else lead if they'd like."
Leralt knowing better then to rush in, despite his desire to know more, stays to the back middle part of the party. But he sends Tulos forward to scout while flying.
"I'm not certain. Since the lot of you were gone, I only had volunteer colonists with me my first trip here. After witnessing the devastation our enemy wrought upon the Guardians, my companions were understandably reluctant to do a thorough investigation."
"Let's get in there and find out"
Lena slams a clip into her repeating crossbow and stalks carefully down the stairs
She checks the bottom of the stairs, and if all clear calls back up to the others
"You coming boys?"
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"Well, I suppose it's definitely a good thing that we were released from whatever curse froze us in time. The longer it takes us to find out what happened here, the longer it will take us to deal with the ultimate source of all our troubles."
Songan gives a slight grin at Lena's enthusiastic endorsement of further investigation. He follows her down the stairs, his long tail curling back on itself.
"Thought you'd never ask."
The stairs leading downward seem to be devoid of any dust or accumulation like you'd expect there to be. The stairway ends in a small chamber, where piles of decaying fungus are scattered around the room, and a small door made of a single piece of stone leads to places beyond. The fungus piles give off a smell like foul corn as you enter and a couple of them bubble ominously.
Lena crouches to examine the fungus before heading to the door and listening behind it. She waits until the others are ready before moving on.
Leralt takes in everything while searching his mind.
Krupt stays back from the fungus, letting the others take the lead.
Songan and Lena listen closely at the door, but they don't hear anything save a whistling, like wind through a tight spot. They also smell a wet, musty odor.