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Glad they had destroyed the cursed Div, Lysaer places his bow across his shoulder and retrieves his slightly glowing Sword before turning to the kneeling men. First he checks them for any signs of an evil aura with a hellish whisper before speaking.
"What are you doing here? Were you with the Sapphire Sage?" he asks, straight to the point.
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Rogar shrugs as the lady div falls pincushioned by Lysaer and Zinkudo's arrows.
"Well... that's a pity. I'm sure she could be a very nacy lady to get to know intimately... yet what's done is done I guess, and besides these poor souls here didn't seem to have enjoyed her company too much anyway..." he mentions, moving towards the men previously circling the div.
One of the men acts as a spokesman of the group, and introduces himself as Yemenez Tharn.
"An elderly Osiriani man who called himself only the Sapphire Sage hired me and my fellow mercenaries in Manaket to join him on a treasure hunt in the desert. We resupplied in a safe house owned by the Shadow Lodge before heading into the desert via flying carpets piloted by paid escorts. The old man and us were dropped off near a depression before the carpets returned to Manaket to a safe house there. Before we entered the vault, the old man cast a series of wards on us, allowing us to descend safely.
Shortly thereafter we met this fiend, and the old man ordered us to fight it while he ventured on. That didn't go well for us, and it bound our will to hers..."
Lysaer detects no evil in the mercenaries.
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Well it certainly sounds like the faction leaders, leaving their pawns to fend for themselves... Lysaer thinks bitterly, feeling again the unity of his Hellknight brethren and their loyalty to each other above all else. Happy that these men are simply used up tools he nods slowly and waits for them to answer Xarkyn's question.
Once they have done so, the Hellknight indicates they way they came with his drawn blade.
"We have a rope back there you can use to climb. Your allies are still there and you can return to them."
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Pleased that his bow has put an end to the problem without great cost in blood and treasure, Zinkyudo listens in as the rescued men explain their presence in the underground city. "One wonders just how many people Amenopheus brought with him, to leave them behind so freely," he observes. "I find a bit of frugality goes a long way in saving on hirelings."
Turning to Yemenez, he asks, "Do you have any idea how long ago he left you here? I imagine it's difficult to keep track of time when you're under such fiendish influence. Which is unfortunate, since time is money, that means you were unable to keep track of something of real value. Abadar would not be pleased."
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"Nice to meet you all, unfortunately we've got to deal with the unspeakable evil inhabiting this cursed place so I'd suggest you run for your lives before some other creature from the Abyss gts you and this time doesn't stop before eating your souls!" says Rogar trying to joke but actually sounding impatient.
"He went deeper into this place, heading eastward alone last we saw him. It might have been a few hours or maybe a day ago... The lack of sunlight and the fiend's presence made it hard to keep track of time."
Unless you have more questions, the mercenaries graciously use your rope to exit the ruins.
The main keep of the Citadel of the Weary Sky stands at the eastern end of the chamber, its pinnacle stretching into the energy storm and scraping the vault’s roof. The collapsed halls of the citadel form an arched corridor here as they begin to climb through the vast rubble pile that was once the impressive and impenetrable building. A strange, almost musical sound echoes through the fractured corridor. As you make your way farther into the chamber, the sound grows louder, until you enter into the room from which it emanates.
The steep way widens suddenly into a dimly lit room with open passages leading off the eastern and western walls. In the center of the room, a shallow fire pit burns with glowing coals. At the near edge of the fire pit, a large, lidded clay jar shakes and jostles as though something inside wanted out. A pile of broken jars lies strewn about the northern edge of the chamber.
A snake-bodied creature sits in the coal bed breathing in the fumes of exotic combustibles while he plays his pipes. He addresses you in thickly accented Common.
“Greetings, foreigners. Welcome to the immortal halls of the Cruelest Cut, the almighty Achistem B’rith. He is an avatar of the mighty Ahriman, his name be blessed forever. He separates mortals from the divine and leaves them to wallow in their own meaninglessness. Be welcome and know despair, for whoever intrudes upon the holy grounds of Achistem B’rith must choose; bow before the almighty Cruelest Cut or face the wrath of the great destroyer.”
He then places the pipes back to his lips and takes up his haunting tune again.
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Rogar looks at the snakelike creature, nonplussed:"I take you are a ultist of some evil god, right? We are searching for one old man who should have passed through here, tell us about him and we won't cause you any trouble..." he says, mentally judging the distance between him and the creature
"This looks like trouble..."
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Looking the creature up and down, Lysaer frowns beneath the dark metal of his helm, puzzled by the things hidden in this place. Stepping forwards to address the creature he nods in greeting before speaking. "Interesting, Why would a being from the Plane of Fire be working here under Ahriman? What would your Lord say about that?" he asks matter of factly, hoping to knock the creature off their guard. "Like my friend said, we are looking for an old man who went investigating here, surely you have seen him? Did he kneel or face destruction?"
The slamander smiles wistfully.
"Cultist is such a limiting title... I simply agree with Lord of All Divs, that this whole 'existence' thing has overstayed its welcome, and it should all be burned into oblivion.
Sadly, you're the first non-believers to enter these chambers since I myself arrived a few decades ago."
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"Interesting, but why exactly? To the Divs you are just another 'thing' that warrants and end, they care nothing for any other race apart from themselves." Lysaer counters, honestly baffled by the Salamander's apparent ignorance. "It stands to reason that we are not here to welcome our destruction but to find our ally, if you cannot assist with this we will be on our way, leaving to pursue your own demise as you wish."
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Guessing that this is going to end in a fight if they don't 'bow down' to this 'Cruelest Cut' character, Zinkyudo takes a shot at talking their way past anyway, "It is as my companions say, we would prefer to pass and leave you to your meditations on the end of all that lives, yourself included. Will you allow us to pass?"
He studies the creature's words and tone for any indication of whether he means them harm or speaks the truth.
The salamander plays a short, jarring melody on his pipes before responding.
"A thing to an end, and an end to all things, that is the way of my master. Irregardless, only those who have submitted to the Cruelest Cut may pass beyond this point."
Zinkyudo feels that it wont let you pass without meeting its demands.
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Lusaer grits his teeth behind his helm, allowing Zinkyudo to continue his bargaining but mentally preparing himself for combat nevertheless. The Salamander was clearly delusional, as were most followers of the dark Gods of Anarchy. He had chosen to follow a path of self destruction and Lysaer was sure that it would come sooner than the creature thought should he push this further.
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Rogar shakes his head sadly at the salamander's demand:"I fear we are not going anywhere here. Listen buddy, we need to pass and you NEED to let us pass. Otherwise our differences will become irreconciliable, and I can grant you won't like if that happens".
So saying the Taldan advances slowly towards the fire creature while drawing his sword.
The salamander smiles joyously at Rogar's aggression.
"That's the spirit! My pets should meet you to!
It knocks over the nearest jar, but seemingly nothing is inside.
Rogar is suddenly beset by a pair of flying heads that become visible as they bite him.
Rogar slices one head down and heavily wounds the other despite their tough hides.
The salamander laughs and play's its pipes as it evades and resists both attacks on it.
The salamander continues to play his pipes as he slithers closer, but this time a nefarious blast of energy emits from them.
Xarkyn is completely overcome by fear, while Deaglan, Lysaer and Rogar are merely unsettled by the sounds.
The surviving flying head is effected by the tune as well.
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Steeling himself against the mental onslaught, Lysaer grits his teeth and hurls a curse at the Salamander, fool that the creature is. Calling upon his divine patrons to Judge the cultist for his Chaotic, heretical ways, the Hellknight rushes forth, skirting around the creature to take it from the side, better to distract it for Rogar.
for
The salamander's long tail lashes out at the hellknight as he closes in.
It then deftly dodges Lysaer's blade while cackling madly.
The surviving head attempts to flee out the way you entered, but Deaglan puts an end to its unholy existence.
Zinkyudo peppers the salamander with arrows as Xarkyn flees past him. The fiery outsider is disturbingly swift, though, and it dodges and even deflects all but the last arrow.
The salamander dodges both of Deaglan's hammer blows, cackling as it does so.
Rogar delivers two powerful blows, and the salamander becomes more somber. It slithers away from Lysaer and pummels Rogar with its fists.
The brash Taldan does however dodge and parry everything thrown at him.
The fact that the salamander deflects Zinkyudo's arrow dosen't save it from three powerful swings from Rogar and Lysaer, and it falls to the ground.
Scattered about the room are many amphorae and coffers holding gold, jewels, and art treasures of ancient Jistka worth 4,800 gp.