|
The thick mist obscures nearly all of Ajaline's vision so he is left with only hearing the sounds of combat close by. Then it suddenly ends but for some reason the magical mist doesn't dissipate. The voices from the halfling, half-orc, and half-elf carry through the mist and he realizes something is wrong.
"Everyone hold still until we can figure out what is going on." he says in a loud and imperious voice. He scans around hoping to see some clue.
|
A crack of thunder and the tang of ozone cut through the complex. The figures before you, and indeed the walls, the floor, even the air itself seem to crumble and fall away like glittering sands through an hourglass. Unfamiliar figures—their heavy, hooded robes embroidered with the symbol of a winged eye—stand about the field, their hands crackling with lightning. Dozens of Pathfinder spellcasters lie dead at their feet. A gargantuan image of a woman appears and shimmers like a desert mirage. She has a regal bearing, but her features are lined as if by years of endless duty.
”Arrogant Pathfinders! Your ridiculous Society spends fortunes and lives to reassemble a treasure that turns time itself like the pages of a book—a key that could undo all the misery and suffering our world now knows—and you use it for this? Poking at snakes and playing at heroism? Golarion knew a true hero once! Our Lord Aroden—who raised the Starstone from the sea and imprisoned the undead tyrant Tar-Baphon—could already walk the world again were it not for your petty games and delays. Every death in your hours of playtime now hangs as a weight around your collective necks, you spoiled children.
“I am Lady Arodeth, and on behalf of the Harbingers of Fate and the God of Mankind himself, I have seized your Sky Key. Its defenders threw their lives away trying to stop compassion and destiny from returning to this world. I advise you not to throw your own lives away attempting to do the same.
“Behold the return of the Last Azlanti! Behold Aroden!”
You all realize that some glowing amorphous worm is the least of your worries, as the time bubble is clearly beginning to collapse. You stumble your way out of the obscuring mist and make a dash for the nearest exit. You run down the corridor and barrel around the corner, catching the flash of the a tiny bird shifting back into the form of a blue worm of glowing miasma just a short distance to the right, but you know seconds might matter in escaping this time trap, so you keep running. A strange otherworldly voice calls out in a high-pitched wavering voice "Awww...come back and play some more!" Even its voice fades in and out with the pulses of the time field's collapse. You just manage to clear the time bubble, along with dozens of other pathfinders before the serpent citadel is gone, slipping back into the lost mists of time.
.
.
The robed Heralds begin casting, and arcs of lightning leap to the rods made of skymetal. A deep thrum from somewhere below reverberates with chest-tightening force, then the earth begins to heave and quake. Emerald green miasma lashes out, snaking back along the arcs of arcane lightning and infecting hooded casters throughout the crowd. Your body—or perhaps the whole world—crumbles to dust and you hear a distant scream of “She’s overloaded it!”
And just as swiftly, the world is whole again, but in place of a flower-speckled field stands the sprawling marketplace of a small city. Ivory-white buildings and columns feature reliefs and endless statuary all depicting physically perfect human specimens in poses of glory over serpentfolk. A chiton-clad crowd of gawkers stares, both at you and at the roiling dome of green light that encompasses nearly a square mile of territory, beyond which this strange city stretches on.
Robed Heralds panic as they sprint beyond the edges of the glistening dome, only to collapse just beyond its border. There they scream and writhe, their bones cracking as flesh and sinew age to dust in mere moments. Meanwhile, those unfortunates consumed by the green miasma scream and stagger, their features warping and bloating as if the power seeking refuge within them were too big for mere flesh to contain.
.
And high overhead, a looming stone glows with a light visible even in the growing light of dawn.
|
"Oh...oh my," Isme gasps as the very world seems to crumble around them, reform, then crumble again, leaving them in yet another unfamiliar setting. "I...don't think this was a part of the Society's plan!"
As the group attempts to get their bearings, the alchemist's face suddenly grows pale with shock and fear as she gazes up at the stone hanging in the sky.
"This...this is the day of Earthfall! But why are we here?"
Meanwhile, the chiton-clad natives of your new location in time to which you've traveled don't seem shocked by your appearance as much as you'd expect--they aren't shocked by you popping into existence as much as they are offput by the odd menagerie of humanoids. They are becoming agitated & angry. They begin yelling, some of then angrily yelling at you. You recognize the occasional common roots and words, probably Azlanti.
In particular, you note 3 well-dressed citizens on top of the stage, who seem to be whipping up the rest of the crowd more and more (through mundane words--no magic or special abilities seem to be in play, just good ol' tar-and-feather rabble rousing).
You probably have a few moments to discuss what to do before it becomes a more dangerous situation--nobody seems to have any weapons out, indeed, most folks aren't armed. The men on the stage wear no armor, and only have daggers in the belt. Given their jewel-encrusted hilts, they look more for show than anything else.
See Current Map
Check out new:| Overarching Status Map
|
|
"Earthfall..." Zavubak looks to the sky for a moment, noting the approaching light. "That means our time here must be limited. We have to move quickly."
He then looks at the three noble-looking locals and attempts to scare them. "You there! We've no time to explain. Leave us be or I shall take your daggers and place them into the hole from which you breathe." He takes out his double axe and holds it up menacingly in a show of force.
|
|
Using a mix of words that he has heard over the course of their travels, Lorian raised his voice to address the crowd. "Hey! Do you really think those guys there care about you? If they did, they would be true leaders and leading. Instead, they are flapping their gums and expect you to do their dirty work for them. Spend the next few hours with your loved ones as I think this place is going to be in a world of hurt, wrath of the Gods kind of hurt!
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Once the world begins to fade away behind them, Etna will simply be saying one thing as they run. "Oh crap oh crap oh crap." Thankfully they reached the outside in time before everything shimmered away. However, she could only groan when she saw what happened next.
"Why does everyone hate us! The pathfinders are pretty swell when compared to most adventuring guilds!"
Once it is pointed out where and when they have been transported, she will begin to panic how ever.
"Oh gosh oh jeez you mean the big rock that hits the planet and wipes like everything out?! How do we get back? Are we actually going to be able to see Aroden? Can he sign my journal or would that disappear to?"
Etna was actually starting to panic a bit, running around in a small circle nearly oblivious. Her screaming and panicking may help intimidate the people around them, taking her for some sort of violent mad women.
They seem unimpressed with your threats, though a few do seem distracted by Lorian's attempt at telling a tale, even though they don't seem to understand a word of it--like watching an opera without the subtitles. Unfortunately, none of the ringleaders seem to care one whit, two of them even using your idle threats for emphasis of the danger you present.
|
|
Although Isne didn't really want to make threats, the crowd was in the way of them finding a way to get back to the present before Earthfall began and killed them all.
These people are long dead; don't waste time worrying about them now.
"Can't you see the stone in the sky?" she screams, pointing upward. "You waste time on trifles when you should all be praying to whatever gods you know! We're all doomed! DooOooOOooomed!"
Ajaline flairs his nostrils, raising an eyebrow and gives the ringleaders the stink eye, saying in elven: "You Azlanti think you're the epitomy of civilization, when your little human tribe is a mere blip on the radar of world. We elves are bemused at your feeble efforts to achieve what we is our simple birthright: near immortality compared to the blink of an eye of your human existence..."
While they may not have understood the words, Ajaline manages to cow the citizenry, and the ringleaders skulk off to disappear into the crowd. There is still muttering and rumbles as the crowds disperse, and Barl and Zavubak are the recipients of fearful and/or spiteful sidelong glances, but the crowd does break up around you. You notice similar occurrences among the crowds as far as the eye can see, Pathfinders cajoling, browbeating and occasionally using more violent means to deal with the unruly locals, but things seem to be settling down.
A familiar figure limps out from between two buildings. The weight of years seems to hang over Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s illustrious Master of Scrolls, his face more deeply lined than it was this morning.
.
“My apologies for not reaching you more quickly, but I have been quite distracted,” he pants. To the left and right across the ancient marketplace, other versions of Kreighton Shaine are speaking to other, equally bewildered Pathfinders. “It seems redundant to say so at this point, but the Harbingers of Fate have seized control of the Sky Key, and we all appear to be trapped in what the Isle of Kortos used to be eons ago. The same sort of temporal bubble that brought the serpentfolk city of Sessegishoss to us now keeps our forces pinned down here.
.
“We are attempting to uncover the Sky Key Vault now. While the vault itself seems to be here in this time period, our entrance to it wasn’t projected back, and we’ve lost our bearings relative to its location in this new landscape. What’s more, I worry simply reclaiming the Sky Key will not be enough to allow our escape— that green surge we all witnessed seems to have invested many of the Harbingers with enough of the Sky Key’s energy to maintain our chronological exile.”
.
Shaine looks worriedly up at the sky. “We will need to work together to uncover the vault and cut the tethers that anchor time period to the Harbingers’ spellcasters. We must do both so we can use the Sky Key to escape.”
.
A crack of thunder sounds overhead as the dome of green light twists and arcs down to the surface with a thunderous crash, and strange, hairy beasts stride where it struck. “And we would be wise to move quickly.”
.
Shaine hands each of you a potion of cure light wounds. "I wish I could offer you more aid, but these should help. Now quickly, do you have any further questions? We have little time..."
|
|
"Well...nicely done Ajaline," Isme whispers, for once feeling a bit embarrassed by the utter failure of her own attempt to get the crowd to back down.
As Shane (or an image?) appears and fills in the gaps on their current situation, the half-elf frowns. "Okay, what we must do seems relatively clear but who are the Harbingers of Fate? Who is Lady Arodeth and why has she done this?"
|
|
Barl is very concerned by their situation. "If we can't escape this time period we will be all killed with these poor doomed fools. Are we working on uncovering the vault or cutting the tethers? Personally I would like to choose the vault if it is up to us." Even in these dire circumstances his desire to see the important archaeological site is strong.
Shaine says, "We do need to figure out where the vault might be in this landscape, and how to access it. Technically, it should be exactly where it was in our time, it's just that the world around it has changed. It lies probably around 300' below us...somewhere. Any ideas on how to figure that out, or go searching for that? Any of you have burrow speeds? Or some kind of divination? I'm certainly open to suggestions."
.
Then he turns to Isme , saying, "Lady Arodeth is the leader of a cult known as The Harbingers of Fate who are determined to bring Aroden back to our world. They obviously had some scheme to use the Sky Key to do just that, but I'm fairly certain this isn't what they intended. We obviously need to deal with the surviving Harbingers, who seem to have absorbed some of the time bubble spell’s power, and may even be supporting it by holding on to that power, acting as living anchors for the spell, keeping us anchored to this moment in time. How do we shut that down? That’s the lovely part: I’m not completely sure. Advanced magical theory was always more Aram’s bag. But then, it does seem to be a sort of magic, so anything you have to shut down magical effects should do the trick. And if it is a magical effect, it will probably expire upon their deaths—tragic, certainly, but better than all of us dying here. Then again, these Harbinger spellcasters must be of some relative skill based on the spells they performed. You may be able to coax them into dismissing the effects themselves, though their temporal investitures seem to have made them a bit… erratic. Luckily, these Harbingers seem easy enough to spot.” At this he points out three figures in the distance in 3 different directions, each of whom give off an eerie green glow that seems to pulse in synch with the time bubble.
You see a human female
You see a human male
You see a human male
Shaine looks at each of you with what passes for excitement in his eyes. "Where to?"
.
|
|
Barl is crestfallen when he hears Shaine's explanation. "As much as I would like to see the Vault, I fear we must leave that to other Pathfinders who have the experience and equipment required for such an undertaking."
"Yes, I see the fancy man. He might be one whom we could persuade as he doesn't look like much of a fighter at all."
|
|
Etna does seem to calm down as the situation is explained, now simply running in place instead of around in circles. "Ok, find these people and ask them to stop the timy wimey stuff, got it. If they say no, stab them a couple of times. It is sad, but they did kill alot of our fellow pathfinders to bring us back here. Lets hurry as fast as we can though, don't wanna die before I was even born!"[/b]
"yeah lets go talk tot he guy with out weapons. He might be a caster, but that might also mean he will be able to stop the spell with out us fighting. I'll give him my biggest smile before I start screaming about the end of the literal world."
|
|
"Wow, what a tale to be told if we get back" Lorian said as he looked at the three figures. "Let us see if we can talk them into shutting down the bubble themselves rather than trying to kill them. While I do not have much knowledge in the magical arts, if they agree to turn it off, they can gradually decrease the power rather than causing a sudden and erratic disruption in what they are doing if it was dropped one at a time."
"Excuse me"Lorian said in common and then in elven if that does not seem to get their attention. "While I am not a follower of Aroden like the others in the land of Taldor, I do not think the amount of chaos that you are about to unleash is part of his tenets. In our time there are followers that still hope for his return but it will not help if you cause a rip in the fabric of magic and make things worse for those that are still here. You might kill everyone and there will be no one left to share his memory and teachings like you do. Please turn off what you are doing carefully so that no one gets hurt."
|
|
Isme also seems rather disappointed, but rallies quickly and nods. "So be it. I would have liked to see the Vault as well but Barl is right, I don't think any of us currently have the capability to locate it. We shall have to do our part by dealing with the tethered people and hope the senior Pathfinders will be able to find the vault."
"I do agree, the 'fancy man' is likely a caster of some sort - note the lack of armor and weapons. But perhaps if we can persuade him to cease, it will make it easier to convince the other two to do the same."
The group decides to head for the "fancypants." As you draw nearer, you see a human male dressed in robes with a dagger at his belt and no visbile armor. Beyond giving off a green glow, he is indeed acting strangely. He seems to be strolling along without a care in the world, walking up to the occasional citizen too flabbergasted to move away in time, and upon reaching them, makes a large gesture of munificence, appearing to be granting his blessing upon the confused Azlanti citizen. None of you think he is casting any spells, you sense no divine power. More like someone who's a few components short of a cantrip.
.
Lorian begins to address him in Common, and he does seem to understand, but Lorian only gets as far as "While I am not a follower of Aroden like the others in the land of Taldor--"
before he's interrupted by a searing arc of green lightning lashing down from the above, striking the ground between you and the Harbinger. As the lingering green flare fades and your vision returns, you see of a Small-sized lizard standing on its more powerful hind legs, which have nasty claws. It sees you and rattles and roars its challenge at you. The glowing human seems bemused by its presence.
|
|
Ajaline seems to have exerted so much emotional energy while delivering his passionate speech to the people that he doesn't really notice much of what is going on. Shaine pointed off into the crowd to point out the spellcasters that he called anchors but Ajaline didn't even see where those figures were.
Listening to the others talk about the "fancy man" just makes Ajaline more frustrated. "I simple cannot see the people you are talking about. Is it those guys there?" he points where the group is looking and watches the Peacemaker move off in that same direction.
Ajaline decides to follow. While walking away he turns back to the group still standing there. "If we're going to try to talk to this guy we'd better get over there. Our Peacemaker is already on his way. So come on!" He waves for them to follow then turns back to catch up with Lorian.
Just as he catches up to Lorian a bolt of green lightning blasts in front of them leaving a nasty lizard. Ajaline draws in his breath sharply. "More nasty beasts!"
Kreighton mutters "Hmmm. I think that might be a velociraptor. Fascinating. What is it that's so dangerous about them?"
The lizard snarls and leaps at, .
Zavubak, slashing with one of its claws
"Oh yeah, that leaping charge." Kreighton finishes his helpful intel. The glowing human chuckles a bit at the beast's charge, but just crosses his arms, seemingly content to watch the battle.
After slashing Zavubak, the party retaliates, and the velociraptor is reeling. Lorian, Zavubak and Etna's blows all land home. The beast is bloodied and abused, but it fights on.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Isme begins a brief dissertation on the biological and sociological habits of velociraptors, with a few pointed comments directed at Shaine, who seems oblivious of the barbs. Indeed he is nearly atwitter with her shared knowledge.
She concludes with, "And of course, the best place to damage them is right here," emphasized with a strong thrust that finishes the beast, "where their natural armor is weakest under the shoulder joint, allowing easy access to the heart."
As the velociraptor slumps to the ground, the glowing human begins to clap slowly and loudly, striding forward with a confident gait. Speaking in Taldane (i.e. Common), he bellows in as big of a voice as he can muster, ”Well done, mortals. You are indeed worthy to speak with such an august, divine being as myself. What boon do you seek of the living avatar of Aroden?”
Shaine snorts out loud, then pulls out a handkerchief to cover his laugh, saying quietly to your group. "I did mention the spell's energy might be having odd effects on these people, right? And no, I don't mean achieving demi-godhood..."
|
|
"yeah sure, lets go with it!" She will whisper to the group before she moves to speak with the man. "Oh great avatar, we seek aid in arriving back into our own time. If you could find it in your divine wisdom to release the energy trapping us here, we would be forever in your graces debt." Long as it got her away form the giant chunk of death hurling towards the world she would be happy.
"Such a trifling is certainly within my power to grant..." He ponders Etna's words very carefully, looking her up and down with an overexaggerated air. Then he closes his eyes in concentration, and the green fades from his body, and while you can't be certain, it does seem like the glow of the dome flickers for a moment or two. He opens his eyes, offers the group a patronizing smile and says, "Done. Now begone mortals, lest you try my patience further." He wanders off to resume offering his blessings to the confused Azlanti citizenry.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"May the blessings of Gad Gemple be upon you," and he reaches out, and uses Arcane Mark to inscribe a large GG on the cover of Lorian's journal. He nods solemnly and moves off.
As you approach the glowing human female dressed in Taldan fashion, you notice she has a heavy mace at her hip, a spiked gauntlet on her hand, and a heavy crossbow on her back. She has her arm around an Azlanti citizen, with a couple others near at hand, and they are laughing and joking together, speaking in Azlanti. In fact, as you approach, you notice her facial features do look somewhat Azlanti. If it weren't for her attire--and the odd green glow--she might look at home here in the city.
Ajaline, Barl and Isme all notice that despite her attempt to appear at ease, the glowing woman does cast the occasional furtive panicked glance up at the approaching doom, usually while the Azlanti citizens are laughing and not likely to notice.