Karethas frowns slightly, but does not give up.
"Be ready, it may attack us yet again.
Amir will lower but not stow his weapon, he will step back and do his best to see if there is any indication or clue to this spirits presence in the dim.
This smacks of dark work. I pray we can retreat fast and full if these "talks" go poorly...
Shreiking winds surround you in the low passageways of the crypt. Heads ducked and eyes squinting against the blowing debris, Amir and Faelar step back leaving Karethas to continue his shouted conversation with the dead djinni. You cannot see more than five feet away in the swirling dust, but a voice howls in response as the glowing translucent skeleton lurches from the darkness taking a wild swipe at Karethas with an icy claw, but misses.
Round 3
Ok all, lets get out of here while we are alive.
Withdrawal action. Double move without AoO I believe.
Karethas ducks his head as he turns to run. He pulls his robes up out of the way of his feet, exposing his fine shaped legs. "I don't think it wants to talk any more, Faelar."
"Why do you say that Karethas, what did it say to you?"
I grab Faelar by the collar as I pass him - I think that it is time to retreat, unless you prefer fighting unhittable undead.
Slightly shocked to be grabbed by the collar and pulled, I stumble slightly before catching my footing. "But we have to clear this monastery out before her Highness Princess Almah arrives, otherwise it wouldn't be a very safe base. So if we can talk to it and help it leave in peace, then we should have a base that is safe. Or do you want to come back after some rest with a plan?"
It is obvious to everyone that I am fascinated to have the chance to converse with such a being, maybe a bit too fascinated.
Amir turns and grabs the other side of Faelar. Run first. Strategy later. Furrowing his brow in anticipation a slight smirk plays across the rogue's face despite the danger, Maybe one of those damnable books will hold a clue.
"Indeed" pips in Auri, "Strategy and tactics first, swinging swords and flashing spells afterwards. We need to watch and learn before attacking"
The wind is at your backs as well as the screaming ghost as you dash back through the crypt stumbling over fallen skulls and stray bones. Karethas leads the way up the stairs as Amir and Kkrira half drag the reluctant bard behind them into the tower. The pursuing undead djinni tears at Faelar's ankle as the trapdoor slams shut. The ghostly hand passes through the floor for a moment blindly grasping before it sinks into the ground. The wind and wailing subside for the moment.
Once out of the crypt and back into the tower I loose myself from Amir and Kzrira's grip, re-sheath my blade and look at Amir and Kzrira. "So how should we proceed with helping that poor Edimmu move on? I have read about them, as I mentioned we need special weapons to defeat it and our magical abilities will be very limited. The only thing I can remember other than that, which we already learnt was that it's touch is icy cold. Does anyone have any plans?"
Once I have finished speaking I turn to face Karethas, "So, what did it say to you? Maybe there is a clue of how to help it, in its words?"
After calming down and catching his breath Karethas sits calmly and rubs his chin. "Well, it mentioned something about fraticide, but it did not care to elaborate. I don't think it is rational enough to help us free it. Now, as far as other spells that could help: First, there is a fairly simple abjuration spells that protect one from being touched by evil creatures. I am particularly weak at abjuration spells, but perhaps Auri might be able to cast it? My only option for perhaps being able to damage it would be one of my summoned creatures. As a celestial being, they are able to use positive energy to more effectively attack evil creatures. I'm not sure if it will bypass all of the creatures protections though Our best other options would be the cure wand, which Faelar tried, or that little magic hammer that we got from the Pug King. At least, that is all I can think of. Holy water could be useful if we could get it."
I can use the hammer. Not my preferred weapon, but I have trained with hammers, and most other normal weapons, at one time or another.
"I can impart a minor warding against Evil, and Bless those around me... otherwise I suppose I could try and open the conduit to the healing energies we use to cure wounds and maybe disrupt it's negative life-force?"
Just thinking, what was that last thing that the ghost said as we left? I heard something like Hal-run. Wasn't that a name on the statue in the shrine?
"The slab upstairs bore some text about Halruun - 'In the year 4691, by fire and sword was this heretical cult of djinni worshippers destroyed by order of Imam Halruun.' and thats in the room with the wrekced statue of the Saint... maybe the poor creature would like the engraving destroyed, or perhaps the statue restored."
Auri starts stroking his draconic chin in deep thought...
Know Religion - Any further clue?
"Halruun, as in the engraving upon Sarenrae's statue? Halruun as in the last leader of this temple before it fell a couple of decades ago? The same Halruun? Why would an undead Djinn be haunted by the name Halruun? Yes he ordered the deaths of many Djinn worshippers, of which many had to be priests here that he called brothers, otherwise he would not have mentioned Fratricide. Maybe he wants revenge on Halruun, by either destroying the plaque or finding Halruun if he still lives and slaying him?"
I sit down and begin to flick through the tomes I have on me, looking up at the group breifly, "Just in case Amir is correct and there is information in one of my books that can help."
Auri sticks his small face into the book too, eager to see what it is all about.
I look at Auri, slightly amused to see a great Dragon reading a book that I own. A small smile crosses my lips.
Karethas bumps his forehead with the heel of his hand. "I should have made that connection. It must have been the intense fear for my life that kept me from making it. I'm sorry Faelar that I didn't mention that the ghost had said Halruun."
I pause from my reading for a few seconds, "Karethas; my good sir, do not worry about it. I have a favour to ask, could you teach me the language of the Air and also the language of Fire, when you have some spare time? I am very grateful that you taught me the language of Water, now it would seem that I have a need for these 2 as well."
Once I get my answer, I will return to reading my book and hope to gain the information we seek from them. I shall read the "Spirits of the Air" and will give "The Elemental Planes" to Auri to read, by placing it on the ground in front of him. "Here you go; oh Great Aurichalcum, would you like to read this and see if you can locate anything of importance?"
I would re-examine the statue and its room. Kzrira, shall we leave them to their studies?
Amir waves a hand and then heads back to the room with the statue and scrutinizes the room looking for two things in particular;
Secret doors (perhaps the statue marks a crypt or reliquary of some kind?)
Other inscriptions/symbols (maybe there are other notes we simply failed to notice?)
I worry we missed something about this Halruun... Amir strokes his moustache as he looks about, maybe we should finish the job on the statue...if this ghost hated Djinni and that is what is downstairs, maybe its holding a grudge?
"I would be happy to teach you whatever language you were interested in that I spoke, Faelar." To Amir, "The ghost downstairs is what remains of a Djinn and seems to think of Halruun as a murderer. My impression is that the statue was somehow associated with the Djinni worshiping cult and was desecrated by Halruun. My guess is the ghost would be more interested in the restoration of the statue than its destruction. I would agree though, that the statue and that area should all be examined more closely."
Following Amir to the statue:
It seems to me that the ghost is troubled by something that happened to the temple. Why don't we begin to clean the shrine. When the bookworms make up their minds, either we finish cleaning or we destroy the statue. At least by beginning to clean we will be part way finished if that is the choice.
I stow my rapier and crossbow and begin to clean up around the statue and shrine.
Amir takes his time surveying the room and notices something: the darkest soot marks seem to outline several warped bronze plates on the northern wall as if a fire rose from a space behind them. Further investigation finds what appears to be a secret door at the spot.
However, it is unclear how it is to be activated until Kzrira complains aloud about the scratches around the base of the statue. Amir quickly realizes that rotating the statue's base activates the door.
Well, I guess cleaning can be beneficial. At least more helpful than spending the whole evening reading books.
Amir, what do you think? Should we move the statue, or get the others first?
I continue cleaning and polishing the shrine as best I can until someone makes a decision.
In the meantime, Auri is flicking through 'The Elemental Planes'.
"I can teach the tongue of denizens of the flames. I know it and the language of the Angels."
.
I really do suppose we should tell them...let's go get our cavacade of magical misfits.
I am reading the book rather quickly, but still taking everything in. It is obvious that I have spent many nights and days reading and have become accustomed to reading them quickly.
Amir and Kzrira return to the tower to find the more studious members of the party engrossed in reading and small talk. It makes a rather amusing scene to find a salon held by the light of a Wayfinder amongst the rubble and dust and desicated pugwampi husks dangling from the webs above.
"So what have you found?" inquires the perpetual reader.
Well, come and look. We were cleaning that statue that had Halruun's name on carved into it. In the process of cleaning it, Mr. Sharp Eyes spotted a concealed passage of some sort. Figured we would tell you all before we charged off to our deaths.
"Oh! OH! oooh... a hidden secret passage..."
The small dragon pops up immediately with visible enthusiasm.
"Then you'll be needing a keen set of senses to check within for danger, and maybe the scent of reward eh?"
Auri looks to start following excitedly.
In the center of the room stands a full-sized statue of the saint, its face marred by blows from a hammer or mace. The hands are held chest high, palms forward as if offering a blessing and also appear to have suffered heavy blows from a weapon.
A stele has been set in front of the damaged statue which holds the following inscription in Kelish: In the year 4691, by fire and sword was this heretical cult of djinni worshippers destroyed by order of Imam Halruun.
Karethas walks back into shrine, looking it over with renewed interest. "So Halruun decided that the followers in this monastery were heretics and killed that djinn downstairs. Somehow the creature was cursed and was not allowed to move on to it's natural plane. During that cull, something happened in here." He pauses a moment considering the scene. "Why would the north wall be the only one that seems to be burned, and only BEHIND the panels? We were moving too quickly when we moved through here, I should have seen that the first time through. If this secret passage you mentioned is back there, then perhaps we should be careful of fire based traps? Or during the cull Halruun's followers burnt something back there, which could still be dangerous to us.
"Well, as a being aligned with flame I am a little less concerned by fire based traps. I boldly volunteer myself to lead onwards!"
He puffs out his chest with pride and steps forward.
Pushing the statue slightly back on its pedestal, you hear a click from behind the panels as they creak forward revealing narrow blackened stairs into the crypt. Aurichalcum peers into the darkness and pauses as he senses the same tomb they just left from the other side below them. And the same vengeful djinni.
He pieces together what Karethas has said with what he has discovered in his time at the monastery. The djinni general, Vardishal, fell at this same spot long centuries ago in a genie war that encompassed the region. His spirit was bound to this place for some reason and later pilgrims of Sarenrae, having fled pogroms in Osirion were visited by the spirit and established this monastery in honor of the sainted djinni.
Some twenty years ago, the Imam of the Temple in Kelmarane, for unknown reasons engaged in a little pogrom of his own against his brethren monks just before Kelmarane itself fell. The last monks were trapped in the tomb and burned to death upon the sarcophagus of their saint and now the enraged ghost haunts this monastery crying for vengeance on Imam Halruun.
"Hmmm well that spirit will haunt this area too... perhaps we need to shatter the Imam's inscription? The statue of Vardishal will be harder to restore, I have not the magic or craftsmanship to do so"
As Auri describes that the stairs lead to the crypt Karethas's expression turns to horror. " To burn those poor men alive and then leave this stone to commemorate the deed. The evil that men do in the name of good." He shakes his head in sadness. "Perhaps you are right Auri, this stone might be integral to the spirit's tie to this plane." Karethas examines the stele more closely.
What does any of this have to do with fratricide? The gjost said this yes?
"Perhaps they follow the concept of Brotherhood within their faith, and thus it was brother on brother when the tide turned?"
I had hardly noticed the group arrive, I was so engrossed in reading my book again. but when I hear them start to walk off, I hear something and see them leaving, so I quickly gather my things and follow everyone, with my nose still in my book. When everyone stops, I nearly walk into Karethas, but manage to stop just in time.
As the talk off destroying the inscription on the stele, I peer down the passageway but decide not to go down there just yet. I look back to the others, "So does anyone know who the spirit is? I am guessing it is not Halruun, as Halruun was not a Djinn. The only one I can think of is Vardishal, as this is a monastery to him ... but I don't think a man could kill a Djinn and even if he did how would he keep its spirit trapped in here? If it is Vardishal, I would like to talk to him if we are able to destroy whatever is keeping him here, there is much I could learn from him."
Once I have finished talking, I put my book back into my backpack, along with the one that Auri was reading and await instructions on what to do next.