"Oh no, we don't need to alarm the good people of Cassomir."Esmerella waves a hand flippantly. "I'll take your word for it."
"Do you mind if you'd give me the name of your Voonith contact?"Esmerella asks, "Nestor would want to speak to him. Probably he'd like to live with them for a while."
"Sure, it'll give me some time to work on my Star Charts. I'll be there at 10 am. "
Sergeant Henry approaches Howard again, snickering. "Celebrity has its benefits, doesn't it?" There is suppressed amusement in his voice. "So how'd it go? Did she ask you out?"
"I know Berners tavern is a good place for this kind of thing. The ambience is delightful and food is delicious." Sergeant Henry suggests helpfully.
Howard examines the Bronze Lion Medal and realizes it functions as a cracked pale green prism (+1 to all saves – competence bonus)
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Howard nods.
"Certainly. His name's Kaa. I helped him get back to the Dreamlands, after he was trapped here on Golarion. Lovely chap, with an interest in cooking. I imagine that he would love to have the company; I'd just Sending him to let him know what was going on."
Once Esmerella leaves, and Henry comes back, realisation dawns.
"Oh! No, it was nothing like that - a mutual acquaintance had asked her to check-up on me, although the award ceremony *did* make it a lot easier for her to find me (she had previously just known that I was in Cassomir); apparently, she was quite relieved that I turned out to be a fairly 'normal' person!"
Later on, when he has a chance to identify the medal, he whistles in appreciation, before transferring his own cracked ioun stone to Claude, and reverently attaching his new medal to his jacket.
"Ah - we'll mention your name if we're contacting him. So at least he knows we mean well." Esmerella answers.
"What?!" Sergeant Henry gives Howard a look of exasperation, then slaps a palm on his forehead."You should have taken the opportunity to ask her out for a date. We all need to unwind, you know."
"But I suppose your business IS your business." He sighs mournfully. "Though that's one heck of a lost opportunity..."
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Howard smiles faintly.
"That wouldn't have been appropriate. For starters, she was acting as an intermediary between myself, and someone who had been wronged by a previous travelling companion of mine. I wouldn't want to jeopardise the nascent understanding that we are developing. Secondly, I literally just met her! I've been scarred enough in my life, that I would second (and even third) guess any strangers who took a sudden interest in me. Knowing my luck, they would be dopplegangers, or worse..."
He then grins.
"The sentiment is, however, appreciated!"
"You see - you may have been scarred before - but you can live life jumping at your own shadows - or well, you could just embrace the present like the gift it is."Sergeant Henry says expansively. "Though I get business before pleasure. Just don't run yourself to the ground, and forget the pleasure."
Then he says somewhat contemplatively, "Come to think of it - if she was looking for you on business - she also picked her timing well - since it would not be prudent to start any hostilities smack in the middle of City Square, right in view of the City Watch."
"Talking about business, I really should get you to the supplies." Sergeant Henry brings Howard to a police shack, where he informs the Constable on duty, Constable Ron, that he is passing Howard some supplies for his services to the city.
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Howard nods.
"Agreed. You need to be able to enjoy the little things. I am looking forward to being able to create my own little space for some quiet time."
Scroll of Heal: 1d100 ⇒ 31.
Scroll of Heal: 1d100 ⇒ 98.
Scribing Make Whole: 1d100 ⇒ 51.
Scroll of Nap Stack: 1d100 ⇒ 100.
Scribing Stone Shape: 1d100 ⇒ 97.
Scroll of Speak With Dead: 1d100 ⇒ 14.
Scroll of Anti-Incorporeal Shell: 1d100 ⇒ 46.
Scroll of Anti-Incorporeal Shell: 1d100 ⇒ 51.
Scroll of Restoration: 1d100 ⇒ 36.
Scroll of Restoration: 1d100 ⇒ 81.
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Reach: 1d100 ⇒ 70.
Elixir of Spirit Sight: 1d100 ⇒ 52.
Elixir of Spirit Sight: 1d100 ⇒ 38.
Cracked Pale Green Prism(Attacks): 1d100 ⇒ 39.
Eyes of the Eagle: 1d100 ⇒ 98.
Cracked Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone: 1d100 ⇒ 63.
Pink and Green Sphere Ioun Stone: 1d100 ⇒ 89.
Skinsaw Mask: 1d100 ⇒ 99.
Ring of Sustenance
Ivory Statuette (Contingency Focus)
"Well I hope you enjoy your little space." He replies genially. "You need a place to chill out, and relax."
Howard! My friends Monty, Verdigris, Sheesha, and Siriss have gone missing! They were taken by a Amber Sailed Ship! I don't know where they've been taken!
Esmerella shows up on Howard's door step in a white blouse, orange split skirt and brown leather boots. "Ready for the teleport?"
But my friends haven't come back to Dreamlands yet! When will they be able to come back home? I miss them!
"Take my hand," As Howard does so, he notices that she smells faintly of Lavender. Then she utters the words for teleport.
Howard hears a "Bamf" sound, and sees blue smoke all around him. He feels himself traveling through space, seeing the night sky filled with constellations surrounding him, then the sensation is gone, and he finds himself standing under the hot desert sun. Before him is one of the greatest cities in the known world, a sprawling mess of glittering buildings, side-by side with ancient creations that struggle to remain standing. By comparison, Cassomir is a village. Thousands of vessels pl the river, darting in and out of Katheer's port. Countless labourers, sailors and merchants infest the port, and in places the river is so thick with boats that it almost seems possible to cross it without getting wet feet.
" You're in Katheer now. Good luck with your endeavours." Then with a Bamf, and a puff of blue smoke, Esmerella is gone.
A distracted young man in scholar robes holding a handful of books, while muttering, "...Force to be equal to change in momentum (mass times velocity) per change in time,"pops out of an intersection, not looking where he is going, and collides into Howard, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. As he picks himself up, he exclaims, "Oh for every action in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction!"
After checking he is unhurt by the collison, Howard helps the man to his feet and helps him pick up his dropped books. When asked about the Mysterium, the man replies, "The Mysterium is in University Square, just 3 blocks down the street from Zora's Herbals Shop."
"Not sure why you'd want to go there though, " He gives a vague waving motion, "The place is closed. Something about a bunch of thieves going in, and triggering something horrible within. Several members of the Stewards of the Vaults, including the present master of the library, Elder Lythiin were slain. No one is allowed access to the Mysterium lest they make matters worse."
"Not sure - Don't really pay too much attention to this kind of arcane business since I was tested null for magical gifts. I'm from the Faculty of Science, physics. Working on a perpetual motion machine."
A squat sandstone pyramid sits atop a blocky building. Angelic statues stand at each off the building's corners.The walls of the building are also carved with smiling angels, some armed with spears and shields. Angels bearing frowns and concerned faces grip a curious round, ocher-rusted doorway set into smooth sandstone walls. A braided copper bellpull hangs nearby.
6 guards in grey chain shirts, wielding quarterstaves with grim expressions on their faces stand guard at the building's entrance and wave Howard off. "The Mysterium is closed for crime scene investigation. Please come back another day."
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Howard nods politely.
"Actually, I had heard it was closed because there had been some thieves... individuals that I am reasonably certain are the felons that I am trying to track down. Now, I understand that the Master is feared dead, but perhaps you could direct me to the acting Master...? I am hoping that I might be able to help sort this mess out."
"Yes, a man named Count Lowls and his associate, Miacknian Mun, entered the place and all hell broke loose. Many of our Order were forced to flee, or ripped into pieces by otherworldly horrors. Elder Lythiin went in with a squad of us, but the survivors who managed to stumble out said the place was driving them insane and Elder Lythiin was ripped apart by some monstrous beast." One of the guards answers.
"With Elder Lythiin dead, Elder Thyrr has ordered the Mysterium locked down to prevent those horrors from terrorizing the streets." Another guard answers. "She lives in the apartment opposite to the Mysterium." The guard points Howard the right direction.
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Howard nods.
"Thank-you. I will go talk with her directly."
He then goes across the street, and knocks politely.
When the door is answered, he bows.
"Greetings. My name is Howard, and I am a scholar of the arcane arts, with a particular interest in planar theory. I have been tracking a right bastard of a human, Count Lowls, and his depraved colleague Mun; clues at Mun's lab in Cassomir pointed to the Mysterium as their next destination, and so here I am. Unfortunately, it seems that I have arrived too late - from what I understand, the two of them have made a right mess of things here. Now, understandably, you are not keen on letting the horrors inside, out, but you will ultimately need to send someone in to clear-house, and retrieve your dead. I have some experience in this area, and am volunteering my services - what I want is track down those two evil men, and if I happen to undo some of the damage that they have caused in the process, all the better!"
The door is opened by an elderly woman in a black dress, wearing a grey turban. Her weary green eyes and haggard face seems to indicate she hasn't slept for a while, and she leans heavily on the walking stick held in her left hand.
"You're right that we do need to send someone to clean up the place - but how do I know that you're the right person for it?" She challenges Howard. "Yes, you claim good intentions - but Elder Lythiin went in with best of intentions and look where it got him! And that's him knowing the Mysterium like the back of his own hand. He was torn apart by some monstrous beast! I can't rightly send someone that I've just met into that hellhole!"
"What's more - do you even know what you're up against? The forces Count Lowls, and his colleague, Mun have unleashed up on us all?"
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Howard nods thoughtfully.
"Well, if it is my credentials that you are worried about, how about this: In the last few months, I helped eliminate a Cult of Hastur, have tangled with Star Vampires, Hounds of Tindalos, Byakhees, Hellwasp swarms, and single-handedly eliminated a small army of Derro skinners, on behalf of the Cassomir city watch (for which I was given a Bronze Lion). Believe me when I say, I can probably handle it.
That said, if you have any salient information regarding what, precisely, they have unleashed, that would certainly be helpful; to be forewarned, is to be forearmed, after all...
Lastly, don't let my frail form fool you; when I Call upon my magical might, I am quite formidable. As a small example..." he nods to Claude, who grins, shifts from being a human, to being a troglodyte, causing his grin to widen, and become substantially more toothy, before shifting back again.
"Much as I don't care for Taldor, they don't give out the Bronze Lion lightly. And you do show some proficiency with transmutation magic. All right, you've made your point, come on in. This is going to take a long while." Elder Thyrr invites Howard into the apartment, then slowly limps back in.
The living room walls are the colour of sand, with intricate geometric shapes on them. The couches, of cream leather are lined with lime green and blue cushions look particularly inviting.The table is a cream coloured block with brown diamonds on its hem, and on it sits a large jug of hot Kahve, giving out a most delicious aroma, and four cream coloured mugs, as well as a little container filled with sugar cubes, and a small jug filled with milk. The lamps on the ceiling are made of glass, capped with brass.
"Kahve?" Elder Thyrr offers Howard, as she pours herself a mug and starts sipping it, without any milk or sugar and sits on the couch.
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"By all means, take your time. I would prefer to be as prepared as possible."
He then follows her in.
When the Kahve is offered, he sniffs it appreciatively.
"Yes please."
Once he has a cup, he retrieves a little mint from his terrarium, to take the edge off the bitterness of the kahve, and sips it carefully, whilst listening to what Elder Thyrr has to say.
Elder Thurs raises an eyebrow at Howards addition of mint leaves, but makes no comment.
"I trust you will keep all I tell you in confidence. Do not let the news get out, or it may cause a riot in the streets."She warns Howard.
"Our finances have been rather tight of the late - to the point we were debating which tomes to sell to pay for the rent. Count Lowls came to us, to provide us with a large donation, to have access to our library. Elder Lythiin agreed - it was better then selling our collection." She takes a sip or Kahve,then continues. Count Lowls and his associate, Miacknian Mun and their guards spent weeks studying the tomes, including some truly dangerous works, like the Necromonicon."
"Now we have wards to protect our exhibits from theft and all that, and to summon angelic guardians should anything go south. However, according to the survivors, they found the chains holding the Necromonicon on its stand broken, and all hell broke loose. Hostile alien creatures roam the Mysterium hall now."She informs Howard.
"I suspect that the Necromonicon corrupted the existing wards, warping them to summon things out of the Dark Tapestry instead of angelic guardians."She takes another sip of Kahve."One of those wards would be the enchanted mirror on the entry level that was supposed to summon axiomites to defend the library should its protections be breached."
"Hounds of Tindalos are now pouring out of that mirror, and we can't let any of them out into the streets!"
"There is a spherical chamber in the ceiling of the Mysterium’s first level, built into the body of the pyramid. This chamber is used by priests who meditate in complete darkness while levitating, but it should provide protection from the hounds of Tindalos-since they can only teleport into angled spaces."
"In order to secure the building, you need to venture to the depths of the building, to the level that contains the Soul—a chamber at the very core of the library—to find an angel statue without eyes, and insert their fingers into the eye sockets to reset the wards."She informs Howard. " Which was what Elder Lythiin was trying to do." She remarks sadly.
"To travel between the different levels of the Mysterium, you need to find four different angelic statues with heads that swivel. These heads must be turned to face the walls they stand before, and once they are all properly manipulated, the gateways between the different levels of the library can be opened."
"Furthermore, last time the Mysterium’s wards were triggered nearly a hundred years ago, many Nethysians and other scholars were killed; their lasting psychic impressions have been known to rear up at times in bizarre and dangerous manifestations when people are studying in the lower levels of the Mysterium. Those who venture to the lower levels frequently know to look out for these manifestations, and some even study accompanied by a priest so that they have a greater chance at combating them. Many of these manifestations were purged, but there are still numerous haunts that the clergy hasn’t been able to figure out how to permanently get rid of. I fear that some of these existing haunts might have warped and changed like the guardian wards."She warns Howard somberly. "After all I have told you, do you still intend to try to fix the mess Count Lowls and his associates have caused? It's dangerous work - Elder Lythiin's demise has already proven that."
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Howard shivers when the Necronomicon is mentioned, but listens attentively to the rest of the Elder's warnings.
"Yes. I still wish to do what I can to help. I do, however, appreciate the information regarding some of the hazards that I can expect. Regarding the mirror, I have a question - was it supposed to act as a Gate, or a summoning focus? If the former, I may need to break it, but if the latter, I think I should be able to contain it, without damage. If at all possible, I will, however, need to know precisely where it is, so that I can Dimension Door directly to it, and enact my plan."
"It is a Gate between planes. Even dispel magic would just temporarily disrupt it. The most efficient way would just be to destroy it, granted, mage's disfunction might work as well, but there would be a cost to pay."She informs Howard.
"The mirror is by the Eastern wall."
"Before I let you in, I want you to swear on whatever you hold dear to find and secure the body of Elder Lythiin. Also please say a prayer over the body of each Nethysian you find the bodies and wrap them in funerary cloths in the cupboard over there," Elder Thyrr points to the cupboard. "And if the Necromonicon is anywhere to be found, bring it back to us. That Tome cannot be allowed out into the world. We put heavy duty protections on it for a good reason!"
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Howard nods.
"I swear by the name of the Father of Serpents, on the Soul of my brother Claude, who I have literally moved hell and earth for, that I will find and secure the body of Elder Lythiin, destroy the evil within, and pacify the wards. I am also more than happy to say a prayer over the bodies of the slain, as well; will a generic Nethysian prayer be sufficient, or did you have a specific one in mind?"
After gathering up the required equipment, Howard takes a brief rest to refill some spell slots, buffs-up, and re-acquires his shell. He then Dimension Doors straight to where he expects the mirror to be, and uses Stone Shape to block it.
"Yig?!" Elder Thyrr makes a sound like a cat on a hot iron. "You know many say that it's better not to call upon him, lest he decides to devour you? I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this...what if you start configuring the wards to summon creatures from his domain instead?"
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Howard shrugs, and sighs.
"You asked me to make an oath. So I made it. I did not take it lightly. He is not Evil - more a chaotic force of nature. His concern is cycles, the ebb and flow of the seasons, and the protection of communities that venerate him. I would not call him kind, but he is fair. However, his area of concern is the wilds, not highly-urbanised centers such as this city; what benefit would there be to me in opening a portal to his realm? Even if, for some strange reason, he was interested, I would not want to attract *too* much of his attention, because as you rightly pointed out, that could go either way.
I also draw an important distinction - I venerate and respect him, for the ideals that he represents, and because there is something somewhat serpentine in my own genealogy; but I do not worship him. That is far too risky..."
He then smiles wryly.
"My brother, when he was originally alive, took that route, focusing on his Yig's more destructive elements, and that did not end well for him. I have no desire to follow in his footsteps."
"I know I shouldn't be commenting on what people choose to swear on, but knowledge is part of Nethys domain, and I know he's...a force of nature. And he's unpredictable."Elder Thyrr sounds slightly uncomfortable. "The last thing we need is more of those idiot followers of nature gods like those of Gozreh preaching in Katheer about the corrupting influences of Nethys." She sniffs disdainfully.
People don't understand - knowledge is a weapon, whether it's used for good or ill is a matter of the users choice."
Elder Thyrr looks at Howard intensely, "Will you also promise that you will not be calling anything from Yig's domain or the Dark Tapestry into Golarion? There's already a huge enough mess that doesn't need to be made worse."
"I'd worry about the Nethysians throughout Golarion, if they'd have to deal with things out of the Yig's domain or the Dark Tapestry. But again out of Katheer is not something I can rightly control." Elder Thyrr gives a sigh.
"Elder Lythiin is a middle aged man whose bald and wears a sapphire ring on his left index finger. If you help us with the tasks I've told you about earlier, we will grant you unfettered access to the library for a week, after we've cleared up the residue."Elder Thyrr tells Howard.
"A generic Nethysians prayer will be sufficient."
As Howard leaves Elder Thyrr's apartment, he spots a clinic named "Dr Anya Chawaar Neurology Private Limited". The name Dr Anya Chawaar seems awfully familiar for some reason...
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Howard shrugs apologetically.
"I can't in good conscience make a promise that I would be held to for (potentially) many decades, at the very least; there may or may not be extenuating circumstances at some point in the future. What I can say is that right now, I have no intention of Summoning or Calling anything; I do not even have any such spells prepared."
Heading across to the Clinic, he knocks politely.
"Greetings. Are you any relation to a Dr Chawar who worked at Briarstone Asylum in Ustalav?"
"I am sorry to report that there was a dimensional rift over the asylum, and things literally fell to pieces. I am afraid that that Dr Chawar did not make it. I did, however, manage to retrieve their notes, which you are more than welcome to have, gratis - it is a poor substitute for having your family member back safely, but it is the best that I can manage..."
"Us Nethysians try to take the long view of things. Sure you may not be Summoning or Calling anything now, but who can say what fruit the future might hold?" She questions Howard.
The door of the clinic is opened by a dusky skinned Qadiran woman in a nurse's uniform and the interior of the clinic is the colour of cream, interspaced with green mosaic tiles. The waiting room has a brown oak bench. There is a young man in a white thawb and Ghutrah and a woman clad from head to toe in a black Abaya and an older man in a white thawb and a red and white checkered Ghutrah sitting on the bench.
The nurse immediately knocks on Dr Anya's door and goes in when called. Then she comes out and tells Howard the doctor will see him after her current patient, to the consternation of the young man in a white thawb, who gives an indignant cry, "Hey! I was next in line! How can you just jump the queue like that!"
The nurse assures him it won't take very long, and he quietens down, but gives Howard a dirty look.
Doctor Anya Chawar has fair complexion, a rather angular face, serious brown eyes and her hair tied into a bun. She motions for Howard to sit, and after Howard tells her the news, she bites her lip to hold back tears and clasps her hands together for comfort.
"So my brother is dead...now I know why all this months there were no replies to my letters..."She says sadly, "Was his passing painful?"
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Howard, believing that honesty is the best policy, shakes his head, sadly.
"I can't say for certain, but I believe that it was (relatively) quick - a couple of his specimens reanimated, and caught him by surprise. Given that a number of other staff and patients were slowly tortured to death, he was, perversely, somewhat 'lucky'."
Doctor Anya grows paler and her mouth falls as she hears Howard's account.""Brairstone asylum is supposed to be a place of healing, not arcane experimentation! In Sarenrae's name, what horrors did the Dimensional rift unleash? And how did it get there on the first place?!"
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"Mostly stuff from the Demiplane of Dreams, unleashed when something was done to the dreaming mind of Ulver Zandalus, which resulted in him being possessed by a thing called the Tatterman who was also capable of hunting the dreaming minds of people at the Asylum - those who's lucid bodies were destroyed, transformed into either ghouls or dopplegangers. We tried to confront the beast in the real world, by defeating its tether (Ulver Zandalus), but once it was made corporeal, it proved to be too strong; the best we were able to come up with, was to otherwise clear the Asylum of hostiles, and rescue the survivors."
Doctor Anya takes a deep breath, "Why don't you pass me his notes. That way I can verify the authenticity of your story."
"Otherwise it really sounds like something out of a horror tale..."
She takes the notes from Howard, then starts leafing through them. "It's my brother's handwriting all right...and he always keeps those notes in his office. "
A single tear trickles down her cheek. "Thank you for bringing back his work."She opens a drawer and takes out, then gives Howard 32 platinum coins.
"If you say so."She says dubiously as she takes back the coins. She then adds, "I am sorry for your loss."
As Howard approaches the Mysterium, the guards call out to him, "Elder Thyrr said you are to be let in, but we'll bar the door the moment you enter and won't let anything out of the place until the bell tolls, signifying the wards have been reset."
As Howard is about to dimension door in,
he is assailed by a vision of thousands of yellow slugs oozing out of a crack in a basalt wall and hears a voice whispering, “The touch of ruin, of death, is upon this place. More than the blot. More than the black stars. Many gather in this chaos. There are deep roots here, and that which should not be has been birthed within. This place is poisoned. Hurry—you must staunch the wound.”
"What? You mean you're not going to use the door?" One of the guards calls out, just as Howard prepares to dimension door in. "Oh blasted wizards!"
The ceilings within this large hall are 15 ft high and the wall are made of finely polished sandstone. The hefty wooden doors exude the scent of passing time and are carved with dozens of faces depicting a wide range of moods. Throughout the hall, angelic figures grace the building; they hold aloft keystones, dance as sconces, and lurk in corners. The angels are made of white marble but have grown a skin of pollution from the city’s smoke and dust, giving them a sickly honeyed hue.
Angelic figures frolicking with dogs and other benign animals frame a large, dark mirror.
Howard also notices 4 gaunt, long-limbed quadrupled with huge, soulless eyes and a toothy maws. They growl at him and move to attack.
Howard identified them as Hounds of Tindalos
Howard rips one hound apart and wounds the other with his claws. Claude manages to bite and claw at the wounded hound.
The remaining hounds glare at Howard and Claude.
The blue hound retreats then aims its rippling gaze at Howard and Claude.
Howard feels that staring at its eyes, something within him tears.
The yellow hound retreats then aims its rippling gaze at Howard and Claude.
The red hound glares at both Howard and Claude where it is.
Claude feels something tearing up within him when he meets its gaze.
Claude manages to finish off the badly injured red and Howard eviscerates blue,and claws yellow once.
Yellow attempts to bite and claw at Howard, without any success.