At your words, taken as a pretty clear dismissal, the crowd started to disperse. As it did, the gray-cloaked figures began to move off as well, apparently satisfied with the way things had gone. More people were arriving, though - including what looked like merchants and other people eager to try and see if they could cut a favorable deal with the latest interesting people to happen by. You'd probably be swamped in short order if you stayed - though nothing was forcing you to leave if you wanted to interact with them.
"This may be a good time to gather more information or artifacts or items of power. I haven't felt a pull in some time."
With that being said Hadran lingers about a bit talking to as many that will have words looking and seeking rumors or items of mysterious power that may or may not have trace parts of his own power trapped.
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
"Yes. We're likely to draw snake oil more than anything else, but certainly worth the shot." Burkhardt spoke to the newcomers; while appropriately wary, he was of course open to striking up any deal that'd be a better benefit to both parties.
Opinions on that were varied. Quite literally everyone seemed to think the Pathfinders' Grand Lodge had literal piles of rare magical items locked up in its vaults, but it was also true that many items were on sale in the city's specialized shops. Absalom was a wealthy trade city, and as far as shopping went, you wouldn't find much better on this planet.
Of course, that wasn't close to your own goals. After about two hours of talking, a messenger stopped by and slipped a sealed letter into your hands. The wax was marked with the symbol of Pharasma, but there was no text on the outside (nor any trace of magical auras - it was exactly as mundane as it appeared to be).
Inside is a short letter, written in a slightly shaky hand - the kind of handwriting of someone who can't see all that well.
Dear Masters,
Word of your teachings in the city has reached my ears, and I believe you match the figures in a vision sent to me by Pharasma. I cannot explain more in this letter. Please meet me at the following address.
What followed was rough instructions and a very poorly-drawn map of a place in Eastgate, one of the city's quieter residential areas.
It took about two hours to cross enough of the city to reach the place in question - and as you arrived, you found a man with a blindfold over his eyes sitting up a set of steps near a small, somewhat older aged house. He tilted his head as you came close, listening intently. "Ha ha! Jangling of weapons. Confident footsteps. Auras of violence, not blood. And something a bit... more. You must be the ones the city is all abuzz about. Thank you for coming to see me so promptly. On behalf of the Church of Pharasma, I have a job for you - and I think you are the only ones in the city who can be trusted with it. I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you the details unless you agree to fulfill the job first. I doubt you will object to any aspect of it, but it is... not a matter the church wishes to speak of to just anyone. Your payment will be these." He reached into his shirt and pulled out two tokens marked with Pharasma's symbol - both visibly glowed with power, and with your divine senses, you could feel Pharasma's presence in them to mark them as genuine. That wasn't something mortal magic could fake. "These tokens permit you to ask a boon of the Lady of Graves' church at no further cost to yourselves, up to and including the most powerful spells or use of mighty treasures. I hope this will suffice to clarify the importance with which we're treating this matter."
"That is a valuable boon, what matter could it be the Lady doesn't use agents of her own? We were looking for allies, Pharasma is as good as any place to start. Do you have any objections Burkhardt?"
As you agreed, the blindfolded man snapped his fingers - and the world beyond a small dome containing you suddenly turned gray and distorted as a barrier sprang into existence. "There we go. Prying eyes will not get through that so easily. My name is Taibhill - names do seem appropriate, do they not? - and the task we have for you is this: We need some individuals to retrieve a group of Soul Gems that were stolen from the Keepers of the Vault in the Boneyard. These thefts are an abomination, a perversion - an attempt to cheat souls from their rightful fate after judgment. Yet some of the thieves are such that it is difficult for the servants of the Lady of Graves to move against them directly. Whatever your claims to power, you are yet mortal, and so may act in ways others cannot."
Holidays over back to normal posting :) Happy new year
"What makes the thieves difficult to move against? Any information you can share now will aid in our success. Do you have a way to track or find the gems? What do the gems do exactly? So we may be prepared.
"Some of the gems are hidden - and others rest in Abaddon and the Abyss. Neither takes kindly to the presence of Psychopomps, whatever the circumstances, and Pharasma wishes to maintain her neutrality. One cannot deny Her interest in seeing the souls returned to their proper place, but the infernal powers will not form serious grudges if hired help acts instead. They are likely to cause some trouble regardless, but that is nothing new or overly worrisome. If we always hesitated to act for fear of their disapproval, why, we'd never do anything."
"How many gems in total? Are there any known holders of them? Pharasma will remain neutral. We will seek the stones on our behalf, we have no ties to anyone but ourselves. Planar and dimensional travel is not within our power yet. Are there here any in the material plane that are known? We could pay to be sent to one of the others but I would prefer to have a way back first."
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
"Hadran is right about our travel limitations: that needs addressing. Are the culprits daemons and demons then, or is that information not completely clear?"
"Not all things are as clear as we would like. The thieves are no fools, and know how to ward against divinations. They can be tracked - somewhat - and I know they plan to provide you with transportation. From there, however, I believe it will be broadly left to your discretion. I do think it's likely that infernal entities will be among the things you face, but I doubt they will be all you encounter."
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
"Very good, very good. While I understand haste is always appreciated, could there be some time for us to prepare before we depart? The day to due some shopping, and then perhaps a few more to do ready some of my more unusual countermeasure?"
Haven't looked at my options yet, but I bet there's a spirit or two to research that'll suit me well in the lower planes.
There's a spirit or two for most situations... though some are only available at higher levels, of course. XD The Radiant Missile Angel Constellation Aspect works on evil outsiders, Ubro can channel energy to harm outsiders, and Ghato’Kacha is good at detecting them (and counterattacking with the major ability).
"The gems are not known to be here... and there is a little time to prepare, but it will not wait for too long." the blind guide explained. "The gems are less than completely stable outside the vault they are normally kept in."
Not that Pactmakers care very much about DC increases to knowledge checks. With the right setup, I think they are objectively the best knowledge class in the game. *Stares at Xalen d’Marek* o no I WONDER WHY THAT IS, XALEN.
Taibhill considered for a few moments. "That is pushing it, but... I believe four days is acceptable. Those who have taken the gems know they are not easy to come by, and will not destroy them so soon."
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
Well currently my bonuses are exceeding the base DC so we'll see if I ever even need Xalen... :-)
"Then there is no time to waste. We will return here when ready." Burkhardt waited for Taibhill to drop the barrier, then hurried off, plunging deep into the libraries of Absalom.
Ubro Knowledge Tasks:
Ceremony: Knowledge (Arcana) vs DC 32:1d20 + 28 ⇒ (5) + 28 = 33 Constellation: Knowledge (Arcana) vs DC 32:1d20 + 28 ⇒ (11) + 28 = 39 Personality: Knowledge (History) vs DC 32:1d20 + 28 ⇒ (1) + 28 = 29 Seal: Knowledge (Arcana) vs DC 32:1d20 + 28 ⇒ (3) + 28 = 31; Mythic
Surge:31 + 1d6 ⇒ 31 + (6) = 37
As it turned out, activity on the next day put at least some of your activities on hold. While you were in the midst of walking through the city and towards the library for Burkhardt's studies, everything briefly turned white. Slowly, the light began to dim, and your gaze was drawn upwards to where darkness was starting to crawl across the sky. It wasn't hard to locate the source of either. As soon as the light was dim enough to see things more-or-less normally again, you could see a brilliant light shining from the highest floor of the Starstone Cathedral and darkness spreading out from high above it. The omnipresent noise of the city had all but stopped aside from the sound of people moving around, pouring out of buildings to fill the streets and stare, slack-jawed, as the light coming from within the cathedral began to pulse like a beating heart, dimming and brightening in a steady rhythm as the darkness from above slowly started to descend towards it.
Not gonna lie, I'm glad you two found a reason to stay in Absalom for a bit longer - otherwise you'd have missed the show. XD
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
Indeed!
Burkhardt laughed at the sight, excited by the prospect of what the omen meant. "10 gold says that someone just passed the test! Thrilling! A god of My Word, I must continue my research to be done in four days, but I completely encourage you two to follow where your curiousity leads you."
As you made your way towards the cathedral, past the largely-still crowds that were far too busy watching what was going on, the pulsating darkness moved lower and lower in the sky. It was well beyond the bounds of the city by now, blotting out all sky except near the horizon and veiling the sun from view. That was less of a problem than it could have been because of the light coming from the cathedral, which had stabilized at a level that was no longer painful to look at. The darkness rippled slightly, then what looked like shining fungus began to sprout from it, shimmering in every color as it began to grow down from the darkness in the sky. At that point, people finally started reacting, and you saw several blasts of magic shoot into the sky, only to shatter as they hit the fungus.
Over the next few minutes, as you made your way towards the Starstone Cathedral, the fungus continued to grow until it had the shape of an enormous (if somewhat featureless) face. The entire city shook as it spoke a single word in Aklo - a word with the force of a hurricane.
<"DAUGHTER.">
Strength DC 15 vs Knockdown (Burkhardt):1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9 Strength DC 15 vs Knockdown (Hadran):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
As the force of the word swept over you, Burkhardt went flying into a nearby wall, along with countless other citizens who were sent sprawling. Hadran was better off and managed to stay on his feet. A dome appeared above the city a moment later, thin and illusory for a moment before abruptly shimmering into a gold-hued barrier. The enormous face recoiled as it smashed head-first into the shield and failed to break through, and for the first time, you saw a hint of emotion on the city-sized face. It slowly began to pull back, looking like it was going to descend for another strike... though there were at least a few minutes before that would happen. At its size, nothing it did was particularly fast.
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
Burkhardt groaned as he picked himself up from the other bodies. "Let's take a more direct route. Midfoviing, could you hoist Hadran aloft? As for me, ɥʇɹɐǝ ǝɥʇ ǝǝןɟ ןןɐɥs ʇǝǝɟ ʎɯ."
I have Fly 30 ft. (perfect) for 2 minutes, and intend to fly directly at the fungus. Not sure how high in the air it is, so if I need to recite gravity's bane multiple times, let me know. And if there is no obvious strategy for what to do once I'm up there, I'll aim to perch myself atop the Starstone Cathedral's peak, provided I don't believe there to be any anti-magic fields surrounding it.
Given the barrier between the top of the city and the enormous face visible in the clouds, it wasn't apparent if you'd actually be able to reach the face, but getting towards the top of the cathedral was easy enough. Getting into the Starstone Cathedral was famously harder - not something any magic was known to allow, regardless of power, except by those undergoing the test - but merely maneuvering around the outside was no problem.
Hadran:
You recognize the shape in the sky as the form of Iod, the Shining Hunter - a Great Old One of the Dark Tapestry known for pursuing souls and acting as a god of the land. Some cultures refer to him as The Source, although the source of what has never been entirely clear, even in the most esoteric texts. It's extremely unusual for such an entity to manifest like this - he usually pursues targets while in a form and size closer to that of a mortal race like humans, and like most entities of the Dark Tapestry, he's known to interact with mortals on a personal level (though like many such entities, his objectives in doing so are difficult to understand and possibly don't exist). As a Great Old One, he is a near-divine being - capable of receiving prayer and granting spells to followers, but not a god in his own right. In this regard, he is similar to an archdevil or demon lord, but like most of the Dark Tapestry, Iod is not known to be outright evil. Of course, "not evil" isn't even remotely close to "safe"...
In your role as a god, you have never interacted with Iod directly.
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
Burkhardt moved brace himself against the peak, hoping to find a nook or cranny to slide into. If Iod verbalizes his answer to Hadran, we may be tossed around again. Once in place, he prepared to recite gravity's bane for Hadran's benefit were he to be tossed from his position.
@Burkhardt: While taking cover in this way, you get a +4 circumstance bonus to your save against knockdown.
1d100 ⇒ 6
Iod's face crashed into the golden barrier again, but the shield held fast, keeping the fungus-form at bay. The figure showed no response to Hadran's words - though it wasn't clear if it hadn't noticed, hadn't understood, or simply didn't care. It was awfully high above the city, and even shouting only went so far, plus whatever the barrier might do to quieter sounds.
As Iod's head rose, a softer and faintly familiar voice could be heard from near the top of the cathedral, sounding tired and strained. "I don't... think he... wants to let me go. If you could... please find a way to... delay him until this stabilizes... that would help."
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
"Iodell! Is that you?" Burkhardt boomed. "For a moment, I was worried that Iod thought the whole of Golarion to be their daughter, but they must mean you! I'm not sure how to distract them: what are you waiting to stabilize?"
"I, uh, it seems like becoming a god isn't instant!" the voice from inside the cathedral called, clearly stressed. "I can't do much more than hold up this barrier until this finishes." There was a long pause. "To distract him... maybe a ritual, or... if you know anyone who deals with... things like him?"
Iodell hissed slightly as the face of her father pulled back in the sky.
"Some kind of display of power might work, too.... he's fixated on divine power, so any miracle..."
There are a few flattish spaces on the roof of the Starstone Cathedral - not the greatest places ever, but enough to draw out the kind of circles used by pactmakers. The bad part? They were more exposed than a hiding spot and would offer no cover.
That said, the moment Hadran infused his words with divine power, Iod visibly began to turn slightly, and you could feel the tangible weight of his attention pressing down on you.
<"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMMAND ME, LITTLE GOD. BEGONE FROM MATTERS THAT DO NOT CONCERN YOU, LEST YOU BRING THE ATTENTION OF MY MASTERS TO THIS WORLD.">
"THE OLD ONES ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. IT HAS BEEN SO FOR SOME TIME NOW. YOU ARE THE ONE THAT SHOULD FEAR THE ATTENTION YOU ARE BRINGING UPON YOURSELF. i SAY AGAIN LEAVE NOW."
You're gods. You didn't think you'd be stuck with the average bestiary monsters for every encounter, did you? XD That said, you're always free to make Intelligence checks if you feel like you're stuck and want some ideas. Even if you're missing power, you two are gods - there's always a way. (Especially if you're trying to directly apply your portfolios... don't hesitate to play to your concepts! After all, even death can only do so much to a god... Also, on a very fundamental level, this game doesn't believe in encounters you can't somehow resolve.)
"Well, that's kind of mean." a voice came over the side of the Starstone Cathedral a moment before you saw a hand stick up and grope around for a few moments to find a good handhold. Nia hauled herself up a moment later. "Oof, forgot how twitchy this place is. I'd love to know how Aroden shut even the gods out from being able to affect the inside, though that's probably for the best. Can you imagine what would happen if, like, the Proteans got their hands on that thing and just threw people at it until they had an army of gods? Time gets kind of weird in the Maelstrom, so they might be done before anyone even realized they'd started. Hup!" She wobbled a bit as she hopped across a slanted part of the roof, sliding down a little before scrambling back up and moving one leg up and forward to the top of the roof segment like she was posing as a pirate captain. "Big sucker, isn't he?" she asked, looking up at Iod.
After a few moments of silence, you heard Iodell speak again. "Um... i-is she a friend of yours?"
Abyss: -4 to all Charisma-based checks [ooc]| Spirits: Ubro (with boon), Achaelous (occult weapon)
Naturally, naturally.
"Nia, welcome! An unexpected pleasure to see you here, but a pleasure nonetheless. We're in good company, Iodell." Burkhardt considered his options from here.
Well, playing to concepts... would I be able to use diplomacy or truenaming to make a deal with the universe that would bring Hadran and myself through to the other side of the barrier? If nothing else, smashing his face against gods ought to slow him down a little.
"Nia? When did you get here? So you here to help with this then?"
Yeah I didn't mean the above to sound like I was giving up or anything. I like stuff like this you have to get creative and think of different angles. Also I know you wouldn't put something in front of us that didn't have some sort of solution. :)
If you have access to any teleportation powers, you could certainly get up there. Failing that, flight and asking Iodell to be let through real fast.
"Oh, I visit Absalom a lot." Nia said cheerfully. "Fun city. Good food. Still kind of surprised they haven't rebuilt that drowned district, though..." she glanced down towards that part of Absalom, which was easily visible from your high perch (one of the tallest points in the city). "Just think of all the property taxes they could collect. And mostly, I just kind of wanted to see what was going on here. I mean, how often does a giant head come out of the clouds?" she looked up at Iod again. "But if it's help you're looking for...... well, way I see it, you've got about three good options. Use enough power to send him off, summon a bigger fish, or distract him long enough for the prodigal daughter over there to finish ascending." Nia crossed her arms and nodded a few times, not looking even slightly concerned about her own safety. "Aaaaand seeing as I'm here, I suppose I can't say I'm totally uninvolved in this. Personally, I think hurting him enough to make him go away would be really hard, in part because it's difficult to even get up there without him yelling you back down. So that leaves calling on someone else or running enough distraction. Hey, how long do you need, anyway!?"
"I don't... know!" Iodell answered. "I've never... done this before!"
Nia nodded slightly. "That's fair. Godliness isn't omniscience except when it is. So yeah, that leaves calling someone Iod would have to listen to or distracting him long enough. Best candidates for calling would be any of the gods in his pantheon or... Achaekek, I guess? Although I don't know if the Mantis God goes after anything trying to kill someone who isn't actually a god yet but has started to become one." she raised an eyebrow. "I should look into that sometime, though it may not have even come up before... Anyway, those are my suggestions."
