The Forgotten God (Table 2) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Surge: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Yes

Tapping into her mythic power Sevia struggled just hard enough to get Darilio distracted enough for her blow to hit a weakpoint on his body and truly hurt him badly. Unfortunately, right after that he finally managed a flurry of attacks that ripped through nearly all of her images, leaving only herself and one other to protect her. Damn, she couldn't afford to get picky with her foe biting attacks anymore - she needed Darilio to go down faster than this.

Instead of holding Death's Blade's legendary power in reserve for her more vicious attacks, Sevia began tapping into it to make every single attack she had into a sledgehammer that would slam into her opponent hard. Against any lesser being it would be sheer over kill, but she recognized her opponent was a dangerous man and she'd need every ounce of strength to beat him.

It might've been easier if she'd had enough mythic power to start with to use an Annihilating Strike.

Attack: 1d20 + 18 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 18 - 2 + 6 = 37 vs AC Damage: 1d4 + 14 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 14 + 3 = 18 Foe Biting +18
Attack: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 14 - 2 + 6 = 26 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 10 + 3 = 16
Ki Attack: 1d20 + 18 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 18 - 2 + 6 = 35 vs AC Damage: 1d4 + 14 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 14 + 3 = 21 Foe Biting +21

Attack: 1d20 + 18 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 18 - 2 + 6 = 42 vs AC Damage: 1d4 + 14 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 14 + 3 = 20 Foe Biting +20
Confirm: 1d20 + 18 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 18 - 2 + 6 = 29 vs AC Damage: 1d4 + 14 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 14 + 3 = 19 I will Surge to Confirm this crit if it doesn't hit. +1 extra legendary power to make the crit Foe Biting +19 extra damage
Surge: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Attack: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 14 - 2 + 6 = 37 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 10 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 10 + 3 = 15
Confirm: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 14 - 2 + 6 = 34 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 10 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 3 = 17
Ki Attack: 1d20 + 18 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 18 - 2 + 6 = 31 vs AC Damage: 1d4 + 14 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 14 + 3 = 21 Foe Biting +21

3/8 ki 1/10 legendary power 1/7 mp

The feint was successful - albeit only by the narrowest margin, and by using the power to overturn fate itself - and your blade ripped into the undead monster's flesh. Your images had been destroyed by this point, and he just gritted his teeth before focusing his power again.

Dark energy surged around his hand, and he lashed out with a brutal punch aimed towards your midsection even as the tentacles were cut off as he slammed his jaw shut.

Melee Touch Attack: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (4) + 21 = 25

The first blow missed, but his near-impossible speed remained, and he repeated the action before you could respond.

Melee Touch Attack: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (3) + 21 = 24 Wow, you're lucky. XD Maybe there's something to that 'Goddess of Fate' bit.

Two more of your attacks slammed into his body as Death's Blade ate away at him, battering him down further and further. He'd clearly taken a lot of damage by this point, but near-mindless ferocity was driving him to try over and over again.

Melee Touch Attack: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (8) + 21 = 29 Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 45

And finally his arm shot out in an accurate blow, wreathed in dark energies as it went. As he struck you, dark power surged down his arm and into your body, infusing you with a burst of chaos. Alongside it, however, was the horrible power of his smite - and channeled energy to go along with it.

Damage: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 6, 5) = 20 - Will 23 Halves: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31 - Total Damage: 10 + 14 = 24

The physical damage to your body was almost an afterthought, though. As your weapon came out, a burst of chaos surged within your body, seeking to tear down everything you tried to do.

Reroll (Atk 1): 1d20 + 18 - 2 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 18 - 2 + 6 = 30 Not enough to strike him - but any successful surge will let you hit with the attack. Did you want to do so?

Answer: Yes.

For all the powers of chaos, your own powers seemed to be even stronger, and Death's Blade slammed into his skull. It shattered under the force of the impact, followed by the rest of the bones as a surge of power flowed out of the blade and quite literally blew the skeleton apart.

Even as Darilio's physical body began to break apart, magical circles on the wall appeared and shattered - and a faint bit of feminine laughter could be heard in the air as the skeletons behind you collapsed, their animating force ripped from their body as their master fell. The last thing to break was a stone symbol of Groetus, and the devastatingly powerful blade you'd been loaned vanished a moment later, signifying that your task was done. The Cult of Nature's Cataclysm had been thwarted, their plans utterly undone by your intervention in the mortal world, and with this the undead ought to be staying in their graves... even if it had become steadily clearer that this had been about far more than one undead lord, and there were still a few questions left unanswered... like who had transformed Darilio into such an abomination in the first place.

For now, though, perhaps it would be best to report back to the Venture-Captain who'd given you the assignment... or you could investigate the area a bit more. There might be further clues about the cult's actions and plans lying around, and a thorough examination could reveal something useful.

You've reached Level 6, power up on resting 8 hours, as usual.

In that single moment, she could see the surprise in Darilio's face as both their might came together in a clash of will - and her mythic power overcame his divine strike. Then Death's Blade destroyed his head, ending the abomination for good, as his entire body was destroyed in an instant with a shattering crash of bones breaking apart.

"Pharasma take you." Sevia spat, raising an eyebrow as a faint laughter echoed about the chamber, looking around and watching as the other skeletons - presumably the prisoners she'd failed to save - collapsed as well. Looking back to her hand, she watched the blade she'd been holding fade, and disappear, as if it had never been there.

She chided herself for actually expecting the Goddess to retrieve it in person; that one seemed loathe to ever show her face around. Though she sympathized somewhat with the urge.

She did however, feel like quite the pawn in the game between that goddess and whoever she was acting against - and she did not particularly like that at all. Which, thinking about it - she wondered just how much she should tell the Venture-Captain...and how much the woman would even believe if she did.

Looking about, she decided to investigate the area quickly and see if there was anything more in the chamber worth looking for - or perhaps clues left behind by the ghoul about the cult's plans. At the very least, she retrieved the broken armor, and the shield, Darilio had been wielding which while not particularly valuable were not without worth at all.

Take 10 on perception of the room with the bird and sevia

The broken armor wasn't in the best shape, of course, but it ought to be repairable with some hard work... or just sold as it was. The shield was in considerably better shape (as one would hope from such a thing). The cult didn't seem to be particularly interested in having paperwork, but there were a number of arcane leftovers...

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Examining the leftovers, the walls seemed to have been covered with marks that looked like a setup for lichdom - but a strangely twisted version, as if someone had been intending to make something massive - perhaps this entire building - into a phylactery. However, the destruction of his body seemed to have cascaded into these magical circles, breaking them before they could take effect. That seemed to be the last contingency plan the undead's creators had, and one they clearly hadn't imagined could fail.

The plan, then, seemed relatively straightforward - creating an (almost) unkillable undead champion, then sweeping across the land. Your intervention seemed to be the only thing that had stopped this from happening, especially as you pulled open a desk drawer and found a false bottom within. Inside the compartment, manuscripts describe two sinister plans: the first details Dalirio’s desire to create small bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir, and the second talks of a derro plan to use secret tunnels to infiltrate a major Cassomir building and kidnap everyone inside. However, both plans are now in ruins.

Additionally, a chest under the desk contains 5,500 GP worth in Cassomir's trade bars - a type of larger currency unit only good within the city itself, but widely accepted and easy to trade in at the banks or for more valuable products.

Had Sevia not been witnessed to hundreds of such attempts in the past, including one particularly notable instance, she would've been quite disturbed by what she'd learned here. Though...this unique version presented its own implications which did not sit well with her. Typically necromantic phylacteries were usually selected for their smallness and ability to hide - smarter lichs used difficult to destroy materials.

To try and attempt such with a building of all things. It was almost like constructing a temple to undeath. And that did make her shudder slightly.

Finding the sinister plans within, Sevia pocketed them to be taken to the Venture-Captain after she was finished here. Finding the trade bars was also a nice bonus. After loading the bars into the extra-dimensional pockets of her haversack, she moved over to the wall panel where she'd seen Darilio activate the portcullis at the door and reset the trap, leaving the way she'd come.

Having no desire to fight the Otyughs she'd left behind - they were dangerous but at least trapped inside here - she once again used her invisibility to bypass them, heading back up the stairs and reseting the tumblers of the fountain to close back up the doorway. Sevia also took a moment to investigate the two doors she'd ignored earlier when she'd entered the secret fountain to determine where they led, preferring to cast an Invisibility spell to do so.

After which, she made her way back to the Pathfinder lodge and found Captain Themis. And despite the good news she was delivering, Sevia was in no celebratory mood.

"I have located and destroyed the undead scourge plaguing the city. And not a moment too soon, the dread ghoul within the crypts under this city was just beginning to amass a small army to overrun the city. There are more details here." Sevia retrieved the manuscripts she'd obtained and placed them before the Captain before folding her arms. "This ghoul however - Darilio Teppish - had very powerful divine patronage, which worries me. Though at least their plans are thwarted...for the moment. I think this should be a lesson for your city Venture-Captain, acting sooner rather than later to the kidnappings could've prevented this much easier." Sevia said sternly, clearly displeased that the Cassomir authorities had allowed the situation to spiral so completely out of control. Only her last minute intervention had saved the entire city.

The other passages seemed to head deeper into the sewers - but not towards anything that seemed particularly relevant. "Well, there was a reason we sent you out a week ago." she said, looking up at you. "Where in the nine hells have you been? We've had dozens of kidnappings, and even more attempts that our lodge and the city authorities have managed to prevent. Let me see those." she took the manuscripts and started looking over them as the Pathfinder you'd rescued before, standing beside her, just shrugged and mutely shook his head. Prickly woman, that one. "So that's what they were doing..." she muttered. "Well, it does seem like we owe you our thanks for this much, at least. I don't really care what you did as long as it's over and those rats won't be infesting my city again. Here."

She passed over a small writ, clearly made very carefully to prevent forgeries. "That'll be accepted at any place on enchantment that's friendly to the Pathfinders."

You've received a [Writ of Enchantment +1]. This treasured note is effectively a promise on behalf of the Pathfinder Society to repay an enchanter for their services. This particular note can be used in just about any city with a Pathfinder Lodge to enchant any appropriate non-magical item with either a +1 enhancement or a +1-equivalent special ability.

Sevia managed to keep her face controlled enough to prevent the captain from managing to see her momentary look of surprise. She'd been dead longer than she thought...Well, at least they'd picked up the slack in her absence. Nodding, she collected the Writ and bade the Captain farewell.

Now that she thought about it, she was in fact actually taking more time than she'd intended getting back to Maheto than she'd originally planned. It had already been over a month, though not two, so they shouldn't be panicking just yet. But it would probably be a good idea to get on her way soon.

She did however, at least want to complete her armor before leaving.

Sevia will spend a week enchanting her armor. Taking 10 on spellcraft vs DC 10

Finding another...different inn to sleep at, mostly to avoid questions from the inn keep. Sevia resisted the urge to simply flop down and collapse where she stood. She did in fact, have some work to do, and plenty of time to rest later.

She first began the initial process of enchanting the armor, spending 8 hours crafting before finally allowing herself to fall asleep. For the next five days she repeated this process, taking additional time during the day to cast Mending upon the broken plate armor she had until it was finally fixed. And at one point having her Adamantine blade given a +1 Enchantment at the Pathfinder Lodge. She also checked down at the docks for departures of ships heading upriver. At some point she remembered to have the Cassomir trade bars she'd acquired converted into gold pieces.

The last day took considerably less than 8 hours of enchanting to finish crafting her armor, and after donning it - felt quite pleased with the sleek look it gave her. Afterwards heading down to the docks to book passage halfway up the Verduran Fork.

Despite the fact that she needed to get to Maheto somewhat soon, she felt she could afford a small detour to give a certain cleric of hers a visit. Before leaving she also purchased some more enchanting components for crafting as well, figuring she could put some of her traveling time to use as well. For the base item she used to enchant her Belt of Dexterity, Sevia decided to use the former Belt of Grace.

Buy:
6660gp Twilight Celestial Armor (Craft cost)
8000gp Belt of Dexterity +4 (Craft cost)

Sell:
750gp Plate Armor
20gp Madu

29735
-14660
+770
=15845gp

The village was much the way you'd left it, quiet and just... well... removed from the rest of the world. There were many villages like this around the world, calmly going about their daily lives without really worrying about nations or kings. Father Otiward was in the chapel, quietly reading through an aged tome, but he did look up as you entered the area - and a wide smile appeared on his face. "Sevia! Welcome back!" he said, rising up. "I hope you've been well?"

"Hmm...as well as can be all things considered, there have been quite a few hurtles..." Sevia smiled back somewhat mirthfully as she strode towards him, she did actually die after all. That would've made for a poor tale. Though ironically it had ended up making her mission much easier, and had answered a few questions - though raised many more. "I've also learned a good deal as well. I thought since I were passing by I would take a quick detour to catch up. I assume things have been rather quiet since I left?" It would also be apparent to him that she was much better equipped as well. Though, she wondered how long it had been since she left, something like three to four months if she guessed. Keeping track of time was not particularly easy being mortal...

"Quieter than they've been for you, I think." he said, glancing at your improved belongings. "But when you get to be as old as me, you learn to appreciate the peace and quiet." Given that he was only in his 30s, he was almost certainly joking. Almost. "Time moves on as it always has, though Fhanys finally left us to go find her place in the world. Honestly, the only thing that surprised me was it took as long as it did for her to leave." he sighed and shrugged slightly. "Still, you're more than welcome to rest here in the church while you're in town. Just between us, the innkeeper's still not entirely over what happened." he added, lowering his voice a bit.

Sevia smiled wryly, the innkeeper would probably get upset about her staying at his place again. No doubt fearing another dead body showing up in his establishment. Still, Fhanys an adventurer? That was interesting.

"Just a night's rest before I continue on my journey then. I hope that child finds what she's looking for, I would not have guessed her for a wanderlust; though I suppose I did not get to know her for very long. Still, I hope for her safety though, the world can be a violent place, and she seemed...quite innocent." Sevia said with a measured amount of concern. She recalled the horror stricken face on the poor thing when they'd found Zanaver's corpse in said inn. Adventurers tended to either harden up in their travels, or die...though the lucky ones might just have a bad scrape and put those days behind them. And she did feel a little bad that she couldn't give the girl the proper amount of divine power a cleric aught to recieve. "How long ago was that? Did she have someplace in particular she was heading to?" Sevia asked curiously.

"She left about two weeks ago, heading west." Otiward explained, seeming quite happy to answer your questions. "I think she wants to investigate that area of darkness, maybe try to resolve it on her own. I'm not sure she's ready to make her mark on the world, but..." he grinned wryly. "On the other hand, I suppose we always feel that way when someone sets out for the first time. It feels like there's always one more thing you could teach them before they go, when what you really want is to protect them forever. She deserves better, though - Norben was pretty upset, though. He'd always been sweet on her."

"She-she went west?" Sevia suddenly asked, suddenly rather more worried. She had specifically left that area last of all places she was going to look for one of her fragments - what she suspected was the source of the domain of Darkness. Her reason had been nothing more than a suspicion, but she believed that it would've been particularly difficult for her before.

Sighing, Sevia rubbed her temple, taking a moment to silently ponder the situation. 'How much should I be worried that she'll stumble into too much trouble?' she wondered. Two weeks was not long, she'd still been in Cassomir when the girl had left, by all likelihood Fhanys was at the area already. With her speed and endurance she could catch up easily, but it would take time. There was also the matter of the cult, she hadn't been back in some time and felt it would be bad to make them worry she'd gotten into too much trouble.

She suddenly realized she'd not said anything for too long and looked back to Otiward

"I fear she may be in over her head Father...if it were anywhere else I wouldn't have said anything, but that place is..." she trailed off, finding it difficult to explain it in terms he would understand. And well...its not like she had much to go off anyways. "I need to think on this." she bowed her head to Otiward, "I will retire now. Thank you for the hospitality."

Upon arriving at her room, Sevia removed her equipment, before sitting down on the bed in meditation. With two fragments of her soul, perhaps she had recovered enough power to feel for at least one worshiper as a proper god? She focused on Fhanys and turned her senses outwards, hoping to achieve some measure of status, perhaps hear a prayer.

Afterwhich Sevia will go to bed

One of the greatest aspects of a deity's power - the ability to provide spells - is still missing from your soul. It may simply be that you're not divine enough to accomplish that yet, despite the nature of your very first follower in these times. There are no prayers or emotions that your divine essence can sense - only a shadow over the place where her status in your mind should be. It may be that the darkness covering that land dampens even divine power... though Fhanys clearly isn't relying on such things, so at least there's that.

The night is quiet, free from worrisome dreams or desperate pleas for help. In the morning, though, you do have to make a decision... search out one follower, without knowing their status, or return to the far greater part of your fold and focus on your church as a whole?

'Nothing' Sevia cursed her divine impotence. Sleep did not come easily as she wrestled with her choice. Fhanys was probably walking straight into danger, though in two months a lot could've happened in Maheto, and there were more of her followers there, but she felt more connected with her cleric than them.

Well, she supposed that of the two, her shadowdancers-in-training were far closer. Though she suspected Fhanys to be walking into danger, she was doing so of her own free will, and she at least believed the girl would exercise caution. Father Otiward was correct that neither he nor she could simply coddle the girl. And...well, heroes did come from the most unlikeliest of places sometimes.

With her decision made, she bade Father Otiward a farewell and thanks for his hospitality and news. Stopping briefly at a shop to purchase some magical regents for crafting and a few blank scrolls before setting out in the direction of Maheto to her followers.

Buy:
Rod of Lesser Extend -1,500gp (crafting)

Despite her decision to head to them first, she had no intention of lollygagging any further, and moved at double her usual speed through the wilderness - using magical healing to offset the strain of such a march.

Sevia hustles overland for 8 hours, taking a large amount of non-lethal damage to do so and healing it with spells

After an arduous trek, she eventually stopped to rest, taking time before her sleep to make some crafting work. Additionally spending some mythic power to cast a few scrolls of Explosive Runes to use for later.

Take 10 on spellcraft. Create 4 scrolls of Explosive Runes.

After resting for the night, Sevia once again resumed her blistering run towards Maheto, aiming to complete the journey in a few hours and enter the sanctuary immediately.

Your return was as bold as your movements - several of the apprentices actually dropped things in shock as you entered the sanctuary of your faith, where arguing voices could be heard from in the back. Taking a moment to listen, it seemed that a few people wanted the group to believe in a more traditional deity, especially since none of them were receiving the divine magic that was given to the true believers of a faith. However, the sentiments clearly weren't universal - others seemed to be rather pointedly opposed to changing their beliefs again. Most relevantly, however, none of them seemed to realize that you had returned yet...

Noticing the commotion coming from the back gave Sevia some pause. Nodding to the stunned apprentices, she strode forward to the source of the commotion - intent of getting more details to what was going on. Quickly, she tapped into her mythic power to cast Seek Thoughts, focusing on those thinking about herself. Hopefully she'd be able to get a better picture of the situation from those who would hold their tongue.

Idly she wondered how much this was going to interfere with her ability to set out for the third fragment and Fhanys. Matters of faith tended to be...intensive and drawn out affairs. Though she had no intention of trying to forcefully convert any of them - nearly all the Gods knew it was pointless to try, and doubly so for her, a weakened one. Finally striding to the area of debate, Sevia did not speak up, merely letting those around her take quiet notice.

It took an impressively long time for the hall to notice you - which may have been driven partly by the fact that most of those who noticed you fell quiet, and the arguing ones took a few moments to notice that the volume in the room was getting distinctly lower.

The main individual leading the discussion here - a middle-aged male - just looked over to you when he finally figured out what was going on. "...I'm not ashamed of my position." he said, just a bit defensively. "We need proper magic if we're going to slaughter the undead with anything resembling efficiency."

Would a Paladin of me be able to smite?

"Peace, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Sevia smiled, though clearly somewhat pained - it was tough getting reminded of one's own impotency. "You are correct, mostly. As a Goddess bereft of much of my power, I am unable to grant divine spells. And divine spells are undoubtedly the strongest of tools within the arsenal of those who fight the undead. Any normal deity could provide you with these tools but I as of yet am unable." By validating the man's argument she was probably hurting some of the faith they had in her, but it was the truth and she saw no reason to lie here, and she hoped being candid would endear her to them. However, it would also serve to segway into her announcement.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

"However, that will not always be the case. I did not idly spend my time away from you all...for I have recovered the artifact the Raven's Wing - more commonly known as the Belt of Grace; and with it the second fragment of my soul, that which is linked to the aspect of fate. I ask for you patience with me while I seek out these remaining fragments." Sevia said loud and clear, hoping to inspire them.

Yes. Smite Evil calls on the general powers of good - not a specific deity's energy - in order to aid their struggle against evil. This might be different in rare circumstances - such as an archetype offering an enhanced Smite from a specific deity, or one that removes the ability entirely (NPCs absolutely use archetypes in my games, so this isn't an impossible circumstance) - but your Paladins will generally have no trouble smiting things. Incidentally, you can't grant domains yet, but you can grant both spells and domains if you pick up the Divine Source ability at Mythic Tier 3.

"Aye... well... it's good if you're getting stronger..." the man muttered, glancing to the side a bit. He seemed just a bit embarrassed now. "And... I guess clerics could still do that life energy thing of theirs... but we've always been more fighters than priests, you know? Give me a good mace and let me break open their skulls - even an army of skeletons is no match for a disciplined fighting force, and we can hit them more than a few times a day if we have to." Some of the people in the room looked like they agreed with him, though a few - mostly the skinnier ones - were definitely leaning towards magic as a preferred power.

Auguinare, on the other hand, just coughed and clapped his hands. "The Raven Queen is correct, of course." he said, managing to firm up his tone. "We've done fine on our own this long - no reason we can't wait a little longer while she works to strengthen herself. Elan, go fetch the documents we've been saving for our Lady!" he added sharply, and one of the apprentices ran off as Auguinare turned to you. "Welcome back, Lady Sevia."

"Thank you, Auguinare..." Sevia nodded to her head priest, who...was more or less the actual leader of the group she had to admit. Though Gods didn't personally lead those who worshiped them, having corporeal form at least offered the opportunity. Which she had not taken advantage of. She would've liked to do so, but other matters were more pressing. "Though I fear I shall not remain long. I have the location of the third fragment, that which I suspect is the aspect linked to Darkness, and it beckons." she informed him, declining to mention at the moment the other concern which was more pressing.

"What documents do you speak of though?" she asked curiously, wondering what he meant. The only thing she could guess at were the teachings she had left behind a few months ago.

The small apprentice came running back, carrying a large stack of papers. He was moving much too quickly, though, tripping as he got close - only to have his fall arrested as Auguinare held out one hand and caught him. Quickly sorting through the papers, he pulled one out - a particularly nice-looking parchment, stamped with the seal of Pharasma. "We got this letter last week." he began. "It's from the church of Pharasma - specifically, the Cheliax branch." The tension in the room moved several notches upwards as Auguinare cited the hell-touched land. "We've always been quite close to their church, actually - many of our members are former adherents, and parted on good terms. They want to hire us to retrieve some gems for them - gems that supposedly came from Pharasma's own vault."

You can make a Knowledge (History or Religion) check for more information on these gems.

Sevia raised an eyebrow at the letter, the second joined it when the apprentice mentioned who it was from. They...wanted to hire some of her order? That was a surprise, she hadn't expected that they were communicating much with the outside world - let alone with the church that would've regarded them as heretics at best. Gems from Pharasma's vault? Tapping her chin she tried to recall anything about it.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

"Hmm, they do?" Sevia asked, holding her hand out to receive the letter so she could read its contents. As soon as he handed her the parchment, she opened it up to scour the details - especially interested in the Where and When of the request. "Auguinare, how many acolytes do you think would be up to the task?" she asked idly, curious for his appraisal of her followers.

"None of them are ready for this." he said, with no hesitation at all. "Honestly, I think they were just reaching out to everyone they could. If even half of this is true, though..." he shook the letter a bit. "They need all the help they can get, and asked for our best. Those gems are what stop Groetus from falling. If there aren't enough to hold him back any longer..."

The letter seemed to have been mailed by magic, but it had been sent out even before you arrived in Cassomir. The faster this could be resolved, the better off everyone - literally, everyone - would be. As such, it was requesting that people be sent to the city of Westcrown as quickly as possible.

"Again the influence of Groetus? First the dread ghoul and now this..." Sevia murmered, looking over the letter again as she thought. Was this part of the game that death goddess was playing? She was surely involved. "Oh my, this was received weeks ago, and it would take even longer just to arrive in Westcrown..." Sevia remarked as she noticed when the letter had been sent, dating back even before her arrival in Cassomir. She wondered whether she could even arrive in time to assist, although this was big enough that traveling there was certainly important enough to divert her attention.

"Still though, such a request is important enough to require my immediate attention. On the morrow I will depart first thing to begin my journey, and hopefully I will arrive soon enough to avert a catastrophe." Sevia announced to the group, slipping the letter into a pocket. "I shall at least be available for the rest of the day if there are any other concerns?" she asked Auguinare.

"Nothing we can't handle." he said firmly. "...What do you mean 'again', though? Did you encounter his worshipers before?" he seemed honestly curious, though there was a distinct undercurrent of fear that he was trying hard to hide. Most people were bothered enough by their own death - however, the death of the entire universe (and all of the Outer Sphere) was more frightening still. What happened to souls when the heavens themselves were gone, and the Maelstrom returned everything to chaos?

"Yes, in Cassomir. They were attempting to create an army of undead from the city's inhabitants; I thwarted them of course. That was part of my delay in returning." Sevia explained, though she left out the part of how she never did find out who had been backing them. These people probably didn't need that hanging over their heads. "I have another matter I need to discuss with you though..." she told him a bit more quiety, motioning for him to follow her. Nodding to the rest, she bid them a fair evening as she left.

Heading back to her room with Auguinare in tow, she promptly collapsed into a chair before rubbing her temple. "I need you to select one of the better acolytes, I have a task for them. I had intended to do it myself, but the matter of these Soul Gems has diverted me." Sevia said somewhat tiredly with an offhanded wave. Really, this could not have come up at a worse time, and she couldn't dally in responding to it. So, she was going to delegate, let these cultists find some use as it were. "It shouldn't be too dangerous, I just need them to look for someone."

Auguinare nodded. "Most of our older members have plenty of experience finding targets, including some who'd really rather not be found. Shouldn't be too difficult." he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What do we know about the person you want found, and what should our acolyte do once they've found them?"

"She is a young girl named Fhanys, and she is a cleric of mine." Sevia smiled fondly, before giving Auguinare a brief description of her appearance. "Recently she decided to venture into the patch of eternal darkness which has appeared over eastern Andoran. Please instruct whomever you choose to go find her and make sure my foolish follower is not in danger. I fear that place is no where someone like her should be." Sevia sighed with concern as she began removing her equipment. "They should also find out more about this eternal darkness; I suspect it to be the location of my third soul fragment and therefor the cause of it."

Auguinare's expression grew far more serious at that statement, and he nodded firmly in response. "I'll send our best - no, our two best." he said decisively. "We're lacking in clerics as it is - if you want them protected, it will be done." After checking to be sure there was nothing else you needed, he hurried off to go give the orders, leaving you the opportunity to take a few breaths and rest your feet for at least a little while before your travels continued.

Sevia nodded in thanks, glad the man understood. She gave him a few instructions for them - first they should tell her about the cult, although not what they'd been doing before she'd arrived; second that they should send a missive to Auguinare after they found her, and that they should give further updates reporting their status and anything they found out there; third that they should obey Fhanys unless she asked them to do something stupid or risky, technically as one of her few clerics she had that authority within her teachings. She also made it clear that at least one of them should be a woman. "Tell them to be ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning, I'll see them off." Sevia said before relaxing into her chair.

After Auguinare left, she finally gathered up the willpower to pull off her equipment. The day long hustle had really taken a tole on her, though most of it wore off with magical healing. After spending a few minutes in silence she finally left her room, touring around the sanctuary to see how her followers were doing - and answer some of their questions, before retiring for the night.

A few minor doctrinal points had come up - what was right in this highly improbable circumstance, what color was best as a barely-noticeable accent part on that liturgical outfit... dumb questions, most people would think, but deities could get very picky about how their followers looked and behaved, and the few questions brought up were all asked with complete seriousness. Fortunately, most of these wouldn't need to be asked more than once... but mortals got hung up on the darnedest things.

In the morning, Auguinare introduced you to two of the cult's other members - a tall woman (with what might have been distant Oread ancestry, judging by her size and faintly rock-like shaping) and a completely unremarkable-looking man who wouldn't have stuck out in any human settlement. Of course, that was the mark of a true professional, and both of them seemed like they'd carried out several assassinations each over the years. They could probably keep one girl safe - if nothing else, the massive club the woman had looked reassuringly brutal.

"March fast." Auguinare told them, nodding firmly. "We don't know what kind of trouble Miss Fhanys is in, but if she's not pushing herself too hard, you might still be able to catch up to her."

Regardless of their minor questions, Sevia was more than pleased to answer, it had been a long time since mortals had looked to her for guidance and she was happy to give it. She informed the one person asking her about colors that she considered black her primary color, and green her secondary - as deities typically associated with two colors, though white, silver, or purple were fashionable alternatives. White and green was the preferable garb for those venturing into the deserts. She also did her best to clarify how she would proceed in certain circumstances, but also pointed out it was best to trust their judgement at the time.

After equipping her gear in the morning after a good night's rest, she quickly joined Auguinare and the two acolytes in the forest, where the morning mist had yet to break and the sun had barely just come up. Looking over Auguinare's choices, she nodded appreciatively at how capable they seemed.

Drawing on her mythic power once more, she cast the spell Mount twice. Conjuring up two light horses for the pair. "These mounts should help see you faster along your journey, they will last half a day before disappearing so feel free to force march them as far as you can today. I will be traveling on foot, a mount would simply slow me down. Head first to Bellis, this darkness is just west of that settlement. Once you've discovered her whereabouts, please send a letter to Pharasma's church in Westcrown. It will likely take me some time to return however..." Sevia explained to the two of them, though it might be possible for her to return much faster if she found the services of a wizard or cleric. That would be a last resort though. "Go now with my blessing, and good luck. <Shadows shield you from harm.>" Sevia said, offering them a customary prayer in celestial.

She then turned to Auguinare, "Take care Auguinare, I once again leave them in your care. I may be gone for some time, Westcrown is not close." At that, Sevia turned north toward the river Verduran, intent on finding a ships passage to Cassomir, and from there to Westcrown. Taking a deep breath, she practically sprinted out of the clearly, hustling the entire way and using healing spells to keep her up until she reached the river.

The march north was a fairly straightforward one, at least, heading up the land until the Falling River met Fog Creek and their waters merged to create the Sellen River (source of the Verduran Fork). One of the nice things, at least, was that this place was popularly traveled enough to make the journey easy enough as long as you could pay. Incidentally, the total sum of the passage came to about 120 GP - pricey, but among the least-expensive fares available, and well within your budget after the work you did in Cassomir. The voyage to Westcrown itself is largely uneventful - a bit boring, to be honest, though everyone on the ship tenses up when the Captain announces that the vessel has passed into Cheliax's territorial waters.

Many of the ship's members seem at least passingly familiar with the nation, and there's a good chance they can answer any questions you have about the nation before you actually arrive in Westcrown and disembark.

Before leaving on her booked passage, Sevia again takes the time to purchase the magical regents needed for crafting - intent on putting her long voyage to Westcrown to some good use. She'll also turn over the +2 Unholy Flail she'd been carrying to the local church for its bounty - though she'd wanted to keep it and redeem the weapon, such a feat was simply beyond her ability and she needed the funds.

Sell:
+500gp Cloak of Resistance +1
+8000gp +2 Unholy Flail (bounty)

Buy:
-2500gp +3 Armor Ability (Cost:Fortification Light)
-10000gp Sword of Subtlety (Cost-Base Weapon Cost: On Wyroot blade)
-500gp Page of Spell Knowledge 1st(Cost:Anticipate Peril)
-2000gp Page of Spell Knowledge 2nd(Cost:Resist Energy)
-3000gp +2 Weapon Ability (Cost:Keen:Wyroot blade)
-3000gp +2 Weapon Ability (Cost:Keen:Adamantine blade)
-120gp travel cost

14645gp
+8500gp
-21120gp
=2025gp

After boarding the ship, Sevia mostly kept to herself, intent on finishing her items before the end of the voyage. In the morning she'd spend her time completing magic items, and in the evening, working on the daggers she'd been keeping on her person but hadn't had time to actually turn into weapons. Using Crafter's Fortune to speed up the process, and getting help from her familiar.

Adding a +10 to her DC for accelerating crafting, Sevia takes 10 on craft weapon for a check of 27 vs DC 22. She makes 1 blade per 3 days

The first item she worked on was her armor, adding the Fortification ability to her armor it to protect herself against critical attacks.

Spellcraft check of 24 vs DC 23

Then, began working on the most lengthy of her projects, the Sword of Subtlety. Which she'd already had the base blade to use to begin with. Upon completing the weapon, she also decided to infuse some of her divine power into it - creating a legendary blade, and decided a more appropriate name was required of it...deciding to give it the name of one of her old titles, Shadow Striker

Spellcraft check of 24 vs DC 12

She also took time to make sure both her blades had a fine edge to them, imbuing them with the Keen property.

Same check vs DC 15

And finally, created two pages of spell knowledge, using her mythic power to bind the knowledge of two spells - Anticipate Peril, and Resist Energy - into a form she could cast using normal arcane energy.

Same check vs DC 22

Towards the end of her journey, she'd finished her blades and spend her remaining afternoons on deck. Noticing the reaction of the crew when the captain announced they'd crossed into Cheliaxian waters, she bothered to ask about the nation later, given that she'd not read too much into Cheliaxian history while with Otiward - though books of Taldor had mentioned their breaking away. She was actually rather horrified to learn an entire nation as powerful as Cheliax had devoted itself to - of all gods - Asmodeus.

Arriving in Westcrown, she immediately made for the temple of Pharasma located there.

As you approach the temple, a small man totters up. He's clearly human, with a completely shaved head and ragged black clothes, but his piercing blue eyes seem to be looking at something much further away than you. "Welcome to Westcrown, Unseeable One." he said, tapping a walking stick on the ground. "I've been expecting you. My name is Taibhill, and I've received a vision from Pharasma about you. Your actions against the Cult of Nature's Cataclysm have not gone unnoticed, and I've been authorized to ask for your help in retrieving some of the missing gems. A very powerful wizard is currently in possession of a number of them - and this theft is an abomination, a perversion! They received their proper rewards in the afterlife, and no mortal has the right to take that from them!" Taibhill scowls thunderously. "If you're successful, you'll be given a token that will allow you to call on Pharasma's church for aid. Resurrection itself will not be beyond your reach."

"From Pharasma?" Sevia asked curiously, wondering what he might have seen about her. And if these visions really did indeed come from Pharasma. It wasn't easy to get a bead on him, but he certainly knew something if he referred to her as the 'Unseeable One' for she was certainly a master of shadows and illusion. She did however agree with the man's statement - such an offense was not light at all, and the Raven Queen did not look kindly upon mortals treading in the domain of death.

"When I am successful" Sevia corrected with a coy grin, that old pride of hers coming up. Though, if she couldn't do it they would surely be in trouble. "This matter is concerning though, I understand your outrage and I am eager to set right this blasphemy. Please tell me more about this wizard and his misdeeds Taibhill, and how I might recover these Soul Gems to see them to their rightful place." Sevia finished, suddenly serious again as she tapped Shadow thoughtfully with a hand. The aid of the church was intriguing but she had plenty of reason to do this for herself.

"The thief is Khandescus, and he lives yonder." the old man said, pointing to a tower of red bricks that rose up in the southeastern part of the city, near to several other buildings of similar construction. "I'd try to retrieve them myself, but my own family, the Hendarthanes, is in the midst of a feud with his family, the Leroungs, and we're unable to speak with them. Don't kill him - he is selfish and has done a terrible thing, but he's not evil... and that's all too rare in this land's nobility. Pharasma didn't say why she wanted this task to be given to you... but the sooner it's resolved, the happier the church will be. It's been too long already."

Sevia followed the man's finger to the tower, it was a rather obvious part of the skyline. She considered the man's request and found herself nodding, if whom she considered to be a rather devout character judged this person so well despite their crimes then there was good reason to avoid bloodshed. "Very well, I shall spare him then...although he may not be unharmed by the end of thiss." Sevia reassured Taibhill, though she hoped nothing...accidental occurred. If things went well it could even be possible for her to retrieve the item without any fighting; though she doubted such an outcome would come to pass.

"As for Pharasma...well, I can think of many reasons. I'll have to ask her when I get the chance. For now, what is truly important is the task at hand. Anything you can tell me about the tower and Khandescus would be helpful." Sevia said, asking about the structure itself; any ways in; how was it guarded; what likely magical traps or barriers he might employ; how powerful a wizard was Khandescus; what was his social life like; if possible where she could find the gems themselves.

After gaining all the knowledge she could from the priest, she gave him a polite bow with her assurance that she would strike as soon as possible.

After leaving Taibhill behind, her first task was to begin gathering information regarding Khandescus. Looking for all the information she could that the priest might not have been able to provide.

Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18 Anything I can get about this guy
Knowledge Nobility: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32 Hours: 1d4 ⇒ 2

She also decided to take time to purchase some extra rope to combine with what she already had - creating a huge 150ft line.

Buy:
20gp Rope Silk (50ft each)

The wizard's tower is five floors high, and nobody's seen him in weeks - though the occasional flashes of magic from the top of the tower have made most people fairly certain that he's alive, just... busy. In a clear attempt to try and be fair (despite the feud between their families), Taibhill notes that he's not even sure that Khandescus realizes the magnitude of his crime. Wizards obsessed with research can often lose sight of the world around them, but he is known to employ at least one servant who is still answering the door. It may be possible to get in to talk to the wizard - otherwise, you'd have to navigate up the tower, and it's almost certainly protected by numerous wards that make such efforts unlikely to succeed. The wizard himself has been seen casting spells up to the fifth level - if he's stronger than that, nobody in the city knows about it.

It occurred to Sevia that diplomacy could be an option here, she could attempt to speak with the Wizard - possibly in exchange for some favor or another. However if she did so and he failed to make him see reason he would prepare himself for her attempt to take the gems by force - it might even draw the authorities in; trying to overpower him was also out of the question if she surrendered the element of surprise.

No, it would be less risky to attempt an infiltration. Luckily that was a strong suit of hers, though she'd yet to find a good time to fully exploit that stealth before then.

Sending her familiar to poke around the tower, looking for windows to enter, or for any entrance on the top. Just spy in general on him; while in the meantime she kept at the ground, looking at the front door and watching for any movement. It could actually be possible to enter from the front by slipping inside while the door was opened by the servant...though she'd prefer an alternate entrance.

After night falls, Sevia will recall Epyon and ask him his opinion on the best entrance he could find. Then cast Invisibility, followed by activating the Fly on her armor to head up the side of the tower to where her familiar had indicated. She also cast Detect Magic to warn her of any wards she would need to disable.

Metal fencing surrounded the tower, with bolts of electricity occasionally arcing between them - a clear warning to would-be trespassers. In addition, Detect Magic reveals that the walls of the tower are covered in wards - but their power pales in comparison to the multiple points of magic that could be seen on the top floor of the tower. Indeed, Epyon had been able to look inside while flying around, and the report back was clear - the gems were up on the top floor of the tower, inside a ten-foot magical circle that hummed with contained magical power. The wizard himself was in the same chamber, busy working on something, though it wasn't entirely clear what he was doing. Heading in through the entrance was probably the safest course of action, but the lower level was also filled with some kind of magical power. Not a ward, precisely, but... there is a faint aura of evocation coming from somewhere within.

Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (9) + 19 = 28 vs traps
Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 On the electric fence or any other spells

Looking at the tower, Sevia tried to discern any traps she could. Really, she would've preferred just teleporting in, but even a novice would guess that a wizard this powerful would've at least taken the precaution to ensure their abode was protected by a permanent Teleport Trap - even if she couldn't see any evidence of such. She decided to fly up well above the metal fencing, staying clear of the electricity and head to the entrance to the tower, looking it over for traps or locks she could disable.

She also made sure to look for any alternate ways in on the floor below the top.

There were four windows on the fourth floor of the tower, each of which had a nasty-looking magical trap on it. The front door of the tower didn't seem to be actively trapped - even many wizards were at least slightly concerned about frying legitimate guests - but there was a sturdy lock that you'd have to pick before you could slip into the building.

Despite the nasty looking magical trap, Sevia decided to fly up to the window and test her mettle on the arcane energy surrounding the glass on one of the windows. She selected the one furthest from where the wizard was if possible. She knew she was skilled enough to at least avoid springing it in her face, well - unless it was a truly powerful arcane spell. Leaning forward, she studied it for a moment before cautiously trying her skill against it, taking her time to avoid a mistake.

If the trap was more difficult then that, she'd have to either decide to play it safe and go through the front door or try again with the trap without being cautious.

Take 10 on Disable Device for a check of 29 vs 25 + spell level. Unless I fail by 5 or more (meaning the trap is 9th level) I should either succeed or fail with no consequences

It's ultimately a close thing, but after a few minutes of work, you're able to carefully disarm the trap without setting it off or - worse - raising the alarm. From there, it's a shorter and simpler matter to unlock the window and grant yourself a way inside. The only way up seems to be a spiral staircase in the center of the building, but now that you're inside, you're not spotting nearly as much security as before. Admittedly, too many traps within one's home would get in the way of everyday living...

Sevia smiled as the magical trap finally came undone, sure that she'd saved herself a lot of hassle. After finally getting the lock on the window open, she slipped inside - closing the window and relocking it after she'd done so. Looking at the staircase, she imagined that a confrontation could be possible, so decided to cast a precautionary Shield spell and Anticipate Peril.

Finishing that, she continued forward to the stairs and attempted to reach the next floor.

The top floor of the tower looked the same inside as it had from outside - no visual illusions, then, just a wizard at his desk, various tools scattered around the room, and a glowing circle with the crystals held inside it. There were many possible courses of action here, but that invisibility spell wouldn't last forever, and a wizard in the heart of his own workplace was almost certainly more likely to notice any magical auras that were out of place... what you chose to do here would undoubtedly have a major effect on the outcome of your quest.

Sevia would've preferred to retrieve the gems safely - and more importantly, without being seen, however with that wizard there doing so would be quite impossible. Attempting such would probably alert him and allow a fight to break out, making keeping the man alive extremely difficult.

There was however an alternative...one which would keep him from being able to fight back and also remove the possibility of her hurting him by accident. Just to prep herself though, she used her Disguise spell like ability to assume his guise. Best to keep her identity secret.

She'd have to be quick. Sneaking up to the man, she stood still right behind him, before quickly using her mythic power to cast Silence on the area around them - immediately cutting off any sound around them and preventing verbal spellcasting. Next, she reached out and tried to grab him, breaking her invisibility.

Surprise Round - swift to cast Silence, standard to Grapple. If I can I'd like to use my familiar to use Aid Another to add +2 to my grapple checks

Grapple(No AoO): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 2 = 23 vs CMD-Dex Gains grapple condition on success, no somatic spells allowed - I will surge to ensure success. If I still fail, I will use my move action to draw my swords.

Initiative: 1d20 + 13 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 13 + 5 = 29

Grapple: 1d20 + 6 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 5 = 24 vs CMD-2 Maintain grapple, and take the Pin action