He snorted slightly. "Alone? I'm not that arrogant. My preferred method involves hiring some of the best - a battle unit from the City of Brass, maybe. Unfortunately, about the only way to afford something like that would be a deal with Hell, and that's out of the question." With that, he gave you a location and a time for the meeting, then headed off.
"...He needs to learn some respect." Fhanys said, frowning in his direction as he left hearing range. "Nobody should talk to you like that." For many, words like that would mainly have been pride - in Fhanys' case, though, her tone made it clear that she genuinely cared about how others thought of you.
Sevia raised her eyebrow, hiring efreets was not cheap...and also questionable. As he left, Sevia telepathically reached out to her familiar to have him tail the man. Just as a precaution. She really wasn't looking forward to the next day, dealing with him was infuriating. She did appreciate Fhany's moral support though.
"Hmph. He is hardly the worst I have ever dealt with. I appreciate the thought though." Sevia said, turning from the door. "I suppose I should prepare for tomorrow, get some rest Fhanys...you should be ready just in case they try for the mace anyways."
Sevia went back into her room to secure the mace within her haversack, and spent the rest of the day crafting.
Epyon returned after about twenty minutes, cawing slightly - apparently, he'd been expecting a tail of some kind, and had disappeared after entering a small building nearby. The rest of the day passed rather peacefully, as you busily imbued a small ring with the powers of evil in order to benefit yourself. It was fortunate that you yourself were beyond the universe's idea of alignment - though if you wore too much profane gear, people were definitely going to make assumptions. Morning came soon enough, dawning bright and clear. Your meeting wasn't until this evening, giving you plenty of time if there was anything you wanted to prepare.
Truthfully the only reason Sevia had specified the later time was so that the sun would be close to going down, making it easier to avoid detection. She would've taken some time to investigate them, but she lacked even the basic information to begin to know where to look, and they likely had taken precautions against such anyways. She instructed Fhanys to be on the look out of course, though she didn't imagine they'd actually be attacked. She instructed her shadow to guard the place as well.
Just before the appointed time, Sevia put on her equipment and cast a few spells on herself. Heroism, Heightened Awareness, See Invisibility, and Freedom of Movement. Both her swords were stowed in her haversack rather than at her sides. She bid Fhanys farewell and departed for the location of the meeting, using the secret escape exit and taking a stealthy approach.
The location for the meeting, as it turned out, was in a large and busy tavern along one of the main roads. Sitting in a booth at the far back was the man who'd come to the church - beside him was an abnormally pale young woman dressed in simple clothes, save for an intricate amulet that hung around her neck. Something about her positioning seemed just a little off - the reason for that became clear as you got closer and the fact that her left leg was missing below the knee became visible through the clear glass tabletop.
As you advanced, one of her hands grabbed the man's head from behind, and she quite literally shoved his forehead into the tabletop in one curt motion. "My friend has been ill-mannered to you, and for that I apologize." she said, calm and collected. "He has a problem with authority figures."
"Yeah, they- owowowow!" You could see her grip tightening as he spoke.
"Please, have a seat - I believe we have much to discuss."
Sevia was not expecting somewhere so noisy as a choice of location for such a meeting. She was also not expecting the individual next to the stranger. As Sevia approached, she smiled as the woman forced the man's head to the table. She admitted it did put her in a better mood. Part of her wondered whether she'd overprepared.
"Yes, I suppose so. I do appreciate the gesture." Sevia said, glancing at the man before taking a seat and leaning back, steeping her hands in front of her chest. From her shoulder, Epyon blinked at the girl. "I am Sevia, I lead the local church recently dedicated to The Raven Queen. I expect you knew that though. Him I am familiar with...to my misfortune, you I am not. Who are you, who seeks to undo Tar Baphon?" Sevia asked, leaning forward curiously as she regarded the woman sitting across from her.
No. Incidentally, you can tell that she is not some kind of pale undead, either - she definitely looks like she doesn't get enough sun, but she is not actively monstrous.
"His many-times great-granddaughter." the young woman answered calmly. "Not something I'm particularly happy about, but none of us can choose our ancestors." she finally let go of her companion, who winced slightly as he rose and sat back. "I am Zofia - this lout is Emidio. As for why I'm getting involved, it's quite simple. The method of resurrecting Tar-Baphon involves the body of one of his descendants, willing or otherwise. I am not his last living descendant, but those who seek to resurrect him would not hesitate to try and claim me if they saw an opportunity... or my children, which I hope to have one day, or my grandchildren. My family will not be safe as long as that monster remains on this world, and I am unwilling to avert my eyes from this danger." she looked straight into your eyes. "So I hope you understand when I say that this is a very personal issue for me, and I am not inclined to give up."
"Emidio may be poor at expressing himself to those he disagrees with - which is almost everybody - but he is correct that the Whispering Tyrant will not remain imprisoned forever. It is not if he will get free, it is when."
"So yes, we plan to aid this resurrection - it has the best chance of weakening the Whispering Tyrant's power and leaving him vulnerable to true destruction. The armies of the dead will not be a problem. We don't have the forces Emidio wants, but we have something almost as good."
Sevia raised her eyebrows in surprise, clearly quite caught off guard by such a statement. She had...not even believed such was possible, unless the Tyrant had had progeny from before his first death. Despite her curiosity, Sevia held her tongue, listening even more intently.
"I see, yes that must be difficult. I can sympathize with your plight, even from his prison he still plagues the world with his evil unfortunately. One wonders if Ustalav would still be as troubled without the magnet of dread known as Gallowspire languishing in its borders. I can see why you are so eager to see this blight extinguished. However..." Sevia sighs, pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. "I have serious reservations about your intentions. The Great Seal holding Tar Baphon has stood for nearly a millennia, and so long as its lesser seals remain intact it will hold him indefinitely...though that one has fallen is disturbing, likely a failure on Taldor's part?" It was phrased less as a question than an accusation, of the three groups holding the seals they were the least dedicated.
"Still, he will remain there for a great deal of time nonetheless. You propose to break his imprisonment, should you fail to strike him down you will doom Ustalav. I apologize for my honesty, but your life, and the lives of any of your descendants, are worth nothing compared to the unspeakable horrors you might inadvertently unleash. And the world can ill afford another catastrophe on the scale of the Worldwound. How can you know this resurrection will weaken him? How can you be sure he will be weakened sufficiently to challenge him? I need not remind you that he fought a god on nearly equal terms, and managed to survive the encounter. Then fought a demi god and slew her." Sevia's eyes were cold and unyielding as she iterated the last point, her tone deadly serious.
"So, what could possibly convince you, and therefor convince me, that this could work?"
Zofia raised one hand, and quietly began to tick off the relevant points.
"First, it's public knowledge that the Whispering Tyrant was in possession of a significant number of powerful relics, many of which he crafted himself. When his soul is drawn into a new body, all of his treasures will be left behind in his prison, unable to leave. He won't have his weapons, his spellbooks, or anything else physical. That alone will constitute a significant reduction in his power."
"Second, and we've studied this very thoroughly, he'll lose many of the powers of his current body. It would probably be best to think of the Whispering Tyrant as having two parts - body and soul. Many of his greatest powers are a part of his physical form, not an innate part of his very nature, and they won't be duplicated. He could regain them eventually, but that's not the kind of thing that happens overnight."
"Third, we have an extra weapon this time, one capable of threatening even a lich. We'll be going straight for the phylactery, no nonsense, and he will be cut down."
"Fourth, I don't think any of us have much of a choice in the matter. When we found out you had the mace, we realized just how far in their plans the Whispering Way has come... and I suspect they may not even need the mace anymore. The method of making the Carrion Crown... it's as much a series of events as anything else, and it doesn't really matter who does them as long as they happen."
"Finally, I've read the text of your church. It mandates that the followers of the Raven Queen attempt to slay liches if at all possible - not blindly and stupidly, but if it's realistically possible, they seem quite obligated to do so. The situation here is more than possible - it's quite likely the best chance your church will ever have at slaying the most dangerous lich to ever exist, and your chances of doing so are highest if you cooperate with us."
Sevia closed her eyes to think on what she had said, allowing almost a full minute to pass by before opening them again and speaking.
"I am quite accustomed to playing the waiting game. Despite what you may think, I have always intended to eventually destroy him; but as he is imprisoned, I felt no need to rush our confrontation. Should the Whispering Way be as close to realizing his escape as you say, and I must assume you are not mistaken if merely because I do not know for sure they aren't, then that is no longer the case."
"There is merit in what you say, Gallowspire acts as much a fortress as a prison, protecting Tar Baphon even as it shackles him. I disagree that this is the best chance I will ever have at destroying him, I would much rather whittle away his support and gather my strength to attack his prison, than risk letting him free. But that is neither here nor there."
Sevia set her elbows on the table for the first time and held up a hand, with two fingers extended. "I will agree to give you the mace on two conditions. Firstly, you will tell me everything you know regarding the Carrion Crown. Secondly, I will be among those who fights Tar Baphon. Simple, yes? I will even instruct my followers to assist you in whatever groundwork you require if you want."
Zofia smiled, and you could see some of the tension visibly draining away from her. Her companion just muttered something under his breath and glanced away.
"At its core, the Carrion Crown is a Potion of Lichdom - one that can be used on an unwilling subject." she explained - quietly, so as to not be overheard by the rest of the place. (Loud restaurants were remarkably good places for having secret meetings for that very reason - nobody could listen in over the general noise.) "When they give it to someone who's compatible with it, it kills the one who takes it and replaces their soul with that of another, so long as that soul hasn't gone through Pharasma's judgment just yet. Apparently, research on it began all the way back when Tar-Baphon first rose, as a kind of backup plan in case his existing body grew too frail over time. It's not a prophecy, it's a formula that creates a recipe - so if it doesn't work this time, all they have to do is find a new target and run through the formula again."
"The plan itself is relatively simple - attack the headquarters of the Whispering Way and drive their remnants to Gallowspire. They'll use the potion there, and when they do, Tar-Baphon dies. Properly. By all means, you're welcome to join the fight - the more distractions he has, the better."
Sevia resented the implication she would be nothing more than a distraction. Tar Baphon was her enemy and her responsibility, she had thought their confrontation would have been more decisive. If it resulted in his defeat though, she would set aside her lust for revenge.
"I see, simple enough. You said you had a weapon though, what is it? As strong as the Raven's Head is I doubt that's what you are talking about."
Emidio was the one who spoke up. "Sorry, but that's not something we're willing to talk about. One of those cases where the fewer people who know about it, the better. I don't want anyone scrying back on this and learning about it." he said firmly. It clearly wasn't about trusting or not trusting you - there were many ways of getting information, after all. "It's a weapon and it will work - until we actually attack, that's all anyone needs to know."
"Fair enough. If you think it prudent, I will trust your word. I know the value of keeping secrets after all." Sevia quipped, giving him a knowing smile as she ribbed him for doing just what he'd denounced her for earlier. "Though, that does bring up something else important. Have you no intention to seek the aid of the Knights of Ozem? I am aware they would certainly interfere with your plan, given their duty to keeping the Tyrant imprisoned, but using them as a cats paw does have its merits. The enemy of my enemy is my friend as I believe the saying goes." Sevia said somewhat thoughtfully.
Zofia smiled a little more widely this time. "That's being taken care of." she said. "I've already arranged for a message to be sent at the appropriate time. It will... clarify... the matter as it relates to them." If you were talking about attacking Gallowspire, the knights were quite probably the first people you'd think of, given their long-standing interest in the matter. At the very least, their value wasn't being overlooked.
"We seem to think alike then." Sevia said with a light chuckle, nodding to the girl's implication. Which was all well and good considering she'd have probably done the same behind their back if they had resisted the idea. "Well, you have satisfied my questions. Unless there is something else, you should accompany me back to my temple where I will relinquish the mace to you. I will of course be accompanying you from that point on, I do intend to see this through fully."
Zofia nodded, and Emidio slid out from the seat, then held out his hand to help the one-legged girl stand up. She grabbed a pair of crutches a moment later, putting them under her arms and determinedly hobbling her way out the door. Emidio kept just behind her, ready to reach out if she stumbled. The sky was quite dark by now, and the streets were lit mainly by lanterns and light coming out of windows and doors. For those who enjoyed the night, that just made it all the more comfortable, and you were able to return to your temple without incident. Fhanys was waiting inside - most of the rest of your warriors had quietly hidden themselves in other rooms, ready to rush out if you'd been pursued by anything.
"Welcome to the Temple of the Raven Queen." Your priestess said, bowing slightly to Zofia and not at all to Emidio - all he got was a miffed glare.
"Thank you Fhanys. Zofia here and I have reached an...understanding regarding what her assistant asked about earlier." Sevia said, gesturing to the girl and hoping that was enough to mollify her followers listening in. "Despite his oafishness, she has convinced me of their need of the mace in our possession, and the direness of the circumstances. It is also apparent that I must leave temporarily to aid them in their endeavor." She explained more solemnly, though knowing it was necessary.
"We can prepare a room for the two of you if you would prefer to stay the night before leaving." Sevia offered, turning back to the pair.
"I understand, Milady. The decision is yours to make - our role is to support you." Fhanys said loyally. Zofia stared at your priestess for a few moments, eyes narrowed.
"...More impressive than I expected." Zofia murmured quietly. "Thank you for the offer, but I would prefer to use our existing bedrooms. There's... a few extra protections there, and given what's going on, I'd like every advantage I can get."
Sevia's eyebrow perked, before she nodded. "Very well, I will be leaving with you then once we are done here. Please wait a moment, I will return momentarily." Sevia said, leaving the three of them there as she went to retrieve the mace where it had been stored. At the same time, she had her Shadow hide itself in her pack again, and removed the swords to add to her belt.
Not more than a minute later, Sevia returned to the entrance, mace in both hands. "I should like this back if it is somehow not destroyed as a result of your plan. Though it would be a small price to pay if it does not." She said with a hint of remorse as she held the item forwards to Zofia.
"It depends on what they actually need to do for the ritual." Zofia said, taking the mace and carefully stashing it away. "It's always a shame when precious items are lost... but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't give up a great deal more to end the Tyrant." She didn't sound proud of that admission - nobody wanted to lose what mattered to them. Sometimes, though, you had to recognize that there wasn't much of a choice. She shook her head a bit, though, and nodded to Fhanys, then you. "One way or another, it won't be long until they move. Be ready to follow them back to their base." With that, she turned and limped her way out into the night, followed closely by her friend.
Fhanys watched them go, exhaling sharply as they left. "...This is going to be pretty big, isn't it?"
Sevia nodded solemnly, wondering just what Zofia would give up for her cause, and wondering what she might. Unlike her, Zofia didn't have the assurance of near immortality to rely on. "You can be assured I will. In the mean time, my familiar will keep you company. He can let me know if you have encountered trouble." She told the woman, Epyon hopping from Sevia's shoulder to Zofia's.
Watching them leave, Sevia shook her head, though she dismissed any second guessing. Looking over to Fhanys, it seemed the gravity was finally setting in. "Yes my dear, unfortunately. Within a few days we will see whether Ustalav might finally begin healing, or its age old nightmare returns for a third time. Either way, our lives will become much busier for it, but hopefully for the better." Sevia sighed, her lips thinning at the prospect of the fight to come.
Fhanys' hands shook slightly, until she grabbed at her wrist and took a deep breath. "I don't know how ready for this we are." she said, looking you right in the eyes as she made the admission. "If there's any of us - including me - you think are too weak for this, let me know, and I'll see to it that they're nowhere near what happens. At the same time, if there's anything you think I can do, I will." she said resolutely. "I didn't become your cleric just to follow you when things are easy and duck out as soon as it's hard."
Sevia allowed herself a grim smile as she looked back to the girl, happy enough just to see her determination. "Not nearly ready enough I am afraid, but time no longer sides with us. We will do what we must, because we are needed." Sevia said, looking Fhanys back in the eyes before glancing down to her hand on her wrist. Her own reached up to squeeze Fhanys' shoulder reassuringly. "If that is truly how you feel, I would be comforted to have you by my side. Although fighting the Tyrant is out of the question I feel, your magics can still aid those who are able."
Fhanys nodded. "I'll do everything I can to prepare the best set of spells." she said, taking your words to heart. She didn't seem bothered by the idea that she might be a bit too weak to face the Tyrant. (Really, even in a weakened form, it would take an incredible amount of self-confidence - or folly - to be confident about that. It wasn't wrong to say that his actions had literally shaped the Inner Sea as it was today.)
Is there anything else you'd like to do tonight? If not, we'll move on!
"Good. I will inform Auguinare about our absence...and that he should prepare for the worst." Sevia said, taking leave of Fhanys to go find the man and explain to him that she would return in a few days. Being semi immortal, she knew she'd be back one way or another, though whether Fhanys was with her and they were triumphant remained to be seen. Afterwords she retired to her quarters to rest for the next day.
The night itself was restful, recharging your energy - the morning, not so much, as you were awoken by a deafening roar that shook the foundations of your church. Outside, you could see a massive pillar of smoke billowing forth from the western end of the city - though, unfortunately, your location in the middle of the city meant that the other buildings blocked your view of the damaged site.
Sevia woke up immediately to the sound, instinctively sure that this sudden disturbance was related to her and the mace. Her mind immediately reached out to her familiar, empathically feeling for his emotional state. Swinging her feet off her bed and lurching forwards, Sevia quickly began donning her gear. "Shadow, fly up through the buildings into the sky and see what is going on." Sevia commanded as she worked on her armor. Finally finishing, she rushed out of her room, and up the stairs of the temple. Through one of the windows, the pillar of smoke was too obvious to even need searching for.
"Damn. This is not a coincidence." Sevia muttered, deciding that teleporting directly there might not be the best course of action. Immediately she activated the Fly spell on her armor, waiting for her shadow to report back what he had seen.
The shadow darted outside at your command, and returned shortly with a brief but detailed report. An entire building near the wall was now nothing but a crater, with flames leaping up from what little remained of the place. Zofia and Emidio were nearby, helping put out the fire and apparently safe.
Sevia nodded and took the shadow back into her haversack, before walking back down to the main foyer. "Everyone remain here. I will survey the situation!" Sevia said, leaving through the front door and casting Heroism on her way. Once outside, she immediately took to the sky, flying straight for Zofia and Emidio.
Zofia waved a bit as you approached - Emidio looked less friendly, but at the same time, reluctant to draw his companion's ire. It didn't seem like personal hostility, though - he just seemed like a person who was contrary to pretty much everyone he met.
"Well, I'm glad they took the bait." Zofia said quietly as you approached. "That church of yours is brand-new, right?" As she spoke, she held up a small crystal sphere and smiled slightly. "We'll be using this to track them as they head back to their base."
"Ah, I see. You have my thanks." Sevia said with a smile as she realized what Zofia had done, before leaning forward to curiously peer at the small crystal. "Hmm, do they have the mace then?" She asked curiously, half expecting it.
Spellcraft:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26What kind of item is the orb?
"Well, either way, I am certainly ready to depart. Assuming we can leave this to the town. Just one last matter to take care of." Sevia said, calling her familiar to her. "Head back to the church and let everyone know the situation is under control. Tell Fhanys to come at once, we are departing." She ordered, letting her familiar fly off to fetch her cleric.
The orb, fairly obviously, is a scrying device of sorts - probably attuned to a specific spell, and used as a focus to monitor one thing. "We did have to let them take the mace." Zofia said, nodding slightly. "I mean, we couldn't exactly walk up to the front gates saying 'hey, take this, but go to Gallowspire so we can kill you!'. They have to think they're at least partially in control of events if this is going to work. Besides, it's a good way of actually finding their base. Ah, and don't worry, I made sure the building was empty - I'm fighting to protect people, not get them caught in the crossfire, even if it would help with the charade." Epyon, meanwhile, simply let out a caw and arced away to go fetch your cleric. It wouldn't be too long until Fhanys arrived, but if you had any last-minute preparations to make before heading out (purchasing consumables like potions, perhaps, or other things that might be useful in the base or at Gallowspire?), you had time to do that.
"We are aligned in our thinking then...One of my clerics wishes to join us, she will be along shortly. While we are waiting, there is...one item in particular I'd like to acquire." Sevia said, gesturing in the directions of some shops she was familiar with. Leaving the two with a quick goodbye, Sevia made her way to one of them in particular.
Buy:
1150gp Scroll of Breath of Life
150gp Scroll Remove Paralysis
300gp Potion of Barkskin
-16442gp
Total: 14624gp
She hadn't considered that it might be important given that she usually fought alone, but having a contingency in place in case the worst happened was worth it. She rejoined her companions quickly, "Unless you have transportation, I can summon some horses for our pursuit." Sevia offered, taking a moment to teach Mount Communal to her ring of spell knowledge.
Summoned horses would be fairly useful - although, at the same time, it was important to keep in mind that you'd be moving quite a distance. Once things were all in order, however, your small group set out in pursuit. It would take about a week of travel to get close to Gallowspire - your targets had a head start, but would almost certainly be on the lookout for pursuers... and your ability to truly track your prey, without giving too much away, was about to be tested.
Give me... a Stealth check, a Knowledge (Geography) check, and a Survival check.
It struck Sevia as peculiar that they didn't head towards Caliphas, where the weapon had originally been intended to be delivered. It could be that they were simply forced to rush towards Gallowspire as a last resort. Sevia floated her concern to her companion, citing the note she'd retrieved from Illmarsh, wondering if either of them might be familiar with the names used.
Either way, their time was mostly consumed with the pursuit. Keeping hidden was easy enough, being her forte. Tracking them was more difficult, especially hampered by her lack of understanding of terrain.
Surprising absolutely nobody, your ability to stay hidden was well in force, and it didn't seem likely that the group you were following had noticed you. Food was also easy enough to come by, and you were able to follow the tracks well enough - the problem lay in your knowledge of the land, and in particular the most effective way of keeping up with your targets.
If you wish, you can push forward harder. This will, however, cause fatigue in the party by the time you arrive. It would be exhaustion, but you have a cleric who can prepare several uses of Lesser Restoration, and that lessen the harm. XD Alternatively, you can proceed at a milder pace - this gives your targets more time to act before you arrive, but you will not arrive with any conditions.
Keeping up with their targets was more difficult, Sevia cursed her focus on lore rather than worldly knowledge but there was nothing she could do. They made up for time by pressing harder, Sevia asking Fhanys to make sure to prepare Lesser Restorations. Herself she could use her lay on hands to remove the rest of the effects with mercy.
Fhanys nodded, obeying as instructed, and your group pushed forward at a fast (almost too fast) pace, racing up to your destination. As you got closer and closer, it became clear that they were heading not for Gallowspire itself, but for a place in its long shadow.
The ruined remains of old monastery walls break from the dust of the Virlych landscape like jagged glass on a dirty barroom floor. Several guard towers reach feebly upward, their upper levels crumbling away. Only the sharp, bloodstained blades of Renchurch Cathedral give any hint that the area is more than just a forgotten fragment of an earlier time. Still, several locations besides the main cathedral might be of interest...
New map. You can choose which area to visit first. ^^
The location ahead of them gave Sevia some pause, those ruins looked awfully old and decrepit compared to the building they surrounded. Sevia led her companions somewhere more secluded and dismounted, allowing for Fhanys to cast Lesser Restorations to mitigate the hard riding they'd just finished, and applied Lay on Hands as requested. She decided not to dismiss the summoned horses, figuring they might need them later.
"I will scout ahead and figure out what their purpose is. Stay out of sight, if we shall have to fight, I'll send my familiar for you." Sevia told the others, casting Heroism and Heightened Awareness on herself before heading out towards the crumbling walls. At least one of the towers on its perimeter looked maintained, which likely meant a look out of some kind. It would be her entry point. Approaching from the south east, she kept out of its line of sight, rushing to the wall. From there, she made her way west, using the crumbled stone as cover, and taking the opportunity to look around inside the courtyard she had been able to see from further away.
Sevia heads to the wall around D4, then moves towards D1. Taking 10 on Stealth and Perception (37 and 31), trying to figure out anything about D4, D3, or D1. Sevia has used 2 1st spells, 1 2nd, and up to 4 LoH.
Once at the tower, Sevia looked around for any activity, and tried to see if she could climb up the side of it.
The first building you see as you pass by looks like an old, broken-down infirmary of some kind. The second place is a nasty-looking pond (though who knows what might be at the bottom?), while the tower, well...
Only a single tower of those fortifications that once stood vigil over the monastery remains wholly intact, the broken blades adorning its frame disintegrating into rust and discoloring its wall with reddish-brown stains. In contrast to these rusted implements of war, the stout iron bars of a prison cage rest within, a thick gate obstructing easy escape.
There was definitely activity, though - as you arrived within 60 feet of the tower, blue flames lit the air and rapidly formed into the shape of a woman - or rather, a banshee. Even as it manifested, it was already turning towards you, apparently having heard your approach... these particular undead were uncannily good at hearing heartbeats, and it probably didn't help that you could feel the oppressive nature of this place, like a sticky sap covering your skin. The banshee wasn't attacking - yet - but unless you could convince her not to, chances were you only had a few seconds to prepare.
Sevia cursed her luck, and swore she would enchant Shadow Styker with ghost touch at her next opportunity. A banshee was quite deadly, and while it was beatable by her, she knew it would be an incredibly hard fight.
At the very least, she wasn't being attacked on sight.
"Greetings, 'o tortured spirit. My quarrel is not with you. Might I render to you my service that you might be able to move on to the next life?" Sevia asked, bowing to the banshee reverently and hoping to appeal to its vengeful nature, perhaps it might be there unwillingly. She certainly wasn't looking for a fight.
Diplomacy:10 + 16 = 26
She also stepped back slightly as well, keeping away from the range of its wail and in the sunlight.
The banshee snarled slightly. "You are not with the Way." she said, her body inflating slightly. "Nor a follower of the true Goddess. Away with you!" She didn't actually need to breathe, but the undead often mimicked the living, and it seemed quite clear what she was about to do.
The banshee was fast - inhumanly so, genuinely quicker than the average mortal could ever be - but that was still slower than your own fantastic reflexes. At the very least, you had the chance to do something before it acted.
"Epyon, starknives!" Sevia shouted as she realized the banshee was hostile, her familiar quickly drawing forth a set and handing them to his mistress. "And back away." She added as she accepted them, Epyon flapping away from the walls of the Abbey.
Sevia wasn't keen on fighting the Banshee, but she might be able to weaken it from afar. "Pawn of Urgathoa! I will strike you down!" She shouted, smiting the banshee and letting loose a volley of knives at it.
The starknives flicked through the air with outstanding accuracy - and passed straight through the body of the undead woman, bouncing off of the stone behind her.
...Oh.
Right.
Incorporeal.
Screeching, the banshee shot forward, staying within the shadows and reaching out with one deadly claw as she closed in. It was a pretty good dash, all things considered - your nature made you one of the fastest and most reactive beings anywhere, but banshees were among the stronger types of undead, and they didn't fall so easily.
Incorporeal Touch:1d20 + 26 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 26 + 2 = 40Unless you use Mirror Dodge or somethingfor Damage:14d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 1, 3, 2, 4, 6, 6, 3, 2, 1, 1, 5, 3) = 42Plus Terror, Will DC 23:1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36
It seemed the both of them had rather shortsightedly forgotten the weaknesses and strengths of undead. Sevia was cursing herself for her almost criminal shortsightedness, but it seemed like a wash as the banshee charged out into the sunlight to attack her, rendering itself nearly powerless in the process.
Sevia instead darted around the spirit, trying to block it from getting back to the wall and drawing her swords as she did, allowing her shadow to flank behind it. Normally that would have drawn an attack of opportunity, but the banshee was helpless as she cut at it
In response, the Banshee's form seemed to melt slightly as it merged with the ground below - and a faint hint of ectoplasm suggested it was moving back into the shadows created by the tower. That was kind of a good thing, kind of a bad thing... and did absolutely nothing about the fact that your code required you to destroy or put this undead spirit to rest.
Sevia watched the banshee retreat, having expected as much. At least she'd wounded it slightly. Looking back to the tower and then to the abbey, she debated circumventing the spirit temporarily, but that didn't sit well with her, especially because it could surprise her at an inopportune moment.
No, she had to finish it now. But at least she knew what she was dealing with now, as she drew her Staff and cast Shield on herself before stowing it away. She called her familiar to her as well and had him cast Mage Armor on her, to make up for the lack of protection of her actual armor. "Pick up my starknives and keep your distance, shadow, we will confront the banshee and send it to the river of souls." Lastly, she cast Haste on herself.
Now with more adequate defenses, she advanced into the shadow of the walls and for the tower itself. Of course, the spirit's supernatural abilities made a stealthy approach moot.
As you stepped into the shadow of the tower, the area around was quiet and still - like the grave it was so close to being, really. The problem was that there seemed to be no sign of the Banshee - apparently, she wasn't simply going to stand there, waiting to be killed. That narrowed down the possible locations a bit, of course, but...
"Shadow, move ahead and search for her." Sevia ordered, sending her shadow forward toward the tower to look about. Sevia herself advanced after him, into the tower directly, looking for both the ghost and the cage she'd seen earlier.
Perception:1d20 + 19 ⇒ (7) + 19 = 26
Silently, she cast Detect Evil, figuring if the banshee didn't come out she might be able to locate it indirectly.
