Kazushi looks at the journal in puzzlement, asking:-
"Can any of you read... whatever language this is in?"
"This one can read, and this one knows... we are going to house Duarran and speak to Horik. They have sacrificed individuals to keep this ksshaack... this wall up. This wall holds something. Something that wants out. A force. Maybe an entity. House Duarran knows, and they will answer to me." Kenax shakes with barely restrained fury as he reads. "These pillars make the wall. Do not go forward, do not touch.... we must leave now."
"What is that?" Aidan walks up to the ectoplasmic wall. He reaches with his hand, but jerks it away. "Probably not a good idea."
Tio stumbles slightly, holding his stomach. "...That buzzing... it's making me nauseous, I can't stand it." With a flick of his wrist, Lagun dissipates, though the Kineticist still looks rather woozy. "I believe you're right, Aidan," he says as the soulknife pulls his hand away, "That's probably a poor choice."
Kazushi uses Detect Magic, holding up the Repletion Goblet saying:-
"Me too, an infernal sound. This goblet holds psionic power, I will see if I can determine more once we get somewhere I can think clearly. Which we should do immediately."
With that Kazushi starts to move back in the direction they have come, away from the buzzing.
"I think there was one more room," adds Aidan on the way back. "Should we check it?"
Tio holds his head as they walk back, rubbing softly. "I'd rather not, but..." he sighs loudly. "We probably should. If you'd rather do so now, I think I can stand the buzzing for a little while longer..."
As the caravan guards move further away from the stanchion forming the oblation, the buzzing sound that many of them were experiencing subsides.
The retrace their steps back towards the mine entrance, only to move down the previously unexplored passage. As the move into the last chamber, they see:
Muddy footprints show that someone has been active recently in this small chamber. The walls bear signs of exploratory mining.
Most of the group is able to determine that a struggle took place here and distinct prints from at least 4 different people along with prints from the hanoshafyr.
"Look," Aidan points to the dagger. "Simon definitely was here, it's his dagger. One more reason to pay a visit to Duarrans."
"We could go there now. Or we could rest and go there later. I have used two of my spells, which is a reason to rest. But I suspect the fact we have two imprisoned Daurran guards will be noticed if we decide to rest, which may rule that idea out. Thoughts gentlemen?"
After asking her question, Kazushi seems to recall something else adding:-
"By the way, I have been meaning to show you what I really look like. I never intended to make a secret of it once I got to know you. It is easier to pass as human in society."
Kazushi drops her human guise, revealing an even smaller fox woman, about 4'4" and weighing about 65 pounds.
"That explains the guard's reaction," Aidan raises his eyebrows seeing the transformation. "He was surprisingly sharp."
"As for the mansion, I think we should push forward. We already made quite a noise with that alarm, no sense in waiting till tomorrow."
He pauses and gives Kazushi a curious look.
"Can you change into a fox too?"
Tio watches Kazushi change, showing interest as she speaks. "Well now, I never would've guessed. Shows how well I can read others, I suppose."
In response to Aidan, he nods. "I wouldn't be surprised if they already knew we were on the way, with it going off."
"Sorry, can't change into a fox." Kazushi looks at Kenax and Tio, "Shall we storm House Daurran gentlemen?"
Kenax laughs. It's a strange sort of mangled hissing noise but seems jovial in nature. "Ha. She is not a fleshling. Though she is small and..." Kenax trails off, clearly not wishing to complete his sentence. He shakes his head and refocuses on the task at hand. "Rest is needed, but rest is unwise... we could wait and ambush the guard relief, but this seems a tedious and tiresome task. Better to confront the one called Horik." Kenax will, in the room we discover the dagger, trace the walls with a claw to check that there isn't simply an illusion being made to cover up.
The 'screeecccth' of Kenax's claw can be heard by all as it leaves a mark in the stone.
The time in the mines over, the caravan guards exit with heavy heart. How many lives had been sacrificed to maintain the oblation? How many lives losts, families ruined, minds erased?
Determine to put an end to it, the exit the mine and find Halek and Sventa both still bound and gagged.
The group makes it way to the entrance to and head to the entrance to House Duarran. The guards that are normally found there are absent. The group decides to approach the main entrance to House Duarran. They find a beautifully carved double door, closed and locked.
The door is carved with the image of Jace holding what looks like a pick striking a mine wall. The moon does not shed sufficient light to make out all the details of what is most likely a beautiful work of art.
Kenax puts the fear of various gods into the guards, and swears by everything they hold dear that if they tell anyone anything, their entire families will be murdered while they sleep. He may or may not be kidding. He's not very intimidating, but he does lack the finesse to sound like he's making idle threats. He is a cold blooded killer, , and does not like them to begin with.
He is ready to storm the house, but uncertain about how others will wish to proceed.
"Don't go away boys."
Kazushi, back in human guise, remarks as she passes the guards. Upon reaching House Daurran, she looks carefully for windows or shutters, trying to establish what kind they are and if they may provide a means of entry and likewise looks closely at the roof for the same reason and to see if there is a spot to tie a rope up there. She then asks, just above a whisper:-
"We don't have anyone capable of picking locks do we? I of course am far too respectable for such a thing. And we still have rope?"
"You heard them," shrugs Aidan passing the guards.
"You saw my method of picking locks," grins the soulknife. "I have some rope left, but don't have any hooks, if you want to scale the house."
"We have those mining picks to break it down, if need be. Seems a shame, but... we also could just knock." Kenax raises a claw as if to do so.
Tio clears his throat. " If we've got rope, [b]" he says, pointing upwards, "[b]I can simply have Lagun fly to the roof and anchor it, if that will help."
"Huh. Didn't think of that," Aidan scratches his head and gives the rope to Tio. "Nice idea."
"How about trying to force the door, not by hitting it but by using the mining picks as levers. We might be able to get it open without making much noise. If not well, I don't have a better idea for a quiet entry.
Just don't have me try to force it. You saw my kitsune form, I am even more puny that I look."
Adian, Tio, and Kenax combine to use the chisels to wedge the hinges off the door. With a loud crash, the doors clatter to the floor.
The caravan guards see a man finely dressed with a warhammer dangling from his belt. Standing a bit above average, the man is of stocky build, bald head, and brooding gaze. He continually fingers the hammer at his side, but makes no move to draw the weapon as the caravan guards make their way into his house.
Flanking him are the two guards that were posted at the gate to House Duarran. They snicker as the man addresses the caravan guards.
"Civilized persons traditionally knock and bring a housewarming gift other than destroying my door. Explain yourselves.". The ultimatum is delivered perfectly enunciated without emotion.
"Civilized persons keep the promises and make appointments. They also do not make human sacrifices nor do they kidnap other people. Explain yourself," Aidan mimics the man with the hammer, aims the points of his panoply weapons at him giving the man stern look and ignoring the guards.
The man continues to caress the huge warhammer hanging from his belt. "I ask you, sir, to lower your weapons and adopt a more civilized tone with me.
"I assume that you have all come from the mine. We heard you blunder into the alarm trap. I assume that you dispatched our guards there, the hanoshafyr, as we call them. You most likely saw the Oblation and what it keeps at bay. I ask you all, as reasonable people, what would you have us do? Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few? A very few that have kept all of Jace's Stanchion safe these many years.
"Let us converse as men. House Duarran has kept the populace safe from whatever that green slime is for generations. A charge that we take soberly and seriously.
"Now, what is it you desire, as people with no ties to our small town, who are scheduled to leave it shortly, and never to return?" he cocks his head to the side as a slight grin forms on lips.
"Oh?" Aidan raises his eyebrow. "Anything to say about mind control? Or better yet, about this dagger?"
He pulls Simon's dagger. "It belonged to our mysteriously disappeared companion, who didn't want to stay in this town more than needed. And suddenly had a change of mind. We found it in your mines."
"That one would do wise to not anger these. These have fought, these have killed. These are not so weak as to back down when friends are taken." His jaw unhinges, a terrifying sight to be sure. It is clear that Kenax is through talking.
The man continues to caress the huge warhammer hanging from his belt, unfazed by the Ophiduan's display. "Mind control? Not true sir. The Oblation needs sacrifices to maintain its hold. But that is what House Duarran is for. To make those hard decisions. Not all have the ability to have such white and black morality that you have come in here and espoused at me. Much of the world lives in varying shades of grey.
"As for what we have done with your friend, it is what all great ruling families do, make the hard decisions to protect its populace. From time to time psionically inclined individuals are placed in Stanchions to form an Oblation to keep the slime at bay. We remove the memory of this action as it is too profound, too sad, for the loved ones that have been spared by this noble sacrifice. Would you rather we hold a lottery so see who gets sacrificed? Not a day, minute, second would pass when that would be forefront of every man and womans' thoughts.
"Day by day the Oblation weakens and we need more powerful individuals. Your friend, he is such an individual. His sacrifice has preserved the lives of hundreds.
"I think we can all agree that we have done the best with what we have been given. Now come, what will it take to ensure your silence on this matter?" he cocks his head to the side as a slight grin forms on lips.
Kenax looks grim. He forms his words carefully to make the most impact, his broken grammar from translation gone for the time being. "You took a wife and a mother. You took a friend. You changed people. You stole lives, both in death and in life. We come to take from you the sum of all that is owed." Kenax readies his mind for the task about to begin.
"How much do they still live, really? They seem addled to say the least; it seems the memory removal is less than perfect. On one hand, some are set off by faint recollections of that which has been taken from them; on the other, they merely seem to go through the motions of daily life." Tio, while obviously not content with the happenings, is less prone to immediately jump to murder than the token iguana.
Exhaling loudly, Horrik hand caresses it the hilt of his warhammer. "My apologies good sirs, I had not expected to entertain a troupe of caravan guards who have broken into my mine, and my house, and now stand on my doorstep lecturing House Duarran on what it has done for generations.
"We seem to have come to an impasse. You wish House Duarran to act according to your beliefs and traditions, and I wish you all merely to leave and never come back. So your choice it to exit peacefully and never speak of this again, or" he removes the warhammer from his belt "we can do this the hard way. I already need a new door, what is a new carpet after I split your skulls?
"Your choice."
"House Duarran decides for all who is allowed to to know the truth, what people can remember, and who is to live and die. Like House Duarran is made up of gods. You misunderstand, we do not bid House Duarran to act according to our beliefs and traditions. We bring House Duarran annihilation."
"Then the hard way it is," as Aidan bows mockingly his panoply swirls even faster and its blades now are pointing at the guards too.
Kazushi slips nimbly between Aidan and Tio and moves up before Horrick and casts colour spray on him and his guards.
3 or 4 HD: The creature is blinded and stunned for 1d4 rounds, then stunned for 1 round.
5 or more HD: The creature is stunned for 1 round.
Try as he might, Kazushi's magics are unable to affect House Duarran.
Kenax vanishes, quick as thought, walking a few steps down the hall while preparing his bow to strike when the time is right.
Kenax disappears from sight, hoping to take his prey unawares.
The guards rush forward determined to protect their master. Taking a circumspect route, they wind up flanking the fox-like creature before striking out with their swords.
Halek's sword just misses, but Saventa's is able to nick the sorcerer.
Tio rushes forward, signalling Lagun to strike at Saventa as he wraps around behind Halek.
Lagun appears at his master's beckoning and moves to strike Saventa but cannot land a blow that damages the House Duarran guard.
Horrik grins. "You are foolish to take up arms against House Duarran. This is not your fight. Yet you will pay nonetheless."
The nobleman hits out at the kitsue before him.
The warhammer slams into Kazushi. She crumples to the floor with broken bones all throughout her chest. He breathing labors, then stops.
"Oh sh..."
Kazushi ineffectively attempts to dodge the attack, then falls as described.
Kazushi lays dying.
Psionic energy wraps around one of heavier blades in Aidan's Panoply and an estoc flies towards the nobleman.
Aidan's swirling blades fly wide of the mark as Kazushi continues to bleed out on the floor.
Kenax and Saventa come together in a clash of arms. Fighting to and fro, they slowly drift apart from the main fight preferring to fight woman to Ophiduan.
Halek turns at strikes out at Tio, hoping to disrupt the Kineticist and his creature.
The short sword slashes the man thighs drawing a red line across his leg.
Tio, unfortunately, is unable to block his strike, but grins as Lagun closes in behind Halek . "Bring him down, Lagun!" Tio calls out as Lagun's arms attempt to connect with his foe.
Horrik see another of his guards fall, this time to the astral creation.
"Just you and I know, there is still time to surrender fools."
Trying to shatter the astral construct, Horrik once again swings his mighty hammer.
Luckily the hammer misses again.
Aidan again launches his blades, but misses Horrik horribly.
"Why? We have an advantage."
Kazushi continues to bleed on the floor as Horrik stands alone against the onslaught of the caravan guards.
Lagun turns on his aggressor, swinging his ephemeral fist as Tio retreats, his thighs slowly dripping blood, but far from a mortal wound. "You can take him, Lagun," Tio says as he concentrates on Lagun's flying fists. To Aiden, he comments, "I'll keep him off uou as long as I can. "