JJ enters the shrine and then stands transfixed at the image before him. Could that be grandmother?
The normally energetic and fidgety young man stands still as a rock, body all but paralysed as thousands of thoughts and images rush through his mind. Unfortunately none of them are coherent.
"H-here we are," Marigold explains, suddenly left to wonder if any of her friends had ever visited the shrine before. "It's a little c-confusing sometimes b-because people seem to use P-Pelor and S-Sarenrae interchangeably, but either w-works here."
She looks around. "I d-don't see Kristof anywhere; he's been in ch-charge of the shrine since his superiors d-died..."
"Um, excuse m-me?" Marigold calls out to the priest working on repairs. "Is K-Kristof here anywhere? We'd r-really like to speak t-to him if he's not b-busy..."
As the priest stands up and turns to face Marigold she is surprise the man is Kristof himself. She has probably be mislead because the man seems a lot thinner than during their last encounter. He does seem happy to see the halfling "Oh Marigold! It has been a long time since you last came around..."
Noticing the improvised patch his facial expression totally changes "What happened to your eye? Look at you... you seem changed. Are you ok Marigold?"
You grasp Krystof expression is a combination of both surprise and true worrisome. His words seem sincere.
Somehow noticing the others he smiles once more "But sorry. What does it take you to this humble place? Are you perhaps looking for guidance? Is there perhaps something you do regret of and look for pardon?"
Kikinnin sets his eyes on the interior of the Church of Pelor for the first time. He's never been called to scourge a rat problem within these walls, for the time he's been in Cauldron, and for the man's gaunt appearance, he's not surprised. There's likely not a lot to eat in the pantry...
Observing Kristof's reaction to Marigold, Kikinnin becomes acutely interested in Marigold's reaction to Kristof's reaction. As such, he doesn't speak up, only watches intently.
"I th-think I should be asking the same q-question of you," Marigold responds with a wan smile. "You've l-lost weight since I saw you last. I've b-been away but I heard that t-times haven't been kind to this p-place lately."
Can I trust him with the truth? *Should* I trust him with the truth? The less he knows the less danger he'd be in if those people are watching us...
She shakes her head, gesturing to her eyepatch. "It's f-fine...there's j-just been some cosmetic damage that'll p-probably take some time to heal."
Well...that's *mostly* true...
"B-but thank you for asking," she continues, her smile brightening for a moment. "Um, I h-hate to ask b-but we've heard some r-rumors about a...I think it was a r-rivalry or some other d-disagreement with the church of W-Wee Jas? Wh-what's going on, Kristof?"
:
Maxim takes in the shrine's ambience with a wry expression;
"Quite the fixer upper ye got here Priest. Donations to the coffers ain't what they once were I'm guessing?"
At the interplay between Lil Miss and Kristof he studies the holy man's reactions - trying to gauge his intent;
:
Satisfied he's on the level, the gun-mage interrupts with a request;
"Pardon the interruption folks... Stiff in the bag will likely be returnin' to full size soon. Don't want him gettin' stuck inside an' ripenin' up the contents.... Ye wouldn't have a coffin or some such available Father?"
He gingerly reaches into the magical bag - searching for the cold and clammy body...
JJ stands, staring at the statue, oblivious to the interplay around him. Slowly he takes a step forward, his eyes fixed on the form.
Kikinnin tries to bring the conversation around to the more pressing concern of dead half-orc festering in the hole. He turns to Kristof. "You wouldn't be able to cast a spell we need, would you? This dead assassin might be able to answer some questions of ours, and we'd gladly pay you for your services."
"Er...y-yeah, sorry, I g-got a little side-tracked," Marigold admits to her companions. "K-Kristof, my earlier question st-still stands b-but we were just attacked b-by these assassins and w-wanted t q-question the o-one whose b-body we brought...c-can you help?"
"You want me to have a look at your eye injury Marigold?" the priest looks worried at the halfling "The Wee Jass church... don't tell me..." his facial expression changes to that one of pure irritation.
But Maxim brings up a more urgent matter and he does indeed look around "A coffer?" the man looks at Maxim confused, but he quickly pieces up things together as Marigold explains and the dwarf starts to open his bag "Wait! I have no coffer but you can place it there" the priest seems convinced by Kikinnin and Marigold's words and points a side chapel while he quickly picks up some linen and places it over the floor for Maxim.
As the blonde pulls out the half-orc the body quickly starts to rise and becomes large again, smearing the clothes with fresh blood "It seems you made some dangerous enemies... I know the spell you are looking for. I just need some minutes to prepare it"
If the group agrees to wait Kristof will prepare and cast speak with the dead for the group "Do you know which questions you want to pose?"
Tearing himself away from the statue, JJ looks around to see what the rest of the group is up to. Following slowly to the side chapel he suggests. "Why did you attack us?"
Then thinking he adds "What are the names of the two spell users who also joined the attack."
Pausing he considers the options "As we don't know them, we probably need a backup question, as the first might well be answered with 'we were paid to' or 'we were ordered to' - so we should ask who paid or ordered them."
Maxim brushes any residual blood from the edge of his magical bag, then mulls the priest's query on the nature of the questions they should pose;
"Establishin' if the target was us, or one o' us would be useful. They were unsuccessful so may come at us, or one o' us again. Be good to know."
The gun-mage nods to himself as he taps the corpse with his toe;
"Might also be good to ask ugly where him an' his posse are holed up. Knowin' where they are means we can git after them, front foot when they ain't expectin' guests..."
"Oh, good thinking Maxim. Those are fantastic questions." gushes JJ.
"That way we would know if it was Ryan who was targeted - which would suggest someone wanting to remove the noble families support. Or if it was us as a group, in which case we really need to know who we have annoyed."
He shrugs, seemingly unworried, until a sad expression crosses his face. "Of course virtually everyone we have annoyed has ended up like him..Maybe they had relatives?"
"Um...m-maybe in a bit," Marigold responds to Kristof's concern over her eye. "I p-promise, I'm f-fine...it's just a really long st-story..."
When the conversation shifts to questions to pose to the dead half-orc, Marigold frowns, chewing on her bottom lip as she thinks. "Y-yes, I think we'd b-be better off to ask wh-who sent them f-first and then ask wh-why."
Kikinnin lets the initial formulation of questions percolate, before he chimes in. The body enlarging to its former size has his curiosity, for his bror's magics having first made it much smaller.
"I agree with Marigold and Maxim. You too, JJ, it just takes a moment to figure out how to ask questions for someone eager to not answer. First, we see if it can speak who hired the three of them. The why's not too important- someone wanted us dead. I figure they wanted the priest dead first, otherwise we'd have been harder to take down, for his proficiency in healing, which means those who hired them gave them insight as to our strengths, and weaknesses. Names are good, places are also good."
The black beard pulls on his black. "How many questions can we try and ask, Kristof?"
"I do believe we will be able to ask up to three questions" Kristof nods on questions suggestions and once his prayers are fulfilled and he says the spell is now prepared, he casts it while kneeling in front of the corpse.
As the spell completes the mandible of the half-orc seems to magically animate "Curses" Kristof looks frustrated at the half-orc "It seems he resisted my spell. We cannot be sure about his responses now. Anyway, I will try"
"Who sent you to kill in the Coy Nixie?" the mandible moves and talks "The Guardians of the First Vault"
The tone of the half-orc is that of laughing at you. Like someone playing a prank without ability to hold the laugh in advance.
The Guardians of the First Vault shall be a reference to the servants of Abadar as he is the key to the First Vault.
Kristof frowns but asks the second question "Whom specifically where you charged to kill?" the half-orc mandible animates again and words sprung off his mouth "All the meddlers"
The words seem truthful this time, no lies, although intentionally cryptical.
The priest looks back to you "I am sorry I could not do it better to force his will. We still can ask another question. Shall I ask why were they sent or do you have other options?"
"I don't like his attitude any better now he is dead." says JJ. "Can he be lying to us, or does the spell compel the truth? I would like to know who leads these 'Guardians of the First Vault' that he talks about."
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For a moment, Marigold simply stares at JJ. Then, in a rather uncharacteristic moment, stands on tiptoe and slaps him upside the back of his head, albeit lightly.
"Are you s-serious? The G-Guardians of the F-First Vault? He's t-talking about the s-servants of Abadar!" she exclaims, looking exasperated. "He's obviously l-lying, at least about th-that. The other a-answer...he's being truthful b-but intentionally c-cryptic about it."
She sighs. "If I understand it r-right, the m-magic doesn't always g-guarantee truthfulness from the s-subject, especially if they were st-strong-willed in life."
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"ahhhh, what...OUCH" says JJ, ducking back from Marigold.
"Why did you.."
"Oh. Oh... yes... I mean, now you mention it, I thought it sounded kind of familiar."
He listens to the rest of her description. "So it is not like there could be another group also called 'guardians of the first vault'?" he asks.
"I mean I know if I was running a secret organisation, I'd like name it the same as something else to try and confused people. "
Maxim listens to the otherworldly answers, his brow frowning in frustration at the content and observations of his fellow Watchers;
:
"So the oaf gave us even less in death than he did in life... God's be darned."
Knowing they will get little more of sense or truth he spits in frustration at the half-orc's body;
"Reckon we prop the sack o' skit up somewhere public, an' dressed with a sign warnin' this is what becomes o' assassins in these here parts. Will either ward some off, or poke the hornets nest a little..."
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Kristof's seems to get nervous as you comment the replies "I am sorry. This is an stubborn oaf. I could not break his will"
"I can try to ask something more but that might not be of use." the priest looks serious at the corpse "I can get rid of the corpse. What do you plan to do next?"
Kristof seems sincere. The GM is just trying to add up into the paranoia.
Marigold blinks; Kristof's offer surprised her. "G-get rid of the body? H-how?"
"N-next move? I d-don't know...b-but there's a lot of ugly things h-happening in Cauldron lately," she frowns. "Have you h-heard anything? Or s-seen anything, K-Kristof?"
"I can burn him following the rites of Sarenrae" Kristof frowns as he is reminded about things going on in Cauldron "Oh yes! Your initial questions! I never answered you..."
The man approaches the temple's doors and points to the looming tower of just one avenue upper in the caldera. The Cathedral of Wee Jas. "That! Look what have they done of their central spire! The higher reaches of their new construction comes close to fully blocking the rays of the rising sun of this humble shrine!" the man seems extremely outraged "They are doing this on purpose. To block the Sun from the Goddess of Sun?! What do they want? Do they want to close up all my business or what?"
The Cathedral of Wee Jas, home of Pharasma, is the largest, wealthiest and more powerful of the religious organizations in Cauldron, only far followed by the Church of St. Cuthbert, ruled by Abadar's servants.
"I can try to ask something more but that might not be of use."
Kikinnin hates the idea of wasting a god-given chance at magical interrogation, so sets his mind to one last question of a likely liar.
"Ask the half-orc this: Where were you going to meet when you succeeded in slaying us all?" The black beard isn't hopeful, but he wants some last little thought of the dead half-orc to interpret.
"What do you plan to do next?"
"I was thinking we'd talk to Ike, and get his side of this story. I didn't think he was so aggressive to bully the likes of your church. They cared for my family while we chased down evil around Cauldron, and I want to hear his explanation."
Kristof nods and asks Kikinnin question "Where were you going to meet when you succeeded in slaying your targets?" and the half-orc's mandible animates one last time to say "At the Wealthy Father's Home"
You feel the half-orc is again trying to laugh at you through the tone of his voice.
Again the reference to the Wealthy Father goes to Abadar.
As Kikinnin talks about Ike, the priest frowns again "Go talk to him if you wish. They just want me to leave Cauldron. But I will not budge from here, my mission is here for more than it shall bother them!"
Kikinnin sighs as the half-orc finishes his antagonism, beyond the Veil. "Alright, thanks, Kristof. You were kind to see to us, and our problem of the body. If we manage to learn anything that might be helpful to your mission here, we'll return."
The black beard gives no more thought to the assassin, but holds the words in his head a little longer, wondering if any of the untruths will come to pass.
Kikinnin takes the lead, and marches towards Wee Jas, starting to form the first questions for Ike, when they arrive.
"Y-yes, thank you," Marigold agrees. "We'll t-talk to this other f-fellow and see what he has to s-say for himself," she promises. "I c-can't understand why they would w-want to pick a fight with this ch-church and I w-want to hear some answers t-too."
Maxim scowls, then prods the corpse once again;
"Ye got off light, ye sack o' skit. I'd have mounted that ugly head fir the birds to peck at..."
He shuffles out, making his way to the Church of Wee Jas with the rest of the group.
Eyeing the tall spire he mulls a thought;
"They seem to be doin' mighty well when all others are strugglin'... Guess death is good business nowadays. Say when we were in the Land O' Lil' Miss, didn't them graverobbers bear the sigils o' Wee Jas?"
"D-did they?" Marigold asks, trying to think back. "M-maybe they did, b-but I can't really r-remember for s-sure. I really h-hope none of the ch-churches are involved in all this other m-mess; that's the l-last thing we need right n-now..."
Kristof greets you again as you leave. Once out of the shrine you move towards the large Cathedral of Wee Jas.
From closer up, the temple seems build all in volcanic stone. What is more surprising is the structure seems sculpted from a single rock, as no junctures are appreciable. This is the case for even the newly constructed needle. To each side of the temple a set of lesser buildings with the same symbolism of the Lady of Graves prowl around the central structure.
On the main building, the temple itself, you find out a large set of iron doors. Engraved in the center you find the depiction of a large spiral.
This spiral is the Spiral of Faith. One of the depictions of Pharasma. The central goddess of the Cathedral of Wee Jas.
"The Lady of Graves", Pharasma is the goddess who shepherds Golarion's recently-departed souls to their final reward. Upon death, souls migrate via the River of Souls to Pharasma's Boneyard in the Outer Sphere, which sits atop an impossibly tall spire that pierces the Astral Plane.
She is a goddess of Birth, Death, Fate, Prophecy and Rebirth. Pharasma is also the goddess of birth and prophecy: from the moment a creature is born, she sees what its ultimate fate will be, but reserves final judgement until that soul finally stands before her. As the goddess of death and rebirth, she abhors the undead and considers them a perversion.
The impression of the "single rock" structure must be because of special magics known as wall of stone and shape stone.
The doors are closed. No one is guarding them but when you try to open and go in as Kikinnin has done before many times, the doors are locked.
"W-well, at least we know we're at the r-right place," Marigold remarks, gesturing towards the large spiral in the center of the iron doors. Her expression quickly changes to one of puzzlement though when they find the doors locked.
"Th-that's strange, d-don't they always keep their d-doors open like the other t-temples and shrines?"
She reaches up and carefully raps on the doors with her knuckles and waits for a moment to see if anything happens.
JJ, cautious as ever, steps up next to Marigold, leaning heavily on his quarterstaff as he does so.
"Let's hope there is no trouble..."
Kikinnin doesn't immediately register the doors being locked, so tries again, making sure that the doubles are indeed locked against entry. He steps back, and leaves the lass to rapping on the door. His attentions run along the street leading to the church, assessing the traffic of the city, and whether the door will block more than the Watchers at present.
"I don't suppose they have a side entrance do they? Otherwise... I guess I could go look in a window.." offers the lad.
:
The gun-mage pauses eyeing the building with a seasoned eye;
"Been magicks used to build this here place up. Powerful ones at that..."
When JJ speaks Maxim shoots him an exasperated look;
"Side window? We have the countenance o' common robbers Surabar!? I'll pick the darned lock..."
He gestures the group to move away from entrance way, then retrieves his lockpick set - laying them by the door before joining his companions.
Focusing, he manipulates an imaginary set of picks, whilst the physical ones mimic this at the temple door
:
"P-pick the lock? To a t-temple? Are you s-sure that's a good idea?" Marigold remarks worriedly as the dwarf motions for everyone to back away a bit. "M-maybe we should give them a ch-chance to answer f-first..."
JJ gives a look around to find windows, but all the openings he sees are blocked by beautiful stained glass depicting scenes of Pharasma's beliefs. Kikinnin meanwhile notes the people keeps coming and going through the avenue without paying much attention to the closed temple. There is no one waiting for it to open.
Short after Marigold raps the doors there is no answer at all, so Maxim directs his magics to work on the lock. The dwarf's lock-pick floats in the air and soon a familiar 'click' is heard.
Before you can open up the doors though, you hear a voice coming from behind the doors "The Cathedral is closed today. Comeback in some days"
The accent of the person answering does not have the peculiar softness of Cauldronites 'S' sounds. In fact you grasp a brutish style in the 'DRAL', typical of native Orcish speakers.
"Orcs.." he whispers.
"Really? We had some urgent business to discuss." says JJ, stepping through the portal.
"And with the resident priests, not with foreigners."
With the mention of 'orcs', not 'half-orc', not 'orcish', Kikinnin brings his Axe to his hands, and follows JJ towards the newly-unlocked doors. Moments before, he was aghast at breaking into the Church. In this moment, he's aghast that any kind of orc might be wandering the halls of a place he once considered a sanctuary to Gemma...
"I want eyes, inside." He keeps his voice low, to speak only with his crew.
On high alert now that JJ has identified the speaker as an orc, Marigold hurriedly glances around to make sure they're not drawing too much attention from any passersby. Then she conjures a bit of magic to allow her to see things as they really are.
"I'll m-make sure nothing f-funny is happening out here," she whispers.
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Marigold casts a spell as JJ pushes the doors open followed by Kikinnin.
Inside you find the grand hall of the Cathedral of Wee Jas. A magnificent sight. This hall alone measures at least one hundred and fifty feet across with an octagonal shape and a vaulted ceiling that raises fifty feet at its center.
The hall is totally empty of furniture and the floor is only covered by tiles depicting Pharasma's Boneyard.
Next to the door, and surprised by your irruption, there is a half-orc fully armored with a double axe and a fine chainmail. Behind him there are two other half-orcs equally geared. At the center of the immense hall, about a eighty feet away from you, there are two stone giants and between them, there is a cleric of Pharasma that looks at you and frowns.
The situation is quite different from your past experience. The hall is usually crowded with pews and a few priests moving around in prayers or maintenance duties. This is the first time you sight half-orc guards, as the temple is usually guarded by a rotating lone priest of Pharasma, and definitely this is the first time you sight giants.
You do recognize the priest in the middle as you have seen his face previously, but you do not know his name and you have never talked with him before.
Your magical sight does not let you see anything special in this area. Things are what they appear. Still if someone is disguised by mundane means, your spell would not notice it.
The guard attempts to push JJ back "I told you the temple is closed! Leave now!"
JJ stands his ground, waiting for one of the others to respond.
"How... why... are there giants in the temple?"
Kikinnin steps around JJ and the half-orc guard, addressing the cleric of Pharasma, moving close enough to both the priest, and the two stone giants.
"Pardon our intrusion, revered of Pharasma. We haven't been introduced before, but I have had conversations with Ike, and there are dire events to discuss. We wouldn't have entered if it wasn't a serious matter." He shoots a look at the half-orcs, before returning to address the priest.
"These half-orcs you have here- I can understand them protecting the governmental offices, but I've never seen the need to guard a temple before. For the reports, Wee Jas has been bullying Pelor, and I'd like to hear what Ike says about it." The stone giants don't immediately raise his hackles, if only for the possibility that they're helping in the stone construction of the church.
"That's r-right...you can s-see that we'd n-not normally barge into any holy p-place without good c-cause," Marigold adds, gesturing to Kikinnin and Ryan's Abadarian accoutrements. "P-Please, h-hear us out."
You do not find an evil aura on the first giant. Seconds later you focus on the second giant and do not find an aura on her neither.
"Kikinnin, isn't it? My name is Calmus Vel, Deacon of Pharasma" the man looks at the giants and the half-orcs then back at Kikinnin "Ike is not available at the moment. He is too busy with the Cathedral construction business"
"If about bullying you refer to the complains of Kristof Jurgensen, we have nothing to say. We cannot do anything about the envy of other priests for the prosperity of our church. Don't even think about talking with the High Priestess, Embril Aloustinai is away in an important mission to our faith"
Calmus seems to like your words and relax a bit, but she is still talking in a tense tone.
You notice Calmus look at the guards and giants conveys a kind of 'get ready' message.
"E-envy? Your c-construction is blocking the l-light of the sun from the Ch-Church of Pelor," Marigold points out, an uncharacteristic frown now on her face. "That's k-kind of a big deal to them. C-couldn't you have worked s-something out with your c-construction before you st-started it? I know m-moving locations wouldn't have been f-feasible but it's n-not feasible for them, either. I'd have th-thought that the b-bigger faith would've also been more interesting in b-being the bigger, uh, p-person and t-trying to help work out a s-solution that everyone is happy with."
And unable to keep from noticing the behavior of Calmus, she very slowly holds up her hands to show that there's nothing in them. "Wh-why so tense? We've already s-said that we're not here to st-start a r-ruckus and I'd hope our reputations would p-precede us a b-bit. So why're you acting like we're here to f-fight? Have other p-people been starting f-fights here?"
b]"Temple might be closed, but ye left yer door open... Invitin' folks in..."[/b]
Maxim eyes the strange group before them with a hard look of appraisal;
:
He notes the priestess' reaction to Kikinnin's words and the subtle message given to the guards.
His own hand taps the handle of his double-barrelled pistol, then flashes a hard smile;
"Gotta say Deacon... As a merchant o' this fair city... I'm mighty curious on how it is the flow of coin is slowin' yet here you Pharasmans seem to be growin' literal an' metaphoric like. Reckon the business o' death must be on the rise?"
JJ just continues to scan the room, not wanting to interrupt the delicate situation, but not wanting to get caught out but a sudden attack either.
Calmus places his hand over his mace while he does stare at Marigold's patch "You are the one talking about fights... Lady. Perhaps if this Kristof was working to have more followers in the city instead of surrealistically accusing others, he would have the money to rise up a temple that would not be overshadowed by nearby buildings"
When Maxim asks his question with accusation tone the guards raise their weapons but Calmus makes a sign to stop "Our church, lead by the cunning Embril Aloustinai, is being prosperous, we have nothing to hide on there. What are we being accused exactly? Are priests not able to collect money for their services now?"
Marigold sighs; this certainly wasn't getting them anywhere. "O-Okay, let me t-try this again. W-we're not t-trying to accuse anyone of anything. J-just that things have b-been really t-tense here in the c-city lately and we h-heard about the d-disagreement between your ch-church and the Ch-Church of Pelor. We thought we'd t-try to s-see if we could h-help somehow, m-maybe play mediator."
"I'm s-sorry that we b-barged in here unannounced b-but we th-thought it was very st-strange for this p-place to be locked up without any obvious n-notice or reason why. Hard t-times makes everyone edgy s-sometimes, including us and including y-you."
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