"Right... so they can't keep their...pants shut. Heck, do they even wear pants?"
JJ shakes his head and screws his eyes shut as if he had just seen something he wished he could un-see.
"Hey... prisons... cages... think there is a connection in there?"
"Yes, and guess who else comes from Carceri. According to Dugobras, The Cagewrights were linked to the plane and Kaurophon told us demodands were among their ranks." Juraan appears from behind the shadows of the Skull entrance and smiles at you all "I am so happy to see you back Marigold! And in such a good company!!!"
Maxim flashes a wry smile at the sorcerer;
"Well met Professor. Canny reminder indeed... Paths seems to lead us to this Carceri then? Question is how in the Nine Hell's do we get there? Don't recollect their being a stagecoach run-in' betwixt Planes!"
"I certainly have no idea" Juraan smiles back at Maxim "Perhaps we shall find more information about this cage, and explore any places where you have found the Cagewrights, or some of them, might be lurking right now near Cauldron. That shall bring us more information about what Carceri is and what the Cagewrights want from it."
"We might also want to return to RedGorge. I never did get a chance to try and buy the old family home." sighs JJ.
"It may be safer for Tessa and Sara there too. And the folk there... they seemed to know stuff. What did they call themselves? Chisel? Sounds like something you use to break out of prison."
"I th-think Juraan is right...also there's something I j-just remembered..."
"...and s-so it sounds like we n-need to know more about this c-cage and the S-Soul Pillars b-before we t-try to go looking for a way to g-get to Carceri or f-find this 'Razzan-Ruzal'."
Maxim nods slowly mulling a thinking stogie, but thinking better of it for once.
"Reckon we may need to track down that Fire Jotunn, Dugobras, again. He made 14 cages if I'm recollectin' right. With one in our possession, could be they come back for the spare..."
"It c-could be..." Marigold slowly nods, though she's clearly still unsure of just what their next move should be. "Wherever we decide to g-go on the Material, I sh-should be able to get us there or c-close with a Plane Shift, b-but it's a one-way t-trip so g-getting back here would t-take another scroll."
She frowns. "We might have to g-get another t-tuning fork and align it to Carceri s-somehow before I c-could try to t-take us there."
"B-but if we need to get b-back to Cauldron in a h-hurry then I can do it. G-getting back out in one p-piece would be the t-tricky part there."
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"This c-cage...it isn't j-just a simple m-magic item. It's an artifact. I'm c-certain of it. The r-runes and the d-design may be related to the p-prison plane of Carceri...b-but if we want to know m-more, it'll take m-magic more powerful than s-simple identification sp-spells. S-something along the lines of Legend Lore or Vision."
Kikinnin turns to see Juraan approaching, giving the drakblood a nod of acknowledgement, before turning back to Marigold. "Sounds like you know what it will take to glean more about the Cage. Is it magic your goddess will let you summon, or do we need to find someone to help us weave one of those spells you mention?"
"I... I promise I came here only because Velesia told us this was the only way to find the dwarf that was missing. Velesia knows... knew... everything. She is very clever, the same as Ike. Yes Ike, ask Ike, he will know."
Kikinnin's face remains stone, as the dwarf wishes to give no new information to the prisoner, regarding the deaths of both Velasia and Ike. He does, however, remember that they have a scroll which would allow them to speak with the dead, though he newly doubts they brought either of the bodies with them in their travel to Occipitus...
"I th-think Juraan is right...also there's something I j-just remembered... and s-so it sounds like we n-need to know more about this c-cage and the S-Soul Pillars b-before we t-try to go looking for a way to g-get to Carceri or f-find this 'Razzan-Ruzal'."
Kikinnin takes the Abradius letter in-hand, and looks over the writing. "Suppose that could spell 'Karran-Kural'... my eyes aren't as young as they once were, and that handwriting is... confusing..."
Handing back the letter, the black beard considers the way forward. "That Abradius sounds fixated on the Soul Pillars. He also speaks on that 'Karran-Kural' miss Marigold mentions. If the Cagewrights are ignoring Fetor about the Soul Pillars and Carin' Curl, we might get a leg up on the cabal by targeting Fetor, and what he thinks is being overlooked."
Kikinnin rubs the back of his neck. "We should learn more. We took a leap of faith following Kaurophon to Occipitus. Now, we might find ourselves blind walking into Carin' Curl. I know we're pressed for time, but I would gladly wait for our bookworms to chew through things, before we travel towards 'insanity'..."
"Um, J-Juraan or Maxim m-might be able to use those magics," Marigold replies with a shake of her head. "The s-source is arcane and n-not divine, so neither R-Ryan or I can c-conjure them."
"A-anyway, if we w-want to try and get b-back into Bluecrater to t-try and learn more then I'm happy to t-take us there. It's r-risky but I think Kikinnin is r-right; all this b-business is t-too dangerous to just go ch-charging in b-blindly."
"Mmm... that legend lore magics are still away from my ability. But a Bard might be more suitable. Perhaps Ryan's cousin! Annah! Or maybe even Jarred! They might be able to do it for us!" Juraan speaks very excitedly about his realization.
The black Professor examines the letter with Kikinnin and nods "Yes. It might perfectly been 'Karran-Kural'. If this writer was at my classes at Bluecrater it will fail all exams due to caligraphy" Juraan smiles and then becomes sad "I miss classes. I hope they do resume soon"
The day has been long and both fatigue and hungriness start to be noticeable for the party. As you wrap up your ideas you eat and take a well earned rest.
Soon the next day, Marigold notices Ryan tries to communicate with her "Todd raise soon. Jenya worried. Cathedral clean. Authorities say corruption uncovered, Ike and followers to Sasserine for judgement. Do you need anything?"
With the new energies you find out it is easier to come to an agreement in your discussions.
After spending the remainder of her resources on mending the group's remaining wounds, Marigold is eager to have a bite to eat and to get some rest. In the morning, she is thankful to receive word from Ryan. She thinks for a moment and replies:
"All well. Cage linked to Carceri; need more information. Likely to return to Bluecrater to research next steps. Stay safe, see you soon."
Then she's quick to share Ryan's message with the rest of the group.
"R-Ryan's sent a m-message," she explains. "He says: 'Todd raise soon. Jenya worried. Cathedral clean. Authorities say corruption uncovered, Ike and followers to Sasserine for judgement. Do you need anything?'"
"I t-told him that we're f-fine and that the c-cage is linked to Carceri. We need m-more information and from what R-Ryan said, it might actually b-be halfway s-safe to return to C-Cauldron," Marigold continues. "I t-told him we were likely to head b-back to Bluecrater. Does that seem s-sound?"
Maxim listens to the message with a hard expression;
"Ike and his fallen clergy sent to Sasserine... Where the Scarlet Brotherhood assassins were hired... Forgive me if I ain't convinced on the merits o' such an arrangement. We should presume they'll be freed or killed afore judgement."
"Well, at least that leaves us off the hook!" says a relieved looking JJ.
"I hate to think what Uncle Alek would say if I got thrown into jail for raiding the temple of another god.." he becomes sombre as he thinks about his powerful uncle... and his currently reduced state.
"I'd love to get back to Bluecrater too, but we really need to rest up. This day... well.. I don't think Phrasma is going to be quiet so generous with me the next time I get up close and personal with her."
"Can I come with you this time Marigold? The proctor can sure take care of this place alone" Juraan asks to the halfling while placing a hand on the soul cage "I want to bring the cage to someone able to use the needed magic on it while you do your research in the Bluecrater Academy"
Once you are rested ready, Marigold uses her powers and all of you are suddenly transported out of the Skull and through the strings of the multiverse, appear at the midst of a jungle. The noise of birds and monkeys conquers everything around you.
"Ok, this is my time then" Juraan's tone is rather enthusiastic as he starts saying words of arcane power without loosing hands. Soon, you are magically teleported to Bluecrater's Academy. In fact, you do appear all packed in Juraan's small room. The soul cage lies intact on the professor's bed "Home" whom smiles wide on his success.
"Wuh-whoops," Marigold stammers, looking a little sheepish. "Seems it's n-not a perfect thing...b-but good thing we had J-Juraan with us this t-time!"
She moves over to the window and peers out, so as to get an idea of what time of day it is. Assuming that it's not too early or late for visitors into the library, she turns to her friends.
"Okay. Um, I can g-go ahead and start looking through the library's b-books to see what I can f-find. B-but if it still seems too d-dangerous to split up then m-maybe we want to go s-see about our f-friends first, together, then c-come back here to do what we need t-to do."
"Oh! And we m-might want to go see J-Jenya too, while we're h-here..."
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Maxim eyes the books, then nods at Marigold's logic;
"Reckon we should scour these here pages, then mull any meetings with our friends an' families. Could be we get waylaid out on Cauldron's cobbles, so this could be our tilt at minin' a nugget on our predicament."
The gun-mage chuckles, then fishes out a stogie;
"Let's git a cracking' then. Professor. Lil' Miss - where should we begin?"
JJ, tired, sore and still suffering from a close encounter with a deity... one that he didn't really want to have a close encounter with, just heads for his digs.
It's been a long day, I just need a rest.
"Ok. I am taking the cage. See you!" without much time for goodbyes Juraan disappears once more, with the cage at hands.
As you get out of the professor chambers and start walking through the Academy corridors people look at you curiously, but in no bad way. Soon, you find your way into the library where you are received by an astonished elf and a gnome, Losriel Tanaas and Zinli Yeziver respectively "Ma-Marigold???!" they are frozen with books at hand while looking at the halfling "Are you really?! Director said you had disappeared in your adventures!"
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"Um...it's a l-long story..." Marigold responds, awkwardly rubbing at the back of her head and neck with one hand. "B-but I p-promise to tell you all about it l-later, okay? I'm s-sorry I worried everyone..." she continues, dropping her gaze to stare at the ground.
After the initial shock of her arrival and that of her friends passes, the halfling heaves a deep sigh. "L-look...I...I d-don't want to share too m-much because it c-could be d-dangerous for you b-both. B-but we need to f-find information on a p-place called 'Karran-Kural' and s-something called the 'Soul Pillars'. M-may we use the l-library?"
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Fatigue vanishing from his brain at seeing the familiar sites of Cauldron again, JJ's first thoughts are to dash off to check on Sasa. Just as he is heading out the door. Or, to be fair, just after he gets to the street, thoughts and memories of the previous day come flooding back.
It's too dangerous to them..
With a sigh, he turns back to the Academy.
"And I want to learn more about Carceri." he says.
"Anything and everything that we can find out about the plane, why/how it exists, and the powers of the creatures that come from there."
The first hour or two he hits the books with dedication
But then his attention begins to flag, and he starts flipping through books at 'random' - though there do seem to be a couple of illustrated texts on some of the more attractive creatures from the lower planes that he keeps referring back to.
By lunchtime JJs eyes are crossed. "I need some fresh aid, a meal and to talk to someone real..."
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"R-Ryan's sent a m-message. He says: 'Todd raise soon. Jenya worried. Cathedral clean. Authorities say corruption uncovered, Ike and followers to Sasserine for judgement. Do you need anything?' I t-told him that we're f-fine and that the c-cage is linked to Carceri. We need m-more information and from what R-Ryan said, it might actually b-be halfway s-safe to return to C-Cauldron. I t-told him we were likely to head b-back to Bluecrater. Does that seem s-sound?"
"Sound enough. I'll rest a little easier knowing that we're not the focus of any investigation. That means those in the city guard who still represent some decency can continue looking out for the lurking evil."
...
Kikinnin steadies himself when they land in the jungle, then steadies himself again when they appear in the halls of the Bluecrater. Last time he stepped foot on the Academy grounds, he almost ran smack dab into the giant and the rakshasa. This time, he's more than willing to let the bookworms have their day.
"So, you'll be looking into Carin' Curl, the Soul Pillars, and Carceri, eh? Juraan's looking into the Cage, maybe even the Cagewrights, if the Cage speaks on its creators. Well, at least we can hope." Kikinnin takes a whiff of the air within the walls of the Bluecrater. He's not much for sitting long, and looking through books, but he's unwilling to leave his companions to their own devices, when they still have a contract out on their lives. He takes up a position by the entrance to the library room or rooms where JJ and Marigold roam, moving with them when they seek out different tomes to pour over. He does his best to stay out of the way, and he gives a sheepish look every once and awhile when his armor makes enough noise to draw a scribe from her work. He raises a hand in apology, whenever he thinks it's needed.
When he's sure they'll sit for awhile, Kikinnin does so himself. He nods off occasionally. When he awakens, his armor indicates the abrupt moment with a metallic scrape. He understands the time required to accomplish their research, but he's of course less than perfectly patient waiting.
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Both elf and gnome nod and finally show of reaction quickly reaching to hug Marigold. They look curiously at the patch on her eye, but make no comments as it is clear the halfling is in a rush and not willing to share dangerous details. The librarians though accommodate the group and help you bringing books and pointing to shelves classifications.
JJ goes directly to the side of the library he knows the most, the Abyss shelve. There he passes the day researching about the prison plane.
Maxim gladly offers to help Marigold on the search the librarian has proposed. The group start to pick up tomes from selected shelves and study them carefully on the library wooden desks.
The prison plane of Carceri seems the least overtly dangerous of the lower planes, but that first impression quickly disappears. Acid seas and sulfurous atmospheres may be rare on this plane, and no areas of biting cold or infernos of raging heat exist. The danger of Carceri is a subtler thing.
The plane is a place of darkness and despair, of passions and poisons, and of kingdom-shattering betrayals. On Carceri, hatreds run like a deep, slow-moving river. And there's no telling what the flood of treachery is going to consume next. It is said that a prisoner on Carceri may only escape when she has become stronger than whatever imprisoned her there. That's a difficult task on a plane whose very nature breeds despair, betrayal, and self-hatred.
Carceri consists of six layers: Orthrys, Cathrys, Minethys, Colothys, Porphratys, and Agathys. Each layer consists of a series of orbs like tiny planets. A gulf of air separates each orb form the next. On a particular layer, little distinguishes one orb from the next, and it's possible that the number of orblike planets on each layer is infinite.
Carceri has the following traits:
- normal gravity. On the orbs, gravity is normal. Between orbs there is no gravity, which eases travel for those who can fly beyond the clutches of each orb's gravity.
- Divinely morphic. Any entity of lesser deity status or greater can alter Carceri. More ordinary creatures find Carceri indistinguishable from the Material Plane; it responds to spells and physical effort normally.
- Mildly evil-aligned.
Many of the creatures that dwell here are petitioners and exiles that have given up all hope of escape. Portals on many planes allow travel to Carceri, but almost none allow travel in the other direction. Only creatures with the ability to plane shift or the wherewithal to travel the River Styx hold any hope of escape.
You do know that trip is beyond human abilities and will require god-like power to survive and come back.
JJ finds out confirmation on all the demodand's information found before as the de facto jailers of the prison plane.
He does also uncover the most dangerous prisoners of the plane are kept in a kind of Asylum called Skullrot. The place is on the first layer of Carceri, the one named Orthrys. Researchers point out the exact location of this asylum remains hidden from magic.
Despite the magical block, JJ is able to determine that more information about the exact location might be found in two locations on Orthys:
- The Bastion of Lost Hope: An outpost for anarchists and a marketplace for all sorts of goods.
- Harrowfell: A terrible tower said to contain a gemstone that grants mind blank to those who touch it, ruled by a strange marilith demon with a smoking left eye.
In addition to demodand patrols, it is possible to find demons, nightmares and other evil-like creatures. The exact nature and name of the creatures imprisoned in the Asylum of Skullrot eludes researchers due to its divinations magical blockade.
The ruins of Karran-Kural are not common knowledge in Cauldron. Still, Marigold is able to relate a notation in one book to a certain story that leads the group to a tome named Spellweaver's Tombs: Mystery and Secrets of Flesh and Ice. The book passes to identify places of death cult of the Spellweavers, and one chapter results dedicated to Karran Kural.
It seems Karran Kural are part of an ancient spell weaver empire that dominated the area long ago. Karran Kural is believed to be near the Demonskar, but its exact location is unknown. The chapter details the spell weavers built the tomb complex to study the relationship between death and cold, and to turn this knowledge to their one passion, magical power. Although the true fruits of this research might well be lost, the malignant auras of the entombed spell weavers, the unwholesome lore that resides in the necrotic pillars, and the strange magical energies that suffuse the ruin itself still propagate a small fraction of their discoveries, according to the story passed from a tomb rider to the researcher. According to the author the place became a ruin when the construction of the planar travel installation failed and created the Demonskar, leaving their legacy as forgotten.
In the last section of the chapter, the researcher theorizes the knowledge found there by the spell weavers and the effects of the planar travel research might be used on rituals of vast planar travel.
Apparently the Soul Pillars are powerful artifacts of divination constructed by the spell weavers and located in Karran Kural.
The spell weavers trapped spirits of outer planes and ancient age into those artifacts and used them to get insights of flesh and ice bringing to them the knowledge of those far planes of existence. Activating one of the pillars requires 10 minutes of concentration and successful reasoning while touching the pillar in question. The tortured spirits trapped inside impart then knowledge in the form of answers to questions as a wizard would use contact outer plane to contact a demigod. A powerful intellect is preferred as it might be more successful to control this energies and avoid mind and appearance damage. There are some minor pillars, which are easier to control but convey only yes or no answers, while other pillars are much more powerful than the normal spell, and are able to convey long detailed answers to some questions.
According to the story told by Spellweaver's Tombs: Mystery and Secrets of Flesh and Ice, some of the most powerful pillars where guarded by a undead dragon made of bones with an acidic breath. The man telling the story was the only survivor and thus the author has no means of contrasting his story.
After some extra effort and guidance from Maxim, Marigold is able to find a kind of map, a kind of because its written in word rather than drawn, that depicts how to find the ruins. They are below a certain hill on the middle of the jungles next to the Demonskar, and the access to them will require the ability to dive through old lava tubes now full of water for at least two hours. JJ is pretty sure he could lead the group through the description to find the place. You also discover the ruins are subject to extreme cold.
Come lunchtime, JJ rounds up the Watchers and insists on a trip to the Drunken Morkoth.
"Come on, fresh aid and sunlight will do us all a world of good. So will a decent meal and a mug of ale.."
and after reading all that depressing stuff about Carceri... I think I could do with some cheering up.
That doesn't stop him telling everyone in great detail about what he learned about Carceri.
"But that is an issue for another day. If we want to try and follow these lava tubes we will need some protection from cold. And I'm thinking we might want more than just a potion. There are bound to be cold magic traps and such in Karran Kural. "
Admittedly eager for a rest herself, Marigold is happy to take JJ's suggestion to go somewhere for a bite to eat - after taking proper precautions to make sure they don't attract too much attention, anyway. She also takes the time to share everything she and Maxim managed to find about Karran-Kural and the Soul Pillars.
"S-so...it sounds l-like the C-Cagewrights m-maybe want to l-learn the secrets of expanded p-planar travel...to g-get to Carceri? Or m-maybe to survive Carceri and g-get back in one p-piece..."
She shivers; the tale of Harrowfell and its strange and powerful ruler was not lost on the halfling.
A demon with a smoking eye...
"B-but why? Wh-what's on Carceri that they w-want?"
Harrowfell: A terrible tower said to contain a gemstone that grants mind blank to those who touch it, ruled by a strange marilith demon with a smoking left eye.
Kikinnin can't help but look on Marigold, and wonder. Marilith demon...
Karran Kural is believed to be near the Demonskar, but its exact location is unknown.
Talk of the Demonskar, along with this new talk again on spell weavers sets the black beard's brain to burble. "I know this has been awhile, Bror, but do you remember when you had the touch of the Fade about you? You barked at me about another book. A book that told about the Fade, as it related to spell weavers and the Demonskar. You recall anything more about that book? Might prove relevant about now... Then again, it's been awhile."
According to the story told by Spellweaver's Tombs: Mystery and Secrets of Flesh and Ice, some of the most powerful pillars were guarded by a undead dragon made of bones with an acidic breath.
Kikinnin turns to look about the Academy's rows of books. "Undead dragon, eh? That sounds... foreboding." He squeezes his gloved hands, and tries not to think on Juraan the drakblood as undead. "Might want to put a little more page-licking into figuring out how to slay that undead guardian." The black beard coughs up what little he can recall of Pocca's routine instructionals about the undead, in general, hoping to assist Marigold or Maxim, or both, in understanding what kind of foe they might run up against in Karran Kural.
"B-but why? Wh-what's on Carceri that they w-want?"
Kikinnin shakes his head. "Well, from what you've described of Carceri, it sounds like a masterwork prison. Other than that powerful gemstone that gifts Mind Blank, the only thing I could think they want is to break someone out of jail. Or something..."
Kikinnin gives himself the time of several lungfuls in and out, before speaking up again. "I keep hearing the word 'demodand', and how they like to think of themselves as the jailers. Do we know much more about what a demodand is? That might come up one of these days. Also, I want to know how we're gonna swim through underground tunnels for more than a couple of hours. Oh, and the cold protection."
When the black beard thinks they've done enough with the library, only then does he consider taking to the tavern, and loosening up his joints with the proper pint of lubrication.
"Well...to f-fight a demodand you'd need to b-be mindful of, um..."
And all the talk of demodands finally jogs something else in Marigold's memory. "H-hey...do you r-remember what K-Kaurophon told us about the C-Cagewrights? Their f-founder was a demodand...so if anyone would kn-know about Carceri's defenses it'd b-be a demodand."
Thinking on everything they've learned and recalled so far, Marigold slowly nods to Kikinnin. "I th-think you might b-be right...m-maybe the C-Cagewrights want to b-break someone or s-something out of Carceri. If s-so...then it's g-got to be someone t-truly terrible and p-powerful," she shivers.
"As f-far as b-being underwater g-goes, um...it's not something I can d-do myself b-but isn't there m-magic that lets you b-breathe underwater?"
Maxim nods slowly at his Bror, then pats his magical pack;
"Jzadirune's Book. Still got it here... Yer right did mention somethin' that linked the Fade with them Spell Weavers..."
He pauses , fishing for the tome, before recovering it.
"I'll give it a gander. See if anythin' more that we have uncovered is given mention..."
The gunmage listens further, then chimes in;
"Could be they want to break someone out. Could be they want to put someone in... As fir magicks to breath underwater. Same fir cold protection. Reckon we could find some... Skie might have an item or two fir such aquatic endeavours. Failin' that the Professor might be able to find us such a spell."
As he mulls, the dwur studies the pages of Jzadirune's journal attempting to link anything missed before with what is known now...
"But if their leader is a Demodand, and they are the jailers.. why would they be breaking someone out?" he shakes his head.
"Politics. Again. "
He turns to Marigold. "I did a bit of researhing on Demodands while at the library, but didn't turn up much."
"I guess they are special types of demons. But I wonder if they are as much prisoners of Carceri as the others... or can they come and go as the please?"
"M-Maybe the C-Cagewright leader is a r-rogue," Marigold shrugs, unable to come up with many better explanations. "Or m-maybe it's only s-some demodands that act as j-jailers; m-maybe others d-do other things?"
Maxim listens to the back and forth, the gun-mage continues to thumb through the well worn pages of Jzadirune's Book seeking reference to anything they had discovered;
:
:
Between bouts of page turning he eyes the others;
"To my mind we got to find this here Karran Kural place first before we consider more planar hopping."
He grits his teeth in a hard smile;
"Though my Bror has the right o' it. We need to be pre-pared for necrotic cold an' a risen wyrm... Skit that ain't gonna be easy... Need stogies an' liquor too. Warm them bones good an' proper!"
"R-right...and an undead d-dragon...live ones are b-bad enough," Marigold shivers, recalling their earlier encounters. "B-but I think I m-might remember a little s-something about how to h-handle one...or at least im-p-prove our odds..."
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"I know precious little, I'm afraid, besides their final goal is to restore Adimarcus."
Kikinnin sighs slowly, a low grumble of vocal chords as air rises from his diaphragm. "Would make sense... if Adimarc(h)us was currently imprisoned in Carceri. Kaurophon mentioned the Cagewrights' intention of restoring the demon, and now we have this prison place..."
Kikinnin turns his attention back to Marigold, then the others. "If this is all falling into the same story, then we might want to know what part that invisible Mark plays. Why the Cagewrights might be looking for folk with the Mark..." Kikinnin almost points at Marigold's eye, but steadies his pointer finger towards the halfling's forehead.
"Terrem, Zenith, and Marigold, these we know bear that Mark. Zenith was unearthed for it, likely, and Terrem was seen back to the orphanage. While we're here, we might as well shoulder another query, and see if we can't match the Mark to something in one of these books. Xoden Nightshieldslag called them the Shackleborn, if I remember correctly. Shackles, cages... I like none of this."
"Wait... Adimarchus? Who is he?" says the youth, having lost track of the conversation.
"The cagewrights leader?"
He looks especially uncomfortable as the ongoing connection between the marks, the shackelborn and his little brothers and sisters comes up again.
"I've not visited for ages. " he sighs.
"And now I'm not sure if it is even safe _to_ visit them." he adds despondently.
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Maxim frowns at JJ, before casting his own mind back;
"Seem to recollect Adimarchus was that fallen angel fella that ruled Occupitus afore Lil' Miss here?"
The gun-mage licks his finger as he turns another page of Jzadirune's Book before pausing to add more conjecture to the mix;
"So these Cagewrights need the Shackleborn to perhaps free this Adimarchus... who we're surmising is jailed in Carceri? Seems to me iffin' he gets busted out he'll likely fly home an' lay claim..."
Maxim's frown deepens as he looks to Marigold;
"'Course if they cage you Lil' Miss then yer realm is free fir him to take. So. We need to keep you close going' forward... Travellin' to Carceri to remove a fallen angel from the board seems like a forlorn hope. Better to stymie them Cagewrights where we can? If we can git Terram too, put him somewhere safe an' secret? That's two smokin' eyes we have to their one that we know o'?"
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Kikinnin nods as the blond beard speaks his mind. "The Cagewrights are likely a formidable nest of wasps, but I'd rather test my strength out against them, than having to fight whatever horde is unleashed from Carceri, with Adimarchus in the mix."
Kikinnin looks at JJ, making sure Maxim's reminder of the demon lord sinks in. "If the Cagewrights depend on us mere mortals, like they did with Ike and Velasia, we're still in this fight. We can work against their minions, keep as many pieces off the board as we can. Abadar's likely well aware of the threat, and is using us as His pawns on the board. I'm alright with that."
JJ can't help but shake his head. "That is a damned big board Kikinnin. With the emphesis on the dammed. How many games do you know that span at least three dimensions?"
"Th-then...yes, we n-need to try and find m-more information about the m-mark," Marigold agrees, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "I...almost d-don't want to kn-know...b-but I c-can't just p-push it aside if it m-means that T-Terrem and maybe other innocent p-people might still be in d-danger."
Kikinnin hears JJ wax poetic, and has no words to ease the boy's mind. "Good thing you're learning the ways of the damned lands. Especially if we're ever unlucky enough to get pushed into that prison dimension."
"As for the Mark, I understand your hesitation, miss Marigold. If it was something more common, Velasia wouldn't have sought Zenith's corpse. That Mark makes you something keenly important to the Cagewrights. I fear that in our ignorance, we'll fail to protect you. The Lens is still out there, which means that they can find you, dead or alive, this plane or another. And for their collective strength, I hope they don't come looking for you any time soon..."
Maxim's brow furrows;
"Skit. Forgot 'bout the Lens. I say we steal it or destroy it. Without it they can't tracked them that's marked. With it, we're just hidin' a penny under a cup, hopin' they don't pick right first or second time."
The gun-mage nods towards the tomes around them;
"Lil' Miss, you an' my Bror have the right o' it. Reckon we start lookin' fir reference to the Lens an' also the Mark. More we find out 'bout either, reckon more we can stymie these Cagewright basterds? To that end we should add some items to befuddle an' vex scryin' magicks too."
Maxim pages through the Jzdirune book remembering the gnomes location was in fact a Spellweaver's Vault. The name of the last entry in the book, quickly reminds him of the gnome found dead at Varprak's Voice. That location was also a spellweavers emplacement because according to the giant Dugobras theirs was the first civilization on Cauldron's region. In fact through research it is easy for the group to confirm the whole region was in the past a spellweavers land. Matching this with the information known about Karran-Kural and the Soul Pilars, it would seem the spellweavers constructed Karran-Kural in search of greater power. Which points out the Cagewrights have been using the power hidden in that ancient site to their own plans, and according to Embril Aloustinai's note one of the Cagewrights would be still studying the ancient tomb in search of how to complete a complex ritual.
While Maxim does his crossed checks Marigold researches about the weird boned dragon. There are no cases of undead dragons that would conserve their acidic breath. As such, she comes to the idea this must be a green dragon that has passed through a special ritual to become himself a lich, as this would be the only way the dragon conserves its breath and magic. If such is true, the dragon soul must be trapped on some object known as a phylactery. With the aid of the library Marigold is able to find, if this is the case, the phylactery must be destroyed after the dragon defeat or it would rejuvenate. There is not enough information in the library about how exactly such a creature could fight, but she is able to freely theorize upon the knowledge of liches and green dragons.
With all that information together, and remembering conversations with multiple people before, the group finally matches the great picture of what is going on. The question now is, what to do next?
Kikinnin debates the next move, though more about how to accomplish it, than if there are different veins to ore.
"Sounds like we tackle Carin' Curl. Abradius sounds fixated on it, but he might be the only one. Maybe we find ourselves an even closer ally to the Cagewrights to question, dead or alive."
The black beard is willing to invest in whatever preparations will see his pack guarded against the risk of drowning, the risk of cold/acid coming through their enemies' attacks, and the risk of undead energies.
Maxim nods grim-faced;
"Karran Kural it is. Darn this promises to be a helluva scrap. Best prepare right. I'll offload the loot we got, then we take stock o' what we need an' where to get it..."
The gun-mage takes a few minutes to recount the items they have recovered from his ledger, encouraging one and all to consider if anything may have value or use for the upcoming challenge...
"I may be able to help a little." offers JJ.
"I was playing around with my celestial heritage a little, and think I could ward one or to people from one of the elements. But only a little. "
"S-sounds like it," Marigold nods to Kikinnin as talk turns to means to defend themselves against a likely dracolich. "We need p-protection from acid, p-probably a w-waterbreathing wand...and m-means to resist n-negative energy and vitality d-drain, for s-sure. Hopefully we'll b-be able to afford everything once M-Maxim sells the things we've f-found."
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"And protection from the cold... both those tunnels and the lich.." reminds JJ.
"I'm sure I remember when Beatinator faced down a lich. It's supernatural cold aura really messed with him." he remembers, before adding "Of course, we wear more clothes than Beatinator."
"B-Beatinator?" Marigold asks, looking rather confused. "Is he B-B-Beefinator's twin b-brother?"
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"While he was affected by the were-wolf's curse, he took on the mantle of Beatinator... explains JJ.
"You see, the curse, as well as..." he looks around the group.
"You probably don't want to know the whole story. Basically he got angry even easier than normal. But after they dealt with the lich, he got the curse removed. Still has to shave more often than before though."
Maxim chuckles warmly at the interplay;
"Ah Surabar... you an' them darned novellas. I'll give you this lad, least you keep the light o' brevity when the dark's closin' in..."
He nods to himself, then gathers up the unclaimed items;
"Right... This lot ain't gonna sell themselves, so best I make tracks. Where we meetin' up an' when? Will call upon my Uncle an' Skie's to offload what I can. Best I have a notion o' where the rest o' ye will be should trouble run into me."