Marigold brings fervor for the Watchers to stop the Cagewrights.
Maxim readies his gun as he starts flying through the chamber.
Kikinnin also prepares.
Grehlia utters a word of power and a column of fire descends upon Kikinnin, JJ and Marigold.
The fiery giant roars in delight as he rushes towards the group "Come to me, I will show you how to do a real battle!" and as he reaches you, he swings in a long arc from Marigold towards Kikinnin.
The massive flaming sword cuts through Marigold before passing to JJ and Kikinnin. The flames damage is fortunately avoided thanks to the party protections.
JJ does his best to jump away from the flames as they come pouring down on him...right into the blade of the giant's sword. He winces as blood pours from his wounds. However the blinding energy of the tree of souls had not been without its benefits, and fresh blue light spills from his own wounds, countering the worst of the injury.
The lad steps sideways, trying to set up a flank with Kikinnin even as Alakast lashes out at the massive figure.
Though Marigold is easily able to roll out of the way of the fire column that comes roaring down, she doesn't fare so well against the fire giant's flaming steel.
Before the giant does any advance, Kikinnin stands up and invokes the spirit of his father Pocca into his axe. Eldgammel shines in all its might!
From the protection of the back of the group, Kythel starts casting some spell. Probably a summoning is coming to level the odds of the combat.
Getting well out of the flames, JJ's wounds heal and he starts to surround the giant and bring punishment on him. He connects three times with Alakast, one of them almost critically, but the giant's full plate deflects it.
Seeing to cause some trouble, Juraan brings a surface of black tentacles on the enemy casters.
Freija and Grehlia get grappled by the tentacles, and the two haraknins also have difficulties as the tentacles grab around them.
The professor's eyes shine as he casts a quickened hold person to follow up, trying to halt the giant as well.
The giant freezes on place!
Pressed by the tentacles, Freija gives her best to cast a dispel spell that brings down the tentacles. The wizard smiles satisfied to see the spell disappears as if it had never existed. Despite she seemed actually worried a few seconds ago, she exclaims "You have no chance against expert wizards, but I have to say you are quite talented. There is no need to end this in a bloodshed, join our ranks and you will be bathed in richness, power, lovers, or whatever it is you most desire in this world"
Surprised to see themselves free so quickly, the two flamewardens come to help their boss "Auuuuuuu! Get your freezing cold hands away of Ti'irok!" As they approach howling the name of their leader, you do understand they are part of the same group of haraknin mercenaries you faced in Oblivion.
The adamantine greataxes reflect the light of the lava as they swing on Kikinnin and JJ.
JJ dodges the axe with ease, but Kikinnin has a worse time, Marigold's fervor though protects the dwarf in the last moment, bringing the axe away from him.
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Maxim rises up above the clamour of melee, to a height level with the paralysed jotun's head...
He levels his arcane gun at the brute with a hard smile;
"Koude ijsaanval!"
Upon uttering his words of arcane power, the barrel of his enchanted pistol glitters with frost and spits out flurry of razored ice!
Marigold's Round 2
Hoping that her allies can withstand another round of attacks, Marigold takes a step back and begins casting a spell, conjuring up a powerful holy aura to protect herself and her allies!
"ಅದೇ ಹಳೆಯ ಕೊಡುಗೆ. ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಅಥವಾ ಸಂಪತ್ತು ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರಿಗಾದರೂ ಬೇಕಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ, ನಾವು ಈಗ ಈ ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೇವೆ ಎಂದು ನೀವು ಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತೀರಾ?"
"The same old offer. If sheer power or wealth was what any of us wanted, d'you think we'd even be at this point right now?"
______________
Paralyzed by the magic, Maxim's blizzard covers the giant in frost, freezing its natural flames. The shock is devastating as the cold seems to cause even more damage on the giant than anything else before!
Walking on the edge of the lava flaw, Marigold raises her hands and a holy power envelopes the Watchers protecting them against harm. A brilliant divine radiance surrounds everyone of them.
Kikinnin swings his axe at the haraknin in front of him but diverts his lesser attack to the paralyzed giant.
The dwarf champion cuts twice on the haraknin, but when the next swing fails, he follows the cut to reach the giant, causing a deep wound on its right leg. Kikinnin goes back then to the haraknin opening another wound as Eldgammel shines with holy energy.
Grehlia moves closer to the combat holding high her holy symbol "It is time for you to pay for what you did to the Ebon Triad!" a prayer effect boosts all the enemies and hinders the closest of you: Kikinnin, JJ, Marigold and Juraan.
Embolden by the godly backing, Ti'irok breaks out of the magical chains "Uoooh! !" he shouts back at Juraan.
"Oh, will see, I have seen bigger trees down by JJ and Kikinnin!" Juraan answers and casts acid fog at the back of the enemies' lines to make their casting more difficult.
You hear a commotion and someone bumping against the doors to the southwest.
With the giant temporarily out of the fight, JJ concentrates on the Haraknin next to him. "You'll keep for a moment." he says to the giant, as Alakast goes to town on the foul creature.
"Somebody is knocking at the door...." he calls out.
Kythel does something heroic!
With a swift hurricane of blows, JJ obliterates the haraknin in front of him, scoring one after another with his hits until it falls. He then steps up to flank the giant with Kikinnin, and gives a couple more swings that manage to break Ti'irok's defenses thanks to the dwarf's flank. The giant barely survives the burst of holy energy.
The southwestern doors burst open as JJ alerts about them. An extremely thin and pale man, with wide, darting brown eyes and a shaved head except for a small forelock in the middle of his brow that he toys nervously, making it greasy and flat. He is followed by a tiny quasit below his legs and an extremely muscled minotaur.
The minotaur speaks up with a strange combination of a bestial but rather femenine voice ""
The man starts saying words of magic and waving his hands. He keeps going, it seems a long to cast spell.
summon monster VIII
Freija shouts behind the acid fog "You finally decided to come and do something Thearynn. I was starting to think you had retreated to your chamber's hole like a scared child"
She runs through the acid fog, and stops just at the edge of one lava flow. She looks back at you and smiles.
The remaining haraknin steps at Kikinnin's back and starts swinging his axe "Let me show you how to use an axe in flames dwarf!"
The holy aura protects Kikinnin from most of the attacks, but the first swing cuts badly through his back. The adamantine blade cuts through the stoneskin with astonishing ease!
Marigold's Round 3
Oof...they're giving about as good as they're getting!
Marigold maintains her position and conjures a spell of healing to help mend some of the group's injuries!
As Margold's healing energy washes over him, JJ realises just how badly the giant had hurt him. His own blue inner light also starts to flow from the heavy open wounds.
As the new threats appear Maxim spins in the air, , levelling his pistol once again.
Squinting at the thin spellcaster, the gun-mage utters another of his most destructive spells;
"Disintegreren!"
The barrel of his arcane gun glows green and fires a thin ray of green arcane energy toward the forelocked warlock!
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Marigold raises her hands, bringing health to all her close allies!
Roughly at the same time, divine energy covers JJ, fixing quickly his half-severed arm.
Navigating the chamber skies with skill, Maxim makes his arcane gun to speak. With the aim of a true hero of Cauldron, Maxim's green ray bursts in the chest of the casting wizard.
The wizards eyes open wide as he recognizes the spell, but his squishy nature can do nothing about it, the flesh and bones disintegrate with a crack sound, like a cockroach being crushed. A myriad of dust rains over the ground leaving only a black forelock and a pile of equipment behind. The poor quasit that was below the wizard squeaks alarmed as the dust covers him.
Kikinnin swings his axe multiple times, manages to connect thrice on the remainin haraknin, dropping it to the ground with the last attack.
Kythel completes his summoning and a dire lion appears. The furious animal pounces over the quasit.
The lion manages to open an ugly cut with one of his claws despite not dealing full damage .
Meanwhile, Kythel casts a searing light on the minotaur.
The light hits the minotaur leaving an ugly mark on his flesh.
The quasit, reacts in terror against the lion, trying to cast a spell.
But the mighty presence makes him lose concentration and the spell.
You overhear casting words coming from the acid fog, and an instant later Grehlia appears with a malicious smile and her hand seething with eerie dark fire. She tries to touch JJ "The destiny of Cauldron and all Golarion is total destruction! Feel the power of Rovagug!"
The previous leader of the Ebon Triad discharges the spell, but Marigold's holy aura blocks it preventing any harm on JJ.
"" despite his terrible bleeding, and JJ being in a weaker position, Ti'irok lets himself be driven by his hatred enemy and starts swinging with his axe at Kikinnin after leaving the fog with a step.
The fire burst in the blade as he cuts once with mighty strength, but then Kikinnin blocks one after another the rest of the attacks with his shield.
The giant now menaces Marigold and Juraan with his reach.
Meanwhile the minotaur muscles become even bigger and her eyes injected in blood as she seems to enter in some kind of terrible rage before swinging his falchion at the dire lion in front.
In just a couple of swings, the minotaur all but destroys the lion, that flickers and disappears back to his plane of existence. The falchion seems to damage the minotaur on each of her strikes.
She steps forward putting the tiny quasit under her protection ""
Caught between two powerful enemies, JJ spins in place for a moment. Then the minotaur makes its own powerful presence know.
"I'll finish off the giant Kikinnin, yo'd best deal with that minotaur." he suggests as Alakast slams into the flanked giant again.
Bonus +2 to hit from flank, +1 to hit from prayer
+1 to damage from prayer, +2d6 damage from holy weapon
Kythel casts a Holy Smite targeting the Giant threatening Marigold and Juraan!
JJ spins over himself striking once with Alakast, and although the grip falls on a second swing, he hits the giant two more times before it falls to the ground defeated. Switching his focus to Grehlia, JJ hits the woman in the belly, then in one leg, causing heavy pain.
With the giant defeated, Kythel sends his holy smite to the cleric woman.
Who screeches out of pain but manages to partially resist the magic.
Without the giant bothering him, Juraan casts an intensified fireball that he sends over the wizard at the back.
The woman combustions, her cloak bursting into flames that leave the cloak broken after the fire ceases.
"Ouch... I will get that as a no..." still on fire, Freija steps back, covering herself with the fog from targeting eyes and starts casting a spell.
summon monster VIII
Marigold's Round 4
"ಅವಳು ಸಹಾಯವನ್ನು ಕರೆಯಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ!" Marigold warns as she recognizes the magics that Freija is attempting conjure.
"She's trying to summon help!"
Seeing how effective Juraan's fire was a moment ago, Marigold steps up next to Kikinnin and then launches a smaller fireball of her own at the skulking wizard!
______________
From his airborne vantage, Maxim flashes a hard grin as his spell vaporises their foe.
He once again levels his Arcane Gun and this time targets the big minotaur with words of power:
"Kegel van Koude!"
His pistol sprays out a cone of frost toward the bullheaded brute!
Seeing through the fog, Marigold surprises the summoning wizard throwing fire at her!
The pain of the burns is too much and she loses her concentration with a shout of pain "Aaaaaah!"
Maxim covers both the minotaur and the quasit in a freezing cold blizard. The quasit seems to take it slightly better.
With a valiant shout, Kikinnin double moves around the fog to reach the wizard.
The quasit takes good note of Maxim's movements and moves forward into the room, repeating them and producing another cone of cold that envelopes everyone except Kikinnin!
Ironically perhaps, the magic only seems to affect Maxim and Marigold, as the halfling's holy aura protects the rest of you.
"Those magical protections are not going to save you" Grehlia focuses in order to cast a spell.
Suddenly, all the magic 10 feet around her is negated as an antimagic field surrounds her. Alakast becomes a mundane quarterstaff and JJ loses the strength of his belt Even the acid fog recedes around her. Which she profits to step to the side.
"Grrrr. I hate that cold! I was born in the jungles." the minotaur seems in fury against Maxim. She moves forward, profiting her height and longer reach to attack the flying dwarf with a cleaving movement that menaces Kythel too.
The falchion draws a descending movement that strikes mightily on Maxim, but Kythel manages to dodge.
Unlike before, this time Marigold is just a bit too slow to get out of the way of the cold and suffers the chilling burn!
JJ almost laughs as Grehlia removes magic from the area.
"You think I need magic to beat you? Oh my, what a mistake."
Alakast seems oddly inert in his hands, but that is no problem for the young warrior as he twists and twirls it with deadly effect.
"Lets see how tough you are without your own magical protections."
Marigold is looking forward to the women casters, and so, the quasit's magic takes her by surprise.
Maxim is equally surprised by the cold blast.
As much as she tried to defend herself, the antimagic field laminates as much her own magical equipment as it does JJ's one. After a balancing initial attack that goes wrong, JJ strikes four times the woman with her now mundane staff.
Juraan seems grateful at the opportunity to use his bow.
His arrow and JJ's beating are enough to knock unconscious the Ebon Triad local leader, that falls to the ground, the antimagic field protecting her from the acid fog.
Kythel does something heroic.
"Ok, you are just so bothering... let's have the big shots out" Freija picks a bit of sponge from her casting pouch and casts horrid wilting, you do feel the moisture from your bodies to suddenly evaporates, causing your flesh to wither and crack and crumble to dust.
But Marigold's holy aura blocks the magic for most of the group, only Maxim and Kythel being affected!
Marigold's Round 5
!!!
Seeing the beating that Maxim keeps taking Marigold moves back closer to the gap and channels another healing spell to mend his wounds, as well as those of herself and her other allies.
Succumbing to necromantic magic, Maxim's skin and flesh blackens and withers until he slumps, still suspended in the air. His pistol dropping to the cavern floor from a lifeless hand...
The light dies from the gun-mage's eyes before his impending death is countered by the healing magic from Marigold, as his skin flushes with life and he gasps alive once again.
Gritting his teeth to concentrate, Maxim fishes for a potion from his Haversack , then downs the vial
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Maxim pales as the spell takes his vitality. The fly spell makes him descend slowly when he becomes unconscious, and before he can fall to the ground, Marigold is already bumping vital energy on him.
When the dwarf drinks the potion, Gau does profit the opportunity to slash at him.
The sword fails just by an inch, as Marigold's holy aura and blessing of fervor deflect her falchion "Grr... pesky dwarf, stop moving!"
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AC = 33
HP = 104/184
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +5 Holy (Divine Bond)
Condition(s) = Stoneskin (94) 90 min, circle vs evil 83 min, air walk 83 min, resist energy (fire 30) 95 min, divine bond (+2 holy, becoming +5) 16 min
Kikinnin rues the pull of battle, leaving his bror to almost certain death at the hands of the minotaur merc. His feet feel fleet enough to close the distance with the lone female casting at them. The work before him is grim, but it's kill or be killed, he has no doubt. The Fate of Zenith still haunts him, and he sets her face to memory, should he ever find himself crossing paths with her ghost.
For the woman's protections, the black beard calls on Abadar to cut her deeply when he can.
Despite the difficulties, Kikinnin swings his axe until he manages to bite once on the woman's caster, and Abadar smites the woman, punishing it for her evilness and sending her to the ground defeated!
Pressed by the minotaur, Kythel tries to stab it with his frost spear after resisting the evaporation of his body water.
He manages to strike once, leaving a frosted burn behind.
The quasit squeaks alarmed but keeps his stand behind the minotaur casting confusion in between the ranks of the Watchers.
Marigold's holy aura seems to protect everyone but Maxim. Was it defective on him or does the halfling's patron have something against the dwarf merchant?
Seeing the dwarf potentially confused and on the defensive, the minotaur focuses her rage in the more aggressive Kythel "Those wizards, so squashy always, Embril and Alurad are going to get angry with the mess you have created here"
Despite his unfocused talk, Gau cuts once through Kythel's right shoulder opening a wide gash.
JJ leaves his foe on the floor and turns to face the mighty minotaur. As he steps back, magic rushes back into him, bolstering his defences and his feet once again slowly leave the floor.
Dashing above the lava he quickly closes in on the minotaur, bravely - or perhaps foolishing, risking its giant axe as he closes for his own attack.
"Lay off my friends!" he shouts. "You okay prof?"
Marigold's Round 6
Feeling more certain now that the rest of her companions can handle finishing off their foes, Marigold takes a step back from the crevasse and continues to provide healing energy to herself and the others.
Keeping his senses, Maxim hovers balefully staring at his pistol upon the cavern floor.
Realising he has no time to recover the firearm, the gun-mage instead draws his shortsword and stabs at the raging bull;
"All yours!" answers Juraan as JJ flies by and over the lava.
Just by an inch, Gau fails to catch JJ mid-air, when Marigold's fervor deflects the edge!
JJ profits the opportunity to stamp Alakast on the face of the minotaur with renewed holy energy!
Marigold pumps extra vitality on the party, although Kikinnin is too far to benefit this time.
As Kythel goes first, he adjusts his position to give Maxim a flank and attacks with his spear.
The attack is soft though, and does not penetrate the minotaur's hide.
With a swift bold movement, Maxim stabs his shortsword directly at the heart of the minotaur profiting the distraction offered by Kythel's spear!
Unbelievably, the minotaur's strong nature holds her up and puts her in a stronger rage "I am done with you dwarf, you are next!"
Just at that moment Kythel strikes from behind.
Meanwhile Kikinnin runs, trying to quickly gain up terrain to the front line.
Juraan picks some granite dust from a pouch, and extending his dragon-like wings, flights up while casting. Reaching Maxim, he discharges the spell, and the dwarf's skin becomes tough like stone!
Xarthyx, the quasit, shouts alarmed at the advance of the lines and washes the party with another cone of cold.
This time the holy aura protects everyone except JJ and Kythel.
Fulfilling her promise, Gau swings at Maxim with all her rage "Die!"
But it seems the gods protect the dwarf, or more accurately Marigold's magic, as she does not manage to land any hit.
Desperately frustrated, the minotaur steps back out of the flank "Where have you come out from?!"
JJ steps forward, moving up in the air slowly as he does so.
Luckily the large form of the minotaur seems to block most of the frozen blast from him.
Alakast, freed once more from the magic inhibition sings its song of pleasure as the wooden staff engages in one of its favorite pass-times. Breaking evil bones. And the righteous fervor of Marigold is more than enough for JJ to want to help out his wooden friend!
Marigold's Round 7
Hoping to help finish off the oversized minotaur, Marigold takes aim and directs a blast of searing light at the beast!
JJ endures the freezing coldness of the spell and steps like if the air was solid to pounce the minotaur bones with up to four of his swings. Alakast shines with holy light injuring badly Gau.
Marigold's spell does bypass the natural resistance of the minotaur. Her mystic ray impacts the easy target with a flash, leaving a very badly injured minotaur behind.
Gau seems at the verge of falling, only holding up because of her anger "Grrr. You cannot defeat me!"
Facing the troublesome quasit, Juraan casts hold person trying to shut him down.
The tiny creature though is obstinate and maintains the challenge on the party.
As the minotaur becomes ferociously frustrated, Maxim merely flashes a hard grin and attempts to eviserate the bovine brute;
Maxim effectively eviscerates the bovine. With a couple skillful strikes of his shortsword, he cuts on vital spaces, cutting a couple giant steaks that grant he can make a living as a butcher if the gold collector business turns wrong.
Gau falls down, his rage dropping. Gone the rage, she dies with her stomach open.
Kikinnin walks in the air, running to quickly close the distance between him and the remaining enemy.
Kythel raises Pharasma's holy symbol and channels the few remaining energy he has left selecting out his allies from the wave.
The energy is too much for the squashy quasit. Just by when he was to teleport, the wounds open and dies deprived of his vital energy!
Looking around the scene is Dantesque with dead bodies all around wherever you look at. Many Cagewrights and their minions lay dead on the ground.
Xarthyx (quasit): Cloak of Charisma +2, ring of chameleon power, 2x scrolls of arcane lock, 2x divine scrolls of cure moderate wounds, scroll of phase door, wand of searing light (10 charges, 6th level), wand of unholy blight (10 charges, 8th level), 23 pp, 13 gp.
Ti'irok Coalfire (fire giant): +3 moderate fortification full plate, Blackfire (+2fiaming burst unholy greatsword), belt of Dexterity +2, helm of telepathy, ring of protection +2, 2 emeralds (1,000 gp each), 500 gp.
Thearynn Louvel (wizard reduced to dust): Masterwork quarterstaff, belt of Constitution +2, headband of Intelligence +2, bead of force, boots of levitation, iridescent spindle ioun stone, ring of protection +2, Ring of Thirteen, greater extend metamagic rod, scroll of summon monster V, scroll of summon monster VII, wand of web (25 charges), wand of summon swarm (10 charges), ointment for true seeing (250 gp), spellbook (see spoiler).
1st—charm person, expeditious retreat, grease, mage armor, obscuring mist, shield, ventriloquism;
2nd—darkvision,fog cloud, glitterdust, acid arrow, mirror image, see invisibility, hideous laughter;
3rd—dispel magic, displacement, fly, protection from energy, slow, stinking cloud;
4th—charm monster, dimension door, black tentacles, greater invisibility, illusory wall, phantasmal killer, solid fog;
5th—baleful polymorph, cloudkill, dominate monster, feeblemind, permanency, telekinesis, wall of stone;
6th—acid fog, greater dispel magic, permanent image, summon monster VI, true seeing;
7th—insanity, phase door, plane shift, reverse gravity;
8th—incendiary cloud, maze, summon monster VIII.
Grehlia Cairnis (human cleric of Rovagug): +3 chain shirt, +2 light steel shield, +2 spiked gauntlets, +1 composite shortbow (+2 Str bonus),belt of ogre power +2, headband of Wisdom +2, cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +2, scroll of bear's endurance, scroll of harm, 4 doses giant wasp poison (DC 18;ld6 Dex/ld6 Dex), 10 pp, 34 gp.
Gau Kleeoch (minotaur): +2 elven chain, +2 vicious falchion, belt of strength +2, amulet of natural armor +1, Ring of the Thirteen, winged boots, potion of cure serious wounds, 35 pp, 20 gp.
Freija Doorgan (human conjurer): Masterwork dagger, masterwork light crossbow, 20 bolts, belt of Constitution +2, headband of intellect +4, bracers of armor +4, cloak of resistance +2, periapth of proof against poison, ring of counterspells (dispel magic), Ring of Thirteen, wand of enervation (25 charges), wand of magic missile (9th level, 50 charges),
scroll of fly, scroll of dimension door, scroll of summon monster VIII, 5 gems (100 gp each), 100 pp, spellbook (see spoiler).
1st—cause fear, grease, mage armor, magic missile, obscuring mist, ray of enfeeblement, shield;
2nd—glitterdust, acid arrow, scorching ray, spider climb, summon swarm, web, whispering wind;
3rd—dispel magic, displacement, fireball, protection from energy, stinking cloud, summon monster III;
4th—charm monster, confusion, dimension door, black tentacles, ice storm, summon monster IV, wall of fire;
5th—cloudkill, feeblemind, summon monster V, telekinesis, teleport, wall of stone;
6th—acid fog, chain lightning, disintegrate, greater dispel magic, summon monster VI;
7th—forcecage, prismatic spray, summon monster VII;
8th—horrid wilting, summon monster VIII.
Flamewarders (haraknin) x2: +2 chain shirt, +1 adamantine greataxe, masterwork composite longbow (+5 Str bonus), 30 arrows, ringofprotection +1, potion of blur, potion of bull's strength, 2 potions of cure serious wounds, potion of protection from energy (cold), oil of greater magic weapon +3, red-lacquered gold armband set with an emerald (1000.gp), 25 pp,100 gp
Looking at the body of the dead quasit, something strikes at you, a ruby amulet he is wearing, it has a symbol within, a symbol both Marigold and Kythel have seen in their dreams. It is the symbol of Adimarchus.
Meanwhile the Shackled Tree slowly shuts down, the energy of the Planar Junction absorbed by the collar JJ wrapped around one of its branches.
Marigold looks around at the carnage and then at the Shackled Tree as it finally begins to shut down, hopefully for good. As the tension drains from her body she sits, leaning her back against the rocky wall behind her.
Though they had certainly dealt a grievous blow to the Cagewrights and their would-be master Adimarchus, the battle had been hard fought.
And there were still more to come.
The halfling sighs and closes her eyes, savoring the brief moment of silence between crises.
"You know.." says JJ, eyeing up the pile of bodies around the Watchers.
"And Kythel, feel free to say if you think this is disrespecting the dead..." he adds cautiously.
"But I'd feel much better if these were as hard as possible to bring back from the dead."
He points to the rivers of lava. "The wizard is dust already, but the rest... well, reduced to ash would be a good start, wouldn't it?"
He happily starts to remove any items pointed out as magical from the bodies before dragging them over to the lava and, if nobody objects, hefting them into it. The new ioun stone he gazes at happily and tosses into the air around his head. "Another spiny stone. Yay!"
The party starts the job of depriving the defeated foes of their richness.
Afterwards, JJ begins the gruesome task of throwing the bodies into the lava. They burn with a tall flame as they enter into contact with the molten rock. All except for the giant. Ti'rok seems unwilling to burn on the lava nor become completely covered by it.
The time flies though as the job is done, and by when the party has finished, the collar has completed its task as well.
The ground gives one last lurch as the tree is completely drained of energy.
The lurch is followed by a massive tremor coming far up above your heads.
Everything becomes and remains calm afterwards.
Though silent throughout the process of stripping their fallen foes and consigning their remains to the lava, the lurching of the ground and the tremor heard far above finally move Marigold to speak.
"If there's n-nothing more to d-do or s-search, we should l-leave," she remarks, looking around warily. "It's not s-safe down here. We can s-sort everything l-later, when we're b-back on the surface."
"While we are down here... should we not see if there are other plans or plots afoot." mentions JJ.
"Who knows what else they have hidden down here. " He too looks a little unsettled by the earthquakes.
"Can you teleport us out of here if things get tight Marigold?"
"Y-yeah, that sh-shouldn't be a problem," Marigold nods.
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And so, the Watchers walk through the silent tunnels of the Fiery Sanctum. You find some resistance from a hand of haraknin flamewardens, reckless those but not a rival, and a few low rank demodands, easy prey to JJ's techniques. There is no trace of more Cagewrights though, it seems you have terminated the big ones, at least the ones that were left here to protect the Planar Junction ritual.
You walk through their private chambers, discovering their more intimate vices, but also a trove of information in the form of journals, letters and even some books.
How Dyr'ryd founded the secret society 300 years ago. Their goal to discover a way to create a permanent portal between Carceri and Golarion. Their plans for the demodands to harvest inmates and slaves for the massive prisons and asylums of the realm. The not-so-secret desires of Dyr'ryd to use such an accomplishment to ascend to new levels of power. How Dyr'ryd developed the theory of merging the bloodlines of the natives of the two planes. How his thirteen demodands ravaged Golarion and the unnatural pregnancies that followed even after they were slain. How they waited for the blood to develop through generations giving birth to the marked ones, the Shackleborn. How Fetor Abradius used the Soul Pillars to research a way to use those Shackleborn in a Planar Junction ritual. How that lead the Cagewrights to craft the Tree of Shackled Souls. How they ordered the Ebon Triad and the fire giant Dugobras to forge the Thirteen Cages that would trap the souls in the tree while they crafted the tree themselves. How they recruited the beholder Vhalantru and Lady Thifirane to ensure control of the city where the planar junction had to take place. The recruitment of the Blue Duke and his half-orcs at hands of Vhalantru, and how the ogre-mage smuggled the materials required for the cages through Drakthar's Way. The contacts with the Last Laugh to surveil the movements of the Shackleborn. How the slaver Kazmojen got on their way unexpectedly kidnapping Terrem Kharatys, one of the so scarce Shackleborns. How a useful party of cauldron citizens recovered the boy. How that group of useful cauldronites slowly started to follow their traces, closing Drahkar's Way, dismantling the Ebon Triad in their search to save Cauldron from the flood, and how they almost derailed all their plans getting rid of Zenith Splintershield despite Vhalantru's genius plan to use his doppleganger Gortio to pose as Davked Splintershield reclaiming his son. How a small halfling named Cherrit that had been looking for Zenith himself to enter the Cagewrights did follow the party and reveled its grave to them. How they raised Zenith and managed to complete the Tree and get their hands on the thirteenth of the Shackleborns by the time the Watchers got to Fetor and the Soul Pillars. It seems in the last days the group has been setting up everything for the planar junction and as they write a few of the Cagewrights have travelled to Carceri to prepare the demodands' arrival.
Through the notes, you find the name of a few Cagewrights you are pretty sure you have not found here in the Fiery Sanctum:
- Alurad Sorizan, a human cleric always followed by his dire badger "Fleshripper"
- Xokek, a shadar-kai illusionist of dull character that took Keygan Ghelve
- Kyan Winterstrike, an elven archer Kikinnin defeated on a drinking competition
- Viirdran Daraqor, a mysterious drow
- Embril Alousinai, the previous leader of the Ebon Triad
All through the writings there are references to a place known as "Shatterhorn". By the notes on different logistics, it would seem that one is the real lair of the Cagewrights and the Fiery Sanctum was only the place selected for the planar junction ritual.
The Cagewrights worshiped a variety of evil deities, as some sacred symbols and textbooks can tell, but a few of them worshiped someone else like a god: Adimarchus.
Over all this, there is something more that unsettles you through your captious read. Something about the Smoking Eye sending images of madness to Dyr'ryd and the other demodands. It seems the Shackleborn, through their demodand blood were receiving these mad dreams too. These dreams turned Zenith Splintershield into a mad-dwarf.
You start to build up the feeling all the mad plans of Dyr'ryd had been influenced by the madness channeled between Golarion and Carceri.
That madness might be the reflection of the despair of Adimarchus himself trapped in the prison plane.
After all Adimarchus is the Demon Lord of Madness. If this theory is true, his power must be god-like if it has been able to influence creatures outside of Carceri. It also testifies for how thin is the layer that separates the prison plane and Golarion in the region of Cauldron.
That would also mean while the madness keeps being channeled through, other demodands or Shackleborn could become mad like Dyr'ryd, and in time looking for ways to open Carceri. It might take centuries for such individual to manifest again, but it would happen.
All this takes you at the least half a day of wandering and reading all you find in the Cagewrights' rooms.
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"You know.." says JJ, as he sifts through yet another all-too-graphic diary entry recounting the torture of helpless prisoners.
"I can't help but wonder if Dyr'ryd had been influenced by the madness channeled between Golarion and Carceri. And if that madness itself might not originate with Adimarchus... trapped in prison plane. I mean, how do you trap a god?"
He shakes his head.
"Or demon lord, may as well be a god in all honesty. His power must be god like if it has been able to influence creatures outside of Carceri. It also testifies for how thin is the layer that separates the prison plane and Golarion around here." The lad does not look happy at that thought.
"I guess that is why they thought they could tear it open with the tree." he adds after a moments thought.
"That would also mean while the madness keeps being channeled through, other demodands or Shackleborn could become mad like Dyr'ryd, and in time looking for ways to open Carceri. It might take centuries for such individual to manifest again, but it would happen..."
The heavy weight that had been weighing on the youths spirits seems to get heavier and heavier as he keeps talking.
"How do you stop a god? Or cure its madness? Because that is the only way to really make Cauldron safe, for our children, grandchildren and ... everyone."
"I d-don't know if anyone *can* c-cure a god...unless it's another g-god," Marigold finally answers. Then she allows herself a faint smile. "T-too bad we c-can't just go kn-knock one of their d-doors and ask if they'll d-do us a favor. Or to b-borrow a cup of s-sugar."
The smile fades from her face as she considers their options.
"S-seems like the only l-likely options are to either th-thicken the v-veil between here and Carceri, wh-which is really only a st-stop-gap m-measure...or we f-figure out some way to k-kill Adimarchus for g-good."
"Kill a god? " gasps JJ.
"Surely that would be even harder than curing them. What do we know about this Adimarchus character anyway? Is he the one you were dreaming about Marigold?" asks the lad, trying to keep all the various names and hints and clues over the last year straight.
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"I...I d-don't think he's actually a g-god, though he'd p-probably like for everyone to th-think that," Marigold replies. "I...I th-think he's p-probably a d-demon or s-something like a d-demon."
She closes her eyes, thinking.
"He used to b-be an angel...then f-fell from g-grace and into the Ab-b-byss, forming his m-mini-realm of Occipitus. The Ab-b-byss is where d-demonkind r-reigns..."
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Kikinnin listens to the two young ones deliberate the next moves of the Watchers, knowing now there must be further action against a still-pulsing threat of madness. He takes off a glove, and rubs his eyes into the bone behind them. It temporarily relieves the pressure building up in his skull.
"Our miss Marigold. She's got the Mark, right? So she's at the same risk as Zenith, of going mad? Do I have that right? Marigold, you're the ruler of Occipitus. You're bound to a demon land. Wouldn't Adimarchus find you out, and torment you like the others?" Kikinnin looks at JJ, then back to the halfling lass.
"We have names of several Cagewrights still at large. I'll commit their names to stone, should we find the time to hunt them down. Now we have the name of Shatterhorn, as well. Might be our next destination, if the Cagewrights know the means of locating Adimarchus. If you think we've searched this entire den fully, I will not object to returning above, and finding out the fate of those we hold dear to us."