Áine turns her attention towards the other meladaemon, if it goes down, she switches to silver-headed arrows for the Urdefhan. Against the more prepared fiend, only her first pair of arrows damages the unnatural flesh.
Faith shows the fox-headed fiend Cherish, since it can see him. And Cherish is the last thing the fiend says before its body turns to desiccated sand.
"Nice, Faith." Juliver cheers, "Now if we just keep to the air, then Zaine and Ai..." A pause, as Zaine and Sasha move, "Or we can give them a fighting chance. That works too."
With Faith having killed the second fiend, Zaine blasts one of the two urhedfan who are in the process of changing weapons.
Tulip turns, charging down the same vampire creature. Tulip chomps on the closest monster, playing tag and hold with her strong jaw.
Sasha, without the air walk Tulip has, jumps from the top of each plateau with practiced ease.
The urdefhan in Tulip's jaw attempts to free itself through the application of extreme violence, but it is to not avail.
The other repeats Sasha's performance over the closer placed plateaus ending up on the same space as the redhead.
With both close enough that their sacrifice may pull someone else to Abbadon with them, both finalize their unholy bond and explode - one with dark energy the other with a blinding white.
Pakshee waves for people to come close for healing, although she'll make sure to hold magic to teleport the group out if it becomes needed.
Even allowing for a break to get themselves healed, it seems as thought he group is still undiscovered - thanks to the current silence of Zaine booming gun and the inability for those to call loudly when Aine fires.
Shockingly, the door in the northeast of the chamber proves to be neither trapped nor locked.
A raised dais surrounded by golden rune-tiles stands in the corner where this room turns to the northwest. Atop the dais, a translucent wall of blue energy rises to the ceiling, encasing the unmoving figure of a cyclops warrior, his greatsword thrust into the body of a human woman. Timeworn tapestries hang along the east and northwest walls, their original patterns and colors long ago faded. Two statues of serpentfolk stand facing one another in the northwest portion of the room. The statues’ arms, once outstretched before them, now lie shattered on the dusty floor.
It takes Faith a moment, but with the information they had gotten from Kline about the serpentfolk tendency to use the spell, he realizes the tableau is locked in time by an ancient temporal stasis.
The cyclops' sword has a number of Azlanti blessings carved into hilt and blade.
Ride
Zaine nudges Tulip over to Pakshee.
Faith takes a L4 Cure from Pakshee .
"That is what I expect an ancient Azlanti weapon to look like," Faith says quietly. "It's either a trophy or a trap, and knowing the serpents, both somehow."
He frowns at the wall of blue energy. "Locked away in plain sight."
"So...Would this be Shai and the assassin sent to kill Savith, then? Are they, like, frozen in time?"
"Temporal stasis?" Juliver double checks that she understood the priest correctly, "So... trophy or trap, like Faith said."
She shivers, "I'd hope that he isn't aware of all the time that has passed because that would be insanity inducing." A frown, "So the better choice is that he will wake up still believing it is thousand of years ago and he and his friends are about to take on the serpentfolk god..."
"I don't actually see a good option for him...."
Sasha looks at Juliver, then the cyclops and the start of the drip of blood on the sword. Quietly to Zaine and Tulip, "So give some space so he doesn't think we are more assassins?"
Then she turns to Faith, a bright light in her eyes, "No more so than Artokus Kirran and from all the stories I've heard he's still kicking."
"So where is this forgotten god temple you found?"
Eventually, Athyra pushes up to her knees, hips rocking on Sasha's tongue, too caught up in her own body to continue to bring Sasha with her.
"Temporal stasis?" Juliver double checks that she understood the priest correctly, "So... trophy or trap, like Faith said."
"or both."
...Sasha looks at Juliver, then the cyclops and the start of the drip of blood on the sword. Quietly to Zaine and Tulip, "So give some space so he doesn't think we are more assassins?"
"I think that might be wise." Áine agrees, and follows up by drifting off and up a ways with Juliver likely in tow.
Zaine breaks into a grin. "This might be inappropriate, but I kind of like it when things get weird."
"I think I have to dispel the stasis on the cyclops separate from the sword," Faith says. "I will give him space. Do we want him to see the sword in stasis as proof of what we say? Or do we want to take the sword first in case we need to leave quickly? I prefer releasing him first."
Faith prays for the spells, then stands well back. He casts the first Dispel Magic on the cyclops .
Faith grins brightly back at her. "That's the spirit!" he agrees. "Well said."
Faith points the way to the temple of Avacna. "Once-forgotten," he says. "Her name is Avacna, if she yet exists. I do not know the ways of Goddesses once their followers fall away."
"I think I have to dispel the stasis on the cyclops separate from the sword," Faith says. "I will give him space. Do we want him to see the sword in stasis as proof of what we say? Or do we want to take the sword first in case we need to leave quickly? I prefer releasing him first."
Áine nods in agreement with Faith's sentiment, then adds, "I could also magically shackle him, but I'd probably rather not. What about the presumed assassin he has run through? Shall I Shackle her? There's a lot of blood, but..." Áine looks to let her sentence trail off, but decides to add one more thing, "If we have a valuable enough emerald, I could bind her to this plane too, if you think it might be needed." then her gaze slides over to Pahkshee a little guiltily, "Not that I'm sure you couldn't do something better... Just saying it's an option. And it'll save your magic for more important stuff. "
Pakshee shrugs, "I no have emerald."
Faith casts the spell from as far as he can in the room, the blue energy icing over as the magic hits it then falling to the base of the dais like water from a falls. As the magic rapidly shatters, the sword finishes its swing, the woman's last dying breath cutting short as she flies off the sword to slam against the wall. As she falls the cyclops brings his sword up ready to swing again, roaring in Azlanti, "“Come, snakes, and meet the same fate as your deceiving sister! I’ll skin the scales from your backs and pluck the fangs from your lying mouths!” His blade swings out at remembered enemies, but finds nothing but air.
He pulls the sword back, feet falling into a defensive stance eye moving about the room until he sees the group of humans (and dinosaur). The sword turns in their direction, large face disturbed by the unexpected presence in the serpentfolk city. His eye is hooded with suspicion.
She follows the path Faith lays out to the Temple, her pace picking up once they are in the ancient building and there is no flora to interest her. When you get to the divot, she hmms for a bit, examining the magical mechanism, before pulling out her ioun stone and modifying the shape with an organic putty. That done, the door opens with the same effect as the first time Faith had the door opened.
Faith speaks in his broken Azlanti, "We also fight the serpents. We have come for your aid, Shai."
Faith looks like he has more to say. Much more. But he manages to keep it short.
"Once-forgotten," Faith repeats.
After Dr Lowll has the door opened, Faith says, "I don't know if you need to wait out there or not to keep the door opened, but you're welcome to come in if you like."
He and Pakshee walk into the old room, and Faith takes the time to properly Detect Magic before touching the stone to the smooth place on the wall.
Áine again nods in agreement with Faith, and nods directly to Shai in acknowledgement and respect as well. Her attention, however, is primarily sweeping the rest of the area, especially the perimeter, looking for any exits or movement that should not be there, but not entirely ignoring the cyclops. She does remove the arrow from the string, however in a small token of reduced readiness.
Zaine touches the brim of his tricorn in greeting.
"Athyra," he murmurs. "Watch."
He reaches beneath her, stroking the fleece now slick with sweat, saliva, and seed. Then he teases her open. It's not difficult. She has been denied. He enjoys the way her body undulates with need. He guides the turgid tip of his manhood to the gates of her. One hand grips her hip and buttocks, dimpling the soft skin. The other is wrapped around Athyra's waist, holding her exhausted body close to his.
Then he sinks into Sasha to the hilt, giving Athyra an erotic show. He has been satisfied twice that night, and as beautiful as his view, as close as the overheated flesh, he can last as long as his love needs.
Faith adds "I understand you confused, uncertain. But come with us, kill many serpents, thwart their new plan" in Azlanti.
Juliver does a little half-wave.
The giant man blinks taking in the very different style of armor you wear, the weapons you carry. He cracks just the hint of a smile, wiping the blood from his blade. "If you are calling me Shai then you must have met that magpie Koraki, so despite your odd attire I must not have lost too much time chasing that assassin."
"Serpent's new plan?" He asks Faith, "Did Savith hold off our planned attack on Ilumera and give the bastards a chance to come up with something new?" He shakes his head, "I'd have thought she'd push on even without me."
The more time consuming examination of the space reveals a dimple in the top of the smooth panel and when Faith places the stone there a translucent three-dimensional image of a woman, all in shades of blue, appears. Although she is quite striking, deep hollows mar her eyes and her face looks strained. Her voice, when the image starts to speak a moment later, is raw with emotion. "Three nights I've prayed and heard nothing from my goddess. Three nights since the skies exploded and darkness and doom stole over the empire. I've used what magic I had remaining in an attempt to contact my sisters and brothers across the empire and..." she pauses swallowing, "not a single one still walks in the realm of the living. Madness has gripped Saventh-Yhi and without Acavana's blessing there is nothing I can do for those here."
She blinks rapidly holding back emotions and tears, "I will go south and see what remains of civilization. I pray to my goddess that I am wrong and that soon I'll return and destroy this as heretic misunderstanding."
She straightens, "Three nights ago, I felt my goddess reach out from the moon to catch stars that were called to Golarion, I felt her give everything to stopping them, to protecting all of us from utter destruction."
Bleak, "Everything... the spark of her divinity I carried is gone burned out by her sacrifice. And it wasn't enough, the star stones still struck, Azlant... I do not know how much was lost but I've reached out to cities, to the temples at... no one."
Athyra eyes focus on Zaine's face when he tells her to watch, then move down his arm to his hand on Sasha, then his hard length pushing in. And her eyes stay there, the primal meeting of flesh exciting her mind even if her body clinging to his is too tired to respond.
It takes a little time for Sasha's body to transition from the slow, ongoing light pleasure, but Zaine can see the moment it happens. Her back arches, her body around him squeezes, her hips fight to change his pace even as his hand keeps her from doing so until he is ready. And she is his, her body shivering each time he sinks deep, her lips gripping trying and failing to keep the connection.
Utterly his, always.
"We did" Áine says softly, but her voice travels with surprising clarity, "and she did. Savith became a hero and she managed to decapitate the snake god. But now one of their number, a snake named Vyr-Azul, works to bring back the Headless King. We have found you, in the hopes that you will aid us in preventing this from coming to pass." Áine is apparently unwilling to take the easy way out as she freely divulges more information then was likely necessary to get an alliance started. "I'm glad to be able to meet you though, and um, if Shai is not what most people knew you as...what would you like us to call you?" she says the last calmly, but a little shyly. A lot less like the warriors demeanor she was previously projecting.
"We're just finishing what you started," Zaine says. "So why not come along?"
"It is a long sad-happy story," Faith says, his Azlanti not good enough for the word bittersweet. "Much time passes. We hope you come with us, slay evil!"
Faith has his book out to take notes, but halfway through he stops writing to wipe tears from his eyes. "Her voice," he says. "She knew.... Pakshee, can you sketch her?"
He listens again and resumes taking notes, until he has the whole thing jotted down and Pakshee has done a sketch.
He sets the magic crystal gently back into the box he took it from.
Faith takes a moment to compose himself.
"Thank you, Dr Lowll," Faith says to the Doctor as they leave the room.
"Gone, but no longer forgotten." he says to himself quietly.
she managed to decapitate the snake god
There is a definite smile when the ancient general hears this.
"We're just finishing what you started," Zaine says. "So why not come along?"
A nod, first considering then affirmative.
"Much time passes. We hope you come with us, slay evil!"
"How much time did cutting off his head buy?" his voice rumbles. A small smile, bittersweet, "Long enough that Koraki needed to send new heroes to find me rather than Savith and long enough that weapons and armor have changed."
A pause, his eyes going to the two doors, "Are there serpents following you? Do we need to get moving?" His tone serious, military and apparently incredibly used to ambushes.
You do not hear any hue or cry that would indicate the missing - since their bodies all were destroyed on death - have been noticed.
"Thank you, Dr Lowll," Faith says to the Doctor as they leave the room.
"Since I'm in the city anyway, I was happy to help." Her aserbic tone doesn't quite hide the melancholy of hearing the sad history.
Quite a bit later, as the trio is walking through the city, Dr. Lowll does comment. "What you found is a rare and precious discovery." Her voice is quiet, honest. "The type of discovery that some Pathfinders will race and even hurt to have the priveldge of presenting to the Decimverate first." She holds up a hand, "I do not think you or any of your group is in any chance of harm, but were I in your position I'd choose carefully who will have that right and responsibility."
Then, quite honestly, "No me. Not my field nor my interest."
After many long moments, she turns her head to smile at him and Athyra next to them. "Thank you, love."
A pause, his eyes going to the two doors, "Are there serpents following you? Do we need to get moving?" His tone serious, military and apparently incredibly used to ambushes.
"We were surprisingly sneaky for once," Zaine says. "If we wanted to mop up, that probably wouldn't hurt our chances later."
"And what did you think?" he asks Athyra.
"How much time did cutting off his head buy?" his voice rumbles. A small smile, bittersweet, "Long enough that Koraki needed to send new heroes to find me rather than Savith and long enough that weapons and armor have changed."
Áine nods in affirmation, "A very, very long time. Long enough for the Azlanti to send the defeated serpentfolk into...um, hibernation?" she glances back at Faith as she mentions that, "from which Vyr-Azul is attempting to awaken them. But also long enough for the Azlanti themselves to...um, well perhaps it would be best for you to see and converse with what Koraki has left behind and see with your own eyes."
A pause, his eyes going to the two doors, "Are there serpents following you? Do we need to get moving?" His tone serious, military and apparently incredibly used to ambushes.
You do not hear any hue or cry that would indicate the missing - since their bodies all were destroyed on death - have been noticed.
Áine shakes her head, "No, unlikely for them to be here, it seems, unless they have become more friendly with the Urdefhan and Maledaemon. We did have to get through some of those, however, so it probably would be best to get a move on. I don't think there absence has been missed as of yet." she looks at the others, "Do we have time to try and free those in the pens on the way out or do we need to go direct? Remember the magic trap was only temporarily disabled and the Maledaemon appear to have an ability to see the magically invisible."
"We were surprisingly sneaky for once," Zaine says. "If we wanted to mop up, that probably wouldn't hurt our chances later."
Áine again nods in agreement, "Quieting Weapons will continue to be up for a while yet. Shall we go?" she turns back to Shai, puts her bow before her in a show of respect, "By your leave, General." before turning to vault lithely off the carpet and continue on, winking out of sight as she does so.
"How much time did cutting off his head buy?"
"A long time," Faith says, shaking his head.
"Mopping up is a good idea," Faith says to Zaine, "although if we are overwhelmed, we may need to flee directly instead of rescuing those morlocks in the pen of docility."
"We can still teleport with him?" Faith asks Pakshee.
"Thank you for the assessment, Doctor," Faith says. He is thoughtful. "I will consider the matter carefully. And I will speak to my companions about the blue yaje plant -- unless you would find that to be an intrusion."
"This place is marvelous, and I would not rob anyone of their desire to explore it. Within safe parameters. As one of my teachers used to say, Death comes to us all one day, but it doesn't have to be this afternoon."
If she seems interested, Faith will indicate the approximate direction and distance of various things he has encountered. If not, he will take the hint and let it drop.
"We were surprisingly sneaky for once," Zaine says. "If we wanted to mop up, that probably wouldn't hurt our chances later."
The cyclops motions down at the heavy armor, large weapons, "Quiet has never been in my skill set. Raging," he smiles at Zaine on Tulip, "dinosaur was Hara's favorite comment." Just a hint of realization of what he no longer has, "Back in the day."
Long enough for the Azlanti to send the defeated serpentfolk into...um, [i]hibernation?
Shai looks at Aine, "The hibernation chambers?" After a slight nod, "It's their way to extend their life. Those that are deemed important by their god or necessary for the continuation of their species."
Other tunnels near you lead to a series dead ends that are actually well hidden doorways. Opening one the barest slit shows they open into some kind of trophy hall which is currently unoccupied.
"We can still teleport with him?" Faith asks Pakshee.
She holds up five fingers, "Pretty bird." Two go down, "One eye general." Two more, "Faith." The last finger, "Everyone else needs to go into storage, so not fast fast."
She thinks, "Or can take half, come back, then take rest. But need to be able to touch everyone going and people left behind not allowed to die."
She nods at the description of the city, the locations, clearly taking it in but it lacks the lazer focus of her attention on the way out to the temple.
A pause, "Like seeing connection between Zaine and Sasha when they mate."
The cyclops motions down at the heavy armor, large weapons, "Quiet has never been in my skill set. Raging," he smiles at Zaine on Tulip, "dinosaur was Hara's favorite comment." Just a hint of realization of what he no longer has, "Back in the day."
Then a glance and an indication towards the body of the woman, "How did you know she wasn't...human?"
She holds up five fingers, "Pretty bird." Two go down, "One eye general." Two more, "Faith." The last finger, "Everyone else needs to go into storage, so not fast fast."She thinks, "Or can take half, come back, then take rest. But need to be able to touch everyone going and people left behind not allowed to die."
Áine nods, "I can make Tulip smaller, if that would help. Still not fast, but might save a round?"
"Stairs lead up to another area with golden tiles. Different design than previous one. Six Urdefhan." she motions towards the other tunnels nearby, "Appear to be dead ends but actually well hidden doorways." points towards one, "Opened that one just a crack. Looks like a trophy hall. Unoccupied."
"Teleporting out really only matters if we get caught in a bad spot. Hasn't happened yet. If it does, don't anybody worry. Tulip and me can guard a retreat."
"Stairs lead up to another area with golden tiles. Different design than previous one. Six Urdefhan." she motions towards the other tunnels nearby, "Appear to be dead ends but actually well hidden doorways." points towards one, "Opened that one just a crack. Looks like a trophy hall. Unoccupied."
"Ambush the urdefhan then?"
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Zaine says. "You're always welcome in our bed, whether you want to watch, or join in, or some of both. Or if you just want a good night's rest. And I'm looking forward to our island, with its Zephyr Peak, and Jaji River, and Tulip Forest. I don't think it would be as good without you and Jaji."
Zaine sighs. "Well, I drew a bath while the two of you were...eating. I don't know if I want to get up, though." He is exhausted and close to sleep, but also warm and happy with his two lovers. He leans over to kiss Sasha, and then remembers. "Maiden's tea, Pepper. Athyra should start getting in the habit and I came inside of her." To Athyra: "Sasha has a tea you can drink that will keep you from becoming pregnant when we have sex."
"Teleporting out really only matters if we get caught in a bad spot. Hasn't happened yet. If it does, don't anybody worry. Tulip and me can guard a retreat."
"Depending on what shape you're in." Áine counters, "You're frontline. I am not always, but often not as beat up as our front line sometimes gets."
"Ambush the urdefhan then?"
"I'm fine with that," Áine responds, "but does that mean we are giving up on trying to get the Urdefhan to attack the Serpents as well? I know they shouldn't really be trusted anyway, but they would definitely add to the force count and they surely don't have any love of the snakes, do they? Again, with what we've seen, I don't really like them, but just making sure before we completely sever that bridge."
Sasha looks confused, "The urdefhan here are no where near the vampire part of the city. From their set up outside, it seems likely that they are fighting war of attrition with the serpents. Doesn't seem likely that main body of the vampires even knows these guys are still around."
"Plus they have a ton of daemons around." She looks at Faith, "That would require a gate or something to bring in real daemons rather than just temporary copies like you do, right?"
"Depending on what shape you're in." Áine counters, "You're frontline. I am not always, but often not as beat up as our front line sometimes gets."
Zaine stares at Aine. Finally, he says, "The sky is blue."
Sasha looks confused, "The urdefhan here are no where near the vampire part of the city. From their set up outside, it seems likely that they are fighting war of attrition with the serpents. Doesn't seem likely that main body of the vampires even knows these guys are still around."
"Plus they have a ton of daemons around." She looks at Faith, "That would require a gate or something to bring in real daemons rather than just temporary copies like you do, right?"
Áine nods, "and this is closer to the morlocks, right? or am I wrong? Shall we clear it out then?"
Zaine stares at Aine. Finally, he says, "The sky is blue."
Áine stares back raising an eyebrow, "Often." she responds dryly, "but sometimes red, sometimes grey or white, and often black and filled with stars."
Zaine chuckles to himself and shakes his head.
Faith takes a look at the dead woman. "Serpentfolk," he says. "Humans don't have one of these," he points to a piece of viscera. "It's harder to tell when their insides aren't on the ground."
"That would require a gate or something to bring in real daemons rather than just temporary copies like you do, right?"
"To summon them permanently to this plane would require a great magical working," Faith confirms.
"I honestly do not know the politics of the urdefhan," Faith says. "Perhaps they are not as united as they appear from the outside. Let us slay the evil ones on our way out. I am certain that if we are mistaken, we will slay enough of the daemons to make up for it."
"It would be nice to have a plan for freeing the morlocks in the holding pen when we come to it, saving wholesale destruction as our last resort."
It is clear that Faith has no idea what plan there could be except wholesale destruction, but is leaving his options open.
"How much extra energy do you think you might need? How many spells should I reserve?"
Faith thinks for a long minute. "Two more advanced," he says , "in case something goes awry and I need to hide us from undead more times than once."
The next morning, Faith is up even earlier than usual. He is wearing his white robes without any of his armor, except a breastplate. He carries several yards of fishing line interwoven with small stones. It is wrapped very carefully and slung over his shoulder. "A fine day for ritual magic," he says as he rounds people up.
Faith has information to impart. Faith passes along the information about Savith to Aerys.
Faith is unable to keep the tears away when he tells Jask what he has learned about Avacna, and the final journey of her last priestess. "You could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice, the sense of sundering from her Goddess," Faith says. "Heartbreaking."
"It would be nice to have a plan for freeing the morlocks in the holding pen when we come to it, saving wholesale destruction as our last resort."
It is clear that Faith has no idea what plan there could be except wholesale destruction, but is leaving his options open.
Áine grins. Apparently, she is completely fine with that
Faith thinks for a long minute. "Two more advanced," he says , "in case something goes awry and I need to hide us from undead more times than once."
"You got it, Boss." she says with a nod and a smile.
The next morning, Faith is up even earlier than usual. He is wearing his white robes without any of his armor, except a breastplate. He carries several yards of fishing line interwoven with small stones. It is wrapped very carefully and slung over his shoulder. "A fine day for ritual magic," he says as he rounds people up.
...and is up and ready, bright and early.
Five separate stairways climb into this large thirty-foot-high chamber. Two serpentfolk statues stand atop pedestals in the eastern corners of the room, while two more stand on elevated platforms flanking the western exit. Each statue holds a stone tablet in one hand; the other hand reaches out toward an engraved circle of golden tiles scribed upon the chamber’s floor. Six urdefhan guard this room, their attention focused on guarding the western stairs. They come to full attention as they hear a heavy tread on the eastern stairs.
One of the guards hunches down to speak quietly to the vampire near him. "అవి పాముల్లా కనిపించడం లేదు. వారితో కాపలా ఉంటే నేను కొత్త త్యాగాలు అనుకుంటున్నాను. సాహసికులుగా ఉండలేము, చిట్టడవిలో లోతుగా ఉండటానికి మేము వారికి ఏదైనా విన్నారా?"
The next morning, Faith is up even earlier than usual. He is wearing his white robes without any of his armor, except a breastplate. He carries several yards of fishing line interwoven with small stones. It is wrapped very carefully and slung over his shoulder. "A fine day for ritual magic," he says as he rounds people up.
Pakshee is there, quietly grumbling about Faith's lack of armor, mostly to herself. She seems slightly mollified if Tulip arrives fully armored, else the muttering increases.
Jask is there, unarmored as usual but carrying a mask half black and half white. His face looks a bit more gaunt than normal, but he carries himself with a calm confidence.
Jask tears up while hearing of Acavna's fate and the final journey of the last priestess. He shivers, "Gods can die, but" he shakes his head. "I mean, we all know that, but this sacrifice... it is far more than Aroden not returning to Golarion."
He smiles, sad, "Humanity barely survived Starfall and was changed and shaped by the generations of darkness that followed." He shivers, "If Acavna hadn't sacrificed herself for all of us... I don't know if Golarion would still be here."
Sasha makes a low sound in her throat at Zaine's reminder but rolls away from the warmth of the bodies after a moment, taking the time to heat water and steep a brew of the herbs.
Athyra nods, "Better to not have fledglings until nest is ready." After a bit she goes over to where Sasha is working, the two quietly talking about the herbs. Sasha looks over at Zaine, all by his lonesome on the pillowed floor.
Zaine speaks up. "నా ప్రభువులారా. మేము వైర్-అజుల్ నుండి దూతలు. గొప్ప పని కొనసాగడానికి మీకు ఇంకేమైనా అవసరమా లేదా మా శక్తివంతమైన నాయకుడికి మీకు సందేశం ఉందా అని చూడటానికి మేము ఇక్కడ ఉన్నాము."
Tulip is indeed armored.
"Watch out for the magic circle." Áine says, "it looks like it's...wonky. Might go boom if they try to use it."
Zaine speaks up. "నా ప్రభువులారా. మేము వైర్-అజుల్ నుండి దూతలు. గొప్ప పని కొనసాగడానికి మీకు ఇంకేమైనా అవసరమా లేదా మా శక్తివంతమైన నాయకుడికి మీకు సందేశం ఉందా అని చూడటానికి మేము ఇక్కడ ఉన్నాము."
Áine blinks. "Did you mean the Urdefhan Commander? His names Izon, isn't it? Vyr-Azul is the Serpent Priest."
Áine appears dressed in light and flexible earth tone leathers. Shorts, vest, greaves and bracers. Except for her hunting knife she does not appear armed, however, since she does have her quivers, that is likely to be deceptive.
Zaine speaks up. "నా ప్రభువులారా. మేము వైర్-అజుల్ నుండి దూతలు. గొప్ప పని కొనసాగడానికి మీకు ఇంకేమైనా అవసరమా లేదా మా శక్తివంతమైన నాయకుడికి మీకు సందేశం ఉందా అని చూడటానికి మేము ఇక్కడ ఉన్నాము."
The vampire outsiders nod at the very first words, then eyes grow wide at the mention of the serpentfolk priest's name. "వారు నీచమైన పాములతో ఉన్నారు! వారు వాల్గ్లాంట్ వద్దకు రాకముందే వారిని చంపి, త్యాగాన్ని ఆపండి!"
"Why do I speak? Let the gun do the talking Kildare," Zaine mutters.
Initiative
Zaine
Tulip
Zaine shoots one of the monsters.
Tulip charges a vampire, but is unable to get her jaws on him.
grab
"It was an easy mistake to make." Áine remarks with a shrug. She doesn't quite manage to completely hide the smirk, but she's fine with the result. She doesn't have much fondness for the blood vampires anyway.
Luckily Áine spent a little downtime stocking up on silver headed arrows. She lets them fly. The first one gets two. Four more get one Quieting Arrow apiece.
Arrows1&MS: to hit 37, dam 23+26=49
ArrowRS: to hit 33, dam 28
Arrow 2: to hit 35, dam 23
Arrow 3: to hit 19, dam 27
Arrow H: to hit 32, dam 26
"Teleportation circle," Faith says under his breath.
Faith watches the Aklo conversation with a slight frown on his face. Clearly he needs to learn Aklo next.
Faith touches Áine and walks toward the urdefhan.
Faith is cheerful but focused on gathering everyone and everything he needs. His face is strongly flushed, and his holy symbol tattoo stands out starkly on his cheek.
It would be truthful to note that he sweats a lot less when he isn't fully armored.
Once the group is assembled, he sets off for the semi-submerged building. He explains his plan as he walks. "What I expect to happen will start like we did the other day. I will hide us from the undead. You all will precede me into the building. I will play out this fishing line behind me and bind shadows into the stones. Once all the shadows are bound, I will follow into the central room. Jask and I will consecrate the area and dispel the other magic. When the main ball of ancient cursèd magic is gone, I will reel the stones into the consecrated area and dispel the shadows trapped within. Then the ritual will be safely final."
"If all goes well."
Faith is somber. "She said stars were called to Golarion. I never thought of that time as having a cause. Of being someone's fault."
Faith shakes his head. "I wonder how many Gods and Goddesses died that day so that we might live. I would like to give memory to them, give a touch of what they respected in return, but we don't even know that."
Faith pauses while he works through some thoughts. "Who is best to keep this knowledge alive? Church of Irori? Pathfinders? You and I are puissant," Faith says with a small smile, "but hardly eternal."
Zaine shoots one of the monsters. The fiendish flesh of the outsider resists the attack a little.
The two closest urdefhan pull back so that they are defending the western staircase. One takes a snapshot from Aine as it does so. The rest reposition with their rhoka blades, ready to attack those that come near. Their erratic movement makes it hard to pinpoint exactly where they are.
"They have perfect marital training for hit and run tactics." Juliver comments, impressed despite them being the enemy and all.
Tulip squeezes up the stairs to charge a vampire, unconfused by the prey's erratic movement she soon has one in her jaws.
Sasha moves up and around the room, avoiding the teleportation circle that Faith warned the group of.
Shai, too, squeezes up the narrow stairs and move around the teleportation circle. He comments to himself in Azlanti, "Not snakes."
Luckily Áine spent a little downtime stocking up on silver headed arrows. She lets them fly. The first one gets two. Four more get one Quieting Arrow apiece. One arrow misses. None of the attacks does full damage despire the silver.
Faith touches Áine and walks toward the urdefhan.
Pakshee moves up to keep pace with the group, but remains on the stairs where she has some cover.
.
"If all goes well."
It starts well, at least. The group is able to move through the nearby shattered remains of the mercantile district unmolested by beast or shadow. On the rocky shore near the sunken pool that contains the remains of the old depository, the water is dark with shadows. Near the building itself, you see dark flickers.
The lines of Jask's old face deepen with a slight amusement, "Depends on how common you want the knowledge. Giving it to the faithful of Irori or Nethys will mean that it is recorded safely, available to those who need to find it. Having the Pathfinders know it, it will be available to far more, good and bad."
The other girl nods. Shortly, both sink into the heated water. Sasha asks about Athyra's travels with the pirate restocking crew. Athyra's answers are detailed in regards to the animals, but make it clear the feral-ish woman would still avoid cities if at all possible. She tells about a flock of Gallimimus that they saw in the wide plains between Kalabuto and Elder.
"Nope. Not snakes," Áine agrees, "but still very evil. Hope you're okay with removing some of the other trash on the way to reaching the main objective...and it sounds like we have a Valglaunt to dispose of here." she flashes him a smile, then, with Juliver's helpful hints and Faith's Evil Piercing energies, she begins to take down the Urdefhan, energized silver arrows weaving past the blood vampires "perfect marital training" shrugging off their attempt at ensnarement to still strike home with deadly effect. .
Áine casts an Extended Life Bubble.
Zaine takes careful aim and blasts one of the monsters.
Confirm crit
Tulip shakes her prey.
Faith casts Greater Hide From Undead and enters the water. He nears the shadows, and begins to unspool the weighted fishing line as he waits for the group to pass him by.
Faith takes Cherish out for a spin through the middle of an urdefhan.
"This is true," Faith says, after a moment. "All these Gods which existed before. I never contemplated the future of my own Goddess. I simply expect her to exist forever, striving endlessly against Evil. And your God, there will always be more to know for Nethys."
"Dangerous to stray into philosopher territory, but difficult not to."
"If you bring this to the Church of Nethys, I will bring it to the Church of Irori once we return. As far as the Pathfinders?" Faith smiles a sad smile, slightly ashamed of himself.
"I will save it in case I need a favor. How strange to think of knowledge as currency."
Zaine takes careful aim and blasts one of the monsters. The bullet drills through the planar vampire, and breaks into the stone below.
The urdefhan captured in Tulip's jaws flails at the armored dinosaur, coming close once to breaking through the metal but dropping the odd sword as its last hit causes an odd reverberation.
The other urdefhan remain still ready to attack as soon as they are approched.
"But compared to our offensive, they are screwed." Juliver comments, flatly.
Tulip shakes her prey. Blood flies and the urdefhan, deprvied of its sword chooses to sacrifice itself to Abaddon in an attempt to take the dinosaur with him to the lower realms.
Sasha fearlessly approaches two of the vampires, parrying one and taking a light blow from the other. Her sword easily cuts into the vampire that scored a blow on her.
Shai finishes his movement, drawing this large sword as he moves. The blade does a punishing blow similar to Tulips jaws.
"Nope. Not snakes," Áine agrees, "but still very evil. Hope you're okay with removing some of the other trash on the way to reaching the main objective...and it sounds like we have a Valglaunt to dispose of here." she flashes him a smile, then, with Juliver's helpful hints and Faith's Evil Piercing energies, she begins to take down the Urdefhan, energized silver arrows weaving past the blood vampires "perfect marital training" shrugging off their attempt at ensnarement to still strike home with deadly effect.
Faith takes Cherish out for a spin through the middle of an urdefhan. While he doesn't lose the weapon in the spin, it is a near thing.
.
Everyone in the group is able to progress in relative safety, even as the multitudes of shadows transformed over centuries flock around the crystalline traps.
Within the room, the vault door remains in the same broken condition that it had been during your previous foray. The vault itself nearly pulses with the undead, forcing the group to take care to not accidentally brush into the draining shadows.
Áine's arrows continue to drill through the planar vampires.
Arrows1&MS: to hit 31, dam 30+29=59
ArrowRS: to hit 29, dam 32
Arrow 2: to hit 39, dam 33
Arrow 3: to hit 26, dam 30
Arrow H: 48hp, or crit con 47, 97hp
Again, Faith attacks the urdefhan with Cherish. "What is a Valglaunt? I have not heard of such a beast," he asks Áine.
Faith is focused as he drags the shadows in and around the traps toward the room. Before entering the room, he sets the line gently to the floor and waits for it finish settling before he turns away from it and steps into the main vault.
"There are more than I remember," he says quietly to Jask, but not so quietly that everyone can't hear.
He nods to Jask. "Let us proceed with the main body of the work." A drop of sweat rolls down Faith's cheek, intact inside the life bubble.
Faith prepares to assist Jask's casting with his own.
Zaine save
Ride check
Zaine blasts another of the monsters.
Tulip turns her attention on another monster, snapping him up in her jaws.
Zaine blasts another of the monsters. The bullet doing much damage but not outright ending the vampire.
The urdefhan turn weapons on Faith and the cyclopean general. Although Shai quickly shrugs off the attacks, a single hit from the rhoka blade gets past Faith's armor... and the creature's fanged teeth come moments from sinking into the warpriest's neck.
Tulip turns her attention on another monster, stepping on the dead, snapping him up in her jaws. Having seen the failure of his companion, this urdefhan almost immediately sacrifices himself.
Even as she moves away from the explosion, Sasha turns blades on the final vampire, swords rending through see-through flesh.
Shai's heavy blade moves in doubling that makes it look to be in multiple parts of its swing at once, all his blows battering into the serpent, the final blow turning part of the creature to paste as its body slams into the half wall behind it.
Seeing the danger is done, Pakshee moves across the room, laying a hand on Faith's shoulder.
The urdefhan were guarding the entrance to a long hallway contains the remains of three statues on raised pedestals, each smashed and thoroughly defaced, with heaps of stone rubble piled around their feet. Between them stand two large display cases filled with ancient artifacts and weapons. A ten-foot-deep alcove to the west ends before two stone doors engraved with the likeness of a fanged serpent’s head. Based on Aine's scouting, you know that there are hidden entrances to the room along the northern wall.
Listening at the western doors, you can't make out the exact words in Abyssal but the timbre and the cadence has the feel of ritual.
.
"There are more than I remember," he says quietly to Jask, but not so quietly that everyone can't hear.
The crystals continue to draw in shadows. Most are tiny and small, as if every creature - bird, toad, fish - that had approached this pool of water in the thousands of years since Earthfall has been transformed by the dark energy. As the loaded fishing line snakes out of the building, you see larger shadows are drawn to it as well, investigating the disturbance in their domain.
He nods to Jask. "Let us proceed with the main body of the work." A drop of sweat rolls down Faith's cheek, intact inside the life bubble.
Faith prepares to assist Jask's casting with his own.
The old man looks ashen under his dark skin, but he starts to lay our black and white flare candles around the room, lighting each underwater with a spark of magic, surrounding the central darkness with a ritual circle even as he starts to chant the words of cleansing and binding.