Cleo looks up Brelin with worried eyes. "I can help with some of this, but there is a lot I don't understand. Do you think we can do this?"
Act 1: Veneration of Urgathoa
Let the main caster step forth before the circle and praise the Goddess Urgathoa.
The helpers shall light candles in the appropriate places, aid in the praising of the Palid Princess, and weave the magic circle through somatic symbols and dance.
Cleo flutters around lighting candles, and pointing out to Brelin ways of saying "Yay! Goddes of Undeath WooHoo!" without making one sound like you might vomit with every word. "Horrible is praise for one such as her, Oh and talk about her girth, glutteny and all is another her things."
"This is a mistake friends" - Helgarr warns her companions before leaving - "Nothing justifies such an act, and I am sure you will regret it" - she insists, turning back at the door - "There is still time to abandon this madness" - then leaves.
Helgarr is able to find an old wagon and an ox in the stables.
Helgarr prepares the wagon and oxen to carry their prisoners, double checking they are securely tied and gagged.
Then she and Orik get under way - "I need to make a stop first - Maria decided to try something REALLY dumb, and I need to check up on her" - she informs.
"Sure thing." Replies Orik.
It's slow going in the woods with the ox and wagon, as the closest thing to a road is the river bank. The sun is only a few hours from setting, and yet the mist has refused to let up. Orik and Helgarr are about half way to the shack when they hear footsteps around the trees.
Though the main caster still has to perform their end of the ritual, Cleo's knowledge of Urgathoan faith is likely enough to keep the ritual going.
Helgarr stops the wagon and looks around - "I heard something"
When Helgarr stops the wagon, she is immediately impaled in the back with a dagger. Turning around, Helgarr spots the blond haired Maria she was looking for hiding behind a tree. However, upon a closer look, Helgarr sees gaping wounds revealing bone. Huge chunks of flesh missing from her face. Her arms are bare save for the stain of blood on her bones, and some loose pieces of sinew. Maria's missing eyes stare hollow into Helgarr, as she wraps her bone-sucked knuckles around another dagger.
"Maria! What has happened to you?! - Helgarr goes to find her friend, but the telltale signals are evident - "No... No!" - the barbarian roars, pressing onward with a grimace.
Aggah feels she knows more about Cleo about the bad gods, so corrects her at every turn. Incorrectly unfortunately :)
Maria shows no signs of recognizing Helgarr or her voice.
Aggah's 'help' lowers the final result by 2.
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Wabbit begins dancing but doesn't really mean it as indicated by the fingers he has crossed behind his back
Helgarr closes in with a heavy semblance, realizing her friend is far from any immediate reasoning - "Fool girl" - she shakes her head, trying to go for a quick, merciful strike.
Helgarr uses her bardiche to slice into Maria's shoulder, but her bones refuse to be cut. The attack is less efficient than normal. She shows no pain from the attack, and simply prepares to strike.
Orik dismounts from the wagon and draws his sword, but he can't react in time to stop Maria.
Maria activates the magic within her dagger and thrusts at Helgarr's armour. Though the dagger doesn't pierce, the blade suddenly heats up and burns Helgarr. In fact, it tries to set Helgarr aflame, but the warrior quickly bats down the fire before it can get out of control.
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Wabbit is able to maneuver his body such that he can literally feel the magic as he weaves it in the directions Cleo and Brelin want.
"Maria..." - Helgarr shakes her head, then takes a step back, drawing a flask of holy water. She hesitates, still not sure... But she splashes Maria with it.
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The skeleton of Maria cracks and splinters while her face twinges in terrible seizures. A black magic oozes from her wounds and seeps high into the air. As she bends over backwards from the seizure, a barely noticeable white mist escapes through her clenched teeth. Her body relaxes and begins to fall apart, while the white mist floats gently up into the air, and drifts away in the breeze.
The eerie skull of Maria rests now on the river bank, motionless.
Helgarr rushes to hold Maria in her arms, but she simple crumbles away to nothingness - "Foolish, foolish child..." - she repeats a few times, holding nothing until she musters the nerve, picks up the small skull, and stows it gently in her pack.
"There is one more place to stop" - the barbarian woman growls at Orik between clenched teeth, and heads to the shack.
"Gods... kids don't deserve that fate." Replies Orik as he sheaths his sword.
When the two arrive at the shack, very few things appear to be different. The door to the shack has been damaged, and a few of the barrels were tossed around, but otherwise nothing.
"No one deserves it Orik..." - Helgarr nods at the man, and after checking the shack and retrieving Maria's gear , she goes to verify the knots and gags on their captives once again, then moves off back to Sandpoint - "Let's go"
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After some time travelling, Helgarr and Orik arrive at Sandpoint with the two prisoners. Rain clouds gather over the village and threaten it with the promise of more rain. Onlookers whisper to one another as the wagon travels across Sandpoint to the garrison, but Helgarr's reputation precedes her, and so those who know her still hesitantly wave.
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With the guidance of Cleo and Wabbit (and Aggah... sort of), Brelin leads the ceremony of devotion to Urgathoa. The room gets noticeably darker, and the candles go out for just a moment before relighting a ghostly white. The ceremony is complete. Urgathoa herself watches over the procession.
Eating the brain.
All participants must eat at least a little bit of the brain. The entire brain must be consumed. The more of the brain you eat, the higher the Fort DC vs disease. Eating 90% of the brain requires a DC 20, 50% DC 16, 25% DC 14, 10% DC 12, <5% DC 10.
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The soul of Maria is brought by gondola through the planes of existence to the spiralling cathedral of Pharasma. She no longer feels pain, but a small undead corruption does hamper some of her movement. At the height of the cathedral, supernatural beings beyond Maria's imagination argue amongst each other regarding where her soul should travel. Several creatures want her to travel to a place called Elysium because of her free spirit and good heartedness, while another wants to bring her to the underworld of Axis because she is a thief. Another wants her to be laid to rest in the Boneyard, because she was corrupted by undeath.
Then, the towering several hundred foot tall figure of Pharasma emerges from the mists. "I will now make the final judgement." She says as she looks down upon Maria. The other creatures retreat and bow their heads. "Maria. You are to be sent... to the realm of Elysium. It is a realm of untouched wilderness, where compassion and companionship meets exploration and freedom. There you will be a free spirit who may roam as it pleases."
Maria is then escorted by a serpent woman with rainbow wings. She is kind and gentle as she takes Maria through a portal, leading to an immense, beautiful forest of ancient oak.
Helgarr waves back as they arrive at Sandpoint, and goes directly to the Sheriff's office, both to tell him the grim news of Maria's demise, but also all they uncovered in the 'Sanatorium'.
Sheriff Hemlock listens intently to Helgarr's descriptions, aided by Orik's point of view. He is absolutely shocked. The prisoners are locked away in the garrison (and are bound appropriately to keep them from using magic). The big question on Hemlock's lips is: "Was Caizarlu the one behind Katherine's murder?"
There is no doubt that Caizarlu will be executed for necromancy. He will not even get the opportunity to travel to Magnimar. Possible executions are hanging, burning at the stake, or beheading by the axe.
Dr. Habe's sentence is more unpredictable. His low-noble birth will likely require him to be sent to Magnimar for a proper trial. This will require one or more of you to travel with him and be present for the trial. In the meantime, Hemlock will send a few people to inspect the sanatorium to collect evidence.
"Now for something equally nausiating/[b]" Cleo mutters, cutting part of the brain off for her and Aggah. Think it is something else, she tells herself, A piece of fish maybe, A slimy disgustingly odored piece of rotting fish. "[b]Get it over with Gingerberry" she tells herself, giving Aggah a glance, and seeing she has already wolfed it down.
Then she eats it, or more accurately swallows it without chewing at all as much as possible. And...
... doesn't vomit, just barely. But Aggah looks decidingly more green than she did a second ago.
As disgusting as the brain is, both Cleo and Aggah work together to eat half of it. Its slimy texture mixed with all sorts of fluids make this harder than gulping down hagfish water.
Half of the brain remains. Now it's up to Wabbit and Brelin to finish it off.
OK.... This is just like that time you had that drink with the worm. That's wasn't too bad. Maybe this won't be either Wabbit looks at his quarter of the brain and has a last minute bright idea. He rummages through his pack and retrieves a small bottle of an exotic sauce he acquired in his travels
without delaying the inevitable any more he pours a good amount of the spicy concoction on the Fear Factor dish and swallows his piece of brain
And it BURNS like hell
WOOoowooow nasty
Brelin has seen and tasted a few thing in her arcane dealings but this...
Steading herself she just tries to swallow the thing without tasting it
Her plan backfires terribly, she feels the liquid in her mouth and it tastes like a thousand deaths!
Though some handled it better than others (Brelin nearly vomits), the task is complete.
The magic ritual. Equal parts Necromancy and Divination.
Let the main caster step forth before the circle and with Urgathoa's blessing conjure a vision of undeath lineage.
The helpers shall aid in the incantations, and weave the magic circle through somatic symbols and the sprinkling of material components at the appropriate times.
Main Caster must make a DC 17 check using Arcana or Planes.
Helpers can use Aid Another using arcana, planes, perform (act/dance).
Cleo is not having a good time, no not one bit, and it shows in her attempt to find rhythm and grace. Something she's not really known for anyway, but today it is appalling.
Aggah feeling great after showing her superior knowledge about the goddess of undeath, which in her mind was much greater than poor Cleo, decides she will help Brelin with the arcane ritual. And is surprisingly good at it.
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Sheriff Hemlock listens intently to Helgarr's descriptions, aided by Orik's point of view. He is absolutely shocked. The prisoners are locked away in the garrison (and are bound appropriately to keep them from using magic). The big question on Hemlock's lips is: "Was Caizarlu the one behind Katherine's murder?"
"We honestly do not know" - Helgarr admits - "The others are still conducting further investigations, but I doubt it. Something 'else' killed Maria, and turned her... Into an unliving creature... While we were there confronting both Caizarlu and Habe"
There is no doubt that Caizarlu will be executed for necromancy. He will not even get the opportunity to travel to Magnimar. Possible executions are hanging, burning at the stake, or beheading by the axe.
Dr. Habe's sentence is more unpredictable. His low-noble birth will likely require him to be sent to Magnimar for a proper trial. This will require one or more of you to travel with him and be present for the trial. In the meantime, Hemlock will send a few people to inspect the sanatorium to collect evidence.
"I think Habe is but an idiot, a coward and a fool..." - she admits once they are alone - "But one that would do anything to cover his own behind... We are only left with knowing exactly 'what' he has done" - she adds - "I'm sure any of us will be available to provide our testimony, though I believe Cleo to be the one who should that - she is calm and level headed"
"Thank you, Helgarr. We can hold onto him until it's convenient for any of you to travel there. Otherwise we could send Orik. You can manage that, can't you Orik?"
Orik is in the process of spitting a loogie out the 2nd story window. As it flies down out of site, some poor sod cusses.
"What?" Orik asks, completely bewildered.
"So anyway." Continues Hemlock without skipping a beat. "I'm very grateful that you've captured these two. I can't promise a reward, but you can feel free to take whatever you want off the necromancer. He won't be needing his stuff where he's going. I'll also make sure the village knows about your contributions. It'll make everyone feel a little safer, and I'm sure it won't hurt your glory, now will it?"
He pauses for a moment in thought. "And if you can gather poor Maria's remains, I think everyone would like her to be put to rest in our graveyard. Perhaps next to Furnok would be best. Father Zantus can help you with that. I hope that wherever she is right now, she's happy."
Wabbit resumes his dancing and does a surprisingly good job despite the horrible concoction of brains and Tabasco roiling through his digestive tract
Not bad at all. Though Cleo fails to weave magic through her dance, Wabbit has really gotten the hang of it. Aggah was not expected to contribute (quite the opposite), but she comes up with an incredible idea to help amplify the magic.
"Thank you, Helgarr. We can hold onto him until it's convenient for any of you to travel there. Otherwise we could send Orik. You can manage that, can't you Orik?"
Orik is in the process of spitting a loogie out the 2nd story window. As it flies down out of site, some poor sod cusses.
"What?" Orik asks, completely bewildered.
"I don't need to tell you how to do your job" - Helgarr replies - "Just be careful with them, I don't know what kind of powers they can have"
"So anyway." Continues Hemlock without skipping a beat. "I'm very grateful that you've captured these two. I can't promise a reward, but you can feel free to take whatever you want off the necromancer. He won't be needing his stuff where he's going. I'll also make sure the village knows about your contributions. It'll make everyone feel a little safer, and I'm sure it won't hurt your glory, now will it?"
"You know us Sheriff - not looking for glory nor rewards. But we will keep whatever we retrieve from them yes" - she smiles and nods - "And it is a good thing people feel safer, but we can't let our guards down..."
He pauses for a moment in thought. "And if you can gather poor Maria's remains, I think everyone would like her to be put to rest in our graveyard. Perhaps next to Furnok would be best. Father Zantus can help you with that. I hope that wherever she is right now, she's happy."
"I will speak with Father Zantus about it - not sure we will be able to have an open casket. Maria is very 'different' from what she used to be"
"There's no such thing as a mage who can cast magic without movement or words. He's good as caught. Still, we'll keep a guard on them at all times. The necromancer'll be executed by tomorrow night. I think he will burn."
Hemlock talks with Helgarr about how endearing Maria was, and how he will miss her. When the funeral is set, he will make sure to be there and pray to Desna for her safe passing.
Aggah does exceptionally well, but could never rival Brelin's mastery of the arcane and the otherworlds. As she finishes the final incantations, all of the lights go out. Each person in the ritual suddenly feels incredibly dizzy, forcing them to fall over and black out.
At first, you see a man crouching on the floor, eating a fowl looking fungus, but before you can really make sense of the scene, everything swims around to reveal a completely different vision.
Atop a tower overlooking a dark shantytown you look through a cage to the outside. A deck of cards lie in front of you beyond the bars, just within reach. The deck belongs to your mother. A woman approaches, with long frizzy black hair, and wearing the most elaborate makeup and silks imaginable. "Give me a greedy soul." She demands.
Your aged and blistered hands reach for the cards under her icy gaze. As the cards are revealed, you say in your mother's voice "Titus Scarnetti, Sandpoint."
You have not seen the smile of this man for quite awhile, but the crazed look in his eyes suggest something very wrong. Do you remember Foxglove, Cleo? The man who's life you saved what feels so long ago. He never seemed to acknowledge you much, as nobles tend not to, but he did buy you that pony. He was always busy asking questions to Furnok, who you see standing right beside you. Furnok's towering figure looms over you, his blue silk overcoat waving in the breeze. His face is chiseled and beautiful as he looks deeply into the sunset, while his muscular yet nimble hands grip that elegant quarterstaff he never leaves out of reach. His long black hair is neatly combed and tied. His long nails perfectly polished red.
You are walking deep within an old forest in the middle of autumn. The leaves of the deciduous trees have turned yellow and many crunch beneath your feet. Your cheeks are freezing as a frigid gust whips past you. Along a river you travel until you see an old mansion, tall but decrepit. It looks like the face of an old man, raging beyond control. Crows caw around you as you look upon this mansion, and they start gathering in larger and larger numbers. They have their eye on you, Wabbit. In an instant, they all leap from their perches and dive right towards you.
Aggah sees a pregnant Elk bleeding from the womb as it stares into Aggah's eyes. It looks like it's about to charge.
As you wake up, you feel exhausted and sick to your stomach.
Wabbit: You have prayed to the Goddess of Undeath, and willingly partaken in the consumption of flesh from an intelligent humanoid. For your crimes you shall receive 1 negative level that shall not be removed until atonement.
Wabbit: You have served Urgathoa before your own God, and have partaken in a sacred ritual. You no longer count as Good Aligned to determine the effects of spells and abilities, and you can innately speak Necril as a bonus language.
Cleo: You have prayed to the Goddess of Undeath, willingly partaken in the consumption of flesh from an intelligent humanoid, and besmirched the reputation of Erastil with forbidden magic. For your crimes you shall receive 1 negative level that shall not be removed until atonement, and you will be scarred with the mark of dark magic.
Cleo: You have served Urgathoa before your own God, and have partaken in a sacred ritual. You can now harm the living with your channel energy ability and can use the Death's Kiss power of the Death (Undead) domain.
Her mouth spears into a large smile, with just the right amount of salivation. "Yummy!" she squeals and charges the bleeding elk.
Both of course wake up before anything comes of their dreams. After waking, her friend gone again, her abandonment of her god, and... everything... Cleo curls up into a ball and sobs...
Her fear, her agony, loss, and doubt, all pour out of her infecting her tears, turning them acidic and eating away the flesh of her round cheeks. This little halfling who just wanted a little time away from her smothering mother, who never felt good enough to be a priestess, much less a hero... she never could turn away from someone who needs help... and they still NEED help.
That thought breaks her out of her misery, the sudden separation she never thought she'd feel. Erastil needs her to understand this was wrong, well Erastil needs to understand that Cleo Gingerberry really doesn't care at the moment. Her own suffering never has bothered her much.
She stops crying and stands up. Her face now pallid as death, with pitted rot from cheek to chin. But her eyes are still bright and hard. "Foxglove" her voice firm, flat, but boiling with anger. "We find him, we find what is happening. It is time to leave."
As you wake up, you feel exhausted and sick to your stomach.
Wabbit: You have prayed to the Goddess of Undeath, and willingly partaken in the consumption of flesh from an intelligent humanoid. For your crimes you shall receive 1 negative level that shall not be removed until atonement.
Wabbit: You have served Urgathoa before your own God, and have partaken in a sacred ritual. You no longer count as Good Aligned to determine the effects of spells and abilities, and you can innately speak Necril as a bonus language.
Cleo: You have prayed to the Goddess of Undeath, willingly partaken in the consumption of flesh from an intelligent humanoid, and besmirched the reputation of Erastil with forbidden magic. For your crimes you shall receive 1 negative level that shall not be removed until atonement, and you will be scarred with the mark of dark magic.
Cleo: You have served Urgathoa before your own God, and have partaken in a sacred ritual. You can now harm the living with your channel energy ability and can use the Death's Kiss power of the Death (Undead) domain.
Helgarr heads to the Rusty Dragon - she can't stop thinking about the course of action the others have set themselves on - "Fools" - she mutters, after her second drink.
Looking around, and seeing normal people going about their 'normal' lifes, brings her some measure of respite from all the dark things they have seen recently. But not enough that she won't have another one...
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Wabbit wakes from the vision tears filling his eyes. He knows he's done something wrong and feels vile.....but he's also confused, he was trying to provide help to people in need. How could that be wrong? But he somehow knows it is and feels dirty. But he's sooo confused. His simple ethics had never let him down before. The ritual could help people who needed it and so he did it. Simple. That's always been enough, til NOW! He's no religious scholar....hell, he spent more time getting into mischief as a kid than time learning anything really in depth about the gods. Well this is a hard lesson and it's gonna take some time for this young adventurer new to the rigors of paladinhood to absorb it.
Wiping away his tears he finally says We gotta find a mansion by a river, and make this vile ceremony worth it and then looks over at his cousin's face Oh Cleo in shocked horror nothings worth this
Cleo paused her eyes drifting to Wabbit, the steel resolve in them assaulted briefly by her cousin's horror. Lowering her lids and taking a light breath, she stamps down all feelings save anger, then looks back. "Foxglove's" probably at least "Brelin!" she snaps at the silent witch "We need to go."
yeah Cleo... Let's get outta here Wabbit says meekly let's get Helgarr and then take care of this Foxglove
The rest of you head back to Sandpoint, enlightened, but also cursed. The Goddess of Undeath laughs with delight, heard from every crow who caws down at you. At last, you reach the village and find Helgarr at the Rusty Dragon, she is drinking a fair bit along with Orik who isn't drunk yet, but getting there. The sun has set at this point, and folk are starting to turn in for the night.
Cleo walks into the Dragon, her home away from home, pushing past wanting to hide and run, to exactly what she needs to do. Talk to Helgarr and Maria. Straight backed she goes to the table, her skin several shades paler than this morning, and her normally round pink cheeks pitted and scared like rot poured down them. "Good you are still up. Is Maria already in bed? Wabbit, would you go wake her?" she says before anyone can answer, wanting Wabbit to have the option of escaping if he wishes.