"I am sorry, Zyrel. I have learned a bit about machines and mechanisms in my travels of the worlds, but that is more theoretical than applied."
Still, his eyes are keen enough, so Lanatir also takes a look around for traps or other dangers.
"It is possible that some of these were travelers who were abducted and turned into spider-monsters; Suradesh could be among these. And they may not be dead yet. There could be hope of saving them. If Aakif can channel the power of Abadar, then we can see if these are in fact undead without harming them if they still live."
Does anyone know disrupt undead? Shoot each one with that and see if they wake up. Or maybe Aakif can cook them. That's a thing priest can do, isn't it? She looks at the figures.
You know, a description of the guy would have been good
Aakif mentally thanks Abadar for his protection in such a harrowing experience, namely being in the spiderwoman's clutches. Now his faith burns even brighter. Glory to Abadar
But having survived the experience, Aakif sets upon looting and examining the chamber. In reply to Elsa, he says "If I understand correctly, you're referring to holy energy destroying an undead, correct? That I do possess, though it eats up our healing resources, which I am hesitant to expend frivolously."
At the request of his companions, he channels energy to harm undead within 30 feet. "In the name of Abadar, may His energy reveal the rotting undead that seek to hide among corpses."
Aakif goes over to the well dressed man with mandables. If he deems it safe, he roots through the man's pockets.
Nothin happens as Aakif channels energy, but a phrase carved above the man’s niche reads, ”Sanahi, Ascended to Unuxi’s Bower.”
He carries nothing of value, but inspecting other niches also reveals that they are worshippers who “ascended.”
"This would seem to be the Abbot we seek. Already dead. Should I take his head?"
umm
Elsa takes a couple of steps back
yes, go for it
Zyrel sighs. "Everyone ready? Very well, do it."
Lanatir decapitates Abbot Sanahi with a swift swing of his Elven Curve Blade.
Zyrel nods. "Nice, Lanatir. I like that thing you did with your grip just before contact. That's new, yes?"
"So..." he turns to Aakif "I suppose we 'loot the place', then head out, camp in the wilderness? I realise this place has shelter, but I'd rather sit on rock under a thunderstorm before I risk attuning somewhere like this." He pauses, then turns to the others "Oh, and given the motifs, I suggest everyone be cautious of spiders, especially when moving things. Remember the little ones can still kill you."
Aakif replies "Yes, your reasoning is quite sound. We can loot the rest of the complex before sheltering outside, or perhaps we can finish travelling to our employers."
The party’s able to ransack the rest of the complex after taking Sanahi’s head.
On most of the bodies, a few bits of religious paraphernalia can be found which a collector might find interesting for their rarity, altogether fetching 300gp.
Short of stripping the statues of gold, the complex is empty.
Aakif doesn't plan to strip gold off the statues. He leads the party back to the studious monks in the other temple.
"We've eradicated the temple. Is this head the one you requested?" Motioning to the head with mandibles in it.
The Teacher, now crouched atop a shelf throwing books down to one of the disciples, smiles when he sees the head.
"Excellent work! You're in luck. The information about the other seeker has just been purified."
He vaults down, saying a few words to the disciple before approaching the party, "And you desired the holy texts of Sranava as well, was it? The scriveners will make copies of what you desire, and it shall all be ready shortly. In the meantime, would you like any tea?"
About an hour later, a young woman comes along with several books and a letter on top.
The books are holy texts, as expected, but the letter is especially interesting. Suradesh, apparently, had recently received word that an antiquities collector had arrived in Niswan with information about an ancient artifact that had once been used by the Tetrad. He departed soon after, a few days before the party had arrived in the badlands.
"Yes, please. I suspect Jalmeray tea to be quite the treat." Aakif replies. After the hour passes, he's slightly surprised to see the young woman. "Thank you for these. If I may ask, what brought you to serve as a disciple at such a young age?"
With a sigh Zyrel puts down his tea and reaches for the books, then hesitates and takes the letter. A few moments later he sits up straight. "Interesting. Possible clue - no, more than that. This looks like a lead."
He hands the letter to Aakif and starts paging through the first book.
Elsa plays with a spark of electricity as she waits, flickering around her fingers
The books are in a mixture of Vudran and an odd, almost cuneiform-like language, seemingly looking like scratch marks from something sharp.
The language is Necril, commonly spoken by the ghouls of the Darklands and intelligent undead in Garund.
Zyrel scowled. "While I have no idea what it says, I've seen that language before. Necril."
He looks up "It may be I have maligned our hosts in my thoughts. This is indeed a book that would need to be handled carefully."
"I will take your word for it, Zyrel.
I do have the ability to call upon a bit of Elven magic to read this book... for a while, anyway."
Lanatir is curious enough that he will do so after a couple of minutes if nobody raises any objection.
Necril? Never heard of it, but it sounds nasty
Zyrel nods "If you can stomach that filth, Lanatir, it would be useful to have someone read it. I suspect the letter is the true lead, though, if you cannot."
As Lanatir reads, he realizes something. Subtle magic is woven into the text, and while they could be returned to the skeletal monks of Sranava, reading them in their entirety could yield some form of supernatural boon.
Lanatir uses another of his racial abilities, Read Magic, to try to discern the effect of reading the texts.
He can only Comprehend Languages for 40 minutes per day, and the same for Read Magic, but this intrigues him.
Reading deeper, Lanatir finds a wealth on information about a myriad of martial techniques, and is certain that if he devoted more time to reading it, he would be able to learn the basics of some.
"So... we were to return this book to the undead monks in exchange for a reward."
"Alternatively, we could keep this book, and use its magic to our benefit. It is tempting... but it would be breaking a deal."
He hands the book over to Aakif. "I do not wish to place you at odds with the tenets of your deity. Let us return the book."
"That's very kind of you, Lanatir. I appreciate it greatly." Aakif replies.
why do we care what an undead priest thinks. We should keep it...or use it as bait and take out the undead as well.
"I understand where you're coming from, Miss Elsa, and while I agree that we need not be considerate to the undead, we did make a bargain with them. I would like to remain faithful to that deal. Let them be the ones to break the agreement, not for us to stoop to their level. Furthermore, their texts may be worth less to us than the goods they promised us with. At least we should see what they offer, before we consider double-crossing them."
"Your logic is sound, Aakif," Armanus nodded to the cleric's argument.
"I am blessed to have such understanding companions, thank you." Aakif gives a slight bow in the direction of his allies.
Elsa shrugs
Ok, then. But this will bite us eventually.
"Reading the book will trigger something?" Zyrel asks. "Given what it is written in, that might be something we want to avoid."
The party makes their way back to the monastery of Sranava, the remains of undead they'd re-slain previously scattered across the floor.
The monk they'd spoke to previously snaps to attention when they enter, "You return. Has the temple of Chanak been destroyed? Have our master's tomes been recovered?"
"We do indeed." Aakif says. "Here are your tomes."
The monk takes the books, studying some of the pages and nods, ”It will do. I take it you have not punished them for the theft, though?”
Aakif decides to speak the truth. "Just as we bargained with you, so too have we struck a bargain with them. Tell me, what do you think of the cult of Unuxi?"
"They are rabble-rousers, though their penchant for...self-consumption diminishes their ferocity. Why do you ask?"
"They will no longer rouse any rabble." Aakif answers
Or indulge in...self consumption Elsa adds
"Well, you have given our master more souls to watch over so for that I suppose I should be thankful."
He takes the books and bows slightly before turning and opening a large stone sarcophagus. He rummages through it before returning with a few items.
The first is a lacquered wooden box, inside of which are three opals of seemingly exquisite quality. There is also a set of footwraps which the undead monk explains will make the wearer much faster. Lastly, there is a set of simple leather gauntlets that can enhance the wearer's skill with martial maneuvers.
Aakif looks over the opals just to make sure they are worth what the undead monks say they are. Even if they speak true, markets sometimes fluctuate.
If everything checks out, Aakif politely thanks the monks for their business, then takes to box to distribute it among the party.
Then, he suggests that the group set up camp for the night, before travelling to Niswan in the early morning, putting foot to sand just after the sun rises.
"Back to Niswan again? Didn't we just come from there?"
"He may have been back in Niswan even before we left, if he departed a few days before we arrived and it only took us a day to get here from Niswan."
"Retracing our route, should we go back to Chehenya and then back on the wheelboats?"
"I think that would be the best option. It would seem our efforts to track him has led us on a bit of a wild goose chase. I don't believe we will find anything more about our agent Suradesh here." He says
"So first to Chehenya, then to Niswan to visit this antiquities collector."
Onward then. I wonder what our next job will be. This one had its moments
The trip out of the Badlands is uneventful, and a large wheelboat is docked in Chehenya. Passage back to Niswan is cheap, and likely to be reimbursed by the Tetrad anyway.
The collector's shop is in the Chronicler's Circle district. It's an understated affair from the outside, as most of the shops in the district are, but the inside is full of all manner of artifacts, antiquities, and trinkets. A preserved cyclops eye floats in a jar, a small plaque revealing that it belonged to a Ghol-Gan warrior. Fragments of a Thassilonian monolith are arrayed in a glass case.
The first floor of the place is quiet, with a set of stairs leading to a second floor where the collector waits. She's an older human woman, white hair tied back in a neat bun. "Well, hello there. I don't usually get many visitors, what brings you all by? You don't seem like the usual buyers of old things like this."
Aakif makes a respectful bow to the older woman. "Goodmorning ma'am. I am Aakif of Katapesh. My companions and I are looking for a missing person who we believe is in danger. A man by the name of Suradesh. He is a member of our order. We learned that he stopped by your shop roughly a week ago. Is his name familiar to you?"
She nods, "Suradesh, yes, I have talked with him recently." A look of concern passes across her face, "Danger, you say. That explains it."
The old woman sighs, "Yesterday, a Chelish man came through, asking after him. He told me that his ship, the Razor Jenny, would be at the dock and if Suradesh came by to ask for Bramwell. Is the man a friend of yours?"
Aakif furrows his brow and a few extra wrinkles line his forehead as he puzzles out what the woman is saying. "No, ma'am. I do not know of this ship, nor the name Bramwell. Is there anything else you can tell me of Suradesh or this Bramwell? What was Suradesh's business here, for instance?"