Urggh......
Duardlara is slow getting up.
”There is powerful magic that will literally capture a person or creature within such a gem. There is always the concern that those within are a threat, of course. Perhaps I can study the gem while we rest and heal? That way, we are best able to fight off any potential threat?”
She looks sadly at Cynehelm’s still body, but then an idea forms. ”Helgash, are you able to cast preservative magic on Cynehelm’s body? It’s possible the gem simply captures the soul of one that dies in its vicinity. If so, that tiny figure is him and we could return him to his body if it is still in good condition.”
Helgash was at 17HP (12 non lethal) and Greta is at 66HP.
Channel healed Greta for 18
Channel healed Helgash for 18+12
Helgash is at 47 HP.
Greta is at 84 HP.
Lara is at 15
Jetro is at 47?
Manos is full? :D
Orgar at 61/63?
So Life Link goes to Duardlara and Jetro
4 Rounds for Jetro and 5 for Lara
Lara heals 25 and Jetro heal 20 each
Helgash takes 45
Channels
+4
+4
+4
Helgash at 38/100
Lara is at 64/66
Jetro is at 89/89
Helgash casts Cure moderate Wounds x2 for
Helgash is at 79
"It is worth a try Duardlara, but I am unfortunately unable to preserve Cynehelm..." - Helgash nods.
"The alternative is to try to release the soul without knowing if it's truly our comrade-at-arms. It may come to that."
Indeed Duardlara you are almost certain that the gem is the focus for a trap the soul spell. Breaking the gem would release the creature within it!
Might be that nasty's soul.
”Then we prepare to strike when it appears, before it can use its mind magic. But I don’t think so - the figure looks like a man, not that thing that killed Cynehelm. Let’s free our friend.”
"Do it Lara" - Greta grunts, gripping her weapon tightly.
Trusting in her judgment about the gem and with Greta's weapon readied she crushes the gem on the ground. Instantly a 10 foot tall blue humanoid creature appears in the building. The creature is exquisitely dressed in rich robes and fine jewels. He beams down at you with multiple eyes and a radiant smile as you notice 1 of his teeth is made of platinum. Ina booming voice he calls out to you. Thank you my new friends. My name is Zilvazaraat, a mercane or great importance. I have been trapped in that gem for years after a wizard summoned me and then trapped me. I have tried to escape countless times to no avail. Please, please let me honor you with a gift and then a business proposition! You see I am a trader of rare and exotic items. I deal in only the choicest of gems and the finest of magic items.
Looking around he sees the battle weary among you and the unmoving form of Cynehelm. His voice softens and lowers his head. I apologize. I did not know that one of you gave your life to free me. Please, let me help you and him.
With that he turns around to an empty chest. Speaking into it you see it fill with wondrous magical items, scrolls, belts, headbands, rings and amulets. Rummaging through the scrolls he pulls 1 out. I think this is what is needed. I am unable to cast the spell myself but if one of you can then it is yours. Consider it the gift for freeing me and an investment on our future dealings.
The scroll is a scroll of resurrection.
The mercane then steps back to let you have space with the recently slain.
Duardlara stands dumbfounded at the turn of events. I am SO tired! A scroll of resurrection - who?
With a slightly helpless expression, she considers the scroll, ”An amazing gift, friend. I cannot wield such divine power without considerable study. Perhaps one of my other friends can?”
Well this is both wonderful and awkward. Wasn't Cynehelm our priest? So the one who can raise the dead...is dead.
Crickets chirp..
Manos observes quietly, he hadn't known the dead man for long, but he had lost good friends before and gave the respect of staying silent while the mans friends grieved.
"I was not expecting to find such kindness and friendship out here, in this place..." - the paladin nods at the mercane - "Well met to you - I am Helgash, and offering us an opportunity to bring fallen Cynehelm back to us is not something we will ever forget" - he smiles.
"It is a very powerful spell, but not one I am a stranger to - armed with the belief that Iomedae will find me worthy to channel her divine power in such manner, I am prepared to do all what I can" - Helgash adds, kneeling down next to Cynehelm.
"It is not yet your time brother - return to us, and live again to fulfill your destiny until completion"
"Ow..." says Cynehelm, coughing up blood.
Yes the scroll works easily in Helgash's hands bringing the recently deceased Cynehelm back to life albeit a bit weaker from the ordeal.
Zilvazaraat claps his large hands together. You notice that each hand only has 3 fingers. Very good. Now that that is fixed lets get down to my specialty...business. I am always interested in business. Please tell me. Do you have any magic items that you wish to part with or something that you perhaps wish to purchase from me? I have an assortment of items with me and those that I don't have I bet I could gather in a few days time.
"My friends, shall we camp while we entertain our new friend? We may well have cause to do business, but we've certainly been beat up today."
I'd like that cloak that helps keep one from being magicked.
Finally snapping out of his dominated state, Orgar can't stop apologising enough to Cynehelm...
"... it was a nightmare; watching myself doing what I didn't want to do...
"... thank the gods Zilvazaraat here could bring you back to us ..."
(etcetera, etcetera)
Orgar will also use his own Wand of Cure Light Wounds to help Cynehelm along a bit:
That would be 1000 gp please my good sir unless there is another who wishes to claim it. Then we would had a lovely bidding war for the lovely item. Any other takers or participants?
Jetro hands over the gold.
After receiving the gp from Jetro he looks at the glum faces at the rest of you. Cheer up. I have a solution that will work for all of us.. Digging around it his trunk he pulls out the raven figure. This is a personal treasure of mine that I make for all of my business partners. Upon the command word it flies off to tell me that a customer is waiting. It works even on different planes. However the farther I am the longer it will take to get to me. But once it does I can plane shift to the exact location that it was sent from. I give it to you if you promise to deal with me.
Duardlara reaches out to look at the bird. ”Fascinating. I am willing to make such a deal. Is this a one-time offer? I suspect we will have many needs and many opportunities to sell items as we follow the path we are on.”
Sounds like a good deal to me.
The Mercane hems and haws a bit as Duardlara asks about the frequency or number of uses the raven offers. Ah, well that is a good question there little one. The raven can be used any number of times. It it’s magic takes a while to reset. Just like the time it takes to find me is based upon the distance and planes so too is the magic expenditure of activating it. I can’t tell you how long it will take to recharge. However you will know when it is easy again by how black the raven is. Once it is solid black then it is ready for use.
She nods, "I understand. It must involve some interesting magic, indeed. In the event that we come across something valuable that we don't need, what are your typical terms for purchases? Say we find some enchanted weapons or armor, what would you be able to offer us in trade? To someone that seeks to do continued business with you, of course."
"I agree with Jetro. That does sound useful."
Ah well the terms are quite simple really. I will purchase any magical items you have at cost while you purchase items from me at full value. Since I am the peddler exchanging the wares all expenses for travel are covered by myself. If there is any item that I do not currently possess then I will make the appropriate arrangements to obtain the item for you. However I will need 50% of the cost of the item up front. The remaining 50% is yours until I bring you the item.
The only exception I make is any item that talks or is sentient. Those items have a 10% markup as I can't abide all the chatter that they inevitably create.
Once the meeting with the Mercane is done and the party is ready to explore the rest of the Hut the group follows the ladder up the chimney to another room. This square room appears to be a cozy wooden cabin. Shelves packed with esoteric knickknacks and strange ingredients line the walls. A stone fireplace with a large mantel takes up the room’s northwest corner, while opposite the room’s only door stands a simple wooden table on which rests a cracked clay bowl. A large blackened cauldron sits in the center of the room. The door to the south leads to the hut’s porch outside, while the room’s windows look out over a snowy, mountainous landscape. The fireplace contains a trap door in its floor opening onto a narrow shaft with iron rungs from which you just ascended. A trap door in the ceiling opens into a cold loft above the room, empty but for dust and abandoned birds’ nests.
The shelves contain a variety of spell components and mundane alchemical ingredients, in addition to numerous trinkets that normally function as keys to dimensionally transport the hut. All of these keys, however, have been deactivated, with the exception of the keys the PCs have already acquired and used (such as the frost giant’s beard, plague doctor’s mask, dragon scale, and gold nugget), which may be found on the shelves as well.
When you first enter the room, three ravens suddenly take to the air, cawing loudly as they fly about the room. The more arcane among you can identify that the ravens are only quasi-real, the product of a shadow conjuration spell. The ravens cry out, “Baba Yaga has gone on, off to see her only son. But a trail she left behind, if the breadcrumbs you can find!” before picking up several objects off the shelves and dropping them in front of you.
First, they take a stuffed two-headed eagle from a shelf, then place an iron spur and a drinking horn beside it. Next, they take an elephant tusk and a small hand mirror and drop them atop a bearskin rug. The ravens then disappear, repeating their cryptic phrase a final time.
While most of the items in this room are nonmagical, 6 doses of flying ointment can be found on the shelves, and a habit of the winter explorer hangs-on a hook next to the outer door.
When the hood of the habit is drawn up around the head, the wearer’s eyes turn a piercing sky blue color. The wearer becomes immune to snow blindness and gains the ability to see through natural or magical fog, sleet, snow, and other similar weather conditions
with a range of 60 feet.
The habit of the winter explorer also grants its wearer a +4
competence bonus on Stealth checks made in cold weather (temperatures below 40° F). In addition, once per day in cold weather, the wearer may turn invisible for 3 rounds as the vanish spell (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 253).
All pieces of the habit of the winter explorer must be worn for the item to function. (Body slot)
"Baba Yaga has a son?"
Ugh..Just had this image of Yaga getting busy. Urp..
Orgar will look at the knick-knacks the ravens deposited on the floor and cast a spell:
« აღმოაჩინე ჯადოსნური » . .
... and then tries to see if any of them might be magical
Duardlara you have really no clue what specifically the ravens are hinting at. Yet you know from previous times they are trying to help lead you to the next clue. The problem is you have no idea where or possibly even when the Hut is currently located.
"Perhaps Syvet has an idea. These may be the keys we need to proceed, but it's generally two keys - is it the eagle, the spur, the drinking horn? Perhaps followed by the tusk and the mirror for the next stage in the journey?"
Jetro explores his nose.
Might as well give them all a try and writer down the results.
Syvet shakes its head at you in bewilderment. prrr...I do not know what is going on. I have never seen this before and I have been in here many times in my long past.
You realize that Syvet would not have triggered the ravens as only those with the black rider's mark and whom are following Baba Yaga's trail would trigger this event.
When you move the items around nothing happens at first. Then after about 5 minutes the ravens come back and repeat the message bringing the items back in the same configuration.
Not understanding exactly what the ravens are trying to tell you you, find no other option before you than to explore the outdoors. Not sure of the conditions outside you bundle up as much as you can and take precautions. Still when the door is opened the cold and sights before you take your breath away.
Before you is a wide open expanse of...nothing but snow. And even that is strange as the snow has a lilac color to it. Taking a step outside you feel a bit strange as well as you do not sink into the snow as much as you would expect. There is a smell and taste of copper in the air.
You are almost certain that lack of tracks in the snow is more because of your weight than a property of the snow itself.
Further more as you continue to look out about this scene your eyes travel up from the snow to the sky itself. The sky is overcast with beige clouds. Through the clouds you see 2 lighter spots that you would assume are heavenly bodies trying to shine through the clouds.
Syvet takes one look outside and backs away from the door. Uh I don't think we are on Golarion anymore. I think it best if I just stay here with Orgar for the time being and make sure that this place is safe for when you return.
Jetro has no idea
Jetro has his finger in his ear. Mighty cold
I got some survival craft out in the cold weather and have my special hat and am rather tough enough to endure the cold. So no sense for us to stick around at the hut.
"Maybe not, but I'm concerned that as soon as we leave the area of the hut, we'll be hard-pressed to find our way back." She pauses, squinting into the distance, "Wait... do you see that movement on the horizon? That way?" She sounds unsure, but points at the apparent movement that caught her eye.
Jetro squints. Don't see nothin but I trust yer eyes.