”I did not see any threats, let us discuss this within.”
I wonder if he will fit in a Haversack
"Mmm, I don't think so. Maybe a large magical container, but a magical haversack is generally more limited in capacity. I can teleport out of the camp with the body. Perhaps we can hide it for now and return to it before we leave?"
"Wait," and she goes through the motions of casting a spell.
*Ahem* Maybe trim off the unneeded bits.
”I was afraid you’d say that.”
There is nothing magical revealed by the simple spell.
"I can carry the body and put it down. If we need to fight. The weight is not much for me at this size."
"Very good. Let's go - which lock were you wanting me to work my magic on?"
Looking for the door with the least traffic then I will Direct Duardlara to that one.
She will listen at the door for the sound of anyone approaching the door and check it for traps, especially if it is rarely used, then work to unlock it.
While Duardlara doesn't get the lock on the first time it isn't long before she is able to get it with a little more effort. Inside you see what could be described as a fun house in the movie hellraiser. Multitudes of humans in different states of torture, insanity, death and decay are kept in this one-time barracks. The healers among you can see that all of the bodies (dead and alive) look anemic.
Holy bugger. Look like the inside of a Kuthite temple.
"These people have lost a lot of blood as if it has been sucked out."
"Via fangs? Or mechanically?"
Pretty sure it is fangs.
Cynehelm heal check
Cynehelm looks around the room and sees that of all the people here one of them sees to be not as bad as the others and may be healabke from their deplorable state.
"I think we should get them out of here. Take the other body and use some magic to help them and gather more information."
Works for me
"Once we get there I can make a campfire wall to keep everyone warm. Then I can ready a transport them via plants to anywhere they can describe to me."
Duardlara manages to bring everyone back to the edge of the Hut where the plan works to bring the man back to sanity by using a heal spell. Afte the spell is completed the man snaps back to reality as if out of a daze. He looks up the surrounding people and flinches at the sight of the monstrous humanoid (Titian). Who are you guys and where am I?
Duardlara hangs back, well aware that there are others far better at talking to a stranger than she is.
Well just call me Jed. Titian, best get back to normal please. We're here checking out the right awful mess down at that camp.
Titan returns to human form. "Do you remember the camp?"
The man looks slightly relieved as Titian resumes normal size and dimension but still may be alarmed at the sudden shape changing abilities of the druid. Which, which camp is that? My original camp near Moscow or this one they brought me to 3 months ago?
Finding that you are referring to the current camp the man sighs and gives a small shudder. My platoon and I were loaded up in covered trucks like I said about 3 months ago and brought here. The backs were closed and we could not see out. I know they were taking a winding twisted path based on the number of turns I felt while riding in the back. I fell asleep twice on the journey so don't know exactly how far I rode so I have no real idea where in Russia we are. I do know that we must be somewhere in the far northern portion of Siberia based on the stars and the amount of daylight we have.
Upon arriving here we had freedom to roam the encampment and the surrounding area on patrol. The mission was easy enough as we never saw anything that could threaten us. We saw no one but some locals once and they fled as soon as they saw us. It was easy money and much better than the trench warfare to the east.
Everything changed 1 month ago when Viktor finished the World Anchors. Then the general brought in 'other' troops. They were demons from hell I tell you. Some had glowing red eyes. Others had horns growing out of their bodies. Still others could turn into a red mist. Those with the red eyes, Chaplains they wanted to be called, started selecting members of my platoon daily. The men would come back drained of all vitality and walk around with blank stares in their eyes. Others would be decapitated and turned into the riding dead on skeletal horses.
At this he shudders and pauses to collect himself also allowing you to ask any questions.
Cynehelm you are pretty certain that he has resisted the fate of vampirism and with your heal spell has restored him to full con as well.
Cynehelm relaxes and talks to this man, the first reasonable person they have met on this planet.
"We have come to help end these abominations, friend. Tell us about this Victor and his World Anchors."
Viktor was the engineering marvel of this place. He made the tanks move on their own and even designed some of the other intricate defenses of the camp like the spotlights. His greatest achievement though was the 4 corner towers that he built and called the World Anchors. I don't know exactly what he did or why, but he called them that because he was anchoring another world to ours. I don't believe that mystical nonsense but bless that 1-legged man he sure seemed convince he did such a thing. You would have to inspect the towers themselves to know more about them as you won't be able to talk to Viktor. He was killed about a week ago. Probably was spilling too many secrets. Rumor had it though that he kept a journal with all of his mathematically or engineering problems.
Duardlara looks at Titian, then over to the body he had been carrying.
"It appears he was successful with the anchors. Who would he spill secrets to? Were you not all fighting for the same side?"
"Is that Viktor?" Cynehelm points to Titian's burden.
Titan lays the body down gently.
Dimitri looks at the body that Titian lays down and bows his head. Aye, that is Viktor, bless his soul. He turns to Duardlara to continue his answer, That is just it, there was no one to fight around here. We encountered no one like I said. Unless someone knew exactly where to look for us and sent an army across barren tundra in the middle of winter, we were safe. He did like to talk to those that would listen about what he accomplished but most of us didn't understand what he was saying and the others didn't care. Besides we were all in this together and I know my men. None of them would betray us or abandon mother Russia.
”So why would he die for telling secrets? Who do you think killed him?”
She moves to Viktor’s body and starts checking his pockets. ”Did he carry the journal on his person?”
You find nothing of interest on the decaying body other than juices now thawing from his dead corpse.
I can only imagine the general had him killed before he talked to the wrong person, perhaps his daughter Anastasia? Some days it pays better than to ask those questions lady.
"What can you tell us of Anastasia?"
The talk is that Rasputin brought her here upon his arrival. She had suffered some trauma and was trying to look out for her. She hasn’t been seen much lately so I don’t know if something worse befell her or she is still recovering from what happened before. Her younger brother is always with her…or at least was last I heard.[/b]
”Titian, can you set poor Viktor back on the porch until we can provide a proper interment? Who is this Rasputin?”
Rasputin is the man in charge around here. Whatever he says you do no questions asked. He is some sort of mystic. People say he can see the future and command spirits. Others say that the laws of nature bend to his will. Others believe that he possesses knowledge so vast as it seems magical. He was the one that had Viktor create the 4 corner World Anchors and then had him killed. He is still around here somewhere but no one has seen him since the towers were completed and the chapel in the center of the compound changed.
Pressed about the central chaple he seems perplexed as not sure how to say it without sounding crazy. I don't know. It seems as if there is more and less of the building there now than before. Sometimes it seems deserted but occasionally you will see flashes of purple light reveal more than what was there before.
With one eyebrow raised, Duardlara looks at her friends, "Perhaps the World Anchors have outlived their usefulness."
Titan respectfully moves the body and wraps it in a blanket.
"We were threatened and attacked by the figment of a man. He looked like [discription here]. Is this the Rasputin you speak of? Do you believe that Anastasia is still in the camp?"
"I have some spell that could help bring down the towers, but if there are explosives that we could get that could be faster."
Yes that sounds like Rasputin. I haven’t met him myself but I don’t know whom else it could be. I believe Anastasia is still in camp as Rasputin would not want her far from his protection according to rumors. As for explosives the tanks have shells and the troops bullets but I know of no other explosives. There might be some that was delivered and placed in one of the storage buildings?
”A great evil has taken place here and continues. Rasputin is the threat. Anastasia can only be in danger if he keeps her close. Will you aid us?”
percentage chance 15%
"I do not think we are well served by waiting. We should proceed now to the central building where surely our enemy awaits, or at least his most powerful minions. Let us strike a resounding blow in the name of Golarion and the Dawnflower!"