"Sculpting is my passion of choice. Though I have other passions, as well. And yes, I've put my fingers to good use. As well as my... other extra bits." Ayavah smiles enigmatically.
"That's wonderful. Great beauty can be rendered in sculpture. I would love to see your work sometime." Nime says with a nod. Her hand reaches up as if to touch one of the curling horns, but realizing that it would be considered rude to do so without asking, pulls her hand back. "I'm sure your other extra bits are just as beautiful as these," she says, pulling her eyes away from the horns to look the woman in the eyes.
Once Ayavah finishes espousing the Lady in Shadow's proposed plans, Nime looks away.
"If that's the case, then I hope she's being sincere. Nocticula, I mean. Demon Lords aren't always known for their honesty," she says. She looks back. "But your genuine faith in her is a wonderful thing. And it's never wise to underestimate the potential for change in anyone. I need to remember that myself at times."
Calendula's brow furrows at the revelation. "Demons?" she mutters. The entire concept rankles her in a strange, hard to escape way. Would Iomedae approve of her consorting with demons?
Well, Iomedae was responsible for her very own redemption, shouldn't she do her part to expedite the redemption of others?
It was quite far out of her depth. She takes a step back, and lets the conversation continue without her.
Shenuska likewise examines the tiefling closely, taking her hands and gently feeling, and even bending each and every one of her six fingers. "You and I should talk more." She announces, "I'd like to get to know you better. I find there's a strong connection between magic and the understanding of the body - we should investigate it together." She steps closer to whisper in the tiefling's ear. "Do you know a half-elven woman, long red hair, very stealthy and an independent shadow? She's the one who..." Her hand rises towards her cheel. "No-one seems to know who she is but if she follows your 'Risen Queen' then..." She lets the thought trail off.
"Anyway, that's for later." Shenuska adds. "We'd best investigate the Irespan. Do we want to bring Szuul with us, or do you think he's a risk if we bring him back to his home base?"
"Szuul has earned our trust," puts forth Calendula, clearing her throat and spitting. "Also he knows we'd gut him if'n he tried a thing."
"I would normally point out that there's always time for love and beauty, but since I don't want to turn into a monster, you're probably right."
Ayavah shivers slightly at Shenuska's touch. When the psychic whispers to her, she replies, "You speak of Samaritha Beldusk. She used to be a cyphermage before embracing the Redeemer Queen. You will find her in Riddleport--or perhaps, she will find you."
The tiefling looks from Shenuska to Nime. "I would love to get to know both of you better, but I'm afraid I won't be staying in Magnimar much longer. I am preparing a pilgrimage to a remote site in northwestern Varisia. There, other worshipers of the Cult hope to establish the first monastery to our faith. But until I depart, feel free to stop by my studio in Underbridge any time."
She moves to leave, but when you start talking about heading to the Irespan, she turns back. "Oh, one more thing. My studio happens to be just opposite the Gecko piling, and this has given me the perfect vantage point to notice strange comings and goings through a window in the piling's upper heights. This includes a serpentine ghost I've spotted glimpses of on more than one occasion. I fear this might be the undead spirit of one of Underbridge's most notorious monsters--a lamia matriarch named Xanesha. She was slain ten years back by the Sihedron Heroes, but rumors indicated that she did not rest easy after her defeat. If Maga Szuul's cult is indeed operating there, it seems they've secured the aid of a dangerous ghost indeed!"
"I will certainly stop by at first opportunity," Nime says to Ayavah with a nod and a warm smile. "But if we miss you, I wish you fortune in your pilgrimage."
She turns to the others.
"The 'Gecko' piling? What an odd choice of name." She shrugs. "And they have a ghost. That could prove ... troubling. Perhaps some of you should stock up on holy water?"
Shenuska nods in response, although she seems uncertain about Ayavah's reply. The mention of the ghost puts another frown on her perfect face as she searches through the vast archive of her mind to locate what she can of ghosts.
"Heard about Xanesha, or at least that the fight with her brought a clock tower down. Some of the stories I've heard about how she fought, I'm hoping there'll be a way to avoid having to fight her directly."
"There are spells we can use that would ward ghosts away, at least partially." Shenuska says, "The most important thing will be to find how she was rejuvenated and reverse it. Ensure that she, it stays dead."
When a soul is not allowed to rest due to some great injustice, either real or perceived, it sometimes comes back as a ghost. Such beings are in eternal anguish, lacking in substance and unable to set things right. In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat. The only way to permanently destroy a ghost is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace.
Ghosts resist channeled energy and have varied abilities, usually related to their manner of death. They always have a corrupting touch, dealing damage that manifests in the form of physical wounds and aches from supernatural aging. Lamia matriarchs have a variety of enchantment spell-like abilities, so you should be prepared to deal with attacks on your mind.
The Irespan is Magnimar’s most impressive landmark, an immense span of ruined Thassilonian bridge that once ran all the way to Hollow Mountain. Today, only a fragment of the bridge remains, held aloft by several thick stone pilings, decorated with images and carvings of different creatures. That these pilings contain chambers is no secret, and in some cases the people of Magnimar have colonized or settled in them.
The piling known as the Gecko bears carvings and sculptures of its namesake creature. Four balconies adorn the corners of the piling, 220 feet off the ground and 30 feet away from the underside of the Irespan above. Each of these balconies is decorated with a human-sized gargoyle with a horned gecko's head. The one on the southwestern balcony appears to be cleaner than the other three.
Along the piling's south face, at the same height as the gargoyles, the images of geckos give way to an eight-foot-wide expanse of smooth stone in the shape of a hexagon. The stone itself has a softly rippled surface, giving it the impression of a swiftly solidified wall of mud.
The Gecko’s walls have plenty of handholds, but slippery lichen, bird droppings, and not a few crumbling portions make climbing up to either location a tricky prospect.
Nime looks over the piece of ancient architecture quizzically. "So how do we get in?" she asks to no one in particular. "My mother always says that the simplest ways are the best ways. So I would suggest we just knock, but ... where?"
"If our plan is to go inside without knocking - which is quite rude, by the way - I could fly us up to one of those balconies."
"There are holes in the walls." Shenuska says, pointing. "If anyone can transform themselves into a gaseous form then they could get inside easily." She glances at Nime.
"Either way before we begin we should do this." She produces the scroll, reads the magic off in a clear voice and then touches each member of the party on the shoulder. "This should shield us from undead for an hour or slightly less. It's not guarenteed to work on the ghost - but there's a chance at least."
"That's kind of a sneaky way to get in," Nime says with a grin. "I don't think Mother would approve."
Once Shenuska finishes with her scroll, Nime reaches out and takes Rudrik and Calendula's hands. "Everyone hold hands," she instructs. "Now just ... relax."
Nime settles in on herself and fades to a wispy fragment of her normally slender blue self, pulling the others along with her. She quickly seeks out the holes Shen pointed out and draws the group through them to reform on the other side.
Once she reforms, she summons a barrier of air to protect her.
As you prepare to enact your plan, Shenuska spots the upper body of a spectral woman emerging from the stone piling and looking around. She urges you to draw back as what must be the ghost of Xanesha scans the surroundings for intruders. Fortunately, she doesn't spot you, and she sinks back into the stone.
Timing your movements to just after Xanesha's appearance, Nime pulls you all along in gaseous form as you slip into the cracks in the piling, avoiding provoking the ghost's ire--for now, at least.
The vent deposits you in a 10-foot-wide corridor on the other side of the melted stone panel. A pair of shallow alcoves to the east and west contain what appear to be long-dried water fonts, each of which seems to have been scraped numerous times by sharp objects. A flight of steps leads down to the north.
The interior of the Gecko is damp and cool. The sound of chains grating on chains and the steady drip of water comes from the room to the north.
"Very... dungeony," says Rudrik.
"At least it's not hot in here," Nime says, looking around. She begins descending the stairs towards the sound of chains.
The stairs lead down to a large chamber. The air is cool and damp, with the ceiling rising to a height of thirty feet above. The northern portion of the room is taken up by a vast pit of darkness, over which five platforms dangle from immense, rusting chains. Each platform is made of old, soaking-wet wood bound in strips of rusty iron. Doors provide exits—two to the west and one to the southeast, while arched openings provide access to other chambers on the far side of the massive pit.
In four spots, haggard-looking men and women dangle from the network of chains and pulleys affixed to the ceiling! Bound in coils of chain, they hang just below the floor, and their groans and terrified sobs fill the pit with an ominous chorus.
Nime looks on with horror at the four prisoners.
"We have to rescue them," she says, take a few steps forward. She then stops. "But how? I can fly over to them, but I don't know if I can loose their chains. And if I carry someone with me, how do I carry both back?"
She looks back at the others, entreating them with her eyes to come up with some kind of strategy.
"Wait a moment." Shenuska commands, scanning the chamber carefully. "This reeks of being a trap. If we can perhaps pull them across? There should be enough length in the chains."
Shenuska doesn't spot anything, but she can hear faint scratching noises coming from the pit. It seems like several creatures are lurking along its edges out of sight, perhaps waiting for you to come closer...
"I think there are creatures in the pit." Shenuska says quietly. "It's a trap I think - they're expecting us to approach and try to save the hanging people. Then they'll jump us. So how are we going to deal with this? I could try magic to confuse their minds - that might give us an edge..."
She taps Rudrik and Calendula each, instilling them with Heroism. She waits for any other preparations before casting Confusion, entwining it with a twist of magic to try and affect undead, since she strongly suspects some form of vampire lurking nearby.
As Shen started her spells, Theo reinforced the arcane barrier from his gauntlets. Normally he would've just cast the spell normally but it tends not agree with the field from the bracers.
Further arcane gestures created illusory duplicates around him.
As she comprehends what Shenuska is explaining, Nime's eyes narrow. "They're using those poor people as ... as bait?" She looks back at the helpless people in chains. "As bait!?" She stretches up imperiously and ephemeral wings spread out from behind her. "No more."
She rises from the ground and moves across the stone floor and then over the yawning darkness towards the nearest of the dangling figures.
As Nime starts flying towards the pit, four creatures scramble up over the edge! These pale blue humanoids have bulging red eyes, wild white hair, and wield large hooked clubs attached to long cords. Their flesh is drawn tight over their bones, and they snarl, revealing pointed canine teeth!
Three of the creatures rush towards Nime, whirling their clubs over their heads and hurling them at the oracle. The fourth giggles maniacally as it wraps its club around one of the dangling men and reels him in...
With a dismissing gesture with her hand, Nime continues forward ignoring the three creatures attacking her.
As she approaches the forth humanoid she calls down a curse of immobility upon it.
"Vampire spawn!" Shenuska calls, "They'll be immune to a lot of magic, usual undead problems!"
She continues with her own spell, confident that she can work around that issue.
"Oh," Nime responds in surprise and changes the spell she was going to cast.
Moving forward past the others, Theo positions himself to launch a fireball at the clustered trio of vampire spawn.
After the fireball blasts over the three undead, Calendula rushes in and attacks whichever is still standing.
Rudrik clanks in along with Calendula, taking up the centerpoint and slashing at the leading vampire spawn.
Theodric engulfs the trio of vampire spawn in a massive fireball! Two of them are incinerated, dissolving into clouds of mist, while the other third one is badly burned.
Calendula moves in to finish off the injured spawn with a critical thrust of her blade!
His target destroyed, Rudrik instead moves across the room towards the remaining derro. Nime wards herself against attack and flies closer to try to help the dangling prisoner. Shenuska attempts to confuse the derro, but it resists her spell.
The derro giggles as it releases the chains, which start to slowly unravel. It overcomes Nime's protective spell and smashes her with its hooked club.
"Ahh! Help me!" the bound man cries in terror.
Shenuska moves up and flicks a barrage of missiles at the derro.
"Get the prisoner Nime. We have this!" She commands.
"I'm trying to," Nime shouts back as she attempts to gather the man into her arms. "But it would be a lot easier if this creature wasn't trying to hit me." Her inference is quite clear.
Nime is able to grab the man before he falls, ferrying him to solid ground. Shenuska blasts the last derro, then Rudrik steps onto the hanging platform, maintaining his balance as it wobbles. He dispatches the vampire spawn with two powerful slashes! It dissolves into mist and joins its brethren as they slowly drift to the northwest.
The man Imedren rescued babbles an endless stream of thanks while the other bound prisoners clamor for their own rescues.
Carefully balancing in his precarious position, Rudrik surveys this structure to see how the prisoners were hoisted up, so that he can try to find a way to help them back down.