Chandu cringes as the forces of Hell take notice of her. Well, that was unpleasant... she mutters. Taking out a dagger she hands it to a Hellknight, Here, this might help.
Where to now for us then? Do we co tinue to follow our lead here while Zarta heads back to the Fastness?
Later.
The party finds itself once more in the great central well of the Fallen Fastness. Hanging from somewhere high, high above is the seemingly miles long scroll detailing the sins of everyone who has ever lived. The thing is nearly obscured by the hordes of fiendish scholars reviewing and amending its impossible length. They fly about on leathery wings, balance upon treacherous balconies, or scaffolds hundreds of feet above the ground or draw themselves up upon block and tackles whose tethering is so high above as to be unseen. The milling susurration of the scroll's visitors puts the party in mind of a titanic fly-strip that needs changing.
"Are you sure you are up for this? Some of you are looking a bit--well, out-of-it." asks Zarta looking a bit concerned at the state of some of the party members.
Jaaaaair. ♪♫
Lasaraleen will try to get closer to their destination
What about over here? I am not even sure what I am looking for in this awful place. Are the hellknights doing ok keeping up ? (or did they go elsewhere?)
Yes?
When party find some scrolls or another useful info, Atum will gladly take a look!
Atum hovers in close and perpendicular to see a pertinent part of the huge scroll between a cluster of studious (still living) diabolists forming a dangerous human chain out from a high balcony and a muscular contract devil with a long white goatee who seems to just be floating there as well.
Looking over the Hell Knight's sins he doesn't come up with anything worse than lies of omission, and multiple instances of improperly crossing a thoroughfare, for any of them. Or in other words no reason to be consigned to Hell.
"This all seems to be something of a mess to me," Leona says, frowning at the section of the scroll she'd been trying to discern. "I can see I'm of no help here, but perhaps the library will have something?"
She grimaces again at the scroll. "Or has anyone else found usething of use?"
If answered with an affirmative, she'll listen attentively to the findings, but if everyone's in as terrible a spot as she - or near as bad, anyhow - she'll try heading to the library vault.
Do you want to see my credential as a Pathfinder? Do you have something else to bargain with?
Asks Jair in her head.
I can give you whatever you want, Jair--for a price.
"This all seems to be something of a mess to me," Leona says, frowning at the section of the scroll she'd been trying to discern. "I can see I'm of no help here, but perhaps the library will have something?"
She grimaces again at the scroll. "Or has anyone else found usething of use?"
If answered with an affirmative, she'll listen attentively to the findings, but if everyone's in as terrible a spot as she - or near as bad, anyhow - she'll try heading to the library vault.
"Heheh. Can I help you mortal?" says the immensely fat devil from his floating throne. His chuckle gives away his amusement. The creature is as big as a hovel. Impossibly corpulent, it floats several feet off the ground. Trappings cut in mockery of holy vestments do little to cover the thing’s pallid, leaking rolls of blister-pocked girth. Worthless, club-like hands waggle like maggots, directing a cloud of weathered scrolls and blasphemous tomes that orbit its bulk. Barely distinguishable amid its mound of chins squints a pair of glassy black eyes, riding above a disproportionately wide mouth curled into a perpetually lecherous grin. "But of course I can. I mean, look at you. So tiny and fragile. Heheh."
"Know that you have the honor of speaking with Phlagantres, Overseer of Public Requests." His chair does a pirouette behind his counter, showing off his grandeur.
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Atum givesl Leona a smile as she becoming more active. He'd use some rest too. Thats why, to do business faster, he will use some more magic, standing somewhere at 21 flor (just in case). He is preparing forked twig and say just through it:
Then he will concentrate at finding scroll with the name inside. For example name of hellknights fellow. Huh Teena! As I forgot name of first their fellow.
"Hello," Leona speaks politely, not wanting to be disrespectful. "I thank you for your time, Overseer! Might you direct me towards any documentation regarding Devin Madras, Maralictor of the Order of the Pike, Sworn Sword of Iomedae? Or his fellows, Teena, Ria, or Aurora?"
"How adorable!" booms the fat devil to a swarm of imp clerks flapping about several small mountains of disorganized contracts out in the main gallery. They all stop to hover and look up. "She asked just like a real being. She's so precocious."
The imps snicker and then go back to their work. Even Tholvinus snickers a bit from his cage.
Phlagantres leans ponderously forward over his twenty-foot-high counter to look down upon Leona "Child, you come seeking the truth that all you mortals profess to want, but the fact is you can't handle the truth. You like your lies too much to be persuaded by it. You need them to prop up your egg-shell-thin view of reality. Fabrication makes you comfortable. But there is no place for that sort of self-deceit and moral-cowardice in Hell. Why were I to give you what you ask for, it would no doubt irrecoverably damage your frail mortal psyche, and what sort of monster would that make me then? Hmm? No, I couldn't. My conscience would not allow it. Now if you like, little girl, I would gladly direct you to the 'special needs' section of our library."
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VESH, I demand that you seek here for a scroll with name Teena. I will give you instructions as you start and divine power well clear the vision. says Atum to the Dory quetly, and then look foc Shrec. Maybe fighter could me useful in this simple task too... Shrec, do you mind to work a bit with you hands, eyes and brain? Please.
During concentration at locating Atum finds cucumber lembas and chew it melancholicaly.
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Chandu rgards the corpulent blob. You seem t be well informed, even for a powerful devil in Hell. Are you familiar with Leventi? As I am sure you are aware he is currently under investigation. It may improve your position to co-operate with that investigation. The contracts for Madras and his companions are part of that invesitgation...
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Could you help me finished this hopeless mission? I need to find bad behavior from a contract devil known as Leventi as well as one of his contracted "client" a Thrune. Can you help?
As if coming out of a dream, she adds to Chandru's request.
Yes, Overseer, it will be of great honor and I'm sure particularly lawful to help us in this case. You don't want to be associated with someone who clearly tries to cheat without talent some soul, isn't it?
Chandu rgards the corpulent blob. You seem t be well informed, even for a powerful devil in Hell. Are you familiar with Leventi? As I am sure you are aware he is currently under investigation. It may improve your position to co-operate with that investigation. The contracts for Madras and his companions are part of that invesitgation...
"I tell you imps, it is uncanny. Just like real beings." He bellows to the clerks. "Listen child, even if Mr. Leventi were under investigation, I would hardly imagine that the investigators in question would resort to the use of trained mortals to sniff out clues. Now be a good dear, and go play elsewhere." Phlagantres reaches forward to pat Chandu on the head.
Yes, Overseer, it will be of great honor and I'm sure particularly lawful to help us in this case. You don't want to be associated with someone who clearly tries to cheat without talent some soul, isn't it?
"Yes, very precocious. It's like you almost know what those words mean. So precocious."
"There, there. One day, (millennia from now) you might grow up to be a devil yourself, and when you do, you will understand."
He leans back and his chair makes a comfortable leather squelching sound.
Zarta holds forth a femur scroll case, and using mage hand levitates it up to Phlagantres. The devil uncorks it and pulls out the rolled up paperwork within. He takes a moment to look it over and then shoves it back. Zarta draws macabre scroll tube back to her hand, and puts it away.
"That only proves that this Osyluth, Vetrivides, is more of fool than I thought." snaps the devil. "I have already told your friend here that you cannot handle the truth. Anything that I bring you to read would only leave you more imbecilic than you already are. Perhaps a test--Imps!"
A few of the tiny devils fly over to attend the house-sized fiend, like little oxpecker birds swarming about a hippo.
"Is there anything by Doktor Zuess about?"
Could you help me finished this hopeless mission? I need to find bad behavior from a contract devil known as Leventi as well as one of his contracted "client" a Thrune. Can you help?
Perhaps. Though obviously prices do vary, Jair. Did you want this 'Thrune' or perhaps a clue to Leventi's negligence.
Oh, dear, Leona mentally sighs. She's decidedly frustrated by the way this particular realm works and complication after complication made her want to just up and stab someone. She wasn't even the type of person to stabbings!
"Doktor Zuess?" she pauses. "That... that sounds familiar." Wasn't there some sort of bard by that name in their realm? Perhaps they're related?
What would be the price?
That depends on what you want, Jair. A clue or two would only cost your feelings, the Thrune them self might cost as much as your soul.
Atum will wait for a while to analyse his divination. Maybe imp-clerks will move necessary scroll and magic help to notice that.
Oh, dear, Leona mentally sighs. She's decidedly frustrated by the way this particular realm works and complication after complication made her want to just up and stab someone. She wasn't even the type of person to stabbings!
"Doktor Zuess?" she pauses. "That... that sounds familiar." Wasn't there some sort of bard by that name in their realm? Perhaps they're related?
"However, I happen to know a text we could use that is in." He reaches out a short stout arm and telekinetically calls a large tome his hand a book whose cover is scaled as if with sharks’ teeth. He hands the three-square-foot, twelve-inch-thick tome down to Leona. "Go ahead. Open it up, read a passage aloud. The text will change to fit your mortal languages. The book is called Upon the Razor’s Sigh I've been reading it in my off time. It is the biography of the famous angel-executioner, Shyakurl. See if you can read that. Heheh."
Even without a detect spell the huge book feels ominous.
Jair will casts guidance on Chandu before she tries.
My Soul is not for trade, nor for Hell. She belongs to another. But I could bargain some feeling for clues.
Come find me in the Young Adult Mortal Section then and I shall grant your wish. Come quick. Before your friend begins her reading of Upon the Razor’s Sigh.
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Elven eye is good ennougth to see, but wizards fingers not so long and agile. Thats why wizards own familiars.
VEHS, I demand that you get these documents, and remain unnoticed. Go!
Atum will provide Diviners fortune to Doru. Or if he cannot because of distance, he will take small desnan-candle distraction with Prestidigitation to be sure that no one interested in invisible Doru borrowing some scrolls.
If mission completse succesfully, Shane will quickly go away with documents and try to find fellow-finders and take a look together.
If mission completse succesfully, Shane will quickly go away with documents and try to find fellow-finders and take a look together.
The Doru retrieves a number of long scrolls (all slightly moist and with teeth marks on them now). He rounds the corner of the monstrous stacks trailing long winding scrolls until one of them goes taught and yanks the div backward. Veshtahz gives a tug and the scroll comes free but triggers an avalanche that brings down one of the paper peaks. *FWOOOSH!* The imp clerks take notice and fly to investigate.
Jair lets her comrades with the enormous Devil and moves to look at the terms of the contract.
Emotions only really cloud your thinking anyhow, Jair. And you are a thinker, Jair. I can tell. thinks the book to Jair.
Chandu will take the book and give it a go, after all what else can go wrong in here.
Jair offers up a prayer to the Reaper of Reputations and then slips away.
Zarta casts a spell of heroism upon the woman. "You can do this." she whispers in Chandu's ear.
Chandu sets the huge book down on the cold tile floor and flips to a random page. She begins to read....
{Censored}
Somehow she makes it through the passage.
Phlagantres telekinetically yanks the book away before Chandu's common sense returns and she burns the thing.
"Well, perhaps I can help you after all." says the huge devil not looking at all happy about the prospects. "What precisely were you looking for?"
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Atum sees the party and comes closer, trying to observe Phlagantres at once. He than casts detect magic but quickly reminds that it could be unpolite here.
Here we are. Seems like you've found master librarian?
Greeting, tovarisch.
We are looking here for evidence.
First of all, some hellnights who barely could kill a fly, are here. Probably juked around. I've found something probably useful.
But still, they was forced to be here by contract, and not only them.
But a important, for our lands, person, Ghelius Thrune. May be you've heard something about this kin or family or how do you obsere them from here...
Anyway.
For now, Ghellius THrune is our main interest, his contract and his fate. My fellows will add...
Atum looks at pathfinder trying to find support, after understanding that he's talking too much.
He is starting to look through founded documents, tharing'em with team.
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Lasaraleen nods.
Indeed, it is of utmost important to us...and should be to you. We need to know of his fate. The Thrune in question. It will actually be beneficial, not only to us but to you as well. Helping us could improve your station as well.
Well it could help him, but I don't really know.
You would think it would. I cannot believe I am talking to such a creature. Let alone trying to help him.
Looking at Chandu's pained expression.
Um, girlfriend, are you ok?
Reminded by yet another peak disappearing into a crashing avalanche of paper behind him that he had to use stealth to acquire the contracts he was currently engrossed in Atum, tries to hide the evidence as best he can before finally arriving at the Request desk.
Zarta then refrains from bull rushing the elven mage out of sight.