"High priestess, thank you for welcoming us in peace. We can to investigate a great threat in your secluded mountain home."
Flik tries to get a sense of her intentions. Perhaps she could be a potential ally against the Runelord.
It seems much more likely we're about to be ambushed, though.
Borgol tries not to tense up, This certainly feels like we've put our heads right into the noose, now..., but follows, mentally mapping potential escape routes as he does. Finally, he bows at the priestess, allowing Flik to speak, but trying not to wince, But aren't *they* -- and their worship -- the threat?
The high priestess returns Borgol's bow. "Are you hungry or thirsty? Let us adjourn to the dining hall where we can discuss business."
Flik finds it hard to get a read on Zurea, but she does not seem hostile. Not yet, at any rate...
Long mahogany tables run the length of this room. Each table is heaped with servings of delicious-looking food and surrounded by several indigo-cushioned chairs, while crystal chandeliers accented with sapphires hang directly above each. A sideboard runs along the wall, holding several sets of silverware and collections of delicate wine glasses.
Zurea sits at the head of the table and gestures you to take your seats. She speaks a few words of power, and the tables automatically set themselves with delicious food. She gestures, and some of the priests move to pour wine into the glasses. As you get settled in, several more people file into the dining hall until a total of eight clerics and sixteen monks fill the chamber.
"Do not be alarmed. It is rare for us to receive visitors. They only wish to observe," Zurea says. The high priestess begins to slice into the meat in front of her, taking small bites. "Now then, tell me more about this threat you have come to investigate."
Flik attempts to choose his words carefully. "An ancient evil that has long out-lived its time stirs in the mountains. If it isn't stopped, it will enslave all life in Varisia, and perhaps beyond."
"Though it is hard to remember in such fine surroundings, evil deeds are being committed in this valley to bring that evil back to his full power. We have come to stop him and to make sure that his tyranny remains a part of the past."
Borgol does his best to watch the reactions to Flik's tale, the sense of being in danger rising further with each word.
Borgol gets the sense that Zurea doesn't seem to be up to anything nefarious. Her boredom and eagerness to speak appears to be genuine.
"You speak a lot about evil," the priestess says. "But both good and evil are flawed concepts invented by society to keep the unenlightened in line. What if you could pursue your desires—be they to help others or to hurt them—outside of this so-called morality? What if your mind, body, and soul were as one? Think of what you could accomplish! That is what the Peacock Spirit promises. That is why we worship it.”
Zurea takes another bite of her food before continuing. "Does this so-called 'evil' you have come to stop have a name? And what sort of deeds do you suspect are occurring here to strengthen him?"
"It might be hard to believe, but it is the ancient Runelord Xanderghul. He is using the shrines of the valley to protect himself from the consequences of his schemes."
Flik continues, "Your philosophy is fine for ascetics who live in seclusion, but we have to live down in the world and navigate it morally!"
“Xanderghul? That is...intriguing," Zurea says. "Of course, we all know about him. He was the Peacock Spirit’s most ardent worshiper and was responsible for building this very temple! But that was thousands of years ago, and Xanderghul has been gone, perhaps dead, for ages. And now you are saying he has returned? That is news to us! We have receive no word of his resurrection.
"It seems you are involved in things beyond our ken here. We live a quiet life of study and contemplation of the glory of the Peacock Spirit. We have a library, this dining hall where we can consume whatever we wish, and comfortable places to sleep. Of course, as high priest, I have my own chambers, but I spend most of my time with my fellow devotees.” Zurea’s nose crinkles in disgust as she continues, “Oh, and there is the gallery, but there is something off about that place. We try to avoid remaining in there for too long."
Borgol smiles, holding his tongue, even while his mind races, But the act of helping others is, in and of itself, good, and harming them is evil -- even when it's done by 'enlightened' cultists who think themselves 'beyond' such things...
He blinks, however, at the priestess' reaction, shaking him out of his negativity, to offer, "The lingering power of a Runelord would likely cause such an impression. Would you mind if we investigated the gallery? Maybe we could cleanse it of its... taint, leaving you to enjoy it once more."
“The cursed place was like that when we arrived. I did some research into the artist. His name was never recorded, but many believe he could see fragments of visions of the future. Judging from the paintings’ subjects of the end of the world, his visions were quite accurate predictions of Earthfall. Perhaps these paintings contain a psychic echo of this pain and destruction...”
Zurea thinks for a moment. “I’ll make you a deal. If you can do something about those paintings—lift the curse, so to speak—I will bestow unto you a great treasure.”
"Well, we'd be happy to help as a return for your hospitality. And any items you give us will be put to good use, I assure you."
Cursed paintings and resurrected runelords. Well, never a dull moment.
Once the meal concludes, Zurea directs you to the south portion of the nave, where the art gallery lies. Portraits, landscapes, and other works of art hang on the walls of this gallery. Each piece is more unsettling than the last, with odd perspectives, bizarre color choices, and barely perceptible disturbing images in the backgrounds. All of the paintings seem to share a common theme: the end of a world in the form of fire raining from the skies.
Those sensitive to magic can feel faint psychic reverberations echoing from the artwork...
Borgol says, "I can feel the strangeness on the art.... Like it's making my holy symbol itch... Flik, Maddie, any ideas?"
Flik examines the paintings, then quickly walks everyone to the entrance to the gallery!
"Back up! You're right that the art is strange. Nightmares are magically trapped within the art. Maddie might be able to dispel it, though righteous magic might be able to banishment the memories." The gnome scratches his chin.
"A less pleasant possibility: If someone where to brave the maddening effects, it might disperse the harmful energy, though that seems dangerous."
"Oh yeah, that feels weird! And icky. Kinda cool, but yeah, definitely a thing we should get rid of."
With a wave of her hand, magic strong enough to cause reality to stutter flows from the little girl to the painting, trying to wash away the necromantic energies infusing the painting.
Though Maddie's first attempt ends in failure, she alters her own timeline to recall the magic and try again. This time, the spell succeeds! A psychic burst of energy blasts the young wizard with a momentary wave of pain. When it passes, the gallery's frames now hold nothing but blank canvases.
When you report your success to her, Zurea seems rather impressed by the feat. "Well done. Come with me to claim your reward."
She leads you back into the main temple, her followers trailing in her wake. She steps behind the altar and opens up a hidden compartment, retrieving a scroll of heal which she hands to you. Immediately thereafter, she dons an ostentatious hat and looks to the other priests of the Peacock Spirit, who begin to take seats in the pews.
Zurea raises her arms. “My dearest devotees, we gather now to offer our minds, souls, and bodies to the Peacock Spirit. Benevolent, wise, powerful, the Peacock Spirit fills us and lifts us up each and every day, and for that, we give thanks.” The cultists all simultaneously chant, “We give thanks.” Zurea continues, “The Peacock Spirit shows us the ways we may better ourselves, and for that, we give thanks.” The cultists repeat their chant. “The Peacock Spirit found us, lost and wandering, and set us on the path to true enlightenment, and for that, we give thanks.” The cultists chant once more. “The Peacock Spirit shines its grace and beauty upon us, reminding us of the light within us all, and for that, we FALL TO OUR KNEES!”
The repetition in Zurea’s speech and the drone of the cultists’ chanting is soothing, if a bit unsettling. At the end of the short prayer, the cultists drop to their knees. Zurea looks at you expectantly.
Borgol steps back, toward the wall, as the Cultists chant, I'm thinking Ol' One-Eye doesn't need his Vindicator getting dragged into their little ritual.... As the Cultists fall and the Priestess looks at them, he gently taps his holy symbol, and shrugs apologetically.
Fergus too is of the same mind of Borgol. He mutters, Sorry, but my deity won't appreciate me worshipping another. Dwarves are funny that way.
Zurea scowls at you. “I see. I had hoped you would be open to the truth, to join with us in accepting the Peacock Spirit, but I see know that you are irredeemably tainted by your own false beliefs. I ask you now to leave this sacred space. If you return, you will be met as enemies, not as friends.”
Borgol nods, "We appreciate your hospitality....," and then adds, "However, we are still here to stop Xanderghul, something that would be made easier with your aid."
Just as you would not participate in our religious ceremonies, you can't expect us to participate in yours. We want the same thing here. Let us not let a difference of religious beliefs sideline that.
"I have no patience for blasphemers such as yourselves," Zurea says menacingly. "If you do not leave at once, then I will have no recourse but to seize you by force!"
"We know when we aren't welcome!" Flik motions to his mates to exit the temple.
"There's something odd about those acolytes. I thought they would surely fight us when we admitted we were opposing the runelord. And what's the connection between Xanderghul and the Peacock Spirit?"
Borgol shrugs, "Sorshen spoke of the Spirit as some sort of deity or, at least, entity, that Xanderghul tried to get the others to worship... one that the Pridelord was a dedicated follower. If not for that, I would have thought they were one and the same.... I mean, I just can't see the blasted Runelord of Pride bending a knee to some external force. Unless, of course, he managed to capture it somehow and bind it to him."
He pauses, then says, "They didn't blink when we said his name, though -- at least, not that I noticed -- which means either that they don't know that... or that they do and they're very practised liars."
"Whatever their beliefs, we have to get past them and get deeper into the temple," Remy says. "How should we proceed? Is there some magical way we can get past them, or are we going to have to fight through their ranks? Either way, I'm game." She smiles slightly.
"How perceptive do you think they are? I can veil us from sight." Flik can use his illusions to shroud the party, but there were many eyes in the temple.
"Zurea's probably got magic that can see through invisibility," Remy muses. "But as long as we stay away from her, your veil might work."
Borgol says, "I think that's a good start -- plus, I believe most of us are pretty good at keeping quiet and out of sight.... of course, Fergus is the exception there."
"I'm willing to try. Let me know when we are ready, and I'll draw magic around us."
Unless someone has a spell that makes me quiet! Fergus laughs.
Fortunately, Borgol has prepared a spell of silence! With your plan in place, you wait until nightfall, when most of the priests will hopefully be asleep. Then, you cloak yourselves in invisibility and silence and creep back into the nave, slipping past a few of the priests who are standing watch.
With a bit of searching around, you discover a hidden door in the pulpit at the center of the worship hall. Opening the door reveals a flight of spiral stairs leading down a dizzying descent of 400 feet to the dungeons below.
Eventually, you reach the bottom of the stairs, where a door opens onto a chamber. The ceiling is 12 feet high and illuminated by orange magical lights. An L-shaped table occupies the center of this room. Though the walls and floor are otherwise a drab gray, a bright-orange circle is painted in the center of the room on the floor near the table. A line of the same color leads from the circle into a passageway exiting to the west.
A trio of strange creatures stand watch here. Each one appears to be a pair of spiked fiends, interwoven through bodily cavities and impaling limbs. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to get past them and open the door without them noticing.
Borgol whispers, "Flik? Maddie? Do we know what they are, and whether we could take them out quickly?"
Flik, as quietly as possible, tells Borgol, "They are asura raiders. They will be resistant to my mind magic, and they are tough enough to shrug off some damage from acid and electricity, and any weapons that aren't blessed."
"Alright. So, we ready to kick their butts?" Remy asks the others.
Yes! Let's defeat them quickly before we draw a crowd. Fergus adds.
"On the count of three," Remy says. "One. Two. Three!"
Flik casts good hope.
Borgol holds up a finger and quickly casts a spell before nodding to resume the count. He then rushes forward, swinging his shield to knock back the leftmost creature, throwing it into the wall with is momentum.
for
Keeping the lane clear for Borgol, Fergus will attack one of the creatures.
Maddie pulls upon the strands of time, hastening her allies in their attacks.
Borgol slams one of the twin creatures across the room and into the wall, knocking it prone. Remy and Fergus focus on a second of the fiends, wounding it before it has a chance to realize what's going on.
The fiends react quickly, however, shouting at you telepathically. "Stay your hands, new prisoners! Drop your weapons and gear or face annihilation!" The creatures take a moment to protect themselves, creating mirror images to throw off your attacks.
Flik will start performing and cast glitterdust (DC 17).
"I think you've misread this situation!"
Borgol takes a step forward to lash out at the now-prone creature... Whichever one of them is real, anyway.
Fergus will attack another of the creatures.
Fergus and Remy assault their target, taking out all of its mirror images before finally finishing it off! Borgol slices and pummels another of the fiends. Flik blinds the unoccupied asura with glitterdust!
The wounded fiend slashes at Borgol with its kukri and claws, but he blocks its attacks
The blinded enemy sends magic missiles to strike Flik. It then manages to clear the dust from its eyes.
Fergus will move to attack the remaining foe!