"Ah crap. I guess I shouldn't have killed other me-" Nik mutters aloud while slapping himself on the forehead.
"Er- long story." Nik says as he gives Selveaemmignus Laendrolsiar a sideways glance.
"I think I might've been an omelette for a minute." he explains with a shrug.
"Anyway, thanks for the heads up, Sel. I'll... be careful, I guess..." Nik says before slowly making his way out.
Disappointed at the lack of interesting fireworks from the whole standoff, Baraxx wanders back into the tavern to drink the night away, feasting on roasted meats and making lewd (but harmless and somehow good natured) comments at his servers and bartenders, before finding his bed and passing out.
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So far the library, while informative, does not seem to unravel many mysteries that pertain directly to Rinika. There are references to other works, some of which are present, which might be helpful.
The research citations lead you to a small leather bound manuscript written by a Githzerai who took on the name Balance-in-all-things. There she discusses her philosophy and observations on how the multiverse can be conceptualized as a series of forces balanced against each other. A large portion of the discussion talks about moral and ethical balance between the Outer planes but she also spends some time discussing the balance seen in the Inner planes as well. It's when she starts musing about the Positive and Negative plane that things get interesting. She suggests that all things, including living beings and undead have positive and negative energy within them. When this energy is applied it induces a state change in the thing, living creatures die with too much negative energy is applied but they also die if too much positive energy is given to them, this typically only happens on the positive energy plane. So it's a misnomer to call the Positive Energy Plane the plane of life because it's just as deadly as the Negative. Life and unlife are a balance between the two energies.
Rinika and Nik do some reading
Perusing the books the pair settle on a thick cloth covered book the Modern Prometheus: Practical Applications. This book discusses methods for creating flesh golems. Part of the process involves inverting an animate dead spell to channel positive energy into a corpse rather than negative energy.
Taken together you draw some conclusions on Rinika’s condition. Her balance of positive and negative energy has been altered fundamentally. She contains a knot of negative energy, her spot. To contain this knot of undeath the rest of her living body needed to be conditioned to negative energy somehow. Without actually considering Rinika you wouldn’t have thought about it but some of the methods used to create a flesh golem could be used to condition a living body to accept negative energy, just a matter of reversing some polarity. The balance would be difficult to maintain and if not done exactly right would result in the subject’s death or complete conversion to undeath. You feel like with some expense you could set up a lab to test these theories, just need some volunteers.
Pursuing this research gets Nik a little closer to Lichdom.
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Feeling unusually responsible or simply trying to distract himself from thoughts of visiting his herd, Jek writes a letter to Tethys at the Hall of Speakers using the Green Marvent's note as a spelling aid.
I'm running out of paper. We met a new friend. He's neat. Next time I'll write smaller. The Shadowknave is dead.
-Jek
After sending his letter with a fellow courier, Jek spends his time introducing Baraxx to every tavern he can remember.
Baraxx happily helps Jek catalogue every tavern he can remember in the city, indulging himself in many new experiences and flavors of booze and food consequences and coin purse be damned.
While Jek writes amazing letters filled to the brim with useful information, Nik hopes that they have enough loot for him to afford a casting of Restoration.
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When everyone meets up after a couple of days of banging 'round town, Nik has disturbing news to share.
"So... I finally figured out what's up with that gemstone. It's- slightly cursed; someone else can look through it to watch us. So. Um. I know a guy who can help me smash it. Or we can try to sell it and hope we still get plenty of jink for it. You know, before we go to ... we were going to Pandemonium, right?"
"Okay. So we need to get rid of it. Maybe stick it up a horse and hope it transmits smells too. Anyway, more important than ever now that we go to Pandemonium. I know a guy who might be able to help. Charming fella..he's a bleaker and might be able to hook us up with a good route."
Off to see Wydell!
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”Dearest Jek,
Green Marvent will be sent to the Mazes for this.
I hope your ride to the Demonweb Pits gave you the yawn, but you never know when the fiends are going to turn stag or lead you to a dragon petting zoo. If you have time before you leave please let me know where you’re headed, just in case you’re hipped.
-Tethys
Included with the letter is a stack of Sign of One stationary, with a note on the top page. ”Surely that creepy Dustman had some extra paper. Maybe the back of a Dead Contract?”
Black Boot Street, the Hive Ward
The party finds Wydell serving soup at a nameless soup kitchen run by the Bleakers. He’s a halfling with sun-baked skin and unruly dark brown hair. He wears a threadbare kiekie and well worn sandals. The halfling happily pours out a ladle of a thin stew. Next to him is a tiefling woman with green hair and milky white eyes. Her burlap sack clothing is spotted dark red from bleeding sores that apparently cover her entire body. She doesn’t seem bothered by it at least.
Wydell cheerily waves as you approach, ”Rinika! It feels like over a year since I saw you last.” He begins to pour a bowl of the stew, the meat looks like lamb but smells like urine.
Savi grimaces as soup is being served in a bedpan.
“Oh, you lucky giants get to eat dead animals. My itty-bitty fairy tummy is on a strict diet.”
She’s about to add ‘like berries,’ but decides to keep her trap shut. Anyone who uses pee as broth is as likely to pick berries from bird turds.
Do NOT tell the smaller giant what you eat.
Baraxx trails along with the group as they move around, eyes tightening a bit at the sight of Wydell and company but he’d seen plenty worse before.
"Wydell! So glad you're keeping up with your ministry. How's that been going for ya? What's the chant lately? You seen Lucan at all? You think you could help us get to Agathion quick-like? How's your toes doin?"
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Is it customary to ask the welfare of one’s toes? Nobody asked me about my toes, ever.
And they say cats lack empathy. This cat cares extra-much.
Lunk smiles at the pleasantness, and being a mute, he doesn’t have to explain what he’s smiling about.
Savi is not smiling. She looks slightly puzzled and a little annoyed.
He better not be checking out Rinika’s butt, or there’ll be words.
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Standing quietly towards the back of the group and trying to follow the strange dialect in this place, Baraxx idly checks out the little fairy’s tiny butt.
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Jek flips through the new paper and smiles. After asking Nik where they were going again, he quickly writes back:
Tethys-
Thanks for the paper!
I made a syllable poem.
Pandemonium!
-Jek
After a moment of hesitation he asks "Savi? I have some extra paper here... would you mind if I traced you on it?"
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Savi is surprised by the request. “Why not?” Lunk signs three answers to the question as Savi flattens herself onto the page.
She uses her Sleeves of Many Garments to don a ballerina outfit. Jek will need to trace the ruffled tutu, but the rest of the outfit will get her shape.
“Please be gentle when tracing the wings.” Her giggle is equal parts nervous laughter and giddiness at the honor.
Addressing Lunk’s third concern, she asks, “How come ya wanna trace me?” But the question is out of curiosity, and not a condition for being traced.
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I’ll tell her why not!
<Then there is the safety issue. Your wings are delicate. My shoulder is yours if you ever lose the ability to fly, but you are not a just-sit-there kind of gal…>
As if to prove Lunk’s point, Savi does not just sit. She dives onto Jek’s parchment!
<Can you at least ask WHY?!> Lunk asks, using big hand motions for the word ‘why.’
While the others are distracted by Rinika and Savi, Nik takes the opportunity to checkout Rinika's butt.
"Because it's fun..." Jek begins thoughtfully tracing around Savi. "it will look amazing..." Jek lightly bites his tongue and concentrates on keeping a small gap around Savi's wings and tutu. "and I think you'll like it." He finishes up the final contours of her silhouette. "Done! What do you think?"
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Savi flutters excitedly over the tracing.
“Wow! Haha! I look like a murder victim! No—a flower!! I love it!”
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Jek's work is pedestrian. No one would think to buy it.
"Didn't you hear? Lucan disappeared." Wydell leans in and whispers, "I heard the Lady sent him to the mazes for bothering the dabus" Pulling back again, "That's screed though, he probably went through a portal and doesn't know the key to get back, the keys shift sometimes. I'm sure he'll turn up." And with a shrug he adds, "Unless he doesn't."
Wydell's eyes twitch uncontrollably for a moment but he doesn't seem to notice, "I can't get you to Agathion, I can get you to the Madhouse on Pandemos. Someone there has the chant on getting to Agathion. The Clerk's Ward there's a pair of towers that have sagged so much that their apex's touch. The key's a xiphoid but not an actual chiv."
Baraxx leans towards the nearest companion and asks in a low voice ”They are speaking common, ya? Cause I can’t follow at all. You’d think a civilized city like this wouldn’t be harder to understand than the hordes of the Abyss roaring about like they do…”
Wydell's eyes twitch uncontrollably for a moment but he doesn't seem to notice
"Great, you're a doll, Wydell." Rinika flips him a platinum piece. "For that moon goddess of yours."
She turns to leave and cocks her head at Baraxx's confusion. "Clerk's ward is an area of the city. Towers are those big tall buildings, and their apexes is their top bits. Xiphoid I think just means sword-shaped, but not an actual chiv, so its no good for real stabbing. That help ya tumble to it?"
Nik, unlike Rinika, all but ignores Baraxx's confusion.
"Just don't mess with a dabus, the Lady might maze ya." he explains.
"I bet Lu knows what we need, we can just go buy it from her. Are seashells xiphoid enough? I've seen some pointy ones..." Nik asks rhetorically as he starts leading the way to Tivvum's Antiquities.
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Wydell takes the coin and passes it along to the next sod waiting in line for the urine smelling mystery meat soup. "It will provide small comfort. For every joy that Hinauri felt her grief was ten fold when Irawaru was twisted into the Dog-lord."
The party makes a small visit to Tivvum's Antiquities and after taking a gold and one sheet of Sign of One stationary Lu folds the paper into an origami sword and hands it back to you with a grin.
You arrive at the portal...
Baraxx cocks his head to the side at Rinika’s translation, ears twitching in a distinctively dog like way as he tries to follow.
”Uh, sure.” he replies, face indicating he doesn’t really understand.
As the group makes preparations he follows along, needing noting further for the journey.
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While thinking about future trips to the upper planes on the way to the portal, Nik picks up a scroll of Appearance of Life and some special supplies to copy it into one of his spell books later, stuffing it into his belt pouch until they get out of Sigil.
A warm sea breeze blows across your face with a hint of salt spray. The icthyoid residents of this thalassic city don't pay much heed as they carry on their business in the shell paved street between the coral buildings. That is until they notice Nik's horde of undead. A blood cuddling scream breaks the calm of this burg as a number of the locals begin to clutch harpoons and nets. This is clearly not the Madhouse.
Savi flies up to one of the locals, though she stays out of reach for safety’s sake.
“Excuse me, sir or madam, but we seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Can you tell us where we are?”
"Oh hells. This is Arborea. How did we arrive in the second layer of Arborea? Hey guys, can we hunker down for a bit? Looks like I need this illusion magic sooner rather than later..." Nik says as he pats a scroll and writing supplies before putting them into his haversack.
Noticing people of this burg of Ossa clutching at harpoons and nets, Nik stands still a few moments as he has flashbacks to when his first shambler was discovered...
Baraxx smiles his toothy grin and stays quiet, preferring the locals and their pitchforks and torches stay focused on the necromancer and his minions instead of noticing his own obvious lower plane ancestry.
Even so, he mentally prepares to either take flight or launch into full scale townsfolk slaughter mode, depending on how the next few moments unfold.
Rinika spies the impending doom and attempts to avert it.
"My fine and tasty fishy friends, please do not fret! We bring these disciplined and docile deaders to your only so that we might pass through, we mean you no harm and if left unmolested will certainly cause none. Our journey has been long and if you have a public house where we might rest and resupply, we'll see you handsomely compensated for your generosity with coin aplenty."
Welp, if that doesn't work, I can pretend the shamblers are chasing me and lead them out of town...
Savi is pretty sure the cat will need fairy luck.
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"Arborea? I've heard wonderful things!" Jek smiles and waves at the residents while placing himself between them and Nik's horrific crimes against nature. "Great to meet you, Arborons!"
Rinika's divination to foresee which words the nearby people would best respond to fails.
The various assembled fish-folk pay little attention to the party's words as an undead horde threatens their town. Most of the people scream and flee but a handful stand their ground with determination on their faces.
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Baraxx continues grinning and watching the townsfolk, content to let the less murderously inclined (at least they seem that way) act first before he did something that would make everyone uncomfortable.
I haven’t slaughtered a village of merfolk before, might be interesting. Give that necromancer more bodies for his horde anyway
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"By the Dawnflower I- wait, I know! They can do the running- sorry!" Nik explains as he pulls a wand out of his bandolier and waves it at the closest two hostiles.
before this post
Items with limited uses per day
. 3/3 Lesser Rod of Metamagic, Extend
Supernatural Abilities
. 9/9 Power Over Undead (30' burst; DC 18 will)
. (1 at a time) Corpse Companion
Spell-like Abilities
. 9/9 Bolster (Undead) (+2 profane on attacks and saves; 1 temp hp/HD; +2 turn resistance; 4 round duration)
. 1/1 Pyrotechnics (DC 14)
Spells Prepared:
. 5th (2+1/day) Possession (S), Undead Anatomy II, Wall of Force
. 4th (3+1/day) Enervation (S), Black Tentacles, Dimension Door, Flaming Sphere, Greater (DC 20; +1 CL)
. 3rd (4+1/day) Vampiric Touch (S), Fireball (DC 18), Fly, Haste, Tiny Hut
. 2nd (6+1/day) Command Undead (DC 17) (S), Flaming Sphere (DC 18; +1 CL), Glitterdust (DC 17), Levitate, Mirror Image, Resist Energy (+1 CL)
. 1st (6+1/day) Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 16) (S), Feather Fall, Grease (DC 16), Infernal Healing, Infernal Healing, Infernal Healing, Warp Sense (+1 CL)
. cantrips (at will) Detect Magic (+1 CL), Ghost Sound (DC 15), Mending (+1 CL), Prestidigitation
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Savi sees Nik is not attempting mass murder, and Baraxx is even holding back. Still, to be sure, she says, “Yahhh, let’s not murder the goofy fish-people who think we’re here to zombify their families.”
Still, those harpoons could skewer her like a campfire marshmallow. F+*&. That. Savi turns invisible and flits the hell back.
“Start the getaway kart!”
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Lunk hears the boss loud and clear! He tosses a pumpkin.
It starts to grow and form wheels and phantom horses to pull it.
"Back off! The necromancer is friendly!"
"Fine! Do you want your unconscious bodies stacked on land or set in the water?"
The tiefling gives Jek the side eye at his proclamation and mutters softly to himself.
”Unconscious? I don’t even know how to do that and that seems an awful bother…”