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"The undead were banging on the doors to the crypts, brother Dakang. What do you suggest we do? With the symbols and texts, it appears to be clear that this corruption has long pre-dated our arrival and we are simply the first ones to find it." Baram replies to the conjecture of Dakang, "And by you, I simply mean that as leader of this temple, you hold most responsibility for what goes on in it."
"I admit, I have not visited the crypts in some time. My focus has been on educating the living rather than honoring the dead. Perhaps something has crept in there without me knowing about it."
He smiles beneficently. "Ah, finally seeking guidance rather than casting blame brother? My suggestion is that you keep looking and discover what is truly at the root of these problems rather than casting blame upon me. As your friend says, isn't everything so innocent?"
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"Where do you suggest we look? We should probably start with destroying anything related to Sifkesh...Tofang, do you still have that text? I'll burn it quickly...you know, there is always a sure fire way to find worshipers of Sifkesh, their noses always turn black." Baram says as he both waits for Tofangs text and to see Dakang's reaction.
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Castinus watches intently as Tofang and Baram quiz the head monk on Sifkesh and the evidence of the corruption they have found. Unable to feel he has a contribution to make to the debate he instead watches intently for any sign about the room which appears out of place or unusual;
If he fails to see anything of note, he instead tries to sneak his way up the staircase to the south and through the (door? curtain?) at the top into the room behind, whilst the others are engaged in debate. Even if he is noticed, he will seek to advance up the stairs for a look regardless...
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Kal'ryon strolls into the room, shifting to the right to mirror Barram's position. His pace and posture are relaxed, almost flippant and he wears his now trademark smile- as though he is the only person in the room enjoying this.
"Ah yes, you haven't been. Wasn't it under your orders that no one enter the crypt? Regardless, as the leader here, everything that happens is your responsibility. That is the price of leadership, is it not?"
"Their noses turn black when texts dedicated to their master are burned near them? Or they just turn black when they become followers of Sifkesh? If the latter, then I am pleased to say you have nothing to look for here as everyone's nose is quite fine." He smiles in beneficent victory.
"I had the crypts sealed because people were a bit too curious about those interred there. Is it not more important for the living to help each other find enlightenment than to obsess about those who have passed on to Korada's embrace? Besides, I thought one of the sarcophagi was becoming unstable."
"And I am the spiritual leader, yes, but not a military commander or even a politician. It is my duty to help my followers find their way to my master, not to check in on their every activity," he answers Kal'Ryon.
"Excuse me, but you'll find nothing of interest up there...but please come down, it is time for me to take my place," he calls to Castinus.
Speaking of Castinus...beyond the red curtain he finds himself standing on a balcony that doubles as a pulpit. Unlike the other rooms in the temple, the chapel’s ceiling is 30 feet high. Tall windows look out into the riotous overgrowth of the garden. Several evenly spaced prayer mats cover the floor here. An elaborate stone font stands at one end of the chapel, although the font is empty. The balcony is 15' above the floor and features a podium.
A few of the temples inhabitants have already gathered below and look up hopefully as Castinus comes through the curtain, though that expression turns to confusion and disappointment when they see that he is not Dakang.
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Korada meditates on the information presented before him. He may not be the quickest wit, but his gut feelings tend to be pretty accurate signs from Korada.
"Who were the women that let us in? Why is Korada's spiral made of double arrows in your chamber here? What sermon are you planning on giving and why to only a select few of your disciples since many of them are eating in the dining hall?" Baram presses, hoping to either make Dakang slip up or to help him figure out what it is happening.
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Kal'ryon tucks his guisarme under is arm, and slowly claps his hands- exposing his long, back fingernails.
"Spoken like a true politician... despite your claims to the contrary. Come, Come. If this is so clear cut, speak a strong word against the teachings of Sifkesh. Perhaps renounce that name! Something simple, like 'Sifkesh is a false God of the weakminded' should do the trick. Say it, and I will gladly turn and show you my back. That shouldn't be too hard, unless..." and Kal'ryon has leveles his gaze at the man, and a spark of anger begins to burn deep in his eyes.
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Tofang shakes his head.
”I listened for a while. I want you to know that I personally would not burn any books to an evil god as I am here to preserve knowledge. I also want to point out that the follower of the god of heresy would probably fear nothing if they would denounce their own god as Sifkesh after all stand for heresy!“
He steps back.
”I would propose to wait another day and use spells that identify evil to see who or what is responsible... “
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From behind the curtain in the room with the balcony, Castinus looks down on the assembled monks below. Religious preaching is not his strength, but persuasion... he has often had a way with words and whilst Baram and the others distract Dakang downstairs, this might well be the only chance he has to catch the assembled monks and denounce this heretical infiltration by Sifkesh. He steadies himself, places both hands on the balcony, and takes a moment to assess his audience.
Castinus brandishes his rapier in the air and speaks:
"Please, listen to me a moment. You have been deceived, and by a man in whom you place your trust - Dakang. I came as a visitor to this peaceful place of contemplation and meditation, but what I found is shocking. Desecration! - undead concealed in your crypts. Heresy! Your library tampered with and your texts altered. Deceit! The holy symbols of Sifkesh, lord of subversion and lies, celebrated in Dakang's study. And worse still - Abominations! an extra-planar monstrosity loose in the corridors of your dining hall. Open your eyes! This is not right! This heresy ends now! Worshippers of Korada - defend your beliefs and hold this heretic to account! Are you with me? Then shout! Shout! Down with Sifkesh, his symbols and all his works!"
"Listen to me ! You may have been expecting Dakang and another carefully coded sermon promoting Sifkesh and his abominable works, another twisted call to befoul the works of Korada and deceive the innocent monks outside. You will fail and I am why ! If you follow Sifkesh - challenge me! If you serve his works - decry me! I will confound your crimes and the only way to stop me is through force! Down with Sifkesh, I spit on his symbols and all his followers! Korada forever !"
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"Ah, that's clever. I, Baram, Champion of Korada, denounce Sifkesh, despicable god of heresy and suicide. May he one day see the true light of the world and walk the path of redemption that he, himself, laid with many thorns. When he walks this path, Korada will be there to help him. The path itself must be walked alone, but help may be given to prevent falling off of it." Baram declares with his religious fervor.
The people in the chapel look on at Castinus in clear confusion. They do call out the way he wants them too but they do start talking among themselves. It is obvious that they are not sure what he's talking about but also that they are not going to attack him for decrying their leader.
Dakang opens his mouth to begin answering the Pathfinders' latest barrage of questions and accusations. His mouth clamps closed as Tofang speaks and his look of distaste and annoyance becomes one of anger and irritation as Castinus makes his erstwhile sermon.
The epithet he releases is one that should never pass any holy man's lips (unless it comes from a Caidenite who gets cut off at the bar.)
"I was really hoping that you would just leave. Now, I'm going to have to kill you," he says even as his face and head begin to expand and bulge and twist in a horrifying manner.
That is just the beginning, though as, within moments, his head explodes entirely and within is revealed a massive maggot like five jawed worm.
Pathfinders
Dakang
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"Haha! So the traitor reveals himself...whatever it is."
Baram says as he steps over and recites a litany of Korada's light, infusing him with additional power. "Come find forgiveness, heretic."
Baram fiegnts an attack, but stops just short before delivering the force of two blows into a single one-inch punch.
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Castinus continues to harangue the monks from his balcony for the first round, failing to act until he first hears the sounds of combat behind him. On hearing a fight break out, he turns to the crowd "To arms! The corruption is revealed! To arms!". Rushing back to the stairs down from the chapel he looks on horrified at the abomination below. "By Absalom!". He draws a flask of alchemical fire from his pack.
A moment after Dakang reveals himself and before he can strike at the Pathfinders, they lay a barrage of attacks in many forms upon him. While most of them clearly do not do as much damage as they should, Vanna's attack is both fully effective and highly effective, finding a vulnerable spot in the wormlike creature's body.
It unleashes an inhuman infernal shriek and crawls hideously out of
its host, leaving behind an empty sack of skin and bits of gristle. In so doing, it absorbs much of the body’s flesh and many of it's wounds heal.
Yet, it is clearly not inclined to continue the battle and even as the body of its humanoid host falls in a boneless, shapeless pile, the worm falls the other way, burrowing through the floor and into the ground underneath.
Pathfinders
Dakang -35 HP
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"Huh...some kind of worm thing was using this body? We better warn the rest of the followers here to keep their eyes out for it. Maybe some of the clerics can ward the temple against its intrusion if we do so." Baram says out loud as he watches the worm burrow away, "My thanks fellow pathfinders. We have rid my temple of corruption."
He then heads over to Korada's spiral made of Sifkesh runes and begins correcting it.
Short as the combat was, it was rather loud. While there's no way for the people out in the chapel to get in conveniently, the women who were guarding the hallway are easily able to come into Dakang's chambers.
"What happened? What did you do?!" the lead woman exclaims, more than a bit of accusation in her voice when she sees the deflated meat sack covered in Dakang's clothing on the floor.
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"What happened? You disingenuous fool! You listened at the door after we entered your master's study. You heard him reveal his treachery, and now" pointing at the manskin on the floor and the wormhole in the study flooring, " you see the nature of his deceit. Could one of use have burrowed this? Does not this discarded skin resemble Dakang? Mark my words, he is still out there, and when he reappears, it will be to sow deceit once more. Baram can guide you best on this, but I would say that for your own safety, you need to be vigilant now against his return. "
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"Yes, it as my fellow pathfinder says. I don't entirely understand the nature of the creature we fought, but it appeared to be some kind of worm that either used this poor man as a host for a type of possession, or was able to create this body to use as a disguise. If the former is true, we better pray to Korada to seal this temple from future incursions of this creature." Baram helps explain with Castinus.
"Come, lets gather the temple followers together, we must reveal what has happened and what to do from here. I'll deliver the news and lead the meeting." Baram says to the women.
It ends up being easiest to gather everyone in the chapel as most of the residents of the temple were making their way there, anyway.
When Baram and Tofang make their declarations, there is doubt and mistrust at first and then shock and horror followed by sorrow and anger.
The four halflings, four humans (including Zhuang and Miriya), three aasimar (the guards) and a gnome all speak over each other as they throw questions at both their fellow residents and the Pathfinders.
Eventually, they settle down into a sort of calm order, breaking up into smaller groups.
Zhuang approaches the Pathfinders. "There is much for us to think about and deal with, strangers. It seems that some of us have spent most of our lives living a lie. But we have to thank you for exposing that lie to us. I don't know what brought you here, but any assistance we can give you is yours."
He turns to Baram. "We were fooled once so I hesitate to trust anyone, but perhaps I can put my faith in one who defied the deceiver. If you would be willing, many of us would appreciate any guidance you can provide in following the True Path."
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"I do not believe it would be fair for me to take leadership of this temple when many have been here longer. I will share with you the teachings I have come to follow most dearly from our lord Korada. Write this down if you believe this to be of importance for you." Baram says as he gives time for anyone to grab something to write with.
"One, all actions, even inaction, have consequences. A ripple of forgiveness causes waves of redemption. Weigh your actions carefully."
"Two, peaceful words are measured best by peaceful actions. It is not enough to speak of peace, one must strive for it." Baram pauses for a moment to allow those writing to keep pace.
"Two, it is not an easy task to walk back down a path one has filled with thorns. Help those who stumble on this path, for at least they are willing to walk it."
"Three, those in need may turn to darkness to survive, judge not these souls, but help return them to the path of light. Help those in need before they begin their descent, lest their path of return grow from inches to miles."
"Four, the dead cannot seek forgiveness nor can they make amends for their actions. If it is capable of striving for betterment, then it deserves the chance to do so. Mercy will always change more than butchery."
Finally, Baram speaks to Zhuang, "I will make it my goal to visit often, but if you require a leader, who do you believe is the most experienced here? It's possible you might be the next leader Zhuang, but I suggest the idea that you simply have no leader, all are equals that can guide each other on Korada's path."
The residents of the temple, at least those listening to the Pathfinders rather than arguing or mourning, listen closely to Baram's suggestions. They also clearly take into account the suggestions about how to run the place.
Zhuang takes the lead in thanking them. "You have the run of the Temple, of course," he mentions. "It is the least we can do for helping us move off the wrong path."
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"Brother Zhuang, I'm not that invested in the spellcasting of our faith, but if you ask Korada, I'm sure he will assist your divine magic in warding the temple from the creatures return. At the very least, it appears that alignment detecting magic may reveal its location or identity if it returns." Baram says to Zhuang.
Even while he is speaking with Zhuang, Baram thinks back on what brought them to this temple in the first place.
He remembers Aram Zey's face clearly as he says "First, locate the temple’s meditation room, find evidence of any meditative techniques described there, and record any effects of performing those techniques. Second, prepare a comprehensive catalog of all works in the temple library. Third, find the temple gardens and draft a detailed plan of
the garden’s layout. Finally, enter the temple’s crypt and take rubbings of the carvings on each sarcophagus."
It seems they have performed 2 of the tasks and opened the way for a third, though it still needs to be fully performed.
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"Brother Zhuang, I just remembered. We didn't originally plan on coming here to overthrow a religious cult. Our Pathfinder Captains require us to map out the gardens and take some rubbings of the sarcophagus. I promise we won't damage or disturb anything as we do so." Baram says as he indicates he wishes to head to the gardens unless anyone objects.
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You are correct Baram! We need to get these jobs done and complete this mission. It is amazing, we were sent on a peaceful mission to collect some info and ended up saving many souls. When Itham passes the three orbs that he was asked to defile, his heart sinks a bit to think that the organization he has vowed to serve would ask him to carry out something so... petty.
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Tofang is deeply moved by what they achieved together.
He knows that it was also partially his success today... his own words that convinced these souls to reflect on the evil that had corrupted them so perfectly!
”Thanks for allowing us access to your temple. I will always fondly look back at this moment ... where diplomacy and understanding of others‘ motives was more important than books, research and engineering!“ Tofang says in contemplation.
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"Hmm?" Castinus looks up from his notebook, where he has been furiously scribbling notes on the climactic events of the last few minutes, and of the actions and reactions of the party thereafter. Charcoal writing stick in hand, he looks up at the others; "Yes. Yes, we should finish our tasks here and be gone. The monks here can take control of their own future; they will be far more wary henceforth against infiltration by Dakang and his like." He scratches his chin, "I suggest we finish in the crypt first, then check out the garden. It looked clear from the balcony, but..."
He looked around the group, looking for their assent or alternatives.
The people of the temple are more than happy to let you move about as you like. They are far too busy trying to determine what this revealed heresy means to think much about their saviors' actions.
Without that heresy to distract them, it is easy enough for the Pathfinders to continue on their original mission. Backtracking along their path, they end up back in the crypts.
Taking the requested rubbings is a painstaking task, but with all of them working together, it only takes a couple hours to get what is needed.
Afterwards, they break open the doors into the gardens (I assume...there are other ways to get there.)
The temple garden is badly overgrown with tangled vegetation. Vines and briars climb the temple walls on three sides, surrounding the large windows into the chapel and the smaller windows into the library. The garden itself is a profusion of flowering bushes and weeds. Except for a clear space in the center of the garden, the dense weeds grow taller than an adult human. At the center of the garden sits a crumbling fountain, long dry, with a statue of a noble turtle in the center. Heaps of foliage choke two similar fountains, each with a large stone orb resting in the fountain’s center.
It quickly becomes apparent that mapping the garden is going to require clearing and pruning it back first. That task is herculean and it will take a dozen man hours unless...
The only gnome in the temple stands near the central statue, leaning against it, thoughtfully.
"Greetings! We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Gastidem. Nasty business with Dakang wasn't it? But not everything has been corrupted here, I assure you. Korada's Kiss, for example," he gestures to the turtle statue.
"Would you like to test your worthiness? I'm certain you'll all pass with flying colors."