Kort looks into the room with his True Sighted vision, looking for traps and things meant to be unseen.
Perception
Know (Planes)
Know (Religion)
Know (Arcana)
And, if it looks safe, he will examine the altar. He wonder if destroying it will sever the link between the psychopomp and the Duke…or might there be another way to end that link?
The altar is a wisp of the ether more than the reality of the prime material plane. So destroying it will be difficult - though perhaps the rod of cancellation can manage it.
That said, it's an altar for power from the Duke to the psychopomp, not the other way 'round. So Major Kort doubts that destroying the altar will weaken the Duke in any way or 'cause him do die.
It would warn the psychopomp that something has happened here though. And it is a very evil altar...
The Night Swan is not sure how to process what she is hearing about the young Prince. He has been subject to tortures of the soul beyond her wildest imaginings, she is sure of that though, and she will do whatever it takes to free him.
The Night Swan scowls under her mask at the altar and the Major’s description of its purpose and power. ”So this is his friend that has been keeping him alive.”
"'I doubt what’s left of the boy could survive more than a few hours outside the crucible.'” Elen quotes the diary. "Crucible? What would happen if we found that presuming what is left of the Prince's soul is in it? If we disable it, would it free the soul, or destroy it?"
~~~~
"An altar for the psychopomp to use the Duke's power? This just gets weirder and weirder... If the Duke is comprised of a bunch of psychic energy too... what does that make the psychopomp in nature?"
"An altar for the psychopomp to use the Duke's power? This just gets weirder and weirder... If the Duke is comprised of a bunch of psychic energy too... what does that make the psychopomp in nature?"
Kort shakes his head stiffly, then shrugs.
"You ask questions beyond my ken. None of this makes sense. None of the psychopomps should be willing to pervert their true purpose for any of this. The rod could be use to destroy the altar, and I'm not against using it for that purpose," Kort suggests.
And if the area is safe, he will move to the next door and examine it. He will open it when others are ready.
Perception
"It's so evil..."
The halfling and hound circle the altar, coming to a stop when the Major suggests the Rod has power enough to destroy it. "You should try it."
Muri looks towards Edelmira, last Bearer of the Rod. "You should try it."
Major Kort hears nothing beyond the next door.
So, two votes (Major Kort and Muri) for destruction. One more makes a majority. Will you destroy the altar at this time? Or go through the door first?
The Night Swan pulls out the rod. ”Make your preparations, I will try it.”
Kamari concurs with destroying it now while the opportunity exists.
"It might provide them warning of our activities, but our presence will likely be known before long if it isn't already."
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As Edelmira approaches the altar, it seems to know its doom is come. The wispy whispers grow ever louder until its a shout! It’s still hissy however, which makes you all feel, for the moment, like someone is loudly spitting into your ear. What is being said is totally unclear, which perhaps makes it even more annoying.
At the crescendo though, there’s nothing the altar can do to defend itself. As Edelmira destroys the altar and its evil, she has a brief flash of Thassritoum itself staring back at you (image) before the link to the ether is destroyed - along with a powerful non detection spell over this entire complex.
Kort nods as Edelmira does what needed to be done. He is ready to open the next door when others are ready, and have recovered.
”I wonder if there are others looking for this place who might now have access and find us,” Kort wonders if the altar’s destruction will have other implications.
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Elen pulls her chunk of the Duke out of her haversack, stabs it a few times and waves it around just in case.
"You missed one!"
After some time of this demonstration, she follows the others into the next room.
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You open the door… and find the crucible.
A bizarre device of shining, white stone is the sole focus of this room. A deep vessel, large enough for an adult human to sit within, balances atop three stone pillars fitted with lenses and alien instruments. A tub below ripples with a milky, opalescent fluid whose earthy, sweet scent fills the room.
The rest of this almost temple-like chamber consists of shelves lining the walls, though they are largely devoid of books. Instead, only a single journal rests among the empty, stained jars and flasks.
The journal sitting alone on the shelf details Lotheed’s months of careful grafting, surgery, and examination as he carefully nursed Carrius’s shredded soul into a stable state using legends stolen from the Astral Plane - a grisly and painful subject to even read about.
In the margins he muses about undergoing the process himself - to augment his own vital essence. For now however, he considers his immortal life too precious to tamper with - so he has not yet done it. Though there are examples of other pour souls who have undergone the most hideous of treatments in this crucible as he improved his process and learned.
Later entries detail his frustrations with how quickly the legends seem to be growing to overwhelm Carrius himself. The final entry reads:
”I have crafted a ring with which I can enter the boy’s mind and take these delinquent emperors to task with my own hand. They are arrogant automatons - more like clever and willful pets than the emperors I had hoped for, but they’ve done their work.”
”Now I need only prune them back hard, but not so much that my discipline destroys them; there is precious little holding the lad together save their ghostly egos. Another session or two and they should be permanently cowed, but if not, the ring will allow me to re-enter and establish dominance whenever I care to.”
Knowledge Arcana or Planes (Arcana is slightly easier), for more.
Kort examines the notes and crucible, saying nothing until he has thought about things.
Know (Arcana)
Know (Planes)
"Well...," Kort begins stiffly, thinking about how to clearly explain what he thinks.
The Night Swan holds the image of Thassritoum in her mind unflinchingly. A monster that looks like a monster is the kind that scares her the least. The worst monsters will look like anything but.
She listens to the Major’s explanation as best she can. She is clever and well-studied but nit in this particular field, having always preferred the social sciences to metaphysics. ”If it were not for everything I have seen, I would call Lotheed’s work the meaningless ramblings of an insane old man. Unfortunately, they seem to be the extremely meaningful ramblings of an insane old man.”
"Where's the Ring?"
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The Soul Crucible is an artifact that can, with the proper incantations and rituals, tear souls from living bodies, destroy souls, call newly fled souls back from the afterlife, restore the souls of the dead to living bodies, and thanks to Lotheed’s experimentations, extract and purify quintessential traits from one soul to bestow upon another (destroying the original soul in the process).
The crucible requires various rare unguents and reagents - the exact process of which is unknown to you. However, it is currently filled with three doses’ worth of this arcane fluid - enough for three actions. The Major thinks he can resurrect well enough, but he's not sure how to perform the other tasks that the Soul Crucible can perform. Resurrection is the easy bit.
Elen happens to have the Duke's right hand, which has a ring of unknown quality. Presuming she pulls it out (after likely stabbing it again) Major Kort is able to take a closer look.
He’s never seen its like, and has a hard time wrapping his head around what it might be. It seems to allow you to travel into someone’s mind - into their soul. However, if he puts it on and actually tries it, it doesn’t seem to work. As near as he can figure, it must be keyed to one particular soul.
The magics in the ring are powerful. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make this ring and spent many, many tens of thousands in rare components to create it. It seems to be the ring referred to in the journal (link), you assume.
Let me know who, if anyone, puts it on.
Also, perceptions please.
Perception
Kort ponders what he thinks as he stiffly looks around.
Perception Aid auto made.
"'Another session or two and they should be permanently cowed, but if not, the ring will allow me to re-enter and establish dominance whenever I care to."' Elen looks at the ring. "I don't think that'll fit on me anyway. What to do? We should get someone down here who knows how to use the ring and undo all of the damage that has been done with this crucible."
Elen tries to figure out who might have that kind of knowledge and power -- someone that can be trusted.
”Oh bloody heavens, what is this?” The Night Swan is taken completely aback by this horrible device, this aberration of magic and science, as she struggles to fully comprehend its ramifications.
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"So, the Crucible can bring the Princess back. That means we need to bring her body here, which means leaving this place. Which just lost its magic keeping it secret. That's not good."
Muri waits, patiently as always, as those smarter than he shovel their mental bits of coal into their mind furnaces, hoping to purify thought, then finally speak it out loud.
"So, the Crucible can bring the Princess back. That means we need to bring her body here, which means leaving this place. Which just lost its magic keeping it secret. That's not good."
Kort nods stiffly, soberly agreeing with Muri’s astute assessment.
”Yes, I believe that is all correct. And I can make it work. I’ll likely need help, but that is a solution before us. I think that means we do need to get the body of the Princess, but also that we need to clear out this place entirely, lest someone divine our intentions and destroy the Crucible,” Kort summarizes his thoughts.
Kort looks around.
”I think that should be our plan. Let’s pacify this area and see if we can rescue the princess.”
He looks around for agreement or dissent, both are welcome.
For reference, to help out your discussion...
You are two days from the Palace of Birdsong where the Princess is currently lightly interred. That's with your horseshoes of speed zipping you along. So 4 days round trip. Not too bad.
Yes, the protections that hid this place from prying eyes are no longer in place. So yes, the clock is ticking for looters and other entities hostile to the Duke and his cadre of circle loving fanatics.
There are more chambers down here to 'pacify' as the Major suggests. His perception check discovers nothing at this time. Error on my part. :)
Hope and dread war within Kamari as she hears Muri's idea and Kort's confirmation of its feasibility. She's smart enough to know her little knowledge of arcana in this situation would be a dangerous thing, but she trusts the Major.
She remembers one thing that worried her when she first read it, but was lost in the rush of activities.
"The journal mentions emperors, plural. Who else was slave to his intentions? Are there other rings or just the one?"
Kamari examines the ring and then will try it on.
To be clear, Carrius was 'rebuilt' from the soul stuff, stolen from the astral astrology, of former emperors, plural. There is nothing in the notes that suggests the Duke has done this, er, successfully, other than with Carrius.
Kamari checks her pouch, and finds another hand of the Duke, and upon it, a ring of protection +4. Though not as powerful as the other ring, still powerful in its own right. She can't help but wonder what else the Duke might possess...
Kort looks around, waiting for more agreement, and watching Kamari try on rings with unknown powers. Nothing bad ever happened with that.
Kamari keeps the ring on for now and wonders what else they might have missed. She thinks back to their rush to split up the Duke's body parts and realizes they might have not done a proper search.
"Well, we can ponder steps 2, 3 and beyond as we handle step 1, which would be clearing out this place."
After doing a proper inventory of the Duke's possessions, Kamari starts back towards the last room with doors still to be opened.
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Muri participates in the grim work of looting the Duke, in all his separate bits. He has to dismount to approach the body parts, because Underfoot wants nothing to do with the macabre living charcuterie.
The halfling recognizes Kamari's exploration of the soul ring, curious about its effect on the swordswoman. He watches Kort's reaction as well, as the old man has likely seen many many things in his many many years.
The Night Swan produces the Princess’s necklace from her pathfinder pouch. ”We have this token from the Princess. Do you think we could use the…psychic…energies…or the like to do…something.” She shifts uncomfortably. ”I do not really understand how all this works.”
Everybody digs through their various, mostly extra dimensional, sacks and satchels for their pieces of the Duke. You loot what’s left. The Duke was not poor, and had many magics upon his person.
Staff of conjuration
Dagger +2
Amulet of natural armor +3
Belt of mighty constitution +6
Cloak of resistance +4
Headband of vast intelligence +6 (Fly, Perception, Use Magic Device)
Just as a quick reminder, you also failed to search his library in your surprise at the Deathless Duke.
Kamari opens the door…
A flight of steps rises up on the far side of this chamber to an upward sloping ramp, much like the one you were on at the beginning of this delve. The floor of the room is covered in beautiful trapezoidal marble tiles. The ceiling is a carved relief of a ferocious lion, large as a building, crushing armies beneath its paws. It is a rather fine piece of art in its own right.
Gold bars cordon off the eastern and western alcoves flanking the stairs, shading curved alcoves beyond. A roar is heard from the eastern alcove, and a pair of clearly angry and damn huge lions appear. They, alas, cannot get much more than a paw through the bars, and so are not really a threat at this time.
Taldan legends tell of the grogrisant, a golden-furred leonine beast that First Emperor Taldaris killed in the early days of the empire. The grogrisant has reappeared throughout history to test great Taldan heroes, and scholars disagree as to whether this is the same ageless mythic beast or a rare race of creatures. In either case, the mighty grogrisant has sired powerful offspring among the dire lions of the Whistling Plains north of the World’s Edge Mountains. Their legendary heritage evident in their great size, lustrous hide, and rending claws, grisantian lions stalk the plains and mountains of northern Taldor. Haughty and powerful, grisantian lions seek easy meals but cannot resist an opportunity for a challenging fight, hurling themselves against large foes such as giants to demonstrate their formidable attacks and supernatural resilience.
- - -
Kamari pauses at the doorway and looks around for the trap that must surely exist to release the lions.
"Looks safe to me," she opines, but waits for confirmation that things are safe from more experienced eyes. In the meantime, she stares at the lions that exceed her limited knowledge of arcana.
”Well, maybe we need more information,” Kort says stiffly as his suggestion is not wholeheartedly embraced. The Night Swan’s question is a good one, and he does not have all the answers. ”It occurs to me that we also failed to search the library in your surprise at the Deathless Duke. Might be that we discover more there.”
Kort pauses Kamari.
”Kamari, do you mind if we return to the library?”
In the event that the door is opened and we’re going back to the library later….
Know (Arcana)
”Oh dear, those lions are tough. Let’s see here…” Kort says as he explains about the lions.
Kamari doesn't see the trap trigger, though she's likely right there must be one...
Major Kort shares...
DR 10/epic (so everything)
Their bite attacks include a grab option
Pounce: can leap and still do a full attack
Rake: 2 claws +23, 1d8+9ea if it hits with two claw attacks
Tearing Claws (Ex) When a grisantian lion hits a creature with two or more claw attacks in a single round, it savages any armor worn by the target—this grants the grisantian lion a free sunder attempt against armor worn by the target if the victim fails a DC 27 Reflex save.
Powerful Bite (Ex) A grisantian lion’s bite attack adds 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus to its damage rolls instead of its normal Strength bonus.
The Night Swan produces the Princess’s necklace from her pathfinder pouch. ”We have this token from the Princess. Do you think we could use the…psychic…energies…or the like to do…something.” She shifts uncomfortably. ”I do not really understand how all this works.”
"Does anything happen when you wear it?" Elen asks, genuinely interested. "The Princess wore it all the time. Perhaps it acts to ward to something.". Elen guesses.
Hits: 52/118
Current AC: 34
For ‘Princess’: AC: 39
Current Saves: Fort: +15; Ref +17; Will: +10, +12 if Enchant (Elf) (+5 Wingz)
For ‘Princess’: Current Saves: Fort: +20; Ref +22; Will: +15, +17 if Enchant (Elf)
AC: 25; 26 (Bare naked save for Mask and Dodge, +1 Dodge (Sacred))
flat: 18 (ring +3, nat armor +2, mage armor +4) (+1 See above^)
touch: 28 (ring +3, Dex +6, Cha +7, Dodge +1) (Ditto)
Crits on 19-20
CMD = 35
WandofMageArmorCharges = 9/50
Wand of CLW: 31/50
Resolve = 7/8
Challenge = 4/5
Hero Pts: 3/3
Kort waits to see what is happening with the ring and the lions. He's in no position to running in with a startling war cry.
If someone puts on the Princess’s necklace, they find it’s warm to the touch.
Returning to the library…
You suspect much of Panivar’s wealth and his personal library are hidden, probably elsewhere, but this library, with its levitating shelves and incredible depth is a wonder. You find spell books with all (core) wizard spells through eighth level, and a smattering of ninth level spells as well. Plus some other odds and ends unusual spells.
The rest of the library is impressive and detailed. It focuses on Knowledge Arcana, Planes, & Religion with a smattering of Spellcraft rolled in. Studying here for at least four hours a day for a month, will net you a permanent +1 competence bonus in one of these skills. You can study the same topic more than once, to stack the benefits up to +5!
You also find the Duke’s personal research notes regarding the Soul Crucible, detailing his discovery of it, and subsequent modifications.
The first entry is from 4607 (it’s currently 4718). It reads,
”It’s rare Thassritoum provides me an insight without a price or puzzle, but perhaps this one was too precious to serve as a toy. He called it the Soul Crucible, and I see why he kept the knowledge of it hidden until now; it appears the Last Azlanti himself tucked it away from the world, and the locks and wards lost their sting without their master.”
”The vessel seems designed to store and refine immortal souls, constructed, I would wager, by a civilization predating even Azlant. A wily user can imprison his foes and study their secrets from their living essence, but I believe it could be improved upon, with what the Mewling Storm has taught me.”
”This Soul Crucible could live up to its moniker, burning souls down to their most essential traits. Imagine brewing the sword arm of Arnisant? Or the cunning of Razmir? Splicing the greatest living talents together into a perfect whole!”
”I can master this device. With Thassritoum shielding my soul from Pharasma’s gaze, I have all the time in the world.”
More recent entries describe modifications to the artifact’s original function, and the most recent pages discuss how to use powerful motes of psychic energy in place of soul-stuff.
Truly a powerful relic in the wrong hands.
”’Thassritoum’,” Elen states, clearly having seen enough. ” Sounds like they are next on our list, and maybe they are key to us helping out the Princess! Let Pharasma sort out the Duke and the what is left of the souls in Crucible -- and the Crucible itself.”
”Thassritoum has to be beyond those lions,” she follows Kamari towards the enormous felines.
Hits: 52/118
Current AC: 34
For ‘Princess’: AC: 39
Current Saves: Fort: +15; Ref +17; Will: +10, +12 if Enchant (Elf) (+5 Wingz)
For ‘Princess’: Current Saves: Fort: +20; Ref +22; Will: +15, +17 if Enchant (Elf)
AC: 25; 26 (Bare naked save for Mask and Dodge, +1 Dodge (Sacred))
flat: 18 (ring +3, nat armor +2, mage armor +4) (+1 See above^)
touch: 28 (ring +3, Dex +6, Cha +7, Dodge +1) (Ditto)
Crits on 19-20
CMD = 35
WandofMageArmorCharges = 9/50
Wand of CLW: 31/50
Resolve = 7/8
Challenge = 4/5
Hero Pts: 3/3
Kort spends some time in the library, trying to get a handle on everything.
"What's amazing to me is how old this entry is...almost as old as I am," Kort says stiffly. "They could have been planning something like this for a while."
Kort nods at Elen's conjecture.
"Yes, then it appears we need to deal with the lions. Let's get there, shall we?" Kort moves the party back to the lions so that everyone can get ready for an unfun battle.
"Yes, then it appears we need to deal with the lions. Let's get there, shall we?"
"On second thought, maybe we can fly right past them and send someone down later to cleanup. Or cleanup ourselves -- later."
”I can master this device. With Thassritoum shielding my soul from Pharasma’s gaze, I have all the time in the world.”
"I wonder if there's a way to reveal his parts to Pharasma and end this hand's wiggling. It's going to be creepy and kooky if I have to keep it in my haversatchel forever."
"As to the lions, maybe we can try talking to them. Maybe they're imprisoned or under contract, which should hopefully be null and void."
Kamari will shout at lions from the doorway without entering the room.
"Hello! The Duke is mostly dead as are most of the things in this place. Any chance you two would be happy to just run away?"
She looks to Underfoot.
"Um, I know they're not dogs, but..."
"As to the lions, maybe we can try talking to them. Maybe they're imprisoned or under contract, which should hopefully be null and void."
"You want to *talk* to the unspeakably dangerous lions? Those ones? Not the stone ones decorating the grounds outside? Because you might have a better shot with them, than you would with these lions. But maybe? I guess? I mean, you seem to be, uh, very, uh, deliberate sometimes," Kort replies, looking at Kamari with all this eyebrows up in doubt.
"Sounds like a plan. You go talk to the lions, and we'll try to recover whatever parts of your spleen that we can find. That is a plan, for sure."
Kort will support the 'good puppy' plan, and moves to where he can watch and listen.
Keep in mind, that while the lions aren’t ‘evil’, they are quite selfish and uncaring of others. Chatting with them and releasing them, if even possible, will result in some nearby village being assaulted. Likely just livestock at first, and then a villager or two as their hunger is un-sated.
Now that being said, it is a good opportunity for a young adventuring band to get their chops. Paying it forward if you will to the young folk just coming up. But there will be a lot of death and bloodshed before that happens.
Still, just in case…
"Hello! The Duke is mostly dead as are most of the things in this place. Any chance you two would be happy to just run away?"
They don’t roar - they lick their lips and pace in their cages watching Kamari closely. They even manage to make it look like they're not going to tear her limb from limb given the chance.
- - -
Elen activates the mask.
"One second -- they understand you but are unable to speak... I think they are just here to rend us all to pieces far and wide. Not trustworthy, are they."
She casts comprehend languages.
After the three round warm up, they each get a save.
vs DC 22
vs DC 22
Neither make it. Their thoughts are murderous it's true, but they are not purely instinctual beasts - they have an intelligence higher than 2. They could be reasoned with. At least enough not to attack the party as they flee the complex. They are currently trying to gauge whether they could take you in a fight. They're undecided at the moment. They are thinking in common.
Arcane Sight
You detect no magic upon them, or the bars (it's a purely mechanical process surprisingly enough). Neither lion is capable of casting spells.
Discern Lie
Note it's discern lie, not detect lie. Thanks for the DC.
vs DC 22
vs DC 22
Hehehe, they're not lying - though they're not exactly saying anything either.
- - -
”Too bad the Circlet of Speaking won’t work on these dear magical lions, but this is slowing us down. We should move on and figure out how to negotiate with them on our way out.“
Sense Motive
"Indeed. Let's see if something can be worked out. We can kill them, but it'd be better to avoid the fight and get what we seek. It's too bad M'Della isn't here to bind the lions behind walls of stone or iron, she would do that no problem, but she is no longer with us," Kort mentions an old ache.
He waits to see if Kamari can find the words to calm the lions and earn a peace.
Kamari is swayed to bypass, thinks better of, trying to negotiate with the lions.
She renews her shield spell with her wand.
"So, shall I lead the way?"
She takes a tentative step onto the floor of the room and then will take the most direct route across while hoping to not hear any cages opening.
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"Um, I know they're not dogs, but..."
"They're large cats." Underfoot looks Kamari over. "They can't be reasoned with."
Muri nods in agreement with Underfoot, then readies to cross the lions' den, his bow lining up attacks through the bars.
"We could end them from this side of the cage, can't we? They are unable to escape by themselves, right?"
"Oh! What about Virgil and the others? Should we gather them now, or make sure we've completely cleared the complex?"