Kamari is ready to move forward and to be a bit more careful until a proper healing can be obtained.
Kamari is ready to move forward and to be a bit more careful until a proper healing can be obtained.
"Do you want to borrow the crossbow, Kamari? Can you use it? I can make do with my magics for the time being."
With Kamari's situation unhandled, Kort moves to follow Elen. He will examine the door, then open it when others are ready.
Perception
The door by Elen is not locked, but it does have a heavy bar blocking passage. Easily removed from this side, she opens the door, after the Major’s check for traps of course, to reveal a prison.
This jail cell has floor-to-ceiling iron bars running from the west wall to the east wall to separate off the room’s northern edge. A padlocked cell door (the key fits here) in the bars is framed in iron. The cell is a gruesome affair, strewn with moldy straw and a leaky bucket overflowing with foul fluids. The wooden door in the north wall has a narrow, barred window, blackened with soot or charcoal.
Within this dank and fetid place is a baby-faced young woman barely out of her teens. She sees the wererat standing with his hands up and seems to collapse a little, leaning hard against the cage. ”Oh, my saviors!” she whispers scarcely believing it.
- - -
Heal
"Yes, I suppose we are," Kort replies to the lady rat. "Who might you be and why are you locked up?"
Kort will listen for any untruths.
Sense Motive
"Oh, oh my! How ever did you get here?"
Kamari declines the crossbow for now and waits to hear the tale.
The Night Swan kneels down and extends a hand symbolically.
”Hello there. I am so sorry they did this to you. Please, who are you and where are you from?”
"Yes, I suppose we are," Kort replies to the lady rat. "Who might you be and why are you locked up?"
"Oh, oh my! How ever did you get here?"
”Hello there. I am so sorry they did this to you. Please, who are you and where are you from?”
”My name is Cassaranda Florint, er, sir and ladies.” she peers at the party but doesn’t seem to recognize you, ”I snuck backstage to see if I could visit with the Prince and they captured me! They think I’m a spy, but I’m not! I can’t prove a negative. I’ve been here a week!” she says shrilly as she breaks down a little and cries softly, still clutching to the cage.
”I’m from right here in Yanmass.” she goes on to name the neighborhood and street.
- - -
- - -
- - -
She can’t help but notice you haven’t unlocked her yet, and she’s growing a bit frightened.
"Oh, so sorry," Elen says looking back menacingly towards Veskina, making sure he keeps his hands up. "I don't think you have anything to worry about from him now." She says, unlocking the jail.
"You snuck backstage? How? is there another way in here besides the front door guarded by the Dwarf, and the stage door we --" her eyes dart toward the side and back, searching for the right word, "-- came through?"
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Cassaranda? That’s an interesting name. I thought all ratfolk had names like VVzqgragk or something unpronounceable.
Know (Local) - Cassarandra Florint
”Why did you want to visit the prince?” Kort asks, amused. ”Are you a big fan of his?”
Since the Major beat her to her question, Kamari waits for the answer.
"Oh, so sorry," Elen says looking back menacingly towards Veskina, making sure he keeps his hands up. "I don't think you have anything to worry about from him now." She says, unlocking the jail.
"You snuck backstage? How? is there another way in here besides the front door guarded by the Dwarf, and the stage door we --" her eyes dart toward the side and back, searching for the right word, "-- came through?"
With great relief, she exits the cell before answering. ”When they first open the doors, there’s a mad rush of people and the guards are, well, distracted. I slipped behind the curtain and down the stairs, down the hall and to the double doors under the stage. That’s as far as I got!”
She looks toward the stairs, ”Can I go? I just want a bath… no where near here.”
She seems to be fighting a fight or flight response, and she wants to flee.
”Why did you want to visit the prince?” Kort asks, amused. ”Are you a big fan of his?”
"Oh, isn't he dreamy? So young, yet so wise. That's what being dead for so long does for you I suppose."
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Kort nods, clearly confused.
Kamari is happy to let the distraction go while the crowd and guards are still distracted. She moves to the next door and listens until the others catch up.
Kamari hears nothing behind those doors. The woman said the other doors lead to the area under the stage where the Prince is (for reference).
The Night Swan also seems to be getting more anxious, as though she feels the prisoner’s fear alongside her. ”Do we have a key or will we need to get out the tools? If the latter, I can assist you, Major.”
Unfortunately she seems a bit distracted in her haste.
Kamari starts to open the door.
Heheh, the door is already open (link).
So do you let the woman flee, and then which door is next? The north or the south?
”Do we feel comfortable that nobody will get in her way as she escapes? Do you have an invisibility we could give her, Major?” She turns back to the prisoner as she begins unlocking the cage. ”I want to honor your desire to escape as soon as possible, but I also want to guarantee your safety. We were not exactly subtle in our entry.”
”Of course I could do that, but also worry about her giving us away. But maybe she will not.”
He will offer an Invisibility to her if she wants it.
She looks sincerely surprised by the offer, but takes it. You cast invisibility upon her, and she thanks you, "Thank you for this."
And you hear no more of her.
Do you head under the stage (the northern doors) or the unknown southern doors?
Elen gets out of the way of all the commotion in the room. After things settle and Cassandra is gone she suggests, ”Let’s head for where Cassandra was heading – under the stage.”
When everyone is ready, she heads for the northern set of double doors and listens.
Kamari switches to the north door.
Kort moves to support Kamari at the north door, wand in hand.
”I’m sure that freeing her won’t turn out to bite us,” he says stiffly.
The Night Swan takes up her weapon again. She turns to the Major and speaks matter-of-factly. ”You have never been left in a cage with rats, Major. If I could not offer her exactly what I would I wished for, then what am I doing here?” She turns back towards the door. ”I will take full responsibility for any and all consequences.”
Lavish tapestries cover the walls of this large, stone-walled room. A simple altar with a few stubby candles stands in the center of the north wall, and a table with a few chairs occupies an alcove to the east. On it are a scattering of documents. In the west end of the room is a large wooden platform beneath a trap door in the ceiling. Hanging on a metal pivot arm near the trap door is an enormous, brightly polished mirror.
As you open the double doors, you see the stage contraption lowered to the ground and hear the stage trap door snap shut and the mirror pivots into place. The Prince, in something of a haze and still wreathed in smoke from the stage, looks at you and smiles blankly.
The two cultists on either side of him though aren’t so peaceful as they attack!
They get the jump on you and both quickly cast Blur, causing their images to, ah, blur (20% miss chance). They also draw their weapons.
Shield of faith: AC +3
Heroism: +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks.
Fighting defensively: –4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 (+3 with 3 ranks of acrobatics) dodge bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.
AC 26+3, touch 19, flat-footed 19 (+5 armor, +2 deflection, +4 Dex, +3 dodge, +2 natural)
hp 65 (9 HD; 1d8+8d10+9)
Fort +3, Ref +13, Will +7 (+2 vs. mind-affecting effects); +2 vs. enchantments
Defensive Abilities aristocratic discipline +2, nimble +2; Immune sleep
panache 3/5
Kamari has faith in Kort's shield, but also fights with a bit more care as she tumbles past red.
The Night Swan strides into the room and measures out a single perfect cut in her mind, chopping from nape to hip.
HP: 81/81
AC: 28/13/27
Saves: F8/R10/W11 (+2 vs ingested/inhaled poisons)
Hero Points: 2
Spells/Conditions Active: Fastidiousness, Oath of Anonymity
0: (Grasp, Light, Oath of Anonymity, Spark)
1: 1/3 used (Fastidiousnessx1, Serren’s Swift Girdingx0)
[ dice]1d20+14[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+6[/dice] damage.
Round 1, Init 17-
Kort shoots at a cultist, probably the red one.
UMD
touch to hit;
fire damage
touch to hit;
fire damage
hp: 58/58
AC: 20/15/17
Saves: F6/R11/W11 +4 vs. enchantment, +2 vs. illusions +6 vs. poison
Lowlight. PBS.
Aroden's Verve: 0/7 used
Adhere to the Law: 0/2 used
Extend PotionRadiation: 0/6 used
Quantum Leaps used:
Pathfinder Carry: 0/0
Staff of Courage: 0/0
0: (create water, detect magic/poison, light, stabilize,read magic)
1: 1/11 used (CLW*0,Shield*1,PfE*0,DF*0)
2: 1/9 used (Inv*0,RE*0,*CE*0,1*SInv)
3: 1/7 used (H*2,DM*0,Sear*0)
[ dice]1d20+5[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6-1[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+11+1[/dice] to hit; (+PBS)
magic cold iron damage;
UMD
touch to hit;
fire damage
Elen draws her katana and spring attacks the blue guard.
for
for
Hits: 67/67
AC: 27/23
CMD = 25
WandofMageArmorCharges = 37/50
Resolve = 3/5
Challenge = 2 / 3
Hero Pts: 3/3
Edelmira strides in and puts the smack down on red to start the battle. Major Kort slides in and plies his wand. While Lady Desna does not favor him, their defenses are poor and he hits twice - dropping the man! Elen swoops in, and criticals the next poor bloke, setting up Kamari to take advantage of the flank, or the feint - either way she drops blue. Probably… - and does!
Muri, ready to act, has no one to act upon! Unless he wishes to shoot the Prince of course.
The Prince (image) looks dimly at the two fallen cultists and looks fearfully up at the party. He scarcely whispers, ”Please don’t hurt me.”
”No, we’re not going to hurt you,” Kort assures the princeling even as he makes sure there is nothing of interest on the cultists. ”We, mostly, just want to talk. We hope you can assuage some fears for us.”
”We fear that some cultists and enemies of the state are using you to sow division and mistrust in the succession, and we want to be clear about how and why they are doing that. Now, who are you?”
"Not so fast, Major," Elen quips, stepping up with her katana trained on the 'Prince'. "We might hurt you if you turn out to not be who you appear to be -- and I do not see how you can be who you appear to be because who you appear to be is dead. Looong dead. I think the more appropriate question is what are you?"
Kamari the lucky follows along Elen's line of questioning since she doesn't recall the entity ever speaking for itself. She also starts with a simple questions.
"Who are you? What's your name?"
She looks to the Major. "What can you tell us about him or this place, wise sir?"
The Night Swan stares warily at the “Prince,” curious what manner of trickery the cult has used to conjure his image. She only even remotely considers it possible that this is the real prince because she takes it as a point of pride to consider all possibilities. She holds her halberd in front of her, tracing the curve of the blade with the back of a gauntleted finger. ”My guess is you are an actor. Professional or an amateur picked for likeness. Someone that can be packed away without notice.”
She watches his face for any sign of reaction to her theorizing.
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”No, we’re not going to hurt you,” Kort assures the princeling even as he makes sure there is nothing of interest on the cultists. ”We, mostly, just want to talk. We hope you can assuage some fears for us.”
The young prince looks on as Major Kort loots the cooling bodies of the cultists. He looks horrified.
[”We fear that some cultists and enemies of the state are using you to sow division and mistrust in the succession, and we want to be clear about how and why they are doing that. Now, who are you?”
”Succession?” he asks dreamily as he stares at the dead and dying in their blue robes stained red with blood and black with fire. The Prince falls/sits back in the chair on the platform in a daze. ”You’re murderers.” he says quietly, clearly frightened.
"Not so fast, Major," Elen quips, stepping up with her katana trained on the 'Prince'. "We might hurt you if you turn out to not be who you appear to be -- and I do not see how you can be who you appear to be because who you appear to be is dead. Looong dead. I think the more appropriate question is what are you?"
"Who are you? What's your name?"
He looks blankly at the naked blade, still dripping blood from the aasimar cultist. ”Th-they tell me I’m Prince Carrius of Taldor, son of Grand Prince Stavian III, and younger brother to Princess Eutropia.” A tear falls from his eye, though whether the source is his memory or fear of the katana it’s hard to say.
”My guess is you are an actor. Professional or an amateur picked for likeness. Someone that can be packed away without notice.”
”I am, myself.” he answers simply, unsure and befuddled.
- - -
The Night Swan leans on her halberd, nodding to herself. She does not bother to answer the murderer comment, finding it a trite subject. That he would say such as he did points to a degree of innocence. ”’They tell me,’ you say. I see. Who told you this? Where did they find you?” Her voice softens as a narrative begins to fall into place. Not an actor—as who could trust someone that young to act?—but a child that was abducted and trained via mundane or magic means—perhaps both—to believe he is the prince. She does not say as much yet, preferring to try to lead to boy to figuring the matter out on his own.
She glances to her comrades. ”Perhaps this child is merely a victim.”
Kort listens to the responses and weighs their truths in his head.
Sense Motive
”How were you reborn? And what can you tell us of Pharasma’s realm?”
Kamari begins to gather the papers into her haversatchel as she waits to hear the boy's answers.
Elen waves her katana half-heartedly at 'the Prince' in an attempt to encourage him to answer.
”’They tell me,’ you say. I see. Who told you this? Where did they find you?”
”Lord priest Pol. I’ve always been here.” he adds quietly. You see an open door to the northeast, behind which are bars…
”How were you reborn? And what can you tell us of Pharasma’s realm?”
He looks as if he doesn’t want to answer a butcher…
Elen waves her katana half-heartedly at 'the Prince' in an attempt to encourage him to answer.
”I just followed the circle back around to the beginning.” he stammers about his rebirth as if trying to recall it.
” ‘What can any say of Pharasma's Realm but Pharasma.’ “ the boy intones what must be an Abadarian saying, or some other borrowed platitude. It sounds very much like cult spiel.
- - -
Speaking of which, if the Prince is here, they must be very much finishing up upstairs. Pretty soon the dwarves guards, Vaddrigan Pol, and more cultists will notice the bashed down door and follow the trail of bodies here.
What do you do next?
Kamari finishes hurriedly stuffing papers in her haversatchel before stating, "I think we should take the boy and leave. We need to figure things out and I'd rather not do it here on unfavorable grounds."
She turns to the boy, "Please come with us. I assure you it will be better than behind those bars."
"Ah, the child is under a magical compulsion," Kort explains. "This might work."
Kort will cast Protection from Evil on the child.
"I think we should take the boy and leave. “
Elen nods. ”Let’s see if we can find an alternative route out, neither the way we came but not through the stage trap door the Prince came through.” she suggests looking around.
If there is no other way, she suggests, "Maybe the way we came then?" She'll lead the way if everyone agrees and when everyone Is ready.
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Kamari collects all the papers scattered about.
She turns to the boy, "Please come with us. I assure you it will be better than behind those bars."
He looks behind him into his only room. He looks out the door you entered in abject terror, ”What’s out there?” his voice quivers his mind awash with distant memories and present fears.
"Ah, the child is under a magical compulsion," Kort explains. "This might work."
Kort will cast Protection from Evil on the child.
The child blinks, but the damage runs deep and the spells persist. As near as you can determine, this child only has memories from the last few weeks - and those were colored by insidious mental domination, charm, cult indoctrination, and who knows what else.
The Major think the child is still suffering from some sort of magical compulsion. Something deeper too is still broken and will take time, or mighty magics, or both, to resolve.
You hear through the ceiling, the hymns beginning. Those mark the end of the service, you have just a few breaths now before you’re discovered!
Elen nods. ”Let’s see if we can find an alternative route out, neither the way we came but not through the stage trap door the Prince came through.” she suggests looking around.
Elen looks about and considers the layout you’ve seen so far. She’s pretty sure there are only two ways out of the basement - through the trap door onto the stage, or back up the stairs the way you came in.
If there is no other way, she suggests, "Maybe the way we came then?" She'll lead the way if everyone agrees and when everyone Is ready.
The Prince looks indecisive a moment, and then follows along with the party. After all, what choice does he have really - as he looks at the destruction the party has wrought. If you’d wanted him dead, he’d be on the floor and cooling.
So he comes along.
You move as a group, quickly back to the stairs and up. As you reach the broken door, the raucous applause at the end of the ceremony startles you a moment. After the briefest of hesitations you flee out into the dark streets. The Prince stumbles at the threshold as the sky opens up before him. ”Stars. I remember stars.” he takes a slack-jawed moment to admire the early stars just coming out.
You half drag the Prince back to the hotel I expect. You’re some distance from the theater when you hear a shout of anger and pain, but you’ve left little to track you down and so there is no immediate pursuit though the city streets.
It’s late, sometime after 9pm you’d guess, still on Erastus 3, a Toilday. You’re in your suite at the hotel and have the Prince. He is quiet for the most part - taking in the world outside his cell (though you probably keep him away from the windows).
"It appears we are in need of magics greater than we possess for both the boy and me."
Kamari considers their options before continuing, "Of our local options, I believe Chief Enumerator Abrun Palliettor of the church of Abadar might be our best option. Perhaps he might consent to a home visit."
Kamari rummages through the gathered papers for any clues as to the cult's intentions.
The Night Swan takes off her faceplate mask, leaving her mouth covered by her cowl. She massages her temples with one hand as she debates their options. ”While I agree that he is likely to be able to heal the child, I do think we should consider the appearance. The Chief Enumerator has shown himself to be quite vocal—I would even say outspoken—in his distaste for the Cult. How would it look to say ‘Here is this child we rescued in secret who perfectly disproves the Cult’s central claim. Oh and by the way, we had the Cult’s greatest enemy fiddle in the kid’s head first before we showed up.’ In the meantime, the Cult may have a backup child. If they are this unscrupulous as to break a child’s mind, who is to say they would not do it again? Then they could simply say ‘see, this is all a plot by our enemies to discredit us. The real prince is right here!’”
"It appears we are in need of magics greater than we possess for both the boy and me."
"Agreed," Kort chuffs stiffly, disappointed by his failure. "There are other magics we can try as well. And given another day in the town, we might secure a scroll or the like to cast it and see what truths might be found within his mind. Or not."
Kort sits down to rub his knee.
"I agree that they, seemingly, could use *any* child for the charade that the put on. I'm not sure we have done anything but annoy and vex them, and slow them down," Kort is quick to agree with the Night Swan. "At the same time, should they make no effort to find *THIS* child, then it means that they are definitely lying and it's all a rouse. I expect that is the case. So...then again, maybe we should highlight at *THIS* child is at a particular location and see if they...well, care."
Kort ponders more.
"I'm not sure if we should hide this child or announce him." Kort looks around, wondering what others think.
”Well, I can tell at least if he is being dominated by someone,” she says, activating the mask. ”Please excuse…”
”My dear child, how did you ever end up here?” she asks ‘The Prince’.
Hits: 67/67
AC: 27/23
CMD = 25
WandofMageArmorCharges = 37/50
Resolve = 3/5
Challenge = 2 / 3
Hero Pts: 3/3
Kamari leafs through the documents while Elen probes the boy’s brain.
The table beneath the stage contained several notes outlining the services, including the mechanism by which Prince Carrius is displayed during services via the mirror while keeping him safely guarded beneath the stage. They also talk about a chemist named Huddrigga. She’s a dwarf of some skill apparently, and it is she who developed the gas they spray on the visitors every night.
The notes further imply that Prince Carrius is, in fact, the risen prince of Taldor! Or at least Vaddrigan Pol thinks so. They don’t indicate how the prince was raised or how he came under Vaddrigan’s control however.
They do make it clear that the Cult of the Twilight Child is Vaddrigan’s brainchild, and that its aim is to create a popular cult of personality around Prince Carrius. He planned to start initially in Yanmass but eventually spread throughout Taldor. The ultimate endgame of this strange goal isn’t explained in these notes, primarily because Vaddrigan himself doesn’t seem to know - he’s operating somewhat beyond the direction of his superiors.
He refers to them as the Immaculate Circle. Secret societies are a dime a dozen in Taldor, but something about this one rings a bell though you can’t quite place it perhaps.
As for the surface thoughts - his mind is fractured, and your question is a deep one. He’s really not sure. He remembers fragments of his death - something about a horse, and shouting.
He isn’t sure how he came to be in Yanmass or how he met Vaddrigan Pol in the first place, or even whether his name is actually Carrius for that matter. It’s just what people have told him - so he clings to it.
His brain is really scrambled. He’s really not that sure about what’s in his head and how much of it is ‘him’. Someone’s been in here with an egg beater.
- - -
”My dear child, how did you ever end up here?” she asks ‘The Prince’.
”We walked from the church. I’m not sure before that. There was a stage and I spoke some things.” he says simply, after some time thinking.