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As you've been talking to the Hellknights, and before you leave for the library, you've noticed at least once that the wall appeared to 'relax' for a short while where it looked like it wasn't pressing so hard upon the souls...you think, with a very great effort, that it might be possible to free the souls from the wall...
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Dioneo looks with amusement but suddenly has an idea.
Heaven's Leap (Su): The shaman is adept at creating tiny tears in the fabric of space, and temporarily stitching them together to reach other locations through a limited, one-way wormhole. As a standard action, the shaman can designate herself or a single ally that she can see who is within 30 feet of her. She can move that creature as if it were subject to jester’s jaunt. Once targeted by this hex, the ally cannot be the target of this hex again for 24 hours.
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You wait till the top of the hour and notice the wall 'relaxes' again...using her roguish instincts, Sorrow puts her wiles to setting the Hellknights free...while close, she can't quite do it on her own. Dioneo tries working a hex to free them...it too doesn't work by itself, but it does just enough to let Sorrow wiggle them out of the wall...
Free of the wall now, the three Hellknights stare at you with a look of disbelief...and undying gratitude...
Tears streak the women's faces. "How is this possible? It's been so long...we are in your debt..."
Devin nods gratefully, giving a grim smile. "It is good to be free of that damnable wall...but we had best make ourselves scarce here till you've had a chance to look at the contract...if you can find it. We'll await your return...but if you cannot, we're grateful still for you freeing us..."
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Having freed the Hellknights from the torturous wall, you move on to the Fallen Fastness, hoping to find something to help refute their damnation...and that will likewise incriminate Leventi...
This mountainous stone structure pierces the burning skies of Dis like a jagged thorn. A battalion of fiends monitors all visitors entering its hundred-foot-tall iron doors, while inside a legion of diabolic scholars moves through a maze of iron-chained shelves. Tomes silently beckon to prospective readers and promise infernal secrets, while bottled souls peer longingly or fearfully at passersby. Hundreds of floors stretch up from the atrium, and beneath the smoky obsidian floor, countless imps and other fiends toil over a scroll that spirals downward for miles.
In addition, you already know from your previous dealings the location of Leventi's scriptorium, which lies within the Fallen Fastness (but you cannot breach it till you have presented evidence to Vetrivides). And you recall that Zarta mentioned in her last visit here that a contract devil called Jarluxis would be willing to help you analyze and of Leventi's contracts that you bring to her (+5 on any DC checks)...
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If you opt not to work with Phlagrantes, you can try randomly searching a large pile of contracts via a moderate Stealth/Sleight of Hand check but you would only get a random contract of Leventi's and not one of your choice; it would take longer and if caught, the perpetrator would be expelled.
You can only get specific contracts of Leventi's, such as the Hellknight's and Gellius Thrune's, through Phlagantres...
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Prior to splitting off, if the group decides to, Edgar pulls his companions aside. "I'm well versed in linguistical aspects. I feel I'd be suited well for checking out the scroll itelf."
"While I understand not everyone is skilled at staying out of the way of the devils, I can aid a couple with the ability to fly."
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Using their flying ability to go above and around all the devils poring over the scroll, together Ridley and Edgar are able to find and read the applicable parts of the scroll after a couple of hours. They are able to confirm that the Hellknights were telling the truth: they were wrongfully damned. Now you need only find the contracts to for hard evidence...
Speaking of which, Sorrow was trying to bluff her way into seeing said contracts, in addition to Gellius's Thrune's. While Phlagrantes was considering it, he wasn't fully sold on the idea...at least not yet...
"What would mortals such as yourselves know about intricate contracts made by devils such as Leventi? Why should I even bother with retrieving them?"
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Upon hearing the People's Champion chime in, Phlagantres scowls and relents. "Still don't think mortals can handle Hell's glory, but who am I to argue with a sentient walking crocodile? Wait here for 30 minutes while I get the contracts copied for your perusal..."
The large heresy devil turns and leaves...and, just as he said, he returns half an hour later with three contracts in hand. "Here you go...let's see if you still retain your sanity after going through these..."
The Hellknights’ contracts include two different documents both signed by the Hellknight Staebius Kalmp; Gellius Thrune’s contract seems especially ornate. You recall that Zarta has already enlisted the help of the female contract devil Jarluxis (she works here) to help analyze these contracts...
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You take the three contracts up to the office of Jarluxis. She arches an eyebrow at your approach, but then nods. "You must be colleagues of Zarta. Hmmm, intriguing woman...well show me the contracts you gathered and what you've found out and I'll see what I can do...anything to bring that bastard Leventi down is fine by me..."
With Jarluxis's assistance, Sorrow is able to decipher the first of the Hellknight contracts; it damns the soul of Hellknight Staebius Kalmp to Hell in exchange for the physical strength with which to subdue the untamed wilds. While it looks pretty straightforward and ironclad, you wonder how it pertains to the ones that were damned to be trapped in the wall...until you examine the second one, that is...
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Ridley pores over the the second Hellknight contract with Jarluxis. They find that the second forgives the debt of Staebius Kalmp's soul (from the first contract) in exchange for the souls of his four subordinates, recognized by the contract’s author as the signer’s property. As any of the devils here recognize, signing away a subordinate’s soul in place of one’s own is quite irregular...
Jarluxis smiles wickedly. "Aha! You've got him here. Even Dispater himself would not allow a soul sworn to Hell to sign over his subordinates' souls in exchange without their signed permission..."
You then go over Gellius Thrune’s contract; while it's especially intricate, its core agreement is fairly straightforward: Gellius exchanged his soul for extensive legal advice and direct assistance in defending House Thrune against slanderous attacks. While this provides you additional insight, the contract itself is ironclad.
Ridley also looks over a couple more random contracts of Leventi's make; with Jarluxis's help, you that can spot several embarrassing loopholes in one of the contracts as well as identify examples of Leventi trading Hell’s resources for personal gain...
Jarluxis looks at you with a satisfying smirk. "Checkmate," she says confidently...
You receive an additional message via a sending scroll from Zarta:
Ducklings...where are you? I've been waiting for you at the café for an hour or so. I have news from the Norn; come see me at once, providing you are able...if not, send me a message!
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You meet Zarta once again at the usual meeting place. "Hello, darlings...what took you so long? I have news from the norn Rowane. We have the opportunity to work her to gain access to Leventi's Scriptorium, provided she likes the evidence you have gathered; it'll be good to have another way in, if Vetrivides backs out. How did it go with the Hellknights? And with Jarluxis?"
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Zarta nods to Edgar. "Excellent! Again, you have surpassed my expectations. Very well...now, take me to these Hellknights and then I'll introduce you to Rowane…"
You head to see the Hellknights you freed in the Ghetto of Outcasts. When they hear your explanation of Leventi's faulty contracts that doomed them to Hell, they seethe, and Devin spits out. "Staebius Kalmp did this to us? With the help of this foul devil? Damn them both! I expect such from a devil...but from my superior in the Order? That dishonorable bastard! I knew him to be ruthless, but didn't think he'd go this far...if I have my way, he'll be damned in the same wall we were for twenty years!"
He calms down for a minute before speaking further. "That being aside, I did not mean to seem ungrateful for all you have done for us. Freeing us from the wall AND proving our innocence. You are more honorable than any we have dealt with, including others in our own Order. We are in your debt forever...
"We will try to leave this place as we can, but we will stick around here, outside of Dis, till we find our way...but, if you need us to testify against that bastard of a devil, you'll know where to find us..."
He reaches into his pocket and holds out an Order of the Pike insignia. "This was Teena's...if you run across her in your further pursuit of Leventi, show her this to remind her of her duty: We do not serve Hell. We study and wield it to spread Law, no more.”
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Jack watched the erinyes and other denizens moving about the city and very obviously had a thought that he didn't want to voice, but he also wasn't paranoid enough to completely avoid voicing it. Something the Hellknight said lingered in his head. "So we've been probably more discrete than Pathfinders are known for, but there are a decent amount of people who are suddenly becoming free. Legally, sure, we have that going for us, but..."
He cast a glance over at Edgar and Sorrow, still not quite knowing what his teammates could do. "The contract couldn't be used for this purpose since I own it, but the insignia is Teena's. Does someone have the ability to scry on where she actually is? We could knock that out if it's on the way."
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You say your farewells to the Hellknights and head to Eleusys. The palace of the Queen of Dis sprawls expansively in the shadow of the Iron Scepter, a haven of darkly beautiful foliage amid iron and flame. Beyond gates of intricately woven branches, floating forested terraces orbit the grounds, sending cataracts of spring water into the tree line below.
Groves and structures seem to shift subtly as if the ground were some slumbering behemoth, and smaller infernal beasts prowl the treetop terraces and soaring bridges between wings of the palace. The plaza before Eleusys brims with petitioners, devils, and visitors to Dis queueing for an audience with Erecura or her handmaidens: the norns Felixia, Rowane, and Selieste.
The creatures waiting in line grumble as a livery-adorned imp with a runed halo ignores them, approaching the newcomers (you) instead.
“Greetings from my mistress, Rowane. She welcomes you to Eleusys and bids you wait here a moment until I return to fetch you.”
As the imp flies away, it is accosted by an exquisitely groomed Keleshite man in fine robes and wearing a silver Aspis badge. “I have an urgent matter regarding a contractual error that cannot wait! A devil has stolen my property…” The imp ignores the man, who grinds his teeth in frustration at the palace gates. "Arghhhh! Leventi gets away with everything here!"
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You ignore the Aspis agent and await the imp's return...
The imp returns and escorts you to the norn Rowane. Wide corridors through darkly beautiful foliage wander far enough from the iron streets of the city to be insulated from the omnipresent noise and heat. The journey concludes at a three-tiered gallery displaying armor, weapons, relics, and framed woven swatches, all built around a wide-branched blackwood tree with leaves of gold. A black-haired woman standing 14 feet in height looks away from a skein of thread and rises in greeting, gesturing toward seats around an intricately carved oaken table.
Zarta steps forth, bowing. "Greetings again, Rowane. These are my companions you wished to meet..."
Rowane nods to Zarta and then looks to you. “Welcome to Eleusys, travelers. Take respite and refreshment as guests in the home of my queen, Erecura. I, Rowane, greet you in her name.”
The norn asks each of your names and, in turn, and offers food and drink.
“My queen knows of your investigation and wishes to take up the matter. Leventi made certain promises in Hell’s name, the details known to him alone. She asks that you retrieve his personal records—should your investigation prove successful—so that she can see his obligations fulfilled and no one else suffers for his alleged mistakes.”
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Before entering, Ridley will say to the Aspis agent,
We've got pressing business, buy wait here for us if you've got trouble with Leventi. We may have common cause
Sounds reasonable - I take it you can offer some sort of assistance in our investigation should we agree to return this information to you?
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Jack politely decline the food, but raised an eyebrow at Rowane's words and a small smile formed. For the first time since they arrived in the plane, he was very intentional with what he said. "Your queen's reputation is well-founded. It is certainly in Dispater's interests that those things are taken care of. When we retrieve his records, we will be sure that you are kept in the loop so as to make certain the terms are correctly honored."
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Sounds reasonable - I take it you can offer some sort of assistance in our investigation should we agree to return this information to you?
Rowane smiles. "Ah, I can...not so much as to your investigation, but moreso, into giving you authorization for entering Leventi's Scriptorium to confront and possibly apprehend him...if the evidence you've found thus far warrants it..."
"Your queen's reputation is well-founded. It is certainly in Dispater's interests that those things are taken care of. When we retrieve his records, we will be sure that you are kept in the loop so as to make certain the terms are correctly honored."
"Then we have an accord...but first let me look over the evidence you've retrieved..."
As the Norn studies the contracts you had copied from the library, and listens to the evidence you've gathered from the denizens of Dis, she nods, a slow smile playing upon her lips...
"You have done well, indeed...Zarta's praise of you is well founded. You have enough evidence to confront Leventi now; once you enter his quarters, you should look for further evidence of his obligations and deal with him to your satisfaction. And of course, bring back his records to me as we ageed…
"Here, each of you wear these," Rowane says as she hands you pins, "...as they will identify you as agents of my queen." The pins bearing Queen Erecura’s symbol, a halo of runes. "While wearing such a pin, you can operate with the same authority as though you were bearing the writ of Vetrivides; however, this has the added benefit of more likely keeping you beneath Dispater's notice."
She bows to Zarta. "Thank you for attending my summons, Zarta. This should be beneficial to both of us. You are dismissed."
The same imp that brought you here, leads you out. You find the same Aspis agent that Ridley spoke to before the audience with Rowane awaiting. He looks to Ridley first, and then the rest of you. "Well...will you help me?"
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Jack played back the words both he and Rowane used as they left over and over to make sure that they had used vague enough language that could be interpreted multiple ways. He did little to hide his smirk as he saw the Aspis agent again, showing off his new pin on his attire.
"Possibly. What property was stolen and in what manner was it stolen?"
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He nods to Jack. "Let me explain. I am Kirash Nouri. I exchanged property of Leventi’s choosing for a wish that gained me silver agent status. I realized too late that the devil wanted my slave apprentice, Narsino. Unknown to Leventi, I had already submitted the paperwork to free Narsino as he has been a model apprentice and I have grown fond of him. Thus, Narsino’s pending status was as a free person, not my property, which greatly complicates Leventi’s claim. I hope to prove Narsino’s seizure was theft before my apprentice dies in Hell."
Kirash dig through his satchel. "These documents prove Leventi’s error, but...how do I know I can trust you? Leventi has many souls and agents at his beck and call..."