"We have a whole town that has been leveled for one," Heshan started, tilting his head towards Kelmarane. "As well as a crater to boot. But perhaps you are right to be wary of gaining support from the Pactmasters. Perhaps, we should focus on a deal with the marids instead."
A short inquiry about support from the Pactmasters to fight Jhavhul at or in the Pale Mountain is denied. The official you talk to conveys teh message that after the Pactmasters managed to turn Jhavhul's attention away from Katapesh, they are not getting involved into a personal vendetta that could bring Jhavhul back to the city if they'd become a part of that.
"Damned short-sighted fools" grumps Omari, after pactmasters have made their position clear. He continues "Well, they say you can find anything you want in the markets here, let's see if we can find something useful. Then we can be on our way."
"The Marids, well, I can contact Shazathared with the power of Erastil. I can send her a message of 25 words or less, and she can send one back. Heshan, Ohrmizd, put those silver tongues of yours to work for something more important than charming barmaids, what should we say to convince her to come?"
Omari will help with composing the message to send to Shazathared, but he knows both Ohrmizd and Heshan are the charmers of the party...
vs DC 10
2 rank +3 trained
Ohrmizd's expression softens into thoughtfulness as he ponders the message "If we're asking for her help, we need to appeal to something beyond just revenge. She's a marid, not some hotheaded efreeti, emotions won't sway her that easily. She'll need to know why this fight matters to her. Perhaps the fate of her realm? Or some grander scheme?"
He leans forward, considering his words carefully "How about this: 'Jhavhul threatens realms beyond Golarion. Your power could turn the tide. Join us at the Sarenrae temple in Katapesh. The fate of many hangs in balance'"
Ohrmizd's lips curl into a wry smile "And if that doesn't pique her interest, well, at least we'll have tried"
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"Nice to see the Pactmasters have not changed at all in my absence," Hazreem grumbles. "As for the marids they do not strike me as being warriors but if they have supplies or other aid to sell or provide us then that may also turn the tide in our favor."
"Nice to see the Pactmasters have not changed at all in my absence," Hazreem grumbles. "As for the marids they do not strike me as being warriors but if they have supplies or other aid to sell or provide us then that may also turn the tide in our favor."
"The Marids are water in all it's forms. You're a desert dweller; you have never seen an ocean storm, with the waves like mountains that move... The Marids can do war if they need."
Omari prays, and Erastil answers...
< 96 is good
Ohrmizd leans back with a smirk, watching Omari begin his prayers. He chuckles, tapping his chin thoughtfully "Let's just hope Shazathared's in a talkative mood. I'd hate for all this effort to end up as a very expensive ghost message"
See you there. Should manage tomorrow about noon.
Ohrmizd leans back with a smirk, watching Omari begin his prayers. He chuckles, tapping his chin thoughtfully "Let's just hope Shazathared's in a talkative mood. I'd hate for all this effort to end up as a very expensive ghost message"
Post prayer, Omari wryly replies "I guess it's my native charm, but she's coming. Noon, tomorrow. Let's go shopping..."
Ohrmizd smiles "Good. I think I have seen some nice green shoes I would appreciate among other trinkets"
"I knew you had some charm behind that wisdom of yours," Heshan grinned at Omari before turning towards Ohrmizd. "Yes, shopping should be a nice change of pace."
"I assume you know your way around the market?" Rayhan inquires.
"To be fair, the last time we were here, we spent all our stay at your dependencies. Anything new around we should have into account?" Ohrmizd inquiries.
"No, the same as always. Make sure no one tries to rob you blind. Otherwise you should be fine. You don't look like an easy target."
Ohrmizd chuckles, adjusting his belt as he gives Rayhan a playful wink "Well, I'd like to think the divine shinning shield and large frosty sword discourage most pickpockets" he gestures to his armor with a smirk "But you know how it is, Rayhan, there's always one fool who thinks he can outrun Sarenrae's sunbeam. I almost admire the optimism"
With a light-hearted shrug, he adds, "Guess we'll take a stroll, maybe see if the market has anything shiny worth overpaying for. Just let me know if you see something truly overpriced. That's when the real fun begins"
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After an extensive shopping tour through the market and several shops the group is geared up. It is always fascinating to see what is available for buying in this city. And it is disgusting. The greatest works of the different arts and the supplements for the darkest practices. All found within a stone's throw.
With not much to do until the next day at noon you spend a night with Rayhan. He is worried when he hears of the fate of Kelmarane and that Princess Almah is not found yet.
After sleeping in comfortable beds again for a change and enjoying an opulent breakfast you leave for the temple of Sarenrae.
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The temple is a large building around an open coutyard in the center. The altar stands at the western end to catch the morning sun. The floor is a large mosaic in white, sky blue and gold that together with the raised scimitar of angelic statue form a sundial. The service would be held in this open area, but in Katapesh at noon, the place is abandoned. Noone without magical protection would voluntarily stand in the sun.
A cloister surrounds the yard and now and then an acolyte comes out a door and walks there, to disappear into another door. Sky blue sheets of silk keep the hot sun out of the cloister and decorate the center place. This douses the walkway with a milder light without hard shadows.
As the shadow of the statues' scimitar tip reaches the marking for noon, Sharzathared enters the premise throung the main entrance. She is accompanied by two more marids - seemingly nobles of high rank too.
Still in the shadows, she looks around if the heroes are seen.
Ohrmizd steps forward from the shade, a respectful but welcoming smile on his face. He raises a hand in greeting, his posture relaxed but his gaze keen "Sharzathared," he says, inclining his head slightly, "and honored companions, welcome to Sarenrae's sanctuary"
With a glance toward the mosaic at his feet, he adds, "We are humbled by your arrival and stand ready to discuss how we might unite against the threat Jhavul poses"
The Kheleshite fills then the marids about everything they have uncovered.
Then, he nods to Sharzathared respecftully "Our path leads us to the Pale Mountain. We believe that is where Jhavul intends to complete his dark ritual. The stakes are dire, and we cannot allow him to succeed"
Ohrmizd pauses, letting the gravity of his words sink in before continuing "We don't know well the dangers that lie ahead, and any insight or aid you could offer would be a blessing. Information about Jhavul or his people, any magical wards, he had you trapped for long, sure you know him and how he works well more than us"
"Princess Shazathared, a very great pleasure to meet you again. As Ohrmizd has outlined, unfortunately, the circumstances may be even more dire than our first meeting. We are grateful for your courage and wisdom to stand against the threat Javhul poses."
vs DC 10
2 rank +3 trained
"I'm too pleased to meet you again." Shazathared replies.
"I'm forever indepted to you for saving me from that prision that the key was lost to. I gave you in return what I was able to offer at the time, and I'll gladly double down on that - in a year's time."
"But the situation at hand is indeed dire, which allows me to offer you help in the name of my family." She pulls out a pouch "I brought two emissaries from my family that each will provide you a wish. And here are some funds, so you don't have to waste wishes on things that can be bought."
She hands the pouch to Ohrmizd, as he is the closest. It feels light, almost empty.
"I am no fighter and will not face Jhavhul myself. And even though the situation at hand is dire as you and I know - it isn't obvious to those not involved with Jhavhul and thus my house is not willing to start a war on the material plane by sending troops."
The princess looks around.
"I assume you need time to think what to wish for. I would prefer to move to a less hot and less dry place in the meanwhile."
Ohrmizd takes the pouch with a solemn nod, losing all gasp as he uncovers what is within "Princess Shazathared, your generosity humbles us. To carry not only these resources but also the power of two wishes from your emissaries is more than we could have hoped. We are indebted to you"
With a respectful incline of his head, he gestures toward a shaded area of the temple "Please, follow us to a colder spot. We'd be honored to discuss our plans further and ensure we make the most of this aid you’ve given"
He glances around at his friends, catching Omari's eye with a look of acknowledgment, then turns back to Shazathared "We need to consider these wishes with care. Something that can give us an edge. Maybe even transport us to the core of Jhavul's location at the Pale Mountain without the need to fight his hosts"
"Perhaps we should repair to the shoreline Ohrmizd, where Shazathared and her retainers could be in their preferred element."
"Hopefully we will not need the gold to revive anyone," Heshan joked, but he bowed afterwards. "But in all seriousness, thank you for all the help you have done for us. We will take care of Jhavhul for you."
After some consultation - Sharzathared is no fan of public beaches - the group retreats to Rayhan's home. He is honored to have such eminent visitors and willingly surrenders his bath to the marids.
Then he busies himself and his steward with producing an opulent meal to impress the guests.
Ohrmizd ponders the possibilities "Could we wish for Jhavul to be teleported here and dimensionally locked? Bringing him to fight in our terms could give us an advantage and disrupt his chance of running the ritual"
After some discussion within the party, Ohrmizd raises his gaze and states with resolve "I wish for Princess Alma to be immediately and safely released from all bonds, physical or magical, that restrain her, and for her to be instantly teleported, unharmed and in good health, to our exact location here, free from Jhavul's influence or any lingering threat connected to him"
The Kheleshite breathes deeply, his gaze steady as he looks toward his companions "It is done my friends. May this wish bring her to safety and one step closer to undoing Jhavul's evil"
Princess Almah appears in your midst. Her clothes are torn in some places and she has some superficial bruises that are not fresh. Otherwise she looks ok.
"What, where?" she looks around recognizes you and the confusion leaves her face and gets replaced with first relief and then with uncontrollable sobbing.
Ohrmizd steps forward quickly as Princess Almah appears, his expression softening with relief when he sees she is alive and relatively unharmed "Princess Almah, you are safe now, far from Jhavul's grasp. Take your time to breathe. We will protect you."
Turning slightly, he gestures for Omari to assist with tending to her bruises, and his tone becomes resolute once more "You have endured so much, but you are free now. Rest, regain your strength, meanwhile we are determined to face Jhavul before he completes his ritual"
"But before that, what where the conditions of your imprisonment? Any information you might have could be vital for us to bring his final demise" the Kheleshite finally adds.
Omari gives the princess a careful look over,
7 rank+3 trained +4 wis
and waits patiently for her to tell us what she can...
Ohrmizd glances around, his brows furrowing slightly as the silence stretches on "Princess Almah, take all the time you need. We are here for you"
He looks toward his companions, then back into the air, a faint but deliberate pause lingering, as though awaiting a response from the heavens themselves.
"I guess we should start preparing to travel to the Pale Mountain anyway" the Kheleshite looks specifically to Heshan "Could you teleport us as close as possible today?"
"Jhavhul is working far beneath the Pale Mountain. It is unbearably hot there. We were kept prisoners in something that might be a mage's mansion - a very comfortable place. But fleeing is impossible as leaving it brings you into the caves which have lava flowing in them. Not that the door was open."
"I can't tell you how we got there, but I guess there was magic involved, because one moment we were in a building at normal temperatures, and with a single step and something that felt like magic transportation we were in this unbearable hot environment."
"I can't tell you what paths there are, as we didn't see anything, but it felt like we were led through a labyrinth of caves to the place where we were imprisoned."
"Nice of you to be in safe hands once more princess," Heshan spoke with a smile. "We have cleared much of our base of the invaders and will now face Jhavul himself."
Ohrmizd nods thoughtfully as Princess Almah speaks "Thank you for sharing this, Princess. Your insight gives us some sense of what to expect. We will prepare for the heat and the labyrinth ahead."
Turning to Heshan, his expression hardens with determination "Shall we set our course for the Pale Mountain, then? The sooner we move, the sooner we can confront Jhavul and bring this to an end."
He glances at the rest of the group, waiting for their agreement or any last-minute input "I am hoping our resistance to fire would be enough, but maybe we should get some elements endurance magics anyway"
After some time, Heshan snapped his fingers. "Why don't we wish for a new party member," he said. "A bard type, but also one who can pick locks. To be honest, we could use someone who could do that."
...
Turning to Heshan, his expression hardens with determination "Shall we set our course for the Pale Mountain, then? The sooner we move, the sooner we can confront Jhavul and bring this to an end."
...
Omari shakes his head and replies "Remember the trouble we had trying to teleport to Kelmarane? I doubt we have a good enough fix on Pale Mountain to teleport there. Also, that might dump us into an army. I think teleport back to Kelmarane, then wind-walk to close to Pale Mountain, and a final approach on foot. We want to scout before we go in anyways."
...
He glances at the rest of the group, waiting for their agreement or any last-minute input "I am hoping our resistance to fire would be enough, but maybe we should get some elements endurance magics anyway"
"If the tunnels have lava flowing in them, we need some sort of flight magic or other method of getting around."
"Heshan is also a good flyer. I have seen him do that" Ohrmizd points out "Ok, let's teleport back to Kelmerane. But let us go ahead and do it. I have the feeling the year will pass before we can get us moving once more..."
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Another wish is made to grant a companion. Sharzathared and her companions retreat to a luxurious inn to await the outcome of the fight against Jhavhul.
With some magic the party leaves to Kelmarane and from their via air back to the Pale Mountain.
High in the crags of Pale Mountain, the crumbling domes and minarets of the House of the Beast still stand stark against the mountain sky. The ancient temple is just as desolate as before, but an ominous tension seems to cloak the fallen stones and cracked towers, as if the world itself was holding its breath, forlornly waiting for the end to come.
There are none of Jhavhul's allies seen here. No efreet, no janni, no gnolls. The only thing out in the open are about a dozen harpies circling over the place and sitting on its spires.
Hazreem is momentarily overcome by the past memories of visiting this place so many years ago, it seems. After he clears his mind he shakes his head in unease. "I don't like this. We need to know what happened here. While I hate harpies they may know something."
"I think we need to scout somehow, or maybe talk to the harpies without starting a fight. How patient are we? If we wait for some of the harpies to go hunting, we could intercept the hunters to talk. We could just walk down there and parley. Or some of the sneakier of us could scout Or we do know a back way into this place: remember where salamanders had made a home for themselves at the end of the long tunnel?"
"With my ability to give invisibility to myself and others, scouting ahead should not be a problem," Heshan added.
"I can shift into a pile of sand," Hazreem adds, "They will never see me coming."
"Me and Heshan, we don't have a good experience with harpies" Ohrmizd states looking at the flyers with worry "Those things ate your mind with just a beautiful song of theirs..."
"I like Heshan's idea. Shrouded by invisibility I can track for any signs of Jhavul to find out in what area of the House he is hiding. Remember this place is huge"
If Heshan does the invisibility sphere, he will try to find evidence.
"If the harpies prove belligerent then our new companion," pointing to the group's new cohort bard, "can deal with any singing issues. Plus she can sneak in invisibly as well."
Ohrmizd finds that all surface entrances to the House of the Beast have been sealed off. Either by using stone shape to collapse them, or by walling them up with magically created stone walls. But he notices some small openings here and there on the surface, too small for even a small creature to squeeze through, that seem to be air vents for the underground structures.
"Hmmm... your wind walk magic Omari. Maybe we can use that to become thin air and follow these little vents here?" Ohrmizd points to his finding "They sure should lead to the inhabited areas of the structure. What do you think? Do we try it?"
"Hmmm," Hazreem glances up at the harpies before turning his attention to the now sealed House. "I don't think we have a choice here. Those harpies will just delay us anyway."