Etgar notes two men and two women in addition to Arabella and Garrid.
Agni gives the woman a bow of respect before continuing, "Sorry for the interruption, but we have something important that we need to discuss with you alone, if you could spare a couple of minutes."
"I did not come back from the dead to be interrupted, Arbella!" He points at Agni and yells "You! Can't you see we are busy here. Go interrupt someone else."
"Excuse me, Agnimitra. This should not take too long. Let me take care of him and I will be right with you."
More from curiosity, Agni holds her tongue to hear out the shade.
"Roslar was a hero! The rumors about him are not true. I need you, my living descendant to carry forth this mission to the world."
Niu laughs. "Come back from the dead?! Oh, quite the opposite, Sir. We are here in the Boneyard visiting you.
Well, I suppose visit is not the correct word to use, though as soon as these souls accept their fate, they will move along to Pharasma and their final destination."
Niu turns his attention to Arabella. "This situation is hard to accept, My Lady, but our wanting things to be different does not change the facts before us.
Around us lie the endless tombstones that mark the Boneyards, above us flies the grinning skull moon of Groetus, in the distance there is Pharasma's Spire. These things do not lie around Roslar's Coffer.
The town appears to be here only because so many have died and have not accepted that fate. Their shared consciousness is creating the image of the town and could cause some to become restless spirits in the realm of the living if we don't ease their suffering."
Niu goes on, listing the things he knows about the dead and their role in the flow of spirits and the realities of the undead and haunts.
"You lie. Arabella lives! She will clear Roslar's name and reputation. Fight me and the truth will be known."
Niu recalls where he saw this face. It was in the large room with the altar. Carved into the wall, broken nose and all else.
Niu does not immediately prepare for battle, but he is wary.
"Sir, please calm yourself. I recognize you from your image in Roslar's tomb. You were close to him in life, yes?
I did not know Roslar, and I was not there to see the events. I know that he died a hero's death, and I know that the imagery throughout the tomb shows an interest in Arazni that bordered on obsession.
Tell us your story. The psychopomp indicated that the four of us still have some spark of life left. We may be able to carry your story back to the world of the living. Tell us and you can go on to the rest you have earned."
The ghostly figure ponders Niu's words for a few moments. His scowl returns. He moves directly to Niu. As he moves, his footsteps become silent and he appears to fade somewhat. "Alive in the boneyard are you? Yes, I fought with Roslar and now I fight you, liar. That way we will know who is truthful."
Agni's fiery temper gets the better of her. "I thought that you were a knight," she says angrily. "Would you deny the innocent their rest, just so that you can flex your muscles?!"
"I must clear Roslar's reputation. My descendants must live and carry this out. It is the only way. Must I fight you as well, hairy?"
Her anger softens at the old knight's words. "Is that all?" she asks? "Why don't you let us fight in his name, then? Perhaps it was more than just chance that had us appear in his tomb." She points to the crest on the borrowed armor that she was wearing. "Perhaps we were meant to find in his name, after all. My Lady Sarenrae teaches redemption for all, so what kind of follower would I be if I didn't let my actions mimic her words?"
"Sir, to ignore Roslar's flaws is to forget the man. If hide his missteps from your descendants how will they learn from them? Would you force them to face their future in ignorance?"
Etgar silently steps forward next to Niu, holding his spear with the butt in the ground but ready to flip and stab should such a thing be needed. He shakes his head slowly at the insanity of it all. Now we must kill a dead man to convince him that he's dead?
Garrid addresses Niu and Agnimitra. The offers seems appealing. "Explain to me how you are alive yet in the boneyard. I believe you would take my message to the living if you are in fact alive and have the means to return to Golarion."
I took it that way and will play it that way. Slight edit to his post above.
Niu shrugs. "The specifics of planar travel are unfamiliar to me. I know that we awoke within Roslar's tomb, inside the coffins of the Red Shrikes.
We spoke to the psychopomp Umble, who appeared to these people. Umble indicated there was something that still anchored us to Golarion and would allow us to travel the Dead Roads back to the realm of the living.
I am faithful to Pharasma and will not question her psychopomp. If Umble says it is possible for us, I believe. In the same vein, I honor our Ancestors, and know that history can easily become corrupted.
Tell us the truth of your experiences so that we may understand what really happened."
"The warrior-goddess, Arazni, was the patron saint of the Knights of Ozem. Of course he would appear obsessed with her to a lay person. The rumors of Roslar's inadvertent hand in her demise at the hands of Tar-Baphon are unfounded, untrue, and thoroughly investigated by the knights. It is a curse upon me to be associated with a failure who is actually a hero. My anger over this has bound me and torn at me until I withered into my current state. When his name and hence mine is righted with the living, only then may I find peace and leave this place."
"Well sirrah, we can help with that, but we can't get back to the world of the living until we have helped those here pass on. Hence why we came to see Arabella."
"Do I have your word on that? All of you?"
Agnimitra just nods in response.
Niu shrugs. "I know this is important to you, but it seems like an overreaction. Roslar is celebrated on Golarion. He has a town named after him. His crypt is a national monument. His deeds of valor are taught to everyone.
Rumors follow every man. Great men more than others. Rumors cannot be removed from tongues, yet the fact that they still exist shows the esteem that Roslar is held at among the living.
I can vow to speak no ill of the man and to counter any ill I hear with an intellectual debate. If that will allow you to rest, sir, I do so vow."
Egtar follows in suit. You have my word, as a truth-seeking historian as well.
"I do not give my word lightly, but I am happy to take on this task for you. By Grandmother Ravens grace I will do this."
Garrid moves 5 feet west and then walks through Etgar and disappears to the north.
Niu giggles with relief and claps. "Hopefully he is going to find some rest. Maybe we should point him out to Umble.
Now, where were we? Ah, yes!" He looks around for Arabella. "So, are you convinced My Lady or do you intend to mope around haunting the Boneyard for eternity like your ancestor?"
Diplomacy please
"I do not believe we have been introduced. I am Arabella Tharmethion and this is the remainder of the town council."
Seemingly having satisfied the spirit, Agnimitra turns back to the task at hand. "Forgive me. These are travelers who were nearby and got dragged in with the rest of the town. They were trapped down in the Roslar's tomb with Donovan an I. This is Niu and Etgar."
Diplomacy please
"Thank you, Agnimitra." She looks to Niu. " I can assure you I am not haunting anything and do take offense to your words. That being said, we have concluded that we are in fact dead. What is your point? We have important matters to attend to."
Etgar sucks in a deep breath, seemingly quite distressed at having just been walked through. He heaves a few quick breaths, and is unable to help with the furthering discussions as he collects himself.
"Thank you, Agnimitra." She looks to Niu. " I can assure you I am not haunting anything and do take offense to your words. That being said, we have concluded that we are in fact dead. What is your point? We have important matters to attend to."
"No offense intended, Lady Arabella," Agni assures the councilwoman, "But it seems that many of the towns folks are not as open-minded about the situation. We need your help to bring them around, lest they remain in the world of the living as wandering specters."
"How can I help?"
Twirling about a few times and clicking his heels as he raises his arms skyward, it is a moment before Niu calms. "Ah! What a feeling! Thank you Councilwoman." He glances toward the other councilpeople and includes them, "as well as you good Councilmen and women. I am glad to see that the good people of Roslar's Coffer have intelligent leadership with the good of the community at heart."
Clapping his hands joyfully, his feet start to move again in a little jig. Looking down at his feet, he looks at them strangely before they still and he resumes talking. "Mayor Grive plans to call a town meeting where your combined voice will hopefully be enough to convince the people.
From that point, when the psychopomp Umble returns, they should be able to ease your transition to the River of Souls."
He taps his chin thoughtfully. "She had another task for us as well. Something about children. What was it we were supposed to do to the children, Agnimitra?"
Donovan stands aside, he still seems to default to letting the grown ups talk.
"She just said that she wasn't able to approach them," Agni replies thoughtfully, "but it seems like we'll have to convince them as well. I was hoping that the children would be more amicable to change."
"The children are gathered in a clearing in that direction. We will join the mayor. Thank you for your help."
The children of Roslar’s Coffer are all playing together in and around a massive, dead oak tree tied with ribbons and unusually vibrant flowers. A large crow with white tips on its feathers watches over them. Some of the children recognize Agnimitra and Donovan and run to you.
"Agni! Don!"
"Don! Got any of that hardtack?"
What could be for the first time since she's met the others, Agnimitra gives a genuine smile to the children, if perhaps tinged with a small amount of sadness that she tries to hide. "Hello everyone. What are you up to?"
"Just playing and talking to that woman through the bird. What are you up to?"
Agni gives the girl a playful wink, "You know me. Keeping trouble at bay." She pauses a moment before asking, "What woman?"
"Mictena. She's nice."
Etgar stays back from the children, his nature being one that tended to scare the little ones more than reassure. He found that he didn't have the patience or demeanor to get along with the little people...and their blatant innocence tended to wear on his nerves. He instead approaches the oak and eyes the bird as he does.