Everyone is back to full health.
Agni removes the mithral breastplate. It is emblazoned with a red-winged rapier, the symbol of Arazni. Engraved on the interior is "Ervin Roslar Commander Red Shrikes". She hands it to Tally.
Tally gapes at it, quite speechless. Finally he puts on the breastplate leaving the scale mail just lying there in aheap.
"Please join me in the drawing room. I have a graciously stocked liquor cabinet. This way if you so please."
Kishokish exits the door in the north west corner of the ballroom. He walks past the now inanimate portrait and directly into the drawing room. He places six finely engraved glasses on one of the tables and pours himself a brandy. He places the brandy on the table with the glasses. He turns up the glass to take a sip.
Slide two, second floor.
On the way to the drawing room, Tally gets curious.
"I'm a little foggy still about how I got here. There was this odd looking fellow by the name of Thoot that transported me outside this building, but he explained nothing other than if I want out, I needed to join you. And something about something being lodged in my heart? He talked very weird. What is going on here, anyway?"
"Welcome to the club, Tally. We know they see something odd about our hearts but they do not know what it is either. Whatever it is must be why we are still alive."
Agnimitra pours herself a brandy and takes a seat next to Kishokish. "I assume you are aware of someone or something that goes by the name of Mictena. She spoke to us through a crow and indicated her desire to kill us. She believes we are here for a reason and must die properly. What can you tell us of this Mictena, Kishokish?"
"Oh, my... Hmm.... She is not a wicked villain with a master plan, rather she is a powerful and effective bureaucrat. She must see your presence as a threat to the system she supports. This is dreadful news."
"I happen to know quite a bit about her. Mictena doesn’t remember her own beginning, but she does remember the first soul she ushered into the afterlife: an elf named Ethariel. The gentle soul had seen both his spouse and child die in a natural disaster. Ready to follow them, he awaited a guide that would lead him to the next world. Even after millennia of helping the dead cross, Mictena has never encountered another a soul so eager and understanding. She looks upon Ethariel as the best example of mortal maturity and orderly progression from life to death. Every other soul’s transition since has proven annoyingly inefficient to her. Mortals who plead for more time, priests who resurrect the dead, daemons that feast on unattended souls—Mictena sees them all as out of true alignment with cosmic purpose. Mictena’s efforts did not go unnoticed, and the psychopomp ushers granted her dominion over a region at the edge of the Graveyard of Souls."
"Although her control over the entire region is limited—bound by pacts with other psychopomps and the inscrutable rules that govern the flow of souls—her power is strongest in her garden, Deathbower. Mictena carefully tended and shaped this garden herself, finding a great deal of satisfaction in assuring that every brick and hedge and leaf rested in precisely its proper place. Deathbower is too large for her to tend on her own. Mictena relies on a contingent of loyal guards and retainers to do much of the heaviest and most time-consuming work."
"Mictena appears as a skeleton dressed in formal garb and adorned with flowers. She prefers long, flowing dresses in elaborate colors and a wears a halo of bright flowers atop her skull. Unwaveringly dignified, Mictena never slouches and only rarely even sits down, holding herself high as a matter of principle. Mictena decorates her forehead with spreading lines connected together. Some see this image as a spider web and others as a sunrise or sunset; Mictena often attempts to read people’s characters by what they see in the design. For herself, the design represents the interconnected orderliness of all things, a reminder that a single stand out of place can mean disorder and dissolution."
"I wish I had some insight on how you could change her mind on this matter. That seems improbable to me."
"Kishokish, I survived two orc raids that wiped out two villages. I was an infant the first time and a mere child the second. That last fight has proven to me that my desire to punish the enemies of the Dawnflower is just that. A desire. I am supposed to be an inquisitor. I did not even pronounce judgement on the outsider. I was too concerned with helping Etgar grab your staff. I could have and should have done that. It takes no time. I believe my time is best spent with the citizens of Roslar's Coffer. That is where I made many friends and I was accepted as family without condition." Agni downs the glass of brandy and pours another. "Where can I find this Mictena? She sounds like exactly what I need."
Kishokish produces a pipe and a pouch of tobacco. He begins packing the pipe and says "I am not certain it works out quite like that. Each individual must meet Pharasma to have their final destiny chosen. All souls must take this journey in due time. Are you certain, dear, that you have no further use to others and yourself if you manage to return to Golarion?" He draws on the pipe and exhales a cloud of pleasant smelling flavored tobacco.
The smoke ring Kishokish blew moves towards Agni and as it slows it encircles her head. She smiles and says "How do I find Deathbower?"
"Continue on The Dead Roads. It will find you."
Niu regards Agnimitra with a touch of sadness, and attempts to scrutinize her features to gauge her intent.
"Are you certain about this, Agnimitra? I think that there is still a place for you on Golarion and fate appears to be leading you in that direction. However, if you have lost the desire to live, I respect your decision to join the River of Souls and accept Pharasma's judgement.
I am sure that you will find your rest in Sarenrae's bosom."
Niu also regards their new companion, managing a small smile. "You have a piece of life force lodged in your heart? It was the same for us. It appears that we are somehow still wrapped in Pharasma's plan. It would have been nice if she had saw fit to inform her minions of that plan, but we deal with the road before us, not the one we wish we were on.
I thank you for the healing. For now, it appears we are joined by circumstance and should aid each other in finding our way back to Golarion. There is time enough to decide our continuing course after we get back."
Etgar watches the exchange with interest, but can only shake his head sadly at Agni's decision. He leaves her to it and introduces himself to Tally.
Welcome to the ragtag group, Tally. And...sorry that you're stuck here with us...it's been a trial. I'm Etgar Nostrum...I'm the one usually hiding behind Don here and trying to stab things that he stoically faces off against.
Donovan has been following along dumbstruck, wanting to beg Agni to stay but knowing it is wrong.
"I am Donovan, I am, was the Charcoal burners son. Now I guess I am a Knight of Andoletta, which I think makes me a Judge." he trails off looking a little worried.
He is a large man, barely more than a boy with a scruffy teens beard, he wears well made Plate Mail that is in the middle of having spikes added or removed, it is hard to tell at this point.
Tally follows the conversation with interest, though much of it does not make sense to him not knowing Agni all that much. One thing he did understand though.
"So we all continue travelling the Dead Roads and, hopefully, eventually, it will lead back to the prime material? And look out for this Mictena, avoiding her if possible. Though, Agni, you seem to want to meet up with her. Why?"
["She will introduce me to Pharasma and then I will meet Sarenrae."
"Like in die, for real? Oh... I guess if you are ready, this is the place to do it, huh?"
"Like for real, but we will see how I feel about it in the morning." Agni seems to be enjoying the brandy.
"Mmm." is his only response other than than to join her in sipping brandy.
Agni smiles as Tally joins her. "We noticed something unusual about The Dead Roads that you would not have being alone. The road looks different to everyone. Seems your imagination or desire or expectations or past experience may have something to do with how you see them. Niu sees sand. He loves sand and has been around it a great deal. I see yellow cobblestones. No idea why, but I like it. What do the roads look like to you?"
Between pipe puffs and brandy Kishokish manages to say "You must be tired after the encounter with my adversary. You are welcome to the guest quarters."
"Just looks like a simple well worn path with flowers and mushrooms lining it. Come to think of it, I've never seen such a variety before. Like every different flower and mushroom I've ever seen on one road. Interesting."
Agni rises and gives Kishokish a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for your hospitality." She heads for the guest room on the third floor and beds down.
Tally takes that as a sign and finds his way to a bed too. And the new breastplate is so light and comfortable he actually sleeps in it to see how that works out.
Niu thankfully accepts Kishokish's hospitality, though he is quiet. His thoughts do travel back to the library. "Kishokish, are you aware that wasps have built a nest in your library?
This seems particularly bad, since some wasps eat paper. Perhaps we should clear them out? I'd love to see what kind of research you have available there."
Donovan eyes Niu nervously at the mention of the wasps, and clearing them out.
"There were no wasps in my immaculate library. Vithiz must have brought them here."
Niu feels a sense of impending doom.
Kishokish notices Niu's demeanor and expression. "Perhaps we should all take our rest." He pours himself another brandy.
As you awaken you feel a radiating pulse of good energy in your chests for a few moments. Something is different. You feel power flowing through your veins.
Agni and Niu are nowhere to be found. Niu was apparently hiding his true feelings very well. In the middle of the night, he must have joined Agni as the two departed without fanfare. He was thoughtful enough to leave the loot he collected next to the potions Agni laid out.
Shortly after you finish your morning routines you hear Kishokish directly below you yelling in a language none of you know.
Etgar is sad to see Niu and Agni leave, but slowly nods in understanding. He looks to Tally with a grim smile as the babble comes up from below. Well...welcome to "hell house." Shall we?
Tally looks up from his meditations and nods.
"I suppose it would be prudent to investigate."
Etgar sighs, then looks to Don with a nod before heading downstairs to see what new madness awaits them.
"Maybe with that thing gone the kitchen will have something good to eat, I have not had a hot meal in I don't know how long."
By the time you get to Kishokish on the 2nd floor he has calmed down slightly and is no longer yelling in the strange language. "My library has been ruined. They destroyed everything. And there is a huge wasp nest in there full of huge wasps. I apologize if I woke you."
He has closed the door to keep the wasps in the room.
Etgar does a face-palm. Right, the wasps....damn. I'm sorry Kichokish; we knew about the wasps, but had no good way to deal with them. Though I feel I've grown stronger through these trials, I still don't have a great way to deal with such creatures.
He looks at Tally. There's a big nest of wasps in there...they had us fairly stymied before; have you any good way to deal with such creatures?
Etgar is pretty certain that fire or similar alchemy formulae and strong winds are the only ways to deal with a swarm of diminutive creatures.
"I could summon of a different kind, maybe spiders, and have them duke it out, perhaps. Other than that, anything I try is more likely to cause more damage than help. But," Tally waves his finger admonishingly, "not until I've had a good rest and am able to prepare new spells."
"I can think of no resource in this entire manor that will rid me of these pests. I can make a requisition but that could take an eternity."
Kishokish takes his staff and scrapes a deep and long gash into the beautiful wooden wall. The wood immediately begins to morph and is as good as new in a couple of seconds.
"You cannot harm this manor, Tally. It heals itself."
"Really?"
Tally takes his dagger and stabs a book.
"Well, I could blow things up if I had a pinecone. There is a spell that makes one into a bomb. Can you get me a pinecone?"
The book does not mend itself. The wood the manor is built from heals rapidly. Items in the manor apparently do not share this attribute.
Kishokish looks at Tally with discernment as he stabs the book.
"Pinecone......Such a readily available item in most any forest. I do not believe you will find one here, though. Well, you mustn't concern yourselves with my affairs. You have a journey of your own to undertake. "
"I thought... Not the books? What exactly regenerates then?"
Kishokish smiles at Tally as he explains that "The manor itself. In particular the wood it is constructed of."
With a look of chagrin on his face, he rubs his head. "Well, I'm certainly sorry about your book. I feel a little dumb. If we end up staying here for more than a coupe of days I will see what I can do about the wasps."
After watching the discussion about the wasps for a bit don will head down to the kitchen to see if there are some supplies to be had.
Don does not locate anything he would eat in the kitchen and moves on to the pantry. As Kishokish rarely entertains visitors that need to eat, the pantry is stocked only with long-lasting rations, such as boxes of jerky and wax-sealed bags of rice. A small wine rack contains several old vintages with cryptic labels drawn from several different worlds.
"Ah, I almost forgot." Kishokish produces a small iron key that has the number 9 and a right triangle engraved upon it. You recognize it as the key you selected that opened the ballroom door.
" While the Nine-Eaves key is held, the bearer can use open/close at will, but only to open, not to close. Also, Once per day the bearer
can touch the Nine-Eaves key to a magic item. For the following 24 hours, all attempts to use that magic device will be easier."