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If the mithral man thought Pachemu will just stand back and surrender, he is very wrong. The warpig takes some impetus and jumps over Izomandakus' statue and from there leaps over the flying wizard trying to knock down the staff he is using, attempting to grasp it into her mouth "Oiiiink!"
Izomandakus sits in stony silence, his burning glaive held high while Pachemu attempts a leap to strip the enemy of his staff, though she fails. Seamus flies into flank, making the mage work for his spells if nothing else. Valena continues to harass the mage, hitting twice, and critting once amazingly enough! Kast can’t find perfection as Desna turns her lovely eyes away from him. Rastaf does something heroic!
When Izomandakus is turned to stone, the redhead considers something, and almost saves him, but he sets the thought aside. He says, almost under his breath, ”Ooh, that’s tough luck that is. He’ll be heavy to shift too.”
Ordikon, beginning to feel it at this point, glances behind him at the chamber beyond. Realizing he has no where further to run, he turns with vengeance in his heart. Stepping back 5’ anyway, he casts defensively to avoid Seamus.
vs DC 25
- - -
Seamus, please make a DC 23 Fort, with a +4 on the save, or become a goldfish. For the ancient mage is really quite set in his ways, and a goldfish is all he can think of. If you fail, Will DC 23 as well please - and of course track your breath holding for suffocation purposes.
Round 12, Init 2
Kast grits his teeth, moves up, and attacks again.
to hit; (GMW)
magic cold iron damage
to hit; (GMW)
magic cold iron damage
to hit; (GMW)
magic cold iron damage
to hit; (GMW)
magic cold iron damage
hp: 113/113
AC: 30/23/19 (always on shield) +2 with MCaE + 4 SoF +2 BoF
Saves: F9/R14/W12* +7 vs. mind affecting
Furious Focus, GWM=+3, SoF = +4
Aroden's Verve: 0/0 used
GlitterBomb: 0/0 used
Extend GammaRadiation: 0/0 used
Extend Rods: 3/6 left
Quantum Leaps used:
Pathfinder Carry: 0/0
Think Really Hard: 6/7 left
1: 4/8 left
2: 8/8 left
3: 6/8 left
4: 5/7 left
5: 7/7 left
6: 6/6 left
7: 4/4 left
[spoiler=Kast's Pre Exploration Magics][ /spoiler]
to hit; (GMW)
magic cold iron damage
to hit; (GMW)
magic cold iron damage
[spoiler=Perfect Blessing Round 1/14] [ /spoiler]
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Well, it's really up to your constitution (you'll start suffocating in con x2 rounds), and a goldfish doesn't have much of that! I'd guess you have at least a minute. Probably longer.
Unfortunately your mind goes with the body and you no longer think as Seamus. You are, for all practical purposes, a goldfish. I'm sure Izomandakus has something to reverse it...
Pachemu lands on the floor and looks up at the mithral mage issuing a promise of endless retribution if he does not free her friend "Oink oink oink oink!"
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Val had barely registered the consequences of this bastard’s last horrifyingly transformation when he starts casting something else, something she cannot catch. She tilts her head back, glaring down at this mithral mage.
She is letting them all down. That is two now. She could have sworn she hit home at least two other times, but he pushed right through them.
Stepping forward, she uses the strange angle she is attacking from to hide her blade in her silhouette up until the last possible moment. ”Let us find out if your throat is mithral.”
HP: 109/122(150)
AC: 37/20/27
Saves: F16/R19/W17 +2 will vs charm and compulsion, +2 fort vs poison and drugs, +4 fort vs alcohol
Hypnotic Stare: Mr Mithral
Painful Stare: Mr Mithral
Active Implanted Tricks 4/7 used): Mesmeric Mirror (Seamus, 2 images), Mask Misery (herself, unused)
Hero Points: 2
Spells/Conditions: Freedom of Movement, Tough Crowd, mirror image(2), Perfect Blessing (ac/hit/ref), bear’s endurance
0: (Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand, Message, Read Magic, Ghost Sound)
1: 4/6 used (Vanishx1, Psychic Readingx0, Ill Omenx0, Faerie Firex1, Invigoratex0, Remove Fearx1, Eldritch Weaponx2)
2: 2/5 used (Mirror Imagex1, Placebo Effectx0, Lesser Restorationx0, Tonguesx0, Apport Objectx1)
3: 4/5 used (Sendingx1, Displacementx0, Major Imagex1, Invisibility Spherex1, Step Through Realityx1)
4: 2/3 used (Dimension Doorx0, Freedom of Movementx1, Tough Crowdx1)
[ dice]1d20+21[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+10[/dice] damage.
Spellcraft
Oh no! Sea-bass! NO! Kast looks at the flopping fish, trying to figure out solutions.
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Izomandakus watches stonily as Pachemu hustles to intimidate Ordikon but alas she does not succeed. Seamus flops to the ground as a goldfish, gasping for water! As the feint is successful, Valena manages two solid hits, though no crit. Kast steps in and hits twice, and while he doesn’t crit either, it is enough for the mage to go limp, as his blood cascades from his body onto the goldfish below. Rastaf tops up the party, including the newcomer who is now fully healed.
”Aye, thanks for that.” The redhead says to Rastaf, ”You didn’t need to do that, and I appreciate it.” he adds sincerely. He’s starting to lose his sea-legs though he still expects battle to come from any direction so he stays focused and ready for it with his bow out.
The redheaded man finally gets the gumption to come close to the group and he pokes his head around the corner. ”Wow, you lot are good at what you do.” He watches the mithral mage bleed out.
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Having absolutely no idea how long fish can survive on land, Val immediately scoops up Goldfish Seamus in the one container filled with liquid she has: her goblet of wine. She then rushes him over to the pool. She considers the goblet for a moment, then picks Goldfish Seamus out and downs the goblet in one long drink. She scoops the now-empty goblet in the pool and deposits Goldfish Seamus back inside, pausing to make sure he is moving alright. As she holds the goblet up, she is looking quite pleased with herself. ”Until we get him fixed. It will never spill.”
Taking a deep breath, she swivels back around to look at the new person, holding the Seamus goblet like she is guest-of-honor at at a gallery opening. She smiles. ”Good at what we do? What makes you say that?”
Pachemu rushes over the fallen mithral body and bites it deeply, making sure it is not to go back up and transform also Rastaf into a large shark.
Then, the pig goes over the mage possessions trying to identify anything that might help Seamus or Izomandakus.
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Kast steps in to end the evil transmuter's life (Ordikon, not Izo) with a coup d' jerk.
damage
"Val! Please tell me that you're...oh...it's water, okay..."
And then will help Pachemu, the porcine rock orphan, identify things that might help. Kast has ideas, but also seeks others.
Spellcraft
Spellcraft
Spellcraft
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The mithral mage had a number of things
Staff of Mithral Might
Cloak of Resistance +1
Pearl of Power (2nd)
diamond dust (500gp)
The spell book collection is quite large. Many pages have been inserted here and there to complete spells - and Ordikon’s mark is on most of the pages. All in all, while the spells can be readily transcribed here they take up twice as much space as they should with all the notes and repetitions that Ordikon had fallen into. Still, a good list and a valuable series of tomes (4,465gp).
Seventh: Prismatic Spray, Reverse Gravity
Sixth: Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Greater Dispel Magic
Fifth: Baleful Polymorph, Cone of Cold, Dismissal, Wall of Force
Fourth: Dimension Door, Fear, Mass Reduce Person, Stoneskin
Third: Dispel Magic, Fireball, Fly, Slow, Protection from Energy
Second: Acid Arrow, Cat’s Grace, False Life, Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Scorching Ray
First: Expeditious Retreat, Grease, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Reduce Person, True Strike
The research books in the room that started this whole brawl are worth a whopping 10,000gp. They’re all in Thassilonian of course, and there’s a lot to haul away. They detail various experiments and partial notes on the conundrum of transmuting lead into gold. They provide a +5 circumstance bonus on all Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (religion) checks made regarding transmutation and constructs. Some folks might pay even more for such knowledge.
There’s probably more to the texts, but now is not the time to read perhaps.
The far room, just opened up by Ordikon before his untimely demise, is beautiful. Silver beams support a domed ceiling covered in polished darkwood panels inlaid with spiky glyphs. Most of the chamber’s floor ripples in an immense, forty-foot-diameter pool of deep blue liquid. Flashes of lightning and gouts of flame dance along its surface, punctuated by thunderclaps, hisses, and cacophonous shrieks. Vague shapes writhe in the currents below the pool’s surface.
Something about that pool seems… unnatural. None of you have entered the room as yet - I assume Valena took water from another, less unusual, pool.
The red haired man waits patiently, not wanting to intrude while you load up your extra dimensional devices. He looks at Izomandakus carefully.
What do you do after you scoop up all the loot?
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Kast looks at Val, then at Rastaf, and tries to remember.
"Val...didn't we? We bought some scrolls, recently? One of them might do the trick," Kast thinks, trying to recall perfectly.
He looks for the scrolls, and eventually finds the one he wants.
"Val, would you bring SeaBass over here, near Izo? Maybe we can kill two curses with one trick..."
Kast will read a scroll of Break Enchantment and try to fix up the team.
CL check
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Kast reads the scroll of Break Enchantment, concentrating all the limited power of the original caster to overcome spells cast by a master. Desna smiles upon the endeavor however, and Kast is able to release them both!
Izomandakus slowly thaws and comes to his senses, as he whips his glaive around looking for trouble. The red headed man leaps back out of the way, but doesn’t go for his bow. He smiles, ”Good scroll.”
Seamus grows out of Valena’s cup like a birth and in the end does have some trouble getting his boot free. The cup is, thankfully, undamaged.
All together again! Welcome back.
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I guess it's true what they say about the memory of a goldfish. Kast watches as Seamus regains his sanity, and waits to see if Izo is okay.
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Realizing there were gaps in his memory, he waves at the red headed man, "Hi I'm Seamus." Then nods towards the far room, "You all checked the shiny room out yet?"
The man bows shallowly, but a bit formally, replying, ”I’m Koba, Koba Bidzina Balavadze, but just Koba is fine. Thanks for rescuing me I think - although from your blank looks you don’t know who I am.”
He straightens up, ”I am the first son of Bidzina Balavadze, one of the greatest paladins to Aroden to have ever lived. I am, in my own small way, following in his footsteps. Me and my mates were here to purge this unholy place prior to the Age of Glory so soon to be upon us.”
- - -
”It’s all very fuzzy,” he continues, shaking his head, ”our party was outmatched, and assaulted in the first chamber, with that dreadful pool. We were fighting, I don’t know, spiders or something. I retreated into the northern tunnel and shot a few more times, but when they closed I had to flee again, into the mist. That’s when I became a fish. I must thank you for freeing me. Being a fish is no fun, their senses and intelligence are quite limited…”
”Did you see Cecil, my loyal steed at the foot of the mountain at our basecamp? He was to guard over the other horses. He isn’t, you know, special, but he’s smarter than most horses I know, and that beats out some of the people I know too!” He chuckles, clearly pleased with his horse and looking forward to seeing him again.
Know (history)
Kast looks at Boda, flashing his boyish smile.
"Wow...have a seat. Uhm. Yeah...well, uh...do you like history? And, uh, history lessons? Because maybe you won't after I tell you this," Kast wants to be sensitive to the news he's about to impart, both about Aroden and the last 100 or so years.
If the man assents, and seems calm enough to handle the news of the passing of his god and his father's god, then Kast will gently break the news to him and explain what has happened over the past 100 years or so.
Diplomacy to be kind/empathetic
Izomandakus spins around as he becomes all flesh again. He soon realizes what has happened, except for Seamus stepping out of Valena goblet, and asks for no further explanation. The boy frowns though, looking at the coup-de-graced neck of Ordikon "Will have to find answers elsewhere..."
He does pick up the magical items and reagents on the mage and stands up "Thanks for saving me. I hope he did not cause much trouble to you. The thing was too ambitious, not the smartest guy, but I am impressed he discovered to make himself all mithril"
As he goes over the books, Izomandakus overhears the conversation between Kast and the redhead man, something strange for the boy, his expression softens "Yeah, sorry to tell you this, but time goes different in here. Hundred years have passed and the Omens were not fulfilled. Everyone was basically f$~$ed up, included Cecil I fear."
The boy taps the shoulder of the man and continues over the books, spinning the glaive, he starts to look for something, only making a short stop to tap Pachemu and give her a smile.
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"Oh my darling, you need a drink." She pulls out her bottle of wine and pours out the pond water from her goblet, as it conveniently knows when she intends to empty it. She refills her own goblet and hands him the bottle. "What the boys are trying to say is that while the world did not go the way it was expected, it still went. We are still here, and we still live on. Two of Aroden's greatest champions are Goddesses now, and Iomedae is now called His Inheritor. Many of Aroden's most devout went to Her."
She takes a big drink from her goblet. "It is not the same as losing a god, but I lost both of my girls. Killed my husband for it. Also for being a psycho serial killer. But regardless, the point is, I am still here. You just keep getting up each day until you find a new reason." She shrugs and idly swirls the wine in her goblet. "I have a new love now, the one I should have had in the first place. Also this lovely goblet. Best thousand gold I have ever spent. And I suppose, we would not have found you if I had given up on things." She holds up the goblet in a cheers. "May you be lucky enough to find someone as well."
"Wow...have a seat. Uhm. Yeah...well, uh...do you like history? And, uh, history lessons? Because maybe you won't after I tell you this," Kast wants to be sensitive to the news he's about to impart, both about Aroden and the last 100 or so years.
As he goes over the books, Izomandakus overhears the conversation between Kast and the redhead man, something strange for the boy, his expression softens "Yeah, sorry to tell you this, but time goes different in here. Hundred years have passed and the Omens were not fulfilled. Everyone was basically f*$+ed up, included Cecil I fear."
"Oh my darling, you need a drink." She pulls out her bottle of wine and pours out the pond water from her goblet, as it conveniently knows when she intends to empty it. She refills her own goblet and hands him the bottle. "What the boys are trying to say is that while the world did not go the way it was expected, it still went. We are still here, and we still live on. Two of Aroden's greatest champions are Goddesses now, and Iomedae is now called His Inheritor. Many of Aroden's most devout went to Her."
She takes a big drink from her goblet. "It is not the same as losing a god, but I lost both of my girls. Killed my husband for it. Also for being a psycho serial killer. But regardless, the point is, I am still here. You just keep getting up each day until you find a new reason." She shrugs and idly swirls the wine in her goblet. "I have a new love now, the one I should have had in the first place. Also this lovely goblet. Best thousand gold I have ever spent. And I suppose, we would not have found you if I had given up on things." She holds up the goblet in a cheers. "May you be lucky enough to find someone as well."
Kast, with help from the party, tries to break it to him gently, but as you might imagine, he takes it hard. At first there is disbelief, but you’re able to convince him. Then there’s sorrow - grief for all that he’s lost. All his friends, allies. Even his enemies. All water under the bridge now. Eventually, after some conversation, and rather quickly all things considered, he comes around to questioning.
”But then, what are you doing here? And with that?” He points to the sihedron around Kast’s neck.
Kast looks down at his chest to see where the man is pointing. ”Well…uh…that’s a good question. But did you also notice the shield?” Kast holds up the even more blatantly obvious ring-powered Sihedron force shield for the man to see.
”Well…I have been studying history, and well, we kinda found this amulet and didn’t really know what it meant. I mean, we sort of know what it means now, but not truly what it *means*, you know? And the ring just goes really nicely with the amulet? And to be honest, it’s been helpful to have the amulet as it’s helped us unlock some ancient history. So…yeah…it doesn’t mean the same thing now as it used to, but mostly…how do *you* know of it? It’s been locked way for a lot longer than you have. What’s your take on it? The meaning of it might have changed over the last 100 years or more.”
He seems happy to have a fellow historian to speak with.
"Well, I suppose, but the Runelords are known to have been quite evil, and that is their symbol. Has it changed so much that it's now no longer something to revile?" He worries a bit that a holy man, as he seems to be, may have no place in 'modern' society.
Izomandakus waits patiently until he can put his question "While you were here... did you see the crafters in the Vault? Did you see the one named Izomandakus?"
Seamus, Will save please, DC 18 as you get closer to the pool. Regardless of the roll you feel a painful migraine as you get closer to the pool. It feels like it's reaching out to you.
"I don't remember much, but I didn't see anything, human. Or even close to it. We didn't last long I'm afraid. We weren't as prepared as we should have been, clearly."
"It could have been evil in the past, but now it just means history. Maybe it will find new life meaning something else, soon enough. Symbols can ch-change...ah, excuse me," Kast gathers himself and goes to make sure SeaBass isn't getting himself into hot water. "We'll talk more about this as we get you out of here. We can't be sure to protect you, Koba."
Kast, Will save please, DC 18 as you get closer to the pool. Regardless of the roll you feel a little confused and disoriented. Nothing you can't overcome, but it's annoying.
"History?" he looks confused, but all things considered that's not too surprising. "I'll hang back a bit and try to stay out of the way." he suggests.
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Val keeps glancing towards the bottle she handed Koba as she explains how exactly they ended up here. ”Well, first a bunch of goblins attacked a festival in Sandpoint. Turned out the goblins were working for someone who was camped out in an old runelord place. We fought a bunch of people, saw a bunch of sidereals or whatever they are called, and it seemed good. Then there was a serial killer who was carving sidereals into people. That was some noble named Albert who was also a ghoul with a haunted house. Turned out he learned to do this from a serial killer murder cult, which my late husband was part of apparently. A lamia was in charge of the cult and we fought her on top of a clock tower, very dramatic. Turned out she had a sister who was running some other scheme about killing people, but hers had a lot more steps and involved a gambling barge. There was also a lot of ogres and giants around and something about a dam? Oh and Black Magga was there. So yes, we killed her—the lamia sister—and then fought a giant who it turned out was working for a different giant, one who had a whole army. So we defended Sandpoint from the army, but it was just a scouting party so we flew off and found the rest of the army and snuck in to kill Mokkie, the guy in charge. We killed him, but then Karz himself did one of those villain monologues through him so we would know he is back. Mokkie had a big interdimensional library which had a bunch of information on the runelords, and it mentioned something about a runeforge for making weapons to kill runelords. Then we came back and there was a sinkhole with some crazy Lamashtu guy and some demons, and we fought them. Oh, also some weird dogs. Then one of the boys figured out the runeforge is supposed to be out this way in the mountains, and that got us here. We also fought a dragon. Well, two, but the other one was a lot earlier. I skipped over that bit. Really I skipped over a lot of bits, but this has been a very long day and I have not had nearly enough to drink.”
She points to the bottle she handed Koba. ”Oh if you are not going to drink that, I will happily take it back. Teetotaling is perfectly fine if you are. That just is some fine Chelish wine right there.”
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Will (+7 more if mind affecting)
Kast’s mind reels but it’s not clear if it’s from the strange pool or Val’s ‘history’ lesson. Both are equally painful.
Kast pauses at the mind-hurting influence to cast Detect Magic and tries to puzzle out what is going on in the room. He will take his time.
Know (Arcana)
Kast feels the pool, drain him severely as the very fabric of magic is drawn from his body. The pool pulses with power as it is juiced up.
Kast is drained , , and .
Does Seamus remain in the room to further his investigation? Does Kast?
- - -
Koba listened raptly to Valena's story in all its twists and turns. He's somewhat slack jawed by the end of it and is surprised when Valena asks for the goblet. Closing his mouth he says, "Oh, right." He takes a healthy swig of wine before handing it back, "Very nice, thanks."
"Well as I see it, I've got nothing to lose. I'll help you here in any way I can."
Kast steps back from the pool, annoyed and clutching his head. He will explain what he thinks the pool is, and has no desire at all to be greedy about his magics.
”Wow…do we have one of those other scrolls about?” Kast asks, thinking about a restoration spell because drain is drain which sucks.
Kast will move to a safe distance and watch Seamus to see if he needs to charge back in to save his friend.
"Ah, that's perfect Rastaf. Thank you," Kast says, much relieved. "Izo? Do you want to test your stuff against the pool of headaches? It's a bit different kind of liquid from the stuff that usually gives Val her morning grouchies, but the effect is the same."
She holds out her hand for Koba. ”Oh I completely forgot! Valena Dalloway Versade, at your service. Everyone calls me Val.”
Val considers peeking at the pool just to show off, and a younger Val probably would have, but she feels she has nothing to prove there. ”I will pass. The taste of the wine is part of the fun, so a tasteless inebriation sounds dull. Did you know that liking the taste of alcohol makes you less likely to be an alcoholic? I would have never guessed honestly.”
"Nice to meet you Val." he smiles a warm smile, "So, are you here to kill everything, ah, evil? Or do you have some other purpose here?" he glances at Kast's sihedron symbol nervously as he asks.
He stays well out of the next chamber. He's no fool - he knows you lot are significantly more powerful than he. He feels he can assist, but not from the front.
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”I never really thought about it like that.” Val is not normally the kind to put much thought into the whys and wherefores, but Sapphira would often ask her to consider them and she always tries her best. Just to see that little pleased smile on Sapphira’s face when she gives her answer. ”I do not really care about ‘evil’ as some concept. More like I see people who want to conquer, subjugate, murder innocents, do unnecessary violence and so forth and I think that is rather rude of them and in bad taste. I just happened to be lucky enough—“ She raises her goblet in a toast to Cayden. ”—that the people I found distasteful arranged themselves in a line in order of weakest to strongest. Like dominos going from the size of your pinky to the size of a mountain. The question now is whether we end up with a big enough domino to topple a Runelord.” Her eye catches the others. ”I will let the others explain themselves.”
She is going to do at least some of the explaining herself
She waits until there is a bit more distance from the others and then leans in close to Koba and points a finger at him.
Koba thanks Valena for the explanation, ”That sounds good to me. Very honorable.” he smiles as he takes his hand, flat, to his chin and drops it down and toward Val - almost like blowing a kiss but not quite. Probably a gesture of thanks or honor, hard to say. He did it reflexively, like a salute or bow. Something from his period no doubt.
- - -
”You really are asking all the tough questions! We are a bit looser than that. We are more of an—oh what was that term Sapphira used? Ah! Autonomous collective. Or was that anarcho-syndicalist? Well whatever, point is we have no single leader. I generally do most of the talking but Kast and Izo are the Thassilon experts who know where we are going and why.”
Izomandakus breaths deeply a bit deceived by Koba's answer, but softly nods in understanding.
The boy brings up Mammy Graul's magical missile wand and gets closer to the pool "Let's see if we can put this to use" and submerges it using some tongs or a similar tool to avoid touching the liquid. The previous rooms were workshops and Izomandakus comes back there if necessary to pick a tool.
"Do we have a flask? We need to collect this liquid" he also comments "It is key to the forging"
Izomandakus strides into the room without difficulty or assault. He dips the wand in the waters of the pool.
Izomandakus pulls the wand away and finds it has 5 additional charges. It also glows like a torch (though you'll learn this is temporary).
"So, are you here to kill everything, ah, evil? Or do you have some other purpose here?"
Kast ponders to think about this for a bit. He wouldn't to be anything less than at least aspirationally perfect with his reply.
"Well, I can't really recall us doing anything than is necessary other than to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Goblins, ghouls, and zombies, those are easy calls. As are the lamia, and the grauls, let alone the giants. And well, there was also the evil cult members...yeah...yeah...maybe mostly evil things," Kast reviews.
"And our purpose here is a bit interesting. We're sort of trying to figure out why the Runelords keep attacking Sandpoint, and what is going on with this *SI-HE-DRON*," Kast enunciates clearly while looking at Val "...what this Sihedron means in historical context."
"Izo can explain more. And differently."