Kal'Ryon annihilates the last crysmal just before the real world fades away and the Pathfinders find themselves on the Ethereal Plane.
In a small clearing of sparse trees stands a solitary table of stone before a pool of clear water. A simple camp with a smoldering campfire and a large tent made from animal skins and wooden poles has been set up to the east. Superimposed over the idyllic landscape is a gray, ghostly image of the Green Market—its wagons, carts, and stalls seemingly untouched from a moment before. This image fades to mist approximately sixty feet away, revealing a great battle being fought farther in the distance on all sides.
You can see the Material Plane from here, though can’t interact with it save through the use of magic specifically allowing contact between the Ethereal and Material Planes. You can see Zeeva and any other people in the market stare in amazement at the party, though the observers seem to look through the Pathfinders.
Galdron speaks to them in a booming voice that resonates strangely in the hollow space of the Ethereal Plane. “I was never a pacifist,” he intones. “My belief was merely that the way forward for my people was unity. The Azghat divided us in the time before memory, but the world had moved on. Every quah could maintain its honor, but without the need to divide the people against itself. So I renounced the powers of the sun and the flame, to walk the green path—to become the Green Heart.”
“I was such a fool,” Galdron snarls as he appears above the stone table. The ghost is of a bald male, garbed in hide armor and holding a short spear in hand. A corona of fire sheathes his head and rises from his eyes. Molten gold drips from where a spearhead and shaft protrude from his chest, revealing the wound that took his life.
Arrayed in a semicircle behind the spirit are several eternally loyal fire elementals.
Greenheart steps away from the group and gestures, calling forth a wall of fire that separates Mylvwara and her elemental from the rest of the group. The roaring flames crackle with heat on her side.
The fire elementals then attack the pathfinders on his side of the wall with one of them moving past Shardra to get to the back lines.
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Diazepane will try to see if he knows anything about these:
Diazepane takes a step back and lets a bunch of bombs fly.
Targets, in descending order:
1. Galdron, splash extended to Green
2. Green, splash extended to Galdron
3. Pink, splash extended to Galdron (note: attacks at Pink won't have the +1 bonus from PBS)
4. Blue
Diazepane will target the highest priority that isn't immune to cold, then for the second and third bombs, the highest priority that isn't immune to cold or already staggered.
First bomb:
vs touch
plus DC 22 Fortitude vs staggered
Second bomb:
vs touch
plus DC 22 Fortitude vs staggered
Third bomb:
vs touch
plus DC 22 Fortitude vs staggered
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As the space fades, Kal turns to face the fire creatures and the "Green"> He feels the fire wash over his skin and smiles- willing the flames out against his skin.
He takes a small step forward, while muttering an arcane chant under his breath. His strange form begins to swell, and he stares down the source of this evil.
Valeros rushes the closest elementaland slashes with his blades.
Shardra! Get out of there!
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Within the mists of the Ethereal Plane, warped, indistinct versions of locations overlap their Inner Sphere counterparts. This, coupled with the inherent weightlessness of creatures in the plane, makes it tempting to use the Ethereal Plane as a vantage to scout out unknown locales by passing through incorporeal walls and floating over traps with ease.
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She takes a step the the west (assuming cardinal directions mean anything here...) and raises one armoured gauntlet. She experiences a burst of relief when, despite being on a new plane, healing energies still burst forth from her in a 30' emination.
As a move action Shardra pulls a scroll of 'Fly' from her pack...
Diazepane realizes that, in his current state, Religion has more to do with Galdron's abilities than Local knowledge. He is a ghost now with all the abilities inherent in that status as well as being a powerful oracle of fire.
The elementals are rather large examples of their type. They are, indeed immune to fire but susceptible to cold. Their touch causes their targets to burn.
Diazepane nails Galdron with a frosty bomb and leaves him staggered.
He then hits one of the elementals and, as expected the chill has more effect on the creature than an ordinary beast, but does not leave it staggered.
So he tosses another at it and frost overcomes fire entirely.
Kal'Ryon's Glaive, much like Mylvwara's elemental came with him to the ethereal plane thanks to the ritual. The Ganzi Gets Swole.
Valeros runs at the closest elemental, which attacks him as he gets close, then slashes it with each of his swords, though they don't do as much damage as expected since they're trying to cut fire.
Shardra prepares to heal the group when the group is all together.
Shardra lets out a blast of positive energy that heals everyone on the battle field except Mylvwara and Galdron. The former is a bit too far away and the latter actually seems to flicker and waver at the life giving energy.
He counters by stepping back and bathing himself in negative energy.
The elemental with the pink tinge to its flames attacks Ichio to defend its master.
And the one burning not so cool blue swipes at Valeros twice.
But only one of all those fiery swings hits.
Round 2 - The Bold may act.
Each hit by a fire elemental requires a DC18 Refl Save.
Galdron -21HP
Fire Elementals Green -Destroyed
Kal'Ryon -7HP
Valeros -16HP
Shardra -1 Int, Wis and Cha; -31HP
Ichio
Diazepane
Mylvwara -7HP
Earth Elemental
[Ow! Hot! It hurts! Valeros curses as the fire singes his hair.
He presses his attack, both blades singing as he wades forward.
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Mylvwara flies down among her allies and casts a spells to speed their limbs.
haste
While her elemental surfaces and bashes at the blue-flamed fire elemental.
Valeros gets in 3 good hits, one almost hitting a vital part of the elemental, but not quite. His blades don't do quite as much damage as if his target was flesh and blood, but obviously hurt it.
Ichio follows Galdron and distracts him enough to force him to let down his guard so that he can get in a couple of sneaky strikes.
Diazepane doesn't have much luck with his bombs, this time, missing all three of his targets.
The blue elemental is not able to avoid the splash and Galdron gets caught in one, as well, but the other largely misses him and pink is barely affected at all.
Mylvwara speeds all the goodies up but in the battle of earth vs. fire, fire wins the first round.
Kal'Ryon misses his first bite but the frenzy of Haste lets him connect with a second and both his claws hit his target.
And that is enough to bring Galdron to his senses.
Galdron becomes solemn, and with a wave of his hands dismisses the fire elementals. Proud and hot tears roll down his cheeks as the ghost explains, “In returning to my original self, I forgot who I had later become, and why I was right to do so.” Galdron casts aside his short spear, and his armor passes through him to land on the ground with a thud. The ghost clutches at his chest and seems to pull the flames from his body into his heart as he closes his fist around it. Squeezing, he forms it into a glimmering red gem—which he also tosses to the ground. “It is not weapons or armor which prevent peace, but succumbing to wrath. I see this now. I will no longer protect the Green Market, as others must find their own unity, unmotivated by fear.” The Shoanti, now no longer smoldering and smoking, levitates above his sacred altar, salutes to the PCs as though raising a spear, and then melds with the stone table. A few moments later, the scene begins to waver and they return to the Green Market on the Material Plane.
When they reappear on the Material Plane, Zeeva listens raptly to what happened while they were gone.
"Well, I must thank you for dealing with the Aspis, at least for now. And I'm pleased that you were able to bring rest to the spirit that was protecting my market. I'm going to excavate his shrine so it can have a place of honor here."
Well...that was...different... Valeros says as he looks around, trying to determine if this was another shift in reality. He settles when he sees Lady Zeeva and the familiar sight of the market.
Glad we could be of service...if you need a hand with the Aspis, just leave a message for us at a Lodge. If you need me to stick around, I was planning to take a vacation...
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As the combat fades, Kal quickly searches the ground to find his guisarme. Once assured the blade is safe, he rejoins the other pathfinders.
"You don't suppose that this is going to impact the success of the market, do you? I would hate to think the snakes destroyed such an lucrative investment." His face his covered with a large, knowing grin- his hair loosely blowing in a non-existent breeze.
"Yes, yes. I am always at your service", he echoes the other pathfinders- giving a formal bow to go along side of it, and... perhaps... a wink.
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Shardra looks on in comtemplation at the place where the shade of Galdron disappeared. She seems disappointed at his departure, and ignores Zeeva's words in a reverie of thought.
She perks up at the mention of restoring the shrine. "Madame Zeeva, I can help with that. It will require care and attention - there may be other unquiet spirits to placate, and it would be an honour if I could continue what good we have done today, to leave an enduring legacy in the Green Market."
Turning to the rest of the party, Shardra clasps her hands together in prayer. She her normally terse mode of speech lapses as with sincerity she says, "I wish you each success and prosperity in your adventures together. It has been a pleasure working with you. We have shared trials and success, but my story ends here. Good fortune, Pathfinders - I shall read of your progress in the pages of the Pathfinder Gazetteer!
Shardra turns and leaves, talking to Zeeva about their plans for the shrine.
"Oh, your offers are so kind. Knowing how skilled you all are, I will definitely call on you again should I need your services. I hope you won't be offended if I say that I hope that I never need to call upon you again, though," she says with a wry smile.
Perhaps Kal'Ryon winks at her. Perhaps she giggles in return. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. A universe of possibilities exist in maybes.
But all that must wait until later.
"Of course, of course, any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated! I want to do what is right for the people who owned this land before me, especially if they have had anything to do with the success I've had!" she says, wandering off with Shardra.
Castinus Fulvio
Mme Shardra
ichio
Mylvwara Elberion
Kal'ryon