Flyn realizes he doesn't have to compensate for distance any longer as his harpoon strikes the leading airship's hull, followed soon by Zaarah's. Fendel's deft hand at the helm keeps the ship moving inexorably towards its prey even as Kramac struggles to convince Beak not to fly off and join the other bird-like creatures.
A harsh command in the ancient language announces another desperate barrage of missiles from Adril's airship!
The ship shudders with each impact, engine revving up to keep from losing too much speed. But even as the gap between hunter and prey grows, the Pathfinders know they are close to catching their target.
Round 6! Bold may act!
Fendel
Flyn
Kiboko
Mvumbu
Kramac
Beak
Zaarah
Pathfinder Ship (-130)
Adril's Ship (-422)
More smoke pours from the airship's engine as both harpoons slam into the stern. Cries of alarm can be heard over the scream of the arcane propulsion, and small figures running across the deck can be seen as the Seekers close in.
All of a sudden, the ear-piercing whine vanishes. A large plume of smoke erupts out the badly-punctured rear of the ship, momentarily obscuring it from view. The Pathfinders press forward, but as the smoke clears their target is no longer in front of them. Flyn gives a cry from the bow and points downward. Below, Adril's ship plummets towards the rust-colored desert!
As the airship touches down on the sandy ground with a jolt, the Pathfinders leap off and advance. Ahead, Adril Hestram and four red-skinned warriors pull themselves back onto their feet and draw their blades. Several more bodies lie scattered on the ground amidst the broken wreckage of the airship - including the still form of Princess Verrish.
"So it's treason then?" Adril bellows, a bow in his hand and the Starsword at his hip. "I should have expected as much from bootlickers such as yourselves!"
Round 1! Bold may act!
Fendel
Zaarah
Kiboko
Mvumbu
Flyn
Adril
Red
Blue
Yellow
Green
Kramac
Beak
Fendel's suspicions are confirmed as the last of Flyn's arrows strikes the venture-captain. The man looks down at the cluster of shafts that have suddenly sprouted from his chest and begins to laugh manically. "Hahaha! You're nothing more than tools of your superiors! The Shadow Lodge will lead the revolution and remake the Society for the better! Haha..." The harsh sound of his voice becomes wetter and wetter as Adril Hestram melts into a puddle of icy slush.
The red-skinned warriors look at each other in alarm before an explosion vaporizes the remains of their god-king.
Even though two of them instinctively duck behind their tower shields to avoid the worst of the blast, the fight has clearly gone out of them. One by one, the warriors drop their glaive-guisarmes to the glazed sands. One by one, the warriors drop to their knees. One by one, the warriors reach pleadingly towards Flyn.
"Σε παρακαλώ, γλίτωσέ μας, θεέ μου!"
"Ισχυρό, ας κρατήσουμε τη ζωή μας για να σε επαινέσουμε!"
Behind them, the bound Princess Verrish begins to stir.
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Kiboko regards the melting effigy of Hestram with a degree of confusion. If he was raised from the dead, that was not him. And the woman we fought in the airship was no priestess.
"Flyn, don't let the Akitonians take you for a god. They must learn to stand on their own!"
Kiboko strides over to the princess and cuts her bonds. "You speak Golarion Taldane?"
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Flyn remarks as he watches curiously as the Hestram creature melts. ”You were spot on Fendel…definitely not Hestram…it was a simulacrum…oh well, at least there’s one less of him…”
Not comprehending the warriors’ language, he thinks he understands their intent from their kneeling and pleading. He bows curtly to them, speaks soothingly, saying, ”Peace, be with you…”
Answering his friend, he says, ”I’m no god, Kiboko, nor do I wish to be…but I can’t speak their language and I prefer them to be docile and unarmed at the moment…perhaps the Princess here can explain it to them…”
Turning to the princess, Flyn gives a courtly bow. ”I’m happy to see you alive, m’Lady…and you are no longer in danger. I hope you can speak our tongue like your brother could; if you could please tell these warriors that I am no god, I’d appreciate it. And then we could escort you back to your palace, if that pleases you…”
One of the kneeling warriors catches the word as Kiboko addresses the archer. "Flin..." she repeats reverently.
"Flin..."
"Flin..."
The princess stirs in Kiboko's arms, but does not wake.
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Flyn nods. ”You’re right, Zaarah, this isn’t the end; it’s obvious Hestram duped us and is not here…so I’m guessing Venture-Captain Petulengro and Osprey might have some new intel upon our return. In the meantime, on the way back, we can question the lady caster we captured below decks and hear what she might know…”
Looking at the kneeling warriors calling his name, he sighs. “And the Princess, it appears, is in no condition to explain to her subjects that I’m just an Elf…let’s get her back to the ship and fly her back to the palace…when she recovers, she can let them know then…
“Kiboko, do you mind carrying her to the ship? Fendel, you flew and landed this thing well enough, you ready to try your hand at taking off?”
The Elf quickly searches through the soggy remains of Hestram’s simulacrum for anything significant…
…and afterwards Flyn will motion for the warriors to rise and follow him to the airship…
Flyn picks through the puddle of slush, discarding pieces of full plate and a shield before picking up the starsword. As he does, the kneeling warriors cry out and begin chanting fervently.
"They are swearing to serve you, the rightful ruler of Arl, for all time if you will spare their lives."
Princess Verrish glares at the warriors, then at the Pathfinders from Kiboko's arms. Slowly she gets to her feet, bruises and cuts decorating her arms and face nonwithstanding. Regally she listens as Flyn replies.
"I’m happy to see you alive, m'Lady… and you are no longer in danger. I hope you can speak our tongue like your brother could; if you could please tell these warriors that I am no god, I'd appreciate it. And then we could escort you back to your palace, if that pleases you…"
"They say you used sorcery to melt God-King Adril, and they beg for your mercy. Your off-world hands hold the royal starsword, same as the Beast's before you." She looks each Seeker in the eye, both starting and ending with Flyn. "My brother Kol Voss fought alongside you to free his companions from the Beast's clutches. If he were alive, he would be holding that blade instead of you. Will you honor his sacrifice and restore rule of Arl to its rightful family, or are you simply a different conqueror from the same organization as Adril and Odrian?"
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Flyn bows low to the Princess. "Nay, m'Lady, we are no conquerors; we came here to bring the traitor Adril Hestram to justice. Sadly, that pile of melted goo was not Hestram, but a look-alike creature called a simulacrum; so we'll be returning to Golarion to continue our hunt...
"As for Arl, you are the rightful heir, not I nor any Pathfinder...I am sorry, I'm not as diplomatic as some of my friends here and perhaps they can vouch for our goodwill better than my poor words convey..."
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Zaarah approaches after Flyn with a smile that is clearly meant to please.
“Oh you don’t have to worry about us. We’re super nice people and these guys here do no look like knights in shining armor but in their hearts they care a lot for freedom and justice… so you’ll be fine!! I swear on Mesh! And look how nice we’re treating everyone!! Oh and Master Flyn will surely return the sword!“ she says looking at the archer.
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Harsh eyes settle on the archer. Will he surly return the sword? He stopped his initial pursuit of Hestram to pry goods from the throne, perhaps even giving the true Adril time to make the switch with his erzatz simulacrum.
"Zaarah speaks true. The Society is neither in the habit of nation-building nor kingdom leading." Not officially at least.
Princess Verrish nods and takes the still-sheathed starsword from Flyn's outstretched hands. "It is good to see that not all those from Golarion are without honor. We shall return to Arl, celebrate the death of the Beast - even if he was not Adril himself - and then you will all return to your planet." Slowly she places the blade back in the archer's hands. "And you will take with you both my blessing and the starsword, which is no longer the sign of Arl's self-rule, but a symbol of oppression at the hands of outsiders. It is time that we shrug off the coarse mantle of our superstitious ways..." She glances disdainfully at the still-kneeling warriors "...and strive to become a more civilized people."
On the flight back to Arl, the Seekers have plenty of time to interrogate their prisoner. She sits bound and gagged in the bow cabin, blood staining her heavy furs. As the Pathfinders ask their questions, she answers in a flat voice without meeting anyone's gaze.
"I am Natalya Yagevna of Irrisen, wife of Skelg the Ripper. I weep for him, for he was the greatest of the Ulfen jarls. I curse the day that he let Adril drag him into his wild plans. First he stormed Montrose's estate with Adril and killed him, then did so again here on Arl. He did not kill Prince Odrian though - that honor was claimed by Adril himself."
"As for my part, I retrieved his dead body from the Woodsedge Lodge and brought it through the maze to Arl. Here I returned him to life and created his simulacrum to take his place when he left. I stood by my husband during the assault on the royal palace, supporting both him and Adril with magic."
"Why did we do it? Adril plans to do nothing less than remake the Society. His efforts to change things from the ground up were met with resistance and bore little fruit, so he instead decided to make his changes happen from the top down. To do so, he schemed to kill enough of the Decemvirate to install himself and several of his compatriots from the Shadow Lodge in their positions. With his new majority, he will control the Society from within."
"I do not know all those Adril had identified, but I am certain they are all dead or incapacitated save for one: Shemis. I do not know where they might be, but I am sure Adril does and is already on his way to their location - if he is not there already."
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Flyn nods. ”Hmmm, things are starting to make sense now. How did you hear of Hestram’s death so soon though? You were quick in removing his body…and stealthy at it to boot…
“Shemis…I am not familiar with…her, I suppose? I’m guessing this Decemvirate member is the ‘S’ annotated on Hestram’s map…and ‘S’ was listed as in Absalom…
“It would appear we don’t have much time…”
The airship touches down lightly at the dock, prompting a cheer from the assembled masses. But in the midst of the red-skinned citizens of Arl stands a familiar pale-skinned woman. Venture-Captain Eliza Petulengro waves the Seekers over to her, her face shifting from a tight smile to an expression of worry. "You've returned, praise the gods. The locals have told me that Adril killed Odrian before you drove him out of the city, but I'm afraid that was just a distraction. Adril - the real Adril - is in Absalom, inside the Grand Lodge. Quickly, follow me."
The glowing red portal from Akiton to the Maze of the Open Road on distant Golarion rises from the pinnacle of the towering pyramid ahead, as howling, icy winds tear across the red sands, whipping them into an angry, biting torrent. Eliza rushes up the structure, turning back only briefly to ensure that she’s being followed. Reaching the top of the massive structure, she turns to speak, but pauses for a moment to think. Her voice wavers with a twinge of desperation and fear.
"I… we… We will never catch up to Adril if we take the Maze back. He's already in Skyreach." Slowly, her pained expression surrenders to resolve. "I'm going to rift the portal. It's the only way to get there in time."
"I'm going to attempt to tear a rift into the portal chamber at Skyreach. It’s sort of foyer in the tower’s upper chambers — those reserved only for the use of the Ten and their most trusted aides. It should be the easiest chamber to access, as it doesn’t actually exist in Skyreach. It’s more of a hub connected to several dimensional corridors that run through the Grand Lodge."
"When - and if - we arrive, we shall be partially insubstantial. The Decemvirate uses this property to keep their identities obscured from one another when exiting and entering their private chambers. While the Decemvirate can enter and leave the chamber at will, we shall be visitors. In order to enter, each of us needs an envoy."
"Within the chamber stands a basin containing a small number of special ioun stones called eraminho. These stones act as vessels for the souls of the Society’s most trusted protectors, some even former members of the Decemvirate. By activating these stones, we can connect with the spirits to gain access to the inner chambers."
"Once inside, we should seek out the faction rooms first, and use them to make contact with whatever allies of the Society we each may have outside the Ten themselves. These rooms are the only neutral rooms within the upper tower, so even if Adril seizes command of Skyreach, the faction rooms will remain somewhat of a blind-spot. After that, we need to get to Shemis and protect her at all costs. All set?"
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The detective winces at Petulengro's casual description of the dangerous tactic. As she goes on to omit the more lethal downsides of the arcane manipulation, Fendel proceeds to make some defensive preparations.
He considers Flyn's concerns. "I have a few sun rods, We could tie them on leather thongs and wear them. The light would identify allies. I have only five though. If Kramac sits upon Beak and Kiboko does the same on the Magnificent Mvumbu, it should be a simple task to identify one another."
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....and Kiboko does the same on the Magnificent Mvumbu
Kiboko's grey face goes pale as an ice-witch's. "Ride upon Mvumbu the Wise and Beautiful? As if she were a mere HORSE?! Kiboko would never treat Mvumbu in such a way!
No, if we need a way to identify ourselves it should be a pass-phrase, for example: 'I apologise to Mvumbu the Wise and Beautiful for suggesting that she be employed as a common beast.'"
"HAAAARRRRRR!!!!"
Mvumbu the Wise and Beautiful shakes her head at Fendel's suggestion, then nods in affirmation of Kiboko's alternative.
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Flyn nods. ”I like Fendel’s suggestion…other than the wise and beautiful Mvumbu being deployed as a mount, of course. I can forego the sun rod and use my ioun torch to identify myself…if Kramac rides Beak, that should do for us all…or if someone else has an ioun torch that’d free up another sun rod…
“Also, as a backup, we could speak Infernal while in that chamber as well…we all speak it with the exception of Kramac; but Kiboko could speak Polyglot with him…”
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Does the magic of the chamber block magics to detect alignments? Kramac can sense alignments - and is pretty sure none of his companions are evil. Kramac will just sense evil and attack whatever is evil. Is usually good strategy.
Kramac does not understand why Mvumbu would take such offense to being ridden by Kiboko. Kiboko is a fierce and noble warrior. Should the need ever arrive, Kramac would be happy to carry Kiboko on his back into battle.
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Kiboko frowns. "Kiboko carries a cursed, yet powerful, ioun stone Brother Kramac. Zaarah has one also. They radiate an evil aura, even when hidden inside a wayfinder as Kiboko's is.
As for carrying Kiboko - you are much too small!"
Kiboko's toothsome grin returns and Mvumbu honks in agreement.
"And Mvumbu is no beast of burden!" The great she-hippo honks again.
Eliza nods at the suggested preparations, waiting until everyone is finished before turning her attention to the doorway of red iron before her. After a few minutes, a lightless hole appears in the undulating red surface of the portal. A bone-numbing blast of frigid energy shoots from the rift, and an inhuman shrieking emanates from the hole. Eliza tries to yell something as she steps through, but her words are overpowered by the sound of the void. Seconds later, she vanishes into the blackness, and the Pathfinders feel a vacuum on the other side pulling them in.
As the Pathfinders step through the portal - or are pulled forcibly through - the shrieking darkness envelopes them. Stepping through a portal to and from the Maze of the Open Road is usually like being stretched almost to the breaking point before reality snaps back into place. This time, the feeling is that of being pulled through a myriad of jagged openings that each scratch and bite and prick and stab.
The darkness around them shows no signs of movement until at last it thins very slightly, ebbing into a deep blackish-purple twilight. The surrounding space appears to be without clear definition or form. Distance is difficult to judge, though there appears to be some sort of perimeter marked by darker, shadowed arches. To the north is a small stone column supporting a basin filled with a pale, translucent gas.
When the Pathfinders look around for their companions, they see only human-sized silhouettes surrounding them. A quick glance down at themselves shows that the same thing has happened to them - though somehow they know that their equipment is still there, even if it can't be felt.
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Not wanting his back to a potential enemy, Flyn will move warily towards the column with the basin…he will then cast detect magic and detect evil…if any magic is detected, he’ll try to determine what he might know about it…
…and then he’ll try to recall if anything in here strikes a chord in his memory…
Then he’ll speak in Infernal…
”Это Флин. Я иду в бассейн на севере. Кибоко, передай это Крамацу в Полиглот. Не подходите к бассейну, не произнеся Адского и не сообщив мне свое имя…”
Flyn will then keep a discerning eye out for any hidden foes, movement, or other signs of danger/traps…
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Kiboko counts the number of shapes in the room, and finds that it is as expected.
"Kiboko anasimama na wewe. Flyn amekaribia bonde. Kiboko atamsogelea sasa, na Mvumbu. Ndugu Kramac, unapaswa kujitangaza."
Kiboko repeats himself in Infernal. "Кибоко поддерживает вас. Флин подошел к бассейну. Кибоко подойдет к нему сейчас вместе с Мвумбу. Брат Крамац, тебе следует объявить о себе."
Kiboko uses his close connection to Mvumbu to discern which of the shapes is the she-hippo, and calls her to him.
You also notice a lot of wards. Nearly every archway around you contains the faint outline of a glowing rune that slowly shifts as you glance away. It seems to be both an identification and a defense against the uninvited. The alcove to the north is likewise warded by powerful enchantments, though no runes are visible.
At last, your eye is drawn towards the stone column. The bottom of the basin is carved with the Glyph of the Open Road, covered by half a dozen or so tiny crystals crudely chiseled into the vague likeness of humanoid figures. You're not certain what they are though.
The Pathfinders call out to each other, their voices strangely distorted and flat to the point of unrecognizability. The dim light in the chamber never changes, the air is still, the very stone beneath one's feet almost seeming to fall away into shadow. Even the sounds of speech die quickly, as if spoken in a room full of velvet curtains.