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Ferdrin's ears perk up at as the cleric's goods are read off.
A symptom kit? Fascinating. I wonder what reason she had to fake an affliction.
He nods at Abdara, accepting the potion.
Yes, she was almost certainly preparing more "soldiers." Most importantly is figuring out who she was working for. Who wants to do the questioning when she wakes up?
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Raelene reverently accepts the scimitar and carefully accepts the gems and pouch of dust.
Somewhat reluctantly she complies with the request to stabilize the woman, despite her recent actions, perhaps there is still a chance of redemption.
She asks of her companions, "Does anyone else need healing?"
When her services are no longer required she takes a careful look at the goods given into her care in an attempt to discover more about them, using detect magic and her knowledge of Spellcraft as needed.
You search the area and see that the whole graveyard is a mess! Bodies are half digged out but you do not see any further undead and no further threats.
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“She can talk and valk, right?”
“Mm ... She’s probably smart enough to do that.”
Abdara shrugs and waits for everyone to indicate they’ve finished healing.
“Cade, can you please keep control of her? Applying manacles or rope to her wrists and arms might help. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring any to the Wake.”
Once Cade has signalled he’s ready, Abdara will apply just enough CLW ✨taps to bring WiB™ back to consciousness.
You eventually restrain the woman and wake her up.
But all efforts are in vain and she avoids answering questions!
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“Cade, can you please keep control of her? Applying manacles or rope to her wrists and arms might help. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring any to the Wake.”Once Cade has signalled he’s ready, Abdara will apply just enough CLW ✨taps to bring WiB™ back to consciousness.
[dice=starting with CLW wand on WiB™]d8+1
Cade gives a nod and secures the priest, tying her arms and legs together, and then securing the end to a post.
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Ferdrin sits down behind his companions and flips through his spellbook, looking for something that might prove useful now.
He then stands up and casts a spell at the woman.
The spell has no effect on the woman!
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“I am Almaas Kargar of the Pallid Princess’ Darkmoon Coven.”
“My order was recently destroyed by the Pathfinder Society after our Abbess’s plot to infect the local human and fey populations with Red Drip was discovered before we had the chance to frame the Darkmoon Lumber Consortium.”
Abdara sighs. “I was given the choice of death by drowning or the chance to join the Pathfinder Society.”
“I do not regret the choice. I have encountered many of the Sisters of Lady Despair inside the Dark Archive faction, and have found the Society surprisingly tolerant – protective even – of our dogma and practices. Provided none of their own are harmed and the relics they seek are recovered, any collateral damage is of no concern to the Decemvirate.”
The bard makes an open gesture with her hands. “It’s obvious you have lost this battle, but that does not automatically mean your demise. Give us the information we require about your employer(s) and their goals and I may yet be able to organize the same opportunity for you that I was given in Darkmoon Vale.”
The woman raises an eyebrow and keeps her mouth shut.
She believes Abdara’s words but she is not interested. She would rather die than be captured here to eventually walk another path.
DC 20
With the priestess’ will broken and Ferdrin being such a close friend, she starts talking to him while eying the others in the group suspiciously! The woman is Shirin Nuray and she is a true follower of the pallid princess!
You learn that although close friends initially insisted on the funeral being officiated by a representative of Sarenrae, Zarmina’s will specified that her old friend Umut Tepemkau, a cleric of Pharasma in Osirion, should be the one to oversee her burial. The aging priestess set out for Qadira upon hearing of Zarmina’s death, but her journey was soon met with doom.
Shirin had learned of the wake and intercepted Umut and murdered her, leaving her buried in a shallow grave hundreds of miles away. Shirin came to the funeral masquerading as Umut, co-opting it with the intent of corruption—she plotted a sufficiently daring act of necromancy to earn her favor with the Pallid Princess.
She was lucky that many decades had passed since any of the Bahjari family met Umut, and no one saw through Shirin’s disguise.
Shirin surreptitiously animated Zarmina’s corpse and slipped away to begin animating more undead, though she accidentally exceeded the number that she could command and lost control of Zarmina.
When you aks her about the attack on the merchants she seems confused. She knows nothing about the assassin and it is clear that she tells the truth!!
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“Mambo Nuray’s connection to Umut Tepemkau and Princess Zarmina seems a little tenuous.”
Abdara's criticism of the necromancer’s plans is scathing. “And it was certainly a lot of work for little gain.”
“But whatever … We’ve wasted enough time on this mad woman’s schemes.”
She gestures back to the villa. “Let’s hope this wasn’t a distraction to keep us from protecting the other guests.”
"Who suggested it, anyway?"
With the evil priestess Shirin taken care of, and her undead creations destroyed, you pick yourself up carefully and return back to the manor.
You break the news to Aaqir that she had taken the place of Umut for some time now, and murdered her. Aaqir sighs in sorrow at the news, and utters a prayer to Pharasma to guide the soul of her priestess.
"Nonethless, thanks to you Pathfinders for ending the threat to the Bahjari household, allowing me and my family to conclude Zarmina’s burial without further interruptions!"
Everyone involved is more than happy to lay the blame for the recent troubles on Shirin. And Aaqir asks you to keep this topic confidential at the moment.
Metella Rauger and Temel Passad, however, continue their silent feud against each other and the two rival merchants continue to regard each other warily all the way til they prepare to depart.
After the ceremony is over, Aaqir meets the party one last time in the study.
"When I met you earlier this morning, little did I expect the funeral proceeding to take such an unexpected turn. I must indeed thank you again, for without your presence, surely a disaster would have befallen everyone present. But let's return to the original task at hand. Before they left, all the merchants save for Temel Passad left notes seeking to establish trade relations with the Pathfinder Society. The testimonies from Metella, Doritania and Jakti were especially glowing. So you have done an amazing job in swaying these influential merchants to our sides. Well done!" he says with a big smile.
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“But what of the assassin and his foul employer, Trade Prince?”
Abdara draws her wand of CLW and recites a short verse for Aaqir al’Hakam.
And Zarmina's spirit, raging for revenge,
With Calistria by her side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry ‘Havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above Golarion
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"Who suggested it, anyway?"
It was Trade Prince Aaqir's suggestion. I think we can trust his intentions in such a request.
Otherwise exhausted and in agreement, Ferdrin starts back towards the villa.
-------------------
Back in Aaqir's office...
Yes, our captured Woman in Black seemed quite confused at the mention of assassins. If the merchants have called a sort of truce does that not implicate them in those assassination attempts?
Aaqir iclearly understands your probing.
“You are true Pathfinders. Always seeking to go deep. Well, I of course made further investigations based on the amulet that you found. Jakti al’Awar hails from Qadira although he has spent much of his life in Osirion and Katapesh. There he seems to have received training in deadly arts by the Cult of the Dawnflower, an often ruthless, militant sect that is not afraid to act aggressively for the greater good. Over the years, Jakti has hunted criminal elements and recruited new members, sometimes setting up elaborate ruses to test prospective allies’ mettle. I learned only now that Zarmina’s wake was an opportunity for his sect to seek new talent and undermine enemies of the church. A lot of other responsibilities on top of his prosperous business as a purveyor of magic scrolls!“ he says with a frown.
“As Jakti al’Awar and the Cult of the Dawnflower are still part of the church of Sarenrae I will use other diplomatic routes to ensure that there will be consequences to the sect’s actions!!“ he says with determination.
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"Oh! So the formalities are over."
Abdara stops orating, looking disappointed that she doesn't get to confront the local leader of the Cult of the Dawnflower.
"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here, eh Sheikh al'Hakam?"
The bard sighs searching for a way to make the most of what's left of the evening. "I bet Venture-Captain Esmayl Ibn Qaradi has some wicked stuff locked away in his liquor cabinet back at the Lodge."
"And maybe we can go out later and see what Katheeran night life is all about?"
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"I bet Venture-Captain Esmayl Ibn Qaradi has some wicked stuff locked away in his liquor cabinet back at the Lodge.""Ooo, do you think any ov it'sh vlamable?" Brakkik rubs his hands together excitedly.
"I think it's usually the bad stuff that's flammable, actually. Which is probably a good thing - I wouldn't want it to go to waste."
"Thank you all for your offer but I will spend the time with my husband and my daughters." he says with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You have all had a most tiring day, so I would not delay you much further. I'll write a full report of the recent events to send to your venture-captain and the Grand Lodge so that you would be recognized for their efforts. Once again, for the lives of my family and me, thank you. You will always find welcome under the roof of Aaqir al’Hakam." he says as he retreats respectfully.