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The Fly and Sarma fan out and try to forage for some food (having forgotten to bring any along for the mission). Together they are successful, even in the relatively barren lands of Geb, and are able to provide the human captives some much needed nourishment.
"Thank you, our undead lords. This will sustain us for a while, and make us much more nourishing for you."
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Mangez bien.
The Fly looks around and clicks his tongue. This place is dead! He means it in more ways than one; you can get away with a long on empty streets like these. He fidgets his hie thieves' ring and examines the pen for a lock.
What would you to do were… the door to this pen be left open, and we were to walk away?
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As a team of pharasman knights moves towards the corral, you hear the sounds of battle as their cohorts attack undead in town. This startles and spooks many of the human captives, causing them to cry and howl in their pens and cages throughout town.
"Prepare to be dispatched, abominations!" bellows their leader as combat is begun!
4
1
5
8
9
7
3
6
10
11
2
- => The Fly
- #6
- #2
- Dorianna
- Karasuma
- #3
- #1
- Jexel
- Sarma
- Zinkyudo
- #4
- #5
Conditions:
Aragelda: 37/54 bm [-9 pending shield block]
Davian: 35/36 bm
Edjarha: 25/50 bm
Gideon: 42/52 bm
Enemy Conditions
Jexel:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
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#6 moves up and holds himself at the ready. Then #2 moves up and swings his morningstar at Sarna, connecting!
- x The Fly [AId to talking]
- R #6
- x #2
- => Dorianna
- => Karasuma
- #3
- #1
- Jexel
- Sarma [receives aid to talkies]
- Zinkyudo
- #4
- #5
Conditions:
Dorianna: 26/26
The Fly: 67/67
Karasuma: 52/52
Sarma: 56/61
Zinkyudo: 59/59
Enemy Conditions
Jexel:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
Dorianna's shadowy form wordlessly flows behind some crates and bales while likewise attempting to be sneaky.
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Karasuma and Dorianna both try hiding, which might be an interesting choice given Karasuma was also trying to help talk!
#3 moves forwards, and swings his weapon at The Fly. "Die, you foul undead!"
"Wait." says the leader. "Something isn't right here. Stand down"
He turns to the party. "Ok, what's the story?"
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#3 moves forwards, and swings his weapon at The Fly. "Die, you foul undead!"
The Fly giggles. But I'm already dead!
OK, so what's the story
He shrugs. We are on our own mission of subtlety and intrigue.
He taps the cage. We were moments from opening the doors when you came howling in. Perhaps you are here to rescue these slaves?
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”Well, I guess our disguises are not all we hoped for,” Zinkyudo mutters a bit mournfully. He nods as The Fly explains the situation, then adds, ”We are no more undead than you, as you’ve noticed. But our mission requires us to pass as the unholy residents of this land for a time. If you’ve come to rescue these people, perhaps you can get on with it, and we’ll get back to our business? As I’m sure you know, there are lots of hungry, restless dead about who would like nothing more than to eat them. And time is money – or in this case, valuable laborers not eaten.”
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”Very well.” replies the leader. “We are faithful of Pharasma conducting raids and trying to free living captives. We've been in the area for a few weeks now scouting the area and have finally set to freeing the prisoners here in Corpselight.
“It seems we are working towards the same goals. I am Kuryn Jexel, Priest of Pharasma.”
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"A few weeks ago..." Zinkyudo says in response, his tone a blend of mournful and incredulous. "After you killed the team we're supposed to rescue, did you happen to search them? We were sent to rescue them and recover something. If you didn't search them, could you tell us where you left their bodies?"
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"A book of some value," Zinkyudo replies somewhat vaguely. "Abadar appreciates when such things are carefully tracked and appropriately noted in the ledger, and we can hardly claim to have done so if we can't find it. You say you encountered him in the swamp south of town? And did you leave the bodies there? I do wonder what will have tried to eat them, or if they will have risen up and wandered off somewhere, this being Geb."
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”I understand your concern, but rest assured that we have buried him with all of the rites Out Lady of Graves provides us to protect from that very thing. ” Jexel sketches a map showing where they buried Jotkan Heth. ”Your concern for him is touching.”
”There are many books of value. Which one was your friend carrying?”
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The Fly is disgusted by these people; surely the other Pathfinders were crying out that it was a misunderstanding while they were cut down.
He carried an ancient tome. The FLy thinks he knows how to deal with Lawful types. Their stuff should be returned to us, it is our property as Pathfinder. We should also return their things to their families, so they can mourn their loved ones.
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"We didn't see any old books on the bodies. Perhaps if you could tell us the name of the book, I could give you what we know. Otherwise, I do suggest that you finish your business in Geb and depart as quickly as possible, as this is a dangerous and unpredictable land."
You feel that you can trust him, as much as you can trust anyone.
Jexel appears to be telling the truth.
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Jexel waves his followers off, as he moves closer. "Should you tell me the name of the book of which you speak, The Lady Shall Keep It."
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The fly rolls his eyes. Did any of you deign to notice anything else while you were butchering our friends? Valuables that might be bequeathed to their families so their children do not starve, perhaps? Letters to their loved ones so they might have closure? You should be giving us every item you looted off their corpses, not playing twenty questions.
Yes Geb is indeed dangerous. There are Pharasmin "knights" running amok murdering innocent people based on what they look like, in the name of their god.
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"These are troubling times, and we are deeply sorry for what happened. We did not mean to send your friend to the Boneyard before their time, but their disguise was as perfect as your own. This is the only way that I was able to determine that you were, indeed, more than you appear.
"We will have to face Our Lady of Graves in our own time, and we will pay our penance. All Who Live Must Face Her Judgment. As it was, we interred your friend with all of the rites that we know in order to protect them from this land."
He sighs, "I understand if you don't trust us. Perhaps we will meet again in better times."
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”That it does, but not because your friend had it.” replies the Pharasman. ”One of the abominations we destroyed to the east of here spoke of it being found at the Urgathoan temple atop the hill south of here. We've been too busy saving these people and slaying the walking dead to investigate further.”
Kuryn points you toward the temple of Urgathoa where the Testament of Geb is said to be held as well as the location wherein the Pharasmins buried Joktan Heth's body; both are south of town, less than a mile beyond the last human farm.
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The Fly spends 100 GP on two antiplagues in town. He is happier now that the slaves are free and he's on his way to stab something.
He whistles a jaunty tune and a grey tooth falls out of his rotting gums. He picks it up and tucks it into the breast pocket of his jacket. He shrugs and picks up the happy tune once again…
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After doing some shopping, the team heads out to find the burial site of Joktan. A twisted, forking path of dry land winds through the swamp here. A low, solitary hill rises from the horizon to the south, an ominous stone cairn marring its smooth crest with a ghastly crown. The area is covered in an unnatural pall, and even natural sounds seem dulled.
The Fly, Sarma, and Zinkyudo notice the sound of religious chanting and frantic, sloshing footsteps running through the swamp.
The haunt must be cleansed by 2 vials of holy water and blessed by a cleric able to channel positive energy; the cleric must also apologize for Joktan’s ignoble death.
6
2
1
5
3
- x Karasuma [surprised]
- => The Fly [partial action]
- => Zinkyudo [partial action]
- => Sarma [partial action]
- Haunt
- Dorianna
Conditions:
Dorianna: 26/26
The Fly: 67/67
Karasuma: 52/52
Sarma: 56/61
Zinkyudo: 59/59
Enemy Conditions
Haunt:
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This haunt would have affected everyone in its area with:
Anyone standing anywhere in the area when the haunt manifests takes 100 points of positive energy damage, but is healed any adverse effects currently active as per the heal spell. A Fortitude save (DC 19) halves this damage.
Interestingly, the "as per the heal spell means that it would have brought you to 1 hp, not killed you!
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”Well, I’m not sure there will be much return on my investment if I channel to destroy this haunt, given that I hope never to return to this place,“ Zinkyudo replies. ”But, since it is you asking, Sarma, and you hid me so effectively from that first troop of undead, it seems only fair to pay back that debt.“
Calling on Abadar to bless the unholy space where the haunt emerges, Zinkyudo speaks solemnly, “Joktan Heth, if your spirit can hear me in this awful place, I wish to apologize, to express the sorrow of the Society for the ignoble end you met at the hands of overzealous servants of Pharasma. To die at the hands of those who would do good, while yourself attempting to do good, is not suitable recompense for your labors. May you be more richly rewarded in whatever afterlife you find yourself in.“
He glances around to make sure none of his companions are nearby before channeling.
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Zinkyudo smiles in satisfaction as he completes the ritual, glad to have removed a force for chaos from the world. ”Markets can only function effectively when participants have some clarity about what to expect, and that can’t work when there are scary boojums leaping out and sucking the life out of you,“ he muses, while drawing out his new backwards healing wand and applying it to himself and any others who need it.
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"A soul should also not be bound to the same horizon for eternity. I think your lord would also agree that the freedom to move and associate with new markets is a vital concern." The negative charge of the wand restores the gash inflicted by the Pharasmin warrior to unliving wholeness as Zink activates it upon Sarma.