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...Moonlight’s dreams involve him raising a mummified corpse of his pathfinder comrade to do his bidding, protecting them from other undead that swarm beyond the portal, half expression of anxiety, half power fantasy, before rising the following morning to visit the infirmary to observe Franzine’s progress, feigning cool indifference, but certainly not disclosing his nighttime stirrings...
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Itka hobbles after Franzine and Manny, casting Moth's Supper on the paladin in the hopes that it helps keep her alive long enough to remove the curse. A stream of delicate, black-winged butterflies and huge death's-head hawkmoths pours from her mouth. Spitting out the last one, she points to Franzine and orders them: "Hmp. Return to that one after you feed." They disperse, fluttering to land on the zombies' remains, before following Franzine's path to the infirmary, where they alight on her shoulders and in her hair, whispering macabre secrets into her ears. As they do so, some of her wounds close.
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Yes,: Po'ogaat, please take them directly upstairs! the venture-captain calls out to the grippli, who in turn hops away from the portal and toward the departing party.
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Man, partying hard is hard work.
Wake up, crawl out of bed, try not to wake up... damn, their snoozing can wake the dead.
Get to the infirmary and make sure Franzine is alright. The bruise wasn't healing normally. His uncle Karlos never recovered, but the gods smile upon her.
The days are hot and the nights are cold. Manny moves up and down the city, noting the different instruments, the styles, and the commonalities. Ways to invigorate people and to keep spirits high.
The temple of Shelyn is always busy, and he takes a moment to pray for his continued success. He prays to bring honor to the Holysmiths and to keep the undead at rest. It's not easy.
Midday he spends with his teammates, if they're willing. He's always ready to get a sparring lesson against Zenith's gymnastics, or Anjo's instincts. Itka teaches Manny a thing or two about curses (the magic and the angry kind.) He and Franzine find religious study to be fascinating, and Moonlight's alternative views are almost as intriguing as his face-concealing mask.
Night time starts with entertainment in the town square, followed by movement into a nearby tavern. It goes on for a while, and Manny spends his time cheering people on and heckling the ne'er-do-wells who prey upon the vulnerable crowds. He's seen it a million times. Plus his guardian angel Shylye keeps tipping him off - or is it instinct?
The night is spent in the company of many, and Manny isn't certain how he falls asleep. He could swear he hears some kind of harp playing softly in the distance, but no one else hears it.
His dreams are spent saving the downtrodden, meeting a beauty for a midnight tryst, and a heart-to-heart conversation with Shylye. She's always urging him to keep going, never give up, and try anything as long as it's for the sake of all. Whenever he asks her to reveal herself to the others, it's a quick tail whip across the face-
Man, that snoring is loud! Manny makes his way out of bed and towards the infirmary...
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Zenith eases as the last undead falls, their life sense drops to a dull pulse of their familiar, nearby companions. Looking up at the portal, Zenith recognizes it--perhaps told in the stars. The kayal simply nods their head in agreement as Moonlight sheds light on the nature of the shadowy veil.
Listening to the venture-captain Zenith simply says "I can linger, though I will move around in Sothis each night. It is unlike me to stay in one place for long, and never the same bed two nights in a row."
Zenith checks in on Franzine in the infirmary but it is clear the duskwalker's only healing is that of the stars which is ineffective here.
Zenith accepts sparring lessons with Manny and offers to show some moves, though Manny seems well-skilled here as well. "I once leaped across a 30 foot chasm. Nothing quite as exciting as that. Apart from wrestling two different Goliath spiders. Strangely on two different missions!"
At night time, true to their word, Zenith wanders the outskirts of Sothis and finds the perfect place to read the stars until they drift asleep under the starlight.
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Until Itka is satisfied that Franzine will fully recover with no lasting ill effect, she hovers nearby, a dark shadow with gentle eyes behind a deep frown.
Unlike some of her teammates, she doesn't take to wandering the city. Her dad-blasted hips ache too much for all that walking when she isn't getting paid enough for it. Rather, she spends her time in the Lodge's library, combing through tomes in an attempt to unravel the mystery of that portal. When she comes up for meals, she's as sociable as she ever is. There are plenty of "hmps" and short remarks, though when the conversation turns toward curses she's more than happy to share her knowledge. (Manny got a *personal* demonstration after a particularly flippant remark, but no real harm was done. By the next day all was forgiven and the Malicious Shadow became an inside joke between them.)
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Laying on the infirmary cot, Franzine hears a familiar "hmp" over her. Cracking her eyes open, she groggily looks up at Itka looking down at her with that usual frown.
"Itka? Itka, is that you?" she mutters, her eyes still out of focus from sleeping for so long.
Franzine reaches out and feels the half-orc's gnarled and warty hand.
"Oh! It is you. Thank you for being here." Franzine says as she tries to crack a grin.
"They told me yesterday that Manny and Zenith came to visit, but, I was in a very deep sleep after the magicks the priests performed. You all are so sweet for coming by to check on me. The priests were able to remove the curse the mummy caused. They say I'm going to be alright. I just need to rest a couple more days." Franzine affectionately pats Itka's hand, gives a groggy smile, then falls fast asleep.
Franzine recovers from her treatments quickly. The mages and doctors confirm that all of the mummy's taint appears to have been lifted. Given a clean bill of health, she too is soon able to leave the infirmary and spends her days out and about in Sothis. The thriving capital has no end of engaging sights and attractions, though each of you notice the occasional second-look from a passerby towards your wayfinders. It is common knowledge that the Ruby Prince has been turning his eyes upon the spread of adventurers throughout Osirion - a categorization that very much includes the Pathfinder Society. Still, despite the odd glances or whispered murmur for the most part the citizens of Sothis remain quite cordial to you and there are countless ways to pass the time as you await another summons to the Sandswept Hall.
And when that inevitable message does finally come, the six of you can gather together once more. Venture-Captain Balentiir's invitation was for a pre-dawn meeting oddly enough and when you arrive the lodge's courtyard is illuminated by several lit torches. Norden Balentiir throws his arms open in welcome to you from the other side of a wooden table laden with breakfast foods: bowls of bean stew with boiled eggs and flat bread, fried balls of ground fava beans and spices, and fresh dates. You notice that he is not alone as a female half-elven woman and a dwarven man sit at the table as well.
“Ah, please be seated, my friends,” Venture-Captain Balentiir gestures to seats around the spread. You notice deep shadows of stress under his eyes. "Sit, and eat first. I must thank you once again for your service to this lodge. You lifted us from being crushed under the tide of an undead scourge, and rescued many of our fellows from certain death at their hands. And in thanks...I find myself needing to call on you once more."
He sighs deeply. "After over a week of investigation into that portal you found, we were finally able to understand some of its nature. Our mages determined that the portal leads to a mysterious 'Shadow Path', one which connects the Sandswept Hall’s basement to another location by passing through the Shadow Plane. We were able to open the portal again to send agents through to learn more, but..." Balentiir's face darkens and he looks down, "in the face of even more undead, they were forced to retreat before they could finish their mission. Worse, three agents stayed behind, sacrificing themselves to draw the undead away from the fleeing Pathfinders."
The venture-captain pauses, and takes a sip from a glass in front of him before continuing. "The mission wasn’t a complete failure. The agents confirmed that the structure this 'shadow Path' connects to on the other end is some sort of ancient pyramid. Further, the Pathfinders found some strange device there that we suspect is responsible for the undead, but they didn’t have time to fully examine its nature and didn’t want to make things worse by tampering with it before they understood what it was."
"Clearly, we need to go back with agents who have what it takes. And so I must ask for your aid once more. You are some of the Society’s best, most experienced people, and you have already proven your bravery and commitment towards helping the Snadswept Hall and we who toil here. We need you to go through the Shadow Path, find whatever is responsible for raising the undead, and stop it. While you’re there, find our missing agents. We hope they’ve managed to stay alive, but if not, bring back their remains. They deserve a second chance if we can resurrect them.”
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"Then still their restless forms and return the bodies, if you can." Balentiir responds solemnly. "The three who stayed behind were a catfolk named Yawellis, a human named Janahar, and a dwarf named Tetabu."
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Appearing fit as a fiddle, Franzine enters the room with a little pep in her step.
"Hi, everyone. I'm all set for our next adventure. And thank you again for coming to visit and make sure I got well. Let's hope that doesn't happen to any one of us again. It was quite scary."
During the briefing, she cringes every time she hears the word "undead".
"You can count on us, sir. We will do our best to retrieve our fellow agents."
She makes a mental note of the agents they seek: a catfolk, a human, and a dwarf.
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Zenith sits and starts eating while the VC is giving the briefing, though they stop suddenly at the mention of the the "Shadow Path". They hold their flat bread waiting for a pause, "Is this shadow path at all related to the shadow plane?" the kayal asks. "Also, are you two joining us?" Zenith asks motioning their free hand towards the dwarven man and half-elven woman.
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The concern for his mummifying Comrade waned, our shady hero disappears from the lodge and wonders the city of Sothis a few days - an obscure marketplace here, a hookah lounge there, some abandoned structure yonder - eventually coming upon some old texts written in Necril, and making time to study those in depth, brushing up on the language.
He returns upon his summons, and having already ate, stands above those enjoying the breakfast - perhaps helping himself to a single date - eyeing meanwhile the elf and dwarf next to the venture captain, until Zenith voices his question audibly.
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One heck of a party last night. The wait staff had plenty of drinks, good music, some mockery of his musical efforts, and plenty of guests for the after party.
Something kept his hands from getting too drunk, though. A feather here, a green scale there, Manny was certain someone kept him away from the worst of it. Thanks Shylye.
Maybe she was preparing him for today. "Looking good, Franzine. Sounds like it's time for another adventure, eh? Let's see what's in that portal."
The Venture-Captain offers food, but the mission description quickly steals his appetite. He's about to ask for the names of the Pathfinders but gets his answers soon enough.
Itka expresses some concern, but it's an answer Manny already knows the answer. Undeath is a curse, a never ending torture. Destroying them would be a mercy.
"What's the plan, then? We can't just walk into the portal." Manny pipes up. "Sounds like we need to close in on that device and stop it."
Manny takes a moment to consider buying some >Holy Water<. He wonders if he'll get the chance before heading in.
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Helping herself at last to the repast, Itka swallows a mouthful of boiled egg before peppering the VC with questions: "Hmp. What did the returning agents report about the other side? Did they provide a map? What types of undead did they see, and in what numbers? What can they tell us about the device?" She ladles spiced fava beans onto her plate and digs in while she awaits the answers.
"Also, are you two joining us?" Zenith asks motioning their free hand towards the dwarven man and half-elven woman.
The others at the table turn towards the kayal and shake their heads. The elven woman explains to them Norden has laid out the most important tasks, but there’s an opportunity to learn more. The Vigilant Seal wants to know what this device within the pyramid is. If you can bring it back so we can study it, that’ll help us find whoever’s responsible for these attacks. Meanwhile the dwarf quickly swallows his mouthful of food to chime in. There could also be information in the pyramid itself. The Shadow Path is particularly stable—according to the scouts’ reports, when you’re on it, you can’t go anywhere but to the pyramid or back to the lodge. There must be some reason the path’s creators chose to establish such a connection. If you can find out what this pyramid is and who was meant to stay dead in there, the Horizon Hunters would appreciate it. But please remember that any Ancient Osirian artifacts from the pyramid could draw the attention of the Ruby Prince, so only take notes, not historic items.
Helping herself at last to the repast, Itka swallows a mouthful of boiled egg before peppering the VC with questions: "Hmp. What did the returning agents report about the other side? Did they provide a map? What types of undead did they see, and in what numbers? What can they tell us about the device?" She ladles spiced fava beans onto her plate and digs in while she awaits the answers.
"The returning agents did not make it far into the pyramid before being driven back." The venture-captain replies as he tries to tick off all of the orc's points. "Only going throgh a few antechambers and up to a crossway before a mass of zombies pushed them back. They mentioned that the pyrmaid itself seemed solid, but there was a dark tingling sensation felt by all of them when inside. As for the device, from their reports it looked like a box with odd metal sticking from it that crackled with purple energy. None of them had seen the like before."
And Manny mentions not just being able to simply walk into Mordor through the portal Balentiir clarifies: "Actually you can. Somewhat. We have developed the methods to stabilize and open out end of the Shadow Path. It should bring you to the Shadow Plane, and you can follow it to reach the pyramid. Obviously we cannot leave the portal open until you return but," he looks about "we have a plan for that. Ah! there he is..."
You can follow the venture-captain's gaze to see the Po'ogatt hopping across the courtyard. The grippli agent's arm's are carefully balancing several boxes, labelled 'trapfinder’s kit', 'undead hunter’s kit', and 'Osirionologist’s kit'. He sets them down on the table before using a wet cloth to wipe his skin. Unlocking the boxes, he looks up you and says, Hey! Sorry i'm a bit late, these things are heavy! so if you're going through that portal you can bring this with you. he fishes around ain a box and brings out a writing slate that just fits in him palm. So this is a slate of distant letters. you can write on your half, and it'll show up on ours. So when you're ready to come back you can let us know and we'll get the portal over here opened up again!
"Anything to help us fight them?"
Po'ogaat sets the boxes down carefully and opens them up. Well, we don’t trust just any agents with these items but I think you can handle them... and you may need them! Unfortunately, he adds sheepishly the Society’s resources are strained right now, so we're supposed to be sending most of this gear to other lodges. But you get first pick.
Meanwhile, as you're all talking Itka and Zenith's minds race as the topic of 'Shadow Paths' and the Plane of Shadow come up. Both know well that the Shadow Plane is a dark mirror of Golarion. It is a place of gloom where light struggles to penetrate. The plane connects the Material with the Negative Energy planes, a link that gives rise to many undead that hide in its darkness. Of course Zenith remembers that undead are far from the only creatures that lurk there. Kayal and Sceaduinar can frequent the plane, as well as the horrific velstracs: fiends who find true pleasure in inflicting sadistic torments on mortals.
Others of you tend to fixate more on the description of your destination. Both Manny and Moonlight know that undead are rarely a pyramid's only danger. The architects of ancient pyramids of old often set mechanical and magical traps throughout their interiors so as to discourage tomb robbers who would steal the riches interred with pharaohs.
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Franzine delicately dabs the corners of her mouth with her napkin after a spoonful of stew. The conversation and questions about undead makes her a bit uncomfortable, especially after what happened during her last mission. The idea of traveling to the Negative Energy plane makes her even more nervous, but, she is a pathfinder and the job comes with its dangers.
"Hi, Po'ogaat." she says with a warm smile, happy to see the grippli. "Wow. Those are some interesting items."
After going through the items and hearing about their properties, she holds up the Deathless rune.
"This. I'll take this rune. After what happened last mission, I think this deathless rune will give me some protection from the horrible things those undead can do."
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After giving each item a brief consideration, Itka selects the Magnifying Glass of Elucidation. It alleviates the unease she has about Moonlight being the only one to know the language. "Hmp. Thanks." She also takes the Slate of Distant Letters and slips it into her pack.
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Manny looks through the list of tools, but he settles on the >Goggles of Night<. "Anyone mind if I take those?"
"I can always light up my brooch, but the last time I was in the Shadow Plane the light was much dimmer than I expected. I'll light someone else instead."
Manny watches Moonlight take the ring of maniacal devices. "Good call. That pyramid will be booby trapped, for sure."
Oh, glad you find them useful! Po’ogaat croaks. Just sorry we can’t send you in with more.
Po’ogaat guides your group back down below the Sandswept Hall to the cistern beneath it. As he hops along, he adds: Just in case there’s more curses again, the venture-captain’s ready to call in some favors to get them removed. Though you know: best to try and not get cursed in the first place. The government’s already looking at us funny about all the ‘dangerous events’ we get up to in the city. Plus being cursed isn’t fun in the first place.
When you reach the cistern, you see the portal of dark energy right where you first found it, though now a trio of mages have set watch around it. With your arrival, they mutter some occult words and the energy swirls before stabilizing into a gateway to a dim space beyond. As you step through the portal, the lodge’s basement remains clear behind you. But once the last of you is through, the portal shuts and turning around you see a greyscale and unpopulated version of the chamber you just left (and one oddly resting at ground level, with no other signs of the rest of the Sandswept Hall).
Looking around at your new environment, you find yourselves in a vast grey desert stretching as far as your eyes can see. In the distance you spot scattered limestone ruins rising out of the sandy landscape. The most prominent of these structures is a white pyramid that glows even through the persistent grey gloom of the Shadow Plane.
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The White Pyramid... Manny straps on his Goggles of Night. This feels familiar. The Onyx Alliance, right...
"Hmm, looks like the connection between the desert and the Sandswept Hall was built recently. Look at the sand, there isn't a lot on the path." Manny draws his whip and casts >Light< upon his brooch.
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"Hmp. There's less sand here than the surroundings. Like this cistern hasn't been here long. Hmmp. Must've initiated the connection between the Planes recently." Itka begins trudging toward the pyramid as soon as the group moves out, trying mightily to keep up with the group without moaning and groaning at the pain in her hips.
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"I think I'll get another one of those antiplague elixirs as well. I think the last one was expired, though. It didn't work very well. I'll be back in a minute."
Franzine hurries off. In 58 seconds, she returns with a vial in her hand.
"Got one!" she exclaims before popping the cork and guzzling the liquid.
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Once through the portal with the others, Franzine shakes her head and blinks to shake off the dizziness from the jaunt into this new realm. Taking in the strange sights, she nervously bites her lip.
"Pret-ty creep-y." she mutters with a drawl.
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Zenith nods their head as Manny and Itka arrive to the same conclusion about the connection to the shadow desert.
The kayal looks around their new environment though does not seem particularly fazed by it."All ready?" they simply ask after giving a moment for their teammates to catch their bearings.
Anjo is able to make out several tracks - recent ones given they're still visible in the desert sand - heading to and from the direction of that distant glowing pyramid.
When you get your bearings you begin heading across the sands to the far pyramid. While many of you can see fine in this dark place the rest find activating your wayfinders to be fiddlier than normal. And once they glow, the compasses' light emits less distantly than you're used to.
But that's not the only eerie thing. As you trek through the desert you see the distant ruins to either side of you blurring by. the sand beneath you churns normally but you seem to be proceeding towards the pyramid at a dizzying pace. After just 10 minutes of trekking you are already at the base of the structure, even thought it was miles away from where you entered this plane!
Resting on/in several of the pyramid's bricks at ground-level is a faintly glowing portal similar to the one you just passed through at the Sandswept Hall. Walking through it, you find yourselves in a stone chamber formed from massive sandstone blocks. A warm glow emanating from golden decorations on the walls illuminates the space, reflecting off a shallow puddle of dirty water covering much of the floor.
All of you feel a faint shift - a tell that you have shifted Planes again and are once more on the Material Plane. However, you each also feel a strange sensation verging on pain — like all of your limbs fell asleep while needles jab repeatedly into their flesh. Manny, Itka, and Franzine all liken the effect to akin to a harm spell that hasn't quite been cast properly, but the magics seem to be suffusing you with lingering negative motes.
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The darkness is all too familiar to Manny. Memories rush back as he tries to cast Light upon his brooch.
His brooch is snuffed out before it glows dimly once again.
The pyramid is simultaneously too far and too close. It isn't long until he's inside. "Yup, this place is cursed." Manny feels strength waver. Someone or something cannot wait to drain his life force. "And someone wants to drink our lives dry. Be careful about negative energy."
Manny casts >Heroism< upon himself as he moves towards the corridor. Assuming he doesn't see a trap, he moves towards the junction.
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Fascinated by the dimensions of this realm, Moonlight advances forth onto the black sand, removing his shoes to feel it with his toes, stowing his sandals in his backpack.
He Casts a Light spell on his nearest comrade's weapon (or other bestowed implement) ((Anjo?)), and secondarily lights his own wayfinder on his partially exposed chest, the cool garments loose and comfortable.
Staying to the shadows of the shadows, he keeps his eyed peeled for traps as Manny stridently proceeds forward...
With the glow of his brooch to guide him, Manny carefully moves down the cooridoor. There are no traps - that he or Moonlight can detect at least - as his shoes quietly squelch as they step through the hallway, whose floor is also covered in a thin layer of water.
About twenty feet ahead of the bard is a shut stone door. Manny reaches an intersection and peers to his left to see a small square room. Four columns support the ceiling, and maybe a dozen decayed corpses lie strewn on the ground. As Manny notices another passage at that room's opposite side a deep voice calls out from a corner: “Pathfinders! You came!”
The voice seems to be comings from a corpse on the floor. One that starts to rise up!!!!!
...only to be heaved to the side as a large catfolk shoves it off of himself as he stands. Bedraggled and cut, the figure struggles to stand as he looks at Manny. "You are Pathfinders, yes?? Oh Gods let you be rescuers and not more undead!"
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Before leaving the wet room, Itka casts Mage Armor on herself and drinks an antiplague elixir. She tries to peer past the surface of the water to see if there's anything noteworthy there.
"You are Pathfinders, yes?? Oh Gods let you be rescuers and not more undead!"
"Hmp. Yes, we're alive, and glad you are, too. What are the odds that these corpses will rise?" She asks the most pressing question first, followed quickly by the others. Time is not on their side. "Do you need medical attention, food, or drink? What is the last known status or location of the others?"
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"Sup. Yeah, we're Pathfinders. We're here to find survivors and investigate the area. See if we can shut down whatever is going on in here."
Itka gets to the point. He sighs. "Yeah, do you know if there were others?"
Catfolk named Yawellis, a human named Janahar, and a dwarf named Tetabu... let's see if he has his facts straight. Or if he's already lost...
Manny hides his true intent, just in case this isn't Yawellis.
"I am fine, enough" the catfolk says wincing only slightly as he straightens. "And there shouldn't be any undead surprises in this room at least. Otherwise I would be long dead."
"I am Yawellis. I was one of many agents who came through that portal beneath the lodge to investigate its other end. We didn't even get very far in before our scouting pair found a warded stairway just down the hall" he nods towards the passage opposite where you entered. "But then undead came, of every flavor. I, Tetabu, and Janahar held the tide off while most of our party retreated back to the portal into the Sandswept Hall. We pushed back the attackers, then I was keeping lookout while the two of them were investigating that device at the crossroads. that was the last I saw them - one moment when I turned back they were just gone! Alone I knew I didn't stand a chance if I was attacked in earnest again, so I hid here as best I could until rescuers could arrive."
As he talks, Anjo tries to analyze the scene. The wet floor covers some of the scuff marks and tableau but the multiple bodies strewn about the room look like destroyed zombies (and a pile of bones likely former skeletons, and one destroyed ghoul). They seem to have been taken down with bludgeoning and slashing attacks; a good amount of recently-shed humanoid blood and tufts of white fur are also floating about.
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Manny relaxes as he views the destroyed bodies and Yawellis's injuries. "Alright. I'm glad we were able to find you, at least. We're going to push forward, see what we can discover. We're here to stop... whatever caused this invasion in the first place."
He turns to the team. "Ready when you all are."
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Franzine lowers her shield and helps the pathfinder to his feet.
"It's great that we found you, Yawellis. I'm Franzine. I wish we could've met under more pleasant circumstances. The Venture Captain and the others are waiting for you on the other side of the portal."
Franzine turns to Itka.
"You have that writing device. Should you inform the captain that we found Yawellis and that he's heading back?"
Franz grits her teeth, rolls her shoulders, and stretches her neck to release some tension.
"I'm ready, Manny."
She hoists her shield and shakes her sword to get a good grip before moving in with the group.
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"Thank you" the Pathfinder says as Anjo approaches. Yawellis' wounds do seem significant, but though Anjo spots several gashes with ominous discolorations they don't seem to have spread into the catfolk's blood
As Anjo's tending fixes many of his injuries, Yawellis replies gratefully to you all "You have my eternal gratitude. If you can find Tetabu or Janahar please get them home as well. I don't think they would have gone to another of this place's level: that stiarwell we found leading upwards by the machine was wreathed in wards. Odd too: they looked like they were created recently, definitely not by the ancient Osirians. But the runes looked quite powerful: I don’t think anything living or dead was getting through them.”