While other's attention is on the boy, Icabhod stuffs the drugs into his Haversack.
Tychus takes a good hard look at the lad, and without speaking a work, turns his own eyes an eerie blue. Perhaps Abadar would help him clear up this situation.
But I have no idea what he is. Do you have any insight on any extraplanar answer?"
Looks can be deceiving but he looks like a regular human.
Using Detect Alignment.
Carrius detects as Neutral.
Icabhod will use the mask as the group converses with the boy in order to sense his thoughts.
Henrika joins the others. "We are friends of your sister, Eutropia. Vaddrigan tried to kill us, so we defeated him in battle. Would you have us spare his life? After everything he has done to you?" She listens to see what he thinks, and then continues, "My name is Dame Henrika Karthis. I think it would be best if you came with us for the time being. There are still other enemies here beneath the theatre where Vaddrigan had been using you to recruit followers to his cult. It is possible we will encounter them as we try to leave, so I would advise you to stay back. Perhaps with Sir Xallis, here? He is a trustworthy knight, also in Eutropia's service, and a master of many arcane subjects."
She speaks carefully, respectfully, but with apparent haste-- as if she is still in the middle of combat. She keeps one hand on her sword, to make the point clear that she will fight to protect him.
"Xallis", Trevor calls to the head of House. "I don't detect any falsehood from his being. But I have no idea what he is.
Do you have any insight on any extraplanar answer?"
Xallis shrugs. "I could think of half a dozen outsiders that can take a human guise off the top of my head. And it looks like he's been through enough as it is without me trying to test it. And that sort of story doesn't line up with this heroic volume of narcotics that we've discovered."
The summoner will try to take a closer look to see if his knowledge of the man lines up with what he's seeing.
"As Dame Karthis mentioned, I am Sir Xallis Livara. We've come to get you out of this prison and away from the cult that wanted to turn you into a puppet."
"We are friends of your sister, Eutropia.
When Henrika mentions Eutropia, Carrius’ face brightens and a few tears fall from his eyes. He wipes them away and says, ”I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. If you are working with my sister, I would like to see her. I will come with you.”
With Icabhod’s detect thoughts, Carrius’ mind appears muddled and confused. When talking about Eutropia, he briefly thinks of a warm afternoon playing with his father and older sister in a well-appointed garden. When talking about the cultists, he is scared.
We've come to get you out of this prison and away from the cult that wanted to turn you into a puppet."
”Am I a puppet?”
To Icabhod, Carrius’ head is just spinning as if trying to grasp ideas only for them to slip through his fingers.
Vaddrigan tried to kill us, so we defeated him in battle. Would you have us spare his life? After everything he has done to you?"
”I don’t know this man…Not really. I can’t make a decision like that.”
To Icabhod, Carrius is trying to recall how he met Vaddrigan in the first place but cannot.
With Carrius willing to accompany you, you use one of Vaddrigan’s keys to unlock the cell and let Carrius out. He timidly walks with you.
”Am I a puppet?”
Tychus gives the boy a few tepid but reassuring pats on the shoulder. He attempts to use his black cloak to shield his crossbow from sight as much as possible, lest it frightens the Prince too much.
"We don't know yet. We think some of these men may have been trying to use you to get to the throne... And I suppose one of us should probably tell you about what happened to your father..."
Tychus gives the boy a few tepid but reassuring pats on the shoulder. He attempts to use his black cloak to shield his crossbow from sight as much as possible, lest it frightens the Prince too much.
"We don't know yet. We think some of these men may have been trying to use you to get to the throne... And I suppose one of us should probably tell you about what happened to your father..."
"Perhaps..!" Trevor interjected. "The Princess should answer that question."
We should avoid fights and get the boy out.
At that moment all the remaining inhabitants of the building rush through the door.
Go get them Jack.
Xallis nods. "We have something far more precious, a greater priority than mopping up some cultists. We should return the prince without hesitation, and go from there."
Around the time you finish preparing to escort Prince Carrius out of the building, you hear the door at the far end of the hall open and a female cultist speak, ”Better luck next time boys. Nobody beats me at a game of dice. Now keep watching that prisoner like we’re paying you to.”
Then you hear the heavy footsteps of clay golem stomping down the hallway. ”Oh gods! No! Ahh!!!”. You hear the woman’s screams followed by the sound of crunching bones and the wet splashes of gore. Then silence.
By the time you get back out into the hall, you see the clay golem standing motionlessly over the crushed body of a female aasimar in blue cultist robes. You see four wererats scurry fearfully past the golem and up the stairs, fleeing for their lives. The creatures were not wearing robes and the golem does not pursue them.
Then you hear another female voice call out from within the far room. ”Hello? Is anyone out there? I’m being held prisoner here. Please let me out.”
You can’t just leave someone in need, so you squeeze past the golem to get into the room.
This square room has a musty, unpleasant smell. A scarred wooden table surrounded by wooden chairs is shoved into the room’s northwestern corner. The southeast corner contains several pallets of straw jumbled together like a nest. A target hangs on the back of the wooden door in the east wall. A wooden door in the south wall has a small barred window and a heavy bar to keep it closed.
You open the barred door to reveal another jail cell. This jail cell has floor-to-ceiling iron bars running from the west wall to the east wall to separate off the room’s northern edge. A padlocked cell door in the bars is framed in iron. The cell is a gruesome affair, strewn with moldy straw and a leaky bucket overflowing with foul fluids.
A single woman occupies this cell. She appears to be a frightened baby-faced young woman barely out of her teens. When she sees you, her eyes light up. ”Please, I’m nothing but a too-curious young girl. I knew I should have snuck backstage and now I’m paying for that mistake. Vaddrigan doesn’t believe me and has kept me prisoner for over a week. Please let me out. The conditions in here are beyond horrible. I’m barely fed and my bucket is never emptied.”
The woman strains her neck to see Prince Carrius standing silently behind your group. ”Is that The Twilight Child? If you’ve freed him, free me too. Who are you people? You can call me Cassaranda Florint.”
Henrika frisks Vaddrigan (who Jack is dragging bound and gagged behind them as prisoner) looking for a key to the padlock, and also looks at the items they took from his room.
"We are friends of Princess Eutropia," she says as she looks for a means of opening the cell. "If you are not, I suggest now would be a good time to switch your allegiance. I am Dame Henrika Karthis." She gives a short, ironic bow.
She proceeds to briefly describe everyone they have seen in the area so far. "Is that everyone you saw when you were snooping around? If there’s others we will have to fight, we are more inclined to escape with the Prince and Vaddrigan, and let sleeping dogs lie."
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”You’re servants of Princess Eutropia? In that case, I can tell you the truth. I’m not just some innocent teenager. I’m actually in my late thirties. I’m a member of the Lion Blade and a talented spy. I was passing through Yanmass on another mission when I heard of the Cult of the Twilight Child. I sought some preliminary information about them to report back to my superiors in the Kitharodian Academy in Oppara when I was accidentally captured and imprisoned. I’d gladly share what I know about the Cult but truth-be-told, you probably know more than I do at this point.”
Vaddrigan’s key ring does not have a key to this cell. But when Henrika takes a look at the lock, she finds that the lock has already been picked and the door easily swings open. Cassaranda shrugs with a smirk. ”I guess I didn’t really need help getting out after all. I was just waiting for a good opportunity to escape because that blasted golem was still a problem. It seems like you figured out a way to get passed it though.” She steps out of the cell. ”Well, shall we get out of here then?”
Upstairs, the contingent of Abadarran guards that Tychus brought along have stopped and captured the fleeing wererats. One of the guards says, ”These fellows admitted to being hired to serve as full-time wardens as well as to spread disinformation around the city. We’ll make sure they stay off the streets for a good long time.”
The wererats had: masterwork studded leather, short swords, and light crossbows. Nothing of any significant value, but I added it to your treasure sheet.
Once you are out of the Encircling Bower, Cassaranda bids you farewell. ”Thank you again. Perhaps we’ll meet again if you are ever in Oppara. I need to report back there now. I’ve been gone for too long.”
The return to the Whistling Wyvern is uneventful. A few citizens point, perhaps recognizing Carrius from previously attending a ceremony at the Encircling Bower, but no one approaches or hinders your journey.
You can rest and recover in the inn or do whatever else you might want to do. Once you’ve recovered, you should report back to the Council.
Over the next two days after freeing Cassaranda Florint, Trevor worked past exhaustion on curing himself and Jack of their 'cursed earth'. Malphene stood by her man, helping him get around and from bed to work station to bed. On the second day, word had gotten out to Chief Enumerator Abrun Palliettor, who sent two clerics to assist the caydenite in his work.
Jack, Trevor, and the rest of the coterie were fully healed.
No attempts at confirming her identity? We already had to deal with beings like the Divs and we find another shapeshifter?
Edit..
Icabhod tries to pry into her head with his mask and Detect Thoughts.
”You’re servants of Princess Eutropia? In that case, I can tell you the truth. I’m not just some innocent teenager. I’m actually in my late thirties. I’m a member of the Lion Blade and a talented spy.”
Xallis will listen along, while Navia observes the spy with a curiosity. Her evolved senses seek oddities in heart rate, speech, eye movements, what have you. Even if she's being honest, the eidolon may as well get practice...
Later on, Xallis is more than happy to lend his services via his Azata summons to hasten the healing of his clay-cursed allies.
"By the way, Trevor." he says between summons, "I'm sure you've noticed that my network of extraplanar allies is growing quite a bit. If you ever need to commune with a friend from beyond, let me know. We can always arrange something."
Cassaranda’s thoughts align with what she is saying. Her thoughts are focused on returning to the Kitharodian Academy and meeting with someone named Kathann Zalar.
Navia's sense motive: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39
Navia senses that most of Cassaranda’s emotions are feigned. She’s not actually frightened nor helpless. Her youthful appearance is not an illusion but likely aids her when attempting deception.
Lamashan 22, 4718 (Moonday) (Yanmass, Taldor)
The Council is not in session on Sunday, so you wait one more day and address the Mercantile Council on Moonday.
The Council’s general consensus is that the Cult of the Twilight Child was never a real problem. Nevertheless, Chief Enumerator Palliettor makes it a point to personally thank you for your help with the matter and encourages you to keep the magical crossbow Scofflaw Hunter that he previously loaned to you as a gift. Further, he offers to send genuine representatives of the Church of Abadar to minister to the lay members of the cult and address their spiritual needs.
The Council will put Vaddrigan Pol under arrest for kidnapping and blasphemy and will question him at a later time to see if anything else can be learned.
As your business in Yanmass is coming to a close, Yanmass’s citizens are overwhelmed by the support Princess Eutropia offers as much as they’re disgusted by Maxillar Pythareus’ treachery, so they—and with it, most inhabitants of Avin prefecture—throw their public support behind Eutropia in the War for the Crown. Eutropia and Martella will be pleased.
After your meeting, soldiers are sent to the Encircling Bower to clear out the building. They report that if anyone else was inside, they evacuated before the soldiers arrived. They did find an advanced alchemical laboratory where an alchemist was brewing up several illegal hallucinogenic drugs including powdered flayleaf, opium, and shiver. The mastermind behind the creation of the drugs must have escaped. The drugs are confiscated and not given to you.
I’m going to give you one final Persona Phase while in Yanmass while you make preparations to bring Carrius back to the Palace of Birdsong. You can post your actions when you get a chance. You can also sell any treasure and if you purchase anything, you still get the 10% discount in Yanmass. This is the last opportunity to take advantage of the discount since you will be leaving the city soon afterwards.
Lastly, rescuing Prince Carrius is another triumph and all of your relics get more powerful again. Some of the first relics you found will have reached their full potential now, while a few of the newer ones still have some room to grow.
Dignity’s Barb: Dignity’s Barb is a +4 seeking darkwood light crossbow. At the start of each day, the crossbow’s owner rolls a d20, rerolling any results of 1, 19, or 20 and recording the final result. For the rest of that day, when the owner rolls the recorded number on an attack roll with Dignity’s Barb, the attack roll is a critical threat. This has no benefit for anyone other than the owner who rolled at the start of the day.
Envoy Ring: The wearer can use mass suggestion (DC 24) once per day.
Koriana’s Blade: Koriana’s Blade is a +4 defending longsword. The final gem repairs itself. The green gem protects against poison effects.
Subtle Mask: The mask’s enhancement bonus to Charisma is +6. When the wearer mentally activates the mask, she also detects whether the target is lying throughout the concentration, as per discern lies (DC 22). Once per day, the wearer can speak a command word to use true seeing.
Standard of Conquest: When the standard bearer calls for a battle charge, each affected creature gains a fly speed of 30 feet for 1 minute. The standard bearer can call for a battle charge twice per day.
Scion’s Dagger: Once per day, the dagger’s wielder can teleport any number of her bodyguards to her location, as per teleport. They must be willing and within 100 miles, and when they arrive, they appear within 20 feet of the dagger’s wielder in unoccupied spaces chosen by the GM.
"By the way, Trevor." he says between summons, "I'm sure you've noticed that my network of extraplanar allies is growing quite a bit. If you ever need to commune with a friend from beyond, let me know. We can always arrange something."
Trevor gave a peasant smile. "Well, actually, do you know the name of the bralani you summoned recently? I'd appreciated it."
Persona Phase
Tychus requests a personal meeting with Chief Enumerator Palliettor. He offers his aid in guiding the flock back, along with the other members of the clergy.
He leads a public sermon, extolling the virtues of Abadaran faith, in the hopes of steering the town back towards Abadar, and dispel the lies of the Cult.
Henrika organizes a staged reading of a play called The Twilight Child, written to glorify her companions and herself. The events it depicts are mostly fictional, to protect the council and their allies, but it does highlight that the Cult of the Twilight Child was a con-job run by a magical huckster craving immortality. She performs it at a local tavern (with Jack's help), and precedes it with a disclaimer asserting that the events it describes are all true.
"Gather, gentles and goodfolk of Yanmass, and attend well my tale of five noble heroes and their labours on your behalf. Mark that this is a true tale, and that everything I say unfolded exactly as I describe. The leader of this band is called Sir Xallis: clever, impressive in dress and presence, well-versed in the arcane, and served by a magic spirit of claw and tooth that he calls Navia, as well as his sister, Julania, a holy knight of good and champion of the green. Also with them is the upstanding advocate of the church of Abadar, Sir Tychus the Wise. Measured, discerning, unyielding... he tirelessly roots out threats to the social order and ensures that the wheels of trade turn prosperously. Then we turn to the dashing and romantic lead named Sir Trevor, a man devoted no less fervently to the teachings of Cayden Cailean, who grasps the nettle of life firmly and drinks deeply from the tankard of joyful service. He and his fiancée Dame Malphene are the picture of blissful young lovers, and a paragon example for all who delight in the blending of adventure-seeking with marital devotion. Behind them, in the shadows, is a cunning and secretive figure known only as Icabhod. What mysterious strategems and triumphs of deduction will he perform as part of our story? And finally, the warrior-maid Dame Henrika and her man-at-arms Jack, an unrelenting force of brilliant and unorthodox small-group tactics, unrivaled skirmishers who elevate sword-fighting to a new level. Let us all whet our thirsts and give a cheer for these characters with whom we will spend the next few hours! Hail, Taldane heroes! Hear, hear!"
Persona Phase
With Henrika's praising performance at the tavern, a great deal of citizen comes to Trevor's next Healing Tent event, tending to the injured and infirm.
Tychus
Pallietor gladly accepts Tychus’s aid. Together they hold sermons throughout the week, educating those who previously attended the Cult of the Twilight Child’s masses, that the cult was not affiliated with the church of Abadar but anyone who wish to learn about Abadar’s teachings are welcome to learn. The sermons are well received and Tychus’ influence grows.
Henrika
The citizens of Yanmass already view your group and heroes so Henrika’s performances are met with packed crowds and standing ovations. Henrika needs not worry about food or drink for the rest of her stay here as patrons shower her with gifts.
Trevor
Word that the hero Trevor is holding a Healing Tent Event spreads and many people come to be treated by him. Trevor finds that a number of women faked injury just for the chance to get close to Trevor as if he were a celebrity. These fans are met with Malphene’s stern disapproving stare.
Icabhod and Xallis still need to pick Persona Phase actions.
Suspecting that the cult has been supplying drugs to the inhabitants of the city, Icabhod gives a lecture on the substances they had in their lair and how to identify the signs of addiction and how to provide treatment.
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Trevor gave a peasant smile. "Well, actually, do you know the name of the bralani you summoned recently? I'd appreciated it."
Xallis smiles and nods. "Certainly. This one's name is... Memlim, I believe. Surname...." the summoner pauses to scratch at his arm. He flinches. "Mmmph. The surname is some kind of musical note, I think? They tend to be esoteric about personal identity. I could summon him again, but I'd need some musical training to properly pronounce..." He scratches again, and then at his side. "Blasted cultists and their lightning spells. Must have struck a nerve and left me with a twitch."
Navia's eyes go wide. "Does it feel like your muscles are squirming around on their own? Sort of like lazy slugs?"
The summoner raises an eyebrow, but nods.
"And there's this buzzing in the back of your head you can't explain, but it's telling you to find some place quiet, dark, and cozy and just... curl up and just.... unwind?"
Xallis rubs the back of his head. "Sort of? It's like being sleepy, but I'm not tired..."
The eidolon lets out a sound like an excited goblin and gives Xallis a hug tight enough to knock the wind out of him. "THAT'S HOW IT FEELS FOR ME! Trevor, we can bring back your buddy later. Me and Pupa have to go do something!"
"I was fumbling in the dark." Xallis says, steppping closer. He wonders how he'll initiate this transformation. Perhaps stretching the muscles? Elongating her hair-tendrils into a new kind of sensory organ? "No direction, no caution, just a desire for a powerful minion. A desire to prove myself."
"Then don't think." the eidolon speaks in his head as well as with her voice, adding a sort of echo to her words. "Don't shape, don't direct. Forget everything you know about what 'Navia' is supposed to be. Just... unravel me."
The summoner pauses. He knows his gift allows him to completely shape and mold this eidolon's body. But it was always with purpose. With an idea. As painless as it seems to be, would tearing her apart still be an act of cruelty? The sound of the eidolon's giggle in the back of his mind reminds him not to overthing things, so he simply reaches forward and presses both sets of his fingers into her sternum.
"Thank you," thinks the eidolon. Her entire body parts like curtains in front of the blood moon's light and the unraveled form collapses like an open sack of worms. The resulting pile, impossibly large and several times Navia's body in mass, lurches forward and completely engulf the summoner.
In that moment, Xallis feels himself entirely devoured. He has no eyes to see, no ears to hear; it was as if he had no body at all. But he could still sense it: Navia, all around him, raw and unprocessed and uncorrupted by the constraints or concepts of form.
"Essence...." comes the psychic sound of her thoughts, alien in tone, like insects swimming in the soup that was his brain. "Body and soul. Not two things, but one and the same. That's what I am. And for just a moment, my precious little Pupa, you as well. On the line between my realm and yours, our connection allows me to weave you as you weave me."
Mercurial tendrils run along his mind, reading it as the blind read the imprints of words. Navia wraps tendrils of essence around her fingers. Her work is slow, and clumsy at first, but the readings tell her everything she needs to know. Sensations and physicality return the the summoner's body as he is meticulously reconstructed, claws reshaping him like clay and scratching in every little detail from before, pulling and twisting him from concept to shape.
The first thing Xallis feels is an urgent need to breathe.
Fingers claw desperately at the wall of his chrysalis, tearing open the thin film that had kept his essence safe. Sir Xallis Livara forces his torso through and takes a much needed gulp of air, one hand on the floor to steady him and the other wiping his face of the slimy remnants of the ritual. Yet another hand aids the first in settling on the floor, and the realization hits him as the forth hand is taken in Navia's grasp to help him to his feet.
"I have four arms." The thought leaves his lips in dumbfounded, but no less enthusiastic surprise. He gives each of his limbs a test, slowly acclimating to his altered body. Looking up, he sees that Navia has undergone some changes as well, with her body clad in a 'dress' of sorts made from her own natural armor. Two impressive wings, shaped of the same 'materials' as her skirt, unfurl behind her. It's that much more of a spectacle when her 11-foot tall form towers over him.
"Is it... always going to be...?"
"That intense?" Navia finishes the thought. "I don't think so. We just had a breakthrough, is all. Now that we've done it once, I should be able to just sort of... get in there, like you do for me." She chuckles. "It's gonna to be a long time before I can do anything really fun."
Xallis stretches his two pairs of shoulders and takes a seat. He then glances at his wardrobe and sighs. "My tailor is about to make a lot of money."
Persona Phase
The destruction of the cult left some dead, and some imprisoned, but many more were simply lost. Innocent and misguided, many of them outcasts from society. On Navia's suggestion, he considers an alternative means of gathering followers. After all, magic is a wonderful thing, and for some, it's more spiritual than studious.
In a small, slightly secluded gathering, Xallis Livara speaks of his transformation. He speaks of his time peering through the eye of a rift to another plane, and how he was able to form a bond with a creature from beyond that transformed him.
And of course, he spoke of how such companionship and ascension was well within the reach of any one else who would study the art.
Give Lecture: Sagacity
Icabhod
Icabhod discovers that while some drugs made it to the streets. The majority of the drugs were used within the Encircling Bower. Powerful misters were used to addle the minds of the attendees during services and other drugs were used on Prince Carrius to keep him confused and docile. Identifying this, Icabhod is able to work with the local authorities to locate those who previously attended service and provide treatment for any lingering effects.
Xallis
The last time Xallis tried to give a lecture, he put the crowd to sleep. This time however, thanks to his notoriety, scholars eagerly attend and rigorously take notes on his teachings.
Lamashan 27, 4718 (Moonday) (Yanmass, Taldor)
By the end of the week, you’ve finalized your preparations for the journey back to the County of Meratt. Since you need to transport Prince Carrius safely, you arrange for a wagon for him to ride in. You acquire enough food and supplies for the 9 days-long trip and then head out.
You aren’t expecting trouble but as you are passing through the gate to exit the city, you find it eerily quiet. Then stepping out into the middle of the road to block your path is the red-masked man flanked by two gossamer-veiled women.
You disembark the carriage to meet this threat. Carrius shakes with fear and remains safely in the wagon.
He calls out in rage, ”You! You were meant to destroy the abomination. Not ally with it. Your actions are contravening Pharasma’s judgment and I, Xan, have come to deliver Pharasma’s wrath upon you. That thing should not be! Turn it over immediately so that I may return it to the Great Beyond and I will stay my hand against you. If not, you will face my righteous fervor!”
Xan sheds the pretense of his human form, changing his appearance to that of a skeletal bird-creature with the same red leather bird mask he wore in his human guise. The women remain obscured by their shawls but glow with an eerie radiance.
Icabhod, as an inquisitor of Pharasma is likely wary of battling her servants but psychopomps are not normally this aggressive so Xan may be overstepping his directives. Likewise, Pharasma will not penalize you for defending yourself.
Xan Lore
•Xan is vanth psychopomp.
•A vanth’s type is outsider (extraplanar, psychopomp).
•Also known as reapers, angels of death, or amzranei, vanths protect the departed from those wishing to eat or steal their mortal souls, recapture escaped souls trying to flee their assigned fates, and are death’s foot soldiers against whatever would disrupt the natural cycle of mortality. They may also guard the dead and death’s assets, such as forgotten cemeteries, unattended mausoleums, and sacred groves.
•A vanth is resistant to cold and electricity.
•A vanth is immune to death effects, disease, poison.
•A vanth is vulnerable to adamantine weapons.
•A vanth emits an aura of fear.
•A vanth has spell resistance.
•Its spell-like abilities include: deathwatch, detect undead, greater teleport, invisibility, sift, bestow curse, locate creature, nondetection[i], [i]rebuke, searing light, wrath, and true seeing.
•Xanths speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
Female Psychopomp Lore
•This is an ember weaver psychopomp.
•An ember weaver’s type is outsider (extraplanar, psychopomp).
• Ember weavers are beacons for dead souls seeking the afterlife, and escorts for other psychopomps. Most ember weavers patrol graveyards, ley lines, and other places where the dead enter into the river of souls, beckoning them to step toward eternity. Ember weavers also perform services in payment for knowledge about lost souls.
•An ember weaver is resistant to cold and electricity.
•An ember weaver is immune to charm, death effects, disease, fire, poison, and spells with the [light] descriptor.
•An ember weaver is vulnerable to adamantine weapons.
•An ember weaver emits an aura of eerie radiance which strips other creatures of their protections against charm, fear, and mind-affecting effects.
•An ember weaver can call forth the souls of the dead to assault its foes.
•An ember weaver has spell resistance.
•Its spell-like abilities include: continual flame, dancing lights, searing light, suggestion, whispering wind, dispel magic, freedom of movement, fly, locate creature, plane shift, and slay living.
•Ember weavers speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
Psychopomp Traits
•Immunity to death effects, disease, and poison.
•Resistance to cold and electricity.
•Psychopomps speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
•A psychopomp’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are treated as though they had the ghost touch weapon special ability.
•A psychopomp notices, locates, and can distinguish between living and undead creatures.
Round 1
Initiative
26 – Henrika (93/93 hp)
22 – Tychus (79/79 hp)
15 – Xan
11 – Ember Weaver (Red)
11 – Ember Weaver (Blue)
09 – Icabhod (75/75 hp)
07 – Trevor (79/79 hp)
07 – Malphene (58/58 hp)
06 – Xallis (83/83 hp)
06 – Navia (76/76 hp)
04 – Falchion Jack (76/76 hp)
Henrika moves forward and addresses the vanth, staring it directly in the eye as she speaks. "I should have known you would turn against us-- and that you would choose to treat us like pieces in a game rather than players on the same team. But you are determined to oppose us? Very well, so be it." She nods her head and narrows her eyes, silently and motionlessly casting a psychic spell.
When Jack sees Henrika tense and recognizes that there is likely to be battle with the figure ahead, he draws a flask and drinks it .
The caydenite steps forward. "My good beings of The Spire. Are you telling us this person is the actual Prince Carrius? How in the Nine Hells was that feat accomplished? We have tried to discover if what Carius said was true, or if he was a clever impostor!"
Trevor sees Henrika and Jack act, but failed to stop them. "Please! Don't! Stop!"
Round 1
Unsure as to whether or not they were truly about to fight the servants of Pharasma, Tychus steadies his crossbow and waits for Xan to make his move.
Jack takes a quick breath to activate his special combat style, and charges the south-most psychopomp. Rather than attacking her, he instead swipes at her shawl, attempting to trip her up in it.
Round 1
Henrika casts confusion and finds out that all three of the psychopomps are resistant to magic and they shrug off the effect.
Tychus holds for Xan to make the first move.
Jack grabs the Ember Weaver’s dress and manages to entangle her with it. The psychopomp silently struggles in protest.
"My good beings of The Spire. Are you telling us this person is the actual Prince Carrius? How in the Nine Hells was that feat accomplished? We have tried to discover if what Carius said was true, or if he was a clever impostor!"
Xan responds, ”That is the being you know as Prince Carrius. He has resurrected himself by sheer force of will, and in the process committed horrible crimes against creation. I will not rest until I can drag the mutilated soul of the young prince, kicking and screaming, before Pharasma herself. The wards around the Encircling Bower kept me from entering the basement to retrieve him back then. And you should have done your job and killed the abomination. But even though you failed at that task, you did at least bring him out of the wards so I can now finish the job myself.”
Xan steps towards Jack and swings his scythe in a flurry of blows.
Tychus sees Xan attack an ally and fires a shot. The bolt smashes into Xan and shatters bone.
Then Xan vanishes from sight.
The ember weaver to Xan’s right, takes a step to align with the gate then let’s out a wail. As she does so, hundreds of souls from the Boneyard are called forth and rush forward to trample over you. Then as quickly as they appeared, they vanish back to whence they came.
The blinded ember weaver swings flaming hands in Jack’s general direction.
Unable to see, the psychopomp is unable to locate Jack with her attacks.
Round 1
Initiative
09 – Icabhod (65/75 hp)
07 – Trevor (69/79 hp)
07 – Malphene (45/66 hp)
06 – Xallis (62/83 hp)
06 – Navia (55/76 hp)
Round 2
Initiative
26 – Henrika (100/93 hp)
22 – Tychus (79/79 hp)
18 – Falchion Jack (48/76 hp) (Charged -2 AC 1 rd)
15 – Xan (40 damage) (Invisible)
11 – Ember Weaver (Red)
11 – Ember Weaver (Blue) (Blinded 1 rd, Entangled 1 rd)
Active Spells/Effects
Henrika: ▲Enchantment Foil (10 hr), ▲False Life (17 hp, 10 hr), ▲Message (100 min), ▲Remove Fear (100 min), ▲See Invisibility (100 min), ▲Battlemind Link (10 min)
Icabhod: None
Trevor: None
Tychus: ▲Divine Favor (9 rd), ▲Bane (Outsider [Psychopomp], 4 rd), ▲Dignity’s Barb (Crit 15, 19-20)
Xallis: ▼Eerie Radiance (Red, Blue)
Navia: ▼Eerie Radiance (Blue)
Jack: ▲Remove Fear (100 min), ▲Battlemind Link (10 min), ▲Bull’s Strength (3 min), ▲Gift of Will
Malphene: ▲Gift of Will, ▼Eerie Radiance (Red)
Xan: ▼Hypnotic Stare (-3 Will)
Everyone goes.
"He's invisible! Just north of Jack!" Henrika magically whispers to everyone in the group.
Things move quickly on the battlefield, and when Henrika has her bearings and can see what everyone else is doing, she moves to where she can threaten the vanth with her sword. She stabs forward at its mask, and mutters grimly "Abomination or not, that is Princess Eutropia's brother! For the good of the realm, the royal heir must decide what is to be done with him. I will not let you take him before then!"
Jack nods to Henrika and slices madly at the apparently empty space to the north of him.
Round 1
Xallis steps forward, his robes opening with a flourish as all four of his arms spread wide and he holds his artifact banner high. "Then such a force of will is a precious thing that we will protect!"
After watching the enemy vanish before his eyes, he makes an educated guess as to where it remains and sets off a burst of magical glitter!
Navia grins and flexes her claws, ready to crack bones within her grasp, but her charge is cut off by an order before it can begin. "Navia! Protect our their target, the psychopomps have spells and I don't know all of their tricks!"
With a grumble, the eidolon takes wing and flies just above the carriage and watches over it protectively.
Round 1
"EVERYONE!" Trevor shouts over the squabble. "Carrius being alive now complicates the succession even further!! If Pharasma takes back what is hers, it gives Princess Eutropia that proper path to the throne! Let his soul rest!!"
Trevor holds his holy symbol aoft and cast calm emotions on everyone.
Round 1
"Trevor! You can't be serious!" Malphene admonishes her fiance.
Seeing that things have the potental to get much worse, Icabhod refrains from engaging in hostilities.
Let's not turn on each other here, Trevor.
Round 1
Trevor makes a stunning exclamation which gives Icabhod and Malphene pause. He tries to calm the emotions of those near the cart to little effect.
Xallis sets off a burst of glitter in the middle of the enemies, outlining all three of them. The northmost Ember Weaver is also blinded by a cluster of rainbow sparkles covering the veil over her face.
Henrika steps forward and hits Xan hard. Xan spins and growls. ”You know nothing. If you saw its soul like I do, you would not say that.”
Jack slashes at Xan twice with his sword. One strike even shatters some ribs. Then he headbutts Xan but Xan’s head proves harder. Nevertheless, Xan looks badly battered after the assault.
Round 1
Initiative
09 – Icabhod (65/75 hp)
07 – Trevor (69/79 hp)
07 – Malphene (45/66 hp)
06 – Xallis (62/83 hp)
06 – Navia (55/76 hp)
Round 2
Initiative
26 – Henrika (110/93 hp)
22 – Tychus (79/79 hp)
18 – Falchion Jack (48/76 hp)
15 – Xan (135 damage) (Invisible)
11 – Ember Weaver (Red) (Blinded 10 rd)
11 – Ember Weaver (Blue)
Active Spells/Effects
Henrika: ▲Enchantment Foil (10 hr), ▲False Life (17 hp, 10 hr), ▲Message (100 min), ▲Remove Fear (100 min), ▲See Invisibility (100 min), ▲Battlemind Link (10 min)
Icabhod: None
Trevor: None
Tychus: ▲Divine Favor (9 rd), ▲Bane (Outsider [Psychopomp], 4 rd), ▲Dignity’s Barb (Crit 15, 19-20)
Xallis: ▲Overland Flight (10 hr), ▲Mage Armor (10 hr), ▼Eerie Radiance (Red, Blue)
Navia: ▲Mage Armor (10 hr), ▲Shield (10 min), ▼Eerie Radiance (Blue)
Jack: ▲Remove Fear (100 min), ▲Battlemind Link (10 min), ▲Bull’s Strength (3 min), ▲Gift of Will
Malphene: ▲Gift of Will, ▼Eerie Radiance (Red)
Carrius: ▲Mage Armor (10 hr), ▲Remove Fear (100 min)
Xan: ▼Hypnotic Stare (-3 Will), ▼Glitterdust (10 rd)
Ember Weaver (Red): ▼Glitterdust (Blind, 10 rd)
Ember Weaver (Blue): ▼Glitterdust (10 rd)
I’ll give Tychus a little more time to post his turn.
Round 1
Tychus sees a straight shot at an Ember Weaver and fires three bolts with one bolt hitting directly in the face. The Ember Weaver lets out a pained wail then collapses into a flat sheet. It is dead.
Xan, takes a step away from Jack and swings his scythe at Henrika. Henrika activates her mesmeric mirror trick but Xan can instinctively sense Henrika’s true form and ignores the illusions. Fortunately for Henrika, the weakened psychopomp falters after his first attack. Henrika also feels Xan attempt to channel necromantic energy through his scythe upon hitting her but she resists the effect.
The remaining Ember Weaver recovers from her blindness. Her hand glows with eerie dark fire and she places it upon Jack. The necromantic flames very nearly slays Jack outright.
Round 2
Initiative
09 – Icabhod (65/75 hp)
07 – Trevor (69/79 hp)
07 – Malphene (45/66 hp)
06 – Xallis (62/83 hp)
06 – Navia (55/76 hp)
Round 3
Initiative
26 – Henrika (83/93 hp)
22 – Tychus (79/79 hp)
18 – Falchion Jack (1/76 hp)
15 – Xan (135 damage)
11 – Ember Weaver (Blue)
Active Spells/Effects
Henrika: ▲Enchantment Foil (10 hr), ▲Message (100 min), ▲Remove Fear (100 min), ▲See Invisibility (100 min), ▲Battlemind Link (10 min), ▲Mesmeric Mirror (2 images, 10 min)
Icabhod: None
Trevor: None
Tychus: ▲Divine Favor (+3, 9 rd), ▲Bane (Outsider [Psychopomp], 3 rd), ▲Dignity’s Barb (Crit 15, 19-20)
Xallis: ▲Overland Flight (10 hr), ▲Mage Armor (10 hr), ▼Eerie Radiance (Blue)
Navia: ▲Mage Armor (10 hr), ▲Shield (10 min), ▼Eerie Radiance (Blue)
Jack: ▲Remove Fear (100 min), ▲Battlemind Link (10 min), ▲Bull’s Strength (3 min), ▲Gift of Will
Malphene: ▲Gift of Will
Carrius: ▲Mage Armor (10 hr), ▲Remove Fear (100 min)
Xan: ▼Hypnotic Stare (-3 Will), ▼Glitterdust (9 rd)
Ember Weaver (Blue): ▼Glitterdust (9 rd)
Everyone can go again.
Henrika frowns at her opponent's clumsy swings. "It would seem that the goddess of Fate does not want you to succeed," she smirks at him. "Give Her my thanks when you see her again."
She swings suddenly, a feint at his head, but the maneuver covers her true intention, to stab forward into his chest with a momentous blow.
If her feint worked, she stabs forward again, with her eyes widening in the vanth's face.
Jack involuntarily cries out, a scream from the depths of his soul, oddly vulnerable and lonely in tone. He blinks at the creature, his eyes narrowed, and shakes his head. He mutters, "Not enough. Not yet." He looks over to Henrika and his other companions to see what they are doing, keeping his falchion ready.
Round 2
Trevor's iridescent eyes plead with Malphene. "Defend our family, but don't attack the psychopomps."
The caydenite frowns as he holds his holy symbol aloft once more. With a angry scream of frustation, Trevor channels healing energy into his coterie. Then the aasimar runs to meet the psychopomps.
Round 2
Malphene takes a few moments to decide on how to best follow Trevor's plead. The lore warden readies his mithril shield and rushes to aid Henrika and Jack.
Round 3
Round 1
"EVERYONE!" Trevor shouts over the squabble. "Carrius being alive now complicates the succession even further!! If Pharasma takes back what is hers, it gives Princess Eutropia that proper path to the throne! Let his soul rest!!"
Trevor holds his holy symbol aoft and cast calm emotions on everyone.
"Let us allow Eutropia to decide his fate. We are not judge, jury and executioners here." He pauses for a moment, and continues by addressing the Psychopomps. "The Prince has returned via his own will. Not by that of a necromancer or conjurer. For the moment, he is under our protection."
With one bolt remaining, Tychus takes careful aim at the remaining Ember Weaver, and, with a moment of slight hesitation, lets fly the bolt.
Ocabhod double moves towards Henrika.