Erm ... would you mind if I cooled off in your pool please? It's awfully hot out.
The water elemental seems to tilt its head a bit as if unsure of what Nightkit is requesting.
She spouts back, grouchily.
"You had better not try anything reckless."
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"Well, I'm only able to dicern a couple magical auras...
The aura from the sword is moderate universal, possibly with a note of conjuration." he says with a shrug.
"The aura from the wand is conjuration. Sorry, folks. That's all I could get."
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With an expression of slight shock, Corey gives a subtle wave to the watery creature, showing he means no harm.
After a short pause, he holds up a finger to the creature signaling for it to wait for a moment...
He then turns to speak to his teammates.
"I have a scroll of comprehend languages. Does anyone have a wand of comprehend languages? I can read my scroll and be able to comprehend the elemental, however someone will need to cast comprehend languages on the elemental so it can understand us. If no one else can cast comprehend languages, I do have a second scroll."
"Anyone?"
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"I have a wand of comprehend languages. Here, use it as needed!"
"Excellent, Merida!" he says with a wink.
"I think you mentioned you had this earlier. I'm a bit scatterbrained at times. Haha. Now, let's see if the water creature is willing to have a helpful spell cast upon it. I probably need to convince it in some way that we're trying to communicate."Corey pantomimes that he wants to use a scroll on himself and the wand on the creature in an attempt to communicate with each other.
Corey pantomimes that he wants to use a scroll on himself and the wand on the creature in an attempt to communicate with each other.
"Okay. Let's see if it understands that we want to communicate with a spell..."
[dice=Diplomacy (Versatile Performance)]1d20+11
The language barrier seems to be posing an issue.
With some cajoling from the other Pathfinders, the water elemental is convinced to accept the magic of the wand upon her in an attempt to communicate with each other.
She makes an inquiry of the party.
"Who are you? And what brings you to this fortress?"
Corey reads the scroll to cast comprehend languages on the elemental, then uses Merida's wand on himself.
"Check, check! One, two, one, two. Check.
Can you understand me now?" he says to the elemental.
"Yes, of course, was that not your intent?" The water elemental replies in Aquan, which Corey now readily understands.
"Can you understand me?" she continues, clearly intrigued by the newcomers. ""Who are you? And what brings you to this fortress?"
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"I understand you perfectly." Corey says to the creature.
"Hold on, Nightkit. It only understands me. I'll need to speak for you. I will relay your message."
Corey tells the creature that Nightkit just wants to take a swim and that the entire group is parched and wants to fill their waterskins and drink some water.
Corey explains who they are and why they are in this god-forsaken place.
"If you just wish to swim or drink, I won't stop you." The water elemental replies to Corey in aquan. "As for your explorations, why don't you tell me what you have seen? I have been here for quite some time and with little to do in the fulfillment of my service. Unfortunately, my last guest has grown less talkative over time." The water elemental extends a watery tendril toward the corpse.
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"The elemental says it is fine if you want to take a dip in the water. Fill your waterskins first, though!" he says to his teammates.
He then turns his attention back to the elemental.
"We have only encountered some undead in the main courtyard. That's it so far.
What can you tell us about that elf?" Corey motions to the corpse in the corner.
"You mentioned the 'fulfillment of your service'. Are you being held against your will here? Is there a way we can release you?"
"We have only encountered some undead in the main courtyard. That's it so far.
What can you tell us about that elf?" Corey motions to the corpse in the corner.
"That elf?" The water elemental says. Although magically translated, the word still seems somewhat foreign to her. "I believe it called itself, 'Kiras'. We did not share a language--not at first--though that changed over time. Somewhat. I think we got to share a few words at some point."
"Anyways, it came here with a group of others. When they left, it stayed behind to fill some skins with water." she continues, "But, then it did what it was not supposed to do." The elemental shakes her watery head and waves a rippling tendril.
"So I, Sellana, did as I was instructed! And I fulfilled my duties faithfully!" The water elemental declares proudly, standing a full spout. Then she drips down somewhat. "But, admittedly, I was lonely. After long years of isolation, I finally could interact with something. So, I went a little easier on it than I might have otherwise done. That was so I could keep it around, let it provide some stimulation to break the monotony. And here it stayed, keeping me company."
"I made sure it was well-watered, but over time as it paced around the room, it did less and less. It was like it was just wasting away. One day, it stopped moving around the room, it just plopped down to the ground there, making noises by moving its face hole. I suppose with was muttering something, but I didn't understand it." Sellana continues, her tone growing more melancholy. "Anyways, one day, even its face hole stopped moving. It hasn't made another motion or another sound since."
The water elemental releases a misty sigh. "This place has been frustratingly dull since then."
"But, now YOU are here!" She says with a gleeful splash. "You can all stay and spend time with me!"
"Just, don't do anything reckless, please." She warns.
"You mentioned the 'fulfillment of your service'. Are you being held against your will here? Is there a way we can release you?"
"When the Jeweled Sages here enchanted the fountain, they also bound me to this pool." Sellana explains. "My captivity and isolation here have left me craving freedom. But, alas, I do not know if release is even possible for me."
After listening to the translation, Ashtoret nods. The poor elf had nothing to eat. Grim death, sounds like the curse of the Pale Princess... Ask him please, what he did that he shouldn't have done?
When Corey conveys Ashtoret's request, Sellana explains, "Per my instructions, I am to deal with any intruders that do damage to this fountain, this chamber, or anything in it. I am also permitted to stop any who steal the sword from the statue or one of the objects in the fountain pool. Oh, and I have most certainly been instructed to stop any who open the secret door by disabling it or forcing it open."
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"Poor elf did starve to death. Most unfortunate."
Corey would really like to take the treasures in this room to be studied at the Grand Lodge. He continues to speak with the elemental...
"I'm sure we can find a way to release you. We do carry a Sage Jewel . Perhaps that may aid us in sending you back to the Plane of Water. Let me think for a moment. I've learned some binding rituals in third semester Summoning at the College of Mysteries in Absalom."
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"Poor elf did starve to death. Most unfortunate."
Corey would really like to take the treasures in this room to be studied at the Grand Lodge. He continues to speak with the elemental...
"I'm sure we can find a way to release you. We do carry a Sage Jewel . Perhaps that may aid us in sending you back to the Plane of Water. Let me think for a moment. I've learned some binding rituals in third semester Summoning at the College of Mysteries in Absalom."
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Working together the Pathfinders examine the information already available to them:
• A dry well occupies the center of the courtyard where the party had encountered undead.
• There is an ongoing magical link between the fountain and the elemental plane of water. The fountain refills itself from this infinite source and can provide thousands of gallons of pure water each day.
• The elemental, Sellana, stated that the Jeweled Sages enchanted the fountain and they also bound her to its pool.
• Sellana was instructed to deal with any intruders that: 1) damage the fountain, the chamber, or anything in it; 2) steal the sword from the statue or the objects in the fountain pool; and 3) open the secret door by disabling it or forcing it open.
As the Pathfinders draw from various traditions of magic and put their collective minds to work, they make the following conclusions.
• One or more of the Jeweled Sages must have been present at the fortress.
• The fortress must have been built well before the arrival of the Jeweled Sages by which time its sources of water had dried up or were inadequate.
• Those Jeweled Sages took magical steps to ensure that they had a continuous supply of water while they were present in the fortress.
• Those Jeweled Sages magically bound an elemental guardian to fountain to protect the fountain and particular item/places, presumably to ensure that the water supply and those items/places were protected for as long as the Jeweled Sages were present in the fortress and/or needed the water and/or the items.
• The elemental guardian, Sellana, is unique among other elementals in that the guardian has an identifiable gender and a specific name, suggesting that the terms of her servitude are uniquely detailed and tied to a specific condition or conditions.
Therefore, the Pathfinders conclude, the magical bond on Sellana would be at its weakest, if not completely broken, once none of the Jeweled Sages were present in the fortress and/or once they no longer needed water and/or any of the times.
Based upon her knowledge of our old Ustalavian manuscripts and the presence of her more recently commanded "pet", Ashtoret realizes that there are ways that one or more of the Jeweled Sages could still be "present" within the fortress after even an extended period of time, even if such no longer had need of water and/or other items.
Merida nods. "You're absolutely right, Kit. Hm..." She thinks for a few seconds, then turns to the bard. "Hey Corey, can you ask Sellana how she knows if one or more Jeweled Sages are present in this place?"
With the question translated, the elemental responds.
"I don't know if there is a Jeweled Sage here or not. I haven't seen one in..." Sellana glances toward the remains of the elf. "Well, since well before that one got here."
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"I'm guessing it's an undead Sage as well, Nightkit."
But you're still stuck here so ... something is holding you here. Speaking of holding, just what did you do to that elf when he ... erm ... triggered whatever it was?
"The elf starved to death, obviously. Sellana probably didn't understand that creatures like us need food to survive." he says to Nightkit.
"Well, let's continue on. We can check the southern door in the room we came from."
Corey turns to the elemental.
"Hopefully, we can find a way to free you. Oh! Do you have anything that could aid us in our quest?" he says with a wink, then glances at the sword on the statue and the wand at the bottom of the pool.