The Emir's eyes widen ever more as Nadya continues to talk, though he seems somewhat reassured by her Harrow reading.
"Just stay here. We're monitoring everything from this room and Farhaana can teleport you where you need to go when the need arises," he says.
You remain with Emir Guldis and Saabira as the convoys get underway. Magically relayed reports (typically via sending spells) keep everyone apprised of the ongoing progress of the convoys. Things begin looking
up for Pashow as Lord Lightfoot and the Sable Company detachments return to Pashow with their two vials of the sun orchid elixir.
The distressed scowl of worry on Emir Guldis' face actually begins to lessen and show signs of hope.
The progress takes a turn for the worse when one of the emir’s conjurers bursts into the chamber in a panic. She disregards all formality in addressing the emir and the others.
“Emir! I’ve just received word from the Pathfinders’ convoy. They’re under attack by a company of bandits and require immediate assistance!”
Emir Guldis begins questioning the conjurer, obviously flustered by the development.
"The other details can wait, Emir," Saabira says to him. "Give us the coordinates.
"You must head out as quickly as possible and bring back the elixir if the caravan has become too compromised to do so, itself," she pauses and an expression indicating she understands your feelings toward your fellow Pathfinders flits across her face before the stern expression of one who knows how to get things done returns.
She leads the way to a large, open room where Farhaana Zadeh once again stands by to teleportyou as necessary.
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Kal pulls his feet down, making some effort to sit upright- before sliding a glass across the coffee table to the cleric. Holding up his hands towards her, the motes of energy jump from hand to hand and flash about in patterns that the Ganzi himself appears to control.
"Fate itself is a... loose... construct. At least in the moment, fate is infinitely malleable. There is a sense of control in a chaos, you just have to embrace it"
The motes immediately wink out of existence, and Kal takes another long, deep draught of the dark liquid.
Upon Emir's call, Kal gently sets down the glass and grabs his pole arm.
"It is time", as a roguish twinkle lights his eye. His left hand pulls out a slender bone rod and he walks towards the portal already preparing for the upcoming combat.
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"Fate itself is a... loose... construct. At least in the moment, fate is infinitely malleable. There is a sense of control in a chaos, you just have to embrace it"
Mother Nadya actually smiles, a little indulgently, a crooked rather sardonic expression.
”True enough, from the perspective of mortal, like ourselves. Our choices are free and unconstrained. But we are like a person who wakes to find himself falling through the air, with no memory of leaping from a cliff and no idea of when he will hit the ground, though he has vague sense that both things must be true. Time whistles through his mind, and the longer he falls, the more he thinks he understands falling, even if he cannot twist his head about to see how far away is the ground.
“But to Pharasma, who observes all from outside time, the entire fall of each person is a single complete thing. She perceives the whole tapestry as we crawl along single threads. Our choices matter, our daring chances are real, but from her perspective, the dice are already rolled.”
She pats the deck stowed away in her pocket. ”Fortunately the goddess is content to give hints sometimes.”
***
When the call comes, Mother Nadya seems unsurprised and unperturbed. As they walk to the teleportation area in the courtyard, she hands Kal’ryon a ring.
”Put this on.” she insists.
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"If that is the case, then why don't we simply open our wings?", Kal replies in complete seriousness. "Knowledge of an outcome does not cause the outcomes to happen. Not even absolute knowledge of an outcome. However, I believe there may be some potential for absolute counter-factual knowledge to perceive all of the potential outcomes, though I doubt any God has such knowledge"
Kal graciously takes the ring and slides it on his finger, without question or hesitation.
"My thanks"
Once you are all gathered, Farhaana takes a moment to double check before casting her spell.
You reappear in the blistering heat of the desert, the sun bright in your eyes roughly 200 feet to the north of a smoldering campsite scattered with bodies and debris. Farhaana Zadeh has dedicated most of her spells for the day to teleportation and utilitarian magic, so she chooses to keep her distance from the destroyed convoy.
The smoldering ruins of numerous wooden carts fill the area. Wooden debris rests against the sides of long-eroded stone walls. Bodies are strewn about the area, many felled by hideous wounds.
Despite the violence that obviously occurred here, there is no current threat that you can detect.
You can examine the fallen and make a Heal check.
Shards of lead festoon the battlefield.
The lone survivor of the attack is sitting propped up against the back side of the ancient altar within the ruined stonework, the gnome's head barely visible above the edge.
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Daedîn hurried over to the ruins, taking a cursory look around…
…and seeing the golembane scarab in the sand, Daedîn quickly retrieves it.
Looking to the lone survivor, he asks curtly, ”What happened here? Were the potions taken? Which way?”
As he awaits for answers, the Elf checks the area for tracks…
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Shielding her eyes, Nadya looks around and frowns. "It would appear we arrived too late." she states. She makes a few rudimentary checks of the dead, assessing their injuries quickly and efficiently. She pokes one of the lead fragments out of the sand with a toe, but does not pick it up.
Coming to the gnome, she kneels beside him to assess his injuries. If the gnome is unconscious she will revive him via 'Rebuke Death'. She offers him water.
"We are Pathfinders, working for the emir." she says to him gently, showing him her Wayfinder to verify her claim. "I am Nadya. This is Daedin."
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Svetlana fishes her wayfinder out on its silver fob chain and begins looking around the area, "Let's see if there are any still alive, and who might be fallen enemy who can answer questions"
* Silver Wayfinder (points to the nearest Evil)
* Detect Chaos
* Deathwatch
”Rotuzack Paan,” the badly burned gnome manages to croakingly answer. ”Good to see some fellow Pathfinders. Could have used you a bit earlier, though.
He croaks out a laugh that turns into a coughing fit which he fights down with the water Nadya offers him. ”I got hit by a fireball early and managed to crawl in here to hide. There wasn’t much else I could do but watch.
”We were just setting up camp when a bunch of mostly human raiders came at us. We were holding our own just fine, but then another group teleported in. But the crazy thing was, they were attacking the first group of raiders as much as us. I thought they were reinforcements and we were saved, at first but then, one of them proclaimed loyalty to “Loaralis the Great” before cutting down a Pathfinder. And then, I knew we were in real trouble.
”Even then, we might have come out alright with them fighting each other, especially when some of them teleported away but then, these…creature’s appeared. Lanky, eyeless. I think all the teleporting attracted their attention. They grabbed people and just…disappeared with them. I guess they were teleporting, too.
”I don’t even know where the elixir ended up in all the confusion,” he admits.
Whoever was around when the trouble went down is either dead or gone, for now, as far as Svetlana can determine with her magics.
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Daedîn ponders on Loaralis the Great, trying to recall if he might’ve heard of the fellow…
…and then searches the dead bodies, looking to see if any of the attackers were slain and if they might have some sort of clues or markings on them…
…and he continues the search for tracks, thinking that even if they teleported, tracks that suddenly ended would at least confirm it…
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”We were just setting up camp when a bunch of mostly human raiders came at us. We were holding our own just fine, but then another group teleported in. But the crazy thing was, they were attacking the first group of raiders as much as us. I thought they were reinforcements and we were saved, at first but then, one of them proclaimed loyalty to “Loaralis the Great” before cutting down a Pathfinder. And then, I knew we were in real trouble.
”Even then, we might have come out alright with them fighting each other, especially when some of them teleported away but then, these…creature’s appeared. Lanky, eyeless. I think all the teleporting attracted their attention. They grabbed people and just…disappeared with them. I guess they were teleporting, too.
Nadya grimaces. "Two sets of attackers hit you at once, followed by these lanky eyeless creatures... the security for this operation is shameful. Intolerable. So many Pathfinders dead."
"At least one of these groups must have been Aspis, perhaps both. We were warned that different factions within the Consortium might compete for this prize. But the Aspis name we were given was Kitio, not Loaralis. And the Aspis are too much the mercenaries to cry out the name of their Leader this way, unless they wished to create a ruse and put us on the wrong scent. At any rate this name Loaralis means nothing to me."
"But this final group of teleporting creatures... it interests me. Perhaps this explains the taboo against teleporting in this region, yes? And you say they took the other combatants and teleported away with them? Most curious."
Nadya stands up and moves to the area where the fighting was apparently thickest, then casts 'Detect Magic' and scans the area.
As Nadya begins a magical search, she realizes that all the recent teleportation magic has resulted in a thinning of the barrier between the planes in the area.
Nadya suddenly detects several evil presences in the near distance then, abruptly they are surrounding her and the rest of the Pathfinders.
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"All the recent teleportation magic has resulted in a thinning of the barrier between the planes in the area.
This effect makes travel between the two planes easier, such that any such effect (for example, plane shift) on one plane would take the affected creatures to a precise location on the other plane, and vice versa."
Daedin's first two arrows connect while the third passes through the thing without touching it. His fourth is timed just right though and puts the target down.
Green is undeterred by the sudden deadening of his companion and steps up to slash at Daedin.
But what would have been a cruel blow instead passes right through the man.
Yellow goes after Nadya.
But also suffers from bad timing as his defensive measure proves more effective for her than him.
Red and White try for Svetlana
Red is ineffective as well, though one of his clawed hands scrapes fiercely along her armor.
Black goes for Kal'Ryon.
Though it manages to hit and even grab the Ganzi, it isn't able to dig in like it tried and part of the damage appears on Nadya.
But, that leaves purple and orange to focus on Diazepane.
Purple lands a single hit and gets the alchemist grabbed.
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Diazepane will attack Purple, excluding himself and Kal'Ryon from the splash zone, and extending the splash to White on a hit.
vs touch
plus DC 24 Fortitude vs staggered
plus DC 24 Reflex vs prone
W, will bump to NW to avoid splashing allies
vs touch
plus DC 24 Fortitude vs staggered
plus DC 24 Reflex vs prone
SW, will splash Kal'Ryon regardless, but bump to S so Diazepane will take some splash
vs touch
plus DC 24 Fortitude vs staggered
plus DC 24 Reflex vs prone
NW, no bump
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After casting her magical detection spell, Nadya looks about herself.
"The air... is like raindrops on a pond-- little points of magic that spread out in waves, all over this place..." she says, half to herself.
"All the recent teleportation magic has resulted in a thinning of the barrier between the planes in the area.
This effect makes travel between the two planes easier, such that any such effect (for example, plane shift) on one plane would take the affected creatures to a precise location on the other plane, and vice versa."
Still looking about herself, Nadya listens to Diazepane's analysis and then slowly nods.
"Yes. Yes, it must be so. Why they could be watching us right now--"
And then the monstrous creatures suddenly appeared all about them and began grabbing at the priestess and her fellow Pathfinders.
"They are trying to capture us too!" she shouts as she dodges a claw.
Looking about, she realizes that these creatures were the same ones described by the gnome. No doubt they had also stolen the elixir. But why didn't they simply kill everyone-- why take them prisoner?
Nadya stiffens and takes a step back, looking sternly at her attacker. She pulls a card from her Harrow deck and without looking at it, reads its name in the folk language of Ustalov. The card disintegrates into a spray of golden light which forms a cloud about her before soaking into every surface of her body and disappearing. Then she stands up straight, he chin defiant, and crosses her hands before her... and waits.
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The Hellknight steps back and strikes at the opponent in red.
"I am not yours to touch"
Lawful/Holy/Adamantine/PA
Attack
Damage
+Intimidate to Demoralise (shaken) vs 10+HD+WisMod
Attack
Damage
+Intimidate to Demoralise (shaken) vs 10+HD+WisMod|
Attack
Damage
+Intimidate to Demoralise (shaken) vs 10+HD+WisMod
Diazepane realizes that these creatures are Dimensional Shamblers. They are masters of travelling the planes and have the ability to shift opponents with them when they slip between them. They are also resistant to any physical damage that is not Good aligned.
But cold works just fine.
His first bomb rimes his target with frost while his second knocks it flat but it's third only splashes the target as it lands next to it.
Orange is caught fully in the splash of the frosty bomb but avoids the two force ones, for the most part.
White is not quite so lucky.
Daedin gets his timing down and lands all his shots on his target, though it's not quite enough to bring Green down.
Kal'ryon tears something critical in his opponent with his jaws then finishes it off with his claws before turning to finish the work on pink/purple that Diazepane began with his bombs.
Nadya begins a risky gambit.
Svetlana hacks away at her target taking it down.
Green Follows Daedin to try again.
But isn't successful.
Yellow isn't going to pass up easy prey and continues to attack Nadya.
But can't connect.
Orange closes with Kal'Ryon to try its luck.
But has none.
And White goes after Svetlana.
But her armor protects her again.
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Svetlana steps back and swings at yellow...
Lawful/Holy/Adamantine/PA
Attack - Miss
Miss?
Damage
+Intimidate to Demoralise (shaken) vs 10+HD+WisMod
Attack - Miss
Miss?
Damage
+Intimidate to Demoralise (shaken) vs 10+HD+WisMod
Attack
Miss?
Damage
+Intimidate to Demoralise (shaken) vs 10+HD+WisMod
The gods are not with her time.
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Diazepane will target the most damaged ones still standing.
vs touch, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
plus DC 24 Fortitude vs staggered, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
plus DC 24 Reflex vs prone, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
vs touch, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
plus DC 24 Fortitude vs staggered, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
plus DC 24 Reflex vs prone, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
NW, vs White/Orange/Green no bump, vs Yellow bump to W
vs touch, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
plus DC 24 Fortitude vs staggered, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
plus DC 24 Reflex vs prone, +1 PBS vs White, Orange
E, vs Yellow/Green no bump, vs Orange bump to NE; vs White no bump, but Kal'Ryon will also need to make a save, sorry Kal.
Kal'Ryon rips into Orange though doesn't finish him off. Instead, he draws his glaive and lays into white, hitting it once but not downing it, either.
Only Svetlana's first attack is accurate enough and timed correctly to strike her target, but the blow leaves it shaken.
The method to Kal'Ryon's madness becomes apparent as Diazepane's first two bombs finish off the creatures he weakened and his third bomb finishes off Green.
Daedin quickly adjusts targets and sends a quartet of arrows into yellow, finishing it off, as well.
Nadya berates her fallen (failed) assailant and heals herself.
Before the Pathfinders can celebrate their victory over their opponents or the dust settles a new figure, this one clearly human appears to the northeast.
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Nadya squints at the new arrival. "Is friend or foe?" she wonders aloud. It could be one of the stolen Pathfinders escaping their extraplanar captivity... or someone from either of the bandit groups... or someone else. But the timing... Nadya was not one to believe in coincidence.
She draws another Harrow card, spins briskly in place as she again names it in her regional tongue, then throws it to the ground at her feet. A pulse of magical energy blasts outward encompassing the entire party, giving everyone a boost of speed and energy.
She begins to walk a few accelerated steps toward the newcomer. "Who are you? Declare yourself at once! she demands. "You have five seconds!"
Svetlana's Wayfinder indicates that, while the newcomer is not evil, he is chaotic.
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Daedin's first two arrows go sailing by their new opponent though the other three strike true.
The newcomer rises 60' off the ground on wings that appear to be made entirely out of darkness, then gestures and speaks dark, unfathomable words.
And transforms, her fur growing into a black as deep as the space between stars, her eyes glowing balls of fire, her teeth rows and rows of needle sharp fangs, her clutching fingers many jointed appendages tipped with dire claws.
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Nadya makes an annoyed grimace as the newcomer rises into the sky on dark wings and begins casting spells at the party. "So. He declares himself." she says with a snort.
She digs into her pack and pulls out a potion and offers it to Kal'Ryon, who stands beside her.
"A potion of flight. If you should need it."
She then raises a hand into the air and casts 'Bless' on the party.
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Kal graciously nods towards the Cleric, before swallowing the potion and moving up into the air towards the flying creature.
"One of these days I wont need a stupid flying potion..."
Using a fly spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. The subject of a fly spell can charge but not run, and it cannot carry aloft more weight than its maximum load, plus any armor it wears. The subject gains a bonus on Fly skill checks equal to 1/2 your caster level.