Yujin nods at her allies' response. She thinks they have the answer under control so she tries to discover another secret. Unfortunately, she doesn't learn enough.
They still have plenty of evidence to call upon, but Ajoran wants to ensure that he and his allies know as much as possible to answer whatever questions may be thrown their way.
The Vernai find Suryo’s claims confusing at best, but they latch onto his mention of the Mantis Keeper and decide it upon themselves to magically call in the leshy to testify.
To keep from pulling Mantis Keeper from their duties, they testify via a scrying mirror, and the leshy asserts the group’s claims of a conspiracy by testifying of Mantis Keeper’s part as a patsy to the conspiracy.
The Vernai then hear Janna’s words and motion to retrieve Torvald Kemp’s journal. They read through the coded section of the book.
A different member of the Vernai then speaks.
”You speak of the goals of this supposed conspiracy, so that begs the question: whom are they attempting to elevate to Blood Mistress, and why have they singled you four out as their targets?”
Round 3
“You speak of the goals of this supposed conspiracy, so that’s begs the question: whom are they attempting to elevate to Blood Mistress, and why have they singled you four out as their targets?”
Influence Points: 4
==============
Ajoran
Janna
Suryo
Yujin
==============
Suryo shows the previously invisible note about Sister Maeri, the promises made to her in exchange for her corruption and participation.
"I believe they are attempting to elevate High Priest Saviya. Here is a testimony some agents she was funding."
Yujin presents the testimony from the Riot Twins.
"Surely, all of these events happening in short succession and the trail of evidence proves that there is some conspiracy brewing amongst our ranks. We have upheld our mission and faced assault after bloodied assault ever since. And not once has Achaekek abandoned us or lead us astray."
He gestures outward. "We have broken bread with the Mantis Keeper. We evaded hunters, instead coming here to make our case. And we have certainly not been cut down by He Who Walks In Blood. Despite our accusations, we bear not a single mark of His ire."
"We were all close in some way with Jakalyn" Janna begins, addressing the second part of the question.
"It's no secret Jakalyn herself brought me here as a child, nor that Yujin and Suryo have been receiving special lessons." try as she might, she can't keep the hint of jealousy out of her voice. "Just last month she gave us grand gifts, all the conspirators would have known we'd have stood with her, and we are the equal of any team in the organisation"
At the last she stands tall and raises her head to look squarely at the Vernai.
*
[bigger][/bigger
*
The Vernai accept and examine the remaining evidence presented by the PCs. They then look amongst themselves as one of them states ”I move to vote on the reversal of excommunication.”
“I second the motion.”
“All those in favor?”
“Aye.”
“The motion to reverse excommunication has passed by unanimous vote.”
Suddenly the doors to the council chamber open and the two assassins who escorted the group here return to give the PCs their confiscated equipment, then leave as quickly as they had arrived.
”It is serendipitous that you have arrived when you did, for we were already convened to discuss an unorthodox situation.”
“Four days ago, High Priest Saviya, at the Citadel for council duties, took several other present members of the Vernai and stated she was delving into the Grand Library of Sarzari to ‘research a matter of dire importance to us all.’”
“The council was left struggling to act as we had to contact other Vernai in the fields to do emergency council duties, due to Saviya and other Vernai leaving their posts.”
“Additionally, the Sarzari Grand Library is a highly-restricted space—only permitted to the Blood Mistress and those granted special permissions by the Blood Mistress. Saviya stating she was entering Sarzari means she either received access to the library from Jakalyn and neglected to inform the remainder of the Vernai, or that she is acting outside of her jurisdiction.”
“Not to mention the other Vernai members she brought with her—did they also have authorization they neglected to mention? Was Saviya given the authority to give them the authorization? That is what we were discussing when you arrived.”
“And soon thereafter, several lower-ranking Red Mantis agents mysteriously vanished. All of these situations built into a circumstance that we needed to decide a course of action upon, for none of us have the authorization to delve into Sarzari to follow and bring back Saviya to answer before the Vernai for her actions.”
“And thus came the stalemate: without Blood Mistress Jakalyn here to grant authorization to Sarzari, we had no method by which to pursue Saviya without breaking tradition.”
There is a pause among the Vernai before one speaks up. ”I would like to propose a solution. In the absence of the Blood Mistress, the Vernai act as the de facto leading body of the Red Mantis. These four agents have trained within the halls of the Crimson Citadel and have been favored by Jakalyn herself. I move to bring a vote to grant these four authorization to Sarzari to pursue Saviya in an effort to bring the High Priest back to stand before the Vernai for her actions.”
There is a stunned silence before one other member of the Vernai says ”I second the motion.”
From there, the Vernai engage in debate of the specifics of this vote. It is determined that a supermajority (two-thirds) must be reached and that, if reached, the four PCs will be granted additional boons to assist in their apprehension of Saviya.
”I move to vote upon the present motion.”
“I second the motion.”
“Those in favor of the motion of allowing the four agents standing before the council access to the Sarzari Grand Library in pursuit of High Priest Saviya to bring her before the council to answer for her actions, say ‘Aye.’ Those opposed say ‘No.’”
“Aye.” “Aye.” “No.” “Aye.” “Aye.” “Aye.” “Aye.” “Aye.” “No.” “Aye.” “Aye.” “Aye.”
“The motion passes with 10 ‘Ayes,’ 2 ‘Nos,’ and 1 abstention.”
The one member of the Vernai counting the votes turns to the PCs. ”Agents, your mission now is to delve into the Sarzari Grand Library and apprehend High Priest Saviya to answer to the Vernai for her actions. We would certainly prefer the High Priest to arrive back alive to testify of her own accord, but the dead can be made to reveal their secrets, as you all doubtlessly know. In such an event, bring as much of her back as you can.”
“If Saviya is indeed acting in some conspiracy to oust Jakalyn, then she will likely fight back. You should be informed of your opponent. This is what we know of Saviya:…” ”…additionally, upon going through the vaults, we have found that something has gone missing: two doses of a sacred toxin known as Achaekek’s kiss. It disappeared around the same time as Saviya’s descent into Sarzari.”
“And speaking of the vaults, Sarzari holds many dangerous wards and defenders, and we will be providing you with some magic items from the Citadel’s vaults to assist in your mission. Though, I am sure if you are righteous in your convictions to He Who Walks in Blood, you will surely prevail.”
2. A searing blade that is a sawtooth saber instead of a longsword
3. A type IV spacious pouch
4. A 6th-rank wand of one of the follow rare spells: bone flense, crimson breath , mantis’s grasp, mark of blood, sawtooth terrain
2. A bloody fang
3. A crimson bluff
4. A 7th-rank wand of one of the follow rare spells: bone flense, crimson breath , mantis’s grasp, mark of blood, sawtooth terrain
*
Suryo processes their information and request for several moments after.
And once we return, there won't suddenly be a new vote on whether we'd acted inappropriately by going down there?
He dare not express any doubt out loud to the Vernai.
"I knew we could count on your wisdom. We will accept this mission and bring back the high priest, one way or another."
By the time Jakalyn’s favored have been given their gear and their picks from the Citadel vaults, the Vernai had convened their meeting and left, leaving only a single member of the Vernai in their presence.
”There are many different routes into the Sarzari Grand Library, but the most ideal passageway that you four should take is the same one Saviya used: a meditation mirror that serves as a direct portal to a portion of the Sarzari believed to hold tomes focused on the hidden history and innumerable secrets of Achaekek. I cannot warn you of what you may find—none of the Vernai have delved into Sarzari, so you will be on your own. All I know is that the mirror itself is protected by a powerful agent of He Who Walks in Blood, so you should approach the mirror as dutiful worshipers of the Mantis God.
“Oh, and…The Sarzari Grand Library holds vast knowledge unlike those seen elsewhere on Golarion; knowledge that the Vernai has just indirectly granted you authorization to peruse.” The Vernai pauses, as if to let the weight of her words sink in with intensity—and perhaps a small hint of envy. ”Whatever it is you learn beyond the mirror portal is to be kept to yourself; do not even relay the specifics to us in the Vernai, for it is not for our ears.”
*
The Vernai’s directions to the meditation mirror are winding and circuitous, taking Jakalyn’s favored through numerous hallways, chambers, stairwells, and even a few secret doors before the group even arrives, which is made particularly more difficult given that the group were not given any escort from the Vernai.
A long, ten-foot-wide hallway passes through this broad room. Ancient wooden tables stand to either side against the north and south walls, both covered in dozens of half-melted candles. On the eastern wall, a twenty-five-foot-wide silver mirror with an ostentatious golden frame draws the eye—a line of runes has been carved into the middle of the frame’s upper portion:
Diskriminiere die Lebenden nicht, denn im Tod sind wir alle gleich
This is an aphorism of Achaekek—one that emphasizes His anathema of “become fixated on petty matters such as others’ gender or ancestry.” All are welcome in Achaekek’s faith, as are all valid to be at the end of one of His agent’s blades (save rulers, of course), for once we cross to the Great Beyond, we all stand on the same level as shades.
As soon as someone approaches within 20 feet of the mirror, the mirror’s reflective surface ripples, and a strangely sonorous voice echoes throughout the chamber.
”In whose name do you approach?”
As the group stares into the mirror, they see their own reflection staring back, the weight of every lie they ever told or will tell weighing on them.
Once each member of the group declares their allegiance to He Who Walks in Blood, the mirror quivers, like a pool of water when a stone is dropped into it. The quicksilver-like reflective material then parts in the center to pool in a ring near the frame, revealing a glowing portal set into the wall itself.
The first sight the group sees upon passing through the portal is that of an endless night sky, as if they were floating within the endless expanse of the Dark Tapestry itself.
Then in the blink of an eye, the scene changes.
The group finds themselves in the middle of a bustling bazaar in Ilizmagorti’s Mainmast district. The sky is a cloudless blue, and the hustle and bustle of the market is punctuated by the slight sting of the sea air.
But something seems…wrong. Despite the crowded space, the people in the crowd don’t seem to pay any heed to Jakalyn’s favored—and yet they still seem to maneuver around the group well enough to not bump into any of them.
Before the group even has a chance to fully comprehend what is going on, Suryo catches a glimpse of something very off-putting in the crowd: a grotesque fiend with far-too-many insectoid limbs and chitinous wings. Just as he’s about to speak up, it vanishes, wordlessly teleporting into a different spot that is a bit closer to Suryo. Then it teleports again, and is a bit closer. And again. And again. And again!
This demon teleporting far too quickly for the mind to even fully comprehend what is occurring until it is too late and the demon is standing mere inches from the wayang’s face as it looks down at him menacingly, its wings buzzing almost in excitement! The sight of the demon surprises all of the assassins, but Suryo seeing it so up close is…disturbing.
Failure
Round 1
==============
Demon
Suryo {frightened 1}
Janna
Ajoran
Yujin
==============
From awe to terror in a fraction of a second, Janna still finds time to wonder if this isn't some test of Achaekek.
◆ Recall Knowledge on the Demon.
Instinctively she shrouds herself and flies away
◆ Cast Ghostly Shift for Resist 4 against all damage (except Force)
◆ Fly up a little but mostly away from the Demon
Is it even real...?
Suryo feels highly disoriented in this place.
You channel your zeal through a sacred weapon, bringing a foe closer to their demise. Strike a target with the required weapon. On a success, the target becomes doomed 1 or increases the value of their doomed condition by 1 (most living creatures die when they’ve reached doomed 4). Creatures doomed in this way take a status penalty to their saving throws against divine spells equal to their doomed value.
A creature that would become doomed 4 by this Strike can attempt a Will saving throw against your class DC to avoid increasing the value of their doomed condition. When this occurs, this ability gains the incapacitation trait.
--------------------
You apply one of the following debilitations, which lasts until the end of your next turn.
Debilitation The target takes a –10-foot status penalty to its Speeds.
Debilitation The target becomes enfeebled 1.
Your opportunistic attacks are particularly detrimental. When you use Debilitating Strike, you can apply two debilitations simultaneously; removing one removes both.
--------------------
Without needing to know the specifics, Yujin knows that demons are creatures that only mean to cause harm and she's not about to give it a chance to do so. She silently rushes to Suryo's side and strikes. She stares at the demon with deadly intent.
◆Stride
◆Quick Draw (+2 Greater Striking Keen Cold Iron Sawtooth Saber)
◆Scare to Death
Suryo pulls out a weapon and immediately attacks the demon in front of him!
As Suryo swings, his attack close to landing before the demon simply teleports away from his blade.
Success
Despite the grotesque and violent feeling being so real, when Suryo looks down at his chest, it is completely fine. The demon still stands above him, flexing its fingers to continue its work!
Suryo becomes ghostly and flies away.
Ajoran and Yujin both pull out a saber, advance, and attack the demon, but it quickly teleports to dodge the two’s attacks, and when Yujin stares at it with deadly intent, it just laughs!
The demon bares its claws—one still dripping with Suryo’s blood—before its face simply falls. Its shoulders drop, almost in disappointment, then it teleports away.
As the demon teleports away, Ajoran catches sight of a figure in the crowd, a kind of figure he hasn’t thought about in a long time: a Hellknight! The Hellknight rushes through the crowd, going supernaturally quickly as the crowd seems to part to let them through, until they suddenly tower above Ajoran—a flail in one hand and a set of manacles in the other!
Critical Failure
Round 2
==============
Hellknight
Suryo (-17)
Janna {ghostly shift: Round 1 of 10} [10’ above ground]
Ajoran {frightened 2}
Yujin
==============
Suryo becomes ghostly and flies away.
"Something's not right here."
Yujin activates her greater mask of the mantis to cast see the unseen. Then she activates her armor's invisibility and wonders if it will even make a difference in this strange place. She looks around to see if anything else stands out.
◆◆Greater Mask of the Mantis - Enhance Vision (See the Unseen)
◆Greater Invisibility Rune - Go Invisible
◇ Unleash Psyche
Even as the psychic energies start to manifest around her, Janna shouts her frustration.
"The inscription must be important, I just don't know how!"
Then with the look of a sudden idea, she flies directly away from the others and the giant Hellknight, floating above the crowd. There she starts to sing, but the note is wrong
◆ Fly
◆◆ Haunting Hymm directed toward the crowd.
"It's... no. No! It must be taunting us, there's no way they'd hunt me this far...!" Ajoran clutches his blades with trembling hands. He has to internally remind himself that the Hellknights would never work with the assassins in this capacity. But it seems so real.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Ajoran screams as he thrusts his arms outward, displacing his sleeves and exposing the deformed flesh. Countless bumps and folds of his skin part to reveal gold-pupil eyes that dart around every which way to seek out the demon.
◆ Augment Senses
◆ Seek (30 foot burst)
◆ Recall Knowledge
Suryo looks around the crowd for the demon, but to no avail. But he does notice that, curiously, none of the surrounding buildings have doors—or at least, no doors he can see—with the exception of one building, whose door is about 35’ ahead of him.
Janna unleashes her psyche then sends a wave of sonic energy into the crowd, but just before she does, those within the crowd she would’ve hit quickly dodge away with capabilities far beyond that of an average person. A glint of sawtooth sabers then fill Janna’s vision as all of those she was going to hurt—Red Mantis in plain clothes—attack her!
Success
Ajoran opens far too many eyes in a desperate attempt to find the demon, but is too preoccupied with the Hellknight in front of him!
Yujin turns invisible and activates her mask.
The Hellknight towering over Ajoran seems to just…sigh. They walk straight past the fleshwarp empyrean and somehow manages to disappear into the crowd—an impressive feat given the Hellknight’s distinctive armor.
Just as Ajoran turns around to try to keep an eye on the Hellknight moving past him, but he is distracted by a whistling coming from above, and as he looks, he catches a glimpse of an angelic woman divebombing him before she lands with a crack of thunder, and a Valkyrie—much stronger and more menacing than the ones fighting alongside the First Blade—stands tall straight in front of him!
Critical Failure
Round 3
==============
Valkyrie
Suryo
Janna (-2) {ghostly shift: Round 2 of 10} [10’ above ground]
Ajoran {frightened 2}
Yujin {invisible}
==============
Suryo follows Yujin's lead. He activates his own greater mask of the mantis and greater cloak of illusions.
Now with time to think and not be seen, he wonders if he can figure out the nature of this experience.
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For a moment, Ajoran looks upon the angel. He trembles in fear, but forces himself to act. His every instinct is to fight like a cornered beast or take flight, but in his heart he knows this is not His way.
"I hold no grudge against you." he says to the Valkyrie as he sheathes his blade.
◆ Sheath main hand weapon
"I renounce my past grudges, my hatred, and my prejudices. I have no enemies. Only my kin in the faith, and the prey I swear a sacred oath to kill. All others are inconsequential." The other weapon likewise finds rest at his hip.
◆ Sheath off hand weapon
"I am Anjoran Livara, End of Thieves, and I walk the bloodied path of Achaekek." With that he turns, doing what he can to move in sync with the crowd, taking his place amongst His followers.
◆ Sneak
Janna closes her eyes, crosses her legs underneath her as she floats, and listens.
◆ Fly
She remembers the lessons she's learned of Achaekek, and murder and tyranny
"Once we cross to the Great Beyond, we all stand on the same level as shades."
◆ Recall the Teachings
↻ Aid
◆ Cast Ghostly Shift
"Perhaps this is some kind of illusion."
Yujin attempts to dispel whatever is affecting us. She casts dispel magic (Rank 8).
Then she draws her other saber, just in case.
◆Dispel Magic (Rank 8)
◆Draw weapon
Suryo turns invisible.
Janna aids her fellow compatriots.
Ajoran sheathes his weapons as he stands before the valkyrie, announcing that he holds no grudges against the aesir. And just as Yujin begins to dispel the overarching magic, Ajoran swears he sees the valkyrie smirk and nod in approval.
Yujin’s magic causes the entire scene of the Ilizmagorti market to shatter like glass, leaving the group in a seemingly-more-fantastical place.
The vast chamber seems to stretch on forever in all directions and is eerily quiet. To the west, a glowing portal seems to hover in midair, while to the east, a gleaming white door stands alone, apparently fixed in space. In all other directions, the countless stars of the sky twinkle—there is no indication of a floor below or a ceiling above.
Click
And a quiet click fills the room as the gleaming white door unlocks and opens ever-so-slightly.
Shallow wooden counters run along the north and south walls of this chamber, the length broken to the east and west by doors. Each table holds multiple unlit candles and several fragments of wood, iron, silver, and gold, each clustered together in small piles. The walls above the counters are fitted with arrays of hooks on which hang dozens of differently shaped medallions displaying a wide variety of symbols. A softly glowing glass orb hangs from the ceiling 30 feet above, its illumination filling the room with dim light.
As the group steps into the room—before they’ve even really had a chance to fully absorb what is in the room—a deep hum reverberates throughout the room, and the glass orb on the ceiling glows a blood red and rolls in its socket, revealing a thin dot that makes the orb appear to be the eye of a praying mantis!
This “eye” then stares down at the first person to enter the room !
Critical Failure
The eye in the ceiling passes its sight over each of the assassins before finally settling on Yujin!
Failure
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below
Ehre den Göttern, denn sie haben uns alle mit dieser Welt geehrt
If you are Ajoran, can otherwise understand Diabolic, or spend an action to Point Out the words to Ajoran, open the spoiler below
This is an aphorism of Achaekek, and arguably one that exemplifies his anathema of “kill a rightful ruler.” Achekek does not—or perhaps even cannot—kill true deities, for they are the ones who grace us with this existence, and rulers are seen as given gods-given rights. The Red Mantis’s business is with mortals, not gods, and they do not wish to create conflict with the gods themselves. To dishonor the gods is to mock and deny reality itself.
Round 1
==============
The Eye
Janna (-2)
Ajoran {frightened 2}
Suryo
Yujin (-67) {frightened 2}
==============
Suryo looks back and forth at the hooks along the North and South walls.
These are religious symbols. So many of them. All damaged.
He looks down at the countertops.
Ajoran, can you read this?
With Suryo and Ajoran examining the area, Yujin tries to avoid the eye's gaze and heals herself.
Janna stares at the eye, daring it to reveal its secrets.
◆ Recall Knowledge
She wants to wait for it to turn to her, to meet its gaze and show it that she is afraid of nothing, that she is not some supplicant to be tested!
However she has spent a lifetime learning to manage her ego, and even though it has grown so has her experience and wisdom. She fades away and blends into the surroundings as she waits for Ajoran to translate.
◆ Cast Ghostly Shift for Resist 4 against all damage (except Force)
◆ Hide
Ajoran silently curses himself for flinching under the eye before he can even understand what's happening. When the words are pointed out, he nods. "To dishonor the gods is to mock and deny reality itself. They must be honored, for the world we live in is their gift to us."
◆ Stride
◆ Retrieve
Ajoran approaches the nearest of the altars. Then, he'll pull a spare cloth from his bags as he looks over the sullied symbol. "All gods must be honored."
Then, the assassin does his best to clean off the worst of the mess while whispering a respectful prayer.
◆
Janna turns ghostly and hides.
“Now, if we are correct about [Ordulf's] faith, you are to acquire his religious symbol and return it to Ilizmagorti. ‘Honor the gods, for they have honored us all with this world.”[/b] Vatum incites one of the Mantis God’s aphorisms. ”Our prerogative is with mortals, not gods. Blood Mistress Jakalyn will use the religious symbol to perform rites to Gorum—or whomever deity Ordulf worships—as a show that we mean no animosity to the gods themselves.”
It is here. This is the room in which Jakalyn performs those rites. These medallions—they are all religious symbols taken from priests who were assassinated by the Red Mantis. This is a trial of respect to the gods—including to the divine assassinations given by Achaekek.
Suryo points out the letters on the countertops then draws his weapon.
Ajoran begins cleaning one of the symbols.
Yujin heals herself then hides.
The “eye” shifts its gaze between each of the assassins—save for Janna, interestingly—before it locks its gaze on Ajoran!
You watch as the ceiling of this chamber to crumble and tear away, revealing the glass orb in the ceiling to actually be the watchful eye of Achaekek Himself! He Who Walks in Blood chitters His mandibles angrily at you before bringing His mighty claws down to rend you in two! And just as suddenly, the scene vanishes
Round 2
==============
The Eye
Janna (-2) {Ghostly shift: Round 1 of 10}
Suryo
Ajoran {frightened 1}
Yujin (-2) {frightened 1}
==============
"Suryo!"
Janna suddenly appears, looking slightly panicked.
"Ordulf's Holy Symbol! This is the place Jakalyn would have performed the rites of respect to Gorum, but they were never completed. Quickly!"
◆ Stride
Suryo exhales, realizing how obvious Janna's conclusion is.
Perhaps it is not too late.
He ◆retrieves the holy symbol, ◆strides to Janna, and ◆gives it to her.
The vision hits Ajoran like a giant's boulder to the face. He stumbles back, barely managing not to knock over the holy symbol on his way. He looks back up at the eye to make sure what he saw was simply a vision.
For a brief moment, the assassin considers begging for forgiveness. But in that moment, he realizes that if he had truly offended Achaekek then he wouldn't still be alive. Instead, he follows the example of his allies to aid them with the cleansing. Along the way, he decides to actually examine the eye.
◆ Stride
◆
◆
Yujin assumes the group is on the right path and assists with the ritual.
◆Stride
◆Aid
◆I dunno
"Ordulf's Holy Symbol! This is the place Jakalyn would have performed the rites of respect to Gorum, but they were never completed. Quickly!"
Suryo hands Janna Ordulf’s religious symbol and she places it on one of the empty hooks within the room. She is about to begin performing rites when suddenly the pupil of the massive “eye” in the ceiling rolls upward and out of sight.
Click
The door on the other side of the room then unlocks and swings open ever so slightly.
This cylindrical room is 35 feet wide, 30 feet tall, and hewn from solid stone. A shaft of light shines into the center of the room, brightly illuminating the central 15 feet, while the remainder of the room’s outer edges are filled with curling wisps of smoke that slowly churn in a clockwise motion around the chamber and at times seem to form floating runes or letters. Doors are vaguely visible to the east and west through the smoke.
Unlike the previous two rooms, nothing in this one immediately jumps out to attack or otherwise threaten the PCs.
Lass den Tod endgültig sein, denn wir sind nicht die Hüter der Gräber
When pointed out to Ajoran, he can easily translate:
Let death be final, for we are not the keepers of graves
Another aphorism of He Who Walks in Blood. Death is sacred and not to be taken lightly or simply, and those who die are meant to stay dead. The church of Achaekek rarely engages in resurrection magic, except in cases where not doing so causes a greater inconvenience or peril to the faith, thus, all within His faith should be willing to come to terms with the sacred act of death. In a world where powerful magic can raise the dead, Achaekek and His followers eschew such magic and actively work to counter it, to ensure that any that experience sacred death at the blades of one of the Mantis God’s servant will meet with Pharasma for judgement, and not circumvent the intended nature of the Cycle of Souls.
Ajoran clenches his fists as he enters the room, still quite rattled from the last one. But to his relief... nothing happens. At least, not right away. With a mixture of caution and curiosity, he examines his surroundings, but after a moment he shrugs his shoulders.
"While I'm hesitant to explore with my hands, I can't quite tell the meaning of what I'm seeing."
Janna finishes the basic rights she feels are appropriate, so that Gorum's holy symbol doesn't stand out before moving on.
In the next room she examines the strange smoke but sees nothing to indicate its source, so motions to the indistinct door.
"We need to keep moving"
Yujin shrugs. "I can't see anything in the smoke either. But if the last two rooms are any indication, I sense danger."
Only seeing the door, she says, "Let's check the door. But examine it for traps or illusions."
"They say at the end, there is a light. "Go toward the light". I've said it myself."
Janna float slowly toward the shaft of light, touching down lightly on her feet before it. At Ajoran's suggestion she activates her Crimson Shroud, choosing to turn to dust on her death.
"If this doesn't work, or maybe if it does;" she says as she turns back toward the others, "Kill that b@+@$ Saviya for me"
She turns back and takes a step into the shaft of light.
Janna takes it upon herself to step into the light at the center of the room.
Janna inexplicably finds herself seated on a bench overlooking an eternally-spanning abyss. Seated next to her is a skeleton, but one that is…strangely comforting. The skeleton has long, black hair despite the lack of a scalp, and wears a flowing dress covered in flowers.
”No, I am not undead; I am a psychopomp.” The skeleton—a catrina psychopomp—puts a comforting hand upon Janna’s shoulder.
”Sometimes it is…difficult for some. It can be quite traumatic, even for one who puts it in such high regard as you. Death, I mean. After all, that trauma is how many undead come into being.”
Despite the psychopomp’s boney hand, she radiates a feeling of warmth and comfort.
”Some…can create entire worlds and stories, just to…avoid the trauma. You were very powerful, and very proficient in your craft. But…few can stand up to the herald of war.
“Gorum’s herald, the First Blade, you fell at his hands. You fought valiantly and bravely, but…it was not enough. You then…fell into a delusion. Conspiracies and coups and false blasphemies. Some story to cling to mortality. But that’s all it was: a story. A repression of the trauma.”
The catrina pulls Janna into a deep embrace as she whispers ”I know this is a lot; take whatever time you need.”
And there Janna sits, grappling with the notion that everything she’s experienced these past couple weeks have been nothing more than a deathbed delusion.
But…no.
This isn’t right.
Janna may be willing to accept death, but that doesn’t mean she would delude herself. If she had truly died, she would have accepted it, allowed herself to move to the next life to reside with He Who Walks in Blood.
This is not a grief response, this is an analysis of cold logic. Objectively, Janna would not have done that.
This is false.
Janna’s limbs hand limp for a moment, perhaps no more than 5 seconds, when suddenly
Click
The far door unlocks and swings open as Janna takes some slightly-disoriented steps out of the pillar of light.
The second trial, the Trial of the Gods, was completed exactly as intended. An alternative solution was performing a 5-round candle ritual to show honor to the gods (during which time the eye doesn’t target those participating in the ritual). I WOULD have given it to Ajoran because it was in roughly the same vein as what he was intending to do, but him saying he explicitly tried to clean the religious symbols is what pushed it just far enough toward “not respecting a sacred assassination done in Achaekek’s name.”
This third trial, the Trial of Finality, is basically a trial of coming to terms with one’s death, one way or another. It required getting a critical success on a Will save by whomever entered the light. On any other result, whomever stepped into the light becomes paralyzed and believing they’re a ghost (or unconscious and believing they’re traveling the River of Souls) while all other creatures in the room have to make Will saves to avoid becoming frightened (and fleeing on a crit fail, which causes problems when the mirror-servant requires you to state that you’re a servant of Achaekek before passing through the portal). Each round the creature in the light would get a new Will save, with the DC reducing by a cumulative 1.
I honestly think these three hazards are some of the best put out by Paizo (and I usually HATE 2e hazards because of how restrictive they usually are).
The north and south walls of this 25-foot-wide hallway are adorned with carved murals of Achaekek slaughtering god and mortal alike, striding from one scene to the next through an ocean of blood. The hall is brightly lit by a row of glowing crystal chandeliers every 20 feet.
The assassins find these murals particularly strange in that it shows Achaekek slaying gods, which he supposedly does not—or even cannot—do. This would be borderline sacrilegious were it not in a place so deeply connected to the Blood Mistress and thus the worship of Achaekek Himself. The assassins do not recognize any of the gods Achaekek is slaying in these murals.
The group then proceed down the hallway, which extends a dizzying 300 feet before anything else of note occurs.
The long stone corridor ends at a semi-circular stone desk, seemingly carved out of the stone floor itself. Behind the desk is a blank stone wall set with a single stone door. A broad opening in the southern wall opens into another chamber.
Standing behind the desk is a dark-skinned…human(?) woman wearing a breastplate. Her eyes glow an unnatural orange while her dress seems to flow on its own, as if it were made of magma.
As the group comes within 40 feet of the desk, the woman’s already-unamused face turns into a deep scowl!
Round 1
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Suryo
Janna
The Librarian
Yujin
Ajoran
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Trials upon trials. Suryo snarls under his breath.
Suryo skulks forward, fading into his surroundings as he goes. His shadowy forms plays tricks with the light.
Arriving behind their aggressor, he strikes out from behind.
You channel your zeal through a sacred weapon, bringing a foe closer to their demise. Strike a target with the required weapon. On a success, the target becomes doomed 1 or increases the value of their doomed condition by 1 (most living creatures die when they’ve reached doomed 4). Creatures doomed in this way take a status penalty to their saving throws against divine spells equal to their doomed value.
A creature that would become doomed 4 by this Strike can attempt a Will saving throw against your class DC to avoid increasing the value of their doomed condition. When this occurs, this ability gains the incapacitation trait.
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You apply one of the following debilitations, which lasts until the end of your next turn.
Debilitation The target takes a –10-foot status penalty to its Speeds.
Debilitation The target becomes enfeebled 1.
Your opportunistic attacks are particularly detrimental. When you use Debilitating Strike, you can apply two debilitations simultaneously; removing one removes both.
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Earlier...
"They say at the end, there is a light. "Go toward the light". I've said it myself."
Janna float slowly toward the shaft of light, touching down lightly on her feet before it. At Ajoran's suggestion she activates her Crimson Shroud, choosing to turn to dust on her death.
"If this doesn't work, or maybe if it does;" she says as she turns back toward the others, "Kill that b&@&% Saviya for me"
She turns back and takes a step into the shaft of light.
Suryo looks suspiciously at Janna as the strategy emerges. It's only his faith in He Who Walks in Blood that reminds him that the way forward is the way through, fighting his humanoid instincts to stop Janna.
Either way, she will be rewarded.
Before they proceed through the doorway and down the hall, he asks her about the experience. Chiefly: When did you know it was a falsehood?It is tempting to believe the last few weeks have been a very bad dream...
"It was very convincing" Janna had said to Suryo's question, after her trial in the light. "The last few weeks have been surreal, and cast us in important roles. But shame and I are close, and I wouldn't lose myself just to avoid him."
She seemed a little melancholy as they moved into the corridor, but she was quickly transfixed by the murals, especially those of unknown gods being slain by Achaekek.
I don't know any of these deities. What if Achaekek killed them so thoroughly all trace of them were removed from existence...
She hadn't dare even speak her thoughts though, and the woman soon gave her something else to think about.
Janna's first thought is to parlay. If this person can be made to understand the circumstances- but before she can open her mouth though Suryo is somehow already over there. She shouts anyway.
"The Blood Mistress is in danger, we are here to help her! The Vernai have granted us permission"
◆ Recall Knowledge
She then steps strangely, an is suddenly much closer to the woman.
◆◆ Tesseract Tunnel
Suryo bounds forward and slashes deep into the librarian’s back at a particularly vulnerable spot! But as he pulls away his saber, he is shocked to find that no blood spews out whatsoever, and that the woman seems to not be as in pain as he would have expected from someone cut in that particular spot!
As mentioned, she does have the mind of the human she once was before becoming a mezlan, so it is entirely possible to reason with her. But it’s also entirely possible for her to have her own motivations and be working to betray Jakalyn as well.
Janna teleports forward and thinks on the woman in front of her before declaring that ”She’s an intelligent ooze!” to the rest of the party.
The librarian’s cut made by Suryo completely seals up as her deceptively-gelatinous body begins filling in the gaps.
"The Blood Mistress is in danger, we are here to help her! The Vernai have granted us permission"
”Ah yes, the traitor who sacrificed nothing for her immortality? I am well aware!”
She holds up her hand and suddenly an orb of what appears to be magma appears in her hand, seeming to grow out of her palm. She then throws it past Janna and toward Ajoran!
The ball suddenly opens up and wraps itself around Ajoran’s legs like a bola, then sends strands in an attempt to anchor him to the ground!
”Now as for YOU!” The librarian’s arms suddenly elongate as her forearm seems to stretch into a magma-like substance. Her fist then enlarges to borderline cartoonish size as she punches Janna!
Round 1 —> 2
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Suryo
Janna
The Librarian <Orange> {doomed 1 & penalty vs divine spells}
Yujin
Ajoran {-15-foot to Speed: Round 0 of 10}
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"Let's hope her magma-like appearance is just for show because I'm going to see if she can burn."
Yujin runs through Janna's tesseract tunnel and keeps running until she is in front of the enemy. Then she activates flaming fusillade and surrounds herself in a swirling circle of miniature suns. She snatches one of these orbs with her bare hand and shoves it into the librarian's face.
Janna dodges away gracefully from the rubbery punch, but her balletic pirouette is interrupted when her psychic energies start boiling out of her. Her head tilts back and she rises up, floating over to the mezlan.
◇ Unleash Psyche
◆ Fly
◆◆ Amped Imaginary Weapon
◇ Activate Shadow Signet to target Reflex DC