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Oh, wonderful, the faithful have shown up to "help them."
He clears his throat, "What you have here, in fact, is a bit of a medical emergency. This does not appear to be the cause of either of these individuals, but instead a tragic consequence of a bunch of people storming in and messing about with technological forces that they do not fully understand. These people are injured victims of an assault on this very building ... the building that you, now, stand in front of, armed and ready to assault. "
He motions to the group of his fellow adventurers. "We are Pathfinders, who have also come to try to resolve this issue. We have dealt with the violent threats within this building, and uncovered the cause of the psychic disturbances in this region. Rest assured we are in the process of resolving them. My good Kitsur, your headaches will subside once we have de-activated the machinery, but doing so without the proper expertise would, in fact, potentially cause a cascading eldrich psychic build-up that could be catastrophic. Do you, Mr. Procuaru, have the expertise to deal with the consequences of that?"
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"Hmp. Indeed." Tagging onto Doc's technical explanation, Itka expounds briefly on the complex occult formulae that are utilized to derive the connection points between psychic targets. She curls her lip, contemptuously insistent on using the most complex vocabulary she can to prove her point.
And now she gets to the meat of what irritates her so. Noting Saban's butterfly pendant, Itka relates: "Hmp. I owe a life debt to the Desnans who helped me escape slavery in Nidal; I give you my word that our account is true. We've spoken with some of you already, on our way to help rid you of the hallucinations, headaches, and all the rest. And before we've even had a chance to clear the whole building of all its threats, you come to kill us?!" Her voice rises, a ragged cacophony like boulders grinding over pebbles and grit. She straightens her back, suddenly seeming to tower over everyone. "Hmp! Do you think killing the very people who are saving you and your children will solve your problems?! No! IF YOU STAND IN OUR WAY, they will get WORSE!! ... HMP!" With that, she hunches herself again, glaring at the audacity of the throng of ignorant fools.
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Our ulfen grandmother hero takes a moment to stow her sword and stuff her pipe, working up a smoldering cherry, and blowing a cloud of dark smoke between the villagers and their charge. After awhile, she speaks simply, and allows her listener to infer the remaining connective tissue of her analogy.
"Knowledge is a Journey, you would no sooner set out on a Long Trip without Proper Provisions; My colleagues here are skilled in the Means of Handling the Cause of your Ailments"
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Argoni looks back at the building and then to Lumna. He shakes his head and tries to bewilder the crowd. "No, we can take care of this. See, there's some heebie jeebies that have been going on, but luckily, this researcher is helping us take care of it. It's just the heebie jeebies, no need to worry. We've dealt with this kind of thing before and we should be able to clear it up in no time. But we can't let any untrained people near the heebie jeebies. Best for you all to head back to Ilev and wait it out. We'll come find you when we're done."
"I see..." Saban strokes his beard and turns to the crowd. "Citizens of Ilev, hear my plea! These... Pathfinders have found the source of danger and of your pain! It will take more than force to dispatch it. Let us give them a chance to solve this mystery. If they should fall, or take too long, then we will rise up and destroy it ourselves. But it would be at a great sacrifice. Let them go first."
The crowd slowly breaks up. Kitsur glowers at you all before stomping off. "This isn't over!"
Once the crowd is empty, Saban turns back to you. "I place my faith in you all." He gives Lumna a curious look. "There are many secrets beyond the moon and the stars. Seems like you found one..." He turns away and follows the crowd.
With the immediate problem handled, you return to the basement. The panel lights up as you approach. Please enter password.
The panel dings. Access granted.
As you say the magic words and the override activates, the doors creak open, revealing a small room with stairs leading deep below the manor. The air becomes cold and humid and carries an animalistic smell. The sound of water is faintly audible in the distance.
The room is dominated by a complex device fitted with two large coils and dozens of dials located on a raised platform. Its metallic shine has not faded over the years, although some of the engravings next to each panel have been worn out due to long-time use. The machine emits a steady and low hum.
Vilo hovers in front of the machine and begins waving his arms as if he were leading an orchestra. His voice rings through the room, and everyone can hear him. "Revecka's father built this for me. Silvu knew of my fondness for music, and I can use this to convert it to voice." He keeps directing sounds. "This device can use the Crystal Key you've acquired, but it is delicate. You can communicate with others who hold similar keys."
"I'm not sure you needed my help... Have you worked on this before?" Vilo watches Isaku curiously as he moves everything into place.
The machine's hums oscillate between high shrieks and low drones until it stabilizes on a feminine voice filled with trepidation asking “Revecka? Is that you? Who is this?”
"Revecka's alive?" The voice is elated. "I haven't been able to speak to her in months."
Vilo begins to conduct as his voice sounds through the room. "That is not an Ardis Scholar. Narcela, I presume?"
The staticy voice sounds embarrassed. "Oh, yes. Sorry, I didn't know if I could trust you. But if Revecka's alive and Vilo is with you... yes, I'm Narcela. I was sent by my horrid mother Aslynn to spy on the Ardis Scholars while she attacked a tomb between worlds. I met Revecka and... I knew I couldn't go through with my mother's plans. If anything happened to Revecka I would have-" Narcela cuts herself off.
"But I can't fight Aslynn directly, she would eat my heart. So I took the key from the laboratory the day before Aslynn raided it. I left it within the Pathfinder Society's vaults. Lumna would tire and begin calling for help, and the Pathfinder Society would respond. I knew it! I've tried to visit Revecka in her dreams but something is preventing me. I thought she was dead, or worse!"
"It's a... complicated plan, yes. But anything to slow down Mother." The voice on the receiver takes a deep sigh. "Revecka spoke a lot about Lumna and the Ardis Scholar pets. Are they alright?"
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"Hmp. We're working our way through this place, looking for survivors and information to understand what happened. Reveka, Lumna, and Vilo are the only ones we've found so far, though Vilo is unfortunately a ghost at this point. Can't say we've found his body yet." Itka gives Vilo a quick glance that almost--almost--seems sympathetic. It's gone in a flash. "Hmp. So, Aslynn attacked, eh? I've survived some encounters with her before. She's a wily one. Do you know why she cared to attack here?"
"Ha. She never explains anything besides the horrible punishment you'll endure if you fail." Narcela laughs nervously. "I figured the key was important but I didn't understand why until Revecka told me about Lumna. I know she wants the scholars, but she hasn't explain why."
"But now that I know the Pathfinder Society has the key, I'll try to keep you up to date."
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Argoni turns the key over in his hand. "Narcela, now that the machinery here can be maintained, does this mean we can use the key to speak to you from anywhere? If so, your reports would be greatly helpful for the Society to counter Aslynn's efforts. If it needs to remain here to speak to you, that's of much less utility, though we could station a team here to help the Scholars with their work."
"The key would have to stay in the machine, yes. The machine needs something to attune to." Narcela responds. "Aslynn likes to invade people's dreams. I learned the skill when I was young but it didn't feel right. Except for Revecka, she always invited me. She told me lightning blocks me from entering her dreams, though."
You hear a feline in the next room, meowing and pawing a closed door.
Jakoby recognizes the meowing as one belonging to a >cu sith<.
Vilo begins to play again and his voice vibrates from the Spirit-Transcriber. "Hmm, that may be Gleam. He's friendly."
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"Hmp. Friendly to you, but he hasn't met us yet. Are you able to make an introduction?" Itka moves to the door, ready to open it. If no one objects, she calls through the door: "Hmp. Gleam? We're here to help your allies. Vilo here can vouch for us, though he's less *physical* than the last time you may have seen him." Then she opens the door and steps back, hoping this wasn't a dangerous mistake.
As the door opens, an attentive and diminutive cu sith pokes his head through. He's wearing a polished silver collar with the word [i]Gleam[i] on it. He meows and then turns to enter the room.
The room is filled with spacious pens holding a few different animals. On one side, an albino ball python slithers in a terrarium adorned with Osirion inspired decor while a vampire bat sleeps lazily away from the light. On the opposite end, a large aquarium fitted with a spigot hosts a pair of bizarre fishlike creatures.
The cu sith taps his paws 3 times on the floor and sits next to a chart. He then looks up at you expectantly.
The chart shows a picture of a cu sith, and points at the foot as it taps against the floor. Each tap indicates a different plane of existence. 1 for this Universe, 2 for the heavens and 3... for the Netherworld, the Plane of Shadow.
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Itka follows Gleam into the room. After a quick glance, she calls back: "Hmp. Tell Narcela the pets seem to be fine."
When Gleam leads her to the chart, she peers intently. A combination of excitement and consternation swells in her chest as she realizes what he's communicating. "Hmp. Three taps. The Plane of Shadow. Are you saying we need to go there? Or that something came from there?" She gives Gleam a moment after each question to answer it, unsure as to whether it can understand her that precisely.
Itka figures Gleam has been trained to detect planar intrusions. Her best guess is that a portal opened up from the Netherworld.
Vilo peers at Gleam. "I can't speak to Gleam directly, but perhaps he is indicating a planar breach. Maybe that's where the attackers came from." He takes another look at Gleam. "He probably wants a treat for being a good boy."
Vilo looks at the door on the other side and Argoni's key begins to vibrate. "Beyond this room should be the research and development section. We'll need to catalogue anything still left there. Prepare yourselves in case something goes out of control."
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Doc nods. "Yes, this should be quite an intriguing experience, to see what you have worked on." He glances around. "Does anyone know anything in particular about the Plane of Shadow and the beings we might encounter? What sort of attacks are particularly effective against them? I would guess perhaps something light-based, perhaps?"
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Before following the group toward R&D, Itka offers a small chunk of pocket bacon to Gleam. "Hmp. Good job. Thanks for the warning."
Having given quite a few lectures on the lore of the Plane of Shadow over the course of her tenure in the Society, Itka feels particularly well-suited for this turn of events. She proceeds to grind out the broad strokes for the team with her gravelly voice, peppered with copious "hmps".
Denizens of the Netherealm tend to live in shadowy environments. Some residents do sport a weakness to light, but all have an affinity to darkness. Some are attuned to void energy as well. Due to their variety, it is difficult to pinpoint other weaknesses without seeing someone first.
Gleam meows and happily takes all offered food. As you approach the door to the R&D lab, he meows again, perhaps as a warning.
You open the door towards the R&D lab. Bright electrical coils lay to your left, towards the North. But something else up ahead catches your attention.
The air feels stale and cold, as if something were draining this place of warmth. Scraps and spare parts lie scattered across the room, making it difficult to move without hitting a spring, coil or tube. Unfinished, humanlike constructs lean inert against the wall, most missing limbs or critical components. One slender construct, heavily modified by expert hands, is fitted with a large coil leading to a container filled with dark energy. The constructs turn toward you, full of malice.
"Destroy. Consume." The humanoid construct extends a metal halberd and a set of external plates form a shield. From 10 feet away, the construct swings at Jakoby, finding a critical weakpoint in her stance.
2 piles of gears come to life along with the humanoid automation.
Robot (Defenses Up)
Jakoby (60 damage)
- Ro
Doc Bloodshanks
White Gears
Yellow Gears
BakBat
Itka
Isaku
Argoni
Doc realizes these things are rare. Clockwork automatons possessed by powers of the Netherworld. He focuses on the humanoid creature first. He realizes the humanoid construct is more like a suit housing an empty container now filled with Netherworld energy. The metal will resist most physical forms of damage unless the weapon is made of orihalcum or adamantine. In fact it is weak to orihalcum and electricity. He knows acid will definitely work.
That robot really wants to produce a weapon and critically hit someone, but Jakoby is faster on the draw.
Jakoby
- Ro
Robot
Doc Bloodshanks (Readied Action)
White Gears
Yellow Gears
BakBat
Itka
Isaku
Argoni
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"Let's smoke them out" chomping down on her pipe with her teeth, Jakoby races forward, blade in hands, grabs a clean swipe, and quickly retreats back.
~) Tracking Robot Prey w/ Outwit Edge
◇) Swift Tracker to Stride forward
◆) Strike w/ Astral Katana (2h)
◆) Stride back
◆) Command Ro
She nods to Ro to do the same!
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~) Ranger Companion shared Outwit Edge
◆◆) Flyby Attack
Ro flies in and back out, swiping at the Robot inside.
"Initiative tracker error detected." The robot whines. "Woman with weak sword and weak bird preempted." It dodges Jakoby's efforts to damage it. "Reactions online." It extracts a halberd from its exterior. "Kill and Consume mode initiated." It moves ahead until it is 10 feet away before swinging at Jakoby.
"Probability error detected." Is all the robot utters as Jakoby's instincts help her evade the attack.
The gears come to life and surge past the robot. Shadowy energy surges from the White pile of gears, trying to scrape Jakoby.
As the Yellow gears moves close, Doc Bloodshanks grabs a vial and quickly hurls it at the mess. "Should have prioritized defense. Will adjust probability later." Doc's vial just hits the robot, splattering acid on the gears.
The Yellow gears begin whirring at a fast speed, sending debris everywhere and dealing Bludgeoning damage.
The Robot ignores all of it, while the White pile of gears takes less damage than expected.