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Sesska hisses in surprise at the assault. Seeing Seleena nearly fall in one strike, Sesska places the back of her palm over her eyes and starts chanting. "I see a name! It is the name of a once proud spirit, escorted to the Boneyard before its time. GREEVAX!! I summon you from the waiting yard of your Keeper. Prove yourself!"
Half whispering and half hissing, Sesska responds, "They could also be Aspis agents operating under the Kortos Consortium's authority, since this is their warehouse. We need to get them to divulge their affiliation." Then, after a momentary pause, Sesska's tongue flicks out once more in Corona's direction. "Is that... cornbread... I smell?" She shakes her head. "Nevermind. Later."
As Sesska flinches at the dog's continued aggressions, she replies to Kolris. "That seems like a plan. Give it some room to run." Once the group begins their respective actions (and nobody needs the office any longer) she drags the cage to the inner door, tosses the jerked meat portion of her trail rations into the office, loosens the cage door and closes the office door behind her.
"I know someone who might be able to assist us in transporting the helpless ones..." Sesska heads into the "lab" and clears a circular area of earth with her foot while sprinkling salt around the perimeter. The whole process takes maybe a minute, and she culminates the activity with yet another prayer to Pharasma. When she steps back, gray mist begins to bellow up from the ground inside the circle. The mist solidifies quickly into a gaunt, cloaked humanoid wearing a decisively creepy owl mask. Chunks of debris... Are those gravestones?... Ominously float near and around the entity. "Ahmuuth, wise and experienced, devotee of the Boneyard, protector and usher of worthy souls, I welcome you again to the Material World."
Sesska attempts to leap over the sewage, not wishing to ruin her clerical attire...
...and continues up to Kolris on the other side. She stows her steel wand in a voluminous pocket. "You don't look well. Perhaps allow those with bigger swords to practice their craft here..."
Sesska's lidless eyes lock on to the two men, and she approaches. Raising a finger, she shouts above the crowd. "OU! The one in the billowing cloak! I have seen a vision of you during my prayers! You are soon for Pharasma's court! I know not when or how, but if you have loved ones I would hasten your next meeting with them! Go now! Few mortals ever receive such a warning!!"
About Second Chances: "From what Ahmuuth has been willing to share, every soul could prove itself in different ways. It's not up to me to judge, but to provide them the opportunity. For the simplest of creatures, it could be as minor as natural physical prowess. I would imagine that for the more social or complex of creatures, other abilities may be shown." "Truth be told, I'm rather new at this myself. Thus far I've only assisted an Eagle named Greevax, and an old hound named Alastair. Each proved useful to us as a group, to be sure, but whether that was the sort of qualifier my Goddess was seeking is anyone's guess."
On the day long voyage Sesska will entertain anyone who wishes to listen with... Her first experiences as a Pathfinder:
"My first mission turned out to be the cleansing of an immense crypt near the Fangwood Forest. So dangerous were the Undead we encountered that I nearly met with the Lady of Graves personally no less than four times." "I believe it was during one of those near death experiences that I first met Ahmuuth..."
Her Psychopomp Eidolon, Ahmuuth:
Sesska summons and introduces the group to Ahmuuth. "Ahmuuth is a servitor of Pharasma. They have no true identity of their own, preferring to dedicate their existence to the Lady of Graves, so referring to them as "he" or "she" isn't quite correct. An Ahmuuth is divinely tasked with helping mortals destroy undead. Given my experiences in the crypt, I suppose we were destined to meet." Her dual role as a Pathfinder and Pharasmin Spirit Guide: "Although I dedicate my soul to the service of Pharasma, I also acknowledge that I never would have reached this point without first being a Pathfinder. I am not a zealot wishing to clash steel into every Undead skull I encounter. My Goddess has tasked me with a different responsibility." "A Spirit Guide helps process the unending queue of souls awaiting Pharasma's judgment. Rarely do mortals consider just how many of the living perish every day. Even the lowliest beetle has some semblance of a soul." "I give those souls that are on the cusp of purgatory a second chance to prove themselves of a worthy judgment. I, in essence, summon them as they were before the moment of their death for a few mere minutes. At this moment I am in charge of the souls of simple animals. After their time is up here, their ultimate fate rests in the hands of the Goddess."
Sesska opens the flap of her belt pouch and deposits her Wayfinder inside. She then opens her backpack and pulls out a leather bound holy text emblazoned with a colorful blue spiral. "I have often found that religious sermons are... unwelcome... outside of their respective temples. If you should need attention drawn away from you, simply mention the word FATE and I can attempt a distraction."
An eerily quiet, albino Vishkanya is the last person to approach the gathering. She is dressed head to toe in the priestly vestments of Pharasma, and she keeps her face partially veiled. Hanging around her neck is a holy symbol made of bone. About the only thing that gives away her Pathfinder status is a mithral Wayfinder secured to a chain belt at her hip. "I can see why I was summoned for this. My last mission's success at disrupting an Aspis auction must have made an early printing of the Pathfinder Chronicles." She squints, as though the bright outdoor light hurts her yellow eyes. "My name is Sesska. I am a Spirit Guide of Pharasma, but that conversation can wait for another time. For now, I would suggest that we head off this meeting of the two groups."
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