The Lady's NPC 3.0's page

"No, I imagine it wasn't" Kleines says, holding a piece of the stage in place while Kora tightens the bold holding it together. "As my friend here said, we aren't sure yet what our mission here is, but let us know how we can help with yours, too. It's hard to think of something more important than that."

"Thank you," Kora smiles at Kleines as she finishes tightening the bolt. Of the three siblings she seems to be the least excitable...or maybe just the most sensible. "And the same goes for you guys, too. If you need our help all you need do is ask and we'll do our best."

"It's funny that you're all here for a mission as well, you know? Must be a lot happening here in Katapesh lately," she muses as she moves on to setting up some stage decorations.

"Kitt, you sound so boastful," Kora scolds gently. "It's not a bad thing to be proud of what we accomplished but we weren't the only ones who paid for Absalom's salvation with our blood. Remember that some paid with their very lives. We need to keep that in mind and not...not...not glorify what happened, you know?"

Kora gives Kleines an awkward, apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Kitt means well - Don't you make that face at me, Kitt! - and I promise even he can be serious when push comes to shove. We take our new positions as Pathfinders seriously too, even if it might not always seem like it."

"Yes, but it isn't our business," Kora is quick to interject. "We've got other things to worry about."

She glances around but now that the band is on break no one seems to be paying them much attention. With a satisfied nod she leans in closer to Santiago.

"Like our own mission. We're here to play for the party, that's not a lie, but we're here as official Pathfinders, too. Our job is tracking down slaves who were illegally smuggled out of Absalom after manumission by greedy underground slavers who didn’t want to lose their 'stock'," Kora explains.

Wymarc, Joe Public, Lauranna

"That's deep. Take it from me, I'm a theologian."

"Hey, just what we need, a priestess!" calls the third of the half-elf trio, Kora. "What path do you walk? Would you be willing to give us a blessing before our performance later? We'll be happy to pay!"

"I'm 115 years old...I've got sharp pointy ears and very little body hair other than that atop my head...I'm pretty sure I'm an Elf...and since you lack those features, I'm pretty sure you're not."

Even though this statement is clearly directed at the strange and smelly vagrant lying on the bench, Kora winces and makes a face.

"Yikes, didn't need to know about the body hair thing..."

"I think that sounds like a fine idea," Kitarlo agrees, wiping his brow with his remaining hand. "Won't lie, I was a little nervous at first but after listening to your testimony - the parts I was there for and the parts that I wasn't - I don't know why I was worried at all! The entire thing was fantastic!"

With Altha and Valais departed for the summit and nothing else making demands on your time, Kitarlo motions for everyone to follow him out of the Great Library.

"Alrighty, so let's head back to Heaven's Shore. I'm pretty sure Zepha would like to see you all before you scatter to the four winds," he smiles.

"Ah! Destruction and Creation, you found it! Thank you my friends, thank you very much," Kitarlo beams happily when Maria presents him with the missing tome. "We've made good time here today, even better than I'd hoped for, which works out because it gives me more time to help set up for the ritual we need to perform."

It takes Kitarlo only moments to flip through each one of the six tomes that you found, seemingly memorizing hundreds of pages in mere seconds. Once he finishes he nods, satisfied.

"Very good! I believe that we now have enough information to successfully perform the ritual."

The azata rises and beckons you and Valais to follow him as he leads you to a secluded private study chamber just off the library’s entrance. "Probably don't want to do this out in the open," Kitarlo remarks as he closes the door and begins drawing an intricate diagram on the floor.

"The ritual needed to purify Valais is a ritual of mortification, which requires sacrifices from each participant. Although I can guide the ritual, all of us must participate in order for it succeed. With as well as you did, there are several options of sacrifice at hand. The ritual requires three phases, where in each phase we all will make a mortification sacrifice. Each successful mortification will lend strength to Valais, while each failed mortification lends power to her demons," he explains. "If the demonic influence ever grows stronger than Valais’s spirit, the ritual will immediately fail."

As he finishes the diagram he explains the sacrifices that he learned of within the recovered books and then directs Valais to sit in the center.

"Form a circle and then we shall begin…"
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An explanation post of the details of this 'encounter' to follow, please stand by~

It only takes waiting around for a few minutes with Valais until, just as she'd expected, Kitarlo comes flying over to the table, his arms laden with several books of his own.

"Welcome back," he smiles as he plops the books down with a heavy *whomp*. "It looks like you found everything Akarah said we'd need - nice work! And you did it all without the power of flight or any other magics, to boot. We knew you had it in you, right Valais? Right Akarah?"

"Anyway, since we've still got a little time left here in the library, ah...do you all think you might be up for finding one more tome?" Kitarlo queries, looking both embarrassed but also a little frustrated. "I've already found most of what I'm looking for but I can't seem to find the last book that I need. It's called - Hepsubia, you'll appreciate this - Destruction and Creation: Careful Experiments with Contained Chaos."

Kitarlo offers you all an apologetic smile. "Think you'd be willing to give me a hand, so to speak?"
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Helping Kitarlo find the last book he needs will take a DC 18 Kn. Arcana *or* DC 18 Kn. Religion check.

Kitarlo gives Effie a pained smile.

"Please believe me, it's not that I don't want your help. But we're here to help Valais first and foremost, so that's who I want you to focus your efforts on," the azata explains. "Akarah can help me if I need it while you look for those books for Valais."

Kitarlo coughs slightly. "Ah...Akarah, if you are not too busy I would also appreciate a little assistance. You see, I’m seeking a way to restore my lost arm..."

At Zepha's words, Kitarlo actually laughs out loud.

"Hah! You're growing a sense of humor, Zepha! That'll happen when you spend too much time around 'children of chaos' like myself," he remarks, winking at Zithembe and the rest of you as you make your way out of the Angel's Wing.

"Always with your snacks and treats, Zepha. Are you secretly a grandmother in disguise?" Kitarlo teases as he rises from the table.

As Peligos offers a bow to the group and departs, Kitarlo smiles as he looks around. "Don’t worry. This isn’t my first time here and I know where we need to go first. I’ve got a friend of sorts here who owes me a favor and sent word earlier that he’s managed to secure us entry into the Great Library. He’s waiting for us at a restaurant called The Angel’s Wing. Come on, let’s go!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Kitarlo remarks with a pained smile, lifting his hands in a gesture of apology and defeat. "For those of us that travel the planes often, we just sort of...get used to it. Well and most other folks from the other good planes like Nirvana and Elysium usually get something of a fast-pass after their first time through," he explains.

"Heaven has their rules, sure, but even they understand that it'd be silly to make frequent visitors and allies fill out the same paperwork every single time they're here!"

Once you’ve made your preparations and asked nearly every question you can possibly think of, the time of your departure arrives. Kitarlo beckons everyone close.

"Okay, everyone will need to join hands and hold on tightly. You might feel a little dizzy - I’m told mortals often do when traveling like this - but it’ll pass in no time," the azata explains. He offers his one remaining hand to Valais and then moves as though offering his phantom hand to one of you. After a second he stops, blinks, and then laughs, his cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment.

"Heh! Sorry, force of habit. Just, ah, place your hand on my shoulder,” Kitarlo continues. "That should work just as well."

When everyone is in position Kitarlo takes one last look and then nods. "Right, looks like we’re ready. And here...we...go!"
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If there are any last-minute supplies you wanted to have picked up before the plane shift, feel free to note it as Kitarlo would have given you the time to go shopping. Another brief post to follow, please stand by~

"Well...the main challenge would actually be getting through the Gates of Heaven in the first place," Kitarlo responds, his cheerful expression slipping just a little. "Once we arrive, we're likely to stand out a bit - and would even if Valais were not with us. And Heaven has many defenders that patrol the surrounding lands, so our presence won't go unnoticed for long."

Realizing that he may not be doing a good job of allaying concerns, he's quick to add, "But! Since Valais will be with us and not her own, anyone who comes to speak with us isn't going to simply attack on sight. The denizens of Heaven are honorable and many of them would prefer to seek peaceable solutions when possible."

"Once we get through the gates, which will involve some rather dull paperwork and forms, I won't lie, then the rest will be much easier. My contact will be waiting for us on the other side; he's the one I asked to pull some strings to get us all into the Great Library."

Kitarlo stretches his one arm out, palm upward in a supplicating gesture. "Please, I promise you that I would not risk bringing Valais to Heaven if I thought it would put her in danger. Neither would your two leaders. We'd be looking for another way if that were the case."

Kitarlo lays a comforting hand on Valais' shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Valais. Valsin spoke very highly of them, you know, and I trust his judgement. We'll put things right."

He looks back up at the rest of you and then smiles again. "And speaking of Valsin I think I already see why he recommended you - you ask good questions."

"That said, I'm afraid I can't tell you anything specific about the ritual because that's actually what we're going to the Grand Library of Harmonious Scripture to research," the azata adds. "But if there's any place in the cosmos that holds an answer to our predicaments, it'll be there."
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One small post to follow, please stand by~

"Ah! You must be the agents Valsin said to expect," rumbles the azata in a rich baritone as he stands, rising to an impressive 9 ft. in height. "I’m Kitarlo and it’s a pleasure to meet you all," he smiles as he extends his remaining hand to each of you.

From his usual position atop Malzii's shoulder, Scoot chitters and waves a few of his legs in an excitable manner.

That was fun to watch. But I'm not doing that myself.

Scoot chitters in response to Grey's statement.

Yes, there's only so many times a web can be built in the same old places.

Scoot stares back at Malzii, with as innocent a look as a creature with fangs and eight eyes can muster.

Wasn't going to say a word...

From atop Malzii's shoulder Scoot makes a soft chittering sound and waves one leg in front of his many eyes as if trying to facepalm.

Can't talk their way out of a burlap sack...

No problem Keil!

From his place on Malzii's shoulder Scoot chitters and waves his legs. If he had a moveable head it almost seems as though he would be shaking it right about now.

After a moment, Scoot squeezes his way out of the first sarcophagus. He pauses for a moment and chitters in Malzii's general direction as he telegraphs an image of what lies inside the stone box.

Although the company his mistress kept was largely her own business, Scoot had to admit that the group had chosen well with the fetchling as he watches him examine the outside of the sarcophagi.

He'd make a fine spider himself.

But, there was still work to do and he himself could get to places the fetchling couldn't easily reach. Continuing to move slowly, he attempts to inch his way under one of the small cracks in the first sarcophagi.

Stealth: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (9) + 22 = 31
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Scoot has darkvision so he should be able to see okay if he can fit inside.

Ah, time to stretch my legs!

Scoot chitters in reply to Malzii and then quickly scuttles from her hand onto the ground and into the room with the sarcophagi. His eyes scan around for any immediate threats or things of interest besides the fetchling.

Stealth: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (9) + 22 = 31
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6