[Pathfinder] Wrath of the Righteous, part 60: Eagle Rock

Respected Master;

I have cast a teleportation spell for the first time, calling on the power given me by the Ancient Tree to transport myself, Runa, and Jesker Helton to Drezen. This seemed the most expedient option, as I am not yet strong enough in my magic to convey us all, and traveling back to the town on foot might have proved too taxing for the suffering priest. While Runa and I were away, our comrades would work to clear the chapel and remove the desecration it had experienced at the hands of the shachath demon.

As Drezen is now a familiar locale to me, it was not difficult to transport us there. We arrived just outside so that we would not startle the Crusaders within the Citadel. The paladins we met upon our arrival at once recognized that Jesker's period under the control of the demon had caused his nature turn toward evil. For this reason we had an escort as we entered the Citadel. We had thought to meet with Anevia first, but we learned that she was away when Aron came to greet us. Aron took us to the tent where Joran Vhane had been questioned. We were offered simple refreshments. Runa attempted to persuade Jesker to at least drink some water, but even that made the poor priest ill.

Aron Kir

                                               

Irabeth soon arrived, and Runa explained to her what had befallen Jesker. Irabeth's demeanor toward Jesker was firm, perhaps even a bit harsh, but not cruel. When asked if he had brought anything she should know about, Jesker offered up his journal, confessing that he had not been the only one to write in it. Irabeth handed the journal over to Aron, who read it while she continued to speak with Jesker. When she asked Jesker if he wanted to reform, he agreed. Irabeth then told him that it would be possible for him to be given atonement, but that doing so would not make his reformation an easy process. She then asked Runa and I not to share this information with anyone else. I believe that this is to prevent the news that a priest was turned to evil from affecting the morale of the army within Drezen.

Irabeth Tirabade

I left the tent then, while Runa remained to give her support to Jesker. Before we departed from our friends Jiro had asked me to see if the enchantment of his morningstar was complete, and Runa asked for me to see if any letters had come for her. I found one letter awaiting her and fetched Jiro's weapon from the enchanter, then sought out Aravashnial to learn any news. There was little that differed from what we had heard on our last visit. I also briefly visited one of Horgus Gwerm's people to find out whether they had acquired anything of interest, but because the Citadel and the town have now been thoroughly investigated new items are less likely to be discovered.

Aravashnial

After I rejoined Runa to return to the chapel, she told me that Aron had found in the journal news that Jesker and his unwelcome passenger had visited Drezen prior to the cleansing of the town. The demon, whose name is Quinarch, knows our names and seems to have been observing us. This is concerning, as the journal did not indicate whether Quinarch had shared its observations with other demons.

Runa and I returned to the chapel to rejoin our companions that same day. The others had been taking turns resting and working on the chapel. After we arrived Runa was able to restore the damaged statue of Erastil. Jiro had used a scroll to consecrate the structure, which had made the disturbing aura of the place vanish and made it feel comfortable enough that Runa's eagle Phon was unafraid to enter. Jiro then used his magic to create a subterranean shelter for us to rest within during the night.

As I meditated I experienced a vision of the lava-filled chamber in which Delamere was laid to rest in her crystal casket. The casket melted away, as though it was made of ice. I felt a sensation of a spirit being at peace, of gratitude directed toward me, and then I saw where the casket had lain several objects lying upon the ground.

When my companions woke they began to speak of a dream they had all experienced, and I realized that my vision was the same as theirs. We speculated that the sense of gratitude had come from Erastil himself, thanking us for rescuing Jesker and restoring the chapel. We all felt that the objects left behind when Delamere's casket melted were actual items that had been bequeathed to us as material rewards.

Jiro volunteered to fly down to the chamber where we had fought with Quinarch and recover the objects. He returned to tell us that the disappearance of the casket had left Delamere's mummified corpse, but he felt that there was no need to do anything else with her body. He brought with him her suit of armor, a talisman, and an enchanted longbow. Jiro determined that the armor will allow the wearer to fly several times each day in addition to providing protection. Zero was persuaded to take it. The talisman proved a challenge to me, but Jiro found that it was a very powerful object that could cause the earth to swallow an evil creature, though it could do so only once more before all of its magic would be consumed. Runa took charge of it. The bow was designed for a strong person to wield and would further enhance the strength of their shots. Though Zosta is more focused on fighting with her fists, she took the bow as she is the only one of us besides Runa who is strong enough to draw it.

When we had dealt with Erastil's gifts, we discussed what we would do next. Our original intent had been to continue searching for the Ivory Labyrinth. But we recalled that there is another location within this wasteland that we have overlooked in our explorations, a place called Eagle Rock. It was once a Crusader fortress, but at the end of the Fourth Crusade it was taken by the enemy and destroyed. Demons still lurk there and often take prisoners there to torture them. Of course we must ensure that they are holding no captives there and rid the place of their foul taint.

Eagle Rock is a plateau standing some fifty feet high which once held a fortress, though all that remains is the ruins of five towers protruding like fingers. The path that had once led to the top of the plateau had fallen into disrepair. Before we began our ascent I joined my mind telepathically with Kirara, Jiro, and Runa. While Jiro, Runa, Zero, and Zosta climbed up the remnant of the path, I cast a spell of flight upon myself and kept pace with them from the air.

Eagle Rock

Our approach had not gone unnoticed, for a swarm of wasps suddenly appeared and began to distract and sting us. Their poison made me feel sluggish. The wasps were followed by a second swarm, then rats that ran underfoot of the climbers and bit at them. Fortunately no one fell. I realized that these creatures had been summoned rather than occurring naturally, and the wasps had been brought there by a spell that would not allow them to move about of their own will; they were held in a single area by the summoning.

Runa cast the spell that grants her five angelic wings and flew over the top of the plateau, while Zero bounded up the cliff and vanished from sight. Two creatures appeared that resembled locusts, but these were the size of horses and were unmistakably demonic in nature. Jiro identified them as one of them flew past Zosta, stabbing her with its long stinger. They emitted a loud droning noise that affected our minds, causing me to mistake Jiro for an enemy and I hurled a blast of flames down upon him. I am ashamed I was unable to withstand the effect of the noise, but the flames also disposed of the summoned rats.

Jiro moved away from me and sent a swarm of dragonflies at the demon. Runa then rushed it, stabbing it viciously with her holy blade. Zosta grappled the second demon and pinned its wings, tumbling off the edge of the plateau with the creature wrapped in her fierce embrace. I could not see Zero, but I could hear him performing a stirring oration.

The demon Runa faced stung her, its stinger nearly piercing through her body despite her armor. The confusion left my mind and I thought to Kirara that she should assume her mist form for her safety. Jiro's healing relieved some of the pain of the wasp stings I had suffered. Runa slashed the demon twice and finished with a stab to its abdomen. As the creature collapsed it vanished.

I could not see Zosta at this time, but she too had been affected by the droning sound and released her grip on the demon, which teleported away while she began to furiously clamber back up to the plateau. While no foes were in sight Runa swallowed an antitoxin potion and Bohgong took out a wand and used it to heal some of Jiro's injuries. Then the second demon reappeared and once more I was affected by its droning. It took a moment for that to affect me, however, enabling me to use the technique of channeling positive energy to harm it that Aravashnial had shown my in my Riftwarden training. Jiro suffered the demon's sting. I lost my capacity to understand what was happening and struck myself with my own wooden sword, while at the same time Kirara clawed and bit at herself. Runa found herself surrounded by a swarm of bats the demon had called and began to swing her sword at them wildly.

Zosta reached the top of the plateau, her mind now free of the droning's effect. She saw that Jiro was badly wounded and charged the demon. Jiro had stepped closer to it, and he now looked up into its insect-like face and told it, "I survived because I am a righteous man. Now you face an angry woman." He said later that he saw fear in the demon's eyes at those words. In response it teleported away a second time.

After it had gone I recovered from its droning once more, but the demon was not done with us. It returned a third time. This time we were all able to withstand the sound and we turned all of our strength on it at once to destroy it. It did not disappear when it died, for this one had summoned its fellow.

Next: part 61, Return to the Marchlands

[Pathfinder] Wrath of the Righteous, part 59: Rescue From the Fire

Respected Master;

I have neglected to mention how devoted Runa is to the tenet of redemption. You will see later how truly she exemplifies that belief.

In addition to the poor creatures the Lamashtu cultists had kept as trophies, we also found some animals that were injured but were capable of being healed and released. These Runa soothed with her natural affinity for all beasts, and when their hurts were healed she set them free. Those that were too far gone to be saved she released from this life with gentle mercy. But among those that could be healed were also several quasits. Runa offered these the opportunity to be set free, advising them to seek a path toward good and even giving them the bodies of those that had died to feed them before they departed.

Quasit

Though Runa showed them kindness and mercy, I caught a glimpse of Bohgong over Jiro's shoulder, making threatening gestures at them. What they will do next we do not know, but they did not go toward the Worldwound nor toward any city we know when they left the cave.

While Runa had been dealing with the animals, Jiro examined the journals left by the three women in the hope that they would have inscribed in them some information that would be of use to us. He learned that they had been engaged in creating abominations, which are a great delight to the Mother of Monsters. Their writings mentioned the Temple of the Ivory Labyrinth but did not give its location, which was the information we had most hoped to find.

When we had exhausted our investigation of the alchemical laboratory, we considered if we might block up its entrance somehow or in some other way prevent any enemies from reclaiming it. In the end we smashed everything we did not intend to carry out with us, and spread some loose dirt around the entrance so that if we should return their we might be able to see what manner of creatures approached the cave.

We decided that we would continue on in our search for the missing priest Jesker after we left the cave. We explored the remainder of the territory immediately surrounding the cave and then spent an uneventful night resting.

On the following morning after I had centered my mind and prepared my spells for the day, I restored charges to a wand Jiro had been carrying - or rather Bohgong, since it was he who produced it - and Jiro then gave it to Zero to use. Jiro also used a charm he knows to prepare us all for traveling in this wasteland and meeting any other demons. We did encounter a warped one creature but it proved no great challenge to us. A few hours later we found the humble wooden chapel dedicated to Erastil where Jesker had settled.

The chapel stood empty, showing no sign that it had been recently inhabited. Jiro called out to Jesker in greeting but received no response. There were footprints left by both animals and demons outside the structure.

Zosta pushed open the door to reveal the interior of the small space. There were only enough simple wooden pews within to seat perhaps twenty people. These had been overturned and scattered. The walls had blasphemous phrases and curses scratched into them, and on the small altar was a phrase referring to Delamere, tears, and fire. A statue of Erastil had been split in half. Beyond the altar lay another door, presumably leading to the priest's personal quarters.

As we stood looking at the destruction within the little chapel, all of us felt something unpleasant pressing on our will, but no one succumbed. Jiro put his lantern on his staff, and he and Zosta went toward the other door. Runa's attention was caught by a book lying by the broken statue of the god, and I went with her to examine it while Zosta opened the door and she and Jiro looked into the room. Zero remained at the entrance to the chapel, looking out for dangers.

The book bore the title 'Stag King's Bride', which I recalled had been written by a priestess of Erastil named Delamere, who was regarded as a heretic by the larger church. Delamere had espoused the belief that cities are evil and no community should contain more than fifty-three people to avoid falling into evil. Despite her peculiar belief she had garnered a significant number of followers, and her tomb lay somewhere not far from the chapel. Inside the tome we found a note clearly written recently indicating that the writer thought Delamere's beliefs were correct.

Jiro and Zosta stepped out of Jesker's room to report that it had apparently been hastily cleared of personal items. I explained to them the relevance of the book and the note written within it, and we concluded that we should seek out Delamere's tomb as that might be where we would find Jesker.

The chapel of Erastil stands very near to a chasm that falls some two hundred feet to a river of lava. Were the chapel any nearer to the rift we should have been able to feel the heat of the molten rock while standing beside the little structure. When we reached the edge of this cliff we could see that not only did lava flow along the floor of the chasm, but rivulets of it poured out of the cliff walls and flowed down like fiery waterfalls. The heat there is intense. We could see no sign of Delamere's tomb nor of any way to climb down the walls.

Jiro used his magic to protect us all from fire and then took flight and soared out over the inferno in search of more information. When he returned he reported that he had seen what seemed to be a cave opening near the river of lava, but there was no stair nor any climbing holds leading down to it. We realized that our ropes would not survive long enough to let us descend. The heat was so terrible that Runa sent her eagle back to the chapel to await our return. I expended a little of the World Tree's power to grant us all some relief from the heat, though my magic is not powerful enough to entirely resist the heat of molten rock from the world's core.

Jiro then cast a spell that would permit us all to fly, and I granted fire resistance to Kirara as Jiro's spell had not included her. With that we flew down toward the terrible river at the bottom of the chasm.

The lava flowed into the cave in rivulets, making shallow grooves where it melted the stone of the floor. There were also several deep pits in the floor, which the lava streams curiously seemed to be avoiding. There were no pillars nor stalactites or stalagmites within the cave, which made it easy for us to spy Delamere's crystal casket. Seated on top of the casket was a haggard human man we recognized as matching the description we had been given of the missing priest.

As we entered Jesker rose to his feet, saying in a weary and sorrowful voice that he had brought shame upon himself and his family and betrayed his god. We realized he meant to throw himself into the lava that flowed past the coffin. Runa called out to him that there is always room for redemption, and Jiro stated that Jesker was not in control of himself and some outside influence was affecting him. I could see that Jiro was preparing to cast a spell.

Jesker slumped down upon the crystal casket and began to weep. As he did so a creature emerged from within his body. This creature seemed to be made of two beings melded together, one demonic and the other angelic. It had four legs, and its leathery wings were partially covered in white feathers. It was as tall as Runa. This demon flew toward us and screamed a string of obscenities and blasphemies at us that were so distressing I found myself dazed and my limbs grew weak. Kirara was rendered completely immobile where she hid inside my pack.

Shachath demon

Jiro recognized this demon variety as a shachath from his extensive reading and gave a rapid description of what it could do. The demon immediately vanished from sight as it tapped an unholy symbol it wore. Runa called on Iomedae's power to sanctify her weapon and moved away from the rest of us in an effort to draw the demon's attention, for Jiro had told us it could become invisible and we assumed it was still present. As Runa moved she called encouragements to Jesker, who still wept atop the coffin.

Jiro surrounded himself with an aura that would dispel evil creatures. As Runa approached the coffin where Jesker rested, she suddenly felt a force push her, shoving her down into the stream of lava. Zero began to perform to inspire us and Zosta shouted to Runa that she should fly up, for we were all still under the effect of Jiro's flight spell.

To my relief the daze caused by the demon's blasphemies left me and I immediately used more of the Tree's power to enable myself to see invisible things. But this did not help me to locate the demon. Knowing that like many demons it was capable of summoning lesser demons to its aid, I cast a spell I had prepared to prevent it from summoning anything near to us.

Runa flew out of the lava, burned badly but still able to resist. She called on Iomedae's magic to grant herself greater strength to offset the weakness the shachath had caused. We felt ourselves further heartened when Bohgong used a wand to cast a blessing upon us. Zosta asked if the unseen demon had re-entered Jesker, which Jiro denied. Jiro had cast a spell that would allow him to find the demon by sound rather than sight, but he also could not locate it. He summoned a magical weapon to himself to prepare to fight the demon. Zosta flew to me and grasped me about the waist in the event the demon should try to push me into the lava, for which I was very appreciative.

Then Jesker suddenly toppled off the casket into the lava, screaming horribly once before falling silent. We all feared for his life, as he had appeared so weary and weakened. Zero ceased his recitation and ran toward Jesker. Inspired by what the demon had done to Runa, I granted myself the ability to reach out and lift Jesker out of the lava, laying him at Zero's feet. Runa flew to land beside him and sacrificed some of her magic to heal him, but he was still barely clinging to life. She channeled some of her goddess's healing power to pull him away from the edge of death.

Holy symbol of Iomedae

Just as Jesker's life was spared, Jiro located the demon hiding under the lip of the pit beside the casket. He put his hand on the evil monster, using his evil-dispelling aura to force it to return to the plane from which it had come.

With the shachath gone, we all pooled our knowledge to remember what such demons were capable of. The demonic possession had severed Jesker's connection to his god. He would not be able to restore that connection without atonement. We asked him what he wished to do and he expressed that his desire was to atone, which we determined could be best done in Drezen. I will use my power to teleport myself, Jesker, and Runa back to the city to find someone to help him in this quest. The weakness inflicted by the shachath has mercifully passed, and once Runa and I return we will continue our own quest to find the lair of the Ivory Labyrinth.

Holy symbol of Erastil

Next: part 60, Eagle Rock