In thought Quinn asks Cruel Justice if he can do anything to heal the Zelekhut.
I know you to be a powerful being, so I beseech you to answer my query
"I have no power to heal a construct or any other being," Cruel Justice replies.
"I defeat the guilty."
OOC: Reminder... CJ can share
Detect Thoughts with Quinn once per day. He can also cast
Zone of Truth 3 times per day.
Maur approaches the inevitable and blesses the creature once more.
"Thank you for your time, Rikiron. You've seen combat even in flight. What can you tell us about the gloom? Any special points to focus on or avoid? I know it is too short time to learn about the relationships within the area, but whatever you can advise we will be glad to hear.
Should we clear one area you deem particularly likely to interfere with the temple run? Or some strong opposition that might come quickly to Temple's aid, but not the other way around?"
"The Gloom," Rikiron replies.
"It will be a dangerous place for you to traverse. The demiplane is infested with undead and fiendish creatures. I saw at least a dozen packs of undead wandering in the barren hills. You should avoid as much of the dead areas of the plane even if it means traveling more through those hills. You will not be able to get to shrine without passing through at least a mile of these deadlands. Flying over them might provide you some protection from these cursed areas of the plane. Might."
The zelekhut turns its head towards Maur.
"Lord Moradin has given me insights into the plane. While I cannot tell you very much about the Gloom's geography, I can tell you that there are many dangers within." Rikiron glances skyward.
"The sun will always seem partially eclipsed in the demiplane, but the barrier doesn't keep any sort of weather from these lands. The wind howls, even when it is calm, and if you encounter a rainstorm, it could burn or freeze the skin depending on the temperature."
"Sounds lovely," Aureus rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
"Sarcasm will not help you," the zelekhut insists to the divine bard.
"You must be prepared for the worst conditions possible even when everything seems fine. Around the shrine, deep within the deadlands, the ground is littered with bones of all shapes and sizes. That is not an exaggeration! When sun sets, many of these bones will rise up as undead. The plane itself animates them, gives them unlife."
"As for any creature that might come to aid the shrine, there are many that could, if you take too much time. Besides undead, the demiplane is infested with fiendish creatures, aberrations, and, yes, even demons."
"Did you see Eike? What can you tell us about...it? Is it even human anymore? Was that the combat you were involved in? Did you manage to hurt Eike?
Can we...actually, should we...bring horses in to be faster in reaching the temple or you think it better to leave them here, risking them still, but in natural environment, maybe letting them return to Caerth?"
"I did see the creature that used to be the human you seek. He is now an evil outsider. He was some sort of dragon/fiend hybrid, although he has not grown in size. I did not engage him in combat. I was forced to flee from two vrocks that were allied with the fiend. I was forced to fight them off. I destroyed one of them... I think, but once I reached the barrier, the other demon did not pursue me. I was outmatched. The second vrock was more powerful than one of its kind."
Rikiron looks at your horses.
"I would not take any beast that isn't trained for war into the Gloom. The land is a hostile place that could end up transforming them into tainted creature if they eat too much of the foliage or drink the befouled waters."
The silver elf listened to the tiresome and monotonous discourse of Maur and the inevitable. Going over every aspect specifically so as to not miss a detail was like listening to a lawyer recite a shopping list. He'd rather deal with creatures more prone to being helpful than being precise. To him, dealing with such rigid creatures was no different than dealing with a devil. The creature had some inscrutable agenda and it was imperative to carefully lay out the specifics of each task lest it take commands too literally. It was a dance of language: each word a carefully laid link until the inevitable was wholly shackled. It irked Phar. Overall, Phar preferred using spells that were more transient. While he disliked summoning evil creatures from the depths of hell, he knew his summonings were temporary and would leave no permanent trace on the land. Calling required much more care.
The inevitable's description of the Gloom is... unsettling.
Eike is a demon, or at least an evil outsider. He has vrocks as guards or as thralls. The land itself could kill you all if care is not taken. Even the weather could be a hazard. Add to that, possible hordes of undead rising at night and the possiblity of encountering aberrations and fiendish creatures.
You look skyward. Rain still spits from the sky and the air is cool. Would that mean that it will be freezng on the other side of the barrier? Or will it be more subtle?
"Finally, I appreciate the good will of the Soul Forger in granting me the spell to call you and having you is great boon to our missions, but I find this kind of spells a bit...uncivilized, so this is my promise to you. I will not cast another spell to compel you to do anything and use the calling only to bring you here, not to compel you to do a task. I will ask you of your own good and free will to aid us, but if you simply refuse, I'll release you immediately."[/COLOR]
"I will not return to the Gloom unless you force me," Rikiron replies bluntly.
"If you wish to send your beasts back to the druid, then I will go with them to make sure they get there safely. After that, I will return to Mount Nirvana."
Which is why he was surprised when Maur gave the creature a chance to choose. Such carelessness would be, at best, unwise or, at worse, disastrous but then he realized that the creature was already bound to the Soul Forger. Maur was Moradin's Champion on this world and now he was giving the Soul Forger an opportunity act directly upon the mortal plane. The Zhelekut was an extension of that god and not an individual. Phar shuddered at the thought of being so constrained. To have no choice, no thoughts and no self other than what was allowed to you by your master. What would the Forger God choose to do?
The inevitable's offer to escort the horses back to the ruined temple and Caerth is a bit of a surprise, but the creature might feel a kinship with them due to its equine appearance. Does the creature have more free will than Phar thinks? Would Moradin care about the safety of horses? It was a concern of Maur's during the discourse, so that might be the reason.
"I guess we're send the mounts back to Caerth," Aureus says. She dismounts and pats Lady's muzzle. The horses are nervous so close to the barrier. She takes out The Hermit's journal and flips to the rough map of The Gloom near the back of the book.
"Rikiron, can I ask you about this map? It is of the demiplane but it is incomplete."
The inevitable looks towards Maur.
"If the champion wishes me to advise you, I will. But, as I said earlier, Lord Moradin gave me knowledge of the demiplane's hazardous conditions but not exact details about its terrain. I will tell you what I can if Maur wishes it."
He wondered how much Maur and the inevitable were alike. Was the Inevitable some kind of perfection that Maur strived for? Did he wish to one day be so interwoven with the Soul Forger? Did he find his individual sense of self an imperfection that needed to be cleansed in the Forge's Fire? Those were the things that Phar enjoyed the most about the Cleric: his foibles and personality. Phar imagined it would be a fine thing to sit by a fire and discuss such heady philosophies with the stubborn dwarf. As he looked past the Zhelekut at the Gloom beyond, Phar wondered if they would get the opportunity.
Phar knew the demiplane was going to be a dangerous place, but now it sounds like it could be more than just an evil plane. Could it have its own unlife?
