Aegis Tristalt In-Character Mk. II

[General Patton]

Sahael fetches his shapesand and fashions it into a set of five brandy snifters. He procures his favored alcohol and pours a carefully calculated amount, just enough that his prodigious mind can effortlessly chew through the haze. He leaves the bottle out for the others as he casually sips.

"The fate of the world is balancing on a razor's edge and the most important thing we lack is information. If retrieving the Potentia leads to doom, no one else knows this and it is inevitable that someone else will do it. If doom is coming and can only be stopped by the Potentia, then we're about to pass on that opportunity. We need to put our full resources into investigating this subject, so that we can either shore up the defenses on the statues or collect the artifacts.

The countdown seems like the most significant detail of the prophecy. There's no reason for it to show the distant past and emphasize the passage of time unless a past event is relevant. The time it takes since that point for us to collect the artifacts is essentially random and has no business being a clean round number. A supernatural event, however, could be tied into something that takes exactly 1000 years. We need to consult an expert on astronomic, astrologic, and planar cycles. Perhaps Tyrannus was sealed during an alignment that occurs every millennium, and the realignment weakens his prison."

He recalls how many bright lights there were.

Knowledge (History) (1d20+26)[38], Psionics (1d20+25)[44], and everything else [10] for any 1000 year cycles that are coming up soon.

[Silver Night]

Kasha

"I agree with Renia." Once the vision faded Kasha takes up staring at Mento without blinking. Given her general lack of pupils, it makes her look somewhat statue-like herself, "Against the fate of the world I hardly think 10 days is an extreme price to pay. And I am willing to ask my own... patrons, though it remains to be seen if they will answer. I will require the less holy sort of water." She glances from Sahael to Mento, "Do your sort ever consider just talking things out, rather than enacting insanely elaborate plans? Anyway, I would like to add a rider to the earlier request. You assistance with the more mundane threats that might be present in the city, while we are avoiding the destruction of the world. I'm sure you are aware of the other power bloc that has been gaining ground with-in the city's structure - and I expect that we might owe the city a bit, after our recent activities."

Spoiler

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Let's see if the eyes can be identified, why not?

Knowledge (Arcana) (1d20+27)[34]
Knowledge (Religion) (1d20+25)[33]
Knowledge (The Planes) (1d20+25)[28]
Knowledge (Nature) (1d20+25)[32]
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (1d20+25)[26]
Knowledge (Local) (1d20+25)[29]

[Aegis013]

Mento motions toward his Conferi escort, and two of them each cast a spell.

Spoiler: Spellcraft DC 16

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The spell they are each casting is Expeditious Retreat.

They hustle off to fetch the Incense, Holy Water, and Unholy Water required.

Mento responds to Renia:
"I do not know if a higher, or lower, power granted me this vision. I've never pledged allegiance to any particular deity, or done acts to gain their boon. However, I am a powerful diviner. I suspect my vision was triggered by first coming into contact with Sahael and the incredible power that resides within his soul. Somehow, the cycle of death and rebirth hasn't affected your group the way it does most people, and each of you has an enormous deal of accumulated power from your past lives."

Spoiler: Sahael Kn Checks

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1000 year cycles are extremely hard to pin down, since the records cut off roughly that long ago. Some Astronomers believe there will be some kind of planetary alignment in the near future, but couldn't say if it's a 1,000 year cycle or longer.

Mento responds to Sahael:
"I have done my best to research what the timeline could be mean, but all I know is that about 1,000 years ago, this country was founded. I haven't been able to find anything conclusive on that train of thought, though I have explored it thoroughly."

Mento responds to Kasha:
"When I first encountered Sahael, the power of his soul and the overwhelming terror it possessed lead to me think that I was in terrible danger in his presence. I'm still not comfortable being in close proximity with any of you, but at this critical point, I feel it's important to try any measures available. I was very concerned our previously antagonistic relationship would prevent any logical discourse."

Mento responds to both Kasha and Renia:
Of course, if I am convinced you are not going to cause whatever cataclysmic event is in store, I will pay off the bounties that I convinced the Ordo family to place on you, and drop any charges for the untimely death of one of my Conferi. I will do my best to remove any other bounties as well, but the Ordo family may still wish to keep a bounty on you for damages done during your incursion into their subterranean facility, and Rory may wish to place a bounty on you for the untimely death of one of the town guard, which witness reports have tied to your group."

After a few minutes, the two Conferi have returned with the Incense and Un/Holy Water, which they hand to your group before resuming their formation behind Mento.

[whoiam]

"I have little doubt that it was contact with the first of us that triggered the vision. The who and the why of it are still important, however.

If you will excuse me, I will need a quarter-hour in meditation to prepare a Commune spell. Lax of me, I should have thought to do so earlier. If it is not too much trouble, could the rest of you spend that quarter-hour trying to think up any additional questions I should direct to Pelor? I should, in total, be able to manage around 10 questions, all of a form to which we can receive a yes/no answer."

With a short bow to the others, Renia would retreat a short distance away from the main group. There, good to her word, she would begin her preparations.

[General Patton]

"So, that is the source of our vast potential... fascinating.

I was not aware the Conferi were yours. Sabrina and the guard were disguised as us, with intent to fine innocent people that wouldn't report them. If you wish, I could un-decapitate her/them for inclusion in the mass-resurrections we are planning. Speaking of, is there anyone else, living or dead, to be rescued/retrieved from the collapse?

I have to say, the structural integrity of that stairwell was rather sub-par. If we had a Lyre of Building, we could reconstruct it better."

Sahael feels a strong need to address the lingering fear of his seeming ex-rival. "As a utilitarian, I can sympathize with your course of action. You'll get little animosity from me. On the contrary, I think we would make excellent colleagues. It does get boring having no fellow psions to dabble, discuss and research with."

He turns to face more towards his companions. "You know, I can Echo your Communion, several times, if we need to get more mileage out of it. I don't know if we need 30+ questions, but it's an option."

Sense Motive (1d20+26)[36] regarding the veracity of the assorted things that have been said.

[Silver Night]

Kasha

"Unfortunately, I would need to wait longer to have communion ready. So, if the answers Renia gets are not satisfactory, I can ask tomorrow. As for questions, to start with:

Is the vision accurate in its prediction of some cataclysm within 10 days?
Is our involvement the proximate cause of the cataclysm?
Is pursuit of the Potentia the cause of the cataclysm?
(If no) Is our stopping our pursuit the cause of the cataclysm?
If we end our pursuit for 10 days, then will that cataclysm be avoided?
(If no) If we end out pursuit entirely then will the cataclysm be avoided?
(If no) If we continue our pursuit then do we have a chance to prevent the cataclysm?
Is Mento lying or otherwise intentionally misleading us?
Is Mento being mislead by the source of the vision?

That's all I've got for the moment, and I'm sure they could be cleaned up. Oh, Mento, I don't suppose there are any intact monster corpses from the cave in? I have a use for one, if you lot don't have a need for it. For research."

[Aegis013]

Mento responds "I have, at great personal expense, ensured those who died or were injured during our bouts have been resurrected or healed as necessary. However, the funds I've collected for my campaign to prevent the apocalypse have begun to rapidly dwindle as a result. My social capital and endearment of powerful figures in this town to me has increased enormously, however, so it was certainly not all for naught."

To Kasha he says "I'm afraid these were the scraps the Ordo family was merely going to discard anyway. If there were any intact monster corpses, they are not mine to give."

Spoiler: Sense Motive

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It seems impossible to get a read on Mento.

[General Patton]

"That's a shame. I ascertained a method of performing mass-resurrections without monetary cost.

It strikes me as odd that there are 12 silhouetted figures visiting the statues, with especially bright lights representing what I can only assume are our souls. Perhaps those who made the Pact of 12 Jade Souls escaped the usual cycle of reincarnation, eventually becoming us. If true, is there perhaps some way to tap into their lost knowledge of these events through us?"

[Silver Night]

Kasha

Any of you have any thoughts on the questions Renia should ask?

[General Patton]

"Does the cataclysm involve the return of Tyrannus?
Are the 12 prominent figures in the vision reincarnated from those who made the Pact of 12 Jade Souls?
Were they involved in defeating Tyrannus?"

[whoiam]

In all, it took Renia 25 minutes (15 in prayer, 10 in casting) to begin her communion.

Her first question: "Will our recovery of the Potentia damage or destroy this world?"

[Aegis013]

Renia receives the answer: "Unclear."

[whoiam]

Question 2:

"Could the Potentia damage or destroy this world, if retrieved by a party so inclined?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "Yes."

[whoiam]

Question 3:

"If my colleagues and I do not act, will this world still be essentially intact twenty days from now?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "Unlikely."

[whoiam]

The others present (who, I think, are not privy to Pelor's responses) can tell how good an answer Renia got to *that* question by the fact she's rather visibly blinking back tears as she asks the next one.

"Is Tyrannus the reason, in whole or in part, for your previous answer?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "Unclear."

[whoiam]

Question 5:

"Would my colleagues and I recovering the Potentia increase our chances of preventing the coming destruction?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns, oddly not a one word answer: "If you were so inclined."

[whoiam]

Her original train of thought rather thoroughly derailed by that response, Renia's planned next question is replaced by:

"Is there a good reason why I would not be so inclined?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "Unclear."

[whoiam]

Question 7:

"Are the souls in myself, Sahael, Kasha and Trasil four members of the Pact of Twelve Souls?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "Unclear."

[whoiam]

Question 8:

"Is Mento trustworthy?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "He is being honest presently."

[whoiam]

That response draws a rather friendly smile directed at Mento - it's a rather odd effect, considering she's still got teary eyes, but it's the best 'you're clear' signal she could come up with without breaking the spell.

Question 9:
"Do you know the origin of Mento's premonition?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "Unclear."

[whoiam]

Question 10:

"Is the potential destruction tied to whatever destroyed the city that existed on this site before Commercia did?"

[Aegis013]

The answer returns: "Unclear."