Before the group could rest Ciprian was adamant about questioning their new addition, Kaklatath.
"Is that your actual name?" he queried.
In his mind, and the minds of others was the reply "I am Kaklatath. This body belongs to Elari. Her mind has been in my body in Neruzavin for the last two or three years."
"Who is this Elari? And is was this transfer done with her knowledge?" Ciprian demanded.
"This is the body of an now old Keleshite slave woman. I have inhabited many bodies over thousands of years!"
"Thousands of years! How is that possible?"
"I am an yithian ambassador. My body is held in stasis after I and others of my kind fought back a group of flying polyps in the lost city of Neruzavin. Recently when I sensed that the Husk of the Evil one was stirring in the crater lake in Neruzavin, I tried to return to my own body—only to find myself blocked."
The conversation continued with Ciprian asking about the great evil, without mentioning any names, her knowledge of the route to Neruzavin, Count Lowls and any other history that seemed important.
Kaklatath has spent millennia exploring parts of Golarion through the eyes and bodies of thousands of people. Although it hasn’t physically left Neruzavin since arriving on Golarion. She has a good idea of where the forgotten city is located from its many mind-swapped wanderings over the years. She is afraid that if its frail, temporary body is killed, it will die, and Elari’s mind will be trapped in Neruzavin.
Kaklatath indicates that she can share some of its vast knowledge with them, though she is reluctant. I feel a nauseating pain every time i think too long on matters related to Xhamen-Dor and fear that the Great Old One’s influence grows with every thought.
Kaklatath had noticed hidden lore about Xhamen-Dor starting to surface and the Great Old One began to stir. This alerted her, and she became concerned for the future of Golarion and the lost city of Neruzavin. Fearing that the flying polyps would escape their prison and the evil would fully awaken, she saw through time to determine how the fight against the Great Old One would play out, and noticed that the heroes were involved. It used its ability to sense, but at that point, they were in an amnesiac fugue state so the yithian wasn’t able to make contact. Only when the heroes had their memories reinstated could she call out to them for assistance.
The old, frail woman now was falling asleep and the party decided to bed down for the night. Tomorrow would be full of buying and selling along with finding a ride to the Parchlands. In the morning Agna was around and was filled in on what was happening. A ship was found to take the group to Husanah where they could buy camels and supplies. The harbormaster had tried to steer them to Sedeq but Ursina was having none of it.
A week later landing in Husanah, the group set about provisioning themselves and hiring a camel herder and guide, Hassad. When they showed him the map he was surprised at the route but had even heard of another group a week or ten days earlier who had asked for the same. He was shocked that two groups in a row would go deep into the Parchlands. When asked about the Parchlands Hassad related his knowledge.
"The Parchlands is a broad expanse of desert that stretches for hundreds of miles south of Qadira’s southern border. As the name suggests, the Parchlands is an exceptionally dry region, even for a desert. There are no formal settlements within the Parchlands, though several nomadic bands are known to frequent its perimeter. All avoid the region’s interior, citing not only territorial girtablilu and giants, but also powerful taboos that have persisted for millennia. The nomads’ tales speak of an accursed city built and abandoned by—depending on who’s telling the story—either the Ninshaburians or some vile subterranean race. The girtablilu see themselves as guardians of the fabled city and have forcibly turned away all visitors, implying the pilgrims were unworthy. The ash giants are less principled and more warlike, harassing anyone they find, although they sometimes show respect for those they cannot bully."
They left in the morning on the two week, supposed, trip. The first two days were spent traveling during the day but then the guide suggested traveling at night and the group acceded to his suggestion. During the following night they came upon a ridge they spotted the first sign of habitation: a pair of territorial markers. The first of these was a rough-hewn, pointed obelisk bearing numerous inscriptions. The largest inscription read in Common, “These sacred territories contain a slumbering evil. Turn back. The wardens suffer no trespass.” The other inscriptions are all written in an unknown language.
Armania's linguistics determined that the etchings appeared to show sequential dates scrawled
by myriad hands. By this time the obelisk had nearly run out of room for more inscriptions, erosion had already worn away the oldest entries.
Ciprian cast Read Languages and found that patrols typically stop here every 5 days, though the last entry is from over 1 month ago. The message conveyed by the other stone marker was considerably cruder: a decaying girtablilu was impaled upon the obelisk. The word “weak” in Common was inexpertly carved into the monument. Hassad suggested that the wardens were probably the Girtablilu, we have heard they patrol the Parchlands.
Agna sent Barnabas to scour the horizon, it was night but the owl's sight was spectacular. He reported no movement or creatures roaming about. The party continued on their way and were unpacking to rest for during the heat of the day.
As Erevel was joining Armania to step to the higher ground, she wailed on the Ravager near Armania. At the top of the cliff Gavril, who stepped up with Armania, attacked and killed one of the Gnoll archers. Armania cast a fireball which damaged some of the enemy but some did not take any damage. Agna fired arrows at the most damaged Ravager and killed it.
Finally from the north a creature wrapped in a swarm of wasps emerged and stared down Ciprian. Ciprian felt his defense and attack abilities shrink as the stare entered his unconscious. Agna was then hit by a penalty to her Dexterity making firing arrows less efficient.
Arrows from the Gnoll archers on high again rained down, or toward the party. Things seemed to be getting dicey but the heroes kept up their attacks. Hassad took off for the south, leaving the camels all tethered but he was taking no chances.
Ciprian took off to hide behind a rock pile, sheltering himself from the archers in the east. He also cast Greater Invisibility on himself. The remaining falchion carrying Gnoll approached Agna and instead of swinging his weapon touched her inflicting damage and causing Fatigue. Ursina, also invisible, flanked the Gnoll with Agna and swung her book.
On top of the western highlands with three Gnoll archers still harassing the group, Erevel took a step to be close to two enemies and dispatched one of the enemy post haste. Armania got the hell out of the sight of battle and downed a healing potion. Gavril then stepped up and killed a second archer. Agna took the fight back to the Gnoll with her sword. Finally Kaklatath cast Hold Monster on the flanked Gnoll and he stood bone still. She then fled south further to be in the lee of more rocks.
The wasp covered Gnoll moved over and apparently could still see Ursina and Ciprian as Ursina felt the evil stare bear down upon her, but she willed her mind to overcome the effect. Ciprian was not so lucky as he felt suddenly less intelligent, wise and charismatic. This happened just after he no longer felt the effect of his shrunken abilities.
Feeling a little stupid, Ciprian began a Break Enchantment and removed Agna's dexterity penalty and his own loss of ability. He then took a chance and moved up next to the wasp covered figure. Seeing the Gnoll seemingly paralyzed moved up next to flank the wasp covered figure. Erevel moved to the final archer and attacked but it was still standing at the end of the attack.
Armania was still not feeling strong enough to move into the open so she cast Mirror Image and stayed under the rock overhang. Gavril seeing a chance to move down the rocks jumped down and then scrambled to the floor layer and approached the wasp clad figure also. Agna meanwhile dispatched the paralyzed Gnoll in front of her.
The wasps closed in tightly to the Gnoll and lifted her off the ground, prompting attacks from the three heroes. She landed on top of the large rock behind her and drank a potion. The archer Gnolls took aim at Gavril and Agna. That damage was beginning to be wear on the pair.
Ciprian moved around to the side of the rock and cast Dispel Magic on the Gnoll and watched as the wasps disappeared. Ursina offered up some healing to Gavril. Erevel finished off the last of the Gnolls on the western flank and Armania moved out and threw magic missiles at one of the archers on the east. Gavril thought about climbing the rock pile but then just pulled out his bow and fired at the now uncovered Gnoll.
While this was happening Agna moved behind a rock pile and drank a potion of healing. Then Gavril felt the unsettling stare and felt his defense and attack abilities shrink. Ciprian felt the Death Reaper wash over him but his backbone was strong and he took lesser damage than he first imagined. Now the Gnolls fired at Gavril and Armania. Gavril continued to take damage but Armania only saw two of her images extinguished.
Ciprian then fired his bow at the Gnoll attacking with spells and she fell on the top of the rock. Ursina headed to Agna but after discussing with her applied healing to herself. Erevel clambered down the rocks across the plain and back up the eastern barrier, haste is a wonderful thing. Armania again fired magic missiles at one of the two remaining enemies. Gavril fired at the other as did Agna and then there was only one Gnoll left. It backed away from Erevel and fired arrows again but when Erevel stepped forward it was all she wrote for this crew.
The healing began immediately as each of the heroes was significantly injured. Ciprian went to the south to find Hassad who was praying in a small rock alcove. He convinced the cameleer to return to the group and handle the camels.
After healing the group began to search the bodies and Barnabas scouted the area and found a group of camels to the northeast. There were several magic items on the Gnolls. Ciprian also searched the female Gnoll and found a carved idol in the form of a Hag. He became convinced that she had been a witch. She also had a proper contract on her identifying the heroes and it promised a reward. It was signed by Biting Lash!
DM's Notes: The party earned 18,133 XP for the night and now have 315,654 XP and are at 13th level.
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