Chapter 3: Secrets

"Dashing..." Tilma murmurs silently watching the man from her hiding place.

"His balance is all off," whispers Berry, not impressed.

Laurent stretched his neck somewhat, hoping to have a clearer view, while trying not to stir dust or cause any pebbles to fall.

"Like an over-eager cock, strutting about in a nuptial parade…" he whispered mockingly, though his concerned face suggested that he was rather impressed by the display.

Not long after, the party witnesses another door open and a hunched, robed figure emerges. Behind them, the shadow-shrouded room from which they come is clearly not from this tower. Leaving the door open, It advances slowly, taking a moment to scan the ruined tower for interlopers. You sense it's cold gaze scan over you, but it does not seem to suspect your well-prepared positions (search attempt = 14, failure).

Satisfied with the security, it approaches the half-elf. It removes its hood revealing a horrible, monstrous face of mottled decaying skin, a hairless pate, and a single, terrible eye set in the center of its face. It's mouth is somehow sideways, and needle-like teeth flex and gnash, and three small jewels float in orbit around its disgusting head. Then it utters a single word and the sound echoes through the ruins like that of a vengeful ghost.

Report.

Berry carefully studies the figure and thinks through the different books he's studied to identify what the thing is.

Berry thinks back to his training, but has never seen or heard of any creature like this.

Laurent was fascinated and horrified in equal measures. He silently observed the exchange. He would ordinarily have intoned the usual atonal psalm that enhanced his capability to recall things, but he decided against it. Silence was key. His mind struggled to identify a name for such a nightmarish creature.

Reference to the IBABWaR made smile ever so gently. But he maintained his composure, and physical stillness.

Tilma observes the scene silently. The guy mentioning the gate that they found makes her smirk thinking, "Not the best at finding things, are you? We found it, hands in the pockets." she barely manages to catch herself before blundering it out in voice.

Laurent recognizes the twisted creature from a text on the dangers of magic from his temple: Like Berry, Tilma has never seen this creature before.

The creature is silent for a spell. You can't tell if it is considering the words or just lost in thought. Eventually, the great big eye blinks and it gestures to the half elf.

"Come."

It turns and walks, leaving no doubt that it intends for the half elf to follow. It stops to the edge of the shattered room, facing out into the city. Raising its arm, it produces a clawed hand that points outward.

Look at the devastation. Do you see the glorious pattern? This is the True Seal of Astaroth, the Seal of Seals. We are so ... very ... close. Every waking moment We think of it. Every sleeping moment We dream of it."

"These ... IBABWaR ... are a new piece on the playing field. They have played the role of the Astaroth Templarum, unlocking the First Seal."

"The other four Seals have yet to be activated. Do you see them? They are at the vertices of the star. Gather the violet crystals from the remaining Seals until you have three of them. Then, return here and light this candle and We shall return. Remember, you only need three."

"The reward for success will be ... immense. The punishment for failure will be ... dire. Do you understand, Falfyr the Dashing?"

Laurent nodded along silently, enthralled and intrigued by the exchange unfolding before his eyes. All thought of interacting with the Tribunal's emissary disappeared as he realized what it was, and the manner of its speech regarding the seals. He looked meaningfully at his hidden comrades, a finger held vertically before his closed lips, suggesting either that they not speak, or that he himself did not intend to.

"Adventure awaits!" whispers Berry to himself, glancing at the others to see if they have the same idea.

As she said before to Laurent, she will back his plan. Which in this case is keeping quiet. She doesn't know the exact thing Laurent wishes to do. But for her this type looks too shady to be allowed his way. If nothing else she would prefer to get her hands on those crystals rather than leaving them to this creature.

oh no you won't Berry thinks to himself.

Tilma looks at the both and tries to see also if the portal through which the two came is still open (or if they open it to leave) and if it is she tries to discern where it leads. Otherwise she stays still to not reveal their location.

"So close ..." the one-eyed creature moans. Its hand reaches out toward the city, only to clutch it back to its chest.

The anger and assertiveness return to its voice as it addresses the half-elf. "Your assurances are irrelevant. Waste no further breath on them. Only results matter!"

The creature sweeps its robes around itself in a dramatic fashion and it heads toward its portal. Tilma strains to see within the doorway portal from which the Nothic emerged but it is darkness and shadow. Falfyr has come from the same portal that you came from, under the bridge.

You can see, too, that Falfyr seems get the hint that he has been dismissed and looks towards his own exit.

Laurent chose prudence. He kept his mouth shut, and tried to remain as immobile as possible while the arcanely obsessed abomination was still about, and waited patiently for the half-elf to step back through the portal that had brought Timbers, Tilma and himself to this ruined fortification.

Once he was sure both parties had left, he finally relaxed somewhat.

"Well... that was... tense." He began trying to climb down from their perch without displacing anything; this place might still be useful in some future meeting with the Tribunal, and their place of hiding might still be of service. "That thing was a Nothic. The tortured soul of someone who was entirely consumed by the obsessive pursuit of some arcane secret." Laurent showed no signs of realizing that he was entirely devoted to the obsessive investigation of otherwordly mysteries and secrets.

"That the Tribunal would operate through such agents bodes ill for any hope of collaboration. I had hoped," he paused for a few heartbeats, as if trying to recall what he had hoped for, "I had thought this Tribunal was run by more level-headed folk, people concerned with the wellbeing of the Commonwealth. Doesn't look like it."

He looked at his companions, eager for their opinions on what had just transpired.