That enchanted sleeping bag is neat. Not worth a ton of money, but that doesn't mean it's not good loot.
I can't find anything similar enough to the weird gas stove to even make an educated guess as to what it does or what it's worth, but the crystal staff could be very valuable to the right buyer. Depends on whether it's just a Psicrystal Staff, the staff equivalent of a Psicrown, or something else entirely.
I'm worried about the broken Spirit Vessel, though. We don't know what magical or psionic properties remain in it, but there is enough of a chance that it is the Cyclops' anchor to the Material Plane to make me inclined to get rid of it or even to fully destroy the thing. Normal Prana Ghosts can reform in 2d4 days after being destroyed, so there is a solid chance it will be back sooner than we would prefer to deal with again.
Too bad there wasn't a convient log to trigger possible traps. Then again, magical traps may be set to "target bodies" to avoid undead or puppeted corpses being used for bypassing.
Ok, so. The Alderganger has possibly riled up these people, or will try to.
Though I am excited to learn about these object. Maybe we could as Gavhaul's corpse about them? [X] Unmask the false Alderman
So my plan had us doing too many things before the Alderganger showed up, which is fair.
@DragonParadox Did Mina also use her healing hex on Sylestrix, "be not troubled is" one thing, but "this literally only costs me six seconds and no further resources" is not being troubled imo.
Also, did Kori get to cast Hermean Potential on himself before the villagers came over?
Edit: I would also like to throw some healing spells to her tomorrow when we've got slots back.
@DragonParadox Did Mina also use her healing hex on Sylestrix, "be not troubled is" one thing, but "this literally only costs me six seconds and no further resources" is not being troubled imo.
Also, did Kori get to cast Hermean Potential on himself before the villagers came over?
"Sirim, warn the others, we are about to have a confrontation," you half-whisper, unsure if the mage is listening to your thoughts.
A moment passes as the locals march up to the half-ransacked tent. Good thing the corpse is inside.
"What are you planning?"
In as few words as as can be managed you explain your reasoning. The real alderman is dead, rotting among the thorns, so this imposter must be under a glamor or a spell of transformation. You level the witch's wand against the false alderman's chest. "I think it's you who has to give an account!"
As his eyes widen in shock and he begins to dive aside, but before any of the others can react you slash down with a word of command, thankfully not in the tongue of the Pit.
Shifting colors, like the glimmer of firelight seen in rushing waters, engulfs his form, swallowing up the colors of his cloak and wide brimmed hat, leaving in their place not a demon at all, but the mirror bright shine of bronze. Before all assembled stands while still man-shaped a creature of articulated metal carved with intricate knot-work, its eyes of smokey blue glass staring back at you, mouth nowhere in evidence.
"What... What did you do? You ruined it, you ruined everything! Father's plans, my life!" The mouth-less man raises his right hand and you realize rather late that it too is set with the strange blue glass and that it's growing brighter.
You brace of a blow that doesn't come. Instead, a second flash replaces the brass man with the gnomish prince, who looks around between your company and the by now bewildered and angry villagers and sighs in aggravation. "Of all the... must you mortals always leap before you look?"
"What'd you do to Tyn?!" one of the guards barks out. "Where'd you take him?!"
"I merely sent him on the other side of the veil while we settle some matters," the answer is bright with a quicksilver simile.
"The real one you... you..." The desire to curse the fey does battle with a lifetime of stories about how unwise that is and eventually loses out, though only just.
"That is the real one. I remade him, improved him," the fey lord proclaims grandly. "You should be thankful for such leadership in times like this! No demon shall claim him to taint your dwelling place with his poisoned words."
Just as you are starting to get a glimmer of what went on here, a draconic head rises behind the group, looking down at them as though they were some manner of fool's dance, not that you can blame Sylestrix all things told.
"This is all quite fascinating, but I am quite certain most humans prefer that their leaders share their flaws as well as their better qualities. Things like needing to breathe, and irrationally fighting beings more powerful than them."
The implied threat is not lost on the fey mage, though perhaps it's the fact that he's in a camp full of armed mercenaries. "Very well, if you do not wish for better leadership I will consider the bargain with Fusil complete..."
"Where the fuck is Tyn?!" the same guard shouts.
What do you do?
[] Interject, explaining he's dead, other fey killed him after being possessed by demons
-[] ...and see if there is a reward in discovering that
[] Stay out of this, you do not need more enemies and the fey still owes you money, better not to risk him getting killed before he can pay
WTF is going on? Freaking Fey, now they're making Warforged-like infiltrators.
How long must this plot have been in the works? These sorts of Constructs are not something you slap together in an afternoon. Either it was purpose built to replace Tyn, or possesses the skills and abilities to convincingly impersonate a prominent local for at least a few days. I'm not sure which one is worse.
Was it even Tyn's idea to visit the Court of Veils, or was that the suggestion of an assumed ally?
Well, I don't think trying to leave the Ohancanu in the service of the remaining Fey Court would be for the best. Also, I doubt the town will be able to reward us nearly as well as the payment we're getting from the Fey.
[X] Stay out of this, you do not need more enemies and the fey still owes you money, better not to risk him getting killed before he can pay
You want to keep them?
I uh. Was hoping we'd get a boon/shinys for them. In my view they're trouble waiting to happen.
---
But also: What? I really really thought the alderganger was demonic.
---
Edit: For the sake of getting extra stuff from the Fey/nit having them be jerks later, I think it would benefit us to cover for them.
Easier than telling the truth
[X] Plan damage control for the fey:
-[X] "The original Tyn we found dead when confronting the Lord Of Veils. (Bluff)
The fey lord gloated about tricking Tyr out of the benefits and sanctuary that Tyr had bargained from the Court of Resplendent Morn."
-[X] Intent is to make town like us despite refusal to get their loot back by uncovering Tyr's, and to make Fey less annoyed with us for wrecking their scheme by making it sound like Real!Tyr had bargained for it willingly, but then funked up.
You want to keep them?
I uh. Was hoping we'd get a boon/shinys for them. In my view they're trouble waiting to happen.
---
But also: What? I really really thought the alderganger was demonic.
Nah, I don't want to keep them, but I'm getting bad vibes from this dude. At this point, I'm worried if we'll even get paid for services rendered without him trying some sort of Fey bargain BS.
The Ohancanu are great to have in a fight, but they aren't really suitable as traveling companions for a lot of reasons. If we don't pawn them off on the other Fey, maybe Sylestrix would appreciate a few brawny minions?
I wonder if she prescribes to the school of people loot? If so, she might trade us some treasure for a trio of Ohancanu.
Nah, I don't want to keep them, but I'm getting bad vibes from this dude. At this point, I'm worried if we'll even get paid for services rendered without him trying some sort of Fey bargain BS.
The Ohancanu are great to have in a fight, but they aren't really suitable as traveling companions for a lot of reasons. If we don't pawn them off on the other Fey, maybe Sylestrix would appreciate a few brawny minions?
I wonder if she prescribes to the school of people loot? If so, she might trade us some treasure for a trio of Ohancanu.
I don't think she like them based on her needing to be talked down after they interrupted a conversation.
I don't really care what the Court do with them and I don't think we have a better option, also, I edited in a vote to my post above that tries to salvage the fey's reputation by making Tyr seem like he was in on the replacement plot, so hopefully they'll be
(Unless by bad vibes you mean that you think he'll try and kill us and don't want to give him any beatsticks? If so, hopefully my writein might salvage our relationship to the point where he won't try that)
Edit:
"What... What did you do? You ruined it, you ruined everything! Father's plans, my life!" The mouth-less man raises his right hand and you realize rather late that it too is set with the strange blue glass and that it's growing brighter.
(Unless by bad vibes you mean that you think he'll try and kill us and don't want to give him any beatsticks? If so, hopefully my writein might salvage our relationship to the point where he won't try that)
Something like that. We aren't out of the woods yet, after all, and even if he pays us as we agreed upon, nothing stops him from coming after us again later.
I wonder if Leontas' crew would accept the Ohancanu when everything is said and done? If they can behave, they might fit in well with the mercs. Frequent travel, plenty of fighting and bloooshed, and a clear leadership structure to keep them focused; that sounds like it could be appealing to them.
Rather than explain that their original leader was compromised, they thought they'd do them a favor by giving them a better leader without their knowledge.
[X] Interject explaining he's dead, other fey killed him after being possessed by demons
Honesty is best policy here, something the fey struggle to understand most of the time.
"This is all quite fascinating, but I am quite certain most humans prefer that their leaders share their flaws as well as their better qualities. Things like needing to breathe, and irrationally fighting beings more powerful than them."
How long must this plot have been in the works? These sorts of Constructs are not something you slap together in an afternoon. Either it was purpose built to replace Tyn, or possesses the skills and abilities to convincingly impersonate a prominent local for at least a few days. I'm not sure which one is worse.
[X] Plan damage control for the fey:
-[X] "The original Tyn we found dead when confronting the Lord Of Veils. (Bluff)
The fey lord gloated about tricking Tyr out of the benefits and sanctuary that Tyr had bargained from the Court of Resplendent Morn."
-[X] Intent is to make town like us despite refusal to get their loot back by uncovering Tyr's, and to make Fey less annoyed with us for wrecking their scheme by making it sound like Real!Tyr had bargained for it willingly, but then funked up.
Another classic "kinda true, if you squint, but also deceptive enough to not trigger the curse." Classic Akorian.
Little of what we claimed was outright said, but enough was implied that between the now dead Fey lord's words, and our own discoveries, we somewhat accurately describing the situation, all while having lied our asses off.
How do we take fey's words that this is the real Tyn? Fey can not outright lie, so is this a word play?
Otherwise if we equate 'real' and 'original' we will have Tyn's body possessed by a demon while Tyn's own soul is moved -- to a jar, perhaps? There is a spell for that -- and then to a construct. All well and good, but I don't think Tyn the abruptly possessed would have referred to a fey as 'father'. You'd call someone father if they gave you life, not restored you to the previous condition.
If this deal had been a long time in the making, then where would anyone find Tyn's original body to possess?
So I have to assume the following. A few days ago shadow demons possessed Tyn's body as part of their plot to stir trouble with the Court of Veils (and possibly provoke Sylestrix into attacking the caravan? I have trouble parsing what the demons want, given they abandoned all planning at a drop of a hat to take part in glorious brawl). The gnome prince recognized this and... either preserved some of what Tyn was to make it easier to impersonate him, or didn't even do that, depending on how charitably we read his words about 'the real Tyn'.
How was he aware of the original Tyn's death at the hands of the Court of Veils? He had to be sure there would not be a confrontation between the two, and the two courts are not on talking terms.
The demons would know, though.
I'd bail the fey lord out of further trouble if I could be more sure of his motives.
I am more interested in understanding the timeline of the events, so that we can assess threats and make profits accordingly.
How do we take fey's words that this is the real Tyn? Fey can not outright lie, so is this a word play?
Otherwise if we equate 'real' and 'original' we will have Tyn's body possessed by a demon while Tyn's own soul is moved -- to a jar, perhaps? There is a spell for that -- and then to a construct. All well and good, but I don't think Tyn the abruptly possessed would have referred to a fey as 'father'. You'd call someone father if they gave you life, not restored you to the previous condition.
If this deal had been a long time in the making, then where would anyone find Tyn's original body to possess?
So I have to assume the following. A few days ago shadow demons possessed Tyn's body as part of their plot to stir trouble with the Court of Veils (and possibly provoke Sylestrix into attacking the caravan? I have trouble parsing what the demons want, given they abandoned all planning at a drop of a hat to take part in glorious brawl). The gnome prince recognized this and... either preserved some of what Tyn was to make it easier to impersonate him, or didn't even do that, depending on how charitably we read his words about 'the real Tyn'.
How was he aware of the original Tyn's death at the hands of the Court of Veils? He had to be sure there would not be a confrontation between the two, and the two courts are not on talking terms.
The demons would know, though.
I'd bail the fey lord out of further trouble if I could be more sure of his motives.
Or maybe Tyn was the Fey Lord's son and after he was killed his father saved his soul and placed it in a new chassis? It's possible, I guess, but seems a bit of a stretch.
[X] Interject explaining he's dead, other fey killed him after being possessed by demons
Or maybe Tyn was the Fey Lord's son and after he was killed his father saved his soul and placed it in a new chassis? It's possible, I guess, but seems a bit of a stretch.
Is it really a stretch? It explains everything: Why the corpse said it didn't die, why the fey insists this is the real Tyn, why the construct could fool everyone for days, why the construct says its life is ruined (it/he has to leave the village now).
[X] Interject explaining he's dead, other fey killed him after being possessed by demons
