[Pine]
After the troubled night in the tower, the group finally managed to find rest. When they woke, Pine would already be awake and looking thoughtfully at the piles of bones nearby. While the others were rousing themselves and seeing to breakfast and the like, Pine would approach the bones before crouching down beside them.
"I would speak with you, Thalivar," he would say in dwarvish, although if there was no response, he would repeat it in common. His words, although having their usually unsettling tone, were calm, much as he was calm. There was no antagonism in his voice or demeanour, no anger, no irritation, merely patience.
[DM]
Your efforts seemed to be in vain for a while as no reaction was forthcoming from the skeleton.
Taking that moment to have a better look you realise that it was very fortunate that the remains were still as intact as they were. They not only survived the collapsing rubble and the explosion Thalivar had mentioned but also Thalivars killer.
The bottom half of the skeleton was still in the jaws of the long dead Behir, long groove marks in the thigh bone indicating that it must have grievously, likely fatally, wounded Thalivar before the moonblade had pierced through it's skull.
Patiently waiting as you did was eventually rewarded as the skull suddenly turned to the right, almost as if it was trying to look at you, though nothing lay in the sockets.
Thalivars voice croaked out, in clear common, apparently having mastered the language during his possession of Arya. A trace of an accent lingered however.
"You speak Dethek, the language of the Dwarves, fey creature? I think it will serve you not, Stoneheart will know your foul intentions from the moment you step into his halls." While the skull moves little there's an unmistakable feeling of a sneer as the words are spoken. It seems with dawn break Thalivars focus had returned.
[Pine]
Pine would take in those wounds, before his gaze turned towards the skull turned towards him, not seemingly unsettled by the fact. He had, after all, seen the visage of the Lord of Bones, and what was before him was nothing compared to that.
"Fae I am not. The people from whom I hail, the Tabaxi, have always been in the material realm as far as I am aware. But I feel you will not believe this either, unless it is proven. I have a suggestion."
He would watch for a moment, perhaps gathering his thoughts, perhaps merely pleased to have those moments of silence between speech, before he continued.
"You are skilled in the arts of magic, and while clerical magic and those wielded by wizards are different, there is some overlap I think. You will know, I think, a spell that creates a zone of truth, enough to recognise it. I suggest that I cast this, so that you may know my words are truthful.
"Your magics are as deceitful as your words creature but you are right in one thing. Even though I am lost in this haze my knowledge of magic is without comparison. Cast your spell and speak what you will, I care not."
[Pine]
Pine would incline his head, before standing and doing the gestures and incantations in order to summon up the zone of truth, making sure it was clear and concise for his incorporeal watcher. Finally though, the magic settled around them, and he would crouch back down once more, to put himself more on a level with the fallen mage.
"My name is Arctic Wind Through Pine. The people whom I originate from are called tabaxi, and originally came from the jungles of Maztica. It is the 30th of Mirtul 1592 DR, and although I do not know the year or calendar you use, I believe the time you remember is in the ancient past. We came here in order to attempt to reverse the petrification aura around the tower, as people are trapped in it from the town outside. I do not know of the war that you speak of."
[DM]
"I...No. That can't be. My research... The Enclave must be warned...... " Thalivars voice sound close to panic. "Am I dead? nonononononono" the words devolve into a moan, a mourning tone for his own life, before it fades into a whisper and then to nothingness.
The skull doesn't move for but you suddenly feel Thalivars spectral eyes glowering at you. His voice rings out and while they contain a trace of that earlier panic they are said in conviction.
"I know not what you are, Arctic Wind Through Pine, or this Maztica. But you speak the truth. Tell me, does Merdelain still stand?"
[Pine]
Pine would wait while the news, and truth of that news, filtered into the grieving spectre. It was a difficult thing for many to come to terms with their loss of life, and he was used to it, giving the fallen elf his attention, but not rushing him either. As the spectre once more spoke, he would shake his head a little.
"No, not to my knowledge. What we know of it, Merdelain was one of four sects of the Enclave of the Evergreen, one called the Blazing Sun. Now only a handful of the Guided Path survive. I believe all the rest are gone or moved elsewhere centuries ago. Only ruins remain."
[DM]
Thalivars voice sounds preternaturally calm. "I see. In my time one of the Kingdoms, Geberist had already fallen. A dark cloud of death hangs around it even still. Nauranor's fate is not known to me but they were being invaded by hordes of the Orcai, pardon, orcs as you know them.
Aeogwathren, the one you call Guided Path ceased contact with the rest of the Enclave a year ago but last I knew they were under attack by something.
And now us, Merdelain."
The skeleton abruptly sits up. It's at an odd angle as its hips are still engulfed in the Behirs body but it doesn't seem to be causing any strain for Thalivar to keep this way. A bony hand stroked the skull, in a gesture of thoughtfulness.
"I am formulating a hypothesis is. The scale and frequency of the threats that are laid against the Enclave speak against of them being random. I posit that an outside influence is orchestrating them - but to what end?" Switching back to ancient Elven Thalivar kept speaking, the cadence betraying that he was making mental lists.
You realise you're seeing a shadow of what Thalivar was in life. A man of knowledge.
[Pine]
Pine would listen to this with interest, although talk of ancient civilisations and peoples held little that meant much to him, he knew that Siax especially would be interested in hearing what the spectre had to say. However he was used to listening to the dead, and how they worked out their own ways of making sense of their new reality when corporeal life had ceased.
"I believe that Siax's father is currently in charge of what remains of the Guided Path, so perhaps he would have clearer answers for you."
He would gesture once more to the elf in question, now that the conversation was more pleasant, and the spectre had a reason to trust his words.
"But the fact remains that the tower has been trapping people in the aura of petrification for many years now. Those in it remain aware even, but unable to escape, or even die despite the stone being broken down with age. As a cleric who serves the office of death, this is something I need to tend to. It wouldn't surprise me if their minds have been broken by the length of time since falling foul of it. You know most about this tower, and the threats it holds. I would ask if you can aid us in ensuring that it is free of threat to the town, and in setting to rights the people frozen there, so that we can return to other matters."
[DM]
His concentration broken, Thalivar stops speaking and seems to listen to you. But no sooner than you finish that he responds quickly, almost cutting you off.
"Irrelevant, any caught in the petrification matrix from my time would be long dead or too broken to be salvaged. Any caught later are no concern of mine." His voice shows no sympathy for any trapped this way.
"But yes, bring forth the trai... This Sheaax, I wish to speak to him." The way he pronounced Siax's name was foreign to your ear. You can't help but notice that Thalivar's voice had grown more imperious.
[Pine]
Pine would remain as he was, unmoving, red eyes staring at the skeleton holding the spectre.
"You cast the spell outwards to save the people beyond. That same spell is destroying them."
There was a slight growl in his words, and the strength of his displeasure at the change in tone was shown in the deepening of the sounds of death in his voice, unintentionally or not. The whole tower had been an effort in frustration to him, and here was a spectre from another time hampering the ability for them to move on and deal with things that he was more given to caring about.
He turned to look to Siax, hoping that perhaps he would have better luck, because he could feel his hackles raising at the imperious tone, and that never tended to end well in a diplomatic sense.
[DM]
"As I said their lives are..."
The impervious tones stop abruptly, the skull turning to face the Behir in front of it.
The skeleton suddenly lunges forward, arms outstretched. It's bony claws scrape at the rubble under the Behir Skeleton, managing to send a few rocks tumbling down. "LAYNFAIR!" Thalivar cries out, his voice laced with panic and fear again.
However after a few seconds of progress a great shudder seizes Thalivar and the skeleton falls down prone, occasionally twitching.
[Pine]
Pine would touch his amulet, letting his senses expand beyond the norm, testing whether or not he could sense any spirit that might be disrupted by aiding the spectre in getting to what or who was beneath the bones. Surprisingly, no matter that there was a spirit of Thalivar possessing the skeleton, he felt nothing of the sort from him, and yet he did from beneath the behir. There was much about this tower, and those in it, that he simply didn't understand.
Frowning, he would glance to his companions "There is an undead creature beneath this skeleton." Assuming he had their attention, and readiness should things go awry, he would get himself up, and carefully attempt to move the behir skeleton from where it had been laying.
[DM]
Your attention would be brought back by Thalivars skeleton stirring. His voice would ring out and none of the calm and confidence that was there before remained.
"No.. No it can't be. You spoke truth... I saw the spell." The skull would shake side by side in denial. It then stopped and looked at Pine once again.
"But truth can mean many things and the Fey have a way with it. Ofcourse, they have manipulated your mind to believe the things you say so you could trick me. Pathetic attempt, if I was not so clouded I would have seen straight through it!" he spoke in a frantic pace, getting louder and louder.
"SO I SAY THIS DESPICABLE SERVANT AND VICTIM. I WILL DESTROY YOUR MASTERS AND DESTROY YOU AND EJECT YOU FROM MY TOWER AND I WILL FIND...I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU."
Fury lacing his words they soon gave to a incomprehensible yell. A loose stone from the wall flung with force towards the partially turned Tabaxi.
Caught flat footed the debris hit Pine square in the head. With a loud crack and a spattering of blood the cleric staggered for a moment but kept his footing. [Take 25 bludgeoning damage]
With that show of force Thalivar went silent, the skeleton once again inert. But just because his rage was not audible did not mean that he was gone. If anything he was likely watching from the ether, waiting for a moment of weakness, a moment to strike.