Legacy of Fire Gameplay

"I hope so," Almah smiles and nods. "Maybe you can invite me to see it once it's finished," she adds, smiling wider, then turns to address Lydia. "Lydia, I understand you're probably happy about my earlier announcement, but I can't call that a gift because I didn't just do it for you. What I can do for you is make space and build you a proper temple to Milani on the other side of the cemetery as the temple of Sarenrae."

Lydia nods and smiles. "Kelmarane has proven time and again to be a bastion against tyranny. It would be an honor and a privilege."

"I'm glad," Almah bobs her head, then moves to Mahvash. "Mahvash, what I have for you is less a gift and more an offer, don't feel obligated to accept. I want to make you an equal partner in my business if you're willing. I used to have Garavel to help me with both running the town and my business, but I don't anymore, and I'm going to need help, but I wouldn't presume to hire you as majordomo."

Mahvash is surprised, and tries not to let that completely show. "Lady Almah, it would be my honor," she answers with a smile.

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Almah returns the smile. "On that note, I do also need someone to take over as captain of the guard. Vel and Krunk, both of you, I would like you to be the new captain of the guard for Kelmarane. You'd have full discretion in hiring, firing, and promoting within the guard, and would have some discretion in the enforcement of laws as well. I don't know exactly how your arrangement between one another works, but I want you both to agree."

Krunk's eyes widen a bit in surprise, and he mutters, "Huh. Can't say I expected that." After a brief moment of silence, he continues, "Vel's still dead drunk, so I wouldn't expect an answer from him until sometime tomorrow. But I guess I don't really see any reason to say no."

"Perfect. Would you mind stopping by tomorrow afternoon and telling me Vel's answer as well, and then we can discuss specifics and details?" Almah nods in understanding and asks.

Krunk grunts, then nods to affirm.

Almah then turns to Giex. "Giexmund, I hear that you don't plan on staying here permanently. It's disappointing, but your future circus will certainly be a success with someone as talented as you. To that note, I'd like to help you connect with other talented entertainers and with clients who would be able to provide space for your circus wherever you travel. And I'll cover all your start-up costs."

"It's an honor. Worry not, we'll make sure to stop by Kelmarane often," Giexmund says with a gracious bow.

"And last but not least, Felliped. There isn't much I can give you myself to aid you as a Pathfinder that you can't do yourself. But I know you've had a hard couple years, and there was only one way I could do anything to help with that. With your permission, I'd like to pay a powerful cleric, perhaps Lydia if she's willing, to cast a spell that can resurrect your three friends who died in the cave when dealing with the salamanders even if their bodies can't be retrieved," Almah's expression turns sombre and empathetic when addressing the bard.

Felliped's eyes go wide and well up with tears, brimming while he tries to get words out before he starts blubbering, "You would do that? Thank you."

"I would, and I will," Almah promises, causing Felliped to crumple on himself and bury his face in his hands.

Mahvash debates momentarily, but steps over to put a hand on the bard's shoulder. It would probably do to give him some... well, not reassurance, but support, perhaps?

"I would gladly do it," Lydia smiles at Felliped. "At no cost save the diamond required."

Almah opens her mouth as though to object to that, then stops herself. "I would object, but I'm still a merchant," she jokes, even earning a little chuckle from Felliped, who slowly draws a tear-streaked face up from his hands.

The next day, as Lydia is passing through the town square, she sees Vel on the way to Almah's and waves him down. "Vel, hey!" She waves to him, walking swiftly over. "Hey, I was hoping to talk to you once things started settling down. You got a minute?"

Wincing a bit as Lydia gets his attention, Vel turns to her and wearily smiles. "Sorry, I'm feeling a bit worse for wear after last night's drinking. What did you need?'

"Oh," Lydia stops short and puts a hand on Vel's temple, glowing softly. In an instant his hangover symptoms are gone. "Better?"

The elf sighs in relief, and smiles. "Gods, so much better. Thank you, Lydia. If you have another of those, Haleen would probably pay you to get rid of her own hangover. Anyway, you said you had something to talk to me about?"

After Mahvash and Vardishal discuss their mutual lack of knowledge about his situation and what could possibly be done, Vardishal suggests going to pay Nefeshti a visit, and so they head back to the hideout from the resistance, which is now only populated by Nefeshti and her janni lieutenants who remained around town to help with the restoration but intend to leave soon. As a result, the mansion feels more spacious and open for those inside, and on arrival the pair is directed to head up the stairs and meet Nefeshti in her temporary office. Inside, she seems to be gathering up any personal effects and turns to Mahvash when she enters. "Ms. Itzel, Vardishal," she greets them both calmly. "What can I do for you?"

Mahvash bobs her head respectfully. ”It’s good to see you again. Now that everything is settled with Jhavul, I’m intending to look into how to restore Vardishal to a proper form. He suggested you would be a good source of information to start with.”

Nefeshti takes a long breath and looks away, closing her eyes for a moment, then turns back to Mahvash. "I have information, but you may wish I didn't. It is not possible to restore Vardishal's body."

"What?" Vardishal himself demands, creating his spectral form beside Mahvash temporarily.

"For all intents and purposes, you are dead, and you have been dead for longer than any magic can reach. In fact, I suspect this is not even your entire soul and part of it may be waiting for you in the afterlife," Nefeshti explains, speaking slowly.

"I'll go see her later," Lydia nods. "And yeah, I did. I've got an offer that you might find interesting. You remember that spell I used, the absurdly expensive one that turned the tide of our battle with the diamond skinned wizard?"

Vel nods. "Yes, I remember it. What about it?"

The emotional bond tells Mahvash that Vardishal is angry, and a little surprised. For her part, she’s simply surprised, and looks to Vardishal’s apparition.

"How?" Vardishal demands, glowering at Nefeshti.

"It's my fault, though it was not my intention. After the first war when you decided to leave the Templars, I chose to strip you of the blessings you received from me. However, I could not fully change you back to being a human. As a result, you didn't really age, but you did begin to... fade, and eventually died. But a part of your soul refused to actually die properly for some unknown reason. Anyone could have their theories. That is the part that inhabited Tempest and directed the oozes here in this very monastery and is the same part that is here right now. It is not all that different from the varied malicious shades that haunt buildings due to rage or betrayal, but yours was a different impulse," Nefeshti explains. "Your body and part of your soul died centuries ago."

"So just like Jhavul, this is also your fault," Vardishal spits bitterly. "Because your policy of fucking nonintervention made you curse me and leave this region to be taken over by gnoll warlords and eventually Jhavul. Again. Or did it just have too many bad memories for you after Andrathi sacrificed himself? Because guess what, that was the worst possible way to honour his sacrifice."

"Our reason for being active was to prevent Jhavul from abusing his wish magic. We achieved that goal and then you chose to be insubordinate, and so I stripped you of your rank," Nefeshti holds her ground and composure, though she winces at the mention of Andrathi. "You should be grateful, you lived for centuries more than any human ever would have."

"Humans get to properly die. I spent centuries semi-conscious just guiding oozes to attack random bandits and pugwampi and now I live in my damned sword," Vardishal points out. "Death doesn't seem so bad in comparison."

"That is one thing that I could do," Nefeshti tries to change the subject away from her mistakes. "If Mahvash were to make a wish, I could separate your spirit from Tempest. I could either just separate it so you would be free to roam, or I could send you on to the afterlife. Those are your only options besides staying inside Tempest."