Chapter 5.21: The Sightless Citizens of Saal

“Phenilias is dead”, Bruq says and he tightens his grip on the Dreadbane glaive. “We went to his home and we found his wife’s head. She told us he was killed before her own eyes.”
The demon’s face remains stoic, his expression unmoved, but he is thinking, be it in silence. Then he lethargically shakes his head.
“I don’t know what you think my wife has told you, but I’m standing right in front of you, alive, breathing and talking. I don’t know how I could convince you otherwise, but I frankly don’t care. You are trespassing and I have more important matters to attend to. Gelen’daray.”
His ‘goodbye’ sounds forcing and more unkind than before. He gestures to the door. His expression changes. The corners of his mouth go down and his nose rises, like something disgusts him.
“Gelen’daray.”
He repeats himself, slowly and forcefully.
“You can’t convince us that easily.” Bruq walks up to him and Oslando joins him, not leaving his side. “Our lantern showed us this is the source of both transmutation and necromancy. Whatever caused this is here. So, even if what you say is true, the Blackstars are still here. If we stop them, we stop it all. That’s also what you want, right?”
The demon takes a step forward and the stench of sulphur gets more intense.
“You mean my lantern”, he says, almost shouts. “I made that thing with my own bare hands to save this city.”
(Perception 21)
He takes another step with his hands raised, showing the wrinkles and scars acquired throughout the ages. He trembles slightly. It could be from old age or from the anger and frustration he has been building up throughout this conversation.
While Bruq and the demon discuss, Oslando observes the person blocking their path. He notices something they couldn’t have seen before due to the way they were positioned. A narrow glistening strand of red slime is attached to the end of his cloak. It’s difficult to see - it’s that thin - but it runs all the way across the floor and disappears around the corner.
“Stand back, Bruq”, the half-elf says and he points his flaming sword at the demon. “That’s definitely not Phenilias.”
(26 versus AC)
The satyr follows Oslando’s gaze and tries to look around the figure in front of him.
“Fine!” The demon shouts before the hunter has a chance to see what the half-elf saw. “Have it your way!”
He pulls back his arm and swings at Bruq. The demon is out of his range to hit him, but then something strange happens. His claw deformes into a red slimy blob and stretches out to smack the satyr on his left temple.
It must have hit a nerve or something, because a raging ringing echoes in his head. Bruq closes his eyes and shakes his head, but to no avail. A mental picture flashes in front of his mind’s eye. For a short moment, the monster hunter sees his own head chopped off, a hollow expression in his eyes and his lower jaw limply hanging open. His new glaive is stuck in his beheaded corpse
(7 versus AC)
He looks at his weapon with trouble in his eyes. Could it be this weapon is going to be the death of him? But why would it? He needs to shake this feeling and get his thoughts straight. For now, only one thing matters to him. He got attacked and now he must retaliate.
“Oslando’s right. Let’s get him.”
Bruq jams his glaive forward, trying to pierce his shoulder, but alas. The imposter’s body changes shape, lowering the left side of its body and evading the satyr’s attack.
His first attack with the Dreadbane weapon, a complete miss. He hopes Gor-Thar won’t hold it against him. He hopes this troubling image in his head wasn’t a vision of what awaits him.