Tuuli hunkers down right where she is, letting others take the lead. She’s definitely not the best person to try to talk down a giant owl person. She waits and watches. Lucky hops off her shoulder and slips forward quietly towards the inside corner of the catwalk (which is 50’ straight ahead).

"Serapio..." rasps the owl fiend as it rocks back and forth in turmoil. It screeches incoherently. (Aranor may try to make a Persuasion check.)

Lucky slips forward, as Tuuli watches, and pauses by the old mechanical console.

Walt is gutted seeing the torment that Serapio is dealing with. He takes a step towards Aranor, hands him the locket with the sketch of Doña Rosa and touches him on the shoulder giving him guidance.

Zartan looks to the group and softly offers ‘sleep’ as an option for Serapio 

Pax, who had been moving closer to the containers, hears the screech and assumes that the owl must be upon the catwalk. He moves quickly, under the catwalk, and around the large containers, giving them a wide berth for now, heading towards the ladder in the north-east corner. He takes a quick look at the containers as he passes, trying to ascertain their purpose. He is also checking if there is anyone, or anything, else in the building. (Will cast Light if necessary as Pax does not have darkvision).

Perception: 22

Persuasion - 19 (w/ guidance)

Aranor takes one more slow and careful step towards the owl. "Yes, Serapio. Please let us help you," he says. "We spoke to your mother. She is worried for you." 

Pax sees no one else in the abandoned workshop. It looks like the containers are probably what once contained the scrap on the floor, and then dumped. A series of hanging bars and chains were once used to manipulate the position of the containers, although there is equipment missing - perhaps to heat or apply processing chemicals to the containers. It looks like the containers might still be able to be at least inverted by means of the console, but the ability to reposition them mechanically has been lost.

Serapio recoils at the sight of the locket and his mother's name. He begins to transform – this time into a young human man, who collapses to the floor in a fetal position. "Please... please help me..." he cries.

Aranor goes to the young man's side and kneels down beside him. "We are going to help you," he reassures the boy. "Can you walk? We need to take you somewhere safe."

Aranor looks back to the others. "What's our plan here?"

Tuuli gets up from her crouch, but doesn’t want to overwhelm Serapio, so she doesn’t approach too close. She’s also worried about the possibility of something else happening, so she is keeping an eye on the entrance to the warehouse. 

“We should try to do something now, not after we’ve taken him where other people are.” She looks to Walt and Pax for ideas.

Pax, downstairs, does not see Tuuli's look, but he certainly hears Serapio's cry, and it wrenches at his emotional sensors. Checking that nobody else is downstairs ready to pounce on them, he makes his way up the ladder in the northeast corner. "How can we help you Serapio? I do not have the ability to remove your curse, but somebody else might. Do you know any holy people in San Citlan? Oh, maybe the religious procession outside perhaps?" His last comment is more to himself, but loud enough the others could hear.

Walt doesn't want to overwhelm Serapio, so he will allow him to respond to Pax's questions. Walt will begin to walk slowly towards Serapio he will stop 5 ft short of the first door to the room at the south of the map. He will attempt to listen for anyone or anything inside southern room. Perception check 16

IF the current line of questioning doesn't get us anywhere, Walt will interject. Walt will step forward and speak to Serapio in a calm, reassuring voice. "Serapio, If this curse is beyond the help of a healer or cleric, could we end this curse by defeating those that are behind this curse?"

Rocking back and forth on the floor, the young man slowly looks up at Aranor. "I can't keep this up long. I will transform back. Please - I beg you - find a way to end this curse afflicting me!"

Tuuli keeps an eye on the entrance, while Pax climbs the other ladder, and Walt examines the first door (it is closed and quiet, with no obvious signs of locks or traps.) The warehouse seems empty and silent.

"I don't know... I don't know... I don't know..." cries Serapio to everyone's questions.

"Hold on, Serapio," says Aranor, watching the young man with growing concern. At any moment he could transform back into the owl fiend. "Who did this to you? Was it Itzmin?"

Not knowing what else to do, Pax moves up to Serapio. He draws upon whatever magic he can muster from the power of the ancient Radiant Citadel and leans over the prone form of the young man. When he speaks, his words are laced with calming magic. "I am not certain this will work Serapio, but I am required to try everything in my power to alleviate suffering."

Casting Lesser Restoration on Serapio.

"I don't know..." he responds again, to Aranor. "Itzmin... He was telling me over and over to accept Pazuzu’s power in exchange for undoing this, this affliction. But I don't know anymore. But it's coming back, you don't have much time..."

Just then, Pax touches Serapio with an arcane experiment. Lesser Restoration shouldn't hurt, but Serapio screams in shock at Pax's touch. Pax's spell should silently cure a disease or affliction like a fast-acting medicine, but this is somehow violent, instead. Serapio springs up, screaming in agony in response to Pax's spell. He pulls at his own hair, and begins to tear himself in two. He begins to resemble a superimposed image, like an image that two eyes cannot quite manage to focus upon.

Then it is done. Serapio slumps back down again the far wall, in a semiconscious stupor. And the bipedal owl, now separate from Serapio, shrieks with rage and springs upon Pax.

Roll initiative!

Tlacatecolo (owl fiend): 16 

Pax initiative: 5

Zartan Init13

Walt initiative: 9

Initiative:

Zartan: 14
Walt: 9
Pax: 5
Aranor: 
Tuuli: 
Bendrak: 
Tlacatecolo: 5  (Springing on Pax)
Serapio: -- (semiconscious; keeping out of battle)

Tuuli's initiative: 14

Lucky's initiative: 5 + 2 = 7