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An adventuring party recruited from Osirion teleports into Azir on the 8th of Desnus. Rahadoum's recruiting contact in Osirion wrote ahead to note they were expected. Couple of guys he's known a long time - a wizard, a ranger - and a new guy, sorcerer, probably to replace the cleric they usually travel with. They spend two days in Azir getting oriented and head out to the front. The ranger wears an unusually high quality amulet of Nondetection; the sorcerer wears a headband for intelligence, which is a bit unusual as sorcerers usually don't need it to cast, but some variants do; they are otherwise unremarkable. Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, no reading, which could mean neutral or 'hiding it'. They work quickly and effectively, manage resources reasonably well, get recommended to higher-ups for a closer look on that account.
Aroden watches for a while.
"I do not recognize the summoned entities, but they meet the description of some type of demon summoned from Velgarth's Abyssal Plane. I had wondered if it were the same as our Abyss but I lean towards not. In any case, my understanding is that the Velgarth type of summoning creates a construct-body of magical energies which fades out within about a week. I think the easiest way to deal with this, since there is no body left to retrieve, is to let time do its work, and scry it again next week to see if it is clear and can be opened."
He spends a bit longer trying to get a look at the artifact itself, but he can't find its magical signature between all the stupid tiny demons. It's possible they ate it, or that the violence of the artifact being used destroyed it.
Does he want to Speak with Dead the corpses, does he want someone brought in who can raise them, does he want everyone in the palace questioned...
He would like everyone in the palace questioned, specifically regarding their interactions with Starwind and Moondance - including, if possible, anyone who met and spoke with them a month ago before the war, when they first arrived. And, sure, he'll Speak with Dead the corpses for now and then decide if he wants them raised.
These people who are really really stressed that the whole plot hasn't yet been uncovered or that Cheliax is going to be furious run off to get that done.
And someone who prepared Speak with Dead this morning can be found to cast it for him.
The corpses are animated but they are not especially cooperative. Aroden kind of expected that. He'll ask direct yes-or-no questions only; he only gets a few so he plans them carefully.
Did they bring the magical weapon here to kill Leareth on their Goddess' orders?
(Yes.)
Was anyone other than the two of them involved or aware of this.
(No.)
Did they have plans or intent to harm anyone else other than Leareth.
(No.)
Aroden sighs. "I would like them raised so that I can learn more. I have a magic-free demiplane which can hold them, and if I am prepared I can Plane Shift there with them the moment they are revived, so they have no time to harm any of you."
The Osirians aren't thrilled about this because Velgarth mages are capable of a lot of weird stuff but the pharaoh said to do whatever Cheliax wanted so they'll get people who can raise the dead.
Also it is dawning on them who this old man must be and they're kind of freaked out.
(Aroden is pretty confident he can take both of them but he can understand their worries.)
Possibly a better option to timing a Plane Shift just right is to cast an antimagic field directly, here. Which he can do. He dislikes it because, unlike his custom one, it blocks his magic too until dispelled, but if there are other casters around, he'll take it. Starwind and Moondance can be thoroughly tied and bound now so they definitely won't be going anywhere without magic, and then he can talk to them for a bit and make a call on whether to take them somewhere he can hold them longer or use some other strategy.
Sure. The locals are happy to bind these corpses and then they can attempt the first Raise Dead.
It doesn't work.
"They might be presuming - correctly - it's a hostile resurrection, your majesty," the cleric says, frowning. "Would you like me to try the other?"
"I am going to go back to use my own crystal ball. I think I have seen all that I need to in the palace for now. Please hold onto their bodies, and I will return later to ask about the results of questioning the staff, not that I expect anything to come of it."
He Teleports out to his crystal ball in his office, which is very well made, and tries again with that, for both of them.
The obvious next option is to try Vanyel, who knows the Tayledras a lot better, but - is it something to do with them being Velgarth natives, he had thought the agreement Abadar had reached was that they would still go to Golarion's afterlife if they died here, but...
He tries for Leareth. Aroden knows Leareth very well, which ought to help if that's the problem here.
Well. That's something. It makes sense. It's good, they can get him back - not with Raise Dead but they can do it...
It's also very upsetting, for all the obvious reasons, and for a little while before he goes anywhere, Aroden just sits in his office and puts his head down in his hands.
It's unhelpful, to feel like he personally failed in letting this happen. Leareth wouldn't blame him, or want him to feel that way. And yet.