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After the pulses of energy from Hina... which surprises Ary somewhat, Ary feels significantly better. While she's taken a lot of punishment, she doesn't act like it even phases her. Instead she breathes deeply and wonders what just happened inside of her skillet-hot armor after the healing happened.
Understanding that Chaleb was ultimately a coward made it actually very easy for Ary to believe that if he hadn't feared for his life, he wouldn't have switched sides. Twice, now. "Just remember, Chaleb. Rather than risking your life, you endangered all of these men. You stood in the way of their rescuers, while they rode out to save others. Trust me, you're better off dead and loyal, than a traitor in bed with demons. Every single one of their existences is wracked in pain or desire of some sort, an insatiable itch that can never be scratched. Ultimately, you are the one who decides which side you're on. One side will honor you for your accomplishments, and the other will toy with you until they grow bored. It's important that you understand that in the future." she says, leveling her gaze on him, now that all of the soldiers are better off. She understood fear... and without her Lady, it would be impossible for her to rise above it in many of the situations she had faced... so the gaze wasn't a hardened one, but one with understanding that without a doubt was actively trying to steer him in the right direction.
She looks down to the kneeling soldier, perplexed for a moment, and having no real idea of what to do. "Back on your feet, soldier..?" she suggests after a moment, not an order. "Just Ary. I don't need any of the fancy stuff, and kneeling in the world wound is... a terrible idea. Thank Hinagiku more than anyone." she says with a grin. "She's the one who healed you." she contemplates mussing his hair, but that would send the wrong signal, both to him, and to Ehren.
"I didn't think to bring enough rations to feed anyone on the trip... and even if we had, the wagon was used as a decoy, and they'd have gone up in smoke. I guess we start the long walk back, now?"
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It's hard to tell if Chaleb is listening. He's been rendered mute and nervous after Valaria got in his face. He tries his best to kind of just melt back into the other crusaders, who, after their ordeal, are happy to have more friends than enemies. Especially after the Captain seems to forgive him.
The crusaders do thank Hinagiku, several move up to the young woman to shake her hand.
Markus, Ehren, and Ary all seem eager to leave, so they do. They return to find the wagon more or less ruined. Mending would probably work, but it would literally take hours to patch back up that way. Callus and Cynosure are nowhere to be seen - they bolted when no one took the time to tether them down. But Ary knows horses, and it is only a short while before she manages to track both terrified animals back down, safe and sound.
The way back out of the Worldwound is unsettling, but otherwise unremarkable. For lack of a better word, it seems that the Worldwound border is mostly deserted. Which is just as well - as the heroes have seen, the wardstone field in this area is completely missing.
The heroes cross the ford to get past the West Sellen River and the difference is immediate - the skies immediately fill with stars as soon as they leave the taint of the Worldwound. The crusaders' are in considerably high spirits as they head back to the fort - even Chaleb, that scumbag.
28 Arodus 4713
Annabelle carries her coffin, but they manage to make it back to Fort Portolmaeus just as the sun rises, and fatigue starts to set in on the heroes.
As they pass through the courtyard, the other crusaders hail the group as heroes - they saved ten (eleven?) soldiers, after all.
The heroes are ushered to the medic bay, where the clerics there set upon them with a number of modified protection from evil and protection from chaos spells - attempts to cleanse their souls of possible Abyssal taint. This decontamination is standard procedure - Isilme has gone through it many, many times, after the technique was perfected during the Second Crusade.
They are instructed to dispose of any rations or water they brought into the Worldwound, just to be safe. Sometimes the taint was difficult to identify, and all sorts of horrible diseases have come from tainted food supplies so close to the border in the past.
Afterwards, the clerics continue to inspect the cavalrymen while the heroes are escorted to see Commander Manaria for their report. She looks pleased and relieved to see them.
"Captain Bishop. Congratulations. You all deserve a commendation. Now, I need a full report."
Hinagiku gives a gentle smile to the crusaders they just saved, a bit offput by the hand shaking, and helps Chaleb get them out of their chains. Every so often she looks at the man, he did seem to be scared of the onis... but at the same time, he did insult them strongly when the fight begun. The heart of some truly was weak and changing, maybe she could help with that.
Hearing Ary, she knew the woman had had a similar reaction to the man. She smiled to herself, thinking that she likely would be harsher if she believed the man to be anything but afraid... if only she could share with Ary what she felt when she touched every sentient being (except Markus), maybe her commander would be more forgiving even to the crazed cultists who fought them.
"Ary is right, following the Onis is a sure path to eternal damnation. Better to die protecting the innocents, and be reincarnated as something better in another life."
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Ary, as before, ensures that everyone is checked twice for evil and demonic possession. She's completely unwilling to have a repeat of what happened with Sana.
"Two soldier's lives were lost within the World Wound. The Wagon and two horses as well. We encountered a plant that wove its way into our minds, as well as a gigantic nest of some sort of hornet or wasp." she says, as she quickly slips past the effects of the rageweed, straight to the wasps. "Let's see... pitch black, rained teeth, mostly deserted. Along the way, we found where Chaleb Sazomel had been camped out... ever since he fled Kenabres. There's a story there, as well if you want to hear it." she says, lips pursed slightly.
"Chaleb was in league with the demons, but quickly surrendered. Savash was sent back to the Abyss, as well as both of his Schir companions. His Brimorak friend fled as soon as we finished off Savash. Things went... effectively as expected, except with fewer casualties than I was prepared for."
She pauses for a brief moment, and looks upwards. "Which still leaves us needing to check in on the Wardstone, and sending a missive back to Commander Tirablade."
Indeed, the entire group is thoroughly screened, as before. At least as thorough as multiple runs of Detect Evil and Detect Demon can possibly be.
Commander Wardroxan frowns at the mention of Chaleb. "I see. A traitor?" She glances to a woman at her side - a short woman with blonde hair in chainmail with a long, red cape.
"Inquisitor Corum, go fetch this Chaleb Sazomal. We will need to decide what to do with him."
The woman salutes Commander Wardroxan and leaves promptly. Manaria turns to Ary and smiles. She seems less on edge than she was earlier.
"Correct. Would you like me to escort you to the wardstone now, or would you like to rest? You look exhausted."
As she notices the fatigue setting in, she moves over to Ehren, and places a hand on him. "Channel her Strength." she intones... and suddenly Ehren isn't quite so tired and doesn't feel like he needs to head to sleep. "We need you at your best for working with the wardstone. And that comes first." she says, with a smile to Wardroxan. "A traitor of sorts, yes. I feel he allows his fear too much control over him. He's a strong man, and would be a capable leader if not for being so... brazen and craven simultaneously." she says, shaking her head. "As it is, I wouldn't trust him to have a command, at least not in Iomedae's Legion."
"I should see to the stone as soon as possible," Ehren says, despite the fatigue that had set in. "I'm not sure whether I'd be able to help it any, but..." Before he can finish the thought, the soreness and tiredness he had felt after walking for so long melts away. Indeed, he actually felt as though he could stay up all night. He turns to smile at Ary appreciatively. "Thank you, Captain."
Commander Manaria nods at Ary. "Captain Bishop, once you get some rest, I'd like for you to write a testimony for use at his trial. We will have it signed in front of a witness." She thinks. "Normally I'd ask for you to be present at the trial but with Ser Jorsal coming from Nerosyan, your group may be needed elsewhere."
She turns and leads the group deeper into the Fort, close to its center. They go down a stairwell until they are underground - the better to be closer to the ley.
The heroes of course, have "been here" before - they recognize it from Ehren's own memory. The wardstone stands tall and whole - but the inscribed runes are no longer glowing.
Val's eyes fall on the inquisitor that joins them once they return to the fortress. She says nothing, simply looking her over for a moment. "Let's hope she's not as much of a harda$$ as Loitr. I don't like Chaleb, but he doesn't deserve to get worked over by someone like that." She turns back to the commander. "The wardstone isn't exactly my specialty commander. That's more Ehren's thing. If you wouldn't mind pointing me toward a room, I'd like to get some rest."
Commander Manaria instructs one of her men - a large man with a square face and dark hair - to escort Valaria (and anyone else who is eager to rest) to the barracks.
Fort Portolmaeus is not an inn, it is a military fortress - so the heroes do not gain access to private rooms as they did in Defender's Heart - but they do grant them access to a private bunker with six bunk beds, and a few empty chests for storing things.
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Val simply nods to the man and follows him to their bunk room. It's a bit tight, but seems like it will relatively comfortable. "Thank you." She slips off her backpack and sets it by one of the bunks before climbing on to the bed. She digs out her pen and journal and begins to write, wanting to get her thoughts organized before she goes to sleep.
Markus goes along with Valaria to a bed and a place to sleep. He's exhausted and nearly out of magic, and he wants to be up early for the next day.
Now this is nostalgic... Once more Ehren revisits the wardstone chamber, feeling restful and fully alert thanks to Ary's spell. The moment he sees the stone he frowns, already having the feeling that something is wrong. With several broad strides he approaches it, having no nervosity or sense of ceremony to slow him down. Extending a palm outward, he quickly but gently rests it against the menhir and... nothing. Still frowning, he attempts to push his will into the stone, and then to draw the ley out of the earth through the stone, to no avail. No revelation, no vision, just solid, mundane rock.
Closing his eyes, he lets his hand drop and sighs deeply. After a moment he turns to face Commander Manaria and shakes his head.
"The wardstone is completely inert. Its connection to the ley, its magical properties... gone. It had to have happened when I destroyed the stone in Kenabres. The shockwave that banished the demons from the city was the power of the entire wardstone field. I thought that it might just recover over time, but..."
Ary sticks with Ehren, and stays with him throughout the entire process. Sure, she's tired... but that's neither here nor there. This was important. "So... it's just gone?" she asks, voice surprisingly calm, as she looks from Ehren to Manaria. "Have you gotten word from any of the other border towns?"
Manaria frowns, crossing her arms. The two crusaders assigned to guard the stone - the very same ones from Ehren's memory, in fact - pale and murmur to each other.
"The entire thing? Gone?" She frowns, looking distant. "Millford castle to the north has been under siege, as well. Kenabres... well you came from Kenabres, you know their situation better than I do." She sighs, the elation from her cavalrymen returning home safely vanished in an instant.
"We must hold the line. Without word from Nerosyan to retreat, we cannot let the fort fall." She crosses her arms. "Even without the wardstone, Dawnton relies on us for protection."
Ary nods, mouth drawn downward into a one-sided frown. "It's worth noting that we were traveling in the Abyss with Radiance drawn. If there were nearby demons, you would suspect them to have approached. Have you had any full assaults in the last few days, or has it been mostly guerilla warfare? The wardstones may have at least bought us a few day's time to organize and mobilize."
"It's just been small troops of forces here and there.... though they mobilized a large force a few days ago... then as I said, the wardstone emitted a blast of light, and they all... vanished." She crossed her arms.
"Though now I am not sure if that was a blessing, or a curse."
She waits for a moment to see if the heroes have any further questions for her, then says. "You are all dismissed until I need you. Get some rest. You've done so much good for us, here. I'm glad to have your group here at Fort Portolmaeus, Captain Bishop."
"Honestly... I don't know either. We were just doing the best we could with what we had. What I do know, is that if the enemy had managed to perform their ritual... instead of nothingingness moving through the ley... abyssal taint would have in its place. Or at least, that's my best guess." she says, offering a shrug. "It was a pyrrhic victory... but it was the only option I knew. I'm sorry we couldn't do more. For what it's worth, I think that what's left attacking is all they have mustered this far. As I said to Commander Irabeth. If I knew the walls to the enemy citadel were going to crumble a day later, I'd have put all of my forces along that wall. I'd not have prepared for the city to blow its walls up. So there's a good shot we really stunted the demon's plans. It may be wise to prepare to mobilize against the Wound... pushing them is really the only chance we have, now that our city doesn't have walls." she says, as she thinks back to what the Archdruid had said in the vision, about not putting much stock in walls.
"Thank you, Commander." she nods, bowing her head, as she starts to head back to their quarters for the night, looking to Ehren to ensure he didn't need anything more.
Hinagiku had followed Ary and Ehren up to the wardstone chamber. She wanted to see whether she could connect to the ब्रह्मा. Standing in the back of the room, she frowns slightly at Ehren's comment, and falls back in line with him when they leave.
"Mr. Ehren, I am far from an expert, but could we not do research on the stone? Maybe if we spend more time studying it we could figure out what happened. The more knowledge we have, the better we can take care of this situation." she asks softly.
When Ary comes into the barracks, Markus notices that she's still relatively badly hurt. He speaks a few words of power to ensure that she doesn't go to bed still in pain.
"Here, this should make you feel better." he says, as his words close her wounds and soothe the burns caused by the brimorak. "There. All better."
Commander Manaria grins at Ary. "Indeed. Strike while the iron is hot, that's what I'd do. But of course, those are decisions well beyond either of us. In any case, thank you. Get some rest. There's no shortage of work to do tomorrow."
Eventually, each of the heroes find a bed and fall asleep. The next day, they feel awake and recharged - a now familiar power welling up inside of them. But indeed, they've all exhausted the gift they received from the ley. Lucky for them, the ley was just a catalyst - a spark - for each of them to attain their true potential.
All that remains within them now is mythic power of their very own.
Ehren takes one last look at the wardstone before leaving the chamber. None of this came as a surprise to him, but he had hoped for things to be better. Was there something else that the ley was trying to tell him?
”I do not think there is anything we can learn from the stone,” he answers Hinagiku quietly, his mind juggling a dozen different possibilities. ”Not as it is now.”
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Val finishes her journal entry and barely has her things tucked away again when she falls asleep, exhausted from the trip into the Worldwound.
It’s a strange how you can go from saving the world one day to spending a day wandering an old inn and chatting with some friends. You’d think there’d be some massive fallout and a bunch of ceremonies and some grand quest to follow it up. Perhaps I read too many of the old stories. Regardless, perhaps I should be grateful that all we were sent to do was check on another crusader stronghold a bit to the north. Honestly, going on world saving adventures every week would probably get exhausting pretty fast.
Heading north was a bit bleak. Well, more than a bit bleak in all honesty. The Worldwound borderlands are a mess of abandoned towns and badlands. I guess being under demonic assault for the better part of a century would leave any lands in a wreck. We passed through a small town that had been one of the villages to hold out against the demons for a long time. Eventually, the people were forced to seek refuge in the crusaders’ fortresses and the village became a staging ground for multiple demonic assaults on the local crusader fortress. I have a bad feeling that there are stories like that in towns all along the border. At least Bedir has these wonderful apple groves… I digress. We did find something rather… strange there.
A pack of vermleks had captured a group of peasants from what I believe was once of the local Sarkorian clans. It was… messy. The demons were forcing the villagers to take part in some messed up ritual to sacrifice their own people and use dark necromancy spells to raise the dead. We theorized that they might have been trying to create more vermleks by corrupting people into using black necromancy, but I’m not sure if their reproduction can actually work like that. Maybe they were just indulging in some sadism and forcing people to kill their own neighbors for fun. I can see demons trying both just for the hell of it. The fight was just as much of a mess. The vermleks were all making full use of their necromancy and their ability to call for aid, raising the dead to fight beside them and calling hordes of gods damned dretches to support them. I am thoroughly sick of dretches. At least my skills have improved. I can go through a pack of those disgusting things in a heartbeat. The zombies weren’t much more of a threat, but the vermleks put up a brutal fight. They were stronger than average vermleks and had some nasty magic tricks. They kept hitting me with this annoying paralysis spell that kept me locked down for part of the fight. I got my revenge on them for that easily enough though.
We didn’t manage to rescue everyone. But we were able to liberate most of the villagers. They were a bit beaten down, but they recovered well enough with some treatment. Fortunately, we were able to escort them back to the fortress in one piece. I should track them down before we leave to make sure they fully recovered. Physical wounds can heal, but seeing their friends die, isn’t something that they’ll necessarily get over easily. Maybe Ehren can tell me a bit more about them. Well, their culture at least, I don’t think he knows these people since they’re from a different clan than him. I haven’t actually asked about his background much and I don’t know much about his people. Maybe he has some stories to tell, either his own or tales of his people. Something to do when we have a bit more down time.
The actual mission had a bit of a snag. We arrived at the fortress only to find that a large group of crusaders had been captured by the demons. So we immediately volunteered to go find them. I don’t mind helping people, but perhaps fate could not follow up a day of rest with us having to go save a bunch of prisoners again. It seems like fate just loves pouring trouble on us.
Going into the Worldwound… gods. Gods, everything about the Worldwound is just wrong. The very air feels off and the land looks and feels sick. The plants and animals are dead, or there’s so few left that it doesn’t really matter how many are left. The weather is more like something from an ancient plague rather than something from an actual weather pattern. And the things that do live there… we ran into this Abyssal plant called rageweed that can get into your mind and make you see things and then we were attacked by this swarm of demonic wasps. Woundwasps I think they’re called. A horde of super intelligent wasps with a hive mind that hate life and tried to tear us apart with their stingers and poison. Have I mentioned that I really hate bugs. It has to be some kind of cosmic joke that I’ve made an enemy of the demon lord responsible for swarms, plagues, and locusts.
We did manage to find the captures soldiers at least. They were being held by a brimorak, a fire demon of a kind, and some schirs, nasty spite demons. Oh and by Chaleb Sazomal. Apparently he managed to graduate from demonic cultist wannabe to expendable servant of a not very important demon. Isn’t getting promoted in service to a demon's wonderful? True to character, we took him down in around fifteen seconds and he surrendered, begging to be spared. Somehow, I’m not surprised in the slightest. Sometimes being the good person is annoying, but he doesn’t deserve to be killed out in the middle of the Worldwound in some summary execution, so we spared him and went after the demons. They put up a bit of a fight, but we managed to take them down well enough. A couple of the crusaders didn’t make it. But the majority of the cavaliers survived, so I’m going to call this fight a solid win and not let myself angst over one person I couldn’t save.
Chaleb had the gall to try and pretend he’d been bullied into serving the demons instead of switching sides whenever it was convenient. More than one crusader would die for their beliefs rather than ever serve a demon willingly. I swear, if he manages to talk his way out of some kind of punishment… Nevermind. He’s an a$$, but I can’t let myself get too agitated over one coward who wants to jump back to our side now that it’s clear the demons aren’t nearly as strong as he thought they were. I need sleep. This is just going to keep me awake if I keep worrying about it. Maybe Ehren will have made progress examining the wardstone once I take a nap.
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Isilme looks at Chaleb as he tells the soldiers he'd been forced to join with the demons. He was a spectacular liar, his words flowed freely and naturally, not seeming forced or stilted. His muscles remained relaxed, and his eyes focused on his task. But she had spent a lifetime studying others in order to understand the people whose stories she learned as well as to better inspire those she recounted them to. Add to that the fact that she'd been blessed by Desna with a sharper sense of such things since the other night, and she was just barely able to notice the subtle twitch of his eye and rubbing of his fingers that gave him away.
Isilme meets his eyes, her gaze intense upon him. "You may think to fool the soldiers here with your lies, Chaleb, but, like me, the inquisitors will not be so easily tricked. Think long and hard before you attempt to lie to them. If there is even a shred of dignity and honor left within you, you will tell them the truth and do all you can to aid the crusades from here forward. Do so and you might still be spared the fate that awaits traitors in the afterlife."
Like Valaria, Isilme takes her leave when they arrive in the Fort, exhausted and needing to write a letter to Aravashnial. She heads to the bunk room and drops her stuff off next to her bunk and begins by composing a letter. When she finishes she tries to continue her story, but seems at a loss. After a while she jots down a few things in the place of the next section and closes it before laying down to sleep.
Dearest Ai’sintar,I hope this letter finds you well. Since someone will be reading this off to you, I will keep this quick. On the path to Fort Portolmaeus, in the town of Bedir, we encountered something that concerned me greatly. Vermleks whose bodies seemed to be in excellent shape, almost to the point of being indistinguishable from humans, and who wielded powers far beyond what a normal demon would be able to manage. While it could be that these were exceptional specimens who had mastered abilities beyond what a normal Vermlek can manage, I cannot help but wonder if there was something more going on. The Vermleks were in the process of forcing Sarkorian villagers to sacrifice each other--there may have been a dozen of them to begin with, but by the time we got there only three were left to be saved.
I know if anyone can puzzle out what they might have been up to, it is you, so I wanted to send this to you right away.
Regards,
Isilme
To say things were hectic today would be an understatement so monumental that calling the Worldwound merely troublesome would seem reasonable. I shall keep this short as I’m exhausted. We set out for the fort at Irabeth’s command and encountered terrible things along the way. We managed to save three Sarkorians and make it to the fort, but no sooner had we made it to the fort than we set out again. This time into the worldwound we went, seeking soldiers who had been captured by Schirs and Brimoraks. I’d forgotten how terrible those lands are. I am ashamed to say that along the way we were affected by rageweed and I almost allowed it to cause me to attack Valaria, and to disparage her for the blood in her veins. For posterity, I record here the poem I composed as we rescued them, not my best, but it was well suited I think.
Though the ground beneath is cracked and torn,
and the prisoners' thoughts turn dark as the skies,
surrender not my friends, nor be forlorn,
for it is within hope our victory lies.
These fearsome foes before us now do stand,
and bleat and grunt as our deaths they seek,
emboldened by this accursed land,
thinking those they see before them are weak.
Our cause is just, though our words might not sway
their hearts, as black as coal and hard as stone.
If words won't suffice then by sword today
we shall battle and force them to atone.
For we have come now to rescue you all,
who rose up to fight and answer the call.
I have still not gotten my thoughts together on how best to continue the story I have promised Li’an. What occurred within the Garrison is still fresh in my mind, but somehow seems more than I can really grasp even at this point. The dream that followed as well. Perhaps after another night’s sleep I will understand how best to tell it.
Chaleb stares back at Isilme, but, for all his arrogance and bluster - he is a decent liar. He grins sheepishly.
"Yes! Of course, ma'am. I'd never dream of lying to an inquisitor. I just want to get back to helping the crusades!"
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Isilme sleeps until early afternoon the first day and checks with Val when she gets up to see if she’d have time to train her over the next few days. If they were going to be having some idle time, she might as well put it to good use she thinks. She also makes it a point to use the remainder of her magic to heal any in need. Still feeling worn out after the day, however, she grabs dinner and retires early that evening.
Isilme wakes up in the middle of the night and heads up to the walls of the Fort, finding a quiet place to sit. She spends an hour or two there staring up at the sky, thinking about how different the world felt now than it had with Elan and Aravashnial, not to mention before she’d met either of them. ”For so long I searched for stories, and when Elan and I met, I thought to create one instead. It seems I got my wish Elan. If only you were here to share it with me,” she thinks as she leans back against the parapets, her head still aimed up at the sky.
Sitting there under the open sky, she loses herself in memories of her time with him before Mossbrad, though they feel so distant to her, as if they were themselves a story she’d heard from someone. Her thoughts turn from there to the events of the past few days. Isilme remembers the night they’d all celebrated, and sees Aravashnial smiling warmly at her. She finds, to her surprise, her pulse quickens at the memory. She shakes off the sensation, and feeling the chill starting to get to her, she sets about recounting the stars' names, this time starting with Cynosure. As she does, she makes a mental note to check on Cyno. She heads back in silently when she’s satisfied, returning to sleep until dawn.
The next two days she starts the day off by checking on Cynosure in the stables and making sure he’s being well taken care of. She’d enjoyed riding him, and she was glad he’d escaped from their venture into the Worldwound unharmed. Isilme then takes him out to assist in the morning patrol, using her music to help them cover the ground quickly. When she returns, she gets a bite to eat and tries to find soldiers who are off duty to regale with stories of demons, attempting to follow the commander’s advice. She focuses on telling simple, memorable stories about the most common demons, adding in the Schirs and Brimoraks since they’d dealt with them recently. The stories each highlight those things the soldiers should know about them to the best of her knowledge.
Isilme receives the following letter on the evening of the 30th.
She does not recognize the handwriting - it is tight, sensibly written Common script.
Isilme,I had Master Quednys Orlun transcribe this for me.
It isn't uncommon for vermleks to blend in. They're actually capable of casting gentle repose - they very much enjoy having bodies after all and when left to their own devices, will attempt to pass themselves off as living people. You don't see that very often here in Mendev, where people are more knowledgable about demonology, but it can be a problem in metropolises like Absalom or Almas where they are less equipped to handle such things.
It is worrisome that you found a group so powerful. But of course, just as there are exceptional mortals, there are exceptional demons out there.
I do not recognize the ritual you describe, so it is likely they were engaged in evil for the sheer sadism of it. Demons do enjoy inflicting both physical and psychological pain on mortals. Generally, vermleks seek one thing: a supply of bodies to inhabit, so perhaps they were planning on summoning more vermleks? I hope not. Vermleks capable of summoning more vermleks is not a comforting thought.
I hope that things are going well for you. Be careful.
Aravashnial
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Ary first ensures that the information they had garnered from Ehren had been passed on; she realizes -after- she'd discovered the bad news, that she'd forgotten to pass it on. This was why she was a Captain, and not a Commander.
Ary spends the following days growing more accustomed to her armor by putting her Muleback Cords to use. While she actively avoids watch duty - finding it to be perhaps the most boring part of being a soldier (if the most vital), and likewise feels she's less equipped for it, with her lack of ability to detect evil and demons - she feels right at home helping to move half-ton objects around. Rebuilding will come in handy.
She also offers up a statement, with the caveat that they understand that Ary and Chaleb have 'history', or at least they do in his mind. That's likely to come up in any form of trial. Likewise, she double checks to see how his interrogation went. She doubted he knew anything of real value, but it was impossible to know without checking.
Depending on what reading materials they have available, she may keep 'Keep Watch' prepared, and use her gained time to study. Barring that, she'll simply take the chance to sleep where she can get it. She would be lying if she were to suggest she had a reason to avoid sleep. In fact, quite the opposite. It was certainly strange how her dreams had changed so much since the fall assault of Kenabres.
She also takes the time to converse with Markus. She makes sure that before she suggests it to the others... if something happens to Ary, she wants him to keep the group together. Isilme is a good second choice, but from his position in battlefields, able to see everything going on from the outside, he'll have a better appraisal of tactics. Barring that, ceding to Isilme's seemingly limitless knowledge of all things seems wise.
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Captain Ary Bishop receives the following letter on the evening of the 30th of Arodus, written in a tight, careful, cursive script:
Captain Bishop,
It is good to hear that you are all safe and sound. I hope that Fort Portolmaeus is treating you and your friends well. Commander Manaria is a good soldier, and a capable leader, so I assumed you would get along well.
I am pleased to inform you all that I have been left control of the city. Ser Albright is relocating to Nerosyan permanently, along with his Empyreal Guardians. They will be passing along my report to the Crusader Queen herself.
It seems that their story is one being told all over Mendev – when we destroyed the wardstone it appears that the entire wardstone field was destroyed as well. All of the wardstones, as far as the opposite border with the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, have been rendered inactive. But when they were destroyed, the feedback from such an event was such to have completely decimated all of the demons massed along the Mendev border. I do not suspect this to be a small setback for the demonic forces.
For now, though, you need to stay at Fort Portolmaeus and await further instruction from Ser Jorsal of Lauterbury.
Kenabres is doing well. We have not had any further demonic attacks, and reconstruction is going as planned. Lord Gwerm has been an asset, offering discounted stone and food while the city recovers.
In any case, if you need anything from me, send me a message.
Chevalier Irabeth Tirablade
Under her name, in an untidy scrawl:
Say hello to my FAVORITE crew for me!!!! And: Valaria had better be wearing my socks!!!! Though knowing her she already got them blown up or eaten or something by now, sheesh! Anyway, <3 ya, Anevia
Ary diligently delivers the letter to the true recipient, making sure Valaria receives the absolutely necessary information, in addition to a smiling facepalm.
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Val sleeps til mid afternoon, feeling much better after a short nap, though her body still feels a bit heavy. She meets with Isilme briefly and is more than happy to take the time over the next few days to show her some of her combat tricks. The skills of a duelist take a bit of effort to learn, but Isilme seems more than capable of the feat. Once they have a chance to chat, she joins her for dinner. Before heading back to bed for a proper night's rest, she finds someplace where she can see the stars and falls into Desna's obedience, her feet moving freely across the ground and her voice rising as she recites the names of the stars above her. She dances until she can barely stand any more and falls back on the ground, panting softly. She takes a deep breath, letting the clean air fill her lungs. The ritual feels cleansing, purging the feeling of wrongness that's clung to her since they entered the Worldwound. Slightly unsteady on her feet, she makes her way to bed and collapses, falling back into a deep slumber with ease.
The next two days seem to pass almost peacefully. She volunteers to aid with patrols where the crusaders need aid, but spends most of the rest of the time wandering quietly. Between working with Isilme and getting some of her own practice, she seems to be grateful for a little room to breath. Where Isilme tells stories, she tries to gather them. She speaks with the soldiers, picking out their tales of battles they've fought or bits of local lore that she can add to her every growing collection of tales. When they both have some free time, she hunts down Ehren, looking to learn more of his people's history. There is so little she knows of Sarkoris, that she hopes her can share some of his people's lore and stories with her.
Val just shakes her head at Anevia's post-script, chuckling softly. She is indeed still wearing Aneiva's socks after all. Despite being a bit lumpy, they're surprisingly warm and comfortable in the northern weather.
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Ehren’s memories of the day’s events would have been enough to keep him awake that first night, if Ary’s spell were not already doing so. The temptation to simply meander around the fort until daybreak was there, but he refrained from doing so. Instead he opts to lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling (or rather, the bottom of the top bunk) for the next several hours. There was a lot for him to think about.
The stories he grew up with always described how beautiful Sarkoris once was. The artwork they had found in the Grey Garrison was no different. Even as an outside observer, he knew that those times were long past. But only after having stepped into the Worldwound, having witnessed its horrors for himself, did it become clear to him how far gone Sarkoris truly was. The gravity of the task laid out before him was staggering. Could the land ever truly recover from such an affliction?
And beside that, there was the matter of the wardstone field. Was it by the Green’s will that it had not recovered? If so, then it truly did act in mysterious ways. For an hour or two he simply lied there, contemplating the ley. As he closed his eyes, a stray thought crossed his mind. Perhaps… the time for hiding behind walls has long past. With that, Ehren finally managed to force himself asleep.
The next two days, Ehren appears to be in somewhat higher spirits. He had long since learned that moping around and drowning in one’s sorrows helped no one. Instead, remembering what the commander had said about his clan, he seeks out the crusaders’ healers, intent on helping them tend to anyone that was still wounded. Healing with his hands was one of his few true talents , and perhaps if he became good enough at healing flesh, he could heal the world as well.
And of course, when time permits, Ehren spends some time with his friends. He is all too happy to share some of his people's culture with Valaria, emphasizing that every Kellid clan is different, and that indeed, his own family stands out for a fair number of other reasons. He tries to pull a few tidbits from the memories he had gained from the wardstone, taking the opportunity to learn to more readily access that information. The results are a little less than marvelous, causing his little lesson (if it can be called that) to sound a bit scattered and unfocused.
Storytelling, as it is, was not one of his talents.
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29 & 30 Arodus 4713
The next two days proceed smoothly. No demons attack Fort Portolmaeus, and the heroes split up to help the crusaders as they are best able. Their names are well known in the fort, as they are the heroes of the hour after saving the cavalrymen. Ary in particular finds herself the center of attention whenever she is out in the fort – there is no shortage of soldiers wanting to introduce themselves to the Bishop with the golden sword.
The other heroes get much less attention in comparison, but they are recognized on sight and treated well, in any case. Spirits are high in Fort Portolmaeus, as summer is giving way to autumn, and the festival of the First Brewing will soon be held in Dawnton. Clerics of the Accidental God would be here with much needed supplies from the eastern side of Mendev – food, harvest, and of course, freshly brewed booze.
Valaria spends her days patrolling a little – but mostly wandering from soldier to friend to soldier. She finds an interesting contrast in how people treat her: within the fort, the crusaders treat her congenially. They recognize her name as one of the heroes that marched into the Worldwound to save the cavalrymen, most of who recounted her vicious skill with the starknives. They are eager to share their own tales of heroism – both big and small. But in surrounding Dawnton, she has difficulty getting the townsfolk to speak with her, based on her appearance.
Ehren finds that his healing abilities are valued with the clerics. They're fairly amazed - not many druids can match a cleric when it came to staffing a medic bay, but he is able to not only keep up, but teach the others a thing or two about more mundane methods of healing - and how to properly triage a situation as necessitating divine healing or if just folk healing could suffice.
Ary spends her two days helping with repairs out around in the fort. The watchtowers in particular needed help – large chunks of them were blown out in the recent battles.
Chaleb doesn’t lie during his interrogation, or at the very least, he passes the Fort’s sin seeker’s appraisal. Inquisitor Corum actually seems frustrated at how little he knows – he can only produce a single name – Aznak – the guy who he was supposed to waiting on orders from. He is kept in the dungeons for the time being, Commander Wardroxan is too busy with managing the fort to deal with his fate for the time being.
Fort Portolmaeus has particularly poor reading material available – there is only one resident scholar, and no other arcane spellcasters to speak of stationed there.
In addition, Ary names Markus her First Lieutenant – a second-in-command. When Commander Manaria is made aware, he is given a badge to identify himself as such to other crusaders.
Isilme spends her two days in part teaching the crusaders, using charming fables and stories to encourage memorization. Her performance is beloved, and she finds herself called upon to repeat them often while she is at the fort. She finds Cynosure happy and healthy.
Annabelle spends her days moving around the fort. She is pleased to find that she can make herself useful here – even if her chores mostly consisted of helping to keep the fort tidy. The young soldier was just dying to make herself useful, though, in whatever way she could.
She gives Markus his space, mostly sticking with her beloved senpai. She doesn’t really speak to him unless he seeks her out. She’s not upset with him, or avoiding him – she’s mostly just worried she’s annoyed him, somehow. He was a hard man to read.
At night, while everyone sleeps, she spends most of her time just watching her friends, waiting for Hinagiku to awaken again.
She brought the coffin into the bunker, but she never used it.
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Markus gets to bed early the first night, knowing that there's much work to do even if it's not marching into the Wound to save a dozen cavalrymen. He knows that a lot of the most important work - for the people of the town, or supporting the soldiers - can be done right here.
When he awakes, he takes time to wash and mend his clothing, and it's nearly two hours before he gets up and going. When he does so, though, he looks as immaculate as he did on the first day of this all. He's much less lost than he was during Armasse, though.
His conversation with Ary leaves him flattered and shocked - he wasn't aware that she trusted him, of all of them, with that kind of responsibility. He bears the badge that Wardroxan gives him proudly, but knows anything that would leave him in command would be far beyond tragedy. He tries not to think about it.
He spends the first day out in the town. He knows there's dead, and tragedy, and he wants to get involved with that. So he speaks with the common people of the town, offering help with funerary arrangements (if necessary, he'll help dig graves himself) or counseling for the bereaved. He's very familiar with the ins and outs of death, after all, and there's lots of useful things that he can offer.
At the end of the first day, thinking that Annabelle might be growing distant from him, he brings her a cup with blood from his wrist. A fresh scar mars his wrist veins where he's sliced himself, but he healed it. He stays with her until he grows too exhausted to continue talking, chatting about... nothing, really.
The second day sees Markus joining Ehren in the medical tent, using his strangely arcane healing and restorative powers to help the injured whenever possible. The second day goes quicker. At this point, Markus is mostly waiting for orders.
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After their visit to the chamber of the wardstone, Hinagiku returns with the others to the small dormitory they were assigned to. There, she first assists the others to board up any source of sunlight so that Annabelle might be safe. Once everyone is comfortable, and slips into bed, Hinagiku proceeds with her meditation.
As everynight, she performs a slow dance which appears to be made of the very moves she uses in battle. However, this one is the hardest she had had in years, if not ever. Having always been a calm, and obedient child, she can’t remember ever feeling the rage she had felt in the Worldwound. She spends around two hours working solely on that, before getting rid of fear, disgust, and pride. Once done, she lays to rest waking only two hours later.
In the first night, Hinagiku leaves the bunker with Annabelle to find a quiet spot where they can discuss and braid their hair. The Tian woman congratulates Annabelle for her skills during their last battle. Once done, she returns to their room where she opens the ebony scroll case she has been carrying around ever since she left her hometown in Minkai. She searches the manuscript encased in it, reading and trying to understand martial forms she had not yet been able to master. It must have been the thousandth time she read the text. Even now, she was still baffled at many of the forms, but she was not discouraged. Her master, whom she trusted greatly, had told her that each form would be understood in time, when she had had enough life and spiritual experiences.
That night, to her surprise, Hinagiku was drawn to one of the forms. The drawing depicting the required motions suddenly made more sense to her, simply looking upon them caused the kernel of power revealed within her by the wardstone to pulse. It was as if ब्रह्मा was showing her a way of understanding herself better. Standing up, Hinagiku practiced the form over and over, every time feeling closer and closer to uncovering its meaning.
Over the coming nights, Hinagiku continues with this schedule, meditating, sleeping, spending time with Annabelle and practicing. Finally, after hours of practice, Hinagiku finally succeeds at the form. It is the realization that the form is meant to concentrate feelings of love, friendship, and peace that leads to her success. In concentrating these positive feelings, the form allows her to reach deep within herself, at the very essence of the goodness found within her heart and exteriorize it, coating her very skin with it. Content, she allows herself and single hour of rest.
As for the days, Hinagiku spends them with the others, trying to learn more about Sarkoris in the company of Ehren. When possible, she also tries to get to know the man more by striking short conversations, making a few innocent and weak (maybe even alien) jokes.
She accompanies Isilme in her meals, staying silent and trying to learn more about the celestial child, and once suggesting that they meditate together so they might try to understand what happened to her soul.
With Ary, she gives a few words of wisdom here and there when they cross each other’s path, giving quotes from some of Irori’s holy texts, hoping to temper the woman’s passion somewhat and instill some wisdom.
With Markus, Hinagiku informs him that she has meditated and been able to garner enough understanding and power to be able to heal Markus . She also spends time in the infirmary with him and Ehren, using her meager healing abilities and watching the man, still puzzled by what she witnessed within him and the apparent lack of effect it has on the man’s will to help people.
With Valaria, Hinagiku tries to find her some mead, and awkwardly asks her to join her for a drink (with Hinagiku drinking water). She is silent most of the time, and tries to make a few jokes to break the ice. Clearly, discussion is not her cup of tea.
Finally, Hinagiku tries to visit Chaleb, preaching subtly the tenets of Irori, trying to give words of wisdom that might help the man grow strong enough to face his fears.
Markus spends most of the first day in town. He finds that while a few died (mostly stragglers who were out in the fields during the initial attack), the crusaders were mostly successful in saving the townspeople. Those who died were almost all soldiers. But of course, that’s the point.
In the medic bay, Markus’ skills are an asset – and unlike anything the low level clerics there have ever seen before. They are certain for awhile that he is a cleric himself, like them – he has to correct them to the truth, but they don’t seem convinced. Markus seems to break the rules when it came to the differences between the arcane and the divine.
Annabelle is happy to talk to Markus, but she isn’t happy to drink his blood. She insists that she isn’t hungry. If he pushes the issue, or becomes agitated, then she storms off like a teenage girl. Because she is a teenage girl, mostly.
Hinagiku was nearby then surely Markus has noticed her bleeding wound. …Perhaps?
In any case, a hungry vampire has a distinctive look – a sunken face, almost transparent, brittle, paper-like skin, vaguely glowing eyes. Annabelle just seems normal. Markus can tell. He knows a lot about vampires. He needed to, in order to understand how dhampir were different.
Hinagiku spends her days with Annabelle, and also getting to know Ehren.
Out of all of the members of the group, she is the most enigmatic. She doesn’t travel out into the town, and she mostly stays inside with Annabelle, or meditating or moving around with her allies friends.
Chaleb doesn’t have much choice but to listen to Hinagiku – though he doesn’t say much. He does make some crude jokes about the young woman joining him in his cell, though.
31 Arodus 4713
It is early in the morning – still hours and hours from sunrise, though, and all of the heroes are in their bunker. They are all sleeping… well… except for Hinagiku. Hinagiku is meditating – communing with Irori, and invoking his wisdom for her magic today. Annabelle is drawing in the dark, and the only sound in the room is the faint scratch-scratch-scratch of her quill.
And then…. The door opens. A small group of crusaders moves in, wielding glowing swords. At their head – Inquisitor Erika Corum, followed by Commander Wardroxan. Behind them, a halfling man in nice clothes – thick-chested for a halfling, with a long, grayed, braid of hair.
”Annabelle Kir, you are under arrest.”
The Inquisitor strides up to Annabelle, manacles in hand. The cavalier’s eyes widen, and she looks back and forth between Ekira and Manaria. ”W-what? For what?”
”Don’t play games with me, vampire.” Ekira says, livid. ”For murder.”
”What she means is, she is accused of murder. Pending trial.” Commanader Manaria frowns. She stares at Annabelle, reading her expression evenly. ”Kir, I’m afraid we need you to stay in the dungeons for the time being, until things are settled down.”
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Isilme laid in the grass quietly, looking up a the stars. It seemed like she'd been doing this forever, and little went through her mind beyond how beautiful the night sky was. Her reverie was broken by a sharp crack, and she turned her head in the direction of the sound, wondering what it could be. There, in the distance, a great storm seemed to rise up from the horizon. The ominous clouds boomed with thunder and glowed with flashes of lightning as it swiftly closed on her. She stood, confused, not certain she'd ever seen such an event here before. As the wind picked up, a sensation tugged at the back of her mind, it was a feeling that something was terribly wrong, and that she needed to leave this place. Isilme turned to flee from the storm, but instead found herself swept up by the wind flying through the air, and then falling towards the ground...
Isilme bolted upright as she awoke, the sensation of falling still in her mind. She blinked as she looked at the small mass of crusaders in the room, her heart still pounding in her chest. After a few moments of collecting herself she begins to move from the bed. "What is going on?" she asks, standing up before the crusaders, wrapping her sheet around herself as she did. Turning to the others who seemed to be still asleep or only just now waking up, she says "Ary, Markus, everyone wake up. I believe we have a problem."
"Not a problem, right 'Belle?" Ary says as she throws her legs off the bed, looking still asleep. She mutters the words to activate her ring and gives it a twist to fix her appearances, other than her half-closed eyes. "I assume you have a cell without a window?"
She pushes herself up from the bed to stand a head taller than most of the people here, but she's definitely compliant. "Gonna need to know exactly what's going on, though."
Annabelle bites her lip. "Y-yeah. No prob, Cap'n," she says, weakly. Her eyes dart to Markus, wanting to know what he thought - felt - said. Now more than ever.
"Good," Commander Wardroxan says. "Look. There's been two deaths. If you're locked up, and another death happens, then your name is cleared instantly. So being compliant can only help us, right now."
"Indeed, two deaths." Inquisitor Corum says, wheeling on Manaria. "Puncture wounds in the neck. Drained of blood. And if you had told me sooner that we were sheltering a gods-damned vampire in our very fort, we could have avoided the second one."
Commander Manaria flinches. "She helped save ten soldiers. She came with Chevalier Irabeth's own recommendation. The letter said that Markus was to keep her.... fed. I imagine you've been feeding her, yes?"
She dodges the issue when you bring it up. And because she’s been in a good mood, otherwise, there’s no reason not to drop it.
She insists that she has it ‘taken care of’, those rare times Markus might broach the subject. It’s incredibly awkward. Either Markus gives up right away, or Annabelle gets irrationally angry.
She hasn’t seemed different for it, though. She certainly hasn’t attempted to eat or drink normal food since that first night, and she has been in good spirits, especially compared to her demeanor that night she met Inquisitor Wardsev.
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Val can't say she's surprised that the townsfolk are wary of her. It grates on her nerves every time they flinch away or shoot her a glare they think is better hidden, but she buries any response. Getting angry at them serves no purpose and the crusaders are more than happy to share their tales with her.
She finds that spending time with Hinagiku is a bit strange. The taciturn woman is something of a mystery to her still. However, she's more than willing to try to get to know her, even if Hina has no idea how to tell a proper joke. She prods the foreign woman for tales of her homeland, asking more about Tian Xia and about where she was raised.
The commotion wakes her entirely too early on the 31st. Her eyes are fogged with sleep and she sits up with a groan. A fierce scowl crosses her lips and she unintentionally bares her teeth for a moment. She listens to the Inquisitor's rant, her eyes narrowing and her head pounding. "I swear, whatever god keeps having these gods forsaken prejudiced inquisitorial ars*holes wake me when I'm try to sleep is going to have words with me!"
Perhaps it's the early hour, perhaps it's the inquisitor's obvious disdain, or perhaps he sounds enough like Loitr to spark a fire in her blood, but she's seen enough. Val climbs out of bed and walks over to the inquisitor. Her fist lashes out, punching the inquisitor across the jaw.
"If we're done being a bigoted f*ck, perhaps we can talk about this without you ranting like an madman. Like the part where you explain what evidence you have that Annabelle did it other than a set of puncture wounds. Like any evidence at all that it was her and not one of the other dozens if not hundreds of blood drinking creatures in the world. For gods' sake, I'm sure there's at least one kind of demon that drinks blood."
"Son of..." Ary manages before lurching to grab Valaria.
She manages to just barely get her hands on her and move between the two. "Damn it, Val. This is not the time"
Val doesn't bother to struggle as Ary grabs her. "Oh please, like vampires are the only thing that can kill with puncture wounds to the neck. I can kill someone with punctures to the neck. Just give me some knitting needles."
Ary sighs, now officially awake. "Telling an inquisitor you just hit in the face that you could have done the deed is..." She shakes her head, giving Valaria a level look. "I'm more than happy to cooperate." Ary says, over her shoulder. "But it's against my religion to leave her behind. We'll do what we can to help." her eyes don't leave Val's as she speaks.
Ekira steps back, drawing her cape into her off-hand and readying her sword in her left. Her cape suddenly hardens, becoming stiff, like wood.
Commander Wardroxan intervenes, quickly. The other crusaders attending though, four in total, seem alarmed at Valaria's behavior.
Manaria wheels on the Inquisitor first - her words come out slowly and softly. "Stand down, soldier. She's right. Some sick ritual of Zon-Kuthon or Urgathoa could be afoot. Or perhaps she is possessed or under a compulsion. Besides, we've kept the bodies for awhile now, and they haven't risen as vampires themselves."
Inquisitor Corum trembles all over, but she stands down. "F@#+ing demon blooded b@#&&," she snarls. Her hand drops, and her red cape returns to cloth, falling to the ground.
The halfling, who until now has been there silent, steps forward and bows. "H-hello, fine crusaders! My name is Tobias Luin, and I am the elected mayor of Dawnton. I'd like to interject and assure you that we have evidence backing up this... accusation. For example..." He draws a cold iron sword from his back. It is unmistakably Annabelle's - the same sword they found at the Grey Garrison. It has a distinctive design based on Iomedae's holy symbol.
"This was found on the scene of the second crime. Am I correct in saying this is yours, Miss Kir?"
Annabelle's eyes widen. "I... what? No. That's not mine. Mine's right..." she squirms around to find her belt and sheathe... but finds that it is empty. "It was here," she says, faintly.
"What? I'm the only person in the world who knows how to stab someone in the throat? There are a lot of people in... actually in most major cities that would be happy to argue that point. If I was planning to murder a crusader, framing someone who the inquisitors are obviously not going to treat fairly or give an actual investigation would be the obvious way to get away with it. I still want to know what evidence the oh so brilliant inquisitor has other than the wound." She calmly flips off the inquisitor.
She eyes the sword carefully. "Alright. So when was the last time you're sure you had your sword Annabelle?"
"Inquisitor... I would appreciate it if you wouldn't speak ill of my companions. I am also required to guard their honor... even when they forget it themselves. Surely you know that, in your line of work, choice of words is key."
She finally turns to look at the sword, immediately recognizing it as Annabelle's, her lips purse. She turns to Annabelle, when Valaria asks the question.
Commander Manaria corrects Valaria. "No. No crusaders died. Only civilians."
Annabelle shrinks, fidgeting. "I... I don't know. I-I sharpened it the day before yesterday?"
Tobias frowns. "It was found imbedded deeply in the wall of Orug's General Store... above his wife's body. Orug claims to have fought you - but you were supernaturally strong... so strong to embed the sword almost half-way into the wall during the struggle. It took two strong crusaders to pull it back out." He shows the end of the sword - it is scratched and dull from where it was embedded in the wall.
"You were also seen riding, at night, through the town on that... horse of yours. You were seen just a few hours before the first murder, in fact."
"I..." Annabelle fidgets. "No, no, that's not true. I've been with Senp-... Hinagiku this whole time... when she sleeps I just sit and wait..."
"Don't lie to an Inquisitor," Ekira snaps, ignoring Ary.
"I... okay. Okay. I went out riding. I just needed fresh air." She buries her head in her hands.
"The point applies no matter who got killed. Framing someone the inquisitor is very clearly not going to treat fairly is the easy way to get out of trouble."
She looks over at the mayor. "Wait. He claims that he survived a fight with a trained vampire warrior. How badly injured is he?"
Her gaze moves back to the inquisitor. "I'm fairly certain most of the people in this room would have been in the general area of the murder a few hours before hand. We've hardly left the fort or the town aside from occasional patrols the last few days so we've been all over town. Her being in the area hours before hand is hardly evidence."