Hinagiku's senses are razor-focused, thanks to Ary's presence, and she is able to force the night hag to the ground on her first attempt. Her enemy on the ground, Hinagiku slams her heel into the hag's stomach and chest - there is an audible crunch, though her blows are not as effective as her allies' enchanted cold iron weapons.
Mesamorga vanishes from the heroes' sight, going completely invisible to all but Isilme.
Markus is up!
"Aye aye, ma'am."
Suddenly... Valaria can see Isilme and the night hag... but not the Bound Horror. She can see that the night hag is on her feet and just to her right.
"You can see her... right, Valaria?" says Markus, moving up behind her. "The thing. Yeah. Here, let me help." With that, he reaches out, casting another actual spell. This time, he bolsters Valaria with extra life-force and the bravery required to take down an army single-handedly. Martial skill and warding against fear comes with the spell, as well.
Aron frowns, holding his shortsword anxiously and staring at where the hideous hag was standing just a second ago.
"Um... guys? Where did she go?"
Round 2!
Isilme is up!
Isilme wastes no time, turning towards Mesamorga and raising her hand in front of her face palm up. Blowing gently, a shower of golden particles erupts forth, filling the air around the hag with the glitter and revealing her position for all to see.
"Mesamorga، الأقل من العفاريت الليل. لا يمكن اغلب البشر، لا يمكن من محاربتهم، لا يمكن حتى يتمكن من الفرار," she says, continuing her taunting of the hag, moving again after doing so.
Mesamorga's eyes narrow, managing to shield her eyes from the glitterdust - but still the clinging particles render her hopelessly visible for the rest of the heroes to see.
Aron grins. "Oh man, thanks, Isilme!. I mean... شكر!" he adds, in clumsily pronounced Celestial. He wastes no time in setting up a flank across from Hinagiku- moving supernaturally fast. His swing flies straight and true, carving into the hag before she even realizes it was on its way.... but unfortunately, his mundane shortsword is not too effective against the night hag's supernatural abilities of regeneration.
Ary follows, stepping towards the Night hag and following up with a swift backswing. Radiance leaves a gory trail across the hag's exposed midsection.
Valaria is up!
As Ary crosses the middle distance (which isn't a very large distance at all), she brings her golden sword into the gold-dust coated thing. Having connected with the Hag, Ary brings Radiance around in two more swift, glowing arcs, crimson flowing off of her blade with each strike.
"Stab roughly where I stab and keep doing it until I say otherwise or she dies," Val says before attacking the hag again.
Ehren frowns when the hag turns invisible, but within seconds Isilme amends the problem. He moves up to Aron's side, forming a flank with Ary and working to surround their adversary. With a carefully aimed swing, he lashes out at the hag; he was far from a great swordsman, but his allies' various blessings guide his blow.
The hag is hobbled by Aron's decisive blow, leaving her vulnerable to Ary and Valaria's final assault. Radiance embarks towards the hag with a gentle whistle, its razors edges shredding through her twice. Valaria then jabs at the crone twice - her quick strikes flitting past her feeble defenses, before slicing open her vitals with a tearing whisk. The hag's body crumples to the ground where it bubbles and vanishes into smoke, leaving nothing behind but a smear where she once stood.
Combat ends!
Ehren's blade is raised, poised to strike, but just as he executes his attack the hag dies by Valaria's hand. He stops himself in midswing, his elevated eyebrows betraying his surprise. Glancing side to side at his allies, he plays it off, returning his scimitar to its sheath. Another time, maybe.
"That was... easy?" he remarks plaintively, staring at the night hag's remains.
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Val spits on the smear and shakes the hag's blood from her knife before sheathing her blades. "That took entirely too long to take care of."
Just like Ehren, Hinagiku stops midway through one of her kicks, surprised at how quickly and viciously Valaria and Ary dispatched the hag. Her surprise is only heightened when the body disappears in a cloud of dust.
"Yes. Yes, I am glad miss Isilme found a solution. Miss Valaria, seeing you get weaker was difficult." she answers to the tiefling, with the semblance of a smile.
"Was this monster an Oni after all? I thought only onis disappeared into smoke." she then adds, while an alien reflex overpowers her, making her lift her muzzle up to smell the area over the remains.
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"Night hags are evil outsiders, but they're a different brand than demons. I think they come from the Ethereal Plane or something like that." She rolls her neck, feeling a pop as she releases some of the tension in her body. "So, how about we head back to town and get as many of our many, many, many debuffs cured as possible. Because I'm sure there's someone waiting to give us another suicide mission. Someone who will no doubt expect us to succeed with nothing but a vague description of the quest and a lot of luck. We should be ready for that."
"As optimistic as ever, I see," Ehren says with a wry grin, while eyeing Hinagiku's quaint reaction. He could not imagine how hard the last few days must have been for Valaria. Having been dead, and all. Perhaps getting rid of the hag was just the start to making things better. I am sure she would be happier without her other unwanted companion.
"But you're not wrong. We came to Nerosyan for a reason, after all. This was all just an... unfortunate delay." Their deaths, summed up with two words. It felt wrong treating it as a mere inconvenience, but now that they were back, he knew that they had to keep moving forward.
Aron sheathes his shortsword and walks back to Sosiel's side. "That was... a much shorter fight that I expected." He grins, taking the cleric's hand in his again. "So, back to Nerosyan?"
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Isilme grins as the hag falls, pleased with the success of her plan. She took pride in knowing she could still outsmart a Hag, even without her natural abilities and trapped in Li'an's body. She holds up the heartstone for the group to see, a gorgeous star ruby, touching it gently so it twists back and forth gleaming red in the sunlight.
Her eyes seem to lose focus as she watches the gem spinning slowly back and forth at the end of its chain, allowing her mind to wander. About the gem she sees depictions of thousands of stories of night hags haunting the dreams of mortals. "Once there lived two brothers who had heard tales of a Hag haunting the dreams of the villagers in a small village. They had also heard that such hags collected the souls of those they tormented into a breathtaking star ruby, one valuable enough that a man could live his the rest of his life in leisure from selling it. Knowing this, the two brothers, clever as could be, concocted a plot to steal the gem from the hag," she says in a dream-like reverie. "The brothers managed to find and get the hag's attention, and the elder brother--whose words flowed like the sweetest honey--talked her into revealing herself to him with promises of a supply of souls to torment. What the younger brother lacked in wordplay, however, he made up in cunning and stealth, and before the hag even knew what had happened, he had stolen her gem. The two brothers absconded, the Hag giving chace, but managed to lose her before long," she continues.
"The next day they took the ruby to a jeweler, who offered them 18 ryu for the gem. Overjoyed, they vowed to return to sell the gem the next day to the jeweler and went off to celebrate for the evening. Unfortunately the alcohol and promise of riches went to each brother's head, and they began to squabble. 'It was my words that lured the hag out into the open, I should receive the lions share of the gold!' the elder claimed. 'But it was my stealth that retrieved it, no words could ever have convinced her of parting with the gem, brother dearest!' the younger countered. The two went back and forth all evening, the squabbling turning to an argument and then an all out brawl. As dawn broke, the younger killed his sibling and fled with the gem. Eventually overcome by guilt for his action, he wandered the lands before coming to a cliff overlooking the sea, where he tossed the gem into its depths and vowed never to desire earthly possessions again."
As she finishes the tale she snaps out of her trance, looking at the others. "Between this and Markus's commendation we might be able to get a few diamonds for restoration," she says, smiling, transfixed by the gem's beauty.
Turning to Val, she says "Hopefully we will have a day or so of reprieve from duty. I am exhausted and could use an afternoon not doing much of anything to be honest. Shall we head back?"
[ooc]I'm ready to head back
"To some, it looks like a suicide mission. To others, a chance to push back the horde and heal the world. I prefer the latter." Hinagikku answers to Valaria, her tone lighter than usual.
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"A reprieve? I doubt we will be so fortunate. But... I could definitely use some rest."
Markus huffs, shaking out his shirt-cuffs. "Well, that's over and done with. Let's head back to town - the commendation and the stone, yes, we should be able to purchase some diamonds with. Three, if I'm not mistaken. With even a 50gp donation we could afford the diamond for Valaria's soul-healing."
He frowns as they head back. He had decided, during his three days elbow-deep in Crusader innards, that he would be far better off as a medic than hampering Ary's team...but he was afraid to say so. What would they think of him? Cowardly, to be sure.... but perhaps he was a coward. Truly not worthy of being in their company.
He walked back with them to the town, though. That was a conversation for another time.
"It can't be both?" Val replies to Hinagiku's statement. "Ah, I'm just tired and being bitter. Let's head back to town and finds some diamonds. Isilme and I need some patching up and we should have enough to treat a couple of you now."
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Hinagiku simply nods to Valaria's assessment: no need to delve on the tiefling's bitterness. The monk then slowly returns to her position behind the caravan while the other discuss the magical healing. It likely had to do with mending the divide that currently existed between her mind and body, something that Ary and Ehren probably felt too. However, if need be, she thought that she could do without magic. If the Master of masters was able to become a god on his own, she could probably harmonize her soul to her new body, however long that may take.
On the road, Hinagiku slips back into silence, and mostly keeps to herself taking this time to try and regain as much of her past focus as possible
Upon reaching the city, Hinagiku approaches Isilme.
"Miss Isilme, you possess an impressive and profound knowledge many things, do you know whether I could find a way of sending a letter to the land where I grew up? If not, are there any people of Tian origins to be found here? I need to send a letter to my master, I don't really know how to make sure it reaches him." she explains.
Once she reacher the Vrock, Hinagiku goes straight to her room. There, she first sits at her desk and starts redacting a letter in Tien:
Master,
I write this letter so you may know what transpires here, and maybe learn who the victor of the contest is. During the past few weeks, I have fought onis here at the world wound. However, I have long lost before I lost any contact with the other students. After many inquiries, I only know for certain that Graukur is still alive. However, he has renounced his quest, and thus forfeited victory.
As for me, I have fallen to the might of the onis on the 12th of Rova. It is only thanks to great and powerful magic that I have been revived and can write to you. Thus, even though I am still alive, any other students who has lived past this date could be considered the victor of the contest.
Having been given a second chance, I will stay here to pursue my destiny.
With respect,
Hinagiku
Putting the inkpen down, Hinagiku stands up and proceeds with her meditation seance.
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Ary is quiet, once the fight is over and the Hag vanishes with a pwiff. She takes the time to clean Radiance with her cloak, then sheathe it, twist her ring, and call for its blessing once more... "I will shine in her legion." she intones, following after the others... guarding their rears once more, though lost in thought.
The talk of evil outsiders and inherent natures, along with the vanishing of the Hag had caused it. They had made an enemy that could keep coming for them... just as the demons they slayed could. There had to be a more... permanent solution.
But beyond that... she wasn't certain she agreed with the sentiment that demons were innately evil, and therefor couldn't be good. They had seen the reverse to be true, when the hounds were being tormented by the Worldwound... which only spoke to still more shades of gray. Tieflings, for example, weren't required to be evil, despite their fiendish blood... nor were Aasimar, for that matter, required to be good. During the trip, she spent a lot of time with her eyes on Valaria or Isilme, though she wasn't necessarily watching them.
Once the topic of how to spend their time came up, Ary shook her head. "I still haven't debriefed... and there's a lot to tell."
"And I have a letter to write." she adds.
He steps out the door - it's very cold, but that's nothing new to Ehren - he had spent his whole life here up in the north. The skies are clear and filled with twinkling stars.
"It's amazing how resilient these people are, don't you think?"
Once the topic of how to spend their time came up, Ary shook her head. "I still haven't debriefed... and there's a lot to tell."
"I do. I've had the chance to see it for myself," Ehren replies, nodding slowly. "Here, at Gundrun, and at Kenabres."
"You've been to Gundrun?" Gilas says, surprised. "How are they doing there? Clan Clefthorn is still in charge, if my memory is true."
He pauses, realizing something. "That means you've been to wounded Sarkoris. How did that make you feel?"
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Mostly it’s just been digging the dead from the wreckage. So many dead. I suppose I should be thankful that I have enough resources to try to bring those I lost back, but that doesn’t make it any easier. You can only pull so many children’s bodies from a destroyed building before it starts to wear on you. I was almost thankful that I managed to one or two survivors, more children. Their parents were so happy to get them back.
Finally, finally, today was the day of the ritual. Ehren’s father certain knows his stuff, because he managed the ritual with a certain… confidence that was hard to ignore. He’s got the experience to do what Ehren does without feeling like he might make a mistake. We were all waiting with baited breath when he finished the spell and everyone finally rose again. Things went surprisingly well. Ehren looks a bit older now, so I guess I can’t make jokes about him being so young now. He’s a bit more handsome too, actually. I’m sure Klarah will appreciate that. Ary seems to have pointy ears now. She cuts a rather impressive figure as a half-elf, though I admit that it’s weird seeing her so damn tall. Even taller than she used to be. And Hinagiku is a fox person. I have no idea what to say to that. I’ve never met a kitsune before. At least, not one that I knew was a kitsune. She seemed a bit more off put by her new form than Ehren or Ary did, but I think she’s managing.
And more good news! We finally got rid of that damned hag that’s been following me around and giving me nightmares. Thanks gods. We lured her out of town and led her somewhere that we could deal with her without getting any civilians involved. Then Isilme did a trick with some scrolls to allow her to sneak up on the hag and snatch the magic stone that let her remain untouchable. She barely lived long enough to put up a fight after that. And the gem is worth more than enough to trade for diamonds to help revitalize everyone after being raised from the dead. Overall, a rather good day.
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"Sad. Angry. Disgusted. It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. I remembered the stories, but seeing it for myself..." Ehren shakes his head. "So much rot, so much corruption... it truly was a festering wound. But the worst part was that beneath it all, I could still just barely recognize what had once been.
"Gundrun was a breath of fresh air. The people there almost seemed to be thriving. Everyone there is willing to defend that scrap of reclaimed land to their last breaths. Seeing our people there gave me hope, that perhaps things might one day be as they were before... or at least change for the better."
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He asks her to join him in the common room of the tavern over a loaf of bread and some cider. "Ary," he begins. "I wanted to talk to you about three things: The first, a mission report beyond Valaria's exaggerated story. The second, your return, and the third... Well, I'll get to that."
"Okay, the mission report," he says. "After you... Well, after you fell, I had to run. Luckily, the hezrou didn't pursue me. Valaria and Isilme were missing, and I considered it my duty to recover the lost bodies.... so I found an errant squad of Crusaders, led by a man named Captain Antonick, and led them into battle against the hezrous. There, I met with Isilme and Valaria, who had gathered a second squad. We slew the hezrous, recovered your body, and found that the temple was empty, and it had been robbed." Markus massages his temple, remembering the difficulty here. "We had no clues regarding Sosiel's whereabouts, so we went back, and we ran into Gilas then, Ehren's father. We only had one place to buy reincarnation oils from, so the three of us went to deal with an unscrupulous trader... I think named Sovereign. We managed to haggle with him about the oils, and we purchased some basic supplies for the Crusades as well."
"After that, and allowing Gilas to begin preparing for the ritual, Valaria and I decided to spend some time going out to find Sosiel. We tracked his goings all over the city before we found that he, as well as another group of clerics, ascended the wall. Before ascending we stopped a paladin commander from trying to take down a trio of barbazu bodyguards for a tiefling we'd run into. The tiefling and her bodyguards came up to the wall with us, hoping to win brownie points with the Crusades for helping. We found Sosiel atop the wall, and all of his clerics were dead. We helped him defend a ballista from cultists and a babau, and then escorted him for the rest of the day."
Taking off a piece of bread from the loaf and putting it in his mouth, Markus asks, "Is that a clear enough report, Ar- ah, Captain?"
Hinagiku slowly exhales, her arms slowly coming to her sides, before she heads for the door.
"Miss Valaria, is everything alright?" she asks in an even tone after opening the door. Since nothing urgent seems to be going on, she motions the tiefling in.
"Please come in and sit, I was mostly done with my meditation. Nothing that I wouldn't gladly interrupt for you." she explains to make the tiefling feel as welcome as possible.
She steps inside. "I bumped into a Tian monk while I was helping out after the battle and he pointed me to another man, a crusader caption by the name of Chun Dawei. He may be able to get his hands on some more Tian style weapons, if you're still looking for them."
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At the mention of the Tian monk and the Tian captain, Hinagiku eyes smile.
"Good. Thank you miss Valaria, I will make sure to visit them first thing tomorrow morning."
"I appreciate your concern miss Valaria." she pauses to slowly breath out, thus avoiding to sight. "This magical reincarnation and this new body, it is the strangest feeling I ever had. As if my soul is not fully connected to my body." she mechanically lifts her hands to grab her now absent long hair, and lets them down with another expiration. "This transformation has altered me so... still, I know that with time, I shall overcome it." she says, this time grabbing the blue medallion hanging from her neck.
"But enough of me, how are you feeling? Tempted to reminisce with me about the wonders you have seen in your life?" she adds, focusing her eyes on Valaria, and siding next to her before putting a hand on her shoulder. It was evident the tiefling was not at her best.
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She takes a deep breath and thinks for a second. "I'm doing better, I think. It's just... I haven't cared. For a long time, I haven't really cared about people. It's so easy to not bother with friends when you know you're not going to stick around long. Now I've finally started to make friends and they keep dying on me."
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"Nerosyan has a rather well used port, and from what I understand there are boats traveling to the far corners of the world from there regularly. It should be fairly simple to find a boat headed towards Tian-Xia and send the letter with them to be delivered I would imagine," Isilme answers Hinagiku's query.
"I suppose I should fill in the details of what happened with Val and I. We were teleported away by the Bound Horror at the last second to safety. We eventually returned after getting a promise from Ehren's father to help reincarnate you three, and looked for aid on the way to dealing with the Hezrous. We encountered one Captain Montvale and his squad sitting idly far from the fighting. It turned out the Captain refused to do anything to aid the city *or* us, despite his squad being desperate to help the people of Nerosyan," Isilme explains. "After no-longer-a-Captain Montvale had rebuffed us, we appealed to the soldiers of his squad, who were led by a Half-Orc named Kathon. She had been arguing that they needed to aid the city, and we were able to convince the soldiers to follow her into combat, abandoning Montvale," she continues, a grin slowly building on her face. "We defeated the Hezrous, as Markus mentioned, and I've spent the days since then telling tales of that battle to earn money for the families of those who fell. Along the way I managed to run Montvale's reputation into the ground to the point that he has lost his position and Kathon has been promoted in his place. I hear Montvale even asked for a transfer away from the city to escape his reputation as a coward," she finishes, clearly proud of her accomplishment.
When the group makes it back to the Vrock, Isilme excuses herself, being well and truly exhausted by this point. "I will be catching up on sleep, since my body is leaving me little choice in the matter," she says with a yawn. "If I am needed, feel free to wake me up, I shall be in my room," she says to no one in particular.
"'Worst of all'?" Gilas responds with a small smile. "On the contrary, that means you can see something left to save. So many of us have already abandoned our ancient homeland for the Realm of the Mammoth Lords to the west, or Numeria to the south. So it is important, I think, that the newest generation keeps hope alive in their hearts, that once this is all over, there is something worth reclaiming."
"I'm glad to hear that Gundrun continues to thrive. I've only been once, when I was around your age... the town had just been reclaimed and they were under constant siege. But your grandfather needed to see it for himself, and I went with him. The men and women there were a strong group - a credit to our people."
"I hope that someday the skalds sing a story, not of our fall, but of our rebirth."
He goes silent for awhile then, and all that is heard is the faint klack-klack-klack of his walking staff hitting the cobbled road as they wander aimlessly through the streets of Nerosyan.
"So, tell me about your adventures. I need something to entertain your baby brother with, after all."
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"I arrived in Kenabres on the first day of Armasse. That's the day it all started..."
Ehren recounts how just as Prelate Hulrun was about to start the festival, the Kite went up in lightning and smoke and flame. How the Storm King himself appeared and killed the Prelate with a single blow, signaling the start of the Worldwound incursion. How the balor lord did battle with the dragon Terendelev in the sky, as demons swarmed the ground below. How he first encountered his friends in the plaza, when the ground beneath them split open to swallow them whole. How Terendelev, as her final act of kindness, saved their lives with her magic.
He speaks of the immense caverns below Kenabres reverently, recalling how much closer to the ley he felt than ever before. How he could still sense the echoes of the ruined wardstone, enough to give him the courage to push onward. Ehren speaks fondly of the Children of the First Crusade, and how they kept their faith despite being spurned for so many years. How they rescued the people of Neathholm from the minions of Baphomet. The druid slows to put particular emphasis on the discovery of Radiance, and how it chose Ary to be its new wielder - an event more significant to him now than it was to him then, a portent of things to come.
Ehren spares many details, but describes how they rescued the Loumises, the Riftwarden orphans, the druid Crocris (the first he had met from outside of their clan), and the priestess Klarah. With a more somber tone, he recounts how they lost Li'an to a group of cultists... and how the girl she died to save had already been possessed by a demon. He explains how he had attempted to reincarnate her with Crocris' help, only to inadvertently release the spirit within her blade instead in an unprecedented turn of events. He had long since accepted Isilme as a dear friend, but he could not hide his regret that he had not gotten to know Li'an better.
Much like the mission itself, it takes no time at all to explain how they captured the Tower of Estrod, where they learned of the enemy's true plot. That a fragment of the wardstone had survived, and was going to be used by Areelu Vorlesh to corrupt the menhir with the essence of a demon lord, and by extension the ley itself. Ehren explains how there was no other choice but to destroy the menhir, and that he accepted the instrument of its destruction when it was offered. At last, he reaches the crusaders' march, and how their small group had managed to infiltrate the Gray Garrison, meeting yet another new friend. Before finally...
"...I remember there being a flash of light when I touched the menhir with the rod. For a moment, I thought I had killed us all. But in reality we had just been taken... somewhere else. We were shown visions of the past, both our own and the Crusade's. When the visions finally ended, we were returned to the Garrison with more power than I ever believed possible. I felt like I was invincible. It... wasn't until after that power died down that I realized the full repercussions of our actions. That the entire wardstone field had fallen. The city had been saved, but..." Ehren bites his lip, having difficulty choosing the right words. "All of that power is within us now. It is not as strong as it was in that first moment, but I can feel it clinging to my soul. It's a part of me now, of all of us. In spite of the consequences, we were given this power for a reason, and..."
He abruptly stops, realizing how long he must have been walking and talking for. A grimace touches his mouth. "I never have been a very good storyteller, have I?" he asks sheepishly. And that wasn't even the half of it.
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Despite what he's saying, Ary calmly sits, eating the bread in pulled off chunks while he explains. She grimaces slightly when he says the temple was empty and robbed - which meant they had people in town with foreknowledge of the attack... and that they'd likely been after another sacred artifact of some sort. The grimace becomes a frown when he mentions dealing with someone named Sovereign... either insane, or their parents had high expectations, indeed. She nods while he finishes off by talking about the devils. She wasn't at all a fan, and she was actually decently capable of identifying those as well... but she also recognized that unlike demons, devils had a stake in keeping the world... existing. She was glad she didn't have to deal with it personally, all the same. All the while, she continued eating the bread. If she was going to be in the trap, she might as well get what she came for.
Ary's eyes move to Isilme as she begins to debrief her, as she continues to slowly pick bread off of the loaf, move it to her mouth, and eat it. She nods as they finish. "So... just checking everything off. Died in vain, robbed temple, greedy trader, ran into not one but two squads who should have been in the action but weren't, convinced both to come with you, aside from the leader of one, found Ehren's father in the capital of Mendev, found Sosiel, made a new friend -" this is followed by a smirk, remembering snippets of Valaria's tale that she'd mostly tuned out., "Who traffics in devils, ruined a coward's life, and then brought us back to life. All in three days. I should take a vacation more often." she says, with a self-deprecating grin.
"I heard about your temple... and I'm sorry for that. But there's something that might be incredibly important that I need to ask you - Did your temple have any holy artifacts in their possession, especially weapons? It doesn't matter whether they had magic now or not, but if they once did - a blade wielded by a hero is the most likely target - then there's a good chance the same fate that nearly befell Radiance may have resulted in the ransacking..."
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To Lord Gwerm,
I apologize for ceasing correspondence... I had intended to send a letter once I had reached Nerosyan to keep you up to date on those things that had happened... but they seem decidedly less important now. While we did discover an energy similar to the ley that is able to destroy demons, like what happened with the wardstones (meaning that perhaps we can unleash them again - only more offensively), we failed to recover the prophecy... the original intention of our trek into the Worldwound.
The reason why they seem less significant is because the few weeks that transpired seem like a lifetime ago to me... everything is different now. While stories of my demise were not exaggerated, it helps to have good friends - Four of us, plus another who we met along the way fell to Hezrou while trying to defend a Church of Shelyn - Nerosyan was struck by demons in short order after our arrival. Now... I'm different than I was before. I feel as though I even think differently. I'm also a half-elf, apparently. Half-drow from the looks of it.
We haven't gotten our next orders yet... nor have I debriefed any any technical sense of the term. We were dead for three days, so I don't doubt you've already heard... given the fact that our reputation precedes us. Three days in Heaven was more like a lifetime.
How have things gone in Kenabres since our departure? How is your manor and staff holding up?
Your Friend,
Ary Bishop
P.S. Would it be possible for you to relay this information to Irabeth Tirablade?
P.P.S. Please send diamonds.
Gilas listens to Ehren's tale silently, beaming with quiet pride as he listens to Ehren tell stories of his triumphs, and frowning as he recounts stories of his failures. As he finishes, Gilas gives him a piercing sort of stare, as if he were gazing into his very soul... He looks away, nodding.
"I see. I believe you did the right thing - who knows what the demons would have done had they accessed the ley at Kenabres.... the flow of the Green is so strong there, so close to the surface..." He smiles at him.
"When you experienced those visions at your initiation we knew that you were chosen for some greater purpose. It is no coincidence that you were in Kenabres on that day, or that you were the one to sever the menhir from the ley. I can see its influence on you, and on your friends. There is something incredible at work, here."
"It's a shame, though. Centuries of memories, our people's history, lost forever."
Sosiel and Aron sit at a small table together, enjoying a peaceful lunch of roasted sausage and beets. They're so engrossed in one another it takes them a moment to realize Ary is calling for them -
"Captain Bishop!" Aron says. "I'm sorry, we'll be right there." They move over to the trio, pulling their chairs over with them. Sosiel smiles politely at Markus and Isilme.
"Lady Isilme, I saw your performance at The Sleeping Maiden the other night. It was very entertaining - you're a gifted storyteller," He then turns to Markus. "Lieutenant Markus," he adds. "You were invaluable at the infirmary yesterday. I've never seen an arcanist so adept with healing magic!"
Sosiel frowns as Ary explains her concerns. "Actually, yes - a beautiful glaive, adorned with silken ribbons that went by the name the Blade of Three Fancies. It isn't really for combat, though, it's used in ceremonial dances done in honor of the Eternal Rose. I really have no idea what cultists would want with such a weapon."
"But ultimately, things can be replaced. Speaking of, if any of you are free this afternoon, we could use some help washing the hezrou stench out of the temple, still," he says with a small smile.
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Hinagiku nods in appreciation to Valaria's vote of confidence. The woman was glad to have people she could count on for more than just battles.
"I see." she answers softly while thinking of what to say next. Having some troubles finding the right words, Hinagiku sits on her bed thoughtful.
"Miss Valaria, I cannot ease this pain you have. All I have are these few words, and, if you ever feel lonely again, left by your friends, I hope you may recall them and they might comfort you." she pauses for a moment "I have pledged the rest of my life to the task of healing this wound in the world, so I cannot promise I will live forever. Passing again is ... almost assured. However, I .... I know now that... my soul is bound to the very essence of the world. When I was ... gone... I returned to this essence which pervades everything that surrounds us. Thus, I shall always be somewhere close to you. It is not much, but it is all I can offer." she finishes with difficulty, the subject of her death still being a hard thing to discuss.