Ayesha followed Sarkast and Dejik into the dining room - more of a hall, really - and found the rat there, dead.
"Thank you, Nilus. Be careful! I believe these rats have been tainted by demonic power!"
She looks at the remaining rat outside, as she continues to hum and dance. She lifts herself up into a pirouette, her form shimmering and blurring for just a second. Stepping behind Nilus, she pulls out her crossbow.
To Dejik
The rat makes a noise that sounds something like "bwerp" and its eyes cross as a flash of bright colours appears in its face.
'Jinxx there is another one of those foul beasts out here'
Hearing Ronans call Jinxx runs back out to where Ronan is. Sees the rat and bites down hard on the rats head.
Jinxx leaps upon the rat, and a loud, sickening crunch sounds out as he kills it instantly.
End of Combat
Horgus looks down with wide eyes at the pulped rat head and the wound on his arm before letting out a long groan.
"This is what I come back to. Well... the manor stands yet."
With a wince, Horgus looks over his shallow wound before he climbs down from the table. He looks at Sarkast evenly.
"I don't like you, Kellid. And you like me less. But I'm alive and you had no reason to save me. Now let's see if the bastards got into my vault. All of the help, gone! The moment a giant demon attacks the city they loot my house and flee for the hills. Pah."
Still muttering, Horgus stomps off to an adjoining room. A shout of joy comes from the next room, followed by the clicks of several locks opening. Horgus returns shortly thereafter with several bags of money. He looks over the assembled group, and inhales deeply before speaking.
"Of course you recognized my importance immediately, but still, you did a most adequate job of getting me safely to the surface. Above average, even." He proceeds to hand out bags of money. He looks at Sarkast evenly.
"I sincerely hope I never meet you again." To Nilus and Dejik, he offers smaller bags of money. "For your completely acceptable, if short-term service."
Finally, he stops at Ayesha, awkwardly trying to show sentiment whilst covering it up with self-aggrandizement. "You're the only one here who recognized my worth and importance and defended it. Take this, there's nobody here who can use it." He hands Ayesha a spectacular gold necklace, inlaid with sapphires.
"I'm home. My vault is secure and well-provisioned, so I will stay here. Goodbye. Go kill some demons."
Dejik pats Jinx on the head . What a good...boy? I guess? Here, let me fix that for you.
Sarkast accepts the money with a nod. "Despite your unfortunate attitude toward others, you are at least a man of your word. I wish you well, and if you find yourself in danger not of your own doing, I will do what I can to assist you."
As the party gathers outside Gwerm's house, Sarkast considers the various destinations.
"I do not know this city well ... which of these places is closest to our current location?"
Nilus feels awkward accepting money for doing the right thing.... Thank you Lord Gwerm, I urge you to consider joining us when we find the remainder of the Crusaders in the city. We could use your resources in combating the demons.
Ayesha blushed as Horgus Gwerm singled her out for special attention. She took the necklace and thought to herself, Why single me out for common courtesy and a little diplomacy? Aloud she said, "I am just glad we managed to escort you safely to your home. Good luck with the rebuilding. I am sure we will meet again."
Once outside with the others, she quickly stuffed the necklace into her pack, determined to sell it at the first opportunity and split the proceeds with the others.
Anevia and Aravashnial have fairly formal goodbyes, and Aravashnial can be heard muttering "twit" on his way out. Anevia limps over to Sarkast.
"I know the city better than most. Here..."
She begins drawing in the dirt with her crutch. She draws a large semicricle with an X in the top and bottom of the semicircle.
"We are here," she taps the southern X. "In the outer circle of Kenabres; the gate district. Defender's Heart is in this district - a goodly ways north. But that may be our only place to rest. My house is directly on the way there. You know my opinion."
"That said, we are very close to Nyserian Manor and Blackwing, both are southwest of here. We can investigate a safehouse and take Aravashnial to Blackwing. So..."
Hearing the conversation, Aravashnial has moved over, carefully navigating his way with his staff.
"Well it's obvious then! We investigate Blackwing, knock over a safehouse, and then travel north to Defender's Heart and the other safe houses." He smiles. "Good, this is coming together nicely. Horgus is gone, and I'm that much closer to finding a cleric who can get me my eyesight back."
Bellis accepts the coin. "Thank you, m'lord. May Shelyn bless your quest to return this place and this city to its original splendor."
During the short time she walks in the Gwerm manor, Bellis reflexively waltzes and traipses her way around, humming lightly to herself. Dust and rubble clears itself away, curios right themselves, and stains disappear with her passing.
As they leave, Bellis turns to Anevia. "You're the one with Irabeth, correct? I hope we find her, we need all the help we can get in this place. I'm wondering, though, if there's a cleric who can restore Aravashnial's sight, could not the cleric also restore your leg?"
Shaking her head, looking around, and not really talking to anyone, she muses, "So much restoration needed. No. I won't stop. We will rebuild. The demons won't win. They can't win."
"Good Anevia, as much as I hate to impose on your wounded leg any more, it does seem that if the Defender's Heart is our final destination, it would be best to drop Aravashnial off at Blackwing, and then head north. His injuries, after all, severely compromise his ability to defend himself, and getting him to a place of safety seems the best course. I know you are worried about your wife, but surely a little longer...?" she trailed off hopefully. It wasn't that she particularly wanted to delay Anevia's return home, but getting rid of the blasted conjurer as soon as possible sounded the best choice.
"We have been on the move for quite sometime now and fought our way to here, I'm all for having a rest and be fresh for the next fight."
.
Dejik cleans and binds Horgus's wound, checking to make sure it isn't infected with some demonic form of filth fever. . That should be healed by morning. m'lord.
Dejik collects her arrows, then she checks Horgus's pantry and food stores. If any of the food is on the verge of spoiling, she purifies it. When the group decides where to go, Dejik quickly finishes whatever task she's on.
Horgus is grumpily pleased by the prestidigitation spell. His parting words are:
"If you can take a rat corpse out when you leave it'd be the least you can do!"
Anevia simply sighs and nods at Ayesha. "The city is too dangerous to hop from place to place. We need to investigate these safe houses. Honestly, if Irabeth is safe, she is safe. If she's not..."
Anevia trails off uncomfortably, and begins to limp off after the party, also uncomfortably.
The group take off to the southwest, with Anevia giving directions. Aravashnial talks happily, likely because he is unable to see the desolation around him.
"I forget some of you are new here. Blackwing, or the Libarium of the Broken Black Wing is the greatest library in Avistan on demonology. It was founded by old Quednys Orlun; his research and spellcasting have been invaluable in the crusades. Also it boasts one of the finest collections of what are effective severed demon parts. Talons, fangs, claws, wings, whatever they could get their hands on."
Blackwing is also the local headquarters of the Riftwardens. A mysterious, and semi-secretive group of arcane casters who are dedicated to preserving the fabric of reality and closing portals between planes.
Anevia begins to speak up as well, but Aravashnial quickly silences her.
"Trust me. I know more about this than you do." Too tired and hurt to argue, Anevia falls into a sullen silence at Aravashnial's curt reply.
As the group pick their way through the streets. They begin to make their way southwards. Human voices begin to carry through the air amidst the occasional sound of destruction. Rounding a corner, the party see in front of them a ruined shrine of Sarenrae. Kneeling in front of it is a weeping woman, surrounded by three human knights in battered armour. Their faces are sooty and grim, and their eyes burn with feverish light.
One of the knights, a human woman whose face is covered in fresh scars, says to the kneeling woman,"Your sacrifice aids the cause of good!" She makes a slow, ornate display of drawing her sword.
Seeing the weeping woman, Sarkast moves forward and calls out, "When is slaying person who does not resist ever in the cause of good? Stay your hand and explain yourselves!"
Nilus, not understanding what is happening here, walks forward a short distance uses his power to Detect Evil on the crowd.
Friends, what is this?
Ayesha moved up with Sarkast, spreading apart so that they cannot be taken in a single attack. Her eyes are hard as she glares at the men. She does not speak, but the rasp of her black scimitar clearing its scabbard rings loudly in the ruined street.
Tugging lightly on Anevia's tunic, Bellis adds, "If it's any consolation, I haven't heard any rumors of Irabeth's passing. And that's the sort of rumor that would spread quickly. I trust she is safe."
Coming upon the scene with the knights and woman, Bellis stays silent, trusting in Nilus' judgment in this case.
Ronan and Jinxx follow closely, Ronan pulls his crossbow around for ready use if needed. 'Jinxx, be ready if things go badly here.'
The knight wielding the sword looks up, her eyes bright and somewhat unfocused.
"Leave us! We must do the work of good here before it is too late! Take one more step and we shall know you are with the demon."
The kneeling woman lets out a shriek.
"HELP ME! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING!"
She gets knocked to the ground with a mailed fist by one of the knights. He leans in, snarling at her.
"Silence, your mewling cur! I can see the evil in your eyes."
A plaintive, mournful look crosses Bellis' eyes. "Oh, my poor good sirs... we have all lost so much..."
Staying back, she pulls out her fiddle and starts to play. A hauntingly sad, but hopeful tune fills the air as she sways to the sound.
"I know, we look around, we see despair everywhere. Everything we believe in, it stands in ruins around us. But although we may be hurt, broken, we see nothing but destruction around us... we are still alive. We are not destroyed. Our oaths inform us. Our training guides us. And it is our resolve that will bring us triumph. We are not defending these walls. These statues, beautiful they may be, are not our priority. Our priority is the defense of every heart. The inspiration of our souls. The love we show each other. That is the treasure the demons loathe, that joy they can never experience. That is what we are charged to defend, protect, and let flourish."
Looking up at the knights with large, child-like eyes, Bellis finishes, "Please, good sirs, remember your oaths. Remember your training. Look inside yourselves and find that love. Then look again. Look into this woman's eyes. Tell me, do you still see the evil?"
Dejik moves up next to Nilus. There are many ways to purge evil, friend, and death is not always effective. Let me examine her.
Dejik raises her hand and calls out, Iomedae, reveal the evil here!
Sarkast listens and watches as the young bard speaks to the knights. He slowly and carefully places his free hand on his dagger.
Nilus says incredulously With the demons? By the Beautiful Rose man, look at us! he gestures to his group I have slain more demons these past three days than I had ever seen in all my previous years. Do not do something that will stain your soul....you and she do not deserve that fate. Nilus drops his Glaive so as to appear less threatening then moves slowly forward. Look at me, I serve the Eternal Rose, do you not see her sigul upon me? Do I not carry her blessed weapon? I sense no evil among you, you have not crossed into the dark path. Please sir, stay your blade for all that is beauteous in this dark time. Stay your blade. Nilus continues walking forward slowly with his palms upraised.
You recognize them as crusaders from the order of the Flaming Lance. They appear to be a cut above common footsoldiers, as they are quite well-armed.
The group move forward, pleading their case and showing the quite obvious evidence that they are on the side of good. However, their words fall flat. The knights are too far gone.
"It's a trick, they are cultists in friendly guise!" shouts the female knight. "They know that by bathing our sword in the blood of a virgin we will create a demon-slaying weapon they cannot counter. ATTACK!"
At her call, three knights emerge from the building to the north, bright-eyed and ready for combat! The female knight turns down to the weeping woman on the ground, and swings for her neck.
Bellis
Nilus
Aravashnial
Sarkast
---
Square
Circle
Plain
---
Anevia
Ronan
Jinxx
---
Triangle
Cross
X
---
Dejik
Ayesha
Nilus will charge the blade swinger attempting to tackle her to the ground!
Keeping up her fiddling, Bellis calls out, "No!" Her song skips a beat before continuing.
Sarkast sees the knight begin to swing, and springs into action. Dropping his pack, he runs between two of the knights to get behind them. He then reaches for the prone woman, attempting to move her to safety.
Sarkast leaps past the stunned knight, grabbing the women by the hand and yanking her out of place, placing him in the path of the sword instead.
Roaring a battle cry, the knights by the woman retaliate, striking at Sarkast and Nilus.
Two move up to flank Nilus, and a beautiful swing manages to score a shallow wound on the paladin. Sarkast manages to dodge the attack targeted at him.
Jinxx makes a low growl and charges in to the fight, biting at the Knight(square).
Ronan takes a moment and casts Grease on the weapon of the Knight (square) Jinxx just attacked. Then gets ready with his crossbow.
Anevia and Aravashnial keep close to the building, moving to its edge.
Although the knight's weapon becomes slick, he manages to hold on to it.
The three knights emerging from the building wade into the fray, drawing their swords. Two move to engage Nilus and Dejik respectively, while one more manages to move up to Nilus and swing.
"They've brought a demon with them!" one shouts, pointing at Jinxx. "Destroy the interlopers!"
Nilus spins to the side to avoid a nasty swing for the collarbone, and finds himself surrounded. The woman the knights were accosting shouts a thank you to Sarkast as she flees southwards to hide behind some ruined merchant stalls.
Bellis
Nilus (4 damage)
Aravashnial
Sarkast
---
Square
Circle
Plain
---
Anevia
Ronan
Jinxx
---
Triangle
Cross
X
---
Dejik
Ayesha
Dejik steps beside Knight X, draws her long sword, and attacks him. If you want a demon-slaying sword, try mine!
Sarkast steps nimbly to the side while drawing his dagger. "Why are you doing this? We are trying to help the people of the city after the attack. We do not wish to harm you!"
He spins his spear around and jabs the butt end at the nearest knight.
Dejik engages with the knight, who looks astonished at an obviously blind person making a nice thrust. However, he still easily parries.
Sarkast slams his spear into a hole in the knight's cracked helmet. His eyes roll back, and he slumps unconscious to the ground.
Nilus, being completely surrounded and weaponless will take total defense action.
You can defend yourself as a standard action. You get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round. Your AC improves at the start of this action. You can't combine total defense with fighting defensively or with the benefit of the Combat Expertise feat. You can't make attacks of opportunity while using total defense.
"If bathing your sword in the blood of a virgin is what you are after, then turn it on yourself!" Ayesha was so enraged by the stupidity of the knights that she was a little slower off the mark than her companions. Her killing strike was aimed for the throat of the nearest man.