It was only a few days. But it had felt like much longer. The horrifying discovery under the basement of the burnt out orphanage, the vicious plant attacks in the forest, Jeva's betrayal, the long oppressive corridors of the undertemple dedicated to the evil dwarven god Droskar, the even longer rough hewn tunnels of the kobold warren. All of these things wore on you despite the successful outcome of your trip. Each one of you fall into a long dreamless sleep. Albus in the lonely family home, Aelerie cradled in the arms of her mother, Laro in his small apartment, Javell in his customary room in the Jak'A'Naps inn which he uses on the rare occassions he isn't settling down in the wild, and Virdel in his stuffy family manor room.
News of the rescue of the five children of the village from dark kobold magic by local heroes spreads while you sleep. Kimi is the most talkative focusing on your exploits, Hollin isn't further behind with tales of his longer capture and the evil of the now dead Kobold King and Shaman. Mikra, Jurin, and Savra on other hand aren't seen. Being kept safe by protective parents no doubt.
The next day dawns. You learn from the awed townsfolk that the trading caravan that had arrived a little while ago still had not left, though it was going to be packing up to leave soon. If it does then you'll have to trek to the nearest large settlement to make use of the items you recovered from underneath the old abandoned temple of Torang...
The next morning, Aelerie wakes to an empty bed, hearing her mother moving about in the kitchen. Sitting up, she tries to rub the sleep and remnants of last night's tears from her eyes. She had fallen into her mother's arms as soon as she opened the door, exhausted and sore from the journey and incredibly happy to be home. But soon enough, her elation turned to sadness as her mother's probing questions churned up memories she'd sooner forget. After sobbing her way through a discussion on the nature of good and evil, Aelerie had fallen asleep to her mother's soft reassurances that she was still a good person.
"Morning, Mama," Aelerie manages to chime cheerily despite her voice still being hoarse from her earlier upset. Forgoing breakfast, Aelerie dips a rag into a pail of clean water and freezes the square of fabric solid with a word of Sylvan. That was one good thing, she supposed, that came out of their recent trials. At least her magic was becoming easier to control.
Clearing her throat, she informs her mother of the day's plans while she holds the frozen rag under her eyes in an attempt to reduce their puffiness. Her friends didn't need to see the evidence of her tears. "...And then I should really stop by the store and let Master Hildrensocks know that I'm back. But I'll be home for lunch!" Aelerie promises as she grabs her knapsack and heads out the door.
Albus, on seeing the town rise out of an evening fog, nearly collapses with relief. The kids are safe. They are swept up in the town's cheering but a few surly men of the Lumber Consortium glower at the spontaneous show of support for the Heroes of the Vale. He spares a few brief word with the Sheriff, warning of a werewolf on prowl and promising a full report the next day. After a bit he collapses at his humble home.
Albus wakes with Whisper licking his face. The weight of the recent events cause him to shudder for minutes before Whisper barking forces him to soldier on. He washes up cleaning his clothes as false dawn gives way to sunrise. Finishing his morning grooming and looking unreasonably presentable, given all that has happened, feeds and plays with his furry friend for a short while. Checking the sun he notes that service at the church of Iomedae will start soon for the few parishioners here. He heads towards the church.
As he passes to the town just as it starts to awaken, Albus moves swiftly to avoid too much attention. He sees Aelerie pop from her home, so he greets her. "'Morning Aelerie, I'm on the way to services, I suppose you need to go to work now but you're welcome to come as well." Albus tone is friendly but is a bit subdued.
Laro wakes up in his small apartment and stretches. It feels like it's been ages since he slept in a nice bed, or even a not so nice bed. He putters around a bit while munching on some breakfast and talks to himself, "What to do today? First, I think I'll not go to work. I've done enough work the last few days. I know I'll head out and find my new friends and see what we are going to do with the stuff we found." With that Laro heads out to look for his friends.
"Morning Albus," Aelerie returns the greeting with a restrained smile. One that promptly falls to be replaced with a look of confused introspection at the woodsman's invitation. Truth be told, in all the years of her living in Falcon's Hollow, the arcanist was never a regular fixture at church services. While she was never one to deny the existence of the divine—there was too much evidence to the contrary for that—as hard as life in the Hollow could be at times, Aelerie had trouble believing that the Gods were anything more than beings so removed from the world's problems that they couldn't be bothered to intervene in mortal affairs.
Or at least, she had believed as much until she had felt Torag's divine light wash over her in the abandoned monastery. After that, it was hard not to notice the God's benevolent hand guiding them throughout the entire endeavor.
"You know what, I think I will join you," Aelerie says after much deliberation, falling into step beside Albus with a slight smile. "I was planning to visit the trading caravan first thing, but I suppose it can wait." And who knows? Perhaps in Lady Cirthana's words she would find a bit of the absolution she so desperately sought the night before. "About how long do services usually run?" she asks innocently as the pair make their way down the street.
Laro's apartment is actually quite close to Jak'A'Napes and so runs into Javell quite quickly. They greet each other and set out to find the others and find Albus, Aelerie and Whisper. It seems like they might be going to the small church in town for services.
Albus is the only one who is really devoted to Iomedae (and Erastil as well) but the rest of the group decides to go with him so they can decide what they're going to do next as a group.
The church is a roughly hewn building much like the rest of Falcon's Hallow. The ceaseless efforts of the very devoted acolytes does mean that the intersection the church sits on is cleaner than the rest of the town and regularly repainted. Until recently this was the most impressive thing the Church had been able to accomplish as the hostile attitude of the Lumber Constortium towards The Inheritor and her devoted limited the influence of the church and Lady Cirthana, the cleric of Iomedae in charge of it.
Recently however the actions of Albus, a known devotee of The Lady of the Sword, in helping cure the town of the Blackscour Taint plague has increased the statue of the church and the more respectable members of town have started to attend services. Especially since The Lumber Consortium itself was conspicously absent in trying to help the suffering townsfolk.
The spreading word that Albus along with his friends just saved five children of the willage from foul kobolds in a temple to a Dark Dwarven God will certainly help as well.
The acolytes spot Albus coming from a mile away. The whole group are becoming storied heroes of the town and the church is definitely the locus of Albus' fame in the village. No matter what he may think of that fact.
Inside the group finds the Lady and her acolytes setting up for the early morning service. The Lady smiles warmly at the group. She most probably does not know Laro or Javell but word travels fast and being in the company of Astiranna and Albus especially is enough to get into her good books.
Mikra's family comes in right before the sermon itself starts. The town butcher has been coming to Iomedae's service for as long as Albus can remember. Since it's started to become fashionable to do so, Kimi's mother has been attending sporadically as well. Mikra smiles shyly at his rescuers while Kimi grins widely and waves.
The sermon itself is brief. The Lady Cirthana knows that her hold over the townsfolk isn't strong enough to subject them to very long sermons.
Corbin Jabbs, Mikra's father, comes up and gladhands Laro, Javell, and Albus and makes an awkward bow towards Astrianna. He promises them free meat from his shop for the rest of their lives in gratitude.
Kintai Eavewalker, gives the group individual hugs. She does seem to linger in her appreciative grasp of Albus and Javell. As she steps back she promises that she would be happy to show her appreciation of the group in any way they wish. Kimi, while happy to see Javell again seems to glower at her mother.
As this is going on and the other service attendees line up also to greet the heroes an acolyte comes up and says the Lady wishes to see the group in her chamber.
The well wishers and hangers on look impressed!
Albus grins at Aelerie when she agrees to go to services, "Usually not very long, maybe half an hour, this is a laboring town after all, the Lady knows that people have little time to spare."
After that positive spin on Lady Cirthana's practicality, the others join them and Albus is happy that they all are willing to attend. Then they are swept up in greeting various well-wishers, double so after the services are concluded. At first he seems a bit confused by Kintai, then seeing Kimi's glower, is careful not to understand.
An acolyte comes up to request they meet with Lady Cirthana and Albus says, "Blessing of the Inheritor on you, and I'd be delighted to see the Lady." His visage darkens, "There are some matters that need addressing." Albus tone is grim as he says the last.
Aelerie files into one empty row alongside her friends, taking off her satchel and stowing underneath the pew in front of her. It isn't until the sermon begins that she sees the glint of the sacrificial dagger peeking out of the bag and realizes that perhaps the church wasn't the ideal place to bring a knapsack full of potentially evil relics. Hastily, she leans forward in her seat to shove the dagger down to the bottom of the bag before straightening up with a sheepish smile to all the folks in the congregation who might have witnessed her strange behavior.
Aelerie rises and begins to file out with the rest of the parishioners once the service is concluded. And it had been a lovely service, the arcanist had to admit. Not that her expectations had been very high to begin with. After she had begun her studies in magic, Aelerie had developed something of an irrational fear that her attendance at church would end in the Lady Cirthana leaning over the pulpit to denounce her as a witch and a heretic. And so, the day's sermon can be considered no less than a lovely one given the troubling alternative Aelerie had envisioned.
With her mind focused back on the rest of the day's tasks, it takes Aelerie a few moments to realize the slow shuffle out of the church doors has suddenly halted. Brought abruptly back to the present, she blinks owlishly as Mister Jabbs comes up to them and expresses his gratitude. While the events of the past few days still weigh heavily on her mind, it's almost as if she has forgotten about the part where they had rescued the town's children as she briefly wonders what Corbin is so thankful for. Once she remembers, she gives the man a kindly smile. She hadn't gone after the children for the gratitude, but because it was the right thing to do. Of course, that didn't seem to stop their parents from expressing their thanks anyway. She demurs at the butcher's offer of free meat for life, promising him that it was no trouble and thanking him for his generosity. She returns Kintai's hug awkwardly, not having expected the gesture, and blushes heavily when the woman offers to express her gratitude to the men in a more intimate way. In a church, no less!
By the end of all this, Aelerie was almost relieved when the acolyte informs them that Lady Cirthana wished to speak with them. Almost. At Albus's dark tone and ominous words, Aelerie turns her head to regard him with a furrowed brow. What matters do we have to address with the Church, she wants to ask but thinks better of it with so many parishioners still in earshot. Instead, she turns back to the acolyte and nods for them to lead the way.
I hope the Lady doesn't do her denouncing in private...
The group is ushered into the back room where Lady Cirthana has her small room. It's only a little more elaborate than the rest of the homely church.
Welcome, welcome the cleric welcomes the group as her acolytes rush to drag in enough charis for the group. The room is really only big enough to accommodate one or two visitors and the party, even without Whisper, has to squeeze in.
Tea for our guests she says sending the acoltyes off in a hurry when everyone is settled in. She turns towards all of you with a smile. She is an elegant lady, dressed in robes that are modest but well cut. A simple circle on her brow is where she wears the sword that is her holy symbol of Iomedae.
Albus it is always good to see you in a house of The Inheritor. Your acts glorify her as well as Erastil and we can only thank you for your service to them as well as Falcon's Hollow. And so good of you for the rest of your friends to come as well. We are honoured to host all the heroes of the Vale. The rescue of the five wayward children was a glorious and worthy act.
Having given the heroes the praise that were their due she continues It would be good for me to know what exactly occurred. I keep petitioning the main cathedrals to send more of our representatives to this corner of Andoran and knowing what you faced can't help but bolster my case.
Laro looks around the small room and wonders if he is the most comfortable one there. He then says, "Nice service and thank you for the tea. Let's see, there's a young werewolf on the loose, we killed a man eating plant, a buuuuuuuunch of kobolds, an undead dwarf thingy and a cube of jello. I don't recommend eating the jello, it might end up eating you. We found a disused shrine to Torag and the basement was a temple to an evil dwarf god. Now, what did I forget." He then looks at his companions.
"Hmm.... Let's see. The torture chamber in the old burned orphanage, the werewolf, the carnivorous vine, Torag somehow increasing my power from Desna, the undead dwarf, the kobolds, that weird cube, the kobolds, that sacrifice, the children.... That's about it, I think. Though you did forget to mention the book of Sarenrae we found in the cellar with the spiders." Javell speaks up, thinking back on the last couple of days.
Albus nods at the others statements. "The masters have summarized the events, however context and detail for some of them are important. To start I'm worried about those stirges encounters they seem prevalent ..." Albus gives a report on the stirges attacks in detail, "Then of course there is the tragic tale of Jeva tortured by a misguided women of good reputation into pain, madness and evil because of a doom that fell upon her ... " Albus explains that horror, tears in his eyes by the end of it. "-So what I wanted to know is if there is any hope to undo her curse of the werewolf on here and return her to sanity or is she forever lost and we must find and destroy her for the good of all. Your guidance is most needed here." Albus looks at the Priestess with great appeal.
After here response Albus continues the tale. Recounting the minor adventures in modest detail but detailing the interventions of what he believes is Torag. He related the tale of Glintaxe, most likely Druingar the Glintaxe who came and disappeared years ago. He concludes the tail with, "My desire is to locate his heirs for this armor and axe that I have here but some of the others believe we should claim it for ourselves as salvage. Finalizing that discussion has yet to take place."
"Later we took Kobold prisoners that proved unreliable, and found the first of the children Kimi and Mikra ..." Albus relates further adventures talking heavily about the lack of trust the kobolds had for them and how it did not work to the vicious little creatures advantage. Still they did get useful information.
"Master Laro rescued Savra from a tomb full of undead; they are still there, an offense to the gods, but we had to stay on mission." Albus says sadly.
Ablus quickly goes through the tale of the whiny mystic pointing out the strains in the order of the vicious kobold society as it appears to be breaking down with trouble for all.
Albus relate the battle of ghouls and some Kingsguard on the way to true evil. "We encountered a hellish smoke filled cavern with a demon dog and ... much worse." He shudders at the fight against the evil demon dwarf and its terrifying but just end. "My prayer worked and with the aid of the gods the chain was broken. Aelerie told be later that it's infernal hammer has become blessed but we seem to have little need of it and I believe it should be sold to others better able to make use of it and to give our stalwart companions a just reward for their sacrifices."
Albus relates further trials of a purely physical nature then on the grand finish with Great King Merlokrep and his shaman. "So after the last child we left the Kobold realm in ruins. Aelerie says the great king's ax is not evil but I have no use for a one handed ax and ... well I'm a bit afraid of it, it feels... hungry."
After a long exposition Albus seems a bit tired.
Iomedae protect us! Lady Cirthiana finally says after Laro, Javell, and Albus have their say Many would have fallen to the first of those evils let alone persevered all the way through to the other side of the Vale and down to the depths of the earth to bring those children back. The four of you are certainly worthy of being named Heroes of this village.
After a moment of processing everything she's heard she begins to answer Albus.
Striges:
I have heard of the bloodsucking beasts as well myself. They are a scourge, but a natural one, so I am certain that those of you with wilderness skills may be able to track the infestation to its source.
Jeva:
Jeva... oh that poor child. Her family were regular attendees of the sermons. If we had known that she had been infected by the lunar curse we would never have sent her to the orphanage. And oh poor Elara! if she hadn't been so infuriatingly self reliant. If she had only come to us, or to anyone in town for help dealing with a were infected child.
Lycanthropy is a curse that affects everyone differently. From what you describe I fear that Jeva is one who has embraced the foul curse and has willingly become a monster to be put down rather than one who can be saved. She used her human form to lure you into a trap with your guard down after all.
Dwarves:
A hammer blessed by Torag no doubt! Droskar is a vile deity and it must have pleased The Father of DwarvenKind to have begun the process of cleansing a place that was holy to him of that taint. As for that and other matters, I believe the trading caravan has a dwarven merchant. I would ask him any questions you might have. The caravan is the only place where you would be able to sell the items you salvaged from your expedition. Unless you go to the Lumber Consortium but as I am sure I do not have to tell you, those people are not to be trusted.
Hearing Lady Cirthiana insult the Lumber Consortium Laro chimes up with "You only know the half of it." and smiles knowingly. He then says "I assume you mean present company excluded of course."
The Lady's expression falters a bit at Laro's comment Ah of course. Of course. I suppose it is no secret that your employers are quite hostile to us in the Church of The Inheritor.
Albus seems even more troubled by the Lady's response. "Lady Cirthiana, I believe I may not have spoken clearly enough. Jeva did not really choose to embrace her condition, she was literally tortured into it. To be precise Elara, the adult, choose to bind this helpless trusting child to a table then inflicted tortures worthy of a Asmodean interrogator, in the misguided belief of helping, while saying prayers to Sarenrae the Dawnflower. Those tortures would have broken most stout-hearted warriors. I understand the one must not let the misfortunes of the world justify sin but I fail to see the justice, the Inheritor's justice, in forsaking this broken child. Of course, I'll be guided by your wisdom." Albus seems on the verge of tears.
The Lady steeples her fingers and looks straight at Albus. I knew Elara personally Albus, and she was naught but a wonderful woman who wanted the best for her charges. Many of our small congregation here in the Hollow are former wards of hers who were only able to live good and virtuous lives in this harsh place because of her loving care at times when they had nothing and no one left in the world to care for them.
She shakes her head as she continues I heard the recent rumours of screams coming from the orphanage before it burned as did everyone else but now that I think on it these only started when Jeva was sent there. In the many years before there was nothing but good heard of Elara. Based on that my suspicion falls on there be something wrong with the new addition to Elara's Halfway House rather than Elara herself.
She reaches out across her narrow desk to grip Albus on the shoulder Now only the Lady of the Graves, who has judged Elara, knows for certain what Elara's intentions were. But whether Jeva embraced the evil of the wolfcurse before her torture or after does not matter to her intentions now. Iomedae calls on us to be strong and do the right thing now and the people of the Vale must be protected from the monster.
Of course redemption is one way of doing so and if you wish to pursue it then I will support you in that decision but even a most powerful cleric, which I am not, can only cure lycanthropy within three days of infection and that has long passed for Jeva. The only other possibility I am aware of is wolfsbane which may cure here but will definitely poison her. And I wonder, Albus, if you are able to capture Jeva, then how will you get her to eat this poison in the cage you confine her to? What method would you use that would not at least in some way resemble what you found in the burned ashes of the orphanage?
Aelerie listens without comment as the conversation begins to touch on topics she'd rather not think about. They couldn't leave Jeva to stalk the Vale, free to wantonly slaughter whoever was unlucky enough to cross her path. That much went without saying. But the morality of the situation was an altogether different question. Were they in the wrong for seeing Jeva as a monster to be slain rather than an afflicted soul to be cured? Was Jeva even able to be redeemed or had the atrocities she committed put her beyond saving? Aelerie is inclined to think 'no' on both accounts, but whether she believes that's true or it's coming from the anger she still feels of her near death at Jeva's claws, not even the arcanist can rightly say.
And then there was Albus. Poor Albus who had his entire family taken away from him, but still wanted to believe that the world was fair and the Gods were just. And as she watches her friend struggle to hold back tears, Aelerie is reminded of the real reason she's never cared to attend services at church.
Despite not wanting to add to her friend's pain, Aelerie ultimately finds herself in agreement with Lady Cirthana. "Albus," she begins gently, laying a hand on the woodsman's knee. "I'm afraid the Lady is right about Jeva. I don't know if you remember, but just before she—" Aelerie's voice breaks and she pauses to clear her throat and rub unconsciously at the scars on her neck and shoulder "—before she attacked me, she bragged about killing the fat one first, before Elara began her ...misguided attempts to cure Jeva." She gives time for her words to stir the group's memory of that terrible night before continuing, "I don't know whether the curse of lycanthropy predisposes someone to violence, but I do know she was a killer before Elara tried to intervene. Jeva's actions might not have been her own on account of her affliction, but I don't think they were the fault of Elara, either. And regardless of any of that, you know she can't be allowed to continue."
After sharing her thoughts on the matter, Aelerie sits back in her chair and takes a deep breath, seeming to come to terms with a difficult decision. "But if you still believe that Jeva can be saved, we'll help you." She looks to Javell and Laro as if asking for their agreement. Turning to the Lady Cirthana, Aelerie says, "I am not without my own magicks, my Lady. I may not be able to break the curse on Jeva, either, but I have ways of ensuring her compliance, or at least her temporary cooperation. If we're able to cure her, another thing to consider would be what happens to her afterward. Would she go to another orphanage in some other town? Should she be jailed for her crimes?" She breaks off then, shaking her head.
"But, I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself."
Aelrie, from her readings knows more than the usual horror stories about lycans. There are two kinds, natural lycanthropes who are born with the condition and afflicted. Natural Lycanthropes are in control of the change while afflicted are usually unaware of their actions when they are involuntarily morphed into an animal or hybrid form on the occasion of the full moon. Most of the scary stories are about this latter kind of Lycanthrope. There are stories of afflicted lycanthropes who are able to recall the change through force of will but here Aelerie's knowledge peters out.
Albus clearly wills himself together, speaking quietly, "For provoking your ire at any slight toward your friend Elara, I apologize. I did but react to the scene so deeply burned in my memory. As to your question I have no answer save that I am trying to do what Elara did not, to seek the council of those wiser than I. While some pain may be needed in order to heal, there are ways to attempt such that do not feel right or just. Perhaps Jeva does need to be destroyed for the good of all, but I am still not sure that all hope is lost. I'll try to find additional council our small community may not have the answers or they may not exist but I must try. Good intentions can lead to dark ends, as has happened but ... I'll pray for a better path and leave it to the gods to provide should they will it."
Albus turns to Aelerie. "Good points all Aelerie, but as to what Jeva said, she said in fury to hurt. Jeva kills someone, then Elara straps her to a table. Jeva said the the first kill was deliberate but then how did Elara capture her? It took all of us just to drive her off. I suspect Jeva at first recoiled from her cursed deed and let herself be 'treated'." Albus sighs, "We'll never know for sure ... if Jeva attacks again I will defend all against her, if successful that will destroy her. But I will first seek a better answer than what we have so far."
Turning back to the Lady, "I do have a boon to ask, I left my medallion of the Inheritor in my mother's grave. If you would provide and bless another for me, I be quite grateful." Albus waits to see if the Lady's temper has cooled.
That is easily done. Lady Crithiana says relieved that the debate on morality had ended peaceably. She opens her desk and retries a silver medallion etched with the stylized sword of The Inheritor. She threads it through a simple chain and hands it to Albus. She murmurs a prayer over it. Repeating the tenants of the paladins of Imoedae before handing it revrently to the ranger. Wear it. May it watch over you as Iomedae watches over us all
Aelerie's lips turn down at the corners in the faintest of frowns as Albus expresses his doubts about the sequence of events precipitating the orphanage fire. It seemed that Albus was willing to give Jeva too much credit, and she herself too little. She doesn't think that the order in which the tragedies took place matters much, but it occurs to her that perhaps it simply matters more to Albus than it does to her. And for that reason, she swallows whatever rebuttal she might have given with the last dregs of her tea and rises from her chair when it seems their conversation with the Lady is at an end. "Thank you for seeing us, Lady Cirthana." Briefly, she considers bowing before leaving but feels the gesture would be strange and empty given her lack of devoutness. Instead, Aelerie settles for a deferential nod. "Oh, and thank you for the tea!"
Outside the Lady's office, Aelerie hastens her pace as she heads toward the exit. "We'd better hurry before the caravan decides to pack up. Goodness knows what the Consortium would do if they found out we had these."
Laro gets up and follows Aelerie out, "That was fun. If that's a serious question Aelerie, they'd insist you sell them to them at a much discounted rate."
"And then find some way to tax us on what we earn from selling it to them in the first place," Aelerie cynically adds, lips pursed in irritation at the unscrupulous practices of the Lumber Consortium. How much better life would be in the Hollow if the Consortium were run by honest people. Her gaze slides down to Laro as they make their to the caravan and her features relax into a soft smile. "I don't know if I've said it before, but I'm glad you're nothing like them."
Laro smiles up at Aelerie, "Thank you! I've worked for their kind before. Always following the strict letter of the law and twisting it to benefit themselves. I can't wait to not have to work for them. I've a feeling that might be soon if we can continue to make some money while helping others."
Albus takes the medallion reverently from Lady Cirthana, kissing it and putting it around his neck as he prays, "May Iomedae guide me ever on the path of justice."
Albus nods at the compliments bestowed on Laro, "Yes, I do thank you Master Laro, you have been a brave, capable and honorable companion. We would not have succeeded without you."
Albus turns to the all saying, "I had intended to see the sheriff next but he isn't going anywhere, so I could go to the fair next and we can get the items traded quickly." Albus will accompany the others.
Javell follows along with the group, rifling through his bag to pull out the shield he'd been carrying for an absurdly long time.
The trading caravan is much as you left it, except that the vendors are in the process of starting to take down their colorful banners. There are far fewer townsfolk around as well, most of the trading that the people needed to do was taken care of in the initial burst of excitement when the caravan had first come in, the first since they had stopped arriving due to the fear of the Blackscour Taint.
The vendors the group had noted from their first time are still the most interesting. There is a tough looking Shoanti woman who seems to specialize in weapons judging by the contents of her stall, A dwarven book merchant in the process of putting his wares back into boxes to load, and the gnome from earlier, Hildrensocks' friend.
"Looks like we just made it," Aelerie comments as the group approaches the caravan. Noticing that the dwarven merchant seemed to be unoccupied at the moment, Aelerie indicates the man with a nod of her head. "Lady Cirthana mentioned that he might know something about locating Glintaxe's heirs, if you wanted to talk to him while we try to sell this stuff," Aelerie mentions to Albus.
"At any rate, we should speak with the weapons merchant first seeing as we have a number of them to sell," the arcanist suggests while heading over to the Shoanti woman's stall before sheepishly adding, "Besides, it could take me a while to finish browsing the gnomish merchant's wares." Master Hildrensock's friend certainly had an impressive array of magical trinkets.
"Good afternoon," Aelerie greets the Shoanti woman politely but with a subdued smile, concerned that her typically sunny disposition might grate on a woman of such a stern mien. Retrieving the sacrificial dagger from her satchel, Aelerie nods to her companions—signalling that they should show the blessed hammer and the battleaxe as well—before looking back to the proprietress. "My friends and I have recently liberated a few artifacts from the local kobold tribe that may be of interest to you..."
Albus nods at Aelerie, saying, "It looks that dwarf merchant will be a while packing so we can take a little while with the barganing. I'm carrying most items for sale anyway. Here we are..." Albus goes with Aelerie.
Liberated Hah! Good word the woman says I am Delga. Kobold weapons? Hah. a bunch of trash. I will give you twenty gold for the lot.
The woman seems jovial but she isn't really bothering to pay much attention to the group to be honest.
While pleasantly surprised by the woman's cheerful disposition—I should know better than to judge a book by its cover—Aelerie's own mood deflates a bit, more because of Delga's inattention than her low-ball offer. Did she even glance at the weapons? Aelerie looks around, trying to figure out what else in the relatively empty space might have caught the arms dealer's interest. Another day, Aelerie would have asked if they had come at a bad time, but knowing that the caravan would be leaving soon meant she couldn't afford to extend that courtesy. And so turning her attention back to Delga, she tries to get the woman to take a closer look at the weapons.
"I can see why you would think that; however, not only are these items in pristine condition, but they're also magical! This hammer, for instance, was crafted from the rare skymetal known as Adamantine and blessed by the Forge Father Himself! And this axe..." She lays a supportive hand on Albus's shoulder, giving the woodsman a brief, rueful look. "This axe is enchanted to be a bane of humankind. One stroke can cleave through a full grown man like softened butter. So, naturally, the further away from kobold hands we can get it, the better," the perhaps too-honest shopkeeper admits.
It is... what? Delga looks closer at the four of you a bit surprised. Here, let me see. she picks up the hammer, followed by the axe and hefts them before placing them back on her counter.
Well made enough for enchantment she mutters to herself. Hoi, Perriwinkle, come here see if these arms be having any magic on them. she calls out to the gnome.
As the gnome you met earlier comes over, the dwarf from the bookstore bustles up.
The Forge Father himself? Har. It be right unlikely that the Father of Creation would have anything to do with a place like this. Why the last time Dwarves had anything to do with the place... Angrad Protect me from the Darkness that be a fine hammer!
The dwarf's demeanor changes in a flash as he grasps the hammer. This is fine work, ancient work! Where by Torag's beard did ya lot get your hands on THIS?
Perriwinkle skips over with a collapsible stool that she unsets and clambers on the top of. She laughs. It's been a long time since I've seen Gorat excited about anything so you must have something that's incredibly incredibly dwarfy. Like dwarfier than a forge steeped in ale under an ancient mountain full of adamantium or something. Hey Delga these are the 'Heroes of the Hollow' I was telling you about. Don't tell me they've found more little trinkets. Heh. Hold on a second let me just. Oh wow. There's a lot of magic around here now. Whaaaaaat? Perriwinkle's attitude changes as she casts a Detect Magic spell. Alright spill it all out. I. Want. To. See. This! she says to the four of you.
Aelerie doesn't argue with Gorat as he voices his doubts about the warhammer, instead letting him examine the weapon for himself and draw his own conclusion. She can see his misgivings start to fade and excitement take over as he holds the blessed hammer in his hands, and a genuine smile lights up her face at the prospect of discussing ancient Dwarven history with the bookseller. "We came across a Forge-Spurned in the caverns beneath the Monastery. After defeating it, Albus here used the hammer to destroy the evil soulchain the undead had been forging. Sometime between then and trying to cleanse the rest of the Monastery, Torag must have given it His blessing."
When Periwinkle comes over, Aelerie's greeting is lost among the gnome's wordy speech. But rather than repeat herself, Aelerie just waits for the trinket collector to finish, chuckling at the way she uses 'dwarf' as an adjective. When Periwinkle stops to ask about the other things they've found, the arcanist nods to her companions before retrieving the sacrificial dagger and crown of the kobold king from her satchel and placing them side-by-side on Delga's stall.
Albus lays down what he is willing to sell. He then points to the dwarf's ax and armor he is carrying and says, "This isn't for sale, I'm trying to find the heirs to these items they are all that is left of a dwarven hero that sadly perished in his noble attempt at freeing the old dwarf monastery from evil." Albus thinks then tells what he knows of Druingar the Glintaxe and his unfortunate fate. Albus concludes with, "So if anyone knows of his family or clan, I'd be grateful for the information." Albus otherwise leaves the bargaining to Aelerie, Laurel has crabbed at him enough for having less bargaining sense than a rock.
A forge spurned! Gorat exclaims Angradd protect us from the vileness of Droskar. the dwarf swears. That is an act worthy of Torag for certain. I'll buy the hammer if yer selling but by the hairs of my beard I wouldn't trade it fer anything in Delga's stall in a thousand years! No offense Delga
Hah. Delga says as she stares daggers at Gorat Let the young man decide for himself what kind of weapon he prefers
As for the armor and axe. When Dwarven heroes set out on a quest no other Dwarf has a claim on their equipment until they comes back with them. What are ye planning to do? Just give thse back to the clan? Torag strike me down but that'd be the greatest of insults. To take charity from a young human? Unasked? The shame of it! I'll pay you a fair price for it and take it with me when I travel next to HighHelm. I should be able to find their clan and, unless they are in dire straits, they will buy it from me for a fair price also to take back to their clanhold. Fair all around and everyone's honour preserved! Gorat says as he continues to examine the hammer This GlintAxe fellow had good instincts when he went out to where ye lot found his remains though. The touch of Torag still lingers eh? Even so long after the Rending and the fall of Tar Khadurrm... I would pay you fine heroes if you would escort me to this place. Say 100 apiece?
You should come back fast Gorat. I know I will not vote to tarry the caravan for you Delga says flatly.
Oohhhhh Drama! Perriwinkle says happily Are you going to let her talk to you like that Gorat!
Now look here Delga I said I meant no insult, this hammer is touched by Torag! You cannot... Gorat starts trying to explain himself to Delga, which does not seem to be going well.
In 3980 AR, Droskar's Crag erupted, destroying Jernashall and its sister city of Raseri Kanton, and forcing many dwarves to flee their ancestral homeland. This event, which became known as the Rending, broke the spirit of the dwarves and marked the beginning of the decline of Tar Khadurrm, as the dwarves fell into apathy and indifference.
King Talhrik the Industrious tried to inject spirit and ethics back into his people, but after his death in 4277 AR, the dwarves once again fractured. Ordrik Talhrik murdered his cousin, Garbold Talhrik, and seized the throne in 4369 AR attempting to create a theocracy. The Forge War raged for 13 years, from 4369 AR to 4382 AR. Generals loyal to the true crown fought to keep their kingdom united, but failed. Ordrik declared himself theocrat and commanded all dwarves to work in Droskar's name.
For nearly 100 years the dwarves of the Five Kings Mountains lost every sense of art and beauty, and their craftsmanship became merely adequate. Many dwarves fled to the other nearby dwarven settlements, as well as settlements in Druma and the Mindspin Mountains. In the end, priests could not maintain their hold on the other dwarves and Ordrik's theocracy crumbled in 4466 AR, with entire settlements abandoned. Some, especially treasure-hungry Pathfinders, believe that many of these dwarves left in such a hurry that they abandoned great wealth that still lies entombed within these abandoned locations
Laro watches the interaction between Delga and Gorat and smiles. When it seems to reach height that might lead to blows he interrupts. "Excuse me! As entertaining as it is to watch you two argue we don't want to get the local authorities involved. I would not mind going back Gorat, it will take some time to get there and back though. We may be able to pick up Jeva's trail as well. What do you guys say?"
Aelerie nods knowingly as Gorat mentions the Rending and the fallen empire of Tar Khadurrm. "I thought it was odd to find a Dwarven monastery in such a state of disrepair, even after centuries of abandonment. That explains it, though; Droskar didn't inspire his worshippers to create great works, and the quality of their craftsmanship suffered for it," she explains as an aside to the group while Delga and Gorat are arguing.
She makes an uneasy face as she considers Gorat's request. Although the amateur historian in her is eager to uncover more artifacts in the dilapidated ruins, the part that always wants to do right by the townspeople knows that containing Jeva is their top priority. "I'm not opposed to going back either," Aelerie says in answer to Laro's question. "It would ease my mind to know that the surviving kobolds aren't planning any sort of retaliation, too. But I think neutralizing the threat that Jeva poses to the town should be our first priority. And I'm not sure Gorat would care to meet a feral werewolf in person. Even an adolescent one." Aelerie gives the dwarf a questioning look, nonverbally asking him to correct her if she's wrong.
Well Gorat huffs Since Delga here won't consent to waiting for me I'll just have to take up lodgings here while you take care of this werewolf and kobold business. If you'll consent to taking me along when the way is cleared of course.
Delga makes a gesture in the direction of Gorat that sets Perriwinkle rolling on the ground laughing. None of you are very aware of the nuances of Shoanti culture so you can only guess what it means....
Albus raises an eyebrow at the comments by the merchant. "Disrespecting the goodly dwarves was not my intention, no charity was involved, I merely sought the lawful heirs. If that is not the custom then I'm good with selling them with no reservations." Albus moves on with "I'm seeking a bow with power enough to match my strength for the hunt. Also what silvered weapons do you have in your stock, that seems needed now?" Albus says the last rather sadly. Albus continues, "Escorting you to the monastery should be easy enough now, the kobolds there are sorely hurt and in disarray with the loss of their king and many warriors. Still, I wish to take a care that we do not give the impression generally to all the tribes of the vale that some war is being waged upon them; though they are not strong or brave, they are clever raiders and could bring much harm upon this town and its people, if too strongly aroused. But a visit should cause little trouble."
Delga looks over Albus speculativey for a moment before nodding Both should not be a problem. I have longbows of great flex, and weapons of many special materials. What sort of silver arms be you looking for? Only if it's very exotic would I not be having it I think. And I have many other materials. Arms made of your own darkwood and darkleaf, cold iron, many kinds of steel! You have but to ask!
Albus nods at the merchant, "Ah yes, silver that allows a werewolves hide to be penetrated. I'm think of a lighter weapon, a short sword would be about right, and well several daggers, some for halflings, though Master Laro would know more of that than I. Master Javell, is it seemly to your Divine Patron to have her starknives be of silvered edge?"
With a smile, Aelerie offers a hand to help Perriwinkle up off of the ground. "May I have another look at your wares? I don't know when I'll have another opportunity to see such a selection as the one you have, so I'd like to stock up on a few reagents and scrolls while I have the chance."
Perriwinkle is more than happy to lead Aelerie back to her stall while Albus talks with Delga. Gorat heads back to this own stall to prepare.
Delga raises her eyebrows at Albus' request.
What do ya have? A whole colony of weres going to attack tomorrow morning? she exclaims Lord in Iron but that would be a fight to see. Hah. I can give ya 8 of the silver swords. My whole stock in the caravan! Didn't expect to be coming in to outfit an entire milita! Jaj! Tell ya what I'll give ya a 5% discount on this bulk order if you take me to who you're buying this for and I'll setup a reg'lar route to bring more stuff in for 'em direct! She claps her hands together pleased to have a chance to set up a full on trading route. They told me Falcon's Hollow was a backwater but this order alone be making the trip worth it!
As the shopping continues an acolyte of the church comes up to Albus and hands him a note before hurrying away.
The note from Lady Cirthiana reads.
I find myself worried about the remains of the orphanage. A place of such pain and devastation attracts horrible beings that fed on pain and negative emotions. A cleansing of some sort must be carried out. We could not hope to carry out such a venture on our own previously, but with the aid of you and your friends perhaps we could. Please let me know if this is an endeavour you could assist in. - Lady Cirthina Yours under the Light of the Lady of the Sword
After a lengthy perusal of Perriwinkle's wares, Aelerie rejoins the men at Delga's stall sporting a new satchel that hangs on her hip—into which she is carefully placing a number of lightly rolled vellums—along with a curious new trinket: a small, pinkish stone that travels in a slow orbit around the arcanist's head. "Well, I found a few things that might be of use in the days ahead. And I think I managed to made Miss Perriwinkle's trip worthwhile, too. Did you all find what you were looking for?"
Arriving just in time to hear the armswoman's comment about a pack of lycanthropes descending upon Falcon's Hallow, Aelerie is only just able to bite back her less than enthusiastic reply—Yeah... Wouldn't that be a sight?—at the generous offer the Shoanti extends to Albus. "Really? That's great!" she says instead. "With the way the Lumber Consortium bleeds the town dry, it'll be a boon to have merchants who charge fair prices regularly passing through."
Although curious about the note that Albus receives from the rushed acolyte, Aelerie decides not to pry, figuring it must be a personal matter between the woodsman and the priestess for the latter not to have brought it up earlier.
Albus reads the Lady's note with some concern. What is Lady Cirthina thinking here? Is this simply a way to end the poor girl swiftly in the belief that this is the best way? Is arming the town against werewolves insufficient to buy time to find a better way?
To the merchants jest Albus replies, "I certainly hope no such nightmare occurs but the town must be prepared."
Albus temporizes with another thought, "Good merchants, do you have any arrows or bolts in stock also treated with silver? Oh yes, I'm happy to take your stock of short swords and the longsword for the Sheriff, and the mystic backpack."
Albus turns to Aelerie smiling, "I didn't mean to interrupt your purchase of such a useful item, the master scout of our company had one but it just never entered my mind that I would ever have one. It's just that I've struggled with balancing useful items with weight, there are few markets in the middle of wilderness after all."
After any reply, Albus follows with the message from the Lady with a slight frown. "Lady Cirthina is worried about what evil might be attracted to the ruined orphanage. She seeks help in cleansing the place. I'll need to inform and to see what the Sheriff thinks, about all thins, first."
Laro approaches Delga after the others have finished with their purchases. "Would you happen to have a mithral short sword and a masterwork cold iron short sword sized for myself?" Once his finishes with Delga and purchases his backpack he heads back to Albus in time to hear him tell us about the note.
"If the good Preistess thinks it's a good idea to cleanse the ruins than it's probably a good idea to cleanse the ruins. Who knows what evil might be attracted to it. We could look for Jeva while we are there and maybe check in in the monastery as well."
Delga noda at Laro. Hah, that be easy compared to all the things the young tall one is asking for. she hums to herself as she retrieves the smaller sized items and finds the short swords made of special materials to retrieve for Laro.
Aelerie waves off Albus's apology with a small shake of her head and an easy smile. "Don't be silly! I would probably only use the bag to cart around all my books. At least the gear you travel with is practical and usually necessary to our survival."
Her smile falls once Albus informs them of the contents of the note. "What, like spirits?" She had always considered the ghost stories surrounding the ruins of the halfway house to be just that: stories. But if Lady Cirthana—who was undoubtedly more knowledgeable about that area of the supernatural—felt such a thing was possible, well, it was unsettling, to say the least. Nodding her agreement with Laro, Aelerie says, "We might be able to save some time by splitting up. If you want to go back to speak with the Lady, I can go visit your cousin Laurel to see if she has any wolfsbane in stock. I could stand to pick up a few reagents anyway."