Shadow looks at the bundled prisoner, "I had hoped to have her as a 'work in progress'. Finding information on who does what to whom about these parts is always useful. And eventually getting to a particularly who who has done a particular what to some one would be the end result." Shadow sighs and leans closer to the bound Monk.
"She did surrender to us. She did seek mercy from us....We simply killer her for the expediency sake? That smacks of the sort of thing they would have tempted us with...doesn't it?' Shadow frowns as she ponders Lucrezia's idea
"Don't know enough about the 'head' any where at the moment. Besides, giving her this body would be such a come down..." Shadow opines.
"Any chance on just sticking the head we got on that one's body?"
I gave my word to Khazrae that I would restore her fully and I plan to do so.
Shadow smiles at Faelyn's dedication. (^_^)
Shadow smiles at Faelyn's dedication. (^_^)
She is in the know about the Council of Thieves, so perhaps we can find out some dirt that can be used against them. Who they have met and done jobs for.
"It doesn't sound like mercy is what you are planning on giving her. Anyway, simply killing her just seems the safest option to me."
Shadow steps away from the bound woman. "Fine, you want to murder her, go right ahead..."
"Remember though. She surrendered to us. She asked mercy from us..."
Lucrezia shrugs. "Okay."
She'll go over to the bound assassin and slit her throat.
When in Westcrown.. Andrea just mutters and heads off, aching for a bath.
Shadow sighs and walk away with Andrea.
Truk shakes his head.
"Let's go Beautiful. I need a drink."
Truk shakes his head.
"Let's go Beautiful. I need a drink."
First drink is on me people. The assassin was the epitome of evil. This was for the best.
"Bath first, drink and debauchery later."
I've got a HellsCaller Championship Cup that needs filling!
Andrea turns to John. I know you want to go back and complete your initiation to become a Hellknight. That is you choice, but take my advice at least and stack things in your favor as much as you can. Use something that can put silver on your longsword and bless it since you are most skilled with it. Get a potion or something that can increase your speed like when Faelyn uses his magic and shield yourself from evil summons. You must fight one on one, but that doesn't mean you can't cheat like a bastard. if they have any problems, just tell them to talk to your lawyer.
"I already have a potion that should help me. I do need some healing though."
Andrea casts Cure Serious Wounds, converting her Blindness spell
Need more than a few potions no doubt.
Andrea then converts Sound Burst into Cure Moderate
Truk winces when he feels his own sore ribs.
"Come here John. You're still hurt."
"Where were we going to get that bath?"
The safehouse perhaps. The Hungry Hound also offers. Then, I will need to visit the beauty shop to get a wig. Andrea pulls at her tar soaked hair, the once blond locks sticking out at various angles.[/b]
"Oh crap. I just thought of taking my armor to Grumms to get it cleaned and then realized we will have to tell him about Duncan."
Truk grunts and bows his head.
"I should do it. The dwarf vouched for me with him. I feel like I owe him at least that much", the big orc says solemnly.
"You want to come with Beautiful? We can meet the others back at the safehouse afterward."
"Sure, I'll come with ya Trouble."
Orsin listens to the others discuss the matters at hand, from Coriana's lost ashes to Duncan's potential return. He wipes ash from his longsword before re-sheathing it, then looks on with detached ambivalence as Lucrezia slices open the surviving assassin's throat. Later, his attention ebbs and flows as the group makes plans for yet another night at the tavern.
Another night to be left at the table again by myself, he thinks bitterly. He sighs when he looks at the damage the tar has left on hi garments. Yet another courtier's outfit ruined.
As the party moves out from the accursed place, he absentmindedly hums to himself a dark, haunting tune.
The old shopkeeper and his wife are wife are closing up there rickety gewgaw shop as dusk approaches. They begin to lightly clap when the group walks away from the massacre house. The man tips his hat to the group.
A short time later you find yourself unassailed re-entering the southern districts. The group eventually splits in three: John heading towards his mentor's house, Truk and Lucrezia go to Gruum's smithy, while the others return to the safehouse to provide a update.
Don't really think I feel like going to a tavern tonight. Andrea says to Orsin as they re-enter the southern districts. Hot tar does wonders to dampen the libedo. Andrea weakly tries to interject some darkish humor but flops.
Later when they reach the safehouse, Andrea thumps on the door and silently enters, an ash and tar covered figure reeks that of death. She puts the bag of ashes on the table.
The Sisters of Eiseth are no more, but we failed spectaculary. Duncan... Andrea's voice catches and then she continues. While we were fighting some Sisters who ambushed us, Duncan took the battle inside and found out that his favored style of fighting was ineffective. The Sisters killed him and in a startling show of practicality, dragged his body off and threw it into their furnace.
Andrea looks down at the bag.
We managed to get inside and killed every single one of them and then found the room where they stored the ashes of the Pathfinder we were looking for, and fought an undead guardian of theirs. In the fight, the jar containing the ashes of said Pathfinder was destroyed. So attempting to question the spirit of Coriana Heavenscape is now impossible and thus entering Delvehaven is now very much in doubt, as well as learning about what defenses she set-up.
Andrea is delivering all of this in a sort of run-on way and looks shell-shocked once again, much like when Kenji and Tweaker were killed.
Now, please excuse me while I change out of my clothes and attempt to clean-up. I have a date with some hair shears.
Andrea wanders upstairs to an empty room.
Those members of the Brotherhood listen to the somber cleric without interruption. When Andrea leaves the room Janiven will follow her, "We are all sorry for the lose. Were you able to find any part of Duncan perhaps not all will be lost then?" Her eyes revealing some hope.
Truk enters the smithy with some trepidation. The dwarf that ran the place hadn't liked him before - Will he even believe me? The big orc steeled himself for what was, no doubt, going to be an awkward encounter.
Those members of the Brotherhood listen to the somber cleric without interruption. When Andrea leaves the room Janiven will follow her, "We are all sorry for the lose. Were you able to find any part of Duncan perhaps not all will be lost then?" Her eyes revealing some hope.
His ashes and part of his blood-stained beard, they are on the table. I believe powerful, and expensive magic can restore someone to life from that state. I will have to talk to Gerald about a loan and pretty much all of the money from the sale of the captured equipment will need to be spent.
"Blazen lady...if ye gonna mistreat me armor, aint be sellin' ye nuthin' agian. Blasted woman." his eyes focus on Truk, "You to! Ain't no way to handle yer equipment, no wonder your last equipment look like shyte." You both actually think you see Gruum's ears smoking, hopefully it's just his workstation behind him.
Janiven touches your shoulder and nods, "Go get clean and rest."
Andrea nods and retires to her room where she once again ditches her outer clothes and puts her armor into a sack for later cleaning by Grumm.(Unless he ends up banishing them from his smithy.)
After that, Andrea takes a hot bath and washes off the ashe and as much tar as she can before wrapping her head in a towel and falling into an exhusted, dreamless sleep.
Faelyn, who avoided the tar, freshens up and heads into the room with Khazrae. How are you liking your new accommodations mon amie? It will not be long before we travel to Delvehaven and then work on restoring you to your former glory.
Faelyn sits in a chairs and rolls a smoke. He lights it and offers a toke to the Erinyes.
"We mean to see our armor clean", Truk explains. "But we just came from a battle."
"We came back today because we thought you should know that Duncan has fallen. There was a battle in the ruins. He was overwhelmed and dragged away from us", the big orc says stoically. "His remains and all of his equipment were destroyed in a furnace by his killers."
"My accommodations are ...well, as good as be expected. When are going to fulfill your obligations my handsome young wizard. The pleasure we shall have....think of all the pent-up desire for you." blinking her eyes seductively.
Gruum stands there taking the measure of man bringing him the news.
"Go git yerself cleaned up, drink in Duncan's memory." His eyes are wet as he turns away from messengers.
Truk takes a step forward and raises a hand as if to say something more but no words come to mind that could ease the smith's grief.
"Yeah, he'd want that."
Truk puts an arm around Lucrezia's shoulder and starts to lead her outside.
"He went down fighting", the big orc says aloud as they're exiting. "He died with his weapon in hand."
***
John when you arrive back at the training facility, you see mentor has returned he has a couple of the Scourge with him but not the high officials you previously saw. "Not the way to treat your armor, one of the men say.
Another hellknight cackles at that comment.
Your mentor raises his hand they both stop there chattering, "I'm sure John has his reason's for his armor. Especially that gouge in his breastplate. He takes his obligations seriously."
Ailyn pulls Orsin to a side room, "That is a an unfortunate ending. At least there is some closure with Coriana fate. Duncan was good man, a bit hotheaded but passionate, you were lucky to know him." She lays a comforting hand on your shoulder, "You smell and need to clean that armor." she teases.
Lucrezia quietly follows Truk back to the safehouse.
Faelyn continues to smoke his cigarette as he discusses the future with Khazrae. As soon as possible. You can not begin to understand how much I would like that. I have studied your kind. The others have no idea what you were...what you will be again.
He looks deeply into Khazrae's eyes. What do you know of the closing of Delvehaven? We have found a wave door of some type. I hope it will give us information about where to begin...how the doors were sealed.
"As I've already mentioned," she signs in boredom "my involvement with Delvehave occurred after it was reopened by House Thrune and I lived there with Mayor Vheed." she starts to grind her teeth together for entertainment. Finally huffing, "If you bring me inside Delvehaven, and let me see some of the rooms, I could give some advice on how to handle wards and guardians, assuming they have not changed." She drifts into a semi-catatonic state.
Faelyn finishes his smoke and then heads out into the main room. I need to blow off some steam. I'll be at the Grotto if you need me.
Faelyn catches a carriage to the Grotto. As he walks in, he takes in the atmosphere and looks for a card game. Ah...back to a simpler life.
Orsin looks on as Andrea explains the sad situation. While the bard had felt somewhat cold on the whole matter, seeing Andrea's sadness struck some empathic nerve left in the bard and the gravity of their failed mission finally set it.
Ailyn pulls Orsin to a side room, "That is a an unfortunate ending. At least there is some closure with Coriana fate. Duncan was good man, a bit hotheaded but passionate, you were lucky to know him." She lays a comforting hand on your shoulder, "You smell and need to clean that armor." she teases.
Orsin gives a labored chuckle at Ailyn's good natured ribbing. "Aye aye, captain," he jokes in response.
The bard gives his appearance another inspection, realizing that while some of his garments can be salvaged, most are ruined. He would need professional help getting cleaned up.
It's nearly dusk so the public bathhouses are closing. As is the common Westcrown complaint, the evenings are ruled by the shadowbeast and most public establishments close by dusk. The most common exceptions being taverns and brothels that have rooms to rent.
Orsin will do his best to make do with what he can at the safehouse. He has a change of clothes in his haversack, so after bathing, he'll change into fresh garments. He prepares a small station for himself on the kitchen table and with quills and parchments sets to work on his lesser field commission.
Truk enters the safehouse only to realize that he doesn't really know the place very well.
"So where does a guy go around here to clean up?" he asks Lucrezia.
Andrea sleeps like a log and wakes early in the morning, perhaps a long-trained response in order to get the most out of daylight before losing the night to the Shadowbeasts. When she does, she leaves quietly and heads to work to tell Gerald she will be delayed due to having a head covered in tar and that she will need to make an appointment for a possible loan.
Afterwards, she heads to Elmira Pennington's salon and has her hair clipped down as much as needed in order to remove the tar-laden locks and purchases a wig for herself so she is presentable.
She then heads over to Grumm's and gives her consolations on Duncan and hands over the large bundle of weapons that are to be sold throughout the city.
Andrea then heads back to The Exchange.
Once at the safehouse, Lucrezia asks for a room and some hot water to wash up in. She take Truk along with her so that they can help each other remove the tar from those hard to reach areas.
Truk dutifully follows Lucrezia to the safehouse baths with a low animal growl of pleasure.
With any luck, what came next would help him forget about the day's losses and hardships.
Faelyn you arrive just before nightfall and the stage handler hurries back to his stable. The Grotto is bustling with activity. The paid companions are working hard and the serving wenches are busy. There are quite a few new faces in the room mostly burly looking sailors and it doesn't take long to figure out that there are a few new ships in the city. There are several obvious new bodyguards milling around the establishment.