Having noted Aron's odd behavior as well, Tauni watched as Raine approached him, then Sosiel after. Concerned about what she was seeing, Tauni got Anarya's attention, then signed to her.
"Aron is acting odd. Raine confronted him, and then Sosiel. You may need to intervene."
Ellena had already learned the troops didn’t respond well to her sort of leadership. He’s figured it was a better option to let one of the more charismatic leaders take the lead on figuring out the issue.
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Anarya signs back. "I will speak to them. Thank you Tauni." She smiled at her friend and looked with concern at Aron from a distance. I have been so preoccupied with the management of the army that I've barely gotten to know the others who have joined us, she thought. That changes today, she resolved.
She approached Sosiel. "Is Aron alright? You know him best, and if something's troubling him, I want to help."
Sosiel nodded gravely, but insisted they find a spot where no one out side the command group can hear. "Aron, alas, has had a hard time of it over the years. He was a street urchin in Cassomir. He grew up to be skilled at various crimes and made enough that he began to indulge in drugs. He was caught and sentenced to serve a 3-year term in a special unit that was made up of low-risk criminals such as himself."
Sosiel paused and sighed. "Such troops often don't survive, but Aron not only survived, but the discipline and demands of the front straightened him out. He became religious and volunteered to remain after his term was up. But then he fell in with a bad element that were part of his assigned brigade. They introduced him to some of the unique drugs available in this forsaken place, including something called Shadowblood, a vile substance derived from shadow demons."
"It is a tempting drug for those in battle, for it grants potent advantages but it fogs the mind and as a result, Aron felt he had indirectly caused the death of some of his comrades in battle. He came to me for counseling. I've helped him recover and he had made some important contributions to our design of traps against the enemy, but he has backslid as well. I had hoped this assignment would keep him clean. I can't imagine where he would get shadowblood out here and I'm pretty sure he had none when we started. Keep your eyes open. I'll see what I can do for him."
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Anarya's surprise was clear in her face. "I'm certain none of the paladins would be carrying such a drug. Perhaps he found some on the body of one of the tieflings? You're sure he's back on the drug then, from his demeanor?" She sighs. "He'd be far from the first soldier to turn to drugs to blunt the horrors we all face in Mendev. I think no less of him for this."
"I haven't done a good enough job getting to know you, Aron, and Nurah yet, but I aim to change that. Go to Aron, make sure he gets the help he needs. I'll speak with him when he's feeling better, and you and I should talk as well. I should know those close to me," she said with a smile.
Resolving to get to know each of her new companions, Anarya headed over to meet with Nurah while Sosiel tended to his love. She greeted the halfling and asked "How are you faring after the battle?"
[
Sosiel asked Anarya to accompany him as he looked for Aron during the aftermath of the battle.
Sosiel spotted Aron and asked him to come with Anarya and himself. Aron agreed but Anarya could see that he did in fact seem weighed down by something. As he walked, Aron stared at the ground. He also was sweating profusely, although the day was not particularly warm.
Sosiel led Aron and Anarya to a ruined building which gave some cover from prying eyes. Sosiel looked into Aron's eyes and frowned. He said nothing at first, giving the rogue a hug, but then held him by the shoulders and said firmly. "Your eyes are dilated. You're using it again, aren't you?!"
Aron shook free of Sosiel and turned his back on the cleric and the oracle. Anarya could not hear what he said, and could not read his lips, but Sosiel made eye contact with her and shook his head.
Sosiel turned Aron back to face Anarya and, standing so Anarya could read his lips said, "I know you are. Look at you! You're sweating. Is this what you want, to be in the shadow as we approach a city held by demons? You know it makes you more vulnerable to possession and when they see you they will know it and take advantage of you. Plus you're never as sharp as you think you are."
Aron looked at his feet and said, "It's no use. I should go back to Kenabres. I'm a stone around your neck."
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"You're nothing of the sort, Aron," Keenta said warmly. "We'd be high and dry in the battles to come without your knowledge of trapsmithing. You're as key to this mission as any of us." She drew closer to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I don't think any less of you for this. Others might, but I understand what you're facing. Can you be strong for us and let Sosiel help you?"
Assuming the rogue relents and Sosiel manages to heal him, Anarya asks him, "Where did you find shadowblood out here, Aron?"
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In the dim light, one might be inclined to observe a bit of the light radiating from Anarya transfer to Aron. He looked up at her in surprise, his eyes wet with tears of shame, and then he seemed to shrug of the weight he had been carrying and he stood up straighter.
He tried to speak but could find no words. Instead he looked at Sosiel, who held out a hand. Aron understood what the gesture meant and he took off his pack, opened it, and dug deep for a number of small glass vials wrapped in a rag. There were two empty bottles and two filled with a flat black liquid that seemed to absorb light. Sosiel took the vials and handed them to Anarya.
Aron knelt before Sosiel who centered himself before casting a spell. "In the name of Shelyn, Iomedae, and all good gods and goddesses, I cast out this cursed disease of addiction. Blessed be."
He made a gesture that looked a bit like a bird flying by and then touched Aron gently on the head. A faint light that flickered different colors collected around Sosiel's head and flowed down into Aron and surrounded him for a moment. Something dark seemed to rise out of Aron and he grunted and shook a moment and then looked up. After a moment he smiled and nodded, then rose and embraced Sosiel.
After the emotional surge of the moment passed, Sosiel looked at one of the empty bottles. "This bottle comes from Kenabres. Did you bring the drug from the city?"
Aron shook his head vigorously. "After the first battle at Vilareth Ford, I found the bottles in my pack when I settled in for the night. I tried to throw them away but I couldn't. Something about the atmosphere seemed to make the temptation to use again overwhelming. I'm sorry."
Sosiel took in the information and frowned, but quickly replaced the look with a smile. "It's over. Just promise me you'll tell me if any more doses find their way into your pack. Draw strength from our victories. We'll pray and meditate when we rest for the night. Remember your assertions. Repeat them whenever temptation arises."
Sosiel gathers the others in the command group to explain. "There is a traitor in our midst, someone who is working against us. He or she put doses of a highly addicting drug in Aron's pack after the first battle. Be alert. Traitors usually give themselves away if we are vigilant for the signs."
Edit: After sharing this, he adds, "I have long kept Aron's past addictions secret, fearing he would be punished or at least that he would not be trusted by those in the crusade. Please, unless circumstances require it in the service of the greater good, do not tell anyone of this."
Anarya:
...
Resolving to get to know each of her new companions, Anarya headed over to meet with Nurah while Sosiel tended to his love. She greeted the halfling and asked "How are you faring after the battle?"
"I am well, thank you. Your leadership has been blessed with an auspicious victory. I look forward to writing down the details in a chronicle of this campaign that the Queen asked me to compose for posterity. She believes this will be the turning point of the war. I was skeptical at first, but now I'm hopeful for the first time in a while. I've seen so many set-backs over my years with the crusades. Did you know I fought with my Lord Axilar of Trezbot who came all the way from Isgar to fight during the 4th crusade? Lord Axilar died and since then, I've been doing what I could to keep morale high. A few more victories like this and that task may just take care of itself."
Ellena, while remaining quiet, remained within ear shot of Sosiel and Aron. Once it became clear someone was sabatoging the Crusaders, her eyes opened wide. She repeated the story friends, away from everyone outside their close circle.
”Someone wants us to fail. They are sewing seeds to rip our army apart. I can attempt to ask Iomedae’s guidance to sniff out evil amongst our lot. The only problem is the evil has to be truly great and strong for it to catch my eye. I could easily overlook someone who isn’t powerful enough for me to notice,” she offered, looking for other suggestions.
Raine looked both pale and grim at the news of a saboteur targeting old weaknesses. She pressed her lips together in a thin line and fingered the curved shaft of her bow.
"How about I try and watch Aron, discreetly? Someone tried it once, they might try slippin' him more of the junk. Or be watching him for reactions. I could shadow him about, keep my eyes peeled for our bad actor."
Avelina:
Ellena:
Karas:
Raine:
Tauni:
Anevia:
Aravashnial:
Aron:
Horgus:
Irabeth:
Sosiel:
The overall morale of the army was high after so thoroughly routing the enemy armies, but this quickly changed as the march toward Drezen resumed. Traveling up the canyon along the Ahari gorge moved the army into the Worldwound itself. This area was literally hostile terrain, with all manner of risks and threats from the land itself. Those who had been into the Worldwound before, such as Aravashnial and Aron, warned that no one should eat or drink anything found along the path of the march. Wary eyes glanced at the sky, which could shift without warning and produce more of the types of storms seen from afar earlier in the march.
Veterans of combat in the Worldwound knew that the sun rose later and set earlier than was normal for this part of the world. The night sky, when clear, looked all wrong. So the deeper the army moved into the valley, the quieter the army grew, followed by mutters and grumbles.
In her attempt to keep an eye on Aron, Raine had had cause to slip through the ranks in a discreet fashion. The words that Anevia had spoken to her flitted across her mind, about her being one of those who just toiled and served. True enough. Also, it helped not to have silver scaled skin or a literal glowing halo of light, if one was trying to move unnoticed among the rank and file. With the tricks she'd used to blend in in Kenabres as an occupied city-- soot smeared on her face, her armor blackened with charcoal and grease, her cloak over it when possible and her hood up half the time-- Raine could pass as just another of the soldiers, if eyes didn't look too closely.
And people talked, if they thought it was just one's fellow soldiers about.
Raine's sharp gray eyes lingered on the source of the current discontent, studying his armaments and taking note of whatever god had claimed his loyalty. She noted his squadron as well, and asked his name of some of the other soldiers.
The malcontent's name was Arles Jhestander, a veteran of several conflicts, each, as his stories tell, ended in disaster. He was a paladin of Iomedae, like most of the paladins in the army. A human in his 30s, his face was pitted with lines and scars and his hair was prematurely graying in spots.
Raine slipped through the rows of brave men and women silently and once more sought out her other comrades.
"Got some more trouble," she said tersely once they were in the command tent together. "There's an Iomedean by name of Jhestander, Arles Jhestander. Veteran of the wars but he's got more scars than just those on his flesh. He can't keep his yob shut about all the other campaigns that have gone to hell. Problem is others are listening. Can't have someone like that going on and on about how we're all likely to die, 's bad for morale."
Raine paused in her staccato monologue to unhook her waterskin and have a careful sip from the clean water that they could trust, untainted by the Worldwound's foulness.
"So manyhap someone who's real good at bucking up others ought to go give him a bit of a talking to." Her gaze lingered on Avelina and Ellena, the truly devout of Iomedae. "Yanno, tell him the goddess frowns on despair, or whatever. Or at least if he's sure we're all gonna die, to keep it to himself. Aye?"
Another draw on the waterksin, and Raine added: "Probably wouldn't hurt to tell some good stories too, to counter all the rot he's got floating out there."
Ellena nodded but held her ground. The last time she tried to lift the army’s spirit ended terribly. She waited for the healer to pass along the message. ”Don’t suppose he has turned to evil, do you? While Anarya talks to him, I can quietly check and make sure. And then deal with it as needed,” she whispered.
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"I could speak to him, but if the commander of the army were to approach him over his stories, it could make the troops feel like my confidence were so shaken by his tales that I needed to intervene directly. I think Avelina should handle this - she is as studied in the tales of Iomedae's deeds and the exploits of the crusaders as anyone in Mendev, and the soldiers respect her." Anarya smiled at the queen's niece, certain of her friend's abilities. "Your optimism has always served to rally my spirits when times grow tough. I'm sure you will inspire our Knights just as fully."
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Avelina preened at the praise, yet she felt a much deeper joy at the respect her companions were showing for her skills. The already eternally optimistic girl found herself even more driven than usual.
”It shall be done! When I am finished speaking with him, the courage in his heart will be twice that of its highest point.”
She bounded away to find the sour paladin. When she found him, she raised her chin and smiled magnanimously, her arms wide in welcome.
”Sir Jhestander, I hear talk that you have been of a melancholic attitude. As I consider it my duty to ensure the good spirits of my citizens, I feel I must do something. Please, share your worries and I shall—By the Inheritor’s Endless Grace—assuage them.”
Raine skulked along in the background after Avelina, ready to watch the noblewoman at work. If she had uncharitable thoughts of Avelina perhaps failing, she kept them to herself.
Karas listened intently to all the reports. He desired to help but raising the morale of crusaders was definitely not his strongsuit. Especially considering the amount of teiflings they had dispatched in the past week.
After the reports, he nodded at the assertion that Avelina should lift spirits and decided to just walk about camp.
for the life of me I never thought I'd walk amongst a crusade and not fear for my own life. Its awkward really. But at least I can walk around without outright anger thrown my way. Anarya has done amazing leading this army, I'm glad she has come out of her shell so much. Raine is still the gruff soldier as is Ellena. Tauni is ridiculously smart, but what am I? Aside from muscle.
He continued to wander the camp lost in thought. He fingered the scale about his neck and thought of Her.
Did she know I would end up here? Is this just a road to revenge? Who knows, but I'm going to see it through and go from there.
Tauni stayed close by Anarya, never knowing when her translation services would be needed. She smiled as Avelina bounded off, knowing that the dour paladin's bellyaching would soon be a distant memory.
...
She bounded away to find the sour paladin. When she found him, she raised her chin and smiled magnanimously, her arms wide in welcome.”Sir Jhestander, I hear talk that you have been of a melancholic attitude. As I consider it my duty to ensure the good spirits of my citizens, I feel I must do something. Please, share your worries and I shall—By the Inheritor’s Endless Grace—assuage them.”
Arles glared down at the young woman, condescension showing clearly on his face as he considered her offer. "No disrespect m'lady, but this is my fourth sortie into the Goddess forsaken demon's a$$hole of Golarion. I've seen good men and women dismembered, devoured by swarms of parasites, eaten away by disease, cursed into misshapen parodies of people. I fail to see what royalty who sits safe and sound back in Mendev, eating crustless sandwiches with lemonade while sending us out to be slaughtered, can do to cast this all in a fairy tale light. Take your best shot, by all means."
He crossed his arms across his chest and glared down at Avelina. Others nearby shifted closer, curious to hear her response.
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...
She bounded away to find the sour paladin. When she found him, she raised her chin and smiled magnanimously, her arms wide in welcome.”Sir Jhestander, I hear talk that you have been of a melancholic attitude. As I consider it my duty to ensure the good spirits of my citizens, I feel I must do something. Please, share your worries and I shall—By the Inheritor’s Endless Grace—assuage them.”
Arles glared down at the young woman, condescension showing clearly on his face as he considered her offer. "No disrespect m'lady, but this is my fourth sortie into the Goddess forsaken demon's a$$hole of Golarion. I've seen good men and women dismembered, devoured by swarms of parasites, eaten away by disease, cursed into misshapen parodies of people. I fail to see what royalty who sits safe and sound back in Mendev, eating crustless sandwiches with lemonade while sending us out to be slaughtered, can do to cast this all in a fairy tale light. Take your best shot, by all means."
He crossed his arms across his chest and glared down at Avelina. Others nearby shifted closer, curious to hear her response.
Avelina listened intently. His retort was sounding all-too-familiar with its dismissal of her as privileged and out-of-touch. Ever since her last argument with Raine, she had been replaying the argument in her head, planning out the Amazing Monologue that would Show Her. This moment provided a wonderful opportunity to test it out, with some modification. The delightfully unperceptice Avelina had no idea that Raine herself was watching.
To begin, Avelina made a show of thinking, tapping the tip of her finger on her chin while she looked off and up with pursed lips.
”Oh my dear...you appear to have me and my family mixed up with someone else. Perhaps you have us confused with some southern royalty?”
She pulled out her crusader badge and stroked it, her face suddenly tired.
”You see, my Lord Father and Mother died on a sortie into the Worldwound. I can scarcely remember what my Aunt looks like out of armor. You remember, the Queen who has spent probably twice your lifetime leading this war? For my own part, I have spent almost every day since the fall of the ward stones fighting for the lives of myself and my comrades against the filth of the Abyss and the cultist traitors that abet them. I certainly do not remember any lemonade or crustless sandwiches.”
She put away the badge and leaned in, hands clasped behind her back. She raised her voice, playing to the crowd she knew was listening in, and added a touch of admonishment to her tone.
”Now that we have that misunderstanding cleared up, I would appreciate it if you refrain from making such negative presumptions about your comrades in the future. You are not the only one who has been fighting. You are not the only one who has lost something or someone. We can either waste time bellyaching about it, or we can have Faith and carry on. Through the Inheritor, all things are possible. Believe in Her Righteousness and Might and respect your fellow warriors.” She crossed herself.
She threw up her most dazzling smile. ”I am certain an old veteran like yourself can manage that much.”
While Avelina's challenge did not immediately convince Arles that they were not marching toward certain death, her standing up to him encouraged others within earshot to share stories that offered some glimmers of hope. Arles began to feel sheepish for his negativity. The clincher was when Irabeth detailed the events of the battle for the Gray Garrison, concluding with the blessings of Iomedae betowed on Avelina, Anarya, and the others. Some Paladins who had been present at a different wardstone shared some of the remarkable events that followed the release of divine energy. This meant the moral momentum was reversed and Arles reluctantly acknowledged he had lost his faith.
He spent a long conversation with Sosiel about how he might return to the path of the Paladin.
Crisis averted, the Knights of Kenabres resumed their trek toward Drezen. Toward the end of the day's march, Aron and Raine returned from scouting to report sighting of a structure at the top of the gorge about 90 feet above the dry riverbed. They led the leadership team forward until they could see it. Aravashnial identified it as a chapel set up by the clerics of Iomedae during the time when Drezen was in control of the crusade. Such chapels, he explained, were often used as a way of inspiring paladins and also served as hospitals when there were casualties.
From the looks of the structure, it had not been used for anything so constructive for decades. After watching it a short while, nothing threatening was observed, leading to the question of whether to send a team up to investigate. Irabeth pointed out the army could make camp nearby in case anything dangerous was discovered.
Aron mentioned that such chapels often had spare healing supplies hidden in a secret compartment in the altar. It was a long shot, but the there might still be a cache to recover. Sosiel added that after some of the recent grumbling among the army, striking a blow for Iomedae and cleaning up the site might be good for moral. Nurah offered a contrary opinion, however, saying it would be a prime place for a monster lair. She warned that losing some of the army or the leaders to a fight that could have been avoided might hurt moral, not help it.
Never a deep thinker, Ellena’s ears perked up at hearing about the shrine. ”We should investigate right now. If there is a monster, we need to remove it from Her temple. The healing supplies would be nice, but to restore this Shining beacon is our calling,” Ellena implored.
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"I agree with Ellena. We should not shy away from this challenge. Reclaiming a holy site should be just the boost to morale the troops need, and if there are supplies still within, all the better." Anarya smiled at Nurah, wanting her to know her input was valued even if a different decision was reached. "I have confidence in the Knights to handle themselves even against a monster, and our own might is formidable."
A set of steps had been created in the side of the cliff, allowing a relatively safe way to the shrine from the gorge floor, although rock fall damage had created a few breaks that would require some careful navigation to get to the top safely. There were at least a few hours of daylight left, especially above the gorge.
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The stairs were cut into stone decades ago. The steps made three switchbacks and sections had fallen away requiring some rock climbing to get to where the stairs continue.
Ellena plans on climbing herself and trying to tow her armor tied to the rope up after.
Raine listened to the others plan. "If we need a signal save the really useful magickin'. Can always just have one of ya light up one of my arrows and send that out," she pointed out.
For herself, she cast a spell to sharpen her senses .
"Let me take a look at any doors we get through, yeah? Or any narrow bottlenecks that'd be a good place to drop rocks or somethin' worse on us."
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Anarya:
Avelina:
Ellena:
Karas:
Raine:
Tauni:
Anarya fall
Karas:
Avelina:
Ellena:
Raine:
Tauni:
Karas Fall
Ellena:
Anarya:
Avelina:
Raine:
Tauni:
Karas:
@ 60 Feet, DC 15 - 2 = 13 for climbing kit
Anarya:
Avelina:
Ellena:
Karas:
Raine:
Tauni:
Anarya Fall
Karas:
Avelina:
Ellena:
Raine:
Tauni:
Ellena
Karas:
Anarya:
Avelina:
Raine:
Tauni:
Tauni Fall
Karas:
Anarya:
Avelina:
Ellena:
Raine:
Sosiel
While a tense crowd of concerned comrades looked up at the leadership team's progress up the precarious stairway toward the chapel. At the first gap in the path, Anarya lost her grip and started to fall. Karas dug in and gripped the rope tied to her and kept her from falling. When Karas' turn came to cross the gap, his foot pressed on a rock that proved loose and he lost his grip. Ellena tried to catch him with the rope, but even with the aid of Avelina, Raine, and Tauni, his weight jerked the rope out of their hands and he fell thirty feet. Sosiel healed him with a spell and Karas made it back up to try again.
By the time they got to the second place where the stairway had been broken by a rock fall, they had the routine down better. Although Anarya, Ellena, and Tauni faltered, the rest held them up, and they got past the gap and climbed the remaining thirty feet to the top of the cliff.