After someone uses Detect Magic and we loot the prisoners, Steave replies, "Agreed with just one modification." He gags Chaleb and wakes up one of the tieflings positioning him so he can't see Chaleb.
To the awoken and bound tiefling, "Tell us your name, who you are working for, and what you were doing here."
The tiefling groggily fondles its head. "Razza, Chaleb, burning some robe wearing pukes." Razza states annoyed and blunt. "Of course this goes south, seedy bastard, should left the bar when he bought me a drink."
"You're grasping at straws, Chaleb. You know perfectly well that the minute we turned our backs, the second you had an opportunity, you'd kill us all without batting an eyelash. You say those tieflings aren't fit to have a trial?" she starts, laughing coldly at her own question.
"I'm sorry, but that's...that's hilarious...when those tieflings that you claim are abominations are far more honorable than you are! You're nothing more than a parasite looking for an easy escape, even if it means allying yourself with the demons that have seen our home desecrated and destroyed! You are the abomination here, and you alone! I'll see that you earn your death sentence, fiend!"
Aleister keeps his Crossbow trained on the man as the others interrogate him. Clearly evil was in his heart and Aleister wondered how deep this betrayal ran through his city.
Steave gags the tiefling and wakes up the second one, "Right, are we ready to go? Arvashniel, ready? Where's the next closest destination?". Steave double-checks the prisoners bindings and hobble, so they can only walk.
Aleister casts detect magic per Steave's request.
"Wait, please don't take the warden from us! He is the last one left, the others all have died in the attack!" Fenna outbursts. The librarians all seem to echo her sentiment.
Aravashniel nods, "Yes my friends you've done well getting me here. This place is safe now, as I suspect it was locked as is procedure. Am I right in assuming that you opened the door for our intruders here?" he asks in a fatherly chastising tone.
Fenna blushes slightly and looks upset. "Only because he said he was a crusader here to help us." she says sullenly, still glaring daggers and the bound Chaleb.
Aravashniel pats her on the back. "You were deceived child, it is ok. Now, where is the head librarian? Master Orlun." the blind elf asks.
The woman replies, "He was up near the Cathedral of Saint Clydwell when the attack hit. We've not heard from him since, but he may still be alive." she sounds hopeful at this prospect.
With the detection of magic and a quick search you find a spellbook among the piled books as well as a half a dozen grey worms dead on the floor.
"I am ready if the rest of you are."
"I know it's probably not the time to ask, but is this where you keep the records of who has been a member of the Riftwardens? If it is could you check to see if you have any records of Jacinta and Iozif Terplans they went missing about 16 years ago and I think they were Riftwardens as well as my parents"
Dead bugs don't mean a lot to her , just not as interesting as dead people
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Sarge spits at Chaleb, the saliva running down the fallen crusader's face.
"Folks like you don't just decide to burn innocents for jollies. Who're you working for? Some demon lord contacted you? Or a cultist? Maybe if you tell us everything, they'll let you live. Otherwise, there's a lot of people whose loved ones got killed here in town... maybe they'll just let them have ya."
He'll take the +1 Mace and a potion from the gear stripped from the miscreants.
Yes wrong alias and did not notice for too long to change , should have been Xanaphia
Vardan says, "I don't know if that armour and shield were stolen or freely given, but these actions make it clear that they and are being tainted by the ugliness of your actions. These are symbols meant to inspire, and these actions soil them... and stain your soul as well. "
When Jakram spits in his face, the bound crusader sees red and cries out lashing viciously against his constraints.
The crusader seems to suffered something of a mental break and is rolling around trying to break his bonds.
"Since I have no family left to lose your threat is meaningless! You know, I almost feel sorry for you, you give evil too much credit and over look one thing, evil can't exist without good. Do you know what that means? Neither side can gain an ultimate victory, it is all about the journey and trying to do what is right. Now, why don't we gag him to shut him up!" Iolana moves away and gracefully kneels down, pulling again something from a pouch and holding it while she sobs.
Steave punches the crusader into unconsciousness. "That's enough of that. He's lost it."
"So Aravashniel, what's the plan?" The first crusader looks to the riftwarden who thawed him out from the ice for the plan.
Sarge slugs the bound man in the face, yelling, "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, TRAITOR!"
The big man smiles grimly at the revelations, saying to the others, "You get a man mad enough and he'll blurt out just about anything."
"The plan is up to you my friends." the blind elf nods. "I must stay here with these my wards."
"What do you mean what is the plan!" a flustered Horgus blurts out, obviously shaken by Chalebs violent display. "You all need to get me back to my manor! Lest you've forgotten!"
"My home is on the way, to Horgus' place." Anevia chips in. Not angry just not wanting to be forgotten.
"We gotta take this human-shaped bag of s%#& to someone with authority anyway -- Anevia's home's as good a place to look for that as any," Sarge says. "If it's on the way to Horgus's place, that makes it easy."
"Aravashniel, you're staying here? Are you sure? It wasn't safe for the librarians. You are all safer traveling with us until we find a secure shelter. " The first crusader looks to the riftwarden who thawed him out from the ice to reconsider his weak plan.
"Sarge, let's rig a sling for you and me to drag Chaleb until he regains consciousness. Is everyone ready to move out?"
Vardan says, "That outburst does little to make me think there's any hope to redeem this one. It's clear that he's ugly to the core, rather than just reacting poorly to this darkness."
He slides out of the saddle and drapes the unconscious form over Thorne.
Collecting herself as she hears preparations to go, Iolana puts the item away, gets up, and waits for everyone else to be ready.
"Thanks Vardan. I wouldn't want you to lose your ride for this prisoner." Steave says.
Kyra doesn't offer a retort to the crusader's outburst this time, simply shaking her head in somber sadness at his admissions.
"How can it be possible for someone so rotten to hide under the banner of the Inheritor, all for personal gain...And for him to take pleasure in it?" she asks, gazing upon the fallen crusader with a mix of mirth and pitiable sadness.
"I believe that once, you might have been a force for good...But you are nothing of the sort any longer. As he has spat upon you, Chaleb, you have spat upon the city of Kenabres, and I know that you shall be punished for it accordingly." she finishes, voice full of barely contained fury.
Once he's knocked out, she offers only a small reply to the group.
"Let's make haste to Anevia's home, and then drop off Sir Horgus."
I wonder if she's still there, though...The homes around us have been razed, save for those that were emptied already... she thinks to herself.
Disgusted by the traitor and realizing this is not the time to inquire about the Riftwardens Xanaphia prepares to move on with the rest
Fenna pipes up, ”Oh wait, the worms oh the worms.” her voice quivers with fear and she seems shocked that she forgot them even temporarily. ”The one who destroyed Blackwing, a man made of worms, who came commanding demons, he is the one that destroyed the library and the warden lair beneath. Probably took some artifacts too, though I’ve no idea what.” She seems all flustered recalling the ordeal.
Aravashniel nods in contemplation but does not share his thoughts on the subject. The white haired elf speaks. ”These good folks were fooled into opening their haven, I’ll not be so easily duped my friends. We should be safe here, but if you insist, then I insist that we must see the librarians to safety.”
Horgus begins to move to the door, ”Well lets be about it then.”
”Yes time for home.” Anevia states wishfully.
You all move back out into the street, prisoners in tow.
Yes, the librarians can come, too. "Let's go," repeats Steave trying to get the show on the road...
Making your way through the devastation once again, the group of adventuring crusaders and their more mundane counterparts make it through the city free of harassment this time, to the southern portion of the gate district.
Anevia leads past a small iron fence to an intact courtyard of yellowstone, with a very small and quaint house at the far end. Anevia moves further into the paved area, ”Irabeth! Darling are you here?” she calls out and there is no answer.
Aravashniel motions his bookkeeping wards to the side of the courtyard along the wall. ”We shall wait here.” the elf states motioning for you all to follow the distraught lady into her home. Horgus joins them leaning against a wall huffing and wheezing from the arduous journey.
"Enough rest for now, I agree with Steave, it is time to move on." Iolana stays near the librarians to help them if they need it, still keeping her whip ready.
Anevia walks into her home, still calling for her wife. You follow her in and the small house seems abandoned. After several unsettling quiet moments a fire beetles bursts forth from thin air.
"A beetle?...Beetles don't just burst from thin air..." the aasimar ponders, casting See Invisibility (domain spell) and surveying the area around her, paying closer attention to the areas nearby where the beetle burst into existence.
"Dunno what the big deal is, it's just a little fire beetle."
" Nasty icky bug" , Xanaphia backs away from the bug and shoots a ray of frost at it, it does not seem to be worth a sleep spell and probably has been summoned by someone.
confirm crit
Damage if crit confirmed
Iolana gets a very disgusted look on her face, "EEEEW! Not MORE bugs!"
The Beetle appears to be summoned and fiendish, the cold of Xanaphia's ray does it no harm.
Kyra sees through the invisibility of the half-orc in the corner who appears to be in the process of casting a spell.
The fiery red beetle moves forward, attacking Anevia.
It bites her ferociously on the arm causing her to cry out in pain.
Getting a rather nasty grin on her face, Iolana, casts a spell on the area where the caster is at. [ooc]I cast grease, trying to center it so that our melee people can get in range without needing to make any checks. Reflex dc 15 for mr orc.[/occ] As the are around the orc becomes covered with grease, she then moves fifteen feet from the half-orc square, whip at the ready.
Steave focuses on the beetle and two-handed shield bashes it.
Lacking any more powerful spells suitable for blindfiring at the invisible Orc, Xanaphia again tries a ray of frost
miss chance 50% or less
Potential hit so damage
Aleister begins chanting and aims for the area of the grease.
The corners is splattered with grease and the orc falls, and the area is POOF! covered in golden dust, all can see him now, though he fell face down and is not blinded. He gets hit for slight damage.
Steave splats the beetle into nothing.
Sarge marches over to the half orc and stands over him, falchion at the ready. "Who are you and what are you doing in this house?"
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The downed half orc scoffs. "She knows who I am, the wretched whore, I'll splay her out on the bed for that excuse for a half orc she calls wife, to find, then my score will be settled!" he spits ruefully.
He stands, provoking from Jackram if he chooses.