Carson continues on along with the group, considering things silently. He very often gets lost in his thoughts but does stare at the shifting of the mace with extreme interest. He has always been skeptical about such things and the earlier crusaders attempting to sacrifice a girl didn't help. He could already make his own weapon look like any design he wanted, falcons and all.
"It may be good to rest here before moving out. One of the upstairs rooms should be plenty defensible."
Lorena shrugs at Khaz again. If he wants to put that much thought into a magic weapon that changes shape, she's not going to stop him. Though, there are more pressing matters. "Resting seems like a good idea. Once we leave, though, where do we go? Anyone know where this Irabeth would be?"
"We should push on to Anevia's house." Firinn says with a glance at the woman in question. "Hopefully we'll find Irabeth there. That's where I'd wait for my wife if it were me."
He seems willing to press on now, but will defer to the group's decision.
Aniva nods her agreement at Firinn, "I am a bit tired from all the walking today and could use some rest and food." Aniva now looks at the wall that Horgus is hiding behind. "He won't be offering us anything else."
Heading back upstairs the group finds a room on the second floor with a door still intact, dragging a few large items to block the door the group rests for the night.
Khaz feels the blessing of Bolka settle upon his shoulders as his new weapon pulses with untamed energy.
The morning dawns with some noises drifting in through the mostly intact window, rations are eaten and the group heads back down stairs looking north.
"My house isn't so far from here but I am moving to slow right now, if we can get there by mid day I would be happy." Aniva says
As the new day dawned, Khaz prayed. He kept the prayers silent though, for he could tell that his companions were not to be counted among the righteous. It didn’t mean that they were infidels, but he was disappointed that upon seeing a miracle, he was the only one who cared. Quietly he reflected that he shouldn’t let it bother him. It was a sign from his goddess after all, and they were not dwarves. Nor were they Paladins or Clerics. In his experience one could not expect too much religiosity from the unordained.
When his prayers were over he got to his feet to greet the day. ”Aye lass, we’ll get ye home. I thank ye for your patience in all of this.”
Carson studies his spells as quickly as possible so they can get going the next morning.
"Right. I hope your home is more secure than here. I hope leaving Horgus here is the right thing to do, but I'm honestly kind of glad to be rid of him."
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Lorena sleeps soundly, free of any ominous dreams this night. "Well, let's get going, then. I don't think he'll be coming out to see us off."
Heading out north of Horgus' house, the Destruction isn't nearly as bad in the Noble district. One manor is absolutely destroyed, right down to the foundation. As you make your way to the gates that divide the city off in the distance noise like a carnival can be heard.
”Everyone hear that?” Khaz said with evident confusion. ”Let’s check it out. Who could be throwing a party at a time like this?”
"I think that's probably not a party, at least not in the normal sense. But I'm not sure what else it could be. Whatever it is, it's probably not good." Lorena tenses up, grasping her weapon tightly. If it were up to her, she would avoid the noise entirely, but the dwarf seemed keen to investigate, and it'd probably be best if he not wander into a bad situation alone and get himself killed. This used to be a crusader city, after all, and without him to vouch for her, her head would probably have been on a spike somewhere long ago in all the confusion.
"Yeah, whatever this is, I'm sure it's probably not as fun as it sounds."
Carson keeps his wits about him, watching around everywhere, but also being the one to make sure Aniva is keeping up alright and not getting pushed too hard.
As the group heads east in the district some destruction can be seen, there are no bodies in the streets like in the southern portion of the city. Either the Rich died in their homes or they were spared or fled. As the group gets closer a bunch of wagons can be seen pushed together to make a make shift stage, bodies can be seen on the ground.
2 people a man and a woman are on the stage either have wounds on them and they hold weapons in their hands. The woman is favouring her left arm which is held tightly against her body, tears stream down her face. The man has a pained look on his face and appears to be pleading with something.
These are Quasit demons
"Definitely not good", Lorena whispers as she sees what's going on. She can't tell what the people are arguing with, though it clearly seems malevolent. "Those people look like they're in trouble", she continues while looking in Khaz's direction, "what do you want to do?"
”I...I...?” He trailed off in confusion. ”Bolka! Lend me your sight.” His eyes flashed as he searched for any sign of evil.
Khaz can detect and evil presence but cannot see it
Know Planes
Quasits. Very common familiar. We need to be careful of a mage somewhere around here. We're lucky if there isn't.
”Quasits? I can see the evil. Are the people Quasits or are Quasits hurting them?”
The man continues to plead at an empty space, a few more people are walked up and put on piece meal armor and take dented weapons, they appear to do this of their own accord?
”Well then!” Khaz walked forward and swung his heavy mace directly at the empty space that the man was pleading with. Just because he couldn’t see the enemy doesn’t mean he’d have to let the demonic live!
Khaz rushes onto the stage, targetting where her feels the presence but missing.
A screech is heard from behind khaz then a scratch voice saying.
"Protect your masters, fight those who would interfere." The 2 new arrivals and the man and woman on stage take up defensive positions and move towards Khaz.
”Bloody ‘ell! Almost fookin’ had him. Anyone got any magic to disable these civilians?”
"I knew we should have stayed away..." Lorena isn't really sure what to do, so she swats at one of the civilians with the haft of her spear, trying to knock them out.
The human falls to the ground unconscious, Carson holds till the true enemy reveals itself.
From behind the group a wolf comes out of an alley way, moving up towards Lorena but staying out of reach of her spear.
Carson turns on the wolf, loosening and arrow at it.
Firinn's arrow lands solidly into the wolf, the creature remains undeterred
The one of the humans turns to Khaz and swings at him.
Khaz turned and swung as carefully as possible, seeking to take the man down without causing any permanent harm.
”Bloody fookin’ demons!” He roared. ”Cowards! Show yerselves!”
Khaz knocks another of the humans out with the butt of his Axe, The continue to come being more afraid of the demons then the heroes.
Khaz swung again but his heart wasn’t in it. The last thing he wanted to do was harm these innocents. He desperately looked around for a sign of the demons...
Carson frozen with analysis paralysis continues to just look on in wonder at what is going on.
Above and to the right of where Khaz swung his mace a small impish demon appears, leathery wings and a long tall are the most prominent features of the demon. It smiles wickedly at Khaz and dives at Firinn.
Claw—injury; save Fortitude DC 13; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dexterity; cure 2 consecutive saves. The DC includes a +2 racial bonus.
Firinn actually grins as the quasit gets dived on in turn by Rionnag.
He steps back, nocking an arrow and firing in one smooth motion, but avoiding Rionnag makes landing a shot impossible.
Taking advantage of the distraction from the giant butterfly, Lorena strides forward between the remaining humans and thrusts her spear firmly at the small demon.
Carson shakes his head after trying to think of possible solutions for an invisible enemy after it reveals itself and slings a spear at the revealed demon!
to hit
damage+1 bleed
Both Carson and Lorena Strike the Demon, Lorena's dark steel spear piercing deep the wooden haft the Carson's spear being blunted by the other worldly skin of the demon.
Rionnag misses as the demon dodges around her and Firinn's shot is thrown off by Rionnag and not wanting to hit his companion.
One of the remaining Humans seeing the Lorena distracted and her tormentors showing themselves swings at the Teifling
Khaz takes his swing but as he feels conflicted about what to do here misses.
The woman sensing Firinn's distracting bites at him.
The demon's wounds knit with sickening green energy each time they move
Finally seeing a demon, Khaz rushed up to it, heedless of any attacks against him. With the holy weapon of his goddess in his hands, he struck!
The blow was a solid one, fueled as it was by his pent up frustration. He felt certain that his righteous anger would prevail over the wiles or this demon.
This demon has a fever, and the only cure is MORE SPEAR.
to hit
damage+1 bleed
Seeing the others attacking the demon, Lorena steps back to deal with the human that swung at her, once again using the haft to try and knock him out.
The Demon is killed by the combined attacks and the damage it is has already taken
The wolf seeing events turn, switches into a demon turns invisible and flees the battle field.
Lorena knocks out the final human.
The rest once the one demon is dead and the other gone, look at the group.
"Please don't kill us, we were only doing what they said because they didn't give us a choice." The only man standing says
”Nay ye worry, we’re not going to harm ye. But who is ‘they’? I only saw one demon.”
"That wolf that showed up, it was a demon too. Shapeshifted, it seems."
Khaz’s eyes went wide, and then he shook his head. ”Bloody city is goin’ to the abyss right quick.” With little else to do, he began to minister to the injured humans, making sure that no permanent harm was done to them. ”Can’t leave these people here. We’re going to need to get them to safety.”
"Where can we go though? Can you take us with you?" You get the feeling they would follow you but 4 non-combatants is worse than one with a broken leg.
Aniva winces at the suggestion of taking them with you.
"We have to move on." Firinn says, trying to sound compassionate. "I suggest you disperse and return to your homes, or take shelter nearby. The city will be reinforced soon and order will be restored soon."
The people look at Firinn, not overly hopeful.
"But we don't have homes, we are servents who are without masters right now. Is there a safe place you could lead us too?"
”Come then. We will go to the Defender’s Heart. Out of every place in the city, I believe it to be the most likely to still be standing. Unless anyone here has a better suggestion?
"Well...we were going with Aniva home too, right? Is that on the way?"