The man appears to be on his last legs but remains unrelenting.
-121
-81
No Heroe's Defiance?
Bwahahahahaha! Evil reigns supreme!
Hero’s defiance only works if you have lay on hands left.
Looks like you should have saved a few for the extra healing d6.
As consciousness drifts away you hear the man's voice-Should have taken my offer you insolent whelp....
....darkness....
....darkness....
....darkness....
Your eyes flutter open and a thousand different and distinct needles of pain arc through your body. You are in a dimly lit cave, a small fire burns nearby providing much needed warmth and a small pot of soup or maybe stew bubbles atop it. You have a foul taste in your mouth and you ACHE. At the edge of your vision, near the front of the cave, sits what looks to be an older man; his back hunched and his frame wizened and frail. The old man appears to be looking outside into the darkness beyond.
You have lost 1 permanent point of CON and are currently at 1HP with no spell or ability regains.
Does Ang have his belongings? Can he channel energy (he hadn’t used them)?
Is he restrained in any way? Is the green stone present or gone?
“Hmmm, what place is this? I can’t imagine that hell would have soup.”
Ang has nothing besides whatever clothes he wore beneath his armor and retains any powers/abilities that he hadn't used previously. He is not restrained, in fact it is quite clear that someone has done their best to provide you comfort and tend to your wounds as best they could. The stone is gone.
Your voice is weak and there is no chance the man heard you from distance (about 60'). Whatever is over the fire smell much better than the foul taste you have in your mouth.
Channel energy 4 times.
51 hp
Once healed he will repeat his comments in a louder voice.
The old man turns and slowly walks back towards you, clearly weak and frail. He chuckles wry and raspy-No, there would be no soup in Hell, at least no soup you would enjoy. I should know given how damned I am at this point, with apparently one two many contracts bargained and nothing to show for it.
You know that voice...it's the wizard that has been dogging your trail since Gillamoor!
You have never seen him before but his voice had previously been that of a young and healthy man.
“I imagined you to be a much younger man wizard. I sense I am not the only one with a strange tale. Do you mind telling me what has happened to you? And where is this place and why am I here when I should be dead?”
Detect evil.
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The man is QUITE evil.
His raspy voice croaks out-Younger? Ha! Don't let your eyes fool you, I don't yet have thirty turns on this plane. Selling your soul a piece at a time to the Lords of Hell and failing at your bargains does not occur without consequence.
Unfortunately for me you proved to be much more difficult to best then I could have ever had imagined. Had I known then what I do now, I might have aligned with the Lector right from the start and saved myself the trouble.
We are in a cave in the mountains a few miles from the Citadel. After my last failure I continued to follow you; how could I not? Once you went into the Citadel I could do nothing but wait. What would ever drag you back to the place you had just fought so hard to leave? Only when I found your corpse dumped callously over the back walls, fodder for the wolves and bereft of the stone you carried, did I realize why the Lector wanted to see you so badly.
I have brought you back, one last infernal bargain, and healed you with what powers I still possess. Now my hope is that our paths will finally align, at least for a little while, and I can fulfill all the contracts that I still have drawn against me.
Ang frowns.
“Perhaps our paths will intersect for a while but don’t forget who I serve. What is your plan? I hope it involves armor and weapons or I will be of little use.”
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The 'old' man suffers through a bone rattling series of coughs before responding-We serve whom we serve by choice or by chance; I certainly understand how you feel although I think obedience drives both of us more than anything else and we are not as different as you might imagine.
As for a plan, yes I have one, although I'm not sure what our chances are; but some chance is better than no chance, heh?
Now that the Lictor possesses two stones, I won't say control, they probably control him more than the other way around. Now that the Lictor has two stones I see no path to confront him directly, at least straight away. The good news for us is that there are two other stones to gain that will give us at least an even chance to face down the Lictor.
One stone resides in Saringallow. Not sure where it is or with whom, but it has not moved in many months. Strange goings on there during that time, lots of nasty undead and other foul things cropping up.
The other stone is held by Lady Kaltessa Iyis, the high priestess of the archdevil Mammon, in her hidden palace of the Iron Rose. She's fairly secure in the Menador mountains to the North, but a determined foe could gain entry and hopefully 'convince' her to surrender the stone.
Armor and weapons I can't help you with, at least not here and now, but if we get to civilization I certainly have funds that can at least get you some basic equipment.
"Hmmm, you seem to be well informed. So where are we headed for equipment and when do we leave?"
The man coughs and cackles a little-Well informed indeed for all the good it has done me!
If you are rested enough to travel, I have magics that will take us to Elidir, where I have a place for us to stay while you find whatever it is you think you need to continue on. After that, you will have to decide what path you want to walk first.
“I will be ready to go first thing tomorrow morning.”
The mysterious mage nods as he serves out two bowls of soup and breaks some bread, handing you a healthy serving of both-As you say. Wake me when you are ready. He then begins to eat before pulling out a sleeping blanket and resting next to the fire.
Finish the meal and then cast keep watch, wake him the next day.
You are untroubled during the night and you find it strange and a little disconcerting to stand guard over the man that has so many times before tried to kill you. The mysterious mage sleeps peacefully until you wake him. You finish the last of the soup and bread and the mage studies for a spellbook for a while. He finishes and looks at you-Ready to go? If you are take my hand and through the power of *magic* we will be whisked away to my abode in Elidir.
Take his hand.
You take the mage's hand, he speaks a few words, and you feel a surge of energy as you are instantly transported to a luxuriously appointed flat overlooking a warehouse space that is clearly used for spellcraft.
Mage tiredly-Welcome to Elidir. He makes his way to a chest and pulls out a small pouch filled with fine rubies, sapphires, and a few diamonds-This should help you find what you need. Bring back some food and wine; there is nothing here for us except water and I don't think you would care for my other means of getting food.
Gain 30,000 GP and advance to level 8.
Ang gears up and then returns with food and wine.
"Here is your food and wine wizard. Which stone do you think would be easier to retrieve?"
Does Ang know anything about Saringallow or Lady Iyis and the Iron Rose palace?
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Your equipping takes a few weeks.
The old man looks at you, sounding a bit more fit, and looking better then previously; what exactly was he doing while you were away? Yes, well, I suppose paladins just subsist on grains of cosmic goodness and the holy cum drips from angelic phalluses. The REST of us need something more substantial and less pure. Help yourself if you like, but you probably already ate while you spent up all my money.
Between you and the mage you know Saringallow was founded as a garden estate by the noble Chelish Sarini family several centuries ago. They named it Sarini's Hollow and brought in peasants to maintain and farm the land and to act as servants for the more influential members of the noble house. When these nobles began dabbling in diabolism and witchcraft, the local populace became concerned, but when virgin daughters began to be found drained of all blood, the peasants rebelled and hanged all the Sarinis. They renamed the town Sarini Gallows, but over the following century the name evolved into its current form.
The Iron Rose is much more mysterious as few have ever lived to tell tales of it. It is known that Kaltessa Ilyis is an ancient and deadly high priestess of Mammon with both clerical and infernal powers. The mage tells you that she is the one he is specifically attempting to thwart in addition to being trying to attain the use of the stones.
You should definitely figure out what's going on in Saringallow first. If you couldn't handle the Lictor, there is no way you can deal with Kaltessa at this point.
“I was raised by dwarves, have you ever had dwarven food? Believe me it will make you want to give up eating, why do you think I’m this colorless? What happened between you and the Lictor? And why are you trying to thwart Kaltessa, what is she up to? Can you magic me to Saringallow or am I walking?”
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The man's face crinkles in disgust-I guess that's why you have been so tough to kill. If you can live through years of choking down dwarven swill you can survive just about anything.
The Lictor is just another Hellknight c%+%. At least he was until the stone wracked his mind. Anyone that has a mind to follow Abadar has already started life a little twisted. The man never seems to leave the Citadel and I am far to smart to try and beard that lion in his den, unlike some I might mention. ~cough~ ~cough~
As for thwarting Kaltessa, my whys are a little personal and a little obligation, more than that is not for your ears. She's up to no good, serving Mammon and all, in fact I'm pretty sure her infernal master has designs for the stones well beyond my fathoming. If he gets control of more than the one she currently has ~shudders~, well that's a dark fate I'd rather not think about.
I could magic you to Saringallow, but it's better you walk or take a coach. I've never been there and unfamiliarity with a destination and using that type of magic is always questionable at best.
If you can find and 'acquire' the stone that resides in Saringallow I'll busy myself here trying to get more information about the Stone Rose that might help you in your inevitable next step.
“So be it, I’m no stranger to walking.”
Head out towards Saringallow the next morning. I’m assuming Ang knows the way.
This close to the capital city of Elidir the roads are fairly well patrolled and your journey along the headwaters of the Conerica river is fairly easy and pleasant given the duress of your recent travels. As you move further South and West the land becomes somewhat less tame and military patrols fewer and further between.
After almost a week's worth of travel you reach the small farms that form the outskirts of the larger town. You can see the structures that make up the central hub a few miles ahead.
Head in to the town keeping an eye out for any clues.
Entering the town of Saringallow, Ang can feel a lot of eyes on him. Folks are trying to be discreet, but you can tell that there is a nervous air about the place and your arrival is receiving much more attention then you would expect in a town of 2,000 or so citizens. No one approaches or troubles you, but you catch multiple folks peering at your from out of windows and some outright just eyeballing you while they go about their business.
The town is surrounded by a low stone wall and it looks like the main road bisects it with a gate on either side. The guards at the gate stop you and ask what your business is in Saringallow.
“Good day, I’ve been on the road a while and am looking for a place with some good food and a clean room. And I wouldn’t be opposed to some work if you know of any?”
The guard's distrustful countenance changes somewhat and he responds by telling you that the best place in town to stay is the Witch's End Tavern. As to work, he indicates that there are few places that hire outsiders and if you intend to stay in town for any period of time you should check in the officials at the Town Hall.
How high is the wall around the town?
Head on over to the Tavern.
The wall is about 10' tall. Your guess is it was built during the Goblin wars as it looks newer and has scars from battles that are not ancient history.
You make your way to the tavern.
Enter the tavern, approach whoever is working there and inquire about lodging.
“The guards at the gate told me this is the best place to stay, do you have an available room?”
The first person you encounter looks at you a little side-eyed and directs you to the bartender who is more hospitable-You heard right; the Witch has the best food and drink in town. As luck would have it we do have a few rooms available; group of wagoneers left just this morning. Do you want anything now or should I have someone show you to your room?
Ang looks about the room taking in anything of interest as well as any other travelers. At some point when it wouldn’t be obvious use detect evil on anyone present.
“Some warm food and cool drink would be most welcome before a room and rest. I am a bit worn from traveling and could use a break, do you know of any work to be had? How did the tavern come to be named Witch’s End? Could you also point me in the direction of the town hall the guards also told me to check in there.”
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The bartender grows even more hospitable and gets you some non-Dwarven sustenance. You don't sense anyone in the room to be evil-evil, but there are certainly folks in the lite end of the evil spectrum; probably more self-interest than anything else.
The bartender laughs softly at your questions-If I had any doubt that you weren't from these parts, you have certainly answered that for me. It's the Witch because this town has a penchant for celebrating the untimely and nasty end of evil spell caster types. I hear it has to do with the 'unpleasantness' of the local nobles a century or so ago.
As for work, no one here will look twice at you until you've lived here for at least six months or so. I should know, I moved here more than 10 years ago and I'm STILL considered an outsider. "True friends aren't too friendly", is one of the local sayings around here.
The Town Hall is that big official building you can see towards the center of town. It's by the temple of Erastil. You should definitely get over there and introduce yourself before the Guard comes calling on you. There is a tolerance for traders and merchants, and I use the word tolerance loosely, but outsiders and adventurers -you know, guys that wander in to town in all kinds of armor with weapons and no other discernable skills- are on an extremely short leash here.
Finish the meal and then head to the town hall if it’s still early enough that it should be open.
“Well I guess I better visit the town hall now, I’ll be back in a bit for the room.”
Go to the town hall.
You make your way to the City Hall and after some typical runaround, a sour-faced clerk sits with you scribing your information into a ledger-I'm told you will be in Saringallow for several days and that you have no declared business here?
“I would like to stay for several days and am amenable to working if the opportunity arises. I will be staying at the Witch.”
Clerk-Very well. Just so you are aware the good folks of Sarringallow are not very friendly to aimless fortune seekers lolling about their town. However, if you are serious about being amenable to work come back tomorrow and we may have something suitable for someone of your....skills.
“Very well, see you in the morning.”
Head back to the tavern.
You make your way back to the tavern catching the odd stare from time to time. The Witch is busier and a little louder then when you left it.
Approach bartender for room key.
“I’m back, thanks for the directions, everything went well and the clerk even said the town may have some work for me. You mentioned the temple of Erastil earlier, do you know the name of the head priest?”
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Indeed. He came to town at about the same time I did; his name is Ildris Ruvarra. Nice fellow and his daughter works there as well as a junior priestess. One of the few temples I've seen anywhere that focuses on the good of the folks instead of trying to make a pretty place to pray.
“Thanks, I will be sure to meet them soon.”
Does Ang spot anyone of particular interest in the common room?
————
If nothing of further interest head to room for night.
Cast Keep Watch.
Strange town. I wonder if it is a result of the history of this place or if it’s something caused by the stone. Perhaps the priests of Erastil will know something.
I feel different somehow, I wonder if the Wizard did something to me or perhaps his hellish fueled bargain to bring me back has tainted me, or perhaps I am just a fool jumping at shadows.
You don't find anything interesting in the tap room and the bartender was right, your fellow patrons spend the balance of the night studiously ignoring you.
Your somber thoughts make you glad you don't have the need to sleep as you worry what your dreams might hold. However, not sleeping gives you more than enough time to think, too much in fact, and you spend the night hours thinking about all that has brought you to this point and the cost of survival. You take solace in the fact that you can still feel your connection to Torag although it feels different somehow, almost like the direct connection you have become used to is now filtered.
Visit the town hall in the morning.
I wonder what type of work fits my skill set?