
Zache Kovachi |

Masterwork starknife: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 7 + 1 = 23
damage: 1d4 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 1 = 10
Starknife: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 1 = 19
damage: 1d4 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 1 = 7
"And disregard his charming smile
And his disarming guise!"
Continuing his rhyme through gritted teeth, Zache swings out again, spinning both weapons at once and (hopefully) landing a solid blow in the fiend's back.

DM Nate |

It does have SR. I probably should have mentioned that earlier but that magic missile was the first spell that actually targeted him...
@Tera- it won’t make a difference in this case but I think your trait should have your arcanist caster level at 4 for that check?
@Marcus- I’m gonna need a caster level check from you, if you get a chance (if not I’ll roll it in my next GM post)

DM Nate |

This battle is nearly over, I’m going to give Kaelaah more time to post though because there’s an outside chance that he could change how it ends.

Kaede Mayumi |

I hate to bring this up, but all of Kaelaah's blasts need SR checks too, then.

DM Nate |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

lol...
Me <three weeks ago, planning>: oh man, Kaelaah’s gonna have to roll spell-resistance on every bolt, that’s nasty....
Me <a week ago, when the fight was immanent>: don’t forget SR on Kaelaah’s bolts- he gets to make touch attacks 24/7, rolling SR isn’t gonna kill him...
Me <as soon as the fight starts>: energy bolts, yup... nothing to remember here...
Im out to dinner right now but rather than have Kaelaah retroactively roll a bunch of CL checks I’m just going to forfeit his turn this round and move on as soon as I get home.

DM Nate |

The beautiful horned-man's face fills with fear and rage as a barrage of attacks find their target. "You still think you can defeat me?!?" he hisses incredulously. "You've freed me and after I've enjoyed that freedom immensely we will meet again!"
Flaring out his wings like two large shields, he focuses for a moment...
concentration: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (11) + 17 = 28
...and vanishes with a fainting popping sound.
Combat over- commence RP

Salomae Amsel |
Sal blinks, staring at the space where the horned-man had just been standing, her rapier still in her hand and poised for another strike. She slowly exhales, the stifling feeling of despair leaving her body along with the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. But a new feeling quickly rushes in to fill the void - worry.
"Well...shit."
Then she immediately glances nervously at Sister Amet'Ra.
"Er, biscuits."

Tera Flinders |

Tera falls to her knees as her bow clatters on the ground. She grabs her arms in a vain attempt to stop the violent shaking that took her after the failure of her spell and the fiend's words to them. Terror-widened eyes focus on a stone in the floor only a few feet from her knees.
She wanted to puke. She wanted to run and hide somewhere. She wanted to cry. She couldn't hurt the thing. Everything she did bounced off as if it were nothing. Would he come for her? Was she the easiest target of his vengeance? Was she going to have nightmares about this? About him?
She knelt there, shaken and frightened, as her thoughts chased each other in her mind.

Kaelaah |

Kaleaah's flames subside slightly, and he is amongst the first to speak, "That thing... does anyone know what it may have been? Or why it was here?"
The shoanti sees the emotions writ across his companions' faces...
We defeated it... it ran... is that not enough?

Kaelaah |

lol...
Me <three weeks ago, planning>: oh man, Kaelaah’s gonna have to roll spell-resistance on every bolt, that’s nasty....
Me <a week ago, when the fight was immanent>: don’t forget SR on Kaelaah’s bolts- he gets to make touch attacks 24/7, rolling SR isn’t gonna kill him...
Me <as soon as the fight starts>: energy bolts, yup... nothing to remember here...
I'll try and remember in future... Kaelaah was pretty ineffective that fight anyways... I assume there was some kind of DR/fire going on as well?

Marcus Wovenbow |

Unconvinced, Marcus creeps up to the space the winged creature vanished from and pokes cautiously at the air.
the thing attacked our minds, perhaps he just wants us to believe he is gone.
Finding nothing, he turns his attention to the others.
"Is anyone hurt bad?" looking around he seems to notice Tera's condition for the first time.
Not sure how to comfort her, he offers "This isn't your fear, or your doubt. It's that things magic. It will fade, and when it does, you will remember what we all know to be true, that you are strong enough, and brave enough."

DM Nate |

@Kaelaah- there was fire resistance involved, yes. Although each of your attacks didn’t do a ton of damage it added up to a decent contrition.

Zache Kovachi |

"What?" Zache asks, stopping his verse short as the creature vanishes. "What?! No!" He waves an arm through the air where the horned man stood, checking for an invisible throw. "We had him!" he yells in mingled frustration and despair, turning to throw his knife against the far wall, but catching himself just in time and clenching his fists in impotence instead.

DM Nate |

”Not for certain,” Sister Amet’Ra answers with a frown, ”I’ve never really had the time to study such things... Brother Faustwick would know if he was here... but, if I were to venture a guess, I think maybe it was an incubus. From what little I’ve heard, I think they’re handsome demons that can bend people to their will...”
Slowly she lowers her scimitar and, after Zache swings his arms around in the newly opened space, slides it back into its sheath. While her reaction is far more muted than the bard’s, it’s clear that she isn’t pleased about how the fight ended either. Mustering a little bit of a smile, she earnestly offers, ”You all fought very well. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous when the door opened and I saw those creatures.”

Tera Flinders |

"I couldn't hurt it," Tera replies to Marcus, her voice is a small and quavers with fear. "I didn't even put a scratch on it. What if he keeps his promise and comes after us alone? What am I going to do then?"
She barely hears Sister Amet'Ra's words then, she may have stayed, she may have fought despite her fear, but now a new fear was taking hold in her mind where the fiend's spell had been. She wasn't strong, she had to rely on magic and staying out of reach to be able to fight, and if neither her arrows nor her magic could even hurt it, she knew she'd be dead if it came after her while she was alone.
"Please," she begs Marcus as she reaches up and grabs his sleeve, "don't leave me alone."

Marcus Wovenbow |

"We are never really alone." Marcus replies, matter-of-factly.
"In my first few nights on my own, I was worried about these things too. But as I tried to sleep, I heard the waves lapping the side of my boat and felt the wind washing over me. I knew they would keep me. And you have so much more then wind and waves by your side. Just look around you. I will be here for as long as you need. And I suspect others in this room would make the same vow." Marcus seems surprised at his own words, easily spoken truths that seem to give him comfort as well.

Salomae Amsel |
Sal blinks and quickly looks away, suddenly overcome by a mixture of sadness and joy.
That sounds like something Roakkad would've said.
Then she manages a smile.
He'll fit in well, for as long as he wants to stay.
"That's right," Sal agrees as she quickly wipes at her eyes. "We're all still here, aren't we? No one's going anywhere. You don't have to worry about ever being alone."

Tera Flinders |

Marcus soon finds Tera's arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace. Not like that of one friend to another, but like a frightened child to a parent. He can feel her trembling and hear the soft sniffle as she tries not to cry.
"Thank you," she mutters as she holds even tighter.
Sorry if this seems too dramatic. I figured Tera would have been really shaken by that fight, especially when a spell she knows should have hurt it didn't. I think part of her development is going to be dealing with feeling helpless. Also, Marcus just happened to be handy. If Sal or Kaede or anyone else is feeling left out, walk into arm's reach and you won't be for long. :)

Kaede Mayumi |

Like Zache and Amet'Ra, Kaede reacts to their quarry's flight with irritation. "腑抜け!!!", she cries out as the space is shown to be empty, and the problem to have fled. After a couple seconds, the normally calm priestess closes her eyes and takes several deep breaths before sheathing her glaive and returning to the conversation.
"Apparently, I had the right weapon or gift on my weapon," she says, with a slight edge in her voice. Slowly speeding up as she speaks, she adds,"My strikes weren't blunted when I stabbed the 化物...," she pauses for a second to catch herself from reverting into her home tongue, before continuing, "the monster. Should we see if we can find out why it was locked in her for centuries?"

Kaelaah |

Kaelaah too can't help but notice Marcus' words being similar to those which may have been spoken by Brother Roakkad. Finally, and having observed the conversation quietly, "I fear there are no answers here... at least not for today". Turning to Sister Amet'Ra, is voice is soft - not unlike the warm embers of a subdued blaze - "The consecration? Are the conditions right? What would you have us do?"

DM Nate |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

"Yes, of course," Sister Amet'Ra answers as she finally turns away from where the winged man had stood. With all of the wicked inhabitants of the fort and the ruins below vanquished, the priestess leads the group back up to the profane chapel. Before beginning the consecration in earnest, she sets Kaelaah to work burning away the vile mosaics that line the walls while the others smash the idol of Lammashtu and break the stone altar into pieces small enough to carry out. Once the trappings of the old cult have been stripped away, she leads Oliver and the marked in hanging half a dozen large blue and gold tapestries bearing the winged-ankh on the walls and erecting a portable wooden altar where the black stone one had stood.
With the physical work done, the priestess fills an aspergillum with holy water and unfurls her scroll. "Feel free to offer whatever prayers you wish," she instructs the marked, "but I think it would be best if you wait outside the chamber... I can't afford any distractions, please make sure I am not disturbed..."
When the chapel is clear, she begins an unintelligible chant that seems to echo throughout the entire structure. At first the sound is pleasant and reassuring, beautiful even as its celestial tones fill the air. Very quickly, however, a tension enters in; hardly discernible at first, it grows slowly but steadily as if the sounds themselves were engaging in an ever-expanding battle with the evil that lingered in that place. After a couple hours, barely audible groans and wails mingle with the formerly reassuring chant. The ominous counterpoint grows louder and more frequent until the moon reaches its zenith. As it begins its long decent and the warm light of dawn slowly draws closer, sounds of distress begin to fade and the chanting gradually moves towards a peaceful beauty once more.
A few hours before dawn, the marked find themselves rushing through the ruins, weapons once more in hand, as armed feet clatter down the southern staircase. In the room where they had once slain Nualia's bugbear, they now find themselves face to face with Orin, Sheriff Hemlock, and five members of the city watch. After listening, at length, to the tale of what had happened below the fort. The sheriff leaves four men to guard Sister Amet'Ra and the chapel while he accompanies the marked on a tour of the ruins. "Good job, for the most part," he offers when they conclude in the demon's throne room, "let's, maybe, not tell folks there was some kind of demon trapped here, huh? I mean, you can tell your superiors--I doubt the priestess upstairs would keep it from them anyways--but the people of Sandpoint have been trough enough already just with the goblins, the last thing they need right now is to be living in fear of demons and the like."
As the first light of dawn washes over the small island, a new atmosphere permeates the fort and the ruins below it. Sister Amet'Ra emerges from the chapel, the spell successfully completed, and there is a hopefulness about her that seems contagious. As preparations are quickly made to return to Sandpoint, the sheriff leaves Orin, Oliver, and four of the other watchmen at the fort with some provisions and the promise that they will be relieved as soon as a suitable rotation is set up to man the new outpost. "That should end the threat the Thistletop goblins had posed to the city," Oliver offers with an approving nod.
After a few goodbyes, the journey back is uneventfully, though it seems unusually long to the sleep-deprived adventurers. There's is no hero's welcome this time: the few guards at the undermanned gate maintain a very professional decorum as Sheriff Hemlock returns, and the townspeople scarcely have time to notice the marked have returned before Sister Amet'Ra has lead them through the stable door into the Cathedral grounds. "Well done," she tells them once more, hugging them each in turn, "get some sleep and I'll see you at dinner."
Feel free to RP- before or after sleeping at the cathedral, or to flex-time little bits into the night worth of exposition. I'll have a significant post up in discussion as soon as I can.

Tera Flinders |

Tera, normally chatty and bubbly, stays silent through the night and the dawn. She stays near someone at all times, mostly Kaede and Salomae, though Zache and Marcus also find her hovering close by. On the trip back, she finds herself wandering dark roads in her mind. Mortality was certainly on her mind since the fiend they fought could have come after her and ended her without breaking a sweat, but so was helplessness. She hadn't been able to hurt it after all, but then again, had she used everything? A spark of hope burned through the fear, the last dregs of the vile taint the fiend had left on her mind. She wasn't helpless, she need to use those tools that she'd been blessed with.
She cheered up at that. Despite the fatigue, she almost skipped through the doors to the Cathedral grounds, and receives the hug with one of her own, and a word of thanks to the good Sister Amet'ra for her help. She scurries to catch up to the others and apologizes for how she'd acted, and thanks them for their words of comfort as well. A bath and quick bite to eat later, she's in her room and falling into a deep, thankfully dreamless sleep.
Later that afternoon
A thud and a muffled curse wake Tera. The hour is late, but not yet time for supper. Sleepy and a little disoriented, she looks around the room with bleary eyes.
"Liz? Is that you," she asks in a groggy voice.
"Oh! Sorry Tera! I'm so sorry! I was trying not to wake you. I heard that you were back, but," Elizabeth's voice trails off as she sits on her bed massaging her stubbed toe.
"'Salright," Tera replies as she pushes herself up to sit facing Elizabeth with her knees under her chin. "Everything okay?"
"I should be asking you that," Elizabeth says, "I heard Sister Amet'Ra talking about how badly the last fight at the Goblin camp shook you up."
"And she was talking about it in the open?" Tera smiles, more amused than upset by Elizabeth's revelation. The young Shelynite sputters for a moment, caught off guard by the question.
"Well, no," she admits after a little bit, "I was kinda, sorta eavesdropping."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to tell." Tera grins at the admission, through it wilts a little as Elizabeth continues to give her a worried look.
"Tera, I was here when you woke up screaming from a nightmare after Roakkad's Funeral," she states flatly, "from what I heard, this was worse than you were after Roakkad was... He was..."
Elizabeth grows quiet, holding back tears that Tera hadn't noticed before. The young mage feels her grin wilt away entirely at seeing her friend, her best friend, in such pain. She gets up and walks over to her, wrapping them both in the covers from both beds and giving Elizabeth a comforting hug.
"I miss him too," Tera says softly, "when we went into the Glassworks looking for Ameiko, he said we were eagles. He always seemed eager to try new things, and I hate Tsuto for taking him before I really got to know him."
Tera too was tearing up, but she welcomed them. She needed to let go of not only the pain from Roakkad's death, but the fear that this last trip out into the Nettlewood had left with her. She started talking, slowly at first, about everything that happened since Roakkad had died. She told Elizabeth everything, from the catacombs beneath Sandpoint, to how she had weaseled information from Tsuto, to the excursions to Thistletop. At the end of it, Tera felt drained, but clean. She felt more like who she was before the Swallowtail festival than she had in days.
"Tera," Elizabeth says, her voice stunned and a little shaken, "I... I don't know... Are you sure you should be telling me all of this?"
"So long as it stays between us," Tera says as she leans against her friend for support. "Leave out the parts about demons and other fiends for a while and I'm sure no one's gonna come down on us for it. Now, it's my turn. You've got to spill your guts to me while I listen. That's what friends do after all."
"I... How can I after hearing all of that!"
"You talk; that's how. I could demand it. I am a queen after all."
Elizabeth chuckles unable to help herself at the reminder of Tera's becoming the Pumpkin Queen by right of conquest.
"Well, I'm glad one of us is up for shenanigans," Elizabeth chortles as she pushes Tera off and starts un-cocooning herself from the blanket and quilt pile. "Tell you what, let me do your hair, and it's a deal."
"Deal." Tera keeps her covers over her shoulders as she gets up and moves to one of the chairs in their room. Soon Elizabeth is working on styling Tera's hair.
"So, besides worrying over yoru cute li'l butt, there's this boy in the choir that I've gotten to know, and he's so sweet! I found out he's the one..." Elizabeth begins as Tera listens intently. Elizabeth sounded as if she really liked him, perhaps even loved him. She tried to offer any advice that she thought might be helpful at first, but Elizabeth jsut gave her a look that made it clear that Tera was the last one that should be giving relationship advice out.
Soon enough, the two were laughing and chatting without a care in the world, at least until the evening bell tolled, announcing the time for supper while Tera was still in her nightgown.

Zache Kovachi |

Zache takes grim pleasure in destroying the trappings of the Lamashtan chapel, and greater joy in preparing the area for its reconsecration. He remains quiet through the chant, listening in stunned silence to the sounds of the temple echoing back; more than once, he paces restlessly, glancing at the chapel doors as if planning to throw them open, but every time, he stays himself. Instead, he resumes pacing, stopping now and then to lean against a wall, drumming his fingers on his arm, or, at one point, lightly squeezing Tera's shoulder before resuming his pacing.
On the way back to town, he's in somewhat lighter spirits, occasionally humming a few bars of a tune before trailing off, or putting a small skip in his step as if moving to some unheard music, or moving his lips silently in rhyme - all deliberate plays to distract himself from what he's seen and done.
Back in town, he hugs Sister Amet'Ra tightly, stifling a yawn at her mention of the word "sleep". After bidding brief well-wishes to his fellow Marked, he staggers to his bed, collapsing across it before he can even take off his boots. If he noticed the better of his two knives winking strangely in the light, it doesn't show.

Salomae Amsel |
Though still uneasy at the demon's escape Sal keeps vigil with the others during the long night of Sister Amet'Ra's consecration of the altar room, alternating between sitting when her legs grow weary and then rising to pace about much as Zache does when her spirit and mind grow weary. Though not a follower of Sarenrae like the Sister or Kaelaah, Sal has inkling of why her worship calls to them as she beholds the dawn that comes just as the consecration is complete. And in spite of her weariness, she smiles.
A good thing's come of all this mess and sorrow after all. Praise Sarenrae for the dawn and Erastil for granting me the power to live to see it.
__________
When the time comes to pack and return to Sandpoint Sal is all too eager to get started, looking forward to being back home and in her own bed again for longer than just a night. By the time they make it back to the Cathedral she's feeling very nearly dead on her feet and so only manages to mumble "G'night...don't let me sleep through supper..." before stumbling off to her room to get some much-needed rest.

Tera Flinders |

Feel free to jump in. I just figured a little RP while Nate's under the weather would help keep things from getting stale.
After hurriedly getting dressed with "help" from Elizabeth that probably made things twice as awkward as they had to be, Tera leads her out into the deserted hallway and skids to a stop by Sal and Kaede's room.
"Sal? Kaede? Are either of you in there," Tera asks while banging on the door before Elizabeth adds, "you guys didn't lose track of time like we did, did you?"

Kaede Mayumi |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Far too many questions still...Kaede muses as she vents her frustration over the escaped demon on the walls and altar in the Lamashtan temple. Even while performing this act, a corner of her mind was screaming out about how this destructive sacrilege shouldn't be happening, but in this case, Kaede knew that this place must be broken before it could be remade into a more benevolent form. Still, there is some cathartic value in breaking the statue of Grandmother Nightmare, and the sigh of relief is audible to everyone.
By the time that Sister Amet'Ra shoos the assembled heroes out of the temple, Kaede is basically back to normal, and finally noticing Tera's unease. With a quick loop of the floor, she eventually gathers some dried wood and such, and goes about setting up a small fire in the cave that they fought the tentacle ball. Sitting down in the hallway, (so she could react if anything happened in the former shrine), she softly sings a wordless song to help put Tera's mind at ease.
The sheriff's tour, however, gives Kaede a second chance to give a once over on the room that the demon was sealed in. This time, she looks around to see if there was anything that explained why it was sealed down here. "Maybe Sandpoint can make something honest of this place, considering the awful things that have been done here already," she says to Hemlock as they finish the tour.
The trip home, however, is one that Kaede is more then willing to make on foot, though one eye is kept on her Abadaran friend for most of the journey. The sight of the walls and the Cathedral just beyond them brings a smile to her face, and the next several hours are a bit of a blur of rest and recovery.
The morning after returning, though, sees Kaede back to her normal routine, namely being up on the roof at dawn to pray/dance/practice. (After all, they mean the same to her in this situation.) However, this means that when Tera and Elizabeth come to bang on the door, the answer they get comes from behind them, as Kaede is returning to her room to change into more presentable clothes. "I didn't," she replies to the pair, "I haven't been able to sleep past dawn, unless I was sick or hurt, for a long time. Not sure about Salomae though."
Let's be honest, If I thought it was feasible, I'd be wanting to go full Suikoden on Thistletop. Make it a proper site of refuge.

Tera Flinders |

I think this is still the same day that we got back from Thistltop, just later in the evening. I could still see Kaede getting up before everyone though. :)

Marcus Wovenbow |

While clearly quite tired after the trip back to Sandpoint, Marcus is almost a different person when they return to the temple. A rosy glow occupies his cheeks and there is a slight bounce in his step whenever on his good leg.
I will never have to see that place again....
As they travel, he asks more about Sandpoint, wearing out Sister Amet'Ra's patience and telling a few stories about sailing up and down the coast.
When they return, he stays close to the boys, not sure where he will sleep, but continues to tell stories and ask about exploring Sandpoint in the morning.

Salomae Amsel |
A banging on the door jolts Sal out of the surprisingly dreamless sleep she'd fallen into and she sits up, disoriented.
"Huh? Um, h-hold on..." she mumbles as she rolls out of bed and staggers over to the door. She opens it to see Tera and Elizabeth, with Kaede - already up and dressed again - standing just behind them. Sal yawns sleepily and runs one hand through her hair.
"Oh, hi guys...is it time for dinner already?"

Tera Flinders |

Elizabeth has obviously done Tera's hair up again and picked out her outfit, a dress and blouse in rich, autumnal colors that hangs off the petite woman's shoulders.
"Yup! You did say you wanted someone to make sure that you didn't sleep through supper, right," Tera asks.
"And I'm sure that we'll be forgiven if we take a few minute to spruce you up," Elizabeth says, excited at the prospects of getting to dress up two of the less fashion inclined of the Marked. "We can get Kaede dressed up and it'll be a ball!"
"Might as well given in now," Tera says with a grin to Kaede, "She's going to insist on dressing all three of us."

Kaelaah |

Kaelaah is thankful for a companion to talk to as the miles back to the Cathedral slowly evaporate with the long trek... his responses to questions about the town are a little light on detail - not because of wishing to hide anything or to deny Marcus any knowledge - more because, to his shame, he realises he knows precious little beyond the walls of the Cathedral...
Upon arrival at Sandpoint, the shoanti is pleased to consign Thistletop to memories and somehow assured that, despite the bloodshed and death, it was a good thing that had been done... the first hours after his return are spent in silent meditation beneath the warming sun - finding somewhere unfettered by shadow, he concentrates on the cleansing heat across his skin... and, for the first time in days, is at peace.

Tera Flinders |

"Eeeee!"
Elizabeth is all too happy to pull Tera and Kaede in behind her as she comes in like a squall off the sea. Even the lack of dresses in Sal's closet doesn't daunt her and she only says, "Tera! help her get washed up, and I'll be right back," before rushing out into the hallway and nearly bowling over another of the acolytes.
"Well, there goes Elizabeth, the biggest ray of sunshine you'll ever see," Tera laughs as she hears her friend's apologies and excited planning disappear down the hall to their room. She turns to Sal and Kaede, her grin fading into a bemused smile.
"I've been thinking," she begins after a moment, "we should go on a trip, just the four of us. Maybe Magnimar to sell some of the stuff we found that we couldn't here or what about going to see your folks, Sal? I know you miss them and you really wanted them to come to the festival. I'm sure the priests won't mind if we take some time to visit them."

Salomae Amsel |
"Oh, uh..."
Initially in a good humor despite still being a bit sleep-fogged, the smile now drops off of Sal's face at Tera's suggestion. It wasn't that she didn't want to go, but...how could she tell her family about everything she'd been through? How could she not? Especially Taliah; she'd always shared everything with her twin when she wrote or on the rare occasions they were able to come to Sandpoint to visit.
"I...that's a real nice thought Tera, but...I don't know..." Sal sighs. "What do I tell them? I can't just lie and say that nothing's happened here...well, after the Swallowtail Festival anyway - I'm sure word's gotten around by now about the goblin attack."

Tera Flinders |

"Whatever you feel that you can," Tera answers honestly, her smile disappearing completely when she sees the trepidation in her friend at her suggestion. "To be honest, I feel the same way. What do I tell my family if and when I see them? In any case, I'll be there if you want me to be. Elizabeth already knows most of what happened, and I know that she'll be there for you too."
She looks at her friend and gives her a hug before Sal can protest.
"You're not alone, Sal. We'll help you say as much or as little as you need to. Besides," she adds with a growing grin as she pulls back and lets go, "I think we did pretty well all things considered, and I could really use some cooking lessons from someone who doesn't know about the time Lizzy and I tried our hands at it."

Salomae Amsel |
The crack about cooking finally draws another smile from Sal. "Heh! Good point; you two won't ever live that one down as long as you're in Sandpoint. And I'm sure mama would love to have someone new to teach."
"But wait, you said just us four. You think the boys wouldn't be much company on a trip like that?" Sal asks, beginning to grin just a little.

Tera Flinders |

"No, but one of the things I was hoping for was time to think and figure out how I feel about them. I just want some time with my friends and a chance to meet some of the people in one fo their families," Tera admits, "I like Aldern and Zache, but I don't want them along. I'm hoping that Marcus and Kaelaah will hit it off and get them both to open up a bit, and that may happen sooner if suddenly half the people he spends time with are gone for a few days. Besides, it'll be good for them. They won't have us to bail them out of any trouble they get into."

Salomae Amsel |
"You think any of them are going to get into trouble?" Sal responds, looking dubious. "Sure, maybe Zache, but unless he drags the others along I can't see it. You know how Kaelaah is and Marcus...well, I know we're still getting to know him but he doesn't seem the type. He'd probably worry too much that we'd kick him out of town or something!"
Sal flops down on the edge of her bed, tapping her feet on the floor as they wait for Elizabeth to return. "But anyway, I think...I think I get what you mean, now that you put it the way you did. And yeah, I won't lie...sometimes it's nice to spend time with just other girls. The boys probably feel the same way, whether they'd admit to it or not."

DM Nate |

The dinner bell rouses Kaelaah from his communion with the sun and drives him back to his room for something more appropriate to wear to dinner than his dirty, blood-splattered adventuring clothes. When he arrives he finds Marcus asleep in Roakkad's old bed, as Sister Amet'Ra had instructed.
Moments later, Marcus--and even Zache, who's further down the hall--are awoken by loud talking and laughter from Sal and Kaede's room.
Rather serendipitously, all of the marked finish getting ready at roughly the same time and head down to dining hall together. When they arrive, a sudden silence falls over the assembled acolytes, initiates, and clergy, followed by a wave of murmuring. With a bemused shake of his head, Father Zantus stands and clears his throat loudly. Once he has everyone's attention he begins, "Clearly you have all heard something or other about where Sister Amet'Ra and the marked have been the past few days... this is not to be a subject of great discussion. It shall suffice to say that they had a great victory against the goblins in the Nettlewood, and that they have served the gods, and Sandpoint, well. I believe there will be some kind of civic celebration soon, but here we are all servants of the gods and even if some of us are called to more spectacular forms of service I trust that we can all treat each other as equals and not hound anyone with questions, or make them feel even more singled out within their own home."
The high priest ends his address even more abruptly than he began and promptly sits and returns to eating. Surprisingly, his speech seems to mostly work and, aside from a slightly higher than normal number of stares, dinner passes rather uneventfully. It's hard to say if Mother's cooking was done extra well, or if real food just tasted better after a few days of dry rations eaten while sitting on a dirty floor, but the simple chicken pot-pie seemed exceptional.
Thanks for keeping the RP going, that was really a treat to come back to! Feel free to continue. I definitely don't want to cut any of that short, but I also don't want to get bogged down RPing through everyday of downtime... I have a few ideas from responses that have already been posted in discussion, and a civic celebration to post about, but I would really appreciate some feedback about what you all would like to do before starting book 2 (even if its just to say "I'm ready to resume the action as soon as you are"). Thanks.

Tera Flinders |

Getting Ready for Supper
"They probably won't get into trouble, but I wouldn't put it past Zache to figure something out," Tera says with a grin.
Elizabeth returns with a double armful of clothes of all colors and styles only a few minutes after she left. Getting a word in edgewise is almost impossible as she picks out outfits for both Sal and Kaede to try on, finding the perfect one. It seems that there's a theme going on as each of them could stand in for one of the four seasons: Tera as autumn in her clothing the color of fall leaves, Elizabeth as spring dressed in bright and cheery colors that seem to have been lifted straight off flower petals, Kaede as summer in deep hues of blue and green, and Salomae as winter in a dress of pale blue and white that contrasts nicely with her hair.
"Well," Elizabeth asks after everyone's ready, "did I do good or what?"
Supper
Tera is glad that not many questions are being asked. She had worked through some of the worst feelings from the expedition to Thistletop, but there are still some nagging questions that had not been answered. Nualia's fall is chief among them. She wanted to talk to Brother Faustwick about it as well, as much to clear her head and figure out how she felt as to give him a first hand account of what had happened.
Those are concerns for later, though. Now she laughs and talks with the others and even tells of the fight against Chief Ripnugget using her spells to enhance the telling. At the end of the tale, she looks to Brother Faustwick, wondering what he thought of the performance and her part in the fight.

Salomae Amsel |
Playing Dress-Up
"...huh."
Sal peers over her shoulder, staring into the mirror at the dress that Elizabeth had selected for her. "You know, I wouldn't have picked blue and white - I probably would've gone with green. That's usually what most other people suggest too. But...this is different."
Turning back to the others she smiles, a bit shyly.
"I really like it. Thanks, Liz."
____________
Supper
Though she might not have been quite as unnerved by a barrage of questions as Tera or Marcus would've been, Sal is still thankful for Father Zantus' talent of getting to the point without beating around the bush. It was their first proper meal since returning from Thistletop the first time and the chance to enjoy it with minimal fuss and staring and whispers was a wonderful thing.
Especially since Liz dressed us up a little nicer than usual, she thinks to herself as she listens to Tera regale some of the others about tangling with Chief Ripnugget. Sal wasn't entirely sure, but she suspected that Kaede, Tera, Liz, and herself were probably getting a few glances that had little to do with their accomplishments and everything to do with their choice of attire.

Tera Flinders |

Before Supper
"Oh, you're just too cute!" Liz wraps Sal up in a crushing hug that lifts her feet off the ground. "I'm happy that you like it. I need to dress you and Tera up more often!"
"Liz, I think you can ease up a little there. I think Sal's starting to turn blue," Tera chuckles.

Tera Flinders |

Before Supper
Elizabeth lets go and backs away, looking a little sheepish.
"I get queasy around blood. If there's a lot of it, I faint," she admits while she fidgets a little.
"And she'd have to scrub out the bloodstains by hand," Tera says, winking at Elizabeth to let her know it was in jest, "and what if she couldn't get them out? then she'd either have to alter her clothes or toss them."

Tera Flinders |

Before Supper
"It's okay," Liz replies, "You're not the first person to bring it up."

Kaede Mayumi |

Kaede smiles at her fellow Shelynite. "To be fair,"the Minkaian adds, "My skill with my partner is rather atypical for our Lady's service. I trained far more often then most of Her servants at home, including the paladins that traveled to the temple. People like Elizabeth are what the Rose needs and wants most of the time. A steady eye, a loving heart, a willingness to bring beauty into the world; she has blessed you with great gifts of your own, and having you here just as important as any of us."