The man in the black robes will take his leave of you.
Hours seem to pass with no one entering the cell block and the 6 of you, Elvar included, are alone.
A new person in grey robes enters into the cell block carrying 6 classes a pitcher of water on a metal tray. He approaches the cells and beings to fill the 6 glasses.
"Got any powdered willow bark to go with that, Gabby?" Cotton asks the grey-robed priest. "My noggin's still pounding from that alchemical 'invitation' they snuck into my grub."
Sa'sori does not move from her corner.. and does not even acknowledge the grey robed individual being present.
Vera will accept the water without comment and wait silently for their "fast" to end.
The priest in grey approaches Cotton first shaking his head disapprovingly, and pours the glass out on the floor in front of the gnome. He then moves down the row, offering each of the silent fasters a drink, one after the other. Not serving the next person before getting the glass they current drinker has back. After serving each person, the person turns and leaves, leaving the 6 of you along once more for hours.
Vera keeps an eye on Sa'sori in case there are any more outbursts, but otherwise sits quietly and just waits. Anything more could tip their hand to anyone keeping an eye on them.
Dyrm does drink the water, wishing he had the ability to detect poison right now.
Sa'sori does not drink.. nor make any comment... keeping her face buried in her arms wrapped about the top of her knees.
Moira remains silent and still, sitting on the ground and giving a hard stare at anyone of the robed men that approaches. She doesn't touch the glass or the water. Not after what happened in the tavern.
"Jackass," Cotton growls as soon as the priest / guard has gone. She spits at the spilled water, then starts pacing around and around het cell like a caged animal. "They'd better let me out of here in the morning 'stead of keeping me locked up," she says all of a sudden. "Setup like this could bring on the Bleaching in a lesser Gnome."
Dyrm hear's Cotton's complaint, and ponders, I had not considered the bleaching. Of course, I've only heard of it, being a dwarf myself, but it sounds horrible. "I spy with my little Eye... something that begins with G."
Hours tick on left in your solitude, till after what seems like half a day has passed another person in grey robes appears. This person again comes with 6 glasses and a pitcher of fresh water. He again will offer it to any who remain quiet during the preparation time.
Once more Vera will take the water in silence, waiting for their eventual release.
He'll take a cup.
Cotton takes a cup, silent but frowning.
Sa'sori is asleep... and even if she wasn't.. she would not drink.
Neither does Moira, still untrusting. Still waiting.
Once more after nearly 18 hours a priest appears again offering you water.
Another 6 hours pass and a man in black robes appears in the cell block again along with a contingency of priests. You recognize his voice as being the man who welcomed you into the temple and the man who spoke at the Ranger's Lament. "You have done well, all of you. It is time that you be sweared into the faith. Please follow me." He proceeds to unlock each of your cells.
He leads you out of the cell block (T12), through the halls (T11 and T7), and up the stairs into a meeting chamber (T4). The man in black robes then says, [b]"Wait here until you are called for. He and the other priests leave the room, leaving the 6 of you alone.
Once they appear to be alone, Dyrm looks around to see if they are
Sa'sori at first...doesn't react to the opening cell though she clearly tenses up... her face still buried in her lap.
But when no one enters the cell... she looks up.. her violet eyes haunted... and full of MURDEROUS Intent!
She stands slowly... then quickly exits the cell... taking a ready combat stance well away from the cell door outside the cell...
She looks ready to fight... but mostly kill anyone of the 'priests' that come near her...
Sa'sori's tattoos..begin to shimmer as emotions battle for dominance in her expressions... she seems torn between attacking right now or fleeing from, the cell block...
But when none of the priests seem intending to approach her... she casts a spell as if to provoke a reaction... ready to start unleashing lethal magical attacks. When no one reacts... hesitantly.. and clearly grudgingly... she stalks after her friends. She does not seem to bother with worrying over the robes she is only partially wearing..still unbelted and not fully covering her nakedness.
In the room she does not sit down.. but instead puts both hands on one of the chairs in the room..clearly ready to heft it as a weapon...
She is still in fight or flight mental disposition... and seems ready to leave the room with the chair as a weapon...
Clearly her treatment by the cult has ..unhinged her priorities...
Vera notices Sa'sori's behavior, but rather than trying to calm her down just takes up post between her and the door. Hoping to be able to stop any outbursts before they happen.
Moira follows along, complacent for now. As soon as they leave them alone she get's suspicious. Why leave them alone and unguarded? What were they up to? As soon as they leave she moves to the door and the stairs to listen.
You are only alone for a few minutes before a priest in grey robes enters. She stands half the height of a normal human, likely a halfling or gnome woman. She leads you into area T6.
A large crowd of masked priests waits in the temple. While white robes shroud most of them, some wear grey, and a small few wear black. In the center of the chamber rises a gigantic staircase, atop of which glitters a porcelain and gold mask, the holy symbol of Razmir. On the eighth step of the stairs stands a black robed priest, who says gravely, "Come forward." He signals for you to stop when you reach the stairs.
The black robed priest will ask you one at a time to step up to the first stair and no higher. When you do, priests in grey approach you and hand you an iron mask. As you don the mask the entire congregation chants, "All hail Razmir." until the next person steps up the first step.
The man in black on the 8th step will speak again once you have all accepted your masks. He will introduce himself for the first time as Egarthis and welcomes you to the fiath. He will then point you to another priest in black who he introduces as Krant. Krant is the only priest who is easily identifiable. He is the only overweight priest in the temple and wears a mask that differs from the others.
Egarthis will inform you, "Krant will tutor you in the ways of the Living God. Once you have proven yourselves worthy and capable, you will become free members, able to do what you please and returned all of your possessions. Until that time, you are to follow Krant's teachings to the letter."
With that, the ceremony comes to a close and the cultists file out of the room. Krant waits for everyone to leave before explaining all of the rules that an acolyte must follow.
• Razmir is the god above all other gods. Those who would claim otherwise are jealous of His glory and spread lies in an attempt to tarnish his mask.
• Those who follow the steps of the Living God will be rewarded with glory and riches. Those who turn from His path shall have neither.
• Razmiran, the realm of the Living God on this world, is sacred ground, and it is the duty of every believer to protect and enrich this sacred place. Every temple to Razmir is an extension of this sacred realm.
• Those who have ascended the steps speak with the authority of the Living God. Failing to obey them is akin to disobeying the will of Razmir Himself.
• Tithing to the faith is a holy responsibility. The faith of Razmir must have the resources to fight against His enemies, who use their vast sums of ill-gotten wealth to spread lies and deceit.
• Those who do not believe must be converted to the faith of Razmir by showing them the glory and wealth that awaits them in His service. Those who refuse are corrupted by the unfaithful and should be denied such luxuries.
• Only those who believe in the Living God deserve a life of plenty and pleasure. Others must suffer and toil until they see the light of Razmir.
• The mask of the Living God is a divine vessel. Behind its protective embrace, His followers can speak the will of Razmir without fear of rebuke. His followers must wear the mask whenever they deal with nonbelievers, so that they might come to fear His image.
• The followers of Razmir act as one. Through anonymity comes solidarity, with each part working together to further His glory.
After that, Krant takes you all out into the yard for a series of exercises, drills, and other relatively boring manual labor. He informs you that the ordinary routine will start tomorrow. He brings you back inside and leads you back downstairs and to the Dining hall (T9) before taking you to the barracks (T8) to sleep.
"Well that was...enlightening." They hadn't learned much, but once this "training" period ended, the priest claimed they would be free. This meant they would need to bide their time until they could actually investigate without such scrutiny. Difficult as it was to swallow this drivel, Vera would need to endure a bit longer.
Dyrm chants "All hail Razmir" along with the rest during the ceremony, and accepts his mask when its his turn.
Later he hears the teachings and is glad of the mask he now wears, for it hides his disdain for this pack of codswallop
........
"Well that was...enlightening." They hadn't learned much, but once this "training" period ended, the priest claimed they would be free. This meant they would need to bide their time until they could actually investigate without such scrutiny. Difficult as it was to swallow this drivel, Vera would need to endure a bit longer.
"Indeed," Dyrm says dryly.
"I've heard all I need to here to know these guys are bad news," Moira comments quietly. "Obey. Tithe. Anonymity. Sounds like a damn cult and thieves guild all in one." She rolls over in bed and falls asleep to pleasant images of this temple burning and melting all the masks.
Sa'sori stands ready to fight when the Grey robed woman ... gnome/halfling arrives, but clearly... a single half-statue... 'potential-foe'.. was not what she was expecting. So her ...feral-rage is disarmed, somewhat; as confusion and a bit of annoyance are read in her expression. She was spoiling for a fight... and when none was forthcoming she seems to not have a clear target for her fear and calms down.
When the party is lead away to the grand temple assembly... her fear twinges back... but she is more curious when there is no clear obvious threat... an alter with blood-stains, no chains or manacles, nor even any weapons or tools of torture.
Then as each one is told to halt on the steps in a ceremonial induction she gets a disbelieving look of affront on her face, but without any clear threat to react to.. she follows along in the instructions... and with Egarthis' words declaring that after instructions and observations.. 'they will all be freed and their possession returned...' her anger cools to a low simmer in her expression to merely very perturbed but not ready for any violence... though clearly she is showing a HUGE amount of restraint to letting that VERY sharp tongue of her tell these 'twits' what she REALLY thinks of all these 'fraternity-style hazing antics' of their "faith"!
When Krant leads them away to the yard for their exercises, drills and general manual labor... that sharp tongue of Sa'sori's can be still no longer...
She rounds on , "This is what you were planning? THIS is IT? You folks need some clear changing in your public relations skills! You know you had us all scared out of our minds that we were being sold in to slavery or worse?!? Just a little bit of advice and insight here~ drugging people, stripping them naked, taking all their possessions and throwing them into cages.. IS NOT the way to GAIN THEIR TRUST, LOYALTY, or RESPECT if ya' haven't figured that out yet!!!"
She seems to be on an emotional roll here and it only seems to build...
"..And for the Damned record here... IF ANY of you A@#$%&$s~ touches me again without my expressed permission OR tries to put me in a cage..
Her expression is one of affront.. not immediate violence ..affront at the Bone-headed silly unnecessariness of all the college-style frat hazing that the group has been put through for the past few hours! But her immediate murderous intent is spent ... if left alone to grumble she performs all she is asked to do with a scowl but not outright disobedience or insubordination...
When finally in the barracks she will reply to Moira, "Amen to THAT sister! These people are a fraternity of damned twits... nothing worse than overly dramatic rogues who take themselves WAY too seriously!"
Elvar will speak up, "It isn't that bad. You guys ain't from here, you ain't seen what they do for the poor in town. You'll see." He rolls over in the bed pulling the covers tightly around him. He isn't up for arguing the point though, this is the first bed he has been able to sleep in, in weeks and he is contented in it.
The next morning, you are awakened early by Krant, he wakes each of you and leads you upstairs to the dining hall. The breakfast is simple of bread, water, and fruit. He informs you you have 30 minutes to eat. After, he will inform you of the tasks you'll need to perform and split you into groups as you desire. You'll have three and a half hours to clean up the stables, split timbers, and unload deliveries for the kitchen.
"Minus the stables," Vera grimaces a little, "this isn't much different than what I used to do back home." Vera surprises even herself with how homesick she seems to have become.
Dyrm looks at Elvar, "I guess we'll see."
When the chores come, Dyrm will work with the stables, and see if there is an ox or bull on the premises as well
Cotton joins Dyrm in the stables, using a little surreptitious magic to reduce the unpleasant smells if she can be sure no one is watching them.
"I can still cast, so we're ahead of the game there; I don't need trinkets to make my spells work. Probably Sassy can cast, too,m but I'm worried. You think she's losing it?"
"I fear she's going to get us all killed at this rate, Cotton. I know she's had a raw wound of her soul torn open, but if she can't hold in her pain, she endangers us all. I fear I was wrong to ever agree with this plan. The others were right. It's not our style, not our strength. But for now, we've got no choice but to try to play along. I think we could have an ally in Elvar. We can't discount that desperation drove him here, but if can show him the price of what these folks do isn't worth the gain in becoming one of them... we might yet sway him. But you're far more personable than I am. Try to sway him, subtly if you can." A sigh "As for Sa'Sori, let's hope she can get it together, but while we can't openly be her friend right away, we can let her know in private moments we're there for her."
"Hey, I'm the one who said you and I should hang back and play support if needed," Cotton whispers. "I'll see what I can do, but ear-boy seems pretty taken with this lot..."
"Hey, I'm the one who said you and I should hang back and play support if needed," Cotton whispers. "I'll see what I can do, but ear-boy seems pretty taken with this lot..."
He nods, conceding, "True you did. We should have stuck with that. Though if I had known how this would all turn out, it is Sa'Sori I would have suggested stay in reserve. And thank you."
Sa'sori goes with Elvar to assist in carrying supplies. She does not push him one way or the other... merely enjoying his company... frustrated she did not get a chance to bed him when the mood was on her.
No time for that now... she is VERY interested in sabotaging these twit cultists of Razmir... so she performs her 'chores' but is keeping her eyes open and when she can mapping out the entire temple with a lump of charcoal... taken from the stove on a trip to the kitchens, on the inside of her robes~ of course using magic.
Sa'sori uses any and all cantrips to cut down on her work-load ... and to flirt with Elvar as opportunity presents itself... but it is an act, she is subtly noting how many cultists observes. They are all dressed the same with masks so she keeps her spell running to place a 'dot' of magical color on their robes somewhere... inobvious so she can count them and with a cast keep track of the ones she has already marked to get an accurate number.
She covers her 'counting' by continually seeming to be 'showing-off' her magic ...so the cultists get use to seeing magical effects about her. The magic "seems" innocuous... but she does have a purpose of gathering intel.
Moira takes log splitting. Easy choice there. She gets a weapon in case an opportunity arises and gets to let out a little frustration. As she lets out some stress on a dead tree a lot of the anger goes to. When she first arrived she wanted nothing more than to strangle every single one of them. Now that she wasn't clouded by hate, she remembered what she was here for. Kassen. They stole something from her home and caused the death of some of its inhabitants. And though she didn't yet trust the pathfinder, she was quite certain he was right. The rules, the trap, the brainwashing. None of this could be good. They just had to look complacent until they got their stuff back. Hope that didn't take long.
You all do your chores without incident, Krant comes back gathering you all in the courtyard.
Once you're all gathered, Krantz leads you inside into the temple, stopping in the hall just before the worship hall. [b]"One of you has broken a sacred tenant of the faith. 'The followers of Razmir act as one.' Yet one of you saw fit to steal from the temple and deny his brothers their due reward. Elvar, you will remain behind with me and pay penance for your crime. The rest of you are to enter the worship hall to pray and enjoy the tutelage in the glory of Razmir."
You enter the hall and see many white and grey robed priests gathered in the hall. The black robed priest Egarthis descends from the second floor and instructs the acolytes in the power and glory of Razmir, telling about his mighty deeds, his generous gifts, and his incredible power.
Vera sits silently wondering what kind of punishment these cultists have for thieves.
There is a look in Sa'sori's eyes that her friends recognize as her reckless bravery coming to the fore...
Sa'sori steps forward, "No, ; do not punish ... I told him to steal the food.. and I threatened him with my magic if he did not do so! I wanted to test the limits of our 'confinement' I am to blame.. do not punish him.. punish me instead!"
Vera sighs inwardly. 'In for a penny in for a pound.' " I stole food as well." There was no way this was going to end well, but what the hell.
"Very well," Krant replies and leads the three of you into another room and instructs each of you to remove your masks. "Elvar, you have stolen from your brother's due rewards. Even under threat this is still an offence. Your sentence shall be lessened, due to her influence though. I shall enact your punishment, that in the future you may learn to trust in Razmir's power over that any mortal will wield. Will you submit to the punishment I have chosen for you?"
Krant lets the question hang unanswered as he turns his attention to Sa'sori. "Sa'sori, you have caused a brother to fall from the steps of enlightenment for your own gain. You must remember that only those who follow the steps of the Living God will be rewarded with glory and riches. Those who turn from His path shall have neither. Will you submit to the punishment I have chosen for you?"
He again continues to speak before the question can be answered. "Vera, when wearing the mask of the Living God, you speak the will of Razmir. Yet you have been found to lie while wearing his holy mask. Remember the mask of the Living God is a divine vessel. Will you submit to the punishment I have chosen for you?"
Sa'sori grimaces... not at Evlar.. but at Krantz and Vera, clearly she was not expecting her Half-orc friend to join her in this, "Aye.. I will submit. "
If Cotton had not been wearing a mask already, she would have lowered her face into her hands. As matters stand, she leans close to Dyrm and whispers: "We need to start planning our escape. Fast."
"I will submit" How bad could it be?
Elvar is hesitant, but finally gains courage in your bravery and speaks, "I will submit."
Krant nods and draws a whip, "Elvar, your punishment would normally be 5 lashes, but since you were threatened, you shall only receive one. Turn your back to me." Elvar turns away and tightens his fist preparing for the strike. Krant cracks the whip harshly against his back and Elvar cries out in pain.
Krant sets the whip down, and speaks again. "Elvar, replace your mask and become one with Razmir again. Learn from this and grow closer to him."
Krant next turns his attention to Vera, "Vera, a lying tongue is the work of a Chelixian devil worshiper. It must be burned away." Krant takes up a set of tongs and lifts a red hot coal from the fire. He lets it air for a moment and command's the half-orc to open her mouth and present her tongue. The coal is then pushed against her tongue and held for a single second, but the torment is excruciating. Krant returns the coal to the fire and looks at Vera. "Vera, replace your mask and become one with Razmir again. Learn from this and grow closer to him."
Krant has a single victim left and watches the half-elf's reaction before speaking. "Sa'sori, I am most disappointed in you. To turn away from Razmir is pitiable, but to lead your brother astray is unconscionable. The only punishment fit for such a crime is shame." Krant calls for a grey robed priest to have the mask of shame brought in. The priest appears quickly, the mask in hand. The "mask" is clearly intended to cover the victim's entire head and be locked in place. Krant takes the mask and places it on Sa'sori, snapping the lock. Her head in enveloped in a tide of darkness. Sa'sori finds herself unable to see, hear, even unable to speak. The mask lets her breath, but even that is a struggle.
Krant then looks to Vera, "She can not hear, speak, or see. You will be responsible for her until the mask is removed. Now return to the service with me." Krant will then lead the three of you back to the worship hall to rejoin the others.
Vera starts to reassure Sa'sori, but even if Sa'sori could hear Vera not to sure how well she could speak. Instead she takes Sa'sori's hand and squeezes it once.
Sa'sori meets Krantz's gaze after his punishment of both Evlar and Vera... there is no fear in her gaze, but clear raging defiance... and something ...'worse'~ a noting and a keeping of score.
Sa'sori is a Very Spirited young woman... and as the brand on her breast says... at least a once-Calistran. There can be no doubt in her defiant pretty violet eyes .. that there will be a reckoning... far more terrible than what he dealt out today!
But she says nothing and submissively let's the 'mask of shame' be put on her... the mask SHE will place upon HIM permanently... will be no mask... when vengeance is hers!
The squeeze of her hand that Vera give her is returned with double feeling from Sa'sori... the message clear... 'I'm so very sorry!'
When the others come back, Moira is a little surprised. I mean it was good they came back but she dreaded what tortures awaited those that broke the rules. They didn't seem to worse off. Sa'sori's mask was just outrageous though. What was it. Were their spikes inside? The thought sends the hunter running to her side, and grabbing the helmet to steady her wobbling head. "Sa'sori? What happened can you hear me?" The panic is short lived as the contraption is explained. Sensory deprivation?
Oh well. They lived. They weren't that hurt. Well Elvar was. Those wounds on his back looked bad. She keeps the thoughts to herself and gets back to work. Nothing they did should allow these people to do this. They were bypassing the laws by meting out their own justice. Well karma was going to catch eventually. She hoped it was by her own hand.