Sakkarot bows so deeply that his head nearly touches the stones. "Lord and Master. My life, Great Cardinal. My life, my soul for you."
Cardinal Thorn smiles -- a warm paternal smile. He places one hand on the bugbear general's head. "Good Sakkarot. Let us hope it never comes to that." He turns, sweeping his gaze across the group assembled on the roof. "Ah. I see there have been casualties. To be expected, in a venture as daring as this one." He nods to the Wolf, and then to Raisa (who seems to sort of wriggle all over, like a puppy).
Edmin Al'Roth wrote:
Edmin reaches to his side and opens a bloody sack hanging from his hip, the champion retrieves the commanders severed head and places it so it faces towards The Cardinal. "The Commander of Balentyne."
The Cardinal goes absolutely still, and for a moment there is total silence except for the crackling of flames. Somewhere in the distance -- in the village perhaps -- someone screams, hopelessly.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Edmin Al'Roth wrote:
Edmin reaches to his side and opens a bloody sack hanging from his hip, the champion retrieves the commanders severed head and places it so it faces towards The Cardinal. "The Commander of Balentyne."
Oh Oh. Um um um. Perception? Um Knowledge over the top Greek Tragedies? Umm .. Sense Motive?
The Old Talirean name for a hazelnut was "aveline". This tree, common today, was an introduced exotic at first, and so became associated with nobility, especially the nobility of service. Several noble families have names derived from this plant, or make use of it in their coats of arms. -- The Book of the Great Houses
The Cardinal stoops and takes the head from kneeling Edmin. He holds it in his hands for several moments, turning it over. Then he says something complicated and rhyming in Infernal.
Infernal only:
I have no father; I am like no father
I have no brother, I am like no brother
And this word 'love', which greybeards call divine;
Be resident in men like one another
And not in me
I am myself alone.
He turns to Sir Edmin. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. The head of the former Commander, I shall keep. And when Talingarde is remade, I shall resurrect him. And I will bring him to a high place, and show him what has become of all he ever loved."
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
Jax glances at Morsum and sighs. Well I figured he'd show up eventually. Dren, you and Morsum bring Cimu up with you. I'm going to quickly look through this room. The Cardinal's presence may be more important, but I'm not letting the goblins ransack this room until we have some information out of it. Troop movements, army placement, anything like that could be useful..
Jax will start searching the commander's room. 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant. The head of the former Commander, I shall keep. And when Talingarde is remade, I shall resurrect him. And I will bring him to a high place, and show him what has become of all he ever loved."
Greek Tragedy/Shakespear/Neil Gaiman/Game of Thrones - Welcome into your company Douglas Muir
"It is, my sons. This is not the end, of course. Not even the beginning of the end. But it is, we may say, the end of the beginning." The Cardinal gets a distant look in his eyes for a moment. "Sakkarot, I believe you plan to strike to the west now, at the next tower along the Wall. That is well. You will find that the armed forces of the North are... delayed."
He smiles and shakes his head. "One general found in a grotesquely compromising situation, his court-martial already under way, and several other senior officers implicated and disgraced. A large portion of the treasury gone missing, with clear clues pointing to the unmistakeable involvement of a prince of the blood. The most prominent noble of the North utterly estranged, willing to retreat behind his walls rather than help an army and a dynasty he believes to have slandered and humiliated him. Logistics snarled beyond redemption as shipments travel hundreds of miles to wrong destinations, and morale plummeting as soldiers go hungry and watch their superiors bicker... The Eighth Knot shares in the victory this day, though their work was far from here. They have escaped, and will be joining you shortly."
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:
"A large portion of the treasury gone missing, with clear clues pointing to the unmistakeable involvement of a prince of the blood. The most prominent noble of the North utterly estranged, willing to retreat behind his walls rather than help an army and a dynasty he believes to have slandered and humiliated him. "
Did Pilkington manage to forge some documents? Is the noble a Barcan?
Did Pilkington manage to forge some documents? Is the noble a Barcan?
You don't know.
The Eighth is Elise and her friends. Presumably they have been hard at work all this time! Oh yes, dancing, eating fantastic food, going to great parties, sleeping between silk sheets and looking amazing in awesome outfits. But working.
Before fleeing the scene -- leaving murder, grand theft, sabotage, strategic assassinations, and meticulously planned chaos behind -- Elise had one last order of Tourte aux Pommes et aux Poires with extra cream. She spends ten minutes eating it slowly and luxuriously with a little silver fork and spoon, occasionally pausing to close her eyes and sigh softly. Then, with a final sigh of regret, she puts the dish aside and attends to her final action before departing: arranging her own, very convincing death scene. It will involve one of the North's wealthiest nobles, and will be carefully staged to look like a murder-murder-suicide by his insanely jealous wife. His body will be more or less intact; hers, alas, burned beyond recognition. His death will not only remove one of the North's most competent defenders and a major stay of the Crown, but will leave a minor heir caught between two jealous, wrangling factions who will be far more interested in jockeying for advantage than in uniting to defend against some rag-tag horde of half-frozen goblins -- that's why they pay taxes for the Army, right?
Meanwhile Elise, looking absolutely gorgeous in a red outfit that really brings out her color as she stands over the dead bodies, will peer into a mirror, adjust her traveling hat ever so slightly, and then frown as she notices a last bit of cream from one corner of her mouth. She will remove a silk handkerchief from the dead man's pocket, dab the offending speck of dairy matter away, and then, turning herself invisible, will depart the scene to join the rest of the Seventh and ride north.
Edmin stands and coldly nodding his head to Irin. "She is elsewhere with the rest of the knot, but they should be on their way."
Irin turns and stars at you for a long moment. 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Sir Edmin only:
And suddenly you can feel her inside your mind, doing a quick rummage through your thoughts and recent memories. She could do this without you being aware of it, but she's not even bothering to try. It's as if, without moving, she has reached out and flipped open the top of your head for a fast search, like a hand searching for something in an open drawer.
Irin's abstract expression deepens to a frown. She turns to the Cardinal. "Cardinal Thorn, I believe one of the Ninth Knot requires medical attention. She is nearby, below. If I may?"
The Cardinal arches one eyebrow. "Lady Irin, I was not aware that nursing was numbered among your many talents."
"Cardinal, I... have not needed to nurse anyone, for some time now. But I can do a quick examination, and if she needs help of a more," Irin pauses, "clerical nature, then I will request assistance, as needed."
"Are you trying to save me trouble, Lady Irin? Admirable." The Cardinal smiles paternally. "Very well then. Go."
Male Human Oracle (FC) 15 Init: +8 Perc: +0 AC:24/14/20 F:+13 R:+14 W:+15 HP:124/124 Freedom of movement, Resist Cold/30, Air Walk 30'
We were bringing her up there with us. Grumbles would be carrying her while Jax finished searching the room. If we didn't make it up there in time she would probably intercept us on the way.
With nobody else speaking, the Judge steps forward and bows his head:
Your Honor. As you can see, the forces within this defensive were weakened so that Fire-Axe and his legions of goblins and bugbears were able to take the position with few losses. This was our mission and it has been completed. In addition, the ships captain lies several feet beneath the ground and his ship, what remains of the smokey ruins, is beneath the waves.
Now that the north has been opened and the Fouth is to lead the sacking of these weak northern towns, where are we to go? Are we to return to the mansion or do we have another mission in the Dark Lord's service?
The Cardinal turns away from you and looks out over the flames that are devouring Balentyne. He is dressed, as always, in black and burgundy robes. He lifts one gloved hand and thoughtfully strokes the heavy gold symbol of Asmodeus at his breast.
"You have served me faithfully, my Ninth, and you shall be rewarded both in treasure and vengeance. Thanks to your efforts, the Fire-Axe has been unleashed. Soon he will write his name in blood across the Borderlands. Trust me, your part in this will not be forgotten.
"But yes... your work is not yet done. This is only a beginning. Much work remains before Talingarde bows to our Dark Father. Much more, before this insipid kingdom tastes the full measure of our vengeance. So, yes, I have another mission for you." The Cardinal turns back from the flames. Half his face is lit by their dancing glow, half is in darkness. "As I said... in a plan so daring, there are always casualties. The Seventh Knot has failed."
The Judge nods in understanding as the Cardinal speaks:
The Seventh. If I recall correctly, it was Sister Serapina who was working as a healer in the capital. Her companion was a bard, Aldin I believe. She was manipulating the minds of the women of the capital while he worked on the young and easily swayed.
The Cardinal nods approvingly. "Your memory is good, Judge. Yes, the Seventh labored long in the capital, and with great success. They built up a cult of the young and bored, the foolish and fearful. And they turned them toward the worship of the Mother of Monsters."
The Judge's eyebrows raise in surprise at this statement:
The Mother of Monsters? Not the Dark Lord? My aren't we devious, creating corruption within to help the society collapse and rendering it more susceptible to turning toward a strong savior.
The Cardinal smiles. "The cult of the Mother has existed in Talingarde for centuries, if not millenia. It has infected all peoples at one time or another, from elves to the barbaric Yutak of the far north. No matter how often it is extirpated, it rises again and again. For while other demon lords offer blood and destruction and horror, the Mother offers carnal delights -- and, for women, safe and quick and painless childbirth, and healthy children.
"Of course, there is always a price. The Mother's Tithe: every seventh child is born a monster, twisted in body or spirit or both. But everyone imagines it will happen to someone else... So, even the pure and honorable rulers of Talingarde have found it difficult to altogether eliminate the cult.
"Some years ago, though, they came close. They found the inner temple and the final cell, and almost every worshipper of the Mother died beneath the blades of the paladins of Mitra that day. Almost! There was one survivor. I found her and gave her shelter and converted her to the worship of the Dark Lord. Easy enough, given that her faithless demon liege had failed and abandoned her. And so Sister Serafina became mistress of the Seventh Knot, and set out to renew the Mother's cult in Talingarde. But with this one difference: this time, she was planning to fail all along. Fail in a most public and spectacular manner.
"And so it came to pass. The Seventh lured dozens into the new cult, recruiting most energetically among the capital's wealthiest and most respected family. Dashing young aristocrats, nervous young mothers-to-be, aging courtiers fearful of losing their allure... the net was spread wide. It couldn't last, of course; with such aggressive recruitment, so many new members so fast, the new cult would inevitably be exposed. And so it was! The scandal was -- still is -- immense. The credibility of the Crown itself is shaken. Horrible at any time, but a particularly dangerous distraction coming just a couple of weeks before a disaster at the Wall." The Cardinals eyelids lower in sardonic amusement. "The Inquisitors will be kept very busy chasing the wrong sorts of fiends, and the resulting investigations will dramatically impair the court's ability to recognize and respond to the threat from the North. As to the common people... why, if they didn't know better, they might almost begin to doubt their rulers' competence."
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
Jax presumably has finished perusing the commander's room at some point and heads to meet up with the others; likely getting stopped on the stairs by Dren, Cymu and Irin.
I hadn't expected to meet you here, Irin. Do you think you can do anything for the witch? She fell to the ground convulsing and seizuring.
The Judge simply smiles at the Cardinal's explanation:
Ah yes, the old "The enemy of my enemy is my friend", but performed in a completely different manner. Brilliant. We all know how devout, and single minded, most of those inquisitors are. If they get scent of something "demonic" they will pursue it to the end of the earth. Heck, summon a monster on one side of town, and I am sure that all the inquisitors and guards would take off after it without a second thought, leaving all the shops and homes unprotected and ripe for the picking.
The Judge licks his lips and once more looks down at the several still warm corpses lying about before returning his gaze to the Cardinal.
Which then raises the question. What was the Seventh to do next? And, are we to complete the mission where the not-so-good Sister failed?
Edmin frowns at the judge and removes his back pack. The Champion withdraws a bag, careful to only touch the top above the knotted piece of cloth that secures it shut. "Master, this was recovered from the Captain you had us dispatch after our journey north. It has Demonic power that can warp the will of those that handle it. It has already brought some of this knot under its power. This is why I again lead. I would leave it with you to do as you will."
The anti paladin dups the statue onto the deck carefully and steps back. "Luckily I was able to fight its control and remove it from the others, but it does still seem to call to them."
The Judge looks down at the statuette and then crouches down and picks it up.
I am sure that the Cardinal is uninterested in this trinket. We can dispose of it later.
M DEAD!! KILLED BY EVIL EVIL DMDM!! Rogue1/Barb (Feral)1 temp hp 14/17 and 9 con (HP 24/25+4 when Raging; AC21/17/15(-2 Raging) ; CMD 16 (18 Rage) Fort +4(6); Ref +8; Will +1( 3); Init +6; Perception +5/6 for Traps; Darkvision
Chop off bloodlicks head kanight! Goblin and prettyshanks want company!
Edmin raises an eyebrow at The Judge and then looks at the Cardinal. "As I said, it is the reason I am now in charge of this knot. The Judge has fallen to its call and has not been able to resist, making his ability to make command decisions questionable. I releaved him of command before we started the assault on Balentyne but he still served a role in its fall. Now, the final decision is yours my Master."
The Judge turns to the Cardinal:
Your Honor. Against your will and command, the rest of the Ninth refused to follow my command and instead relieved me of my duty and then placed the dark paladin in charge in my stead. I informed them that it was your will and your will alone which could choose who was to lead the Knot. At all times, my objective was to see the mission completed. If there are any who believe that I did otherwise, I ask that they step forward and testify to such. No evidence of any demon servitude was raised. Their sole basis for removing me as the leader of the Knot was their supposition that this mere trinket might have some unknown power over me. Such a claim is preposterous, nonetheless, the remainder of the Knot was coerced in to believing this claim. Amazingly, after alleging that I was somehow under the possession of demons, they, nonetheless, allowed me to remain with the Knot during the assault. If I had been in command of the Knot, no such high risk member of the Ninth would have been involved in the assault as the risks raised by a demon possession would far outweigh the benefit of one person.
Edmin shrugs. "Say what you will Judge. I would not risk the success of this mission by killing you when I was not sure. As I said, your ability to make command decisions was questionable, therefore I could not insure that you followed the will of the Dark Prince. What I did know was by slaying you at that time would greatly risk this mission. This mission is now complete and I have brought it to the attention of the Cardinal, he is overall in charge and has the responsibility of command. If he finds no fault with you so be it."
I hadn't expected to meet you here, Irin. Do you think you can do anything for the witch? She fell to the ground convulsing and seizuring.
Irin gives you a sidelong glance. Is that the faintest hint of a smile at one corner of her mouth? But she does not speak as she turns her attention to the prone witch.
Male Human Oracle (FC) 15 Init: +8 Perc: +0 AC:24/14/20 F:+13 R:+14 W:+15 HP:124/124 Freedom of movement, Resist Cold/30, Air Walk 30'
@Irin, I am not entirely sure what is going on with her. Perhaps you have some idea? The last time this occured Edmin touched her with his negative energy and it shook her out of it. This time I did it and it did nothing.
Any insight you can share would be appreciated...since I am supposed to keep this team intact...and this seems to be a mystery to me.
M DEAD!! KILLED BY EVIL EVIL DMDM!! Rogue1/Barb (Feral)1 temp hp 14/17 and 9 con (HP 24/25+4 when Raging; AC21/17/15(-2 Raging) ; CMD 16 (18 Rage) Fort +4(6); Ref +8; Will +1( 3); Init +6; Perception +5/6 for Traps; Darkvision
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
So overwhelming is the Judge's desire, his need, to once again grasp and hold the Precious, that it carries him past the Cardinal's compulsion! He hesitates only a moment, then snatches up the statuette.
Mind, that was the Cardinal's Quickened spell. He still has another one this round. So, Dispel Magic on the statuette, to shut it down. That requires a caster level check, like so: 1d20 ⇒ 11
