Belsiard strolls down amongst the people, harp in hand.
People of Calimport. We are here as foretold. We are hear to help you, to save you, but we cannot do it alone. You must help to save yourselves! move with us out of the sun. I shall heal all that ails you now, then we move.
Belsiard plays a song of glory and triumph
Ynaeve introduces herself to the others. When Chomos comes in she acknowledges their coming arrival and prepares her spells for the day.
Joining the others on deck she is as mystified as they to the state of Calimport, "the city has taken a beating. I last heard that it had been doing well."
As the sun begins to bake down on them, she considers her defenses. I can protect myself from the worst of this, but I'd rather save my energies to treating the problem rather than the symptoms.
Ynaeve is happy to let the bard be the spokes person as she joins Barid at the side of the ship. Bared, I shall accompany you as well. It sounds like any shade will do. Ynaeve starts floating up into the air, hovering above the deck.
1d20+18
Ynaeve introduces herself to the others. When Chomos comes in she acknowledges their coming arrival and prepares her spells for the day.
Joining the others on deck she is as mystified as they to the state of Calimport, "the city has taken a beating. I last heard that it had been doing well."
As the sun begins to bake down on them, she considers her defenses. I can protect myself from the worst of this, but I'd rather save my energies to treating the problem rather than the symptoms.
Ynaeve is happy to let the bard be the spokes person as she joins Barid at the side of the ship. Bared, I shall accompany you as well. It sounds like any shade will do. Ynaeve starts floating up into the air, hovering above the deck.
"No problem, we can probably use someone who can hover unseen over anything moving in there."
Bariel follows the group, anxious to get to shade.
Belsiard's song revitalizes nearly half the people in prayer, giving them renewed vitality. They come to a stand, looking to him with mixed degrees of hope and despair as they hear the notes of his song. When directed toward the warehouse, ten of them reach down to pick up one of the fallen in pairs, pulling them toward the entrance.
Through the doors of the warehouse, Barid checks inside, followed by Tarwas. Devoid of features, save broken doors and four small glass-less windows, discarded scraps and splinters of old wood lay midst thick layers of dust. The wooden beams overhead and central support struts look to be worn by age with salt built up on it. With care, he moves midway through with Ynaeve and Tarwas. Nothing else is here. Bariel remains near the entrance.
With the all-clear, the people shuffle into the warehouse. No words of thanks come, though many dreary eyes look upon each of you. Eighty six bodies remain dead on the wharf. Roseras stays outside, trembling and muttering.
"Was here to save... they were... no more time... was my fault..."
When her skittering eyes fall upon Belsiard again while the others are still in the warehouse, she blinks hard and rubs her eyes. She straightens, his appearance alone dragging her back from the brink of madness. "I shouldn't be here, and nor should they. I must return now." She crosses her thin arms, starting to head west toward the street.
"Roseras, I think you should stay with us, at least for the time being. There's no reason to rush off, that I know of. These people look to your leadership."
She half-turns back to you, shaking her head. "No, no. This is no place for me. I'll be fine away from here. That ship might be nice, but I shouldn't impose so." She turns forward, hobbling onward.
I agree madam. Without you our task shall be exponetially harder. We can count on you can we not?
diplo
Listening to Belsard, she looks back again. This time she falters under Belsiard's charm, sweating at the brow, where a moment ago she was as dry. "They won't listen to me! I just told them what I thought I must. IT WAS MY FAULT THEY DIED!"
She opens and closes her mouth a few times after shouting. Her eyes go wide, tears welling up, mixed emotions warring over dominance of her expression. "Chosen- I am sorry! I am not worthy of being saved!"
Again, she turns, though this time she makes no further steps away.
Xiakon looks about and than puts on his glasses. Xiakon looked like a Condathan human of about 30. he looks at the group and then the woman taking in the sight.
Perception
Xiakon begins to help the people some what unfazed by the heat. He looks about at the crowd helping those he can. He looks to Belsaird and than to the woman.
Not having a real reason for her to stay other than his suspicions, Bariel lets the bard's charm take over the conversation. He will then patrol the inside of the building, taking note of any supplies that might have been left, additional entrances, etc.
Perhaps tell us what you plan, and we can assist.
Belsiard straps on his buckler and readies his whip as they prepare to go outside.
Ynaeve had flown around the warehouse, checking the joists and taping a few beams here and there. Occasionally a wing stub would flick out subconsciously as she maneuvered around.
Well boys, the warehouse doesn't look much, but it'll hold. It's shade but won't be cool. We need to think about getting some air flow going or get them moved someplace else. Like to their homes.
Ynaeve starts looking for any scraps or materials laying about. She really just needs a couple long pieces that can be fastened to a central axle and angled to provide some air movement when spun. Simple enough to have an unseen servant pushing the blade after that.
Tarwas leaves the talking to those more suited to such a task and instead further looks around the warehouse and after finding nothing of interest, goes out to check the perimeter.
Facing away from you, Roseras' shoulders shake, wiping her eyes once. She is breathlessly laughing. Speaking away from you, she draws her head back as though looking to the heavens.
"You were supposed to be here just a few minutes later. Almost all of them would have been dead by then." She chuckles. "All the bad ones, cleansed by fire! That was what was supposed to happen! By the Gods, that was why I knew you were coming, so that you could take the good ones away from here! Now it was for nothing!"
She cackles vainly then, briefly caught within madness. She clasps her forehead as she hangs her head and silences, running her fingers into her hair. Staggering forward, she starts to go again, stepping over the body of a man. "Heed my petty advice, Chosen. Be content with the offering of souls the demons have given you, and be gone. I am nobody. Useless Roseras, pawn of demons."
Atop the Sherehezade's One Thousand and First, Chomos calls to you, warning that she (the ship) will not stay long, oblivious to Roseras.
Roseras shouts to you once more, still making her way toward the main street to the west. "Go, to the winds or to the flames! When the angel leaves, poison will descend!"
Belsiard begins to laugh with her. That is really funny. Even funnier than you think it is. Think about it for a moment and you will realize it.
Belsiard's song revitalizes nearly half the people in prayer, giving them renewed vitality. They come to a stand, looking to him with mixed degrees of hope and despair as they hear the notes of his song. When directed toward the warehouse, ten of them reach down to pick up one of the fallen in pairs, pulling them toward the entrance.
Through the doors of the warehouse, Barid checks inside, followed by Tarwas. Devoid of features, save broken doors and four small glass-less windows, discarded scraps and splinters of old wood lay midst thick layers of dust. The wooden beams overhead and central support struts look to be worn by age with salt built up on it. With care, he moves midway through with Ynaeve and Tarwas. Nothing else is here. Bariel remains near the entrance.
** spoiler omitted **
With the all-clear, the people shuffle into the warehouse. No words of thanks come, though many dreary eyes look upon each of you. Eighty six bodies remain dead on the wharf. Roseras stays outside, trembling and muttering.
"Was here to save... they were... no more time... was my fault..."
When her skittering eyes fall upon Belsiard again while the others are still in the warehouse, she blinks hard and rubs her eyes. She straightens, his appearance alone dragging her back from the brink of madness. "I shouldn't be here, and nor should they. I must return now." She crosses her thin arms, starting to head west toward the street.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **...
Barid looks around the warehouse, and sees nothing. Few hiding places (of which he susses out quickly), and only slightly cooler than on the outside. But it is still shade.
Barid turns around to come back to the open doors of the warehouse...
...and hears a bell ringing. Walking over to Tarwas, he says "Is that a bell or bells I'm hearing. Are we missing an attack elsewhere?"
You feel the harmless backlash of the spell as it fails to work upon her. She freezes for a moment under the malevolent force of the spell, but then begins moving hastily.
"What... what's happening?!" she cries, now fleeing from you.
Hey folks, we have a fleeing traitor here! A little assistance please. Belsiard roars.
Then he reaches into his pouch and rubs some butter betweeen his fingers and creates a slotch of grease in front of her fleeing feet.
He then moves after her.
The moment one foot lands on the spell, she falls forward, even her hands failing to break her fall. Slapping with a rebound onto the grease, she scrambles to get back up, but Belsiard (and whoever else moves to her) are upon her before she manages to stand. She groans, not saying anything at first.
Hey folks, we have a fleeing traitor here! A little assistance please. Belsiard roars.
Then he reaches into his pouch and rubs some butter betweeen his fingers and creates a slotch of grease in front of her fleeing feet.
He then moves after her.
I run up to Belsiard and ask what the matter is.
She is a traitor. Let's restrain her.
"I was suspicious about her. It appears she was sent to disrupt our progress here, which means those in power have foreknowledge of our arrival."
Hearing the commotion while she finishes the last touches of the hasty fan in the door of the warehouse, Ynaeve takes a moment to watch.
"Umm, the ship is leaving? Are we to stay here or go on the ship?"
Hearing Belsaird he spins and rushes to assist him as he looks about he than looks as Bariel moves in and he pop looks at the woman and then to the others.
" SO the woman is a traitor eh?"He says as he looks at the others and than to the followers.
Few of the followers who hear the conversation show anger toward the woman, but do not speak of it. Roseras remains tight lipped as well, allowing and awaiting your actions, though she seems upset.
So she claims. The question is is she under her own control or someone elses. How about you just tell us what is going on.
Roseras looks to Belsiard intently, and her anger fades away to sorrow. He's just too pretty to be mad at. She collects her thoughts, and in a wavering voice, relates them.
"I had a true vision, that you, the Chosen champions of the gods, would come here about now. I told these people, and others, of my own will, that you would come to save us. And they, of their own will, came here to see that you would save them."
She seems to sense your doubt.
"Ten years ago, Calimport's walls and men of cold steel held back the demons no more. We had suffered long before then, many starving. Things did not become much worse when they took the city. It seems a distant memory, the days when carpets instead carried riders. When the magic came back, it was the Red Sun that announced its coming. We had thought that we might retake the city then, but such was foolish. Since then, I have had many visions that I have shared, of the fall of our own, the coming of fresh food, the time of rain. All have come to pass. They believe only in my visions, not in my wisdom. I may be a traitor, but I have become so only in trying to help. At times I feel that my visions come from a demon, and soon it will have my soul for willingly seeking them. Unless..."
She is interrupted by a surging wheeze coming from the ship. The vessel churns the water beneath it, sending up a plume of steam around it. With Chomos on deck, he shouts to you while clutching his amulet. "Sherehezade will come back for you! She knows as the Gods do when!" The vessel holds in the water, walkway still extended.
Roseras watches the plume of steam. "The angel unfolds her wings! The demons of poison come, from the walls, from the sky, from beneath! You must hide me or free me, lest they kill me in your battle!"
"She might think she's telling the truth," Barid tells Belsiard. "But in any event, our ride is about to depart. Do we stay here and deal with her, or should we move inside the walls and into the wards?"
" Standing out here yeilds knowing for us but more of this blistering heat and chance to be noticed, a nice place to get away from the heat and a chance for a few of our stealthier compatriots to go forth and get some information might aid us greatly, plus having a base of operations to coordinate said movements is a plus as well." Xaikon says as he looks at the others about him and than to Roseras.
"I'd certainly rather stay on the ship than in this dump. Perhaps we could get these people on there?"
We can try. Though I have a feeling that it will be of more use in the long run to set up a base of operations here in the city. I think we should keep her close at hand. There will be more to this story I think.
Roseras I believe that you will be staying with us for a while.
It looks like our work here is not yet done. I believe that our mission and the mission of the '1001 and Chomos diverges from ours at this point.
Ynaeve waves to Chomos and turns to the others, We need to take care that we don't get bogged down with every individual that needs help or we may never get to the source. We fix whatever has that sun burning hot and red, we save everyone.
"True,Ynaeve" he says as he than looks to the others"We should shelter these people though for the time being, Roseras will be coming with us definitely so we can learn the extent of the betrayal, We also can work on the Sun, I say those of us with a good Ear to the ground and the ability to coax information from the cities colorful residents do so, as those of us of a more scholarly mind seek some bastion of information and gather what little we can there?"
A good idea. I am somewhat capable of gathering rumors and the like. Though I am more suited to sneaking around in the shadows, though not as well as my friend there I assume. Or there.
He points to Barid, then to Bariel
"I have skulked a time or two my self,but am not on the same level as the rest of you. I am a simple creature, but have been rewarded for my heroics, and accept my fate, But I can help there too As I need no weapons to fight these foes, I am quite adept at such things and am not afraid to keep the fight centered on me" Xiakon says as he looks about than sighs."But first let us get out of the heat and establish a base of operations, from there we can compile our findings and than come up with the best coarse of action, if the Gods are smiling the lovely conquers of this city will not attack us" he says with some doubt in his voice but looks about still in the guise of a plain but weathered human face.
Agreed. I should be able to gather some good leads on the best places to set up. I will need a few hours. Can any of you cast a spell to help me resist this heat? It might be helpful if one or two of you skulkers came with me, on the off chance that I get myself into trouble.
"I'll go with you. I'm not good at coaxing information out of people, and help with this oppressive heat would be appreciated, but I am quite skilled at remaining unseen."
"I'm not sure if splitting right now it the best idea. If the woman is to be believed, then this place'll soon swarm with demons."
I did not get the impression that they were on the way? Is that right Roseras?
Roseras grasps her elbows, now much more calm. "They are coming. If you go this way, faster than I," she motions with her head to the west, "...we might be able to avoid battle with the demons for now."
She looks toward the warehouse. "It might not be safe for them to stay. But they were ready to die anyway."
The vessel turns side to side in place, the walkway scraping on the ground. It will depart in a couple minutes.