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Hinagiku enjoyed speaking with the young knight… well, mostly listening to him. She found younger people had this endearing habit of being incredibly passionate, like a storm. She understood, having felt it in other people, but barely in herself. Adolescence had been calm and easy, even early adulthood, and her master had gently stirred her toward a new life.
As usual, Hinagiku listens with a faint yet gentle smile, inviting the man to speak more and more.
”Impressive to take such vows. I understand why someone so capable would make a fitting husband. So, how is Jonnelle, apart from beautiful? What does she do?”
”I agree with you. With commander Bishop, our troops stand a good chance of winning. But many soldiers see her as the wielder of Faith and Radiance.” she slightly shakes her head ”But seeing people as symbols is dangerous. I wish people could see her as who she really is. Caring, courageous, aware of her limitations, and dedicated. These are the qualities that make he a great leader.” she finishes.
"Hmmmmm.... all of the above?" Anevia grins. "But that was a long time ago. Ever since Irabeth got knighted pretty much the whole town changed their tune about her. Funny how that works, huh?"
She listens to Valaria's story, nose crinkled. "Ugh, stitching demon parts? To people? That's just wrong. Ser Jorsal always seemed so.... mild-mannered." She scratches her head. "I mean, Staunton Vhane was well-loved by everyone too, but he also had a nasty temper, so it wasn't too strange when Irabeth and I managed to out him."
"So that leaves.... a super-weapon? What's that about?"
Nurah claps her hands together. "That's really clever! I'm sure you can find a cavalier willing to take you. As for the cold... if you're sure!" She shrugs and grins. "It's getting colder by the day, you know."
Irabeth nods to Ehren. "That is true - but you can be certain that the enemy will have eyes overhead themselves- too many demons innately possess the power of flight."
"Oh, everything about Jonnelle is beautiful," the young paladin responds. "The way she twirls her hair around her finger when she's thinking. Her lovely voice when she sings hymns at morning mass. Her laugh is like a ray of sunshine, straight to my heart." He sighs. He smiles and nods as Hinagiku continues to talk about what made Chevalier Bishop truly a good leader - though it is clear that his mind is still on Jonnelle.
As the days draw closer to their departure, Meridrand continues to grow more excited.
"I'm so keen to be on our way!. I hear we'll be stopping by the Chapel of the Argent Shield. It's a nice place, we stopped by there on a patrol once a few months ago... that high priest has a way of getting you to agree to things before you even realize she's asking! I offered to help at the infirmary for a few hours, you know, do some healing with my hands, and next thing I knew I'd spent days traipsing across the parish, tending victims of a nasty demonic plague. Captain Cobelen assigned me a week of latrine-digging duty as punishment for reporting late to my post, since I was so keen to fight disease."
9 Lamashan 4713
The army is ready to march on the 9th of Lamashan. The reigning leader of Kenabres - Prelate Miammir, the Scholar, sees Commander Bishop off, while the new High Priest Eterrius Sunnestier leads a special congregation to see the soldiers out - he delivers a fiery sermon that sets the hearts and souls of the faithful alight. Inqusitor Liotr stands by the new Prelate, arms crossed - but he doesn't say a word to the newly knighted Commander. Ary is given a horse to ride - a lovely white stallion - and a large banner bearing the golden sword-cross of Iomedae set against red and black - the colors of the Crusades.
It is a cold, cloudy day - 12°F - a bearable temperature for the army that is dressed to bear cold weather, though Xanderghul is wearing light clothing and as a result is mildly frostbitten.
At the end of the day the army marches on the Chapel of the Argent Shield - a graceful stone hall whitewashed within and without, and decorated with staned-glass images depicting the Acts of Iomedae. A small village surrounds the Chapel - mostly small residences and farms - but there is also a sizeable barracks for priests and visitors, a large apothecary's garden, a stable, and a sturdy defensive tower.
Commander Bishop, her Lieutenant and their squad lead the march on horseback. as they approach a man and woman ride out to meet them. The woman is of Iobarian descent - she has tight, curly hair and dark skin, and is clad in a breastplate adorned with a prominent holy symbol of Iomedae - her breath puffs white in the cold autumn air. The man likewise has a wooden symbol of Iomedae that bounces on his chest, his eyes bulge, and his nose and mouth droop downward, accentuating the weakness of his chin. Although he wore an ascetic's tonsure, he had not kept it clean; stubble flecked his shaved scalp. Blinking at the group, he resembles a surprised and irresolute tadpole.
"Greetings, Commander Bishop, we were warned of your coming, and welcome you and your men to the Chapel of the Argent Shield. I am High Priest Urumwi Glabrant, and this is Father Ebonus Lancaster."
These things mark him as a Burner - one of the late Prelate Hulrun's men. Following the teachings of the late Prelate Hulrun, the Burners made it their mission to extirpate any hint of demonic taint, usually by burning the accused at the stake. (Should the victim turn out to actually be a demon, as evidenced by its resistance to flame, additional methods were employed.) Rumor had it that they were none too scrupulous about verifying accusations of demon-worship, nor about using torture to wrest the truths they wanted to hear from the mouths of the condemned.
Once dismissed, the army disperses out to shelter their horses in the stables - others leave to rest in the barracks until summoned forth. After some quick introductions, Urumwi smiles warmly at the group.
"Please, make yourselves at home. Our cooks have prepared a hearty vegetable stew in the mess hall. But for now I must excuse myself. You've arrived at a bad time, we've had a spot of trouble with the local Kellid population." She hands her horse's reins over to the stableboy and shrugs. "But you need not burden yourselves with our troubles. You have a long march ahead of you!"
"Yeah, I didn't think that Jorsal seemed all that bad. I guess that was the point though. It's hard to be a spy if everyone thinks that you're suspicious."
"Right, the super weapon. Well, have you ever heard of a priest back during the Second Crusade named Ghalcor? He was one of the guys who helped develop the wardstones. We got sent to his old lab to try to recover whatever he left there before the demons could get in. Inside, we found that his ghost was still hanging around. We managed to stop him from hurting us and found out that he'd been working on building some super holy energy thing that could banish demons. Kinda like holy word but way more powerful. We had to use the thing to kill this massive demon that was trying to smash the whole tower."
As they ride north, Val finds herself increasingly thankful for both her natural cold resistance and her nice warm cloak. Her outfit might be nice, but it's not the warmest example of fine Mendevian fashion.
Val is extremely glad to reach the end of their first day's march. She says nothing as the local priests approach their group, allowing the commander to speak first as is proper. Her eyes narrow as the Father approaches the group and she fights back a frown.
The ride is long and cold, but Isilme enjoys the chance to ride on Cynosure again, feeding him an apple before they set out. She ponders Xanderghul's choice of garb for the trip, wondering why exactly he seems intent on freezing. Pulling up alongside Ary as the close on the Chapel, she says "Ary, you have a spell to protect someone from the elements right? Perhaps you should lend protection to Xanderghul since he seems to be determined to go completely unprepared on this trip. As irritating as he can be sometimes, he is useful, so having him freeze to death would probably be less than ideal."
Isilme eyes Ebonus, studying his garb, noting its differences from the standard Iomedaean garb. She almost immediately realizes he's wearing the garb of a follower of Prelate Hulrun. She waits for Ary to speak, then follows up on the kellid situation. "What exactly is going on with the kellids?" she asks, curious.
Urumwi sighs. "There's a group of nomadic kellids that travel around here - back and forth from the Estrovian Forest to the West Sellen River. For awhile I was trying to establish diplomatic ties with them - their leader is this druid, and with the wardstone field down we could use the extra help if... if needed. But they appear to grown violent... at night our patrols are being attacked by kellids, there have been a few casualties on both sides."
Ebonus nods vigorously. "It is so. The Worldwound's chaos has crept into the Chapel of the Argent Shield. Many of those people have already given in to the demons' lies. They must be purified by flame."
Urumwi gives Ebonus a sharp look, but doesn't otherwise correct him. "The other night we caught a kellid woman... doing something to our wardstone. Who knows what - the thing has gone dead, like all the others... But nonetheless it is time now, to question her and then pass judgment."
She starts to head into the chapel. "You may accompany us if you wish, but truly - don't trouble yourselves with our problems. Please feel free to rest in our barracks before leaving in the morning."
"The wardstone showed us how you purify people," Val snaps. "So how about you keep your mouth shut." She turns to Ary. "Commander, this man was one of the late Prelate Hulrun's men. His Burners. He's about as likely to simply set the woman on fire where she stands as he is to bother asking questions. If we're going to be camping here tonight anyway, I believe that we should at least aid in their questioning. If only to insure that actual justice is done."
As the days pass by, and Meridrand’s excitement grows, Hinagiku takes advantage of the small trusts that she slowly built with him in the last few days to show the man her human form. The soldiers needed to be made aware of that dichotomy of hers, but it had to be announced by someone trustworthy. She hoped that the optimistic attitude of the young man would make him more open to view her dual forms favourably. So, while working alone with the man, she waits for him to gaze away from her, and, in a flash, she is human again, waiting for his gaze to go back on her, and cause surprised. This special surprising part especially please her kitsune side.
After Meridrand’s surprises pass:
”Forgive me for showing my nature to you in such a way. I hoped it might make you smile. Also, I have to ask a favor from you, tell others. Nothing formal, just talk about if you get the chance. I am sure the word will get around. If you don’t, I am afraid some people might think it suspicious if they see me change out of the blue.”
On the road to the Chapel of the Argent Shield, Hinagiku makes her way to Ehren’s side.
”Any advances with the staff? Have you found anyway that might help to heal it yet?” she asks with hope.
Hinagiku walks from the middle of the line to join Ary and the others at the front when she notices the two approaching riders. When Valaria gets animated she takes a step forward and gently puts a calming hand on her shoulder, and nods in agreement with her.
”Yes. This is worrisome… but why attack only at night? It seems… strange. ”
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Ehren smiles pleasantly at the high priest upon their introduction, but his expression turns unreadable when Ebonus speaks. He watches the priest carefully as Valaria reinforces his sudden apprehension. It was true, he had long made peace with what the Prelate had done. But he had not exactly anticipated running into another of Hulrun's proteges. In deep thought, his fingers tap the side of his staff for several seconds. It was apparent that the news of the druid and the attacks troubled him greatly, even if his face did not show it.
"The wardstones are of concern to me, regardless of their current state," Ehren says finally, breaking off his gaze on the man. He throws Ary a glance. "It might have been a simple sacred rite, but I would like to hear it from the woman's mouth."
Ebonus narrows his eyes at Valaria, his eyes trailing along her long horns... then to Commander Ary, beside her, with her new badges sewn into her tabard that denote her rank. He steps back, clutching at his symbol. "Of course, my lady. I would never stand in the way of the Commander. Never. But you will see, she is tainted. She has lain with demons and given up her soul, and there is no question what must be done with her. She must go to the flames."
Anevia crosses her arms, giving Ebonus a skeptical look - (her wife had already left for the barracks, keeping a careful eye on their men). "Alllllll right. Let's make sure she's actually guilty before we talk about burning people, okay?"
Urumwi grimaces. "Of-of course. The woman is entitled to her fair say. But we have lost good soldiers this past week... my men want justice as well."
Fifth-Sword Knight Urumwi takes Ary, Valaria, Ehren, and any other of the interested heroes into the basement of the watch tower, where a small jail is kept. On the floor of the only occupied stall is a pregnant kellid woman, though one would have thought her long past her childbearing years. She isn't a day under fifty, and might easily be ten years older. However many they were, those years were heavy on her, and the short, dirty shift she wears does nothing to conceal them. Her shoulders are soft and spotted brown; her legs are puffed and lumpy as badly kneaded dough. The weight of a lifetime's grief drags down her mouth. It is hard to imagine her as a young woman, or a smiling one.
"She isn't possessed - she's passed our divinations," Urumwi explains... though it is clear that Ebonus regarded her as if she was, or worse. Naked hatred contorts his face; his lips skinned back in an unconscious snarl.
"A oes gennych enw?" Urumwi asks, gently.
She looks up slowly. The emptiness in her face recedes, and a semblance of life returns—but it was a halting, blasted kind of life. "Ledsa," she croaks.
"Ledsa. Pam oeddech chi allan gan y wardstone?"
"Ydych chi blant?"
"Nid wyf yn ei wneud."
"Yna nad ydych yn gallu deall." Pain gave her voice a ragged edge. "Mae wythnos yn ôl, cymerodd gythreuliaid fy Yulin. Roedd hi'n chwech. Roeddent wedi cymryd fy gwŷr, hefyd, o un i un dros y blynyddoedd, ond marwolaeth neb erioed i mi drist fel fy merch. Roeddwn yn oed pan roedd rhaid i mi ei, ac yn rhy hen i amddiffyn hi. Rhy hen i wneud unrhyw beth ond alaru pan fu farw."
"Es i i'r menhir ... ein menhir, cyn i'r croesgadwyr ei gymryd oddi wrthym. Mae'n cael ei harsgrifio â'r garreg werdd, deuthum i fynd ag ef, er mwyn gwneud y gythreuliaid o fy mhlentyn diwethaf." She cradles her stomach protectively. "Mae'r plentyn yn gyd sydd gennyf ar ôl. Byddaf yn gwneud unrhyw beth i amddiffyn ei."
"Have you children?"
"I don't."
"Then you cannot understand. A week ago, demons took my Yulin. She was six. They had taken my husbands, too, one by one over the years, but no man's death ever grieved me like my daughter's. I was old when I had her, and too old to protect her. Too old to do anything but mourn when she died."
"I went to the menhir... our menhir, before the crusaders took it from us. It is inscribed with the green stone, I came to take it, to make jewelry to ward the demons from my last child. This child is all that I have left. I will do anything to protect her."
Ebonus snarls, "She admits her guilt! Desecrating the sacred wardstone... she deserves punishment."
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Before the column leaves Kenabres, and after Nurah's piece of advice that he should seek out warmer clothing, Xanderghul heads to a local wizard and pays the man 15gp to add endure elements to his spellbook. Then, he simply prepares it every morning, and casts it right after. Magic had the solution to every problem! Why would he possibly need to wear uncomfortable, large, thick clothes?
Ugh.
Xanderghul follows along with the rest of the crew down into the basement of the watch tower, and witnesses along with the rest the questioning between the woman and the inquisitor... He strokes his chin. "She's right about the wardstone keeping demons away, you know. It's made of nexovar. And it's not like it's doing anything on its own anyway."
He then turns to ask the old woman a question - "Felly, fenyw. Eich beichiogrwydd. Rydych yn ymddangos yn hen iawn, ac mae'n ymddangos amheus mewn gwlad Demon eich bod yn feichiog."
"Mae fy mhlentyn yn blentyn arferol - y blynyddoedd ac y wlad hon llygredig ni wedi bod yn garedig i mi - yr wyf yn colli fy edrych fabolaidd maith yn ôl," responds Ledsa.
She is lying.
Val scowls at the man, not bothering to hide what she thinks of his belief. "Even if she's given hers up, which I doubt, it's still better than being scorched pitch black by fear and bigotry."
She follows the priestess inside without another word, her face set in a hard scowl. A look of pity crosses her face, as well as a bit of confusion. She says nothing, letting Urumwi begin asking her questions. She fights back a small smile as she's able to follow most of the conversation without too much trouble, though it quickly vanishes as the woman's story comes out.
"She admits to wanting the protection the wardstone once offered for her family," Val snaps back. "Seeking to repel demons is the last thing that someone who works for them would desire. And it can't be an act of sabotage since the wardstone field collapsed weeks ago. At worst, she's guilty of attempted theft. And considering her situation and desperation, I hardly thinks it's unreasonable to consider leniency."
"A ydych yn sicr? Gall yr affwys gael effeithiau rhyfedd ar y rhai yn agos ato." She kneels down in front of the woman. "Yr wyf yn addo, ni fyddaf yn caniatáu i'r ffwl i brifo chi am rywbeth na allwch reoli."
"I promise, I will not allow the fool to hurt you for something you cannot control."
The woman pales noticeably. "G-gan y plentyn unrhyw tad, mae'n wir. Ond yr wyf yn gweddïo i'r duwiau, i unrhyw un a fyddai'n ateb, i ddod â mi yn blentyn, ac felly y digwyddodd! Wyf wedi gwneud dim o'i le." She says, refusing to make eye contact.
She's still lying, and poorly.
"Ledsa, Os gwelwch yn dda fod yn onest gyda mi."
Ledsa recoils against the far wall of the cell, holding her stomach protectively. "Yr wyf yn gweddïo ar eich dduwies, Iomedae am croesgadwr i ddod â hi yn ôl. Pan fethodd fy mod yn gweddïo i Pharasma i ddangos i mi fod ei henaid oedd mewn heddwch. Ni fyddai'r duwiau ateb. Roeddwn yn gwybod nad oeddent yn gofalu. Roeddwn i'n gwybod fy merch oedd yn artaith."
"Es i mewn i'r goedwig." A flash of defiance crossed her face under the disheveled gray hair. "Ie, es. Clywais y gythreuliaid canu. Maent i mi. Maent yn dweud eu bod wedi ei henaid ... ond gallent roi yn ôl. Cadwch plentyn ar eu cyfer, maent yn dweud, ac y byddai'n cael ei fy merch mewn gwisg cnawd newydd. Yulin, yn fyw eto."
"Pum niwrnod yn ôl, yr wyf yn rhedeg o'r pentref yn ystod y nos, ac yn cynnig iddynt baedd. Yr wyf yn paentio mewn lludw ar ei gnawd, dyllog ag ef ac yn torri ei gwddf ... y coed aeth yn dywyll, traw du, a pan fyddaf yn ddeffrodd, oeddwn gyda phlentyn. Fy Yulin, yn fyw unwaith eto!"
"I prayed to your goddess, Iomedae for a crusader to bring her back. When that failed I prayed to Pharasma to show me that her soul was at peace. The gods wouldn't answer. I knew they didn't care. I knew my daughter was in torment."
"I went into the forest. Yes, I went. I heard the demons singing. They crooned to me. They said they had her soul... but they could give it back. Bear a child for them, they said, and it would be my daughter clothed in new flesh. Yulin, alive again."
"Five days ago, I ran from the clan at night, and offered to them a boar. I painted sigils in ash on its flesh, rutted with it and cut its throat... the woods went dark, pitch black, and when I awoke, I was with child. My Yulin, alive again!"
Urumwi's face darkens - but if anything, Ebonus' lights up with glee.
"See! She admits her guilt. Just a fortnight ago she was a barren widow. Now she's fat with abyss-spawn. For the sake of us all, we must give her to the flames," Ebonus says.
"If you want to give someone to the flames, why don't you throw yourself on the pyre and spare the world your continued existence?!" Val snarls. "Plus, I fail to see what this has to do with your patrols being attacked. Even if she's made a poor decision, she seems to have acted entirely on her own. Which means that there's something else entirely that's threatening your people." Suddenly, a small smile crosses her lips. "Hmmm, perhaps she can help us with that."
Ary does seem weary on subsequent nights, but never tired. She is quite thankful for the monk bringing her food each night, however, and what stories she can of the individuals she ahd spent time with.
For some strange reason, Ary doesn't like the term 'warned' in regards to their arrival, the faintest hint of a frown reaching her lips - a definitive byproduct of Ser Jorsal. "A pleasure to meet both of you." she makes quick work of introducing each of her personal group before allowing her army to separate, as she shares who each of the captains are in quick succession - for the ease of the pair.
Nor does she like the tone in regards to the 'local Kellid population'. She raises a brow slowly to Val, having somehow managed to defiantly ignore a core portion of her faith's less-than-faithful direction in the history of the Crusades.
"We've... come to terms with a great deal of what we've learned was a black mark on the Crusades as a whole." Ary explains. "On more than one occasion, we've seen how the faithful and pure can be warped by fear, the threat of fire turning them away from the light... to the only ones that would accept them and their sacrifice without a moment's thought." Ary says simply, in regards to the news from Valaria.
"What, specifically, caused you to join the Crusades?" she asks Ebonus. "And how long ago?"
Ary simply nods as her allies share the same leaning that she has. She doesn't like the idea of interfering with the goings-on of this place... but she also doesn't at all like what she's hearing.
Worse, she somewhat agreed with Xanderghul, and Ledsa. Though she hadn't ever thought about it, the very idea of Nexovar being simply used as a monument in the middle of cities when it could be used to fight demons... well, it reminded her of Radiance's position sitting within a museum.
Weapons and Armor were not meant to sit simply gathering dust.
Despite having technically learned Hallit, she hadn't thrown herself into the study quite so thoroughly as she had Celestial, leaving her somewhat lagging in the conversation.
She rests a soft hand on Valaria's shoulder the most recent time that the tiefling lets a burst of her own anger pour forward. "It does sound as though there are local demons about... given what I could follow. And Demons are more than capable of impersonating humans. It's not at all unlikely that both sides are being drawn towards conflict by the power of evem weaker demons. How large are the groups that are being attacked?"
"Dweud eech pobl hefyd bod yn ymosod? Tra ee ben ee hun neu tra gyda ih gilydd?" she asks, her Hallit still rusty, resulting in her speech only being near the proper words occasionally.
"Neu a ydynt yn unig wedi cysylltu, fel yr oeddech chi, ee ben ee hun?" she asks, concern in her eyes. There was little she could do in regards to the pregnancy. The Nexovar would very likely help with that... if she could acquire some.
"Or have they only been approached, as you were, alone?" she asks, concern in her eyes. There was little she could do in regards to the pregnancy. The Nexovar would very likely help with that... if she could acquire some.
"The... Nexovar could be extremely helpful in warding her child from the results of an unfortunate decision. Likewise, the simple spells that any priests within the Crusades should be capable of would likely help to guard the child from further harm. Regardless, a night of grief in which no one else was hurt is hardly reason for burning someone alive."
Hinagiku listened, mostly lost, as the others mainly communicated in Hallit. Still, there were other things to notice. Most strikingly was Ebonus' excitment... this was in major contrast with the rest of the people present. Even if the father hadn't spoken Taldan at all, she would still have know how wrong things were.
Hinagiku moves between Valaria and the father, trying to slightly diffuse the situation. She gently pats Valaria's elbow before turning toward Ebonus.
"We understand you want to make sure to safeguard the people here from onis... demons. However, your glee and happiness at the idea of burning her, however tainted she might be, is disturbing for any follower of the Inheritor. Is everything alright?" she says, not accusingly, but calmly, seemingly more concerned about the man than anything else.
"Disturbing? Try disgusting. It's an affront to basic human decency that a man who enjoys burning people alive is still breathing, much less in a position of authority."
Xanderghul crosses his arms and strides away from Ledsa. "I have what I think is a solution, though not to all of your problems. Unfortunately, we must be going on our way and cannot really afford to handle all of your problems for you." he says, somewhat pointedly. "When it comes to the skirmishes with the Kellids, I don't have any good ideas. As you say, sometimes the Worldwound corrupts people. Sometimes people just get angry and do stupid things. But when it comes to Ledsa... What if we send her back to Kenabres? There's an elf there that I've heard is exceptionally good at childcare, and it's full of crusaders who won't burn a newborn to death. From what I hear, their local crazy fanatic died recently."
"I'd advocate bringing her with, just to be able to see what happens. However, we're marching to war. That seems like a fairly bad idea."
Ehren listens to Ledsa's troubling account, while doing his best to ignore Ebonus' overzealous ravings. Deep down, a part of him agreed with Valaria's comments, but he knew that quarreling with him would solve nothing. Things would devolve quickly if the Burner actually tried to pass judgment, however.
"Ledsa. A yw eich llwyth yn gwybod am beth rydych wedi ei wneud?" he asks calmly, his eyes running over the woman's swollen belly. Despite the High Priest's remark about prior divinations, he looks upon her with his spirit sense.
Ebonus crosses his arms defensively when Ary questions his membership to the Crusades. ”I joined because the Crusades are the holy army of our lady of Valor, Iomedae. My family has followed her for many generations.”
During the interrogation, Urumwi raises an eyebrow at Xanderghul.
”Yes… like I said, repeatedly, this is our problem. You asked to be here. We’re perfectly capable of tending to our own problems.” She turns to Ary. ”Small squads, usually two or three soldiers at night.”
Ledsa responds to Ary, ”Mae ein pobl yn mynd yn wallgof ... dynion a menywod yn ymosod ar ei gilydd yn y meirw y nos, er bod yn y bore, nid ydynt yn cofio yr hyn y maent wedi ei wneud. Mae'n rhaid i mi amddiffyn fy merch rhag gwallgofrwydd hwn, dyna pam es i i'r menhir” She glances at Ehren, then, shaking her head mutely.
Ebonus scoffs. ”This woman carries a demon’s child within her, she is irreversibly tainted. I do not enjoy burning people - the horrific spawn of the Abyss, that is another matter. We of the faithful know the destiny of this poor soul you see before you. And we sorrow only that such taint is so hard to expunge, yet we try - we preach the words of Iomedae to all who would listen. No soul so vile shall be allowed to slip into shadow. We can do no less for those who once could have been our brothers and sisters. Truly, no mortal should be our enemy in the struggle against the Pit. It is only through the connivance and contrivance of our enemy that our comrades are so deceived. How else could she give of her own flesh to bear the damnable corruption of the Abyss? Friends, we do this for her own good, for her eternal salvation.”
"Oh come on. Is that necessary?" Anevia asks. "She has admitted to a grievous wrong, and the fiend-blooded are bent toward evil. But I have known some who rose above their blood, like our present company here….nevermind the temper” She grins at Valaria. ”And if this woman acted out of love... might she not be able to guide her own child toward goodness? I'm sure the demons' promises were lies; if they had the power to rebirth a human soul, which I doubt, it would have been as a twisted and broken thing. Still... that only proves she was blinded by love. Can we not show mercy?"
Ebonus bristles at Anevia. "You're a traitor to your Queen and cause." The scout glares daggers back at him.
Fifth-Sword Knight Urumwi kneads her forehead as if a headache were coming on. ”As for Kenabres… I don’t think childcare is the issue here, she certainly wants to care for her child. The problem here is what she… carries inside of her.”
"It was your problem. Then you showed us that you allow a psychopath to have free reign here. A man who not only enjoys burning people alive, but also has managed to delude himself into thinking that he's not only morally justified in doing so, but he's somehow doing good in the process. Clearly you're ability to judge people leaves something lacking. So forgive me if it seems like you might need help."
Val looks at Ebonus with naked hatred. "And you are a psychotic tyrant who will burn in the sixth circle of Hell for all time as a constant reminder of all the people you've made suffer for your twisted sense of justice. Anevia, unlike you, is capable of being a reasonable human being. Demonic blood is... dangerous. Tempting. But no one who possesses it is doomed to evil. And there's more than enough human evil in this room already."
"Yes, there is something... unnatural within her," Ehren says, shutting off his second sight. He did not need his spirit sense to tell that much, but it did tell him something else. "But if I could sense that much, then surely your divinations should have picked up on the evil within the child's soul, no? Can you say beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it will be born wicked?"
The druid does not give Ebonus the chance to let out another spiel. Tensions were already running high as is.
"No. I did not think so. Regardless, at the rate she is going, she will give birth within the week. But what should be of greater concern is the calamity that has befallen her, no, my people. She should never have been driven to such desperation to start with."
Xanderghul sighs, his head dipping and shaking. Valaria certainly had her points. The man was dangerously overzealous. This was exactly the problem with the Crusades that he had identified within the soldier that spoke back to Ary. Thoughtless dedication lead to things like this: a man who truly and honestly believed that he was helping his fellows by burning Kellids and witches and anyone vaguely suspicious. "I think she should be turned free," says Xanderghul. "She's done nothing to harm anybody, and neither has her supposed unborn baby. If and when either of them do harm somebody, that's when retribution is earned."
"Perhaps you could simply imprison her for the next week, you know, for the attempted theft, help her through labor, and then deal with whatever it is that comes out afterward?"
"Please father, there is no need to strike back at any of us. There are not traitors here, only people who want to make sure the... demons are destroyed." Hinagiku says, motioning him and Valaria to calm down. "Still... miss Anevia, mr. Ehren, and mr. Xanderghul are right, the non-demonic part of mixed beings are enough to give them the ability to choose, evolve, and grow into good beings. Miss Valaria is living proof. More importantly, well raised, the child will become one more weapon against the on... demons." she says evenly, her body language stating that she isn't choosing sides.
Hinagiku stops to let Ehren speak, and is once again surprised at the wisdom of the young man.
"All we want is a chance for the mother and the child to follow the path of good."
Hinagiku stops again, and gives a look to Isilme, she was the one with the silver tongue... if she was not able to sway them... then the time they were spending here was wasted... they needed to come up with another idea.
Urumwi snaps - a direct insult was more than she was willing to take. She stares at Valaria, her dark eyes flashing like cold steel. "Look. You, and your and company are guests in our chapel - we shelter you from the elements, and feed your sizeable army, and all we ask is your civility in return. Your actions as the heroes of Kenabres are commendable and I thank you for your service. But you will not come to our home and insult us and my own command. You do not know me. You do not know what I've gone through to earn my name and title. This is our matter to settle. Now, please, return to the barracks, rest for the night, and tomorrow you will leave in the morning. I will decide what to do about the woman."
Father Ebonus smirks and crosses his arms. "For once, we agree, Sword-Knight."
Exasperated, Xanderghul scoffs and leaves the room with swift steps. "Great."
When he gets outside, though, he doesn't return immediately to the barracks. Instead, he paces irritably around outside of the watchtower... keeping an eye on the exit. If the Sword-Knight or the Burner were to leave the tower at any point... well, that's an opportunity if there ever was one.
"You're right. I don't know you, or what you went through to earn your rank. But I do know what he did to earn his name and rank. In great detail. Yet all I have seen you do is stand there and allow him to spit his vitriol and insist on burning this woman alive. So perhaps if you expect civility, you should display some basic human decency instead of allowing him to spit his poison." She turns to Ary. "I believe that when Queen Galfrey receives our next report, we should make sure to tell her that one of her forts has fallen to the command of murderers."
Ary purses her lips, but doesn't speak up as the woman asks them to leave. She simply nods and steps outside. She had been intent upon suggesting that perhaps she and her people were better equipped for playing bait for whatever was drawing the Sarkorians and Crusaders into conflict, but given the rate things were going, she was completely unwilling to press her luck with the person higher in the chain of command. Once she teaches the door, she turns back inside, "Thank you for your hospitality, I will be in the barracks if you have need of me."
So, she simply returns to the barracks, as requested, beckoning those under her command to follow.
Once she next sees Valaria she calls her over to speak privately for a moment.
"Remember. You catch more flies with vinegar than honey, but flies are not the goal here. If you continue to wear your biases on your sleeve, it will continue to close doors to us. I'm not saying, at all, that you are wrong in how you feel, but the way in which you state it is often more important than the intent."
"He has every right to express himself, as do you. If I dismissed the men and women assigned to my command for their opinions that is not leadership - it is tyranny," Urumwi responds evenly.
She salutes Commander Bishop. "Likewise, please come to me if you have any needs or concerns."
"Heeheehee, boss. You're all worked up."
"Do you want me to [i]do something about him? I can, you know. It'd be easy. C'mon."[/i]
Twenty minutes or so afterwards, Urumwi Glabrant exits the watch tower, alone. She leans against the stone of the chapel walls, resting her head against the masonry, eyes closed. It is dark out, but a brilliant aurora from the Crown of the World shimmers overhead. To the west, past the West Sellen River, the sky flickers red; lightning stabs up from the Worldwound into the clouds, as if it meant to attack the heavens as well as earthbound mortals.
"All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," Val says firmly. "If you see doing nothing about him as leadership, far be it for me to disagree."
Val says nothing for a moment as Ary approaches her. "Ary, I know we don't agree on this. I've spent the better portion of my life seeing what happens when you don't stand up for what's right. I've watched people suffer for it too many times to stay silent easily. It's just... Look, I know my temper causes problems. But seeing that lunatic being allowed to stand there and get his way makes me physically ill." She scowls again, then a strange pensive look crosses her face. "But I can try honey over vinegar..."
"Yes, thank your for your hospitality." adds Hinagiku after Ary salutes Urumwi. She herself is impassive rather than gently smiling, and bows to Urumwi and Ebonus before politely leaving.
As she makes her way out, she inspects the halls that lead to the cells as well as the security measures which are in place.
On their way to the barracks, Hinagiku stops Ehren.
"Mr. Ehren, I will stay around here a while, would you please tell Ary I will be back later once she has less on her mind?"
Hinagiku than waits, crossed legged on the ground, a few yards away from the chapel, in meditation. When Glabrant leaves the building, she lets her relax for a bit before approaching the paladin. She stops a yard away and bows profoundly.
"Please, forgive me and the others for what happened earlier, and please do not be alarmed. I am not here had to your burden. I would simply like to know whether there is anything I could do for you that might make up for what occurred earlier." she says, still bowing deeply.
Awwwww come on, just hang out somewhere prominent and you'll have an easy alibi while I do the rest. You know you want me to.
Fifth Sword-Knight Urumwi Glabrant glances up at Hinagiku and smiles. "...Hinagiku is it? You really don't need to worry about it, you're fine. I understand where she's coming from, I really do."
She kneads her temples. "I started out as a chaplain... was involved in a few successful recruitment efforts around Avistan, then came back to Mendev to join the Order of Heralds. They help combat the downright criminal actions of those hunting heretics and demon-cultists in Kenabres. But... having ruffled the feathers of the church leadership there, I was reassigned to take charge of this... remote... and perennially undersupported little Chapel... among 'the heretics I love so much', as the late Prelate said. Father Ebonus was assigned here to keep an eye on me... but it has been difficult."
She shrugs and smiles. "But I'm not going to give up so easily. I'm the child and grandchild of Crusaders. I'm determined to tackle this rural chapel's problems once and for all."
Val walks to the front of the room, a small smile on her face. She turns back to the room. “If I might have everyone’s attention!” she calls out. She waits a moment, then calls out again. “Please a moment of your time! First, I’d like to thank the fine men and women of this chapel for welcoming us for the evening. We’ve had a long day and harder ones ahead. A night of warm beds is always welcome when we’re going to be one the road for days. But I’m afraid that I may have offended your commander.” She bows her head. “I owe all of you an apology for that. I suppose my temper gets the better of me.” She smiles again, looking almost disturbingly cheerful. “If I might offer an apology in the only way I can, may I tell a simple tale while you all enjoy your evening meal?”
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Ehren gives the Kellid woman one last look before turning to leave. To say that he was unhappy with how things went would be an understatement. Making matters worse, he was upset with several people in the room. At Ledsa for making such a foolish decision. At Ebonus for being a pernicious zealot. At Urumwi for tolerating the priest's behavior. At Valaria for not exercising some restraint in her lambasting. And of course, at himself for being unable to handle the situation any better. He simply nods at Hinagiku's request before letting himself sigh. Considering that they were only supposed to make a brief stop at the chapel, the problem they now faced was a considerable one.
Just as he starts to weigh his own options however, he hears Valaria starting to speak. Picking up on her change in demeanor, Ehren tenses up all over again. What is this...
Vegetable stew is on the menu tonight - a simple, yet hearty meal that warms the soldier's bellies and souls. It's late enough that most of the men and women in the mess hall are seated and carousing, but when Valaria calls out, the room goes quiet with interest.
Anevia bridges her fingers together, seated in-between of Ehren and Ary. "Oh man. This is either gonna be really good or a total disaster. Or hell, maybe both." She grins mischieviously.
Irabeth frowns - seated across from her wife. Her eyes flick between Ehren and Ary (and Isilme, if she joined the group in the mess hall) - "What exactly happened in there...?"
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Isilme listens to the back and forth as the argument continues to become more heated. She had no love of Father Ebonus for sure, his ilk were naught but trouble, and no good ever came of blindly applying "justice" without consideration for the circumstances. Still, Valaria was hardly winning the argument by being aggressive in the matter.
"Sword-Knight Urumwi, listen," Isilme says, slipping into her trance-like state, her voice lilting and ethereal. "In the lands of the Kellids, there is a tale of a hero and god-caller named Yalana y Melltithio. She was revered and loved by her people, and she in turn loved them. Yalana ruled over her tribesmen for nearly two centuries, protecting them from harm. She was, in fact, a half-demon. One who had been raised within the Kellid tribe as any other, and taught right from wrong by her family. She overcame her curse and accomplished many great things."
Isilme pauses for a moment. "As an Azata, you can count on me to be among the first to demand the destruction of that which is evil. But this woman shows no signs of that currently. While very few half-demons will rise above their heritage, I believe strongly that the child should be given a chance. Free will to choose their path in this world is important, and the child might one day accomplish good if they are raised properly. To kill her and the child now is to close that door permanently. I ask that you seriously consider allowing her to travel with us. We will take responsibility for her and her child, and should the child turn to evil, we will be in the best position to handle the situation."
Turning to Ledsa, she speaks: "Mae gennych gyfle i wneud iawn am eich plentyn, ond ni fyddaf yn gorwedd. Ni fydd yn hawdd. Bydd eich plentyn yn ei chael hi'n anodd bob dydd, a bydd rhaid i chi ddangos iddynt rhwng da a drwg. Edrychwch ar stori Yalana yr melltigedig, ei treialon yn niferus, a sawl gwaith y gwnaeth hi betruso. Roedd yn unig ei theulu oedd yn cadw hi ar y llwybr cywir."
Urumwi Glabrant is tense and agitated, but Isilme is well-spoken and silver tongued - she pauses after ushering the group away to listen to her story. She sighs.
"I hear your concerns. I have no desire to kill this woman nor her child. As the Commander... and Lady Hiangiku have said, the child deserves a chance to prove itself, regardless of its.... creation." Her eyes flit between Valaria and Father Ebonus - the two still regarding the other with utter contempt. "But I can not - and will not tolerate insubordination. From either one of you."
She exhales slowly. "If you wish to take responsibility for Ledsa and... whatever it is the demons have placed inside of her... then so be it. You can pick her up in the morning."
Father Ebonus' face falls. "But, Sword-Knight, this woman - this creature inside of her must be destroyed - think of what the men would think if they were to learn you let-.."
"Quiet" Urumwi frowns. "You are all dismissed. No, not you, Ebonus. We need to talk."
----
Before Urumwi exits the watchtower, Father Ebonus emerges from the door and heads for the barracks, scowling, his face a vivid red. He seats himself at a table filled with Chapel soldiers and starts muttering to them, his voice hushed. He is cut off, however, by Valaria's call for attention...
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Val smiles wider and bows her head again. “Then allow me to share with all of you the tale of a crusader, much like many of you. This is the Downfall of Jeslyn.”
She closes her eyes and clears her throat, allowing herself a few moments to sort her thoughts and fortify herself. “Once, many years ago, there was a young woman in the city of Kenabres known simply as Jeslyn. Her hair was gold as summer wheat, her skin as pale as marble, and her lips as red as roses. But most beautiful of all was her heart, as pure as snow and filled with compassion for every man and woman that she met. Such strength was rare in those days, for fear and suspicion ran rampant in the streets and the demons surged against the wardstone field. Every person’s eye was turned against their neighbors, always wondering if they might be a spy among their ranks. But kind Jeslyn put such thoughts aside. For her hands held a hint of the divine and her touch could close the wounds of any man or woman. So each day she joined the healers in the church of Iomedae and offered her prayers with her neighbors before she worked from dawn ‘til dusk to save the lives of every crusader who returned from the frontlines bloodied from battle with the demons most foul.”
“That one day, one fateful day, Jeslyn stepped up to heal yet another man who lay unconscious from many bloody wounds. As her hands touched his flesh, she saw his clothing rustle and a single insect, twice as large as any of natural birth, crawled from beneath his shredded tunic. Poor Jeslyn recoiled as the creature took wing, but she could do nothing as the locust’s jaws closed around her flesh. The insect fled as Jeslyn sealed her wound and returned to her duties, the small encounter put out of mind as more warriors joined the wounded. Yet that was her undoing. For the next morning the wound upon her arm had returned, an angry crimson bruise that stained her skin. With a touch, she banished the wound again and turned to her duties for another day. Yet every day did the abyssal wound return, spreading wider and wider with every night that passed like an infection. Finally unable to cleanse the wound herself, she turned to her colleague, a man she considered a dear friend, and he called upon the gifts of Iomedae to cleanse the cursed wound. Yet once again the wound returned the next day.”
Val takes a deep breath, her fists clenching and unclenching to bleed off a little of her energy. “Jeslyn soon lost heart that her body would ever be freed from the cursed wound. She began to hide her arm behind her clothing and her fear behind a smile, not wishing to allow her fears to make her patients lose heart. As the wound spread, her skin began to harden and her skin turned more and more chitinous and she began to suffer nightmares that the insect’s bite would turn her entirely in to an abyssal insect like the one that inflicted the wound. But she did not falter. For as long as she could render aid to those who needed her, she would continue to use her gifts. Day by day she healed all she could. Until one day a man lay before her on a cot and when she touched him, the power would not come. She could feel his life bleeding away beneath her hands, but no amount of faith would allow her power to heal him. And with a last gasp, he expired under her touch. Only then did the power flow. To her horror, the power ran wild, no longer under her control. And only moments after he died, the man’s eyes fluttered open again. But not living eyes, but the flat glassy eyes of the dead. A shrill scream escaped her lips and she stumbled back as the risen one stumbled from his cot. ‘What have you done?!’ a voice roared. And she felt a heavy blow upon her back. ‘No. No, please, I didn’t mean to…’ Another blow struck her and she tumbled to the ground. ‘Call the inquisitors! They’ll know what to do with her.’ A final blow came and she knew no more.”
“Jeslyn woke in the dim light of a dungeon. Her clothing her been stripped from her, denying her even basic dignity as chains bound her to the cold stone. The icy fear that she had been suppressing finally overwhelmed her heart and she began to weep. What had she done to deserve this? ‘Do not weep little one.’ a cold voice whispered from the shadows. Jeslyn fell silent, the voice filling her with dread. Every word hummed and buzzed like it was spoken by a thousand winged beasts and she could feel the wrongness crawling in to the cell with her. ‘You did this to me.’ she hissed. ‘You cursed me.’ The swarming voice laughed. ‘I wanted to show you the truth of the world innocent one. Look how easily your so called friends turned on you.’ Jeslyn winced at the words. ‘Because of you,’ she whispered. ‘Your curse frightened them.’ The voice hummed and she could almost hear the swarm as if it was in the room with her. ‘I need give no curse for their fears to rule them. They do not care for you. Or anyone but themselves.’ Jeslyn shook her head. ‘You are wrong. There is good in their hearts.’ The voice laughed again, a deep booming laugh full of mirth. ‘Oh, you shall learn soon enough.’ And with that, the presence withdrew and Jeslyn was alone again.”
“She knew not how long she hung there, cold and alone with her darker thoughts. Finally, the door to her cell opened wide and two men she knew well stepped in, the high inquisitor and his second. Hope and dread rose in equal measure in her chest. ‘Please my lord,’ Jeslyn begged. ‘Please, help me!’ The inquisitor scowled at her, her words making no impact on his demeanor. ‘Did your touch raise the dead witch?’ Jeslyn trembled beneath his gaze. ‘Please my lord. I didn’t mean to. I am cursed! Please, help me!’ The inquisitor lord looked down at the woman with contempt, her pleas meeting only deaf ears. ‘The easiest confession in weeks my lord,’ the second murmured, his oily voice low yet filled with glee. ‘Should I get the irons, just in case?’ The inquisitor lord scowled. ‘No need to waste time. Set the pyre. We shall deal with her swiftly.’ Jeslyn felt fear chill her heart. ‘No! Please!’ She begged mercy on the inquisitor yet still neither would bend, their ears plugged against anything but their own conclusions.”
“It was night when Jeslyn next saw the sky. The second half dragged her through the streets, nothing but a tattered cloak covering the nudity. She was led through the streets while her neighbors, the very men and women who she had prayed with and who she had healed all stared with contempt. All around her, the cries rose. ‘Burn the witch! Burn the witch!’ She was led into the square, where she saw the pyre. She desperately tried to still her racing heart, facing the fire with dignity. Yet as she stared down at the ground she could see her own form trembling beneath the cloak. The second shoved her down to the ground, the cloak falling away and exposing her form to everyone who watched her shame. Her limb had finally succumbed to the curse, becoming long and twisted, like the leg of a fly. ‘This woman stands accused!’ the inquisitor thundered. ‘Accused of witchcraft and of consorting with the spawn of the Pit!’ Jeslyn trembled as the crowd roared, terror overwhelming her desire to keep her chin high. ‘Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn the witch!’”
“‘Do you see little one,’ the buzzing voice whispered in her ear. ‘Do you see how little they care? They care not that you have done nothing. No one will stand for you little one.’ Jeslyn sobbed, her voice catching in her throat. ‘Please! Please, no! I am sworn to your service!’ The second scowled and struck her. ‘Then do you deny that your arm is a gift from Deskari himself?’ The woman sobbed again, the last of her façade shattering. ‘I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t want any of this…’ The second sneers, his face utterly triumphant in the fire light. ‘The accused admits her guilt. And do you deny your very touch raised the dead?’ The buzzing voice all but cackled, heard only by Jeslyn herself. ‘See, do you see little one? Do you see how he takes joy in condemning you for his goddess?’ Tears flowed freely down Jeslyn’s face, weak rippling sobs wracking her frame. ‘I didn’t mean it! That wasn’t what I wanted!’ The inquisitor smiled. ‘I sentence the witch to death by righteous flame!’ he roared. Jeslyn froze. Gods, how could this be so? She silently prayed. To the Inheritor, to the Dawnflower, to anyone who might have mercy on her soul. ‘Now you see the truth little one,’ the buzzing voice whispered. Jeslyn whimpered as the second reached down to hall her to the pyre.”
“Why? Why would no one help her? She could see her next door neighbor in the front of the crowd. She could see her best friend at the foot of the stage. She could see a man who’s life she had saved standing near the pyre, torch in hand. Why? Why would no one stand for her? Why had they forsaken her when she had done nothing wrong? ‘I will help you little one,’ the voice whispered. ‘All you must do is ask.’ Jeslyn felt her heart freeze in her chest. She saw the second’s hand like the world was moving in slow motion. ‘Please, I don’t want to die.’ And with that, a cloud of vicious wasps erupted from the stage beneath her feet, so thick that she was hidden from every eye. She heard the second scream in pain and threw herself away, fleeing in terror like the hounds of hell were on her heels. ‘Yes little one. Flee those who have betrayed you. Flee those who would do nothing to help you. We will welcome you.’ And Jeslyn fled, never to return.”
Val’s voice cuts off suddenly, her chest heaving and her face flushed. “Sweet Jeslyn died that day. For even as she fled in body, disappearing from the heart of the crusades, her kind heart died. Alone and unwanted, scorned by those she called friends, abandoned by those she thought her allies, and broken by blind irrational hate and rapid fanaticism.”
Finally, she bows again. "Thank you."
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Though the crusaders begin the tale in good spirits - they raise their glasses to the tiefling bard and cheer - by the end of her story the room is somber and silent. No one applauds.
"Heresy," hisses Ebonus. "Foul cultist! She calls for us to sympathize with Deskari, the Lord of Locusts! She should be arrested."
Some of the crusaders murmur in agreement - some from the Chapel, others from Bishop's own army. A tall, blonde elf with brilliant green eyes speaks up - her badges mark her as a First Lieutenant.
"It is not so. The story is a warning - a warning to prevent us from, in our zealous mission to to extirpate and annihilate the Spawn of the Pit, creating our very own enemies," she reasons.
"Of course you would say that, Illiena, heretic-lover," snaps a large man at Ebonus' table.
"In the jail cells of the watch tower, right now, is a kellid mongrel - a foul woman who has lain with demons and bears one of their spawn in her belly. And this woman, this succubus seeks to protect it - seducing you with tales of the Demon Lord you have all sworn to fight to your dying breath? And for what end?" Ebonus smirks, bridging his fingers together. "I wouldn't be surprised if she were a cultist herself."
The crusaders erupt in hushed whispers - many staring at Valaria in outrage. The men and women at Ebonus' table stand, their hands at their weapons. Lieutenant Illiena likewise stands, her hand at her own longsword. "Settle down. This woman is a guest at our Chapel, see? That medal, marks her as honored by the Queen herself!" But her protests aren't enough to quell the anger of those sided with Ebonus. The soldiers at Illiena's table follow suit, standing, hands at their weapons...
"Lieutenant Illiena shows great wisdom," Val says, smiling to the soldier. "Deskari is no more the hero of my tale than the inquisitor is. He is tempter and curse bringer. But tell me, could temptation enter the hearts of the people were they not already torn apart with fear? I ask you not to sympathize with the foul Locust Lord, but with the heart of a good woman who died because good people were too taken with fanaticism to see beyond the curse pushed on her by the demon lord."
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Once again, Ehren is left in contemplative silence. Clearly Valaria was taking some artistic license with Jeslyn's story, but what was true was all there. He thinks back to how desperate she looked during her last moments. How much Ary wanted to have her revived, just to give her a chance to redeem herself. He wondered if she still had the lock of pink hair he had given her. The possibility of putting it to use had long passed, but it was a reminder of what could have been.
The outrage that Ehren feared would come jolts him back into reality. Feeling rather helpless, he looks to Ary and Isilme, hoping that they could help diffuse the open hostility that Valaria had brought to light. At the same time, the conflict seemed to be proof in itself that a schism was inevitable...
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Ary stands up slowly, shaking her head. Valaria's heart was in the right place, as always, but attempts to turn a congregation against their preacher were not an enviable prospect. People like Ebonus were the reason people like Ebonus could do what they did.
"A paladin of Iomedae is just and strong, living for righteous battle. Our mission is to right wrongs and eliminate evil at its root. They serve as an example, their code demanding they protect the weak and innocent by eliminating sources of oppression, rather than merely the symptoms. They may back down or withdraw if overmatched, but if their lives will buy more time for others, they must give them." she says, calmly. Her tone slightly stressed but still resonant amongst the murmurs and outcries.
"Though we are not all paladins, we must all strive to emulate our lady's perfection. We must all strive to be worthy of paladinhood. In no instance does Iomedae punish the downtrodden for a moment of weakness. 'I will be temperate in my actions and moderate in my behavior. I will strive to emulate Iomedae's perfection.' We are only as strong as the weakest among us, and we are only as good as the most evil acts we allow to happen within our reach. Good will be quick to help others in need without hesitation or need of proof. They do not condemn the accused, no matter how justified, without hesitation. They demand proof. Evil often believes they fight for what's right, but they become reluctant when others are in need, withholding compassion until they have their proof. Evil is quick to condemn, to vilify and attack others. Proof isn't needed for evil, only the constant mantra that what they do is for the good of all."
She pauses. "Indeed, the woman did involve herself with demons - when no other prayers were answered. A stronger person would have resisted the compulsion. But Iomedae does not ask that we judge the least among us. She asks that we protect them from this corruption. The Kellid in recent days have been affected by an outside influence - and we all know the power of the Abyss, nearly all of us have been touched by it. We cannot condemn someone for a momentary mistake, least not when they are promised everything they wished for in their darkest, grief-filled moments. And while the goal of the story may be to persuade, rather than entertain, you have all likely heard many similar stories with the opposite bent." she pauses. Then sighs.
"We must not focus our attention on our brother and sister when there is a wolf amongst the flock. Ledsa, who is a human being, not a mongrel, has been injured by the wolf. Just as all of us have been injured in some way by those very same wolves. We must show compassion. Compassion is not a weakness. We cannot show the abyssal host compassion, but we absolutely must show compassion to those the host has harmed. If not, then for what other purpose are we even here?"
Ebonus' face falls as Commander Bishop herself chooses to get involved in their conflict - several of her men applaud her short speech and cheer. The soldiers close to him hesitate for a moment, scowling, their hands on the hilts of their blades. After a moment they take their seats. Illiena and her men mirror them, taking their own seats. There is uncomfortable silence for a moment, before Nurah stands up on the table.
"Hey! You boys know the Ode to the Beast of the North, right?" The little halfling takes a breath and starts singing:
We all remember Annie Paul,
Went out to hunt one day;
Soltengrebbe bit off her head,
Beneath the skies of graaaaa~ay, beneath the skies of gray!
And what about Therese's son,
A brave and handsome boy;
Soltengrebbe has et him up,
His mother's pride and jooooooooooo~oy, his mother's pride and joy!
Oh how we mourn our goodman Thom,
Who swore he'd catch the beast;
Soltengrebbe et him whole,
And then he ate the prieeeeeeee~est, and then he ate the priest!
It takes a moment to catch on, but eventually the mess haul is singing and carousing and otherwise behaving as normal. Nurah returns to her seat, satisfied with herself.
"What do you think you're doing, trying to start a riot?" Nurah murmurs to Valaria as she sits down.
Irabeth sighs, finishing off her goblet of ale and standing. "Right. Now that things have settled down, I think I'm calling it early tonight. We have a long march in the morning." She stands and heads to bed.
Anevia stands and punches Valaria playfully in the shoulder. "'Attagirl, you tell 'em. Get some rest, ok? You too, Commander!" She follows her wife up the stairs.
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With the situation defused, Val takes her seat. She has an oddly grim, at least for her, look on her face. "Making a point," she replies to Nurah's question. "Who knows. Maybe the Downfall of Jeslyn will spread like my Epic of the Grey Garrison. Gods know the crusades could use a few parables to remind them that they're not flawless shining paragons. They're people who have flaws that they need to remember before they're consumed by them."
Val sighs. She knew that her trick wouldn't be popular when she started, but she had hoped that her friends would at least understand why she did it. Apparently she offended Irabeth though. "Good night, both of you."
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Xanderghul sits, quietly eating and observing. He doesn't take part, he doesn't voice his opinion. Nothing he could say was useful right now. One the one hand, he wonders whether he should talk to Valaria later... but he doubts she would ever listen to him, despite his surety that she was in the wrong. She'd learn. Eventually. If she survived long enough to gain the required perspective, that is.
Instead of worrying about something he can't affect, though, he focuses on the food. For being simple, it was quite delicious! Poverty and need really did teach somebody to create tolerable conditions out of nothing or very little... Xanderghul knows this well, for he has much experience dealing with keeping sanity among eternities of suffering and hardship. If anyone could, he could empathize with these embattled, hardship-riddled Crusaders. Especially Ebonus. Ebonus was what happened when it becomes too much. When one no longer has the strength for patience and temperance. When grief, anger, and desperation take over.
Xanderghul understands. But he can't do anything about it, so he eats.
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In the aftermath of our discovery of Ser Jorsal’s betrayal of the crusades, we were assigned to check in on a scout who was looking for locations to set up a base of operations for the crusaders in the worldwound. In addition, Valais had expressed interest in going along, as she apparently had dreams pointing her to a temple of Laktharis where a cure for her might be found. The journey was relatively straight-forward, and we managed to arrive safely at the temple. There we encountered several kellids along with the scout, Shyael. They had uncovered a door which appeared to contain a puzzle involving various dials and runes of demon lords.
.
It was actually a rather clever ruse by an obviously ancient and rather powerful Mimic who had been tainted by the worldwound. Ehren unfortunately made the mistake of brushing his hand across the ‘door’, which lead to his hand being entrapped as the Mimic started to assault him. The mimic, being partly abyssal in nature, was able to unleash a blasphemy, however we were thankfully prepared, and I was able to negate the worst of the effects of it, as I had with the Hezrous. Ehren was able to escape the creature’s grasp by becoming an elemental--and not a moment too soon, as the mimic had torn into him rather viciously--and we were able to focus our attacks on it to bring it down. I cannot imagine how many poor adventurers fell prey to the fiendish mimic’s trap. Many weaker groups would have been killed outright by the blasphemy or paralyzed long enough for it to finish them off.
The temple within was no friendlier, being filled with traps involving various compulsion spells. We were able to disable the traps, and retrieved a pair of ioun stones in the process, one of which is currently contentedly orbiting my head. We eventually worked our way to the inner chamber where we found Mother Heartwood, an ancient tree which had been worshipped by the Sarkorians and had rendered even the most inhospitable regions livable for its followers. Unfortunately the tree had been tainted by Laktharis, who turned out not to be a god, but instead a horned demon.
We also encountered a Raelis within the chamber, Kitarlo, whose arm had been removed apparently in the same means Ser Jorsal had grafted parts to Valais. It was simultaneously a bit of a shock and also exciting to see another of my kind. We are few and far roaming, so seldom have I ever encountered another of us out in the world. I digress, however. It turns out Laktharis had been subjected to the same experimentation as Valais, and was attempting to restore himself, along with figuring out a way to get ahold of the heartwood tree, which he wanted desperately. To this end he manipulated Houna, the head of the Kellids there, and Valais, attempting to exert his influence over them, as well as attempting to dominate Ehren. Thankfully we were able to talk sense into Houna and Valais, and Ehren managed to push back and retain control of himself. Because Laktharis was so focused on those three, Shyael and Valaria were able to bring him down quickly once he had been revealed. Ehren gained possession of the Heartwood tree, now in the form of a staff, and promised to purge the taint from it.
The return trip was rather uneventful, but having Kitarlo as company was welcome. We exchanged stories along the way, which I found rather refreshing, and in the end he offered to help Valais by taking her to the great library of the Archons, hoping a cure might be able to be researched there. In the meantime it seems that killing Laktharis freed the portions of Valais’s soul that had been exchanged, and the horned demon parts that had been grafted to her simply melted away, leaving her original body. Should we encounter further demons with her grafted parts then, it seems we may be able to free her from their taint simply by destroying them.
After returning to Nerosyan we were summoned to see the Crusader-Queen—rather unexpectedly I might add. I have seen many things in my life, and though I do not remember everything in detail, I am not certain I have ever had quite so great an honor, with the obvious exception of the dream my lady Starsong granted me an audience in. Not only was the Queen there to knight us and give us orders, but the great phoenix Garidor the Firestorm was there as well, watching the ceremony. I was able to sneak in a greeting to him, and much to my delight he responded in kind.
Once the formalities and knighting had been finished, we were tasked with retaking Drezen. In order to accomplish this, Ary was granted command of a force of one-hundred fifty soldiers, mostly from Kenabres. In addition I asked that Kathon join us as well, and she accepted. We have also been joined by the underfolk as well, bringing our forces up to almost two hundred.
Ai’sintar also arrived, joining us for the short time before, ironically, we returned to Kenabres to gather the forces. His gift—a stunningly beautiful emerald choker—was rather touching, and I have been wearing it regularly since that day. Perhaps one day we will be able to restore his vision and he will be able to see the gift he gave me. His work on the runes for engraving spells has been coming along nicely, and he has been able to scribe a single spell into his staff. While it is not terribly compact, it is a significant improvement over not being able to scribe spells at all. I have not asked him directly, but he seems less despondent.
Our time in Kenabres was brief, but we were able to relax for a while, and we met up with Irabeth there. It is good to see her and Anevia doing well, and I am happy that Anevia seems to have forgiven me for the most part. While there, Irabeth assembled the troops to introduce them to Ary. Though Ary’s initial attempt at giving a speech was less than ideal, in the end I feel that she was able to convey who she was to the troops and instill confidence. I know that there are still a few soldiers who have their doubts, but I do am certain that they will come around when they see her in action.
Subsequently we have set off for the Chapel of the Argent Shield, a small outpost maintained by Fifth Sword-Knight Urumwi Galbrant, and a Burner named Ebonus Lancaster. Before we had even had a chance to rest, we found out that they had detained a Kellid woman who was with child, and planned on executing her. Not surprising given that Ebonus is a follower of Prelate Hulrun. Val, of course, made no effort to withhold her opinion of Ebonus and his methods. Not that I disagree with her opinion, of course, but she was not making any friends in doing so, and while that is not important in the case of Ebonus, making an enemy of Urumwi is a mistake. Thankfully, Hinagiku and the others managed to calm things down a bit, and I believe I have managed to convince her to allow us to take responsibility for Ledsa and her soon-to-be-born child. The child will likely be a half-demon, and I hope for Ledsa and the child’s sake that it is able to overcome its taint.
Isilme remains quiet in the hall, not eating, but helping herself to a mug of ale to help relax. She watches Valaria's performance, impressed by her ability to tell a story, although she finds the tale too close to outright incitement for her tastes. At least in this case, normally Isilme had no issues with using stories both to engender sympathy as well as to invoke outrage, and she had done so plenty of times in her travels when things needed a little push in the right direction.
After the performance, she wanders through the hall to find Kathon and her men, bringing her mug of ale and sitting with them. "Captain Kathon, I am glad you made it, I hope I was not to presumptuous in asking for you and your men to join us on this expedition. I felt that the presence of you and your squad would be a boon, and that Nerosyan could stand to be represented better in the march on Drezen," she says to the captain. "Thank you all for joining us, a drink for the defenders of Nerosyan," she adds, looking at the squad and picking up the mug to toast Kathon's small but loyal squad.
After chatting with Kathon for a while, Isilme grabs a bowl of the stew and a mug of water and excuses herself, heading out to the watch tower to visit Ledsa. She heads down into the dungeon beneath the tower, and checking with the guard first, heads down to her cell. "Noswaith dda, yr wyf yn dod â rhywfaint o fwyd ar eich cyfer. A fyddech chi'n gofalu am rai cwmni am gyfnod, Ledsa?" She says, holding out the bowl and mug of fresh water to the Kellid woman.
"Good evening, I brought some food for you. Would you care for some company for a while, Ledsa?"