Külə lingers out in the hallway, not wanting to squeeze himself into any doorways he didn't have to. "Well, it seems like we aren't equipped to consecrate this tomb on our own. Should we be going?"
"Pythons are not venomous, but they are rather large, yes," Ehren explains in his gravelly voice as he picks up the magical rod. It was certainly quaint, and perhaps not well suited for fighting demons, but that in itself somehow made it interesting. "They typically kill their prey by constricting them in their coils. I do not believe it is any smarter than an ordinary snake, but it is compelled to obey the commands of the rod's owner."
The druid abruptly tosses the rod to the ground, curious about whether his appraisal of its abilities are correct. While limited by its animal intelligence, the snake was perhaps an unlikely witness to what occurred here all those years ago.
The rod abruptly transforms into an enormous python on the ground. Its long coils snake between the bones on the ground as it raises the upper part of its body up to face Ehren. It hisses.
'Archdruid. What is it that you need of me?'
Isilme looks around the room after Alrys's plea. It was clear that they would need to bless the tomb in order to free it from the taint of Skulgrym and the atrocities he had committed. The air in the room itself seems thick and oily to her, a sensation not unlike she had felt when she had held Mother Heartwood during the purification ritual. That memory in turn brings forth the memory of Ehren's hallowing of Mother Heartwood after planting her within the walls of Drezen.
The two memories together were almost sufficient for her to purify the room. Not quite as effectively as Ehren had done, and not with the same permanence. There was something still missing that she couldn't quite grasp. But the runes were clear in her mind nevertheless: 'आत्मा की पवित्रता'. Purity of spirit... The absence of the taint present in the room, the sense of peace she had felt in the presence of her Lady Starsong, and the wave of divine power that had washed over them in Ghalcor's tower.
"I can do this," she says to the group, gesturing to the room. "I will need a vial of holy water," she says looking to Ary and Val, "and we will need to shave down a number of silver coins to provide the materials necessary to bless this tomb."
"That easy?" Val asks, one of her eyebrows popping up. "Well, not needing to come out here a third time would be nice. If we have what we need, we might as well do it while we're here."
Before he can respond to the python, Ehren looks to Isilme, momentarily distracted by her good news. He was aware that her devotion to Desna now granted her divine magic, but he did not know she had the capacity to cast the spell they needed. Ser Alrys would not have to wait much longer to receive the burial he so desires.
"If a third visit to Sesker's Gully is ever called for, I am sure we will find the place far more tolerable," Ehren says to Valaria with a slight smile, happy that everything seems to be falling into place. He hoped that one day soon, the village would be home to Kellids and crusaders alike, just as it was before. "I can help grind down a few of those coins."
"Faisnéis. An cuimhin leat rud ar bith faoin uair dheireanach ar glaodh ort?" he asks, turning his attention back to the large serpent.
Just like Valaria, Hinagiku is surprised by Isilme's claim, though she keeps it from disturbing her demeanor.
"That is impressive." she says, while thinking that the bard's mystical moment in Drezen's prison must have been much more powerful than she had just thought. The amount of devotion required to ride a place of such foul magic was quite incredible.
"Here." she continues, reaching into her bag and handing out a vial of holy water to Isilme. "Isilme's faith and magic will bring peace to the souls of the people who are buried here, but their remains might still be corrupted. So, I believe we will still need to come back. Though the place might be rid of its taint, we are still in the worldwound, and onis... even people, might come and desecrate these remains once more. I don't believe they will be safe unless we move them to a crypt in Drezen. And, also, as Ehren-kun said, the bones of his people need to be interred following specific rites."
"I could stand guard here for the night to make sure no one disturbs the place while you go and get people from Drezen to come and bring back the remains."
The serpent regards Ehren for a moment, then hisses at him. To a layperson, it would appear as if it were about to strike him.
'Proof. I am proof... of man's purity of spirit. Long ago... a man accused another man, of betrayal, of allegiance with fiends. My master asked that they each attempt to summon me... the one who could not... proven a liar...'
'The man who accused... could not, despite his honeyed words. The man he accused... summoned me. That is the last thing I remember.'
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"Perhaps not easy," the aasimar says, thinking for a moment. The dream she'd had while they were fighting the hags had left an impression upon her. While the nightmare had only been in her mind, her ability to draw upon magic she did not know using a rune seemed to transcend. Now was as good a time as any to test whether she could achieve such a thing.
With the help of the others, Isilme slowly produces a pile of fine silver shavings. Not the ideal component for what she wished to do, but it would be sufficient. Once she has the shavings, she gets the holy water from Ary. Eschewing any complicated ritual, she scatters the silver shavings over the room, focusing primarily on the three tombs and Alrys's body, and then sprinkles the holy water around similarly.
She is careful and deliberate as she finishes, using every last bit of dust and water, and making sure it is evenly distributed. Then she closes her eyes and begins to draw upon the feelings she had recalled moments ago. In her mind she shapes them together, emotion, concept, intention into the rune. It seemed simple enough conceptually: Form these things into the rune, scribe it with her divine spark, and the magic should come into being. In many ways it was no different than her ability to draw upon inner power bolster her allies with a rune, or to augment her spells... In much the same way a child hopping over a small brook might be the same as her leaping a chasm.
Drawing forth all her remaining divine power, Isilme focuses again on the rune she had crafted within her mind and begins to scribe it in the air before her. 'आत्मा' she begins, the room beginning to glow dimly with a golden light, the rune itself flickering as if doubting its own existence. Pushing through despite the doubts creeping at the edge of her mind, she continues 'की'. The runes flare brighter as she begins to write more fluidly, her building confidence feeding the rune which in turn drives her forward.
Isilme's hand begins to glow brilliantly, the butterfly on the back now golden, as she feels her energy flowing unrestrained into the rune. 'पवित्रता' she scribes, finalizing its form, her breath held as she does.
For a moment the room grows quiet as the now-burning rune is finished, then a flash of light and burst of air fill the room, sweeping away the taint that had been present. The rune fades away quickly as its energy is released, having served its purpose.
Spent from the process, Isilme breathes a sigh of relief as the results become clear. She smiles as she looks about the room at her friends and her handywork, pleased to have confirmed that there had been a hint from her goddess buried even within the depths of the nightmare she had endured.
"It is not as powerful as the hallow you placed upon Mother Heartwood," she says, looking at Ehren, "but this place is consecrated at least. I hope Ser Alrys shall be able to rest in peace now."
"As for cleaning up the tomb and taking the remains with us, I agree that perhaps we should leave some of us here to guard it while we return with some way to carry the remains back to Drezen. The trip is short enough that we could return here before long, especially with Ehren's help to cover the distance more quickly by flying."
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Ary doesn't really pay much attention to the snake, instead lofting a brow to Isilme as she suggests that she's able to cast the consecration. "Day by day you're becoming more miracle and less story." Ary says as she returns to her work. As Hinagiku recovers the holy water, Anevia fishes around in Ary's bag for silver... and comes up with just coin, which she offers up, helping to shave it as best she can with her sword.
"You're lucky silver's so soft." She says as she cuts it like carrots for a small child, then continues to puree it, helping out as best she can. Ary continues to arrange and clean the room even until Isilme begins covering the room in the world's thickest glitter.
As Isilme finishes her spell, Ary seems to calm with her need to clean the crypt noticably, returning her attention to the aasimar, giving her a nod of thanks. Without a hint of sarcasm she asks "How much of this, she asks, motioning to the literal piles of bones, "do you think we can safely fit into a bag of holding? If we're going to move it to Mother Heartwood's Hallow, or at least the more fertile lands near Drezen?"
While the silver coins are being shaved by the others, Hinagiku spends her time eyeing the python curiously. She did not expect the serpent to be intelligent, it came after all from a staff.
"What is it saying Ehren-kun?"
Hinagiku closes her eyes as the gust of wind created by Isilme's spell washes over her. She opens her eyes to find a room that to most might appear unchanged, but to her appears purer than it did moments before. The monk finally enters the chamber, and after the others are done stripping ser Alrys of his armor, she slowly lays him down, hands crossed over his chest.
"I will take care of the ghouls and bodaks." Hinagiku says, remembering that despite being monsters now, they were people.
After placing all the bodies carefully, Hinagiku slowly makes her way up the stairs to the crypts entrance where she waits to see who will stay with her and who will leave for Drezen.
"It's weird to think that we use a material that can banish evil and purify corruption as common currency," Val says absently as she helps Ary grind the coins down to silver dust. "But at least it means we have it on hand." She steps back and watches as Isilme's runes and the shining butterfly bless the long desecrated tomb. "Lady Luck, keep this place free from evil," she adds, mostly to herself as the ritual comes to an end.
"Or, perhaps, we value this particular shiny rock because it's blessed in such a way?" Ary responds to Valaria's insight. "It is strange the number of enemies that are weak to specific kinds of materials. I'm just glad that cold iron works on most things."
Ary nods to Hinagiku. "I think I'll stay here until we return for the rest of cleaning up. Do... you think it's a bad idea to utilize the bags of holding to take most of them back?"
Hinagiku's ears flutter a bit in confusion at Ary's question.
"All we can really do is treat the bones with respect. Warriors, families, people who died here should be honored. I believe that handling their remains with care, whether it is to carry them in a wagon or a magical bag will do... although, making sure nothing else is in the bag might be wise, laying their bones next to evil or mundane objects would not be honorable."
Külə's ears perk up as he looks around in astonishment. While not visible to the eyes, the effect of Isilme's divine magic was readily apparent to the heroes' souls. The atmosphere no longer feels oppressive nor hopeless. The Bishop family crypt once again a place of rest and remembrance. Or, at least it would be, with a little more work to clean the place up.
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Ehren nods patiently, finding the python's account understandably vague, but enlightening nonetheless. He had not considered the idea that the rod could be used as a test of one's character. It was certainly a more blatant method than say, a paladin's ability to sense evil in others. Wanting to help prepare for Isilme's ritual, he decides to cut the conversation short.
"Go raibh maith agat, cara. Glaofaidh mé ort arís má theastaíonn uait uait," Ehren says to the large snake, before reaching out and gently resting a hand on its head. Tapping into its power, he wills it to become a rod once again. He looks down at the rod and tests its heft in his hand.
"It says that it is proof of man's purity of spirit," he replies to Hinagiku, turning the rod over in his hand. "It seems that its last master used it to settle disputes. One man had accused another of consorting with demons. So the two of them were given the rod and told to bring out the snake. The accused could do so... but the accuser could not. Evidently, his intentions were impure."
Deciding to hold onto the rod, for the time being, Ehren slips it into his bag, which strangely enough, did not merge into his being like the rest of his equipment. The decorated leather pouch hangs at his side, where it wouldn't interfere with his fighting ability. Taking a few of the silver pieces in his palm, Ehren presses his stone fist against and twists it side to side in a grinding motion, gradually reducing it to dust. As Ary said, it is fortunate that the metal is soft.
After handing over his share of the silver powder, Ehren watches quietly as Isilme scatters it about the chamber in preparation for her ritual. Then, as she calls upon her goddess's power, he holds his breath... only to let it out as he feels the rush of air and light pushing against him. He feels an immediate sense of relief, suddenly freed from a burden he did not know he was carrying. Perhaps after all this time, he had simply grown used to trudging around defiled places. That is not a good thought.
"You have truly worked a wonder here," Ehren replies to Isilme with a smile, dismissing her comparison to his own power. She had accomplished in a few moments what would have taken him well over a day to arrange for. As he glances about, looking at the place in a new light, a thought occurs to him.
"The bones of my people must be taken from this place, but surely we don't have to disturb the remains already interred here. I think this is where Ser Alrys wanted to be laid to rest," he says to Ary. "Your family tomb need not be disturbed. We could simply seal it away until we can properly reclaim Sesker's Gully. We are already several steps closer to making that a possibility."
"Hardly a miracle," Isilme responds to Ary, "I could not replicate Ehren's hallow even had I the materials... Still, it is a pleasure to have helped out." Clearly she was proud of what she had accomplished, and the praise of her friends bolstered that feeling, even if she was attempting to be humble. To have conjured magic through sheer will was exhilarating, though it had left her drained. It was obviously not a feat she would be able to replicate often.
"I agree that we should handle the remains carefully. I suspect were we not to do so, we might face drocha again, something I would prefer not to do," she responds to the kitsune monk.
"We should search this final room in detail. Given Iomedaean's penchant for stashing way goods for emergencies..." Rummaging through her pack, Isilme pulls out the rod they had recovered from the chest in Vhane's room. She then proceeds around the room, attempting to determine if anything valuable might be hidden within the walls. As she does, she inspects the walls and sarcophagi for any possible hidden compartments.
As she searches around the room she listens to the others, interjecting as she feels appropriate. "Sealing the tomb might not be a bad course of action until we can return to consecrate the town above and reclaim it for the Crusade. It would protect the tomb and prevent would-be raiders like our bard 'friend' from coming to loot it for valuables."
Isilme pokes around the tomb, but finds that while Iomedaens had a penchant for hiding weaponry in their places of worship (one could never be too prepared), they generally dislike burying their dead with any form of armament or valuables. The rod only responds to the trace amount of metal used in the engravings on the sarcophagi.
'Well isn't this -heartwarming-. Excuse me while I wipe away a tear,'' the Bound Horror drawls in your head in Abyssal, not sounding the least bit sincere. 'Are we done here yet? This got really boring fast.'
"We should gather the remains and see if we will be able to take them all in one trip. The sooner we head back to Drezen, the better, as I am sure we could all stand to rest after this ordeal."
'Yeah, well, I'd hate to see what happens to the demon who managed to devour -your- soul...not that I'd live to see it.' he grumbles. 'My lady doesn't take well to those who destroy her things...'
As Hinagiku recommended, Ary clears out most of the remainder of Soltengrebbe's horde from the bag of holding found in Aravashnial's tower, and then the heroes spend the next two hours carefully placing the bones scattered around the crypt inside of the intradimensional space. The unquiet spirits, if they protest at this, do not show any signs of disfavor.
As you leave the crypt, walking gingerly down the deteriorating steps back to the main path, you notice a small swallowtail butterfly resting on one of the gravestones in the cemetery. It stands out in this place of decay and taint, its vivid yellow wings undulating open and closed softly.
Afterwards, the heroes pack up and head back to Drezen. By the time they reach the outer walls of the city, the sun has already set.
After helping to collect the many bones, Ehren picks up the half-nabasu's corpse and carries it out of the reconsecrated crypt. Even he deserved to be buried with some dignity, but not in the very place he presumably had a hand in defiling. Once they have all vacated the tomb, Ehren seals off the entrance with a wall of stone. It would not deter a truly determined individual from entering, but then, there were only so many people aware of its existence.
Afterwards, he shifts back into his human form and loads the half-nabasu onto his horse for the ride back to Drezen.
"I will look into where the best place to bury the remains would be," Ehren says as the outer walls of the city come into view. It would not do to bury them while the sun wasn't out. "Anywhere out of the way should be fine, as long as the area is within Mother Heartwood's influence."
Val helps collect the fallen bones quietly, focusing on the task at hand and trying not to think too much about what happened to the many, many dead around them. "Let's hope this is enough for Ser Alrys. It should at least keep the tomb clear for a little while. But maybe we should take a little time to hide the entrance. The last thing we need is for that bandit to come back and bust in looking for treasure."
At Valaria's mention of further hiding the trap, Hinagiku's tail twitches as her vulpine mind quickly thinks that modifying the trap so that the half-orc gets caught by his own doing would be even better. But she quickly puts aside that thought.
"Should we have your people gather and help with the ceremony Ehren-kun? I could prepare some bouquets too if that agrees with kellid customs."
As Anevia dismounts her horse, she stretches her arms outwards, rolling each shoulder and groaning.
"Dunno about you guys, but I kinda feel like I was run over by a carriage. I think I'm gonna call it an early night," she says, stifling a yawn. "Glad we finally got rid of that nabasu jerk-face, though!" she adds, brightly.
"Anyone willing to lend a hand should come. And there are still those who remember the name Clan Sesker. They should be there to pay their respects," Ehren says in agreement. The ceremony did not have to be elaborate, but it did have to be done right. He gives Hinagiku's suggestion a moment of thought before nodding. "I think they would have liked that."
Hearing Anevia yawn, Ehren lets out a chuckle. He felt a little tired himself, but he wanted to get a little more work done before retiring for the night. "I'll see if anyone is still awake and start making arrangements. It need not necessarily tomorrow, but soon." Looking back at the cultist's corpse, he frowns. "I should find a place for this one as well."
Ary nods to Ehren. "Do you have a specific location in mind? I could get to work on digging that up... it's a lot more fun than paperwork." she says offering him a small smile. "If not... I've a suit of armor to properly care for."
"Good night, Anevia, wish Irabeth and Sana well for me." Ary says, before pausing then dismounting. "All of this interaction with death has had me thinking.. do you think that if we were to get positive divinations, that it would be right and proper to attempt to restore Terendelev to life with Vhane's resurrection potion?"
Ehren shakes his head. "Nowhere in specific, no. But likely someplace outside of the city proper, where it wouldn't get in the way. Perhaps with room to expand, should the need arise." With a wry grin, he adds, "So you can spare yourself from the shoveling, for now."
The druid's expression turns more pensive when Terendelev is mentioned. He self-consciously reaches for the silver scale in his belt pouch, running a thumb over its surface. Over a year had passed since she was slain by the Storm King. "It feels like it's been ages since she saved us. I would like nothing more than for us to return the favor, but I fear that it has been too long. Still, if the possibility is there, then it is worth a try."
Ehren smiles again, but it is apparent that there is not much hope for the matter there.
You are aware of the limitations of the true resurrection spell.
"Perhaps the hill where Grumtarr dwells could be converted into a barrow-mound," Külə offers, on the subject of the kellid's burial. In the past year he had formed a sort of stoic friendship with the little earth elemental, both of them being long-lived natural guardians, after all. They rarely had much to talk to each other about, but the unicorn enjoyed traveling away from the city on occasion, to reconnect with nature, especially as Mother Heartwood's influence continued to grow.
Hinagiku turns away from the conversation with Ehren for a moment, just enough time to bow to Anevia as she is preparing to leave.
"Good night mrs. Anevia."
As she straightens up, Hinagiku moves to Ehren's side, and across from Ary; there was still this thought at the back of her mind causing a smaller distance between her and her friend, but she also knew that he needed her support, and that was the most important right now.
"I can help you bring the oni child to one of the temples first… maybe that of the Dawnflower." she says, as it seemed like the most appropriate. Then, she would most likely simply prepare for her night routine; there was little chance to find any dried up flowers and wheat at night, and she still did not feel comfortable enough around the Kellids to help Ehren invite them.
”That would be a lovely place in proximity to the menhir….” Hinagiku responds to Kulë”But would it not be strange to have weddings taking place close to a cemetery? From where I am from, we try not to have these ceremonies take place in places that are close.”
Hinagiku appears temporarily confused when Terendelev is mentioned, but she quickly remember seeing the fight between the dragon and the balor from a hill quite some distance away…. When she add first laid eyes on Kenabres. The battle had been of such great proportion that she had witnessed it from outside the city.
”I have heard much about Terendelev, so maybe it would be a good idea to bring them back. But, instead of the potion, could we not use the scroll that we found in the crypt? It would be powerful enough to bring them, no?”
"Terendelev was a great defender of Kenabres, and we could use every ally we can get in the coming battles. The potion would certainly bring her back, as would the scroll. Perhaps we could determine what became of her with divinations before attempting to do so?" Isilme contributes to the discussion of the city's protector.
"As far as the remains, whatever you deem proper, though I believe Külə's suggestion a fitting one," she says to the Archdruid. "Unless it would be considered rude to those attending, it would be good to have some crusaders attend as well. These people died at the forefront of the second crusade, along side crusaders and Ary's ancestors..."
"Have I mentioned I knew Sebastian, Ary?" she says, thinking back to long ago before she had changed.
"I... would appreciate that," Ehren replies with some hesitance, chancing another quick glance at the body hanging off his horse.
"Not as strange as you may think," he says to Hinagiku with a small smile, well aware that other cultures often tried to put as much distance between life and death as possible. From many people's perspectives, a Kellid wedding on top of a burial mound would be no different than holding a crusader wedding in the Bishop tomb. "Sites marked by the stones can serve a great many purposes, not all of them necessarily joyous. But my people accept the good with the bad."
"That said, I agree. Provided that Grumtarr consents, of course. I would not disturb his home if it were not a matter of importance." He nods to Isilme, having not imagined it any other way. "Sesker's Gully was a symbol of unity between Kellids and crusaders. It is only appropriate for crusaders to attend as well."
"Finding out what happened to her body is probably a good idea. Given her rivalry with the Storm Lord, I don't doubt that they did something awful as a way to show off his victory." Val nods in Ehren's direction. "I think we're all on the same page right now then. That seems like an excellent way to inter them."
Kulë's ears twitch with confusion for a moment, before responding to Hinagiku. "Ah, yes. Humanoids and your mating rituals," he says, dismissively. "I agree with the Archdderwydd. I do not see anything wrong with creating a new family, atop the ground where ones ancestor's are honored. But I can understand why it would be unsettling to some."
Hinagiku nods to Ehren's answer. Though she did not really understand why, something behind his word resonated with her... something about the cycle of reincarnation... or maybe life.
"I think I understand." she finally says in answer to Kulë.
"It sounds as if we have a plan for tomorrow. I will turn in then," she says, preparing to return to her room in the theater she had been rebuilding. "We will need to make a trip to Drezen as well to deal with the aftermath of Skulgrym. I suspect several of us will still be feeling drained tomorrow."
15 Rova 4713
The heroes' sleep is tormented with the unquiet of the restless dead. Though they had sealed away his tomb, they had failed to properly resolve the curse that Xanderghul had told them about. That the shabti hadn't said anything was probably due to his own apathy about the situation - his new spark of divinity had granted him the power to dismiss his own curse the moment he grew tired of it. The Abyss itself couldn't best him, so why would some mere ghost?
Outside, winter's chill begins to settle on the northlands of Drezen.
Seemingly oblivious to your poor sleep, tormented by ghostly curses and the nabasu's nearly successful attempt at consuming your very soul, you find yourself awakened in the morning by Duke. The cat sits on your chest, like a big furry loaf, purring. Once you've opened your eyes, the cat makes eye contact. His lips contort strangely over his muzzle, producing words. "Good morning," he purrs. His ears twitch and he sniffs the air. "Hm. Someone's lurking just outside your door."
Anevia knock-knocks on Ary's threshold when the morning comes, not one particularly for the dramatic side of things like 'not bothering to wake your commander over something small', like 'the possibility of maybe getting turned into a ghost. When Ary stirs from her dreams after more loud prodding that finally worked its way past Ary's dreams pulled her awake with a gasp and sudden looks around, she spots Anevia who simply tells her, "I think we f#**ed something up, Boss."
The full plate had been meticulously cleaned the night before and was resting beside Ary's old armor as she simply nodded, her pensive look continuing with the same grim look she'd had the entire day previous to having thought they'd fixed everything. "Yeah, we f!$&ed something up, Anevia." Ary says, covered in a cold sweat as she pushes out of bed and twists her ring, beginning to don her old armor.
"Guess that wasn't much of a funeral, and we didn't say their name. And buried and interred aren't the same thing... so guess the vault is out of the question... we'll just move them out here, and have the priests bless them. Ary huffs. "It's better that they're buried alongside those they cared about in life, anyway, rather than locked in a vault that only one person cares about."
Once dressed, Ary begins to move out into the city, working to collect a wagon to attach to their horses so that they could properly move the entire family and their bodies.
While she silently accompanies Ehren to the Sarenrite, Hinagiku looks at him a couple of times while he is himself not looking. There was something in his demeanor that told her he wasn’t fully at peace with his decision. And although there was some good to it, she also felt she needed to do something to help.
”I wish I could say that his soul might now rest in peace, but that seems unlikely… I do wonder though, do you think that if he were to be reincarnated into a new body, he would be able to free himself from the shackles of his previous body? I know that my body does influence my mind…” she asks, wondering whether saving souls might be under their power.
After leaving the body with the Sarenrite, Hinagiku accompanies Ehren back to his dwelling. And then, it isn’t long before she makes her way to her own abode. As the night passes, the feeling of peace that Isilme had created by hallowing the Bishop crypt slowly subsides. Ignominiously, the unease of the curse creeps back into Hinagiku’s mind. After a difficult meditation period and even harder attempt at sleeping, Hinagiku finally decides to visit Ary. As the sun rises above the walls of the city, Hinagiku finally arrives at Drezen’s keep.
”Hello Ary, mrs. Anevia.” she pauses, feeling it would be too obvious to state the reason’s she there. ”Would you like me to find a priest of the Inheritor to help us with the ceremony?” she finally asks, thinking they might need one to finally end the curse.
As her eyes open, Isilme is surprised to feel the weight of the curse still upon her, draining away her very essence. The weight of Duke and his purr focuses her, and reaches up to scratch his head. He had become quite the effective spy in the town, as one might expect for a cat. She nods at him and quietly rises, moving to the door slowly so as not to give away that she had approached the door. Placing her hand on the door quietly she focuses on seeing beyond it to determine who was outsider her door.
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"His soul will find no peace," Ehren agrees with a solemn nod. "In all likelihood, it will eventually find its way to the Abyss. Perhaps it will even become a demon someday... another nabasu, I suppose."
The druid goes quiet again as he considers Hinagiku's question. Under ordinary circumstances, he very much doubted that the cultist would have the opportunity to reincarnate. But seeing as she used herself as an example, he realizes what it is she is referring to.
"That depends entirely on whether he considered them shackles to begin with," he replies finally. "He may have been part demon, but he was still mortal. He still had choice, with or without that part of him."
Ehren goes to sleep that night with something of a guilty conscience, but it is not the cause of the horrible dreams that soon visit him. It is not until he wakes up the next morning that he realizes their dreadful oversight. In his haste to see to it that his own people’s remains were properly interred, he had forgotten that Ser Alrys demanded his own funerary rites. Having fought off the worst of the curse’s effects, Ehren calms himself before meditating. As frustrating as the situation is, with Skulgrym dead and the tomb sanctified, finishing their mission is simply a matter of time. This, at least, was something they could set right.
Once his spells are prepared, Ehren sets out to search for the others.
Val grumbles as she makes her way back to the group from her rooms above the Desnan shrine. Small bags under her eyes make it clear that she didn't sleep particularly well the night before. "I guess that resanctifying the existing crypt doesn't count," she says, rubbing her eyes. "Looks like we're going back to collect the bodies anyway. Still, at least this trip should be much, much less lethal."
"Yeah, that would likely be for the best." Ary says to Daisy, "Though I think we'll just be moving them to here, instead of leaving them out there. If we move to set up a foothold in Sekser's Gully, we can renovate the vault to work as a fortified vault for the citizens there... and in the meantime, we'll have less to worry about with supply lines until we've successfully set up out there." she turns to Valaria as she shows up and shakes her head, "I don't think we did all the funerary stuff properly either... and I guess we have to call out their name, which feels unfortunately specific. Guess we'll see exactly what we missed once we get them back here."
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Under the starry sky, amongst the ruins of Drezen, in the inner courtyard of a dilapidated building, stands Hinagiku. Still. Breathing slowly. Clouds of white in the dark. Unmoving. Silent.
With one step, it all changes. Stillness becomes the most gracious and fluid of motion. One in unison with her breath. One in which every white crystalline cloud gently moves and is drawn around Hinagiku with each and every motion of her arms. She is like wind, drawing the air, and like water, flowing as waves.
Yet, the turmoil inside subsides. Thoughts slowly come together. From their tangled lot, they begin to flow together. Slowly but surely they are combed apart. Each becoming its flowing thread. Each drawn into the depth of Hinagiku’s inner ocean toward the very core of her being, the foundation of her being.
One by one they pass. With each breath she takes, one becomes Hinagiku’s focus. With each expiration, she lets them sink into the still depth.
As they sink, they join the multitude of feelings the monk as come to terms with. Days, weeks, months, she has been battling onis, each disturbing her quiet contemplation in its own way before being accepted and left at the floor of the inner ocean.
Worries and joy at the birth of Yulin and the future that awaits her. Peace at the knowledge that the future lies ahead and every day between now and then will help steer the baby girl.
Condemnation of Isilme’s decision to kill Arta. Realization that the azata never took such decisions rashly.
Consternation at the bond between the Vrocks of paradise hill. Comfort in the knowledge that not everything is as it appears at first.
Disbelief at seeing Xanderghul take down the pants of unconscious prisoners. Acceptance of Xanderghul’s chaotic nature, and calm at knowing that he worked to better himself.
Relief at seeing Shu-Lien and Hua Xing alive. Letting go of the fears that had clouded her mind and made her fear for their fate.
Fear at the realization that she no longer acted respectfully toward her senpai. Realization that being true to one’s ideal required to break lesser ideals. Acceptance that growth meant losing part of one’s pas self.
Sorrow at Anevia’s death followed by joy at seeing her rise from the dead. Reminded that death and lost are inevitable and simply another step of existence.
Disappointment in her decision to use lethal force and regret at forcing Joran Vhane to betray his brother. Acceptance that she is far from perfection and that with each experience she understands better her mind and can better temper her actions.
And, last among her sunk memories, her inability to save Stauntan Vhane from Irabeth, and Irabeth from her desire for revenge. Slowness, and the realization of her limitations. Acceptance of those limitations, and that there can be no voyage toward perfection without them.
Nearing the end of her form, Hinagiku’s mind comes to contemplate her growing connection to the ley. In one long breath, she remembers her first reckless steps on water, and the destruction of Eustoryax. Her decision not to overreach like this again, not to use her powers in ways she hadn’t practised, and instead to focus on gaining control over the ley inch by inch. Humble steps, slow ones, the only ones that lead to true mastery. And now, she was able to drag threads of ley to protect herself.
And so, Hinagiku slowly stills herself back into a standing position. The surface of her inner ocean now as calm as the air around her. Its depth as clear as ever for the concerns of today now lie at its undisturbed bottom, slowly adding to the foundation of her inner self.
Looking beyond the door, you see a gnome. Short, with a pot-belly, with a round bald head and a bright pastel pink pencil mustache. His name is Jod (a truncated version of his very long, nigh-incomprehensible Gnomish name), and he is a ranger under your command. A relative new-comer to Drezen, he was assigned under your retinue of spies and scouts due to the fact that he was easily bored in other Crusader regiments (he joined the Crusades due to a gambling loss). He stands there, inspecting his fingernails on his right hand, and glancing at the door ever so often and sighing.
Once the group gets back together they gather their things and set back out for Sesker's Gully. They move through the streets, passing by a few wounded men being carted on stretchers to the infirmary. The clerics wave in the heroes' way and salute their Lord-Commander before resuming their duties.
At the periphery of Drezen they mount their horses and ready their wagon, little Fenton Bootblack having groomed them and escorted them to the western gates well before their departure. He helps Ary move her things onto the back of the wagon, not even hesitating to try and help lift a large crate many times larger than his own body. Also, at Hinagiku's request, they bring along young Hulma Yhon, an Iomedaen cleric.
They ride out past the borders of Mother Heartwood's influence, moving past several acres of farmland, where farmers work tending to hardy cold-weather vegetables, such as cabbage, leek, and parsnip. Man and woman alike are garbed in old muddy clothes, and most wear thick fur cloaks to ward off winter's biting chill.
In the Worldwound at least, the rain had seemed to have finally passed. The skies are overcast, blanketed by roiling clouds in unsettling colors, like chartreuse clashing with fuschia, and a moderate wind picks up all around them. They head through Sesker's Gully, their horses' hooves plodding through the thick mud, until they come to the Bishop family tomb. The door was sealed with Ehren's wall of stone, still in pristine condition. Evidently, if Roskelly was still lurking around somewhere, he hadn't tried to break in overnight. In any case, they break their way through the wall, and head downstairs into the underground tomb.
They head back through the crypt, the floor now cleared fully of the bones of the dead townsfolk, making it seem oddly empty compared to the last time they were here. They pass by the multiple alcoves, each with a different Bishop family member resting in a customized sarcophagus within. At the deepest part of the crypt the three stone sarcophagi of Sebastian Bishop, Magdelene Bishop, and Bertram Bishop stand where they had left them. Each stone sarcophagus is intricately carved with designs of angels, and now that the bones had been cleared, it is easier to see that around the base of each coffin was a carefully inscribed hymn to Iomedae, singing praises of the glory that would await her faithful in the afterlife. The skeleton of Alrys Bishop, in contrast, lays naked on the ground, his belongings having been reappropriated the day before. All that remains are his bones, left piled in the approximate shape of a human person laying down sprawled out, on the dusty stone floor next to his sister's sarcophagus.