GM Kiora's Wrath of the Righteous

Game Master Kiora Atua

Val is momentarily stunned, then flushes slightly. She takes a few moments to respond, not sure how to react to someone being so worried about her safety.

"I... I'll be more careful. I just couldn't let innocent people be menaced by those things." She quickly turns away, hoping he doesn't see her blush. "But if you're trying to dissuade me from running ahead again, pick a punishment that I'm not going to enjoy." She winks at him, burying the surprisingly nice, and slightly embarrassing, feeling and replacing it with her usual flirtatious grin.

She walks over to the sets of clothing, looking through it for something new. She grins as she finds a suitable new outfit, though her armor doesn't cover her shoulders as much and she replaces the boots with much more sensible flat ones instead of the clearly aesthetic heels. She also decides to keep her golden scarf, thinking it would look nice as a sash on her waist. "Well, what do you think? she asks as she hold up the outfit.

Feel free to stop me if an the outfit doesn't make sense.

Nope, switch up your outfit as you desire ;D Y'all are creative folks, I trust you.

Just making sure :)

She looks at the couple. "This will sound silly, but do you have anywhere we can change?"

@Valaria: Pfft, changing rooms. Demons surely won't attack a naked crusader in the streets. :P

Ary begins "I... we don't have t-" It would seem that she was on the fence about allowing herself to have some form of nicety and attend to present matters when Hrut spoke up... making her completely stumble, looking towards him. After the moment of being completely dumbfounded passed, she nodded, with an Ary grin, "To each their own." She actually hadn't been thinking of Hrut as even being a sexual creature up until that point; probably because everyone else's sexual advances were completely overshadowed by the Tiefling woman and Ary's pestering. "I think that you'll have to worry about people noticing your eyes in that." Ary teases.

"I will most assuredly take you up on that offer." she says, waiting for someone to take over the prisoners, for her to go gather clothing. Once someone was doing so, and she had a modicum of privacy... she'd swap clothing, wasting little time in once more becoming presentable. 'Like they said... if I don't take it, someone else will.' she thought.

She looked over the clothing she'd been in for what felt like a week. Despite the fact she'd carefully maintained it, the cloak had been torn to tatters by the caverns, her boots had been ruined by constantly being soaked through and dried, and simply sweating had sealed the deal. The loss of her sleeves for face masks had likely been the final straw... if not for having traveled through a sewer just recently.

When she returned to view, she had a new crimson cloak, double sided like her old one, this one white as opposed to gray on the reverse side. Embroidered in the lower corner in crimson or white (depending on the side) was the holy symbol of Iomedae, a sword surrounded in a starburst pattern.

Her old leather breeches had been exchanged for black and red harlequin tights, with a black leather tunic to match. Two red belts flanking a white belt adorn one leg. Overtop the tunic was the silver of her master-crafted chain shirt, and still over that was the tattered Mendevian tabard, which was held in place by a black leather belt with a silver buckle. She still wore the mask she'd made from her old shirt as a make-shift ascot, and two pairs of supple, red leather completed the ensemble in the form of gloves and boots, also trimmed in silver.

If Valaria changes as well... via changing room or not! Ary would also snatch extra unmentionables. And socks. One can never have too many socks.

"I... uh... wow." she nods. Reminding Valaria of what she'd said earlier by most assuredly not looking at her face... then returning her jaw to its socket, and polishing Faith a little.

I cant believe I am fake clothes shopping, I will never say those words aloud.

Val smiles and decides to simply change while she has the chance, having already shown the majority of the people present her body already anyway. "Hmmm, corset needs a little adjusting," she mutters to herself. "I still need to be able to fight in this. Can't be too tight or too loose." She fiddles with the outfit for a few moments, before nodding to herself, seemingly satisfied.

"The area is clear," Ehren reports after doing his sweep, leaving out the ordinarily obligatory 'for now,' more for Belthis and Nira's benefit. He takes out his own waterskin and offers it to the couple; replenishing it would be trivial enough.

As the topic of picking out new clothes comes up, the druid is given pause. He looks down at his rather homely outfit, the earthy tones of his loose-fitting shirt and breeches caked with dust and literal earth; his dull green cloak worn and tattered. Of course, one of his sleeves was missing, likely still somewhere in his pack. Looking into the mirror Li'an picked up earlier, it occurs to Ehren that his hair was a mess, that his face was more than a little dirty (not that the demons would have given him a second glance), and that indeed, his clothing barely fit him to begin with. The consequence of declining the chance to bathe twice, as it was. He wiggles his bare toes, just for effect.

"No, I think I'm fine as is," he says sincerely, patting down a cowlick.

"You sure?" Val asks him. "Because I think there's a few things in here you could pull off." She digs around and finds a few outfits that she feels might suit him well. "I'm not judging or anything, but you could use a little bit of a clean up."

Continuing from before,

"Yes I expect you to wait, for about 30 seconds we had 3 victims instead of 2, it becomes more difficult when I need your knives killing them and you are on the floor. I am sure Anevia has had similar conversations with Irabeth?" Looking over to her for her face to give away the truth regardless of what she says.

Now:
Sarcastically, now calmed from nearly losing an ally,

"Maybe lower cut in the front, higher in the thighs? Does it come tighter? More mesh?" Then flashes her famous grin back her with his bloody beard and clawed face.

Hands man card in to rest with his nerd card

Li'an pauses when the offer is made by Belthis, wondering what to do. She looks down at the remnants of her teal blouse peeking out under her armor and sighs. These and her trousers *had* been the one nice outfit she'd had. She hadn't really had any reason to get anything beyond basic clothing that would be useful on duty in many years. She bought the blouse a year ago in the lead-up to Armasse after Ary had teased her about always wandering about dressed like she was going to go into battle at any moment. It was ironic then that the shirt had seen more combat than anything else she'd worn besides her armor.

She looks in the store through the broken window at the vast array of clothes, much of which she couldn't really afford on her stipend as a crusader. Watching Ary and Valaria pick out their clothing, she wandered in afterwards, poking around through the various items shyly, trying to figure out what she wanted. She settled on pair of dark red leather breeches with a black tunic featuring loose sleeves cinched just past the elbow. Atop the tunic she wore a matching maroon corset with silver accents. A pair of long black boots completed the outfit.

As she looked around wondering where to change, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, a flash of gold and green in the corner where she'd retrieved the mirror earlier. Picking it up she found a bundle that had been ripped open, revealing a shoulderless black and green dress with gold chains and accents, a black leather belt with gold buckle and beneath that a matching pair of green suede boots. Li'an quickly tucked it back in and hid it back where she'd found it. She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone had seen, and satisfied that no one had, headed over to change.

When she'd finished changing Li'an walked up to Nira and asked if she had a moment.

Something for him to grow into perhaps?

The hottest in druid fashion.

"Well, I could probably find a thong to replace the pants," she replies smoothly, shooting another look at Hrut. "And it might make it easier for you to spank me if I'm a bad girl later."

She looks over everyone's new outfits and chuckles. "I had forgotten how popular red is in Mendev. Not that I'm complaining."

"Very popular!" Li'an responded in an oddly excited tone to Valaria, seemingly oblivious to what had been said prior to that. She walked around a bit trying to get a feel for the new outfit. "It seems a little surreal to be here changing into fresh clothes though, don't you think? Oh! Aravashnial, did you want some fresh clothes?" she asked, walking over to him. "I know you don't want anything fancy, but your clothes are in pretty bad shape."

Ehren concentrates on the mirror, either intent on reconsidering his words or deliberately avoiding the sight of beautiful naked women. Valaria was right, he supposed. Just a few days ago, the passersby in Kenabres had mistaken him for a pauper. I suppose it would be wise to give the crusaders a better impression of myself, he reasons, running a hand through his hair. Here and now, it was not realistic to expect anyone else to look past his outward appearance. Nobody else would have the benefit of a subterranean sojourn to get to know him better. His mind already made up, he pretends to think on it a little longer, turning away from the mirror only when he is certain that everyone else is dressed.

"I suppose you're right," he says to Valaria, sighing woefully. "But I think I will pass on the shirtless look - I don't have the, ah... musculature for it."

He sifts through the store's scattered wares, feeling slightly embarrassed about digging through them. While it was true that they had the owners' express permission, he could not help but to feel like a thief. In the end he settles on a simple, yet elegant outfit, dyed in colors he found favorable. He had to leave behind the fur cape, however - asides from being heavy, it did not quite strike his fancy. The absence of boots, of course, was nonnegotiable... but he shoved them into his pack regardless. Just in case.

Holding the outfit in his arms, he looks up and down at everyone's new look. There was a lot of... red. It was strange, seeing them like this. He looks back to his own outfit. "Oh, right." He awkwardly scoots into a corner of the store to get dressed, evidently less shy about undressing himself than he is about seeing others doing the same.

Markus descends after their fight, gathering with the others during the aftermath. At the mention of the commoners paying for their help, he merely says, "You can't possibly mention paying us, though..." he looks down at his bloodstained and torn jacket, "I could use a change of clothes."

Touring through the formalwear section, he finds several items that he's capable of putting together into a wonderful ensemble of fashion.

Ten minutes later, he emerges from behind a few racks of clothing, resplendent in a new set of clothing. "I just hope that I don't rip and tear this one, too... I'll just have to stay away from demons." he says, fingering his cuff.

His outfit has a new pair of high-top black leather boots, laced. They squeak as he settles into them. His pants are black as well, slacks that fit him snugly. He wears a black button-down, tucked into his slacks. Pearl buttons run down the front of the shirt, and its cuff-links are pearl as well. On top of the black button-down is a bright white vest, closed with further pearl buttons. On top of that is a collared ankle-length cloak that flows in the wind behind him. The border of the cloak is red, and it closes with a single red button in the center.

Honestly, this is pretty close to how I envision Markus. No breastplate, of course, but very close.

I cant believe I am fake clothes shopping, I will never say those words aloud.

Hey if Hrut wants to wander around ruined Kenabres soaked in his own man-stink that's cool too ;D

also, if it makes you feel better just say your DM is a woman and she looks out for your PC's fashion sense ;3

Honestly, this is pretty close to how I envision Markus. No breastplate, of course, but very close.

Sorin Markov is a bamf so of course you do! (and he also seals demons in his spare time so the comparison is apt)

Nira Loumis glances at Valaria and shakes her head. ”Once, yes, but well..,” she gestures to the back of the shop, which is now collapsed rubble. ”An enormous demon walked through when the attack happened – three stories tall and with eyes red as fire! Only by Iomedae’s grace did the creature not notice us…”

She hurries to orient some of the furniture and flipped over racks of clothes into the corner to give some barriers for privacy if they need it. She then attends to each of the heroes as they browse, helping them find what they want. She clearly has a better handle on the store’s inventory than her husband. She smiles approvingly at Ary’s choices. ”Very good! Those were some of our best sellers in the spring months!”

Belthis stays outside, watching awkwardly. He wrings his hands – obviously not entirely pleased about handing out such expensive merchandise for free – but his point still stands. If they left the shop it would likely be looted, or worse, possibly just senselessly destroyed by more wrecker demons.

Horgus Gwerm happily wanders into the store and picks himself his own outfit, despite the fact that he had little to no hand in the saving of the contents within. He eventually emerges in a practical and business-like ensemble in mostly white and black.

Anevia whistles, looking at Valaria. ”I’m not complaining.” She looks at Hrut, thoughtful. ”Yeah, actually, Irabeth didn’t want me to join the crusades. She said after the life I’d had I deserved to be taken care of. A housewife! Me!” she scoffs as she rummages through some clothing on the floor. She herself leans towards comfort and practicality – mostly earthen tones – brown, white, grey.

Belthis eventually walks into the store, hovering behind Ehren after he finishes changing. He gestures towards the caved in wall, where there once was a display of footwear – its remaining contents scattered upon the floor. ”E-excuse me, sir? We have a fine selection of boots – both for riding and walking. Handcrafted by a fantastic shoemaker from Taldor, none of that hodge-podge magicked stuff here!” He clearly seems to think that Ehren is snubbing his merchandise by choosing to go barefoot.

Nira nods to Li’an, whispering back.

Aravashnial seems embarrassed- being unable to do something as simple as pick out his own clothing makes him feel helpless. He turns towards Li'an, and mutely nods.

Once two are ready to leave, we will.

Val just grins, knowing how the outfit looks on her and enjoying the reactions of everyone around her. She pauses at the shopkeeper's description of the demon. "That sounds a lot like a balor. You may be a lot luckier than you realized."

Val chuckles at Anevia. "You as a housewife... yeah I can't even form a mental picture of that one."

"I don't know. After the hot springs, I can imagine her in an apron." she shrugs... then sighs. "We may want to stop being so lecherous, we're going to ruin what little reputation we have managed." she says after a moment. "And yeah. Red is one of Iomedae's colors. Anyone with major ties to Iomedae is likely to have at least a little red or white." she explained. Then she paused and looked towards Hosilla and Uziel.

"Thoughts on letting the cultists have a change of clothes?"

Li'an smiles brightly at Nira, thanking her quickly before heading back in to find something for Aravashnial. She frowns slightly at his reaction, realizing the embarassment she was causing him, but decides he'd appreciate in the long run. "I hope we're able to find someone to cure his eyes... or perhaps someone to teach him that technique Markus mentioned," she thinks as she searches through for something that would suit him.

Deciding that it would be better to just stick with the colors he was wearing already, dark blue and purple, she picks out a new tunic and vest, along with a pair of breeches and a black, fur-trimmed cloak. She also grabs a sturdy leather belt to replace the one that he'd kept his spell pouch on, and a pair of travelling boots that look like they'd last for quite a while. When she finishes, she leads him into the store one of the more private areas Nira prepared.

"Amin sinta ta's cin a' arwan can. Saesa naa binarn, im ilya en' lye amin'm darriauv lye naa utua y' men a' entula lle elee," she says quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder as she whispers to him. "Ten' sii' sinome's i' lanat, amin fath a' fi fergo a' mani lle'd arusio boblath n'e. tuulo' sinome ta nauva y' ai vana a' Blackwing amin nowa, barin lye can utua parma eller no' mani Markus nae quena en'?"

She pulled up a chair as well for him in case he needed to sit. When he'd finished changing she helped him back out of the store back to the group, whispering again into his ear, "Perfect! After all we've been through a fresh change of clothes feels wonderful, I think. It's a shame we didn't have them after the hotsprings though."

"Anevia a housewife? Can housewives get into trouble? What sort of adventures would she go on as one? It is hard to imagine..." she says jokingly. When Ary mentions the hot springs Li'an looks over at Anevia and Valaria for a moment and blushes slightly, thinking back to the last visit.

Ary's suggestion of new clothes for the cultists draws a puzzled look from Li'an. "I don't see a reason to offer them our hospitality, much less Belthis and Nira's," she says after thinking a moment, obviously not keen on the idea.

"I think we should probably get moving, the longer we wait here, the more likely it is that something or someone else will find us," Li'an says as she begins to focus on their situation again.

"Honestly..? Because it'd be easier than this." Ary frowns as she turns her attention to the two who are tied up. "I apologize for my actions earlier. While you may work for monsters, I do not. And while your actions helped to build up to all of this... it was wrong of me to take advantage of your current position, and take out my frustrations on you. It's... unfortunate that you feel no remorse for your actions... for everything that you have done, and everything that you see around us. I can't begin to imagine what you must have gone through in order to believe that this is what strangers deserve." She looks around to the devastation, before returning her attention to the Loumis. "Thank you for putting me back in comfortable clothing... And helping to remind me of who I strive to be."

Ary was much better at talking to a captive audience after having been thoughtful for some time, it seems. Though she still returned to her post, taking up the rope, quietly.

'Being good is hard..

Ary's stern reply was enough to give Li'an pause. "I understand not taking advantage of them and treating them properly, but to offer someone else's hospitality up... Especially when those people have suffered, albeit indirectly, from their actions."

Li'an sighed and relented some, trying to find a middle ground. "Give them our old clothes perhaps? It will be enough to protect them from the elements and afford them some comfort. Nira and Belthis have done enough for us as is without giving their clothing to cultists as well."

"It's not that I don't like the way they look or anything..." Ehren says to Belthis with a pout, looking down at the pair of boots he shoved into his pack. The Taldan shoes did look nice, but... Again he thinks back to the boy he met on Armasse, whose own shoes were far too small for his feet. He had seemed so perplexed by Ehren's decision not to wear any. "I'm... just not used to wearing them," he reaffirms, smiling weakly, "And I like having my feet firmly planted on the ground." He did not wish to offend the man... perhaps he would try on the shoes later. But no promises.

He turns to Ary and Li'an, considering their dilemma.

"You have a kind heart, Ary. Not many would think to show their enemies compassion after all of this. But... perhaps now is not the time. Their own clothing is possibly in better shape than ours, at any rate."

He looks down at his discarded outfit, which while unmarred by battle, was still practically in tatters.

"It's not that, Fen'wen. It's that I really didn't want to say it, y'know? I knew I'd been in the wrong... but this is all so terrible. And I want to take it out on someone... And..." she relents. "This way was better, though. And... Yeah, their stuff is in fine condition. We'll wash it when we get the chance, maybe."

"I just figured it was less about hospitality and more about making sure things were put to use. I guess 'looter' is a step above 'known cultist,' though. Especially given what's happened. I just... I wish I could understand how this seems just to anyone who wasn't -born- a monster..." she says, eyes on the prisoners once more, a look of consternation on her face.

Li'an nods understandingly at Ary. "Hunters, master and novice alike, may stumble while giving chase. The difference is that the master pauses to reflect upon the cause lest she repeat her mistake," she said, giving her best translation of an old elven adage her father had used quite frequently. With a smile she added, "You seem to be doing just fine in that respect, even if it doesn't feel like it. And remember there's plenty of eyes here to watch the ground ahead and hands to catch us if we stumble."

Anevia laughs. ”Yeah! I told Irabeth I’d end up in a fist fight with the other housewives at their knitting meetings or whatever it is housewives do all day, and she relented.”

She sidles over to Markus and looks him up and down, thoughtfully with her chin in her hand. ”I approve of the fit – very flattering - but is the black-on-black just an Ustalav thing or what? You look like you’re dressed for your own funeral. But I assure you that I mean that in the best possible way.” She grins.

Aravashnial goes along with Li’an, looking tense, though he eventually relaxes as he listens to her words. ” Diola lle ten' lle can, Li’an. Ai lhialmiaran naa glodo, e' fargo mori gonnan. Amin naa ariauth ta ponn sana sai’ner fiv fiand nyn istim’ammaul finandar ta nae Markus nae ginien amniaul… i’d anta y' gugar ar' ya tulaya a Mendev sii'?”

Belthis frowns at Ehren, not fully understanding, but he does not press the matter.

Nira and Belthis glance at each other when Ary recommends that they donate clothing for the cultists, but they don’t say anything. It is clear that they are not too keen on the idea, though.

As for the cultists, Uziel rolls his eyes at all of the sentimentality going around in his general direction. Hosilla remains stony, staring back into Ary’s eyes unflinchingly – whatever thoughts were going through her mind are best left unsaid.

As for their clothes, Ehren was correct – they were in far better shape than the heroes’ old attire. After all, they spent the last month comfortable in the Underfolk lair, with easy access to the surface above.

Once one more (other than Li'an) is ready to go, we will.

I have nothing to add, for now!

"Seems as good a time as any to move on. Thank you very much to both of you for the clothing. I didn't feel right in all of the tattered stuff, and these fit amazingly!"

Markus looks sidelong at Anevia when she sidles up to him and commends on his attire. "Hey, first of all," he points at his vest - bone white - "I'm not wearing all black this time." he frowns. "Second of all, it's definitely Ustalavic fashion to wear gothic attire, and besides that I like it. I think that it looks nice and I know how to dress myself this way anyway." He keeps his chin up. He's a little defensive, a little offended, but mostly content.

"It looks good, though, doesn't it?"

Ehren makes a few final adjustments to his outfit, making certain that his hide armor fits over it properly. He was pleasantly surprised by how well it fit; he never imagined that he would have something so nice to wear. After a bath, he might even look presentable!

"Yes, thank you," he says to the couple, bowing his head.

"And... I suppose we had better see if the library is still there," he says, nodding at Ary.

"I... honestly doubt it. There's going to be a lot of stuff inside that is of value to the Crusades. Avi can attest to that. That makes it a significant target for them. And I'm sure there's at least one demon whose entire shtick is ignorance." she shrugs, "But whatever we -can- gain is going to be significant, if you ask me. Given where we're starting from."

In case it wasn’t obvious, all yo buffs are gone.

Anevia giggles. ”Okay, okay, okay! Sheesh. Gotcha. You could be wearing pink polka-dots for all I care- I’ll think of some way to make fun of you either way. And you do pull it off. I dunno how to wrap my mind around all this fanciness anyway. I feel like I’m just making myself a target, if that makes any sense. I like to blend in.”

The Loumises nod and smile. ”No, thank you for saving us! And for letting us follow you along!” Nira says, again. She elbows Belthis. ”Belthis!” ” she hisses.

Belthis rubs his side, and sighs. ”Oh…Yes, yes, thank you.”

The heroes’ larger group marches onwards towards Blackwing. It is still nighttime, and Lady Desna’s moon and stars illuminate their path. The library is only fifteen minutes away. While they walk, Belthis moves over to Anevia. ”Excuse me, did you say your wife was Irabeth? Chevalièr Irabeth Tirablade?”

Technically female knights are called Dames in England, I believe, but in France they are called Chevalièr – I like the latter better so nyeh, deal with it.

Anevia grins from ear to ear. ”Yes indeed! I am the luckiest woman on the whole damn planet!”

Belthis nods, wide-eyed. ”That’s impressive! Is it true that she took on Staunton Vhane – alone?”

”Well technically she had three men with her – but my Irabeth was the last one standing- and- oh man. That doesn’t look good.”

The group comes upon Blackwing in sight. Once an impressive library, it lies in ruins – all that remains standing is the Librarium’s façade and its reinforced great hall. Curiously, the buildings surrounding Blackwing seem not to have been as damaged – it’s as though some horrible force singled out Blackwing for destruction. The great double doors are slightly cracked open.

K(Planes): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Cause you told me it was a thing I could do! :o

"I... Avi, how well defended would the inner portions of Blackwing be? Would it be safe for Crusaders to enter without, you know... permission?" she asked, not yet revealing what they'd already guessed at before. "Because I've got a feeling someone else is already inside."

Ehren frowns at the ruined library, the realization of Ary's prediction. He should have known. There was a reason that he and his kin had only reluctantly adopted the Taldan writing system. That the Hallit language, as well as his people's secret tongue, had no written form. When information was given a physical form, it was made vulnerable. Destructible. Countless years of knowledge, lost.

I've never been too fond of Dame either, doesn't sound nearly as impressive. Chevalièr beats it hands down :p

Li'an motioned for the group to keep it down as they approached the library. "Looks like your hunch may have been right Ary. Still, anything that's salvageable is likely to be of great use to us. Ehren, do you sense any demons about?" she said quietly. She scanned the area herself, trying to see if she could hear or see any signs of movement around or in the library.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

"Assuming there aren't any demons within range, I think Val and I should go have a quick peek at the door before we proceed forward," she added after taking a look around. Taking a moment to focus, she invoked message, linking herself, Valaria and Ehren.

In compliance with Li'an's question, Ehren focuses on his spirit sense, checking their surroundings, as well as the entrance to the library.

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Val takes a moment to even realize that they've arrived at their destination. She looks at the building, frowning at the destruction and the open door. "I agree," she says as she nods to Li'an. "We don't want to be caught off-guard if there are cultists or something inside that Ehren's trick can't detect. If we have another fight like the tailor's shop, we might be in trouble."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Stealth check for if there are no demons and we move up.

Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

"They can't have destroyed everything." reasons Markus, moving forward with the others. "But what losses were incurred are a tragedy." Markus thinks for a minute or so after, mulling over the consequences of so much loss and destruction. "You know, it might be time to start counting the living, rather than the dead."

Earlier:

"Thank you for the clothing and sorry about your shop, once we begin to rebuild I will make sure people know of your kindness to us. Red does look pretty good however... Looking at himself in the mirror, tunic barely fitting his massive chest and arms.

Usually I do not get to choose my clothes, just whatever in my size fits, this is nice.

Looking to Val once more,

" I am not saying you need to be a housewife, but if it is not sneaky danger and just obvious danger let me walk in first."

Now:

Looking upon the ruined library Hrut feels deep sorrow, his face becoming even more hardened,

All that knowledge destroyed!? I am afraid of what else we will find...

"This just keeps getting worse, every corner is progressively worse... Yes let us investigate more, perhaps there is something viable left." Hrut says with little optimism in his voice.

Stealth: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

Aravashnial frowns as the heroes beat around the bush as to Blackwing’s fate. ”What? Blackwing is a public library – there is no ‘permission’ about it. What do you see?” he asks, terse. ”What has happened to Blackwing?”

Li’an and Valaria move up towards Blackwing, leaving the rest of the group behind. Suddenly, the group (the whole group) hears a loud voice from the cracked open door - "What the f@%% is wrong with you, you dumb b&!+#? Stack the f%+*ing books better!"

The two women creep up to the door and peer inside...

Hrut if you are advancing with the scout team I need you to explicitly say so, not just roll stealth and expect me to know what youre doing with that :p

"The outer section of it is.. in shambles. If that's even a fair cop. The whole thing has been wrecked. The inner portion stood up to the assault, which is why I was asking about it having magical protections. That, and because I get the feeling we're going to need to..." she stops as the suddenly angry voice comes from the door.

Aravashnial doesn't respond - he goes a sickly grey color under his bandages. He clutches his quarterstaff tightly.

Meanwhile, Li'an and Valaria are still at the door. Whoever is making a ruckus inside certainly hasn't spotted them, at least.

Val forces herself not to curse as she witnesses the scene inside. Grabbing Li'an's wrist, she gestures for them to head back to the group. They need to make a plan if they're going to deal with this situation without the hostages being harmed.

She creeps back to the group. "We've got a problem," she says softly once they get back. "There's a man, either another spy or maybe a fallen crusader, inside with with a group of tieflings. They're holding a bunch of kids captive and gathering all the books up for some reason. My guess, they're either trying to steal valuable ones, or maybe just planning to destroy the lot. Problem is, they're holding five of them tied up in the middle of the room. We need a way to get them without them harming their hostages. And we need to move fast, because he does not look like the patient sort."

Ary thinks about offering up that paper beats rock... but decides against it... as she isn't really sure how well books would hold up if the building collapsed; scrolls would probably be destroyed, but surely books, flat and all that, would survive to some degree.

"It isn't gone. There's still lots in there, and I'm sure there's plenty left under the rubble. A lot of the stuff people like you know verbatim... so we'll just have to find the people we can, and get it copied back down." she offered, as she watched the two women up front, wondering what exactly was going on... but not interrupting them.

"Does anyone have any magic that can work for that? I mean, aside from the tied up jerks? Invisibility would go a long way." she suggested quietly. "Is there anything you know about the library that we can use, Avi?"

"Children? No adults?" Aravashnial asks, anguished. He ignores the comment about the books and scrolls - for once - knowledge and learning is not on his mind.

Anevia draws her shortsword. "Ideas? Fast. Come on, guys, we gotta do something."

Horgus stands with the Loumises. All three look terrified, but even Horgus isn't heartless enough to suggest they abandon a group of children.

Val nods slightly, her face somber. "Half a dozen kids, I wouldn't guess there's anyone older than fifteen or so. No one else. They either fled or..." She trails off, not wanting to pain the elf more.

"Is there a back way in, or someplace we can get inside without alerting them? If we can get the ones behind the hostages at the same time as the less stealthy members of our group head in the front, they won't have time to threaten anyone."

"No...she wouldn't have left the children," Aravashnial murmurs, his voice barely audible. He leans heavily against his quarterstaff, apparently barely able to stand.

"There is only one door in the main hall," he responds to Valaria. "There were side doors... on the ends of the wings."

Li'an moves back with Valaria, disturbed by what she'd seen. "I have a smokestick that we could use to provide cover, I also have some scrolls and there are the spells in Millorn's spellbook. Fog Cloud would work better than the smokestick."

Is the roof partly open? Would it be possible for someone levitating to see down into the room from up there?

Li'an puts an arm around Aravashnial to help him regain his footing when she sees him faltering. "Are you alright Aravashnial?"

Turning back to Val and the others she adds, "Or we could try to bluff our way through again like we did in the caverns."