GM Kiora's Wrath of the Righteous

Game Master Kiora Atua

Ary does leave the mirror with Ehren upon his request!

Ary hustles across the city to the southern entrance, knowing that her information may be their only lead.

"It looks like Aerona was taken in a struggle. She was on very good terms with her neighbors, one of which said that Jesker had... changed in regards to how he treated Aerona. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a year ago. So, perhaps we're dealing with a possessor or shapechanger." Ary says, pursing her lips. "Taking everything that they had worn and bedded with makes sense if they know about spellcasting as well. Those things would have made it much simpler to gain a connection to him for Ehren." she chews her lip once more. "So do we look for this Maire person in town?"

Xanderghul is packing Valais' and his bag after having gone through them to double-check their contents. He is also packing away the twenty pounds of food that he had found, ensuring that it does not jostle and is nicely packaged in one-meal portions.

"Well, I didn't find any evidence of violence at Jesker's house. If it was a shapechanger, they would have had to do something with the original Jesker. Perhaps there might be a grave somewhere?" Xanderghul ponders, with a finger scratching his imperious chin-wires. "I don't think it's worth it to search. I can prepare a spell that will help us identify Jesker's true nature when we discover him."

"Máire lives near Jesker, or so I assume. I sent Valais to look for her and interview her. If everything is normal, I expect it will take her perhaps an additional thirty minutes to reach us." He ties the cords that hold the haversack flap shut and stands up, putting the pack on his back. "Perhaps we go search for her if we're waiting for an hour?"

Before leaving the multidenominational church, Hinagiku makes her way to the worshipping wing. She quietly approaches the front, where she waves at the officiating Sosiel, inviting him to come and speak with her.

"Mr. Sosiel, I apologize for bothering you now. But we have some urgent businesses. Lives might be at risk. The shrine to Erastil was desecrated. Mrs. Isilme believes Mr. Jesker and Mrs. Aerona might be implicated. We were wondering whether you had heard anything about them recently. " she asks him once they are away from prying ears.

Once she is done Hinagiku makes her way to the rendezvous point.

After an hour of concentrating, Ehren peers into the silver mirror, only to find his own reflection looking back at him. Unwilling to wallow in disappointment, he quickly gathers his things and leaves the temple. He still had about an hour before everyone would regroup at the southern gate. In anticipation of an extended foray in the Worldwound, he heads to Paradise Hill, where he could collect some fruit from Mother Heartwood's boughs.

While there, he also visits the nearby hospital to see whether they have any camping equipment that they can loan to him. He did not expect the journey to take too long given how quickly he could fly there, but they would be gone for at least one night.

Will post more a little later. :o

"I would prefer not to leave it to Valais to investigate Máire, actually. She has experience in neither investigation nor interrogation sufficient for me to be able to trust in her conclusions. I will head out there myself to ensure it is done properly," she says more than a little surprised that Xanderghul would send a novice to follow up on a lead, especially when the group was going to be sitting lollygagging about for an hour either way.

With that she gets directions and heads out to Jesker's place, beginning her search there for information on where Máire might live, details on who she was, and on those she interacted with regularly. Isilme didn't doubt that there was information to be found on the identity of the third person, and was determined to discover it before setting off. To not do so would likely guarantee a preventable death, after all.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (7) + 28 = 35

Xanderghul just looks at Isilme quizzically while she dashes off on her own, his arms raised in a questioning shrug.

"Well," he says, slowly. "Anyone else have any business to attend to in the city?"

"Always." Ary responds, but deflates slightly with a huff. "Word of us leaving will make it to the Citadel regardless of whether or not I go there personally to inform them, though. I... probably should have checked the home more in-depth but I was on a perceived time limit. Maybe I should head back there and... try to copy Ehren's trick?"

Xanderghul shrugs. "Or we could just stand around and wait," he says. "The more we continue to split up, the longer it will take for us to get on the road and after our lost sheep. Honestly, I was hoping that we might catch them on the way before we even got to the barrow-in-the-lava-realm, but I suppose not."

"Anyway, I have something to talk about while we wait."

Xanderghul's hat of disguise then transforms his appearance into that of a handsome horned devil (although he is obviously still wearing his blue cloak and carrying his collection of traveling supplies). "I've been thinking about changing my name and face," he says, "to become my own thing, to take ownership over myself. What do you think?"

"You're more a winter or early spring." Ary responds, giving Xanderghul a small grin. "Blues, grays, and greens would probably suit you better than red."

"I'd go with hazel eyes as well. They're uncommon amongst humanoid races but always nice to see. What brought this decision on?"

Ehren arrives a little past the set deadline, his extradimensional pouch filled with provisions and supplies for their excursion. He rolls his arm around, readying himself for the long flight ahead, before noticing that not everyone is yet present. After reporting the failure of his scrying attempt, he opts to wait at the gate; given that he is the one providing transportation, running off again might well be a waste of time.

"Changing one's own name is quite the undertaking," Ehren remarks approvingly, eyeing Xanderghul's disguise with interest. "Much more difficult than just changing your appearance, in some ways."

Xanderghul taps the side of his chin thoughtfully when Ary gives her feedback regarding his coloration. "Perhaps you're right," he says. "Let me try a new form."

He changes again, this time to a bald and gray-skinned humanoid with large bright eyes and clearly defined facial bone structure. "I know that it will take some work, but is this a little bit more 'me'?"

"I had been doing research on how to regain a soul, but then I recalled the reincarnation spell, which restored Isilme to life after her apparent destruction. I have spoken to her about our shared predicament - herself a soul without a body, and me a body without a soul - and we have agreed to work together on creating a ritual which will solve our problems."

"In my research, I discovered that I could wrest a soul from my creator by force or by trickery, if I wanted. But I put more thought into it. If I did that, it would be his soul, not mine. I would still bear his face. In fact, it would be little different than if I were to simply return him to life here and now. I don't want that either. I want my own life, my own face, my own name."

"I am not so certain that reincarnation is truly what Isilme experienced," Ehren muses, having had years to reflect on that fateful day. Not too keen on discussing her circumstances without her being present, he focuses on the wizard's predicament. "As for you, if you truly possess no soul of your own, then you exist outside of the cycle of life and death. What would even happen to you, should you die?"

"But for whatever it is worth, you have already done an excellent job making what you have your own. I know nothing of your creator besides what you have told us, but I highly doubt that he expected you to live for as long as you have, let alone become a demigod."

"If I die, I'm gone for good." responds Xanderghul quietly. "I know enough about my own physiology that it would be exceedingly difficult to bring me back from the dead. That's why I want to recreate myself. As long as I have friends who will resurrect me, I can still live forever."

"And if I can recreate my body in a shape of my choosing, then I am not beholden to the shape imposed on me by the Green."

Ary nods approvingly at Xanderghul's second attempt. "Much more fitting. It's... still honestly weird seeing you in a shirt, though. Even though it's been years since I saw you without one." she pauses, stretching a bit as she listens to Ehren and Xanderghul talk about the possibility of permanently transforming Isilme and Xanderghul, brow knitting. She... didn't like the idea of making a ritual based on a spell that failed to work properly on Lian in the first place - and instead going haywire when it interacted with Isilme. She didn't say as much but Ary's face was, as ever, honest about her feelings.

She couldn't help but imagine Isilme's soul merging with Xanderghul's not-soul, and now they'd be sharing the one body... she shook her head emphatically to pull herself out of the line of thought. She'd just have to trust in her friends not to do everything wrong.

Hinagiku takes a long look at Xanderghul's temporary form.
"More you? I think what makes you your Mr. Xanderhul has to do with how you present yourself, the way you interact with people. Whatever face you take, it will take on the impression of your personality.... though some are more challenging to make yours." Hinagiku adds, reflecting on how hard it was to make here vulpine face smile.
"But I can understand why you would not want to wear the face of the one who created you."

Xanderghuk nods. "Alright. We'll try this one for while, then. I want to see if it changes how I behave, or how you all see me."

He does a wiggly gesture with his fingers. "Ta da! It's a temporary me. You can call me whatever comes to mind, or Xanderghul."

"In all my research, I uncovered one undeniable truth. Xanderghul - the original one, my creator - he was a villain. A cruel, vain king whose realm was most famous for enslaving angels. For as long as I am him, I am a villain."

"oohhh..." So Mr. Xanderghul's need for a new face and name is to distanciate himself from this creator. "Mister, would you not rather choose a name that represents you? It... just feels wrong, disrespectful even, to pick a random name."

Ehren glances at Ary, pondering Xanderghul's words. Subverting the will of the Green was not an entirely new concept. To some small extent, it was the basis of all druidic magic; wielding an otherwise natural force, and bending it to one's will.

"Hm. I don't think you really want us to call you whatever comes to mind," Ehren points out wryly, entirely too familiar with the barbs the wizard often traded with Isilme and Valaria. It felt like too much of an invitation. "In any case, I agree with Hinagiku. But I believe I will stick with 'Xanderghul' until you decide on something for yourself."

The druid's expression turns more serious as he asks, "The soul is a fundamental part of one's self. I admire that you are not willing to steal one from someone else. How will you create one, without changing who you are?"

Xanderghul shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I'll have to change who I am."

"Who should I become?" he asks.

"Oh!" Ary says, suddenly laughing despite the situation, it wasn't the full belly laugh she used to have, this laugh almost like it was shy.

"Xanderghul, what you're describing is something everyone goes through when they start growing up. Some of us even look towards out bodies changing and feel it's too slow. It's a perfectly natural part of life." she says, still grinning.

"But in all seriousness, no one can answer that but you. The best advice I've gotten is to become someone who has time and funding to do what you love."

Ehren raises a brow when Ary goes for the low-hanging fruit, but also smiles despite himself - it is always good to hear her laugh.

"It must not sound very helpful, but I agree. You will have to decide that for yourself," he says to Xanderghul with a nod. "That said, if you require assistance with your means, then I will help you in any way I can. You might well need it, if you intend to dabble in primal magic."

"Speaking of puberty," Xanderghul begins with a little chuckle, "Ehren and Hinagiku!" He turns to the pair. "Are you two ever gonna have any babies? No time like the present!"

Are we killing time while Mrs. Isilme is away or is Mr. Xanderghul simply being himself and stirring up some controversial topic? Hinagiku ponders without losing her countenance.

"I am not certain I understand why puberty is linked to either of us. We are mature adults... And, Mr. Xanderghul, is this not a dangerous question to ask right before we leave for a mission? Imagine Ehren-kun and I haven't discussed this yet, and now realize we disagree, it could break our coordination in combat, no?" Hinagiku gently replies, making her reply a series of questions to make sure her reply cannot be misconstrued as being harsh.

"Oh," responds Xanderghul, touching a hand to his chest with mock-concern, "Is this topic too sensitive for you? I'm sorry. We can change to a less-offensive topic if you'd prefer..."

Ehren flushes furiously, but maintains enough of his composure to keep his mouth shut, long enough at least for Hinagiku to answer for both of them. Partly because she is much better at handling these kinds of situations with dignity and grace, but also because he is curious about what she has to say on the matter. As to be expected, it is a very diplomatic response that does not really answer the question. Am I supposed to take that as a hint?

"Anyway, the place we are going to has lava. Very dangerous," Ehren says finally, after coughing into his fist pointedly. "We have to be careful not to fall into it. You don't sink in lava, you just sit on its surface... and burn. Some resist fire spells would have been a good idea."

Xanderghul laughs out loud, throwing his head back to bark into the air. "Well, I guess we're all taking one step at a time."

He nods with mock sincerity at Ehren and Hinagiku. "I think you're both very brave. And for the record, I have prepared resist energy. Isn't it going to take us all day just to get there? Should we fly for the entire day and then investigate afterwards, or fly for the day, rest, and then get up and go after preparation?"

"I do not know if we will have time to rest," Ehren replies, glad to be discussing the matter at hand again, "Isilme's divination was a tad cryptic, but it seems unambiguous that we cannot afford to delay for too long. I will be the one doing the hard work getting us there, in any case." The druid grimaces. "I can't say I am looking forward to it."

"Oh? Do you need to borrow my cords?" Ary says, motioning to the golden ropes that flanked her tabard of Drezen.

Xanderghul retrieves the magical holy book from his pack. "Does anyone want to read the Lymirin Discourses, then?"

"As large as I'll be, I won't have any problem carrying the rest of you as is," Ehren replies, shaking his head. "I'll keep them in mind for the return trip, though."

Ehren looks over at the Lymirin Discourses, having nearly forgotten that Xanderghul had them in his possession. The memory of their author wreaking holy vengeance on the fiendish armies of Drezen was one he would not soon forget. He shakes his head again, having found in the past that the book was far more useful to Iomedae's faithful. However, seeing them does bring another question to mind.

The fact that the wizard had become a demigod was something the druid had taken in stride back then, but there was a certain implication that he had not given much consideration to. Namely, the fact that demigods are worshipped.

"Dare I ask, do you have a holy book of your own?" he asks, sounding genuinely curious.

Xanderghul grins, and switches the copy of the Lymirin Discourses for his own copy of The Tale of Clever Xanderghul. The book was roughly bound, and on its cover was stamped an image of a hand reaching out from a blood-red portal.

Inside, there are a number of fables and parables, typically about Xanderghul himself. In some of the fables, Xanderghul outwits his opponents with illusions, lies, or trickery despite their advantages in social status, size, strength, or political power.

Some of the fables also deal with survival. One such fable recounts Xanderghul's stay in a city locked in religious violence. His investigations allowed him to draw a conclusion that a great conflict was going to begin, and he skipped town before it got too bad.

Other fables deal with amazing discoveries, such as Xanderghul's discovery of a literal beating heart in the ground while still venturing through the Abyss. There is a rough drawing of the heart-in-a-pit and general advice to always be on the lookout for amazing things.

The book is only half-full, with many blank pages.

Thanks to her years of monastic training, Hinagiku is able to remain hide her surprise and remain composed at the sight of Xanderghul's book. The wizard had mentioned quite a few times how he was now a god, but it had appeared more bravado than anything else to her. Now, this book was concrete proof that the wizard either fully believe in this idea or, more likely, that he thought that highly of himself.

"Are these all stories that have happened to you Mr. Xanderghul?" Hinagiku manages to ask, trying to stir the conversation away from godhood, or ideas of godhood.

Ehren raises a brow when Xanderghul presents the book, surprised to see his question being answered in the affirmative, but not so much by the fact that he has a copy of it on his person.

"With thousands of years worth of experiences, I imagine there would be little need to fabricate new ones," Ehren muses as he flips through the work-in-progress, skimming its pages. It was odd, thinking of the book as a religious text, but he knew nothing of how other holy books came to exist. Did Iomedae pen The Acts herself, or did she merely endorse the work of one of her followers?

Xanderghul grins and shrugs. "Some of the names and details have been changed. All of the stories are based on real events, though."

Isilme spends the next 30 minutes working her way back towards the gates, questioning people along the way as to whether they had seen Máire before, eventually reaching the gates and questioning the guards there as well. While she expected to quickly find that no one along the path had actually seen her coming and going from the city, there was still a possibility that she was merely a bystander, and tracking her down would answer the question definitively.

77% chance Divination: 1d100 ⇒ 31

Isilme returns to the others at the southern gates after about an hour had passed. She comes upon Ehren rifling through the stories in a hand-bound book, conversing with Hinagiku and Xanderghul. Isilme can understand the basic intention of the book without much effort. Xanderghul also looked completely different than he had before Isilme left. Ehren was also now wearing Ary's muleback cords.

Valais was nowhere to be seen. The heroes are not currently traveling with any cohorts. Is there anything left in the city that you want to do, or do you want to investigate the Weeping Hills, and the lost barrow tomb of Delamere?

As she passes by the others, she stops briefly. "The old woman came from within the city, I am going to attempt to finish tracking her to her home so we can search it, and then I will be ready to head out. Perhaps if one or more of you come along we can speed the search?" she says.

"Bored of your appearance, Xanderghul?" she asks briefly while the others discuss the situation. She briefly skims the book, but briefly studying the contents is sufficient to quench any curiosity he might have about its provenance.

Casting a sideways glance at Xanderghul, Hinagiku elect to leave it Isilme. She needed some time to fully process the meaning of Xanderghul writing a holy text about himself.
"I would be happy to come with you Mrs. Isilme, thought I am not sure how much help I could be."

Xanderghul crosses his arms... crossly... when Isilme continues to suggest staying in the city and searching. "I, for one, am ready to go immediately. We have citizens to save. Chasing down some old lady is not a priority right now."

He shakes his head sharply. "And, no. It is not just boredom. It's an identity crisis."

"Were you intending to leave without Valais?" she asks, noting his sidekick was absent. "Nevertheless, I appreciate that it is not your priority, but I wish to completely rule out her involvement before we depart."

"I believe you can be of great help, we need to ask around from here to try to track down her home, since she was coming from within Drezen. If we can find her or her residence we can answer the question of her involvement definitively. Ehren? Ary?" She looks at the two of them to see if either will come along to aid in the search, and once they make their choice, begins the task of questioning people around the gates about the old Kellid woman.

Gonna assume Ary and Ehren aren't going with Isilme, to move stuff along.

Isilme and Hinagiku head off together into the city. There wasn't as close of a watch kept on the citizenry as there were at the gates, no guards assigned to stand and keep an eye on people walking down any given street. They inquire around in the neighborhoods closest to the southern gate, but they find that no one here has heard of an old kellid woman named Máire.

Drezen is a very large city. Is there anywhere in particular you are trying to search? You can use diplomacy to gather information for 1d4 hours.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28 Know about eyes and ears of the city

Isilme sighs after not having found any immediate evidence of the woman's presence. "Thank you for your help, Hinagiku," says when the monk returns reporting the same conclusion.

Scouring the city could take quite a few hours, which despite her disagreements with Xanderghul on whether to leave at this moment or not, was certainly too much given how far they had to travel today. Unable to come up with a better solution, she decides to make use of a spell she had only recently learned about that was just now beginning to be used by some of her scouts and spies. Unfortunately, without having had the forethought to prepare the spell for the day, she would need to draw upon her own fading spark to cast instead.

Reaching down into herself, Isilme takes hold of a measure of her power and uses it to trace the rune "सर्व-ज्ञानी" before her, the divine rune for omniscience. The rune's glow dims as her sight fades, expanding to take in some measure of what was happening within the walls of the city. She had not personally used the spell yet, so the effect was almost overwhelming. Sights and sounds of the city flood her perception in a torrent, forcing her to gather herself before she can make any sense of what was coming through to her. Once centered, she focuses on the woman Máire and her relation to Jesker and the current situation.

Diplomacy Round 1: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (16) + 28 = 44
Diplomacy Round 2: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (1) + 28 = 29
Diplomacy Round 3: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (16) + 28 = 44
Diplomacy Round 4: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (2) + 28 = 30
Diplomacy Round 5: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (7) + 28 = 35
Diplomacy Round 6: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (20) + 28 = 48
Diplomacy Round 7: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (3) + 28 = 31
Diplomacy Round 8: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (5) + 28 = 33
Diplomacy Round 9: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (19) + 28 = 47

Upon hearing Isilme's report, Ehren hands back The Tale of Clever Xanderghul. He had more questions about the wizard's burgeoning godhood, but his curiosity would have to be sated later. The druid departs to help search for Máire, but their cursory investigation comes up empty. For as much work as he spent reaching out to the Kellids within Drezen over the past few years, he could hardly be expected to be familiar with each and every one of them. He eyes the sun warily, wondering how much more time they could afford to spend before seeking out Delamere's tomb.

Isilme heads back to the others with Hinagiku, meeting up with Ehren. When she gets everyone together she stops. "Using magic I was able to gather enough information to come to a conclusion. Those outside the city near Jesker's place believe she lives within the city, and often heads out from there to visit. Yet to those within the city she presents herself as living out side the walls away from the city. There is no evidence she has ever invited anyone to her home outside the city, and Houna's people don't bring her up in conversation at all. I believe it is safe to conclude that she is not actually a resident of Drezen or its surrounds. That means she is likely an infiltrator of some sort, though I do not believe there is evidence she is a cultist."

She lets the information sink in to the group before finishing, "I believe this information will come in useful if we are able to talk to Jesker. It might be enough to cause him to re-evaluate his actions. I feel we should set out at this point, and make haste to the barrows. We can fly towards Jesker's place on the way out to pick up Valais if you wish her to join us Xander."

"P-pick me up?" Valais calls out, trying to hide how labored her breath was from having jogged all the way up hill back to Drezen. Reality was so much more difficult to travel through than Heaven ever was. "No. No need. I'm here." She pulls out her notes.

"Basically, no one near where Jesker lives knows where Máire lives, but she seems to be a pretty sweet old lady, based on how they tell the story - it was just Jesker who apparently is a bit of an a%&%%@%," she says before launching into a short story about how apparently Jesker made a woman's daughter cry when he snapped at her for offering him a small handmade present and interrupting his train of thought. It takes Valais several moments to realize that most of what she has already said, Isilme has already iterated in the moments before. Once she's up to speed with everything that has transpired (she is not above forcing Isilme to repeat herself, 'for the official record'), she shrugs and comments. "So? Anything else we're waiting on?"

Are you all ready to go?

"Five gold says you're being too paranoid," bets Xander. "I bet that Maire isn't involved at all. I've gotten no impression to say she's anything other than a sweet old hermit."

"Ehren, are you ready?" he asks. "I can help keep you going fast, so we can make up for some of this lost time."

I'm ready to go! It looks like Xander can concentrate on the Time sphere "Haste" ability to give Ehren a +10 bonus to speed, in order to help out.

"All right, everyone," Ehren starts as he steps out into an area with adequate open space. "You might want to stand back."

In a blur of motion, his body grows into that of a gigantic heron - one of those that inhabited the banks of Cheliax's Yolubilis River. Roughly half of his twenty feet of height is leg, on top of which sits a stout, gray-feathered body. It was not a form he took on very often, but it was useful when he needed to transport a group of people in a pinch. This group, usually.

The druid crouches and cranes his long neck down so that one of his large, beady eyes is roughly at eye level with everyone else. A deep, humanish voice comes rumbling out of his beak. "Well, you'd all best find a way to get comfortable. We have a long flight ahead of us."

The heroes set off, carried by Ehren in the form of an elephantine sized heron on a long and grueling flight. Bolstered by Xanderghul's magic, the Yolubulis Heron has no issues for several hours, but mid-afternoon the Worldwound weather dramatically shifts, turning to heavy, driving rain and severe winds. Ehren is large and strong enough in this form to endure the elements, but it makes for a miserable four more hours, flying in what seems to be in the direction of the storm (though Valais would later swear the storm followed them) all the way to the Weeping Hills.

Weather (Worldwound): 85 °F, Heavy Rain, Severe Winds, Time: Late afternoon

All characters have a -6 to perception checks due to the rain.

This region of the Worldwound saw horrific seismic activity early in the Crusades, leaving what was once a grassy valley of softly undulating hills into a cratered mess. The lands are filled with the hard tectonic edges formed by rifts as the earth itself shuddered at the birth of the Worldwound's core several hundreds of miles to the southwest. At the bottoms of the rifts and through cracks and spouts in what little knobs of hills that remain course great bubbling flows of molten lava throughout the land. As the rain courses against the lava, it erupts into clouds of steam.

There seems to be no sign of Jesker here. Coming here was surely a fool's errand for the young priest - likely the Tomb of Delamere was destroyed long ago. The driving rain and howling wind makes it difficult to see or hear anything. Ehren flies several hundred feet above the enormous flows of magma and rugged, rift-ridden terrain below, peering downwards along with the other heroes in search for their quarry.

If you post you have to describe how you're attached to Ehren :P