Isilme catches up to halflings quickly and immediately dismisses her invisiblity and flies along side them, the swarm whispering quietly to the terrified former slaves. "êow ôra nâteshwôn wist full−gân welhwilc pro mâ, nâhwæðer pro and fullan ðone as sædêor same only in swâ wægn hlâfordlic, lôc êow must bêon ðâgîet. lîcian swâðêana attraction with pron ðe ic wilnian lædan ûs of pro ic unnan an hælu "
"You are not being pursued anymore, neither by the dragon nor the wizards, but you must be quiet. Please stop and I will lead us to safety."
The halflings don't seem to even register Isilme's words. Their minds have been wiped clean with intense fear and panic. They do nothing but run as fast as they can in the same direction. However, it is not hard for Isilme to keep up with them, as they are much slower than she is. Eventually they stop running and start to whisper amongst themselves. They huddle together and try to see what they can in the dim light of the sewers.
Glad to be back on the surface and out of imminent danger, Ehren takes a moment to catch his breath. From the sound and feel of things, Isilme and the dragon must have caused quite the commotion. After taking one more deep breath, the druid transforms back into a redstart, knowing that it is his second-to-last wild shape for the day. Hopefully, he could use the last one to carry Hinagiku out of the city - as well as Isilme, if fate still favors her.
Spreading his tiny wings, Ehren takes flight, gaining enough altitude to give himself a decent overview of the city, while making it more difficult to notice the conspicuous leather pouch on his back. He looks around, watching the crowds move and searching for any signs of Isilme or the etheric dragon.
Isilme resumes her normal form, coming to rest before the halflings. The she quickly casts light to provide them something to see her by, though she shields it with her hand to minimize the area covered by it. "êow ôra nâteshwôn wist full−gân welhwilc pro mâ, nâhwæðer pro and fullan ðone as sædêor same only in swâ wægn hlâfordlic, lôc êow must bêon ðâgîet. ofercuman mid me eornostlîce ic pro mæðelcwide drêogan ûs of pro ic oððicgan gêoc" she repeats quietly, hoping they will be willing to follow her despite the earlier catastrophe.
"Oh, wil−sum êower missus, wil−sum êowernðh," the halflings say, their terrified faces transforming into delight at finding a friendly face when all hope had seemed lost.
The three halflings that remain are two healthy young men named Clovis and Hildegarde and one older woman named Cassandra.
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Isilme dismisses the light quickly, then takes a moment to dig out the flower she had used yesterday. She wasn't sure where Ehren was, or Hinagiku for that matter, but she figured she could at least leave a trail for them. Once she enchants the rose, she chooses to include Cassandra, Clovis and Hildegarde, along with Hinagiku and Ehren.
"Come quietly, it will take us a while, but I know how to leave the city, and a place we can remain hidden," she says, explaining the situation. "This magic will help you find your way if we get separated for any reason, and it will also help some of my friends find us. I will need to make a stop along the way to try and give them a signal as well."
She begins leading the group along a path away from Sophini's, keeping her three little companions ahead of her and listening for the sound of anyone approaching them from behind.
Once they've made it about half way to the sewer exit, Isilme finds a quiet alcove for the Halflings to hide in for a moment. "Ok, stay quiet and hidden here for a moment, and I will be right back." She casts light on a stone for them and explains that they could use it if they needed to see something, but to otherwise keep it hidden. She then casts invisibility on herself and swarms out the nearest gutter in the streets, heading straight up into the sky. There she makes a clear arrow downward towards where she had left, about 300' up, and about 100' across, before heading back down into the sewers and rejoining Clovis, Hildegarde and Cassandra. She removes her invisibility and resumes her normal form, then dismisses the light and gestures for them to continue following.
She continues leading the group towards the sewer grating, trying her best to keep the trio quiet among the sewer rats and filth down below. When Hildegarde trips and falls into the sludge with a wet thud, then scrambles up spitting loudly Isilme tries to quiet him, quickly cleaning him up with prestidigitation to help calm him down. She listens intently in case anyone heard them, hoping that they were far enough along to the grate now that no one would be nearby or following.
When he sees Unafe transform back to her human form, Xander realizes where they are and he uses his hat of disguise to shroud himself in the appearance of Alexander Potts. He gives a weak smile at Unafe's gratitude for their lives, responding, "It's no issue."
"I'm glad I was able to get us out of there," he adds. "When I was knocked out by that dragon's breath, I saw Hell flash before me." He looks up at Unafe. "I apparently sold my soul back there, at Boccanegra, in order to sign onto their staff. I wasn't really expecting it, but then in a few blinks the principal was suddenly summoning a contract devil and I had to either sign it or bail."
"Anyway... I guess thank you for saving me, as well. I would have ended up someplace I did not want to be if you had not."
He listens to her spiel about the dangers of Azir and her desire to never leave Sarkoris again. He nods, satisfied and in agreement. "I agree. We should not have died back there in that accursed place. I can contact others at any distance twice each day. We can start to do that tomorrow. For now, yes. Let's go back to that inn and take some rest."
When it is clear that the dragon is gone, and most likely not a sign from her companions, Hinagiku approaches the closest side street. Careful not to be seen, she peers over the buildings edge and slinks down into its shade as soon as it is empty. Picking a new nook, she sits down, waiting to see what will happen.
Hinagiku slips off the roof and back into the streets. There are people running in the streets in the opposite direction from where Hinagiku saw a glimpse of the dragon. They are far too distracted to be paying attention to Hinagiku. There are also members of the Pure Legion, shouting in Osiriani and walking against the flow of the crowds.
Ehren flies overhead, beholding this spectacle as a redstart. Looking down, he notices a woman who appears to be hiding in a nook inside of an alleyway.
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The crusader twiddles his thumbs, not really knowing enough about Jerribeth to say anything definitively. "If I remember correctly, Jerribeth's last scheme involved trying to feed you all to a dragon, no? Trying to get you trapped in the justice system of a faraway nation seems a little low-key by comparison. Besides, once the Crusades find out about this, I'm sure they'll be able to do something to clear up this mess. You're one of their highest-ranking knights, the commander of the sole bastion we have in the Worldwound - I'm sure they won't just leave you here!"
Unafe nods. "I have many wishes--mostly for our allies--that Veronica and her staff cannot grant...but a hot bath, and a filling meal, those at least would be most welcome."
As they walk a bit further, Unafe looks at the burnt, bloody body under her arm. "I never knew him, but I understand he was an honored elder, and a valuable researcher, attempting to close the Wound. I know Isilme wanted him to be able to be brought back to life. I trust that that's beyond you--"Unafe briefly shudders at what sort of thing a magic like Xander's would bring Aravashnial back as"--but we'll need to make arrangements for him.
"If it serves the Green, perhaps the Archdruid will be able to join us here in a few days, and could grant him a new birth...but until then, at the very least, we should protect his body from decay. Is that something you know how to cast?"
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Ehren watches as the Pure Legion mobilizes, silently resenting them for their role in this debacle. The absurd laws they upheld, their complicity in allowing a place like Sophini's to operate, their utter disdain for the divine... it was a kind of zealotry not too distinct from what he'd seen in cultists. He doubts that they would appreciate the irony.
Not seeing any sign of the dragon, Ehren is about to take off when he notices a woman hiding in an alleyway. Could it be Isilme in disguise, having managed to slip away from her etheric pursuer? Or could it be...? Taking advantage of his diminutive stature, Ehren swoops down as subtly as he can, trying to get a closer look.
Ehren flutters down and rests on a clothesline overhead. He peers down at the woman in the alley. He catches a glimpse of her face, and knows that it is Hinagiku!
Unafe and Xander walk for three hours to get to Veronicas. They had appeared in the Rego Lena, and therefore had to wait for a ferry to cross over to the Rego Scripa. Once they arrived, it was not difficult for them to relocate the small slave-run family establishment.
Veronica herself is a gracious host, though she quickly calls for her slaves to draw the three baths immediately to allow them to freshen up.
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This time, Ehren is unable to resist the great swell of relief. He recalls that she had informed Xander of her intent to head towards Sophini's, but fortunately, she seems to be safe. His heart pounding in his chest, the druid hops off the clothesline and descends into the alleyway. Barring some reflexive action on her part, he lands right on his girlfriend's shoulder and gives her cheek a light peck with his tiny beak.
"Hinagiku!" he exclaims joyously. His voice is immediately recognizable, if a bit higher-pitched than usual. "I am so glad I found you."
Only now does he notice the wound on her face, eliciting from him the birdish equivalent of a frown. Evidently, she had not gotten away from the Pure Legion unscathed. Given the dire news he has to share, however, he does not address it right away. After a moment of hesitation, he speaks again, his tone carrying a harder edge.
"Our attack on Sophini's was a failure. Aravashnial and many of the halflings were killed, and I do not know what has become of Xander, Unafe, or Valais. Isilme flew out here with a dragon chasing after her, but I do not know whether she managed to get away." Ehren shakes his head, the harsh reality of the situation still sinking in. "I... do not think there is anything more we can do here. We should find somewhere we can lie low, or get out of the city while we still can."
Hinagiku had been watching the crowd rushing through the side-street for a while now, ready to intervene if anyone were to fall, or ready to follow the guards if they ever seemed in danger. Within this chaos, a bird perching on her shoulder was the last thing she expected. Unsure whether it was simply an animal or a friend or a foe in disguise, Hinagiku slowly locks gaze with it. Her focused yet serene features give way to a gentle smile as soon as she hears the redstart speak.
”Ehren-kun. I am glad too. Where are the others, shall we join them? ” Hinagiku begins before her boyfriend gives her the bad news. For a short moment, she remains silent, pondering whether they had considered it too dangerous to reach out to her before. ”Oh. What of Ary and Lann? Were they not with you?.... You know, when everything seems bleak, it is difficult to see light and only taking a step back can help. Do you know of anywhere to hide? I know of a place, but it is not the safest and not the closest…. Would some of your magic help me blend in with the crowd? It seems that Isilme and Valaria’s Lady Luck has looked over me so far, but I doubt it will last much longer. ”
"Ary and Lann are still in the Pure Legion's custody, I assume. We broke into the barracks while Ary was being interrogated and managed to reclaim some of our belongings, as well as Faith and Radiance." Ehren pauses, wondering for a moment if they should have taken the risk and broken the others out of prison. Perhaps then...
"It is rather difficult to see light, right now," Ehren admits, lowering his head. "It has been getting smaller and smaller since our hideout was discovered. I thought we could succeed in spite of everything, but..."
Shaking his head, he sets aside his regrets for the time being and focuses on Hinagiku's more forward-thinking questions. At the very least, the two of them were still alive and free. All they have to do now is keep it that way. Ehren reflects on the original escape plan, wondering how they might adapt it to fit their current situation.
"I have another sylvan hideaway south of the city, by the river. It's where Isilme and I spent last night, so I can only hope that it has gone undiscovered. It should still be there, but if not, I can create a new one. Other than that, I do not have much magic left. I can make the two of us more difficult to track, but that will not help much with getting through the city. The best way to get out would be through the sewers, but we would have to find an alternate route, away from the chaos we started down there."
Though Hinagiku’s smile weakens as Ehren describes their situation in more details, it still remains. Gentle, kind, serene.
”Ehren-kun, we might still. Perhaps Mr. Xander took away Mr. Aravashnial and the others. And if so, you know that souls can always come back if they wish.” she says while giving a comforting patting to the small bird’s side.
”I have had lots of time to think about escaping the city in the last day. Even alone I could do it, but I think we could make it even more easily together. We simply go into the river. I can hold my breath and you can become a sea animal.”
”The river is not far, help me setting this disguise and we can be out shortly and take refuge in the hideaway. But, we might need to be careful, maybe it has been discovered...”
With that said, Hinagiku unbundles her shroud and attempts to drape herself with in the the most inconspicuous manner.
”How does this look?”
Ehren and Hinagiku decide to head back for the hideaway by swimming in the river.
"Okay, let's do it," he agrees, nodding slowly. He watches as Hinagiku makes small changes to her clothing, but given the limited materials she has on hand, she can only do so much. Looking up at the clothesline he landed on before, Ehren flies up and snatches a colorful shawl that is hanging from it. He heads back to Hinagiku and drops it over her shoulders, adding some more contrast to her dress. He looks at her sheepishly, knowing she wouldn't approve of the blatant act of theft. "Hm. Well, it's a short walk to the river. Let's just hope that the Legion doesn't see you."
Once Hinagiku is ready to go, Ehren nestles into the back of her hood, under her hair.
Hinagiku heads out into the crowd. Walking in the same direction as them, it is easy for her to just blend in and not be noticed, and the Pure Legion are too distracted by the recent events to give her much notice.
Hinagiku heads out to the riverbank, and sits along a dock, her feet dangling over the water. At a moment she supposes no one is looking, she drops down into the water. Ehren follows her, and assumes the shape of a water elemental. He grabs hold of her wrist, and helps guide her down along the river.
The river is wide and deep, and while it is full of ship traffic above, none of that can see too far below the greenish waters. So Ehren and Hinagiku safely escape the city, and then climb out onto the banks some distance outside of it and to the south. They enter the sylvan hideaway, and find that it is empty.
Hinagiku did indeed disagree with Ehren's action, but does not let it show. Instead, she tries to memorise the area so that, if time permits, she can return the scarf one day. And with that, she mixes in with the crown and heads for the river.
With a small gesture, he illuminates a central spot on the ceiling with a light spell, providing some illumination. While he is at it, he pours more of his magic into the hideaway itself, ensuring that it will persist for another day or so.
Letting out a great sigh, he lets his shoulders sag, his weariness catching up to him. The day is still far from over, yet it feels like an eternity has passed. With so much of his power used during the rescue attempt, he has nothing left to get the two of them any farther away from the city.
"Here, let me take a look at your wound," Ehren says to Hinagiku, gesturing to one of the pieces of earthen furniture in the room. He sifts through his pouch, retrieving his magical satchel of healing supplies. As he works, he ponders their next move. "I don't think we have much of a choice but to spend the rest of the day and night here. Once I regain my spells, I can probably fly us back to the Gardens in Manaket. We can return to Drezen from there."
Isilme leads the three scared little halflings out of the sewers. They can't move very fast, so it takes a couple of hours for them to get out of the city through the sewers. She helps them slowly squeeze through the sewer grates at the exit, and then they hide inside of the sylvan hideaway.
Upon entering, they immediately find Ehren and Hinagiku resting inside.
Isilme rushes forward upon finding the two inside the Sylvan Hideaway and gives them both a hug. "Ehren! Hinagiku! I hadn't expected to see you here! How did you find each other and escape the city?" she asks, clearly curious about how they'd made it here first.
"These are Clovis, Hildegarde and Cassandra. I managed to find them after the mess trying to get everyone out," she says, introducing the three halflings. She takes a moment to clean everyone up with prestidigitation as she does, followed by a quick freshening of the air in the hideaway to get rid of the odors of the sewer system. When she finishes the adrenaline from her battle from the dragon and the their tense escape from the city finally wears off, and she collapses to the ground. She digs out what little food she has left from the previous day, slightly stale bread and some leftover cheese and hands it to their three guests. "I will be able to provide us with better food tomorrow, but for now we are safe here. Eat up and rest for a while."
"Isilme!" Ehren stands suddenly but does not move from the spot right away, barely able to believe what he is seeing. Swept up in her hug, he clutches her tightly and lets out a laugh. "I thought for sure that you'd been..." He stops suddenly, reminding himself that he needs to focus on the present.
"It's good to see you," he says as they separate. "I tried to find you and the dragon, but you were gone by the time I got to the surface. The whole display caused quite the stir, but luckily, I managed to find Hinagiku in the midst of it. We were close to the water's edge, so I swam us downriver, back here."
Ehren smiles tiredly at the halflings as they are introduced, glad to see that at least some of them escaped the carnage. He looks back to Isilme, his expression uncertain. "How about the others? Did they manage to make it out?"
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"I was pretty sure I was going to also," she responds with a half-laugh. "I don't think I've ever had a dragon fly through me before, and if I can help it, I never will again. But my Lady Starsong saw fit for me to live another day."
"Well, if the disturbance was enough for you to find each other and escape, that's just icing on the cake. Coming here through the river was clever, and certainly had to have been more pleasant than another two hours in the sewers. As for me, I immediately went invisible after the fight and went to find the three, and thankfully caught them in the sewers before they got too far."
Isilme sighs when Ehren asks about who had gotten out. She hadn't really had time to think since the incident, but now that she had a moment to pause and think about it, she couldn't believe Xander had simply refused to cast the scroll. Nearly a dozen more of the slaves could have escaped if he had just swallowed his pride for once and listened.
"Well," she begins when she remembers why she'd begun thinking about it again. "Remember the scrolls we'd purchased when we were going to visit the Demetae valley with Unafe? I'd remembered I still had those and pulled them out when we teleported out of the room to rejoin the others."
"I gave one each to Gerrard and Xander, hoping we could get the majority of the people out in one go. Gerrard immediately used his and escaped with 10 of those we rescued along with Mikhail, which was a huge relief..." She pauses and looks at Clovis, Hildebrande and Cassandra, wondering if there was anything she could have done to save more of them. Perhaps she should simply have cast the second scroll on her own. She shakes her head, abandoning the train of thought. There was no way she could have abandoned her charges, and Xander would have left them alone to die if he'd been given half a chance.
"Xander... I asked him to go immediately with Valais, Unafe and as many has he could take, but he refused. I tried to argue with him..." She shakes her head in dismay again. "The dragon burst out of the wall moments later and killed nearly everyone we were rescuing, and knocked out Xander, causing him to drop the remaining scroll and ruin it. These three somehow avoided the brunt of the blast and took off running. Unafe and Valais managed to heal Xander enough to get him up and they were able to teleport away, to Westcrown I assume. I am glad Valais and Unafe made it out, I was sure they were dead for a minute. But Xander... He cost so many innocent lives... I'm not sure if I'll ever forgive him for that. Butting heads with him on things here and there is one thing, but when I needed him most he refused to listen." She sits there in silence for a while, not really sure what else to say.
"But anyway, I was thinking perhaps we could try to leave in the evening tomorrow after sundown. I imagine we all need rest, and it will be easier to escape notice that way. It would be ideal if we had some way to carry us though. I don't think it's fair to expect our friends here to ride on your back for a couple dozen hours like we normally do. Do you have any ideas?"
Xander shakes his head at Unafe's question. "No, I don't know that spell," he says in response. "I can learn it if I need to, but I think our time might be better spent trying to arrange a resurrection ourselves."
Looking at Aravashnial's limp body held pathetically under Unafe's arm, he considers the image the two of them presented -- Unafe with her saurian spirits and corpse, Xander using illusions to appear completely normal and unassuming. "I am badly hurt... though I might be able to limp through the rest of the day with a couple more spoonfuls of that honey."
"But I think we'll need to do something about him anyway. Something more permanent than an anti-bad-smell spell, at least. We can't just be carrying around a body for however long it takes anyone to find us."
Ehren goes quiet as Isilme recounts the details behind what happened in the sewer. It only took the mere, precious seconds that he had been separated from the group for everything to go wrong. And the way she spoke about Xander seemed rather unlike him. While he is certainly arrogant and proud, through all the battles they have been through together, he has never put his ego above the completion of the mission. At least, not in a manner that guaranteed catastrophic failure. Still, Ehren decides against offering any potential explanations, not wanting to dismiss Isilme's feelings. Instead, he focuses on his own perspective.
"You asked a great deal of us, Isilme," Ehren starts somberly, sitting back on one of the earthen beds in the room. "Had it been just you and me, our mission would have been utterly impossible. But I saw that look on your face. You would have wanted us to try anyway, even knowing that we would fail. I would have helped you, and I would have left you to die." The druid gives the bard a pained look, recalling the helplessness he felt just hours before. "I did leave you to die, back there. I thought I was the only one left. Not to discredit your ingenuity, but that you're standing here alive right now is a miracle."
"We got away with much more than we ought to have. Before we escaped, I saw more of what they had, down there. I do not want to make light of those we lost, but it could have been worse. A lot worse." He turns to Hinagiku, smiling instinctually when his eyes meet hers. It fades just as quickly, however, bringing another thought to mind. "I am sorry about Aravashnial. We should have gotten him out sooner, before the dragon struck." He hesitates for a moment, remembering what Xander said about the etheric dragon, before asking, "I don't suppose his body is still down there, is it?"
Averting his gaze, he looks to the halflings as they eat. He watches them quietly for a few moments before addressing the escape plan. "I can conjure up a few web shelters to transport them in, though that would not be much more comfortable than carrying them on my back. If we can get them in good enough shape before we go, they might be able to hold on." With a wry tone, he adds, "Perhaps I should get a saddle for myself after all."
On their way out, Hinagiku cannot help but ponder the usefulness of Azir’s mighty walls when people could simply swim their way in and out of the city. Of course, Ehren and her could keep their breath longer than most, but still.
Once at the hideaway, Hinagiku disrobes from her stolen clothes, leaving them to dry and keeping only her undergarments, and lets Ehren look at her scar. Although, she knew the doctor had done a good job, and unless the druid used magic, it was unlikely to go away. But she would not dissuade stop him, the act was probably helping him unwind.
”Fleeing seems wise, but it does not feel right to leave Ary and Lann behind. They might need us. I do not mean that we need to break them out of jail. Since they have not done anything, maybe they will be freed. But, truth is, I really do not understand this country. I do not know how our actions will affect them. I… I am even considering returning to the legion if it will help them. But, as long as we know nothing of their justice, it would just be unwise. Do you think Mr. Xander’s friend in Manaket could help us better understand all of this?“
During the time they have with each other, Hinagiku does not talk about her own adventure, but she does ask Ehren about his day.
Hinagiku, still in underwears, returns Isilme’s hug with a gentle pat on her back, simply making her companion’s exuberance feel as welcome as possible. When they separate, she smiles gently and nods. She was relieved, but perhaps her propensity not to assume what is and accept what is made the reunion less emotional. Still, she does only use a few sentences to introduce herself to the halflings before attentively listening to Isilme for news about Xander, Unafe, and Valais.
Hinagiku’s expression somehow darkens at Isilme’s description of the events, and the monk lays a comforting hand on her should when she describes her anger at Xander. The wizard had been reckless in the past, but Hinagiku wondered what could have happened there. Why would he have waited?
Hinagiku uses her other hand to comfort her Ehren-kun when he mentions leaving Isilme to die. It seemed that the situation was beyond fighting and dying. Her companions had suffered a traumatic experienced, acting in ways in which they had never wanted to or having their expectations betrayed. Gently, she sits next to Isilme, pulls Ehren down to her side and hugs them in silence. There was not much she could do to assuage their turmoils right now, but kindness and tenderness would never be wasted.
At the mention of a saddle, Hinagiku smiles.
”Yes, we do need to help them leave this place… but I am not sure we all should. We know so little of here, of what is happening and what will happen. We were unprepared when we arrived, but we do not need to be when we leave. I do not mean only about the adepts and the legion, but of Ary and Lann. I am not sure we can do anything to help them… but we need to know before we leave, or we might give up our chances to free them, and maybe even impede the adepts more. Mrs. Isilme, do you think your magic might help us learn more about these things, maybe Desna sees paths that we cannot, no?”
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"I do not want to leave them behind, either," Ehren agrees as he works, while sifting through the collection of magically replenishing herbs in his satchel. "Nor do I understand the laws of this country. But I doubt that they will be released without some kind of intervention. They might well be considered guilty just by their association with us." He frowns, feeling at least partly responsible for Lann's imprisonment. "I think their best chance is if we inform the Crusades."
When Hinagiku suggests turning herself in again, Ehren shakes his head vehemently. His bias is rather transparent. "Absolutely not. I... don't know much about their 'justice,' but I doubt that it is fair. Maybe your escape made things harder for Ary and Lann, but we have no way of knowing how long you might have been trapped in there." Of course, by now he realizes now that these are questions they should have thought of before entering Rahadoum, or at least before leaving Manaket. "I don't know if Obo can help us at this point. We've probably caused him a great deal of trouble, with everything that has happened here. Also... I don't want us to be separated again. I can't return to Drezen on my own. I won't."
Despite his initial reaction when they were first reunited, Ehren is surprised to find that the wound has already been treated, rather competently, all things considered. While magic would it close it up faster, it would heal just as well all on its own. He applies a poultice of antiseptic herbs, but leaves it at that. His eyes briefly linger on Hinagiku's other wound, the one that she has had for as long as she can remember.
Ehren recounts his day, but starts even before that, from the moment the two of them first separated. His night spent in the barn, his encounter with Isilme and Jahani at the bathhouse, their daring break-in at the Pure Legion barracks... Had things gone right in the end, it would have all made for quite the entertaining story. Noticing that he has fallen into his bad habit of unloading all of his problems onto Hinagiku, he asks about her day as well, curious about how she managed to get away from the Legion.
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"I... would agree that they would bend over backwards for me, especially if I were accused of and imprisoned for crimes they believed me to be innocent of... but perhaps they shouldn't. I'm just one person, and all of the resources in the hands of the Crusades could help so many others. If it came down to funding one of Kari's or Annabelle's projects, or me being freed... I know what I would choose. Without hesitation. Drezen has to keep prospering, we have to keep making a place for the downtrodden to make their home, keep uplifting those that the demons have crushed for so long. We can't win the war if we don't give the enemy soldiers a choice. We'll just be marred in a completely new one."
"This whole situation has made me realize things, or perhaps more accurately, make connections that I should have made long ago."
"But I think we'll need to do something about him anyway. Something more permanent than an anti-bad-smell spell, at least. We can't just be carrying around a body for however long it takes anyone to find us."
"Well, I know where a temple to Iomedae is. I could lead us there first, if you'd like, instead of back to Veronica's Bed and Breakfast? Maybe there's a priest there who would at least preserve Aravashnial, and might tend to your wounds as well, out of sympathy with the Crusade? Then, hopefully...well...I guess I have to believe that the Archdruid survived, right? Even if Isilme perished. Hopefully he could give Aravashnial a new birth in a new body."
"I knew our task was difficult and unlikely to succeed when it was just us, and it is certainly possible if the two of us had gone alone that I would have died. However I could not turn my back on my Lady Starsong. She is the reason I even have any power left with which to help you all. If she had not imbued Cygnus with a measure of divine spark, I would be nothing more than a moderately powerful priestess of the Song of Spheres today. Who would I be then, if at the first sign of adversity I turned and fled because it was too hard or dangerous?" Isilme shakes her head, considering the alternative. "I did what was asked of me, and I asked you all to aid me in that. I do not expect perfection from my friends, to do so would be grossly unfair. I do however expect my friends to listen when I plead with them to do something. I pled with Xander to use the scroll then and there, he refused. He instead suggested we walk to the river... to the RIVER! Nearly an hour away! To suggest that when he knew the Dragon was merely moments away from us--the same dragon he warned us about and yelled for me to get them out immediately because of the danger--is the height of insanity, or maybe pride, or perhaps omething else. I don't know what was going through his head, but whatever it was cost the lives of 9 innocent people."
She grows quiet for a bit at the mention of Aravashnial, it hurt her greatly that she'd failed him after all he had suffered, but at least he had a chance now, instead of just non-existence. "I believe Unafe had Aravashnial's body, so hopefully they will care for it until we can get him returned to life.
[b]"I am not certain it would be wise to push our luck in any respects, but I do have scroll that could give us insight into one of those questions, but unfortunately not both," Isilme replies when Hinagiku asks about what they might be able to do about the current situation. "I must say that I am most certainly wanted dead or alive at this point, as is Ehren probably. They will be looking to place blame for the situation near Sophini's with the dragon, and it is very likely that blame will fall on us, not the Adepts."
"I wish we could do something about Lann and Ary at this moment, but I am not sure anything short of Xander or myself turning ourselves in would be sufficient to merit their release. If it needs to happen, then I will seriously consider it, but not before we have met up with Gerrard and Jahani in Thuvia. There we can arrange for safe passage for everyone, and it will give us time to determine what Azir will demand for Ary's release. I do have enough magic though, a single scroll, to answer one of those questions if it would help you feel we have done all we can before departing."
When Ehren suggests riding might still be preferable, Isilme looks at the halflings and then back at Ehren. "I believe if made as large as possible and held correctly, it would be possible to travel in a single shelter, and it would make me feel quite a bit safer. It is one thing for us to risk traveling without a saddle or something to that effect, but it is different for others. We're nearly a day of nonstop travel from Thuvia , if I had to guess. Having an enclosed space would mean they could sleep and eat as needed in relative safety."
Ehren does not interrupt Isilme's tirade, knowing how frustrated she must be to have lost so many of her halfling charges. In hindsight, there were dozens of things they could have done to better ensure their safety before engaging the Blackfyre Adepts. It was unfortunate then, that an error in judgment had resulted in so much unnecessary death.
Sitting next to Hinagiku, he works an arm around her waist and holds her close. He closes his eyes, well aware of how much Aravashnial meant to Isilme. Death did not have to be the end, but its lack of permanence did not make it any less painful. Ehren knows that all too well. "We will bring him back. I will do it myself if I have to."
Ehren frowns at the thought of having to trade Isilme and Xander for Ary and Lann. Much like Hinagiku, Isilme sounded willing to make that sacrifice. Hopefully, it would not come to that.
"To Thuvia?" Ehren asks, having originally intended to fly everyone to Manaket. By walking the ley at the Gardens, he could get them out of Rahadoum in an instant, long before anyone could intervene. When Isilme explains her reasoning, however, he nods. "Alright, we will do it your way. I do hope Jahani managed to make it out of the city."
Hinagiku silently listens to the others. Nodding as Ehren mentions bringing back Aravashnial, she cannot help but wonder whether his soul would be willing to come back; the elf had, after all, lived a long full life already. But, this was not the time for such sad topics to be brought up.
”Thuvia?” Hinagiku says, echoing Ehren. ”You know this land better than me, but if you judge it to be safer, and if it is where Clovis, Hildegarde, and Cassandra want to go, then I will follow you there.” as she mentions the halflings, Hinagiku turns towards them, her gaze making it clear the last comment is a question directed at them.
” And, if it is at most two days away from this city, we can easily come back to help Ary and Lann if they need it.”
”I do wonder whether we have done everything we could here in Azir… it is a question no single mortal can truly answer, about anything really. But, these things are clearer to the gods, and accepting guidance when in the dark is the best way to find a light that will guide one’s path.”
"Thuvia is the nearest country which does not practice slavery, and where Gerrard, Mikael and the other survivors are headed. They will likely be there later today, and will need our help. They have no food or gold with which to purchase supplies, as there was no time to give them such things. Once we've reunited we can figure out where we go from there." They could only deal with one problem at a time, and for now her highest priority was ensuring that she didn't consign those who fled to death because no one was there to help them.
"I have a scroll that might help," Isilme says, digging out the scroll of divination she had, "if you are concerned that there are things that remain to be done here." She could understand how Hinagiku was concerned about leaving Ary and Lann behind, so perhaps the divination would put her mind at ease.
Isilme takes the time to dig out the scroll, which itself was lined with gold thread acting as the offering for the spell, and with which the response would materialize. "Song of spheres, guide my steps in this difficult time. Will our departure for Thuvia tomorrow endanger any of those we care about or who are depending upon us?"
Xander nods at all of Unafe's questions. "Yes, I think we should go to the temple first."
"We will contact Ehren tomorrow, to see what his status is. If he lives, we can wait for him." He considers the corpse again. "Perhaps the temple has some sort of mausoleum where we can store this body. I don't like the visuals of carrying it around for as long as we're here."
He gestures forward. "Well, then. Lead on."
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Unafe nods, and reajusts their route to head toward the Rego Sacreo and the temple of Iomedae.
She leans in to whisper, "By the way, you may recall, the spirits warned me of wanted posters on the docks when I was here last. At the time they were for two gnomish terrorists, and Azir was offering large amounts of money for leads on their whereabouts. By now, I wouldn't be surprised if they're for Isilme, you, and me.
"I don't think they've seen Potts...but I'm not terribly disguisable." Unafe gestures toward her spirit entourage. "Given that, I suspect we should aim to get out of here as quickly as possible...and until then, I should lay low and stay on alert...as should anyone staying with me. Perhaps the Iomedaens might be able to offer us refuge while we're here? Or, failing that, tell us of an Inn that doesn't use slave labor, if such a thing exists in this devil-ridden nation."
Xander wrinkles his nose twists his mouth, and shakes his head. "By now? We were on the other side of an ocean just today, for only one day. And besides, I sincerely doubt that the Adepts are going to stick around to give descriptions of the slave-stealing criminals to the authorities."
"I do think you should lay low, though I think we should be careful about who we ask for refuge from the law. Good temple or not, the Iomedaens here are still subject to Chelaxian law."
Unafe shrugs. "I'm not thinking of the attack on Sophini's, but of your attack on the guards, and of my aiding in your escape. Hopefully you're right, but unless I misunderstand how close we are, they likley have boats that cross over here several times a day.
"Either way, it's fair that the Iomedaens might not be able to offer refuge."
'Two Crusaders in a Tower,
'Live safe from demon, devil, and foe,'
'Obvert your gaze then, for within the Rift,'
'When will their foes; demons and devils, come to know?'
'That they too live safe from their own combined power.'
Isilme, Hinagiku, Ehren, Clovis, Hildebrande, and Cassandra, all rest for one night in the safety of the Archdruid's hideaway. Though their enemies sought to watch their movements from afar, there was not much one could discern about their whereabouts based on attempts to scry on them.
The next day, they embark on a journey that spans multiple days to cross the harsh Rahadoumi desert. Blessed with divine magic as they are, they are able to easily provide food and nourishment for their small group. And blessed with flight, they are impossible to track.
The border between Thuvia and Rahadoum is well-guarded and patrolled on land, but not by air. So they can simply fly across the border, aided by spells of invisibility, with impunity.
By then, Isilme was able to coordinate with Jahani, who was able to recommend that she lay low with a friend of hers in Merab. Jahani herself was still disguised amongst a caravan headed out of Rahadoum, and it would be at least a week before they could rendezvous (assuming that was something Isilme even wanted). En transit to Thuvia, however, Ehren was able to follow the flow of the ley to an enormous oasis a hundred miles outside of Merab. They ley was concentrated enough here that he could take them all back to Mendev nigh instantly.
A small wrinkle to this plan was that the oasis was guarded by a group of bandits, but they were truly caught by surprise at the sheer magical power Isilme, Ehren, and Hinagiku had split between them. A short scuffle and they had managed to get close enough to simply teleport away.
Isilme is now Mythic Tier 4.
Once Isilme, Ehren, and Hinagiku were back in Drezen, they were able to help assist Xander and Unafe with returning to Drezen by way of the ley. The two were able to make use of their time capitalizing on the resources at Boccanegra, as well as by getting to know the local Iomedaens in Westcrown. Xander came decorated with a medal that indicated his knighthood, so while he tended to rub them the wrong way in his speech and mannerisms, they were respectful towards him due to his rank. The Iomedaens were able to help preserve Aravashnial's body, and also helped provided a cover-story for him to protect him from being confiscated by the Hellknights (unaccounted for dead bodies were considered fair game for state-sanctioned necromancy).
Some research back in Drezen helped Ehren narrow down the regions of Cheliax... and it became fairly obvious to him that the Anferita Forest would be an ideal target to try and port to. The Anferita was the home-grove of the current Grand Druid of the Green Faith, an elderly human named Tregellus Aranega.
Ehren had to debate whether or not it was worth intruding upon his home, but all that Ehren had heard of the man based on what his father could tell of him was that he was kindly (if curmudgeonly). In the end, both times he passes by there is no sign of the Grand Druid (not that the elder hierophant couldn't have made himself nigh impossible to detect, had he wanted to). Ehren can't help but feel that he is being watched while he is in the forest, though that could have just been paranoia all the same.
The heroes are therefore mostly returned to Drezen by the time the Mendevian ambassador from Cheliax is able to make port in Azir and determine exactly how bad Ary and Lann's situation really was. He arrives with a sharply-dressed Chelish barrister named Livinia who was well-versed in both Chelish and Rahadoumi law, having practiced in Khari for the better part of a decade.
Livinia erupted into Ary's cell while she was in the middle of a talk with Jamal. Jamal had already kept Ary abreast of the most recent developments in Azir - the terrorist attack on Sophini's, the fact that an eyewitness on site (an employee named Zohra) had described the attackers as being accompanied by an "enormous dinosaur-woman" and a hobgoblin. Ary was familiar with the described tactic - fighting within a fog cloud by utilizing ashen path on their allies, as well.
She wasn't familiar with their claim that they had also arrived with an enormous green dragon, that then proceeded to terrorize an apartment of Rahadoumi citizens, however, so the whole situation was still highly confusing.
Jamal was in the process of trying to extract more of what Ary knew about Isilme and Xander when Livinia arrived, who promptly put an end to the discussion. While non-citizens did not have the right to an attorney, she argued, Ary was a visiting head-of-nation, and therefore did due to legally established precedent. And therefore, she didn't have to tell the Pure Legion anything without a lawyer being present.
Ary could tell that Jamal probably knew about all of this before Livinia brought it up, based on the sour expression on his face when he finally yields to allowing them privacy in Ary's cell. Livinia is quick and to the point. She tells Ary that her situation is incredibly dire. There was consistent and damning evidence that pointed to both Isilme and Xander being active members, or at least allies of, a Desnan terrorist cell that was actively raiding and terrorizing Rahadoumi slavers. Two Rahadoumi citizens had died at Sophini's, and their entire slave stock had been destroyed or stolen. Since Ary had already confessed to being their superior officer, this meant that without them coming forth to stand trial, she would have to stand trial herself. And the sum total of their crimes would be sufficient to land her, or themselves, for life in Rahadoumi prison.
Just a day later Irabeth asks to gather the remaining heroes who were involved in the debacle in Azir. She informs them, "The Crusader-Queen is moving forwards with arresting both Isilme and Xander so that they can be shipped to Rahadoum to stand trial in exchange for Ary's immediate release." It is clear to all who are standing there in the Citadel how conflicted Irabeth was about this command. She had always been a model soldier, but she had never been asked to arrest those she considered her friends. "And so, that means, I am under direct orders to arrest you both."
Whatever the heroes decided to do about this turn of events, it was clear that their group would never be the same again.
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"Slave stock... destroyed? You mean killed, right?" Ary says, leaning back in her seat. As the days had gone by, she'd become more comfortable in Azir, despite everything, and had returned to trusting in her allies... well, most of them.
"Just to be clear..." Ary says hesitantly to Jamal, "Sophini's has been attacked twice by 'terrorists' in a month, and both times they were completely innocent of any wrongdoing?" she says, lofting a brow, slightly. "I do not for a moment believe that they're innocent of any wrong-doing if my allies were involved in attacking there, and for that matter... the only dragons we know are dead. I... highly suggest that if my friends were involved there that you place the location under heavy surveillance. Better if you don't tell them, and as a bonus, it's for their own good. They've been attacked pretty frequently, lately."
* * *
"Just to be clear, and thank you for being here, Livinia... if it comes down to me staying here, or Isilme winding up in prison... I choose me. Isilme wasn't built for being locked down, and she's already gone through a similarly traumatic experience once. If you want to advocate for me, make sure that the Crusades know that I don't intend to trade lives and that I will not surrender those under my command."
"At the end of the day, I can be me no matter where I am. A Desnan needs to be free."
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Ehren’s story would indeed have made for an entertaining story, if only it had not end in such a nightmare. As the druid’s mood becomes gloomier, Hinagiku reaches out for his hand which she squeezes.
When asked about her own day, Hinagiku reflects that her own time had been an adventure, one that might even be considered funny at points. And so, she retells it, thinking it might lighten ever so slightly her Ehren-kun’s mood.
”My day was the strangest. So much trickery, it was difficult, but I guess I did learn a lot. I was meditating under the stars when the legion arrived. When with Isilme, I pretended I was mute,so I kept it up when they arrived. They saw your hideaway, so I tried to explain, with motions, that there might be dangers within… ” she begins, her ability to tell coherent stories as lacking as always. ”I was mimicking saurian jaws when Mrs. Unafe came out in her huge form and took me away in her mouth. She really can jump far. But the legion found us. And that’s when Mr. Xander used his spell, we had met up with him, Mrs. Valais and Ary a bit before. It was a fireball. Ary and I chose to protect the legionnaires, and let ourselves be arrested. It was not so bad in their jail. They stitched my wound. Anyway, I could not stay there while Mr. Aravashnial was in danger, so I decided to enter a deep meditation. I thought they would leave me in the infirmary for the night, and maybe I could rejoin you. But then I awoke in a house of healing… I think. They must have thought I was dead, because I was stripped of most of my clothes and only had this shawl to cover me. ” Hinagiku points at the shawl she had stretched out to dry. ”I had to leave subtly… but I got spotted… and then I had to explain myself. I don’t know how Mrs. Valaria and Mrs. Isilme do it… but the nurses there first thought I was a prostitute coming to visit the sick at night, how strange. Then, they thought I was an escaped patient. So, I had to run away. I made it in the night. Met a really nice lady who was smoking strange smelling herbs. But, I had to go hide in the abandoned part of the city. That is because I tried to go to the brothel, but I was spotted by a guard there… and then I went to Sophini’s, after Mr. Xander’s spell, and that’s when we met, just after I had to run away from some of the legionnaires who spotted me… but the crowd made it easy to hide from them.” Hinagiku smiles gently to Ehren. ”Really the strangest day, and luck was a lot on my side, things could have been much worse. So, maybe Lady luck was with Mr.s Isilme, Mrs. Unage, Mrs. Valais, and Mr. Xander...”
The trip through Thuvia may not have been the most joyous, but could have been much worse. Knowing that Ary was safe from her foes and having received a message from Xander earlier did much to assuage her concerns and to somewhat lighten the mood of the voyage.
Once they cross over to Thuvia, Hinagiku takes advantage of one of their stops close to a small village to go and give away her stolen clothes. If they could not make their way hope, at least they would dress someone in need. And, of course, she uses some of the group’s gold to buy herself clothes for the way back home. The set she choses is purposefully bland as she would most likely find something more suitable to the Mendevian weather when they returned to Drezen.
Once she is back in Drezen, Hinagiku does not stay idle. So many issues from their last trip had been caused by ignorance that she thought it best to learn more about Rahadoum. With Ary and Lann still imprisoned, it seemed likely that they were not done with the atheist country. Remembering a conversation with Isilme, she searches for Kathon to whom she asks direction to anyone in Drezen who might know of Rahadoum, or if impossible, asks Kathon as much about law of that place as possible.
Ehren was in a glum mood for much of the flight to Thuvia, kept from the brink of despair only by Hinagiku’s presence and Isilme’s almost miraculous survival. He took some comfort in knowing that they were taking three more halflings to a life of freedom, but the memory of those less fortunate was still fresh in his mind. It was a virtuous mission, but deep down, he could not help but wonder whether it had all been worth it. Ary and Lann remained in the Pure Legion’s custody, Aravashnial was dead, and Najat remained in the Blackfyre Adepts’ clutches. Despite his girlfriend’s platitudes about seeing the light in a dark situation, he had a feeling that things were only going to get darker.
Their discovery of the ley node came as much of a relief, sparing them from the tremendous amount of time and effort. Fighting their way into the oasis had not been much of a problem; by then, Ehren had recovered much of his magical power. In a flash, they were able to return to Drezen, exactly where they had left just over a week ago. The familiarity of his homeland brought a smile to Ehren’s face, but he did not waste any time dwelling on creature comforts. They still had to bring the rest of their friends back home.
Under other circumstances, Ehren would have been excited by the possibility of meeting the Grand Druid himself, in the heart of his own demesne. In those cases, he might have exercised more caution in how he approached the elder druid’s forest. In this instance, for the most part, he just wanted to pick up his companions and be done with it. He was more than happy to avoid an awkward meeting with Aranega, especially since he was trespassing, though he could not shake the feeling that the Grand Druid was well aware of his presence. In time, perhaps, the two of them could meet for real.
Upon returning to Drezen again, Ehren immediately prepared to reincarnate Aravashnial; he recalled that Isilme once mentioned that the wizard was rather old, even for an elf. If he so desired it, Ehren would grant him a new lease on life. That was the very least he could do for him.
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Prior to the day Xander and Isilme learned the news of the warrants of their arrest, Ary was trying to communicate to her lawyer that she did not want anyone traded for her. Unfortunately for Ary, her lawyer considered the Queen her client, more so than the captive Bishop, so it took a long time for her interests to be fairly communicated to anyone outside of that room. Livinia was sent to try and extract Ary from Rahadoum, and she tries her best to persuade the young Sword-Knight from playing martyr. In the meantime, Ary learns that there was no reason to station guards at Sophini's, as the business owner has chosen to vacate the property and move to Katapesh. The building was now for sale.
Once Ehren brings Xander, Unafe, and Valais back to Drezen, he is able to attend to reincarnating Aravashnial. He returns in the form of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed dwarf, much to his consternation. He struggles with moving around in his new body, and constantly complains about the state of his own beard, but overall is overjoyed to be reunited with Isilme. He is simultaneously heart-broken by the news that his friend, Najat Akoujan, did not make it out of Azir with the others, and hopes to speak to Gerrard and Mikael about holding a service in her honor.
While in Drezen, Hinagiku seeks out Lt. Kathon, a Thuvian half-orc, to ask her opinion of the latest developments in Rahadoum. Kathon seems gravely concerned at the news of what has happened to Lord-Commander Ary Bishop. She does not have much positive to say about the Pure Legion, "Though their so-called 'Council of Elders', are who really cause the problems in Rahadoum," she explains. "I don't know if she stands much of a chance of escaping the Pure Legion, though, not if she's condemned as a terrorist. Do you think the Queen will send troops to try to break her out?" she asks, hopefully.
Now, in the present, upon hearing the news of their impending arrest, Xander reacted swiftly and without much thought. He immediately teleports out of the room, and then uses illusions to evade the Crusaders that sent after him. In the coming days, Xander loses his membership with Pathfinder Society as Rahadoum comes to learn that one of their members was evading arrest for terrorist attacks on Azir. Valais was named Venture-Captain of the Lodge and just a few months afterwards founded a new Pathfinder faction - the Radiant Oath faction, a faction of Pathfinders intended to first, do good and to always aid others. Xander's former school was absorbed into Ary's, which itself was also merged with the former Riftwarden school.
As for Xander himself, he found himself a home inside the Worldwound, carved out of a remote ruin in the Western reaches of the wound. After laying low for awhile, Ehren reached out to him and traveled out to meet him to perform the reincarnation ritual once more. This time, Xander was transformed into the form of a Grippli. In this form, he seeks re-employment at what remains of his own school, mostly so that he can reconnect with his burgeoning cultists. At the same time, he cultivates another cult far away in Cheliax, as he serves teaching classes in far-off Westcrown. He unfortunately learns, upon later review of his own Infernal Contract, that regardless of whether he serves his time at Boccanegra, he will ultimately be forced to sell his soul to Hell unless he sacrifices at least one sentient soul to Geryon per solstice. On one hand, between the Worldwound and Westcrown, he could probably find a steady stream of wicked souls to sacrifice in Geryon's name that wouldn't make anyone lose too much sleep over, and also allow him to end his contract in a few years without selling his soul. On the other hand, he could make it a long-term project of his to try and break the terms of his contract some other way - even if it meant seeking out the original documents in Hell itself and destroying them.
Isilme, in contrast, originally decides the best thing she could do is try to get Ary out of jail. She feels bad for dragging her along into such a dire situation so rashly and with so very little preparation. She submits to arrest and is transported to Nerosyan. By that time, however, Ary's protests had finally reached the ears of the Crusader-Queen. After much deliberation, Crusader-Queen Galfrey proclaimed that she would 'honor a sacrifice freely given', and released Isilme from her bonds. Isilme would learn from a debriefing by her superior, Ser Velthur Abranci, that he had learned from Ary's attorney, Livinia, of the scale and scope of information regarding the Crusades that she had shared with Aziri officials in Rahadoum. It represented a serious breach of information of the capabilities and powers of some of the Crusades' most powerful members and allies... and quite problematically, the spymaster of Drezen herself. Ser Abranci quietly asked for Isilme to retire from the Crusades, while allowing for him to maintain a lie that the spymaster of Drezen was still the shapeshifting half-orc bard. This would hopefully allow him to plant pre-emptive counter-intelligence in response to the breach.
This worked out well, because upon learning that Ary had shared the secret identities of Riftwardens with the Rahadoumi government, the Riftwardens also formally cut ties with the Crusades. Quednys, along with Fenna and many of the youths in his charge disappeared overnight, presumably to form a new secret enclave of Riftwardens. When forced to choose between the Riftwardens and Isilme, Aravashnial naturally chose Isilme. The two of them left for Thuvia to rendezvous with Jahani, Gerrard, Mikael, and the liberated halflings. Isilme and Aravashnial assumed new identities and relocated to Aspenthar, their new home and names known solely by Li'an, Unafe, Ehren, and Hinagiku. They spent the last few months assisting with getting the halflings situated in the city-state of Aspenthar, aiding them with finding employment and shelter and so on. Afterwards, Isilme would receive regular signs from her goddess, urging her to continue aiding with the fight against slavery in not just Rahadoum, but all countries bordering Thuvia. Aravashnial in the meantime assumed the identity of a simple dwarven tinkerer and scribe, allowing him to pull in sufficient income to support himself and Isilme in their new home in Thuvia. The odd-couple sometimes earned some strange glances in Thuvia but otherwise it was a peaceful place to live.
As for Ary Bishop, after a brief trial, Ary was found guilty and was kept in the same high-security facility that she had been in for the past few months. She is relieved to learn that Lann was released shortly after her trial and allowed to return peacefully back to Mendev. But without Lann, and now with the title of 'terrorist', Ary finds less friendly faces to talk to in Rahadoum. The following months would have driven Ary mad with loneliness and isolation, but the longer she spends away from Drezen, the more she hears prayers coming to her from the people she had left behind. Ary knew all of them by name and face, as she had always taken the time to get to know each and every one of her soldiers, no matter how many were assigned to her, but she also heard from plenty of common-folk too, artisans and farmers, and not a few of the tieflings whom Ary had helped find trades, homes, and steady jobs and incomes in Drezen. Some of those tieflings were now even starting to begin their own families. She was able to nudge here, and there, and soon, she found that more and more people had a strong enough connection to her that she could start nudging big favors, too. It was a great irony then, that Rahadoum had managed to imprison a nascent demi-god, but had failed to prevent her cult from forming hundreds of miles away.... and despite the distance, due to the great multitude of people in Drezen who spoke to her on a daily basis, Ary had a good idea of what was going on there even in her absence.
Back home in Drezen, Irabeth Tirablade was named Lord-Commander of Drezen, making Anevia 'Drezen's First Lady', as she would tell people with a wink and a grin. Anevia's cheeriness was cranked up even more than usual - an effort for her to try and sooth her daughter, Sana, who had taken Ary's imprisonment rather hard. Months passed, with Sana inconsolable in her room. Until one day, Sana emerged smiling, pointing to a single golden mote floating in her room. It had appeared for her, when she was fervently trying to speak to her hero. The mote lingered there for several days before finally vanishing once more.
Ary had answered, and it was un-mistakable to all in Drezen - she was a bonafide demi-goddess. As Ary's worship exploded in Drezen, so did the worship of Xander, though the worship of the grippli illusionist demigod was consigned to the shadows. Some details of Ary's arrest had leaked into the streets (courtesy of Valais' account's through Pathfinder Society), which depicted Xander as having clearly acted against Ary's orders, which helped lead to the events surrounding her arrest. Xander was openly condemned in the streets, forcing his cultists to operate in secret, lest they be ostracized. But just as the first of Ary's clerics started to emerge in Drezen, Xander found that the first of his own clerics were emerging in Drezen, as well as in Cheliax. One fiery cultist of Xander defaced a church of Iomedae with Abyssal text reading - 'XANDER DID NOTHING WRONG', which threw many cultists of Ary into a fury.
It was during these tumultuous times that Li'an quietly regained her bearings in Drezen. She again swore the Mendevian oath, formally rejoining the Crusades. Lord-Commander Irabeth personally took her aside in a courtyard with Anevia, Ehren, Unafe, Hinagiku and Lann onlooking to assess her capabilities and determine her new assignment.
In the end, Li'an's new capabilities proved to be so extraordinary, that Irabeth was not sure where to initially place her. So, at first, she is partnered up with Anevia, who takes her own scouting trips around the surrounds of Drezen to get her a little bit more familiar with the terrain. However, while out on a run, Anevia confides with Li'an that she would like to spend more time in Drezen closer to Sana than out on the field, so they would need to figure out a more permanent squadron assignment for her, as playing defense in Drezen would ultimately be a waste of her capabilities. So she is allowed to stay in Drezen for awhile, a time that Li'an spends sorting through a large inheritance of Isilme's former belongings in Drezen. She uses the proceeds from this to help get started with scribing an initial supply of scrolls. Anevia and Irabeth encourage Li'an to better get to know Ehren, who ends up assisting her with some other magical craftsmanship. Upon learning that she had learned some new crafting skills in Elysium, Irabeth is quick to suggest that Li'an be introduced to Joran and the Redemption Forge. Li'an isn't too fond of working with the Heavenly energies - something about it just rubbed her the wrong way to her core, like cotton bolls rubbing together, but she realizes that she too could use this power to purify corrupted talismans and the like.
Other than spending some time getting to know Li'an, Ehren is granted an opportunity to recover from his harrowing experience along with Hinagiku. They are essentially free to spend the next few months recuperating from Rahadoum however they choose, though Ehren's attention is eventually caught up by the druidic moot of the Winter Solstice. At that time, he comes to meet all of the new druidic initiates that his family had gathered from all around Avistan. As Archdruid, this was Ehren's opportunity to set ground-rules and expectations for the other Sarkorian druids, as well as a chance to share wisdom and information for all of them. Ehren is surprised to meet kellids who had traveled from as far as Gundrun and Numeria, eager to learn the Old Ways from the Winter Lord himself (a moniker that had started to appear around the time Ehren's hair turned silver).
Unafe is likewise grateful to return to her people, who were busy building a thriving settlement outside of Drezen's walls. The Demetae were fiercely independent, and were eager to live sustainably on their own without Crusader assistance. Likewise, due to her wreath of spirits, whenever Unafe herself chose to visit Drezen, most Mendevians would give her a wide berth rather than get to know her. Unfortunately, these things meant that Unafe rarely interacted with many Mendevians who lived in Drezen unless they specifically made a point of visiting them. Such an example of such a Mendevian was none other than Venture-Captain Valais, whom after their adventure together in Rahadoum, had come to consider Unafe a good friend. Despite her busy schedule, she would often make time to walk out to the Demetae village and speak to Unafe. During such conversations, she had come to learn more about her nature as Two-Hearted and of the Demetae people. Specifically, she learned about Dolok's cryptic prophecy - 'Dolok, I go to sleep, for I am very weary. We will speak again in the morning, when you witness the comet streak through the sunlit sky.' She promised Unafe she would do what she could to use Pathfinder resources to investigate if any astrologians were capable of predicting when or where such a rare event would occur.
12 Calistril 4718
Five months have passed since the day Ary Bishop went to Rahadoum and never left, giving rise to the cult of the Angel in Chains. It's been several months since anyone has seen nor heard of Xander (and only Ehren knew of his new form, unless he chose to share this information with another) - though at the moment he was peacefully teaching a class in Westcrown to a gaggle of attentive Chelish preteen girls and boys. On the other hand, Ehren, Unafe, and Hinagiku were well-aware that Isilme and Aravashnial were safe and sound far away from them.
Today, Ehren, Unafe, Hinagiku, and Li'an are headed southeast from Drezen on a road to a newly founded inn some-what ominously named 'Devil's Rest'. The inn was a building part of a larger trading post complex found within a region of the Wound that Lord-Commander Irabeth had recently reclaimed. It was a demon-infested landmark that had been established at some point during the First Crusade. A Crusader, a dwarf named Nordvick, had been assigned to maintain it as an inn and supply station for all manner of travelers across the demon infested Wastelands towards Drezen. According to Irabeth, the reason for the name is because it was founded by a Chelaxian noble.
The trading post Devil's Rest had been reclaimed just four months ago, but the region seemed unusually troubled, perhaps because it stood close to the border of Mother Heartwood's influence. The Crusaders who occupied the trading post complained of frequent attacks and infestations by demonic vermin, and were hoping that Drezen could send some people to investigate if there was an underlying cause behind the repeated attacks. These attacks had lead to nearly eight reported deaths in the last four months.
Irabeth had appointed Li'an to this task, and had asked that Ehren, Lann, Unafe, and Hinagiku accompany her to assist with this investigation. The roads close to there were dangerous to traverse, so the Lord-Commander had asked them to accompany a wagon caravan of supplies that were being ferried down to the trading post. The volume of supplies were too large for Ehren or Unafe to ferry in either of their forms reasonably, so instead of taking their usual travel forms, all five heroes were simply sitting in the back of a wagon to help escort it just in case it was subject to an attack.
Li'an was asked to meet up with Selik Agthoven, a Crusader-scout assigned to Anevia's squadron who had rode ahead to get an initial feel for the surrounds. He was to meet up with her at the Devil's Rest inn at the trading post.
Li'an had gotten to know Selik during the month she was out scouting with Anevia. He struck her as headstrong and impetuous, but a skilled scout and a great shot with a bow. His strength in battle aside, Li'an found herself enjoying the Taldan man's company.
The five heroes travel in a hired horse-drawn wagon from Drezen towards the crossroads trading post and inn nicknamed Devil's Rest. Their driver is a taciturn human woman who wears her hood pulled low over her weathered face. She tersely introduces herself as Maeri and insists on embarking immediately. "Come on, hurry up, we haven't got all day."
Maeri's supply wagon had traveled from Nerosyan all the way to Drezen, and now was bound for its final destination at Devil's Rest. As the heroes come to board the wagon, they find that there are already three passengers sitting there: Myrna, Beatrix, and a tall gray-haired human man, likely in his early sixties. All three are wearing tabards of the Mendevian Crusades, indicating that they are Crusaders.
Li'an notices that there is a badge stitched onto Myrna's tabard that indicates that she carries the rank of Captain. The badge stitched on Beatrix's tabard indicates that she carries the rank of Lieutenant.
Earlier today, when Unafe had traveled to Drezen in response to Irabeth's summons, she had the opportunity to speak to an excited and glowing Valais. Valais informed her that she had learned of upcoming day-time comet... a comet known as Apostae's Tear, which passes by Golarion every 56 years.
This means it is scheduled to pass by Golarion.... just next week! And not just that, if Valais' source is right, the comet will be close enough to Golarion that it should be visible even during the day.... something has never happened before in recorded history of observances of Apostae's Tear.
Unafe did not have much time to swallow this information before being dragged off and debriefed on the situation at the trading post, so she has not had a chance to tell the other heroes yet.
After they get situated, the eight passengers are now left to ride out through miles of wilderness along an uneven dirt road. The journey is unpleasant; the road is rough, and the wagon constantly bounces. The only sound besides the whistling wind outside is Maeri's shouted commands to her horses. Some time passes before anyone chooses to break the silence. The silver-haired Crusader man sits with his head bowed and cradled in his hands, his eyes closed. He grimaces at each bump in the road, and bundles himself tightly in his Crusades-issued-furs against the harsh Sarkorian cold.
The man who maintains Devil's Rest and the Trading Post is a retired crusader named Nordvick. Nordvick is a reclusive but holy dwarven man who maintains the building as a sanctuary for those traveling the hazardous roads.
The Devil's Rest trading post was a well-known trading post during the First Crusade, that was later lost during the Second Crusade when the Crusades retreated back behind the wardstone field. Back then, the Devil's Rest was known as an inn that never turned a guest away. Crusaders, travelers, fleeing criminals alike were able to enjoy the post's frontier hospitality in the past. Crusaders often said that the Chelish noble who founded the inn was himself exiled out of Cheliax, and was well-regarded by all as a friendly and well-liked inn-keeper.
Devil's Rest was actually founded 78 years ago by Linneus Narikopolus. Linneus Narikopolus was a famous Chelaxian theologist of Asmodeus, and his exile from the Asmodean church during its infancy was considered a huge scandal at the time. In its earliest years, many would-be crusaders abandoned their missions or even disappeared altogether after a lengthy stay at Devil's Rest, and a local legend told of a devil who appeared at the trading post crossroads at midnight, offering mortals their heart's deepest desire.
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It is not difficult for Xander to evade the Crusader guards that pursue him. His mastery of illusions and the more recent sessions with Anevia practicing the skills of a thief have given him all he needs to secure his own freedom. This allows him some leeway to watch his own fall from grace, an experience which possibly isn't the best one for a person to go through. After a few days, Xander leaves Drezen behind. He tells himself that it's for good, and that they're better off without him. Under the cover of darkness, after securing some basic tools that he wasn't already carrying, Xander hikes out into the Wound.
He needed time. Time to re-evaluate his priorities and figure out a plan for what to do with his life. Luckily for him, Xander thinks best on his feet and was able to walk quickly and for a long time. So he walks. He has to get out of Crusader territory, and he doesn't want to wander too close to the Wound's center and its extremely dangerous inhabitants, so he travels along the north side of the Wound, avoiding the armies at Pulura's Fall, getting too close to Undarin, or passing through the core of any one region. Skirting around the borders allows Xander (despite his sometime deathwish) to make it safely to the sparsely-populated northeast of the Wound, where he is able to set up shop.
With a place he knew he could return to, he was able to plan his required curriculum for Boccanegra and move to Cheliax part-time. That he felt relief from the dangers of the Wound wouldn't be something that Xander would admit, but the life of contracted academia suited him in some respects. Unsuspicious young people looked up to him, and when he fulfilled his duties to the letter he was handsomely paid. Xander turns out to be an alright teacher, at the very least advancing his students' spellcraft considerably, if not teaching many valuable life lessons along the way. His cult he centers on the faculty and slaves of Westcrown. He takes advantage of an academician's desire for knowledge and promises them greater access to that knowledge if they follow his philosophy, and follows it up with the promised access to anything he has the resources to find. To the slaves he promises freedom -- if they do as he says. One by one he spirits them away from their homes and relocates them someplace else. He finds them jobs and shelter and asks only that they serve as a future contact. He places them in Andoran and Nirmathas to grow his network wider.
To Geryon, in exchange for his freedom in three years' time, he gives the ritualized sacrifices of those he deems an acceptable loss. He only targets evil, and he only acts as often as is necessary according to the contract, but to Xander serial killing is worth eternal freedom. He reasons that he would wind up as a devil for all eternity, torturing and killing and serving the will of Hell, if he did not make this sacrifice for three years now. That reasoning is part of what allows him to do it.
Eventually he returns to Mendev after getting in contact with Ehren. The Archdruid had offered to reincarnate him again, to preserve his identity. He gladly accepts, meeting with Ehren in a secret place where they could perform the ritual. His new form is that of a green-skinned frog creature. Two feet tall, the creature has spindly arms, strong and agile legs, and a stout, thick body. His skin glistened with an oily poison that warned creatures against eating him, and his eyes were two different colors. None of his old clothes fit him anymore, and anyway if he wore too much it would just get oily and slimy anyway. After his reincarnation Xander takes to wearing a loincloth and a concealing gray cloak. He carries his haversack, utility belt, small machete, and iron staff of freedom's command with him at all times, giving him the strange appearance of a hermit frog... archaeologist? He leaves behind many of his items in his office at the school, intending for whichever student brave enough to take them to have them.
Today one might even say that he is content. He has only made one ritual sacrifice -- a man he found at the docks in Westcrown selling shiver to desperate poor people -- and it hasn't quite set in that he will have to do so eleven more times. Still, he does whatever else he wants. He travels between Cheliax and the Worldwound on foot when he has the time, but by teleport when he has procrastinated too much recently. When in the Wound he wanders to explore, entering whatever cave or ruin he finds and frequently fleeing the dangers inside. When in Cheliax he plays a very good quirky professor, assigning unusual homework and only occasionally pitting his students against one another. Xander believes that he can honestly and contentedly do this for another two and a half years, get out of his contract, and then move on to another life afterwards. One about spreading his power and influence and having a blast doing it at the same time. All this hunting demons and being responsible had really worn on him over the years. It was time for some hedonism.