Unafe groans as Dehliana revives so quickly.
"'...Only a god can kill her?' Well, it doesn't take a god to knock her out."
The Demetae champion grabs both of Dehliana's arms and pins them behind her back. Then she attempts to pummel the new devil-god back into oblivion, shouting,
The possibility that Dehliana would stand after the wounds Unafe inflicted on her seemed so far-fetched that Hinagiku had unsuspectingly turned to face Ehren. But, before she could place the candelabra inside the box presented to her, gusts of miasmic winds enveloped her and threatened to push her off the ledge. Dragged to the edge by Ehren’s side, Hinagiku turned her heels sideways to slow herself, sending pebbles into the lava below and stopping herself right by the dais’ edge. Still standing and not wasting any more time, Hinagiku finally places the candelabra into its ultimate resting place and closes the lid.
Actions
Swift: -
Move: move action
Free: -
Standard: Put candelabra in
Full round action: -
Defense
**+3 dodge AC vs first attack at her, she gets AoO if foe misses.
***uncanny dodge
Saves:
CMD:
124/175 hp
0/40 delayed damage pool
Offense
Reach: 5 (10 for AoO)
Precogniscient smite: +3insight hit/dg
Points
4/19 ki (spell points)
10/11 mythic
0/1 m.foc.
4/4 AoO
Others
Senses: 35’ blindsight, blindfolded oracle, battlefield sense, .
Immaculate hands (2 essence) (mercy: fatigued)
Withstanding the winds of Dehliana's wing-flaps, but being seared by the unholy blight of the devils, Myrna waits until Unafe slams Dehliana into the ground again and again. Then she stops singing her song, looking around with fresh and unrageful eyes.
Behind her, Beatrix was in danger, but ahead it seemed that Hinagiku and Ehren were about to solve the entire situation. Trusting her lieutenant to survive for a few moments more, she snatches Dehliana's mace out of the devil's arms and hurls it into the lava.
Wounded worse and worse by the surrounding devils, Beatrix calls on Iomedae again to seal shut some of her wounds. Still hiding in the mist, Beatrix doesn't feel confident enough to jump onto the center platform across the lava chasm by herself.
Battered and burned by the assault of the erinyes, Beatrix manages to keep her mind intact and stay sane -- even as the wounds multiply.
When his opponent appears to turn its tail and flee, Lann takes a deep breath, slowing the aching drumbeat in his heart. As useful as it is to keep his blood pumping in battle, it is difficult for him to concentrate while under the influence of Myrna's song. The crusader turns to look at the platform the lieutenant was standing on, now shrouded in a magical fog.
"Hold on, Lieutenant, I'm heading your way!" he calls out, pressing a hand against his chest. Underneath his clothing, the magical armor that Ehren had loaned to him pulses with power. In an instant, his body becomes as light as air - a sensation that took some practice to get used to. Luckily, it turned out that controlling magical flight was no more difficult than walking.
Lann gracefully lifts off the ground and then zips into the fog, literally flying blind as he searches for his superior officer.
Unafe pummels Dehliana back into unconsciousness, even as she swells and grows to an even larger size. Beneath these two behemoths, Hinagiku flies out to Ehren, who had been blown back by winds generated by their struggle. She pushes a squirming, writhing candelabra into the chest held aloft by the Archdruid's air elemental form, and the world shudders and warps, folding in itself until the group is again standing in the common room of the inn. Unafe is uncomfortably cramped as she smashes against the ceiling, too large to stand, Dehliana's body in her grasp, her form returned back to a regular Razmiran woman. Her body is battered and broken, limp and cold.
Li'an can inherently sense the magically constructed world around her give way back to the mundane.
Even after the Devil's Rest returns back to normal, you can sense one evil outsider still remaining, somewhere nearby.
The crusaders surrounding the heroes let out a great cheer, thrilled to see the world restored to normal after the medium's twisted wish. Fenton stands among them, stamping his boot against the wooden ground as if to test it for true. He scans the room quickly before commenting, "Hey, where did Anna go?"
As Hinagiku places the candelabra into the box–and the room begins to return to normal–Unafe feels her jaw unclench.
Cramped up against the now-low ceiling, she transforms back into her human form and looks down with bitter disdain at the battered body in her arms. "This is what comes of attempting to steal godhood."
Unafe lays Dehliana's body on the table, she pauses to see if–finally–she seems to be truly dead.
Once she senses that the room has returned to its original appearance, Hinagiku opens her eyes to chase the dizzying effect of he abrupt and radical change of scenery. Her gaze first sets on Ehren’s airy form, to whom she smiles, and after pressing the chest onto his arms, she quickly surveys the surroundings to make sure everyone is safe and sound. Unafe, Myrna, Li’an, seemed barely wounded, Beatrix did not seem so well but was still standing and… Sana was not there. As Fenton’s call echoes her thoughts, Hinagiku closes her eyes back to better peer into reality, only to find nothing.
”I cannot sense her either.” Hinagiku calmly responds. ”Mrs. Narikopolus, Mr. Nordvick, you were by her side, did you see what happened?”
As she asks the questions, Hinagiku replays the last moments of the battle in her mind for anything that might give her a hint about what happened to Sana.
Dehliana is barely alive, and will die very soon if no one intervenes.
Nordvick shakes his head, still reeling from all that had transpired. "I do not know! One moment we here there, and she was there, and then we were here and she was not!"
Fenton nods, a small frown on his lips. "Aye.... well I've seen stranger things. What do you think, Ehren, Hinagiku? Was she perhaps a spy?"
It comes off racist to accuse an otherwise friendly tiefling of being a spy.
At that moment, one of the Crusaders tests the front door forcefully and it swings open, causing her to stumble forwards from inertia. Several more follow her out, cheering into the night. Outside the inn is the interior of the Crusader fortification. It is late, quiet, and foreign stars dot the skies. It is as if nothing strange had happened at all.
The room having returned to normal, Li'an and Auraelia are immediately aware of the presence of a single evil outsider nearby. Auraelia lands on Li'an's shoulder and focuses her senses on the nearby source of evil, trying to pinpoint it. Li'an, for her part, begins to cast a spell to summon forth a group Auraelia's brethren to help out. Within moments another 5 of the small fairy-like outsiders appear. She wasn't about to let the little imp roam free. Without the magic of the candelabra and house binding it, it would likely be forced to reform in its native plane of Hell, rather than remaining to cause further corruption.
"Dostlar, bu salonlarda şeytan gizlənir. Onu tapmaqda bizə kömək et ki, onları tez bir zamanda evlərinə baxsınlar," Li'an says, addressing them with a grin. Making use of sylvan would allow them to converse openly without worry of the devil understanding them.
The azatas form a circle around and above Li'an, each choosing a separate direction so that the group of them, along with Auraelia would be able to cover the room completely. While they concentrate on pinpointing the little devil, Li'an invokes a second spell, this time granting her the ability to see through invisibility.
Beatrix breathes a sigh of relief when the room rushes back into its proper natural state, one without erinyes gunning for her life. She sees that the Archdruid and his companion had resolved the situation by using the magical box that they had found earlier, nodding with satisfaction.
Recognizing that the medium's wounds that she sustained while she was a devil-god remained upon her return to a human form, and that she was moments from death, Lt. Medici approaches the broken woman expiring on the floor. "This woman is dying. I'm going to save her life, so she can stand trial for her crimes," she announces. Then she pulls out bandages and splints and begins staunching the woman's bleeding.
Myrna also shrinks down to her normal size when the room returns to its original state. She blinks the lights from her eyes, rubbing them to get used to everything having changed so meteorically so quickly twice. Then she lets her breath out in an exhausted raspberry.
She claps Unafe on a shoulder with a strong grasp, "Nice job, sister," she rumbles. "You are truly mighty, and I hope never to fight on opposite sides." Myrna looks down at Dehliana's broken body sadly while her lieutenant performs first aid. "What a fool," she murmurs.
Then she turns to Fenton, Ehren, and Hinagiku. She purses her lips at the little halfling soldier, looking down on him from her looming height. "I hope you're not suggesting that because of anything about her appearance," she booms. "The strange shadow-woman fought by our sides several times before disappearing following an encounter with deadly magic. That only makes her helpful, mysterious, and sensible."
Unafe smiles and slaps Myrna on the back as well. "Yr un modd, chwaer."
At the conversation about Anna, Unafe shakes her head. "Definitely mysterious though. Hopefully we see her again.
"In the meantime, I suppose, I can be glad that at least one surprise the Worldwound handed us was a pleasant one."
Thinking about the news of the comet, she adds, "Is it dangerous to assume that one happy surprise might foretell more to come in our befouled land?"
Unafe stands ready to bind Dehliana's arms, in case she still has fight in her after Medici tends to her wounds.
She claps Unafe on a shoulder with a strong grasp, "Nice job, sister," she rumbles. "You are truly mighty, and I hope never to fight on opposite sides."
Unafe smiles and slaps Myrna on the back as well. "Yr un modd, chwaer. Y mae dy ddyrnau'n gryf, a'th ganiadau oedd fel neithdar i ysbrydion fy hynafiaid."
At the conversation about Anna, Unafe shakes her head. "Definitely mysterious though. Hopefully we see her again.
"In the meantime, I suppose, I can be glad that at least one surprise the Worldwound handed us was a pleasant one."
Thinking about the news of the comet, she adds, "Is it dangerous to assume that one happy surprise might foretell more to come in our befouled land?"
With the inn back to normal and Dehliana stripped of her so-called "godhood" almost as quickly as she had wished for it, Ehren finally allows himself to relax, if only a little bit. Smiling back at Hinagiku, he shifts into his human form and gingerly accepts the chest containing the neutralized Covetous Flame. Holding it in both arms, he keeps a tight grip on it, well aware that their solution was not necessarily a permanent one. He nods with approval when Lieutenant Medici starts to treat Dehliana's wounds, but makes no move to assist her.
When Fenton calls attention to Sana's conspicuous absence, the druid glances about. It seemed that at some point amid the folding of space, the woman had simply vanished. Whether she had taken her leave deliberately was another question entirely.
"No, I think not," he replies finally, shaking his head when Fenton suggests the possibility of her having been an enemy spy. Ehren does not comment on Myrna's retort - "Anna's" status as a self-proclaimed time traveler was far more suspicious (and dubious) than her apparent demonic heritage. And yet, he could not help but to believe in her. "The Covetous Flame has been contained. Perhaps that was her reason for being here all along. If that is the case, then there would no longer be a reason for her to be here..."
Trailing off, the druid decides not to suggest that cosmic forces beyond their comprehension have whisked their new friend away to a parallel universe. Instead, he shrugs. "Maybe she teleported, or turned invisible and ran out the door."
In response to Fenton’s query, Hinagiku simply shakes her head; she had to agree with Myrna, it truly seemed that Anna had been on their side. Ehren made an interesting point about the possible ways in which Anna could have disappeared, ones that Hinagiku was willing to investigate using her powers, once she helped Beatrix with stabilizing Dehliana. But, before the monk can do any of this, she notices Li’an’s invocation of Lyrakiens and, alerted by her words, she prepares herself for action; she does go as far as falling into a fighting stance, but she is on the ready, prepared to rush towards the devil as soon as it is located.
Now that the imp's master's power has been contained, killing the imp would banish it back to the plane of Hell.
You see a window 15' away creak open slightly of its own accord. The crusaders standing next to it don't notice, as it is very small crack, but definitely large enough for an imp to squeeze through.
Aurelia flutters amongst her fellow Lyrakien, her eyes closed in concentration as she focuses her senses, seeking to pinpoint the hidden devil. ""Dostlarım, çıxın və bizdən qaçan görünməz imperatoru tapmaqda bizə kömək edin"," she whispered.
" "Come forth, my friends, and help us find the invisible imp that has eluded us,"
One of the Lyriakien, a tiny fey wearing an oversized yellow hoodie, flies a few feet away, her senses extended through the surrounding as she searched for any trace of the imp. "Mən heç nə hiss edə bilmirəm" she said with frustration. "Sanki heç burada deyil."
"I can't sense anything, it's like it's not even here."
While Li'an and the azatas search, Fenton, Myrna, Ehren, and Hinagiku were standing near the door, with Fenton holding up his hands in apology as he stares sheepishly up at Myrna. "I didn't mean any offense, I was just curious," he said. "I didn't mean to imply anything like that."
Fenton nodded as he listened to the Archdruid, his explanations about Anna's escape seeming mundane given the danger they faced in the Worldwound. "We will have to keep our eyes and ears open and see if we can find any clues as to her whereabouts," he said.
Fenton turns as Lann approaches them, grimacing. "We should take Dehliana into custody and bring her back to Drezen for trial," he said. "She needs to answer for what she has done," says the Underfolk Crusader.
While Beatrix worked to save Dehliana's life, the table was surrounded by armed Crusaders who helped to bind her. Unafe stands nearby, just in case she tries something. Many Crusaders thanked Myrna and Unafe for their intervention, grateful for the heroes' help.
While all of this happens, Hinagiku says not a word, as she is on high alert for any signs of the imp. She stands serenely next to Ehren, eyes closed. But it seems the invisible imp would remain a mystery for now, as she does not sense anything through the ley.
With Li'an and Hinagiku on the lookout for the missing imp (and speaking in tongues and summoning a squadron of celestials to boot) and a crowd forming around the unconscious Dehliana, Myrna looks for a way to occupy herself.
She desperately wishes to just go outside, take a break, and look at the stars. Who knew how quickly they might be sealed inside the cursed inn again. That wish-nullifying box would need to be closely kept until a safe storage location could be found for the Covetous Flame. Luckily, the box was in the hands of the Archdruid.
Despite all the drama, they still had a job to do: to search the nearby area for demonic vermin. Before they could do that, they needed to rest. Before they could do that, they needed to clean up and organize a bit around here. Somewhere to secure Dehliana and Nordvick for transportation back to Drezen would also be necessary.
Myrna turns to the others. "Things seem to be pretty in control around here," she rumbles, "So I'm going to tidy things up a bit."
That said, she procures the key-ring for the inn, finds a decent locked room to contain their prisoners, recruits a few Crusaders to watch the prisoners, and organizes a cleaning group to mop the floors of blood, collect any bodies and find a respectful place for them, and pick up all the various bits and bobs that had been flung around by the ghosts. "As far as I see it," she laughs, as she cleans, "We all deserve a second dinner and a big drink after this!"
After enough time has passed for immediate concerns to fade, Hinagiku relaxes her guard.
"I am worried about what might have happened to her... I will see if I can find out more." the monk replies to Fenton before going and sitting approximately where Sana would have been when the room returned to normal. There, sitting in the lotus position, she quietly apologizes to the surrounding crusaders for her awkward behavior before entering a trance. The boundaries of time slowly dissolve with her sense of self as she relives the last moments of this place, hoping to get a glimpse as to whether their new ally had willingly left.
Once time resumes it normal flow and Hinagiku feels like a single person rather than a cosmos, the monk relates her impressions to the Ehren before seeking out Beatrix.
”I wonder, do you believe the spirit of Mr. Narikopolus has been able to find peace now? It has freed us, but is it free itself?”
Just like Myrna, Hinagiku busies herself with the aftermath of the haunting. She puts her hands’ connection to the healing energies of the world to full use, healing everyone who is wounded as much as possible including Dehliana, once she is fully bound and gagged.
Actions
Swift: -
Move: move action
Free: -
Standard:
Full round action: -
Defense
**+3 dodge AC vs first attack at her, she gets AoO if foe misses.
***uncanny dodge
Saves:
CMD:
124/175 hp
0/40 delayed damage pool
Offense
Reach: 5 (10 for AoO)
Precogniscient smite: +3insight hit/dg
Points
3/19 ki (spell points)
10/11 mythic
0/1 m.foc.
4/4 AoO
Others
Senses: 35’ blindsight, blindfolded oracle, battlefield sense, .
Immaculate hands (2 essence) (mercy: fatigued)
Li'an points towards the window that opened, knowing they wouldn't have much time to catch the Imp before it got out into the Abyss. "Oh, yox, bu gün deyil!" she says, and with barely a second thought, waves her hand, calling down a pillar of divine flame outside that brushes up against the edge of the house and window, briefly filling the room with a brilliant flash of yellow and white.
"Orada, pəncərədən çıxdı!" she calls to the Lyrakien before heading towards the window to see if she'd managed to kill the imp with her flame strike
Alerted by her finely honed elven senses, Li'an swiftly detects the imp's nefarious escape attempt as it slinks towards the window, hidden and invisible as it attempts to flee. Without hesitation, she summons a column of radiant, holy fire, summoning it with a wave of her hand. The inferno engulfs the imp, consuming it in a raging blaze as it screams in agony. The two Crusaders closest to the window, who had been reveling in the safety and camaraderie of the inn, are caught off guard by the sudden eruption of flames. But Li'an's mastery over her powers ensures their safety, the expressions on their faces a mix of awe and shock as they witness the imp's demise unfold before them.
Auraelia, who had flown out to investigate, returns bearing the news of the imp's death. "It is finished," she declares, her voice infused with triumph. "Your spell was a masterpiece, my lady, precise and deadly. The imp will no longer be a threat."
As they work to repair the inn and tend to the wounded, Captain Myrna Riversoar crafts a strategy for what to do with Nordvick and Dehliana. Lt. Beatrix, her eyes focused intently, pulls out a notebook to help write down Captain Myrna’s plan. “Okay, so we need to secure a chamber to confine Nordvick and Dehliana until we decide on the next course of action. We will need to provide an armed escort back to Drezen, where the Inquisitors can continue with their interrogations and imprisonment. For now, we will assign some select Crusaders to act as their guards. After that, we shall be confronted with the grim duty of expunging all trace of the carnage that has transpired and aid in the reconstruction of the inn, which now lies in a state of complete ruin. It’s complete shambles in here!” she concludes, eyebrows furrowed beneath her large, round glasses.
Beatrix then approaches Nordvick, eyes narrowed. She still didn't fully trust him. “Where are the keys for the inn? We need them.”
Nordvick hesitates, but eventually relents, wilting under Beatrix’s stern gaze. “They are in my office, which is the first door on the right through that way.” He points. “But, please, know that I am sorry for what I’ve done. I was afraid of going to Hell, but now I fear that I’ve only made it even more likely. I was just trying to protect myself and things got out of hand,” he stutters out. He is clearly afraid of what is going to happen to him now, and for the fate of his immortal soul.
Beatrix nods, relenting somewhat. She understands the fear and manipulation that led Nordvick to commit such heinous acts. She knows firsthand how devious and manipulative devils can be, having come from the city of Cheliax herself, ruled by Asmodeus and his minions. She leaves for the office to get the keys and hands them over to Myrna. Myrna and Beatrix leave and find a secure room to hold the prisoners. They settle on the basement, since it locks and has only one exit and no windows. They also recruit a group of Crusaders to help guard them, knowing that the dangers of the Worldwound may not be over yet.
Meanwhile, Hinagiku continues to use her connection to the ley to help protect the inn. During the peak of the troubles, Hinagiku had felt somewhat disconnected from the ley, but now everything feels balanced and normal again. Fenton nods along with Hinagiku’s words, his face etched with concern. “Yeah, I’m worried too. I can’t shake the feeling that something’s not right about her disappearance. If there is anything I can do to help you find out about what happened to her… please let me know.”
He watches as Hinagiku sits down into the lotus position. She focuses her mind and quiets her thoughts. Her breathing slows and her body becomes still as she enters a trance-like state. She reaches out with her divine power, connecting to the ley, the living essence of the universe. Using this connection, she begins to rewind time, seeing the events of the past play out before her in reverse.
She watches as the inn of Devil’s Rest transforms into a vast cavern filled with molten lava, all thanks to Dehliana’s misguided wish for godhood. In the foreground, she sees herself and Ehren, with him holding an enormous chest. The chest struggles against her as she pushes the Covetous Flame into it, the candelabra-shaped artifact writhing and trying to escape. But Hinagiku persists, using all of her strength to force the chest closed and seal the Covetous Flame away, undoing all of its evil magic.
Hinagiku looks to the background, and sees Anna standing amongst a group of Crusaders, all precariously perched on a small stone pedestal jutting out from the lava. Anna holds her starknife in one hand, her attention focused on the Erinyes devils that surround them. She would not allow them to harm the innocent under her watch.
And then, as the chest’s lid closes, Hinagiku can see each of the Erinyes vanish, one after the other, until Anna herself disappears without warning just after them. It all happens so quick that Anna does not react. She does not seem to realize what is happening to her, her steely gaze focused on the Erinyes.
Hinagiku’s trance ends, and she comes back to reality. She opens her eyes and looks around, feeling a little disoriented from the experience.
Hinagiku remembers a dense Pharasman text that she had read regarding the afterlife and how souls travel to it.
"In the eyes of the goddess Pharasma, the transmigration of the animus is a sacrosanct and enigmatic phenomenon. Upon the expiration of the corporeal form, the animus is liberated and commences its pilgrimage to the Boneyard, wherein the deity of death presides over the appraisal of all animus.
However, the itinerary of the animus is not always a linear one. The unshackling of the animus from the physical shell renders it highly ethereal, making it susceptible to the predation of malefic entities who nourish themselves on animus. Such animus are devoured prior to their arrival at the ultimate destination for appraisal and are thus forgo the metempsychosis.
But not all animus are fortunate enough to evade such fate. The catastrophic or arcane circumstances surrounding the demise of a being can result in the entrapment of the animus in the Material Plane. These animus frequently assume the state of undeath, such as ghost, and are condemned to traverse the mortal realm, incapable of proceeding to the Boneyard.
The onus of safely escorting these animus to the Boneyard falls upon the psychopomps of Pharasma. These custodians of the deceased traverse the astral plane, precluding the animus from falling prey to malefic entities, and aiding those astray to reach the appraisal of Pharasma.Nevertheless, the voyage of the animus remains perilous, even with the stewardship of the psychopomps. The devout adherents of Pharasma thus implore their contemporaries to lead a virtuous existence, seek absolution, and to venerate the goddess, so that their animus may be favorably evaluated and peacefully pass on to the afterlife."
She understands enough about Narikopolus’ spell to understand that his wish had somehow bound his immortal soul to the inn itself, giving him immortality, but with a heavy cost. Sealing the Covetous Flame should have released his soul… but as to what will happen to it now, she knows that there is some disagreement amongst scholars and clerics.
She also knows that, according to conversations she has had with Ehren, that Sarkorians have different ideas from Pharasmans as to what happens in the afterlife. They believe that souls reincarnate when they die, taking on new forms that befit the sorts of lives they lived prior to death.
Afterwards, Hinagiku moves through the crowded common room of Devil’s Rest, her hands glowing with a soft, ethereal light. She stops to kneel beside various Crusaders, her touch mending cuts and bruises inflicted by the ghosts that had previously raged through the inn. There are no seriously injured Crusaders, thanks to the actions of the heroes.
Finally, Hinagiku comes to Dehliana, who is fully bound and gagged, but still very injured after being pummeled repeatedly by Unafe’s fists. The worst of her injuries have been stabilized by Beatrix. Hinagiku draws upon the power of the ley, which flows through her as an extension of her being. She lays a hand over Dehliana’s wounds and they begin to glow with a soft light, knitting the flesh together closed, and cleansing the wounds. Her magic is a soft white light which envelops Dehliana, who soon awakens, and instantly starts struggling against her bonds. “You will not stop me!” she shouts. “You will regret this, all of you! Razmir will not forget this! I will become a god, mark my words! You will all see the power of Razmir soon enough!” she cries out, her eyes blazing with fanaticism.
“Oh, for Iomedae’s sake, shut up!” grumbles one of her wards. He stops her protests by inserting a gag into her mouth. Dehliana mumbles through the gag, glaring defiantly up at everyone before being escorted away to the room that Myrna and Beatrix had prepared.
After the heroes work together to clean up the blood and repair the inn, Beatrix takes a moment to rest, a satisfied smile on her lips. They had restored peace and order to the establishment, and it had been a long and difficult night, but it was all worth it in the end.
Myrna and Beatrix are sitting at a large table near the fireplace of the inn, a variety of drinks and dishes spread out in front of them. They are chatting and laughing, both seeming in high spirits after the events of the evening before. Beatrix sees Unafe, Li’an, Lann, Ehren and Hinagiku sitting at the bar nearby, and she calls out to them, “Hey! Come join us! We have plenty of room and plenty of food and drink.”
Once they are all settled with the two tiefling Crusaders at the large table, Beatrix turns to Unafe and asks, “So, Unafe, I have to know. How did you learn to turn into a giant lizard like that? I’ve heard of Sarkorian druids who can take on different animal forms, but I have never seen one actually do it before. Are you a druid?”
Li'an looks rather pleased when Auraelia reports the imp had been properly sent back home. As she had the few other times she had incinerated devils after being returned to life, she felt a slight twinge of disappointment that outsiders' bodies evaporated when they passed. A smoldering imp corpse would have made for an entertaining sight.
No longer needing their aid, she turns to the lyrakiens she had summoned to help, thanks them for their service, and bids them goodbye, freeing them from the remainder of their short service.
"Now then, what should we do now that the devils have been vanquished and this two-bit charlatan has been put in her place?" she says, making an offhand gesture towards Delihana. When Myrna suggests they clean up, Li'an agrees to help out. Despite all her newfound magical power, she still hadn't gotten over the novelty of being able to cast prestidigitation so trivially. To further help the cleaning, she draws upon her inner reserves of divine power to summon a pair of unseen servants, bidding them to aid with cleaning up the debris.
"You did a great job getting to Delihana and keeping her distracted until the others could come help subdue her, Myrna," she tells the Captain. "Have you always been able to grow in size like that?" Off to the side, two small whirlwinds of dust meander about, slowly collecting debris and pilling it centrally in the rooms.
Auraelia takes the opportunity to join Hinagiku and Fenton. "Are you trying to figure out what happened to that girl who was helping us? Sana or Anna or whatever her name was?" she asks Hinagiku, landing on the ground next to Fenton. Though she was small, the young halfling wasn't actually much taller than her when she stood next to him. Distracted for a moment by her innate whimsy, she stands on her toes, trying to see if she can match his height without flying.
Myrna is happy and satisfied with herself today. Her belly is once again full of warm food (she helped herself to the kitchen when they were mostly done cleaning everything up), she had been vindicated in the pursuit of Dehliana, and she had gotten to punch a giant scorpion in the face. All in all, a pretty decent day. Evil had been vanquished, and all her compatriots remained alive.
Now settled at a table in the common room with Beatrix, she grins happily when Li'an joins them. She laughs off the other woman's compliment, her reply an accidental yell, "Ah, don't credit me there, it was your dinosaur companion who defeated Dehliana. I hardly hit her once." She seems a little grumbly about it, though she's resolved not to hold the other Sarkorian's strength against her.
She nods in reply to Li'an's question as she sips from her magical mead-horn, "Mmhmm"-ing into the liquid. "Even when I was a young child, I could become a giant." Laughing, she adds, "You can imagine how difficult it must have been to raise a giant-size toddler! My grandmothers always told me that our family were giantblooded. That we were so Sarkorian, our ancestors included the jotunn that once ruled here."
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With the Covetous Flame contained, Zirzip slain, Dehliana arrested, and the spirit of Linneus Narikopolus exorcised, Ehren decides that he can afford to take a break. The abundance of crusaders present could handle the logistics behind dealing with the prisoners and arranging for the inn's eventual restoration. The artifact itself, however, remains in the archdruid's custody. As far as he could tell, keeping it in the chest was at best a temporary solution; seeing as Li'an read its schematics, he figured that she might have a clue of how to deal with it more permanently.
However, his thoughts do stray to the Purification Forge back in Drezen. Its flames burned with holy power drawn directly from Torag's realm in Heaven. Could it be that even Linneus's insidious invention could be redeemed? Ehren pushes those matters aside for the time being, focusing on the current conversation.
"Hm. The strength of the frost giants cannot be understated," he remarks, nursing a mug of appropriated ale in his hands. His eyes briefly flick in Unafe's direction, wondering whether this is a raw topic for her. "That you can draw on that might is impressive indeed, but it is fortunate that you are not quite so large all the time. Ceilings have grown increasingly prevalent in this day and age."
He smirks and takes a deep draught of ale before continuing. "I am glad that we were able to fight side by side so soon, though I certainly did not expect to do so on the very same day as our last battle. But I am also curious - was this whole matter with Dehliana your whole reason for being here in the first place? You seemed rather suspicious of her from the very start."
As the present comes back into focus, Hinagiku gathers her thoughts in an attempt to understand what it was she had seen. But, try as hard as she may, only one possibility comes to mind, a bleak one that she relates to Fenton and Aurelia: ”Yes, I was. I looked into the past to witness what had happened to her. When the power of the candlestick faded away, so did Mrs. Anna. Just as the Erinyeses and the room, she disappeared like ashes in the wind. I don’t know what this says about her origins, but I think she likely left for good. I will ask people in Drezen for their opinion, in case we can still save her. But, for now, I don’t believe there is much we can do for her. ” With that said, Hinagiku gives a slight resigned smile at Aurelia’s antics.
After returning a polite nod to Beatrix, from across the room, Hinagiku looks questioningly to her fellow travelers before accepting the invitation. Once at the bar, the monk begins by retelling Anna’s last moments. ”Mrs. Va’ardalia, do you have any idea if this can be reversed?”
While Myrna’s strength and processes are praised, Hinagiku nods a few times in agreement, even adding a comment of her own:
”You are quite impressive, it is rare for us to meet people who are able to fight side by side with Unafe. And, if I may add to what Ehren-kun said, do you often take on tasks alone with Mrs. Medici?”
As the heroes continue to enjoy their meal and drinks at Devil's Rest, surrounded by the warm and lively atmosphere of the inn, Fenton clears his throat and speaks up, his round cheeks tinted pink. "Actually, her name was Anna, not Sana. Sana is my best friend back in Drezen. I can't wait to introduce her to you!" He smiles, a distant and dreamy look on his face as he thinks about sharing the story of their recent adventure with his close friend. "She's always so fascinated by the stories I tell her about my travels. I bet she'll be positively green with envy when I tell her about everything that's happened here today."
Lann, the Underfolk Crusader, grins a lopsided half-fanged grin and nods in agreement. "I know exactly what you mean, Fenton. The Underfolk back home are always eager to hear about our adventures. It's always good to have a good story to share." He glances around the table at the others, soaking in the camaraderie and the sense of accomplishment from their recent victory.
The inn is filled with patrons of all shapes and sizes, mostly Crusaders who serve the surrounding fort or who are passing through on the way to other missions in Mendev or the Worldwound.The air is thick with the scent of roasting meats and spices, the sounds of clinking glasses and laughter filling the room. The walls are adorned with tapestries depicting scenes of battles and heroes of old. The fireplace crackles and pops in the corner, casting a warm glow over the room, providing a comfortable and inviting space for the heroes to relax and enjoy each other's company.
As the conversation continues, Auraelia sits perched on the edge of the table, her torso twisted to the side so that she can still see the others while they talk. She mostly remains quiet, occasionally sipping on her mead, which takes both hands to hold due to the flagon being human-sized. It's clear that she's taking in the conversation, but not wanting to intrude.
Beatrix responds to Hinagiku with a smile, "We're actually part of the Hellfire Squadron, a group of tiefling Crusaders based out of Nerosyan. This is the first time we've adventured together, just the two of us, without the rest of our squadron." She then looks expectantly to Myrna, wanting to let her take the lead in sharing the story of why they had come to Devil's Rest in the first place.
Meanwhile, under the table, Sicrwydd darts amongst the heroes' feet, curious and always on the lookout for food scraps to snatch up. It nudges Unafe's calf and trills, whining for food.
When Beatrix refers to the saurians as lizards, Unafe feels her hackles rise…But how would she know? My own people hardly understand their saurian spirit-allies in this sad age. And she’s curious.
Unafe shakes her head, ”I am no druid, though I am honored to fight beside the Archdruid of Sarkoris. I am the clan-chief and shaman for my people, the Demetae. And these–”She lifts up Sicrwydd onto her shoulder, and then gestures with pride to the slow thrum of saurian spirits that surround her”–Are Great Saurians. My people are their ancestral protectors, and they ours."
Sicrwydd cocks his head at the crusader, eying her curiously.
“In my childhood they filled the Taranau Valley. Now…”Unafe feels an all-too-familiar wave of regret and self-doubt rise up, but reminds herself of the eggs that Ary found, and that Goryon’s Comet is truly coming. ”And now, with the grace of the sacred ancestors, I pray to help them return again.”
Now settled at a table in the common room with Beatrix, she grins happily when Li'an joins them. She laughs off the other woman's compliment, her reply an accidental yell, "Ah, don't credit me there, it was your dinosaur companion who defeated Dehliana. I hardly hit her once." She seems a little grumbly about it, though she's resolved not to hold the other Sarkorian's strength against her.
Hearing Myrna, Unafe barks out a sharp, ”NO, sister! My teacher Old Aye always said, ’If you see a nothosaurus racing downriver, credit goes to the current.’ Truly, I doubt I’ve ever struck a blow so fierce as when I was filled with your song. Look: the sacred ancestors are still buzzing with the Truth of it.
“To be honest, it was a joy fighting beside you. I’ll be sad to part ways with you, when you return to your troop.”
As Sicrwydd nudges her leg, Unafe smiles and passes her spirit guide a strip of meat.
"Very spooky!" Aurelia responds to Hinagiku's story about Anna disappearing. "Maybe she was actually a ghost!" It certainly wasn't impossible after all. She had appeared leading in to their visit here, and seemed to be tied to the Candelabra, which itself was a powerful artifact.
"Of course, Fenton!" she says when Fenton points out the girl's name had been Anna. She was pretty sure she had heard the name Sana, but between the giant flaming scorpions, ghosts and small army of devils, she very well could've been wrong.
Li'an sits talking with Ehren and Myrna, wondering what the Captain's mission actually was. "Yes, what was it that you were supposed to accomplish here?"
Li'an nods at Unafe, adding "We all did a great job working together! You and Lt. Medici should consider getting reassigned to Drezen, you might find it more interesting than Nerosyan!"
"I don't know if it can be undone," Li'an says when Hinagiku explains what had happened to Sana. It was certainly strange, but there was little to go by about her origins. In the background, Auraelia puts down her mead long enough to whisper loudly "Ghoooooooooosts", which gets a chuckle out of Li'an. "We might be able to divine what happened, but if Anna's statements about the starstone mean anything, she may be being affected by powers far beyond anything we understand."
”I don’t think I have heard of the Hellfire squadron before. I hope you do not mind me prying, but what does it specialize in? Is it large?” Hinagiku asks with unusual curiosity. She would not ordinarily push questions onto others, usually preferring to listen to them and learn at their pace, but a recent conversation with Ehren had spurred her on. A few days ago, in the evening before her fiancé had gone to sleep, Hinagiku had broached the subject of Ary, Isime, and Xanderghul’s departure and what that meant for the crusades. Throughout the years, Hinagiku had fought alongside numerous people outside of her core group, but what she had achieved with them paled in comparison to what her divinely imbued companions and her could do. Thus, their loss was not only difficult on a personal level, but a hindrance to her own quest for ridding the world of the wound. After all, perfection was not an individual’s quest, but that of a group; alone she could do little, in harmony with many, she could do much more. She had also discussed with Ehren the possibility of going on a search for talents in other parts of Mendev and perhaps even looking outside the crusaders altogether since of their current allies, only Li’an had been affiliated with it, if barely. The couple had given themselves time to ponder and postponed their decision so far. But, the arrival of the capable Myrna had revived the topic in Hinagiku’s mind.
As Myrna and Beatrix answer her questions, Hinagiku gently lays a hand on Ehren’s forearm to draw his attention, and a knowing look to signal him the importance of the topic.
****
"True..." Hinagiku replies at Li'an's mention of the starstone. "I have heard rumours of the stone challenges... hopefully this was one that Anna succeeded at."
As the group continues to chat about Anna and her possible connection to the starstone, Fenton's expression grows more pensive. He listens closely as Li'an and Hinagiku theorize about the potential fallout from her association with such powerful forces. Fenton is lost in his own thoughts, but eventually chimes in, "I can only hope Anna's doing alright wherever she is. I'll definitely keep her in my prayers." He turns to Ehren, who's known him for a long time, "What's your take on all this, Ehren? You've had more experience with things like this."
Meanwhile, Sicrwydd, the tiny compsognathus spirit animal, sits at Unafe's feet, its hide glistening with copper-colored feathers with a hint of blue under its chin. It happily chomps on a strip of meat given to it by Unafe, its attention solely focused on the treat, seemingly unfazed by the weighty conversation occurring around it.
Hinagiku's brow furrows imperceptibly at Fenton's comment. First spy, now keeping her in his prayers. Suspicion was slightly aroused in Hinagiku's mind and she pays particular attention to the crusader's behaviour for the reminder of the evening.
Hinagiku knows Fenton is a devoted follower of Ary Bishop and may have a strong connection to her, but doesn't know much about him to know for sure if he's acting unusual. She knows that he has spent the last few years attending the Academy of the Living Saint, where training in a broad range of martial and athletic skills is offered. It was founded by Ary to train young crusaders, and now it seemed its remaining leadership was fast becoming the foundation of her growing church. Fenton never elected to take classes taught by Hinagiku, however. Fenton seems normal to her, like other young religious crusaders she has met.
Pleased by such compliments from such mighty people, Myrna just smiles and blushes into her mead-horn. When Hinagiku and Li'an ask about why she came here and what her squadron typically does, she mulls her answer for a few moments.
"Typically, my squadron plays a defensive role in Nerosyan. I got my captainship after the first siege of the Fifth Crusade, and we were assigned to district patrol after." She blows air. "I've been itching to move to the front line for a long time now, but apparently we're too valuable defensively."
"Beatrix and I came here on a more personal mission. There was intelligence suggesting cultist presence here in Devil's Rest, and that Dehliana herself might have been a cultist... but I volunteered for the mission because she stole from me, back in Nerosyan. We came here to prove the more serious rumors true."
As Myrna speaks, Fenton listens intently, nodding along while he digs into his plate of sausage and potatoes. His eyes are wide with wonder as he takes in the tales of Myrna's experiences fighting cultists. "Wow, it sounds like you and your squad have seen some serious action against cultists. I hope you end up at Drezen, I'd love to meet your squadron and learn from them!" He says excitedly, puffing his chest out with pride. "I just swore my oath after graduating at the Academy of the Living Saint, and I've been a fully fledged Crusader for only a few months now. I can't wait to get out there and make a difference."
After Fenton speaks, Beatrix adds in, "Yeah, we've dealt with our fair share of cultists back in Nerosyan. The city has been besieged, what... five times now? Oh, and, speaking of Dehliana, Myrna and I plan to escort her back to Drezen tomorrow morning. With anyone else, there's too much of a risk of her escaping. If you all are interested, you're welcome to come along and help us keep an eye on her."
Meanwhile, at the closest table, a group of crusaders huddle together in the corner of the common room, their plates piled high with roast beef and potatoes. They laugh and joke with each other, swapping stories of their battles against the demons of the Worldwound. Some of them are adorned with scars, a few are missing limbs, but all of them wear the same determined expression. One of them, a young Tian-Dan man, shakes his head and says "I tell ya, it was like fighting a never-ending horde of the damned. But we stood our ground and sent them back to the abyss where they belong." The others raise their mugs of ale in a toast to their fallen comrades, and to the crusade they all fight for.
As the conversation continues, Lann begins to notice that Unafe seems a bit distracted. She keeps glancing around the room, her attention seemingly caught by something else. He leans in closer to her and whispers, "Unafe, is everything okay? You seem a bit preoccupied. Is there something on your mind?"
Ehren drums his fingers along the table's surface in deep thought, carefully considering how to answer Fenton's question. He does not want to fill the young crusader with false hope, nor does he wish to suggest that there might be cause for despair. Apart from the best-known legends surrounding Aroden and Iomedae, he knows nothing about the Starstone. Even so, he cannot shake the feeling that Anna (or Sana, rather) will be just fine.
"I am not so sure that I can give you a satisfactory answer, Fenton. I have borne witness to many amazing things, true, but that only means that I have learned that anything is possible," the druid finally says with a wistful smile. "But I am certain of one thing. If this ordeal truly was some kind of test for Anna, then I believe it is safe to say that she passed, no?"
As he listens to Myrna's explanation, Ehren clutches Hinagiku's hand and meets her eyes briefly, receiving her unspoken message. Once the emotional pain of their friends' departure dulled somewhat, he had been forced to acknowledge the practical reality that their absence imposed. He senses a familiar spark in Myrna, but also something more - a sense of kinship he felt when he first met Unafe. The distinct feeling that perhaps, his people might have a greater role in casting off their own yoke than he had ever dreamed of.
"I would never dream of saying that your talents are wasted in Nerosyan. I have experienced for myself what the sieges there are like… it is a testament to warriors like you that the Diamond City still stands,” Ehren says to Myrna and Beatrix, offering his most honest praise. With a fleeting smile, he presses a hand against the stone necklace hanging around his neck, a memento of what was once the Crusade’s greatest defense. “But I also know all too well the folly of hiding behind walls. The restlessness as you wait for the enemy to strike. The futility of outlasting an immortal enemy.” The druid shakes his head. “These things have bought us so much time, but they are not what will win us this war. I should hope that every crusader knows this.”
Leaning back in his chair, Ehren barely gives Beatrix’s offer a moment of consideration before nodding. “I think we will take you up on that offer,” he says, looking to Hinagiku and Li’an for confirmation. “It would be a shame if the former god of wishful thinking got torn apart by giant scorpions before she could face justice - best we see things through to the end. And along the way, perhaps you would be amenable to hearing a proposition of sorts…”
Before he can get into too much detail, Lann’s remark draws his attention back to Unafe. The druid frowns, remembering what she had shared with them on their way here. This whole ordeal had been something of a distraction, but now that it was over, only her troubled thoughts remained.
“Is it about the comet?”
Myrna's heart soars at such sincere praise from the Archdruid, he who among all these giants and gods she respected the most. She smiles widely and clasps him on the shoulder, offering her horn to meet his glass. "We will be very glad to share the road with you, if it doesn't take you overly from other responsibilities. We are like-minded on the possibilities that await our people, should we continue to rest on our laurels, hide behind walls, or deceive ourselves into false senses of security. I'm from Gundrun, and the Clefthorn clan-liege there seems to have fully given up on the notion of ever reclaiming more land. I left when I insisted to the leaders of the clan that we must claim more land or die thirsty, and they disagreed."
"Despite misgivings and shortcomings, that's why I joined the Crusade. But even the Crusaders fall to the same traps!" she growls with dissatisfaction, shaking her head and drinking more mead from her horn. "Ugh. Well, as long as I have your ear, Archdruid, I'd like to tell you that I'd do anything to free Sarkoris from the demons, and to make our people free again. If you have a proposition, I'll hear it."
When he becomes distracted by the musings of their group's dinosaur-friend, she turns to Lann after. Leaning in to give her comments a bit of privacy, she mutters to him, "Don't be too eager to prove yourself. More experienced warriors than you have been bested by the demons, even at their best-prepared, even surrounded by squadrons of allies." She smiles at him, and ruffles the hair on his tiny head. "I don't want to see you join the ranks of the dead at least until I do, you hear?"
When Hinagiku had nudged Ehren about the conversation she was having with Myrna and Beatrix, she could never have guessed nor expected it to move forward so quickly. She knew herself to be slow at proposing things, but this was extremely forward even for others. So much so that it made her feel uncomfortable, it felt like they were trying to steal someone from their engagement. But, maybe it was destiny or fate that had put such a like minded individual in their path, whatever it was Ehren seemed to be making the most of it.
”Ehren-kun, if you believe that Mrs. Dehliana is a greater threat than the vermin attacks we were sent her to investigate, then I do not see a problem with accompanying Mrs. Myrna and Mrs. Beatrix. But, this is Mrs. Li’an’s mission, and we are accompanying her, what do you think? Should we meet your acquaintance first?” Hinagiku asks, turning to her.
"I understand, Ehren, sir," Fenton responds, his eyes brightening with hope. He wanted to believe that she would be okay. "I may not know much about Anna, but from the little I've seen today I have faith that she can handle whatever test she's facing." He leans back in his chair, taking a sip of his ale and letting the warm liquid wash down his throat. It is clear Ehren's words have reassured him.
As the conversation continues, Fenton finishes his plate and listens attentively to the others. When Myrna turns to him and affectionately ruffles his hair, he grins bashfully. "Yes, ma'am, I mean, Captain, ma'am," he says, taking her words to heart. "I won't let my eagerness to prove myself cloud my judgement. I know there's more to being a Crusader than just proving myself, and I don't want to put anyone in danger, and that includes me. Ary'd never forgive me, after all." He gives her a determined smile, "I joined the Crusade to make a difference and protect people, and I won't back down from that. I'll stay vigilant but I won't let fear hold me back."
As Hinagiku brings up a separate mission, Beatrix's ears perk up with interest. She turns to Li'an and asks, "Oh? What is this mission you speak of, Li'an? Is there something specific we should be on the lookout for while escorting Dehliana back to Drezen? It would be great if we could help in any way." Her curiosity is evident in her voice as she leans forward, eager to hear more and see how she can help.
Unafe blinks with surprise as Lann calls her back into the here and now.
"Sorry. A lot on my mind right now.”
“Is it about the comet?”
Unafe nods, finishes the wine in her cup, and refills it from the flagon. ”Aye. The comet, and what it could mean. I told you on the wagon ride up here what Valais told me.”
"I still wake nearly every morning with my mind’s eye seared by visions of those halflings being torn apart in the sewers of Rahadoum. And I remember that I failed to be worthy of my Ancestor Heart’s return when my people needed me most, and I failed to protect my people from Snjóbyl Soulhammer’s assault, and now the great saurians are all dead–or worse, perverted by the Wound–and the Demetae are reduced to a feeble shadow of our former might.”
Sicrwydd is now curled up on the clan-chief's lap, coooing gently as Unafe runs her fingers anxiously under the gen cain's feathered neck tufts.
”Nearly all,” she corrects herself, looking down at her lap with a weak smile.
”But…we also reawakened and soothed Dolok Darkscale, who has been Goryon’s companion for generations. And Dolok told me of Goryon’s last words, in the days of Cunall, the last true Two-Hearted. And Valais seems to believe that cryptic riddle points to this very week.
“So now I’m sitting here, after we defeated this pretender-god…and I find myself daring to hope. I find myself daring to believe the Archdruid's thought that perhaps this happened for a reason...and that terrifies me all the more.”
Lann leans in attentively as Unafe speaks, his expression one of genuine concern. He nods thoughtfully as she expresses her fears and doubts, and reaches out to place a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder. His fingers are broad and scaly. "I understand how you feel, Unafe," he says, his voice soft and gentle. "It's natural to have doubts and fears, especially after everything you've been through. But remember, you are not alone. We... well, myself, Ehren, and Hinagiku at least, are all here for you, and we will support you in whatever way we can."
The tavern is bustling with activity, the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses filling the air. The fire in the hearth crackles and pops, casting warm shadows on the faces of the heroes. The smell of roasting meats and baked breads wafts through the room. The group's table is covered with empty plates, the remnants of their meal scattered amongst emptied tankards of mead and ale.
Sicrwydd, Unafe's companion, sits curled up on her lap, cooing gently as she runs her fingers anxiously under the gen cain's feathered neck tufts. The small creature seems to sense Unafe's distress and nuzzles her affectionately, as if offering a wordless comfort.
Lann can sense the tension in Unafe's body and he decides to lighten the mood a bit with a joke. "Besides, it's not like we're going to let giant scorpions tear us apart before we can figure out what it all means, right? We've already defeated one god today, I'm sure we can handle whatever else comes our way," he says with a crooked grin, hoping to bring a smile to Unafe's face.
He looks at her with a gentle expression, "It's important to remember that even in the darkest of times, there is still hope and a chance for things to improve. We just have to be open to it and have faith that things will work out in the end."
Listening to Myrna's answer to the questions about what she had been doing, Li'an nods. She understood the frustration of being stationed in Nerosyan, unable to do more than contribute to the defense of the city--apart from frying the occasional devil roaming about the city. "Getting transferred to Nerosyan was so dull," Li'an says. "You should certainly see about getting moved out to Drezen."
Prior to Hinagiku bringing it up, Li'an had almost forgotten their original purpose for visiting the area. The haunting and appearance of devils at the inn had become her sole focus, given her extreme antipathy towards them. "Thanks for reminding me, Daisy," she says before looking to Beatrix. "We were sent to find the source of the infestation of demonic vermin and attacks in the area. I was supposed to meet with one of Anevia's scouts, Selik Agthoven."
She looks around the room, trying to spot the headstrong Taldan male archer Anevia had sent ahead, thought she knew it was unlikely he was there given he hadn't actually come up to greet her. "I'll go ask around to see if anyone here has seen him in a bit. Perhaps one of those crusaders at the table has news of his whereabouts," she says, gesturing towards the crusaders celebrating nearby.
When discussion dies down, Li'an takes a moment to introduce herself to the crusaders and ask if any of them had seen or heard of Selik coming through the area.
Li'an approaches the table of celebrating Crusaders, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of Selik. As she approaches, the Crusaders fall silent, watching her intently. A short and well-built man with medium-length fine black hair and striking russet eyes catches her gaze after she notices his Captain badge. He introduces himself as Captain Thanh Ngo, a bard. Despite his mellow and composed demeanor, his words come out in a cutting and mean-spirited manner, as if he's always looking for a way to belittle others. He wears mismatched clothing in a deep fern green, studded leather armor that enhances his already impressive physique and bears a heavy crossbow with a confident ease. His hunting dog, a sleek and fierce looking creature, lay at his feet, letting out a low growl at Li'an's approach.
"Oh, Selik Agthoven, you're looking for him? I arrived on the same wagon as him, but the man's gone missing," Captain Ngo says with a sneer, "Heard a search party was sent out for him, but who knows if they'll ever find him. I wouldn't bother wasting my time looking for him. People go missing around here all the time. Not everyone's cut out for fighting in the Wound." At the news, Beatrix furrows her brow. Her eyes dart over to Li'an, closely observing her reaction to the Tian Dan captain's callous words. Auraelia, who flies just above Li'an, looks at the captain with disgust and she doesn't even bother to hide her contempt, flapping her wings more briskly in agitation, indicating her disagreement with Captain Ngo's attitude.
Myrna joins Li'an at the other table when she overhears Cpt. Ngo's attitude towards the missing scout that her new elven friend was looking for. Her party attitude is interrupted by the news of missing or dead Crusaders and halted missions. She looms down on the seated Tian man, a disapproving frown evident on her face. "You shouldn't talk about your comrades like that, Ngo," she grumbles at him. "A troop is built on support for one another. Withhold yours, and who knows if help will arrive right when you happen to need it the most."
"Do you know when he went missing? And when the party was sent to find him?"
Like Arie, Li'an is clearly angered by the Captain's attitude toward the possible disappearance of Selik. "If he disappeared it was because he was actually out doing his duty investigating the issues in the area, probably much like the others who have 'disappeared'. In case you had forgotten, we're in the middle of a war with the Abyss. So what exactly is it you are doing out here Captain? Cowering inside the inn until you can travel to the next location with ale and warm food?" Li'an's eyes blaze brightly as she glares down at the Tian Dan Captain, awaiting his response.
Myrna looms over Captain Thanh Ngo like a storm cloud, her imposing presence casting a shadow over the table as she joins Li'an in her search for Selik. Ngo squirms under her gaze, trying to hide his discomfort behind a mask of haughtiness. He knows that as a fellow Captain, Myrna holds equal rank to him, and he modifies his tone slightly when addressing her, in contrast to his earlier dismissive attitude towards Li'an. "The man disappeared a few days ago," he says with a shrug, "A search party was sent out to find him yesterday, but I wouldn't hold my breath. It's just another person dead thanks to the demonic vermin that prowl around the surrounding countryside." He waves his hand dismissively, trying to make Selik's disappearance sound like an everyday occurrence.
Li'an's eyes blaze like fire as she calls out Ngo on his attitude. He sits up straight, trying to assert some authority, but the anger in Li'an's voice makes him falter. "I'm out here doing my duty, just like everyone else," he says, trying to sound confident. "But you can't expect me to risk my life needlessly. I'm not going to throw myself into a battle when I don't know what's really going on."
He turns to Myrna, trying to appeal to her sense of reason. "Look, I'm not saying Selik is dead. But you know as well as I do that the Wound is a dangerous place. People disappear all the time, and it's not always because of demons. Sometimes it's just bad luck." He shrugs, trying to downplay the gravity of the situation. "The search party will find him, or they won't. But either way, it's not worth getting yourselves killed over."
As Li'an and the others discuss Selik's disappearance, one of the crusaders at the table, a tall human woman with black facial tattoos and raised moles on her cheeks, forehead, and neck, speaks up. She's dressed in well-maintained leather armor and has two scimitars crossed on her back, symbols of her devotion to Sarenrae. "You know, I'm not sure how much we can trust anything that innkeeper, Nordvick, said," she says, her voice low and thoughtful. Her curly, tangled black hair is tied up in a bun with red streaks, and her clothes are emblazoned with the holy symbol of Sarenrae. "He was the one who told us about his disappearance in the first place, and look how he turned out.” She speaks with an accent the heroes don't recognize, melodic and almost musical in intonation. Captain Ngo scoffs at her words, but the woman remains unfazed, her optimistic attitude shining through despite his criticism.
“Lann is right, Unafe,” Ehren says gently, regarding the clan-liege with a smile just large enough to make the corners of his eyes wrinkle ever so slightly. Her centuries of stasis aside, the druid is already a few years her elder, but something in his gaze makes the gulf seem much more significant. “It is wonderful that you carry hope in your heart. Our people have gone on without it for far too long. As for that fear? It is only natural that it grips you.”
“The fear of the unknown is a primal instinct shared by all living creatures. That is why the future terrifies us; uncertainty and endless possibility lie beyond the present. With the death of Aroden came the end of prophecy, and so it was ensured that no one could brave the future without carrying that fear. To have hope, then, is to have faith in the unknown, and to move forward despite that fear, is to have courage. I do not know what this Apostae’s Tear will bring, but I know you will have the courage to face it head-on.”
Ehren holds Unafe's gaze for a moment longer before breaking eye contact and letting out a hearty chuckle, letting the mantle of wise sage drop. He goes on in a more casual tone, dropping any pretense of teaching some grand lesson of life.
“But if merely being told that it is fine to be terrified is a small comfort to you, then perhaps this will help put your mind at ease. There is a comet that we of the Green Faith know as réalta fánaíochta that is due to return next week. I had my suspicions before, but it can be no coincidence – our comets are the one and the same. Perhaps this is fortunate, for the wandering star is a good omen. With it comes the promise of a year of good hunting.”
Once again, Ehren’s smile touches his eyes. “Goryon chose a most auspicious time to return.”
Lann’s kind words bring a gentle smile to Hinagiku’s lips; all three of them were there for Unafe.
”We will support you, yes. If you want us with you when the comet comes, we will be there, wherever it is. And, whatever happens, we will be there. And, so will your people.” Hinagiku adds gently after Ehren is done speaking.
Hinagiku pauses briefly, pondering what more to say, pondering whether she should guard the young leader against hoping for too much. But chooses not to. Instead, she plants a seed, something that will help lift the demetae’s heart if events were to disappoint her.
”The wise say that the feeling of hope is a boon. So long as you have lived it, you know what it is, its strength, and you know what it can inspire. And, when you know something, you can use it, and light other people’s hearts. Just like Ehren, I would not tell you not to hope, but that you should cherish what you have, this feeling, and not what you will have.”
Later, as the altercation between Li’an, Myrna, and Ngo occurs, Hinagiku opts to remain seated, leaving the ranks and social expectations of crusaders to take their course. Sarenrae’s disciple seem to have a point though. Hinagiku looks towards Myrna, the only one with a high enough rank to visit the prisoners, and, when she catches her eyes, tilts her head slightly to the side in support of investigating the issue with Nordvick and perhaps Dehliana too.
Li'an turns her attention briefly towards the woman who had joined the conversation. Noticing Captain Ngo's attention also turn towards her--the Captain apparently having an urgent need to sneer at everything--she snaps her fingers, using prestidigitation to render his ale unpleasantly tepid and slightly sulfurous in flavor. Auraelia, sensing Li'an's mischeviousness, floats up to the rafters and takes a seat, waiting for the Captain to take a swig of the beverage.
She then walks over to the woman. "That's a good point, though Nordvick hardly has a reason to lie now. Perhaps it's worth asking him now that his devilish patron has been sent packing. I'm Li'an Va'ardalia, and that is Captain Myrna Riversoar," she says, pointing back at the Captain. "I'd give you my rank as well, but I think they're still trying to figure out how reincarnation after an extended period affects rank."
As Li'an approaches the Sarenrite, she can't help but notice the intricate black tattoos on her brown face, accented by a golden piece of jewelry that is affixed to the center of her forehead.
She greets Li'an with a smile. "I'm Pele Niu, a warpriest of the Dawnflower," she says, her speech carrying a subtle accent that rises and falls in a pattern. "It's nice to meet you," she says. "Were you part of the group that helped deal with that devil-woman from earlier?" she asks, sounding impressed. "Thank you for that. I think they're keeping Nordvick in the basement. What a strange turn of events, he didn't seem the sort to be caught up in all this devilish nonsense."
As Captain Ngo takes a swig of his ale and makes a face at the unpleasant taste, Pele's smile turns into a smirk. "I couldn't help but speak up against Captain Ngo's dismissive attitude towards Selik's disappearance," she says, her tone low and measured. "I still hope the search party finds him, I really do."
Beatrix nods in agreement with Pele's words, taking her place at Myrna's side. She already has her notes out and ready, jotting down everything that sounds pertinent. "Maybe we should speak with Nordvick and see if he can provide any information that could lead to finding Selik," she says, all business as usual.