GM Kiora's Wrath of the Righteous

Game Master Kiora Atua

;P

At Ary's request, Ehren wiggles his fingers. After a moment her waterskin swells with fresh water, some of it spilling out over the top. As the ranger offers it to Julania he slowly approaches her, looking her over for any less outward injuries.

Heal: 1d20 + 10 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 10 + 3 = 31

"The water will help," Ehren says, confirming Ary's suspicion, "Some food would as well." He digs through his belt pouch and retrieves one of his remaining lesser restoration potions, offering it to the crusader. "Here, this should help. You must be exhausted."

Captain Nalti shakes her head at Ehren. "Preserve your rations. I'm fine. This is my post. I cannot back down." Her voice is steady, but strangely monotonous.

Try a social skill, or, alternatively, once two are ready to leave we will :)

Markus' bless wears off.

Val sighs, seeing the woman clearly completely out of it. "Captain, how will you do your duty if you let yourself starve. Are you expecting to fight while you're weak and sick? Are you trying to fail your duties? Because you are going to fail if you refuse to keep yourself healthy."

Diplomacy (Grazed): 1d20 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 9 - 1 = 11

Markus smiles. "Thank you for your esteem." Then he goes to attend to the Crusader.

"Captain Nalti, you have to come with us. If you continue to stay here and fight, you'll just die. But we're still here, and we're still fighting." says Markus. "We really could use your help. And you look like you could use ours."

Diplomacy (wounded): 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 8 - 2 = 9

Li'an looks at Ary and Anevia quickly, trying to make eye contact before speaking again. She briefly signals them and the others "listen" when she's sure they're looking. "Come on you two play along."

"Captain Nalti, we're here under Irabeth's Orders to retrieve you. You are to return with us to join up with the remaining crusaders in attempting to retake the city. I understand that what happened here is terrible, but your duty as a crusader is to follow your orders, and those orders have changed."

Bluff: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Bluff:Aid: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 Faith! *Shakes Fist*

Ary doesn't seem quite willing to jump on board with the lie at first, so perhaps it's the surprise registering on her face that removes credence from her words, either way, she understood that a lie was a much quicker way to aid this woman than the truth; she'd had enough truth over the last few days.

"Honestly, even without those orders, I think you need to stand down. You've held your ground and defended your allies, surrendering none. This district has been safely evacuated thanks to you." Ary says, saluting the captain with Radiance. "But at what cost would you continue to hold? The Inheritor needs every soldier she has right now; if you won't leave, at least accept our offerings. The water costs us nothing to provide."

Anevia Aid Another (Bluff): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Julania Sense Motive (Grazed): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15

Captain Nalti shakes her head. "Chevalier Irabeth was at the Kite at Armasse. She's dead with all the rest who were stationed in Old Kenabres."

Anevia butts in. "Like hell she is! Cap'n Nalti, the crusaders are stationed up north, and they need your help."

The older woman hesitates for a moment, then softens. "You're her wife, right?" She looks back at the corpse pile. "I...I can't leave my men behind to be devoured by these horrible creatures. They need a proper burial."

Li'an's shoulders sink some as Julania demands a chance to bury her men. She looks deep into the captain's eyes, trying to let her see the sympathy she felt. "Sometimes... sometimes we don't get a chance to bury those we love, or even to say goodbye. Life is terribly cruel that way..." She pauses for a moment, lost in thought. Part of her truly wanted to stay and grant the captain her wish. If it had been just her alone, she likely wouldn't be able to deny the captain's request. Others' lives were at stake though, and Li'an wasn't willing to risk them.

"I understand wanting to see them properly buried, believe me Julania. I've been in the same situation and didn't have a chance to do so. However, even with all of us here working at it we'd likely be ambushed by demons or cultists again before we'd be able to finish. Do you truly believe your men would have you or other people die trying to bury them rather than live on trying to protect those who remain?"

need a social skill check to go with that. But Li'an's speech is solid so she can get a +3 circumstantial bonus ;) also " li'an" has made it into my phones auto correct hahaha :D that makes me happy.

haha, that's great! Well, here goes nothing :p

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 1 + 3 = 16

Ary looks to Ehren, and keeps her voice low, thought he captain can likely hear her due to proximity; it's just that she doesn't want to give false hope when she doesn't understand how something works.

"Hey, Ehren? Can you do the Soft Stone spell thingy? Would that work for burying her friends, do you think?"

Diplomacy aid: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 6 - 1 = 14

"I think we can quickly solve the burying situation captain, but you would be more help to the effort if you followed us to where the remaining crusaders are, to keep fighting, what do you say?"

Ehren looks to all the bodies, running a few rough calculations in his head.

"I... think I can make it work. We will need to move the bodies, though. One of those yards should suffice."

He looks to the others, understanding their desire to move on. "Let's give the captain her peace of mind. We should not move on with any more regrets than we need to."

Li'an is clearly stunned by Ehren's suggestion that they should be able to manage to give the captain her peace. She looks at him gratefully and, without hesitating, turns to the captain. "...And sometimes the world surprises us by allowing us a measure of peace. Lets go bury your men, Julania," Li'an says, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

She'd spent many years wishing she'd been able to do the same for her father, but despite the crusaders sending out search parties for him, they'd never managed to find any sign of his body or his possessions. Li'an was truly grateful that the captain wouldn't have to go through the same thing with her subordinates. Not wasting any time, she moves over beside the pile ready to move corpses, determined to help even if she isn't able to carry them on her own like Hrut or Ary.

Ary smiled softly, and tousled Ehren's hair. "Great!" she said as she maneuvered to help to move the bodies. "I'll trust you to point out which ones worshipped Iomedae; they'd have not wanted their belongings to waste away in the ground." Ary said, being respectful of the Crusader's wishes, and reminding her that it wasn't desecration if it was proper procedure. I never thought I'd hear myself say -that-.

Julania seems resigned to the idea that she would just need to press forwards with Li'an, when Ehren speaks up. She turns towards him, relieved. "Is that so? Thank you. I'd be happy to accompany you forwards if you would do me that one small favor. There are some soft plots of land nearby, I'd need help carrying the bodies."

Assuming the others comply, she will help carry the bodies towards a nearby yard of a mostly collapsed house. There are twelve in total, and they are in various states of decomposition. The work is slow and grim.

Once the bodies are laid out on their backs on the ground, she is careful to strip them of their Crusader's crosses - small, typically wooden (or metal) badges shaped like the sword-cross of Iomedae. Each has their name, rank, and nation etched on the side, and often bear family, religious, or personal emblems etched as well. Their purpose, she explains, is to serve both as identification should their corpses be found well past their time for identification, and as protection against infiltration via polymorph or illusion magic - all crusaders carry one.

Once she has all twelve she stows them away. "Their families will be glad to have these." She doesn't bother mentioning that their families could very well be dead. Captain Nalti bows her head in prayer. "Gracious Inheritor, by your side may these honorable soldiers find eternal rest. Look kindly upon these departed souls who gave their lives in service of Mendev and of these righteous Crusades. Remember that the purpose of holy war is eventual peace."

I'd like Ehren to describe his spellcasting to bury the bodies :D

Then, once he has posted - once two are ready to move on, we will.

I will have one! Dog tags!

After the burial,

"We should leave soon, we have stayed too long, but for a good purpose, we do not want to attract anything..."

Hrut voting to move on

After Burial, but before leaving.

"Okay, so. Fiendish Animals are creatures from the Abyss or Hell or what have you, or creatures that have been altered by rituals, magic, what have you. They're not always the same, and they're not always readily identifiable as to what they are."

"What I said about those vultures goes for anything I say is Fiendish; resistant to elemental magic, and more importantly, that they choose a quarry. Most likely they're going to pick the first person they see as a quarry... in this case, Hrut and Julania; a person with a pure heart will be torn to shreds much more quickly by one of these creatures once they've been chosen." she says looking to Hrut. "So even though instinctively, we might choose to become a wall, it may be a really bad decision to do so. Because more powerful fiendish creatures will turn even the most sturdy people into pudding, if they've chosen them as quarry. If you suspect you've become their target, tag out, as it were. Make them have to work to get to you." she paused for a moment, to see if people understood what she was trying to explain.

Ehren looks down at the small plot of land, and then more grimly at the twelve bodies they were to put to rest. When Julania is finished taking their badges and offering her prayer, he nods to her and stands back, taking a moment to center himself. The spell he was about to use had many uses, but never had he thought that it might be used to bury the dead. Strictly speaking, he was not even certain that it would work, but he was not about to step away now; in a way, the crusader captain's life depended on this. He murmurs under his breath, focusing on his spell and drawing power from the ley lines. Ehren then bends down and places a hand flat against the ground, whispering to the earth, or perhaps to the crusaders themselves.

"Ar ais chuig an domhain, ó gach áit a tháinig go léir."

The already soft bed of dirt becomes softer still - so soft, that the bodies of the crusaders start to sink into the ground, dragged down by their own weight. The holes fill in, leaving the bodies buried under several feet of dirt. Ehren lets out a sigh, his task fulfilled.

Ary smiles softly as Ehren finishes up the spell; she hadn't known whether it would work or not, but it was good to see that they could make things a little better for someone here without having to fight for it.

Julania's dedication to her oath reminded her of her conversation with Horgus; she'd have to check and see what sort of oaths Julania had made... she might have an ideal job for her, if she was willing. And Ary happened to know there was definitely an opening.

Li'an stands before the crusaders' bodies, lowering her head out of respect as Julania prays to Iomedae on their behalf. She then watches with amazement as Ehren makes use of the spell to bury the crusaders all at once. Once the ground has firmed up again, she wanders about for a bit, gathering stones and placing small cairns at the four corners of the area to mark it as a grave. "Hopefully we'll be able to put proper markers for them one day," she thinks as she places the last of the stones. "Thank you Ehren, and Ary too for thinking of that. I'm relieved that I was wrong and that we were able to put them to rest properly," she says sincerely.

She listens to Ary's explanation of the fiendish creatures, and for the second time in a while she wishes that she hadn't slept through all those lectures on demons when she was younger. She nods in acknowledgement, realizing she'd not have lasted at all if she'd been in Hrut's place.

"I agree Hrut, lets get moving," she says in response to his suggestion.

This woman was honorable - in a way that none of the men and women they had found so far had been. Those Ash Ravens that Ary had spoken about, and then the squad menacing Klarah. Only Anevia had the level of duty that Markus had always heard spoken of. Of course, while Fenna and Klarah were brave, it wasn't the same.

It fills Markus' heart with elation to know that they had snapped the woman out of her stupor, and that she was going to come with them.

Val nods slightly, her face somber. The sight of the crusaders' bodies vanishing into the ground feels harsher than it should. "I'm growing tired of seeing the dead outnumbering the living. We can't let this continue much longer." She shakes herself and looks back up at the group. "I'm ready to go when everyone else is."

Ary held out her second watermarking to the woman again. "Now, you hold up your end of the bargain. Remember, slow. Just a mouthful each minute." She says once more. She wondered quietly to herself if she'd been as unlucky as the Captain if she'd still be alive. It was amazing that she'd survived at all... much less in her current condition.

Best not to think like that. "Onwards to Hawk's house." Ary said, trying to keep up her cheery demeanor. 'Rest well.'

After burying the fallen crusaders the group moves on to the Tirablade residence. Between the burial service and travel, it is late in the afternoon when they arrive. The house sits in the Gate District after a series of ruined inns, and despite Chevalier Irabeth's recent infamy and success within the Eagle Watch, it is a simple three-room affair. The walls are scorched, and there has been some significant damage inflicted upon parts of the roof, but the building is intact.

Anevia is certainly not Horgus Gwerm - she is far too cautious to simply run up to the building, yelling. She is however far too anxious to stay in the rear with Ary and Hrut - she moves up front with Li'an and Valaria as they approach. She crouches down in a nearby alley, scanning her home for any sign of life.

"Alright. So, what do you guys think? Scope it out a little first? Or have Hrut kick the door off its hinges?" she whispers and grins cheekily, but her constant fidgeting betrays the emotions roiling beneath the surface.

Val thinks about it for a few moments. "Scout it out once then let the heavies go in first if we don't see anything that requires our immediate attention. Hopefully we won't find anything too dangerous." She knows that Anevia is anxious for any sign of her wife, but she doesn't want to see a companion rush into danger.

"Agreed," Li'an said, her thoughts on the matter mirroring Val's. "I'll scout around to the left of the house, you check around to the right, if it looks clear, we'll approach and listen to see if there's anything coming from inside." As usual, she links herself magically to Val, including Anevia and Hrut as well, so she'll be able to tell them to approach when the time comes.

Stepping lightly as she moves off to the side, she winds her way among the ruined buildings and other things, trying to stay low and keep an eye on her surroundings. Once she finds a safe place to observe from, she settles down and begins observing the house carefully.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

"Sounds like a plan." Val moves as carefully as she can around the right of the house, watching for any signs of danger.

Perception (Grazed): 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 8 - 1 = 13
Stealth (Grazed): 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (11) + 6 - 1 = 16

Ehren approaches the building's door from the front, feeling for any spiritual presences within.

Ary fidgets probably as much as Anevia, as Li'an swaps her out for Hrut; probably repayment for her forgetting to pass on the message. Oh well. Or that you knew I wasn't here! :O

She hunkers down with the others and waits, eyes closed, just listening to the surroundings; she'd likely hear something long before she saw it in the ruined city they found themselves in.

I try and mix it up a bit so people won't feel left out. Eventually I'll be able to get everyone :)

"It seems safe to move in. Any traps we should know about before we head in, Anevia?" Li'an whispers only half-jokingly as she begins approaching the house herself.

Warhammer and shield ready in anticipation for storming the building,

"Well what do you say, go in hard through the front?" Hrut whispers to Li'an through her spell.

Anevia grins. "Nah, if I rigged the house I'd end up maiming my poor wife - she's clumsy like you wouldn't believe..."

"No demons inside, at least," Ehren says, without any hint of relief.

"Clear on my side too from the looks of it. Shall we send in the wall of meat?"

Basically waiting for a second person to confirm you're all ready to attempt to move inside, or for Hrut himself to walk up and open the door.

"I don't see any reason not to go inside..." murmurs Markus, though he shuffles up till he's within 30 feet and casts detect magic anyway, just to check.

"It's still Anevia's house, so maybe leave the door on the hinges, Hrut" she responds, picturing him barreling through the door and rampaging about the house looking for any signs of life.

She moves up to the others near the door and waits for Hrut to do the honors. "We should move quick, as I'm sure we'll want to check out any leads this gives us if we can before heading back to Horgus's compound."

Hrut walks up to the door, opens it and...?

Ary follows along, shield arm at the ready to deflect any incoming attacks as she is able. Readied action to either block or drag Hrut out of the way of the first threat she sees.

Readied Aid AC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

What's in the door? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

Anevia's been robbed!

Oh the horror!

The carpet does match the drapes!

Ehren follows Hrut up to the door, his club held at the ready (and as far away from his face as he could manage).

Hrut walks up to the door, opens it and...?

....he finds that it is locked!

"Ah, haha. Let me get that real quick..." Anevia hurries to the door and rummages around in her pocket for her house keys and unlocks the door. She pushes the door open and finds the common room - a sitting room as well as kitchen - empty and untouched.