|
"Sure, let's do the noble thing. There is honor in setting him free. Besides, I doubt he wants his face pelted with serpent-shaped magic missiles. Nope!" Erlathan smiles, lifting his staff up.
I really need to come up with a name for this thing. Magic Serpent Launcher? Nah, too predictable. I shall make this my goal for our journey.
"Off you go now, sir green, be free!"
|
You have a strong suspicion that the orc understands and speaks the common tongue.
Vegazi switches to Taldane, so you all can understand. "Strip. Now." The shamed warrior complies, turning a darker shade of grey-green. "Go and 'spread the word of how soundly you were defeated by the Knights of Arwyll Stead.'"
The orc scurries off into the woods and never looks back.
Picking over the corpses of the slain Hell's Fury orcs, you assemble an assortment of gear: mwk hide armor, three sets of studded leather armor, four falchions, 17 javelins, a masterwork spear and 203 gp.
Your bedraggled entourage expresses their relief and gratitude, eager to reach the safety of Arwyll Stead's walls.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The whole way back, Grev regales everyone with excerpts from his book—it’s a terrible piece of writing.
At some point, he talks about being captured by the Hell’s Fury tribe along with Adil Arwyll and some of Adil’s finest soldiers. He's illustrated the manuscript with his sketches, including one of Vegazi and Adil Arwyll.
Vegazi looks a uncomfortable learning of her mention in Grev's memoirs.
He tells everyone how the half-orc granddaughter of the tribe’s chieftain rescued the humans from certain demise during a chaotic bout of infighting among the orcs.
The hermit Grev was a talented fighter in Lastwall’s military, but he was a much better soldier than he is an author—his writing is awful.
Just a few of the passages he reads aloud:
" ...And then I pulled my sword out of the orc, and the blade made a terrible smacking noise as the orc cried, 'Raaarggh!' If my sword had a voice, it would have screamed right back at the orc, spitting the monster’s blood in his face... "
" ...The stench was terrible. It was a battlefield stench, the kind you never forget: the wretched stink of blood and battle... "
" ...The battle was over, but even as my brothers and I whooped for victory, I noticed my bloody stump of an arm flopping about. Like a lumberjack apprentice’s first attempt at chopping down a fine cherry tree in its youthful bloom, the orcs had whittled my limb so badly it weren’t worth saving... "
|
|
"What a splendid piece of writing, Sir Grev!" Lord Braggett lies right to the man's face. "In all my years I don't think I have ever heard anything quite like it, and I dare say I shall never hear the likes again." Although the writing and perhaps even the recital is poor, Braggett does still appreciate the skills Grev must have had as a soldier fighting hordes of orcs on the frontier. "You have had a truly remarkable life, Sir! I salute you."
Seeing how uncomfortable Vegazi seems on hearing she is part of Grev's memoirs, Braggett rides up to speak with her. "Do not be uncomfortable, Lady Vegazi. You should be proud to be recognised for your accomplishments, no matter the quality of the author. Ha! Indeed, no publicity is bad publicity, am I right? Besides, soon all the bards of Lastwall will be singing of our heroic exploits anyway. Why, soon your name will be almost as famous as mine."
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Grev beams at Lord Braggett's compliment. "Finally, he exclaims, "an adventurer with good taste in literature!" The old, one-armed hermit resumes the recounting of his life's work with even greater enthusiasm.
A stoic Vegazi gives the cavalier a pained, skeptical look. "You've earned your renown, no doubt, Lord Braggett, but I'd rather be left alone."
Scoutmaster Terrin, who is still faithfully watching the gates, greets you when you return to town. "Hail, Pathfinders! Looks like you managed to bring in all the homesteaders safely! Come, join me at the armory."
He escorts you to his headquarters.
"To express our gratitude and appreciation, I've requisitioned a reward for you."
Terrin tells you, "All’s been quiet. There've been some troublesome rumors spreading and people jumping at shadows, but I chalk up such occurrences to the townsfolk’s nerves and increased tension."
Satisfied that you've been justly rewarded, he rubs his callused hands together. "So tell me all about the evacuation. Any sign of orcs or devils? Learn anything about what's behind all this?"
|
Hanlin looks through the equipment as it stands on racks and shelves as he responds to Terrin "Its been a busy trip. Orcs just outside of town, swarms of angry crows and even a pack of hungry lions! Seems the animals were coerced by an orc woman that could take the form of an eagle. She is no more."
He looks to the others to continue filling out the report as he struggles to heft up a well made earthbreaker before setting it back down gingerly.
|
|
"She is no more able to defeat us than her sisters!" Lord Braggett continues where Hanlin left off. "We have her hogtied over the back of Grev's mule for further questioning if you wish, or to otherwise place in a cell where she belongs." He puffs out his chest proudly as he inspects the gear for anything interesting. "Furthermore, we sent two more devils to the Abyss from which they came, and discovered the location of a Hell's Fury camp just to the north of here."
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"We also found out that there's some discontent among the Hell's Fury tribe," Nina adds, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Their leader, Kelseph...yeah, I think I'm saying that right...apparently ran off into the nearby mountains to chase visions that are supposedly going to lead her to greater power. But some of the other orcs aren't happy about that and the whole consorting-with-devils-thing and they think she's off, uh, consorting with humans again now, too."
Nina shrugs. "We also found mention about another daughter of Kelseph's, some of her sisters don't seem to think much of her - there's a journal somewhere, we found it," she continues to chatter on, digging through the bags until she finds what she seeks, "...here it is! Anyway, this daughter Yvogga and two other half-orcs named Korlum and Grache have a hideout somewhere north of town."
Almost out of breath, Nina finally gasps, "It'shardtotellbutmaybetheyseethingsdifferentlyandmightjoinusifwetalkreally goodtothem!"
|
|
Vegazi is stunned when the party offers her a veritable arsenal of masterwork arrows.
"Thank you, friends."
Terrin Shaw is happy you're pleased with the rewards the resource-strapped scouts could muster. The scoutmaster gives a pointed glance toward Ilka. "What do want to do with your prisoner? We could secure her here in the armory for few days."
|
|
"You are a valuable member of this team Vegazi. Your skills with that bow, in the field, and knowledge of the Orcs of this land are very important." He smiles and claps her on the shoulder.
He then turns to Shaw "Where ever she would be most secure, you'd know best on that front. But be wary, she casts divine spells, so keep her devoid of even the most basic of items. She also can turn into an Eagle, perhaps other things. I'm not sure how you can properly lock her up." Hanlin taps his chin.
|
|
Terrin Shaw gives a grim nod. "We've got a small vault, no windows, just one door. We'll keep it locked and guarded. That should hold her."
The scoutmaster ushers you into the lower level of the armory. He has his scouts put Ilka, still bound and gagged, into the vault, secures the lock, and pockets the key. He places two imposing guards at the door. "No talking to the prisoner. No one in or out. The door stays closed and locked, unless I open it. Understood?"
The guards come to attention and salute. "Yessir."
Satisfied, Shaw turns to you. "Well, if you haven't yet spoken to Mayor Proum, you should probably report to him. He'll want to know what you learned."
Impressed, Vegazi bows to each of you. "You have delivered a defeated foe to justice and safeguarded these people from a merciless threat."
|
|
A messenger hails you. "The mayor would like to talk to you and Grev in Arwyll Manor."
Proum meets you in the parlor. "I'm glad you're back and that you managed to bring all the homesteaders safely within the walls of Arwyll Stead. Well done."
The mayor listens with interest to your report on Ilka. He asks to see Ilka's Journal.
He takes his time scanning the contents. "She gives names and identities to the town’s enemies, and at least the outline of a motive. Still, I wonder how, exactly, Vegazi is entangled in the diabolical plot."
Grev tells Proum all about Vegazi and how she saved countless Steaders several decades ago. "She rescued Captain Adil and myself many years ago from the Hell’s Fury prison camp!"
Mayor Proum nods, thinking. "While I'm glad that Vegazi is responsible for effectively extending the Arwyll line another generation, I'm unsure what this fact ultimately means for the town, or even what the townsfolk would make of such a revelation."
Vegazi, silent and stoic as ever, shifts her feet in discomfort, once again the subject of unwelcome conversation and speculation.
Proum reaches into a small lockbox and hands each of you a leather pouch. It clinks when you take it, heavier than you expected. "In thanks for bringing Grev to Arwyll Stead and for proving Vegazi’s claim that she helped the Arwyll family, please accept this reward."
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Almost immediately, Inky swiftly squishes one of Nina's feet with a hindpaw. "What do you mean 'is it okay'??? We faced the risk, we deserve a reward!" she hisses to her summoner. "Honestly! Do you forget that you've got to eat and sleep somewhere dry at the very least? How do you afford it? With loads of money!"
|
|
Before heading into the meeting Hanlin will dust off the weariness of the road and shine his teeth, doing his best to put his best foot forward for the meeting with the Mayor.
Proud of his service and duty to Iomedae, but certainly not too proud to accept a well earned reward, Hanlin smiles and shakes the Mayor's hand after receiving the coin purse "We're very happy to help Sir. Protecting the innocent from the likes of Devilish influence is something I've trained most of my life for. Funds like these go to use in furthering that training."
He steps back and then backs up Grev's testimony on Vegazi with his own "Look beyond her lineage Mayor. Vegazi has been every bit a part of this success as we have. Without her keen eyes in the woods we'd not have found those lost children. Her marksmanship has been impressive since day one. Her knowledge of the Orc language very useful as a translator. I hope you extend this reward to her as well."
Touch of Glory (Sp): You can cause your hand to shimmer with divine radiance, allowing you to touch a creature as a standard action and give it a bonus equal to your cleric level on a single Charisma-based skill check or Charisma ability check. This ability lasts for 1 hour or until the creature touched elects to apply the bonus to a roll. You can use this ability to grant the bonus a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
|
|
Sudden screams outside draw all of you from the manor. The townspeople are pointing up at the gray sky.
Four gaav devils fly over the town’s gates and drop a mangled corpse in the dirt before teleporting away.
As you approach the corpse, its bloody lips part to shout a message in a low orc voice: "The Hell’s Fury tribe demands the half-orc Vegazi. Until then, devils will walk among you. Refuse, and this won’t be the last body that falls." It repeats this message for 10 minutes before going silent.
Terrin Shaw walks over to the body. "It’s Jeb. One of my missing men. They must have been slain or captured."
Grim-faced, he shouts, "Scouts, mount up! We’ll find the survivors and punish their captors."
On the verge of panic, the townsfolk are in an uproar over the decapitated head dropped on their doorstep.
"No!" Mayor Proum steps forward. "I order the militia of Arwyll Stead to close the gates and bar anyone from entering or leaving the town, no exceptions. It would be a disgrace to the Arwyll name to give in to the fiendish demands," he reasons.
"The walling off of Arwyll Stead is the safest course of action until reinforcements from Vigil arrive to help the Steaders track down our missing scouts and put the fiendish killers to justice."
Furious but obedient, Terrin Shaw gives a curt nod and stalks off to vent his frustration.
|
|
Lord Braggett is still busy counting all the coins, thinking about the fancy noble clothing he could afford with such a reward, Ruffles... Jewels... Puffy sleeves! When the screaming starts outside.
"This will not do!" Lord Braggett bristles, standing over the body. "We cannot let this go unpunished! Sir, we know the location of one of their camps. Let us ride out and strike now, before the devils have enough time to mount another raid. If Sir Shaw's missing scouts are out there, we will save them and make sure there a no more of these gruesome messages, and even if they are not..." He looks uneasily at Vegazi. "Well, I'm not sure I like the idea of my friend being here if the townsfolk panic."
|
|
Hrm, no way she's getting that reward money now.
"No rest for us I see, time to get right back out there and finish this off." Hanlin tugs on the strap to his 'new to him' spiky breastplate. "There's no way we're just giving Vegazi over, but would you accompany us once more in a fight against your old tribe?"
Hanlin slides his backpack off his shoulders to check on his food supply "I'm going to need some more rations, and maybe an ale for the road. I was REALLY looking forward to that soft bed and warm meal at the inn tonight too."
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Though he's certainly happy to accept one thousand gold pieces, Erlathan's expression collapses from excitement to horror as the orc corpse speaks. And then to annoyance about five minutes in. "Yeah, I think we got it the first ten times. Shut up already!" He's tempted to lob a magic missile at it, but Vegazi probably wouldn't take kindly to further desecration of a corpse, so Erlathan holds back.
"I'm with Hanlin and Lord Braggett, naturally. Let's venture back out there and put an end to this. Once and for all!" He flips the Arcane Sidewinder up in the air...
... And trips, face-planting in the mud as he tries to catch it. The staff lands on his back a moment later with a thunk!
|
|
Mayor Proum grits his teeth as the scoutmaster stomps off.
"Pathfinders, return with me to Arwyll Manor. I would speak with you further."
Vegazi excuses herself. "You go. I'll see to settling in the homesteaders someplace safe and dry within the walls."
Mayor Proum paces back and forth in the parlor. "Straight to the point: I want to know why the Hell’s Fury tribe is bent on exacting revenge against Vegazi after all these years. Secretly, I'm hoping that Vegazi’s relationship with the Arwyll family might be enough to appease the townsfolk, who feel hopeless without an Arwyll protecting them. Perhaps, I can somehow convince the half-orc to stay in town, if the Steaders accept her."
"But I'm worried that with the orc tribe demanding Vegazi’s head, the terrified populace won’t be receptive to news of the half-orc’s heroism."
"In any case," Mayor Proum insists, "keep this information quiet, at least for now, until the town is no longer under immediate threat from the Hell’s Fury tribe."
"For now, I ask for your patience as the town awaits reinforcements from Vigil to tackle the matter of the missing scouts and track down the orc mastermind named Kelseph. I will match my earlier reward if you can keep her safe."
|
|
The proprietor of the inn, the dwarven woman Isald Forgemore, is happy to have you back under her roof. "Welcome back, Pathfinders. Vegazi. I've saved your rooms. Why don't you get cleaned up and join us for dinner?"
Full and content, looking forward to a good night's sleep in a real bed, you head upstairs to your rooms.
Out from the shadows steps Terrin Shaw. The scoutmaster’s face is drawn, and he is obviously still wrestling with his grief over the loss of Wate.
"I apologize for the clandestine meeting, but I want to talk to you without Proum present."
He hesitates, then continues. "While the mayor is content to lock the town’s gates and wait for more help to arrive, I want my scouts rescued and out of harm’s way."
Terrin hands you a worn iron key. "Maybe this key leads to a secret tunnel beneath Arwyll Manor, and maybe not," he muses. "What I can say for certain is that, should you manage to find a way out of Arwyll Stead, I would be forever indebted to you if you rescued my scouts and put a stop to this mess once and for all."
|
Bishop accepts the key and nods to the Scoutmaster and then sends him away with a slight nod. He waits then talks quietly with the others. He removes his bones from his bag and casts them upon the table
"IF we go out then Vegazi will attract the attention of her mother. IF we stay here the people of the town will demand of us an unnecessary choice. The gold is of little importance here. I vote we leave and find the scouts."
|
|
Hanlin nods and thanks Shaw for thoughts, and after he leaves he responds to the group "Vegazi, is there anything else you know about why your sisters want you dead so badly after all this time? We've been through so much here together, there is an all out war here over your head. Since when do Orcs go through this much trouble for one of their own?"
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lord Braggett nods thoughtfully, stroking his beard as he attempts to come to a decision. "I am not normally one to disobey orders, but I cannot stand idly by while there are people out there who need us. I'm with you Bishop!" He declares, his anger rising again, thinking about how the devils treated Jeb. "I say we give those devils a damned good thrashing, and save the lost scouts from a most terrible fate."
He then looks to Hanlin and Vegazi, curious. "May I present a theory? From what we have gathered so far, there has been a lot of talk about sacrifice, and of gaining great power for the tribe." He gives Vegazi a respectful nod, "You are a good soul, Lady Vegazi, pure of heart! I would wager my best pair of shoes that it is that noble heart the devils need to complete some kind of fiendish ritual. Ha! But we'll show them you're no helpless damsel, eh!?"
|
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Erlathan props himself up against a wall, staring at his fingernails. "Some days, I feel as if I'm a gnome. Spend too much time in one place with too little excitement, and I pale, wither, and bore," he idly says. "On the other hand, go out journeying and get bitten by demon bats. I am unsure what's worse, but," he stands tall now, nodding at Vegazi. "I'd hate for anything to happen to the scouts while we lie here and sleep knowing we could have done something. Terribly depressing, yes?"
|
|
As always, Vegazi is uncomfortable being the center of attention. She leans against the wall and sighs.
The half-orc answers Hanlin, "After I opened up the Hell's Fury slave pens and freed old Grev and Adil Arwyll and all the others, I left my tribe. I've never returned, and I've never heard from my mother or her other offspring until a few days ago."
"Kelseph's interest in me is not out of any maternal instinct or in hopes of a happy family reunion." She turns to Lord Braggett, "Me, a noble sacrifice? I can't imagine a person less fit for that role than me."
"But all of this conspiring between devils and orcs has to be the cause of all this death and destruction."
She shrugs, unwilling to commit to one course of action or another. "Sneak out and try to rescue the scouts, if they're still alive, pissing off Mayor Proum and leaving the townspeople at the mercy of this devil threat. Or stay put, and watch the devils drop more scout corpses onto the streets of Arwyll Stead, pissing off Scoutmaster Shaw."
Vegazi stands up straight and takes a deep breath. "It might be better for everyone, if I just surrender myself to my mother."
"You must decide. I trust your judgment."
|
|
"Well then that settles it, my vote is to save the scouts. The town guard will have to keep the Stead safe until we return, and the Mayor will need to understand." He smiles and claps his hand on Vegazi's shoulder "You're coming with us, if you stay here they'll likely round you up and try shipping you to your doom. We need you on this mission."
|
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
As Nina opens her mouth to speak, Inky suddenly butts into the conversation, cutting her off. "Look, it's risky to go out but seems to me it's worth the risk if it means we might be able to save the rest of those scouts and put an end to this business once and for all," she points out. "Besides, I'm with Erlthulu - waiting around for something to happen is boring."
|
|
Vegazi reminds you, "Well, with the city on lock-down until Mayor Proum's expected reinforcements from Vigil arrive, we're stuck with what we can find in Arwyll Stead."
The half-orc smothers a yawn. "Gods, these bones are weary." She shrugs it off. "We could stop by Gallus Crevac's Red Archive this evening and see if he's anything to spare. Tired as I am, Shaw's scouts won't get much sleep tonight, I'm sure."
|
|
Hanlin has a weary look about him as well "Are you sure leaving right now is the wisest course of action here? We've been traveling half the day already to get here, and heading out at the start of the night seems like a poor decision." He stifles his own yawn after Vegazi triggers it.
"As far as I'm concerned our best course of action is to at least get a quick rest in and leave before light to keep our stealth intact, but we'll soon be greeted by the glorious sun to show our path. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't see in the dark, and a torch is a very easy target to hit in the night."
|
|
"Zeb, stop causing such a scene. You're drunk. Just go home and sleep it off." Isald Forgemore and a couple of her serving maids stand at the door to the Blissful Badger, shaking their heads.
A local man named Zeb is creating a ruckus outside the tavern after being thrown out. He's obviously intoxicated and spits biting insults at anyone who approaches him.
Bleary-eyed and leaning precariously on his cane, he looks around and bellows, "Where's that half-breed monstrosity? Come and face a real man!"
Beside Zeb is his daughter, a young woman named Reya. She feebly tries to calm her father and pleads, "Will someone please help me? He’s never like this. I’ve never even seen him drink," she says.
Zeb pushes his daughter away. "I want that abomination out of my town!" shouts the drunk.
Deputy Naia Volsson is also on the scene, watching to make sure Zeb doesn’t try anything drastic. "Listen to your daughter, Zeb. Let her take you home."
When Zeb sees you, he points at you and yells, "Defenders of the hellspawn! You can get out, too!" He takes a few staggering steps toward you, brandishing his cane like a club.
|
|
Lord Braggett bristles at the insults and loutish behaviour, and he strides purposely towards Zeb, "You, Sir, are drunk and disorderly!" He says angrily. "This is no way for a gentleman to behave. Now, you owe these ladies an apology, Vegazi doubly so!" The ever diplomatic knight waits patiently for the apology, hands on hips and foot tapping.
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Hanlin bristles as well at the insults "You dare call the saviors of your home Defenders of the Hellspawn?" A serious look crosses his face, not one you see often. Replacing his usual smile and friendly demeanor.
He raises his left hand to the man, an ornate tattoo of a longsword, Iomedae's holy symbol upon it.
"The faith that has served this town for generations, helped bury your dead, clean the remnants of war from your door steps, and offered up words of comfort and kindness during your time of need. So you sir, drop your cane and say no more. You do your family name no favors here."
|
|
Hanlin tries to reason with the drunken man, too, but it's clear now that this tact is not going to work.
Isald Forgemore nods, "Indeed, Zeb didn’t have anything to drink at the Blissful Badger; he simply showed up here in this state, demanding Vegazi."
One of the tavern's regulars, Norm, points his tankard at the man and says, "Zeb's normally a polite, quiet man who keeps mostly to himself."
Cliff, another tavern regular, takes a sip of ale and, froth in his mustache, adds, "Yep, Zeb's known mostly for telling extravagant stories to children in the temple of Iomedae on Starday afternoons."
|
|
Hanlin takes a step back from him, a look of concern at the testimonies of the others "Such a drastic shift." He asks Iomedae for guidance in their efforts to figure this out.
"Reya, have you seen him drink today? Does he smell of alcohol?" Hanlin continues his questions, observing Zeb wobble on his feet.
|
|
Nina frowns as she watches Zeb, unusually silent for a change. She recalls that there's apparently a devil loose in the town, as well.
Acting strange but not a drinker...? Maybe he *is* possessed, in a manner of speaking.
While Lord Braggett and Hanlin have Zeb largely distracted, Nina whistles a little tune as she tries to surreptitiously do some finger-waggling...
________
|
|
"If only we had one of those paladins here, we'd be able to detect any trace of evil immediately." Erlathan quietly says. "Wait, I've got a different idea."
He draws a vial of holy water, and passes it to Hanlin. "Have him drink this... Tincture of the goddesses? Or whatever it is you people call it."