Geborah gives an involuntary gasp of appreciation as Tiadora dispatches Dante.
"Your Eminence, I am quite satisfied."
While the room waits for the servants to scrub the blood out of the carpets, Geborah draws nearer to Cardinal Thorn.
"It will be an honor to complete my training under your auspices, Your Eminence. I have been initiated in the mysteries of our faith, and learned the skills and duties of a priestess by infernal revelation, but you are the first clergy of Our Prince that I have ever met. It is my hope that you will induct me into the temporal church and ordain me formally as a Priestess of Asmodeus."
"Similarly, Balam has demonstrated courage, loyalty, obedience, and unwavering faith in the face of mortal opposition. The proper reward for that kind of honor and responsibility is the offer of greater honor and responsibility. I propose that you give him the opportunity to take formal vows and accept the title of a knight of Asmodeus--the first of a new order."
She sweeps her eyes over her other companions. "Tatienne deserves recognition as well, for quiet, no-nonsense competence and execution. Perhaps there's a role in the church or state of Cheliax she might import into our new order. I doubt Wraith desires any such office, but it would be improper of me not to mention his ingenuity and willingness to contribute ideas."
"Again, I am quite satisfied with them."
Jezabel wanders over to the corpse of Dante and begins to whistle a happy tune. She grabs him by the hands and begins to drag him down the hall to the kitchen.
While the room waits for the servants to scrub the blood out of the carpets, Geborah draws nearer to Cardinal Thorn.
"It will be an honor to complete my training under your auspices, Your Eminence. I have been initiated in the mysteries of our faith, and learned the skills and duties of a priestess by infernal revelation, but you are the first clergy of Our Prince that I have ever met. It is my hope that you will induct me into the temporal church and ordain me formally as a Priestess of Asmodeus."
"Similarly, Balam has demonstrated courage, loyalty, obedience, and unwavering faith in the face of mortal opposition. The proper reward for that kind of honor and responsibility is the offer of greater honor and responsibility. I propose that you give him the opportunity to take formal vows and accept the title of a knight of Asmodeus--the first of a new order."
She sweeps her eyes over her other companions. "Tatienne deserves recognition as well, for quiet, no-nonsense competence and execution. Perhaps there's a role in the church or state of Cheliax she might import into our new order. I doubt Wraith desires any such office, but it would be improper of me not to mention his ingenuity and willingness to contribute ideas."
"Again, I am quite satisfied with them."
Balam stands straight and rigid in his gleaming suit of plate, decorated in the holy symbols of Mitra's faith. Maybe he wouldn't bless it with the sacred images of the God of this World quite yet. It would be useful as a disguise, after all. He would, of course, need to remove anything that could link the armor to Sir Ballin. But, that shouldn't prove too hard. He would need to do the same with Sir Ballin's tabbard. [b]"I have sworn myself to the faith of the First, but when I was to take holy orders and join his sacred legions, my temple was exterminated, and I was cast into Branderscar. I would be honored to take orders, now. If it pleases the Dark Lord, and your Eminence."[b]
The Cardinal says, "I am glad you are satisfied - it would be a shame to kill more of you. Now, let's begin your training..."
Over the next three months, you are honed into the perfect weapons. During this time, you are also introduced to Cain Malibourne, an assassin dedicated to Asmodeus.
He keeps you carefully sequestered from the rest of the world. All your physical needs are taken care of. Tiadora aids him in your training and is revealed time and again to be a cruel sadist who revels in your failure and suffering. The slaves are present during the entire ordeal, performing menial tasks.
The Cardinal's lessons are focused and never wasteful. He drills you not only individually but also as a team. He is forging you into a knot.
"Asmodeus is with you." Adrastus Thorn indoctrinates you into the deeper mysteries of worshiping the Prince of Hell. Whenever you channel energy, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the save DC of your channeled energy.
"Deception is a tool. Master it." Adrastus Thorn teaches you the subtle arts of deception and how to sense when they are being used against you. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff and Sense Motive.
"Discover what is real and what is illusion." Adrastus Thorn has taught you to see through deceptions and never lie to yourself. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against illusion.
"Fear nothing save our Dread Lord." Adrastus Thorn has shown you fear and taught you to master it within yourself. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against fear effects.
"Focus strengthens your will." Adrastus Thorn drills you on ways to avoid magic that seek to take control of your mind and divert you from your mission. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.
"Let us perfect your favorite spell." Adrastus Thorn drills you again and again in the use of one particular spell. Pick one spell. The spell's effects manifest at +1 caster level.
"Quiet as death." The Cardinal has trained you in the art of being silent and stealthy. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Stealth checks.
"Strike first, strike ruthlessly, and thus be victorious." Cardinal Thorn has taught you to never to shirk or hesitate in combat. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
"Wear your armor like a second skin." You have drilled extensively in wearing armor in combat. When you wear armor of any sort, you reduce that suit's armor check penalty by 1 to a minimum penalty of 0.
"You shall be my angel slayer." Adrastus Thorn spends exhausting amounts of time teaching you about good celestials and their strengths and weaknesses. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks about good-aligned celestials and receive a +1 trait bonus to any damage roll you make against them.
Thorn is not always with you and it soon becomes apparent you are not the only ones being trained. The former White Ravens under Elise Zadaria are also receiving the Cardinal's attention.
@Dante's betrayal and Jeza's taking of the body
"Well now, I could see he wasn't happy but that was truly wasteful. Im satisfied, I got revenge on the man that put me in Branderscar and I get to torment his soul. Once we deal with the power behind him my life will bear few obstacles." As his body is dragged away,"Dear please keep his weapon and armor. My current skeleton collection is lacking equipment."
@Geb's comment about a position.
"Not at all, your god doesn't restrict on the undead but I like to be the figuratively "free agent" if you will."
Jezabel smiles at Wraith, "Of course, dear! Would you like his bones, too?"
She cocks her head at Grumblejack. "The kitchen's this way."
She goes back to whistling merrily as she drags a corpse down the hall.
After butchering the corpses of Dante and the paladin whose name she can't be bothered to remember, Jezabel passes their skeletons over to Wraith. She goes through their equipment, checking everything for magical auras, before passing the gear along to Wraith, his skeletons, or the other members of the group.
She cooks the men up for dinner over the next while, making more eyesicles, and other tasty treats. She offers food to everyone, walking through the manor with a trolley of fresh cooked food, but is unsurprised when only Grumblejack takes her up on her offers.
When she meets Cain she sidles up to him and takes a deep, savrouing sniff of him, before moaning. "You smell delicious," she tells him with a naughty smile. It's a compliment far less enchanting once he realizes she's a psychotic cannibal...
During her training sessions Jezabel practises battling with her hands, causing bloody wounds on her opponents. The sight of her licking your blood off of her hands and groaning with pleasure is more than a little disconcerting to most. Knowing that she is capable of hearing the words from other planes -- including such horrible places as Heaven and Elysium, the Cardinal forces Jezabel to undergo drills meant to inure her to outside influence. Fortunately, Jezabel is so used to the many, many voices already whispering in her ears that she resists the charms and compulsions without difficulty, singing bawdy tunes all the while.
Jezabel spends her free time eating with Grumblejack, or with Wraith, chatting, singing, dancing, and helping him dress his skeletons in dashing attire. She also tests whether his repeated talk of kissing her was all bluster.
Most nights she dreams of devouring Tiadora alive. Occasionally she drinks the blood of Cardinal Thorne for dessert. She also dreams of her past victims -- most of which are also her past lovers. The resulting dreams are best left unspoken...
By the time three months is over, Jezabel has grown accustomed to her imprisonment in the manor. She's antsy, but the food is good, the bed is comfortable and some of the company is tolerable. Besides... she doesn't need to go anywhere to leave. The Ley lines thrumming through the world beneath her feet can take her anywhere. All she needs to do, is listen...
The only gear of Sir Balin's with a magical aura is the cloak - that being a Cloak of Resistance +1.
Dante's gear is non-magical - the iron circlet and the holy symbol of Asmodeus both being removed and given to Cain.
Cain watches from his place beside the fireplace as Tiadora seems to move in the blink of an eye to deal with the poor, unfortunate, fool who voiced his dissent. Admiring the casual lethality of her attack he smiles slightly "Poor bastard never had a chance." he thinks to himself. He eyes the remaining members of this "knot" that the Cardinal had assembled, assessing each as he does. Satisfied, he steps around the corpse in the middle of the room and, taking up Thorne's dagger, pricks his finger, squeezing it to make the blood well up before picking up the quill and signing the contract on the desk.
As Jezabel sniffs the air around him he says, without inflection, "Not on your best day, nor my worst."
Under the Cardinal's tutelage and Tiadora's harsh drilling Cain focuses his efforts in improving his speed with his weapons and making sure that he is always prepared for trouble, honing his reflexes so to ensure that he is ready to attack on a moments notice.
As Cain lays down the quill, there is a sudden commotion from the fireplace. A bird zings out of it, seeming almost to emerge from the flames. It must have flown into the chimney by mistake--it flies erratically around the room for a few moments, colliding with fixtures, then falls out of the air onto the contract, flapping its wings spastically.
Geborah reacts first, cupping her hands and gently scooping the animal off the contract. She laughs with delight.
"Look, Cardinal, it's bled on the parchment! That makes it Bound as well!"
The bird has stopped flapping. An unnatural stillness seems to possess it as Geborah cradles it to her chest. She looks at Cardinal Thorn with wide eyes. "Please, Your Eminence, may I keep it?"
The bird chirps, a strangely human sound, clearly an attempt to imitate Geborah's voice. Charmed, she lifts it to her ear to hear it better.
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"Horrors. Horrors."
Tatienne spends much of the three months cloistered, reading through whatever she can get her hands on, either from the Cardinal's personal library, or from books ordered through Tiadora. Tatienne took care to maximize every second that she could - there was no doubt in her mind that they would be put to work soon, as any tool is, and when it happened, the work would be dirty.
The relic hunter studied everything that she could about Talingarde - its history, its culture, its architecture, art, and literature. And compared to the glorious damned Empire of Cheliax, honestly, she found it wanting.
Those moments not reading, were spent perfecting her physical prowess. Countless repetitious drills, her mind empty during these times, as she focused only on the movements and memory of her muscles. More often than not, Tatienne would pass the others on the manor's stairs, if they saw her, as she sprinted up and down, up and down, nodding a hello as she went, but not breaking her very regulated breath.
She also sparred - mostly with Balam and the newcomer Cain, both of which she found to be her equal. Still, if it came down to it, Tatienne new that the relics in her possession would give her the strength to best either if their combats turned more serious.
In those moments that Tatienne gave herself the time to ruminate, the relic hunter found herself deeply unhappy with the prospect of a life of imprisonment, even if it was to a follower of the First, and even if she owed the Cardinal and Tiadora her life. She was, she had always felt, one to make her own glory, not to make it in service to another. Another mortal at least - of course the First owned her completely.
She kept her disquiet to herself, however, clear not to telegraph her doubt to anyone after what the Cardinal had done with the hapless inspector, Dante. The Cardinal was powerful, and her knot was either too devoted to the man to care about their slavery or too unhinged to be trusted with her thoughts.
Thoughts of - eventually - the betrayal of the Cardinal, and the glory that would come of it.
Still cupping the magpie that is now staring intently around the room, Geborah leans over to inspect the pact scroll. "Cain...Naliborne? Maliborne. I don't know you, and you don't know me, whatever stories you may have heard of the Laughing Pyre. If we are to work together, we should know what each other are capable of."
She looks frightful, her courtly clothes torn and bloody, her face taut and of unnatural pallor. "I need to get clean, rest, and heal. Perhaps I could send a servant to you when I've recovered, and we could discuss our ambitions for the future we're building with the Cardinal."
After a scalding bath, Geborah collapses into sleep. She rises late, and spends the entire morning cloistered away with the magpie, who she styles Golochab the Ruby-Crowned Cremator of Souls, or Chab. She listens, fascinated, to its trilling, luring calls, and studies intently the hell-runes it traces in dust. Soon she has mastered spells to revive her from the vampire mist's touch. More power has slid into her grasp.
Given the liberty to choose to study whatever she likes, she spends most of her time observing Cardinal Thorn as he interacts with the others. She finds that after some reflection she can understand all the choices the Cardinal makes, but that his decisions are instant, instinctive. She resolves herself to develop the same decisiveness.
She reflects long and carefully on the natures of her Bound companions. Once they are beyond the Cardinal's immediate reach, it will be her role to sharpen their ambitions and direct their energies towards greater things...or at the least, to keep them from falling ass-backwards into Brandenscar again. To Geborah their hungers, their resentments, their machinations seem so plain; she can't believe that Cardinal Thorn would be blind to them, much less Tiadora. Well, if the Cardinal could weld such difficult individuals into a single force, so could she.
Georah begins to wage a subtle campaign for Timeon's soul. She arranges with the servants for the squire to be treated as a noble captive, given every courtesy but watched closely. She sees to it that he must squire for Balam, assisting him with his armor and weapons in a cruel mockery of his role at his former master's side. And she makes sure he "discovers" that the most alluring servants will do whatever he, an adolescent boy, commands. It is a balance of an offer of dignity, the threat of suffering, and base temptations that she does not doubt will corrupt him utterly.
When she has time for diversions, she wanders the area in her guise as Auntie Geb, a wise old woman with a gift for healing. She finds it hard to tolerate the peasants' familiarity for very long, but is intrigued by the variety of diseases and deformities they exhibit.
It's too late to edit my montage, but...
Given the liberty to choose to study whatever she likes, she spends most of her time observing Cardinal Thorn ...
...can read...
She takes every opportunity to observe Cardinal Thorn...
...and just ignore the final paragraph. Instead,
Geborah thrives in the tightly constrained life of the mansion. To her the Cardinal's rules and Tiadora's punishments are a fun and challenging game, which she excels at. Having Golachab to watch, warn, and remind her makes it all too easy for her to get the carrot rather than the stick. Mindful of the others' resentments, she gives them what guidance she can without undermining the Cardinal's efforts--in particular, she reveals to them that Tiadora is telepathic, so any attempt to hide secrets from her is doomed to failure.
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Balam sees young Timeon's tears and a warmth melts his steely heart. The child has strength and skill--he survived the Cardinal's dungeon, after all, even after he had been separated from his master. That devotion and discipline needs to be harnessed, and channeled to a greater purpose, not thrown away to the slave pits, or sacrificed to the First. Some of the First's highest servants preferred the blood of children in their offerings--he had given himself when he was younger. But, he couldn't accept keeping Timeon as a only a source of blood. It seemed like such a waste of resources. Besides, he'd grown fond of the lad.
Unfortunately, the boy still believed the lies his former master had taught him. Mistra's Light had blinded him to the truth of this world: the world dark and full of terrors. Free will was a curse, and the natural state of all sentient life was barbaric savagery. Society was not kept together through benevolent wisdom, but forced and won through constant battle against humanity's base impulses. If they boy was to be free of his foolishness, he needed to accept his slavery to Asmodeus' design.
But how? If Timeon were an adult, Balam would use fear and pain to break him of his foolish beliefs. He would shatter a nonbeliever's will until all resistance was gone. Then, he would rebuild him into the loyal tool Asmodeus required. He has seen this process work several times during his novitiate in the Temple. It would not work with the young boy. He had been taught the lies of Mitra, and is too young to have experienced aught else. He hasn't yet realized that life is pain, endless and unceasing, and that only through obedience to Asmodeus' will can one endure or escape it.
Besides, the risk of going too far and killing the convert is greater the younger they are. Balam doesn't want to see Timeon die.
No, he needs to find a different way.
One day, he comes to Timeon's cell. The boy rails against him, cursing him in Mitra's name and pounds his fists on Balam's armor. The dark knight ignores the words and the blows. In truth, he barely feels the boy's fists-- the lad is far to small to do anything through the plate. And Balam cares nothing for Mitra's blasphemies. In time, Timeon will understand. He stands his ground, cold and emotionless, while the boy tires himself with his anger. Spent, Timeon retreats to his corner, quietly sobbing and begging Mitra to save him. Each day, for a week, Balam follows this plan, standing in the boy's cell, letting Timeon act out his fear and rage. The boy needs to learn the importance of not allowing his emotions to rule his mind or his body. This will mark his first lesson.
Eventually, Timeon grows accustomed to Balam's visits as well as the futility of action against him. Instead, the boy simply sits in a corner, mutely ignoring the dark knight's presence.
"Come." It is a command, not a suggestion. The boy will learn discipline, and the joys of blind obedience to the First. It is the only way to realize his true purpose. He turned on his heel, black cloak swirling from his dark armor, hob-nailed boots clacking on the stones. He leaves the door open and doesn't look behind him. Without thinking, the boy follows. Balam allows himself a small grin of satisfaction when he hears the lad's soft footsteps scurrying down the corridor.
He brings the boy to a small small room, and puts him in weighted armor. When Timeon can barely stand in the armor, and tips over lifting the sword, Balam shakes his head and and tsks. "You are weak. Your body and mind are filled with it."
The boy tries to protest, but Balam does cuts him off with a look. "You are weak. You cannot stand in armor. Do you recognize it? It is the armor your master gave you. How could you have stopped us.. or served him... if you cannot wear your tools? You cannot even lift a training sword. You are fit only for death. Perhaps I should kill you, and be done with it?" He waits a few moments, then continues. "No? Then, I will make you useful. Come." He leads the boy to the practice field and begins training the boy in the arts of combat.
Nothing the boy does is correct. Even when Timeon performs well, it is not correct. Balam finds some fault, or makes up something. Occasionally, he purposefully mispeaks, just to confuse the boy and have a reason to further break him down. He barks commands, and works him from dawn to dusk without rest, food, or water. The only rest the boy receives is when he collapses from exhaustion. And, he only allowed to rest until he can move, then he is worked again. He is worked until thought and disobedience become distant memories. The boy simply does not have the energy to think. Balam knows he is successful when the boy's eyes take on a glassy, dull expression, and he responds to commands without thinking.
At the end of each day, Balam places a bowl of gruel and a glass of water on a table and blesses them in the name of the First. He sits at the table as well, and eats his own food, which has been similarly blessed. Eventually the boy will eat, accepting food touched by Asmodeus' grace into him. When he does, there will be lessons to follow, until Timeon will rip apart the words of Mitra and can recite the Commandments of the God of this World.
Command (if the intimidate works by more than 10): Will DC 14
Command via Touch of Corruption: Will DC 14
Cardinal Thorn is a harsh master. He is firm as hellforged steel, and his displeasure burns as strong as hellfire. Balam is glad for every moment beneath his tutelage. While he is breaking Timeon, he is also contemplating Asmodeus' truth and perfection. He hones his body, fasting while pushing his body to greater and greater limits. He does not sleep. Rather, he spends his nights in fervent prayer to the Dark Lord, seeking answers to eternal questions.
One night, the Cardinal sits with Balam during his vigil, and carves prayers and sacred sigils into the dark knight's body. He pours a mixture of blood and temple ash into the markings, while Balam prays in darkness, bathed in incense and sweat from some lightless heat. The Cardinal seals the wounds with black wax and places his hands on the knight's chest and head. Balam feels an intense cold fill his body, eating away the corrupt weakness of his flesh, bringing him one step closer to his purpose. He screams in agony as his body is wracked in glorious pain, freely given as an offering to Asmodeus. He passes out still screaming.
When he awakens, Balam realizes he can see, although the room is unlit. The First has granted him a great boon, and Balam drags himself up to kneel before his god, thanking Him for His bounty. Colorless flame burns furiously throughout the room, filling it with an intense heat. He wipes sweat from his eyes and notices his flesh is unharmed, the runes and sigils are gone. He stumbles from the room and prepare himself to further Timeon's training.
Instead of taking the lad to the yard to train, he leads him down dim corridors into an unlit chamber to train. The boy's fear is almost as delicious as his resigned acceptance to obey. The boy begs to see, and Balam smirks as his hand bursts into black flame that paints the two in fiendish green light. The boy stops crying for light and continues his training.
Balam's strength seems tied to Timeon's own enlightenment. As Timeon loses his old beliefs and connection to Mitra and grows closer to accepting Asmodeus, Balam's own connection to the First waxes.
He trains exclusively in his armor: sword play, weights, swimming, climbing. Even sleeping and eating. Everything is done in the full plate he stripped from Balin's corpse, until the armor becomes a second skin. Each night, he makes the boy scrub it clean until it glistens as has lost the reek of the day's sweat and blood.
After three months, he stands, full in his new gifts from the First, a fervent servant of Asmodeus, and loyal to his Master, Cardinal Thorn.
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Timeon is weepy and sad at first, then angry. Balam's harsh tutelage combined with Geborah's gifts and pampering confuses the boy, however, as he is unsure of where he stands with each of you. It is a whirlwind of emotions that wears down his resistance. Geborah gives him temptations, offers him things he has not realized could be his, while Balam breaks down his devotion to Mitra, breaking it, and encourages his obeisance to Asmodeus. In the end, Timeon's will is weak, and he converts, offering his vows and life in service to Asmodeus and the six of you. Timeon tells you of his life, having grown up in Aldencross, near Castle Balentyne of the Watch Wall. He tells you of his meeting with Sir Thomas Havelyn, the commander of Balentyne, a Knight of the Alerion and righteous champion of Mitra.
After the training is finished, Adrastus pronounces you ready and holds a great banquet in their honor. He awards you the title of the Nessian Knot in an infernal ritual involving blood and fire. During the ritual he summons forth a barbed devil and offers to it one of the slaves of your choosing. The devil gleefully rips the slave apart and feasts on the blood. Adrastus then draws forth some of the devil’s blood with a silver athame, and traces the unholy symbol of Asmodeus on the forehead of each of you in the mingled blood of devil and sacrifice.
"Behold," he proclaims, “the Nessian Knot is forged.”
“Just in time,” Cardinal Thorn remarks. “My ship has arrived.” On the river dock behind the manor under cover of darkness, a square-sailed longship sails into the slip. It sits heavily in the water, laden with a substantial cargo.
"Training is at an end. You have proven your worth, and now it is time for you to use that training and undertake your first mission.
"Your mission is war, my children. You will bring war to Talingarde.
"You have two objectives. First, you will see a shipment of munitions delivered to a bugbear chieftain named Sakkarot Fire-Axe. He makes his camp on the northern coast of Lake Tarik beyond the Watch Wall. With this shipment, the Fire-Axe will have enough resources to unite the barbarous tribes of the north and light the fire of war.
"Sitting on the dock is the longship Frosthamar, captained by Kargeld Odenkirk. Tomorrow when the ship is resupplied it will be your transport. The captain is a ruthless mercenary and not to be trusted. He knows nothing of the specifics of our mission and you should keep it that way. He knows he is smuggling cargo to the north beyond the Watch Wall. That is all he need know.
“Once the cargo is safely delivered, he will take you just south across the lake under cover of darkness and land you near the town of Aldencross. There our contract with Captain Odenkirk will be concluded.
“It is shame how greedy he has proven. I had hoped to let the captain serve me again but it seems he is too much of a liability. Kill him. Kill his crew. Burn his ship and leave no survivors. It is crucial that no one suspects our involvement and that loose ends are taken care of. Be sure to reclaim the coin I gave him. Best not to be wasteful.
“That done, you will begin your second task. We will do more still to aid our ally the Fire-axe. The bugbears are mighty warriors but poor siege engineers. You will infiltrate the tower Balentyne, keystone of the Watch Wall, kill its commander and open the gate for Sakkarot’s horde.
“Once the shaggy monstrosities pierce the Watch Wall, the bugbears will pillage and lay waste to the townships of the north and the local garrisons will have no choice but to meet the Fire-Axe in the open field. Sakkarot is the most brilliant, gifted and murderous bugbear of his generation. I expect these battles will go poorly for the knights and yeoman of fair Talingarde.
“Do all of this and then when your task is done, break this clay seal.” He hands you a delicately carved clay seal adorned with a tangled knot of thorns surrounding the holy symbol of Asmodeus. “I will have more instructions then. Succeed and I will see you rewarded handsomely. Fail or betray me and you will pray for the comfort of Hell
before I am done with you.
“The mission you start upon today is a holy mission. The people of Talingarde think they have seen the last of the mighty Asmodeus. Soon enough we will remind them that there is no escaping the grasp of Hell. Let us toast our success.”
He pours one glass of deep red wine for each of you and then
finally pours one for himself. He raises the glass and offers a
toast. “To war.”
Balam toasts with the Cardinal, but his mind is elsewhere. War beckons. Plans and strategies form in his mind.. But first, the boy. Yes. Timeon is from the region. He could know something useful.
Later, after the celebration, Balam finds Timeon in his rooms. "Boy, what do you know of Aldencross and Balentyne?"
Geborah smirks as fear overtakes the osyluth's sacrifice. If you'd just brought breakfast to me first every morning, Janet, my tea would have been hot, and perhaps I'd have suggested someone else. She glances at Tiadora, hoping to catch a glimmer of appreciation for such appropriately cruel thoughts on her face.
The initiation ritual is fascinating...and informative. The Nessian Knot indeed...so he has ordained eight other groups before us. The White Ravens must be one, and perhaps he and Tiadora are in the first. What are their missions, I wonder? No doubt the Cardinal wishes to keep us ignorant of each other to limit the damage if any are captured. The summoning was informative, too...had the Cardinal meant her to overhear and understand?
The newly annointed priestess frowns at the idea of a journey by water. At least it's not the sea. Still, she curtseys to Cardinal Thorn as she accepts the clay seal, and echoes his toast: "To war!"
With only a night to prepare for the trip to the barbarous north, Geborah readies spells for the journey and packs her few possessions securely. Regrettably, she must wear her symbol of Asmodeus tucked inside her gown now, as she moves among the people, and the iron circlet must hide her true identity. The final touch is to wrap herself in the splendid overcloak that belonged to Sir Balin, a tightly woven, hooded, mist-grey garment that would be useful in all kinds of weather. Golachab nestles securely in the hood and watches intently behind her.
When the time comes, she boards the Frosthamar and greets her captain.
"Oh, bless you, Captain Odenkirk! I'll not get in your way. Just point me to my cabin and I'll be about my knitting."
After being shown her cabin, she slips down to the hold and inspects the cargo to make sure all is as it should be. She eavesdrops on the captain and crew as well, alert for any signs of treachery.
Jezabel digs into the feast with enthusiasm, singing creepy little songs about cooking.
Delicious. Too bad they didn't use any proper cuts of meat...
After hearing of their missions, Jezabel claps her hands. "Finally...." she exclaims in a sing-song voice. She leaps from her chair and prances over to a window, looking out longingly as the others speak.
When she's poured a glass of wine she raises it in toast, "To war."
To dinner!
When the meeting is concluded she returns to her bedroom to fetch her supplies. Then she heads out to the boat.
Timeon tells Balam, "Balentyne is a keep on the Watch Wall. I was only in there once, so I don't know my way around very well, but I might be able to draw you a map. I know that all important news is sent and delivered by ravens from the rookery in the keep - the rookery is at the very top of the main tower. If Balentyne is attacked, they can send messages to all of the other fortresses of the Watch Wall requesting aid. Balentyne has three captains - Captain Barhold, Captain Mott, and Captain Eddarly. My family lives near Captain Mott's home in Aldencross. His wife Kaitlyn is beautiful. I once saw Captain Eddarly sneaking up to Captain Mott's home, and Kaitlyn let him in. Captain Mott probably wouldn't be happy if he found out about that.
"What do you want to know about Aldencross? It's a fairly typical Borderlands village. It has a small church dedicated to Mitra, and a large statue of Markadian I in the Town Center. Only one inn caters to travelers, though - the Lord's Dalliance Inn."
When "Auntie Geb" walks up, Captain Odenkirk eyes her with disbelief, asking, "You are one of those who is to guard my boat on the way north?" The incredulity in his voice at the thought of this old lady protecting his vessel and his cargo is not hidden in the least.
Geborah and Jezabel can both tell that the Frosthamar is not built for comfort. There are no cabins or chamberpots - everyone sleeps on the top deck, for the second deck is entirely devoted to cargo, so much cargo that you could scarcely fit a copper piece into the hold, let alone anything of significant size. The top deck has no shelter anywhere from either the elements or the spray of the sea.
Geborah's attempt at eavesdropping on the crew learns nothing, as they seem to speak a tongue she herself does not know. Sneaking into the cargo hold unseen is guaranteed to fail, as there is nowhere for her to hide from their sight to open the trap door.
Before leaving Jezabel wanders off to fetch her good friend Grumblejack.
"Hello, dear! Feel like joining us for a boat ride, followed by some wanton slaughter? It'll be fuuuuuuuuun!" She draws the last word out melodically then smiles up at the big ogre.
---
Upon the ship, Jezabel smiles at the Captain. "Hello, I'm Jezabel. Thank you for having me." She eyes the man up and down, then her smile widens. "You look delicious," she whispers to him. She gives him a wink, then saunters off, wandering around the deck and grinning at all the sailors.
Now this, this was something that Tatienne could get behind! Bringing war to this heaven's blasted nation, putting Mitrans to the sword and elevating the Asmodean church to primacy... A destiny worthy of my talents!
Raising her glass, the relic hunter joins the others in the toast.
------------
Wrapping her cloak around her wiry frame, Tatienne approaches the captain and shakes his hand. "There's one more bit of cargo." Beckoning Grumblejack forward, Tatienne bids the ogre kneel and removes the circlet atop his head, which had been disguising the ogre as a mere footman. "Don't worry. He's tame. And he'll be disguised until we pass the wall."
Handing her circlet back to Grumblejack, Tatienne looks for a place to sit on the top deck of the Frosthamar, a slight frown gracing her lips. This would be a long, cold journey.
Failure meant his own skeleton minion would beat on him till he found himself bloody and dragged to his own room. Often under the care of Jeza but mostly just to find himself on the floor his minion mocking him in the corner, not under his control. Soon though Wraith has his first success, but was quickly overtaken by Thorne's control again. More beatings followed. It went that way until Wraith noticed his ability to manipulate the spell was better than any spell before, after that they continued to work but the beatings were less and less.
@The mission
"Burning and Pillaging is such a great way to increase material... I'm looking forward to the experience."
As the toast comes around, "To war indeed!"
----
As Wraith boards the ship he has hidden his outlander nature and drawn upon the face of the departed Sir Balin, a bit more gaunt but none the less Sir Balin, whose bones and those of Dante in a small crate stored with the rest of his gear. Sitting next to such is his skeleton, hidden in a cloak, hands and feet hidden in decent gloves and boots... In an attempt as humor, Wraith has put a simple skeletal mask on his creature, hiding and yet screaming to his allies his minions true nature with dark humor.
As he walks near the captain, in whispered tones "The man with my gear is not to be disturbed. His orders are to kill anyone who tries go near my things, best inform your men not to pry into things not of their business."
Timeon tells Balam, "Balentyne is a keep on the Watch Wall. I was only in there once, so I don't know my way around very well, but I might be able to draw you a map. I know that all important news is sent and delivered by ravens from the rookery in the keep - the rookery is at the very top of the main tower. If Balentyne is attacked, they can send messages to all of the other fortresses of the Watch Wall requesting aid. Balentyne has three captains - Captain Barhold, Captain Mott, and Captain Eddarly. My family lives near Captain Mott's home in Aldencross. His wife Kaitlyn is beautiful. I once saw Captain Eddarly sneaking up to Captain Mott's home, and Kaitlyn let him in. Captain Mott probably wouldn't be happy if he found out about that.
"What do you want to know about Aldencross? It's a fairly typical Borderlands village. It has a small church dedicated to Mitra, and a large statue of Markadian I in the Town Center. Only one inn caters to travelers, though - the Lord's Dalliance Inn."
When "Auntie Geb" walks up, Captain Odenkirk eyes her with disbelief, asking, "You are one of those who is to guard my boat on the way north?" The incredulity in his voice at the thought of this old lady protecting his vessel and his cargo is not hidden in the least.
Geborah and Jezabel can both tell that the Frosthamar is not built for comfort. There are no cabins or chamberpots - everyone sleeps on the top deck, for the second deck is entirely devoted to cargo, so much cargo that you could scarcely fit a copper piece into the hold, let alone anything of significant size. The top deck has no shelter anywhere from either the elements or the spray of the sea.
Geborah's attempt at eavesdropping on the crew learns nothing, as they seem to speak a tongue she herself does not know. Sneaking...
"Yes, boy,. A map of Balentyne will be useful. As for Aldencross, information about they mayor and important families; who the miscreants are; and are there any grudges to exploit, like that thing about Captain Mott and Captain Eddarly. "
When the boy produces his map he grunts an approval and orders the lad to continue his training. "I expect you be worthy of being my squire when I return."
"Auntie Geb" smirks to find her disguise so effective; she is as underestimated in this seeming as in the other.
With no way to enter the hold unseen, she goes there openly to inspect the cargo. She is supposed to be protecting it, after all.
When the boy produces his map he grunts an approval and orders the lad to continue his training. "I expect you be worthy of being my squire when I return."
Overhearing this as she gets ready for the trip, Geborah snorts. "Oh, he'll keep training...he's coming with us. We might need to pick his brain more."
"Have you seen Jarvis? I want to buy a few last-minute things."
As she tries to board, the Captain prevents Geborah and anyone else from boarding. "I expect to be answered. This boat be no place for an old woman on a pleasure cruise. Now, if you are one of those who will guard the boat, answer my question, else I'll throw you in the river. Now, are you the ones who are to protect my boat on the journey north?"
Captain Odenkirk waits for your response, glaring at all of you. Grumblejack doesn't even seem to phase him.
"Dearest," Tatienne says, stepping between Geborah and the Captain and taking the man's arm, as if they are old friends, "Use your head. Does if follow that if we can make an ogre look like a footman, our other appearances can be deceiving as well? We are the ones to protect your boat, and you'll be happy to have us along, if we run into any trouble."
Jezabel cocks her head at the Captain and grins. "We are indeed, Captain."
He eyes Auntie Geb. "Even this old woman?"
Tatienne laughs, a rich and pleased sound, perfected at many Chelish dinner parties. "Especially this old woman."
The smile on Auntie Geb's face grows a little thin as Geborah catches Tatienne's eye.
With a theatrical grunt, she hurls a crackling bolt of flame into a tangle of weeds near the boat landing, igniting them. She raises an eyebrow and cocks her head at the captain. On her shoulder, Golachab tilts his head at the exact same angle.
"Hellfire! Hellfire!"
As she tries to board, the Captain prevents Geborah and anyone else from boarding. "I expect to be answered. This boat be no place for an old woman on a pleasure cruise. Now, if you are one of those who will guard the boat, answer my question, else I'll throw you in the river. Now, are you the ones who are to protect my boat on the journey north?"
Captain Odenkirk waits for your response, glaring at all of you. Grumblejack doesn't even seem to phase him.
Balam glowers down at the captain, but, instead of responding, he simply taps a finger at his side.
"Y-yes." Timeon speaks up from behind him, his head barely visible behind the mountain of gear he somehow carries. He coughs and clears his throat. The next time he speaks, he sounds far more sure of himself. "Yes. My Lord Balam is here to safeguard this ship on its journey north."
Balam remains coolly silent throughout this exchange, his hard eyes never leaving the Captain for a moment.
Tatienne's smile grows even more warm, just as Geborah's falters.
And dear Auntie, you do us no good waving goodbye from the shore. The Cardinal is no doubt a brilliant man, but allowances will have to be made. Let's just make sure the Captain and his crew go to a watery grave, yes?
Wraith's entrance stays the same.
Wraith's entrance stays the same.
** spoiler omitted **
Captain Odenkirk grunts, and says, "Then you may come aboard, and I will take you to the cursed north past hope and life." He lets you board his ship. Geborah's inspection, overseen by Captain Odenkirk, reveals nothing out of place in the cargo hold.
The first leg of the journey is placid and peaceful. Everyone has plenty of time to gain their sealegs and get acclimated to shipboard life. The Frosthamar may be a fine ship but it is not a ship that caters to delicate sensibilities. It has no cabins and all of you must sleep under the stars with the rest of the crew. There are no garderobes or chamber pots - the crew simply relieve themselves over the railing. The rations are hardtack and small beer, though Kargeld does stop a couple of times to hunt deer along the wilder part of the coasts.
It takes half a day to sail down the Varnyn River and out into the open ocean. The Frosthamar hugs the coast and from the ship you can see countless farming communities and fishing villages go by. More than a few fishermen wave at the Frosthamar. Kargeld is always sure to wave back. “Wouldn’t want ‘em to get suspicious, eh?” he says with a glower.
The Frosthamar is not swift so heavily-laden and averages about forty eight miles a day. It takes a week for the ship to pass along the settled coast of Talingarde passing the great city of Daveryn, the largest center of civilization along the western coast. Kargeld is quick to squash any talk of stopping there. “This is no pleasure cruise. Besides, I won’t get our cargo within a mile of a Talirean harbormaster.”
Jezabel hums pleasant little ditties aloud during the trip, careful not to use any disconcerting lyrics or suspicious languages. She smiles and attempts to make friends with the sailors (without getting in their way), slipping easily back into living life behind a mask, as she had always done before being arrested.
In her spare time she sends naughty messages to Wraith, pokes fun at Geborah to see how quickly the child loses her temper, and asks Wraith whose body he wishes he could most use for necromantic fodder all via their bonded mind.
The sailors speak only their own tongue and a scant few words of Taldane - Jezabel's attempts at befriending them fail, on account of the language barrier. They also seem to be well-cowed by Captain Odenkirk, who brooks no shirking of duty on his ship - which, it becomes apparent, he probably loves more than anything or anyone else in the world.
Jezabel uses comprehend languages on occasion during the trip, curious what the sailors are saying when she can't understand them.
She's also curious what language they're speaking:
Though she tries not to show it, Geborah resents having to leave behind the creature comforts of the Cardinal’s mansion. Not only is she stuck with all these hairy, smelly adults, once the ship is on the open sea, she struggles with constant seasickness. She finds a measure of relief in a tea she brews in the sun from ginger, peppermint, black horehound and licorice root. Limited to the small supply of herbs in her healing kit, she must ration herself to a cup at nighttime to help her sleep.
Finding life on the ship dismal and brutish, she distracts herself by passing time with the Hermean Harem novels she took from the mansion library, starting with Coils of Passion on the Steaming Sea. She mostly avoids contact with the captain and crew, but practices her healing skills on the sailors’ minor injuries and afflictions, cultivating a bit of goodwill.
Naturally, she also takes this time to consider how best to kill them. She studies the crew carefully, identifying the ones who would be the most dangerous in a fight and the ones who might be the quickest to flee. Most of all, she keeps an eye on the captain, learning his habits, noting his ability on the hunt, watching him order his crew…probing for weakness.
The long voyage means that Geborah and the others spend a lot of time with the rest of the Nessian Knot—her first real chance to talk with them without Tiadora listening in.
Other times, when he is willing, she practices Asmodean homilies on him. She anticipates ministering to a great congregation one day, and plans to be ready.
One evening, she pauses in the middle of a recital from Infernal Amusements, takes one of his great, gauntleted hands in both of hers, and thoughtfully traces runes across its surface. “Balam…have you noticed this armor…affecting you?”
“When I dedicated myself to Asmodeus’s church, I became a conduit for dark power—negative energy, some call it. I sense this armor of yours is infused with negative energy too. By killing a champion of good, stripping his armor from him, and wearing it when you were anointed a knight in the name of Asmodeus, it seems like you’re taken the first steps on a ritual path to the darkest powers.”
“If you permit, I would be glad to help you follow this path to its end. We should do some research and see what may lie in store—Wraith might be of use with that.”
“Shall we pass the time with games? Teach me the ones you know, and I’ll teach you my favorites. Or, if you like, I’ll tell fortunes—though I should warn you, my brothers and sisters never liked when the fortunes I told them came true.”
Though she puts a friendly face on it, Geborah is determined to draw the newcomer out and help him find a place within the Knot.
The game fails to amuse her very much. Always a disappointment, Jezabel doesn’t seem to realize just how badly outclassed she is, and keeps returning to the same tiresome theme of childhood. Perhaps she needs a good shock to knock her out of old habits and put her on a more interesting path. Geborah studies the words of the Pact of Thorns repeatedly, contemplating what it does and does not allow.
Geborah seems to have an endless supply of questions, but whenever she senses Tatienne is about run out of patience with them, she ends the day’s interrogation with a smile. Then she goes and stands near the prow of the ship, looking out over the hated sea to the distant horizon. She imagines what the new order will be like, when she can let her true nature blaze forth for all to behold. Perhaps she’ll have a ship of her own, large enough for comfort, grand enough to inspire awe.
One night, after reclaiming Golachab from the shadows of a sail where he was lurking and spying, Geborah gives Wraith a bemused smile? “What do you think is going on here, exactly? Golachab won’t say a word about it.”
Though she tries not to show it, Geborah resents having to leave behind the creature comforts of the Cardinal’s mansion. Not only is she stuck with all these hairy, smelly adults, once the ship is on the open sea, she struggles with constant seasickness. She finds a measure of relief in a tea she brews in the sun from ginger, peppermint, black horehound and licorice root. Limited to the small supply of herbs in her healing kit, she must ration herself to a cup at nighttime to help her sleep.
Finding life on the ship dismal and brutish, she distracts herself by passing time with the Hermean Harem novels she took from the mansion library, starting with Coils of Passion on the Steaming Sea. She mostly avoids contact with the captain and crew, but practices her healing skills on the sailors’ minor injuries and afflictions, cultivating a bit of goodwill.
[dice=Diplomacy to improve relations, using Devil’s Pact]1d20+8+2
Naturally, she also takes this time to consider how best to kill them. She studies the crew carefully, identifying the ones who would be the most dangerous in a fight and the ones who might be the quickest to flee. Most of all, she keeps an eye on the captain, learning his habits, noting his ability on the hunt, watching him order his crew…probing for weakness.
[dice=Perception to learn anything useful]1d20+9+2
[dice=Sense Motive to learn anything useful]1d20+12+2The long voyage means that Geborah and the others spend a lot of time with the rest of the Nessian Knot—her first real chance to talk with them without Tiadora listening in.
** spoiler omitted **...
He makes a small gesture with a finger when Timeon is done with his punishment. The boy rises, hands him the switch, and begins exercises. With every movement, the boy recites a devout prayer to Asmodeus.
Jezabel is able to identify the language they are speaking as Norspik, a language spoken by a tribe of islanders in the Ironbound Archipelago - the fact that all of them speak the language tells her they are all likely natives of those islands. Her occasional snatches of conversation allow her to learn that they fear Captain Odenkirk, who brooks no shirking of duties, and that the journey north can be quite dangerous. She also hears them talk of general ship's talk - the strength of the wind and the currents, the condition of the sails, and other things. They also find these passengers quite strange - the Captain doesn't usually take on passengers, which makes this trip especially out of the ordinary.
Geborah's study of the crew tells her that Captain Odenkirk is likely the most dangerous - she suspects his position as Captain comes as much from fear and intimidation as it does ownership of the Frosthamar. Captain Odenkirk remains distant and communicates little, and her lack of a shared tongue with the sailors makes her attempts to befriend them unsuccessful for the most part. Still, they don't seem to hold any ill will towards the group, although they aren't friendly by any means.