Ami looks on, wondering how the man like a bit of un-underwear'd gnome ass in his face. He giggles and titters.
"Pent, move your ass so the poor bastard can talk."
Pent rides the Emir's forehead, clenching his thighs to stay on, as the Emir obviously fights the effects of the wolfsbane. Must be nasty stuff, that trickle, wending its way down his throat. Pent feels a light trickle of backsweat working its way down his backside as he strains to stay atop. Woulda been easier with some kind of saddle...
Despite his thoracic thrashes, Pent manages to avoid gastric faux pas, and dismounts at the behest of Mahdi.
Watching Mahdi as he looks over the patient, Pent reaches down to place fingers upon the Emir's neck, taking precautions to avoid teeth gnashes.
"He seems robust enough, in spite of his need to repeat your words over and over. You think... his hearing has been affected? You know, ringing in his ears, and 'indelicate' can be a hard word to parse out." Pent leans down and barks in the Emir's ear.
While Mahdi's calculated response seems to only anger the man further, Pent barking into his ear somehow serves to calm him down enough to consider the words. "Wolfsbane?" He peers down at his arms and legs, searching for signs of fur. "You're right. I don't sense a shifting. It.. feels like I can't." His eyes fill with wonder. "Am I cured, then?"
Pent fares little better than Mahdi in terms of determining the emir's current condition.
Pent straightens up, and looks at Mahdi, uncertain as to what to say to the Emir. "I don't know rightly what to say to you, regarding your general state of health, good man. Man, it would be good to know, you know? Put your mind at ease, should be easy to mind if you don't, but I think we need more time to understand where you stand, all the time you've been under the curse." Pent feels content for now, and nods for Mahdi to continue, since it's well and truly his to explain.
When the matter with the Emir is done, Pent wanders the monastery, a vague unease taking him. There's something here, something more... it's at the tip of my whiskers, something stirring, begging me to remember. Blood curdles, thinking I might have forgot something... important... nagging at me noodle...
He wanders by his fermenting bowl several times over, puffing his cheeks and blowing hard. The image of a mixing bowl on the receiving end of his puffs is enough for him to retrieve his pesh pot. He remembers the cleaning having been done in the chapel, so goes directly there, and tries to find a high shelf in an alcove, where he can rest assured his mixture will not be disturbed. He spends the alcove a good cleaning, to make sure to avoid contamination.
When he's done, Pent locates Hadrod or Hadrah, or both, and tries to restrain himself when he gains audience with them.
"Hello, hello! I am entirely grateful for your generosity, and I would repay you for it, if you would allow a free gnome the chance! It turns out, the underwear you gave me..." Pent wiggles from the hip, jingling his coinpurse. "They're quite lucky!" He reaches into his pants, past his marbles, into his purse, to retrieve a couple of gold. "For you!" He presses the coin into an open palm, and taps a finger to on his lip, thinking one last thought. "You wouldn't happen to have five glasses and a decent bottle of spirits, would you? I'd gladly pay for it, too!" Pent tucks his thumbs into his pants, awaiting the camel drivers' response.
Ami continues to watch the procedure on the Emir, hoping the man shows contriteness in the face of salvation.
He also bobs his knee excitedly, wanting to get back to his sister and Kelmarane.
Seeing that Pent seems to have defused the man's anger... somehow... really, it's very mysterious, how the gnome manages to not make people wish to kill him... Mahdi stands up and brushes the knees of his robe off.
"Time will tell," he responds neutrally to the emir.
"In any case, we have much to do. We have slain a number of gnolls that infested Kelmarene, and also uncovered the promise of a great evil. I will continue to do what I can for your condition, but the matter of your redemption is best served by lending your strength to deeds of valor, yes?"
Since that is apparently the idealistic tack they are taking with the fellow.
"We leave to return to Kelmarene within the hour. You will return with us, sir... just in case we have misjudged your cure."
Aldebert nods at the proceedings, happy with the apparent outcome.
I'm just not sure. We could be letting a maniac out on the loose. Well, under watch maybe, but not under guard.
He decides he'll keep a close eye on the emir.
He holds out his hand to help the man up. "Come, let us get you equipped we need to move out as quickly as we can."
He returns the mans ceramic idol collection, and his magic dagger. "We had to sell your armor to pay for some of the wolfsbane. It didn't quite cover the cost, but we're happy to help."
As he hands him the dagger, "You might want to sell this to the caravan and outfit yourself with less hurtful gear. You no longer have any protection against the back-bite of this dagger I think."
When he's done, Pent locates Hadrod or Hadrah, or both, and tries to restrain himself when he gains audience with them.
"Hello, hello! I am entirely grateful for your generosity, and I would repay you for it, if you would allow a free gnome the chance! It turns out, the underwear you gave me..." Pent wiggles from the hip, jingling his coinpurse. "They're quite lucky!" He reaches into his pants, past his marbles, into his purse, to retrieve a couple of gold. "For you!" He presses the coin into an open palm, and taps a finger to on his lip, thinking one last thought. "You wouldn't happen to have five glasses and a decent bottle of spirits, would you? I'd gladly pay for it, too!" Pent tucks his thumbs into his pants, awaiting the camel drivers' response.
"Why, hello to you, as well," Hadrod greets, while Hadrah begins to protest any necessity for payment, holding her hands out in a gesture that serves the dual purpose of functioning as a mild warding off as well as being readily accessible for anyone wanting to push coins into them. "No, no, nobody was using those anyway, there's no need.." She swiftly closes her hand as soon as the gold is delivered, handing the coins to her husband in an even swifter move.
Hadrod peers intently at the two coins in his hand, turning them one way and then the other, before allowing them to vanish into his pockets with a satisfied nod. "Five glasses and a bottle? I don't think we've got any glasses, isn't that right, wife?" Hadrah shakes her head in response. "Only cups, I'm afraid."
Making his way to a chest at the back of the room, Hadrod speaks over his shoulder. "We've got a bottle we were saving, for a special occassion or some such. But if you buy it, we could get a new one later, I suppose, before such an occassion comes upon us." He pulls the chest open, and a bottle out.
Seeing that Pent seems to have defused the man's anger... somehow... really, it's very mysterious, how the gnome manages to not make people wish to kill him... Mahdi stands up and brushes the knees of his robe off.
"Time will tell," he responds neutrally to the emir.
"In any case, we have much to do. We have slain a number of gnolls that infested Kelmarene, and also uncovered the promise of a great evil. I will continue to do what I can for your condition, but the matter of your redemption is best served by lending your strength to deeds of valor, yes?"
Since that is apparently the idealistic tack they are taking with the fellow.
"We leave to return to Kelmarene within the hour. You will return with us, sir... just in case we have misjudged your cure."
The emir nods, a grim expression on his weathered face. "I would gladly come with you. I've seen the looks thrown my way from those who pass by. It might be.. safer.. elsewhere."
He holds out his hand to help the man up. "Come, let us get you equipped we need to move out as quickly as we can."
He returns the mans ceramic idol collection, and his magic dagger. "We had to sell your armor to pay for some of the wolfsbane. It didn't quite cover the cost, but we're happy to help."
As he hands him the dagger, "You might want to sell this to the caravan and outfit yourself with less hurtful gear. You no longer have any protection against the back-bite of this dagger I think."
Rising unsteadily, the emir gratefully accepts the collection, and, after a slight hesitation, the dagger. "You are honorable men, for returning such a valuable weapon to someone at your mercy. If you break this curse of mine, I will hand it back to you, as a gift. Perhaps it would serve as a small measure of repayment of the debt I would owe you."
"We've got a bottle we were saving, for a special occasion or some such. But if you buy it, we could get a new one later, I suppose, before such an occasion comes upon us."
Pent whisks up the bottle and cups, dropping another 5 gold into Hadrod's hand, hoping he's not offending by short selling the precious drink. "I only hope that helps you secure your next occasion more quickly!" Pent juggles two cups with one hand, while balancing the bottle in a cup on the palm of his other hand. With a flourish, all but one cup ends up stacked, and the bottle firmly grasped. He sticks the cups in his underwear, and tucks the bottle under his arm, to clap heartily for himself and for the couple. He regains his cups and bottle, and runs off to find the others.
...
"Hey!! Why are you..? Are we leaving...? So soon...?" Pent watches as the others prepare for departure. He looks down at his cups and liquor, and raises them after a second thought.
"I... uh... got us a bottle of... not sure what it is actually... special occasion or something... saving it for the right time... anyways, I want to toast you all." Without waiting for any objections, Pent presses a cup into each of the team's hands, and fills each cup as full to brimming as he can, spilling more than conserving, as the gnome feels the press for return to Kelmarane. Finishing the last pour for himself, Pent raises his cup to each of the others.
"I recently received my review, from no other than Garavel, letting me know that I have been granted my freedom from servitude, based on our performance. Ours. Our, all together, performance. I couldn't have earned my freedom without your help, you know, rooting out gnolls and all that, investigating all that danger." Pent pats his stomach. "I'm kinda squishy, and you all kept me from getting squished, so we could make Almah's life a little less troubled, and I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you. Never saw this day in any of my dreams, so I'll be pinching you at random to remind myself that this is truly real." Pent holds his cup up high.
"To your health and to your wealth!! I've found my reward, thanks to Sarah's Light, may you find yours!!" Pent clinks his cup to each of the others, and drinks deeply, finishing with a hale burp. He collects the cups when each is returned to him, finishing the contents of those who chose not to drink.
"There is work to do, Pent," Mahdi chides to the words of are we leaving so soon?
Still, he doesn't refuse the cup of wine pressed into his hands, though he arches his brows in a well? fashion at the talkative gnome.
When the reason for Pent's excitement comes clear, Mahdi softens a bit, and chuckles. He raises his cup slightly in the air.
"Hmm. To freedom, I suppose. Let us trust you'll use it well, and that your mouth won't land you in chains again."
He drinks, then returns the cup.
"Now... if we're quite through....?"
Aldebert willingly takes a glass, er, cup, and has a quick drink.
"Mahdi is right, we must press on. The Emir is ready to travel I think, and so we shall. Let us get back to the city and take up our duties once again."
He hoists his cup one last time and drains the contents. He then gathers his gear, shoulders his pack, and generally readies to march.
Ami cheers for Pent as much as he can through his facecovering. He clearly doesn't completely understand from what/where Pent was released, but is happy to drink in support of what the gnome finds important.
When his brother calls them to action, to move on, Ami drains his cup and places it facedown, signifying he is done drinking and now ready for action.
He calls to Yeen, ready to go.
Pent produces a pair of puppy dog peepers, and looks longingly into the eyes that lie just below the imagined uni-brow of Kul, Soldier of Sarah.
"I am happy for you, Pent! We would not have succeeded were it not for you and your underwear."
Kul takes the cup with a smile, pauses, and asks, "It's just wine, right?"
Assuming an affirmative, Kul drinks from the cup and starts to hand it back before a worried look clouds his face. "I'll wash this for you and return it once I'm healthy. I do not want to get you sick, my friend."
Kul thrusts the cup into his pack, hoists it to his back, checks the draw on each of his weapons, and joins his companions for the march.
Pent smiles widely as Kul speaks wisely. "Or keep it, and hold it out every once and a while when you seek its filling! There will be times to come for that and more. Let's be off!"
Pent reaches over and pinches...
... Aldi. He nods vigorously, as his reality, for the moment, is confirmed. "Yep. This is real, it is."
Pent retrieves his crossbow, sprinkling the remaining drops of liquor on the stock's wood, rubbing it in with a light hum, before placing the empty bottle in the same alcove as the fermenting pesh.
Returning to the others, he readies to march on Kelmarane, or, more specifically, what lies beneath.
Pent uses the travel time to continue his thought experiment, hovering around Mahdi, the official keep-count.
"If we can color him red, that's another thing,
If we can color him dead, that's another thing.
If we can color him orange, that's another thing,
If we can color him sporange, that's another thing.
If we can color him yellow, that's another thing,
If we can color him mellow, that's another thing.
If we can color him green, that's another thing,
If we can color him mean, that's another thing.
If we can color him blue, that's another thing,
If we can color him new, that's another thing.
If we can color him purple, that's another thing,
If we can color him nurple, that's another thing.
If we can color him indigo, that's another thing,
If we can color him vertigo, that's another thing.
If we can color him brown, that's another thing,
If we can color him down, that's another thing.
If we can color him gray, that's another thing,
If we can color him cray, that's another thing.
If we can color him black, that's another thing,
If we can color him slack, that's another thing.
If we can color him white, that's another thing,
If we can color him trite, that's another thing.
If we can color him magenta, that's another thing,
If we can color him polenta, that's another thing.
If we can color him violet, that's another thing,
If we can color him private, that's another thing.
If we can color him crimson, that's another thing,
If we can color him thin skin, that's another thing.
If we can color him amber, that's another thing,
If we can color him dander, that's another thing.
If we can color him ruby, that's another thing,
If we can color him moody, that's another thing.
If we can color him peaked, that's another thing,
If we can color him naked, that's another thing.
If we can color him plaid, that's another thing,
If we can color him bad, that's another thing.
If we can color him amethyst, that's another thing,
If we can color him catalyst, that's another thing.
If we can color him blond, that's another thing,
If we can color him bombed, that's another thing.
If we can color him lilac, that's another thing,
If we can color him wide back, that's another thing.
If we can color him plum, that's another thing,
If we can color him glum, that's another thing.
If we can color him gold, that's another thing,
If we can color him mold, that's another thing.
If we can color him ivory, that's another thing,
If we can color him irony, that's another thing.
If we can color him jet, that's another thing,
If we can color him debt, that's another thing.
If we can color him azure, that's another thing,
If we can color him asher, that's another thing.
If we can color him mauve, that's another thing,
If we can color him suave, that's another thing.
If we can color him umber, that's another thing,
If we can color him slumber, that's another thing.
If we can color him rose, that's another thing,
If we can color him close, that's another thing.
If we can color him pearl, that's another thing,
If we can color him swirl, that's another thing.
If we can color him mustard, that's another thing,
If we can color him custard, that's another thing.
If we can color him rust, that's another thing,
If we can color him bust, that's another thing.
If we can color him smoky, that's another thing,
If we can color him pokey, that's another thing.
If we can color him sapphire, that's another thing,
If we can color him bad liar, that's another thing.
If we can color him peach, that's another thing,
If we can color him leech, that's another thing.
If we can color him khaki, that's another thing,
If we can color him crabby, that's another thing.
If we can color him coral, that's another thing,
If we can color him moral, that's another thing.
If we can color him pink, that's another thing,
If we can color him fink, that's another thing.
If we can color him sandy, that's another thing,
If we can color him randy, that's another thing.
If we can color him silver, that's another thing,
If we can color him pilfer, that's another thing.
If we can color him copper, that's another thing,
If we can color him whopper, that's another thing.
If we can color him burgundy, that's another thing,
If we can color him mercury, that's another thing.
If we can color him puce, that's another thing,
If we can color him truce, that's another thing.
If we can color him sepia, that's another thing,
If we can color him creepy...yah, that's another thing.
If we can color him cerulean, that's another thing,
If we can color him tragedian, that's another thing.
If we can color him ebony, that's another thing,
If we can color him elegy, that's another thing.
If we can color him maroon, that's another thing,
If we can color him baboon, that's another thing.
If we can color him wine, that's another thing,
If we can color him fine, that's another thing.
If we can color him drab, that's another thing,
If we can color him crab, that's another thing.
If we can color him chartreuse, that's another thing,
If we can color him vamoose, that's another thing."
...
Upon arrival, Pent bounds up and around the halfling keep-watch, keeping his distance. "Thank you, very much! We didn't have much time to worry about what might have happened if Kardswann broke his bonds, and now it's plain that our shoulda-coulda-woulda's are moot points to a de-horned, three-horned cow." Pent dusts off, and strolls about the Market, waiting for the sign that everyone is ready to put to use the Key that will allow them entrance to the unknown waiting behind the door in the basement of the temple.
"I'm ready to go when you all finish mauling each other."
Aldebert checks that the prisoner is secure. Satisfied, he suggests the party rest the night and take on the temple basement first thing in the morning.
"We have the key, so there's no hurry I think. The rest of the camp won't make it here before mid-day at best, so we've time to examine the area carefully before they arrive. Agreed?"
Pent smiles broadly. "A respite, before trudging into the treacherous underbelly of the church? You won't hear an argument from me, Aldi, not even a hiccup of hesitation, for the hiatus you exhort." The gnome pats the halfling on the back, and heads to the bar, to root out each and every nook and cranny.
Kul grimaces at the idea of spending the night.
"I'll stay up watching Kardswann over night. Pent, can you cast that restoration spell on me tomorrow morning? It helped with this disease this morning and woke me up at the same time."
"I'll be of little use doing anything tonight," Mahdi says to the discussion once they have returned to Kelmarene (and once he has removed his earplugs from his ears. Best three copper he never spent). "Frankly, I am wearied from wielding so much in the way of the arcane arts today. I wish a night's rest, and to meditate on the day's events. If Messire Kul wishes to play guard-dog, I will let him."
The young wizard yawns and stretches. "I'll be seeing if those merchants have anything to eat, I think: the idea of dried meat for dinner is less than appealing. Those who wish are welcome to join me.
"Oh, and Messire Pent? 'Sporange' is not a color. There are those who would debate if it is even a word, in anything other than defunct variations of Thassilonian."
The gnome pats the halfling on the back, and heads to the bar, to root out each and every nook and cranny.
Pent discovers two casks of ale; one full and one almost empty. There's also numerous bottles of cheap wine in a cupboard, along with various spices. Finally, there's a stew puttering away in a large pot, forgotten by everyone after the cook ran away.
Pent scrunches as Mahdi challenges one of a thousand. "Well, it did rhyme and all, but I'm not one to argue if one of my boards is rotten, and needs replacing. So..."
"If we can color him auburn, that's another thing,
If we can color him raw burn(t), that's another thing."
"You can take credit for that inspiration, you can." Pent looks well satisfied, when a light seems to wink on behind his eyes.
"Kalyx!!" Pent finishes his pernod and absinthe explorations, and bounds towards the market stalls, hoping to locate the twitchy pesh witch.
"Uh... Ya withhold the Yavipho from being sold? I'm still in the market for it, ya know!" Pent looks down, and steps outside the stall. "Now, I'm outside the market..." Pent steps back into the stall. "Now I'm in the market..." This continues for four or five turns.
"Alright, we're on the verge of a rather significant step in settling the town into a safer clime, after we finalize the final eyes that lie unwise under the dais of the temple. Would you be my Yavipho Keeper until we return??" Pent practices his puppy dog eyes for a second time.
...
Pent returns to the stew, investigates it for cannibalistic consistency, then finds a right number of bowls, and doles out enough to impart to each belly that rumbles, including his own.
Ami runs and rejoices as he rides Yeen on the way back to Kelmarane...they both rejoice in racing far ahead, then racing far behind, then racing again to lead again. When he is out of sight of the others, he lowers his facescarf, allowing Sarenrae's light to dry and tan his face.
He seems more at peace when the party finally rides into Kelmarane.
"Brother! Brother! Did you see how fast we were running!? Did you see us zoom!!?"
* * *
Ami will do a sweep of the town on Yeenback, checking to be sure that no more gnolls moved into the town while they were gone.
He sniffs around the doors of the apothecary/harpiehut, but does not go in.
When his patrol is complete, we will go find his sister and...
CMD - playful pounce
"Sister! Haleenie!! Did you see how fast we can run!? Do you want to see us zoom!!?"
Ami runs and rejoices as he rides Yeen on the way back to Kelmarane...they both rejoice in racing far ahead, then racing far behind, then racing again to lead again. When he is out of sight of the others, he lowers his facescarf, allowing Sarenrae's light to dry and tan his face.
He seems more at peace when the party finally rides into Kelmarane.
"Brother! Brother! Did you see how fast we were running!? Did you see us zoom!!?"
"Well done!" he cheers his brother along as he plods slowly along, hindered by his short legs and heavy armor.
I cannot wait for the time when I too ride like the wind, or at least ride...
Mahdi comes in to find Pent serving up the stew. "Hmmmn... has this been boiling away for the last few hours?" he asks with less than enthusiasm, but... food is food.
He waves a hand dismissively at Pent's song-revision, and appropriates one of the rooms of the building to study in gnome-free peace and consider the threats tomorrow may bring.
***
In the morning, Mahdi can be found in the marketplace going over their accumulated treasures. New insight has struck overnight, perhaps:
Mahdi is quite excited by the results of his study! Probably. Unless they're cursed or something.
"Pent, can you cast that restoration spell on me tomorrow morning? It helped with this disease this morning and woke me up at the same time.
Pent snaps both sets of fingers, and smacks hand to fist. "That I can do, my friend and fellow freeman. That I can do." Pent reaches over, and pinches Kul, leaning back quickly to clap his hands and chuckle just on this side of sanity.
"Kalyx!!" Pent finishes his pernod and absinthe explorations, and bounds towards the market stalls, hoping to locate the twitchy pesh witch.
"Uh... Ya withhold the Yavipho from being sold? I'm still in the market for it, ya know!" Pent looks down, and steps outside the stall. "Now, I'm outside the market..." Pent steps back into the stall. "Now I'm in the market..." This continues for four or five turns.
"Alright, we're on the verge of a rather significant step in settling the town into a safer clime, after we finalize the final eyes that lie unwise under the dais of the temple. Would you be my Yavipho Keeper until we return??" Pent practices his puppy dog eyes for a second time.
One of Kalyx's eyes involuntarily twitches closed several times during Pent's inside-outside routine, but she plasters a winning smile on her face once he gives her his full attention. "Of course! But," she lowers her voice to a conspiratorial near-whisper, "you're not the only one in the market. Don't wait too long, or you might find it missing your grasp!" She pats her pocket meaningfully.
Ami will do a sweep of the town on Yeenback, checking to be sure that no more gnolls moved into the town while they were gone.
He sniffs around the doors of the apothecary/harpiehut, but does not go in.
Amiamble finds a partly smeared bloodstain on the sandy ground outside the harpy's building, and it smells like things of an unknown nature are happily cooking away in the cauldrons inside.
***
When his patrol is complete, we will go find his sister and...
"Sister! Haleenie!! Did you see how fast we can run!? Do you want to see us zoom!!?"
Better prepared for the pounce today, Haleen skillfully dodges the initial pounce, but allows the cat to overrun her on the return pass. Laughing, she nods. "I did, and I'd love to see you zoom, brother!"
In the morning, Mahdi can be found in the marketplace going over their accumulated treasures. New insight has struck overnight, perhaps:
Mahdi identifies the following items:
+1 bane (lawful outsider) greataxepotion of cure moderate wounds (2x)
wand of bull's strength (8 charges)
slippers of spider climbing
The cloak remains unidentified, as does one potion (although the potion appears identical to the other two).
When Kul wakes, his skin is still warm to the touch and with gray spots here and there, but he doesn't feel weak the way he did the previous day.
"I did, and I'd love to see you zoom, brother!"
Ami puts Haleenie into his saddle, instructing Yeenoghu to be careful. When his sister is finally in the saddle, Ami playfully whacks Yeen's backside.
Ami sends Yeenoghu and Haleen across the sands, zooming under cat foot, dipping and diving, chasing and jumping...such is the joys of Yeenoghu, the Sun, and the wind that speed creates.
While Haleen *zooms*, Ami will find his brother to talk about important things.
"Brother! Who do you think is faster: Yeenoghu or lightning? How about Yeenoghu or a wyvern?"
Ami bounces around his brother, asking questions and enjoying the respite.
"Now that we've found and taken care of Haleen, brother, what do you want to do? Should we go re-start our trade work? Do we want to stay and help out Amaya for a while longer?" Ami's eyes flicker to his halfling slingstaff. "I think we should stay here and do more...my voice, I mean, my friend Vardishal probably wants to stick around more. Remember how he talked that bad guy into submitting? Remember?"
Mahdi explains the usefulness of each item he has successfully identified, ignoring the halfling hijinx that are going on nearby.
He uses the abandoned kitchen to start making breakfast rather than eat day-old stew. 'Burning' is a perfectly acceptable method of 'cooking'.
With some toasted bread and seared meat in his belly, he is ready to face the day.
"Of course! But," she lowers her voice to a conspiratorial near-whisper, "you're not the only one in the market. Don't wait too long, or you might find it missing your grasp!" She pats her pocket meaningfully.
Shut... up... Pest. Shut it... ow, who we kiddin'...
Pent leans in, his ears visibly turning towards Kalyx and her dire words of caution. "Nooouuwhoa! There's others?! Who?? Nonono, that's rude to ask, you don't have to... well, it looks like you're not going to answer that, like you shouldn't, and I don't need to... not gonna answer that, right? Ok, right." Pent looks around, a sharp edge of paranoia flaring behind his brows.
"Know bedder thyme than the pheasant, Kalyx. I am your gnome quantity. Wee weight no lawn grr. Lettuce come to pedigree mint." Pent reaches down and jingles his britches, to show he's never been more serious about patronizing the local patron saint of pesh.
...
Pent makes good on his promise to Kul, bringing the restoring touch of Sarah to the warrior, steeling him against the darkness that lies hidden away from the Light.
Kul spends the night praying while watching Kardswann. Several times per hour he throttles the unconscious jann to keep him from waking -- resisting the strong desire to strangle him completely.
In the morning Kul looks grateful when Pent shows up.
Pent makes good on his promise to Kul, bringing the restoring touch of Sarah to the warrior, steeling him against the darkness that lies hidden away from the Light.
Kul stretches and smiles as his weariness and muscle aches are relieved. "Thank you Pent. I feel much better. I'm sure I'm on the road to recovery."
Kul joins the others for breakfast. Hearing about the axe Mahdi identified, Kul picks it up and gives it a few practice swings.
"Normally, I prefer the blades favored by Sarenrae. However, the magic you describe may come in handy. If it is acceptable, I will wield this axe today and then happily allow it and the longsword we found earlier to be sold. I have plans to purchase a pair of scimitars with our new found wealth."
"Brother! Who do you think is faster: Yeenoghu or lightning? How about Yeenoghu or a wyvern?"
Ami bounces around his brother, asking questions and enjoying the respite.
"Now that we've found and taken care of Haleen, brother, what do you want to do? Should we go re-start our trade work? Do we want to stay and help out Amaya for a while longer?" Ami's eyes flicker to his halfling slingstaff. "I think we should stay here and do more...my voice, I mean, my friend Vardishal probably wants to stick around more. Remember how he talked that bad guy into submitting? Remember?"
Aldebert has trouble keeping up with his brothers enthusiasm, but he tries, and laughs in spite of himself at the antics. He keeps me young.
When his brother speaks of what's next it takes him by surprise. He hasn't thought beyond finding Haleen, and now that he has, what is next?
"I don't know brother. Surely we've not been as profitable as merchants as we are now as adventurers. Can that continue? Perhaps. Perhaps Haleen can run the mercantile side of our lives - with a little help from us - and we can continue playing in the desert."
"Perhaps..."
Aldebert grows quiet and lost in thought for a long while.
- - -
Eventually he snaps out of it. Sometime after breakfast he gathers up the group. "Let us try the key and see what evil lies beneath the temple shall we?"
He checks his weapons, tightens down his pack, and readies himself for an underground crawl.
"We'll need light down there. Mahdi? I presume you can provide?"
I'm sure I'm on the road to recovery."
Pent grins as Kul livens by Sarah's renewal. "I've found the road to be quite the place to recover, Yaki. Always on the move, so your lungs turn over fresh air constantly, and your legs pump the blood with the pace. On the road means you have Sarah above and watching the whole day long." Pent turns a little pensive. "I only hope we don't have to spend much time below the temple is all."
Pent joins Mahdi in the kitchen, and gets his licks in where he can.
"Burning to get in there, Maddie? Basement's probably filled with powderkegs and short fuses. Or worse, it's submerged underwater. Or worse, the ceilings are only four feet small. Churches usually have crypts, right? Like graveyards, but indoors? I should probably spend more time indoors... nah..." Pent tucks a smallish piece of hard cheese and potato into his beard, for later.
The gnome grows restless as the rest ready to leave. "Who's got the Key? We ready? Everyone understand our purpose here? There is a deep evil that awaits us, and likely knows we're coming. We have strength in numbers, but it's likely got its own means of creating cannon fodder for us to knock down like so many soldiers." Pent wrings his hands a bit, before picking up his crossbow.
"Do we know if it gets too hot and heavy, that returning to the door means we can relock the door, until we've recuperated?"
Pent grows quiet, and waits.
"I can illumine our path, yes," Mahdi says with a morning yawn. Sa'amm is on his shoulder, stingered tail waving to and fro in the air. The young wizard absently pats the red-and-black scorpion before shooing him inside a sleeve. "Though I should think that would be the province of the worshipers of 'Sarah' instead."
Still, he taps Aldebert's guisarme with his fingers, and a red glow wreathes the weapon.
Mahdi spares a moment to smile whitely at Pent's usual list of nonsense.
"Why, if there are powderkegs, then we all simply stand back and let fire do what fire does best," he says, before striding to give Yeenoghu a friendly morning scruffle... and a certain amount of protection, which he then extends to himself as well.
"I have the key, but I do not know how feasible retreat will be. We might test if we can relock the door."
"I can illumine our path, yes,""I have the key, but I do not know how feasible retreat will be. We might test if we can relock the door."
"Good idea. Shall we go?"
Aldebert shoulders his now-flaming Guisarme and heads to the temple. He stands directly in front of the door as Mahdi works the lock from the side.
I should get this weapon wreathed in flame all the time. This is cool!
Ami smiles as Mahdi touches and protects Yeen, very little makes him happier than when his friends are nice to his cat. Such is the way of the pack.
He, too, will cast light, this one on Aldebert's guisarme so that his brother may fight in the light.
Ami loads his halfling slingstaff and is ready to go.
When the group reaches the church, and the Door is brought open by the Key, Pent doesn't spare any time in bringing Sarah's Blessing at the first sign of hostility.
He looks around for signs of the huecuva's corpse, not certain that it hasn't been reanimated again to prowl the churchyard.
"Awfully quiet. Too quiet. Lawfully quiet. A new quiet." Pent pats his crossbow reassuringly.
"I can't hear a thing through that door. Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. No sudden hungry roars. No siren calls. No screams of torture. No maniacal laughter. No lullabies..." Pent finds himself backing up a little as the others manage to open the tomb.
Pent gets twitchy. First, he tries to whistle. He only manages a fair amount of spittle for his trouble. Second, he tries to hum a ditty to lighten the mood, but the vibrations in his nose hair irritate him enough to cease the attempt. Third, he turns to Mahdi, and continues his litany.
"If we can get him to drink 99 bottles of ale, that's another thing,
If we can get him to drink 98 bottles of ale, that's another thing.
If we can get him to drink 97 bottles of ale, that's another thing,
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If we can get him to drink 1 bottle of ale, that's another thing,
If we can get him to throw up all 5000 bottles of ale, that's another thing."
"I'm thirsty. Anyone got anything to drink on 'em?"
Mahdi gives Pent an irritated look, which unfortunately the gnome has a racial immunity against.
"Do you not carry a waterskin?" he asks with an eyeroll. Since it seems to fall to him to actually put the key to the door and open it, the wizard does so. Admittedly, it's a chance to yank the door open with a flourish... he hopes the door isn't stuck.
"Waterskin? I usually just bring forth water, you know, like you bring forth fire, it's just this day we were preparing for battle, so I chose to ask Sarah for something a little more belligerent, rather than making puddles, which in turn make me make more puddles." Pent crosses his legs, and clenches a little. He looks frustratedly at Mahdi.
"I take it that's a 'no' to my 'anything to drink', eh? Now I gotta pee, which in turn is gonna make me wonder more about 'anything to drink', once I get done making water myself. This is a vicious cycle, drinking and making, leading to more drinking, then, of course, more making." The clenching gets the better of him, and Pent first goes mum, then goes back upstairs and outside, then goes one, then goes back downstairs to join the others.
Pent eyeballs Mahdi, then blatantly turns away from the firemaker, towards the others. "I'm thirsty. Anyone else got anything to drink on 'em?"
Aldebert nods to his brother by way of thanks for the light on his guisarme. He presses forward, eager to see what lies beyond in the darkness.
"Let us bring a light to the dark places and wrest the evil from this temple!"
Pent chuckles as Aldebert makes his declaration. "Where the light don't shine!! Ahahahaha! Light to dark places, indeed!!!" Ah, Sarah, he's a good one. Just remember where we are, when we end up so low below the ground that we become motes in the corner of Your eye.
Ami sits while Yeenoghu snuffs around the opening.
"Brother, are you ready to go? Don't worry too much...we will protect each other," Ami rasps before drinking some water from his 'skin.
Ami's gaze goes to the fiery Mahdi, the quiet Yaki, and then to the odd wheel gnome.
For you, Sarenrae! Well will purge this place with fire. For you.