Ayesha fumbled her way through the days reports, the question of what to do about the tieflings completely ruining her careful budget. It wasn't until the 4th Company's quatermasters assistant repeated himself for the third time that she realized she wasn't getting anywhere.
"I'm sorry Kevar, but I need to think on that and get back to you. Just leave the report on the pile there, please. Can you please ask the assistants from the other four companies to join you and me here in one hour? I have a proposal to make to help offset our supplies needs."
After the man had left, she stood and stretched, groaning slightly as her back popped. Something was bothering her, something lingering at the edge of her awareness, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Oh well. Maybe once she had figured out what to do with the tieflings.
Ronan sees Jinxx's ears perk up. "Jinxx, do you hear something?"
Jinxx sniffs the air and listens
Sarkast nods. "That is my specialty, so I will be happy to." As they head out, Sarkast teaches the others a few basic hand signals and whistles in case they need to communicate either silently or when out of sight.
You easily ascend up the crumbling river bank up onto the ancient shore. Down below in the river you see Anevia and Aron walking along, both keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of trouble.
The land around here is unsettling. Although you are not quite in the blighted grounds of the Worldwound the sky here is darker and dimmer. There is no vegetation of any sort and you have not spotted any animals.
Despite the cries from the building, you see Jinxx suddenly bristle and snarl in the direction of a small figure skulking away from the camp. He telepathically lets you know that the halfling woman, Nurah, is behaving oddly and he doesn't like it. You spot her sneaking away from camp around 200' away.
Despite this, the cries continue from the building you are near.
The mess of the battle has not really done much for your ability to keep track of the goods and you resign yourself to the fact that it'll be an expensive night. After you make the call to arrange the meeting, you do hear something despite your distraction - the unmistakable sound of Jinxx growling not that far from your tent.
Using detect magic you spot a few auras here and there, but most of the paladins are not equipped with magical weaponry. However, you hear the screaming of the injured and soon three tieflings come into sight, all of whom are badly wounded and near death.
Sosiel smiles at Nilus. "Well met. Did you want to speak to this prisoner?"
Indeed. Nilus says to Sosiel with a friendly nod. To the Tiefling he says You wish to speak with someone Madame?
Dejik calls out to the tieflings and loud enough to alert any nearby paladins or party members (assuming any are conscious).
You may yet find mercy if you agree to lay down your arms.
The tiefling woman lies on the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs. She looks up at Nilus with a terrified expression. She is unnaturally skeletal, grey-skinned, and has glowing red eyes. Howeve,r her expression is one of misery and terror.
"What's going to happen to me?" Her voice is a dull murmur.
Anevia and Aron continue their pace in the riverbed while you creep along the top of the riverbed. As you move along, you spot something strange in the distance, considering the total lack of wildlife. A creature flying, several hundred feet away. It's moving relatively quickly but is hard to make out, the form looks humanoid though. It does not seem to have reacted to your presence, although it's not quite possible to tell if you've been spotted.
There are remarkably few wounded amongst the paladins, most of whom seem to be near where you believe Sosiel is.
As you are about to cast your channel energy, you stop. There is something wrong about the tieflings, you think they're acting more injured than they actually are and seem tense and particularly fixated on you.
"Auuughhh... please..."
You poke your head out of the tent. You see Ronan near Jinxx, Jinxx is staring into the camp and growling at something while Ronan seems to be looking at a short stone building you hadn't noticed before.
I do believe that would depend on your actions Madame. Do you renounce your allegiance to the Demon Lords? Will you work to end their influence? Will you work to atone for your past deeds?
Ronan hears Ayesha calling him, and he waves her over to the building his is near.
'Jinxx, follow Nurah make sure she doesn't hear you. See what she could be up to.'
Jinxx will follow Nurah and report what she is up to.
Sarkast quietly uses one of the bird whistles he had just taught to Anevia and Aron to alert them to halt. He then moves down to them, keeping the creature in sight. Following its path, he tries to determine where it might be heading, and whether it is likely to see the camped army.
Nilus! I could use your help with some prisoners!
Ayesha picked up on Ronan's desire for quiet immediately, and stopped calling out. Sword in hand, she hurried to his side and began preparations for investigating the building he is near.
She moved forward, but kicked a rock as she crossed the nearest intersection. Her hiss of indrawn breath likely made more noise than the kicked rock, and she grimaced at herself. Still, she strained hard to hear over the camp noises, and kept her senses on high alert as she closed the distance to Ronan.
She slowly looks up at Nilus with a tear-streaked face. The strange smoke emanating from her eyes gives her face a surreal appearance. Her voice has a deep, otherworldly rasp.
"I don't know what that means. I am beyond redemption. I am borne into death and blood. All I feel is hatred." Her voice breaks as she buries her head in her hands. "And I am scared. What do you do with prisoners?"
As you speak with your prisoner, you hear Dejik call out for help, around a hundred feet away. Three tieflings have risen to their feet and look ready to attack her!
"How the hell?!" snarls one of them. "She's blind! Get her!"
Suddenly the three tieflings pounce from the ground to attack! They all yank out dagger as they stand.
You can act! The three tieflings all stand side by side, around ten feet away. The nearest paladins are a good hundred feet away, although Nilus appears to have noticed your call.
Jinxx nods to you, and the strange eidolon almost melts into the background as he skulks off after Nurah. He follows the little halfling for a ways, sending you messages that she is trying to get out of main sight from the camp. She's crouching, casting a spell, and she's gone!
Ayesha emerges from her tent and almost trips on a stone but keeps a careful eye out. She can hear voices coming from the stone building Ronan is staring at. She also notices Jinxx sneak off after something.
Anevia and Aron both stand completely still as you whistle, and you point out the strange flying bird creature. The three of you watch it, and yes - after a bit you can distinctly tell that it is headed in the direction of the army camp! Anevia and Aron pull out short bows and look to you for direction.
Sarkast tries to recall if he knows anything about the creature before giving the order to fire.
A strange sense of calm replaced her rising fear. Dejik slowly lowers her bow, then speaks in a voice she doesn't recognize as her own.
Blind? Yes, but I can still see the light of Iomedae. Let me show it to you. Suddenly, Dejik's holy symbol erupts in a brilliant white light that streaks towards the tieflings.
================
Option 1:
Option 2:
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As the strange presence fades, Dejik backs up towards where she remembers the closest possible help, praying to the Inheritor that they are still where she saw them last. She's not certain she can count on a timely intervention by a group of skilled strangers this time.
[ooc]Move 30 feet towards where she thinks Nilus or the closest paladin group is. Hopefully, this buys her at least one more round if the tieflings have to double move to catch her.
'Jinxx, make your way back to me.'
All things that live love beauty. You may have been born into blood and death. Right now you have a chance to change that! Right now in this moment you can be the beauty that comes from all this chaos! It is a choice you make, to be that beauty. I can only guide you... Nilus speaks with the prisoner for a moment and then he hears and sees Dejik in trouble.
Stand down! You there! Throw your weapons to the ground! Nilus calls out, attempting to end the fight before it begins, or at least attract their attention to himself.
Ayesha nodded at Ronan and crept up to the building, trying to be as quiet as possible.
The humanoid body, bat-like wings, and location make it a good bet at this is a demon. Anevia and Aron both lift their bows, and fire up at the creature, hampered by the long distance.
The two arrows don't get anywhere near the demon, but it does notice them and wheels to attack!
Aron looks to hide out of sight while Anevia continues to fire at the demon.
You grasp your holy symbol and send out a blast of energy! The tieflings scream as they are scorched by the brilliance of the blast. The tieflings are not killed outright by the magical power, but are near-death and severely wounded. You hear gasps and cheers at the display of divine magic from around you, although from too far away for you to see the reactions.
A brilliant flash of white light bursts from Dejik, and the tieflings attacking her are all sent to the ground. Gasps of astonishment come from the paladins nearby, and several of them simply stare at the blind oracle with open awe.
The tiefling clenches her fists in a response to Dejik's display of power, the claws on her hands digging into her palms and causing blood to flow.
"What do you mean by beauty?"
Having lost sight of Nurah, Jinxx slinks back towards the two of you.
Ayesha keeps near the building, and hears quite distinctly:
"Help! What happened?! Are the tieflings gone? We're crusaders!"
Beauty is not just what you see. It is also what you feel. The doubts you have now about your previous life, they are an expression of that beauty wanting to make itself known. You must love yourself first. And then begin to love the world around you.
Crusaders! Help me secure these prisoners! I think they were planning something.
Still reeling from whatever just happened, Dejik is wary of getting too far from help. She will wait until a few of the paladins join her before moving up to deal with the tieflings.
Jinxx be on your guard.
"The battle is over, the tieflings were defeated, come on out of there."
Jinxx walks up to Ronan's side, disappointed that he lost track of Nurah. A muffled voice sounds out of the stone building as Ronan approaches it with his crossbow handy.
"We would but we're sort of tied up! This is Sergeant Kamilo Dann of the Sunrise Sword! Please!"
She lowers her hand from her eyes and looks up at Nilus. It takes a long time, but she finally speaks again.
"My name is Marith... can you help me? The crusaders always seem so. Happy? We kill so many. We defile their corpses. We murder their children like insects. And I just see you there with light and hope."
Marith clenches her hand in the dirt, barely muttering. "I renounce the Demon Lords. Tell me what to do next."
The perpetual grey mist about you is split as several paladins rush up to secure the prisoners.
"Dame Dejik, are you hurt? That was incredible! I've never seen anything like that!"
Another kneels down, attending their wounds. He looks up as he speaks.
"If you'd like an escort through the battlefield ma'am, I believe two of the knights have found a building occupied by... something. We can handle the prisoners."
Ronan enters the building. "Ayesha lets get these solders free." Ronan goes over to the Sergeant and unties him.
"Sergeant lets get you out of here, we will take you to Irabeth so she can hear your report."
Ronan tells Ayeshe what Jinxx observed Nurah doing.
Nilus beams and reaches his hand out Come then. I will show you what my Goddess has shown me.
Nilus will spend however much time explaining the worship and philosophy of Shelyn. He will spend particular time explaining the Shelynite belief that there is "Beauty in all things, and all things know Beauty" and the idea that after one loves oneself, then one may love the world around them.
Sarkast watches as the demon turns to descend. Bouncing once on his haunches, he prepares to pounce!
Still trembling, Dejik gratefully accepts the paladins' help. I... don't know what happened. When they drew their weapons, I was sure I was dead, and then...
She takes one of the crusaders' arms. Yes, please, take me to the others. I need to remember that I'm not the soldier I once was, and wandering off alone is likely to get me killed. She pauses. Although I wasn't alone at first--Nurah was with me. Where did she go?
The paladin looks around the army camp for a moment.
"No idea, she said she was going to go treat the wounded and look for survivors, but I don't see her anywhere. If you'll like I can summon her, ma'am."
He escorts you over to the building where you see Ronan entering.
Dejik approaches Ronan and Ayesha, escorted by a paladin. Ronan flings open the door to reveal a dozen crusaders, tied up together and in a state of utter misery. The old stone storehouse is empty save for the prisoners.
A wiry, hard-faced woman looks up and calls out.
"Oh Gods, it's true! I didn't know what the tieflings would do to us... please, untie us. Do you have any water?!"
You lie in wait as the demon folds her wings, and dives straight for Anevia, who fires off another arrow as she nears. The demon looks like a beautiful female human with black wings, dark eyes, and horns. Similar to a succubus, but smaller and less intimidating.
The arrow punctures a hole in the demon's wing and she shrieks as she reaches out for Anevia with her claws.
Crouching, you spring from the side of the riverbed for the demon as she speeds past! Your jump is true and you leap straight out at her, hammering her midsection with your shoulder and plummeting to the ground with you beneath her!
Aron then leaps from his hiding place flipping a shortsword in his hand before stabbing it down into the grappled demon brutally!
The demon shrieks and tries to claw her way out of the grapple, but can't get free from your grip!
"I'LL RIP YOUR HEART OUT!" she shrieks venomously.
You settle down and spent time speak with Marith, apparently named after the fearsome Marilith demon. She is nearly completely silent as you explain the ways of the Rose to her, and she nods slowly.
"I think I'll sleep now. The... the paladins will want me guarded. I will do what they say. Thank you Sir Nilus. I need to sleep."
Sosiel approaches claps you on the shoulder. "I think I just witnessed a miracle, Nilus. The paladins all think they're beyond redemption. The Rose speaks through you. I'll ensure she's got kind guards who know she's working to earn our trust."
He frowns and the speaks quietly. "You look out for others. Can you... watch out for Aron as well? He's had a rough past and needs support and guidance; I can't be everywhere at once."
Sarkast struggles with the demon and replies, "Not if I get yours first, filth!"
Pressing the creature's face into the dirt, the rogue puts one of its wings and the opposite arm into a tight hold. With his free hand, he pulls a dagger from his belt. "My paladin friends would chide me if I didn't offer you once chance to surrender. Feel free not to take it. Aron, if she tries anything, slit her throat!"
Ayesha, Ronan, be careful. I've already walked into one ambush today from three tieflings who were pretending to be injured.
Of course Brother. Nilus says to Sosiel. Nilus makes a note to speak with Aron as soon as possible. With a smile Nilus says The Paladins of the Inheritor might think one thing...but we know differently.
Nilus also resolves to speak with Irabeth regarding prisoners.
"And yet, these are not tieflings. Before we set them free, mayhaps they would swear upon the Light that they will do us no harm, and that they will tell us all they know."
Ayesha waited for teh prisoners to reply before severing their bonds.
Dejik detects no evil from the prisoners and is fairly sure they are not lying. The woman calls out. "I swear on the Light, in the name of the Inheritor and by the glory of the Crusade. Can you please untie us?"
Sosiel smiles at Nilus.
"Indeed. And that tiefling you spoke with - it is not a sword that turned her, but the promise of beauty. I see several of the other knights have found something, let us take a look."
He points over to a plain stone building that Ayesha, Ronan, and Dejik are peering in to across the battlefield.
The demon shrieks and claws.
"I'll swallow your soul!"
Aron and Anevia move in to the pinned demon, and the two rogues attack at once. Although the demon manages to twist out of the way of Aron's stab, Anevia's arrow takes her in the neck, and she screams before going limp.
End of Combat
Anevia lets out a whoop and gives you a hug while Aron just smiles.
"I have to try that. I don't think I've ever seen anything more reckless or fun. That's one scout down."
She kneels over the demon, patting it down. The demon wears some fine (if indecent) clothing, carries a high-quality longsword, and has a lovely silver amulet around her neck.
Aron speaks up. "Let's get this back in case any of it is magical. Sarkast, you should have first rights to anything for you and the other commanders."
"Good enough for me," said Ayesha, before using her kukri to cut the ropes binding the prisoners.
"How did you get captured? And what were the demons planning for you? I don't get the feeling that they take prisoners all that often."
"Let's get back to the camp, if there was one scout there could be others. We'll warn Irabeth and decide how to proceed. "
He takes a cloth from his pack and uses it to pick up the amulet without actually touching it directly. "We'll wait until the mages and priests have checked the gear before deciding what to do with it."
Dejik nods in agreement. Are any of you injured?
She checks the health of the prisoners while Ayesha cuts their bonds.
She'll channel to heal, get the water and food, treat disease, etc. as necessary.
Ronan helps free the prisoners and then tells the others "I have to let Irabeth about Nurah, we may have a saboteur among us."
Nilus nods and moves with Sosiel towards the building.
Triumphant, the three of you make your way back to camp, after a ten minute walk you are back in the camp, and quickly pointed out by a paladin who says there's a meeting at the command tent all of you should attend. The three of you enter the tent to find the rest of your party, Irabeth, Sosiel, and around a dozen miserable-looking humans.
It takes a little while to untie everyone and check their wounds. Although there are signs of beatings, several scratch marks, and even some burns, nobody is severely injured. A paladin channels energy and the worst of the abrasions go away.
There are a dozen survivors in all, and soon the party is seated in the command tent with Irabeth. Shortly thereafter, Sarkast, Aron, and Anevia walk in. Sosiel briefly whispers to Sarkast that several survivors were found. Finally, Nurah walks in, waving to everyone.
Irabeth looks at all of you. "I think we all have some reports to give, but let's listen to the survivors here first."
A woman from the prisoners speaks up.
"My name is Sergeant Kamilo Dann. I was with the crusaders stationed here leading a hunt for some dretches that were spotted. While we were away the tieflings struck the ford, slaughtering everyone there to a man. We were found afterwards and since the blood-frenzy had ended, we were just bundled into that rotten stone shack to be used as sacrifices. They... they took three of us."
She breaks off for a moment and then continues.
"The only useful information we have is that there is a far larger army lying to the west in some place called 'Keeper's Canyon'. They weren't really interested in talking to us."
Keeper's Canyon contains the Ahari Riverbed, meaning that this army stands between you and Drezen.
"I am not familiar with this area, but I can say that while scouting we met up with our counterpart ... a winged demon flying in this direction. We relieved it of its miserable existence as well as these items. I believe we caught it before it became aware of the army, but we should be alert for more."
Irabeth looks around the room to blank stares.
"The place is unknown to me as well. Thank you for the report Sergeant Dann. We'll ensure you're well taken care of. If we have you and eleven other strong fighters it may be that you would do well to join our number."
Kamilo hesitates.
"With due respect Commander, after the slaughter of our legion my wishes are at home in Kenabres to help with the rebuild of the city. I will obey your wishes though."
Irabeth looks to the group. "We'll discuss this among other things. The rest of you, dismissed, I need to speak with our commanders. Anevia dear, can you make sure we have privacy?"
Anevia nods and everyone except for Irabeth stands to pile out of the room. Kamilo and her unit are whisked away for a hot meal and some rest. Irabeth folds her mailed arms and looks over everyone.
"Me first. We didn't have a single casualty and barely any wounds after the attack. Even if we tripped on our feet with that ambush, they just were no match for us. Now, the rest of you - reports?"
Nurah was guiding me across the battlefield to check for survivors, but she ran off. After she left me, I ran into three tieflings who were pretending to be hurt. It would have ended very badly... Dejik's fingers trace the lines of her holy symbol. By the grace of Iomedae, I survived. Somehow.
I don't know what happened to Nurah or why she left me.