Ayesha collapsed as the battle ended, then shuddered in pain and nausea as Dejik's spell wore off and she could feel her vitality leaching away. "Dejik, love, I could use your help once more. That creature's poison sapped me of my life force. It's...very uncomfortable. Do you have something that could restore it on a more permanent basis?"
You camp up in the fortress, knowing full well that the lair of such a dangerous demon is unlikely to attract many visitors. Rather than the flat black sky, the sky instead is full of stars, although ones which have a strange, sickly colour to them. The constellations are also all wrong - particularly jarring to Sarkast and his exceptional knowledge of overland navigation. All the signs are wrong, and it is a fitful sleep.
The next day you all awaken and continue to head southwards towards your destination. Up on the escarpment, you manage to make some decent time as it descends down towards the earth. And from your vantage point you can distantly see a small, sickly-looking wood, and smoke that looks like a sign of life.
To your east, directly downhill, you see the Sellen river, and distantly the Vilareth Ford, where you fought your first battle against a demonic army. Starting out into Mendev from the Worldwound is a strange sensation as the uncorrupted land seems to glow and shimmer.
Assuming the smoke is the source of the raiders you head for it, and plunge into the sickly wood. The trees are stunted and twisted, and at one point you swear you see a red-eyed deer eating gravel.
Eventually, the woods open up to reveal a stout hall with a peaked roof. The woods are cleared 50' in all directions. The building itself is a stone structure that appears to have once been a part of a larger compound, as fragmented foundations poke up here and there in the area.
A huge mound of broken weapons and armour, body parts, and refuse lies in a heap to the east of the hall. It swarms with diseased-looking scavengers.
In a hushed voice, Ayeska spoke to Sarkast. "Sarkast. Do you want me to make you invisible so you can scout the building? I can get you fifteen, maybe twenty minutes."
"That should be plenty of time."
Sarkast checks his gear to ensure it will be as silent as possible while he moves. Once Ayesha and Dejik cast any preparatory spells, he sets out.
Supernaturally silent, Sarkast scouts out the hall completely. The gigantic pile of refuse is filled with what look like very noisy, deformed vermin. They look like they function as a crude alarm - anybody who isn't Sarkast would surely set them off into a chorus of flaps and squeaks.
The hall itself is appallingly grim, there are no windows, and there is no second floor. Only two double doors opening outwards to the south. From within Sarkast can dimly hear conversations in what he's fairly sure is Hallit. It's pretty obvious there are two people talking to each other beyond the front door.
"Have you seen Meja's newborn?"
"Deformed, like the rest. It is what we are. Now quiet, Marhevok does not want us talking of such things."
Sarkast returns to the group and quietly recounts what he saw and heard. "If we are going to approach, we will have to deal with the vermin somehow, or they will give us away. Unfortunately, with no way to look in, I can't say what is there besides the two people I heard speaking. If we can silence the alarm, we might be able to surprise the speakers and capture them."
"Perhaps Dejik or Nilus can cast a silence spell over the vermin, so that we can approach without alerting those in the building? That would give us the chance to take the ones inside unawares. Alternately, we could just set the place on fire and deal with whatever is inside as it comes out. I'm not as happy with that solution, as there might be innocents inside that we know nothing about."
Nilus prefers the straightforward approach...
Dejik can try to cast Silence on an arrow, then someone else can try to fire it into the vermin. (Dejik would have to get withing 60 feet to shoot it.)
"Very well , then. When you are ready, I'll shoot the arrow. Then, we can go in and clean up the vermin, hopefully with the ones inside being none the wiser."
Sarkast nods. "I am ready when you are. If the rest of you can handle the vermin without me, I can keep the invisibility to surprise the occupants of the building with."
Dejik silences her arrow, and it flies through the air, smacking into the pile of vermin. They immediately start flapping and jumping and rushing around, and would likely make an enormous racket if anyone could hera them. They also don't leave the refuse pile.
You creep your way up to the front door of the hall. Sarkast briefly inspects the doors - they are barred from the inside. You have not been spotted.
Nilus tries to force the door open... but he is ultimately unsuccessful.
WHAM!
WHAM!
The door thuds twice as Nilus and Sarkast slam against it. There are sudden shouts from the other side. Someone finally calls out in common through the door.
"Who is there? Declare yourselves!"
"I am the Queen of Taldor, come to claim taxes by right of heredity and the Divine providence that made me Queen!"
Sarkast blinks at Ayesha's statement, and waits to hear if it gets a response.
Nilus smiles at Ayesha's joke, he decides to play along.
She is the Queen and we are her Royal Guard, open up!
There's a long, pregnant pause.
"What?! Stop speaking nonsense! State your intentions or we will take your severed heads for latrines!"
"Oh, my intentions are entirely honorable, I assure you. No one will be violated without their permission, though I have a bad memory so be sure the safe word is something simple."
Nilus snickers, he's heard of these types of things being common in the Temples of Calistria.
Open up by all the gods or the Queen will have your heads! he calls out, fully in character now.
Realizing that a burst of laughter will not help her friends with their ruse, Dejik claps her hand over her mouth and tries to regain control.
You hear more shouts from within and the sound of the bar being lifted. There's a loud BANG and the door is viciously kicked right into Nilus and Ayesha! As they try to recover, barbarians quickly slash out at them before someone calls from a back room.
"Gjør dem kommer til oss! Sett opp en flaskehals! Drep healere hvis du ser dem!"
"Make them come to us! Set up a bottleneck! Kill any healers if you see them!"
With the attacks in place, the barbarians then quickly withdraw, snarling and calling out insults at you as the group behind them readies themselves. Two fire out arrows at Nilus and Ayesha.
Barbarians:
Circle
Square
Triangle
Cross
Plain
Dash
=======
Sarkast
Dejik
Nilus (12 dmg)
Ayesha (21 dmg)
Nilus moves forward and says Anyone who lays down their weapons will be treated honorably. We are representatives of the Crusade and are investigating attacks upon peaceful traders in the area!
As Ayesha and Nilus wounds begin to transfer to her, Dejik shakes her head. Sinä tappaisivat parantajia kun oma lapset tarvitsevat apua ? Se on pahempi kuin väärä . Se on vain ... tyhmä ... Mutta kuin haluat : tänään , en oleparantaja .
Anger flashes in her eyes, and light explodes from her holy symbol.
Careful, Nilus--they are trying to lure us in.
There's a huge burst of light and a cry from the barbarians as a few are blinded. As Nilus calls out there's a call back.
"You come to our hall to lie and insult us! I thought you crusaders had honour! Why are you here?!"
We seek the group of Kellid's who are ambushing Crusader caravans in the area. Nilus answers truthfully, pointing Radiance's tip towards the ground.
Still invisible, Sarkast creeps into the hallway to get a better look at the people in the room. He stays quiet but ready.
Sarkast sneaks into the room, completely undetected. The barbarians are a rough lot, and many of them look to have strange deformities which seem demonic in nature. Not quite like tieflings... more like something has gone horribly wrong. Although savage and warlike, they appear interested in talking.
"You would speak with our leader then. Sheathe your weapons. You are in our home, no more fighting unless you ask for it."
Nilus gestures to the glaive in his hands and gives a small shrug to indicate Sorry, no sheath
We can do that. Nilus says, and he plants Radiance point first into the floor. But, I should go and speak with your leader while my friends remain here. I'm sorry, but our trust only extends so far. They will put away their weapons, but will remain vigilant.
and if no one stops him, Nilus will go with the barbarians
Dejik relaxes her guard. I feel it's only fair to tell you that I will know--instantly--if my friend is injured in any way. Now, if you'll let me come closer, I can undo whatever damage we have caused.
Seeing that tensions have eased somewhat, Sarkast moves to stand behind his companions so that when the invisibility wears off, he does not startle anyone.
The barbarians very cautiously allow Dejik to heal them, letting out sighs of relief.
They appear to suffer from birth defects of some kind, obviously of demonic influence. In addition, they are malnourished, exhausted, and appear to be thoroughly miserable - if not hopeless. This is a sad lot.
The barbarians seem confused by Nilus' request, but accede, leading the group northwards, and then stopping them in a hall outside of a huge double-doors. They open, and Nilus is ushered inside.
A one-foot-high ledge runs around the length of this room, upon which stand columns carved to resemble men and women, gazing down into the room in silent judgment. To the southeast, a raised dais supports a fur-covered stone throne, while to the west of this throne sits a pool of water on which a thin rime of ice glitters.
A tall, muscular, and deeply-tanned man sits atop the throne. He has lanky black hair, gray eyes, and a curt expression. As Nilus steps in, his eyes go very, very wide and he stands bolt upright from his throne.
As you spot him, a very, very old wound begins to throb. You recall when you were the Banner Bearer for the Varisian Lions, and become separated from your unit before a near-mortal wound at the hands of a demon. You feel a strange connection with this barbarian.
Tears in his eyes, he spreads his arms.
"My brother... welcome home!"
Brother? I'm sorry. I.. I don't believe I know you. Nilus says My name is Nilus Romani, Member of the Fifth Crusade and Knight of the Rose. I and my allies came to this place seeking information about raids on caravans in the Worldwound. Nilus says stiffly, he is troubled by this apparent connection he has and his time in the Varisian Lions was not pleasant and ended badly.
The chieftan blinks, shaking his head as if in denial.
"No! I am Marhevok Grunhuld-Wintersun and we are kin! Mistress Jerribeth assured me there were others out there who carried her blood in their veins - however diluted. Only the touch of a demon is needed to unlock the potential, we are kin, you and me!"
He rises.
"Renounce your allegiances and come to your true home - you are a Wintersun. Join us!"
Nilus looks at the man The Demoness has some hold over you? I beseech you to renounce your ties to the Demon and walk in the Light of the Rose with me...Brother. The Blessed Rose will show you the beauty of your new form, of this place even and how even in the depths of the Worldwound beauty can flourish. he says, the light of the Rose shining from his very being.
The light of the Rose seems to spread from Nilus, touching Marhevok. The barbarians at the door seem to have crowded in a little. The crushed desperate people show something which seems entirely foreign to them. Hope.
Nilus' powerful speech seems to have captured the hearts of all those around him. However, on Marhevok, darker powers operate. He seems to be struck as if sickened by Nilus' words and starts thrashing as horns and spikes begin to sprout from his skin!
"No... I... rrrrr
Nilus
Ayesha
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Marhevok
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Sarkast
Dejik