As Zosimos looks back on his party in anger, a gust of warm, dusty wind sweeps over the knoll and onto the party.
The scent of the flowers is not entirely unpleasant, even as Sündr overhears Sir Ilivan call her a useless ally...and hears Riegel, Yngvar, and Zosimos join in the ridicule! In fact, Zosimos is standing on the hill even now, smugly calling Sündr names, loudly questioning her parentage, and even suggesting that a Skald isn't a "real" profession!
Sir Ilivan stops his horse and slides from his saddle, looking about warily.
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Hearing Zos' strange tirade puts Riegel on his heels; seeing their commander suddenly dismount and go on alert is more warning than he needs that something is amiss.
He reaches for Discordia, but considers his friend's uncharactaristic anger, and changed tack. He puts his hands up non-threateningly and approaches Zos' position
Ye be talking strangely, my friend. Speak to me da-dinh; what ails you?
Powerful anger is welling within you both toward your other party members. Zosimos remembers Riegel kill-stealing that dretch back in the ruins of Bedis, while Sündr recalls Yngvar doing much the same after her valiant charge at another of the demonkind. Both the gunslinger and the cleric appear to be mocking the investigator and skald about it now, with Sir Ilivan chuckling alongside them.
Sir Ilivan takes a step or two from his steed, then silently falls prone, curling into the fetal position with his hands covering his eyes, rocking back and forth quietly.
You've stumbled across a patch of rageweed pollen. When the pollen alights on a moist or fleshy surface, such as being inhaled or touching skin, the pollen quickly germinates, inducing fits of paranoia, hallucinations, and violent rage. Severely afflicted people often even attack people they consider their friends.
You guys both get a standard action to react to what you see around you, then one more Will save to try and shake off the effects. Zos, you're still affected so can't willingly share what you know yet.
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Sir Ilivan takes a step or two from his steed, then silently falls prone, curling into the fetal position with his hands covering his eyes, rocking back and forth quietly.
Riegel thought their captain was dismounting to get ready for trouble; on seeing this, he curses heartily in chagrin. SIR KNIGHT!! Get Ye up, handsomely now sir! This childishness becomes ye and ye station not one whit, say true!.
Grabbing the blubbering knight by the scruff the gunslinger drags him away from the hill, looking for some form if cover against the attack he's sure is imminent. He calls out over his shoulder. Yngvar! Try to get Sundr away from here. I'll get Zos. Ignore their harsh words; they're ensorcelled!!
The half Orc tries to coax Illivan's horse to follow. He finds a tree or hollow, dps the knight down, then goes after Zosimos with a will
Despite Riegel's protestations and admonishment, Sir Ilivan does not respond, even when roughly handled by the desperate gunslinger; instead, he continues to cover his eyes as though attempting to force out some unwanted vision. He moans softly to himself.
Must stay in control...must remain in control...
Overcome by...by something, Zosimos locks eyes with Sündr and falls on her violently, attempting to find her nuts in an ultimately futile effort to twist them off. For her part, Sündr is convinced she hears Zosimos call her father something, and that is the final straw — don't nobody talk about Sündr's papa like that! — she whirls, flings the empty mead horn at the elf, and the two descend into a good, old fashioned brawl for several seconds.
Then, all at once, the moment passes. Sündr's fist has blackened one of Zosimos' eyes, and he has torn the stitching on the Ulfen's leggings, but neither appears any worse for wear as they come to their senses.
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Casting guidance on himself and hoping to work with the crusader, Yngvar makes an effort to bring Ilivan around.
"Sir Ilivan, by the light of the Dawnflower and the Inheritor, you must tell me vhat is going on here! Ve need your experience and help. Talk to us and let us know vhat is happening! Talk to us, Sir!"
Sündr and Yngvar work together to reach the knight, who gradually comes back to himself. He straightens and tries to remount his horse; but he misses the stirrup and ends up back on the ground. As he struggles back to his feet he waves off attempts to help him. I'm fine, fine, he mumbles unconvincingly.
Once back in his saddle Sir Ilivan is quiet, looking over the cracked and twisted hills to the west. After a few moments he turns to Riegel. I know you will understand better than anyone, he says, nodding toward the gunslinger's Mendevian commendation, that some scars never fully heal. T'was in the Fourth Crusade that I got mine -- courtesy of a shadow demon that took hold of my mind and watched with maddening laughter inside my head as I rode down two members of my own platoon before the clerics of Iomedae could restrain me. He is quiet a heartbeat more, then: I was not strong enough to save those doomed men. All are damned once they come to this accursed land.
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Riegel listens intently to Ilivan’s tale. When it’s over, he stands tall before the Knight, and bows deeply and with humility. I misjudged you, Sir Knight, and I do cry your pardon. I was too quick and eager—and unfair!—to pin you as some part-time warrior, and paid no heed to the burdens you must bear. But hear me—hear me very well! No man is damned except for the choices he makes. You did not choose your actions that day. While you will feel that guilt ‘til you die, it is not deserved, although it does you a great credit, say true! And WE…
Here he straightens again, and his voice boos with conviction. …WE here CHOOSE to defy the demon filth! We CHOOSE to rescue our good soldiers! the Gunslinger touches both his Mendevian medal, and his Silver Crusade pin, in turn as he speaks. We walk the path of the White! Discordia will scream at the demons until my ammo is gone, and then I will smash her into their faces until I am dead! He directly addresses Ilivan again. And YOU, sir, will stand and be true! Fighting this fight may well cost our lives, but we will NOT be unmanned!
He remounts. Now, let’s find those boys and bring ‘em home—whether they walk with us, or we have to carry them. For the Silver! FOR THE WHITE!!!
With no further ceremony, he immediately tries to pick up the trail again.
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Yngvar nods solemly as he hears Riegel's words.
The half orc speaks true!
After Rigel's inspiring words, the Ulfen cleric takes a deep breath and goes to speak with Sündr-dögünn. Yngvar speaks to her in his native tongue."Tilgi meg, min kjære, men kan du vennligst forklare meg hva som skjer her? Ingen synes å opptre normalt. Er vi under en mørk og ond magi som bringer om det verste i oss alle? Måtte Dawnflower lys brenne slike ting unna."
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"Ekki viss. Ég held að það er eitthvað rangt við blóm. Best að anda of mikið."
"Aye, Zosimos, you should! It is a fine language." Sündr proceeds to give introductory Skald lessons to Zos along the trail, at least until Riegel or Ilivan tells her to be quiet.
Sir Ilivan seems to take some small comfort from Riegel's words. He even manages a slight smile at the gunslinger's proclamation. This war has changd me, as it inevitably changes all who fight in it. I fear I am no longer qualified to make command decisions, and thus I shall resign my commission upon our return to Nerosyan. After a moment or two of reflection, he continues. I could not save those men, but perhaps...perhaps we can save these soldiers from a horrible fate, and my entire career will not have been in vain.
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Sir Ilivan seems to take some small comfort from Riegel's words. He even manages a slight smile at the gunslinger's proclamation. This war has changd me, as it inevitably changes all who fight in it. I fear I am no longer qualified to make command decisions, and thus I shall resign my commission upon our return to Nerosyan. After a moment or two of reflection, he continues. I could not save those men, but perhaps...perhaps we can save these soldiers from a horrible fate, and my entire career will not have been in vain.
Mayhap ye should not make such a decision after such a stark recall of your trauma. Let's keep our minds on our task, and worry about the bigger questions later.
Riegel's Survival check is sufficient to track the demons and captured crusaders. Following the trail leads them into a dry, narrow gulch along a dried-up creekbed, which appears to have been the site of numerous battles. Rusted weapons, broken arrows, and the occasional skull are strewn about the landscape. The walls of the gulch narrow, creating a natural choke point.
As the party enters the gulch, they spy the unfortunate crusaders chained together being tortured by a grinning dretch as a bestial humanoid, standing just over three feet tall and adorned in filthy, tattered robes with dark fur growing on its head and arms and its feet ending in burning hooves looks on with sadistic glee. Its eyes glow as red as the flaming sword it wields in one hand, and its breath fills the surrounding air with noxious gray smoke.
The fiery demon is a brimorak.
Brimoraks are evil outsiders of the demon subtype; however, unlike most demons, they are vulnerable to cold. They also have spell resistance.
A brimorak's blood is boiling hot. Any creature damaging a brimorak with a slashing or piercing melee weapon is sprayed by this boiling blood, and takes 1d4 points of fire damage with each successful hit (reach weapons immune). Additionally, a brimorak's breath manifests as clouds of foul-smelling smoke when it exhales. This breath surrounds the brimorak out to a radius of 5 feet. The smoke doesn't obscure vision or choke foes, but it does sicken those not immune to poison.
As the party notices the scene, the demons notice them. At almost the same moment, Sir Ilivan points to a dust cloud approaching from the north. Riegel and Zosimos both easily spot discernible figures in the cloud — a gang of oncoming demons coming to reinforce the brimorak. Now is our finest hour! I will hold off this horde while you rescue those soldiers! The cavalier spurs his horse and gallops north to face the oncoming horde in what is almost certainly a suicide mission.
Init repost:
Zosimos
Riegel
dretch
brimorak
Sündr
Yngvar
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ROUND 1
Riegel looks at the grinning Captain, and gives him a salute, crying out GIVE 'EM WHAT FOR, FOR YOUR FATHER'S SAKE!! STAND AND BE TRUE!! He then whips his head around to the demons, wiping an errant tear as he does. He whispers to his compatriots this is an ambush, or I'm a baker. Keep a keen eye out for more of the filth.
Seeing that Zos is making for the captives, the half-orc then thunders out to the monsters, to gain their attention. Hold, beasts! Get ye gone from here, and leave your captives, else your lives are forefit. We are taking these boys back, and will end you to do it--with great pleasure!!
He strides forward, drawing Discordia (and making sure she's loaded with Nexavarian steel). He also peers about intently, searching for the ambush he knows is waiting for them.
The dretch reaches for one of the crusaders and tears the hapless victim's heart from his chest!
Seeing this, the brimorak cackles wickedly, then turns to face Zosimos. With a wave of its unbladed claw, it lunges forward as if onto the air itself, stopping about 20 feet up!
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"Cover me! I'll get the Crusaders!"
I'm running a lab all day today, so posting will be spotty.
1. Perception, are the crusader's manacled together?
2. Shoot the dretch with cold iron arrow .
2. Move action to close (is my horse combat trained?) . BOLLOX!
3. I'm going to try to use my mount for cover (with inspiration.)
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Round 1
"By the Fire of the Dawnflower, we will smite these demons!"
Yngvar casts Bless upon his companions and a burst of good energy spreads out among his companions.
Yngvar will then drop from his horse and clutch his cold iron scimitar as he prepares for battle.
Sündr rides in on her horse, then disappears!
Yngvar bestows Sarenrae's blessings and dismounts!
Zosimos shoots the dretch next to the tied-up-but-not-tied-together crusaders, then closes on the demonling, trying to leap from the saddle only to find his boot entangled in the stirrup. Instead, he readies for the counterattack the furious dretch is likely to give!
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ROUND 2
Rigel continues to stride forward. Between the two targets, the brimorak is clearly the bigger threat; however, the dretch is threatening both the rest of the helpless soldiers, and the gunslinger's dhin. The shot is harder from this distance, but he trusts to hope that his aim will be true.
I kill with my heart!!
Reigel briefly touches Discordia to his Silver Crusade pin, and both the pin and gun pulse in a small, but unmistakable, flash of light. He cries out FOR THE SILVER! He then draws a bead on the dretch, and his voice booms forth as does Discordia's:
<--due to distance this is NOT vs touch
<--half the d6 damage on a miss
It is as though Riegel's shooting hand is guided by Iomedae herself in the Silver Crusade's name — his Nexevarian steel shot takes the dretch right between its demonic eyes and the creature collapses in a heap on the ground!
The brimorak hurls an Abyssal curse at Riegel, then turns and charges at Zosimos through the air!
plus fire, plus a Fort save for both Zos and his horse (failure = sickened condition)!