It's an arduous climb back up into the light of day, especially while you're hauling the trade goods and treasures you found in the spider-eye goblins' shrine. But after a long trek, you finally reach the top of the Chasm of Flies with your treasure in tow.
Backtracking to the cave you set up as a base camp, you find Nestor caring for Iliberos' donkey. He smiles with relief to see you return.
"Did you get what you were after?", he writes in the dirt.
The Asaatthi nods and returns the man's smile. "I think that we did Nestor. Though I have no idea what we will do with it." Zukhan looks around at his travelling companions. "Now that we've plumbed the depths of the dread chasm of flies, I suppose it's time to head back to Fangsfall? Nestor, I would be happy to have you along if you wanted to accompany us."
Nestor nods, clearly relieved to be leaving the March. Once you all enter the cave proper, though, Iliberos' donkey backs away from you all, snorting. It tries to squeeze past you and out of the sheltered cave you're in, Nestor yanking at its lead to keep it in.
"That's strange- he never does that.", Iliberos says, trying to calm his pack animal.
Lhienne follows suit, drawing her rapier.
Seeing the others suddenly ready their weapons, Brother Theodor does the same, having his shield and spear at the ready.
"What is it?" he whispers.
No threat seems to be forthcoming, the cave is as empty as when you found it. The animal just seems spooked for some reason.
"The poor beast probably wants to be away from this place as badly as we do. Let's give it what it wants."
Zukhan will try to persuade the horse to start moving out of the cave.
Lhienne takes Theodor's arm and walks a good stone's throw away from the animal, see if it calms down.
"Well, that could be. Items of the Titans are bound to have an effect on the natural world. Maybe that is what the horse has sensed."
He lets Lhienne guide him away from the horse.
Once Brother Theodor and Lhienne are a fair distance away, the donkey starts to calm down enough that Zukhan can get him back under control. Iliberos yokes the beast back to the cart and gets him ready for the return journey.
"Well, I can see Spiragos' influence remains with his toys. Best to see what Meroni and her 'International Exports, Ltd.' wants with them now that the damned things are in our possession."
"Agreed. Let's get away from this place, see if we can hunt down our contact."
"We should probably give one person all the artefacts and keep them away from the donkey? No sense in having the animal ready to bolt if we're not paying attention. Me or Zukhan prob'ly best, we can forge ahead and scout out."
The Asaatthi nods to Lhienne. "Good idea. If you want to use the sword, then you should keep them. If not, I can take them. Up to you."
"Well here is the ring. I guess it is a good thing none of us can use the thing!"
Theo hands the ring over to whoever is going to be carrying the sword.
Lhienne will take the ring for now and keep hold of the sword. She'll spend the journey a little ways ahead of the cart or out in the distant flanks.
With Lhienne and the items a short distance away, the donkey gets more manageable- though he increasingly needs coaxing as time goes on.
Your first half-day of travel through the desolate Devil's March is uneventful, beyond Iliberos' donkey's mounting distress. You find yourselves a suitable camping spot for the night and settle in, Iliberos keeping his beast on the opposite side of camp from Lhienne.
"We could take them to the church. I am sure they could discover a way to either destroy them, or keep them out of the hands of the wrong people."
Zukhan nods to Brother Theodor and Djal. "Though I wonder if we should have just left them back in that ruin. Those goblins didn't seem to know how to use them, heh." The Asaatthi smiles to indicate that he isn't totally serious.
[o0c]The watch works for me![/ooc]
You settle in for the night, getting the watches in order after eating more of your dried food. It'll be a nice change of pace to eat something freshly prepared or freshly hunted once you're back in the less Titanswar-ravaged Fangsfall peninsula. Lhienne and Djal take their first watch while the rest of the crew beds down, Nestor sleeping in the cart.
A fox approaches, unfazed by the wreckage around you.
"Chains have no place on a free creature.", she says to you. "And all of them are free, no matter what they try to tell you."
Smoke curls from the chains at your wrist as they fall away in clumps of ash. The ash collects at your feet, in the shape of a cross and a circle.
"But some chains pretend to be otherwise, to trick you into their embrace."
The fox is huge now, her elf-like eyes level with yours.
"I only ask that you do with my blessing what you have always tried to do.", she says, before jumping into you and disappearing. A righteous warmth fills your chest and you howl with triumph as the storm crashes into you.
After a quiet night in the desolate March, you awaken to clouds on the horizon and flashes of thunder. A heavy rain starts falling, the wind blowing it straight into you and whipping your cloaks about. For Lhienne off on her own it's particularly miserable, the Dagger of Spiragos feeling weirdly cold on her hip.
"I do trust the church. They are there to help people and ensure dangers are kept far from the common folk. I am just not sure if they have the facilities to contain or destroy such items, but if any group does, it would be the church."
Getting up in the miserable weather, the priest pulls his cloak closer around him, unsure what to think of the inclement weather.
Throughout the rest of the day you’re soaked with rain, but by the time evening falls once more, the rain has stopped. You congregate around the fire, cloaks and boots spread out to dry. By the next morning they’re still a bit damp and you shiver in the cool early morning air.
While the day is clear, the wind starts picking up in the afternoon and growing more and more vicious into the night. In one of the March’s many canyons it nearly knocks you off your feet- Enkili’s certainly having some fun with you while you trudge back to civilization.
The third evening of your journey is spent with little in the way of fire or warmth, but fortunately the other denizens of the March are similarly averse to travel- nothing pesters you in the night and you wake up to calmer skies.
Crossing into the Bronze Hills, you feel a greater sense of well-being. Though not without it's dangers, the Hills at least have natural environments and fresher air.
You hear the jangle of chains before you see the figure approaching you on the trail. Hunched in a white robe, barefoot and draped in chains trailing behind them, the monk approaches you with head bowed.
"Harmony... Harmony is at hand...", they croak.
Religion:
Lhienne attempts to keep out of sight as strangers approach, overly religious types never sit well with her, not to mention if they can sense the items she's carrying...
Zukhan eyes the man skeptically and steps back. "What do you want?"
I think he is a monk of the Chardun order. Be wary, they have a very evil reputation."
Theo steps towards the monk, his spear at the ready.
"What are you doing here follower of 'The Slaver"?
The monk continues toward you, getting to about 30 feet away.
"To spread the gospel...", he hisses, throwing back his hood to reveal the face of Brother Theodor's old mentor, Sister Janice! Her flesh is deathly pale, marked by jagged scars, her eyes burning with a cold hate.
While shocking, Brother Theo is unmoved by the monk's unnerving deception- he knows with complete conviction that Sister Janice is safe back at the temple. With a mirthless laugh, the "monk's" chains start dancing of their own volition as it rushes the party!
Initiatives
The Monk 12
Iliberos 11
Realizing the creatures deception, Zukhan jumps forward slashing out with sword and claw.
Angry that the creature would attempt to use the likeness of his mentor, Brother Theodor stabs at the beast with his spear.
Attack:
Damage:
Iliberos summons a green orb that pops and sizzles as it touches the air around it. An acrid smell exudes from the thing as he hurls it at the imposter.
Lhienne attempts to poke the priest.
Round One
Zukhan leaps into action, attacking the monk with blinding speed- but even caught off-guard, the chained menace dodges the ranger's attacks. The asaathi only manages to draw a small cut from the monk's deathly pale hide.
Brother Theodor jabs at the Chardunite, incensed that he would use his mentor's face against him- but the chain-draped monk sidesteps the attack!
Djal skewers the inhuman monk with his rapier, though he encounters much more resistance from their flesh than expected.
While The Unchained and the rest of the party batters at him from the front, Lhienne circles around the monk and plants her blade into his spine! Though it's a blow that would normally fell even the largest man, the monk twitches and continues to attack, whirling his chains at the half-orc and the halfling!
The chains draping the monk seem to have a mind of their own, writhing at the two escaped slaves and bypassing their defenses! The razor sharp chains lacerate each of them, one chain clinching tightly around the half-orc!
The orb of acid explodes sizzling on the monk, searing it's exposed flesh and the links of chains draping it!
Seeing that this foe isn't to be taken lightly, The Asaatthi marks the creature as his prey then strafes the monk and probes it's defense with quick slashes and jabs, trying to find an opening.
Iliberos concentrates on creating a spectral hand above the chained creature and drops it down to rake across the things back.
Seeing that weapons are doing little damage to the creature, Brother Theo calls down the power of The Redeemer to hold the beast while the others can subdue it.
Lhienne gasps at the pain, another blow or two like that and she'll be down, she lashes out with her rapier again before falling back
Round Two
Veins pop in the Unchained's neck and temple as he struggles in the fiend's embrace!
The half-orc lives up to his name, ripping from the barbed chain from his body.
Zukhan bestows his mark on the monk, slashing a glancing blow across its chain-clad form.
Djal dives at the monk, his rapier's jab distracting it from the stab of the bard's dagger.
Behind him, Lhienne makes an abortive attack as she dashes away to get some breathing room.
Iliberos' skeletal hand reaches out, but the monk is far too quick for his attack.
As Brother Theodor readies his prayer, Iliberos calls out,"Wait! 'tis not a man at all, but a devil from Chardun's Hells! Your prayer shall not halt it!"
Heeding Iliberos' warning, Theo alters his prayer slightly, and a ghostly spear appears beside the demon. It quickly stabs at the beast as Brother Theodor mirrors its action.
Attack:
Damage:
Spiritual Weapon:
Damage:
While the devil easily swats aside Brother Theodor's spear strike, the spear of his prayers plunges into the devil's chest, sending it reeling.
The spiritual weapon manages to severely interrupt the devil's chain swipe at Brother Theodor, the chain itself falling from its grasp and flopping like a fish out of water on the ground.
Zukhan, however, is entangled with the other chain. Iron barbs pierce his skin and pin his arms!
Round Three, FIGHT!
Lhienne breathes a second, she considers her sling, but finds her hand reaching towards her titan weapon. "No", she pushes herself forwards in a lunge against the creature, before dancing back out of reach of a counter-attack.