Xull being Xull, cuts yet another bad person in half. . Seeing one of their comrades go down, and their spiritual leader cut in half, the 2 thugs surrender. They throw down their crossbows, and climb down the ladder.
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Xûll smiles at the sisters as he strides into the common room with the thugs in tow.
"We be having present for you," he proclaims, his smile broadening, "Now to be saying thank you."
Xûll dumps both halves of Holy Ahendile upon the common room floor. The big Shoanti chuckles at the looks he gets.
"Now, these thugs be doing jobs. 'Be pointing crossbows at heroes and be shooting them'. They not to be helping commands they get. They not be helping that they bad at jobs," Xûll begins, "You sisters be having different jobs. You job is to be tending of tavern - which you be good at- and not kidnapping of dwarves. You do for fun, me thinks. Be telling me why should we not be cutting heads off evil sisters and Rosh?"
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Sun lowers his arms in confusion as he sees a crossbow fall from seemingly out of the sky in front of him as Xûll cuts down the leader of the band. "I've heard of raining cats and dogs, but crossbows?". The look of confusion passes as Sun sees the men up top start to climb down the ladder. "Ah, that makes much more sense than dogs with crossbows."
Following the group into the Inn, Sun tries to help keep an eye on the two crossbowmen. Skinny old guy, expert protector. Once inside, Sun walks over to a nearby wooden chair and takes a seat with a sigh of relief while Xûll starts his questioning.
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August moves to stand behind the sisters and Rosh, flanking the cluster of frightened prisoners with Xull, once again drawing his great-sword and letting it rest, blade down on the wooden planks of the inn. The young man turns the blade in deliberately slow rotations which cause its knife edge to bite and dig into the wood, creating jagged shards of timber which splinter upward. Accompanied by the sound of the wooden shards cracking and severing free, August leans in close awaiting the sister's answer.
Addas begins, "This inn has been in our family for over 3 centuries..."
Eugenia places restraining arm on her sister. Se looks at the Pathfinders, especially Xull's blood dripping weapon, "Truth of the matter, this is our religion, our faith. Like it to not, you came into our country where you know the laws, and slew a holy warrior. You are not good, nor are you innocent. We faithfully execute our duties here. We do what we feel is right. What gives the right to tell us how we should conduct ourselves? You are young, strong, and obviously good at killing. We are three old sisters doing what our living god wants us to do. Be careful if you judge us, never know when someone bigger, stronger, faster, is going to judge you."
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Head low, Luna prowls around the huddled group of prisoners. A thin row of hair stands up on her neck and just above the base of her tail like a mohawk, matted down in the middle by chain barding and a saddle. Her hunched shoulders give the illusion of her already large chest looking bigger. Her steady pace does not relent as she circles continuously, squashing any thoughts of making a break for it.
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"Fine words, but you seem to purposely miss the point. By what right do you, or your living god, have to capture and imprison these dwarves? You shouldn't seem so surprised that when one means to capture and enslave an unwilling life, that someone wouldn't notice? Or make to set the injustice you have served to rights?"
Pooka puffs out is chest a little more, and stands a little taller. "We don't apologize for what happened here. You may think you are justified because you follow the orders of your false god, but we believe we are justified in setting those you held captive free. We are at an impasse. A fundamental disagreement. Have your inn and run it how you want, but kidnap and enslave innocent lives? Well that gets a knock on your door from me, and I don't care what religion you claim."
Pooka accentuates his point with a thumb planted firmly in his armored chest at the word "me". Just for effect, Luna snaps off a resounding bark that startles those who weren't expecting it.
"That of course, is to say nothing to the fact that the dwarves you enslaved were diplomatic emissaries. You should watch your tongue when you attempt to stand on the righteousness of your kidnapping, because the game you play is a precursor to war."
Unless that is what they wanted all along...
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"It was behind pretensions of tradition and culture that Shoanti people enslaved for many years upon end," says Xûll, not caring if these women know of ancient Thassilon or not, "It behind religious freedoms that demon-worshippers steal Shoanti lands to make Korvosa," Xûll spits upon the ground at the even the unnamed mention of the Empire of Cheliax.
"Pooka has right of it," Xûll continues, "Dwarves be emissaries, passers-through. You no be having right to be doing this. But, is as you say, in your blood. Three hundred years, you say."
Xûll draws his Nodachi and advances on the women, "Let me be showing you something that is part of my blood. Is part of Shoanti people for many years. For over millennium, we be bred for one purpose: warrior to kill. Be not blaming me for this. Is just something that me cannot be helping. Just as you cannot be helping. Me understands. Me sympathizes."
The bloodrage inside him threatens to overtake Xûll senses. No, he tells himself, Must be done with clarity of thought. Must experience this fully. No dulling sensations when murdering - even in name of righteousness.
Methodically, and with a grim set to his face, Xûll savagely executes the three women and the half-wit, leaving the guards as witnesses.
"Let us be getting back to ship," says the blood-drenched Shoanti, "Is nothing more to be seeing here."
As Xull raises his nodachi, the sisters eyes go wide in fright. The rescued dwarves preserver being the harden lot they are. The group silently exits the Inn, and once again walks down the trail towards the Abacus. As they reach the deck, Passad, Metella, and Amauhak are there to greet them. Passad beams at the Pathfinders as if you are his proud children. Metella and Amauhak in particular begin conversing quickly in dwarven. The Pathfinders recognize Amauhak casting curative spells on the former prisoners.
Passad begins, "Well done. Very well done. You are indeed a very talented group and now, more than ever, I am saddened that we could not find common ground to work out a business proposition. Mayhaps in the future, our paths will cross again, and next time you will favor me with your decision. Let us enjoy the remainder of our voyage and say goodbye to this foul land. I for one vow never to return."
Metella and Amauhak quickly approach the group. Metella begins, "I am indebted to you. Many thanks for rescuing our brethren. They detailed how you fought the devils and quickly brought down the Holy Warrior. I cannot express how happy we are to have secured the blessing of the society. If all it's agents are as camapble as you all are, we will receive much praise for convincing you of our worth as Five King Mounatin dwarves!"
Amauhak merely says, "Torag's blessing on you all. May your hammers ring true, may your pockets bulge with coins, and may your beard ever be clear of leftover food."
camapble
WTF - who wrote that? And what does that even mean?
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Xûll bathes in the river a while before boarding the river boat. Milky colored blood rinses off his naked body and travels briskly downstream, gradually diluting until it eventually disappears. The big Shoanti repeats the process with his armor, the goose pimples on his bared flesh reveal how cold the water was, but not a shudder escapes the big barbarian.
Aboard, Xûll smiles as the dwarves and Passad alike complement them, despite their philosophical differences.
"Thank you, Gracious Host Temel Passad, indeed you are being most gracious despite our actions not being what you would have been being wanting," says Xûll, completely unsure how to conjugate in the conditional perfect while using his normal speech pattern, "Dwarven Enterpreneurs Metella and Amauhak, Society is most happily to be wanting your wares. Please, let us be making arrangements on journey. Happy we were to be rescuing friends of dwarves. Long may arrangement be lasting between our organizations."
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When the trade deal has been properly thrashed out, Xûll emerges to debrief with his companions.
"Pooka, you not be looking at me same way as before," notes Xûll, sidling up to Pooka as he stares over the railing, "Is something matter? You not be liking how me was dealing with sisters at inn. The be having it coming to them, but perhaps me was being too... harsh?"
"Sun, you be having much good for spells, me thinks," Xûll sits down next to the druid, "But perhaps you be looking after health more. Me have friend, half-orc, who be training men how be fitter. He would be saying Sun needs be drinking more water, less beer. He would be saying this over his own beer. Me say, Sun perfect way Sun is."
"Augustus-Aeyon-Though-Everyone-Call-Him-August-For-Short, why you never laugh at joke?" asks a genuinely concerned Xûll, "Me always call you Augustus-Aeyon-Though-Everyone-Call-Him-August-For-Short. Is funny because me be making name longer when you be telling me how to be making shorter. Is funny because me not really be speaking this way - me do many trade deals and me not simpleton. Do you not be knowing this? Is funnier because me be repeating instructions for to be making name shorter, but is always making longer by putting instructions in. You no think me joke funny?"
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"Pooka, you not be looking at me same way as before," notes Xûll, sidling up to Pooka as he stares over the railing, "Is something matter? You not be liking how me was dealing with sisters at inn. The be having it coming to them, but perhaps me was being too... harsh?"
Pooka smiles a thin smile at the giant man. "No my friend, I have no problem with you killing those women. Which is, in fact, why I might not be looking at you the same as before. All my life my family has served to aid in the freeing of slaves, especially my people. A fire burns in my heart against the nation of Cheliax, for they are chief among those who willingly enslave halflings, among so many others."
Pooka takes a deep breath and shifts his weight, leaning against the railing and looking out over the perfectly smooth water that gives the river its name.
"For years my family, my parents, operated a safe house. A place for freed slaves to hide and rest on their journey away to... somewhere. Who knows where. Freedom. I yearn to set them all free Xull. But this is the first time I have actually encountered those who would steal the freedom of others. The first opportunity to visit my rage on them."
Pooka continues to stare off into the distance, chewing on a weed he had picked, as though the act of chewing might help turn the wheels in his brain.
"It is far easier to imagine the satisfaction of doling out righteous justice, than it is to live with the aftermath."
Pooka finally looks up at the barbarian after a few moments pause. "I will be fine my friend. Please do not change who you are, and certainly not on account of my feelings. I have no doubt that what we did back there was just, and the freedom these dwarves have again is sweet. I fear it will take me some time to accept that this is the grisly side of the job. You will not have to worry about my resolve to continue to get the job done. That will never waver."
With another smile and a deep breath, Pooka goes back to staring off at the disappearing horizon, a certain hilltop building long faded in the distance.
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At her master's feet, Luna's legs begin to twitch in her sleep. Her breath quickens, letting a few squeaks that might sound like barks had she opened her mouth. The deep sleep she is in prevents that, so all that there is to see is a sleeping dog, far away in dreamland.
Get the squirrel, Get the squirrel, Get the squirrel, Get the squirrel, I GOT THE SQUIRREL!!!!
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Luna Starlight wrote: Get the squirrel, Get the squirrel, Get the squirrel, Get the squirrel, I GOT THE SQUIRREL!!!! Heh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrAIGLkSMls
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"Thank-you Xûll, I too am rather fond of who I am," Sun says while sitting next to Xûll. "But, there is always room for improvement. That is one of the great secrets of being a druid I think. But don't tell anyone I said that," he says with a wink. "Where in life will you be heading to after this grisly affair my new friend?"
The remainder of the voyage passes uneventfully. Passad remains sullen, rarely engaging with the Pathfinders.
The captain is in a much better mood with the threat of faith barges and confrontations with religious zealots well behind him. Passad also pays very well.
Metella and Amauhak are in high spirtis, thinking of the glory the new agreement with the Pathfinder Society will bring to the Five King Mountains dwarves. They often converse in dwarven with their rescued comrades, boasting, drinking, and swapping stories of mining.
The boat pulls into Nerosyan, Mendev. There the Pathfinders take their leave of Passad, and proceed to find Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury.