Jurgan concentrates on the vial.
He's certain after studying its auras, that it has transmutation properties. Its traces hint at something in the direction of an alter self potion, though not exactly like the type one gets at a magic shop or alchemist workshop.
Belegar leans over the dwarf’s shoulder, ”Might want to check out the other two. I wouldn’t trust the labels in here.”
Medicine pings as CMW, CL 3.
Antidote tastes like antidote.
Jurgan nods, mumbles and then stores them away.
"Just as they indicated. Now let's be off"
With Jurgan pocketing holding the items safe, the team heads for the rooms on the opposite side of the ballroom.
The door opens to a 20ft by 60ft room, fit for guests lounging about before anything in the ballroom would occur.
A few lamps illuminate it, giving off a casual and relaxing atmosphere.
At the far end, a couple of young women in maid uniforms are dusting off furniture. They have not noticed you as of yet.
Belegar mimes ‘shh’ again and steps back.
”Why?” Thandir tried to whisper. ”Maybe they need to hear about the love of Korada!”
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"Just choose an action and let's be done with it. This place makes me want to burn it down to the ground for good."
Belegar shrugs, ”Or maybe they will try to kill us all?”
He turns to leave.
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Thandir walked in.
"MAIDS! I BRING YOU THE LOVE OF KORADA! TURN AWAY FROM THE PATH OF EVIL AND WALK IN THE LIGHT!"
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The two maids turn around.......
To reveal they appear indeed as maids, not some monstrosity with a hideous face-reveal.
One is a lithe girl with long light brown hair and a cute face, the other a slender blonde.
The brown haired lets out a small Eeek, as Thandir startles her, and both turn, stopping their duties.
Lithe: "There's strangers in the manor, how'd they get here."
Blonde: "They should apologize for intrusion, first and foremost."
She points an accusing finger briefly at Thandir,
"You! Apologize for scaring a maiden, and who is this Korada figure you brazenly declare love from? A warlord, a pimp, a lecherous noble?"
....
Thandir was overjoyed to find people interested in hearing about Korada. ”No! Ha! Let me tell you of the great and noble god Korada. It will change your life just as it did mine!”
If nobody stops him he will begin proselytizing.
”Korada is the champion of peace, kindness, and forgiveness. While he loves and respects his fellow empyreal lords for their tireless fight against wickedness, Korada believes good's final triumph will come from the redemption of evil creatures rather than their Destruction. Honest, joyful, and clever, the Open Hand of Harmony dispenses Wisdom with warmth and humility...”
Grinning with religious fervor, he will go on and on past any normal polite hints.
As Thandir prosletyses, Belegar casts detect magic over the maids.
Blonde did not get the apology she requested, as Thandir just exploded in fervous attempt of converting, upon which the lithe stands with a look on her face that spells [Wth is this guy on?]
Blonde: "Oh no, not another religious nut."
Lithe tugs blonde's sleeve...
"He's saying we're evil? But... but... we're not.", :[
Blonde blows into her duster, from which the dust it carries flies towards Thandir like a very quick cloud.
"Elf, why are you people here?"
The dusters ping faint magic, other than those nothing of note on the radar.
Thandir stopped, glaring as the dust hit him. He didn’t cough, so much as the glint of murder came into his eyes.
”That was rude.” He gripped his axe tightly. Despite the damage done to it, it was still quite large. ”Only those of evil heart would attack a follower of Korada while hearing the good word. And I purge evil that refuses to repent. Are. You. Ready. TO HEAR OF SALVATION?!” Spittle flew from his risked mouth as he came to a crossroads of murder or prosletyzing love and redemption.
Blonde stares back, then ignores you as she asked Belegar a question.
Lithe has her hands together in a pleading gesture.
"She'd act against anyone of any faith, if they show no manners.
Don't fight."
"Lord Kemnon, he has had agents in the nearby town abducting citizens. She tried to kill us. The man must answer for his crimes."
Belegar has grown tired of bluffing, let's see where some straight-talking gets him.
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Jurgan watches on quiet not interupt the half orc's sermon.
In response to Belegar, Blonde replies in the same stoic and defiant tone.
"I know not the master's reason for such a thing, and i've not seen anybody but the staff and our master within the manor. You clearly accuse him of being a criminal, but he's a respectable man, he treats all of his staff with respect and kindness. More than many have shown towards us in the past."
She crosses her arms.
Belegar shrugs, ”I tell you the unvarnished truth. If a man is kind to you but murders your neighbour, he is no less a murderer.”
”The question you have to ask yourself is whether you care about others, or only yourselves?”
Then watch a minute from here...
"Even if what you say is true, there are 2 certainties.
1) You clearly have intention of harming the master.
2) You do not know what happened to abductees, should this even prove to be so, and most likely assume the worst."
She hushes her voice to the lithe.
"These men clearly have no intention of leaving.
Inform 'her', if they show any ill intent, or try heading upstairs. "
”We will speak with Kemnon but be clear: because of him, friends of ours have been killed.”
”What are your names?”
We will speak with Kemnon but be clear: because of him, friends of ours have been killed.
Blonde: "I see not how that's any of your business."
"But if you are so dead-set on an audience, and assuming you haven't killed anyone yet, your visit can be announced."
She then points an accusing finger back towards Thandir.
"And get your comrade to stop scaring young girls!"
(lithe stands nervous still)
Thandir yelled back, much louder ”KORADA LOVES YOU! THERE IS NO NEED TO SHOUT!”
(stares back)
"Who's doing the shouting here, half-orc."
Blonde looks at lithe, and nods.
"Let them know we have 'uninvited guests' who wish an audience with the master. "
Lithe nods, and opens the other door back to the ballroom.
"I'm not yelling. You're yelling." Thandir muttered.
"We were definitely invited. And would welcome an audience." Belegar inclines his head a little.
Jurgan taps his finger to his chin. "Well then let's get this through with. Show us to the Lord of this manor so we can be done one way or another.
Lithe heads for the stairs, heading up to the second floor.
Some 10 minutes later, Lithe comes back.
Atop the stairs, stands a man, well groomed, somewhere in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties.
"So. Unexpected guests in my manor. A feat you even got here.
Frankly, i would have expected other people to get here. Given you look armed, i take it you're mercenaries of sort? If not, indulge me, what brings you here."
Thandir looked to his companions. Were they going to attack him? If not, he was prepared to try and earn his first convert. He was certain that eventually someone would be swayed by his words to turn to Korada.
Jurgan speaks first tired of this town and its people. "What do you have against the town and why are you trying to destroy it?"
"Whatever feelings you have towards the town needs to be directed somewhere elsewhere."
"Destroy the town? Nae, it is not the townsfolk i have quarrel with. It has its own charm."
He frowns in anger.
"It is the founders that await and elude my revenge. Their reckless selfishness cost me my beloved wife."
He returns to a neutral expression again.
"Nae, i will not stoop so low as them. Unfortunately, they don't seem to care for their own town, no matter what befalls the town."
His anger sure seems genuine, and your impression of his defense concerning the town, plausible, but not conclusive yet.
Belegar frowns, ”The leather-worker? Surely she did not deserve such a fate?”
"Hmm?
Ah, Christa, i think her name was?"
"Savaged by a bear, certain to bleed to death. Or so goes the official story. Only partially true.
Did you know the favored prey of their kind? Pregnant women." (sniffs with disgust)
"There was a different one back then, one who got to miss Christa in a state of heavy blood loss. The old one was destroyed, but the creature miss Christa would become from the assault, would make an excellent spy."
He looks slightly less casual for a moment.
"Yet, by asking that, i must assume she was discovered eventually. Most likely put to a final death. Would that have been your doing, per chance?"
”We toyed with the idea of letting her continue snatching people from their homes but then decided that, nah, we should stop her.”
(Nods slightly)
"I see.
Now, you leave us all in a predicament. You see, my manor is special, in that one can enter, but not leave as easily."
He points at the far end with his cane, towards the front door.
As you look back, a shimmer appears over the door briefly.
"Now. As you've shown more courtesy than many a mercenary, i'll share this with you.
My single desire is for the group responsible for my loss to be undone. Ruined, flatbroke, miserable. At current time, i seem to find myself in need of a spy to watch for their return."
"Would anyone accept, or is this where you resort to unjustified violence?"
"It's an interesting phrase: 'reckless selfishness', don't you think? It conjures up an image of a single individual making life worse for lots of other people in pursuit of his own personal aims. Does it not?"
The skald's frown deepens, "The Founders are not in the village, they are off pursuing their own ends. Why then do you persist in these kidnappings? How is this not reckless selfishness?"
It conjures up an image of a single individual making life worse for lots of other people in pursuit of his own personal aims. Does it not?
"Exactly my point. You see, they -were- friends, who agreed to save my wife. However, they deemed her not worthy saving at a crucial point, forsaking their promise and fighting the villain, while they could have chased him down at a later time."
He sighs at the mention of their absence.
"That would explain lack of initiative. Still, the absence of multiple residents would be cause enough for even them to investigate, which is why i need merely wait."
He's aware of their absence already for sure, for what it's worth.
Having a spy and all.
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”Vengeance is hollow. You attack a town seeking to hurt the founders when you know them gone. You had a spy, afterall.” Thandir said. ”No life is worth more than an other. In chasing the founders you do to others what was done to you. Worse, you do it knowing the pain you cause. The only difference is that you harm innocents without the power to strike you back. Which in turn leads to people like us seeking vengeance for them. Vengeance, you see, begits vengeance. It is a cycle that leaves nobody satisfied and only ends with an ocean of blood. What you need is Korada. He is the way towards peace. Towards twank...ility.” He obviously had trouble pronouncing the last word, having heard it but never quite understood what it meant. ”Anyways. I too killed. I did many horrible things. I hurt many people. Even tore off a few arms. But Korada accepted me. He can accept you to. It is never too late to turn away from the destructive path.”
A faint smothered chuckle escapes lord Kemnon's mouth.
"You're but partially correct, if only in the cycle of vengeance. If i'd have wanted the deaths of the townspeople to get them here, i could come up with other ideas.
Nae, without knowledge of their whereabouts, i can do nothing but prepare, wait, and keep to not lowering myself to their level concerning the lives of others."
He dismisses the conversion attempt with a small hand gesture.
"I am a Calistria man myself. If at any place, hold those sermons for bandits or prisoners."
"What my, and incidentally yours as well, predicament now comes down to is this;
While i could wonder how even, if you manage to leave the manor, you'd come back with half the town militia crashing down my doorstep. I would be denied the retribution, and the six live on as if nothing happened....again. Don't get me wrong, the taken townsfolk are unharmed, but they're not going anywhere until the six are paid their due, in particular their leader type. The latter happens, the townsfolk will return unharmed, and i can settle my manor elsewhere."
Despite his civility, a few sayings pop to mind.
[A cornered cat...]
[No one is more unpredicatable, than one who has nothing to lose.]
[A desperate man...]
Belegar inclines his head, ”Tranquility, indeed.”
Uke whispers between you three;
"I've the impression this man is a conflicted person. His claims of the locals unharmed -seems- honest, to some degree at least.
Though i guess he'll pull something unexpected if pressed into a corner. Desperate people could resort to anything, and his desire to avenge his late wife seems to have a solid grip on his heart, not easily loosened."
"While i can sympathize with his desire for personal honor and retribution of unjust done, there's no telling when the founders would return, thereby the situation also not improving."