Mah'ysa grins at Daumari's comment.
"Yes, I think we have all heard the story of Saranrae, Asmodeus and the Rough Beast. Entire libraries are devoted to the commentary and analyisis of that parable. While I take your point about the lesser of several evils, I think it's just a little early to be seeking the help of Asmodeus."
Hazreem gives an irritated grunt as he continues to fend off the snake's attacks. Philosophical arguements could wait until later."Ok, this seems like a bad call to fight this snake. Let's withdraw and think of something else."
Hazreem slices at the snake again with his scimitar, but the snake appears to anticipate his move and stays out of the reach of his blade. Daumari continues his trek across the rubble, dropping his bow in the process. Drawing out his meteor hammers, he moves into fortress-style and lands a blow on the creature dealing damage.
Bahir takes a swipe at the snake ineffectively while arguing with Hazreem about the folly of this current fight. Pae moves around to gain a flanking partner with Daumari. But everyone appears too busy arguing among themselves and his sneak attack ends up ineffective.
Meanwhile, Mah'ysa tries a different approach and begins humming a magical lullaby at the creature and it suddenly lowers its previously hissing head down to the ground and takes a snooze. Hazreem, not immediately noticing this turn of events, orders a retreat and begins withdrawing before realizing the silliness of such an action.
Hazreem somewhat suprised by the snakes lack of pursuit, just realizes Mah'ysa' spell proves to be effective. He gives the attractive priestess a nod of thanks, "Thankee, Mah'ysa, yer timely intervention saves the day." He walks over to the snake, and examines it further, while advising the rest of the party, "I would advise us to take advantage of this time to see if there is anything the creature was guarding." After examining the snake, he chants a minor incantation and scans the snake's lair for magical emanations.
Still softly crooning a lullaby, she also inserts the lyrics "...only lasts a minute..." into the song.
Mah'ysa stops singing, shocked.
While Hazreem studies the now sleeping snake and scans the building for magical items, Mah'ysa continues singing her lullaby to the creature as Bahir stands guard. The Druid indicates that this is a large variety venomous snake, most likely a Giant Mamba, and it is not that unusual out here in the desert. The only magical auras detected are those that are coming from the items the group is carrying with the Paladin's scimitar showing the strongest aura. You do not detect anything you haven't noticed before.
Suddenly, the Rogue delivers what he hopes will be a fatal blow on the now sleeping snake, driving his rapier completely through the creature's body just below the head. But the snake hisses loudly before turning it's head toward the one who is standing over it, rapier still embedded in it. It attempts to bite Paellat, but must still be groggy from the sleep spell and misses. Mah'ysa stops signing her lullaby in complete shock at the Rogue's actions and joins Bahir in staring at the events which just transpired.
Daumari can't help but let slip a slight grin, amused by the halfling's failed attempt to finish the snake. The ranger shifts the angle of his attack, attempting to flank the creature as he brings both his hammers down toward the serpent.
"Rauth'kieen" Efreat utters a word and a blast of cold hurtles toward the snake.
Hazreem expression switches from shock to rage as he gives the halfling a venomous glare, not unlike the snakes. As he strikes at the wounded snake , crit damage , he hisses at Paelleat, "There will be a reckoning over this, little one!"
Seeing the snake moving once again, Efreat quickly calls up a blast of cold, striking the creature. Hazreem glares at the Halfling as he slashes the wounded creature while Daumari slams one of his hammers into it. The giant mamba falls once again.
Hazreem examines the snake to see if it is truly dead. He then walks to the halfling and says with a note of steel in his voice. "Are you so willing to follow the winged demon's wishes on this issue? Or does slaughtering helpless animals fill you with excitement, and power?"
"Why... did you do that? We had it..."
Mah'ysa seems enraged and sad at the same time.
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Pae steps away from the cooling corpse and glares at the rest off the party
"I did it because sooner or later we would have had to anyway and no I didn't do it for that winged harlot across the way I did it for us..if you don't like killing I suggest you just walk away because there's going to be a deal more off it before we are done here..mercy has nothing to do with it you can't negotiate with a snake..it's only aim is to sink it's teeth into you.."
"You lot make me sick with your continual bleating about honour and doing what is right..lets get this straight..we are here to clear this village of threats and that..." he points to the snake "..is a threat and still may be if Hazreem cures it"
"Now if you want to lull that harpy into a false sense of security we should give her the head and attack her when she isn't expecting it..but I suppose Mr Honourable over there won't go for that plan either.."
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The paladin's face softens, "Pae, there are other ways of dealing with things than killing them. There is a big difference between a snake and a gnoll or demon. There are many predators out here in the desert and I will not shy away from protecting any of us from them. We came looking for this unecessary fight. The snake..." He nods in it's direction, "....seems to be more of a threat to our foes than to us and could be dealt with separately after defeating our real enemy." His face hardens again, "You are, however, correct. I will have no part of bringing it's head to the demon." Turning to Hazreem, "Hazreem, does it yet live?"
Hazreem still visibly upset at the halfings ruthlessness, turns to him, and says, "Bahir is right, we need to be focused on the true threats in this place, and this snake, while a dangerous predator, is not tainted with evil, like the demon is. I believe the snake..."
"...is still alive."
Hazreem turns away from the snake, and says to the group, "It should be unconscious for a few hours, so it should be safe to search this place more thoroughly now" shooting Pae a meaningful glance.
You easily kill a good hour searching the place as there is tons of rubble to look through. But your efforts prove to be for not. Anything of value that might of been in this place must have either been burned when the place went up in flames or is so severely buried under debris that you probably wouldn't be able to find it before sunrise.
It is about an hour before sunrise. The giant mamba still lays unmoving.
Hazreem pauses after the searching the rubble, and notices the sunrise is only a short time away. He turns to the group and says, "Well, it seems the winged demon sent us here, to get us out of the way. We have a decision to make, confront her now, or retreat to the Monastery. What say you?"
"Let us return to the monastary."
Mah'ysa raises her holy symbol. She says a small prayer over it and it starts to glow.
"Quickly now."
She will wait until the party is clear of the snake before channeling a healing burst. ( hp)
Hazreem gives a nod of thanks to both Mah'ysa and Bahir in aiding a desert creature, which really was only defending its territory. No reason to slaughter it at all. To Paellat, he merely gives a smile, and says, "Be sure to save that sharp blade of yours for our true foes." He will then follow behind Felliped in his rear guard position.
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"Don't patronise me " the halfling snarls at Hazreem."that was a true foe..and will be again thanks to your stupidity. I've had it with you people, I'll be leaving you when we get back to camp and I'll be telling our employer exactly why..that you left a threat to her people alive in the village because you were too soft in the heart and the head to see it for what it was"
Hazreem turns and glares at the little halfing, and says, his voice shaking with rage, "Stupid? You have no understanding what is a threat and what has been neutralized! Go ahead and tell them, I am not afraid of your little bluff! I am sure they will laugh in your face! Desert mambas are no threat unless they are hunting or you intrude in their lair!"
"So your argument is that that snake won't ever hunt in this town when our people reclaim it nor will any child ever come near it?"
Hazreem gives a nod at Bahir, saying "We all have our places in the desert, and this snake is no different than the other desert creatures. Out strengths are better spent against the foul creatures that taint this land."
Daumari shakes his head as he follows the party before speaking. Had he not made his attempt fist, I would have done just as the halfling. The serpent, though innocent of malice, is still a very real danger.
The ranger glares at Hazreem as he continues, his words harsh. You had your chance to calm the snake and failed. Leave the halfling be.[b] He pauses, shifting to include Bahir in his gaze and taking on an admonishing tone of voice. [b]Sarenrae is a generous goddess, but she holds little patience for those too weak or too self-important to recognize their place. The next time you berate an ally for acting to remedy your own failure, know that I will bear my weapons against you in the Dawnflower's name.
Hazreem returns the glare, "So what is stopping you from doing Sarenrae's will here, and finishing the job? I am sure the snake will prove little trouble for you to handle. I remind you the demon hag wanted the snake dead, that alone is reason enough to allow it to live. 'Ware your feelings on this, Daumari!"
After much bickering among yourselves, everyone departs the slave market except for Bahir and Mah'ysa. Mah'ysa channels the positive energy of her goddess to heal the giant mamba while the mighty paladin lays a healing hand upon the snake. The creature awakens, quickly attempts to bite Bahir's hand before slithering away out an opening in the wall to the south.
The trip back to the monastery is filled with much debate about nature's creatures and the threats to the future people of Kelmarane. You arrive at the monastery as light begins to fill the horizon. You are met outside by Dullen, one of the mercenaries who was patrolling the grounds. "Hey, you guys made it back. We were placing wagers on whether or not you'd make it after we saw that flying thing come at you. And then we lost where you went. I'm glad you made it because I just made 5 gold!" he says with a big grin. "What took you guys so long?"
As Dullen walks with you into the monastery, he says, "Not much has happened here. Quiet as a crypt. I talked with Yesper who is currently standing watch up in the chapel and she mentioned she can see some faint flickering light up in the hills to the northwest of Kelmarane. Don't know what that wound be from."
Once inside, you realize that you are exhausted from pulling an all-nighter. You find that everything is quiet as Dullen indicated. The only people up are the two mercenary guards on watch duty and one of the pactmaster guard standing watch outside the old library where Princess Almah and Garavel are sleeping.
Daumari ignores Dullen's words, instead keeping his eyes ahead while he speaks. Select your words carefully, druid. Were I to carry out the Dawnflower's justice here and now it would be your blood, and not that of the serpent, that would stain the sands; the halfling acted to protect you after your abilities failed you, and you turned against him. I will not hesitate to finish the attack on your life Paellat halted, should you have the audacity to continue to proclaim your perceived moral superiority.
After arriving at the monastery, Daumari separates from the rest of the group. He makes his way into the hills just overlooking the location and turns his attention to prayer, meditation, and a rather intricate sword dance. Dedicated to the Dawnflower, this dance appears somewhat clumsy to any observers as it is actually intended to be performed by two individuals.
The ranger then returns to the monastery in order to seek rest until the desert sun sets once again.
Hazreem watches the ranger walk off and stares off into the distance where Daumari disappeared for a moment. Curtly refusing any offers of companionship, he makes his way off to watch the sunrise, while murmering a healing prayer on himself . He then heads over to the sacred grove for his meditation. Once the sun has risen, he will head off to the kitchen area, and grab a quick bite to eat before retiring for the rest of the day.
"Daumari!" Mah'ysa snapped, appalled at his words. "You apologize this instant! Pelleat was wrong to try to kill it when I had it subdued already. And nowhere in my instructions does it say to kill everything that moves! Don't walk away when I'm talking to you! Come back here this instant!" She stomps her foot ineffectually.
"Oh, you'll atone for that. Both of you!" She walks off in a huff to make her morning prayers and then find a bed to sleep.
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Bahir remains silent his piece already said. He carefully watches those that see fit to actually threaten each other with bodily harm, The demons influence is stronger than I would have imagined. It must be slain and quickly. He centers himself with his morning prayers and the sun brings a smile to his face that had been reclusive throughout the night.
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Pae sneers at Mah'ysa..."No threat..and I suppose when the caravan moves into the village you'll be telling them the poor beast is only following it's nature when it starts hunting them..spare a snake and plan to attack the only creature in the entire village that offers to help us because she doesn't conform to your ideals of morality..I wish you luck..I won't be a further part off it"
The halfling stalks away in silence..ignoring any further comments.
Dullen stands speechless just outside the monastery with a surprised look on his face as you walk past him, completely ignoring anything that he has said. He then gives a shrug of indifference before turning around and returning to his patrol of the grounds.
Within the party, harsh tongues continue to lash out before everyone departs and goes there separate ways with Daumari threatening to slay the Druid and Paellat threatening once again to have no further dealings with this group. Mah'ysa and Hazreem eventually calm down enough from recent events to sit in self-meditation for an hour before finding a place to get some rest.
Sleep comes easy after a long and hard night, even as the hot desert sun shines in through holes in the ceiling of the monastery. But your much needed slumber is broken off about mid-day as you are awaken to much commotion within the monastery. As you wake up and become aware of your surroundings, you realize that people are yelling and you hear the loud cries of some kind of bird. One of the mercenaries enters the room you are sleeping in and says, "Come quick, there's a giant bird here!" He quickly leaves before you have a chance to ask for more information. Poking your head out, it sounds as if the noise is coming from the open courtyard in the center of the monastery.
Those that investigate further will find a large creature standing on top of the overgrowth covering the monastery's courtyard. Surrounding the courtyard are most of the mercenaries, some of the pactmaster guards, and Garavel all holding the creature off with swords and other weapons. The bird seems rather aggravated and is flapping it's wings aggressively. It seems poised to attack anyone that gets close enough.
Hazreem is roused by the sounds of commotion, breaking a much needed rest for him. As he sees the reason for the commotion, he thinks bitterly, Maybe I should let Daumari and Pae handle this on their own. He sighs and hurries forward as fast as his armor would let him. He studies the bird
__Bless
__Shield of Faith
__(Domain) Endure Elements
Mah'ysa blearily wakes up at the commotion. Hastily snatching up her staff and weapons her equipment, she makes her way out to the courtyard. Raising her face to the sun, she begins to relax as the holy light of the dawnflower fills her. She looks at the creature trying to understand what it is...
Knowledge (Arcana):
Knowledge (Nature):
Everyone except Paellat quickly rises and makes their way to the courtyard to see what the commotion is all about. Pae, still bitter about the tongue lashing from the night before, decides to stay in bed. Before you is a large avian who appears rather aggravated.
As you watch the bird and are deciding on how to proceed, one of the mercenaries gets a little too close to the avian. Moving with amazing quickness, the bird strikes the man and takes a large bite out of his neck and shoulder. He screams out in pain just before he collapses unconscious on the ground with blood spurting from his damaged artery. Another mercenary quickly moves to pull his fallen comrade away from danger. The remaining mercenaries and pactmaster guards press forward causing the bird to retreat back a bit.
Garavel immediately rushes to the man's aid while yelling to the person pulling him to safety, "I've got him. Go get Father Zastoran immediately!". He then looks up at the five of you that just hurried in, "Take care of that thing!" He then proceeds to apply pressure to the man's bleeding neck.
Hazreem says to the others, "That's a Geier bird. Not sure what has it so worked up though. Let me see if I can calm it. And if this doesn't work, then we take it down, and tell Pae he was right."
He hefts his shield and approaches the courtyard where the Geier bird watches him approach. He satrts weving his arms around in a hypnotic form, trying to ease its agitated state.
Mah'ysa will run to (giving the creature a wide berth) the injured man and cast the Orison Stabilize [prevents further hp loss if below zero hp] in Saranrae's name.