Ashe is a little taken aback by the sudden conversation he is set upon by...
Looking at Inëlûkii, his eyes widen taking in her exotic appearance and her almost-flame red-orange hair! No doubt this woman is beautiful... but another woman comes to his mind, the one who has stolen his heart...
The young paladin's eyes briefly turn sad but he catches himself and smiles for her, "..I am deeply honored; daughter of SARENRAE the Dawnflower!"
To which Ashe does a deep polite and courtly bow. His smile was genuine.. but did not touch his frosty blue eyes, as though some fond but painful memory of loss came to him and was quickly pushed away...
Continuing, "Truly, this day's~ any assistance the sun goddess of healing, honesty and redemption would bless the efforts with would be greatly appreciated... milady!"
Then his attention is drawn to the Shoanti man addressing him... and the mention of his beloved mother and sister...
His expression is one of deep gratitude, "You have my sincerest thanks, distant cousin~ , My mother and sister's safety has been one of my most troubling concerns~ fearing for their safety against the Queen's agents! I must admit.. I knew not that my mother had Shaonti blood in her ancestors for I was only familiar with her Varisian heritage~ but indeed were not the Shoanti the 'original Varisians?' It does my heart good to learn of our common heritage."
He pauses casting a glance between Sir Moonscar, Inëlûkii, and Garridan... noting all were looking at him at once.
He nods sighing tiredly, "Yes, you have heard true things are not well here in Korvosa.. and our Queen is at the heart of it I'm afraid. We~ I believe, the Queen has fallen prey to some possessing influence from some long forgotten evil artifact. I was ... initially assigned personally by Queen as a liason between her and a group of mercenaries she charged with the task of finding the sources of the riots and disturbances in opposition to her ascending to the Crimson Throne with the at first seemingly untimely death of King . Now I suspect the Queen poisoned King framing another for the deed and only assigned me to keep an eye on her sellswords. But as we made deeper investigations it became evident something else was going on ..something sinister. I formed the to deal with the outbreak of the Blood Veil plague when it became obvious it was a deliberate pestilence... started by a hidden church of URGATHOA.. in league with the Queen and the she hired to spread death to the city and kill the Seneschal. I informed my 'Great' Uncle .. the then Commandant of the Sable Company of her deeds.. he with the absence of the Seneschal acted to end the Queen's life.. which spectacularly failed and she slew him in return. It is clear no natural power sustains her life, but an evil, malevolence sustains her mortal life. We believe Queen is possessed by a powerful evil artifact associated with the Midnight Lord~ ZON-KUTHON.. but its nature eludes us. I have known the Queen for a few years at court and her current actions are WAY out of character for her! may be petty and perhaps a bit greedy, vain and spoiled.. but she has never been murderous or insane enough to plot spreading a plague through the city she so coveted to rule, once passed~ it makes no sense the throne would have been regardless in likely a few short years with how our sickly king carried on! It is my hope that we can determine the nature of this evil artifact and learn to destroy, or remove its influence over Queen ... it would be easy to hate the Queen for her actions, and killing my beloved Grand Uncle , evil as they are... but I'll reserve my judgement of the Queen until the evil malevolence that has possessed her is removed before I declare her enemy! For now, Queen , is certainly a threat to the innocent of Korvosa that MUST be stopped.. but clearly no direct assault is going to work... we need more information to act prudently and decisively."
"I am of mixed Varisian and Shoanti blood. As far as I am aware your mother is of pure Varisian descent. Certainly, we are related through our Varisian forefathers.
What you say makes a certain amount of sense. It certainly fits with what I have heard much better than any other explanation I've received.
And I am very impressed by the fact that you seek to redeem her majesty and not just slay her, if that is indeed a possibility.
I take it that you have a plan. A plan that I hope that I can help in. And it sounds like these others would also like to help. But you would be foolish indeed to trust us without some reassurance.
I would propose that we ask one of the clerics here at the temple to cast a Zone of Truth. We all agree to not resist it and the cleric checks to ensure that we are, in fact, under its influence. Then we can at least all be sure that the others are honest. Perhaps wrong, but honest."
Inelukii looks into Ashe's eyes and notes the pain there when he greets her and bows. She lowers her head slightly and peers into his eyes, reaches out a hand and lightly brushes his cheek with her palm for a brief moment, then she withdraws her hand with a sympathetic smile.
I see your pain, young man, though i know not its source. I would take it from you if I could, no one of your brief years should know such deep anguish.
She doesn't voice her thoughts though, and simply says, "I am in agreement that redemption of the Queen, if such is possible, is far preferable to execution before all is known... and I would assist you and the other Justicars in this goal, if you would have me. As for Garridan's suggestion, I am quite willing to submit unresisting to a zone of truth, so that you may feel more trusting of my desire to help."
Inelukii sits as bidden and waits for the others to do the same, looking around curiously at the others there, who all seemed to wish to greet the Justicars themselves. It seems this Ashe and his Justicars have attracted others to their sides as well. The Dawnflower has cast me in a wider net than I knew.
Ashe goes very still and his cheeks color slightly at the gentle touch of Inelukii soft warm hand on his cheek... he is not sure was inspired such a tender gesture... and his eyes soften at the supportive show of conscern... mesmerized by her enduring gaze briefly.
He was grateful for the Bishop's intervention.. it had not been his intention to speak so openly in the Catherdal/Fortress' courtyard but was trying to answer the questions poised to him. For he had not said all had needed to...
Entering the chamber, Ashe urged Vencarlo and Neolandis to take seats and the spell to be cast... while he remained standing before his own seat.
When the chamber was closed, Ashe drew from his a collection of papers... not all, but some of the records retrieved from the ARKONA Vault and a completely mundane steel dagger.
Looking everyone in the room in the eyes he for ANY presence in the chamber while he removed his right-hand cold iron gauntlet. Picking up the dagger pricked his thumb... and showed the blood to everyone.
"A common steel dagger... mortal blood."
He set the dagger down on the table near the center within reach of all present.
"I open the discussion with this gesture..because I'm sorry to report.. another GRAVE threat to Korvosa has arisen.. in addition to the depredations of Queen "
"Field Marshal , Commander of the Korvosan Guard, contacted us days ago with information that her confidant had sent her a message that he had found some clue as to the nature of the Queen's supernatural power. In light of my Grand Uncle's failed assassination attempt such information was vital, but then she had lost all contact with and was getting anxious as ti his sudden silence and feared for his life. She asked us to investigate. We discovered that had tracked down a rumor as to the location of the Seneschal of Korvsa who had been missing for months... the only person in Korvosa legally authorized to remove Queen as unfit to rule the Crimson Throne! The tracked both and to the palace of , where we discovered a terrible festering evil! All of is infested with Rakshasa, fiendish shapeshifting outsiders of malevolent power and ravenous sinful appetite... their evil only outshined by their innate magical power! I fear there are NO descendants of Lord that bear mortal untainted blood of these rapacious shape-shifting monsters. I also regret to inform that and escaped our purge of the house..we slew no less than 6 of the beasts.. but there could be and likely WILL be more I'm sure! They are a threat that can hide among us as they can look like anyone spreading their vice and sinful predilections! Only , weapon can even harm their otherworldly flesh... and it must be ALL of that... to even harm them! They are magical beasts HIGHLY resistant to magic, and capable of casting spells of misdirection and destruction to hide or slay with impunity!"
Pointing to the dagger, "..but mundane steel will not even scratch their skins.. and thus.. it is the best way to detect their presence!"
Looking to the Bishop, "I know not what wards the Cathedral of the bears.. but you might take measures milady to ensure those who walk your Holy fastness are TRULY what they appear to be!"
Pointing at the papers, "We managed to retrieve these records for their vaults they may shed some light on the hidden Arkona holdings where informed forces of goodness might continue the extermination of these evil murderous monsters.. before they fill all of Korvosa with their malevolent finedish-spawn!"
Desna has certainly led me to the right place. It can't be coincidence that so many, worshipping so many Gods, have come together like this.
I like this Ashe. He seems a worthy leader of the Justicars. Far more reasonable than some paladins of Iomedae that I've met.
"There was somebody on the rooftops outside closely observing us. A human woman by the look of her. Is she known to you?"
Garridan reaches across to take the same dagger and cuts himself on the arm.
"House Arkona has always had a very sinister reputation, but that is indeed very bad news. Do you believe that they are allies of the Queen?"
Turning to Neolandis.
"My lord, do you know why they kept you alive? If they were working for Ileosa it would seem that their best course would have been just to kill you. Although I am hardly expert in political matters."
Next to the Bishop, another Erutaki man, this one without the flaming orange hair of his countrywoman has been observing the proceedings with interest. He has a finely crafted bow slung over his shoulder and wears bracers embroidered with stylized birds of prey. A holy symbol of Erastil hangs from a leather thong around his neck. Quietly resting next to him, seemingly completely oblivious to all of the commotion, is the largest tiger you have ever seen, fur pale as new fallen snow. The man finally speaks, "And to thing I thought a few new pregnancies in the old city were going to be the big news of the day. It is troubling to hear that these tales of the Queen are true. It is also an honor to meet the Justicars at last. The people speak of the good you have done for Korvosa. I am Iňuksuk, a humble servant of Old Deadeye, ministering to the poor of the city."
Ashe regards Garridan with a solemn nod, "Yes.. I believe I saw the young woman.. but I was distracted arranging for our slain comrade's remains~ , to be laid in state pending his funeral rite annon; as I entered. But I lost track of her... I assumed she was a guest of the Clergy of the ?"
When the Erutaki man next to the Bishop speaks Ashe meets eyes with him listening.
Inclining his head respectfully, "Well met, Faithful Archer, ! It has not been easy avoiding playing the trusting fool for the Queen's schemes... I would rather not have the people of Korvosa singing songs of our deeds {a Varisian saying, implying songs sung in honor of one's untimely death} , but alas... weather by my own failings or fate's twisted fancy.. I alone remain the only original .. all have seen fit to part ways, and one was felled in battle. I would not ask any of you to 'trust in a fools's errand..' {an ERASTIL aphorism 'never trust a fool', implying not getting involved in things one cannot change or possibly accomplish} but the need is still great! You would ALL risk much to follow where this may lead... death or worse; and yes..as a Pathfinder.. I KNOW there is worse...!"
Edmund has not been paying any attention whatsoever to the discussions. When the group retired to inside, he followed helping his son.
Upon seeing Ashe produce the dagger and start cutting himself, Edmund automatically picks up the dagger on his turn, nicks his forearm and hands it to Kris to do likewise.
As soon as she is able to find the High Priest alone, Akina will corner her and beg. "You're grace, if these Justicars are intent to oppose the Queen, one of our faithful should be among them. We can not let the faithful of other gods stand against her. The Queen has tampered with the natural order of Pharasma's spiral. My whole life has trained to stand against those such as our queen. I beg your freedom from my sabbatical to return to my calling. If you support them, then allow me to join them. I beg of you." Akina's eyes show a pleading and weakness she would dare show no other than the Bishop. Her solitude after Ustalav has nearly driven her mad, as she has become more withdrawn from her fellows and nearly lost in her depression.
Erastil, you wily old man... Iňuksuk thinks back to his original journey to those lands. The hot, dry wastelands full of sudden and unexpected violence. It had been an unwelcome shock to he and Nini so soon out of the cold north and had required all of his outdoors skill to stay alive. "Perhaps this is the real reason I am here today Bishop. I ventured through these Cinderlands on my way south. Difficult lands and difficult people as well. I learned their tongue and how to survive, but never felt at home. They have their own shamans and the word of Old Deadeye was not always welcome. Do you know which clan of the Shoanti would be the most likely keeper of this knowledge?"
With tear filled eyes, Akina glows at the response. She takes a moment to clean her face and steel herself before following the bishop into the room with these Justicars. She follows her bishop in like a shadow, listening and watching, learning all she can before speaking.
Jord is clearly ill at ease with suddenly allowing so many people to accompany the group.... but finally he takes his hand off his sword and settles for scanning each person with detect alignment to find who is good, chaotic and lawful.
The Cinderlands? The Cinderlands! The Cinderlands. This must be the sign that I've been looking for. This can NOT be a coincidence."
Garridan shows more excitement on his face than you've seen so far (in your admittedly 5 minutes with him :-))
"For most of my life I have wanted to meet my distant Shoanti cousins. But the time had never seemed right before now. I somehow knew that I should not go there until it was the right time. That I'd know when it was time. This is clearly the sign that I've been looking for. Whether from Desna or from the Shoanti spirits I neither know nor care.
If you will have me I will join this quest."
He turns towards Iňuksuk
"Now is not the time, but later I'd be fascinated to know what you think of the Shoanti, what you know of their customs. I've talked to others about such things but I suspect that you have a unique perspective"
"I have been to these Cinderlands on my way south through Kaer Maga, before arriving in Korvosa. It is truly a difficult land to survive in, but I will gladly return there if it will help us discover how to resolve this quest."
"I would be happy to share what I know of the Cinderlands and the Shoanti whether I accompany you on this quest or not." He bows his head to Inëlûkii, "I am sure my unexpected fellow Erutaki has her own tales of traveling through the Cinderlands. It isn't the only path from our lands to Korvosa, but the one most of us probably tread."
Inelukii casts Inuksuk a warm smile... "Indeed, it isn't the only path, but often the most direct. I'm sure we both have learned much of the area that we can share with the Justicars and both our tales will be of use to them."
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Jord : Garridan detects as Chaotic Good.
With tear filled eyes, Akina glows at the response. She takes a moment to clean her face and steel herself before following the bishop into the room with these Justicars. She follows her bishop in like a shadow, listening and watching, learning all she can before speaking.
Ashe also listens to the discussion, the Bishop's and the Seneschal's words letting the other voice their opinions finally he adds...
"So it would seem our paths all cross at an opportune time. It is well then.. I for one would welcome ANY to the that would seek to protect the innocent and oppressed of Korvosa! It is clear... self-sacrificing bravery is not enough... I cannot solve this on my own, a point the original mercenaries hired by the Queen continually stressed to me; though at the time things were not as grave as they are now and we knew not the full depth to the task before us."
He grimaces, "..I..can't help but feel a bit defeated... in having to leave Korvosa to find a solution... something I refused to do before. Korvosa is my home... I feel like I'm abandoning it, but.. I know I can do no more good here; other than die like my dear Uncle~ THAT would do no one any good! But we must also secret and out of Korvosa.. the city is clearly no longer safe for them either! Any ideas where... I'd suggest ..as they are both large cities and two faces may more easily be lost in their crowds. ... we must at least pass through to enter the . I think as a person of contact in the ..we might seek out a holy man... named ...he is familiar with Me and the ...we aided him recover the body of his Grandson ... killed here in Korvosa so he could be given a proper Shoanti burial and avert a full scale war with the Shoanti! , at least may listen to our request for information. Unfortunately.. I do not recall what tribe he is a member of!"
The petite woman behind the bishop is wrapped in a black cloth that she barely squeezes in to. Her womanly curves trying to spill out the top of her shirt they're squeezed in so tightly. A glowing tattoo of Pharasma's spiral begins at her left breast, spiraling up to the top of her sternum. Her flesh is lightly, clearly one who spends much of her time indoors. Her white hair, likely dyed as she is far to young for it to be natural, is tied tightly into a ponytail. She has no visible weapons, but carries herself without fear. Her voice is soft but firm when she finally speaks.
"A man shows great wisdom in admitting a need for help, and wisdom should be rewarded. With the Bishop's permission, I may be able to aid you with leaving the country. Even the Grey Maiden's will not disrespect the dead. With a priest of Pharasma such as myself, two coffins could travel the roads across any boarder without incident. My aid will come at a cost though. I will insist my aid be repaid by allowing me to joining you in returning the Queen to the natural order of Pharasma's Spiral. She tampers with immortality and undeath, and the church can not stand idly by as she perverses all that we stand for."
Ashe blinks gazing at the petite woman speaking~ pointedly looking her in the eyes.. and not all the 'barely-contained' womanly curves that he is clearly aware of.
"You have my gratitude... Milady, of course you may travel with us. We know not what manner of immortality the Queen has employed.. but I do know she does bleed as my Uncle's crossbow shot was true.. and struck her in the head; but she pulled the bloody bolt free..clearly feeling the pain and grabbing him with.. an unseemly amount of strength for very womanly figure; slew him with that same bolt! I recovered that bolt as she discarded it and the PHARASMA's have had chance to examine the blood here at the Cathedral.. the taint of evil is upon it but it is clearly only a human woman's blood. But rest assured whatever force empowers her if it is the dead spirit of some reincarnated possessing draconic warlord... we will waste no effort to exorcise it from her!"
Then getting a VERY grim look on his face he turns to face the bishop, "...I hope the sample of Queen blood recovered will not be needed as a last resort to fashion a weapon of slaying against HER specifically~ I personally find such magic's morally offensive, but weighing in the balance the lives of the innocent there may be no other choice! But we will cross that bridge should it become an issue latter."
Then Ashe reaches into his and pulls out a Harrower's Box of Cards which he slides unopened to the cent of the table, "..there is one last source of wisdom I would seek to consult... ... please come forth and speak with us please? I know your purpose is the defense of the people of Korvosa.. it has been set before us we must leave Korvosa to find a source of its salvation.. Harrow the portents of that I beseech you!"
Jord has no such qualms and he is all to aware of mans weaknesses especially his own, he finds himself staring at Akina.
He blinks and looks away.. " Gah.. who needs enchantment" he says to himself
Akina is feeling a bit shy from all the stares. When crypt crawling, a loose bit of cloth was a liability. Her old group had likely become accustomed to it, so this level of attention is a long forgotten experience for the girl. She gives a slight bow in response to Ashe's accepting words, the dip likely drawing even more attention. She glides with grace to the table and joins the others. "My name is Akina Pharas. I was birthed and raised in this cathedral in service of Pharasma, as my surname implies. You may call me Akina. May I ask, by what name each of you wish to be address?"
Edit: I was typing this while the GM made her last post. Other than the first greeting the rest would be delayed until AFTER Zellara.
Garridan, who has NOT been leering at Akina, replies
"I am Garridan. It is a pleasure to meet you."
After Zellara appears:
Garridan steps back into a defensive stance, his hand flashing to his earthbreaker and his Klar positioned both ready to shield himself and to strike.
Seeing that his new companions accept the image he does NOT actually draw the earthbreaker.
"Who is this? Who are you? What is going on? You dare to bring a ghost into the Temple of Pharasma? Either you're insane or there is more to this than meets the eye"
Edit: The rest is AFTER we deal with Zelara. Hate to lose it all :-)
"I hate to seem gauche, but I notice that we haven't all proven that we are not Rakshasa. Nor have we actually clearly stated our intentions under the zone of truth. I'm sure its a foolish formality but sometimes foolish formalities turn out to be the greatest of wisdom"
At that, he again reaches out and cuts himself
"I am Garridan, known as Garridan the Walker. I wish to join this group in order to depose or redeem Queen Ileosa. I am not allied with House Arkona nor am I a Rakshasa. My only formal allegiance is to Desna. I have the best interests of Korvosa at heart. Everything I have said since meeting you is, to the best of my knowledge, true."
Akina nods and draws her hand up to her lips, biting a loose bit of skin until she draws blood. She lets it drip in plain view before pinching the flow off.
Once she has done so she will address the spirit of the harrow. "You have entered the hallowed halls of the Lady of Bones. Prophecy is her domain. If she has granted you such a gift, you are welcome here."
Ashe speaks up, "Thank you , I appreciate your and voluntarily following suit in my gesture of proving myself a non-fiend... I knew with our travels you two were not Rakshasa as you proven so with deeds. I was not demanding it of the others but hoped they would voluntarily follow suit without urging, my gesture one of extending trust to prove what I was inferring was not something I was unwilling to do myself. But perhaps trust is not so quickly given and must be earned... the same can be said in likewise."
Turning to , "You are welcome to the JUSTICAR'S, .. though I clearly can see the Church of PHARASMA is your only heart-felt allegiance. I am Sir {lieut} of House Endrin, Paladin and Holy Vindicator of IOMEDAE, well met!"
He smiles, "...not to put too fine a point in it but Rakshasas are not immune to each others teeth or claws..."
Addressing , "Yes, ... thank you for manifesting. I would not ask you too were not the need urgent. The Justicars find themselves pursued by not only Agents of the Queen's but likely also by now... our normal meeting place in your once home is too dangerous to risk ...only here can we find safety to consult."
Addressing the rest and the Bishop, "I meant no disrespect in calling forth spirit here but I did so out of need and compassion for her... I know not if is a ghost... I only know she does not fester with evil. I not only sought her wisdom.. but also the Bishop's advice on how best I might set spirit free for her to pass on to her well deserved rest. It has troubled me greatly for such a clearly good-hearted woman to be denied her final rest in heavenly reward."
Inelukii sighs and holds forth her hand and wrist almost timidly. "I... I'm not sure I can voluntarily harm myself... I've never done so before... but, since it is for the greater good, you are welcome to draw some of my blood for me, but please don't cut too deep." She grimaces in anticipation as she waits for the pain.
Akina catches Ashe's eyes, "The church is not my heart's only allegiance. It is certainly the one I hold above all others, but it is not my only service. It is the service that drives me to join you, and to assure you that no other allegiance I carry shall hamper your task."
As she speaks, she reaches out and pricks Inelukii's hand with the softest piercing possible. Having managed to get a blade into her hand and vanish it away just as quickly.
"The Varisians have a saying that seems to fit "doveryai no proveryai". Trust but verify is the closest approximation in the common tongue but there are .... nuances in the original Varisian."
Ashe bows deeply to the Bishop, "I am grateful for your forbearance Bishop ... I have felt ...somewhat guilty, hiding from your knowledge... and I truly do wish to find a way to gift her spirit with release and final reward."
He shrugs, "I know my magical inquires have revealed neither the image you see before you nor the Harrow Deck of Cards, do not register as undead, or detect as evil. This image you see before you radiates only illusory magics as the major power of the enchanted intelligent Harrow deck is the ability to cast a spell~ the image you see of is not a ghost as channel positive energy has no effect on the image or the Harrow Deck of Cards. The image is an illusion used to interact with us. I can only detect magic of the Illusory and divination schools from either projected image or the itself! So you see my quandary... I have exhausted all my wisdom and arcane lore to understand if spirit is even in need of release? I would consult your wisdom on her behalf once you have had time to pray and perhaps meditate on the Wisdom of the Lady of the Graves for divine insight?"
Turning back to Zellara, "Please speak .. what do the Harrow have to tell us of what was, what is, and what may be?"
Akina stares at the cards musing to herself, "Strange to have a harrowing in which the teller does not explain the cards she turns."
She raises her voice and speaks, still addressing no one in particular. "All three cards representing the past are Lawful and Good. Do what is right, abide by the delicate rules or all will collapse, see past the obvious to the greater truth."
"The future shows fighting something more powerful than yourself. A leader being overthrown. Then a union of people, kingdoms, a permanent union that can not be unwed. The union of which can bring more power, but also be ruinous. The last is creation, a new life born into the world not created on its own. It represents seeing the good even in the worst situation."
Glancing up and realizing she was speaking aloud she stammers a moment, "S-sorry. Prophecy fascinates me. I'm no Varisian, so I don't know how to read them that well. Just their meanings. Prophecy is Pharasma's domain after all. Still, Age of Lost Omens and all, I can't say we put too much stock in what the cards say."
Turning to address the Bishop, "Bishop d'Bear, do you have any complaint against my idea on how to spirit these two from the country?"
Ashe ponders the Harrowing with a knitted brow...
Musing softly, "~ an external physical power, never misaligned {good and lawful - positive}..., new shackles replacing the old, misaligned {neutral and lawful - unclear}..., many losses in calamity {evil and lawful - negative a True Match}..."
He sighs, "..yes, the first party of adventurer/mercenaries hired by the Queen... truly an external power, bound to me by the Queen lawful and good, heralding the replacing of King Eodred's old shackles replaced by Queen Ileosa's.. and indeed many deaths due to tragedy by her rule... riots, Blood Veil plague a SIGNIFICANT EVIL... perhaps even referring to Kazvon.. the Lawful and evil dragon of ZON-KUTHON~ all in the past."
"~ standing fast under adversity, partial match {good and neutral, positive}..., staying in lock step is perilous, misaligned {neural, unclear}..., a dangerous secret, misaligned {evil and neutral, negative}..."
He grimaces, "..again the paladin in a harrowing and all lawful and good cards for the present..clearly I have had some significant role in the current situation... standing fast to our dedication to save Korvosa is what we have all decided to do but staying here in Korvosa is not a good idea~ the lockstep of our current efforts... a dangerous secret must be revealed... the nature of the Queen's immortality and the means to defeat her~ our current situation in the present!"
"~ an overwhelming groundswell, never misaligned {good and chaotic, positive}, a union of persons or ideas, never misaligned {neutral and chaotic, unclear}..., dangerous new arrivals {evil and chaotic, negative}..."
His expression turns fearful but resolute, "...there will be an uprising of overwhelming goodness, and a union of persons and ideas~ us the JUSTICARS... but there are dangerous new foes who will arrive to oppose us... our potential future."
He smiles at , "..no you were very close, friend ! My mother reads the Harrow everyday... ingrained it in me and my sister... though she never lets the ladies of the court know she does so! Its 'unseemly for a proper Chelish noblewoman~'; well, at least, those not close to her at court who consult her in secret for they know she is Varisian Born~ a caravan merchant prince's daughter though wed to Chelish nobility my deceased father ." {an ninja'd my post..hehe! :)}
He shrugs gathering the cards to the deck and putting them away, "Clearly we have much to do."
Turning to and , "...what of you two? Will you seek refuge here in the Fortress of Pharasma or do you wish to be spirited from the city... It would seem the wiser course to leave the city...!"
"With the Bishop's permission, I may be able to aid you with leaving the country. Even the Grey Maiden's will not disrespect the dead. With a priest of Pharasma such as myself, two coffins could travel the roads across any boarder without incident. "
Not having much to contribute, Jord is standing and watching..
At Ashe words to Neolandis and Vencarlo
"You would be quite safe if we got you out of the city, several of us it appears are adept at the subtle arts"
"I've never had great luck with Harrow readings. They seem to usually be clear only after it is too late. Too open to interpretation for my tastes. But this is obviously no normal Harrow Deck nor a normal reading so I'm hoping that I'm wrong this time."
He turns towards Neolandis and Vancarlo
"I agree that it would be safer for all concerned if you were to leave the city. Meaning absolutely no disrespect, if what you fear is true even this temple may not be a protection for long. It isn't a fortress designed to keep out the Red Mantis or Rakshasa. And it might be very awkward for the Bishop if it became known that you were here. From my recent trip, Queen Ileosa's command outside of the city itself is still fairly weak"
Talin finally enters the gathering. He had freshened up. Made sure Zephyr was brushed and fed. He does another bow
"Excuse me. The trip was far and taxing. And for the refreshme t that was given on arrival i thank you. But the body and soul needed food too. I pledge my services in the task at hand if you will allow us to aid you"
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