"I think you are right Zakat in that what many people feel they need is a product of circumstance. We are Hellknights and our needs are defined by our superiors. But I choose to be a Hellknight, for reasons of my own, and in that sense my needs are driven by my own choices. In the end my only real need is to act out my own nature, which I do by devoting myself to a cause I value. In this circumstance that leads me to 'need' to survive and complete my mission. We'll do whatever is required to make that happen. Sorry, I'm rambling..."
"Bah!" he says, waving a hand dismissively.
"Choosing to give up your freedom is only marginally better than having none to begin with. I hardly feel that that should be a point of such pride."
"An impressive gift, Storm.
"All my gifts are impressive. I refuse all other sorts."
Our 'need be' would be to ensure our safety and the completion of our mission, which is to deliver a missive to Imani.
She is not someone whom I would lightly slight, intentionally or not."
Doing battle against the Tower is in no way part of our assignment, and we would prefer not to have to engage. However, should our safety or ability to succeed in our mission come into question, then we will need to take further steps, which may include combat. However, if we are able to wait peacefully here, I see no reason we need bother you. Perhaps we can all just remain here, without a need for further combat, and await her arrival, as well as the return of our guide."
"And just what makes you think I'm part of the 'Tower'?" he asks sarcastically, making some sort of strange symbol with his fingers.
"Well, I apologize for mispronouncing her name. As for what makes me think you were part of the Tower, I made the assumption based on your location here and your general hostility towards us. If you are not associated with them, then I apologize, but it does make me curious as to why you would take the time to interfere with us, when we had no intentions of going out of our way to locate or find you. Indeed, we would never even have realized you were here. I hardly think this the best use of your time, do you?"
"Choosing to give up your freedom is only marginally better than having none to begin with. I hardly feel that that should be a point of such pride."
"Haha, yes, I understand why it might seem that way. What is freedom to you then? A lack of restriction, the absence of compulsion? Unlimited scope with which to act? I can tell you that it is not really that way for me. I would not feel more free if I were not a Hellknight. I would only feel more constricted. All these roads I could walk, but not one of them is the path I want to tread. Where is the freedom in apathy. The road I want to walk is with the Hellknights. Sure I'm trading something to get there, but for me it is trading freedom in on dimension for freedom in another. The freedom to truly act in a fashion meaningful to me."
Urashu silently cheers Morvan and Tybalt. Good work, keep him talking instead of attacking.
He stays hidden, drawing his wand of vanish again.
"Haha, yes, I understand why it might seem that way. What is freedom to you then? A lack of restriction, the absence of compulsion? Unlimited scope with which to act? I can tell you that it is not really that way for me. I would not feel more free if I were not a Hellknight. I would only feel more constricted. All these roads I could walk, but not one of them is the path I want to tread. Where is the freedom in apathy. The road I want to walk is with the Hellknights. Sure I'm trading something to get there, but for me it is trading freedom in on dimension for freedom in another. The freedom to truly act in a fashion meaningful to me."
"Hm. Well. Flying mostly," he twists around in midair to recline with his hands behind his head, gazing up at the stormy sky.
"Just... going up as high as I can and then falling, feeling your stomach lurch and your face tingle and... yeah. That's freedom." he sighs wistfully before his voice hardens again.
"But unfortunately everybody's too weak and inept to do their own jobs and so they're all like 'Oh Zakat, please protect us, oh Zakat, please smite the infidels, oh Zakat, I'm so oppressed, please save me!'. If you're so weak that you can't do what you want, why in all the hells should I do it for you? But eveybody's got an excuse. Lazy f@#!s." he growls and spits, the winds noticeably picking up and rain falling harder as he rants. He crosses his arms moodily as Morvan speaks.
"Well, I apologize for mispronouncing her name. As for what makes me think you were part of the Tower, I made the assumption based on your location here and your general hostility towards us. If you are not associated with them, then I apologize, but it does make me curious as to why you would take the time to interfere with us, when we had no intentions of going out of our way to locate or find you. Indeed, we would never even have realized you were here. I hardly think this the best use of your time, do you?"
"Imazi's busy, and I got bored," he replies, shrugging. Then his face brightens.
"Oh right! We were going to fight!" he exclaims before flying high up into the air, a thunderclap sounding in his wake.
As Zakat flies up, Morvan strongly considers smacking him with the mace as he goes, but he instead grits his teeth and allows the annoying spell caster to pass. His orders were not to engage, or to only engage enough to escape or survive, and while he strongly desired to give Zakat a good thumping, it may only make the situation bad for them. After all, Imazi may take offense, and he would not have his first assignment as Acting-Maralictor result in failure.
Morvan releases the power that made his mace deal nonlethal damage, then he moves into the cover of the trees, trying to break line of sight between himself and Zakat. He hoped the remainder of his team had sufficiently taken advantage of the delay to get into cover. Once hidden from Zakat's view in the thick trees, Morvan said, "Remember our orders!" He then created an illusory double.
Urashu will activate his wand of vanish again and then sheathe Wand.
With a shrug Tybalt slips off the path into the trees.
Concealing himself as best he can he watches and listens trying to detect if anyone else is around.
Thurio simply waits among the trees, only taking a few steps away from the road while still trying to keep Zakat in sight.
Above you you see a small prick of light, which is slowly getting bigger as it approaches. Then you see that it's an enormous sphere of crackling lightning, which hits the ground and detonates, sending lightning screaming in all directions.
Hidden in the trees Tybalt scrambles for cover as he see the ominous sphere approaching.
Urashu will pull out his wand of infernal healing and activate it, while looking around to see if he can get a line of sight on the man.
Morvan grits his teeth against the pain. His spell had shielded him from some of the damage, else he'd be much closer to death now than he already was. He prayed to Asmodeus for some healing, then moved himself away from the area as he cast a spell to buffer his vitality.
Silently cursing Tybalt moves farther into the trees, trying to remain concealed.
Thurio sighed. Why had they been told not to hurt this bastard? They could have taken the idiot out if not for those ridiculous orders. Now he was on the verge of going out. He shook his invisible head before casting another spell. He then went up into the air, putting more distance between him and the others.
As you attempt to disperse away from the mad mage's assault, a pale blue light darts up the path towards Morvan. As it stops to hover in front of you at eye level, you see that it appears to be a card. Suddenly an image of an exotic and attractive tattooed woman imposes itself over the card.
"Follow me please." she says, before turning and walking down the path.
Storm is subsiding a little, what could that mean?
Cautiously, shield still up, mace still in hand, Morvan emerges from the trees, following the image of the woman. The dossier of Imazi hadn't included a picture, but if this was her, way of summoning them, then Zakat likely wouldn't try anything. He felt his spell healing some of his wounds slowly, and hoped that, now that she was involved, he wouldn't suffer any further assault.
As he did so, he glanced up, checking the location of Zakat.
Urashu remains under cover of his vanish spell, but steps onto the path and takes a few steps after the new lady, presumably Imazi. He sheathes his wand and gun, but walks with his eyes searching the trees above for the man.
Kallant remains in the trees trying to find cover. His grips his silversheen greatsword wondering how much of this damage that they can take without retaliating. However, this is not the greatest test of wills that he has faced from his training, so he prepares to obey his orders until death.
Tybalt steps out from cover following about 20 feet behind Morvan. He keeps a wary eye out for any further sign of Zakat.
Kallant follows Tybalt.
You follow the woman, presumably Imazi, down the path. She is always visible, no matter that it continues to get darker and darker. Eventually you reach a large clearing, in the center of which is an impressively large tree stump. The tree originally must have been truly enormous, as the stump is every bit of 20 feet tall and at least thrice that around. Scattered around the tree are a wide variety of tents and covered wagons, with firepits, tethered animals, and even a few pavilions, all populated by quietly watching men and women.
The woman leads you directly towards the stump, where a door is cleverly worked into the wood, and nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the stump. Dusk is standing just beside it. He opens the door as you approach, and closes it behind you.
Passing over the threshold causes your skin to tingle and itch mildly. Once inside, it looks oddly like a tent, with silk curtains for walls and pillows for chairs. A low table sits in the middle of the room, with various occult and magical implements lying on it. Off to the corner is a stove and sink, while in the other corner is a padded cushion currently occupied by Zakat, who is groaning weakly and holding his head.
The woman walks around the table and sits, shuffling a deck of cards, though you can't recall when she might have started that.
She looks at you expectantly, one eyebrow cocked imperiously.
Morvan puts his mace away at the sight of Dusk. Unless the half-orc was betraying them, this was likely the woman they sought, and now as much as ever was the time to show they had no intention of causing violence. Once inside the stump, Morvan spares a brief glance of intense annoyance for Zakat, before looking towards Imazi, stepping forward and, offering a half-bow, he says, "I am Acting-Maralictor Morvan Fellis, of the Hellknight Order of the Gate. We have been sent to deliver this letter to Imazi," here Morgan removes the letter from his pouch, "as well as to thank her for continued support. If you are she, I pass this letter off to you." Morvan will step towards the table and extend the hand holding the letter towards her.
"I am," she replies, taking the letter. She spends a full minute casting spells on it before opening it. She reads it in an improbably short amount of time before smirking slightly to herself and crumpling it up, the paper flaring up and crumbling to ash in her fist.
"You may tell him that, as usual, I am ahead of him."
She glances over at Zakat and sighs.
"Though it is good that it is so. It will take some time."
She pauses briefly, then turns back to you.
"Is there anything else?"
Morvan considers informing her of Zakat's rather reckless behavior, but suspected she already knew of it - based on his condition, at any rate. Instead he says, "I shall only state that we have taken no hostile action against any associated with the Tower, and request your permission to withdraw."
Urashu follows quietly letting Morvan handle the talking.
Seeing Dusk, Kallant grins and sheathes his silversheen greatsword.
When he sees the state of Zakat, his smile broadens beneath his full hellknight helmet. He observes the scenery with his armored arms crossed.
"I presume then that is all you wish to relay?" Tybalt asks."If it is not presumptuous may I ask about our mutual friend here?"Tybalt gestures towards Zakat. "He certainly seemed eager to meet us, if not exactly glad, but not a fan of the Hellknights. I can understand that, but I wonder... What is he to you? An ally, a servant, a prisoner? Is his impulsive nature something you value or is he of value in spite of it? I ask your forgiveness if my questions are unwelcome."
Urashu's heads whips around to look at Tybalt. That was ... bold. Especially inside heir encampment and with the crazy lightning man standing right there. He tries to keep his face neutral. We are Hell Knights though, maybe this is what we get to be now.
Sense Motive: The intricate tattoos covering every inch of her skin that you can see help mask any facial expressions she might let slip, and her hands are swift but steady as she shuffles the deck of cards, seemingly unperturbed by anything.
"I presume then that is all you wish to relay?" Tybalt asks."If it is not presumptuous may I ask about our mutual friend here?"Tybalt gestures towards Zakat. "He certainly seemed eager to meet us, if not exactly glad, but not a fan of the Hellknights. I can understand that, but I wonder... What is he to you? An ally, a servant, a prisoner? Is his impulsive nature something you value or is he of value in spite of it? I ask your forgiveness if my questions are unwelcome."
"If Girdano doesn't trust you with that information, then I most certainly do not," she rebukes, her voice almost sounding amused.
"I shall only state that we have taken no hostile action against any associated with the Tower..."
"For which I'm sure we are all grateful," she replies dryly.
...and request your permission to withdraw."
"Granted," she smiles in amusement, purring seductively at your formality.