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Brock edges Hss slightly forward and stabs out with his lance.
Feeling his spear strike home in the gravely wounded boss lady, Brock yells to the barbarian, trying to cut through his rage.
"Yaiho! Help Rook with the tent! I can't get there in time!"
Knowing he'd never get off his horse and be able to do anything useful in the burning tent under the weight of his armor, he looks about the battlefield.
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Forrest comes up close to the guard, rapier out. "Whoa, no touchy the halfling! Rude!"
Unfortunately, his momentum was to much, and he ran himself onto his enemy's sword. Whoa... Can't dance around that one... Forrest blacks out.
Forrest falls to the ground, unconscious. In his dreams, his head is filled with visions of dancing snakes, halflings on spikes and Yaiho taking a large bite out of the guard.
The Aspis leader drops her tiny crossbow onto the blood-stained floor and rises back to her feet, drawing a fine steel rapier as she goes, "AAAAaaaagh!" She roars defiantly, levelling the blade towards Yaiho, only to have a lance suddenly pierce her side. The agent looks at Brock with wide-eyed shock, fear, and anger, but a moment later, her legs buckle, and she collapses to the ground.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the camp, the sound of swords scraping together cuts through the low roaring noise of the flaming pavilion. The blue guard's strength and Forrest's momentum were just too much for the halfling to successfully parry the blow, and the guard's blade sinks worryingly deep into soft flesh. Forrest collapses onto the floor right in front of his comrade, bleeding badly from the wound. The guard's fleeting moment of triumph is ruined, however, by the sight of the Aspis leader falling, and the realisation that she is the last woman standing, "To the Abyss with the lot of you!" She yells as she pulls out a flask of alchemist's fire and hurls it across the camp, then she steps back sword held defensively in front of her.
The flask explodes on the tent, sending up another fireball. Fortunately, Rook is no stranger to a few measly flames, and he knows how to keep himself safe within the burning pavilion. He also remembers the vials of liquid he liberated from the convoy, and after downing all six of them at once, the uncomfortable heat takes on a pleasant, invigorating quality. With renewed energy, Rook manages to collect the majority of the most important looking documents before they come to too much harm.
The pavilion is starting to collapse as the flames continue to consume it...
Meanwhile, Arin lays a hand on Forrest's forehead, and positive energy courses through the halfling's body, causing his wound to knit closed at an unnatural speed and his eyes to flicker open.
___
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Get up. GET UP!
Stumbling to her feet, Danicka looks around the battlefield. She sees some of the enemy bleeding out all over the ground--Oh, dear! I need to help them!. Rook runs into a burning tent--He'll be alright.. Right?, and Forrest stabbed in the chest by a woman.
No!
"Forrest!" Danicka exclaims.
With few spells left at her disposal, Danicka hurls a cantrip at the woman, causing a icy ray to spring from her hand at the woman's face.
But if her worry, the ray goes whizzing right past the woman.
The guard turns instinctively as a cold ray whizzes past her ear and turns back again just in time to see Yaiho rush across the battlefield in a rage-filled instant. Knowing that parrying would be futile against such a powerful man, she leans back as the massive hammer follows a horizontal arc towards her side. Her whole life flashes before her eyes as the mighty weapon scrapes along her breastplate, but the blow is only glancing, and aside from a few extra bruises, she remains unharmed. Breathing a sigh of relief, the guard lifts her sword again, entering a wide measure, ready for the duel ahead.
___
The guard glances at Brock as he approaches, yelling his battle cry, "What are you staring at pretty boy?" She sneers, "If you want the next dance, get off your mangy ass and wait your turn..." She keeps most of her attention, however, on the large orc who is frothing at the mouth just a few feet away.
___
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Brock's sardonic nature is in full effect as he laughs off the warrior's false bravado. "I'll be along shortly sweetheart, you just try not get eaten by Yahio before I get there. I want, " gesturing his spear towards the 3 bodies laying in their blood in the dirty oasis sand, "want to go four for four."
Forrest retrieves the sword that lay by his side and raises it defensively. Fortunately, the guard is too preoccupied with a hulking half-orc and a taunting knight on ghostly horseback to capitalise on the halfling's precarious predicament. She pays the latest verbal volley from Brock no head as she circles Yaiho, sweat beading on her forehead, and a deep look of concentration on her face. Finally, she spots her opening and lunges inside Yaiho's guard, flashing her sword skillfully. The blade leaves a deep cut along her opponent's thigh. Most men would have fallen to their knees after such an attack, but Yaiho isn't most men. She hops back into guard, and with her confidence growing by the second, she even finds the time to flash Brock a taunting wink.
And inside the invigoratingly toasty tent, Rook watches as the flames continue to grow...
___
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Danicka worries over Forrest, but seeing Arin--a fine healer--by his side she moves around the battle.
That woman's going to die!
Then suddenly the woman swings her sword and Yaiho's bleeding all over the ground.
"Yaiho!" she shrieks with worry.
I can't stand here and do nothing!
Danicka focuses on the woman, waves her arms around and squeaks out a few words laced with arcane power.
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With the documents Rook looks to move out of the tent before it burns to ashes with him inside.
When he steps out and sees the carnage he starts to laugh.
"Well...you make quick work of spineless bandits. They couldn't even burn a tent down right."
He then coughs a bit as he brushes ashes and charred tent pieces off his shoulders.
While Forest continues to hope for a spectacular end to the guard, Arin hustles up behind Yaiho and offers some divine guidance to his new teammate. Meanwhile, Danicka starts squeaking out a spell, gesticulating wildly in an attempt to cloud the guard's mind. However, the woman once again demonstrates her iron will, and aside from an almost imperceptible shudder, she continues to concentrate on Yaiho with as clear a mind as ever.
In the tent, Rook manages to stow away the most interesting documents, the fire no longer an issue. He then exits the great big fireball to discover the carnage his comrades have wrought in his absence.
___
Yaiho rams the head his maul into the guard's mid-drift with such force that her breastplate crumples like tinfoil, and even Rook on the other side of the camp can hear the snapping of bones. She doubles over coughing up blood as her face careens right into the path of the half-orcs large tusks. An eye pops, and the guard's body goes limp. She's dead before she even hits the floor.
Within seconds, the orange pavilion finally gives up the ghost and collapses in a great pile of ash and smoke. However, Rook seems to have recovered some very interesting documents, the sort that Lady Ziralia might want to see. Obviously, you already know that the Aspis Consortium is behind a plot to steal the sun orchid elixir, but sorting through the papers, you find detailed records of Prince Zinlo's involvement in the scheme, including a detailed provenance of every resource he provided the Aspis agents. He went into excruciating and exacting detail about some of the Emir’s planned defences. The note describes plans to send multiple decoy transports to confuse would-be-thieves and to move some vials of the elixir 'by other means entirely.' The records also show that Prince Zinlo and the Aspis Consortium conducted extensive trades with each other at favourable rates and have been doing so for well over a decade.
A quick search of the bodies reveals the usual array of weapons and armour, but some items stick out as a little more unusual. A toothpick of pyrotechnics, a vial of blue whinnis poison, and a bronze Aspis badge.
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Yaiho rams the head his maul into the guard's mid-drift with such force that her breastplate crumples like tinfoil, and even Rook on the other side of the camp can hear the snapping of bones. She doubles over coughing up blood as her face careens right into the path of the half-orcs large tusks. An eye pops, and the guard's body goes limp. She's dead before she even hits the floor.
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Seeing the pavilion give up the ghost, Brock shouts out, "Rook! I didn't realize you are fire proof! What did you find."
Going over the documents Brock lets out a whistle. "Hoo wee, treason, murder, theft, mayhem. Sounds like a great time, too bad this evidence is going to give Aspis and this prince a bad day. Assuming our Lady coughs up the gold for these docs."
Looking around the bloodied oasis, he smiles, laughs and shakes blood from his lance.
"I say we bring this stuff back, get paid then have a good long week of debauchery. Leave whats left of these fools for the jackals." removing his helm and smiling his dazzling smile, "who's in?"
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Forrest spits on the guard's body beside him, a mix of spittle and blood. No honor in lying down at the end of the fight. I must train harder. He cries out, pointing his voice towards the dune. " Mary! Come here, girl! I need a little help! "
The weighed down donkey slowly comes over the hill and approaches the wounded halfling. Eventually he manages to get on her back, hunched over from the pain. "Aye, Brock, I haven't the energy for looting or burying. Let the desert bury them. "
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"Eeeeek!" Danicka shrieks as the poor woman's head explodes in Yaiho's mouth. Bits of gore, blood and brain land all over Danicka's face. "Eeeeeeek!" she screams again.
Danicka staggers backwards, clearly terrified. She falls to the ground, and continues scrambling backwards, shrieking all the while.
Eventually she runs out of room to flee. She looks around, wide-eyed and panting in a panic, just in time to see Brock laugh and shake the blood from his lance. Seeing the massacred bodies strewn across the camp, and her companions completely unaffected, Danicka pulls her knees up to her chest, buries her head in her lap, and cries.
She sits there in the hot desert sun, sobbing uncontrollably, for a very long time.
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Arin watches the battle subside with indifference. It's not that he has no compassion, he just doesn't know how to show it. Perhaps his social detachment is what caused random outside forces to choose him as a vessel.
Yaiho lets his rage subside and feels the fatigue take hold after each rage. He plants the head of his maul into the ground and leans on it, to rest some while the others go about searching the bodies.
He looks around, "Group leader of enemy dead? Maybe save and take in as prisoner..."
"That's a good idea Yaiho. Somebody get ready to tie her up if this works."
Arin walks over to the leader and places his hand on her shoulder, unsure if there's any life left to save.
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"Now that is how an orc does it. Crazy...is he always like that?" Rook laughs as the last of the battle unfolds. Upset he didn't use a single bomb this trip he tosses one at whats left of the tent and replies to Brock
"Hmm not as satisfying when something doesn't scream after. You work with these things enough and the fire seems normal, HAH. Plus they had to be hiding something worth gold is the way I saw it."
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"Oh, come now Danicka. Snap out of it! Anyone got a flask of brandy?" Brock snaps, unable to keep the amusement from his voice as Danicka predictably falls apart as this group wins yet another fight decisively. "What in the hells?" he exclaims as he rediscovers the bolt sticking out of his chest, "This thing barely counts as a scratch." he grunts as he rips the bolt out and makes a show of tossing the bolt back to the still form of its owner, nearly striking the quiver. "Dang, so close"
In response Yaiho he looks around, "The leader? Um, she's back there I think. I skewered her pretty good and she's been bleeding out for a bit now but, who knows, maybe she's alive." sighing dramatically, "That one over there might be salvagable as well. If we are going to drag one we can drag two. We can strap them to Hss and Ill walk, though I can't guarantee he won't eat one of them. Best put the boss furthest from his teeth."
Dismounting, he wanders to the first dead guard and starts poking about his remains with his lance tip, "Decent enough gear, and... is this Danicka puke?! Dang, can't take my sister anywhere fun without her puking on everything. At least she wasn't dancing this time, am I right?"
Finishing prodding the way over-dead thug like a street kid finding a bloated corpse in the channel, Brock wanders over to help save, or capture, or whatever... any surviving Aspis thugs, smiling happily and joking about.
Nothing like a good fight, well good for us anyway, to get the spirits up. That crossbow wound doesnt even barely hurt
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Brock barks in laughter at Rooks comments, "A kindred spirit! Anything that nets us gold is good by me. Excellent quick thinking my friend."
Noticing, for the first time, Yaiho and Forrest's wounds he fishes the healing potions out of his kit, handing them over.
"Here, take these. Our boss wants them back if we don't use em and I see no reason to save her money, and ya look a bit tender. Drink up!"
He briefly thinks about helping Arin console Danicka, or perhaps ribbing her more, but decides she's probably had enough for the day and minds his own business.
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After drinking the healing potion, Forrest's cheeks begin to glow once again and his spirits rise. " Thanks, Brock, that hits the spot! " No longer overcome with pain and self-pity, Forrest notices Danicka's sobbing form. He hops off Mary, tying her to a tent post. What to say... Such a fragile creature, not accustomed to this life like the rest of us...
He slowly walks over to the wizardess and puts a hand on her shoulder. He stands there for a while, not saying a word. Just taking in the bloody mess they made. Finally, he speaks. "There is no honor in murder. But some people won't listen to reason, or bow to witchcraft. Some people are hard. " He pauses, then sighs. " And hard people only understand hard actions. Sorry. " He leaves her to her thoughts, going back to his donkey.
Two of the guards were quite obviously beyond hope, and the third guard bled out before the battle was over. The leader, however, is luckier than her companions, and Arin places his hand on her shoulder mere moments before she would have died. His sacred touch staunches the woman's wounds and her breathing, while shallow, is steady once again. She is then bound and settled on Hss for the long trek back to Pashow. With the evidence and the prisoner secured, all that remains is for Danicka to recover from the shock of what just took place here.
Once back at camp, the Aspis agent is quickly taken away for medical treatment while you a shepherded to the command tent. All the senior staff are here, being debriefed and caught up on what has been happening over the last few days. Some looking chagrined, while others, like Lyshna, seem highly amused. Temeera's eyes light up when you enter, a million questions on her lips, but before she can ask one, Lady Ziralia dismisses everyone so that she may speak with the Pathfinders in private. On his way past, Jaravo pats Brock on the shoulder, seemingly more taken with the young man than he was before. However, Enyro just flounces past giving you all a good scowling at, it looks like he even considered barging through, but at the last second thinks better of it and skirts around instead.
Once alone, Lady Ziralia stands and says, "Before we start, The Emir has asked me to convey his gratitude to you for testing the convoy's defences. On a personal note, I'd like to add that your actions will help Pashow move toward economic recovery. On behalf of its people, thank you!" She smiles warmly and motions for you all to sit down around the large meeting table in the centre of the tent, "Now, what can you tell me of the people our scouts spotted? Were they simple travellers as I had hoped?"
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Yaiho takes the potion, popping the cork and swallowing thing in one gulp. Feeling his wounds heal somewhat and feels much better, but still fatigues. He still marches back toward the encampment with the others, eyeing their trophy prisoner along the way. He doesn't approach Danicka though, letting her calm down first.
-------
Upon entering the camp, his fatigue has passed and he feel much more energetic. He cleaned his tusk and face on the way here to remove any gore that might be stuck, allowing him to smile at people without freaking them out too much on their way to report in.
Yaiho lets the others explain what they found, they being better with words than him.
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Eventually, Danicka stops crying. She sits there in shocked silence for a while, then wipes her tears and snot off on her sleeve. She sniffles loudly.
Finally, Danicka struggles to her feet and moves to help pack up the last of the gear.
She trails behind the group silently, shocked and shaky, flinching whenever Yaiho or Brock gets too close. She clutches her broom against her chest, hugging it close more than holding it.
---
Danicka's still pale and stunned looking when they settle in for the briefing with Lady Ziralia. She perks up slightly, when the noblewoman mentions that their actions saved Pashow.
"...R-r-really? You think s-so?" she stutters quietly. Perhaps this missions did do some good...
But as the topic rolls around to the Aspis member's they has slaughtered, Danicka's frown deepens and her eyes gloss over with tears. She bows her head and shakes it sadly, clearly replying 'No' to Lady Ziralia's question, though she offers no verbal explanation.
Don't cry. Don't cry. Remember you did some good today. We DID some good today. We saved Pashow! We saved Pashow!
I don't feel like a hero...
---
When the briefing is over Danicka excuses herself to write a report on the convoy's weaknesses.
She hands in the paperwork as professionally as possible, despite that she still has bits of gore stuck in her curly, messy mass of hair.
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Forrest steps forward. " Unfortunately, they were not. They happen to be a group of mercenaries funded in a join effort between your Prince and the Aspis Consortium. They were sent to steal the elixir. Brave Rook here risked skin and bone to get proof of that. These papers should cement our story. If you need further assistance in your case against them, we captured their leader. " He chuckles a little. " She's in a minor coma at the moment, but I'm sure your healers can get her talking again. If she balks, tell her The Ghost Knight will come if she doesn't. " He gives Brock a sideways glance. " She'll know what you mean. "
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Brock chuckles at Forrest's comments, "I wouldn't mind stabbing her again.", only managing looking slightly chagrined at Danicka's look.
Back to Lady Ziralia, "Not only did we garner you ample ways to solidify your caravan, we exposed evidence of gross treason and Aspis nefariousness. I don't think I am too bold in suggesting we earned a bonus."
Brock steps back ans, frowning, flicks a small piece of ... someone ... off his spear.
How'd I miss that?
Lady Ziralia raises an eyebrow, wondering why Danicka seems so upset, but smiles when she hears that disaster has been averted, "Then you have disrupted a plot that would have surely bankrupted Pashow! You went above and beyond your duty in doing this, and I am most grateful." To Brock, she adds, "Indeed, I shall talk with the Emir about increasing your fee to appropriatly represent your efforts..." But when she hears about Prince Zinlo's involvement and sees the evidence, her smile fades, "I had feared my father's ambition for a unified Thuvia would pull him down a dark path, but this..." She stands up again and starts pacing, clearly upset and conflicted, "If I tell the Emir... No, when I tell Emir Guldis, matters could quickly get well out of hand... Gods, this is such a mess!" She stops pacing and looks at all of you, "I can make no promises about where my loyalties may lie should Thuvia descend into civil war. However, I have always been an advocate for the sovereignty of independent city-states, and I assure you that I will not forget what the Pathfinder Society has done for me, and more importantly, the people of Pashow."
You return to Aspenthar and, knowing full well that the news of its ruler's plan to bankrupt Pashow will break soon, you would be forgiven if you were in a hurry to hop onto a boat to travel back home to a cooler climate, both politically and meteorologically. The ship that awaits you in port, however, is the Grinning Pixie, a Pathfinder Lodge in its own right, captained by the half-orc Calisro Benarry. Broad-shouldered and half a head taller than most humans, the intimidating half-orc greats you as she walks down the gangplank with open arms, "I've been hearing good things about you lubbers!" She says in a husky voice, "And I need a team who knows how to keep their business quiet, but who can also take care of themselves if the tides shift unexpectedly. I think you're the ones for me! Hop on board, and I'll fill you in on all the sordid little details." Her wide grin shows off her menacingly sharp canine teeth.
You spend the next couple of months sailing along the shores of Thuvia, Osirion, and Qadira, occasionally being sent ashore to pick up non-descript parcels and messages from non-descript individuals. You're not given too much information on what it's all about, but you are assured that what you are doing will greatly aid the cause of the Liberty's Edge faction. Finally, you are dropped off in Katapesh, and Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry personally sees you off her ship, "You did excellent work for a bunch of land lubbers, and it's a shame to see you go. But from here on out, things are going to get a lot more... interesting, and no offence, but I don't think you're up to it yet. There are several lodges here in the city, go rest up, and I'm sure some Venture-Captain will call on your services soon enough." And so it is that you find yourselves alone in the busy merchant port of Katapesh.
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Rook nods along with the others during the de-briefing and starts to bellow when Brock mentions stabbing her again.
"Those fools tried to burn down the tent with the documents. Like fire is supposed to scare us. They may be a little singed, it happens." he adds between laughs.
As he heads back to the docks with the others he claps them on the back.
"Looks like that...Captain Sinaryn wasn't lyin' about y'll...if you ever need my-" he is cut off by Calisro Benarry either due to her commanding voice or that her impressive appearance. He waits for her to finish and sighs...
I thought it was gonna be one job but I might make some good coin and connections with these guys. That captain is a looker too!
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After being dismissed by Lady Ziralia, Danicka pays Prickles a visit. Surprisingly, the vicious dog is a great comfort to her, and Danicka ends up purchasing the dog. Although they get along well, handling the dog is another matter entirely...
Upon leaving Pashow, Danicka soothes her guilt over the wanton slaughter she failed to prevent in the deserts by taking a quick trip to Pashow where she attempts to organize a fundraiser to support the local hospital.
Unfortunately, she she's far too embarrassed and shy to get the event organized, and those who do attend get scared off by her over-protective dog.
---
Disappointed at her failure, Danicka and Prickles hop aboard the Grinning Pixie with her colleagues.
"Eeek!" Danicka exclaims, as Venture Captain Benarry bares her sharp teeth at her. "Please don't eat me!"
Upon realizing she will not, in fact, be eaten, Danicka blushes brightly and retires to her cabin to suffer through months worth of nightmares involving being devoured by Yaiho and skewered by Brock, both of whom laugh over her as she dies. Prickles gets plenty of hugs.
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The suspicious dealings taking place on the Grinning Pixie peak Danicka's interest, and after the first few drop-offs and pick-ups go with her being disinterested and morose, she begins to get back to her old self. She starts taking copious notes on what's occurring around her, curious as to what exactly she's doing... In a code of her own devising, of course! And her shy smile is once more a common sight.
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And so Danicka and Prickles set foot in Katapesh, a place where Danicka's bound to exclaim: "Oh, my!" and "That's so... MEAN!" A LOT...