Hokama and his remaining drover are staying clear from combat, (off the map), and are a good 40 feet away from your position.
With the hobgoblins occupied by the genie, the camels are left unattended.
You spot your missing camel, carrying the departed Venture Captain's body.
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Speaking is a free action, neat huh?
Hokama's slightly startled by the shouting out, but hears Yanda.
As Gaspar is about to look up, the head of a hobgoblin flies past him, tongue hanging out and the sight of terror in its eyes.
It's enough to keep Gaspar's sight aimed at you guys.
Hokama raises a thumb into the air in reaction, and he quickly points at the camel with the departed Venture captain's body.
While withdrawing, Ajaline passes through another threatened square adjacent to purple.
The hobgoblin's attack misses him.
Ajaline has gone off the map, sort to speak, NW.
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Orange steps up to Yanda.
"I will kill boom-ball girl!"
His bark is worse than his bite, for the moment, and we come to
Selethe's turn
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Red
Erlathan (2/16) & Selethe (3/11)
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Red
Gaspar takes the heaviest hit he's gotten all day, and reels on his feet.
Sweat drips from his forehead.
His head turns at Selethe.
"You...B*tch!"
Yanda gets the impression he won't be standing for much longer, for sure.
Erlathan
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Red
The thing above, is what Gaspar would have liked for himself....unfo~~rtunately~, he doesn't.
Erlathan's magic missile is only just, literally, enough to be the final straw on Gaspar's endurance, as he had taken 6 nl from the sun.
His gaze goes blurry, as he leans on his sword.
"Damn...a weakling with his tricks....honorless basta...."
He slumps down.
The remaining hobgoblins are shocked by their boss collapsing, and turn tail and flee.
The dust cloud settles down too, and what a sight it is.
The genie's blade is bloodied, and no hobgoblin has survived.
All but one, who is wimpering as he crawls away, only to be struck down in the process.
Combat over!!!!
Gaspar seems to be stable, but passed out from over exhaustion after the magic missile.
The genie dissipates in smoke.
"Till next time, m'lady, you can Always count on your brethren."
Jamila comes out of her cover, and over to you.
"You did it, you taken down the treacherous dog."
She sighs in relief.
"I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.
I'll let you in on something, in return.
I am not human, for one. I am a janni, a genie kin, and you've been involved in a plot to unmask Gaspar."
*No doubt people look with surprise*
"I have known Targos Min-Katheer for over 40 years, we were allies- and sometimes closer. We had stumbled upon a plot by parties unknown, to cripple Qadira’s economy by disrupting trade along the Silken Way.
We had narrowed it down to just a few local merchants, but Targos began feeling the effects of his advanced age after suffering from heart pains and decided he would be ineffective in completing the mission."
"By agreement, rather than to slowly dwindle away from his ailments, i gave him a dose of venom from a desert scorpion, and my lover peacefully passed on to the afterlife. We felt the chances were great that the plotter would use the event of the trade route protector’s death to launch his plot. That was where you came in, i had to get both them and your team on board to complete the mission we had started."
|
At first, Ajaline is relieved to find that they had survived. Well, most of them. Jula's death was hitting him hard. Before he could start to collect his feelings Jamila appears and begins telling her story. Ajaline's anger grows as he hears the details. "You used us? You used us as bait to help defeat your enemy?" His face flushes red.
"Because of you, and this stupid plot, our friend is dead. Why couldn't you just tell us, before we left, what we were facing?"
"Your being upset is understandable, but you misunderstand.
I used the fact of his death as a lure, and naturally the society sends their own agents to make sure his body reaches its destination. You are, after all, more trustworthy to the society, than a group of my hired men.
As for what you were up against, i myself didn't even know."
|
Selethe is greatly relieved when Gaspar falls and the hobgoblins scatter. She knows she just barely escaped death once again.
She retrieves her wand from where she had discarded it and heals herself up then offers to heal anyone else who needs it.
"It seems Jula cannot benefit from this healing. She earned her way onto the Wall of Names with her bravery."
|
"We are agents. We are used all the time. I'm not surprised. I am surprised that his death was planned and used in this way. Very surprised. I'm not sure it is legal. But I'm no inquisitor. If there are issues I'll let the pros deal with it."
Although you drew him out, do you know exactly why he was trying to mess with trade? Simple greed or something political? And when did he contract leprosy, or was that a hoax too?"
"The reason for sabotaging Qadira's economic routes remains unknown, for now. Handing him over to the authorities will surely loosen his lips.
I was not aware of his leprosy, he must have gotten that shortly before his death. I am a caravan master after all, i spend much of my time traveling."
"When we agreed to give him the poison, he had not yet contracted leprosy, or in the least, symptoms were not yet apparent. The poison would not be immediate death, he would have died in his sleep."
She smiles sadly.
"Some things we can't foresee, you'll understand when the time comes and you fall in love with someone."
|
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Erlathan is too busy processing his finishing blow on Gaspar to care about the genie. "Ajaline, I mean, how about helping out instead of running off? What if he had killed us? Way to be an elf!" He toys with him.
"Killing your lover to save him from certain death, now there's an interesting tale. Let's haul Gaspar back to the guards and they can decide his fate, yes?"
|
|
Ajaline bristles at Erlathan's comments. "Run off? The only reason I was running off was to protect you. You were all grievously wounded while I didn't have a single scratch on myself. I knew that if we stayed to keep fighting, you would have succumbed." Ajaline huffs at Erlathan, not ever seeing that he was just teasing.
At Jamila's further explanation of what happened, Ajaline allows his anger, at her, to fade. "I understand that you did what you thought was best. Now I can only hope that you find justice."
You tie up- and gag, Gaspar, before heading off.
Once the rest of the caravan has saddled up again, the caravan makes their final part of the voyage.
The remaining 2 days are eventful, thankfully.
Jula's body is preserved through an adapt's casting of gentle reposte.
Once the gates of the destination come into view, a feeling of relief hits you. As you sort out the proceedings to deliver the late Venture Captain's body to the local temple, Jamila contatcs the authorities, and the man is incarcerated and thoroughly questioned in the next few days.
The local Venture Captain is quite pleased, and speaks both his sympathies for the loss of Jula, as well as buying you a drink at the nearby inn. Since "If you had only water while in the desert, you need a good drink to compensate."
------------------
Targos Min-Katheer is given a hero’s funeral, attended by many Pathfinders, as well as notables from the satrap’s court and a few geniekin, whom Jamila chats with.
You are of course invited to attend. The local Venture Captain wouldn't have it otherwise, needless to say.
Jamila looks you up one final time, when the funeral had concluded.
"Thank you, for coming by. You've not only saved my life, but have also helped me- and with it Targos, save our country from economic disaster."
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