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Locke softly whistles a tune, partially lost in thought, before they entered the VC's office.
The whistling turns into soft singing.
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Urbar, the moment they set out on their journey, seems very reluctant to leave his ever trusted forests behind.
I will return... Soon...
He sets out with the others with a grim look on his face. Before he sets out on the hot journey though he picks up some more weather appropriate clothes. His new clothes, compared to his old ones, show off the rangers thick muscles and his dark mood seems even more obvious with the light colored clothes.
Being used to washing himself in the forest without any means of hiding himself Urbar doesn't care at all about Ery washing him off.
"Better than sweat and grime sticking your limbs together."
He says as some of the group members are making trouble.
"Be glad he does it. I'm not sharing the little water I have to get you lot a nice bath."
Once Locke joins the group after going to the market Urbar looks at him with one eyebrow raised.
"So that mask does come off... Care to explain?"
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With the voices still in synch, Locke playfully chuckles.
"Oh, it does come off, if there's no other way for a task.
If you are referring to my history with them, mr impressive muscles, anonimity has become a way of life to me. My prior activities couldn't possibly allow me to have a face.
Plus, an unfortunate mishap with a mage has left....me more than my vocal issue. He's died of old age...stupid old man.
I'm unable to call me 'me', for the time being, until i solve the problem. As such, there is little point to showing anything other than the simple shapes that are a mask, like this 'fashionable piece' i was given recently.
Personally, i don't dislike these graceful masks, as they look pretty on women. But i'm a modest person."
When this sinks in with Urbar....
"Thus...what or who i am, or technically *was*, will have to remain my own to know. Like i said to miss Fiona, in time i might be in position to share, in time."
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At first Gwen thought Tereze would decline the offer; however, when she smiles and accepts, Gwen releases the mental sigh she'd been holding back. "Agreed, I would gladly swap out these clothes for something better suited to this oppressive heat."
Ze holder that you use to keep zat "stick" of yours seems very interesting. Do you zink you could help me find one?
Gwen smiles and nods. "Of course! You'd be surprised how handy these are just for little things." They continue walking for a few more steps and Gwen looks over at Tereze. "It's good to see you smile again."
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"Oh. Alright. Guess that leaves me to go handle the important stuff.. Sure. I get it. Don't invite the elf to the bathing centers..."
Ery shouted as the woman wandered off to do what ever it is they do. He kicked the ground lightly as he folded his arms behind his back not entirely sure where to go.
"Well, I'm headed to go find me some dead pathfinder remains. Oh, and boys... Let's prepare for undead this time... Terrible-terrible heat...and undead."
The elf noted to Urbar, Locke and Vic as he took off toward the tent he was directed to so that he can receive some remains.
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"It's good to see you smile again."
Have I not been smiling? I guess I have been a bit preoccupied... Ze last mission did not end very pleasantly, and I fear it bodes ill for our current endeavor.
She quiets down a bit and then tries to continue with obviously forced brightness.
At least we do not have to worry too much about water out zere. she nods at the open desert, If we need it, I seem to have the blessing of an always full waterskin.
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Waving off tot he girls, the elf looked back to Locke shaking his head. Ery smirked as he motioned Urbar, Vic and Locke with him toward the body-pick-up site.
Ery briefly seems to fade off in some day dreamy thought before snapping back to reality, quickly shaking his head.
"So. This dead guy. Do we know anything about him?"
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Gwen glances sidelong at Tereze. "No. No, you haven't." When the topic of the last mission comes up again, Gwen sighs heavily. "Look, Tereze, you know I didn't really mean what I said... Right? I thought Du Moire would balk and tell us what was behind those doors. Even though he deserved to die for what he did to those people, he deserved better than what he got... I'm sorry... I don't want you to think I'm a cold-hearted brute."
Gwen smiles a little at the water comment. "Be better if it were a nice, dark beer." She winks at her friend. "Can you do that?" She suddenly asks, completely honest...
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Tereze smiles at Gwen's question, No I am sad to say I only seem to be blessed with water, but I have never tried praying for beer.... I may have to try zat.
She then turns serious again as Fiona speaks aloud one side of the argument she has been having in her head.
Fiona, zat is exactly what I was zhinking when we were standing zere with Du Moire. We gave him a way out and he knew what was behind ze door, Surely zat makes ze results of his actions fall on his head.
But ze fact remains zat I stood by and allowed another sentient being to die when it was wholly in my power to stop it. Ze facts zat he may have done wrong to so many, and most likely deserved it for ze crimes zat he commited may be mitigating factors. Maybe it also will matter zat none of us intended to have him die like zat but can zat really balance ze scale against ze simple fact zat we took one of ze Gods Miracles and fed it to undead abominations.
I knew it was wrong when we did it, yet I did not stop it. Does zat not make me responsible for ze results of ze actions?
She takes a deep breath and seems to think for a second then steels herself and says:
It may be possible I am over reacting, however I do not zink I am. I am still paying for the one prior time I caused someone to die. You have both seen the zing zat stalks me because of zis.
Add zat to the fact zat now we are on a Burrial mission. It is almost as if the Gods zemselves picked zis mission for us. Given the troubles we have had so far zis trip all signs seem be pointing at zem planning to make us pay for zis action again.
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Gwen smiles and nods to Tereze when she explains how her magic works, but then it disappears as talk turns inexorably back to Du Moire. "If the Gods deem is necessary to punish us for the death of horrible person, regardless how he may have died, then there is something terribly wrong with them. I have seen people do far worse to other innocent people that what happened to Du Moire and never be punished." She shakes her head. "No. I refuse to believe that, Tereze. Falayna would never impose such a terrible burden upon one of hers for what happened to that bastard. I do not know the specifics of your burden, but I do not believe it was because of something you may have done. It is my belief that whatever it may be, it was perhaps a happenstance and note fate. You are too good of a person for such a fate, Tereze." She pulls her friend in for a bearhug.
"Now, let us turn our thoughts to something lighter. We will have plenty of time to ponder such thoughts along this venture."
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Vicard walks along, enjoying the hot desert sun. It was a nice change of pace from the damp, soggy streets of Absalom. Like most things he shrugged off the gritty sand, venomous snakes and savage heat. Sunburn was better then dealing with more ships, that he was sure of.
As usual he lets the babble of his comrades roll off him. Traveling was a duty best done alone and quietly. But no one could shut up Ery....
He did lean over and says, "Du Moire isn't worth losing sleep over, Tereze. Plenty of worse things to be concerned over." He says shortly and goes back to contemplating the desert.
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The Lord of Tea lead the group of men to their destination. He waved to passer-bys as they made their way through the center of town and through the humble road of sands. When he perceived the gathering of mourners... 2 weeks after the he had already been declared dead, Ery halted.
"Anyone else find it odd that half a month later, there is still a notably high level of emotions? I don't like this..."
Ery had suddenly gone from easy-going to hyper-vigilant. adjusting the tea case over his shoulder, the elf took a deep breath.
"I'm going to see what's going on. If you can't blend, wait."
With that, he made his way into the crowed, trying to be as comforting whilst attempting to gather as much info as he could on why these people were still so filled with sorrows.
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With an embarished shake of her head Tereze says:
I zink you may zink too highly of me Gwen. I am only.... but the rest of what she was going to say is cut off as she is engulfed in the bear hug.
When they break up she seems in a slightly brighter mood.
Yes, something lighter would be good.
When the baths and shopping is done she discreatly asks directions to the Venture Captin's home.
Without any problems she obtains the information and leads the girls to the house, joining up with the men just as Ery steps off to gather information.
As she stands back with the rest of the group, she too tries to read the mood of the crowd.
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Fiona, I know more about ze zing zen I want to....
She takes a deep breath and then says:
Since you are ze first friends I have had in a long time, I guess it is only right zat you know about me.
It all started when I was just a little girl growing up in ze clan. I remember my time in ze wagons fondly. It was a happy time, ze family traveling between small villages entertaining ze townsfolk and 'Nana reading what fortunes can be found in zese dark days.
Father came from one of zese villages originally, a journeyman wizard who helped to provide zat special spark to our performances. He stayed after Mother captured his heart with her singing and ignited ze flames of his soul with her dancing. Although he was never accepted as a member of ze clan, 'Nana allowed him to join our family as an adopted member and my mothers husband.
As a child of ze wagons I was taught all ze skills zat is dutiful daughter should know. I learned to dance from my aunts and cousins, attempted to sing with help from my Mother and even assisted Nana with her séances for ze recently dead. It was zis last zat was ze first steps of my doom.
Ze Séances always fascinated me. Ze idea of calling someone back from ze dead.... to really bring someone from another world and zen talking to zem, zat concept delighted and fascinated me.
I talked to Nana about me helping her but she seemed to give me tasks zat were insignificant. Setting ze chant, preparing ze table, lighting ze candles. Looking back now I see she was giving me ze basic skills I would need to follow her someday, but at ze time I couldn't see it. I was far too inpatient.
One fateful night I snuck into my fathers cabinet and took his big book of magic. Although most of it was incomprehensible to me one small portion seemed to be amazingly clear. Zis portion dealt with ze calling of zings from other places. I copied zat portion and combining it with what I have seen from Nanas rituals, constructed what I zought was ze same séance ritual ‘Nana used. In ze dark of night, I snuck out of ze wagon and attempted to contact some of ze dead.
What happened zat next I can never really say for sure. Ze best guess I can make is zat instead of ze souls of ze recently departed coming to me, my corrupted ritual caused me to be drawn towards zose souls.
I felt something tear and before me was a glowing river heading far into ze distance. Ze river bobbed and churned and was made of faces of glowing creatures beyond imagination.
I saw ze faces zat looked to be elves or dwarves passing by next to bird men, humans, beasts, tentacled zings and even a dragon. All bobbed and floated as zey moved gracefully along only to be churned aside by large black zings zat knifed zrough ze river.
As I watched some of ze black zings consumed one of ze glowing bird like creatures. Zey zen sped away in ze direction of another silver creature. Yet as I watched I saw zat two of ze small black zings broke from ze river and headed in my direction. Inside my head, something screamed to run, but movement was beyond ze ability of my body to attempt. I was paralyzed with fear, and ze zings caught me in an instant. Black tentacles shot out of ze zings and started to pull me toward ze river. Ze touch of zose tenticles were freezing and in moments I felt so cold and exhausted zat knew I could not go on.
It was zen zat I felt ze being of pure glowing sunlight. It passed zrough me suddenly filling me with heat and zen moved in front of me tossing me back. Ze being grabbed ze tentacles and zere was suddenly a screaming in my mind zat seemed to echo forever. As I fell into blackness I saw ze tentacles pull ze glowing zing into ze river.
When I opened my eyes again I found myself lying in ze middle of what looked like ze aftermath of a deadly storm. Parts of our wagon had been ripped apart and tossed all ze way back to ze road. All around camp ze family was tending wounded and comforting screaming children.
Near me stood my father looking exhausted and with blood running down his face. At his feet lay 'Nana her crumpled body lifeless and face frozen in an expression of horror.
Around her I could see shadows flickering oddly for just a moment before zey flashed away. I've been haunted by zose shadows to zis day. Zey are always zere, just lurking in ze corner of my eye, but never around when I look directly at zem.
I believe zat was also when I developed ze power to heal with just a touch. If I had known about zis at ze time maybe ze elders would not have exiled me from my clan. Maybe if I had healed ze wounded, and cured ze sick, I could have stayed....
Zen again, given what I had done, I just don't know if anything could have prevented me from being cast out of ze people and told I was never to return to ze wagons until I had earned back ze value of one great woman's soul.
So Fiona I really hope that what you are dealing with is not ze same as what I am...
When she is done, Tereze looks down ashamed of what you two now know about her.
While moving through the crowd it reaches your ears that Targos was known for his generosity to the poor and afflicted. You get a feeling most of the people present genuinely care about the Venture-captain's passing, but it's as Tereze said; different cultures have different ways.
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Returning from the crowd, Ery folds his arms behind his head as he look up to the sky. He scuffles the ground lightly then looks to the group. His gaze wanders to Tereze as she looked to be full of shame, but quickly feels the need to not make it worse. He looks to the others...
"Seems he was local saint. Helping the poor and healing the wounded. These people are all here still desiring to mourn his passing."
After a moment, Ery could only feel the need to get things rolling. Returning to the crowed, the elf made his way to where his remains may actually be.
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She listens intently as Tereze explains her history and how she came to the Pathfinder Society. She watches her closely while intently listening to the terrifying event that shaped much of her friend's personality. Once Tereze is done, Gwen sits quietly for a moment before talking. "You were trying to emulate your Nana when all this happened then? Trying to follow in her footsteps in a sense? What happened, Tereze, was a terrible accident that unfortunately took the life of someone you held very dear. Your intent was never to harm anyone and that is what counts; your intent. Everyday people are taken out of this world and sent to the Boneyard due to unfortunate accidents. Look at what happened to our guide on the way here!"
She takes one of Tereze's hands in her own, calloused hand. "Now, I don't know much about the ways of magic, but I do know it can be dangerous. There are uncountable stories of magic going awry and unintended consequences coming about from that. Just because you made a mistake does not mean you're a horrible or evil person. It just means that you're imperfect like all of us. My mother's brother once told me that the mark of a terrible person is an unwillingness to accept responsibility for our actions and learning from our mistakes. It is very clear to me that you have a great remorse for what happened to your Nana. I can still see the terrible sting of loss in your eyes. The same that I see in Fiona's everyday..." She takes hold of Fiona's hand now as well and smiles at her. "You are a good woman, Tereze. Once of the nicest people I've had the pleasure to know. You are graceful and kind, whereas I am blunt and, if I say so myself, a little unrefined." She chuckles a little, but then turns serious. "I do not know about these strange shadows that haunt you, but I will protect you from them should they ever come seeking you. That is my job. To protect my team, my friends." She lightly squeeze Tereze and Fiona's hands.
Gwen looks sideways at Urbar and then punches him in the shoulder. "Whether you're joking or not... and I'm still not sure... You don't say something like that."
She listens to Ery's report. "Then let us introduce ourselves and get to the mission at hand. Life is a little easier with lighter clothing on. I just hope this won't get in the way if I need to break some skulls."
Eryzule wants to get things rolling, and knocking on the Venture-captain's door seems a good start.
Knocking at the front door brings an answer in the form of a man in sackcloth with ashes poured over his freshly shaved head. His face is sickly pale under the coating of ashes, and part of one ear if missing. His hands are wrapped in dirty bandages.
The man moves out of your way and allows you to enter. He doesn't say a word.
You enter the front room of the house, which holds more leper mourners. A curtained doorway blocks access to the house's lone bedroom. Shortly after you enter the front room, a man wearing priestly robes and a black jackal death mask emerges from behind the curtain.
The man speaks with a voice that's muffled by the mask, "Greetings, kind people. My name is Ben-Garri. I presume you're the Pathfinders who've come to retrieve the honored Venture-captain Targos's body? The body's currently receiving its funeral preparations. Please return at nightfall and you can take it with you, to its final resting place."
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Tereze looks strangely at the man in sackcloth until she hears Locke's mention of Leprecy and suddenly the condition of the man makes sense.
Those near her hear he mumble something under her breath
As the priest steps out Tereze looks at him then leans over and whispers to Vicard.
Vicard, Somezing is not right here. The priest wears the mask of Lamashtu!
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Gwen looks around with a very obviously nervous expression when he notices the sheer numbers of lepers around... She spots the strange priest, but does not recognize the strange mask he wears. She looks at the others and shrugs, letting the others more suited to this type of investigating to lead the way! She notices Tereze lean over and whisper something to Vicard, but cannot tell what she is saying.
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"Yep that's us."
Listening further that they had to wait until night fall did not sit well with the elf.
Ery pinches the bridge of his nose, only to be more subtle in casting Enhance Diplomacy.
"Is there anyway to hasten the body preparation?
Looking over the odd mask, Ery gives a shrug.
"Oi, Locke. You should get one of those masks. Scare children I bet.
Ery chuckled at his own joke, completely unaware of the masks origin.
The man shakes his head when Eryzule asks if the process can be sped up. "We've barely begun. It'll take a while for us to finish."
When Urbar asks if you could see the body, the man shakes his head a second time. "It would be disrespectful toward the honorable Targos Min-Katheer if we'd show you his body now. Please, do return this evening. We'll have finished the funeral preparations then."
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Tereze bends down behind the others as if to fix her boots.
While hidden behind their legs. She points at the curtain and mouths some words.
From the curtain behind the priest you hear a ghostly voice.
Pathfinders! do not leve me here!
At the noise Tereze stands up and looks around with her face just a bit too innocent.
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"Huh."
Ery looks toward the curtains with a raised brow...
"So... Its nothing personal, but I feel that me and Undead are a little to intimate at the moment and I believe we should go."
The elf is not a fan of fighting undead...the corporeal ones are hard enough...dealing with something incorporeal he just wasn't ready for.
"Nope. Tonight, then."
Ery scuttles out the door and meanders to where ever it is one could find a place to saddle up for a few hours.
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When small talk is over and the group is outside, Locke looks slightly over the shoulder.
"There is a flaw in that man's reasoning.
While Urbar was being a little blunt, he's right when asking to see the body. Any hints at foul play, that we might come across ourselves, could be vital to our own safety as well."
[Slight pause]
"While i respect other customs, i want to know as much as possible to ensure our own safety. In the least one or two of us should be admitted to see the departed VC."
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"Oh."
Stopping himself before he leaves, he turns back toward the gent who wore the mask.
Clearing his throat, the elf speaks once again. A smile on his face as he reproached.
"I'm terribly sorry. It seems that I suddenly suspect you of foul play. Nothing personal, you see... it's merely a precaution due to your taste in deities."
His smile wore off as he narrowed his eyes, taking a wand from his robes.
"And I hate being taken advantage of..."
Ery uses the wand of Charm Person on the personage.
The man's unaffected by Eryzule's spell.
"حتى الرقصة المفضل!" he yells into the back room.
The masked man quickly casts a spell on himself, then retreats into the late Venture-captain's bedroom.
All the mourners and lepers outside the bedroom flee when they realize a fight's about to start.
Round 1:
Ben Garri
Vicard
Locke
Eryzule
Gwendallyn
Tereze
Fiona
?
?
Urbar
?
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Zis is exactly what I was trying to avoid.
But if zis is how zey want it, zen so be it.
Tereze throws open her arms raises her eyes to the sky
Lady of Dreams and Mistress of luck,
We have before us servants of the Demon of Madness and monsters.
Grant us your blessings in this action
So that the plans of Lamashtu can be disrupted.
As she finishes glittering stardust settles on each of you making you feel stronger and more focused.
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"You cheeky son of a bi-"
"That doesn't work on people of questionable moral character. Like Urbar... and only Urbar. Everyone else is of excellent moral fiber. Especially me."
Ery sighs, feeling a sense of focus wash over him from Tereze's blessing. He rolls his shoulders and dashes up to the side curtain. He holds out his hand, creating a short spear made of vines and wood.
"I'm going to run this guy through. No body saddens Tereze...except the group when we let people die by zombies...oh, and skeletons also sadden her. Y'know, come to think of it, I think I sadden her. Thought?"
The elf looks to the group curiously.