"Ahh, fresh air... Akahale, your peepers look like they could use some fresh cucumbers on them and maybe a mud pack."
"I believe the discolouration may be temporary, but I thank you for your concern. My flanges have not suffered, for which I am grateful."
"I find the mud pack quite enjoyable and refreshing for my scales, as well as more civilized than a roll in a mud bog." Grafire proclaims. "Although a roll around would do, I can hardly await my return to civilization." Grafire puases for a moment and finds himself thinking about the relaxing times in the hot mud springs back at the lair of Serpenthelm.
The group heads out with their reluctant companions in tow (literally). You reach the icy river, the corpses of the dead still strewn around, along with the icy zombies you fought. There are still many holes evident in the ice.
Akahale looks dubiously at the icy river.
"We should proceed with all urgency."
Grafire leads across the river pulling the tied duo. "Come hither and be swift about it." Grafire wipes the freezing snot from his nostrils and carefully scans the opposite side for movement...
Perception
Manny follows the others, muttering into his beardcicle. Snatches of what might be song can be heard,...
"Surfin' USA,... Lalalalala,.lala,. Margaritaville,..."
The group head back to the pilgrims and are greeted joyfully by Sister Naenia, "You have the horn and the sword?" she asks excitedly.
The Sybil also stirs, the old women following behind her at a shuffle, "And more besides," the albino girl adds meaningfully, looking at the prisoners.
"Mr Valanara holds the relics you charged us to find. These are two of the perpetrators. Mr Chauncy is merely a follower, however I believe you will find the this tiefling, Mr Volkanth, is the originator of a plot to undermine the fabric of reality."
Akahale kneels formally in front of Sister Neania.
"I have reason to be most grateful for the blessing of your mistress. She enabled us to overcome the power of abomination and I thank you for your aid."
Sister Naenia smiles and extends a hand to Akahale, "It is we who are grateful. No doubt the goddess found you worthy servants. Continue to carry out the edicts of fate against those who would pervert the natural order."
"You will kneel also," the Sibyl says simply to Volkanth and the seer.
"You heard the girl," Otto says and shoves them to the ground.
Akahale bows his head.
"This is an inestimable boon. Trust that it will be used well in the fight to quell horror in this world."
More confidentially, he goes on. "I most sincerely hope that the wrapping of Sir Malagant's honoured relics in my pyjamas will not be considered disrespectful. They were, however, the only appropriate covering on hand. Mr Volkanth does not rate cleanliness among the virtues. Merely destruction."
Sister Naenia blinks and smiles weakly at the offered sleepwear; she takes it graciously.
"The sword you may keep." she says kindly.
The Sibyl looks at Grafire steadily, "And what were you going to do with these two?" she asks innocently.
Grafire slowly and with great purpose places his left knee on the ground, drives the top of axe into the dirt and with the hilt up, he rests is right hand on the pommel cap. He then slowly bows his head with the up most respect. Diplomacy check
"I must, with profound gratitude, thank you for your blessing as the Raven Queen spared my life. If it were not for that I may have failed in my duties of protecting my good friends."
Grafire then slowly stands, picks up his axe, places it upon his broad shoulders and turns to the the Tiefling.
"As for these two, information is, and often times, more valuable than the conquering of life and I will take great pleasure in drawing it out of them." With his left hand he slowly rubs his jaw.
He then turns back to the Sybil, "They are yours if you wish. I will assist in the drawing out of information for any questions you may have, but there is no honor in killing needlessly. They will return to the authorities who will determine the proper punishment for them. Considering the amount of lives taken by their hand I would suspect a quick end to their existance. What is your wish?"
The strange girl smiles sweetly.
"That seems like an awful lot of bother," she replies.
She places each of her small palms on the foreheads of Volkanth and his foulspawn confederate. They move to flinch away but seem held in place. Smoke starts to appear on their foreheads, as they begin to scream in pain.
And seemingly as soon as it began, it is over. The two slump over dead. The ravenhead symbol of the goddess of death has been seared into their foreheads.
Akahale is rendered momentarily speechless.
"That is certainly one way of dealing with the difficulty."
He looks the Sybil firmly in the eye, unused to dealing with children of any age, but determined, nonetheless, to say his piece.
"You will forgive my saying so, and you are most welcome to obliterate me, but I must also tell you that efficient as your methods are, and however much deserved in this case by the recipients, that this was not appropriate behaviour. Despicable as their acts may have been, the process of law exists for just such cases. To take such actions into your own hands unauthorised is to invite chaos. I regret saying this, but I cannot approve."
Hadarai rests a hand on Akahale's shoulder, and inches himself between Akahale and Sybil.
"She is an agent of the Unnamed Death God, it is not our place to judge how the gods dispense justice. If the Raven Queen did not wish an end to Volkanth, then the Raven Queen would not have given her servant power. That is good enough for me."
Hadarai nods with respect to Sybil. "Thank you for the boon and blessings. May the Raven guide your path."
"It does not do to peek behind the curtain too much," the girl says innocently to Akahale, but in a way that to him seems far too knowing.
Sister Naenia takes a breath, "Yes, well..." she adds, "Whither do you go now, my friends?"
Otto replies, "We were going to take these two to Wellspring, but... yeah... anyway. That's where we were headed too. The temple of Ioun might have some more information on these freaks."
"Ahh well that makes transporting them a bit easier." Grafire whispers in an attempt to lighten the situation of sacrifice.
"So, to where is your party traveling, my lady?" grafire asks sister Naenia inquizically.
Manny simply sniffs.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish." He says, peering down his nose at the two former cultists.
He doesn't seem particularly unhappy, or overjoyed, at the action. He turns his attention back to the others. At least until something shiny catches his attention again,...
Sister Naenia informs the party that the pilgrims will return to their temple.
Akahale nods and accepts Hadarai's wisdom.
"This is your domain, Mr Valanara. I admit, I am unversed in the ways of The Raven Queen, greatly as I respect her and am grateful for her boon. I shall strive to discover more. Perhaps you will instruct me?"
He turns to Sister Naenia.
"Do you require our assistance in the completion of your journey?"
Akahale has no intention of admitting it, but the prospect of returning to the Face in the Hill is not one he relishs.
Sister Naenia replies, "I thank you, but now you have dealt with these cultists, we should be able to return in relative safety."
"Ahh egg brother there is always the chance of doom when ever there could be great pay off." Grafire puts his arm around Akahale, "On the upside we have cleared out the most vile part.." Grafire looks down the smoldering head of Volkanath. "I am certain he will not return and neither will his companions." Grafire then grips his egg brother shoulder so hard it could crush and looks off into the distance of no ware... "Now the exciting part is who knows what other evil may lay in wait, kinda gives one those, um hey Manny what do they call those bumps? Something like chicken skin bumps or something, you know makes the scales on the back of the neck stick up. So what do you say??"
Grafire looks around at his battered compadres and pauses, "Looks like we need to get back in shape first."
Akahale winces slightly under the impact of Grafire's bone crushing grip, but nods at the sentiments.
"Wha? Chicken skin bumps? Yeah, that sounds about right,..." Manny mutters in agreement, being completely fascinated in a pattern of icicles on a nearby tree.
Grafire looks to his friends and his eyes sparkle at the idea of new adventures away from the mind tormenting tomb of the sleeper. He lets go of Akahale.
"Shall we venture on to Wellsprings friends?"
Manny sniffles, rubs his nose on his frost covered sleeve.
"Sound' guud tuu me. Ah'm gettin a co'd. AH-CHOO! Lousy cold. Whoever t'ought that COLD would make guud magic anywaeee?" He grumbles, bundling himself up for the trip.
"I believe you may have an infected sinus."
Akahale sympathises.
It will give us all a chance to update our characters and be ready to roll when you're good to go :)
Take care, we'll see you when the "new season" of Sleeper starts up!