Joanne holds back her laugh.
Ulark felt the world slow down. The thoughts of injustice filled his head. It was all he could think about. Glaring at his tormented, he could feel the power of his ancestor flow through him. He was angelkin, and the desire to fight against evil was something marked into his very soul.
Without realizing it he had grabbed his axe...and he started to change. His body swelled as muscle mass suddenly grew on him. He soon looked less like himself, but instead his ancestor. A warrior of the heavens.
His vision narrowed, with the crowd falling away into indistinct shapes. All that he could see was the source of his righteous indignation.
”Evil...” He said in a voice that did not exactly sound like his own. ”...reeks of evil. Corruption...”
'Fire is an awful way to die, those poor children.' Dugan frowns for a moment before prodding Kimi lightly with his own club 'Again, but you're still flinching before you swing.'
The dwarf and the girl spar for a short time, the bearded barbarian keeping on the defensive, allowing Kimi to develop her attacks. At the end of a particularly frenzied attack Dugan hooks one of her scrawny knees with his club and yanks her feet out from beneath her.
'Keep your feet moving.' Dugan helps her to stand again. 'Did those logger bastards have anything to do with Elara's children?'
"Of course not! The people around here can be pretty bad, but not bad enough to set fire to an orphanage."
Kimi paces out her breath and words with each swing.
"No one knows what started the fire. Most people say it was goblins. Or werewolves. It happened a couple months ago. The sheriff led a bucket brigade to help. But there weren't anything they could do. I keep daring Jurin and Hollin to spend the night in the ruins, but they're too scared."
She laughs a bit at the last words, but grows more frustrated as you parry her next swing.
Inconnu's joke rouses a peal of laughter from the crowd, while earning a piercing glare from Kreed himself.
However, all mirth is traded for fear as Ulark shifts before everyone's eyes.
Boss Teedum and his thugs shrink back from Ulark's transformation. They slap their hands to their sheathed weapons, but remain too stunned to draw them.
A chorus of gasps and curses rises from the crowd. Some people make ritual gestures to ward themselves against fell magic, while others scurry for safety.
Kreed sneers, offended as much by the upstart logger as his shaken henchman. He draws something from his belt - not a dagger or crop but a knotted length of wood tipped with silver - and with a flick of his wrist, quickly aims it at Ulark without anyone beyond the porch noticing.
"Looks like the lad's a little too excited about being a big winner," Kreed laughs sardonically for the people still assembled in front of the Tribunal.
"We're just going to take him inside to help him calm down and appreciate what he's got."
Kreed gestures for Teedum and his men to escort Ulark inside the Tribunal.
Inconnu and Joanne both realize that if this happens, there's a fair chance that no one will see Ulark alive again.
'Deldrin seems like a decent enough fellow. Out of his depth, but decent.' He says from behind his shield. Letting the youth tire herself out wailing on the far face while he chews over things. He pops a curious eye over his bulwark. 'You heard anything about something living in Brookman's Well?'
Ulark brushes aside Pay Day's grasp and stands apart from the thugs.
Kreed sharpens his glare at Ulark as he bitterly realizes that his magic trickery failed to take hold on the transformed logger.
"You'd best step down, son, if you want to keep your job - among other things," Kreed hisses.
Eyes shining with holy indignation, Ulark continued walking towards Kreed.
"Looks like the lad's a little too excited about being a big winner," He kept coming. The wand had always worked, regardless of how large a worker was. "We're just going to take him inside to help him calm down and appreciate what he's got."
Reaching the source of his ire, Ulark let out a roar. It was something between a primitive battle cry and a roll of thunder. Muscles swelling with divine strength, he lashed out with an accurate blow. This was it! This was the moment that he refused to stand for evil and injustice. This was the moment that he made no more excuses! This man was evil! Just three days ago he had heard what happened when the voices of mercy and redemption came to men like him. How long could good men cower, grovel and says that justice would come another day?
”I AM THE BLOODY HANDS OF JUSTICE!” His cold iron axe, made to defend against the fey, felt perfectly balanced in his hands. He broke into a charge, going ‘axe-mad’ as the saying went.
Tabrik is perhaps the only other dwarf in town besides Dugan.
A seasoned woodsman on par with Milon, Tabrik stands out for being unabashedly outspoken about Kreed's corruption.
Dugan squints towards the commotion and Kimi manages to make contact with the dwarf's head. Reeling backwards he hols one hand toward the girl and his temple with the other. 'Hells, girl, good strike.' He takes a moment to clear his head and gives Kimi a firm look. 'Run home and stay there. We'll pick back up tomorrow.'
Trading his practice weaponry for his real, Dugan begins following the sounds of the commotion to their source.
The grin slipped from Inconnu's face... damn it Kreed. He'd rather steer clear of this kind of mess and he would have if it wasn't for having fought beside Ulark, he knew he was a good man but this was different.
He'd try to disarm Ulark except Kreed would just kill him. It didn't seem like Ulark to attack for no reason, he was an odd lad and was yammering about evil... in for a copper...
Inconnu hopped up on top of a barrel "I've seen Ulark go up against terrifying monsters my good people, if he speaks of evil then it's not without reason!"
Joanne feels a divine pulse wave that ripples through her from Ulark, and she resonates with it awakening something sleeping within. The Wave causes her wings to break and break free of their sheaths and wrecks the back of her new shirt and her eyes turn from blue to silver, and the wings themselves become more silver like.
And with a more divine-like voice says
"Thuldrin Kreed, you, the Lumber Consortium, and Red-Rock guild have done a great many of sins for long enough.
Through all listed are guilty of Sin, you each can choose; Surrender ALL their Authority, Power, and Possessions OR face the Judgement of the People and Ones on High."
"So far your Son, Jurin Kreed, has been Judged Innocent in his Eyes."
The bleeding wound inflicted by Ulark's axe - not to mention the public threat to his authority - leaves Gavel Kreed utterly deaf to even Joanne's blessed words.
Perhaps as a testament to the low character of these men, they quickly draw weapons against the angelic figures confronting them.
With but one enemy in his sight, Ulark presssd the attack. He swung with all of his might, and completely heedless of any danger to himself. He could hear Joanne say...something. Inconnu as well, whose voice was like...what? Ambrosia? Regardless, his entire world had shrunk to be just him and one man. A man he was going to kill.
A man moves to the front of the crowd, the sensible parting for a man in banded mail and openly carrying a deadly falchion.
Though the iron sun amulet around his neck may have carried more weight elsewhere.
Micheo has wandered for some months, ending up in Falcon's Hollow. There is much misery here and he has done his best to quietly help.
But now? Now he has a face for the evils he has seen. And voices for those who would oppose them.
I must aid them!
Micheo opens his mouth to let all present know one more is on the side of righteousness - and foulness emerges.
And with that, Micheo runs forward with falchion raised, charging at the nearest thug who would backstab these servants of good.
What the hell are you up to Ulark...
Inconnu draws his weapons and pushes forward to attack the logging consortium stooges. Not quite as convinced as the others of the righteousness of the fight he tries to use the flat of his blade to knock one of the men out. He lets out a battle cry to keep the morale of his comrades up.
As he runs forward, Micheo feels dire, other-worldly attention draw near. His thoughts run to these evildoers and prayer that their blows do not fall upon the good.
Misfortune (Ex): At 1st level, as an immediate action, you can force a creature within 30 feet to reroll any one d20 roll that it has just made before the results of the roll are revealed. The creature must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original roll. Once a creature has suffered from your misfortune, it cannot be the target of this revelation again for 1 day.
Ulark's second axe swing brings Gavel Kreed within a stone's throw of death's door.
The most powerful and feared man in Falcon's Hollow is now staining the stairs of the Tribunal with a font of blood.
However, it takes a tough man to govern such a town, and thus Kreed remains standing.
Inconnu runs up, but his focus on inspiring his allies detracts from the accuracy of his swing.
As the crowd breaks into chaos, the emerging newcomer inflicts a nasty gash upon one of the Consortium thugs.
"Surrender now all of You"
Does Charm Person on Payday DC:15
Joanne's magic reaches deeply into Pay Day's shallow mind, but the sight of his master in mortal danger provides just enough impetus for the enforcer to resist Joanne's charm.
The Consortium thug, suddenly attacked by a newcomer from the crowd, retaliates against the new threat.
He draws the cudgel hanging from his belt and wallops Micheo in the head.
Dugan finally arrives on the scene, panting after his spring, and takes in the chaotic scene as locals flee past him.
"I want their hides flayed and drying on my walls by noon!" Kreed bellows like an enraged beast.
He draws his rapier, polished to a blinding shine, and aims a thrust for Ulark's heart.
The keen blade pierces beneath Ulark's mail shirt, and the sliding blade slices along his shoulder blade.
Kreed then takes a step back, towards the door to the Tribunal, clutching at one of his bleeding wounds.
Pay Day heeds his employer's command like a loyal attack dog and rushes Ulark.
"I'll put you down, dog!" Pay Day shouts, drawing his hatchet and aiming a mighty swing for Ulark's head - but missing his mark.
One of the thugs strikes back at Inconnu and aims a club at his stomach, and the last thug hops down into the thick of things to gang up on the armored newcomer.
However, both attacks miss.
”Not today, cur! You. Will. Die!”
Ulark stepped forward and swung once more at Kreed:
A third mighty axe swing fells Gavel Thuldrin Kreed like a broken darkwood tree, and he lies dead at Ulark's feet.
Silence, lasting an interminable moment, falls upon the Low Market before a new wave of furor erupts from the crowd and the Consortium men.
Inconnu tries to swing the flat of his blade at one of the thugs the newcommer can reach in an attempt to put him out of the fight sooner. "Kreed has fallen as I said he would, do not die for his arrogance."
Micheo involuntarily grunts at the pain but continues to swing his blade at the evildoer.
On seeing the fall of Kreed, he exclaims in vile phrases.
Although Inconnu's non-lethal swing again misses the mark, it is through his inspiration that Micheo manages to breach his foe's defenses and fell the thug.
Dugan barrels through town as fast as his legs will carry him, the shouts and sounds of weapons against armor and flesh growing louder. Making the square at full tilt, he's confused by the scene before him.
'You all decided to put the boot to these parasites without me?' The dwarf seems earnestly offended.
Joanne
Joanne again tries to Charm Payday.
"I said surrender!"
"Mis...Mista' Kreed..." he mutters horrified, dropping his hatchet upon the porch planks.
His gaze darts between Joanne and the slumped Kreed, a blend of placid awe and fearful rage roiling just behind his eyes.
Despite the threat posed by the party, the mental blow of watching Kreed fall weakens his resolve, and Pay Day falls under Joanne's spell.
The remaining two Consortium thugs lose their nerve and withdraw, with one declaring they must get reinforcements while the other insists they simply need to flee for their lives.
Ulark bent down to the still warm corpse of Kreed and ripped the man’s belt off. He held it above his head. To the assembled loggers he yelled ”This is Andoran! The land of freedom! Of the people’s rule! No man of Andoran should fear tyranny, oppression, or thievery. Kreed is dead! Just like we threw off the yoke of Cheliax, so too do we do the consortium!”
”I have committed no crime. I shall wear this belt so that all may know that I am his killer! That I proudly walk in the footsteps of Lady Liberty! Spread the word! Go and tell all that Falcon’s Hollow will be electing a mayor! From this day forth, Falcon’s Hollow is part of Andoran not only in body, but now in spirit!”
Joanne looks at Payday
"Please Drop the weapon Mr Teedum, hand yourself over to Sheriff Deldrin and reveal to the sheriiff what the; Lumber Consortium, the Late Mr Kreed and RedRock Guild have done against the people of the Falcon's Hollow."
After saying all that The silver color leaves Joanne's Eyes and wings and she falls unconscious.
Dugan watches the scene before him uncertainly. Keeping his shield at the ready he calls out to Ulark. 'What in the Hells happened here? Should we be calling for a healer?'
The incessant babble that has surrounded Micheo since he rushed forward begins to resolve. First into murmurs, and then into words and sentences.
And in time to hear Ulark and Joanne speak.
Micheo looks around at the crowd and speaks up, trying to get the crowd on side.
"I too stand with those who oppose evil!"
As soon as Joanne collapses, he gasps. And moves over to check what has befallen her.
"I can heal!"
"You know me. I am an outsider but no stranger. I have walked Falcon's Hollow, Andoran and beyond. But nowhere else in Andoran have I felt it's spirit supressed and trampled as here."
"Honest hands fell the trees here and honest hands have felled a thug. What need have you for a corrupt consortium when it is you the people who do all the hard work."
Casting his gaze around to meet those about him Inconnu raises his voice further. "They tried to steal the cure we journeyed and risked our lives for to help you. Not only have they done this but now they spit in our faces to hide their shame."
"How many times have they sent their lap dog Kreed to mock and taunt you. Remember that rage, that indignation. Hold it as cold steel tight in your fist and know that you will not stand alone."
He moves to stand beside Ulark, grabs the wrist of the half orcs hand gripping his axe and raises it with the axe "The axes of Andoran fell petty tyrants just as well as they do trees so let those who would oppose a long overdue mayor who will serve the people think on that."
Murmurs and nods of ascent quickly rise into cheers and raised fists as many in the crowd - and many emerging from neighboring buildings - react to the party's passionate, inspiring rhetoric.
A few dissenting voices climb loudly from the crowd, nevertheless.
"This don't change nothing," one weathered woman shouts. "The Consortium still owns the town. They'll just send a new gavel and a new crop of thugs to keep the cutyards running!"
"And what do we do about the fey? And the werewolves! And the druids!" hollers a sunburned woodsman. "Kreed's men kept us safe from them, fought them back inna'the woods! Without 'im, we'll end up like Northsap! Or Falconridge!"
Many other voices rise in chorus to shout down the objectors, as the appeal to Andoren virtues have struck a chord with them. More than a few people invoke the name of the Eagle Knights.
"The Eagle Knights?" the angry woodsman shouts incredulously. "I left Almas to escape their 'justice' and oppression!"
"You mean you left so they wouldn't arrest you for being a thief!" someone calls back, mockingly.
As the crowd begins to single out dissenters and devolves into minor squabbles, a small voice calls to you from behind.
The door to the Tribunal is cracked open, and a small, well-dressed halfling beckons you inside.
"Hurry, before Sheriff Baleson arrives," he whispers urgently.
Once Micheo sees that Joanne is simply exhausted, he speaks up:
"She has passed out but is otherwise unharmed. Will someone help me move her to somewhere more comfortable?"
While Micheo is quite strong, Joanne is over a foot taller than him. And then he hears the whispering halfling.
Ulark nodded his thanks to Inconnu. He really did appreciate his comrade in arms for what he had done. ”Thank you. Can you calm the crowd, and have Dugan get the body away, while I see to Joanne?”
He then walked over to Joanne. ”Here, let me help you. I couldn’t help but notice your assistance, righteous words, and use of this tongue. My name is Ulark. That is Inconnu, the dwarf running over is Dugan, and the woman whose wings I had no idea about until today, is Joanne. What’s your name?”
Micheo turns to Ulark and replies in common.
"A good day we meet, Ulark! I am Micheo Barbulcus, a hospitaler of Sarenrae. I have healed many in the vale but it felt good to fight those causing such misery. I can heal you too once we've helped your friend here."
A look of embarrassment crosses his face.
"I would speak of the other matter elsewhere."
"They'll be arguing a while yet and we need to consider what to do yet. Stirring patriotism aside I want to know why you choose that exact moment to play hero and start a revolt. I'm known to have worked with you Ulark and though I don't know your reasons I wasn't going to let them kill you but until I get a proper answer don't expect me to be happy. If this isn't handled very carefully we wont be in Falcon's Hollow much longer one way or another!" Inconnu gives the others a meaningful look.
”Inconnu...I’m sorry. I don’t know how best to explain it. I can speak languages I never learned, and...well, something happened. It was like an anger took over me. You saw how I changed. I don’t know what it was, and no I didn’t plan any of that. I’m...” he trailed off awkwardly. ”...uhm...did I introduce Micheo? He’s a paladin! A real paladin! And he helped us. So that must mean that we did the right thing.”
Inconnu spits on the ground before stepping towards the halfling fellow offering aid. "I'll take it but Ulark they've got Paladins in Chelliax too, it doesn't mean they're always doing the right thing too. We've got to reflect on our actions so we don't repeat mistakes made in the heat of the moment. Hubris has it's subtle ploys."
"Quit the arguin' and jus' git Miss Jana inside!" Pay Day insists, ushering the party inside the Tribunal. "Harg may be a wretched lil' slip, but he'll help. I'll deal with Baleson while you tend Miss Jana."
Pay Day slams the door behind the party, nearly catching the last person across the rear with the hardwood planks.
Inside the sturdy log building, the Hollow Tribunal is a clutter of polished wooden furniture. Each bench is well worn, and each table and desktop is cluttered with stacks of paper.
The halfling is Magistrate Vamros Harg, a failed barrister that Kreed installed some years back as a figurehead to run the Tribunal.
It is common knowledge that Harg lived in Kreed's pocket, obeying the gavel with an obsequiousness that rivals even Boss Teedum.