The Forgotten God (Table 2) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

To be clear, the items can't be repaired with Make Whole?

Sevia sighed in relief as the Colour finally died. She'd been worried for a moment when things took a turn for the worst there but it'd worked out after all. Sorting through the junk, Sevia collected the valuables worth taking and let her familiar out for a breath of air, telling him to just sit tight and take it easy. She figured Fhanys could help heal the worst tomorrow.

Returning back to the fostering room littered with corpses, Sevia checked on the young woman below. She half wondered whether it might simply be more merciful to grant her death right now. It was a difficult situation given how...fragile she was. She did seem to be rather focused on children though, and Sevia knew where to find one. Her disguise still intact, Sevia began making her way back up to the house.

She pulled out the Trident of course, and had Epyon hide away as she came back into the druid circle. "Good news. The neighbors have cured me! We shall proceed with the fostering, hand me the child." Sevia told the giantess, extending an arm expectantly.

Bluff: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30

Make Whole could fix them.

Your Familiar let out an angry cry as you moved towards the portal, and got even angrier as you passed through, screeching and clawing at the inside of the bag. The Giantess blinked a few times at the noise, hesitantly holding on to the babe. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Alright I'll have grabbed whatever was there.

Sevia paused a moment, trying to mentally speak to her familiar. "Quiet down and tell me what is wrong!" She called out mentally to the bird, looking around for anything out of the ordinary about the place since she'd left.

Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (1) + 19 = 20

Epyon simply lashed out with his talons, and their sharpness was getting uncomfortably close to the lining of the extradimensional bag. The only mental response you got was a sense of immense confusion and a desire to go back.

Nothing about where you currently were seemed particularly different than when you'd left - aside, perhaps, from the look the giantess giving you, as she seemed almost as confused as your familiar (albeit for obviously different reasons).

Sevia realized then what had been causing her familiar to go berserk, the Aura of Lassitude which he'd succumb to. She'd thought the effect would end with the Colour's death, but evidently not. "Epyon. Use your invisibility." Sevia tried to communicate as she discreetly reached back to open her pack.

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25

"Do you hear that?" Sevia asked, turning around to look into the hallway - perhaps hoping that the giantess would think the sound was coming from down there. "In any case, yes. I think they'll calm down once the pact is complete." Sevia said, once again holding out her arm for the child.

Epyon pecked fiercely at your fingers, then slowly subsided, the confusion and hostility subsiding back into listlessness a moment before your familiar turned invisible again.

"You're the boss." the Giantess said, shrugging and passing over the child. The infant looked even smaller than usual when compared to the massive hand carrying her. "I'm sure her parents will be happy to hear that she's been successfully fostered."

Sevia took the child in hand, she considered revealing to the giantess that she'd just been had, but decided against it. She didn't want a fight and she didn't think she'd convince her to leave. "Yes...I am sure they will. I will return shortly." Sevia said, taking the baby girl with her and returning downstairs. Stowing away her trident, she made her way back to the woman.

"Please come up, there is a child that needs some care." She called down to the girl into the pit, hoping to lure her up. Sevia leaned over the edge to show the baby to the girl.

The woman in the pit looked up to you, her hair and eyes both dull and colorless. "Baby... must make the baby happy..." she whispered, carefully strapping the corpse she was holding to her body with a cloth and staggering over to the ladder. Her arms limply flopped forward as she reached out, but she hadn't made it even two steps up the ladder before her legs gave out under her and she dropped back to the floor of the pit. "My baby... it hurts... but the colors will make it all better... I must... help the baby..." she muttered, slowly moving forward and bumping into the ladder again, and again, and again. Each time, there was no sign that she was going to be any more successful than before. Whatever had happened to this woman, her mind had been truly and thoroughly damaged - and she would need extensive care to fully recover.

Yet helping those in need was what you'd sworn to do - and this woman was clearly in need of that help.

Sevia didn't wait more than a second time to see that this woman...was quite unwell and needed help. Quickly, Sevia floated down to the girl and handed the child out to her, before reaching forward and scooping up the colour-blighted woman to pick her up. "Shhh. Here, let me." Sevia whispered to her, floating the three of them back up to the ledge.

As she set the girl down on the ground, she reached behind her to loosen the cloth strapped to her. There was...no reason to keep carrying around a corpse like that. With an actual child in her hands she felt like the girl would be placated by a substitute, as horrible as a thing as it was to think that.

take 10 for a 24 to loosen the item, then a roll to remove it the next round

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

Carefully, she removed the cloth carrying the corpse and laid it down behind the woman. "Come, we need to leave. It is not safe here." She whispered to the girl, trying to help her up and move her out of the room.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36

"Yes... are you taking me to the colors?" she asked, a very small smile crossing on her face as she slowly shuffled forward, taking great care with the child. The hound that had been following you - and that had remained in this room - walked over to the woman's other side, and its tail wagged back and forth as it looked up at the child. She didn't seem to notice at all. "So happy... so healthy... you're a very good baby, aren't you? Don't worry, my sweet, I will be sure to protect you no matter what..." The progress wasn't terribly quick, but it was progress, and she seemed content to go anywhere as long as the child was in her arms.

Sevia nodded and helped the girl out of the room, and as they left turned around a moment. Looking back into the room she cast a Fireball into the room, disintegrating the bodies inside. It was the best she could give them given the circumstances. She led the girl back through the room she'd come from, trying to get her to not look at the bodies as they did, before having her stop at the steps. "Sit and wait here a moment, we will go up together." Sevia said, helping her sit down.

Turning back, she looked into the side passage she ignored earlier just to check the place for completeness. First she checked the area with Detect Evil then with Detect Magic.

Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (12) + 19 = 31

There doesn't seem to be anything outright evil in the cave, but you do detect some power coming from a metal helmet - and your keen eyes spot an odd-looking amulet as well.

The bad news? There's some kind of massive plant within the chamber as well, and from the residue left on the walls, it looks like it shoots out some kind of spore. You'll probably have to deal with it somehow before retrieving either of the items of interest.

Instead of trying to attack the plant, Sevia decided to try some...subterfuge first. Carefully, she cast Mage Hand and tried to float both items out of the room to her.

If that doesn't work for some reason she'll burn a point of ki to go invisible and then get them

The amulet slowly floats out, revealing a decorative design showing a gagged skull. However, the spell fizzles out the instant it touches the helmet - that spell was never very good at dealing with magical items. Invisibility and manual movement it is, though the plant within does send a few tendrils sweeping through the air as you move. None of them grab you, however, allowing you to quickly retrieve the item and get back out of the room. The hound is waiting there with the woman - she doesn't even seem to have noticed that you left, given the intense focus on the babe in her arms.

So, that made two odd books and two odd amulets she'd found, though she imagined that she'd leave behind the key to the passwall. Stowing away both recovered items, Sevia decided to leave the plant behind, no sense in fighting it. "Come, we are leaving." Sevia said, helping the woman up. She also asked for Epyon to call the shadow back to her, no sense in having it wandering around so perilously weak. "Now hold on to me and do not let go. Be as quiet as possible." Sevia said, using some of her mythic power to cast Invisibility Sphere, causing them all to vanish, along with the dog following them. Of course they could see each other at least. Sevia opted to ask her shadow to remain in her pack.

I'm assuming the front doors are still open from when the shantak was taken outside

Taking the woman's arm, she guided her up the stairs to the druid circle where the giantess awaited. Carefully, both maneuvered around her and left the hulking brute behind, moving through the double doors and taking the woman to the stall where the horse waited.

Passing through the chamber was quite easy, though the horse looks quite nervous once your invisibility drops and the canine appears. Its strange body really doesn't match the normal appearance of dogs, and the steed paws the ground nervously. The dog, for its part, simply sat there with its tail wagging... while the woman hadn't noticed either, and may not have even realized you were no longer underground.

Handle Animal DC 15 to calm the horse enough to safely interact with it.

Take 10 for a 20 Handle Animal

Sevia moved forward and patted the horse, calming the beast down. Poor thing would be inconsolable if she asked her shadow to come out. And now that she recalled, she did need some information from him. Stepping outside a moment, she let him out of the safety of her pack. "The two shades haunting the house I asked you to speak with, were you able to find out anything from them? Why they remained here?" Sevia asked as she cast Infernal Healing on him, not wanting him so perilously close to discorporating.

"They were... tax collectors." Your companion said, still speaking in that soft, slow voice - but he did sound rather grateful for the healing. "Sent from Thrushmoor. They said... their investigations... had come too close to the truth of the town. They sought refuge in the house when a mob pursued them... but the ulat-kini came from nowhere and killed them both. They have no love for the locals or the so-called Neighbors, and so attacked all they saw." The Shadow became unusually still for a moment. "I remember when the endless armies served mighty Azlant." He whispered. "Perhaps the ancient one had as well, before that light drove it insane. Another lead lost... but I suppose there was nothing you could have done. Yet however many traces the tides of time erase, I will not give up until my mission is complete." The Shadow quieted.

Sevia took a moment to process that, wondering what connection this would have had to Azlant. She filed that away for later and nodded to the shadow. "Perhaps knowing the Neighbors have been laid low will help their spirits lay to rest? I shall have to return them to Pharasma either way before we leave." Sevia said, finally dismissing her disguise before walking back into the stall. "Here, have you ever seen a horse before? Let me help you climb up. Just sit on top and hold on so you do not fall." Sevia told the blighted woman, helping the girl up onto the horse. It occurred to her that one could easily mistake her for a Fetchling, especially now that one looked at both side by side. Taking the mare's reigns, Sevia guided them out and around the north side of the house, avoiding the open front door that might alert the giantess if she saw them, and stopped short at the hole in the eastern wall.

"Wait here." Sevia told them, burning a point of ki to resume her invisibility and fly up to the exposed room, locating the two haunting shadows. She didn't really want to fight so decided to approach them with caution. "Poor souls from Thrushmoor, my companion spoke of your ill fate to me. I can only offer you my deepest sympathy, and the knowledge that those who have wronged you, the fishmen from below, have paid for their transgressions with their lives. Will their deaths placate your anger?" Sevia asked, hoping to peacefully put them to rest.

The two shades hissed slightly at the noise. "I would have liked to kill them myself, to feel my hands plunging into their flesh and tearing them apart." One of them said. "The world does not need such creatures in it."

The other spirit reached out a ghostly hand, and spoke with a faintly feminine voice. "But if our killers are gone, there is no reason to remain. Perhaps we may be born again to continue the fight... or petition the gods for aid. Farewell." That spirit's body faded... and after a moment, the other disappeared as well. Two more lost souls had been sent on - and your power, from deep within you, seemed quite satisfied with this result.

Sevia was rather satisfied with the outcome, she hadn't been able to give them the satisfaction of personally seeing to their tormentor's demise, but vengeance was a close second. She gave a quick prayer for their souls to reach Pharasma, and hopped back down from the house to the ground. Dispelling her invisibility she walked back up to the horse. "Let's get you away from here." Sevia said, leading the girl and the horse southward. Looking back to the house, she figured it might be better not to let the place remain, and decided after a few hundred feet to turn around and deal with the cursed residence.

Taking the horse off to the side of the road, she instructed them to remain where they were, having Epyon keep an eye on them, while she drew her bow and found a position that would let her shoot at the front of the house. Four hundred feet away, she could see the giantess through the door, and elected to cast a Fireball at her. The bead of flame shot into the house and exploded, setting the giantess and the interior ablaze.

Fire Dmg: 7d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 2, 1, 1, 6, 4) = 21 Reflex save DC 20 half

She hid in the grass and knocked an arrow, ready for it to rush out into the open.

Stealth: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (7) + 23 = 30

Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

There was a cry of pain from inside the house as it went up in flames, and even Epyon - staggered as he was - flopped around a little and seemed to be watching with interest. Moments later, you could see the giantess reaching down with one hand and slamming it to the ground - she was too far away for you to see exactly what she were doing, but every bit of flame abruptly vanished.

Seeing her flames extinguish, Sevia simply cast another Fireball, though she'd be unable to do that again. A second explosion rocked the inside of the house. Considering that the giantess might attempt to extinguish the fire again, she asked her familiar mentally to go back to the house and use Burning Hands to light the roof on fire.

Fire Dmg: 7d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 6, 5, 4, 1, 5) = 28 DC 20 Ref Save Half

She mentally added that he should turn around if the house were on fire before he got there.

It should take him 7 rounds to get there

Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

There was another distant cry of pain - and this time the giantess did move out of the house, rapidly loping around and towards the northern woods.

Finally the giant seemed to retreat, though she'd expected her to attack rather than run. Still, she shot two arrows at the retreating form, which meant a difficult shot but which was easier due to the fact the giant couldn't even see her from this distance.

Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25 vs FF Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 vs FF Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

She whistled for Epyon to come back, though he was already flapping to return with the house starting to be engulfed in flames.

Next round if the giantess runs another range increment Sevia shoots her. Sevia will continue shooting up to 10 range increments at a -2 for each beyond 1 until the giantess is either dead or out of range

Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21 vs FF Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 vs FF Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

I'll roll up dice if she keeps running

At such a long distance, it was difficult to see if the arrows had hit properly - and the cover of the trees made it all but impossible to land shots a few moments later, as the giantess ran into them and out of sight. It didn't seem like she'd be too eager to return.

Sevia doubted that would be the last she'd see of the giant, but in all likely hood there was little tying her to the massacre below - should the thug seek to enter the cavern and attempt to discern what had actually happened.

Slinging her bow over her back, Sevia returned to the horse and got back on the road again. Together she made her way back to Illmarsh, traveling as fast as she could without the girl toppling over during the ride. Upon arriving at the settlement her first order of business was to find the mayor and grill him to determine whether he knew about this or not...

...and then she'd get rid of that eyesore of a church.

It had been late when you'd first seen the Mayor - now, all the lights in his hall were off, and the residents of the town appeared to be sleeping. He probably wasn't expecting you to return to at least morning, so you could likely rejoin your followers and rest for a bit... or go visit the mayor's house and wake him up if you wanted to talk to him right away.

Sevia wasn't sure about waiting to see the mayor until tomorrow, but having her followers with her when she did might help. Asking her shadow to come out, she cast Infernal Healing on him again and asked him to stay in Illmarsh and keep an eye on the place while she was gone, giving him specific instructions to keep out of sight and watch only.

Then, she made her way to the church, drawing her sword as she stepped inside.

"Try to reconstruct this minions of Dagon." Sevia said, almost with malice in her voice as she stabbed the tiling of the building and unleashed an Annihilating Strike upon it. An explosion of ash erased the entire structure, right down to its foundation.

Work complete, she turned around to fetch the horse and girl, then head back to her followers.

Annihilating Strike doesn't have the reach to destroy the entire building - 3000 cubic feet is 3 ten-foot cubes, and destroying matter in cubes is as accurate as the ability gets. At best, you could destroy about 1.5 rooms. Repeated strikes over time could do the trick, of course, if you'd like to go about it that way.

Okay, so ignoring the second part of that last post...

Sevia walked into the the church, standing in the room at E3, and then with a booming voice shouted out to anyone that still might be inside.

"Alright, you have two minutes to clear the building!" Sevia yelled, motioning for Epyon to open all the doors visible to her with his Open spell, and check whether the building was empty. If the guardian popped out, so be it.

The couple you'd talked to before, and the parents of the child outside - and ordered to remain in the back chamber - promptly ran out as fast as they could. Honestly, it was probably a good thing that you hadn't flattened the building right away, else you would have collapsed the roof straight on top of innocents you'd known were likely there... and that would not have done nice things to your powers as a Paladin. Nobody else seemed to be within the building at the moment.

Obviously, this was why Sevia checked, watching the two leave the building. If she'd been stronger she'd need not have cared and simply leveled the building. As it was, now that the place was empty, she settled for simply drawing her sword and slashing through the top of the door frame, Annihilating a huge section of the the walls holding up the middle of the building and removing all its support. A groaning creek signaled to her that it was time to leave, to which she evacuated the building and returned to the horse she'd left behind.

Now, she lead the woman and the child back south to her followers, aiming to get a good night's rest and hopefully see to the woman's care. Upon her return she asked for the first member she could see on watch to find somewhere comfortable for the woman and the baby, and not to try separating them. She also left instructions for Fhanys to see what she could do for the woman with Cleric spells and to inform the Captain of the vessel still waiting that night she had another job for him.

Knowledge (Engineering): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

There was a loud roar as a significant part of the church collapsed inwards - and you could hear shouts of surprise from the nearby buildings as the noise woke them. It wasn't long before the Captain showed up, even as Fhanys knelt down by the woman and started examining her. The occasional glow of magic indicated that she was trying something.

Sevia informed the Captain that they would be parting ways the next morrow, and that she was hiring him to deliver a missive to the authorities in Caliphas detailing what she'd discovered. Aside from that, she looked down to see what Fhanys was doing. "Is there anything you can do for her?" Sevia asked.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

Fhanys shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lady Sevia. I'm not strong enough to help her." She did, however, do the best she could in describing exactly what was wrong with the woman - and your intuitive understanding of granted magic made it easy to pinpoint what was needed to truly help the insane woman recover from what had been done to her.

In game terms, she needs to have her drained Charisma restored, then have an insanity-curing spell like greater restoration or heal cast. Fhanys is limited to 3rd Level spells because of the way Divine Source functions, and is currently unable to do either of these things. There are almost certainly no clerics in town with the power to help her, either, given the day's events. Your Paladin code does call you to help those in need, and the lack of local support means this woman definitely qualifies - options include caring for her until you (or your followers) can cast such healing spells yourselves, having someone else take care of her while you locate and hire a priest to come heal her, bringing her along with you when you leave the area and finding someone who can help, or coming up with some other plan.

Sevia gave Fhanys a pat on the back. "Do not place the blame with yourself, the damage to her is severe. In time we might still be able to heal her. Until then I think it best if she remained with us, perhaps in time I think we can give her some purpose." She said, instructing one of her followers to find the girl and babe a place to sleep. She advised everyone else to get some rest as well.

In the morning Sevia woke up and drafted a letter to Caliphas informing them of her findings - both of the illicit fostering and the church of dagon. She handed it off to the Captain and bade him thanks for his services. For her followers, once they were ready she planned to lead them up into Illmarsh and finish her business.

The Captain merely nodded as your followers disembarked, taking the letter (and the coin for the trouble), and it wasn't long at all before the ship was on its way out. The bigger problem, of course, was dealing with the city itself...

No sense in wasting time, Sevia ordered everyone up north to head into Ilmarsh. She was going to have another little chat with the mayor, and it wasn't going to be as friendly. Dagon wasn't particularly her enemy, but his followers had trampled over the sanctity of life far too thoroughly and the nice gloves were coming off.

As you approached the town, it soon became clear that something had happened in the town below. There seemed to be far fewer people moving around than before, but those you could see had picked up weapons, and nobody was standing close to the partially-ruined church. A few of your followers were still reading the journal you'd picked up and comparing notes, sounding moderately concerned with what they'd found.

"Keep your weapons at the ready." Sevia gave out the command, with the unspoken caveat not to fight unless provoked. She led the procession directly into town and told everyone to halt in the square, before moving to the town hall and looking for the mayor once more.

By the time you arrived in town, quite a large crowd of people had gathered. Most were holding weapons and looking your way - and they didn't seem especially friendly. Out front were the town's guards, in battered but serviceable armor... and it didn't take any expertise to realize just how ugly the mood in town was at the moment. One of the guards stopped you well short of the town hall.

"I think it's about time you left." he said grimly.

"Are you attempting to jest?" Sevia countered with a scowl. "Imagine my surprise when the town's mayor begs me for help from the local clergy, whom I learn secretly worship Dagon. And if that were not bad enough, I take a walk up to Cassius Undiomede's house and find something even more shocking to me there...why, you might not recognize her, but I believe this is one of your town's former residents..." Sevia said, gesturing to the walking frailty that was the woman she rescued, her tone as icy as death itself. She let that sink in for a moment before stepping forward towards the man.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30

"I take matters of life and death very seriously. And I am most displeased by my findings here. So I have taken the initiative to send a missive to the government in Caliphas informing them of exactly what is going on here. The Recondite Order of the Indomitable Sea is hereby disbanded, its leader Albor Voltiaro is dead and will find justice with Pharasma, the rest Ustalav can deal with. Now, you can stand aside and I will now speak with the mayor - or I will make you stand aside." Sevia said threateningly, her hand lowering down to one of her swords.

The guard flinched, but his hand grew tighter around the shaft of his spear as the crowd behind him called out words of support.

"You waltz into town, murder our people, destroy a building, threaten the guard, and have the gall to act like you run this town and can just tell use what to do? I think you're the problem." the guard said - and the crowd sounded like it agreed with him. "You're not getting through to see the mayor. You wanna talk, then send your people back out of the town and give us all of your weapons. Otherwise, it's time for you to leave."

"While it would have given me great satisfaction to end that disgusting wretch Albor, I cannot lay claim to his life. He died when the slugspawn within him spawned forth. His compatriots were killed by the Neighbors. Them I did kill. In fact, it is thanks to me two of your townsfolk are alive, priests who were nearly infected with the same parasites that killed Albor. The church was me however - I did not care to allow you continue blaspheming Gozreh." Sevia admitted, shrugging slightly, finding his threat somewhat amusing. Then she frowned when she realized the mayor simply hadn't come out to see her himself...this had really been his idea, he'd asked her for help. She began using Detect Evil to scan the crowd at that point, in particular the guard.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30 Is he bluffing about stopping us or seeing the mayor?

"Let me make this very clear. I am here because you have brought me upon yourselves. Consider yourselves lucky I don't consider myself a Paladin dedicated to Iomadae, such a person might have razed this whole village by now. But tell me, why is the mayor not here to tell me off, hmm? Is he afraid of his life, or did some of the Order's flunkies I missed see to it he isn't here?" Sevia asked, her eyes narrowing at the guard. Mentally, she asked Epyon to communicate to Fhanys that she wanted everyone ready incase a fight broke out.

Exactly how many people are in the crowd and how are they arrayed? Spacing is important. It might decide how I proceed.

He doesn't seem to be bluffing about trying to stop you from moving forward - and he didn't see your encounter with the slugspawn in the temple, nor anything that happened in or below Undiomede house. All he does know is that things are wrecked, people are dead, and you seem to be at the center of it all - and you just came into town with a relatively large group of dangerous-looking people, looking ready to hurt people. The crowd behind him looks to contain two hundred people or so, mostly adult men - and given the size of the town's population, that would have to be most of the men in town. The guard himself doesn't seem to be evil, nor are the members of the crowd within the range of your ability.

"And you actually expect us to believe that?" the Guard asked. "The Neighbors have been our friends and allies for generations, but suddenly, just when you turn up with violence on your mind, we're to believe they killed our priests? How very convenient. Given how you've behaved so far, I think the Mayor has every right to be worried about what you'd try to do to him." It's clear he doesn't believe you - though in fairness, for one who hadn't seen any of it, it's a heck of a story.

Off to the side, Fhanys was starting to look increasingly worried. "Lady Sevia, weren't we here to try and win people over...?" she asked quietly.

If you want to pit your forces against the town's, I'll have to dust off the mass combat rules. Seems like a good way of resolving it.

Sevia wheeled on Fhanys, looking visibly furious, but took a moment to obviously compose herself having realized she might be unintentionally intimidating her close friend. "You did not see them child. The corpses of the ones I was unable to save...there were many. You did not see that poor woman cradling a dead baby and speaking to it as if it were alive. And I hope you never have to. You read the journal, you know what these people have been condoning...The old me would have dropped a Wall of Fire around them by now, but I am not her. So what would you have me do?" Sevia asked, sighing in frustration. A Wall of Fire would have been the easy choice, but not the right one.

Is there any source of fire within 40ft of that crowd?

Several of them are carrying lit torches.

"I didn't see those things - and neither did they." Your first cleric in thousands of years said quietly, clearly trying to avoid being heard by the crowd. "I don't think these people know what was really going on, or they never would have tolerated it - so they're angry, frightened, and confused about what happened last night. They might have been prompted into this by a surviving priest, too. And we still don't know what's going on at their main base of those fishmen - the book said their home was under the Tern Rocks, so I don't think those caves were anything more than a small meeting outpost. If something was only wrong in the caves, they probably would've made contact another way by now, maybe changed the meeting place. The fact that there's been no word at all is a bad sign." She paused, looking very hesitant to keep talking, but swallowed and continued to speak her mind. "I doubt this will be the last time we'll see people who are upset because they don't know what's going on, but if we're going to truly establish our presence and have them call for us when undead are found, we need them to like and trust us. We have to be saviors, not marauders - if we use violence to solve everything, we'll never be accepted."

"I think we should back down, try talking to them a little more, and get to the bottom of what's going on with the Neighbors. Maybe you can bring a few of them to the Rocks to see for themselves what's going on, and they can talk to the others afterwards - and I'll surrender myself as a hostage if need be, just to demonstrate our goodwill. I believe in you, My Lady. You won't let us down."

Sevia closed her eyes and appeared to collect herself for a moment. "Thank you Fhanys...I fear I let myself get caught up by what I saw and acted hastily out of vengeance. I nearly made a mistake here that the old me would have commuted and you have helped me see that...it seems my past still lingers in my heart, despite my attempts to put it aside." Sevia admitted, feeling like a weight had gone off her shoulders. "Even gods make mistakes, I know this better than most. Please continue assisting me in shedding the mantle of Dreaded Death," She added with a brief smile, before turning to her followers and stepping forward to address them.

"I am once again reminded...our true enemy are only those who seek to break the covenant of life and death! Please stay your weapons! Violence against anyone else should as always, be a method of last resort!" Sevia announced loudly to the crowd. "Her, and Fhanys, will remain. The rest of you, turn around and leave. Set up camp nearby and await our return." She ordered, pointing towards the colour blighted girl.

Turning back around, she marched to the guard and reached down to her swords. Unstrapping them from their fastenings, she held them up and dropped them to the ground. Her star knives came next. Followed by her bow. What came next was a book instead of a weapon, which she held up for the guard to see.

"Upon the council of my good Cleric, I have dismissed my followers as a sign of good faith, and bequeath to you my blades...for safe keeping." Sevia said neutrally, neglecting to mention she could simply fry them all with magic. Well, Sorcerers were notoriously difficult to disarm... "This is the journal of Cassius Undiomede, evidence of his crimes against life - and by extension, the crimes of Albor Voltairo. She-" Sevia gestured to the woman with them. "-is but one daughter of Illmarsh, fostered to the Neighbors, victim of said crimes and witness to others." Sevia finished.

"Now. Show me to mayor Greedle so that I might inform him of the events last night."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35

On your command, your forces obediently withdrew, and the tension in the air shot noticeably downwards. Even the guard looked somewhat relieved, and another man in well-used armor quickly collected the items, putting them in a box and shutting the lid. At the very least, your things weren't going to be mistreated. Your obvious efforts to avoid hostilities seemed to be playing quite well with the crowd, too, and the guard finally tilted his head. "Your cooperation is appreciated, ma'am." he said. "All right, you lot! Make sure nobody tries to sneak back in while the Mayor's talking to the outsider, but don't go looking for trouble!" The crowd started to thin out a little, and quite a few of them moved aside to clear a path to where the Mayor was. "This way, please." the Guard said, escorting you through the crowd and into the building.

The mayor was sitting inside, as oily and splotched as before, and looked up as the guard took up a position by the door. "Well." he said. "This is... quite a fine pickle, isn't it?"