Valeria's bolt sticks dangerously close to the ogrekin's chest. She wobbles on her legs, barely able to stand & fight.
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Haru's arrow flies into the ogrekin's face and pierces her eye. The ogrekin gurgles once before pitching forward onto the floor and twitching once.
"NO! MUTHILDAH!" The ogre tries to get to its feet, heedless of Gergo's & Kavell's waiting blades...
Gergo's sword tears out a chunk of its face...
He was completely started and stabbed at the large ogre, but his worry about interfering with Gergo's wicked slash was clearly obvious.
...and Kavell's glaive catches on the ogre's armour.
The ogre glares at Gergo and swings its club...
...only for the warrior to nimbly hop to one side and let it crash into the stone floor next to him.
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Haru's arrow sticks into the ogre's hide armour without doing much to put it down.
Friday calmly walks over and thrusts his spear at the prone creature.
Friday's spear sticks into the creature's enormous club. It takes a bit of work before he can get it loose again.
Not as calmly in fact almost wildly he slashes down at the floundering ogre.
Valeria had already started reloading her crossbow and quickly brought the weapon up and sighted on the ogre.
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Valeria's bolt flies into the ogre's thickly-callused hand and gets stuck without drawing blood.
Gergo grits his teeth and swings his sword as hard as he can...
...and brutally slices the ogre's head from its neck. The head flies into the woman's cell door with a *BANG* and falls to the floor.
The hobgoblins start cheering from their cell and rattling the bars. "At last! The beast has fallen! Quickly, get his key and get us out of here!"
The blonde woman in the other cell doesn't say a word, but her face softens a bit.
The ogrekin lady was carrying:
--A mud-stained suit of leather armour
--A blood-encrusted flail
--A spiked gauntlet
--A pouch containing 77 GP
The ogre was carrying:
--A Large greatclub (which, upon closer inspection, is actually an uprooted sapling)
--A Large, filth & lice-ridden suit of hide armour
--A small cow's stomach containing rocks, dead turtles, a rusting silver key, 77 GP, a filth-encrusted masterwork dagger, 77 GP, and a strangely-polished light brown gem.
Immediately as the ogre breathed its last breathes Kavell moved too quickly as it were for the ogres body. His momentum carried him into the magical grease not that he seemed to care.
Is anyone hurt? Ishgha! We found your people!
He called as he scrambled about the large body until he finally found the key. More cautious now he moved torwards first the blonde woman's cell with key. Then he cautiously moved torwards the Hobgoblins to free them as well.
The hobgoblins seem rather surprised to hear Ishgha's name. "Wait--you know Ishgha?"
The blonde doesn't say a word as Kavell unlocks her cell, continuing to eye the party suspiciously. She glances at the chest in the other cell before looking back at the others.
"Ishga convinced us to help free you from Kikonu, who sent him and some of your fellows, along with some goblins, on a futile raid on a well-defended human town. He was the only survivor, and told us of the strange red man in the castle who brutally mistreated the hobgoblins he ruled over, and gave us the assistance we needed to come here and defeat him. Though our races have had conflict in the past, we bear you no ill will as long as you bear us none."
To the human woman: "We heard there was a human captive in these cells. We have killed Kikonu and slain or driven away his Corby followers. Are you alright? We mean you no harm."
"Hmm, the flail and that gem are magic but I don't know exactly what sort."
"Give us a look," Valeria asked, taking a look at the two items.
"Flail's got a basic enhancement effect on it - bit more accurate, hits a bit harder - and the gem... Ooh; this'll come in handy - elemental gem, earth one judging by the colour. Break the gem, summons an earth elemental to fight for you. I'll hang onto the gem; could be a good backup if I run out of magic like I did today."
"Ishgha convinced us to help free you from Kikonu, who sent him and some of your fellows, along with some goblins, on a futile raid on a well-defended human town. He was the only survivor, and told us of the strange red man in the castle who brutally mistreated the hobgoblins he ruled over, and gave us the assistance we needed to come here and defeat him. Though our races have had conflict in the past, we bear you no ill will as long as you bear us none."
The hobgoblins seem rather... unhappy to hear the story.
"Hmph. He has served adequately, then. A pity." The leader grunts before walking out of the cell with the rest. "Our thanks for freeing us, human."
"All the good men we lost, and a fool like him gets left behind..." One of them grumbles.
Friday raps the butt of his spear against the stone floor as he hears the Hobgoblins grumble. "I'm sorry... I didn't quite catch that." he growls out.
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"We heard there was a human captive in these cells. We have killed Kikonu and slain or driven away his Corby followers. Are you alright? We mean you no harm."
The woman glowers at Haru before shaking her head. "...no." She replies in a thick Ulfen accent.
Once she steps out of her cell and into the torchlight, the extent of her injuries becomes visible. Her back and stomach are heavily bruised & blackened from repeated beatings, and one of her arms hangs limply at her side.
"My things. They are in that chest." She points with her good hand at the chest in the other cell. It's becoming clear that Common isn't her first language.
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The hobgoblin flinches as Friday taps his spear on the floor. "...it was nothing important."
"I'll bet it wasn't." Gergo replies, casually leaning into the hobgoblin's face and grinning. His teeth are bloodied. "Because it sounded to me like you were... complaining about him when he fought just as hard as the rest of us to help you. I know you wouldn't be that ungrateful, right? It's quite unhealthy, you know."
"...yes." The hobgoblin steps back. "It was uncalled for."
"We would not be here if not for Ishgha.You would still be rotting in your cells if not for Ishgha." he adds.
He had been about to defend Ishgha's actions when he noticed Friday had already done so. He was beginning to think Shelyn had gifted the young painter with a grace reserved for... He shook the thoughts out of his head and moved to check on the other captives health.
Do you need food? water?
He asked her as he carefully checked her condition
He removed the wand of healing carefully, using its inate magics to help the injured woman.
The woman nods at Kavell. "Yes. Please."
She starts moving her arm as Kavell's wand fixes it. She's still seriously wounded, but she's beginning to look healthier.
The hobgoblins offer nothing else as Friday reprimands them.
"...hmm. Very well." The leader wrinkles his nose. "We will speak no more of this. Some of Kikonu's allies still linger in this dungeon." He looks the badly wounded Friday & Gergo over. "Neither of you look to be in good enough condition to face the many-armed one."
"The many armed one?
We have allies nearby. Food water, do not fear or worry m'am we will get you free from here. Your arm is broken, as well as some of your ribs.
He said to the woman, offering her his waterskin as he looked to the injuries of his friends. He paused saying a quiet prayer before using the wands energies once more.
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The hobgoblin nods. "Yes. The beast that Kikonu & the priestess made a pact with. I know not what it is, but I have never seen its like in this world--ten tentacles, two tipped with vicious claws, leathery wings, and a face born from the nightmares of a madman. It wields unholy magics born from the damning blackness of the Abyss itself."
"In your current state, you would be nothing before it."
"I thought so." The woman winces as Kavell sets her arm properly and takes a greedy draft from his waterskin.
"Kelda. Of the Oxgutters. Who are you?"
Koya, sitting beside her, turns to you with a worried look in her eye. "Xel, go find Valeria and the others. As quick as you can--I think whatever's possessing Ameiko is starting to get worse."
Kavell Speranta, Paladin of Shelyn. Let us get your things and get you to a place you can safely rest. You said your things were in the chest? How did you come to be here?
He asked the injured woman than offered her his hand after he saw to the some of the wounds of his friends. They were indeed pretty much spent, but he wasnt sure entirely what remained behind in the castle. For some reason he didnt think they were done here just yet.
With the hostages rescued my friends, perhaps it is now a good time to recollect ourselves at the graveyard. The magic of my wand is not infinite and I am completely out of the goddesses light to help tend our hurts.
He said to the group. He would continue on of course if they felt it prudent, but it looked like the amount of injuries were piling up.
Friday nods towards the Paladin. "We should meet up with Miss Zaiobe, and then return to Miss Spivvy her master's memento."
As the others looked over the former prisoners, Valeria felt a pull at the corner of her mind. No sooner had she noticed it that a flood of worry and urgency hit her. "Something's gone wrong back at the wagons," she declared, "we need to go back; now."
Friday's eyes widen as Valeria ominously mentions things "going bad" back at the wagon. He immediately begins hustling back.
"Some sort of Otyugh perhaps? I don't know. Yes, let's get back to the wagons."
Sensing that the message had been delivered, Xel flew towards the castle, hoping to meet up with Valeria and the others quickly.
The party makes haste from the dungeons of Brinewall, a confused Kelda taking her equipment with her and following behind. The hobgoblins watch the party leave with expressionless faces.
On the way out, they notice a row of hobgoblin corpses lined up in the castle's courtyard, and Ishgha carrying another corpse across his shoulders with a grim (well, more so than usual) expression on his face. Zaiobe is perched on one of the castle's battlements. The hobgoblin only gives the party a cursory glance before setting his dead comrade-in-arms aside and following them, with the harpy taking flight overhead.
Xel is able to reach the party as they're exiting the copse of trees before the castle proper.
Although hurrying Friday gives Ishgha a quick bow of his head mid-run as he passes him, and waves to Zaiobe once he spots her.
As the group breaks free from the tress he stops once he sees Xel flying towards them.
On the way out he did his best to explain to miss Kelda why they were here, about thier caravan and their friend whom had lapsed into some stange sleep and sickness that was beyond his ken. Despite their haste he moved torwards the hobgoblin to quietly tell him that they had freed three of his people...and to tell him their words. This trip to the castle had become far more complicated than he had imagined it to be.
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Kelda seems less confused with Kavell's explanation, and surprisingly understanding.
Ishgha's face betrays no outward reaction to Kavell's news other than a resigned sigh. "I had thought it would be so. Let them vent their bile on me if they so wish--I have earned it."
"I will explain the why of it later. Now, it appears your mage's..." He looks quite uncomfortable saying the word. "...pet has news for us."
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"'Pet'? 'Pet'?! Do you have any concept of what-"
"Xel!"
Snapping out of his indignation, Xel spoke quickly. "Ameiko's gone into a seizure."
Valeria's face drained of colour at the news, before suddenly taking off for the caravan at full-pelt.
The trip back to the caravan seems to pass in a blur. No time is spared for diversions, no matter how swiftly they may be resolved. Not when Ameiko's life may be at stake. The rain around the castle has ended--a small mercy compared to the torrential downpour that came before.
The caravan's wagons are huddled around a campfire. Sandru is pacing anxiously in front of Koya's vardo, Shalelu is intently stoking the campfire at an almost obsessive pace, and Koya is leaning out the wagon's door. The two drivers aren't around the campfire. Ishgha follows the party as they approach the campsite, but Zaiobe lands away from the campsite and does not approach.
Their faces brighten somewhat as the party returns.
"Thank Desna you're safe. Ameiko... I don't have the foggiest clue what's happening to her now, but she's thrashing about and babbling something. Come on." The old priestess leads the party inside the wagon...
The sight of Ameiko jerking about is... disquieting. Her head whips from side to side on her pillow, and words come rushing from her mouth in a hurried frenzy.
"マスター？ マスター？あなたは私を忘れましたか?"
There's a slight pause.
"マスター？ マスター？私はあなたが尋ねたすべてを行っています。悪魔は死んでいる、と私たちの土地から追放します。キーは...キーが...彼らが危険にまだありますか? "
Her eyes spring open. They're glowing a solid teal.
"マスター？ マスター？私の義務は、まだ行われていませんか？ボールトが閉じられています。それは開いておく必要があります。獣は鍵を持っています。 マスター！ マスター!"
"Master? Master? I have done all you asked. The demon is dead, and banished from our lands. The keys... the keys... are they still in danger?"
"Master? Master? Is my duty not yet done? The vault is closed. It must be opened. The beast has the key. Master! MASTER!"
Already grimacing at seeing the state Ameiko was in Friday gave a start before he reached into his pouch and produced the disk the silent harpy had given them. Not really knowing what to he well kneel down next to the owner of the Rusty Dragon and gently place the disk into her hands.
The... force possessing Ameiko calms down immediately as Friday places the disc into her hands. Her hand traces the image of Brinewall on the disc with a delicate, almost reverent touch.
"太陽は...その鍵は安全です." She/It whispers.
Her head moves to the side, her glowing teal eyes looking right at Friday.
"私は、容器、致命としてあなたの友人を使用するために申し訳ありません." She/It says, sounding remorseful. "獣は月の鍵を握っています。その手からそれを奪い取ります。ボールトのロックを解除します。だけにして私の義務は、最後に、完全なものでなければなりません. .."
"I am sorry for using your friend as a vessel, mortal. The beast holds the key of the moon. Wrest it from its grasp. Unlock the vault. Only then shall my duty be complete, at last..."