Friday's spear encounters resistance, at first. The magical barrier the witch conjured up flares for a moment, before abruptly crumpling under his onslaught. The spear goes straight through her chest and out her back with a wet *CRUNCH* The witch gasps in shock, the breath being driven from her lungs, and she vainly paws at the spear's shaft before her eyes roll back in her head and she goes still.
Kasha's eyes widen in shock at the action, but she quickly moves to put an arm around the girl, gently drawing her away from the violence. "I promise you, we will get you away from this place." she says softly. "No one, no matter who, will hurt you again like this."
Friday keeps his serene expression as he watches the Witch expire on his spear, the same expression he had been wearing this whole conversion. Once she finally expires he unceremoniously plants his boot on her stomach to free his weapon from her corpse.
"Let's salvage what we can and be done with this place."
Longthews was carrying:
--2 potions of clear teal fluid
--1 suit of masterwork chainmail
--1 masterwork heavy wooden shield
--1 shortspear with images of lions carved into the shaft
--2 throwing axes
--1 platinum lion's head arm-ring worth 350 GP
--1 fine felt cloak worth 10 GP
--1 gold neck ring worth 50 GP
--1 gold ringed pin broach worth 25 GP
His wife was carrying:
--4 darts
--1 masterwork sickle
--1 silver ring with a lion's head on top
--1 gold and copper box broach worth 70 GP
--50 ft of silk rope.
The servant girl winces and turns her head away as Friday guts the witch, letting Kasha lead her away. The other servants can be heard cheering as their cruel owner dies. "...thank you. So much..."
"No wait!" Valeria called out as Friday attacked. Even if he didn't have the extra strength and mass from her spell, she probably wouldn't have been able to stop him. All she could do was watch as Longthews' wife was skewered by the enlarged spear.
"Damnit, Friday, she could've given us more information on whoever was ordering Longthews around. Or where Ameiko's family sword is." She wasn't angry, but she certainly wasn't happy about it either. She moved past Friday over to Longthews' men.
"Do any of you know anything about a Tianese sword that Longthews or someone working for him stole from someone in town?"
"My apologies, my anger got the better of me." he says calmly.
The other servants nod. "Asvig couldn't shut up about the bloody thing after he stole it. He didn't keep it for too long, though--the...man, I think--with the blood-raven came by and demanded it from him. Strange how he handed it over so willingly..."
"No one deserves to be treated as you have." Kasha says as she leads the girl to another room. "I promise you you will never be treated like that again. My name is Kasha what's yours?"
The servant girl sniffs. "...Lia. My name's Lia."
"That's a pretty name. Do you have any family in the city Lia?" Kasha asks in a gentle tone.
Lia looks down at her feet. "...no... my father was a Snowcaster elf, and my mother died of sickness in my fifteenth winter."
"I was caught stealing from Lord Stone-Eye, and I was given to him as a thrall as punishment..."
Kasha's expression darkens with anger for a moment though she takes a deep breath reining it in. She reaches out to gently lift Lia's chin. "Well 'Lord' Stone Eye is no more and you are thrall to no one. Not now or ever again Lia." she shamaness says fiercely.
"I'd Like to heal your injuries if you'd let me."
Lia's soft blue eyes dart around the room before looking into Kasha's, and she wrings her hands nervously. "...please?"
"Stone-Eye was still a better master than Longthews or his..." She pauses for a bit before she speaks again. "...his wife... ever were." From the tone of her voice, she's still having some trouble processing that she's a free woman now.
Gently resting a hand on her shoulder Kasha draws out her slender wand of polished willow invoking it's magic to send pulses of healing through Lia's abused body.
"There, well it's over now, and no one will be selling or claiming ownership of you anymore. Does anything still hurt?" she asks unsure of just how badly battered that bi+<# had left the poor girl.
Lia's bruises and cuts heal swiftly, thanks to Kasha's healing wand. She breathes a sigh of relief, and her posture straightens up considerably.
"...it doesn't feel like anything hurts anymore." She shakes her head, her hands starting to shake.
"But... what do I do now?"
"You could come with us if you like." Kasha suggests. [m]"My brother runs the caravan that we are all with headed across the Spine of the World towards Minkai. I'm sure there are many towns we'll pass through if you find somewhere you would like to settle. Unless there's somewhere specific ypou would rather go."[/b]
Whoever this man in black was, he clearly had something over Longthews, Valeria thought to herself.
"Alright; I'm going to need to know everything you guys do about this man with the raven. Doesn't matter how inconsequential it is, any little detail might help us."
"You could come with us if you like. My brother runs the caravan that we are all with headed across the Spine of the World towards Minkai. I'm sure there are many towns we'll pass through if you find somewhere you would like to settle. Unless there's somewhere specific ypou would rather go."
Lia's eyes widen. "...r-really? I mean, I've... um, I've never left Kalsgard before..."
"...I'd like that. I really would." Her eyes are shining with unshed tears of joy.
-------------------
"Alright; I'm going to need to know everything you guys do about this man with the raven. Doesn't matter how inconsequential it is, any little detail might help us."
The other servant, a young man with a stubbled chin and hardened grey eyes, nods. "He was... well, about as tall as a normal man. Couldn't see much because of his robes, but he looked like he had greenish skin. Almost like a troll's skin, except better groomed. He had a raven perched on his shoulder the whole time--its tail feathers were black with blood-red tips. Kept giving us the evil eye whenever we so much as glanced his way."
"Spoke almost like an orc, but not quite. Always smelled like alchemist's acid wherever he went." He grumbles. "Sorry I can't be of more help to ye--I never got a good enough look at his face."
Kasha smiles warmly.
"Good. Once we head back I'll introduce you to my mother. She'll help get you settled in. It's all going to be okay, I promise." she says giving Lia a gentle hug.
"He spoke like an orc? What do you mean, like he wasn't fluent in the language? Did he have some kind of accent?"
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Lia seems to be uncertain of Kasha's hug at first, but she soon starts holding onto her as well. The hug appears to be one of the most comforting things she's recently experienced.
"He spoke like an orc? What do you mean, like he wasn't fluent in the language? Did he have some kind of accent?"
"No, I mean he... well, he had a deep voice. What he spoke sounded more like Giant than Orc. No idea how Asvig could understand him."
Gently rubbing Lia's back comfortingly, Kasha smiles. "Do you want to sit down somewhere while we finish up here before we head back to the caravan? Is there anything you know of that we should be on the look out for or wary of?"
Lia looks around at the bodies in the hearth room, and at Kavell as he administers the last rites to them. "I think I'll be fine now."
"Asvig's men will likely have run off by now. We might not have too much to worry about..."
"That's good." Kasha replies. "If they're smart they'll find someone less vile to work for. I suppose we should finish checking the place out and leave." she says looking to her companions.
When Kasha calls out to them Friday nods and begins searching the rest of the building.
The remaining rooms of Asvig's Farm:
A2: This room appears to be a stable of some sort at first glance, but further inspection reveals a great deal of wool bundled up next to the walls, alongside buckets of water and urine. A bench packed with combs sits against the east wall.
A4: A pantry. It's packed with roots, tubers, dried vegetables, two butchered sheep, and several bags of grain.
A5: Presumably the master bedroom. A very large bed dominates the centre of the room, with only a few chests for clothes and personal possessions squeezed into the room with it.
A6: A storeroom, and evidently where Asvig kept the rest of his valuables. Stuffed into crates and chests in this room are:
--a masterwork short sword with a walrus ivory pommel cap (330 GP worth)
--a pair of exquisitely-made grey boots, with designs of grey leaves woven into the leather calves
--19 golden lion's-head arm-rings (worth 35 GP each)
--a jewelled box brooch (worth 150 GP)
--3 fine felt cloaks (15 GP each)
--5 copper neck-rings (2 GP each)
--5 silver-ringed pin brooches (10 GP each)
--5 silver pommel caps, presumably taken from defeated rivals (10 GP each)
--an ornate whalebone tally stick (75 GP)
--3 small bales of fine angora wool (15 GP each)
--a felt bag, holding 258 silvers and 47 gold pieces.
--2 chain shirts, 3 light wooden shields, 2 masterwork battleaxes, 5 short swords with silver pommel caps (worth 20 GP each), and 9 spears.
As the rooms are gone through and the contents assembled, Kasha takes a moment to study the boots.
Unable to make anything of them, she looks at the rest of what they have. "Well, the food should do well to supply the caravan, and the rest should be useful."
"I think i've head about boots like these, magically enhanced to make the wearer more sure footed like elves"
He offered with a slight smile.
"That could be very useful." Kasha says, impressed.
With loot in hand and answers to some of their questions in mind, the party steps out the front door of the now dead Asvig Longthews' farm, a healed and hopeful servant girl in tow. The lands around the farmhouse are deserted, the footprints left behind in the snow racing off into the surrounding woodlands and swamp.
As the party hits the trail to return to Kalsgard, they notice, in the boughs of the trees above them, a very large gathering of ravens, noisily cawing at each other until the party comes into view. They all turn eerily silent and watch them as they pass.
Lia doesn't stray far from the party's sides, lingering around Kasha & Friday the most.
Kasha studies the ravens intently.
As soon as Kasha takes serious notice of the ravens, they all scatter to the winds.
Lia takes a step behind Kasha and winces.
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"... those are becoming more and more of an annoyance." Friday mumbles as he watches the gathered unkindness scatter.
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Keeping her eyes on the dispersing dark flock, Kasha reaches her hand back to take Lia's, squeezing it gently. "It's okay. We'll get back soon. Let them report to their master. Knowing we are coming won't help them."
"Not in the slightest."
Valeria wished she could agree with her companions - the more she learnt of this mysterious enemy they'd gotten, the less she liked it. They were dealing with at least one spellcaster with the skill to geas multiple people and manipulative enough to get a Thane and his household under their thumb and somehow knew they were coming before they'd even reached the city.
They were smart, powerful, and a skilled planner. Underestimating this guy would be the worst thing they could do.
In the meantime, she focused on identifying the spear and ring they'd taken earlier.
"Just a head's up guys; I call dibs on this ring of protection. After that crack on the horn before, I think I need it."
She felt the ring's protective aura form around her as soon as the ring was in-place. It faded again immediately and would only restore itself when the ring detected a threat, even if Valeria herself wasn't aware of it.
Following the directions given to them by Uksahkka, the party reenters the bustling city of Kalsgard and start making their way through the streets. A particularly chilly wind blows along the streets, one that not even the clustered masses of people in the street can keep at bay.
The Fire Quarter of Kalsgard is as busy as ever today. The sounds of merriment and drinking horns being *clacked* together mixes with the general babbling and sounds of labour permeating the air. After several turns, the party arrives at the doors of a modest, one-story building. The holy symbol of Shelyn is carved in stone above the double doors.
"We're being followed." Friday remarks to the others as the walk.
"Are you sure? How many can you tell?"
He asked doing his best to look nonchelaunt as he glanced back trying to spot their followers.
"I was trained to. Also the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up."
"They're very good at it. Almost missed it myself, but he's right." Kasha affirms. "We should shake or confront him before we lead him to the caravan. I don't want anyone else at risk."
"Yes, any suggestions?" Friday asked the Shamaness. He was perfectly fine with confronting the person.
[b"Is anyone especially good at stealth? Perhaps breaking off and following him so that we come at him from two directions?"[/b] Kasha suggests. "Or we could just go at him. If I get within 30ft of him I can make it almost impossible for him to hide."
"I'm very quiet. Though just attacking might also work."