The Doctor resists the urge to giggle at Rose's outcry at the stab of pain. He could vaguely recall hearing of a spell that was mostly likely what was in the wand, but could not recall an mention of stabbing people with it first. He would have to look in to it later. Or perhaps ask Kelvar about it.
"I could whip up a few more doses of something for protection, though I'm afraid those of you with shields will find it a tad less useful as they get in the way somewhat . The only other one that I have the supplies for will all but guarantee your next strike will hit, but you must act quickly as it's only potent for a short amount of time . Or I could simply whip up more healing potions now before we enter this ninth room and distribute for use as needed."
"As I said, the gifts of Hell always come with a price - and if this one does not get its blood, then it does not give its gift," Kelvar says in response to Rose's question. He didn't trust these people enough to tell them about Archaerox yet, and would have to continue obscuring the truth until such time as he could trust them enough to do so.
Looking at the others, he says, "The additional healing potions may prove the most useful. I do not know how potent of a combatant Sir Balin is, but I am sure that, given his reputation, he is an implacable enemy."
"So it would be like having a shield without actually needing to hold a shield? That sounds handy."
The Doctor nods at Rose's question. "It has some additional benefits over a regular shield, such as granting some protection against ghosts and the like as well as being generally less cumbersome. The main downside is that an actual physical shield doesn't disappear after a couple of minutes. I've been working on trying to extend the duration but with limited success. If you're interested, you could hold on to the extract I've already made up, though I do warn that it packs a bit of a punch." He holds up the golden vial. "Would anybody else have any interest in one? Otherwise I'll make a couple more healing vials and pass those out."
"I've always found it preferable to avoid being injured. I would appreciate a shielding elixir." She bows to the Doctor.
"If possible, I will take one of the healing vials. It may prove useful - although I agree that avoiding injury is a far better solution, I don't know that the shield would necessarily be of help to my combat style - and killing the enemy before he can kill you is always a sound strategy."
"Talia doesn't have a shield. I do. She should take it." Rosa said.
Marvin shakes his head. "Maybe next time, when the stakes are a bit higher than party games in a rich man's basement. I think I've got all I need to murder whatever's behind that last door."
"I can prepare more. Seems like a total of two protection elixirs and one healing. Which we may as well make two." The Doctor pulls out a few vials and packages of dried powder and begins mixing them with all the confidence of someone who had done this many times before. After a couple of minutes, he has another blue and golden vial to match his first set. He hands a golden vial to both Rose and Talia and a blue one to Kelvar, pocketing the second one himself.
With a wave he then commands his circlet to give him the appearance of a squire, grimacing slightly at the noticeably coarser fabric. "I think that concludes preparations. Shall we continue then?"
Being as prepared for whatever is behind the door as you possibly can you finally take the heavy iron key off its peg and unlock the door. It opens with a creak and a final room is revealed. Standing below a solitary lamp is a man clad in a full suit of plate armour holding a longsword and heavy steel shield at the ready. An Alerion tabard covers his chest; a blue cloth with an 8 pointed star in the center of a shield emblem, one half blue, one half white. A sapphire set in silver attached to a silver chain around his neck, the amulet Thorn sent you down here for. "Who are you? How have you come to be here?" He says to you after relaxing his raised weapon for a moment. "I heard the commotion of battle outside."
Rose waited with Kevlar in the other room, listening as the rest of the group encountered Sir Balin. Her heart was pounding in a way she would never admit to.
Kelvar waits with Rose, ready to move in to strike when the time comes. He'd never encountered Sir Balin before, but he knew the man's reputation. He did not intend to fall in battle against him.
She likewise lowers her blade, "You must be Sir Balin. There was a boy, Timeon, who was worried about you. I'm so glad to find you in here. Your work is important to the Church of Mitra." Her words were chosen carefully to be entirely truthful. She steps up to him on one side in hopes that Marvin will step up on the other side.
Marvin shuffles around the room, leaning heavily on his stick, as he waits for the others to carefully surround the knight.
"Yes. I left Timeon in safety while I investigated a dangerous Asmodean cultist. It seems I have fallen into a trap here though. I suspect a powerful wizard hides and protects this place from our forces. But that will change now that we have its exact location. Do you know the way out of here? We best not waste time or let him or his servants waylay us."
"You know where we are? We need to act fast." The last part was meant to be a message to the others to take action. Even as the words come out, she hears how they ring false. She strikes!
Perhaps the message is garbled, but Marvin, a bit overeager, was prepared to attack the second anyone moved suddenly; and so he did, barking a magical word that made his staff immediately reach out to coil around the knight's legs.
At the sound of Talia and Marvin's attack on the Knight, Kelvar races down the hallway to the room where Sir Balin was held.
Sir Balin seems confused, unable to figure out why you are attacking him. Marvin's quick attack puts the heavily armoured Sir Balin on the floor before he can possibly react and Talia follows it up with a powerful psionic weapon attack and Kelvar runs in to join the fight. Balin stands up and attacks Marvin but is deflected.
Kelvar studies Sir Balin as he fights before attempting to lay into him with the axe.
Unfortunately the attack fails to connect.
Marvin attempts to swat the knight's sword out of his hand as he stands up.
"To us, forces of Hell!" she cries as she tries to strike him down.
There's a pause just longer enough to make one wonder what on earth the alchemist had been referring to. But then the warmth quickly begins to intensify and spread, surpassing what would be tolerable for a normal human and then even what the tiefling could easily ignore. There's an odd pulling sensation throughout her body and looking down, small bubbles are starting to form and then pop in the skin right above her veins. It looks almost like her very blood is boiling. Sweat forms and then quickly evaporates into thin, white tendrils of mist, creating a mini-sauna around Talia's form. The new humidity outside her body is nothing compared to the inferno raging just beneath her skin.
Just when it becomes almost unbearable, the white fog surrounding her form coalesces into a white body cast. There's a heart beat of nothing before the hard coating turns the same golden shade as the the original liquid and silently shatters, the fragments returning once more to vapor. Beneath, Talia's form appears just as it was, her skin no longer bubbling. There seems to be no lasting physical damage. Only a lingering feeling of cold now that the intense heat had left.
Off to the side, the Doctor is greedily watching everything transpire. The fist he's biting down on does little to hide his grin but does at least suppress the giggle attempting to burble forth from his chest.
Still riding the high off of watching Talia's blood boil, the Doctor was just thinking that their little subterfuge was going splendidly. He had, admittedly, been a bit concerned when their two more chatty members had revealed that the knight might be able to detect their true alliance. He had just been wondering if Talia intended to lead the man to the fake (and probably trapped) stairs up when out of nowhere she reaches out and smacks him. He only has time to stare dumbly as Marvin joined her and Kelvar rushed in.
Quickly regaining his wits, he moves to the other side of the door, pulling out another of his exploding vials and throwing it at the knight. Well, I guess our ploy was rather short lived. On the bright side, this means I can go back to wearing decent clothing.
In his eagerness, he throws the bomb too hard and it sails past the knight, landing right behind him. Luckily, Sir Balin is still doused with flames. Less luckily, Marvin and Talia join him.
Kelvar swings down with his axe, certain to wound Sir Balin but at the last moment his sword deflects the axe. He is unable to stop Talia's attack and as he stands his sword is knocked out of his hands. Rose runs into the room and the Doctor throws a bomb dousing his enemy and friends in flames leaving Sir Balin staggered. "Mitra I put my soul in your hands." he whispers as he reaches down to pick up his sword and continue the fight till the end.
Talia is overcome with diabolic fury as she strikes! She savages the crusader with blows to the body, but nothing below the neck. Eventually the head rolls away when there is nothing left to support it. She lifts it up and bestows a kiss upon the lips.
[dice-damage]2d6+7[/dice]
"Well, that's just gross," Marvin glares at Talia. And, seeing that the knight is no longer moving, proceeds to strip the armor off the headless body.
Kelvar wipes his axeblade on a scrap of the knight's tabard before casually plucking the holy symbol of Mitra from his corpse and cleaning that as well. "So ends the famous witch hunter - ignobly in a small room in a basement where no one shall ever find him." He ignores Talia's antics - although they were rather strange.
He will then examine the knight's body for any magical auras before picking up the sword and examining it.
"Well that was entertaining." Rose said, leaning in the doorway. "Now what?"
She looked at Sir Balin's head, her face an unreadable mask behind her faceless helm.
An ending for you. A new beginning for me. Good riddance.
There are several things of worth possessed by the late Sir Balin and add to the total of of things taken down here.
- Potion of Cure light Wounds
- Masterwork Longsword
- Dagger
- Masterwork Fullplate
- Masterwork Heavy Steel Shield
- Silver and Sapphire Holy Symbol of Mitra (worth 250gp)
- Spell Component Pouch
- Holy Book
- Silver Alerion Ring (worth 50gp)
- Cloak of the hedge wizard (attuned to Transmutation)
- Shrieker Mushroom extract
- 20 lbs of Mithral Plates (worth 2,000gp)
- Small Stone Globe radiating Deeper Darkness
"Now we return upstairs to present the amulet to the Cardinal. While this was fun, it is only a beginning of what we need to do."
"Indeed. Did you want to bring the head of Sir Balin? It could be useful in demoralizing Timeon further if we wish to turn him to the worship of Asmodeus."
Studying the cloak, Kelvar says, "This cloak has several useful properties. Once a day, it can increase the wearer's speed or cause them to grow to the size of an ogre or troll. It also allows for the casting of a couple of wizard cantrips at will - one for light telekinesis , and the other for doing small parlor tricks . It would most likely be useful to one who fights with strength and in stout armor, as growing in size does tend to make one easier to hit, but could be useful for the extended reach doing so allows. Would anyone in particular care for it?"
The rest of Sir Balin's equipment was well-made - and whatever they decided not to use would likely fetch a very fine price if they sold it.
"That does sound useful." Rose said, interested.
"Huh, I guess this is what happens when you get the drop on an enemy." The Doctor shrugs. "I would agree that the cloak sounds more useful for one of you heavy armor types. I have no real use for becoming bigger." He adjusts his glasses. "Shall we go return the amulet now? We can come back later to have some fun with Timeon. I've heard of a technique involving the slow drip of water that's supposed to make its victims mad, and I would be rather curious to see its effectiveness in action. Though perhaps I should try that out another time."
The Doctor then walks over to the corpse and picks up the fallen knight's holy book and begins idly flipping through it. As he does so, his clothes transform from a squire's outfit back to what he was wearing earlier.
The high priest holds the trinket that Kelvar had handed him and pauses as if in deep contemplation. He watches the holy symbol glitter in the light. “A pretty enough thing, eh?” he muses. “This is a holy symbol of Mitra in particular the sort favored by the Knights of the Alerion. Perhaps you already knew that. Remember this symbol. This is the mark of those who destroyed our faith and sought to banish all trace of the worship of our Father from these shores. These, my friends, are your enemies.”
He tosses the holy symbol back to Kelvar. “Keep it. It may aid you in disguising yourself.” He smiles. “You have done well. Escaping from Branderscar, slaughtering Sir Balin … yes, you are worthy. Now, let us complete your training…”
The next three months you are trained personally by Cardinal Thorn. He keeps you carefully sequestered. Your physical needs are taken care of. Tiadora aids him in the training and is revealed again and again as cruel sadist who revels in their failure and suffering. The slaves are present during the entire ordeal performing more menial tasks. Cardinal Thorn may be a paranoid monster obsessed with revenge but he is also a genius and a teacher par excellence. His lessons are focused and never wasteful. He drills you not only individually but also as a team. He is forging you into a knot.
Asmodeus with You Adrastus Thorn indoctrinates you into the deeper mysteries of worshiping the Prince of Hell. Whenever you channel energy, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the save DC of your channeled energy.
Know Deception Adrastus Thorn teaches you the subtle arts of deception and how to sense when they are being used against you. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive.
See Illusion Adrastus has taught you to see through deceptions and to never lie to yourself. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against illusions.
Dread Lord Adrastus Thorn has shown you fear and taught you to master it within yourself. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against fear effects.
Focus Will Adrastus Thorn drills you on ways to avoid magic that seek to take control of your mind and divert you from your mission. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.
Favorite Spell Adrastus Thorn drills you again and again in the use of one particular spell. Pick one spell. This spell’s effects manifest at +1 caster level.
Quiet as Death The Cardinal trained in the arts of being silent and stealthy. You gain a +2 trait bonus to Stealth checks.
Strike First Cardinal Thorn has taught you never to shirk or hesitate in a combat. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Second Skin You have drilled extensively in wearing armor in combat. When you wear armor of any sort, reduce that suit’s armor check penalty by 1 to a minimum check penalty of 0.
Angel Slayer Adrastus thorn spends exhausting amounts of time teaching you about good celestials, their strengths and weaknesses. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks about good-aligned celestials and receive a +1 trait bonus to any damage roll you make against them.
Thorn is not always with you. At other times he is also training the White Ravens led by Elise Zadaria and your interactions with them, if you deign to do so, uncover a rivalry as might be expected, to be the more favoured by the Cardinal. Grumblejack is housed in another dungeon like room and ignored by Thorn and Tiadora both.
Rose was ecstatic to have passed the tests and finally completed the formation of the Ninth Knot. It was clear she'd achieved a longstanding goal and was practically giddy. She threw herself into training with impressive resolve and enthusiasm. He exuberance had to be curbed as time passed, especially when they began focusing on stealth-related scenarios, but over the course of the three weeks of training she came into her own a bit more. A more mature, relaxed and self-assured agent of Asmodeus was forged in her time under her father's tutelage.
Kelvar trained hard over the next three months. He knew that they were still a group of escaped convicts, likely hunted all over Talingarde, and so he focused on learning ways to keep himself hidden, despite his armor and shield. Thorn and Tiadora's teachings were pointed, and sometimes cruel, but he found himself becoming stronger - a better agent to carry out Thorn's and, by extension, Asmodeus's, will and plan for dominance in Talingarde.
This, however, was not all Kelvar's time was taken up by. Though Thorn and Tiadora did not see the worth in it, Kelvar took the time to speak with Grumblejack - about Asmodeus, and his life. He showed Grumblejack the gifts Asmodeus had granted him, and sought to teach Grumblejack more about arms and combat than he had learned on his own in the wilds. After all, Grumblejack had aided them in their escape from Branderscar, and his strength may prove useful yet again.
He would also take the time to speak with Trik, as one who had been a priest of Asmodeus for far longer than Kelvar had. He sought to learn more of Hell, and of the deity they both served. It made for fascinating conversation, and Kelvar eagerly learned all he could, to better serve the Lord of Hell.
The Doctor worked through the lessons with quiet patience. Truth be told, part of him longed to be spending this time in study and experimentation rather than the endless stream of drills they were put through. The other part tried to remind him of the good opportunity these lessons presented to learn something outside his normal realm of experience. Besides, with what extra time they had, he still managed to avail himself of the library and laboratory, picking up a few tricks from Marvin and seeing if he couldn't modify one at least slightly. Confident that there would at least be no lasting effects, John Harker was often the rather unfortunate lab rat for his concoctions. The stoicism with which he performed this duty was actually rather impressive.
He was affable enough with the other group, but didn't partake in the rivalry. It was entertaining to watch but ultimately a waste of time and needless distraction. He found Rose's and Kelvar's interactions with Timeon and Grumblejack more interesting, even if he didn't fully understand it, especially with the former. But in the end, he supposed it was another attempt at doing what they were all doing: trying to strengthen themselves.
The re-education of Timeon was essentially a seduction. Rose turned all of the poor lad's anxieties in on themselves and asked loaded questions like "Why don't you think you deserve to have what you want?" and "How often were you told you couldn't do something?".
In the end, everything was the fault of the Mitran religion. Nothing that happened to Timeon would have happened if he hadn't been told for so long that what he wanted and what he deserved were so different.
Rose led by example. She was a creature of excess. Whatever she wanted, she got. It was never a question of whether or not she should. It was only a question of how she went about getting it.
That was the key. Rose was unabashedly hedonistic in every sense, but she never apologized and never thought for a moment about guilt or ethics. Only about repercussions. To do anything that would cause her unnecessary problems was undesirable, so she didn't do it. At least not in a way that would cause the problems. Instead, every question of want was answered with "what gets me what I want with the least fuss."
Most of the time, she managed to arrange things in such a way that people were happy to accommodate her. Including Timeon. She seemed to enjoy teaching the poor boy about how to get what he wanted rather than deny himself.
By the end of the three weeks of training, Timeon was well on his way toward embracing Asmodeus. It was a fine line. He still held onto the Mitran persecution complex, but it was hard to deny that Asmodeus helped those that helped themselves, and that Mitra had failed him when he needed the most help.
Instead of of sending him a sign from heaven, hell had sent an angel bearing gifts.
Talia spend much of her training time in meditation of Asmodeus's infinite power. She channels her hatred with absolute discipline, keeping all outward sign secret until she reveals His ruby blade.
She will ask for training weapons to be distributed to the household, wooden blades, blunt arrows, bladders of water and such. During this period, anybody can attack her at any moment with these weapons. This is so that she can heighten her reactions to respond quicker to the unexpected. It also trains the others in stealth, guile and combat skill. Her allies are encouraged to join in and she will ask Lady Rose to let her charges participate if she deems it a worthwhile application of their time.
Assailants may continue attacking until she reaches them and taps their forehead twice. Whoever among her lessers gets the most points shall be rewarded at the end with a favor. The task is difficult, as she would move out of the way of attacks she could not know were coming. Still other attacks were deflected by unseen force. Still, skill and luck let a few attacks get through.
Toward the end of the training, she had increased her reflexes. At this point she was knocking projectiles out of the air with her blade.
If anyone asked about his past—unlikely, sure—Marvin didn't open up. But the others, this misfit band of overly-chatty and under-disciplined soldiers, could dodge swords and hit harder than he could. So he practiced, mostly in silence, sparring and striking, reading any "holy" texts and spellbooks the others could provide him with.
Timeon cried a lot when he realised he would never be able to get back to his home and in secret he would beg for Mitra to help him out of his plight. He resisted for a while, but after a couple months of getting used to ordering the servants to do as he pleased Rose is not surprised to find him one night in a 'compromising' position with one of the pretty female servants. He is shocked at first and apologises, expecting punishment.
It is not surprising even the weak boy Timeon is able to accrue more points from Talia than the dominated servants of Tiadora. "I wish to leave here and tell my family the truth about Asmodeus. When they see I am ok they will listen to me." The boy doesn't know much about subtlety. You could spot his lie a mile away. Questioning revealed he was scared of you.
Grumblejack didn't worship any god in his former life. He was a simple monster and since it was your distraction at the prison that led to his escape and feast on one of the prison guards he seems to believe you if you tell him that Asmodeus has a plan for him. He is a selfish and restless creature who grew tired of 'human food', several times demanding to be set free. Luckily you discover he has a great fear of magic and any used in his presence has him cowering. He now views you as his masters and vows to feast on all the enemies of Asmodeus. He prefers a greatclub or any weapon he can crush things with. Thorn does not view him as a member of your knot, merely a pet, and he leaves any training you wish to give him to your own personal time, this includes any equipment you might want to buy for him.
Finally after all your efforts and 3 months of grueling training Thorn has declared you are ready to proceed with the next step of his plan and proclaimed a last feast to celebrate before you leave. Thorn and Tiadora are there of course, as well as Elise and her three followers. Only one of the servants is in the room, standing naked in the corner, staring straight ahead, hands limp by its side as if unaware of its current condition. Other, lesser, followers of yours are not permitted. "My final two knots. The Cocytian and the Nessian. Come, let us finish your initiation in a final infernal ritual." Thorn says. He begins an incantation for a summoning spell and shortly after a devil is summoned. From the tip of its lashing tail to the serrated features of its fang-filled visage, this fiery-eyed sentinel bristles with barbs.
This is a Barbed Devil or Hamatula Devil. One should beware of getting too close to it's spines.
Sentinels of the vaults of Hell, jailers of the darkest souls, and living weapons of the infernal forges, barbed devils—known as hamatulas to diabolists—enforce the strictures of the damned and safeguard the nefarious works of greater devils. A hamatula enjoys the feel of warm blood on its spines, and prefers to leap into melee when presented with an opportunity for battle.
Hamatulas are collectors and organizers, and are favorite allies of greedy summoners as they often bring with them tempting treasures from Hell’s vaults or know the paths to deadly riches. Left to their own devices, the lairs of these devils often bear the pierced trophies of their past victims, hung like perverse bug collections on bloodied walls. Most barbed devils stand upward of 7 feet tall and weigh 300 pounds, though their leanly muscled bodies appear much larger due to the constantly growing and adjusting spines that protrude from their razor-sharp bodies.
Thorn calls the servant in the corner forward and gives it to the devil. The devil gleefully rips it apart and feasts on the blood. Adrastus then draws forth some of the devil's blood with a silver athame. He traces the unholy symbol of Asmodeus on the forehead of each of you in the mingled blood of devil and sacrifice. "Behold," he proclaims, "The Cocytian Knot and Nessian Knot are forged. Let us enjoy this banquet. For my ship has arrived and tomorrow, you go north."
"Timeon, don't ever apologize for what you want. You had fun with the girl. You deserve to enjoy that." Rose said with a smile after catching him in flagrant delicto.
"As for going home, no. You do not actually want that. You are just afraid. The best thing for you would be to stay and face that."
"There is a potential for greatness in you if you are willing to cast aside your weakness and simply take it. I think you would do well with some additional lessons."
Kelvar attends the banquet, expecting yet another test on the part of Thorn. He observes very carefully as Thorn summons the hamatula, or barbed devil. That Thorn should be able to summon one of the sentinels of the vaults of Hell to him was a display of his power. He watches dispassionately as the servant is given to the devil in sacrifice, for such is the way of Hell. With their christening as the Nessian Knot complete, he looks to Thorn as he says they shall go North, but does not yet ask for further information - after all, while Trik at least seemed friendly, they were still rivals, and not every knot would be there to reap the rewards of victory once attained, and the less the Cocytian Knot knew of their mission, the less likely they would sabotage it. After all, they were not part of the contract signed with Thorn.