Marcus' arrow scores another hit, though this one does less damage than the last few. Shayle, seeing where everything is heading with her braziers quenched drops her bow and draws her sword as her wings finally give out completely and she hits the ground in a fighting stance.
The healing continues to bring color back to Vegazi's face, the magic filling in the spots of darkness that have clung to her bones and tissue.
Anthys' first slash is a mighty one, though not as powerful as he has shown in the past. He beats through Shayle's defenses and hits her with his blessed blade, ripping a roar from her throat.
Vegazi seems to know how close Shayle is and stays down so the Erinyes doesn't get any ideas about attacking.
The goo from the tanglefoot bag on Shayle finally hardens and crumbles away, giving her full mobility once more. Unfortunately for her, her wings continue to hang limp and dead across her back, seeming to drag across the ground as she moves. She swings her sword in a deadly flaring light, aiming for Anthys and Marcus, trying to pick apart their defenses one by one.
The teams defenses are still too strong for her to beat so easily.
The team jumps at the chance that Berato has given them quenching the braziers, dropping the holy fist of three separate gods on Shayle and ending her existence entirely
When the dust settles Vegazi stands, dumbstruck by the destruction and havoc wreaked in her name and a bit shell-shocked now that everything is over...
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Vindler raises his weapon and chants aloud in dwarvish, "Abadar for Lastwall! Iomedae for Lastwall! Torag for Lastwall!"
Once he's adequately celebrated and given thanks to his and the other divines, he extends a hand to Vegazi. "Our sympathy for the loss of your tribe. If there's anything we can do to help you move on with your life, let us know, lass."
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"Well done, Vindlér!"
Anthys congratulates all of his companions for their efforts, making sure to include Vegazi.
"Should we report back to Arwyll Stead? Vegazi, I think the people of the town would welcome you when we tell this story. Or, the Pathfinder Society can be welcoming to many who have no other home."
The atmosphere on the way back to town is jovial, and slightly less guarded than when you were actively being hunted. Even Vegazi cracks a smile or two, working more on her broken common when figuring out how best to tell the tale of your heroics. The gates to Arwyll Stead are still shut when you arrive, but a quick shout from the guards for Terrin has them opening.
He waits for you on the other side of the gates, smile large through his beard. "You've made it back! And you saved all of my scouts, thank you for your heroics."
"Yes," a voice cuts in from behind, "thank you for your heroics," it finishes sardonically. Walking up behind Terrin you see Mayor Proum, along with Shovaan Orda and Gallus Crevac. The mayor continues walking up and it is now that you notice there are no townspeople around. They seem to have holed themselves away, only venturing out when necessary. "Your absence has caused great havoc on the town," the mayor continues. "No less than three citizens appear to have been cursed, their behavior has become erratic and self destructive, and now people are afraid to leave their homes. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
Terrin tries to speak up on your behalf, but a quick glare and some barked words, "You'll be lucky not to lose your position," has him backing off to let you speak for yourselves.
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Vindler tunrs his cold gaze on the mayor, "I say we canna be everywhere at once, sir. While we were up in the hills putting down the devil that started all this mess, we unfortunately had to leave the care of your townsfolk t' you. It seems like we put our faith in the wrong leader, as have the people of this town. Perhaps a change in leadership would benefit the town, but that's for the people to decide. And now that they're not under siege from a band of orcs being led by an erinyes devil, they'll have that chance."
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Berato hoists the head of the erinyes devil they just killed. "Here's one of the furies from Hell that somehow made it in this world to plague you all. We have defeated her. Vegazi here helped us put that fiend down. It was a hard battle, but you're all safe now. Folks, we can't tell you how to run your own town, but we came here to help, and our job is done. The monster is dead. We'll be writing our reports to the Pathfinder Society tonight, collecting all the facts and make a complete retelling of all that happened here. Are we now in need of new facts? anything else you'd like me to add to my report? are there any other problems you wish us to deal with before we conclude our reports?"
"New facts? No, there are old facts. The fact that before her demise that devil and the orcs who followed her laid a curse on this town. The fact that your absence when people started going crazy has brought fear to these citizens. I don't dispute what you do, I admonish how you went about doing it. Had you stayed perhaps you could have helped with the curse before it affected as many as it did. And even if not, at least your presence would have calmed everyone."
Turning to address Vindlér, Proum says, "We've looked at the evidence provided by Vegazi and Grev. We've determined that she is indeed Wate Arwyll’s successor and is free to claim her inheritance whenever she wishes. A change of leadership will depend on her word." The mayor pulls Vegazi's ring out his pocket and returns it to her with a smile. "I do hope you'll consider living in the city."
He begins walking away, only turning to throw one last remark over his shoulder, "Feel free to stay the night, the Badger has been cleaned up and your rooms paid for for the night."
Terrin approaches after the mayor has left. "He means well, and cares for the people of this city. With our disagreement over whether or not to save my scouts things have been strained between us. He was hurt when you sided with me to save the scouts immediately rather than wait to see what the curse was about. Whether you leave or stay is up to you." He then smiles at Vegazi, saying only, "Welcome to the family. Glad you're here with us."
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Vindler scowls as the mayor turns and walks away. With a grunt of disgust, he mutters, "Hrmph, bloody prick."
When Terrin approaches to console the Pathfinders, Vindler nods, "Aye, we know he's concerned for the people. Of course we are too. But what are we to do? Treat the symptoms while the root of the disease is out there? Nay! That's not how we do it back in Vigil. Anyhow, glad everything worked out with proving Vegazi's position. S'pose we'll stay the night. If we can't figure out how to lift the curse...well, I won't speak for the group, but I don't think we'll overstay our welcome."
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"Vindlér has the right of it. Had we just treated the symptom of the curse, it is entirely possible that the devil could have imposed it again. If the curse is still in effect, I'd like to see what we can do to help. Even if it takes maybe a couple of days. I don't know much about breaking curses, but maybe my sword can be of some assistance. Just tell me what to do."
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"I will pray to Torag in the morning and seek the power to remove curses. Make sure all the cursed folks are in the same house so that it doesn't spread or something. Create a perimeter around the quarantined area, and I will do my best in the morning. Now I'd like some roast beef, with some mashed potatoes and some gravy, if there's any left at the inn..."
Berato's stomach gurgles loudly. Blast! EVERY TIME I use that spinning magic circle... EVERY TIME!
Terrin nods and starts describing the people affected by the curse. The first, a young apprentice named Lilli Flaga, seems to have been cursed to stack towers of books at the place she works. Anytime she stopped she was hit with blinding headaches and other horrific pain. Whenever someone got close to her they would hear her muttering about angry green eyes.
The second, a man named Zeb, was thrown out of the Blissful Badger earlier today. He had been drinking heavily, a strange sight as no one has known the man to touch liquor in his life. He seemed strangely obsessed with Vegazi, wanting to form a lynching mob for 'the half-breed freak'. After being placed in the drunk tank he started acting even stranger, asking for more alcohol. When he was not able to get anymore small lacerations started appearing on his body. When given a shot of rum the lacerations disappeared. He's been in jail and slowly given alcohol to keep him from bleeding out.
The last, an apothecary named Barid, was found in his shop with most of it damaged or destroyed around him. He was counting each individual grain of the various powders spilled from his shelves, as well as separating any that mixed together. As with Lilli he was heard muttering and experienced great pain when he stopped his task. His continued speech was about scrolls. Reams and reams of scrolls surrounding him, suffocating him.
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"Aye, though I may spend some time patrolling about the town to see if there's any evidence of leftover infernal influence. If any of ya care t' join me, I'd welcome the company."
As Vindler scouts around the town, he looks carefully for signs of any leftover devils that may have stayed in the town to cause havoc.
Walking around you come to realize just how frightened the people are. They've suffered through assaults by devils and orcs and now appear to have a curse on their homes. Any that are out shy away from your group, each person wanting to stick to themselves.
Making sure to pass by the areas where people have been affected, the bookstore, the Blissful Badger, and the apothecary, you detect the faintest whiff of sulfur. Not directly in the areas where the townsfolk have been cursed, but usually within line of sight of the areas.
Vindlér's magical eyes roam over the area where the sulfur smell still resides. He finds small contracts, bearing the name of the affected and the curses that hold them. The only way to break the curse, outside of magical means, is to kill the creator of the contractor.
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"Well done, Vindlér. Between that wand and your ability to Detect Evil we should be able to find this fiend. It evaded us before, though... do we think it will try to find new victims, or observe its past ones to delight in their torment? Maybe we can anticipate where it will be."
Anthys is ready to head out to try to find it this afternoon (Elaril could use the various scrolls we have found like Flaming Sphere and Magic Missile, or the vials of holy water we were given) or tomorrow, when the casters are ready.
"I don't like letting this problem fester overnight, or letting the fiend escape, but I know Elaril and Berato need some rest."
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"May I remind you that if you found contracts, it means that those who signed them were complicit in their own demise... they received something in exchange, and they should be interrogated. If you have ways to track this creature Vindler, let's do so now! with the power of our tactical teamwork and Torgag's power of good, surely we can vanquish the minor threat that still squirms within these walls! the leader has already been defeated!"
The contracts, in addition to being written in Infernal, are dense with legalese.
The contracts reveal that the two signees are one Bulvikauth and "The greater powers of hell". The people affected are considered objects as part of the bargain, and seem to indicate this Bulvikauth can only make three such contracts every day. What the greater powers get out of this is still unclear, but destroying one of the creators of the contract renders the entire thing null and void.