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Akaasha's second blast connect, disorienting the devil enough for Mangu to disarm her. She snickers, an doges out of the way of the second attack and draws a longsword. "You're persistent filth."
Vegazi fires her bow.
They both miss.
Round 14.0 (8.0)!
@ Ehm -8 lethal (shock shield, monkey fish)
+ Vegazi -15 lethal
@ Daylin -15 lethal (sof)
@ Akaasha -15 lethal
! Bax -40 lethal, darkness, uncon, bleeding
! Kelseph -62 (uncon, stable)
! Large Ravens (red, blue,yellow -11, green -9,lblue -26)
! Shayle, the Fallen - 86 lethal@ Mangu -15 lethal (shield)
Everyone may act!
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Ehm concentrates on the magic a heaves the bag at the devil. Stickin feethers not flap sa gud.
Hey ol man, bring the eevul thin o'er here.
A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature assisting, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off. Once free, the creature can move (including flying) at half speed. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make a concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell’s level or be unable to cast the spell. The goo becomes brittle and fragile after 2d4 rounds, cracking apart and losing its effectiveness. An application of universal solvent to a stuck creature dissolves the alchemical goo immediately.
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Only Ehm and Mangu are able to land blows on the erinye this round, as it glares at the magus with frustration. ""
Still barely standing, the devil swings violently towards Mangu.
Vegazi fires another arrow.
Round 15.0 (9.0)!
@ Ehm -5 lethal (shock shield, monkey fish)
+ Vegazi -11 lethal
@ Daylin -11 lethal (sof)
@ Akaasha -11 lethal
! Bax -40 lethal, darkness, uncon, bleeding
! Kelseph -62 (uncon, stable)
! Large Ravens (red, blue,yellow -11, green -9,lblue -26)
! Shayle, the Fallen - 92 lethal@ Mangu -11 lethal (shield)
Everyone may act!
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And with that final strike of the whip, the silver penetrates the devils skin, causing it to spark a bright yellow flame. She laughs as the flames consume her, as if reveling in the pain, "THIS IS NOT OVER! I SHALL HAVE MY PRIZE! FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIVE, VEGAZI - YOUR SOUL SHALL BE PROMISED TO ME."
She burns in the air for a few more moments, and as the flames consume her, the winds atop the hillside pick up and carry her ashes away. The sacrificial circle is ruined, and the braziers eventually die out as the evil begins to leave this place.
Vegazi drops her weapons and run over to her mother, who is lying unconsious on the ground. She is still alive, but only barely. The half-orc cowers her mother in her arms, "Is, is it over?" She looks at the rest of you, with hopeful eyes.
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Daylin nods and puts away his shield and weapon.
"Yes, for now I think the worst is over. The devil is not truly dead, but she has been banished back to hell and will not easily return."
"But perhaps now the real hard work must begin. Your mother has done terrible things, and has long walked an evil path, but with your help she may yet be redeemed. The path back will be a long and difficult one though, and I'm certain that she will not be welcomed into Arwyll's Stead."
"And that curse devil is still loose, most likely behind the mischief in Arwyll's Stead that had the mayor so angry yesterday. But without its patron, it may now perhaps be easier to deal with."
"We've done good work today here my friends. The Light was truly with us!"
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"I don't think this place is inherently evil, Akaasha. Now that we've driven away the devil, there should be no further taint. But it certainly doesn't hurt to be safe. I'll do what I can."
Daylin makes his way about the barren hilltop, scuffing and wiping away any signs of the ritual, and tossing the braziers over the side of the hill, all the while chanting prayers to Sarenrae. He does this for about 15 minutes, then seems satisfied.
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"Thank you for your kindness and generosity along the way. I honestly could not have made it this far without you. At least for now, the threat to the town is gone."
She looks about the mountain you stand on, "You are right, Daylin. I believe this place, this region has been swayed by the forces of evil for too long - but it is not inherently evil. I believe with some work, we can really restore these lands."
She get's ready to leave, picks up her mother and carries the limp body over her shoulders, "We will take my mother back to town with us. We need proof of what has happened here, and maybe her testimony will help prove to everyone in town that we have driven the evil away."
On the way back to town, the half orc is quiet, and takes the work of carrying her mother back to be her favoured task. The evening draws near, as the fatigue begins to set in your bodies from the long fight. You think on the events of the day, and the weight of the decisions you've made along the way.
On your way back, you notice a small militia of guards lead by Terrin. The man looks terribly worried and confused, "I … you were gone for so long, i thought you had perished. I just had to send scouts to make sure you were okay. And if not, we were ready to lay our lives down to help stop this infernal evil. No matter, i am glad you are safe. And ah, whats that on your shoulder...?" He seems to point at Vegazi, hoping for an explanation.
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"All is well. If you would, escort us back to town. We will tell you all that has transpired. Suffice it to say, as Ehm here so eloquently put it, 'Tha towne be safe ya ken.'"
As the company walks, Akaasha will begin filling in details as Terrin asks questions, looking to his friends to make sure he misses nothing important. He is mainly trying to reassure the militia about the orcs, that they are no longer threatening since the devilish influence is gone.
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"The person being carried by Vegazi is the leader of the Hell's Fury tribe, an orc named Kelseph. She is also Vegazi's mother. She is the one who has been sending attacks against your town and citizens, and it was she who demanded the blood of her own daughter. She had enthralled herself to a powerful devil who offered to satisfy her dreams of power, but in the end all she managed to accomplish was to decimate her tribe and her family. She is a wicked creature, but she is also to be pitied for her mad folly."
"The devil has been defeated. The open attacks against your town and your people are ended."
"Terrin, I'm glad we encountered you first. There are some things that must be handled delicately with your fellow townsfolk. First of all, Kelseph is a villain who deserves punishment, but we also believe she might be redeemed in some small way. But there is a great deal of pain and anger in the town. I fear that mob justice may tempt the darker angels of your neighbors' natures."
"At any rate, when interrogated, Kelseph will provide answers to any further questions you may have about her designs against your town."
"And there is another concern. We saw a second devil in the company of the one controlling Kelseph. It was strongly implied that this second devil has been working covertly within the town, and might be responsible for the acrimony and misfortunes that have plagued the town in recent days. It may or may not remain now that its master has been disposed of, but it is another matter that might lead to alarm and suspicion if we aren't careful."
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The scoutmaster and his scouts listen closely at the stories you all have to tell, and Terrin speaks for his men, "I understand, and evil had a hold over your mother, as it had a hold over our town. But if what you say is true, the devil's hold on the Stead will be lifted. Even as we left to meet you here, we noticed the air about town lifting. Do not worry Daylin, we will take care of this." He offers to help carry the unconsious orc, but Vegazi rejects the offer. He does not insist, rather puts his hand on her shoulder, "Vegazi, you have sacrificed so much for our town. When we escort you back I will personally see to your mothers safety while we convince Proum that all this is over."
"Thank you for rescuing my scouts." Then in hushed tones and choking back tears, he adds, "And thank you for honoring my request that you keep my relationship with Wate a private matter. I do not wish to mourn in public. His loss is too personal, and I would prefer to carry my deep grief alone."
You eventually return to Arwyll Stead, escorted safely by Terrin and his scouts.
Scoutmaster Terrin thanks you for putting a stop to the Hell’s Fury menace, and he offers you your choice of one item from the Arwyll family vault, treasures that include an ioun stone worth up to 10,000gp, a belt of physical might +2, a staff of minor arcane, two fully charged wands , and a +2 magic weapon or suit of armor.
Later that evening, you are invited for to see Mayor Proum. "So what do you all have to say for yourselves? You've given the town some relief, but as far as I can see, this orc is responsible for the death of the last Arwyll."
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Daylin grimaces a little and lays a gentle hand on Ehm's shoulder.
"Ehm, please. This has been a difficult time. The mayor was in an impossible position. And he makes a valid point. Kelseph was responsible for many deaths, including the town's most prominent citizen. These are hard questions that must be asked."
"I am glad it is not my role to pronounce judgment on Kelseph. I believe in redemption, but I also believe in justice. All I can say for her is that her small wicked heart was fertile soil for the promises of power that the devil whispered into her ears, and those wheedling temptations worked on her like worms upon a rotten apple. And yet what has she reaped? In seeking to murder one daughter, she sacrificed nearly all her other children, and must now come to realize the price she chose to pay for her treachery. That is punishment of a sort. But your town has suffered much damage and many dead, and there will be much pain and grieving as a result of her crimes -- you and your fellow citizens must decide what is justice there."
"I knew something of the reputation of Wate Arwyll, being from this part of the world. He and his family have long been protectors of Arwyll's Stead, selfless and brave people who did all they could to guard their neighbors in this hard land. His passing is a great tragedy. But after hearing the accounts of Grev, and after having spent some time with Vegazi, I think Arwyll's Stead has another champion willing to stand for you. She is selfless and pure-hearted and already considers you her people, though you may have been little aware of her efforts in the wilds about you."
"If there is any small silver lining in all this tragedy, it may be that it has brought Vegazi's heroism to light. That should be remembered as well, as you consider her mother's fate."
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The mayor listens carefully to what is told, and eventually hangs his head down into his arms, "You are right - this has been an impossible situation. But we prevailed. This town prevailed - with your help, Vegazi, and we are eternally grateful. As for your mother, we will keep an eye on her and see if she can recover. What you do with her, is up to you."
"As for the rest of you, I wanted to thank you. You have brought me enough evidence to see that none of this, is Vegazi's fault. I am glad that we can now finally put Wate to rest, and his memory will live on. Now go, rest for the night, you have done well."
…
Later the next day, you are called to a gathering in a very crowded Blissful Badger. You see some familiar faces as you enter the bar and taproom: Deputy Naia Volsson, Elder Gallus Crevac, Elder Shovann Orda, and of course, Mayor Darrel Proum and Scoutmaster Terrin Shaw.
[b]"With the threat of fiendish invaders quelled," Proum declares and pauses, until the crowd quiets down. He clasps Vegazi’s hand and raises it above their heads, "And based on the evidence from Old Grev’s book and Vegazi’s own account, I pronounce the woman Vegazi an honorary member of the Arwyll family, and the elders bestow upon her the Arwyll name."
The crowd erupts in roars of approval.
Waiting for the gathering to settle down, Mayor Proum calls each of you forward to join Vegazi. "Prist Daylin, Mangu the Brave, Akaasha the Bold, Sir Ehm Sven Nien and of course, Vegazi Arwyll, I hereby declare you all: Heroes of Arwyll Stead!"
Once again the crowd goes wild, thumping their mugs on the tables, whistling and cheering their new heroes.
The rest of the day is filled with festivities and pleanty of drinking.
…
Your successful mission and Vegazi’s integral role prove a major boon to the town and go a long way toward dispelling any lingering half-orc prejudice.
On the day of your farewells, Vegazi accompanies you to the gates. "Thanks to you, my friends, I recognize my value to others and vow to watch over Arwyll Stead in the name of Wate and his family. The townsfolk see the same fighting spirit of the Arwyll lineage in you, my intrepid fellow adventurers. In time, they will recognize their own strengths and their own need to move on independently of such protectors."