Gabriella crawls back up onto the muddy ground and just lays there on her back, drawing life-giving air into her lungs. "Is everyone ok?" she asks in a ragged voice.
Ulrich chokes out the words "No! Not okay. Let me go! Amneyelavodyohroennee"
Ulrich levels his staff threateningly, and frost begins to swirls around it.
Gabbi jumps to her feet and races over to attempt to intervene. "Release him! Amneyal, release him! What are you doing?" she shouts at the paladin.
"AAhhh!" Amnayel screams as something inside of her body wrenches, causing her to feel like something is breaking inside of her. Something wrong.
She squeezes her eyes shut and put her hands to over her ears and press hard in into her head. She drop to the ground and clutch at her head, writhing back and forth.
Unsure as to what kind of enchantment is afflicting the paladin, Gabbi catches her as she falls, cringing under the weight of the armor. "Ulrich? What's wrong with her?" she asks, hoping he has some light to shed on the subject. She raises an eyebrow in his direction. "What did you do?"
"Keep your hands off me, paladin." Ulrich snarls. "And I will keep your secret safe."
He takes in a deep breath and replies to Gabriella. "She will recover in just a moment, as it is very temporary. No lasting harm will be done."
"Now. All three of you are suffering from internal organ failure, which we can thank the Llorona for. If it were simple damage, I might be able to help mend you over just a day or two, but this is beyond my capabilities. We will need magical aid, likely divine in nature. In the meantime, we must be careful. Disease and poisons will be far more dangerous to you, as will many necromancy spells. We are meeting with an undead in her lair. Caution and diplomacy will be even more necessary than usual."
He knows my name!
Amnayel's heart beats rapidly, her breathing noticeably quickened. With Gabriella's help, she slowly makes her way back to her feet. With her mouth closed, she bores into Ulrich as if she could pierce his soul with her gaze alone. Breathing rapidly and quite loudly through her nose with clenched teeth and balled fists, she doesn't speak just stares at him with something between hatred in her eyes.
But there is something dancing in her wide, panicked wild eyes beside anger, something primal that she can never recall experiencing before.
Fear.
All of the wonderment and joy that she be feeling with their victory and her new blessed, heavenly wings is forgotten. Instead, she hangs her head with something akin to shame and silently picks up her helm and blade, walking off away from the rest of the group while Ulrich talks.
When the woman walks away without a word, Gabbi knows something is wrong. "Talk to me, Ulrich. What did you do? What secret do you know that would create fear in one such as her? Yes, I can see her fear. What does she have to fear from you?"
"Gabriella. I'm sure you understand the precarious position I am in when working side by side with a paladin, especially one like Amnayel. So to make sure that I am not blindly smited into the next world, especially before fighting an entity such as the Whispering Tyrant, I have taken precautions to keep her off of me. Paladins have an innate ability to resist spells, so I have devised a method that she cannot resist. Then, I used part of it in a last-ditch effort to save her life, and now she's upset. It is as if she wanted to die. I did not do it to receive gratitude, but I am especially put off by this hysteria."
"You didn't answer my question, Ulrich. What did you do? And I mean that in the most specific manner possible." She steps up closer to impinge on his personal space. "This isn't time to dance on the line, ok? I need to know what you did."
Ulrich leans forward to use his superior height to overshadow Gabriella's aggression. "If I told you what I know, you will innately have power over her. I am not blind to the meaning of corruption, Gabriella. I must not let anyone else gain knowledge of this newfound ability, not even you. Do not pry into this."
Allie pops out of the water like a cork and walks back onto land, shrinking as she does so. Watching the near violent interactions she goes in the opposite direction to her sister and places a hand on the paladin's shoulder.
"Thank you. For saving Gabbi. She means... everything to me. Can I help? Ulrich can be a dick, quite a lot of the time." Something happens from where her hand is, and the Paladin feels warmth spreading through her body, dispelling the chill of the Father of Tear's touch. However she keeps glancing back over her shoulder to where her sister and the sister's part-time-lover are still arguing.
The ground level and tower of Naderi’s Bastion are all but abandoned. Only an aging keeper remains to tend the lighthouse. ”Greetings, I am Malacaih. Oh, dear me! You’re all soaked through. Come in, come in. I have hot cinnamon tea and fresh blackberry scones to help ward you against the river’s chill. My other guest is waiting below to speak with you when you are ready.”
Amnayel is sitting a considerable distance away from Ulrich and Gabbi, having walked at least seventy-five feet away so she didn't tempt herself in beheading the man right here and now. Trying to place understand the emotions roiling within is difficult and she isn't quite able to process them all effectively. Just as she finishes bringing her breathing under control, she is approached by Alessandra. She takes one more long, deep breath and exhales it out, steadying her breath for good.
It takes some focus and concentraiton, but she forces a small, faint smile for Allie and says "It was my privilege to keep your sister alive. As I told her last night, the good people of this world need her now more than ever. I shall not allow her, or you for that matter, to be taken. I would gladly lay my life down to give you both another breath."
Her smile fades as he lips tighten "That doctor on the other hand... Would death find him now I should not be dismayed."
When she heals her, she lifts her back until it touches her upper breath. She moans softly and says "Oh. Oh, thank you, Alessandra. That is much better. My breast could hardly raise this armor to take a breath. Thank you for your touch."
Shooting a glance over at Ulrich, she shakes her head in dismay "What do you see in that man? He has violated me and I find him to be a threat to my continued existence. Would you object if I removed him from our traveling group?"
Once the group has finally regrouped and moved on, unfortunately with Ulrich's head still attached, Amnayel is utterly exhausted from the previous encounter and lets someone else take the lead, hanging back where she can keep an eye on the disreputable doctor.
"How would I have ...?" Gabbi begins to question his statement when various pieces begin to fall into place. Amnayel's wings. The Book of Names. Summoning her from the water. Her eyes close. "Oh, Ulrich. You didn't," she mutters.
Her eyes snap open. "This is a power that you shouldn't have over her. If you try to take advantage of her with it, I will see you pay, my feelings be damned."
~~~~
The dhampir frowns immediately when she realizes that the 'other guest' has magically persuaded their host. "Nothing, please," she says in a short voice.
She steps close to the paladin.
"I'm sorry for the knowledge that Ulrich has gained over you. It is not his to have. But knowledge cannot be unlearned. I have warned him about attempting to take advantage of you, but if you feel that he is doing so, please let me know."
While Amnayel listens as Gabriella's words, she first makes sure Ulrich is nowhere near them. Turning back to the inquisitor, despair sweeps her over her face as her guilt consumes her. "You speak true. It is not his to have, yet it is in his possession and my fate dangles at his mercy. Damn my naivety! He is not a good man, Gabriella, and I fear what may come, what he may make me do, what he may take-" she trails off, casting her gaze to the floor and closing her eyes.
In a moment of vulnerability that she will later deny having spoken, speaks with her voice breaking "I am afraid."
With her eyes still closed she continues, "What a fool I have been. To allow one's name to known and to put my values and purpose in the hand of another who would be so thoughtless as to bind me to his will at his beck and call at the first opportunity. My mind tells me to snap his neck before something terrible happens, but my heart will not allow me to do so. I have been careless and I must hold him responsible for my failures."
Her eyes tear up, but she can't handle it. She's a big girl and she should not be crying. She wipes her eyes and clears her throat, changing the subject. She stands tall and erect, like a proper soldier should. She speaks in a firm tone, apologetic in nature "I have failed you and for that I am sorry. I had the creature in front of me and I foolishly allowed it to take you under the water, drained your life and nearly drown you. I took all of your pain that I could, but I was too slow in my actions and it nearly killed you. It would appear that today, I am an abject failure."
She concludes, "I understand what is at risk right now and if you and Alessandra believe that I hinder your cause, then I will take my leave to pursue my own path."
Ulrich puts his hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "If she leaves me be, I will never utter a word about it. I can promise you that." He stops for a moment to really look at Gabriella, to see her expression. "I am grateful for you, Gabriella."
"Ah, thank you. Yes please to both tea and scone. I will just be a moment to clean myself up."
He goes around the corner to cast a few spells upon himself.
"Ulrich ..." Gabbi begins, but then doesn't really know what to say. With a shake of her head, she turns and walks away.
"Will you stop trying to take all the responsibility on yourself?" Gabbi snaps. "You're not that important, ok? You didn't make any more mistakes than the rest of us today. Just go jill-off and ask for forgiveness or whatever, ok? Get over yourself. You've got useful skills and we may have need of you, but you're not doing us any good if you're moaning about your failures all the time. Learn from your mistakes and f~$!ing move on already."
Amnayel stiffens at Gabriella's words, her instinct taking over.
"Done." she says firmly as she slams her helmet back on roughly, clanging loudly against her shoulders and masking her misery from those around her.
Malacaih serves tea and scones to Ulrich and whoever else is interested. Once you have had your fill, he directs you to the stairs leading down.
A few oily candles shudder against the darkness of this expansive basement. A musty and sickly-sweet odor mingles with the scent of foreign spices. A large circle of salt lines the floor, and in its center—resting upon a cushioned chair—sits a woman in long, formal dress. The pallid, gray skin of her heart-shaped face frames sunken, yellow eyes. A deep surgical wound—fresh but bloodless—runs vertically down from her throat and disappears into the neckline of her dress.
The woman's lips part into a soft smile. “I suppose we no longer have the luxury of secrets. If you haven't guessed already, I am Arazni."
Her gaze turns to Elka, who has been following behind the group babbling to herself the whole time. "I can fix her, if you'll let me."
Assuming you agree, she casts a powerful spell to alter reality in a limited fashion. The changeling finds her sanity restored.
Ulrich tries to identify the fresh surgical wound from Arazni's throat.
Ulrich bows before Arazni. "It is an honour to meet you, Lady Arazni. Thank you for curing Elka for us, and for guiding our journey. If I may inquire, and I understand if this is too personal a question, what are your motivations regarding the Whispering Tyrant, and how involved is His Majesty Geb in all of this?"
Kamosh is absolutely quivering with fear
Ulrich recognizes the surgical wound as the type made to remove the organs during the embalming process. Seeing as you are carrying around Arazni's lung in a canopic jar, that isn't too surprising.
Arazni scoffs when Ulrich mentions Geb. "My possessive 'husband' has nothing to do with this. Though I imagine it won't be long before my absence is noticed and raises quite a bit of ire. No, this is me finally taking action for myself. But I need you.
“Vigil has fallen, leaving the navel-gazing knights of Lastwall shattered and confused. Mere moments later, Gallowspire itself imploded. The Whispering Tyrant—the entitled fool who ended my life—now walks the world again. And regardless of my feelings on Lastwall, or the world at large, I am the one person on two continents who possesses both the power to destroy Tar-Baphon and a burning desire to do so.
“Tar-Baphon has already moved on from Gallowspire to elsewhere in Ustalav; I know not where. And while I can stand face-to-face against his power, I can’t fight both the Whispering Tyrant and his entire army. My only hope—your only hope—is a surprise attack. I am, unfortunately, quite easy to locate with magic. This is due not just to my reputation, but also because Tar-Baphon and I have shared a tenuous psychic connection since he murdered me so many years ago. This connection has allowed me to peer into his plans, with a frustrating lack of clarity, but it will also warn him of my approach the moment I leave this refuge. I can’t simply teleport to him, as the witchgates he constructed all over his domain of Virlych during the Shining Crusade redirect long-range teleportation.
“I need you to be my hands. Cross Virlych to the ruins of Gallowspire, shut down the witchgates, and find out where Tar-Baphon now prepares his forces. Travel there, and I can use your presence as a focus to teleport. Then, at last, the Whispering Tyrant shall fall.
“I would not send you on such a dangerous quest unprepared, however. I took the liberty of reacquiring some of my old things from Vigil before its destruction. I offer them to you now.” With a wave of her hand, five objects float into view: a rapier, a red chain shirt, a cloak, a ring, and an amulet.
Any being of good or lawful neutral alignment wearing at least one piece of the panoply gains a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws. Any creature carrying all five pieces of the panoply increases this luck bonus to +2.
"So you're in this solely for revenge?" Gabbi questions. Revenge being a motivation that she understands, if that's the woman's sole motivation then the dhampir feels that she can trust her ... somewhat.
"He has been useful." Allie says with a shrug, "I'd break his neck without a thought, but Gabbi likes him for some reason. And his magic has helped us before. If it comes down to you and him I'm on your side though."
--------------------
Allie glances at the old man, then at her sister, and then shrugs.
---------------------
Faced with Aranzi Allie looks and listens with a considering look on her face, that morphs into one of interest when Arazni bends reality to her will.
"Thank you for the gifts." She says, examining the relics closely.
Arazni shrugs languidly. "The only thing in this world you should trust is that everyone eventually falls to their worst nature. And my worst nature is petty, selfish vengeance.
"Tar-Baphon’s presence is a stain on the souls of all he touches. He slew me at the Battle of Three Sorrows, and since my… resuscitation, I have felt his contempt and anger like ghosts in the back of my mind. That is how I learned of his plot to escape, though the feeling was too vague to predict anything beyond his focus on Roslar’s Coffer and, later, Vigil. But now I will see him pay for what he did to me."
"Virlych," Gabbi repeats with distaste. "And how will we contact you once we've shut down the Witch-gates?" she asks.
“You hold one of the few objects whose connection to me is strong enough to reach through my layers of mundane and magical shielding--my lungs.” A look of wistful longing crosses Arazni's face for a moment before she continues, with a bit of reluctance, "Keep them for now. I can think of no better warrant of my peaceful intentions than to let you keep some of my organs in your care. Any communication spell, such as scrying, sending, or the like used while carrying my bloodstone will contact me, and I can contact you the same way. You can also use the bloodstone as a focus for spells like commune or contact other plane to reach me directly."
Gabbi glances at Ulrich, wondering if he has such spells because she certainly doesn't.
"Unfortunately I have not had the time to research such spells, but I do understand Divination, and can learn them soon enough. Do you happen to have arcane resources that I may study, my Lady?"
"I will allow you to copy the sending spell in one of my traveling spellbooks. It should be sufficient to suit your purposes." Arazni waves her hand, and a well-preserved tome floats over to Ulrich.
Ulrich holds the spelltome very carefully. "Thank you, my Lady. It will not take long."
Amnayel cannot believe she is standing before Arazni herself. Feelings of conflict fill her, knowledge of her legend are known to all, but she is no longer the the herald of Aroden. No. She had fallen and worse yet, she had returned on the wrong side of life. It seems now that the twins had known who this was already but had held it back. With a thought and a mutter of words from the rear of the room, her smoky, evil aura floats around her.
While the others talk, Amnayel bites her tongue and stands ramrod straight at full attention, her hands reach to retrieve her blade should she need to. While quite naive in many ways, she was not foolish enough to believe she could strike down Arazni herself. She knew if she took action, she would be on her own as her companions would not back her. Further more, she suspected that the doctor would outright serve her up to Aranzi if it would benefit him in some way.
When she offers them items from Vigil, Amnayel stares at them cautiously but makes no to inspect them further. She stares silently from within the protections of her helmet, biding her time until this meeting adjourns.
"One last question," Gabbi says after a moment. "Any insight you can offer on disabling the Witch-gates?"
”The witchgates are magical traps that snatch away travelers attempting to teleport, depositing them in the midst of the Whispering Tyrant’s most terrible guardians. Any attempt to teleport into or about Virlych will catch a traveler—I was unable to overcome them even as a goddess—and while I have no doubt that any guardian would pale in comparison to my power, it would alert the Whispering Tyrant and his armies to my approach. I can’t afford to give him that warning.
“I would advise you first journey to Castle Fanum, just over the Ustalav border across the Path River. The Knights of Ozem still operate the castle as a supply depot, so you will find provisions, maps, and scouting reports from across Virlych. From there, your safest approach would be north, through the mountains. I can remain in contact as you wish, as you carry a piece of me with you.
“Do take care. I find you... curiously endearing.”
"By your will, Lady Arazni. Thank you, graciously." Ulrich bows to her. He collects the magical items and takes them upstairs where he gently lays them out on the table. Now out of her sight, Ulrich's hands tremble viciously. He can barely keep hold of the spelltome, which he clutches to his chest.
Gabbi gives a respectful nod and then follows Ulrich back upstairs to watch over him as he browses the tome she gave him.
"Don't get attached to that," she says, tipping her head towards the book. "One spell. That's what she offered. Take it and walk away. You don't want to be in her debt."
"I know... I know. I don't even have Read Magic prepared, so I'll have to do it the old fashioned way. It will take longer." He breathes out a haggard breath. "Talk to me, Gabriella. Tell me your perspective."
"My perspective?! Don't be ridiculous, Ulrich! You know my perspective. She is an abomination and shouldn't exist. She's a corruption of the natural order of things. Her very existence spits on the established pattern of life and death. That's my perspective."
She turns away.
"However, the Whispering Tyrant is equally so and far more dangerous. So we will take advantage of the resources that she offers us to attempt to contain his threat. Once that's done ... then we'll see where we stand."
"I should have been more specific. Did you detect any lies when she spoke of her motivations? Any missing information?"
He seems to be slowly getting it back together.
Gabbi looks away. Uncharacteristic embarrassment showing on her face. "I was so worried about Miss Mouth rattling her bone box that I didn't check."
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Amnayel can't take it anymore. She has stood and held her tongue while her truth was spoken, but Amnayel believes very little of it. She strides forward to the front and finally breaks her silence, speaks her mind quite loudly. " You mention the Knights of Ozem? Why have you not engaged their support on this matter? Surely they would increase the chance of success in this effort"
"I do not trust you. I will never trust you. You would have us focus on destroying the Whispering Tyrant, and on this task alone we are aligned."
"While we share a common goal presently that you appear to be assisting us with now, at some point when we succeed, and we will succeed, we will have amassed too much knowledge and power and you will either feel threatened and betray us or attempt to seize the vacuum created and take control of whatever dangerous weapon exists. Of this you will not convince me that I am mistaken. "
"So hear me now, Queen of monsters, I will endeavor to work towards this task that holds our mutual interest in overthrowing the greater evil, but I will not turn a blind eye to what you represent. I cannot. And when this task is complete, we will speak again."
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Arazni glares angrily at Amnayel. ”Go to the fawning, sanctimonious little children who first conjured me to fight their war for them while Aroden hid like a coward? Go to the knights who let my corpse be stolen and raised as this thing before you, then had the temerity to label me—violated because of their own arrogance and failure—the ‘Harlot Queen’? Were this a simple matter affecting just the Knights of Ozem, I would happily let them dash themselves against Tar-Baphon’s walls, if I did not kill them myself. To your credit, I find your assistance far less nauseating than theirs.
“Indeed, we will speak again, paladin. I am counting on it.”
Amnayel takes Arazni's retort with response, only nodding briefly once. She continues to stand there and stare at her until Ulrich and Gabriella return, unwilling to take her eyes off of her.
Annabel, go upstairs woth Ella. Make sure she's ok." Allie says, stepping in to make sure that no-one gets blasted. "I'll bring the items up in minute."
She gives the paladin a push towards Ella and waits until everyone is gone and she is alone with the Lich Queen.
Amnayel turns to Alessandra and frowns "I do not wish to leave. I do not trust leave you alone with her. Why would you have me go where I am not needed? I am sure Elka is fine." she says, not quite understanding.
"I'd prefer you don't anger a god and have your head blown off your body for your insolence." Allie replies, done sugar-coating. "This is one of those times to stop talking. Now go."
"Ah, I see. Thank you for clarifying. I shall go check on Elka then." she says, turning to leave as requested. She walks only a few steps and then turns back around. She opens her mouth to speak only to see Allie make a pinching motion. The aasimar nods, closing her mouth and turns once more to leave the room.