Feena looked tried to help with the puzzle but was too distracted by the bizarreness around her to be of any real help. When she heard the noises behind her Feena turned her head to see what it was. The sudden appearance of these men scared Feena badly and as she heard Coral call for her to get behind them she tossed a spell at the nearest one and quickly complied.
Lola simply nods along as the others work through the spirit's thought experiment, smiling kindly, and playing, La Guitarra to add gentle music to the proceedings. She watches with a crooked grin as Coral deftly identifies the spirit's task, and plays a conclusion to the soundtrack she had been providing, sending the fragment away with a quiet flourish.
Feena's hastily cast magical attack misses, shattering a shelf of glass nearby.
The four enemies all take the same action nearly simultaneously, pulling out a vial from their belt and drinking it down. All four figures wink out of sight, vanishing one after the other!
"Damn it! Who are you? What do you want?"
Damian stares at the spot where the four had been just a moment ago, invoking the Dawnflower's blessing in case things turned violent. The previous encounters had drained him, however, and he moves sideways to place his back to the corner of the room in a more defensive position.
"They are probably still around where the just were!"
Marya preemptively casts a spell on herself, guessing that if these are Whispering Way cultists as they were warned about, a clear cleric of Iomedae makes an excellent target.
She then draws her sword, hunkering down in preparation for a possible oncoming swarm.
Feena realzied that the thugs had vanished but realized that they had to still be around given the way her friends were acting. She wished she had another spell available to bring out more sparkly dust but unfortunately she did not. She began to look around frantically for something, anything, that could be used to outline their attackers. As she did she tried to put her back to a wall so that she wouldn't be easily flanked.
Lola steps back next to Vlad, a little away from Coral, and nods at Feena, winking at her.
Fortunately, Coral is pretty good at dealing with invisible opponents.
Presuming that Lola's spell doesn't outline the attackers, Coral takes a step and uses Total Defense.
Loa's spell erupts in a splash of golden sparkles in front of Coral, Feena and Marya. As the spell fades and the particles settles to the ground, none of the four creatures who entered the shop are visible within it.
The four creatures appear, one after another, thrusting their daggers towards your frontline. Vlad has one in front of him and south of him, though only one attempts to cut him as the other swings towards the halfling. The one swinging at Coral misses by a mile, but that is because she's prepared for his strike.
Vlad is cut unable to connect with their strikes. Vlad retaliates and strikes the creature in front of him with a wicked blow. The man cries in pain, but screams out "Yes! Strike me down so that my masters will raise me to fight you as undead! Bring my pain and judgment!"
Marya is less lucky, though it could have gone much worse. Both combatants before her land their blows, one nearly critically so. "For Tar-Baphon!" cries one as he buries his dagger into the cleric's chest, the other screaming alongside him and cutting her her thigh.
Marya coughs up blood from the stabs. She grins even as it flows down from her mouth.
"Tar-Baphon got his pasty rotting ass beaten by a piece of wood. The idiot f$!+ed up a wish spell. How do you f$$+ up your own wish spell? And you worship that?"
She steps back out of their range and drops her sword so she can cast a cure spell on herself.
Oh great, they're all like Vlad, thinks Coral, as the cultist begs for pain.
Flippant hubris, she scowls in response to Marya's insults, and the halfling takes the opposite tack as she faces the enemy.
"Tar-Baphon is the most dangerous being on Golarion," she says with quiet determination. "He is immensely intelligent. I fully understand why you worship him. But I will not yield and I will not fall."
She takes a step so that the cultists cannot flank Vlad.
Feena saw Marya get stabbed badly and knew that she should do something to help her. Unfortunately there was little she could do. Oh she could probably hold the attackers back for a short while if she immolated again but it would hurt her friends and likely burn the building down. While she might be able to immolate herself without harm she was still vulnerable to other flames. Instead she stepped back and sent a jolt of electricity at one of the attackers.
Embarassed at her mistake, Lola simply begins the footwork of a Rondolero Duelist, her movements and cloak flowing gracefully, which somehow manages to inspire the others towards great heights.
Damian is profoundly unsettled by the attackers' fanaticism and their worship of Tar-Baphon. Especially the mention of them being raised as undead to continue fighting for their master... that was especially concerning.
But no time to give the matter more than a cursory thought as the cultists begin to stab his friends. They had to defend themselves.
Vlad's attack is vicisous and he nearly severs the left arm off the man in front of him, but instead of cries of fear or pain it calls out with glee. Staggering and barely clinging to life he proclaims loudly "Yes! I am almost there! I will arise anew and be reborn! Our time is almost upon us, brothers!"
Damian and Feena both easily land shots on the their target, but he continues to push forward as their backs press up against the broken glass case behind them.
The nearly-dead man attacking Vlad has nothing left in the tank and can barely swing his daggers, yet alone put together a coordinated attack. Both of his attacks fail as do the brown-cloaked cultist attacking Coral.
The injured cultist that Feena and Damian hurt presses his attack against the foul-worded cleric and unfortunately for her, lands both of his dagger strikes against her.
Damian uses his bow to deflect the first attack against him but opens himself up and the cultist slashes his forearm afterwards.
Coral continues her ruminations.
"Arazni fell to one who was nearly a god."
She sees the cultists could potentially flank Lola, so she steps back to block that move and stabs again at Brown.
"Vlad, let's block up!"
So the second attack against an adjacent ally by an adjacent enemy does not get the +4.
Lola doesn't want to leave Feena unprotected, so she simply lashes out with her spear at the one between Damian and Marya.
She adds, "Vlad, I agree with Coral, step closer to us - these fellows mean business."
"Hold fast, Marya!" Damian shouts encouragement as he prepares to transfer her wounds to him and steps in to protect her right flank. It was too crowded to use his bow anymore, but he could still do something to help.
Marya just sighs at Coral. Marya had been trying to get the bastards to focus on her since she is in a position where she can avoid being flanked and getting hit with the worst of their hits. The Arazni comment though, that really gets her going. Hilde's adoration for the fallen herald, how they narrativized themselves as tragic loves Iomedae and Arazni, and how Marya's own "Arazni" was cut down before her in such a similar way. Her voice turns frigid cold, as it does when she is actually deeply upset. "You don't know s!!$ about Arazni. Maybe you should focus less on proving your own impartial virtue and more on us staying alive, yeah? Or when these f$%&s stab me to death, will you complement them on their technique?"
Her focus back to the battle, Marya sees what Damian is trying to do and she follows his lead, drawing her backup sword and holding fast. If she just holds on keeps them from hitting her, she can let the life link do its work.
"I feel the tale more deeply than you give me credit for, Marya."
Coral doesn't even sound angry at Marya. Just disappointed and a bit sad.
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Vlad doesn't care about the wounds he's sustaining himself, but recognizes a bad tactical situation for his companions. Swinging his warhammer double-fisted at the one he's injured badly, with a single step he's back next to Coral.
"More focus on the demons in front of us, and less on your own!" he yells, peeved at his companions.
Feena was pleased that her spell hit so well but they were getting backed into a corner and that wasn't good. Still hearing them talk about dying being a good thing brought a rather vicious smile to her otherwise lovely face as she glared at them and said, "Oh don't get your hopes up. Once you're dead I will purify you with flames! There will be no returning after that!" With that Feena chanted and gestured causing a gout of flames to envelope the pair of attackers trying to kill Marya.
Vlad does indeed finish off the cultist with whom he had been exchanging words. As the cultist drops to the ground, the one nearest him shouts "Rejoice! He shall return even more powerful!"
Lola and Coral both land their blows, both of their targets now showing multiple bloody wounds.
The clutists that Feena blasts manage to dodge the brunt of her flames, though the still get burned. The aqua-cloaked cultist looks like a strong breeze mind send him to the ground as he staggers back and forth on his feet. He stumbles forward towards the fire-bringer and slashes at her with his dagger. His first stike misses, but his second finds purchase as blood springs forth from her thigh.
The brown-clad cultist to Vlad's south swipes at Lola, but both of his attacks fail to connect. The last one south of Damian moves closer against the wall to his south and manages to stick the archer once.
Feena cried out in pain from the cultists' slice and then saw red. This was intolerable! She could tell he was in bad shape and wouldn't hold up much longer so she did something kind of foolish.
She then quickly moved around the remains of the case and got into a position to really threaten the cultist that Coral was fighting knowing she would provide a significant distraction.
Coral is dumbfounded by Feena's aggressive move, but takes advantage of the distraction to strike at the cultist.
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Vlad smiles grimly as one of the enemy fall.
"Now is probably a good time to tell you we have all kinds of magic to ensure you're never raised from the dead, you pathetic waste of humanity!"
He swings his warhammer powerfully with both hands, and it strikes one of the cultists directly in the skull, landing with a loud crack!
Lola steps back gracefully and takes another stab at the cultist she previously injured, seeing as it seems almost fallen.
With the tide of battle turning strongly towards her allies, Marya raises her sword high. "Finish them! I'm tired of listening to their ranting."
Some of Marya's wounds begin to close as Damian takes some of the hurt upon himself, while a quick touch heals some of his own wounds. The two cultists were crowding him in, so he couldn't use his bow, but he did have a scimitar - pulling that out, he takes a swing at the one threatening both Marya and himself.
As Feena moves away, both of the cultist to the north swipe at her. Only one connects though, cutting the back of her thigh as she moves past . Once she's in place and the cultist turns to follow her, Coral takes advantage of the positioning and buries her shortsword into his back and drops him down to the ground.
Lola misses her attack but continues to inspire her allies as does Marya. Damian uses the inspiration to quickly drop the aqua-cloaked cultist, leaving only the one to his south. Maybe it's the fact all of his companions are down or perhaps he just isn't good with weapons, but his next action is unexpected.
He raises his knife and slits his own throat, declaring just before "WE AWAIT YOUR SUMMONS!"
Blood gurgles from his throat and he drops to the ground in a pool of his own blood at Damian's feet.
Marya waits a few seconds for Damian's life link to do more of its work then pops off a channel to heal him up as well as her.
Marya sheathes her cold iron sword, picks up her silver longsword, and glares at Coral. "Say your peace, then I'll say mine."
"Do you actually have any interest in what I would say? Or is your mind already made up? Your retort already formed? You have already decided what I do or do not know about Arazni."
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Vlad lowers his weapon as he considers all that has happened.
"You two, stop arguing when people are trying to kill us. I'm sure you both have plenty of demons to expel, but shake hands and let's consider the fact that all these wanted to die and be raised by Tar-Baphon! They were practically begging to be killed and take as many of us with them as possible."
He watches the corpses, for a minute worried they might raise somehow.
"Now, I was lying about having magic to keep them dead--I hope they don't mean it happens automatically. Does anyone have a way to--you know--magic them to stay dead?"
Coral turns away from Marya. If Marya seems actually interested in Coral's perspective, she will offer it, but there is a more pressing matter as Vlad notes.
"Let us see if any are alive. Damian's foe might be.
I hate questioning those I am just going to kill anyway. It seems dishonorable. But we can promise the captive that we will let him kill himself after he talks. And if he doesn't talk, we take him prisoner and take turns giving him sermons. Or turn him over to Jando.
As to your question, Vlad, I think maybe burying them in holy ground? If you just destroy the bodies, their spirits can still come back as ghosts or wraiths or things like that."
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”Hah! So you do know me, Coral.” Coral’s accurate rejoinder does genuinely bring a smile to her face. Marya ignores Vlad for the moment. ”I’ll set aside my planned remarks, though.” They are stuck together, and the last thing they need is to burn more bridges. Best to cut to the heart of the matter, no matter how hard it is. ”You deserve to know why I got so upset. Theological arguments about what honor is due to which enemies aside, that’s not the real issue at play. You deserve to know the real answer.”
She stops as she formulates the right way to proceed. ”You ever have the person you love most in the world killed in front of you? While you are helpless to stop it? I have. It’s hard to hear you talking that way about Arazni’s murderer without me seeing the face of Hilde’s. You didn’t know I felt that way.” She starts shaking, then grabs herself with an intense grip until she calms.
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"I felt like you were disrespecting Arazni by mocking Tar-Baphon. If he was pathetic and idiotic, how much more pathetic should Arazni have been to fall to him? I don't think you intended that implication of your comments but that is what I felt as I heard those words.
Aranzi’s story means a great deal to me as well.
My best friend was summoned by Iomedae - to be a paladin - then was slain in Her service and turned into an undead monstrosity. Much like Arazni. Iomedae was the leader of the Knights of Ozem, so it was her decision to summon the Order's angelic patron. "
"I turned to Arazni's story to try to understand what had happened to Salcas.
If a mortal Iomedae could summon Arazni and send her to her death, as merely one more pawn on the chessboard, why should I expect Her now, as a more removed deity, to care about any of us?
And what I realized is that not even the wisest can see all ends. There are things we cannot understand. Reasons why Aroden could not intervene, why Iomedae’s tactics were so flawed, why Arazni could not foresee the danger...
The answer is that I don't get an answer. It sucks.
And still I will follow Iomedae. Though I do not see Her as perfect. I hope that in Her recognition of her own flaws and errors, She can forgive us ours.
I am sorry for your loss, Marya. I didn't see the person I loved most in the world killed right in front of me. I did see my best friend returned as an undead abomination, and I had to place myself in the line of danger as bait to stop him.
Just as I have done numerous times for this group, like taking the charge of that mutated beast when nobody else was fast enough to react. I do take seriously my duty to protect everyone here, even if I don't agree with you all on everything. Don't ever think that opening my mouth means I am in any way letting up on keeping you all alive as best as I can."
Marya nods along as she listens. She wait until the end before talking. ”I’m sorry. Guess we both didn’t know the whole story. That said, we definitely have some deep disagreements on the details. But that’s fine. Never let it be said that Iomedaeans are a bunch of cookie-cutter constructs. My Hilde talked about The Tyrant in even more disparaging words than mine, and that woman loves Arazni more than she loves herself. We can keep on disagreeing. Just not in front of the cultists, alright? United front and all that. You can assume in the future that if I pull something like that that it’s part of a strategy, like it was today. I don’t care how I look; I just want to keep us all safe, right?”
Damian clasps a hand on Marya's shoulder in support as she explains her reaction. He then sighs and goes down on one knee to check the cultists for life signs, and stabilize at least one if possible.
"Please, let us not argue now. We all want to do the right thing, and that is not always readily apparent. But we have to stand up for each other, not tear each other down. A lot is at stake, we all have very personal histories, and we may be the only ones who can prevent a worse catastrophe than this. So please, let's be kind to each other." He looks at everyone as he speaks, encompassing all with a soft, sad gaze.
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For a brief moment, it looks like Lola is about to chime in to the argument, to actually add something, her eyes rich with knowledge, but she seems to think better of it.
She straightens her hair with her gloved hands, gesturing and tidying herself with a can trip, and cleans off her spear. She adds quietly. ”Magic is not the only way to put le pixan to rest. We can also just give them last rites, ask that they be forgiven for their sins, and offer our own forgiveness for their actions. Sometimes that is enough. Pero, there is consecrated ground here, yes? In Roslar’s Coffer? Unless the fog is both deadly and unholy, the church may be better than others.” She gestures to Marya, ”also, Marya may be able to consecrate their graves tomorrow, as well.”
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Sometimes I wonder if I should even be part of this faith. Vlad seems lost in thought, his zeal not seeming to encompass what matters to others of his faith.
Lola's comments break his line of thought.
"We must consecrate this whole town. Let us finish the tasks to placate that spirit, then ensure the tombs are not desecrated."
The warrior begins looking around the jeweler for anything else they could put to use.