Roz attempts to dispel Glorio/Bahor's magical protections, to no avail. Unfotunately, with all of his defenses in place, none of your attacks land! Meliya/Vimanda's scorching rays sputter against his spell resistance. Aurelia's spell takes effect, though, and the rakshasa yawns in boredom as you flail at him ineffectually.
Seeing her arrows miss Vox curses and closes to flank the rakshasa with Nicoleta.
"Stop dodging and let me hit you, you f$*#ing freak!" Nicoleta snarls at the man as she continues to attempt to knock him off his feet.
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Tilting her head at the bored tiger-man, she asks "You want to kiss my lover, don't you? Be careful, she bites."
Roz succeeds at dispelling Glorio's magical shield, making him easier to hit. Still, Nicoleta only succeeds at landing one punch. The rest of you fail to hit Bahor, and Vimanda's scorching rays sputter against his spell resistance again.
However, once more the rakshasa succumbs to Aurelia's magic. "I bite as well," he purrs as he reaches out to try to kiss and caress Nicoleta, brushing at her cheek with his backwards hands.
Nearly out of spells, Aurelia tries her hand with her trusty crossbow. Raising it, she takes a shot at Gloria just when he would try to kiss Nicoleta.
Vox, it appears, is not a fan of furries as she unleashes a pair of devastating blows when Bahor starts getting frisky...
Nicoleta feigns annoyance at her furry kiss getting interrupted. "Now that's just rude!" she snaps before snapping out with feet and fists.
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Roz manages to dispel Glorio's mage armor, making the rakshasa even easier to hit. Her summoned bralani strikes him with two arrows, Vox slices him twice, and Aurelia scores a hit with her crossbow! Vimanda manages to pierce his spell resistance this time, scorching her brother with fiery rays. Only Nicoleta fails to land a good hit.
The boredom takes hold of Glorio's mind again, leaving him too apathetic to react even as your assault begins to wear him down!
Vox ignores everything else and keeps hacking. She just wants this guy dead now, thank-you-very-much!
"Damn! I'm just not getting any satisfaction f#$!ing or fighting," the dhampir snarls.
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You redouble your efforts against Bahor. This time, Nicoleta lands several punishing blows. Couple with Vox's blade, the bralani's arrows, and Aurelia's painful stare, the rakshasa finally falls!
Vimanda growls with satisfaction before stalking over to her fallen brother and slicing his head clean off of his body with her kukri! She laps at the blood dripping from the severed head and laughs in its face. "How do you like me now, brother?" she cackles.
The fox-headed woman turns her gaze to you. "Thank you. You have done well, so I will send for your seneschal. Then you may be on your way."
"Damn! Sibling rivalry's some serious s*$@ among Rakarsha's," she whispers to Aurelia as Vimanda exacts her revenge.
As they wait, Nicoleta checks out the body and then the room itself.
"Now that is a serious bed," she says, standing with her hands on her hips surveying the expansive piece of bedroom furniture. "You don't suppose you could give me and my girlfriend a couple of hours with it alone, do you?" she asks, only partially joking. "Or maybe you might be willing to sell it?"
She eyes it a little more critically.
"Nah, strike that. It wouldn't fit in our room."
Aurelia can't resist and joins Vimanda in the lapping of the blood from the fallen foe. Returning to the group with a bloody mouth, much of the tension earlier seems to have dissipated. She leans on Nicoleta, resting her head on the dhampir's shoulder.
Listening Peaches talk, she is quite surprised that Nicoleta doesn't ask to take the fox on the bed with them given their prior conversations this day. She tilts her head to observe the bed from different angles and reaches the same conclusion that Nicoleta does "Too big."
Vox rolls her eyes and stalks out of the room, leaving the sex crazed maniacs to 'negotiate' among themselves.
Vimanda allows you to explore the room but does not let you take any of Glorio's gear or the furnishings. She summons the majordomo Carnochan and informs him of the house's change of leadership, then bids him to fetch Seneschal Kalepopolis. The one-eyed majordomo returns after several minutes with the seneschal, who sports several fresh bruises and scars. It looks like they had been torturing him.
"Neolandus!" Vencarlo cries. He gives the seneschal a hug and helps support the injured man.
"And with that, I believe our business is concluded," Vimanda says. "You may take the boat in the sea caves below and leave Korvosa."
Nicoleta's eyes narrow.
"That wasn't the agreement. We help you overthrow your brother and then you return Kapota... Kalepala... that guy, and let us leave without incident. Those were your words. Korvosa's my home. I'm not leaving the city."
She crosses her arms and stares at Vimanda.
Aurelia looks sternly at Vimanda with her bloody mouth, trying to be intimidating as possible, giving her a Don't f$#& with us, you saw what we can do look.
Vox is sneaky enough, once she hears the conversation going on to hurry away down the corridors, trying to put as much distance between herself and the conversation as she can. Once she has (hopefully) left the range of any magical detection spells, she makes her way back again - sneakily.
”Actually, I think it best that we do leave the city,” Kalepopolis says. ”The key to stopping Queen Ileosa’s madness lies elsewhere. I will tell you more later, but we must put some distance between us and Korvosa.”
Nicoleta glances at Aurelia, then at Roz, and then at ... ok, not at Vox because she's gone ... again.
Uncomfortable at giving in to the fox-woman, it seems that she doesn't have a choice. "Then I guess we're taking your boat and ... and leaving korvosa." The last part is said through gritted teeth as if it took some effort to spit the words out.
"Let's move," Roz agrees.
You head down to the sea caves and the barge that is docked there. You board the boat and row out into the bay, heading up the coastline and away from the city of Korvosa.
"We should make our way inland to Harse," Vencarlo suggests. "My friends there will keep us safe while we catch our breath and plan our next move."
During this voyage, Vencarlo and Neolandus ask you about how you came to Old Korvosa, pumping you for information about what’s been happening in the city over the past few days. When they learn about the incident involving Marcus Endrin’s failed assassination attempt, their eyes grow large and Vencarlo curses under his breath.
"That the queen survived such an intact is positive proof that my fears have been confirmed," Neolandus says sadly. "Ileosa has become something more than human. And it's that crown that is to blame. Let us make for Harse. I promise, I will tell you everything I know once we arrive."
"Something more than human?" Nicoleta spits out as she works the oars. Where some people would find the exercise meditative, the dhampir just gets annoyed ... and sweaty. "What the f#$# does that mean?"
"It means she may now, in fact, be the reincarnation of a draconic warlord long thought to be dead," Neolandus says. "I said I would explain everything later. Let's just focus on our escape right now!"
Vox does as Neolandus mentions and focuses on the escape. Just as they emerge onto the open water there's a sudden change and Iolaire is sitting there instead of Vox.
She doesn't comment at all, just continues to smoothly pull her oar, disregarding all the swearing that comes from the dhampir seated next to her.
"An reincarnated draconic warlord. Great. Could this story get any crazier?"
She answers all questions and explains to Vencarlo and Neolandus her story along with their collaborative exploits since they began takin tasks on for Kroft along with their successes long after.
"I think we know who is going to need to put down this Warlord, don't we?" she asks with something twinkling behind her eyes.
I wonder what the blood of a reincarnated draconic warlord tastes like? I bet it's powerful.
"Damn! She was hot, too," Nicoleta says with a shake of her head as she continues to stroke.
Aurelia slips her arm around Peaches and lies, "There will be other hot fox shape-shifters, I'm sure."
When Nicoleta looks unconvinced, she shrugs "Well, there's always hope, right?"
Unable to resist just a little more teasing, Nicoleta looks sideways at her lover and frowns. "How about if you just growl a little while we're doing it, maybe that will make up for it."
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Not to miss the moment, Aurelia throws her weight on top of Nicoleta and pushes her to the ground. Kneeling on top of her and holding her arms to the ground, she knows full well that the monk could sneeze and blow her off of her. With the dhampir beneath her, she lets her fangs extend and starts to growl, moving her face into the side of Nicoleta's neck and playfully biting her while continuing to growl.
"Not in the boat you idiots!" Iolaire says in exasperation.
Even as the boat rocks from side to side, Nicoleta seems happy to accommodate her lover in her rough play, growling back and considering whether to let the mesmerist retain the upper hand.
It's only when Iolaire snaps at them both does she take into account the possibility of 'bad things' happening.
"Spoil-sport," she says to the elf with a smirk as she sits up and puts Aurelia back in her seat and takes a grip on the oars again.
Chapter 4: A History of Ashes
14 Gozran, 4708 AR
You find a secluded cove to stash the barge and rest overnight. The next day, you head north to the town of Harse. It takes three days of walking to reach the town, arriving in the late afternoon. A short 5-minute ride north from Harse along the Sarwin River, a moderately sized horse ranch sits comfortably in the cleft of two low hills topped with small copses of fir trees. This is Blackbird Ranch, owned by a barrel-chested man named Jasan Adriel. He is the same man you turned Trinia Sabor over to when she needed a place to hide out.
”Vencarlo! Neolandus! Welcome! And to you as well, ladies!” Jasan says, moving to embrace you as if you were old friends. ”Dinner is almost ready. Join us, will you?”
Trinia stands in the corner of the ranch house’s foyer. She gives you a tentative smile, though she looks at Aurelia with wary shame, remembering her last interaction with the mesmerist.
"Then we arrived at the perfect time!" Nicoleta says with a grin at the idea that dinner will be served any moment.
When she notices Trinia sitting in the corner, she gives Aurelia a meaningful look and gestures with her eyes towards the wary refugee.
Iolaire offers Trinia a smile, unlike Vox she doesn't hold a grudge, and seems equally excited by dinner.
"Is there a chance that I could wash first?" She asks, "It's been a long way since I was last clean."
"I think we all could do with a bath," Roz agrees, the faeries making fart noises and emitting weird smells for emphasis.
Aurelia looks at Trinia and then over to Nicoleta. She opens her mouth to protest, but stops short of speaking words aloud. With her back to Trinia, she huffs loudly and makes a show of her displeasure to her girlfriend. "It would be easier if I just cast a spell on her make it all better, you know."
When she sees Nicoleta's expression she holds up her hands and says "Alright, alright. FINE." She spins to face Trinia however, wiping away the her frustration for a serious look of concern.
She approaches with her right hand over her chest "Trinia, oh thank the Gods! I was so worried." She throws her arms around the woman, draping her in a heavy hug where she rests her head against the other womans. "I'm so thankful you are safe and sound." she whispers before pulling back with her head while still keeping her hands on her shoulders "There is something I must do. Since our last meeting, I've been distraught with how I treated you. It was simply inhumane of me! I have been beside myself, up and night worried I've caused your distress. Please. From the bottom of my heart, accept my sincerest apology."
She lays her head down on Trinia's shoulder so she can stare at the monk. Happy? she says, rolling her eyes.
”Thank you, Aurelia. That means a lot. If you truly feel remorseful, then I accept your apology. Please make sure something like that doesn’t happen again,” Trinia says. She returns the mesmerist’s hug. ”Let’s move on, shall we? I am happy to see some familiar faces. What’s been going on in Korvosa?”
A cough that sounds suspiciously like a snort erupts from the dhampir who quickly covers her mouth.
Once Aurelia returns to her side, she leans in to her. "I don't know whether you deserve a swat or a reward for that performance," she whispers. "Perhaps both."
"Oh thank the Gods!" she says with relief, "Thank you so much. Yes. I would love to put this behind us."
As she pulls away, she brings up some of the highlights of what have happened, specifically touching on the tiger, the fox and the reincarnated queen.
Trinia seems in awe of everything that you've been through, asking for more details. The young artist has not been idle in the past few months either, having swiftly grown bored with rural life. While you fought blood veil and handled the situation in Old Korvosa, Trinia increasingly took to solo excursions into the wilderness around Harse, looking for adventure and excitement. For a time, she increasingly became a thorn in the side of a local gang of bandits called the Craghawks, but when she heard rumors of a group of green adventurers having gone missing in the hills to the southeast of Harse, she hastened to the rescue.
Trinia hired a Varisian tracker named Voris Albishar to aid in locating the missing adventurers, only to realize too late that the whole thing was a ploy engineered by the Craghawks to lure her into an ambush, and that her guide Voris was in fact the bandits’ leader. He led her into a narrow gorge the bandits had been using as one of several hideouts, but things didn’t quite go as planned when they sprung the attack. Trinia led the bandits on a perilous chase along the upper edge of the gorge, resulting in several bandits falling to their deaths before Trinia managed to throw off pursuit by dropping down a narrow cave opening. She found herself in a long-forgotten Shoanti tomb haunted by an ancient sorcerer’s ghost, who had become frustrated at how the Craghawks had despoiled the gorge she had dwelled in while alive. Knowing she needed help to escape, Trinia agreed to a risky ploy—she allowed the ghost to possess her.
Free now to travel beyond her burial site while Trinia harbored her, the ghost emerged from the tomb and used her magic to destroy the remaining Craghawks. True to her promise, the ghost (Trinia never learned the ancient sorcerer’s name) released her from possession and even allowed the bard to take a magical headband from her remains as thanks.
"I never told anybody about my adventures--Jasan just asssumed I spent my time away from the ranch on overnight trips to the wild to paint!" Trinia says with a giggle. "But I'm proud that I was able to make the hinterlands a bit safer. I, uh, kind of got the adventuring bug in me still, though. Maybe when you guys are done here at the ranch, I could come with you?"
"Uh ..." Nicoleta hems as she glances at Aurelia. "That's a ... a possibility," she offers. "We'll have to see what happens. Right now I'm just looking for dinner and a hot bath."
Aurelia stares blankly at Nicoleta which the monk knows she is forcing herself to remain silent to avoid making a big scene. After a few seconds of a blank stare, she turns to Trinia with a smiles "My oh my, you have been busy, haven't you? It seems like you may be quite the experienced adventurer now. Let us ladies have a quick chat about it later after we get some food and we'll let you know, okay? I for one would just love to have someone with your experience with us moving forward."
"Thanks!" Trinia says happily.
You take the time to bathe and refresh yourselves before Jasan and his family for a hearty dinner. Afterwards, the big man leads you down to the basement so that you can speak frankly without worrying his wife and children. During that late night meeting, Neolandus outlines everything that he knows:
• When Neolandus confronted Queen Ileosa about King Eodred II’s death, her response was to send Red Mantis assassins after him—proof enough of guilt to Neolandus. Through a combination of luck and knowledge of the castle’s layout, Neolandus escaped and went into hiding with his friend Salvator Scream in Old Korvosa.
• After he recovered from the attack but before Salvator handed him over to the Arkonas, Neolandus spent much of his time conducting clandestine interviews, poring through records in Endrin Academy, and piecing together rumors to try to determine what caused Queen Ileosa’s sudden personality change from a petulant queen to a scheming tyrant.
• Neolandus’s knew that Queen Ileosa had been “borrowing” the treasury key to look through Korvosa’s treasures. Neolandus was also familiar with several old and obscure legends about the rooms below Castle Korvosa— chambers, it was whispered, used to hide something of great power or terrible evil. He’s heard mention of something called “Midnight’s Teeth,” believed to be a sacred relic of great import to the Shoanti. Circumstantial evidence indicates that the Shoanti kept these teeth somewhere inside the pyramid that now serves as Castle Korvosa’s foundation.
• Further research uncovered a chilling old legend. Several hundred years ago, a blue dragon agent of Zon-Kuthon named Kazavon brought the orcs of the Hold of Belkzen to their knees before attacking Ustalav and Lastwall, until he was finally defeated and his remains scattered. According to the legend, some of his body parts, including his fangs, contained fragments of the dragon’s essence.
• Neolandus suspects that Midnight’s Teeth and Kazavon’s fangs are one and the same. The description of the queen’s new crown sounds to Neolandus as if she now wears the teeth on her brow, the implications of which trouble him greatly.
• Hard facts about Midnight’s Teeth remain sparse, since Korvosa’s founders didn’t think it important to preserve much in the way of Shoanti culture. Yet the Shoanti have very strong oral traditions, and if anyone knows the truth behind Midnight’s Teeth, that truth is doubtless hidden among their historians up in the Cinderlands.
"I can see only one way forward," Neolandus says. "If Queen Ileosa is to be defeated, someone has to travel into the Cinderlands and contact the Shoanti to find out what they know of Kazavon’s fangs, and how best to defeat the ancient evil."
"Your safety is important," Vencarlo says to the seneschal. "Blackjack's amulet should keep you safe from any attempts to magically divine your location. I'll stay here with you and Jasan to keep things under wraps until the time to strike at Ileosa is nigh. So, ladies," the fencing instructor says as he turns to you with a twinkle in his eye, "will you be ready to leave for the Cinderlands in the morning?"
"Yeah, out in the f*@~ing backwoods is where I want to go," Nicoleta snaps sarcastically. She shakes her head. "It doesn't sound like we have much of a choice, though. Do I at least get a hot bath tonight and breakfast in the morning?"
"Didn't you just have a bath? How stinky are you?" Roz asks quizzically. Her faeries giggle.
Aurelia takes a sniff of her and comments with a smirk, "She smells like your fairy farts, Roz."
Iolaire just sighs gently as the previous useful meeting devolves into name calling. She can't help but worry about the children back in Korvosa. Alice and Jasper are sensible. They'll look after the shop, and each other. She tells herself in an attempt at self-comfort.
Nicoleta gives Roz a wink. "We were a little busy doing ... other things. So not too much actually got washed." She tweaks Aurelia's bottom as if to make her point.