Dell's eyes cross as he watches Ayo's blade come straight towards his forehead. He doesn't get the chance to respond as Taariik cuts him down, the ifrit's blunted blade red with blood as it rises back into the air. Alrik chops again at the other recruit, but she remains standing - until a blunted bolt from Conig's crossbow strikes her squarely between the eyes and she crumples.
Captain Othis claps slowly from the balcony, her jaw tight. "Very well," she says at last. "In spite of your teammates' valiant efforts to even the playing field by being completely useless, it appears that someone can't control their hotheadedness." She glares pointedly at Taariik. "A sign you all require more discipline." She waves curtly as she turns around and walks away. "When your friend decides to stop playing dead, you can report to the armory to clean those weapons. Perhaps tomorrow we can start with some practical training."
After a minute or so, Ebonfeather blinks and begins to move once more. A grizzled Ungrounded veteran helps the other recruits to their feet before shaking her head and continuing onward to another part of the mercenary complex. Dell clutches his side, but turns to Ayo. "I... thank you for trying to help. You're... good people." He pulls out a small vial of clear liquid from his belt and hands it to the warrior. "For... goodwill, eh?" His smile is bloody as he limps after his companions towards the armory.
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Ayo bows graciously as she accepts the gift from Dell. "You act with great honor. The Ungrounded truly are a great company if they have soldiers such as you." She looks on in surprise as Ebonfeather snatches the healing potion out of her hands, but she makes no move to correct him. She had thought the gift meant for her specifically, but he does need it far more than her.
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"What happened?" Ebonfeather said as the brushed off the dirt before taking the proffered healing potion.
[dice=Cure Mod]2d8+3
Taariik shrugs at Ebonfeather.
“I don’t know? You dropped, they dropped... I almost dropped. Fighting is not really necessary in my view if nothing is at stake. The path to perfection knows many challenges that go beyond brutality!“
The Pathfinders walk with the other recruits to the armory, storing the blunted weapons and retrieving their own from the racks. Taariik has to spend a bit of time cleaning the blood off his borrowed bardiche, but Dell and the other Ungrounded recruits stick around to ask how the other group's training is going and if they think they'll make it as members of the company.
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Conig stores his longbow and blunt arrows respectfully in the armory. Not having been harmed from the battle, he assists others where possible. Carrying gear while potions are consumed or fetching water, ale, and food.
Training has been a challenge being prohibited from my magic. I'm sure we will persevere.
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Damhán finds nothing on the weapons of those laying in the dirt... but then realizes they all hit someone with them. He glances over towards the one named Dell, then notices his blade is not quite so clear as the others.
"You." He growls, pointing at Dell. "What exactly is that on your blade."
"Your cohorts seem to have all been brushed off, but your blade still seems coated in something. Did you poison our comrade?"
He glances down at Ebonfeather, as the tengu starts to come around.
...A grizzled Ungrounded veteran helps the other recruits to their feet before shaking her head and continuing onward to another part of the mercenary complex...
Dell tries to say something, but wilts in the face of Ayo's disapproval. "I..." he stammers, "I didn't think... I thought we might need an edge. So... so I got the powder and told them all to put it on their blades. They did nothing wrong - I-I take full responsibility." He stands stiffly, blade half-wiped clean with a polishing cloth in his hand.
Dell looks incredibly uncomfortable as Ayo and Alrik confront him, but keeps his lips shut.
Dell backs away, shaking his head as the Pathfinders crowd around him. "No, it was m-m-my idea," he stammers. "And we all saw how much better of warriors you are. I... I don't want to talk about it anymore." The oread turns away from the group and continues wiping off his blade.
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"Since you decided to not listen to reason, I will do it the old fashion way. I will start with you as my sparing partner as I instruct the others on the art of hand to hand combat, or in my case, claw, claw, beak and continue with the rest of you until I get the answers I am looking for." Ebonfeather said, pointing a claw at Dell.
Dell seems unmoved by Ebonfeather's threats, his face a stoney mask as he cleans the blade and hangs it on the wall.
Dell's mask crumbles under the combined weight of the Pathfinders' unfriendly attention. "You-you're as bad as the captain!" he blurts, failing to hold back the tears leaking down his cheeks. "I-I-I tried to stand up to her too, you know - told her it wasn't fair for us to cheat even if she told us to. And then she had Herma dragged into her office, and all we could hear outside was our companion crying out in pain and the captain yelling. And when the door opened..." He glares at Ebonfeather. "She could barely walk, barely speak. Captain followed her out and said she'd asked nicely and wasn't asking as nicely now, and if we 'understood the message'. I..." He looks at Ayo as he echoes her words, then down at the stone floor.
"I couldn't stand to see another of my friends dragged in there and beaten for my actions," he whispers. "I... I said yes, we would obey the captain's order to sabotage the obstacle course and use the poison she provided on our weapons today." He looks back up at the Pathfinders, his face once more an emotionless mask of stone. "So do what you want with me. You can't break me more than I already am."
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Ayo merely nods gravely. She waits a few moments before speaking, always wanting to make sure that she speaks with wisdom and never extraneously.
"I do not wish to break you, merely to found out who already did. The loyalty of a soldier to their commander is precious, and you have shown your loyalty and honor by trying to protect her. I do not fault you for your reticence to speak, nor do I think you weak for knowing that what she did was wrong. We shall have to investigate further. Should we have need of you, would you be willing to speak on this matter to authorities?"
Ayo folds her arms again as she considers Tarriik's theory.
"I had thought this behavior normal for this particular company. Such groups are known for often brutal initiations. However, Dell's testimony has suggested otherwise. In order to see our Masters' at the Pathfinder Society's will done, we should investigate the Captain's motivations and whether she is acting upon the orders of her own superiors."
Before anyone can answer, Ayo turns her attention to Damhan. "I sincerely apologize for dismissing your earlier concerns about the captain. I had mistaken your churlishness and disrespect for lack of wisdom." She bows to him, a small one, enough to indicate her remorse for dismissing him without apologizing for thinking him churlish and disrespectful.
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"Since the involves you Herma, what do you have to say about the incident? Was there anyone else in the room with the Captain at the time?" Ebonfeather asked.
"I am sorry that the Captain got the lot of you involved in this matter. You know she ordered that you all head off to the farthest guard post for failing to do your jobs right. You are to not return until further orders. Understand?" he said in the Captain's language.
”Oh Dell! I am so sorry!“ he says and hugs Dell.
The oread endures the ifrit's embrace in silence.
"...Should we have need of you, would you be willing to speak on this matter to authorities?"
The oread answers Ayo's request with an emotionless face. "Why?" he asks simply. "She is the authorities, unless you somehow managed to speak with the General. What good would it do?"
"...You are to not return until further orders. Understand?"
"You do not speak for the captain," the oread responds flatly.
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Damhán frowns, as the others start to bully the soldier.
How quickly they all start acting like the worst of 'em He thinks to himself, staying out of it entirely.
He is not surprised to learn about the poison, or that the Captain instigated it... though did wonder why she was targeting the Pathfinders specifically.
When Ayo, turns to address him, he merely snorts. "My concerns were not about the Captain." He says. "There are Captains like her at all such places. My derision is for the institution and all like it. This is not the first such I have been subjected to..."
He almost starts to say more, then scowls and goes quiet again, clearly not one to talk about his past experiences on a whim.
"So where'd this stuff come from?" He asks, glancing at the substance still on the blade. "This standard Ungrounded issue? Or does Othis have her own personal stash?"
Dell tries to maintain his chill demeanor, but eventually thaws under the heat of Taariik's passionate plea. "I-I... Well..." He glances at the door, then takes a deep breath. "Y-yeah, I'll do it. M-maybe I can reclaim some of my honor I've lost by doing so." He frowns in thought at Damhán's question. "I've never seen it before today, and I received it from the captain," he answers slowly. "And I must be going, or it'll be another demerit." Bowing to the Pathfinders, the oread takes his leave.
Dell doesn't hear Alrik's question, but the Pathfinder would guess from having lived in the mercenary compound for the last week that the captain would be in her office at this time of day. She seems to leave it only when conducting drills or supervising the training of new recruits, as well as during dinner and overnight.