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Hetamon meets Chance’s gaze for a moment. He stays deep in thought before finally saying ”No. I’m not going yet.” The tiefling’s gaze meets back with Chance’s. ”No one in this room knows this woman better than I do. If you’re going to question her, then I’m going to be by your side when you do.”
Hetamon looks down and speaks in a voice of shaking determination. ”She will not be a boogyman to my family any longer! I will not let her hold any more power over me.”
Chance blinks for a moment, then nods and gives Hetamon a tentative smile. “Well, OK then. Should we do it here, or take her back to the Bones?”
"Here is fine. ...And just to be clear, even if we question her, we're not letting her go, right? She's too dangerous."
The group ties up Natsiel and Shensen casts a spell to bring her back to consciousness.
Natsiel stirs from her unconsciousness and looks up at the group around her, then at the bindings holding her in place. She glances up at the nearest person and gives a wry smirk.
”Well, this is elaborate. If you wanted to tie me up all you had to do was ask.”
“Stop it.” Hetamon snaps.
Natsiel’s gaze falls on the Milanite, her expression filled with malicious whimsy. ”Hetamon…You know Mommy doesn’t—“
“Stop it!”
Natsiel giggles in amusement. ”Oh, my bad! I forgot that that’s a touchy subject for you, baby boy.” She leans toward Chance and whispers ”Mommy issues…” as if sharing a scandalous secret.
Hetamon grits his teeth and looks ready to snap back at the woman. Strea places a hand on his shoulder and meets his gaze, shaking her head as if to say “It isn’t worth it.”
Natsiel’s face stretches once more into a cringing smile. ”So here I am, completely at your mercy. So what horrible things will you do to a helpless lady such as I? Anything could happen…”
Even though she’s securely tied up, Chance steps back to make sure he’s not close enough for Natsiel to touch.
“Oh, enough already! Now you’re just being gross. How did you become … what you are?”
”I prefer ‘intimate.’ And I got this way through confidence and a lot of well-needed beauty sleep. But a lady mustn’t divulge all of her tricks.” Natsiel glances at Strea, Shensen, and Jisara. ”Or else there will be no more lovely gentlemen for myself.”
Furious, Vitalis swings his halberd as Natsiel's neck, stopping just short of cutting her, and then holds the weapon steadily in place. "Enough of the b$$@%&*~, Natsiel! Your life is already forfeit. The only reason you still breathe is because my allies think you might say something useful. Unfortunately for you, I have no mercy for those who deal with evil-outsiders and anyone who would torture their own son is beyond redemption. The only choice you have left during the last few minutes of your miserable life is whether I behead you right now or after you say something worth us wasting our time. After what you've done here, say one word I don't like; make one chuckle; look at one of us the wrong way; and your head will be rolling on the floor before you finish your thought. Go ahead and try me! I'm itching to end this!" Vitalis' eyes show that he means it.
Natsiel’s smile fades as she looks into Vitalis’s eyes and realizes that he did NOT want to interrogate her. For the first time, a semblance of fear spreads across her visage.
”Fine. It was the Inquisitor. He approached me with a devil—a woman with tentacles instead of legs—and offered power in exchange for a contract with the devil. His only stipulation was that I also ‘take care’ of anyone he wanted to disappear. The contract essentially amplified my fiendish heritage.”
"That wasn't so hard, was it. Now, is there any reason for your continued existence? I just need one."
"Do you know of anyone e-else in similar contracts? A-and do you know a-anything else about the devil? Her name, m-maybe? Do you know where the contract is kept?"
“One more from me as well. I’m sure the Grand High Muck-Muck Himself isn’t bringing tentacled horrors offering deals to just anyone, so why you?”
"Do you know of anyone e-else in similar contracts?
”Not really. Probably Barzillai himself. Likely that old fart in charge of the Temple of Asmodeus. Um…There was that one chick. Tiarise, I think was her name. She was with me and the devil. She was the one reading through the contract making sure the devil didn’t pull any fast ones. I guess you could say she was my lawyer during that. She has these facial tattoos that almost…morphed around one of her eyes? I dunno how to explain it, but it wasn’t natural. She seemed really skilled with those contracts; I’d be surprised if she weren’t in a couple herself.”
"A-and do you know a-anything else about the devil? Her name, m-maybe?"
”Eh…’Elizabeth,’ I think? Or something similar.”
"Do you know where the contract is kept?"
Natsiel looks ready to make another sexually-charged comment, then glances back at Vitalis and decides against it. ”My brassiere. Had Liz-or-whatever use her magic to morph the boring parchment into something more suitable for my tastes. I’d show you, but I don’t think you’d untie me long enough to give me the chance. There were two copies, though. The devil left with the other one.”
“One more from me as well. I’m sure the Grand High Muck-Muck Himself isn’t bringing tentacled horrors offering deals to just anyone, so why you?”
Natsiel shrugs. ”I dunno.”
“Bullsh*t!” Strea snaps back.
”No, I really don’t! I only met the guy, like…three times? First time was AGES ago. He looked a bum who was intruding, but I saw his face and recognized who he was and offered to…’show him the ways of the Pale Kiss,’ if you catch my meaning. Hey, being the mistress of a Thrune would be better than living in the sewers, y’know? He declined, unfortunately; pretty sure he doesn’t swing that way. He did sleep on my couch for a day or two, though, and asked for directions to…some rundown building, I don’t remember which.
“Second time was a couple months later. That was when he came with the devil. He had me, the devil, and Tiarise draft the contract, then left. When the contract was finalized, only the devil came back; I didn’t see the Inquisitor again.
“Third time was…six months ago, I wanna say? Right before he became Lord-Mayor. That’s when he brought me this pretty thing,” Natsiel motions toward Strea, who scowls in response. ”And then he told me to just ‘get rid’ of anyone his men sent to me. ‘I don’t care how, as long as they aren’t seen again.’ From what I heard, the big guy also burned down several buildings that same evening.”
“The Night of Ashes…” Hetamon mutters.
”Uh…sure. Anyway, my point is that I was basically a cheap whore to Barzillai—why he decided to bring that tentacle-devil to me is anyone’s guess. I’ve just learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
"That wasn't so hard, was it. Now, is there any reason for your continued existence? I just need one."
Natsiel face twists into a malicious smile. ”How’s about Barzillai’s weakness? How’s that for something?”
”Lies.” Hetamon interjects.
”Interesting…” Shensen ponders.
Strea does not say a word, just staring daggers at Natsiel trying to discern her intentions.
As soon as he detects her lie, Vitalis beheads Natsiel.
"I told you that you only got one chance. Bargaining was not an option."
Internally, Vitalis is relieved. While if she did offer any evidence of redemption, he would have considered sparing her, but letting this murderer live would have been a complication he'd rather not deal with.
"I'm sorry, but she couldn't be trusted. Anything she would have said would have been a lie."
Edrakk frantically holds up a hand for Vitalis to stop. "Wait, w-wait, we should at least... consider it, maybe." He seems very nervous even offering this suggestion, but swallows his anxiety and continues. "I-I don't trust her either, but w-we can't just execute her without a plan. Especially since she did give us information already."
Vitalis scowls but halts. "You realize if I don't carry out this attack, my threat no longer holds any credibility. Anything she says next, she can lie with impunity. There is a reason you must not make a deal with a "devil". Of course they'll dangle something you desire in front of you, but the cost is always too high."
Vitalis gestures to the gore covered alter. "You've seen what she does to people. You've seen what she did to Strea and Hetamon. A few honeyed words doesn't exonerate her. Some of the information she gave could be useful...if true but she is no ally and deserves no mercy."
"Would you still hear her out?"
”Oh no, your mistrust is definitely not unfounded. I’ve told a lot of lies in my life—how do you think that one came to be?” Natsiel points her chin at Hetamon, who immediately breaks eye contact. ”But I’m not lying right now. Barzillai is not the strongman he makes himself out to be—the High Inquisitor has a chink in his armor. And I can practically guarantee you that I’m the only one who can tell you this chink—I doubt anyone in his inner circle even has an inkling about it.”
Edrakk looks up at the altar as Vitalis points, then to the floor, tapping his foot as he gathers his thoughts. "I certainly don't trust her." he says eventually. "I think she's manipulative, callous, uncaring, and doesn't think of anyone but herself." He pauses. "But in this case, I think that... m-might work out to our advantage, actually? Y-yes, she could be lying to save her own skin. F-frankly, I can't really blame her. Nothing w-wrong with having a survival instinct." He taps his foot again. "But on the other hand, if she did have this information, what reason would she have to keep it now? It serves as a bargaining chip, and I certainly don't think she has any loyalty to Thrune. I'd say it's just as strong of a possibility that she's just trying to sell Thrune out. And the fact that Thrune has some kind of chink in his armor isn't surprising by any means. He makes himself out to be a strongman, but it's not hard to see that's it's mostly an act. A-and knowing what it is would certainly give us a better chance."
After a second, he turns back to her. "Why are you the only one who would know?" he asks. "How did you find out?"
After a second, he turns back to her. "Why are you the only one who would know?" he asks. "How did you find out?"
Natsiel opens her mouth to speak, then stops herself. She looks up at the ceiling while running her tongue over the front of her teeth—clearly deep in thought. ”Now…How do I answer that question without giving the whole thing away? Hmm…”
She sits like this for several long moments before shaking her head. ”Nope, I got nothing. So instead, let me set my terms.” She looks right at Vitalis as she speaks. All hints of joy and whimsy of the situation is gone—she is deadly serious. ”Let me go, and I’ll leave town. Hell, I’ll probably leave the country. I heard Nidal’s nice this time of year. My point is that yes, I’m throwing Thrune under the wagon—I only sided with him for convenience. That convenience has ended. Besides, he’s become a bit too attached with his little pet project here in Kintargo; he needs to be brought down a peg or two.”
Besides, he’s become a bit too attached with his little pet project here in Kintargo; he needs to be brought down a peg or two
“Become too attached to a lover or project” is anathema to the Archdevil Belial, the deity whom Natsiel worships.
She then meets Hetamon’s gaze. ”I will be gone. You will never hear from me ever again. I will be as good as dead to you. And you’ll have the knowledge of the chink in Barzillai’s armor.” This catches Hetamon off-guard, as he seems to be somewhat considering it.
Natsiel turns back to Vitalis. ”And no, I’m not going to pull a fast one and only give you a single, cryptic sentence for you to try to decipher—I’ll tell you all I know. Thrune builds himself up as a bastion of strength and order—that’s why his supporters love him. He carefully builds up this persona of power and authority and hides any indication of any weakness—if you find his weakness and exploit it, he will crumble! And I have it.
“So. Whaddya say?”
"See, what did I tell you?! She doesn't get to set terms! If we let her go, even if she leaves Cheliax, she'll be free to murder and torture others wherever she goes. I will not trade in innocents' lives, no matter the reward. Of course I want to take Thrune down, but this is not the way. We cannot save Kintargo if we take the route of victory at any cost. If any of you want to make this deal, I will be no part of it."
Vitalis makes his way to the door and waits for the others' decision.
"Liar," Jisara hisses, her tail thrashing in agitation. Beside her, Thatch's fur bristles.
Chance glares at the pseudo-succubus. “That’s just frustrating as anything! It was a lot easier to know what to do with her when we could be confident she was lying.” He sighs and steps over next to Edrakk. “I think we should hear her out.”
When Vitalis leaves the room, Natsiel giggles. ”Yes, I am a liar, but I am not lying now. And if you wish to hear me out, then untie me.”
She’s probably lying. You get the overall feeling that this—her just wanting to leave and never come back—is too good to be true. But at the same time, she seemed sincere about the intel she has. Is it worth it…?
When Vitalis leaves the room, Natsiel giggles. ”Yes, I am a liar, but I am not lying now. And if you wish to hear me out, then untie me.”
Chance tries to glare more glaringly. “That’s not helpful, you know. Really. Don’t giggle. Just… don’t.”
On his way out, Vitalis shakes his head and says, "I'm disappointed in you. I hope you get what you are looking for. If Natsiel is set free, anyone she harm's blood is on your hands."
Edrakk goes quiet for a bit. It's clear he doesn't like the offer, but at the same time, the intel seemed genuine.
After a bit, he gives another offer. "We destroy your contract first. We're not letting you out as powerful as you are now."
After a bit, he gives another offer. "We destroy your contract first. We're not letting you out as powerful as you are now."
If you critically succeed, open the spoiler below:
“Great idea, Edrakk! But,um, I’m not gonna be the one to fish it out of her underthings.”
"I doubt it's that simple," Jisara says, eyes still locked on the wannabe succubus.
”Okay! I like a striptease as much as the next woman, but imma stop you right there. That’s not how devil contracts work. You need to destroy both her copy and the devil’s copy to get rid of the magic.”
Edrakk, who evidently didn't fully understand why everyone was so uncomfortable (Hadn't they seen medical diagrams? Well, they likely hadn't, but still. It's just anatomy, why was everyone making such a fuss?) furrowed his brow. "Hm, that... t-that does present more of a problem. I definitely don't think we could just let you go, but I'm not confident we can hold you either..." He taps his foot, evidently not liking the options at hand.
"I'm tired of this," Jisara says, turning to follow after the paladin. "She has nothing to offer us. Vitalis! You're needed."
Edrakk shakes his head dissapointedly. "Yeah, you're... y-you're right. I-I'm sorry." He turns, pretending to write in his notebook. "Go ahead." he says to the paladin, not turning to watch.
"I'm tired of this," Jisara says, turning to follow after the paladin. "She has nothing to offer us. Vitalis! You're needed."
Natsiel’s toothy grin suddenly vanishes. ”Wait, what? That’s now how this is—”
Edrakk shakes his head dissapointedly. "Yeah, you're... y-you're right. I-I'm sorry." He turns, pretending to write in his notebook. "Go ahead." he says to the paladin, not turning to watch.
”N-now hold on! Let’s not be—“
As Vitalis begins advancing towards her, Natsiel begins to visibly panic, when Vitalis raises his halberd to decapitate her, she shrieks ”Thrune is afraid of women!”
Vitalis doesn't even slow his step and silently executes Natsiel with a grim sweep of his halberd.
"I'm glad you finally came around to your senses. Afraid of women? What a load of b#~*$$!~. Let's get out of here. We've wasted too much time on this blasphemy."
Vitalis doesn't believe that for a second. He's seen and heard of Thrune interacting with plenty of women, giving no indication that her statement could be true.
Jisara rolls her eyes. "He's an Asmodean. It's practically part of their religion."
*
Defamation
”More vandalizations, all pinned on the Silver Ravens.”
Increased Patrols
Public Excruciations
”The Asmodean Inquisition is going all-out in taking care of anyone who even has a tangential connection to the Silver Ravens. We were able to help out where we could, but it’s still an absolute massacre.”
Increased Patrols
”Barzillai’s continuing to station dottari and Hellknights. This is making things difficult for us to operate in the shadows.”
*
*
Knowing that the Silver Ravens are making a move on Bleakbridge, Octavio gets to work. This is going to be a hell of a fight, so the Silver Ravens need to make sure that they go all-hands on deck.
”Wait for my signal; we’re breaking this blockade no matter what!”
*
The various shops on Bleakbridge have closed, and it is now a hotbed of dottari activity. Dozens upon dozens of dottari maintain a blockade, keeping anyone from crossing. In addition, several dozen more dottari have taken station on top of one of the 20-foot-tall watchtowers, their crossbows drawn and ready to fire at a moment’s notice. On the watchtower on the opposite side of the bridge, a single soldier—clearly of a higher rank—takes station and looks out over the bridge.
Captain Vannases Trex is nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, all of the various stores open up to the massive surprise of the dottari! Various supporters of the Silver Ravens—from Torrent armigers wielding halberds to simple townsfolk wielding a cooking skillet—swarm and attack the dottari!
And if that’s not Octavio’s signal, then the PCs don’t know what is.
Round 1
==============
Jisara
White [20 feet above ground]
Chance
Red (-22) [20 feet above ground]
Green (-22)
Blue (-22)
Edrakk
Vitalis
==============
Jisara steps forward with a smirk on her face, hands outstretched. With a single word of arcane power, she blasts both the blockade and its watchtowers with a wave of freezing energy.
Jisara moves forward and unleashes an arcane blizzard over the whole blockade! Once the dust and snow clears, an entire half of the blockade has been frozen solid!
White is utterly stunned at the sheer power unleashed by Jisara! He levels his crossbow at the witch and fires!
He then reloads and fires again!
The door of the watchtower is kicked open as another higher-ranking dottari Strides out, wielding a longsword and a shield. He then Raise his Shield.
Round 1
==============
Jisara
White (-23) [20 feet above ground]
Black
Chance
Red (-55) [20 feet above ground]
Green (-79)
Blue (-79)
Edrakk
Vitalis
==============
Swinging the Dischordance around himself, Chance steps closer to the tower where the officer in white is taking shots from above.
“Like a bridge… to a tyrant’s lackey…”
A shimmering, translucent path appears, running from the bridge in front of him up to the level of the tower where the officer stands.
Chance bows towards Vitalis and invites him to try the path with a sweep of his arm.
Chance uses his magic to create a bridge of pure music.
The three troops all do the same thing: Several of their members Form a Phalanx to protect those in the back Then, those protected by the phalanx Fire Crossbows!
Crit Success
Success
Success
Success
Success
Success
Crit Success
Round 1
==============
Event
Jisara (-15)
White (-23) [20 feet above ground]
Black
Chance
Red (-55) [20 feet above ground]
Green (-79)
Blue (-79)
Edrakk (-8)
Vitalis (-15)
==============
"Down with Thrune!" Vitalis intimidates Black as he charges into battle.
Vitalis charges forward and then veers to the side and up the shimmering path that Chance created. He takes his halberd and jabs it into the window at White.
...
As the group waits for Octavio's signal, Edrakk pulls out a stick of gum and begins to chew it.
Once the ruckus begins, he pulls taught the straps of his harness and runs forward, throwing a yellowed fungal bomb directly into the closes phalanx.
Edrakk moves forward and throws a bomb at the troop.
Vitalis moves on the sonata span to be next to White.
Suddenly, smoke begins billowing out from a building opposite from Vitalis’s position. The sound of a horse whinnying fills the air as the doors to that building burst open, a flaming, skeletal horse forcing its way through the doors and onto the battlefield, a massive cloud of smoke surrounding it!
Barely visible, however, is the horse’s rider: A woman whose raven hair is tied in a ponytail, a longbow in her hands. This is Vannases Trex, the captain of the dottari!
Trex looks out over the fight, seeming to completely ignore the thick cloud of smoke emanating from her mount. She looks up at Vitalis and nocks an arrow. She seems to whisper to the arrow itself before firing at the paladin!
When the arrow lands true, the arrowhead seems to crack open, and in a puff of smoke a simple imp devil appears and causes chaos at Vitalis—slapping him, hurling insults, and so forth—it is not damaging, but it is certainly annoying!
Round 2
==============
Vannases Trex
Nightmare
Jisara (-15)
White (-23) [20 feet above ground]
Black
Chance
Red (-55) [20 feet above ground]
Green (-86)
Blue (-86)
Edrakk (-8)
Vitalis (-41) {-2 to AC, attacks, and skills} [20 feet above ground]
==============
Jisara runs after Vitalis, summoning a swirling array of brilliant colors that surround the paladin.
Jisara moves over and wreathes Vitalis in a scintillating light.
White is shocked by suddenly having a multicolored paladin in front of him, but is invigorated to see his captain here!
White Releases a hand from his crossbow and draws his sword .
”Your time has come, monster!”
He then swings at Vitalis!
Black Raises his shield, and then advances towards Edrakk and attempts to knock the tengu back using the shield!
Black then swings his longsword at Edrakk!
Round 2
==============
Vannases Trex
Nightmare
Jisara (-15)
White (-23) [20 feet above ground]
Black
Chance
Red (-55) [20 feet above ground]
Green (-86)
Blue (-86)
Edrakk (-8)
Vitalis (-41) {-2 to AC, attacks, and skills; cloak of colors: Round 0 of 10} [20 feet above ground]
==============
Chance keeps the musical bridge going, although the battle is becoming very distracting. He hums a familiar tune — “WE’RE not afraid of that ‘geist!” — and a whirlwind of debris erupts in the middle of the troops manning the blockade.