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"Good to see you all again."
"Thank you, inquisitor Evandros. I mean, Elyda," Elliot nods and gives her a polite bow and smile. "From the sounds of it, you did some truly amazing work despite the odds stacked against you. You have my respect. I'm happy that you made it through."
He didn't have further questions not already put forward by his sister, so he waited patiently for the answers.
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"Elyda! I'm so glad you made it." Merixia beams at the aasimar, jogging over to give her a hug. Screw decorum, she was sure they would never see Elyda again when she walked away. "Um... I'm sorry for not noticing that you had come in last night. I was, well, a little drunk." And very distracted by Elliot. Not that she's going to say that; Elyda probably saw for herself.
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"Thank you Eugeni. I believe the captive in my dream to be a fellow Desnan based on what I saw. She was dark-haired, but unfortunately I did not get the chance to linger for more details..." as he speaks he racks his mind for any further details and shares them with Eugeni in case he can identify them. He will take the time to ask any other Desna worshippers he comes across about the woman as well.
He entrusts the others to meet with Elyda and takes the time to step away. The call to dance growing stronger within him he finds a place out in the open air to do so. His mind opening to the universe as he dances freely naming the stars he knows.
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Eugeni shakes his head at the description. "Sorry, she doesn't sound familiar to me. Might be she'll be important to you in the future, though. The Song of the Spheres is... considerate of such things."
Elyda nods at Verene's question, going into a summary of her experiences. As they already knew, a handful of rogue inquisitors had been hunting anyone they deemed remotely suspicious of demon worship, which focused on a whole lot of Kellids. Their more moral counterparts had objected, and been imprisoned. She'd gone to investigate, rescued those faithful to Iomedae, and stopped the corrupted ones.
The Truestone enclave was (understandably) very wary of her, so she was kept outside of the Park. Elyda describes some humble (but effective) earthworks backed with foundations of salvaged stone and druidic magic. The leaders, with whom she'd briefly met, did not seem evil to her magically enhanced senses, and of the two, God-Caller Rashan was the friendlier. "They may be unfriendly, but I think that if you reveal your hand in the destruction of the demons in Kenabres, they'll be more inclined to listen to you." She finishes, rubbing her scar.
With that in order, the heroes prepare to head out towards Southgate, in the west. Their progress is fairly fast - the cultists must be laying relatively low, with the destruction of their demonic allies and the dismantling of their leadership in the city.
On the way to their destination, the group passes nearby to Gwerm manor, and a thought occurs to them. Does Horgus even know about the destruction of the demons?
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Azira smiles as they approach the other aasimar. “Thanks for the dance last night,” she offers as a greeting. “We didn’t get a chance for a proper introduction with all the celebrating but I’m sword-knight Azira Tal-Shirin, an old friend of Elliot and Verene, and a new companion to the group. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Azira readies Radiance and takes up position at the front of the formation as the group heads out into the city. As they travel she asks, “do we have a plan beyond checking this location? If we don’t end up escorting survivors back to Defender’s Heart, could we maybe head into the old city before we return? I know we need to prioritize helping the living but I… I’d really like to try to recover my mother’s remains, if I can.”
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“Do we have a plan beyond checking this location? If we don’t end up escorting survivors back to Defender’s Heart, could we maybe head into the old city before we return? I know we need to prioritize helping the living but I… I’d really like to try to recover my mother’s remains, if I can.”
"Well, it'd be highly hypocritical of me to wish to search for my parents and sister yet deny the same to someone else," Elliot says, keeping his gaze shifting over nearby ruined buildings and dark alleys. "If we seek to try and visit all enclaves in a day, if we could manage such a thing, it is more or less a straight line up from western Southgate to Northgate, passing by the entrance to Old Kenabres on the way there. Even if not, I'm sure we can make time for it at some point, at least? It's family, after all. Little should be more important than those we hold dear."
At some point, he stops to glance to the side and sighs. "Oh, right. We should probably go and collect Horgus on the way back. I can't exactly say I like him, but he did donate a large amount of money to us, and he doesn't deserve to be locked up alone just being dislikable. I'd suggest making the most of our time and finding other survivors to escort back first through; he will probably be fine for now in that secure vault of his..."
Verene finishes preparing her spells and gets ready to leave. After discussing the matter with Thesius, she puts on the new protective magical cloak from the Gray Garrison, giving him the one she was wearing yesterday. Despite how convenient the spell to endure the elements was, she decides today to simply wear the cold-weather clothing given to her by Syras and Dea at Fine Fittings, to make it less obvious that she is a magic user. She thinks it is safe to leave most of the material they collected in locked rooms at the Defender's Heart for now, but asks Merixia to take the gold dragon hide armor with them in addition to her own gear. Before leaving, she buys one or two things from the Abadarans.
"Oh, right. We should probably go and collect Horgus on the way back. I can't exactly say I like him, but he did donate a large amount of money to us, and he doesn't deserve to be locked up alone just being dislikable. I'd suggest making the most of our time and finding other survivors to escort back first through; he will probably be fine for now in that secure vault of his..."
"We can tell him of the destruction of the demons, and ask him again if he would like to come to Defender's Heart, but I am not sure he will want to leave his secure room until the city is thoroughly pacified," Verene says. As usual for travel through potentially unsafe areas, she sends her voice through the whisper of a message.
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"Oh, that's right! I forgot all about the poor dragon. I'll get the armor, but I'm not sure what we're going to do with it. There are so many bodies to take care of first." The corpses, unlike the armor, are going to rot even in this weather and spread disease if someone doesn't figure out a way to cremate or bury them. Hopefully the Queen's forces will have the manpower and resources to take care of that. Maybe they'll even have a Pharasmin priest who knows the proper rites for the dead, rather than improvising like Merixia has been.
Once she's armored up and has repacked her gear to include the dragon armor, Merixia joins the others. She doesn't know exactly how much loot they have or what she wants to buy, so she doesn't bother visiting the Abadarans.
"I'm happy to help both of you search for your families. I don't know my way around Kenabres very well, so I'll defer to the rest of the group as far as the exact route goes." She pauses, then sighs. "And yes, we probably should visit Horgus at some point to let him know the demons are gone."
"Do we have a plan beyond checking this location? If we don’t end up escorting survivors back to Defender’s Heart, could we maybe head into the old city before we return? I know we need to prioritize helping the living but I… I’d really like to try to recover my mother’s remains, if I can."
"If we seek to try and visit all enclaves in a day, if we could manage such a thing, it is more or less a straight line up from western Southgate to Northgate, passing by the entrance to Old Kenabres on the way there. Even if not, I'm sure we can make time for it at some point, at least? It's family, after all. Little should be more important than those we hold dear."
"I'm happy to help both of you search for your families. I don't know my way around Kenabres very well, so I'll defer to the rest of the group as far as the exact route goes."
"Of course, I will also help. It would be ideal to accomplish as much as possible in one journey, and there is a certain logic in going from Southgate, to Truestone Park in the Ring District, to Old Kenabres, to northern New Kenabres or Northgate, as you say, Elliot. Depending on how much our way is blocked by crevasses. But much also depends on how vulnerable any survivors we are able to find are — if they need serious healing or food, we may have to take them back to the inn first, not drag them with us across the length of the city.
"I do hope Lord Horgus is all right in his safe house. It has been four days now that he has been alone in there. Azira, you did not meet him — we had seen him home just before we met you. He fell down into the caverns below Kenabres with us. He is... hm. An eccentric, and a somewhat erratic soul, but not a bad one." Even in this minimally charitable description her voice is doubtful, but she manages not to say I think. In truth, she still does not know what to make of Lord Horgus Gwerm and his swings between abrasive and unsettling. Perhaps, if all goes well and the Queen and her army do arrive in a few days as expected, we might ask the same healers who we hope will be able to mend Anevia's leg and restore Aravashnial's eyes to use equally powerful magic on Horgus' mind.
As they turn to make the brief detour to inform Horgus of the city's change in fortunes, Verene keeps the armoring wand and the magic missile wand ready in her wrist sheaths. Thamyris huddles on her shoulder, protected by her fur-lined hood and able to merge with her at a moment's notice, but preferring to stay out to look around for himself and be ready for anything. It is once more well below freezing out, but this time she is more prepared: there is a little brick of blackfire clay from the Abadarans sitting ready in one pocket of her heavy down-insulated woolen outfit, which she will work with her hands to activate its alchemical warming properties if her extremities start to feel numb from cold.
She had found it necessary to trade off some of the heavier flasks she was carrying and the daylight wand as well as a few other things to make up for the bulk of this clothing and the brick, but on the whole it seems worth it. Verene is not yet ready to give up her crossbow and rely solely on a wand for protection, but the thought did cross her mind as she was preparing to leave that in truth the crossbow is a much less effective weapon than the missile wand, and if she can continue to store some portion of the Wardstone's power in the wand to recharge it each day, it will even be a more cost-efficient one. For now, its comforting weight, loaded with a cold-iron-tipped bolt, remains at her side.
"Indeed, we will need to be ready to have our plans alter based on what we find as we progress. Immediate needs may be found that need addressing, but I am fine with that course of action," Thesius says in agreeance.
"I concur that we should check in on Horgus, he may be unwilling to leave but we should keep him informed and see if he needs anything."
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Elyda explains that she's not entirely sure of how many people were in Truestone Park, though she guesses not more than twenty or so - she's pretty sure that they weren't occupying the whole park, but she can't be certain. The inquisitors, she is even less certain on - it's possible they were already leaning towards corruption before Armasse, she allows, but she also suspects that Armasse pushed even the best intentioned into madness. Most of them were killed, though a handful escaped. As for the Defender's Heart, she heard from the Kellids - apparently they had news that there were crusaders holding out in the central Gate District.
Gwerm Manor looks as untouched as it was when last the party saw it. Fortunately, the doors are largely unlocked, and they're able to make their way into the vault area with little issue. As Verene suspected, the nobleman refuses to leave his home. He does, however, express his gratitude (in his own awkward way) for the news, and confesses his "approval" that they have survived their trials thus far.
The party crosses through the city, the chill in the air becoming less severe as the sun climbs higher in the sky - though the winds still seem to tear warmth from their bones. As they go, however, they hear the sounds of shouts and the clash of metal on metal. A last stand by the cultists, or the crusaders?
It takes them less than a minute to find the site of battle - a square centered around a broken well. There are several bodies bleeding out on the ground, all wearing dark red leather armor, while a wounded half-orc man wearing the same wields a glaive against two injured tieflings.
Nearby, several human cultists grip glaives as well, finishing off wounded men and women, while a mace-wielding woman looks on impassively.
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"Don't let these scoundrels into the house!" Thesius says in warning to his companions as the scene becomes clear to him. Quickly he dashes forward, adamantine morningstar coming free from his side as a song starts in his heart. Soon he finds himself lashing out at one of the cultists .
"The half-orc is likely guarding people inside. The other fallen defenders don't have long." Verene's whispered elaboration is mostly for Azira.
Azira moves in her dance-like manner towards the nearest cultist, Radiance whirling in its own dance beside her. When she reaches him, she leads the glowing sword around in front of her, slashing at the cultist.
"Crusaders!" The mace-wielding woman shouts, half-turning.
Azira flows forwards, dodging around the glaive of one of the cultists and slashing through his guard, tearing his armor and knocking him back. He screams, blood pouring down his chest from the gaping wound she has left him.
Thesius joins her quickly thereafter, swinging his morningstar in a devastating overhead blow that crushes the tiefling's skull, dropping him to the ground as blood, brains, and bits of flesh splatter around him.
The other tiefling, now aware that she's threatened from multiple enemies, falls back, dropping her jagged short sword on the ground and pulling out a crossbow from within her cloak. She hastily takes aim at Thesius and fires. "Die!" The bolt skews wide, striking the doorframe of the building behind the armiger and Thesius both.
The human cultists are lifting their glaives to finish off the unconscious red-armored fighters while they lie helpless and dying. Her most pressing wish is to save their lives if they may be saved. It is not in her power to heal them. But she may be able to stop the glaives.
Between one breath and the next, Verene falls into the deep awareness that the Wardstone awoke in her, which allows her to instinctively see and understand the invisible workings of the world and the very limits of how she is capable of manipulating them. It figures that the one day I stop preparing the sticky web because it is too blunt an instrument, we happen across a situation where it is the right tool. Thamyris melds into her shoulder without even a protest.
She lifts her hand and winds a strand of cobweb in a tight spiral, chanting words she knows but which should hold no arcane resonance for her right now, and a massive spiderweb thick with sticky strands springs into being across the square, between buildings, ground and broken well. With the other hand she draws a potion from her bandolier, hoping it will not come too late for one of the fallen.
Pinpointing the human mace-wielding woman as the leader, Elliot readies Radiant Eclipse and prepared to strike from above. There were injured allies and civilians nearby - this fight had to be ended as soon as possible, and the best way seemed a swift and brutal display of force. With some luck, the other cultists would surrender.
With some of his memories returned, he thinks of his previously forgotten teleportation trick and tries to combine the near-instant movement with swordplay. He disappears -
- and repears striking twice at the possibly entangled woman from the air.
Verene draws upon her power, and finds that she is able to weave it into a spell she has not prepared for the day, unleashing it in the heavy strands that crisscross the area. The cultists are unfortunate enough to get caught in the tangled and sticky threads, while Thesius is easily able to avoid the worst of it, dodging out of the way of the thicker bonds and breaking the thinner ones. Likewise, the half-orc man is able to push himself out of the worst of the spell's radius.
Elliot swoops forwards, striking down at the hapless macewoman with Righteous Eclipse, which blazes with sudden power. The blade screams its delight in his head as it shears off the top of the woman's head, cleaving off her scalp and tearing through her brain. Blood, brain, and bits of skull splatter through the web, and she slumps, stone dead.
"Vela!" The tiefling shouts, shocked at her death.
The wounded cultist shouts a word, and his wounds heal slightly, leaving him bloody, but not down yet. He takes a swift step back and slashes at Azira with his glaive with a blur of speed and power. With carefree ease, she evades the attacks, barely needing to use Radiance to parry.
His companion utters a blasphemous phrase, and a sickly green glow surrounds him. With that, he swings at Azira as well. Though this one's attacks are sharper and quicker than his comrade's, they still are no match for the paladin's defenses.
The unfortunate webbed cultist struggles with the heavy strands of webbing on her. Though he tears off some of them, she remains stuck firmly in their grasp.
The half-orc takes a startling step forwards, pushing himself through the webbing, but is stuck fast where he stands. He curses sharply in Infernal.
Merixia races toward the melee, but stops at the edge of the web. Rather than charge in, she opts to invoke Ragathiel's blessing on her friends and the red-armored half-orc fighting the cultists.
Merixia advances, summoning the power of Ragathiel and unleashing a potent blessing on her fellows.
Thesius moves forward, avoiding the webs as he goes and strikes out at the next tiefling .
"Lay down your arms if you wish to survive this battle," he says grimly to any of the cultists that still stand.
Azira whirls forward and to her right, dancing around the furthest tendrils of Verene’s web to reach the ensnared cultists . As Radiance comes around, it continues the dance as it flashes out at them.
Azira slips forwards, Radiance gleaming in the sunlight as she slashes the hapless cultist, slashing a broad gash in his stomach before beheading him completely. He sags in the web blood staining the strands crimson. With that, she shifts her attention to his compatriot, who is just as unable to keep her at bay. This one she injures badly, cleaving into his shoulder and breaking his collarbone.
Thesius moves to the edge of the thick strands of webbing, swinging at the crossbow-wielding tiefling. Despite her bound status, however, she is able to shift enough to catch his attacks with her armor and deflect them.
The tiefling attempts to struggle free from the strands that bind her, bending and twisting in nigh-impossible ways. Unfortunately for her, this simply serves to leave her even more tied up than she already was.
Verene hurries forward, minor healing potion in one hand, and halts by the edge of the web next to both Thesius and the glaive-wielding half-orc. She kneels down by the closest red-armored figure, hoping to see the blood still flowing, however sluggishly, from its wounds. Verene begins carefully pouring the precious contents of the vial down the unconscious soldier's throat.
She looks up long enough to say crisply to the three remaining cultists, including the struggling tiefling, "Your masters are dead or fled. I advise you surrender."
Without much hope that these cultists will be sensible rather than fighting to the death like the other demoniacs they have met, she bends to her task again, saying through the message in an urgent whisper, "Merixia, please, can you try to save some of these soldiers around the well with your group heal? It will get some of the enemies too, but the leader is dead and the rest are little threat to us. I don't think the dying can wait."
The second healing wand would be faster than this potion. Maybe I will ask to carry it from now on.
Elliot blinks at the brutal death of the woman he'd just attacked. Part of him had figured her to be significantly more threatening as a cultist leader and had expected her to easily parry or dodge the first swing... instead it had gone straight through her head.
"Vela? So that was her name. Was she a friend of the tiefling? What was her story? What had driven her to this? Perhaps we will never know."
It was wasteful, in a way. But the same was true of all the deaths they'd presumably inflicted themselves, and many of their allies? were dying on the ground and had to be saved.
Still...
"She is dead. Take the offer of surrender. We will not stop until we can guarantee the immediate safety of these people," He states, and attacks the human before the Tiefling to the south.
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Verene rushes over to the figure lying nearby to Thesius and the armiger, drawing a healing potion as she goes, and desperately begins pouring one of her potions down the prone woman's throat. Her wounds are severe, but it's impossible to tell at a glance whether she yet lives.
Elliot, meanwhile, floats to attack another of the human cultists, casting a curse along Righteous Eclipse and cleaving the poor fool's head in two, splattering the gore across his sister's web. With that, he turns and strikes down at the tiefling woman, who is unable to get her guard up in time, and catches the black blade in the throat. She begins choking and sputtering on her own blood.
The armiger, meanwhile, advances towards the surviving cultist. "I surrender!" The cultist begins, but the armiger whirls his glaive and cleaves at the man regardless. The glaive slices through the web, cutting into the demon cultist's chest and carving at the man's heart. Blood explodes from the wound as the half-orc withdraws the weapon.
The half-orc grunts, turning to the champions. "If you have healing to spare," he says, voice like iron, "I would ask that you heal my companions."
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Elliot watches with some chagrin as the only cultist to actually surrender in the past week or so is immediately cut down anyway. He shakes his head and surveys the carnage. "I really overdid it here... There were absolutely no threat yet I killed at least two of them, maybe even three."
He hesitates for a moment as said third one was choking to death on the blood from her neck wound. Then he reaches down, slashing at the web surrounding her to drag her out, with a planned follow-up of forcing a potion of cure light wounds into that wound if he still could. "Meri! Can you do your channel to save these people? I am arresting this one."
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The armiger, meanwhile, advances towards the surviving cultist. "I surrender!" The cultist begins, but the armiger whirls his glaive and cleaves at the man regardless. The glaive slices through the web, cutting into the demon cultist's chest and carving at the man's heart. Blood explodes from the wound as the half-orc withdraws the weapon.
"No..." Verene's whisper is barely more than a thread. Her hand jerks minutely in protest, but she steadies it and continues to trickle the potion into the red-armored woman's mouth, lifting her head with the other. Her flash of horror and anger at the half-orc is quickly tempered by the sobering thought that he likely just saw the cultist cut down his comrades without remorse before surrendering once he saw himself outmatched. Would she be able to show mercy to one who had killed her friends? She does not know. And what does this group's matching red leather armor mean? Mercenary company? Religious organization? Knightly order? Something about it tickles at the back of her mind.
The half-orc grunts, turning to the champions. "If you have healing to spare," he says, voice like iron, "I would ask that you heal my companions."
"Meri! Can you do your channel to save these people? I am arresting this one."
Verene looks between Merixia, Azira and Thesius. We must help them, but are we just going to accept this? What about if some of these cultists are also revived, and this man moves to execute the one who tried to surrender again?
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Merixia exchanges a look with Verene. It might not be the smartest thing to do... but she probably won't have time to heal each victim individually before at least one of them dies. "All right. Be on your guard, everyone, in case this revives one or more cultists. I never got the hang of excluding people from my channeling. Oh, and stranger? Don't execute enemies who surrender. We need to interrogate them." The tiefling raises her holy symbol high, silver glinting in the pale winter sun. "Ragathiel, grant me your healing light!"
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Azira keeps Radiance at the ready, per Merixia’s instructions, but turns part of her attention to the red armored survivor. “Greetings, friend. I am Azira Tal-Shirin, a sword-knight of the Inheritor. I take it from your matching armor that you and your associates are part of an order or organization together but I’m sorry to say I don’t recognize it… who are you?”
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"Indeed, please refrain from further action against those that have surrendered. They may yet offer assistance in these trying times. We will save as many of your friends as well can. Are there more within the building in need of care?" he listens for that man's response to Azira's question.
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The half-orc nods briefly at Azira. "I am Gaz, senior armiger of the Order of the Pyre." He shoots a look at Elliot, frowning, before he nods at Merixia's words. "You're right. My anger overwhelmed me in the moment. They will be of more use as sources of information before their deaths." There is no doubt in his tone that they will die.
An armiger is a Hellknight-in-training, a squire of sorts to those grim and merciless enforcers.
The armiger turns to look at Thesius. "There are three innocents within, crusader. I do not believe they are in need of healing."
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"Thank you for your service and understanding Gaz. I am Thesius. Currently we are seeking out any survivors to lend assistance as necessary. Would you by chance be aware of any others that are in need of aid?" he asks openly to the man he suspects is preferential to straightforward means of communication.
"If you do not mind, I will check in on those in the house to see how they are holding up," he waits for Gaz to respond before making his move for the house. He does not wish to cause any further unnecessary tension since the immediate danger has been dealt with.
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Once convinced that the remaining cultist is both alive and harmless, at least unarmed and bound, Elliot would rise and move towards Thesius while keeping his wary gaze on Gaz. "And I am Elliot Worthane, son of Harran," He says, very neutrally, then points at the prisoner. "We can discuss what happens to her after the interrogation later. For now, there are still enemies abound. What are you planning to do next? Your men all seem to be heavily injured."
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Verene waits tensely to see if any of the dying — cultists and red-armored soldiers alike — were affected by the channel, including the woman to whom she administered her potion. She will not chance dismissing the web until it is clear no cultists still need to be restrained by it.
The half-orc nods briefly at Azira. "I am Gaz, senior armiger of the Order of the Pyre."
Order of the Pyre... Ah, these are the ones Merixia mentioned and Anevia said were here in Kenabres but seemed so hostile toward. A few knights and a dozen-odd armigers, she said. I wonder if all the full Hellknights were killed in the fighting before now. Fenna mentioned the other day that she shouldn't wonder if they would be happy the Blackwing burned, since some of them came sniffing around before the attack looking for 'blasphemous texts' and 'evidence of cult activity.' "By which they meant some of the last remaining records about the worship and rituals of Pulura before the fall of Sarkoris. Like this was Cheliax and we all should have to pretend to bow and scrape to devils! Quednys gave them an earful and sent them packing. No doubt that Lord Hulrun was happy to have them in town. They make his inquisitors look sane and reasonable."
"You're right. My anger overwhelmed me in the moment. They will be of more use as sources of information before their deaths." There is no doubt in his tone that they will die.
Verene looks up and meets the armiger Gaz's eyes squarely, still kneeling and supporting the woman's head. "Hello, Gaz. I am Verene. I share your anger, but this is no longer a battle, and there are no extraordinary circumstances that make it impossible or unwise to take them prisoner. If they live and surrender, we will accept that and treat them as we would wish our own prisoners to be treated," she says firmly. "After interrogating them if you wish — humanely — we will take them to the Eagle Watch at Defender's Heart to be imprisoned until they can be tried. There is no pressing reason not to let the regular law deal with their crimes."
She looks down again at the female armiger's face, hoping to see any stirring of life, between Merixia's channel and the healing potion.
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"Interrogating them out in the open makes no sense," Azira offers while waiting to see if anyone responds to Merixia's healing, "it only creates the opportunity for other cultists to try to interfere. If there are any prisoners to deal with, we should transport them back to the Defender's Heart first--asking some questions as we walk, if you like--and then the Senior Armiger can discuss interrogation with the Knight-Commander Tirabade."
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Merixia's healing pulse washes over the injured and dying fighters. A few stir, and begin to awaken, though many do not. Only three of cultists and two of the other armigers do so. Two of the cultists remain still (including the one that had surrendered and the surviving tiefling), but one of the humans struggles against the web's bonds.
Gaz looks at Thesius, a frown furrowing his brows as he takes in the Desnan amulet, but he turns away for the moment, looking to the others. Thesius' question goes unanswered for now. "Elliot Worthane." He repeats, committing it to memory. The armiger looks around at his soldiers. "My fellows and I would be grateful to find any sanctuary you know of."
At Verene's words, his frown deepens to a scowl. "What local law? The legitimate authorities are dead. Unless you have some judges or relatives of Lord Hulrun's at this Defender's Heart?"
He leans down to help one of his fellows up. "Easy, Urven. We're safe for now." He says, his tone almost gentle.
The civilians emerge from inside the house. "Oh, thank the gods that you've come." Says one, an aging Chelaxian woman. "You know somewhere safe?"
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Merixia's healing pulse washes over the injured and dying fighters. A few stir, and begin to awaken, though many do not. Only three of cultists and two of the other armigers do so. [...] Two of the cultists remain still (including the one that had surrendered and the surviving tiefling), but one of the humans struggles against the web's bonds.
Gaz looks at Thesius, a frown furrowing his brows as he takes in the Desnan amulet, but he turns away for the moment, looking to the others. Thesius' question goes unanswered for now. "Elliot Worthane." He repeats, committing it to memory. The armiger looks around at his soldiers. "My fellows and I would be grateful to find any sanctuary you know of."
At Verene's words, his frown deepens to a scowl. "What local law? The legitimate authorities are dead. Unless you have some judges or relatives of Lord Hulrun's at this Defender's Heart?"
"Hulrun Shappok was Prelate of Kenabres not as a hereditary title, but by virtue of being the senior leader of the Crusade in the city, as appointed by Her Majesty, Queen Galfrey," Verene replies calmly. She notes his disapproval of Thesius and files it away but does not address it now. "We have confirmation that he died in the attack. Now the most senior living leader of the Crusade is Irabeth Tirabade, Knight-Commander of the Eagle Watch. She has set up a temporary headquarters at the Defender's Heart inn and will be in command here until the Queen appoints a new leader of Kenabres. She organized and personally participated in the strike on the Gray Garrison yesterday that resulted in the deaths or retreat of the remaining demons in the city. As did we. Now we are looking for more survivors to take to safety."
The civilians emerge from inside the house. "Oh, thank the gods that you've come." Says one, an aging Chelaxian woman. "You know somewhere safe?"
"Yes, ma'am. The Defender's Heart inn, in the north of Gate District. They have a good defensible stone building, plenty of food and water, and many healers and able warriors. You and these good armigers of the Order of the Pyre," she indicates Gaz and the two surviving armigers with her head, "will be very welcome there. Cultist prisoners not exactly welcome, but we do have Lady Irabeth's blessing to bring them if needed, and a place they can be securely held. Do any of you know of any other people close to here in Southgate, who could be easily brought with us?"
She watches the struggling cultist out of the corner of her eye. Someone will have to deal with that one before she can dismiss the web. Verene calls to him, "You there. Surrender and give your parole, or join your masters in the Abyss." Her tone is not aggressive, but merely tired. She could perhaps try harder to make him amenable with soothing words and promises of fair treatment and understanding; she could ask his name and appeal to any shred of human feeling left in his heart. But there seems little point. Either the inner spark that desires life and redemption exists in him, or it has been smothered by hatred and spite. The overwhelming likelihood is that he is shortly bound for the Abyss, either way.
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The half-orc nods briefly at Azira. "I am Gaz, senior armiger of the Order of the Pyre."
What. Fury flashes across Merixia's face for a few moments before she wrestles her expression back under control. The best she can do is a blank, emotionless mask, but it's better than the alternative. "Hellknights. I see." They are not the immediate threat. Save your resources for fighting demons. Gods damn it, I can't believe I wasted healing on Hellknights!
"Well then. Remember that it wasn't the power of Hell that saved your lives, but the power and mercy of Heaven." She doubts they'll care, but if nothing else, disparaging Hell gives Merixia a petty little glow of satisfaction. Never let it be said that she is above insulting her enemies.
After all, the lesser of two evils is still evil.
"Hulrun Shappok was Prelate of Kenabres not as a hereditary title, but by virtue of being the senior leader of the Crusade in the city, as appointed by Her Majesty, Queen Galfrey," Verene replies calmly. She notes his disapproval of Thesius and files it away but does not address it now. "We have confirmation that he died in the attack. Now the most senior living leader of the Crusade is Irabeth Tirabade, Knight-Commander of the Eagle Watch. She has set up a temporary headquarters at the Defender's Heart inn and will be in command here until the Queen appoints a new leader of Kenabres. She organized and personally participated in the strike on the Gray Garrison yesterday that resulted in the deaths or retreat of the remaining demons in the city. As did we. Now we are looking for more survivors to take to safety."
Merixia nods in agreement with Verene. "Shappok is dead, and good riddance to him. If you want to talk to someone in charge, Knight-Commander Tirabade is the one. Just don't expect a warm welcome from most of the people at Defender's Heart. The Knight-Commander is practical enough that she probably won't turn you away, but the vast majority of crusaders are morally opposed to your kind." She can't help but curl her lip just a little on the last two words.
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Azira moves as close as she can to the struggling cultist without actually entering the web. She looks for any sign of a weapon within their reach, and for a sign of their accepting Verene's terms. She also frowns at the direction the conversation with the armiger seems to be going.
are you really about to defend a hellknight? if we're going to rebuild the city, we can't afford to make enemies of people who would be our allies...
"Despite the name," she offers to her companions, "not all 'Hellknights' are evil... there are worshipers of Abadar and Irori among them, and even some followers of Torag and Iomedae choose to walk that path, in order to fight against the powers that would throw our whole world into chaos."
Turning her attention to the senior armiger himself, she asks, "Gaz, are you and your men capable of escorting the survivors and prisoners to Defender's Heart safely on your own, and will you swear by your order that you will do so and abide by knight-commander Tirabade's rightful authority when you arrive?"
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Gaz's frown deepens. "If there is no civilian government that remains, then a religious order would claim authority?" There's a note of disdain in his voice as he turns to help the other armiger get to their feet. "We will see." He grunts, finally.
"This Knight-Commander's valor in battle is worthy of respect, then, but that does not make her authority legitimate, unless your claim is that the bravest should rule?"
He addresses Merixia warily. "Of course they are. Though we do not oppose their gods unless they prove unworthy, the zeal of the religious is something that we eye with proper skepticism." The armiger shakes his head.
He turns to Azira. "I do not know whether we are able to make our way on our own. It would depend on how many threats are in between here and there."
"We can guide you, sir." The civilian woman says. "I know where the Defender's Heart is, I think..."
"The streets are very different now." One of the other armigers - the one Gaz named Urven - observes dryly, before coughing. "How far is it?"
The struggling cultist snorts, spitting blood. "Your mercy is of no interest to me, fool. The Worldwound will triumph!"
"Don't be an idiot." The tiefling woman says sharply, but her fellow doesn't respond to her.
The struggling cultist snorts, spitting blood. "Your mercy is of no interest to me, fool. The Worldwound will triumph!"
"Don't be an idiot." The tiefling woman says sharply, but her fellow doesn't respond to her.
Verene closes her eyes in resignation. Wars do not end when they are won, but when those who want to fight to the death find their wish has been granted.
"Shappok is dead, and good riddance to him. If you want to talk to someone in charge, Knight-Commander Tirabade is the one. Just don't expect a warm welcome from most of the people at Defender's Heart. The Knight-Commander is practical enough that she probably won't turn you away, but the vast majority of crusaders are morally opposed to your kind."
Verene is surprised into betraying a brief curious glance at the normally sensible cleric's reaction, before she looks away. She does not contradict her friend out loud, however, and her spell-whisper is for Merixia's ears alone.
"Despite the name," she offers to her companions, "not all 'Hellknights' are evil... there are worshipers of Abadar and Irori among them, and even some followers of Torag and Iomedae choose to walk that path, in order to fight against the powers that would throw our whole world into chaos."
Verene nods in acknowledgement and agreement with Azira.
Gaz's frown deepens. "If there is no civilian government that remains, then a religious order would claim authority?" There's a note of disdain in his voice as he turns to help the other armiger get to their feet. "We will see." He grunts, finally.
"This Knight-Commander's valor in battle is worthy of respect, then, but that does not make her authority legitimate, unless your claim is that the bravest should rule?" [...]
He turns to Azira. "I do not know whether we are able to make our way on our own. It would depend on how many threats are in between here and there."
"We can guide you, sir." The civilian woman says. "I know where the Defender's Heart is, I think..."
"The streets are very different now." One of the other armigers - the one Gaz named Urven - observes dryly, before coughing. [b]"How far is it?"
Verene carefully hides her amusement at the thought of how Hulrun Shappok would likely react to being described as part of a 'civilian government.' "I merely tell you how legitimate authority is determined here in Mendev, Armiger Gaz, not what I think of it. The Crusade is the government, in almost all ways. Nobles and monarchs everywhere claim a divine mandate to rule. Ours just have a more direct claim than most." She raises an eyebrow, knowing he will know that House Thrune's claim to Cheliax is also entirely based on that family's compact with Asmodeus and the powers of Hell, plus the military and temporal power it granted them to crush rival families. "Anyway, that is all rather academic right now. Defender's Heart is about half an hour's walk from here, but the way is indeed different and more treacherous now than normally, and I should think we would like to accompany you for security. If, that is, none of you know of anyone else in this area who might be brought to safety."
She looks at her companions questioningly.
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Elliot grins at the obvious sass from Merixia to the hellknights. If he hadn't been intimiate aware of their reputation from their pushing for his execution during the trial of when he was little, just namedropping Hulrun with any reverence was enough to destroy what little respect he had for their general character.
Still, they were potential allies, so he tried hiding it. They couldn't be everywhere at once and at the very least they would try defending civilians. However, with three prisoners to three heavily injured hellknights and three innocents, this was a disaster waiting to happen if they did run into any more enemy forces. "Verene, do you know a way to safely get a message back to Defender's heart without us having to escort them personally? We have a lot of ground to cover, and surely these three are not the rumored 'pocket' of survivors. If they doubt they can handle it alone, I'd rather not risk it. They are in a pretty bad state, to be fair."
He relegates his gaze to the Hellknights. "You ask for official authority. Well, Commander Irabeth is the highest *known* remaining official authority at present. You have a Paladin of Iomedae and a Cleric of Ragathiel, among others of yesterday's assault, vouching for her. If you refuse to accept her leadership, and are skeptical towards religious leaders - which as another paladin of Iomedae Irabeth also is - then what seperates you from a rogue militia like the Red Templar remnants? Does your order not pride itself on its excellent discpline? Surely difficult circumstances like these are what would prove or disprove such a thing. "
...Then his gaze looks at the prisoners. "Especially since they are now legally prisoners your allies have requested you treat with dignity."
He blinks as his sister pulls out a wand and kills the loud one on the spot. "...Which I imagine just got even easier."
"Verene, do you know a way to safely get a message back to Defender's heart without us having to escort them personally? We have a lot of ground to cover, and surely these three are not the rumored 'pocket' of survivors. If they doubt they can handle it alone, I'd rather not risk it. They are in a pretty bad state, to be fair."
Verene thinks about it and her eyes glow solid white for a second, but then she shakes her head. To their group she whispers, "If you wish to send a message asking for an escort to come to us, I have no better ideas than making Thamyris invisible and sending him flying off for the Heart as fast as he can go." She holds up her hand and the little thrush pops into being perched there. "What do you think, my dear? It would be dangerous, but you would be well-hidden, and we can be fairly sure there are no quasits left in the city."
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"Despite the name," she offers to her companions, "not all 'Hellknights' are evil... there are worshipers of Abadar and Irori among them, and even some followers of Torag and Iomedae choose to walk that path, in order to fight against the powers that would throw our whole world into chaos."
"Spoken like someone who has never lived in Cheliax," Merixia mutters. She would be willing to bet money that the Iomedaean inquisitors who turned to diabolism met these Hellknights at some point. Why can't anyone see that they're almost as much of a threat as the demons and their cultists?
He addresses Merixia warily. "Of course they are. Though we do not oppose their gods unless they prove unworthy, the zeal of the religious is something that we eye with proper skepticism." The armiger shakes his head.
Merixia stares at Gaz incredulously. "You come from Cheliax of all places, the country whose rulers sold it to an evil god in exchange for power, your order has the backing of both the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune and the church of Asmodeus, and you can say that with a straight face?" She shakes her head. "Amazing." The hypocrisy here is astounding.
"I know you have good reasons to hate the forces of Hell and Cheliax, but these are mortals, not devils or even necessarily devil-servants. Most of their number have died at the demons' hands or defending civilians over the past week. Now is not the time to squabble with people who may be useful allies who could help take back the city and save others."
Ugh, not Verene too. As far as Merixia is concerned, not beating the Hellknights unconscious is playing nice. But she seems to be outnumbered here. The cleric scowls and refrains from saying anything else.
A thought occurs to her. Anevia hates the Hellknights almost as much as Merixia does. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that meeting!
Gaz shakes his head at Verene's words, exasperated. "We shall see." He repeats, his red eyes downcast. "Regardless, if you wish to escort us, we shall not object."
The third armiger sighs audibly, but is silenced by Gaz's glare. He turns to Elliot. "Do not attempt to teach me our order's ways." He growls. "But your point is made nonetheless."
Thamyris chirps at Verene. "It's not far. And there aren't any invisible demons to attack me." He cocks his head. "I can go, if you want."
"We do not serve Cheliax." Gaz says, utterly sincere in his belief. "Only order. And Cheliax, for all its flaws in the worship of devils, works to enforce order."
After exchanging a look with his sister, as this was her choice, he glances at the citizens. "Before you go, do you know anything about the other rumored suvivors in this area? Anything at all?"
Thamyris chirps at Verene. "It's not far. And there aren't any invisible demons to attack me." He cocks his head. "I can go, if you want."
"Thank you, Thamyris," Verene murmurs, with a surge of affection for her brave bird. "All right. Fly for the Defender's Heart as fast as you can go. Find Irabeth and tell her we are requesting a squad of soldiers to come to this location to act as an escort back to the inn for six survivors and two prisoners. Come back with the soldiers. Guide them to us and make sure they don't get lost. Look out for them as you would for us. The invisibility will have worn off by then, so be careful, and only fly back alone if absolutely necessary."
She has him repeat back the instructions, including the name of the street intersection where this broken well is located. His understanding and his Taldane is improving by leaps and bounds lately, so Verene trusts him to convey the situation and answer simple questions about it in his own words if needed. Then she takes out a tiny ball of amber-colored resin from her pouch, sketches a complicated oval sign with it while chanting, and touches it to Thamyris. The small brown bird vanishes from sight. Once more Verene privately marvels at that: she has never cast this spell before, which she learned from the fleshwarper Millorn's spellbook several days ago, yet the principles are sound, her memory is not faulty, and it works as it is supposed to the first time. It is so unlike her initial weeks-long struggle with the simplest cantrip to detect magic, though even then Prosper had assured her she was progressing much faster than most beginning students of wizardry.
"Go." She feels rather than sees his weight leave her hand in a little puff of air from his wingbeats, and then he is gone.
The conversation about the Hellknights' peculiar understanding of legitimate authority and claim not to serve the nation which granted their order its charter has moved on somewhat without her. Verene says, "May I suggest we take this conversation and these people inside while we wait?"
She repeats the phrase she used to invoke the web, then a word of cancellation. The massive, sticky strands shimmer into nothingness.