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When it becomes clear that the struggling cultist has no intention of surrendering, Azira reaches into the webs and sends him off to meet his demonic overlords in the Abyss.
"However authority might be determined in times of peace," she points out to the Hellknights, "we are currently at war and the city is, accordingly, under martial law. Knight-commander Tirabade, as Commander of the Eagle Watch, is the highest ranking military leader known of in the city and, therefore, in command until a more senior officer is located or the situation is sufficiently stabilized for the normal government to resume its function."
"Verene is right though, if we're not immediately starting back or pressing onward, we should take this inside where everyone will be safer, and easier to keep an eye on."
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"Fine. Let's tie our prisoners up first though." Merixia sheathes her sword, then swings her backpack onto the ground and begins digging through it. Once she finds their rope, she proceeds to bind the surviving cultists' hands. Rather than cut pieces from the rope and make it less useful later on, she just uses one end of the fifty foot length for the first cultist and the other end for the second one, leaving them with a generous length of rope between them.
Thesius shakes his head as he listens to the conversation. He believes there little chance that either side will sway the other.
"I don't know how much time sending Thamyris will save us. It may be better for us to escort them back ourselves. We know the way and will not have to wait for a group to be formed and find their way to us," Thesius offers. He would prefer not to have to spend the time with the hellknights, but would prefer not to see unnecessary deaths.
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The woman shakes her head at Elliot's question. "No, I haven't heard anything. We've been busy hiding and running ourselves, until the armigers came to protect us. Then we were searching for others."
Once he has repeated his instructions and been made invisible, Thamyris flutters off towards the Defender's Heart, hopefully to deliver his message and bring back help.
Gaz frowns (or maybe he just always looks like that?) at Verene's suggestion, but nods. "Aye. That is sufficient."
The web disappears just in time for Merixia to tie up the prisoners - wisely, neither of the surviving cultists attempt to run once the magic has been dismissed. The other armigers collect their weapons, and join the party as they enter into the building - probably a residence, once.
The inside of the building is mostly intact, though the furnishings are not. It takes almost twenty minutes for Thamyris to return, followed swiftly by six crusaders, who take the civilians and prisoners off the champions' hands. Gaz and his armigers leave with these crusaders - the senior armiger even expresses his thanks, albeit briefly.
With that, the heroes make their way across the scar on the ground, passing by the Blackwing's remnants as they go. A few streets down from the library, the party spies a few corpses lying in an alleyway. Oddly, these ones haven't been stripped of clothing or armor, and blood stains the walls nearby. It takes them a moment to recognize the bodies: the Ashen Ravens, now dead.
While most of them are dead from cutting wounds, two are less immediately identifiable. One has a bloodstained chest with a tiny wound, while another's head is gone, save for its jaw.
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Elliot sighs as he sees the dead mercenaries. "This isn't exactly what I meant when I said I hoped we'd meet under better circumstances... but I pray your passing was a swift one, and that you died bravely." He makes a praying gesture and moves forward to check the bodies for any more hints as to what happened to them.
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I should have picked up more holy water… I wasn’t thinking about how many bodies we’re likely to come across…
Azira readies Radiance as she looks around. “Be on your guard, it could be that they weren’t stripped of equipment because we interrupted their killers…”
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Merixia relaxes visibly once the Hellknight armigers leave. Hopefully they'll keep to themselves and she won't have to deal directly with them in the future.
Upon coming across the bodies of the Ashen Ravens, she sighs and shakes her head. "What a shame." It's interesting that their killers didn't take their gear, though. And what's with these two corpses? Neither of them matches the others. Merixia kneels next to the one with the bloodstained chest to look them over, then the one with most of their head missing. She murmurs a quick spell to sharpen her senses before each examination.
When Thamyris returns in an even shorter timespan than she had hoped with the six soldiers in tow, Verene praises him extravagantly and coos a bit over him in the private language they share. "Extra treats for you tonight, my brave and clever bird." Thamyris twitters back excitedly for several minutes, conveying every detail of his journey and return. He flits to her shoulder to ride there proudly as they continue, surveying the broken cityscape with interest and perhaps a bit less fear than usual.
Upon passing the alleyway containing remains that it takes a moment to identify as the Ashen Ravens mercenaries, Verene shivers unaccountably. They have seen so much death over the past week, but this is different somehow. "What happened here?" she murmurs, half to herself and half to Thamyris.
Thesius takes a quick look around at Azira's suggestion.
"Indeed, it's a shame to see that circumstances did not shine down better upon them."
If he does not see any threats, he will take the time to look at the bodies next.
The headless one was probably the second to die, if she had to guess, and there's an odd burn mark on the jaw that she can't immediately identify. The rest of the head is splattered across the ground and walls in shards of bone, hair, flesh, and brains. If there's any similar ball, she can't see it. That mystery, however, is quickly resolved.
Thamyris chirps. "Strange ball over there." He flicks a wing in the direction of the messy stain of brains and frozen blood near the headless Ashen Raven. Sure enough, there is a small lead ball lying in the midst of the foul substances.
Verene approaches the ball and examines it, then glances at the nearby headless body. "Good find, Thamyris. A lead ball... Presumably, the projectile that killed this person."
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"If they didn't loot the bodies, they either had no interest in loot, no time, or they were never close enough to do so..." Elliot says when the strange metal ball is discovered. "And for something that small to completely destroy someone's head, it'd have to be lauched at very high speed, or with an explosive component. So... some sort of advanced telekinetic or evocation spell?" The magus theorizes.
Not having any expertise in the field of forensics (or engineering), he is unable to help further and instead follows Thesius when the bard points out the blood trail, Righteous Eclipse drawn and ready to face the mystery ball wizard able to do such horrible magics...
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"If they didn't loot the bodies, they either had no interest in loot, no time, or they were never close enough to do so..." Elliot says when the strange metal ball is discovered. "And for something that small to completely destroy someone's head, it'd have to be launched at very high speed, or with an explosive component. So... some sort of advanced telekinetic or evocation spell?"
Verene has been staring in an abstracted fashion at the little metal ball, which she picked up to examine from all sides. She looks up at Elliot's speculation. "Indeed, there are spells that can shoot coins of precious metals as projectiles, at such high speeds they can become deadly. But there are also nonmagical weapons — mostly from the far south, in Garund's Mana Wastes, where magic is unpredictable or nonexistent — that are capable of propelling small and specifically lead balls such as this with explosive and lethal force. Firearms, they are called. I am not entirely sure how they work, as I have never seen one in person. But I know that a rare few travelers from that area have brought them as far north as Absalom. And now, perhaps, as far north as the Worldwound."
Just to be sure, she casts her fiend-detection cantrip and examines the area for a few moments, then the magic-detecting cantrip and does the same.
With some alarm, she notes that Elliot seems prepared to go even further from their route in pursuit of this mystery. "One other reason they might not have taken anything from the bodies is if they were badly injured, and simply trying to get off the street to safety," she points out. "Whoever did this is clearly very dangerous, and likely to be more so if already in pain and on edge, so if we are investigating this further, let us prepare accordingly." Verene takes out her wand of mage armor and uses a charge of it on herself, with a feeling of slight relief as the translucent force field snaps into place.
She sighs, looking at the bloody remains that are all that is left of the Ashen Ravens. "I wish they had simply taken the offered shelter at the Defender's Heart."
Unsure if it would work or not, but on his sister's urging, Elliot similarly uses a charge from the shield wand. And rather than directly follow Thesius, he activates his flight hex to fly up the side of the building the alley was located adjacent to, and scouted that out for this potential firearm user. Should he not find him or her, he would keep a watchful eye on the party from above.
Merixia hums absently in response to the conversation going on around her, focused on examining the corpse's chest wound. Is that... "Aha! It's another lead ball like the one you were just talking about. Looks like these two were killed by the same person. I doubt there's more than one Garundi with an obscure mechanical weapon running around this far north."
She wipes her bloody fingers on the body's clothes and stands up. "I think I'll wait to cast my spell until we find the killer. While they are bleeding, it's light enough that they could have made it a fair distance from here."
Azira keeps Radiance readied as she moves forward with Elliot to see where the blood trail leads.
Thesius makes his way to the blood trail and takes the moment to see if the blood has dried. He will share his findings with the group as it will give them a better understanding of just how close the perpetrator might be.
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Verene does not note any magical auras in the area - if there had been spells or magical items, they had been cast or taken long enough ago that the auras don't linger.
Elliot glides upwards while his fellows follow the trail of blood, doing the same from above. After about a minute of following it, the drops of blood become fewer and further between.
Thesius is, however, able to keep following it for another five minutes. Eventually, it leads to a small, half-collapsed house.
As they move forwards, a voice calls out. "Stay back! Who are you?"
Verene stops when the voice calls out to them, peering between the half-collapsed house and its neighbors.
"There is a shiny metal in that window where the voice is hidden-speaking. Weapon metal. Beware threat," Thamyris chirps quietly to the group, indicating the window he means by turning his head sideways to stare directly at it.
Verene follows his gaze and nods. "Thank you, my dear."
She turns toward the indicated window and raises her hands in a universal peaceable gesture. In a calm but carrying voice, she calls across the distance toward it as she steps forward just enough to make herself known. "I understand your wariness, but please don't attack. We don't want to fight anyone who is not on the demons' side. We have been sent by the remaining forces of the Crusade to guide any survivors of the violence we can find to sanctuary. They are providing free magical healing, food, clean water, and a safe place to rest. My name is Verene. What is your name? What happened with those mercenaries in the alley? We ran across them before, you see, though they were not exactly friendly and would not accept help."
Merixia hurriedly sheathes her sword when Verene raises her hands. There's no way she can get to the shooter right now, and looking peaceful is important. (Well. As peaceful as she can get in banded mail with a very large sword strapped to her back.) She leans over to whisper to Azira.
"Think your detect evil can reach all the way up there?"
Azira's eyes begin to glow with a warm golden light as she looks for signs of a taint of evil where the voice originates. "She speaks the truth," the aasimar calls out reassuringly, "I swear it, by the Inheritor."
Back on ground level, Elliot stands out of sight of the gunman's building as the girls do the talking. "If something goes wrong, or he is evil, I can try flying or levitating from the side or top to get the drop on him." He offers.
Thesius nods at the words of the others, before adding his own, "Indeed, we are survivors working to do what we can to help survivors. Is there a way we might be able to assist you?"
"A bunch of crusaders, huh?" Comes the answer. "Well, you can stay out there for now. Let's have a bit of a chat." The speaker seems less suspicious now, but still very much untrusting.
"They were mercenaries, were they? More like bandits." The person inside spits audibly. "Did any of them survive?"
Thesius sighs, their suspicions about the group seemingly justified at the words of this speaker.
"Unfortunately that serves to concrete my earlier suspicions about them. We had hoped them better, but it sounds like that was not the case. I did not note any survivors among them, but we did find a blood trail coming this way. Are you in need of healing? We can assist with that once you are comfortable enough to accept such. If not, someone else may have come this way."
Verene does not bother to correct the speaker's mistaken assumption about them all being crusaders. It is one that more and more people are making lately. "What? You truly thought they would try to rob people in the aftermath?" she says, mostly to Thesius, much shocked. "They did not seem so cutthroat as that... But I suppose desperation corrupts, and Anevia did say she thought some of them cruel and unpleasant in her previous dealings with them."
As Thesius has already asked the most important question, she does not otherwise address the voice and merely waits for a response, her mind turning it over in the meantime. She had definitely not thought the Ashen Ravens would do such a thing. But where before she had thought there might have been some tragic misunderstanding or error of judgment like with the maddened crusaders, now a new hypothesis forms in her mind: the speaker was seen to be alone and carrying a rare and valuable weapon, thus the larger group thought they could take it with ease and impunity. Until they realized how dangerous it and its bearer was, and by then it was too late. But that does not explain why most of the corpses in the alley died of slashing wounds. A second person, or perhaps a backup weapon? Although her understanding is shaky, she thinks firearms are more like wands or prepared spells than swords or bows, in that their uses are quite limited before running out. The speaker may not even be able to fire again at all today, which would explain taking shelter here and the extreme wariness of not wanting anyone to approach. Either way, she will respect that wish so as not to inflame tensions further.
But is the purported victim now lying or trying to mislead them about what happened? These words and the threat of a weapon seem little different from how the Ashen Ravens behaved originally. Somewhat at a loss, Verene looks at Merixia and Azira. The younger woman seems to have a good sense for people and who is telling the truth, while Azira likely has an answer about the presence of evil through the boarded-up window by now, since there is nothing like a three-foot thickness of wood to block her.
"Everyone we saw back there was stone dead. Like Verene said, though, we did find one blood trail coming this way." Merixia turns to Verene. "I've heard plenty of stories of corrupt crusaders. People who have more interest in robbing their fellow crusaders than in fighting demons. The church of Iomedae has taken so many casualties, they're desperate enough to accept anyone who can fight or otherwise contribute to the Crusade. Hells, they accepted me, horns and all." She shrugs. "Given how the Ravens acted toward us, and what Anevia had to say about them, I can't say I'm surprised that they turned to looting and robbery in the aftermath of the invasion."
"The church of Iomedae has taken so many casualties, they're desperate enough to accept anyone who can fight or otherwise contribute to the Crusade. Hells, they accepted me, horns and all."
Elliot looks up at this, and numerous responses along the lines of 'and they couldn't have made a better choice' float through his mind, but it didn't seem appropriate for the conversation. Instead, he calls out to the 'firearms' specialist. "Excuse me, Sir? It feels impolite to continue without introducing ourselves. So, my name is Elliot; may we ask yours? And, you say they 'looked more like bandits'. Why was that, exactly? Did you see them do anything nefarious?"
"I've bandaged my wounds." The voice replies grimly. "Nothing serious." That sounds unlikely.
"In any case, they attacked me." The voice is bitter. "My name... I'm Kadin. I'm not like to come out unless you prove that I can trust you."
"Merixia Pentarian, priestess of Ragathiel. I'd say it was nice to meet you, but honestly, I'd rather have met you without the weird weapon pointing at me." She pauses, tail twitching with curiosity. "I've never seen a wound quite like that before... anyway, how do you propose that we prove ourselves trustworthy?"
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"I've heard plenty of stories of corrupt crusaders. People who have more interest in robbing their fellow crusaders than in fighting demons. The church of Iomedae has taken so many casualties, they're desperate enough to accept anyone who can fight or otherwise contribute to the Crusade. Hells, they accepted me, horns and all." She shrugs. "Given how the Ravens acted toward us, and what Anevia had to say about them, I can't say I'm surprised that they turned to looting and robbery in the aftermath of the invasion."
"I've bandaged my wounds." The voice replies grimly. "Nothing serious." That sounds unlikely.
"In any case, they attacked me." The voice is bitter. "My name... I'm Kadin. I'm not like to come out unless you prove that I can trust you."
Verene says first at normal volume to Merixia, "Yes, I know there are plenty of opportunists and scoundrels among the low templars especially. Some countries even send their convicted criminals here as an alternative to prison or hard labor. I only meant the Ashen Ravens themselves seemed like hard and selfish folk, as you would expect from most mercenaries, but not really like brigands."
She shakes her head sadly and addresses the house again, pitching her voice to make sure it carries while remaining calm and matter-of-fact. "We truly mean you no harm, but I do not know how we could prove it either. How can we make you feel more comfortable, Kadin? Perhaps it would help if we told you more about ourselves."
Verene is not entirely sure if this Kadin has been able to hear what they say among themselves, although she would not have said anything outside of the message that she minded being overheard. 'Attacked' is also different than 'tried to rob,' and the speaker's voice is unusual; perhaps the source of the dispute with the Ashen Ravens was not necessarily over valuables, and he or she is additionally suspicious of humans who might react badly to a nonhuman appearance, as well as feeling vulnerable due to being injured. "Merixia here is from Andoran. She traveled here to join the Crusade in the course of her service to Ragathiel, the angel also called the General of Heaven. Horns and all, as she says; and that was very lucky for us, for you will not meet a fiercer foe of evil, or a more honest friend to the good. You also heard from Azira, who swore by Iomedae, whom she serves as a paladin. She is a second-generation crusader and a native of Kenabres, like me, and like my brother Elliot, and our friend Thesius. The latter three of us are in our different ways scholars and students of the arcane, not actually crusaders as such. Though we have been working with and for them over the past few days — these being unusual times — and together with those crusaders and other allies from beneath the city, we were yesterday able to kill or drive out all of the actual demons still on this side of the border." That part was a happy accident compared to their original and grimmer purpose, but it is also true, and the full context would likely just be confusing. "Which is not to say that everything and everyone who remains is friendly, of course. That is part of why we are still searching for survivors.
"What is your story? What brought you to Kenabres, Kadin?"
It is a guess, but that weapon, if nothing else, had traveled far to be here.
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"I indeed had my suspicions after how we met them last night, but I had hoped it would not be so. Desperate times can bring out the worse in people and seeing the city fall is definitely a desperate time," Theisus response to Verene before waiting to hear Kadin's response to his friends. He did not want to overwhelm the individual with too many people talking.
Azira remains quiet for a while, listening and leaving room for the stranger to speak. When the conversation turns to proving their trustworthiness, the paladin decides it is time to act.
Very calmly, and with a slow deliberateness, she moves into clear line of sight (and fire) from the boarded window and sheathes Radiance. "Unless you are in league with the demons, Kadin, we mean you no harm, of any kind," she offers. "If you need healing, we will give it freely; and, if you would like shelter, we can lead you to it; but, we will not force either on you. Can we help you?"
Hard proof of trustworthiness was hard to give, but if Elliot had to pick something other than charm or logic, whixh had already been applied by his allies... "Azira... your blessing of Iomedae has manifested visually before. Perhaps, if you pray to her, she will shine her light on you again? Especially after the events at the Grey Garrison. The emberkin suggests.
Kadin is silent for a time, but eventually the door to their building creaks open and a weary Garundi person steps into view. In one hand they hold one of the rare and strange firearms, while another is tucked into their belt alongside a long knife. They wear especially thick winter clothing, and have a few very obvious bandages. "I'm here," they say, "to kill demons. Same as the rest of you, no doubt."
Kadin looks over the champions. "Of course, I've had to kill more people than demons these days." Their eyes fall on Azira, then Merixia. "A curious assembly. I want to know what you're doing out here. It isn't safe, as I'm sure you can tell."
”I’m afraid, as Verene mentioned, there are no more demons to kill in the city,” Azira answers with a warm smile. “We are searching for survivors to help and remaining cultists to eliminate, or in some cases arrest. I can help heal some of your wounds if you’ll allow to come over there and place my hand on you?”
Verene smiles at Kadin's emergence but holds her position. After Azira's offer is accepted or rejected she adds, "It's as Azira says. We heard a rumor that there was a group of survivors in the southern Gate District, so we went out to look for them, bring them back to the Defender's Heart inn where the remaining crusaders have gathered, and clear up any cultist activity we found at the same time."
Merixia feels her face heating up at Verene's praise. The wizard is probably exaggerating a little to try and get the shooter to come out, but even so, it's nice to hear.
Kadin looks over the champions. "Of course, I've had to kill more people than demons these days." Their eyes fall on Azira, then Merixia. "A curious assembly. I want to know what you're doing out here. It isn't safe, as I'm sure you can tell."
What? She gives the Garundi a puzzled look. "Of course it's not safe, that's why we're out here. To help people who need to get to safety and eliminate those who would prey on them." Do they really think she became a crusader to stay safe?
Thesius nods his agreement. "Just seeking our own safety will not help resolve this situation. We are hoping to save those we can."
Kadin eyes Azira carefully, hesitating. "Alright." They say, holstering their weapon as they approach the paladin and let her heal them.
"Other survivors out here? I've seen a just six or seven blocks to the west." Kadin replies to Verene. "I didn't bother them, though. They seemed desperate enough, and I can't protect more than I already am."
They rub their face wearily. "I'm new enough to the city. Where's this Defender's Heart, and what dangers should I look for on the journey there?" A wry smile creeps up on their face at the champions' words.
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"All right, thank you, Kadin." Elliot nods as he gives a return smile. He gives the directions to the Defender's Heart, then cuts a small lock of his flame hair with Righteous Eclipse and holds it to her. "I'm not sure if we are supposed to be spreading the current password to people we just met and are not being escorted back by other crusaders. But if you show this and tell Irabeth to remember the conversation at the celebration yesterday, she will probably trust you. Not that I don't believe you will make it, with the streets mostly being cleared out that way and not much remaining in way of enemies, but just in case. Or... would you prefer coming with us as we go about rescuing those other civilians?"
"In which case I just sliced off another lock for nothing. Good thinking, me. I should have asked Irabeth about security before leaving... so that I don't grow bald. I wonder if there is a hair restoration spell somewhere in this mystical spell archive we now have access to? Maybe I should approach Verene or Meri later, if we have some of that energy to spare..."
”Coming with us really would be the safest option,” Azira offers, gently resting one hand on the gunner’s upper arm even after withdrawing her other from near their bloodied bandages. “You could help us to find those other survivors, if they’re not the same ones we already helped, and in exchange we could help you to get to Defender’s Heart safely, if you’d like?”
"Other survivors out here? I've seen a just six or seven blocks to the west." Kadin replies to Verene. "I didn't bother them, though. They seemed desperate enough, and I can't protect more than I already am."
"More than I already am"? Is there another person here? "That sounds like it could be just the people we are looking for. As the others have said, you and any others with you are welcome to come with us to see if we can bring them safely back to Defender's Heart. I do not know if it is wise to try to make the journey by yourself with only verbal directions. With all the broken places in the ground, the way is not obvious, especially if one does not know the area. And traveling the streets right now is dangerous for anyone alone, as you observed. Although you seem fairly dangerous yourself, with those firearms of yours. It is your choice. How are your injuries now?"
Verene studies the stranger carefully. Thamyris, usually quick to greet new people, stays quiet, watchful, and half-hidden in her hair.
Merixia lets the others do the talking. She's currently occupied trying to determine whether Kadin is still wounded.
Thesius tilts his head at the man's words. "Indeed, there may be more safety in numbers at this time. You mentioned you can't protect more then you already are. Are there others with you now?"
Kadin tilts their head curiously at Elliot's hair, but takes it nonetheless. "My thanks to you, then." They say hesitantly. "Hopefully they don't think I took it as a battle trophy." They add dryly.
At Azira's offer, they shrug slightly. "I'd rather not go with you all, if it's the same to you. The sooner I get... to safety the better."
They look to Verene. "I have a few people under my protection, but I don't think they're quite as willing to trust as I am. With my weapons, if there are no demons, I think I'll be able to get us there without too much trouble. Are their healers there?"
They pause. "My injuries aren't going to encumber me, and if you're going to find other survivors, it'd be best if you save your healing for those who might be more injured than I am."
Kadin smiles wearily. "Thank you for your offers, but as I said, I think I'll take my people there alone, unless you truly insist on me coming with you."
"I have plenty of healing available, but if you're sure, I won't press any further. Defender's Heart does have several skilled healers available." Merixia can tell that Kadin is still mildly wounded, but they should be well able to get to Defender's Heart with their group. "Before you go, can you tell us about where the other group of survivors you mentioned is?"
Verene nods in agreement, though her face is slightly troubled still. One protector and several people in need of protection... I would feel better if they moved as a group with us.
"There are enough healers at Defender's Heart that they have been able to take care of any normal wounds or disease." She hesitates, then adds, "If the other survivors are as close as you say, we will likely be coming back this way soon. If your group can wait a bit — no more than an hour or so — we could all make the journey to the inn together and provide greater protection. Think it over, all right? And either way, be careful."
Regardless of the answer, she is ready to move on once they get an answer from Kadin about the location of the other survivors.
Azira looks thoughtful for a moment and then asks, "Kadin, have you and the people you're protecting been in this area for long? Maybe you're the survivors we were looking for..."
She winces slightly when Verene mentions returning in an hour but chooses to hear Kadin's response to both of their questions before possibly saying anything.
an hour doesn't sound like a lot of time to reach the center of Old Kenabres, dig through whatever rubble and remains are there to find my mother, and get back here...