Elriel's page

Elriel stood beside Brevon as he questioned the losing commanding officer. In truth, Elriel wanted to be asked to slay the man but was content just to watch the interrogation instead.

When he turned defiant, a shortsword found its way to his hand. He looked at Brevon for permission that never came.

When the officer was taken away, he asked Brevon, "Why? Why the need for a trial? Why not just kill him and move on?"

It wasn't a question to defy Brevon, the defacto commanding officer of the little army, but Elriel was sincerely curious to know what drove the man's compassion.

tag?

Elriel kept in check his usual care-free fighting style. He did not want to give in to the thrill of killing enemies. His recent experiences had etched some concern on his forehead as he started to really worry of what this world was doing to him.

More so when he decided to fight alongside the new recruit, Commander Kamilo. Elriel wanted to make sure the woman was apt for this sort of thing, especially given all she had just recently endured.

As the first tiefling's head popped out from her deft sword, the half-elf knew there was nothing to worry about. This woman fought with the ferocity of a barbarian yet seemed in control of her emotions, much more so than Elriel. And he was trying to keep control.

Elriel merely nodded as the opposing army was cut down. Commander Kamilo was someone he could trust.

Elriel did not want to spend any time in this blighted land and the fact that he knew that it was going to get worse depressed him.

He nodded in agreement when the others suggested stopping for the day.

He wondered out loud among his companions, "Is this what a world where the demons win looks like?"

He swatted a colorful insect on his armor and blood splattered on his body, "And what's up with these insects all over the place. Did they eat all the other animals?"

tag?

It was evident that the landscape was getting to the half-elf rogue.

Rukzha is deep in thought while the others discuss. "Leaving the ford undefended at our backs could cut off our way out, or even worse get us caught in a pincer move between two enemy forces. Still I do not like the idea of weakening our forces any more than you do. The ideal situation would be if we could somehow make sure that a message was delivered to the Queen.

Two riders is not a bad idea, but I believe I've just gotten inspiration for a better one. Just like showing something that is not real can fool you about reality, so can also something that is not real inform you about reality.

You've all seen my powers to put others to sleep, but I can also use magic to send dreams to those which are asleep. As long as I'll be able to catch the Queen asleep, I should be able to reach her with a dream. That can't be stopped as easily as a rider, and won't diminish our forces either.

Aron or Sosiel, do either of you know the sleeping habits of the Queen? "

Elriel frowned, "I would think the Queen is protected from such things. Otherwise, it would be too easy for demons to torment her sleep."

He looked at the witch, "You can try but I would also send the two riders. Sometimes, the best solutions are the simple ones. Not that anything is simple in this war."

With this, Aron shakes his head. "On the other hand, we could definitely use her skill with the sword and her men's expertise with our army... after all, we lost half a dozen man in the attack... we could send a single rider to ask the queen's assistance and move forward. With our main army moving, the enemies would not think of attacking Vilareth Ford so soon..."

Elriel listened attentively before speaking, "The Queen gave us this mission herself. And although Vilareth Ford is very important, we still have to fulfill our mission to do before securing it."

He continued, "I say we continue on and ask Commander Kamilo and her men to join us. It will be good to give her a chance at revenge. We can also send two riders, two for protection, to let the Queen know about the Ford and let her decide how to best handle it."

He looked about to see if anyone proposed a different course of action.

Elriel was no longer shocked by the savagery of their enemy. Quite frankly, Hedda's story was similar and she turned out to be a competent ally.

Watching her eat and drink he said, There are still plenty of demons around so you'll get your chance at revenge. We are heading into demon country right now. You're welcome to come with us with whoever else you deem fit for duty."

He added, "Or you can take your leave now and help out the crusade later. I guess you need to assess your forces first."

Elriel neared the woman in the middle of the square. "How is it that you still live woman?"

He then added, "If I read you right, you seethe with anger, the type of anger that will keep you going, no matter what they have done to you."

He then freed her and gave her food and drink, "What can you tell us about what happened?"

tag?

Elriel then asked the crusaders to free whoever was alive and gather those dead for a decent burial.

Elriel nodded in approval to all the suggested actions, "Aye, let's figure out if any of the prisoners are able and willing to join us. If not, we need to gather some sort of guard for them and send them on their way. Perhaps we can provided weapons and supplies."

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how many and what type of prisoners were there?

Elriel had had his fill of killing, even demonspawn and tieflings. As soon as the battle was well under control, he went directly to the prisoners that still lived.

He ripped into one last jailer before plucking the keys to manacles from the still warm body. He then liberated those men and women under the yoke. he shared food and drink and asked to learn more about them. were these local farmers trying to eek out a life here or seasoned veterans who were just overwhelmed by the savagery of the demons.

tag prisoners?

He then congratulated everyone for their courage and wits, "May Iomedae keep the brave souls who perished today in all her glory."

Elriel nodded, "Fine then. An illusion of a wave it is then. Hopefully that will rauffle their feathers enough to both leave the prisoners be and allow us an advantage on a mounted charge."

He cocked his head, "Speaking of prisoners, I think I hear their screams from here so let's get going, eh?"

Elriel considered the situation and spat on the ground, "I think we should split our forces. My companions and I will take to the hills and strike from there."

When everyone raised their eyebrows, he continued, "Don't worry. I have no intention on taking on 200 tielflings. However, we can become a big nuisance. Enough so their attention is diverted to us and hopefully leave a better opening for a front assault."

He looked at the mounted knights and although fighting from horseback was not his specialty, he understood its advantages. "The way I see it, we don't want to give up the advantage of a mounted charge."

He smiled, "Besides, I think the five of us could make a lot of noise."

Elriel remembered what it felt like for darkness to set in and not being able to see. Now, with his eyes abe to pierce the night, he felt better. A little, considering they were probably surrounded by roving bands of demons.

He neared Brevon, "It's Ok. I can see some and can help. I'll take one of the watches."

He then took a quick survey of the soldiers, "So, how many of you can see in the dark. Let's split you all up and make sure that we have at least one of them per shift. I'll take whatever shift you need me to. I have no need to rest my mind."

He scoffed, "Wouldn't do any good anyway."

Elriel nodded at Brevon's assessment of the situation. "I don't like camping out in the open but the alternative seems far worse. At the very least, we'll have fresh men ready to defend us."

He looked about, "Let's get away from the river; it's environs seem to favor our enemy and make camp in the most defensible position available. A small hill, a valley, or anything that will limit the paths that our enemy could take. Oh, and double watch again tonight."

Elriel was impressed by Rukzha's inventiveness, "That was good work and it didn't take as longas I've feared it would."

He then added, "I think it's time we march on to our destination. We want to cover good ground before the sun sets."

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Merry Christmas everyone!

Elriel was more old-fashioned when it came time to trust scouts and he was perfectly happy with what the reports had been.

"I think we should not waste any more time. This may not work and we must think about the greater good here. I say we march along and cover as much distance as possible. We'll start looking for a safe place to camp once we are close to nightfall."

Elriel was sulking and kept busy tending to his blades.

When Brevon asked the question, he matter-of-factly spoke, "Mother is all I have and she safe back home. I hope. I actually came here looking for my father but haven't quite found him yet."

Elriel then offered to take a round of watch, if nothing else than to get to know some of these crusaders he was traveling with.

He jumps atop his horse and points it to the mass of soldiers, but, before going away, he asks you just to confirm. "Should I call the others? It is already getting dark and even if trained, those men will need more than a couple minutes to set up camp."

Satisfied with the scout's report, Elriel nods, "Yeah, go and call them over. We should keep double watch tonight just in case. And let's see if we scrounge up anything to eat. Even some squirrels would be worth it."

Disgusted by the scene, the half-elf started to cut down the bodies, starting with the children.

He asked, "Come help me. These people deserve better than this. We can't leave them like this."

Elriel continued to work in cutting the bodies down. "A mass grave or a mass pyre would be better than this."

Elriel merely nodded, "Agreed. Let's get to a large building, make sure it's clear, and then have the army move in. If no large building is available then a series of close buildings close by will do."

He peered out at the bleak landscape, "Anything is better than out in the open."

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pick a building (s) and have the PCs investigate and clear

"What do we know about Vala's Rift today? It has withstood the demons? It could very well be a breeding ground for demons, or even a trap. Here we are exposed on all sides, especially from the sky. Have we scouts we could send ahead to determine the status of the town?" He turns once again to his allies for input. Tag?

Elriel agreed, "Yes, it would be wise and much quicker to send a couple of people in town to find out what the status is."

He turned to the Knight Captain, "Do you have such men? If not, I can ride out there and remain low while I check things out."

He then peered out ahead, "You're right about resupplying. There's likely nothing to scavenge in that dead land. Especially fo this many men."

I'm fine with the +2 cloak.

I would rather that you describe them and we can also describe our actions even if they are 'meaningless'. Perhaps you can give us some bonuses on the rolls for some good descriptions and/or entertaining RPing.

I don't think anyone should play commander UNLESS it's part of character development where that makes sense for that particular PC. It would not make sense for Elriel at this stage of the game.

Elriel nodded as the last instructions were given, "We shall not fail you, your Highness. Next time you will see, we will riding behind the Sword of Valor."

He looked at his companions to see if there was any doubt in their faces; this was the most dangerous thing any of them had done. "We'll make the Queeen proud, right?"

tag?

He then neared the scout of the group, Well met, my name's Elriel and I want to offer up my services to scout as needed."

he added, "From the little I know, the Queen's suggestion for travel makes sense. is there anything that she's not aware of?"

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@Elriel, anyone: The item(s) you want the most is an upgraded sword right? I haven't seen anyone mentioning wanting any items. There is a list in Toothy's post above. Please check them out to see if anything strikes your fancy.

Yeah, I think the +1 cold iron shortsword makes the most sense. A belt of DEX would be nice.

BTW, I'm totally Ok with the disparity that we have in wealth. I know it's hard to keep everyone more or less on the same level; I struggle with this in my own games. But I also know that one item could tip the balance one way or the other so I'm sure it will all work out. Besides, we're all on the same team.

Game on!

On killing defenseless enemies:

Rukzha's voice is calm and attempting to be soothing as she speaks on the matter. "Elriel, I don't think you did anything bad here. It's not about whether they can defend themselves against your attacks or not, but about what they'll do if you don't attack them. It sounds like this tiefling would have attacked you if you had not taken her out. Think back to the many times I've put our enemies to sleep. Was it wrong to kill them off before they could rise? I don't think so. Sure we could perhaps have redeemed some if given enough time, but that was time we did not have. Though you bring up an interesting point. Perhaps we can be on the lookout for such opportunities in the future? Perhaps there will indeed be enemies we can redeem?"

Elriel felt somewhat relieved by the responses but there was still a nagging feeling that he had done something wrong.

"I get what you are saying but the problem the way I see it is not that I killed the tielfling but that I enjoyed killing her."

His eyes looked out to an imaginary horizon, "And I'm not sure that my enjoyment was at the prowess of my skill, the fact that I killed a guilty person, or just the plain fact of killing..."

tag?

After a couple seconds of silence, Queen Galfrey motions you to follow her outside the room and then outside the building, "Our knights are waiting on the outer camp just north of the once proud walls of Kenabres. You should depart immediately, so take your possessions with you and meet me downstairs once you are done in about a quart of an hour."

Elriel said goodbye to the monk. Although he had very recently known him, the fact that they spilled blood fighting a common enemy did much to bond them. "Stay strong."

The half-elf then went to gather his meager belongings and was soon packed and ready to go. He had one more stop to make. He did not want to go but he had to. The little girl had suffered too many disappointments in her young life.

So it was that he dragged his feet to the common area where the children were quartered. He wanted to tell her the truth. That he had volunteered on a suicide mission and would probably die but he lied to her. He told her that he would be gone for just a few days but that he would be back. He buried himself in a prolonged hug and hid his tears.

A puffy eyed Elriel joined his companions ready to go...

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do we need to stock up? How are we doing with healing? I guess I worry because I can't heal...

Elriel never imagined that such an honor could be bestowed on a bastard from the Tanglebriar.

He's at a loss for words, not even a snark remark came from his lips.

He silently nodded and accepted the charges laid upon him.

He looked at the medals and beamed with pride, "Of course, we shall recover the Sword of Valor. When do we leave?"

Elriel was humbled, "We'll go and seek out this Sword of Valor but..."

He looked around the room, "None of us are army commanders so we either go along or someone to lead the army comes with us."

He added, "I just don't feel comfortable leading people when I'm not really trained for that. I would be afraid that they would die because of a silly command I gave."

He then asked, "Who knows more about this Aponavicius?"

@Elriel: I'm the father. Thank you for your sentiments though.

Sorry, no offense meant. :)

Life has become even more crazy on my end due to my son getting sick with chickenpox. He hardly sleeps at night and feeding has become even more of a struggle (which was difficult before). Taking care of him and working leaves little time for games... If you guys don't want to wait for me to get time again that's understandable :(.

I'll look at what to buy/sell later. Rukzha is currently at WBL for level 3, that's including a ton of consumables, though I guess that's not counting all the spells she got. There hasn't been much gear fitting her (that others couldn't use better). It would be nice if one of you could come up with a suggestion at least on what to sell though. I have no problem with Hedda keeping the horn, though I'm unsure how useful it actually is. Taking a standard action for something like that is rough, though I guess it'll be easier to find spare actions in a pinch once we get mythic tier 2 with amazing initiative.

Did you see the list of items I posted earlier Toothy about which items are available? Did I perhaps miss your rolls?

Either way, I'm not sure where to put Rukzha's bonus. Perception might be the most used skill, but you all are better at it than me. Knowledge planes, spellcraft and intimidate are her best skills, but she already got great bonuses in those, so I'm unsure how much more aid is needed. It's not like intimidate is a core part of my build. Maybe I'll put it in knowledge planes. Getting to know more about enemies is always nice.

Sorry about your child but you have to be a good mother first and foremost so it's Ok to let this slack some as long as we know.

On items and abilities, I really feel like you worry too much about getting the 'perfect' item/ability. Just pick something that you think will help you and if it turns it's not as good or you don't use it as much, don't berate yourself for the selection.

Game on!

Hedda wrote:

It would have been nice to have Kaede or Kazmuk here to explain things to her. It all seemed like such a lifetime ago.

I know those people! ;D Man, we're getting ready to start Wrath of the Righteous in my IRL group, and I'm kind of sad now that I didn't think of reviving Kaede. (Hubby's already playing a divine commander warpriest, though, and I don't want to steal his thunder. And I'm super stoked about the psychic I'm making. But still. Kaede.)

Yeah, good PCs and good times.

BTW, I'll be out of the office for the next two days so don't expect much from me during the day. I should still be able to post early mornings and late evenings.

Elriel bowed. "Ma'am, the wardstone has changed me in a physical way. Not only on the battle prowess as Brevon said but my eyes. I reckon I can see in the dark as well as a dwarf."

After adding a couple more details on the wardstone fragment, he dared ask, "So what's next? We have heard rumors of demons amassing beyond the river. Are you here with the army to take care of that?"

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+2 to stealth

I'd like the amulet of natural armor +1 and the +1 holy arrow.

We shouldn't sell the potions or the scroll either.

And I can add a potion of darkvision to the pot, which I no longer need.

Brevon taps his cutterly on the wooden table as Elriel tells his story. "The mere fact you are concerned about the question suggests you are not a wicked man, Elriel. I haven't known you long, but I do not believe you are a cold-blooded killer. As Hedda says, this sounds like self-defense. And if you have taken pride in your strategy and victory, you are no worse than the thousands of men and women who have survived the demonic assault, and pride themselves on living to see another day."

"The holy texts teach us that pride is a useless emotion, praise misdirected that distracts us from the truth. But I don't think it makes you wicked. Do you?"

Elriel nodded, somewhat convinced, "I guess you're right but don't let me become some cold killer. Maybe that tiefling was just a victim of circumstances and she could have been redeemed."

He looked at Brevon in a serious light, "Doesn't your Goddess teach you that all beings should be redeemed? Would she have approved of my actions?"

tag?

"So...without knowing more...I would say that no, feeling enjoyment in such things is not itself evil. Doing them may well be another matter." Tag?

Elriel pondered what Brevon had said, "Well, here's what happened today..."

After Elriel told his story, he asked again, "I felt an undeniable sense of satisfaction but now I'm not so sure of its origin. Did I feel satisfaction because I tricked a tiefling at her own game or because I killed a defenseless thug? Mind you that it was trying to kill me."

tag?

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Hunting trip
Elriel raised his hand, "I need to get out of the city. I've been hunting two-legged beasts with my swords for the past few days. I need to train with my shortbow and hunt something else. Besides, I think the this place can use the meat. Count me in. Just let me know the details."

It was a tired but satisfied Elriel that stumbled back to the Defender’s Heart. He had reason to be tired as he been out all day in the city looking for survivors. Going into crumbling buildings, moving debris, and picking up mangled bodies was tiring work for anyone, even one in good fighting form as the half-elf. But the fact that he was fatigued didn’t bother him; it was the fact that he had enjoyed the day that gave him cause for concern.
He had done the same thing for the past two days and always managed to bring back a lost soul or two and that always warmed his heart, almost as much as playing with his adopted sister did. But this was different; he had a wicked grin on his face that was hard to erase. And it was because he killed a defenseless being…

The half-elf was exploring the basement of a large building when he saw her. There was no mistaking the vile origins of the creature. The tail and horns all spoke of an Abyssal taint in her blood. And although the half-elf had interacted with some decent tieflings, there were few and far between. Most had succumbed to their fiendish heritage and embraced their wickedness. Most in Kenabres tried to make wood of a fallen tree and preyed upon the weak and defenseless victims of the demon’s onslaught.
Elriel had been tracking this thug for a few blocks now, after he had discovered her brutal mugging of an old man. There was nothing he could do for the dying man so Elriel decided to give chase and least make sure it didn’t happen again. After ten minutes of jumping over rocks and ducking under fallen beams, he caught up to the tiefling as she entered the basement of the ruined building.
The half-elf drew his twin blades and followed, heedless of any danger inside, the face of the dying old man too fresh in his mind. His elven eyes, a gift from his mother, adjusted to the low light inside the building. It didn’t take long to find the tiefling cowering in a corner.
Then everything went dark and he heard the tiefling quietly laugh. He put his hands in front of him and even dropped one of his blades.
But he really could see. His elven eyes, enhanced by the wardstone, allowed him to see in the darkness. Elriel saw the tiefling get up from her feigned position of fear and clench a wicked blade in her hand. He saw her smile through sharp teeth and relish in the soon to be had kill.
And Elriel played along. He stumbled into the near-by wall, all the time back-pedaling to walk back up the stairs. He played the game well and waited for the thug to strike.
But the tiefling never got a chance for her throat was neatly sliced as soon as she neared the half-elf. The half-elf cleaned his blade on her clothes and made his way back out.

Now back sharing dinner with his companions, his mind was still troubled as he relieved his recent experience. He tentatively asked, ”Are you evil if you enjoy killing defenseless beings?”

tag?

@Toothy: I don't really get how you want to play this next part. Stuff like rescuing someone, secret missions, cleaning altars or driving out demons I would rather play out as somewhat of a normal adventure, not just a recollection of what happened. What is your intention for this? Should we just agree on what we want to do next then you'll provide us with encounters etc along the way?

I know what he wants. Story time.

Just think of something Rukzha would do in the next two weeks and write a post about it. Be as detailed as you want.

it's just a good opportunity for us to develop/flesh out our PCs further and also pure entertainment for us as players.

I'll post something tomorrow.

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ITEMS:
I get the mechanical benefit of the wakisashi but it just doesn't make sense from a fluff point of view. There haven't been any wakisashi or oriental flavored weapons in the AP so far. I doubt very much that there are any magical wakisashi. Your 'elven swords' could just be 'shortswords'. I'm just not into starting with mechanical advantages and making them fit the story.

I really enjoy the story aspect of the game and I try for it to be as immersive and 'real' as possible. And yes, I know this is a fantasy game.

I realize this rubs you the wrong way because you are all about maximizing every possible mechanical benefit. Heck, you even suggested for Elriel to get two runner's shirts and switch them between battles. That just doesn't jibe with my style of playing.

Seems like I've managed to roleplay myself into a corner away from everyone :/.

I don't think that's the case. There's still plenty of RPing with other PCs to be had.

To that end, did we not leave an altar or prayer room or something similar that needed to be 'cleaned' up that we said we would do later?

Thanks for outlining the items available.

I'm going to pass on the wakisaki (wakisashi?) since it doesn't make any RP sense in my mind and it was probably only proposed because of the increased critical damage multiplier.

I would like a magical cold iron short sword (or two?).

What's our loot split situation? I only show as having 12 gp to spend...

Elriel breathed easier when the priests pronounced Hedda 'fit for duty'. He would have hated having to eliminate the lass.

He nodded, "So I guess you're as good as you'll ever be. What will you do? Will you take your chance and avenge those that died?"

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later
Elriel went to check on the refugees and specially his 'little sister'. He spent time talking to her and her friends and made sure that some adult took the time to listen to what they had to say. We're fighting for them...

The young half-orc focuses on the cuts on her back, focusing her power there. As expected there is pain, she gasps as it feels as if someone is digging their hands into her wounds in order to pull her upwards. But upwards she goes. The pain dulls slightly as the witch raises in the air, high enough to touch the roof before she gently falls down again.

"With this I should be able to fly. I can use my magic to get closer to enemies up high, or to get away from those on the ground."

As repulsed as he was at cutting Rukzha, Elriel had to admit that the result was indeed amazing.

He expressed his admiration, "That will sure come in handy. Will it hurt you every time you invoke this flight?"

He then added, "Can you carry me? I always wanted to see the world from up above."

Rukzha goes from PG-13 to rated R. :)

The half elf winced when the half-orc girl asked him to cut her. He had seen more than enough blood for a day and didn't relish the fact that he would need to inflict pain on someone he cared about.

His ears perked up when the girl told him about the bodily contact.

He started joking about what sort of contact she wanted when his hand sudenly cupped her breast. Too surprised even for a wise-ass like himself, the half-elf left the hand in place but his arm went rigid as if trying to force himself not to like this.

He continued with the cut as directed and he was glad that Rukzha had turned away and not seen his face of repulsion at the deed. He was afraid that the girl might have taken it the wrong way and think that she was not attractive when Elriel was just sick of seeing pain and blood for the day.

To ease some of the tension, he looked at Brevon and said, "Now don't you get any ideas. I am done cupping for the day."

Again she tries to reach for the comforting rage that always simmered below the surface but there was nothing, she was empty. An anguished cry escapes her lips and she mutters, "I failed them."

Trying to be as practical as ever, the half-elf shook his head, "No, you were brave enough to try and lucky enough to be alive. There's plenty of other people that need saving so... chin up."

"I'm Hedda and things are still a little hazy." She switches out Elriel's cloak for her own, giving another flash of naked skin to the room.

Hedda walks back and stops beside the half-elf. She hands his cloak back to him and then pauses, as if the next words were difficult to speak, "Thank you...for my freedom and the use of your cloak."

The elf nodded, "I'm Elriel and always ready to lend a cloak to naked girls." He winked, "Next time you know."

Before gathering her stuff Hedda asks, "I'd prefer to wash off this blood before getting dressed. Do you all have a place I can do this or do I just do it here with my waterskin?"

Elriel crossed his arms and watched the woman intently.

It was a few seconds before he realized what he was doing, "No, no. You don't have to wash yourself here. We are staying at the Defender's Heart. You can come with us as long as it's Ok with Irabeth."

Meanwhile, Hedda notices a pile in the corner of the room, where she recognizes her gear. Irabeth's eyes follows her... on the top of the pile rests a beautiful greataxe, even if clearly used a lot, still covered in dried blood. She turns to Elriel, "Elriel, please accompany her."

Elriel was not surprised at the request but a part of him regretted giving Hedda the cloak to cover herself. She seemed to fit the stereotype of a beautiful fighting maiden from up North, blonde hair, fit body, and all.

Still the young girl posed a striking figure as she sauntered in front of him.

He lightened up some, "I still don't trust you but you can sure wear a cloak. I'll give you that."

Elriel sheathed his blade and went to work on the woman's shackles, "I trust you Irabeth."

When Rukzha offered help, "I think I'm Ok. I've seen these shackles before. However, if you want to help, please watch her. I still don't trust her."

Once freed, he handed the woman his cloak, "Here, cover yourself."

tag?

He turned to the others, "Do we trust her enough to give her a weapon. I could lend her one of my shortswords..."

tag?

When she hears the half-elf or was he an elf, address a demon, she tries to turn her head to look and pain shoots through her body again. "Where's demon?" She rasps. Her voice is raw from screaming. She had tried not to but in the end she had lost all control as the pain overtook her. "Must kill it. Free me and I'll help."

Elriel scoffed, "Ha, good one, evil spawn."

He surveyed the room with his sword, "Look around demon. There's no one left alive but you. You killed these people and I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Any other tricks up your sleeve...?"

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This is not looking good. Elriel is not too bright but I would hope that perhaps Brevon would interfere and 'detect evil'. I don't want to kill the new PC before she starts playing. Besides, I like Shari. :)

Understanding lits up in Rukzha's eyes and she makes a grim smile. "It appears they were trying to bind a demon into the body of a mortal. We have to determine if it was successful and the demon is now in there or if the woman is still herself. It feels like something isn't quite right here. I hope that means the ritual wasn't successful."

Elriel did not veer away from his chosen path, "Nonsense, I'll tell you what's not quite right. The demons are known to be deceptive. I say we kill this... thing and let Pharasma sort this out."

He gripped his shortsword tighter as he neared the bound woman, "C'mon, demon. Try and convince me not to kill you right here, right now."

All the furniture was pushed away from the center except for a large table where a naked woman is restrained by chains. She is awake, but the shackles around her wrists, ankles, and neck prevents her from leaving the place... instead she screams in anguish. Her body is covered in profane symbols painted with blood. Speaking of blood, there is plenty of it around the room, rushing from the throats of more than two dozen corpses around the table... among the corpses are women and men of all ages, babies, children, elders... aside from the stench of dirt and blood and the staleness of the air, you can feel a palpable evil still permeating the room.

Irabeth is speechless with the whole scene...

Elriel immediately took out his blades and watched the naked, bound woman. He checked to make sure that there was no other threat in the room, making sure that everyone else was dead.

He addressed the woman in chains, "You must some powerful demon, to have killed everyone while still bound. But here's where your reign of terror ends."

The half-elf cautiously walked over to the woman, keeping his distance, his blades out ready to slit her throat once he was close enough...

"Get ready to go back the abyss you came from..."

tag?

What happened to that game Fabian? It seems to have ended rather abruptly.

I folded it and asked the players if they wanted to do Iron Gods with me, which we did but only the first book of the AP.

More explanation here.