"I'm inclined to agree with Ayame. Let's just come back tomorrow. I don't particularly like the idea of trying something more aggressive that this point. The other option is to ask around the neighborhood and see if anyone has seen Thorborg lately."
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Kagyu listens to the conversation and tries to discern if the clerk is being willfully ignorant, or or if that is just his normal mode of being.
Unfortunately, something about the man's cadence makes it hard to discern.
Kagyu walks just behind Ayame, and touches her shoulder lightly as if to let her know he's there. Instead, a buzz of energetic effervescence flows through her body.
"Whatever we do, we should be prepared. I found this blow dart in the rubble, and it appears to be coated in some sort of toxin. I suspect it might be a paralytic used to incapacitate Uksahkka, but I don't know. It could just as easily be a poison. Either way, I do not yet have the ability to counteract it."
Kagyu sags slightly with relief as the elemental crumbles. He releases a healing wave and glances around before releasing a second pusle. "Thank you, everyone. I..." Kagyu sighs and composes himself. Where is has long become accustomed to the violence of the battlefield, this attack on the church has shaken him. " Who would attack a Church of Shelyn? What evil have were set ourselves against?
Frustrated, Kagyu materializes a glaive and sends it streaking toward the elemental. "You want to attack the church? Where are you going you pile of rubble!? A priest of Shelyn is right HERE!"
After Kagyu makes sure the priest is stable he stands back up, presenting his emblazoned shield. His mouth moves as he asks Shelyn to draw all of the monsters hostility toward himself. Let me be a shield. Help me protect.
While Kagyu would appreciate the helm, he would insist it go to protect someone less armored than himself. ... "What? NO!" Kagyu cries out and immediately rushes towards the building. As he sees the elemental, he skids to a stop throwing a concerned glance at the priest before shouting at the monster, "You do not belong on this plane! Return home, golem!"
Assess priest's injuries:
"We will take you anywhere you wish along our route, Angel. I wish I wish I could do more but I am committed to see this journey to the end," he spoke the next part more to himself. "I owe Koya that much. I wonder what she will make of all this..."
Kagyu pulses out a bit of healing energy before speaking.
Thank your for taking care of the ninjas, Angel. It seems that the artifact we were searching for is coveted by more, and darker foes than we expected. How did you end up on that burning pyre?
"We must go now. We can talk later. And in Shelyn's name, thank you for your assistance.. uh... Helm." Kagyu moves to the edge of the boat intending to ocver his allies until they disembark.
Kagyu strides closer toward the ninja in back and points a damming finger towards him while speaking... something... at him. A ray blasts forth.
Kagyu rushes up deck to engage. He moves to the closest figure and takes a swing with his mace.
Seeing the undead taken care of he grabs the nearest shiny thinks that will fit in his pockets and goes to move above deck.
Kagyu slips below deck and unleashes a divine pulse at the reanimated Snorri, and attempts to identify what he has become.
Kagyu breaks into a run at the word "zombie" to get below deck. More undead...but at least it's not another mutant crab...
Kagyu watches flat footed as the fight ends just as fast as it starts. He's only jostled out of his shock by Tahata's request. "Yes, of course. That was a brutal exchange."
"I don't think I have enough of an understanding of the local politics to make a decision either way. Uksahkka, do you think Ulf is captured or in any danger? I find it hard to believe open murder would be permitted. Do you think Stone-Eye's men would be willing to hear us out?"
Kagyu, sensing a tipping point, raises his voice, making sure the raiders hear him as well, "In the end it was not us that killed Asvig. He was murdered by the master he served. That is who is deserving of retribution. The geas his master cast on Asvig was so vicious, not even Shelyn's devine intervention could save him, and for that I am sorry. We wish you no more ill will.
Kagyu pulls out a sheet of paper and scribbles a short letter to Helva. Explaining what he has just said and apologizing for not being able to save Asvig after his surrender. He folds the page up, seals it with wax from a nearby candle and presses the seal with an amulet he pulls from his bag. "Give this to her when she wakes. I think we should take advantage of the time we have, and hope Helva directs her ire towards her husband's true murderer.
Kagyu takes a second to arange Asvig's body a mutter a prayer to Shelyn, before turning back towards the conversation with the raiders.
As Asvig topples over, Kagyu reaches towards him with one hand, his other hand going to his emblazoned shield on the floor next to him, prayer on his lips--but it is too late. It is clear to him that some sort of binding spell has forced Asvig's life from him. Kagyu feels Ayame's hand, and looks to her and then Loren, "That was no natural sickness, or any poison I know of. Do either of you know what kind of sorcery could have caused this? Do you think Helva is similarly affected?"
Kagyu's brow furrows at his reply, and the sudden appearance of sweat. "A point of clarification. You will not tell us? Or you cannot tell us.
"Now that I'm not under threat from your men, yes. Put your spear away. Kagyu kneels down by Helva and easily stabilizes her using his field kit.
" She's stable and safe, but I will let her remain unconscious. Ayame?" Kagyu looks up and indicates her to take over.
"Stop?" Kagyu asked flatly? He willed the spectral glaive to stand attention next to Helva. "We come to your home after you set your filthy thieving mongrels to murder us on the road. After we find you have stolen a precious ancestral weapon. Tell me. What should we care for the suffering you brought upon yourself?"
Kagyu takes another swing, this time towards the other raider, while sending Shelyn's glaive arcing towards Helva. His face is a grim, flat mask. "Reap what you sow."
^ Ditto. I got one good hit in and now back to my regularly scheduled whiffs!
Seeing the affect of his first blow. Kagyu summons help. Once again Shelyn's spectral glaive springs into existence and sets itself upon one of the raiders.
As the blinded raiders stumbled towards him, Kagyu easily side stepped a wild attack. "Fool, " he stated flatly as he swung his mace down on the blinded man's head.
Taking his cue from Ayami, Kagyu moves forward to target as many of the raiders as he can. "Craven raiders! If you will be blind to honor--THEN BE BLIND!" With that, a brilliant burst of light explodes, consuming three of the raiders.
"Hope for peace, plan for a fight..." Kagyu mumbles under his breath. You get the sense he's said this many times before.
I'm flying to New Zealand for a delayed honeymoon. I'll he there for two weeks. I've heard internet can be unreliable so if I take too long feel free to bit me. Kagyu loves to face-tank.
Kagyu watched the exchange between Ayame and the Ulfen man. He touched the focus on his shield and then brushed a single finger against Ayame, transferring a little bit of divine guidance. Has hand returned within easy draw distance of his mace.
Kagyu looked up from the post he was gouging. "After being ambushed by raiders? Who then turned coward and fled? Not particularly, " he stated flatly and turned back to his hacking.
Kagyu retrieves his thrown dagger and uses it deface the runes on the post before experimentally casting detect magic again. "I'm with Loren, unfortunately. Plate armor doesn't readily lend itself to stealth," With this, Kagyu turns back to defacing the totems.
"S#$*." Kagyu follows up with Tahata, morningstar hefted, and swings at the remaining creature.
Kagyu takes a dagger from his belt and flings it into the post. He watches the post for signs of change as he wraps a length of bandage around the head of a crossbow bolt and and wipes some pitch from a torch on it. If there are no objection he sets it alight and fires it low into the same post.
Kagyu scratches the scruff on his normally smooth face. "I don't know much about runic enchantments, but what if we defaced a couple of posts? A couple of thrown daggers? Or a fire arrow? I'm worried they have a proximity effect.
Kagyu squint at the runes from a distance. "They don't appear to be religious markings. Maybe they are magical in nature?" He holds his and out towards the posts, alerting his allies, and wills forth a detect magic cantrip.
Kagyu wakes up in the inn having been comatose for the last two days. Whatever malaise that had afflicted him seemed to have passed. He takes some time to clean himself up, get dressed and head downstairs. He finds the Innkeep and inquires about his companions. I've been under the weather the last few day, but I'm coming around. Do you knoww when the other people I'm here with were last here?"
I've also been MIA. Bursitis in both shoulders flared up and its. Been heavily affecting my sleep. I've been a walking zombie the last couple of weeks. It's starting to heal so I hope to jump back in soon. Sorry everyone
Kagyu lifted his mug and spoke quietly into his ale, "between the raiders, and the Kenku we ran into previously, I'm not the least bit surprised. I had a feeling then, but I'm sure of it now: There's some organized powers behind the troubles we've encountered. Kagyu looked over at the bar and saw Ayame with one of the raider's armbands in hand. "And it looks like Ayame may have gotten some information about the raiders already."
"I won't say no to ale after what we've been through getting here," Kagyu grinned. "Lead the way, Durian."
"Not at all, Onas. If you're from Magnimar, are you Varisian? I admittedly know little of of Varisian culture other than that they worship Desna, lover of Shelyn."
"In that case, I'll find us a place to stay. Local temples usually have good recommendations, and I'm hoping they'll also know where I can get some new strings for my mandolin. While I'm at it, I'll see if I can convert some of our unwanted items into coin. "
"Either way, we'll find out soon enough. If what you say is true, then welcome." While cordial, it is clear Kagyu's focus is the the recently dead raider, and more specifically, his gold arm band. "Would one of you be able to detect magic? I suspect each of these raiders is magically bound to secrecy."
Welcome to to the story!
Kagyu steps forward holding his shield with the sigil of Shelyn clearly in view of the raider, waiting to hear his reply. If he seems to want to reply:
"Please," Kagyu implores him. "Let me help you. We are traveling far from here. I can heal you, and we can protect you until the danger towards you is past. If he still seems reticent, intimidate: Kagyu looms over the injured man. "Part of my training as a field medic was in surgery, and anatomy. I learned about blood flow, and nerve clusters--how to use these to prolong a patients life, and ease their suffering...." Kagyu lets his shield fall leaden, thudding into the ground, "but the opposite effect can be just as easily obtained."
Yup. I'm still in and here. I'll post tonight when I get home. |