Sorry if I'm slow to respond to anyone - my mom has fallen ill, and I'm heading up to see her today. You can NPC my character as needed.
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I'm going to be very busy from the 20-26th of October, so I probably won't be able to post then.
"I'm not exactly the right man to scout stealthily," Matthias whispered to Hezar, gesturing at his brightly polished heavy armor. "If there are guards, they might best be dealt with by someone less noisy and shiny than those among us who are heavily armored. Do you want to go through the shrubs and have a look, or should we just try to take the building?"
Sounds good to me.
I'm a bit confused too. Scouting the perimeter sounded like a good idea for the stealthies, but are we all just heading to the back now?
Fair enough. I have Communal Protection from Evil prepared, but do we want to use that now? I was thinking we might want to include Belina in it. In any case, Matthias will cast Barkskin before we begin.
Kevkas' plan sounds good to me, though I share Davin's concern about letting Team Backstab get too far away from Team Thunder. Maybe they can go in from the side rather than the back?
"You're calling the shots, Hezar. Do anything you think is needed," Matthias said, getting his mace and shield in hand. "Just remember that anything they hear on the inside will put them on alert. Give Kevkas, Kane and I the signal, and we'll push in."
This is more Hezar and Janiries' field than Matthias', so he'll take whatever advice on it they have. I've got some RL stuff to deal with over the next few days, so I may not post, or at least not frequently. Feel free to move my character.
"If that's our best bet, then I say we take it," Matthias agreed, since Hezar's tracking skills appeared to confirm the route. "Not knowing Hezar's prowess at tracking, they may believe they have lost us at the crossroads. We may be able to ambush them, if we are careful," he suggested, riding ahead to tell Hezar what Kane had told them.
Matthias raised his hands, alarmed at this turn of events. "Peace, Hezar. The concerns Miss Osuki has raised are legitimate - it is better to get ahead of our foes than to stumble after them, if we have that opportunity. Do any of you know this area?" he asked, turning to the others.
Sick at heart for the fate of the two commoners, Matthias took a moment to lay them to rest in the open, saying a prayer to Helm over their bodies.
DM:
Matthias smiled crookedly, perhaps more relieved than was strictly necessary by Rylind relenting. This probably isn't the time to bring up a trial and prison as an option. To be fair, I'm not sure a prison could hold Kane. He held a hand out to her, nodding back towards the others. "We'll deal with Kane and Shiang together, all right? Come on, let's get back to the group before Hezar loses patience and sets out himself."
Matthias looked stunned for a moment; then his face crumpled into a look of worry. "Rylind, wait!" he called after her retreating back. He shot the others a helpless look. Janiries certainly won't go talk to her, and Hezar has other things on his mind. Osuki, Davin and Kevkas don't know her at all... Ambrose? He probably feels the same. I can hardly blame them. Kane is certainly ferocious enough to do what they said he did. Looks like I have to man up and see if I can smooth things over myself. Clearing his throat sheepishly, Matthias said, "I'll go talk to her while Hezar finds the trail. Give us a minute, please." DM: "Rylind, wait," he repeated more quietly as he jogged after her. "You know you have my word that if you and your people come work with us, we will forgive your banditry," he began awkwardly. "It's not like you killed anyone." "Wait... I'm sorry. I know that he murdered people close to you," he tried again. "I promise you, he will face justice for it. If you truly do not believe we need his help against the cultists, I will argue along with you for that with the party. But for now, can we make peace? Hezar is finding their trail even now. We will have to fight together, not with each other, to save Belina. Please, Rylind?"
"He will face justice for his crimes," Matthias said to Rylind quietly, trying to soothe her anger. "But now we have a common enemy, and it is one we may be unable to overcome alone. Without Kane, we may not have been able to rescue you. Please, let it lie for now. Belina's life hangs in the balance."
"No thanks needed, friend. You had no reason to join us in our endeavors, but you've given us your aid nonetheless. It may have made the difference in saving Rylind and Ambrose's lives. I thank you." Matthias looked over at Kane and Shiang. "And I thank you as well. Your ferocity against the Schir surely helped to turn the tide."
Did you ignore Kane's offer of a handshake on purpose, Hezar? Just wondering.
Matthias bent his head in prayer for a few moments for Marius and Tethys, then turned with an unusually dark expression. "Yes, let's get moving." He offered an arm to Rylind once he was mounted, expecting that Ambrose could ride with someone else.
Matthias knelt to pat Apollo's head. Then he nodded to Hezar, and helped him to move the bodies of their briefly-known friend. Knowing how much he loved Belina, the cleric was touched that the ranger would take the time to honor the dead while she was in danger.
Matthias gazed at the flaming buildings sorrowfully for a long moment, before gathering the wounded around him. "Great Helm, Vigilant One, here your servant has failed. Bring healing to our wounded, that together we may right the wrongs, and bring justice to both the living and the dead."
Bending, he helped Rylind to stand, then Ambrose. "They must be close if they just started the fire and summoned the Schir when they saw us coming. I fear we have little time for burials. This pyre may be the best we can do for them. If Belina lives, we must take her from them as quickly as we can." He gestured toward the burning barn. "This is Kane, and Shiang. They have come to help us hunt down the cultists before facing justice for their crimes." DM: Do either Rylind or Ambrose have visible tattoos?
"Draw it closer!" Matthias yelled, unable to call on Helm's power to heal from such a distance. He shot an annoyed glance at Shiang, whose attitude wasn't helping. Then he took aim and fired at the Schir in the twisting melee...
...but jerked his crossbow up at the last moment as Davin and Kane circled into the path of the shot. His bolt thunked harmlessly into the loft.
Woohoo! Thanks, DM! Since Matthias also has Extra Channel, he can actually channel 9 times a day now! YOU get healed, and YOU get healed! EVERYBODY gets healed!
Having dragged Rylind clear of the barn, and having made sure there weren't any more Schir coming up along the outside of the building to hem them in, Matthias unlimbered his crossbow as he returned to the mouth of the barn, and set about loading it. "The barn is falling apart! Get back out here before it collapses on you!" he called to the others, hoping they would listen before the door was blocked by a burning beam or some other bad luck.
I'll be AFK a large part of tomorrow, so feel free to NPC Matthias if necessary. His first priority will be healing the wounded without accidentally healing the Schir. Ta daa! Reinforcements! ;)
"Let's get out of this barn, draw them into the open!" Matthias shouted, dragging Rylind out. "Ambrose, I'd appreciate you grabbing my mace and shield on the way!"
"Ambrose, lift Rylind up to me! I'll get you out after her!" Matthias knelt by the cellar, murmuring a prayer to Helm as Ambrose (hopefully) dragged Rylind over and lifted her up.
"Kevkas! Davin! Kane! Help me!" Matthias dropped his shield and mace and rushed to move the beams that had fallen over the trapdoor in the barn. "Help me move the beams! There are people down there! Mighty Helm, give us strength!"
With a final stern look at Kane and Shiang following Nijena's reprimand, Matthias rushed after Davin, trying to keep an eye out for threats on the way. When they reached the barn, he immediately looked around for whatever had caused Janiries to call them over, sword at the ready.
Fastening his shield to his arm, Matthias glanced at Hezar and Janiries. "Think you can circle around to the south without being seen? It would be good to have another angle on this, and we could pincer anyone who's still there. If you can, make it fast - we might still be able to rescue any survivors."
Matthias gave Davin an impressed look. "You overheard them? You must have the ears of an elf! As for the demon on the way to Port Kir, I don't know of any nobles we might contact with a sending, but there are rangers, woodsmen and wood elves at trading outposts around the city. Perhaps we could warn them, and they could pass on the message."
Matthias tried to fathom Kane's honesty and motive in their joint enterprise, though he couldn't stop a frown from settling on his face at the idea of working with this plainly mad murderer. He couldn't make out the big man's conversation with Shang, but hoped that perhaps Janiries, with her sharp elven ears, had, and would enlighten the group once they were relatively alone. Normally he wasn't one for eavesdropping, but he suspected that what was said would have an impact on what they decided to do. "Helm, help me to be vigilant on behalf of the innocent," he murmured to himself under his breath.
I'm glad nothing worse happened! Whew, you get into a lot of trouble. :P
I've got a couple of busy days coming up starting tomorrow, so feel free to DMPC Matthias if I don't manage to post.
"That depends on whom you ask. The demon is certainly going to wreak havoc, while the cultists' true intentions with all this summoning is still unknown, but unlikely to be good news. Each foe embodies different dangers. But I think Miss Osuki might be on to something. If we kill the summoners, does that banish the summoning? Or does it merely free the demon? In any case, there's no way we can reach Port Kir in time to stop the demon if it was indeed flying. I say we try to hunt down the cultists if possible. They might even come to us if they knew we have the... idol." Matthias was uncomfortable even discussing the unholy relic, but since they didn't have the means to destroy it, it might as well be of use.
"If we could convince the settlers to gather, they would make an attractive target in themselves," Matthias pointed out. "They would be in less danger if we could convince them to leave entirely for a time. Unfortunately, I can't really imagine what argument might make them do so. They're clearly willing to risk death to stay put. In that case, maybe our best bet would be to gather them together and be the ones guarding them. The cultists would have to go through us to reach them. The only alternative I can see for them is to be picked off one family at a time... unless Hezar can track the cultists down. Then we could take the fight to them without risking the settlers, and pick them off one knot at a time."
Ouch, bad luck. I hope you recover quickly!
It galled Matthias to admit it, but they had a much better chance at capturing the cultists with Kane's aid. But he WILL answer for his crimes - and the druids as well, if what he tells us is true. "An alliance, then. Let us find the cultists and destroy the cult as quickly as we may. Then we will have another discussion on the crimes you have committed," Matthias said. "Do you know if they will remain here, sacrificing more innocents, or if they will follow the demon to Port Kir? Will the wood elves aid our hunt?" He glanced at Janiries as he said the last; perhaps a request from another elf might sway them?
Scarcely able to believe the evil being spouted by this man in his deluded defense of murdering the settlers, Matthias tried to grasp the depth of truth in his words about the druids.
I think we're on the fast track, but I'm not 100% sure.
Matthias took a good look around the camp when they arrived, looking for Kane's companions more than the man himself. They had to be close, for the man to feel comfortable enough to meet the party, and though Matthias didn't think Kane would attack them here, among the elves, without being sure that the elves were on his side, it always paid to be wary.
He took the measure of the man once inside, trying to reserve judgement on the man since he'd heard so many conflicting stories about him.
Seeing that the man intended to play the polite host, Matthias took a cup of tea, then stood back to make room for his friends. He spoke, rather than drinking. "My name is Matthias Valbrand. We have heard many things about you, Kane. You and your friends. Yet we have seen things that conflict with what we hear. They say you are a murderer of innocents, but we have seen children that you saved from the demon worshippers. They say you travel with criminals, but we find you among the wood elves. You are a... complex man, I have no doubt. Will you tell us now if it is true that you have slaughtered the settlers at the forest's edge, assaulted a druid by the name of Marius, committed the crimes of a Malarite that we have heard tell of you? Or is your story another?"
Cheers Locke, I'll have a look.
Matthias finally lowered his sword and shield as well. It was clear that Janiries had a good grasp of the situation at hand, and he was content to keep his peace and hear what the infamous Kane had to say.
I wasn't too interested in them until I read an interesting review the other day. Now I wouldn't mind taking a look at them, but as you say, there's a bit of time to wait yet.
Matthias looked at Janiries in surprise. "Arrows? Are we surrendering because of that? What did they say?" He didn't drop his weapons... not yet.
"Try telling them in Elvish why the fire was necessary - and that we used no living wood. Otherwise I agree with Davin. We'll keep an eye out, but we need to keep moving. They don't appear to have any trouble keeping up with us, so I think they could catch up if they wanted to."
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