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Zarnel quickly channels some healing power into his scant wounds, more to recover from the effects of the Beast than the vicious energy Vildeis imposed upon him. He does the same to Valais as Kitaro explains what he knows. "Valais, you are not a paladin of my order, so my edicts do not govern you. But were it me, I would chase this other demon down to the ends of Golarion. My Oath to Vildeis requires it," he states solemnly. He covers his eyes with one hand for a moment, then touches his scarred breastplate. "One part of my Oath to Her says, 'Evil does not rest, so good cannot either. I will not be complacent, but rather seek out evil to oppose.' See no evil; abide no evil," he finishes quietly. "But you must follow your own heart in this matter."
"Like Valais, I will not be dominated either," Zarnel sneers at the demon floating just above him. He doesn't bother moving but simply drops the potion at his feet. As the sturdy vial bounces on the stone floor it makes a small 'ting' sound, but Zarnel doesn't even hear it. There's a roaring in his head as what he calls the Beast within himself breaks free. As it does, he simultaneously calls upon Vildeis to forgive him. Though until She does, he will accept the penance She exacts - the penance of Her Scars.
As Valais moves past, Zarnel opts not to attack as he doesn't really wish to harm the innocent woman struggling for control of her own body. He looks up to the ceiling just in time to see Laktharis appear. The holy warrior smiles as he says, "I warned you, demon, and now you shall taste Vildeis' wrath." "Abide. No. Evil!" he declares as he looses the javelin at Laktharis.
But seeing the demon aloft, he reaches into his pack for a potion , preparing to drink it if the demon does not alight.
"Valais, control yourself. You've done well so far, and you know you are not Evil. Laktharis is controlling me too, but see, I continue to fight it and will not allow him to win. Fight with us, not against us." Knowing that the voice is coming from above, Zarnel draws a javelin from the quiver across his back in case the evil shows its face.
Zarnel feels his feet moving unbidden beneath him. It's like those times when he lets the infernal taint upon his soul come fully forth and he feels like another riding in his own body. He doesn't like it - not one bit. And knowing this is the result of some kind of demonic possession makes it all the worse for the holy warrior. So for now he approaches the tree and speaks the word that was written in the dirt, a word he knows isn't Hallit nor Abyssal. "No my friends, 'Gretaak' is not a real word," he grunts as his hand touches the tainted bark. "But know this, Laktharis," he speaks into the air. "When you take your corporeal form, I, Zarnel the Torn, sworn to Vildeis, along with my teammates will send you promptly back to the Abyss." His statement is not a threat, merely a promise and a vow.
Zarnel backs away from his shadow-self, sword held high at the ready in case Merisiel is wrong. She's been right about everything so far, and a godsend for her skills. Hopefully she can extract the gem as Zarnel, like Bask and Salim, isn't going to be much help here. As he keeps a wary eye on the shadows, he reads the scrawled writings in the room. He points them out, but explains them only as demon-tainted gibberish.
The creature seems humanoid, with broad shoulders and long, flowing hair. Dark lines on its arms are reminiscent of scars, and it carries a greatsword. This ... thing ... seems eerily familiar, Zarnel thinks as he warily follows Bask and Salim in. There is certainly some demonic magic at work here, but I can't be sure right now that it's evil. In spite of his uncertainty, he strikes the shadow of himself(?) anyway.
"These demonic traps are getting tiresome," Zarnel says in frustration. The usually patient aasimar counsels waiting for the barrier to subside. He volunteers to test it out then, as is consistent with the First Tenet of Vildies' code: Sacrifice defies the selfishness of evil. I will not shy from a sacrifice that would help the greater good.
Zarnel walks cautiously with Bask and Salim, keeping a close eye on Corona but without letting her know that he is. Or at least he tries to not let her know. He's not actually fooling anyone.
But he is distracted just enough that he doesn't notice the phantasmal swords until it's too late.
He pulls out his wand and takes half a minute to heal himself, then offers it to Merisiel also.
Zarnel watches quietly as Corona and Bask survey the room. At the mention of traps he hangs back to let Merisiel "do her thing." Though he's curious about the shard, his realization that this whole place is a temple to a demonic usurper means he's willing to be cautious. Ultimately, though, the whole place will need to be razed to the ground if it can't be cleansed and consecrated to Good. So for now, he waits.
Zarnel translates for his friends the two sets of Hallit script, the one on the wall and the other at the statue. He notes that the script says "Servants shall grovel at their master’s feet," and Valais' demon-parts are demanding that they cower at their feet. Similarly, the statue's script encourages supplicants to serve their masters while the demon demands obedience. He points these things out, and concludes that there is too much similarity. "This temple is clearly for the worship of a demon - likely the one trapped within Valais which is why she is drawn here - and not a leftover local god," he states. "See no evil, Abide no evil. Vildeis would not allow this to stand." He peers around the statue to see if there's any weaknesses or vulnerable points,
Zarnel smiles warmly to Corona. "You are a good person, Corona, no matter the nature of your powers." He pauses as he realizes how that might have sounded. "I mean, you're... Umm..." He switches his focus to Merisiel and nods in understanding. "You should all leave the room, in case this gets messy," he advises the ladies, letting Bask and Salim decide for themselves what to do. He draws his hammer and checks his grip while he waits for them to leave and then begins to strike the red, wet pustules carefully.
"Servants shall... Zarnel whispers aloud as he reads the spiky script from the wall. "Ahem, sorry. The words say 'Servants shall' but I cannot see the rest of the inscription." His eyes scan the wall, studying the tainted and simply wrong growths upon it. "Do you think there a way to clean this ... whatever it is ... off?" he asks his more astute friends.
Memories not her own. Those of the demon bound to he - body, mind and spirit it seems, Zarnel muses as he surveys the room. He looks back once more at Valais. There but for the Power of Vidleis, go I. He refocuses from his reverie and considers the room with its image of a demonic being being worshiped and the "spiky script."
Even as Zarnel roars in frustration at the loss of his weapons and how useless he feels in this battle, he hears another, louder, deeper roar - Salim tearing apart the demon-door. He looks over with new appreciation at the nice lion. Wasn't he smaller before? he thinks to himself, and though confused, he's also relieved that the big cat finished off the fight. Zarnel extricates himself from the goopy, gluey mess of dissolving mimic. While he waits for his sword and hammer to get loose enough to pull free, he applies a wand to his own wounds.
He offers his wand to Bask with a nod and smile of thanks to Salim before securing his hammer and hefting his sword. He glances shyly at Corona as a means of checking on her, then asks "Are we good, Merisiel?"
Zarnel is unfazed by the slam, but then he realizes he's stuck fast to the creature. He groans in frustration and struggles briefly to free himself or even use his hammer, but quickly gives up and draws his ceremonial dagger. Ceremonial not in the sense of a dull, useless blade left atop an altar for show, but for a worshipper of Vildeis it is the blade one uses to add to and embellish their collection of scars.
Zarnel falls prone. Greater Command?: Not sure what special ability that was, but since it looks like greater command I have to ask why we can "do nothing."
Greater Command says "At the start of each commanded creature's action after the first, it gets another Will save to attempt to break free from the spell." That's after each "action", not each "turn." Command says under Fall: "...remains prone for 1 round. It may act normally while prone, but takes any appropriate penalties." So we drop prone, which is a free action per CRB, then still be able to take actions, getting another save after each action, but we may not stand until the beginning of the next round.
Zarnel isn't as surprised as everyone else when something does happen, though he is surprised by what exactly it is. He didn't really expect the door itself to come alive. But then again, it was a very evil looking door. He briefly covers his eyes and then touches his battered breastplate as he intones Vildeis' mantra, "See no Evil, Abide no Evil." Sword already in hand, he steps into the gap Bask left and summons the goodness of the Cardinal Martyr that he might protect his allies and the pilgrims.
"Something feels ... wrong about all this," Zarnel mutters under his breath as he steps into the room. Knowing he's not particularly good at puzzles, he hangs back to let Bask and Merisiel take the lead, but keeps his sword in hand and ready. He explains to the others what the individual runes mean, and then for lack of anything else to do, he asks Vildeis to show him if there's anything evil about.
Zarnel stares at the runes for a while and scratches his smooth square jaw in thought. "These are Abyssal letters. But they are not arranged in words. Perhaps it is a puzzle. Or a trap." He turns to Merisiel first, "Could you check it, please?" He then immediately turns back to Shyael. "Do your pilgrims know if there was a code or puzzle needed to enter their temple?"
"Those runes are Abyssal," Zarnel declares flatly. He looks back to where Shyael stands with the Sarkorians. "Either these 'pilgrims' worship a demon, or something has desecrated their temple. I hope it is only the second one," he finishes. To no one in particular, he explains that it is always good to speak the language of one's enemy so they can't use it to hide their intentions in battle.
Zarnel watches the Sarkorians finish their work, with occasional glances at his teammates and slightly more frequent looks at Corona. Vildeis' code says "Family is a rare refuge from the evils of the world, but it cannot keep me from my cause. I will not favor my own family over other innocents." He intones the code internally in the same formal voice he would use aloud. Though she's not "family" I must not favor saving her over any other. He glances back to Corona again. But that will always be so hard. The troubled paladin's reverie is broken by Shyael's announcement that the work is complete and they are ready to enter the building. He gestures for her to give the arrows to Bask as the only one with a longbow, and the potions to the others also. "Thank you, Shyael. Like their picks and shovels, these are the tools we can best use." He takes his place at the front and gestures Merisiel forward also, so that she can find and deal with any traps left by the ... "Shyael, what was this place before? Other than demons, of course, what threats might there be?"
"I agree with you, Conora. But Videis has shown me that none of them are evil," he whispers back to the oracle with a reassuring smile. "Shyael, Corona and I have helped Sarkorians before, and Videis has shown me that I can trust you, and them. Can we help here, or must they do this for themselves?"
"God-callers, Corona? Like Medda of the Twinhorns and Nelket of the Farheavens? They are both fine and good people." His deep, strong voice trails off as he considers what he thinks Shyael did, the appearance of the guardians, and decides that perhaps he should do the same.
"And what is this work they do here, Shyael? Will this structure be a new home?" he asks with a gesture towards the excavation and the spire of the building.
"Remain covered, Valais, until we know more," Zarnel advises the Pathfinder as he continues up the embankment. he calls out to the archer. "We are Pathfinders, sent by Jorsal of Lauterbury. I am Zarnel, Paladin of Vildeis, the Cardinal Martyr. What is all this?" he asks in a tone of pleasant curiosity and with a sweep of his empty hand across the dig site. His other hand holds his greatsword, though for now he positions it in a non-threatening manner up upon his shoulder, for one does not tromp across the Worldwound without weapons at the ready.
The trip through the blasted and torn countryside is exactly what Zarnel would have expected of this place, except for the pleasure of Corona's company. He spends the time catching up with her about the missions they've both been on since their adventures together with Medda and the Twinhorn clans . He discovers that they both fought at the Siege of Gallowspire, though their paths did not cross in the chaos of such an epic undertaking. Either way, her simple presence is a bright spot amidst the hellscape. But reaching the excavation site, he turns to their guide. "Valais, where are we, and who are these people?" The elven archer catches his notice. "Is that Shyael, the paladin of Erastil?"
Zarnel starts in surprise at the soft female voice behind him. "Corona, when did you ... How did I not ..." The brave paladin who's faced down dragons and ventured into the heart of the Gallowspire is completely flustered. "Umm, ah, Stuffing! Hello, little one," he tries to recover by greeting the chicken. Lamely. Ignored by the chicken, he scratches the back of his neck and tries once more. "It is good to see you again, Corona," he says with a genuine and dazzling smile as the golden glints in his skin seem to glow just a bit more than usual. "I hope we'll have time during this mission to catch up," and pick up where we left off... he thinks hopefully, though a bit wistfully. He knows better than most the dangers of the Worldwound, and the lives of Pathfinders rarely lead to "happily ever after."
The "mighty" paladin is saved from further embarrassment by the entrance of Valais. He catches himself from performing the ritual blessing of Vildeis at the sight of the warped woman lest he offend. No, my inner demon does not manifest so brutally. I must remind myself once more how fortunate I am. He latches onto one of the words to focus. "I've heard that many of the original Sarkorians are returning to their old ways, ignoring the gods and Empyreal Lords of Avistan. Is Laktharis one of those? Or is it a demon?" He (hopefully) allows those more knowledgeable to answer. "I've also heard of Shyael. She is known to many here as an accomplished holy warrior of Erastil. She does good work in line with the code of her god." As he listens to the others, he too glances surreptitiously once or twice at Corona, and the crinkle in his eyes shows how happy he is to see her again.
Anyone have the chronicle for Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–09: The Traitor’s Lodge on this character? Nope.
Booo!!! Welcome aboard Raine! Just to be clear, this is a 1st edition Pathfinder game. We've had so many new people, both to PBP and to Pathfinder, that confusion between the two editions is pretty common. The header for the lodge (linked) is a great starting resource for all things PBP, especially posting conventions and formatting.
"Lady Zadrian, Captain Jorsal," Zarnel bows to the paladin and the Venture Captain in turn, though one might notice that the second was not quite as deep a bow as the first. "I am glad to see that my homeland is recovering. I am sorry I wasn't able to help here more, but ..." he trails off in sadness before lifting his head. "Vildeis called me to Her service elsewhere." Zarnel's perfect angelic features, flowing blonde hair, and broad shoulders would normally be enough to make him quite attractive, but the golden flecks of color in his skin sparkle in the sunlight and make him a truly eye-catching sight. Following your gaze to his heavily scarified arms, he comments, "Ah, my Lady Vildeis both blesses and curses me.” With that he makes a small ritual gesture, using his off hand to momentarily cover his eyes then reverently touch his scarred and scratched breastplate while intoning solemnly, "See No Evil, Abide No Evil.” I have a demon bound within my blood also which I must constantly control it lest it come forth and taint me with its darkness. Is her condition akin to mine, I wonder? "I, too, wish to help anyone so afflicted," Zarnel follows Bask's pronouncement, his voice catching slightly.
Heady with the success of their triumph over Evil, the golden paladin works his way around the crowd of Pathfinders. He congratulates or consoles the survivors either slapping their backs or giving hugs when appropriate. Selune gets a big bear hug and a scratch behind the ears, and he bids a fond farewell to the pair. Zarnel gives Mylvwara a hug, not in a creepy way, but simply as a friendly (though perhaps oblivious) man to a female colleague. With one arm still around her shoulders, he nods once to Broker as the valiant half-orc strides away. Eldon and Dekion each get good strong hand-to-forearm shakes. He thanks them both for their strength and commitment. "Thank you all for your efforts to destroy this Evil. I look forward to fighting alongside each of you again. Take care, my friends!"
Zarnel sees the creatures return to unlife, and though he is appalled he is unshaken in his righteousness. To his nearest and oldest allies, Selune and Mun, he reminds them of why they are here. "Be brave, my friends! Together, we can overcome any Evil!" Selune made the save!:
He then slams his hammer into the white stone once again.
With the white stone shattered, the paladin strides across the marble floor to engage the unrisen to the north.
[ooc]2 of 4 rounds of Vicious elapsed.[.ooc]
The sight of the unrisen only serves to focus Zarnel's disgust. He smiles as he steps slightly into the room and silently thanks Ashava and Vildies for this chance to destroy Evil. He spins the hammer's haft in his hands so that the spike lines up with the white stone's facets before putting all of his might into the swing.
At Broker's question, Zarnel hefts his adamantine hammer and looks back to Mylvwara. "Mylvwara, will you stay by me and study one of the stones more closely as I use this to try to smash it? Perhaps there is more we can learn about them or how to disrupt ... this," his voice trails off as he looks around him in disgust at the Evil being committed here.
"So this is what an ultimate Evil looks like. No matter, we shall destroy it!" Zarnel refreshes his shield spell from his wand and says a quick prayer to call upon the aid of an Ally of the Good. "Dolok Darkfur, I ask that you lend me your strength in this fight." He sheaths his sword and retrieves his hammer. He holds it up to the sky and asks for Her blessing.
I'll continue. I just needed to see that explicitly stated. When we agreed to continue after the wraiths, I thought that just meant to the end of the Black Caverns / Relic section. I didn't realize then that we were going on to the Pillar. When I ran it, they were also in Soldier mode, so I never really got around to reading the Pillar, except for the warnings and caveats at the beginning of the section. Thanks for the clarification. Now back to action.... |
