Without words, Myrna nods in response to the request made by her ancestors. Quiet and lonely, lost in the mists and interrogated for her deepest beliefs, Myrna begins to sing.
Perform (sing):1d20 + 23 ⇒ (19) + 23 = 42
She sings about the past, taking passages from the Song of Sarkoris and other famous songs about the death of her land. She sings about the present, taking words or known phrases from lullabies or battle hymns. Then she transitions, withdrawing her drums. While she beats a traditional Sarkorian rhythm, she speculatively sings about the future using Mendevian song structure.
She relaxes when her ancestors show recognition and forgiveness, and nods at their realizations. She knows she carries the weight of her bloodline, and it's part of why she's so insistent on not dying. She shakes her head at the visions of her grandmothers and the river fading away to nothing. She is the last now, but she refuses to be the last of all time.
"Mae Riversoar yn cynrychioli gwytnwch, cryfder, doethineb. Dyna ddysgodd fy neiniau i mi. Dysgon nhw i mi fod yn ymarferol yn hytrach nag yn wirionedd. Dysgon nhw i mi oroesi yn gyntaf a barnu wedyn."
"Un diwrnod byddwn ni, y Sarkoriaid, yn gallu breuddwydio y tu hwnt i oroesi. Rwy'n ymladd er mwyn i fy mhlant allu breuddwydio am y byd yn y dyfodol."
Hallit: "Riversoar stands for resilience, strength, wisdom. That's what my grandmothers taught me. They taught me to be practical rather than axiomatic. They taught me to survive first and judge later."
"One day we Sarkorians will be able to dream beyond survival. I fight so my children can dream that future world."
Myrna was used to being rejected by her kinfolk. Her heritage turned off some of them -- mostly those who had left the Wound -- and her allegiance to the Crusaders turned away many others. She huffs at the rejection of her own ancestors.
Intimidate:1d20 + 29 ⇒ (10) + 29 = 39
"Rydych chi'n fy ngheryddu am beidio â sefyll yn gadarn yn ein ffyrdd pan nad wyf erioed wedi adnabod byd wedi'i drwytho ynddynt! Mae ein henw ei hun yn cyfeirio at afon sy'n sych am lawer o'i chyrhaeddiad! Felly rwy'n dweud - ie, rwy'n eu galw'n ofergoelion a thraddodiadau. Dydw i ddim yn gwrthod ein pobl, dydw i ddim yn teimlo cywilydd ohonyn nhw. Ond rwy'n gwrthod y gorffennol!"
Myrna is frustrated, angry even. She is being doubted by her own ancestors for her commitment to her people! She fought for a barren wasteland, a broken people, and the memories of people older than her, and they doubted her drive.
"Rwy'n ymladd am oroesiad, oherwydd dydw i erioed wedi adnabod y tir. Ac oherwydd hynny, yr hyn sy'n fy nychryn yw na fydda i'n teimlo'n gartrefol yn y Sarkoris newydd."
She sighs, shakes her head, and looks her ancestor-ghosts back in the eye. Would they continue to reject her?
Hallit: "You chastise me for not standing firm in our ways when I've never known a world steeped in them! Our very name references a river that's dry for much of its reach! So I say -- yes, I call them superstitions and traditions. I don't reject our people, I'm not ashamed of them. But I do reject the past!"
"I fight for survival, because I've never known the land. And because of that, what scares me is that I won't feel at home in the new Sarkoris."
Myrna wasn't expecting to be challenged on such a personal level by ghosts. Though she proudly held her head high as a descendant of Sarkoris, she didn't often think about the past. She thought of Sarkoris as something that had been lost long ago, and the world they needed to create as a new world. After all, none were left alive who truly remembered what life was like before the Wound opened. Similarly she hadn't considered her ancestors as being something that really influenced her. She was the new generation. The future. The traditionalists were the ones who were wrong.
But the ghosts might be right. How could she serve her people without representing them? She struggles with that idea.
"Rwy'n eu gwasanaethu trwy ymladd i gau'r Clwyf. Rydym wedi dod o hyd i ffordd, ac rydym yn ddigon pwerus i'w wneud!"
"Rwy'n eu gwasanaethu drwy fod mewn ystafelloedd pŵer gyda phobl y De. Maen nhw'n ymddiried ynof i. Maen nhw'n edrych i fyny ataf."
"Rwy'n eu gwasanaethu drwy wadu'r traddodiadau a'n harweiniodd i'r sefyllfa hon yn y lle cyntaf! Nid oes lle i ofergoelion, arweinwyr llonydd, a senoffobia yn y Sarkoris newydd!"
"I serve them by fighting to close the Wound. We have found a way, and we are powerful enough to do it!"
"I serve them by being in the rooms of power with the Southerners. They trust me. They look up to me."
"I serve them by denying the traditions that brought us to this position in the first place! Superstitions, stagnant leaders, and xenophobia have no place in the new Sarkoris!"
Myrna slows when her companions disappear among the mists. She calls out for them once or twice, but after it becomes clear that they weren't going to reappear she steels her heart and advances forward. Or, whatever she thinks forward is. When the ghosts begin to appear she examines them all critically, finding them familiar.
Her ancestor asks her who she is. Myrna has long struggled with her identity as a Kellid, since running away to join the Crusaders. She knows what she means to her family, though. She chooses to meet the ghost with pride and brashness.
"Fi yw'r olaf o clan Riversoar, rhyfelwr dros Sarkoris rhydd, a phont rhwng ein pobl a phobl y De!" she calls.
"Rydw i wedi dod i lanhau twmpath crug y teulu, i'ch anrhydeddu chi, ac i ddangos y gall Sarkoris godi eto."
Hallit: "I am the last of the Riversoar clan, a warrior for a free Sarkoris, and a bridge between our people and the Southerners!"
"I have come to cleanse the family barrow-mound, to honor you, and to show that Sarkoris can rise again."
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Beatrix breathes long and smooth when they re-enter the Wound. Despite all her training, at her heart she was still just a bookworm stuck in her parents' study in Egorian. She was grateful for the opportunity to be a part of something larger, and she was proud to do so with her captain, with the Hellfire Squad, and now with the Archdruid and his companions. She was also well aware of the threat of death that could come any moment they were in the Wound.
She was prepared, she was powerful, but Beatrix was also cognizant that she was not immortal. In truth she wished to be at home reading smut. She got out of bed and continued to fight by telling herself that there would be no home, and no smut, if the demons succeeded. She followed Iomedae's example -- she could imagine Iomedae might have enjoyed the pleasures of life, but never at the cost of life itself. Beatrix wanted to be like that, so she followed her captain.
She takes Li'an's offer. "I'll go with you, sorceress," she murmurs. "If you don't mind carrying me. I'm not very heavy."
Myrna accompanies the others through the ley back into the Wound, quieter than usual. She is absorbed in both thought and a sort of pensive worry. Though she is of course confident in the abilities of her heroic companions, she knows that soon they will be plunged into a conflict that makes everything else they've done so far pale by comparison. Vanquishing Vang was a healthy victory, but it was jut one stepping stone on the long, long path to victory.
She felt nervous about the many foes that remained, and yet also for perhaps the first time confident. They had uncovered actual evidence that the Wound could be closed, and that there was a discrete step they could take to do it. How could the dangers inherent to Undarin compare to such hope?
So, when they arrive in Storasta, Myrna stands on the hill gazing into the distance while the others discuss the plans. She watches with interest when Unafe summons a gigantic earth elemental from the surrounding stone. She looks up at the creature's earthen face, and appreciates its pledge to the Archdruid to protect the Sarkorians. She gives the elemental a respectful nod and a salute with a hand to her chest. "Mae'n dda cwrdd â chi, Mynydd-Galon."
It seemed that what they would do was leap across the gap and then proceed onward. Fine with her. She turns to her companions. "Thank you all for coming back here with me. I know our shared goal is to cleanse the Wound, and that these mounds and my ancestors' spirits are part of it, but you didn't have to help me with this. You're good companions. We'll close this Wound or die trying!"
"Now, let's go. Unafe, if you wouldn't mind jumping me across?"
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Beatrix wakes later than usual, relieved that her body has recovered from the consequences of the ritual. She slowly rises, eating a simple breakfast in quiet while reading one of her fantasy smut novels.
She prays to the Inheritor, kneeling by her bed, after finishing breakfast. Many of the same spells she prepared the previous day are renewed by her prayer.
Then she quickly bathes, gets dressed in a secondary outfit -- a thick coat, sturdy boots, her leather jerkin over a cotton tunic, and a pair of black wool pants. She puts in her earrings -- stainless steel -- and then picks up her bag and staff from where she left them by the door.
Nothing to do but head to the menhir, so she heads out, locking the door behind her and walks out of town to the hill where the druidic shrine was.
Myrna enters the Archdruid and Hinagiku's home gingerly, her size giving her discomfort in the cramped space and her deep admiration for the spiritual leader of her people filling her with discomfort over being personally invited into his home. Still, she finds a root to sit on and listens to Hinagiku's news with care.
"Wow, congratulations!" she responds with a great smile and a literal clap. "A child is a positive omen. You're a strong fighter, but we can finish the battle on your behalf. It helps me to have something to motivate me -- something to fight for. The future."
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Approximately 2.2 million people in the United States live without basic running water and indoor plumbing:
Beatrix listens carefully to the interactions between Sana, Eleri, and Alase, interested in all of their stories but not good enough to be the one asking.
It takes her a moment to realize that Sana's question is aimed at her. She takes another to put her own thoughts together, trying to make sure that if she explains, it actually helps the others understand.
"Well, I talked about it a little bit already. My parents didn't welcome me to my own house, so I ran away."
"I wasn't on the road long before I ran into Alesha, a traveling paladin of Iomedae. Honestly? She sold me on it. A mortal woman, overcoming all odds and saving everyone while doing it? I wanted that. This is the center of Iomedae worship on Golarion, so I came here."
Myrna guesses she hurried a little too much. She was the first to the Heartwood tree. Well, it was probably more important for her to meet with the Archdruid than it was rush home and jump in bed, so she decides it's a good time to hurry up and wait.
It was a sacred space here, which Myrna has some complicated thoughts about. As a Crusader, she sometimes felt separated from her people. She still deeply respected traditional Sarkorian ideals of reverence for nature, honor, strength, and family, but her every day life was full of Southerners and Southern ways of organization.
So she doesn't know exactly how to engage with her home.
She just picks a spot near the tree, a spot under the beautiful foliage with some nice grass to sit on. She unloads her bags on the ground, pulling out her bedroll and blanket from her haversack and rolling out a comfortable place to sit or lay while she waits. She doesn't pack much to entertain herself with when there's a bit of downtime, but she pulls out her drum set and her drinking horn. Now it was just time to hang out until the others showed up.
To Irabeth's questions about Iverri, Myrna doesn't have much to comment. She just shrugs and says, "The Archdruid turned her into a lizard."
Myrna frowns with consternation at the idea that Li'an was struck with a curse much worse than that of an oracle. "I'm sorry to hear that she's in pain," she mutters. Li'an had been a stalwart companion, and mysterious curses striking down the Crusade's powerful artillery wasn't good for business. "Is there anything that can be done? You know we are powerful. We can remove curses."
Myrna feels somewhat busy. She had done her due diligence in reporting to the Lord-Commander, she had found their treasure a safe place. She wanted to get out of her armor and rest, but she also felt responsible for checking in with the Archdruid at least one more time before doing that. Just in case he needed anything for the ritual with the hamadryad. Maybe she would even stick around and watch.
She turns from Aurelia to Irabeth. "Lord-Commander, unless you need anything more, may I be dismissed?" Back to Aurelia, she adds, "You're free to come with me, if you're not going back to give your master the news. I'm going to the Heartwood grove to check in with the Archdruid."
Myrna removes the carpet of flying from the bag, re-rolls it for security, and slides it into the main pocket of her haversack. Then she cracks her knuckles, rolls her shoulders, and spends a few minutes hauling the contents of the messenger bag out and into Irabeth's war room.
It was a mess, but what were they going to do, chastise her for filling the room with treasure?
Meanwhile she listens to Irabeth's reports on the situation. She grunts "Great, easy," when Irabeth tells her she can access the treasure anytime by coming back.
The intelligence on Undarin was vital, and she knows its value. She takes the folder of old reports and maps. She makes a mental note to get all those plans to Beatrix, who would definitely look after it. She considers for a moment making Beatrix her pack-mule by giving her custody of the magic bag full of magic stuff.
She returns her focus to Irabeth, responding with 'hmms' and nods of assent.
Checking out the map, she muses, "If we approach from the west, we should be able to find a place to stay and some contacts to draw information from pretty easily. I think you're right, a few easy modifications and I can walk around, but..." she hesitates, thinking of her companions, especially the Archdruid and Clan-Liege Unafe. "Some of us are going to have to do some serious dressing down."
She frowns, remembering Beatrix and her obligate holy symbol. Maybe they could just hide it. It would be fine if she didn't use any magic.
"It's good intel, Lord-Commander." she says deferentially. "I'll get this to the rest of the squad and we'll come up with a plan to infiltrate Undarin. When we come back from that one, I bet I'll have some really good stuff for you."
She's a bit informal given the rank structure but her enthusiasm seems to sell it. Mostly.
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Bathing:
Beatrix nods to Marta with a smile. "Thank you," she says softly, appreciating the Marta's efforts and character as always. Addressing her companions, she says, "Feel free to join me in the Hellfire Squadron bath this time, if you don't want to use the public pools."
When Eleri expresses how strange it is to cry over a bath, Beatrix offers a cool perspective. "You nearly died," she murmurs. "And now, creature comforts. It's good instincts to feel intensely."
Lt. Medici is shy around people, and also carrying a lot of paper, which she carefully finds a corner for away from the tubs of water. She undresses quickly and in private and wears a towel, even inside of the bath. In other respects she is comfortable and happy, observing some of the families and looking forward to getting clean.
She breaks up the silence with a strange and upfront personal question for Sana. "So, I understand you're some kind of... extraplanar being? But not from the traditional Outer Planes. Where are you from?"
Irabeth's approval gives Myrna pride. They had accomplished a lot recently, destroying decisive agents on the side of the demons. And now they were talking about infiltrating the very heart of demon territory.
"We'll make sure to have an escape plan and plans for safe shelter before we leave," offers Myrna, when Irabeth voices her caution about Undarin. "I know that it's the heart of demon territory. We're still not certain how we're getting there or what our plan is. We'll probably return to Drezen after one more foray in Storasta. We'll decide the plan then."
With the bag on the floor, she reaches inside to grab something. After a bit of rummaging, she comes out with a treasure chest full of gold. Then she rummages around a little more and tosses out a couple of random books: the Arcaeneaum Malefacticus and Devil Summoning and You: A Friendly Guide. "Templar treasure," she reports.
"We have hundreds of pounds of gold, silver, and books in here. I was hoping you'd help me find the right place to put them. I'm expecting we'll find more big, heavy stuff we want to take home with us later, so..."
"There's no room in my cabin for all these books or these chests of treasure. Can we store our gold in the castle? Is there a good place for texts on conjuration?"
Myrna is relieved to be back in Drezen. The trip through the Ivory Labyrinth and Storasta had been something of a horror show, showing Myrna a view of today's Sarkoris as something very dark and terrible. Right now Drezen felt like the only place in the world that really made sense to Myrna. Kellid, strong, high, and fully engaged with the Wound.
She was glad they had found Eleri, and had brought her with. More allies were always useful, and this one was from home! Myrna always appreciates running into a hometown baddie who left the hometown and joined the fight.
She doesn't quite relax, but she so looks forward to doing so in her own bed tonight. She'd rise early for sure, but it's extra stress relief to sleep in your own house. First though, there were some errands. She turns to her squad, listening to Sana's ideas about researching the nature of her ancestor spirits and the Archdruid's suggestion to talk to command.
"I'll report to Commander Tirabade," she suggests, "Before I find a place to store these chests of treasure and library of books," she adds, hefting the ice giant's shoulder bag full of Templar treasure.
"I'm not sure about all that spirit stuff, though. I guess I should have asked my grandmothers for more details..." she adds, scratching behind her ear self-consciously. "Maybe I should look into that?"
Myrna shrugs, a little disaffected. Though she had tutored under her grandmothers for years, she wasn't fully bought in to all their mysticism. As far as she was concerned, she was doing what she was told. "I don't know what waits for us in the barrow-mounds," she tells Sana, "But I know that if we don't go there and cleanse them, my grandmothers, and all our descendants forever, may lose access to their powers."
"If I have to guess, we'll face either a demon or a corrupted ancestor or guardian spirit," she adds, "But whatever we face may be capable of anything."
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Delayed to the battle by her slow speed, Beatrix runs towards the others, sliding down the hill to the river lowlands. Though she's far away, she isn't too far away to help -- she holds her holy symbol aloft and cries, "Iomedae, blind those who threaten the righteous!"
Heedless of the possible effect to Myrna, a burst of radiance flashes just in front of the Captain, infusing all the evil mushrooms with sacred power and threatening to blind the entire battlefield.
Damage:5d4 ⇒ (4, 4, 4, 4, 3) = 19
All those mushrooms and Myrna must make a DC 17 Reflex save or be blinded (success is dazzled.
Athletics (big, heroism):1d20 + 21 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 21 + 1 + 2 = 44Horizontal jump DC is equal to the number of feet launched, so Myrna jumps horizontally 40 feet and vertically 10 feet.
Seeing the Archdruid and Eleri still menaced by the mushroom creatures, Myrna makes a split-second decision to rush the river and jump across. She bears her full plate with ease as she dashes towards the bank, tenses, and makes a heroic forty-foot leap to the other side of the river. She positions herself between the Archdruid and the fungal creatures, hoping to ward them off for long enough to get away safely.
FA: Berserk, to gain 11 THP. two MAs: Double move and jump across the river.
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Beatrix sleeps late and then spends her hour praying to Iomedae for guidance and power. She knows how deep they are in enemy territory, and how non-guaranteed their survival is. How difficult their position. How far from help any of them are. To be honest, Beatrix is scared. Still, she is among friends, friend much mightier than she, and she will do what she can to ease their burdens.
I've updated Beatrix's prepared spells for the day.
Myrna listens to the others talk about the possibilities of rescuing the dead Widowknife gods. She presses her lips together in consternation and sadness. She spreads out her bedroll on the rough stone ground and cradles herself into it, sighing as she pulls off her boots and socks. If nothing else, she needed her feet bare to feel relaxed. She could sleep in the rest of her clothes for days.
She keeps quiet so as not to be the one to speak negativity into the space, but she doesn't really believe you could bring back all the dead gods, beliefs, peoples, and customs of the past. Myrna strongly believed that the way Sarkoris used to be was part and parcel with its destruction, and that new ways of being were crucial to its growth. New gods would have to be born to restore the land.
"I can rest first and watch while you sleep, Sana," she offers. "If you'll watch while I rest."
Myrna considers their plan for the next day with a finger and thumb on her chin. "Ambush Vang, if that fails go to the barrow-mounds. Then... spend another night here, and if we still haven't taken out Vang, we go to Carrock's How to try and intercept him?" She absentmindedly taps her fingernails on her hammer's head. "I think we should go back to Drezen before we try to reach Undarin, though. We need a proper rest and reset soon, and Undarin is supposed to be one of the most dangerous places in all of the Worldwound. Plus, it's deeper than we've ever gone before."
Myrna wants to attune to her new cosmic force-damage hammer while we rest here.
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Beatrix takes the scrolls from the Archdruid with both hands extended and a respectful bow. "Thank you, Archdruid," she says, reviewing them. "These will be useful and powerful against Vang." She hesitates a moment, as if wanting to say something, and then shakes her head with a little sigh.
She turns towards the exit, watching as Sana makes her dash across the next area to search for shelter for them. She would be dead if it wasn't for the people around her. She was grateful for that. This was an important fight, and she was glad to be on the forefront of it for now, despite her limitations.
"We can focus on you and the end of the world, Vang!" shouts Myrna, although she looks just a little dumb because she doesn't know where exactly to shout towards -- it's pretty echoy in this chamber, and Vang was invisible at the moment. "Contrary to your beliefs, you're not that big or important!"
Then she breaks into a kickass children's song about crushing the worms that are eating your fruits at your farm. She adapts the sing-song tune of the song into a heavier, angrier tone by bringing out her drum and banging out a driving rhythm and by angrily shouting the words, 'We all love to squash the tiny little worm, the tiny little worm, the tiny little worm.'
FA: 5' step SA: Spend 1 MP to use Words of Hope. Allies (that are within 30ft., which I think is everyone) can have floating re-rolls, that they can choose to use once per round, for the next two rounds (starting right now). MA: Begin Bardic Performance, sharing maneuvers (+2 to hit/dam/+3 to Will, 24 THP, Silver Crane maneuvers, fast healing 4, -1 AC, lack of concentration)
Myrna follows the other heroes into the ossuary beneath the Pharasmin temple's floors. Resistant to cold, she merely heaves out huge clouds of warm breath with each step. She watches from the back as they begin to explore the morbid sanctuary. When they find statuary depicting the witch who had ruined her peoples' country, she frowns. the depiction didn't seem to be negative or educational, just representative, which troubles her. Southerners were known for their strange opinions of arcanists of godlike power, sometimes forgiving them for their sins due to the power.
"I don't like any of this," she mutters. "Yui, we're looking for some secrets down here? Do you think something having to do with Dziergas or this statue of Areelu Vorlesh is what we're looking for?"
female tiefling (devil-spawn) cleric (cardinal) 10 | hp 140/140 (healthy) | AC 18, touch 13, ff 16, Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +15 | Perception +5, darkvision 60ft., Init +2 | channel 4/4, ToG 8/8, holy lance 1/1
Surrounded by undead choirboys, Beatrix clutches her holy symbol of Iomedae, raises it up high into the air, and cries out, "Inheritor, send me the power to wipe these abominations from existence!" Then, with her holy symbol shining, she releases a wave of positive energy that fills the room, burning the flesh from the undead servants of the hags.
Channel Damage:5d6 + 5 ⇒ (1, 1, 4, 3, 1) + 5 = 15
Beatrix uses channel energy. It hits all the choirboys except the one furthest from her (in the bottom-left). Undead must make a DC 14 Will save to take half damage.
Myrna shakes some of the disgusting lacedon-goop from her plate armor, a little squicked by the disgusting chamber they were in but trying not to show it. "Well," she remarks, "I'd wonder where these guys came from, but in the Wound it doesn't matter much, things are just universally horrible."
"Be right back," she adds before jumping into the cold, dark water. Her tiefling blood keeps her warm and in vision while she hefts the chest out of the water and back towards dry land, where she and her companions could see if it contained the Lexicon of Paradox.
Myrna draws her hammer and shield, crouching in the cold, wet hallway of the ruined keep. "Well, we've barely got in here, but I don't see much reason why we wouldn't proceed like any other dungeon."
"I'm happy to crack some skulls, especially if they're ghouls. I don't see why we have to do anything fancy, but I'm game if you are," she continues reasoning. "If we're worried about committing to a fight before we know what we're looking for, maybe Hinagiku and Sana can bypass the ghouls and keep searching further in the castle?"
She sort of shrugs nonchalantly. "But, like I said before, I think we can just walk in there and smash some ghouls and it's gonna be fine."
Myrna crosses her arms, her gaze turning to something like a glare as she fixes it on Sana. "Is paranoia a personality trait of all spies?" she asks. "You better step back and examine yourself before you levy these kinds of accusations on someone, because you're sounding an awful lot like a Fourth Crusade inquisitor here. All this, based on no evidence, laid on the back of a refugee."
Myrna was from around here, it was true, but Sana's claim that she was some kind of "home town hero" who was owed the admiration of the townsfolk, or that it was sabotage that was preventing Gundrun from advancing, or that the Splinter went without repairs simply because no one bothered frustrated her. It took responsibility off of the backs of people who deserved it, and funneled all of it onto a stranger, based on what?
"First of all, you don't know this girl. You just think her name sounds like someone's name you know. Second of all, people around here are entitled to think whatever they like about me. None of them owe me anything. I did leave them here, to go work with the people that they hate, the people who hate and fear them."
"Thirdly, Gundrun is in a tough spot, and it's led by a coward. The whole reason I left in the first place. Martolls refuses to try much in the way of offensives, and honestly, after my years as a Crusader, I can't much blame him. People die just from trying to walk the Wound. Imagine being here, this town, the people, surrounded on all sides by evil, and knowing that you had to lift with your back just to survive. Imagining that this one woman is responsible for their lack of progress takes responsibility off of the demons, off of circumstance, and off of the Clan-Liege."
With a final, "feh", turns up her chin. Changing the subject, she turns to ask Alase a question. It seems they were debating on their best approach to Storasta. "I think whether we leave now and rest in that Blackfyre trinket's resting space or leave tomorrow depends on where you'll be taking us, Alase. What's the spot you have picked out?"
Myrna spends her time in the Splinter split between staring at the rafters, thinking about repairing the bar, or even improving it. The power of her drums could easily fix the bar in just a short time, although it probably wouldn't be safe to do so with the place full of patrons, and it would require a good supply of lumber, shingle, and nails. Unfortunately not things that she had easy access to at the moment, nor did they have time for her to spend an hour magically drumming.
She gives Alase a big hug hello, and gives her a slightly humiliating headscratch, before listening to the Archdruid and Hinagiku explain the reason for their coming to Gundrun to find her. She makes sure to add, "We're happy to make sure you get paid, Alase. What exactly are you looking for? Gold? Magic items? Information? A return favor?"
Returning to Alase's home for their secret meeting, she sits on the floor next to the others and hears out the outing of a new possible danger. After hearing all sides, she ends up giving a doubtful glare to Sana. "Yeah, I don't think we need to waste our time witch-hunting a waitress over the fact that her name sounds like the name of a demon you've heard of before. What kind of spy uses their real name when in disguise, anyway?" With her last question, she gives Rue a sarcastic, teasing glance.
"Anyway. I don't like the idea of traveling at night, but we've seen that the weather can be the biggest obstacle for us. The weather is holding for us right now, and it could take us awhile to reach Storasta. I think we should leave tonight and travel until it's bar-closing time, if the weather holds that long."
Myrna has some mixed feelings to be back in Gundrun. She hasn't been back since she left to join the Crusades, and she was sure there was some bitterness left in the Clan-Liege over the way she spoke to him before she left. However, she wasn't afraid of him, nor anyone else. Her childhood home was just as she had left it -- ramshackle but proud.
She is elated to see her grandmothers, and her heart quivers with a childish relief when Telfryn holds her by the hands again. But then she remembers who she is with, and turns to introduce them.
"Nain, dwi wedi dod efo arwyr Drezen. Dyma'r Archdderwydd, Ehren o Clan Ferron. Ei wraig Hinagiku, mynach o Tian Xia. Unafe, Clan-Liege y Demetae, Yui, heliwr enaid cyfarfuom yn ymladd yn ddyfnach yn y Clwyf ddoe. Sana, sgowt cain a thwyllodrus y gwnaethom ni hefyd gwrdd â hi ddoe, a Rue, côt gythraul sy'n ymladd ochr yn ochr â ni nawr."
She steps into the house, going for her favorite spot -- the floor, her back up against a pillar, next to the book-shelf. She invites the others to enter as well, and to make themselves at home if they so chose. The books were a mixture of academic and mythological, and Myrna had always preferred the latter.
She adds more. "Roeddwn i eisiau ymweld â chi, yn chwilio am eich doethineb, ac rydym yn chwilio am Alase Widow-Knife hefyd. Rydyn ni ar y ffordd i Storasta i ddod o hyd i arteffact sydd wedi'i guddio yno gan Areelu Vorlesh."
Hallit:
"Grandmothers, I have come with the heroes of Drezen. This is the Archdruid, Ehren of Clan Ferron. His wife Hinagiku, a monk from Tian Xia. Unafe, the Clan-Liege of the Demetae, Yui, a soul hunter we met fighting deeper in the Wound yesterday. Sana, a fine scout and rogue whom we also met yesterday, and Rue, a demon turncoat who fights alongside us now. "
"I wanted to visit you, looking for your wisdom, and we're looking for Alase Widow-Knife as well. We're on the way to Storasta to find an artifact hidden there by Areelu Vorlesh. "
Myrna is surprised to see druids waiting for them in the cave. It seemed that the influence of their adventures grows, with Sarkorians occupying places that they had cleared of evil. It heartened her to see, and she gives little bows to the druids as they pass.
When Yui announces that they were about to teleport into midair before teleporting across the country, Myrna gives a grumble. "Gah, I hate teleporting," she growls. She didn't want to be hurtling through the air, though, and no one who could fly could also carry her, so she pulls the carpet of flying they had taken from the Sanctum from her bag and unfurls it. She sits on the carpet and then commands it to raise into the air. "Ready," she nods to Yui, "Reluctantly."
Myrna listens to Sana and Yui share their backstories. Yui was a thousand-year-old death worshiper who was paying the penance for being an evil soul-stealer by sealing souls in her sinisterly-named blade and delivering them to the goddess of death. Sana was from another dimension, attempting to attain godhood, and this life was her trial to achieve it. God of Heroes and Fools, she might one day become.
Myrna attempts to reconcile the divide between them. "Maybe your absurdly cosmic origins explains how you were able to survive against Vang and his goons when I could not," she jokes. "Your blade is welcome at my side, especially if you're also the ones carting us around," she adds with a laugh.
She receives the sending, and then turns to her companions.
sending:
"Riversoar here. Will ask the Heroes of Kenabres if we can delay dropping off our thousand pounds of treasure to teleport to your rescue."
She regards her companions, especially the new ones. "Well, it seems we have even more to do than we thought. How many times can we teleport today? Think we have the time to break a siege on the Gully, put the treasure into the coffers, and still make it to Gundrun in time for people to be awake?"
Beatrix manages care for Ehren and Yui while her wounded teammates rest. She watches curiously as Unafe and Sana head out into the hallway to potentially harvest parts from their dead foes.
When the subject of executing unconscious foes comes up, Beatrix shrugs noncommittally. "Any who wake and use their chance at life to attack us forfeit their life," she voices, "But I'm not an executioner, and I don't feel comfortable walking the hallways and stabbing every body to make sure that it's dead. However, I won't stop anyone who does, not now."
With the retriever dead and the room suddenly erupting with foes, demons of all shapes, sizes, and stripes, Myrna realizes she has no more agency over her life or death. Accepting her fate, surely to be eaten swiftly by vescavors or crushed by a glabrezu, Myrna does the only thing she can do under the circumstances and calls on her grandmothers' strength to bless the efforts of her allies with the most powerful magic she can muster. As the effects of her song fade, it is replaced by magic that bolsters hope, bravery, and heroism.
Myrna casts mythic augmented good hope, using Mythic Spell Kenning, targeting all allies (including Sana). All affected gain a +3 morale bonus to saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. If the target of mythic good hope fails a save against a non-mythic fear or emotion effect, they can reroll the save as an immediate action.
Her consciousness fading, Myrna topples to the ground, shrinking swiftly back to a more normal size. With her energy completely exhausted, Myrna finds herself at the mercy of her circumstances.
Myrna is a defensive powerhouse, fending off the first blow with her powerful magical shouts, and blocking a second with a careful attention given to shield use. Still, she is badly bloodied by the mechanical construct, and can only hold out for a short time.
Myrna uses her immediate action (on Golden Lion's warning roar, on the first attack) and her AoO (on Shield sphere active defense, on the fourth attack) to block two of the five blows against her. She also has DR 1/-, so she takes 48 less damage.
She also has 11 THP from Berserk, so she takes 64 damage to her HP, which brings her to 77/150, or grazed.
"Perhaps we should run, just to make sure?" suggests Myrna, poking her head out of the shelter after Yui. After making sure that the sky is no longer unleashing wrath on the ground, Myrna follows Yui back out onto the plateau and follows her.
She wonders whether the stranger and her demonic friend are leading them to their doom, but Myrna also has confidence in herself and her Sarkorian brethren. If doom came for them, they would defeat it for sure.
While they descend into the deep, Myrna is asking herself whether they know they're going the right way. Surely, the Archdruid wouldn't lead them astray, but she feels somewhat anxious about entering cramped spaces, no matter their ultimate objective. As a large woman, she feels out-of-place in caverns.
Then they find themselves in an underground chamber with unknown assailants closing in from all sides, so she draws her weaponry. Myrna keeps vigilant, and when Yui and Rue appear between them she nearly smashes them with her hammer as a reaction.
There's no time to question them on their appearance. She was already uncertain about trusting Rue (a known demon), but now there were strangers here as well? Turning towards the intruding ghoul, she shouts, "We'll handle the explanations after the undead are taken care of," Knowing that where there's one ghoul there are probably more, Myrna wastes no time entering battle.
Unfortunately, Unafe was standing in the way. Myrna mutters the words to a spell and disappears in a blur of multicolored energy, zipping across the cavern floor to appear behind the ghoul. Her hammer glows with magical rime as she smashes it into the undead creature's back with a hefty, "Hyeh!"
SwA: Spend 1 AP to gain frost on Myrna's warhammer SA: Cast bladed dash to move through Unafe and the ghoul and make a melee attack. FA: Activate berserk to gain 11 THP and lose 2 AC (AC is currently 20).
Myrna chuckles at Unafe's dramatic pronouncement of her willingness to flee into the Wound alone to protect them. "No, you won't be doing that, Unafe. If Ayrzul's forces see fit to interfere with our mission here, we'll make sure they don't make it back to their patron alive to report."
"Grave danger isn't new to any of us. I just hope we don't see interference from Ayrzul at an inopportune time."
Myrna shrinks back down to size after she pushes Beatrix into the shelter before ducking in herself. She stands uncertainly for a few moments, taking in the dark, cool cave that Unafe had created. With a flick of a finger, she creates four dancing lights, choosing a cool green for their color, to illuminate their shelter.
"All things considered," she says with a little chuckle, "This is a relatively fast paced trip across the Wound."
She picks her bedroll out of the pocket of her haversack and unrolls it onto the ground, sitting down on it with a sigh. "So, anyone got a deck of cards?"
Myrna attends the meeting with focus and determination, eager to join her people and the Crusader leadership together in a communal effort of town-building. She listens to each person introduce themselves in turn -- noting that the Kellids were largely responsible for resource acquisition and the Crusaders largely responsible for coordination and leadership -- before taking her own turn.
"I'm Myrna of Clan Riversoar. I lead the Hellfire Squadron, and I'm here to get a handle on Drezen's outer perimeter."
Knowing that her strength is her greatest... erm, strength, Myrna starts by suggesting the martial approach. Fighting couldn't solve the internecine conflict, but it could alleviate some of their stresses and make the personal problems easier.
"I hear that you have several issues at hand. Myself and my squadron could potentially solve one of them for you -- the vrock attacks. If we can locate their roost, or we can ambush them when they do attack, we could destroy a few of the vrocks and ease the burden on your supply lines."
"My squadron could escort supply runs to and from Drezen, as well, at least until conditions improve or structural changes are made."
"What do you know about the vrock attacks? How many are there? How often do they attack?"
She considers next the seeming conflict between the Crusader and Kellid leadership. The Crusaders seemed to view the issue as a military one, in which land was needed for fortifications, and the Kellids as one of respect and sacred ideals. Myrna believed both needed to be addressed to appease all needs, but... how, exactly?
She would wait for their answer on the vrocks before proposing organizational advice.
After having spent her day interviewing Valaria, writing letters to her dead companions' families, and celebrating the life of her squadmate Den with her Hellfire Squadron, Myrna is exhausted and emotional. She agrees with her Lieutenant to meet again in the morning to organize a scouting party, and consults maps to plan the approach.
From the underground menhir shrine on the edge of the plateau, it was 36 miles to the greengate gorge. With phantom steeds they could cover the distance in probably three of four hours, and Unafe could go even faster than that. It seemed to Myrna that reaching Greengate Gorge wouldn't be any problem.
Valaria had mentioned that there were likely to be vermin, insects, demons, and patrolling demons, and that they would need to reach the hidden base without being overly detected. That was what she was the most worried about -- reaching the base undetected.
Myrna leaves her memorial with her fellow soldiers once the evening rolls around, going back to Paradise Hill to sit at the foot of Mother Heartwood. She sits alone, resting and considering what their next moves would be. The next few days would be busy and difficult, and she wanted to ensure she was enjoying her time in Drezen before their lives were endangered again.
Pushed to her limit, Myrna explodes into the assault of fire and electricity with a burst of rime, revealing behind the condensate a hard body of ice and stone. She stands proud against the siabrae's assault, determined to end one of them before she herself ends.
Myrna activates When All Seems Lost to succeed at all the saves. She still falls to 1 hp.
Myrna takes 3 Con damage, 1 Cha damage, fatigue, and 27 damage. She is at 120/150, except for the Con damage puts her at 109/139. Still healthy.
Myrna growls at the disappearance of the fungal queen, having been looking forward to smashing a demon worshipper into the soil she was birthed from. Whirling around, Myrna observes that the battle between the suddenly-emerged bulette-and-salamanders and her compatriots is going well -- except that when she turns, the bulette lunges for Unafe with a deadly attack. She uses her magical voice to force the bulette back and Unafe aside at the last second, saving Unafe from a painful wound.
Instead of choosing to assist with the battle, she chooses to prepare for the fungal queen's return, Myrna continues her battle poem while she expands to her full size and challenges the bulette to strike against her, rather than her companions.
"Heroes stand tall and strong, Unbroken facing doom, Earth-sharks are weak and dumb, Come and get it, earth-shark!"
Imm. Act: Use Warning Roar on the Bulette's first attack vs. Unafe, countering 48 damage. FA: Maintain song, with 12/24 rounds remaining. MA: Challenge the fungal bulette -- it gains a +2 to hit Myrna and a -2 to hit everyone else SA: Grow to Large-size
Myrna grips her hammer tightly, and takes a deep breath, bellowing,
"Stuck in a demon land,
fighting back to back,
squadron hold hand in hand,
go on the attack!"
Then she pivots and brings her hammer down on the wasp behind her, smashing a hole in it that allows her squadmates ample room to make attacks into its vulnerable, soft portions.
MA: Begin Raging Song, sharing maneuvers, spending 2 rage rounds. All affected allies also gain fast healing 4. SwA: Arcane Bond, spend 1 AP, +1 to hit and damage SA: Kill the Wounded on Wasp #2. If successful, allies' attacks deal 2d6 bonus damage to it until my next turn. FA: Berserk for 11 THP. Current HP 138 (+11)/161
Myrna pulls her drums from her bag, strapping them to her belt in front of her. With her hammer in one hand, she pulls her troops together. "You hear that, Hellfire Squadron?" she calls, "We're moving again. No rest for the wicked, and we've a long way to go before we get home, but Li'an is right. We can at least take an hour to prepare spells once we reach Aurelia."
"Let's go as fast as we can. And if any demon is fool enough to meet us, we will paint this forest with their ichor!" After thinking for a moment about strength and honor, she considers, "Perhaps, though, if she summon the most powerful demon around, any others would think twice before challenging us."
Myrna will use Marching Song on their next leg of the journey, allowing the group to hustle without fatigue.
Silver Knight v. Wasp Swarm (rage song):1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 15 + 2 = 20
Myrna is caught off-guard by the blast of electricity, but barely even notices the pain. She roars, hoists her hammer and shield, and steps towards the wasp swarm assaulting her troops. Her form becomes overlaid in a golden spectral armor, and she brings her hammer down towards a warmonger wasp.
Meanwhile, she bellows a poem.
"Yr unig beth sicr mewn bywyd
Ai dyna fydd yr haul yn codi ac yn disgleirio
Byddai'r gwenyn yn hedfan o gwmpas ac yn gafael
Beth bynnag y gallent ddod o hyd o'r diwedd"
FA: 5' step FA: Berserk, reducing AC to 20 and gaining 11 THP. SwA: Change stance to Stance of the Silver Crane MA: Begin raging song, sharing maneuvers and stances with all allies: 22/24 rounds remain. SA: Silver Knight's Blade
After Beatrix's healing, she is at 104/126 Myrna is at 134/150.
While her soldiers prepare themselves for travel, Myrna runs herself through her battle exercises, stretching and warming up her body. The others were right -- they had a difficult road ahead of them today. Who knew what challenges they would face.
Myrna prepares maneuvers for 10 minutes. Silver Crane maneuvers: blazing crane's wing (boost: add 2d6 sacred damage to attacks for 1 round), exorcism strike, silver knight's blade Warlord maneuvers: kill the wounded (strike: add 2d6 damage to allies' attacks if successful), encouraging roar (boost: allies gain +2 morale to attacks and damage), warning roar (counter: Diplomacy exceed attack roll to negate), burnished shell (counter: shield bash exceed spell DC to negate)
Myrna stands, stretches, yawns, and groggily pulls her armor back on. What time was it? It's impossible to tell inside the stone shelter that Unafe had provided. After coming out of the shelter to survey Caerwen's ruined landscape.
She reviews her troops as they gather and discuss the plan. She believed that she and the others could handle any itinerant threats that may come up, and she knew now that Caerwen offered relatively little real safety.
First, to her Lieutenant, she answers, "We should get ready to move immediately. Help me get the troops up and organized. We should conduct a quick search, followed by a burial if we can find the bodies of our compatriots."
Secondly to Li'an and Hinagiku, "I agree we should make for the menhir, in order to return to Drezen quickly. Do we know its approximate location and distance?"
"Before we leave, however, let me take the time to attempt healing Valaria."
With that said, she finds Valaria, still being cared for amongst her compatriots. She kneels beside the cursed tiefling and summons the wisdom of her teachers. Power flows from her homeland, through her, and out through her hands. "Begone!" she cries, as she channels her magic towards expelling the curse.
Myrna uses Mythic Spell Kenning to cast mythic remove curse on Valaria.
