Linah pats the giant hand on her shoulder. She let's out a small sigh of relief and the smile returns to her face. "Thank you.", she whispers.
Grall also suggests that we head north first to lead possible trackers away from the Monastery, then Nuveril, Khalid and him can try to cover our tracks after a couple hundred yards of moving in the wrong direction. He doesn't want to lead any Gnolls right back to our base.
As above, you regroup, heal and quickly loot the gnolls.
Linah's pulse of healing stabilises the gnolls but does not bring them back to consciousness.
You leave the pesh fields and the gnolls where they fell, Grall carrying the survivor. You detour north and then at a rocky section circle back south, the trackers hiding your trail as you go. The sun beats down on you mercilessly as you proceed and you are feeling the effects after your exertions.
You reach the (relative) safety of the hills and again spot one of the blink dogs, standing on a rock in the distance as if waiting for you. It follows you, again at a distance, as you make your way back to the monastery.
You arrive without incident and Elia is standing out the front with Yesper impatiently shifting from one foot to the other. She helps Linah take your freed prisoner inside. He has said little during your journey, babbling a mixture of prayers (to Abadar) and pleas in Taldane. He seems to have "Been out in the desert too long" as per the local saying but whether it is from the pressures of his ordeal or something existing you cannot say.
Almah, Garavel and Father Zanthus meet you in the nave and Zanthus quickly mixes a healing extract for your charge. Let me take him Linah. I have some experience with maladies of the mind. Give me a few hours with him and we will see if we can get him in a state ready to talk before your next expedition.
All spent out from the strainfull journey Linah does not protest when Father Zantus asks to take care of the man the party just saved. Without a word the cleric wanders in a daze into the chapel and sheds her armor, leaving it in a heap on the floor. She then sits down in front of the altar to meditate.
Grall will watch the prisoner. Do we have any manacles in camp? If not we tie him up with rope after removing his armor and equipment.
Grall suggests that he and Khalid question the prisoner later in the day after Linah heals him.
The heat has clearly taken a toll on Sajan, and he rests for a couple of hours once back at the Monastery in order to recover from the sun's burning gaze.
Fortitude save
Arjun will spend the evening assisting Zantus with the gnoll prisoner.
I don't mind, re-arrange as you like based on what you think Khalid is more likely to know. Frankly, Taldane is probably more useful although Arjun and Father Zanthus do speak it so you won't be left unable to communicate either way.
Grall uses his extensive knowledge of the desert to guide the group through shaded areas, resting at key points when he sees some group members start to fatigued a little. Despite his efforts many of the group is still ground down by the massive heat.
** spoiler omitted **
It is obvious that, despite Almah's approval, several of the mercanaries and other members of the expedition are unhappy with your decision to bring the gnoll inside the monastery. Brotis spits on the ground at the sight and one of the other men, a quiet but grizzled fighter, whose name you never got around to learning, caresses his knife like he would personally like to deal with the gnoll on the spot.
Grall takes the captive down to the undermonastery with Khalid where a further healing extract from Father Zanthus revives it.
Grall will translate for Khalid as well as translate what he says to the Gnoll to start to make things easy so we don't have to put things in spoiler.
To set the stage, Grall has still not cleaned the Gnoll blood and gore from his muzzle, and gets right up into the face of the sitting Gnoll, the stench quite horrible...Wake up whelp! We have killed your pack. You have one chance to avoid the most horrible death there is. Tell us what we want to know and you may live to become a slave, as am I. You can try to hold out, but this human, he is an inquisitor, a questioner. He has the power to hurt you, to the brink of death, and then bring you back from it with magic over and over again until you are begging to tell him what you know. He can skin you alive and keep you alive for days in such a state. He will ask you questions and you will answer!
|
Khalid pulls a curved dagger from his boot while coldly staring at the gnoll...
"You have one of two paths you can choose, I'm sure neither will be pleasant to you, but one may at least leave your hide intact. Tell me, how many more of your kind are in Kelmarane? What else resides there? Choose not to tell me and I may be forced to start with your left ear."
Intimidate:
Nuveril is a shocking sight as the group returns to the monastery, her clothing and armor coated with dried blood, although nothing remains of her wounds other than a slight scab where one of the arrows pierced her. She seeks out a secluded area behind some brush where she can strip off her clothing and rub it in the dirt to clean it.
Arjun walks by and surveys the scene, then clucks his tongue and shakes his head. "Knives and blades, honorable friends? Messy, messy. Here," he reaches from his belt and produces a flask of bubbling green liquid. ""Some strong acid. A few drops of this in a sensitive area will do wonders for gaining cooperation without maiming him. After all, you can only cut once, but you can burn forever." With a nod of his head, the alchemist departs back to the basement.
Nuveril returns from her laundry, looking grubbier but having beaten and scoured the stiff uncomfortableness of the dried blood out of her clothing with the sand and gravel of the area. Oblivious to the ugly mood of the mercenaries, she retreats to her campsite and uses her dagger to cut two tiny notches on the handle of her warhammer -- two gnolls down, hundreds to go.
The gnoll stays silent during Grall's speech although it is clearly not unmoved. Following Khalid's menacing display, it stays silent for many moments before speaking. Nothing you do to this one will be worse than what HE will do. It spits on the ground and refuses to speak further.
|
|
The gnoll stays silent during Grall's speech although it is clearly not unmoved. Following Khalid's menacing display, it stays silent for many moments before speaking. Nothing you do to this one will be worse than what HE will do. It spits on the ground and refuses to speak further.
"Perhaps I'll let you keep your ear, but maybe not other parts..."
he says as he lowers the blade toward more sensitive regions.
"Tell me who HE is...now."
The gnoll starts to wheeze deep in it lungs and after a moment you realise it is laughing. It grins at you, showing a set of blackened teeth but says nothing.
You spend the afternoon in your various activities. Sajan finds that one of the mercanaries, Trevvis, a short, barrel-chested man, seemingly of mixed Badawi and Kellshite descent has been working in the courtyard while he was gone, removing piles of brush and weed that Sajan had pulled out that morning. I like gardens, is all he says moving to pick up another pile.
Linah spends her time in the chapel. After some time spent meditating she finds herself performing by reflex the rituals she spent so many painstaking years learning in the monastery, prayers of blessing, protection and communion with the Goddess herself.
From deep within yourself you feel a powerful force uncoil and stir. A force that you only felt once before, as a child. What was once raw power feels maturer now, but no less strong and no more easy to control. It seems to extend from yourself and meet an external force, something glorious and full of light.
When Linah looks up the chapel feels transformed. The wood and stone still need repair and blackened marks from the fire remain, but gone is the sense of ruin, replaced by one of comfort. The altar itself seems bathed in sunlight even though surely the angle of the sun at this time of day is wrong for it to be natural.
After his short visit with Khalid and Grall, Arjun assists Father Zanthus with your freed prisoner, cleaning him up, treating his injuries and finding some replacement clothing. While the healing extract dealt with the worse of his wounds and sunburn, physically he is still in bad shape and his mind little better. After a time, Zanthus tries some easy questioning in Taldane, asking his name and how he came to be in Kelmarane.
Oxvard...name...name is Oxvard....pathfinders....town abandoned...find the treasure....pathfinders...fight gnolls...church vaults...how hard can it be?...they are just dogs and we the lion...the lion does not fear...oh it hurts. Abadar why have you forsaken me!!...we fight! gnolls cannot stand against us.. they cannot stop Andrus... such a fighter cutting them down...forward the lion...but the fiend comes...cutting and slashing... stealer of hope... Ariella down, Monastes... Herast... his heart, it ate his heart!... only Feilliped... told.. run...get away.
Took me...hurt me...oh Abadar..the Tall Man and his hooded lady...his eyes...the red door...can't open it.. can't...I'm trying...swear to Abadar... glowing eyes...trying...can feel the darkness...price of failure...run...just run across the field .. be free..can't get up.. it hurts...where are you Abadar?... gone...gone...I am lost...
This torrent seems to exhaust him and he lapses into a series of further mutterings you can make no sense of.
The gnoll starts to wheeze deep in it lungs and after a moment you realise it is laughing. It grins at you, showing a set of blackened teeth but says nothing.
How farrr do you wish to take this Khalid, I am surrrprised he is holding out, my people arrre not norrrmally this brrrave, it is almost like he is underrr some kind of magic. We may still brrreak him, but it will take morrre.
Trevvis, a short, barrel-chested man, seemingly of mixed Badawi and Kellshite descent has been working in the courtyard while he was gone, removing piles of brush and weed that Sajan had pulled out that morning. I like gardens, is all he says moving to pick up another pile.
As do I. Sajan replies simply, continuing to work alongside the man.
|
|
How farrr do you wish to take this Khalid, I am surrrprised he is holding out, my people arrre not norrrmally this brrrave, it is almost like he is underrr some kind of magic. We may still brrreak him, but it will take morrre.
"I'm not sure, Grall. Perhaps we should simply remove his teeth, break his legs and leave him for the vultures with his brethern...of course if he were willing to cooperate, we could be merciful...it is the Dawnflower's policy to be merciful to those who repent, but only those who repent..."
How farrr do you wish to take this Khalid, I am surrrprised he is holding out, my people arrre not norrrmally this brrrave, it is almost like he is underrr some kind of magic. We may still brrreak him, but it will take morrre."I'm not sure, Grall. Perhaps we should simply remove his teeth, break his legs and leave him for the vultures with his brethern...of course if he were willing to cooperate, we could be merciful...it is the Dawnflower's policy to be merciful to those who repent, but only those who repent..."
The gnoll stops laughing but remains silent.
I'm inclined to leave it to you to decide where your and for Khalid, the churches, particular boundaries are in relation to physical torture but personally have difficulty seeing it as other than inherently evil. Which doesn't mean much by itself but if Khalid and/or Grall are going to embrace dark methods then I expect to see it reflected in their subsequent actions and posts. This has more significance for Khalid rather than Grall of course as a divine spellcaster of a goodly god. The only thing I don't like and generally may feel the need to intervene in is inconsistency when it comes to morality (ie a good character acting in an evil way and then reverting back to good without any effect). Not pointing any fingers of course you haven't done anything yet and Grall has already been trending darker just wanted to make where I see things clear.
** spoiler omitted **
Thats fine by me and I can't see the odd darker act turing Grall to evil in an alignment sense. Now if he starts liking it too much on the other hand...
I'm having fun seeing what he will do as well. I hope you like what I end up doing with Haleen. Its a .. smidge different to what the written AP provides for.
Linah surveys the chamber with joy written all over her face. She had for some time questioned her aptitude as a priestess of the Dawnflower. Outward the cleric held a straight face but inside she harboured doubts on her abilities since that eventhough she was a gifted healer she had not feelt the same connection to her patron as she did as a child.
A rush of pure energy emenates from within her and with no other outlet Linah begins to dance around the chapel with her arms outstreched towards the heavens her laughing ringing outthrough the room and into the hall outside.
She was on the right path. She could feel it.
Khalid hangs his head in disappointment...
"You will not answer our questions, and you refuse to ask for Sarenrae's forgiveness...you leave us little alternative."
Turning to Grall as he unsheaths Tempest...
"Grall, I will do this unless you would prefer to do so..."
Grall simply shakes his head and stays long enough to make sure the Gnoll doesn't struggle.
After reporting back to Garavel he cleans up and then goes back to the chapel. Surprised by what he sees, pleasantly, a smile appears on his face for the first time in a while as he sees Linah dancing around.He spends some time in quiet contemplation there waiting to hear about their next steps.
Dan, what type of armor was the Gnoll wearing? I am also going to pick up one of the bows and 10 arrows.
Linah comes to a stop mid circle as she eventually notices Grall watching her. Her visage brightens even more and she strides up to him with light steps as if guided by a warm wind.
"Can you feel the serenity that has returned to this chapel? Is it not wonderful?", she laughs as she comes up to Grall and takes his hands. "Come dance with me!"
Contrary to the words he had spoken moments before, Khalid finishes off the gnoll with a swift clean slash across the gnoll's throat, providing as quick of a death as possible.
"Grall, what are the customs of your people in terms of burial?" he says, as he cleans Tempest's blade.
They vary from pack to pack. Most of the time the weak die where they are and are left for carrion. We should just bury him a ways from the monastery and be done with it. he says sadly.
Linah comes to a stop mid circle as she eventually notices Grall watching her. Her visage brightens even more and she strides up to him with light steps as if guided by a warm wind.
"Can you feel the serenity that has returned to this chapel? Is it not wonderful?", she laughs as she comes up to Grall and takes his hands. "Come dance with me!"
He looks aghast at her suggestion having never danced in his life.
He then looks at her sadly, Linahrrr, I am afrrraid it would not be right, what would the otherrrs say. I don't want them to be yourrr enemy. Some of the otherrrs would see this as wrrrong, wrrrong enough to do something rrrash. I am sorrrrry Linahrrr, I can not. It makes me happy though to see you and the chapel like this!
Khalid and Grall quietly dispatch the gnoll prisoner and bury the body.
The restoration of the chapel causes a stir, and a positive one, among the remainder of the expedition. Even the stony faced Garavel is seen with a simple expression of wonder at the obvious change. Several people exclaim that surely it is a sign of Saranrae's blessing. The bulk of the credit appears to have been attributed to Linah and most of the servants now appear to treat her with reverance and not a little awe.
Dinner is quiet, roasted goat and cheese with black bread and the inevitable coffee. Everyone seems to be comfortable thinking their own thoughts, the frightening events of the morning matched with the wonder of the afternoon. Those without watches turn in early.
You sleep and if you dream you do not remember it.
It is morning. Day 4 of the Reclamation of Kelmarane. 4th day of Gozren, 4708.
For those who choose to attend, you intern Dalkus' body in the undermonastery in the morning. Father Zanthus gives a short speech praising the boy's good qualities and his belief that his soul will find rest in Nethys' embrace. Linah has an opportunity to speak as well.
You breakfast on the last of the eggs and more coffee, ready to face the day's new challenges.
?
1
2
He looks aghast at her suggestion having never danced in his life.
He then looks at her sadly, Linahrrr, I am afrrraid it would not be right, what would the otherrrs say. I don't want them to be yourrr enemy. Some of the otherrrs would see this as wrrrong, wrrrong enough to do something rrrash. I am sorrrrry Linahrrr, I can not. It makes me happy though to see you and the chapel like this!
"Do not be like that, of course you can! You have played a big part in restoring this chapel, you deserve to take part in the celebration. Come now, share this moment with me"
"What was the man we rescued able to tell us?" Nuveril asks over breakfast. "How long had he been there? Did he have any information about the gnolls' defenses?"
Linah is unable to budge the slave...he knows his place.
Go in again tonight?
We have killed parrrt of the pack, they will be warrry...
"What was the man we rescued able to tell us?" Nuveril asks over breakfast. "How long had he been there? Did he have any information about the gnolls' defenses?"
"If there is no other business, I am prepared for another foray into Kelmarane. Hopefully this time will be longer than our previous attempts."
Sajan is ready.
"We should observe the village from a distance for a while before we head out. We need to know if they have increased their defences after the past days events."
You gather your gear and make ready to depart.
Father Zanthus hands another two extracts to Arjun. I had to use some herbs to sedate our new friend Oxvard over the night. He clearly isn't from Katapesh and seems to speak nothing of our language. He said little more that made any sense although I think he is, or was, a priest of Abadar and he speaks of these lions as if they were a group of some kind. He is quiet now but I believe it will take some time before we can know whether he is capable of providing anything more useful. I'm not sure what to make of his talk about a fiend let alone the other things he mentioned. But Arjun, metaphoric or literal, please be careful.
You leave the monastery, descending through the hills, and again for that section you seem to have a furry escort which leaves you behind as you reach the flatter section surrounding the town. About 45 minutes from when you started you find yourself looking at the town, a couple of hundred yards to the north, from behind the concealment of a low rise. The lower section of town looks quiet. Here at least there is no sign of increased gnoll activity or indeed any activity at all.