"We thank you for your help. Be careful on your way back and be safe", Linah says and curtseys to Undrella as she departs.
Well sounds like the emissary is already here.
She yawns, flourishing her parchment map filled with notations in a neat script.
OK its all here. I will go see if I can find out where these new gnolls are to be quartered. I can’t see Kardswann allowing them to stay in the battle market but he won’t leave them in the lower town either, not with you running around killing his allies there. Best to limit any trips to the tannery. I don’t want to be found out. I’ll return here at dusk.
She moves to leave.
** spoiler omitted **
Undrrrella, I will escort you safely out of the camp.
Grall says with more authority than he has ever said before. He walks out almost expecting Undrella to follow. Garavel arches an eye at his statement.When they are outside,
After Grall leaves in such a manner, Sajan approaches Garavel briefly to have a quiet word.
I do not mean to cause trouble or bring harm upon him, but the Gnoll seems to be forgetting his place. He has tried to establish his authority and give orders several times; perhaps the freedom or the prize of freedom is making him forget himself.
Grall moves to where he can not be heard buy the others and then speaks softly to her in Gnoll, Can I ask you a favor? I know we got off to an unfortunate start but I would be very grateful for your help. assumes she says yes. I seek a young human women, she would have come a few months ago, her name is Haleen. Do you know of her? Is she safe? Do you know what she is doing here?
The harpy seems curious about your request, Well, depends on what it is dear but ask away. In response to your question, she asks for Haleen's description.
After you give it, she thinks for a long moment.
So this would have been a few months ago, right? I'm sorry. If I've seen her I didn't know it. Plenty of human slaves have come in and out of the town though and the gnolls didn't exactly call them by name. There are a couple of slave buyers in the battle market though, maybe waiting for a fresh shipment or bargaining for one. They might know more.
After Grall leaves in such a manner, Sajan approaches Garavel briefly to have a quiet word.
I do not mean to cause trouble or bring harm upon him, but the Gnoll seems to be forgetting his place. He has tried to establish his authority and give orders several times; perhaps the freedom or the prize of freedom is making him forget himself.
You are right Sajan. Grall has acted in a most unslavelike fashion on several occasions.
I will confess though. The circumstances in which he came into my lady's possession were far from orthodox. His price was low, a pittance really given his fighting skills, but it came with two conditions: that he be permitted to pursue a task of his own, provided it did not conflict with the mission and that he earn his freedom when the town is reclaimed.
I have spoken to lady Almah on the subject and she believes that Grall's involvement is critical to our success.
Do you have any reason to suspect that his allegiances are in question?
** spoiler omitted **
No- his loyalty is not in question but he is at the bottom of the hei... heir... group. It does not... sit well with me to see an unenlightened one attempting to command others. A slave does not command free men. Perhaps a few whips of the lash would remind him of his place in the order of things. If he was to earn his freedom, I would afford him the respect due.
Garavel strokes his beard thoughtfully.
I will think on it. You are correct, it is right and proper that a lawfully bonded slave act within the limits imposed by his station. Doing otherwise is offensive to the Gods.
On my lady's estate discipline would be a simple matter, yet here there is already considerable tension between Grall and the other mercenaries. They fear his prowess I think but an overt punishment might encourage them. Yes, I will think on it.
Nuveril stretches approvingly as Linah's channel heals the last of the hyena bites.
Undrrrella, I will escort you safely out of the camp.
Grall says with more authority than he has ever said before. He walks out almost expecting Undrella to follow.
Nuveril stretches approvingly as Linah's channel heals the last of the hyena bites.
** spoiler omitted **Undrrrella, I will escort you safely out of the camp.
Grall says with more authority than he has ever said before. He walks out almost expecting Undrella to follow.
** spoiler omitted **
Nuveril stretches approvingly as Linah's channel heals the last of the hyena bites.
** spoiler omitted **
Sajan joins the group after his brief chat with Garavel, nodding slowly to Nuveril's words but saying little. Eventually he speaks up-
His loyalty is not in question- but he does not act like a slave. He has forgotten his place.
Arjun has a gag reflex before he can stop himself and puts his hand to his mouth. "That is a most unpleasant thought! Are such things common in the wastes you hail from? By the Thousand Gods of Vudra, why would that even be a possibility in your mind!?"
Grall is only gone for a short time before he returns....as everyone looks at him a little strange...
Grall appears to get defensive and possibly a little angry, he looks pointedly at Garavel,
Master, is there a prrroblem with escorrrting an ally and guest from our camp?
As you entered, the group's attention was focused on Nuveril. She was clearly central to whatever discussions were going on. Linah looks a little angry. Arjun looks shocked as per his open post above.
As usual, Garavel shows little emotion.
There is no problem. Although I would suggest you consider phrasing you requests with more .. decorum in the future.
Turning to regard everyone, It has been a long day and you have all performed above expectations yet again. Let us all find our beds if our discussions are complete.
When Khalid opens up the magical pack and begins to pull things much too large to fit out of it, Nuveril recoils in horror. "It is accursed! I have heard of such evil apparati: All seems well until one evening the monstrous thing simply swallows the camp and everyone in it and waits for its next dinner to come along. Keep it well away from me!"
** spoiler omitted **
As usual, Garavel shows little emotion.
There is no problem. Although I would suggest you consider phrasing you requests with more .. decorum in the future.
Turning to regard everyone, It has been a long day and you have all performed above expectations yet again. Let us all find our beds if our discussions are complete.
Grall seems to gather himself and calms quickly, Yes Masterrr, you arrre rrright, is theirr anything else you rrrequire? he says sincerely.
|
A mild retcon...
Khalid has difficulty holding back a chuckle after hearing Nuveril's comments about the backpack...
"Very well, we shall keep it away from you, if that is what you wish. A small matter of business before retiring for the evening, who would like the backpack, and who would like the armor?"
** spoiler omitted **
As usual, Garavel shows little emotion.
There is no problem. Although I would suggest you consider phrasing you requests with more .. decorum in the future.
Turning to regard everyone, It has been a long day and you have all performed above expectations yet again. Let us all find our beds if our discussions are complete.
Grall seems to gather himself and calms quickly, Yes Masterrr, you arrre rrright, is theirr anything else you rrrequire? he says sincerely.
** spoiler omitted **
"I do not care who shares your concerns. It will have to stop. You will have to learn to trust Grall if we are to successfully defeat the Kelmare gnolls. Just as i entrust my life to you", Linah replies to Nuveril.
Linah returns Sajan's comment with a pained expression, a hint of disappointment showing in her eyes.
"Very well, we shall keep it away from you, if that is what you wish. A small matter of business before retiring for the evening, who would like the backpack, and who would like the armor?"
Khalid, you should take the arrrmorrr. It is much morrre imporrrtant to keep you prrrotected, I am used to injurrries.
"Now that the disposition of the equipment is settled, are we off again to the town?"
We need to have a couple of the sticky bags crrreated if this Karrrdswan can fly.
Arrrjun, do you have any magic that can make me big?
"Indeed I do, honorable Grall, but I do not know if I could brew up a potion by tomorrow morning. I can make the attempt, though.
Alchemy
"Indeed I do, honorable Grall, but I do not know if I could brew up a potion by tomorrow morning. I can make the attempt, though.
Alchemy 1d20+13
Its been a long day and all but Arjun, who gets to work in the lab, find their beds quickly. As you are settling in, you hear the gnoll’s call, cutting through the night. There seems to be an edge to it. Anger. You’ve hurt them. But they know their enemy now. As you know yours.
You sleep and the waking dreams come again.
You drain the waterskin and throw it aside. Water supplies are running low. Best have the priest do something about that. Right after the battle assuming you both survive it.
Men in clothing and armour of an unfamiliar style run around you, moving to and from their assigned positions. Goddess. The sun is like a furnace. The priest offered a blessing against the heat but with the healing supplies long since used that would have been one less spell of healing available, perhaps one more of your men dead.
Its been seven days since the gnolls launched their assault on the fort and they’ve attacked every day and night since. The nights are worse. The gnolls see like cats in the dark and your running out of fuel for the fires. Assuming any of your scouts even made it through the gnoll lines, nine more days is the earliest you can hope to receive relief from the city.
The units on the west wall defend furiously against the gnolls below. You send the 6th squad of spearmen to reinforce. The beasts have been clever, more clever than you’d ever expected. These constant attacks are wearing your men down. Running your fuel and ammunition down. Sooner or later they’ll break your defences in force.
A shout draws your attention to the east wall. A massive gnoll, has made it over the wall. Screaming with rage, it lays about itself with an enormous club, making a hole for other climbers to follow. A wide horizontal sweep sends two spearmen flying off the battlement into the air. They fall the forty feet to the ground screaming.
ARCHERS! ALL RESERVE ARCHERS TO ME!!
More and more gnolls pour over the wall and in seconds your men are falling back. Eight gnolls break free of the melee and race along the battlement toward tower three. You have only four men there. Raw recruits, you wanted them out of the hand to hand fighting. They’ll not hold.
ARCHERS! WHERE ARE MY DAMN ARCHERS?!!
You draw your scimitar but can do nothing but watch as the gnolls collide with the defenders. One, a tall dark haired youth, little more than a boy, faces them squarely, his spear thrusting out to take the foremost in the throat. Rally! Rally! For Salkua! For Vardishal!
For a moment the attack falters but there are just too many gnolls. Your soldiers fall, one by one, to axe, spear and teeth. Last is the boy. As he struggles to retrieve his spear from a gnoll’s belly, an axe catches him in the side and he crumples to the ground.
Your reserve archers finally get to you and form up smoothly into a firing line.
Too late for your men. But not to save the fort. Sweep that trash from my walls! You’ve drilled the archers well and volley after volley of broadhead arrows slam into the invaders. After what seems like an eternity, but which is perhaps a minute, they break, the survivors retreating back over the wall. Moments later horns sound the gnoll’s general retreat. You’ve held on. At least for today.
Later, you search through the bodies. He was a boy, just a boy. You find him below an arrow riven gnoll. You feel for a pulse, knowing what you’ll find but doing it anyway. Then shock. A heartbeat! Get that priest up here, get him here now! The boy’s eyes flutter open. Did we win my lord?
Yes, we won. Hold on we’ll get you some healing. By the Dawnflower you’ve got enough bravery for ten! What’s your name lad?
Kardswann my lord.
You dream the familiar dream although this time there is no pagoda, no mountain. You stand admidst the vibrant greenery of a great jungle with trees as wide as houses and as tall as hills. The enormous canopy blocks the sun, letting only a few sparse rays of light penetrate the interior. The air is very cool and smells of fetid things.
You turn at a sound and see a grey monkey, sitting casually on a branch above you, although it must be as big as you are. It smiles at you, a large wide smile, but there is something in that smile that gives you pause.
Greetings Sajan. I am Monkey.
I think by now you know how this works. I’m offering to train you as my student. You’ve already made great strides in my Four Elements style by yourself but I could teach you more, much more.
Suddenly, the monkey is standing next to you although all you saw was a blur as if time had slowed down.
The things that Tiger teaches can be useful I suppose but that old duffer is too rigid, too passive. There is only one way to deal with your enemies. Put them down as hard and fast as possible.
I bet he gave you that bit about training a bunch of Sajan Krama Sumnas. It might suprise you to know that I’ve trained more. It shouldn’t. You come from a mighty line, for a mortal. Men of action. Men of power. You will face another of my disciples by the end, if you live that long. He is lesser now but he will not remain so. How will you defeat him without my training?
You can only have one Master though. Don’t worry I’ll tell Tiger for you. Well what do you say?
Your dreams are full of Haleen again. The harpy’s statement that the Kulldis sold all of their slaves seem to reverberate around your consciousness.
You dream of her, in a torn shift and iron manacles, being dragged by leering gnolls to the block. They throw her to the ground laughing.
Men and gnolls with cruel faces are sitting on layers of stone seats, bidding on the merchandise.
Sitting at the back is a shadowed figure, features hidden behind a baggy cloak. But even the cloak seems too small somehow, the thing rippling beneath too large, as if what you can see is superimposed over its real, hidden, form.
It jiggles a bagful of coin and Halleen screams, No not you! Not you! I am not a slave! Please don’t show me its face!
You thrash and wake. It seems like you haven’t been asleep for very long at all. You also have a full bladder. Shrugging on your leather jerkin and taking your falchion you leave the dormitory walking east down the hallway, crossing the nave and ducking under the ropes of the camel enclosure you walk a little way, your eyes cutting through the darkness.
You are about to return when you realise there are figures behind you, also ducking under the rope, about thirty feet away. Three of the mercenaries, Brotis, Dullen and Utarchus. Brotis and Dullen would have been on outside watch, and wear their scalemail and weapons. The other is unarmored but has a scimitar thrust through his belt. None have drawn steel.
Blocking your direct route back inside, they form a triangle facing you, the black bearded Brotis at the point.
Brotis addresses you sternly, Hey gnoll. You don’t belong here. We think its time for you to go. Back to your own kind. We know that you want to go. We’re here to see that you do.
Dullen adds, more nervously, Look your a slave to the humans. Well we’re humans. We’re saying you ain’t no slave no more. Just go. Noone will chase you or nothing.
The last, Utarchus, looks a bit dreamy, he doesn’t even seem to be looking at you. He mutters something to himself and the other two spare a glance at him before looking back at you. You can see his hand twitching near his scimitar hilt.
You settle down for the night, your bedroll as usual doing little to cushion the hard stone floor. But your used to it. One night, when you were just a teenager learning the ways of the hunt, you had to climb a tree to escape a dire lion looking for a quick snack. To big to climb but unable to knock the tree down it watched you hungrily from the bottom for hours. The other hunters found you in the morning, sleeping blissfully wedged into the topmost branch. You received a nick name from that, roughly translated “She-who-sleeps-with-lion-below”. A credit to receive a name when so young.
Sleep comes quickly and you dream.
Of soft hands and a round, kindly, face peering down at you.
Tan curtains and a blue river beyond. The smell of jasmine flowers from the window.
There is singing, in a language you do not know but which seems familiar.
You are safe and protected although a tinge of sadness intrudes. This will not last.
The fire will come.
You settle down for the night.
And dream.
You stand in a church to the Dawnflower, a holy place of light and air, sitting atop a high hill. Grand windows beyond the altar open out showing a grant vista below. The hills, the mountains including a distinct pale grey one, a fast flowing river.
A male priest dressed in red and yellow vestments of Saranrae, not disimilar to your own, is reciting the Litany of the Light from the holy book to the assembled congregation, a mixed group of humans, halflings and even a few dwarves. The high roof reverberates with the sound of his voice, praising the Goddess’s love for all with a desire for redemption in their hearts.
It is if you are standing invisible to the side, able to watch the events but not seen by any present.
The sermon continues but you see something disturbing. Some kind of malignancy, some dark canker, sprouts unnoticed from the breast of the priest. As you watch it grows, bigger and bigger, until it is a great dark mass spreading dark tendrils through his body. He continues to speak but his expression seems to change, taking on an aspect of cruelty, of malevolent hate. The congregation does not seem to notice, they laugh and smile.
And then the darkness spreads. Slowly but surely. To mothers, fathers, children. From one to the other. They too begin to change. Becoming hateful, till all of them are consumed. And then there is nothing but the priest, beholding what has been wrought. And then there is nothing but the cold of the void, nothing but for the hatred.
The threads of the dream fade but you remember all of this one when you wake.
Sajan bows stiffly to Monkey, his mind already made up. With no hesitation in his mind, he replies-
Great and powerful Monkey; your offer humbles this simple Vudrani. I would learn much from your teachings, I am sure. But I have already given my word to Tiger, and it binds me as surely as the mightiest chains in the land. If I am to meet your disciple in battle, I will honour him; in either victory or defeat. his piece said, Sajan salutes Monkey with a traditional show of respect from a Vudrani- a clenched fist against an open palm with a deep bow.
So humans, you finally summoned the courrrage to trrry what you have been wanting. I have watched you, waited forrr this moment. It would be easy to kill all thrrree of you. I have killed in the Arrrenas, I have slain Demons, I have slain magical beasts, slain so many....Do you really think to trrry me? Look into yourrr souls, what you think to trrry now is yourrr doom.
he draws out his holy symbol,
Sarrrenrrrae is with me, she is the rrredemer. She brrrought me here to prrrotect and save you, even though you don't want it frrrom me. All you see is the furrr and what my people arrre. If you kill me herrre, it will mean the doom of you all. Only the beast within me can slay the beast in that city. Perrrhaps that is my test, to save you in spite of yourrrselves... he waits for their response, making no aggressive moves.
|
|
Determined to find any clue that may be there, Khalid heads for the shrine's library, or at least what is left of it...
Linah wakes up with a gasp and looks around the room. She takes a few seconds to gather her wits then gathers her equipment and heads for the chapel to pray and contemplate her dream.
A minor thing about the dream. You wrote that the priest wore red and yellow vestments. I thought Sarenrae's color was blue and yellow?
Craft (alchemy)
Craft (alchemy) 1d20+17