Prologue: To Boldly Go Where People Have Not Been in a Good

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Carlos arrives supporting Ludmilla - "How lucky for you, Mr Woodsinger." - in a tone that isn't quite clear how snide it is - "If she'd been dead, you'd be seeing Isabella from the back of your skull."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Hunter looks back and is immediately quiet. She's alive... He doesn't move or speak.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: "I be glad the lot of you are as well." Ludmilla looks at the prisoner. "Why is this one still alive?"

"An excellent question," says Liam, anger clear in his voice as he moves closer to the captive.

Peren looks at Hunter, "You promised! You promised to let me go if I cooperated! I've done so!"

"And he is my guest and you are trespassing on my Circle's lands. A fact that you well knew Woodsinger! Would a bear let you threaten her cubs? A falcon her chicks? No! That bear would rip you to shreds. That falcon would tear out your eyes. Give me one good reason why you should live assassin?"

Peren starts struggling trying to get away. Liam shakes his head, "Yeah, that's what I thought. You came to these lands to murder me, my people, and these good folks. I sentence you to death. Katheryn, let him go and stand clear."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Carlos looks back and forth between Hunter and Liam and Peren... then settles on Liam - "Oy, if you wanna execute him, this is your house. But he's on his knees. All the rest of his compadres are dead, or soon will be. ¿You really wanna dirty your hands with this?"

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: "And the rest of you? What would you say?" asks Liam to the party.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: Kathryn scratches her head. "I really don't want Hunter to go back on his word, but I agree that Peren deserves to be punished." She thinks for a moment. "I heard there are fates worse than death. We could let him go, and make sure his people know that he survived. How 'bout that?"

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "...you scare me sometimes."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: Kathryn doesn't seem to have heard Carlos' comment, and continues to firmly hold Peren down.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Hunter snaps out of his amazement to see Ludmilla still standing, and puts a hand on Liam's shoulder to keep him back. "We have an agreement and we have no reason not to honor it. He's going into exile, and he won't be coming back. That's good enough for me."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: "I never made any such agreement with him and I'm not bound by your promises in this matter." Liam removes Hunter's hand and glares at him.

Zoe breaks in quickly, "Hold on, hold on. Hunter's just saying he already gave his word and would appreciate you not making him a liar. He's not trying to say you have no right to do this."

Liam growls in frustration. "And what would you have me do?"

"Make him swear to the World Serpent and to Stormhawk not to return and to make no further mischief upon us or your people. Then let him go. If he keeps his word, he'll have nothing to fear. If not, he'll surely be destroyed by those Great Spirits."

Jojo ads, "Carlos is right, enough people are dead and this one isn't worth compromising yourself over. If you won't imprison him send him into exile and be done with it."

Liam considers the party's words and visibly comes to a decision. He addressed the prisoner, "I commute your sentence to exile on the condition that you take an oath swearing to reform your ways and to peacefully go into exile from the Harken Woods. You'll swear by the World Serpent, Stormhawk, Corellon, Sehanine, and by your ancestors to do these things and know that they will hold you to it. Do you agree?"

Peren stops struggling in relief. "Yes, I'll give my oath."

Liam nods and motions for Katheryn to let him go. He then takes Peren's oath and returns his equipment before letting him loose with instructions to travel the King's Road south and not to stop until he reaches Sarthel or Nera. When the party has seen off Peren, Liam sighs. "I hope I made the correct choice."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Carlos shrugs - "Hope's all ye got, when you can't go and keep an eye on him forever. Short of that, you always gotta live with somethin."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: Kathryn watches this scene with obvious concern, and she lets out a sigh of relief when Liam finally agrees to let the man go. After giving a slight nod to both Zoe and Jojo for their suggestions, she approaches the druid and gently puts a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I think you made the right choice Liam."

She then smiles for him.

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: "He wasn't lying to us." Hunter looks like he is about to say more, but thinks better of it.

He mumbles aside to Zoe, "World Serpent? Storm Hawk? What are those?"

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: "You speak wisdom, Carlos. I'll have to trust to that." Liam puts his hand on Kat's in solidarity with her sentiment.

Zoe answers, "The World Serpent and Stormhawk are the strongest protector spirits of the Old Faith. The World Serpent, sometimes called the Ouroboros, is the great serpent that holds the mortal world itself within it's powerful coils, protecting it from all outsiders. It's power is infinite, and druids and barbarians will call upon its strength in times of great need. It's said that most earthquakes are the World Serpent moving across the land. This is likely so, since I have seen some of its scales. Stormhawk is the Elder Spirit of thunder and lightning. In its powerful fury it can destroy monsters, gods, primordials, and anyone else who would threaten the mortal world. Druids and barbarians call upon Stormhawk's power when they channel those elements to destroy enemies of the natural world."

From above a great screeching is heard as a hawk dives past the party, before coming to a graceful landing 10 feet away. It then changes into the form of Allinandra, who has returned. She looks weary as she nods in greeting to everyone. "Good, I see you found Ludmilla."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: Kathryn lets go of Liam's hand once Allinandra makes her return and almost crosses her arms, but she restrains herself. "Yeah, looks like you really didn't mean to hurt us. Eni is relieved to see you're okay by the way."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: "Ay, we all had to trust each other more than i'd normally be good with, but it paid off." - Carlos admits - "Speaking of which, how does it go from here to your endgame? There's only so much i could learn."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: With a strain against every awkward bone in his body, Hunter manages to greet Allinandra with "Hello."

"Inside the grove, I said some things you may have overheard. Sorry. I said some stuff you didn't hear, that I won't repeat."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:: Allinandra stays silent as she orders her thoughts. She begins with Hunter. "I apologize for what I called you earlier. If you can forgive me, I'll forget everything you said and we'll have a clean slate as far as I'm concerned."

She turns to address Katheryn, "I'm glad she still thinks positive thoughts about me at all after the way things have gone. And still go. I hope she doesn't hate me. There are already enough people who rightly do." She looks at Liam, who regards her in stony silence. "Before we talk of the future I think we need to address the past."

"Understatement of the century," says Liam, trying to keep his anger in check. "Dianne is dead and your mother lives. Ludmilla and everyone else almost joined her. If it weren't for these heroes how much worse would it have been? Who really won here? What was even the point?"

Allinandra closes her eyes and visibly flinches at each of Liam's pointed observations and questions. "I've made a huge mess of this whole thing but you're wrong about one thing. My mother is dead. Whatever that thing is that is wearing her face is not she."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Carlos slouches wearily, supporting his weight on his hammer as if it were a walking stick - "Sounds like as good a place to start as any."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: Kathryn listens attentively to what Allinandra has to share, but the revelation that the Nesme they met isn't the real one surprises her. She ponders something for a short moment, and confusion then spreads on her face. "Wait," she says. "Why haven't you told Eni about this? She sounds surprised too."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: "Thank you."

"This is all partially my fault as well," Hunter adds, averting his gaze from Allinandra.

He looks at her again to ask something. "Are you implying that she isn't the person you once knew? Not that she never was the person you thought her to be?"

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Kolson wrote:

"I believe it is someone else. After you went back in she turned on Ludmilla most viciously, kicking and hitting her with her staff. As I prepared to strike her down with the Sword of the White Well, I saw two beings. One was my mother, overlaid upon another, an illusion to be sure. But worse the thing below the mask was like nothing I had ever seen before. It looked like a mass of beetles in the rough shape of a humanoid. I dared not strike at such a disadvantage and with no back up. I've been improvising ever since."

Zeiss:

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: "I see. That's why you didn't tell Eni beforehand; you just learned about it yourself." All of a sudden, Kathryn redirects her gaze towards the ground, as if she is pondering a serious question. After a few seconds, she meets Allinandra's gaze and speaks up again.

"Eni says that the creature you are describing sounds like a ‘lamia’..." The way she furrows her brow indicates that she is concentrating on what the Eladrin is telling her via the necklace. "It's some sort of magical being that enters a dead fey, eats their organs, reanimates the body and tries to devour other humanoids for their memories and power. They can make themselves look like humans and elves; maybe like what you just described..." The white-haired woman now realizes how harsh this description of Nesme's corpse was, and she can't help herself but quickly add, "Sorry."

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Rory wrote:: Hearing Kathryn tell Allinandra what it was that wore her mother's literal face did away with the impression that it was only an illusion, which still makes his skin crawl thinking about insect swarms pretending to be human. Perhaps it was always the lamia plotting to end the curse for its own aims

"Disgusting! That's way worse than what we saw inside the grove. You're lucky to have thought ahead and made a pact with the Lady of the Well. Have you...always suspected?"

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

K wrote:: Carlos listens, tapping on the handle of his hammer. He considers what's been said, then asks - "¿So how do you kill a Lamia? ¿Does hitting it really hard work, or do you have to do some mojo?"

» Prologue: Just another day
» Prologue Interlude
» Prologue: The Barony of Harkenwold
» Prologue: The Barony of Harkenwold
» Prologue: The Barony of Harkenwold