Age of Ashes Story Thread

[Aileen]

Demons are not something I like. A demon killed my first husband Laszlo. And now a demon is here, and Arun wants to make deal with it to fight the evil hags.

Arun banishes evil fire horsey, and the smoke clears. I throw up until I feel a little better, getting the foul smoke out of my lungs as I cough and gag.

“Really? On my robes?!” Arun snaps. His look turns to pity.

“Sorry, Black Eyed Priest!”

He pats me on the back, and then turns attention to the demon. The demon wants gold, but apparently Arun’s 100 gold is not enough.

“One fifty!” I call out.

“I accept, but need the gold in hand and nobody may attack me. I will not stop attacking until then.”

“Well, come here! I can’t go through the fire wall!”

The demon merely laughs in my head. I sigh, and run through the flames. It hurts a great deal, but I get through to the other side. Just as I go in my bag to get the gold, the demon goes off to talk to the hag that offers him 200 gold.

“You son of b****!” I scream. “I am good for the gold, why you do this?!”

Arun tried reasoning with the demon, but I guess the hag’s offer is too good. So I try again.

“I will give you two hundred fifty. And my first born.”

No answer. I do get a death glare from husband Miklos, though. Laszlo did not give me kids, who is to say Miklos will anyway? That’s why I adopt everyone! I start shooting through firewall, and soon am notified that demon is dead. So we take out last hag lady, and then we catch our breath. This was a scary fight, but we all made it. I stay and help search room while others wander off to next room, until Miklos comes to get me and I join them. I’m laying on sleeping slab resting when Farooq comes running in yelling for help, and then runs off.

I spring to my feet, grab the stone from this room, and dash out toward the tree room. Miklos passes me, but I eventually catch up only to be slammed by a branch and grabbed when I get in. I’m very injured, but Mac looks dead and Faarooq looks bad- but I’m stuck and can’t get to tree! I look up and see Arun in the other doorway, hesitating. He is young, but he should know how this tree works.

“Arun, come in! We need more targets!” I shout, hating that I have to force him into danger. “If I get hit I will die, and all of us will! I need to get to tree!”

He steps in, grimacing, and gets grabbed. Miklos turns to me, bleeding and exhausted.

“My love- can you reach?” I ask, holding out the stone as I escape the tree’s grasp.

He reaches out, and takes it! Time seems to slow down as he reaches out to the trunk, just as the branches begin to crush the life out of Mac and Farooq. The tree stops moving!

We are all released. I throw myself into husband’s arms, and kiss him until he pushes me off for air.

“Thank you, Miklos! Thank you for listening to me!”

We gather everyone up and rest in other room. The mushroom man stays in the makeshift stable, planting his roots. The next day, we activate the portal, and step through into a cavern. I hear the sound of water, and heading up through the cavern we come to a seaside cliff. Looking out past the beach, and a steaming sea, we see town half mile away. Smoke is rising as buildings burn, and a huge ship is moored there.

“That’s Cyprus Point!” Says Arun, growing pale. “We’re in Northern Ravounel. Near Nidal.”

Oh. Sheet.

🦕 Nadja 🏹

[dragonforgotten]

We’ve had a terrifying encounter with a stone tree which answers the first part of the riddle but we can’t turn it off. We’re missing a disk shaped key. Worst yet after such a harrowing fight we run into a group of hags conspiring with a fiend. The battle was rough so I though I’d summon a wall of fire to sear these hags away from my friends. I come to regrets my choices today. I keep making bad choices when out of desperation to save Miklos and Willam from the claws of the bony devil I offered to pay it to leave the fight. Me! I feel disgusting! I can’t think under all this pressure! I dot. Want to lose another friend to devil and demons like before. More foes just keep coming! There’s a giant flaming horse harassing Nadja! Where the heck did that come from!? Ugly old horn crones on the far right and a bloody skeletal devil with Nadja trying to sweeten its payment only to be out bidden by the hags! Good lords! Least out of all my blunders for today I was able to banish the flaming horse.
I finial plucked up the confidences to back sass a devil. Karma came back to bit me hard when the devil severely poisons me and I come to a second later wracked with a familiar agony. It takes mac and Farooque limited medical experience and mine, along with the magic of a beautiful unicorn to finally purge the venom in my veins. I hope this will be the last time I’ll be poisoned like that again but I doubt it. It’s a occupational hazard when it comes to fiends and villains. This must be her way of saying she is disappointed in my actions. I am truly remorseful, I shall never make the same mistake again.
Once the fiends are dead and I snatch the heart stone from the dead night hag. Perhaps they can bring in new wealth, we will be in need of it to fund our cause. We stumble upon some items of interest. Two discs, a cauldron, and a few books. I study the disks and found them to be dreamstones. They give some sort of benefit but I haven’t the foggiest on what it does or how. This must be the keys to the tree but which one? Both?
I honestly do not want to go back in there. The tree terrifies me but everyone is determined to do this though I don’t see why since we have a way around the tree now and the stones could be useful else we’re but oh well.
We wait for mac and Farooque to come back. Only Farooque comes back white as a ghost. We all rush into the room of the nightmarish tree but I freeze as I stand near the threshold. I’m scared. Seeing the tree lash out like a unstoppable fiend freezes me dead in my tracks. I’m not going to be able to save my friends. I can’t do it.
“Arun, come in! We need more targets!” Nadja calls out cutting through the fear. She’s right. I must remember my creed. I must protect my allies. I step into the room and the tree grabs me in its sharp branches, cutting into my skin. Mikolas struggles in its vines reaching for Nadja outstretched hand with the stone. He manages to snatch it and slam it into the stone tree. The tree shakes and then releases everyone but my heart leaps into my throat as I sense Mac soul beginning to break free from her body.
“No!” With my force of will I reach forward, grasp her soul and return her back into her body as life energy infuses her veins. She coughs and wheezes as I sigh with relief. Her eyes dart about wild as I turn to Farooque before he mets the same fate as Mac. My goddess, I am eternally thankful for your gifts.
I’m filled on what happened as we kick our wounds. The moment Mac placed the stone in the tree it attacked deity new ferocity that it had before. Something is wrong with this stone , corrupt? The good stone must not be. I’ll need to study them later but for now we leave them behind, settling around near the gate as we take stock in what we found and the magic items we’ve stumbled upon. Bill discovers the couldron can summon deliouse stew, the books though written in inferno constrain the ritual to resurrection spells and calling upon planar entities in time of need.
That explains the bone devil. Could I summon summon angels now!?! How exciting.
With the fever excitement we settle into bed
——-

Morning prayers can’t come sooner as Mac opens the gate and the fiendish blood is burnt away from the gate. We step pas the threshold and walk into the light my heart stops as I spy the familiar Cyrus trees and the rocky shallow cliffs we stand on.
I blink the light out of my eyes unsure what to say, Overwhelmed with emotion.
“This...”
The smell of salt on the air and the sound of the sea crashing along the shore brings about a swell of memories. I can spy a familiar town in the distance along with rising smoke as buildings burn, a huge ship is moored in its docks as screams fill the air
“This is Cyprus Point. We’re in Northern Ravounel. Near Nidal.”

Arun

[Aileen]

Of course first thing we encounter on way to fire in town is a group of slavers with a captive. I see poor sweet Arun tense, anger flashing in his black eyes. He was slave once, I know it pains him to be back in this area and now seeing this... we have to free poor man being enslaved!

Arun cast his chill-out spell, and says four of them are affected, but it takes a while to get out of him that it’s four of them standing in a line. My poor boy, Erastil bless his little heart. Did he not learn basic shapes? One of the thugs runs in at us, and I shoot him thrice. He gets close and I shoot him straight in the eye, drop my bow, step in with my rapier, and kill him. I stand on his corpse, daring the others to attack.

“Why, Nadja!?” Arun looks horrified.

“Damn, Nadja!” Miklos whistles. “That’s my beautiful wife!”

The other sneak attacking my friends runs back to the others who still stand there just chatting.

“What the hell is wrong with you guys? We’re dying out here!” He yells to no avail.

I run to the poor man in chains and pull out my thieves tools. The thug standing by him moves away, looking at me.

“Yeah, you should just set him free.”

“You know, Bullbutcher’s probably waiting for us,” says one guy. “I’m just gonna... head out. Laters!”

He runs off, and I get collar unlocked from the man as the scary looking boar squeals horribly. Bromley’s song is oddly comforting and the horrid noises do not hurt me. Faarooq kills boar brutally.

“You’re nice,” the man smiles at me, obviously relieved to be free.

“You can call me mom!” I say, dashing off to help the others catch the ones who are running.

One of the thugs hits me with flail as I run, and it really hurts, but I kill him, and then go back for my bow.

“BULLBUTCHER!!!” A voice screams from the direction of the ship we can see the masts of over buildings. Not good!

Our new friend that we freed tells us all of what is happening here. The Genie’s Smile is the ship, and they are slavers. They took the town leaders hostage and have them at the 9 Shields Smokehouse. They also started fire at a boathouse in hopes it will take out all the city. They have lots of the scary boars and they have prisoners on the ship, which he begs us to free them first.

So, we go invisible thanks to little Bromley and make our way to ship. On the docks are three boars and a dead body. Arun sends in some magic eye and scouts the ship.

“There’s demons!” He gasps. “Lots of them.”

Arun casts a fireball on rocks, and we become visible. A boar runs at us and my handsome beast husband hurts it severely. I hit it really hard before he kills it. Lots of sailors are looking down from sides of ship cheering on the boars, but I am afraid we will disappoint them when we kill their nasty pets. Faarooq climbs on board ship by rope on quay, and Mac casts a poisonous cloud over the sailors in the midship. There are splashes of water as they start falling off, dead.

I sheath my rapier and follow after Faarooq. I get on board ship after an easy climb, and find Faarooq in battle with a big, scary demon. I run up to it, drawing rapier again, and hit it really hard! Something hits me in back of my shoulder, and I turn to see I have a mercenary sailor behind me. He tries to hit me again, but is distracted by my raging husband coming aboard and dashing toward him. A pixie, one of Bromley’s, flies to Miklos.

“Do not worry- save your wife!”

I can save myself, thank you much! Another mercenary moves in on me, and I am pinned in between them and the demon. This will be fun! The demon turns to me with its horrible sneering mouth.

“So... you are a wife?”

It touches me, and I feel myself grow weak.

“Your soul is mine!” He laughs.

I strike him, and he ensnares my rapier in his horns but fails to disarm me.

“You cannot have my soul! I barely have one!”

“You should really surrender to me now!” He laughs, and I feel his awful hot breath on my face. He will not be my master, I follow only Erastil!

“Screw you!” Screams Arun, now on the ship.

“Screw me?” The demon huffs at him, but then looks at me again. “I’m sorry, my dear. I can only have one enslaved soul at a time. I’m going to have to kill you before I take another one.”

He misses me with an attack, but my celebrations are cut short by his horns goring into my stomach. He hits again, taking my breath away, but I keep trying to attack back. He can’t seem to disarm me, I’m just too quick!

Arun walks on the air toward me, and I feel his hand grab onto me filling me with healing energy.

“Stay strong, Nadja- I will not let him take your soul!”

I smile, comforted that I will live.

“Nice try, demon!” I growl at Bullbutcher. “You cannot kill me- I have a Black Eyed Priest!”

“Wait, is that one of mine?” The demon looks confused.

“What?” I raise eyebrow. Arun is not follower of demon!

Faarooq slays the demon, and I instantly feel better. I am free! One of the mercenaries attacking me suddenly runs to side of ship and dives off. The other is In trance, so I leave him alone. I go to help others with boar problem, and watch extremely sexy husband destroy yet another before killing last mercenary.

“Oh, Miklos! Nobody can ever take my soul!” I throw myself into his arms. “But you have my heart!”

He kisses me, and I hear someone gag.

“Get a room!”

We rally ourselves, knowing we have to free the captives on board.

“Arun, what is down in holding?” I ask.

“Oh- slaves!”

“No s***, Black Eyed Priest- I mean enemies!”

There are more thugs to deal with down below. We may be injured, but we do not give up. The people of this town will be freed!

🦕 Nadja 🏹

[dragonforgotten]

Together after hustling down the cliff slide we enter the village to find chaos and destruction. The streets a deathly quiet and windows and doors are boarded up. It’s strange. When I escaped kintargo I briefly passed through here with high priest Juno. To see it reduced to this is saddening. Our first hint of the fate of the villagers is answered as a group of slavers drag a man by the collar to his neck. I can’t help but rub my own neck, feeling the ridge scar. I act quickly. I cast out calm emotions calming the the boar and all the more powerful slavers except for a few. Looking at the monster out pig again I can’t help but rise an eyebrow at the chains pericing it. Chains are not a natural part of this animal and no animal would stand this type of pain. Is this tied to Kuthonites? I don’t have the time to waste pondering. We quickly dispatch them but one escapes due to his called stupor sayings he should inform bullbutcher. Who is bullbutcher? The leader? Nadja has found a new person to mother now as she frees the poor man who’s thankfully is calm dispute his circumstance thanks to magic. The moment he’s free I drop my spells as the fear comes back to him. It’s hard to get it all due to his panicking but the villagers have been loaded on a boat and he saw a group of arsonists going to set fire to the boat house so its flames will set the village ablaze.
We rush to the hoarbor holding the ship, the genie smile. With Bromelys help we hide down near the opening of the alleyway I focus my power and create a invisible floating eye as it scans the ship. It’s filled with many foes. Boards on the dock, men on the ship. My breath stops as I spy a demon. A slaver demon. I remember reading of this back when I was just an acoltye back then, still recovering from the years slavery did to me and both the mental and physical scares left behind. I remember one word that jumps out to me. A weakness. These demons as weak to cold iron. Does that mean all demons are weak to cold iron!? Anyway it means we now know they are weak to cold iron and good magic.
My eye sweeps the rest of the ship. My throat tightens as I find the imprisoned villagers shackled and hallowed eyes to the ship as slavers guard and harass them. We need to save them. Soon.
Together we go in with a plan. I open with a fireball to the beasts, then Bromely with a sleep. The team cleans up the surviving boat as Farooque climbed to the deck of the ship by its mooring ropes. Everyone follows as Mac allows me to walk on air. I arrive in time to watch the demon gloat that he has enslaved Nadjas soul and While my vision turns red with rage. I will not let this demon keep Nadja! I strike him with spears of holy light while filling vitality back into the weakened motherly archer. I’m forced to move about the ship as a rogue batters me from the ground but with a strike from Farooque magic fists the demon dies and decays into a puddle of black ooze. Tears spring to my eyes. I can only hope that the people who were enslaved by its magic like Nadja are also freed to reunite with their gods and loved ones were they belong.
We search the captains quarters and find the documents I saw through my magic eye. Nadja pockets the papers while Mikolas finds a mysterious cloak in the closet. I’m getting antsy all the while. I can’t stand having those people suffer a moment longer. Not even for a second. We drop into the hold and begin beating up the slavers with some hassle from the enslaved villagers. The slavers must have done something to them. I understand their plight and I call to them to stop but I can tell it’s no use. Fear does terrible things to people. Eventually we’re able to dispatch the slavers. I retrieve the cuffs key from the black puddle that was once the fiend. The villagers apologize profusely for helping the slavers, saying they were forced to. I can only nod knowingly, saying it’s alright. An old fisherman comes forward to us. Saying he has supplies that could help us in the fight but to please save their leaders locked away at the nine shields. Everyone want to go now but I’m able to tell them to wait and patch up their wounds. We may not have a lot of time but rushing in while we are far too injured is foolish and reckless. We can save no one if we die in the process.
Running with all we have we arrive to see the smokehouse surrounded by four glare red Wyverns on the rooftops and a hoard of villains. Standing above the smokehouse with the sun behind his back stands the dark shadow of a man, watching above everyone. I take cover in the ruins of a building as the mob rushes in. Mac casts her cloud kill spells and as it washes over them some begin to fall while I maneuver for a better position. I cast a fireball into the fray as more fall. Nadja, Bill and Mikolas cut through the foes and as the dust settles the man above us begins to clap, descending down from the smokehouse and gives a clear sharp whistle. The wyverns raises their heads as I raise my sheild.

Arun

[Aileen]

Everyone is so worried about the three small dragon things, but they turn out to not be so big a deal. Yes, firebreath hurts, but I’m pretty good at dodging it. I help my husband fight One Eyed Willy or whatever his name is, and he is a slick bastard- but we kill him fast!

I go down a vent and find the townspeople that we’re kidnapped inside, as Bromley slams on the outside door over and over. I hop down to the floor, and they’re cowering.

“Hello, am Nadja! I’m here to rescue you!” I announce.

I start freeing them, and then here lots of noise above. I brace myself for an attack, but is just Arun. He falls on his butt, groaning.

“Black Eyed Priest, you didn’t need to come down that way!”

“I just wanted to help you!”

“I don’t need help!”

Bromley gets the door open, and the others come in the smokehouse. We speak to the people we freed, and there are two clerics among them. One is Nidalese like Black Eyed Priest, and of course he is obsessing over him. They tell us that the boathouse was going to be burnt down, but wasn’t, so we go check it out.

I go in first, and light up Eclipse so we can see. I walk in onto a dock, and suddenly three scary creatures pop out of the water and attack! I’m bit in the thigh, and see that a tooth was left behind. It won’t stop bleeding, but that won’t stop me! We all start fighting them as they savage us, and I fail to use a thunder stone I found in dock. Very sad.

After getting beat up and bleeding severely, I shoot and kill two of the creatures with one arrow as my handsome husband rages in water with them. He gets out, and we work on the last one. I shoot it in snout, nailing it to the dock! The others kill it fast as it have nowhere to go.

“Nadja, you are amazing!” Miklos growls, kissing me.

“Can you two stop making out, I’m doing surgery here!” Arun snaps, pulling one of the teeth out of my leg. He gets it out, and then works on the other one while I stop the bleeding.

We limp back to the townspeople and they praise us, feeding us and giving us shelter for the night. We saved them and their town from the slavers. For now.

🏹 Nadja 🦕

[dragonforgotten]

Mikolas and Nadja charged up the stairs to face off with the leader. I think his name was one eye something. I was too busy trying and failing to smack talk him. The wyverns rain fire above us and swoop in on Bromely’s poor pixie. In one act I throw a calm emotions on one behind me as the beast begins to settle and fly off bored. As the second wyvern sweeps in to consume the pixie I glare and lace my words with magic.
“Run.” The wyvern bulks at my shadow tongue and flees behind a large building as I turn to the battle ontop the stake house and start rushing up the stairs. They did not need my help. By the time I arrive the happy couple has killed the leader of the slavers. It’s a pitty. I he wanted to learn more about him. With its master dead the last wyvern circles above us and glides into the horizon out of sight as I release the breath I was holding. With the threat delt with the next problem is getting inside the nine shields. Nadja finds a smoke stack and begins shimmying inside it. Excellent idea! I follow her lead but I find it having a harder time then she is.
I miss a step and fall on my rear, kicking up a cloud of snoot.
I rub the snoot from my face, standing up as I brush off my bright robes.
“Black Eyed Priest, you didn’t need to come down that way!”
I can still hear Bromely hammering away at the door with his magic.
“I’m just backing you up.”
“I don’t need help!” I sigh, but then notice something as I feel someone’s eyes lingering on me. I turn to face those gaze and find myself staring face to face with another Nidalese in dark robes adorn in simple skull and chain mortfis peering among the crowd of weary townsfolk besides a woman in dee purple and blue robes adorn with butterflies. Both of them priests. The oddest gathering of priests I’ve seen. I feel conflicted. I cant help but feel ill at ease begin so close to priest of Zon kuthon knowing what I know but at the same time I want to speak to him and learn more. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen another of my people, the stories I’ve heard of Nidal doesn’t help my feelings. What does he think of me? Is he a danger or a friend? I hope friend considering he worked with a priest of Desna to heal and protect these people but I can’t say for sure. Bromely and Mikolas finally break through the doors. Rushing through the room to us as the Desna priest steps forward
“Xerelilah, the mayor of this town.” The Kuthonite approaches us.
“I am Halleka Shadeborn. A diplomate.”
“I’m Arun Blacksun. Your Nidals Diplomate?”
“I am.” I avert my eyes.
“Sorry. I just realized I repeated my question. Well.. talk later.” I fall silent, subtly stepping behind Nadja to hide my shame. That was embarrassing. Of course I let the stress get to me. Bromely is eyeing the priest suspiciously as Xere explains what happened to her town and how the slavers originated from Sunset imports. She begs of us to save the captured town folk from the genies smile and we relieve her worries by confirming they are safe. Now it’s time to deal with the boat house. It’s been supriseingly quiet. Xere suspects something has happened since she saw the arsonists heading towards the boat house hours ago but still no fires have spread. We rush off as I feel Nadja pat my shoulder.
“You alright black eyed priest.”
“I am fine Nadja. Just shocked. I didn’t expect to run into someone like him.”
“Is he dangerous?”Bromely probs.
“I don’t know. Not all Kuthonites are evil and if he is a diplomate he can’t be as fanatically as I’ve seen and heard.”
“Who is Zon kuthon.”
I don’t know how to say this without it sounding bad but I do.
“The god of darkness, envy, loss and pain. Mostly the pain and darkness. He’s my peoples patreon god.”
The talks diminish as we stand informant if the boat. There is no fire but there is no sign of the arsonists. Nadja takes the lead with a glowing eclipse as we filter in. We know something is here when she starts throwing the knife at the water. Suddenly four massive ugly water creatures lung out of the water and viscously tear into her.
“There kooths!” Bromely screams.
“Don’t leave the teeth in your skin!” Nadja continues to attack, Mikolas slashes at the beasts as I send my last offensive spells into the water screaming at Nadja to come back and get healed. She’s yelling out that she is not a coward and will not retreat to me while Mikolas is jumping into the water to take the fight to them. She falls as I sigh exacerbated as I heal them both till I am empty of all my divine magic for the day. I’m surprised when she and Mikolas actually come to me as I begin extracting teeth from them. I hiss in pain as a kooth lungs and bits into my leg, leaving its teeth behind. In a blink of an eye Nadja has the beast pinned by arrows while Mikolas lops off its head. Immediately I work to remove the teeth before I pass out from the pain and blood lose. These two are so brave. We couldn’t have don’t it without them, without everyone.

Arun

[Aileen]

We have lovely evening with the townspeople of Cyprus Point, and are given many gifts. I finally get more arrows, absconding with eight whole quivers courtesy of the town! At dinner we talk some to the shy Nidalese cleric, and I notice my sweet Arun keep staring at him. So, I leave my husband’s side and go over to him.

“Hello, Green Eyed Priest! I am Nadja!”

“Hello? Yes, I know who you are. How is your evening?”

“Is good! I see you looking at my son Arun.”

“I do not believe I was?” He looks confused. “Which one is he?”

“The other Nidalese Priest! He is very handsome!”

“Ah, yes. You are his mother? You do not look Nidalese. And you look very young.”

“No, I am Varisian. Raised by elves. Arun is not my own, I adopted him. You know, he is single! You could get with-“

“Nadja!” My drunk husband grabs me, rudely lifting me off my feet. “Come, my bride!”

He carries me off over his shoulder, and I wave at the priest, pointing at Arun. Hopefully they talk! Miklos carries me away from the feast and up to our room in the house we are staying in.

The next morning I am up with the dawn, and ready to go before even Miklos is awake. We are traveling by foot to Kintargo, Arun and Halleka’s hometown. Finally everyone else is awake and we set out with a last goodbye to our hosts.

This is much nicer journey than in the jungle, as much as I love it there. At night we camp with no bugs in our tents, and no one gets malaria! Halleka opens up to us little by little, especially to Arun. It becomes clear that poor Green Eyed Priest has no friends in Kintargo, and we are the closest thing he has. We promise that we will visit him in town, as he is very nice boy despite being a priest of the torture god. Miklos and I can relate to the pain being pleasurable sometimes.

We at last reach town, and after visiting with Halleka and doing some weapon maintenance, we go to Sunset Imports. It’s a big warehouse and as we approach Miklos and I perk up at the Varisian music coming from inside.

“Miklos, I know this song!” I grab him. “Dance with me!”

Arun does his magic eye spell as Bromley goes in the shop. Miklos and I dance in the road, earning strange looks from Arun.

“Guys, Bromley’s in trouble!” Says Arun after a bit. “Stone golem!”

He doesn’t have to ask me twice. I run in the store, past the shop girl to head to the back warehouse.

“Excuse me, you can’t be in here! You’re not the right clientele! Who are you?”

“Nadja!”

“What’s a Nadja?!”

“My name, crazy girl! Have you seen my son Bromley? he is pretending to be a short man but is actually a boy!”

“No! Please leave!”

“I know he came in here!”

Miklos comes running in.

“Nadja! I am here!” He shouts.

“Miklos, our son ran in here and this lady won’t let me go after him!” I go to the door as Arun runs in. “Bromley, mama’s here!”

I hear smashing and crashing in the warehouse.

“Mom, I’m here!” Says Bromley behind me. “Ma’am, there’s a golem in your warehouse!”

Arun tries calming the lady down as she whine about them Scarlet Triad men going to kill her for letting us in here. I run into the warehouse, and see the golem! It’s a scary looking thing, but it’s also standing right by some crates. I knock them over as my husband rushes in to fight.

“There’s a slaver demon in the back!” Yells Arun. Oh, sheet, I’m not losing my soul again!

Miklos and I fight the golem, and Arun calms emotions on the demon and his partner. They are arguing about a picnic and someone not being invited, and I think I hear something about bad potato salad. Things seem to be going well, but then my darling Miklos is smashed in the face by the golem. His nose cracks loudly, and blood spews everywhere.

“Miklos, my love! Are you alright?”

“Fine!” He waves me off, wiping away the blood as he rages.

“I can fix that!” Calls Arun.

I take Miklos’s axe, fighting as best I can with unfamiliar weapon. Finally Miklos hits it so hard a rift opens up, and it crumbles apart. I’m wondering if I hallucinated the rift. Oh, well, my Miklos is very impressive!

We engage the demon, and have a merry chase about the room as we beat on it and it chases Arun. Finally it is killed by sexy beast husband, and we take on the other guy. I underestimated this man, and he gives us much more trouble than the demon. I give up on chasing him when we get to back room and I see Halfling chained up in corner. The others chased the man into the warehouse, and I free the Halfling.

“Thank Desna you’re here!” Exclaims the little guy.

He starts babbling about Bellflower Network and betraying his friends, but I lose track of what he is saying in his panic.

“You talk too fast, I barely understand common!” I snap. “Are you hurt?”

“No! The Bellflower Network! My shame is deep!”

“Okay!” I pretend to agree with him as I dive into searching the room. Let Black Eyed Priest and Bromely deal with crazy short man!

🏹 Nadja 🦕

[Aileen]

The little Halfling tells us of a plot by the Scarlet Triad to target the hideouts of the Bellflower Network that he revealed to them in his torturing. Kite Hill, a coffee shop and a school for girls. First stop is Kite Hill.

The hill is exactly how I pictured it- there are kites everywhere! We are told that they use certain kites to send signals, and we are going to help signal the Bellflowers of impending attack by Scarlet Triad. Little Halfling brings us to kite lady who is handing out kites, and I am distracted by pretty butterfly kites. We are instead given boring kites that we have to crash into each other to symbolize attack by the triad.

Arun crashes his kite wrong way, and we are trying to fly them correctly when suddenly air is filled with screaming! I look and see a scary demon thing attacking people running, yelling about Nidal being superior and owning Kintargo or something.

We fight the horrible monster, and it’s scarier than I thought. My poor husband gets beaten pretty bad, and I struggle to damage it, but soon we are victorious. Another Halfling guy comes to talk to us, and says he saw a wizard looking man summon the demon. The Halflings tell us this is not how the Nidalese normally operate, and little Halfling lady thinks it may be the triad pretending to be Nidalese to put the blame on them. We tell her to spread the info that it is not Nidal’s fault.

I track the wizard’s footprints, and we cross a road coming to a big creepy tower. Looks like their hideout! We decide to head back to town to prevent more attacks with the info we have. First we visit Green Eyed Priest, and receive healing and snacks. He is very concerned with the information we give him, but I assure him that we will defend Nidal’s name. I know they are not all good, but both these boys are Nidalese and I love them both.

We go next to coffee shop, and I am so excited to get gwsome coffee! It has been long time since I last had the delicious delicacy that is coffee. I can smell the pumpkin and spice as we approach, but there’s something else. The scent of blood! We go in and find a horrible scene. Furniture and coffee strewn everywhere, and corpses on the ground! The air is also filled with horrible bell noises, and I feel very unsettled.

I move further into the shop, and leap over the bar to check out far side. My husband starts yelling about dogs attacking him, but I look and see him flailing at nothing.

“Nadja, help!”

“Miklos, there is nothing there!”

“There is! It’s dogs, Nadja!”

Ignoring my darling husband, I walk into back room and see a ladder going down from trap door. Climbing up, I find a man and woman cowering in the corner of the messy office.

“Hello!” I call. “I’m Nadja!”

“Please!” Says the man. “Get the authorities! The Nidalese came and slaughtered everyone! They took staff hostage!”

“I doubt that, the Nidalese are good!”

“It was them all right!” Says the woman.

“Maybe they just were wearing eyeliner to pretend to be them! I promise you it is Scarlet Triad that is bad!”

“What?” The man raises an eyebrow. “Just get the authorities!”

“I am the authorities!”

“Get our authorities!”

“Okay, well they’re fighting a ghost right now, but I’ll be back with them!”

I head back down, and find my friends fighting the ghosts they said were there. Not dogs, though. I help take one down with my bow, and soon they are dispatched. The bells are silent too, thanks to Arun. We head out back and I open a door to a storeroom which I then find has a secret compartment leading to a safe house. We head back to the room with the ladder, and Arun is going to go up.

“You May want to go after me,” I say. “They’re afraid of Nidalese.”

“Right. I’ll be behind you.”

I climb up, and find the couple in the middle of a conversation. They look like I’ve caught them doing something.

“What are you doing?” Asks the man. “I thought I told you to get the authorities!”

“I have... we are here!”

“No, you were supposed to leave and get the guard, so we could escape.” He sighs. “Now we’re going to have to kill you.”

Suddenly in front of my very eyes, they turn into big scary tiger people with backward hands! This is not good.

🏹 Nadja 🦕

[dragonforgotten]

We’re hailed as hero’s as we return back to the mayor with news that the arsonists were killed by a group of murderous sea monsters known as kooths. The village is abuzz with our efforts but I see that Xerelilah is walking away from it all. She wishes to bury the dead and console the grieving. I offer my services but she tells me she will take care of it but appreciated the offer. The feast is a rather awkward display for me. It was rather strange to be praised in such a matter but to be gifted all manner of things is just far too kind of this poor village. I then see him again. He’s standing off in the corner of the tavern watching us, watching me. I quickly dart my eyes away unsure what to think of him. Halleka approaches us as the festivities wind down, his dark green eyes cans each of our faces and as he speaks he runs his fingers along his throat as if to coax the words out. Ah I remember I use to have small unnerving tics like this. I eventually grew out of them. It’s seems I’m more different from my own people then I thought.
I hear the worst from him. He is a diplomate of the Umbral Court, one of seven. He was captured while passing through the point and is heading for Kintargo to meet with the Nidals other diplomats to discuss the offer of using Valseracs to help guard their boarder.... for a price. He does try to make it seem less terrible, He is an expert on them and deeply passionate about the subject but there’s no denying that whatever forces the Umbral court is offering will most like bring pain and suffering. It is all Kuthon asks for. I know his mission is invain though and so does he to an extent but Halleka Shadeborn holds hope that perhaps just calling attention to it will open doors. I doubt it. Kintargo has had its full of suffering for many life times.
It’s chilling being this close to someone from... that background but I hold my suspicion and worries. If he was truely evil he would not have helped this village. High priestess Juno must have thought the same when she found me.
“I’m pleased to be on my way again but I fear the road is far to dangerous then I expected. I’d appreciate if your band will accompany me as both companions and bodyguards.”
I shake my head.
“O-of course... happy to.” I mutter suddenly shy and tongue twisted. Why can’t I speak to this man without falling apart!?
“Green eye priest! Black eyed priest thinks your hot!” I nearly choke on my drink as Mikolas patts my back laughing as I’m red in the face. Good grace Nadja! Why!?
As the party winds down I gather everyone together. I tell them what I know of Nidals history and the Umberal Court. My people have a long and complicated history that dates back to earthfall.
“Black eyed preist. You are very knowledgeable!” I rub the back of my neck feeling bashful.
“I learned from my mother. She was very proud of our blood ties to the ancient horse lords of the past who originally forged the pact with the shadow lord.” I sigh.
“It’s a shame that In this day and age the midnight lord has stripped us of our connection and has left only the echoes of what we once were.”
“You never talk about your mother black eyed priest. She sounds like very nice woman.”
I rub my wrists feeling self conscious of my scars for the first time.
“She was. She was strong willed and passionate. She was born in the Atteran Ranches and she raised horses there with my uncle. She use to tell me stories of working in the ranch as a child and how she had always wanted to take me there and show the ancient woven blankets her Great great great grandmother knitted.”
I chuckle abit.
“If things had been different though perhaps I would have been a simple stable boy... or someone like Halleka.” That sobers my mood. The thought that I could have easily fallen under Kuthon sway chills me to the bone.
“One thing for sure we need to keep our wits about us. Nidal agents should be greatly feared even though Halleka is strangely different.”
“It’s because you liking him!” Bromely accuses and I can feel my self get red again.
“Oh enough! The both of you!”
“Awww, nothing to be ashamed off to have crush on green eyed preist.” She teases pinching my cheek. I huff as I swat it away.
“Don’t be silly. He’s a Diplomat. His god and his country will always comes first.”
After my story everyone settles to bed. I golfing my self running my hands along my scars in though before lulling myself to sleep.
———-

We leave bright and early and take to the road with the diplomate. It’s starts as an awkward ride but more and more Halleka begins to open up to us as we move along. He confesses that he’s the youngest out of the diplomates and that perhaps even his absences won’t be missed amongst them. I make sure to tell him that we appreciate him as well as the rest of my companions. This brings a smile to his face. As we settle down for camp on the finial night on the road I bring out the bountiful couldron and proceeds to creature delouse stew by the warmth of the fire. Everyone is enjoying the night. Mikolas and Nadja darted of to their tents rather fast while Bromely suddenly excused himself from the fire. Thinking about yesterday I sit besides him and hand him his bowl.
“Do you know shadow tongue as well?” I ask hesitantly in it.
“Yes. I’m surprised someone such as yourself still remembers how to speak it.”
“It’s hard to forget your roots.” I find him staring at me while I am eating.
“Tell me, have your eyes always been so dark?”
I pause.
“No, they haven’t. A few months ago they were grey, they turned dark the same day I slayed my first demon. A greater barghest. I’ve been able to peer though the darkness ever since.”
Halleka runs his fingers long his throat.
“How Impressive. It seems even despite your beliefs you’ve been greatly blessed by our lord.”
A shiver runs down my spine from just the though he’s has had touched me in some way shape or form.
“I worry about it greatly. I’m sure you are aware how cruel the midnight lord can be.”
A smile pulls on his lips.
“Then perhaps our meeting is of no mistake. Perhaps gods have designed it that we meet and travel the same path.”
“Perhaps... the gods are fickle and like to work though us after all. My goddess may desire to bring you to the light.”
“Or my lord to reclaim his lost son?”
I shake my head.
“I’m not interesting in returning to the darkness. I’ve given enough pain and suffering to him for one life time. I rather not continue this cycle in the next either.” My sleeve falls back as the raised scar is exposed.
“I can see you have. Such beautiful scars you possess.” He says running his fingers long it’s raised surface.
“Shackle scars. There’s a large one around my neck as well. Their beauty is lost on me Halleka. Your lucky. You managed to avoid being enslaved. I was born into it. I toiled and suffered there. Something that surely pleases him but not me. When I saw a chance to escape that life I took it and ran as far as I could from Kintargo.”
He’s quiet as he inspects my wrist.
“I can see you cared well for your wounds. They healed and scared nicely. I can read this chapter of your life clearly through it. You were talented in healing my friend.”
I nod my head smiling.
“Thank you. Sadly not good enough. If I was maybe she would have lived and gotten better.”
He pulls my sleeve back down and patts my hand.
“Grasp the chain, Arun. Be master of your suffering and make it your own.”
“And may the dawn bring new light to yours.”
Then I hear the music. We both turn to Bromely who’s playing a romantic peice on his instrument smirking wildly.
“Bromely! Cut that out!” I scold him in common blush.
———

We arrive early in the morning. I pull my hood up and advise Halleka does the same as we pass through the city’s walls. Kintargo has a complicated past. Nidal history here isn’t a positive one considering they allied with Chalaix when it was still controlled by them. We part ways with Halleka as he runs off to meet with the other diplomats, not wanting to waste anymore time then he already has from his work. Selling off some good we travel to sunset imports. Bromely is more knowledgeable of my birthplace then I thought he was. I sadly no only a little and it seems many things that was privilege to normal people was left unknown to me while I was still a slave. Bromely advices we let him go first with his magic making him appear as one of the slavers. We let him but I send my magic eye after him while me, Mikolas, and Nadja hide around the corner. It looks like it’s going poorly. The shop keeper looks distressed and at her wits end as she waves are arms trying to get Bromely to leave. Eventually it looks like she gives up and points him in the direction of a door. Once he vanishes form sight I take the time to let my vision roam the warehouse. I don’t find good news as I spy the hulking form of a golem.
“Guys! Bromelys in trouble! There’s a stone golem inside! “ we all jump into action. Mikolas and Nadja rush in while the store keep panics calling for the guards! Oh dear! I approach her with open hands, showing my emblazoned buckler.
“Madam, I’m a priest of Sarenrae. As you know I can not lie so All I have to say is true. We’re group adventures trying to stop a group of slavers. We assaulted a ship a few days ago called the genies smile and came here to investigate and dismantle the source of the slavers. We sent a man ahead of us to see your intentions and it’s become apparent that it was the wrong way to go about it!”
“You mean your not with the scarlet triade!?”
“No we are not!”
“Oh thank the gods! You have to save me. There going to kill me.”
“Don’t worry madam. We won’t let them hurt you.”
I hear bad things in the room ahead.
“You say back here. Well take care of them.”
I rush into the warehouse after them and begins a long and brutal fight with a stone golem, a thug, and a persistent and annoying slaver demon that keeps teleporting around the room to beat me senseless.
While I was getting smashed about Nadja found a halfling man who had undergone terrible torture from his burn wounds. He’s distraught. The halfling is a agent of the bellflower network and he has just sold out his friends in his desperation to make the demon stop. Oh no. This isn’t good. Me and Bromley both know of them. They are a infamous group when slavery was still legal here. Any slave who toiled away wish they’d come for them and set them free. It looks like it’s our turn to save them.

Arun

[Aileen]

Perhaps I should have gone for the real authorities. These people are not people at all- they’re scary tiger demons! I attack one of them, and then am closed in on by the other. Suddenly I am seeing scary images right before my eyes of hookahs and cushions and am overwhelmed with evil. One casts a spell and I start laughing hysterically... nothing is even funny! And I feel sick. The others come up and I am bitten hard, but I know we will defeat them!

“Don’t worry my lady wife!” Calls Miklos. He turns to the one attacking me. “I’ve got claws too, you b****!”

I feel a little better as fight goes on, and am amused when the cat demons try to charm my husband and fail. Would have been bad if he were to turn on us, but my Miklos is stronger than any evil tiger magic. One is taken down, and after craziness with coffee cups flying and invisibility, I finally kill the other one.

We search, and I quickly go room to room. In a barracks filled with tossed furniture I find an adorable Halfling girl who is very grateful for rescue. She says that the owner Laria and several employees were taken by who we know as the Scarlet Triad, chained and gagged.

She goes on her way, and after failing to make ourselves coffee we head to the next location- the girls’ boarding school. When we get there Arun rings visitor bell and we are met by an elven woman who turns out to be the headmistress. The others are tiptoeing around why we are here, so I speak up.

“Bellflower Network!” I whisper in elven.

That gets her attention. We are brought right inside, escorted by her and the half elven girls with her. She tells us that the Scarlet Triad attacked after she saw the warning, and the girls managed to take some of them prisoner. Is good thing they were in the middle of fencing lessons.

“Oh Miklos, we must send our daughter here!” I say, grabbing his arm as we walk.

“Nadja, we don’t have one.”

“Not yet! Grab a pamphlet!”

We are led to room where two male dwarves and one female are chained to a desk with their own manacles. Arun takes one for questioning as we guard the others. Miklos and I kiss on top of the desk to make our prisoners uncomfortable, and I think it works.

The only info Arun gets is that their headquarters is the tower that I already tracked to. Also, Arun promised to set them free which the rest of us do not like. Headmistress suggests that they “escape” in the night, obviously staged, and we follow them. Which would be good idea if we didn’t know where tower is I guess? We mention the need to rest due to our injuries, and I am very pleased to have all my wounds healed by her soothing spell.

We decide we will let them go and follow. If they go to the tower, I will not feel bad about killing them.

🏹Nadja🦕

[dragonforgotten]

Nadja found some unknown rune stones and a talisman while I’m quickly staunching wounds and applying salves. The group has entrusted them to me given my past time. We’re in such a rush following after the halfling named Haudy that i didn’t even get to apologize for the poor shopkeep for the mess we made and the terror she felt. We rush through the streets to our first destination. To kite hill to find the famous Nolly, leader of the bellflowers. We find her selling kites and boldly call the Nidalese drab. I look at my bright blue and gold robes. I’m not drab, I only have a black turtleneck. That’s all. In an exchange of hush whispers she explains the plan while Nadja is fawning over the butterfly kites. She gives out three purple boxes and some red triangles for us. We’re suppose to crash into them into the purple boxes to represent an attack on the safe houses to communicate a warning to the rest of the network. Fascinating! I’m honestly really excited to fly the kites. I use to see them through the grates in the holding cells once or twice. Despite how dire the situation is it’s nice that I can fly one now. The moment we’re on the hill everyone gets the kites into the air but im alittle too Eager. The moment the wind catches it I lose control over it and it crashes into a tree getting torn to ribbons. I return to Nolly with no kite, dejected.
“What happened to your kite?”
“It got stuck in a tree.”
Nolly then gives me a new one but makes sure to stand next to me so I don’t destroy another one. Just as we’re about to complete the message a horrible monstrosity suddenly winks to existence and begins a trail of carnage across the hills.
“For the Umberal lord!” It cries cutting down innorcents. In shock and horror my friends drop their kites and charge at the fiend! My stomach sinks when Mikolas cuts him and the fiend doesn’t even flinch! The fiend brings his wraith upon mikolas with deadly force, causing me to flinch in sympathy. There’s only one thing I can do! I bring the wrath of my goddess down upon him and watch as it growls in pain. It sets its sights on me while Nolly is trying to direct our attack. I hear a voice, a sinister evil voice that echoes through my skull.
“Preist. You will not leave this hill alive.”
“Oh c***.” I mutter feeling dread in my soul. He’s going to rip me to pieces isn’t he. Suddenly he vanished and he’s In my bloody face! Oh sweet goddess!! It hurts so much when it tears through my flesh with his claws. I back off allowing him to once again stab me as I limp away, allowing my friends to charge in to surround him. Nadja delivers a devastating blow to its heart and yet it still stands while mikolas viscously fighting the fiend. a wizard joins our fight and summons a massive flame drake but even the heat of its flames does not make it flinch nor Our barbarians iceful power. Oh thank the lords now I can take a breather and heal Mikolas.
Too late. The fiend has vanished and is back in my face. Why!? Why must they always zip about like that!? I raise my tiny shield and somehow able to deflect its blow off my broken ribs. Nadja and everyone rush in and with our combined efforts the fiend is slayened. Nolly sighs how in hand, wiping the sweat off her brow as I sigh. Thank the gods we all made it out alive. Quickly with our remaining kites the message is sent out. I just hope it’s not too late. Nolly thanks us for our help but there’s somethings wrong with this scene. The Umberal court agents don’t call on demons to do their work, if they’d call anything they’d call for valasacs and why would they attack kintargos people during peace talks. Nolly believes this might possibly be a ploy to
Deflect blame onto the Nidalese and were all in agreement that she’s right. Our thoughts are confirmed by a shy halfling man who spotted a unknown man carrying a familiar set of manacles at his hip speaking to the fiend we just destroyed. Nadja tells us we must investigate the sight where the man was last seen but before we run off Nolly asks us for advice.
“Word of what happened in the hill will spread soon. Even though the Nidalese are not responsible allowing the people to believing they are could only help the bellflower network but on the other hand its exactly what the this scarlet triade want. So what do you think I should tell people.” I rub my arm, uncomfortable in my own skin. I don’t want to help the court but they are innorcent in this crime and Halleka will get caught in this. I also don’t like the way people look at me in the streets. I don’t know what to tell her.
“But they didn’t do it. Nidal is innorcent in this. You must spread word of what really happened.”
I can help but sigh and smile.
“Yes, The truth must be known.”
Nolly agrees and we are off. We manage to follow the trail to a massive tower. This must be there headquarters but we must first ensure that the bellflower agents are safe. We rush to our next stop. The coffee house. What was once nice little store front is stained with blood and over turned tables and chairs, the cups still fresh. There’s two dead scarlet agent. Nadja running off to explore while I’m trying to find the cause of death. I find it but it does not add any new information. Then the bells begin to toll. Throughout the cafe unseen ghostly bells begin to drown though the building. I do the only thing I was taught to do when faced with a paranormal event.
I begin to pray to exorcise the evil through the light of the dawn flower. The bells quiet but then Mikolas begins screaming and flailing.
“Nadja! Help!” I turn around just to see him expell a cone of frozen energy coating half the store in frost. That’s not good for the wood.
I watch as scolding bits start to burn into his skin. That’s not normal.
“Miklos, there is nothing there!” Nadja scoffs as she jumps behind the counter and enters the next room.
“There is! It’s dogs, Nadja!”
“Dogs?” I ask. I don’t hear or see anything but he wouldn’t fighting so hard if he had been lying. Then from the floor ghosts materialize before me. Tries to strike me with its flaming mace but I simply step and parry it’s blows away. The poor wizard is not so quick. I know what I must do. A concentrate and send a wave of positive life energy and the ghostly intruders shriek in pain as my friends wounds heals.
“Help! Black eyed preist! Do something!”
“I’ll try Mikolas. I’ll try to banish what’s bothering you.”
I begin the chant again and I can see the barbarian sigh with relief and joy.
“You did it young preist! Terrible flame dogs are gone!” He then gleefully begins to hack at the ghosts, the specters whails growing in power as their energy seem to be depleted
Just as we destory the linger haunts Nadja appears. She tells us there are two survivors in the loft. She also found the bellflowers bunker. It looks like they managed to escape but now we must speak to the survivors to understand what happened and get them to safety. I’m about to climb up to the loft when Nadja stops me.
“Perhaps you should let me go first. People are scared of Nidalese.”
“Oh...” I say feeling crestfallen.
“I’ll wait down here till you’ve explained then.” I then pull my hood back over my head. I’m starting to remember why I left Kintargo.
She climbs back to the loft. All is quiet till suddenly I can hear the rising of voices and the clattering up above. Something has gone wrong.

Arun

[Aileen]

We are given leave to stay the night in the boarding school, of which I am very grateful. It has been long time since we last slept in real beds! Miklos polishes his sword before we go to sleep, and one of the girls comes in and sighs while taking his blade from him. She sharpens it much better than he, and then teaches him the method. I look to my pile of weapons on chair in the corner but the girl shakes her head.

“You show her!” She tells Miklos.

“Yes, it’s best you do them, dear husband!”

And thanks to nice schoolgirl, he polishes all my weapons before bed. We get good nights sleep, and then have lovely breakfast before we set out for the tower. Headmistress tells us that the prisoners were “taken care of” by the girls overnight. What wonderful, well rounded young ladies these are!

We head to tower at the wizard school in town, and it’s very strange that we are not stopped or even acknowledged by anyone. This tower has not been used in long time, and it shows when I open the door. It’s a mess, and clearly unused on the first level. We go upstairs, and do not run into anyone until the sixth level where Arun’s prying eye sees some ladies having a chat. I go in the room first, and they stand up immediately.

I go forward and take out my new Kukri knives I got from the evil tiger people. I slice her right across the throat, a little alarmed at how easily the blade cuts into her and the blood begins bubbling from the wound. What have I done?!

She gurgles on her blood, unable to breathe, and tries to hit me with her club as one of the others shoots at me with a crossbow. Soon she gets her bleeding under control, and wails on me with her club. I can hear bones cracking and I fall to the ground, but at least my throat not cut! Then she proceeds to curb stomp me into submission, but Nadja never submits!

I stand up and get hit again, but at least am back in the fight. My dear husband manages to send one of the poisoners completely out of existence, and I wonder if she will come back. I keep hitting miss slaver over and over again, but she eventually tells the other lady to run and warn the others and takes off herself. I run after them and Miklos only to find them in staircase with a small red dragon. Soon they are dead, and we press on upstairs.

This floor does not look good- there are some doors which appear to be laboratory and one labeled Golem Workshop. And of course hallway has two scary golems with needle fingers and alchemy jugs. Miklos and I go in to fight and the other two do their magicky things as we get pummeled. Soon we are joined by humans, and the fight gets worse and worse. Luckily our Black Eyed Priest is very smart boy and calms the emotions of a couple of them. I get very injured in zipping around the hallway and laboratory, and Miklos as well, but soon we destroy the golems and some of the people. Then we go in lab and fight the ones that are busy talking about their experiments after Eliza’s fireball woke them up.

The lady I am fighting stabs me, so I cut her across the face. I think I may have a problem with slicing people, perhaps I should go on relaxing holiday after this? Arun kills my target, and Miklos kills the other. We all look a bit worse for wear, and there’s no telling how many horrible things remain yet in tower.

🏹 Nadja 🦕

[dragonforgotten]

I climb up to the ladder and I’m not surprised when I see Nadja being harassed by more fiends. These ones have tiger heads. Rakshashas if I’m remembering right from my lessons but that’s all I’m able to drag out from my mind without wasting more time and I don’t like how they rake there claws across Nadja. I move along to the side of the wall and begin to summon upon the magic of Sarenrae when the fiend turns away from arms Nadja and scoffs. My magic fizzles away to my astonishment. They dare!? How dare they scoff at Sarenrae!
I see him move his hands in my direction.
“You should go get the authorities preist.”
I feel his words try to worm there way into my mind but my resolve pushes its vile influence aside.
“Excuse me! You did not just try to enchant me didn’t you!” It snarls then moves away from Nadja to engage me while everyone begin to make there way up into the loft. Bromely begins to sing and dance, Inspiring us while the fiends attack. The one before me tries and fails to strike me. In its haste it kicks dust into its eyes. I take my chance to strike him with magic but again! Again! The blasted fiends dispel my magic with there infernal scoffing! They can’t keep this forever can’t they!? Eventually he recovered and strikes me. He mocks me with his henious words, drawing out my anger. I bless my sword and my strike lands true cutting a shallow gash across his hide. The look of suprise in satisfying till it turns into smug grimace.
“Is that all?” His smugness is short lived soon his ally falls but not before the both of the
Fiend unleash a shadow blast, harming my friend but they are strong. Angry they closed in on him and begin the attack. The coward realized he’s beat and tries to escape with hell of an invisibility spell. Im seeing red as I focus my hard glare onto the source of the sounds of retreating footfall.
“Scoff at This!” I extend my hand and a blast of force slams into the wall with a dull thud but I can still hear him. I missed! I bloody missed!
I let him get to me and I wasted my goddess strongest spell over nothing! Thankfully it wasn’t needed. The summoned dragon and the rest fell the fiend. Together we search the building and discover a distressed halfling woman named Elianda, the real survivors of the coffee house attack. She works here as a junior pastry cheif. She didn’t see who took them due to hiding once the ghosts began to appear but agonzily overheard the rashaks as they mock how easily it was to take these people as slaves due to some being small of stature. Disgusting heathens.
From what we are told they were taken to that tower. With all our answers found, I console Elianda that we will save her friends as she runs back home before anything else happened. We have one last destination. I’m honestly filled with dread. What kind of monsters would attack a boarding school! I hope those poor children are safe. I’m surprised to find the school, while sparse of students is not left in complete chaos like the coffee shop. We enter the receptionist desk and I ring the visitor bell. Then Nadja rings the parents bell. A half elf woman greets us and leads us to a lavish sitting room as Nadja and Mikolas helps themselves to the food. A few minutes later a elven woman flanked by two younger girls step into the room. She introduces herself as lady Mialari, the head of this school and spy network. The girls besides her are her students. I fumble over my words, struggling to find them to explain how her school could be attack but it seems it’s a lot saver here then anywhere. The scarlet tirade agents were hear but her students easily took them down and imprisoned them here. It’s a blessing they didn’t run into anymore fiends. She’ll always us to speak with them but what is their fates will be up to us. Before I can speak to them the wizard and Bromely both try to enchant them with no success. I’m alittle disgruntled. We need to save our spells and why use enchantment magic when I could have spoken to them first? I hear Mikolas piloting to snap fingers so I act quickly. I take one dwaven slaver out of his holding cell and begin to speak with him.
We take sometime. I allow him to speak and confess all that weighs on him and eventually he begins to speak but on one condition.
“If I tell you will you let us go.”
I sigh, thinking. I should tell him no. He’s a slaver. A tormentor. Would be even want to change?
“...yes we will but if you return to the tower the consequences will be direr for you all.”
The stress falls from his face. He begins to confess, telling me more of his organizations operations. He and his friends follow a powerful gnoll named Laslunn and a kelegos see man. That name again. I heard it before back in cypress point. Whoever she is, this gnoll is going to be a challenge but she must be stopped.

Arun

[argentus]

Argentus’s origin.
Argentus’s father was involved with a demon cult that performed ritual sacrifices to please it. His mother was also a follower until they tried to kill her baby in order to please the demon.
Argentus’s mother fled taking her son with her. His father found them and continued the ceremony which started to corrupt and alter Argentus.
While the ritual was in nearly completed a group of brave adventurers saved and raised him teaching Argentus to harness his magical powers as a force to better the world. Something that he tries to do everyday.

[dragonforgotten]

The head mistress of the girls boarding school is so kind but her methods are worry some when I bring up the idea of showing the dwavern prisoners mercy. I’m also displeased how Mikolas, Bromely and lady Eliza have been treating them the moment I spend five minutes away. I approach Mikolas disgruntled and frazzle as I bandage the sobbing prisoner fingers.
“Why are you even trying to help them after what they did to you?” I continue wrapping feeling the bubble of pain and rage in my chest.
“Hatred is poison Mikolas. It will fester and poison you if you let it. I’ve learned let go my anger now.”
He scoffs.
“It certainly didn’t seem that way back in cypress point and the wright shop.” I pause in my wrappings.
“It is a work in progress. It’s easy to hate, Forgiveness is... difficult. It’s important to give people a chance to change.”
“They will simply run back to there tower and be ready for us. They will not change.”
I stand up to look him in the eye.
“People said the same about me.” I walk out wanting to get some distance from him. I walk though the schools gardens, watching the students practicing The girls of the acedemy are skilled warriors. To add insult to injury the girls are even trying to learn how to use the weapons they took from the dwavern slavers. I’m reminded of the military school far back in my past. I wonder how my classmates are doing? Some I believe went to the capital of sarenrar worship, some went to the big cities after graduating. Currently I went to become a adventure and make a difference so I’m doing this. It’s funny where life takes you. The girls seem to notice me and drag me along into their sparing sessions in which I am completely beaten. It seems my classmates were right. I am still getting my completely beaten by children. When I return to the party the madam tells us she has reserved some unused rooms for us, that we can rest for the night. I settle in bed as the night grows late, plagued by what will happen tomorrow while finally falling into a restless sleep.
———

I join my mother’s side as she coughs again, lifting up her head as I encourage her to drink.
“Please drink this.” I tell her in shadow tongue, holding her hand tight while she simply parts my hand and turns her head smiling.
“I’ll be alright.” I know she’s lying to me. Everyone knows it and now I’m starting to believe them. But I can’t cry in front of her. I can’t upset her.
“Dear, you know what day it is.” I dry swallow.
“Yes, I do mama. I just won’t go. I’ll tell them I’m sick. That I’ve broken something. Then they won’t want me and I can stay here with you.” She shakes her head.
“You know that will not work.” She runs her fingers through her hair.
“You are such a bright, kind boy my son. You’ve filled every moment of my life with joy and light. I love you more then the sun it’s self but you have done enough. I know it is hard but can you do one more thing for me.”
I nods my head not likening where this conversation is going.
“Remember Sebastian. I want you to stay by his side while you are at the market today. He will keep you safe.”
The tears are streaming down my face as she tells me, my head shaking.
“No! I’m staying with you!” I shout bunching my fist in anger.
I sob and sniffle as she pulls me into a hug.
“I know it’s hard but You can’t stay here with me. You are young my little sun. Your needed outside these cells and darkness. I know despite everything you will be free one day.”
I can’t stop crying, I hold her tight when I hear the dreaded footfall of the guards.
“It’s time to go! All men Against the wall!” I hear the men yell, bashing there batons against the bars. I don’t respond to them holding onto her.
“I love you my little sun.” She whispers to me.
“I love you to mama.” I feel hands on my shoulder and the soft yet horse voice of Sebastian echo in my ears.
“Come on son. Don’t make this harder on her then it already is.”
Eventually I’m forced to let her go as the brute of a man throws my small frail body over his shoulders as the lingering smile still etched into her features.
“I’ll find you! When I’m stronger, older I’ll never stop searching for you!” I cry out, reaching for her as finially the tears fall from her eyes.
“I know you will my Arun......

I gasp in bed, lurching forward as I wrap my arms around myself. A dream. When will that day ever leave my mind. It’s has been years since I was torn away from her. It was the last day I ever saw her before me and Sebastian were shipped off to the mines. Did she know that I would escape from there? Despite everything. Regardless what has happened is in the past now. I still have no leads to her. I have the power to find her. A simple locate spell but what if I do... what if it is something I will come to regret. I don’t know yet. I’m afraid of what I might find but what is important right now is stopping the slavers so no one has to suffer what me, Farooque and Bromely suffered.
We leave for the tower, unimpeded by both students and staff alike. The moment we step into the tower begins a series of grueling fights and strange contraptions called alchemical golems. As we ascend we meet the terrified victim of the scarlet tirade. Those animals kept her chained to that dead besides her deceased friend. I grit my teeth and with comforting words we send her off as she runs for the exit. When we reach the top a fight for the freedom of the captured begins against a powerful demon summoning mage. My breath stops as he conjures a valstrac, a blue humanoid creature wrapped in chains along with small buzzing balls of razors. How dare he summon creatures of zon kuthon in my presence. Their one blood shot eye scares straight through me but I glare back. The demons cackle as they harm my friend but no more! I call upon my goddess aid through my magic as a legon archron appears. Beautiful and imposing he leaps using the demons and begins tearing them apart as I send divine energy pericing through their skulls. Soon our overwhelming might cuts through the hellspawns and the wizard flees as the angel gives chase, using his own magic to teleport after him. It appears though soon that even he has invaded the angles might as his time runs out and he turns to where he came from. We find the captives trying to make a sheet rope form a window when we stumble upon them. Grateful they thank us profusely but not everyone is accounted for. More were taken to the summer set quarry. Why did it have to be a quarry? I feel my anxiety crawl when Nadja informs us she’s found a sheet of documents int he wizards office. The accounts are everything the tirade has done to frame Nidal. This gives me some peace if oddly placed. I never thought fate would direct me to help Nidal. The umberal court cannot be trusted but they are innocent in this crime. The truth must be known if peace is to remain instead of this discord. Also I am very tired of being lumped together as part of them despite my dark appearance.
The moment we leave the tower I tell my friends I must see to it these papers are given to the silver council before we leave and they agree but first I must see him.
Stepping into his apartment his smile warms my soul.
“It’s good to see you my friend.” I greet him feeling my heart flutter but unfortunately I am here for business.
“I am departing for summerset quarry. The battles are growing my fierce in afraid so I must say this.” I sigh and hug him. He doesn’t hug me back but I know his tenants. He can not return any form of comfort but I understand. I release him holding his shoulders.
“If I don’t come back alive it was a pleasure meeting you.” He simply smiles and nod.
“It was good to have a friend here. I do hope you return if alittle more scared. The ones you’ve gained are quite splendid Arun.” I blush and I can hear Bromely and Nadja making fun of me in the next room and I lose my bluster.
“I will try to survive. But it gives me hope I will knowing kintargo will be peaceful again, even if the city never grows fond of the Nidalese. Good bye my friend.” I give him one more hug for the road as we depart with haste. I do hope we survive this. There is still so much I must do.
——

We travel quickly, stoping only to eat and rest. We reach a village and are directed to the quarries location. Arriving with the rising sun we find the entrance, the guards already long dead but ghoulishly poses on wooden stakes to fool any traveler so stray too close. I keep pushing to my group to let my use the magic spying eye again to investigate the caverns but the group is too eggar as I stare into its dark depths, my stomach in knotes as I wrong my wrists, my nails bitting into my skin. I don’t like mines. Why did it have to be a mine...
We quickly run upon a group of human and dwavern slavers. We underestimate them as quickly they begin to get the upper hand on us, beating upon Mikolas as they gather reinforcements. In the end we manage to stop the hoard and atleast I’m able to sweep the location with my unparalleled sight. What I find deeply unsettled me. Giants, massive giants in the next rooms. Terrible ghoulish bears in one room, the slaves tormented by another giant, a orangutan sitting amongst finery, two elven archers, poisoners and a golem. The last three rooms sets me at I’ll at ease. A massive skeleton in robes stands in one room with his giant servants, the wizard who escaped recides in one room with a gnoll. It’s her! Lasunn, a terrible creature standing by her side. I don’t know what to make of it but it chills my blood. I can only guess it’s another alchemical golem but I feel a heavy feeling sink into my stomach. Already our reason exes are depleted but the people emprisoned here. If we don’t free them they will die. This sets our souls on fire, or motives clear. We begin to circle the entire complex. Killing any monsterosity we come across. When we reach the skeleton and destory his bones I can feel the blood leave my face.
“Mercy, that was a lich!” Deeply unsettled by this encounter we can only move forward and hope for the best. I feel my nerves unravel the deeper we go in, the deadly the foes and my magic strained. I am barely keeping my beloved friends alive through gauze and stitches. I feel like a Kuthonite then a priest of sarenrae the way I am keeping their flesh stitched together so they may continue to harm themselves and throw themselves into the teeth, claws and blades of our enemies. I wish it could be me instead of them. I hate seeing them in so much pain. Nadja cuts out the eyes of the ape man, trying to deceive us as a rotund human man as he summons shadowy demons to assault us next. I stagger into the room, my head foggy and throbbing as I try to hold myself together. I overdid it. I can barely concentrate on my magic. Nadja kills the ape demon as he reveals his true nature and flashing the star knife eclipse the shadows begin to lose their strength and are cut down by Mikolas wraith. We still have a problem. One poisoned got away. We can not rest. Gathering together what we can we face the difficult battle of our lives. The gnoll shoots flaming arrows at us, the wizard slings his terrible spells and this abomination begin to dissect Mikolas in manic glee. I stare at it i Horror as I recognize even my body parts amongst its collection of flesh and metal parts. No! This ain’t right! This ain’t a golem! Oh angles above what horror is this!? It’s then it clicks in my head. A valstrac!? My blood boils. Over come by rage I raise my hand forward. I close my eyes in a silent pray. Please my goddess, let me be right. When I open them again my black eyes are ablazened with determination.
“Be gone!” I scream in shadow tongue as a thundering snap echoes throughout the room. The demon twists in confusion and agony as bit by bit it is torn apart and pulled through the veil of realities, to its shadowy domain as it chilling scream shake the room. Just like that the fiend is gone and I’m left breathless. It worked. It worked! I almost want to cry with joy. I feel Mikolas clap my shoulder, grinning down upon me with a bloody grin as he marches forward to face the gnoll. Eliza sends a bolt into the wizard and he crumbles to the floor dead. When I feel the water on my feet and the screaming of people in the end groom my heart freezes! No, not again! Please not again! I can’t repeat what happened to my friends so long ago!
“Nadja! Stop the water!” She’s at the sluth gates desperately trying to work while Mikolas fends off the Gnoll but the damage he has taken from the horrid Interlocutor is too much. He falls to the ground. I call upon my last bit of healing as a feild if life springs up but I can’t let Mikolas do this alone. I stride forward scimitar one hand. I may not be much but I must by time. Enough for Nadja to stop the water.
I intercept the Gnoll but they are too much. She does a upper strike through my body and I crumple to the ground...
When I come to I see only the wizard is awake. The gnoll is dead. That water has stopped. Nadja did it! But it’s too short for victories yet. I begin to blind everyone’s wounds, my goddess blessings channeling through my work as they rise again. I bring up the option of lying to the giant. That more people will show up but I can feel shame well up in me. How could I. As desperate as I am I should never lie even if it means to save my companions. I have lied only once in my life and I swore I would never do so again. I just don’t want to lose them. Not after coming so far.
We have one more obstacle left. One more to free everyone taken from kintargo. We must defeat the cruel white haired, ashened giant and his two archers. Passing along the last of the potions we approach the opening the the large open space. The sun that use to be so low in the sky now has fallen and bleeds a deep red, the shadows stretched long. The giant smirks and calls to us as Nadja readies her new bow, the flames springing to life on her arrow head. Eliza translate. He is challenging us. One must step forward. Mikolas steps forward as Nadja runs fire down upon the giant. He roars with furry as great dragon wings burst form his back. He takes to the sky screaming as he rushes forward. I scramble after him down the cliff face, nearly falling in my haste to catch up. The moment I step into view I am met with a hail of arrows. They sting and burn as they strike me it I continue. I see them but they are too far for my scroll. I can not let them shoot Mikolas down. If taking these shots for him keeps him alive alittle linger then I will gladly will. Nidalese after all have a high pain tolerance. They continue to fill me with arrows as I stride closer, all the while the giant throws boulders at Nadja but are deflected by my warding spells as they fall useless around her. She continues to fire while drawing my sword. Mikolas exhails a burst of cold down upon him but everything changes when the giant pulls out a great chain! A spiked chain! The chain lashes into the poor beaten man and he crumpled to the ground. Breathing but unconscious. I glare into the giants face as I take my stance. It is all on Nadja and the others. I have done my part. The giant grins down upon me and in one sweeping motion his chains sliced skyward along my torso. I don’t even feel the ground as I fall...
....
I lay in darkness, my eyes staring endlessly till a vision begins to swim in my head. Horses. Great powerful animals charging the plains as men and woman with wild eyes and black hair ride upon them. Across the planes like it belongs to them. Like it has always belonged to them. But then the world breaks. The world goes mad as death and destruction sunders the land, taking all life with it. Humans, and other races begin to vanish from the earth except for them. Soon there are less and less as the proud horsemen and woman, become the desperate small huddled masses, praying in the field to gods long forgotten. To not be forced to choose between survival or leave their beloved animals who share their lives with. They pray and pray, weeping in fear when the sky grows dark. He, then appears. Dark and terrible he steps out from the shadowy vail, impossible to comprehend he reaches his scared hand out. The leaders step forward and take the hand but one man steps back. He suddenly turns his head to look at me as a pair of familiar grey eyes stare into me with such loss and regret it pains me to witness as everything bleeds back into the familiar darkness.
.....

I gasp and cough awake as Nadja swims into view.
“Black eye preist! We won! I am best archer of land!” I sit up, hurting as I accidentally touch the sticky plant material Nadja uses to stop my bleeding. My shirt has been cut open by the giants spikes whip as a nasty wound leers at me. Looks like Halleka got his wish. it’s going to scar.
Th slaves are free, rejoicing as they hug each other and help their friends form the pits, cold, wet and shivering but still alive. Everyone made it out alive. Atleats I can breath easy but what was that I saw?
I begin to heal everyone the best I can, I’ve practically reduces them to mummies. There are more stitches and bandages then a troops infirmary. Gathering the spoils we distrubute the silver as we make the slow, aching march back to civilization. Atleast. Finially. It’s over...
————

We arrive back in kintargo a few days later to a hero’s welcome. The silver council invite us to their halls and in great thanks they reward us 200 in gold. Then the bellflower network offers their services to train any who wish to be apart of their work and a gift. The headmistress offers to train us in her spells and skills which I will gladly take up on. My joy is short lived. I hear the sounds of foot steps and a door open as Halleka, standing very dark against the elegant marble floor but very chipper smiles at me but I am always happy to see him. It’s who he brings with me that sends a chill down my spine. I manage to pull up my hood in time as the rest of the Nidalese diplomates enter the room. They stand, dark and grim, there pale skin marred with scars and their eyes sunken and impossibly dark, similar to what happened to me but staring into those eyes I can feel that what happened to me cannot compare to what horrors these men have done to themselves. What darkness they let into their souls. They are much older then either me and Halleka. Their hoods obscure their faces. They stare upon me with interest as I stand there, turning away form them slightly. One man steps forward among the somber crowd. He approach Nadja, his pale hands extends from his dark robes.
“Ah, the heroes of hell knight hill. I have heard much about your noble deeps.” His voice is smooth and pleasant but I can hear the whisper of his shadow tongue tinting his accent.
“Umm, thanks. Very embarrassing. How you know?”
He chuckles.
“We have our ways. Such grand tales of your group has spread far and wide. Not such a mystery such tales would reach even our lands.”
He snaps his fingers and a bundle wrapped in an ebony veil is presented before our group.
“Oh behalf of the umberal court we offer our deepest graditute in the efforts of clearing our good name. A gift of the finest quality and make. Who accepts?”
Everyone chimes my name as I clutch my arm under my robes.
“I can’t, Mikolas should have it.”
The matter is settled then and there thank the goddess! I try to remain unnoticed while the exchange takes pace. Nadja clears her throat flabbergast as she peeks under the veil.
“This is very nice but we can’t accept. It’s way too nice!”
“Oh, but we insist.” He tells her with such sincerity.
“This is a token of our ever lasting friendship between Nidal and heroes of kintargo. After all a debt must be paid in kind and we would be poor representatives when we don’t reward those who protect or interests.”
The man smiles but it holds no warmth..
“We do, take care of our friends after all.”
I feel his eyes fall on me
“Very much so.” It’s then he pushes back his hood and I see his face. A older man in his 50s, his dark hair greying. I feel my blood run cold. Gods... I recognize that face. The shape of his chin, the angle of his eyes. It’s too much to bare but I stay feeling my anxiety battle in me. I glance back at him as he continues to speak to Nadja and the rest of my little band. He doesn’t recognize me. Of course he doesn’t. Thank the Gods for that.
Eventually he and the rest of the diplomates begin to lose interest in me as I simply speak to Halleka as he complements my stitch work on my companions injuries. The man takes a keen interest in my skills as a healer but thankfully he does not linger on me. Eventually I have to leave. It becomes too much being in their dark presences.
I sit in the garden, hands folded as I rest in the sun in the little stone bench by the water fountain of a group of silver ravens. Nadja is the one to sit next to me as I trace the scars on my wrist.
“You seem trouble. What is wrong little priest.”
I sigh.
“It’s complicated Nadja.”
She poutes.
“You can tell me. I won’t share even with dragon man husband or nosy bard.”
I look up to her, feeling conflicted.
“Nadja. That men you were speaking to. Seeing his face made me realize something.”
I take a deep breath.”
“I think he’s my father... or was my father.”
She took a bad time to take a drink because she’s choking. I have to rub her back as she gets ahold of her self.
“What! What?! How can smooth talking diplomat be father!?”
I can’t meet her eyes.
“My mother always told me before she knew about having me that she was married. She never told me who he was or what he did. Just that I should never seek him out.... I think I understand now.”
I shift in my seat to look in her eyes.
“All those stories she told me of the horrors in the court. I always knew it has something to do with it but this is bigger then I imagine. Gods this is still a lot to take in.”
Nadja is besides myself.
“I will punch creepy father!”
“No! No! Please don’t!”
I seat her back down as I hold my hands out.
“Listen Nadja. I want him to know nothing about me. I’m fine with it. I already know he’s lost but after this I want nothing to do with Nidal. Maybe Halleka but that’s it. That’s all. Jus didn’t do anything crazy please.”
She huffs, settling down.
“Oh right. If you say so. But even if he gos sety man, you are still my cute son.” She says pinches my cheeks.
“I’m not a kid Nadja. I’m 24 now!”
She gasps!
“You had birthday!! When!?”
Oh boy...

Arun