Beyond the Pale Part 9
Log Info
- Title: Beyond the Pale Part 9
- GM: Thurid
- Place: Catacombs under the village in Sendor
- Summary: Face-off with the (alleged) mastermind...
"What was it all for?" The Shabti implores the party from his place on the other side of the portal, standing in the frozen and desolate fields of The Pale World. He stands perhaps thirty feet beyond the threshold, refusing to come through- but at the very least, the party have convinced him to come close enough to talk face to face.
"The sin was his, why must I pay for it, and reap naught but misery?" He asks them. "Answer me that, if you have any words for me- let it be... a reason."
"Because your time is passed." Skyler says bluntly, placing his sword blade across one shoulder as he scowls at the Sabti, "Any claim you had has long since been rendered null and void either through the dissolution of the kingdom you claim is your birthright or invalidated by your own actions." He frowns deeper, "You claim it was your brother's sin? He isn't the one making a mockery of life and death. He isn't forcing people out of their hard-earned rest, you are. He didn't desecrate a statue of Vardama.. *you* did." Beat. "Or people acting on your behalf, which makes it your sin regardless."
Ulthan leans in over the rest of his party, and asks the apparition. "And how are you so sure your brother, if he is the sinner, hasn't been punished for his sins? Are you maybe scrying on him?"
"What he did to ye ain' right," Bryn agrees, "but what ye doin t'others ain right, neither. First parts on 'im, rest of that's on you." She nods with Skyler and thumbs back in the general direction of ... all the stuff they went through to get here."
"Because they were really greedy and needed a fall guy for their sins," Crik offers helpfully, after having snuck around the area for... sometimes it is better not to ask what he is looking for. "The world can be a cruel place." He then adds, with a sad downward nod of his beak. "... and the after world." The moment lasts. And a moment later, he is off sketching a symbol or a carving or another into his notebooks.
Haggerty pulls back an ornery braid to keep his vision unobstructed. The freckly man straightens up and waits a moment. He is in deep thought, actually, but genuine philosophical banter from inside a barrel is not the blue appareled wizard's forte lest the barrel is lightened first. The Aesir smacks his dry feeling lips, and tries to recall some salvational oratives which fit this unusual situation. "Your brother made you suffer in his stead. That does not generate any form of demand except to your brother. Leave the world out of this. You have no business demanding what you did not earn." He raises his free hand. "Let me continue, please. You were forced into a contract which was and is onesided. This does not generate any rights. You never agreed and thus it has no value. You derive a need for payment for immaterial suffering. That does not nobility make." Hagg clears his breath, "Nobility is in serving, not ruling. You gather the trust and support of fealty for standing up, not from any nitpicky bylaws and vile dealings. The pseudo-contract your brother made through the construction of the hex doctor doll is not right. Thus you have no right. What we can do is help you find justice or promise you on our good word to see that your brother gets his due. How about that?"
"Passed!?" The Shabti demands, taking one step nearer the portal, his arms wide, "I never /had/ my time! Don't you understand!? I didn't die. It wasn't me he killed! He made me to pay for his crime! And I have paid!" he yells to the party. "*He* built this place. To defy his fate. To hide his secret from his loyal kingdom. To hide ME!" he calls out.
He looks as though he might go on, but he makes a fist and takes a breath to calm himself, closing his eyes for a moment before he continues. "It is true I have used the remains. They believed me their king of old returned, and I allowed them to believe." he admits. "They pledged themselves to a falsehood, and I did not disabuse them of that notion. But what choice did I have?" he asks, and gestures around at the pale world he is in. "All I have known is death. What tool could I use, if not death?" he asks, "When that psychopomp dragged me from the hells, this place was prepared for me. His cult were ready for his return. How do I know that he does not suffer for his sins? Because I am here, and he is not."
He listens, then, to what the others have to say, and just shakes his head. "You, all of you, you misunderstand. He killed his brother. I am not his brother. Nor am I him. Was born at the moment of his death, to shoulder the weight of his sin." he explains and then rubs his face. "Fine. Fine, I see that you are ignorant still. Let me tell you a story."
"The land in which your mortal bodies reside has a long history of war. King after King, Some beloved, some loathed. Each and all of them flawed. One such king produced two sons. The first born was frail, prone to sickness. The second hale and strong. They were inseparable as boys, and there was a time their love for one another was true. In time, the King began to Ail, as all mortalkind do. The eldest should have taken the throne, by tradition. But the king could not allow it, he feared that his eldest was too frail of mind and body to rule. So he set a task to them, to slay a beast that plagued the kingdom. He knew full well the task was impossible for his eldest son, that the second son would prove his worth and take the throne." he tells them the story, eyes moving under lids, as he searches memories that are not his own for the details.
"The younger son loved his brother, and wouldn't take his birth rite from him. The two of them travelled together. Tracking the beast, hunting it, it took the span of two years. All the time, the youngest leading the charge- and leading the eldest. But the eldest grew bitter. He knew, of course, that he was holding his brother back. That he was a burden. Eventually, the beast was felled, by the younger's hand. Overcome with resentment, the eldest clasped his brother in an embrace- and plunged a dagger into his back." He finally opens his eyes again. "And so it is, this town of Ronda, the grave of the beast, and the site of its rightful king's betrayal, this is where the supplanter, the brother-killer came, wracked by fear, in his latter years to construct an edifice of defiance against the harpist. And here he performed the old rites to create me. His salvation, his sacrifice."
"So now, do you understand? I cannot have justice. But I will have recompense." he finishes.
GAME: Skyler rolls knowledge/religion+2: (7)+1+2: 10 GAME: Bryn rolls knowledge/religion+2: (7)+9+2: 18 GAME: Haggerty rolls knowledge/religion: (17)+9: 26 GAME: Haggerty rolls knowledge/the planes: (17)+9: 26 GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/the planes +2: (12)+4+2: 18
The swashbuckler scowls deeper as he narrows his eyes at the creature in front of them. "Well, sounds like you don't have a right to this world, much less this kingdom." He says flatly, glancing around, "What happened was horrible, and it wasn't right... But it doesn't give you permission to do what you've done." He makes his way forward, sword still across his shoulder.
"Sounds a lot like nothing we can do will stop you, yeah?" Skyler says with narrowed eyes. And his free hand darts into his jacket, pulling out a small vial of wholesome looking liquid. And quick as a snake, he throws the potion of healing at the creature, attempting to catch him by surprise as he pulls his sword into a 'ready' position.
The color fades from the liquid in the bottle as it passes the threshold, its positive energies weakened- but not entirely disrupted- by the malign influence of the Pale World. The bottle strikes the Shabti in the chest and shatters, spilling its contents over him. "You still don't understand? I'm not dead. I was simply... never given a chance at life." he says, but otherwise doesn't react to the provocation- remaining on his side of the portal.
"No, I get it," Bryn puts some pieces together. "The cod-swaddler put ye up to take 'is place, take 'is fall. But I ain' thinkin Vardama put ye there. She's all 'bout everybody gettin what they earnt when they're done. 'N that place is her ex's, anyhow. Ain' no way She'd be sendin HIM no souls. What if ye being 'free' is all just part of the brother-killer's plan, eh? 'N yer STILL playin right along without knowin it?"
Crik pauses and starts busily writing the words down; but then abruptly he pauses and lifts his head, looking around the rest of the party. He writes something hurriedly into his notes and then holds the paper to the group: 'psychpmps wldnt do tht' it reads in chicken scratch. The paper is then stowed away as Crik looks at the speaking figure. "... are you sure it was a psychopomp?" He asks carefully. "... what exactly happened during your return?" The corvid asks, threateningly lifting his notepad.
He also turns towards Skyler. "Next time, try throwing just a flask and not the magical potions. Least expensive to expensive."
Haggerty furrows his brows and comments, "Thank you for the express clarification. I did not say you were his literal brother. Your state as a shabti precludes the notion. Simulacrum of sinbait? Semantics! It cannot have been a servant of the Harpist, however. You were tricked in this regard. No such servant of the Gray Lady would act against Her will. It was an impostor. Manipulation came to pass." The wizard trades glances with his pug. Who silently drools onto the crypt floor until he realizes all the tasty bones are from human(oid)s. Ugh. "We should find the slain brother and speak to him or make him speak to you." Hagg scowls and scratches himself behind the ear with his magical stick. "Nobody is served by vendetta. But to help you help us help you: what was the name of the being who manipulated you, please? That would provide one more lead. I am getting ahead of myself here, now. The other valiants need to tell their agreement firstly." He smiles hopefully at the others in the group. "He really is not undead, Skyler. He is outside of life and undeath." He does a little bow to Bryn, "The lady has a point. You cannot break the manipulation chain with proper violence."
Ulthan grunts as he tries to follow the wizard's rambling. "You emant o tell me that I can't free this poor, deluded soul by beating up the one who tricked him until they are all purple and crying? Drats... I wonder what Granny has to say about this...
The shabti takes a couple of steps closer to the gate and the party on the other side of it. "They dragged me from the hells." he says, "They claimed it was their duty to give me the chance to seek retribution." he says to the party then. "They told me of the cult that sought the resurrection of their long dead king, they guided me into recalling the memories of my maker." he says then. "They offered me a chance, however slim, of taking back some fraction of what was denied to me. All you have offered is your blades. Why should I take your word?" he asks them.
GAME: Skyler rolls sense motive: (2)+12: 14 GAME: Ulthan rolls sense motive: (11)+5: 16 GAME: Haggerty rolls sense motive+2: (2)+1+2: 5 GAME: Crik rolls sense motive: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Bryn rolls perform/sing+2: (13)+14+2: 29 GAME: Haggerty rolls sense motive+2: (16)+1+2: 19 (Reroll)
To Ulthan, he says, "I doubt it would help. But if you wish to strike him, his bones still lay in the sarcophagus at this place's entrance, as I know."
"We don't have anything to prove to you." Skyler says a touch petulantly, with a stubborn jut to his chin, "You and everything in this Gods be damned place have offered us nothing but insults and violence. You and your creatures have tried to kill us from the jump. We don't have a damned thing to prove. *You*," And he points with his sword, "Should be trying to prove to us why we shouldn't send you back to whatever hole you crawled out of."
Crik takes a step forward and then holds up his hand towards Skyler and between the something-somewhat-maybe dead-or-alive-inbetween king. "Wait, wait." He agitatedly says. "Something does not add up. Something is not right." He looks between the party, then focuses on Haggerty. "You understand, yes? The trickery to bring him back? Why the trickery?" He looks back at the overtly pretty man. "Maybe he is not what he thinks he is, maybe this cult is not what he thinks it is. We should be sure before we do something worse than his brother did."
Then finally Crik leans closer and holds his hand over his beak. "... and I would _really_ want to investigate this." Big shiny blakc corvid eyes.
Ulthan stops and looks at Crik, trusting his adventuring partner to have noticed something that the big man has missed, himself.
Bryn looks back the way they came. "Grindin' his bones ta dust'd make all of us feel better... but I'm guessin it ain' gonna change much else." She then look back to the not-really-the-brother. "What 'bout the resta him? I don't think any of us like him sittin pretty 'n relaxin after all this any more'n you do." Now her eye goes around to all. "So, how we see he gets his due?"
Haggerty nods, "A true servant of the Gray Lady would toss the murderer directly to the nine hells the second they know. The psychopomps, as they are called, have no qualms about foolishness. We will see what we can do, if all are aboard with me. Do you recall anything about the resurrectionist cult, perchance? We will likely have to step out and gather a few materials to enable the conversation with the slain brother." The Aesir walks over to the saber fence and pats him on the shoulder, "Stand down, please. The shabti is a victim in this." Crik will not miss the fire of curiosity in the wizard's eyes. "We will have to analyze the statue on the altar to know this is not another veil of misdirection, Master Trapsmith." "The rest we will need to fuss with, Harpist have mercy on our souls." Hagg sighs. "Devils and demons exist for such misdeeds, Master Trapsmith. We cannot truly know, but I suspect meddling by the cultists."
"They're lying." a femenine voice whispers, and a moment later a hand appears on the Shabti's chest, long slender fingers trailing into a willowy limb, clad in black leather. The rest of the figure is hidden behind the Shabti, save her head- feminine, palid, and her eyes covered by a bloodied bandage. "They would deny you your justice." she murmurs to him.
Her dark hair is drawn back in a harsh ponytail, her ears are pierced through in multiple places with sharp spikes of silver.
Her fingers trail along his chest, "They were ready to destroy you. You can't trust them. Only me." she whispers to him.
GAME: Thurid rolls 23: (7)+23: 30
Skyler shakes his head, about to comment to Crik, when the woman suddenly appears out of nowhere. He stares, mouth open, before closing his mouth with a click of teeth against teeth. He pinches his nose with one hand, closing his eyes briefly. "You have to be fucking *kidding* me." He says to no one in particular, letting out a deep sigh, "Bad enough we're dealing with some sort of brotherly rivalry, but now there's a piece of tail involved?"
He turns towards the others, asking, "Why don't we just leave and maybe see if the druid can just collapse the whole complex? Because this is getting too messy. He's dickmatized by her."
GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/the planes +2: (1)+4+2: 7 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/the planes +2: (15)+4+2: 21 (Reroll)
Crik looks at Skyler, then opens his beak as Skyler _for once shuts up and thinks_. Horrifying visage. He glances at the shabti and lets out a quiet, deep throated 'caw', before flipping over his other leatherbound book. This time, he holds it open and shows it to the party, well, mostly to Haggarty. It was a really rough looking sketch of a figure - more like a stick figure - and has the word 'kyton' on it.
"Sweet talk to him, before all is lost." The corvid urges the party, looking left, then right, then above, then back at Sky-nope, look at Bryn instead. "Sing a uplifting song about, about evil damsels and and, whatever that pirate said!" He urgently whispers.
The familiar doge yirfles excitedly and scramble-scritches at the pouch in which he resides, moving to hop out. They will dig up bones!!! Right??? Hagg smirks at the tiny friend. The spellcaster catches the languid movement and jerks his head up, takes three steps back, "Impostor! Liar! Get your rotten claws off this statueque person who suffered unduly!" Canine barks and arcanist snaps fingers, "Seize this hellish abomination!" Three snarls ring out in confirmation.
When Crik looks over at him, Skyler assumes his words broke through to the corvid and he's about to back him up, but then he looks at Bryn instead. The swashbuckler draws himself up, looking downright offended before he bites his lip and shrugs with a scowl, acknowledging the rogue's unspoken point. He does the only thing he can do to help with the sweet-talking at present: he shuts his damn mouth.
Crik looks at Skyler - then quickly offers the pirate a tiny steel flask in consolation. It wasn't the finest effort social effort from the corvid - considering it was mostly clear alcohol. Also maybe it will help Skyler to focus on more important things.
Haggerty well ended his talking part, but finds time in between switching to the cold iron dagger and to get a scroll in his other hand. He rants fervently, "Shabti, free yourself from this rancid beast! Let us help you!"
Where the pale fingertips of the Kyton trailed along the Shabti's flesh, his skin opens up into bleeding wounds. He bears the wounds stoically, barely wincing even as they ooze golden blood. That he was taken in by this creature posing as one of Vardama's envoys is evidence enough that he knows only as much of the Harpist and her agents as the denizens of hell were willing to share with him. But still, her claws seem to be dug deep, as he takes a step back away from the portal, into her embrace. "I didn't want to kill them. Only drive them away." he assures her.
"I know, I know..." she coos, stroking his hair. Blood runs from his scalp and mingles with the long, dark strands- her lightest touch seems enough to wound. "You must destroy them, or they will destroy you. They are all that stands between you and what was taken- what was never given." she promises him.