Bloodcrier's Legacy
The posting was small and hand-written, and the offer of reward is a fairly small one. For some its enough however, and for others the return of a hammer to those whom it actually belongs to is a noble enough quest on its own. Either way you gather together outside Alexandria in the cold until the awaited time and then you set out northward. The trek is not a pleasant one. It's too cold for that, but so far it's been an uneventful one and that's something. Still the woods and the region north of Alexandria has not been safe of late, so you keep your eyes open for danger.
Heinrich rides along on his horse, mount and rider both cloaked against the weather in heraldic raiment. The knight keeps mostly quiet as he goes, watching the road and mostly keeping to his own thoughts.
Duncan trudges along behind his seemingly tireless Digger. They try to keep to the front of the group at all times. Between heavy slablike stone armor, its own toughened hide, and an unnatural speed and burrowing ability, few things in this world can so much as threaten it. Or so Duncan informs the small group when the trek begins, voice full of pride and fondness. An added benefit is the stone beast's mass and thick tail smooth down the trail ahead and force any snow or other obstacles out of the way.
Morgan is floating as she flys with the group "thank you for coming with me, trips like this are boring and can be dangerous." She then looks around "But if danger comes I will support us like I normally do."
Olek doesn't mind walking behind the digger, and he'll trudge along with a scowl on his face, or perhaps that's just the resting expression with his facial scar. "Not a problem, as long as there's gold at the end," he says cheerfully enough.
It was odd, once the little company was on its way, an onyx black horse appeared off to one side, approaching on a vaguely intercepting path. Upon the horse, rides a young woman with honey blonde hair, clad in plate armor emblazoned with heraldry of the god Daeus upon its breastplate. Sword on her back, she does not seem aggressive. But once within easy speaking range her accented voice calls out, "I've been seeing the posting. I am wishing to join the honor of returning the heirloom. If ye must be being paying for my presence.... please be giving the gold to a temple of your choice!"
GAME: Lysa rolls 1d20+5: (12)+5: 17 GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (7)+12: 19 GAME: Heinrich rolls Perception: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Olek rolls perception: (9)+7: 16 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (19)+13: 32 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+22: (1)+22: 23 (EPIC FAIL)
Duncan nods in welcome to Lysa when she joins the group. "Are you a knight as well?" He turns back to look behind her. "What about her - is she with you?" He points another figure behind the group. Then he squints. "Wait, is she trying to catch up...or is she just following us?"
Now that Duncan has pointed the figure out you see it quite clearly. A figure dressed in black on a black horse following you at a sedate pace. You catch glimpses of them through the trees as they pick out their path, but their dark clothing makes it nearly impossible to see them very often. You'll notice them... and then they'll slip away again.
Heinrich dips his lance by way of salute to Lysa, then watches the 'black knight' as well as he can.
Olek huhs at the mention of an additional following person. "Is that a bandit?" he wonders. "Or someone trying to steal the hammer?"
Darius glances back and raises an eyebrow, "A black cloaked figure, following us on a black horse, well that's not ominous..." He checks that his bowstring is dry and that his sword is clear of the scabbard and says, "Well, if he wants to try and steal the hammer, he'll regret it."
Glancing back over her shoulder, Lysa adjusts herself in the saddle and shakes her head, "I be being traveling alone before now." she states. "Are you being expecting more to join your quest?" she adds before she wheels her horse about side-on and slowing to a stop. She has this habit of placing herself between others and harm. You know. Just the normal behavior. But when asked about her knighthood, she replies without taking her eyes off of the direction of the mysterious traveler. "I am not being a highborn Knight. I am being a Paladin in service to Daeus, born of lowly mercenary stock from Stormgarde. I am being Lysa Hrolfdottr."
GAME: Morgan casts Overland Flight. Caster Level: 9 DC: 22
Morgan sighs and says as she is flying backwards as she watches the man in the armor slip away "I hope its a bandit as this hammer it's just a normal well crafted one."
Walking along with the group this whole time, Raethon glances behind them as the rider rides off. "Don't be so suspicious. Black Armored riders can be commonplace....they just do it for the 'cool' factor.
Duncan climbs atop his Digger's back and then both turn and move off of the trail, letting others pass them now. He reaches behind and pulls off the battle hammer he wears across his back, spinning it in his hand until its facing the right way. "Don't have to be high-born to be a knight," he continues the conversation with Lysa casually. "But your right, the Paladins are their own Orders."
Heinrich adds, "And sometimes it is for the tactical advantage in stealth. As I recall, while armor generally decreases stealth, there are some armors that are magicked with shadowstuff to compensate." Then to Duncan and Lysa he comments, "True chivalry is more a virtue of character than a whim of birth."
As you continue along your path, suddenly the road ahead of you disappears. Not only that but /everything/ disappears. Your companions, the trees. It's rather suspicious in fact.
Darius says, "I'm not religious, you couldn't get me NEAR a temple to become a Paladin, or a crusader for that matter..." He stops then.
It's a good thing that Lysa had already stopped her horse. When -everything- vanishes, she tenses and takes a breath. Then she lets it out slowly, keeping herself calm. If sound is carried where sight does not, the sound of the leather scabbard she wears releasing its hold upon the large sword she wears upon her back can be heard. But when she opens her eyes, she is not exactly using her -eyes- so much as her divine senses.
Sir Heinrich calls out, "In the name of the Knights of the Scale, I challenge you, oh hider in the dark to face me in honorable combat, lest I smite you like the scurvy knave you seem to be!"
GAME: Heinrich rolls Intimidate: (10)+8: 18 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (17)+5: 22 GAME: Morgan casts Dispel Magic. Caster Level: 9 DC: 20
Morgan mutters something about needing the <long line of naughty words> daylight spell. She says a few arcane words as she finds it does not help.
Darius pulls out his greatsword and says, "Damnit, this darkness is going to make fighting a pain..."
GAME: Duncan rolls -1: (7)++-1: 6
Duncan reaches down to pat his digger on the back. Reassuring both mount and rider, if truth be told, that they are still there. When he hears the others, especially those who spoke, he begins to realize that only his sight is affected. "Everyone else here?" He says. Then he adds, "We're going to take a look - 'Nox and I. Weapons up - don't want to skewer one of us by accident." He nudges his Digger to edge around party members to where it can sniff for approaching strangers.
GAME: Raethon casts Overland Flight. Caster Level: 10 DC: 21 GAME: Raethon casts Break Enchantment. Caster Level: 10 DC: 23
Looking about, Rae shakes his head. "This is a hell of a darkness spell, Havok." A deep voice, one that could actually make someone's stomach quiver from how deeply bass it is...speaks to Rae.
"Seems so, sir. Do you wish..."
'No, Havok. I've got this." He says before he stamps the ground with the staff......and the darkness melts away......
As the darkness falls you see that the dark figure on the horse has gotten much closer to Heinrich. Close enough that they are practically breathing the same air. In fact, there are two dark riders now and the other one has closed in on Heinrich as well. The two are wearing bone and leather armor, they are emaciated, and have black horns that grace their brows. It's not really them that draws the eye... much as they are perhaps a more immediate danger. Before you on the path you are taking stands... something. A massive humanoid with four arms and red eyes that shine with malicious intelligence. It's face is like that of a spiders, pinched with too many moving parts and eyes that sprawl over its head and wrap around a pair of long horns that arch over its skull.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (17)+12: 29 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (12)+12: 24 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+5: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+5: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Duncan rolls 17: (16)+17: 33 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d8+9: (8)+9: 17 GAME: Heinrich rolls lance: aliased to Weapon2: (16)+10: 26 GAME: Heinrich rolls 1d8+Strength: (1)+3: 4
The demon closest to the hammer cuts it free of Heinrich's saddlebags and takes off with it. Meanwhile the other demon hits the man twice hard enough to ring his bell.
"I was going to suggest that you be being waiting to issue such a challenge until such time as we are being KNOWING that these strangers mean harm." offers Lysa as her sword clears its scabbard. "But... I am being pretty certain that they are being in need of a beating." Her eyes flicker from the two emaciated horned ones, to the larger humanoid, and back. She is trying to discern which is likely to present the greater threat. She herself is not a mounted combatant. But she urges her horse to move after the one trying to swipe the treasured heirloom. "Yah!" she announces as she spurs the horse on. Her objective is to chase down this demon and retrieve the hammer.
And, as she rides up on the fleeing thief, Lysa calls out, "In the name of Daeus!" as she releases the reins and steers with her knees. This frees up her left hand for the grip of her large bastard sword which is brought down in an overhead chop that ... well, demonic forces dislike Paladins for a reason.
GAME: Lysa rolls 1d20+12: (20)+12: 32 GAME: Lysa rolls 1d20+12: (2)+12: 14 GAME: Lysa rolls 1d10+13: (5)+13: 18 GAME: Olek RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 4 temporary HP GAME: Olek rolls 1d20+9: (16)+9: 25 GAME: Olek rolls 1d10+4: (1)+4: 5
Olek eyes Raethon askance as he talks to ... himself? And everyone else gets an odd look also, but then the darkness is gone and he's all howling mad rage now, shouting imprecations in Dwarfish about the Mithril Lady taking cold revenge. Which seems a bit unlikely, to be honest. But he's shouldered his shield, and grabbed his waraxe, and rushes the fellow who stole the hammer. So wild is his charge, that his axe-swing is just a glancing hit.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Heinrich rolls Lance+Challenge: aliased to Weapon2+Cavalier: (18)+10+1: 29 GAME: Heinrich rolls LanceDmg/SpirChg: aliased to 3d8+15 adamantine: (13)+15 adamantine: 28 GAME: Morgan rolls Knowledge/the Planes: (10)+12: 22 GAME: Morgan casts Haste. Caster Level: 9 DC: 20
Morgan takes up in the air and says "They are demons, if you can make your weapons good and cold do so." she then speaks a few arcane words sending out a green energy flashes out making everyone feel full of energy.
GAME: Duncan rolls 17-3+1+1: (5)+17+-3+1+1: 21 GAME: Duncan rolls 17-3+1+1-5: (20)+17+-3+1+1+-5: 31 GAME: Duncan rolls 17-3+1+1-5: (11)+17+-3+1+1+-5: 22 GAME: Duncan rolls 17-3+1+1: (17)+17+-3+1+1: 33 GAME: Duncan rolls 11-2+1: (4)+11+-2+1: 14 GAME: Duncan rolls 11-2+1-5: (7)+11+-2+1+-5: 12 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d8+20: (3)+20: 23 GAME: Duncan rolls 2d8+40: (7)+40: 47 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d8+20: (4)+20: 24 GAME: Duncan rolls 11-2+1: (4)+11+-2+1: 14 GAME: Duncan rolls 11-2+1-5: (7)+11+-2+1+-5: 12 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d8+20: (3)+20: 23 GAME: Duncan rolls 2d8+40: (7)+40: 47 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d8+20: (4)+20: 24
Duncan clutches his hammer in both hands. He wants to go hammer-thief, but others in the party are chasing it down. Instead he turns to the demon that attacked Heinrich earlier. "Here's a hammer for you too!" He bellows the last words. Tiny arcs of electricity crackle over the warhead as he swings. The blow smashes the enemy off if its horse.
GAME: Raethon casts Telekinesis. Caster Level: 10 DC: 21 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9 GAME: Raethon rolls 1d20+6+10: (2)+6+10: 18
"Huh. Looks like they want that hammer really badly." Rae says...still talking to himself.
'Why don't we keep them from getting away, sir?' Says his staff....aptly named 'Havok'.
"Right you are, Havok. Let's do that." That's when Rae holds his hand out and....those who are paying attention will notice that the demon with the hammer has stopped running and...the hammer levitates into the air....just barely out of reach.
GAME: Heinrich rolls Lance: aliased to Weapon2: (3)+10: 13 GAME: Lysa rolls 1d20+13: (20)+13: 33 GAME: Lysa rolls 1d20+13: (3)+13: 16 GAME: Olek rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Lysa rolls 1d10+13: (9)+13: 22
The demon holding the hammer makes a horrid noise as the hammer is taken from him, jumping off his horse and flying to the hammer. Once there it instantly teleports to the larger demon. The larger demon takes possession of the hammer and without hesitation disappears.
Sword flashing, drenched in daemon blood, Lysa wheels Goliath (her horse) about as she catches sight of the reappearance near the larger creature. She's already spurring Goliath into charge speed when the large creature teleports away. But.. follow through is important. These -are- daemons after all. So she goes for the kill!
GAME: Lysa rolls 1d20+15: (20)+15: 35 GAME: Lysa rolls 1d20+15: (5)+15: 20 GAME: Lysa rolls 2d10+26: (8)+26: 34
And... holy and righteous vengeance can be a terrible thing to behold. Knees steering Goliath, Lysa calls out a war cry as she gallops upon the daemon. Her sword flashes once more and as she wheels about, Goliath slowing.. daemon's body and head dissolve as the creature is forced home. So close to -actually- being decapitated! "Can anyone be being tracking where the other one was being going?" she calls out.
GAME: Morgan rolls spellcraft+2: (1)+22+2: 25 (EPIC FAIL)
Heinrich whistles at Lysa's prowess and says, "The quest just became a lot more challenging."
GAME: Raethon rolls spellcraft: (13)+19: 32
Raethon says, "I'll say it got a lot more challenging. That was a greater teleport spell. He had a specific place in mind when he left."
Duncan hurls his hammer. It tumbles end over end through the space the large demon was. Then it slows, stops spinning. Then it spins backwards, and returns to Duncan's outstretched hand. He curses in Khazdul and then looks at Morgan and Raethon. "So there's no way to know where?"
Heinrich asks Raethon, "Have you the spells needed to scry the fiend?"
Morgan is about to let out some naughty words about what she wants to do with that demon - without lube but snaps to when Heinrich speaks. "I have the scry spell...thank you for asking that." she seems to have her composer now.
Reaching to pat Goliath's flank, Lysa dismounts slowly. She is wearing fifty pounds of armor. She gets down to the ground and reaches to the bag hanging off one shoulder, pulling a cloth out to start cleaning the daemon blood from her blade. Only when that is done, will the sword go back into her scabbard. Then she crumples up the cloth and asks, "Would any of you be having any use for daemon blood in your magics?" to the group as a whole.
Raethon says, "I can scry yes, but I don't think I'm powerful enough for the stronger version."
Olek just sort of watches helplessly at all this. Well, there went his pay for this little mission. "Any way to tell where they went?" he asks without much hope. He looks around in the area where the thing disappeared, but he knows it's not much use as it left by magic.
Morgan looks to Rae "I would like to try, I have the scrying spell ready."
GAME: Morgan casts Scrying. Caster Level: 9 DC: 21
Duncan nudges his Digger to where the large demon was standing. "Maybe the rest of us can search the area," he muses slowly. "How long was the large one waiting? Was be watching the road, or following us, or...?"
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (6)+11: 17
"If they all spent any time where he is now, perhaps the blood of one might be being useful in the tracking magic?" asks Lysa as she holds up the cloth.
Morgan sits down with a bowl from her bag using some of the blood the one that gotten away she mixes it with water from a waterskin she has. Her eyes turn bright white as she looks in to it.
Raethon says, "Don't disturb her. If she doesn't find anything, I shall try next. Though it'd only be because both of us have seen it.....and the blood would help as well....""
Olek watches the goings on with some interest but no real comments beyond a sour grumbling.
Well, no point in rushing off. Lysa ties Goliath off to a tree branch nearby and takes up a guardian stance nearby.
Heinrich takes a similar posture, albeit still on horseback.
GAME: Morgan rolls Knowledge/Local: (10)+12: 22
Morgan speaks in a eerie sounding voice as the arcane scrying spell is charging threw her "The demon gave the hammer to a few fell orcs" Her voice changes to normal while talking. "To the refugee burrow outside of Alexandria."
Raethon says, "so they're in the felwood. That's pretty easy."
"It seems then that we are being having a destination." says Lysa in her odd accent. "Shall we then?" she asks as she turns and heads to Goliath.
Morgan nods "I asked you all for one thing not this you can leave as I can not offer more than I said. But I will offer good rate on magic items made by me." She looks to the others.
Heinrich shakes his head, "Perhaps easy to find, but I doubt it will be easy to convince those oruch to surrender the hammer."
Raethon looks to Heinrich. "You underestimate my method of 'persuasion'."
"As I stated, I am not being doing this for payment. I merely wish that you are being giving to a temple of one sort or another." says Lysa as she carefully climbs aboard the horse. Again, heavy armor. "But if these daemons are being doing this, then we had best be being stopping them."
Heinrich raises his eyebrows (not that anyone could tell with his helm on), but smirks and asks, "Indeed?"
Duncan sucks his teeth loudly. "Fel Orcs. They're not like any of the Oruch you might know from Alexandria," he warns. "Or Adomar, or any other civilized land. They're not far from demons themselves." He tightens his grip on the shaft of his hammer. Under his breath he mutters about training to fight Orcs.
Raethon nods. "Indeed. We shall 'persuade' these orcs by killing any of them that get in our way...and take the hammer back to put it to rest in the temple of daeus." He stares at Heinrich for a few seconds. "Did I forget to mention that I don't like Fel Orcs?"
So you return to Alexandria; back the way you came. But not exactly to Alexandria. You remain outside the city limits, moving around Alexandria until you have reached the sad burrow that is the home of refugees that can not make a life for themselves otherwise. The people are as you might expect them to be. Largely destitute, making their homes of what they can and living by the skin of their teeth.
-End-