The Quest of Eli
Log Info
- Title: The Quest of Eli
- GM: Aftershock
- Place: Somewhere in Alexandros
The paladin Eli sends a message through the Adventure's Guild to request his quest which is the requirement to get the information that he has on Lord Ahu. His request is a simple one, and it calls for the escort of a prisoner named Herman Mudgett from where he lives in a small village - and is currently being held in their small lockup - to Alexandria for trial.
That is all the information that you are given and as you reach the small village where he is being held, waiting for the guard to bring him out, you notice that there aren't many people staffed here. Just the one guard in fact who looks weary and irritable as he brings Herman Mudgett out and hands him off to whomever is closest.
"Here. Take him and don't bring him back." The guard says, hurrying away as quickly as he can. He doesn't seem to want to linger and Herman smiles at the obvious discomfort of the guard even in his absence.
Which leaves you alone with the prisoner and miles of road to travel.
Carver brought her own horse. She was polite enough to dismount for the meet, but finds herself wondering why bother now. The guard's bristly departure has her wondering if she has something in her teeth. The tickle to scratch and find out as her pursing her lips, nearly breaking out into a sweat despite the cold that her furs and spells insulate her from.
She's in full regalia for what she expects to be more than just a troublesome mission. She can't help but eyeball their prisoner. Wonder what the depths of his crimes actually were. Just how vicious they might have been.
Her exhale is a shaky grasp at confidence as she climbs back up onto Deathless in preparation for a likely swift departure.
For its part, Khepri is unfazed by the guard's rather curt demeanor -- the golem has minimal social skills as well, and really doesn't worry too much. Once the exchange is complete, Khepri turns its blank stare onto Mudgett.
Clad in the armor and garments of an Executor, its plague-doctor mask firmly in place, Khepri cuts a fairly intimidating figure. Inspecting Mudgett with no warmth or empathy, the golem intones, "You will ride in the wagon. You will not cause trouble. You will be transported to Alexandria; the condition you arrive in is entirely up to you."
Gramarye has no horse. The armored war golem might well kill one with the weight that the war golem has to bear, which means, once Khepri's negotiated the procurement of a wagon and horses for the escorting of Herman Mudgett, Gramarye opts to ride on the wagon. Greatsword strapped to her back, the obsidian-eyed golem offers no words as she stiffly moves to the wagon.
When she does speak, of course, her face offers no real movement. There's no moving parts on her faceplate. Instead, her obsidian eyes 'blink' with their own inner light at every syllable. "I will enforce Khepri's words," she says in her usual neutral tones, with hardly any regard for Mudgett's wellbeing or mood. "Cooperation means that we should be unharmed."
Bryn is used to walking, and travelling pretty light. They're probably related, and also why she doesn't have a horse or a wagon in her belongings.
Of course, that doesn't mean she hates wagon rides (except for the ones with bars on them). Thinking on that, maybe one of those would be handy right now? She gives Mudgett the eye (the only one she's got) and nods, jabbing a metal thumb at the metal folk. "Ye. What they said. Be nice 'n we'll be nice." As for riding... well, she can walk for a bit.
Haggerty reunites with the others close to the scheduled handover. He swiftly dismounts and the pugly friend shows his face from a shoulder bag. The little guy watches curiously while the travel ready spellcaster goes through the social. The Aesir greets the transfer "collegiate" politely and will pat the prisoner down, check the fit of bindings and confirm whether Mudgett has any spells on him. He will remount after, doge and all.
GAME: Haggerty rolls Perception+2(fam): (9)+6+2(fam): 15
Herman smiles at those gathered around him in a simpering sort of way. "You wouldn't hurt a poor, unarmed man would you?" His tone is slightly teasing. Still, he allows himself to be brought along to the cart, and put inside without any sort of fight at all.
Once he's in the cart, he smiles more warmly at Gramarye. "Shame that you're not human. I would have preferred to be escorted by a lovely human lady. Or anything that *bleeds*." He laughs and it's not a nice laugh.
Carver wraps her forearms as she watches Haggerty pat down Herman, tucking in some soft goose down at the last second. She flexes her fingers, two left ungloved and exposed to the sting of the air. She can't help but notice the dirt beneath the nails as she examines her hand more closely. A little self-conscious at the implied insult in the murderer's yapping.
She squeezes thighs to Deathless's flanks, and she trots toward the front of the wagon, visually inspecting the animal's barding and even temperament.
Haggerty nods to the tiny friend and comments with unease, "You are everything but. When the Dark Dame of the shadows has your silhouette cringe like it does." He rolls his narrow shoulders and pets the black canine's upstanding hairs, comforting him with silent barkly words. With confidence, "Stay in there lest we say you do not. Behave now. This is not a stroll through the lower trades for you."
There's something ominous in Khepri's posture. Very, very reflective of that plague-doctor mask its wears. "Yes, I would," it tells Mudgett in a flat tone. "You are accused of high crimes. It is -not- outside my remit to act as an executioner."
With that, the golem clambers up into the driver's seat, perched there. It shifts a little to make sure its sword is at hand, before taking up the reins.
Bryn is using her feet, but stays near the cart. At Herman's little smalltalk, she gives him a wide, tusky smile. "If'n ye wanna see somethin inna wagon bleed, I betcha we can figger out a way. Don'tcha worry none." Then she looks at the driver. "We ready ta get this show onna road?"
As Gramarye is seated next to Herman in the cart, it takes a moment for her to even respond to Herman's words. She sits in a very stiff pose indeed. "Illogical," she says. "There are many organic lifeforms that can do grievous harm to other organic lifeforms without any weapons, provided they have sufficient training and conditioning."
Her head then pivots in Herman's direction to face him. "Nor do I understand the preference in who sits next to you. A guard is a guard so long as they are capable of performing the job description. The capacity for bleeding has nothing to do with the requirements of guard duty. Please explain yourself."
The wagon heads out with a few false starts as Khepri learns the ropes of driving the wagon. Thankfully the horses are ready and willing to follow the road so they quickly set to it with a flap of the reins. No one is riding in the cart with Gramarye, so she's quite alone with Herman as he explains in great detail over the course of the next two hours the reasons why he might prefer a human - or really just a bleeding being - as company. The details of which are gruesome to say the least. Herman has seemingly a vivid imagination and a willingness to use it to quench what seems to be an insatiable bloodlust.
He admits to no crimes of course, he's too smart for that, but just the details of the reasons why he might want to travel with a 'bleeding body' is more than sufficient to make one wonder about his sanity.
"But mostly," He says casually. "If I'm going to escape, I would rather it be over the body of something pleasurable to kill." His eyes are dark with what can only be described as bloodlust as he looks at Gramarye.
Ahead of the cart, a tree across the road blocks access further down the road, but even as Khepri starts to slow a little at the sight of the blockade, something speeds out from under the cart, spooking the horses.
GAME: Khepri rolls charisma: (5)+1: 6 GAME: Khepri rolls perception: (14)+12: 26 GAME: Carver rolls perception+4: (12)+15+4: 31 GAME: Haggerty rolls perception+2: (1)+6+2: 9 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Bryn rolls perception: (17)+11: 28
Carver sees the trees. She knows ambush sites. She knows how to stop prey. So, forewarned, she whispers a spell and ties kestrel feather's to her forearms so recently wrapped as she finishes her enchantment upon the bow that is resting in her lap. Distracted, she only sees the unholy shift that spooks the horses, too slow to call out a warning before the less than well trained creatures resort to primal instincts; fight or flight. Flight is chosen despite hands at reins.
She gives a startled curse, her own horse far more steady on its hooves, but even Deathless jitters at the sight of the moving shadow. "Ware! Arms, possible attack!" She kicks forward to try to cut off the wagon before they collide with something and even more harm is done. Sideways, trying her best to curtail their panic.
Khepri half-listens to the prisoner's diatribe from its position in the wagon, filing the commentary away as possible testimony later on. The ride is easy, and it seems this won't be much of a problem at all.
Of course, that's when Khepri sees two things: the tree dropped across the road, and suddenly the shadow of the wagon jitters, spooking the horses. And it's here that Khepri's education suddenly hits a wall, because the golem begins yelling at the horses while yanking on the reins. "Stop! Cease! Desist or there will be punishment!" Clearly the Executor has never handled animals before as the horse team goes wild -- carrying the wagon along!
Bryn isn't in the cart, but alongside it. That means she doesn't hear allof Herman's explanation, but is better able to see the tree in the road. "Great. Guess we're-" and then the horses startle and bolt "-not stoppin?!" She blinks once, playing back a half-second at the spooking. "Ey! What's up witha wagon! Looked like it's shadow jumped up and spookededa horses!" As she now started to hurry after the wagon. Come to think of it, jumpin shadows is pretty spooky. And now that Carver mentions it, that would be a good way to set up and spring a trap, too...
Gramarye does not offer any input whatsoever to Herman as he talks and lectures on the nature of a bleeding being as company. Any words might stimulate the man more into talking.
As soon as he finishes, however, Gramarye remarks, "While I am not trained in medical assessment, I see that you are suffering from some significant hemophilia and associated fantasies deriving from your unique mental malady."
A blink in her obsidian eyes. "Have you tried praying to Vardama to aid in recovering from this malady? Father has informed me this is how some organic lifeforms deal with--"
And then the wagon lurches with the horse team taking off. Gramarye blinks again. "Please remain seated," she informs Herman next to her. "Khepri, please brief us on the situation," she politely requests in a louder call.
GAME: Carver rolls 1d100: (95): 95 GAME: Carver casts Gravity Bow. Caster Level: 9 DC: 14 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (20)+11: 31
Herman remains seated as requested by Gramarye, but they aren't alone. Not anymore. A shadow takes form behind Gramarye, it's hands wrapping around her throat and shutting off her ability to breathe or make noise. Tightening. Tightening. Herman smiles warmly at her. "Of course. I'll stay right here." His eyes say he's enjoying watching her suffer.
Meanwhile the horses race away from where Bryn is, herded a bit by Carver, they skew off the beaten road and into the forest a little bit. They don't make it far before they're stopped by bushes and trees. Stalled. The cart is now about a hundred feet away from the fallen log.
GAME: Gramarye rolls CMB: (4)+9: 13 GAME: Gramarye rolls CMB: (12)+9: 21
Gramarye does not need to breathe. But what is the more pressing issue is that the shadow that Herman's summoned has cut off her ability to cast spells. She attempts two stiff jerks against the shadow, but it does not budge.
But her eyes turn red. While the war golem is expressionless due to lack of any moving parts on her faceplate, the eyes are the one clear indication that she's not happy.
GAME: Carver rolls perception: (3)+15: 18 GAME: Carver rolls perception+4: (16)+15+4: 35
Carver sees the trees. Sees the bushes. She comes up next to the wagon, slipping sideways off Deathless and onto the wagon. A whistled command is given for her steed to back toward the more visible safety of the road. More of the potential dangers are taken in as she quietly relinquishes command of the wagon's team from Khepri.
"Somethin' was there an' it's not now. Go fin' it, I'll try to get us back on the road. The lil' beasties need a moment." She does call back, "Oi, weirdo and Miss Golem, you two alive back there?"
GAME: Carver rolls handle animal+9: (18)+10+9: 37 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (3)+11: 14
The shadow holding Gramarye tries to get it's claws into her, but her armor and her keen intuition in fighting keeps her safe... for now.
GAME: Khepri rolls perception: (11)+12: 23 GAME: Khepri rolls knowledge/the planes+3: (17)+9+3: 29 GAME: Khepri refreshes special ability pools. GAME: Khepri spends ONE use of BANE. GAME: Khepri rolls weapon9+2: (16)+8+2: 26 GAME: Khepri rolls damage9+2d6+2: aliased to 1d8+1+2d6+2: (7)+1+(9)+2: 19
Khepri seems utterly flummoxed --as much as a golem can get, anyways -- by its inability to control the horses. "I believe something was missing from my curriculum when I was trained. This is very difficult." And so Khepri lets Carver take the reins, while the inquisitor gets up to check on things in the back, drawing its sword as it goes.
Where it finds a ghostly fiend attacking Gramarye, and Herman smiling like he's watching a show. "Clearly, you did not listen to me, Mudgett. Therefore: your head will be delivered to Alexandria." With that, the khopesh's blade flares with gold and silver runes, and Khepri lashes out to strike the demon, the blade biting into the insubstantial fiend.
Herman scoots to the other side of the cart rapidly, frowning at Khepri as words that sound like hissing, bubbling, tar leak out of his mouth and his spell hastens himself and the fiend that he is in league with. "They were going to kill me either way. May as well die trying to live!"
GAME: Haggerty casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15 GAME: Haggerty rolls Perception+2: (6)+6+2: 14 GAME: Haggerty rolls Perception+2: (1)+6+2: 9 (EPIC FAIL)
Haggerty is startled. He frowns while the shoulder lounger delightedly gnaws on a bite. The freckled man blinks and was forewarned of the shadowmancing ways. The ambush is real and there should be someone who helps the daft and drafting. The wizard's white stallion rears, but does not audibly complain. Things just went sideways. It is a fact! "Onward, Leif!" snorts the redhead in Horse and ushers the warmount of the beaten path into the wheel-smacked undergrowth. He mutters a short word in Eldritch to open his eyes to the auras that magic(k) imprints upon Ea.
"Ey! All right in there?!" Somone already asked, but Bryn never heard an answer. Though that could be because the wagon left her in the dust before Carver calmed the horses. So she runs her way up closer to the wagon, then asks again, "Wha's goin on in there?"
GAME: Gramarye rolls CMB: (8)+9: 17 GAME: Gramarye rolls CMB: (5)+9: 14
Gramarye continues to struggle, even as Khepri--as it has so many times before--tries valiantly to save her. But her awkward jerks mean that she's not able to get free.
What no one knows is that the war golem is attempting to pray to Vardama in her head. It worked once before with the entity known as Zelgu, who masqueraded as the master of her friend, Thoth. Maybe Vardama might hear her in her head, if there is no where else for the prayer to go.
GAME: Carver rolls weapon12+1-3: (11)+18+1+-3: 27 GAME: Carver rolls 2d6+3+6+2d6: (7)+3+6+(6): 22
Carver horse-whispers the creatures to stillness, though she is of course aware just how tumultuous such peace is. Still, the muffled commands and clang of a sword alerts her to something being off, not including a gurgled spellcasting from their evil prisoner. She hops off and grabs her bow as she does, circling around to the wagon's other side and tossing the door open.
Ah. There's the creeping shadow. She plants a foot on the step that leads into the confined quarters everyone has decided to take the fight, drawing back on her bowstring. The recurved bow has new decorations, polished white reinforcement for strength but holly vines wrapping its length with silvery veins. What that means? Perhaps simply new aesthetic appropriation courtesy of the Union.
What it actually results in is her arrow finding its mark.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (20)+11: 31 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (17)+11: 28 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (13)+11: 24 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (16)+11: 27 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (5): 5 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (4): 4 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6: (11): 11 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6: (4): 4
In a rush, the shadow demon, seeing the symbol of Vardama on Khepri (or perhaps hearing a prayer), releases Gramarye and throws itself at the other war golem. The demon scratches at the war golem viciously, doing significant damage in a short period of time.
GAME: Khepri rolls weapon9+2: (3)+8+2: 13 GAME: Khepri rolls weapon9+2: (12)+8+2: 22 GAME: Khepri rolls 1d8+4+2d6+2: (5)+4+(7)+2: 18
Well, Khepri got what it wanted -- the fiend is no longer attacking Gramarye. Instead, it lunges for the inquisitor instead and its claws rake across the golem's steel hide, leaving gouges and frost in their wake.
And yet, the Executor does not falter. Instead, it raises its khopesh on high. "You have no place here. By the decree of the gods and the will of the Harpist, you are a trespasser." Khepri's wounds flare suddenly with light, and begin to flow and knit back together, metal reforming as the sword slashes through the now-incorporeal fiend. "There is no escape from Her judgement. I am Her servant, and Her will is that you be cast down. The words will be spoken. There will be an ending."
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (14)+12: 26 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (8)+12: 20 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (3): 3 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (1): 1 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (2): 2 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (2): 2 GAME: Carver rolls perception: (11)+15: 26
Herman sees his opportunity and he takes it. He lunges at Carver, punching her in the face and then in the sternum. He gets a little blood for his efforts and he licks his hand greedily. "Oh, a bleeding body. Good. You taste sweet." His laughter is unsettling in its nature.
Haggerty rides closer to be in on the action. It is really that while the dark canine gobbles the remaining snacc.
Maybe Bryn should've rode in the wagon, in hindsight. To better keep her eye on Herman the murdery Mudget.. and she wouldn't be running up so blind, now. "Ey!" She can see a bit of the flickering shadow, sort of like before(?), but that's about all... but it's enough? "Don' have alla fun without me!" She still doesn't really know what's going on, but she has a really, really broad definition of 'fun,' so whatever it is, it's probably covered.
GAME: Gramarye casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 7 DC: 16 GAME: Gramarye rolls 4d4+4: (12)+4: 16
Now freed, Gramarye glides a few feet backwards, lifting a hand. Her eyes are still bright red. "Distributing arcane missile ordnance," she intones as she raises a hand. Her voice has dropped an octave. It's eerie to the ears (or, in Khepri's case, auditory receptors). With a quick utterance of arcane words, magic wells up in Gramarye's hand and launches out at the shadow demon.
Being incorporeal doesn't save the shadow demon. Four magic darts punch into its form, and Gramarye is utterly passive to its anguish. "Cease your violence and surrender peacefully, Herman, or I will end your existence right here and now." Oddly, there's a hint of emotion to her words.
GAME: Carver rolls weapon12+1-3-3: (2)+18+1+-3+-3: 15 GAME: Carver rolls weapon12+1-3-3: (10)+18+1+-3+-3: 23 GAME: Carver rolls weapon12+1-3-3: (19)+18+1+-3+-3: 32 GAME: Carver rolls weapon12+1-3-3-5: (19)+18+1+-3+-3+-5: 27 GAME: Carver rolls 4d6+12+4d6+4d6+12+3+4d6: (7)+12+(13)+(16)+12+3+(16): 79
Carver tastes iron. Did not see that coming, stumbling back a step. She looks up through a swelling left eye and freely redding from a split lip, in time to watch the malicious glee that Herman expresses as he licks at her lifeblood. Adrenaline mingles sickly sweet with the pain and narrows her focus down. In the heartbeat she made her decision, catching herself in the stumble, and responding.
Not in kind. She could have been a reasonable and used judicious force. She escalates via arrows.
Men will go to prison. Animals can be trained. Monsters get put down. Her breath and response is raspy, still struggling to breath in through the cold of the murderer's fists. "I'm very sweet."
The shadow demon slinks a short distance away, fully intending to summon another of it's own ilk to aid it in the fight, but it spies that Herman is on the ground with arrows in his chest and decides to vanish into the shadows instead.
GAME: Khepri rolls heal: (6)+3: 9 GAME: Khepri casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 6 DC: 14 GAME: Khepri rolls 1d8+5: (2)+5: 7
When the fiend flees, Khepri pauses its next swing, its arm coming to a stop. "...Hm." the golem says, before its yellow eyes survey the scene. Gramarye: intact. Herman: bleeding out. It's very tempting, but... they were instructed to transport the man to Alexandria for trial.
And so the golem stomps over, and pulls out Carver's arrows ungently before putting its hand on Mudgett's chest. "The Harpist has willed you remain on Ea a little longer," it intones, stopping the bleeding and preventing Herman from dying there.
The golem remains crouched over Mudgett like a malevolent idol, as it continues, "Bring me rope. I will ensure he does not cause any more trouble. Since he delights in causing havoc, I will restrain him such that he can do nothing."
"I don't know what he is," Carver says as Khepri works. "No man. Or not just. His fist..." She touched her wounds with a grimace. "Cold. Colder than winter, and eyes gold."
Herman laughs at Carver's words, blood bubbling up from his lips as he sinks - dying - to the ground. Of course, Khepri's magic keeps him alive. Alive for you to tie up and return to the cart. Herman is a nuisance the whole way, his penchant for talking about gruesome ends settled around talking about Carver and her lovely, sweet, blood. He just doesn't shut up.
It makes for a long trip back to Alexandria, but at least once you arrive you have the satisfaction of watching him carted off. You warn them about the golden eyes and the cold fists and he gets transferred to the Arcanist's Guild prisons where he will be unable to summon his fiendish friends ever again.
His trial is swift and final. Guilty, on all counts.