"I see." Kalamin says, rubbing the back of his eyelids. He left his life behind once before to become a knight, found new family. New friends. It seemed he had left them all behind now as well. There were many feelings he wished to express at the moment, but not with so much else going on at the moment. Not among strangers.
"LT, you mentioned you could find a town or village nearby? Once we're done picking through the remains here, it wouldn't be a bad idea to try to reach one. Give us a space to collect our thoughts and figure out next steps."
Leftenant deduced that Kalamin was either slightly delusional trying to be someone that wasn’t possible or the sad subject of a terrible calamity.
He had asked his question in a particular way to try and determine Kalamin’s intentions (Insight maybe?). He could tell Lyra was trying to likewise determine and inform the man that he was possibly subjected to a terrible twist of fate. The veteran soldier had seen plenty of others deal with loss numerous times; loss of comrades, loss of family, loss of home. He knew first hand there were a myriad of emotions and way to deal with it. But he was unsure how Kalamin would deal with such news when presented. If he was delusional about belonging to the order he might go berserk when confronted with the impossibility. But if he believed he was still a standing member, the shock could drive him to sorrowful inaction. The group didn’t need that at this moment.
He cringed imperceivable when the tortle blurted out that number. “No easing into this now” he thought. But the knight proved his conviction. Maybe there was time in the future to dwell on those emotions for him. But for now, the man was more interested in moving forward.
“Sure, I can get us some space…and give you some time to come to terms with everything…old man.” The last meant as that sort of jab between people who’ve shared trauma. A cryptic way of saying, you are seen and understood without using the actual words.
LT was just about ready to start making final preparations to go when an idea strikes him. He stops immediately what he’s doing and absently mentions the following. “Hunter’s Mark, I wonder if I can determine where the elf mage has gone?I am unsure of its reach, I’ve never tried it outside of a skirmish. I believe I have just a little time left for it.” He goes to where the elf circle disappeared and tries to focus on his quarry. “Let’s see if this works.”
You can definitely feel that your Hunter's Mark is still active...But there are no marks by which you might track your quarry. If they had merely turned invisible you might be able to track the imprints they left behind - but there are none. Wherever they went, it was far from here.
Juno catches her breath, sitting down on top of one of those large rocks. She looks around the scarred and scorched battlefield, but her eye eventually falls back to herself. She feels the warmth of the prosthetic. The softer clothes she was use to replaced the scratchy prisoners tunic she had been forced into. All of her traveling gear is on her. That woman...Aurileth was it? Some powerful magic had been at work. What does it all mean? Her, seeing ourselves, these undead and soldiers from a distant time? She shakes her head. Questions for later.
Her attention to turns to her new comrades. They'd all fought together. Each of them fighters for sure having seen their fair share of action before hand. At this point, she stands up and brushes herself off.
"The fallen undead need to be cleansed so their corruption doesn't infect the land. If you're done looking over their remains, I'll see to the burning."
The joke catches him off guard for a moment...Then it reminds him of the type of wisecracks Everan would drop on him at the worst of times. "Ha."Kalamin barks out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Old man, huh? I guess that's right. I must look good for 152 years old though." Once he finishes collecting the pieces of that halberd's haft he secures them as best he can with the rest of his supplies. Especially now, he was desperate to hang onto anything connected to the order. He'll help with moving the bodies into a pile to make burning them an easier task, standing back while the tiefling ignites them.
"If no one else has a better idea...LT lead the way."
Lyra helps Juno prepare the bodies to be burned, both the undead, and the others who could yet be raised as undead, separating their gear.
"Our captors took our weapons, armor and equipment from us. I see now that they had taken your arm too, Juno." Lyra nods at the prosthetic that the priestess wears and speaks quietly and sincerely. "I am gladdened that Amah's Chosen restored that to you along with the rest."
Once the bonfire is burning, Lyra too stands ready to follow LT, playing a quick, energetic flourish on her dark harmonica as if to say let's go.
Leftenant refocuses on the battle grounds. He believes the preparations for disposing the bodies is nearing completion. He worried that they wouldn’t be able to generate the heat needed to truly perform the job. But then the priestess with the new arm, says she can handle it. Leftenant gives Juno two thumbs up, something she can now reciprocate if she cared to.
Leftenant chuckles to himself as Kalamin accepts his new identity as ‘old man’. His soldiers so often referred to the veteran as such. “You definitely wear your age well, Kalamin. I’ll remember to respect my elders.”
The scout also worried that they wouldn’t be able to stay and ensure the proper disposal of the dead was done. A fire this big was going to attract attention, even out here in the middle of nowhere. Someone was going to see the blaze, smell the smoke.
He tells the others as Lyra’s tune washes over them, “We will have to get moving soon after Juno consecrates the bodies. It will be slow going, in the dark over rough terrain. I’ll lead, but we can’t rush. Lyra, can you see in the dark? Perhaps you follow first after me but give me enough space for proper trail blazing. Say 20 to 30 feet, about 4 to 6 paces behind. We’ll head to the closest town with an inn. We can discuss how we want to enter when we are closer. Glyptemus, are you ready?”
Glyptemis finishes stuffing a handful of herbs into one of his pouches, he hops out of the wreckage and adjusts his shell as he walks. "Y..yeah, I'm ready to go now. Wait, where are we going again?"
Juno makes preparations while the bodies are gathered. She prepares a censer and takes the majority of the time in prayer blessing it. That is until Lyra speaks to her as she anoints the recently deceased. "Chosen of Amah? Maybe. Regardless, I am happy to have it back. It all plays a role, right? Summer fades to Winter. Winter gives way to Spring. Day and Night. Ice and Fire. Are you devout?" She replies in the courteous hushed tone.
"Thank you for the help, everyone. I know we were brought together under incredible circumstances, but we work well together. So, thank you for your help and patience. I'll just be another moment."
She extends her arms, one holding the censer and the other empty. "Lady of Eternal Flame. Matron of warmth. Wild and untamable. Delicate and purifying. Let your fire cleanse these souls of rot. Wipe their bones free of corruption. Send them to the wind and the earth again."
Lyra gives Juno a respectful distance as she performs her ministrations. And a faraway look when the priestess asks whether Lyra is devout.
"By Chosen of Amah, I mean only the moonlit, dark-haired elven figure who... saved us. Almost unmistakably Aurilith, Amah's legendary champion of lore. Such power and grace. But no... I am not devout as she is and you are. Not devout. Only... committed. And not to Amah."
Trusting Leftenant, she nods to affirm that she does indeed have darkvision, and is ready to follow his lead as he suggests.
You're undisturbed as you gather the fallen of both parties, giving them their final rites before setting them ablaze in a pyre.
As you prepare to head out, Leftenant:
There are three settlements in the immediate area that come to mind.
Ladrastir: A proper town with a decent population, if your memory serves correctly it's about 6 miles northwest of here.
Restat: The closest settlement, 2 miles to the east. It's a tiny village, and you'll need to trek around this crevice to get there.
Vinande: Another small village, and the newest construction. It was founded by a retired military commander and built upon the tallest hill in the area. 4 miles to the north.
OoC: These are just the closest, if you wish to get further out let me know how far you want to go and I'll give you the options.
“Anyone object to reporting our circumstances to the proper authorities? As these were both unrecognizable factions to me, I’m a bit compelled to let someone know what transpired here…to us.”
“There is another retired officer I may have heard of (History: 14) who founded the village of Vinande north of here. There’s a good chance they will soon know something happened here, but I’d rather give our account of it. It’s about two hours at a slow deliberate pace.” He scans the sky again to try and read the moons’ positions. “I am sure we will be there by dawn.”
(OoC: Insight check for Kalamin that I forgot about: 10)
History: Vinande was founded roughly 5 years ago by one Garrick Davenforth. You met him once in a tavern at Neressa shortly after he retired, where he laid out his vision for the village. He was a nice enough man, if a bit eccentric. A good soldier. The man had spent a lifetime on the border with Baria, and was convinced it was but a matter of time before the undead began to assault the rest of the continent. Though Neressa is a fortress city in its own right, the old soldier was dissatisfied without having control over the defenses of his home. So he set out to make his own out here in the hills. You haven't personally visited, but you've heard that for a tiny village it's remarkably defensible.
Insight: The paladin's statements - and subsequent confusion when you both corrected him - seem genuine. Nor does he seem delusional.
"I see." Kalamin says, rubbing the back of his eyelids. He left his life behind once before to become a knight, found new family. New friends. It seemed he had left them all behind now as well. There were many feelings he wished to express at the moment, but not with so much else going on at the moment. Not among strangers.
"LT, you mentioned you could find a town or village nearby? Once we're done picking through the remains here, it wouldn't be a bad idea to try to reach one. Give us a space to collect our thoughts and figure out next steps."
Leftenant deduced that Kalamin was either slightly delusional trying to be someone that wasn’t possible or the sad subject of a terrible calamity.
He had asked his question in a particular way to try and determine Kalamin’s intentions (Insight maybe?). He could tell Lyra was trying to likewise determine and inform the man that he was possibly subjected to a terrible twist of fate. The veteran soldier had seen plenty of others deal with loss numerous times; loss of comrades, loss of family, loss of home. He knew first hand there were a myriad of emotions and way to deal with it. But he was unsure how Kalamin would deal with such news when presented. If he was delusional about belonging to the order he might go berserk when confronted with the impossibility. But if he believed he was still a standing member, the shock could drive him to sorrowful inaction. The group didn’t need that at this moment.
He cringed imperceivable when the tortle blurted out that number. “No easing into this now” he thought. But the knight proved his conviction. Maybe there was time in the future to dwell on those emotions for him. But for now, the man was more interested in moving forward.
“Sure, I can get us some space…and give you some time to come to terms with everything…old man.” The last meant as that sort of jab between people who’ve shared trauma. A cryptic way of saying, you are seen and understood without using the actual words.
LT was just about ready to start making final preparations to go when an idea strikes him. He stops immediately what he’s doing and absently mentions the following. “Hunter’s Mark, I wonder if I can determine where the elf mage has gone? I am unsure of its reach, I’ve never tried it outside of a skirmish. I believe I have just a little time left for it.” He goes to where the elf circle disappeared and tries to focus on his quarry. “Let’s see if this works.”
Leftenant
You can definitely feel that your Hunter's Mark is still active...But there are no marks by which you might track your quarry. If they had merely turned invisible you might be able to track the imprints they left behind - but there are none. Wherever they went, it was far from here.
Juno catches her breath, sitting down on top of one of those large rocks. She looks around the scarred and scorched battlefield, but her eye eventually falls back to herself. She feels the warmth of the prosthetic. The softer clothes she was use to replaced the scratchy prisoners tunic she had been forced into. All of her traveling gear is on her. That woman...Aurileth was it? Some powerful magic had been at work. What does it all mean? Her, seeing ourselves, these undead and soldiers from a distant time? She shakes her head. Questions for later.
Her attention to turns to her new comrades. They'd all fought together. Each of them fighters for sure having seen their fair share of action before hand. At this point, she stands up and brushes herself off.
"The fallen undead need to be cleansed so their corruption doesn't infect the land. If you're done looking over their remains, I'll see to the burning."
The joke catches him off guard for a moment...Then it reminds him of the type of wisecracks Everan would drop on him at the worst of times. "Ha." Kalamin barks out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Old man, huh? I guess that's right. I must look good for 152 years old though." Once he finishes collecting the pieces of that halberd's haft he secures them as best he can with the rest of his supplies. Especially now, he was desperate to hang onto anything connected to the order. He'll help with moving the bodies into a pile to make burning them an easier task, standing back while the tiefling ignites them.
"If no one else has a better idea...LT lead the way."
Lyra helps Juno prepare the bodies to be burned, both the undead, and the others who could yet be raised as undead, separating their gear.
"Our captors took our weapons, armor and equipment from us. I see now that they had taken your arm too, Juno." Lyra nods at the prosthetic that the priestess wears and speaks quietly and sincerely. "I am gladdened that Amah's Chosen restored that to you along with the rest."
Once the bonfire is burning, Lyra too stands ready to follow LT, playing a quick, energetic flourish on her dark harmonica as if to say let's go.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Leftenant refocuses on the battle grounds. He believes the preparations for disposing the bodies is nearing completion. He worried that they wouldn’t be able to generate the heat needed to truly perform the job. But then the priestess with the new arm, says she can handle it. Leftenant gives Juno two thumbs up, something she can now reciprocate if she cared to.
Leftenant chuckles to himself as Kalamin accepts his new identity as ‘old man’. His soldiers so often referred to the veteran as such. “You definitely wear your age well, Kalamin. I’ll remember to respect my elders.”
The scout also worried that they wouldn’t be able to stay and ensure the proper disposal of the dead was done. A fire this big was going to attract attention, even out here in the middle of nowhere. Someone was going to see the blaze, smell the smoke.
He tells the others as Lyra’s tune washes over them, “We will have to get moving soon after Juno consecrates the bodies. It will be slow going, in the dark over rough terrain. I’ll lead, but we can’t rush. Lyra, can you see in the dark? Perhaps you follow first after me but give me enough space for proper trail blazing. Say 20 to 30 feet, about 4 to 6 paces behind. We’ll head to the closest town with an inn. We can discuss how we want to enter when we are closer. Glyptemus, are you ready?”
Glyptemis finishes stuffing a handful of herbs into one of his pouches, he hops out of the wreckage and adjusts his shell as he walks. "Y..yeah, I'm ready to go now. Wait, where are we going again?"
Juno makes preparations while the bodies are gathered. She prepares a censer and takes the majority of the time in prayer blessing it. That is until Lyra speaks to her as she anoints the recently deceased. "Chosen of Amah? Maybe. Regardless, I am happy to have it back. It all plays a role, right? Summer fades to Winter. Winter gives way to Spring. Day and Night. Ice and Fire. Are you devout?" She replies in the courteous hushed tone.
"Thank you for the help, everyone. I know we were brought together under incredible circumstances, but we work well together. So, thank you for your help and patience. I'll just be another moment."
She extends her arms, one holding the censer and the other empty. "Lady of Eternal Flame. Matron of warmth. Wild and untamable. Delicate and purifying. Let your fire cleanse these souls of rot. Wipe their bones free of corruption. Send them to the wind and the earth again."
Lyra gives Juno a respectful distance as she performs her ministrations. And a faraway look when the priestess asks whether Lyra is devout.
"By Chosen of Amah, I mean only the moonlit, dark-haired elven figure who... saved us. Almost unmistakably Aurilith, Amah's legendary champion of lore. Such power and grace. But no... I am not devout as she is and you are. Not devout. Only... committed. And not to Amah."
Trusting Leftenant, she nods to affirm that she does indeed have darkvision, and is ready to follow his lead as he suggests.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
You're undisturbed as you gather the fallen of both parties, giving them their final rites before setting them ablaze in a pyre.
As you prepare to head out, Leftenant:
There are three settlements in the immediate area that come to mind.
OoC: These are just the closest, if you wish to get further out let me know how far you want to go and I'll give you the options.
“Anyone object to reporting our circumstances to the proper authorities? As these were both unrecognizable factions to me, I’m a bit compelled to let someone know what transpired here…to us.”
“There is another retired officer I may have heard of (History: 14) who founded the village of Vinande north of here. There’s a good chance they will soon know something happened here, but I’d rather give our account of it. It’s about two hours at a slow deliberate pace.” He scans the sky again to try and read the moons’ positions. “I am sure we will be there by dawn.”
(OoC: Insight check for Kalamin that I forgot about: 10)
Leftenant
Insight: The paladin's statements - and subsequent confusion when you both corrected him - seem genuine. Nor does he seem delusional.
OoC: Someone roll a d100(I'll take the first one that pops up in the log), and perception checks from all please!
OoC: 55 on the d100 .... 4 on perception
8 for Juno.
Lyra Perception: 9
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Perception 7
Come on Kal!
Perception: 22