Seeing that the flying creature was down and that the other two guys seemed to notice the same thing and the one even ran, Fisk decides to stay put and dodge for the time being. "You guys are doing great!" he shouts out encouragingly, "Though the rooster seems to need a bit more practice. The suit of armor as well!" he adds helpfully.
Reya looks at Archie in surprise as she runs to her aid, then smiles as anyone can see that Reya desperately needed it.
Goon A also takes off dashing, running to the SW receiving an AoO from Reya for a whopping whole 4 damage.
Reya stays where she is, not needing anymore damage, but drops her swords to pull out her crossbow and tries to hit the retreating goon in the back. The bolt goes completely wide and she throws the contraption down in frustration.
With a smile on his face, Virro wheels Bella around and heads due west, 60 feet of movement, riding the horse at speed to cut off the escape of the bandit on foot. As he’s riding, his arm shoots out and a green ray of sickening energy emanates from his hand, striking the back of the fleeing bandit. “Going somewhere? Into a shallow grave, I think. After I’ve cut out your liver..” he says as he gallops.
Movement : 60 feet to the west, on horseback, riding after the fleeing bandit.
Action : Virro casts Ray of Sickness at the bandit : 22 to hit, for 12 points of poison damage. He must make a DC 13 constitution saving throw, or he’s poisoned for the next round.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Are we letting them go?" Reed says after seeing a less than stellar attempt at stopping the fleeing bandits. But then he sees Virro race off after one of them and the bandit nearly hitting Roo with vomit.
"That's more like it," Reed says.
Seeing the bandit to the west is just at the edge of his comfortable range, Reed pauses a moment to go completely still, then lines up an arrow and lets it fly after the vomiting bandit.
Bonus Action - Steady Aim
Action - Shortbow (18, 18 +7) = 25 to hit for (1+5+3+2) = 11 piercing damage
As the last of the bandits falls and the group congregate on the road again, Corlith looks to Virro.
”That shield seems to be drawing a lot of attention from those with a fiendish disposition. I think it is time you tell us what is going on with it. Is there really a devil trapped in it like Thirstwell said?”, he asks Virro directly.
Virro hops off of Bella and begins searching the pockets of the fleeing bandit. He takes his dagger and makes a triangular incision in his right upper quadrant, finishing the job, saying in a low breath “I told you I’d take your liver….” He searches his pockets for anything useful or more information about their attackers. (Investigation 11). Afterwards, he leads Bella over to everyone, rubbing her side, and then standing with an odd grin on his face. He laughs when Reed asks his question, saying “Yeah, it’s a special skill. The spell shoots out with green energy and then causes instant gastroparesis, nausea and then they finally empty their gut. Makes ‘em sick, feeling like they have been poisoned. A special skill.”
He turns to regard Corlith, a startled look on his face, he looks shocked and makes a gesture like he is clutching his pearls. “A devil? Lands no. It is a powerful shield, I’ll admit. I can see how they would want it, and I see why that disgraceful man was studying it. There is a … there is a voice that speaks to me from it. I know, I know, don’t think I’m crazy. It speaks to me. And you know, it makes a lot of sense. He warned me about that farmer, he knew that he wasn’t what he seemed. He calls himself the Hidden Lord. I call him HL. We … uh… we’re. We’re friends. He helps me. Look, I was able to destroy that thing because of HL. That was a devil. Not HL. Please. I think he can help us! And boy, what a sense of humor he has! Anyway. I think I need to hold onto this. He makes me stronger. And I’ll use the shield for protection. To protect all of us.” Virro straightens up, adjusting it on his arm, and he goes silent, then smiles as he looks at it. A moment later, he turns to Roo and says “Are you ok? I saw you zipping all around the place, that was crazy!” He turns back to Corlith, saying “Hey, you could use some magic to burn people up too. Wow. It really worked…. Is everyone ready to go? I think we should move on from here.”
As he turns to regard Wilfred, he says “You’re back! And in the nick of time, saving us as always. Hey, you should check out that thing, I know you have one of those cool long blades, maybe the armor on that thing didn’t get too scorched, maybe you could wear it?” He looks to Wilfred and then point to the downed body of the Cambion.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Archie punches the last guy trying to escape and the man sprawls with a thunderous crack in his head. Archie jumps up and down s little flipping off Fisk in the process and yelling "who needs practice now *****!". Her celebration is cut short as she spins around a little and catches sight of Reya, still injured just behind her. "Oh shit I'm sorry, come on we'll get you fixed up" with that Archie grabs the ravens and leads Reya's horse on over to Corlith, "her leg got cut real bad, I don't want it to get infected, can you help Corlith?"
"Wait a minute, the shield has a mind and it communicates with you, warns you of danger, and can throw fireballs?", Corlith says getting a little irate. "And it calls itself the Hidden Lord? Have you asked them directly whether they are actually a devil? If they have another name? Do you have no doubts about it at all, after where we found it and what Thurstwell said under pretty intense circumstances? I actually believed him personally".
"And why keep all that secret from us. Was that your idea, or this Hidden Lord's idea?", he continues, pointing at the shield at the last. "This has all been very shady, Virro. Does that come from you or it?".
As Archie comes over and interrupts with talk of infections, he answers without even turning around, "Virro is the expert on infections, maybe he should look, after he gives a few answers".
Roo's feathers bristle as the last of the brigands goes down, and then he puffs up, sauntering back toward the rest of the party and looking rather miffed for a being with few facial expressions.
"Oh, I need some practice do it? You clucking cluck, I'll cut your belly open, pull your guts out, and jerk at them like they're worms, do you understand?" He says, the Owl's Talon rotating ins his hand as he approaches Fisk. There's too much calamity, though, for the Gallus to intimidate him. Roo's attention is pulled away too fast, focusing instead on what is happening with Virro and his shield and this Hidden Lord. The Gallus squints. "We can't trust anything that was in that dungeon, buck. I believe the whole place was tainted with ill and evil, and none of it is fit for our hands. I was even wary of the mace."
He squints, studying the shield, while walking over the Reya and laying one hand on her leg, offering up the light of Gallus to soothe her wounds.
Depending on what happens next, Roo kneels down in the middle of the road and puts his shield away, laying the Owl's Talon across his knees...
Virro explained the shield in full detail, his understanding of it. As he hears more, and more, and more of Corlith’s questioning, his eyes narrow for a moment and he stands tall. He starts rubbing the back of his right hand absentmindedly as he speaks. “It can’t throw fireballs, of course. I can. My powers have been growing, you see, as have yours. Did some devil allow you to pull Roo across the field of battle to chase the fleeing bandit? Prove it! Prove it right now. That is what you are demanding of me. Secrets? Are you accusing me of holding onto secrets?” He grips his hand in his glove tightly. “And you have no secrets, sir? Or Roo, or Reed, or Wilfred? That one has a closet full of skeletons, of that I’m sure. Are you saying that you are better than me, Corlith? That I am beneath you? That I’m.. shady? Well, I tell you, I’m a knife in the dark when one is needed. I will bring you back from the dead when you are hurting… dear sir. I will look into the places that you are too afraid to look, pullout the enemy’s innards through their mouth, and sew you back up again. That’s what I will do! What we will all do. For each other. I used this shield to send a ball of fire out of my hand and bring our enemy low. Is that good enough for you? I hope that it is. You are making me regret that I told you about it.”
Virro keeps the shield fastened around his left arm, he holds the reins of Bella and he climbs back up on her back, making ready to leave. “Oh. Here you go.” He points his hand at Reya, sending 5 points of healing her way. “Sorry my dear, I could give you a little more if I wasn’t being interrogated.” He turns to Reed saying “No, it does not control me. Not in the least. Can we go, please?” He looks pleadingly at Reed and the others, avoiding further interaction with Corlith for the time being.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Archie watches Roo and Virro's magic knit the slash in Reya's leg back together and seems satisfied with the outcome regardless of the conversation.
Archie leads Reya's horse away and then mounts her own steed, turning her attention to the path ahead of them, now that the burning wagon is no longer blocking their path "are you ok Rey?" She asks "that got a little too intense very quickly."
Corlith takes a deep breath in to settle himself, before responding to Virro, speaking to his back after he turned away.
"You are deflecting Virro, but ok I'll bite. I have been judged and looked down upon my entire life because of who and what I am. Of course I wonder whether my powers come from a devil, every time I see my reflection I wonder that. Why do you think I went away to study? And you are right, it is possible we all have secrets. And you are also right in that we are all using our abilities to help each other", he says in a calm that belies his previous ire, but those insightful enough might see how much effort he has to put in to remain like this.
"I am not the only one that questions the nature of the shield. And it is the shield that prompted those people to attack us, wounding Reya so badly, he looks to Reya at this point with an apologetic expression after ignoring her injury a moment before.
"You admit that only through the shield you have gained power. But if the shield is sentient what does it want in return? We discovered the shield together, we should all be allowed a voice in what happens to it. For your part, you have not answered my question as to whether you have tried to find out it's true nature, and if you are certain it is not as Thurstwell says. As Roo says as well", he points to the Gallus at this, showing he is not alone in his concern.
"Whilst you choose to ignore what is in front of you, and I include not only the suspiciousness of the shield, but the advice of companions that hold your best interest at heart, then I cannot trust you. As I do not trust the shield. And if answering questions honestly makes you wish you had been more dishonest, then that says a lot. To me at least. Think on that, and I hope we will speak on this again".
He turns away with a look of disappointment that Virro will not get to see.
Reed frowns as he watches the argument between Virro and Corlith. Then he looks over at Frisk.
"Does Candlekeep have people who could tell us for sure whether there's any devil hiding in the shield?" Reed asks.
He looks back to Virro and Corlith.
"When we know for sure we can decide," Reed suggests. He pauses before looking at Virro. "If they say it's really a devil, you'll get rid of it, right Virro?"
Reya smiles at Archie, "Thanks for the help, yeah, that got ugly real fast. Those thugs hit hard, glad they weren't able to run off and recruit more." She nods her thanks at Virro and Roo as they help heal her up some. She doesn't say anything about the argument, but eyes the shield as it is the center of it all and wonders...
Fisk looks at Roo with a smirk as the Gallus attempts to intimidate him, "You know, you wouldn't look so ridiculous with that devils beard on your head." Then turning to Reed, "I'm not sure? Most likely, but I'm not going to promise you guys anything that I am not 100% sure about." and he crosses his arms.
Reya looks over to Corlith, not bloodied anymore after the healing and nods slowly, "Yeah, especially since we have these fine animals. Hopefully we won't run into anything else." and she can't help it, but side-eyes the shield.
"There is a fiend inside the shield." Roo says to Virro and Corlith as he kneels. "I sense it in there. Virro, there is something very wicked in that shield."
He has nothing left to say . Instead he just looks at Fisk and then reaches up to take the devil's beard off his head and set it down in front of him. His eyes don't leave Fisk as he does this.
"Just so you know, you cluck ugly piece of furred shit, I'm considering killing you."
With the devil's beard sitting in front of him, Roo reluctantly tears his gaze from Fisk, meaning everything he'd just said. The Gallus looks confused, and at odds with himself, perhaps over what he just said. He keeps the Owl's Talon on his knees for a moment, then raises his hands toward the sky.
"Gallus..." He says, his voice low and somber. "I have shamed you by making a deal with Strix, but you know why I had to do it. I hope that you can forgive me."
Slowly, his fist wraps around the hilt of his weapon.
"Don't let the indomitable twilight overcome me. I feel his talons sinking into my soul, deeper and deeper. I beseech you, buck, to never forget to shine your light upon me. On this day, I swear that I will be your stalwart servent against the blasphemers and the false idols. I shall seek them out and destroy them in every shadow where they hide, and I will use the gifts of both Gallus and Strix to slay them. And in all of this, I shall remember Fog' Horn. I will find out why he knew to attack the followers of the Dead Three, and I will find out why he was murdered, and I will hunt down everyone who was responsible, even if it means delving into the hells of the false idols and slaying this Zariel myself."
The sword rises in one hand. In the other hand, Roo grabs the waddle dangling below his beak. First the right side. Holding it tight, he rakes the talon-sharp sword across the excess meat, cutting it from his body flush with the bottom of his beak. Blood pours over his hands.
Gently, he recites something, a song or poem, and starts the left side.
Before I die alone Before my time has gone There's just one thing I have to do Before the fire and stone Before your world is gone Have you some patience Cause I will have my vengeance
Blood mats the feathers of his neck together and then stains the breastplate of Fog' Horn's armor as Roo reaches up, taking his comb in his hand, and then slicing it clean off the top of his head, leaving his head completely docked of its previous fleshy adornments. No one has seen Roo bleed this much before.
As he drops these pieces of his body off to the side, and bleeds profusely in the process, the Gallus looks woozy.
"With the power of Strix in my sword, and your might in my blood, nothing will stop me."
Virro atop his horse looks to Reed, saying “I certainly wouldn’t want it if it were going to harm me, or you, or any of us.” He looks down. “I don’t think it’s a devil. He’s kind to me. He said he’s the hidden lord, I think he’s an angel! Or something. Angel or devil, we have a little of both in all of us, right? Nonetheless, he knows things, he warned me…. He protects me, he’s well. He’s …. my friend. And I can use him to help us like a smith uses his hammer and anvil. He’s here to help us. I can handle it. I would promise to tell you if I couldn’t. Perhaps… perhaps they know about such things at Candlekeep and if I had someone impartial (darts a look at Corlith) truly tell me that it was harmful? I would do whatever is advised. But I want to hear it myself. Like I’m reading from a textbook. I want proof. Understand?” He looks to Reed pleadingly, saying “I’ll still collect fingers from naughty ones, right?” Awkward, snaggle toothed smile….
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Having said his piece on the matter of the shield, Corlith is about to get moving towards Candlekeep again when he notices Roo start to perform another of his rituals. Intrigued he reigns in his horse and sits to watch.
He listens as Roo beseeches Gallus to look favourably on him, despite him having made a deal with Strix. It was quite fascinating up until the point Roo starts to cut into himself, and blood starts to squirt everywhere.
"Crikey", he whispers wanting to turn away but finding himself too engrossed, despite being grossed out. He reaches out his hand towards Roo, one finger held aloft as if Roo might notice and ask if there were any questions from the crowd. But Instead the Gallus merely recites something akin to a poem or perhaps a pledge, quietly enough that Corlith finds himself leaning closer over his horse so that he might hear, before Roo cuts himself once more.
Jumping down from his horse, he wanders towards Roo as the extraneous pieces of flesh drop to the floor, trying to avoid the blood pooling below him.
"Roo? Are you done?", he asks after a moment, not wanting to disturb the ritual and break some custom.
“Oh, and HL says that that Thurstwell guy is full of shit. HL just wanted out of Baldur’s Gate and away from those cult weirdos. Totally understanda … holy shit Roo! My, there’s a lot of blood that flows through your comb! Is it connected to your carotid somehow? Hmmm, very interesting…..let me know if you feel lightheaded or woozy or need my help, more than happy to if you need it.” Virro looks on with eyes wide.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
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Seeing that the flying creature was down and that the other two guys seemed to notice the same thing and the one even ran, Fisk decides to stay put and dodge for the time being. "You guys are doing great!" he shouts out encouragingly, "Though the rooster seems to need a bit more practice. The suit of armor as well!" he adds helpfully.
Reya looks at Archie in surprise as she runs to her aid, then smiles as anyone can see that Reya desperately needed it.
Goon A also takes off dashing, running to the SW receiving an AoO from Reya for a whopping whole 4 damage.
Reya stays where she is, not needing anymore damage, but drops her swords to pull out her crossbow and tries to hit the retreating goon in the back. The bolt goes completely wide and she throws the contraption down in frustration.
With a smile on his face, Virro wheels Bella around and heads due west, 60 feet of movement, riding the horse at speed to cut off the escape of the bandit on foot. As he’s riding, his arm shoots out and a green ray of sickening energy emanates from his hand, striking the back of the fleeing bandit. “Going somewhere? Into a shallow grave, I think. After I’ve cut out your liver..” he says as he gallops.
Movement : 60 feet to the west, on horseback, riding after the fleeing bandit.
Action : Virro casts Ray of Sickness at the bandit : 22 to hit, for 12 points of poison damage. He must make a DC 13 constitution saving throw, or he’s poisoned for the next round.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Are we letting them go?" Reed says after seeing a less than stellar attempt at stopping the fleeing bandits. But then he sees Virro race off after one of them and the bandit nearly hitting Roo with vomit.
"That's more like it," Reed says.
Seeing the bandit to the west is just at the edge of his comfortable range, Reed pauses a moment to go completely still, then lines up an arrow and lets it fly after the vomiting bandit.
Bonus Action - Steady Aim
Action - Shortbow (18,
18+7) = 25 to hit for (1+5+3+2) = 11 piercing damageAs the party reacts to the two goons departing, the onslaught of hits take the two goons down.
Reya gets back on her horse where she is and tries to catch her breath, they did a number on her.
Fisk gives a little fist bump in the air as the last one goes down, "Now that's how it's done!"
Reed reins in the pony, and then starts to check all of the bandits and the devil-farmer. These pockets won't empty themselves.
He whistles happily to himself as he rummages through the pockets, packs and pouches of the dead.
At one point Reed looks up into the air nearby and shakes his head.
"No, you three can keep moving on. I don't want you hanging around. This lot is bad enough." Reed says.
With one hand in a pocket he calls over to Virro.
"Can you make anyone vomit like that?"
As the last of the bandits falls and the group congregate on the road again, Corlith looks to Virro.
”That shield seems to be drawing a lot of attention from those with a fiendish disposition. I think it is time you tell us what is going on with it. Is there really a devil trapped in it like Thirstwell said?”, he asks Virro directly.
Virro hops off of Bella and begins searching the pockets of the fleeing bandit. He takes his dagger and makes a triangular incision in his right upper quadrant, finishing the job, saying in a low breath “I told you I’d take your liver….” He searches his pockets for anything useful or more information about their attackers. (Investigation 11). Afterwards, he leads Bella over to everyone, rubbing her side, and then standing with an odd grin on his face. He laughs when Reed asks his question, saying “Yeah, it’s a special skill. The spell shoots out with green energy and then causes instant gastroparesis, nausea and then they finally empty their gut. Makes ‘em sick, feeling like they have been poisoned. A special skill.”
He turns to regard Corlith, a startled look on his face, he looks shocked and makes a gesture like he is clutching his pearls. “A devil? Lands no. It is a powerful shield, I’ll admit. I can see how they would want it, and I see why that disgraceful man was studying it. There is a … there is a voice that speaks to me from it. I know, I know, don’t think I’m crazy. It speaks to me. And you know, it makes a lot of sense. He warned me about that farmer, he knew that he wasn’t what he seemed. He calls himself the Hidden Lord. I call him HL. We … uh… we’re. We’re friends. He helps me. Look, I was able to destroy that thing because of HL. That was a devil. Not HL. Please. I think he can help us! And boy, what a sense of humor he has! Anyway. I think I need to hold onto this. He makes me stronger. And I’ll use the shield for protection. To protect all of us.” Virro straightens up, adjusting it on his arm, and he goes silent, then smiles as he looks at it. A moment later, he turns to Roo and says “Are you ok? I saw you zipping all around the place, that was crazy!” He turns back to Corlith, saying “Hey, you could use some magic to burn people up too. Wow. It really worked…. Is everyone ready to go? I think we should move on from here.”
As he turns to regard Wilfred, he says “You’re back! And in the nick of time, saving us as always. Hey, you should check out that thing, I know you have one of those cool long blades, maybe the armor on that thing didn’t get too scorched, maybe you could wear it?” He looks to Wilfred and then point to the downed body of the Cambion.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Archie punches the last guy trying to escape and the man sprawls with a thunderous crack in his head. Archie jumps up and down s little flipping off Fisk in the process and yelling "who needs practice now *****!". Her celebration is cut short as she spins around a little and catches sight of Reya, still injured just behind her. "Oh shit I'm sorry, come on we'll get you fixed up" with that Archie grabs the ravens and leads Reya's horse on over to Corlith, "her leg got cut real bad, I don't want it to get infected, can you help Corlith?"
"Wait a minute, the shield has a mind and it communicates with you, warns you of danger, and can throw fireballs?", Corlith says getting a little irate. "And it calls itself the Hidden Lord? Have you asked them directly whether they are actually a devil? If they have another name? Do you have no doubts about it at all, after where we found it and what Thurstwell said under pretty intense circumstances? I actually believed him personally".
"And why keep all that secret from us. Was that your idea, or this Hidden Lord's idea?", he continues, pointing at the shield at the last. "This has all been very shady, Virro. Does that come from you or it?".
As Archie comes over and interrupts with talk of infections, he answers without even turning around, "Virro is the expert on infections, maybe he should look, after he gives a few answers".
Roo's feathers bristle as the last of the brigands goes down, and then he puffs up, sauntering back toward the rest of the party and looking rather miffed for a being with few facial expressions.
"Oh, I need some practice do it? You clucking cluck, I'll cut your belly open, pull your guts out, and jerk at them like they're worms, do you understand?" He says, the Owl's Talon rotating ins his hand as he approaches Fisk. There's too much calamity, though, for the Gallus to intimidate him. Roo's attention is pulled away too fast, focusing instead on what is happening with Virro and his shield and this Hidden Lord. The Gallus squints. "We can't trust anything that was in that dungeon, buck. I believe the whole place was tainted with ill and evil, and none of it is fit for our hands. I was even wary of the mace."
He squints, studying the shield, while walking over the Reya and laying one hand on her leg, offering up the light of Gallus to soothe her wounds.
Depending on what happens next, Roo kneels down in the middle of the road and puts his shield away, laying the Owl's Talon across his knees...
Turn Summary
Tried to Intimidate Fisk: 11 (lol)
Used Divine Sense on Virro's shield
Used Lay on Hands to give Reya +5 HP
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Reed watches all the commotion over the shield and catches on to what seems to be going on.
"Virro," Reed starts then pauses, not quiet sure what to say. "Does it control you?"
He pats the seemingly bottomless bag of holding hanging at his waist.
"We could stick it in here for awhile and see if you feel any different."
Virro explained the shield in full detail, his understanding of it. As he hears more, and more, and more of Corlith’s questioning, his eyes narrow for a moment and he stands tall. He starts rubbing the back of his right hand absentmindedly as he speaks. “It can’t throw fireballs, of course. I can. My powers have been growing, you see, as have yours. Did some devil allow you to pull Roo across the field of battle to chase the fleeing bandit? Prove it! Prove it right now. That is what you are demanding of me. Secrets? Are you accusing me of holding onto secrets?” He grips his hand in his glove tightly. “And you have no secrets, sir? Or Roo, or Reed, or Wilfred? That one has a closet full of skeletons, of that I’m sure. Are you saying that you are better than me, Corlith? That I am beneath you? That I’m.. shady? Well, I tell you, I’m a knife in the dark when one is needed. I will bring you back from the dead when you are hurting… dear sir. I will look into the places that you are too afraid to look, pullout the enemy’s innards through their mouth, and sew you back up again. That’s what I will do! What we will all do. For each other. I used this shield to send a ball of fire out of my hand and bring our enemy low. Is that good enough for you? I hope that it is. You are making me regret that I told you about it.”
Virro keeps the shield fastened around his left arm, he holds the reins of Bella and he climbs back up on her back, making ready to leave. “Oh. Here you go.” He points his hand at Reya, sending 5 points of healing her way. “Sorry my dear, I could give you a little more if I wasn’t being interrogated.” He turns to Reed saying “No, it does not control me. Not in the least. Can we go, please?” He looks pleadingly at Reed and the others, avoiding further interaction with Corlith for the time being.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Archie watches Roo and Virro's magic knit the slash in Reya's leg back together and seems satisfied with the outcome regardless of the conversation.
Archie leads Reya's horse away and then mounts her own steed, turning her attention to the path ahead of them, now that the burning wagon is no longer blocking their path "are you ok Rey?" She asks "that got a little too intense very quickly."
Corlith takes a deep breath in to settle himself, before responding to Virro, speaking to his back after he turned away.
"You are deflecting Virro, but ok I'll bite. I have been judged and looked down upon my entire life because of who and what I am. Of course I wonder whether my powers come from a devil, every time I see my reflection I wonder that. Why do you think I went away to study? And you are right, it is possible we all have secrets. And you are also right in that we are all using our abilities to help each other", he says in a calm that belies his previous ire, but those insightful enough might see how much effort he has to put in to remain like this.
"I am not the only one that questions the nature of the shield. And it is the shield that prompted those people to attack us, wounding Reya so badly, he looks to Reya at this point with an apologetic expression after ignoring her injury a moment before.
"You admit that only through the shield you have gained power. But if the shield is sentient what does it want in return? We discovered the shield together, we should all be allowed a voice in what happens to it. For your part, you have not answered my question as to whether you have tried to find out it's true nature, and if you are certain it is not as Thurstwell says. As Roo says as well", he points to the Gallus at this, showing he is not alone in his concern.
"Whilst you choose to ignore what is in front of you, and I include not only the suspiciousness of the shield, but the advice of companions that hold your best interest at heart, then I cannot trust you. As I do not trust the shield. And if answering questions honestly makes you wish you had been more dishonest, then that says a lot. To me at least. Think on that, and I hope we will speak on this again".
He turns away with a look of disappointment that Virro will not get to see.
"Reya, are you fit to travel?".
Reed frowns as he watches the argument between Virro and Corlith. Then he looks over at Frisk.
"Does Candlekeep have people who could tell us for sure whether there's any devil hiding in the shield?" Reed asks.
He looks back to Virro and Corlith.
"When we know for sure we can decide," Reed suggests. He pauses before looking at Virro. "If they say it's really a devil, you'll get rid of it, right Virro?"
Reya smiles at Archie, "Thanks for the help, yeah, that got ugly real fast. Those thugs hit hard, glad they weren't able to run off and recruit more." She nods her thanks at Virro and Roo as they help heal her up some. She doesn't say anything about the argument, but eyes the shield as it is the center of it all and wonders...
Fisk looks at Roo with a smirk as the Gallus attempts to intimidate him, "You know, you wouldn't look so ridiculous with that devils beard on your head." Then turning to Reed, "I'm not sure? Most likely, but I'm not going to promise you guys anything that I am not 100% sure about." and he crosses his arms.
Reya looks over to Corlith, not bloodied anymore after the healing and nods slowly, "Yeah, especially since we have these fine animals. Hopefully we won't run into anything else." and she can't help it, but side-eyes the shield.
"There is a fiend inside the shield." Roo says to Virro and Corlith as he kneels. "I sense it in there. Virro, there is something very wicked in that shield."
He has nothing left to say . Instead he just looks at Fisk and then reaches up to take the devil's beard off his head and set it down in front of him. His eyes don't leave Fisk as he does this.
"Just so you know, you cluck ugly piece of furred shit, I'm considering killing you."
With the devil's beard sitting in front of him, Roo reluctantly tears his gaze from Fisk, meaning everything he'd just said. The Gallus looks confused, and at odds with himself, perhaps over what he just said. He keeps the Owl's Talon on his knees for a moment, then raises his hands toward the sky.
"Gallus..." He says, his voice low and somber. "I have shamed you by making a deal with Strix, but you know why I had to do it. I hope that you can forgive me."
Slowly, his fist wraps around the hilt of his weapon.
"Don't let the indomitable twilight overcome me. I feel his talons sinking into my soul, deeper and deeper. I beseech you, buck, to never forget to shine your light upon me. On this day, I swear that I will be your stalwart servent against the blasphemers and the false idols. I shall seek them out and destroy them in every shadow where they hide, and I will use the gifts of both Gallus and Strix to slay them. And in all of this, I shall remember Fog' Horn. I will find out why he knew to attack the followers of the Dead Three, and I will find out why he was murdered, and I will hunt down everyone who was responsible, even if it means delving into the hells of the false idols and slaying this Zariel myself."
The sword rises in one hand. In the other hand, Roo grabs the waddle dangling below his beak. First the right side. Holding it tight, he rakes the talon-sharp sword across the excess meat, cutting it from his body flush with the bottom of his beak. Blood pours over his hands.
Gently, he recites something, a song or poem, and starts the left side.
Before I die alone
Before my time has gone
There's just one thing I have to do
Before the fire and stone
Before your world is gone
Have you some patience
Cause I will have my vengeance
Blood mats the feathers of his neck together and then stains the breastplate of Fog' Horn's armor as Roo reaches up, taking his comb in his hand, and then slicing it clean off the top of his head, leaving his head completely docked of its previous fleshy adornments. No one has seen Roo bleed this much before.
As he drops these pieces of his body off to the side, and bleeds profusely in the process, the Gallus looks woozy.
"With the power of Strix in my sword, and your might in my blood, nothing will stop me."
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Virro atop his horse looks to Reed, saying “I certainly wouldn’t want it if it were going to harm me, or you, or any of us.” He looks down. “I don’t think it’s a devil. He’s kind to me. He said he’s the hidden lord, I think he’s an angel! Or something. Angel or devil, we have a little of both in all of us, right? Nonetheless, he knows things, he warned me…. He protects me, he’s well. He’s …. my friend. And I can use him to help us like a smith uses his hammer and anvil. He’s here to help us. I can handle it. I would promise to tell you if I couldn’t. Perhaps… perhaps they know about such things at Candlekeep and if I had someone impartial (darts a look at Corlith) truly tell me that it was harmful? I would do whatever is advised. But I want to hear it myself. Like I’m reading from a textbook. I want proof. Understand?” He looks to Reed pleadingly, saying “I’ll still collect fingers from naughty ones, right?” Awkward, snaggle toothed smile….
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Having said his piece on the matter of the shield, Corlith is about to get moving towards Candlekeep again when he notices Roo start to perform another of his rituals. Intrigued he reigns in his horse and sits to watch.
He listens as Roo beseeches Gallus to look favourably on him, despite him having made a deal with Strix. It was quite fascinating up until the point Roo starts to cut into himself, and blood starts to squirt everywhere.
"Crikey", he whispers wanting to turn away but finding himself too engrossed, despite being grossed out. He reaches out his hand towards Roo, one finger held aloft as if Roo might notice and ask if there were any questions from the crowd. But Instead the Gallus merely recites something akin to a poem or perhaps a pledge, quietly enough that Corlith finds himself leaning closer over his horse so that he might hear, before Roo cuts himself once more.
Jumping down from his horse, he wanders towards Roo as the extraneous pieces of flesh drop to the floor, trying to avoid the blood pooling below him.
"Roo? Are you done?", he asks after a moment, not wanting to disturb the ritual and break some custom.
Seeing how woozy Roo is, he reaches out with some of his remaining energy, and kick starts the healing process.
“Oh, and HL says that that Thurstwell guy is full of shit. HL just wanted out of Baldur’s Gate and away from those cult weirdos. Totally understanda … holy shit Roo! My, there’s a lot of blood that flows through your comb! Is it connected to your carotid somehow? Hmmm, very interesting…..let me know if you feel lightheaded or woozy or need my help, more than happy to if you need it.” Virro looks on with eyes wide.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.