Tales from Talaveroth

"Yes, he's the only one with any info here."

Si'Juul follows Poinki.

You ascend the stairs into a room that's filled with rows upon rows of book shelves. A musky scent fills the air as you gaze at the labyrinth of books. Twitch's heightened senses pick up on a bright point of light coming from a distant row and she leads you over to the area.

Peering around a row of shelves you can see the light illuminates another pair of acolytes. This pair is holding a human man between them. The man has no shirt, and appears to have bloody scars across his body. His hair is unkempt and in the centre of his chest someone has carved a large letter A some time ago. Si'Juul also recognizes a holster on the mans belt, though his weapon isn't in sight.

Off to the side, further into the dark there are several desks and chairs. On the desks are a number of old books and what look to be some letters that the acolytes must have been writing.

Si'Juul will take wing and be about 15ft above and behind the acolytes, drawing his pepperbox and taking aim at whichever acolyte is further from the scarred man. He motions with his neck to the others to move in.

Twitch readies both of her daggers, before hiding behind a nearby bookshelf to approach the accolytes and the tortured man stealthily, in an attempt to hear what they are saying.

Stealth: 21
Perception: 19

The two acolytes aren't really saying anything, just grunting a bit as they try to haul their heavy cargo.

The man in between them let's out some moans of pain and a few quiet "please."

Poinki tries to make sense of the scene...are the acolytes torturing the man or trying to help him? (Perception 8 )

Currently they're just dragging him but Poinki can tell that the cuts look decently fresh.

Si'Juul waits a bit in case Twitch wants to strike first.

If Twitch doesn't make a move then he will fly forward to get directly above them.

"Pardon me, but I think I am going to have to stop you right here. I got no idea what you intended to do with this man, but I know it can't be good. Do the smart thing and surrender like the three below did."

Poinki stands behind Twitch, backing her up and trying to look fierce.

The acolytes look up at you, the shorter one on the left speaks. "This man is being cleansed from his sins, as he requested to be. He is here of his own accord." 

"If that's true, let him speak for himself. That is, if you haven't mutilated him too much to prevent him from talking."

The acolytes let the man go and the taller one leans down to give him a drink of water from a waterskin.

When the man speaks it comes out hoarse and crackly but decently strong. "They do not torture me, they are seeking to help me, as I came here for them to do. What is it you want to know?" 

Twitch still remains hidden, curious to see the interaction play out. She felt deep revulsion against the level of fanaticism on display here, but if the man truly wished for this, then she couldn't in good conscious intervene. And even if he didn't, she hated having to draw her blades against other living, breathing and thinking creatures.

"If this is not torture, then why do you look like you just lost a fight against me?" 

Si'Juul eyes his scarred chest.

"I don't care what they say, this is not a cleansing. This is torture. Low level torture, but torture nonetheless. But why do you feel the need to be 'cleansed'?"

He lands in front of the man right between the fanatics.

"And where is your weapon?"

"I left it with my wife in town so that I could not use it against anyone. Whatever demon that was put inside me is powerful enough without our weapons to help." He gestures to the acolytes. "Call it what you will but the brothers and sisters here have been putting their lives on the line to try and help free me from this thing that is inside me. I'm sure those outside told you about the acolyte who was thrown from the tower? That was my doing, or more specifically, my demons doing." He then looks to Poinki and the holy symbol displayed around his neck. "Plus, brother, what is devotion to Ilmater except an acceptance of pain for his glory?" 

Si'Juul just groans.

"More religious nonsense."

He grabs the taller acolyte firmly by the collar and pulls him in close.

"You, go get the Father or whoever controls the winds outside and have them disable it. A friend of the Father is here to see him and he can't get in because of it."

He roughly shoves him towards the staircase leading up. He then turns to the group.

"You all can do what you like with these two, I am going down to get Oleg and the rest. Poinki, you mind opening up the flame wall for me again?"

Si'Juul then makes his way back down. As he passes the initial three on the ground floor, he just points to them.

"You three stay put.

He heads out to talk to Oleg and everyone who was in the tent.

"Shouldn't be long before you can get inside. Apparently the guy believes some nonsense about a demon in his body."

As you grab the acolyte the scarred man begins to shudder and shake. He lets out a high pitched wail and his flesh becomes bathed in a purple glow.

Both acolytes begin to panic and reach for their staffs, seemingly ready to attack Si'Juul.

Roll Initiative.

Initiative: 15

Twitch's Initiative: 4 OOC: She is still hidden, right?

Poinki initiative 4