Some Feet In Some Mouths, Rennik Returns
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Back on the path
Mission says, "I don't know much of your God, Cadfael. Or Gods. Whatever. But I find it disturbing that your Pelor would work through you to kill a man, without your knowlege, when your intent was to heal him.
"And if it was Mon Kada's doing. . . how could this Blood God work through you, a priest of the sun god? Don't the gods have some. . .arrangement or something that prevents one god from working through another god's priest?
"I don't mean to insult you, or the gods you worship. And maybe my ignorance of the gods is at fault, because you've certainly shown your valor and worthiness. At this point though, it isn't you I mistrust-- it's Pelor."
He catches his tongue for a moment between his teeth. And here he had thought that he meant to pull the group together.
Good intentions. . .
From: Karl
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Back on the path
Farron listens absently to the conversation, feeling a little shame that Garth's death seems to him more of a lucky turn of events than a horrible tragedy. Moments ago he was worried that the group was going to decide to let him go, and worse that they might decide he should be given the mage's valuables to trade for the mage's resurrection. Now there is no one left to contest his claim of . . .well. . ."salvage rights" one might say.
He sees the group forming up and heading once again on the well traveled path eastward and wordlessly falls into place near Sa'id.
After all, Farron thinks to himself, what good is leaving valuable material behind to rot? Better they be put to use than lost to the jungle. And far better that they be put to my -- er, *our* uses than that they benefit the next group of dark pilgrims to rest at the tower. And it's not like he wasn't willing to share, right? The only reason all the goods came to him was because Sa'id, the only other person who could make use of them, didn't want a share, right? He only lucked into this bounty, right?
As if, perhaps to prove this to himself, he moves closer to Sa'id and says softly, "You're welcome to any of the mage's components that you can use. I know you said you don't want them, but . . . well . . . if you change your mind." Farron gives a small smile and hopes that the sincerity he really does intend is able to squash the nagging "please say 'no', please say 'no'" that squirms like a spoiled child in the back on his head.
Farron shakes off his doubts about salvage versus plunder, and practicality versus greed and tries to concentrate on the path ahead.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Back on the path
"Precisely why I prefer magery to priesthood," Farron whispers to Sa'id with a surreptitious wink. "Magic is a tricky enough medium without having to worry about the whims of gods to boot." He remembers Garth and under his breath adds a quick "No offense" to any gods who might be listening.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Back on the path
Cadfael follows Garyth's lead into the woods, the last man to leave the base of the tower. He walks silently besides Mission for a spell, the monk clearly having something to say before working his way to the front of the party to scout ahead.
He shakes his head at Mission's words and does not hesitate to plunge into an explanation.
"It is not so cruel as you make it sound, Brother, if indeed Pelor judged this man to die. The same fires that heal your wounds burn a being of true evil; it is simply the way of things. There are few more evil than The God of Vengeance and by making that pact Garth forged a connection with him. Pelor's blessed flames consumed him for it. It would be the same if I tried to heal Annilith, Mission, she too is simply too far gone."
There is a pause there as Cadfael realizes that he has tread into grounds where he has no right to be. Quickly he plunges on, hoping he has not brought up wounds both old and new.
"It may well have Mon Kada, I do not know. When Garth accepted my healing he have, at that moment, decided he did wish to kill us. In his heart he broke his oath and The Blood God struck him down for it."
"But you must not fear Pelor, Brother. You and the others are good men and he would see you live through this quest. To refuse his aid would be folly."
He says the last while squeezing Mission's arm, trying to regain some of the friendship the party once felt.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Back on the path
Garth had had Cadfael's confidence once, too.
Mission nods at Cadfael, "The Path is not straight, nor is it soft. Hard as stone, hot as blood. . . and all that." Mission winks at the cleric. "I'd better get to my scouting."
From: Scott
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Back on the path
Did anyone else realize that sakeriver has a supplement to our adventures? Apparently involving Rennick and Elise?
Can we read this? Or do we need to stay ignorant of the halfling's adventures with Leggy Dame?
And Ty, what was the decision on experience?
Have we levelled yet?
:hankering for Improved Trip:
From: Ty
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Back on the path
Actually, it's fine if you read it. Just don't let it sneak into your RP of course.
I went ahead and gave full experience to the party. I have some tentative experience penalties lined up for a few players based on what I consider moving grossly out of alignment. However, those are going to stay tentative for a while, and see how this all plays out.
As always, good RP can overcome such things. I want people to have a chance to work this out on their own before I start penalizing them.
On that note, most of the players are about 600xp from the next level.
From: Ty
Subject: fleeing the battle
[Never mind. I am just going to do it this way. DM's prerogative and all that. :)]
With the loss of both his weapons, and faced with a clearly superior foe, Rennik's Ranger trained practicality begins to win out over his Barbarian rage. There is nothing he can do here other than die on the point of this woman's sword. Though it tears his soul to do it, he leaves his axe head lying where it fell, and begins to retreat backwards as rapidly as he can without giving the knight an easy strike at him [double move to escape the fight].
Elise takes a step forward when he begins to move, but stops quickly. As he backs out of view, into the thick brush, she lifts the visor of her helmet and gives him a smile that cuts his pride like a knife. "Now we see the true nature of halfling courage. I told you I would give you a chance to test your boasts to me. The next time I see you, you will die." She begins to walk away, then says over her shoulder, "Remember what I said about the cleric."
With that, Rennik has moved far enough into the brush to be unseen. When he does not hear the sounds of pursuit, he stops, hoping to go back and recover his axe once Elise has gone. After a short moment, there is another sound like a thunderclap. He waits a few more moments to be sure, and when he comes out of the jungle she is gone. He collects the remains of his weapons, and begins walking back down the path toward the tower.
From: Ty
Subject: Back on the path; meetings
The party, now without Rennik to lead them through the brush, moves clumsily along the trail. Fortunately, the trail itself is easy to follow, as it has been pretty much the entire trip east.
Mission moves quietly along at the front, keeping his keen eyes open for trouble. However, once the party moves into the jungle proper, the visibility drops to less than 20 feet, and everything seems to be moving all the time. It would be very easy to be ambushed here.
Garyth follows behind him, keeping the stealthy Monk always in his sight. His mind churning with the events of the last few days. The moral code that had seemed so right and so logical when he was in town is breaking down out here in the wilds. No, that is all the more reason to keep to it tightly. I can't lose who I am just because the road becomes difficult.
The mages travel together in the middle, talking occasionally in quiet voices. The more killing the group has seen, the more distant and distracted Sa'id has become. Though, it seems to have had the opposite affect on Farron. His face has taken on a cold cheerfulness that is almost frightening when one remembers the events of last few days.
Cadfael brings up the rear. His face is flat, and his mood unreadable. Though, for the very first time, he does not travel with his Pelor adorned shield on his left arm. It is slung across his back as a fighter would carry it.
The party has gone only a few moments into the brush when there is a sound like a distant thunderclap from the east. Mission holds up a hand, and the party stops. "What was that?" he says while looking back at the party.
Everyone shrugs, though Sa'id does say, "It rains here quite a bit. A storm coming perhaps?"
Almost as soon as the words are out of his mouth, there comes a cry from the east, and then the sounds of a short fight. The party begins running east as soon as they hear the cry, but have no idea how far away it is. A few moments later, there is another sound like thunder, only this time much closer.
The group slows down, Mission being greatly concerned about the possibility of ambush. A small figure moves out of the jungle and begins walking toward them down the path. Garyth quickly moves to draw his sword, but Mission places a hand on his arm and says, "It's Rennik."
It is indeed Rennik, though his face is terrible to behold. It is twisted with rage, and hate, but these things do not surprise his companions. They have seen how easily the halfling is brought to anger. What is shocking is the despair in his eyes. He looks lost and frightened, and they have never seen him that way. In his hands, he clutches the broken remains of his bow and his axe.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: There's got to be a morning after; Judgements
OOC: I'll reply to Karl's earlier messages as well as Ty's most recent one (regarding Rennik) now.
> "You're welcome to any of the mage's components that you can use. I
> know you said you don't want them, but . . . well . . . if you change your
> mind." (Farron)
"No, thank you," Sa'id replies quietly. "I believe I cannot use most of those items either way. The school of divination is altogether incomprehensible to me." Sa'id notices the glimmer of relief in Farron's eyes, but does not comment.
> "Precisely why I prefer magery to priesthood," Farron whispers to Sa'id with
> a surreptitious wink. "Magic is a tricky enough medium without having to
> worry about the whims of gods to boot." He remembers Garth and under his
> breath adds a quick "No offense" to any gods who might be listening. (Farron)
"Indeed the gods are fickle," Sa'id replies. "Sometimes they grant boons, but other times-" he stops himself. There is a faint hint of something -- disgust, disdain, anger, it's hard to tell which -- in his voice whenever he speaks of the gods. Again, Sa'id glances upward at the treetops toward the almost invisible sky, mentally daring Pelor to prove him wrong.
However, Sa'id is gladdened by the openness and honesty of both Garyth and Mission's questioning of Cadfael, as well as by the priest's straightforward replies. It mitigates somewhat the remnants of last night's furious frustration with his companions' frequent idiocy. Garyth is trying, he thinks to himself. Though he is not the best or the brightest, his role is not one I could fill -- if only because Mission and Cadfael would be unlikely to listen to me.
Sa'id looks up at the words "it is Rennik." He stops in his tracks, taken aback by the abject despair in the halfling's eyes. Realizing that others in the group are likely to call out to the halfling, and not wanting to start a chorus of "Rennik!" he holds his tongue. He will wait for Rennik to speak, and if Cadfael wants to get past him to Rennik, he will move aside.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Garyth's hand drops from his sword hilt almost as quickly as his jaw drops when he sees the look on Rennik's face. It's almost too much to handle.
"Rennik!" He sees the broken axe in the halfling's hands. "What... What happened?"
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
[Editor's Note: Due to a problem with my webmail client, I had to reconstruct some of the punctuation. Some of it may be a bit different from the original.]
Rennik looks small. For once his stature and composure, his supreme confidence, is gone, and he truly looks his size. He is like a child who has watched his parents murdered before his eyes, who can do nothing but stagger forward.
His face is lined with anger, hatred, spite ... but also anguish. This anger is aimed inward, and his silent plod forward along the path holds not even a shadow of his former swagger. Even with the party in sight, his eyes scan the wilderness, like a beaten animal wary of the shadows.
At Garyth's question, he looks up, his eyes both ancient and childlike at once, almost gazing through the fighter at some nothingness beyond. His jaw is set, and his eyes wander over the group. Registering in his mind as no surprise, the men from the tower are nowhere to be seen. The fools likely released them, or let their guards down long enough for them to escape with their friend ... with a sardonic internal laugh, he realizes that none of them are dead, so they likely learned nothing from the experience.
He is not dead ... at least he breathes, and walks, and has no physical wound. But much of Rennik is gone, the core has cracked and has lost its balance, leaving a man both more human and more beast, both sad and cagey.
Rennik looks wearily into Garyth's eyes and begins to speak, almost with a measured detachment. It is almost as though he's relating a dream, or some vivid event from his distanct past.
"There was a crack, almost like thunder, but different. Like when the witch disappeared from the inn. I spun around, notching an arrow, and found teeth.
"There was a hell hound, where before there had been nothing. I pulled back out of its range, but it lunged. And that is when I saw her." Rennik stops, unable to speak through clenched jaw. His eyes narrow and look downward, as though the intensity of them alone could wound Garyth if leveled at him. "The she bitch, with the red hair. The one from the farm. She pointed... and then this." He holds up the remains of what had been his finely crafted shortbow.
"I reached for my axe and spun on the hound, cleaving its head, but when I turned she had closed the distance." He pauses and looks down at what remains of his axe. He holds only the metal head, broken away from the haft, with the clamps and steel bolts bent and stripped. "I meant to deflect her sword, but she hit what her mark."
His jaw clenches again, and his breathing becomes rapid and heavy, air rushing in and out through flared nostrils. His words come faster, as if he's arguing with himself.
"She would have taken me apart, piece by piece, so I fled, leaving the axe, the bow... I doubled back through the jungle for them. There was another crack, and she was gone. No tracks, no trail... disappeared just as she came. I don't think she wished to fight, though, or I would have suffered the fate of my weapon. She wished to talk..."
He turns to Cadfael with a dark glare, and a low growl barely audible only to Garyth.
"...about our dear Brother Cadfael, who knows *far* more than he's telling."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Startled, Garyth glances up at Cadfael, then back to Rennik. What on earth could that mean? Before he knows it, words are tumbling out of his mouth.
"What are you talking abou..."
Garyth catches himself before he says more, and realizes, with relief, that he has spoken softly. Perhaps Cadfael didn't hear. But wait, why shouldn't Cadfael hear? He's a good man, and one who's been through much lately that Garyth wouldn't wish on anyone.
But obviously Rennik has something to say. Garyth keeps his voice low. "I think you had better explain," he says.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Rennik stares at Cadfael coldly, with none of the fiery malice he normally throws around with abandon.
"The she bitch could have killed me easily. As easily as crushing a fly. But she did not. She attacked only my weapons, and spoke of you."
"I did not listen to her poison words, and fled. But you are on the minds of our enemies. So much that they would send the she bitch to speak ill of you - not to kill me, but to speak of you. You know more than you tell."
He turns from Cadfael to Sa'id, his tone calming.
"There is a pillar, small and made of black volcanic rock. It bears a map, which you must see. You may be able to interpret it where I could not." He again looks to the rest of the group. "From what I did understand, there was a great city here once. A city of halflings, dominant on this island and spread across what is now jungle. The map has many streets and inscriptions in a tongue I can only guess is ancient halfling, but one thing was certain...
"... at the base of the mountain, there was one distinguishing feature. A temple - the only building depicted on the entire map. The focus of the city. Possibly where we are now headed. A temple that might open into the mountain itself. Of all the unreadable marks, there was one that was very clear. The symbol Cadfael bears on his shield is exactly the same as the symbol on the temple."
He pauses, clenching his teeth and taking a few breaths before continuing, again talking with Cadfael.
"You have more business here than you have told us. Your brethren were here in ancient times. What evil did they awake? What dark forces now inhabit that temple? What horrible fate did they inflict upon my ancestors?"
"This history is ancient, forgotten by my people. But you shuddered at the mention of the Black Pillar. Your face grows more troubled the closer we get to the mountain. Our enemies try to turn me against you."
"You know this place. Its history. The fate of my people."
"You know where we tread, and what awaits us."
"Tell us what you know, before your silence kills us all..."
He adds after a controlled breath, "...as it did my ancestors."