The Forbidden Land of Sundara: Broken Sun IC

[Breitheamh]

Branden

Branden stood with his hands behind his back, comfortably close to his bow, his body placed just ever so subtly between Thesa and Lucius and these three newcomers. He wore simple clothing of dark green and brown, and any armor he might have been wearing was underneath his outer clothes. He looked grimy, as if he had just finished hard exercise or a long journey, but he did not seem to be bothered or fatigued by it.

He gave a short whistle as Lucius greeted the trio, and in just a few moments, there were at his side an enormous wolf, nearly the size of a horse, with dark brown fur and golden eyes, obediently poised next to her master, and a coal black horse with huge feathered wings and icy blue eyes. The winged horse seemed to be staring intently at the group, as if looking into their souls.

Branden was about to speak when Thesa beat him to it, adroitly handling the situation with her quick mind and charming personality. He raised an eyebrow quickly in her direction, with the slightest of smirks to go with it, and decided to focus his attention on the newcomers themselves.

Probably not Inquisitors, he thinks. The mage perhaps could be, but Judge Thornton would be reluctant to use an arcanist if he could help it, and there is no way in hell he would ever hire a Dwarf. This man with the strange eyes, though. What is his story?

In any case, Skathus will let me know if any have corruption in their souls.

Spoiler: OOC

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Skathus is using Detect Evil, then Detect Good.
Branden Sense Motive on Aurix only (1d20+7)[9] Edit: Well, guess not.

[Aldurin]

Lethio's hard and disapproving gaze softened as he considered the proposal. "Interesting plan. Strife among themselves would leave them vulnerable. But myself and my Order are not subtle in our actions, and our aftermath is easy to identify. Do you have a way to ensure that the Radiants blame the Brighthearts for the slaughter to come, instead of turning their focus back on the elves?"

[Plushie Arz]

THESA, BRANDEN, LUCIUS
Thesa couldn't sense any malevolent intent from the three. Issachar and Bokki seemed most transparent of the group. Bokki seemed like he was motivated by a sense of adventure. There was a hunted look about Issachar, mixed with a sense of longing. He was looking for something or someone, but it didn't look like any of the three.

Skathus could not sense any evil from the three.

LETHIO, KEYIRIS
Tanelia swept her hands, and motes of blue magic trailed from her fingers.

"The Brighthearts are sympathetic to those who suffered from the Radiant's purges, and the two Empires are on the verge of war. Ensure Father Lucius' passage to the Ko'tetsu and my allies will do the rest. Magic and concealment will obscure your actions. I have no intentions of bringing the wrath of the Radiants onto our people."

[Kvard51]

"Pardon my rudeness, but what would you do once you meet them?"

Issachar added the situation up in his head. Three of them, three of us. But we have Aurix. Besides, they don't look like Inquisitors...

"Lady, we would help them escape the coming inquisition of Chan'taal. An Inquisitor is on the way, looking for this Lucius Stormson and Thesa.
Our charge is to keep them safe." Issachar smiles at her in what he hopes is an encouraging manner. "So, if you know where they may be..?"

[paradox26]

Lucius had considered playing coy with the newcomers, at least until he could learn more of their intentions. But they made those clear pretty quickly. He decided he would introduce at least himself, though he would not reveal Thesa's identity. He knew that he was clearly a priest, and in a town of this size, probably the only one. So any but a fool would make the connection. But Thesa could pretend to be anyone, and if it did turn out that these were Radiant spies, sent in advance of the Inquisition, then she would be safe. He cleared his throat quietly, then said, "Greetings to all three of you then. I am the one known as the Stormson, now merely Father Lucius. We have recently heard word that the Inquisition is on its way here. I have reasons for wanting to avoid them, since Judge Thornton and I have a somewhat strained relationship. But what causes you to want to assist me in staying away from them? I would have thought that this was merely my own concern."

He took note that one was a dwarf and another a potential mage, neither of which was favoured by the Inquisition. They could conceivably be spies, but he doubted it. The Inquisition rarely bothered with using subtlety. And these could be valued allies in hiding in the wilderness, which wasn't really his forte.

[happycube]

KEYIRIS

Keyiris' mind raced with questions and possibilities; the scale of this woman's proposal was staggering! He realized he had been staring at her wide-eyed for several seconds after her exchange with Lethio had ceased, and jerked his head to look once more to Aulinair, a pained look creasing his brow as they locked eyes. She didn't like the plan; neither did he, but it sounded oh-so-fitting. He looked once more to Tanelia, and all the questions came flooding back.

Can she be trusted? Is this a trap? What if her information is bad? Why had we not heard of this? Did Aulinair know without telling me? Who is this "Lucius"? If...

One line of inquiry stood out above the rest, one that merited pursuit more than any of the others. When Keyiris spoke, it was with a tone of earnest concern, first to Tanelia, and then to the gathered circle. "Even if our actions now help to precipitate such conflict, what consideration has been given to the Order’s successor? While we all seek vindication for the Order’s atrocities, we must ensure that whatever remains after the dust settles will be friendly to our own cause; any victory will be meaningless if a lasting peace cannot be reached."

[Alias_Trench]

AURIX

Spoiler

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He had the impression that the bowman was someone who cared deeply for those around him and was trying to conceal some kind of personal tragedy. He seemed like a devout follower of Mornay but unlike many Aurix encountered in his long journey, he did not seem bothered by those who looked different.

The young woman was filled with devotion and curiosity. She had an innocence around her and it was clear Mornay had blessed her with her divine favour. She seemed to share some sort of connection with the Goddess but did not appear to be a slave to dogma, unlike many others.

As for the old man, he was dressed in the garb of a priest and it was clear he put up a reserved and aloof front for those he was unfamiliar with. He seemed trustworthy enough however, and both the bowman and the young woman stood around him protectively.

Spoiler

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Lucius was a high ranking priest who supported the Brighthearts and was exiled from Farlaen. The records were stricken and Aurix hadn't heard much of his accomplishments. He was one of the few who spoke in favour of Feeona's canonisation. The Brighthearts lost much of their influence in Farlaen after Lucius' removal from power.

He had heard tales of a wandering scholar by the name of Thesa who could deliver Mornay's favours without prayers. It was a power similar to that displayed by many members of the Sisters of Dawn. However, Thesa was not aligned with the Sisters or the Radiants. Her gifts made her especially valuable.

Chan'taal was a small village on the edges of the Dinassi Empire. Its isolation and small population kept it out of the minds of many petty lords and priests vying for power in the Empires.

Aurix watched their interaction play out before him, there wasn't much that his eyes and sense missed. The bowman was silent standing slightly in front of the other two, hands behind his back, seeming to project a protective stance. He whistled and before long a large brown wolf and a winged horse of black appeared beside him, the latter staring at Aurix and his companions appraisingly. Yes, protective stance indeed. The woman on the other hand projected a curiosity, devotion to Mornay and innocence. There was disappointment there on her face but as he spoke that look changed to surprise, then amusement. She too stepped forward and spoke as if she knew Thesa but Aurix could see that this woman was blessed with Mornay's favour and she shared a pure and simple connection to the goddess in a similar manner that he recalled a number of Sisters of the Dawn having. She bore no symbols marking her as such and Aurix surmised that she was probably Thesa herself. Aurix thought to confirm but then thought better of it as he caught a raised eyebrow and a smirk from the bowman in his peripheral vision. The elder gentleman looked a bit younger than Aurix's age, or at least if Aurix had aged like other humans. He held himself in a reserved and aloof manner.

Issachar for his own credit had put two and two together from the information Aurix had provided him and answered the proffered question that the young woman asked with what Aurix strongly suspected. Whether or not it was an intelligent deduction or a gambit to elicit information Aurix couldn't be sure but the Elder man confirmed Aurix's suspicions of a Radiant Inquisition and presented himself as Father Lucius Stormson.

He cleared his throat quietly, then said,
"Greetings to all three of you then. I am the one known as the Stormson, now merely Father Lucius. We have recently heard word that the Inquisition is on its way here. I have reasons for wanting to avoid them, since Judge Thornton and I have a somewhat strained relationship. But what causes you to want to assist me in staying away from them? I would have thought that this was merely my own concern."

"It concerns an old friend of mine, Khallis of Jor'daams. She sent me a message in Oldentown naming yourself Father Lucius and someone named Thesa" Aurix addressed Lucius but briefly brought his gaze to the young woman when mentioning Thesa, since she 'knew her' before returning his attention to Lucius. "as 'Friends of the Saint' that must be protected. I suspected a Radiant Inquisition and came at once. Seeing as you know of the threat, what are your plans and what can you tell me about this Judge Thornton?"

Aurix left the fact that he could already see that they had some form of protection in this bowman and his bestial travelling companions unsaid. Besides many claws made for light work, or so the saying went in his home tribe.

[Plushie Arz]

LUCIUS, THESA

Spoiler

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Lucius and Thesa knew Khallis of Jor'daams was an elven priestess of Mornay who was said to be among one of Saint Feeona's closest supporters. Khallis is a senior figure of the Brightheart leadership and she is largely respected by the lay members of the faction, particularly the half-elven citizens in the Ko'tetsu who lent their support to the Brighthearts after Emperor Flavian's decree.

LETHIO, KEYIRIS
"The Order's conflict will herald a return to the natural state, before their ascension. Our people can reclaim the lost lands stolen from us. We find strength in our unity while the humans will be weakened by their strife. We will once again be in a position to cultivate whatever allies we need to aid in our cause, including any successors to the Morning Sun. Even now, our people stand on the precipice of extinction. The high elves are gone and if the Order continues its current path, we will surely follow."

Tanelia's words were persuasive and even though Keyiris could sense Aulinair's displeasure, he could not deny the appeal of Tanelia's proposition. The elven people had been in decline for centuries, and the last six decades only accelerated the downfall of the old elven empires. The cities of Kae'ris and Kiiska, the twin jewels of the north and south were dulled and their proud people were either forced to live under the puppet rule of the half elves, or find sanctuary wandering the wilderness. The tales told by his mother of mighty heroes, soaring feats of high magic and incredible feats of faith seemed like stirring the ashes of a distant memory.

[Breitheamh]

Branden

After a few moments, the winged horse ruffled his right wing, and Branden visibly relaxed. Then he spoke up for the first time in this meeting.

"Judge Thornton is a Radiant of deepest conviction. He combines tactical cunning with unwavering determination to purge the world of those he believes to be enemies of Mornay. The fact that his beliefs in that regard are horribly misguided makes him the most dangerous threat I have ever faced." He stiffens as he delivers this speech, holding back the strong emotions that he has on the subject of Thornton

"As for our plans, I only just arrived here myself, flying from Shorehaven where I received the same news as yourselves, albeit from a different source. I do not know this Khallis, but it would seem that our goals are aligned at the moment. I am Branden MacTirren, sometimes called the Raven Wolf." he finishes by smiling, stepping forward, and stretching out a hand in the general direction of the trio.

[Ryuuk]

Thesa

Despite the apperant gravity of the coming threat, Thesa smiles at Issachar and continues to play coy. "Well, I'm sure they tend to be near the chapel at this time." This was immature, she knew, but with Branden and his companions watching over, she doubted any harm could come of it.

Father Lucius proved to be more straightforward with the new trio. She could see Aquilla's narrowed eyes, shaking head and hear the muttered elven profanities in her head as Lucius spoke, but she had to trust his judgement.

That was twice now that Aurix's words had changed things. He seemed to have caught her and played along, this was about the right time to cooperate, but make note. She was well known now? That was new. Her tone becomes much more respectful. "It is humbling to be considered a Friend of the Saint by Khallis of Jor'daams... I just wish I knew how she deemed me worthy."

"My name is Thesa, my apologies. It is strange for strangers to seek one out by name and offer the same warning as friends." She speaks to all three but to Issachar in particular as she asks forgiveness.

[happycube]

KEYIRIS

Doubt and excitement rushed through Keyiris' mind in equal parts. He had never dreamed to have a hand in such a decision, yet here he was. How many would suffer in the ensuing conflict, if they acted as Tanelia asked? How many more would be spared from the cruelties of the Order? The impact was incalculable. Keyiris found himself momentarily thinking back to his days among the libraries of Kae'ris. Perhaps the archmages of old from his mother's stories would have been able to properly analyze such a scenario, but even that was wishful thinking; the naïveness of a child with much yet to learn. A child whose home yet stood. In that moment, he knew his mind was made up.

Outwardly, Keyiris looked perplexed, staring at a point somewhere behind Tanelia's eyes as she spoke. When she had finished, he turned to Aulinair once more, speaking to her in a low voice.

"What are your thoughts, Auli?"

[paradox26]

Lucius considered what he had been told. He decided that he should trust in these people to at least some degree, though he was reluctant to bring Thesa into it with him, in case it was a trap. But if she was wanted as well, then there was little alternative, and they would be better off travelling together. Besides, between them and Branden, they should be able to fight off this group if they did turn out to be Inquisition spies.

He spoke up after Branden, saying, "What young Branden here says is true. Judge Thornton is a hard and difficult man. He and I are well known to each other, but we have never been counted as friends. There are several words that could discuss our relationship, but friends would not be one of them. As for our plans, we had intended to keep the village safe by leaving for a time,
and going out into the wilderness. Going to other towns would simply lay a trail for the Inquisition to follow us. And might I add, you would do well to leave this place before the Inquisition gets here as well. They do not look favourably on magic users of dwarves."

[Aldurin]

Lethio straightened and softened his expression, the harsh gaze gone. He didn't think the fine details of the plan would go as Tanelia wanted them to, but that wasn't necessarily bad. He turned to the other members of druid circle, speaking in druidic with a chipper tone. "I'm off to go kill more humans. Good luck to those of you who are going to do the same."

Dropping down from his ledge, he approached the three elves while signaling Obaith to stand next to him. The beast was more than willing to oblige, recognizing Lethio's attitude before a hunt. "I'm willing to test this alliance today." Lethio resumed in elven. "What do you know about this inquisition force?"

[Plushie Arz]

DM: +1500XP to all!

LETHIO, KEYIRIS
Aulinair frowned, deep in thought at the proposition.

"Tanelia makes many promises but we're no better facing the Order alone. We've done that for the last fifty years and it's gotten us nowhere. If her way gives us a chance to restore our people, then it might be worth it"

* * *

"The humans are led by one called Mordecai Thornton. An old man, but a powerful agent of their sun goddess. He is accompanied by his band of inquisitors. Twenty in all, with five capable of magic. They travel as a group on horseback and are less than a day from the village. I suggest we wait until they are within range of Father Lucius before we strike."

[Kvard51]

Thesa

Her tone becomes much more respectful. "It is humbling to be considered a Friend of the Saint by Khallis of Jor'daams... I just wish I knew how she deemed me worthy."

"My name is Thesa, my apologies. It is strange for strangers to seek one out by name and offer the same warning as friends." She speaks to all three but to Issachar in particular as she asks forgiveness.

Nodding, Issachar smiles at the young girl, "It is a humbling experience when we discover we are considered by the powerful in the world, is it not?
I have recently learned this same lesson, but only the 'hunted' side of it. You have important friends, even if you do not know them."

Turning to Aurix and Bokki, Issachar says, "Perhaps we should remove ourselves from the road and into a more defensible position while we discuss this? Perhaps I should contact Aulinair and have her pass the news that we have found them on to your contact, Aurix?"

[Autopsibiofeeder]

Bokki

Bokki listened with interest to the whole exchange. Humans have such complex societies, so many organizations that have ties or oppose one another. And weird names....who can remember all those names? Bokki, Gilli, Hallygg, Heikki...those are proper names. Any way, it was clear to him that the threat perceived by those around him was serious.

"Do we expect this judge, ehm, Stormthorn...horn...somewhat immediately?" the Dwarf interjects. "If so, I agree we ought to move off the road. I also suggest you find a place to finish your discussion while I keep an eye on the road so I can give you a timely warning when mister Thoren...sen arrives. My knowledge on the affairs of the Inquisition is limited, so I won´t be of much help doing talking, but count me dedicated to help you evade it!" While he has no clue what this judge looks like, he is confident he can spot a (self-)important man traveling down this road.

[Breitheamh]

Bokki

Bokki listened with interest to the whole exchange. Humans have such complex societies, so many organizations that have ties or oppose one another. And weird names....who can remember all those names? Bokki, Gilli, Hallygg, Heikki...those are proper names. Any way, it was clear to him that the threat perceived by those around him was serious.

"Do we expect this judge, ehm, Stormthorn...horn...somewhat immediately?" the Dwarf interjects. "If so, I agree we ought to move off the road. I also suggest you find a place to finish your discussion while I keep an eye on the road so I can give you a timely warning when mister Thoren...sen arrives. My knowledge on the affairs of the Inquisition is limited, so I won´t be of much help doing talking, but count me dedicated to help you evade it!" While he has no clue what this judge looks like, he is confident he can spot a (self-)important man traveling down this road.

Branden

"Thornton, master dwarf," Branden corrects Bokki's stumbling over the name with a smirk. "Based on when I learned of his coming, I would guess we have maybe a day before the Inquisition arrives. He has about twenty inquisitors with him, and several of them wield divine power.

I agree that we should try to stay off the main roads and away from villages as much as a possible. We can't give the Inquisition any reason to hurt innocents."

[happycube]

KEYIRIS

Giving a solemn nod to Aulinair, Keyiris turned again to the others, ever more questions burning in his mind. "Will this 'Lucius' be useful in today's fight? If so, we must contact him, lest our intentions be unclear and we find ourselves in a three-way combat," he quickly explained, looking to Tanelia with an addendum. "I presume then that you have accounted for the duration of any spells to be cast by the Order in determining the proximity of our ambush to Lucius' present location?" Keyiris asked, his voice a monotone aside from the final word, barely distinguishing his query from a presumptuous comment.

A twinge of pain shot through Keyiris' wrist, and he glanced down to see the knuckles of his offhand white from his death grip on the blade at his belt. He wrenched his hand from the hilt, shakily grasping at his other fist behind his back as he settled into an awkward pose of feigned poise.

[Alias_Trench]

Aurix moved to close the distance and went to shake the extended hand that the Bowman, now to be known and Branden MacTirren. As he moved closer Branden, Lucius and Thesa could now clearly make out Aurix's features in detail. The white hair stood out clearly from a distance and drew attention but what would have looked like eyes with liberally applied eyeliner were actually solid pools of black where the whites should be and amber gold irises that in contrast shone like a champagne moon in the night sky. A large red tribal script was inked onto his forehead and similarly shaped script graced his uncovered arms and wove their way around and across multitudes of scars unbroken. Aurix for his own part was taking note of their scents as.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Branden, Father Lucius and Thesa."

Issachar and Bokki both advocated for stepping off the street "Yes I agree we should move off the main road to continue our conversation. Would you mind leading the way to somewhere we may conclude our discussion"

Turning to Issachar as they walk, Aurix continues.

"If you have a reliable way of contacting Aulinair so that we may relay a message back to Khallis that would be most helpful however we should figure out what our plans are before we send a message."

Turning towards the rest of the party

"I agree that we should move to evade the inquisition and given the fact they will be here within the day as Branden has estimated we should move swiftly. How much time will you need to prepare for our departure? That said I am concerned about the residents of this here town. The Radiants have shown that they're not opposed to burning parts of wherever they're purging especially if they're not cooperating with their inquisition. I do not know the people here as you do, Thesa and Father Lucius, but is it likely that they will resist the Inquisition?"

[Plushie Arz]

LUCIUS, BRANDEN, THESA

Spoiler: Knowledge (Religion)

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Thesa: (1d20+18)[20]
Lucius: (1d20+17)[27]
Branden: (1d20+3)[20]

Spoiler

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Aurix's black and gold eyes did not occur naturally among humans. The Divine Light contained passages attributing such features to those who were tainted by the touch of Ni'Kote or the Ancient Evil. Although those who were afflicted were not automatically evil, it was said they had a propensity for dark magic and struggled against their own nature.

Lucius was aware of further passages from the Divine Light which were struck out by various Sols over the centuries of the Order's history. Such passages were referred to in the heretical teachings of Archbishop Márton Kisma, the founder of the Order of the Evening Sun. Kisma had claimed Mornay and Ni'Kote had shared an incestuous bond before unification in the Age of Heroes, and such a coupling produced a mortal child who was gifted with the powers of both light and shadow. This child, known as the Blacklight Heir, was said to have produced a line of descendants who shared his powers and had the same eyes of black and gold. However, the Order dismissed Kisma's claims as heresy, leading to the purge of the Archbishop's followers.

LETHIO, KEYIRIS

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"I have accounted for the humans' spells. We are not the only ones with grievances against the Radiants. They have made many enemies over the years. Still, it will be prudent to let Father Lucius know of your arrival and I'm afraid my skills in that regard have been expended for the day."

Lethio and Keyiris had been carefully watching Tanelia since she started speaking and her latest admission confirmed their suspicions that she was not an arcanist who studied to master their arts, but rather a sorceress whose arcane talents came innately.

MEANWHILE...
Even though his knees crackled in protest at the hours on horseback, Judge Mordecai Thornton held tightly onto his saddles and felt the morning wind on his face. The sun was peeking over the Great Dividing Range and the village will soon be within riding distance. It was on mornings such as this that he felt the sting of his age most sharply. The strength of youth had ebbed away from him years ago, leaving joints aching and muscle wasted. It was the way of the Goddess, to take away a blessing and give back a boon. Although his body weakened, the years of experience etched into his soul and his divine connection only grew stronger. Every day, he gave thanks for his humble existence as a servant of the church. "The purest light casts no shadows. Goddess, fill me with your eternal radiance."

He had been riding for four days now, since his agent brought news of Father Lucius' location. Brother Phillis had been most accommodating with his restorative prayers and they made the long journey from Shorehaven much more tolerable. While many other Radiants would have requisitioned teleportation spells from the Mage Council, he himself preferred the journey on horse. It was unpretentious and reliable, quite unlike the fickle trappings of magic enjoyed by the apostates. He had learned to only trust what he could see and hear himself, and preferred justice to be dealt out that way. After all, it was only fair for a man who passes judgment to deliver the sentence himself.

He bore Father Lucius no ill will as a fellow servant of Mornay but the disturbing evidence of heresy and apostacy must be answered. He had heard rumours of heathen and false prophets populating the villages and towns on the fringes of the Dinassi Empire, forcing their corrupt teachings on impressionable minds. These wayward souls would in turn, ally with the vile goblinoids or worse and take up arms against the Empire. Already, the inquisition had been waylaid by goblinoid warbands who wielded weapons supplied by the Brighthearts. He knew those simple creatures were incapable of trading for such arms, and they were clearly forged in the Kot'etsu by the Emperor's smiths. How convenient such creatures learned to target the Inquisition on their way to Chan'taal. Father Lucius and his supporters will have much to answer for.

[happycube]

KEYIRIS

"Unfortunate," Keyiris sighed to Tanelia, his voice heavy with a mix of disdain and disappointment.

Still apparently unsure what to do with his hands, he tugged momentarily at the edge of his dark cloak, pulling it slightly around him before crossing his arms and bouncing once on the balls of his feet. Momentarily satisfied with his posture, he looked quizzically to Aulinair and Lethio. "Unless you are able to do so, we must make haste in joining mister Lucius," he says, a small smile turning his lips on the word 'haste'.

[Aldurin]

Lethio simply smiled and climbed up onto Obaith, who sat down to better help the debilitated elf get on his back. Once he settled in, he offered a hand to Keyiris. "He's stronger than he looks, so he'll have no problem carrying an extra person or two. You'll love the view you get of humans panicking when you're up in the sky." Obaith took a moment to ponder why they weren't taking off, then turned to look directly at Keyiris and Aulinair so it could emit an impatient squawk.

Spoiler

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So with 40 lbs from the barding, 158 lbs from Lethio and 115.5 lbs from Keyiris, Obaith can still fly with a light load. Unfortunately he'll only have less than 40 lbs of carrying capacity within that category, so if Aulinair joins we'll be traveling slightly slower unless we expend strength or speed buffs.

[Plushie Arz]

KEYIRIS, LETHIO
"No, I'm fine thanks." Said Aulinair evenly, eyeing the overgrown eagle warily. She muttered words to a spell of flight and her feet rose from the ground. Obaith did not return the affection and hissed, revealing rows of diminutive teeth behind its beak and a hooked tongue.

The village of Chan'taal was little under a day away from the Permulian Forest on foot but the trio made swift progress in the air. Tanelia had given them instructions to wait in the outskirts of the village, out of sight and observe. Aulinair was to contact Father Lucius and should the priest attempt to leave, they are to offer their aid. Should the Radiants approach, they are to deploy their spells to delay their advance, but not to engage them directly unless in the priest's company.

The thick canopy underfoot started to thin and they flew over the banks and clear waters of the Glimerflow. The village was in the distance.

BOKKI
Spot Check: (1d20+19)[34]

While Thesa and Lucius led others to the small chapel in the village square, Bokki kept watch. He kept an eye out for Branden's animal companions, the she-wolf and black pegasus that seemed to follow the bowman everywhere. Bokki had never had an affinity for animals himself. The giant cave pigs in the mountains usually ended up on a platter and it was usually the children who kept small animals as pets. At least he could talk and drink with other people. Animals avoided him anyway. He stayed outside the chapel, his eyes on the roads and skies for signs of trouble.

In south-eastern skies above the forest, he saw a winged creature far larger than any bird he knew making its descent. He was reminded of the rocs back home, who made their nests in the stony peaks and preyed on unwary travellers. This winged creature was at least several miles away from the village and at the current distance, he couldn't make out enough details to determine exactly what it was.

[paradox26]

Lucius was dismayed to hear of the strength of the inquisitorial force that was coming after him. He knew that he was a high value target for the Radiants, but he didn't think he was worth sending twenty men, including five spellcasters. He would probably be unable to take them all down on his own, especially as they were led by a man whose power matched his own. "Of course,
we should move this discussion inside. Not into the church, of course. We must not go into such a holy place to discuss avoiding members of Mornay's Inquisition. We should go into my quarters behind the church, where we can speak out of people's hearing."

He started to lead the others towards the rear of the church to his small house. As he walked, he said conversationally, "I can be ready to leave at very little notice. A few minutes to gather my equipment, then a few minutes more to tell someone that they should care for the church until my return, and the reason for my departure. Actually, it would be better for the villagers if I do not say why I am leaving. It will upset the Inquisitors less. We will also definitely have to avoid towns and villages, though it should be possible for those of us the Inquisition is unaware of to enter for provisions as needed. Still, it must be kept to a minimum, and totally avoided if possible."

[Ryuuk]

As Aurix presented himself, Thesa's eyes widened. One touched by the Ancient Evil, yet in service of one such as Khallis of Jor'daams. A dwarf fresh from under the mountains, a hunted spellcaster... The deviant practices of the East stood before her, trying to decide how to best avoid the inquisition. Mid morning on the open road was hardly the place for a shadowy conspiracy though. Despite their words, she felt no fear for what they might do to her, no corruption grasping at her core. At least, not yet. The goddess had placed her here and now, she could only guess to what ends. She had faith in her path though, it would all be clear in time. She only committed this meeting to memory, to look over when time allowed it.

As the others spoke, Thesa aided in leading the group. Would Chan'Taal confront the coming threat?
"The inquisition is a far off idea here, at least as far as I can tell." Also one she had not witnessed with the feriocity of some of the others here. "They are followers, but not the kind to correct another's ways. The goddess is kind and merciful, a light in the dark and bringer of warmth. If you believe that, you share their faith... I don't want them to have to defend this before anyone, they have done nothing wrong."

"I'm carrying everything I could need, would you like some help Father Lucius?"

[Breitheamh]

Branden

Branden follows Lucius and Thesa toward the priest's quarters, his mind running through the possibilities once Thornton reached Chan'taal.

"I think, maybe..." he starts, unsure if he should even consider the idea. "Maybe we should instruct the villagers to tell the Inquisitors exactly where we're going. It would be unwise to fight them head on, but we have to out run them anyway. We can leave false trails through the countryside, but the villagers will be safest if they just tell Judge Thornton where we've gone."

[Alias_Trench]

"What is wrong and what is right is more often than not a case of perspective. While we may believe no wrong has been done by those who worship plainly and simply, to many of those who follow the Dawnbringer's philosophy, to err even slightly from the path that she dictates as a divine representative of Mornay is heresy." Aurix replied with a frown. Thesa was optimistic but perhaps also somewhat sheltered. She was not old enough to have seen the atrocities the Order had committed as part of their quest, for what they thought was right. It was just as well that the populace of this town followed Mornay as far as Aurix was aware. If they coveted any other god the Radiants would see to it that they no longer did one way or another.

"That is a reasonable idea Branden. If the townsfolk were to say they knew nothing and it was the truth the Inquisitors would still likely believe their behaviour to be protecting Father Lucius. Thus it could protect the townsfolk from the inquisitions more heavy handed methods of extracting information. The added benefit of being out in the wilderness is if they were to catch up with us it would lessen the collateral damage if an altercation were to occur there. Father Lucius, you need not say why you're leaving but at the very least if you tell the townsfolk where you are going then they should be safe - I have no specific instructions on where to take you two, but I would advocate for Oldentown as the safest place. If you have any particular requests however please speak your mind."

After Father Lucius and Thesa went about preparing themselves Aurix turns to Issachar

"Issachar, while Father Lucius and Thesa make their preparations we should make contact with Aulinair. I've been thinking over a message to send to Khallis and I think I've got a reasonable idea but I'd like your opinion, after all you'll be the one to relay it to Aulinair. Aegis, parchment and charcoal please."

The shining chain shirt on Aurix's torso glowed briefly and a crude piece of parchment and an artificial looking piece of charcoal appeared in Aurix's hands. Aurix then began scratching out a short message before handing it to Issachar.

Spoiler: scrap of parchment

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'Friends of Saint found. Moving to evade Inquisition. Please advise of any specific instructions. Otherwise we will travel to Oldentown. Aurix and co.'

"Obviously, if Father Lucius and Thesa have a particular objection to travelling to Oldentown and another destination is chosen the sending should reflect that. But aside from that... What do you think?"

[Ryuuk]

They had experience in what they were doing. Thesa knew as much from her time with the Raven Wolves, but Aurix did not seem far behind. They had lessons to teach if she payed attention, and was willing to acccept them. "Oldentown? If it is for the best, sure." It was further east, she was sure of that much, at least. The next stop on the journey, this was exciting, despite the circumstances.

She places a hand on her chest, lowering her head in a short suplication. "Please guide me," Her other hand draws her holy symbol, a finely crafted disc bearing Mornay's sun, as she continues, her eyes now closed. "Please guide me and grant me a fraction of your wisdom." She pauses, taking a deep breath and trying to find something that could be important, that might be useful.

Spoiler: OoC

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Knowledge rolls are in the OoC

[Plushie Arz]

THESA

Spoiler

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The Independent City of Oldentown stands defiant as one of the last bastions of tolerance and freedom in Sundara. It sits in the shadows of the Dinassi and Ko’testsu Empires and is bordered by the Great Dividing Chain to the east, and the Mouth of Life to the west. Originally a small trading town, the city grew rapidly after the Second Darkstar War and now almost rivals the capitals of Farlaen and Ar’leenos in its splendour, if not in history.

The city was built around the great docks and ports which opened to the Mouth of Life. Here, ships from both empires and beyond conduct trade away from the taxes and bureaucracy. The old historic part of the city is situated around the plazas and town squares which abut the docks. A twenty foot tall wall of stone separates this area from the newer districts to the south. The buildings in this district are far less uniform. Although they roughly adhere to the gridlines of the streets and irrigation canals, terraces are built next to taverns and adjoin large tracts of open space and greenery. Warehouses, markets and guildhalls are scattered around the unplanned neighbourhoods.

Oldentown was a haven for refugees fleeing the persecution in the Dinassi and Ko'tetsu. The people of the city lived in a community which had little regard for faith or piety. It was a place where dangerous ideas and heresies festered. It made the city prime recruiting grounds for members of the Factum, the elven resistance and other degenerate cults who paid tribute to dark powers. The Radiants had wanted to put a stop to it for years, but were unable to attain enough support from the Farlaenean Assembly or the Church.

[happycube]

KEYIRIS

Accepting the mounted elf's proffered hand, Keyiris climbed up behind him atop the massive avian. With some difficulty, he seated himself, and his thoughts soon drifted to other places. Once they were airborne, Keyiris found himself gazing longingly at the horizon, towards where he knew the ruins of his once-home lay.

Shame that Stormson had not sought refuge closer to Kae'ris; it would be poetic justice for an inquisitor to fall among the ruins of elven civilization...

Keyiris felt his pulse quicken in anticipation as they approached the village in the distance.