Wrath of the Righteous - Worldwound Incursion [IC]

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna has very few combat medic skills, relying on her faith healing for these kinds of situations. She looks at Diamond sympathetically, but leaves someone else to treat him.

"How far are we from the inn, Skerak?"

[Frosty]

Luna gives a sheepish look. "I'm sorry. Not really classically trained in the mundane healing arts. My...upbringing...didn't exactly come with medical training. Or literacy. Or any education, really. But if you want to force them out, I can just provide more healing if desired."

[Diachronos]

"I have no idea."

[Frosty]

Luna thinks a bit. "You know, I've always bene pretty perceptive. Even though I'm not trained, I can try to pull them out carefully..." She casts a spell to give herself a bit more luck on this endeavor, and will try to pull a quill out, if allowed.

Spoiler: ooc

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Cast Guidance on self. Take 10 on Heal check for a total of 15.

[Kallimakus]

The quill comes off. The inn is in the general Northernly direction. It takes most of the day getting there, and the group is assailed by occasional groups of fiendish vermin, but nothing that they cannot handle with relative ease. The Sun is dipping low as they ultimately reach the large structure.

The Defender's Heart is a stout stone structure that withstood the initial demonic assault, and from the looks of it, broken windows end burnt walls, as well as bloodstains on the streets tell that they've fought to keep it safe. Figures are visible in some of the windows. The doors are barricaded and guarded.

"Not a step closer!" a male voice calls out. Luna recognizes the voice of Ernst, a voice she heard often while at work. A frequent customer. "You'll need to identify yourselves or put down your weapons"
Shauna would know Ernst as a small-time mercenary. Others would probably not know him, but can roll local

[Frosty]

Luna makes sure the people that need protecting are protected, and is glad that the day's travel wasn't too difficult. At the sight of the inn and the voice of Ernst, one of her customers, Luna smiles. The cleric moves to the front of the group. "Ernst, it is I, Lunalesca! Are we glad to see you all have kept this place safe!" She waves at the guard.

[Kallimakus]

"Hey! Luna...?" he says, stepping forward, then shaking his head. "You're not the first to approach with a friendly face Luna. I'm sorry"

[Frosty]

Lunalesca's face fell. Friendly face? Ernst doesn't believe her cherubic and trustworthy face? "But...but...you KNOW me! You visited me plenty at the nearby inn..." Suddenly, a light goes off on top of her head (and it's not the halo).

"Of course he doesn't immediately recognize me. Every other time he has seen me...I was..."

With that, the cleric starts stripping. All of her skimpy clothing comes off. Everything except her shoes. When she is done, the nude woman once again waves to Ernst. "NOW do you believe me? You've seen this pair of Tatas MANY times before!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna disarms. "Please, we mean no one any harm. Please allow us to enter."

She glances at Luna with disapproval. "We are in public. Do not disrobe here! Have some sense of shame, you disgusting strumpet!"

[Kallimakus]

"Ehmm… Yeah..." Ernst says. "I think you're you" he says. "You can approach"


"Ernst!" a stern voice calls out. "Are you thinking with the wrong head again?"

That's a voice that Shauna and Skerak recognize as belonging to Irabeth. Anevia recognizes it too, limping to the front of the group.
"This better be good" the woman says, stepping to the fore. She is a half-orc dressed in armor, "...Anevia?" she asks in disbelief. With that, she's outside, running to the group.
She embraces Anevia, careful of her injuries. "I thought I'd lost you..." she says quietly.

"When I see a pretty lady I need to stick to protocol but when she sees one it's just..." Ernst shouts before someone makes him quiet.

"You people… You helped her get here?" Irabeth asks Shauna, ignoring Luna pointedly. Still, she had been given leave to approach.

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna gives Irabeth a crisp salute. "It was a pleasure, ma'am. I'm glad you're unharmed too. Gave us quite a scare. But we need information. What is going on? What happened at the festival?"

[Kish]

"Yes, she was with us when we fell down to caverns below the city during the attack," Hesper says. "When we made our way back to the surface, we learned that this was where a resistance would be."

She doesn't comment on Luna's disattire.

[Zhentarim]

Diamond stands silently, listening as the others speak. He has his weapon loaded and drawn in case of an ambush. When the others are done speaking, he says ”We are ready to help in any way we can to support that resistance, too!”

[Frosty]

When Shauna shouts at her to cover, and calls her a strumpet, the cleric just harumphs! "I don't know why you're calling me a musical instrument, but I'll have you know no woman's body is shameful! None of the men who visited me think my body is shameful either!"

Luna does indeed approach the inn, after given the leave to do so by Ernst. She goes up to Ernst and gives him a smile. "Thanks, love. You were one of my favs!"

Then the nude woman turns to Anevia and Irabeth. "Yeah, when Anevia first fell down. her leg was broken something fierce. Everything bent all the wrong angles. Luckily I was able to set it right and fashion a crutch for her as well. We made sure she was in as little danger as could be managed for our trek back here. So...is the Heart the only safe place in town now? I guess the demons aren't sieging this place?"

[Diachronos]

Skerak follows the others into the building.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Of course your body is shameful, it's been used so many times it's practically in need of repair," Shauna retorts coolly.

[Kallimakus]

"We should go in" Irabeth says. The guards let the group pass. Inside are both warriors and refugees from the city. The common room has been turned to an infirmary. The rooms of upper stories serve to house the people. The half-orc takes you to a side room.

"Please tell me you have good news" she says. "As for your question Shauna, I was on my way to the main event when suddenly a giant demon descended from the sky. Something shattered the Wardstone and the city was overrun with demons on moments. They... they killed Terendelev, the silver dragon, and anyone who would stand in their way. Burnt down most of the centre of the city from what I hear. We have been surviving here. The walls are strong and the occupants as well."

She turns to the others. "This is indeed what's left of the resistance here in Kenabres. I hope word has gotten out."

She turns to Luna, eyes stubbornly on her face. "I owe you great thanks for saving my wife. And all of you, for helping her return here safely."

To Diamond, she says. "The enemies are coordinated somehow. I think there must have been cultist elements in Kenabres that sabotaged our defences. We believe there are still some powerful demons lurking in the centre of the city, so I have not dared draw their attention here. We've been attacked more than once by cultists and lesser fiends, but they tend to go for easier targets."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Then we need to crack a few cultist skulls," Shauna replies, gritting her teeth. "This betrayal will not be taken lightly. We have information about their safehouses. We can find the rest of them before they crawl into the holes they came out of."

[Frosty]

Lunalesca
HP: 24/24 | AC: 19 | Init: +2 | Fort/Ref/Wil = 6/4/8
Diplomacy/Bluff +11 | Knowledge Religion/History +8 | Knowledge Planes +10 | Perception +11 | 
Resources:  Channels 5/5, Fire Bolt 7/7, Dragon Scale 2/3
Effects:  Levitate

Once inside, she takes a quick look around. The cleric is hoping to see more faces she knows, especially those of her friends and colleagues (especially her co-worker, Lily). But, she doesn't have much time this go-around because the group is immediately pulled into a side room. The exposed lady of the night likely draws some attention, but Luna pays that no mind for now. Business first. Other types of business (and perhaps pleasure) later.

Luna represses her urge to giggle as she notices the half-orc Irabeth work hard to have her eyes remain 100% at face level. Perhaps not too surprising, given how Irabeth has a wife instead of a husband. "You're welcome, Irabeth. Anyone would've done that for someone injured in hostile territory. As for good news, well...we've got something that's both in a way."

She bends over to rummage through her pack. "Now where did I put it..." After a few seconds more, she manages to produce the half-burnt note recovered from the bad mongrel lair.

...once Vorlesh has finished with the Wardstone and Kenabres is no longer of interest to us, you are to return to my side.
Excellent news regarding the salvage of Yaniel's sword from the museum as well - Bring it with you, for I believe this weapon could be useful once we corrupt it.
Before you leave for Drezen, stop by the three safe houses (Nyserian Manor, Topaz Solutions and the Tower of Estrod.
The Password remains "I've new material to the archives" for now). Ensure no evidence is left behind.
May Lord Deskari and Lord Baphomet watch over you!
S.V

Handing it over to Irabeth, Luna continues, "So, the good news is that, we know the location of three safe houses for cultists. The bad news is, you guys HAVE 3 safe houses in Kenabres. Well, had 3. Nyserian Manor was destroyed already, probably accidentally by a rampaging demon. Silver lining is, we recovered Yaniel's sword."

Spoiler: ooc

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[Kallimakus]

As Luna goes to the small meeting room, she spies her friend Lily waving to her, sitting on the lap of a drunken mercenary. A few other faces, both customers and coworkers are familiar.

"You know the locations of the cultist lairs?" Irabeth asks. "That's wonderful news. Although... The people I had are barely enough to keep the civilian population here safe. So can I ask that you take the fight to these cultists? We will support you any way we can."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Of course!" Shauna exclaims, narrowing her eyes. "Those bastards are responsible for Terendelev's death, and for the destruction of Kenabres. They need to pay for their betrayal. I don't care if the prison has been blown to bits, I'll have them construct their own prison with their own hands and then lock them up in it!"

[Frosty]

Lunalesca
HP: 24/24 | AC: 19 | Init: +2 | Fort/Ref/Wil = 6/4/8
Diplomacy/Bluff +11 | Knowledge Religion/History +8 | Knowledge Planes +10 | Perception +11 | 
Resources:  Channels 5/5, Fire Bolt 7/7, Dragon Scale 2/3
Effects:  Levitate

Luna smiles back and gives a small wave to her almost (but not quite)-as-naked tiefling friend/lover/co-worker as she walks past to duck into the small meeting room. She definitely makes plans to go greet Lily later, but for now, she focuses on the meeting.

As the paladin proclaims that a new prison will be build, she raises an eyebrow. "Shauna. At this point, shouldn't their punishment just be death? And also, on a practical level, we literally don't have time to wait for a prison to be built. We need to be out, taking down cultists first thing tomorrow."

[NeoSeraphi]

"What? Certainly not! Executions are not appropriate. Everyone deserves a chance to repent for their sins and change their behavior. Killing them now would only condemn their souls to Hell or the Abyss for eternity," Shauna replies, gritting her teeth as she stares at the aasimar's chest.

[Frosty]

Luna puffs out her chest in defiance. "And are YOU going to be personal responsible for keeping them under control as we ago adventure and reclaim the city? Or were you just goingt o dump them here at the Heart and let Irabeth take care of it?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Get some rope or manacles and we can keep them locked in a public area like the main bar no problem," Shauna replies.

[Kish]

Putting her hand to her forehead, Hesper says, "I think arguing about what to do with hypothetical prisoners is premature, at best."

[Frosty]

"In anycase, I think I'll be happy to help out. This isn't my home city, but I don't want the world overrun by demons anymore than you do. Irabeth, tomorrow we'll likely begin with the closer of either Tower of Estrod or Topaz Solutions. Would you like to accompany us?"

[Kallimakus]

"I would love nothing more than see the cultists repent and give up their evil ways" Irabeth tells Shauna. "But as Lunalesca says, we do not have facilities to contain them. At least not here. If you can find an alternate secure facility..."
"Oh. How about his vault?" Anevia asks, pointing at Horgus.
"Wait, what?" he blusters.
"That is a secure location." Irabeth concedes, smiling at Anevia. "But we cannot force him to allow us to use it."
"Well, let me tell you, none of those creeps are coming anywhere near my vault" Horgus says.

"As to your question, Lunalesca, I must remain here, in case we were to suffer another attack."

She turns to Anevia. "Why didn't you use the password to get through the guards though?"
"What password?"
"The one I left at our home, along with some supplies and... You didn't go there at all, did you?"
"I was told you were here... And I wanted to see you as soon as possible..."

The half-orc turns to the others again. "That's another thing that needs to be addressed then. If the cultists get the password, they could wreak havoc. I'd change it, but there are a few of us out there gathering supplies and information and so on. I need to ask you to go to our home and retrieve it. I'll give you the key, and you can keep the supplies for a reward. There's a few potions at least."

[Frosty]

"Do you want us to go now, or after we rest for the night?" asks the cleric.

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna smiles. "We will be happy to take you up on that offer. After a few hours of rest."