The Order Of The Shining Plume [IC]

[Athaleon]

"It's been just over four hours. I have helped the city's leadership shake off the lingering malaise, but the rest of the citizens will be slower to rouse."

[Valmark]

"That's... good to hear" Eris says, looking at Variel's hand.
"...I'm going to let you kill me, if that's what I want. But can I ask you to wait?" she said, crossing her arms. Or try to, anyway.
"As soon as it is over, when I won't have a mission anyway. Not that I can stop you, since my weapon has become unusable and my armor must be reduced worst then me"

[JNAProductions]

The acolyte has returned by now with a pearl. He hands it Leff, never taking his eyes off Eris.

[Xihirli]

Leff nodded her thanks and sat on a bed. She was feeling pretty awful, she realized now that some of the adrenaline had worn off.
"I don't mean to kill you, Eris. At least not until we have a way of bringing you back for real, if we have to for that to work. Eris, I need you to hold still for me." The pearl in one palm, she clasped both around Eris's remaining hand and began to chant.
"Liz'hote, liz'hote, liz'hote," she started chanting, and purple fire once more began wrapping around Eris, but slowly this time, with no danger of lifting her up. After it was wrapped around the undead tiefling, it sank into her skin, searching for anomalies, bringing to light all that was within.

Spoiler: Identify

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I'm trying to see what spells are currently affecting Eris - including whether or not Gentle Repose is still extending the time I have to bring her back to real life but also other spells too, like Create Undead or Animate Dead that would make me worry about her being under somebody else's control.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Identify

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Definitely some necromancy going on here.

Gentle Repose is affecting Eris-it won't stop someone from Turning or Commanding her, but it will keep the body fresh.

There is no other outside spell on her.

Spoiler: Arcana or Religion DC 12-Declare Passive Or Roll Active (And There Are Higher DCs Within)

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Revenants are corporeal undead that come back when a strong mission or solemn duty was left uncompleted.

Spoiler: DC 18

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They are functionally immortal until their task is done-their bodies, even if hacked to pieces, will slowly come together and reform to continue their task.

Spoiler: DC 22

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A Revenant can forget their mission, though. It takes time, but "dying" will accelerate the process. Once a mission is forgotten... Revenants become a true terror. With a burning desire but nowhere to focus it, they become rage-filled undead, lashing out at most anything they can perceive.

Forgetting a mission typically takes a century or more.

Spoiler: OOC

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If you made it this far, congrats! You know a lot! In game-terms, Eris forgetting her mission is not likely, especially given your friendships. :)

That being said, the main way it could occur would be if the Slaughterhouse get ahold of her, and torture/mindwipe/etc. her. So... You know, don't let that happen.

[Xihirli]

Leff let out a sigh of relief as she released Eris’s hand.


"We have time." She leaned into one hand on the bed, trying to keep from collapsing again.
"We have time," I haven’t failed her yet.

[Valmark]

Eris smiled, while Leff worked her magic, trying to ignore the pupil who was staring at her. She was getting kind of used to being covered in flames of various colors. Besides, the purple ones were harmless, right?
"Of course we've still got time. Has there ever been an obstacle we three didn't beat up until now?" she said, lowering her hand.
"You may not want to try doing like me though- it's not as easy as it looks"
After a second, she turned towards the acolyte.
"Can you STOP that? I've got horns and a tail and no one cares but the lack of breathing troubles you? It's not like I'm going to start eating human meat" she said. She hoped that undeads didn't do that.

[JNAProductions]

"Sorry! It's just... Normally dead people don't start walking again," he says. "Do you, ah, need anything?"

[Valmark]

"Yes" Eris says "I'll need a new armor and a new weapon. Can you do it? A suit of half-plate would be the best but it may be hard to come by, something lighter would still suffice. And the longest sword you can find that I can wield with one hand. Or the biggest axe, either works as long as it's effective" she made a pause, subconsciously. It was hard to get used to the lack of needing to breath.
"If you can't, point me to the nearest place where I can get armed"

[JNAProductions]

"The barracks have an attached armory-you know where it is, right?"

Spoiler: OOC

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You do indeed. It's a decent ways away, but nothing too terrible.

[Valmark]

"Yes" she replied coldly, not giving further attention to the acolyte.
It took her several moments to realize it.
"Thanks" she added, but the words were feeling hollow. Like the hug before, but this time even less, probably because the acolyte was some nobody of the city.

[Xihirli]

"I'll go with..." Leff stood up too suddenly, and felt ridiculously dizzy. She sat back down for a second to keep her balance.

[Athaleon]

"Well. I still don't know what to make of this, exactly, but I am glad you are with us again. We may need that fury again before this is over."

[Valmark]

"Thanks" Eris said to Variel "I'll make sure to show them how much of an error is not killing me. As in tear me apart, they did kill me" she replied.
Before she could move out she stopped alarmed when Leff tried to stand up, and rushed to her side.
"Wait" Eris said "You should rest. You've already done so much for us, whatever you may think of yourself. I can handle one trip to the armory and Variel's in charge of the city mobilization- rest until you're comfortable" she puts an hand on the other's shoulder "I'll come back straight away, alright? In any case it would probably be for the best if I don't show my face around the city too much until it's the time to fight.
When you've recovered the three of us will be beack to murder monsters on a daily basis"

[Xihirli]

Leflabah leaned back and ended up lying down on the bed.
"Yeah, alright. I'll just lie down for a minute..."

[Valmark]

"Good" Eris said, then turns to the exit "I'll be back soon"
After that she went out to go to the armory, hoping that nobody was going to freak too much out.

[JNAProductions]

Along the way, Eris gets a few looks, missing an arm and all, but nothing major. Your faces aren't well known, even if your actions are.

When you arrive at the armory, though, you're dealing with people you've met, who know that you're dead. It's... Awkward, but they try their best to be supportive.

Spoiler: OOC

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Grab whatever mundane equipment you need. Weapons, armor, whatever.

Leff is tended to by acolytes.

Spoiler: Variel

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Can I get some Charisma checks to see how well the mobilization thing is going? Apply proficiencies if they feel appropriate.

[Valmark]

Eris, trying to ignore the gazes, once arrived at the armory picks out a suit of half-plate plus a longsword, a battleaxe and a small dagger.
She gets the soldiers to help her with putting the armor on, glancing at the right arm armor and gauntlet- after thinking for a second she grabs that too, plus some javelins, pretty much the only ranged weapons she can use. After having fixed everything she thanks them and goes back the way she came.

[Xihirli]

Leflabah slept fitfully, her dreams keeping her from enjoying her rest.

Jack was standing on top of the body of Scribe, that disgusting smirk on his face. One hand lifted up Leflabah by her throat, the other lazily aiming a dagger for her heart. That old dragon twisted around, awakening in Leff's gut, and she wrapped her fingers around Jack's wrist. Black fire concealed her eyes and gathered up in her throat. She tried to cough past Jack's fingers, but she couldn't. Her throat was rapidly decaying and it was spreading across her skin as her burning red flesh spluttered out into ashen gray. Then the illness spread through her finger's onto Jack's skin, and he began to scream as the black fire consumed him as well. He tried to let go of her, and Leff grabbed his head on either side.
"You cannot scare me. My goal is to eat everything around me until I starve as there is nothing more to devout. There is nothing you can do to me that will hurt worse than my own success."
They both buckled down onto the ground, staring at one another. His eyes were black fire, too, now, and there was no telling if he could see her right now. And they stared at one another until they became indistinguishable piles of gray-brown ash on top of Scribe.

[Valmark]

Eris came back to find Leff sleeping restlessly in the bed.
Without making a sound she slinked through the room, ignoring the acolytes, and sitted down beside the other, trying to not wake her up.
ºShe can't get rest even in her sleep, uh?º she thought, taking a hold of the other's hand as softly as possible, not easy given that she had barely any sense of touch.
"I promise, we'll win this. We'll save Scribe if she's alive and out an end to them" she murmured, before going silent.

[Xihirli]

Leff's fingers curled around Eris's hand and she calmed down a bit. murmuring quietly rather than tossing back and forth.

[JNAProductions]

The forces of the city, slow to rouse, are starting to come to. It seems the abominations are mostly passive, for the moment, but it's unknown how they're controlled or who's behind them, and when they might be roused.

What will you do to break the siege and free Indos?

[Athaleon]

"Before we can decide on our course," Variel told those assembled, "we must know what we are dealing with—inside the walls and out—to reckon how much sand is left in the hourglass and act accordingly. The enemy must be watched unceasingly, disgusting as they are to look on. The specific nature of their abominations is still frustratingly opaque to us, and any observation may yield a clue. I am given to understand there are no mages in the city, but if there are libraries and scholars, let them put their minds to work."

"Then there is the usual business of siegecraft, which I am sure you know well: Food must be carefully rationed, with perishables eaten first. Wells must be guarded with as much vigilance as the walls. Public order and hygiene must be maintained lest we fall to a mundane malaise of our own making. Mining and ramp-building efforts must be discovered and stopped. The foe in his arrogance sits within bowshot of the walls; we may be able to bring up archers and siege-engines of our own to kill their siege-creatures, or at least drive them back to buy time if and when the assault comes."

[JNAProductions]

A captain responds to you, saying "We've got a natural aquifer here in Indos-we're safe on the water front. Food, we've got maybe a month left-and that's with clerics making more. I can send runners to the guilds and scholars, see what they can report. We should save our arrows, though-those things don't hurt easy, but if they bring something more fragile, we'll want to be ready."

[Valmark]

Eris rised her voice from a corner of the room, preferring to stay out of sight.
"Say, are the big ones really a threat?" she asked "I understand that the walls are holding up nicely, yes? At least for now. Those things look not much smarter then animals- we could creat something to make a lot of them gather in a particular spot then... boom" then she tapped her sword "Or, if not boom, we can kill them ourselves. I don't think using too many arrows is a good idea- maybe the gnomes can find a way to establish a path that would make the abomination converge and we could fight them a few at a time"
"Still" Eris shrugged "Sieges are not something I'm used to, so maybe my ideas are no good"

[Xihirli]

"I like the idea of getting them to crowd into one place, if we can pull it off."
Leff sat heavily in her chair, letting Variel do his thing with the gathered people.
"I think if I do two or three Kadörs on the siege monsters I have an alright shot of destroying them, and the more crowded they are the better that gets. If I can whittle away the army that's alright, but if I can cripple them in one day so much the better."

[JNAProductions]

The captain nods. "I'll see what we can learn of these things, what might lure them or attract them. For now, is there anything we need to do?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Skip ahead to when you've learned more?

It'll take at least six or eight hours for the sages to learn stuff.
The gnomes have been working on things, and while they need a caster to put in the juice, they've got firebombs prepped.
There are plenty of vigilant guards on the look-out for any Slaughterhouse members coming in.

[Valmark]

"Cador is... the big flame explosion? If so I agree" Eris said.

"Nothing comes to my on my end aside from what you are already doing" she replied.

Spoiler: Ooc

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For me a skip is ok.

(Kadör is mispelled voluntarily because I'm sure Eris doesn't have that language)

[Xihirli]

Leff managed not to cringe as Eris tried to pronounce Kadör.
"Yes, that's the one."

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm down to skip!

[Athaleon]

"I think all is covered, then. Until we know more, or until the enemy forces our hand."

Spoiler

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Also good for a timeskip.