ARESY, A humble healer from the South (Ysera Furyborn, Hell-Knight Signifer)
~5am, 24th of June, 5th Era 1486 RE (Day 12)
Marshlands, Eastern Outskirts of Greater Nibellion
Forced to make a diversion north into the Royalist county of Greater Nibellion, Ramos and his fellow Libertorius brothers and sisters direct the wagon east across treacherous marshlands for many miles until they are finally back on the road to Ascentium.
"Behold the Path of Amnesty...this long, dangerous road leads us to our home. Remember, Ramos, we're no longer in the realm of Kings...their oppression cannot reach us this far into the wild...nor can their protection."
- Brother Duncan, Libertorius Field Agent.
They travel for the rest of the day, into the night. Where they eventually dismount the wagon half-way along the road, to let the horses rest and feed. As this happens, Ramos, Professor Glyph and his apprentice; Aresy, inspect their surroundings. Isolated and vulnerable, they are surrounded by vast plains of grassland, littered with rocks and pebbles. On the side of the ancient path, they see numerous headstones, the writing on which has been lost to time and erosion. Human bones also litter the roadsides, much to the discontent of the party. After further inspection of the human remains, Aresy, determines the cause of death. They had been mauled by some sort of creature...savagely. Moments later, Ramos (with his keen dark-vision) notices something moving out in the dark of the wilderness. He readies a longsword, and rallies his brothers to arms. A arrow thuds into the wagon next to him, narrowly missing his head, and a pack of Gnolls charge at the travelers from out of the darkness. Ramos, and his brothers; Duncan, Boris, and Halstein, fight well against the mangy tribal beasts. Aresy tries her best to help without giving Ramos cause for suspicion (she forsakes her signature dagger and Signifer magic.). Petrified, Professor Glyph scurries away from the fight, but not before he casts an invisibility spell on himself. After several of their pack are slain, the Gnolls begin to retreat - but something a whole lot worse appears from the darkness. The lumbering, bestial creature strides forward, it howls at Ramos and the others, who rally into a defensive wall formation. As it gets closer, they can see that it is a Gnoll - albeit larger then the rest, more muscular and infinitely more ferocious. After a long and bloody fight, they eventually surround it and slay it, but not before Aresy (who is really Ysera) revealed her familiar dagger, in order to strike a powerful spell at the creature - inflicting a vast amount of damage. The group recovered from the battle, and the Gnolls were repelled...many of them had sustained critical wounds, including one of the Libertorius brothers; Halstein, who had been incapacitated.
 |
| Gnoll Hunched and feral, this furred, hyena-headed humanoid stands slightly taller than the average human. |
Earlier that day, in High-Haven...
NEFARION Furyborn, Hell-Knight Commander of the Cabal of Vigilum
SELTYIEL Garrott, a Maniacal, heavily Mutated Tiefling Alchemist
CYNTHIA of Ostenheim, a Vampire Curse-Weaver in Hell-Knight Custody
HEL, the White Necromancer and Apprentice of Nefarion
~8am, 24th of June, 5th Era 1486 RE (Day 12)
High-Haven Castle, City of High-Haven
They awake from a second night's stay in the Royalist-Claimed City of High-Haven. The victorious Commander Nefarion walks out into the main plaza outside of the castle and notices a disturbing event taking place. Two of his Hell-Knight comrades (Lieutenant Salvo, and Knight Azov) are with a young girl. She's holding a dagger and is swinging it wildly at them. She's young and feeble however, and they are easily able to avoid her clumsy swings. They mock her for her pathetic attempts to cause them harm.
GIRL: "My father...my brother...my uncle...they're all dead because of you!"
LT. SALVO: "And all of them had it coming...they served a traitor, and they paid the price."
GIRL: "No they didn't, the Lord was a good man. He wanted to protect his people"
LT. SALVO: "He didn't do a very good job then, did he?"
Nefarion comes over to investigate and Lt. Salvo acknowledges him. The commander questions the girl and learns that she is called Sasha, he tries to reason with her and deflate the situation, but she seems determined to inflict vengeance on the Hell-Knights for their murdering of her family members. She tries again in vain to harm them with the dagger and instead resorts to hitting her fists against Lt. Salvo's side. He pushes her away as if she were a mere inconvenience, and then looks to Nefarion.
"The punishment for assaulting a Hell-Knight officer is death."
*Salvo draws a dagger of his own*
"Will you see the law fulfilled?"
Nefarion tries to dissuade Salvo from an approach that would lead to the girl's death, and Salvo obliges, letting her go. He expresses (quite openly) his opinions on Nefarion's leadership qualities, and makes a judgment on his loyalty to the Cabal and the Hell-Knight Laws. Nefarion shrugs this off, and tries to catch up to the young Sasha, with the intention to take her under his protection. He is unsuccessful in his pursuit, and despite his promises, she seems determined to be rid of him (and all of the Hell-Knights responsible). Defeated, he returns to Hel, Cynthia, and Seltyiel, and they leave the City, and make for the Hell-Knight Private Dock, where a ship awaited them. In it's heyday it was called the Port of the Sworn Swords; and was a grand dock used by the Hell-Knights of Elmunred. When Nefarion and the others arrive, they find that this so-called 'port' is not as glorious as it's name may suggest. All that stands is a thin stretch of quay along the coast, and not a lot else. The only boat that's moored up here is of the humble fishing variety - And it's discovered shortly afterwards that even these hick fishermen aren't meant to be here. Nefarion and the others wait for nearly an hour until an ominous black sail can be seen on the horizon. The fishermen flee the dock in their boat as the angular dromond makes it's way to the dock. As it comes into closer view, Nefarion and Hel recognize it to be a craft of corsair origin, the likes of which they had seen before during the Battle of the West-Harbour. They are not met with peril however, and are instead greeted by these swarthy, unsavory corsairs (the majority of whom are fetchlings and tieflings). It is brought to light that the corsairs were in fact contracted by the Arch Lictor to transport them across the bay...Nefarion thought it an ill-omen, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. Aboard this 'pirate ship', the party didn't feel entirely safe - especially Cynthia and Hel, who have been surveyed by many lecherous eyes. When Nefarion overhears two corsairs plotting to slit his throat and rape his female accomplices, he confronts them, and assures them that a terrible death will find them should they decide to act on these schemes.
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