Ashin's Commission: Buried Alive

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: You mean the symbol of Mishtuli on the front of the Chain Shirt? Sadly, no such luck--the sigil seems uncannily unharmed. Then again, the Afflicted sure did miss Michael an awful lot...maybe it's a magic chain shirt?)

*Michael follows the soldier in to see the Lieutenant.*

"Well there. What have you discovered? And where did you get that new armour of yours? You definitely didn't have it before, and doesn't look like one of ours."

 

[ajanders]

(OOC: You mean the symbol of Mishtuli on the front of the Chain Shirt? Sadly, no such luck--the sigil seems uncannily unharmed. Then again, the Afflicted sure did miss Michael an awful lot...maybe it's a magic chain shirt?)

Michael makes a note to cast Detect magic on some of the stuff he found tonight. Before he has to convert his Detect Magic into healing.

*Michael follows the soldier in to see the Lieutenant.*

*clicks heels*
"Sir."
There's no doubt about it now. Michael is definitely pronouncing his Sir with a C.

"Well there. What have you discovered? And where did you get that new armour of yours? You definitely didn't have it before, and doesn't look like one of ours."

*Chink*
Michael tosses the officer's badge from the ghouls on the table.
"Your patrol is dead."

*Fwap*
The message gets tossed next to it, seal intact. The rest of the message may have been chewed on by ogre-sized Afflicted, but the seal is intact.

"They returned from the dead as ghouls. Their only response was "Brains! Brains!". Then they tried to bite my arms off. I had to kill them again in self defense."
There's not even a hint of apology as Michael says this.

"I have fulfilled my obligation. I'll have the armor and shield you required as surety back now."
There's even less hint of a question in Michael's voice when he says this.

 

[Rystil Arden]

"How unfortunate...I had been hoping that we could spare these people, but if they are coming back as undead, we shall have to make sure the bodies are all burned..." the lieutenant ponders, "Ah, yes, you shall surely have your armour and shield returned. But, I'll know about that new chain shirt. I don't recognise the symbol, but that's clearly some kind of black mithral. Where did you get that?"

 

[ajanders]

"Found it."
A short pause.
"Sela provides for even the least of her followers. All things are subject to the Natural Law."
Which works sometimes in very mysterious ways.

Michael is clearly prepared to wait in silence until his armor is returned.

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Hmm...if you found that thing in the quarantined area, I'm not going to be able to let you break the quarantine by taking it out without having one of my clerics check it first to make sure it isn't tainted. You understand, of course, the importance of the quarantine. I shall send for a cleric as well as your other armour and shield. If you could remove the armour so the cleric can examine it?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: It's also worth noting next time resting occurs (which seems soon) that Michael and Zaeryl pick up 3900 XP for the Afflicted they killed. Because the number was fairly high already, I didn't give any XP for the huge bunch they bullrushed, evaded, etc--just the ones defeated)

 

[ajanders]

Michael raises an eyebrow skeptically, and performs a quick Sense Motive check on the captain.

If he was so concerned about his quarantine, why didn't he stop me for a bath at the edge of the camp?

Sense Motive Check (1d20+3=17)

"I don't recall you mentioning you had a cleric before. Is this a new arrival?"

Somewhere overhead, Michael feels an invisible shoe hovering.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: I think El Jefe mentioned a chaplain, didn't he? I didn't mean to add a new one if not.

Also, I realised only after you split ways with Zaeryl that Michael may intend to just leave the region and not meet up with the group. Michael is carrying multiple magic items he isn't going to use, like the Longsword. If he's really going to go back to Orussus after this and if the other group decides to stay for the last bit, can we retcon slightly that Michael gave some more of the items (beyond the spider wand) to Zaeryl to give to them?

Also, did he give Zaeryl the nearly-used-up CLW wand to give to Almayce or did he keep it?)

*The lieutenant seems concerned about the quarantine and the possibility of dark magic afoot since the armour is black. It also seems as if his greed is piqued slightly as well by the valuable-looking loot, but that is secondary to concern.*

 

[ajanders]

(OOC: Michael was expecting Aglaia to appear. I have this image of him leaping upon an elderly cleric of Azwan and yanking vigorously on his nose, yelling "Release your disguise, priest of falsity!"
As for leaving, Michael is only now coming to the point where he's fulfilled his obligations, namely, clearing himself with the Fallonese and satisfying himself that Ashin's silver is totally gone.
I have not yet decided whether he's angry enough to forget his duty: I do know he's angry enough to forget his kindness.
As for the stuff, Michael would not have given it to Zaeryl. But if he's angry enough to leave, he'll brush the dust from his feet and drop the gear at the Inn.)

Michael peels off his chain shirt and drops it on the table.
"There. It may well have traces of evil on it: that is a dark and unpleasant god on the chestplate. Bring the chaplain and let him see for himself."

Michael would actually like to speak with the chaplain, and will stick with the chain shirt in the hopes of meeting the person.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Sure, that works for me. If later down the line the possession of one particular item of these causes Michael a tad bit of trouble, remember this--it was my attempt to not leave him alone with it )

"An evil god? It could be involved with the Plague. Perhaps it will be a clue towards solving the mystery. I shall have the chaplain analyse it at once."

*He sends a soldier away to bring the chaplain, who eventually arrives, a middle-aged bespectacled man of middling height:*

"Lieutenant, please make it quick--the Afflicted have been acting up and I have wounded to tend."

"Yes, yes, I know. And I appreciate your efforts. But I need you to analyse this item before we let it through quarantine. It might have traces of evil."

"Let me see..." the chaplain casts Detect Magic while looking over the item, "Well, this is the symbol of Mishtuli, an evil demon god of the dark elves. Where'd it come from? It seems to have a dark aura about it, but it isn't the same as the Plague, at least not exactly. There is something similar to it though...Oh, and there's several more magic auras in his backpack."