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Justicar's Bastion - Eagle Elf [Updated 5th Dec 06]
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<blockquote data-quote="PieAndDragon" data-source="post: 3112517" data-attributes="member: 18108"><p><strong>Judgement</strong></p><p></p><p>The seven were quiet as they escorted through tall hallways. Walking corpses guarded them, shrunken and disfigured with layers of filth and dirt blurring their features. Like the jail guards, their lips were sewn shut and no sound escaped them. If it were just these then the prisoners may have attempted some kind of resistance. But above the procession floated a spectral figure, its twisted visage watching the mortals with undisguised hatred.</p><p></p><p>During the long days in confinement, Ra had studied many of the unliving creatures of this place. The church of Sun had taught him to watch for such as these. Their shambling guards were entombers, strong creatures capable of crushing skulls with bare hands, with enough spirit bound to their bodies to maintain some sentience. The watching figure was a spectre, an abomination which feared the light of Sun and drained mortals of their life. </p><p></p><p>The young cleric watched for a sign from his divine patron, but found nothing. Maybe the power of Sun had little power in such a place. His companions had little cause for hope and they were still silent as they passed into a vast hall. </p><p></p><p>Stone arches supported a domed ceiling lit with a thousand fires. At the far end of the hall, in a towering throne, sat the lord of the hall. Blue skinned and over ten feet in height, ivory horns jutted from an ogre-like face. Metal plates covered much of its torso and legs, while a sizable blade rested against the throne. Ringing the room was the rest of the mismatched court. Leering undead touched shoulders with metal-clockwork golems, robed and hooded priests mingled with floating lights and scuttling gnomes. The grinning skull of Nemis, lord of undead, and the tombstone of Earth were both evident among those gathered.</p><p></p><p>Flanking the throne were three who stood apart. The first was a giant wolf with long claws and a goblin-like visage. Looming over the wolf was a sinister figure, shrouded in long black robes more than twice the height of a man. Torchlight flickered from the scythe in its hands and the chains hanging from the robes. The third figure was almost the opposite of the robed thing. Nearly reaching ten feet in height, great black and white feathered wings sprouted from its back, shining armour covered a human-like body and a silvery greatsword was clutched in gauntleted hands. The gazes of all three were fixed on the figure being addressed by the judge.</p><p></p><p>"Once again you are given a chance to renounce your sins and abandon your master". Chained before the throne in the blackest metal stood a bloodied dwarf in torn rags. A once proud beard had clumps missing and his body showed signs of recent tortures. The symbol of the sun was just visible beneath blood and grime. His eyes were closed and no answer was given as the judge continued on. "So be it, mortal. The Council of Justicars will continue to consider your case. Your ultimate punishment had yet to be decided, although your guilt is in no doubt. Return this one to his cell, we have one more matter this session."</p><p></p><p>As a collection of undead and golems hauled the prisoner away, Ra realised who it must be. He had heard rumours of a high priest of Sun held in the most secure cells, interrogated hourly by the wardens here. His thoughts were cut short as entombers shoved the seven erstwhile companions forward and the booming voice addressed them.</p><p></p><p>"You are the accused, and I am Gulgon, the judge of this session. Each of you has been accused of grave crimes, breaking laws of the planar order. We are the Wardens of the Tarnished Ones, and it is our duty to judge such as you.</p><p>"Choose one from among yourselves to plead first"</p><p></p><p>As the others watched one another, Ra stood forward, for he knew of no crime committed by his hand. "Of what I am accused?"</p><p>Gulgon regarded him with a level gaze. "Your elder brother, the paladin of Sun known as Juna, slew a maker of magic artifacts employed by nobles of Aloreas. Furthermore, he destroyed the holy relic which kept the blessed being in its second life. Divinations have been unable to locate Juna and so you are here in his stead.</p><p>"How do plead to the murder of the lich and artificier Nadurnus?"</p><p></p><p>Ra was almost too stunned to answer such a ridiculous charge. It was the given duty of the followers of the Sun to hunt down undead. How could the destruction of such an abomination be a crime? He gave his answer in a steady tone. "If you deem such a deed as a crime, then I am indeed guilty" The judge paused for a few moments before his gaze moved on. "Your plea has been noted. I will consider my judgment. Who wishes to plead next?"</p><p></p><p>Derris was the second to be judged. He claimed not to be guilty of a deed his lover had performed. The one he had married in secret had broken an oath of service and deserted the Biavoran army on the eve of battle. Somehow she had avoided a planar enforcer known as a kolyarut and the half-elf had been found for the crime of his spouse. The father of Layla apparently died in great debt to the Temple of Earth. After recalling the many times he was obsessed with the smallest amount of coin, she pleaded her guilt. She wept soon after when Gulgon informed her that her siblings had already received judgment.</p><p></p><p>The next two both denied thier charges. Cade suffered for a crime of his ancestors. A stooped gnome from those watching had been a child when halflings brought ruin to a temple of Earth. Their divinations had found Cade as the nearest living descendent of the main perpetrator. Bjorn was accused of stealing relics of Nemis from a priest in Junnis. His twin was more than likely guilty of such acts and it wouldn't be the first time he has suffered the punishment due his brother.</p><p></p><p>Krunk almost laughed at his crime. The slaughter of eight-five gnomes in a village of the Free Cities was not a pleasant thing. But Angrall, the man who raised him was easily capable of such a deed. The apparently mighty divinations of the Wardens could not find him and so the halforc suffered in his place. The last to plead was Sam, accused of the release of a fell creature. His older brother had lead dwarves to a tomb in the Old Hills and the undead king was no longer in his prison. Once again scrying magic was not enough, but Sam would never claim such an act as his own. </p><p></p><p>From his throne, the Judge took little time to consider his verdicts. "The laws of the multi-verse have been consulted, and the judgement of the Council of Justicars is this." There was a short pause as all attention focused on the horned ogre. </p><p></p><p>"Guilty on all counts. Those who pleaded as such have been granted the lesser punishments." He turned his gaze first to the priest of Sun. "Ra, you are to be executed and turned into a fetch to work in the mines. The human Sam is to be fed to the barghest and his soul removed from existence. The halfling Cade will be entombed in earth and starved until death. Layla will be kept alive, although drained of all presence by a visilight of the court."</p><p></p><p>Faces lost all semblance of hope as the sentence were delivered and turned to despair as they continued. "Derris De Marco faces trial by combat with the justicator Niang", a clawed hand indicated the shining figure with black and white wings all had noted earlier. "Krunk is to be place in stasis and his ultimate fate determined at a later time." The halforc looked bewildered at his fate, and the last sentence was delivered. The human Bjorn, from the lands of the Olmec, is to be turned to stone, the statue smashed into a hundred sections and scattered to the Prime Material, the Elemental Plane of Earth and the Clockwork Nivarna of Mechanus."</p><p>"Let all hear the will of the Wardens of the Tarnished Ones, and know that Order has prevailed once more"</p><p></p><p>Ra sank into full despair as he realised how harsh the fates were. He made no final request as the others wished for decent food and dwarven ale. In three-quarters of a day thier sentences were to be carried out. There was little he could do now but make desperate prayers to Sun for his final hours.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="PieAndDragon, post: 3112517, member: 18108"] [B]Judgement[/B] The seven were quiet as they escorted through tall hallways. Walking corpses guarded them, shrunken and disfigured with layers of filth and dirt blurring their features. Like the jail guards, their lips were sewn shut and no sound escaped them. If it were just these then the prisoners may have attempted some kind of resistance. But above the procession floated a spectral figure, its twisted visage watching the mortals with undisguised hatred. During the long days in confinement, Ra had studied many of the unliving creatures of this place. The church of Sun had taught him to watch for such as these. Their shambling guards were entombers, strong creatures capable of crushing skulls with bare hands, with enough spirit bound to their bodies to maintain some sentience. The watching figure was a spectre, an abomination which feared the light of Sun and drained mortals of their life. The young cleric watched for a sign from his divine patron, but found nothing. Maybe the power of Sun had little power in such a place. His companions had little cause for hope and they were still silent as they passed into a vast hall. Stone arches supported a domed ceiling lit with a thousand fires. At the far end of the hall, in a towering throne, sat the lord of the hall. Blue skinned and over ten feet in height, ivory horns jutted from an ogre-like face. Metal plates covered much of its torso and legs, while a sizable blade rested against the throne. Ringing the room was the rest of the mismatched court. Leering undead touched shoulders with metal-clockwork golems, robed and hooded priests mingled with floating lights and scuttling gnomes. The grinning skull of Nemis, lord of undead, and the tombstone of Earth were both evident among those gathered. Flanking the throne were three who stood apart. The first was a giant wolf with long claws and a goblin-like visage. Looming over the wolf was a sinister figure, shrouded in long black robes more than twice the height of a man. Torchlight flickered from the scythe in its hands and the chains hanging from the robes. The third figure was almost the opposite of the robed thing. Nearly reaching ten feet in height, great black and white feathered wings sprouted from its back, shining armour covered a human-like body and a silvery greatsword was clutched in gauntleted hands. The gazes of all three were fixed on the figure being addressed by the judge. "Once again you are given a chance to renounce your sins and abandon your master". Chained before the throne in the blackest metal stood a bloodied dwarf in torn rags. A once proud beard had clumps missing and his body showed signs of recent tortures. The symbol of the sun was just visible beneath blood and grime. His eyes were closed and no answer was given as the judge continued on. "So be it, mortal. The Council of Justicars will continue to consider your case. Your ultimate punishment had yet to be decided, although your guilt is in no doubt. Return this one to his cell, we have one more matter this session." As a collection of undead and golems hauled the prisoner away, Ra realised who it must be. He had heard rumours of a high priest of Sun held in the most secure cells, interrogated hourly by the wardens here. His thoughts were cut short as entombers shoved the seven erstwhile companions forward and the booming voice addressed them. "You are the accused, and I am Gulgon, the judge of this session. Each of you has been accused of grave crimes, breaking laws of the planar order. We are the Wardens of the Tarnished Ones, and it is our duty to judge such as you. "Choose one from among yourselves to plead first" As the others watched one another, Ra stood forward, for he knew of no crime committed by his hand. "Of what I am accused?" Gulgon regarded him with a level gaze. "Your elder brother, the paladin of Sun known as Juna, slew a maker of magic artifacts employed by nobles of Aloreas. Furthermore, he destroyed the holy relic which kept the blessed being in its second life. Divinations have been unable to locate Juna and so you are here in his stead. "How do plead to the murder of the lich and artificier Nadurnus?" Ra was almost too stunned to answer such a ridiculous charge. It was the given duty of the followers of the Sun to hunt down undead. How could the destruction of such an abomination be a crime? He gave his answer in a steady tone. "If you deem such a deed as a crime, then I am indeed guilty" The judge paused for a few moments before his gaze moved on. "Your plea has been noted. I will consider my judgment. Who wishes to plead next?" Derris was the second to be judged. He claimed not to be guilty of a deed his lover had performed. The one he had married in secret had broken an oath of service and deserted the Biavoran army on the eve of battle. Somehow she had avoided a planar enforcer known as a kolyarut and the half-elf had been found for the crime of his spouse. The father of Layla apparently died in great debt to the Temple of Earth. After recalling the many times he was obsessed with the smallest amount of coin, she pleaded her guilt. She wept soon after when Gulgon informed her that her siblings had already received judgment. The next two both denied thier charges. Cade suffered for a crime of his ancestors. A stooped gnome from those watching had been a child when halflings brought ruin to a temple of Earth. Their divinations had found Cade as the nearest living descendent of the main perpetrator. Bjorn was accused of stealing relics of Nemis from a priest in Junnis. His twin was more than likely guilty of such acts and it wouldn't be the first time he has suffered the punishment due his brother. Krunk almost laughed at his crime. The slaughter of eight-five gnomes in a village of the Free Cities was not a pleasant thing. But Angrall, the man who raised him was easily capable of such a deed. The apparently mighty divinations of the Wardens could not find him and so the halforc suffered in his place. The last to plead was Sam, accused of the release of a fell creature. His older brother had lead dwarves to a tomb in the Old Hills and the undead king was no longer in his prison. Once again scrying magic was not enough, but Sam would never claim such an act as his own. From his throne, the Judge took little time to consider his verdicts. "The laws of the multi-verse have been consulted, and the judgement of the Council of Justicars is this." There was a short pause as all attention focused on the horned ogre. "Guilty on all counts. Those who pleaded as such have been granted the lesser punishments." He turned his gaze first to the priest of Sun. "Ra, you are to be executed and turned into a fetch to work in the mines. The human Sam is to be fed to the barghest and his soul removed from existence. The halfling Cade will be entombed in earth and starved until death. Layla will be kept alive, although drained of all presence by a visilight of the court." Faces lost all semblance of hope as the sentence were delivered and turned to despair as they continued. "Derris De Marco faces trial by combat with the justicator Niang", a clawed hand indicated the shining figure with black and white wings all had noted earlier. "Krunk is to be place in stasis and his ultimate fate determined at a later time." The halforc looked bewildered at his fate, and the last sentence was delivered. The human Bjorn, from the lands of the Olmec, is to be turned to stone, the statue smashed into a hundred sections and scattered to the Prime Material, the Elemental Plane of Earth and the Clockwork Nivarna of Mechanus." "Let all hear the will of the Wardens of the Tarnished Ones, and know that Order has prevailed once more" Ra sank into full despair as he realised how harsh the fates were. He made no final request as the others wished for decent food and dwarven ale. In three-quarters of a day thier sentences were to be carried out. There was little he could do now but make desperate prayers to Sun for his final hours. [/QUOTE]
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