"I know this elf,"Cruel Justice says to Quinn telepathically. "But he has changed. He is not the man he once was fighting alongside Lord Pendour."
Quinn sees the scene of Lord Pendour's death again. The landed lord fights against a flight of rooks as several ghasts on top of the tower of Gurnard's Head. But the scene is different now... longer, more heartbreaking. Beside Lord Pendour fights Galzadar and a woman warrior. They cut down rook after rook and the ghasts fall under blades and spells as a blinding storm rages overhead. Galzadar looks like he could be related to Lorien or even Phar will flowing blonde locks and pale skin.
Then, the rooks pull back and Tarrak stride appears at the top of the tower with the Soldier of Malotoch, Hirasean, at his side. The ghast lord inflicts a terrible wound on the woman and Galzadar screams her name.
"Susannah!"
Hirasean battles Lord Pendour to a standstill until the man called Crisenth appears on the battlements and the two warriors overwhelm the Lord of Carnell. Crisenth knocks Cruel Justice from Lord Pendour's hand and Hirasean drives his blade into the man's chest.
"Peregrine, no!" Galzadar yells. The wizard tries to cast a spell and Tarrak cuts him down. The human woman throws her body over the fallen wizard and begs for their lives.
As Cruel Justice spins through the air over the edge of the tower to land imbedded in the bridge where Quinn and the others first found the blade, the vision blurs and spins.
"I- I had forgotten," Cruel Justice says sadly out loud in the Common tongue but only as a whisper. "It was so painful to watch."
The quasit senses Caerth's hesitation. It ignores Screech and looks at the half-orc druid, wide-eyed.
"YES! Yes, you understand, don't you?" It says as it claps its hands. "He is not in control of himself. Tarrak controls his soul, but I know to free him. Yes, it can be done!"
"Eutharic, do not do this," the elf says hoarsely pinned in Caerth's wild shaped form. "There is no hope for my soul. It belongs to Lord Tarrak. To Malotoch."
"NOOOO! Master, you're wrong! I told you, I found a way to break Vok's curse! Your soul can be saved!" The tiny quasit says sadly. "I- I cannot lose you. You are kind to me." Eutharic pauses. "No one has ever been kind to me. Many have pretended but they were false. You are true. Even in this cursed form."
"Y- you risk your very existence doing this, Eutharic!" Galzadar gasps in pain and his body shudders. "Malotoch will not forgive you! Stop! Please stop!"
"Noooo....." Eutharic starting bawling like a child. "You are more than my master. You are my friend. I've never had a friend before..."
"Eutharic, I am lost," Galzadar says, his voice suddenly hollow.
"Eutharic! What are you caterwauling about?" Crisenth demands. "Find a way to free your master from that damn half-orc or be silent!"
The tiny quasit makes a sound a frightened mouse squeaking.
"I know this elf,"Cruel Justice says to Quinn telepathically. "But he has changed. He is not the man he once was fighting alongside Lord Pendour."
Quinn sees the scene of Lord Pendour's death again. The landed lord fights against a flight of rooks as several ghasts on top of the tower of Gurnard's Head. But the scene is different now... longer, more heartbreaking. Beside Lord Pendour fights Galzadar and a woman warrior. They cut down rook after rook and the ghasts fall under blades and spells as a blinding storm rages overhead. Galzadar looks like he could be related to Lorien or even Phar will flowing blonde locks and pale skin.
Then, the rooks pull back and Tarrak stride appears at the top of the tower with the Soldier of Malotoch, Hirasean, at his side. The ghast lord inflicts a terrible wound on the woman and Galzadar screams her name.
"Susannah!"
Hirasean battles Lord Pendour to a standstill until the man called Crisenth appears on the battlements and the two warriors overwhelm the Lord of Carnell. Crisenth knocks Cruel Justice from Lord Pendour's hand and Hirasean drives his blade into the man's chest.
"Peregrine, no!" Galzadar yells. The wizard tries to cast a spell and Tarrak cuts him down. The human woman throws her body over the fallen wizard and begs for their lives.
As Cruel Justice spins through the air over the edge of the tower to land imbedded in the bridge where Quinn and the others first found the blade, the vision blurs and spins.
"I- I had forgotten," Cruel Justice says sadly out loud in the Common tongue but only as a whisper. "It was so painful to watch."
Loud enough to make Galzadar hear, Quinn suggests an alternative to death, "Master Arcanist Galzadar, If you plead to Lady Pendour and fully submitt to her, she may find in her heart to give a form of mercy! Cruel Justice has shown me what happened and y8our present actions are not all your own! speak your unconditional surrender NOW!"
Screech, too, senses Caerth's hesitance, and the owl circles around the quasit without attacking for the moment. It hoots, clearly confused.
Slowly the dire bat shrinks, the wings losing their leathery spans and the long fingers turning into regular half-orc hands, the wild tufts of hair vanishing into the slightly more groomed coup of Caerth. The half-orcs grips remains strong on Galzadar, however, his face inches from the elf's.
"What's this talk of chained souls?" he demands, both from the wizard and the quasit. " You have a chance at mercy and redemption here! Why don't you take it?"
I see I cannot make an Intimidate check this round, but perhaps they are willing to talk regardless.
Current stats:
Non-wildshaped stats:
AC 19
HP 58/58
Fort 12, Ref 9, Will 12
Speed 20 (medium armor)
Base attack: +6/+1
Melee attack: +13/+8 spear +1 (twohanded, damage 1d8+8, crit x3)
Melee attack: +13/+8 Kang (magical dagger, damage 1d4+6, crit 19-20/x2, thrown 10ft)
Ranged attack: +12 composite longbow +1 (+4 str bonus) (damage 1d8+6, crit x3)
Note: Extra 2d6 damage on charge attacks (wild rhino hide); power attack means up to BAB penalty to attack and same amount bonus on damage
Screech, too, senses Caerth's hesitance, and the owl circles around the quasit without attacking for the moment. It hoots, clearly confused.
Slowly the dire bat shrinks, the wings losing their leathery spans and the long fingers turning into regular half-orc hands, the wild tufts of hair vanishing into the slightly more groomed coup of Caerth. The half-orcs grips remains strong on Galzadar, however, his face inches from the elf's.
"What's this talk of chained souls?" he demands, both from the wizard and the quasit. " You have a chance at mercy and redemption here! Why don't you take it?"
I see I cannot make an Intimidate check this round, but perhaps they are willing to talk regardless.
Current stats:
Non-wildshaped stats:
AC 19
HP 58/58
Fort 12, Ref 9, Will 12
Speed 20 (medium armor)
Base attack: +6/+1
Melee attack: +13/+8 spear +1 (twohanded, damage 1d8+8, crit x3)
Melee attack: +13/+8 Kang (magical dagger, damage 1d4+6, crit 19-20/x2, thrown 10ft)
Ranged attack: +12 composite longbow +1 (+4 str bonus) (damage 1d8+6, crit x3)
Note: Extra 2d6 damage on charge attacks (wild rhino hide); power attack means up to BAB penalty to attack and same amount bonus on damage
"You don't understand," Eutharic says quietly so only Caerth can hear him. The tiny quasit flies to land on top of Galzadar's head and motions for the druid to lower his voice. "And try be so loud." It glances towards Tarrak and other cultists. "If they figure out that I'm helping you, they will try to kill me, and maybe even my master." It sighs and shakes his head. "Yes, saving his soul is possible but it won't be simple. It will take a ritual to undo the curse placed on him by the demon lord."
"Eutharic, you must stop..." Galzadar begin to say but the quasit wraps his tiny hands and wings around the elf wizard's face to try to silence him.
Caerth can see the wizard's face is placid but there are tears in his eyes.
"And as long as Tarrak is nearby, Galzadar won't stop fighting you and your allies." It pauses. "He can't. It's like being dominated by magic, but it isn't exactly like a spell. It's a curse. Trying to dispel the domination will only suppress it for a short time. That is part of the ritual, but the rest of the sequence has be performed within one of your solar days."
"I will not yield," Galzadar mumbles despite the quasit trying to silence him. His eyes glaze over and his voice becomes monotone. "My will belongs to Lord Tarrak. My soul belongs to Malotoch. You will be punished for your disloyalty, Eutharic." Then his mind seems to snap back to reason. He looks at Caerth. "If you let go, I will kill you," there is menace in his eyes and voice. "I am a servant of Malotoch."
Eutharic grabs a handful of elf wizard's long hair and stuffs it in its masters mouth like a gag. "Try not to take what he's saying personally. The curse warped his soul as well as mind and Tarrak has done horrible things to him. I believe he is still what you mortals would call 'good inside', but as long as he is cursed, he will act this way. He can't be any other way. Even if the domination is suppressed, his soul will remain tied to evil without the rest of the ritual."
Loud enough to make Galzadar hear, Quinn suggests an alternative to death, "Master Arcanist Galzadar, If you plead to Lady Pendour and fully submit to her, she may find in her heart to give a form of mercy! Cruel Justice has shown me what happened and your present actions are not all your own! speak your unconditional surrender NOW!"
Eutharic's head snaps around to look at Quinn. It lets out a gasp of disbelief and shakes its head. "Are all mortals so dense! Why would that one shout that out loud for the enemy to hear if he knows what happened to Galzadar!"
The quasit looks towards the cultists. "Red Abyss!" It curses. "Now they're going to know something is up. There going to kill us, I just know it."
Galzadar manages to spit his hair out of his mouth. He tries to shake the quasit off his head and Caerth can see a strange reddish glow beginning to fill his eyes. "Oh no... not again."
While Crisenth is keeping an eye on the situtation on the rocky ledge, he can tell that his mount is in dire straights. He lets out a sharp whistle. The bleak eagle chortles and begins beating its wings to take off from the cave floor. It disengages from the giant celestial eagle and flies up and towards the edge of the cave where it lands and beats its wings once before settling in near some dead trees.
Crisenth watches it fly away and then turns his attention back to Galzadar and the druid. He notes Caerth's return to his normal form and can see the quasit sitting on the elf wizard's head. He seems to be talking to the druid. "Something is wrong..." the Confessor says.
Then Quinn shouts out his demand for Galzadar to surrender. He seems to know that the elf wizard is Lord Tarrak's thrall.
"How?" Then it dawns of him. The blade would know what happened. "Lord Tarrak! They know about Galzadar! And the quasit has betrayed us!"
He glares at Maur. He must defeat the dwarf quickly so that Eutharic cane be punished, painfully. He strikes out at the dwarf with his warhammer, blessed by his goddess. He tries to take the ordained champion's head off but Maur easily blocks his strikes.
"You are strong, as the apprentice warned," Crisenth says. "I will enjoy this challenge to the death!"
The owlbear skeleton slashes out at Angus and tries to bite the centaur, but the skeleton cannot penetrate Angus's defenses.
OOC:
The bleak eagle withdraws from the fight and lands just outside the cave.
@Scotley, I'm going to add another post for Aureus but Phar and the celestial giant eagle are coming up right after that. The bleak eagle has withdrawn from the fight. Tarrak is casting a summoning spell.
Aureus moves to confront the priestess of Malotoch. She draws her short sword and once upon the woman, she stabs at her with all her swiftness and guile. Omen blocks the sword strike with her shield.
"Ooh, you do want to play," Omen giggles. "What fun!"
