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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6896104" data-attributes="member: 9546">22 Calistril, 4717 - 22 Gozran, 4717 - Talons Of TreacheryThe following morning, Dorian did not go outside the Horn to receive Trik's daily sending. Instead, the members of the Nessian Knot spent most of the rest of the day traveling cross-country back to Farholde. They arrived near dusk and made their way to the Auld'Irey district, where they quickly staked out a location in a narrow alley just across from the Auld Briarhall inn. At Tardaesha's command, Knick-Knack flickered out of sight and then darted across the street where he waited patiently for the next patron to exit the inn. When the door opened, he slipped inside unseen. 'I finds them, Mistress!' the little daemon's voice hissed into Tardaesha's mind. "They in back of big room, drinking lots and laughing lots.'"A little victory celebration, I imagine," 'Aesha spoke aloud. 'Watch them closely, my love,' she sent her thoughts back to Knick-Knack. 'When they retire for the evening, see what rooms they enter and then report back to me.'It was well past midnight when Knick-Knack contacted Tardaesha again. 'They go upstairs now,' he said. 'Two rooms. White-hair lady and big elf go one, twinsies go other.'"That's our cue," Tardaesha smiled at her companions. Dorian closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again."They're coming," he said.Seconds later, in a burst of sulfurous smoke, the two furies appeared in the alley behind them."Wait here for my signal," Dorian told them.The eyes of the infernal sisters blazed, and they nodded solemnly. The door to the inn opened, and a familiar white-haired woman entered from the street, accompanied by her two strange men and a dwarf."My lady??" the innkeep asked, confusion on his face. "Your pardon, but I could have sworn I just saw you and yours heading upstairs not ten minutes ago.""Yes," Tardaesha smiled, her face that of Elise Zadaria's thanks to her circlet, "I had to go back out to meet my friends here. They will be staying with us awhile. By chance, could I have the spare keys to our rooms so they may come and go?"The innkeeper eyed the strangers, then shrugged."As you wish, Missus," he replied, and handed over the keys.The four of them made their way quietly up the stairs and down the hall to the room Knick-Knack had indicated belonged to Elise. They paused outside the door, and Dorian bowed his head.'Now,' he sent his thoughts out into the street.Within seconds there was a 'whumph' of imploding air on the other side of both doors, followed by gasps of surprise."The Knot Hibernal is declared broken!" the voices of the furies intoned, one from behind each door. "Cardinal Thorn has decreed that you pay the traitor's price!"Knick-Knack, the key gripped in his prehensile tail, unlocked the door to Elise's room, and Dorian kicked it open. Kelvin stepped past him and hurled a glob of sizzling acid into the center of the room. It exploded, and Elise Zadaria screamed as much of her flesh began to dissolve beneath the caustic liquid. Tardaesha rushed into the room and drove her blade through the witch's belly, ceasing her shrill screams of agony. Elise fell to the floor, bleeding heavily but still breathing. Lemmy remedied that a moment later when his fist became a metal blade and he impaled her to the floor. Tardaesha rushed Dostan before the giant half-elf could go for his sword. She swung her own blade with all her strength, slicing across first his chest, and then across his belly with her backswing. Her bellowed and reeled backwards, Knick-Knack driving him away from his mistress with a peppering of magic missiles. Before he could regain his balance, Lemmy stepped between the barbarian and Tardaesha, and sent a blast of metal shards ripping through him. Dostan moaned and staggered but did not go down. Blood streaming from dozens of wounds, he still managed to take one ponderous step towards his sword belt. That was when Melinoe put two flaming arrows through his heart. Next door, in the room of the twins Trik and Trak, Tisaera fired her bow calmly and accurately at the ranger as he struggled to find cover behind a wardrobe. Three arrows took him through his thigh, shoulder and right hand. "Please!" Trik begged, shielding his brother with his own body. "We have not broken our vows! It is the 9th that is guilty of betrayal, not us!""Funny," Kelvin said, stepping into the room behind the erinyes, "that's news to me."Kelvin!" Trik shouted in desperation. "I don't know what's going on here! Elise told us that Thorn had ordered your elimination for your failures at the Horn, but then why are his furies with you? Did the witch lie??"Kelvin just sneered."Either you are a liar, or a fool," he said. "Both flaws are punishable by death!"By this time, Tisaeara had closed the distance with the twins and drawn a wicked-looking sword from her belt. Trik had managed to get to his bow, and he stepped out from behind the wardrobe to fire, but the erinyes was too close. She batted his bow aside, slashing his arm in the process, then drove the blade through his belly. The ranger groaned as his eyes fluttered closed and he slid limply to the floor. Light flashed in the room as Melinoe appeared next to her sister. Trik frantically conjured a wall of whirling multi-colored lights around the furies, attempting to blind them so that he might try to escape. They both shot him anyway. Wounded, he backed away and wove a prayer of sanctuary about him. It didn't help. The fiends saw through the ruse and continued to fire arrows into him at point-blank range until he stopped moving altogether. By this time, the other guests had started opening their doors and peering out into the hallway. "You'll get those noggins back inside if ya wanna keep'em!" Lemmy growled.One-by-one, the doors hastily closed. Back in the room formerly shared by Trik and Trak, Tardaesha sent out a mental call to Oddball. A moment later, the dev appeared. "Get the bodies outside of town," 'Aesha commanded. "We'll meet you in the forest.""Just a moment," Melinoe said, stepping in front of the daemon. She reached down and pulled the iron circlets from the brows of the brothers."Cardinal Thorn has commanded that his tokens be returned to him."Tardaesha nodded and told Oddball to collect the others. A short time later, after Oddball and the furies had departed, the members of the 9th knot hastily made their exit from the inn...just as a squad of city guard entered the courtyard. "What's going on in there?" the sergeant demanded."Nothing," Tardaesha shrugged and smiled sweetly. "We heard a disturbance from the back alley and we were just on our way to investigate."The watchman's eyes drank in Tardaesha's attributes and he grinned lewdly at her."You'd best leave that sort of thing to the professionals, little lady," he said. "Don't want you getting hurt."'Aesha batted her eyes at him demurely."Whatever you say, officer."The guards hurried around the back of the inn, and once they were out of sight, the 9th Knot vanished into the night.__________________________________________________________Trak Rakburn was the sole survivor of the White Ravens, and it didn't take Dakota long to torture the details of Elise Zadaria's plan out of him. She was furious at being assigned to assist the 9th rather than be sent to find the Horn herself. She determined early on that it would be she who ultimately delivered the Tears of Achlys to Cardinal Thorn, and so she had bided her time, waiting for a suitable group of patsies to do her dirty work for her. She thought she had found that in the Banner Verdant. With her inside information, they would kill the Nessian Knot, and then she and the 7th would take the Horn and complete the mission. But her ambition did not end there. She hoped to continue to rise in power until she could get close the Thorn himself. Then she would destroy him and take control of the Nine Knots. When Talingarde was finally conquered, it would not be ruled by the followers of Asmodeus, but by the cult of Endless Winter, with Elise herself as the Witch Queen. Ah, the best laid plans...______________________________________________________________WEEK 19"Dread Masters," Zikomo's familiar refrain sounded.Kelvin didn't even bother to answer. He just glared malevolently at the oracle. "A warrior has come seeking an audience," Zikomo continued, oblivious.From behind the shaman, an obsequious boggard shuffled forward, wringing his webbed hands together."Me Five-Croaks," he gurgled, refusing to make eye contact with Kelvin. "Hunting bad. Tribe much suffering. Enemies of Dread Masters very dangerous. Need food. More good weapons.""I see," Kelvin replied dryly. "And how much would these extra resources cost?"Five-Croaks produced a rumpled piece of parchment from his belt pouch and passed it to Zikomo, who passed it to Kelvin. The mage read over it silently for a moment and then glanced up."Three-thousand five-hundred gold coins," he said. Five-Croaks made no reply. He just trembled quietly. Several long moments of silence passed. "Agreed," Kelvin said at last. "Your people will be resupplied."Five-Croaks finally looked up, a broad grin on his grotesque face."However," Kelvin continued, and the boggard's face froze, "I can't just have you people traipsing up here whenever you like making expensive demands. No, that sort of thing needs to be discouraged."He casually flicked one finger, and Five-Croaks erupted into flames. Within moments, he was reduced to ash and charred bone. "Take him back to the tribe," Kelvin instructed Zikomo. "Let them know of the benevolence of their masters...and their wrath."______________________________________________________________WEEK 20The Abbess Temperance Avigail of Saint Cynthia-Celeste grew ever more concerned. Through divinations and prayers, she had become certain that a foul ritual was happening within the Horn of Abaddon, and she was unsure if her sisters would have strength enough to stop it. She had heard no report from Inquisitor Harkon in some time, and Sister Marta was still missing, not to mention the many good people who had died in Farholde in recent weeks. She readied a dispatch to be sent by ship to Matharyn, requesting official aid from the Church of Iomedae. She only prayed that assistance would come before it was too late...WEEK 21News reached the Horn via the minions of the Ninth Knot that a crime wave had gripped Farholde. With the Duke gone, as well as most of the soldiers, there were not enough guardsmen to keep the peace. All proceeded according to plan.WEEK 22A message arrived via courier from Baron Vandermir. An associate of his, a noblewoman named Lady Shalyn Marsten, had requested a covert meeting with the members of the 9th Knot. Intrigued, Kelvin and the others agreed, and the tete-a-tete happened the following night. Lady Marsten, as it turned out, was a very savvy business-woman, and when the crime wave broke out, she saw an opportunity to eliminate several of her most bothersome rivals. She proposed an arrangement with the Nessians: see the to the quiet assassination of these individuals, and she would provide 1,000 gold coins per head. It was a generous arrangement, but Kelvin negotiated for a further twenty percent discount for the Knot in any of her business establishments, while Lemmy was able to arrange for his new and improved libation, Lemmy's Hard Lemonade, to be distributed at those same establishments. The deal was sealed in blood...WEEk 23Shocking news arrived from Farholde. Baron Vandermir's manor had been attacked and burned to the ground by, of all things, an enormous silver-scaled dragon! The Baron's body had not been found, and no one had seen nor heard from him since.WEEK 25"Are you sure about this?" Kelvin asked."Timeon was sure when he contacted me," Dakota smirked, "and he knows better than to mislead me.""Knick-Knack confirmed that we will be assailed this week as well," Tardaesha added. "Well then," Kelvin clapped his hands together, "this is cause for celebration! Sir Valin Darian, Heir to the Victor himself, is coming to us! We'd best prepare for our guests."________________________________________________________________For almost six months, Sir Valin Darian had been in agony. He knew in his heart and soul that something wicked was unfolding at the Horn of Abaddon, and yet his duty bound him to sit by and do nothing. Now, however, things had changed. Seven knights of the Alerion, old companions of Valin's, had recently arrived in Farholde, and finally he could bear it no longer. He had appointed his most capable lieutenant to defend the Hamarhall, and then he and his knights had ridden out for the Horn. They would trample whatever foulness had accumulated there, no matter what. Their plan really had not evolved beyond that, and when the knights arrived at the Horn, they simply rode their steeds up the steep trail to the opening that led into the first level of the mountain. Unfortunately for them, they did not hear the silent alarm they tripped that alerted Kelvin of their arrival. By the time they reached the first major intersection of the winding corridors, they found the way blocked by Artephius. The rest of the Nessian Knot was arrayed behind him. "Surrender!" Valin called as he reined his stallion to a rearing halt."You mean to surrender to us?" Kelvin called back. "Very well then. We accept!""This is your only chance," Valin growled. "Renounce your black vows and return with us to await judgment!"In response, Lemmy hurled a blast of metal and stone towards the knight commander. As if born to the saddle, Valin wheeled his steed Marquesa to one side, pressing her body up against one wall as the barrage passed harmlessly by."You'll have to do better than that, foul miscreant!" Valin called, laughing. "Artephius," Dorian said flatly. "Kill them all, but spare the leader.""By your command," the golem intoned.He cocked back one arm and flung a crackling bomb of electricity towards the knights. It missed the bulk of them, but when it hit the wall behind them, tendrils of current splashed on several of them and their mounts, causing the horses to squeal in pain and panic. A moment later, Marquesa whinnied shrilly and bucked beneath Valin. Struggling to get her under control, he looked down and saw a black-fletched arrow protruding from her flank. He looked up with hatred in his eyes and saw a darkly beautiful blonde woman kneeling with a bow in her hands. She blew him a sultry kiss.Sir Valin had had enough. He lowered his lance and urged Marquesa into a gallop. He'd covered half the distance to the Asmodeans when suddenly he felt his mount shudder beneath him as her front hooves splayed out wide and her back legs slipped out from under her, sitting her haunches hard upon the ground. Valin looked down and saw the flagstones all around were coated in a layer of thick, black grease. "Halt!" he called over his shoulder to the knights, who were preparing to follow his charge. "Flanking maneuver!" he commanded.The knights wheeled their horses about and began trotting down a side passage, looking for a path around to approach their enemies from the rear. Before Valin could turn back towards the devil-worshipers, Marquesa squealed in pain again. When he turned, he saw the last flicker of a what looked like a flight of fiery missiles strike his trusty steed. Floating in the air no more than a dozen feet away was a grinning ball of what looked like nothing but gnashing teeth. A woman was also moving quickly towards him, the identical twin of the one who'd shot Marquesa. She stepped nimbly across the greased floor and had closed to him before he was able to drop his lance and ready his shield. Tardaesha struck the knight commander, calling upon Asmodeus' vengeance to smite him. Sir Valin was nearly thrown from his saddle by the impact of the blow. The knights of the Alerion rounded a far corner of the narrow hallway, and then the lead rider drew his horse up sharply. A lone figure stood at the far end of the passage, electricity crackling around his upraised hands. "Fall back!" the knight shouted, but it was already too late. Kelvin released the magic and the lightning ball hurtled down the corridor, detonating with an ear-splitting explosion as it struck the knights. Men wailed and horses screamed as electricity coursed through them, and when its light flared then extinguished, it left only smoking corpses in its wake.As Sir Valin struggled to regain his balance and free his sword, Marquesa reared and sank her teeth into Tardaesha's shoulder. The anti-paladin hissed in pain and recoiled, and that's when Sir Valin brought his sword down across her back...hard! Tardaesha stumbled, but still managed to bring her own blade back around in a back-handed blow, landing the flat across Valin's temple. He reeled again, and then Knick-Knack sent another magic missile barrage flying at him. The knight fell backwards from the saddle and struck the floor with terrific force, where he lay stricken and unconscious. "Now, little pony," Tardaesha snarled, turning towards Marquesa, "I've always wanted to know what horse tastes like!"</blockquote>

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