Last Stand of the Dorinthians (Final Chapter)

"Well, we don't know. It seems that yes, this thing is a disease, conjured about by Festios. Nefius indicated that one of us may be infected, and intimated it was the person in the city longest. So I think we need to get all of us to a healer quickly."
 

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"I don't want to carry this plague to New Dorinth when we don't even know if there's a cure. I owe our people that much, at least. The elves would likely shoot me on sight and the Tallione already got the plague so our chances of using it for something positive seem pretty low."
 

Caramip Ashhearth

"He has a point. For all we know it could have been part that madman's plan that we go back to New Dorithia and accidently spread his plague." Says Caramip.
 

Dartis sighs "You're right, but we must warn them. If only Barok is infected we could go, but we don't know if he is, or if one of us is. I think we must still go. We will find the sentries and not go into Silverwood. They can relay the message and keep us at a distance.

'just by being here and interacting with the city' was what Nefius said, that means barok more than us. But he mentioned that humanity is changing. Perhaps the elves are immune? As would be Caramip? Crazy as it is I am tempted to go back to the damn Faerie Queen, and give my eyes and hands to have her stop it if she could."


Dartis leans back on the cool grass. "I am staggered by this and am not sure of my path. Where do the brambles lie?" he mutters to himself.
 

Possible options:
[sblock]
Go to the capital of the elves and seek a cure.
Go to the capital of the dwarves and seek a cure.
Go to the capital of the gnomes and seek a cure.
Go to where the infection is being fought, Tallione.
Go to your own people to warn them and seek a cure.
[/sblock]
 

Silas, quiet for most of the discussion, finally ventures to speak. "I believe our path is clear: we came here at Kel's request, we discovered what is occurring here and throughout the Tallione Empire, and we should now return to Kel and inform him of what we have found. I trust him and he is a healer, he can advise us what steps should be taken after that."
 

"And he could just as well have been lying about all this. Why should we take his word for it? I don't feel sick, so maybe he just wanted to scare you." He digs in his pack, "Maybe this journal will tell us some more." and starts reading.
 

Caramip Ashhearth

I say we torch the town, go to Tallione save as many people as possible and then go head back home. The longer we wait the more innocent children and their families will die.” Says the small Gnome. “But I will accept the decision of the group.
 

Barok flips through the journal of Gill Paston, the majordomo of the house, looking for clues. The beginning of the book starts off as a dull series of notes in regards to what activities were completed for the estate. Later passages discuss the scion of the house, Kyle, leaving for training while the master of the home, Baron John Radnallin, found himself entertaining a number of lords from surrounding lands. Later entries describe that these lords and the Baron were arrested for treason along with many of these constant visitors. The date of the treason corresponds to the time that Jarel the Proud tried to overthrow King Rasnen at Dorinam. The plotters were executed and Kyle Radnallin was brought to the estate by a Dorinthian official who explained that due to his recent service and moments of heroism he would not have the estate sold and be sold to Tallione in slavery. The official asked Kyle if he would denounce his father's actions. Kyle agreed that the actions were wrong and that he was not in agreement with his father's will. The official then asked Kyle to denounce his father and make a public announcement that the deceased Baron was possessed. Kyle refused this, saying that his father was a good, although misguided man. This inquisition became more tense with the official threatening Kyle, before the paladin broke his unique Dorinthian cavalry sword over his knee and declared that he would rather denounce his noble claim than sully his family honor by either submitting to Dorinam's request or allowing himself to be sold into slavery as a nobleman. The official was not sure what steps should take next, and Kyle took the opportunity to remove his noble insignias and decorations of office and walk out of his estate, never to be seen again. His sword was claimed by Gill, who placed it in a glass case in the main bedroom. From this point, it looks like Gill was told by Dorinam officials that the Radnallin House and titles were no more and that he would be looking over the property on orders of the state.

Things seemed to continue normally for years after that, until the Tallione invasion. There are indications in his journal that the first few days were brutal for the population as the soldiers stole, raped, and burned. After that, the violence was still high for a few weeks as the officers regained control of their men while looking for the die-hard patriots who continued to ambush and strike. Once their movement was quelled the city became relatively calm once more, especially once the commanding officer moved the troops into a garrison outside the city, and the population began to try to figure out what it meant to be subjects of the empire. Still rumors persisted about a haven for Dorinthian refugees out west near the elven lands. These rumors were fueled by the continuing growth of forces in the Tallione garrison and talk by the soldiers of a new campaign.

That's when the disease began to show in the population and the mad prophet who wore a mask began his preachings. The Tallione commander, Commander Abarani, sent healers to the town and even inspected the city alongside surviving city officials, but what seemed to be a bad cold spread quickly beyond their abilities until everyone, Tallione Imperial and Dorinthian, became ill with the malady. The disease lasted quite a long while, slowly sapping the body of strength until the gaunt person finally died. Horrifically, some of those that died rose back up as some sort of strange, nearly mindless undead and had to be put to the sword. Commander Abarani and his soldiers had their hands full keeping Imperial deserters and panicked civilians from fleeing lest they spread the contagion. His priests sent messages for help to Tallione, but they looked grim and never spoke of what response they received. In the end the commander ordered all his priests out of the city and to the Tallione capital for unknown reasons while he continued to battle the growing chaos and his own sickness.

At the end of the journal Gill writes that he is also beginning to feel sick and is contemplating suicide lest he also rise like the more and more frequent undead.
 

Dartis listens quietly to the new information. "No wonder Kyle is so angry. Too bad I will never be King to rectify the situation for him. Kind of ironic we both had to renounce our titles huh? OK, I think Caramip is mostly right, we do need to torch the town and head down to Tallione. My main concern is how the plague started. Did the soldiers bring it with them, did Nefius bring it, or worst of all can Festios just manifest it where ever? I am no healer, I am not a learned man. I am a simple soldier, I suppose I can put the sick and the undead to the sword and at least reduce the army of Festios.

I can't believe I must go now to save Tallione after years of dreaming of its destruction. And to forestall Baroks comment, yes I would love to see the Empire fall, but I know it would allow the plague to spread afterwards. If we save Tallione, I do not expect them to suddenly come to their senses, but perhaps they will abandon the Triumverate that seeks their destruction. In any case it sounds like they won't be mounting any campaigns for a while, even wee we to save them this very night."
 

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