Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2555325" data-attributes="member: 5203">Ask, and ye shall receive!&nbsp; (Sorry for the delay, real life can be so demanding...---------------------&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; The eight companions sat in a circle.&nbsp; Kavan and Kyle sat cross-legged in the center, facing each other.&nbsp; Kyle’s raven familiar, Violet, was standing between them.&nbsp; Violet had agreed to act as a focus for the ritual in the hopes it might have a greater chance at success.&nbsp; The others sat around the wizard and the cleric, watching.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I have opened a channel to Erito’s realm,” Kavan intoned, in a voice not quite his own.&nbsp; “Speak your questions now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.&nbsp; “Does Erito desire that all beings with developed psionic abilities are destroyed without exception?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; NO. The answer seemed to come as much from the air around Kavan as it did from the elf’s lips.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle’s eyes flickered to Tolly, and he couldn’t help but smirk a bit.&nbsp; “Does Erito desire that all beings with any psionic ability, developed or not, are destroyed without exception?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; NO.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Another smirk crossed Kyle’s face he could focus back on the task at hand.&nbsp; “Is the accounting of pre-Cataclysmic events given to us by the being we know as Aran accurate?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; UNCLEAR.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This answer caused Kyle to frown.&nbsp; It wasn’t what he’d hoped for.&nbsp; “Is Aran’s information regarding the philosophical factions within psionic society and their goals accurate?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; UNCLEAR.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; An idea popped into Kyle’s head with this second non-committal answer, but it would have to wait.&nbsp; The ritual did not allow for pauses.&nbsp; “Does a location exist on Aelfenn where an accurate accounting of pre-Cataclysmic history can be found that our party could feasibly access?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; NOT AT THIS TIME.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This answer was a pleasant surprise for Kyle.&nbsp; The way Kavan had explained it, answers more detailed that ‘yes’ or ‘no’ were very rare.&nbsp; “Does Erito forbid the use of psionically-crafted items to those without psionic talent?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; UNCLEAR.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This answer was not as troubling to Kyle as the previous two.&nbsp; He’d thrown that question in mostly just to see if destroying the psionic items they’d found was really necessary.&nbsp; “Are all the gods unified in their stance in relation to psionic beings?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; NO.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This answer was not surprising at all, though it begged certain other questions.&nbsp; However, those would have to wait.&nbsp; “Would Archprelate Jerome of the Ardaran church be able to provide more clarifying information on the subject of psionics, should he choose to do so?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; UNCLEAR.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle had one final question, but realized that the answer would be redundant based on the previous questions, and so he signaled Kavan that he was done.&nbsp; The aura of divine power around Kavan faded, and as Kyle looked around he saw that his friends were already discussing the results of the ritual.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So, why so many ‘unclear’ answers?” Lanara asked.&nbsp; “No offense, Kavan, but I thought Erito was supposed to be top of the heap.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “If I had to guess,” Kyle said, “I’d say that even though Erito is head of the pantheon, she’s not omniscient.&nbsp; And that conversation with Aran took place in his dream-realm, which may lie outside the influence of the gods.&nbsp; Erito might not be able to tell us whether what Aran said was true simply because she doesn’t know what he said.”&nbsp; Kyle shrugged.&nbsp; “Poor phrasing of questions on my part.&nbsp; Live and learn.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What about the question about Archprelate Jerome?” Autumn asked.&nbsp; “Why was that unclear?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Because Erito would not be privy to the information that the other gods might share with their clergy,” Kavan said.&nbsp; “She cannot know how much the Archprelate knows about psionics.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, sorry about that, Tolly,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “I was hoping to get an idea whether or not it would be worth your time to try and ask Jerome about the subject.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I appreciate the thought,” Tolly said, “though it would appear that the answer to your first two questions leaves little doubt as to where the gods stand.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Actually,” Arrie said, “all it proves is what Erito thinks.&nbsp; She even said that all the gods don’t agree, right?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s true,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “For all we know Ardara isn’t as forgiving as Erito.&nbsp; These questions are a start, but they’re nowhere near enough to go basing any decisions on.&nbsp; We’ll just have to keep asking more questions.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I can only perform the ritual once a month,” Kavan said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, we’ve still got a long road ahead of us,” Osborn commented.&nbsp; “Seems like Kyle will get another crack or two at Erito before we hit M’Dos.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Speaking of a long road ahead,” Lanara said, yawning, “it’s getting late, and Boss Billyup says he needs to make up some time on the road tomorrow.&nbsp; We’ll hit the next town in two days.&nbsp; We can discuss this tomorrow night.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party agreed with Lanara, and moved to turn in.&nbsp; Dawn would be upon them all too soon.&nbsp; Soon only two people were left sitting at the waning campfire.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Is something wrong?” Autumn asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly sat pensively on a wooden crate, stroking his beard.&nbsp; “Kavan’s ritual,” he said at last, “the answers from Erito are… troubling.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, they’re exactly that, Tolly; Erito’s answers.&nbsp; We don’t know what Ardara thinks.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes, but Erito ranks above Ardara, thus her views must hold a certain weight.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn moved over to sit next to Tolly on the crate.&nbsp; She placed her hand atop his and squeezed.&nbsp; “There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He sighed.&nbsp; “I’ve been contemplating the possibility of working with this Aran, and whether it would be in conflict with my duty to Ardara.&nbsp; My phylactery has been silent during these meditations.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn nodded.&nbsp; She knew the functioning of the phylactery well; she had received one as well during their lessons at the Tower.&nbsp; It was supposed to provide a means of knowing if one’s actions or intentions would violate the tenets of a person’s patron deity.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The archon Alexriel was so clear on this matter,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “Psionics are an abomination.&nbsp; All users of psionics must be exterminated.&nbsp; All items using psionic power must be destroyed.&nbsp; But now it seems that Ardara does not hold that view as clearly as I thought.”&nbsp; Tolly looked at Autumn, and she saw the torment in his eyes.&nbsp; “When I died, I was told that I would serve as the scalpel of Ardara, to root out the corruption in this world.&nbsp; How can I serve in that manner, when I don’t even know where I should cut?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn thought for a while before she responded.&nbsp; “When I was a young girl, my father used to give me advice all the time.&nbsp; ‘Wear the blue dress to the ball,’ ‘Tighten your grip on the reins’, ‘keep your shield up’.&nbsp; Then, when I was thirteen, men from the Order of Sentinels came to test me.&nbsp; When the testing was done, they said that I had the potential to become a sentinel, and that I would have to choose whether I would make the journey to the Vigilant Fortress to begin training.&nbsp; I went to my father to ask him what I should do.&nbsp; He didn’t say a word to me – he just stood up and walked out of the room.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I remember how hard that was for me.&nbsp; I was angry, then sad, then terrified.&nbsp; Finally, I went back and demanded to know why he’d ignored me like that.&nbsp; He sat me down, and very calmly told me.&nbsp; ‘Autumn, your mother and I have raised you well,’ he said.&nbsp; ‘Well enough that I trust you to make a decision like this on your own.&nbsp; If I tell you what I think, then it’s no longer fully your decision.&nbsp; You need to decide for yourself what is best for you.&nbsp; This decision is too big, too important in your life for it to be otherwise.&nbsp; And no matter what you choose, I will stand behind you, because I know you made the best choice for yourself.’” Autumn smiled a bit at the memory.&nbsp; “A week later, I was riding to the Vigilant Fortress.&nbsp; Tolly, maybe Ardara doesn’t want to tell you what to do, because she trusts you to make your own decision on this matter.&nbsp; Maybe it means that she will stand behind you no matter what you decide.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly thought for a while, then smiled at Autumn.&nbsp; “You seem determined to make sure I don’t sleep well tonight.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn laughed.&nbsp; “Well, forgive me for that.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “There’s no need for forgiveness, Autumn.&nbsp; I don’t mind being kept awake all night by a woman as lovely as yourself.”&nbsp; Tolly smiled again, but then blanched when he realized the unintentional double meaning of his words.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn took it in stride.&nbsp; “That sounds like something I’d expect Kyle to say,” she laughed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes, I suppose it is.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She gave his hand another squeeze.&nbsp; “Good night, Tolly.&nbsp; I hope you can decide what you want soon.”&nbsp; With that she stood, kissed him on the cheek, and went into the women’s tent.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly sat and watched her depart, admiring the way the light from the fire reflected off her hair, which shone like pure gold.&nbsp; He could still feel the press of her lips on his face.&nbsp; Gods, man, he thought, could things be any more clear?&nbsp; He’d been slowly increasing his efforts to subtly woo Autumn, and so far she had not resisted or balked.&nbsp; Her reaction to his verbal gaffe was even more of an indication that she would welcome a serious suit from him.&nbsp; After all, he knew Autumn had no other prospects waiting for her; he’d already determined that by talking to her sister Arrie.&nbsp; Soon, he thought, it will be time to make my intentions known.&nbsp; But not yet.&nbsp; Not until M’Dos, at the earliest.&nbsp; But before then, he would have to keep working at winning Autumn over.&nbsp; He’d reached the limit of what he knew what to do; his own lack of experience with such worldly affairs was a limitation that would have to be overcome.&nbsp; To do that, he’d need some help.&nbsp; He thought about speaking with Kyle, but dismissed the idea.&nbsp; The wizard was a good person at heart (despite his dalliances with blasphemy), but would have little to offer for wooing a person of Autumn’s noble heritage.&nbsp; Perhaps Kavan?&nbsp; Yes, that might work.&nbsp; Despite the indiginity of his former life, the Eritan priest might have some insight into proper courtships.&nbsp; And as a man of faith like himself, Kavan would surely understand his situation, and would practice some amount of discretion.&nbsp; Tolly resolved to speak with Kavan soon.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Good night, Autumn,” he whispered.&nbsp; Then, suddenly tired, he stood up and made his way to the tent.&nbsp; With at least one question hanging over his head now resolved, sleep would come easier. *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They saw the plumes of smoke a half-day outside of the town.&nbsp; Boss Billyup sat atop a pony, peering at the black columns.&nbsp; The party sat on their mounts behind him, armed and ready.&nbsp; They’d gathered when the clan’s scouts first reported the smoke.&nbsp; Only Xu remained on foot, as her natural foot speed was greater than that of any horse.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The scouts say it’s not a brush fire, thank Feesha,” Billyup said.&nbsp; “But it doesn’t look good.&nbsp; Raiders, maybe.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We should go and see what happened,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes, well, I suppose…” Billyup said hesitantly.&nbsp; “It’ll take a while to get everyone moving, and…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We can ride ahead,” Autumn offered.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party rode off with Billyup’s vigorous agreement.&nbsp; They rode at a rapid pace, hoping to get to the town and return before nightfall.&nbsp; Still, it was early afternoon by the time the buildings came into view.&nbsp; Or, what was left of them.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They rode slowly into the town, surveying the devastation.&nbsp; The town sat in a wide, shallow valley carved by a meandering river.&nbsp; About half of the buildings had been burned to the ground, most still smoking and emitting waves of heat.&nbsp; Scattered around the streets were the bodies of the townspeople.&nbsp; Men, women, and children lay in tortured poses, many surrounded by pools of their own blood.&nbsp; Most of the bodies were in several pieces.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Split up and search,” Arrie said quietly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It didn’t take them long to discover that no one was left alive in the town.&nbsp; The party conducted a silent body count, at the same time stamping out small bits of smoldering debris that had landed in the grass.&nbsp; They gathered in the center of town, holding cloths up to their faces to ward off the smell of burnt flesh.&nbsp; They added up the bodies they’d found, and guessed that three-quarters of the population lay dead in the street.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Where are the rest?” Tolly asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Prisoners?” Xu asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Maybe,” said Kavan, “but Kyle found this.”&nbsp; He held up a small amulet that looked like it had been torn off in a struggle.&nbsp; It was a stylized spider.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Fiel,” Kavan spat.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “There’s this, too.”&nbsp; Arrie held out the broken end of a spear.&nbsp; The tip was slightly discolored.&nbsp; “Poison,” she confirmed, indicating she’d already used her Talent to detect toxins.&nbsp; Kyle took the spear and carefully scraped the substance into a vial.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “This looks like the work of Ravagers to me,” Kavan said.&nbsp; Tolly nodded in agreement.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Who are these Ravagers?” Xu asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Cultists devoted to Fiel.&nbsp; It’s a small cult, and the cells tend to die off pretty quickly, but they’re very dedicated.&nbsp; They pretty much kill for the sake of killing.&nbsp; This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of them doing something like this.”&nbsp; Kavan looked out across the plains.&nbsp; “If the Ravagers did take prisoners, it’s because they want to save them to be slaughtered in especially gruesome ways.&nbsp; Or eaten.&nbsp; When I was training to be a priest, I was warned about the Ravagers.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Then we should find them,” Autumn said, dashing off to her horse and vaulting into the saddle.&nbsp; “This all happened today, by the looks of it, which means they can’t be far.&nbsp; Let’s go!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Autumn,” Arrie said gently.&nbsp; “I agree with you, but none of us are trackers.&nbsp; We’ll have a hard time finding them after so much time has passed.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle walked up and stood next to the sentinel, still in her saddle.&nbsp; “You can summon celestial creatures, right?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes,” Autumn said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Could you summon something that might be able to track these Ravagers down?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Her face brightened.&nbsp; “Of course.”&nbsp; She concentrated for a moment, and a moment later a large, silvery-furred wolf appeared.&nbsp; Kavan walked up and allowed the wolf to sniff at the Ravager amulet, and after receiving some rudimentary empathic instructions from Autumn, it immediately began to circle around, trying to find the scent.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Kyle, couldn’t you send Violet off to see if she could find them?” Autumn asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, I can give it a shot, but a raven’s not too good at seeing long distances.”&nbsp; Kyle looked at Violent, who cawed and then took off into the sky.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A few minutes later the celestial wolf began to bound off into the grass.&nbsp; Autumn immediately turned her horse Defiance and began to follow.&nbsp; Xu looked up as she began to ride off.“Excuse me,” Xu said to the others, “but Autumn is riding off.”Arrie sighed.&nbsp; “And everyone complains about me.”“Well, we know where she got it,” replied Tolly.The party scrambled to catch up to Autumn.&nbsp; Just as they got onto their horses, Violet came flying back.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Boss,” the raven croaked, landing on Kyle’s shoulder.&nbsp; “You know that group of people that you wanted me to find?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You saw them?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yeah, off that way.” Violet gestured with one wing across the plains.&nbsp; “Looks like they’re riding toward the circus.&nbsp; They don’t look friendly.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle gasped.&nbsp; “The Ravagers are heading for the circus!” he shouted.&nbsp; He wheeled his horse around and pointed in the direction Violet had given him.&nbsp; The others began to gather around Kyle, even as Arrie rode out to catch Autumn and redirect her.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So, boss,” Violet said, “You gonna need me for this?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I… guess not,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “Why?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, there are a lot of dead bodies back there, and, well…” Violet flapped her wings eagerly.&nbsp; Kyle groaned in response.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “How many times have I told you not to tell me these things, Violet?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sorry, boss.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He sighed.&nbsp; “Just… don’t bring back leftovers, okay?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Violet cawed and flew off.&nbsp; Kyle’s gaze met Tolly’s, who was looking at him sternly.&nbsp; “Look, she may be a familiar, but she’s still a raven.&nbsp; They’re carrion birds.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Was the part about ‘leftovers’ truly necessary?” Tolly asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle winced.&nbsp; “Unfortunately, yes.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not now, you two,” Osborn snapped.&nbsp; “We have to ride hard to catch these Ravagers before they reach the circus.”&nbsp; He turned Rupert around and began bounding through the tall grass.&nbsp; The others followed behind him at a gallop.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The horses had worked up a heavy lather by the time they party came within sight of the wagons.&nbsp; The hin had already circled into a defensive formation, and had mounted shields along the large wheels to act as a barrier.&nbsp; Arrows flew out from inside the wagon circles to pepper a group of nearly a dozen raiders.&nbsp; The motley band was unified in appearance only by the scar-tattoos that marred their facial features.&nbsp; Most of them appeared to be dressed in hide armor; there was a pair of hin with short swords, an orc with a scimitar and shield, and a pair of humans with similar weapons.&nbsp; A second orc bore a greatsword.&nbsp; Another human in he raiding party was wearing splint mail.&nbsp; The rest of the band was even more varied; there was a tiefling riding atop a giant spider with a brace of javelins strapped to his mount, a cansin with a pair of large dragonfly wings emerging from her back, and a fire-touched in red robes.&nbsp; The fire-touched and cansin had wands clutched in their hands.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly and Kyle opened up the party’s offensive with a pair of spells as soon as they were in range; Tolly raised a field of spike stones between the raiders and the wagons, while Kyle summoned a stinking cloud.&nbsp; As the greenish vapors began to rise, the raiders scrambled to get out of the area; most seemed to emerge none the worse for wear.&nbsp; Crossbow bolts from Xu and Osborn followed, though neither found their mark.&nbsp; The others just moved in as fast as possible to get into melee, save for Lanara, who slowed enough to prepare some defensive spells from her magical harp.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The raiders moved to defend themselves from attack, the warriors moving to engage the party while others hung back to press their assault on the circus.&nbsp; The two hin charged toward Kavan just as he unleashed a blast of searing light at one of the human warriors, but instead of attacking the priest directly they slashed at his horse, severely wounding it.&nbsp; Kavan jerked at the reins trying to keep his mount under control.&nbsp; The fire-touched pointed at Tolly and a bolt of fire shot out at him, barely missing.&nbsp; Kyle, on the other side of the battlefield, realized with a shock that the fiery bolt was not caused by any kind of spell, but seemed to be conjured by the fire-touched by sheer will.&nbsp; He had little time to contemplate this, however, as he began to urge his mount around, hoping to avoid the Ravager’s fighters and get at their mages, one of which had dispelled his stinking cloud.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly, Autumn, and Arrie slammed head-on into the Ravagers, several of whom had begun to foam at the mouth and scream incoherently.&nbsp; Tolly swung his hammer, which was slick with an acidic sheen, at the orc wielding the scimitar.&nbsp; In response, the raging orc slashed at Tolly’s horse, severing its front legs and sending Tolly crashing to the ground.&nbsp; The orc followed through by cutting deep into Tolly’s thigh.&nbsp; Arrie ducked as another fiery bolt from the fire-touched went over her head, and then she moved up to assist Kavan with the pair of hin barbarians.&nbsp; Autumn’s blade flashed as she engaged one of the humans with a scimitar; next to her, the celestial wolf she’d summoned attacked the second human.&nbsp; Osborn and Xu launched more crossbow bolts, with one bolt from Xu sticking into the leg of the orc.&nbsp; Well behind the main fighting, the tielfing urged his arachnid mount forward as he cast a spell, calling on Fiel’s wrath.&nbsp; Most of the party was caught in a foul cloud of unholy power that came out of nowhere. Though they were able to shake off the worst of the effects, Autumn’s wolf companion caught the full brunt of the priest’s power, and vanished with a yelp of pain.&nbsp; The horses were also staggered by the spell; though most survived, Kavan’s steed, already wounded, could not bear the torment, and collapsed in a bloody heap, sending the elf tumbling to the ground.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle, seeing that Tolly was vulnerable after falling off his mortally wounded mount, cast a ray of enfeeblement at the orc, channeling it through his magical rod to increase its power.&nbsp; The orc’s strength drained away to the point that it could barely hold his weapons.&nbsp; Taking advantage of the orc’s surprise, Tolly cast a spell on himself, imbuing his body with Ardara’s power and increasing his fighting prowess.&nbsp; Across the field, the two hin pressed their advantage against Kavan, driving him back and wounding him severely.&nbsp; Arrie tried to help, but was blocked by the press of horses and men and was only able to land a single blow.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The battle began to shift from horseback to feet, as the party, wary of the Ravager’s tactic of killing mounts, began to jump off their horses and let them run to safety.&nbsp; Osborn hurled a dagger at one of the hin attacking Kavan, and Xu waded into the fray as well, hitting the other hin.&nbsp; Behind the main line of combat, the tiefling, cansin, and fire-touched prepared another barrage.&nbsp; The fire-touched launched another beam of fire at Osborn, this time connecting and severely burning him.&nbsp; He slapped at the spot where he’d been struck, beating out the flames.&nbsp; The cansin, whose dragonfly wings were carrying her a few feet in the air, launched a bolt of dark energy at Autumn, which connected and sent her reeling.&nbsp; Worse, the evil spell robbed the sentinel of her sight.&nbsp; Autumn staggered back a step with a cry of surprise.&nbsp; Then, the panic was replaced by indignant fury.&nbsp; Reaching into a pouch, she pulled out a small black crystal bead and hurled in toward the area where the mages had converged.&nbsp; The bead landed in their midst by sheer good fortune, and detonated, scattering the mages and their bodyguards.&nbsp; The bead also created a sphere of force, which didn’t manage to capture any of the Ravagers, but blocked their path, forcing them to relocate in order to bring their firepower to bear on the party again.&nbsp; The blast forced one the humans in splint mail into Tolly’s field of spikes, cutting bloody gashes in his feet and ankles.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Nice throw!” Arrie shouted to her sister over the din of battle, unaware that Autumn was unable to see.&nbsp; Then, when Autumn shifted Defiance over in order to avoid the attacks of one of the Ravagers, which opened up a line of attack for Arrie, she shouted, “You are such a good sister!”&nbsp; Arrie went back to the battle, alternating her blows between the pair of hin that were assaulting Kavan and Xu, and the human barbarian that had shifted from Autumn and was now menacing Osborn.&nbsp; Tolly was now facing off against both orcs, although the weakened one was now hardly a threat at all.&nbsp; The winged cansin managed to fire off a quick sound burst at Autumn, giving her a nosebleed but failing to stun her with the concussive blast.&nbsp; Lanara, slightly behind the battle-line so her bardic song could be heard, tried to use a hold person spell on one of the hin, but it had no effect.&nbsp; The Ravagers, with most of the horses now away from the battle, shifted from trying to destroy mounts to trying to destroy shields.&nbsp; Kavan’s shield was nearly split in two by a blow from one of the hin, while Tolly’s mithral shield weathered the attack of the orc’s greatsword much better.&nbsp; With no horse, a nearly ruined shield, and bleeding from several wounds, Kavan was forced to withdraw in order to heal himself.&nbsp; Xu was also quite badly hurt, Tolly was pinned down, and Arrie was desperately trying to keep the human Ravager from attacking Osborn while at the same time blocking the progress of the hin barbarians by knocking them off their feet.&nbsp; Autumn’s sight was slowly returning, but she was out of position.&nbsp; Kyle was nowhere to be seen, and the Ravager’s mages were now positioned to resume their magical assault.&nbsp; Things were looking grim.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Xu ran over and kicked at one of the hin that Arrie had tripped, breaking several ribs.&nbsp; But a gesture from the winged cansin caused an arm made of earth to erupt from the ground and try to grab at the monk, forcing her to fall back from her attack.&nbsp; Osborn managed to avoid another blast of fire from the fire-touched, and in response used his own circlet of blasting to fire an energy bolt back, burning a hole into his chest.&nbsp; Autumn, whose vision had returned, turned and saw that she had an opening to the cansin, who was hovering just a few feet above the ground.&nbsp; She wheeled Defiance around and spurred him into a gallop, at the same time pulling her boots out of the stirrups and coming up to her knees atop her saddle.&nbsp; With a cry of rage, Autumn jumped off of Defiance as they passed under the cansin, her longsword stretched out as high as possible.&nbsp; The blade, bright with holy power, cut into the cansin’s leg, taking it off at the knee.&nbsp; As Autumn landed with a metallic crash, the cansin fell to earth behind her, the shock of sudden blood loss rendering her unconscious.&nbsp; The human in splint mail quickly moved to engage the new threat, while at the same time the tiefling reached out and cast a spell over the fallen fire-touched, drawing his life-force out and imbuing the spider-mounted priest with power.&nbsp; But just as the tiefling was about to cast another spell at Autumn, he jerked suddenly, and his eyes glazed over.&nbsp; For the briefest of moments, a translucent image of Kyle appeared behind the priest, his arm outstretched and holding onto the tielfing’s leg, and then the image vanished.&nbsp; The spark of intellect and reason vanished from the priest’s eyes, and with a sudden look of primitive panic, he turned his spider and began to run away.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Heartened by the enemies’ sudden loss of their spellcasters, the party pressed their attack anew.&nbsp; Tolly swung his hammer around furiously, crushing the skull of the orc with the greatsword and following through into the second.&nbsp; Osborn finally got the opening he wanted, and a storm of daggers flew through the air impaling the human barbarian.&nbsp; The hin, trying to go after Kavan again, was tripped by Arrie’s chain and then beaten into a gristly pulp by Xu.&nbsp; Kavan, with a reprieve from the assault, was finally able to summon some divine power for a task besides healing, shouting out invocations to Erito that bolstered his companion’s spirits and struck fear into his foes.&nbsp; The tide of battle shifted dramatically in the heroes’ favor.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn squared off against the human in splint mail, who fought with a pair of daggers expertly wielded.&nbsp; They danced back and forth for a few grueling seconds, equally matched, right up until the point where the image of Kyle flickered behind the human, his arm outstretched and enveloped in sickening black energy.&nbsp; The Ravager screamed as his life-force was ripped out of his body violently, and Kyle smiled before vanishing again.&nbsp; Though he recovered quickly from the shock, he was still unnerved, and Autumn was relentless.&nbsp; Unexpectedly, the human raised his hands, and a globe of darkness enveloped the battlefield, obscuring the vision of everyone.&nbsp; Tolly felt the blade of his orcish opponent slash past him in the darkness, and decided that he would not allow his enemy this advantage.&nbsp; Stepping back, he summoned the holy light of Ardara’s forge, pushing back the darkness.&nbsp; Once again able to see her opponent, Autumn pressed her attack.&nbsp; Her blade flashed in and out, and several deep cuts later, the Ravager fell to his knees, dying.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; By this time the battle was all but over.&nbsp; The remaining Ravagers tried to flee, but the party cut them down as they ran, showing them the same mercy they had shown the townsfolk.&nbsp; Autumn swung back into the saddle of Defiance and chased down the fleeing priest of Fiel, shooting arrows at the spider until it crashed to the ground, then riding down the addle-brained tiefling.&nbsp; The few that had not been killed outright were dragged back into the camp for questioning.&nbsp; Osborn, Arrie, and Lanara had begun stripping the gear from the Ravager raiding party when Autumn rode back in, the corpse of the priest slung across Defiance’s haunches.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Where’s Kyle?” Autumn asked as she dismounted.&nbsp; Walking across the camp to where her sister stood, she stopped suddenly, her eyes wide with surprise.&nbsp; Moments later, Kyle suddenly appeared a few feet away from the sentinel, grinning like a fiend as he quickly backpedaled away.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That was definitely against the rules, Kyle!” she shouted at him as he vanished behind a wagon.&nbsp; Arrie looked up curiously.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What are you talking about, Autumn?&nbsp; What rules?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn lowered her gaze, her face turning red.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Never mind,” she growled.&nbsp; “We have prisoners to question…”</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2555325, member: 5203"] Ask, and ye shall receive! (Sorry for the delay, real life can be so demanding... --------------------- The eight companions sat in a circle. Kavan and Kyle sat cross-legged in the center, facing each other. Kyle’s raven familiar, Violet, was standing between them. Violet had agreed to act as a focus for the ritual in the hopes it might have a greater chance at success. The others sat around the wizard and the cleric, watching. “I have opened a channel to Erito’s realm,” Kavan intoned, in a voice not quite his own. “Speak your questions now.” Kyle took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “Does Erito desire that all beings with developed psionic abilities are destroyed without exception?” [COLOR=Plum]NO.[/COLOR] The answer seemed to come as much from the air around Kavan as it did from the elf’s lips. Kyle’s eyes flickered to Tolly, and he couldn’t help but smirk a bit. “Does Erito desire that all beings with any psionic ability, developed or not, are destroyed without exception?” [COLOR=Plum]NO.[/COLOR] Another smirk crossed Kyle’s face he could focus back on the task at hand. “Is the accounting of pre-Cataclysmic events given to us by the being we know as Aran accurate?” [COLOR=Plum]UNCLEAR.[/COLOR] This answer caused Kyle to frown. It wasn’t what he’d hoped for. “Is Aran’s information regarding the philosophical factions within psionic society and their goals accurate?” [COLOR=Plum]UNCLEAR.[/COLOR] An idea popped into Kyle’s head with this second non-committal answer, but it would have to wait. The ritual did not allow for pauses. “Does a location exist on Aelfenn where an accurate accounting of pre-Cataclysmic history can be found that our party could feasibly access?” [COLOR=Plum]NOT AT THIS TIME.[/COLOR] This answer was a pleasant surprise for Kyle. The way Kavan had explained it, answers more detailed that ‘yes’ or ‘no’ were very rare. “Does Erito forbid the use of psionically-crafted items to those without psionic talent?” [COLOR=Plum]UNCLEAR.[/COLOR] This answer was not as troubling to Kyle as the previous two. He’d thrown that question in mostly just to see if destroying the psionic items they’d found was really necessary. “Are all the gods unified in their stance in relation to psionic beings?” [COLOR=Plum]NO.[/COLOR] This answer was not surprising at all, though it begged certain other questions. However, those would have to wait. “Would Archprelate Jerome of the Ardaran church be able to provide more clarifying information on the subject of psionics, should he choose to do so?” [COLOR=Plum]UNCLEAR.[/COLOR] Kyle had one final question, but realized that the answer would be redundant based on the previous questions, and so he signaled Kavan that he was done. The aura of divine power around Kavan faded, and as Kyle looked around he saw that his friends were already discussing the results of the ritual. “So, why so many ‘unclear’ answers?” Lanara asked. “No offense, Kavan, but I thought Erito was supposed to be top of the heap.” “If I had to guess,” Kyle said, “I’d say that even though Erito is head of the pantheon, she’s not omniscient. And that conversation with Aran took place in his dream-realm, which may lie outside the influence of the gods. Erito might not be able to tell us whether what Aran said was true simply because she doesn’t know what he said.” Kyle shrugged. “Poor phrasing of questions on my part. Live and learn.” “What about the question about Archprelate Jerome?” Autumn asked. “Why was that unclear?” “Because Erito would not be privy to the information that the other gods might share with their clergy,” Kavan said. “She cannot know how much the Archprelate knows about psionics.” “Well, sorry about that, Tolly,” Kyle said. “I was hoping to get an idea whether or not it would be worth your time to try and ask Jerome about the subject.” “I appreciate the thought,” Tolly said, “though it would appear that the answer to your first two questions leaves little doubt as to where the gods stand.” “Actually,” Arrie said, “all it proves is what Erito thinks. She even said that all the gods don’t agree, right?” “That’s true,” Kyle said. “For all we know Ardara isn’t as forgiving as Erito. These questions are a start, but they’re nowhere near enough to go basing any decisions on. We’ll just have to keep asking more questions.” “I can only perform the ritual once a month,” Kavan said. “Well, we’ve still got a long road ahead of us,” Osborn commented. “Seems like Kyle will get another crack or two at Erito before we hit M’Dos.” “Speaking of a long road ahead,” Lanara said, yawning, “it’s getting late, and Boss Billyup says he needs to make up some time on the road tomorrow. We’ll hit the next town in two days. We can discuss this tomorrow night.” The party agreed with Lanara, and moved to turn in. Dawn would be upon them all too soon. Soon only two people were left sitting at the waning campfire. “Is something wrong?” Autumn asked. Tolly sat pensively on a wooden crate, stroking his beard. “Kavan’s ritual,” he said at last, “the answers from Erito are… troubling.” “Well, they’re exactly that, Tolly; Erito’s answers. We don’t know what Ardara thinks.” “Yes, but Erito ranks above Ardara, thus her views must hold a certain weight.” Autumn moved over to sit next to Tolly on the crate. She placed her hand atop his and squeezed. “There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” He sighed. “I’ve been contemplating the possibility of working with this Aran, and whether it would be in conflict with my duty to Ardara. My phylactery has been silent during these meditations.” Autumn nodded. She knew the functioning of the phylactery well; she had received one as well during their lessons at the Tower. It was supposed to provide a means of knowing if one’s actions or intentions would violate the tenets of a person’s patron deity. “The archon Alexriel was so clear on this matter,” Tolly said. “Psionics are an abomination. All users of psionics must be exterminated. All items using psionic power must be destroyed. But now it seems that Ardara does not hold that view as clearly as I thought.” Tolly looked at Autumn, and she saw the torment in his eyes. “When I died, I was told that I would serve as the scalpel of Ardara, to root out the corruption in this world. How can I serve in that manner, when I don’t even know where I should cut?” Autumn thought for a while before she responded. “When I was a young girl, my father used to give me advice all the time. ‘Wear the blue dress to the ball,’ ‘Tighten your grip on the reins’, ‘keep your shield up’. Then, when I was thirteen, men from the Order of Sentinels came to test me. When the testing was done, they said that I had the potential to become a sentinel, and that I would have to choose whether I would make the journey to the Vigilant Fortress to begin training. I went to my father to ask him what I should do. He didn’t say a word to me – he just stood up and walked out of the room. “I remember how hard that was for me. I was angry, then sad, then terrified. Finally, I went back and demanded to know why he’d ignored me like that. He sat me down, and very calmly told me. ‘Autumn, your mother and I have raised you well,’ he said. ‘Well enough that I trust you to make a decision like this on your own. If I tell you what I think, then it’s no longer fully your decision. You need to decide for yourself what is best for you. This decision is too big, too important in your life for it to be otherwise. And no matter what you choose, I will stand behind you, because I know you made the best choice for yourself.’” Autumn smiled a bit at the memory. “A week later, I was riding to the Vigilant Fortress. Tolly, maybe Ardara doesn’t want to tell you what to do, because she trusts you to make your own decision on this matter. Maybe it means that she will stand behind you no matter what you decide.” Tolly thought for a while, then smiled at Autumn. “You seem determined to make sure I don’t sleep well tonight.” Autumn laughed. “Well, forgive me for that.” “There’s no need for forgiveness, Autumn. I don’t mind being kept awake all night by a woman as lovely as yourself.” Tolly smiled again, but then blanched when he realized the unintentional double meaning of his words. Autumn took it in stride. “That sounds like something I’d expect Kyle to say,” she laughed. “Yes, I suppose it is.” She gave his hand another squeeze. “Good night, Tolly. I hope you can decide what you want soon.” With that she stood, kissed him on the cheek, and went into the women’s tent. Tolly sat and watched her depart, admiring the way the light from the fire reflected off her hair, which shone like pure gold. He could still feel the press of her lips on his face. Gods, man, he thought, could things be any more clear? He’d been slowly increasing his efforts to subtly woo Autumn, and so far she had not resisted or balked. Her reaction to his verbal gaffe was even more of an indication that she would welcome a serious suit from him. After all, he knew Autumn had no other prospects waiting for her; he’d already determined that by talking to her sister Arrie. Soon, he thought, it will be time to make my intentions known. But not yet. Not until M’Dos, at the earliest. But before then, he would have to keep working at winning Autumn over. He’d reached the limit of what he knew what to do; his own lack of experience with such worldly affairs was a limitation that would have to be overcome. To do that, he’d need some help. He thought about speaking with Kyle, but dismissed the idea. The wizard was a good person at heart (despite his dalliances with blasphemy), but would have little to offer for wooing a person of Autumn’s noble heritage. Perhaps Kavan? Yes, that might work. Despite the indiginity of his former life, the Eritan priest might have some insight into proper courtships. And as a man of faith like himself, Kavan would surely understand his situation, and would practice some amount of discretion. Tolly resolved to speak with Kavan soon. “Good night, Autumn,” he whispered. Then, suddenly tired, he stood up and made his way to the tent. With at least one question hanging over his head now resolved, sleep would come easier. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] They saw the plumes of smoke a half-day outside of the town. Boss Billyup sat atop a pony, peering at the black columns. The party sat on their mounts behind him, armed and ready. They’d gathered when the clan’s scouts first reported the smoke. Only Xu remained on foot, as her natural foot speed was greater than that of any horse. “The scouts say it’s not a brush fire, thank Feesha,” Billyup said. “But it doesn’t look good. Raiders, maybe.” “We should go and see what happened,” Tolly said. “Yes, well, I suppose…” Billyup said hesitantly. “It’ll take a while to get everyone moving, and…” “We can ride ahead,” Autumn offered. The party rode off with Billyup’s vigorous agreement. They rode at a rapid pace, hoping to get to the town and return before nightfall. Still, it was early afternoon by the time the buildings came into view. Or, what was left of them. They rode slowly into the town, surveying the devastation. The town sat in a wide, shallow valley carved by a meandering river. About half of the buildings had been burned to the ground, most still smoking and emitting waves of heat. Scattered around the streets were the bodies of the townspeople. Men, women, and children lay in tortured poses, many surrounded by pools of their own blood. Most of the bodies were in several pieces. “Split up and search,” Arrie said quietly. It didn’t take them long to discover that no one was left alive in the town. The party conducted a silent body count, at the same time stamping out small bits of smoldering debris that had landed in the grass. They gathered in the center of town, holding cloths up to their faces to ward off the smell of burnt flesh. They added up the bodies they’d found, and guessed that three-quarters of the population lay dead in the street. “Where are the rest?” Tolly asked. “Prisoners?” Xu asked. “Maybe,” said Kavan, “but Kyle found this.” He held up a small amulet that looked like it had been torn off in a struggle. It was a stylized spider. “Fiel,” Kavan spat. “There’s this, too.” Arrie held out the broken end of a spear. The tip was slightly discolored. “Poison,” she confirmed, indicating she’d already used her Talent to detect toxins. Kyle took the spear and carefully scraped the substance into a vial. “This looks like the work of Ravagers to me,” Kavan said. Tolly nodded in agreement. “Who are these Ravagers?” Xu asked. “Cultists devoted to Fiel. It’s a small cult, and the cells tend to die off pretty quickly, but they’re very dedicated. They pretty much kill for the sake of killing. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of them doing something like this.” Kavan looked out across the plains. “If the Ravagers did take prisoners, it’s because they want to save them to be slaughtered in especially gruesome ways. Or eaten. When I was training to be a priest, I was warned about the Ravagers.” “Then we should find them,” Autumn said, dashing off to her horse and vaulting into the saddle. “This all happened today, by the looks of it, which means they can’t be far. Let’s go!” “Autumn,” Arrie said gently. “I agree with you, but none of us are trackers. We’ll have a hard time finding them after so much time has passed.” Kyle walked up and stood next to the sentinel, still in her saddle. “You can summon celestial creatures, right?” “Yes,” Autumn said. “Could you summon something that might be able to track these Ravagers down?” Her face brightened. “Of course.” She concentrated for a moment, and a moment later a large, silvery-furred wolf appeared. Kavan walked up and allowed the wolf to sniff at the Ravager amulet, and after receiving some rudimentary empathic instructions from Autumn, it immediately began to circle around, trying to find the scent. “Kyle, couldn’t you send Violet off to see if she could find them?” Autumn asked. “Well, I can give it a shot, but a raven’s not too good at seeing long distances.” Kyle looked at Violent, who cawed and then took off into the sky. A few minutes later the celestial wolf began to bound off into the grass. Autumn immediately turned her horse Defiance and began to follow. Xu looked up as she began to ride off. “Excuse me,” Xu said to the others, “but Autumn is riding off.” Arrie sighed. “And everyone complains about me.” “Well, we know where she got it,” replied Tolly. The party scrambled to catch up to Autumn. Just as they got onto their horses, Violet came flying back. “Boss,” the raven croaked, landing on Kyle’s shoulder. “You know that group of people that you wanted me to find?” “You saw them?” “Yeah, off that way.” Violet gestured with one wing across the plains. “Looks like they’re riding toward the circus. They don’t look friendly.” Kyle gasped. “The Ravagers are heading for the circus!” he shouted. He wheeled his horse around and pointed in the direction Violet had given him. The others began to gather around Kyle, even as Arrie rode out to catch Autumn and redirect her. “So, boss,” Violet said, “You gonna need me for this?” “I… guess not,” Kyle said. “Why?” “Well, there are a lot of dead bodies back there, and, well…” Violet flapped her wings eagerly. Kyle groaned in response. “How many times have I told you not to tell me these things, Violet?” “Sorry, boss.” He sighed. “Just… don’t bring back leftovers, okay?” Violet cawed and flew off. Kyle’s gaze met Tolly’s, who was looking at him sternly. “Look, she may be a familiar, but she’s still a raven. They’re carrion birds.” “Was the part about ‘leftovers’ truly necessary?” Tolly asked. Kyle winced. “Unfortunately, yes.” “Not now, you two,” Osborn snapped. “We have to ride hard to catch these Ravagers before they reach the circus.” He turned Rupert around and began bounding through the tall grass. The others followed behind him at a gallop. The horses had worked up a heavy lather by the time they party came within sight of the wagons. The hin had already circled into a defensive formation, and had mounted shields along the large wheels to act as a barrier. Arrows flew out from inside the wagon circles to pepper a group of nearly a dozen raiders. The motley band was unified in appearance only by the scar-tattoos that marred their facial features. Most of them appeared to be dressed in hide armor; there was a pair of hin with short swords, an orc with a scimitar and shield, and a pair of humans with similar weapons. A second orc bore a greatsword. Another human in he raiding party was wearing splint mail. The rest of the band was even more varied; there was a tiefling riding atop a giant spider with a brace of javelins strapped to his mount, a cansin with a pair of large dragonfly wings emerging from her back, and a fire-touched in red robes. The fire-touched and cansin had wands clutched in their hands. Tolly and Kyle opened up the party’s offensive with a pair of spells as soon as they were in range; Tolly raised a field of [I]spike stones[/I] between the raiders and the wagons, while Kyle summoned a [I]stinking cloud[/I]. As the greenish vapors began to rise, the raiders scrambled to get out of the area; most seemed to emerge none the worse for wear. Crossbow bolts from Xu and Osborn followed, though neither found their mark. The others just moved in as fast as possible to get into melee, save for Lanara, who slowed enough to prepare some defensive spells from her magical harp. The raiders moved to defend themselves from attack, the warriors moving to engage the party while others hung back to press their assault on the circus. The two hin charged toward Kavan just as he unleashed a blast of [I]searing light[/I] at one of the human warriors, but instead of attacking the priest directly they slashed at his horse, severely wounding it. Kavan jerked at the reins trying to keep his mount under control. The fire-touched pointed at Tolly and a bolt of fire shot out at him, barely missing. Kyle, on the other side of the battlefield, realized with a shock that the fiery bolt was not caused by any kind of spell, but seemed to be conjured by the fire-touched by sheer will. He had little time to contemplate this, however, as he began to urge his mount around, hoping to avoid the Ravager’s fighters and get at their mages, one of which had dispelled his [I]stinking cloud[/I]. Tolly, Autumn, and Arrie slammed head-on into the Ravagers, several of whom had begun to foam at the mouth and scream incoherently. Tolly swung his hammer, which was slick with an acidic sheen, at the orc wielding the scimitar. In response, the raging orc slashed at Tolly’s horse, severing its front legs and sending Tolly crashing to the ground. The orc followed through by cutting deep into Tolly’s thigh. Arrie ducked as another fiery bolt from the fire-touched went over her head, and then she moved up to assist Kavan with the pair of hin barbarians. Autumn’s blade flashed as she engaged one of the humans with a scimitar; next to her, the celestial wolf she’d summoned attacked the second human. Osborn and Xu launched more crossbow bolts, with one bolt from Xu sticking into the leg of the orc. Well behind the main fighting, the tielfing urged his arachnid mount forward as he cast a spell, calling on Fiel’s wrath. Most of the party was caught in a foul cloud of unholy power that came out of nowhere. Though they were able to shake off the worst of the effects, Autumn’s wolf companion caught the full brunt of the priest’s power, and vanished with a yelp of pain. The horses were also staggered by the spell; though most survived, Kavan’s steed, already wounded, could not bear the torment, and collapsed in a bloody heap, sending the elf tumbling to the ground. Kyle, seeing that Tolly was vulnerable after falling off his mortally wounded mount, cast a [I]ray of enfeeblement[/I] at the orc, channeling it through his magical rod to increase its power. The orc’s strength drained away to the point that it could barely hold his weapons. Taking advantage of the orc’s surprise, Tolly cast a spell on himself, imbuing his body with Ardara’s power and increasing his fighting prowess. Across the field, the two hin pressed their advantage against Kavan, driving him back and wounding him severely. Arrie tried to help, but was blocked by the press of horses and men and was only able to land a single blow. The battle began to shift from horseback to feet, as the party, wary of the Ravager’s tactic of killing mounts, began to jump off their horses and let them run to safety. Osborn hurled a dagger at one of the hin attacking Kavan, and Xu waded into the fray as well, hitting the other hin. Behind the main line of combat, the tiefling, cansin, and fire-touched prepared another barrage. The fire-touched launched another beam of fire at Osborn, this time connecting and severely burning him. He slapped at the spot where he’d been struck, beating out the flames. The cansin, whose dragonfly wings were carrying her a few feet in the air, launched a bolt of dark energy at Autumn, which connected and sent her reeling. Worse, the evil spell robbed the sentinel of her sight. Autumn staggered back a step with a cry of surprise. Then, the panic was replaced by indignant fury. Reaching into a pouch, she pulled out a small black crystal bead and hurled in toward the area where the mages had converged. The bead landed in their midst by sheer good fortune, and detonated, scattering the mages and their bodyguards. The bead also created a sphere of force, which didn’t manage to capture any of the Ravagers, but blocked their path, forcing them to relocate in order to bring their firepower to bear on the party again. The blast forced one the humans in splint mail into Tolly’s field of spikes, cutting bloody gashes in his feet and ankles. “Nice throw!” Arrie shouted to her sister over the din of battle, unaware that Autumn was unable to see. Then, when Autumn shifted Defiance over in order to avoid the attacks of one of the Ravagers, which opened up a line of attack for Arrie, she shouted, “You are such a good sister!” Arrie went back to the battle, alternating her blows between the pair of hin that were assaulting Kavan and Xu, and the human barbarian that had shifted from Autumn and was now menacing Osborn. Tolly was now facing off against both orcs, although the weakened one was now hardly a threat at all. The winged cansin managed to fire off a quick [I]sound burst[/I] at Autumn, giving her a nosebleed but failing to stun her with the concussive blast. Lanara, slightly behind the battle-line so her bardic song could be heard, tried to use a [I]hold person[/I] spell on one of the hin, but it had no effect. The Ravagers, with most of the horses now away from the battle, shifted from trying to destroy mounts to trying to destroy shields. Kavan’s shield was nearly split in two by a blow from one of the hin, while Tolly’s mithral shield weathered the attack of the orc’s greatsword much better. With no horse, a nearly ruined shield, and bleeding from several wounds, Kavan was forced to withdraw in order to heal himself. Xu was also quite badly hurt, Tolly was pinned down, and Arrie was desperately trying to keep the human Ravager from attacking Osborn while at the same time blocking the progress of the hin barbarians by knocking them off their feet. Autumn’s sight was slowly returning, but she was out of position. Kyle was nowhere to be seen, and the Ravager’s mages were now positioned to resume their magical assault. Things were looking grim. Xu ran over and kicked at one of the hin that Arrie had tripped, breaking several ribs. But a gesture from the winged cansin caused an arm made of earth to erupt from the ground and try to grab at the monk, forcing her to fall back from her attack. Osborn managed to avoid another blast of fire from the fire-touched, and in response used his own [I]circlet of blasting[/I] to fire an energy bolt back, burning a hole into his chest. Autumn, whose vision had returned, turned and saw that she had an opening to the cansin, who was hovering just a few feet above the ground. She wheeled Defiance around and spurred him into a gallop, at the same time pulling her boots out of the stirrups and coming up to her knees atop her saddle. With a cry of rage, Autumn jumped off of Defiance as they passed under the cansin, her longsword stretched out as high as possible. The blade, bright with holy power, cut into the cansin’s leg, taking it off at the knee. As Autumn landed with a metallic crash, the cansin fell to earth behind her, the shock of sudden blood loss rendering her unconscious. The human in splint mail quickly moved to engage the new threat, while at the same time the tiefling reached out and cast a spell over the fallen fire-touched, drawing his life-force out and imbuing the spider-mounted priest with power. But just as the tiefling was about to cast another spell at Autumn, he jerked suddenly, and his eyes glazed over. For the briefest of moments, a translucent image of Kyle appeared behind the priest, his arm outstretched and holding onto the tielfing’s leg, and then the image vanished. The spark of intellect and reason vanished from the priest’s eyes, and with a sudden look of primitive panic, he turned his spider and began to run away. Heartened by the enemies’ sudden loss of their spellcasters, the party pressed their attack anew. Tolly swung his hammer around furiously, crushing the skull of the orc with the greatsword and following through into the second. Osborn finally got the opening he wanted, and a storm of daggers flew through the air impaling the human barbarian. The hin, trying to go after Kavan again, was tripped by Arrie’s chain and then beaten into a gristly pulp by Xu. Kavan, with a reprieve from the assault, was finally able to summon some divine power for a task besides healing, shouting out invocations to Erito that bolstered his companion’s spirits and struck fear into his foes. The tide of battle shifted dramatically in the heroes’ favor. Autumn squared off against the human in splint mail, who fought with a pair of daggers expertly wielded. They danced back and forth for a few grueling seconds, equally matched, right up until the point where the image of Kyle flickered behind the human, his arm outstretched and enveloped in sickening black energy. The Ravager screamed as his life-force was ripped out of his body violently, and Kyle smiled before vanishing again. Though he recovered quickly from the shock, he was still unnerved, and Autumn was relentless. Unexpectedly, the human raised his hands, and a globe of darkness enveloped the battlefield, obscuring the vision of everyone. Tolly felt the blade of his orcish opponent slash past him in the darkness, and decided that he would not allow his enemy this advantage. Stepping back, he summoned the holy light of Ardara’s forge, pushing back the darkness. Once again able to see her opponent, Autumn pressed her attack. Her blade flashed in and out, and several deep cuts later, the Ravager fell to his knees, dying. By this time the battle was all but over. The remaining Ravagers tried to flee, but the party cut them down as they ran, showing them the same mercy they had shown the townsfolk. Autumn swung back into the saddle of Defiance and chased down the fleeing priest of Fiel, shooting arrows at the spider until it crashed to the ground, then riding down the addle-brained tiefling. The few that had not been killed outright were dragged back into the camp for questioning. Osborn, Arrie, and Lanara had begun stripping the gear from the Ravager raiding party when Autumn rode back in, the corpse of the priest slung across Defiance’s haunches. “Where’s Kyle?” Autumn asked as she dismounted. Walking across the camp to where her sister stood, she stopped suddenly, her eyes wide with surprise. Moments later, Kyle suddenly appeared a few feet away from the sentinel, grinning like a fiend as he quickly backpedaled away. “That was definitely against the rules, Kyle!” she shouted at him as he vanished behind a wagon. Arrie looked up curiously. “What are you talking about, Autumn? What rules?” Autumn lowered her gaze, her face turning red. “Never mind,” she growled. “We have prisoners to question…” [/QUOTE]

Verification