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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 480461" data-attributes="member: 41">Coldeven 21, CY 59331:  The Liberators Make A Public SceneThe Conquering Hero is the name of Chendl's most famous statue and piazza, after the apocryphal founder of the city.  The fact that the sculpture in the center of the square is actually a portrait of the sculptor's nephew (who later cuckolded him, then was murdered for his trouble) and was intended to represent the Great Kingdom's heroic past, is a fact lost on the throng gathering here to soak up the morning sun.Several wineries and bistros face onto the piazza, and the Liberators of Tenh are sitting in them, spaced out around the square, either invisible or in disguise.  Heydricus, however sits casually and undisguised on the base of the Conquering Hero, sipping from a flask of wine, and cleaning his fingernails.High overhead, Heydricus' hawk familiar circles and watches the street traffic, looking for old companions.  After an hour or so, Heydricus receives a telepathic communication warning him that a group of heavily armed former Heroes of the Temple are racing through the crowd, bearing down on the piazza."Here they come, be ready," Heydricus relays to Pris through a message spell.  Prisantha passes the warning on to Cmin, Dabus and Jespo Crim."I see them," Jespo says.  It is Augustin, with Tisha . . . that must be Egil, he has no face left.  There's Lady Amyryth and that one girl, the fighter . . . er, the one who was rended to bits by the fiend.""Which one that was rended to bits by a fiend?" Heydricus asks."The tall one, kind of quiet-she adventured with us right before the sacking of Knulb.""Esril?" Prisantha asks."No, not Esril.  The other one.  Brown hair, not too tall,""Amyryth?" Pris asks."No, not Amyryth, the other one.  You know, um . . .""The one with the flaming sword?" Heydricus asks."Yes, that's her!  Daern!  What is her name?""I know," Pris says, "Daniella!  Or, Darleena.""Oh, Daniere!" Heydricus says, "I remember her!""Yes, that's the one," Jespo says."She wasn't killed by a fiend, Jespo", Pris says."Yes she was.""No she wasn't.  She was killed by giants.""No, no.  You're thinking of Keriann.""Am I?""I think so, Pris," Heydricus says. "Daniere was the one who . . ."  But Heydricus' is interrupted by a sickening sensation, felt deep in his marrow- the tell-tale discomfort of an unhallow spell."Tritherion's blade, they are upon us!" Heydricus yells.As he does so, a pair of arrows whiz by his head, flying far wide of the burly sorcerer.  For a moment, Heydricus thinks he has been targeted by an errant archer, until the arrows sink into nearby citizens, provoking screams from the crowd."Poison!" an old woman yells!  They've killed Kendry.  You . . ."The next few seconds are an absolute chaos, as people begin to flee from the square, grabbing possessions and loved ones as they go.  Heydricus leaps to his feet.  "Hold your positions!" he yells to his companions, sussing out the Iuzian's strategy-to draw the Liberators from their hiding places by murdering innocents.  Heydricus snaps his sword from his scabbard, and scans the crowd.  He locks eyes with a familiar figure-Sister Keriann, once a nun of St. Cuthbert, now something . . . other.The old woman smiles and clutches a calcified humanoid forearm, swinging it like a mace.Jespo Crim swiftly leaps to his feet, overturning his fruit and cheese plate, and summons a pack of celestial wolves into the path of the Iuzains charging the piazza.Prisantha steps out from behind a doorway, and casts a stoneskin upon herself, as Dabus counters the Iuzians unhallow with a hallow spell of his own.Heydricus hears an anguished cry from behind him, and wheels in time to notice a jolly looking halfling standing over the crumpled body of the old woman, Kendry's mother, his dagger buried between her shoulder blades.  The halfling cheerfully waves at Heydricus and smiles a cherubic smile, at once familiar and frightening."Hullo, Heydricus," Pippin chirps.  "How've you been?"A trio of magic missiles arc into the golden-haired sorcerer in that moment, as Anton Rex shimmers into view on an adjoining balcony.Little Leaf, of course, remains behind his snipers blind, covering Lucius Maturin as the undead assassin moves unseen into position behind Prisantha.On the other side of the square, the charge of Augustin, Egil, Lady Amyryth, Tisha and Old What's Her Name runs full into a swarm of summoned monsters, as Jespo frantically calls more celestial aid to the fray.Cmin creeps into position nearby, awaiting the first Iuzian to reach the plaza, hoping to deliver a sneak attack.  Unfortunately for her, the Iuzian is Egil, and the undead monster is not fooled by her concealment, and strikes her twice, forcing her to retreat.Tisha sends bolts of lightning through the summoned monsters as Daniere and Lady Amyryth open a path for Augustin to leap upon Jespo Crim.But the wily conjurer has an ace up his sleeve, in the form of a hound archon he summons directly in front of the Fallen paladin.  The archon wounds Augustin, but is cut down a moment later.  Fortunately, the archon buys Jespo Crim enough time to flee.Meanwhile, Heydricus leaps at Pippin, smiting the halfling mightily, forcing the diminuative dead rogue into an altogether unfair fight.  By the time Keriann can reach the brawl, Pippin is no more.Dabus targets Anton Rex with a burst from his wand of searing light, and the red-robed invoker bursts into flame.As this is happening, the summoned wolves at the East end of the square, take Tisha to the ground, and rip her throat from her undead body.  Prisantha finishes her personal protection, just as Lucius Maturin steps out from the shadows and attempts to bury a poisoned blade into the base of her neck.  The weapon bounces harmlessly off of Prisantha's toughened hide, and is followed an instant later by a pair of arrows from Little Leaf.Lucius turns to flee, but is thwarted by a web called into being from Prisantha's fingertips.  The nimble assassin leaps free of the web, but Little Leaf is forced from his hiding place, and stumbles, falling to the ground.  Dabus seizes his opportunity to flame strike the undead elf, destroying him utterly.Heydricus turns to face Sister Keriann, and the two exchange blows, but it soon becomes obvious that deprived of her back-up, she is no match for the golden-haired Liberator of Tritherion."This is unnecessary, and moot, Heydricus," the matronly undead croaks.  "You would be the greatest among us, should you submit to the Gift."Heydricus considers a reply, but determines that the best answer for that kind of offer is usually an overwhelming burst of violence, which he supplies.Dabus races toward the sound of Jespo Crim's frightened screeching, and confronts Augustin.  As the two face one another, they lock eyes, calling upon the might of their respective deities.  Augustin is wreathed by a shimmering black null-light, as Dabus grows to twice his normal size.Cmin, meanwhile, is playing cat-and-mouse with Egil, ducking under tables and trying to catch the fighter with an unexpected blow.Prisantha looses sight of Lucius, a worrying prospect as the assassin ducks inside the opening to a bath house.  She summons a celestial lion to hunt him, and glances over her shoulder in time to see Heydricus striking Keriann to the ground.Dabus leaps toward Augustin, and after a moment is joined by Heydricus and Pris.  The three Liberators attack Augustin and Egil, and are successful enough to bring Jespo Crim out from under the overturned table he was hiding behind."Ha, ha!" he yells, "take that you fiend!"A moment later, Pris' celestial lion shambles over, dejectedly shaking its mane.  Lucius is gone.  Only Daniere and Lady Amyryth remain in the fight, but they do not last long against the combined might of the Liberators.  Cmin' is discovered unconscious, slumped over an overturned chair.  Fortunately, she is still alive, despite Egil's worst intentions.As the Liberators gather themselves, Heydricus reminds the group that the undead regenerate, and begins to gather the bodies.  Pris and Dabus make a quick search of the bathouse, only to confirm what they already suspected:  Lucius Maturin is gone.After the bodies are gathered, whatever healing can be delivered is given to the citizens of Chendl.  Shortly thereafter, men and women of the day watch arrive on the scene, and the Liberators are confronted by one very frightened and angry Watch Captain.He orders his men to gather the bodies, but Heydricus informs him that the corpses will be taken to the Temple of Tritherion, instead.  This provokes a tirade from the captain that produces as much spittle as bluster, and he orders the Liberators arrested.Before Jespo can yell "You'll never take me alive-I ain't goin' back to jail," Prisantha steps forward.One mass suggestion later, the heroes are loading the still-unmoving undead carcasses into a wagon, helpfully provided by the magically compliant Watch Captain.When they reach the Temple to Tritherion, and take the bodies onto Holy ground, the undead melt like ice in the hot sun, disappearing before the eyes of the bedraggled adventurers.-----Next:  The Liberators get a new accountant!</blockquote>

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