Chapter 5 : Crack In The Universe

[BigRedRod]

Lade awakens with the pleasant thump in his head and dry mouth that indicate a hangover. Finn awakens with a young maiden whose name he can't remember giggling and insisting that she has to get to work or her father will take the belt to her but he should find her at the tavern later this evening. In his head he scratches off another establishment he has to avoid in the future and emerges from the bed himself.

The two meet at breakfast, Lade enjoying a mug of ale to bite back the rapidly swelling hangover and realise that neither has any idea where Harald might be. Their red-robed colleague was doubtlessly still pouring over musty tomes, but where had the Jarl got it. As they speak a strange sense of dread starts to overcome the pair, they had both forgotten something very important.

...

Two-thirds of the sand now rest in the bottom bulb and Malkanus had started to flag. Wandering the endless maze in pursuit of his paper guide had become an eternal struggle. Under his arm he held a sheaf of scribbled notes. So many of his subjects were just names that it was taking an eternity to even locate the correct section to look in, never mind find a useful sentence in any one of the hundred books he came across. The day had started early and with insufficient sleep and it was hampering his study.

"GO NO FURTHER LEST YE UNDERSTAND PERIL"
The booming voice shocks Malkanus awake. He stands before an archway blinking, looking for the source of the noise and finally settles upon the gargoyle which makes up the apex of the arch. Clearly it was not alive, just enchanted to give it's warning. The warning that reminds the cleric of what the wizard had said just before he entered the library, certain areas were not safe.

From his study so far, the cleric knew that Attrox, Nurren and Orraka were all words from the language of the filthy goblins. Guardians, truth and many were the literal translations, not a particularly useful combination of words. Coming from a different angle, he'd managed to find a brief reference to a species known as Kyrdol, some kind of relation to the more common goblin, which fit the description of vaguely man-shaped rats. And now his request of his guide for more information had led him here. Further knowledge awaited, but it was outside his zone of safety.

[LuneMoonshadow]

The gargoyle, though serving as a warning to the danger beyond, does little to discourage the cleric. Truth be told the very possibility of danger in a library is rather enthralling, but the realization that he is deprived of sleep and uncertain of just how deep his library companion might take him, the cleric decides to save such an expedition for a more fitting time.

With every passing moment of indecision the falling sand seems to echo louder in his mind, essentially beckoning him to a hasty decision. With gritted teeth and a sense of curiosity that demands satiation, he whispers to the paper bird.

"Name, Lufan."

[itches]

Lade took a long, deep pull of his ale and observed the younger man besides him looking discomfortable.

“Ya know,” he said by circular way of breaching the subject. “I can’t help but feel that I’ve forgotten something important, hell I’ve checked this times already this morning to make sure I remembered to put on pants!”

[Flagg Thornington]

"I know what you mean. I could hardly sleep last night, and not solely because of my company. No matter how deep I thought it still eludes me."

Finn scratches his head and starts in on his breakfast. He lets his mind drift over the events of the past few days. Sophia, the girl, the rats, the guards, the church, the gate...something's missing.

Finn focuses on Lade after a moment.

"How you doing anyway? Did you find the bottom of that bottle?"

[itches]

"Not yet," Lade replied with a grin. "But I'm not willing to give up yet."

Taking another pull on his ale, Lade belched and pushed aside the remains of his breakfast.

"We're not going to get anything done sitting around here wondering what we've forgotten. Hell only knows where Harald has gone too and Malk might be at it all day. I need to pick up some more arrows, see if I can find an old friend and it might be worth checking on on the guards we bribes or the little girl we saved. Want to come with?"

[Flagg Thornington]

"Sounds good, a walk will be fine." Finn closes his eyes and thinks back on the prior night. Yes that one left a fine impression.

"I could use more arrows also. Let's be off then."

Finn abruptly recollects the young girl. He pales slightly at the thought.
"The girl Lade. We should check on her."

[BigRedRod]

Calling at a nearby fletcher's shop to make a few purchases, the pair set off toward Edinhumber. The day is bright with the sky a perfect blue speckled by a few long clouds, and the snow is largely a frozen slush at the sides of the streets. The bitter cold remains, even the sunshine is a minor winter's warmth, encouraging the duo to walk quickly.

Gradually the buildings huddle together and start to look slightly more dilapidated as Lade and Finn find themselves in Edinhumber. Rounding a corner they advance upon the crossroads where Roen's house can be found. It becomes immediately obvious that the cultists returned during the night.

What was once Roen's house, a small abode opposite the partially repaired ruin of Annie and Celeste's former home is now a burned shell itself. The adjacent houses have suffered minor fire damage themselves and the air of the crossroads hangs heavy with smoke.

The people going about their daily lives who pass by the site stop to exchange rumours. From the overheard snippets it would seem that Roen and Annie were hanged from the top floor while the blaze was left to spread. The two had been strangled to death and finally deposited, lifeless, upon the frozen cobbles when the fire ate through their nooses. A note had been left hammered to the post at the crossroad informing the local populace that this was the work of the Moon Bringers and anybody else harbouring a demon or working to keep the dawn at bay would meet a similar fate.

...

In the library Malkanus finds his guide unable to fulfil his request. The word Lufan apparently is too narrow a subject, and not knowing exactly to what the word refers makes his position untenable. Sighing, he asks his paper companion to take him to the sections of demonology and leaves the forbidden portal behind.

[LeeCHeSSS]

While standing among the people, Nabi listens intently to whatever gossip he can eavesdrop on. Ignoring the stray looks he gets, he slowly moves to different groups within the crowd whenever the current conversation appears to have no new facts for him. After a short while of this, Nabi returns to the side of Shihiram.
"It always amazes me how people tend to make even more gruesome stories out of already horrible events. If half of what I hear is true about what happened here, there definitely is going to be need of your services."

Nabi sighs and stares at the burnt house. Just as his mind starts to wander, he spots two people approaching that match the description he was given earlier today. Excitedly he nudges Shihiram and points, "Look over there, do you reckon those two could be the ones we were sent to look for?"

[Linklegacy77]

"It is sad Nabi, but people naturally find deep interest in violence and gore. Only those who decide to improve the world can step beyond that. Also, you should well know that not even one quarter of rumors are true. Still, that should never stop one from investigating, after all, you cannot know which are true and which are not."

Shihiram stands in a maelstrom of people whirling around throughout their business, calmly in the eye. The eyes of the people nearby occassionally turn to glance at him, he is rather hard to ignore after all.

"I do believe they may be so, they do match the details fairly well. Don't take it for granted, but allow us to take a moment to assume that they are."

Shihiram begins to gracefully walk, floating almost across the ground, toward the pair, his cape flowing behind him. His soft eyes rest upon the two, as he stands before them.

"May we speak for a moment?"

[Flagg Thornington]

FInn silently curses the fate of Roen and the lady. The previous night's escapades now seem nothing but a trifle. He listens intently while trying to blend in with the passersby.

When he spots the two approaching he nudges his companion before his hand slips caually, habitually to his scabbard.

"Speak on Sir. Though may companion here is in no mood for pleasantries."

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Not to worry, for neither are we. My friend Shihiram and myself have some matters to discuss with you. Provided we were correct in assuming that you are in fact part of the group of heroes who have been protecting the winged girl."

Eager to get on the good side of these local heroes, Nabi enthusiastically extends his hand, "My name is Nabi Pranašas."

[itches]

Lade was angry.

Anger, hot and intimate burned within his chest, aimed at too many specific things to be realised as anything other then generalised anger. He was angry at the cultists for another senseless murder. The blacksmith for not hiding the girl after a second kidnapping attempt. The citywatch for not doing more to protect them. The girl herself for bringing death and suffering to two families. Himself for not doing more to make sure they were safe.

The sting of smoke drew forth tears that are absently brushed aside as he examined the remains of what used to be two lives, two more meaningless deaths added to the toll taken by meaningless fear and ignorant hatred. The rage inside him throbbing with no release, his eyes trace the trail of soot and ashes that showed where two bodies had been dumped, two innocent people guilty of nothing more then giving charity and love to something that they didn't know.

An outrage denied release, bottled within without a target to be released upon. In some distant part of his mind the knowledge dwelled that his reaction was irrational, unnecessary and excessive, but he no longer cared. He had been driven more by guilt then outrage to seek out Yvonne Stroud's killers, for despite their intimate relationship they had not been close. Of Annie and Celeste he had barely exchanged a dozen words. But in the face of such wanton destruction, the obscenity of it made everything seem very personal.

He had fought, bled and killed for his home, only to lose it. He had struggled through the years, searching for causes, doing deeds at the time thought to be heroic beyond belief, saving people who made pledges of undying gratitude that were forgotten by the next season, and in the end he was left with nothing but an unhealthy taste for ale. At this moment, a dozen words from a pair of unnecessarily kind strangers was more then he cared to have taken from him

Hold stiff and still by his pent up infuriation, he once again wiped away smoke induced tears, silently swearing that he would see an end to this. There was little in his life worth anything, but while he had breath and strength he swore he would seek the Moonbringers - all the Moonbringers - and bring their kind to an end. Not for Annie, Celeste or even Yvonne, but for the victims yet to come, the people he could still save. A final, futile, foolish act in a life full of them, he swore by the shades of those gone and memories better forgotten that he would find a way.

Drawn from his reverie by Finn's nudge, Lade watched the two strangers with eyes red from smoke, taking in their words and appearance and leaping to an intuitive answer.

"Rosencrantz?"

[Flagg Thornington]

Rosencrantz? Have I lost my mind?

Finn extends his hand not wanting to make a scene or encourage Lade into starting a brawl.

"Finn is my name. And we have been seeking answers like many others. This is not the place to talk. But berfore we say another thing who sent you?"

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram looks softly at Lade for a moment before replying, his featuers calm and pacifying.

"Guildenstern and Rosencrantz both in all actuality. Perhaps we had best step away from the street for some time to discuss this."

He makes a sweeping arm gesture to emphasize his point.

[itches]

Glancing at Finn, Lade nodded his assent then led the group around the corner into a secluded alcove. Reaching the relative privacy, the man turned and waited, content to let someone else break the silence.

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but ...", Nabi glances to Shihiram for reassurance, "... apparently your efforts have been woefully inadequate. Lord Guildenstern, while most appreciative for what you have done so far, has approached us to assist you. That is not to say that we know more than you regarding this whole affair, quite the contrary! But it would appear that you are lacking certain skills, which could very well be the reason for your ... failure."
Nabi finishes his last sentence hesitatingly, noticing too late that this explanation might actually be far from flattering.

[Linklegacy77]

"Nabi, you are doing it again."

Shihiram glances over at Nabi, and then back at Lade.

"What is most important at the present is that myself and my companion have been hired as well to aid you. I hope most sincerely that we can work well togther and avoid any confrontation."

[itches]

"We weren't her damn babysitters," Lade muttered, feeling the need to explain the situation. "We found her, brought her back and then kept watch for a night. But we couldn't spend the rest of our lives guarding them, I don't know why they were still here.

"Look, we don't work for Rosencrantz - or Guildersten - so any deal you two have with them doesn't apply with us. It stays between you, okay?"

Glancing over at Finn to see if he had any objections, Lade continued softly, making sure he wasn't over heard.

"But we want to stop the Moonbringers - someone has to - and we can use all the help we can get. We're meeting up with the rest of our group this afternoon, we can exchange information then. Right now keep an eye out for the guard, I want to take a closer look at the house."

Stepping back out into the street, Lade returned to the house to examine the ashes closely for any clue as to what happened.

[BigRedRod]

Aware that the task is fraught with difficulties, Lade moves back through the crowd leaving his two new companions with Finn. The cobbles outside are strewn with partially melted snow, now a dirty brown slush collecting against walls trampled by countless feet already today. Ashes have been kicked about by onlookers and although there do some to be a few trails it seems more likely that they belong to the slowly passing population of Edinhumber than the perpetrators of the crime.

Before entering the ruined shell of a home, the old warrior looks down at the cobblestones by the doorstep. A wide red stain, or possibly collection of smaller stains, has sunk into the grey: Evidence of where Annie and Roen fell back to earth after having the life choked out of them.

The door has been kicked open from the outside, that much is clear, although it could just have easily been the local populace as the cultists. Downstairs, the single room, is especially blackened. It was here that the fire was started, in the kitchen. Most likely the cultists used Roen's own kitchen tinder. The stone floor is strangely coated with a broken layer of black ash. Bootprints lead in all directions indicating both the actions taken to extinguish the blaze.

Little is left downstairs aside from ashes and the stone walls. The staircase is missing the bottom few steps, but after a few tentative kicks, Lade decides to chance a trip to the upper floor and thankfully the charred wood manages to hold his weight.

There is no sign of a forced entry from the outside at any of the windows. Each set of shutters remains shut against the frigid outdoor temperatures aside from the window directly above the main door of the home. It was to a bed that the two ropes were tied, the heavy wooden fixture has been away from the wall against which it stood with the combined weight of Roen and Annie dangling from it. Impressively, there is little fire damage on the upper level, most of the burns seem fairly superficial rather than structural.

The second, smaller, bedroom's floor is sprinkled with large black feathers. This must have been where Celeste slept. Lade careful searches the room, determined to find something of use. Eventually, he turns up a shred of red fabric as if he had needed any more proof of who had committed this atrocity.

Returning back to the street level, Lade looks up to see that the perfect blue sky is now marbled by thin ribbons of white cloud. Stalking around once more to be certain, Lade cannot find any trail. The cultists arrived through the frontdoor and seem to have left the same way, along what is now a street thronged with people who have long since destroyed any useful details which could send Lade in the proper direction.

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram does as requested, aware that no amount of arguing would have dissuaded Lade, and that he might as well help.

Breaking and entering doesn't serve much purpose, but it doesn't hurt much either. Who knows? He might find something....

[itches]

"Well the girl was there," Lade reported when he finished his inspection, holding up a black feather. "And no doubt about it being the Red Cloaks who took her. I'm not sure how many there were, more then two less then twenty. They went in the front door, killed Roen and Annie, grabbed the girl, hung them out the window then started a fire in the kitchen and went back out the front door. There's no chance of following them after that."

The aging man stopped to run a hand through his dirty hair, looking around the mess as if hoping for some answers to come leaping out of the muddied snow.

"It's not use checking the warehouse again, Tybalt would have cleaned it out even if the bastards wanted to go back. I don't know, let's just wait until Malk gets back and hope that he has had better luck, then we can all talk," he said the last bit being directed to the two newcomers. "Until then, I need a drink."

[Linklegacy77]

"Are you sure they are untrackable? If there were that many, there is a good chance they made a mistake of some form."

[itches]

"A hundred people or more people have spent all morning running around the house this morning lad," Lade said gesturing to soot and snow mixture covering the ground. "Any tracks were gone a well before we got here. Out in the streets (and which street?) you have less people walking back and froth but there still have been a lot, and with no way of telling one footprint from another? No, there's no way to track them from here."

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram sighs internally, dissapointed in the shortsightedness of Lade, but not showing his feelings to Lade.

"There are other forms of tracking besides footprints. There are always spiritual and emotional guides. One with the proper skills can always find a trail, you simply have to determine what needs to be looked into. If you can determine an important trait regarding the captors, they won't be hard to track."

[itches]

"Okay I tell ya, we've got a mate out there doing all that right now, one we're supposed to meet later on. You go search now, I'm off to have a drink then I'll find what he's found out so we can do this right. Let us know how you go in the meantime will ya?"

Touching an ash covered hand to his temple, Lade turned and sauntered down the street back towards the tavern.

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi gasps and looks at Shihiram empathically, "I can understand your eagerness, but having shaked hands with them does not make them our friends yet. We still have to earn their trust."

With a few quick steps, Nabi catches up with the old warrior, "A drink indeed, I'll buy the first round!"

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram very briefly grins as Nabi runs after Lade, then quickly returns his expression to it's usual neutrality. To one who paid close enough attention to Shihiram, it would hardly qualify as a twitch.

[BigRedRod]

With the logical course of action agreed upon, the four walk away from the burned ruin leaving the scent of charred wood and scorched flesh behind in search of an altogether different aroma; that of ale soaked sawdust. Lade leads his two new allies to what has become the party's alehouse, eatery and lodgings of choice.

The landlord offers Lade and Finn a friendly nod as they enter, given the early hour the room is not crowded, most other folk out to earn an honest living. Nabi hands the lone serving boy a few coins as he enters, keeping true to his word and the process of bonding begins, as it often does with a certain type of man, with each buying drinks for the other in turn.

It's hard to keep track of time in the poorly lit establishment, but it was perhaps a few hours later when the door burst open to allow a panicked looking man entry,
"Oh, thank the heavens! It is Adderson and Finnley, is it not? It is! You have to go to the Grand Plaza, right now. The northerner, Godwinson, is there."

He stops for a moment to catch his breath,
"He's gone and killed a man, right in broad daylight!"

[Flagg Thornington]

"How do you know our names? Did someone send you?"
The creases of Finn's menacing brow settle into lines of concern before he continues.

"Are they planning on executing him? Is there a trial?"

The rogue check his scabbard and turns to Lade.

"We should probably hurry, what about these two?" He points to Nabi and Shihiram.

How in Aos did I end up working in a gang?

[itches]

Lade pushed aside his half finished ale with disgust, he had hoped for an easy day of drinking before they had to return to the drama.

"I don't know," he said, turning back to the new pair. "Lads, we've got to go take a look at this, if ya want to come along yer welcome, if not wait here and our friend will show up. He's a guy in a red cloak called Malkanus. Let him know where we went."

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi pushes his glasses firmly up against his nose, shoves his chair backwards and stands up.

"Staying here is not an option. I don't want Guildenstern to have any reason to say we weren't doing the job we were hired for."

[BigRedRod]

Malkanus sits at a writing desk feverishly making notes on a passage of text found in a dusty tome of bizarre physical proportion and a cover made from some kind of reptilian hide. A faint chiming of bells causes the cleric to look up and see that the final grain of sand has just fallen from the upper bulb of his sand timer. The glass fills with a soft white light which suddenly pulses outward blinding him for a moment.

Blinking feverishly, Malkanus finds himself no longer sitting at the wooden desk but back in the antechamber of the Magewright Guild. The paper guide and hourglass are gone, but in one hand he clutches the bundle of papers that make up the sum total of his research. For a moment, the cleric feels dizzy, a combination of disorientation and fatigue.

"I do hope you found your time useful and on behalf of the guild I would like to wish you a good day."
The same grey-clad man sits at the wooden desk and once again, the only portal in the room is that leading back out into the Grand Plaza.

...

The man shrugs at Finn's questions, looking slightly frustrated at being interrogated when he's trying to help,
"Look, I don't know. You lot had best come along if you want to help him out before things get any worse."
While the party get to their feet he grumbles under his breath about searching every drinking hole between here and the plaza and this being the bloody thanks he gets.

Outside, the bracing air is sobering and has been joined by a gale. The wind roars down streets carrying various bits of debris along with and causing eyes to water. Rushing to the Grand Plaza serves to reinforce the scale of Edinway. The cityfolk move out of the way of the five as they hurry along, many stopping to gossip at what could the motivation behind it. A few even decide to abandon whatever task was at hand and follow.

The end result is that the party and their guide arrive at the forefront of a small crowd when they arrive at the Grand Plaza. Merchants hastily attempt to pack their wares aware, shoppers hurry away and a curious few approach the sounds of clanking steel and strange bestial roars. Emerging from around a stall towards one edge of the plaza the four catch sight of the bodies.

At least a dozen, torn and hacked into gory pieces. Guardsmen and commoners alike. Those who have somehow been spared the wrath of whatever vile force is haunting the market place either blankly loiter, too shocked to flee, or attempt to recover the bodies of loved ones.

Before, any questions can be asked as to what has happened here the horrible roar comes again and a guardsman, hurled like a ragdoll, collides with a stall. The body shatters pottery and snaps one of the wooden supports causing the structure to collapse. A second guardsman backs into view hastily reloading a crossbow.

Finally, Harald lumbers into view. Sword gripped on both hands and his armour covered in blood and gore. The figure is unmistakeably Harald, his clothing now in tatters and the armour beneath heavily dented.

The guardsman fires and the bolt strikes the side of Harald's helmet. A fragment of metal break away exposing a jagged shaped from his right temple to the bridge of his noise. His one visible eye turns upon his two old friends and he slashes at the air in anger letting out a guttural scream in the process, something between pain and hate.

[itches]

At the sight of the gore carnage, Lade swiftly strapped his shield on, motioning for the others to stand back, taking a breath and yelling in his best command voice learnt from his army days.

"Hold a godsdamned moment!"

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram just looks around at all the violence and blood, and although his expression doesn't change, he is deeply saddened. He brings forth from his bag an ocarina, and begins to play a deep, soothing melody, attempting to gain the attention of those around him.

[LeeCHeSSS]

Not at all sure what to make of this scene, Nabi remains silent.

I thought these were decent people! What could possibly have happened to make the guardsmen treat him like that?

[LuneMoonshadow]

A brief nod is the only response the cleric can muster before pushing his way back out into the plaza. The cold is refreshing, snapping him back away from the fatigue, at least temporarily. Malkanus glances over to another part of the plaza where something is apparently taking place by the gathering of a crowd.

Not bothering to buffer himself against the cold, the cleric steps off the library steps over to crowd, where a very deep look of worry crosses his face. Steeling himself against it, he clears his visage and walks up to the crowd, nudging people aside to get to the front where he can watch and address Harald directly.

For a long moment Malkanus can only stare at the bodies, the gore, the raging northerner that was hours ago seemingly fine. Could it be...

With a careful motion of his hand the cleric weaves a quick and simple spell, whispering his prayer along the way. With his new found vision he simply stands and watches for the time being.

OOC: Cast Detect Magic and study Harald for three rounds to determine if he is enchanted.

[BigRedRod]

Whether it be Shihiram's melody or Lade's rather more direct shouting, something distracts Harald from bearing down upon the terrified guardsman and instead he turns to face the party, sword in hand.

Unable to see his allies, Malkanus hears Lade call out and knows that he is not alone in facing his former ally among the brightly coloured canvases of the market. Weaving a quick orison, Malkanus becomes aware of a magical aura hanging over Harald. Concentrating for a moment, the cleric resolves the invisible fire burning off the Jarl as a single strong aura.

Initiative
Malkanus
Finn
Shihiram
Harald
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman


Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer1.png

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram quite strongly speaks, attempting to gain the attention of everyone around him.

"This violence must stop! What is the need for battle here? Cannot words suffice?"

If he is ignored, he plays his ocarina, attempting to fascinate all of the combatants, and have them focus upon him.

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn pauses, waiting to see what Harald might do. Finn would not have believed the Jarl capable of such cold-blooded slaughter if his eyes had not seen the bodies strewn lifelessly about.

[ooc delay untill after Harald acts]

[BigRedRod]

Harald lowers his sword slightly, looking toward Shihiram as the strange enchanting tune drifts across the marketplace but it's only a momentary effect as all too soon, the northerner lets out a cry of confused anguish and rushes to meet Lade, vanishing from Malkanus' sight as he does so.

Lade raises his shield fast enough to catch the double handed overhead blow from Harald. Pain shoots down through his shoulder as the force of the blow is deflected, such an attack might well have cut Lade in half. Being familiar with Harald's combat techniques, the older warrior was caught off guard as he lowered his shield to regain a view of his apparent enemy. With uncharacteristic, maybe inhuman, speed Harald turned the momentum of the rebounding sword to send the weapon hurtling through empty air in a wide aggressive sweep. The blade seems to trail a strange black blur, but it's a detail lost to Lade as the weapon catches him despite his best efforts to move while still recovering his balance. A mist of blood fills the air between the two warring allies as Harald's second blow bites through Lade's breastplate by almost half an inch.

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman


Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer1i.png

[Flagg Thornington]

Any doubt about Harald's intentions have now been relieved.
Finn maneuvers quickly, sidestepping the two new gang members, to flank the Jarl with his rapier. He thrusts from and advantageous position trying to end the fight as easily and harmlessly as possible.

[ooc move to square N of Harald and attack rapier, flanking]

[itches]

A red mist hangs in the air as iron parts iron, slices flesh and meets bone. At first there was no pain, no agony from a blade cutting deep within him, and Lade wondered if this was it. If his time was finally up, falling beneath the sword of a comrade before he even drew his axe.

Then it hit him, a burning striking deep within his chest, a fire that threatens to tear him down. It almost made him smile. Pain was life, there was strength still in his body and while he might still find death laying on the cobblestones of the marketplace, it was not yet here.

Seeing Finn slip around behind Harad, Lade almost smiled again as he slid to the side to bring bring the notherner between them. He almost considered speaking out to the lad, saying something to calm the situation, but his intentions were already clear and Harald was moving with a speed that made any hesitation dangerous. With a move that was only a shade slower then it had been in his youth, Lade's heavy axe almost leapt to his hand and swept out in a short arc towards the northerner's hip.

If death hadn't come for him just yet, it seemed it would for someone before the day was out.

[[OOC: 5ft step west then hit the annoying little pup with my great big axe]]

[LeeCHeSSS]

Harald's savagery towards his comrades makes it obvious that this is going to be a fight with no winners. Perhaps an intervention is in order...

Producing a small bar of rusted iron from one of the many pockets in his robe with his left hand, Nabi trails magical symbols in the air with his right hand and rattles off the words of a magical spell. After he utters the last word of his spell of holding, he explains to the others: "If all goes well, mister Godwinson will stop moving now. I advise you to bind him with rope or shackles as fast as you can, he will not stay rigid for long..."

[OOC: Cast Hold Person on Harald: Will save vs DC 16]

[BigRedRod]

Finn moves in a blur, repositioning himself in the bloody market so that he stands between the taut canvas wall of a large market stall and his crazed companion. Harald turns his blade from Lade to catch the young rogue as he moves but with a flowing and half spin Finn provides no chance for the weapon to catch him. Finn's own lunge finds only Harald's armoured plates.

The momentary distraction provides Lade with a perfect opportunity. Sidestepping behind Harald's exposed back, he brings his axe around and buries it in Harald's hip. Metal bands of armour snap and the axe hand bites into the flesh beneath. A terrible blow. A blow which would have crippled most men. A blow which Harald seems to have barely registered. Red trickles out from beneath the ruined plates as Lade pulls his weapon free of his friend.

Only Nabi can see the bands of ethereal force he calls into being around the raging Jarl, and therefore only Nabi is aware of how Harald ignores them entirely. Something fundamental has caused the spell not to function.

A crossbow bolt passes between Lade and Harald, hitting neither of them only due to the will of the gods. Looking to his left, Lade spots the guardsman attempting to aid the party.

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman


Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer2.png

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram sighs internally, knowing that it is too late to stop this, and he might as well help mitigate the damage.

He begins to play a different tune, one evoking images of bravery and valor, and the music of his song fills the hearts of his allies.

<OOC: Bardsong: inspire courage.>

[LuneMoonshadow]

Harald's sudden disappearance catches the cleric off guard who stands still for a moment, still slightly overwhelmed at the situation at hand. The twang of the guardsman's crossbow pulls Malkanus back to the world at hand and forcing him to act.

Running across the plaza and pulling his scythe out along the way, the cleric makes his way to the guard and comes to a skidding halt between the guardsman and the others, ensuring that no other shot will be taken without reprisal.

"Don't fire at them, you damned fool! Only the Gods know who you'll hit." With a growl Malkanus pushes away the crossbow and gives the man a glare.

OOC: Double movement to the space in front of the guard; take an AOO on the guard if he attempts to move and fire again.

[BigRedRod]

Malkanus races across the marketplace-cum-battlefield announcing his presence to the others with the demand directed at the sole surviving guardsman.

The atmosphere changes as Shihiram continues to play his instrument, his mastery of the ocarina boarding on the mystic and making the daunting task of stopping the former party member turned seemingly unstoppable killing machine seem achievable.

Harald ignores the music and the axeman at his rear, instead he begins to laugh and brings his fury to bear upon Finn. Leaping sideways, the laughing swordsman smashes the hilt of his sword into the side of Finn's head with a double handed swing, loosening a few teeth and rattling his skull. As his feet touch the ground, he lashes out again with a broad horizontal stroke which tears a long rip in the canvas of the stall next to Finn but which he was nimble enough to avoid.

[ooc: everybody is getting a +1 on attack, damage and saves against fear and charm effect rolls from Shihiram]

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman


Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer2i.png

[LeeCHeSSS]

"That is odd..."

More curious than alarmed at his failed spell of holding, Nabi steps forward and recites the words of a spell. Instantly, two magical missiles launch themselves towards the raging man. Confident that this spell will not fail, he crosses his arms and looks around trying to get an idea of the intentions of the others present.

"Will you folks at least attempt to restrain him, so he can calm down? Please?"

[ooc: 5ft step W; Cast Magic Missile [roll0]]

[itches]

Lade stared in incomprehension. The axe blow to the hip had landed hard and cut deep, through flesh and into bone. It should have crippled Harald, rendering his leg useless and sending him to the ground where the conflict could be solved without further loss of life. Instead the made rage filled being that just the day before had been his friend, ignored it. As the crimson wash leaked down his leg, he continued to move with the almost impossible speed.

It was only the whistle of a crossbow flying past his head that snapped the aging mercenary out of his daze. With a hardened heart, he slid into range, sending his axe swirling at Harald's now vulnerable and wounded hip, knowing that if it came to it, he would willingly kill his friend.

[[OOC: 5ft step NW, hit with axe]]

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn spits his teeth toward Harald in a trail of spittle and blood. He then lunges with his rapier and steps toward Harald's flank. Finn concentrates on avoiding anymore blows from the hopped up northerner.

[ooc attack rapier, 5-foot step NW, assign dodge bonus to Harard]

[BigRedRod]

Finn's rapier finds a hole in Harald's guard, the narrow blade leaps out, gliding between bands of armour and then is withdrawn glistening with gore. The raging Jarl doesn't seem to register the blow to his mid-torso, not even providing Finn with the satisfaction of a wince.

Striding forwards, Lade brings his axe around in an overly wide sweep which gives Harald time to react. The Jarl half turns and swings his sword around to parry Lade's attack.

Twin spindles of ruby red force race away from Nabi, twirling through the air in their strange dancing path. Both impact simultaneously upon the side of Harald's head, snapping his head sideways in response.

Behind Malkanus, the guardsman lowers his crossbow,
"Well then, what do we do? He's killed so many, he can't be stopped!"

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer3.png

[LuneMoonshadow]

Malkanus takes a step towards Harald, gripping his scythe so tightly that his joints are beginning to ache. A mixture of fear and sorrow flood his mind, making it difficult to think.

Who did this? And how?

The guard's question halts the cleric, but only for a moment. Only one response comes to mind, the only one that could make a difference now. "Pray..."

Knowing that he must act, Malkanus rushes forward, sheathing his weapon as he does so and hoping he won't need it.

OOC: Sheath weapon as part of a move action; move to square west of Harald; initiate grapple attempt: +2, provokes AOO.

[BigRedRod]

In a display of mythical heroics, or possibly just shortsightedness, Malkanus rushes across the market place toward the swirling melee. Weapon shouldered and his quarry in sight, the cleric ducks low and extends his arms. Harald's sword is like lightning, it strikes the unarmed man in a smooth upwards arc, knocking the arm upwards. Only the resistance of the cleric's armour prevents the blow from causing a painful and very ill-timed dislocation.

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer3i.png

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram continues to play, aware that his skills are in avoiding combat primarily, but not in waging it. His courageous tune wraps upon the mind, encouraging all allies to greater feats and greater ability.

[BigRedRod]

Harald's terrible laughter continues as he lashes around with his blade at Finn. The young rogue hops backward, the blade coming within a quarter inch of his neck. He lands badly though, his back foot colliding with one of the iron tent pegs driven through the flagstones to support the canvas tent of the market stall behind. In the moment where he recovers his stance, Harald the Bloody strikes again. His great sword tears through leather, flesh and only stops when it contacts bone.

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn gasps to catch his breath while the thought of dying crosses his mind for a brief instant. The taint of fear angers the rogue as he plans his withdrawl.
His rapier is a flash as he lunges again before backstepping from Harald's deadly reach.

[OOC Attack (Flank, Sneak attack) 5'step NW]

[itches]

Malkanus rush filled Lade with shame. He didn't know where the cleric came from, but with his youthful vigour he attempted in vain what the aging mercenary should have done from the start, but held back for fear. Fear of being hurt by his psychotic friend beat out reluctance to hurt him.

Until now. Roaring out his fear and frustration, Lade leapt towards Harald's back, arms wide in an attempt to grab hold of him.

[[OOC: Grapple]]

[BigRedRod]

Finn's blade punches through the plates of armour protecting Harald's heart, the thin weapon slides deeper until it strikes the metal on the opposite side. A thin line of blood wells up around the wound as he skips backward, saftly out of range but still Harald continues to fight. No matter how enraged a man is or how skilled he might be, the blow should have been near instantly fatal.

Taking advantage of Finn's distraction, Lade attempts to restrain his undying companion. The older man wraps his arms around Harald from behind, gripping his axe across his chest. For the moment, the raging Jarl is restrained.

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer3ii.png

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi hesitates. Oh my, should I try to help hold him? He might hit me! Wait, I'll need rope!

"Well done, Mister Adderson! Keep holding him, I'll get rope!"

Dashing over towards the nearest stall, his eyes scan for coils of rope between all the other offered products. Ah, there!

[BigRedRod]

Nabi busily rummages through the cluttered tall, pushing various small breakables onto the ground before his hands finally locate a large coil of course rope.

Seeing a chance to aid the struggle, the guardsman throws down his redundant weapon and sprints across the corpse-strewn marketplace toward where Lade does his best to restrain Harald giving an involuntary scream of determination in the process. Ending his dash in a leap, the guardsman joins the grapple, wrapping his arms around Harald's midsection in an attempt to bring the murderous Jarl down to the ground. Instead, Harald responds, by lashing out with a foot and twisting his body sending the guardsman reeling backwards.

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer4.png

[LuneMoonshadow]

With his first attempt ending with his own blood painting the streets, the cleric is more than hesitant to rejoin any kind of attempt to restrain the Jarl and the kick that sends the guardsman backwards towards the stalls does little to help.

He swallows his fear and pushes forward against his body's will which screams for him to stop. Ignoring his own survival instinct he kicks at the Jarl's leg which trying to drag him to the ground with Lade's help.

OOC: Aid grapple.

[BigRedRod]

Malkanus joins the twisting scrum of men as the guardsman is ejected out. Even a man of Harald's strength has limits and thrash as he might he cannot free himself of the grip of both Lade and the cleric leading him to change tactics. The Jarl slams his head backwards, the rear of his metal helmet crashing into Lade's nose which immediately starts to run red with blood.

Initiative
Malkanus
Shihiram
Harald
Finn
Lade
Nabi
Guardsman

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/marketplacer4i.png

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn sheaths his rapier and leans in to assist with restraining the still struggling Jarl.

[itches]

Lade can taste blood from the headbutt, but the sight of the others leaping in to help heartens him. Calling on his strength, Lade attemps to wrestle Harald to the ground so they can restrain him.

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi rushes towards the struggling heap of men along with the rope he just found and prepares to quickly wrap the rope around Harald's ankles as soon as he gets a chance.

[OOC: Nabi will have to make an untrained Use Rope check I reckon]

[BigRedRod]

Confusion reigns as Finn joins the twisting mass of men. With Harald securly held in place by his allies, Lade releases his grip and swings a leg around, kicking down on the back of Harald's calf pushing him off balance. Taking the opportunity, Finn and Malkanus throw their weight upon him, pinning him to the ground. With perfect timing and a good length of rope in hand, Nabi secures Harald with inexpert knots.

Still, with the weight of his former allies upon his back and now bound, Harald is unable to do anything but roar in wordless anger and buck like a rabid animal.

[itches]

"Pelor ... temple" Lade gasped out of breath from the sudden savage struggle. "Take him ... get help."

[LuneMoonshadow]

"Get off your ass and help us," Malkanus snarls at the guardsman. With his knee pressing against the Jarl's back the cleric waits only until he is certain that they will be able to restrain the man before moving. With the power and ferocity that was exhibited only moments ago, there might not be a second chance to restrain him.

"To the temple, then? Might be best to throw him in a cell and ensure he won't be getting out and killing others."

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram lowers his ocarina, and nods to Malakanus.

"There is some fell spirit at work here, it is unfortunate."

[BigRedRod]

Harald has never been one to accept defeat gracefully and whatever has happened to the Jarl has not removed this trait. The bound man ineffectually continues to fight, throwing his body weight in all directions and continuing to scream out in wordless rage.

Pelor's Cathedral is but a short distance and yet the journey takes much longer than it ought. The flailing mass that was Harald ends up being more or less dragged through the square, a process which requires frequent changes of hauler on account of how substantial that mass is.

As the party, with the help of the sole surviving guardsman, struggle, a few of the braver local populace start to appear on the grizzly corpse-littered scene. Within the hour all manner of rumours will be rushing around Edinway concerning Harald and his former allies who stopped his murderous rampage.

The great doors of the cathedral swing open suddenly as the party reach the bottom of the steps and a half dozen figures wearing bright yellow mantles over shining plate armour and bearing huge, ornate double-handed maces march out and surround the party. For a long moment there is a tense silence broken only by the anguished screams of Harald.

A solitary figure with an open faced helmet emerges a second later, his mantle trimmed with orange and gold and his armour worked with bold sun patterns, no doubt signifying his higher rank in whatever order of Pelor these warriors are. He stops on the last step and salutes, stowing his mace, smaller than that of his men, at his hip before speaking,
"Thank Pelor. A few minutes later and we would have been forced to break The Pact."

Stepping down to be level with the party, he adds,
"I'm Abbot Balthasar, leader of The Sun's Hammer. I can see only one reason you have brought that abomination here. You should know that we will do our best... but that your friend, Harald, is most likely lost to Aos now.

...

Quite why the most prominent temple of The Sun Lord has such extensive dungeons is most likely a question left unanswered. Harald, if the thing that killed so many can still be called by that name, is tied to a thick wooden pole, his arms wrapped behind him. Even tied into such a helpless position with countless leather straps, the Jarl rages on.

The pole is at the bottom of a circular pit, the only way in or out being a rope ladder. Along with Harald there is one other figure down in the pit. The black robed inquisitor, his face hidden behind an ornate silver mask in the shape of the symbol of Pelor. The inquisitor examines the prisoner both physically and magically, a process which seems to take a lifetime.

Balthasar stands with the party, silently watching his companion perform his task. Father Drohan enters, announced only by the sound of the cell door unlocking.
"I wish we could start meeting under more favourable circumstances. And ever more you are making new allies."
To Nabi, the nameless guardsman and Shihiram he introduces himself,
"My name is Father Drohan, I am the high priest here. To all of you, I must offer my condolences and my thanks. I had sent Balthasar out with his Hammers, if he had gone out there then there would have been... problems. Problems we have enough of right now, so I thank you for not adding to that."

The short man pauses for a while,
"The work of an inquisitor can take several hours. Perhaps, you would like to wait upstairs? Some of you look fit to drop, let one of my priests restore your bodies and I'm sure that Sister Malta would be more than happy to fill your stomachs."

[itches]

"One question first," Lade said in a tired voice, short intense fight, long haul and rapid events within the temple first making him feel his years. "Small words but is he still ... what is he?"

[BigRedRod]

Father Drohan shakes his head,
"That is what the inquisitor is attempting to ascertain."

[itches]

"I don't ... I don't think he's human anymore." Lade said shutting his eyes and trying to draw in strength. Taking in a breath and holding it for a moment, the aging mercenary turned to the unnamed guardsman.

"I didn't catch your name in the mess friend," he said extending a bloodstained hand. "Thank you for your help, I'll have to buy you a drink sometime. I know you need to report back in about this mess, I think it's safe to say that we'll be here for the immediate future if we're needed."

Lade's tone was friendly, but clearly a dismissal.

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram nods, and turns to Nabi. He exchanges a look with nabi briefly, then turns to walk upstairs.

[LuneMoonshadow]

With the battle long past, the adrenaline in the cleric's body had all but disappeared. In its wake lies a weary individual, exhausted from the encounter and tired from a distinct lack of sleep. He turns away from the others and begins to go to one of the open rooms to finally get some hard-earned reast before realizing his group has no idea where he is going.

"I'm exhausted. Wake me when you need me," are his only words. In his things are his hastily scribbled notes from the library that will surely be of interest to his companions, though such matters can wait until the fog clouding his mind is dispelled.

Once upstairs he finds a bed, sheds his armor, and immediately falls asleep.

[Flagg Thornington]

"I could really use the aid of your healers. My ears are still ringing, my cut has just stopped bleeding, and I may be missing some teeth. After a meal rest will be much welcomed. I trust that we'll be undisturbed under your watch."

Finn's curiosity is roused by the talk of the inquisitor. The traveler wonders how he could have trusted the Jarl. Perhaps the answer will be made clear. He could be spellbound?

This is why I like working alone.

[LeeCHeSSS]

With the immediate threat having passed, Nabi's curiosity gets the better of him and he moves towards the edge of the pit.

So why did my spell fail? Maybe I can find out now...

While keeping his voice down, he recites the few words required to start prying for magical energies.

[OOC: Cast a Detect Magic in the direction of Harald]

[BigRedRod]

Looking down at Harald, Nabi completes the spell and is nearly blinded by the multitude of magical auras swimming around below. Not just whatever has befallen Harald, but also the Inquisitor's enchantments along with some which seem to belong to the pit itself. A strong glimmer of necromancy seems localised around the Jarl, although it's hard to tell anything else due to the background confusion.

Not having learnt a great deal, Nabi follows his companions out of Pelor's dungeons and into the domain of Sister Malta. Malkanus slips away from the others to find rest and the guardsmen departs to inform his superiors what has happened in the process.

The large nun in charge of keeping the servants of Pelor fed is not her jovial, talkative self. She manages a brief smile as she spots Finn, but evidently she is all too aware that her love is currently at the mercy of the inquisition. A bowl of winter stew along with bread is made available for all in the hybrid dining room and kitchen.

...

Malkanus feels his head touch the pillow of the narrow cot and then seemingly instantly a hand is upon his shoulder,
"Apologies... Errr..."
The voice stumbles for a suitable title to give to Malkanus, before finally settling upon simply apologising once more,
"Sorry, but you are needed."

Barely an hour and a half has passed, the young acolyte seemed suitably insistent that whatever it was could not wait. The order had come from Father Drohan, and unless Pelor decided to address his followers directly, then there was no higher authority. Malkanus enters the study to find the rest of his group having also just arrived. There are only time for a few exchanged looks of confusion before the high priest emerges, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Something has happened."
He moves to the other side of his office and pulls aside the curtain obscuring the only window,
"Look."

At first it looks like a small storm over part of the city. The perfect sky now contains a large black blot. Dense swirling clouds. Clouds flecked with horizontal strands of red lightning. Occasional a pure white shaft of light lances outward toward the ground, although nobody can quite see the results of these outbursts. Something has happened. Something seems to be centred on Edinhumber. The high priest pulls back from the window,
"That isn't natural and it's spreading. Spreading fast. Word has come from the Magewrights. They don't know what it is either so we're... Well, I don't know what they are doing except panicking and guessing. You've done a lot of good work for Edinhumber and as there's no word back yet, I got you here in case there's anything you might know about it. Could it be the rats? Are they striking back somehow?"

[LuneMoonshadow]

The fog go exhaustion had lifted but in its wake now settled the dread sense of the unknown. Swirling above the city was the manifestation of everything they had been fighting - fighting desperately to uncover and stop. It would seem as if they had been too slow, too late.

"I really hope I'm wrong, but..."

The tomes spoke about it, but they were so vague. The wording... translations... could I be wrong? By the Gods, let me be wrong.

The cleric glances over at his companions before shifting his gaze back out to the window.

It is focused over Edinhumber. The tower is in in Edinhumber.

"The Kyrdol, these rat creatures, come in three varieties. They each have different purposes, though I cannot be certain of what. The rats that informed us that they were protecting the portal from their darker cousins are named 'Guardian'. They said that the portal could essentially rip open..."

The implications of such an event were not obvious, but still dire. Even now the cleric prayed silently that the storm was not related to the portal.

[Flagg Thornington]

Feeling better, Finn turns and interjects. "Father Drohan, there must be someone who knows of the planes. Could you suggest somwhere to learn more, quickly? Perhaps Pelor will provide helpful insight to a man of your standing."

Finn finishes his outburst and turns his eyes to the sky.

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram closes his eyes briefly, his face calm, then he re-opens his eyes and a sort of fire seems to light them. He looks to the people in the room, and looks toward the sky.

"Must... must there be such conflicts?"

[BigRedRod]

Father Drohan is dismissive of the bard,
"Show a little backbone, man."
The events have clearly rattled his normal compsure. To Finn's comment, he responds only vaguely,
"Yes, of course. We would hardly be servants of the divine without at least a cursory understanding of the planes. Our diviners are doing what they can, but these things are rarely fast. If your man in red speaks true then I had best see that the rest of the Cathedral divert their attentions immediately."

He pauses briefly,
"A portal between worlds existing within my own city. I never would have believed it. The gulf between worlds is as large as to be infinite. Any gate between adjoining spheres should evaporate, not expand."

The high priest takes half a step,
"Please, this might well be worse than I ever would have imagined. There is much to do, here in my cathedral."

"And what of the people down there?"
He mumbles these last words, mainly to himself.

[LuneMoonshadow]

"We haven't seen the portal with our own eyes, but the location of the tower rests on two leylines that are perfect for planar magic. The old governor Prospero himself conducted his studies there. That, paired with the presence of these 'guardian' rats, seems to indicate there there is some kind of portal in Edinhumber.

"However, since we are not sure don't inform others of its presence. If This is caused by some other source the last thing that is needed are people going into the district to find the portal which could cause irreparable damage. Just evacuate them without mentioning the portal - I'm sure they'd be more than willing to depart with the storm churning above them."

The cleric pulls in a deep breath and looks away from the storm, knowing there will be no rest for the coming hours. He glances at the others, then the doorway. "We should get out there and see what is happening near the Tower."

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn sighs at the mention of returning to the tower.

"I'm pretty sure I know what awaits us at the tower, a quick journey to the land of lingering souls."

[Linklegacy77]

"I have no fear... simply regret, that such things happen. Yes, regret is the perfect word. In this world, I have many regrets..."

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Really Shihiram, I have told you before, don't regret what you could not have prevented. Regret only what you did not set straight. And I think we are all in agreement to do just that; set straight whatever is causing this storm."

Nabi attempts to keep his composure and addresses the others, "I agreed to help you people in your efforts, so if that involves venturing to another plane, so be it..."

Gods, what am I saying?! I would rather get away from that storm. Far far away from it!

[Linklegacy77]

"The only time you ever mentioned not regretting something was when you were upside down hanging from a branch off the side of the falls and decided you were glad you didn't have lunch."

Shihiram shakes his head.

"I suppose that does count though."

[itches]

"Woah, hang on a second," Lade said after looking at the distant storm, something so far out of his experience that it took a few minutes for him to regain his voice. "Not to be the voice of reason here but let's not rush in blind, there is way too much we don't know. What happened to Harald? The armed minions who met us said something about a pact. What do we know about a little girl with wings? - who the cultists recaptured last night by the way. What do we do if we find the portal? And no offence Malk, but ya look like yer about to pass out.

"Before we go in we need to come up with a plan, and those are hard when we know blastard all about what is going on."

[LuneMoonshadow]

The cleric casts a glance at the two newcomers and shakes his head. Who the hell are these two? Talking about regrets when a damned storm is raging over Edinhumber?

"Wonderful questions, though I would like to remind you that we still know nothing about those answers. I'm hoping that going down towards Edinhumber will help us get a better picture of what the source is, whether it is the portal or some bitter demon coming to claim this part of the continent."

Only then, in his haze of exhaustion, does he comprehend what Lade said. "They got Celeste?" After a long moment all he can do is sigh. So many deeds...

"I was hoping we'd come up with a plan once we figured out what the storm was about. I don't plan on walking straight into the storm if it'll hurt us in any way, though I do think we need to know what those strikes of light are first and foremost."

[BigRedRod]

Father Drohan nods at Malkanus,
"Indeed. I assure you that as soon as I have answers about Harald I'll send word, but this-"
He gestures at the storm outside of the window,
"- takes priority for me. As it most likely should for the rest of you."
As he speaks his voice rises and he grows increasingly flustered. He opens his mouth once or twice more as if to speak before sighing,
"I need to address the clergy and see if there is anything to the storm being some kind of planar disturbance. I wish you luck in your investigations, you are free to draw on whatever resources the Cathedral might be able to offer."

The High Priest leaves the party standing in his study, the dark swarming clouds filled with red and white lightning bolts looms ominously outside.

[itches]

Lade watched Drohan walk out the door without saying anything more in dismay. The truth was that the storm scared him and he didn't want to walk anywhere near it without being overprepared.

"Scout in force then," the aging mercinary sighed. "Look, hit, run away. Think we'd have time to round up some friends before walking into the abyss?"

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Hah! The only ones you might convince to go near that storm are drunkards and beggars, if you pay them enough. But we wouldn't want such people with us, do we?!"

Nabi smirks, then realises his remark might give a wrong impression.

"Not that I have anything against their kind, ofcourse! It's just that they might be less reliable in stressful situations..."

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram merely shakes his head at Nabi.

"Before we consider any rash actions, we should first divine what might have caused that storm, and what that storm really is. Is it perhaps the wrath of the spirits? Or something more mundane but equally frightening such as a spell gone awry."

[LuneMoonshadow]

All the talking was beginning to wear on the cleric's nerves. People's homes were at the epicenter of a storm brewing over the area of the city that they had just exited from. The lurking fear that they had missed something important which ultimately lead to the storm tainted every thought.

Did we not move quickly enough?

Finally, Malkanus has had enough. "If a spell has gone awry, that must have been a damned powerful spell. You're welcome to stay here in relative safety but I can't stand here while the storm churns over people's homes and possibly threatens their lives. Divination has its place, but I'm willing to bet my gold that my eye will do a mighty fine job at discerning just how dangerous this thing is, which is priority one in my opinion."

With a heavy heart, the cleric looks to each of his companions, with a particular scowl for the newcomers who seem more interested in idle banter than any kind of action. "I cannot stand here in good conscience when there are tasks to be done."

After a moment of silence, he nods and takes his leave, pausing in the hallway after exiting the room to see if any of the others will join him.

Must the path of action always be the most difficult?

[itches]

Lade threw another glance at the storm out the window then turned to follow Malkanus out the door.

"If we all die horrible inhuman deaths out there," he insisted to his companions with a gruff voice. "I want it on record that I said this was a bad idea."

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn watches Malkanus exit followed by Lade before turning to Nabi and Shihiram.

"We could use your assistance, if you're willing."

Finn heads quickly after the others toward the accursed district.

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Tsk, didn't I already say so a minute ago?!", Nabi sighs then nods towards the door, "I was only waiting for you to lead the way!"

[BigRedRod]

With their view no longer constrained by the window in the High Priest's study the storm takes on a much more sinister countenance. It dominates the skyline, looming above the city and slowly uncoiling to cover more of it. The Great Plaza remains deserted, but the main arteries of the city are thronged with people. Most simply stand, gawking up at the spectacle content to be on the opposite side of the city.

Passing by, the party catch snippets of conversation almost all of which speculate wildly on what the storm might be. There's a general confusion as to whether the city is under attack from something. Should they be taking up arms? Should they flee? Others busily blame the moon cultists. What had those red robed bastards done now?

The people become more panicked as the party move towards the storm front. Knots of women sob in terrified disarray while the men stand separately, either sagely discussing what to do despite having none of the facts or just remaining silent in their own fear.

The clatter of hooves causes attentions to turn away from the dark clouds,
"Get out of the damn way!"
The horses move past in a blur. Maybe a score of them in total, guardsmen from another district dispatched as aid. Another shouts,
"Go back inside and stay there."
And then the horses are gone as quickly as they came into view. The sounds of their hooves clattering on cobbles persists a little while longer.

As the minutes roll by and the storm grows larger, taking up more and more of the skyline (although hopefully this is merely an illusion from closing the distance and not indicative of the rate of growth of the system), the common folk are no longer found to be standing outside their homes. Now they gather what belongings they can and retreat, going nowhere in particular except for away from the menace hanging in the sky above them.

After what seems an eternity the party finally see one of the white bolts of light strike a house. Here the street is devoid of all life, the residents having either already fled or fortified themselves with their homes. The arrow straight shaft of burning luminescence noiseless hurtles down from within the swirling mass of the storm, now so much more awe-inspiring that the party have come this close, and touches a typical house somewhere on the wall facing into the street. The two collide with a loud bang and the sound of scraping stone and splintering wood as a large chunk of the building vanishes entirely.

A rough sphere centred on the point of impact, perhaps ten feet across, has been removed from the structure. Through the crude circle carved onto the side of the building the interior can be seen. Anything within the sphere has been torn away and then simply removed. The sudden absence created by the strike then served to rearrange the shattered house as loose objects leapt to fill the void.

Sheets of paper drift through the air from a book pulled apart as the world desperately tried to refill the gaping vacuum. One page lands on the cobbles ahead of the party. The title page from The Light Of Pelor, the church's central scripture.

There is not long to admire the destruction before movement catches the eye. At the end of the street a half dozen rats, the creatures previously dubbed the Kyrdol by Malkanus, race past. The creatures scritch and woop as they vanish out of view. It takes a moment to realise what was different. Although mostly made up of the common brown and black rats, their group also included one of the larger specimens who had formerly been guarding the gate and at least two of the white furred variety.

A scream echoes around Edinhumber but is quickly drowned out by a loud boom from another of the horizontal red lightning bolts racing around the black clouds above.

[Linklegacy77]

"We can do nothing here to help, I fear this storm is beyond our reach to stop." Shihiram dashes ahead and grabs the page, before turning back to everyone else.

[LeeCHeSSS]

"And you can tell that by just looking at it for no more than an hour, and at a distance no less?"
Nabi looks utterly amazed at Shihiram for giving up this fast, "No, I think I disagree. I think this storm cannot be natural, and I think that someone, or something, is causing it. I also think that we should find this someone or something, and make them stop causing it!"

What must our heroes be thinking, to hear him talk like this?!

[Linklegacy77]

"I did not mean that there was nothing to be done dear Nabi, if it can be created, it can be stopped. Rather, that there was nothing to be done by rushing in toward it, and it is clearly very dangerous to do so. I feel an evacuation of the area to protect the citizenry while research is underway is the safest of routes. What good can one do in the face of such adversity without knowledge?"

[LuneMoonshadow]

"The rats are together now," the cleric huffs as he looks towards Lade and Finn. "I thought they were at war, so what the hell are they doing traveling in a pack together?"

The past skirmishes with a single type were difficult enough, now six of the bastards were running around, each with their own specialized skill to contribute to taking down whatever they came across.

"If the rats are together now I fear that this storm is related to the gate. These shafts of light appear planar in nature to me as well, seeing as how that house simply had pieces of it vanish. I am no expert, though."

Knowing this much more was invaluable to the cleric. "We should indeed go back before we're attacked by something or struck by the storm. We need to let the diviners at the church know to focus on planar aspects of the storm. I also want to go back to the library - better time than any to follow up on my previous research."

[itches]

"Hey now," Lade said to his younger companion. "We're out here now and you already told 'em about the portal. It's freaky but no more dangerous than a normal storm, so let's look around for a bit, see where those rats were going and if they're all friendly now for any reason besides the lightshow going on above us. Also we're the only ones near here who have any idea of what they might be looking at, so let's get as close as we can to the eye and look.

"We've come this far lads," he added trying to bolster their spirits. "It's not that much further."

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn silently wonders if Lade has been sipping the sauce.
"You're right Lade, let's get this over with."
The rogue eyes harden as he scans the area.

[Linklegacy77]

"Combat is avoidable, let's not go looking for trouble. How might we resolve this without a fight?"

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Who said there will be a fight? For all we know, we'll find an unattended magical switch that will make this all go away when pressed!", Nabi laughs.
"Seriously though, don't fret so much, we're gonna be fine!"

[BigRedRod]

There was no need for the party to speak of a destination, that much was obvious. The Tower lay at the heart of matters regardless of just what it was that lay within.

Judging exactly when the threshold of the storm was impossible. Looking up the dark clouds, accented as they were with horizontal bolts of jagged red and vertical shafts of white, the boundary is a purely theoretical concept. It takes a few minutes before the group have to look backwards slightly to catch sight of the nearest edge of the storm.

If one of the rays of blinding white did come to ground nearby it would happen too quickly to even attempt diving out of the way. Whatever came next would simply happen before anybody could be sure of the trigger.

Edinhumber seems unnaturally muted as if the swirling mass of cloud above was draining all colour from the very buildings and twisting them in some barely observable manner. The air itself seems somehow thick and stifling despite the coldness of winter.

The strange red lightning remains confined to the skies above, the bolts simply arcing between sections of cloud illuminating them allowing the individual dark elements of the storm to be seen and often accompanied by loud cracks of thunder. As for the platinum rays, they fall silently for the most part. Only when one strikes somewhere nearby is there any kind of sound, the rasping boom of the neighbourhood quickly refilling the void left behind.

It's a few minutes before one of the strikes occurs within view. Perhaps a dozen feet ahead of Lade, the aged warrior having silently chosen to take point on their march. A small circles of cobbles, only two or three feet across vanish along with a hemisphere of the earth and gravel beneath. The sudden rush of air creates a brief boom and then a ring of road falls into the gap removing the unnatural precision of the crater before anybody had a chance to study it.

Another loud bang attracts the party's attention. Creeping forwards toward the intersection, the cause of the sound comes into view. A trio of men are attempting to batter down the door of a shop. Evidently some of the less moral members of society have taken it upon themselves to exploit the chaos.

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn pays no mind to the opportunistic looters but decides to back up his crew if they decide to go all vigilante. The rogue readies his bow for the worst and adopts his most menacing scowl.

[LuneMoonshadow]

With the lightning booming above them and the pillars of light striking all around, the scene is one of dire consequences. Without hesitation, the cleric pulls his scythe from his back and rests it on his shoulder for a more dramatic effect before walking up to the looters and standing some ten feet behind them.

"When the world rests in darkness, not in the absence of light but in the souls of mankind, the world will be cleaved asunder. The storm of the Red Moon shall split the skies and the world of man will be torn apart by heavenly spears. Souls of those so damned to a life of evil shall find no solace in the wake of destruction but only an eternity of emptiness in the limitless void. Those souls so unfortunate as to be as dark as the clouds harboring red lightning shall be hunted and destroyed by the servants of the Gatekeeper - for no soul shall walk this world that has plagued mankind. No soul shall walk this world that is bound to rise again."

The cleric pauses a moment and pulls the scythe forward, letting the blade rest on the ground.

"I am here to collect your souls."

OOC: Intimidate check: [roll0]; Attack if necessary but really I'm just trying to get them to quit looting and run like hell

[BigRedRod]

The men stop their assault upon the door as Malkanus strides up and delivers his apocalyptic sermon. Beneath the dark sky the flashes of red and white capture instants of their expressions going from anger at being discovered to shock at the sight of Malkanus, dressed in red and wielding his scythe in the storm and finally to terror as they hear his words.

Malkanus' final words are punctuated by an exceptionally loud crash of thunder from above. The looters abandon their potential prize and flee for their lives.

[itches]

Lade clapped, the sound of his applause a shallow echo to the thunder raging above them.

"Clever," he remarked. "I don't think they'll be looting ... ever again."

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi shuffles up to Lade and whispers, "Does he actually believe all that he just said?"

I never heard of no prophecy that foretold this storm, but then again, spirits don't tend to discuss things that are yet to come.

[Linklegacy77]

"No my dear, I believe it is nothing more than showmanship... something very valuable."

[LuneMoonshadow]

With a smile and not so much as an explanation, Malkanus places his scythe on his back once again. With the looters gone, the storm was now their only apparent obstacle - at least for now. In the moment of downtime the haze of exhaustion creeps back into the cleric's mind but is dispelled by the crack of lightning above, which serves as a grim reminder of these dire events.

"Let's get to the tower before what I said comes true."

With that Malkanus pushes ahead, walking beside Lade up at the point. "Where did you find those two?" he whispers to his companion, not truly expecting an answer.

[itches]

"They found us actually," Lade murmured softly. "When we found out that feathers had been kidnapped they were waiting around for us to show up, they said that Rosencranz sent them to help.

"Actually," he amended, scratching at the hair under his helm, slick with sweat even in the cold. "Now that I think about it they didn't mention Rosencranz until after I did. But we can trust them, they helped us subdue Harald ... kinda."

[BigRedRod]

Walking the twisted and deserted streets of Edinhumber, the party prepare for threats from all directions. The white pillars raining down, severing chunks of reality from wherever they land; bands of the rats, now seemingly unified; and now looters, humanity always finds opportunity in the wake of the most terrible events. After a few minutes of drawing closer to the wreckage of Prospero's tower the group stumble upon what appears to a blockade in the road.

A crater in the ground forms the backdrop. One of the larger ivory strikes must have come down here taking away a large chunk of the road itself along with the foundations of one of the squalid houses. The wooden structure has come apart almost entirely and is now a spread of debris stretching from the roadside plot it once occupied all the way to the other side. This blockade is not merely the result of random chance however, a cart has been dragged and turned sideways atop the rubble along with various other useful litter from the area, barrels, crates and the like for the most part. The ramshackle wall is only three or four feet tall for the most part but sits directly beyond the crater, following its curve for the most part, the ditch adding its own depth to the difficulty.

Getting by is far from impossible, crossing the rubble directly beneath the former site of the collapsed house seems the most direct route. Despite this, it seems unlikely that passing will be so easy. Several poles have been driven into the exposed stony earth of the crater wall and each of these poles bears a collection of skewered heads. All humans. Men, women and children. Their features contorted in screams of pain. Their eyes blank. Their tongues lolling out. Of the bodies there is no sign. In total there must be nearly two dozen such heads bordering the blockade. A warning? Or just trophies?

A strange distant whistling starts, audible over the roar of the storm and building quickly in volume. Shihiram is the first to spot it. A pile of bricks dropping from the storm above down towards Edinhumber. It lands with a loud bang about forty feet behind, colliding partially with a house and taking a large chunk out of it. It looks like it was once a chimney.

[Linklegacy77]

"This is terrible..."

Shihiram continues the pace, and says nothing further, his face blank.

[itches]

Taking stock of their surroundings, Lade silently pointed to a still mostly intact building that had an upstairs window facing the street. From there they would be able to look over the barricade.

As they made the way over the aging mercenary kept his eyes away averted from the heads. The damaged, abandoned city, looters and death. It all suddenly reminded him of a war from his youth that he would much rather be left lost in a dusty unused memories.

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn follows along after the rest of the group enter into the building. He offers to keep watch from the ground floor. The rogue keeps a careful eye on the barricade outside wondering just what might come tramping over it.

[BigRedRod]

The party move to find a better vantage, Lade leading the way into what had been somebody's home. The front door has been removed from its hinges and everything looks to have been thoroughly rifled through, although there's no remaining sign of the former occupants. If they were lucky they fled and the damage is just the work of looters and their own frantic packing. If they weren't so lucky then it seems more than likely they could be among the heads skewered outside.

With Finn remaining on the ground floor to watch the others head upstairs and casually move aside shutters to glance down upon the barricade. Nothing seems to be hiding behind the small wall. At first glance it seems like the fortification has been abandoned. After a moments though, a motion from the window of a house across the way catches the eye of Lade. An elongated furry brown face is glancing up at the party's location. The building is on the far side of the barricade next to the collapsed house, making it the ideal spot for an ambush of anything attempting to pass through.

From the careful movements of the creature it seems obvious that the party were spotted on the street, although the rat (and presumably his better hidden allies) don't seem willing to act just yet.

[LeeCHeSSS]

"It would seem that these therianthropes are guarding this area, which would make it all the more likely our goal is behind the barricade.", Nabi thinks aloud while scratching his head.

Without waiting for an answer, he offers more of his thoughts; "I can create a diversion that will allow us to continue, provided there are no spellcasters among this group of foul creatures. That is a dangerous assumption, so alternatively I can allow one of you to move unseen towards their hideout and take out their caster."

[LuneMoonshadow]

"I don't think sending in someone alone, even if undetected, is wise. If things go south and they somehow end up trapped somewhere I wouldn't want that on my conscience."

After a moment of thinking and scratching at his cheek, Malkanus glances out the window again. "I wonder if it is possible to backtrack a bit, then try to come this direction a different road perhaps, or take the alleyways past the barricade at the very least. I'm not familiar with this place, though, so I'm not convinced that such a plan would work."

[itches]

"You're right," Lade said to Malk as he eyed the rats with distaste. "We should atleast take a look around, if we can't find a way or it starts to take too long we can always just come back here and try something else. And we should go soon incase they get bored of waiting and try to take the fight to us."

[Linklegacy77]

"Why must we fight them? Even if they are enemies... perhaps we could merely scare them off?"

[LuneMoonshadow]

Malkanus stares at the bard, waiting for some time for the plan to be finished. When it becomes obvious no more is to be said, he finally speaks.

"If you intend to propose something at least have some way in mind to do it. So, if you want to scare them, how? I possess no such method of doing so, and I assume Lade and Finn have no such capabilities as well which leaves you two newcomers."

[Linklegacy77]

"Oh, I think we can come up with something, but the concern is that we would have to frighten them enough so that they wouldn't come back any time soon... which doesn't seem likely. I do not think heading into the storm is a good idea at the moment anyway."

[BigRedRod]

Deciding that discretion is the better part of valour, Lade leads the way down the steps and motions silently to Finn that they are leaving to try and find a path to the tower without a blockade.

Outside the terrible storm glares down, thunder rumbles and flashes of red and white dance. Looking at the barricade from street level shows no signs of the hiding rats, but it seems certain that they are watching. Waiting for anybody foolish enough to try and pass by.

Keeping one eye behind them as they retreat, the scene shows no sudden signs of life. Backtracking, circling around and then reapproaching takes much longer than it ought to due to the maze-like quality of the narrow winding paths through the city.

After almost half an hour spent walking, a time which has fortunately seen only two of the mysterious shafts of white coming to ground nearby and stealing chunks of whatever they touch, the party find themselves stood upon a small step terrace. The reduced height of the structures ahead provides a view across the centre of this part of the city, including The Broken Tower itself.

The air above the ruined tower wobbles slightly much like a heat haze in the dead of winter. Pulsing like an invisible heart, the column of distorted air stretches from the ruins up to the storm above. The centre of the storm. A twisting eye of light grey shrouded in black clouds. Here the red lightning is far more common, erupting outwards almost constantly. The sound of thunder overlaps again and again forming a continuous rumbling sound that all can feel in their very bones.

Looking down at the small plaza around the tower there are scores of rats. Size and colour seem to be a forgotten division. Now they swarm together, white, black, grey, brown, all as one. Numerous firepits dot the debris strewn landscape, some seem to be being used for cooking. Some sit in clusters, others man the cooking fires and the rest dance. A steady stream, maybe two or three a minute, of the creatures emerge from the tower to join their fellows. Small bands of the creatures abandon the celebration every so often and set out.

The thunder drowns out any sound the creatures may be making.

[Flagg Thornington]

As soon as Finn spots the rats he crouches down motioning the others to do the same. The traveler focuses his eyes on the ensuing chaos, taking in the magnitude of the situation he has found himself in. "We better alert the priests of this ever increasing rat army. But we need to know what their intentions are. Do you think the elder rats are still in the tower? I could try to move ahead and see if I can get a good look at the tower. I honestly don't think there are enough sword bearers in the whole city to stop these rats. They're very fast with their blades and they're clever enough to set up perimeter guards."

Finn watches the departing rats trying to get a sense of their intened direction.

[itches]

"I don't think ya could get that close without being eaten," Lade said trying to count the rats out in view. "Besides which, from the looks of things they dont seem very opposed to the portal being open anymore. Goddamnit all," he swore, punching the ground with his fist. "We're going from bad to worse here. The rats could be beaten, but it would take a small army and it would be bloody - more so with that blastard storm.

"Unless anyone can think of something else I'm all for getting out and warning everyone about the damn rat army before it's too late. And if on the way out we happen to notice some nice isolated rats, a prisoner for questioning wouldn't hurt."

[LuneMoonshadow]

A nod is all Malkanus can muster in response to Lade's frustration. Finally he swallows and pushes asides his swirling thoughts. "If the portal truly is open, which is damned well looks like, we might be in for a hell of a ride here. We need to get back immediately to see if we can find a way to shut down the portal before more rats flood into the city."

They said they were guarding it! Damn it.

Gatekeeper, give me wisdom...

[Linklegacy77]

Shihiram calmly looks at the others, and nods. "Yes, let us return to the priests. We have little information to work on here."

[BigRedRod]

Avoiding what looks to be certain death, the party head out of the Broken Tower district with haste. Not that the distinction between the plague area and the larger region of Edinhumber holds any real distinction with the arrival of the storm and the hordes of rats.

Taking care to avoid passing the barricaded street again, the party quickly find themselves at one of the hastily constructed brick walls which marks the edge of the quarantined area, the door having been destroyed only yesterday by men seeking the fortune attached to each rat head. Perhaps not even Lord Franchesca has large enough coffers to cover the army currently swarming throughout the city.

Distant screams and shrieks, both of the rats and any common folk too obstinate to leave, provide a constant background noise with regular punctuation courtesy of the raging storm above. Looking up at the extent of the clouds it seems that the storm has already covered Edinhumber entirely and the pillars of light are starting to fall upon the neighbouring regions of the city.

Rounding a corner, the party spy a plank laid between the houses on either side of the street offering an unsteady walkway some twenty feet above the cold, hard cobbles. Sounds of nearby commotion swell from up ahead and a cautious approach reveals a gang of rats busily working.

Most of the half dozen stand atop a single house, laying out planks to neighbouring rooftops. One of the smaller creatures carries a sack of nails and a large hammer which it is using to add some stability to one of the pathways while a much larger white holds the wood steady.

At street level, one creature rummages through an abandoned crate, nose buried deep, hurling occasional items out onto the street behind. The final figure appears to be the leader, one of the smaller white-furred rats wearing a brown shirt so oversized that it looks more like a robe in contrast to the salvaged leather armour worn by the rest. Holding a short stick in its paw, it to gestures up at the roof team while it snorts and squeaks in a language not known to the party.

Despite their industry, each of the creatures (bar the leader) is obviously armed. The two largest of the creatures both have a vicious looking mace and a bloody axe positioned beside them, while the smaller creatures bear a mixture of crossbows and more rudimentary weapons.

The windows above the rummaging rat burst open and the upper half of a man leans out, hurling a heavy ceramic chamber pot down at the creature below. It crashes with a loud bang and splash but misses the intended target entirely causing the rats to drop tools and ready weapons, swarming around for battle. Following his failed attack, the man then spots the party and shouts,
"HEY! YOU! YOU GOTTA HELP!"
The suddenly attentive rats follow the direction of the waving, and also spot the party.

Initiative
Nabi
Finn
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R1.jpg

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi squirms when he sees several rats turn their attention to his associates and himself.

"Do we try to reason with them, flee or god forbid try to fight them?"

[OOC: If possible, delay Nabi's real action till one of the core group gives directions]

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn nocks an arrow and aims at the rat just ahead hoping to make short work of the creature. After he fires he reaches for another arrow and steps into the nearest doorway.

[LeeCHeSSS]

So much for an answer, Nabi mutters at the sight of Finn's attack.

"Someone kick open this door here, I will provide us with some decent cover!", he shouts excitedly, then starts reciting words to bring into being a dense mist in the alleyway. Once finished he adds, "Don't let yourself get disorientated, come to my voice!"

[OOC: Cast Obscuring Mist, then a 5ft step away from the door, to make room]

[BigRedRod]

Finn answers Nabi's question by surging forwards bow in hand and loosing a single deadly arrow. The shot catches the leader of the rat gang entirely unaware, only luck causes a slightly twist of the neck which converts a lethal strike to a merely severe one. The head of the arrow runs a sharp edge along a furry neck, sending a wide sheet of blood outward onto the cobbles.

Behind the rogue Nabi intones ancient arcane syllables. The air thickens, taking on a slight bluish grey hue. A moment later and the hue has become a dense mist shielding the party while also reducing their own ability to perceive the rat cluster.

Pressing one paw to its neck wound, the robed creature curses Finn in an unknown tongue. His other reaches within the robe to retrieve an item too small to be seen. Waving the tiny thing through the air, the creature chutters and screeches arcane words of its own before turning and leaping impossibly upwards. Its robe balloons outwards as it descends and makes a loud thwump during the graceful landing upon the rooftop, in a manner that would be comical were it not for the drips of blood scattered through the air in the process.

Crouched upon the rooftop, it points down at the roiling mist cloud and squeaks out more commands. The largest of the rats respond to these orders by hopping down upon the cobbles (cracking them as their bulk meets stone) and racing toward Finn with weapons at the ready. Finn twists and dodges as the axe and mace pass sweep around him and somehow the young rogue emerges from the flurry of violence unscathed.

Initiative
Nabi
Finn
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R1i.jpg

[LuneMoonshadow]

With the fog growing dense the cleric's vision of the door is obscured. Instead of simply throwing his weight against the thing and giving his group a chance for some cover he instead has to spend a moment finding the damned thing first. Once he manages to spot his target three large steps backwards and a bit of momentum become his arsenal.

OOC: Find the door then bash it in; this is all assuming the door isn't unlocked, of course.

[itches]

Everything happened faster then he could keep track of it. Rats suddenly there - working together - a human in the house shouting for help, Finn rushing forward to fire at them, then Nabi's mist cutting the young rogue from his sight.

"Get that door open!" he bellows over his shoulder, stepping forward out of the mist to find himself face to face with one of the oversized rats. Sliding his axe into his hand in a move smoothed by endless repetitions, the ageing mercenary swung an underhanded blow at the creature in front of him.

[[OOC: 5ft step forward, axe in the face of RB1]]

[Linklegacy77]

With the mist flowing around him, obscuring vision into the area, Shihiram finally smiles. Words of power flow from him as he draws his ocarina to his lips, and begins to play a dirge. Dark music flows over the area, evoking images of death and doom, as the creeping power takes effect. An enormous monstrous roar erupts from the fog, blasting through the area. The sounds of doom continue to flow as the sound grows larger, stronger, and more violent. Something.... is coming.


<OOC: Cast ghost sound for a monster-like roar noise to attempt to scare off the rats. The dirge is pretty much flavor for his casting the spell>

[BigRedRod]

The cleric stretches out his arms, running them across the walls in search of something which feels rather more doorlike than the rest. The door groans as Malkanus begins his assault upon it, and in short order the lock snaps from its wooden surround sending a few shards of wood about and granting the party access to the home. Inside, the building is a sizeable kitchen and common room in a state of disarray as if the occupants packed very quickly indeed. The remains of the kitchen's fire still burn.

Lade emerges from the mist and catches his quarry almost entirely unaware. At the last moment it brings its own axe up horizontally in both paws, using the wooden haft to take away some of the weapon's momentum but it is not enough. Lade's axehead ploughs into rodent flesh, and bites through the bone beneath. Blood pours from the creature's shoulder as it shuffles back slightly and the old man tears his weapon free.

The terrible dirge from within the mist does not go unnoticed by the rats, they shift nervously as Shihiram weaves his magic. When the roar comes it is truly terrible and although the bard cannot see his foes he has no doubt that he has them on edge. Flee, however, they do not. The leader shouts and squeaks in their guttural language, obviously reassuring his gang.

Another of the rats joins the fray at the alley opening, but its blow is clumsy and Finn is swift leaving the club to strike against brickwork rather than the young rogue. Up above, a rat leaps from one rooftop the to the next, arriving upon the top of the building Malkanus managed to secure entry too. A previously unseen foe, another of the smaller creatures, this one piebald and carrying a shortsword skids into view but is unable to close with the party due to the tight confines of the alley. He waves his weapon and grunts angrily.

A bolt whizzes into the melee, catching one of Lade's legs with a glancing blow. The crosbow rat has moved to stand beside the leader and rain down ranged attacks.

Two more bolts announce the repositioning of another two rats who had been working out of sight before the attack began. Standing upon the rooftop above Lade, they both take aim at Finn and fire. The two short wooden bolts stab into the rogue. One shatters upon a rib while the other manages to dig itself into the soft flesh just above his hip.

Initiative
Finn
Nabi
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Maps
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R2-out.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R2-in.jpg

[Flagg Thornington]

Realizing that he won't last long standing in the street next to Lade, Finn steps back to the edge of the mist cloud and looses two arrows in rapid succession. He shoots straight up the street using his memory of where the rats are standing.

[ooc 5' foot step full attack assign dodge to rat directly in front of him]

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi squeezes himself past Malkanus and into the doorway and kneels down, touching the floor with his bare hand for no more than a second. Reassured and not wanting to waste any more time to get into relative safety, he gets up again and quickly takes stock of the room, then proceeds up the stairway warely.

[OOC: Go inside and see if there are any possible points of entry there]

[BigRedRod]

At such close proximity Finn's target has little chance of dodging the pair of lightning fast arrows emerging from the vague humanoid shape a the edge of the mist. Both find their target in the rat's centre of mass, a serious wound. Or it should be. The blood seeps but briefly from the wounds and the arrows tumble back to the ground.

Upstairs Nabi finds, perhaps unsurprisingly, where the tenants of the house used to sleep. A number of beds, rather less than might be expected in such a poverty stricken area and beds rather than loose amalgamations of blankets and loose straw, occupy the two rooms with a jumble of tables and boxes strewn around by way of decoration. Entry into the second room finds two large windows of the sort large enough to clamber out onto the roof by. Their shutters remain closed but such things are only a very minor obstacle to the rats getting in from the roof or the party getting out upon the city rooftops.

Seen clearly only be Lade, the leader of the rats stands atop the rooftop waving its paws in what can only been arcane gestures. The flurry of action ends with the creature squeaking a single word and a tiny pulsating glob of white energy gliding horizontally away from the caster. It pauses within the mist and then detonates.

The outburst of flame fills the alley with searing heat and concussive force. It lasts but a mere fraction of a second before the flames die down taking Nabis' enchanted mist along with it and leaving all but Nabi scorched and charred. The stink of burned flesh and hair fills the narrow alley.

Dazzled slightly by the blast of arcane flame, the hulking rat engaged with Lade offers a pathetic sweep of his weapon which is easily evaded. The second follows Finn and drives his mace around in a sweep which catches the rogue and drives him into the wall of the adjacent building. A few roofing tiles fall to the street from the force of the impact.

Initiative
Finn
Nabi
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Maps
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R2i-out.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R2i-in.jpg

[ooc: The extra map is now the second floor as the first floor is as before]

[LuneMoonshadow]

The rolling fire through the mist was enough to force the cleric shield his face and drop to a knee. Now with the protection of the fog gone, he and his allies were now doomed to be picked off at range.

"Ge-" he starts to shout, though is interrupted by a heaving cough because of the burnt odor. "Get inside!"

It only takes a moment for Malkanus to follow his own advice, stepping just inside the door and immediately pulling out the wand stashed inside of his pack. Knowing that his allies are wounded, he waits for them to find their way to the protective indoors to heal them.

[itches]

Lade didn't see where the fire came from, but it burnt with an unholy fury. Idly he wondered if any of his hair remained.

Twisting around to track one of the large rats that sped past, Lade saw the previously obscuring mist hanging in ruined tatters and his heart fell. Malkanus' shout echoed from the surrounding buildings and the aging mercenary nodded grimly to himself, they needed to get out of there before they were cut the shreds.

Yet instead of fleeing, the man slid backwards next to the badly injured Finn and swinging an across body blow at the creature saving him. He could not in good condition leave him companion behind.

"Come on you furry little fleabag," he screamed at the creature, not caring if it understood. "Try picking on someone as ugly as you!"

[BigRedRod]

Malkanus vanishes inside, stave at the ready to heal his allies as they file in past him, but they do not come. Outside Lade shouts as he swings his axe into one of the hulking rats, it cuts deeply into its side. A blow sufficient to end a man, and one good enough to cause the creature to roar out in agony. Ripping his weapon out, the old warrior can already see the wound starting to stitch itself back together. The larger rats heal quickly.

The wounded rogue feels a hand upon his back and suddenly his grievous wounds feel rather less mortal. Finn knows he is still hurt, but Shihiram's magic has hopefully staved off death for now.

One of the smaller rats quickly fills the space made by Lade and lashes out with its short sword. An attack which Lade deflects with ease using the haft of his own weapon. Bolts thunk into the stonework between the bard and rogue, missing both but coming within fractions of inches of inflicting fresh wounds. The archer next to the leader, sights carefully at Lade but misses due to the frantic motion of melee.

Initiative
Finn
Nabi
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Maps
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R3-in1.jpg

[Flagg Thornington]

After watching the rats wounds heal themselves almost instantly the rouge decides that standing in the street is suicide. The rouge carefully withdrawls into the partial safety of the house.

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi retreats back to the first bedroom, closes the door and starts shoving furniture towards it, in an attempt to barricade the door.

[BigRedRod]

Red-cheeked and with grievous wounds, Finn steps backward safely out of reach of the hulking ogre-like rats before turning tail and fleeing, taking up a position opposite the red-robed cleric. The axeman and the bard stand alone in the alleyway. From his window, the man trapped within the house at the end of the alley looks pleadingly at the two,
"PLEASE! Don't leave me!"

Upstairs, Nabi hastily seals off the main body of the house from the easily accessible room on the first floor.

Glittering shards of force rush from the rat standing upon the rooftop. They move jerkily through the air but with unerring accuracy, each one fetching the bard a shallow piercing wound.

Hefting its mace up into the air above its head, one of the rats steps forwards and brings its weapon around in a vertical arc. Shihiram hops backwards, evading the attack which turns the cobbles upon which he was stood into dust.

An axe swings toward Lade but the older warrior manages a skillfully parry with his own. The weapons clang loudly as they meet but neither opponent is injured.

Initiative
Finn
Nabi
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Maps
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R3i-in1.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R3i-in2.jpg

[LuneMoonshadow]

With Finn's entry into the house, Malkanus begins to fear the worst for those still out in the street. Still, in his exhausted state he didn't dare go out into the fray; rather he secretly hoped that it would come to him.

The cleric steps forward into the doorway and places two fingers on one of Finn's open wounds. With a simple chant the wand held in his palm glows slightly before channeling its energy through the cleric into the rogue.

With one of his companions healed, he hoped that the others would be able to make it through to safety - with him in the doorway he was determined to block the pursuit of any of the rats if they chose to follow.

OOC: 5 foot step East; Expend one CLW charge from wand for Finn; Allow companions through into the home while serving as a blockade for enemies.

[itches]

Seeing Finn beat a hasty retreat, and steadfastly ignoring the man yelling for help, Lade spun on the spot and followed suit.

[[OOC: Withdraw (eating an AoO) and set up the opposite side of the door from Finn]]

[BigRedRod]

The prayer channeled from wand to rogue via priest seems to fuse closed many of Finn's wounds. At least he won't be left scarred assuming the party somehow claw victory from a declining situation.

Lade joins the retreat with the bard close on his heels. The pair weave around the red cloak of Malkanus as they take up positions in the relative safety of the house with their allies.

Rats swarm around the open doorway, but even with their small stature they overcrowd themselves each attempting to attack Malkanus through the portal at once and each failing.

Nabi hears sounds from the other side of his barricaded door. Although he can't see, it seems likely the rats lurking upon the rooftop have decided to enter via the windows upstairs, forcing the shutters open and clambering in.

Outside, there are more loud grunts and squeaks.

Initiative
Finn
Nabi
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R4.jpg

[Flagg Thornington]

The rogue sets his bow aside and produces his rapier from its scabbard. He thrusts it through the doorway to the nearest rat.

[LeeCHeSSS]

This is bad...

Nabi props himself backwards against his impromptu barricade and yells in desperation, "They're trying to come inside up here! Someone help me!"

Breathing rapidly, Nabi goes through the motions and words to cast one of his spells.

[OOC: Push against the door/barricade while casting Invisibility]

[BigRedRod]

Somehow Finn makes the enclosed spaces involved in fighting through a doorway from a peculiar angle an advantage rather than a hindrance. His thin blade streaks through space, passes through a rat's head. A good four inches of blade extend from the opposite side, the blow arriving so quickly that the creature can only react as the rogue withdraws his weapon. It emits a horrible death cry and attempts to cover its wounds with its paws before dropping to the ground very still and very dead.

Cloaked from sight, Nabi does he best to help the furniture keep the upstairs door closed.

With their view to the street outside severely restricted it is impossible to say exactly what the pale spellcasting leader is up to. There are several loud grunts and squeaks which may or may not belong to it, but there are no overt spells conjured nor does he enter into line of sight.

Howling in anger over lose of one of their own, the two larger rats take up positions at the doorway, standing over their fallen comrade. Both swing for Malkanus. The weary cleric steps backwards allowing an axe to bite into the doorframe, a powerful blow which sends unsettling shudders throughout the building, and a mace to just catch his forearm. The strike was glancing but a glancing blow from such a hulking beast is more than enough to send spasms of pain up to his shoulder.

Initiative
Finn
Nabi
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
[I]Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R4i.jpg

[LuneMoonshadow]

With everyone now inside and the possibility of a victory against such odds seemingly nil, the cleric pauses. He stares at the large beast in the doorway and makes up his mind that very instant.

"We're coming, Newcomer!"

With a quick grin and a swift kick to the rat's chest Malkanus frees up the doorway enough to get the door slammed shut. He quickly presses his shoulder into the door and braces himself for the inevitable push.

"Get something to barricade this and let's get upstairs It'll act as a choke point and we have high ground."

OOC: Shut door, using an attack action if needed (kick was flare, really) and prepare for a strength check.

[itches]

The situation was finally looking - slightly - surivable. Moving over to the table, Lade gripped it's edge, bunching his muscles in an attempt to shift it over to the door.

[BigRedRod]

The broken remains of the door slam into one of the rat-ogres, forcing it backwards. Lade and Shihiram react quickly, seeing that the cleric alone has no chance of stopping the blood thirsty monsters from barging inside. Too heavy to lift, the pair slide the massive wooden table across the floor and jam it across the doorway firmly holding the door closed. The cleric leaps sideways at the last minute as wood strikes wood.

Upstairs, the door trembles briefly and Nabi can hear whispers made by inhuman vocal chords in a language he does not speak. Clearly, they are in the room next door and they have realised that brute strength is not going to win them the day so they have turned to plotting.

Outside there are enraged squeaks and shouts, through the gaps in the door, its possible to see one of the rats pacing about outside. Although it is difficult to say with any certainty it sounds like the smaller rat is encouraging his larger brothers in their attempts to break in.

Initiative
Finn
Nabi [invisible]
Rat Leader [RS]
Large Rats [RB]
Malkanus
Lade
Shihiram
Small Rats [M&R]

Map
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PASG/Edinhumber-Rat-Storm-R5.jpg

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn grabs his bow and rushes upstairs to assist where he can. He looks around the upstairs room not seeing anyone.

"Where are you and what am I supposed to do?"

[LeeCHeSSS]

"I'm not going to pretend to know what you are supposed to do, mister Finnley", Nabi whispers, giving away his position in the process, "But there are at least two of these therianthropes behind the door, intent on entering this room, and I rather would not face them alone when they do."

Meanwhile, Nabi remains propped against the furniture, pushing it and himself against the door.

[Flagg Thornington]

"Very clever, I was starting to wonder if you had slipped out onto the rooftops to run for your life."

Finn moves closer to assist Nabi with the blockade leaning against the furniture to help brace the door closed.

[LuneMoonshadow]

With the table in place this building was now a temporary safehouse. At least for the time being they could collect themselves and hopefully repel any attempt to get in.

The banging at the door did little to ease the sting of that word - Hopefully.

"So what the hell are we going to do if..." The cleric looks over at the door, wondering how fluent the rats were. Deciding to be cautious, he lowers his voice to a whisper. "If they go and get reinforcements. We'll be barricaded into a coffin."

He motions around to the empty space, "We can't stay here for long, else they might get smart about it. Burn it down or we get a bad roll of the dice and one of those light pillars come crashing down right in the middle of us."

The lack of action was oppressing - weighing heavily upon him as if time itself was counting down the seconds until his life had to come to an end in some unfortunate manner - though he knew not what to do.

"We've got to do something."

[BigRedRod]

Nearly a full minute passes in absolute tension. Those barricaded within the house, unable to see the foes lurking outside cycle through a range of emotions. Anger at being so headstrong as to race into such a situation, despair at the seeming inevitability of the rats torching the house, confusion at the sight of white rats working with their both their darker-furred and ogrish brethren and even relief, perhaps it would be better to die in a house fire than to remain and see what the growing storm would do to the great city of Edinway. Within the house, the party are silent, occasionally looking at one another, taking a half-breath, even opening a mouth as if to speak but there are no suggestions of a way out. The time for walk had passed and they had already fled from the fight. Outside, there are near constant furtive squeaks and sudden louder grunts as the rats discuss what is to be done in their alien language.

A man shouts out,
"No! Stop! HELP US DAMN YOU. HELP US!"
The unmistakeable dull sound of an axe striking wood reaches the strained ears within the house. Faced with a choice between one barricaded home filled with armed enemies and another containing a particular loud mouthed peasant, the creatures have chosen the less threatening option. As the axe reduces the door to splinters, more voices join the chorus of cries. Evidently, the man was not home alone.

A shriek from outside announces that something has changed. The cry is the unmistakeable sound of sudden, unexpected and fatal pain. A sound not made by human vocal chords. Confused squeals and roars strike up. Upstairs, Nabi and Finn can clearly hear an unspecified number of small creatures leaving via the window. Downstairs, Malkanus and Lade peer through the cracked door and are just able to see one of the small rats stagger into view. A quartet of low pitched thunks pierce the air and the visible rat falls to the ground motionless with a pair of arrows protruding from his elongated head.

The confusion inside is nothing compared to the chaos outside. A fourth party has arrived on the scene and appears to be dispatching the rats with startling efficiency. In between the screams and shouts of the Kyrdol comes the swish of steel escaping a scabbard. Metallic clangs join the chorus of battle. And then silence. Or the near-silence which accompanies the sudden forced end of hostilities. Sensitive ears pick out the final groans of the dying and the sheathing of weapons. A voice speaks out, its words heavily accented. The speaker is of the Aart,
"You can come out now. It's perfectly safe. Well, that lightning is still flashing here and there but it is as safe as it is going to get."

[itches]

Lade looked at Malk and raised his eyebrows at the unexpected noises from outside, then turned and gripped the table.

"Help me with this," he grunted trying to shift the heavy piece of furniture. "We'll open the door enough to stick our head out and see what's what."

[Flagg Thornington]

Finn hurries downstairs joining the other. His curiousity spurring his haste. He simply had to get a look at their saviors. The traveler smiles that his luck has held out a little longer.

[LuneMoonshadow]

The cleric pauses a moment before placing his hands on the table and heaving it out of the way. "Being saved will go over very well with the town. 'Oh, yes those folk... the ones trying to save us getting rescued by those newcomer types.' Not incredible for our reputation, but I suppose being alive is our silver lining."

The battle with the rats would have been difficult considering his weakened state, though he refused to admit that he needed assistance - that just wasn't him. He was here because he was the most determined of them all, the most dedicated. He was here because he had to revive the legacy and the past transgressions of society still weighed heavily upon his shoulders even as he tried to forget them.

Maybe forgiveness is better than forgetfulness.

"We do appreciate the help," Malkanus said from the doorway, "but why in the hell are you wandering around the storm? I thought we were the only ones foolish enough for that."

[LeeCHeSSS]

Nabi gets up from the floor and slowly walks down the stairway. Silently and fully aware that he is still invisible, he observes their saviours.

Thank the spirits!

[BigRedRod]

The voice laughs in response to Malkanus' question,
"Oh, why I should think that would be obvious. I- that is, we came here to find you."
Emerging from their barricaded house, the party find themselves standing upon cobbles stained with rat blood. Amidst the corpses stalk a number of tall figures. Each is dressed identically in clothing of the finest grade, dark grey undershirt with darker grey cloak and trousers finished with a mask which covers the entire face aside from two slanted ovals through which eyes glitter. The close fitting masks cover the entire head, possibly made from silk, but silk dyed a brilliant blue which is sadly muted in the poor light. Each figure wears a pair of gloves of a matching blue, ensuring that no flesh is exposed. At each shoulder hangs a crossbow, and the men are also armed with slender rapiers, although most have sheathed their blades.

The only differences between the figures are injuries sustained in the lightning assault. One clambers up a ladder to the rooftops with one arm hanging limply at his side making the task rather more ardous than it need be. Another two, standing above the white-furred creature which had been the leader of the rats and tying him with a fine rope, both have had their fine outfits heavily scorched. Another two figures are at street level, confirming their kills by running each rat through with their rapiers. On the rooftops stand three more of the figures making for a total of eight mysterious rescuers.

From the ruined doorway of their own home, the man who had pleaded with the party for help when they first stepped upon the scene emerges with his arm around a young woman and girl, most likely his wife and child. He glares momentarily at Lade, before turning to the nearest of the figures and offering his thanks,
"I don't have anythin' to give ya, but I wish I did. You saved us. That one-"
He points at the bloody remains of the hulking rat which had held the axe,
"-he was coming through the door, so he was. Gods only know what he would have done then."
The woman mutters his own inaudible thanks, her face streaked red with tears.

It isn't possible to tell which of the men responds, none appear to look at the trio but the sounds seem to come from above street level,
"We did what any with the means to would have, but you should not remain here. Leave. Now."
For a moment the man thinks to reply, but instead, he leads his family away down the streets away from the storm.

Distant thunder rumbles, as the last of the rats has a rapier pushed through it and the unconscious form of the leader is secure,
"Well then. Wasn't that a fine little mess you got yourselves in? I don't think he will be singing your praises when he finds a pint of something wet to help him recover from the shock. Not one bit."

One of the rooftop figures lifts an arm to his face and pulls the mask away,
"My name is Gredrin Godwinson, son of Beorn Godwinson and brother to Harald Godwinson."
The resemblance is striking and there can be no doubt that the man who speaks is closely related to Harald. He lacks the raw physical presence of his brother, but is still tall by Edinway's standards and rather more lithe than physically strong but the shape of his jaw and something indescribeable about the eyes marks his lineage,
"I heard word that my brother fell under some terrible curse in The Grand Plaza and it was you, his former companions Lade, Finn and Malkanus who were able to restrain him. I found you, as I do not have the sway needed at the Cathedral to have my brother returned to my care. In exchange, we have not only saved your lives but also we present the leader of this merry band who nearly left you to burn holed up in that house like rats yourselves."

Each of the still-masked figures has now returned his rapier to his sheath, and each is climbing up to the rooftops using the ladders which have been carefully secured to the sides of some of the buildings.

[Flagg Thornington]

"We thank you sincerely sir. A curse or worse was indeed bestowed upon your brother. If we can motivate the clergy to turn him over, I fear you may still want to wait untill the priests figure out what came over him. I have no doubt that you could handle Harald in his current state but you may end up needing to use lethal force to delay him."

Finn adjusts his cap and glances down the street before continuing.

"What I mean to say is that we were all traveling together and the next minute he did not even recognize us. Do you have any idea what may have transpired?"

[BigRedRod]

"You were his allies. You allowed this to happen. The dangers stalking the city are numerous, we all knew that."
Gredrin breathes deeply, before continuing in a more level voice,
"I am sorry, but Harald is my brother. I also let him down by abandoning him, let them all down: Meleaga and Sophia too. Maybe I was right to leave them, maybe I was wrong, but now we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. Harald is to return, with me, to his homeland. Edinway is lost and no matter what fate has befallen my brother, he will not be left in this acursed place."

[Flagg Thornington]

"I hope for him to leave with you. Your care is obviously sincere. I personally have no attachment to Edinhumber. Just like you and Harald I am from a place far from this wretched city. From what little information we have learned, I fear that this threat will not stop untill it consumes all the lands of this world, Harald believed with us that we needed to stop this craziness berfore it was allowed to spread further to your homeland. We need to get moving. Perhaps they have already returned my friend to his former agreeable self."

Finn waves in the direction back toward the temple.

"Let's hurry back and see what we can arrange."

[BigRedRod]

Gregrin hesitates for a moment, and then nods to Finn,
"Try to avoid starting any more scuffles you can't win then, and we'll see you at the Cathedral. Don't forget your present."

Slipping his mask back on, an act which quickly makes him identical to his companions, Harald's younger brother raises a fist into the air,
"Nightcoats, we're leaving."

Instantly, the rooftop gang rush away, using the narrow planks set up by the rats to travel between the rooftops and out of sight. Within a few seconds, there is no sign of Gredrin and his men. A white shaft of light flares downwards from the storm above, coming to ground just out of view on the other side of a house but the awful sound of the resulting implosion sparks the party on to movement.

Lade hoists the sole surviving rat, little more than a bundle of clothing wrapped with knotted rope, over his shoulder, and trudges along after Finn while the rest form up behind, eyes looking up at the horrible storm and scanning the rooftops for any signs of a rat ambush.

Leaving the storm behind, the party find the streets of Edinway unlike how they left them. Occasional forms, bent over in supplication pray and beg to each and every member of each and every pantheon of gods to deliver this centre of civilisation, this candle in the dark, from the terrible fate of the storm. Others take a more physical approach, supplementing prayers with self-flagellation. Gangs in tattered rags walk the streets in slow, waving lines, filling the air with their mournful pleas and agonising screams of pain as they lash at their own backs with thorned whips.

Not only has the storm brought its terrible lightning and seemingly also the dissolution of the rat factions, it has also brought despair and madness. Eyes peer from between window shutters and occasional families can be seen retreating from the storm, most not even bother to pack their belongings. Luckily, the surging numbers of rats don't seem to have bothered spreading much out of Edinhumber so far, and the people in the streets seem to have their own worries rather than exactly what the tied bundle of clothing which Lade is carrying might be.

The Grand Plaza is full of people. A crowd, thousands thick, fills the vast square. Their shouts and calls are incoherent but their purpose is obvious. Faced with the an incomprehensible danger, the masses have come to seek aid. And who better to protect Edinway's people and banish the spreading curse than the various institutions with their homes in the plaza? The Cathedral of Pelor, the House of Governing, the Central Watch House, the Magewright Guild and countless other less important groups.

Pushing through the crowd will be no easy task, and with so many people in close proximity it seems inevitable that somebody will spot the rat and while an individual person might have such a thing explained to him, a crowd lacks that capacity for reason.

[itches]

Lade glanced at the others and shrugged. It seemed obvious now that with the apparent end of the world imminent, everyone would flock to the temple for help, but with the speed of all that had happened they hadn't considered it. With things the way they are, there only seemed one solution

"WE GOT ONE!" the aging mercenary bellowed, hefting the rat as high as he can with tired arms and striding into the crowd. "LET US THROUGH, WE GOT ONE OF THE HELL RATS!"

[LeeCHeSSS]

Oh my, it seems that mister Adderson shares a trade with mister Finnley!

Nabi quickly moves forward to help Lade plow through the mass of people, "Excuse us, please let us through! Could everyone please make room?"

[Flagg Thornington]

Recounting his prior experiences with angy hordes gives the traveler brief pause. Andrellew falls in behind Nabi trying to look heroic.

[BigRedRod]

The sound barely penetrates the roar of the crowd, but those closest do turn and look. After a moment, a few stumble backwards slightly, attempting to create a path.

Shihiram and Nabi lead the way, standing shoulder to shoulder as they move and clearing a path only barely wide enough for the older warrior and the captive hanging over his shoulder. A wave of confused attention spreads out from the party.

It is slow going even with people doing their best to move, most can only shift a foot or so. After a few minutes, the party start to catch dangerous whispers.
"Is that... A bloody cultist."

"Look at him. Bold as brass, he is"

"I don't like this."
Only a few seem to recognise the red cloaked priest as Malkanus, and their voices are drowned out.

Its only a hundred feet or so to the closed doors of the cathedral when a cobble stone whirls past Lade, narrowly missing his head. The heavy missile strikes a member of the crowd firmly in the neck, sending him falling down, only to be caught on those stood beside him.

Shouts erupt from the crowd,
"THEY BROUGHT THE STORM!"

"GET THEM!"

"FUCKING TRAITORS"
More stones are flung, but one or two find their mark, slamming into the party. Shihiram stumbles as a large cobblestone strikes him on the back of his head, but he recovers and surges on, faster now with Nabi still at his side. Quickly, the crowd turns on itself, a formless battle between fluid factions driven by fear and paranoid.

The doors creep open slightly, just wide enough for a man to squeeze through, knocking several people down the stone steps of the cathedral in the process.
"For Pelor's sake hurry."

The riot distracts most of the crowd, and the party rush inside the great hall of the cathedral to find it filled with a very worried looking assortment of the Sun God's clergy along with a dozen or so of the crowd who made it inside along with the party. Fortunately those who made it inside the cathedral along with the party do not seem violent. Bruised and bloody, the party stand in the hall and catch their breath.

A loud slam signals that the door has been successful closed. Several loud screams signal that some members of the rioting crowd had been hell-bent on entering at any cost. The sounds of the riot are muted, but still present. Several priests quickly position a vast locking bar across the great double doors.

"You're alive! The Lord of Light has truly blessed you all. It has become a madhouse out there."
The voice belongs to one of the nameless priests who is frequently at Father Drohan's side. Of the high-priest, there is no sign.

Abbot Balthasar, clad in his orange and gold mantle and sun-patterned battle armour strides down the central aisle. The entire membership of The Sun's Hammer also appear to be standing guard in the hall.
"Good to have you back alive. Father Drohan left for the House of Governing shortly after you departed to commence your own investigation. We have had no word from him, so we assume he is with the rest of Edinway's leadership looking a way out of this chaos."

Balthasar gestures to Lade,
"I see you've not returned empty handed. What news from the front lines?"

[LuneMoonshadow]

"Fucking Traitors!" The voices rang on. He could see their anger and fear driving them to this madness. And even though he understood such things he still couldn't help but feel betrayed himself.

How long have I worked? And how hard? For this? I came here for redemption, for respect. And I get this!

The cleric grits his teeth, staring at the rug adorning the floor for fear of letting the others see his internal struggle. In a moment of anger, he lets slip an uncharacteristic choice of words. "Fuck."

The strangeness of the word is enough to send him back to his former self, upset at his own reaction to the crowd. They knew not what they were doing. In times such as these even men with hardened souls can feel the icy tendrils of fear.

Malkanus quickly shakes his head, expelling the thoughts and focusing on the task at hand. "The Broken Tower district is lost to us. Thousands of rats swarm in every crevice and are growing more bold with every passing moment. It is only a matter of time before they make their way into districts with people still in them."

Motioning over to the rat carried by Lade, he continues. "The breeds are all working together. This turn of events shatters any kind of faith I had in my knowledge of the circumstances, since I once believed the various breeds differed in terms of loyalty. Now I fear that we have possibly been played and are on the sharp end of the spear of war."

"This is all very overwhelming," he admits with a sigh, "and I'm not sure were the answers may lie. First and foremost, though, the people outside must be protected. If the rats breach the walls of Broken Tower..."

Perhaps the best thing for these people is to see another disaster. Then they'll understand our importance...

[Flagg Thornington]

"Has anyone uncovered or reversed Harald's predicament? Knowing what has happened to him may be of vital importance. If the rats have the means to do this we must figure out how to prevent it from occuring on a major scale.:

[BigRedRod]

Balthasar pales at Malkanus' words,
"Thousands!?"
He pauses a moment,
"The House of Governing must hear this news right away, they have no way of knowing the extent of the threat."
Reaching to a small pouch, the Abbot pulls free a small token in the shape of a feather and raises it in both hands to his mouth. His lips move, but there is no sound, as he whispers the feather shifts in some undefinable way until it assumes the form of a pure white pigeon. Having completed the message, Balthasar tosses the bird upwards where it take flight and flaps upwards into the rafters.
"I do not know what can be done for the riot outside, the watch are overwhelmed and we, the Temple, are bound not to raise a hand against the populace. A course of action may calm them. We are helpless for the moment."
The last statement clearly does not sit well with the man who has assumed temporary leadership of the Cathedral.

"The work of the inquisition is slow but exact. They will find an answer and if there is a remedy, then Godwinson will be delivered from the terrible malady afflicting him."

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Please do not hold it against me, but if we are to wait for mister Godwinson's recovery, I certainly would not mind to rest for a while. It would allow me to meditate on my spellcraft as well."

[BigRedRod]

There are no objections to Nabi's observation. Each member of the party was weary and wounded and there seemed nothing to do but wait. Father Drohan and the leadership of Edinway were locked in tense discussions elsewhere, Harald remained in the mysterious dungeons beneath the cathedral as the inquisition had their way with him and outside the riot made travel impossible.

Balthasar directs one of the milling young lads, still wearing his dull blue acolyte robe, to lead the party upstairs via the infirmary to have their wounds seen to. The youth nods, seemingly quite honoured and excited by being trusted with such famed guests, and scampers away excitedly.

After an extensive period in which a tired-looking hospitaler and his pair of young apprentices apply a series of bandages, poultices, ointments and stitches to the various wounds acquired by the party in this particularly hectic day, each is found a bed and sinks almost instantly into a black, dreamless sleep.

...

Before dawn the next morning, Malkanus kneels silently in prayer before the tiny window in his room. Outside the storm has grown considerably, it looks to have spread over at least half the city now and the flashes of red and white from the extra-planar lightning come non-stop. It's hard to look directly down, but it seems that the crowd have stopped their directionless riot but swelled in size. People stretch in all directions, most camped out under the cold winter's sky. Numerous small fires smoulder between the huddled forms.

A sudden rapping at the door rouses the red priest from his meditation. A message. The inquisition has completed the examination of Harald and Abbot Balthasar is awaiting the party.

...

Harald lies nearly motionless upon the bed. His bare chest, covered in a map of purple bruises, swells only slightly as the sleeping Jarl takes each shallow breath. Each exhalation is accompanied by a horrible rasping noise, possibly in part due to large white bandage wrapped around much of his face.

No longer in his fully armour, and clearly exhausted, Balthasar stares down at Harald before speaking in a soft voice,
"Shame to see a warrior of such renown, such calibre, reduced to this. His affliction was serious, as you no doubt gathered from your own experiences with his deplorable actions out in the marketplace."

The Abbot pauses, clearly unsure how to go on,
"Some black ritual was performed upon Harald. A ritual to shed him of his pain making him, not undead, but something else. A warrior with no fear of physical injury and no real emotion. Such magics are an affront to Pelor, and they should not even be possible upon an unwilling subject. Harald did resist. He fought back against the black magic infecting his soul with all of his might. And still, he was tainted and his resistance filled him with an uncontrollable rage."

The northlander stirs in his bed for a moment, coughing feebly in his sleep before returning to his stillness,
"If he had allowed the ritual to take place then I cannot imagine what he would have become. A more powerful warrior, I fear to imagine. Even only partially successful he surpassed many mortal boundaries. In doing so, however, he has become eroded. He could not be fully healed, not in his mind or his soul."

"The body will recover with time but he will not be the same man as Harald Godwinson. I am sorry."

His report given, Balthsar crosses the small room to the window and looks out across Edinway. The view here is not of the terrible storm but of a seemingly peaceful city bathed in pre-dawn light,
"Father Drohan has asked me to inform you that he will be here shortly. The decision has been made to evacuate Edinway. We are abandoning the city."

These last words hang gravely in the air.

[Flagg Thornington]

The news wipes the exhausted thoughts away and replaces them withe sorrow, wonder, and more questions. After the Father finishes speaking Finn responds in what could be mistaken as a caring tone.

"Will he remember at all who he once was? What kind of man could do such a thing? Was there anything else I could tell his family?"

The traveler clears his throat before he continues.

"Where are you planning on migrating to? It had better happen soon."

[itches]

Lade looked at Harald's body, lost in black thoughts. He had been a good lad - even if he was a northener. Good in a fight, he kept his head, moved with courage and wasn't bad to share a mug of ale with afterwards. A man of much promise. Yet only now, looking down at him, seeing the ruin that had befallen, did he understand just how young the lad was.

"The strong die while the old are left to carry on with ever weakened limbs," Lade said, feeling the weight of his years and failures more then ever. "These are bad times."

Lost in his reviere it took the aging mercinary a few moments to realise what was being said around him. "We're leaving? What about the pothole thing? Have ya questioned the rat we brought back?"

[BigRedRod]

Balthasar shakes his head,
"He should have his memories, but he may not understand they are is. Right now, it is impossible to say how the damage will be manifest, there is even a chance that with time he might improve. His family? Ah, I was told he had a brother with him in Edinway. I thought he was missing?"

"Lord Edinway will be making the announcement shortly and then we will set off immediately. There is not settlement in all of Aos which even approaches the size of Edinway, but this is an unwinnable war for now. The Light Of Pelor will travel to Krondhold for now, word has been sent ahead. Lord Krondhold has pledged to do everything he can for our displaced peoples once we arrive. Honestly, we are not expecting all to depart with us. I imagine many would rather remain in their homes and take their chances."

The Abbot coughs, clearly the man does not agree with the decision to depart without a fight, but he continues to answer the questions posed by Harald's companions, looking slightly confused at Lade's mention of a "Pothole" before he realises what the older man must mean,
"The portal grows with every passing minute, it will spread across the entire city within a few days. Perhaps less. It must be stopped, we are not simply turning our backs on the problem. Several of out upper ranking priests have offered to remain here in the Cathedral to continue their work on the storm. If those cowards in the Magewr-"
His voice grows angry with his last cut off sentence. Taking a deep breath, he continues,

"Our neighbours in the Magewright's guild will not be leaving Edinway from what I understand but they also refuse to cooperate. I am sure that they must have their reasons, but it boils my blood to see an institution which could be so much help turning its back upon the people of the city."

Taking another deep breath, Balthasar looks down at Harald's sleeping form before he speaks of the rat,
"Pelor's Inquisitors can truly be a boon sometimes. I do not always approve of their method but they have indeed produced results. I don't know the full details, but it would seem that the rats hail from a world which exists directly on the outside of our own, like a divine shadow. From what I gather, various sages have long postulated such a world existing. If all creation is a chain of "spheres" held together by the flow of souls, then we exist on the inner surface of one such sphere while they. the rats, exist on the outside. As a result they lack the glimmer of Pelor's light that is a soul. Or at least they did."

The man looks uncomfortable speaking, clearly he has not fully understood the report from The Inquisition and is doing his best to summarise,
"The storm is a result of the rats stepping through a rift. As they cross from the outside to the inside, they are changed. Born. They gain a soul. In the process, the portal widens and more of them floor through. I'm told that there is an upper limit to just how large such a portal cam grow, although I do not know the specifics. The rat you captured was until recently a resident of this other world and upon stepping through became more than a savage beast. Gathering some allies they decided to stake a claim on some of our city. They are an alien species, these shadows of men."

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Alien? I know there are magics that can force entities to return to their own world. If we somehow manage to rally clerics and mages alike, would it be possible to perform such a spell on a grand enough scale?"

Nabi rubs his bald head, feeling utterly naïve for suggesting the impossible. "Ofcourse, the rallying part is going to be rather difficult."

[BigRedRod]

Balthasar considers Nabis' suggestion,
"It might be possible. I do not fully understand the specifics of these rats, but what I do know is that they are normally simply conjured entities. There are methods to force creatures back from whence they came... but I worry that having a soul might make such things even more difficult."

"Not to speak ill of the Magewright's guild, but they have clearly withdrawn for a reason. I doubt they will be easily persuaded to unite their efforts with own own."

There is a sudden surge in the muted background sounds from elsewhere in the vast cathedral,
"I believe that the High Priest has returned."

And with that he strides out, leading the party through the bare twisting corridors down back towards the main hall of the temple. The place were traditionally services were held, but instead now nearly the entirety of Pelor's clergy are nervously gathered.

Father Drohan, High Priest of the temple and force second in authority only to Pelor himself, stands at the podium looking out over the sea of robed devotees of the Sun God,
"Brothers and sisters as you have heard today is a bleak day for our fair city. Lord Edinway has declared that we must depart, fleeing from the storm and the growing army of creatures known as the Kyrdol. The people of Edinway will need our support in this, we have stockpiles of supplies, horses and wagons. Most citizens, do not. We will have to act quickly for Lord Edinway wishes all of those who will move, to move as one, for safety. And we leave at noon."

The speed of the departure sets a large amount of whispering going around the hall, the short figure at the main podium allows his charges to discuss the news for a brief minute before raising his hands for silence. Strangely, the High Priest looks wide awake despite the night of discourse over the fate of Edinway,
"Without the support of the Magewright's guild, we will have to double our own efforts. Alone we cannot hope to supply every man, woman and child with the cathedral's stocks for the journey to Krondhold will be a long one. Pelor will provide, but all the same it is a dark blessing that we suspect many will choose to remain in their home city."

Father Drohan pauses, allowing the reality of the situation to sink in,
"Only those servants of Pelor who are absolutely essential will remain behind in Edinway. Abbot Balthsar and The Sun's Hammer will protect the brave souls selected to study the storm. I am sure that we all wish these brothers and sisters the best of Pelor's guidance."

"Now. Everybody! We have work to do. Our citizens waiting outside should be directed to Eastgate, warn them not to carry more of their possessions than is absolutely essential. And we of course must load the wagons. I thank you for your support and may Pelor guide us all."

The High Priest sinks his head and leads the assembled mass in a prayer, asking the Lord of Light for strength in this testing time. At the conclusion of the invocation, the hall bursts into frantic activity. Another storm with the party standing separate in its eye.

[itches]

"If the looters were bad before," Lade commented as the holy men and women around the exploded into activity. "They're going to be insane now. And it seems we have some decisions to make. Do we flee the city with everyone else, go somewhere different, go our own ways? Or stay? What should we do about Harald. Maybe we should find a quiet corner to chat."

[LuneMoonshadow]

The cleric had long been silent, not because of a lack of words but an overabundance of ideas. Never before had he been so entangled in a web of events and the novelty was beginning to overwhelm him. Then again, the frantic nature of this temple, established long ago and now a symbol of strength for this city, reminded him that he was not the only one overwhelmed.

"I cannot leave the city in good conscious at this point. We have the ability to do something here and we may be some of the best equipped to find out what is going on. At the very least we can aid the priests that will be staying here to study the storm."

With a slight huff, the cleric continues. "I'd like to get to the Magewright's guild and find out exactly why they aren't cooperating. I was doing research on these creatures and the tower before, but I was unable to complete the task due to time restraints and fatigue. Specifically, there is a section of the library that I skipped that I am now beginning to consider revisiting. If it is so well guarded compared to the tomes that I came across, then perhaps some answers lie within its pages. This point is moot if the mages want nothing to do with us or the problem, however."

"Then again, we have precious little time before we are overrun and I am not sure that reading is the best use of time here." Waving a hand, he dismisses his thoughts. "Too many things to consider..."

[itches]

"We've got to try something," Lade said in agreement. "I know I can't help ya much in reading, but I can make sure ya get there in one piece. Let's find one of these clerics, let them know that we'll be staying around if they need the help, and go talk to the book freaks."

[BigRedRod]

Shihiram nods in agreement,
"Of course. No point wasting time, I'll go and let that Drohan know, while you see what you can get from the wizards."
Leaving no room for argument he vanishes into the bustling crowd leaving the party one bard short and Nabi in the company of near strangers.

Word has got out about the evacuation and the Grand Plaza is a bustling scene of overcrowded industry. Worming through the people however yields less shouted insults and hurled projectiles than before, although the density of people means it still takes a few minutes to reach the Magewright's Guild. Looking up at the massive ornate building with its clocktower, it is hard to ignore the lack of lights in the myriad windows. The whole guild seems an odd island of calm in the swirling chaos.

Stepping up to the entrance, the small door inset into the huge, most decorative, double doors, Malkanus finds it locked. In an attempt to knock, the cleric reaches for the iron ring only to find the knocked somehow magically fused to the door. Upon touching the cool metal however, a voice whispers just loud for the party to hear,
"The Edinway Guild of Magewrights regrets to inform you that we are not accepting guests or their inquiries for the foreseeable future. Good day."

[LuneMoonshadow]

"Damn cowards," he says with a sigh. "Nothing else we can do about that, I suppose. I don't think an entire guild of mages would take kindly to breaking into their library, if such a thing was even possible."

In a brief fit of anger he kicks at the door, hoping anyone inside can hear the anger boiling up on the other side. "Good day indeed."

"Let's head back to the temple, but maybe we should stop in and see Cassio. I'd like to know what the guards are doing with regards to the evacuation and if there are plans to seal off the city."

[itches]

Lade eyed the closed and locked door, muttering something under his breath about books and freaks.

"Sure," he added loudly after a prolonged almost-silent monologue. "It can't hurt to let him know that we're still around if he needs the help."

[BigRedRod]

The door does not respond to Malkanus' physical attempts. It has said its piece.

A strange kind of depressed determination has settled over the industrious citizens of Edinway clustered in the Great Plaza. Panic has mostly faded and now people grimly set about what must be done in order to leave the city. They ebb to and fro, shifting around in a complex dance as they say farewell to their former home.

The human traffic does not let up as the party of four weave their way towards Edinhumber. Above their heads the bright winter's morning is tarnished by the unfathomably large storm which has now hangs above more than half of the city. Flashes of red and white are constant and now almost entirely ignored by the citizens of the dying metropolis.

It takes until the group can look straight up and see the roiling clouds before the streets become easily passable. Not that they are empty. Word of the evacuation has preceded the party and everywhere there are families doing their best to hastily pack their entire lives and sufficient food into whatever containers they believe can be carried.

More than once there is a ruined storefront, although only once is there any sign of the looting continuing. People's need drives them to strip shops bare within minutes. Fortunately there is no sign of the rats.

Guardsmen do their best to control the simmering mayhem, loudly calling the remaining hours until noon. One such guardsman offers the party more than a nod, instead waving the group over seemingly relieved to have encountered such widely recognised heroes,
"Oh, bugger me, it's good to see some sane faces."
The man is one of Cassio's men, although this part of the city is still a fair way from Edinhumber,
"We've had to go and give up on Edinhumber. Bloody rats just kept pushing us back, came out of The Broken Tower and just swarmed us. They seem to have stopped now thou-"

The descent of one of the shafts of heavenly white interrupts the man. Striking a mere dozen feet away, the broad ray strikes a house. A massive clap as the vacuum restores itself is accompanied by a shower of shrapnel. Where once stood a house there is now only a crater.

"FUCK ME!"
The guardsman's skin has gone deathly pale and for a moment he seems like he might faint,
"Look, that's it for me. Too damn close and there ain't no point me keeping the peace, like, when we're all soddin' off in a couple of hours."

[LuneMoonshadow]

Before the man has a chance to turn and flee, Malkanus grabs his collar and pulls him in closer so he can hear more easily over the bustling noise of the evacuation - and so those passing by would have a harder time listening in.

"Where is Cassio now and where does he intend to go? Are there standing orders for a segment of the guard to stay in the city to protect valuable locations?"

Before he can answer, the cleric rattles off another pair of questions, hoping that the barrage will keep him around long enough to answer most of the important ones.

"Where will all these people go - are there refugee camps being set up in local villages? And what have you heard from the other churches or mage guilds? Surely someone is planning to stay and help figure this out."

[BigRedRod]

The eyes of the guard go wide with fear as the Gatekeeper's servant hoists him closer,
"Cassio? He's in the guardhouse, just over there."
He points in a vague general direction before clarifying,
"He gave the order to abandon Edinhumber, but it was too late for him to get word to most of his men. There were only four of us that left with him and Saul showed up somehow a bit later. I don't know what's going on, Cassio told us to try and keep the peace best we could before we leave."

The follow up questions elicit less useful information,
"I don't know! I don't know! I'm just a soddin' guard, nobody tells me shit. Stand here, make sure nobody kills anybody and be sure to be there when we go or we'll leave you behind."

[itches]

Lade reached out a hand and lightly rested it on Malk's shoulder, indicating he should let the guard go. The man was scared, they all were, and tempers were starting to become frayed as the initial shock wore off.

It was only as they moved out into the streets that the realisation that Edinway was going to be abandoned set in, the understanding what it meant. The Great City of Edinway had always been a constant, throughout all of the lands. From his grandfather's grandfather's time it had stood, a centre and gathering for all people.

This affected Lade more then the rats had, more then even the unnatural storm and the cultists. It seemed unreal, unnatural, like a dream. Even as he watched people grab their megar possessions and flee, he expected to find normalcy around the next corner, a patch of buildings were folk continued their life. A city that was so often divided, communities within communities willing to turn on each other at the first sign of plague, the city was never united on anything.

Until now. As it came to an end.

"Let's go talk to Cassio."

[BigRedRod]

At Lade's behest, the cleric drops his grip on the guardsman,
"Look. This ain't good for none of us. I'll see you on the other side though, right? Hell, you guys done some good, don't take it to heart that you couldn't save everybody. No point being a hero if you're gonna be a corpse too. That don't help no one."
His clumsy goodbye said, the guardsman turns tail and walks away with a definite purpose in his stride: Getting out from underneath the planar storm.

This particular district's watch-house is a rather small single story stone building a short way away. Much smaller looking from the outside than Edinhumber's, but slightly better kept as more martial in appearance. The door is open leading to a single room containing two sets of stairs leading down into the ground. A wide desk faces the door, but it is currently unoccupied. At the far end of the room, Cassio stands with a pair of other uniformed men over a table.

Their quiet conversation is silenced by the arrival of the party. Clearly, this was a turn of events not expected by Cassio, but after a moment of silence, he speaks,
"I would say that this is not a good time, but I don't expect you've come here if were going to listen to me tell you to leave. This is Ward-Sherrif Alarbus, we're currently sharing office-space after those foul beats ran me out of Edinhumber."
He smiles weakly, before gesturing to the third man,
"And this is Sergeant Grey. So, we are really up to necks right now trying to sort out this whole evacuation but if you need my help, then I have a duty to offer it."

[LuneMoonshadow]

"I don't intend to take up much of your time. I know how important your work is right now. We're just here to see what the city guard has planned for the city now that it is... well," he nods up at the ceiling, where the storm churns now unseen.

"We will be staying here in the city with some of the clerics from Pelor's Temple. They intend to divine the nature of the storm and we'll be giving them assistance - or at the very least buy them some time." The cleric sighs, both from exhaustion and the overwhelming responsibility now resting on their shoulders, and leans against the wall to take some of his weight off his tired legs.

"Do you intend to leave any of the Guard here in the city to protect key locations, or will you be taking the men that have stuck around this long and getting them out of here with the civilians?"

[itches]

"Plus if there is anything we can do to help in the meantime," Lade adds. "We're free to help out."

[BigRedRod]

"Everybody gets out. Everybody"
The words don't come from Cassio, but from his counterpart in this region of the city, Ward-Sherrif Alarbus. He glowers over his broad moustahce at Malkanus as he speaks.

Caught slightly off guard by his companion's interjection, Cassio stutters slightly before regaining his balance and offering a more useful reply,
"The plan is a simple one. Every member of the guard is sworn to the protection of the city and the heart of the city is leaving so we are going with it."
He lifts a hand to the cleric as he continues,
"The temple can protect itself. I do not doubt that for a minute. The people of Edinway, however, cannot and the evacuation is liable to be a difficult one. Even a few bandits, a couple of spooks, or a pack of wolves are liable to decimate an unarmed group carrying everything they can. They need the guard and they are the city. So we will follow."

The Ward-Sherrif sighs loudly,
"It's a damn shame. I've lived here all my life. So have most of my men, and now nearly all of them are dead. All we can do is try to persuade our people to leave and to protect them on their journey."

[LeeCHeSSS]

"Then I guess that is what we should do as well; persuade people to leave and protect them."

Nabi mutters to himself, just loud enough for the others to hear, "I hope my own folks will be sensible about it and leave without causing a scene.". Then he adds to reassure himself, "Yes, Boltos surely will see that there is no point in keeping his shop in an empty city. He and Caixa are probably already at the gates, eager to be the first out of here."

[itches]

"Well where-ever ya go," Lade said, stepping forward to shake the man's hand. "Good luck to ya, the people are lucky to have ya looking out for them."

[BigRedRod]

Lade's comment causes a smile to flicker across Cassio's face,
"Thank you, we must all do what we can. Am I to understand that you will be remaining behind then? I don't know if that makes you fools or heroes. Possibly both."
The Ward-Sheriff manages a short laugh which elicits forced smiles from his companions. After a slightly awkward pause, Alarbus speaks,
"Well then, if there is nothing else, we must..."
He indicates the spread maps on the table,
"I'll pray to the Gods for you to have every success if you are indeed choosing to remain behind. We'll save the people, you save the city."
With an awkward cough, he gives a farewell nod to the party.

[LuneMoonshadow]

"We'll see you at the end of all this and you can buy us some drinks." With a weak smile the cleric nods to both of the Ward-Sheriff's, wondering to himself now if this plan to stay behind is now the best thing to do.

The source must be determined. I came here with a purpose and fleeing with such events transpiring before me would be ignoring my duty...

Just like they did.

Malkanus turns to leave but pauses briefly. "And Sheriff's," he says while glancing to both, "Distance, and a lot of it, isn't a bad thing. If the storm can't be stopped..."

His words trail off, leaving only silence but the absence serves its purpose just as well, if not better than, an explanation.

Determined not to leave on a solemn note, the cleric tips his hat and nods to the men. "See you on the outside."

[BigRedRod]

The cold is like a hammer knocking the breath out of each member of the party as they step out of the warm building back into the winter streets of Edinway. Chaos remains abroad as people rush in all directions, some clutching loved ones close, others choosing to keep their most prized material possessions clasped near to them.

For a long minute, the group simply stand in the cold wondering what good four individuals could be in the face of such a monumental crisis. It's Finn who takes the lead though, taking a stride with apparent purpose before half turning to his fellows and smiling,
"I know. I know. What else is there to do except pick a direction and try to help?"

And the young rogue was quite right. It would impossible to help everybody, so there was no reason to overthink. Just pick a direction, start walking and it would not be long before a situation arrived where the party might be able to offer some aid to at least one person.

A few minutes of determined motion found an intersection of the district's major arteries. At the centre a strangely ornate fountain stands. A fountain not carved from the same uniform grey stone as the older houses of Edinway but from a much more glamorous material with bands of many colours: Browns, creams, oranges, greens and occasional stripes of pure jet black. The piece is old, and has become pitted and chipped from lack of care. No longer does water flow out of the fountain, now its basins have been filled with earth in which sparse grasses have found a home. And within one of these basins, a man stands and speaks so as to allow all to see and hear him.

The human traffic here is near stationary as people stop to listen to his evangelising.
"-ut cowardice! Witches, warlocks, worshippers of demons from the great beyond. All users of the dark arts, but not all are overt. No, the enemy is insidious and oh-so clever. Of whom do I speak? THE MAGEWRIGHT'S GUILD of course! This is their doing. All of it. All of them."
He pauses. The man dressed as any of the other folk, his warmest clothes to guard against the winter chill, a thick shirt not of any particular colour aside from that which is gained from repeated washing and wear, a long dark red cloak fastened around him and dark heavy trousers. Clothed like any of those men around him but his voice is deep, sonorous and unmistakeably intelligent. For a moment he stares at the crowd, making eye-contact with a few of those raptly standing at his feet.
"I say again: Cowardice! Cowards every one of our leaders. Those picked by the very Gods to lead us have failed and would flee our beloved city. I shall not flee. Will you? Will you avoid your destiny? What awaits us outside our city? Nothing but a slow death. But if we stay! If we stay then we can face these terrors and we will find our place in the Netherworld. Rest assured. I saw this not with faith but with a knowledge. A certainty. This storm and those vermin, they are a test to see if we are worthy to have our moon."

The man upon the fountain is surrounding by a crowd, many of whom have set their bags and boxes at their feet to stare up at the speaker. They nod along with his words and every so often, a voice cheers.

[LeeCHeSSS]

"While I agree with the man to a certain point, I say we can't let him continue spreading doubt. Most people gathered here will suffer horribly if they decide to stay in a deserted city, if not at the hands of the rats, then at the hands of their peers."

Nabi turns around to face his partners, "Anyone have a suggestion how to silence this man without causing a riot?"

[itches]

"Yeah," Lade said in morbid agreement. "It would take a highfool to stay in this place more then a day or two. We could try arguing with him, he sounds like a cultist and they're not very popular right now."

[LuneMoonshadow]

"Keep in mind who you're standing to. I don't think calling into question his allegiances would be wise at this juncture. Either way I don't find standing here and listening to this to be very productive."

The cleric shifts his weight as he pulls the scythe off his back, doing it slowly to make sure no one thinks he is about to go insane and cut down the entire crowd. Instead he rests the bladed end on the ground and leans upon the staff - a position he finds more intimidating when an argument is necessary.

"I've been in there," Malkanus says while raising his voice. "I've seen the destruction. I've seen the death. Men like you wandering the street thinking they are courageous - men of valor and honor and willing to fight for their land. Men like... laying in the streets with their bowels strewn about and a pack of bloody footprints leading away."

The cleric nods in the direction of the Broken Tower's sector where the rats now congregate in mass numbers, knowing quite well that any soul that dared enter would not return unscathed. "Are you so foolish to think that your Moon will return by foolish getting yourself killed? How many people have died for greater causes than this and yet the Moon still hides beyond the horizon. How many men dying around you at the hands of these creatures will it take for you to realize that your Moon will not return for such a cause?"

Before the man can answer Malkanus turns to the crowd, addressing them instead. "Do you truly consider your destiny to die, led by a fool into the heart of savagery? Those creatures are not men - they have no qualms with cutting down civilians. You are unarmed and untrained. Save yourselves and your families, save the history of what has occurred today. Dying will not make things right - it will not bring back your moon, save your city, or bring honor to your family. All it will do is cause the streets of Edinway to run red with the blood of innocents. Outside you have a chance. Take it... please."

[BigRedRod]

Malkanus' voice carries clearly through the frosty air and it takes but a handful of words before the speaker has been silenced and the crowd between the two has peeled apart to grant an open channel between the two. Faces turn towards the priest as he presents his argument before flicking back to the man upon the fountain, apparently all too eager for his rebuttal.

The speaker takes his time, meeting the cleric's gaze and taking the measure of his opponent. To the rest of the party it is obvious that Malkanus lacks the practised skill of speech and instead has gathered attention based upon the striking figure he cuts and raw force of personality.

"So speaks the red-robed man. The voice of the magi. The voice of the wiseman. The voice of the coward. The voice of defeat."
His words come slowly at first, as if each was a physical blow, but then he speeds up as he attempts to raise the crowd up with him,
"My brothers and sisters! This is the voice which asked- no told us, the citizens of Edinway, that we should abandon our beloved home. That the storm-"
He gestures up at the terrible sky,
"-was an unstoppable force. That the vermin-"
Now pointing back in the general direction of Edinhumber,
"-are an army we cannot face. That at the first hurdle we should simply flee like deer taken by surprise in the woods."

In full flow now, he manages a slightly overblown laugh which ceases suddenly with him leaning forwards and lowering his voice slightly as if sharing a secret with the crowd,
"I say NO!"
The last word a shout,
"NO! I will not run. I will not grab handfuls of clothes and food. I will not drag my wife from her house. I will not have my children perish on a long march to NOWHERE!"

Taking a deep breath, apparently calming himself, he continues,
"Think now. This 'evacuation' which is taking place. The flight of our lords and ladies. It is simply ludicrous to even suggest that an entire city could be moved. What will we eat? Where shall we sleep? Where, even, are we to go? Who would take us in? The city of Edinway, the jewel of Aos. In these dark, moonless, nights we had grown full to bursting. Nowhere would welcome us with open arms, those that would would perish themselves under the strain!"

Now he fixes his gaze upon Malkanus,
"Fight of flight? Possible victory or certain death. Those are our two options. I see not a choice. I see a divine calling. I see a moment in history. I see the day that we, the downstrodden masses, are freed from the tyranny of leaders who have grown disconnected and fat. The day that Edinway is reborn! THE DAY THAT THE RED MOON SHALL DAWN ONCE AGAIN!"

His last words brings a loud cheer from the gathered causing the speaker to pause so that he may bask in his victory.

[LuneMoonshadow]

"The first hurdle?" Malkanus can't help but smile, a sly sinister smile. "The first hurdle you say! Where were you when I was attacked by the rat creatures from the rooftops and on the streets? Where were you when arrows dented my armor and spells singed my cloak? Where were you when the blood of my companions was spilled venturing deep into that abhorred place?!"

Releasing his grasp on serenity, the cleric steps forward and brings the scythe to bear, pointing it at the speaker. "This is not the first hurdle. While you rested in your beds I have driven the undead from these city walls and cut down creatures that stand and speak like men but take on the visage of rats! Where were you when my companion was possessed by some foul magic and driven to madness? Where were you when I was besieged by a crowd of civilians - the very people I am here to save!"

Malkanus stops, pulling in a deep breath while lowering his weapon. "I know where you were. Sleeping, eating, carrying on as normal. Now here you are, claiming me to be a coward while you stand here and preach ignorance to a crowd in desperate need of hope. Hope! That is what they need, not death. Hope lies beyond those walls, beyond the city gates. Hope lies in the towns and villages that will shelter you."

"Call me a coward if you must. If that is what will give you strength I will bear such a burden. I have fought for your right to survive, spilled blood so that you may live in peace and I will continue to do so even if you do not wish it. Dying for a fool's cause has never brought anything but pain. You will see. You will see."

With a slow and deliberate movement, the cleric places the scythe on his back once again, a sign that he has resigned himself to letting the crowd do what they must.

"I will say a prayer for you all."

[BigRedRod]

Listening apparently earnestly, the evangelist nods along with Malkanus as the priest describes the trials he has endured in defence of the city. As his opponent prepares to leave, he even offers a nod before replying,
"I offer the hope of life, a new life, a better life. And I weight this hope against the certainty of death. An exodus into the broad expanses of winter, beset on all sides by wandering spirits and bandits, with no certainty of food or even of a home at the end of what would most likely come to months of agonising march. That is not hope. That is a death sentence."

After gazing around the crowd once again to ensure that they remain on his side, he adds,
"We thank you for what you have done, and we do not judge you if you would leave our home behind as a lost cause."

Accepting that the scythe-wielding moon-bringer has nothing more to add, the column of empty space in the crowd swiftly heals over as the desperate masses clammer to hear what else the evangelist has to add. And add he does.

[itches]

"You weren't listening," Lade growled. "It's not your homes that need to be saved, it's your lives. You think it's dangerous outside the city, with the ghosts? That's nothing compared to the ghosts, rats and the storm here. It isn't hope for a better life, it's placing your life at risk for what? You won't bring the Red Moon by dieing, by convincing others to stay and die."

[BigRedRod]

Lade's words fall on deaf ears, the crowd with its back to him does not even turn to look at who is speaking, nor does the evangelist respond directly. The elderly warrior with he axe simply did not have the necessary skills to take on the preacher at his own game.

[LuneMoonshadow]

"I hope for their sakes that they find a quick death and not a slow and painful torture at the hands of their rats." The cleric turns, looking back at the crowd cheering the doomsday preacher. I hope for my sake as well, for I was unable to save them...

Malkanus shakes his head, ridding himself of those thoughts - the kind that degrade a man in the most dire of times. "Let's get moving, we need to get back to the church and see how preparations are going."

Without pausing, the cleric breaks out into a quick walk with the intent of leaving behind those so damned to die.

I have no intention of dying with them. But...

Gatekeeper, watch over them. They know not of the trials ahead.

[BigRedRod]

So rapt is the attention of the crowd, eyes and hearts fixed upon the evangelist, that none notice the party slipping way. The twisting streets of Edinway are chaotic at the best of times but with the evacuation, they are positively nightmarish. Men shout, women carry an entire household's possessions and young children wail loudly. Carts lie overturned in the streets, whether by accident with a rapidly turning wheel striking a sudden pothole or a conscious and malicious action. Whatever the original intent, people swarm around the strewn items in the street, with no distinction between those who originally owned the items, those who would aid their owners in recovering what has fallen and those simply acting out of their own selfish desires.

Here and there, the group - not quite the heroes of Edinhumber any longer with recent additions, losses and troublesome events - attempt to lend aid, but there is a whole city raging and just four men wiling to stand against the tide of insanity.

At the Great Plaza, the scene is all the worse. It is time that the evacuees made their way toward the meeting point and yet an angry horde still mills. Quite who they are directing their rage toward is not clear. Some attempt to protest the decision to leave, while others beg supplies for the journey.

Closing on a side entrance to the Cathedral of Pelor, Lade notices Finn suddenly stop dead in his tracks. Turning toward his friend, he catches a familiar sight and feels a light pressure upon one of his kidneys,
"Mr Adderson, I thought we were friends."

Malkanus turns to see what the hold up is with his companions, only to find himself face to mask with one of the blue-and-gray figures who called themselves Nightcoats,
"Good morning, Brother Moonbringer."

Each member of the party finds one of the Gredrin Godwinson's Nightcloaks in close proximity, with a weapon drawn and seemingly prepared to use it. The crowd bustling around barely pay attention to the sudden stand-off, pushing between with no time to see partially concealed weapons.

Another of the figures, his rapier still at is hip, moves to stand at the centre of the group, and speaks in a voice which can barely be heard over the ambient panic,
"Now then, if I was the kind of man who leapt to conclusions, I would start to believe that a deal I had made had been broken. You see, I distinctly remember saving a certain group from a pack of rather vicious little rats. And in this memory of mine, this memory I have so very clearly do remember, that group of fine gentlemen were so positively elated with having been saved that they agreed to return the physical presence of a certain Jarl, a noble warrior serving his family and his Czar, to that family."

He laughs, a quiet mocking laugh,
"Would you imagine my surprise when it turned out that these vivid recollections of mine turned out to be naught but a fantastic dream! It is just so often the case, is it not, my dear friends. Alas, it can be so tricky, so very tricky indeed, to distinguish between memories and dreams. Perhaps, you could aid me though? Perhaps, one of you might share these memories?"

[LuneMoonshadow]

"Your dreams are quite fantastic," the cleric says with a emotionless expression. He pats the man on the shoulder then motions to the temple that they are standing beside.

"Surely you of all people can understand the duties placed upon the shoulders of those with the ability to help. We have yet to be able to do anything with your brother since you saved us - instead we were whisked away to help the people of the city while there was still time. The innocents must be saved."

Nodding to any companions the man may have with him, the cleric begins to walk towards the temple. "Now that you have arrived and we have a precious moment amidst the tasks of actually helping people through these chaotic times, let's go see what your brother's status is. I warn you that he is no longer himself, but perhaps the image of a family member can rouse him from the spell that has a hold over him."

[itches]

"Not that we could have helped ya sooner," Lade growled, not at all as compossed as Malk after their frustrating and futile day of trying to save the city one person at a time. "Ya asked for him back, then scampered off like merry little pixies without word of how to contact ya. I didn't forget, but I thought maybe ya did. What were ya expecting, that we'd dump yer brother outside the temple gates with a note attached to him?"

[BigRedRod]

Gredrin raises his hand at Malkanus' words, somewhere between a command for his nearest man not to kill the priest and a dismissal of his words. Lade's words warrant a silent glare from the masked northerner followed by a two handed flourish towards the temple,
"Go then, go and retrieve my brother. Young Master Finnley, you won't mind waiting with us, now, would you?" And not waiting for the rogue to answer adds "No? Excellent."

Each of the Nightcoats steps back, sheathing his weapon, except the one closest to Finn, who remains stuck in place with a slim rapier pressing against where one of his kidneys is housed.

It is Finn who breaks the silence,
"Go on then, bring out his damn brother. No point antagonising the man."

"Exactly."
Nabi could have sworn the masked figure who spoke and nodded was not the one who appeared to be Gredrin, but the identical costume of the Nightcloaks makes such observations either pointless or difficult. And the figure spoke very obviously with an accent similar to Harald and his brother.

Inside the cathedral the chaos is not as apparatchik. In fact, the stone halls are rather quiet, almost peaceful. The silence is only broken occasionally by the hurried steps of acolytes with arms full of miscellaneous objects which mostly appear to be the varied supplies necessary for a whole array of religious ceremonies.

Harald is alone in his room. A frail form despite all of his former power lost in sleep. There is no member of the clergy to object as the Jarl is lifted up by Lade and Malkanus. Dressing the comatose form is a trial, Harald's limp body seems to flop wilfully to stop clothes being wrapped around him.

Eventually, he is dressed, but still unconscious, and being hauled along those chill corridors of the cathedral. Outside in the plaza manages to be colder still.

One of the Nightcloaks seems to be deep in conversation with Finn when the party return to the already noticeably less crowded square. Another spots Harald and rushes over with a companion to take his bulk from Lade and Malkanus.

"Thank you."
None of the masked men have their weapon drawn now and Finn stands freely amongst them.
"We shall be leaving now. I wish you look in your future endeavours. Come along, Master Finnley"

Raising a hand to his mouth, Finn artificially clears his throat before adding in a weak voice,
"I'm going with them."

"Yes. I'm sorry, I didn't mention that, did I? The young Master reminds me so much of myself when I was just a little less wise than I am now. He could use somebody to help him find his niche in the world. Like I did with the Nightcloaks."

The hour of the evacuation approaches and the crowd in the plaza thins still further with those remaining rushing around more frantically, attempting to leave nothing behind and not be left themselves.

Finn stands awkwardly before the party, his cheeks slightly flushed,
"I just think it is for the best if I go with Harald."

[itches]

Lade watched Finn give his reason for leaving - evasive, hesitent and blatently false.

"Lad," he said in a gentle tone, stepping forward and clasping a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Ya don't need no for excuses. If ya don't wanna stay, you ain't need to feel ya have to because we are. There is no shame in running from-" a thumb jerked skywards "-that. Just take care of ya self, and if there are any gods left, I hope they watch out for ya."

[BigRedRod]

Lade's observation clearly cuts the younger man to the core. Unable to even meet his former companion's gaze, Finn says his farewell with eyes fixed upon the cobblestones at his boots,
"I just need to do this, you know? There's more to this world than one city. Well, I'll be seeing you."

He glances up sheepishly, almost making eye contact before turning to follow the swarm of faceless Nightcloaks. The wind howls as Finn vanishes across the square, his former companions watching in silence.

At the very edge of quietness there is a sound, people in the square notice it one after another. Suddenly looking around confused. A sound which seems to transcend such mortal concerns as tone and pitch. Quiet, but growing in volume. A terrible sound, but somehow one which lacks any malevolence.

The great doors to the cathedral are swung open and the sound rushes out. A wordless dirge. A song beyond this world. A thing so powerful as to draw all ears. Nothing else can stand against the horrible dissonance.

Out of the cathedral a column of robes shamble. Black as the night on the outside but lined with a cloth of such pure white that it glows, as though Pelor himself had woven it from sunlight. The priests shamble alongside a great ark. Forged from some unknown material, the long box ripples with white. Somehow each as pure as the next, but different, a whole rainbow of divine colour. Atop the ark is a great sun, the holy symbol of Pelor. The holy symbol burns with an intense gold, surging through the blinding spectrum of white. It is carried aloft by four shapeless grey figures, stooped and grotesque figures.

People cover their eyes as the ark emerges with its shambling host. The black-and-white robed monks are the source of the divine cacophony, each straining their mortal vocal chords to create such otherworldly sounds. Yet despite the blinding lights and abhorrent sounds, a feeling of protection and peace somehow radiates. A feeling in stark, obvious contrast to its source.

An eternity passes before the shining chest and the throng of priests have moved far enough away that the party regain control of their senses. All around, in the faces of the crowd, an awful pit of loss can be seen. In the distance, contrasting with the storm up above, the glow can be seen reaching up towards the heavens and if ears are strained a few melancholy bars of the dirge can still just be made out.

And so the Light Of Pelor left Edinway.

-=Chapter End=-

[BigRedRod]

Malkanus
2050

Lade
2065

Nabi
2000