Dragon's Egg - Act V

[Ireth]

Liadan

I cringe and hiss in sympathy as I take in the full scope of Conal's injuries. His injuries aren't life-threatening, but he had to have been screaming in pain -- how did Big Sam not hear him?

Maybe I can get the full story later. Right now, I speak softly to keep Conal calm while I start taking care of his wounds.

Seems I'll have to work harder, keep focused...

Much better. Much better.

((Not sure how many times I should roll...))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Liadan, did your goddess' blessing do as you expected?"

My tone suggests suspicion. And it's no bluff.

 

[Steerpike]

The Guardhouse

Healing warmth radiates from Liadan into Conal. At first, the man jerks, but Liadan's soothing voice calms him. The cuts on his skin start to close and he gains some coherence. Conal looks around, sees Liadan clearly, then Baldhart, then the impostor by the jail door. He struggles, still somewhat weak, to push Liadan aside so he can get up.

"Murderin' bastard!" Conal cries as he tries to force himself up.

The impostor flicks his eyes toward Baldhart.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Conal! Your reaction is understandable, but please walk out with Liadan. I just made a deal to save your life, and I do not want the enemy to think we had a change of heart."

 

[Steerpike]

Guardhouse

Conal starts to shrug Liadan off again, but it jolted by Baldhart's yell. He still gets to his feet, leaning on Liadan for support, but instead of turning his attention back toward the impostor he allows himself to be led slowly from the room.

Once Liadan and Conal are out of the room, the impostor says: "So now we find out whether there is honor among your people. How do you want to do this?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Honor, huh? That's a very funny word to come out of a false face. When you were so sure it would be you walking Conal out the door instead of my friend, you preferred the word bitch over honor. You told me how you'd make a little girl scream. A little girl I love dearly, more than her own mother. And now, do I have honor?"

I let the question hang, because f**k him.

"No.

"And you should be glad that word means nothing to me because honor is not a thing that would save you. There is no honor in letting a demon wander the world.

"I have something greater than honor. I have faith. I made an oath to my goddess—one that binds me from doing the thing I want to do to you. The thing that I'm one excuse away from doing."

Enough screwing around. My tone becomes dead serious.

"The knife.

"Drop it.

"And the disguise goes too."

 

[Steerpike]

The Guardhouse

The impostor stares at Baldhart a moment without replying, then his upper lip curls upward in disgust. He lets the knife drop from his hands, and it hits the wooden floor with a thud and sticks upright. Then the impostor starts to lose clarity in some of his features. The hair atop its head looks like it is being absorbed into its skull, which is composed of thick skin of a dirty gray color. Within a couple of breaths, now standing where the false Conal was is a gray-skinned and hairless so far as you can tell (including a lack of eyebrows) humanoid with large eyes and non-descript features. Even its sex is indeterminate when the transition is complete.

When it speaks, the voice is softer than before--not definitively masculine or feminine, but somewhere in between. "May I leave safely now?" the creature asks Baldhart.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

Baldhart:1D20+3 → 13(10 + 3)#cha - keep game face
((CHA = prime))


"So, what I said…"

I somehow manage to maintain my composure, much to Mother's credit—

"…about letting a demon wander the world…"

—I never give her enough credit!

"…I must confess, I didn't mean it literally."

And judging by the lack of genitalia…

"It's apparent your threat toward my sister was of a different nature than I thought. The thing I don't quite understand is this: I believe you. I believe when you go south, you will never return. And I believe if pursued, you would make good on your threat to torture her before bringing her to her mother.

"Why?

"I mean, why would you do that and expect no retribution? Aslaug would find out it was you who tortured her. And she would be fine with that, wouldn't she?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

Seeing that Conal has been let out, I tell Burnbright,

"Looks like the talk went well. Conal lives. But his captor remains inside. We could head to the inn. It would be safer there, but...

"...would you rather remain here and see how everything turns out? It's up to you."

 

[Steerpike]

The Guardhouse

Liadan and Conal both emerge from the guardhouse as the men who have been pulled from pallisade duty start to surround the place. Callan raises a hand, stopping them in a vague perimeter some twenty feet from the guardhouse itself. She makes her way over to Cadell, eyes on Conal and Liadan as they emerge. "What's the situation here?"

Inside the guardhouse, the creature facing Baldhart chuckles ruefully. "Retaliation? From Aslaug? She needs the child alive, not in any particular condition. If I brought her back, Aslaug would be too busy shoveling gold into my pockets to care what shape the kid was in.

"And yes, that base desire for wealth was my motivation. But the end of this shouldn't have surprised me. The northlands have been one disaster after another--robbed, almost killed by gnolls, scraping to survive one moment to the next, and then the witch offering enough gold to send me back to Mittelstadt in style, make my family there eat their words..." The creature voice rises toward the end, then trails off bitterly. When it begins again, it speaks with control once more: "Now I'll be happy enough to get out of these accursed lands, to get back to my family even with my head hanging. Run their hustles and live my meager lives. The northlands be damned..."

Tumi's

Burnbright thinks only for a second, then says to Nissa: "I'll stay a few minutes longer. Baldhart is still in the doorway, and who knows what could still go wrong. I'd hate to be in the inn, oblivious, if something happened. It's what Veborg would do, I bet. And Baldhart too."

 

[Ireth]

Liadan

I keep an arm around Conal to support him as we leave the guardhouse. Callan approaches, and I answer her question, "The prisoner had himself disguised as Conal, and the real Conal bound and beaten. I've taken care of most of his wounds. Baldhart and the others are speaking with the prisoner still." I look over my shoulder, but Baldhart is blocking the door; I can't see what's going on inside.

((Cadell is closer to Baldhart than to Liadan at this point, I think. I'm not sure if anyone but Baldhart can see the grey creature.))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Needs her... for what?"

I don't wait for an answer. I tell the creature, "I will tell those outside you are leaving."

I keep my eye on the creature.

"People of Ballara, you are all witnesses to my oath. I felt it a necessary means to save Conal's life, and Conal lives. I offered the gray man my protection, so now he walks."

I signal the creature to come out.

"Unless you want to stay and chat, here's the door."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

She mentions Veborg and Baldhart in the same breath. Ankari once mocked me, as if I was promising we'd all be the next Veborgs. I never promised that… but given that Brynhild lets me walk among the living, maybe the world will know their impact.

Personally, I'd prefer they live full lives and the world forgets their names…



"Burnbright, we'll stand our ground together. I know you'd advance if I asked you to, but you're stuck here for the same reason as me: we'd create a distraction. Your age, my wings—and height, for that matter—would put eyes on us and not on the enemy.

"You know the prisoner came here for you, right? Given how I lost my life, I have to admit that I'd never have predicted you'd be safer in an orc camp than you would've been in the comfort of an inn.

"I'll make a prediction right now though. Baldy's going to kill the prisoner. Not because of Conal. Not because he may have murdered someone—perhaps the priest, who seems eerily absent from all this—I intend to check on him as soon as this blows over. But this man could've killed half the town or no one at all, and it would make no difference. He will die because he targeted you."

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron:
With the crowd growing Aliron moves closer to keep people from stepping in front of him.
"Stay back from the door people. We need room to move, if we need to."
"What is going on, Baldhart? He asks trying to see his target.
(If Aliron sees the target he will use Heartbow to hit him...her...it. )

Bressel:
Stunned in silence at the transformation, he waits.

 

[Steerpike]

The Guardhouse

The creature sighs in resignation, takes a step forward, then hesitates again. "I do not wish to stay and chat," it says, "but would it alarm you if I change form? Something benign. If I walk out like this these northerners are liable to burn the entire town down."

Callan stands beside Liadan, waiting. Conal is regaining strength and has attention back to the guardhouse, fumbling for a weapon he doesn't have.

Tumi's

Burnbright looks back toward the guardhouse. It is clear some sort of parley is happening, though what is being said can't be heard. "She must be talking to the man. I don't think she will hurt him unless he tries something. I know he is here for me. I put everyone in danger again. I wish I wasn't the cause of all this. Do you think my mother told this man to hurt people to try to find me?"

Burnbright's eyes glisten briefly but she bites her lip and doesn't let a tear fall. "Seems like every time she's involved people get hurt. Maybe she's sick, Nissa. What if she tries to hurt you or Baldhart or any of the others we find her? Masama thinks she's possessed by an evil spirit. Is that possible?"

She tightens her grip on her spear. "I'll do what's right, no matter what. Just like in the old days."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"You should come out as the scar faced man they arrested." I tell Alin, "He is removing his disguise."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

I place my hand gently on Burnbright. "You might not like what you're about to see. My prediction is that the parley will be a success, and the prisoner will be killed anyway. Some would call that dishonorable.

"But I spent seven years living in Baldy's head. I know how she thinks. She's talking to a man who would target you. And you may be a young shield maiden to her, but to the man who targeted you, you're simply a maiden. A child. If he would hurt you, he would hurt any child. And if he does after Baldhart lets him go, she'll have innocent blood on her hands.

"The Iron Mountain doesn't know the concept of prison. People who hurt children are hunted down and killed. As far as she's concerned, killing this man is the right thing. But let's see what happens. I don't want to influence her decision."



I don't want the kid to blame herself. So, about that...

"Whatever happens, it isn't your fault. None of the horror that's happened around you is due to choices you've made. I can't tell you with certainty why your mother acts as she does--whether it's by choice or whether a demon forces her to act as its puppet.

"But you're not responsible for her actions, and whatever the man in the guardhouse has done, that's not on you either."

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron:
I think Aliron will eventually use his bow, so here is the shot when he uses it. (Since I can't roll at work.) Aliron is still waiting for his chance, so this is not committing to attack. ie he still needs to see his target to send it.
Heartseeker bow daily kill [1d8+5] = 7+5 = 12

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

I will let the enemy walk by me so he feels safe. If Aliron took my use of the word 'heart' as a signal, he understood me correctly. I'll make my move after his arrow hits…

 

[Steerpike]

The Guardhouse

The creatures just looks at Baldhart for a moment, then without the use of any gestures or incantations it transforms again, it's features dissolving and re-establishing themselves until a white-haired, scarred man stands before Baldhart. He moves toward the door, glancing down at his knife as he passes it, but making no attempt to pick it up.

The man pauses briefly in the sunlight at the edge of the doorway, then steps forward, exiting the guardhouse. There is grumbling from the assembled townsfolk. Conal fumbles for a weapon he doesn't have, then begins to move toward the scar-faced man unarmed. But Conal only makes it a couple of steps before Aliron's arrow flashes past, light trailing the shot only barely visible in the light of day and not noticed by those focused on the scarred man. The arrow catches the scarred man in the upper chest as he angles slightly toward Conal. The man lets out a hiss of pain. His features waver. He grasps the arrow, blood seeping between his fingers.

((Rollz graphics still not working so I didn't link and die rolls; they're in the room))

The scarred man pitches forward, only by the time he hits the ground he's no longer the scarred man but the androgynous creature that Baldhart spoke to inside the guardhouse. The creature lays still in the dirt outside the guardhouse, but its torso rises and falls with shallow breaths.

The word "demon" is muttered by many of the townsfolk. Conal casts around for some kind of weapon and settles on a heavy stone. He moves toward the fallen creature. Callan makes to intercept him.

Tumi's

Burnbright frowns at Nissa's comments. "You're doing all this for me. In a way, I am responsible for what happens. For all of it. But if they parley, they're not going to...." She trails off as she and Nissa see the white-haired man emerge from the guardhouse. A scant second later, the man/creature is tumbling to the dirt, an arrow sticking out of its chest.

Burnbright makes an involuntary half-cry and pushes Tumi's door open. In her rush to get out of the house she catches her foot on the bottom of the threshold and tumbles into the street. She picks herself up and heads for the guardhouse.