Damned Gods

[Forrestfire]

(Alternatively, "I'm goddamn bad at titles and names." OoC Thread here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?382179-Damned-Gods-OoC))

The party, having just finished doing some sort of thing that adventuring (the halfling tribe you helped were very greatful, and gave you new supplies), is walking through the plains with the intent of going... somewhere. Your current location is a bit south of Karrnath, near the border with the Mournland. Far the east, the Mournland's vast walls of mist are barely visible on the horizon, and the sun hangs bright in the sky. The weather's pretty nice, not too hot and not too cold. At one point a flock of clawfoots (clawfeet?) was seen in the distance, looking for something to hunt.

Whatever conversation the party might have been having is abruptly interrupted by a searingly bright pillar of blue and white fire, burning a large circle into the tall grass of the plains. Just as abruptly, the flame subsides, revealing a brightly glowing woman in ornate mithril armor and blue-accented clothing. She bears the emblem of the Silver Flame on her breastplate, and in her hand is a gleaming longsword, alight with blue flame. It is quite obvious who this woman is, she looks exactly like the paladin Tira Miron, who dove into the Silver Flame itself to bind a demon.

What's less obvious is that she's injured. There are several large cuts and gashes on her face and arms, and her armor is damaged. Where bleeding wounds on a normal person would be are instead patches of silver fire, seemingly replacing her flesh and equipment where pieces are gouged out.

She looks around, vaguely confused for a moment, before hardening her face at the sight of the party. Tira Miron points her sword, announcing in an echoing voice:


"Foul necromancer, you will be purged by the light of the Silver Flame! I challenge th..."

Towards the end of her declaration, she trails off and falls forward, collapsing into unconsciousness. The glow abruptly fades, and as her sword leaves her hand, it evaporates into puffs of blue fire before reappearing in its sheath at her belt.

What do you do?

[Taveena]

"Strictly speaking, I'm not a necroMANCER," Valeska says, biting at her lip. "I mean. Half right. So that's something!"

[Lord_Gareth]

"Not an ethically correct response, Valeska," Chime says in a quiet, worried voice as she rushes to the fallen woman's side. The aasimar cradles the paladin's head, murmuring prayers in Celestial under her breath.

"Trivia, she needs healing," Chime says in a soft but firm tone.

[Forrestfire]

The woman's wounds appear to be slowly regenerating, her physical form reconstituting itself from the blueish-gray flames.

[Powerdork]

The robed psiforged tromps forward, ensuring placement between the necromancer and The Paladin, kneels down before the latter, and utters a prayer in the language of reality.

"Verialin dosen huninsepin" rolls off the silver tongue of the Cannith construct.

[Forrestfire]

Reality attempts to warp itself to meet Trivia's instructions, but nothing appears to happen.

[Taveena]

Valeska rolls her eyes, before drawing her Wakizashi with a flourish. She walks up to the fallen Paladin and places her now faintly glowing hand (which is presently faintly pulsing with necrocarnum, though it does no harm) on the Paladin.

"There. Ethically 'Correct' enough for you?"

[Forrestfire]

This does have an effect, her wounds healing a bit faster. She stays passed out facedown in the circle of burnt grass.

[Alea]

Alea trots up, and lowers her scimitar-blade down to the woman's throat, holding it near the opposite blade. As she looks down impassively, she points out, "And yours was not the tactically correct response, Chime. Flashy entrance or not, what's a Thranite doing here?"

Alea scans around for more Thranes, or anyone else drawn by the flame, but keeps an eye on the woman.

[Powerdork]

Trivia tries to push the blades away. "There are a number of questions we should be asking, such as: Why is Tira Miron here? Why is Tira Miron injured? And should we send Valeska away before we try to wake Tira Miron?"

[Alea]

Alea's eyes narrow at Trivia. "You know her name..?"

[Powerdork]

"I know most of the names worth knowing, and I especially know this one." The warforged proceeds to explain the Silver Flame, the Church of the Silver Flame, and how much danger the world may be in, if Tira Miron is here, in this state.

[Taveena]

"Ssssso... what, demon on the loose?" Valeska says, sheathing her sword. "We gonna have to escort her back to the pillar of whatsit, or is the whole dealy moot now?"

[Lord_Gareth]

"She's injured, Valeska. We need to see to her hurts before we see to anything else. If..." Chime sighs, unhappily. "If you might take yourself out of immediate sight before she awakens?"

[Alea]

"Different rules apply to gods and demons and mad-shapers," Alea says in response to Chime.

[Taveena]

"Should I drag the Death Knight off too," Valeska says, jerking a thumb in Karleigh's direction, "Or can she actually tell the difference between a necrocarnate and a girl in bone armor? Cuz I ain't optimistic."

[Anatidae]

"Not only am I fully capable of carrying myself, but I really would hope that she would be able to tell. Though, I'm not entirely optimistic either."

The half-orc shifts, but isn't 'carrying herself' anywhere, evidently.

"Still something to consider. Not a bad idea. Without the dragging."

[Alea]

"This is a hero's choice; your action here defines your spirit. Your spirits don't last long, but they deserve better than to hide from history."

[Taveena]

"So if she tries to kill me again, we mob her?

[Alea]

Alea simply looks down the length of her weapon to Tira Miron's throat. "I have made my first choice."

[Lord_Gareth]

"Alea!" Chime says sharply. "Have you no heart? This woman needs help, not murder. She has done nothing to harm us."

[Taveena]

"... She was gonna challenge either me or Karleigh to something? Probably not a killy thing, but. Hey. I'm up for that."

[Alea]

"Her armies have slain thousands of my kinsmen, millions of fellow Karrnathi to Karleigh and Valeska, and she already attacked one of our number. Even were she mortal, she would be a foe and enemy. But she is not; the rules are different for gods and demons, and she is both.

"Which is why she is not dead. Had I intended her death, my blade would be through, not on, her throat. Such would be the response to a mortal foe. But for a god, the rules are different."

[Anatidae]

"The rules for a demon would say that she should die. The rules for a god say that she would not."

Karleigh's eyes narrow, slightly, and her stance shifts, for a moment, before her shoulders slacken and her expression loses its anger.

"The rules for the wounded say that we should give her a chance. Without killing her until we have to. "

"If we have to."

[Alea]

"I have told you before, you follow rules that are not. The rules for god and demon alike are to know no limit, to acknowledge no shame, to offer no quarter. There is no shame in retreat from disaster, no dishonor in cheating the tempest, no respite in treating the inferno.

"Know this, and make your choices."

This is quite a speech from the generally-terse Alea. Her blade remains firmly pressed against the god's throat.

[Forrestfire]

Unlike a normal throat, the flesh touching the blade gives little resistance and the blade sinks a tiny bit into the paladin's neck. However, rather than a wound, there is only a small gash filled with silver fire, slowly regenerating.

[Anatidae]

Karleigh glowers, turning her gaze away from both Alea and the Paladin- as well as the other members of the party, but remaining quiet- which is exactly how she was prone to responding to things when she wasn't certain of how she would articulate her objections. Of which, of course, there were a good deal.

The choice she seems to be making is that of inaction.

[Taveena]

Valeska stretches her arms above her head, yawning. She glances at Chime and Trivia, a slight smirk on her face. WHAT WILL THEY DO?

[Lord_Gareth]

"Alea, this woman needs our help," Chime repeats in a soft, but firm tone. "Retreat to a safe distance if you fear her wrath. If you do not, I see no need for the blade. In either event, I am helping her. I'm certain she was delirious with pain before, and will be much more reasonable when she awakens. This woman...she's a hero, Alea."

[Taveena]

"She still looks... sort of silver-flame-y, I guess. Not that silver-flame-y. But a little."

[Alea]

"Chime, I have made my choice, and made no move to stop yours. Stop talking before I stop ignoring your insults, and act."

[Anatidae]

"Stand DOWN. You said yourself that neither gods nor demons know no limits, and yet she was wounded by something- something presumably far greater than anything you could do. If she awakens with your blade at her throat, that won't ENCOURAGE civil dealings."

Karleigh's gaze has flicked back towards Alea, and she takes a half-step forwards.

"I don't care who she IS or what she IS, remove your blade and at least ATTEMPT civility. You aren't ACCOMPLISHING anything."

"Honk,"
The skeletal goose that's usually lurking behind Karleigh- if she's not riding it, or if it isn't recovering in it's plane- contributes. If it had proper feathers, it looks as though it would be flaring them. The bones certainly are being flared a bit, though.

[Taveena]

"WE ARE A COMPLETELY FUNCTIONAL ADVENTURING PARTY," Valeska abruptly declares.

[Powerdork]

"Quite so. Tell me when, friends."

[Taveena]

"... Wait, what're we telling you when for?"

[Alea]

"Listen very carefully, you stupid pig. Your choice is to provide her aid. My choice is to tell her we are not fools, and are prepared to defend ourselves should she try anything. Or do you want to find out that Valeska has healed the god enough when that god wakes and guts her? She has already stated her intention to do so."

Alea nods to Trivia at Valeska's comment.

[Anatidae]

"Perhaps you should-"

Karleigh cuts herself off, for a moment.

"It's a shame that the stupid pig is the one that has to tell you that YOU'RE being pig-headed and idiotic. My AID is limited to trying to keep her from awakening with a blade to her throat, which could very well be little more than a challenge, and would make her think her initial intentions all the MORE justified. But evidently you intend to provide her with reason to do what you WANT her to."

Karleigh glances at the rest of the party, before turning, and moving away from the group, shaking her head, stopping a short distance away- still within earshot, certainly. The goose honks, again, and moves to follow.

[Alea]

Alea ignores Karleigh and keeps one eye on Tira and one scanning the horizon for anyone coming to see what the fire was about.

[Taveena]

Valeska's eyes harden momentarily at Alea's insult, and her jaw is clenched. She goes to reach for her sword, but thinks better of it, moving to follow Karleigh.

[Powerdork]

"Well, it seems that that's settled, so if you don't mind..." The warforged touches the unconscious figure's forehead, intent on delivering a burst of positive energy.

[Anatidae]

The half-orc crosses her arms, glowering at the horizon, disregarding both her goose and Valeska, for the moment.

[Forrestfire]

The positive energy dances across the paladin's wounds, sealing many of them. She does not stir, though.

[Taveena]

Valeska reaches up to try to pet the skeletal goose's back.

[Anatidae]

The goose's back is pet. It shifts, and quietly honks, but keeps its gaze, burning with the contained fury of a hundred thousand resurrected waterfowl, remains focused on the half-orc, whose own much more reasonable gaze remains upon the horizon.

[Forrestfire]

After about another minute or so, Tira Miron finally regains consciousness. She notices the blade and moves a hand to gently push it out of her throat, but otherwise doesn't move. She stares upward up Alea, waiting for a response.

[Lord_Gareth]

"You seem to have taken quite the hit," Chime says softly. "I very much need you to remain calm and make no effort to kill my friends. Aside from being rather attached to them, they have good hearts. Most of the time."

The aasimar's tone is gentle, soothing, as she continues. "My lady...please forgive me, but you are not where you ought to be."

[Alea]

“The blade is an acknowledgment of what you are capable of and a statement of our will to defend ourselves, nothing more. I will remove it if you agree not to attack, ruin, or ‘purge’ anyone present, ‘necromancers’ included.”

[Taveena]

"(Necrocarnate)," Valeska murmurs.

[Forrestfire]

"I see. And here I was hoping that you and your... friends... would be inclined to finish me off. I thank you for the healing, though it was pointless."

She shoves the blade out of the way with her hand, before standing and presenting her neck to Alea. "Give it a try anyway? I can threaten to murder your allies again, if you like."

[Taveena]

"... What."

[Alea]

“What’s in it for you?”

[Forrestfire]

She thinks for a moment, then shrugs, before stating in a serious tone. "There's no good way to explain it, so you will get the truth. The rakshasa overlord Bel Shalor and I have been ejected from the Silver Flame, and as far as I can tell, the if one of us dies, we'll drag the other one back into the pillar. We're still tethered to each other by the power of the flame, and both of us have been weakened immensely said tether, but I will not let the demon roam free, and I will take any action to make sure he is bound again."

Towards the end of her sentence, she begins dimly glowing and her voice again takes on an echoing quality. A moment later, the glow fades.

"... So, take your shot. I want to see if it sticks."

[Anatidae]

"A better reason to die than most, if it is the truth."

Karleigh doesn't deign to look over her shoulder, still facing away from the group.

[Lord_Gareth]

Chime stands and puts a hand on the paladin's shoulder.

"Your commitment to duty humbles me," the celestial knight murmurs, before she takes a step back and draws her blade.

"Alea, shall we?"

[Taveena]

Valeska whistles, making a gesture from the sky towards Tira.

A giant undead bat lands on directly behind Tira Miron. It sniffs at her, curiously, before affectionately licking her face.

[Alea]

Alea nods, and yells an ululating cry. Her horse rears, and she swings her blade around as he comes down, putting all their combined weight and momentum into the swing.

[roll0] – DC 69 Fortitude save vs. death.

[Forrestfire]

Miron closes her eyes as the blade falls, carving deep into her body. Immediately, she and all her equipment transform into silver fire in her shape. The change ripples across her form, starting at the wound and finishing when her entire body is converted. A moment later, it changes again, coalescing back to how she appeared before, although there is a deep wound filled with silver fire where Alea struck, slowly regenerating.

Tira Miron collapses to the ground, unconscious. Presumably, Valeska's bat is extremely spooked by the sudden flare of holy flame, and is a bit singed.

[Anatidae]

"(The rules for a demon say that she should die, and the rules for a god say that she would not.)"

Karleigh mutters to herself, in an almost sing-song manner.

[Taveena]

The bat lets out a screech of surprise, hissing at Tira before limping over to Valeska. She pets its head affectionately, shushing it.

[Alea]

“Well, now what?”

[Taveena]

"... throw her into a volcano?" Valeska says.

[Lord_Gareth]

"My Grandmother may be potent enough to slay her," Chime suggests thoughtfully. "It's been a few years since I visited..."

[Taveena]

"Does your grandmother live in a volcano?" Valeska asks, hopefully.

[Alea]

“Ah, my fellow Cyre-forsaker. Good times.”

[Anatidae]

Karleigh's silence is all that she offers.

[Taveena]

Valeska walks over to Tira Miron, drawing her katana, before thrusting the sword through her back.

[Forrestfire]

There is a small flare of silver fire in the immediate area of the wound, before her form coalesces, and the wound itself is outlined in flame.

[Taveena]

Valeska then draws her Wakizashi, and thrusts that into Tira alongside her Katana.

[Anatidae]

"Is that entirely necessary?"

[Taveena]

"Just... making sure. These pseudogods can take a loooooot of punishment. Maybe she would've survived anyway," she says.

"... maybe if we try, like, sawing through her neck..."

[Alea]

“That blade is not a saw.”

[Powerdork]

"Verialin zinal huninsepin. Verialin zinal huninsepin. Verialin zinal huninsepin..." The construct drones on, giving reality instruction.

[Forrestfire]

Flakes of the paladin's unconscious form (flesh, armor, everything) begin to separate from her, burning with silver fire when they do. The parts they came from glow with the same silver fire, slowly returning her to her unwounded state.

[Powerdork]

"She is... unnaturally resilient. My guess is that we aren't going to do anything, unless any of you have any especially destructive methods you'd like to try?"

[Anatidae]

"I doubt that there's any point in my attempting, somewhat destructive though it may be."

[Taveena]

"... was gonna try feeding her t'my bat, but she kinda exploded over him and he didn't like that," Valeska mumbles.

"... still think we should find a volcano."

[Powerdork]

"Undoubtedly, it will be hard to retrieve her if the volcano doesn't work. It'll be our last resort."

[Taveena]

"What if we got, like, a fireproof rope."

[Anatidae]

"Do we have any ideas that DON'T involve dropping her into a volcano?"

[Alea]

“I always wanted to invade Thrane.”

[Taveena]

"There aaaare an awful lot of dead werewolves who would be quite happy to hear that had happened..."

It's unclear who she's presenting this point to. Her eyes dart from the corpse to each other member of the party as she says that.

[Anatidae]

"... I really don't think that invading anywhere is a good idea. She did say that the demon was free, too, which is kind of an issue?"

Karleigh's gaze sits on the corpses like a cloud of so many flies, or a particularly lethargic scavenger who isn't overly anxious to live up to its name.

[Taveena]

Valeska pauses for a moment, before twisting the blade in Tira Miron's back. She hums, contemplatively.

"Do you think she'll stay dead like this, or will she just get up with a sword in her?"

[Anatidae]

"I'm fairly sure it would take more than a sword to stop her."

Karleigh sighs, quietly.

"If we have to drag around her unconscious body, you'll need it anyways."

[Taveena]

"Look, it's not every day you get to find out how the pseudo-immortality of a demigod works. I need to know.

For science."

[Anatidae]

"It's because you're enjoying stabbing her, isn't it."

[Taveena]

"Nnnnnnoooooooo...?"

[Anatidae]

"Yyyyyeeesssss....?"

[Taveena]

"... Silver Flame's pulled a lot of bull****, okay."

[Anatidae]

"Well I'm not exactly pulling your sword out of her, am I."

[Forrestfire]

In the distance, the party notices a group of Talenta halflings approaching on the horizon. They'll probably arrive in a few minutes.

[Taveena]

Valeska squints, before pulling her swords out of the unconscious demigod and sheathing them once more. She coughs.

[Anatidae]

Karleigh pulls herself onto her skeletal steed, and it trods a bit closer to the demigod, and Valeska.
"I feel like this looks. Suspicious, at best."

[Taveena]

Valeska pauses for a moment, before glancing at her bat.

"Hey, pick up Tira and hold her out of sight for a little bit, okay?"