Chapter 3-3 - Leilon
The following morning, the party sat around a table near the door eating breakfast and discussing plans for the day. The group decided to spend a couple of days in the city, exploring and resupplying. Ryoko was describing some of the more disturbing dangers of her homeland to the party, in deliberately grotesque amounts of detail, relishing their discomfort as she started to discuss the Bloodflies and the Borer Swarms.
Distracted slightly, Ryoko felt the scales on her arm begin to tingle. She stood up and started to look around. Suddenly a crossbow bolt erupted from her chest. Ryoko looked down in shock, then collapsed back against the table. A hooded figure dropped down from the rafters above the door, and in a single swift motion kicked open the doors and disappeared outside. Ramas, Aetilius and Miaug leapt to their feet in pursuit.
Clootie jumped onto the table and began to look at Ryoko's wounds. The Iskathi's breathing was shallow, and sweat stood out on her forehead. Clootie grabbed a hold of the crossbow bolt and pulled it out of her chest. Blood spurted from the wound. Clootie placed her hands together and whispered an incantation. Golden light spilled out from between her palms. Clootie placed her hands flat on Ryoko's chest, and the golden energy spread outwards and the ragged hole in her scales closed over and began to knit itself back together. Clootie smiled to herself and hopped back down beside her friend. Her brow furrowed in concern when Ryoko didn't stand up. The Iskathi continued to breath in short, ragged gasps. Clootie's eyes widened in horror as Ryoko arched her back and started to convulse on the table.
First out of the door, Ramas looked right and spotted the assassin running across the first bridge over the canal. He barrelled past pedestrians, then jumped on the railing and leaped over to the far side of the canal. As the assassin landed, he rocked his weight forward into a roll, coming to his feet and continuing to flee. Ramas followed him, slipping between the pedestrians like a ghost. He hopped up onto the railing of the bridge and jumped across the gap, rolling on his shoulder and continued his pursuit.
Aetilius jumped off the walkway, and with a beat of his wings he rose up into the sky. Miaug ran to the right, parallel to the assassin, trying to head him off further along the canal. She reached the edge of the canal and unslung her bow, pulling it back and sighting along an arrow at the assassin. Before she could fire, she heard someone in the crowd shout something about Tabaxi and she found herself swarmed by people and pushed into the canal. Aetilius swooped down and plucked her out of the water, depositing her back beside the door to the Merrow's Crown.
Clootie watched helplessly as Ryoko shuddered on the table in the inn; her breathing raspy and laboured. Miaug swept in the door, rushing to the Iskathi's side. Looking at the struggling figure, Miaug picked up the crossbow bolt and sniffed the tip, recoiling at the overpowering acrid smell. Poison! Clootie crouched beside the dragonborn, desperately weaving healing magics in an effort to stem the tide of the poison racing through her system. Miaug looked on anxiously.
The assassin raced along beside the canal, then cut across the next bridge, heading back across the canal to the far island. As he ran, he knocked over an old man, sending him sprawling across the bridge. Ramas, who had been closing the gap, skipped up along the railing of the bridge to avoid the old man. The assassin raced straight towards the canal ahead. With a leap he sailed across the gap and landed nimbly on the far side, sliding to a stop then racing off to the right. Ramas accelerated as he approached the canal, but mistimed his step causing him to slip and tumbled down into the water below. The assassin smiled to himself and ran towards a narrow alleyway ahead. Suddenly, Aetilius struck like a thunderbolt, swooping down from the open sky and knocking him flying into the wall. Before he could recover, Aetilius shoulder barged him against the stonework again, then grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground. The big Tiefling pinned the assassin and pulled off his hood. Aetilius was surprised to recognise the assassin's face. Salazar the fisherman from the inn the previous night. He snarled up at Aetilius,
"The Jaguar is watching you"
Aetilius heard a shattering sound, and looking down to see Salazar had crushed a small glass vial in his hand. Suddenly his back stiffened, dislodging Aetilius who scrambled to his feet and conjured his mythal axe in his hand. Salazar's eyes bulged, and his hand turned black, looking scorched and burned. The blackness quickly spread up his arm as he began to violently convulse. It crept across his face, and he let out a choked scream, suddenly cut short. As the rest of his skin blackened and cracked, Aetilius watched in horror as his eyeballs disintegrated and fell back into their sockets. The flesh sloughed off his scorched skull. Then, deep in the eye sockets, a faint blue light ignited. The body twitched, and the head swivelled to fix Aetilius with an icy blue malevolent glare. Aetilius tightened his grip on the haft of his mythal axe. The creature's mouth opened, and a raspy voice growled,
"I know who you are now. You cannot hide from me. I will find you and I will laugh as you scream and beg me for mercy"
The blackened corpse began to laugh; a humourless, grating sound. Then the burning light inside the skull flickered and went out. The body collapsed into ash, leaving only a pile of clothing. Aetilius searched through the remains and his hands closed on something cold and metallic. A silver ring etched with a familiar triangular symbol.
Ryoko gasped weakly for air. She let out a long, shuddering breath, and the shallow fluttering of chest stopped. Clootie's head dropped and her shoulders slumped. Miaug placed her hand on the little gnome's shoulders and folded her into her embrace.
A dim green light flickered in the darkness of the stone in Ryoko's amulet, accompanied by a low hum. The light and sound both grew in intensity, drawing Miaug and Clootie's attention. As they reached a crescendo, a pulse of bright green energy erupted from the amulet, racing across the Iskathi's corpse. Ryoko let out a ragged gasp, and her eyelids fluttered open. She sat upright on the table. The green wave of energy receded back into the amulet; the flesh it left behind seemed dull and colourless, her scales a stony grey. Clootie reached out to touch her friend's skin in morbid fascination. It was as cold and unyielding as stone. The gnome looked up at her friend anxiously. Ryoko smiled to reassure her,
"I'm ok"
The party regrouped in the taproom. As Ramas tried to wring the canal water from his cloak, Aetilius explained what had happened with the assassin. Concerned for their safety, the group decided to leave the city immediately and make their way south to Quan. Beau, overhearing their conversation, suggested that they take a water taxi to the edge of the Southern Juncture and they could follow the main road south out of town. The party thanked him for his advice, and Ramas left him a few extra gold for his hospitality.
The party reached the edge of town a couple of hours later. They stopped in at the stables located in wall beside the southern gate, and spoke to the stablemaster about hiring some horses. Clootie, still struggling with the loss of her pony Punch, asked the stablemaster about the names and personalities of the various horses. The man looked at her confused,
"The brown one, the grey one, that big one… I dunno what you're looking for here little one" he explained gruffly. Ramas paid the man, and Clootie stalked off grumpily, stroking the mane of her pony and whispering to it. The group loaded up the horses with their gear and then set off along the dusty southern trail.
Next: Chapter 3-4 - The Sisters of Akkedis
Previous: Chapter 3-2 - Seabird to Leilon
Distracted slightly, Ryoko felt the scales on her arm begin to tingle. She stood up and started to look around. Suddenly a crossbow bolt erupted from her chest. Ryoko looked down in shock, then collapsed back against the table. A hooded figure dropped down from the rafters above the door, and in a single swift motion kicked open the doors and disappeared outside. Ramas, Aetilius and Miaug leapt to their feet in pursuit.
Clootie jumped onto the table and began to look at Ryoko's wounds. The Iskathi's breathing was shallow, and sweat stood out on her forehead. Clootie grabbed a hold of the crossbow bolt and pulled it out of her chest. Blood spurted from the wound. Clootie placed her hands together and whispered an incantation. Golden light spilled out from between her palms. Clootie placed her hands flat on Ryoko's chest, and the golden energy spread outwards and the ragged hole in her scales closed over and began to knit itself back together. Clootie smiled to herself and hopped back down beside her friend. Her brow furrowed in concern when Ryoko didn't stand up. The Iskathi continued to breath in short, ragged gasps. Clootie's eyes widened in horror as Ryoko arched her back and started to convulse on the table.
First out of the door, Ramas looked right and spotted the assassin running across the first bridge over the canal. He barrelled past pedestrians, then jumped on the railing and leaped over to the far side of the canal. As the assassin landed, he rocked his weight forward into a roll, coming to his feet and continuing to flee. Ramas followed him, slipping between the pedestrians like a ghost. He hopped up onto the railing of the bridge and jumped across the gap, rolling on his shoulder and continued his pursuit.
Aetilius jumped off the walkway, and with a beat of his wings he rose up into the sky. Miaug ran to the right, parallel to the assassin, trying to head him off further along the canal. She reached the edge of the canal and unslung her bow, pulling it back and sighting along an arrow at the assassin. Before she could fire, she heard someone in the crowd shout something about Tabaxi and she found herself swarmed by people and pushed into the canal. Aetilius swooped down and plucked her out of the water, depositing her back beside the door to the Merrow's Crown.
Clootie watched helplessly as Ryoko shuddered on the table in the inn; her breathing raspy and laboured. Miaug swept in the door, rushing to the Iskathi's side. Looking at the struggling figure, Miaug picked up the crossbow bolt and sniffed the tip, recoiling at the overpowering acrid smell. Poison! Clootie crouched beside the dragonborn, desperately weaving healing magics in an effort to stem the tide of the poison racing through her system. Miaug looked on anxiously.
The assassin raced along beside the canal, then cut across the next bridge, heading back across the canal to the far island. As he ran, he knocked over an old man, sending him sprawling across the bridge. Ramas, who had been closing the gap, skipped up along the railing of the bridge to avoid the old man. The assassin raced straight towards the canal ahead. With a leap he sailed across the gap and landed nimbly on the far side, sliding to a stop then racing off to the right. Ramas accelerated as he approached the canal, but mistimed his step causing him to slip and tumbled down into the water below. The assassin smiled to himself and ran towards a narrow alleyway ahead. Suddenly, Aetilius struck like a thunderbolt, swooping down from the open sky and knocking him flying into the wall. Before he could recover, Aetilius shoulder barged him against the stonework again, then grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground. The big Tiefling pinned the assassin and pulled off his hood. Aetilius was surprised to recognise the assassin's face. Salazar the fisherman from the inn the previous night. He snarled up at Aetilius,
"The Jaguar is watching you"
Aetilius heard a shattering sound, and looking down to see Salazar had crushed a small glass vial in his hand. Suddenly his back stiffened, dislodging Aetilius who scrambled to his feet and conjured his mythal axe in his hand. Salazar's eyes bulged, and his hand turned black, looking scorched and burned. The blackness quickly spread up his arm as he began to violently convulse. It crept across his face, and he let out a choked scream, suddenly cut short. As the rest of his skin blackened and cracked, Aetilius watched in horror as his eyeballs disintegrated and fell back into their sockets. The flesh sloughed off his scorched skull. Then, deep in the eye sockets, a faint blue light ignited. The body twitched, and the head swivelled to fix Aetilius with an icy blue malevolent glare. Aetilius tightened his grip on the haft of his mythal axe. The creature's mouth opened, and a raspy voice growled,
"I know who you are now. You cannot hide from me. I will find you and I will laugh as you scream and beg me for mercy"
The blackened corpse began to laugh; a humourless, grating sound. Then the burning light inside the skull flickered and went out. The body collapsed into ash, leaving only a pile of clothing. Aetilius searched through the remains and his hands closed on something cold and metallic. A silver ring etched with a familiar triangular symbol.
Ryoko gasped weakly for air. She let out a long, shuddering breath, and the shallow fluttering of chest stopped. Clootie's head dropped and her shoulders slumped. Miaug placed her hand on the little gnome's shoulders and folded her into her embrace.
A dim green light flickered in the darkness of the stone in Ryoko's amulet, accompanied by a low hum. The light and sound both grew in intensity, drawing Miaug and Clootie's attention. As they reached a crescendo, a pulse of bright green energy erupted from the amulet, racing across the Iskathi's corpse. Ryoko let out a ragged gasp, and her eyelids fluttered open. She sat upright on the table. The green wave of energy receded back into the amulet; the flesh it left behind seemed dull and colourless, her scales a stony grey. Clootie reached out to touch her friend's skin in morbid fascination. It was as cold and unyielding as stone. The gnome looked up at her friend anxiously. Ryoko smiled to reassure her,
"I'm ok"
The party regrouped in the taproom. As Ramas tried to wring the canal water from his cloak, Aetilius explained what had happened with the assassin. Concerned for their safety, the group decided to leave the city immediately and make their way south to Quan. Beau, overhearing their conversation, suggested that they take a water taxi to the edge of the Southern Juncture and they could follow the main road south out of town. The party thanked him for his advice, and Ramas left him a few extra gold for his hospitality.
The party reached the edge of town a couple of hours later. They stopped in at the stables located in wall beside the southern gate, and spoke to the stablemaster about hiring some horses. Clootie, still struggling with the loss of her pony Punch, asked the stablemaster about the names and personalities of the various horses. The man looked at her confused,
"The brown one, the grey one, that big one… I dunno what you're looking for here little one" he explained gruffly. Ramas paid the man, and Clootie stalked off grumpily, stroking the mane of her pony and whispering to it. The group loaded up the horses with their gear and then set off along the dusty southern trail.
Next: Chapter 3-4 - The Sisters of Akkedis
Previous: Chapter 3-2 - Seabird to Leilon
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