The Monastery (IC)

[mrblah]

"..." Meredith stared at the departing rude scholar and her entourage, but made no further comment now that the situation was resolved. She sighed in exasperation. "Such prejudice is truly unbecoming of members of the Church. At a time like this, we should not be turning on our own..." It wasn't unexpected, of course. Even Meredith had, at a time, distrusted the albino of St. Lily, but her distrust had faded in the peaceful times and she remembered how terrible it was to suspect another of sin simply based on their appearance and not of their conduct. It was not how her mother raised her, and it's not what Evaline taught her.

... The thought of Evaline had Meredith quickly turning to where she spotted Heidi and marching over to the infirmary. She had to report in as soon as possible.

[Littlemankitten]

Harper repeated the required sequence in her head as she lead them to the shelter. She paid no mind to what the scholars were saying about her behind her back, as if they truly believed that, they wouldn't be following her now would they? No, regardless of their words it seems they trusted Harper to lead them, which brought a smile to Harper's face. She wondered were that priestess that was there was going as she walked, did she not hear that there was a threat? Well, most likely she had her own mission, and she should focus on her own. Those drifting thoughts made her lose focus on the combination she had to input, and she forgot it for a split second, but quickly remembered it. It's a good thing the organ wasn't particularly far away.

[Lorielle]

Sasha was on the verge of tears as she approached her mentor. Her ruined sword arm would take weeks if not months to heal by itself, but the fledgling paladin did the best she could with what healing magic was bestowed upon her, using all the energy she had to bring some measure of comfort to the woman who risked everything to save a worthless student as herself. "I..its not your fault Emma, i.. i was too weak, i should have escaped with Priscilla but.. i.. i couldnt. " Now she was crying as she applied her magic, the crying only to get interrupted when she looked up at Priscilla as she gets handed the journal.

"I.. thank you.. please come back safe.." Sasha says as she clutches the book to her chest almost too ashamed to even give it a glance, not feeling worthy of its teachings. Once Priscilla has left she tends to her mentor for a little while longer before seeking out the head guard to see if she may borrow some equipment, a shield and a short sword at the very least. Hopefully she can get Emma back home without too much trouble.

[Mark3000]

Time: Night Phase 2

Priscilla

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

When Priscilla returned to Gustuv, he smiled. “Said your goodbyes gir..Priscilla” He said as he lifted her onto his horse. “In that case, let's get a move on. My boys are probably bored out of their skulls waiting for me” He said as he helped the young paladin onto his horse. “I’ll explain the job once we’ve put some distance between us and the town.” He said glancing over his shoulder.

With Priscilla up front and Gustuv behind her, they rode through the valley forest to the fort. “So you hear the kings has started worshipping Hellea right? He’s putting a lot of power behind Church of the Black Ocean. But some people aren’t too pleased with this shift in power” He said as the horse hit some rough terrain.

“Fort Claymoor has a lot of soldiers who cling to the old status quo. That’s where we come in. The King wants us to give the fort commander and his soldiers an ultimatum. If they want to serve the king, the must choose to follow the Black Ocean’s doctrine. Refusal will be considered treason which is punishable by death.” He said. While Priscilla couldn’t see it, she could feel his grinning expression

As the two made great time through the woods, a rustle could be heard through the forest. Gustuv seems content to ignore it. But when Priscilla turns her head, she can spot a small caravan being attacked by Kobolds. The cart driver was badly injured as the small creatures moved in on the rest of the inhabitants.

Iona

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Charisma check
Iona: 3 + 16 = 19
Charlotte: 4 + 4 = 8

Charlotte let her guard down for the first time since they started traveling. Mulling over her options, the woman lets out a sigh.

“Summershade across the sea. I wanted to start a new life up there. You know I wasn’t always a prostitute. When I was young, I practiced all kinds of musical instruments. I wanted to become a professional performer. But my family’s debt had other plans. I was sold into bondage then given to Axel to pay off the debt” She said with a hum. “I could make a modest living performing on the streets … If I had my instrument. If you’re itching for a place to go, San Serif is beautiful around this time. It’s known as the desert jewel. Or so some of my clients have told me.” She said twirling her hair. “You can decide once we reach Clayshell”


With their journey just beginning, Charlotte, Iona and Ruby put some distance between them and the shanty town. Iona retraces the path she took to get there the best she can. But eventually the two come to an unfamiliar split in the road. There were three paths, one went north east, straight east and south east. All three paths would take you to your destination, the northeastern path might be able to shave a bit of time off their travels.

Magz

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Aliesha took a moment to look through the notes on her clipboard. It would make sense that she would have a list of who was coming in and out of the Fort. “Many of them sell simple accessories. The sort of small things that might make a soldier’s life here easier. There were two merchants that stood out. One was a husband and wife duo from Oldbury Village to the west. Along with a variety of trinkets, the wife is a fortune teller. They say her predictions are always correct.”

Aliesha continues through her notes trying to find what she wrote on the other merchant. “The other one came all the way from the desert kingdom of San Serif. He was trying to sell the Commander on these strange crystal weapons. They were beautiful pieces of are and craftsmanship. They were deadly too. But the commander said they were too expensive and too brittle. Still, they’re worth a look just to marvel at.”

Just as Aliesha finished, the guards escorted a familiar face threw the main gate. In between them was Morgaine looking a little better than the last time Magz saw her.

Meredith

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Meredith follows Heidi as she reaches the infirmary. A few of the younger priestesses and the head nurse were tending to two monk trainees and the Monk Headmistress, Lei Xiulan. Heidi took out a trio of vials with a strange fluid contained within. She handed a vial to two of the priestesses. All the while, she approached Lei and tried to find the something on her swollen arm. Once she found the initial wound, she used a cloth to whip half of the antivenom on it. She poured the rest of it down the seasoned monk’s throat. “Administer the medicine just like this “ Heidi said as the two priestesses nodded and got to work.

With the situation somewhat under control, Heidi turned to Meredith with a surprised look. “Ms. Strong. I wasn’t expecting you to return so soon. Where’s Evaline? We could really use her assistance.”

_______________________

Once Meredith explained the situation, tears fell from Heidi’s eyes. “To think that Evaline would be taken by the Black Ocean. And now Fort Claymoor is in danger as well. We’ll assist in anyway we can but first we have to……”

Just as Heidi was about to finish, the bells from the bell tower began to ring. But it wasn’t the usually signals. “That’s … the emergency signal!” Heidi gasped in fear. As many of the girls in the infirmary began to panic, Heidi let out a loud whistle. “Everyone calm down!. The Monastery is under attack. I need all students to head to the Cathedral. My apprentices have already opened the way to the safe room there. “ She says as she lifts Lei off the bed. “If you’re able to fight or defend these sacred grounds, please go to one of the four gates (North, South, East, West). There will be paladin trainees waiting to defend us and they may need our assistance. I’ll also need a few individuals to say outside the safe house to protecting it from any stray enemies that get past”

A few people were stunned by just how forward Heidi was acting compared to her usual demeanor. But they all understood what the bells were warning them of. As best they could, Heidi lead the infirmary staff to the safehouse.

Harper

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Just as Harper finished the sequence, the large organ began to move revealing a deep passage. The small hall could easily fit everyone who called the Monastery home. As time went on, more and more woman came to the cathedral and they all made there way into the shelter.

Just as they begin to enter the safe room, two woman came to the Cathedral ( https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/3459200 , https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/246923992051734347/ ). “Are you the one handling the evacuation into the safe room?” The woman with the Bow asked talking to one of the priestesses entering the safe room. The two ignored Harper completely until they talked to another scholar who directed them to Harper’s direction. Harper could see the girl grimach but nevertheless, she approached Harper. “So I guess you’re the one then. Name’s Sydney, This is Kai. Ferrier asked us to come to the Cathedral to look over the safe room. The plan is to make ourselves scarce and pick off any stragglers that get too close to the safe room.”

Just as she finished explaining why they were there, the loud tone came from the bell tower. The tone from the tower was different from the usual sound. It was the warning signal that the monastery was under attack. The rest of the girls rushed into the safe room as Sydney and Kai got into position. “We’re just waiting on the last few stragglers to fall in. If you wanna hide in the Safe Room, we’ll lock it up behind you. But if you wanna help out, we could use a pin cush … I mean the assistance.” Kai said as they kept an eye out for the last few stragglers.

Sasha

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Sasha uses Lay on Hands
Emma recovers 7 HP

Healing Check (Mentality)
Sasha: 4 + 13 = 17

Sasha always had a knack for healing magic. She wasn’t as good as some of the Priestesses who could perform literal miracles. But Sasha’s healing touch stood out among the paladin trainees. The young woman could see a peaceful look wash over Emma’s face as her wounds began to heal. Even the inquisitor’s arm was starting to heal. The bleeding had stopped and torn muscles were starting to reform. But the arm itself was still disfigured. Even with magic or divine assistance, it would be a long road to recovery.

It wasn’t hard to find Elmer. He was checking in on the soldiers that had fought during the rescue mission. He’s somewhat puzzled that Sasha is able to get up with the condition she’s in. Nevertheless, he offers the black haired paladin a set of armor as well as a short sword and shield. “It’s the least we can offer you. We didn’t think that this goblin raid would escalate so quickly. Though I had two more gifts for you.” He said as he handed Sasha a wax sealed letter and a vial with four green pills. “Lady Emma was here in Basinburgh on other business. There was a communica sent from Whitemore for her eyes only. The pills are for you. They were crafted by the locale apothecary. These with the monster baking in your oven. Though it won’t get rid of that mark.” He said with a kind gesture. “Safe Travels Sasha. Please get back safely.

By the time Sasha returned to the makeshift hospital, there was a bit of a commotion around Emma’s Bed. When she gets closer, Sasha sees that Emma is already folly suit in her armor. Her shield is hanging from her back as she adjusts her sword so she can wield it with her off hand. Her sword arm, while better still hangs limp to her side.

“You can just get up and start walking around in your condition?” Once of the Housemaids turned nurses respond as she makes her way to Sasha and the door.

“I appreciate your aid but I must make my way back home. I’ve already left the monastery unguarded for too long. Come Sasha” Emma says with a stern expression.

[mrblah]

She was shocked to see the condition of Head Mistress Lei. The monk trainer was a powerful force in the Monastery and well-adjusted to combat. Meredith couldn't recall a time she'd ever seen her downed, yet it seemed now she had. The situation was just as dire as told. "Mistress Heidi," Meredith began in a professional tone once addressed. She recounted the unfortunate fate of Evaline and of that witch's involvement, sparing no details with a direct tone and impassive face. It wouldn't do to get emotionally choked up right now. Time was of the essence. When she finished, she let out a tense breath, prepared for Heidi's response. Meredith gave no acknowledgement to the woman's tears. She cried plenty herself in the aftermath of Evaline's sacrifice, and Meredith knew she was fairly stoic.

The loud sounding of the bells cut Heidi off before she could finish her reply, silencing the room as they'd listened to the signal. While normally the familiar sound would be written off in a second and everyone would resume what they were doing, this signal was different from the usual. It sounded like... "The emergency signal?!" It was rarely ever heard, but the students of St. Lily were taught to memorize all of the bells' signals. This one was the scariest as it warned of an attack. Meredith didn't blame the others for panicking, but before she could think to help calm them, Heidi had already worked to do so. As expected of a head mistress. "I'll head to defend the East gate, Mistress Heidi." Naturally, Meredith's first thought was to defend her home. Battle was no stranger to her, even if the odds of victory felt slimmer than usual. A wise enemy doesn't often attempt a siege without confidence, and she had a sneaking suspicion that their attackers are under the King's orders...

Meredith bowed to Heidi, then quickly spun on her heel to carry out her mission, hoping she'd get there in time.

[Littlemankitten]

Harper stood by the entrance to the safe room solemnly as people funneled in, but tried to keep her head high even as the two new girls made there way through every other person, clearly becoming more annoyed the closer they got to Harper. It was ok, she was used to such things, and she also knew this could be a chance to earn some of their respect, if only just a little. As the girls finally approached Harper and explained the situation, Harper nodded and looked off towards where the last few stragglers were funneling in from. "I do not wish to hide and c-cower as all my compatriots are under threat... I will join you in your fight to protect t-the monastery." She said a little shakily, but firmly. It was a stressful situation but she wasn't about to let the chance of the monastery falling come to fruition. She was not only going to help save the monastery, but earn the respect of the others as well, was it a bit selfish? Maybe, but it was also going to help the monastery in the long run if there were no internal conflicts. There was to much external threat to be going through such petty squabbles. So, she grabbed her staff off her back and readied herself for the coming fight.

[Blue56]

As she returns, it is not lost on Priscilla that Gustuv stops himself from simply calling her girl and uses her name instead. Perhaps she had earned his respect in that battle? The thought brings a small smile to her lips as she gives a simple nod of affirmation before joining Gustuv on his horse so they can be on their way. Any improvement to her mood is quickly undone however, as Gustuv begins to describe their mission. "I.... I've heard of it, yes." Priscilla mutters in response to topic of the King's worship of Hellea. In truth, she had more than heard of it. Her family had followed their King into madness while Priscilla could do little more than look on and flee once the opportunity presented itself. And now, to keep her end of her bargain she would have to bring that madness to Fort Claymoor? "Such a cruel task you've chosen for me." Is all Priscilla says in reply, her expression darkened and her tone bitter.

Surely there were any manner of things she could do to pay her debt, but for Gustuv to grin like that knowing what he asked a member of the White Flame to do.... Priscilla would strike him down here and now if she believed herself up to the challenge, but she held no delusions that she would stand a chance. Rather than throw her life away so foolishly, she would have to see how the situation at the fort unfolded. In the here and now, Priscilla's attention is called to the plight as some nearby travelers as she sees the group under attack. "Gustuv... I'd like to stop to help those people." She says without giving it any thought, looking behind her at the mercenary. "It won't take long between the two of us. And... There may be a reward in it if we save them." She continues after realizing that the mercenary was unlikely to act to save those people just for the sake of doing so.

[Lorielle]

Having strapped on the gear she was given Sasha felt.. uneasy. Like she didn’t deserve to wear any of this. She looks down at the pills given to her before immediately downing one of them. How easily she had given up.. both her body and her mind. She should have felt ashamed but deep down she was still so... aroused by it all. Not to mention she could still see the tattoo branded onto her. This was no time to worry about such things though. She needed to check on Emma.

Speaking of which when she when she got back to the medics tent she was surprised to see her mentor moving up and about. “Ma’am are you sure you wish to keep moving?” As she says that she reaches out a hand to grab Emma’s free hand wanting to see if she had any energy left to cast more healing magic. “It’ll.. it’ll be dangerous..”

[RandomRoninKitten]

Magz

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Aliesha took a moment to look through the notes on her clipboard. It would make sense that she would have a list of who was coming in and out of the Fort. “Many of them sell simple accessories. The sort of small things that might make a soldier’s life here easier. There were two merchants that stood out. One was a husband and wife duo from Oldbury Village to the west. Along with a variety of trinkets, the wife is a fortune teller. They say her predictions are always correct.”

Aliesha continues through her notes trying to find what she wrote on the other merchant. “The other one came all the way from the desert kingdom of San Serif. He was trying to sell the Commander on these strange crystal weapons. They were beautiful pieces of are and craftsmanship. They were deadly too. But the commander said they were too expensive and too brittle. Still, they’re worth a look just to marvel at.”

Just as Aliesha finished, the guards escorted a familiar face threw the main gate. In between them was Morgaine looking a little better than the last time Magz saw her.

Magz nodded as Aliesha explained what she knew of the Merchant wares, however none of it really appealed to her, especially if the weird weapons were brittle. If such things were useful to a warrior, they would be high in demand, and since these weren't, she figured there wasn't much reason to check them out. She also concluded she wasn't interested in the basic equipment, or the fortune telling, as if she were meant to know what her future was, it would already have been revealed to her.

At that moment, she noticed Morgaine being brought into the city through the gates. While she had hoped she would go on to the Monastery, she had fully expected her to ensure that she was at the very least competent enough to turn in the bounty, after all, a dead dog isn't even good for carrying an item from one point to another, so Morgaine would naturally feel obligated to collect the bounty from her pathetic corpse and finish the job. Gave Aliesha a pat on the head "Thank you for showing me around, but it looks like it's time for me to go. That person there-" she said, gesturing towards Morgaine "-Is here to make sure I didn't get myself killed." she explained, restraining her desire to explain the rest of her thoughts. With her business done, Magz would walk directly passed Morgaine, to make her way back to the Monastery, completely ignoring her presence.

[Mark3000]

Time: Night Phase 3

Meredith

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Meredith hurries to the eastern gate to find two paladins guarding the entrance.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/ ... 90f391.jpg

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/ ... 5fede5.jpg

The blonde haired paladin withdrew her sword from the chest of a small goblin as it fell to the ground. Meanwhile the brunette wiped off the blood from her saber. As Meredith Arrived, the two turned to her. "Sister? Are you here to assist us?" The blonde haired paladin asked with a concerned look.

"Let her help Ferrier, we could use all the help we could get with this." The Brunette replied. While still a little reluctant, Ferrier nodded. "You're right Belladonna. We're happy to have your assistance priestess. It appears the next wave is on it's way."

Just as Ferrier finishes asking Meredith for her assistance , the first wave of enemy appeared. Two masked figured approached the gate quickly intending to rush past the three defenders. One was dressed raggedly like a Common mercenary, while the other was more sharply dressed in a uniform similar to what some of the monk trainees wore. Right behind was a winged imp holding a crooked staff. It was as naked as the day it was born and only wore a wicked smile. As if to match it, Belladonna smiled in return. “Good, my sword was starting to get a bit dry.” She said with a sinister tone. Meredith felt a pit in her stomach that the mercenary and Imp seemed to feel as well. However that didn’t stop the priestess from letting out a Hymn of Retribution.

Quickly, the enemy forces moved to separate the two paladins. The gi wearing Martial artist focus on Ferrier while the mercenary ran right at Belladonna. Both the Imp and Meredith hung in the back providing support. The martial artist uses his speed to out maneuver the paladin and managed to leave a deep cut in her armor. Realizing the miss match, Ferrier ran to take on the mercenary instead. Taking her sword she performs a powerful downward thrust that just misses decapitating the foe. But before they can recover, Belladonna finishes him off with a thrust to the gut. Meanwhile the Martial Artist is preoccupied by multiple streams of lights summoned by Meredith.

Just as the battle starts to go their way, a strange purple mist whiffs through the battlefield. Ferrier and Belladonna both freeze up as their bodies begin to quiver. Paralyzed, the Martial’s Artist’s arms seem to extend and become loose like snakes slithering to bind the paladin. But she manages to roll out of the way, and for his trouble, he gets a conk on the head from Meredith. Summoning her inner strength, Belladonna manages to move and blast the imp with her sword engulfed in holy energy.

Just as the Imp Caster falls, a new set of enemies enter the fray. Another Martial Artist comes to assist his companion. He too is flanked by two goblins. One was wielding a shortbow, while the other wore a red cap and an intimidating pair of daggers. This time, the first Martial Artist attempted to grab Meredith, to no avail. While the second one attempts to escape into the Monastery but is stopped by the three women.

Calling upon the powers of the heavens once more, Meredith manages to strike down one of the martial artists with holy energy. As if in retaliation, the other martial artist slashed Meredith’s side with a hidden blade. It’s tip dipping with poison as Meredith stumbled back. As she healed herself, the two goblins pressed the attack on Ferrier and Belladonna. Not to be out done, Belladonna smote the goblin sharpshooter leaving the monster stunned. While the second martial artist was hit with a downward thrust to the back. Backstepping to avoid the martial artist’s snake-like arms, Ferrier moves back in, slashing the man across the chest. But just as she manages to cutdown the man, the goblin redcap sneaks into her blindside and leaves a deep gash along the base of he neck.

Holding the wound, Ferrier along with Meredith and Belladonna watch as more reinforcements make their way to the gate.It seems the stream of enemies will never end. The next and hopefully last wave arrive. A Imp Caster, a Mysterious Martial Artist and a Goblin Sharpshooter all join the frey. The third martial artist immediately attempts to run deeper into the Monastery. This time, he manages to get past the three defenders.

With the martial artist gone, the two sharpshooters pelt the three women with arrows. A few stray arrows find their marks lodging themselves into Meredith’s neck and shoulder. Just as the pain gets worse, she is touched by Belladonna whos hands begin to glow with a warm light. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” Belladonna said as Ferrier protected them with her shield.

Even under constant assault, Belladonna made her move and rushed towards the Imp Caster. Filling her weapon with holy energy, she smites the second imp into a bloody mess against the wall. A defiant cry from the seamingly dimre woman served as a rallying point. Meredith managed to take out the swift Red Cap with strong whack from her staff. She does the same to one of the sharpshooters while Ferrier manages to kill the other.

An eerie quiet falls over the gate as the last enemy falls dead. As Belladonna breathes a sigh of relief, Ferrier still stands at attention."Don't let your guard down, there's still something out there. I can feel it." Ferrier said with a stoic look. A few minutes pass, then an hour. The sound of battle from the other gates dies down. “Things seems to be dying down. Meredith, Belladonna, can you check on the cathedral where our other sisters are?”

Harper

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Sydney doesn’t seem impressed with Harper’s convictions but nevertheless she gets into position. “Just try not to get yourself killed Harper” Sydney said. Meanwhile, Kai put her hand on Harper’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring nod. In a few minutes, the last few monastery inhabitants arrive at the saferoom. You see a Headmaster Lei being carried by one of the priestesses from the Infirmary. Though you don't see Heidi with them. Once the last student is in. The safe room is closed

As Harper, Sydney and Kai lay in wait for any enemies that get too close to the safe room. Sure enough, a trio of enemies arrive at the cathedral. One is an Imp with wings and a ruby wand. Alongside him was a pair of humans. One in a metal armor, another in a strange martial arts gi Quickly, Harper summons the aid of a Wind Sprite and guides it to Sydney.

With a smile, the adventurer accepts the sprites help and takes aim at the imp in the back. She takes a deep breath and lets loose an arrow right into the monster’s forehead. Ignoring their fallen comrade and charge at Kai. With a straight expression, Kai takes the flurry of blows without flinching. Seeing the ruthless assault, Harper cases a protective veil around the warrior. The Mirror Shield immediately pays dividend as the force of the martial artist’s punch is reflected right back at him. Distracted by the mysterious force, Kai manages to turn her attention to the Mercenary instead and land a fatal blow to a wound left by Sydney’s arrow. Just as the martial artist tries to slice Kai with a hidden blade, she sidesteps the attack and gives him a swift punch to the gut.

Just as the Mysterious Martial Artist falls. The footsteps draw closer and closer until finally the nest set of enemies arrive. This time it is a trio of goblins, two brandishing short bows, while one was in a red cap and holding twin daggers. Just before the new assailants attack, Harper quickly brews a set of bomb vials. Meanwhile Sydney attempts to snipe one of the goblin sharpshooters. She manages to get an arrow to pierce the side of it’s head. Just as it looks like it might fall over, the wounded goblin manages to retain its footing. As the sharpshooters prepare to bombard the three women, the redcap manages to sneak up close to Harper and cut the scholar.

With her bomb vials, Harper causes mass confusion around the battlefield which Sydney use to their advantage. Sydney manages to finish off the first sharpshooter while Kai binds the second one with glowing white chains she summoned from the ground. Just as the Redcap tries to attack Kai, the impact is once again reflected back by the Mirror Shield.

Like the martial artist, the goblin is surprised by the mysterious force and is left vulnerable to Kai’s next attack. A swift kick to the chest into a nearby wall. Harper reapplies the veil just in time to deflect an arrow from the other goblin sharpshooter.

A new set of footsteps resound through the empty hallways. Even the sounds of combat at the other gates can't seems to cover the encroaching doom. The footsteps come to a stop as the next round of enemies arrive at the cathedral. An Imp Caster, a Goblin Redcap and two Martial Artists. Though one of them looked a little worse for wear. But they aren’t given time to regroup as Harper pelts a bomb vial at one of the sharpshooters. The contents explode and the burning goblin falls to the ground. Looking to her other companions, Harper notices that Sydney had disappeared somewhere. Though she didn’t have time to worry about that with one of the martial artists attempting to grab her with his snakelike arms. All the while the Redcap and Kai were exchanging blows.

Harper concocted 3 Bomb Vials and 1 Healing Vial but failed to realize one of the martial artists running to her position. Before he could attack, an arrow pierced him right in the heart. Sydney suddenly reappeared from behind a pillar. Giving Harper a wink, Sydney continues to fire another shot right between the eyes of the last martial artist. Meanwhile Kai wins her duel with Redcap by delivering a swift palm strike that destroys the monster’s ribcage. The imp caster doesn’t get too far before Kai karate chops the little creature into the ground.

The grounds go quiet for a moment, as do the sounds of combat from the other gates. With a sigh of relief, Sydney leans against one of the Cathedral walls. “Woof, I think that might be the end of it. Good work out there kid” Sydney said as she looked to Harper. Kai nodded in agreement.

Priscilla

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Charisma Check
Priscilla: 4 + 5 = 9
Gustuv: 9 + 10 = 19

Despite her pleas, Gustuv just continued to trot along past the endangered merchants. “Whatever reward they’d give is nothing compared to what the kings offering.” Gustuv said as they moved faster past the wrecked cart. “You don’t have to worry about them, as long as the cart driver doesn’t do anything stupid, the kobolds will take his cargo. Maybe cut him up a bit for fun.” He added as you both hear a feminine scream from the cart. “My mistake, she might be in for a rough night.” Gustuv laughed as he rode away.

As the two of you drew closer to the fort, you both trotted past the lake at the center of the valley. Emma would often bring Priscilla and the other paladin trainees here as part of their training, she would make the girls swim the length of the pool of water multiple times as part of their conditioning. Just as Priscilla was reminiscing on simpler times. Gustuv came to an abrupt stop. “The Hell” he exclaimed as a wall of vines blocking their path. But the way they moved was … strange.

Sasha

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Sasha restored 5 HP to Emma

Healing Check (Mentality)
Sasha: 4 + 2= 6

As you heal her body, Emma merely continues to put on the last of her armor. She seems determined to fight even if it’s with her off-hand. “The concern is appreciated but not necessary. We need to get back to the monastery. I’ve been gone too long and need to make sure the girls are keeping up with their training” She said as she beckoned Sasha to follow her.

“So you’re off Emma”. Just as the two of you leave the makeshift hospital, Elmer comes to greet you along with a few of the town guards.

“Yes. I apologize that we couldn’t properly protect your city. In the end we had to rely on that brute for assistance.” Emma said as she clicked her teeth.

Elmer just said a quiet pray, reflecting on the events of the past few nights. “I just hope your other student will be able to handle herself around that roughian. I’ve already given the letter to Sasha. To go through such lengths to get a letter to you. It must be important“ He pondered.

Giving Sasha a stern look, Emma turned back to Elmer. “I’ll learn the details once we read over the letter back home.” She said giving the head guard a salute before leaving. “Come along Sasha” She added in a commanding voice.

___

It was still rather dark as the two of you travelled back to the monastery. But that doesn’t seem to deter Emma as she led the way. “Just a little bit more and we should return by the morning” Emma said with a firmness that hid the agitation in her voice. It may have been the letter or her disfigured sword arm but the paladin was on edge.

Stealth Check:
???: 5 + 11 = 16
???: 5 + 9 = 14
Average: 15
Emma: 6 + 17 = 23
Sasha: 4 + 9 = 13
Average: 18

As you march, Emma raises her hand causing Sasha to stop. “Come out cowards. This is your one and only warning” She said as she began to draw her sword...awkwardly. From the shadows, two figures stepped forward. One was dressed in a gi similar to the ones the monks wear. Except on the back were a strange set of symbols and a snake design around the waist. The other was dressed in a long black robe and held a long black staff. “You seem to be making your way to the monastery. We can’t allow that let you cause problems for our master.” The Gi wearing man said as the two assailants prepared for a fight.

Magz

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As Magz walks past Morgaine, the adventurer does a double take. Saying a few words to the guards that had escorted her and runs to catch up with the downtrodden Paladin.

Speed Check
Morgaine: 5 + 12 = 17
Magz: 3 + 4 = 7

Despite ignoring her completely, Morgaine runs after Magz as they travel back to the Monastery. “Magz! Wait up! Magz” She said as they walked through the forest back to the monastery. “I know something happened between you and Iona. Whatever it was, you can’t let it eat away at you like this. I can see it in you eyes. Those are the eyes of …”

Stealth Check:
???: 5 + 10 = 15
???: 5 + 5 = 14
Average: 15
Morgaine: 1 + 20
Magz: 2 + 16
Average: 18

Morgaine stops mid sentence as she sprints to Magz’s side. Grabbing her shoulder,, Morgaine draws Magz’s attention to the bush. Two figures stepped forward from the shadows. Each was dressed in a gi similar to the ones the monks wear. Except on the back were a strange set of symbols and a snake design around the waist. “Where might you two be going?” One of them asked.

[MiscChaos]

Iona's head visibly bobbles as she thinks, letting Charlotte know that she's heard and is considering. Well, somewhere called the Desert Jewel has to be a pretty beautiful place. And the trek to it has to have plenty to see and experience even if the place itself turns out to be horridly dull. Besides that, where else was she going to go? It's not like the Monastery gave her a travel guide to the world and she never left her hometown before her parents forced her from it. Her hometown is definitely no where she wants to visit. Even if it didn't mean possibly running into her parents, the town itself is nothing spectacular. She'd even go so far as to say it's a terrible place seeing how it wasn't too hard for a 14-year old girl to find someone to sell her virginity to. She halfway wonders if they were falling to the influence of those Black Ocean chumps, but she brushes that off. She doesn't know how much of her knowledge on Black Ocean is real and how much is White Flame propaganda. Since she has the time, she supposes she can find out. If she cares. Which she currently doesn't.

"I don't quite feel like settling down, but Summershade sounds like the place to do it. I also don't mind going to San Serif. Actually, that might just be where we go after we get done with Clayshell. Sounds like a blast." She says, nodding her head as she comes to her decision. She also comes to another one: She'd rather not make her relationship with Charlotte an antagonistic one if at all possible. Traveling with someone who hates your guts sounds like a shitty way to do things. Even if they don't get to the point of being friends, being cordial sounds nice. So since Charlotte shared a bit of her past, it'd be the nice thing to reciprocate. "I didn't wanna be at the Monastery either. Nothing as terrible as my family getting into debt. They just tried to marry me off to whatever rich guy they could find so they could leech off of my new wealth. So you know, piano classes, cooking, poetry, ballroom dance, everything you need to be a rich man's broodmare wife. And then when I decided that wasn't what I wanted out of life, I became a prisoner in my own home. When I rebelled against that, they shipped me off to the White Flames. Cue a decade of forced chastity. Basically the opposite of your situation, really." She finishes with a shrug. While she's been speaking, she decides to go down the Eastern path. Sure, the Northeastern path may be faster, but faster usually means more dangerous. Besides that, she's also in no rush. She's got literal days to get to Clayshell and she can take the time out to admire the scenery and get to know Charlotte. Or at the very least have her not try to bolt the first chance she gets. "We'll see about getting you some instruments when we hit the town. If I'm gonna keep you with me, I'd rather not have us at each other's throats."

[Blue56]

Priscilla looks on in a mixture of shock and horror as Gustuv simply rides past the caravan, leaving them to their fate. She had expected the mercenary to perhaps extort the merchants for pay after they had fought off the kobolds, a tragedy but surely better than the alternative, but to simply ignore it was a surprise. Priscilla can feel her heart sink as a woman's scream echoes throughout the night. She could now vividly imagine just what the poor woman was experiencing and felt helpless that she could only wish for that person's safety. "Coward." Priscilla utters, disgust and venom towards Gustuv apparent in her voice.

Rather than worry pointlessly about things she was powerless to change, Priscilla looks outward to the scenery and recalls her time spent swimming the length of that lake more times than she could even count. She hadn't much enjoyed it back then, but it had made her stronger and she caught herself wondering what she would do differently if she could go back to those days now. Priscilla was brought back to the present by their abrupt stop and her attention is turned to the wall of vines that blocks their path. Had they the means to make fire, burning the vines down would be most effective, but putting the surrounding wildlife at risk and destroying this places natural beauty would be a last resort. "Can we find another path around? If not, I suppose we'll have to try cutting our way through." Priscilla suggests, her hand moving to her sword. The way those vines moved made it feel like they were no ordinary plant, but she had to make it to the Fort. The sooner she finished her job, the better.

[mrblah]

The fight was long and hard. Several times it'd felt like an end to the waves wouldn't be coming and despite their best efforts the three would be overrun, but it seemed Nour's light shined on them still. Meredith wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead as she looked over herself and the others quickly for any injuries in need of immediate aid. A few nasty cuts and nicks here and some torn clothing there... it was mostly a battle of attrition with the waves. Skill-wise, none of their opponents were particularly powerful.

She paused her search as Ferrier spoke and looked to the woman. "Are you sure you wouldn't need Sister Belladonna more? I don't doubt there very well could be more enemies inbound soon, and alone inside the cathedral, I should have an easier and safer time than you would out here." Regardless of Ferrier's response, Meredith would turn and head to the cathedral after applying some quick healing to Ferrier and/or Belladonna depending on if she stayed out with Ferrier.

[RandomRoninKitten]

Magz sighs to herself as Morgaine follows her, just as she thought she would, as much as she had hoped it wouldn't be the case. She continues to ignore her as she speaks, however their path crosses that of two complete strangers in pajamas. As the figures step out of the shadows, Magz mutters to Morgaine "The eyes of someone who is about to bust some heads.", however she decides to address the two anyway "We might be going this way, as you can see. We may also go a different direction, or maybe loop around in yet another direction. Amazing how the human legs work... or don't if you decide to hassle people that you shouldn't." she said, giving the two men in pajamas a cold glare.

The two men returned Magz's cold glare in kind. Neither took theirs eyes off Magz's Claymore, or Morgaine's Short Sword and Dagger. Nor did they try and hide their own hostilities. Blood stains could be seen dotting their uniforms. While a strange scent whiffed from the claw like weapons adorning their hands. "I suggest you take that path over there" One of the men said as she pointed to the southern path that lead away from the monastery. "There are some rather dangerous monsters mulling about the northern path and we wouldn't want you getting hurt."

A glance at Morgaine's face was all Magz needed to see to tell the two were obviously lying. "We can handle ourselves just fine. Unless there's something else you don't want us to see"

Magz slowly and deliberately grabbed the hilt of her Claymore and spoke more slowly, these people didn't seem to value their lives, as if they did, they wouldn't be standing here in front of her, trying to send them away. "The only monsters I see are right in front of me, and they're the ones who are going to get hurt if they don't make like a tree and leave. I'm not obligated to spare your worthless lives, only to warn you that I'm about to take them. You can consider this the warning, next is the taking. This is your last chance; Split or my blade will help you do so." with that, she loosened her body, prepared to make a quick and clean slash on the first enemy to try to stop them.

Magz attempts to open the fight by striking first, however Morgaine is significantly faster, making the first attack by throwing her knife at one of the Pajama Men, however the man evades the attack, then dashes in with his claw, attempting to strike Morgaine, however she easily ducks away from the attack, causing the man to stumble. His companion, while Magz was distracted by the exchange of blows, trying to find an opening, attacks her. Magz sees the attack at the last moment, and manages to avoid the brunt of the claw's strike, only taking a scratch on her cheek as a result. Magz jumps away from the enemy, then tenses up before dashing at the first of the two men, the one attacking Morgaine, deciding it would be best to focus on an enemy instead of fighting one on one. Magz successfully rams into the man, hearing several of his ribs crack from the impact of her shoulder, the strike sending the man sprawling backwards, tumbling across the ground. As soon as he stands, Morgaine is already there, stabbing him in the shoulder with her weapon, causing him to start bleeding profusely. As Magz moves to attack the man again before he can recover, the second attempts to attack her again, however Magz is ready this time and ducks the attack, not missing a single beat as she crosswise, taking off the monk's head before he can recover from Morgaine's stab. With the first monk dead, Morgaine immediately redirects her attention to the second, swinging her weapon at his legs, however he jumps it and grabs her before she can recover from her low sweep. The grapple, however, leaves the monk open, allowing Magz to move to his flank and attack him, lopping off his arm with a upwards slash, freeing Morgaine and allowing her to stab the man in the chest, puncturing his heart and causing him to bleed out extremely quickly.

It didn't take long after Magz finished speaking for the two men to take a fighting stance. Their claw-like knuckles focused on the two women in front of them. " It appears the little one thinks herself brave. Very well, we will just have to put her in her place." One of the men said as he licked his lips. A long serpent-like tongue slips out as it brushed against his lips. "Our master will be pleased when we present him with new toys to break"

"Eww" Morgaine said as she prepared to fight. "I think we'll pass, thanks" She said turning to Magz. "I know you're on the war path right now but can you remember to watch yourself."

As the last of the two men fall, Morgaine wipes her blade clean of their blood. Letting out a deep exhale, she looked towards the path leading home. "I knew my guts was right. Something must be going on at the Monastery. I wonder if Emma or Evaline have returned yet?" She said as she started to sprint up the path. "Let's Hurry Magz, the girls might be in trouble."

Magz nods and puts her weapon away, after she had finished looting the corpses and ensuring they were both legitimately dead by stabbing the bodies once more. "Understood. Hopefully the rest of our opponents are this weak." she said, running after Morgaine while sheathing her sword.

[Lorielle]

Sasha was surprised that her commander was able to sense the presence of the two men. Their black clothing was obviously ominous so she followed her commander's lead and drew her sword and shield. The fight was quick to start as soon as the gi-wearing man was finished speaking taking the time to rush her but she managed to deflect most of the blow with her shield. Using that Emma lifted her blade with easy and dealt a heavy blow to the martial artist who recoiled in pain as blood soaked his black gi. While the two paladins were occupied though the mage in the back finished his incantation and from his staff spewed forth a strange pink mist. Emma was overwhelmed by it a sense of deep arousal stopping her in her tracks as she drank in the Sensual Mist. Sasha was able to resist the effects though and used that opportunity to call upon the goddess to protect the two of them. The fight wasnt very long though Emma manages to overcome her own arousal to land a couple more hits on the martial artist but not before he attacks her with a strange style that Sasha had never seen before. A black ichor dripped from the martial artist's hands but if that was poison or his own blood neither would know as a heavy strike from Emma plunged deeply into the man's shoulder ending his life. From there a look of worry crossed the mage's face as he shot out a strange pink beam from his staff. Both paladins werent sure what it was doing but it wasnt working as the two of them piled on the man Emma ending the fight when she uses the pommel of her sword to hit the man in the ribs and stun him long enough for Sasha to tie him up.

Coop post

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As the two men fall, Emma sheaths her blade and grabs the the Mysterious Caster by the collar. You both could hear his faint breathing as his eyes flicker open. "Alright you little punk, you're going to tell me everything you know before I put you in the ground for good." Emma said with a fierce expression. Though the robe man didn't seem ready to talk.

Sasha's blade was already sheathed when she sees her mentor grab the mysterious spell caster. "I dont think they'll be much of an issue commander," she says to emma as she brings out a bit of rope to tie the person's hands. "We promise not to harm you futher we just need a bit of information." As she says that she rests a hand on the person's shoulder and casts lay on hands.

As Sasha heals the wounded caster, he seems more occupied with the death stare Emma has been giving him. Though the person she was actually glaring at was Sasha. Unsure why the girl was healing an enemy. "You'd best appreciate my pupil's kindness. I on the other hand am more adept with fire then healing." She said as the hilt of her blade began to light up."

With a loud gulp, the caster caved. "Our Master merely instructed us to keep anyone from interrupting his work at the Monastery and to stop anyone who approaches." He said seemingly open to questioning.

Sasha lets out a sigh of relief that the man at least seem capable of being reasonable. "Umm commander you blade.." She says nervously before turning her attention to the man. "Work on the monastery? How soon before he completes his work?"

"He should be finished soon" the caster said with a smirk. "He only came to this hovel to retrieve the master's wife, Lei Xiulan"

"That's a bloody lie if I ever heard one" Emma practically yelled as she drew closer to the downed caster.

"It is the truth. Though the master still needs to convince her to come with him back to their home land. There she will bear a strong heir for the future of our clan."

"Commander we'll need to hurry home..." Sasha spins her head around wondering how far they must be from town. They cant possibly take this man back to the monastery . "Commander if you go ahead first i can hand this man off to the Basinburgh militia and catch up to you maybe see if Prisicllia is back then we can catch up with you. If not..." She looks back down at the man wondering if Emma was about to strike him down.

Taking a deep breath, Emma extinguished the flame that was building within her sheath. "Very Well. I doubt Priscilla will be back for some time. But we can't let this fiend run free. Turn him in to the Militia then rush straight back to the Monastery. With Haste." Emma said with a sense of urgency.

"Understood commander i'll see if i can borrow a horse from someone," As she says that she gives Emma a hug only to try and heal her a bit more before leaving. The way she tied the man's hand she had a length of rope she could tie to her waist to make sure the wizard couldnt run from her as she made her way quickly back to Basinburgh. The wizard was following behind her as it was quicker to drag the man rather than letting him walk in front of her even if it was a bit safer to be behind him

"Sir i hope you see the error of your ways, the white flame is the only thing holding this world together." Sasha tries to say that with the utmost conviction but if the man were observant enough a bit of hesitation was on her voice as she rubs the part of her armor where her brand was.

The man was eerily quiet as they made the trek back to Basinburgh, Only muttering a quiet phrase here or there. It didn't draw much attention at first. But soon, Sasha could feel something prodding at her mind. She could attempt to resist it, What it was she was resisting, she couldn't figure out.

Sasha felt sort of sorry for the man, not wanting to speak to her. She always felt like she was the most conversational of the recruits but she couldnt please everyone. Feeling the prodding at her mind she knew the man must of been doing something. "What are you doing?" She says as she stops walking then turning to face him. "You'll only have one chance to stop whatever it is you're doing or else i'll have to strike you down." Sasha knew what the man was doing wasnt good and put up her mental defenses to put a stop to it

Despite her warning, the caster continued to try and seize Sasha's mind. But the paladin was able to fight off the intrusion. Once the caster knew his plan had failed. He stopped his chanting, and a strange weight was lifted of Sasha's mind. "You are more resilient then you appear." He said as he followed Sasha again. Not intent to invite her wrath.

Sasha gritted her teeth her hand on her hilt as she draws her blade half way out of it's sheathe.. Theres a tense couple of seconds before she lets out a breathe and re-sheathes her blade. "Please dont force me hand, i'll ensure you the next time you try anything i'll knock you out with my hands and drag you to the cell." The clank of her sword's crossguard hiting the scabbard to accentuate her point as she turns back to begin walking once again, despite the weight being lifted off her mind she's not so sure she could resist such an attack again.

[Littlemankitten]

Harper was panting and losing a lot of stamina as the fight went on, she was starting to think she wouldn't be able to keep going much longer before finally the last enemy fell. With a sigh of relief, Harper slumps to her knees and takes a few deep breaths. "I haven't expended that much magic in a very long time, I feel quite worn out now to say the least." Standing back up, she blushes a little from the compliment, it wasn't much of a compliment, but she very rarely got anything approaching one. "Ah, thank you, I was just doing what I was taught is all though." She says meekly, she looks around for a moment then approaches the various corpses littered around her, inspecting them for anything of use. "So uh, what now?"

[Mark3000]

Time: Day Phase 1

Iona

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

It was hard to tell if Charlotte was buying Iona’s sincerity, but the woman did seem to listen to the fighter’s story with intent. “That’s the way of the world I suppose. Between chastity and possibly marrying some prat with small dick, I’d run away too” Charlotte said with a playful smirk. “The White Flame seems like a poor fit for you. Working in a brothel gives you that chance … interact with a lot of different people. You know most people from the northern part of the continent don’t even worship Ki’ra. Most people send their prayers to the one of the Three Wanderers.”

As you walk, Charlotte can’t help but glance down at Ruby every now and then. When she finally builds up the courage to try and pet her, the dire wolf lets out a fierce growl. Flinching, Charlotte returns to her normal pace. “I guess we won’t be friends any time soon. You’ll have to tell me some time how you managed to tame a Dire Wolf”

As the three of you traveled through the forest, you see a rather pudgy looking man kneeling in front of a bush with deep violet berries. As you approach, her turns around with his face stuffed with the small berries. His lips were stained a violet shade. With a big gulp, he opens his hands the ladies. “Royalberries?”
He said offering them a bunch of the Violet fruit. Ruby sniffed the fruit and instantly her tail wagged with delight.

Priscilla:

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

???: 3 + 18 = 21
???: 5 + 20 = 25
Group Average: 23
Priscilla: 2 + 13 = 15
Gustuv: 1 + 5 = 6
Group Average:11

Just as Gustuv gets close to cut his way through the vines, one of them snaps upward aiming for his head. It connects and you see the large man fall on his back in a daze. As Priscilla watched Gustuv get smacked by the vines, another vine points directly at her before shooting a strange thorn at her. The thorn finds its way into Pricilla’s arm. A strange substance is injected into her body, but she manages to shake off the effects of it.

Finally the vines retreat as the creature's true bodies reveal themselves. A pair of ropers, one with a green core, the other with a black core begin to move slowly towards the two warriors. With Gustuv stunned, the Green Roper moved in to finish him, but his wild flailing missed. Moving to his aid, Priscilla lets loss a wide swing. The Green Roper manages to evade, but the Black one is almost cleaved in half. In retaliation the Black Roper smacks Priscilla in the shoulder.

Just as Priscilla prepares for the next sortiee, she feels a hand on her shoulder. “CHEAP SHOTTING SONUVABITCH!” Gustuv yelled as he charged forward and practically cut the Green Roper in half down the middle. Following his lead, Priscilla used her sword to finish off the second Roper. With the battle won, the path was clear. Though that didn’t keep Gustuv from letting out his frustrations on the Roper corpses. “You like that! You piece of shit!’ He said giving is a multitude of kicks. When he was finally finished, Gustuv got back on his horse and called Priscilla back. “We’ve wasted enough time with these bastards, let's get moving.”

After a few more hours of riding, the two of you eventually reach the gates of Fort Claymoor. There, two guards stop you from entering. “State your name and business” One of the men asks. Gustuv climbs down his horse and approaches the two guards. “Gustuv Major, leader of the Skull Barren Mercenaries. Some of my men have already arrived to assist in guarding this fine establishment. I even have a meeting with General Ironblood” He said before turning to Priscilla, and this is my protege.” He said letting Priscilla introduce herself.

While one of the guards looked a little distressed, the other let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you’re here. Your men were starting to get a bit rowdy. I know you just got here but would you be able to talk to them about following proper protocol here?” He asked in a sincere fashion. Gustuv merely laughed and gave the young man a pat on the shoulder. “I’ll be sure to bring it up after my meeting with the General” Gustuv replied as the two of you entered the gate.

In the courtyard, many of the soldiers stationed at the fort were training. But there were quite a few merchants selling their wares inside the fort walls. In truth, the fort felt more like a checkpoint then anything else. In one corner of the courtyard, Priscilla could see a few of the other mercenaries she saw back in Basinburgh. The group waved over their captain and the two of you walked over to them.

“Everything in order boys?” Gustuv asked his men. A short chuckle left the small group. “Everyone’s in place, they’ll start on you’re signal. Though we didn’t know you were bringing extra help” One of the men said giving Priscilla a lusty glare. “Keep it in your pants boys, she’s with me. Come on Priscilla, let's go meet the General”

Magz, Harper, Meredith and Sasha

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As Sasha and Emma approach from the eastern gate of the monastery, they hear the sounds of battle. Rushing forward they find a litany of bodies lying on the ground. A few were goblins, the others were dressed similarly to the men that assaulted them. Getting closure to the gate, they see Ferrier standing watch. “Sasha!, Lady Emma!” You’re safe!” Ferrier said rushing to the two of them and giving the wounded Headmaster a salute. “We are currently fending off an enemy attack ma’am. The last wave was hours ago. Once things are settled, I’ll send a party into the surrounding forest to make sure they’re clear.”

Emma gave a salute in return and nodded intently. “Good work Ferrier. I will leave command of the defenses to you.” Emma said as she looked towards the cathedral. “Have the rest of the girls reached the Safe Room?” Emma asked. Ferrier nodded. “Yes Ma’am! I had Sydney and Kai handle guarding the entrance.” Without much of a word, Emma marched inside towards the cathedral. “Come Sasha, we have places to go!”

Meanwhile at the cathedral, Sydney, Kai and Harper were trying to catch their breath after a long fought victory. As Harper asked what came next, Sydney answered. “Well the plan is to wait until a rep from all the other entrances arrives.” Just as Sydney finishes. Three woman arrive at the cathedral coming from three different directions. Meredith was the first to arrive. Then a paladin and adventurer coming from the North and South respectively came to meet the group.. Both of them were heavily injured but were still standing … barely. “All’s clear at the northern gate.” Paladin said as she limped towards the small group. “ Same at the southern gate.” the adventurer added as she held her shoulder in pain.

Once Meredith gave her report, everyone hear a slow footsteps coming from the direction of the western gate. From the archway stepped Heidi, blood washing down her face. Before she reached the group, she collapses on the ground. Immediately, they all rush towards the fallen scholar. As Sydney tips her head upward, short breaths escape her mouth.

“There is a man attacking the western gate. The other girls helped me to escape. But they’re in danger” She said before passing out. From her pouch rolled two Elixirs, some of Heidi’s finest work. It’s said potions like this can revive the mind, body and soul.

As Magz approached the western gate, her and Morgaine hear a scream coming from that direction. Running to the gate, the two of them see the ground covered in bodies. Most were wearing the same uniform as the two men that attacked them. But on the ground also lay one of Magz paladin sisters. Just by the gate stood a man in a strange red outfit
( https://gelbooru.com/index.php?page=pos ... id=4204757 ) . Even from a distance, you can see as the foreign man strangles a gasping priestess. “Now tell me where Lei Xiulan is. Least I subject you and your compatriot to a new form of torment” He said with a cold, biting tone.”

[MiscChaos]

"I could've told ya I wouldn't be happy in the White Flames from day one. But, ya know, they taught me how to wield my fists and Ki as a weapon so it wasn't entirely crappy. Just kinda sucked being surrounded by so many beautiful women and being unable to touch a single one!" She gives a sigh of annoyance at that last thought, but moves past it. What's done is done and in the past. Dwelling on it will just disrupt her flow and make her less effective. What Charlotte says about the Three Wanderers does catch her attention though. She knows nothing about that religion seeing as it's not one of the ones Ki'ra was actively trying to stomp out apparently. "Huh. I don't know anything about the Three Wanderers. The White Flame wasn't spouting off about how their worship was corrupting the Kingdom or how their followers were misguided devotees of the old ways meant to be pitied and educated. Tell me more?" She asks, wanting to expand her knowledge as far as possible. After all, it's harder to be tricked and trapped into something if you have the knowledge to help you know you're being tricked. All she knows about the Black Ocean could very well be propaganda from the White Flame. She's fairly sure what she knows of the Wild Gods is so since the knowledge is so condescending.

Her thought process is thrown off when she hears Ruby growl. Turning around, she sees it was at Charlotte. Makes sense. When Ruby first reappeared, it was in a battle where she saved her and Magz from Alex and Charlotte. Maybe the wolf is holding a grudge? Or maybe she just doesn't trust the other human yet. "Oh yeah. When we met her pack was under attack from another pack. They got slaughtered and she was about to get gang raped, so me and my friends stepped in and saved her. Afterwards, I was the only one who really interacted with her, so I guess she got attached to me. I dunno about 'tamed', but at the very least I consider her a friend. And I kinda hope she considers me the same." She says with a shrug. With a smile, her leans over and runs her hand through Ruby's fur. "Hopefully she'll warm up to you." All conversation stops when she sees the man in a bush of berries. She doesn't know what a "Royalberry" is. The man looks alright so if they're poisonous, they're not immediately so. They're apparently delicious though given how the an is literally on his knees shoveling the stuff into his gullet. And Ruby seems to give them a seal of approval. Still, one of the few lessons she actually agrees with from her parents is the dangers of taking things from strangers. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I'm not necessarily fond of taking food from people I don't know. Won't stop either of you from having some if you want though." She says, looking at Charlotte and Ruby. If none of them do, they'll just move on. Otherwise... well, she'll see what happens. She won't take it, but maybe she can see what happens if someone else does and use that effect to her advantage in the future.

[mrblah]

Meredith came upon the group in the cathedral. As one would expect, they looked somewhat disheveled and tired out from defending their home. She knew a few enemies slipped by her and her team at the gate... if this wasn't simply another uncontrollable aspect of war, she'd apologize. As it were, there wasn't even time for that. They had to be quick in their work—the enemy would never give a break. She prepared to give her report, just as two others showed up. A paladin, and an adventurer, just before she had. Meredith let them speak their peace first, more interested to hear if the other gates needed help. They looked far more hurt than she had... when it was her time, she spoke up. "The eastern gate is clear for now." She suspected this wouldn't be true for long.

As if responding to her pessimism, the slow footsteps of a badly injured Heidi drew the attention of the others and Meredith. "Headmistress Heidi!" She gasped at Heidi's damaged state, rushing over with the others to assist her immediately. She remained quiet as Heidi spoke her few words, before the headmistress herself fell silent. "..." She settled down when she spotted the elixirs, picking one of them up to identify it. This... should heal her. Meredith handed it off to one of the others indiscriminately, not caring who took it. "Someone needs to stay behind and tend to Heidi, and another person needs to remain back to provide any necessary assistance. I'm going out to the western gate and I'll accept any able bodies who want to accompany me. Bring the other elixir if you want." Meredith's tone of voice hardened as she was reminded of her time in the war. It felt like she was on the cusp of another...

With her intentions stated, Meredith stood to hurry out to the front lines once more, offering no further words to the others in her rush to combat whatever was endangering the lives of two of her comrades.

[Littlemankitten]

Harper nodded at their words, wondering if she should go and check up on the other gates now instead. Just as she thought that, she saw one of the Priestesses approach, soon accompanied by a paladin and adventurer of some description. Harper sighs in relief when they all give their assessments, it's seems the battle was being won on all fronts. As if to prove her wrong, Heidi then approached and gave her own assessment before collapsing. Harper gasps and quickly helps the priestess check up on her, who then shoved a potion into her hands causing her to stutter for a bit. Once the priestess displayed her intentions, Harper stammered a bit more, conflicted on what she should do. On one hand she wanted to help with the fight, on the other she figured she should help Heidi. After a bit though, Harper gained some resolve and decided that helping her would be for nought if the entire monastery fell in the battle. "I shall help as well!" She stated before rising up. She would then join the priestess and head for the battle zone to and do her best to save the monastery.