Dramatis Personae
Beltin (Aasimar Dirge Bard/Cleric 12).
"Jake" aka Alex, the actual character name but I refuse to go back and edit the old entries (Human Wizard/Rogue 12).
Zai (Human Tetori Monk/Lore Warden Fighter 12). MISSING PLAYER, PLAYED BY JAKE.
Glory, aka the Righteous Fury of Heaven (Aasimar Synthesist Summoner/Bloodrager 12).
Totes escaped, Session 19.3 - 11/28/14
Day 48, night
Mama Grim makes the boo boo feel all better... sort of
The party arrives back in Camp near the Greed Elemental barracks and Jake heads inside immediately to Mama Grim; his shoulder hurts and he wants his mommy to make it better. Zai and Beltin follow immediately, but Glory is horror struck by what he sees.
The Camp, a shanty town composed of scavenged shelters that barely contain the elements and tents. Beggars sitting in abject poverty, their pleas for aid ignored. This is not how things are supposed to be. It is not like this in Heaven. This is all wrong. A single tear runs down his cheek as he is exposed to another depredation of the material plane.
Glory eventually regains some composure and steps into the barracks. He is not reassured by what he sees inside.
Meanwhile Jake stumbles into the barracks in obvious pain and his men, some sleeping, some playing cards, turn and look at him surprised by the sight of their fearsome, ruthless, invincible leader in such a state. Jake moves toward Mama Grim who is busy cooking a delicious midnight snack for the men who are still up: Her cooking is always delicious, even though it is highly poisonous if eaten before she says it is ready after all.
He collapses on the ground near her work section and calls to mommy to make him feel better. She tells him in a tone you would use to lightly scold a naughty child that he has to wait his turn as mama is cooking right now but it is almost done. And so Jake, the cunning, vicious mercenary commander, does as he is told and waits in agony for dinner to be done.
In a few minutes it is and the men thank Mama Grin as though she was their own mother and she beams at them. Now then, to Jake. She inspects his shoulder and tuts, saying it is a bad wound, a cursed wound, but he got off lighter than she had expected. Not many people come back from the Tower of Weeping Sores in such good shape. Beltin and Jake notice this offhand comment revealing she knows much more than she tells, but before they can inquire further she has already moved on in her doting, senile way.
She applies an ointment and makes him drink his medicine and most of the pain is eased and the wound closes, but a the area remains heavily scarred and raw looking. It will never really heal Mama Grim says, but that's all there is to be done. Jake asks what happened to him and Mama explains that the demon's blood is his now and his blood is the demon's. They are one and the demon will always be watching now.
Jake asks for a cure for this and Mama Grim suggests taking out all his blood, but "that may not help you unless you want to be dead, dearie."
Mommy goes on to mention off hand that Jake must have made an impression at the tower because they only do this to their most dangerous and elusive guests. It's not like Jake and the party would be the first people to get out of the tower, explains Mama Grim. It's just that it doesn't count as an escape unless you remain out, she says with her little cackle.
Reasonable responses
At these words Jake goes cold and paranoia washes over him ("But is it really paranoia when they really are out to get you?") and he yells for his already somewhat shaken men to form up. He tells them he wants this barracks secured. Watches set. No one goes in or out!... except the other PCs who do what the hell they want. Beltin sighs and decides he will settle in here for the night for Jake's sake.
Around this time Glory walks in and sees the hag attending to Jake and immediately gets ready to fight before Beltin explains she's cool. Glory does not look like he values Beltin's opinions very highly at all, nor does he look comforted, but he sits down at a table and keeps an eye on her.
Mama Grim brings over some food for her favorite boys and upon seeing Glory in his angelic splendor (bronze skin and heavenly white wings help) immediately thinks he is one of her grandchildren but is distressed by his appearance. Oh, what have they done to you? Where are you beautiful horns and your lovely red skin? What of your darling tail? She dotes over him, obviously distressed by the loss of her grandson's handsome demonic features.
Glory says nothing but is looking more and more tense and uncomfortable as she goes on and on about how unwell he looks and asking him what happened. Finally he breaks when she mentions how she is so proud of him as the last time she saw him, her grandson, he was ("Or will be, maybe it hasn't happened yet...") leading the forces of the abyss to shatter the high heavens and slay the heavenly host himself.
This is just too much for him and he walks away from her and table, still saying nothing to her. Mama Grim remains distressed about the change in her "grandson" ("Oh honey, I hope it's just a phase!") and insists that Jake make Glory drink some "medicine that will make him feel more himself."
By this time Glory is as far away from Mama as he can be in the barracks and doesn't hear the exchange and drinks the medicine with minimal deceit from Jake... and immediately spits it back out, nearly throwing up. Unholy water: Just the tonic a sick demon needs to get better soon. At this point he makes for the door and heads off into the night, still ignoring Mama Grim's concerned pleas that he finish his medicine.
And Glory wept
The Camp is much worse than he had thought at first glance. The callousness he sees in the men here with their cold, cold eyes. The filth. The despair. The smell of blood and death. It is almost too much to take and he walks through the streets in his angelic beauty with tears threatening to overcome him.
He is noticed due to his extremely unusual appearance by those still out so late (mostly those on their way to their vices or on the way back from), but when he comes upon some beggars who asks for his aid and his blessing, he grants it and gives them the small amount of gold he has. They take it and one man says that though he appreciates it so much, could the nice angel find it in his heart to find him a place to stay out of the muck? He suggests a room at the Moaning Whale... the brothel.
At this point Glory begins to suspect that these people will take him for all he's worth, but even if he wanted to give more, he has no more to give and continues on. Eventually he finds his way to his destination, the crusader encampment. He will fulfill the wishes of Heaven and aid them.
Outside the main command tent he sees two guards and approaches. They see an angel come to them, though one splattered in blood and muck and wearing rags, and they don't know what to do. A diplomacy check later and they are bringing news of the heavenly messenger to the highest ranking man still in the command tent and that man comes out.
It is the unnamed bureaucrat of Thyr, the one who in his cold indifference gave the job of disposing of highly dangerous biological weapons to a band of psychopaths (i.e. the party) simply because it was convenient and "cost effective." He seems distinctly unimpressed by the poor looking angel and asks what Glory wants, every word thick with disdain, disgusted at the thought that this ragged figure be so near him.
Glory decides that he has not descended from Heaven and endured unspeakable cruelty and pain just to be talked down to by someone in middle management. He calls forth all the righteousness and power of Heaven and manifests his eidolon form, the large four armed obviously divine being bathed in golden light.
He opens his wings to their full span and tells the middle manager that he speaks with the divine authority of Heaven and that he WILL speak to the leader of the crusaders. The two guards drop to their knees and bow before him and beg his pardon for any offense they may given. The middle manager stands in stunned silence for probably a good 30 seconds and then he wordlessly gestures and leads Glory on, away from the command tent.
The divine messenger
The middle manager leads Glory through the crusader encampment and out, past a few large lavish stone buildings (Beltin's mansions) and beyond to the very edge of the camp. Glory keeps his eidolon up as they go. Some crusaders prostrate themselves as he passes and others just gawk. It's clear Glory's arrival will be the talk of the Camp by morning.
Finally they arrive at a small simple adobe cottage standing alone, more in the Desolation then in the Camp. The middle manager knocks on the door with one last uneasy look at the Righteous Fury of Heaven.
A few seconds later the door opens and the commander of the crusaders stands in his doorway wearing simple clothing, almost peasant clothing, clothing certainly beneath his station, but then so is his house. His eyes widen as he looks at Glory in all his glory and he listens wordlessly as the middle manager explains. The commander tells the man to go back to the command tent and await further orders and then he invites the angel into his humble abode.
As the middle manager leaves, Glory dismisses his eidolon to more easily fit and steps inside. The commander's house is a tiny single room. There is a mattress of stuffed straw and a rough table and one chair. On the table are reports and a map of the Desolation. It is not the home one would expect of a man of power.
The only clue as to whose home this is sits in one corner; a stand holding a set of battle worn but flawlessly cleaned armor bearing the holy symbol of Muir and a greatsword that glows faintly with white light.
While his officers and his superiors back in Bard's Gate may have fallen into the temptations of wealth and comfort, the commander stands out as a man of principle. He is a humble servant of Good and he will not be corrupted. He is here for Muir's glory, not his own. He is a true believer.
All admirable characteristics, thinks Glory, but is this man a zealot? This question weighs heavily on him; the path of zealotry can lead to damnation after all.
Glory says he was sent by Heaven to investigate the evils of Tsar and cleanse this land of evil. He is here to aid the crusade. And so he starts his tale of what befell him in the Tower of Weeping Sores and his escape. He mentions the party in less than flattering terms and the commander nods; oh yeah, he knows those guys all right.
The two talk for quite some time and the commander bestows him with official power among the crusaders. He will have the authority of one of the commander's personal retinue. Anything he needs for his divine mission, just ask.
Well he does need some necessities, like a place to stay, some food, and maybe some clothes that aren't prisoner rags. The commander says that can be easily arranged and they walk back to the crusader encampment together, Glory staying in his less conspicuous form. The commander takes him back to the middle manager and tells him to obey Glory and do as he asks.
And so the middle manager does, though some of his condescending manner returns now that Glory is not a 12 feet tall, 900 pound warrior of light. He gets him some basic grunt clothes and trail rations and then assigns him a tent all his own before making himself scarce.
By this time it is practically dawn and Glory settles in to get a few hours of sleep before greeting the new day. Before he does so though, he casts Contact Other Plane and asks the will of Heaven. What should he do now?
"Watch and see."
Very helpful, Heaven. Thanks for the input.
End of Session. No casualties.
