An unwanted arrival

Zordlon also shows up at the funeral. It has fire. Fire is good. It makes things go boom.

The funeral is short, and not many people were around. Ren helped Gabriel prepare the digging site while Prytania did the same with Timothy. When the time came, Timothy was looking a lot better than he did when he entered the workplace. A finely engraved wooden slab was placed, and few words were spoken... No one really knew him: " May this remind everyone to follow the right path. Thank you for teaching us that, Timothy... Now you may forever rest in peace" Then, with a rope, they placed him on the ground and closed the hole. Prytania went back inside the manor to change herself, and left the few bystanders to talk for a while. When she was finished, Henry quickly excused himself and entered his house. Even tho she changed her clothes, she still smelled a bit like grave under the perfume. " Thanks for coming Zordlon. I'm happy to see that you stand for the cause, I'll see you around"  - Then she approached Ren - " Thanks for the help, so... What do you say, Ren, do we go visit Azariah? "

As Prytania walks away Zordlon touches the plaque "Yes...... but what path is the right one? The path of utter  devotion to a cause(Armand) or the path with some leniency (Prytania)?" 

Prytania didn't even stop at Zordlon's comment, and kept walking towards Ren " The one that doesn't end with everyone burning for our fears "

     "There's no point in debating the better path, what's happened has happened." Ren said as he was close-by. "Anyway, want to get going to Azariah's place? I'm curious about this niece of his, especially after this morning."     Hmm, why am I interested? Well whatever, I'll figure that out when I get there. 

" Oh, We should bring along something to eat! Let me fetch one of my chickens... And some eggs! " It took a good while, but finally, Prytania came out of the Manor. The image was a bit odd, She was dressed in really good clothes, carrying a sack with a live chicken bouncing inside and a backpack. Meanwhile, outside, Ren awaited her with his pants still covered in dust after the burial. " Well, let's get moving! "

Arriving at Azariah's home, they found it very... Normal, for a place where three half-devils lived. I mean combined they made one and a half devils! The front room that served as his storefront  was marked by a wooden plaque that had "Azariah" beautifully scribed upon it.  Entering, they found the room very neat and tidy. Fitting the home of a carpenter, the place was better built than many of the other houses in the town. A rowboat sat at a tilt in the corner of the room, freshly varnished on one side. Azariah's apprentice Khaanyr could be seen packing up tools through the open door to their workshop. His young niece could be seen through the open door to Azariah's bedroom, her case open on the bed unpacking her meager possessions with her one good hand. Azariah himself was leaning back in a chair, and nodded to them as they entered. "Hello you two. So. What's to be done about the idiot dwarf?"

I think I'll go for a walk.  Yep.  Need to stretch the ol' legs.  A little exercise after that bout with the mummy.  Who would have thought Harold would survive a mummy only to be k.... Enough of that.  A little walk through town.  Past the farm, through the market.  Right over by Azariah's house...  Seems like good exercise, don't it?  Man oh man, what a smile...  Is that Ren and Prytania going in over there?  I wonder why Ren is there?  Probably saw that smile...  What a cruddy night.   Issachar spun on his heel in the middle of the street, heading home almost as fast as he walked by the market...

     As Ren and Prytania walked into Azariah's how he noticed Issachar not too far away, he didn't really think too much of it however. I got to admit, this is a nice place. As they walked in Azariah was waiting for them.      "Hello you two. So. What's to be done about the idiot dwarf?" (Azariah)      "Idiocy comes in many forms, I wouldn't consider this one of them, although I don't think that is what is important here. " Ren takes a look around. "I don't think we have much of a choice outside of showing up at midnight, I don't believe conflict is necessary I'm sure you agree as well." 

" I hope it isn't, Armand can be quite... Stubborn. He's well intentioned, but his zeal blinds him sometimes, it's gonna be hard to get him to bend his knee  - After a small pause, Prytania just shrugged -  I don't know... I guess we'll have to show up and make sure that no one gets hurt out of this" - Bringing the sack forward across her shoulder - " Aaanyway, I brought some dinner if you want to discuss it more calmly..."  - The chicken woke up with the shake, and started clucking and shaking again   - "Uh... Do you have a kitchen?"

"Just give the chicken to the boy." Azariah said, nodding his head back towards Khaanyr in the other room. "He'll prepare it." They both noticed that Khaanyr, unlike Aliiszha and Azariah, was barefoot. For a rather simple reason, his legs ended in hooves. "I'm going to say it how it is to the dwarf. My niece is not a necromancer, though she can cast spells that fascimile their powers. But if she casts them again she'll get a hiding from me. As for him, I plan to make him an oath, if my niece ever attacks him, he is free to attack back, but if he comes after her unprovoked. I will kill him."

     "I think this has gone a little beyond your niece since a certain someone also revealed they were a necromancer in public today..." This comment was obviously directed at Prytania. "I'm sure that is why he called you there as well." Ren closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Azariah, your niece seems like a nice person, although maybe a bit energetic, and we've known Tania for a while. I don't judge people purely by their methods. However there are going to be many who do and even for those who don't, trust is something that is built up over time. Armand is wrong on many things but he represents more than himself. "      Ren signed (As he seemed to do as a hobby). He laughed a little in his head. What am I talking about? This isn't going to change how either of them acts or talks. 

Prytania walked in to give the chicken and some eggs to Khaanryr, and while she was there, gave a quick good look at the house. Then she looked for a place to seat - " May I? " - and waited for the others to sit down while playing with her hair sporadically. Without her armor she looked a lot more... Young, but also her country-girl side popped up a little bit. - " Well, I don't want to offend, but being as he is, with all the smite the evil!! thingie, I'm not sure he will accept an oath from a tiefling...   Yet, it's the best plan we have, AND the deal is more than fair" - She stopped playing with her hair -  "To be honest, as Ren said, he'll probably leave your niece alone after he finds out that I am a necromancer" - and sighing, she added:  "In fact, if he hasn't heard about it, Zordlon has probably told him by now"

"Zordlon does seem a bit of a blabber-mouth" Azariah agreed, nodding her to a chair in the corner of the room. Saw dust edged the room, but the floor itself was mostly clean. "As for the oath. Tieflings are the children of devils. Not demons. We're from the lawful side of the under-plains, and thus, we're more likely to keep our word than... Well he is. I'd trust a devil sooner than I'd trust an angel, devil's are up front with their treachery, Angels use 'good intentions' and 'the greater good' to lie and scheme and trick you into doing what they want of your own free will."

     "If Armand gives his word, I think it is safe to assume he will keep it. Those who are devoted fear their gods more than anything else." Ren clenches a bit at that. "But regardless of that, I think the bigger problem is he isn't going to give his word, his god demands it. I'm no political, but even if you say Aliiszha won't make more necromancy, the moment she even uses magic she will be under suspicion again." Ren had just assumed Aliiszha used some sort of magic subconsciously. She was smaller and had a limp arm, most crippled people chose not to rely on their bodies for power.      "This may not solve the problem but if she is able to avoid using any magic around the townsfolk or clerics that would go a long way." Though that may not be easy. She will need to defend herself, especially because of this incident. 

" His god doesn't demand any of that!  - Jumped Prytania, almost cutting Ren mid-sentence  This witch hunt comes from some sort of... Of... Fear... Or burden that he has. For all Torag cares about the undead, he'd be better off forging a shield!" - Prytania noticed that she was gesturing and had risen her tone a few notches and slowed down - " Uh... Sorry, I get a bit passionate about these things, but you know... " " As for the oath, it's the evil part of the devils that may trump this. I think he knows you are an honorable man, Azariah " - Said Prytania with a smile that faded as she turned her head towards Aliiszha - " And since it also concerns her, What does your niece think about all this?

"She thinks its all rather ridiculous, but she's got her masters views on religion. She knows to shut up when she has to, and is better at playing nice than I am. Her magic is not a usual sort, so it may get some looks. Though hardly as many as my own gets. After all." He grinned, as his body turned into that of a werewolf, and shifted back. "Theres a big difference between her shooting bolts of magic, and... That. I doubt she'll have any issues as long as she doesn't use any clearly evil spells again."

      She's better at playing nice than you? That doesn't really say much. "I don't know if everyone will be able to tell the difference between bolts and magic, but if she believes it to be fine, then it's her choice." Ren took another look at Aliiszha in her room. "Regardless you'll have to clear things up with the cleric first or things aren't going to go well.      Ren suspected talking like this wasn't really going to get anywhere. It seemed like both Prytania and Azariah both knew that there stances were and what was going to be done at midnight. He would need to ask Aliiszha later about that. ..... "Have you talked to your niece yet?" 

Hearing some yelling Zordlon goes up to azariahs house and knocks. (what do you mean edit?I didn't misspell my own characters name)

" Well, I guess the only thing left to do is to have dinner and prepare for the meeting. I'd like to be at ease with your niece first, tho. There will be enough animosity in the temple already... " Just as she was going to call her, someone knocked at the door.

"Go talk to her then." Azariah said, waving to the both of them to go to his bedroom. Azariah stood up, adjusting the jacket that hung from his neck and shoulders. He walked to the door and opened iy "Zordlon? What is it?" meanwhile, they heard a squawk that was suddenly cut off as khaanyr killed the chicken, and alliizsha looked up in their direction 

Kellen peeks around Zordlon's side. " if you dont mind me asking, but there was quite a commotion this morning. i saw armand storming all around town and i must say he looked down-right furious. id simply like to know whats going on and if theres any way i can help to solve this matter...er.....peacefully. the other townsfolk said something about an ultimatum and murder at midnight or something, it sounds like something a less biased mind would help with. i heard a bit about the zombie and our friend here being a necromancer, which im sure everyone has been talking about, but the real problem right now is armand's threat. we cant allow people to go around shouting death threats in town, its simply un-civilized and downright against the laws."

Azariah was right, better do it before something else happens... Prytania stood up and gestured Aliiszha to get in the room with her (" This is going to be tough... ") While Aliiszha got to the room, Prytania played with her, wondering how to approach this with (" Ali... Alicia?... It was something like that.. Ali- ") Too late, she was already there: " Listen... Alisha... I'm sorry for overreacting a bit this morning. I don't want to mess your relationship with your uncle, or the town for that matter... But you have to understand that I can't stay idle while someone treats a corpse like that." - Nodding, she added:  "You probably don't care, but I fought quite a lot for Timothy to be buried properly instead of just being burned away... And luckily, that solved part of the problem". Now, I get that we probably won't be friends anytime soon, but we have to work together to solve the rest, so... What do you say? Do we bury the hatchet for now?

"Hi Azariah. I heard yelling. Is Armand here trying to 'cleanse' Aliishza with some hind of burning?" From his tone it appears Zordlon actually expects Armand to try this.

(Sorry for the wait guys, Ill have a reply in the morning)

Azariah looked at Kellen, right, the girl from the dungeon. Giving a gentle grunt, he explained. "My niece arrived with a zombie, Armand took issue and thinks he has right to rule this town with an iron fist. I am going to explain otherwise." He toled her, before looking to Zordlon. "No." Was all he told the rather... oblivious, elf. --------------------------------- "Aliiszha." She immediately corrected. But seemed quite calm compared to her earlier, stroppy self. Giving a little smile, she listened to what Prytania had to say. Finally she replied. "I was a bit of a bitch wasn't I?" She extended her left hand for a shake. It wasn't like she could do so with her right hand.

(Kellen has no gender at this point, people just call him/her whatever) " I agree. There will be no such rule as long as me or my men have a say in it."

Prytania didn't expect that reaction from Aliiszha, but oh well, a problem solved is a problem solved... - " Yea, I guess we both were " - She said, now smiling as she shook her hand. " Well, Let's see how the chicken goes "

     Ren had followed the girl to Aliiszha's room once Azariah waved them away. Prytania seemed to have trouble with her name, which was fair as Ren didn't find it that easy as well. Luckily after that yelling on the docks Ren had a pretty good idea what her name sounded like. Prytania ended with an apology.       "Now, I get that we probably won't be friends anytime soon, but we have to work together to solve the rest, so... What do you say? Do we bury the hatchet for now?" Aliishzha seemed to accept the apology. ""I was a bit of a bitch wasn't I?"     Ah, well that went better than I thought it might. Ren took a step forward and reached his arm out, "Well, I think your uncle already introduced me but my name is Ren." Not that we did much during that meeting. Mostly yelling between family, though I do think I made a good first impression... why was that again?       Regardless Ren continued. "Your uncle seemed to get quite angry when it came to you, what was that about?" You would never let me get hurt... Ren remembers Azariah's reaction to those words. That probably has something to do with it. I'm also curious about that arm.  "And also, I take it your arm is injured. You haven't moved it one bit since getting here and you posture would seem to indicate that." 

Aliiszha nodded in response to Prytania, giving her a larger smile in return. Prytania could see that she wore what looked like a ring made of darkness around her middle finger, looking to Ren as he spoke in turn. She went to shake his hand, and then he saw her blush. He had only a right arm, whilst only her left arm could move. It was... Rather impossible for them to shake hands. "It's nice to meet you Ren. As for my uncle... We have history. He doesn't like seeing me because... Well he never forgave himself. I think he considers me his one and only true failure." She reached over and yanked down one side of her robe, using her cape to cover herself as that side of the robe fell free down to her belt. It revealed that from her shoulder down, reaching along her collarbone and up her neck as well. She was terribly burned. Her right arm was a withered husk, that didn't particularly seem able to move. The flesh dark and shiny with scarring, hand withered into a claw. "He was supposed to protect me from men like Armand... He failed."

"Oh....." Zordlon seems like he doesn't know quite how to respond to that.

     Ren retracted his hand, when he realized the predicament. Of course we could never shake hands...  "It's nice to meet you Ren. As for my uncle... We have history. He doesn't like seeing me because... Well he never forgave himself. I think he considers me his one and only true failure. He was supposed to protect me from men like Armand... He failed."      I think I may have figured it out, at least the initial curiosity. "I was interested in you in many way when we first met out of instinct, you know why that is? Immediately because of your arm and because of how you use it. You almost seem to ignore you injury, making fun of your uncle by trying to wave it and such."      "battle - whatever form it takes, not all is fought through tooth and claw - is where one grows. A battle can be fought anywhere, anytime, a battle of ideals is what we're fighting right now even, and either both our ideals will come away stronger, or one's will best the other and devour it. Any disagreement is a chance to grow stronger, to move forward." "Those are your uncles words. I don't forget the ideals of others, and that tiefling doesn't seem like one who would betray his words. He lost a battle, and so he learned from it I'm sure. You lost a battle as well, did you learn from it?"      Ren moved past Prytania closer to Aliiszha motioning to her arm. "When a normal person loses an Arm they try everything possible to get it back, then when that is no longer possible they try to no longer rely on things that needs an arm. What have you done?" Just like many of the people here, you have the ability to learn. I wonder....      Ren points to and touches her hand. "I don't need to know about your battle, but I know this. If you learn to accept and use your new form. Accept it and do not look back, neither your uncle or yourself will look at this injury and see shame. I can tell, you are similar to him. People that are able to live in the present and move on, that can learn from your mistakes." 

Prytania managed to make a believable excuse, but even though Aliiszha's behaviour surprised her, she still didn't like her very much... Then she started talking with Ren:  "As for my uncle... We have history. He doesn't like seeing me because... Well he never forgave himself. I think he considers me his one and only true failure" - A thought joyously passed through Prytania's mind: (" Go figure... ")- But then Aliiszha showed her arm... and her thoughts turned into guilt... "He was supposed to protect me from men like Armand... He failed"... (" We sure can't afford to have that kind of people acting like this... ") Ren then gave her a speech about acceptance, and in the mean time, she stood completely silent, she was still feeling a bit guilty about the whole thing... (" I'm feeling kinda awkward, but I'm stuck here.... I should say something supporting... ")... After a small silence, she said: " You shouldn't wear it with shame. It's a symbol of what can happen when we let people like Armande rule our lives"

Aliiszha gave the pair of them a quietly thankful look, bringing her robe back up and making sure it was well fastened. When Ren touched her hand it had swayed gently. She didn't seem to have any real control over it. Looking towards the door, and her imposing giant of an uncle. "All of my grandfathers children inherited his mindset in one way or another. Azariah might be a bit more literally minded than me, but we do see things in quite a similar light. He was young for a tiefling then, barely an adult. Technically I'm not even close to being one yet. It's the one and only time I've seen him fall to his fear. Men were coming for us. Church-folk who decided to destroy us simply for being tieflings. He was staying with my father and I at the time. My mother and father were away in town and Azariah was left to care for me. They came for us in droves, with fire and blade. He saw them all and... He ran. He tried to bring me with him but I tripped, and he left me behind." She looked at her arm. "Tieflings are resistant to flame. I quite enjoy sitting in a fireplace. That's why they had something special for me... They called it the conflagration. An alchemical fire that burned purple. They said they were going to purge me of my sinful blood, and let my soul find peace. They lowered me to the flame, and just a few licks of it were enough to do this... Azariah saved me then. A gigantic wolf. I didn't realise it was him at first, but a gigantic wolf came howling through them, bowling men out of the way. He leapt over the fire and caught the ropes binding me in his mouth. He tossed me on his back and ran for hours. He saved me. But he wouldn't have had to had he not been a coward." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azariah nodded to the pair of them, "You are welcome to come to Armands church with us. Until then, I have things I need to talk about with my family, and friends. Good day." Azariah was still in a bad mood, and in no mood for strangers. Shutting the door to them once they bid him the same, he walked to Aliiszha, just as she finished speaking. "They..." The wolf tiefling hung his head. "They didn't need to know that Aliiszha."

Kellen wanders back to the bank and talks to his men, awaiting azariah's message that they were heading out.

Aliszha told her story... It managed to uspet Prytania beyond saying. To be honest, it was not too different from hers, and with each word, Tania revived that day's events. (" Maybe it's time... I have to start sometime ") - There was still danger, tho. Aliiszha may not be prosecuted here, but Tania very well could... On the other hand, she trusted Azariah and Ren... Then she found the way. Azariah, after hearing Aliiszha's story decided that he had enough of the visitors, so he pushed them out and slammed the door in their noses before turning his attention to Aliiszha. "They didn't need to know that Aliiszha." -Prytania stopped Azariah before he could continue: " Before you blame her, and since she opened her heart to a stranger, now I feel... It's only fair that I open mine too..." - The fear, and guilt were starting to surpass her -  "That way we will be equal"  "You have called me a friend many times, and this is eating me from the inside, but... I need you all to promise me, right here, that you will not tell anyone... Anyone about this. Not yet... " - She was really overwhelmed, so she sat back in a chair, waiting for their response.

     Azariah seemed to finish with the guests a the door. He walked to the room, it seemed that he had heard everything. The tiefling hung his head, "They didn't need to know that Aliiszha." (Azariah)     "..... no, we didn't need to know." Ren stretched a little. "But you chose to tell us, and that is what matters." Ren was about to open his mouth to continue talking but decided to stop since Prytania seemed to have something to say.      " Before you blame her, and since she opened her heart, now I feel... I feel it's time that I open mine too... - The fear, and guilt were starting to surpass her - That way we will be equal. You have called me a friend many times, and this is eating me from the inside, but... I need you all to promise me, right here, that you will not tell anyone... Anyone about this. Not yet... " (Prytania)      Make a promise huh.... Ren looked around at Azariah and Aliizsha. Huh, broken pasts. I guess this may be why we are all standing in the same room. Ren closed his eyes shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "If you choose to trust me, you have my word for what it is worth." 

"My word has been broken once, I swore never to break it again." Azariah replied to Prytania, guiding her to sit on the edge of his bed. Though he was giving this room to Aliiszha for now, she could see that this was where the carpenter usually lived. It was spartan, with a meditation mat, bed, wardrobe and desk. The only ornamentation was the tapestry he and Ren had both found one of, a scimitar from the same quest above it. Aliiszha moved to stand close to her uncle, and nodded to the pair. "You can trust me as well Prytania, I gave you my life story in confidence, you can do the same."

Prytania started fiddling with her Pharasma symbol - " I... I've been lying to you all this time, I am not who you think I am, and I can't bear it anymore " - She said as she dropped her symbol and replaced it with Mardev's - " You see, THIS is the real me "... Not a big impact, for sure, but for Prytania it was, she looked a lot more relieved. The new symbol had a pelican crafted in silver. There was something dark in it too, you just couldn't see it like the darkness in Aliiszha's ring. Tania noticed their confusion, so she grabbed her symbol and tried to explain: " This... This is Mardev, he's the light that guides me, even though I don't even understand much about him... I had to leave the church being an initiate" - She spent a few seconds looking at her symbol and then she added:  "But let's not talk about this for now... How can I start describing him... Let's see, he's an atonement demigod that works with Parasma. With, not for". "You see, if someone who commited great sins agianst his god dies without proper atonement, Pharasma will judge him, and send him to another plane, where he will spend eternity in absence of his god. Some of them are quite nasty too... That's where Mardev comes, he atones them in death". "Now, we, his clerics seek those troubled persons and offer them to share their burden with them. Obviously, their souls would go to the boneyard and be judged... That's why you have to bind them... To their former bodies" - She tapped her knees, and looked at Aliiszha - " Aaand people like the ones that did that to you, certainly don't like this either. Especially Sarenrae's minions..." The mere mention of that name almost hurts her - " Heretics, they call us... Cleansing fire and all that... "   -She sighed- " We don't have the power that the Urgathoa church has, and we don't go around raising armies of undead either... We cannot defend ourselves, so we have to hide... I've been hiding this all my life "- She stood up and started walking within the room - " I don't know how would Agela react to this, to be honest.  I'm still an initiate, without fully understanding Mardev, I cannot fulfill my duties... Yet I feel that day is about to come, and I don't even know how will I be able to do it with them around "

((has a feeling the outpost is going to rebel against the benefactor))

((zord were not in the house :/   ))

      Ren took his sword out of his sash, still sheathed in his sword and placed it on the table next to him.  Mardev huh... Truthfully Ren didn't know much about him, only having heard of his name, He only read up on the important gods. "Agela would probably have you burned in cleansing fire if she was faithful to her god, that's probably safe to assume." Blunt but true. Ren was sure that given how she lived, she already knew that.      Ren walked up to Prytania who had gotten up and started walking, "So, you feeling better now? You should. Sharing your burden among other's can lessen the load. It seems you finally got that off your chest." Putting his right hand on her shoulder he continued, "Everyone here gave their word, and from what I can tell, no one here is eager to break it." Ren let go and backed away. "I sense your fear as you spoke, and that's probably going to live with you for the rest of your life, it's part of your past. However, if nothing else you do not need to fear us."      Ren walked back to the table and placed his sword back into his sash. "Besides, we already knew you were a necromacer."  Sounds like she had a hard past, always hiding huh. 

(Ren took his sword out his sword still sheathed in his sword)

"I don't care what you are or what god you follow. You are a good woman, who has done me no wrong besides take an insolent tone with my niece." Azariah replied calmly. "You follow who you follow, no one has a place to judge that. Not Agela, not Armand, not us." Aliiszha nodded along to her uncles comments, but couldn't help but smirk and say. "So you were afraid I'd blow your cover or something walking around with a zombie?"

Prytania welcomed Ren's words... He seemed to always knew what to say. Azariah's response was... Less elaborate, yet his message was comforting too - " Maybe no one sould judge that, but they surely will... Ren is right, I'll probably have to keep hiding my faith, at least until I can make sure we're safe " - She then lowered her head and thanked all three thoroughly - " Thank you for listening, guys, I appreciate it... And I sure needed it " Aliiszha couldn't help herself: "So you were afraid I'd blow your cover or something walking around with a zombie?" " What? No! Well, yes, a bit, but I'm... Still kind... of like a Pharasma priest. I mean, we do honor the dead and all that, we only raise them if we have the person's consent and it comes with great sacrifice for us, but... " - Prytania is really bad at fighting aginst her own hypocrisy.