FrivYeti/ZeretanInterlude
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IRL Date: Late August, 2005
Interlude: Hayyoth Emblazoned With Fury
IC Date: During the Month of Ascending Water
Travelling south, Hayyoth Emblazoned With Fury kept an eye out for a chance to do good. He found his chance in a small town, where, in the bar, he overheard a man talking about how he was never returning home. Upon inquiry, Hayyoth learned that the locals were vanishing one by one, and determined to go southeast and investigate.
The town in question was a small one, located well off any ordinary trade routes, and few people visited. It didn't take long, therefore, for the locals to learn that Hayyoth was there, and that he wanted to help with the disappearances. Hayyoth learned that people were vanishing right out of homes where other people lived, without a trace. Investigating with the permission of the mayor and the help of the guard captain, he discovered a trail leading across the desert and into the mountains. The guard captain accompanied Hayyoth and Martel as they followed the trail.
In the mountains, Hayyoth was advancing when he heard something strange - flute music. Investigating, the trio discovered a young woman, barely more than a girl, wearing mourning clothes and playing a bone-white flute. She paused as they approached, and introduced herself as the Harvester. She told Hayyoth that she had been charged to watch the souls of the dead, and collect those which were worthy, but that she would not interfere. Hayyoth told her that if she wasn't going to help, to stay out of the way, and pushed ahead. Further along, he found a cave mouth, and left Martel and the captain outside while he slipped in to investigate.
Inside the cave, Hayyoth was startled to discover strange armour-clad demons, four of them, and even more surprised as they fought him to a standstill, using perfectly-timed group tactics to allow some to block his blows while others struck back. Forced to flee, Hayyoth ran from the cave, with Martel and the captain following him, his anima blazing. The three ran past Harvester, who deftly leapt backwards off the cliff face as the demons pursued.
Hayyoth spoke with the guard captain, and convinced him (barely) that being Anathema didn't make him evil, and to use his discretion about who to tell. Waiting long enough for his anima to die down, they returned to town, only to discover that an Immaculate monk had arrived. The captain went ahead and discovered that the monk was specifically looking for Hayyoth and knew that he was an Anathema, so Hayyoth was forced to leave town quickly. He went out to the plains, hoping to catch whatever was taking the townsfolk.
While waiting, Hayyoth was approached by Harvester, who offered her assistance. Apparantly, her lord, the Unrepentant Sage of Vengeful Misery, had agreed that while she could not stop this, the two of them together might, and had allowed her to aid Hayyoth. The two found a fair folk (!) with its own bodyguard approaching the town, and set about fighting. Harvester drew her bone-white powerbow and fired from a distance, and Hayyoth destroyed the creature. He learned, furthermore, that there was a human thaumaturge working with the Fair Folk, who had summoned the demons.
Returning to the mountain in the morning, Hayyoth drew out the demons (which he now knew were called Wardens, the Shimazu), and he and Martel battled them while Harvester provided ranged support, firing at the weakest shimazu to try and destroy them. Finally, the tide turned, and the four demons lay dead at Hayyoth's feet. As he entered the cave, Harvester bid him farewell, saying that she didn't care to go in.
Inside the cave, Hayyoth found the thaumaturge, and intimidated him into a full confession. The thaumaturge admitted to having helped the Fair Folk, and that he was taking money to protect the Fair Folk while it created horrible monsters out of the townsfolk, in order to turn them loose against other towns. This was designed as a plot against Lord Cortua, the lord who ruled the region. Then Hayyoth heard others approaching, and told the thaumaturge to leave. He paused to try and destroy the comatose fleshcreatures, which unfortunately woke them up. Hayyoth started running, but didn't get far before realizing that the monsters would attack the party entering. Turning, he got back to the cave, and saw a dragon-blooded woman defending the mouth from twenty of the monsters, while town guardsmen fled. Hayyoth entered the fray, drawing off many of the creatures and killing others, and giving the dragon-blood time to destroy the others. There followed a short standoff as the two considered each other. With an impassioned plea (12 successes on Charisma + Presence!), Hayyoth convinced the Dragon-blood, Peleps Teswen, to at least come to Zeretan and see what Hayyoth was doing before she tried to kill him. Having just had her life saved, she agreed, and said that she would claim the Anathema as dead - for now.
However, as Hayyoth was leaving, he heard a scream from the front entrance. Racing that way, he arrived to find Teswen lying on the ground with arrows in her, and Harvester about to finish her off. Lobbing a spear at Harvester, which she dodged, he demanded that she leave. Sounding annoyed, she agreed, saying she was just trying to help. Hayyoth said he didn't need that sort of help.
Hayyoth returned to town carrying the Dragon-Blood, and quietly deposited her with the guard captain. He hoped that, when she awoke, she wouldn't come after him, and he headed back to Zeretan. This Deathlord was a new development, and one that was unwelcome...
Quote of the Week:
"*sigh* It's my fault, I'd better go back and save the lady who was trying to kill me."
- Hayyoth has a crisis of conscience
