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Post by Maerin on Nov 18, 2010 5:39:16 GMT
Jynx showed little improvement after the first day. It was all Ilia could do to keep fever from destroying the Vassa woman, between infections in the woman’s wounds and the germs of a Cener plague Ilia discovered laced through Jynx’s body.
Upon discovering and neutralizing the plague in Jynx, Ilia checked herself but found no trace of it. It was interesting, however. The Swamplord had, apparently, not been particularly effective in its use of the Cenerese plague weapon.
After another day, however, Jynx could wake, take some food, and remain awake. The Vassa woman was still very weak and Ilia guessed it would be at least four or five more days of rest and recuperation in the Temple before Jynx would be able to stay on Ilia’s back in flight.
Rogue had been severely injured in his fight with the ciquali. However, his injuries were not nearly as life-threatening as Jynx’s. After two days of Ilia’s care, the wolf was healing. He was not in robust health, but likely would be by the time they were ready to depart.
GM OOC: Two days have passed since the battle, as indicated here.
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Post by Jynx on Nov 19, 2010 0:13:54 GMT
When Jynx woke up on the second day of being healed by Ilia, she asked the tired druidess if the others were able to be saved. Jynx knew in her head that it was unlikely that their comrades were still alive and the proof of the lack of presence within the temple was there, she still couldn’t help but ask about the other’s… about Rhola.
When Ilia told her what happened and about the others, Jynx simply said “I see." She then fell silent for most of the day until after the midday meal when she said, "We must do what we can to get out of here and warn whoever we can about that creature.” She then paused… “Although I have no idea how much will be left of their bodies after two days in the swamp we should try and give our comrades some sort of funeral before we leave. I know that we do not have any time really between you healing Rogue and myself along with our preparations leaving, but they deserve what little tribute we can give them for their aid.”
Jynx thought out to the temple, “Is there a place within the temple grounds where we could give a funeral for our comrades? I do not want their remains left in the corrupted ground of the swamp.”
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Nov 19, 2010 15:36:29 GMT
Ilia was standing at Jynx’s bedside when the Lady asked the question that Ilia had been purposefully not thinking about for the past two days. She sighed, and lowered herself to sit on the bed, gazing into the fire. “No. There were no survivors, aside from those present in this room.” Rogue limped over to place his head on Ilia’s hand, and she absentmindedly stroked him, delicate even in her sorrow. She knew, as she had always known, that grieving would not bring back those gone from this world, nor would it make this world better. Normally, she could talk herself into a right state of mind when dealing with this sort of thing. This was different. There was nothing she could have done to save them, in this case. She didn’t even get to try. And there it was…. A dull burning in the deepest, darkest part of her being. Pure, unadulterated hatred. She had never felt this way about anyone or anything. But that…abomination that had escaped… Ilias eyes narrowed, and she smiled a small wicked smile played about her lips. Escaped, perhaps. But not unscathed. Now….Mortal. With new purpose, she closed her eyes, putting the grief away for the moment, as now was not the time to finish and be done with it. Opening her eyes, she launched into a story, telling what had happened from when the Swamplord took hold of her, to waking up to incredibly limited options, the destruction of the artifact, and ended with the agareshi leaving the swamp to follow their master.
Leaving Jynx to take in what she said in silence until after the midday meal, Ilia nodded and shrugged when she did finally speak. “I felt ashamed to leave them to the mercy of the swamp, but I felt as though keeping everyone who was alive, alive was more important. We might burn whatever there is left, but I doubt that would be very much.” She was going to suggest asking the Temple for some sort of help when Jynx got a concentrated look on her face. Ilia knew from before that that was a face made when speaking to the Temple, and assumed they had come to the same conclusion. She waited for an answer.
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Post by Maerin on Nov 19, 2010 17:05:39 GMT
The Temple of Ohrido is not a place for the dead, Jynx of Casiorn, though it stands now as a memorial of that which was lost. The familiar voice responded to Jynx, as matter-of-factly as it had when she had first contacted it.
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Post by Jynx on Nov 23, 2010 3:48:36 GMT
Jynx nodded before turning back to Ilia. " he temple says that it is no place for the dead to lay... so whatever we do, we will have to do it outside of the temple's grounds." Jynx shifted a little in her bed and winced as pain somewhere in her body flashed then resided. "If we do not find the remains of their bodies then their belongings will do to represent them."
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Nov 23, 2010 18:55:17 GMT
“So be it,” Ilia said. “We will have to take care of it when we are both well enough to do so.” If there is anything thing left by that point, Ilia reflected again, not voicing her less than positive afterthought. “What…” Ilia started, unsure of the ideas floating around in her head. She tried again. “What are we going to do when we get back to Phoena? Provided the city is not a wasteland of burning rubble by the time we reach it?” Dark feelings still clouded her mind, making the words she spoke harsher than they normally would be. Wincing inwardly, she kept quiet, not taking the words back, nor adding anything to make them better. Jynx would understand. She had to, after everything they had just survived. Barely survived… Ilia began to think, but brought her mind back to the conversation at hand. “I mean, what will we tell them? How can we prove what we have endured? And now that we have destroyed the means through which the Swamplord regenerated, how can we destroy the…” Here Ilia struggled to find a word, not wanting to categorize the thing she hated so much anywhere near herself. “…Destroy the…rest of it?” Trying not to sound too hysterical, Ilia look at Jynx, hoping she had answers to the questions Ilia had pondered over and over again.
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Post by Maerin on Nov 24, 2010 4:16:51 GMT
The conversation between the two companions continued.
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Post by Jynx on Nov 25, 2010 4:57:37 GMT
Jynx was silent for a while. "We should first warn who we can... that means talking to Lord Ketmes. We need to try and convince him that his information was wrong and that it's source is suspected of being in league with the Swamplord." She looked at Ilia, "We need to stop Trindlas whether or not Lord Ketmes is on our side or not." Jynx shook her head, "Hopefully in helping to put an end Sajhrin's activities as well as the..." Jynx stopped and feel emotion try to rise up over her wall, "... um... information we gathered on the Swamplord, he will lean him more our way." Jynx felt herself shaking, "We need to stop that thing Ilia..." She looking at the druidess again, "I'm afraid... but, I know that we need to stop that thing."
When they got back, Jynx sighed and packed what little she had left making a note to try and send word to Ector, Kelrim and Karstan's families. She would look through her memory and their belongings back in Pheona to find that information if there was any to be found.
On the outskirts of the swamp Jynx didn't bother stopping Ilia to look at what was left there by the men. She didn't remember them leaving anything of real significance, useful to them on the road back to Pheona or personal nature. She looked out for any signs that looked like the Swamplord and it's horde whet through this area. Other then that, Jynx just wished to get to Pheona as soon as they could.
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Nov 30, 2010 3:42:30 GMT
Ilia nodded at Jynx’s words. For the next few days, she continued to heal her friends. She didn’t go out to see the remains of the rest of her once-companions, not seeing the point. Once they were in good enough shape, she and Jynx went out to see what they could do with the remains of their companions. When they reached the site they both dreaded, the sight that greeted them was one that they had prepared for, but still didn’t want to experience. There was nothing left. Ilia reached for Jynx’s hand, and bowed her head as she recited a silent prayer of companions lost and spirits that have moved on.
When they finished with the depressing task, they went back inside to come to terms with their mourning. Early the following morning, when they exited the temple, Ilia said a brief farewell and thank you to the Temple, appreciative for everything it had done, but wondering if it understood the concept, or if such a thing was even necessary. She turned into her itikar shape again, letting Jynx settle on her back before taking off towards the city of Phoena. She went back the way they had come, heading towards where they entered the swamp. She wanted to see what was left there before going back to the city.
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Post by Maerin on Nov 30, 2010 5:02:24 GMT
Stopping at the campsite at the edge of the Swamp, Jynx looked briefly through the equipment left behind. There was nothing there of use to either Jynx or Ilia, nor could either carry any of it easily away. So they departed for Phoena.
Ilia flew carefully, and stopped so they could make camp in the relatively safe, though still deserted, plains of northern Talestria.
Jynx was recovering well, despite her grave condition. Considering Jynx did not have the most robust of Constitutions, Ilia guessed that a few days in the Temple had probably contributed to the Vassa woman’s amazing recovery. The scar on Jynx’s forearm would never go away. But Ilia saw no other lasting problems.
Rogue, scarcely less hurt than Jynx had been, had also made an amazing recovery. The wolf now bore no sign of injury.
It was mid-afternoon when Phoena appeared on the horizon, and they were only a dozen miles out when Ilia realized that the city looked strange. As soon as the thought occurred to her, she had her answer.
Phoena was no longer the city of the triple towers. The citadel, which had once stood in the city center, was gone.
As Ilia flew closer, the sight grew stranger. The citadel had clearly been attacked and destroyed. And fairly recently, Ilia thought, noting a very thin haze of wispy black smoke that colored the air over where the citadel had stood. Aside from that, however, Phoena itself appeared unharmed. The quarters of the city looked much as Ilia and her companions had left it. The walled enclave where Lord Sajhrin estate lay, appeared unharmed. The city wall appeared no worse than when the companions had departed, nearly a month before.
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Post by Jynx on Dec 1, 2010 4:50:03 GMT
Jynx inhaled sharply before tighting her grip on Ilia. She even though the trip on Ilia was not bad, Jynx still felt very uneasy and fearful of flying. "We should head to the citadel first!" she called out to Ilia. If Ketmas is dead... then they will have to change their plans to include more of Lord Sajhrin then she thought they might have to.
As they got closer to the damaged part of the city, Jynx try to see if the damage was caused by the Swamplord and its horde or by something unrelated.
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Dec 1, 2010 4:57:09 GMT
Glancing back at Jynx, Ilia swooped closer to the citadel. Ilia looked for signs of the Swamplord and its horde, or any human activity, trying to figure out what had done the damage to it.
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Post by Maerin on Dec 1, 2010 5:37:13 GMT
As the companions approached the city, Jynx could make out what Ilia had already recognized. There was no point in stopping first in the center of the city, where the citadel had once stood. Something had literally destroyed it, down to a pile of broken, blackened rubble. Indeed, whatever had destroyed the citadel must have involved intense heat, as the stones of the rubble and those of the surrounding courtyard, had obviously at least partially melted.
The rest of the city appeared much as the companions had left it, three weeks previously. The only difference Jynx recognized was a large number of tents had been set up next to the inhabited north quarter of the city, in areas where previously destruction from the Ogian siege had been cleared and the ground left bare.
Ilia banked over the enclave, heading for Lord Sajhrin’s estate. They saw men pointing at the sky, and Ilia’s sharp eyes picked out the occasional man-at-arms in the enclave reaching for bow or crossbow. Each time she caught sight of that, however, she heard a sharp word of command. No arrows were actually drawn on the two companions, and they reached the estate unharmed.
Ilia carefully lowered Rogue to the ground. The wolf had truly hated the flight from the Danarg in Ilia’s talons, and had remained in a foul mood. Nevertheless, when Rogue snarled and sniffed the air, Ilia got the distinct impression that the wolf was bothered by something more than just his discomfort with the journey. It seemed, however, that whatever Rogue had noticed, he had not yet made any determinations about what it might be.
As Ilia herself settled to the courtyard, she saw a few of Lord Sajhrin’s household guards standing or sitting in the courtyard. They watched her casually, apparently recognizing Jynx at the least. A moment later, Lord Sajhrin and his seneschal, Neviln, emerged from the large estate house and strode across the courtyard to approach the companions.
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Dec 2, 2010 3:47:01 GMT
Untrusting of anything at this point, Ilia changed swiftly into her tiger form. She tried to hone in on what Rogue was unsure of, keeping a close eye on the approaching figures.
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Post by Jynx on Dec 2, 2010 4:37:53 GMT
As Jynx quickly walked over to Lord Sajhrin she tried to read the man by his outward appearance, "Lord Sajhrin, I'm glad to see that you are well after seeing the destruction from above." Jynx hugged the man tightly before slowly taking a step back away from him. "Please, tell us what happened here."
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