Ii'Jyka'Vaar spurs her mount into a low and swift descent towards the grove... meanwhile scanning the area for any movement..
( SHe will keep flying round and scan the area and intercept anybody trying to help the church/ druids.., and keep an eye out for the Talosian priests..)
Ya'shenn's eyebrows knit together with concern as she observes the exchange between Kitiir and Na'rai. Why do these things always seem to take place right before battle is joined...? Another, more unpleasant thought occurs to her, though. Kitiir and Ha'kan'a had both been left essentially alone in a room with a mind flayer. Is Kitiir's anger entirely the genuine, garden-variety sort typical of so many githwarriors...?
She also contemplates the multiple ironies of the situation. ~Sister, she sends to Kitiir alone, ~if you carry anger toward the Jade, I would ask you not to allow it to interfere with this battle in any fashion. Vent your anger on these graith fools instead. After this fight is concluded, we could speak of this matter again, if you wish -- but not when tempers run so hot.
As the raiding party approaches, Ya'shenn (predictably enough) scans the area carefully for any sign of potential ambushers, hidden traps -- or mage robes, for that matter.
Once the attack signal is given and she has the barbarian gathering in sight, the psion does not hesitate.
"Thralls of Oryndoll!"
Unwilling to resist the attraction of so many graith clustered in a small area, the psion punctuates her point with an overwhelming mental attack. Focusing her mind and will, Ya'shenn unleashes synaptic chaos in the minds of as many graith as she can reach, attempting to stun as many of them as possible.
[Before battle -- Missive to Kitiir. Sense Motive as well - any chance she's under a charm, suggestion or the like, or is she just being a typical hot-tempered githyanki?]
[Spot check on the area around the temple, looking for ambushers/traps/etc.]
[Start of battle -- Mind Blast on as many graith in the vicinity of the temple as possible, without affecting any other githyanki or duthka'giths. While her priority is to stun as many barbarians as possible initially, Ya'shenn will also attempt to fight at range (i.e. out of melee) as much as possible.]
Swooping through the doors like a bloody beam of the rising sun Ar'dru lets loose a bellowed battle cry, swiftly followed by a gout of flame directed at the druids and as many of the congregation as possible before laying about himself with his silver sword.
(subtle as always, couldn't remember the type of action a breath weapon took up so this might be two rounds)
Kirath takes flight from the Fume and wills himself invisible. The slender githyanki exults as the wind blows through close cropped hair. The warlock speeds towards the druids and brandishes a slender stick of wood with runes of flames etched in it.
Kirath points the wand and barks the command word "Inferno!"
........
-->She also contemplates the multiple ironies of the situation. ~Sister, she sends to Kitiir alone, ~if you carry anger toward the Jade, I would ask you not to allow it to interfere with this battle in any fashion. Vent your anger on these graith fools instead. After this fight is concluded, we could speak of this matter again, if you wish -- but not when tempers run so hot.
--> Ya'shenn can't help but feel some feedback from Kitiir's emotions. Her anger is genuine, but also mixed up in a sense of loss. The Double-edjed Mind realizes that Kitiir's sense of honor in this situation is mixed up with the recent loss of her sho-dai. She saw him decerebrated before her own eyes by an Illithid House assasin mere hours ago, and her torture of the illithid in the dungeons of Hlondeth was in retaliation. It is almost certain that the illithid played with her mind, but the dangers of the enemy are sometimes very subtle. Once restrained, the illithid likely wanted to buy as much time and opportunity as it could, for even if it were being tortured it still would be alive. Therefore it subconciously kept Kitiir and Sark'ja from killing it outright while it awaited an opportunity. The monster is long dead now, and it hadn't the time to implant specific control sequences that would remain after its own mortality. However, its manipulation of Kitiir's emotions has caused these repurcussions, divisions within the ranks which would never have taken root in the old order.
--> Nevertheless, Kitiir knows somewhat of Ya'shenn, and respects those who live the healers' appartments. Though the psion has not been a resident of Git'riban for long, Kitiir considers her a fellow warrior perhaps even now a battle-sister. Kiriir walks away from Na'rai the Jade, and gives a small bow to Ya'shenn.
The astral ships of the githyanki appar suddenly from the morning clouds. The bottom hatches of the brigs have a ring of metal with arcane runes. When activated, anything that drops from the hatch is enchanted with a feather fall. This is how most of the duthka'gith reach the ground, save for Xykk't and the two she locks arms with to dimension-door, and Ar'dru who flies on his own. Gy-Nath transports Du'minh and Sark'ja. Kitiir transports Ya'shenn, indicating quickly in battle-speak that she will be Yashenn's back-guard for the engagement.
As soon as the ships appear, flocks of songbirds scatter from the trees in the grove. As a result, the graith are not wholey unprepared by the time they are face-to-face with githwarriors. Unfortunately for the graith, they are mostly not warriors. The humans (and halflings and gnomes as a minority) have snatched up whatever weapons they had. On the more dangerous end of the spectrum they wield large scythes and even a couple of swords (likely in the hands of the most experienced fighters of the lot), but their arms mostly consist of one-handed farming implements and knives.
The druids around the altar stand their ground, chanting to their goddess for aid. One starts to transform into a very large ox. The rabble of farmers tries to rush forward to meet the githyanki at their door, dispite the unveiled look of fear on most of their faces.
Ya'shenn finds herself near the front of the pack of githyanki, many of whom are still drifting down from the sky to land behind her.
"Thralls of Oryndoll!"
She draws her blade -- though this is more for dramatic effect than anything else in her own case. Ya'shenn may not be in the recent habit of speaking Common on a daily basis, but she is highly familiar with the language nonetheless. "Fools you are, to dwell directly above that lair of unwholesome and unspeakable terrors below! You live within ready tentacle-reach of the Great Enemy themselves, the Illithid -- like so many fattened cattle! Know that we do not permit this! Leave this accursed land, and return never!"
She lets loose the true power of her mind on the crowd of graith. Eight of those in the front stumble and fall to spawl twitching on the ground. A few are simply stopped in ther advance, and there remains over a dozen who were outside of the cone of affected minds, but their look of fear intensifies, and a few break to try escape through the western doors.
By this time, Ar'dru lands next to Ya'shenn and strps forward spewing flame. Two of the warriors wielding swords, who had resisted Ya'shenn's mind-blast, step forward to engage the half-dragon, but he cuts both down with sweeps of his greatsword. His flames drive the rest back from the doors, allowing the githyanki to enter the temple.
Kirath, who had become invisible just before the engagement, reappears at Ar'dru's side and points his wand at the druids around the altar. The entire center of the temple fills with flames, catching alight some of the vegetable matter decorating the interior.
Out of the flames charges a somewhat singed, but still very large, very powerful, and very angry ox. [One of the lead druids in animal shape DM figured an ox rather than a wild critter for the follower of a harvest diety.]
***
In the air above the temple, the astral skiffs circle slowly. Each has a single pilot who orders the skiff into a wide orbit then mans heavy crossbow. A few graith fall in the fields or the streets from their fire. Another who tries to run is snatched up by Ii'jyka'vaa's wyvern. She takes him back into the air then has him drop the pitiful human to her death on the cobbles below. She keeps an eye on the rest of the town from her vantage. The temple of Helm is near the central square, and it has a bell tower. The bells begin to ring mere moments after the gityanki ships first appear. The town at dawn was not yet awake, but wakes quickly now. Many humans emerge from their buildings shoeless and in pajamas, and run for one of the stout buldings in town. The temple of Helm, the two stone civil buildings in the central square, the wooden castle with the cloverleaf tower, all of them throw open their doors for citizens of Assam to take refuge inside.
Ii'jyka'vaar catches sight of the temple of Talos, a dark wooden structure built among the skeletons of houses on the damaged and deserted end of town. Half a doxen priests in black robes quickly congregate before the doors, looking about the sky with glee. Three light torches and go running into the town, likely intent on taking the opportunity for some arson, only to later blame it on the raiders.
Ii'Jyka tries to follow some of the lesser priests movements and thereby spot one that is up for grabs, IF such an opportunity does itself, she will try to get the wyvern to grab one in a flyby and take him high in the air, and have a little conversation with him...
(DM's reply on the possibility will define my next action)
[DM : sure, let's see where this goes.....]
Ii sees one of the black robed priests run into a bulding that a family of graith recently ran out of. He emerges moments later, flames already growing inside. As he steps from the building back into the avenue, he finds himself in the embrace a wyvern ...
The wyvern swoops slowly into the avenue and silently casts its shadow over the priest whilst he just stepped out the door and walked further along the avenue, the priest lets out a little yelp when the wyvern lets itself fall onto the priest with its claws, and then swoops back up into the air..
IiJyka pats it on its back and and smoothly tells it NOT to kill the captive, in fluent draconian..
when they have made sufficient height again, she tells the wyvern to glide for a bit, so as not to make to much noise flapping its wings, and says to the priest:
"Graith, you are untrustworthy, putting alight your own race's homes, but i have interest in your group.. if you are wanting to live and serve, both me and your "god" (she spats this out as if its filth on her lips), then tell me about your order.."
The human stops screaming when Ii'jyka'vaar speaks. "I follow Talos, Lord of Troubles, Master of Storms. Thr troubles of the Shining Plains call to him, so they call to us. We will bear witness to the clensing storm ... and help it along if need be."
Kitiir transports Ya'shenn, indicating quickly in battle-speak that she will be Yashenn's back-guard for the engagement.
Ya'shenn extends her thanks, of course, also in battle-speak. She does wonder privately just how much she wants Kitiir -- who may well have been psionically influenced by a ghaik so recently -- to watch her back in the midst of a pitched battle.
She lets loose the true power of her mind on the crowd of graith. Eight of those in the front stumble and fall to spawl twitching on the ground. A few are simply stopped in ther advance, and there remains over a dozen who were outside of the cone of affected minds, but their look of fear intensifies, and a few break to try escape through the western doors.
The psion displays a rare grin -- one which widens as both Ar'dru and Kirath spread further chaos among this gathering of primitive heathens. Ya'shenn may not be the most typical of githwarriors, but she is a githyanki and is most definitely enjoying herself at the moment.
Looking around the already burning temple -- and at least a dozen or more graith that remain to be dealt with -- Ya'shenn decides that Kitiir may find her role of 'bodyguard' to be rather more work than usual. With blade still drawn (for what it's worth), the psion rushes to another section of the temple. And the better angle of fire it offers. Already Ya'shenn is feeling the beginnings of a wicked headache, directly above and between her eyes, but she concentrates once more, unleashing a considerable amount of her power in a second mind blast.
While she attempts to target as many graith as possible, the psion does not make a particular effort to mind blast those farmers who are already fleeing the temple. It would be irritating to have to repeat her speech about Oryndoll again...
[IF Ya'shenn can move to a location within 30' that offers a good number of not-yet-mind-blasted barbarian targets for a second mind blast, without drawing AoO or being in an enemy's melee range when she manifests, and can mind blast without stunning Ar'dru or other githyanki/duthka'giths, she will move and mind blast again. Note that since stunned creatures drop their weapons, the 8 that were mind blasted don't threaten AoO. Maybe the north or south end of the temple would work, making an L shape relative to her most recent mind blast. If the current layout of the battlefield is such that she can't get off a good mind blast, let me know and Ya'shenn will take a different action this round.]
The great Ox which is one of the druids charges the githyanki at temple's eastern doors ....
[ DM : DC 16 reflex save or be knocked prone by the charge. This includes Ya'shenn]
[ DM : DC 16 reflex save or be knocked prone by the charge. This includes Ya'shenn]
[Ow. No damage, But Ya'shenn lands prone as she jumps out of the way. Note, psi powers don't depend on you being upright.]
As the ox charges out at the attacking Gith Ar'dru, with a speed that beies his great size, immediately turns to face the agressor and with a colossal roar crashes his foot down directly in its path.
Ripples of force, made visable by the pall of smoke, tear away from the impact point towards the transformed druid.
[manifest stomp with 3 extra power points (4d4 damage]
[DM to AZ, sure manifest on your turn. ]
"Well then, Graith, we will have busness to attend then, later, but now, we have battle.."
and with that, she commands the wyvern in draconic, to fly back to the church..and hold on tight to the human, but NOT break him...
She maneuvres the wyvern to fly upside down, and upside down she makes a flyby and with her Nagamaki tries to hit the Ox that just stampeded out of the church...
(i am presuming that this is next round, as it might take a moment to fly back..)
Kirath now visible takes note that the ox has drawn most the attention of most of his group. He decides to turn his attention to the other druids of the circle. Kirath fires a another blast of his flame from his wand hoping to put down the lesser druids with the blast.
OOC Kirath will not fire off another shot of the fireball wand if it will catch any of his companions(except the duthka'giths as they are immune to fire). If so he will fire his eldritch blast at one of them.
The psion is easily knocked prone by the shapeshifted druid-ox. While much inconvenienced, Ya'shenn continues her diatribe. "Idiot Venerator! You do a disservice to your flock, ministering to them in this most tainted and unholy land! Here they are easy prey for brain-sucking abominations beyond your feeble comprehension. Leave this place and lead your flock to safer and greener pastures than Assam!"
While feeling a bit strange about attempting to mind control an ox, even a shapeshifted druidic one, the psion reaches out and attempts to make the graith Venerator's mind more amenable to the githyanki point of view.
[We'll try a Suggestion. DC 18, I think, +/- any modifiers. Let me know if AoOs are an issue, please. If AoOs are not an issue, she'll use her move action this round to stand up from prone.]
..........
Ya'shenn and Kitiir must leap asside to avoid the massive ox's charge. Ar'dru, however, simply steps to one side and stmps his foot. A wave of psychokinetic force ripples across the ground. The ox's hoves skitter, but the beast remains upright. Kirath, aided by his magical flight still in effect, manages to somersault over the the beast's back. The ox now blocks the open doorway, fending off any other githyanki from entering the temple with it's horns and flanks. It lets out a loud bellow, and strangely the other druids seem to understand.
Two of the younger drids were overcome by Kirath's fireball, and the dried sheafs of grain about the altar are on fire. Three (untransformed) druid-priests continue to stand at the defence, backed up by three sword-wielding warriors and a very large (in both muscle and girth) human with a scythe. The rest of the parishners fumbe to unlock the western doors. At the ox's bellow though, the remaining druid-priest rushes over and aids their escape.
In the sky above the temple, Ii circles looking for an opportunity to aid her fellow warriors. She sees the massive ox block the doors of the temple, and she swoops down. With deft maneuvering she comes within striking distance, and cuts deeply into the beast's flank. As her mount circles around again, she sees the doors on the western side of the square wooden structure swing open and several frightened humans pour out. Some of the githyanki attacking also see this, and run around the building to give chase. The humans have a head start though, and are overtaken only by Xykk't, who dimension-doors ahead of their path. Though she seemingly faces little real opposition at first, the druid accompanying the fleeing parishners stops and raises his wooden staff over his head. He brings it down and imbeds one end in the earth. Suddenly, some of the trees of the grove around the temple pull up their roots and stride into battle! The githyanki find they cannot any longer concern themselves with the humans or the ox, for they now face half a dozen awakened trees.
[DM - equivalent to treants. Ya'shenn, Ar'dru, and Kirath (and Kitiir) are cut off due to the ox, facing the big critter as well as 3 priests and 4 warriors. The priests and the warriors have taken some fireball damage. They are not attacking, but instead ready to cover the others' escape. Anyone who advances will be AoO'd. go ahead and declare for round 3]
Seizing on the opportunity, as the ox stumbles Ar'dru launches himself at the creature, focussing his attacks on its muscular neck
[former post edited.]
Ar'dru hefts his greatsword and drives the point into the huge ox. The beast swings around, and Ar'dru burries his teeth in the druid-ox's spine at the base of the skull. He buries the point of his sword deeper into the huge mammal's body, seeking a vital organ. When he does, the beast thrashes even more violently, eventually throwing Ar'dru off. The wound, though, is mortal, and the ox morphs back into a human, cluching at the door frame for support, as he slowly collapses.
[DM - The bite damage did it, though it's better drama to have it skewered on the sword. Speaking of drama, Ar'dru gets thrown as indicated by the dice roll below: 1= towards Ya'shenn. Ya'shenn must make a DC12 reflex or Ar'dru lands on her as she's getting up. 2= towards Kittir. Ditto. 3 & 4= just somewhere in the temple. No additional effect. 5= out the door. Move needed to come back in the temple. 6= toward the defenders. They each get an AoO.]
[Reflex save]
[Edit: I'm pretty sure that a result of 1 on a roll of 1d20+6 isn't normal.]
[Let's try this again...]
Inside the temple, Ar'dru finds himelf being hurled form the ox's back right towards Ya'shenn. She ducks great injury from a colision with the armored duthka'gith with a n inch to spare, and he hits the charred wooden wall. Kirath lets loose with another fireball at the few remaining graith [*], which finishes all of them off.
Outside, the graith flee into the outskirts of Assam. Some run for the fields, but they are picked off by archers from the skiff, or the sting of Nah'Mihz'Aar as he flies by. The Talos-worshiper in his claws screams from time to time, and vomits a few times as well, for the aerial maneuvers of the drake are hard on the inexperienced. Several of the fleeing graith make it into town, for the githyanki are busy battling the druid of Chauntea and his awakened trees. Still, between Xykk't's duthka'gith and the Blades of Git'riban, they are able to fell the trees without suffering any casualties. The trees bought the graith precious time, though, for the druid manages to escape with about half of the original congregation.
Ii'jyka'vaar hears, among the Power-slave's screams, a curious thing. "Please, let me down! Talos is allied to the gythyanky!" (yes, he mis-pronounces it). Lest she dismiss the claim as pure screed, he adds in his next breath, "An emissary from your queen came to us! He's at our temple now, ask him yourself."
Kirath looks upon the burning altar, and the graith corpses strewn about the charred temple, and nods in satisfaction at a job well done. He helps Ar'dru back to his feet, then strides outside to help deal with the awakened trees. They prove tough, but particularly vulnerable to fire, an unfortunate disadvantage to have when facing half-dragons and Tiamat worshipers.
After the last tree falls, and some remaining fire is used to ensure the graiths' temple is well kindled, Kirath recieves a missive from Gib, "Commander, the attack on the horse traders has gone very well, but is now almost ready to disengage prior to a counter-attack. The graith are mustering blades at strong points within the town. These are the tower, the square, and the temple of Helm. All graith flee to these places, and secondary points like their taverns or cheifs' dwellings. They seem disinclined to sally forth and respond to our attack on the temple, but I deem if we start burning their feilds they will soon realize the danger that represents."
A few moments pass, and Gib's thoughts speak to Kirath again. "Commander ... a very ... strange thing just happened. We sighted an astral skiff in the distance to the south-east, but when I tried to contact the pilot, the skiff turned around. Commander ... I felt no mind at the controls."
"We will indeed see for ourselves..Graith!" Ii'Jyka spats back, and with that she turns the Wyvern towards the temple of Talos..
She makes a flyby across the front of the temple to see if she can spot any Gith...
(This dice roller is abso-****-lutely crap, it should be returned to the old format asap!)
Ii cannot see inside the temple, for it has heavy shutters of dark wood on the windows. Even if the doors are locked, though, her wyvern could probably batter them down ...
"Why do i see no-one outside then, Graith?, if it is one of my kind, there would be no need to hide inside a house of your power...." and with that she swoops up into the air with the wyvern and tried to spot a flat roof nearby where she can land without squishing the captive..
just trying to find out if the system was crapping up, seems not, unfortunately, so ignore the 2nd roll, meh.
The wyvern lands on the roof of a nearby builing. Evidently the residents had already fled, for nobody inside reacts. Though the wyvern puts more weight on one foot, and his wings, the priest still has the wind knocked out of him upon landing. A few moments pass before he can gasp out an answer to Ii.
"We ... we hide him from the people of Assam. They'd burn us out if they knew. As it is, only the higher priests have ever seen him. He hides in the basement of the temple."
"Bring him to me then..." and adds "Now!".. and she tells the wyvern to let the little power-slave go..
Ya'shenn curses under her breath as about half of the graith heathen manage to flee. She had hoped that a few would remain to encourage their fellows to leave Assam forever, but perhaps not quite so many. After making sure that Kitiir is well (and healing the Git'ribani, if need be), the psion then takes special care to locate anything (not already burning) that might conceivably be considered a sacred object or in any way important to the worship of this Chauntea -- cutting holy symbols off the necks of individual Venerators, if necessary. She then thoroughly destroys them, either by adding them to the fire or hacking them to pieces. Ya'shenn looks around briefly for Ii'Jyka'Vaar, having hoped that the knight would join her in the utter destruction of such idols, but the dragon-rider must be otherwise occupied at the moment.
She also does not hesitate to loot the temple or grove of either coins, food (fit for githyanki), or other items that might be useful to the People -- provided that none of them resemble pagan holy objects.
Ii lets the graith priest go, and he climbs down and enters the temple. Long minutes pass, and he does not return .... [DM, you're gonna have to go in there. If he was telling the truth, the githyanki Emissary, basicly an outcast sentenced to live among the graith, isn't coming out.]
Ya'shenn only finds a few coins and items of value; most of these graith were simple farmers. She does collect a nice pile of wooden and wicker holy symbols, and sets them all on fire.
Fire, dispite the fact that the githwarriors' entire stock of incendiaries had already been dropped on Hlondeth, is the element of the day. Chauntea's temple is soon well alight, and the trees of the grove are starting to burn as well.
[DM: Want to do a post, but ... timing ... must lure Ii'jyka'vaar into the temple of Talos (or not, but BS must decide one way or the other) ...]
Ii'Jyka urges the wyvern to climb down the house slowly, and move to the door of the temple, and ram it in..
This diceroll is still bugged, i am getting fed with this.
...
[Forget the rolls]
The wyvern is a thick headed brute. It takes three strikes with his head before he knocks down the door and crawls inside, Ii still on his back.
The temple is dark except for hundreds of candles along the hall. In the back is a raised balcony reached by a stair so steep it is nearly a ladder. On this platform is the altar, draped in black cloth with yellow lightning bolts. There are few priests or worshipers here, half a dozen at most, now fleeing from the intrusion. Up next to the altar is the turncoat priest, still bloody and disheveled from his ride in a wyvern's claws. Next to him is indeed a githyanki, though it takes a few moments for Ii to realize this, since he is dressed in graith fashion. The gith has a blade drawn on the priest.
"You fool! I'll kill you myself!"
And he does ...
"Ah... Gith... kill him indeed please, then we can speak in peace.." Ii'Jyka bows her head whilst saying this and keeps her wyvern from bouncing around the room to much..
The githyanki are still boarding the skiffs. Ya'shenn, Du'minh, Gy-Nath, Ar'dru, and Kirath find themselves, whether by purpose or chance, last to board. Kirath and Ar'dru circle above the burning grove and temple. Already some of the fields are starting to burn in places. The trio of astral brigs are all over by the caravans, loading up with spoils of war.
Suddenly, the clouds that the githyanki had hidden in to take Assam by surprize, betray them in turn. First a pair of astral skiffs appear, moving at full speed. They are followed by at least a dozen more. Mere moments later, a huge planar raider, a hundred feet long and three full decks, comes out of the clouds. It's metal skin is burnished black. Gib contacts Kirath, her fear tinging the thought-sending.
~Sir it's the Moonless Night, flagship of the strikeforce controled by Master Pale. You ... you haven't been properly briefed, commander. Master Pale held the title of Queen's Necromancer during the Incursion, and is firmly of the Court of Vlaakith and the Ascendancy. He considers all other blocs traitors, and has been known to 'recruit' other troops. We may be in serious trouble. Oh my ... Yes. Yes we are.
The black shape of Moonless Night is not alone. Just behind, two more planar raiders follow. This is no small strikeforce. This is an entire taskforce. Three capital ships, nine astral brigs, and upwards of sixty skiffs. Enough transportation for a thousand githwarriors in full battle readiness. Kirath's little taskfore can barely boast more than fifty blades.
Gib sends similar warning messages to Gy-Nath and Ya'shenn.
~Sister, this may come as a shock, but these githyanki may not be our friends. In fact our only hope for survival may lie in convincing the commander we are worth more alive than dead. His is, however, a necromancer of the highest order, and we would be valuable enough dead.
The githyanki is dressed as a graith, with a chain shirt of blackened metal, and wielding graith-made weapons. He stabs the priest through the heart several times, then spits on the corpse with a curse.
The other humans, fleeing, still give him a wide berth. He leaps up on the altar, blades in hand.
"I am V'ka the Violater, Emissary from Vlaakith to the Shining Plains region of Aebir-Toril! I was cast out for crimes of violation and sent among the barbarians to deliver the Lich Queen's message. Githees, and a dragonrider too! Perhaps, at long last, I can die with small modicum of honor? Meet my blade, knight. End my life with your edge, or fall under mine!"
"V'ka, I am honored to meat you, regardless of your background. Although i think your more worthy alive to me, then dead, I am happy to oblidge in that regard, food for thought though, as you have a choice, Vlaakith is dead, and although i am a knight, i am loyal to the Gith-race, not any faction.... serve me, and we can see what can be done about your crimes and banishment..." and with that she draws her blade to do buisness if the Gith desides to fight, but does not dismount..
how will we do the combat seeing as the dice-roller is still bugged?
"Silence! I know of Vlaakith, but these graith know nothing. Only the Lich Queen could possibly pardon my crimes, and so you see there is no returning. The only shred of honor I have left is her last task of me, delivering the message that living above Oryndoll cannot be tolerated. This I do in my own way, by using the graiths' faith in Powers against them.
"Two other Emissaries also came to Assam. The first delivered the missive with the point of a blade. She died in the town square atop a pile of foes, shouting curses to the illithid. The second sought to deliver the message to the graiths' leaders. She entered their tower but never came back out. So I decided on a more sublte means.
"You seem unconcerned about my background, I find this strange, especially from a Knight of Vlaakith. You might not be so forgiving if you knew of all my crimes, Githees. Anyway, I am no longer githyanki. I am graith. A gith-race pirate at best.
"There was some questions why none of the emissaries made any attempt in returning messages to the command of this sector... but thats not my concern.. and to your surprise about me not being concerned about your background is simple, each of us have our own background and we have to live with the current aftereffect of this..You seem to be good at what you do, in a strange sort of way, and i think you would be much more valuable to me and the Gith in general alive and active in any capacity that seems best for you now, will you serve me?, because if you do, I will support you in many ways that you cannot have now, i serve another greater Gith obviously, and he can provide me with many a thing that I would need, and so thus so can you, and besides, i give you the freedom to operate as you want, as long as you report to me and give me useful information, then we are both happy"
..with that she moves slowly off her Wyvern and stands at ease with her Nagamaki..
(DM, can you give me a layout?)
Gib sends similar warning messages to Gy-Nath and Ya'shenn.
~Sister, this may come as a shock, but these githyanki may not be our friends. In fact our only hope for survival may lie in convincing the commander we are worth more alive than dead. He is, however, a necromancer of the highest order, and we would be valuable enough dead.
Still not entirely trusting the half-dragon psion (and another telepath, at that), Ya'shenn strives not to allow much of her own mental/emotional state to filter through to Gib. She does not feel especially unfriendly toward the duthka'gith, but merely prefers to keep her thoughts (and emotions) her own.
While Ya'shenn would most likely greatly prefer not to be in the presence of a death-mage of such power and rank -- though she is familiar enough with their kind in general -- it would seem that the group has little choice in this matter. This necromancer must be truly terrible, to unnerve even a duthka'gith Controller. The prospect of being pressganged by a death-mage is only slightly less unpleasant than the thought of being turned into some form of unthinking undead, or...
~It is unfortunate that the times are as turbulent and chaotic as they are. It seems we are to negotiate. Controller, how much do you know of this commander exactly -- which warbands serve under his direct command, and whether your band has dealt with his forces recently...?
[I'd be happy to have Ya'shenn hail the Moonless Night -- though Ya'shenn herself would be rather less thrilled, I'd imagine -- but it'd be best to get Kirath's/the group's OK to do so first.]
~It is unfortunate that the times are as turbulent and chaotic as they are. It seems we are to negotiate. Controller, how much do you know of this commander exactly -- which warbands serve under his direct command, and whether your band has dealt with his forces recently...?
~ He is served mostly by graith. He has a strong ally in a powerful graith lich. He does not interact with the other commanders, for he sees all of us in the Cult of Tiamat as heretics, and all the Apocalytes and Heartforce as traitors. His honor guard are swordwraiths, and I've heard that some are newer than the others, former sarth and kith'rak who he slew and reanimated. If we could flee now, I would have, but such an act would be futile.
[....]
The dark shape of the planar raider Moonless Night glides directly overhead. The bottom hatch opens, and a figure slowly descends to the ground, to alight near the gathered githyanki. [DM assuming here that Ar'dru and Kirath land to meet him]
The figure is wraped head-to-toe in traditional githyanki wrappings. Still, he has overdone it a bit, and has wrapped his face and head as well, making him look not unlike a mummy. The only exposed part is his eyes. As he approaches, the gith see that his eyes are very pale, almost like a corpse's. His skin, too, has the yellow tinge of the embalmed. He carries a wooden staff from which many chimes of bones and small animal skulls swing, tink-tinking against each other. No honor guard accompanies the necromancer, but Ya'shenn feels that there is another presence about him, as if an unseen being follows in his wake.
He speaks, and his voice is a harsh whisper with a strange echo to it, almost like they were all standing within a tomb, the voice eminating from the crypt itself. "Who is in command here?"
Kirath steps forward, but before he can even reply, Master Pale thumps his staff three times on the ground. The corpses of the graith recently slain in and around the temple, some still on fire, rise up and shuffle slowly in his direction. "Not anymore! You will all obey my orders, or your shades will be compelled to obey!"
He looks over the assembled gith, and they get the impression that under the wrappings he is sneering at them. "Feh! Cultists and half-breeds! Still, you may prove useful to me. Yet, I now perceive there is more here." The necromancer approaches Ya'shenn, and Du'minh moves quickly to her side protectively. Master Pale spares the rish-i-chal a quick glance, then remarks, addressing Ya'shenn, "You are not Cultists, nor do you wear the badge of the Apocalytes. Who are you?"
[In the Temple of Talos]
"I do not count you sparing my life a mercy, knight. Quite the opposite, and so not much of surprize. Though I am now graith, I may ally with the children of Gith, should they find me of use. I will continue on here, promoting troubles in Assam.
"As for seving you more directly, I'm not sure how that will work, if I remain here and you leave. This temple may serve as a sanctuary should you need it, and should you choose to debase yourself by sleeping in the house of a Power as I have done these many months. In any case, I will breif you on Assam and the graith here, and anything else you may wish."
V'ka proceeds to tell Ii'jyka about the goings-on in the Shining Plains; the defensive composure of Assam, the general schedule of caravans, the principal activities and mood among the barbarians, and much other information of millitary value.
Ar'Dru watches the negotiations with detached interest, attepting to position himself so that he can defend Ya'shenn if need be while still remaining far enough away to avoid any area effect spells.
He keeps his blade away in a non-agressive manner realising the tenuous nature of the situation.
As the strikeforce approaches Assam, Gib relays reports from the scouts. They will arrive in Assam just as dawn breaks. The skies are cludy enough that their approach will be masked. The temple of Chauntea is on the outskirts of the city, among the few verdant farms. According to the first reports, there are a number of worshipers entering the grove-temple for a sunrise ceremony of some kind. Therefore the githyanki can expect a fairly large number of graith laborers inside when they arrive.
[ DM - OK folks, time to declare attack actions. Due to the posting scedule of late, initiative will be in the order of whoever posts first. Then all NPCs, then all graith. Outside the temple is a grove of trees (the only trees around), and then the farmer's fields. The temple itself is a made of wood. There are doors in each wall, and the eastern doors are open to greet the dawn. The temple itself is protected from scrying and teleportation, but the grove is not. Anyone who gets into the temple finds twenty (or so) humans in a circle around an altar festooned with fruits, vines, flowers, etc. Five druids form a tighter circle around the altar.]