A Cleansing Experience pt7

There was an effort being made to root out a 'spy' of sorts, the result of an identified scratching sound from within the walls of an airship.

ALl in all, things could be worse.

Kravar flies alongside the ship, peering in through windows and portholes. He lets himself drift back and fly behind it, examining the engines (from a safe distance) for signs of a hole or some way for the vermin to have gotten in.

Astaren shakes his head slowly, "Well... hmmm..." Shaking his head as he taps his chin thinking, "Not sure how much I can help with this. Need somebody more aong Durrankar's pursuasion." Glancing over to the druid in question, "What we need, are more snakes on this plane."

Durrankar says, "Yes. I shall summon some, then go after it myself." he says as he begins to chant."

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1f4+1: (1)+1f4+1: 2 (EPIC FAIL)

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3

It takes a few seconds, but when Durrankar lowers his hand to the floor, 3 vipers slither their way out of his sleeve and head into the various crevices of the ship. It's only then that Durrankar shifts into a viper himself, and does the same....hoping to corner the rat...

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d20+5: (19)+5: 24

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d20+5: (12)+5: 17

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d20+5: (19)+5: 24

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d2-2: (1)+-2: -1

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d2-2: (1)+-2: -1

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+1: (11)+1: 12

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+1: (15)+1: 16

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d2: (2): 2

GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d2: (2): 2

THeres some rustling soudns but, eventually, a loud 'squeak' followed by hissing follwoed by an abrupt animal scream.

Durrankar can't exactly talk, but he's slithering after the rat, especially now that he heard the squeak...

Astaren is reading a book, waiting for the rat problem to be taken care of.

Kravar flies alongside the ship, sometimes having to use one of his various tricks for an extra burst of speed just to keep up with it.

Well, that certainly works.

Eventually, Durrankar can emerge with... is that a rat? Yes. But a definitely demon-corrupted rat, now that it's more visible. It's blood is... a greenish cast?

Durrankar actually slithers his way up to Astaren.....as if to say 'take the rat'. he can't talk though.

Astaren reaches into his haver sack, and pulls out a thick leather glove. Then gingerly takes the rat by the tail and sighs, "There might be more?" glancing to the snake and then looking to the rate with a hmmm.

Durrankar the viper is somewhat creative....as he brings his tail forward as he rears up...and runs his tail just below his chin....as if to say 'Make sure it's dead'. And the snake goes back into the passages to make sure there aren't more.

Kravar lands next to Astaren to examine the rat. "Foul vermin," he finally says, adding a spit for good measure. Off the side of the boat of course. He knows how hard the airmen worked to clean the deck after the wyverns. "I still wonder how it got on board."

Astaren reaches into his bag and pulls out a bag. Puting the rat into the bag, and then into the haver sack. "Might come in handy later, and yes it was dead." he offers with a smile, "Extradimensional, kinda hard to scry, actually it is impossible." grinning a moment as he stands up and starts to head back towards the deck. "It was the scrying focus as well."

Durrankar slithers his way back out...as do the other vipers....and Durrankar changes back to his nromal self. "It's the only one that I can see." he says as he pats the snakes on the heads...and gives them each a mouse before they go.

And wit hthat, the most immediate problems are dealt with. Who knows what the oth4er ships are dealing with right now? Could well be similar things!

At any rate, Shora and the rest of the airship crew are righting and repairing things and you're soon back on your way across the Myrrish countryside, merely having left two demon-wyverns behind you.

No big deal, right?

Astaren is walking his way along the deck, "The rat is taken care of, but we have been marked. Captian Shora, can we push the ship at full speed? Or, any way we can speed the ship up?" then glances to the others, "I think the worst is ahead of us."

Stirling has been chipping in as much as he can with repairs, and nods to Astaren with tools in hand. "Right, we have to assume they know we are the target. Can we maybe pull down cloud cover go hide in as we travel?" he asks of the ship Druid.

Kravar spends most of his time walking along the railing now, using his well-worn spyglass to peer at the horizon. "We should change course every so often as well," he advises. "Just a few degrees, not enough to cost us much time - but to hopefully throw off our pursuers by not flying in a straight line."

Durrankar says, "I'll have to combine a lot of spells, but I could do that....and have us move faster."

GAME: Stirling rolls craft/artifice+4: (12)+24+4: 40

MAgic is a help.

Fog clouds and wind controls allow you to obscure your path enough that it makes for smoother sailing, and that's to say nothing of the work that just went into ensuring your engines are running at the highest of efficiency. That alone shaves hours and hours off your journey over the next two days.

Finally, there in the distance, Bryn Myridorn at long last is visible. It's great spires and white-gold towers are a sight to behold. You are hardly the only airship in the sky over the great capital of the Myrrish empire. It's just after sunrise.

Stirling cleans some grease off of his Titanfists, restoring the chrome shine. "Don't relax yet. We can't afford to trip up in the last few steps." he notes as he prepares his deathray.

Durrankar says, "uh......right."

Astaren glances up as the spires come into view and looks thoughtful. He stands up and stretches, "Well..." sounding thoughtful as he considers the sight before him, but seems more on edge then relaxed. Glancing over to Stirling, "Our enemy knows our destination, if he cannot track us here, he would be lying in wait." glancing back ahead.

Stirling nods to Durrankar and Astaren "Do we know who we are meeting and handing off to? Does the city have security forces ready?"

Kravar says, "Yes, we still have a way to go." He begins pacing the deck again, wondering what could be next. More wyverns? Dragons? More 'traditional' demons (if there is such a thing). Then he turns to answer Stirling. "I...well...I don't know. I didn't think to ask that." In truth, he was halfway certain their airship would have crashed en route. "Perhaps Shora would know..."

Shora simply says, "They'll be ready for us, for you, when we land." She is, after all, part of the mission.

And with that, you begin to descend towards the airship dock, waiting for a time in your turn before you ar e finally, for the first time in a while, on dry ground.

Durrankar looks over the rail and sighs. "and for the biggest obstacle of all time.....waiting in line."

Stirling grumps "Eyes and ears." he repeats, looking at anyone that gets near the ship.

Astaren shakes his head and mostions to Shora, 'the captain does, just a hired hand." and is probably not the most popular, having put up a mansion or two. Then glances to the dock as he considers, "I wonder how many of the other ships made it." tapping his chin thoughtfully

It's true. Most of the crew absolutely gives Astaren the stink eye from time to time.

Still, Shora nods lowers the gangplank and the lot of you are able to disembark while the crew tends to the ship.

Why, hello there Paladins.

A group of Sunblades is waiting to greet you as you descend off the ship.

"Welcome," says a scar-faced, mid-fortyish woman with a nod towards you. "You're the second airship to've made it here. We'll be escorting you, and your cargo, to the Temple of Daeus."

Durrankar taps Astaren on the head. 'Come on Astaren. We need your attention on the here and now." He says following the cargo.

Stirling eyes the paladins, letting the deathwatch enchantment on his eye get a good reading on each, making sure they are all solid healthy living people. "Right, well let's get moving then."

Astaren glances to the crew and smiles, "Thank you for your services, we could not of made it here without you." Glancing to Shora, "you got good people working for you." Turning to follow after the cargo and Durrankar. He doesn't seem to care about the stink eye, if they want their own mansions they can study magic for a couple of decades. He pauses as the paladin speaks, "By the crescent moon, I should have realized..." trailing off as he shakes his head. "Yes, let us hurry to the temple."

Kravar readies his shield and checks that his sword is loose in its scabbard. He follows the paladins but also stays as close as he can manage to the cargo. If something attacks them now, he reasons, it will be focused on stealing Asumit's treasure.

Good news is that you're starting to make your way towards the Temple of Daeus. It is a grand cathedral, to be sure. You saw it on the way in. A monumental building, the center of the worship of the faith in this part of the world. r

And you're heading there. It makes the great golden dome of the temple in Alexandria pale in comparison with its tall spires and even greater dome.

Thyrson strides through the city, expectant, doing his best not to show his hurts. He leans on his staff, fighting a sense of disquiet.