Iomedae Save Me ………….. 6

Nothingness turns to blackness. Silence broken by noises of rasping breathing and movements somewhere close. My limbs are stiff, as if I have slept several days in an uncomfortable position.

Unconsciously my hand moves to my hip and then my neck. I manage a smile, the physical possessions I hold most important are still there.

With uncharacteristically laboured effort I make a familiar gesture. “Lumous”

The blackness is replaced by Iomedae’s blinding radiance. I am alive and more importantly, have not been forsaken by her divine magnificence.

A moment to reorient myself, I stuffed within an alcove within a chamber. About me I see similar alcoves and in them my other companions. Dorian is moving, but I am not sure about the others.

Dorian and I quickly check over the others. Praise be to Iomedae, they are alive! I can see they all suffering the effects of ghoul fever, Dorian and Helga in particular seem to have particularly virulent strains. Whilst I do not seem to be suffering from this affliction, I quick examination reveals ugly wounds on my arms and legs that appear as if I had been feasted upon by some feral creature.  It would appear that that which Iomedae would not let become an abomination would instead become lunch.

The only casualties were our weapons. There was no argument among the group, it was time to leave.

Fortunately we were still in the complex under the cannibal village, and the exit was in the next chamber.

After extricating from the pit, I moved to check on the detained cannibal women.  They were alive, and four days without rum had sobered them up.

An argument broke out with what to do with them. Butcher them (Szraiel), a slave/servant (Ron), eat them (Helga) and probably some other morally questionable act (Dorian). I would have none of it. With a heavy heart I called upon the powers granted to me by Iomedae. I already knew the answers. Unequivocally I could see the foul evil taint upon them. There was only one path to take.

My compatriots cued onto what had been decided and began a barrage of complaints and arguments. I would have none of it. It is not their choice. It is the will of Iomedae. I am her instrument of divine retribution. It is my burden to carry out her judgement.

I took a large knife from the cannibal slaughterhouse and descended into the prison pen. No doubt some would find irony in that which they had used to butcher so many would become the very tool of their final judgement.

They seemed to know what fate await them and began to scream and wail in protest and pathetic pleas for mercy.  They were forfeit long ago and judgement has been made.

I said a final prayer to Iomedae on behalf of their doomed souls and one by one took them by the hair and jammed the knife into the back of their neck, where the skull meets the spine.  I am told death is near instantaneous and painless when caused in this manner. This was the small mercy I could give them in their final moments.

There is no innocence, only degrees of guilt

…………………………………………….

Szraiel seemed to be most affected by the incident and decided he want to purge any signs of the evil that had been committed in the village. He started collecting the human jerky and butchers equipment, placing it into one of the huts.  He announced he was then going to burn it all. I understood his rationale and assisted with the cleaning of the village and preparation of the pyre.

As we watched the inferno I thought that perhaps in some way Iomedae is beginning to reach him. I will continue to observe his future actions.

It was time to move on and a decision needed to be made. I had no desire to leave the issue with the Mother unresolved, but given our previous encounter with her and current afflictions we were experiencing, we thought it time to recover before attempting another assault.

We headed back to the Dryad. She was very excited to see us, but very worried about Dorian. Over the next three days the party slowly recovered from their ailments. I am very glad for the assistance of the Dryad despite Ron’s continual unintentional rudeness. Without her treating our symptoms I think that Dorian and Helga may have succumbed to their illnesses.

After our recovery we headed off to check on the Tengu and our fellow castaways.  Pezcack elected to accompany us, having grown bored of waiting at his giant crustacean and able to move about more freely now the cannibal menace had been broken. The castaways were still managing, though I think they were beginning to get a little anxious to get off the island. As we prepared to depart the camp, were heard the sounds of thunder from the south and saw flashes of lightning that appeared to go from the ground up to the heaven. Ron and Szraiel were convinced that the phenomena originated from the area we believe the tidestone to be.

It would still have to wait until we had dealt with the mother and we left the village heading south and clearing more of the eastern coast line before we would turn west and head back to the village.

On this journey we found another abandoned hut that looked like it had been turned into a shrine by the cannibals. Inside was in far more dilapidated condition, suggesting that the tribe folk did not enter. However we were able to salvage the remains of a journal. The journal and hut belonged to the captain of the Thrune’s Fang and the remaining journal fragments detailed the corruption of his crew and beginning of the cannibal blight.

We lowered ourselves into the pit once more. This time we knew what awaited us. We moved quickly and quietly through the caverns until we entered the chamber that was the scene of our defeat one week ago.

Again the darkness entered from the far end of the chamber and from it dismissive comments forecasting of our likely fate as dinner or lackeys.

The battle began, between magical darkness and smokescreens caused by Ron’s alchemical concoctions it quickly became a protracted affair. Her unholy blasts were countered by Dorian’s mystical healings. It seemed a stalemate would develop however the darkness retreating into the room and then into watery exit on the far side of the room.

The Mother had fled into water.

We quickly recovered our equipment and set up an ambush hoping for the beasts return. Alas it was not to be and it seemed we had chased her off. Justice had been denied.

Only one threat remained. The flying menace which seemed to be co-located with the tide stone.

We left the pit and followed the southern coast to the east.