Wants and Needs

The discussion near the Church of the Morninglord had come to an end, though there were several detials that Rahsaan was still uncertain. From what he had heard upon  returning to the group, Gohzrik was ready to die in order to save Baden and the drawf set for execution. While the wizard and knight seemed to have talked him off that ledge, and the plan to fool the procession with divine intervention seemed a sound one, he knew even if their targets were free, there would be repercussions whatever followed their heist. He knew the kind of chaos that could erupt from an emotionally-charged throng.

Still having a few hours before sunrise, they had found retreat inside an abandoned, boarded up- house, slipping inside when the streets were clear. After peering through the gap in the wooden planks covering the window to ensure no one had followed them, Rahsaan leaned against the wall and spoke to the others,  

"I feel we have a good idea on how to free the captors. While I do not doubt any of our talents magical or otherwise, we also should account for what will immediate follow. In the past when there was some sort of large disturbance, I took that as a chance to run away. Something which I am not able to do this time."

To further explain he said, "Villaki will not be the same after we are done here tonight, regardless of the proceedings. I know Sir Mercurion wants to further Ezra's purpose, and Gohzrik must uphold his honor,"

He looked to Aspen and Eylylyn in particular, "So I suspect we all have our own reasons to participate in this- this is no longer just about freeing those unjustly sentenced. I want to know what each of us want from this, so if- when,  the tides turn against us, we do not thwart one another."

After a pause he said,  "For example, I do not want to have unnecessary violence. Even if the gathered crowd has come to view an execution, they are being goaded by the Baron. I do want a chance to show them that by carrying out the will of the Baron, not only are they failing to protect themselves from their so-called devil, but are ruining their way of life."

He sighed, "And also, I want Izek to be safe in all this, and if there is any fight at all he will be there at the front in order to protect the Baron. I need a chance to show him, especially."  

He crossed his arms, focusing on his mangled right one as he said, "Because if there is any chance to fix my curse, than he also deserves a chance."

"There is no doubt in my mind once you show up and stop the execution it will turn to violence. The Baron won't think logically and will lash out at whoever or whatever is in his way. Push comes to shove grab the prisoners you can and fly as fast as you can away. Yugo will be standing by with his wagon for the rest of us and the prisoners to escape the city. His want for this katana will see to that."

He sighed.

"Even if I fall in battle I am sure he will help as long as he gets this prize."

He looked around.

"I am not looking to die. I am not trying to die. But I will fight to my dying breath saving Badan and his brother, Gomar. I will only retreat once they have been rescued, or we if fail and they are executed... I will not throw my life away for meager vengeance."

He took a swig of water from his canteen.

"That being said I will not hold you all to my standards. If wish to retreat to save yourself at any point, I will understand and will hold no ill will towards you. In a manner of speaking I am truly the only one among us with a horse in this race. That's just the way things are and that's fine."

He gave a long look to Rahsaan.

"I will do all I can to keep your brother out of it. I know a thing or two about curses and chances."

The tiny Wizard shakes her head as she examines the sword entrusted to her. After making sure it's oiled and sits tightly in its scabbard she makes a deft motion with one hand and a slit opens its self in the air before her, revealing a tiny but well organized room filled with shelves of arcane ingredients, note books and a few other nick nacks. She climbs into the hole, stows away the sword and comes back out, tucking an unlabeled glass bottle into her robes. As the hole seals its self back up she turns to Gohzrik.

"It'll be safe in there until we're done in town. Safer than any of us, I should say. Now as for that, I don't think it'll come to an all out brawl. We have a good plan, and these superstitious yokels would love nothing more than the chance to prostrate themselves before a vengeful goddess. I'll use my Sending Stones to make sure our ride out is in position. You and I will be in the crowd incognito along with Ser Mercurion to play up Rahsaan's performance and make good the escape. I think it'd be good if Aspen were hidden somewhere with a good vantage point so she can warn us of any surprises. Mahlajai can help her coordinate that."

She turns back to Rahsaan, wiping a strand of hair away from her pierced eyebrow.

"As for the why of it, isn't it obvious? I know this town seems like a bastion of order and lawfulness, but it's clear these people in reality are ruled by the mad whims of a Baron prone to fantasy. They had no trial! Bad enough if they were big people, but things like this happen to us little folk all to often in your cities. There is no room for prejudice in the Perfect Law, and so any law built on prejudice is null. As for your curse... well my concern is fixing you. Once we figure that out it should be easier to fix anyone else who needs it."

Gohzrik shrugged his shoulders.

“They may be superstitious... but they are also fearful. Not only of Strahd but of the Baron. The Baron will have every soldier available at the execution in plate armor, whereas we are banking on tricking the citizens with an image of a Goddess they’ve never heard of. It’s a hard sell because while they fear the Baron he has for the most part protected this town from Strahd. We can’t offer protection like that... protection they can see. More often than not when it comes to change versus complacency until push comes to shove complacency wins.”

"Though they fear Strahd above all." Voriel's voice said. While his posture stayed relaxed, there was a definite shift in the look of Rahsaan's eyes. "And I think we could make a fairly solid case that this Baron has done nothing to properly ward against the devil. Unless that ghastly shrieker or his spawn were law abiding citizens.  If we want to reveal  that, it would suggest he is just a tyrant without the town's needs at heart."

He pushed off the wall and stepped toward Gohzrik, "And that complacency you mentioned. It is precisly what Strahd wants. He wants these people too scared to stand up for themselves, to be more concerned avoiding sniffing too loudly than fighting against the very evil suffusing their city. Again, we would argue he is only looking after himself and his rule."

He rolled his eyes with a small sigh, " And I know Rahsaan keeps going on and on about his brother, but I think he is actually the linchpin. He is the arm of the Baron after all and I don't think he has realized he could easily turn it against him. And whatever he does, the rest of his troops should fall in line."

"But with the performance what do we want to appeal to, offer an alternative to their suffering by the divine will of Ezra, or paint the Baron as a pawn of the devil so that they strike him down themselves?"

Gohzrik frowned.

“We are going to be lucky if the Baron doesn’t order you shot down as soon as you start speaking. How many arrows would you be able to catch while speaking? I can’t imagine he will let us give any sort of appeal without fighting back. If he does he is more foolish than I ever thought.”

He spat to the side.

“As for as Iseck is concerned... there is a possibility we haven’t considered. He may be up on the block for execution as well. He is after the Guard Captain who failed to protect the Baron’s son, not to mention Iseck was in charge and at the mansion when it burned down. If the Baron has no doubts in Iseck... we may have changed that. Even if the Baron took no action it’s possible some of the other guards may have lost faith in Iseck and will listen to The baron over him. Even in my small band I led before I was cursed there was a brother in arms waiting for me to mess up so he could take his shot at leading our outfit.”

He sighed.

“My point is we have not made contact with Iseck and we cannot be for certain that Iseck will be in a position to act in our behalf and therefore it would unwise and foolish to think of him as a linchpin. We must try and find a way to make our plan successful with only known quantities otherwise it may fall apart.”

He looked at Voriel.

“If Iseck is there and your words sway him,  all the better. My point is we need a plan with or without him. Your words must be able to move strangers not just Rahsaan’s brother.”

Sir Mercurion listened to his companions, once or twice seemingly prepared to interject, only to fall silent as another spoke.

Finally, he removed his helm, and when he spoke, it was careful and precise.

"All we should do is present the truth: I would rather that there is as little trickery afoot as possible. We are not deceivers, but messengers bearing words of hope. Our coming spells doom for evil, and this is our chance to show that, quite clearly, to the people of this town. If they choose darkness, if they choose to worship their own fear instead of justice, then they are already lost. But we must present them this chance."  

The Borcan knight looked down at Eylylyn with a grave smile. "Friend gnome, I showed you how the goddess Ezra appeared to me, but I do not think she would be served well by having a false image of her presented to the townsfolk; no, I think there is another, better way-"

He addressed the monk, his tone one of careful respect. "I see your aspect has changed, somewhat. You are not a simple pauper from Nova Vaasa. There is a spark of divine will within you that is undeniable. I have seen it manifest time and time again. But now- now, this is your chance. To strike a blow against the creatures of the night, but just as importantly, you are the one who can stoke faith in the darkened hearts of the men and women of Vallaki. Will you be Ezra's saving angel, at least this once?"

In response to the cursed dwarf's naysaying, Mercurion laughed, the sound carrying an undeniable sardonic note. "The baron's guards are well armed, but they are men. They may yet heed the call of the faithful. And if they do not, if the people choose to shoot an angel, a clear and obvious messenger of the light, well, that is no impediment. Not while I live."

Voriel raised an eyebrow with a smirk as he looked a Sir Mercurion. You still don't realize I'm a separate entity, do you? Voriel thought to himself about the paladin's remarks. Though he decided against voicing the comment instead answering,

"Hm, yes. I suppose appearing as a mere visage of the Goddess would be a bit unauthentic. If we do not wish to mislead these people, I presume we will play up how we can save them from the evils within their midst, that they have been tricked themselves into persecuting the malformed yet innocent. That the Baron is merely incompetant rather than iniquitous."

He then looked at the ragged vest he was wearing then back to Eylylyn, "Though, are we certain we would not want to have the Goddess appear at all? It would be a shame for the spell to go to waste."

A few blinks later, Rahsaan's aura seemed to somehow lessen, before he said in his own voice, "If that was not clear enough, Voriel agreed to be Ezra's angel. He said he needed to take some time to 'prepare'- whatever that means."

He then looked at the mostly- dwarf, "I do not think Izek is in danger, Gohzrik because he said the Baron was like an adoptive father to him. That is why I am more concerned he might try and defend him in the event of a fight instead of heeding Voriel's, Ezra's, Mercurion's or whoever's message."

Aspen sat alone in the corner as the others talked. Visions of her father’s execution played over and over again in her mind. She’d replayed the scenario a thousand times, each time wishing she had been able to do something, anything, to save her father from murder.

A lull in the conversation brought her focus back to the present.

“The innocents must be rescued.”

She stood and walked slowly to rejoin the others.

“Tyrants like the Baron think they are above the law, beyond judgment, and infinitely powerful. They keep their subjects cowed in fear of what would happen if he were to remove his so-called protection. And when one of these subjects dares to stand up for what is right...”

Aspen inhaled a deep yet ragged breath as her cat eyes narrowed to dark slits.

“I will not leave this town until the Baron is dead.”

Eylylyn glanced back and forth from companion to companion, now weighing the Borcan's words against their goals. She looked away for a moment, then looked up to the Pinprick Knight.

"Would there be any deception here? We are making no false accusations. I could just as easily disguise myself as the Baron's son, then come forth and accuse him of murdering his heir. I have the boy's ashes, I know the spell to do it. It would be a simple thing, and we could easily whip up a lynch mob to dispense whatever violence they would upon the Baron and his household. That's how it would have been done, were I still of the Kargaat. But that isn't right and it isn't what we're doing."

She shakes her head, now regarding Voriel.

"I know relatively little of matters of faith, but from what I understand gods rarely deal directly with mortals of any kind. Rather they act through priests and prophets who spread their word and do work as the gods hands."

She turns back to Mercurion.

"Is that not so? And did  you not say yourself that you are one such emissary? An Avatar of Ezra, you named yourself. What's more, you were given the power to show me the face of your Goddess, as she must have known you would. And so it seems to me that we indeed have her blessing, as you seemed to think when we created this scheme. Indeed, we are not acting in such a way as to besmirch her good name or oppose her will, but if what you say of her is true and she wants these people to be free then perhaps we are meant to borrow her likeness for such a task."

After a moment's pause she shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"Besides, I've already laid the spell down. It'll go off when it's triggered. And on a professional note, I'd be miffed about wasting a powerful spell like that."

Mercurion studied the gnome.

"You work impressively fast- but an illusory goddess is a poor substitute for real miracles. I do not simply care about rescuing our erstwhile companions- I also care for the souls of Vallaki, and currently, they are in thrall to evil. I wish to awaken them to their potential as servants of the light. If their faith is built on sorceries and smoke, it is not real faith at all."

The paladin had a faraway look, and his gaze slipped past Eylylyn to focus on the distant horizon.

"The sudden appearance of a goddess they do not believe in is much weaker than a later appearance confirming what they already believe."

Gohzrik looked at Rahsaan and shook his head.

“We did not think Badan and Ireena were in danger of the Baron yet here we are and they are in his grasp. It makes no difference what Iseck thinks of the Baron because Iseck is not the one in power. The Baron is. What matters is how he viewed Iseck.  We cannot assume anything is the same in this town as when we left.”

He looked at Mercurion.

“I understand you caring about the souls of the townspeople... but we have to prioritize here. Not every citizen is lined up to be executed tomorrow. These prisoners must take our priority. Our main mission of ridding this land of Strahd will go a long way to help every citizen of Barovia. It would be better to leave the Baron in charge of Vallaki for the time being. If there is a change of leadership Strahd could set his eyes here and then it’s over for everyone.”

He spat.

“As it is right now this plan is too risky since none of us are in agreement. We should cut our losses and change our focus.. I can cause a distraction in one part of town and outrun guards in plate. Eylylyn can be in a different part with her illusions and prestidigitation causing a distraction. Once we pull away the guards from the stocks Aspen can unlock the prisoners, Mercurion and Rahsaan can load them up in Yugo’s wagon and we leave while it is still night.  We don’t have to make it a spectacle.”

He looked around at everyone ending on Aspen.

“We can come back here later and kill the Baron. As it is we don’t have the time, resources, or energy to save or fight the entire town.”

He shrugged.

“Perhaps we could have pulled it off with more manpower but nobody else wanted to hire the three outside to help us, or attempt to contact only other person in the city who wants the Baron out of power so that is neither here nor there.”

Rahsaan gave a confused look at Gohzrik,  "No one is in agreement? The biggest question is if Ezra herself comes down to pay a visit and if so, who gets to play her. And that is because I at least feel bad about Lyn losing out on some of her most powerful magic. An angel in your midst may just be a regular Tuesday for us, but I hardly think the crowd's reaction will be to try and harm it. "

"Whatever happens after Voriel makes his appearance to stop the execution-delivering a devine message about how they should not execute their captives as they are innocent- is what I was wanting to think through. I wanted to make sure we do not just try and step on one another's toes as it while it would be helpful if the crowd watched in stunned silence and did what he asked, there is the chance they will not. But either way, why not use this opportunity to address everything at once? Mercurian's Goddess gets attention, the captives can be freed amid any confusion, and Aspen can shoot the Baron dead."

He looked at the Tabaxi, "And I'm glad someone agrees. Voriel was doing his best to try and talk me out of giving what that tyrant deserves."

The wizard shakes her head in frustration.

"I doubt you'll make any converts today,even if everything goes beyond our wildest hopes. I'm not opposed to keeping the people as safe as possible, but we don't need to assume more responsibility. This mess has already gotten far more complicated than we could have expected without trying to change every facet of these peoples lives in one morning. To that end, I think getting rid of the Baron should be a secondary goal here. Our job is to get one Dwarf and several Goblins out of a tight spot, as well as prevent our former charges from any undue decapitation. Everything else comes after that, and only if we can pull it off without getting ourselves killed. "

She then turned to Rahsaans,somewhat sheepish as she indicates the freshly inked glyph on his tunic.

"I may have exaggerated slightly. You see, the spell I stored there is still going to go off so it won't be 'wasted' so much as 'inconvenient'. It's lain in the fabric of the shirt as much as any of the threads. I can't remove it. So I hope the Lady of the Mists can see fit to at least delay divine justice until we are done here."

“Sorry I guess I misspoke. I am not in agreement... oh wait Eylylyn isn’t happy with the current plan either. This plan has gone from prison break, to revival, to revival along with assassination. This is ludicrous. Why do we even want the Baron dead in the first place? Hmmm? Because of his laws? Because he has executed innocent people? We killed 12 innocent people in that fire. Are you going to punish and kills us too? What about Iseck and the blood on his hands from following the Baron’s orders? Does he get a free pass simply because he’s your brother? You can’t kill the Baron for something and let the others go free without punishment. If Iseck deserves a second chance the Baron deserves a second chance to change his ways. That or you have to kill us all because of the innocent blood we’ve spilt. Besides you were against working with the noble lady just earlier tonight because we didn’t know her and you didn’t want to help her replace the Baron just in case she would be worse. If we kill the Baron we are still helping her, the only difference is we get nothing out of it.

He stopped to catch us his breath and shook his head.

“Our only focus should be the prisoners. We don’t need to be dramatic. We can do it right now. Please. Not everyone in this town needs our help this minute but there are a select few who do.”

After Twang had voiced his concerns, Rahsaan whirled to face both the Gnome and the Ken-arf, his eyes not his own as he said with a slight chuckle,  "O ye of small faith."

Voriel crossed his arms again as he stepped forward,  mostly addressing Eylylyn , "You do not believe the crowd would change its mind just after a brief but glorious appearing?" He turned to Gohzrik,  "And you believe that this is for naught and doomed for failure?"

He looked to Mercurian and raised an eyebrow, "Looks like we have more work than I thought."

He turned back to the other two, his eyes turning more understanding and losing his jesting tone,
"The two of us know exactly what effect divine revelation can have on a mortal- myself by observation, the knight by his own experience. If you had met Rahsaan the day before I appeared to him, you would never have considered him as a dependable companian. He would still be slinking through the sewers and waste, stealing from other starving beggers he could outrun. I allowed him to pursue his unspoken dreams, as he would never have imagined escaping that life."  

He looked above them, as if peering out toward the center of the city,  "The wool has been pulled over the eyes of Valaki. They have been tricked to believe that through servitude, there is safety. Through our display, we are offering a chance to see that they are living a lie, that there is hope instead of submission, that they can become who they are meant to be, more than they could possibly imagine."


His tone turned more serious as he continued, "While I do not believe the Baron deserves death- at least, not based on what I have seen- I can understand Rahsaan and Aspen's thirst for judgement. His type have taken what they cared about from them, and they cannot stand by to see others suffering as they have. But," He looked to Aspen then to Gohzrik, "I do believe that yes, the Baron should have the chance to see the error of his ways, to repent and recant his sins in front of the city. And should he dare raise a hand against us, then we shall judge him accordingly."

He blinked, and looked at the Pin-cushion knight, "Sorry, I did not steal your thunder, did I?"

"No, you did not, friend."

"I am not expecting a mighty outpouring of faith, though that would be welcome. The use of Voriel acting as emissary of Ezra is twofold: it may plant the seeds of hope for would-be faithful, and it may cause our foes to pause."

"As for you, friend Gozhrik, I am surprised. You sought me out and wished to learn of Ezra, surely you would not deny that chance to others? Though our goals may differ, know that I will fight for those entrammeled by evil! Indeed, the dwarf Badin is as valuable to me as any pauper or widow in Vallaki."

The knight's gaze passed between the gnome and the cursed dwarf.

"However, if any of you wish to add to this grand plan, do so! Magical exigencies or political allies planted in the crowd could be a great boon. But I wish to show the people of this benighted town Ezra's power... and grace."

"As for slaying the Baron, I would ask why friend Aspen wishes to kill this man." Mercurion held his hand out to the quiet catfolk, inviting her to speak. "Does anything motivate your hunter's heart beyond the desire to end tyrants? Or has something else transpired, and I am unaware?"

Aspen turned to Mercurion.

“While you were off wherever you were, we met the Baron for the first time. When I dared suggest that all was not and would not be well if he continued treating his people so, he had me seized. If it weren’t for Rahsaan’s brother, you’d also be planning to rescue me at this time.”

“He is a delusional tyrant and apart from divine intervention, I see no hope for change in him. These people need to be free. Maybe death is too extreme, but we cannot leave him in power.”

“If we who have been traveling with you don’t have enough faith, how can you expect strangers to find enough?”

He sighed.

“You each have had personal experiences with the divine and I respect that. I understand how having a personal divine revelation lead to faith. I don’t know how it will work in a crowd.”

He turned to Mercurion.

“I have spoken to you on multiple occasions of Ezra. This is true. I can’t really explain why. These people absolutely deserve the chance to learn of your Goddess’s grace but is now really the right time? Will you be able to spread her message accurately while fighting off guards and rescuing prisoners. It just doesn’t feel like this is the right time for it. We also have to think about what happens after the veil is lifted from their eyes. Remember when we returned from the Elven realm and we ran across the people from the town of Barovia with their souls drained out. With the Baron ousted and the veil lifted is it by probably Strahd turn his eyes here? Why could we not come back and preach of Ezra after the defeat of Strahd. We could even claim she gave us the power to strike him down and the whole country not just Vallaki could be believers. Would that not be better for Ezra?”

Gohzrik sat down and begin to rummage through his pack. He pulled out two arrows, some paper, ink, and a quill. He handed the arrows to Eylylyn and began to write.

“If you would be so kind as to identify those maybe they could be use to us. They are the remaining two arrows I took from the Archmage’s lab.”

He paused.

“If you don’t mind I do want to send a letter to this noblewoman. I can get it to her with my bow and no one conversation has to occur. She need not know details of what we are planning just that an opportunity for her to make a move will be present at the execution. Even if she only has a handful of guards and citizens in her pocket at least that would be a handful turning a blind eye and not attacking us.”

He finished the letter and rolled it up attaching it to one of his regular arrows before looking at Aspen.

“If Iseck hadn’t given us a look and warned us you would be safe I would have attacked The Baron on the spot. In fact it’s because he threatened you I set fire to his mansion... I was a fool though. He still lives while 12 innocent don’t”

The wizard reached up to take the arrows gingerly, careful not to prick an errand finger on the barbs. She lay one down on the ground, first examining the one with a long narrow head tapering to a hollow needle point. She closed her eyes, muttering words of power and gently running a finger along the full length of the shaft.

"This is actually one I am familiar with. I used to make them as part of my Kargat training. They're a particular favorite of many assassin's, as any damage done with this arrow will be returned to the shooter as healing,possibly giving a boon of extra vitality."

She opens her eyes and examines the arrow with her more mundane senses, an artisan looking over the work if a contemporary.

"The workmanship is excellent, but I know it's the same arrow I used to make. The ingredients are not easy to find, but I can make a list and then I can make more."

She sets it down, switching it for the other with a wide volcanic glass head. She gives it the same examination.

"This one is trickier. Wherever it is shot it will create a still illusion of the shooter. These are less common among our agents; if we have need of such illusions magic is usually preferred. Still, I did glance over the recipe once and can remember most of it. I can figure out the missing ingredients in time, but these are very expensive to produce. Still, it may come in handy."

She fathers the two arrows and Magicks them up into Gohzriks quiver with a flick of her wrist before turning back to the others.

"I am here to right some wrongs and follow up on a commitment. I do not recognize the Barons authority, for any ruler so prejudiced in his rule has left the path of reason and law. If Mercurion wants to preach to the townsfolk and give our Ezra likeness an introduction, so be it. That will provide a reason for him to be up at the stage just in case. As far as I'm concerned, though,if the big people want their tiny tyrant and his domination they can have him. But if he gets in my way I will melt his brain without a second thought."

She dusts off her hands, then unzips a hole in reality before her, withdrawing her old gnarled staff from the storehouse within before closing it again.

"I hope to play a mostly passive role in all this at any rate. I'll be in the front disguised as a bent old woman and use my magic to supplement Mercurion and Voriel's performance. If things get out of hand, I'll drop some cover that should let us get out without too much trouble. If we get separated, shake anyone following you and plan to meet back up at the Vistaani camp. Nobody in town knows we are friendly with them,so as long as we aren't followed it should be safe there."