Hadrian 4 - She hasn't tried to kill us yet, and even saved our life. No point in being an ass just because the rest of her race may or may not be our theoretically sworn enemies.
Elise A - "Things" don't just wander into people's rooms when their sleeping in a castle. It was probably sent after us. So, kill the "thing", then decide what to do.
1. The guards have no reason to lie, the signs have been there right in front of us, we know the truth and as a knight of law and order we'd want an explanation.
Still, we know she's different so there's no need to go complete j'accuse on her.
C3 fus roh da!
The downside is that being a fount of holy power using our powers attracts those that would feed and pervert our holy power, tentacles and rape demons
Our powers are also a lot more powerful than we intend, I'd imagine whatever is underneath those sheets will be blown out through the wall
Anyways, if by B you guys mean 2 for the Elise choice, then I'll figure that's what you mean.
Also, I wanted to clarify something that MrMe brought up. The consequences of your holy channeling are not always going to be the same. Sometimes you will feel drained, sometimes your divine magic will be more powerful than intended, etc...
And the problem with channeling is that even on a perfect roll something will still go awry. A mediocre roll will mean several things go wrong. A failure... well, there's a reason that Gods work miracles, rather than mortals.
However, when Elise gets back to a point where Zerica's influence is not being directly blocked by ?????, then she can rely on invocation (prayer) and wards.
Invocation is sort of a "Help me Zerica, I don't care how you solve the problem just do it!"
Wards are basic cleric-y things - healing, minor blessings, and protection from evil. Some of these can be upgrades as Elise levels up.
Currently, all the party is at level 2. In case you were wondering how each hero improved from the Temple Quest, Ariel learned her Dragon Song, which doubles as a bard upgrade, Hadrian acquired his Paladin's Aegis, which has already saved his life, and Elise now has her Deity Channeling ability.
As they level up, I'll try to give a lot more options to you, so we can guide our people in neat directions, but for the first level up I wanted things to slightly make sense from a narrative perspective.
As always, any feedback is welcome when you make your votes. And if you'd like to see certain enemies introduced into the story down the line, feel free to PM me.
You make a last appeal to the brute as he continues to speed up his thrusting, knowing he's only moments away from finishing.
"Not there! Not inside! Please!"
"Away with yer protests, you Nhemian harlot! You can sing a different tune now! Something to go along with your wanton body! Aye, there's enough wetness down there to quench the fire in my blood! And these pretty peaks are telling a far more pleasing and truthful tale!"
His mouth closes around one of your erect nipples, and your mind swims through the haziness and confusion of the tactile overload. Only a grunting oath from the side door slows the man riding you, and the both of you turn your heads to gaze at the robed figure of the man you knocked out with a candlestick at the small altar.
"Merik!?" The robed man cries out, taking the carnal scene in with wide eyes. His hand clutches at a bruise on the side of his head that looks like a small eggplant is trying to grow itself out of his skull.
"Away with you, Osvar! Can't you see that I'm busy? This is no time for an audience from a piss ant like you!"
So, you finally have a name to go with your sadist rapist.
The acolyte in robes, Osvar, scowls and points to you.
"She is not to be sullied! Remember what our master said about her and the elf?"
"Aye?" Merik goes back to deliberately and roughly thrusting back into you after having stopped for a moment due to the interruption. Each motion draws a tired gasp from you. "What of it?"
"The she-elf has escaped! I have just checked. Knowing her, she is probably making good on an escape right now. And now, instead of securing her, you are raping the alternative choice! The master will kill us both!"
Merik scowls and speeds up in spite of the annoying Osvar, who continues to protest. You do your best to not react, to lie like a dead fish and not help Merik's dwindling enjoyment.
"Merik!" Osvar yells, exasperated.
"Rraaagh! Fine!" Merik stands up and begins to rub himself furiously, pointing his tip at you until he ejaculates several ropes of cum, which manage to fall short of your face and land primarily on your belly and chest. "Hnnnnghh...."
"That's just... fantastic." Osvar says with a deadpan face and melancholic tone. "Not that the bitch doesn't deserve it. But honestly, now you'll have to clean that up."
"No I won't." Merik grunts as he slips his softening hard on into his breeches and loops his belt back into place. "You can give her a whore's bath if the master wants her that badly. I'm going to go find that elf tart - unless you'd rather be the one to have to deal with her. After everything we put her through, I imagine she's feeling quite murderous."
Osvar looks uncomfortable at the thought and swiftly nods his head.
"All right, fine! Go find the elf and bring her back here. I'll clean this one up just in case she's already fled. By the bones of Mephistas, did you have to mark her up like this?!"
"Your old priestly skills should un-mar her. You do your job, and I'll do mine."
So saying, Merik walks away from the room, but turns around in the archway to give you a grinning smirk.
"Don't you worry girlie. Once I deliver this elf in good condition, it'll mean you'll be all mine. We'll have a lot more fun together, and you'll sing me any tune I want."
He bellows a dark laugh as he saunters down the stairwell. If you had the ability to speak clearly, you'd curse his name, but the ring in your mouth prevents you from anything other than a growl.
Osvar leaves the room as well, and you're alone and bound on the floor, wounded, exposed, and feeling overall quite used and abused. Anger and shame go to war in your aching mind. You look around, trying to see some way out of this, but a key to unbinding your manacles doesn't present itself readily. Soon, Osvar returns, holding a sloshing, soapy bucket and muttering to himself.
He plops the bucket down beside you and dunks a cloth inside, wringing it out and then applying it with a damp splat to your midsection. Wiping away the mess on you with disgust on his face.
"You weren't supposed to meet Merik. If you'd just stayed in your room and been on your way in the morning, you'd have a sack of gold and a horse-drawn carriage taking you to your next destination. But no. You had to snoop around." Osvar shakes his head and scoffs. "Adventurers!"
You make a few unintelligible sounds through your ring gag.
"Oh? Want to talk now?" He sets the cloth in the bucket and after a moment touching the bruise on his head he leans across and undoes your gag. You close your mouth and grind your jaw side to side, thankful at least to have your mouth back. It's then that you notice the keys on his belt. With your manacles no longer chained to the wall, you might be able to grab them.
"Scream all you like, there's no one down here to hear you. You're at the bottom of the master's tower. Not even the guards are allowed down here. This is where the enemies of the master come to perish and serve."
What do you say? (A)
1. Ask about him healing you. Wouldn't be good to be 'marked' for the master.
2. Ask about who this master is? And why do they need you or the elf woman?
3. Ask him to release you. It's clear that he doesn't get along with Merik. You promise to do ANYTHING he asks if he'll help you get your revenge on the brute.
4. Suggest something to ask or say to him instead.
What do you do about the key ring? (B)
1. Try to sneak it away from him while distracting him with questions, then unshackle yourself secretly and put it back.
2. Like above, only once you're free, try to surprise him and knock him out again.
3. Like above, only once you're free, try to shackle him with the manacles.
4. Don't try for the keys. You're physically exhausted and brutalized. You need this man to heal you, or barring that, let you rest.
You break off the stare first, and turn away from the elf. Other's of your order would be more alarmed and less trusting of the many signs that you've noticed and now overheard, but Reina has fought beside you and taken a blow that might have killed you. She's given no personal cause to not trust her, and so you continue on. You can discuss this with her, perhaps, at a better time.
She follows you along the rooms until you feel a slight shake rumble along the wooden balcony, as though the earth had shifted slightly.
"Did you?" You ask.
"Yes. I felt it too," Reina whispers. "From behind this wall."
"This is Elise's room. Quickly!"
You try the door and it opens from your side, swinging inwards to reveal a dark, nude creature - apparently female - with cat ears and tail, and a host of softly glowing tattooed lines decorating her body, smacking at a rolled up ball of covers with Elise's mace.
The feline woman looks up at you with glowing orange cat eyes, and a look of recognition comes over her.
"Hadrian?!" she asks in Elise's voice.
"You... know this woman?" Reina asks.
"Elise? Is that... can that be you?" You ask.
"It is, I -- oh crap!" The transformed priestess tumbles as the thing she had been attempting to beat down between the covers shifts suddenly and moves. A great many tentacled appendages suddenly spring forth from the covers, shredding holes in the bedsheet while still obscuring view of what sort of demonic creature is at the root of this new infernal sorcery.
"Jorn!" You swear, holding your sword up again.
"Sja Ananasi Matri!" Reina intones behind you, drawing an arrow from her quiver.
Elise flings herself backward and onto the mattress just in time to dodge a pincer swipe of two tentacles. With a skittering of inhuman limbs, the bedsheet monster defies gravity and crawls up the side of the wall, still flailing with its tentacles and starting to screech.
What do you do? (C)
1. Charge the damned thing and send it back to hell with your sword.
2. Grab Elise and defend her to get her out of the room.
3. Ask Elise to heal you while you guard her position.
4. Suggest another course of action.
Elise could have sworn she connected with the thing with her mace, but it seems to have been a glancing blow. What does Elise do now? (D)
1. Charge the thing again, with Hadrian to help.
2. Cast a divine magic to reveal the enemy for what it is.
3. Try to cast a harmful spell against the creature.(WARNING, THIS IS TRYING TO USE DIVINE POWER TO FUEL BLACK MAGIC.)
4. Try to use divine magic to make your body repel infernal touch. If this thing is demonic, it might be chased away by your presence if the spell lasts long enough.
5. Run out the door and try to trap the thing inside.
Weakly, you turn your face towards the bruised acolyte and strain to speak. You've been bludgeoned, flogged, and violated by a sadistic torturer, and he has left his physical marks upon you, though the psychological marks may be worse yet.
"You said it's not good to have me marked. Does that mean you'll heal me? Doesn't your master want me to be in good condition?"
"Hmm. Yes. For purposes which you may find out in good time, I had better heal you. When I was a younger man, a priest in service to the Goddess Mortaea, I learned the arts of the healing touch. However, I need not restore your strength just yet, only your beauty. And so I shall use other techniques to banish the work of Merik."
As the wordy acolyte talks, you attempt to take his keys without him noticing, masking potentially noisy movement with moans about your aches. Osvar seems to believe that your aches are genuine, and you slip the keys from his belt.
"What other techniques?" You mutter as you attempt to place the key into the hole of your manacles.
"Techniques invented by the first necromancer, Mephistes, he who has conquered Death. Fear not, for they were practices he used upon himself while he was a mortal - not yet the great lich of legend."
You frown inwardly at the confirmation of a necromancy cult. The ghouls were a dead giveaway (hehe, get it?) but now you have heard it from the lips of a blasphemer. Necromancy, as everyone knows, is a forbidden form of magic that flies in the face of the gods and the natural order. It is even despised by the demons from the chaos realms, for its own darkness rivals their vision of turning the world into a hellscape of torment. The name of Mephistes is rarely spoken above a cautious whisper, for the First Necromancer still haunts this mortal plane as the lich king - and always the promise of his dark arts recruits more and more followers to his cause.
Osvar produces four large pins with small bone fetishes atop of them, each metal spike being about the length of your middle finger. Smiling down at you, the acolyte's spindly fingers trace lines along your belly and he whispers unintelligible incantations that you feel sure would be worthy of a death sentence in any human civilization.
The first pin he sticks in your abdomen, piercing your flesh, but producing no pain. Rather, you are quickly numbed by the protruding shard of metal. He follows with two pins to your chest, near your under arms, and a final spike he pricks the sensitive bulb of your clit. The marks upon your body begin to fade, and a cool sensation balms over your inflamed skin and achy muscles.
Ariel regains 9 HP bringing her to 10/18 HP
He does all this while you are still attempting to unlock your manacles. You manage to release one of the manacles before the first wave of intense weakness floods through your body, originating from the contact point of each numbing pin. You figure that your original goal in stealing the keys was to free yourself without him noticing, and you have done that, so you slip the key ring back on him unnoticed, before three more intense waves of enfeeblement engulf you.
Ariel is temporarily enfeebled and has the Weak debility. She will be receiving an ongoing -1 penalty to strength rolls until treated and will deal 1d4 less damage with physical attacks.
"Now," Osvar says. "Let us get you properly prepared for the master. Without the she elf, you are to be the one chosen for our master's purpose. The Count is quite overcome with your beauty and charm."
Your limp body is left lying on the floor as Osvar moves to the next room. You don't know for how long he'll be gone. It could be minutes or seconds, you guess.
What do you do? (A)
1. Wait things out. Those pins that he pricked you with have weakened you a lot, and you don't know how far you'd get if you tried to free yourself now. They don't know that you have one manacle loose after all.
2. He's gone and left you alone. If you can rip the straps around your legs away, you could grab your dress, sword, and flute in the corner and be gone from this place. You'll take the stairway leading up and try to find an exit.
3. Free yourself from the straps, re-equip yourself and ambush Osvar when he comes back. You doubt Merik will be back soon, so if you can overcome this weak little acolyte, you might be able to get him to give you the antidote for this condition he gave you - assuming that there is an antidote.
"Elise, get out of here!" You say as you take up a defensive position.
"My gear!" Elise exclaims, darting instead to her bedside and gathering up her pack, her weapon, and her traveller's garments.
The tentacle creature on the wall threatens to snatch at Elise with its tendrils, and you're certain that she doesn't see them coming.
"Back, demon!" You proclaim, slicing your sword down on the lead appendage, severing the thick, green sinew and muscle completely. The second tentacle wraps around Elise' waist and tugs her backwards, spilling her nude and unignorably alluring and exotic body onto her back. You hack away at that offending tentacle as well, and while this one doesn't sever, it does unwind itself and whip away from Elise as now the tentacles are forced to confront you.
"Hurry!" You goad the lynx-priestess. "And I could do with some healing while you're at it."
"Whatever this thing is, it is preventing normal invocations from my goddess. I cannot heal anyone while in its presence. But I can channel Zerica directly, interacting with the power of her faith itself. That is why I look like this!"
"You mean the kitty is human?" Reina asks from the doorway before sending an arrow towards the bedsheet. It strikes only the blanket itself, pinning it to the wall, but the thing underneath it continues to scuttle...
Until at last it pulls itself free from the sheets and the three of you look on in horror at THE HAND OF NRAGUS! The demon hand that had been torn away by the dragon's last strike has apparently become an animated demon in its own right! The hand - which is in length like a medium-sized dog - scuttles about on its digits which act as its legs. Out of the putrid flesh of its ripped muscle tissue and snapped bone have grown a plethora of twisting, fleshy tendrils, whose tips are disturbingly phallic in appearance. On the back of the hand, a demonic maw, lined with saw-like teeth, has formed.
Now exposed, it redirects its attack toward Reina with additional tentacles, this time successfully entangling its prey.
"Hnrgh!" Reina grunts as she is pulled towards the creature.
Again you are forced into action. Behind you, Elise has gathered up her things hastily in both arms and run for the door. You take your sword to the creature's limbs and with several more swipes, free your elven companion as well.
"Who are you?" Elise asks Reina as they both retreat through the door, with you blocking any further attempts by the Hand to entrap the women.
"One who owes her freedom to Hadrian," is the response, which satisfies Elise for the moment.
"Hadrian, close the door! We cannot confront it!" Elise says with urgency. "It is a part of Nragus, and cannot be harmed by normal weapons."
"Can you do anything about it?" You say as you ward another attack off, this time it was attempting to snare you in its clutches, and its attacks are coming faster.
"I could try imbuing your weapon, perhaps I could disorient it, or we could simply try outdistancing it without using divine magic. The power of channeling the goddess directly is not used lightly!"
"I should think that this qualifies as an appropriate situation!" You declare with some irritation.
"The guards! They are coming!" Reina hisses from behind the two of you. "Two of them are running up the stairs! Perhaps we can let them deal with the demon hand!"
What do you do? (B)
1. Encourage Elise to bless your blade, so that you can fight the demon hand.
2. Encourage Elise to disorient or blind the demon with the obscuring power of the goddess of secrets.
3. Try to wedge the door shut between yourself and the hand. Then fight your way through the guards to your own room, where your armor awaits.
4. Try to flee, but delay just enough that the Hand and the guards will arrive in the hallway at the same place.
For choice A... Can you remind us of our stats? Or at least give us a general idea. Part of me says "Spooky is a necromancer, and may try something funky if we wait and give him the chance. But, if we don't wait and get caught we could be even worse off."
EDIT: voting for A2.
And, for B... Who's the genius that thought bringing along a corpsified, rotting demon hand was a good idea? *facepalm* What's done is done, I suppose. Decision-wise, I would say 4. Hadrian, being a knight of Jorn, probably wouldn't appreciate bating "innocent" guards like that. However, they are trying to kill us... and our other option would be to kill them ourselves, because getting sandwiched in a hallway between two enemies is a bad idea. So, as much as Hadrian might not like the idea of leaving those two to face a demon, he might not like the idea of cutting them down himself even more. I stick with my gut reaction.
I'll add this to the first post, and perhaps at some latter time, I will add your other companions as well. The system that I use is quite simple. When attempting something, I roll 2d6 and add the appropriate modifier. A 10+ is a full success, 7-9 is a minor success, and 6- is a failure with consequences.
Ariel's Stats:
Ariel the Bard
Level 2
Next Level Exp: 4/9
Alignment: Good (Gain EXP when using your arcane art to aid someone else)
Race: Human (When first entering a civilized settlement, someone who respects the code of minstrels will offer you lodging.)
Appearance:
Attributes [modifiers]:
Str 8 [-1] (WEAK -1)
Dex 16 [+2]
Con 12 [+0]
Int 13 [+1]
Wis 9 [+0]
Cha 16 [+2]
Damage Die: d6
HP: 10/18
Armor: 0
Special Moves
Arcane Art - Roll Charisma to either heal an ally 1d8, add 1d4 to their next damage result, restore their mind from enchantment/fear, or increase the next aid bonus they receive to +2
Bardic Lore - When performing a lore check, use Charisma instead of Intelligence. Expertise in Dragon Lore gains a further +1 bonus. (Readers will be required to invent the Tale in which you heard this information.)
Charming and Open - When you speak frankly to someone, you may learn something about them, but they will in turn learn something about you. Things that can be learned: "Who do you serve?" "What do you wish I would do?" "How can I get you to _____?" "What are you really feeling right now?" "What do you desire?"
Well-Traveled - When returning to civilized settlement, you will know how it has changed in your absence.
Dragonsong - When you unleash a crazed musical performance, choose a target whose passions are enflamed by your dragonsong. You can choose to enflame their rage, greed, or lust. On a full success, they will immediately attack (or steal or molest, as appropriate) their nearest target (ally or not). On a partial success, they will still do this, but they will be invigorated by the song and receive a bonus for the rest of the scene.
Current bonds with your companions:
You sang stories of Hadrian long before you ever met him in person. He and the storied knights of Jorn are famed throughout the lands.
This is not your first adventure with Elise. You grew up near her during your childhood, and met her again in a major city. You have traveled with her as she was performing her novice duties for her priesthood.
I'll add this to the first post, and perhaps at some latter time, I will add your other companions as well. The system that I use is quite simple. When attempting something, I roll 2d6 and add the appropriate modifier. A 10+ is a full success, 7-9 is a minor success, and 6- is a failure with consequences.
Ariel's Stats:
Ariel the Bard
Level 2
Next Level Exp: 4/9
Alignment: Good (Gain EXP when using your arcane art to aid someone else)
Race: Human (When first entering a civilized settlement, someone who respects the code of minstrels will offer you lodging.)
Appearance:
Attributes [modifiers]:
Str 8 [-1] (WEAK -1)
Dex 16 [+2]
Con 12 [+0]
Int 13 [+1]
Wis 9 [+0]
Cha 16 [+2]
Damage Die: d6
HP: 10/18
Armor: 0
Special Moves
Arcane Art - Roll Charisma to either heal an ally 1d8, add 1d4 to their next damage result, restore their mind from enchantment/fear, or increase the next aid bonus they receive to +2
Bardic Lore - When performing a lore check, use Charisma instead of Intelligence. Expertise in Dragon Lore gains a further +1 bonus. (Readers will be required to invent the Tale in which you heard this information.)
Charming and Open - When you speak frankly to someone, you may learn something about them, but they will in turn learn something about you. Things that can be learned: "Who do you serve?" "What do you wish I would do?" "How can I get you to _____?" "What are you really feeling right now?" "What do you desire?"
Well-Traveled - When returning to civilized settlement, you will know how it has changed in your absence.
Dragonsong - When you unleash a crazed musical performance, choose a target whose passions are enflamed by your dragonsong. You can choose to enflame their rage, greed, or lust. On a full success, they will immediately attack (or steal or molest, as appropriate) their nearest target (ally or not). On a partial success, they will still do this, but they will be invigorated by the song and receive a bonus for the rest of the scene.
Current bonds with your companions:
You sang stories of Hadrian long before you ever met him in person. He and the storied knights of Jorn are famed throughout the lands.
This is not your first adventure with Elise. You grew up near her during your childhood, and met her again in a major city. You have traveled with her as she was performing her novice duties for her priesthood.
Though your blood is coursing with numbing magics that make your muscles weak, you use your freed hands to unbuckle the leather straps that bind your legs in an exposed kneeling position. Thankfully, your fingers are still strong and nimble enough to unfasten the straps without exerting too much effort. In the course of about ten seconds, your legs are free to stretch out.
With a sigh of relief, you roll over onto your stomach and push yourself up to your feet with an enormous effort. You feel as if you have just had an extremely intense workout (and in a way you have) but now all your muscles are just ready to be allowed to relax. Unfortunately, you can't allow that. You know that you have to gather your things and move.
You pull your garments back on as hastily as possible, ignoring for the moment your disheveled look. You slip your treasured flute into your belt and re-sheathe your dueling blade. Your off-hand is still weighted down at the wrist by the one manacle that you did not free. With a last look over your shoulder to confirm that Osvar hasn't come back yet, you start on the laborious task of climbing the stairwell to the level above.
After climbing about eight steps, you hear a long booming roll of thunder followed by the pitter patter of rain. As you reach a closed doorway at the top of the stairs you hear voices from the other side of it, one of which is quite clearly that of the Count.
"Why were they not locked in their rooms as I had asked?" Count Ivan's voice asked exasperatingly.
"D'Graz thought it not necessary, my lord. He said the magic of the elf's blood was preferable for the ritual."
"D'Graz does not rule here! I do! And when I wake in mornings hence, I would do so with a proper human lady gracing my bedsheets, not some knife-eared, sallow-faced deep elf harlot!"
"As you say, my lord."
"And this Sir Hadrian would have done better to keep his nose out of all this. If he is working with the deep elf spy, then we have grounds on which to say he was treasonous. I want the guard to overwhelm and kill him, and the elf as well. But I want red-haired bard brought to the tower."
"D'Graz will not be pleased with the elf's dea--"
"I shall deal with D'Graz now. Follow my orders!"
"Yes, m'lord!"
You hear the tromping off of mailed boots and the opening and closing of a door. Then some inaudible low mutterings that must be that of the Count. What should you do now? (A)
1. Draw your sword and open the door to confront the Count. If he's alone, this could be a good opportunity to catch him without backup.
2. Wait for the Count to walk away, and then sneak through the door, trying to follow him.
3. Wait for the Count to walk away, and then try to find a way back to the main keep.
You pull the door closed behind you and try to look for a way to wedge it. Unfortunately, the only way to fasten the door from this side appears to be the use of a master key, which you do not possess.
"I can't lock the door!" You grunt in frustration.
"I can try to ward it," Elise breathes and steps to the thick oaken wood to place her tattooed hand upon it. She chants a prayer to her goddess. The casting seems to visibly take its toll on her, and the inhuman screeching from the other side of the door threatens to distract her intonations, but she manages to complete the hasty prayer and step away, sweat pouring from her brow.
"It is done, but the ward will not last long. We must get out of here!"
"Not before we deal with these guards," Reina says, loosing an arrow that bites into the foremost soldier's arm as he charges forward, disciplined enough to ignore the wound and keep on fighting.
You step in front of the oncoming soldier, allowing Reina to take a backstep and draw another arrow from her quiver. Zan, the ash hound, seems to have disappeared, though you're certain he lurks about somewhere in the low light of the hall.
The guards are armed with spears, requiring you to bypass their extended reach advantage before engaging with them. You duck under one spear thrust and step in, slamming your hilt into the foe's hastily raised shield. The other soldier slips past you and strikes at Elise, who is caught unawares and takes a defensive wound on her off-hand.
Elise takes 5 damage! 14/19 HP
Reina unleashes another arrow, skillfully (and dangerously) placing it just past your shoulder and into the raised spear arm of the soldier, which slows his attack just enough for you to take advantage. Putting all of your might into the swing, you cleave through the man's head in a shower of gore, your momentum taking you around to plant your blade deep into the skull of the other man, just as he's about to bear down on Elise for the second time.
Both soldiers drop lifeless in quick succession. The pounding on the door and the repulsive shrieking still threatening to break through. You haven't much time before the ward gives way.
"I need my own armor." You assert, moving two doors further and stepping into your bedroom. Elise follows with her own gear, with Reina slipping in and locking the door.
"Where is your hound?" You ask the elf, now that you have a semi-quiet moment.
"He is uncomfortable within these walls. It isn't his natural habitat. He will stalk in the shadows in the great hall until I call for him... here, let me help you."
The elf steps across the room and aids you in fastening your scale mail armor. Though it is the task normally reserved to a squire, you can see that she knows her way around armaments. By the time your armor is slipped on, you hear the audible crash of the door from Elise' room break open, and you hear more shouts in the main hall, as it would seem the majority of the keep's guard had heard the commotion from before.
The demon's roar fills the hall outside,and you hear the splintering of shields and the snapping of spears as brave soldiers engage with an enemy that they cannot harm.
Elise has slipped on some basic robes, having been as of yet unable to replace her damaged armor from the temple adventure. She eyes Reina with curiosity, but her first question is the obvious one:
"What do we do now?" (B)
1. Wait things out for a while, there's a bunch of guards and a demon hand out there. With luck, the demon will kill the guards for you and then leave.
2. Get out of this room as quickly as possible and look for a way to get past your enemies without getting bogged down in the fighting.
3. Ask Elise to bless your weapons, so that you might be able to fight against the hand demon. Enemies or not, those human soldiers are fighting against a demon, and you must not suffer an evil to live.
Yes, we did bring that demon here, and yes, we know those guards don't stand a spit's chance in hell against it, but what happens after we slay the demon-hand? Are the guards going to say, "thanks for saving our asses, you're free to go"? More likely their going to say "thank you, now die". So, leave them to it - we STILL need to find Ariel, which was the whole point of this detour in the first place.
Also, I'm assuming that the "main keep" has a means of accessing the bedrooms. Ariel doesn't know where Hadrian went, but she might try to join up with Elise - who she would assume to still be in bed. If, in fact, the main keep doesn't lead where I think it does, then change my vote to A2.
