BelGareth
Cervena had left the woods behind a few days back, and as she took the road less traveled for her....it became quite evident, that it was not in fact, less traveled. The once barren road was teaming with refugees, villagers, bounty hunters, rogues, thieves, and highwaymen. You had to defend yourself, and perhaps others just a few times, even if the regular bandits eye you with obvious distrust and fear, there are some who don't.

As the saying goes, common sense, is not a virtue....or something similar.

You weren't even that close to the border of the Empire, but seeing this amount of refugees raises an eyebrow, and also verifies the necessity to follow orders, this mission must be have some import.

Daylight was quickly fading as you crested a new hillock, the dusty road beaten down in the summer heat, and a fine dust had covered the whole of you, as all the travelers kicked it up with no moisture to retain it. All in all, it was a nice summer day, birds were chirping, squirrels scampering among the tree limbs above, and the general noise of a country side walk. Which was rudely interrupted by what you can only imagine is yet  another  highwayman waylaying innocent refugees. They had a handcart, which had a broken wheel by the side of the track, 2 men were busy trying to get it back on with a giant tree limb that still had green leaves on it, they must have cut off a tree nearby and dragged it to their cart as a lever. A women argued with some other men away from he cart, hands on her hips, it was obvious she was not having any of it, even if the men she was arguing with were armed.

They were standing near her with a look of bewilderment, they were both armed with shortswords and daggers on their hips, and one carried a crossbow they were resting over one shoulder casually.

Neither party saw you, or acknowledge you cresting the road.
Auranghzeb
 Cervena
 


Wearing nothing but her simple clothes and her long cloak, Cervena made her way trhough the winding roads. She hadn't left her forest in a while, and her soles were unaccustomed to the hard flat surface of roads. That distracted her wandering mind for a while, but absentminded as she was, she was perfectly aware of the refugees and people around her. She didn't even had to look at them, she could feel their suffering as an emanation.


She came around a slope and saw an argument taking place around a small cartwheel, they hadn't seen her and there was something suspicious about the scene. Instinctively, she crouched low and moved to the side of the road, trying to approach the woman and the armed men unnoticed. If they were evil, she would strike swiftly. If they weren't she would find out another way.


 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Moving stealthily towards the woman and the armed men, MS [roll]1d20+14[/B]
Hide (1d20+14)[ 27 ] 

Using my Scent of Evil ability to discern alignment
 
BelGareth
Cervana is easily able to sneak up on the group, her scent is suddenly filled with the redolence of evil with the sudden draft of the wind crossing across the path, moving the trees, it was a nice cool breeze, and if it wasn't for the evil that reeked along with it, it would have been relaxing. You can tell the two speaking to the women are evil, but...they do not smell of it  too  much, like going into an outhouse several hours after someone, it was almost gentle, a barely overpowering scent, the woman however....was a different matter, she positively reeked of it.

But you know, being a Petal, you often times have to deal with the likes of this.
Auranghzeb
 Cervena 
 These folks are up to nothing good  Cervena though to herself. As she leaned on a tree practically, so tight and close that she remained invisible to them. She tried to eavesdrop what they were saying, studying their movements for intention. Were they here to attack travelers? Were their intentions even darker? That stench of Evil was surely more than a simple thief, that woman was pure Evil.


From her place of hiding, Cervena focused on the woman's movements and gestures. What was she planning?

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Rolling Sense Motive to see if she can figure out what they are doing  (1d20+12)[ 16 ]  (8 + 4 From Favored Enemy Evil)
She'll also manifest Prescience, Offensive for 6 minutes worth of a +2 to damage.
 
BelGareth
The woman scowled at the two men   "Who do you think you are? eh? My Harold doesn't have any  coin  for the likes of you!"   she says, her voice never wavered, it was cool, calm and collected, as if, she was used to such an exchange, the two men responded  "Listen here lady..."  they say, as the other pulls down his crossbow.

She raises a single eyebrow and looks over her shoulder,   "Harold! They're going to rob us."   she says, with a smirk as Harold responds without even looking up from his work with the cart wheel  "Oh? yeah, well, they can have it, I'm all out of patience for this damnable wheel!" 

The men seem to not like being made fun of, and the speaker draws his blade  "You best not make fun o'us!"  he says, drawing it out slowly, as if the threat was a slender blade from it's sheathe.

 
 Spoiler 

You get the impression they are being robbed.
 
Auranghzeb
 Cervena 
 So these fools were really trying to rob the woman and her partner. But they can't chew what they are biting. I don't care about these highway muggers... they probably have dealt their share of suffering and injustice to the many travelers and refugees I have seen on the road. But this woman... Who is she? 


Cervena got ready for battle and levitated to the top of a nearby tree and stood on a branch revealing herself from that position with a clear voice:


  Fools, you are way above your heads, Throw your weapons and leave. This woman is not what she seems to be, can't you realize you are about to be the prey?  


Cervena looks at the woman straight into her eyes.

  Who are you? or rather, What are you?  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Casting Flicker Mystery and levitating to a vantage point.
 
BelGareth
The sighs as you appear near the top of a tree and make your demands.

The men look up, confused, then looking in between the two of you shakes their head  "alright, whats goin on here?"  the speaker demands

The woman looks up to you slowly   "I don't think you know what you're doing little bird"  

The bandit with the crossbow is unsure where to point it, so he aims it at you.
Auranghzeb
Cervena:

Suddenly, Cervena realizes that the woman is probably right: she doesn’t really know and her evil hating instincts have taken her too far. Could she be the handler? This was the worst part of being a petal, the moral ambiguities of having to collaborate with Evil to fight a bigger enemy.

Ignoring the bandits -they were no threat to her- she spoke directly to the woman:

  How many petals are there yet to pluck out?  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 rolling sense motive  (1d20)[ 14 ] 
 


Then to the bandits without even looking at them.

  Drop your weapons and leave now and your lives will be spared  
BelGareth
The woman merely frowns at the reference of the petals, as if she were watching an errant student fail at something, but she had no power to prevent it.

The men turned to regard you more fully, the crossbowman raises while the other pulls out a dagger  "aww thats a neat trick little lady, why don't you come down 'ere an show us how you did that, eh?"  he says with a wicked snark, as the other takes a shot at you.

 
 Spoiler 

  Attack  - (1d20+8)[ 17 ] 
[roll=1d8[/roll] misses, so i wont reroll
 
Auranghzeb
 Cervena 

As the clumsy shot flies two yards over her, Cervena sighs:
 So, it comes to violence in the end... but let's have a talk first 

She stares at the bandits and shouts waving her hand:

 BE GONE 

She then disappears engulfed by shadows to re-appear on the ground 10' away from the woman.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Standard: Time Hop the bandits Will save 17 or be transported 9 rounds into the future. Plenty of time to speak with the woman. Immediate: Flicker to the ground
 
BelGareth
Both of the bandits vanish
Auranghzeb
Cervena smiles, her red hooded cloak waves with the breeze.

  Well, we got about a minute. What's going on and where should we go from here?  
BelGareth
The woman makes a gesture, and she rises up to meet you above the tree tops.

The men working on the cart completely ignore you both, and continue on working on their cart.

  "You've got a few things to learn, my dear, about being clandestine. Typically speaking, you don't want to go about and make yourself obvious, but...well, I think you already know that, it's...just that pesky morality, well, one would  assume ."   she pauses   "Would you look at me, I'm babbling, you should be on your way little petal...wait..."   she pauses and listens to one side   "Yes, you are actually running  late , let me help you with that"   she holds out a hand to you.
Auranghzeb
 Cervena 

Cervena has to make an effort to not sneer at the notion of Morality. For her, there's no ambiguity: evil and good are not positions on a ethical continuum that can be measured or relativized. Good was relative, yes, one could act well and see their actions cause unintended harm, and therein lied the value of experience. Evil, well, Evil was absolute and the only worthy philosophic question with it was whether it was Arbitrary or an essential Deterministic part of the universe.

But She was not going to argue here. Her bound to the Petals was also unconditional and absolute and much as she despised this woman, there was little point on arguing.

 You must excuse me. I'm rust.  

And she grabbed the woman's extended hand.

 So it begins 
BelGareth
 Adventure continues on here 