Liliana Stormshadow - The Fallen Star
Location: Campus Magnus
Liliana swallowed hard as Gripus seemed to age impossibly fast, showing his true face to the world if for only a moment. He was not what she would have expected from the proud and powerful Mage she had known. The years, while leaving her relatively untouched, had taken a harrowing toll on the man. The fallen Paladin could certainly understand how one's sins could weigh heavily upon them. What gave her the most reason to reconsider traveling with him, however, were his final few statements. In the end he revealed himself to be far from the man she had known years ago, though to her it did not seem so long. More than anything it was disappointment that stung the worst.
The Crone's sharp tongue only served to force Liliana deeper into her thoughts. Tsabal revealed her identity in turn, as well as her reason for being on the surface and alone. Such a tale of loss brought painful memories to the surface, as well as deep sympathy. The Drow showed herself to be genuinely strong, a survivor both on the battlefield and off. Separating herself from the Mage was starting to look like a better idea.
Then El laid out it even plainer for her. On some level, Gripus had given up. This too, she understood. There was a time when she had resolved that there was nothing left for her to do but die. The Hero of the East had been the one to drag her away from that. Now it seemed that in the face of his own mistakes, he sought to leave the world behind. Liliana no longer feared death in the pursuit of her goals, but she would not go to a meaningless end. To her the Mage seemed willing to throw his life away simply to bring his suffering to an end.
El's own revelation was certainly startling, especially as the ex-Paladin recognized the source of her wasting sickness. It was a thing spoken of as though legend in her homeland, and she had certainly never imagined to see a case in person. It must have been a frightful existence, not made any easier by the anthropomage's abilities to extend her own lifespan. On top of that, she was estranged from her faith and likely to be prosecuted by those who should welcome her with open arms. Once more, a stranger's story struck a chord with Liliana.
In the end, it looked like Gripus might have driven off all of his potential allies in one stroke. Liliana looked back and forth between human and Drow. Both choices grated against her morals at that moment, but she did not wish to be alone on the road to Dragonblade Tower. It didn't seem that Tsabal was going anywhere yet, so she stayed to see how the Mage would react to the pair if scalding lectures he had received.