"Apparently the death of the demon still sends the portions back as well, as we found out when we killed a horned demon that had been used as part of the procedure. Valais, who had portions of the demon added to her, had those portions of her body return to normal when the demon perished," Isilme adds to Val's explanation.
Isilme watches Hinagiku's transformation with interest, and possibly even a small measure of envy. "That is wonderful, Hinagiku, the new form suits you well!" she says with a smile. "There are many of the Kitsune who are not limited to two forms, you should consider taking time to practice. There are tales of kitsune who are able to also assume the form of a fox, as well as others who can take on many different human forms."
"You two enjoy your trip to the library!" she adds as Hinagiku and Ary prepare to leave.
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"They sort of are tainted by the Worldwound, but that doesn't make them evil. Your people really need to figure that out."
She nods to Ary and Hinagiku as they get up. "We'll save you a seat. I do hope you find something interesting. The libraries around here are huge..."
"Thank you miss Isilme, I will try to modify my form in the future... though this one feels natural quite natural. Thank you too miss Valaria, I am sure I will find something, as long as one can read, one can learn, making any book interesting." she then bows before following Ary outside.
Fenna smiles and waves Ary and Hinagiku off. "Bye! Have fun!"
Outside, Hinagiku finds that her new form allows her to blend in in Nerosyan rather effectively. As a kitsune she was becoming accustomed to open stares wherever she went, now, the only attention she really received was from men.
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Shortly after Ary and Hinagiku depart for the library, Ehren stands as well, having just barely finished his drink.
"Mm. Sorry, but I could use a good walk myself," he says, looking to Valaria apologetically. "One that isn't through the Worldwound. Don't wait up on me." He gives Fenna a smile and a nod before taking his leave.
Once out on the streets, Ehren takes a route not far off from the one he took during his past few walks. This time however, he moves with a little more in the way of purpose. He finds a vendor willing to pay for his magical sling bullets, which had gotten mixed in with the various stones he kept in his pocket. He then finds a place where he could purchase something to shave with. On the trek back to Nerosyan, Ehren had realized two things. One, that if left unchecked, his new face would get very hairy in the span of a few weeks. And two, that shaving with what was once a cultist's dagger was a terrible, terrible idea.
After getting that basic amenity out of the way, the druid looks and sees if he could find a park that wasn't razed during the demon attack, where he would rest for a short while. Before it gets too dark, he would then go back to the Hunting Vrock and discreetly return to his room, where he would promptly pass out.
Ary nods her head to the others as she begins to head off. "We'll be back later. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. I hope to see you both when I return, Fenna, Avi. It's just that I've learned that sometimes we don't get downtime." She briefly contemplates an afternoon with friends... but ultimately settles on an afternoon making certain that her friends were safe, through study.
Ary is more than happy to act as tour guide to Hinagiku - while Ary is less capable than she would ideally be in such a role, she had spent a bit of time within the city until recently, so only recent changes really affected her. Well, that, and there were assuredly things she simply never had noticed. But a book shop? Those were easy. And finding someone to buy cold iron was always easy.
Once at the library itself, Ary proved to be much less effective as a guide. She knew two sections and their locations relatively well - planar knowledge and religion. Nature - both above and underground - she had learned more... well... naturally. What she did know was that librarians were both infinitely useful and interesting people.
She quickly stocks up on a few books on some of the greater demons she didn't know the nuances of, as well as a book of poetry by a Shelynite. Three pages into a book on divine rituals, Ary simply moved the book to the side - she was assuredly not a spellcaster. On the other hand, her mind was much more... adaptive? It was able to pull out new concepts much more quickly than it had before... at least if the speed at which she made it through the smaller volumes meant anything. Her primary focus when it came to demonic knowledge came from the previous owner of Radiance - Yaniel's scripts.
Ultimately, she spent hours poring over new books, hoping to learn from the experiences of others... so as not to repeat their mistakes. She wasn't very good company for Hinagiku, unless they were going over the same material, but Ary hoped she would wind up with a productive day behind her... leaving her more willing to spend the next with friends.
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Isilme, Valaria, and Xanderghul spend the remainder of the evening drinking and swapping stories with Aravashnial and Fenna. They stay up rather late, enjoying the chance to relax somewhere safe for a change - eventually it is too late for Fenna and she leaves the table after dozing off sitting up a few times, though Aravashnial remains with the three heroes late into the night, becoming gradually more and more intoxicated.
As they finally decide to retire for the evening, Isilme helps escort Aravashnial back to his room. They wish each other good night. Isilme turns to leave for her own room when Aravashnial calls, "Faitha, Isilme."
"I have something for you," he continues in elven. He fumbles around in his pack for a moment - being both blind and drunk didn't help - until he finally pulls out a small, thin black box. He hands it to Isilme, opening it to reveal a silver and emerald choker.
"Fenna says it's quite lovely, though it's not like I ever had a sense of taste for these things," he says. He pauses for a moment, then quickly explains before Isilme can say anything, "I offered to help out with Harley's two boys to give her time to work, so she owed me a favor, is all, and it's not like I have any need for jewelry"
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Ary and Hinagiku head for the nearest library, though they pass through a market district along the way. Hinagiku sells her cold iron polearm to an interested buyer, while Ary trades her new commendation for a pair of healing wands and a silver mirror bought at Ehren's request.
Afterwards Ary buries herself in studying a number of different subjects - her usual perusal of demonology texts or anything that relates to the outer planes. She struggles to find much on the Kellid language - they were not a people well known for writing books, after all, though she does find a number of texts describing the religious practices of ancient Sarkorians.
She flips open a book written by the Erastilian Pastor Bromon Shy titled Witch-Cults of Northern Avistan:
Never has the mind of a nation been so diseased, its people so absolutely misled into mistaking afflictions of the soul for an increase of virtue. Never have faith and tradition so indulged themselves upon heresy and cultish stubbornness, consummating their unnatural unions upon the stone altars of druidic delusions. Never has the mortal soul been so deceived, believing itself but a step away from godliness. And never will the blasphemies of Sarkoris be tolerated in the civil lands of the south, where each soul cleaves to a single master, awe is not tarnished by familiarity, and mortals do not presume to the providence of gods.
Pastor Bromon refers to the diverse folk religions of Sarkoris as the Hundred Hungry Gods - a misnomer as Ary quickly discovers. Though the majority of the texts Ary finds are similarly prejudiced, she is able to piece together bits and pieces from first-hand accounts of soldiers who served in the First Crusade, some of which, like Shyael, who took time to try and understand the natives' often bizarre beliefs. In a sense, druidism was the national faith of Sarkoris, and indeed humankind's understanding of the Green Faith was born there several millennia ago. The center of the nation's druidic faith was the Circle of Hierophants, located in the immense Forest of Stones.
Beyond that, Sarkorians worshipped a variety of beings - empyreal lords, psychopomp ushers, and daemonic harbingers. Some true deities were worshipped, with elder gods like Desna, Gorum, Gozreh, Lamashtu, and Pharasma holding special prominence. The majority of Sarkorians however, were polytheistic, rarely viewing one god or extraplanar being as holding more importance than another. For example, the residents of the village of Raliscrad were followers of the Green Faith, servants of Pharasma, reverents of the Empyreal Lord Pulura and also the Demon Lord Kostchtchie. They also worshipped a planetar named Dysureil after he saved a local boy from drowning in the Sarkora river.
Sarkorians were also no stranger to the worship of "living gods" - indeed the difference between a powerful spellcaster and a deity was nebulous to them. However, not all magical traditions fit neatly into Sarkorian tradition. Sarkorians largely mistrusted the wizards of the south and their ability to derive magical power from mortal-created arcane writings and constructs. Kellids caught practicing such magic were quickly dealt with -- given the option of either being exiled or sent to the druid-guarded fortress-tower known as the Threshold. The Threshold was both prison and fortress, a place where powerful Kellid arcanists could research in peace and help advise the country's Clan-Lieges and the Archdruid, but at the cost of their own freedom. Those who resisted were naturally sacrificed as heretics, or crippled to prevent further magical use.
-------
5 Lamashan 4713
The next morning, Sosiel and Aron come to visit the heroes to work on finishing healing Ary and Ehren's souls after their reincarnation. The group sits in the mostly empty common room. Sosiel moves his hands in the air over Ary's head and shoulders, murmuring a chant to Shelyn as he does. His hands glow with a faint light, and Ary can feel her body healing, getting stronger as he works.
Markus sits nearby next to Aron, watching Sosiel work with interest. Just as he finishes, the door to the Hunting Vrock flies open with a thud. The immense silhouette in the doorframe is immediately recognizable - it is Hrut Ingvarson, Empyreal Guardian and warden.
"Captain Bishop!" he exclaims, giving her a salute, his familiar cocky grin plastered on his face. "Get up. All of you. You and your squad are to report to the Starrise Spire immediately. Orders from the Queen."
Sosiel's eyes widen. "Queen Galfrey?"
Hrut nods. "Her highness herself! All of you... and you, Gloomy," he grins at Markus. "She also wants to see... Annabelle Kir? Who is that again? Ah, I remember, the cavalier from Ghalcor's Tower. Anyway, hurry up. Best not keep the Queen waiting, eh?"
Isilme enjoys the evening, happy for a chance to unwind, especially after two weeks of travel. When Aravashnial stops her as they say good night, she is surprised to see him pull out a gift for her.
"Ai'sintar", she says, pulling the choker out of the box gingerly and admiring it, "Ta naa vanima, fenna ume il-risa a' lle." Isilme takes Aravashnial's hand and leans in, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Diola lle, Ai'sintar, amin mela ta!"
Isilme takes a moment to put the choker on, then guides Aravashnial's hand to the choker and turns around. "Ile tangwa-aya ta ten' amin?" she asks.
"It is gorgeous, Fenna did not mislead you."
"Thank you, Ai'sintar, I love it."
"Would you clasp it for me?"
The next morning Isilme comes down wearing the silver and emerald choker that she'd recieved as a gift from Aravashnial, clearly in a good mood. She grabs a bite to eat and sits down alongside Aravashnial. "How are you all doing this morning," she asks, though she's interrupted by someone bursting into the room.
Surprised to see Hrut enter, Isilme starts to greet him but is cut off by his announcement that they have been summoned by the queen. "The queen? Wishes to see us?" Isilme asks, genuinely shocked. Certainly their role in the battle for Kenabres had been well documented, and their notoriety had only increased during their stay in Nerosyan, but it was still surprising that the queen was summoning them personally.
"Well, one does not turn down a summon from Queen Galfrey" she says, standing up. "Would you care to accompany us Ai'sintar?"
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Valaria seems a bit more wise since the last time she was drinking and is only a bit drunk, rather than entirely hammered. As Aravashniel presents the marvelous jeweled choker, she looks like she might explode trying not to react. Finally, she can't take it anymore and she actually squeals with excitement. "I knew it! I told you." She shakes Xanderghul a bit harder than she probably meant to, jumping in place like an excited child. "Now just fasten is around her neck and kiss her!"
Val is up early in the morning, giving herself a little time to make sure that the mild hangover has faded by the time breakfast comes around, which she digs in to eagerly, happy to have some real food after living on trail rations while they made their way through the Worldwound. As Hrut arrives she waves him over. "Hrut! It's been much too long."
"Oh, summons from the queen, huh? Fancy. Wonder what she wants with our little band of misfits." She pauses. "Right, dumb question. Now we get our suicide missions from the queen herself. Still fancy."
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It takes Hinagiku some time to understand why some men are staring at her, and when she does, she almost blushes. But the embarrassment lasts less than a second before she reins it in. She slightly changes her attitude, with her body language now making it clear that she is not interested in any romance, but not distant either… the closest impression would be that of a mother, a really serene one.
As they walk, Hinagiku remains silent for quite some time before speaking to Hinagiku, yet she does not do so out of awkwardness.
”Ary, I heard you speak about your sight and hears, have you been able to adapt to this new body?” she asks, her voice not so concerned, but rather calmly inviting Ary to share her feelings.
Otherwise, Hinagiku is thankful for Ary’s help and enjoys some more sights from the city. After selling her spear, she looks around for books, mostly on the topic of philosophy and thought within Avistan. Ever since she was there, she had had trouble understanding their way of thinking, the investigation about Annabelle's innocence being the worst. Also, she looks for books giving an holistic introduction to magic, the other less well understood topic of understanding of Hinagiku, a list of possible spells would be the most useful. Finally, she looks for an herbarium of avistani flowers, her own personal hobby.
Once she has acquired the new books, around 4, she follows Ary to the library. However, instead of reading her new acquisitions, she randomly picks another book… on architecture… not an easy read considering the challenges geometry imposes on her limited intellect, but she spends the following hour studying it. Otherwise, she leaves Ary to her reading, and spends a few more hours with her, simply meditating (without the usual motions), and braiding her new hair. Once the sun starts setting, Hinagiku makes her way back to the hunting Vrock.
Maybe an hour after the sun sets, Hinagiku returns to the Vrock to spend time with the others. She does not drink, but silently enjoys the company. Every so often she speaks, but only to lead others to talk more about topics they are passionate about.
Hinagiku stays up exceptionally late, hoping she might see Annabelle. Just before going to bed she transforms back into her vulpine form.
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In the morning, Hinagiku is still in her vulpine form. She preferred it when she was at the Vrock since the usual patrons and the inn keeper were slightly used to it. After saluting Sosiel, Aron, and Markus, and inquiring about Annabelle (if she hasn’t seen her on the previous night). Hinagiku sits at a table while eating a small bowl of porridge and watches the others.
When Hrut arrives with their order of summon, Hinagiku quickly finishes her bowl, and stands up ready to join the others. However, when Valaria speaks of missions again, she jumps in the conversation, aiming to make the tiefling smile.
”Misfits?” she asks, redirecting the discussion. ”Almost more like a surrogate family no? Though, families can sometimes look as though they are made from highly different people.” she says, her voice even.
Aravashnial opens his mouth to protest - he was blind after all, and ill-suited to the business of fastening such a small clasp - but after some consideration he shuts it again.
"Very well," he says, lifting his hands to feel for Isilme's shoulders. Finding them, he traces his hands along her trapezius muscles, following their outline to her neck, his touch soft and his fingers delicate. He fumbles a bit finding the clasp, but after a few attempts he manages to latch it.
He stiffens when he realizes they still have an audience - his ears turn a vivid red - and he jerks his hands away from Isilme's neck, realizing he had let them linger.
"No. It's nothing like that. It's not like I bought it... I'm just...re-gifting it."
-----
Annabelle is thrilled to see Hinagiku - doubly so to find she has mastered shifting into a human form. "Senpai!" she exclaims. "I'm glad. I was worried I'd never get to braid your hair again." She is more than happy to spend the night with her, catching up with her latest adventure into the Worldwound.
------
Aron heads upstairs, looking for his sister. A moment later, there is a high-pitched shriek. The heroes can hear some loud voices from upstairs...
"The Queen? Oh no. Oh, gods. I'm not nearly ready for that. Just look at my hair!"
"Dear gods, girl. You get a summons from the Queen and you're worried about your f!!$ing hair?"
"Just because you run around looking like you have a gods-forsaken bird's nest growing under your helmet doesn't mean I don't have standards"
Meanwhile, downstairs, Aravashnial nods to Isilme. "The Crusader-Queen herself, hm? Now this is exciting!"
Hinagiku smiles her practice yet sincere smile, and without a word makes her way up the stairs to Annabelle's room.
When she enters, she motions Annabelle to calm down.
"Annabelle, no need to worry. The queen expects us, and we should not delay. But, I can take care of your hair on our way there. Simply take a comb and I will comb it and braid it for you." she says, expecting her calm tone to transmit the emotion to the cavalier.
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"No! Don't panic now! The mood is perfect!" Suddenly she seems to realize something. "I... oh! I get it. I totally get it. This is private." She grabs Xan's arm. "Come on, let's give them some privacy so they can make out."
Val smiles softly at Hina's suggestion. "Family huh... Well, I certainly care about you guys more than I ever did my birth family."
"Thank you, Sosiel," Ehren says to the cleric once he finishes his spell. He smiles, having almost forgotten what it felt like to be whole. His soul was at last mended, and the weakness that had clung to him so persistently had vanished in an instant. He could tell right away that the power he had lost still had not returned to him, but he found that he no longer missed it. Ehren knew now that something was there in its stead... it was just a question of what that was.
That smile falters ever so slightly when he hears Hrut's news. It had seemed like an inevitability to him - the Queen's interest in them was no secret - but he found himself surprised nonetheless. He thinks back to the vision they received from the wardstone; he had only gotten a glimpse of Queen Galfrey back then. What kind of person was she, truly? It was a question that definitely piqued his interest.
Chuckling softly at his friends' own reactions, Ehren stands with staff in hand. "Let's not keep her waiting then."
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"When I was a human girl, I used to think that that was simply one more thing about me that made me not at all special. That if I were an elf, or an aasimar, or a tiefling, that somehow that would have made my life more interesting. That human was simply normal and plain. But... everything is different now, but it's the same at the same time. I miss blending in when people didn't recognize Faith or Radiance." she says, holding up her shield arm, though whether she's focusing the attention on the shield, or the color of her skin is questionable. "Then there are all of the other things. To go from seeing the sun every time your hair falls into your face, to seeing the sunset is an immense change that I'm slowly growing used to."
"It's not all bad, of course. Even if I do get tired from marching, at the end of the day, my back doesn't hurt. Though, I do miss being more veluptuous... odd as that may be." she says with a pause. "I think the worst thing, though, is the self-image. When I died, I was me. Now, I'm alive again, and I'm someone else. It's... probably very similar to what Isilme dealt with at first, though to a much larger degree, as she was literally someone else." She pauses for a moment longer, acting as though she's not sure whether to press on, or not... but finally decides.
"I worry that maybe, just maybe, I won't be her lion as I am now. That maybe I'm not as beautiful as I once was, or maybe that I'm more beautiful. But, this body... it doesn't have the same... feel. Like a house that hasn't been lived in. I used to have scars, callouses. I used to be able to trace what few freckles I had when I was bored enough... but now, all of that is gone." she finishes... looking less than pleased with sharing her thoughts, but sighs, finally. "How are you holding up in yours?"
So, the Sarkorians had ultimately treated anyone with Power as influential. Which made a sort of sense, but opened them up to a lot of drama... to say they worshiped wasn't quite true, either - more that many of them paid their respects regularly. More like a magocracy, aside from the distrust of wizards.
Even still, the Erastilian's hardline stance made her sigh - it had been expected, but hoped against. The later documents were significantly more helpful.
At the end of the night, once she had returned, she takes the time to spend what time of the day she has left with the friends who spent so much time away. Even still, her time with the Legion had altered her perspective - or perhaps it was the elven blood - she listened much more and spoke much less than she had only a few months prior.
She utilized her Keep Watch for a more personal reason, however. She used her extra hours without sleep to relax, take an exceedingly long bath, and work her way back through letters and correspondences.
I was pleased to receive the letter in return and am more than glad to hear that your current staff is working out particularly well for you. On the topic of my end of business, I'm inclined to disagree about the Babaus... while their natures are reprehensible, it is much the same as other demons in that way. Hezrous are currently number one in my list, having killed a multitude of my friends as well as myself.
As to matters of business on your end, it's quite likely that you'll have a large bid for stone in the near future, as we've secured permission from the Sarkorians to use one of their old temples as a forward camp - stone will be one of the most useful objects in this case, as the lands will definitely require fortification.
I apparently just missed the Queen two weeks prior, having been otherwise occupied. I don't suspect there will be a great deal of free time in the immediate future for either of us, so I'll endeavor to correspond whenever I have the free time. For now, there is little to report, other than that my most recent mission was a success with, thankfully, no casualties.
Warmest Regards,
Ary Bishop
I wanted to update you on the fact that I'm still alive again - which I'm certain reached you through Lord Gwerm and Chevalier Irabeth. While I would like to focus on more personable things... such as gossiping in regards to my stay in Heaven, or what's going on in Kenabres (do keep me informed!), I'm actually writing you for a bit of business.
I recently requested an addition to my squad. I requested a ranged weapon specialist, and as the best I know for the job... I requested you. If you would prefer to turn down the move, I fully understand, especially given how far from Kenabres my journeys have taken me recently... though I wanted to ensure that you had some warning so that you could come to a decision sooner, rather than later - assuming that the higher-ups deem it worthwhile to bolster my unit.
Regardless, Valaria still insists upon wearing your socks, we now have a naked statue of her sitting inside of a church of Shelyn, Hinagiku is literally foxy, Ehren is still Kellid, Annabelle and Markus have taken their leave from my squad, mimics are absolute nightmares, and ancient Sarkorian gods are annoying. Especially when they're less druid and more slave-demon.
Hopefully that was enough pleasure to go along with the business,
Ary.
Eventually when she comes downstairs, she's taken the time to polish sword, shield, and armor, comb her already-straight-hair down, though it's still the perfect length to refuse to tuck behind her ears. Her chocolate-brown eyes dart from person to person, quickly taking in the scenery, before Hrut fills the doorway. She looks... refreshed, despite not having slept.
"Right, right, of course. Fancy. I'd be careful, though, Val. The Crusader Queen is so far above my paygrade that I can't help but worry that anything she did ask of us directly would be too much."
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Xanderghul truly enjoys the dinner and conversation with Valaria and the other mages. He takes every opportunity possible to join in with Valaria on the jibes about Aravashnial and Isilme, though a good-natured smile never leaves his face, even with the most absurd and insensitive of jokes he could be making.
Every few minutes, he changes something subtle about his outfit using disguise self, but he hopes nobody notices. Like a game of sending, he hopes the full effect of his wardrobe change only becomes noticeable after many changes.
After his half-hour preparing spells and his forty-five minutes choosing clothes, Xanderghul emerges into the common room just in time to see the group summoned by a huge gorilla of a knight. Still fastening his belt and placing his crossbow upon its sling, Xanderghul runs forward crying "Wait! I'm invited to see the Queen too!"
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Aravashnial stands awkwardly for a few moments longer, waiting to be sure Valaria and Xanderghul had left. He exhales slowly.
"Amin hiraetha. Amin surn n'uma loraran," he mumbles, excusing himself into his room to retire for the night.
Aravashnial is in a better mood this morning, probably because everyone was so focused on other things that they weren't poking fun at him and Isilme.
"Nonono I need at least an hour, I need a bath. and then my hair needs to dry, and I need more kohl, I'm out, and..." Annabelle stops, listening to Hinagiku. "Okay. You're right. Thanks, senpai. I'll run and get my comb."
Markus stands, unfurling a scroll of protective penumbra, and follows the vampire to her room. "Hold still, Annabelle. Unless you want to get fried to a crisp out there."
A few moments later and Annabelle is shrouded in shadow, as if she were perpetually standing in the shade. Sosiel and Aron wish the heroes good luck as they head across the city with Hrut to the Starrise Spire.
But his nerve seems to falter as they reach the citadel. Even the Bound Horror isn't comfortable just traipsing into the most hallowed church of Iomedae. He informs Valaria, "I think I'll be waiting for you outside. Don't you dare think of running off. I'll find you."
The knights there were expecting their arrival and escort the heroes into the throne room - a massive, sunlight-filled space decorated with enormous stained-glass depictions of Iomedae performing her famous Acts. The room is lined with the most honored knights of Iomedae - the First Circle of Sword-Knights - with their leader, Crusader Queen Galfrey at the head. She wears spotless full-plate armor, and though she could not be described as a beautiful woman, she looks to not have aged a day older than the vision of her the heroes experienced just over a month ago.
Behind her are two enormous golden perches. On one sits a gargantuan ebon bird - a phoenix - streaked in lines of fiery embers and red lightning. It stares at the heroes with intelligent eyes. The other perch is empty.
Pyralisia’s heroic act was not enough, however, and the dark energy pouring from the rift slew her quickly. When she resurrected from her ashes, the Abyssal flames bonded with Pyralisia and corrupted her, instilling her body with dark, negative energy and trapping the Rain of Embers in a body utterly consumed by evil.
Also in attendance is Nurah Dendiwhar. She shoots the group a quick smile, then returns to her work - hurriedly scrawling notes in her book.
The group approaches the Crusader Queen - Hrut, Markus, Aravashnial, and Annabelle all kneel in respect. She motions for them to rise.
"I'm honored to finally meet you, Heroes of Kenabres. Despite recent events, I believe that this newest Crusade will be the last, and it will end with the forces of good triumphant. While there are some narrow-minded souls among the Crusade who blame you for the destruction of the wardstone border, I do not begrudge you for what you did. Far from it. From the sound of Nurah Dendiwhar's account, you saved an entire legion of crusaders from a most vile fate by preventing Vorlesh from destroying them, and the blast of energy gave us the time to regroup and prepare for what will certainly come next."
"But I understand the implications of what you've done. Now the wardstones are gone, and Iomedae has seen that you are to be their replacement. I can think of no other reason that would explain why their power would have settled into your bodies and souls and didn't merely fade into the ether. In time, the demons will regroup and reorganize after their latest failed siege on the Diamond City -- we can trust their inherent chaos to make this period of regrouping longer than it otherwise would take, but we can't underestimate them. They'll be back soon enough. Already I've had reports along the front lines that small groups of demons are attacking fortifications and settlements along our southern border. Doubtless they are testing out defenses, readying for another strike on Nerosyan, in an attempt to eliminate the heart of the Crusades."
"What intrigues me most that as our fiendish enemies are starting to mass in the southern reaches along the Riftshadow within the Worldwound, they have left their northern lairs unprotected. In particular, we've learned that the fiend Aponavicius has taken the bulk of her army from Drezen, leaving it in the hands of the traitors Jorsal and Staunton Vhane. She plans to group with the Storm King in Iz to march on Nerosyan."
The Queen grins. "A few weeks ago I received a dream from my Lady of Valor. An image of a lion marching into the Worldwound, at the head of an army of splendid knights, towards the citadel of Drezen. And a message - take the fight to our enemies. Our Lady is prompting us that the time is right to strike into their territory. Drezen was the first of our cities to fall after the First Crusade, and we lost more than our kin and pride that day. We lost the Sword of Valor, an enchanted banner carried by the Inheritor herself during the Shining Crusade. If Drezen could be retaken... if the Sword of Valor could once again be held by the Crusade... well, I trust I don't need to explain how well that would affect morale. But with the imminent attacks on Nerosyan, I cannot spare many to attack Drezen. And even if I could, sending too large of an army to the city would draw Aponavicius back to defend the place."
"So the obvious answer is this. Send a group of capable heroes with a small well-trained army to strike now, while the iron is hot. And this is why I've sought you out. If you can retake Drezen and reclaim the Sword of Valor, not only will you silence the fools who would brand you traitors for destroying the wardstone, but more importantly, you would bolster the entire war effort with your heroism."
"Now, I must reward you for your efforts so far. Annabelle Kir. Markus the Grey. Hrut Ingvarson. Lleuad-a'r-Sêr. Ary Bishop. Kneel before me." She draws her sword, and touches each hero on the shoulder in turn.
"For your service to the Crusades at the Battle of Kenabres, saving countless lives, I dub thee... Chevalier Annabelle Kir. Ser Markus the Grey. Ser Hrut Ingvarson. Chevalier Lleuad-a'r-Sêr. And...."
"Chevalier Ary Bishop. Henceforth you will be known as Commander Bishop. And with these brave and women you will be known as the Five Knights of the Fifth Crusade. Rise, now."
She moves past the newly knighted heroes to stand before Valaria, Hinagiku, Ehren, and Xanderghul.
"You three have served as allies to the Crusades for many weeks now, and we are indebted to your service. Please, on behalf of all of the Crusades, accept these Righteous Medals of Honor, so that all who see you know what you have done for the nation of Mendev."
"To Valaria Alazario, I award you the Righteous Medal of Valor," She attaches the medal to Valaria's corset - it looks like a demonic skull, pierced by four red-hilted longswords.
"To Hinagiku, I award you the Righteous Medal of Vigor," She attaches the medal to Hinagiku's blouse - it is hexagonal and depicts a white castle on a field of red with golden trim.
"To Ehren of Clan Ferron, I award you the Righteous Medal of Spirit." She attaches the medal to Ehren's hide armor - it depicts the symbol of Iomedae on a field of red.
"And finally, to Xanderghul, for your contributions to the Crusades for the past two decades, and for your efforts in exposing Ser Jorsal as a traitor to the Crusades, I award you the Righteous Medal of Clarity," She attaches the medal to him - it depicts a pair of grey eyes surrounded by a circular silver lightning bolt.
Crusade Queen Galfrey returns to stand before her throne.
"While your names are well known throughout Mendev at this point, you are most beloved in Kenabres. The majority of your army, therefore, is comprised of knights from Kenabres, though you are welcome to enlist any soldier or ally you deem fit for your command. You are to return to Kenabres, and I would like you to set off as soon as possible. Each day spent waiting is one more day for the demons to catch wind of the plans and reinforce the city. I certainly have time to answer a few questions, though, if you have them."
Val takes in the massive building and the somewhat... ornate surroundings. Including the massive phoenix. "He's certainly an interesting display piece," she thinks, keeping the sarcastic quip in her mouth in front of the queen. Better not to anger the person who can, in theory, make your life absolutely miserable. She bows low as they approach the queen, rising up as she begins to talk.
She listens to the queen's rather... wordy speech and accepts the medal without a fuss. "That... is not the suicide mission I was expecting," she finally says once they're given leave to speak. "I'm honored that you think so highly of us your majesty. Retaking Drezen will be a... monumental task."
Ehren did not know the proper protocol for addressing royalty, but common sense bids him to bend the knee. It was something he would never have done for the likes of Laktharis, but for the Queen, there was a world of difference.
The druid watches the Queen carefully as Galfrey speaks, picking up on how weary she truly is, as well as on how well she hid the fact. It was a heavy crown she bore. He could not imagine how exhausting it must be to rule during such trying times. And for so many years, at that.
A small smile appears on Ehren's face during her speech, as she confirms what he had suspected all along. The wardstone field was gone because it was no longer needed. The time for hiding behind walls had long past. He stands tall as the Queen pins the medal onto his chest, not daring to even murmur his thanks. He settles instead for a nod, which comes off as being more curt than he intended. Well, no take backs.
"Yes, it is an honor, Your Majesty," Ehren concurs finally, after cringing ever so slightly at mention of 'suicide mission.' But that aside, Valaria was not exactly kidding either. This assignment dwarfed all their previous ones, both in importance and in magnitude.
Xanderghul's eyes flit from object to Knight to phoenix when the group is ushered into the Queen's meeting chamber. When his eyes came to rest upon Garidor, he thought for a moment. It was a testament to the bird's dedication that it hasn't sworn some crazy vengeance quest when its mate had been turned evil, though one could assume it might go any moment.
He watches the Queen carefully during her speech, thinking. He hadn't been there when Drezen had fallen, but he had visited much of Sarkoris before it had fallen. He hadn't known what it was, and the lack of context had robbed him of what might have been an appropriate reaction, but he remembered it being a visually appealing land to be sure.
He wondered what horrors had been visited upon a captured Crusader stronghold, and what sorts of ridiculous monsters they'd have to battle in order to retake it. Still, he stays silent for now. The Queen of Mendev was one of those kinds of people you shouldn't talk back to.
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Ary enters the church, wondering how many crusaders had begun impossible quests here... and how many had succeeded. After approaching to a reasonable point - a foot or so ahead of her allies, she genuflects to the Queen, staying in said position until she is bidden to rise, staying just a moment too long.
For the first time - publicly at least - Ary feels the elven sting of her face and ears reddening, in time with the mention of a lion leading the army. As she is knighted, a faint tinkling sound can be heard just to her side, though she doesn't look upon the sound during the small ceremony.
If the complete restoration of her soul by Sosiel had helped to ease the burden of her new body, the words of acknowledgment by the Queen herself had eased the burden on her mind.
"I’m afraid I don’t store much faith in walls," Ary quotes, "They can too easily be used to protect the wrong people, and also to keep right people out." she pauses for a moment, daring to meet the eyes of the Crusader-Queen, "Or so I once heard in a dream. They seem... particularly wise words now. Thank you, Crusader-Queen. I will do what I am capable of to earn this honor."
Once she has finally stood, her allies having been honored, she finally looks to the ground beside her. Flecks of emerald crystal lie upon the ground near where she had knelt. Raising Faith to look more closely at what had happened, the shield had shed once more, though significantly less this time. Instead, bits and pieces of the crystalline surface seemed to have been etched off, leaving the line-art silhouette of a lion's head surrounding the holy symbol of Iomedae at the center. Where the emerald crystal had flecked away, ruby crystal could be seen beneath.
No sooner had Ary looked upon the shield that she winced slightly, her sword arm going to her temple. A sudden headache burst forth to assault her senses. And then it was gone. She looked confused, but breathed a sigh of relief, heart pounding far more quickly than the half-elven body should have been capable of. She quickly regains her balance and nods along, "Slightly less above my paygrade now, Val."
Isilme takes Aravashnial's hand and gives it a squeeze when she sees him struggling with the embarrassment of dealing with Val's remarks.
"lle caela tyare n'uma awra, Ai'sintar. Quel undome," she responds sympathetically to his half-muttered apology as he heads into his room.
"You have given no offense, Ai'sintar. Good Night
Isilme marvels at the throne room as the group is lead in by the knights. She had heard many times how impressive it was, and many a story of the events that had transpired here, but had never expected to have an opportunity to witness it herself. She gazes about the space as they approach the Queen, only turning her attention to her highness as she comes to a stop. Still a celestial at heart, she does not join the others in genuflection before the Queen. Instead she bows deeply before standing at attention, waiting for the Queen to speak. Isilme looks her over as she waits, noting she appears rather tired, though she does a good job of hiding it.
Isilme listens to the speech intently, taking in what she can of the Queen. Much like the throne room, stories of the Crusader Queen were numerous and often quite fantastic. To actually be here in her presence then, receiving orders no less, was quite an enjoyable experience to the Raelis.
When she steps forward to knight them, Isilme kneels as instructed, knowing it to be an essential portion of the ritual. She laughs inwardly at having received a title, wondering if she was perhaps the first of her kind to ever receive formal honors. Raelises were generally not the sorts to stay in one form or place long enough to attract such attention.
When they are given leave to speak, Isilme first addresses her. "Thank you for this honor, your highness. We shall do all we can to retake Drezen for the Crusades," she says respectfully.
Turning to the giant onyx bird upon the perch behind the queen, Isilme speaks, though what issues forth sounds more like the hissing and howling of wind than any kind of language. "வாழ்த்துக்கள், கா ரி டோர், நெருப்புப்புயலுக்கும் யாருடைய தீப்பிழம்புகள் பீனிக்ஸ், மிக பெரிய மிகவும் தீய இந்த உலகில் இருந்து அகற்றப்பட்டனர் வேண்டும்"
"Greetings, Garidor the Firestorm, greatest of the phoenixes, whose flames have purged much evil from this world."
Turning back to the Queen, she asks "How large of a force will we be leading, your highness? Also regardless of the size of the force we lead, we will likely need officers we can trust to aid us in commanding the forces. If you would allow it, and if she is amenable, I would suggest Captain Kathon as an excellent addition to the chain of command in our forces. She served bravely in the battle of Nerosyan, and fought against the Hezrous without the slightest hesitation. Her confidence and valor will be invaluable in our task."
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Hinagiku listens intently at Ary, nodding, and generally empathizing with the woman. She understood what she felt, it was hard for her too… but not in the same way. What strikes her the most is Ary’s last comment. She had grown to know the young woman, and was starting to understand how deeply this “lion” element was ingrained into her.
”I understand… though your body has changed, your spirit does not need to, and it is your passion and faith that make you this lion, not the color of your hair or the length of your ears.” she says, calmly with a tentative gentle smile from her new mouth. If listening is what Ary needed then she would listen for hours, it actually reminded her of the time she spent with her friends back in Kurihara… it actually gave her further purpose.
Then, she answers her companion’s inquiry.
”I am slowly getting used to it.” she starts and pauses. She did not want to burden Ary more, but she also understood that telling her about her own discomfort might make the Lion more at ease and feel understood. ”The change was truly disturbing at first… the disconnection I felt, and still partly feel, was bad. But worst is the clouding of my mind, and the impulsions… these words that come to mind to tease others or the will to hide small objects, this was not who I was, it feels like the mind of an immature child. The new body is also disconcerting, mostly the smells, but my mind is my temple, and it felt like it had been invaded. It feels like I regress to when I was still a student to my Sensei, but worst. Luckily, the Master of master’s teaching help me every day. They help me keep the eyes on the calm within the storm and chase away the cloud. And in his wisdom, I can see that this change is a challenge, one more way to overcome, one more on my way to perfection… and maybe even teases can be perfected and bring light to darkness.” she finishes with a broader smile than usual. After a moment, she continues: ”Please, if you need someone to speak to, or even simply listen, come see me.” she finishes, hoping her words might have lifted Ary’s spirit at least a bit.
Hinagiku takes the sight of the great hall all at once, though she tries not to gawk, it is difficult, she had never seen such a beautiful structure… even Irori’s temple in her home town was nothing in comparison.
Coming within closer reach of the queen, Hinagiku tilts her head and gazes straight forward toward the ground. When the others stop, she prepares to kneel on both her knees and fold forwards, but quickly catches her mistake when she sees the others. Thankfully, her new vulpine reflexes allow her to avoid falling prone as she adjusts her motion.
As the queen speaks, Hinagiku stands head bowed, eyes looking down. She only raises them when the queen mentions her dream, and Hinagiku looks toward Ary, hoping this might strengthen her resolve. Upon receiving her medal, Hinagiku bows lower and utters some polite thanks. She then stays silent, it was not her place to speak right now.
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But it was the words of the challenge that ultimately made the most sense to Ary. "Perhaps you're right." Ary says, slwoly smiling, "Maybe what we both need most is not to figure out how to remain who we were, but to become who we are, now. Strength, Serenity, Wisdom, and all that." she adds, giving the Tian woman another nod.
Suddenly, Xanderghul remembers something, and his head cocks to the side. He ponders for a few moments about whether to say it, and decides that it is, after all, probably an appropriate thing to say. He opens his mouth and addresses Galfrey: "Your Majesty, if I may bring up a concern?"
He takes a small step forward and begins to talk. "So you say Aponavicius has taken the majority of her army away from Drezen, and that makes it a prime time to attack it. I certainly agree, and am happy and honored that I am part of the force that is to complete this task. However, demons care little for fortifications. As far as I know, all except quasits and dretch have the ability to teleport anywhere, whenever they want. How are we to stop Aponavicius from simply turning around and retaking the city with the bulk of her army? Should we anticipate having to keep Drezen, as well as taking it in the first place?"
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Garidor tilts his head, peering at Isilme with one enormous golden eye. ” थे होनोर इस मिने, आसिमर क्निघ्त,” he exhales.
Crusader-Queen Galfrey answers the questions addressed to her.
”You have been assigned a force of 150 soldiers that are garrisoned at Kenabres as we speak. I am assigning Chevalier Irabeth Tirablade as Commander Bishop’s second-in-command.” She turns to one of her knights, a fair elven man with long auburn hair. ”Ser Alioron, see to it that this Captain Kathon receives a summons.” The knight bows deeply and leaves the throne room.
She turns to Xanderghul and nods. ”That’s a fair concern. What’s stopping the demons from simply teleporting in reinforcements once you attack? Simply put, their own nature. Those left behind with the duty of defending Drezen, if they are to teleport away for help, will likely be killed for their own failures. That, and their own arrogance about their superiority over mortal life should be more than enough to keep them in Drezen until it is too late. In any case, we are counting on the demonic leadership to value demolishing the Diamond City – and assassinating myself – over investing too many resources protecting an old ruin.”
”As for holding the garrison, that depends on what happens once the dust settles. We hope to have put enough of a dent in Aponavicius’ forces that she will think twice before attempting to retake Drezen. If not, recovering the Sword of Valor will be a boon in of itself, even if we fail to fully reclaim Drezen.”
She smiles. ”Anything else?”
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Queen Galfrey gives Ary a small smile – her eyes lit up with recognition from a statement uttered to her so long ago. She pauses, glancing over at Ehren for a moment, her expression distant and unreadable, then continues on with her ceremony.
Annabelle, Hrut, and Markus are mostly silent as the Queen gives her speech, only daring to speak to thank the Queen for the honor of their knighting. While the Queen is distracted by Isilme and Xanderghul’s questions, Annabelle turns to make eye-contact with Hinagiku, grinning broadly. She mouths ’Oh. My. Gods.’ before composing herself- turning back towards the Queen with a far more serious expression.
When Queen Galfrey finishes, Isilme bows before her once more reverently. "It is an honor being entrusted with this task, your Majesty," she says. With that she waits for Ary to lead the group out, maintaining proper decorum.
As she goes over the task ahead of them in her mind, she stops to ponder if her request for Kathon to join them might have been a bit too selfish. "I hope she is given an option and not merely informed that she had been volunteered to participate in the assault on Drezen." Still, it was probably too late at this point, one did not make a request of the Queen and then nitpick when it was granted. "I will endeavor to make it up to Kathon if she is not given a choice in the matter."
"Honor... sure let's go with that." Val manages to keep her snark internal while they're still in the presence of royalty. Always honored to be asked to lay siege to a demon infested city in enemy territory."
"If I might ask your majesty, do we have the option to call upon aid from other groups? We have reliable friends in both the Empyreal Guardians and the Riftwardens who might be of aid."
Hinagiku catches Annabelle's smiles and returns it. She was glad to see her friend so excited, and expected to hear her speak of this quite a lot in the near future. In the meanwhile the discussion goes on, and Hinagiku returns to her pose, head bowed, looking toward the ground, and waiting for Ary to lead them out.
After gently and politely telling Annabelle that they can about this slightly later, Hinagiku approaches Ary.
"Ary, if you do not mind, I would like to take a short leave of an hour or two to find a few useful items from my homeland. I do not think they can be found in Kenabres, so now would be my last chance."
Hinagiku finds her way back to Chun Dawei's and knocks on the door.
"Dawei san" she starts, bowing to salute "I have come to thank you for the weapon you sold me. It has already been used in battle, and was quite useful, allowing me to protect my companions. However, I have found its reach not great enough to strike at some demons. Thus, I was wondering whether you would by any chance posses 1 or two shurikens and a wushu dart?" she asks politely in Tien.
Ehren smiles when Ary invokes the words of his progenitor. She seemed a little more like herself now, if he ever knew her at all. Or perhaps something more. Momentarily distracted, he accidentally locks eyes with Queen Galfrey for a fraction of a second. He breaks eye contact as quickly as he can manage, and is left wondering what exactly was running through her mind. She had already made the connection, he was certain.
The druid continues to mull over the queen's words even as she speaks them, already appreciating the gravity of their mission. He was obviously no soldier, let alone a commander, but one hundred and fifty men did not sound like an awful lot to him. Which was the whole point, as the Queen already said, but he could only wonder whether it would be enough to surmount Drezen's defenses, even with Aponavicius out of the picture. It was a tremendous risk, but it was also first step towards realizing the promise of this crusade being the last. For that, he was willing to risk anything.
Left with little in the way of words, Ehren subtly glances at his friends, waiting to see whether they had any more questions.
"Honor... sure let's go with that." Val manages to keep her snark internal while they're still in the presence of royalty. Always honored to be asked to lay siege to a demon infested city in enemy territory."
"If I might ask your majesty, do we have the option to call upon aid from other groups? We have reliable friends in both the Empyreal Guardians and the Riftwardens who might be of aid."
"If there are men and women that you trust, you should call them to your side. You'll need all of the help you can get," Crusader-Queen Galfrey replies.
Ary nods, and salutes, readying herself to leave.
Once asked, Ary nods once more. "Of course, Daisy."
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Crusader Queen Galfrey smiles. ”Well, if there are no further questions, I only have one last thing…” She turns to Nurah, the halfling still engrossed in her note taking. ”Nurah Dendiwhar has requested that she accompany you on your mission to help document it – she’s been a valued crusader for a very long time now. She can support you with her bardic magic, and she’s also an expert on the region. She knows more about Drezen than anyone in the Crusades at this point, I’ll wager.”
Nurah stands and bows deeply, sending some papers flying everywhere. ”I’m honored, your grace,” she squeaks in her high-pitched voice. ”This is an exciting time to be alive! If you’re successful, this will be the first time the Crusades have gained ground back from the Worldwound in oh… nearly eighty years.”
The Queen nods. ”Ah, I’ve never been a fan of too much ceremony. You’ve a lot of work ahead of you. I wish you luck in your mission, and hope to hear of your triumph soon!”
Nurah scrambles to get her notebook situated – the bulging thing’s bindings are slowly wearing away. She bows to the Queen once more and scrambles to catch up with the heroes as they exit the Starrise Spire.
Once outside, Annabelle squeals. ”Oh my gods, you guys! How awesome is this?!”
Markus frowns. ”This is serious, Annabelle. Like when we attacked the Grey Garrison, there is a high chance that we are all simply marching to our deaths. Xanderghul is right – with demons, we can quickly be outnumbered and overwhelmed at any time.”
Annabelle rolls her eyes. ”Oh come on, don’t be such a downer. Let’s celebrate! We got knighted! I can’t wait to see the look on Aron’s face…”
Aravashnial nods. ”No, Markus is right. This isn’t something to take lightly.” He taps his quarterstaff on the ground, feeling around to help guide himself down the massive stone steps that lead up to the Spire. A small smile appears on his face as he begins to relive old memories. ”But it is also exciting! Do you remember Drezen, Isilme? I believe we only visited once, back when it was under command of Commander Pernigrais and the Griffon’s Watch. Such a massive construction… though I admit the human architecture left much to be desired.”
The group soon afterwards splits up, needing to get preparations out of the way. Hrut says his good-byes – he needs to meet up with the other Empyreal Guardians to learn of his next mission himself. ”Save some demons for the rest of us, Bishop!” he jokes.
Annabelle and Markus head back to the Hunting Vrock to tell Aron and Sosiel the news, bringing along any interested heroes with them.
”She did what?!” Aron exclaims, bolting upright. He stumbles – his brain not totally in sync with how tall his body is now – and Sosiel quickly intercepts to catch him before he falls.
”That’s great news, Annabelle,” says Sosiel, smiling softly.
Aron groans. ”Ugh, so what, ‘belle? Does that mean you’re higher ranked than I am now? What is this crap?! I only just got promoted to Head Engineer, too…”
Annabelle giggles. ”Engineer, Smedgineer. That’s Chevalier ‘belle to you now, and I’ll smack ya if you talk back to me!”
Sosiel stands. ”Come on, Aron, we need to pack.” He grins, wrapping up Annabelle in a tight hug. ”You seriously don’t think we’re letting you guys march into the Worldwound without us now, do you?”
Meanwhile, Hinagiku and Xanderghul decide to make a shopping trip. Xanderghul knows Nerosyan like the back of his hand, so it doesn’t take long for him to pinpoint the right shops he needs to procure the scrolls and arcane texts that he had in mind. He barters off some of the things he found in Ser Jorsal’s creepy murder-dungeon, and is kind enough to loan Hinagiku a few silver, since he stands to gain from the monk purchasing some additional sharp pointy things as she does.
Captain Chun Dawei is happy to see Hinagiku again. ”I do indeed!” He shakes his head at her money. ”Oh, no, 5 silver pieces are plenty,” he says, grabbing a velvet-lined box from beneath the counter that contains several styles of shuriken for her to choose from.
The heroes catch the next barge to Kenabres, accompanied by Annabelle, Sosiel, Aron, Nurah, and Aravashnial. The trip takes all day – Xanderghul occupies himself with copying some of his new scrolls into his spellbook, while Valaria and Ary practice their Hallit with Ehren. Nurah goes up to each of the heroes in turn, requesting they give accounts of their latest adventures for her transcription.
6 Lamashan 4716
The heroes arrive early the next morning and gather at the Grey Garrison – though reconstruction of the Kite had begun, it was not habitable yet, so the cavernous inn still functioned as the center of crusader administration for the city. The city is in much better shape than when they last saw it, for sure, and so are their friends…
Anevia comes running down the stairs, leaping over the second floor banister in her haste to wrap Valaria, then Ary, then Ehren and Isilme in a tight hug. ”You’re back! Ahhh!” She pauses in front of Ary, giving her a salute.
”Commander Bishop, Scout Anevia Tirablade, reporting for duty!” She grins. ”Your requisition request was totally approved, and I got your letter and stuff! But!” she feigns mock disappointment. ”You didn’t ask about my leg! I mean, lucky for you, my bones apparently grow like weeds, so everything’s okay… but maybe you shoulda asked about that before volunteering my life and limb on an adventure into the Worldwound, eh?”
Chevalier Irabeth follows Anevia down the stairs, smiling at the heroes, but sighing at her wife’s over-the-top exuberance. ”I’m happy to see you again. I’ve been assigned as your second-in-command, Commander Bishop. It’s an honor.” She salutes.
"Hey, now. You made it through those caverns just fine. Twice as fast with a limp as anyone else around here is without one." Ary responds, grinning. "I... honestly hadn't expected the requisition to be filled so quickly. And I mean, I recovered from being dead, so...
"Oh, come now, don't make a contest of it... I fell in a near bottomless pit, you died and came back to life, blah blah blah." Anevia says dismissively, waving a hand as if shooing a fly.
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"Well, yeah. But the comparison is fair. You didn't ask if I was alive!" Ary gives her a small salute in return. "Guessing you've been doing better, from the looks of it?"
Anevia chuckles . "Touché, Chevalier. Oh yes, doing wonderfully now that I can finally leave the house and do something useful"
"Minding the house is something useful, dear," Irabeth chides. "It's what my mother did for most of her life."
"Yes, well, I'm not your mother. (thank Calistria's tits for that)," she mumbles.
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing!"
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Over the course of the night after their meeting with the Queen, Xanderghul doesn't talk to anybody much. Whether it be at The Hunted Vrock or the Crusader barge headed to Kenabres, he spends most of the time buried in books. He focuses on his spellbook for as long as he can make himself, copying in new spells. During time that he grows bored of that, he uses his journal to brainstorm tactical movements for their army. He's unsure of the situation inside of Drezen, but the terrain outside is quite familiar to him and he draws simple maps covered in curving arrows and little, carefully drawn circles marked 'cavalry' or 'infantry'. Combat with an army against demons was going to be exceedingly difficult, and Xanderghul was determined to ensure their success.
The appearance of Aron and Sosiel at The Hunted Vrock came as little surprise to Xanderghul. This group sure did like meeting edge cases, so it made sense that Ary's squad was friends with an ex-criminal reclamation case and the local gay Shelynite. Nevertheless, he introduces himself (with a smile, a firm handshake and a joke about keeping Ary's squad out of trouble) before apologizing and excusing himself to his books.
Still, he doesn't go to his room to study. Xanderghul enjoys being visible, so he stays in the common room to read and write. The noise doesn't really bother him.
Kenabres was one of the few cities along the border of the Worldwound that Xanderghul hadn't visited yet. He tends to take his time when it comes to doing things, so twenty years hadn't been long enough to really go around and see all of the border towns. Plus, being a Crusader, Xanderghul wasn't exactly at liberty to just do whatever he wanted all the time. Not that it stopped him when there was something he really wanted. Seeing the size of the city, and the scope of its destruction, Xanderghul marvels at the fact anybody had survived at all before performing the same quick introductions with Anevia and Irabeth and plopping himself down in the softest chair he can find in Defender's Heart and pulling out his books.
"It will be a pleasure to have her your majesty. I have a feeling that we're going to need all of the help we can get and someone who knows the area will be invaluable." She bows to the queen again and then smiles at the historian.
As they leave, she falls back next to the halfling. "I am grateful to have you here. I just hope you're ready for this. Something always goes wrong with our little adventurers."
The rest of the day becomes a slightly hurried collection of meetings and visits before they board the barge to head back to Kenabres. "We certainly won't be spoiled for help at least," she says with a chuckle to Sosiel's comment. "If we'd gotten this mission two weeks ago, we probably would have be asked to retake the entire city with our bare hands and some string."
"Anevia," Val hugs her enthusiastically, grinning. "I knew there was something I should have done. I should have written at least once. Or at least added a personal note to some of Ary's letters. How have you and Irabeth been?"
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When the group finally leaves the presence of the Queen, Isilme laughs at Annabelle's excitement. "It was rather incredible! I never expected to meet Garidor the Firestorm. He was rather impressive no? ... And the Queen of course," she adds with a wink to Annabelle.
She sidles up to Aravashnial and takes him by the arm. "Lightly, no, but most assuredly exciting! Should we succeed, the tale of this expedition will spread across the world and shared for generations to come." she says, grinning broadly. "And to see Drezen again will be something else, for certain," she adds, thinking back to their trip, "There was a sad, cold beauty in the way it towered over the surrounding terrain, one that was echoed in its heart. Storasta was once a great city and flowed with the blood of the Sarkorians who founded it," she explains as they walk back towards the Hunting Vrock. "Drezen, on the other hand, was from its inception utilitarian, all order and purpose. Its entire essence focused on single concept, without any of the chaotic or organic qualities of a city that has sprung up over hundreds of years. I wonder if it has fared better than Storasta?"
She waves farewell to Hrut when he takes off to report in, and along with the others settles in at the Vrock to pack and prepare for travel. She spends time aiding Aravashnial in packing as well, chatting with him as she does. "How has your work on the engraved runes been coming? Have you been able to use one to memorize a spell?" When they have prepared their things, Isilme guides him back down to join the others, setting off for the barge that would take them back to Kenabres.
During the trip Isilme spends time writing in her journal, documenting the events since she had last written, as well as going over the bits she'd written on their trip out to the temple of Laktharis and back. Occasionally she reaches up to poke the ioun stone orbiting her head, giving it a small flick and sending it careening on an erratic orbit for a few cycles until it manages to regain its composure. She had gotten mostly used to having the light of the gem orbiting her, though she was considering getting it dispelled to remove the flames that shrouded it.
When Nurah asks for a recounting of the adventures, Isilme recounts the tales, making use of silent image to provide illustration of the events as she had when she told the Tale of Ghalcor originally.
The arrival at Grey Garrison was somehow nostalgic to Isilme. It had only been a few weeks since the events there, and yet somehow it seemed distant, even to one who had lived as long as she. She returns Anevia's embrace, smiling warmly at her. "I hope you have been doing well, Anevia! It is good to see you again!" she says. "I owe you a debt for aiding Aravashnial with the letters. It means a lot to me, Thank you," she adds whispering into her ear, giving her another hug.
She turns to Irabeth and gives her a hug as well, "It is good to see you as well, Irabeth, I am glad we will have you aiding us in the task ahead. I hope things have been quiet here since our departure, I suspect there will be very little in the way of quiet to be found in the coming weeks."
"When will we be departing?" she asks, looking at both Ary and Irabeth, "An evening to unwind and catch up would not go amiss before we set off, I imagine a bit of revelry would be good for the troops before we start into the Worldwound as well!"
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When Xanderghul notices Isilme recounting the tale of their adventures to Nurah, he takes a break of a minute or two from studying to cast major image and invisibility, even taking the resources to enhance it with his Mythic power so as to be extra-invisible. This image is of Isilme, except that she has a square face and a stick in her butt. For as long as he can get away with it he has the image cavort around the real Isilme, telling a very similar version of the tale, the only difference being that in illusion-Isilme's tale, Xanderghul managed every task and combat single-handedly.
Eventually it's too much though, and even though nobody can see him Xanderghul's belly-laugh can be heard all throughout the Crusader barge.
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Ehren spends most of his time on the ship giving Ary and Valaria a crash course in Hallit. The tongue was harsh and its lack of a written form did not did not make teaching it any easier. He supplements his lessons by using a transliterated form of the language to help demonstrate pronunciations, a little trick he picked up from the nursemaid's journal. In general, he seems a little more cheerful than usual, despite the task that awaited them ahead. Perhaps it was because his soul had been fully healed, or perhaps it was their meeting with the Queen.
"I would have written you as well, but you might not have been able to read it," Ehren says when he hugs Anevia back, grinning sheepishly. As always, his handwriting was terrible. Still, it was nice being in Kenabres again. Despite it having not been all that long ago, it was already nostalgic.
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After kindly welcoming Nurah into their team, Hinagiku listens to Annabelle’s outburst of excitement with a gentle smile on her lips and waits for Isilme’s reply before speaking too:
”Yes, the future is grim, but not more so than it was. But, now it gleams with a new hope. By retaking the town, we will give hope to people, and with hope healing starts… anyway, it was impressive to meet the Queen and her retinue in this palace.” she says, remebmering the beautiful interior and the strength which emanated form the guards, the phoenix and the queen.
”Your generosity is appreciated.” she politely says before taking a look at the selection and becoming immediately lost at the sight of the variety. She eyes the items for a moment, trying hard to remember which kind she had seen used by the other monks who had travelled with her to Mendev. After succeeding, she picks a wushu dart, a shuriken version of the wushu dart and an eight pointed star.
”Thank you again. Before leaving, I would like to ask you a question. I have come to Mendev with a few martial artist from Kurihara, in northern Minkai, would you by any chance met any of them?” she asks, before describing the most unique features of the different monk who had accompanied her on her trip from Minkai to Mendev.
Xanderghul really had a way of making Hinagiku’s kitsune impulse seem acceptable. Playing Isilme? Having disappeared from his table?! … the fact that he had a good sense of humor helped too. So, the monk stops her own reading, subtly goes to Xanderghul’s table, and switches the book he was reading with another one which she opens at a random page. Feeling awfully malicious, she then goes back to her own reading. Hopefully, she had mastered the art of tricking enough so that the joke would reinforce the bond between the shabti and herself… tricking other people could definitely be a skill that could be perfected from the greater good.
As they make their way to Kenabres, Hinagiku keeps an eye on Ary. With the queen’s dream, she had hoped to see passion raise back up into the young crusader. Otherwise, Hinagiku spends most of her time reading her new books, praying, braiding, and spending nights with Annabelle.
Hinagiku bows slightly to salute Anevia when the woman hurtles down the stairs. Seeing her companions happy in their reunion and hugging, she stays asides, finding peace in seeing the reunion. She is slightly more involved once Irabeth arrives, as she formally steps forward and salutes her with a bow (once Isilme is done hugging her).
”Chevalier Tirablade, I am glad to find your well.” she pauses, noticing a quizzical look on Irabeths face ”I guess I have changed since our last meeting, but it is me, Hinagiku. The story is a long one, but miss Isilme and miss Valaria are really skilled at telling it. If we do take a day off before leaving, I am sure they will be able to tell the story and inspire the troops. But, so you know, I have been reborn into this body after falling in battle.” she starts gently, and ends more seriously.
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Nurah grins at Valaria, bouncing nimbly down the enormous stone stairs. ”Oh, I think I’m ready. Can’t go worse than the last time I was on a mission to try and retake Drezen!”
”But even without the marilith there your friends are probably all going to die. There’s a reason it’s been 80 years. But it’s okay. I’ll bail ya out of whatever hole you dig yourself into.”
"Actually, I recognize three of those names... Zhǎng Zhǎo, Huá Xíng, and Wu Kong were present here during the demon attack a few weeks ago. They helped push the demons back and have since fallen in with a few crusader squads... I believe Wu Kong is accompanying a squad south to protect the southern holdings, while Zhǎng Zhǎo and Huá Xíng were sent north with a patrol. As for the other two... I do not recognize those names, I am sorry I cannot be of more help."
Graukur - the tengu you've already encountered was a mystery to you for a long time. Quiet and dedicated to his study, Graukur was known for his graceful combat style that focused on outlasting an opponent - dodging blows and making swift counterattacks. Graukur was ostracized by some of the more boisterous members of the group - like Shu Lien and Huá Xíng - simply for being a tengu. The unspoken implication was that a mere bird would not be able to achieve Enlightenment as a man does.
Huá Xíng - Huá Xíng was a tall, thin man with short, spiky hair who wears a blue gi. Skilled with a number of weapons, including the katana - he fought similar to Graukur, though with less grace. He prefers to stay mobile, making sharp counter attacks to bring someone swiftly down. The eldest in the group, Huá Xíng is haughty and often speaks to others as if they are children. He is a little xenophobic, probably because he was born a slave to oni in Chu Ye before he was rescued as a young child. He distrusts all non-humans.
Shu Lien Shu Lien is a beautiful woman with a curvy figure, who often wears tight-fitted clothing that accentuates her figure. She has very long hair like a cascading waterfall, smooth porcelain skin, and lovely almond shaped eyes. But her meek appearance is misleading - she was physically the strongest monk of your group - known for her powerful strikes and tendency to throw opponents around during sparring matches. She is sharp-witted and sarcastic with people, though she prefers to be alone. She is a daredevil, often seeking out greater and greater challenges to test her mortal limits.
Wu Kong Wu Kong was the youngest monk in your group - a naive, idealist with a childish demeanor, though he is a good person at heart. He is un-used to the ways of the world, having lived in a Temple of Irori his whole life. Wu Kong is a pleasant looking man with hooded eyes the color of milk chocolate, and long, fine hair he keeps tied back in a pony tail. He has a deep tan and strong chin. He is the nimblest of the group, known for his acrobatic feats, and his tendency to close ground very quickly - and then keep it. It surprises you to learn that Wu Kong parted ways with Zhǎng Zhǎo and Huá Xíng, as he was always more of a follower than a leader, especially where Huá Xíng was involved.
Zhǎng Zhǎo - Zhǎng Zhǎo is a short girl with beady eyes and short-cut, curly hair and very small feet. Plain in appearance, Zhǎng Zhǎo is nonetheless a charismatic woman, the most sociable member of the group. She is strong and self-sufficient due to her parents dying at such a young age. A master of the stunning fist, Zhǎng Zhǎo can bring down a man twice her weight to his knees with a single blow.
Aravashnial perks up, showing his work engraved onto his staff - there is a tightly wound, elegant script worked into it - obviously taken from the groundwork Isilme had helped him with when they were last together.
"Yes, actually. I've managed to engrave the simplest version of summon monster into it... but it takes almost a fifth of the available space on the staff. Perhaps if I were more dextrous I could engrave the script smaller, but for now, it's a good start"
Fenna giggles at Xanderghul's major image - it's an uncanny resemblance to Isilme - and highly distracting from her own tale. When he's done she's laughing uproariously. Wiping a tear from her eye she winks at the azata bard.
"You know, I think he might be better at that than you!"
Anevia smiles at Valaria. "Oh you know, just peachy, trying to help rebuild a nearly decimated city and all that. But we really need to have a few drinks and swap some serious stories. So what's this about you guys dying and coming back all... elf-y and fox-y? I need details, tonight. You'd better not let me down!"
Irabeth smiles at Isilme, returning the hug - though it's awkward to embrace someone when clad in full-plate. "It is good to see you... and all of you in good shape. We will need to wait a few days before embarking- we have siege weapons coming from Nerosyan still, and we're still gathering food supplies from the neighboring countryside. But once that's done we're ready to go at Commander Bishop's command. Speaking of... the troops have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. We should go and speak to them."
She ushers the group out of Defender's Heart and into the large courtyard in the back. There are over a hundred soldiers gathered out there, busy gathering weapons, caring for horses, and helping to load supplies out onto the wagon... but as soon as Ary Bishop steps out into the courtyard, Faith resplendent on her arm, red cape billowing out behind her, they stop and stand obediently at attention.
"It... is a very very long story. We'll share when we have a little free time later. And a bit of privacy. It wasn't an easy time."
When Hinagiku is brought into the courtyard, she looks carefully at the men and the women present. Not and evaluative or judgmental look, but a compassionate one (maybe even slightly motherly). So these were the people who were going to put their lives in Ary's hands, have faith in her and follow her into battle. These were the people she would stand side by side with during battles. But more importantly, if they succeeded, these would be the people who bring hope to the inhabitants of Mendev. The monk smiled gently.
As the soldiers stood to attention, Hinagiku instinctively turned toward Ary, and slightly bowed in respect, unconsciously making it clearer that she was someone deserving of it.
"Yes, long ago, at the tender age of 20 I came to the Worldwound as a slave of Lord Axilar Trezbot... I served mostly as a scribe for his exploits, which peaked at a risky gambit to lead a large entourage on a mission to retake Citadel Drezen," says Nurah.
"He was ripped apart by a group of tiefling assassins and babaus after his second-in-command was possessed by a shadow demon, whcih caught him completely unawares. I managed to get away... a free woman. I was rescued by a group of crusaders shortly after. I'll never forget the horrors I witnessed there....Lord Trezbot was an awful man, but my fellow slaves did not deserve their fates. I decided to pledge myself to the crusades in service for the rest of my life."
"Hmmm, well, her most famous minions is certainly Staunton Vhane, but fewer know of his brother, Joran Vhane."
'Besides her lover though I believe Aponavicius prefers mortal minions... pretty typical of mariliths, they prefer to subjugate the weak...'
