Ehren looks up at Ary with an apologetic look. "Unfortunately, that spell I cast on you only delayed the effects of the poison. You should feel it hitting you again in a few hours."
He glances back over at the tunnel he made and sighs. "I suppose I should get back to digging."
Anevia slips under Hinagiku's arm as she stumbles towards the wall, hoping to help prop her up. Leaning against the wall was a good way to get stung by it, after all.
"We shouldn't stay here long, if we want to keep our clothing intact, Ary says, frowning down at her boots, as she backs towards the opening. "I... wish there were a more reliable use for them, so we could perhaps rear them for the army, but I feel even when properly trained, we would be dealing with significant issues. A gargantuan apex predator that can't survive off of our enemy would need a lot of food for upkeep. We could maybe train them to dig tunnels for us, but... What do you all think? I definitely foresee us trying to use this one with Markus's aid in our siege. If it isn't too large for him to control."
"We should also check near the eggs, likely there are many dead in and around the eggs for when they hatch. Do we know how long it will take for the toxins to get out of the cavern?"
Hinagiku welcomes Anevia's help, with a nod and smiles (slightly wider than her usual faint smile) at Ehren while he uses the magic of his wand to heal the damage caused by the poison.
"Thanks to both of you." she says before turning toward Ary.
"I wish we could raise them. But, I fear the very corruption that is found here would make their education difficult... and being sentient, I doubt that training them would be acceptable." she pauses, clearly uncomfortable with her own opinion "Although... if they grow slowly, I guess it would be possible. Yes, I think it would be the thing to do in such a case." she looks to the others, hoping that one will know about the development stages of these creatures.
"I don't know, Ary," Ehren says, his tone clearly skeptical. "These are wild beasts we are talking about. Unnatural ones, at that. They were never meant to be domesticated. At best the eggs could be sold as a curiosity... but even that is probably a bad idea."
"Markus keeping this one for defense might not be a bad idea, however. It could likely stave off assaults by demons against our more vulnerable members. Apart from that, I do not believe that we could benefit from these eggs at all. It is likely they are tainted as well, and unleashing fiendish creatures on the people we sold them to would be unconscionable. It is best we destroy them all. With some time we might be able to rehabilitate these caves into a small outpost for travelers on the way to Drezen, however. In fact, with Ahari destroyed, we will need a new bridge. Building a cliff-side fort here could act as part of the path to Drezen and keep the route safe."
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"Being tainted by the abyss only influences predisposition. It doesn't decide for the creature. If anything, it's nature would be a boon against our foes. My question is more whether rearing them would realistically be possible, and, If it were, if we could use them to enough advantage to offset the cost of upkeep. They may well need to eat a cow every day or multiple per day if they grew to their mother's size. But if we can leverage them properly, we would have indispensable allies."
"I dunno, boss. I'm a little Leary of allies that I can fit in the mouth of.". Anevia offers, before looking the Xanderghul and mouthing the words 'monster hunt!'.
Death Worms are intelligent beasts and would be exceedingly difficult to rear as a consequence.
Even in lands where death worms are common, they are not tamed.
Remote villagers and nomads of Garund often revere the death worms, if only to try and placate them. Superstitious tribespeople stake criminals and other undesirables out in the desert as sacrifices to their earthbound lords, hoping that their tributes will keep them safe for another season. Oracles of the sands whisper prayers to keep the worms at bay, and there are even cults that revolve around death worms.
There is one legend: riverside herders in Thuvia speak reverently of the occasion the warrior-shaman Ellsret, clad in protective garments, rode a giant death worm into battle against a small army of gnolls and giant scorpions, though this story is largely regarded as a folktale.
Val listens to the conversation with one eyebrow raised quizzically. "Being touched by the Abyss doesn't make them inherently evil. Gods know we've dealt that that assumption before. But I'm not really worried whether they're inherently evil or not. I'm more worried about the fact that they're giant meat eating worms that can potentially swallow any one of us whole. I'm not sure that giant flesh eating, acid spitting worms are something anyone knows how to tame. Not to mention the sheer number of eggs here. The Worldwound isn't exactly teaming with game and if we plan to move troops through here regularly, we can't afford to have them get hungry and decide they'd rather eat crusaders than help them."
"Intelligent beings may fight to rise above their heritage, but doing so is a lifetime struggle. You are as aware of that as anyone, Val. These are beasts, however, not people, do not attribute to them moral qualities like the ability to rise above their nature. Nevertheless, I would not advise raising one of these creatures even were they untainted. They do not take well to instruction. If they are tainted by the world wound they are even less likely to do so. "
Once the heroes have decided what to do with the death worm eggs - harvest them, destroy them, or leave them, Ehren turns back into an enormous badger and resumes digging upwards through the plateau.
About a half an hour later, Ehren breaks through to the top of the plateau. Outside in the Worldwound it is paradoxically warm, despite the bitter cold in Mendev just across the river. (It is 52° F, (11.1°C)). It is extremely windy - the severe winds gusting across the desolate Worldwound wastes - blasting away at neatly 50 mph. There isn't much to see up here - just miles of desolation, with the odd stunted tree or shrub to break up the landscape. Above, the sky looks dulled in color, as if covered in a haze.
It takes the rest of the day for the crusaders to clear out enough rubble from the tunnel to make it passable for the army. By the time they've gotten to the surface, the sun has already set - the crusaders light their torches and enchanted blades and set to work setting up camp... with much difficulty due to the extreme winds.
The stars are above you in the sky... but there is no comfort from your Lady to be seen here. Though you look for familiar constellations from The Eight Scrolls, the sky and stars here are alien and unfamiliar to you.
Though the mood here is subdued compared to the celebrating of yesterday, the soldiers are mostly hopeful and optimistic about this incursion into the Worldwound.
Ehren sighs, deciding to take matters into his own hands. He peers into the egg chamber, already forming the gestures for a spell. "You all might want to stand back."
With a wave of his hand, he evokes the ley's power. There is suddenly a loud roar as a pillar of white flame engulfs the chamber, unleashing a backdraft of heat and excruciatingly bright light that pours into the main tunnel. The moment ends as quickly as it began, the brilliant display leaving only cinders in its wake.
-----
When Ehren finally reaches the top of the plateau, he promptly drags himself a few feet from the breach and flops onto his back, returning to human form. His fingers twitch, throbbing after the hour spent digging through solid rock. But his fatigue aside, he did feel a profound sense of accomplishment. Though he still thought it unwise to allow the demonic presence in northern Mendev to persist, he could not help but to feel a little excited by the prospect of marching to Drezen.
Before long, Ehren tires of staring at the bizarre, unnatural sky. With a groan he heaves himself off the ground and goes back down the tunnel, to help with clearing the rubble.
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Hinagiku listens intently to the argument about the eggs, her ears reorienting themselves toward those making the argument.
Intelligent beast is what she takes notice of the most. Isilme was knowledgeable, and so she trusted her. And, as Valaria speaks of taming them, a memory surfaces in Hinagiku's mind. A vague feeling of recollection, knowledge provided her by her mother she thinks, only legends spoke of taming such beast... and it was taming nothing more. These were truly animals. And so, Hinagiku drops the subject; though animals deserve respect, there was no way to teach them about the gods, or to steer them away from corruption of the body, and so, no true hope for them. These ones would probably fare better once reincarnated.
After having helped the crusaders clear the rubble made by Ehren, Hinagiku searches for her druid companion. When she finally spots the familiar brown haired young man, she slowly makes her way towards him. As she walks, her thoughts focus on this rare feeling imparted by her mother, a feeling she had never experienced. And then, memories of her master come back. She remembers when they had first discussed the topic of love, and how she had said that to her, every person was the same deep down. He had smiled. She had gone on, explaining how she could see the very nature of everyone she touched. He had continued smiling, and then asked her to spent more time with young lovers, to get a glimpse of their feelings so she would know what it was. And then, he had asked her to do the same with married couples, and older couples, and finally elderly couples. It had been an incredible learning experience. And, she could remember the words her master had told her once she shared it with him: Feelings for others come in myriads of shades and colors, a true symphony of emotions. Know which is which. Understand their nature. Do not deny them, as they are too strong to withstand without breaking. Simply accept them and let them slowly drip into the ocean that is your mind so they may join it without every breaking its calm.
"Mr. Ehren..." she starts, but stops for a moment. Though serene as ever, she seems to be thinking about how to start the conversation. She finally give a barely noticeable nod to herself before continuing "hummm, sorry. This morning, as we were recovering the grain in Icerift, I went to visit the menhir one last time. And I heard the voice of my mother once more. She whispered to me something about you." she pauses, before continuing with an explanation" And, well, at first I have to admit I did not think this crown suited you. You have always been humble, and I thought wearing it might change you. I should not have. And my mother reminded so. She whispered to me how relieved and glad she was, because " she pauses " there was finally a new archdruid. And it is you." she finishes, looking toward Ehren to see his reaction.
Ary furrows her brow and purses her lips at Ehren, but doesn't say anything more as she heads back down from the cavern. She had a doctor to see about a war machine. She moves easily through the small work camp to find Markus. Anevia goes off to find Irabeth.
"I never did thank you for yesterday. It's a bit ironic that you came to front lines to save us, don't you think?" she offers a small smile, letting it fade. "We have something really interesting for you to take a look at, now, though. And I was wondering if maybe you could help us use it. Be careful there's acid everywhere, but..." she leads Markus up to the Death Worm if he's willing.
* * *
After the toxic smoke dissipates, Ary looks through the wreckage for anything that may have survived Ehren's blast. Likely the creature had fed on at least some humans from nearby and likely hadn't destroyed all of their belongings in the process. And if it were like some spiders, it would even leave food for the babies when they hatch, which just increased the probability of there being something of value in the room.
Afterwards, she returns to helping the dig.
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Isilme spends the rest of the day aiding in whatever way she can, occasionally helping some with the work, or stopping to bolster the spirits of those working. She makes several trips to get rations for the workers over the course of the day, making it easier for them to take breaks, and providing music to help the time pass faster as they slowly continue the monotonous work of disposing of the tons of rubble Ehren had created in burrowing through to the plateau above.
When the tunnel is finished, Isilme sits down near the bottom of it, feeling the wind blasting through it from the steppes above. Oddly enough, instead of the bitterly cold air down near the ground, it was relatively warm, and ironically pleasant because of that. Certainly not something she would've expected from the abyss-tainted weather they would be marching through for the next few days. Though it was likely there was little the Song of Spheres could do for them on the march towards Drezen, still she stopped to offer a short prayer to her goddess for good conditions on the remainder of the trip.
Later in the day she tracks down Ary and the others to discuss the coming march into the worldwound. "Everyone, I was thinking it might be good to sit down with those who are unfamiliar with the world wound and prepare them for the next couple days march. I believe it would be better if they knew the sorts of things that awaited them, and how to handle issues that might arise. I had intended to speak with Ledsa about this, but it occurs to me that we might wish to address more than just a few civilians tonight. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or would anyone care to help?"
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As they emerge into the Worldwound proper, Val feels a chill run down her spine. She had understood, at least on a logical level, that the Worldwound was wrong, but seeing it was different. The utterly alien sky sent a shiver down her spine, bringing back memories of her long nights on the road before she'd been graced with Lady Starsong's blessing. "I really don't want to stay here any longer than we have to," she says, rubbing her arms like she's cold, despite the sudden unseasonable warmth. "Let's set up camp outside the border of the wound. We're going to need a heavy night watch whether we're inside or out, we might as well not risk our supplies anymore than we have to."
She isn't terribly surprised when Isilme calls a meeting. They need to be prepared for the march ahead. "I was already going to talk with Ayavah," Val agrees. "I want to make sure she doesn't do something reckless now that we're actually entering the Wound. But if you're talking about addressing the army as a whole, that might be a good idea. I do wonder how many soldiers here have actually been inside the border before, if any of them have at all."
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When Hinagiku finds Ehren, he is preoccupied with scribing his message to Silvershore. Strangely, instead of a sheet of parchment, he appears to be writing on a golden leaf, much like the ones adorning his robe. Finally noticing the monk, he smiles and set down the quill, more or less finished.
"Is that so...?" Ehren replies thoughtfully, not sounding quite as surprised as one might expect. He looks back down at his message in progress, though his thoughts are clearly elsewhere. A moment of silence passes before he continues. "I think that I have always known that this would happen. From the moment I first communed with the ley, I knew that this role would fall to me. But even after gaining our special power in Kenabres, even after finding this crown, a part of me wanted to deny it." His mouth twists into a wry grin. "Perhaps I was too afraid, or too humble to shoulder that responsibility. And yet, it has come to pass. I cannot afford to deny it for any longer. Sarkoris needs an archdruid."
Ehren looks back up to Hinagiku, eye to eye. "You were not wrong, though. I will change. I have to. But it won't just be because of this crown."
-----
"The Wounded Lands are a nightmarish place. The chaos we witnessed during our own forays barely scratch the surface of what could go wrong. I'm not disagreeing with you, but what could we possibly do to prepare them?" Ehren asks, trying hard not to be contrary. "Good advice can go a long way, but I do not want to hurt their morale, either."
Ary invites Markus into the cavern to assess the death worm corpse. He paces around the corpse for a moment, prodding the worm's waxy exterior with the tip of his dagger. He raises an eyebrow when the acid nearly corrodes through the blade. Finally her turns to Ary with an apologetic smile.
"I'm afraid this one is too big for me to maintain reliable control of. I'm sorry...it'd be too dangerous to attempt."
----
The crusaders set up their camp at the base of the cliff, near the opening to the tunnel above. It is frigid cold, as is normal this far north in Avistan, but otherwise an unremarkable evening.
"Thank you, again, Markus. It's unfortunate... I'd hoped to gain something from this encounter other than a clearer path. But at least there's that." Ary says, nodding. "I suppose we'll need to do something about the body as well. Perhaps we can find some use for it, yet. If we could bottle its acid or venom, or collect some of its hide, perhaps we could find a use for it, still."
* * *
"Perhaps we can do both? Expose them as much as we can to knowledge, with the knowledge that there's a way out on the other side? Tell them of our story?"
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”Shoulder…? No, shouldering suggests defeat, a weight that impedes you. Expressions can be dangerous sometimes, shine the wrong light on something. Mr. Ehren, please do not let such ways of thinking influence you. Do not ‘shoulder’ this responsibility, let it grow with you, slowly take in within yourself so that it is no longer something outside of you, but something that is a part of you. If you don’t… I am afraid it might change you, but not in the way it should nor in the way you wish.” she stops and looks back into the eyes of the young man, hoping to have cheered him up, if only a little.
Hinagiku nods in understanding at Isilme’s question, answering with some general wisdom.
”It is better to have expected the worse and be proven wrong, than have expected the better and have the worse happen to us. But better still, is the right expectations. Or so my master used to say.” she turns towards Ary. "yes, I believe our story would be a good idea, they will know the horrors, but also that they can be overcome."
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"I agree Ehren, we must approach the matter delicately. It is important they understand the seriousness of what lies ahead without making it seem insurmountable. Perhaps reminding them of what we have accomplished so far and that only days ago it would have seemed impossible would aid them in appreciating that we can overcome what still lies ahead. But if we succeed we will need to prepare to hold the city while still within the worldwound. If they are not prepared, morale might suffer significantly even if they make it past the trip there and the siege."
"Telling a story of our tale would be a good way to go about it," she replies to Ary's suggestion. "Perhaps Val could relate our trip and you and Xanderghul could discuss the planar aspects? I could handle the historical aspect, discuss Drezen to begin with."
"Agreed, Hinagiku, though given the chaotic nature of the lands beyond, I suspect even if we knew more about what awaited us we might not be able to prepare them for everything. But preparation is better than none without a doubt."
Later when they gather the troops, she begins by reminding them of their goal. With her spells "Crusaders, we camp tonight on the edge of the World wound. The next few days will be trying, but remember what we have come for. The Sword of Valor..."
Isilme conjures an illusion of the Sword of Valor hanging from the cliff above the encampment. "It is said that the banner once hung on the walls of Drezen, protecting the fortress and the surrounding lands from the demons assaults. Reclaiming the sword will signal a turn in the tide of battle for the first time since the end of the second crusade. It is a gift from Iomedae herself, and one capable of ensuring our hold on Drezen."
"However many trials yet await us before we regain control of the banner, the first of which is traversing the world wound itself. The land is now tainted and unforgiving, if not actively hostile to those who would travel across it. Still, we have traveled through the world wound twice now and returned both times to tell the tale. So too will this army triumph over that cursed land."
With that Isilme stands aside to allow the others to tell the tales of their two trips.
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With the giant worm defeated, and their monster hunt concluded, Xanderghul sifts through the strange cave for a few minutes. Safe from the acidic walls and floor due to his magic, he pokes around at the bits and bobs and investigates the creature's huge corpse. However, nothing here is as interesting as he wants it to be, so he waits for Ehren to destroy the eggs and then continue digging, following closely after the druid, tossing the occasional rock over behind him.
As the top of the plateau is breached and the Worldwound entered, Xanderghul picks his way up onto its surface, taking a few steps in the driving wind before sitting down cross-legged to look at the sky. Seeing the strange and terrible warped landscape brings back a sort of nostalgia for Xanderghul, though not much of it is pleasant. Still, it reminds him of his... childhood? Of his first days of life, and the many many years he spent struggling for survival. He only stays for a moment before going back down through the tunnel to the edge of the river with the rest of the army.
At the meeting of the group, Xanderghul concurs - the Abyss-tainted landscape would be terrifying for any green soldiers they had, and would test even veterans. He ponders what he might know that could help the soldiers as his new allies tell their tales of Worldwound incursions.
Looking back to Hinagiku again, he smiles. "All things considered, whether I stray from the path or follow it through... I think you will be the first to know."
Xanderghul and Ary poke around the monster's den once Ehren destroys all the eggs. The eggs were too underdeveloped to even yield worm corpses - the room is simply filled with an acidic slime that reeks of sulfur.
If there were any corpses in here at one point, they surely were corroded into nothing....
The acid in the cavern's walls has worked the rock away into an almost polished shine... on one spot of the wall there are hints of blue interlaced into the rock - raw sapphire!
While you could, theoretically, harvest the death worm for parts - its acidic blood would corrode through any blade you attempted to dissect it with. However, if you can figure out a way to cut it open without losing whatever tools you are attempting to use to do so, it is a DC 30 Heal or Survival check to harvest poison or parts from the death worm.
-----
The Worldwound's environment is a constant source of danger. Most sources of food and water are poisoned, diseased, infested with parasites, or so tainted with Abyssal corruption they're completely unpalatable. Therefore, even acquiring sustenance presents a problem. Navigation also proves difficult, as the skies are totally unstable. Though certain landscape features can serve as landmarks (when they're visible), exploring deep chasms or traveling through one of the region's thick fogs can be quite treacherous. Night falls an hour earlier than it should here, and dawn breaks an
hour late.
Smart crusaders and explorers bring their own food and water when travelling in the Worldwound- and wise ones overestimate their needs. Locating food and water is only part of the issue. Anyone who drinks water or eats food harvested from somewhere in the Worldwound risks exposure to parasites or disease-individuals who consume food or water from the land must roll a percentage check for exposure once per day. Purify food and drink has no effect on food or water harvested from the wild of the Worldwound, but it may decontaminate imported provisions that later became contaminated, if cast by a powerful enough caster.
The thinnest of threads anchor the Worldwound to reality. Near the Worldwound's deepest rents, those threads have long ago been severed or burned away, allowing the Abyss to seep in and take root. This Abyssal connection transformed what was once Sarkoris into a nightmare realm, and altered its very sky, turning it otherworldly shades: leaden gray, sickly green, bruised purple, insanely warped yellow, or most often an ominous red with void- black clouds. The lands now tremble with frequent, sudden earthquakes and rockslides, many of which sunder the earth, tear open Abyssal rifts, and unleash unspeakable horrors from beyond. But in the Worldwound, more than demons and monsters bring death to the wary or oblivious-the environment is just as lethal.
Poisonous geysers erupt from massive, pustulant mounds, spewing out sickly, yellow-white gouts of infectious ichor or piles of wriggling larvae. Noxious gases and slimy,
acidic rain ooze from the sky, ranging in toxicity from uncomfortable to incapacitating to fatal to the unprotected traveler. Abyssal storms churn in fierce vortexes of demonic wind, scouring flesh from bones.
The primary predators in the Worldwound today are demons; and monsters powerful enough to hold their own against such dangerous intruders , such as manticores, bulettes, and wyverns. Animals and other wild creatures such as wolves and bears , once inhabited the region in great numbers, but today only the most powerful species (including many variants of megafauna) can survive for long. Those that fall often become plagued beasts or are otherwise corrupted by the Abyssal energies .
The one exception to this rule is vermin... vermin thrive in the Worldwound, often becoming corrupted into unholy demonic forms.
The Worldwound's remaining flora and fauna have been transformed. Now corrupt and dangerous , things like bowel worms are among the numerous threats and hazards to those exploring this land.
Bowel worms are horrific parasites live and breed in tainted water, and can infest any creature that drinks from the Worldwound's lakes , rivers, and pools. When these microscopic parasites enter a humanoid creature's intestinal tract, they take on an unholy life. Victims suffer from horrific intestinal pain until a full-grown bowel worm burrows out from their belly and crawls out onto the ground-a pallid, arm-length, maggot-like, eyeless worm with a nasty collection of toothy mouths on one end. Once born, the creatures are helpless... harming the worms causes them to emit a sound unnervingly similar to the cry of a human infant.
The fact that these horrific parasites mature only within humanoid hosts, and that they seem to serve no real purpose once born except to die , has long vexed sages. These wretched worms are a true manifestation of the Abyss-life that exists only to cause misery and pain.
Permanent Abyssal portals can be found scattered throughout the Worldwound, and temporary ones-called Abyssal rifts- have been known to open as well. Abyssal rifts function as the gate used for planar travel, and are generally about 5 feet in diameter but can be smaller or larger. Sometimes a rift's orientation can cause landsides, create whirlpools, or even create a pit-like obstacle. It could also allow dangerous Abyssal denizens to stumble through and become trapped within the Material Plane. A rift could even open inside an Abyssal sea (creating a sudden flood), within the heart of an Abyssal volcano (creating an unexpected surge of lava), or worse. Casting dimensional anchor, dimensional lock, dispel chaos, or dispel evil on a rift's location can prematurely close it.
----
The lands that the crusades are heading into are known as the Wounded Lands. When one thinks of the Worldwound, invariably imagery of the Wounded Lands comes to mind. As tragic, dangerous, and deadly as the other four regions of this devastated land are, the Wounded Lands are the worst. It was here that Areelu Vorlesh aided Deskari in opening the Worldwound in 4606 AR, and the resulting network of portal riddled canyons and chasms have done more than anything else to devastate what was once Sarkoris. The Worldwound rarely yawns more than a mile wide, but in places its depth reaches thousands of feet in seemingly bottomless rents that have destroyed vast reaches of the upper Darklands realm of Nar-Voth.
Using a style reminiscent of their ancient Sky Citadels, a small army of dwarven crusaders constructed the war-hardened city of Drezen and its massive citadel, establishing a lasting foothold during the First Crusade. The entire construction was carved out of a granite plateau. As a result, numerous barracks, battlements, and storehouses stand chiseled into the hills-enough to garrison an entire legion of crusaders. Unfortunately, even Drezen's potent defenses could not withstand the second wave of demons that emerged from the Worldwound between the First and Second Crusades, and the citadel and city alike fell to Deskari's forces in 4638 AR. Now, cultists devoted to Deskari and Baphomet control the outer ruins, as well as the city's formidable stronghold-their fires lighting the city's battlements, spawning grounds, and the mountain pass where valuable prisoners are taken deeper into the Worldwound. The nearby caves serve as homes for gargoyles, harpies , and hala demons, all of whom delight in harassing the many slaves and prisoners who make up at least half the city's population. Soldiers and mercenaries make up the rest of Drezen's inhabitants; they frequently patrol the streets and eastern approaches before reporting back to the cult leaders and their demonic masters. The city itself is ruled by Aponavicius , a merciless marilith commander of several legions of demonic armies. Aponavicius is quite proud of her prize, for its capture nearly 75 years ago marked the point at which the crusaders realized they had finally lost Sarkoris .
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Xanderghul nods, taking his turn to step up and add to the cacophany that was the advice coming from his group. "Alright," he begins, assuming that everyine is already listening. "Isilme is right - the Worldwound is deadly, but if there's anybody who can help you survive and escape it, that person is me. And if there's anybody who is equipped to handle it despite being normal mortals, it's clerics and paladins and rangers like you. I'll be making lists of magic to prepare and handing them out to your commanders so that we will be properly prepared during our foray, but I wanted to share a few bits of knowledge with you."
"While we are in the Worldwound, know that every rock, plant, stream and animal wishes your death. Be careful, and be wary of everything. Constant vigilance is your only ally."
"Do not drink the water. Doing so could result in a parasitic infection that spells your death. Do not wander too closely to any interesting geological feature. Doing so could result in a faceful of poisonous gas or a healthy coating of Abyssal larvae, resulting in your death. Do not eat the food. Doing so will result in a bad spat of disease, which may result in your death. If you see or hear anything suspicious, let your buddy know. If you see something you know is dangerous, let your Commander know. All dangers will need to be met with immediate and overwhelming force, or, you may guess, it will result in our deaths."
"Steel yourselves. You will need every bit of courage and grit and wit in order to survive there, let alone survive and conquer. But we will. We will because we have to, but also because we have been doing so, against impossible odds, all along."
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"Listen up, everyone," he continues. "No matter how shitty and hopeless things might get, I want you to know that victory never leaves the table."
"Some of you might not know this. I am from the Abyss. I am here because I survived. I did what I had to do to win, and to live, and to keep moving. When I saw the opportunity to, I was able to escape. I was there for three million, three hundred and twenty six thousand and one sleeps, plus the ones before I started counting. We only have to survive in the Worldwound for a few days before we reach Drezen and make that fortress our own."
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Ary manages a wry grin. Having doublechecked the area might prove useful, after all. She wasn't certain what Sapphire was useful for, besides jewelry, but it would certainly be of value to someone.
* * *
"Something that doesn't appear as often in the Abyss, for obvious reasons, are portals to the Abyss. These can appear from nowhere with very little warning - if any. They can be closed quickly via most forms of dimensional control magic as well as the associated dispel spells. Nearly anything can come out of it and it can exacerbate or create violent hazards. They can open in the water here or in the abyss, in a mountainside here, or in the abyss, and so on. They have a tendency to either rip things from here, or dump them from the abyss. Do not approach such a rift unless you have a solution at hand. Approaching an abyssal rift would, you guessed it..." she looks to Xanderghul, either leaving it unsaid, or letting him fill in the blank.
"Any beasts there are likely tainted, though vermin are actually favored there. If we encounter a swarm, utilize any holy water you may have or back away, Valaria is equipped to deal with swarms unlike the majority of us. Finally, days will be shorter, and light will need to be... limited. The majority of demons can't see much better in the dark than we can, but they can see a campfire on a plateau just as well as any of us can. So any sources of fire should be exceedingly limited if used in the open."
"We don't say these things to frighten you, but to make you cautious. Caution will save lives." She offers a smile, "Our march thus far has been blessed by all of our gods, and though the way ahead is dark, your courage and strength will help to pull us through."
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Xanderghul cups his hands to his mouth and shouts, "Spell your doom!"
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"Thank you very kindly for that," Val says, loud enough that the crowd can hear her and utterly deadpan. "That was very inspiring." She smirks exaggeratedly, like she making a joke at Ary and Xan's expense. Then her smile disappears and her expression becomes far more serious. "As you can plainly see, the Worldwound is not a kind place and expeditions are fraught with peril. I don't think I can possibly express that any better than our experts just did. Six of us crossed the border alone to recover a relic once before, just as our united strength of over a hundred does now. We walked through geysers of acid, dust storms strong enough to scour flesh from bone, and across rivers that run hot with magma rather than water. And in the end we fought through the ruins of a great civilization so that we might reclaim what is lost. And we survived, every one of us, to come home safe and sound. Because despite the dangers, it is not unbeatable."
She pauses for dramatic effect, looking out over the gathered crusaders. "At times it seems like the very land itself is as much an enemy as any of the demons lurking in the abandoned cities that dot the lands here. I'd be tempted to agree with you there, but it goes beyond that. These lands are wrong in ways that are hard to express in words. The forces of the Abyss try to impress their own savage nature on this place and it twists it into something that seems to hate life as much as they do. But no matter how deeply they try to twist our world, it will always fight back. When they tore open a hole to this world, the world gave the menhir stones to seal them in. When they tried to corrupt those, it sent champions to help drive them back. Because this is not their land. This is the land of the crusaders of Mendev and the descendants of Sarkoris. No matter the struggles ahead, no matter how much they try to make it seem like we are not welcome, the demons will always be the ones who do not belong here. And we will win. We will drive them back and we will break the curses that corrupt this land. We will overcome the dangers and we will prevail!"
When the heroes are ready, Chevalier Tirablade helps gather the troops into one place for a meeting along the cliff-face. Illuminated by the light of torches and the stars in the sky, there is a low hum of conversations between the assembled troops as they wait for their leaders to start their commencement. Isilme takes center first, and as soon as she takes the "stage" the soldiers quickly hush each other and stand at prompt attention.
They smile and cheer at Isilme's story about the Sword of Valor - an artifact legendary among Iomedaeans. The mood is significantly more somber during Xanderghul's portion of the speech - his lengthy list of ways to die in the Worldwound isn't exactly the most cheerful of conversations to have, and the crusaders start to murmur when he reveals that he was literally born in the Abyss.
Finally, Valaria saves the mood somewhat with her tale of how the heroes managed to overcome the dangers within the Worldwound... at the very least, they understood that their leaders were capable of guiding them in these terrifying and chaotic lands. Once the assembly is over, there is some cheering, and subdued applause. The soldiers break off to their evening duties and mealtime.
Chevalier Annabelle Kir approaches Ary and punches her softly in the arm afterwards.
"Good talk, but kind of dour, dontcha think? But... I agree with your intent.. it's pretty messed up over there," she says, her face turning serious for a moment. "Way worse than I could have ever imagined, and I wasn't even around for the worst of it. Markus told me about some of the stuff you guys went through., though..."
The soldiers are noticeably on edge after the talk - the majority of your army is green when it comes to actually patrolling within the Worldwound and it is apparent that they weren't entirely sure what they were up against, previously - though listening in on conversations reveal that they feel confident that their Commander and her war counsel are more than capable of leading them into victory.
The soldiers seem focused that evening. There is no singing, drinking or games, like the night previous. Instead they focus on preparing for battle - cleaning and mending their armor and sharpening their weapons.
Though the soldiers have lost some morale, they are much more on guard. The night watch gains a +5 circumstance bonus to perception and sense motive.
It is evening, and supper is being handed out.
Anevia is off patrolling - it is her turn in rotation.
Ayavah stays with Valaria, relieved to find her unharmed after her battle with the death worm. She is in a very good mood, excited to enter the Worldwound and hopefully get some answers to her questions.
Külə sits with Ledsa - he softly translated the speech to her during the assembly - the scarred unicorn seemingly content to serve as her guardian for the time being. Occasionally the unicorn stares off into the Worldwound sky pensively, deep in thought.
Irabeth sits next to Nurah, making conversation over dinner. The two women seem relaxed. When Nurah next sees Ary, she asks if she enjoyed her writing ... "because you'll be the star of my next one!" she adds with a wink. "But don't worry, you're in good hands."
Sosiel is in one of the tents, offering spiritual guidance to a crusader in need.
Aron sits near one of the campfires. He's sharpening his blades, and not really speaking to anyone.
Aron is sharpening already sharpened blades mindlessly- its a obsessive compulsion, rather than something actually useful to do.
The speeches don't seem to have quite the impact that they were hoping for, but soldiers don't seem to have suddenly started panicking or running off into the night, so they've probably done all they can for the moment. They'll just have to make sure that the troops don't lose heart once they actually enter the Worldwound.
"I told you we'd be fine," Val tells Ayavah with a smile. "Nothing to worry about." She stops when she sees Aron off to the side, so focused on his blade that he seems almost dead to the world. She grabs a second plate with hers and motions for Ayavah to come along. "Mind if we eat with someone tonight? I think he needs some company." She carries the extra plate over to Aron and taps him on the shoulder. "You know, sharpening a blade too fine risks making it fragile." She holds the food out and offers it to him. "How about you take a break and have some dinner with us since Sosiel's on duty?"
Aron blinks with surprise - he was so focused on sharpening his sword that he didn't even notice Valaria and Ayavah approach. He manages a weak smile.
"Yeah... thanks," he says, taking the food. "Sorry. I've just been anxious lately. This whole thing.. it is a really important mission. And I just feel like I'm going to let everyone down..." He sighs. "I'm not even that great of an engineer. I don't know why I received this promotion... I think everyone just felt sorry for me."
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Val chuckles and takes a seat next to him. "Yeah, I can kind of tell. You've been getting twitchier the closer to the border we've been getting." She tears a piece of her dinner off and chews slowly while he talks. "You might not have a lot of confidence in yourself right now, but I don't think anyone else agrees. Ary wouldn't have made you a big part of the plan yesterday if she wasn't confident that you'd handle things without a problem. And you did. So maybe you were promoted because you're actually a lot better than you think you are." She smiles and playfully cuffs his shoulder. "But you don't have to keep it to yourself if you're feeling nervous you know. We all get like that sometimes. So if you need to vent or chat or just sit and have some company, you're more than welcome to come over and have dinner or just chat."
Ary hadn't enjoyed cutting down their carefully cultivated morale, but it had been a necessary evil. Because it would save lives. And likely a great many of them. And the buddy system would take that even further, as anyone who had missed something important would have a partner to help remind them. Things were going... as well as they realistically could.
At Nurah's suggestion she'd be the star, Ary offers a nervous smile, and shakes her head. "I don't think so. I'm not quite so important as everyone gives me credit for. I'd much rather you were writing about the real heroes, the soldiers themselves along with their leaders. I'm mostly only responsible for helping to guide decisions when we need quick results - most of the ideas are those others offer that simply need minor improvements - and even then I can't claim credit for the majority of those."
"That all being said, I read over some of the primers you gave me. I didn't spend as much time as I likely should have, though. And ultimately, it's usually better to go straight to the source - so much gets left out in editing - and the Inheritor has blessed me with a perfect opportunity there. I have the author of the books at hand, and just the spell to help us both share that bounty tonight. Are you looking forward to an eager learner?"
Aron pauses for a moment, then smiles and says, "Yeah, I'd like that. Sometimes I get stuck in my head, so I think having someone to talk to would be good."
-----
Nurah's smile widens. "Ah, of course! I could go on and on about the Worldwound and its various inhabitants... no one knows more about it than me! Do you have any questions for me in particular?"
"The primary focus is on the known defenses of Drezen, but also the surrounding geography. If I remember correctly, you spoke of Pulura's Fall. What is the approximate distance between it and Drezen, should we seek their aid in the future? Do we have any more modern sitrep on the city itself? Does it still bathe itself in light from the dwarven architecture? If so, that will be a serious boon to our engineers."
* * *
"When was the last sighting of Aponavicius? If she remains within the city, we'll need some sort of plan to thrust her out without directly engaging her; she's likely far too powerful for anything we could level against her."
"Hard to get stuck in your head if you're talking with someone else," Val agrees. "Is it all just nerves right now, or something else? Worried about Sosiel and Annabelle? Still adjusting to the new body?"
As Hinagiku listens to Ehren, her hand slowly slips from his shoulder towards his forearm where, after giving him a reassuring look, she applies a soft but comforting pressure. She turns her head toward the army when the druid points toward it. And, still gazing at it, she ponder his words.
”Mastery without Form. Everyone attains perfection in his own way. Follow Ary’s path only in the broadest sense. Use your own strength to lead, not those that others use.” she finally says.
”And, if things become hard, I am there to help you.” she finishes after a moment.
Hinagiku listens at the speech of her companions. Although it is much gloomier than she had expected, it was nonetheless and it would help prepare the soldiers. Afterward, she joins with the others.
”Impressive…. Even humoristic. I think the troops will be as ready as they can be. And… also, had we not planned to raid some food? Should I get ready for the mission?”
Ehren listens to his friends' speeches quietly, having little to add to their insight. It had occurred to him that much of the geographical information he received from the menhir was severely outdated - most druids had not lived to account for the Abyss-blasted wasteland that now dominated Sarkoris. All he could remember was what things once were; in its own way, that knowledge was a blessing in itself, just as his father had said.
Throughout the demonstration his mouth acrobatically shifts from smile to frown and back again, the dissonant tones sending him mixed messages. He looks among the soldiers, picking up on the variety of different reactions, some good, some bad. He frowns, hoping that they would take the message to heart, even if it wasn't something that they particularly wanted to hear.
-----
Later that night, after a quick supper, Ehren seeks out Sosiel. He had meant to do so after what happened the previous night, but after imposing on Aron with Annabelle and Hinagiku the way he did, he feared that involving him would just cause the couple more undue stress. A foolish notion, in hindsight. Something was clearly wrong, even if Aron seemed hellbent on keeping it to himself. Sosiel was involved from the start, so of course he should have spoken to him.
Finding that Sosiel is busy consoling a crusader, Ehren waits patiently, taking care not to eavesdrop. Only once they are finished does he step in, nodding to the cleric. Despite having spent his time waiting to think of how to put his worries into words, he seems conflicted. After one misstart he decides to be direct.
"Hello, Sosiel. I was hoping to speak to you. It's... about Aron, actually."
When dinnertime comes around, Xanderghul goes to meet up with Ayavah. Seeing her sitting with Aron and Valaria, he strides over to the pair and slides into a seat beside the hermaphroditic tiefling. Next to the roguish engineer and the two slender tieflings, Xanderghul nearly looks imposing. Maybe the only audience for whom he does. With Valaria and Aron busy in conversation, he addresses Ayavah. "Hey," he says, speaking softly to avoid eavesdroppers. "I wanted to talk to you."
"You're coming with us to be a tourist, yeah? Listen, I've seen how dangerous our missions are for you, and how little you're prepared for them. I don't think it's a good idea for you to come into the Worldwound with us. I don't think that you have the right idea concerning the Abyss. I think I can help show you what I mean. Want to talk for a minute?"
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He hangs there for a moment, but suddenly cognizant of some imagined slight, he releases Hinagiku’s hand. As he does so, a question suddenly comes to mind.
”Before, when you spoke to me of your mother, I had not considered your own path. You aspire to be perfect, like your god before you. But you said that hearing your mother’s voice changed you somehow. Do you feel that it has it brought you closer to perfection?”
"Pulura's Fall is nearly 150 miles away from Drezen," responds Nurah. "They have no aid to offer the Crusades - they are under constant siege by the demonic host - a host far too powerful for our forces to overcome. To attempt to come to Pulura's Fall's aid would be suicide," responds Nurah, gently. She follows Ary to someplace more private. When she notices their leave, Irabeth follows as well - listening to their conversation but not contributing much. "Citadel Drezen is protected by a curtain wall and by Keeper's Canyon. My understanding is that the walls have been kept in relatively good condition, however, that sort of thing is not my expertise."
Once they are in relative privacy she mentions - "As the Queen mentioned in our briefing before we left, Aponavicius is currently marching on Nerosyan with the bulk of her forces. Otherwise there would be no point in this exercise at all. Aponavicius could destroy our entire army by herself. I'm surprised you forgot that detail."
She takes a seat, relaxed. "The Sword of Valor protected Drezen with a powerful warding spell for a long time, but it only works if mounted. When Aponavicius marched on Drezen, the Sword of Valor was moved, by a traitor within their walls."
Irabeth nods. "My suspicion is that the traitor was Staunton Vhane himself - he was stationed in Drezen for some time, and was one of the few survivors to escape."
"I don't know if we'll ever know the truth of the matter," Nurah says. "But it must have been a mortal. Demons cannot touch the Sword of Valor."
She pulls out a piece of paper from her journal and sketches out a crude map of Drezen and its surroundings. "We'll be approaching from the north east of Drezen, which is situated on a large, open plateau. As you can see, Drezen is well protected by two large river beds - their walls too deep for us to climb into and out of with our siege weapons. There are three bridges to cross that will no doubt be well guarded. The only way into Citadel Drezen, realistically, is from the south. The citadel's sole entrance points south over a stone bridge - designed to be a choke point for an incoming army."
"There are a number of constructed watch towers around Drezen's environs . As for the rest of Drezen, it is well populated by standing armies, slaves, and other miscellaneous monsters - you did read my book, right? The southern part of the city was known as Southbank and it was once a residential district. It is mirrored to the north - Northbank. The eastern-most part was a religious district. The western-most part was known as Paradise Hill and was a mercantile district - there are a number of warehouses there."
"The exact locations of who and what remains there will need to be determined with scouts - even if I had exact scouting reports from an older mission, it is likely they are inaccurate as they would have been from over a year ago, and relevant to Drezen when it held a much larger standing army than it does now."
----
Aron's smile flickers. "Ah, well, you know." He pauses for a long moment, contemplating what he wants to say next. "I was in a real bad place when I came here... hopelessly addicted to drugs in Taldor. I thought I was past all that, it's been years now since I went clean but... I think the stress... it brings back a sort of craving. If that makes any sense."
Ayavah shakes her head at Xanderghul. "Not a tourist. A pilgrim. And if you're going to try and talk me out of this, you can just hold your breath - I know what I want, it's been clearer to me than it's ever been... and if you're criticizing me based on the fact that I'm a civilian, I want to point out that you're dragging a pregnant woman along with a number of much less capable civilians, who don't even want to be here, unlike me..." she nods , gesturing in the direction of their civilians from Vilareth - a number of elderly tradespeople and even young stable boys are among them. "I've helped you guys out on a number of fights, and I know I freeze up sometimes, but I held my own against those shadow things, remember? I helped you with stone shape in Icerift, do you remember that?" she says, getting more than a little defensive.
-----
After a few moments, Meridrand Pallisard steps out from the tent. He shakes Sosiel's hand. "Thank you, father. My head feels clearer now."
Sosiel smiles warmly at him. "Any time, Meridrand. I'm here to help." He turns to Ehren, still smiling. "Ah, Ehren. How can I be of assistance?"
He gestures for Ehren to join him in the tent - a small medical bay, which, thankfully, is not seeing much use at the moment. His expression grows grim at the mention of Aron.
"Ah, yes, Aron. He's been distant, lately. What is it?"
"I'll leave Pulura's Fall for later, then." Ary says with a wry grin. "How exactly does the Sword of Valor work? What does it do, and how do I ensure that it functions as quickly as possible?"
Her fingers trace the black lines, "Just how large is Drezen at its widest points? What is to stop us from hitting the eastern watchtowers and passing through the temple district? To me, it seems the most sensible, given where we're coming from." she says, showing the directions she would take. "Surely all of the host's efforts at fortification would be focused on the only direction a feasible attack could be launched from. Beyond that, we need only worry about what destruction they've wrought in the east." Her smile widens slightly, "Besides, isn't it a bit poetic to stage an attack from the temples themselves?"
"It's primarily a concern for how we keep such powerful demons at bay. Even with Aponavicius gone, after all, there is still the worry of what she left in her stead. And of course, if she had gotten word of our successes, she may well have more contingencies." Ary says with a small frown.
Val contemplates for a few moments. "It makes sense, to me at least. My own experiences are a little... different, so I might just be talking out of my ass, but I know what it's like for your body to be telling you that you want, or more need, something that you know you really shouldn't. So I can see why you've been so troubled." She runs a hand along the curve of her horns and smiles at him. "I'm actually kind of impressed. It takes a lot of willpower to overcome that sort of thing on your own. You're a strong guy. More than you're giving yourself credit for."
Her shoulders slump and she sighs as she hears Xan and Ayavah's conversation right behind her. "One moment Aron." She turns to the pair. "Behave you two," she reminds them firmly. "Or I will dump you both in the river. We do not need a contest of 'I know better' egotism tonight. So please at least try to be reasonable people, even when you inevitably don't agree with each other."
She turns back to the engineer. "Sorry about that. Anyway, you where saying?"
Nurah grins at the for later comment.
"The Sword of Valor only works when mounted on a wall in a public place for display, and once mounted, must be activated by one of Iomedae's faithful," Nurah says, rifling through her notes. "It creates a small zone that prevents teleportation magic by demons or their worshippers that extends out a few miles. The Queen hopes that if... when we are successful, we can set up a defensive perimeter against possible reinforcements in that way. It is also said that its very presence inspires the worthy into battle They also say the Lord Commanders of Drezen prayed at the Sword of Valor for aid during sieges, and Iomedae herself would answer with her holy legion - holy warriors raining down from the skies."
She tilts her head. "Well, there is a canyon to cross, and it would be quite the trek to circle around it, but yes, we could attack from the eastern side."
"Hmmm, well, Aponavicius has quite the large army... it is said that she commands a number of red dragons, and also a Xacarba, a demonic serpent. Her Second in Command is currently unknown, but our sources do state that she has left Drezen in the care of Staunton Vhane and his brother."
They are immensely powerful, and would probably destroy you and your army. So she probably took it with her.
---
Ayavah sighs. "Yes, sorry, Val," she says, her aggression quickly wilting.
Aron waits for her to finish before continuing. "Yes... it's like a temptation that never really goes away. It's hard to explain to people who have never experienced it. And sometimes the strangest things remind me of it - scents, sounds, and suddenly the craving is back."
"As for strength, I'm not strong at all - without Sosiel, I never would have quit. Even here in Mendev there are drugs and those who peddle them.. and the drugs here... are something else."
"Distant, yes. And secretive," Ehren starts, broaching the issue as delicately as he can manage. "He is hiding something. Beyond just his feelings, I mean. When I went to check on him last night with Hinagiku and Annabelle, I noticed him putting something out of sight. Something he did not want us to see. I... did not press the issue. But he clearly did not want us to be there."
The druid sighs and shakes his head. "It is not as though he was feigning his illness. I could not figure out what was wrong with him, but he was clearly sick. But that alone doesn't explain his behavior. Both on and off the battlefield, he has been acting this way."
"Do... you know anything about this? Because if he is even hiding this thing from the two people who care for him the most, then I fear for him."
"I have never heard anything of Staunton Vhane's brother. Do you have any knowledge on him? How large is the canyon?"