Val chuckles as Ayavah rushes over to her. "I'm just nervous about not knowing where my friends are when things are like this." She frowns as Ary and the crusader speak back and forth. "Uh... I don't actually know. I think your new friend has a wife or a fiance or someone that he neglected to mention."
Ayavah blinks. "Oh, no he didn't mention her... huh, I wonder..." She tilts her head. "Why is that such a big deal, though? Everybody needs some comfort sometimes, and if she isn't here to provide it, then..."
Val thinks for a moment. "I think that depends on the person. Some people take promises and oaths very seriously, especially the crusader paladin types. And his..." She has to consider what the best term to use is since she doesn't actually know what his relationship is. "Significant other might consider it being unfaithful to sleep with someone else without her knowledge. In retrospect, that's probably something to ask about if you're considering sleeping with someone."
Ayavah laughs "People make sex so complicated, when it's the most natural thing in the world. A man-made sin. If people are consenting and having fun, why should anyone care who sleeps with whom?"
She smiles. "You know, I'd talk to him about it if I didn't think it'd get your friend's undies in a twist." She holds out her hand for Valaria. "Wow, I feel great! Do you want to go back to bed?"
"Sometimes they do," Val agrees. "Though it's one of those things where you sometimes just have to live and let live with their predilections." She smiles. "In a few minutes. Ledsa is having her baby and I want to check in quickly before turning in again. Would you like to see the little one?"
"Oh! Yes, yes, of course!" chirps Ayavah. Before they leave she turns to Meridrand and waves, "Bye, Meridrand, I had a good time."
Pallisard ignores her and goes back into his tent.
She rolls her eyes. "Hmph. Well I know he had a good time too, even if he's trying to pretend he didn't."
The two make their way back across the camp to where Ledsa, Yulin, and Külə are. By this point the crowd has mostly dispersed, and while they are walking back, they overhear people gossiping about the new baby.
"Did you see it? It... It doesn't look natural...are they sure its even human?"
"Well what do you expect, it was born in the Worldwound for gods' sakes."
"Oh, that poor thing. Wait. Do you think all babies born across the border come out looking like... that?"
"Yeah, I don't know...probably?"
Ayavah's lips are pressed into a thin line while the two passersby talk, but she doesn't otherwise comment on their conversation.
Once they reach the new mother, they find her still gently rocking her newborn babe. Yulin is swaddled snugly in blankets and furs, and she's lost her newborn wrinkly-old-man look - her sleeping face is soft and round, and she looks like any other infant. Other than the charcoal-black skin and hair, of course.
Ayavah smiles widely. "Oh... oh... would you look at her?" she coos, softly, careful not to wake the sleeping babe. She makes eye-contact with Ledsa. "She's beautiful."
Ledsa of course doesn't really understand her, but she understands the sentiment. "Thank you," she responds in her thick kellid accent.
'Huh. Wow, she's beautiful," the Bound Horror says. He sounds strange - he rarely says anything that isn't dripping with sarcasm or thinly-veiled contempt, after all.
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Xanderghul laughs out loud, leaning backwards with his mouth all the way open. "Nice, nice," he says.
"You slept with a paladin! A chaste paladin. Man, there's no accounting for taste." He chuckles, placing his hands back into his pockets and turning to walk back to camp. "Are you gonna get married now?"
Back at the pregnancy tent, he frowns at the gossip. He can't actually explain what the real situation is for fear of the short-sighted soldiers murdering an infant, and that bothers him. They were misguided and superstitious, and he would have to make sure and lead classes on the effects of the Worldwound, tieflings, and the Abyss when they had time off.
Valaria's reaction to the gossip nearly mirror's Ayavah's, though her expression is more a concerned frown. "I was under the impression that spontaneous tiefling births aren't all that uncommon up here," she says, half to herself. "Though I suppose there's a difference between knowing that it happens and seeing a newborn who's clearly touched."
She smiles at the baby. Aside from her unusual coloring, the baby appears normal and healthy to her eyes. And considering her own skin and horns, that's hardly something to put her off. "Rydych chi'n ffodus o gael merch mor iach a hardd," she murmurs softly to the new mother.
"Çox sağ ol, Külə. Yadda saxlayın ki, bəziləri özlərinə qarşı heç bir seçim etmədən pis təzyiqlərə məruz qalırlar. Yulin bunun üçün xahiş etmədi, amma şans verildiyi təqdirdə onu aradan qaldırmaq üçün azad iradə var," she replies to the unicorn sincerely. She hoped that Külə would realize that applied to him as well. She knew that the unicorn probably loathed himself just as much as the child, so perhaps coming to accept Yulin would be a bridge to accepting that he can also be redeemed.
After he's done washing up, Ehren looks over Ledsa one more time, making sure that there were no complications that could endanger her life. Of course, now that the baby was born, there was little that couldn't be mended with the clerics' divine magic. When Ayavah, Valaria, and Xanderghul arrive, he just gives them a tired smile.
While Hinagiku assiduously makes sure the supply of water and towel is adequate, she also peers at Yulin while he his born. And, although memories of her mistake vis-à-vis Nulkineth are still fresh, she cannot help but smile gently at the new life that is brought to the world. While the others rejoice or talk (or simply leave), Hinagiku gently, and unobtrusively, takes care of cleaning the place up and packing back the towels and water. And, once Yulin is finally asleep, the monk makes her way to Ledsa's side and, after looking toward the new mother for approval, lays a healing hand on her womb.
Ayavah grins at Xanderghul. "He'll have to get in line."
"Any ideas for ending my centuries-long enslavement?' He pauses for effect. 'Eh. Didn't think so. Appreciate the offer, though.'
Külə doesn't have anything further to say to Isilme, irritated as he is at having to watch over an infant demon-spawn. But he does listen to her, and he does think on it, in his own way. Ledsa smiles at Hinagiku with appreciation when she helps heal away the harm caused by the birthing trauma, and soon both mother and child are drifting off to sleep.
---
24 Lamashan 4713
The next day is still freezing cold, but the skies are cloudless and the winds are light. The day goes by without much of note happening - they are besieged by swarms of locusts and bees, but such things are so commonplace in the Worldwound that there is little issue in dispatching them. There is a harrowing moment when one of the scouts spots the silhouette of an enormous dragon flying in the distance, but it never circles close enough to the army to notice them, and so they continue on their way to Drezen.
In the evening, they crest a hill and spot the outskirts of Drezen the west. The city is surrounded by a wall, though it has not been kept well and is deteriorated in many places, allowing for easy access for a scouting party into the city. Near its center the enormous Citadel Drezen looms, protected by an inner wall and several watch towers.
It is late, and the sun hangs low in the sky. The army begins to prepare to set camp.
"There it is," says Irabeth, a look of steely determination in her eyes. "Somewhere in there... is Staunton Vhane."
"I will be working with Lt. Eltringham to send out short and long range scouts immediately," says Ser Ilivan. "But we will need to consider when and how to send in a dedicated scouting team. The more information we have about what and who is down there, the better."
Isilme crouches at the crest of the hill, looking at Drezen off in the distance. Their exploits so far had been rather impressive, and if they had played their cards right, it was possible the demons were not expecting them yet. It was likely, however, that news of their presence would be reaching the fortress quickly. It was, after all, quite difficult to hide an army, even if it wasn't the largest.
"I believe we should scout ahead immediately. The amount of time we have to act before the demons spot us is short. Deciding on a course of action now would allow us to begin the siege before they have a chance to adjust their defenses. Obviously the army should send out scouts to keep an eye on the surrounding area, but I believe our group is best suited to scouting out the city itself."
Xanderghul nods. "I agree. Maybe we can get some sabotage done while we're in there, or open up a passage or two for the army to pass through using stone shape." He sits alongside Isilme, gazing at the city's layout. "Perhaps if we were to get the element of surprise on a blitz attack, then we could seize an advantageous position within the city itself which we could fortify for further siege. Maybe we could seize some food."
He nods. "Moving from the city itself to the Citadel will be the hardest part, but I think we should work on taking most of the city before we do so. Maybe scouting will reveal more."
"With stoneshape and a bit of engineering know-how, perhaps we could rig towers to collapse? Being able to sap their towers when the battle starts could throw them into chaos. Perhaps we could even time it with illusory catapult shots to make it appear they took down the tower? That might bait their forces into engaging an illusory army. We could even prepare the ground there ahead of time with spike stones to wound the demons that teleport out to attack the catapults."
"Yes. We cannot rush headlong into battle, but we cannot afford to waste any time either," Ehren agrees, gazing at the citadel with what sunlight they had left. "We should scout ahead immediately."
"Hm. I might need more than one casting of stone shape to take down a whole tower, depending on its construction. If they are as poorly maintained as those walls though, it should be possible. Spike stones won't do much to demons but slow them down... but they should be very effective against the cultists."
The heroes decide to scout out the city on their own. They approach Drezen from the east, where there are still large groves of dead trees. The dead plants still provide adequate cover, and a place to pause and decide how they wish to proceed.
Ahead of them is the eastern guardtower. There is only one tower here, and it appears to be manned - lights shine from within the four story complex. Beneath the guardtower is a road that passes through the walls and guarded by a porticullis. There is some sort of creature flying around the top of the tower... a huge, scaly, bird-like creature.
That creature is a shantak. Shantaks are intelligent monsters that are sometimes found in mountainous regions. They don't understand Common, and only speak Aklo. They are malevolent creatures that like to swoop down on unsuspecting mountain travelers and drop them to their deaths, then drag their bodies back to their lairs for leisurely consumption.
Shantaks are immune to cold and disease. A shantak's scales seep slippery slime. This grants the creature a +8 bonus on all Escape Artist checks and to its CMD against grapples, and imparts a –5 penalty on all Ride checks made by creatures attempting to ride a shantak.
Shantaks have a shrill voice that sounds like glass that grinds against stone. Many shantaks have a strange and irrational fear of certain creatures, such as the faceless nightgaunts (K. Nature or Planes DC 14 to recognize) said to dwell in certain remote mountains, or specific types of harpies or gargoyles in more civilized regions. A shantak avoids confrontations with these types of creatures if possible.
They are intelligent creatures and cannot be trained as mounts—a would-be shantak rider must use diplomacy or magic to secure a shantak's cooperation as a mount, and even then, shantaks have a tendency to deliberately strand riders in dangerous areas.
Shantaks don't have to breathe, and can survive even in the void of outer space. They don't like going out there, though, as it is easy to get lost in the endless void of outer space.
There is of course no need for the heroes to walk in using the main entrance. The walls are in such poor repair, they would only need to walk along its perimeter long enough to find a suitably large hole for them to creep through. But, if they could open the porticullis without raising alarm, it is wide enough to accept their army and their wagons as entry.
Beyond the guard tower, Paradise Hill is visible. It looms over the surrounding area, with a large tower of its own.
Nurah mentioned that Paradise Hill is where the slaves are kept at Drezen.
Xanderghul squints up at the tower and its flying guard. He hums, thinking. He recognizes the creature from his studies. At the Grand Lodge in Absalom, Xanderghul had spent awhile reading about all the strangest creatures of the Material Plane, and the shantak definitely makes the list.
He points up at the creature, and murmurs what he knows about it to his allies. "I remember that they're afraid of nightgaunts," he says. "So maybe I can use an illusion of one to scare it if we run into it later."
"I say we move in through the walls, find a building to squat in, and then have Valaria and another, using my hat of disguise, get what information they can by simply speaking to people." He looks around at his comrades. "Thoughts? We should rely on stealth for now I think."
The final approach to Drezen is slightly less horrible after the first leg of their journey, if only because there's slightly less fighting on the way. Val is quick to volunteer to scout the fortifications. It seems like they usually find something useful to do when they slip into enemy bases. Indeed, finding the outer walls so run down makes the infiltration a simple affair to start. "I'm all for being sneaky for the time being. The more defenses we can undermine while we're here, the better. Isilme is usually a good choice to come along since she can lie through her teeth so well."
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On the way away, Ary only catches brief snippets of the conversation and files them away. She goes to check on Ledsah, her brow furrowing at the sight of the half-demon, but she doesn't say anything else rude in relation to the child or mother... it was simply a concern, and an expected one.
* * *
"It's a bit ironic that if you'd been more successful in damaging our march earlier on, you could have likely stalled us almost completely, and we could have lost this opportunity entirely. The fact that your choices haven't really spelled out any deaths for anyone is another interesting thought. Why did you wait so long to start sabotaging us..?"
"I'm afraid I don't know terribly much about your real life story; I've heard snippets, but I don't know how much of it is ultimately true. The fact that you wanted to avenge your master always sat oddly with me. Cheliax is something... I'd rather not tolerate, even if it's to win this war." she weighs her hands in each direction as if scales, "Devils, Demons, just as bad either way, I'd think. And the things Cheliax does is only better in that they'll think they're doing the right thing while they're stabbing you in the back. Because they made a promise to someone, or something. I... wish we didn't need them. Markus's undead? I'm very open to that. Xanderghul's not-so-twinkly twiddle-fingering?
Great. Giant rocks from catapults? Wonderful. Men leading their slaves or the condemned on the front lines because they don't matter? That I could do without. Bataari has a lot to answer for." she says, thumb running over her index finger, before she shakes her head and returns her gaze to Nurah. "So, if things could have gone differently, how would you have wanted them to go?"
* * *
"Meridrand is engaged. To his captain's daughter. What you did was problematic for a number of reasons, but none of it is really your fault. The blame lies squarely on me, as I happened to overlook that some of my knowledge is not known by everyone. The Everbright Crusaders as a whole have sworn an oath and the majority being paladins have that to weigh against any choices they may make. And these are things that are important to them. They chose to do these things, because they feel it is honorable. The man you slept with was a virgin saving himself for marriage, and the choice to sleep with someone out of wedlock will remove him from his order." she raises a hand to stifle any immediate response. "I do not think that either my, nor your opinion matters in relation to how dumb it is to 'save oneself' in such a way. Yes, I have been told by more than one drunkard that sex isn't like a fine wine that gets better with age, it's a skill that has to be cultivated." she says with a small smirk. "The point I'm trying to make is that a day outside of Drezen, you made a man doubt everything that he stands for. And for you, that's a harmless fling. But for him, that's everything he has spent his life working for." she pauses and shakes her head. "Sorry, that's unfair. It isn't your fault that he chose to do those things with you. It was his choice as much as it was yours to do those things."
She takes a moment, before continuing. "Regardless. The Everbright Crusaders have made these vows and these choices in order to stay strong and be more capable of resisting temptation. I personally think that is a laudible goal... and I would like to ask you to keep your dalliances with them to a minimum. And yes, I realize that it is none of my business who you sleep with, so this is merely a request: I would like for you to at least try to get to know people before you climb into their tents with them."
* * *
"The location we'll be entering from will likely be filled with prisoners and slaves." Ary says, motioning to the overall structure. "From my recollection, we'll need to be prepared for aerial enemies, such as Gargoyles and Hala demons who work to recapture any escapees; that's why the walls are mostly in a state of disrepair. They've no use for them. If we can retake this area, which was once dedicated to the major deities, we'll have a solid staging ground to further assault Drezen. It's fitting that we should take back our temples first, as well... and free their slaves while we're at it. In theory, we'll have allies on the inside, but we should be careful of trusting them as many may well be craven by this point. We should also expect more Kalavakus to be found here. Maybe even the person in charge of this specific area. Remember that a Kalavakus is one of the few things that can result in final death for us." she pauses. "So, if we're going in with a small group, don't get caught. And if we're going in as a big one, and we identify a Kalavakus, protect the fallen and bring it down quickly."
"As a result of wanting to turn it into our staging ground, it's actually better for us to use any sort of destruction of their towers on more internal structures if we can. But I definitely am in favor of setting up a trap, all the same. Depending on what we find out of their defenses, setting things up to appear as though we're sieging from further away and using that to bait a trap is going to be really effective... and I'm willing to lose a future fortification to do it. Plus, tricking demons is fun. If they have a lot of teleporters, I definitely think we should use the spike stones idea. If they don't, we're likely better off placing it elsewhere. But remember also that their army in this section is likely going to be mostly comprised of potential allies if we play our cards right."
At Ary's mention of kalavakus demons, Ehren grimaces and subconsciously tightens his grip on his staff. Having his soul in one's grasp was not an experience he wanted to relive if he could help it. He watches the creature flying overhead, more anxious about it raising the alarm than about actually fighting it.
"Stealth is our best bet for now, I agree, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves," Ehren says, eyeing the nearby watchtower. "We need to secure a point of entry for the army before we can worry about liberating any slaves. I think it would be ideal if our presence does not become known until we attack Paradise Hill."
"It seems like taking Paradise Hill may be the ideal stratagem. Obviously Ehren is right, in that if we can enter the city without raising warning we will have an important advantage, as we will have avoided sieging entirely. However, given how many demons are likely about, I am not certain the army will be able to approach unnoticed. Unless, of course, we luck out with weather in our favor again."
"For the time being, let us begin by investigating the eastern tower. That is as likely a point of ingress as any for us, so knowing what awaits us in the towers is essential."
"Maybe. I don't think the demons care about Drezen one way or another. Aponavicius hasn't even come to visit the place is several years," Nurah says dismissively.
"I don't know. I guess I'm just a really bad saboteur," she says, crossly. "I mean obviously, given that I'm in this cage, now."
"Oh, it's all true. Except I didn't just escape. Lord Trezbot was killed by a shadow demon, the idiot failed to screen his own slaves and entourage from possession. And that shadow demon decided to spare me, as long as I switched allegiances to him. I made the correct choice, that is to say I made the only choice. I was dragged to meet the demoness, Minagho, and I managed to convince her of my loyalty. Afterwards I was dumped somewhere near Fort Clearwater."
Ayavah opens her mouth to cut Ary off... then decides better and lets her finish.
"I.... okay. I didn't know, I'm sorry." She exhales.
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Xanderghul strokes his chin. "I suppose we won't know one way or the other before we go in and see. If we're going into the tower, I don't think we should bring the whole crew." he says. "Too small, you know?" He gestures at Ary, wielding two legendary weapons and wearing a bright red cape. "And it's not like we can let this girl show and still be a secret."
Hinagiku, hiding behind a long dead gnarled tree nods to Xanderghul's remark.
"Yes. I would rather not have to lie... I am not really good at it."
She then looks over the shoulder toward the tower dominated paradise hill, curious to see if it is occupied too.
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Ayavah looks at Valaria and finally seems to relax. "Yeah... it's just that he seemed so sad and... I thought I could do something good to help. Something only I could do to help. Distract him from his troubles, if even just for one night. But I guess I should have been more sensitive to his beliefs, you're right."
---
The heroes creep along the walls until they reach an area where they have been mostly destroyed. Beyond the watchtowers, they don't seem very well guarded. They climb over the rubble and duck into the first building they see - a mostly destroyed house, but it provides cover from those outside. Peering through one of the windows, they can see a number of harpies flying around, looking for escaped slaves or infiltrators, presumably.
Isilme takes Xanderghul's hat and uses it to disguise herself as a human cultist, using the many cultists they'd fought in Silvershore as a guideline. She keeps her appearance lean and somewhat unclean, since she doubted the cultists here had much access to baths.
"Val, do you wish to borrow this crown for the time being?" she asks, since the crown wouldn't be of use to her with the hat of disguise on.
"I can help you assemble a disguise if you so desire as well"
As they hunker down in the nearest building, Xanderghul nods definitively. "Okay, Plan A: Val and Isilme check out the gate-watchtowers that our army may be taking. Yes?"
"The rest of us stay put."
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Val takes the circlet and nods as she sets it on her brow. "I suppose it can't hurt. And yes, I think I could use a bit of help putting a disguise together. I've always been better at fast talk than setting up a con ahead of time. I can probably manage a decent cultist again." Her usual black leather and hints of red have enough of a cultist feel that her outfit doesn't have to completely change, but she begins making adjustments. With Isilme's help, she does her best to cover up the obviously crusader parts of her outfit, such as tucking away her medal and covering up the silvery shine of her mithril chain. She also replaces the bronze symbol of Desna that she usually wears with the symbol of Baphomet that she's held onto ever since their first con. It seems almost a tradition to include in her disguises at this point and it hopefully shouldn't be too out of place.
Isilme and Valaria, now disguised as a pair of cultists, head out towards the watchtower to the south of them. They pass by a band of harpies, who glance at the two women but they appear to be just cultists - they aren't running around in a blind panic, or sneaking around furtively - so they just ignore them.
The tower is 4 stories tall, and there are at least five cultists up on the wall itself near where it joins the tower. The cultists are armored and have crossbows. They don't use torches, likely because they see in the dark just fine without them, and they also each have a curved horn at their hip. At ground-level, guarding the other side of the closed porticullis, are a pair of dwarven statues. The path to the porticullis is lined with a number of arrow-slits, making it a sure death-trap for invaders on foot.
They are a pair of clay golems. Clay golems are immune to magic, and only adamantine bludgeoning weapons can even harm them.
Clay golems deliver cursed wounds, and only powerful healers can reverse the damage they cause. They can also haste themselves.
From the side that Isilme and Valaria are on, there are stairs that lead up to the walls. It seems the only doors into and out of the gatehouse are up on the walls. The cultists on the walls seem to notice Isilme and Valaria, but they don't react to them either way. Neither does the shantak flying around above them.
Isilme focuses herself as the approach, slipping into the trance she uses to call upon her Raelis memories to both better recall facts and to deceive people more effectively. She studies the statues briefly at the portcullis, suspecting they were constructs of some form.
"Clay golems it would seem," she whispers to Val as she starts to walk towards the stairs and up into the gatehouse.
Isilme and Valaria head up the stairs onto the walls and into the gatehouse. It leads into a hallway with three doors, two on the right, and one on the left. In the middle of the hallway is a half-orc with enormous tusks, sitting on a chair. He wears a black breastplate covered in menacing-looking armor spikes.
He glances up at Isilme and Valaria with surprise. He glares at them and grunts, "Where are you going? You're not assigned to bunk here, find somewhere else to sleep."
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She looks at the half-orc incredulously for a moment, seemingly offended that he would suggest they were intending to bunk there.
"I snul i krash bi luzg, bi dishizg," she says turning to look at Valaria. "Rul bozg'l am skoli... Igh i shosh'zg gut bozg kri ashush'zg kushi gu lúl... Krut rurk thri I arb ish ai snug pug, thru I krat ukhushul bozg. Ashum at, Ashushul'l ba thrúshughug ish bashak bi búshdoghum asha ish Skishul Pushul, thru izg il rakuga bozg Bi-Kobhush'l dishul krat datal burb ul krambâzg púl oshil."
She smiles for a moment at the half-orc as she explains the good news, but her cheerful demeanor fades nearly instantaneously as she glances at Valaria for a moment. "Ugh shâshi, igh kri nish'zg hurukhi bi shushushorzush kri skug, bi krat rishdi kum gushum..." Turning back to the half-orc she whispers "Bi romb ghushish bu ashuzg kum krânk al gokak ai uti kri bal gu bush Pushai ank Skúshatur'l bâl ish Bushúsh."
"I kem bi ashi bat bushi, bâl I ashushonk bi oshushushi kol lush hombum... bâgal dim burb," she adds, grinning cruelly.
"I guess you win the bet, they forgot," she says turning to look at Valaria. "Look what's your name... If you can't tell that we aren't here to bunk... Well lets say I am in a good mood, so I will overlook that. After all, Eustoyriax's spy succeeded in crippling the crusader army in Northern Mendev, so it is likely that Brae-Hagen's forces will finish them off without much effort."
Her cheerful demeanor fades nearly instantaneously as she turns to look at Valaria. "Of course, if we don't receive the cooperation we need, she will lose her temper..." Turning back to the half-orc she whispers "The last person who upset her wound up taking a one way trip to join Maugla and Nulkineth's group in Sleekrun."
"I hear they are still there, though I understand the experience has been rather... ghoulish for them."
The half-orc seems taken-aback. "Ehhh? Hut... I'rb shisha... I gal'zg lurishashi i azg kal. dúzg glil I gu. Kril throsh I di ugh shushari?" His Abyssal is poorly pronounced.
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Valaria rolls her eyes and makes a dismissive snort. "You know the rabble don't speak the mother tongue properly half the time," she says, ignoring the half-orc for the moment. "Not unless they're blessed as I am." She turns back to him and stares him down. "Since you 'recognize' us now, I'm sure you know that I am Priestess Hosilla of the Templars and this is my servant. We've just arrived from an intelligence gathering mission and I'm also sure that you already know to give us your completely hospitality after our long trip. Right?"
* * *
* * *
When Fenton comes to see her early the next morning - before the sun even rises due to the effects of the wound, she quickly goes to introduce him to Annabelle, who will be his riding trainer if things go well in the coming days. She allows Annabelle to introduce herself and explain who she is and what she does. She makes no mention of her being a vampire, leaving that for Annabelle to share when she's ready.
She eventually loads Nurah just as she'd unloaded her the day before, before they press onwards towards the city.
* * *
Once they're in the building, Ary is happy to simply lean against the wall, listening to the sounds outside, and preparing for anything that might go wrong. The irony being that they were more likely to be found than the people they'd sent forward. She ensures that Valaria has the bull symbol before she heads out.
While they wait in the abandoned house, Hinagiku finds a corner where to rest her back and from which she gets a good view of the others. And, while Isilme and Valaria are gone, she simply stays there breathing slowly.
The half-orc avoids meeting Valaria's eyes as he slumps off of his stool to stand to attention. "Right. How can I serve?"
Nurah wrinkles her nose. "Meh, signing up for the crusades lead them to their deaths. But to be fair, you've done well so far. Compared to the death count on say, Arastrax's side, your group has come out pretty well."
Ayavah nods. "Yeah, of course."
Val crosses her arms and nods approvingly at his shift. "A brief show of your facilities and defenses here and directions deeper into the city would be sufficient. I haven't had the chance to visit Drezen before and I'm curious to see our conquest before I deliver my report. After that, simply stay out of our way and we'll be taken care of."
Isilme looks pleased at the half-orc's obsequious response and posturing. She allows Val to speak, though she stays focused on the half-orc the entire time. When Val finishes, she reiterates in abyssal, gesturing widely towards the rest of the tower. "Dim boshub, bil al bozg nushushul i kokhi bushoshug dim bal snorzi. Pa pashul il rukak gu li ishushug. Nu thru ank i pal hel bi lutushark ugh kum snug pul." Finishing, she folds her arms and looks impatiently at the half-orc. "Lúzg nu li bul, kri kokhi umbum ashel gu bashdazg ank umbum... shoshaghorzul... gu bel krar."
"But do be quick, we have other areas to visit and other... candidates... to speak with."
Fangrim Ashhelm was one of the most renowned golemsmiths to ever work his craft, and was able to craft golems so stable that they had no risk of going berserk, as well as golems capable of programmed speech.
"Okay. Okay. Mokug will show you," the half-orc says. "Boss Arta says crusaders gonna come to Drezen soon, so all towers are manned. 'Least 50 men per tower. Doors up there go downstairs. Downstairs are two rooms next to the gateway through the wall. There's lots of arrow-slits down there to shoot at anyone who comes. Also dwarf statues smash anyone who tries to come through when the gates are closed. Switches for gates downstairs also. Gotta press both to open gate, one on each side."
He leads the women through the opposite door and up a flight of stairs, past 6 cultists stationed near arrow slits. Mokug walks hunched over, so that his long arms are nearly dragging across the floor. The cultists barely seem to notice the two women or Mokug.
Upstairs are two more cultists in a barren room. At the front of the room is a shrine to Deskari. On the wall behind it are two enormous iridescent insect rings, crossed and stained with fresh blood. In front of it is an altar that has a basin carved into it - inside of the basin is a writhing mass of centipedes. The basin is surrounded by lit candles.
The circular staircase continues on upwards. "Upstairs is barracks. Then the roof. Boss Arta's shantak flies around the roof... on roof is giant gong." He grins. "When we see crusaders, shantak gonna ring the big gong... BOOM! Like that. Then everybody gonna know they're here. Heh heh heh." He seems to relish the thought. "Anyways, Boss Arta in the office over here. I figure important priestess like yourself gotta have words with Boss Arta."
He opens the door, which leads into a small room. Inside is a halfling wearing a nice suit and a pair of spectacles. He gestures at the halfling. "This is Poot. Poot is Boss Arta's slip."
"My name is Pott" the halfling says irritably. "Hildebrand Pott, you great numbskull." He presses his glasses up the bridge of his nose."Hmph. And who might you be? Mistress Arta has no appointments to see anyone today."
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Ehren has never been wholly comfortable with having Isilme and Valaria scout ahead; other than the higher stakes involved, this time was no different. With little else to do to pass the time, he sits with his back against one of the structure's walls, his staff at his side. He had considered scrying on Mangvhune, but given the spell's hour-long casting time, it seemed too great a risk. They needed to be alert and ready to move the moment their friends - or something else - showed up.
Still, sitting with everyone in complete silence only made their present situation more somber than it already was. Frowning inwardly, Ehren looks to his friends, wondering what might be running through their minds. Obviously he could just ask. Reading people was Isilme's specialty, not his. His eyes stop when they reach Ary, his frown becoming outward. Of all of his companions, she was the one who worried him the most. Like himself, she had accepted a mantle that bore immense responsibility. A mission that the Queen believed could change the course of this war. They had fought long and hard to reach that point...
...and now they were there. He thinks back to the promise he made to the Inheritor. It feels like ages have passed since then.
"Ary, are you doing all right?" he asks suddenly, breaking the silence. The concern in his voice is evident, as is the hesitance. Clearly, a more profound question was meant to be asked... he just did not know how to phrase it. "I've been meaning to ask for a long time now, but... we've been busy." He grimaces at the lame excuse. "Very busy."
Xanderghul sits on the ground, cross-legged, in a corner near Hinagiku. He idly flips through the Osirian text, looking without too much concentration at the different characters and trying to remember what each page had been about. His eye flicks up at Ehren's expression of concern, but it slowly slides back down onto the page. Still, he begins to eavesdrop.
As much as he has the urge to peek out over the ruined walls, he knows that they're likely to hear anyone coming so Xanderghul just keeps his head down.
He waits patiently for Valaria and Isilme to return so that they can plan their next move, simultaneously going over his memory of the Drezen map as he plans.
"I'm fi-ok-... she pauses, deciding not to be the selfish sort of strong, "I'm... holding up. It's just been a lot all at once, you know?" she swallows, holding one gauntleted hand out to look at what would be the back of her hand, splaying her fingers out. "I'm just... not good at people or crowds. I like being recognized... even targeted. But I don't like the speeches. Or the praise. Or the responsibility. It's easy to keep a few people safe. But hundreds?" she shakes her head, moving her hand back to her waist beside her sword. "With thousands or tens of thousands of lives on the line as a result of what we do or don't accomplish here? It's... a tall order. One that would be impossible without everyone's help."
"Bishdi 'borzul' ashi snigul boshug la Ashul, Pashul," she says sounding somewhat impressed. "Kri púmb kokhi ai bishdum rul azg bishdi."
Walking along the path, Isilme makes notes of the number of men and their locations. While they had a number of men, it was clear from their lax security that it wouldn't take too much effort to infiltrate the tower early in the morning tomorrow and render them unable to act properly. If the gong was really atop the tower, an invisible Ehren could easily disable it and the majority of the arrow slits without being seen using Xanderghul's magic. The revelation that there was a shantak up above waiting to hit the gong complicated matters a little, but she trusted Xanderghul to be able to cloak Ehren. If they could gain access to the golem's passwords as well, they would have a pair of potent defenders for the back line, as it was unlikely normal cultists or demons would have the command words.
Arriving at the top office, Isilme sighs internally realizing they are going to have to walk into the office of the commander of the tower and continue the ruse. Of course if anyone could pull it off, it was Val and herself. She looks down at the halfling, Pott and steels herself to continue the act against tougher opponents.
"Oshulkump, Mokug, i kokhi niti krut. Ank krut niti gu i al krut, Pott, am pashul il ish dol skizg oshugrak ai bashdazg birb al. Kri dank izg pishi orbushutak bal kri. Pa pashul kol lush thrúshitug gu bashdazg ashum kokhak datashug kum pashush ank bi krashug gu gâm bi gishub ush bi kri gu bi Sharzoghurz. Kum gali il burul, al I arb shushush ai poshushúrz thrushomp thrúl al ashul shosh ashushonk. Izg krâl li lutusharurz gu al ank gu am pashul igh kri shâl hushil kil krut am bushoshorzul dim bi búshdoghum asha kokhi shili agik."
"Those 'statues' are golems crafted by Ashhelm, Mistress," she says sounding somewhat impressed. "We *must* have a closer look at those."
"Excellent, Mokug, you have done well. And well done to you as well, Pott, your mistress is in fact not expecting a visit from us. We find it more entertaining this way. My mistress has been summoned to visit after having finished her mission and she wished to tour the towers on the way to the Citadel. Her time is precious, as I am certain a masterful servant such as yourself can understand. It would be beneficial to us and to your mistress if we could report how well your preparations for the crusader army have come along."
Having been listening, Xanderghul speaks up without looking up. "Hey, Ary. You don't have anything to worry about from my end. The opportunity to watch hundreds of demons and demon cultists getting overrun and killed is worth any amount of effort on my part." he says. "The surely indispensable help I offer has already been rewarded. I've got your back."
He adds, quickly, "And as I've said before: We will succeed. I'm not going back there, let alone letting everywhere become Abyss."
Hinagiku's tail stops moving, and her ears stand up when Ehren's starts talking. She had expected the others to stay silent considering their position within the enemy city.... but it seemed like it would not be so. She cranes her neck and looks outside through a crack in the wall.
Her attention is then drawn back to the conversation when Xanderghul mentions enjoying the death of cultists. She looks at him for a moment, worried, before joining in.
"We are there for you Ary... ask whatever you need of us." she says softly.