The librarians close the door behind the adventurers with a thud. The group heads back out into the devastated city, aiming for the sewer entrance they used before. The air is chilly and a wind whips mercilessly, blowing grit into their faces.
As they move along, a howl breaks out somewhere to their left. Another wail, more distant, answers it.
Kaygan stops and listens as the blood chilling howls sound, glancing about for any sign of danger.
Kaygan shivers and clears his throat quietly. “Ah, let’s move a little faster shall we? I may be jumping at shadows, seeing wolves where there are dogs, but I have read of a rather nasty Abyssal denizen whose howls have been described somewhat similarly to how that sounded. I don’t think we want to meet one – let alone two – of those things.”
Before they embark, Mulluq dons the heavier, more protective armor. As such, he offers anyone the use of his previously worn breastplate. Once he is situated in the new set, he readies his shield, and draws his blade as they move back out into the city.
With the sound of howling, Mulluq scans the direction with the intentions of spotting evil auras. Nodding at the librarian's suggestion, he continues on toward their destination.
"Lets keep moving."
Jod takes the lead, bow in hand. He looks for threats or new tracks since they passed before
"Is that near Redfall Way? Would it help to cut down that alley past the butcher's market, what's it called ..."
"That would make sense, but there isn't an alley there anymore. The buildings are mostly rubble." Hannik clutches her jacket against the wind and crouches low while trying to think of another route.
The webbed spines along Ghroth's back stand up in response to the howls. He twists his head this way and that listening then croaks, "Wasting time. Go. They come, I kill them. Simple."
Mulluq shakes his head and looks around confused, "Are you certain? This does not look to be the way we came. I think that crumbled storefront looks familiar."
The group manages to navigate their way through the ruined streets back to the sewer entrance. The creatures' calls echo across the deserted city, but they remain unseen. The party slip through the hole and down the tunnel, to the relative safety underground.
Kaygan looks around curiously at the underground tunnels and structures, following the lead of the others.
Jod takes the lead back from those that knew the streets above and tries to get a short distance ahead so he can hear what lies ahead, all too aware of the limits of his vision in the depths.
Kira again takes to bringing up the rear, sword in hand and ready. Once underground she breaths a sigh of relief. It's strange to think it now feels safer down here.
The group make it back to the former nest of cultists to find the mongrelfolk from Neathholm busy stripping the place of anything useful. Lann greets the adventurers warmly when he sees them, while Horgus, Anevia and Aravashnial all look eager, for their various reasons, to be moving on.
Kaygan looks about in wonder at the underground lair and, more importantly, the strange looking people currently occupying it (or at least stripping it of anything that’s not nailed down). He tries not to stare, not terribly successfully.
However, he is even more surprised to see Aravashnial, whom he knows (at least by sight) from the Librarium. Although the elven wizard had always seemed rather aloof and haughty to the junior librarians, Kaygan is glad to see that he survived the initial attack on the city (though obviously not without cost).
He approaches the mage, making sure to make enough noise not to sneak up on the blinded man, and speaks.
“Sir, my name is Kaygan Veer, I work at the Blackwing Librarium. You probably don’t know me, but I have seen you there … uh, Jod, Sol and his companions found me there – the library is largely in ruins after the attack, but the main hall and most of the texts contained therein have survived. Sir, I understand that you were in the plaza when … when the Wardstone fell. I wonder – that is, I’m sure you were rather otherwise occupied, but did you happen to notice if Head Librarian Orlun was in the plaza, and what became of him if so?”
Jod shakes the hand of Lann the mongrelfolk with a firm grip. "Are you planning to use this place or otherwise keep it from being re-occupied?"
"The Librarium destroyed?" Aravashnial gasps, swinging round blindly to locate Kaygan. "What of the others, what happened to them? By the gods, am I last one left?"
Meanwhile, Lann and Jod converse, "The chief has put the word out. Nethholm will remain our village, but this is a useful place to reach the surface and gather our warriors, so we need to keep control of it. I think our time skulking down here is over."
"Well I hope my time skulking down here is at an end too," grunts Horgus. "Listen, young man," he says, grabbing Jod's arm, "Once we get out of here I'd like to get back to my estate. I can definitely make it worth your while, and for your friends too."
"If you still have an estate to get back to," adds Anevia, "But... I'd be grateful if you could take me back to my home too, if it's still standing. My wife... If she's not there, she should have left word so I can find her. I can't offer you anything much, but it would mean a lot."
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Meanwhile, Lann and Jod converse, "The chief has put the word out. Nethholm will remain our village, but this is a useful place to reach the surface and gather our warriors, so we need to keep control of it. I think our time skulking down here is over."
"Well I hope my time skulking down here is at an end too," grunts Horgus. "Listen, young man," he says, grabbing Jod's arm, "Once we get out of here I'd like to get back to my estate. I can definitely make it worth your while, and for your friends too."
"If you still have an estate to get back to," adds Anevia, "But... I'd be grateful if you could take me back to my home too, if it's still standing. My wife... If she's not there, she should have left word so I can find her. I can't offer you anything much, but it would mean a lot."
Sol leans in close to Anevia. "I'm worried about my parents too. The others have agreed to help me at least visit their house. Just to see. I'll help you, and I bet they will too."
He shakes his head. "But don't pin your hopes on even a message. The city's been flattened. Anyone who got out must have gotten out fast."
Then he turns his attention back to the interrupted Lann. "Staying down here may be a lot safer than trying to come out on the surface. There's demon dogs, demonspawn, and renegade crusaders up there now."
"Skulking is no longer an option. If you hide and wait, the demons will simply leave you for later when you have no allies left. I have seen it in villages on the steppes. It would be no different here."
"There are survivors above. We need to find them so we can join the fight and let them know there are stalwart allies down here." To Horgus and Anevia, he adds, "Defeating the demons motivates me, but I understand wanting to go home, too. I cannot promise there is anything to see, as Sol says, but let's find out together."
He pauses and looks at Anevia, "You said wife?" He thinks for a moment, then shrugs, "Ok, where might your wife go assuming she survived the initial assault and your home was not safe? And who is your wife?" He seems to be using the word to get used to it.
He looks at Horgus, "Is there someone we need to check on at your estate?"
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"Skulking is no longer an option. If you hide and wait, the demons will simply leave you for later when you have no allies left. I have seen it in villages on the steppes. It would be no different here."
"There are survivors above. We need to find them so we can join the fight and let them know there are stalwart allies down here." To Horgus and Anevia, he adds, "Defeating the demons motivates me, but I understand wanting to go home, too. I cannot promise there is anything to see, as Sol says, but let's find out together."
He pauses and looks at Anevia, "You said wife?" He thinks for a moment, then shrugs, "Ok, where might your wife go assuming she survived the initial assault and your home was not safe? And who is your wife?" He seems to be using the word to get used to it.
...
"She's sworn to Irabeth Tirablade of the Eagle Watch. She's kind of important," Sol pitches in. "If there's any resistance left against the demons, she'll be in the middle of it." If she's a alive.
"The Librarium destroyed?" Aravashnial gasps, swinging round blindly to locate Kaygan. "What of the others, what happened to them? By the gods, am I last one left?"
Kaygan gently takes Aravashnial's arm to orient him in the right direction.
"Most of the Librarium has been destroyed," he confirms in a low voice. "The texts that were housed in the main hall remain, but ... well, they will take some time to re-catalogue. Just after the Wardstone fell and the library came under heavy assault by the demons, some demons led by some sort of hooded man made of worms entered the library. They seemed to be looking for a specific book, which I think they found and left with. I'm afraid I don't know what it was.
"I ... don't know how many survivors there were - the Librarium was pretty heavily hit. As far as I know only myself and three other junior librarians survived the initial assault and subsequent events - the others remain in the main hall, having secured it as best they can. I know many of the senior staff, including Head Librarian Orlun had the day off for the festival. They might ... there may be other survivors, but none have returned to Blackwing."
"She's sworn to Irabeth Tirablade of the Eagle Watch. She's kind of important," Sol pitches in. "If there's any resistance left against the demons, she'll be in the middle of it."
"Congratulations. I have not found a lifemate yet. Perhaps I will live long enough to try again." He says this with a bit of a twinkle in his eye. You're not sure he wants to settle down, actually.
Aravashnial swallows hard. "The Librarium holds - held - a chapter of the Riftwardens. It was unofficial - best to remain that way, given the city leadership's attitude to arcane magic - but I was a member. My colleagues... Just some junior librarians?" He sighs heavily. "It sounds like they are all dead. I am the last Riftwarden in Kenabres, unless Head Librarian Orlun is still alive somewhere. And I am hardly much use," he adds, waving tiredly towards his ruined eyes.
"I'd like to go back to the Librarium. Perhaps something can be salvaged."
As he speaks, another of the mongrelfolk leads in the warped gnome sorceress, Wirra. "She was with you, yes?"
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"She's sworn to Irabeth Tirablade of the Eagle Watch. She's kind of important," Sol pitches in. "If there's any resistance left against the demons, she'll be in the middle of it.""Congratulations. I have not found a lifemate yet. Perhaps I will live long enough to try again." He says this with a bit of a twinkle in his eye. You're not sure he wants to settle down, actually.
Sol goes affectedly slack-jawed. "It didn't work out once before?"
Jod just grins and winks at Sol.
Aravashnial swallows hard. "The Librarium holds - held - a chapter of the Riftwardens. It was unofficial - best to remain that way, given the city leadership's attitude to arcane magic - but I was a member. My colleagues... Just some junior librarians?" He sighs heavily. "It sounds like they are all dead. I am the last Riftwarden in Kenabres, unless Head Librarian Orlun is still alive somewhere. And I am hardly much use," he adds, waving tiredly towards his ruined eyes.
"I'd like to go back to the Librarium. Perhaps something can be salvaged."
As he speaks, another of the mongrelfolk leads in the warped gnome sorceress, Wirra. "She was with you, yes?"
"That's the first stop, the library. Then we start looking for friends and family that have survived, I think."
He looks over at the mongrelfolk's charge. "Oh! Hey, Wirra. Are you and your dollies ready to go on a trip with us?"
Kira watches the conversations from a distance, not interrupting.
Aravashnial swallows hard. "The Librarium holds - held - a chapter of the Riftwardens. It was unofficial - best to remain that way, given the city leadership's attitude to arcane magic - but I was a member. My colleagues... Just some junior librarians?" He sighs heavily. "It sounds like they are all dead. I am the last Riftwarden in Kenabres, unless Head Librarian Orlun is still alive somewhere. And I am hardly much use," he adds, waving tiredly towards his ruined eyes.
"I'd like to go back to the Librarium. Perhaps something can be salvaged."
Kaygan nods, then realises how useless the gesture is to the blind elf. “There may indeed be tomes worth salvaging. I’m certain that the librarians who remain would do what they could to assist you in securing the right ones. I … I had heard that Head Librarian Orlun was sympathetic to the Riftwardens – part of why I sought to work at Blackwing – but I did not realise that any of them – you – remained in the city. I can’t say whether Orlun survived but … I have heard that he was – is – quite a powerful wizard, adept at slaying demons. It seems to me there is at least a chance one such as he might have made it …”
“So,” says Kaygan, seeming to think out loud. “We have a big group with lots of different – although in some cases not dissimilar – agendas. Sol wants to try to find his parents and family; Hannik wants to go back to the temple of Shelyn and help any other temple wards who might remain there … huh – you were an orphan? Um, Aravashnial wants to return to the library – that should be easy enough, its nearby … well, if those Howlers or whatever they were aren’t still skulking about. Your, er, friend with the estate wants to return to his estate, your friend with the injured leg wants to find her wife, who is Irabeth Tirablade of the Eagle Watch apparently – Sol thinks she’d be one to lead any resistance against the demons, so if fighting demons is what any of the rest of you plan to do,” he sweeps his gaze over Jod, Rhok, Kira and Mulluq, “she may well be a good person to find. Oh, and there is your short friend … carrying dolls. Um, is there a safe place for her to find?”
“I myself don’t have any particular agenda – I don’t have any family here, and my cell at the Librarium was the closest thing to home, and that’s gone. But I did promise Sol I’d help him find his family – and I will do what I can. I think there is a certain safety in numbers, so perhaps we could work out relative locations of peoples’ homes or estates or what have-you – work out the best order to do this in?”
The group make it back to the former nest of cultists to find the mongrelfolk from Neathholm busy stripping the place of anything useful. Lann greets the adventurers warmly when he sees them, while Horgus, Anevia and Aravashnial all look eager, for their various reasons, to be moving on.
"Greetings, Lann. It is good to see you again. Do any of your men need a suit of chainmail? Or my old morningstar? Any reasonable trade offer accepted."
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Sol and Kaygan confer about the most effective route, to minimise the group's time in the demon-haunted streets above.
Kaygan shares what he and Sol know about Nyserian Manor, Topaz Solutions and the Tower of Estrod with the others.