The Librarium defences seem to hold the howlers at bay. Their muffled howls can be heard from time to time , with occasional scrabbling and thumping at the door. But they stay safely outside. The librarians break out their rations and after a sombre meal everyone except the designated guards head for their bedrolls. Even with the prowling predators outside, sleep comes quickly after an exhausting day.
The following morning it is time to move on. Aravashnial opts to stay with the librarians. Still subdued, he quietly thanks the group for delivering him to the Librarium. "I will try and help rebuild here. So much has been lost. Books, friends..." - he unconsciously reaches up to his ruined eyes - " We weathered much together. But I will not be beaten down by demons. Try and find help. If good people show their strength like you have, we will take this city back!"
Once everyone is awake and breakfast has been had Kira gears up. "What is our plan? There are many places people wanted to get to yesterday. In the harsh light of the events last night I would rather we stuck together as much as possible. We should decide a priority order."
As they manage to secure the door, Mulluq breathes a small sigh of relief. He waves off Kaygan's thanks, deeming it wholly unnecessary. As everyone settles in, and the healing flows, he goes over and takes a knee before Wirra, "Milady, your efforts do not go unnoticed. I recognize both your bravery and sacrifice in attempting to stay and fight the creatures. I thank you for your decision, and I know you have it in you to rise above the darkness you courted in the depths."
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In the morning Mulluq begins with his prayer routines as he straps himself into his suit of armor. In response to Kira's question, he answers "Lady Valerious, our original path was based on closest first. Based on the howler attacks last night, however, I am torn. We need to get the innocents to refuge, as I fear if some of them are left here other than their own destinations, they will risk striking out on their own. Our other destinations are based on stopping the demons' plans or learning more of them, but we can't bring our wards with us."
His expression grows worried as he thinks on it. "I swore to protect the lot of you. I think we should return everyone to their places of refuge, that we may be at our fighting best and risk not their lives when we are facing the demons elsewhere."
Kaygan finally stops moaning about hearing the howls in his head.
"Our thoughts are similar then Mulluq. What of the rest of you, what do you think?"
“I don’t really have a stake in this, except I promised Sol I would try to help get him to his family,” says Kaygan. “The route we came up with earlier is the most efficient – and with the state of things out there, there’s something to be said for spending as little time on the streets as possible. On the other hand...” He glances about to make sure Horgus is not in earshot, then lowers his voice anyway just in case.
“Nyserian Manor is likely to be dangerous if those Baphomet cultists might be there as you’ve told me. To be honest, that Horgus fellow seems a bit useless in dangerous situations, so it probably benefits us as much as him to get him home – assuming his home still exists. Anevia seems far more game, but she can’t move fast on that leg, and concern about her wife is probably distracting her too. Now Sol said that Anevia’s wife is in the Eagle Watch and is likely to be leading any sort of resistance against the demons, so there’s a couple of reasons why we might want to find her sooner rather than later.”
The wizard then looks at Sol. “Sol, you were next on the list after Anevia; you should certainly have a say on whether you want to try to find your family before we head to Nyserian Manor.”
"If they are so close to each other, how about Gwerm Manor first, and then Nyserian Manor?", Rhok asks with Horgus out of earshot. "Get rid of him first. Do we really want to have him around while hunting cultists?"
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Sol's jaw works side to side in tiny jerky motions as he thinks things over. "We -- ", he begins with downcast eyes. Then he looks over at Mulluq, then up squarely into the group's faces.
"Horgus first. Then Nyserian Manor. Anevia can look out for herself while we go inside, and it will hardly delay looking for my parents."
"That sounds like a good plan Sol," says Kaygan.
The group prepare to head out from the Librarium. It has been quiet for hours - the howlers appear to have moved on - and when the door is opened a crack to check, the plaza is deserted. Bidding farewell and good luck to Aravashnial and the Librarium staff, they move on quickly.
Wan sunlight filters through the angry churning sky, but it doesn't rain. An icy breeze freezes hands and faces. Gwerm Manor, Horgus' residence, is not far from the Librarium and a short walk through eerily quiet street takes them there. The house seems untouched, which is remarkable in a street otherwise pillaged and burned.
Horgus yanks on the bell-pull, but there is no answer. So he takes out a key from the chain about his neck and opens the large front door. The interior of the house is deserted - all of Horgus' servants and guards appear to have fled, much to his annoyance. He is even more annoyed when he realises they seem to have carted off his more portable valuables. But he is mollified when he finds his vault remains inviolate.
"Look," he says gruffly, "Take this." He hands them a pouch which clinks interestingly. "You did quite well down there, and with the howlers. Even if you did nearly get me killed." He rubs his neck where the wounds the darkmantle inflicted are still livid. "Well, I guess you must be going."
The adventurers find themselves outside Horgus' front door listening to the lock being turned. Then the bolts being drawn across. And then furniture being stacked behind it.
Nyserian Manor is very close, but in a very different condition. All that remains is heaped rubble and timbers - the Manor has been obliterated, with a wide trail of devastation leading up, through and beyond it. Not a single wall remains.
The young ranger doesn't have the same emotional links to the locations they are seeing - in fact, most he never saw whole - but the devastation is still jarring. "What does this kind of destruction? Is this the one that killed the dragon? Was it even this large?" He shakes his head and prepares for the next leg of their odd journey.
Kaygan wishes Aravashnial and his fellow librarians Desna’s luck before they leave. “Should I happen to come across any of the rest of our fellows, or members of the Riftwardens, I will point them in this direction,” he says.
Upon seeing the condition of Nyserian Manor, Kaygan strokes his beard thoughtfully. “Hmmm … now the letter you told me about implied that this was a safehouse for the cult of Baphomet, and someone was being instructed to ‘destroy the evidence’; I wonder if this destruction we see is the result of destroying the evidence, or just collateral damage by the demon army? If the latter, there may still be something to find amongst the rubble – or perhaps the safehouse was not within the manor but below it? Either way, I think it’s worth taking a few minutes to poke about here.”
Kaygan scrambles up the fallen timber beam after Sol and helps the younger man search the rubble.
Jod nods, "I would think the worms would prefer to be below ground, myself. I expect the instructions were for the cultists we fought, not for the demon army - why send the letter otherwise?"
The brief search reveals nothing of significance. Then the rubble shifts under their feet, revealing how dangerous it is playing in a demolition site.
"Whoa! That was close. Be careful there Sol, I nearly twisted my ankle in that hollow ... Maybe this isn't such a good idea."
They abandon the search of the ruined manor and head towards the home of Anevia. They head north, away from the ruined manor houses and through an area that was once quietly prosperous. Most of the buildings here - houses and workshops - are largely intact, though many show the ravages of looters and worse. At intervals they come across bodies sprawling in the street - some showing the evidence of stab wounds or sword slashes, others rent by claws or half-eaten. They look several days old, the blood dried to dark brown and the corpses starting to bloat.
From a parallel street there comes a shout - human, hoarse and unintelligible.
"We should have caution, but that sounded human, we should investigate.
"Whoops! Yeah, let's keep moving."
In complete and unspoken agreement, the young hunter is looking for a route or vantage point to allow a view of the other street as soon as he recognizes the shout for what it is.
"Which way?"
As the trio of Kaygan, Sol and Jod make their way carefully back to the street from the ruins of Nyserian Manor, Kaygan speaks to Jod.
“Jod, I’ve seen you move and fight – you’re quick and strong, but if you don’t mind me saying, you seem to have been caught a bit flat footed in our two encounters with the Howlers yesterday,” he says. “I have a spell which allows the subject to anticipate danger to a certain extent … if I may cast it on you, you may find that you’re able to react a bit more quickly the next time we get into trouble.”
Upon hearing the shout, Kaygan warns, “Just because it sounds human, doesn’t mean it’s friendly – remember the false crusader at the Librarium? Let’s investigate, but as Kira said, cautiously – assume nothing.”
"I will cover our rear, Mulluq, you up front?"
Kalgan takes his crossbow in hand and moves to assist Anevia.
"Going into danger? Where else would he be?" Sol grins as he fits an arrow's nock to his bowstring.
"Well, there isn't any point trying to talk him out of it, we may as well show support."
As they pass all the death and destruction Mulluq stops to say prayers over every body they pass. He wishes he could do more, put it would be much more work than they have the time or people to accomplish. His is resigned to trying to remember each one with a prayer, and a plan to return and do right as soon as he can.
Amid the destruction, the sound of a human's voice stirs in him the sense of a need to act. To Kaygan's warning he offers, "If they are friendly, we should help. If they are not, we should hinder them. Either way, we must act quickly." He moves toward the noise, his weapon and shield at the ready.
He calls back to Kira, "I'll be at the fore as much as you all will allow by keeping behind my defenses." He scowls slightly at Sol and Kira's discussion over his decisions, like he isn't there, but let them talk. He must act.
"Who's that?" Rhok snaps out of his reverie. "Shouting like that with all those monsters around must be a trap."
Jod trots along behind the paladin, bow readied and grinning a little at the camaraderie. It's almost like a hunting party back home. He looks at the others, Well, no hunting party I've seen looked like us, but still...
In the next street, a crude stage made from a couple of stranded wagons has been erected. Four terrified-looking people stand on it, awkwardly wielding crude weapons and wearing tattered pieces of scrounged armour. Four more men and women lie sprawled in the dust a few yards away, bodies contorted in death. Flapping about are three tiny demons that screech in high-pitched voices, "Fight! Fight!"