. Yath nods along, her mind attempting to math the math in ways this writer has no hoping of relaying.
Anevia really likes you now!
Ellena blusheda little. ”Ah, yes. I got the Green Lady moniker in my mind and forgot her actual awful demon name. At least we finished her off, thank goodness. Maybe I just tried to push her name out of my memory,” the Paladin stammered.
"What intel do you have on Greengates? Would you like us to investigate it? If there is a new sheriff in the demon camp, we might do well to hit them while they are trying to establish dominance."
Putting your heads together, you gain the following information:
--This area once housed a Desnan monastery
--The most current map the crusaders have shows this:
--long range overflight did see a mixed force of demons and mortals besieging it
You have in your possession highly important information regarding Tar-Baphon. You know that his phylactery is no longer in a demi plane accessible only from Rovagugs prison. You also know the override password for many of the traps that of the demiplane his phylactery is on. You do not believe that Nocticula lied to you concerning either of these things, and it is reasonable in within her interests to spread information concerning tar baphon to his foes.
Making this information available to lastwall would aid them, and perhaps result in more aid from lastwall to mendev. Of course, you cant exactly go ahead and say "yo, Nocticula told me these things".
I have run some research on this "Jaruunnicka" hag that is besieging green gates. Fairly powerful hag, follower of Shifkesh interestingly enough, not Mestama as is usual for hags. Fights smartly. Has hired a squad of Nurgal associated mercenaries from either a plane called earth, not the plane of earth. Belanas voice pauses
"Earth" is currently undergoing a brutal and cataclysmic war, with the intensity of the war occassionally resulting in rifts to the Abyss, which is how these guys ended up in Kuthon. They were tough enough to survive in the Abyss, and become mercenaries rather then prey, and are rumored to fight with gunpowder weaponry superior to what the musketeers of my forsaken have. Taking some of them alive with their weaponry could be a great boon.
These people are going to be highly dangerous. I made inquiries to Lady Nocticulas representative on the plane of earth, a fellow Succubus roughly in my weightclass in terms of power and experience. The carnage was sufficient to...
like, depression among Succubi is almost unheard of, yet she is depressed.
Whatever mortal who survives such things will be very very very hard.
Oh, Jaruunicka has a Hezrou consort, yes, consort... ughhh
aesthetics aside that should not be too much of an issue.
For a moment you black out.
You see a vision, an almost hellscape of trenchworks and gasclouds and ash.
Several people with firearms bearing unfamiliar green uniforms are coughing blood.
Friends a young, you think he is human, male says in a strange language, which you however understand in this vision.
The f!!@ing Fritzes have poisoned us, and we are all going to die because of it. Well, f%%+ them, lets repay them, and lets avenge ourself, so our friends and brothers wont have to. If we charge through this f++%ing poison gas cload, we get the s%@!ty spikeheads in the flank. We will live a bit less long, and are more likely to die by blade or gunshot then by puking our lungs out, but I consider this a f#$*ing win. Who is with me? He continues coughing heavily
As you see normal again, not a second has passed in the real world.
You hear a voice, that of Callistrias servitor.
these men are vengeance mislaid, perhaps you can right them
”Iribeth, May I speak with you in private for just a moment, please,” Ellena asks for the paladin in charge. Assuming she assents, Ellena begins revealing some of the knowledge she had picked up from the demons.
GM
"Is Kuthon a place or is that something associated with Zon-Kuthon?"
"Any known weaknesses we can exploit regarding either the hag or her mercenaries?"
"I seem to remember that Sifkesh tries to make those who have committed apostacy to commit suicide rather than to seek redemption. Might this be relevant to this Arueshalae whom we are seeking to redeem?"
Negative, Kuthon, also known as Kuthan, the waterless blights, the crimsons suns judgement jada jada is Nurgals Abyssal realm.
Zon-Kuthon dwells in Xovaikain. I have been to that overengineered place as an envoy on account of my unusually sunny disposition which should make me more resistant to its... enui. Zon-Kuthons place sucked balls, although not as bad as being imprisoned in Cania.
Nurgal is apparently super pissed that descendents of Aroden exists in Golarion, and seeks to change this, very violently. We are trying to stir up Areshkagal against that. Sphinxes are f*#%ing annoying to diplomatize with by the way.
On a more positive note, Mazzmezz, demonlord of spiders and bindings is fairly seriously raiding Deskaris lands at the border between her realm of Khavak-Vog and the rasping rifts. We transmitted some good intelligence, and they managed to bypass Deskaris border and have a bunch of Bebeliths run rampant. It wasnt free, poor Cydric now has to date a Half-Fiend-Jorogumo. Thrice. Likely worth the casulties though, and I can teleport him to my side if he is in too much trouble.
Mazmezz has been fairly receptive to Nocticulan efforts to enlist her as a spoiler against Deskari, her agents may approach you to basically gain some extra benefits this way. But enough abyssal politics for now.
She is taken aback
That is not... knowledge any random demon would know... Oh, I get it. You got information from a highly unreliable source, you dont want to be known to be in contact with, but the information is so good you cant afford to sit on it? And you dont want to lie directly?
Irabeth pauses
Welcome to my and Nevis world. If I were to guess, the source of the information are the Forsaken, and they offered them as payment for a truce? Or a prisoner release? I am actually fine with this. There have been rumors that Tar-Baphon and Nocticula are hostile to each other, so it makes sense that her agents would offer truthfull information about how to kill him.
Just watch your back with them. They are far friendlier to those they want then to those they have.
GM
Yath looks to the others talking or thinking and shrugs. She had spotted a desk, that she could slide her bottom onto, as well as a slim book of imported poetry left discarded to pass the time.
So she slips away.
For a few moments.
Nona does not share her thoughts. She's not keen to reveal a demon is giving her telepathic messages. The intel Belana is giving her does not seem to give anything that can be turned into an advantage, so far.
"So, what's the plan? Are we heading to Greengates?"
"Hopefully!" Sorak almost jumps. He just entered Drezen but was already missing the outside. So... cramped. Oh sweet Lady, he might be deeply messed up to prefer the abyssal landscape of the Worldwound than some old citadel.
If everyone is ready then:
1: Do any of you plan to make any additional reconnaissance/scrying/etc operations?
2: Do you wish to prep any particular spells given what you know of expected opposition?
3: How do you plan to get there? Foot, Caravan, teleport, overland flight?
Yath closes her new book. She considers slipping it into her pocket for future finishing, but the book might exist right here to inspire some wandering soldier or broken victim. If she took it, destiny would be diverted, just so she could satisfy her curiosity.
That wouldn't be right. So she set the book back where she found it, even rotated it just so to be back in its original alignment, then patted it "good luck" the wizard tells the poetry.
She returns to the other's side "Is there an unspoiled body of water I can use? Not for cleaning, for scrying." She pauses and thinks "We'll also need to find someone that knows someone really well that is currently defending the place." she looks hopefully at the Tirabades.
"So, it looks like we're going overland, unless Irabeth has some way to speed us along. Let's figure out how long a trip it will be and the best way to get there."
She returns to the other's side "Is there an unspoiled body of water I can use? Not for cleaning, for scrying." She pauses and thinks "We'll also need to find someone that knows someone really well that is currently defending the place." she looks hopefully at the Tirabades.
"Yourr sing do not vorrk vith norrmal vaterr? You can not just put vaterr in bow?" He asks, wondering why the woman was specific about not wanting the water for cleaning. He discreetly sniffs, wondering if she is against getting baths. Baths were great in his personal opinion.
"I have hearrd good amount about zis hag Jaarruunicka. Vould zat help you?"