"It looks like we're all in better shape than expected. Excellent work everyone!" Alorah says looking over her companions, and making sure to turn to face Sapphira.
The company of knights this encampment was hit hard by the Beast of Drezen. Fully half had been wounded or killed, and a like number of mounts terrified and scattered.
Arthas himself cannot be roused from his unconscious state.
You do your best to aid and assist for an hour or two before a page ran up to you.
General Irabeth has ordered you to report to the command tent for another mission.
Sapphiria has long since stowed her weapon and reverted to doing her best to aid the wounded, which is a harrowing task considering that some are dying and some will be permanently injured. Even so, she straightens and looks to see if her associates have already gathered so that everyone can go to see what Irabeth needs next together.
Taedric pulls himself back onto Knave's back after the page arrives, "No rest for the weary, I guess," he chuckles and starts to ride toward the tent, as directed.
Helping as many of the wounded as she can, Alorah looks up as the call to assemble comes, using a quick cantrip to clean the blood from her clothing as she solemnly joins the others to head toward the command tent.
Like the others he moved from barely moving body to fallen body searching for any signs of life that he could stoke back to life like an ember into a fire. He hoped Kyra was safe. When they recieved the summons back to the command tent like the others he hurried to obey. He only paused outside of the tent to ask the nearest guard if they had seen the Lady Kyra Greenstar about before he head inside.
Inside the command tent, a scarred and filthy General Irabeth greets you and leans over a table with several maps spread out.
In the command tent, the General greeted you all still scarred and soot stained from battle.
"First I want to thank you for taking down the Beast of Drezen. Despite our reserves being scattered, it would have been many times worse without your effort.
"Unfortunately, one of the casualties was Sir Arthas. Apparently the breath of the creature had properties which has debilitated him to the point he is currently comatose. We are treating him, but we have no way to know when, or if, he will recover.
"This leaves us with the problem of the sword Radiance. A lot of the soldiers revere the Sword of Yaniel as an artifact of a more noble past, and as long as the sword shines they cannot be truly defeated. Without Arthas, the sword lies dark. I need to know if one of the heroes of Kenabres can take up the sword and make it shine again." She stated, looking at you all seriously.
Sapphiria folds her arms and shakes her head in the negative.
Taedric pauses a moment, then says, gently, "I am sworn to Shelyn, and while not as worthy as Arthas, I could certainly try to hold the blade."
When informed about Arthas's health, Thrall feels frustrated. "I could have been more helpful, could have saved him..." Then he forces himself out of this chain of thought - believing himself a saviour is the first step into the path of hubris.
He shakes these thoughts off helped by the voice of Taedric accepting Radiance, which soothes his worried a bit - Radiance is a good help for the crusaders, if only by the effect in the troops' morale it brings.
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Together you troop back to where Arthas had fallen.
Radiance still stuck into the frosty ground there, stuck halfway up the blade at an angle from the force the creature had struck it with. Without Arthas' hand, the blade had dulled to a tarnished brown.
As they moved across the field, soldiers around them stopped talking and moving about in order to stare at the Knights of Kenabres.
When Taedric first touched the grip, it felt cold. Giving it a tug, it didn't move. Wiggling it back and forth didn't help.
When he gripped the sword with both hands, he reached down deep and braced his feet and... He didn't think it was the power of his muscles that made the difference, it was more like his commitment to bear Radiance.
The sword came free easily, and as Taedric stumbled back, the sword swung high and suddenly blazed forth like the light of the sun come suddenly to this little part of the Abyss.
All the paladins around you on the field slowly knelt and held out their hands in prayer. Someone struck up a hymn and suddenly they were all singing the sacred psalms to the deities of good. All to the source of their hope on the battlefield; Radiance shone forth again!
Taedric blinks at the blade, pleased that it came to his hand, worried that the sword had found him unworthy. He raises the blade, expecting it to unbalance him slightly, surprised to feel that the sword, instead, feels like an extension of his arm -- and has adjusted both grip and blade to suit his smaller hand. "The Light of Radiance is with us," he cries, joining the others.
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Sapphiria draws her blade and beats it against her shield to join the clamor.
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He had been silent, there had been no sign of Kyra after the attack. He wanted to hold out hope, after all wasn't that his purpose here to show these crusaders, these valiant men and woman that hope was present everywhere? Outwardly he was calm, with a calm smile. Inwardly he was beginning to crumble.She was amongst the missing. Another face and name cut into his heart, this one deeper than most though.Arthas, Kankai, Caralain, Alesie, Sir Thetin, Kyra. That last name hurt most of all.
He had loved that woman. He startled out of his inner thoughts. The beauty of the mixed hymns provided some comfort, some succor at the least. He added his cry to the others glad of the mental reprieve. He never thought he would find himself hoping for battle, but he did. There would be less to think about in a fight versus the demons.
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General Irabeth drew you all back to the command tent.
"Now to the meat of the situation." She said, drawing out a military map of Citadel Drezen and its grounds surrounded by a massive and tower studded curtain wall.
"We managed to force entry through the south gates and into the grounds there, but the Beast's attack scattered our reserves and stalled our advance.
"On top of THAT" She said, pointing to several markings in the grounds. "The enemy troopers have thrown up significant defensive works, and our probes in force have been repulsed by unusually intelligent countermoves by the demons and their cultist allies."
She paused, then pointed at a northwest section of the curtain wall.
"We decided to send Company C around to the northwest section there, where the fortress works are more eroded, there to force entry there and flank the demon forces. But..." She said, then paused.
"But they were ambushed. Shadows they said, came alive and attacked. Accompanied by an unnatural terror. They said... Well, I'm not sure if you were ever informed that Lady Kyra had been attached to Company C for this operation. They said... she destroyed several, but she was overpowered and taken. Borne away through the air to the Citadel by vampires." She said gravely.
His knees gave out immediately and he fell forward on his hands and knees though only for a second. His chest felt on fire. Even though he thought he had been prepared for the worst news this was. . . beyond the worst. He pushed himself back to his feet though raggedly.
"I'll need a wand of protection from evil, to help keep them from grabbing a hold of us,"
His voice came out raw and ragged. He stopped for a moment to stare at his hand that was shaking slightly. He glared at his hand and after a moment the shaking subsided. He would not give in to despair. He swallowed and when he resumed speaking once more he was filled with an eerie calm. Sarenae would be with him in this for sure.
"Do we have any potions to heal of defray the effects of the undead monsters touches? I have some ability to heal that but I have a feeling I will be a fiery beacon that will draw their ire and I may be too busy to concentrate on you my friends."
He said to the others.
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Sapphiria shakes her head and starts signing vigorously, then simply steps over to Kelden and takes his head in her hands. Her shining eyes glitter like blue gems—perhaps the source of her name—then she closes her eyes and bows her head, touching her forehead to Kelden's.
<Undeath may be difficult to reverse but it is reversible. That the enemy has taken her means that they need her. That gives us an opportunity to rescue her. Do not lose hope.>
She releases Kelden's head and takes a step back as she opens her eyes once more. She signs slowly, a hand rising over the other arm horizontally, followed by her right hand in a beak-like shape crossing from the right side of her nose to the left in an arc.
"Dawnflower."
She signs again, very simple gestures.
"Have hope."
Taedric nods, "At least we know they're there - which allows us to protect ourselves somewhat. On the plus side, between yourself, Sapphiria and me, they'll have a good number of 'holy' targets to go after."
"Shadows. Fortunately, we have Radiance by our side."
Thrall strengthens the grip on his sword.
"We'll bring them the light... or split them in half" he grins.
Alorah sighs sadly as she watches Kelden crumble at the knowledge that his beloved had been taken by undead. Moving forward, she rests a hand on the stalwart cleric's shoulder.
"That kind of protective magic is also within my ability, so we will be well protected when we go after them. Fortune will favor us today." she says quietly.
The general looked at Kelden with compassion before she returned to her stern commander face.
"Hm. For your next mission, we are sending you into the citadel itself.
"As it stands, the tactical situation is a stalemate; which favors the enemy. Sooner or later, someone on the inside will overcome their fear of being killed by their demon overlord to call for help, and a whole demon corps will teleport overhead to fall on us like a lightning storm with teeth and claws.
"And so your first priority is to recover the Sword of Valor and slam that door in their demonic faces.
"Second, you are to find the enemy leadership and capture or kill them. At this point I'm alright with either one.
"Third, you are to find and rescue Kyra Greenstar from whatever the enemy has in store for her." She stated.
She took a breath and hesitated.
"The riftwardens have been therorizing. Based on the enemy's plans concerning the wardstones, they think that if they had one of you to experiment with, they might be able to, by destroying the holy energies within Kyra, to destroy all of you as well. Wherever you are. At the same time."
She looked at you all seriously.
"We would all like that to not happen."
"Anevia has taken a contingent of Mongrelmen, infiltrated one of the curtain towers quietly, and are now posing as the enemies troops there. You can gain access to the citadel that way when you have prepared here."
She looked at you seriously.
"If you have any questions, better get them out now."
Taedric coughs, "Aye, I can agree with that not being a good thing."
He pauses, "Do we know of any... less direct... ways into the citadel? A bolt-hole or escape tunnel we could backtrack, for instance?"
Sapphiria waits for the reply to Taedric's question before interjecting.
General Irabeth addressed Taedric's concerns.
"This is a dwarven built citadel. There are none built in as far as we know. We chose the route we did because it's on the far side of the Citadel from the inner wall fighting, and there is some weather damage that may allow access even if all the doors are sealed, and there are the fewest guards there.
"Best we could arrange in the time frame we have." She said.
Sapphiria gestures to indicate a demon, then a spreading portal, then a somewhat comical bouncing of her hand to indicate an army of demons coming out. She makes a marching-in-place stride and then assumes a look of shock like she's looking all around.
(What's to keep them from summoning an army of demons while we're still inside?)
Addressing Sapphiria.
"Fear and cowardice. Most of the demon troops were taken south by their overlord Aponivicius. She is very well known to torture and kill messengers that bring her bad news. So, the local commander will dither and delay and fight on in desperate hope his boss doesn't find out what a mess he's allowed to happen on his watch.
"But this only buys us time. Sooner or later, one of them will panic and flee to warn the Overlord. Finding and activating the Sword of Valor is the only sure protection from that."
Taedric nods, "Well, I suppose the fact that demons are always vying for personal power and position and will slit each other's throats to get it -- or keep it -- is helpful, then."
Thrall nods to Irabeth's commands his mind truly made up to go all in. Not being a scholar, he doesn't feel any shame about asking. "Anything we should know about the Sword of Valor?"
Alorah simply nods, committing the important information to memory.
Irabeth nodded at Thrall.
"Despite the name, it’s not a sword.
"It’s a battle standard—an artifact once used by Iomedae herself during the Shining Crusade.
"The church loaned the banner to the First Mendevian Crusade and allowed it to hang in Drezen, where it bolstered crusader morale and, perhaps more importantly, warded against demonic attacks, deceptions, and even teleportation.
"It is located somewhere inside Citadel Drezen.
"At one point, it was held in a special vault, but our divinations have only revealed that the banner remains in the Citadel somewhere.
"Alas, the same wards that protect it against demons also hamper divination attempts—but we know it’s still in there, likely kept as a trophy.”
"Then we'll find it, and activate it. Once the citadel is protected from the possibility of the demons teleporting in, we will be able to take it." the sorceress says resolutely.
He startled at Alorah's statement, it was clear despite trying his best, his mind was definitely elsewhere. With a grim smile though he nodded.
"We will recover the Sword of Valor and restore this city to the crusade. We will rescue all those taken."
He offered sounding quite resolute. Only the smallest trace amount of fear was in his voice and it wasnt hard to know which part that came from. He closed his eyes and mouthed a quick silent prayer to The Dawnflower before opening his eyes.
"We have time to gather a few things first? I shall meet you all at the edge of the camp for the inflitration."
Thrall relaxes after the sword practice. His hard muscles shine due to the sweat, and in the early morning the cold makes them smoke.
After the drilling comes the praying. What will they find in there? He has no way to know. Thankfully, he can count on his companions, and the group is rather resourceful. Better focus on what he does best, he thinks, just before starting the lithurgy.
Once ready, he grabs some supplies, whatever the other guys think will be needed. He would have liked to be able to take his sword to the royal armorers, but sadly they're too busy and he hasn't got the resources to pay for an enhancement. Well, he'll have to come back with the Sword of Valor before being able to afford it...
Taedric nods, "Sounds good, Kelden."
When you have at least eaten and resupplied, and healers have removed any status effects and hp injury, you meet the chief of scouts, Anevia, at the north end of the encampment.
Those of you who don't already have a dark cloak, she throws one over you and leads you down into the dry riverbed in the darkness of night.
Leading you east then north into a small tributary, she led you up under the curtain wall next to a tower.
Halting, she listened, then waived a small red light. A small sally port is opened and she bundled you through to the inner courtyard.
There she guided you to the base of the Citadel itself, and left you there.
Ten feet up, there is an open parapet. You hear the soft footsteps and muttered speech of a couple of sentries up there.
Looking up at the open parapet, Alorah whispers to her companions. "How do we want to do this? By the sound of it there are a couple of guards up there. Using the magic of Terandalev's scale, I can raise one of us to there, but they will have to be taken quickly or silently to avoid us being discovered."
Taedric says, "Knave and I could strike quickly, but I can't guarantee we could prevent an alarm. Unless someone has some silence magic?"
"Sort of" Thrall says, answering Taedric's question. "For once, I remembered to ask for such a gift. But it will only last for some minutes. Tell me when is the proper time to use it, I'm no stealth expert."
"I can cast a spell that will silence an area about 20 feet around. I could place it on an object like a dagger someone is carrying so we can all move up .. if we stay close. I have a scale that does the same Alorah, so that is at least two folks who can levitate up."
He offered quietly.
Sapphiria is quiet as usual, though happy to go along as directed.
"There are two points that likely have a lookout or some sort of weapon. If we send you up to one, Thrall, and Taedric and Knave up to the other with Kelden's spell cast on your weapon, you could attack at the same time in silence. If you can kill them quickly enough, then there will be time for the rest of us to climb up if needed." Alorah suggests.
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Sapphires signs to remind that she can cast sells silently.
Thrall nods to Alorah's words, implying he's ready and willing.