"Staunton Vhane, a Dwarven man, leader of a Mercenary company called the Hammer of Heaven. In Reality he was a cultist of Deskari who was sewing deceit in the city. I found out and confront him, we fought and he escape, they Knighted me for it. Not sure why." Irabeth says Looking the letter over Quednys sits down with you as well reading the letter.
"THese locations should be looked into, one is by Old Kenabres, the other in the Nobel district and one is close by." He says. "I assume any of you who are local would wish to look for their families as well?"
”The hammers of heaven...” Khaz looked down at his feet. ”...were they all traitors or just him?” The shame of one of his folk being such a blackguard felt almost communal.
"That we are not sure, he was the only one in the city at the time of the discovery." Irabeth says.
”Understood. As much as I want to find my parents, I know that the dishonor I’d bring shirking my duty to find them would be worse to them. Ye’ve stayed focused, even with that orc in your house. I’ll do the same. Who was he, anyways? And are there any others within here who will join us in purging our city?”
"You could ask around, many of these people are just regular folks, I cannot lend you any of my Eagle Knights or the Mercenaries as we need them to keep this place safe." Irabeth says. "He was a criminal cultist of Xoveron, I tracked him to the River Kingdoms caught him and handed him over to the authorities. Apparently he got out, that was years ago thought." Irabeth puts a hand on her wifes hand
A woman pushes her way between the crowds and through the circle around Khaz.
"I'll help you," she says.
She has an olive complexion and black hair pulled back pragmatically. While many people are armed in the wake of the invasion - even townsfolk and farmers now carry knives and clubs if they can - she wears an articulated breastplate with some scoring and dents, though it's polished and rust-free. A low-slung baldric rides her hip and holds a slightly curved sword with an elegant handle, a worn grip, and a swooping guard. Her doeskin suede trousers are spotted with water stains and her sturdy, laced-up boots have definitely seen quite a bit of mud and blood lately.
"We can't stay in here forever. If the hordes out there aren't dealt with, eventually they'll break through into here. And there are still people trapped out there, trying to survive the aftermath. These demons need to be driven out and this city retaken."
She puts a hand on her hip and nods to Irabeth. "The commander has done an admirable job of organizing defenses thus far. I'll defer to her experience and her lead. But if she think we can spare it, and you'll have it, I'll lend my sword arm to your cause."
Firinn, standing on the balcony around the common room catches Khaz's eye and nods approvingly when the woman steps forward.
We need more brave souls like her.
Khaz made a fist and put it to his chest. ”Your aid is most welcome. This is Lorena, Firinn and Terry. It will be an honor to fight alongside ye. Are there any others here who will take up the call?” He looked around...
"You can go, you didn't come in with me and I didn't see your name on a Mercenary listing. These Safe houses will need to be explored." Irabeth says.
Lorena, having silently followed Khaz towards Irabeth once she got dressed and out of her room, nods to the new woman, but doesn't try to be friendly yet. It's too early to tell what she might think, and if she'll be as accepting as everyone else has.
"My name is Jocasta, and it will be an honor to fight beside you in this struggle," she says in response to Khaz. "Many people here are simple folk just trying to survive, but a few of us are crusaders or have special skills. I'm sure that now, in this difficult time, it is the opportunity to rise to the call."
She steps up and offers her hand. "Master dwarf, your name... ?"
“Ach! The Forge Father missed a swing when making my head! Khaz of Clan Cloudbreaker, at your service.” He said, taking her hand.
”Now then, we’ve to decide where to go to next. Lady Irabeth said there are three locations, with one close by. Seems like logic dictates this, no?”
Jocasta grips Khaz's arm and nods. Her grip is not as strong as his, but sure. "So it seems. Start nearby, work our way outward."
"Topaz solutions is closest, an Alchemy store. You might find things in there that could be helpful." Irabeth says
"Sounds like a plan. We got any more excuses?"
”Can’t think of any. Let us be off!”
The party moves out of the building with their newly acquired goods replacing older and more beat up goods. Irabeth has marked on a crudely drawn map the location of the 3 places that were on the note, the closest being Topaz Solutions the party decides to head there.
The party passes through the outer ring of defenses for their new home and back into the city proper. Topaz Solutions is only a few blocks away but the devastation in this more business orientated part of the city is extreme, many shops and buildings are crushed flat or the fronts have been destroyed. Body parts and destroyed good line the streets, carrion birds and dogs flee at the armed party.
A wooden sign above the door bears a carving of a bundle of
orange herbs and flowers hovering over a beaker filled with
smoking orange liquid. The building’s windows are tightly
shuttered, but the front door hangs halfway off its hinges.
Topaz Solutions was once a relatively unassuming
herbalist’s shop that specialized in alchemical equipment
and potions. Its proprietor, a Templar wizard named Aigon
Topaz,
Jocasta keeps her sword handy as the re-formed team moves out into the streets once more. Once the blade is out of the scabbard it's clear that it's made of cold iron - a demon-killer.
She frowns slightly at the signage. "I guess the shop's lucky to not be flattened, even moreso to still have its sign intact. Was the demonic assault coordinated enough that they avoided devastating the safehouses on their own team? Usually I thought demons weren't that disciplined or organized," she says.
"Could be just simple luck. With the door ripped off, there's a good chance the place has been looted already, or that somebody's inside. We'll need to be ready." He looks to Khaz. "Want me to get a closer look, or want to go in together?"
"I'll stay out here and keep watch. Give a shout if there's any trouble inside." Lorena leans on her spear next to the door, her eyes darting around the area.
Firinn simply nods and takes up position with Lorena as Rionnag flutters up to the roof above. He pulls two arrows from his quiver and holds them loosely as his watchful eyes scan the environment.
The chances of Khaz sneaking were close to zero, given his plate armor. He walked forward, ready to take on whatever was inside. He thought to himself as he did so that he really should learn how to use a shield. A quick draw one, perhaps? It’d take some practice, as he didn’t want to give up the raw stopping power of his combat style. But with a weapon as small as this, it just might work.
He was caught up in thought, and wasn’t as he could have been.
Entering the building you can see the inside was pillaged, 3 men are inside sitting there with sacks.
Khaz motioned to his comrades, indicating that he saw three people inside. Then he walked in.
”Oi! ‘Ello! Name’s Khaz. Who’re ye lads and are ye in need of assistance? I mean ye no harm. I’m out here cleanin’ the city up of demons and whatnot, and helping any survivors.”
Not even pretending to be as kind and magnanimous, Terry stands just outside the door, bow ready but neither nocked nor drawn.
Firinn, presumably without meaning to, mirrors Terry almost exactly.
The 3 men eye each other, then the sacks on the ground.
"We just be holdin' out in er. What do you lot be up ta?" The smaller of them says "Ye say cleanin' the city but them demons own this city now."
”Not as long as we draw breath they don’t.” Khaz said. ”I mean no offense, but we got in here too easily. It’s not safe, not until the city is purged. The Defender’s Heart still stands. It’s defended by the Eagle Knights. Can we offer ye protection to move there?” Khaz visibly relaxed, as he looked at the three men with genuine concern.
Terry shakes his head as Khaz drops his guard. One of the two has spent most of a lifetime with men like these, and he's staying ready to respond to a desperate threat of violence.
"We're retaking this town one demon at a time," says Jocasta. "If you are looking for a safe space, Defender's Heart is it. If you decide to stay here, we can't guarantee your safety."
Her cold iron sword is low, but still at the ready in case of sudden hostilities. Her expression is guarded, like she's trying to figure out if these are just refugees scavenging to survive, or cultists carrying out an operation.
The men continue to look between each other, "We're just restin' here erfore we head out again. Defender's heart you say? Might be we be checkin' it out in our travels."
Khaz gets the sense they are telling the truth about squatting and they might swing by but the undertones he is not catching
Khaz nodded. "Stay safe. Say, got any information about the area around here? Anything ye've seen that we should know of?"
Firinn examines the men closely, clearly they are squatters but he gets the sense that that isn't all they are...
"Them demon's and their lackeys seem ta have left but we don't trust em." The one guy says, he gets up grabs a sack and goes to leave with his buddies.
They seem shaddy but that is about it
”Gods watch ye!” Khaz said. Completely oblivious to any moral turpitude on the part of the men.
Firinn stands aside to let the men go. "Shady folks, but didn't seem like cultists to me." He says, "Wouldn't leave so easy if they were."
”Looters, maybe? Wouldn’t be surprised. But we’ve got bigger problelms.”
"Agreed," says Jocasta. "People still have to survive somehow. Even scavengers will wind up fighting cultists or demons if it comes down to it."
The men leave the store, even closing the door as they go. Inside you can see that they took many things, the shop has many odd things, plants drying and some jars still filled with things that it is probably best to not ask what they are.
"The problem is not with others surviving, it is what they take whose absence makes it harder for us to survive. So, what did they leave for us?"
”Let’s find out.”
Terry searches around, poking at this and prodding that all from a safe distance. Eventually he finds what looks like a secret stairway behind a bookshelf.
There doesn't seem to be any trouble inside or outside, so Lorena follows Firinn into the store. As they look around, she spots a special alchemical salve - apparently the people that just left didn't take it with them. She quickly scoops it up into her pack, then continues on with the rest of the group.
"Hey. Hidden hidey-hole over here. We ought to see if anyone's down there, but I bet they won't want company . . .."
"Let's go see," says Jocasta, responding to Terry's call. She moves over next to the young man. "Good find. Could be cultists, or could be survivors holed up down there - let's be ready." She glances back to Khaz. "I don't think there's any way we can sneak down, so best to just prepare ourselves for a possible fight, I think?"
”Aye. That’s my kind of thinking. Let’s go. And while weapons up, we’re just as likely to find survivors as cultists. So let’s take it slow.”
"I'll cover you." Firinn offers, letting Khaz and Jocasta lead. Rionnag stays in her perch above the door, ready to let Firinn know the moment something approaches.