As the meeting proceeds and older man walks in with Aravashnial, " I have an item that will help with destroying the piece of the wardstone that is being used." The man presents a rod, setting it down on the table. "I heard that you arrived late last night Nestrin, it is good to see you again."
Nestrin smiles at the man, It is good to see you as well Quendys, so what is your plan?"
Quendys sits down at the table, "This is a rod of cancellation, it will dispel any magic left in the wardstone."
”Why destroy it? Shouldn’t we be trying to fix it?” Khaz said in confusion
"It is best to destroy it, we have no idea what they plan to do with the Wardstone fragment or why they kept it." Quendys says "We don't want to give them the chance to take the piece back."
"It is some seriously powerful magic, that doesn't do what we need to anymore, and you think they have a plan to turn it against us, somehow. Got it. Destruction is easier than recovery. I mean, a piece of the wardstone could be the size of a house . . .."
”So our goal isn’t just to clear them out. Got it. When this is done we really need to find how the cultists planned this out. To think, they could not only destroy the wardstone but turn it against us...”
Jocasta thinks for a bit and says, "All right - frankly the functionality of the wardstone is over my head, magic-theory-wise. But... if it's that important to their plans, they're going to make sure some heavy-duty cultists are guarding it. Sounds like this is going to be a bloody slog."
Lorena has nothing much to add here except for a slow, solemn nod. She doesn't particularly want to go on what seems like a dangerous mission, but she's in a bit too deep to just run away now, so she keeps her doubts to herself. It's all part of the plan...someone's plan at least. Hopefully that someone is friendly, and we aren't walking into another trap...
Firinn takes the rod and stows it in his quiver with his arrows. "Let's go and scout the place out, see what defences we can see from the outside - then return here, make a full plan and co-ordinate with the distractions?" He finishes with a glance at Irabeth. "No point waiting around here."
"I will go too." Aniva says
"You still cannot walk, they need to be quick and quiet while scouting." Irabeth tells her wife, everyone else keeps quiet during this.
"They are in Old Kenabres near where Terendelev fell. We have a few scouts out and about right now, if you find them they can return word here if you need them too."
Heading out the group makes their way quickly and quietly though the city. Khaz moves slowly and methodically so as to not alert anyone around that a dwarf in armor is around. Making their way to the gate of Old Kenabre's the group stops to take stock of the situation.
Firinn looks at his companion and the two share a few moments communication before Rionnag takes off into the sky.
The Gated entrance to Old Kenabres is not manned, it does appear odd as Rio does a low swoop around and no one attacks her. Making your way into the area you can see the devastation is even worse in here, very few buildings remain and those that do are just shells or worse of what they once were. The Cathedral is gone and from what you may remember the Kite is gone as well, leaving only The Grey Garrison left as a prominent building.
You can move from building to building for cover on your way
Khaz looked at the structure and rolled his shoulders in preparation for the coming fight. ”So this is it, the gray garrison? Well, I’m ready to march in and take the fight to them.”
Khaz saw only one way forward. A direct assault on the front gates!
"Only one way in," says Jocasta grimly. She draws her sword and says, "I suppose we must take the fight to them."
"What's with you guys and the whole frontal assault thing? If we work or way around the perimeter of the square, sticking to the rubble and ruins, we should be able to get really close to the target before we have to reveal ourselves. I'm not big on asking enemy archers to try to hit me. They can. I know it."
Jocasta scans the area and says, "If you see a good route, lead the way. I don't have an eye for terrain."
"We can definitely get closer." Firinn agrees. "Let's get the distractions done so we can shut the wardstone down quickly!"
Lorena tries to stay alert, but she's distracted by the prospect of a hard, bloody mission. She leaves the planning to the others, leaning on her spear and keeping her eyes firmly on the ground in front of her, as if it could split open again at any moment.
A runner is sent back from the main gate, the group heads back into the final building that is present before entering The Grey Garrison.
You can see the "window above and to the left of the main door, it looks like it would be quite a climb
That is Kandro Nyserian a wealthy land owner in Kenabres, also his home was destroyed and was a cultist hide out.
This is a bloated Lord Hulrun Leader of Kenabres
"That used to be Lord Hulrun, didn't it? He wasn't that kind of fat, though. It is like he ballooned up somehow."
"We should still be able to get closer without being seen if we go around the back of this building, to our left . . ."
”Aye? I’ll take ye word for it. Don’t recognize him at all. Anyways, aye, around the left then. Get as close as we can and then charge, aye?”
"Yeah... perhaps they animated his corpse and it's filled with corpse-gas?" says Jocasta as she advances in tandem with Khaz. "We must put these people to rest and give them a proper burial."
Firinn closes as well, flitting from cover to cover. Rio stays back, her considerable size and unique appearance not lending itself to stealth missions. As they move he mumbles a quiet prayer to Desna, asking for his goddesses luck to see him through.
Firinnn draws three arrows and sticks them in the ground in front of him.
"When Terry and I shoot, go!"
He draws a hand across his face, leaving a thick black stripe over his eyes.
"Ready?" He asks the thief. "Then go!"
Once the arrows started flying, Khaz said ”Alright lass, showtime. Let’s go!”
Following the arrow fire, Jocasta races in to engage the nearest bloated cadaver, cold iron blade dull in the light, her armor gleaming with magical light.
Lorena moves up with the group staying a bit back so she can help out once they creatures are engaged.
This is Mass inflict Light wounds
A sickening wave of negative energy rolls out of the the closest "human" as it steps away from Jocasta. The second one falls into a trance mumbling some dark words.
Gritting his teeth, Khaz resisted the worst of the attack. In return he burst out of cover and slammed his mace into the closest foe.
”The other one is casting something, stop ‘em!”
Jocasta staggers under the sudden assault.
Lorena grimaces as the wave of energy hits her with full force, but she heals herself fully as she moves in from the side. Whoever these people were, they had to be killed.
Firinn shakes off the worst of the spell and switches his fire at Khaz's command to the mumbling 'man'.
Firinn Launches 2 arrows in quick succession, one striking the bloated human the other missing as Khaz moves in laying out a powerful Strike into the rubbery flesh.
Following Khaz's instructions, Terry moves closer to the other target and looses at him . . ..
The spell completes but nothing appears to happen, the smell of sulphur and rotten eggs lingers for a second but then is gone.
The unidentified man steps closer to Lorena out of the reach of her long spear as the sickening vapours leaves him.
Jocasta grimaces but resists much of the wave of negative energy as she lashes out in return with her dull, cold iron dueling sword.
Khaz gritted his teeth as the unholy energy once again washed over them. He swung his mace all the harder to make it stop.
Jocasta's strike his, cutting away swaths of skin. A worm like creature falls out of the body and hits the ground with a loud thud.
This is a Vermlek - For every 5 you beat the DC you can ask 1 question
The work Like creature burrows into the ground