Lynn's Attack drops the beast, at the sight of the great beasts death the remaining enemies inside the citadel court yard throw their weapons down and flee.
From below a cheer goes up, the City has been cleared now before you lays the Citadel
"Well." Lynn exhales, after the last roar of the mighty beast echoes over the city and it plummets into the ground.
"How are you?" she asks her companions.
"That was... intense. So is this something you people do all the time?" Balthazar says half jokingly.
"Fighting a three headed beast in the air? No, that was a first time." Lynn replies. "But I guess it was a walk in the park compared to taking down the Storm King."
Lynn checks on herself and administer's some more healing.
Don is exhusted. I fear that I have made a poor choice in weapons. My crossbow barely scratched that thing.
"Same here. Not that my weapon is wrong, but I really need some improvements if we are going to fight more of these." Lynn tells.
"I too was not quite effective. And yes, for the Storm King we need more preparation. Perhaps something more in our travels will help."
Don visits his vast amount of halfling slaves some skilled fletchers and loads up on as many crossbow bolts as he can. he feels that he is going to need a lot of them.
Heading down the Tower the group is met by Irabeth, Aniva, Aron, and Sosiel.
"Well we have won the day out. We will get a defensive perimeter set up across the gate to the court yard and then get some crews out to rebuilding the bridge if we can." Irabeth tells the party
"Sounds good to me." Lynn replies as she walks past Irabeth, dragging her glaive after her. "I need a bath and a break."
What is everyone doing, I will give you 2 days to prep
Lynn enters her tent and leans the glaive at the wall. She buttons up the entrance. Moving further inside Lynn takes off the gauntlet and drops it on the floor. She unbinds the leather straps of the breastplate and takes it off, along with the padding.
Sitting down on the sleeping bag using the magic cloth she got form Tink she cleans and dries the padding and the armor. It has scratches and dents showing its use.
The rest of her clothes she throws into a corner. They need some cleaning too, but not now. Standing in another corner of the tent she hollds her hand up and with a single word, water starts flowing from her hand down on her head running down her body. Washing off all the gore and the smear of sweat and dust from this desert.
With the dirt going it is like the orange roses of her tatoo bloom anew. Teh tendril that runs up her right leg from the inner ankle over her back ending on the left side of her neck in the last of a dozen blossoms. But other than the roses that are usually painted with Shelyn, these ones have pronounced thorns. The lifelike portrayal looking like one would draw blood by touching them.
The water first seeps into the dried out ground, then after a while it runs out of the tent. After an elongated time of enjoying the water she ends the shower and moves to her pack to retrieve a fresh set of undergarments.
Feeling clean now she lies down on her sleeping bag and stares at the ceiling. From a clueless fangirl of Terendelev to 'hero' fighting flying monstrosities as the spearhead of an army in what - three weeks? That's totally crazy. For sure someone is fiddling with the odds here. it rushes through her mind. But it could have ended the other way as well. With me ending as another bloody corpse on the battlefields. If I'd die here today, who would take notice? Would I be just another corpse in a mass grave, like the army creates for their fallen?
For sure today is a day to be remembered! Lynn sits up and gets her sketchbook out of her pack and starts drawing the flying chimera roaring and wreathing shortly before its fall. With Don and Azrael peppering it with arrows and bolts from the tower, Tink working magic and herself in midair stabbing her glaive into it's heart. On the tower she draws the tiny petals of a trampled rose. And the thorny peduncle sticking in the foot of the beast.
It takes her two hours and it doesn't come out as great as she had it in mind, but it will make a good reminder of this day. I need to check with Irabeth, when we will pay the last honors to the fallen. With a sigh Lynn gets up and readies herself to leave the tent again.
The nice thing about buttons is that they open quietly, and people often forgot to do up those closest to the floor of a tent. Being short also has it's advantages.
The flaps rustle slightly as if pushed apart, and someone was squeezing through.
I am glad that is finding use. the intruder thinks as Lynn cares for her armor, Not quite the intended purpose... but then, many things are not used for the purposes they are built... Making their way over to the glaive that stands against the side wall, they think to themselves, Weapons though... Weapons are almost only used for their purpose... That says something about people I think... fingers reach out to caress the metal of the glaive, Never thought I would be making weapons for holy crusaders. But it is a purpose, and a good one at that.
Lost in thought they are reminded where they are as a cold water flows across their tail. Turning with a start, Now that is interesting... She certainly is thorny... Mayhaps I should ask her to copy that down at some point. Is the last thought of the intruder before a moment later and the glaive is gone, and the tent buttons up again. A chirp of a bird, stark against the lack of wildlife in the wound, can be heard moving away.
Watches are set throughout the night, the Towers at the front of the ring wall are manned. Aron and Aniva slip off into the night to find ways to get into the citadel without drawing more attention to you than necessary.
On the next morning, Irabeth convenes the war council, breakfast is provided and Nurah is bound to a chair in the room.
”So our scouts have reported there are a few openings into the citadel proper that could possibly be exploited. You could always go down the main bridge itself and have an easier way of crossing the dried out moat but that seems like it would be the most fortified way.” Irabeth takes a drink, readies herself. ”I will also volunteer myself to go in with you to aid in anyway that I can, we have to remember that there could still be slaves or civilians in this place that are there against their will.” With her comment Irabeth holds up a hand to silence Aniva who has just hopped up.
”We need you and Aron outside patrolling and making sure that reinforcements don’t march up. Aron is also needed outside to help direct rebuilding, Sosiel will see to the army and that we are properly defended.”
"I volunteer to go in!" Nurah surprises everyone.
With the armopr back on Lynn walks to the entrance of the tent and reaches out to grab her glaive as she notices it's not there. She freezes in shock.
What the...how could that be? Looking around, she notices footprints on the ground, leading in and out of the tent. Grabbing her cold iron mace instead she pushes through the entrance - two of the buttons flying away - and follows the tracks. It can't be demons. Not attacking me and only stealing the weapon? But who else? Who would sneak in on her and play a prank?
As it becomes clear to whose tent they lead, and with that the shape of the footprints make sense to her. "This little bastard. I will skin him alive." Lynn mutters as she quicken's her pace. Or not. Who knows what he wanted it for? But at least a scolding for invading my privacy is due.
Without knocking she enters the tent. "What are you up to with my weapon?" Lynn asks in a serious demanding tone.
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"Who thought it'd be a good idea to bring Nurah to this meeting? Last time we met, we suspected her of treason and now you discuss tactics in front of her?"
"Or did you find some new evidence that makes her story more believable and you're convinced she is trustworthy again?" Lynn wants to know.
After placing his order for enough bolts to hopefully last him for a major incursion, Don heads to his tent and removes his blood and sweat stained armor and clothing. After sitting down for a bit to catch his breath, Don begins cleaning his weapons and armor, scouring off any blood and buffing out any dents before settling back and taking a short nap.
Once he awakes, he dons his gear once again and heads out to join patrols to secure the area.
"I brought her here so we can keep an eye on her, also she may have some information that could be useful." Irabeth responds "We still suspect her of treason but I would like her close so that way she cannot dupe a guard and escape into the citadel."
"It looks like that is the place she wants to go." Lynn muses, pondering what to do with Nurah.
The evidence is clear, isn't it? Or is it just me, jumping to conclusions? To know with some certainty, Lynn casts detect evil to check on Nurah herself.
Toss her into a saddlebag and take her south for trial.
"IF we could we would but Nerosayn is presently the target of the Demon army that is why we are here right now. If they weren't other wise engaged we would have never retaken this city as we have. So as I have said from what we can see there only the main gate way into the Citadel." Irabeth motions for the guards, who pick up Nurah and Carry her out, Sosiel accompanies her out.
Aron unfurls a map of the Citadel on the table, point to a spot "This is where we know the Sword of Valor used to be kept, I doubt the demons keep is there now but you never know." Aron says. "We also found a hole in the south western wall, you could get in there but we are not sure if there are guard on the towers patrolling to Ramparts"
No doubt there are guards everywhere, so we just have to be prepared for a fight regardless of our methods.
As Azrael moves towards the tents that He and Othirubo share, the flap to the lab potion is open. Stepping inside the smells of mixing chemicals and other strange ingredients threaten to overwhelm Azrael's head. Taking a deep breath outside Azrael is finally noticed.
"Good day master, everything went well I assume? I am making potions to help with healing and have been out cleaning wounds and such many of those without divine powers such as yourself could easily be killed by the infections and other other worldly diseases that demons carry."
Azrael can note a bundle of blood stained cloths and many empty vials in a pot that is set over a fire.
Lynn Detects no Evil on Nurah.
Azrael feels like Othirubo is telling the truth, no one has complained about him openly in many days and he has helped out when asked too
The previous evening
-----------------------------
Tink is engrossed as he inspects the glaive on his work bench, Blue chittering on his shoulder. He doesn't notice Lynn's entrance, only reacting to her when she addresses him. "Investigating something i noticed earlier." Tink replies, before he scampers past Lynn, to a bench on the opposite wall where a few vials of various colours sit.
"What do you think this is?" he asks holding up a deep crimson vial to Lynn. Before she can answer he continues "This is blood from the chimera. And this!" he exlaims, holding an azure vial up for her to inspect "This is what happened after I exposed it to a saving of the material from your glaive! It was instant!" he excitedly puts the vials down. Blue taking flight from his animated perch.
"Watch!" he motions as he places a small metal sliver into a bowl of the deep crimson blood. It immediately begins to boil violently, with steam and smoke coiling off the lip of the bowl, leaving a startling azure in its place.
"That is minor though. The really interesting thing is this." he says as he makes his back to the work bench with the glaive. He picks up a tiny stoppered vial. You would miss that it contained anything if the motion didn't cause ripples on the surface. "Watch..." he says as he unstoppers the vial, and drops a single shimmering droplet onto the blade. As the drop lands on the blade, the liquid seeps into the metal, and a few moments later the metal in the area begins to glow with a crystalline light that fades slowly afterwards.
His demonstration over he turns to Lynn and says, "I saw hints of this in the fight but needed to see if it was what I thought it was."
"You're not turning my sacred weapon into some demon infested monstrocity, will you? Don't you have other waeapons to play around with?" Lynn inquires. You never know with that guy.
Now is the time to plan
Current time
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Lynn changes her detection to magic to see if Nurah is using any magic to deceive her.
This AP really doesn't' give you a lot or time or Places to craft/buy things
"You're not turning my sacred weapon into some demon infested monstrocity, will you? Don't you have other waeapons to play around with?" Lynn inquires. You never know with that guy.
"I do... But they don't react the same." Tink says, waving to a small pile of thoroughly corroded swords. "They decay rapidly when they come in contact with the... what was it called again, its in one of the books... but they decay with that, and they don't facilitate the intermediary step."
He stops for a moment, facing Lynn "I'm not infesting your weapon with demonblood. That is the intermediary step. The glaive seems to be cleansing the blood. There are some technical processes going on, some of which are only explained partially in some of the older tomes I have, so I am figuring out a lot of this as I go along. But the instructions are all clear on one thing, if your final product is clear then there is no danger or contamination or corruption, at least from the item infused... Many tales tell of the wielders or wearers becoming corrupted by the power at their fingertips."
He tilts his head and looks at her for a breath before continuing, "You don't seem the type to be corrupted so. That is why I am trying to do this. I can trust you with the things I make. You use them for a purpose. Even if not the original, like with that cloth. I never thought it would be used to clean the padding of your armor."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current day,
"I don't like the idea of going in without information. I could potentially have Blue do some scouting."
Lynn blushes, but as she notices she goes instead for playing angry to hide it. Which is not too hard. "About that. You've ever heard of privacy? That tent was closed for a reason you now."
We can become Invisible again with Tink's magic and go through the walls. The gates will have the murder holes and arrow slits while the defenses at the hole will be less likely to have any fortification.
"I can also make a small whole in a wall for us."
Lynn blushes, but as she notices she goes instead for playing angry to hide it. Which is not too hard. "About that. You've ever heard of privacy? That tent was closed for a reason you now."
"I did not intend to see you showering." Tink defends himself, "I know you would not be happy to let me do this if I asked. As they say, better to ask forgiveness than permission."
"Ok, I wait." Lynn tells with a stern look and her arms akimbo.
So whats the plan, table is open to you guys
"Waiting for what?" he says, setting some chemistry in motion and then turning to work on another project on a third bench.
Lynn grabs Tink and puts him into a headlock giving him a noogie "You're a such a sociopath, you know that?" she tells and releases him again. "You're lucky that ignorance is cute on you."
"The last time I was called cute, I didn't have a grey hair on my body." Tink has a slight chuckle