"Wha? It's a big huge evil building; why worship that? Dragons are much more fun to worship!" he grins for a moment before pausing to add "Though eatin' only meat does get a bit boring after awhile."
After the party leaves, he swiftly drops by the market then purchases and pockets three apples.
"They're cultists," Piers explained, "They'll worship anything that scares them." Turning to Li, he nodded.
"Have what soldiers you can spare meet us out on the main road. We'll move out immediately."
Tiriael goes over the nomenclature in her head - Charder and Akata - trying to gain as much information as possible, regarding what they are up against.
Li looks Piers in the eye sternfully, "I already am. Now go, you're wasting time. As usual."
Akata - A hairless blue lion that has twin tentacular tails. Dozens more thick tentacles quiver and twitch where its mane should be. It cannot hear and does not need to breathe. Its bite has been known to create zombies. The creature is also impervious to cold, disease, and poison, not to mention highly resistant to fire. However, for some reason, salt water seems to burn it like acid.
"Sorry Li, just trying to get the job done properly, like when I hauled your charred rump from the fire," Piers said, collecting his sword and turning to go with a remarkable air of finality.
Outside he looked to others as they headed for the road. "Tiriael? What do we know about the beasts?"
Tiriael smiles at the question - "Well... Charda are armored in dense, bony plates, usually have four arms and drool a wretched black bile from their fanged maw. No point in using poison nor cold against them. On top of that they can also spew a bile that is unnaturally cold"
She paces for a second, then adds - "Now Akata... They are like hairless blue lions with twin tentacular tails. Apart from those, dozens more thick tentacles quiver and twitch where their mane should be. From what I have heard, they are deaf and do not breathe. A really piece of oddity - their bite has been known to create zombies..." - she smiles, but then again realizes the seriousness of the moment and finishes quickly - "They are also impervious to cold, disease, and poison, not to mention highly resistant to fire. However, for some reason, salt water seems to burn them like acid"
"Sadly we don't have time to prep a bunch of salt water. I'll take point in there. Terra, are you alright with rearguard? This way anything trying to sneak up behind us will have to contend with your special senses."
As you turn to leave, Captain Piers handed the Desk Sergeant the note Li had given him. Looking over it, he calls out, "Art, Ollie, Robin. Get down here." With a rapid thudding sound, two men and a woman came down the stairs, lined up, and said in unison, "Yes sir?" The Sergeant moved in front of the guards and ordered, "Get your gear. You are to escort these individuals to the cult fortress and provide cover for their escape if need be. If they fail report back here. Understood?" Again, in unison, they answered, "Yes sir." As quickly as they came, the three guardsman went back upstairs. A few moments later, they came back down in full gear and ready to go. Minutes later, you were lead out of the main gate, and headed north.
"So Nebari, what's your story?" Piers says as they hike, he has been keeping an eye on the troops Li sent with them. They did not seem to be the sort for suicidal heroics, but whether they would take orders from him was another matter entirely.
"I've been around long enough to pick up a thing or two. I guess most would call me a scholar. Did some traveling somehow managed to stay alive long enough to retire from that sort of life. Couldn't pass up this opportunity though its too important to leave it to a bunch of incompetent politicians." Nebari replies candidly.
The three soldiers talked among themselves with the occasional glances towards Kizza. There doesn't seem to be indication of malice, just a sense of curiosity. The female guardsman moved up asked Tiriael, "Sooooo, had did that come about?"
"Hah! You and me both, brother," It was not entirely true, but he wanted to live a life that did not involve being bed-ridden for the rest of his days so he accepted the mission.
"You ever done a raid like this?"
"Not exactly like this no. Though I have had to deal with people not unlike this in the past, but that was a long time ago."
Quite happily munching on an apple, Doran tilts his gaze towards Terra. "So, how've you been feelin' about all this? Cult, self-righteous mayor, Kizza? You've been a bit quiet."
Tiriael smiles as the female guardsman addresses her about Kizza - "It is a long story, which I will gladly recount when we have some free time but... For the time being, let us just say that there was some really powerful magic involved, and Kizza became sentient, as much as you or me" - she winks - "Actually there are many more, but as I said it is a tale to be told with more time"
As they continue the trip, she adds - "And what abut you? What is your name? I am Tiriael"
"Artemis, but most everyone calls me Art. Not really sure why." She responded.
The guardsman in the green hood piped up, "We keep telling you, it's because it's shorter. Why do you think they call me Ollie? It's short for Oliver."
Turning to him she said, "I still don't see the need to shorten names."
The third guard put a hand on Ollie's shoulder, "Let it go, friend. She just doesn't get it."
Artemis looked back at Tiriael and continued, "Anyway, magic huh? I've always wanted to learn magic, but I don't seem to grasp it. Tell me something, is it a skill that can be learned?"
"How long are we talkin' here? You look younger than me," Piers said, continuing a bit of good natured ribbing of the scholar.
"Ah. Decades I suppose. Stopped counting after awhile, but I would say I'm easily twice your age. That is assuming you are human of course."
"Really now?" Piers says, incredulously, "Guess I should be calling you, gramps."
"Sure thing kiddo."
"Hah! Just don't expect me to fetch your arthritis cream," Piers said, feigning a punch to Nebari's shoulder.
"Some of my kind have been known to out live elves, so I don't think that will be necessary."
You come to a ridge overlooking the fortress. It is truly a sight to behold. Standing at about five stories tall, made out of what looks like pure obsidian, and surrounded by a wooden palisade, it didn't seem that imposing. However the twenty plus patrols of cultists and Akata's seemed quite daunting. But something seemed......... off. How could a structure that small hold that many cultists and beasts?
"Right," Piers said, easing back from the ledge and looking to his gathered companions. The fortress brought back unfortunate memories of his assault on the Void Tower. An inevitability he supposed but there was work to be done now. "Kizza? Can you carry someone on your back? We need someone to draw off the patrols until we can get inside."
"Kizza certainly can. Not with box though." the ant replied.
"Alright, anyone got any suggestions for taking care of that gate?" Piers said, moving to unstrap the chest from Kizza's back while they thought over the rest of the plan together.
Doran looks down the tower and smiles and smiles and smiles.
"Oh, YES..."
While absent mindedly watching the construction, and how apparently it is housing such a throng of creatures, Tiriael absent mindedly comments - "Could we perhaps pose as wanna be cultists, or something of the sort..?"
"Good idea for once we are inside but they'll probably be examining any newcomers pretty closely outside. If Doran can get us inside, Kizza, you and one of our new friends can draw some attention and then retreat. We'll infiltrate the keep from the other side while most of the guards are busy watching for threats from your direction."
"I was watching it from afar but... At first impression, the main structure itself seems quite solid, but the pallisade is really not that well maintained - I think with some exploration, we might find a place to enter" - Tiriael pipes in again.
After looking at the patrols, Robin stepped in and asked, "Is it just me, or do a number of those patrols look exactly the same?"
"It's just you Robin." Artemis replied.
Turning to Tiriael, Oliver asked, "What exactly would you be looking for?"
"Doors, and a safe path to them, would be my guess." Doran shades his eyes and takes a closer look at the patrols. "...huh; do ya reckon some of those might be illusions? If we're gonna get close, we should see if we can hear them tramping or making noise. If we can't, that'll mean they're illusions. Still possible that if they make noise they're still phantasms, but a bit less likely."
Piers leads the others around as best he can, trying to stick to cover as they scout the exterior of the building for alternate entrances.
Returning from recon, the Captain sketches out a crude map of the area around the fortress and location of the structural weakness.
"Kizza, Artemis, Oliver and Robin, you lot can be our distraction. Let them see you and then bug out. If they don't chase, take a couple of pot shots with a bow to get their interest. Your priority is staying alive though. Pick a route out that gives you an advantage from knowing it. While you're doing that, the rest of us will approach the wall here and bust in. Doran, your magic will likely be a big help there. Does that sound like a decent plan?"
"I think you should come with us." Doran nods his head towards Kizza. "Gettin' scouted by three guards will probably be something they're expecting. Gettin' scouted by three guards and an ant, less so. Might make them more suspicious, put 'em more on their guard."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Oliver replied.
The ant moved up next to Terra, "Kizza stay with, Ter-ra. Kizza feel safer with her."
Standing up and notching an arrow, Artemis said, "Let's do this then."
Carefully, you all make your way to the spot the Captain indicated earlier. Somehow, you managed to avoid the patrols. You didn't have to wait long before the sounds of men shouting rang from the gate. The distraction has begun.