GM Kiora's Wrath of the Righteous

Game Master Kiora Atua

Time passes: 90 minutes.

While Sana works on other things, Yui helps organize all the loot, getting the prisoners they'd rescued to help along with her own unseen servants, Unafe, Ehren, Hinagiku, Myrna and Beatrix.

They begin by having Unafe take many of the items straight into her dreamspace, including the bodies of the templar nobles they had killed. It was likely that the Crusades would be interested in their identities, as some might be tied to known families that were still active in Mendev, given how the Templars operated. The chests of gold and other valuable items followed, along with all of the weapons except for Myrna's hammer, the entire magic forge, and the crafting tools. One of the library collections went in as well, with the other still in Myrna's care.

She then proceeded to take the smaller items and stash them in her own bag, doling out the potions to the group equitably, and handing the staff and rod to Ehren for his use. She also stored the instant fortress and Necklace of Arcane Haven in her bag for future use, along with all of the scrolls and wands. They could be distributed later. Once finished, she looks pleased.

The scroll of Black Gnash had given her an idea, one she would need to research. If she could get ahold of the same ritual Saloc had used to bind her and Kurushimi, she might be able to bind Black Gnash to Pharasma's service as well.

"We should find someone in Drezen or Nerosyan you trust that could handle most of the sales of these goods. I don't believe we have the time to handle offloading it all. Any ideas who might be able to do so?"

"With this all sorted out, I think we are ready to go, the best place to depart will be next to the retrievers I think. If we could get them through a portal, they will have significant value to the Crusaders in conjunction with these schematics and the control spiders."

Assume if it's in the document but not here that I missed copying it back to here

No, if there is a discrepancy between any other documents and what is in gameplay, we go with what is in gameplay. Again, if you want to pick something up, you must do so in gameplay, and be explicit about what you are picking up and where it is going. That way, you cannot retroactively "remember" to pick something up at a time that is convenient to you, while also conveniently not having to account for weight or locations of things in the interim.

Yui's Handy Haversack
Broken Amulet of the Endless maze

Taking the adepts bodies off to the side, Yui takes a moment to close the door to shield the others from viewing her next actions. Setting Kurushimi aside, she shifts into her native form, and bares her fangs as she kneels before the first of the adepts. One after another she begins by casting a spell to allow her to draw known spells from the bodies of arcane magic users, then proceeds to tear into the throat of the adept, drinking sufficient blood to trigger the spell.

Since she began serving Pharasma, she rarely indulged in mortal flesh anymore. She was her mother's daughter however, and the cruel and bestial act of ripping their throats and tasting the cooling blood still sent shivers down her spine. As she finishes, she tears the sleeve off of one of the adepts robes and uses it to wipe the blood from her maw. It would hardly do to walk back out into the main room dripping in gore, after all.

Shifting back into her human form, she wipes her hands and face clean a second time before heading back out to the main room and closing the door to their study behind her.

Will use blood transcription on three of the adepts to see if there are any valuable spells to be learned. If there are and there is variation between the three, I might do more. Only takes 3 standard actions to do, plus the time to move the corpses.

Perception v. Bathroom (Amber, Luck, Lens, Botch): 1d20 + 27 + 1 + 2 + 4 - 10 ⇒ (1) + 27 + 1 + 2 + 4 - 10 = 25 Sana detects magic while searching the room.

While the group works on moving all of the loot around and into the proper locations, preparing the finishing touches, Sana heads to the bathroom. Both to use it... and to check it for any final treasures that might be squirreled away. After finishing up and washing up, she opens the door so she can listen to the conversation while she looks over the room.

"Mmmm.... Horgus was always trustworthy, especially when it came to money. Er, Horgus Gwerm. We're not on a first-name basis, exactly." Sana says after a moment. "Like, you could trust him to take a fairly large cut, but ultimately, you could also trust that he was doing what was best for the Crusades... because that was what was best for himself. Maybe he still has reliable contacts... and would be willing to handle some of it? It'd definitely add time to the sale and procurement side of things, though." Sana suggests.

"Though I think it's not uncommon to just... donate a lot of things to the Crusades. It wouldn't take a lot of work to retool them for our use... especially with the celestial forge. Like that minotaur baby bracelet might be more valuable or... less faux pas if it were reworked into a better style. The same goes for things like the unholy sword you mentioned."

"If the crusades are willing to pay for the things that are 'donated', then that is fine. I don't particularly feel the need to give them things free, however. They have a whole country supported by the chosen of a major goddess. Anyway, giving them the retrievers, controls and schematics should be plenty to get them to owe us a major favor," Yui says in response. "This Horgus might take longer to shop and procure things, but if he is well connected, he will save us a lot of time trying to find the best prices and hunt down shops to find the things we want. More importantly, he can do that while we are out dealing with Riverkeep."

"Thinking more about the retrievers, it might be worth handing them over to someone high ranking to make it clear exactly how valuable the information they can get from them is. If you want to do something with the Citadel, it could be a good way to get them to be willing to help fund transforming this place. I believe it wouldn't be too hard to identify the spells necessary to ward this place against the Worldwound and demonic incursions. The main issue would be someone to provide us with the scrolls necessary, many of which would be of very powerful spells. The crusades likely have that capability."

"As for me, I need to do some research on this Nessian Warhound, Black Gnash. Given they devour souls, it would be within my authority to judge them in the name of the Mother of Souls. They could be a powerful ally if properly bound into Pharasma's service."

"Uh... sure. On the retrievers thing. My teleportation should be big enough to get them through... but we'll be kind of pressed for time." she replies as she checks the edges of the mirror. "Do we have a way to let Nerosyan or Drezen know we're going to be pushing giant spider abominations through a gaping hole in the fabric of the universe... before we start doing so? Oh... and to have some food ready? I'm sure the folks we found are hungrier than I am... and I'm pretty hungry."

"What exactly do you mean by 'within my authority' and 'bound to Pharasma's service'?" she asks, peeking out the door.

Listening to the conversation between Sana and Yui, Beatrix speaks up in reply. "I have one sending available to me, but it takes some time to cast. Are we going to Drezen or Nerosyan?"

She regards Rue, a demon who had accompanied them, risked her life for them, fought alongside them. "We cannot teleport directly to Drezen and still bring Rue, and if we want her help or to thank her for what she's done it would be irresponsible to leave her here."

"In either case I don't think it's responsible to teleport directly to anywhere that would cause concern. We should arrive at the outskirts, so Rue can come with and so no one regards us with alarm."

"Hm... are Grumtarr's hills on the outskirts of Drezen outside of the Sword's range? I've been there a few times throughout the years, so I should be able to picture that area fairly well." Sana suggests. "Though that would be a pretty long way to drag the spiders... given their size."

She looks over the room with a small huff. A huge amount of effort had gone in to making the place hospitable... if Yui's idea to transform this into a camp for the Crusaders didn't pan out, it would be a terrible shame to leave behind a self-cleaning bathroom... she briefly envisions Unafe uprooting various pieces of the room and shoving it into her dreamspace, before casting the thought aside. Though she did really want to keep the sink and latrine if nothing else... ugh. It would be the greatest of boons to the Crusades if it were left intact.

"That should be fine, Unafe looks large enough to push the things through a portal," she says.

When Anna questions what she meant by Pharasma's service, she stops and thinks for a moment. "Right, you did join us mid-fight. I'm curious about how you came to be here as well, do you know Rue as well? I came here at her request to help out, although it was also due to Arastrax being here, which was convenient."

She thinks for a moment how to explain her own role. While she didn't usually share much about her past, given the situation they'd been in here, and the distrust shown by the Crusader Myrna already, Yui thought it best to just be up front about her situation. "Hmm... Lets say that I owe Pharasma many, many years of service for something I was involved in when I was much, much younger. Though originally bound to do so against my will, for the most part I find my role enjoyable these days. My job is to hunt down those who have violated the great cycle of souls, usually by destroying or devouring souls, or through the creation of undead. Kurushimi here is also bound to Pharasma, and the blade contains the souls of many I have judged over the years, along with the myriad of souls that were caught up in... well, to be honest... my own crime against the cycle."

"The only reason I am free is that within Kurushimi is the soul of an ancient Demilich, and his crimes far outweighed my own. I sealed him there in creating Kurushimi along with the souls of nearly a thousand innocents in the name of achieving immortality and the first steps towards apotheosis. Afterwards I was hunted down by a powerful psychopomp servant and slain, and my soul and weapon brought to judgement before Pharasma. There Saloc, the Tender of Immortals argued on my behalf and suggested this arrangement rather than damnation. For that I am grateful."

"This power I have, though my own, is bound to Pharasma now. The demilich within Kurushimi, the Daimyo of Suffering, has similarly been judged and bound to Pharasma. And as of today, the soul of the demon Arastrax is bound within there as well, awaiting Pharasma's judgement for his destruction of souls in his pursuit of stiching souls together. This summon scroll also contains the true name of a Nessian Warhound who is capable of devouring souls, which makes him a target for me. If I can learn the ritual that was used on myself and Kurushimi, however, I could bind him to service in penance for his destruction of souls. I could then summon him or even have him accompany me regularly."

Satisfied with her explanation she stops, but then chimes in briefly to add, "There's a lot more to 'why' i did what I did, and perhaps if we adventure together longer I can share it one day. But please, return the favor and introduce yourself."

After Anna finishes speaking, she turns to Beatrix to address her questions. "Given the size of the retrievers, it would be best to put them somewhere indoors and close to where they could be studied. If you could do a sending, and you and Myrna could step through the portal first, I think that would go a long way towards handling any issues with the arrival. The issue with Rue is correct. I remember her mentioning Drezen was rather inconvenient for someone of her nature. That said, I can easily teleport her to outside the radius that is protected if there is a good place to meet there, like those hills Anna mentioned. I can also provide her with fairly strong wards against magic that would detect her nature as long as she stays reasonably close to me. Procuring an effective disguise for her, such as a hat of disguise, would certainly help, however. I believe Drezen might be safer for her given it is further removed from the center of Crusader power, though certainly the retrievers and valuables we've found might be better handled in Nerosyan. Unfortunately I cannot provide disguises to others."

"Oh, and forgive my manners, please do me the favor of telling us about yourself as well, Beatrix. We could not have made it through this without your healing and divine magics."

Sana listens along, not bothering to hide her expression of clear concern when she reaches the part of 'thousand souls'.

"I... uh... nothing so grand as that, for me." she pauses, looking a bit skeptical, and choosing her next words carefully. "You're... very open, you know that? Like, that's a lot to open with. Is there a way to free those souls? And did he name himself the Daimyo of Suffering? Because that's kind of pretentious. If others named him that, then... it sounds like the name fits?"

She opens the door and comes out of the bathroom, a very strange conversation to be had from inside one, to be certain. "So your plan is to find a strange soul-eating beast and hope he takes the offer to... stop soul-eating in exchange for not being locked in prison for eternity... or something like that? I take it you did the same to Arastrax yesterday? Otherwise you'd probably be bummed about missing your target."

Pharasman repossession bounty hunter was a hell-of-a job... and not one she'd ever heard of. "I... guess the simplest and quickest version, since I'm not altogether certain of what I'm doing here... is that I took the Test of the Starstone, and now I have a list of goals that I think it wants me to accomplish. Amaznen wasn't exactly open with his long-term goals with me. But... finding Vang here and finishing him was one of the long lists of things I need to do." she pauses for a moment, then tilts her head. "You know, actually... I think our goals might align somewhat. I've got a sort of celestial hit-list to go with your soul-eater list."

She begins to count up on one hand, "If I'm right... Amaznen wants me to take out Xanthir Vang and stop his plot to assassinate the leaders of the Crusades." she ticks one, "Shaorhaz the Glutton of the Green in Greengrave, she ticks two, "Baphomet himself, she ticks three, and is interrupted by a giggle from her gauntlet and a girlish "That tickles." causing her to smirk, and tick a fourth finger. "The Wound in the world itself, by taking down Iz... and finally Deskari." she says, holding up a thumb. "And... I think maybe your uh... 'Kurushima' is the key to making sure none of these guys... commit more crimes? Assuming you wanted to stick around."

"Though, with Xanthir having escaped... it might be the case that stopping him from offing Galifrey wasn't the most important thing to stop him from doing. So... stopping him getting this Paradox book seems kind of high priority, now." she says, biting a scarred lip with too-sharp teeth. "Though it's also possible that I have the much less heroic goal of freeing Ary - that's the former leader of the warpath through the 'Wound - so that she can do it... but that feels lacking in agency as my own person. Like, don't get me wrong, I totally want to go to Rahadoum to bust her out... but that's a combination of out-of-my-wheelhouse to do alone... and much less of a time-crunch than all of this other stuff. And honestly, I think she's still getting a lot done from Prison. But... that's neither here nor there."

She pauses at the mention of a hat of disguise, reaching up to untie her hair ribbon, and as her hair cascades down, she shrinks about four inches and her features hollow out, her bones seeming to rise under her skin - though her makeup covers much of the transformation back from human-with-tiefling features to full-on tiefling.

Sana's disguise dips to 37 to appear as a tiefling rather than a half-demon without the hat.

Yui laughs when Sana points out she's perhaps uncomfortably open about her past. "I see no reason to sugarcoat what I did in the past. I've had a thousand years to come to terms with that," she says looking down at Kurushimi. "The souls are bound within Kurushimi, and they will be freed when I return to the Boneyard for my final judgement, along with the souls of anyone I have captured. On that day Pharasma will shatter the blade and end my immortality. So yes, they will be freed and judged appropriately according to the lives they lived."

She laughs again at the observation that Kurushimi's name was rather pretentious. "It is, isn't it. He was always enamored of himself and his own power, but he was an ancient being on the edge of apotheosis, so a his pretentious name was probably warranted."

"As far as Black Gnash goes, he can be bound or he can be sealed away, yes. Arastrax wasn't given a choice, however, due to the severity of his crimes. If I had to guess, he's likely trapped within one of Kurushimi's soul gems. He does that for special guests."

She listens as Anna tells a story even more incredible than her own, despite her clearly attempting to downplay it. "The starstone? Now that is truly interesting. I once had dreams of achieving godhood, but to meet someone actively on the path is quite exciting. I have never heard stories of someone who has left the Starstone while still mortal. The list of targets certainly sounds quite thrilling, however. Could one defeat or even seal away a god? Certainly that would be the sort of thing one might expect of one seeking to ascend themselves."

"I know nothing of this Ary or of what the Starstone might have in mind for you, but I do know one thing: We must take responsibility for what we have done and for that with which we have been charged. One cannot hand off their own fate to another. You are clearly here to do something no other mortal can, and I very much doubt that is freeing another mortal so they can defeat a god."

She looks at Anna as she removes her disguise and nods approvingly. "You should not hide your heritage, it is part of who you are. It is only a curse if you allow it to be. Do not allow others to decide how you see yourself."

Unafe pauses from the work of storing and organizing valuables in her dreamspace, and chuckles.

"I thank the gods and the ancestors that you and Rue arrived to aid us when you did, Yui...and Anna, it's hard to imagine we could have succeeded here without your strength, and the insight you'd culled in advance of our arrival. It’s a marvel that you were here just when we needed you, twice now." Unafe shrinks down to ordinary human height, though maintains her saurian features, "When I think surely I've encountered every bizarre marvel of life outside the Taranau Valley, I'm proved wrong again.

"Both of you will be welcome companions as we work to finish off Vang. And assuming you're willing, we would be fortunate to have your partnership in working to close this wretched Wound and give Sarkoris back to her peoples."

After a pause, she adds, "Anna, if you truly are on a quest to close the Wound and defeat Deskari then perhaps you'd be willing to work beside us going forward. I do not know that we’ll succeed, but our chances will be better with allies such as yourselves. My own Demetae people will know no true peace until that task is settled, nor will the Great Saurians be able to return to the Taranau Valley, as is their proper home...and if I'm honest, I want this victory not just for my people, and the many clans of Sarkoris, but for the Southerners who dwell here too; for all who are joined in this fight.

"And Rue, I've said it to you before but I'll say it again: You've been a dependable ally twice now. Do you know what Densa wants of you next? I never thought I'd say this to a demon, but I'd be pleased to have you fighting by my side for as long as this Wound needs healing."

Sana listens to Yui speak with nods of understanding at the appropriate times, things pleasant until her mention of hiding her heritage, her lips tightening slightly when the woman says that, though shifting her attention to Unafe when she speaks up - thankful for the distraction.

She hastily ties her hair back up and returns to her previous form, taller, less angular, less thin. She misses the beginning of Unafe's speech, lost in her own thoughts for a brief moment - her intent to make Rue's plight more bearable having highlighted her own insecurities instead. They would need two hats of disguise, it seemed.

It was true that she hid what she was for the sake of others, but that didn't make it any less for herself. Her 'heritage' was something she chose to hide to protect herself and deal with fewer problems that came with being so obviously abyssal in nature. Would Yui have said the same to her if she hadn't been wearing her makeup? If she truly looked like a pale shadow of what a human was supposed to be?

She shakes herself from her thoughts when Unafe says her name once more, hopeful that she hadn't missed anything particularly important. "I... that was my hope. I realized yesterday that I was going about things wrong. Being in the right place at the right time has its merits... but a lot of things went wrong that could have been prevented if I'd just... you know... communicated. So, sure. As long as you're out to kill fiends or cleanse the land, I'm pretty happy to stick around."

Yui makes note of Anna's discomfort at her suggestion. It wasn't entirely surprising, humans were often rather unwilling to accept those who were different, probably even more so in and around Mendev. Still, she found it ironic for one to be seeking apotheosis and still noticably uncomfortable with their own appearance. Perhaps she could convince Anna to discuss it further some day but for the time being, Yui feels it best not to press the issue.

"This is quite an impressive group to begin with. Your own ability to change forms, Myrna was able to survive damage that should have killed anyone, and appears to have some giant heritage? Ehren, Hinagiku and Beatrix were all quite powerful in the battle. It is truly a delight to meet such a truly powerful group of mortals. As I mentioned to Myrna, unless Pharasma or Saloc demand I accomplish something that sends me away, I have no issues with hanging around and helping. I owe Vang for this damage to my lungs."

"And Rue has always been a dependable ally, certainly since I've known her."

"You will need to tell me about your home and your people sometime, Unafe. I am curious to hear more of these saurians. There is nothing like them in the lands around Tian'Xia, though I admit my travels through the inner sea have been fairly limited. What about you Ehren, Hinagiku?"

The succubus inclines her head at Yui, her red eyes glinting with quiet gratitude. "The feeling is mutual," she replies.

Rue's lips curve into the faintest smile. "It seems our paths were always meant to cross," she says. "Fate—or perhaps the gods—have strange ways of guiding us. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for it."

"I do not know what Desna’s plan for me is yet," she admits, "but I do know one thing—I want to be here, with all of you, for as long as I can be. Healing this Wound feels... right. Necessary." She pauses, searching for the words. "For the first time, I feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself—a chance to truly make amends."

"But I think a good starting point is to finish what we started, and hunt down Xanthir Vang while he's flat-footed. Do you all have any idea where he has gone?"

Time passes: 10 minutes.

Time passes: 10 minutes.

Automating the inactive characters to keep the conversation going.

Myrna spins her warhammer absentmindedly as she breaks the silence that follows Rue's question.

“All right, let’s lay it out plain,” she says, fixing her gaze on Rue. “Vang is looking for the Lexicon of Paradox, a powerful artifact tied to the very creation of the Worldwound. It’s essentially a collection of Areelu Vorlesh’s research and spells—the madwoman who tore open the rift in the first place. If it contains what we think it does, it could also hold the key to closing the Worldwound for good. That’s why Vang wants it so badly, and why we need to stop him. From what we’ve gathered, Vang suspects the Lexicon could be in one of three places: Stormont Isle, Carrock’s How, or Riverkeep."

“From what I've learned from my scrying spell,” she continues, “Vang has already sent his agents to Riverkeep, likely to scout for Riftwarden caches or remnants of their defenses. Meanwhile, he’s preparing to make his way to Carrock’s How himself, drawn by the corrupted power of the Spirit Mound. Every step we take there in pursuit of him will be dangerous, and every moment we delay gives him an edge. That’s why we need to act decisively and make sure we know where we’re striking first.”

Ehren nods, his crystalline eye reflecting a quiet intensity as he contributes to the ongoing discussion and plan. “Carrock’s How is the heart of the Spirit Mound, a site of immense druidic power. During the invasion, the druids poured their strength into Carrock to defend Storasta. But the corruption of the Worldwound overwhelmed him, turning him into a mad, vengeful force.”

He pauses. “Carrock killed Vorian, my predecessor as Archdruid,” he continues, his voice steady despite the weight of having lived through that memory himself. “The Spirit Mound’s power could mean hope for Sarkoris, but attempting to reclaim it now would be a mistake. Carrock is far beyond our strength to face directly, and the risk of failure is too great. If we must follow Vang to Carrock’s How, we would need to avoid confronting Carrock himself at all costs.”

Myrna shifts her focus to the next location, “Then there’s Stormont Isle,” she says, a note of disdain slipping into her voice. “Lalizarzadeh’s stronghold. She’s a hezrou general who’s held the island since the First Crusade. Her forces dominate the river with merrow, grindylows, scrags, and a half-fiend froghemoth named Kulkarni. Vang seems to think the Lexicon of Paradox could be hidden there. If we confirm that, it becomes critical we act carefully.”

Ehren folds his arms, his crystalline eye narrowing as he adds his thoughts. “Stormont Isle’s strategic importance cannot be overstated,” he says. “Lalizarzadeh’s forces ensure the river is nearly impassable, cutting off movement of supplies up and down the river. But she is a cunning general with overwhelming forces at her command. If she has the full might of her allies, facing her directly would be suicide. We need to move with caution, avoiding detection where possible.”

Finally, Myrna turns to the last location. “And then there’s Riverkeep,” she says. “Vang’s notes suggest it’s a former Riftwarden stronghold. There could be hidden caches or relics—resources we could use. But it’s unclear what’s left. It might be abandoned, or it might be crawling with demons.”

Ehren’s expression darkens slightly, his brow furrowing. “Riverkeep also lies on a ley line, similar to the How,” he says. “Securing it could give us a fortified position and allow me to tap into its power.... We could even attempt to enter it directly through the ley."

“That said,” Ehren continues, “charging directly into Riverkeep may not be the wisest choice without more information. It might be better to scout the area first or find locals who can tell us what’s become of the keep.”

Myrna nods. “Before we move on Storasta, we must finish what we started here,” she says. “We need to decide about the Crusader's body we found. Beatrix could raise her, but only if it’s what she would have wanted. Otherwise, we should take the time to gather her Crusader's Cross so that we can bring closure to her loved ones.”

Ehren’s expression turns contemplative, his voice carrying a thoughtful sort of cadence. “If we can find the necessary materials—rare oils or a diamond—I can assist,” he says. 

Hinagiku’s voice takes on a quieter, more introspective tone as she steps forward. “Also, I tried to piece together the plans in the war room,” she says. “But they are encoded and I could not understand them. Whatever knowledge was there is lost to us.”

Myrna addresses the group, “We’ve seen Vang’s next moves,” she says. “He’s sent agents to Riverkeep and plans to head to Carrock’s How himself. We can’t let him outpace us. After we finish here, we should regroup and head to Gundrun. It’s the best staging point. From there, we can plan our assault.”

Ehren nods slowly. “I can lead us to Gundrun through the ley lines,” he says. “From there, Ghalcor’s Tower could serve as a fortified base. Gundrun itself is rich in potential allies."

“Yes. My grandmothers live nearby to the tower—they’re wise and well-connected. If anyone in Gundrun knows more about what Vang might be looking for, it’s them. They might have some information that could keep us from all getting killed. And then there’s my friend, Alase,” Myrna says, her tone growing more resolute. "Alase has walked through the ruins before. If anyone can help us avoid traps and get to the heart of Storasta safely, it’s her.”

Arueshalae listens, taking all of the information in before responding. “I have been to Gundrun before,” she begins, a small smile tugging at her lips. “It’s a city where I wouldn’t need to hide or worry about disguises. Gundrun is mostly inhabited by tieflings, so I would fit right in. If we’re able to drop me off there, you wouldn’t have to worry about me attracting unwanted attention.”

She glances between Myrna and Ehren before continuing, her tone growing more thoughtful. “Xanthir will likely need to rest for several days before he’s ready to face Carrock. That gives us an opportunity. We could try to beat him to the punch at the three places he suspects might hold the Lexicon.”

She straightens, her wings folding neatly behind her. “We have time, but not much. If we move quickly and strike wisely, we could stay ahead of him and ensure the Lexicon doesn’t fall into his hands.”

Myrna's expression suddenly darkens as she absorbs the sending. Turning to the group, she raises her voice.

“We’ve got a situation,” she says, her tone sharp and direct. “Sesker’s Gully is under siege. The watchtower’s defenses are failing, and the Crusaders there are overwhelmed. They’ve called for immediate reinforcements.”

She pauses, thinking it over. "We’re about 60 miles out. If we move to help them, it’s likely we’ll need to delay our plans for the Lexicon and risk Vang's minions gaining more ground. On the other hand, if we leave them to fend for themselves, that tower—and everyone inside—might fall."

Ehren's expression remains thoughtful and steady despite the sudden stress. “If we leave through the secret tunnels in the gorge, I can guide us through the ley lines to a point nearer to Drezen. From there, we’d still be about five miles out from Sesker’s Gully, but it would significantly cut down the travel time.”

Arueshalae nods slowly, her wings folding close as she listens. Her eyes shift between the group, concern clouding her expression. “If I’m to join you,” she begins hesitantly, “I’ll need time to prepare a proper disguise. But... if the situation is as dire as it sounds, we may not have that luxury.” She glances at Myrna, then the others. “What are you all planning to do? If I slow us down, I could... stay behind, but it would take me a very long time to meet up with you all in Gundrun if we get separated.”

Sana sighs and shakes her head. "Well, I suppose we got lucky in that we hadn't already started going through on one of our plans. It would have been a real pain to deal with this after teleporting across the nation. Or I guess, Sesker's Gully got lucky... that limits where I can take us, if this takes too long, though." Sana says as she moves out of the restroom. "Gather everything up that we plan to take. We'll just drop straight into Sesker's. I'll only have about an hour, so let me know when everyone's ready." she pauses. "Unless we feel the need to take one of the slower ways, so we can move after Vang faster. But we'd be leaving some of these things behind if we go that route."

Myrna listens to Sana and Yui share their backstories. Yui was a thousand-year-old death worshiper who was paying the penance for being an evil soul-stealer by sealing souls in her sinisterly-named blade and delivering them to the goddess of death. Sana was from another dimension, attempting to attain godhood, and this life was her trial to achieve it. God of Heroes and Fools, she might one day become.

Myrna attempts to reconcile the divide between them. "Maybe your absurdly cosmic origins explains how you were able to survive against Vang and his goons when I could not," she jokes. "Your blade is welcome at my side, especially if you're also the ones carting us around," she adds with a laugh.

She receives the sending, and then turns to her companions.

She regards her companions, especially the new ones. "Well, it seems we have even more to do than we thought. How many times can we teleport today? Think we have the time to break a siege on the Gully, put the treasure into the coffers, and still make it to Gundrun in time for people to be awake?"

Arueshalae nods resolutely at Sana. “An hour is plenty for me. I’ll prepare my disguise and catch up. Don’t wait on my account—if you can teleport to Sesker’s Gully without delay, you should go now.”

Disguise Time: 1d3 ⇒ 2
Disguise Check: 1d20 + 40 ⇒ (4) + 40 = 44

Yui listens to the discussion of the overall situation and the unfolding events at Sesker's Gully. "If we can teleport to the Gully directly, we should go ahead and do so now. There is no reason to delay. I believe we have everything prepared, the main issue will be finding a safe spot for the civilians, and I think we can achieve that with this necklace. Summon the mansion in a quiet spot and get everyone vulnerable in it."

She listens to Myrna's surprise about her own and Sana's backgrounds and responds with her own perception of the events and amazement at Myrna's near invincibility. "I wouldn't say we exactly survived our encounter with Vang. You are in much better shape than either I or Hinagiku after the fight. My lungs have been scarred by the constant exposure to the cloudkill, and she lost an eye. Your own heritage is also something not to be underestimated. You took a beating that would have felled most mortals a dozen times over and look no worse for wear."

Unafe nods. "I dislike delaying our pursuit of Vhang too long–finding that book before he does is the highest of stakes–but allies of yours are allies of mine. If they are in need, I'm sure we can aid them first.

[b]"That said, please, let us not let one skirmish distract us from the greater need to end this Wound. I can be ready in just a minute."

Unafe begins to once again call the Ancestors to her, and also this time weaves their blessings around any of her companions who care to receive them.

Unafe takes 3 rounds to cast on herself:
- Emperor Motif (10 hr)
- Death Motif (10 hr)
- See in Darkness (2 SP, 7 hr)
And will happily add 1-2 Motifs for others, if they wish
.
Currently 12/19 SP

Myrna chuckles at Yui's response. "You wouldn't say you survived?" She looks the Tian woman up and down with an appraising eyebrow. "You have an interesting definition of alive, in that case. My grandmothers always did say I couldn't find my shoes if they were on my feet, but I'd like to think I can see a living woman and know her as such."

She considers her allies. "My question still remains: How many times can we teleport in a day? Whether I think we go to the Gully does depend on whether we can go to Gundrun after in the same day."

"Apparently they were right, since you seem convinced you didn't survive, but that we did," Yui quips, entertained by Myrna's unwillingness to admit her own impressive accomplishment. "If you didn't survive, then most certainly I didn't either. Had Unafe and Anna fallen, none of us would be alive to tell the tale, after all."

"We can get to Gundrun with the Shadow Walk scroll even if we were to somehow run out of teleport magic, so we will be fine. If the ley can get us within five miles or so, and we can fly up a ways, I could easily teleport us the rest of the way. If there are landmarks there distinctive enough, I might even be able to do it from here if we go up high enough, assuming the skies are clear. It wouldn't be the first time I've used teleport in that fashion."

Sana begins to work through the logistics of getting her magics to work on transporting everyone, and then frowns... there were some gaps where there hadn't been before the test. She had ran into the issue before now as well. Lessons she had long learned seemed to have been stripped from her... though she couldn't exactly complain too much as they were being replaced with new knowledge.

"As it turns out... I lack the ability to take us somewhere instantly. I can only reach so far into that bag of tricks... maybe it's that Va..." she shakes her head. It was possible that she couldn't duplicate feats that hadn't yet been achieved by others, but it wasn't a perfect assumption. She would simply have to grow into this problem, as she had done before.

"I... think we'll have to rely upon someone else's ability to teleport us... though I can figure out a way to keep the civilians safe if needed. How long would it take us to reach that ley line, Ehren?"

Time passes: 4 minutes.

Ehren adjusts his posture. “I can walk the lines up to seven times today, bringing up to 4 people with me at a time,” he explains. “With that capacity, we can easily travel to the Drezen plateau and then onward to the Tower of Ghalcor after addressing the situation at Sesker’s Gully.”

Ehren’s crystalline eye narrows as he listens to Sana. He shifts his weight, leaning on his new Staff of Healing, before responding in his calm, measured tone.

“The fastest route would be through the front entrance of the Ivory Sanctum,” he says. “That path takes us directly into the gorge. From there, we’d have to maneuver past the basilisks. Assuming we make it through unscathed, we’d need to squeeze into the secret tunnels that the ancient cave druids carved out to reach the ley line millennia ago.”

He pauses, his brow furrowing slightly. “Last time, we teleported from those tunnels to the top of the plateau and found the back entrance of the Sanctum. If we’re relying on foot travel from the back entrance, that is more time-consuming.”

Ehren shifts the staff in his hand, gesturing faintly as he maps out the path in his mind. “It would mean walking through the long tunnel where we found the retrievers, crossing the forest around the gorge, and then descending the eastern cliffs to reach the secret entrance near the terminal end of the Grey Road. And then we'd need to get past those ghouls we had sealed away the last time we traveled through there... they are sealed on the same side we'd be trying to enter. It is...not impossible,” he adds, glancing around the group, “but it could delay us by up to an hour or so. If we have a way to directly teleport back to the spot Yui had teleported us out of, that would be ideal.”

As they plan how to quickly get to this besieged gully, Unafe calls on the spirits of her ancestors to watch over her allies.

"Before we go, I would ask the Sacred Ancestors to guide your hands as they guide mine, if you'd care to have their support. They can help you to avoid blunders at the last minute with a gentle nudge, and to make sure your blows strike true."

One by one, Unafe places her hands on the shoulders of each interested ally. As she does, she calls out silently for their protection, and they see a brief spectral glow, and feel a quiet whoosh as the air around them is charged with helpful ancestral spirits.

"They will stay with you for many hours, unless you discharge them. If you do, perhaps they will leave you with one final gift."

Cast:
- Temperance on Hinagiku, Rue, and Yui
- Swords on Myrna
// still waiting to hear if Ehren, Anna, or Beatrix would like one of these, but if they post that they do, she'll cast it on them too. Currently at SP 8/19, but happy to cast on each of them if they post here that they want in. And if not everyone wants one, I'm happy to give Yui Swords as well (as she requested off thread).

"So, no portaling to Sesker's, we're riding the ley?" Myrna confirms, curious about the turn of events and the basic planning. "Well, if we need to get past the basilisks, then let's get going! Come on."

Myrna was especially in a better rush because Unafe was now blessing them with temporary spirit-blessings. "How are we going to get past the basilisks? I can summon a bigass fireball, maybe we can explode them all in one big swoop. Unless someone else has a better idea."

On the way, she pops her head into the barracks to wave at the people that Sana had rescued from the dungeon the previous day. "Hey, we're getting out of here," she calls. "I'll carry the kid, if you need."

"We're dropping you off in Drezen. Hope that's okay."

Then she heads for the front door of the Sanctum, urging her allies to come along with her as they finally get a move on out of this horrible place.

"I... can probably bypass the basilisks, and then you guys can follow along using Amber. If you can describe the location and the direction and maybe the distance, I can go straight through walls and the ground and fly that way. I can use the same trick from earlier to let you guys know to teleport. I'll move Amber a few feet to let you know when I've reached the location and the first group - the fighters - can come. Then I can do it again once we're sure things are safe, and the next group can come. As long as it's within about a mile, Amber won't try to follow me."

Kaede, the Minkaian Crusader, rises to her feet. She exhales with visible relief and glances at the others. “We’re ready. The boy’s still nervous, but he’s stronger than he looks.”

Janos places a comforting hand on his younger brother Aedric’s shoulder. The boy clutches the tattered piece of cloth in his hands but manages a hesitant nod. “Thank you,” Janos says sincerely. “Drezen will be a haven compared to this place.”

Dahlia, the Andoren Crusader, smiles faintly despite her tired eyes. “Dropping us off in Drezen? Sounds almost luxurious after everything we’ve been through. We’re with you, Captain.”

Aedric’s voice is barely a whisper as he adds, “I’ll try not to slow anyone down…”

As they head for the front entrance, Ehren walks alongside her, providing key details. “The entrance to the tunnels is about 150 feet southeast from the Sanctum’s front doors,” he explains.“There’s a small crack in the stone wall that leads to it, past the basilisks.”

"Perhaps we can use this figurine of wondrous power to come get them at the ley node. That way they can be taken to shelter in the city while we are at Sesker's Gully. Would one of you have an idea who might be able to help retrieve them?"

After considering a moment, Myrna contributes: "We can send to the Hellfire Squadron barracks. Some of my soldiers will come and make sure the civilians are walked safely to Drezen's walls."

She waits for Sana to bring them onward. "I'm ready to go now," she adds.

Unafe nods, "That sounds like a good plan. Let's make haste!"

Ready to go

"So... on that front, I have a way to almost certainly keep everyone safe during the trip, and cut down on travel time. Most teleportation magic has limits on the number and amount of people that could go at a time... and Ehren is limited to four. There's magic that I could emulate that lets me place people into a pocket dimension... I basically put someone who's willing to sleep and they can ride along with me that way. If you folks are all willing, I could pull you into that space and we should be able to do a single straight shot instead of our teleportation magic requiring the Archdruid to travel back and forth again and again. In the event we're pressed for time by danger it would make a real difference in keeping everyone safe." Sana says, looking to the Sarkorians and Crusaders in turn. "What do you think?"

Diplomacy (Luck, Amber): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 17 + 2 + 1 = 28

“Captain,” Beatrix reminds gently, “most of the Hellfire Squadron is stationed at Sesker’s Gully, by your orders.”

The rescued individuals exchange glances before responding to Sana. Kaede is the first to speak. “If it keeps us safe and gets us to Drezen faster, I’ll do it.”

Naluna nods, their expression impassive. “You’ve already risked much for us. If you say this is safer, we trust you.”

Janos places a hand on Aedric’s shoulder. The boy looks uncertain but eventually nods, clutching his cloth tightly. “We’ll go,” Janos says firmly. “Whatever keeps him safe.”

Dahlia tilts her head, considering. “A pocket dimension, huh? Sounds strange but... if it works, I’m in.”

After considering for a moment, Beatrix agrees to make the sacrifice on behalf of the team. "I would agree to be placed into stasis temporarily. We don't want to be caught out by the basilisks on our journey. I should like to be let out as soon as possible."

"That just leaves two more." Sana says, looking over the group. "Rue, would you be willing?" she asks, sending the message to her telepathically.

The succubus takes a steadying breath, her body mostly obscured by a large cloak. “I’ll do it as well,” she says aloud for the others' benefit. “Anything to help.”

"Let's not delay any longer then," Yui says, beginning to weave an enchantment to allow herself to fly. "Myrna pull out the magic carpet so you can fly once we are there. Five miles is close enough that we should be able to teleport directly by line of sight the final distance."

Casting overland flight, CL 12, 12 hour duration
Ready to go.

Allies within 15' of Amber: Spend a move action to teleport adjacent to Sana as well as +(1) Morale v. Mind-affecting.
Allies within 30' of Sana: Spend a point of momentum to reduce damage from a source by 7.
Enemies within 30' of Sana: None

Sana nods and reaches to her parasol dangling from her back. "Alright... here goes." She flips it over in her hand with practiced ease, swinging it up overhead. Her shadow dances along its surface, curling along her body and wrapping around the seemingly ordinary object, her magic pouring into it for a moment. One by one, she reaches out to each of the civilians first, then Beatrix, Unafe, and Rue. Each becomes a two-dimensional image of themselves, as seen from Sana's perspective, before floating into her shadow and vanishing.

As a full round action, Sana spends one MP to lose her bow set and adds her Glamered Lucerne Hammer in its place, gaining Warp, Extradimensional Storage, Extradimensional Torpor, Shining Arsenal (Light) until she replaces the customization, and Plane Manipulator for 1 hour. She spends 8 rounds and 8 SP pulling each of the civilians, Beatrix, Unafe, and Rue into her Extradimensional Torpor. She adds the Weightless customization to it, allowing her to weild it as a finesse weapon.

Next goal is to go to entrance and head for the leynode. But I wanted to leave space for anything that might happen.

Sana’s extraordinary magic transforms her allies and the civilians into ethereal images before absorbing them into her shadow. Her parasol carries the weight of lives entrusted to her care.

The low howl of a windstorm outside reverberates through the gorge as Sana heads outside in her shadow form, sliding through the dim corridors past the many piled up minotaur corpses. The gale beyond seems to have driven the basilisks to take cover. Sana's shadow flits against the walls in rhythmic curls, until she finds the small crack in the stone wall Ehren described. The passage is narrow and jagged. It is too confined for her to summon the others until she reaches a wider section.

The tunnel opens slightly after several tight squeezes. The air is heavy and damp, and the oppressive darkness wraps tightly around her. Intricate, flowing designs carved into the walls glimmer faintly, illuminating scenes that seem both ancient and alive. The carvings extend to the ceiling and floor, their patterns telling a story long forgotten by most.

Sana surveys the space before nodding decisively. With a thought, she calls upon Amber to signal the others, summoning Ehren, Yui, Myrna, and Hinagiku to her side. One by one, they materialize in the dim, carved expanse of the tunnel.

Ehren’s expression brightens with recognition as he observes the carvings, brushing his hand against one of the intricate designs. “Excellent, you found it. These are druidic markings, left behind by ancient clans” he says softly, his voice reverent. "They mark this place as one where the ley swells strongly."

Hinagiku, at his side, remains composed but observant, her eyes trailing over the carvings. For her, the ley energy here feels... harmonious, yet charged, despite the omnipresence of the Wound.

Ehren nods and extends his hands to the group. “Let’s join hands. I’ll guide us through the ley to the plateau.”

Once the group links hands, Ehren channels his connection to the ley lines. The carvings around them seem to pulse faintly, the flow of energy drawing them in. In a surge of light and warmth, the tunnel fades, replaced by the underground Temple of the Menhir.

The air here is fresher, the oppressive weight of the cave replaced by a serene, vibrant energy. Druids move through the space and a soft, welcoming hum fills the chamber, the temple alive with ancient and sacred power.

One of the druids approaches, a middle-aged woman with greying dark hair braided with small red berries. She smiles warmly. “Croeso, Archoferdd,” she says, bowing her head. “Mae'n dda eich gweld ar ôl cael y cyfle i'ch cyfarfod ychydig ddyddiau yn ôl. Rydym ni o lwyth Derwen Garreg wedi dod yma i weld a allwn adfer rhai o demlau ein hynafiaid.”

"Mae'n dda eich gweld eto, Esyllt," Ehren inclines his head. “Byddai'n dda i bawb ohonom ei weld yn cael ei adfer,” he replies, his voice carrying quiet pride. “Rydym ni'n pasio drwodd ar fusnes brys, ond am nawr, mae'r lle hwn yn cynnig seibiant a chryfder i ni.”

“Mae Ceunant Sesker dan ymosodiad gan gythreuliaid. Mae’r Croesgadwyr yno’n cael trafferth dal eu tir, ac rydym ni’n mynd yno i’w hatgyfnerthu.”

Before Ehren can elaborate further, a barrel-chested figure steps forward. Durik, the leader of the Stone Oak Clan, is a stout man with weathered skin and a beard streaked with grey.

“Rydyn ni newydd glirio llwybr i’r wyneb yn union uwchben,” Durik interjects, his voice deep and steady. “Er mwyn ei wneud yn haws i ni ddychwelyd â chyflenwadau, heb orfod cymryd ffurf elfennol. Os oes angen ein cymorth arnoch chi, Archoferdd, dywedwch y gair. Mae Llwyth Derwen Garreg yn barod i helpu.”

Time passes: Six minutes.

"Diolch, Durik," Ehren replies, his tone rich with relief and gratitude. "Mae pobl gyda ni y gwnaethom eu rhyddhau o grafangau addolwyr cythreuliaid. A gawn ni eu gadael yn dy ofal hyd nes y byddwn wedi dychwelyd o Ceunant Sesker?"

Durik inclines his head solemnly, the lines of his weathered face deepening with his smile. "Wrth gwrs, Archoferdd," he replies in his deep voice. "Byddwn ni’n edrych ar eu holau tra’ch bod chi’n wynebu’r peryglon hynny. Mae’n ddyletswydd sanctaidd gofalu am y rhai ag sydd wedi dioddef."

Sana nods, after a moment of hesitation. When Ehren had said 'Drezen Plateau', she hadn't considered that there were more leyline nodes in the area than the one nearest the city. Myrna's explanation had also seemed to suggest that they'd be just outside of the city. After that brief pause, though, she gives herself a bit of space and unloads all five of the prisoners, a considerable amount easier than storing them had been.

All five flow out of her shadow in their two dimensional form into those spaces closest to her, before their portraits blow up and then immediately reform into three dimensions. "We're pretty close to Drezen now, I think. Ehren's friends should be able to get you the rest of the way safely." she explains.

Sana keeps Rue, Unafe, and Beatrix stored for now.

Janos immediately steps forward, his hand protectively resting on Aedric’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he says earnestly, his eyes meeting Sana’s. “For everything. We’ll stay safe. Until we meet again.”

Kaede nods. “We’ll be fine from here. Good luck at Sesker’s Gully.”

"Are we ready then? As we're underground we will first need to teleport into the air, be prepared to fly once we are up there," she says. "We will go up, and once we spot the gully, we will teleport there immediately."

Once everyone is ready, Yui will cast dimension door the maximum distance straight up, 880', which should be plenty high enough to see the gully. She will then teleport the group to a spot over the gully, preferably a location pointed out by Ehren or Myrna as a good spot to start aiding the fight.