Älia and Heff spend some time with Dalton in another room, giving him a crash course on illusion magic. They detail out a plan, and Heff gives Dalton a scroll of Major Image.
Gabriel will grab a moment when he can to talk to Heff. The man was going to be busy in a little while, so he wasn't sure how much could be done with it, but Krokar had made a suggestion and knew Heff better then he did. "As I mentioned, I was told to pass this along to you. I'm... not actually sure if you had a similar idea but Korkar seemed to think you thought the gangs to much trouble then their worth. I had an idea that might change that though. Not sure if it's important now but it might help with reconstruction."
Gabriel takes a few moments to briefly outline the idea. It would take a smart individual rather then manpower, and Gabe thought the people had met so far in this group covered that quite well. The basic idea was to use the knowledge they had of the gangs to pick two that disliked each other and wouldn't work together, but didn't openly hate each other. Bring them into the fold, at the same time, and let their distrust of each other as they try to grab power be the check to whatever power they might have. With them too worried about losing assets to their rival, which could be helped along with some careful management through rumors and perhaps a false message or two, they'd be too distracted protecting what they have and actually working too steal anything they shouldn't. It would really only require a few people to manage both sides, as long as Heff's agents communicated their plans to each other carefully. All the while, the gangs will actually be gaining by helping, simply by being part of the change in the city, making it too good of an offer to pass up for them.
The young tiefling takes a breath, as he had quickly gone through all that, not wanting to slow the group down should they be ready soon. "So, what do you think?"
Heff listens to Gabriel, and at the end laughs. "I'll have you caught for espionage yet! Kiddo, why do you think I'm here? It's certainly not to help with the open fighting. I'll tell you what though, at its bones that's a pretty good plan. I'll get the arrangements made!"
Dalton wrinkles his nose as he finishes. "I believe I should be capable of making the necessary convocation, but I can't say I care for the school more than I did."
"Righto, one last thing Dalton." Heff leads the half-elf a few feet away with an arm over his shoulder, then stops and faces him. "You've met Tiasar, yes? Well he developed a...well I don't really understand it at his core, you would have to ask him. The specifics even our old drow doesn't comprehend." Heff slips out a tiny lead case and slowly opens it. Inside is a stone in a loosely teardrop shape that has swirling masses of color inside it. The edges are hard to locate, and it seems like the stone is held together more from force magic than anything. "Tiasar calls these Kyerki's." Dalton recognizes the word, as it has roots in ancient elvish. It means something along the lines of "spell void". Heff places it in Dalton's hand, and the sensation is like all others except for the weight he was expecting. The Kyerki exerts no force on Dalton's hand whatsoever, but every other feeling is mildly felt at once; heat, cold, abrasion, smoothness, softness, tickling, and everything in between. All are just barely there, each feeling there if you think about it.
"This is one of the weakest kinds that Tiasar makes, but it's still very potent and useful." Heff rolls up Dalton's fingers around the Kyerki, then grips Dalton's hand to make him crush it. Dalton feels the same unexplainable plethora of feelings escalate and rush through his hand up his arm, ending in his mind. Dalton's vision briefly flickers as he sees the world through the vision of one who can see magic on a whim. Then the feeling is gone, and the Kyerki with it. Heff chuckles as Dalton takes in the experience. "Like seeing the stars for the first time I hear. Don't make me regret that, I had to pull in quite the favor to get one of those from him."
Heff starts walking out to the door, then as if forgetting something trivial he turns on his heel. "Oh by the way the next time you wake up from sleep you're going to go on withdrawal from that. I hear it causes quite the killer headache. Don't worry, you'll recover from it without too much trouble."
As the spectral sensations went through him, Dalton felt energized, rejuvenated. With his eyes as wide as dinner plates and his mouth agape, Heff had to be amused.
"That's quite the stone Tiasar created!" The thoughts of possible profit - from its appearance and weight, let alone its magical properties - didn't occur to Dalton at first.
"I see ... a sort of loan against my own mental acuity. I'd like to know who collects on the interest." The utilization was an interesting concept, but Dalton hated the idea of borrowing against himself. But sometimes, one has no other option.
"My thanks for the device. I'll do my best to put it to use."
He went to consult with the others to determine how to best pin his arcane efforts to their board of strategy.
Gabriel paused as he was pacing back and forth, just after Heff left, when he recalled what else he wanted to do. He turned quickly back to the tent to see if Raul and Korkar were still within. "It needs mentioning," He began, his eyes briefly looking to Raul, "Raul's men have many injured. Have you any healers you can trust not to hurt them? Until the Masked healers open their doors, we may be the only ones with any ready supply of medics. It need not even be magical if we cannot spare their time, just someone who can see stabilize those who would otherwise lose their lives."
Krokar exhales sharply at Gabriel's question. "My men would never harm somebody I tell them not to." He turns to the werewolf. "I've already spread the word of what you've done. I'll let them know to aid your men in healing as well." Raul gives a gracious nod.
Gabriel tilts his head to the side briefly, then nods as well. "I apologize for inferring such. I do not know you, your men, or your organization. And to be honest most of my impressions of it come from Heff. I hope you'll forgive me." Gabriel takes a moment to bow his head a little more deeply, feeling it necessary to convey his apology. Harsh lands had cut down on much of his manners but he still had some semblance of all that Geoffrey had tried to instill in him.
"Think nothing of it. Not every organization is as tightly knit as ours."
Gabriel nods again, appreciating the lack of mocking in the mans tone. His eyes turn back down to the map. Rather then speak around the question he was about to ask, to avoid offending Raul, Gabriel spoke plainly. "This distraction is likely going to be cause a lot of trouble. I'm not certain if those who fought beside us are up for it anymore, considering the injuries they suffered against the undead we encountered in Whitecloaks base. Do you have any plans for them?"
"My white cloaks and I will do everything in our power to bring Acera down. Those that are too injured to fight, won't. The rest will continue the fight." Raul says plainly.
"With enough Whitecloaks by our side, Dalton's ritual will look that much more credible ontop of having a great deal of skilled warriors. The problem is that Acera is a magic user and she has some sort of spell woven into your mens lives. Is it worth the risk that her ace in the hole is not a snap of the fingers and the stopping of all their hearts?" Gabriel sounded concerned for the men, but he also sounded like he was speaking a hypothetical and posing a question. Raul had magic, healing magic even, and if Älia was nearby and it was a credible concern they could also ask her apparent expertise as well. Oddly enough, for anyone studying Gabriel's intent through his words and tone, the tiefling didn't seem concerned at all about trusting the offer, his concern really was for the dangers the idea posed and the safety of Raul's men.
Raul grimaces. "I hadn't thought of that. But if she did I have no way of knowing, and I'd rather not just roll over and give up."
"No, I wouldn't either. Perhaps assigning the Whitecloaks to less visible functions, such as guards? It would free up the same number of Krokar's people. It's not the same thing as giving them a chance to fight her themselves, I know, but it's giving them a chance to help take her down all the same." Gabriel turned to look toward the orc, and then toward the matronly drow.
"Ma'am, may I ask if you could look over one of the Whitecloaks to determine if such magic may be at work in them?" Gabriel tried to ask the works as politely as possible, seeing how the others had spoken of and too this woman with the utmost respect so far. He turns to Raul and asks in only a slightly less formal tone, "Raul, would you consent to this, for your mens safety?"
Rilka watches Dalton’s interaction with Tiasar’s stone with unabashed curiosity. She stands on her tiptoes to witness the events. When the Kyerki is gone she focuses her attention on Dalton’s face wondering how he feels.
Gabriel’s point about the Whitecloaks being turned at once into an undead force was a good one. She nods, ”A fair consideration. It’s probably a small chance though. If she could do it, why hasn’t she by this point? Exploring the matter further is a good idea.”
Raul looks thoughtful, sitting back to think on Gabriel's suggestion for a minute.
"Of course, have one come in."
Raul nods, speaking into his ring.
After half a minute a whitecloak with his hood down walks in. At Raul's command he sits, where the ancient drow examines him for a time. Eventually she nods. "It has taints of necromancy, but it's not a spell. It's science. It appears to be a strain of the same disease that we experienced during the war in Xilres."
"That was quite a gruesome one. Let us hope none of us catch it."
Toramin had long been silent. Carefully listening and weighing everything that had been said.
"What is our goal for this action? Is our primary concern retrieving this Egg or ending whatever-that-woman's name was threat? If it is the former, then I think Rilka should be given some form of magic to make a quick egress. Our focus then should be capturing the egg and returning it here, regardless of the cost to the rest of the group. If it is the latter, then what provision do we have to neutralize her should she prove unkillable? We have encountered an unkillable opponent in the past. We should consider what resources we have to contain her and suppress her magic if violence proves to be less than efficacious."
Turning aside to Rilka, Toramin offers, "Ymir can pass through stone but has no ability to shape it. His primary contribution to the coming battle will be scouting. But the healers have magical items that can shape stone quickly. They might be persuaded to sell or loan you some such."
Gabriel felt his stomach drop. "I was really, really hoping that I was being paranoid..."
The young tiefling paladin felt just a little sick at the implications. They were connected. More over, they were trying to cause chaos between entire nations. He felt a little small, but pushed those thoughts away. It was a little odd to feel that twinge of fear after all this time of nothing but he didn't push that away, even though he wanted to. He took a deep breath and then let it go. "This is... big. But we have a more immediate problem. If its science as you say, does that mean my worry for Raul's men is unwarranted? At least, to the degree I mentioned?"
Considering the whitecloak was right there, Gabriel didn't want to cause any undo panic, not in this man or any he might go and speak to outside.
"Then we have even more reason to believe that these two events are connected. I would speculate that only a divine force could grant true immortality to its servants."
"Our primary objective is the egg, because of what Acera could unleash with it. Our secondary objective is something we can't ignore either though, which is taking Acera down. Rilka, its your call as far as joining Heff on his mission. Well, his too I suppose... That leaves the rest of us to take down Acera, who will be very mad once she realizes what we've done."
"It may be more then one divine force, Toramin. That tiefling... didn't seem like he was subservient to Acera, and I don't know if he seemed like the type to follow an ancient drow goddess. But we have the means of at least slowing Acera down at our disposal. It's gruesome, but they can still be wounded if not slain. My plan for Calios would suffice then. Cut them apart and bury the pieces seperately."
"What is our goal for this action? Is our primary concern retrieving this Egg or ending whatever-that-woman's name was threat? If it is the former, then I think Rilka should be given some form of magic to make a quick egress. Our focus then should be capturing the egg and returning it here, regardless of the cost to the rest of the group. If it is the latter, then what provision do we have to neutralize her should she prove unkillable? We have encountered an unkillable opponent in the past. We should consider what resources we have to contain her and suppress her magic if violence proves to be less than efficacious."
"Getting the egg out her grasp is more important. If she proves unkillable, break off her jaw. That will prevent spellcasting." The drow is very calm as she suggests the grisly action.
Gabriel nods toward Älia, "A less gruesome way, but no guarantee. Calios was bound completely by molten rock and he escaped. If we have her head in a jar we can keep much better track of her."
Toramin nods at Alia's council. The dwarf appreciated clear achievable goals. It wasn't that he lacked vision, but that small actions added up to great accomplishments. Much more useful than -- "stop the necromancer" or "end her threat."
"One need not be the servant of a servant to serve the same mistress. Of course this is pure speculation. Whether or not their ultimate goals are the same it is immaterial for our present task. But if a god is blessing its favored with life-everlasting it is an alarming precedent."
"We shall have to test the limits of her healing. If her body can be sundered, dismemberment is the best choice. If not, than repeated crushing is an option."
"We know it can be sundered, it just doesn't stay that way long. Remember the story we heard? Her introduction to Targ was getting cut in half. I just hope that doesn't include simply regrowing limbs." Gabriel shivered at that thought and looked between the others in the tent, including Krokar, Raul and Älia to see if they had any other suggestions.
"This is... big. But we have a more immediate problem. If its science as you say, does that mean my worry for Raul's men is unwarranted? At least, to the degree I mentioned?"
Raul dismisses the whitecloak.
"Yes, just make sure if one falls he is healed or killed again."
She listens to the other suggestions about keepin Acera down. "I wish I knew more about this lesser immortality so I could inform you more. I regret to send you in unaware, but we have little choice."
Raul pulls at his beard thoughtfully. "I wonder if freezing would stop the regeneration. Or maybe physically blocking off the limb, with a bar of steel or something." He shrugs, spitballing ideas.
Toramin smiles at Gabriel. "Good catch, lad."
"Acid? That stops trolls."
"So too does fire. Yet the anti-paladin was trapped in lava. We should test if their regenerative abilities are identical."
"I'll be sure to grab an arm to study. No doubt, this won't be the last time we encounter this group. But aside from the regeneration they seem... -mortal-. If that makes any sense. I fought Calios one on one and I almost beat him. He was strong but not like out of myths. I have no idea how he escaped the lava but if we're careful, we might not need to keep her down long. Just long enough to get some chain, a gag and maybe some weights. And then we hand her off to you guys, and you guys watch her like a hawk, maybe throw in magical bindings or the like."
"Get her to me and I will be able to keep her restrained without issue."
"Then we're going to need something to bind her until we get here. Are there any bindings left from the slaves that were kept here? Might your whitecloaks have any at the ready, Raul?"
Raul grabs the manacles from his belt and tosses them to Gabriel. "That keeps most people from doing much."
Gabriel grabs them and nods his thanks. "Lets get a few more, pass them around, and make sure your Whitecloaks are ready with them too. There's no guarantee I'll be conscious or alive when we need them." Especially considering what he was holding in reserve for Acera.
Gabriel looks down to Toramin, "Have you any other ideas Toramin?"
"Every whitecloak has a pair, but mine are higher quality. I'll get some from the injured men." Some ring-spoken words and a few minutes leads the party to each having their own set of manacles.
"I think she's think enough that we can fit a few on her. Lets not make it easy or comfortable." Gabriels tone was, for the first time, a little harsher then it needed to be. The thought was too. It was practical to help keep her contained but that wasn't all that it was about either. "We cut her down, maybe focusing on limbs, and while she's regrowing we bind her. The more she regrows the more we bind all the while someone his continually breaking her jaw, though that might come back too. Then we do that all the way her and give her to someone she has every damn right to fear. And from there... maybe we can start getting some answers."
Gabriel looks at the others, then looks to Raul, "I want her dead. She has conspired with people that... I owe them, just as you do. But our primary objective is that egg. If we get her but not the egg, we save a couple hundred and get revenge for whats owed. If we get that egg and she escapes, we save a great deal more. If you and your men are joining us you have to be willing to put that, the good of this city, above your revenge. It's a first step, Raul. Are you and your men up for it?" Blunt. But as far as Gabriel had seen, allusions toward the Whitecloaks crimes hadn't affected Raul. Maybe he appreciated blunt.
"It seems that our plan is to draw her to a location of our choosing -- through this ritual -- instead of seeking her out, yes? Where is there the best place to do this that we can prepare the battle field?"
"We cut her down, maybe focusing on limbs, and while she's regrowing we bind her. The more she regrows the more we bind all the while someone his continually breaking her jaw..."
"Is there a map of this location? It would hurt to have some archers there to keep her and her allies pinned."
"It seems that our plan is to draw her to a location of our choosing -- through this ritual -- instead of seeking her out, yes? Where is there the best place to do this that we can prepare the battle field?"
"Depends on what kind of battlefield you want. Wide open? Narrow? Enclosed?"
"Is there a map of this location? It would hurt to have some archers there to keep her and her allies pinned."
"I can draw it from memory. I will get some of my men there ahead of time and have them up on the roofs with bows."
"If you and your men are joining us you have to be willing to put that, the good of this city, above your revenge. It's a first step, Raul. Are you and your men up for it?"
Raul stares at Gabriel for a hard moment, finally shaking his head. "I won't lie to you, that f&$&ing b+*&@ has ruined my life and this city and my only purpose it to taste her blood." His lycanthrope ancestry flashes as he bares his teeth. "But I will not be senseless. If I cannot kill her, I will not ignore retrieving the egg. But if it is within my power I will cut her down."
Gabriel took a moment to study the man.
Eventually, he nodded, "Hopefully Heff is as good as he says he is. If he is, then our only concern is flushing Acera out and taking her down. And..."
He paused for a moment, considering how much he could trust to Raul. He decided that in this case, it couldn't hurt to extend a little trust. And for a moment "She works with someone. Someone responsible for my mothers death. Responsible for my homeland suffering as your men have here. If this weren't already my job, if innocents weren't at stake... I'd still want to take her down. To stop her, to imprison her, to have her face justice. But as long as she's out there, innocent people are in danger, and that more then anything else makes it necessary to stop her. If it's possible, if there's even a glimmer of hope to kill her or capture her without ruining the chances for the egg, I will be right there beside you, that I swear on my life."
His own voice grew hard with conviction. He knew the priority was the egg but for all she had done, he could not let her escape. "As I have already sworn to my gods, those such as her will not escape Justice."
"Justice or otherwise, let us do what is within our grasp. A judge without a sword enforces little order. It seems we will be using but daggers against Acera's grade of weapon. Our cunning must make up the difference." The wizard gave Raul and Gabriel a pointed look. "And in my years, I have seen anger ruin plenty of cunning tactics."