Darel rests.
Rab-rab rests.
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The day passes languorously, the blasting furnace of the daytime sun replaced by the chill and eerily-quiet night-time of the desert. Layaali busies herself in tending to the demanding wounds of Min, Rab-rab, and Drael after they were transferred from Father Zastoran's subterranean quarters. Undrella remains a persistent fixture at the bedside of Drael, staring intently at the suli, her intentions as alien as her plumage. Between sleep, meals, and healing checks, the gang are able to reconnoitre and share information with an occasional punctuated correction from Undrella.
When Razif rejoins them (with four flasks of alchemist's fire from Zastoran as a gift) and indicates what he's reported to the princess, the conversation turns towards what the upcoming plans might be for future forays.
"What is this?" Undrella asks as she takes the cap proffered by Razif in between two talons. As the ranger explains the purpose of the cap, Undrella regards him with a flat stare that could be anywhere between bored and enraged. As the ranger finishes explaining, Undrella snaps, "Fine," and places the cap on her head. Almost immediately, the fearsome visage of the harpy transforms into the rosy-cheeked face of a female halfling dressed in the garb of a shopkeeper, a kerchief tied over her hair.
"I will see Kardswann dead, his entrails strewn about the Battle Market," the pleasant-appearing halfling female says with a frightening amount of matter-of-factedness. "I will also see my beloved Drael be the one who kills him in ritual combat so as to prove his love for me." Undrella the Halfling reaches out to touch Drael's arm. "I have left your side once; I will dare not do so again given the frailty of your team-mates' abilities to keep you alive."
Undrella the Halfling fixes Razif with a stare. "What of this Princess of yours? Does she have a plan to take Kelmarane from the Kulldis? Where is her army?"
Drael flinches away from Undrella, before visibly steeling himself. I plan to kill him, but not for you. I appreciate your assistance thus far, and I know what my comrades have promised you, but I am not bound by their words or your wishes.
He shrugs, If you wish to join us you would be welcome, but I cannot allow you to do so under false pretenses.
Undrella's question gives "... As far as I can tell, this is it." He gestures at the monastery around him. "Come to think of it, I joined the group a little later, so I don't remember ever getting a full briefing of the plan... Would any of you happen to know?"
"We're supposed to conquer Kelmarane, using hit and run tactics. That's pretty much the plan." Min nods a little bit, then groans. "And not die."
Rab-rab shakes her head. "Plan? Nope! I've forgotten!"
The halfling grins widely, her expression genuine as she stares in unblinking fashion at the suli.
"You play hard to get. Undrella like this game. Pretty one will be won over; you will see." She then glances derisively at the others. "Hit and run? Ha. Not in Battle Market. You will be fighting; this is certain. If you want Kardswann, then you will need fight in arena battle. Is simple. Maybe little ones will be allowed to fight as team." She finishes, fixing the gnomes with a piercing grin.
Layaali, who would certainly die in an arena battle against nearly any opponent, raises an eyebrow. "We have plenty more fights to overcome before we even reach the Battle Market."
Min tries to shake his head, but it takes too much effort. "Can't we just sneak in and kill Kardswann in his sleep? That sounds way safer to me."
Rab-rab nods. "Okay, Undrella. What do you think we should do? What would your plan be?"
Then she leans over and whisper to Undrella really loud, "I can't wait to go to your wedding to Drael!"
"There has to be some way we can get to Kardswann without the entire city looking down at us in some pit?" The ranger wonders. "For example, he must sleep somewhere, right?"
The halfling looks flatly at Min and Razif. "Kardswann sleep on the top floor of the Battle Market. You can fly?"
She then turns to Drael, a wide grin splitting her face. "Of course, if my pretty wishes me to fly him there so he can challenge Kardswann in single combat to win my heart..."
Rab-rab nods. "Yeah, you should do that, Drael. You can take him."
Drael shakes his head vehemently, Our last two fights both ended with someone dragging me away to sleep off my injuries. I'd rather not go three for three.
Razif snickers at the exchange. "We could climb. We could sneak. All I'm saying is we'd like to explore any possibilities that allow us to be as undetected as we can be."
Undrella's grin fades eerily quickly. She replies to Razif.
"Impressive. You climb three floors to top of Battle Market?"
"... Okay, maybe climbing is optimistic." Razif thinks for another moment. "I still think we need to consider other options, but Undrella, how do you imagine the arena going? We just walk up to the Battle Market and sign up for the arena? Will Kardswann face us one-on-one if we beat enough gnolls?"
Min listens, but is too tired to speak much more.
"Yeah! Tell us about the Battle Market, Undrella."
Undrella frowns briefly, then answers Rab-rab.
"It was Kardswann who sought to re-open Battle Market, and not just for gnolls. He invited merchants and sell-swords, encouraging coin trading hand so as to build his reputation as powerful leader."
"Market is three-story circular stone fortress with huge doors to east, north, west, and south. You have keys to these doors - I give you," here she nods at Min, "but southern doors stand wide all day and night, awaiting new customers; awaiting new coin."
She walks over to Drael, playfully touching his hair when he breaks his gaze with her. "The skylight would be easy to enter through to observation deck if you could climb to top - this is where Kardswann often can be found, along with Ugruk. Ugruk is lieutenant; he is flind."
She stops and looks at Razif. "Plenty would step forward to fight in Battle Market if challenge given. Kardswann would not fight unless you defeated others and proved your worth." She shrugs. "Perhaps climbing top of Battle Market is better plan; fighting is not, it would seem."
She then pinches Drael's cheek. "Save for you, but you need to save your pretty face for Undrella to kiss!"
Layaali considers this...
"Why do we keep getting attacked then, if non-gnolls are welcome? We started some of the fights, but at least a few were started by the gnolls or the demon while we were in the road."
She looks to her companions, "Weren't they?"
Looking back at Undrella she asks, "Is there's a password visitors use to get by without harm? And how do they get past the bugs at the trees?"
Razif listens intently to Undrella's information, committing it to memory. He also attempts to recall if he may have heard the term "flind" before.
When Layaali speaks, Razif nods. "Some of the patrols and the schir definitely attacked us on sight... But maybe it's because we were skulking around at night? Kardswann could have put up some sort of curfew and ordered the patrols not to spare any strangers they sighted."
Undrella gives a gruff laugh.
"There is no password. There is goblin. Named Jank. He brings people safely through town when ordered by Kardswann or Ugruk. It is most likely that Ugruk knows of you; he has simply not bothered to tell Kardswann of you and ordered his kinsmen to take your heads. If you make it to Battle Market, then you are worthy of attention. It is their way - those of the Rovagug faith."
She smirks at Layaali.
"I know nothing of bugs."
"Your information is extremely helpful, Undrella. Thank you."
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The gang spend the dark night of the moonless sky resting, healing, and strategising. Undrella's information reveals much of how the city of Kelmarane is currently run: the lower city, lawless and largely untamed, sits separate from the upper city. Patrols of gnolls, sometimes accompanied by a goblin advisor named Jank, roam the lower city, bringing merchants and mercenaries of murky reputation to the Battle Market; others are left to fend for their own lives. The upper city, protected geographically by its position not to mention the bulk of the Kulldis tribe, serves as a stronghold for the Rovagug faithful and those who would service them. Kardswann's chief advisor Ugruk manages the day-to-day operation of the city. Kardswann rules over his Battle Market with an intelligent bloodlust, allowing his fighting pit to settle scores, decide rulings, and provide entertainment. Life is good in Kelmarane.
Sometime in mid-afternoon, a knock comes on the door of the party's dormitory. Hadrah, the female animal tender and cook, bobs her head with a smile as the door opens. "Blessings of Gozreh be upon you all," she says, holding out two hardened clay vials stoppered with corks in both hands. "Hadrah does not mean to disturb you, young masters, but my Hadrod told that you were resting the day here as you recovered from your recent excursions. Hadrah has not had need of these for some time - since Hadrod ceased handling snakes - but they can come in handy if you've encountered poisonous creatures. Hadrah thought they might be useful to you. There is baby goat for supper - Rombard's mate birthed a stillborn the night of the Eternal Kiss. You should eat." With that, she presses the clay vials into someone's hands, bobs her head again, and leaves.
"Thank you, Hadrah." Layaali replies with a bw of her head as she accepts the vials. "This is most appreciated."
After she leaves she looks at her companions. "We'll need to be off again, soon. Come. Let us eat. I also need to purchase some alchemical goods from Father Zastoran before we leave. They'll help against the bugs."
Rab-rab pouts. "Oh, no! Poor Rombard and... whatever the girl goat's name is! What Is her name?!"
Rab-rab heads down for dinner, but refuses to eat any of the poor baby goat, instead eating the vegetables and chickpeas and things that are with it. She also goes out to give the goats some hugs and play with them.
Min tries to follow Rab-rab, but he's too clumsy, so he stumbles around making a big mess.
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As Layaali wakes up and responds to Hadrah's kindly offer of alchemical assistance, she feels different, lighter, stronger, more sure of herself. The oracle marvels at the perceived change, trying to determine if this might be a further manifestation of the possessing spirit of the Templar of the North Wind.
"Oh! Yes, no!" Father Zastoran replies cheerily and unhelpfully in response to Layaali's request for supplies. "I gave your dune-walker friend what I had of alchemist's fire, yes, and though most call me 'Father', I am by no means a religious man capable of producing blessed waters."
He lays a finger on the side of his nose. "But acid, though.....well, yes, I may be able to provide, but you must understand that I will need use my wares for this and need recoup some losses, yes?"
"Thank you." She hands him over the coins.
Layaali takes the time to hold the hands of her companions and pray, promising to protect them, no matter the personal risk.
Razif complies, slightly hesitant. He doesn't like seeing the oracle put herself in risk like that, but understands how important it is to her.
"Thank you, Layaali. Know that you can count on my protection as well."
Before they head off, Razif remembers. "Right, the alchemist's fire. Father Zastoran gave me four flasks. Shall we divide them? I'd like to keep one myself, but I feel the others might be better spread among us."
Min sighs in relief. "Whoo! Thanks, Layaali. I'm tired of almost dying."
When Razif offers up some alchemist's fire for the group, Min nods. "I'll take one."
"No thank, Razif. I don't need any stinky fire!"
She looks at Layaali. "Hey! What about Jack-jack? Protect Jack-jack!"
Drael nods in appreciation as Layaali prays, knowing that she is putting herself at greater risk to protect them.
When Razif remembers the flasks, he shrugs and extends a hand, It didn't do me much good last time, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to have some extra firepower just in case.
Razif gently tosses the flasks to those who ask, and also offers Layaali one. "For your safety."
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Razif gently tosses the flasks to those who ask, and also offers Layaali one. "For your safety."
Evening comes and the gang, accompanied by a somewhat-surly but cheerful-appearing halfling, turn up in the mess hall. There, they are greeted heartily by Oxvard and Felliped. The remaining Lions of Senara look much healthier, their minor wounds bandaged and their hydration status restored. Oxvard and Felliped eye the group's new halfling companion.
"Well met, friends!" Felliped the bard says ostentatiously. "You've rescued or recruited another adventuring companion from the jaws of Kelmarane! What be your name, lady halfling? I am---"
"I know you," Undrella says rudely, interrupting Oxvard's opening introduction as she stares unnervingly at the cleric Oxvard. "You were companion of lady-fighter. You and muscled one - Andrus. What became of him and his lovely muscles? Kardswann showed jealousy when I took interest in muscled one."
Oxvard stops his fork a few inches short of his gaping mouth and stares at the halfling.
"Uh --- he's dead," Oxvard gulps out. "How do you...?"
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Rab-rab is way too busy being sad over her baby goat dinner to notice the conversation. She pointedly only eats the veggies, and pushes the goat meat around her plate sadly. When she's done eating she pushes the left-over meat pieces on her plate into a sad face.
"Sad face," she announces, jutting out her bottom lip. "I wish there was a chocolate fountain here."
Min brings Rab-rab outside to play with the goats. He makes sure to bring something from her bag for her to play with.
Buuuuuuut on his way (as soon as she turns her back) he eats her leftover goat meat.
He tries not to say 'yum.'
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The gnome siblings run around with the goats in their makeshift enclosure within the monastery's ruined nave, leaving the mess hall conversation behind. Back at the table, the rescued Lions of Senara still look aghast at the supposed-halfling Undrella from time to time from where they've moved their bowls of stewed goat - away from the adventuring gang. As the group finishes eating, the major-domo Garavel approaches the table. He frowns extra hard at the halfling as she savagely devours her second bowl of goat (she ignores him) and then takes a deep breath.
"I had wanted to check in on you yesterday as you recuperated, but I felt that your healing was well in-hand," here he inclines his head at Layaali. He steels his face. "Dashki has returned to us to report; his Three Jaws allies were dispersed by the entrenched Kelmarane forces. Some turned over and died, some turned tail and ran, and some turned traitor and joined the Kulldis."
Garavel lowers his voice and bends over the table. "You can NOT trust those mangy dog-men. OR those who hold court with them. Dashki returned from Kelmarane the night before last but who is to say that he hasn't turned sides and is scouting us out now? Gnolls are among the first abominations, and their death is a blessing. Remember this when their laughter haunts your steps."
The major-domo straightens. "That is from The Birth of Light and Truth - Sarenrae's prophecies. Take care of yourselves out there." He then stiffly walks off.