Kiziar feels his infernal magic take root in the cultists terrified, and thus suggestable, mind.
Kallant cuts down the frightened cultist attacking him and Morvan, after which a now unimpeded Morvan strides confidently over and crushes the skull of the unfortunate cultist that didn't manage to escape from Urashu's spell.
Melii hustles to get a bead on the remaining cultists.
Urashu's Lightning Bolt tears through the cultists, dropping one and causing the rest to dive desperately out of the way. One cultist, ensorcelled by Kizziar's spell, screams and attacks his companion, frothing at the mouth in mingled fear and rage.
Morvan takes a deep breath then attempts to chase down the remaining cultists, moving through Urashu's wind spell.
He isn't very fast in his armor, though, so he may not be able to close.
Kizziar snickers slightly at how easy it was to turn the cultists against each other, then shifts the focus of his fear magic to the cultist just attacked by his comrade.
Melii fires on the closest cultist.
Urashu surges after cultists, his gun blazing. The movement throws off his aim and the shot goes wide.
Kallant delays to Morvan.
The cultists continue to run away.
You all are mildly irritated by the prolonged, but ultimately one-sided, fight. As Melii retrieves her arrows and Urashu cleans his gun, Kallant and Kizziar rummage through the houses, finding only a few things of value. Morvan examines the shrine, simultaneously ensuring that it will not curse them and contemplating the inferiority of Zyphus compared to Asmodeous.
After several days of nearly constant travel and combat, you all gladly sink into the annexed cots, not minding the smell as you fall almost immediately asleep.
As you sleep, you once again find yourself in the overwhelming light and heat that is Lady Nought's dreamscape.
"Greetings Hellknights," she says, her and Morvan waiting for Melii to recover from the urge to prostrate. Once Melii recovers she continues.
"I felt when you arrived in Numeria, but I haven't been able to find your dreamscapes until now, I apologize. It looks like you're near the Plain of Ten Thousand Swords. Do you have a plan for getting to the Sellen Hills? Since we last spoke, I have sent agents to Aaramor and Chessed, though I doubt the one to Aaramore has arrived yet."
"I'm not certain we have a concrete plan yet. Morvan, any insights?"
Morvan nods and says, "We have been unexpectedly delayed. One of the constructs that roam this land attempted to take another of our Hellknights. A group of psychopomps intervened, and in exchange for their aid, we had to disperse a group of Zyphus cultists. We are making our way to the Sellen Hills - if we can avoid being waylaid by any more distractions. I believe our course will take us through Aaramore, so perhaps we shall meet your agent there."
"My agent's name in Aaramor is Ten," she gestures and a to scale image of a lean, hard-looking man appears next to her.
"He will do his best to aid you, but once you leave Aaramor I will need him back. My agent in Chessed is Lask," another gesture, and an image of a bald, heavily scarred, and strangely androgynous dwarf appears.
"Ideally by the time you reach Chessed, Lask will have everything necessary arranged for you. Lask holds a great deal of respect in Chessed, so you should be..." she pauses and looks distant for a moment.
"You should be safe there. I apologize, but we're under attack again. Good luck and farewell," she says quickly, before your world goes black and you return to regular, blessedly dreamless, sleep.
The cultists were not fools when choosing their campsite it seems, and you all sleep the night and part of the next day unmolested. Upon waking, you stretch and gather your supplies, looting only a little from the cultist's stores. You all also notice that there are three battered, silver coins inscribed with Pharasma's spiral on the table in the cabin where you slept. A quick conference with Kizziar assures you that he saw nothing while on watch. You also notice that the shrine to Zyphus is gone, rough stone and dirt in its place as if it was never there at all.
According to Kallant, you are less than 20 miles from Aaramor, and can easily reach it before nightfall.
Morvan awakens the next morning, finding the signs of the psychopomps visit, although they did so without Kizziar noticing. Morvan examines the coins, then looks to Urashu. "Are they any kind of magic?"
Urashu shakes his head. "Sorry, sir, I must have missed that day at the academy. "
Urashu does search the camp for any sign of the missing temple.
Kallant wakes still diminished. He performs his morning ritual including donning his armor, performing exercises and kata, and breakfast. He doesn't feel right but soldiers on.
"Sir, we're 20 miles from Aaramor. We can be there by nightfall." Kallant informs his squad leader.
Morvan casts detect magic on the badges.
"Let's move out."
True to Kallant's word, you catch sight of the westernmost guard tower of Aaramor just as the bottom of the sun touches the horizon, casting the sky in a golden red glow. As you get closer, you notice the stone walls that surround the town are tall, thick, and more pertinently, covered in battle scars both new and old. Occasionally you see men and woman atop the wall glance at you, but none pay you too much mind. It takes just a bit longer to walk to the southern gate, where you are stopped by the four guards waiting there.
Two of them, priests by the look, scan you with spells as one of the other guards challenges you, short-spear and shield at the ready.
"Good evenin," he grunts, his voice somewhat raspy, "State your business."
Morvan gestures for Kallant to take the lead, since his is more familiar with the area.
Urashu watches wearily but doesn’t make any move to his guns. This does not seem like a place to start a fight.
Kallant takes point and addresses the guards, ”Our business is with Rothgar. Can you tell him Kallant Is here with friends?” Kallant is obviously tired. His soul sucking condition is wearing on him, like platemail on a handmaiden.
If the guards are obvious Blades and there’s a special handshake or greeting, Kallant will give it considering that he is formally a Blades member.
Kizziar hovers slightly above and behind his companions, curiously peering through the gate at the city while Kallant talks to the guards.
The guard looks at you quizzically before his eyes widen in surprise. After a quick glance towards the priests, who assure him that you have no demonic taint, he nods to the other guard and beckons you through the gates.
"Come, I will escort you to him," he says, leading you through the gatehouse and into the town proper, immediately turning left and leading you down a long, gently curing street.
"So you're the one that saved the Chief's life," he half states, half asks.
"Aye, that's me." Kallant accepts the facts, with few words.
"It's been awhile since I've been this way. What's been happening lately?" He tries to change the subject and get the guard giving them information.
"Mostly same as ever. Walls are still standing. Blades are still fighting. Kannath's still breathing," he hawks and spits to the side.
"The new Gorumite priest is good though," he says after a thoughtful pause.
"What's the priest's name? What makes 'em good?" Kallant converses.
"Andura Jakos," he says with a hit of reverence.
"She's full of fire. Big supporter of the Crusade. And she knows how to throw a party," he says with finality, as if that settled the matter.
"Andura Jakos," Kallant repeats to mull the name over.
It doesn't take terribly long to arrive at the Blade's headquarters. The closer you get the more armed and armored people you see, increasing until everyone around you is so.
Eventually you arrive at a slightly larger cabin with the crest of the Blades on a banner hanging from the ceiling. Your guide informs the guards there of who has arrived, and he quickly darts inside to inform the Chief. Just a moment later the Chief himself bursts out, catching sight of Kallant and hurrying over to grip his forearm.
The chief, while still hale and muscular, has definite lines of stress on his face, even through the broad grin that currently adorns it, and his hair has more grey in it than you remember.
"Kallant my brother! How have you been? Haven't seen your ugly mug in too long!" he grins, slapping you on the shoulder.
Kallant matches the forearm grip and broad, exhausted grin, "Rothgar, my brother! Killing demons, the usual. It has been too long."
He gestures to the squad, "I brought friends. We're on a mission, and I told them you might help us. Do you have some where we talk business? Then, party. I've heard you've got a new priestess of Gorum who's full of fire."
"Hah! Jakos! Too true there. But yes, come in, come in," the chieftain gestures to all of you and goes inside.
It is significantly dimmer inside, and it takes those of you without low-light vision a moment to adjust. It is not a particularly large home, only a few hundred square feet, and separated into two rooms, the living area and what you presume to be a bedroom. The living area has two tables, one that seems to be for eating, and the other for working, judging by the maps, documents, and writing materials scattered across it. There are a few weapon racks by one wall, displaying a variety of weapons that seem likely to be more decoration or trophies than anything that ever gets used, and a banner on the opposite wall displaying the crest of Aaramor.
There are two people seated at the eating table, a woman and a man. They stand as you all enter.
"Shepherd Euna, Rikk, this is Kallant and his companions," he introduces. The woman nods politely, but the man's eyebrow quirks up and he gazes at the group appraisingly before returning his focus to Rothgar.
"I apologize for cutting our chat short, but I haven't seen Kallant in too gods-, ah... too long," he fumbles for a second with a slightly embarrassed look at the woman, then clears his throat.
"And I would dearly appreciate being able to catch up with an old friend."
"Of course. Do not let us keep you. I look forward to our next sup," she rises, hands unfolding into some sort of gesture before leaving, the man nodding and following behind her.
"Sit, eat, drink, I can see from the dust on your armor that you've had quite the trek," he bustles about for a moment refilling a pitcher of beer and pulling another loaf of bread out of a bag on the counter.
"So tell me, what can I do for you?" he asks once he's sure you're all settled and comfortable.
Kallant takes an exhausted pull of his beer. "Right, let's get to it, so we can party later."
"So, you must know the Hellion? Well, she kidnapped one my squad. We need to rescue him. I told my squad you could help us get to him. Can you?" Kallant asks and then takes another long sig of his beer.