Kalt nods, ready to move on.
Solveig invites the group to sleep in the secret hideout of the Heralds, and spends long hours discussing conditions of the Heralds in the outside with Shanya. It is clear over the course of the night, as she counsel, feeds and heals the various Ulfen refugees, that Solveig is the heart of resistance in the city.
In the evening, Solveig escorts you to the northern parts of the city, withing sight of the Clocktower. A small courtyard stands outside the clock tower behind a delicate-looking white picket fence made of bones. A single step leads to a landing and a recessed set of large double doors to the north, while to the east and west stand two stone statues
depicting two women in identical poses, reaching skyward as if to catch snowflakes. Neatly trimmed evergreen bushes surround the statues.
"I wish you luck. I will attend to organizing the iron guard then. Here, I have some small magics that may assist you."
Prior to crossing the fence of bone, Kalt makes some purchases that will better prepare him for the battle to come. He rejoins the group looking much the same, though the observant will note a trio of new arrows jutting from his worn quiver, fletched with small flaps resembling grey, scaled skin.
”I’d appreciate any protection you can provide, Solveig,” he says in response to her offer of magic.
" I have a spell to help, I have asked Milady for the ability to cast it twice, and I have a scroll of it as well. Resist cold energy it is called, it may help mitigate the dragon's icy breath. Whom should I cast it on?"
Ankih then pulls out a bottle and opens the stopper. White fur flows out of the bottle and spreads to cover the cleric completely...
”I have a feeling, Ankih, that the dragon will take the most intense dislike of me and Sven, after we’ve hit him a bit,” answers Kalt, ”so I’d be happy to have a bit of extra protection against his cold breath. And hopefully my new armor will help against his teeth and claws, provided the locals haven’t enchanted it to make me easier for dragons to kill.”
"Y...yes. I wish... I wish he could be here with me. Right now." She says, her voice shaky and tired.
"As for our mission... killing a dragon and striking a blow against the Witches is the sort of thing I live to do. But this Bella Belvorica... how will I know who she is? Can you describe her for me?" She has an odd feeling about her...
-----------
"I see Betyrina and Zivia are here to greet us." She says, observing the statues of the two women. "More Jadwiga monuments. I'll be more than happy to see these gone."
She turns to the rest of the team. "I have a couple of extracts that may be of use to our front-line warriors-- they're potions that can shield the drinker from physical injury. I have two prepared already--would either of you like to use them?" She asks the two ulfen.
The tower grinds noisily at its peak; various mechanisms continue to wind away magically, even though Logrivich has torn out the clock face to sculpt an icy platform. The tower is definitely lacking in the virtues of a proper military fortification, as one could walk right up to the walls and easily pass oneself off as foot traffic. It would appear that with a bit of luck the group could make it to the base of the tower without being singled out by the wyrm.
In addition, there are 3 windows of the east side of the ground floor, one on the west, and numerous windows dotting the higher levels.
Shanya hands off one of her shield extracts to Sven and the other to Kalt.
"Try to save them for when the dragon appears--odds are, they'll wear off slightly quicker than Solveig's magics."
"It should provide more solid protection than what you're using now." Shanya glances at Sven's shield.
Shanya grabs Sven by the arm. "Wait--let me check the door first."
She moves in front of him, checking for any unwelcome surprises that may lie in wait...
"And while we're looking for surprises," suggests Kalt, "could someone check whether those statues are magic? Walking right between them brings to mind a few tales of statues coming to life to attack. Though I'm sure that won't happen here. Right?"
It is easy enough for Lana or Ankih to see the magical nature of the statues, with auras of transmuation and evocation magic intertwined about their forms. Upon closer examination, Shanya notices the statues swaying slightly as though almost alive.
"Actually, Kalt, you'd be wrong." Shanya narrows her eyes at the statues. "They're Caryatid Columns. Don't use weapons against them--they'll likely shatter against them. And the only magic that can affect them is magic that shapes stone. Incidentally, one of them has a masterwork longsword, while the other carries one crafted from adamantine."
She turns to Sven, taking off her gloves to reveal wickedly-sharp claws. "Feel like committing some vandalism, Sven?"
The heroes charge bravely into the clocktowers defenses; in response the statues gracefully and patiently turn and hold their weapons at their ready. Their white-upon-white eyes stare unblinking at the approaching humans.
Solveig clasps Shanya's hands in a sisterly fashion. "Yes dear, I'm sure you do miss him. But I also think that he waits for you on the other side in Elysium."
"Well, as to Bella... what can I say? She is a joy to be around. She has Chelish features: blue eyes and dark brown hair, a round face. She is my age, not quite three decade old, although she looks only two. Her voice is a lovely soprano. Yet it is bother her blessing and curse, for Logrivich kidnapped her for it, I fear. Madame Belvorcia..." she pronounces the name with a softly floating 's' sound "...is a famous opera singer in Cheliax. When I fought the devil binders, I had the good fortune of knowing her. It is she who helped me escape Cheliax when the Hellknights came for me."
It is plainly written on Solveig's face that her emotions for Bella are stronger and deeper then those typically shared by friends or comrades.
" I have seen these before, in the older family estates in Katapesh. It seems I am not effective against such foes... have at them brave companions."
Lana holds one hand up toward Kalt, drawing his spirit closer to hers and trying to somehow weave them together, willing a binding into existence between them.
The column's feminine forms move swiftly and silently towards the heroes, blades swinging in arcs through the air. The Queen and her adamantine blade misses Sven, but the statue of the Princess thrusts her blade into Kalts shoulder before he can dodge out of the way.
Party up!
"She sounds like a wonderful person to be around, Solveig." Shanya smiles knowingly. "I wonder if you'll object to me bringing the two of you a souvenir from Logrivich's tower... perhaps, his head? Or one of his eyes? A tooth? I'm open to suggestions."
She's feeling better, certainly... but there's still the lingering sadness of a girl without her father behind her eyes.
Cursing her underestimation of the quickness of the statues, Shanya leaps into action, dodging and tumbling her way behind Queen Betyrina's statue.
Once she gets there, she focuses entirely on dodging the statues' blows, hoping they'll be distracted by her long enough for either Kalt or Sven to get some good hits in.
The queen lashes out with her sword as Shanya tumbles past, but her blade flies over the changelings head. Sven's blow, however, lands solidly and introduces a crack in the artificial creature.
Kalt draws his old greatsword off his back, saying, "I've been meaning to unload this thing anyway." He then swings it fiercely at the statue that Sven has already damaged.
Kalt's blade sparks mightily, but the resonances of metal on crystal do not break the blade.
Avora steps up beside Sven and stabs at the statue threatening him.
Although the statue of the queen seems to be missing an arm, the rest of the creature moves with magical graces as the statues strike out again.
Both, however, fail to penetrate the heavy armor of the two mercenaries-cum-heroes.
Glad of the protection offered by his newly-magicked armor, Kalt shrugs off the statue's attack and swings again, hard.
Drawing his newly acquired wand, Ankih will step forward and tap Kalt on the shoulder.
"Cure." With a simple word the wand activates and nearly erases the wounds suffered by the attack.
Shanya steps to the side, flanking the statue Kalt is facing.
Caryatid Column. Capable of shattering even enchanted weaponry if it strikes it. Most efficient form of damage... but I need my weapons. Claws will have to do.
She rakes one taloned hand across the back of the statue's leg...
There is a sound of crystal resonating and shattering - a high, piercing sound - as the vainglorious likeness of Queen Betyrina is unmade. The adamantine blade tumbles to the ground.
In turn, Kalt's blade smashes into Princess Zivia's form, taking the head and much of the upper torso off. Unfortunately, the construct still moves with inhuman(oid) magics, pulling its blade up high in preparation of its next strike. Kalt's blade sings, but is again unharmed.
Shanya's claws fail to scratch the tough exterior.
With a wince of pain and a slight widening of her eyes, Lana feels the immediate effect of her link, this time... more powerful, somehow. Filing away that piece of information to ponder later, she extends her focus to Sven and prepares to absorb his wounds as well.
Avora covers for Sven, stabbing with her spear.
The last of the caryatid continues its assault on Kalt. This time, it lands a solid blow against Kalt's left arm.