"I think we've learned we can't just waltz around their camp like we own the place. Is there perhaps someone knowledgeable who might be able to find another entrance to this cave system?"
"That or we bait a trap with one or two of us playing captive," Arianna says, not sounding happy about the idea.
Eska shakes her head "I don't think that would be a convincing ploy. I've had enough playing captive for one life."
"How unselfish of you," Leosin smiles at Met-Anoi'a, who refuses the reward. "I will see to it that your reward is donated to the rebuilding of Greenest."
The monk turns to Brax. "At this stage, I'm afraid we don't have many other options. Do you think Greenest's villagers will want to take the fight back to these cultists after losing so many of their own? We could hire mercenaries or additional guards, but they wouldn't have the experience of already having been through the camp. Plus, I know the group of you are more than capable after my timely rescue, and in your defense of the town."
Nighthill shakes his head and sighs heavily as if defeated as he leans against a table. "And being the only sizable town in the Western Heartlands... it's likely why they targeted us. I doubt we'll find much help walking into smaller villages and asking them to investigate a cult."
"The only entrance to the cave was the one at the back of the camp. I'm not sure how deep the caves go. You'll have to find your way back in, although I suppose you might use the cliffs this time around rather than try the direct approach," he shrugs.
Eska considers the teams' lack of a plan and resources. She details her potential scheme to her allies. Predictably Arianna balks at the idea with working with such unsavory folk; yet another difference between the paths that they walk.
Surprisingly the Tiefling seems recognize that there is a greater evil at play her and has fewer qualms about working with petty crooks.
"Rocksteady, Jester. comments?
After thinking about it, Arianna finds that they really didn't have many options. Eska was right, this was the way that had the most chance of success.
"A-are you sure that Mayna and her crew aren't gonna slit my throat the first chance they get," she asks, regretting how her rather hot-headed reaction may have made an already dangerous job much more deadly.
Eska shrugs "If they try we atleast we'll have an answer. But this is their home too if Greenest burns to the ground so do they."
"And too late to cry about it now, anyway," Arianna says glumly as she gives her grudging agreement to go along with this plan.
"I dona like our options 'ere," the dwarf grumbles to everyone. "But Eska, she has th' right of it. Gods help me, I dona relish eatin' crow but iffen it helps us get back inta th' camp, we gots no choice."
The dwarf turns to Eska, looking her right in the eyes. "Ye'll hafta be our mouthpiece. I dona think yer friend 'll be listin' ta anythin' me or Arrianna hafta say and she willna know who James an' Metannoya are."
She nods to Brax. Despite the support Eska feels uncomfortable as the mantle of responsibility now falls onto her. It was usually someone else who came up with the plans.
She feels like she should say something inspiring that's what heroes do in moments like this...she thinks. But what comes out is "You know all this talk about Dreams & Dragons. You know what they call like a whole group of them? They have names for them for other animals; a flock, a herd, a pack. I suppose a few ever survive seeing a bunch of them at once. An old man told me though true as can be, you see dragons on the horizon it's called a storm."
Eska for better or worse leads the group once more to the Den of Thieves the Disarmed Ant.
Arianna follows Eska, pulling the hood of her cloak low to hide her much shorter, but still distinctive, hair.
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For the entirety of the time the only sound heard from Power is a hacking cough that doubles him over in wracking pain. "My lungs want to vomit," he ekes out once before again hunching over with coughing spasms.
At the introduction he says precious little, save that his manners at least have provided him with a rag into which his constant coughs are muffled somewhat.
As to the offing of a plan, though he's usually the first in line to suggest strategy, his lungs allow few intelligible sounds, and he resigns himself to whatever roll he's given.
"A Flight," he croaks out to Eska's question before being forced to his knees as his lungs attempt to secede from the union.
Eska spares James a quizzical but considerate glance. Whatever dive he and Brax had been hiding in for the last few days clearly had done him no favors. She hopes he gets well soon; she would need all the help she could get if she was to pull this scheme off and get her vengeance.
Eska leads the party back to Disarmed Ant, hoping the unsavory sort found inside might be able to assist a little more than someone like Leosin or Nighthill could.
Aside from a more muscular drow standing at the entrance to the den - an obvious bodyguard - the den is less guarded than it had been during the raid. With a little verbal grease, the guard lets the party in, but snaps his fingers so that two others join him to flank you. You walk into a large, dusty room with several round tables and the remnants of what was once probably a bustling tavern.
The party finds Mayna sipping a rusty colored liquid from a short glass. She turns and nearly does a spit-take as she sees you. "Well, well. This, I did not expect!" The drow woman slips off her chair and steps towards Eska. "Have the heroes come to take down our humble guild? Perhaps infiltrate, kill us all, and take any loot they can find?" The small group of thieves snickers. "Let's hope your companions can mind their emotions, this time."
Eska taps her lip "We that all sounds very tempting. I should think if you mind your manners we can do the same. Besides we have bigger fish to fry than this humble guild."
Eska slowly walks around the room savoring it as if this room was somehow grander than it's drab scenery. "Heros we are as I am sure you've heard by now. I have come to offer you a second chance as I judged you an enterprising individual. It would be a pity if we were both mistaken about each other."
If Greenest burns to the ground i suppose that might bode ill for business around he as scares as it is. So I've got a job for you, thieves-work unless money and fame are too burdensome for your...bustling operations here. 350 gold half upfront and the other when the job is complete if you can smuggle us into the Cult of the Dragons Cave system."
Met-Anoi'a follows along unsure where exactly he is being led to, however when they come to stop at a rundown building with a large drow standing guard outside he is not surprised with who he finds inside after they enter the establishment.
Watching Eska enter some agreement with the obvious leader of this sordid group he weighs their options. Getting into the camp was suicide if they walked in. Being aided by these curs was the lesser of the two evils but he made certain to look at each individual in the tavern. Once the Cult had been dealt with these ones might need to be disbanded whether through parlay or by steel.
"An easy enough task for your group. You will let the Cult know that this is to pay for protection against further assault from the Cult. Tell them that Greenrest wishes no more attacks and that this gold and goods has been gathered as a way to make amends."
Arianna aids the negotiations by keeping her mouth firmly shut and her hands away from her weapons. She keeps an eye out, though. Her trust of Eska did not extend to those found here.
Unfortunately for her, her eyes keep finding ghosts in the shadows of this place, and any real threat to her was likely to only be spotted by her after it had nabbed her, or killed her.
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The dwarf keeps silent as Eska makes her case but notices a subtle look of skepticism on Mayna's face. Damm it, we're losin' 'er!
Realizing that this might be the only semi-chance they might have of being able to re-infiltrate the cultist's camp, Brax takes a deep breath. "Money's been put on th' table fer a legit job, so ye need not worry 'bout runnin foul of th local officials. As ta what may 'appen iffen them cultists ain't stopped.....do ye want ta take yer chances tryin ta operate iffen they gain power here or keep things th' way they are in Greenest an be knowin' what yer dealin' with?"
Mayna stares at Eska as she speaks, her eyes narrowing and her face twisting by the time Eska's done. She steps pretty close to Eska. "You continue to think you can undermine our presence in Greenest, fledgling. Why don't we just kill you right now, and take those three hundred coins for ourselves?" The other thieves whoop at the idea.
But it quiets down quickly enough, and Mayna folds her arms across her chest, pacing as she listens to Brax and Met. "Hmph. And why would this Cult come back, at this stage? They'd got what they wanted, killed a few dozen people - what more do this wish to extract from this pitiful place?" She stops and looks past Eska and Brax, staring directly at Arianna and James.
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Arianna looks away, praying that Mayna wouldn't recognize her, but her hesitance buys her a rough shove.
"Oi! Look alive, li'l fairy! Tha boss asked ya somethin'," the thief says to more hoots of laughter that grow louder as the silver-haired elf stumbles forward a few steps. She freezes for a moment as her eyes meet Mayna's and she knows that the drow leader of this den of thieves recognizes her, even if she doesn't show it.
Panic threatens to take hold and turn her into a target for all of the wolves in this den, but she takes in a deep breath and lowers her hood as she calms her racing heart and racing thoughts.
"They could come to make us all slaves," Arianna says as she meets Mayna's eyes. "They had a few doing hard labor when we found their camp. Brax managed to free them. Tell me, how valuable do you think a pair of elven slaves would be, especially after they strip us, bathe us, and dress up in pretty chains that are no less binding than iron for all their beauty? If not for slaves, then why not sacrifices? Many dark gods demand sacrifices of living, thinking beings, like humans, elves, dwarves," she pointedly looks Mayna up and down as she pauses for effect, "drow."
Arianna sweeps her hand to indicate all of them as she continues.
"This cult is after wealth and power. They will not share. They'll come after all of us and either enslave us or kill us. If we're lucky, we'll just be dead. If we aren't, well, the pretty ones among us will wind up playthings while the others are worked to death doing whatever they don't want to do. They are like ravenous wolves, no ravenous worgs and orcs. They will keep coming so long as there is something for them to take for themselves, and when they run out of gold to steal, they will come for us. Are you going to let them come on their terms? Or are you going to sink your knife into them while you can?"
"Uh, yea what she said." Eska thumbs over to Arianna
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Mayna stops, arms folded across her chest, tapping her finger on her elbow impatiently. When Arianna's finished, she drops her arms and tosses her alabaster hair back. The drow turns swiftly and sits at the bar, pouring herself another shot and tossing it down her throat.
The rest of the guild is silent, some of the denizens shooting each other confused and surprised stares.
A third shot later, Mayna slams down her glass. "Heroes, I've no doubts your lives will be short!" She shouts, turning back in her seat. "... Yet perhaps the ability to operate profitability in this stinking place is shorter." She sips right from the bottle, now. "This cult will not overrun what I have worked to build, much less make me a slave."
"We will assist you, but I assure you this will not be any sort of fluffy friendship. I don't have your back. None of us do."
"We do the work, you pay us, and we go our separate ways."
Eska is relived that tensions have lowered for now "I wouldn't have it any other way." she says.
She walks over to the bar. "Now then let's get to work" Eska will detail the camp, the infiltration plan and what she knows about the cult to help the Drow get an "in". She emphasizes that the Drow should remain representatives of themselves and be looking to garner protect for the Ant Guild not for the city itself. The less they pretend they are something they are not the more believable this will all be.
The rest of her team are encouraged to gather supplies for what they will need for the scheme and whatever they will need for once they get in.
When Arianna's certain that no one is paying her any mind, she finds Brax and leans on him for support. She shivers from the now releasing tension as things seem to ease somewhat.
"I...I thought for sure she was going to kill me," she whispers to the dwarf.
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As the group was about to enter the Den of Iniquity, James had to excuse himself and go around the corner. The coughing fit had become so intense his vision went milky white and he was effectively blind.
Brought to his hands and knees, he tried to channel some healing power into himself, but the wracking pain was too great, and he barely grunted out a syllable of power before his lungs had other ideas entirely.
"We shall need a new perspective," Amriel's tiny voice echoed at his ear.
He could only nod emphatically as he hacked up something green and unsavory, winning a moment of reprise.
"I need a playmate anyway...." she finished ominously.
Amriel whispered new secrets into his ear, and he dutifully followed the arcane game, unsure where this was leading, but since the power that flowed also held back his sickness, he was keen to play.
In a few moments his spritely companion fell silent, and the last writhing sigil glowed and fell dark in the living air he had carved it from.
A bit cloud seemed to fall from the sky, parting ways from the puffy chariot that had born it this far and descended to earth with great rapidity, and great purpose, straight for James.
In time it resolved itself into a heavenly radiant woman--or rather, girl, for how does one refer to someone eighteen inches tall? She had wings of purest gossamer and was clad in--he instantly knew--a toga of samite.
She smiled rapturously at him.
"R͂͆̊ǐ̀se̎ ̑and ͗b̎̉ë ̅hĕ̔̑al͐e͒̂d, ̔̔ͯJȧmes͐͋ͦ, her elegant voice said, both booming and soft, kind and commanding, at once for him alone and shouted out to the world.
He stood, and found his body sound again.
"We ͩ̂͆a̎r̿͌e ̎t͂ôͬ ̿be ͯf͌ri͛̂͆en̄̑͋d̔s̎͛.̈́̒ ̉͗̇I aͪͪm ͑̂ͩHa̐ͮ̈́ỹli̓̿̚el.̍"
And he knew they would be.
Feeling himself a new man, he went to see what new trouble Eska had gotten them in.
Brax gives Arianna a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he senses her apprehension at having to deal with Mayna. "Aye, lass. But ta murder folk who offer money ta do bizness...it be bad bizness, an word of sich a thing 'd get around," he murmers back. "Ye did good ta step up an earn 'er respect like that."
Despite the lingering animosity Eska feels somehow more at home scheming with these rogues than being an agent of the mayor. Three-Dog was right, good intentions can only carry a man so far. But greed, you could always trust.
Mayna accepts half of the gold as discussed, and rallies a few guildies to start gathering supplies for the trip. Meanwhile, each of the party picks up a potion of healing from Eadyan Falconmoon for 50 gold pieces. Back at the courtyard, Nighthill agrees to let you borrow a wagon for the trip - begrudgingly, after hearing you're working with the local thieves guild - and the same two horses you had on your last trip to the camp.
"Thank you again, friends. After you're finished your reconnaissance, you can find me at the city of Elturel, with paladin Ontharr Frume." Leosin offers. "You can collect your payment there."
____
Later on, the party joins Mayna and two of her guards, both covered in muscles, at the gates. "As agreed. Get inside. If there's anything you know about the road to this camp, you best tell me." She climbs on one of the horses. "And before I change my mind, let's be off."
Eska fills Mayna in on the last few bits and details trusting that the newcomer Met-Anoi'a can help keep Mayna under control then the time comes for it. The assembled troupe leaves villains and heroes all once more toward the Cult of Dragon hideout.
Eska feels charged with excitement and feels her Stormfang hum along with her heart. If she believed in destiny this would be it. The next time she would face Langdedrosa would be their last. Only one would be walking away from that encounter.
As they rode along, Arianna sits on the back of the wagon, worrying and playing with the ends of her much shorter hair. She doesn't want to think about it, but as each mile passed, her thoughts are inevitably drawn towards Mondath. She shivers as she remembers the moment she realized she knew the woman, and prays that the the woman never recognized her. A question begins gnawing at her and after a few more minutes, she gives in.
"Eska, how long have you known Mondath? Five years? Ten years," she asks without looking at the sorceress.
Brax gives Arianna a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he senses her apprehension at having to deal with Mayna. "Aye, lass. But ta murder folk who offer money ta do bizness...it be bad bizness, an word of sich a thing 'd get around," he murmers back. "Ye did good ta step up an earn 'er respect like that."
"Wouldn't take much to off us though, just spill the beans to the cult and let them take care of us," she whispers back. Despite her continuing pessimism where Mayna and her band are concerned, Arianna does calm a little at Brax's reassurances.
"But you're right, word might get around. I'm just... I was so angry when I saw what they did, and now they're going to have our lives in their hands. I should have kept my temper and not let myself snap like that."
"Uh, knowing her might be a bit of a stretch" Eska scratches the back of her neck unsure how to answer that question.
"It's been what two, three years since we'd last crossed paths? She'd visit my family...home" she winces with the last word as if it were somehow foreign and painful.
"She was never pleasant even when she pretended to be. Always backroom arrangements, dealings. I was never privy to them. But there were always jobs to be done after. Never liked it but the things we do for family... I suppose that's all over now considering she's one of The Three that burned it all to the ground. I'm not surprised she didn't recognize me I'm supposed to be dead and buried maybe I am or who I was at least."
As the others load onto the wagon Met-Anoi'a gently grabs Eska's arm pulling her close to him, "If there were another way to get into this camp without the use of your associates I would be more grateful. While I do not think they would turn us you are playing a fool's gambit being in league with these figures."
"I will need to hide in the back with you when we reach their destination. Your associates will need to drive the wagons into the camp. I do not think my appearance is plain enough that those who let us in will wonder where I am. Plus they will unlikely let anyone outside of there trusted into these caves."
Eska leans in to hear what the tiefling now has to say "Oh right of course."
Eska grows acutely aware she has no clue why these people are even following her into what is likely to be a suicide mission.
"I suppose it would be fools that follow me into this. Aren't you paladins supposed to be great leaders or something? I mean they call me hero but you heard me with Twice-Quick I'm no shade better than these rogues."
"Uh, knowing her might be a bit of a stretch" Eska scratches the back of her neck unsure how to answer that question.
"It's been what two, three years since we'd last crossed paths? She'd visit my family...home" she winces with the last word as if it were somehow foreign and painful.
"She was never pleasant even when she pretended to be. Always backroom arrangements, dealings. I was never privy to them. But there were always jobs to be done after. Never liked it but the things we do for family... I suppose that's all over now considering she's one of The Three that burned it all to the ground. I'm not surprised she didn't recognize me I'm supposed to be dead and buried maybe I am or who I was at least."
"Did you help her kill any elves," Arianna asks. Her tone is strained, but not by anger, but by sadness and sympathy for the young girl Eska had been. "Any with silver hair? I just... I still don't know what happened that night before the Redrock villagers found me. I'm not even sure why I remember her. I just do, and she frightens me. I don't think either of us will die quickly if she recognizes us."
Eska shakes her head "Shady work but no murder. I didn't leave the city much either. I'm sorry I can't help you with your past."
Giving Eska a compassionate look he answers her question. "Great leaders? You mistake us. We are the greatest followers. We are hands of our deity. I cannot answer why these ones follow you but do not mistake my choice not to argue with your plan. These petty thieves are of smaller concern than the cult but do not think my eye will not fall back on them if need be."
Eska shakes her head "Shady work but no murder. I didn't leave the city much either. I'm sorry I can't help you with your past."
"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I should know better than to pick at old wounds."
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As he pushes the empty mug away from him, Brax turns and looks James directly in the eye. "How many ah yer group did ye lose ta th' rogue before ya meted out his punishment?"
His lungs again filling with mostly air and much less water, James feels obligated to finish the story.
"Seven," he says without prologue, sitting down next to Brax, Hayliel hovering near the dwarf and gazing at him intently.
"Seven of my friends lay dead, watering the orchard with their blood. Ha! And the funny part?
We never took him.
The rest of us gained new respect for discretion over valor and high-tailed it out of there.
We returned a few days later with slings and shields, but he was already gone. We buried the dead."
James lapses into an introspective silence, allowing his new angel to finish the story, her voice softly booming.
"Hi̽s naͭ̔ͯm͗eͨ͐̑ i͂s Bͮͬo̓rͮ̉aͭ̽̂kͣ̋.̇ ̎̊ Ňͮőt yet ̅͂ͮa͛̾ ̿ͨͮl͋ͩo͗͒r͂d ́̈thēn.ͪ ̾An̎̓̔d̔ͩ̏ ͧm͐ͣuc͌͐͑hͩ beͪ̍fͥ͂o͑̽r̃̎̊eͩ ͦ͆́'̓t̒̋ͮh͗eͮ̅̉ ̏̾De̍̀̏s̔p̏̅̀ôil̃ê͌ͨr̅̾'̍"
The horses and wagon make good progress back towards the camp, and the size of your group seems to help in staving off any would-be thieves or hungry animals looking for an easy meal. The trip takes the better part of the day, before you once again see the fenced perimeter of the cultists' camp.
Except... A quick glance at the ground level reveals that all of the kobolds' tents you had seen during your prior visit have been burned down, and are still smoldering. The larger tents on the second level are still intact. There's much less activity in the camp overall, though, and in fact, the camp appears all but abandoned.
Surveying the area, whether by peeking from your crates or at the helm, you see two men on horses riding back into the camp, with another horse carrying the corpse of an antelope. The hunters pass by you, nodding with little suspicion, and continue on in. Between two of the tents, a single dragon-dog furiously digs a pit, barks at it, and repeats the process. There does seem to be more activity near the cave mouth further into the camp.
"You needed my guild to help you into this place? Heh. Easiest money I've ever made," Mayna sneers.
There's tons of tracks outside the camp, and you're able to determine that most of the camp’s wagons and pack animals moved in a train toward the west.
"Get us into the caves Mayna." Eska emphasizes.
Arianna lies curled up in one of the crates trying her best to be silent and still. She felt naked without her sword, but it was too long to fit in the crate with her. Instead it lies among the loot and out of her reach. She clutches her dagger in one hand and a trinket given to her by a young man named Tomas Velder.
She tried to remind herself of what he had said when he'd given her the carving, but the earnest words of a young man saved from goblins ring hollow against the fear and panic she tries to squash. She hears someone whimper and realizes that she's the one doing it. Mayna's words do little to reassure her as they roll along, nor does Eska's reminder about where they're going.
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Hayliel and Power look at each other, apparently exchanging some silent message, and the diminutive divine takes to the air, scouting ahead.
She flies in a circle a few times before returning to the wagon and talking about what she has found.
"It̿ âͫpp͑e͒ͪars t̿hͯ̐ͪe cowͪa͑rdͦ̎͊s̏ ͗hȧveͤ͗ ̌͗͌alrͯ͆eady fl̏ë̑d. ͩͧ̉ Ȃ̏ͣsͣh̑̈a͗̏med ̾òf th̓̊̿e̍ pa̒̉̇th ṫ̃̋heiͯ̃r̐͆ ̍acͥt͌i͐ͯ̓ons ̉̆haͮ̽vͮ̽e͆͊ l͌̉̌ed͗̓ ͒ͥͤt̆̄hͥem on,ͯ̐͂ ̅theͯir ̉waͪ̇g̅o͐ͧ̈ns̆͛͆ ͂ảͨnd̂ anim̋̓̐als ͪ̍ͭh͑͋ͥav̚e͌ t̃̚r͊a̅ͣ͐veled ̔̓to͂̓ ̓̅th̆̄̔e͌̔ wͤĕstͥ̽.̍̂ͨ"
She pauses before flying over to their guide.
"M͌aͤy̆na, I ̒ͭh̿ave seͬen ͭͦ̀Pandemo͐̔ni̓um.ͤ ͛ J́usͯ̏t ͪ̚bͩ̅͆ec͆ausͭ͋̚e ̅̈́yͮ͋oͫu̾ͤ ̉ͥa̽re åͯ̑ ̂̊̐goͫ̈́̂o̍͑̃dͦ͑̾ fͬ̔o͛l̈́ͯlow͗̎ͪerͧ ̍̀̚of̿͊̃ ̑͛̅Maͨ̆ͭsk͂,̐ ̍why d͌ͤŏ ͨ͛yǒ͐̚u t͆͌̾h͆ͣin̽̆̒k ̄̄ẗ́h̾̇͌ā̓ͦt ̃͂i͂͗͗s͊ ͪ̋ä͐n̅y ͣ̃ki͆̊͐n͑d of ͑̚plͯ̐a̒̉̒cͧͧe ͌y͐̄ő̌u̓ͮ̄ ̿̚̚wĩ́l̈lͧͦͮ ͥenjͧoyͯ͗̂ ̋͌b̿ͦͧei̇̚n̿̈g̿ aͥ̊͑t fŏ̈r͗͛̆ ̅ͪā̈́ll ̈̽̐eẗ̀ͧē̊̓rnit͑y?"
James' jaw falls open, but he doesn't command any words. It appears the same cloth that made his minor servant is only magnified in his greater one.
"Head to tunnels as has been requested. Deeper into the camp." he whispers at the driver.
Carefully peering out to confirm what he saw at first he whispers to the others in his wagon. "The army has moved west. Whatever were to be found in the caves are likely not there. Also the camp still has stragglers in it. Caution is in order.
"Let's be seein' this charade through," Brax mutters. "An dona take 'em stragalers lightly. They be likely ta be on guard fer trouble," the dwarf says. "It also means there be somthin' 'ere 'em dragon dogs ain't moved yet."
James dispatches his trusty angel to scout ahead, and even though the hunters and dragon dog pause to look up at her floating by, they don't seem too interested in her.
Mayna grunts at Met, but steers the wagon further in anyway, past the burned kobold tents and towards the second level of the camp. The wagon's wheels push through the mud and other discarded pottery and rusty knives and other junk left behind when the cult left. From this position, the party can clearly see a guard wielding a scimitar just inside the wide cave entrance.
The wagon continues on past the intact tents on the second level, and the stakes you had originally been roped to, and you soon find yourselves just outside the cave entrance.
"So, here we are. And as I said, easiest money I've ever made." Mayna tosses her hair. The opening is wide, but looks to narrow further on in. Looking into the cave entrance now, the guard who was there before no longer is...
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Eska surveys the scene "Things have certainly changed since we were here last..."
Eska shrugs as the Dragon cult seems to be one step ahead of the team rendering the excessive planning moot. Though she supposes getting into the camp without announcing their presence to any scouts may still be a small victory.
"Well Mayna a deal's a deal. You Ants better get crawling back to your den or whatever. If you stick around us too long people might get the impression you're decent folk. I wouldn't like to be the one responsible to such an affront to your reputation."
To her crew "Hope you all enjoyed the ride. It appears we got leg work ahead of ourselves."
She will cautiously lead the team into the caves trying to remain ahead of the noise-some group.
Eska moves like a perfect predator. As the darkness of the cave envelopes her she feels a familiar thrill of being on the hunt.
Arianna wastes no time in hopping out of the crate and gathering her sword. She follows Eska in to the gloom, quietly padding along with almost no sound.