"Nobody is being replaced, Enos.
These foes are tricky and elusive. Well, we are learning how to fight them. All of us are learning.
I apologize to you all for being hasty, for exhausting myself, and for consequently needing to fall back.
I have been training to better counter casters' tactics and feel that I will be better prepared next time.
We should examine this cultist's gear, see what we can use, see if Joran knows her as Dadna suggested, and then bury her in a place we can guard."
Enos raises an eyebrow, looking sidelong at Ian, grinning, ”If I have another chance to prove my worth, perhaps I should pack snacks.”
He stands, more serious, ”I feel that I failed to warn the group in a timely fashion of some of the threats we encountered. I certainly was not brought aboard for my fighting prowess.” He gestures to the tiny blades he carries.
Aravashnial gathers the magic items and with Ardriel's help he identifies the items as a headband of vast intelligence +2 (grants ranks in Sense Motive), a ring of forcefangs, ring of protection +2, and a cloak of resistance +2. He then casts read magic and identifies the scrolls as ascroll of dimension door and a scroll of dispel magic.
Joran is summoned and says "Aye, that is Chorussina. Guess she won't be bringing the world down on us now. Don't know exactly what she was up to but it wasn't good."
Chuckling at Enos's comment about bringing snacks, Ian nods in agreement with Leothar. Ian thought about how all of them at one point or another felt like they'd let their team down, and worse the times they'd thought they'd let their god down. At least he had. Shaking his head he spoke softly. "The chiefs right, no one is being replaced. If you didn't do your best, do better; that's between you and your god."
Wanting to change the subject Ian turns to Joran, "Thank you Joran, you are proving yourself useful." As he looked at the items, Ian knew there were a couple he would benefit from, but his friends were not as well defended as he was. "You all should split up the gear, no reason to let it go to waste."
Ardriel frowns in the now-dead caster's direction, once again wishing his life had allowed him more opportunity to study magic. He'd have to come up with ways to better deal with the things casters could do - ways to get rid of fogs and find invisible foes. He also needed to find ways to keep them from teleporting away. That was quite annoying, too.
Looking at the items, Ardriel took the scrolls initially, knowing they would be helpful, but he'd take whatever the others left for him, since they were on the front lines more than he was.
Leothar spends the rest of the day training with the army, and sparring with some of the best warriors. One of them spends hours drilling him on quickness and being able to stick with an enemy.
Shedding the old habits of keeping his feet planted is hard work, but he picks it up with diligent effort.
Enos talks to one of the craftier old-timers, a fellow from the desert that wielded a deadly dagger-scimitar combination. The tiefling wondered about combining the weapons’ best traits to better effect.
As you gather for your evening meal Irabeth approaches the group and says "Everything is quiet in town now, I'd hate to use the words ghost town but... To the south we are starting to see more demons. Aron thinks they may be scouts. When confronted they don't hang around."
For her part, Dadna spent the day quietly working on her armor. It was, in a way, a form of meditation. To just focus on artifice, devoting herself to Torag's work and the honor of her Goddess. In this, she invited Joran to join her. Not to talk, not to convert, and not to redeem. Rather, to just sit with her in silence and to work together in peace.
When it was time for the evening meal, Dadna joined the others. Listening to Irabeth she nodded. "It seems as if though we are on a tight timeframe. I pray that our next foray into the keep is our last, so that we can man the defenses without being attacked on both sides."
Realizing he had most of the day to rest, Ian decided to move about the camp. Starting with the tents where the wounded rested, he visited with the injured paladins, encouraging them. After visiting the wounded he headed to the newest part of the camp, where the rescued prisoners were quartered. Slowly working his way between campfires asking names and shaking hands, taking time to speak with any fellow Iomedaeans he found.
Almost late for dinner he quickly sat down, joining the others. As Irabeth explained about the out riders, he nods in agreement with Dadna's observation. "Yes, the scouts may be the beginning of their Vanguard." He looks back towards Irabeth, asking, "General, how long will it take to get everything, soldiers and supplies into the citadel?"
Irabeth thinks for a moment and says "It depends on what you want. Once the Citadel is cleared we could have everyone and their mounts inside in under an hour probably 15-30 minutes if in a rush. If you want everything inside, well we have become a bit bloated being stationary as we have. With rations, and goods and water, tents etc. It would probably take 4 to 6 hours. You may be getting a bit ahead of yourself though. When we first arrived here all of our contact was with those from the city and citadel. Even after the city and cemetery were cleared. Once you brought Staunton's corpse back the first time the city started to empty and contact from there has dropped to nothing. I think word may have reached the demons that Staunton is dead and they are now trying to figure out what is going on. They are popping up varying distances from the Citadel I imagine to test if the Sword of Valor has been recovered. There have been no fights or people missing on our part so they are avoiding conflict at the moment. I don't think a relief of the Citadel on their part is imminent but rather coming."
"Then let's get to the Sword of Valor as soon as possible.
We know that it is guarded by a shadow demon, which has the power to possess people.
We also know that this demon is incorporeal. Ardriel, your Ghost Salt arrows will be among of our most effective weapons.
I will do the best I can with Radiance.
Let us venture forth as we did before."
Leothar will not cast any spells until we are ready to go into a new room. That room through the double doors east of where he fought the caster would, I think, be the next place to go. If we can get there without trouble then he'll cast some spells, but first let's see if we make it that far.
”Can someone charge your ring, Leothar? Won’t the magic work on the demon when we face it?”
Having heard Irabeth report, Ian nods in agreement with Leothar. "First priority then is finding the 'Sword of Valor'." He looks towards the west, then asks, "I assume we leave at first light, or do we want to go sooner?"
"I believe that most of us need to pray at dawn in order to prepare our spells for the day, Ian.
So I suggest we leave as soon as we are ready after that."
”Yes, I must greet the dawn properly.. Then I will be ready.”
Once the discussion of going in the morning is concluded Aravashnial stands up and pulls out some potions and scrolls. He says "In the last two days I have been able to find potions of Cure light wounds (two of them), Magic stone, Darkvision and Delay poison. Also scrolls of magic weapon and levitate." Horgus then gives a report on the food, water and goods situation.
Waking with the dawn, Ian visited the troops as his companions prayed. Once they'd eaten a quick breakfast and were headed back towards the Citadelle, Ian asks, "Shall we go ahead and open the front doors in case out troops need to enter quickly?"
"If we do so, it should be quickly, and not our primary means of entry. It's easier to open the doors of a fortress from inside than outside. Maybe we can convince any guards left that surrender is the preferred course."
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"If we wanted to get to the front gates from the inside, we could go in through the breach."
"Remember what Joran said: 'Now the entrance is open with the portcullis stuck 5 foot off the ground. There is a hole in the wall in the sally port but the rubble is an illusion. It covers a pit with poisoned spikes at the bottom. The portcullis is locked down. You'd have to break in there.'
We'd clear out any guards still watching the portcullis, then open it.
But after opening the front gates, getting from that area to the dungeon would be a challenge. There are rooms we haven't explored yet.
We know from Joran that there is a temple to Torag with three Graven Guardians.
A succubus spy here ; we could try to bypass her here but that would rely on her not leaving her room when we are right next door, which seems unlikely.
The Nabasu and ghouls are a bit more out of our way in the East Garrison . Though the Succubus could telepathically summon them to aid her.
If we want to open the front gate, we should go through the breach.
If we want to head straight to the dungeon, we should levitate up the northwest tower and take the same path as yesterday.
My recommendation is that we head straight for the Sword of Valor in the dungeon, and hope that recovering the Sword will make it easier to clear out the path to the front gate."
Nodding in agreement with Leothar, Ian gestures back the way they came, "The chiefs right, we'll worry about the front door later." As he talks, he begins to head towards the citadel.
Ardriel nods. "Alright, then. We'll get the Sword of Valor, then see if that lets us open the gate. Do we need to put the Sword anywhere specific for it to work?"