Having no idea what she just did, but thankful he is still alive, Garret breathes deeply and feels…better, somehow. Accepting the black diamond, he steps back and manages a quiet, ”Thank you, I think.”
"Dandelion it is then." Ketra offers more flippantly than she probably should. Her unearned confidence wavers when the mystery woman goes to "help" Garret. Ketra leaps two steps forward at the sudden thrust from the woman's arm, but it's far too late to intervene. That it seems to have healed Garret in the process leaves her not at all relieved.
"What has who done to Garret's soul? We know something happened, but not quite what. Some answers would be nice."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"You're welcome," Dandelion returns politely, but she seems distracted with a faraway look. It takes her several moments to answer Ketra's questions.
"Some answers would be nice, yes. Gildais was once Count Jomah Gildais of Ustalav, one of many corrupted and turned when the Whispering Tyrant--" Oh yes, there's an unmistakeable touch of venom in her voice at the title. "--began his wave of conquests around Lake Encarthan. He did not fight in the Shining Crusade, instead serving as Seneschal of Gallowspire and as such he was trapped in there with his master when the Great Seal was placed. As you can imagine, his recent escape is a matter of enormous concern to many parties. As is what he was up to in Vigil, mmm?"
"As for Master Fallows' soul--and most of yours, as well--it is...damaged, and seemingly hastily repaired. I've never seen it's like. And what do you mean 'who'? You know perfectly well who: the one who murdered your town, the Whispering Tyrant himself."
Jando shuffles uneasily. "Those notes from Quietus, they did say this was some sort of experiment, or test. They called it the Radiant Fire, whatever that means. How is the lich doing it, and can he do it again?"
Dandelion nods, expression faraway again. "Doubtless, he would not have wasted such a destructive magic if it was his only chance to use it. As to how he's doing it...I can't say for certain, yet, but there's something oddly familiar about..." She turns and stares at Garret's chest, then down at her hand.
"Regardless, we're wasting valuable time. You conduct your investigations and I shall conduct mine. I will contact you when it becomes necessary."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
“May I?”
Calling first for a bit of Pharasma’s guidance, Sanduro peers over Garret’s shoulder at the black diamond.
“That’s…” the druid’s voice drops to a whisper, “that’s impossibly powerful magic, is what that is. How did you… not even a wish…”
Sanduro looks up at Dandelion. “Thank you for healing our friend, my lady.”
"Wait... the Whispering Tyrant?" Ketra is baffled. She knew Quietus was working for someone, but that name was a monster out of fairytales. And the rest of it only leaves her more confused. "How's someone like that both damaging and repairing our souls? Why's someone like that in the business of repairing anything in the first place?"
She listens to Jando's addition with a little less confusion. The ranger seems to be taking the information in stride. "I suppose whoever is behind it, it doesn't change what we were planning to do. And knowing there's more Radiant Fires or whatever they are ready to go only means we have to go quickly."
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
"I rather doubt he meant to repair anything. You are...anomalous. I don't understand how--yet--but you are correct, you should move quickly. I've enemies on my trail and they will have sensed that working, we should make ourselves scarce 'ere they arrive. Make haste, survivors."
Not waiting for any additional question, Dandelion takes a step back and flips the hood of her cloak back over her head. With a whisper and a gesture she is gone. One of mules lets out of what you'd swear was a relieved sigh. The other eyes you all suspiciously.
In addition to the surly mules and the two hobbled horses, the wagon contains supplies as promised:
-60 days' worth of rations, wrapped in cloth packages.
-(50) +1 undead-bane arrows
-+1 light fortification chain shirt
-handy haversack, containing:
-->potion of Eagle's Splendor
-->potion of Fox's Cunning
-->potion of Owl's Wisdom
-->Ring of Protection +2
-->wand of Cure Moderate Wounds [x33]
-->wand of Lesser Restoration [x13]
310pp
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
In the lingering silence after Dandelion's departure Silvia sighs. "Well...I guess we should get started. A lot is depending on us--good luck in Vigil. May the gods speed you on your way, and I hope we can meet up there in a few weeks." She gives you all a tight smile and then turns to follow the Tourondel River towards Lake Encarthan.
It's the work of moments to unhobble the horses and pile into the wagon to set off down the road, leaving the ruins of Roslar's Coffer behind. Jando and Mirhet each claim a horse, and follow with you only until you reach to main road leading to Vigil before they too take their leave. "Be careful," Mirhet admonishes Ketra. "It's a miracle you are all alive right now, do not squander this gift." She leans down to give the dancer a kiss on the forehead, then turns her horse to follow Jando north to warn the border garrisons of the danger.
Your trip is blessedly uneventful, the monotony of travel broken only by the occasional brief stop in various towns and trading posts that dot the road. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many find your story shocking and hard to swallow, but Garret's charm and Rosalind's rank go a long way towards convincing most. You find that many of the soldiers and officers you warn are alarmed but befuddled, not knowing what to do about a mysterious blast of magic that doesn't seem to presage a more conventional attack--after several frustrating evenings trying to calm panicky townsfolk you find it easier to simply keep moving as quickly as you can. The miles roll by day after day, and as you draw closer to Vigil you encounter more and more fellow travelers on the road--the Whiteblade Festival starts soon, and many are gathering to celebrate within the capital city itself. After ten tiring days of travel you crest a small hill and behold might Vigil, the fortress-capital of Lastwall and the seat of its government. Preparations have clearly been made for the festival's start tomorrow, with colorful streamers adorning the walls, towers, and freshly-painted buildings of the city; rows of white roses have been planting along major thoroughfares, and even at this late hour crowds throng the streets eager for the celebration to come.
Somehow, you must warn Watcher-Lord Ulthun II of the danger and perhaps even find out what the Whispering Tyrant's escaped sentinel was doing within the city, and why.
|
Rosalind sits down on a nearby rock, taking in the nearby spectable. A warm smile adorns the blonde's features as she speaks. "Home. Would that I saw it again under better circumstances. But to done so at all is a treasured gift. Especially during the festival."
She sits up straighter, alarmed. "The festival! So many people will congregate on Vigil to see it. If there ever was a perfect time for the cult to set off another explosion, this would be it. We need to see the Watcher Lord as fast as we possibly can!"
Looking forward to a relaxing and fun day after their ordeal, Garret feels the reality of Rosalind's words. "It would mirror the attack on Roslar's Coffer, for sure," says Garret.
"I will assist however I can so that we can tell our story to the city leaders," he adds, disappointed as he sees the shopping and festival trip dissolve into something much darker.
Ketra gives Mirhet a tearful goodbye, lingering a little too long around her to make sure she's recovered enough for the journey, and constantly has to control herself to not repeat her earlier suggestion that the others head westward toward presumed safety. Eventually though she peels herself free and offers her well wishes to Silvia and Jando. She tells herself that the three are skilled fighters in their own rights and level headed and will be fine.
She's still telling herself this long after they vanish from view.
---
By the time the group is approaching Vigil, Ketra's in a much better mood. Seeing that life is going on across the country has helped rekindle some of her old light-hearted spirit. Rosa's words are only a little bit of a damper "Then we won't let them do it! Question is, how do we get admitted to see them? Even considering the news we're bringing, or maybe because of it, I'm sure it won't be easy to get an audience."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Though she has been away from the capital long enough to have only a passing familiarity with most of Vigil's garrison corps (promotions, retirements, and tours of duty will made many changes in the past few years) Rosalind is familiar with the basic structures of governance in Vigil as well as its leaders.
Watcher Lord Ulthuan II is the current ruler of Lastwall, which operates as something akin to a benevolent military dictatorship under the watchful aegis of Iomedae's church. He has a reputation as a soft-spoken man in his early thirties and is supposedly quite handsome, though his avoidance of numerous suitors has been the topic of a great deal of gossip.
Second Swordknight Aylunna Varvatos is the highest-ranking cleric of Iomedae in Vigil and has presided over the Santa Iomedea for the last fourteen years. In accordance with tradition Vigil's Iomedaens keep close ties to Lastwalls legal system and its internal police force, the Watchknights.
A gnome named Evni Zognoss leads the local chapter of the Pathfinder Society. Though in many lands the Society has a reputation as a den of mercenaries, thrillseekers, and troublemakers, in Lastwall they are kept on something of a shorter leash and operate as something of a clearinghouse for agents with unusual talents that conduct operations on behalf of Lastwall in exchange for access to ruins, libraries, and other resources. Though not a formal part of the state, the local Pathfinder Society lodge is a well-established actor.
Precentor Veena Heliu is the dean of the Battlemage Academy, a respected wing of the Crusader War College. She is reputed to be short-tempered but relentlessly tactical, fiercely advocating for unusual tactics that rely on her students' magic.
Brutus Lundgren is the Lord Commander of the Watchknights, Lastwall's police and detective force. Though he only directly commands Vigil's peacekeepers he technically has authority over all Watchknights in the nation and as such is ultimately Rosalind's highest direct superior. He is also Wallace's father.
Ketra listens intently as Rosa explains the local personages. She thinks for a while and then suggests "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm thinking we start with Brutus. He's someone who'll be on the front line of any kind of trouble. Maybe he's already heard about some of the trouble out in other villages. And even more... I think we should mention what we know of Wallace to him. We didn't see Wallace after we left, when we parted in the Dead Roads it was with a lot of confidence he would find his own way back. Mictena never found him, after all."
”That makes sense to me,” says Garret, ”Where do we find him?”
"Good question. Maybe our first move is to just go in, get something to eat and talk someone nice into being our guide for the day?"
Joining the crowds waiting to move through the River Gate, you ask the guards on duty there about where the Lord Commander could be found. After dutifully checking the sword tattoo on Captain Sunstone's palm--which carries certain privileges, including the right to carry unbonded weapons within the city--they confer briefly about the elder Lundgren's whereabouts.
"Ordinarily he'd be in his offices at the Tower of Peace, but he's been all aflurry with the festival going coming in," A burly woman with scars on her hands and on her cheek shrugs. "I know he's doing a parade inspection tomorrow morning 'ere sunup, and then he's giving a speech with all the others. That'll be at the steps to Watcher's Tor if you're interested."
"Hmm, maybe we catch him before the parade inspection, just to let him know we're in need of a talk. Then he can take some time after the inspection or the speech..." She turns to the burly woman "What's the speech about? Something for the festival?"
The guardswoman shrugs. "It's the Whiteblade Festival, I'm sure they'll all say something about camaraderie and unity of purpose and never letting disagreements fester into violence." At her companion's raised eyebrow she hunches her shoulders a little defensively. "I think they're good speeches; after a couple of years they start to run together is all."
A remembrance of one of Lastwall's nastiest periods of unrest, the Whiteblade Festival's origins lay in a coup committed by a revolutionary Iomedaean named Jesca Malvaney in 4619. The uprising and counter-coup that followed saw fighting between factions of the church and government alike, and fires consumed much of Vigil before it was all over.
Called the Whiteblade War, this civil strife started out as a somber day of reflection over ten years, but as time went on it slowly shifted first to an annual day of rest, and then eventually to a more elaborate celebration honoring veterans and made by sacrifices of the common folk to keep the state operating.
"Admirable, I guess. And you don't need much excuse to treat yourself to a festival." Ketra nods. "Pharasma knows we had plenty back home." She ponders for a bit and then turns to the rest of the party "Sounds like he will be quite busy, but he'll probably want the news of his son. Though maybe after the speech... though we will want to do it in private. Maybe we take the public appearance as an opportunity to ask for a more private meeting."
"What do you all think?"
”We need to at least warn someone in authority of the possibly of an attack as soon as possible,” suggests Garret. ”I am fine waiting for a detailed discussion later, but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if another death bomb went off here and we could have helped to prevent it by alerting authorities.”
"Ugh, that's true. If I was Quietus' clone, I'd be twirling my moustache as I planned to set the explosion to go right during the festival." Ketra groans.
The scale and urgency of the threat wins out over the need for rest, and once you've passed through the gate you make haste to the Tower of Peace. Despite the name it's not really a tower at all, though its four stories and thick blocky construction still evoke a sense of fortification. Though there is an adjacent barracks housing the city's peacekeepers, here within the heart of Vigil the Tower itself is garrisoned by clerks, accountants, and other bureaucrats who make possible the administration of a nationwide internal policing force.
That doesn't stop the door guards from halting you, however, and frowning at your insistence with speaking with the Lord Commander of the Watchknights they summon the night shift captain--a tall, whipcord elven woman whose Watch Captain uniform knots mark her as Rosalind's superior in rank.
"The Lord Commander is very busy with preparations for the festival," She says without preamble, but frowns slightly as she studies your group. "What grim faces, what could be troubling you so on festivas's eve?"
”Roalar’s Coffer is…gone,” says Garret, choking on the last word as he steps forward to speak. Composing himself a moment, he adds, ”Annihilated by a necrotic bomb that struck us on the day of our own festival of Remembrance. We lost so many friends, family…”
Trailing off, he swallows and concludes, ”We would spare Vigil that pain, if we can.”
"What I think Garret is trying to say is that our town got hit by a very bad attack, and we've learned enough that we think they might try it again somewhere. I know the festival is important and all, but I think the Lord Commander is going to want to know before it happens again somewhere else." Ketra implores the Watch Captain.
"Roslar's Coffer? Necrotic bomb?" The Watch Captain's expression grows wary as she sees you are serious. "When did this happen? What foe acts against us, and who else has been informed?"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Trying to parse the elapsed time, Garret says, ”The Day of Remembrance at Roslar’s Cofffer was nearly a month ago, but we destroyed the hand that delivered the bomb—a man named Quietus—a mere eleven days ago. Some of our number split off to warn the border towns as we traveled here, but you are the first one in the city we have spoken to yet of the tragedy. The true force behind the attack is known to us as the Master of the Whispering Way, though Quietus said more as he mocked us—I cannot recall it all right now.”
Thinking for a moment, Garret adds, ”There was a letter where the master was called ‘Great Lord’ and a directive to bring the threat to Vigil from someone who signed an initial ‘Y’. We came as quickly as we could.”
The elven woman's eyebrows climb steadily higher as Garret relays this information. "Do you have this letter?" she asks in the tone of someone trying very carefully to be neutral. When you produce the paperwork taken from Quietus' office and person, she scans it and several of the other documents as her expression darkens. She looks up from her perusal after a moment and straightens her stance.
"If you will surrender your weapons, or submit to having them peacebound, I will take you to the Lord Commander. This is above my pay grade."
Garret gives over his dagger and crossbow, eager to communicate the dire nature of the threat. Hopeful that the Lord Commander can do something to prevent an attack here, he nods to the others in their party, indicating that they should comply.
Ketra looks to Rosalind, a little uncertain as to whether this extra peacebonding makes sense after the Captain had already been given special permission in the city. A horrible thought flutters through her mind immediately after. One that would mean the survivors of Roslar's Coffer would be starting on the back foot here in Vigil. She hopes desperately that it isn't true.
But it can't hurt to be careful. Her voice takes on a wavering tone "Given what we've seen this last month, I- well, I can't help but feel there might be something waiting in every shadow... Though we should be safe here. I hope."
Sanduro starts to surrender his bow with a shrug, then pauses when he sees Ketra hesitate.
"Should I keep my bow? I'm not sure what peacebonding it would look like. I could unstring it, maybe?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zsofia kisses the knuckles on each of her fists. "I'd like to see someone try to peacebond these deadly weapons."
The phantom sees Sanduro raise an eyebrow. "What?" Looking down, she notices that half of a chair is sticking out through one of her legs. "Dammit, kid, I'm not going to be any help in a fight like this!"
Ketra overdoes her unease, submitting her weapons to be peacebonded one by one. "I guess we'll go up quickly, talk to the Lord Commander, and then we can get these fixed before anything dangerous happens, right?" She also drops one masterwork dagger into the footlocker, just in case.
Zsofia's antics draws a sharp look from the elven Watchknight. "Dismiss your illusion," she demands, clearly unamused by the outburst.
With your weapons safely bonded , the Watch Captain nods her satisfaction and turns on her heel to lead you all up a nearby stairwell. After ascending several flights to the fourth floor you cross a long hall where she knocks and announces herself. Opening the door at the muffled assent from within, you are all ushered into a well-appointed (though far from ostentatious) office whose windows hold a commanding view of a large swatch of Vigil.
Behind a large wooden desk sits a broad-shouldered human with plenty of salt in his dark beard, calloused hands setting aside a quill as he looks up at you all. The resemblance to Wallace can hardly be missed--this could only be Brutus Lundgren, your former companion's father. The only other figure in the room is a human woman in a perfectly turned out uniform, standing slightly back and to the side from the seated Lundgren.
"Lord Commander, I apologize for the interruption but these four come bearing--well, some rather alarming reports. I thought you should be informed while we verify the details." She quickly relays what you told her; the Lord Commander's only reaction is a slightly raised eyebrow and the steepling of his fingers. He half-turns his head towards the woman beside him. "Roslar's Coffer?"
Closing her eyes for just a moment, the woman opens them again and answers in a low, clear voice. "Ranching village near the Nirmathi border, sir. There was an...incident, involving a ruined temple and some Pathfinders a few years ago, I believe."
"I see." He turns back to survey the lot of you. "The entire town destroyed you say? I suppose the obvious question then is why we are only receiving these reports now. What exactly have you been up to for the past month?"
"Greetings, Lord Commander," starts Garret, looking around to see if Wallace is anywhere nearby . "The story is long and convoluted, though the short of it is that we were damaged but not permanently killed by the necrotic bomb, and it took us some time to find our way back to the waking world. That being accomplished, we found the ruins of Roslar's Coffer overrun with corrupted creatures and encased in a poisonous fog dome that took us some time to bring down by destroying the artifact that created it."
"Once we escaped--in no small part thanks to Captain Rosalind here--those you see before you headed straight here to Vigil, though some with us went to warn the other border towns," continues Garret.
Embarrassed, Sanduro pulls Zsofia back into his consciousness. I think your deadly weapons are peacebound now. Hopefully we won't need you to punch anyone on short notice.
The druid listens uncomfortably to the discussion in the Lord Commander's office; he intends to stay quiet and let his friends with military experience do the talking. But he bristles at the implied criticism from Wallace's father.
"Everyone in that town was killed except for us, sir, and we were as good as dead at first, too. It was days before we even made it back from the Boneyard - I wish that was an allegory, but it's the simple truth. Your son Wallace survived as well and started back with us, but decided to take a different path, but I thought he meant to find you as soon as he could - if he's here, he'll back up the first part of our journey. Anyway, once we did make it back to the world of the living, we found that the town was cut off by the dome Garret's referring to, sir. We believed that nobody could pass through it in either direction until we managed to dispel it, except for the cultists we defeated in our efforts to gain the knowledge we needed to do so."
Brutus Lundren studies you all for a long moment, expression carefully blank as the woman beside him studies a spot somewhere behind you all. Finally the Lord Commander heaves a heavy sigh and sits back in his chair.
"I don't know what to make of this story...but some of the details are familiar to me. My son appeared at the doorstep of our home just over two weeks ago, raving about the Boneyard and a tree and the Shield of Arnisant, making wild accusations about my staff! He had no discharge papers and so had to be confined to quarters as a deserter--a rider was dispatched to you regarding his whereabouts and requesting clarification, Watchknight Sunstone. I take it they never reached you."
"An examination by several healers and battlemages found no signs of poisoning, mental control, nor other maladies and an inquisitor of my church uncovered no falsehood. Given the...outlandishness...of the tale I I feared my son had suffered a mental break." A flicker of something crosses the Lord Commander's face--chagrin, or perhaps a touch of shame--but it's gone immediately.
"A second report, coming weeks after the fact, does give me pause however. Once the Watcher Lord has returned to the city I'll inform him and we'll dispatch an investigatory team to Roslar's Coffer."
"Wallace speaks the truth--any warnings he has you should take quite seriously. And in the meantime, what will you do about the direct threat to Vigil mentioned in this correspondence with the Master of the Whispering Way's lackey?" asks Garret, "We have risked much and traveled quickly to warn the city of this grave risk."
Ketra crosses her arms, quietly fuming on Wallace's behalf at the callous treatment he received from his own flesh and blood. When she speaks up its to question the Lord Commander "Wild accusations about your staff? What exactly did he suggest?" She ponders and adds "I would hazard I know the tree he mentioned, but the Shield of Arnisant? That sounds important."
"In any case, he's as sane as anyone can be going through the ordeal we did. Unless something terrible happened after we parted ways of course. Do you think we could speak with him as well? Perhaps he learned something important that we didn't."
Sanduro stares at the Lord Commander in horror. "He told you Roslar's Coffer was destroyed, warned you about what was happening, and you ... what, assumed he had gone insane? Even when your messenger didn't return and you had no word from the fort at Roslar's Coffer in all that time?"
The duskwalker takes a breath and refrains from saying anything more in an effort not to antagonize this self-important buffoon.
”Out of curiosity, what wild accusations did he make about your staff—any person in particular?” adds Garret.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"ENOUGH!" Lundgren's fist hammers onto the table as the officer's voice cuts through the barrage of questions. "I am the Lord Commander of the Watchknights of Vigil and I will not be spoken to in such a manner!" He lets the resulting silence linger, tilting his chin back and when he speaks again it's in a more composed fashion, though his words are clipped and short with irritation.
"The security of this city and the nation under it have been my life's work, and I take it very seriously. Your report is...highly unusual, but your urgency is understandable. A explosion during the festival would be catastrophic, and so my investigators will review the documents you brought to me for any signs of tampering or forgery. In the morning you will all report to the Sancta Iomedaea to give your statements under magical examination, and we will see what we find. Do not leave the city."
The Watchknight snaps a smart salute and turns to open the door, ushering you all out. "Oh, and Watchknight Sunstone," the Lord Commander says straightening the stack of papers left on his desk. "As the direct superior of Sir Wallace Lundgren you should debrief him on the circumstances of his absence from your command."
Satisfied with the city official's planned action if not his gruff demeanor, Garret turns to leave as bidden. At the knight's final command, he sighs and says to Rosalind as he walks out, "Do you want us to wait for you somewhere or maybe go with you? It would be agreeable to see Wallace again."
Ketra doesn't argue, but it sure looks like she wants to. Once out of the Commander's earshot, she comments "Useless. 'Tampering or Forgery?' It's not like it's some official document. If we wrote it, how would he know? Sounds like he's just looking for excuses not to do anything." When Garret changes the subject she nods eagerly "It'd be good to see Wallace again. I'm so glad he made it out. And it sounds like he had his own adventure to get here."
"Rosa, think we can all get a chance to chat?"
Rosalind frowns slightly, looking back over her shoulder at the Lord Commander's now-closed office door. "He's held the position for over a decade, I'm sure he's doing his best. For all the Watchknights know we could be rubes taken in by a hoax or complicated fake-out by Lastwall's enemies..." She doesn't sound convinced of this herself though, and the Watch Captain Sunstone merely makes a neutral sound of acknowledgement. Rosa gives the other Watchknight a strange look but continues. "To your question--if Sir Lundgren the younger was with the rest of you when all this started, I think it's vitally important that we speak with him."
You are all led out of the Tower of Peace to a barrack flanking the structure. A few minutes later you're all standing before a door as the Watch Captain unlocks it. Wallace Lundgren is rising to his feet from a chair by the narrow window, expression wide-eyed as he recognizes his visitors.
"Garret! Ketra, Sanduro, am I glad to see all of y--oh! Captain Sunstone!" His back goes ramrod straight and he snaps a salute. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you're alive, ma'am!" His expression falters a bit as he takes you all in. "...Where's Silvia? Did she...?"
As they walk (before seeing Wallace but out of earshot of the commander), Garret says, ”I have known two types of bureaucrats among those who take their job seriously—those who proactively work to discover and head off threats, and those who bury their head in the sand and blame the messengers rather than dealing with anything that disrupts their routine. I worry that this leader is more of the latter type—but I hope I am wrong.”
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Rosalind is silent during most of the proceeding with Wallace's father. She knew enough about protocol that his station was such that you didn't speak unless he gave explicit permission. She tries to give some subtle warning shakes of the head to the others - except being subtle had never been her forte - and when one too many liberties are taken in the conversation he predictably explodes.
"I should have warned them." She thinks as the group is ushered out, standing at salute and nodding at Brutus' command. Yet rather than following the others, she briefly remains in place.
"Sir. I apoligize profusely for my companions' conduct - the fault lies with me, as I failed to instruct them on proper protocol. They are civilians, not soldiers like us. As I am sorry for speaking out of turn, for which I will accept whatever disciplining you deem fit. But before we go, I must inform you of something crucial, which could be vital to the survival of the city and the nation."
If given permission, she adds: "We tried to preserve the body of the enemy leader as well as we could. Quietus' remains are downstairs, bound in cloth and rope. The smell was the least I could make it with what meager herbs I could forage on the way. Extracting information from the dead is unfortunately beyond my own ability, but I know it isn't to the clergy of the Inheritor as a whole. He likely knows more of how this explosion was engineered and how to prevent it. At least, we can but pray. I only advise caution as we know there are agents of the Whispering Way active in Vigil. If they know, they will probably try to reclaim it. And he is a dangerous foe if brought back to life. Or otherwise reanimated."
Afterwards, she nods and withdraws as commanded. Once outside, she sighs. "Sadly, I can't fully fault the Commander for doubting his son. For all his virtues and... 'enthousiasm', Wallace has a very vivid sense of imagination, as I'm sure you'd have noticed." She brightens then and grins at the companions. "Still, it will be good to see him. The mood is so dark and somber. I dare say we could use some theatrics."
"Garret! Ketra, Sanduro, am I glad to see all of y--oh! Captain Sunstone!" His back goes ramrod straight and he snaps a salute. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you're alive, ma'am!" His expression falters a bit as he takes you all in. "...Where's Silvia? Did she...?"
"...Survive like us? Yes. She's working to spread the news to the surrounding towns, as you have. Well done, squire." She smiles warmly at her subordinate. "Please, at ease. It warms my heart to see you at least, survived. I'm sorry your words met with skepticism, but I'm afraid that was to be expected. Even we ourselves don't fully understand what happened to the town or us. Yet we are to report to the temple tomorrow to have our words detected on falsehoods by the priests. Hopefully, when they see we too speak the truth, you will be released."
"Wallace! It really is you! I wasn't sure..." Sanduro trails off and cocks his head as though listening to someone, then sighs. "Zsofia says I should 'Ask Beefcake if Mustache is still following him around.' Her words, not mine."
"Wallace--a pleasure to see you alive and unhurt, and on the right side of death's veil," says Garret. "It would seem we each have tales to tell of how we escaped the dead roads and made our way here to Vigil," he adds, preparing to settle in and aid in telling their portion of the story.
"What happened Wallace!? Silvia's just fine, with some new and old friends of ours. But you, you're in one piece and made it here well ahead of us it looks like. You made it past Mictena and all the rest of that? And it sounds like you learned something more yourself." Ketra drills Wallace for as detailed of a story as he's willing to tell before giving her own tale of what happened after they split ways.