The chipmunk looks up at Voz with sad little chipmunk eyes. She squeaks to draw attention…
…and the chipmunk undergoes a rather odd transformation.
“Oh, please forgive me Miss Lyraine. I asked Beau to deceive you, but I meant no disrespect. You seemed nervous and I feared Calmont might have you at crossbow-point, telling you to say ‘we are closed’ so people go away. I was going to slip in and tell others if you are safe or if not, we would have rescued you.”
Noble as her intentions might be, Karana mostly feels ashamed to have lied to Miss Lyraine, who has already had her trust broken.
“I am sad to see Calmont is truly lost, and also sad you were betrayed and robbed. But I thank Desna you are unharmed.”
Gofran listens. "Vell, it vas not the inforrmation ve verre lookin' forr, but neverrtheless a useful one. To the citadel it is then." To the others, he continues. "If ve find Calmont, ve should brring him back to Brreachill alive, so he can ansverr forr his crrimes... ve do not yet know if he vas rresponsible forr the firre, but he is a thief."
Voz blinks at Beatrix. "That sounds very dangerous, please be careful." Karana's transformation startles her, but the explanation seems to mollify her. "That is very kind of you, and I thank you for your concern."
The interior of the shop is indeed a little in disarray, with drawers open and their contents tossed about. Voz has made a start on re-organizing the contents, and the door at the back of the store area is open, allowing a glimpse into a living space.
As the group prepares to depart, the half-elf waves them goodbye. " Good luck, and I hope you find Calmont!"
Another short walk brings them to the northwestern gate of the town, where a pair of townguards are currently doing their best to hide from the sun. The paved street turns into a packed dirt road that meanders for a little before taking a sharp turn and starting to climb the steep bluff in a series of switchbacks. The citadel doesn't seem very far as the crow flies, but on foot it will probably take a couple of hours to make it to the top.
As they cross the guards, Gofran makes a quick question. "Hey lads... could ye tell me if Calmont, the halfling that vorrks at the bookstorre, left town thrrough this gate rrecently?"
"He might have painted himself green while carrying a torch." Beatrix tries to help out, in case that was him trying to blame goblins for everything. "Actually ignore that, he did not have enough time to apply the paint, I think." she thinks "Have you seen any goblins running out at all would be the better question. Other than our companion here."
Karana is pleased that Voz is not upset with her. Her smile says enough.
…
When Bea speaks later, Karana says, “There need not be a goblin or a torch. Just the words goblin and torch can spread a lie faster than wildfire.
“I am very disappointed in Calmont. Very, very disappointed.”
It occurs to Karana what Gofran meant by taking Calmont alive. She says nothing. It comes as a relief. She cannot fathom having to use her pointy sticks on the grumpy little man, despite his endangerment to children.
She wonders if she would think differently if…
The two guards look at each other before one responds, pointing to Warbal. "We've only seen this goblin, but running in, not out. Was by itself and didn't seem dangerous, so we let it pass. And aye, Calmont went past a little while ago. Was in a big hurry, and all kitted out for travel." She looks rather concerned. "We saw some smoke, did something catch fire?" After hearing about the short-lived blaze at the townhall, she shakes her head. "My family has lived here for eight generations, never once has there been arson. What a shameful thing, and with so many people inside, too. And kids!"
The other guard chimes in. "Always found him a little strange. Getting drunk in the Ear and ranting about goblins... I know all his kin got killed in the war, but still. It was very kind of Voz to give him a job, he certainly didn't amount for much in his first few months."
Kyrie shakes her head, but her expression is one more of deep sadness than outrage or anger. "I think that pain makes people make bad decisions. I think this is why Iomedae says for us to remember our hearts. I think She wants us to not let evil--and the evil done to us--make us forget who we are."
Her thoughts still only the previous events at the townhall, and on keeping her winds from getting out of control, Amaya listens to the conversations going on. She didn't know this Calmont on any personal level, had only briefly met the halfling once, that day in the bookstore, in fact. But her impressions of him were not positive after his showing at the Call. It seems like his path was being directed by hate and prejudice. Whether there was anything left of who he was before, that was something to be discovered.
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Beau would feel angry, but with them preventing the fire and anyone getting hurt, he mostly feels annoyed. The enormous why hangs over Calmont's actions like an annoying distraction. Does it really matter why he did it? It's clear the halfling has lost his mind. Well, yes, it does matter. This is a civilized town, after all, a town where the locals look after one another. Beau knows this, because he got a chance to redeem himself here even though he - by his own standards - didn't deserve it.
"The mind can be an odd slingshot when you're under heavy pressure and suffering immensely. Before you know it, your thoughts get shot into a dark corner where no person ought to go. Whatever the case might be for Cal, what he did went beyond the Pale. Let's drag his sorry behind back to town so he can answer for himself."
He steps forward with abundant energy, eager to get this thing over with. Eager to get to the citadel, and find some darn answers.
Gofran nods to the new information gained. "I believe one o' ye should rreach the council and inforrm them that Calmont fled town. Ve arre headin' to the old citadel, so unless Calmont is also headin' therre, ve vill not have time to trrack 'im down."
One of the guard nods at Gofran's suggestion. "Shift change soon, anyway, I'll run to the townhall and let them know."
The party sets out on the road, beset by the merciless sun. After a stretch of mostly level ground, the path veers sharply towards the hill and begins to climb. The effort of the ascent and the heat have most of the group panting and stopping frequently for a drink of water, and before long their waterskins are almost empty. Warbal walks with their head down, avoiding to look up at the sky or at their surroundings beyond what is needed to orient themselves. Alak must be cooking in that heavy armour of his, but he doesn't complain, pausing ever now and then to wipe the sweat from his face and neck with a handkerchief.
It takes longer than two hours as they need to stop often to rest and drink, but around the fifth bell in the afternoon they finally reach the top of the bluff and can see Citadel Altaerein from up close. The former Hellknight fortress retains its imposing presence, although its thick stone walls have begun to crumble in places. Nature is beginning to reclaim the site, with brush and small trees growing right up to the walls, and weeds making a home in the cracks that have begun to appear in the masonry. The main gate, a tall, double door of oak reinforced with iron, hangs off its hinges. Grasses are growing at its base, evidence that it hasn't been opened in a long, long time.
Warbal shades their eyes with both hands as they tilt their head up to the battlements above the gate. "I don't see them. Maybe they're asleep."
Alak nods at the gate. "I didn't try to open those on my own, they're probably stuck. Now that there's more of us we can try it, or we can go in another way."
"Sleeping dragon lizards... drazards?" she shakes her head at preemptive classification. "... I mean to mean, that if they are sleeping or even if they are not and just unaware. Trying to open that which hasn't been open in a long time, might be a tad... Loud."
"Staying quiet seems to be the best course of action until one has no more choice to be so." she speaks from some experience in this regard, not in citadel spellunking, but in being faced with the unknowable things in her father's lab, and the horrors of being on the perceived wrong side of a rebellion. She gives a slight paling shudder at the memory but does not expand.
Gofran keeps his eyes on the trail, looking for signs of recent passage heading towards the citadel. If Calmont came this way, he'd find his trail.
Upon reaching the citadel, Gofran voices his agreement to Bea. "Ye arre rright, Bea. Ve gain nothin' by lettin' them know ve arre herre. I'll take a look on the land surroundin' the citadel. I'll be back in a moment."
Karana meditates while people talk and Gofran scouts. Her tiny pest forms will help in future stealth situations.
Gofran does manage to spot a few barefoot prints in a stretch of fine dust on the side of the road. It looks like a smaller humanoid came this way recently and took the road towards the citadel. The trail goes cold after a little while, but with only one way to go the destination of the mysterious traveller is no secret.
At the top of the hill, the dwarf begins circling the fortress, noting the various points of potential entry. Alak takes a few steps to follow, but noting the attempt at quiet movement he shakes his head ruefully and stays back. "I got in from the northwest, there's a gap in the wall there." He points to his right. "Two more access points that way, through holes in the wall. One of them rather sizeable." He inclines his head to the left. "Side door that way, although it might be locked, and another gap in the wall."
Once out on the road and walking again, Amaya seems to become more herself again. The open road and the direct sunlight seem to have a positive effect on her. "Such a lovely day," she comments to no one in particular.
The long trail leading up to their destination makes for a difficult time, though the continuing winds around her help to quell the heat at least a little. She doesn't really have any skills that can be of much use, so she stays out of the way of her new companions, who seem to be busy with various things.
Finally, they reach the old citadel, and Amaya can't help but to stare at the immense structure, despite it's current state of disrepair. "I... never expected it to be so... tall," she says out loud. "Is that normal?" The question is directed more towards Alak, who had said that he was of the order that called this place their former home.
The tallest point of the citadel seem to be the battlements surrounding what Alak thinks is the interior courtyard. "There will be no direct access to it, so that if enemies breach the front doors they'd have to fight in narrow corridors while the defenders regroup in the courtyard." The top of the battlements are about 30 feet above the ground, and round open towers punctuate them at intervals.
Warbal points to the south-eastern tower. "That's where they lowered me from the sky to go get help. Rope wasn't long enough, had to jump. Almost broke my foot." The goblin's command of Common seems to have improved a little after listening to conversations around them.
Alak replies to Amaya. "Tall? I suppose so. Citadel Vraid is taller than this, and you should see the castle in Korvosa! This one seem like it has only one level above the ground, I suppose they got lucky with this flat-topped hill. If the terrain would have been more rugged, they would have gone for more verticality instead."
Impressed by the citadel's killer defenses, Beau can't help but wonder who would think it a good idea to assault a hellknight castle?! "I'm not trying to question anything, but eh, has anyone actually attacked one of these citadels?" Something tells Beau that the impression the citadel gives is more important than its actual defensive qualities. Whatever, best not agitate the non-Andorans too much, Beau. You know how prickly they can be.
With that out of the way, it's time to cut the knot and determine how to get inside. "So, about getting in. How about we go left and enter the citadel from that side? I'm afraid that opening these doors with force might make enough noise to wake up the dead."
Karana looks up at the battlement. “A plausible third option is for me to be flown up as a bug. If I am handed a rope prior to transformation, I can secure it so the rest of you can climb.”
She looks at the doors. “Walking is fine too. I am simply saying we have three choices, not two.”
Gofran returns from his scouting and informs the group. "Therre arre fourr larrge opnenin's in the valls that ve could use to enterr: one on the left vin' , one on the back, and two on the rright vin'." He makes gestures as he explains. He listens to both Beau and Karana.
"I agrree vith Beau, in that it is saferr to enterr thrrough one o' the openin's. I'd rratherr not trry yerr idea Karrana, simply because if shit happens, ve'd be trraped in the battlements and ourr rretrreat vould be much harrderr." Gofran points out, leaving room for the others to voice their own concerns.
With some trepidation, Beatrix points out "I'm not the best climber." the gnome while hardy is not strong. "If we walk we might be able to get behind the drazards, trap them between the shield wall of Goblins and the shining sword of Heros." Bea puts her hand on her small dagger but takes it away quickly realizing it is not a good example of a shining sword. "Let's go Left" she nods to Beau for making an excellent suggestion that does not involve climbing.
Karana does not appear disappointed.
“Walking is fine, as is saving my magic for later use. Just please bear in mind my ability. I have a rope, and through Desna’s blessing, I can be flown to a high place.”
Warbal hops from one foot to another, looking both excited and anxious. "Good, good, kill the dragons, take Bumblebrasher home back! Warbal wait here, make camp."
Alak looks at Karana, impressed. "You can fly? That's very useful. We should keep it in mind."
The party rounds the citadel to its southern side, where the wall has crumbled and the interior is now open to the outside. The space seems to be a training room of sorts, with rows of mouldering straw-filled dummies, many of them wielding wooden replicas of various weapons. The floor is partially covered in dead leaves and other debris that has blown in, and the resulting mulch gives the chamber an earthy musk.
"I vill forr surre keep that in mind." Gofran says, assuring Karana that he is not being dismissive of her skills.
Gofran looks around for any potential danger before entering the citadel. "I vish ve all luck..."
Kyrie takes the front of the group, her shield ready in-hand. She nods at Beau’s question about attacking Hellknight Citadels. ”I was inside one of these citadels when it was attacked. I did not see much of the attack. I can tell you it was successful. I would not be here otherwise.”
Before moving, Karana says, “I cannot fly… yet. I have taken the form of birds and insects, but cannot coordinate the wings.
“Ah, but I met the loveliest little winged woman two suns ago. She will be able to carry me if I become an insect. She is very nice.” She assures Warbal, “One time today, I will ask her to fly me.
“I will do so here in this citadel, if doing so will be helpful.”
Once the dwarf scouts, she readies her weapons. Javelin and shield for now.
Beatrix is way too eager to be entering a dark foreboding den of potential monsters and ready to kill everyone things. She keeps her eyes open, not for danger, but for anything interesting.
While Gofran scouts the room, Kyrie takes up a defensive position, and Karana and Beatrix start searching the space. Beatrix is the first to notice a seam in the southwestern wall, which hints at the presence of a hidden passage.
Alak strides into the room, drawing his greatsword and taking in the décor. "Heh. I guess some things don't change. I swatted plenty of these dummies during my training."
"A Secret Door!" Beatrix exclaims showing the others the seam "Our tower had a couple of these, but they just led to storerooms full of winter supplies and the odd preserved carcass. I wonder what is in there..." she says as she looks for a way to open it. while the gnome exudes eagerness, she knows enough to wait until everyone one is ready and someone more apt makes sure there are no traps before she opens it (if she finds a way to do so).
Following Alak, for staying behind the aspirant-hellknight seems to be the safest best, Beau follows the others into the citadel proper. He doesn't know what to think of the impressive collection of training dummies, and shakes his head. Focus on what you can do!
Instead of acting like a tourist, he scans the environment and, in particular, the ceiling.
Amaya follows along with the others, taking in the grand, if neglected, architecture. She hadn't really stopped in too many inhabited areas since she left home, and this was definitely the biggest structure that she had ever seen.
The 20 feet (6 meters) tall ceiling of the training room seems solid despite the damage to the wall.
Beatrix and Amaya both locate the door opening mechanism, concealed in an empty weapon rack on the same wall as the secret door.
Gofran walks back to the others. "If ye can open this hidden doorr, do so. Let's see if ve can find somethin' useful."
"okay, I suppose I should look for traps first." the gnome curiously looks at the seam to see if she can see anything that might scream you will die if you open me.
"My fa... I mean the wizard that owned our tower had one that sprayed acid meant to splash into someone's eyes, but since there are so many potential heights for a person's eyes, he had it shoot out several jets at the average heights of the races he thought most likely to try and steal his secrets." while she talks she decides yes or no on the traps and then opens the door on a No. "I hope this one doesn't have that one of those or at least overlooked gnomes as a viable threat."
Beatrix does not find the door to hold any nefarious surprises, but all this talk of traps has put Amaya on edge. Not the door, no, but... there! That tile, two paces from the door, right in front of that empty weapon rack. There is the slightest difference in height from the rest of the tiles, and when she glances at the wall she can see the socket that would likely launch some lethal projectile at the inattentive soul stepping on the tile.
Armed with a set of curious-looking tools and trinkets, Beau assails the vicious trap and attempts to disarm it. "Don't worry, I've done this at least a dozen times." Something tells you he hasn't.
Beau manages to spot the thin cable that connects the pressure plate to the trigger in the wall, but the positioning is awkward and his tools fail to find sufficient purchase to snag it and disable it.
Amaya looks carefully at the oddity in the stonework, after Bea had declared the area trap-free, then speaks up, "Is shoddy stonework like that normal in these kinds of places?"
"A trap!?" she calls out, more a surprised question than a statement. "They have those in places like these? What in the world would they need something like that for?" She then puts the situation into the context of Beatrix's story: "Do you think that they have those kinds of secrets here?!" she asks Bea, a little worried. "Be careful, Beau!" she calls out, worry plastered all over her face.
"I read in my uncle's Pathfinder Society books about Osirian pyramids and how they're rigged and boobytrapped from top to bottom, and guess what, the ones you first encounter are usually left there by unsuccessful grave-robbers and such! Who woulda think that?!" In his excitement, Beau almost forgets that he's disarming a device that might very well end his life. Youthful exuberance at its best.
Beau manages to disarm the trap without destroying the mechanism, so if it needed it could be re-armed later.
Alak chimes in to Amaya's questions. "Hellknights do have their secrets, and those need protecting. I'm not privy to many of them myself, being only an armiger."
With the trap no longer a threat, the room can now be explored. It is, in fact, not much of a room, more like a closet. The dust-furred tables are strewn with in jumbled, ominous accessories: pentagram-covered tomes, heavily melted candles, scattered pieces of chalk, containers of mouldy incense, moth-eaten robes. On the walls there are several empty weapon racks.
Beatrix recognizes many of these elements as supplies needed to summon devils, which means that the weapons stored here were most likely silvered. Unfortunately, none are left now... wait. From her lower vantage point, the gnome spots a glint of metal wedged under one of the tables - a single silver longsword resting across the cross beam supports. In the same location there is also a small lockbox, pitted and corroded with age.
Stepping into the room, Alak surveys the abandoned ritualistic items. "Ah yes, this secret I do know. What awaits me when I return, the Hellknight Test. If I survive, I will be admitted into the Order of the Nail as a full member."
Kyrie tenses as Alak talks about the Hellknights. She can still feel Lictor Maris's punishments in her bones. She can hear his voice berating her. "I already know Hellknight secrets." She takes the silver longsword if nobody else does. "I was one. I needed protecting. I needed protecting from the Hellknights."
Beatirx wrinkles her nose at the devil implements "I don't like devils. Proper monsters don't need degrees in legalese."
She nods at the knight taking the sword. "Shiny and useful." she says simply, though it is unclear if she is talking about Kyrie or the sword.
Karana doesn’t understand the concept of traps like this.
“It would be very easy to step on your own trap, set to a tile of the floor of your own dwelling. The civilized world is strange, to me, if this is considered a standard design element of a citadel.”
"They may have only set it when they were not at home?" Beatrix wondered out loud. "Or they were Very careful people?"
Alak's eyes widen at Kyrie. "You... were a Hellknight?" He struggles for a moment, processing what she just said and at a loss for words momentarily. "Well. Perhaps you'd like to share that story sometime." He runs his gauntleted hand over his forehead. "I know that they are pretty harsh in their training, if that's what you mean." He rubs a small scar on his temple, turning to Beatrix. "Few people like them, but they do have their uses, if properly summoned and bound. And yes, this trap was probably armed before they left. Although with this room being so hidden, only a few select people would have had access to it, and they would have known to mind their step."
Beau manages to unlock the box on the second attempt, which contains 31 silver coins.
"Ha, silver. Imagine how many rounds we can order for all of this? Actually, don't, because thinking about the headache that would follow makes me feel depressed."
Even with her outspoken distaste for devils, Beatrix could never let a good ominous pentagram tome go unread, so she will slide one off the table and into her satchel, only to be met with some sputtered wet smacking sounds and the glimpse of tentacles. "Oh, sorry Matilda, you've been so still I forgot you were in there." the gnome reaches in and strokes something that shudders the bag with an unheard purr. Then she slides off her backpack and slips the book in there, along with the bits of chalk. "You can never have too much chalk" she says mostly to herself.