Thesius and Verene ready themselves in case of further threats emerging, repositioning as necessary.
In the labyrinth's southern end, the dretch howls in pain and unleashes a barrage of claws at Elyda. Her faith in the Inheritor sees her through some of the attacks, but a few slip past her guard, cutting into her arm and leaving painful gashes. The demon snaps at her with filthy fangs, but she lifts her shield and gives it a good thwack across the face.
Seeing his sister move, Elliot follows her deeper into the maze... and is met by a line of friendly targets and a demon he had no way to harm at present.
As such, he holds fire for now. "Well... this place seems nice and cozy. Think you can make the shot, Anevia?"
Just for pretense, he tries lining up the crossbow but there are just too many moving friendly bodies. Which was good for him, sure, but it wasn't like he was really earning his keep this way.
"Damn it, I wish I could do something but it seems like every time I'm just lagging behind the others...
Elliot shifts forwards carefully, but holds back from firing, as there are too many people in the way.
Round 3
With a new open wound on her arm, Elyda moved 5 ft and continued her attack on the dretch with Radiance.
Unfortunately, the sacred golden sword swung wide, not finding quarry. "Merixia, finish it off!" calling to her ally.
===
"With pleasure!" Now that she can get to the enemy, Merixia closes in and attacks once more.
Elyda slips past the dretch, her wild waving of Radiance hindering its attempts to stop her, but never finding demonic flesh. She floats upwards with an effort of will, but finds that her feet aren't as steady on the clouds as she might like.
Merixia moves swiftly to where her companion had left off, but her sword is no more able to penetrate the demon's hide than Radiance was.
Anevia chuckles dryly. "Well, at least it's high up." She says, her voice slightly unsteady as she fires another shot at the dretch. This one actually hits the creature, but deflects off of its unnatural hide. She curses. "Guess not."
There doesn't appear to be any other sign of motion in the corridor beyond, and Elliot now has it covered anyway, so Verene peers around the corner and takes a hand off her crossbow long enough to sketch a spiraling sign with a little ball of wax and cry a word. A chorus of screams and howls, like four humans shouting at the tops of their lungs, pops into being directly behind the dretch's head.
Thesius continues to hold his ground, waiting for the unexpected and listening for any calls for help.
Thesius holds back, letting his allies handle things as he keeps watch from the rear, while Vantine unleashes an illusion at the dretch, hoping to catch it off-guard. Unfortunately for the wizard, it's difficult to tell whether the demon even noticed the shout, or if it is too distracted fighting her priestly companions.
And fight them it does, launching itself at Merixia this time. The tiefling is prepared, however, and bats away its claws, dodging its teeth, and taking several blows with her armor, completely preventing it from reaching her flesh.
"I can't help them from here... but they're holding on. Will you stay here, Verene? I'll go and report to the others at back. Maybe Thesius needs help soon. If anything changes, call out!" Elliot says, and falls back to the room with his master and Thesius. "I think it's just one dretch left. They seem to be doing well, but I'm out of magic and couldn't offer any assist, Master."
He looks to the side to see Horgus in the far coerner of the room. "Lord Horgus? Would you not come a bit closer? If something were to flank us, there's nothing in place to defend you."
Retreating, Elliot returns to outside the maze, where Thesius, Aravashnial, and Horgus wait. At his urging, Horgus sneers. "There's no one left down there that can climb up." He says, but he moves closer all the same.
Round 4
Elyda floated (5ft) down to the ground, and, with her feet settled firmly on the cavern floor once more, she attacked the dretch with Radiance.
Radiance falls swiftly and inevitably as one of Galt's infamous final blades, and splits the demon's skull in two, knocking it to the ground and leaving an unpleasant-looking corpse.
Anevia sighs, setting her bow back on her back as she floats down as well. "Well... I hope that was the last of them. If not, these things are smarter than I've been led to believe."
"Good fight, all", she quietly praised her companions.
Pulling a rag from her pocket, a sombre Elyda wiped the blood and viscera from the golden blade that was Radiance; tossing the dirtied cloth away once she was done. Her arm was still bleeding from its deep gash (a "gift" from the dretch). Pulling a clean kerchief from her pack, Elyda wrapped it around the arm to stem the blood until she could imbibe a healing potion. Once she was done, she crouched down and searched the dead body of dretch at her feet.
"Merixia, can you search the other one for anything we can use?"
===
Afterward, she took one of the green coloured healing potions from the earlier search and imbibed its contents to give herself some relief.
"Sure thing." Merixia is a bit disappointed that Elyda got to the second dretch first. On the bright side, her new shield worked beautifully! She cleans her sword, sheathes it, and sets about searching the second corpse.
Neither dretch is in possession of anything other than a loincloth - thankfully. Anevia looks at her companions dubiously, before chuckling dryly. "We should go get the others, no?"
Outside, Aravashnial shifts. "I don't hear any more fighting, and I doubt the dretches have won. Are you all well in there?" He calls, raising his voice.
Verene sighs a little as her illusory sounds once again go ignored by an enemy. Someday, she'll be able to produce something as loud as the trumpeting elephants she once saw in a menagerie in Radripal. No one will be able to ignore an elephant. She gives Elliot a quick nod when he vanishes to the back again.
As Elyda makes short work of the remaining dretch with the golden sword, Verene whisper-messages everyone but Horgus: "Elyda and Merixia have now dispatched both dretches, and Elyda is injured but still on her feet. Well done!"
Just to be sure of not getting lost, while Elyda cleans her sword and Merixia glances over the demons' corpses, she goes back to the beginning of the maze, collects the glaives and follows her left-hand rule, soon ending up exactly where she was before. She waits there for the others to join her and proceed. Thamyris, perched on her shoulder again after hiding in her hood for much of the excitement before, gives a subdued chirp and ruffles his wings. "Soon outside?"
"Soon," she tells him, scritching his neck feathers with two stubby gray fingers. "I promise."
Thesius continues to listen intently for the reply. He did not wish to leave the fighting to only them, but the narrow passageway did not give much to work with and it made sense to protect their flank as they did in the tunnels prior.
Anevia floats slowly to the ground before beginning to hobble back out. "I think we're mostly done in there, but we should be wary. Thesius, I'll guard Lord Gwerm," the title is only slightly ironic, [b]"and Aravashnial back here, so you should go closer to the front, probably." Her lips quirk bitterly. "Not too far, though. I'm still clearly not doing to well - couldn't land a single shot on the things."
"Hey, cheer up, Anevia! You've been doing lots of work for us in all the fights leading up to this. I think you're allowed to have an off day, much more than I am, at any rate."
"Both of you are valuable members of the group," Merixia states firmly. "Anevia, it's not your fault that the fall broke your leg, it could have happened to any of us. And Elliot, I know you only have so many spells per day. It's a dilemma familiar to any spellcaster." Although if he wants to keep crusading after they get back to Kenabres, she'll try to find a way to tactfully suggest that Elliot brush up on his marksmanship. Or learn to use that strange scimitar.
"Ready to move on to the rest of the maze, everyone?"
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"Ready," Verene says quietly. "And don't judge yourself too harshly, Anevia. 'Fall seven times, stand up eight,' as they say in Minkai."
Anevia grins slightly at Elliot. "Well, you're right. Doesn't make it any easier, though. I'm not used to being the one who needs protecting. Hell, if my arm was broken, rather than my leg, I'd at least be able to have helped by scouting ahead. Especially here, since the traitors were kind enough to provide consistent light."
Aravashnial grimaces. It's fairly clear that he feels just as helpless as Anevia, if not moreso. "Regardless, we should press on, but carefully."
And so they do, scanning through the maze with caution and weapons ready. Eventually, after looking through every dead end and finding nothing, the heroes move to the exit. Beyond lies a dry sewer tunnel, extending off farther than the planestouched can see.
"Looks like there's still a ways to go, but I don't think we can reasonably scour an entire sewer system - even a defunct one, like this - before resting." Anevia says.
"A sewer system?" The elf wizard grunts in surprise and frustration. "And an abandoned one at that... I wonder how old it is."
He shakes his head. "Let's retreat back to the other side of the maze, and then we can rest and recuperate. Heal, sleep, and prepare spells anew." The last phrase is edged with bitterness.
"Sounds fine to me." It's been a long day. While Merixia is not badly injured, she would like a chance to clean her wounds and put fresh bandages on them. Maybe some padding to stop her armor rubbing on them as well.
"[b]If you are okay with that, I will do so. I would not put your efforts in vain though. You have helped us plenty. As was said, any of us could have wound up with worse injuries. So take that in stride please.[/ooc]
"[b]The sewer appears to be no less than fifty years old based on the construction and watermarks...[b]" replies while trying to place where they might be.
Upon returning to the prior room, Thesius will clean up as best he can and start making further notes of what they have come across.
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Verene tries to remember anything she can about the sewer systems of Kenabres, especially where this apparently disused and at least fifty-year-old one might place them in relation to the rest of the city.
She considers Aravashnial's proposed course of action as they make their way back through the maze. If the group is to wait some twenty hours more to be able to prepare or pray for spells again, it would certainly be safest to return to Neathholm, only an hour's slow travel away, and come back again once rested. The citizens of Neathholm might also be willing to trade more useful supplies for the heavier weapons and armor they have collected.
On the other hand, if they do so, by the time they return the next day, they might find more obstacles or dangers between themselves and the exit. Not to mention that they have been informed that Neathholm's food supply is somewhat precarious. If possible, it might be better for the settlement if they stay away and feed themselves with the supplies in the storage room downstairs — its unfortunately toothy current occupant notwithstanding.
She touches the angry red, barely knitted flesh of the jagged wound across her throat. She is mentally weary from memorizing and then expending all her spells in quick succession. Her clothes and person are covered in blood, dirt, and worse things. But she had made a promise. That was first. "Did you still want to drag the bodies of the traitor Forgotten and the cultists out of this complex and bury them or make cairns, Elliot? I will help you, if so."
He shakes his head. "Let's retreat back to the other side of the maze, and then we can rest and recuperate. Heal, sleep, and prepare spells anew." The last phrase is edged with bitterness.
They had pushed on with consistent injury and less and less spellcasting. It was the right thing to do - find a secure place to rest and recuperate before scouting the old sewer system. She listened as Thesius explained the age of the structure and nodded in response.
Moving with Merixia and the others to the other side of the maze, Elyda spent a little time undertaking practice drills with the golden blade, Radiance; attempting to find the right balance/movement of the blade in her hand. After half an hour, Elyda ended her blade practice, with a quiet prayer to the Lady of Valour, then looked to whomever was still up and not sleeping/resting/learning spells.
"I will take first watch," Elyda advised steadily/quietly. Her wounds had been magically healed and even though the day had been a taxing one, Elyda was not injured like some of her companions and could stay up, for the next hour or two, to watch over them. Speaking/casting quietly, she laid her hand on her person, and called upon her Lady's blessed guidance. She kept Radiance in hand lest trouble came upon them.
===
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Anevia settles in, grimacing. "Merixia, can you take a look at my leg again? I know it's not fully healed, but I'd like to know if I can drop the splint for a cane. Or, y'know, a glaive. It's not like we're lacking those." She gestures vaguely back in the direction from which the party came.
"Ah. I hesitate to bring this up, as we've already gotten ready to rest..." Aravashnial begins.
"But you're going to say it anyways." Horgus interjects acidly.
"Yes," the elf replies with admirable equimanity, "I shall. Which direction will we be heading, come the morrow? Back to Neathholm, or onwards to the surface? Neathholm is not that far from here, after all."
"We could go back to Neathholm now, actually." Anevia says, blinking. "Maybe tell Chief Sull that his problem's been taken care of? Assuming it has, of course, but I'm pretty sure that we've essentially wiped this place out."
"No, no, no, no." Horgus shakes his head. "You want to go back down into that place? I shouldn't be surprised, given your," he looks at Aravashnial, "fondness for being proven right, but you?" He looks at Anevia. "I thought you were worried."
"I am." Anevia's voice is cold. "But it's an hour's journey round trip, and we don't need to stay there long. Just long enough to report success."
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"Did you still want to drag the bodies of the traitor Forgotten and the cultists out of this complex and bury them or make cairns, Elliot? I will help you, if so."
"Yes... I think we should. They might have been enemies and not extended that same courtesy to us. Actually, probably not considering what we found in their 'kitchen', but it seems like the right thing to do. Shouldn't take that long to make a simple large grave and say a prayer or two,"" Elliot decides, and might have asked if anyone would have come along. but didn't. It probably wasn't a good idea to disturb Elyda in her practice, for one.
He spends the next two hours or so looking for the most practical solution to give their enemies some form of burial and last rites before returning, unless disturbed. It was rather grissly work considering the reek of death, bodily fluids, and freshly coagluated blood, but he tried his best.
When the topic comes up on what to do next, he sighs and looks at the black scimitar. "If we go back to Neathholm, we might be able to take some more supplies with us, and it doesn't take *that* long if we're taking a rest anyway. Also... If I'm honest, I'd like to ask Elder Sull if he might know anything about this 'dead' sword we picked up. I have this odd feeling it's a rather potent weapon, but I'm not sure what to do for it, or how to 'renew its purpose', as I think Thesius suggested. Any concrete lead would be a good one."
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"Of course, Anevia. Let me take a look." Before she does so, Merixia pauses for a silent prayer to her patron and a bit of his power.
Once she's dealt with Anevia's leg as best she can, the cleric joins the others. "I vote we return to Neathholm for the night. That way we won't have to set watches, and everyone can get a full night's sleep." Given that everyone here except Anevia and Horgus is a spellcaster of some sort, setting watches is not an ideal situation for this group.
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"Yes... I think we should. They might have been enemies and not extended that same courtesy to us. Actually, probably not considering what we found in their 'kitchen', but it seems like the right thing to do. Shouldn't take that long to make a simple large grave and say a prayer or two."
Verene nods silently and helps without complaint until the grim work of disposing of the cultists' and Forgotten warriors' corpses is done. Only the contents of the horrific lower-level kitchen give her pause. Eventually, she steels herself and moves the pieces of butchered humanoids to a cloak or some sheets salvaged from the complex, using it to transfer them to the grave to be respectfully interred with the others. Not long into their self-appointed task, she stumbles slightly and grows back into her human self. She stands in silence for any prayers Elliot or anyone else wants to make, but adds no words of her own. Once it is all done, she merely walks away and scrubs her hands raw — in the freezing water of the underground river, if necessary.
She pauses before dealing with the bodies with Elliot, listening to the discussion of what to do next. She hadn't planned to bring up the idea of going back to Neathholm to have a safer rest, but now that Merixia and Elliot have, she nods in agreement with them: "I too would support returning to Neathholm for safety while we rest, copy spells, and wait for tomorrow. I know you would like to get to the surface as fast as possible, Lord Horgus, but we have already decided as a group to make sure we have the full complement of our spells readied for whatever dangers still lie between us and the next safe place before we move on from here. Given that, we have probably twenty hours left to wait before we enter those sewers in any case. Less however much time it takes us to finish dealing with these bodies. And it is only about half an hour's walk to Neathholm each way, so we really aren't losing any time regardless of what we decide.
"My only quibble is that it seemed Neathholm might feel some strain on its resources from feeding our group for long. So if there are any usable, non-meat food supplies in that downstairs closet where the lizard hid, we should bring them back to the settlement as well." Verene nods at Elliot. She would prefer to avoid having to think about where any dried meat in the storeroom might have come from. "I doubt Chief Sull will have any more idea about the scimitar than we do, but it can't hurt to ask him, and I'm sure he'll be pleased to know for sure that we survived, that this traitor group will threaten their people no longer, and that Thesius used his gift well."
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Horgus looks distinctly displeased, but remains silent for the moment.
Anevia bites her lip, her eyes dropping half closed as she considers what she wants the party to do. "I'd rather not spend the night there, but it's probably smarter to do so." She says finally. "I don't want to spend more time farther away from our home than I have to, but... you're right."
Aravashnial nods at Verene. "I doubt that Chief Sull has any greater knowledge than I in this matter, but Seer Opoli might know something. Sull did not strike me as a particularly knowledgable man in matters arcane."
The heroes work together to build cairns for the dead in the main living area, the devout offering prayers to their gods, as well as to Pharasma. Horgus, naturally, abstains, and Aravashnial does little as well. Though Anevia tries her best to help, she's still rather hampered by her broken leg.
Ultimately, they manage, but when they approach the pantry, the lizard there hisses, baring its fangs. It doesn't look quite ready to attack, but it is close to that.
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Huh, that's odd. Merixia wonders what Horgus has against spellcasters. After all, spells have been a large part of what's kept the group alive down here. Just one of many mysteries around the merchant.
Both Elliot and Verene are obviously wounded, but of the two, Elliot looks slightly worse off. Merixia approaches the aasimar before they get started on cairn-building. "I have one healing spell left, Elliot. Since it seems we won't be fighting any more today, let me help you." She chants the familiar words of her cure spell, touching the mage's arm.
Verene is too caught up in the concerns of the moment to understand Horgus's displeasure on any deeper level than as evidence he is still breathing. If he is ever not displeased, then she will know something is wrong with him.
She stops just outside the storeroom when the lizard hisses. After keeping her composure through the numerous horrors of the past few hours, it is the prospect of being forced to kill what is essentially a very dangerous pet dog that is finally too much for Verene to bear.
"Stupid creature. Why couldn't you have just run away?" she whispers, eyes stinging. The cold voice of reason says, It mauled you not two hours ago. It eats people, just like its masters. You can't control it and Neathholm won't want it. Put it down. But she doesn't raise her crossbow; she couldn't aim it properly right now anyway.
Seeing his sister about to break down, Elliot hesitantly puts a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Verene? We don't have to kill it. I know it'd be a lot easier, and probably safer, since it's injured quite badly. But... we could try feeding it some of the non-humanoid meat here, and see what it does. Maybe it'd follow us to Neathholm. Maybe Chief Sull could find a use for a guardian pet like him. If it tries anything... well, one or two strikes should put it down."
If Verene doesn't object, Elliot grabs a bit of meat and slowly sits down, placing the meat in front of the lizard. "Okay, big guy. Or girl? Anyway, It's not your fault you're in this position. So... I'll just put this here so you can eat for now, okay? This is a second chance of sorts. Can we perhaps not fight eachother, to start?"
Both Elliot and Verene are obviously wounded, but of the two, Elliot looks slightly worse off. Merixia approaches the aasimar before they get started on cairn-building. "I have one healing spell left, Elliot. Since it seems we won't be fighting any more today, let me help you." She chants the familiar words of her cure spell, touching the mage's arm.
When Merixa approaches and explains she's about to heal him, Elliot looks around uneasily, inspecting the others. "If you only have one spell... are you sure? Wouldn't you rather hold onto it just in case, until we reach Neathholm?" He asks in soft tone. However, should she insist, he gratefully accepts the offer. "Thanks - that does feel a lot better. Ragathiel's eyes fall upon you, Merixia."
He gives her a smile, then glances at the others as they make their preparations. "So, are we ready to start heading back?"
"Based on what we have seen of those sewers, I believe we are near the crusader campgrounds to the north or the Truestone Quarry to the southwest. Either way, I believe being ready for whatever may come next is crucial. We have no clue of awaits us above and while I would like to aid those that may survive, rushing to our deaths is of little use to anyone," he says in support of the plan to go back and rest.
Thesius glances over Horgus. They were aware that something seemed off about him and he seemed to realize it as well.
As Elliot attempts to persuade the lizard into a friendly encounter, he prepares to throw his dagger should it show hostility. The morningstar in his off hand for quick retrieval should he need it after.
Checking the walls behind the lizard reveal that there are, in fact, no non-meat products - it all looks fairly unappetizing, even without the knowledge that the group has of what lurks beneath them in the "kitchen."
Thus relieved of their desire to get any new provisions, they begin the journey back to Neathholm. Within another half-hour, they arrive at its southern gates, where a pair of forgotten children stand ready to meet them.
The guards relax slightly as they see who the heroes are. "You are back. I was not sure if you would be." One of the two, a three-armed woman whose three rows of teeth gleam in the light of the heroes' spells. Her companion nods silently.
"Anyways, welcome back to Neathholm. Pray enter, that you might rest your weary bones a spell." She continues, throwing open the door.
Moving through the southern gates into Neathholm and accepting (with a polite nod/bow of head) the three-armed woman's cordial welcome at their return, Elyda turned to her companions and spoke quietly, "I would like to find Meron and personally tell her we dealt with the threat of her wrongdoers. She was their captive and deserves to privately hear what has become of the traitors, cultists and their dretches."
"Thank you once again for your hospitality." Verene greets Neathholm guards politely and gives a very brief summary of what they did and found in the traitors' complex. That way, even if they don't meet with Chief Sull, word will still reach him through the grapevine. "The demon-worshipping traitors, human cultists, and dretches of that settlement will threaten Neathholm no longer. All are dead except one guard animal - a large white lizard, which was seriously injured. We are... well, we are as you see. At the top of the complex was an entrance to a disused Kenabren sewer, which we hope will take us to the outskirts of the city above. If there is no objection, we plan to stay here for another sleep, then leave for the surface."
She leaves out the discovery of the cultists' letter, and Radiance. The forgotten children seem trustworthy, but they clearly have a great reverence for Iomedae, and Elyda might not like the attention the news that she is now the bearer of such a relic would bring.
"I would like to find Meron and personally tell her we dealt with the threat of her wrongdoers. She was their captive and deserves to privately hear what has become of the traitors, cultists and their dretches."
Once they enter the settlement, she nods at Elyda's intention. "I hope it brings her peace. I plan to translate some of these spells into forms I can use, so I will be near the hut where we spent the night if anyone needs me."
Although she would like nothing more than to wash, even a sponge bath, and get a fresh change of clothes, Verene decides that time is precious and right now hers is better spent on copying spells. She asks Thesius for whatever magical cleaning his cantrip can provide for her clothes, but then spends the rest of the day sitting outside Iomar's hut with two spellbooks open before her: her own, and Millorn's. Her inkpen makes careful whorls and precise diagrams in the precious inks and powdered reagents bought from Seer Opoli; for long chunks of time she only stares at the arcane writings, trading muttered comments with Thamyris, who sits on her wrist and observes the process with a sustained and decidedly un-bird-like concentration.
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Merixia helps Verene describe their exploits when the other woman forgets a detail now and then. She desperately wants to wash off the charnel stench of the cultists' lair, but first, some business.
"Now that you're back to your normal size, here's the nice dagger we found, Verene." The cleric removes it from her belt and hands the weapon over hilt first. "Also, since I claimed the magical shield, I think either Verene or Elliot should get the magic cloak. Which one of you wants it?"
After handing the cloak over to one of the mages, Merixia dumps her pack and all the heavy loot within at their borrowed cottage. Retrieving her spare clothes, soap, and comb, she heads for the lake.
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Before being offered the cloak, Elliot spends his time visiting Seer Opoli. He knocks on the door of the hut, asks for permission to come in and lowers the black scimitar on the table of the hut. "I'm sorry to bother you, seer. But... is there perhaps anything you could tell me about this weapon? Anything at all. It appears like it's... 'dead' in a way. I'm hoping we can somehow reactivate it, and use it to fight. I'm hoping I could use it, so that perhaps I could be more of a use to the group. Too much of my time is spent standing at the back just... hoping the others succeed, and when I cast a spell, it either seems to fail or have minimal effect. Why that is, I don't know. But I think I might not be as good as I thought at this, and this weapon might be my best hope right now. It's Sarenrae's divine weapon, and I took that as a sign, though I realize it's probably a stretch."
After concluding the visit to the Seer, assuming he is still conscious , Elliot will practice a few of his stage illusion tricks mostly to distract himself from today's slaughter and the prospect of a much larger one ahead. Should there be children, he will try to entertain them with the tricks while he was at it.
And he should probably get the blood washed from his clothes sometime later, too. Actually, he should probably have done that first. But then he'd seen Merixia take off to wash earlier and it was only polite and good sense to wait.
Verene finds that their little hut is still mostly the way they had left it, and spends several hours transcribing Millorn's spells into her own spellbook, It proves surprisingly easy to decipher now that she has prepared for it.
It was a... fury that welled up within her. It did not lack malice, but malice was not its entirety. Odd that it hadn't erupted during her battle with the dretches - her first engagement with demons proper... but something to keep in mind, perhaps.
Thesius will spend his time working on organizing what to sell and what to keep. There was much they did not need that could benefit the townsfolk and supplies they may be able to use depending on what still lay ahead for them on the surface.
Elyda finds Meron sitting at the shore of the lake, watching over some sort of trap that the inquisitor doesn't recognize - presumably for use in fishing. Lifting her dragon-clawed hand, she rises to her feet. "Hail. You've returned already?"
She watched as Meron rose from the shore, and, the inquisitor lifted her hand in returned wave.
"Greetings, Meron. We have newly returned and I wished to check in and apprise you of our endeavours." Elyda then concisely recounted all they had encountered and triumphed over since the party had left Neathholm. "We have dispatched the Forgotten Children traitors and the cultists and dretches. We have traversed and ensured the maze is clear of threat or danger. They will no longer be able to hurt you and your people. I hope this will give you some sense of justice and peace." Elyda paused to see how Meron would react to the news.
Once she's scrubbed herself thoroughly, Merixia finds a comfortable place to sit and reflect while she dries off. The rage she's felt in combat lately... now that she has time to think, it's different from the usual bloodthirstiness and joy in combat that she's always felt. Was it the unholy aura of the Baphomet cultists' worship? A sign of her increased connection to Ragathiel? (If so, Merixia would like a word with her patron. She did not sign up to channel his divine rage against injustice. Her own is quite enough to deal with, thank you.) Something else?
Sounds like a good time for some prayer. The tiefling closes her eyes and reaches for the fiery warmth within her, seeking answers. Ragathiel, General of Vengeance, I am lost and confused. What is this rage I feel? Is my infernal blood strengthening? Is it a reflection of Your holy wrath? Or is the Worldwound influencing my mind?
Her three eyes close briefly, before she opens them and offers Elyda a slightly tearful smile. Swallowing, she speaks again. "Had you any difficulties with our traitorous kin?"
On further reflection, Merixia is reasonably sure that the rage doesn't come from an external source. No one has enchanted her, and while it's possible that the Worldwound has catalyzed something in her, it's not directly making her more bloodthirsty. Whatever is within comes from within.
Her three eyes close briefly, before she opens them and offers Elyda a slightly tearful smile. Swallowing, she speaks again. "Had you any difficulties with our traitorous kin?"
Elyda watched Meron's tearful smile and gave the woman an opportunity to release some of the emotion she had kept silent since her capture. She reached out and gently laid her hand on the woman's arm in an attempt to soothe. Elyda didn't linger over long in the gentle contact lest Meron grow uncomfortable. She answered her question,
"The traitors did not give up without a fight and the caster cultists with their pets tried to bring us down, yet in the end - they, too, failed. We suffered many an injury, yet what magic resources we had or sourced helped heal many of the physical wounds suffered by our party. A good night's rest in Neathholm will help in our convalescence. May the Lady of Valour watch over us. The information you provided us before we left Neathholm proved helpful, and, we are grateful, Meron. Thank you on behalf of myself and my companions. I am pleased we could keep our promise to you and your people."
After a moment, she bows her head. Thank you, Elyda. May her Sword light your path forwards. I swear that we will offer our aid to you, should your fellows accept it."