Protectors of Golarion (Wrath of the Righteous AP)

Game Master Sensen

Wulfric looks with great curiosity through the doorway, but stops with Commander Tirabade to wait for Azira and the others to return from their audience with the queen.

Yeah, I expected some similarities, I just had to tease Thesius a little bit because his last sentence is almost word for word the same as Azira’s, lol. And, yes, Merixia’s “democracy, hell yeah” was pretty great too.

Oof, okay, I am feeling better today, so I hope that I'm on the mend.

The queen smiles at Azira, inclining her head slightly. "I was very sorry to hear about your mother's fate." She says, the smile fading. "But I trust that the goddess has taken her into her heart."

She looks to Elliot. "A mage and a warrior, I'm told. I am sorry to hear that you, too, have lost family."

Galfrey smiles tiredly at Merixia's words. "Welcome to Mendev, Mistress Pentarian. Your efforts in service of the people of Golarion are much appreciated by those of us who live here."

"Mistress Tanaquil." She inclines her head. "Whatever small honor my attention gives you is more than earned with your feats in the past few weeks."

She nods, too, to Thesius. "Your offer is most noble, and I apologize that I must take you up on it."

Irahai continues. "Some among the crusade believe that you should be condemned for the destruction of the wardstone border. But these people are small-minded and oblivious to the truth of the matter. By the sound of it, you saved entire legions of crusaders from a most terrible fate."

"Just so. I would say you've even saved the entire crusade, possibly even Mendev itself, from the demons' onslaught." Galfrey says, shaking her head. "Fortunately, I have been able to keep the foolish from swaying things against you." She offers Merixia a faint quirk of her lips, before focusing. "However, the consequences of the loss of the border are significant, as you're no doubt aware."

"The wardstones are gone, and they can never be replicated again. However, Iomedae has seen fit that you all shall be their replacement." She lifts a hand to forestall objections. "I can think of no other reason that would explain why their power has settled into your bodies and souls, rather than returning to her, or simply fading into the ether."

Irahai nods. "For now, the demons are on the back foot, thanks to your actions. They will regroup and reorganize, however. They aren't devils, so their regrouping will not be quick, but it will happen. We cannot afford to underestimate them."

"They'll be back soon enough." Galfrey says grimly. "It is my fault that they took us by surprise this way. I should've known better."

"Your Majesty..." Irahai says warningly. This has the sound of an old argument between the two of them.

I'll give you a chance to respond here.

Everyone else: *kneels or bows*

Merixia: DEMOCRACY HELL YEAH

The Chad Merixia vs the Virgin everyone else ;)

""A mage and a warrior, I'm told. I am sorry to hear that you, too, have lost family."

"Your words are appreciated, Your Highness. Though my losses are insignificant to those of Kenabres as a whole," Elliot says, feeling the weight of loss lift slightly. To get condolances from the legendary Crusader Queen herself was no every day occurance. "Would that you had gotten here sooner, perhaps more could have been saved..." He can't help but think regardless, seeing the severed hand of his mother and his sister's scarred body flash through his mind. To then be forced to bury the former, and his father's hammer in absense of other remains...

Again he cursed his own ineptitude during most of the battle.

The following praise doesn't feel entirely deserved, but he nods anyway. He remains politly silent when Galfrey consigns the Wardstone happenings purely to Iomedae's will when at least three other major gods could make similar claims, and had in a way.

Irahai nods. ""For now, the demons are on the back foot, thanks to your actions. They will regroup and reorganize, however. They aren't devils, so their regrouping will not be quick, but it will happen. We cannot afford to underestimate them."

"They'll be back soon enough. It is my fault that they took us by surprise this way. I should've known better." Galfrey says grimly.

He watches the interplay between the Queen and her Administrator and ventures to ask the obvious question. "If I may speak... I wouldn't presume to know what is best for the city, much less the entire Nation. But the five of us cannot be everywhere at once, the way the wardstones were, regardless of whose will it is that we inherited their powers and whether that was just. But the demons do seem to be reeling... so would it not make sense to move out and strike while they are down, before they can regroup?"

The queen smiles at Azira, inclining her head slightly. "I was very sorry to hear about your mother's fate." She says, the smile fading. "But I trust that the goddess has taken her into her heart."

”Thank you, your Majesty,” the paladin answers. “I’m not sure how comprehensive a report you’ve received, but the Inheritor spoke to me in a dream the night the Wardstones fell; one of the things that the Lady of Valor told me was that a reward awaited my mother. It was a great comfort then, as your words are now.”

*After Elliot’s response*
Azira’s about to voice her enthusiasm for her fellow aasimar’s suggestion when she hears her mother’s lessons echoing in her mind. She’d never been instructed exactly how to conduct herself when meeting with the queen, but she was certain she wasn’t supposed to tell the sovereign what should be done with the nation’s resources. Not without an invitation, at least. Still, when she looks up to see how the queen reacts to the suggestion, she can’t help but smile at the prospect of taking the fight to the demons.

Verene tries not to feel too gratified by the Queen's praise and to remain wary for the catch, with limited success. Somehow, almost the very same words about her so-called feats — though they still do not feel like more than what anyone with the choices and capabilities she had would have done — do not grate on her when coming from another mortal, even one who is very nearly a living representative of Iomedae.

Irahai continues. "Some among the crusade believe that you should be condemned for the destruction of the wardstone border. But these people are small-minded and oblivious to the truth of the matter. By the sound of it, you saved entire legions of crusaders from a most terrible fate."

Verene's very upright posture relaxes slightly. It seems Irabeth has made the Queen and her advisor aware of the terrible choice they had faced after recovering information about Areelu Vorlesh's plans from the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth. The five of them will not have to argue again for the logic of what they had chosen to assist the paladin in doing.

"Just so. I would say you've even saved the entire crusade, possibly even Mendev itself, from the demons' onslaught." Galfrey says, shaking her head. "Fortunately, I have been able to keep the foolish from swaying things against you." She offers Merixia a faint quirk of her lips, before focusing. "However, the consequences of the loss of the border are significant, as you're no doubt aware."

"The wardstones are gone, and they can never be replicated again. However, Iomedae has seen fit that you all shall be their replacement." She lifts a hand to forestall objections. "I can think of no other reason that would explain why their power has settled into your bodies and souls, rather than returning to her, or simply fading into the ether."

Verene presses her lips together, but makes no objection to this characterization of events; for even though she was not precisely happy about it, and would not have phrased it exactly thus, had she not already thought to herself more or less the same thing? I had not considered that it could have been Iomedae's choice that we absorbed some of the Wardstone's power, or why would she not have empowered Irabeth too? But even supposing it was, we who happened to be there when the Wardstone exploded were an available channel for the power to go, somewhere that it could continue to be useful in the world and in the war, rather than simply being lost. Assuming that same power cannot easily be projected into the Material Plane again in the form of new wardstones, Iomedae would indeed be a fool to let that chance go to waste.

Irahai nods. "For now, the demons are on the back foot, thanks to your actions. They will regroup and reorganize, however. They aren't devils, so their regrouping will not be quick, but it will happen. We cannot afford to underestimate them."

"They'll be back soon enough." Galfrey says grimly. "It is my fault that they took us by surprise this way. I should've known better."

"Your Majesty..." Irahai says warningly. This has the sound of an old argument between the two of them.

He watches the interplay between the Queen and her Administrator and ventures to ask the obvious question. "If I may speak... I wouldn't presume to know what is best for the city, much less the entire Nation. But the five of us cannot be everywhere at once, the way the wardstones were, regardless of whose will it is that we inherited their powers and whether that was just. But the demons do seem to be reeling... so would it not make sense to move out and strike while they are down, before they can regroup?"

Verene raises an incredulous eyebrow at Elliot. This seems to her to be an audacious suggestion in more ways than one, for not only had they not been solicited for their advice, they have heard nothing about the material situation actually inside the Worldwound except from Irahai just now. And there is still much to do to rebuild Kenabres. But if she is honest, she would certainly not expect the Queen to leave them to do that rather than making use of their new powers to fight, in whatever form that takes. So perhaps she can contextualize the question a bit.

"I am unhappy to learn that you do not believe the wardstones can be replicated, Your Majesty. I would have more than willingly sacrificed these new abilities if it could have restored them. Although I confess to some relief that you and Administrator — Councillor? — Irahai understand the situation we faced and the choices we made in light of it," Verene says, folding her hands in her sleeves and looking the Queen in the eye. Lacking any knowledge of why Galfrey might blame herself personally for not foreseeing the demons' incursion, beyond a leader's ultimate responsibility for the failures or successes of her forces, she does not comment on that. Maybe that is all the Queen means — and, indeed, if she had removed Hulrun from authority years earlier, when he should by any reasonable measure have been removed, perhaps the intelligence failures that led to the demon invasion and the fall of Kenabres would not have happened at all. But to blame or second-guess herself now, in front of them, when it would be improper for them to try to advise or comfort her, is of no help in the present situation, and indeed it bespeaks a worrying lack of confidence. Verene does not say this either. Instead she says, "But whether or not it is true that the power in the Wardstone should have gone elsewhere and it was Iomedae's choice that it entered us instead— to my knowledge, none of us have received any communication from her about what to do with it. So unfortunately, my brother is right that we are no replacement for the wardstone barrier in the sense of having any specially understood purpose for this power. Much less the ability to fight off greater demons or to provide a solid line of defense as the menhirs did. I wish it were otherwise, and we are all anxious about what comes next. But we have only what we always had: our own, mortal understanding of strategy and moral reasoning."

She pauses, wondering if this is the sort of directness her great-aunt would have called 'abominably impertinent.' "...Your Majesty."

Above all, she does not want to give the false impression that she is willing to be directed in the use of the Wardstone's power by someone else's understanding of 'Iomedae's will' if it conflicts with her own reason.

Verene tries not to feel too gratified by the Queen's praise and to remain wary for the catch, with limited success. Somehow, almost the very same words about her so-called feats — though they still do not feel like more than what anyone with the choices and capabilities she had would have done — do not grate on her when coming from another mortal, even one who is very nearly a living representative of Iomedae.

Irahai continues. "Some among the crusade believe that you should be condemned for the destruction of the wardstone border. But these people are small-minded and oblivious to the truth of the matter. By the sound of it, you saved entire legions of crusaders from a most terrible fate."

Verene's very upright posture relaxes slightly. It seems Irabeth has made the Queen and her advisor aware of the terrible choice they had faced after recovering information about Areelu Vorlesh's plans from the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth. The five of them will not have to argue again for the logic of what they had chosen to assist the paladin in doing.

"Just so. I would say you've even saved the entire crusade, possibly even Mendev itself, from the demons' onslaught." Galfrey says, shaking her head. "Fortunately, I have been able to keep the foolish from swaying things against you." She offers Merixia a faint quirk of her lips, before focusing. "However, the consequences of the loss of the border are significant, as you're no doubt aware."

"The wardstones are gone, and they can never be replicated again. However, Iomedae has seen fit that you all shall be their replacement." She lifts a hand to forestall objections. "I can think of no other reason that would explain why their power has settled into your bodies and souls, rather than returning to her, or simply fading into the ether."

Verene presses her lips together, but makes no objection to this characterization of events; for even though she was not precisely happy about it, and would not have phrased it exactly thus, had she not already thought to herself more or less the same thing? I had not considered that it could have been Iomedae's choice that we absorbed some of the Wardstone's power, or why would she not have empowered Irabeth too? But even supposing it was, we who happened to be there when the Wardstone exploded were an available channel for the power to go, somewhere that it could continue to be useful in the world and in the war, rather than simply being lost. Assuming that same power cannot easily be projected into the Material Plane again in the form of new wardstones, Iomedae would indeed be a fool to let that chance go to waste.

Irahai nods. "For now, the demons are on the back foot, thanks to your actions. They will regroup and reorganize, however. They aren't devils, so their regrouping will not be quick, but it will happen. We cannot afford to underestimate them."

"They'll be back soon enough." Galfrey says grimly. "It is my fault that they took us by surprise this way. I should've known better."

"Your Majesty..." Irahai says warningly. This has the sound of an old argument between the two of them.

He watches the interplay between the Queen and her Administrator and ventures to ask the obvious question. "If I may speak... I wouldn't presume to know what is best for the city, much less the entire Nation. But the five of us cannot be everywhere at once, the way the wardstones were, regardless of whose will it is that we inherited their powers and whether that was just. But the demons do seem to be reeling... so would it not make sense to move out and strike while they are down, before they can regroup?"

Verene raises an incredulous eyebrow at Elliot. This seems to her to be an audacious suggestion in more ways than one, for not only had they not been solicited for their advice, they have heard nothing about the material situation actually inside the Worldwound except from Irahai just now. And there is still much to do to rebuild Kenabres. But if she is honest, she would certainly not expect the Queen to leave them to do that rather than making use of their new powers to fight, in whatever form that takes. So perhaps she can contextualize the question a bit.

"I am unhappy to learn that you do not believe the wardstones can be replicated, Your Majesty. I would have more than willingly sacrificed these new abilities if it could have restored them. Although I confess to some relief that you and Administrator — Councillor? — Irahai understand the situation we faced and the choices we made in light of it," Verene says, folding her hands in her sleeves and looking the Queen in the eye. Lacking any knowledge of why Galfrey might blame herself personally for not foreseeing the demons' incursion, beyond a leader's ultimate responsibility for the failures or successes of her forces, she does not comment on that. Maybe that is all the Queen means — and, indeed, if she had removed Hulrun from authority years earlier, when he should by any reasonable measure have been removed, perhaps the intelligence failures that led to the demon invasion and the fall of Kenabres would not have happened at all. But to blame or second-guess herself now, in front of them, is of no help in the present situation, and indeed bespeaks a worrying lack of confidence. Verene does not say this either, for it is neither kind nor necessary. And who is she to presume to offer a queen advice, or comfort? Instead she says, "But whether or not it is true that the power in the Wardstone should have gone elsewhere and it was Iomedae's choice that it entered us instead— to my knowledge, none of us have received any communication from her about what to do with it. So my brother is entirely right that we are no replacement for the wardstone barrier even in the sense of having any specially understood purpose for this power — much less the ability to fight off greater demons or to provide a solid line of defense as the menhirs did. I wish it were otherwise, and we are all anxious about what comes next. But we have only what we always had: our own, mortal understanding of strategy and moral reasoning. Thus his question."

She pauses, wondering if this is the sort of directness her great-aunt would have called 'abominably impertinent.' "...Your Majesty."

Thesius listens intently to the queen and his companions. Like Verene, he was unsure if the powers they had gained were from Iomedae, but he intended to put to use for the greater good.

"What befell should not fall upon the shoulders of anyone person to bare. The circumstances were tragic, but we did the best we could with what we were given and now it is time to focus on what can be done from here forward as opposed to lay blame on any but those that took an active roll in consorting with demons and other foul forces."

"What plans do you have for us?" he asks in response, recalling the queen said she would need to call upon them again.

Galfrey inclines her head slightly at Elliot. "I would not ask you to be everywhere. That is, as you say, impossible." She looks to Verene. "Perhaps you have not experienced any direction because she does not wish to be as imperative as I must be. Would you accept such a command from her?" Her eyes are strangely penetrating, but her tone isn't disapproving - it sounds compassionate, understanding, even. After a moment, she shrugs. "Regardless, I am willing to take it on faith that Iomedae - and the other gods - have a hand here." Here her voice is certain.

Returning to the topic, Galfrey continues. "Regardless of how direct her involvement is in your newfound prowess, I doubt that we would have time to restore the wardstones. Even now we have news that the demons are rallying in the south of Riftshadow, with such dark creatures as Aponavicius moving south to Iz - to join the Storm King to prepare for an attack on Nerosyan or Karcau, no doubt."

She drums her fingers on the table. "However, as Elliot suggests and Verene implies, an offensive is wise, especially with you as a spearhead. Aponavicius has left her fortress in Drezen with much of her army - leaving that fallen citadel much less defended than it otherwise might be."

"Drezen was the first of the our cities to fall after the First Crusade." Irahai adds. "We lost many allies and kin that day, but we also lost something more - the Sword of Valor, a war banner that the Inheritor herself carried during the Shining Crusade."

Galfrey nods. "The most obvious route would be to Strike while the iron is hot and attack in the now less-defended north. However, I am currently unable to lead such an attack, and I must keep my most veteran armies back to defend against the oncoming - and continued attacks."

She turns to the champions. "Thus my request of you all. A small group of champions backed by a modest but well-trained army would be able to retake Drezen now, and the Sword of Valor. It would prove the fools who claim you traitors wrong, and would make a beacon of hope for this Fifth Crusade."

”We’ll leave as soon as the army is ready, your Majesty,” Azira answers matter of factly. Then she hesitates and looks over her shoulder at Verene and the others.

”That is,” she continues, turning back to the queen, “I haven’t the authority to speak for anyone else in this room, but my page and I are ready to leave as soon as an army is ready, your Majesty.”

and I hope everyone else will be as well… we’ll be far more formidable together, and I’ve grown rather used to their company… it would be hard to say goodbye to any of them, especially after having said goodbye to so many of my old friends these past weeks… and, what of Korryn… it will be hard to say goodbye to her, certainly… I wonder if they’d let her join the army, if she’s healthy enough…

Elliot's calm acceptance of the plan is shattered the moment the moment the full implication hits him, and he finds himself not being able to accept as readily as his fellow Aasimar. "I- but- forgive me, My Queen, but do you mean 'spearhead the assault' as in us actually leading the army? " He asks, wide-eyed. "While that is an incredible honor, personally I do not know anything about how to organize or command such a large force. And as far as I know, the others do not have similar experience either?" He looks at the rest of the group for confirmation.

"The supply logistics, the actual strategy for employing an army of crusaders effectively in combat, how to keep up morale and actually move that mass of forces across a land as hostile as the Worldwound... so much is involved in making this succeed, as you would know better than anyone. And while we probably qualify as a strong strike team, we would need a lot of help on all of these areas from seasoned officers to function well as commanders, I believe. Will we receive such?"

He mentally pulls up the map of Mendev and goes over the proposed tactics. "Also... I can't deny that the movements of Aponavicicus have me worried. We are counting on this forming alliance of demons to keep heading southwest or southeast. But if any of them were to catch wind of this new crusade heading to Drezen and head northeast instead, they could easily cut off our supply line and leave us surrounded in hostile lands... and, well, Demons can teleport. They have an innate large scouting and mobility advantage over us. Is the rest of the army going to act as a diversion if they don't attack our other cities and this were to happen?"

He glances at his sister and quickly adds. "...Your Majesty."

Azira frowns slightly at Elliot’s reluctance.

that doesn’t bode well… aside from Meri, I thought he’d be the most likely to jump at the chance… especially after he was so vocal about going on the offensive…

”A small army striking quickly wouldn’t need a lot of logistical support,” she tries to assure him. “We could carry what we need with us. It wouldn’t support a prolonged siege but if we can take the city while it’s under-defended we’d be alright. And, no single one of us has all the tools we’d need to lead an army, but together we surely could. I’ve been trained to lead people, and have some small bit of experience doing so, Verene has a tremendous amount of knowledge to inform our decisions, Meri has the wisdom to sense morale problems and the like, and so on. If we all work together we can do it.”

The paladin’s frown has vanished by the time she finishes, but her eyes are fixed on the magus with hopeful anticipation.

Merixia relaxes slightly when the Queen doesn't demand that she bow or kneel. Either she's dealt with Andorens before, or she accepted the salute in her role as a military leader. Even so, she finds herself a bit tongue-tied at first. Fortunately, the rest of her friends are willing to pick up the conversational slack.

She turns to the champions. "Thus my request of you all. A small group of champions backed by a modest but well-trained army would be able to retake Drezen now, and the Sword of Valor. It would prove the fools who claim you traitors wrong, and would make a beacon of hope for this Fifth Crusade."

”A small army striking quickly wouldn’t need a lot of logistical support,” she tries to assure him. “We could carry what we need with us. It wouldn’t support a prolonged siege but if we can take the city while it’s under-defended we’d be alright. And, no single one of us has all the tools we’d need to lead an army, but together we surely could. I’ve been trained to lead people, and have some small bit of experience doing so, Verene has a tremendous amount of knowledge to inform our decisions, Meri has the wisdom to sense morale problems and the like, and so on. If we all work together we can do it.”

Oh gods. Time to nip this in the bud! No way is she going to be a leader of an entire army, even a small one. Merixia clears her throat. "While I appreciate the vote of confidence, it's probably best that I not take a visible leadership role. People around here are... wary of tieflings. Given that so many of the demon-blooded have decided to live up to the stereotypes during and after the invasion, I can't really blame them." She stifles the rant that threatens to emerge about idiots who just make things harder for tieflings like her. "I suggest we bring Knight-Commander Tirabade in on this, your Majesty. She already has experience in a leadership role, she's done an excellent job keeping things together during the invasion, and the local crusaders are accustomed to listening to her. If she doesn't know how to handle logistics in the Worldwound, she'll know someone who does. That way our group will be free to respond to threats along the way without putting the chain of command in jeopardy."

Galfrey inclines her head slightly at Elliot. "I would not ask you to be everywhere. That is, as you say, impossible." She looks to Verene. "Perhaps you have not experienced any direction because she does not wish to be as imperative as I must be. Would you accept such a command from her?" Her eyes are strangely penetrating, but her tone isn't disapproving - it sounds compassionate, understanding, even.

Verene colors slightly, seeming somewhat startled, and after a moment looks down, away from the Queen's clear-eyed gaze, making no reply either way.

Whatever she might have said upon reflection is quickly discarded and she gives all of her attention instead to the Queen's efficient assessment of the current status of the war and its major players. Now Galfrey sounds like the general she truly is, and it is plain to see why the Church's leaders would have paid any sum to keep her at the head of the Crusade rather than letting the responsibility fall to someone else. Some of the names are of course deeply familiar to Verene, while others she knows of only vaguely.
Knowledge (History/Geography) - Riftshadow?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26
Knowledge (History/Planes) - Aponavicius?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25
Knowledge (History/Geography) - Iz?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27
Knowledge (History/Geography) - Drezen?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18
Knowledge (History/Geography) - Karcau?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25
Knowledge (History/Religion) - Sword of Valor?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

She turns to the champions. "Thus my request of you all. A small group of champions backed by a modest but well-trained army would be able to retake Drezen now, and the Sword of Valor. It would prove the fools who claim you traitors wrong, and would make a beacon of hope for this Fifth Crusade."

"So there is to be a Fifth Crusade," Verene murmurs, half to herself. Once, the prospect of playing such an important part in the war for all humanity would have thrilled her, and even now the Queen's words pluck a ringing chord somewhere deep in her soul. But it is quickly silenced by practical considerations.

The strategic course the Queen proposes, under the conditions described, makes perfect sense: if Aponavicius and most of her forces are truly gone from Drezen, and the demons' armies are massing elsewhere for an assault on a major city which could come at any time, the Queen and the bulk of the Crusade's soldiers must of course stay prepared to respond to that with overwhelming force, but Drezen itself is left vulnerable. In those long-ago days when she had been in training, it had been drummed into them: the essence of warfare is deception. "Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are least expected."

But there are problems too. When Azira first casts a look over her shoulder at the wizard, there is a small line between her brows and she seems deep in thought. None of them has any experience of leading an army or managing its logistics, for one, but Verene is reasonably sure that the Queen is not asking them to. 'A small group of champions backed by an army' seems to indicate that she will send along Irabeth or one of her own high-ranking officers to actually lead said army while their team takes on dangerous missions rather than pitched battles, just as Merixia suggests. "I will go. Of course I will go. But there are some practical questions I would have answered, by your Majesty's leave. First, I agree with Merixia: we know and trust Lady Irabeth, and she has the experience of command that we lack. I am sure there are also capable people in your Majesty's service who could handle the other administrative functions of a small army. Although I would of course like to help, learn from them, and advise in whatever way I am asked."

A greater problem is the one Elliot points out before she can: demons' innate teleportation abilities. "Having said that, from here to Drezen will surely be about a week's journey, or even more, won't it? It will be difficult or impossible to approach it, even with a small force, without the demon generals' knowing of it and being able to send reinforcements within hours, as Elliot suggests. Why should we not think they will simply do so? If they do, how can we be prepared for that?" She hesitates, then forges ahead. "If we were able to resurrect great Terendelev, would that not ensure the success of this effort?"

Azira frowns slightly at Elliot’s reluctance.

”A small army striking quickly wouldn’t need a lot of logistical support,” she tries to assure him. “We could carry what we need with us. It wouldn’t support a prolonged siege but if we can take the city while it’s under-defended we’d be alright. And, no single one of us has all the tools we’d need to lead an army, but together we surely could. I’ve been trained to lead people, and have some small bit of experience doing so, Verene has a tremendous amount of knowledge to inform our decisions, Meri has the wisdom to sense morale problems and the like, and so on. If we all work together we can do it.”

"Please don't misunderstand me," The magus calmly replies. "I will go with the army either way. But it feels like a disservice to them; to the hundreds - maybe even thousands? - of crusaders' lives I'd be commanding, to not be honest about my lack of experience. Theoretical knowledge on past battles does not necessarily weigh against actual field experience, hence my request for help."

He is silent for a while, then slowly shakes his head and sighs. "Also... I have suffered great personal loss recently, like you. Perhaps you are better at handling that than I am, Azira. Your mothers' funeral was much grander and more visited than mine. But... part of me has a desire for revenge, one that is much stronger than I'd like to admit. It has me inherently at odds with my faith and should probably be kept away from Crusade leadership. Right now..." More flashes of his family's funerals come to him. "I am not sure I can be trusted to make the most rational decisions. Perhaps I should be an advisor at best and step back from actual leadership for now, like Meri."

Azira is about to remind her companions that the gods themselves spoke to them to prepare them for this very moment, but Elliot’s words cut to her heart. She takes one hand off of Radiance’s hilt and places it on his arm. “I’ve had more time to come to terms with it than you have,” she quietly answers, “and I know that she gave her life to a cause we both believe in… that does, I think, make it a little bit easier…”

and you saw what a mess I was before the funeral… drinking and carousing to avoid thinking about my loss… crying on patrol…

Placing her hand back on her sword, she turns back to the queen and resolutely adds, “whether as a general or a stable hand, I am ready to serve in whatever way you ask, your Majesty.”

Again, Thesius goes silent while listening to the queen and his companions. It was clear their were mixed reasons and opinions on how they should proceed forward. After hearing their words, he chooses to share his own.

"I agree that we would do well with Knight-Commander Tirabade accompanying us if she would be willing to do so. Verene's words speak true as well, how are we supposed to reach Drezen without being detected and prevent reinforcements from showing up in mere moments? Is there some kind of aid you can provide to help us deal with these situations?"

"Mistress Pentarian has struck on the correct idea. Actual military command will go to Knight Commander Tirabade." Galfrey says, waving away Elliot's concern there. "And there are naturally many more within the army that you would be accompanying who are more experienced in logistics. You would, however, serve as symbols and champions - an adaptable and essential strike force."

"As for why we do not believe that the demons will ask for aid or, indeed, receive it, there are a number of reasons." She continues. "First, they are not omniscient. The demons at Drezen may not even hear of your newfound puissance until the citadel is under siege. That is, admittedly, unlikely. However, their arrogance, their sense of superiority over mortal life, will almost certainly prompt them to underestimate the threat you pose, especially as your army will not be as large as my own."

"Second, the ones that are left at Drezen are unlikely to teleport away to request aid - they've been charged with its defense, and my experts and experience tell me that it is now their problem. If they attempt to ask for more reinforcements, then they will be punished by their leadership - by death or worse. After all, even if the demons of Drezen become threatened by your prowess and that of the army, their superiors are unlikely to believe them enough to shift their focus. They will be far more concerned with my armies and, if I may say so without unseemly immodesty, myself." She smiles tiredly. "I have fought against these commanders for... entirely too long. They know me, and fear my actions much more than they would those of yourselves or Commander Tirabade."

"Finally, if their morale ultimately breaks and they flee, it will be at the end of the attack, and it will take some time for them to retrieve any reinforcements, if indeed they are able to do so. Time enough for you to finish your objectives and begin digging in. This, in turn, would make you far less appealing as a target - especially since they would be even warier of me striking into the Worldwound as well."

Irahai smiles sympathetically at Merixia at her mention of the prejudice she would face. She looks to Verene. "You have her scales, yes? If you would turn them over to our priests, we could attempt such a resurrection."

Galfrey remains silent, a faint air of sadness lingering about her.

I think that dealt with the demons' teleportation questions, so I'll give you all a chance to respond to this frankly overlong post.

"Mistress Pentarian has struck on the correct idea. Actual military command will go to Knight Commander Tirabade." Galfrey says, waving away Elliot's concern there. "And there are naturally many more within the army that you would be accompanying who are more experienced in logistics. You would, however, serve as symbols and champions - an adaptable and essential strike force."

Verene nods, for this is more or less what she expected. She listens attentively to the Queen's assessment of demonic arrogance, their fear of their own leadership, and the leadership's preoccupation with Galfrey. All reasonable arguments, but supposing they were able to retake Drezen with a small force, with the Queen's armies still many days away at best, what then? How could they think to hold it against an equivalent strike force of teleportation-capable demons?

She looks to Verene. "You have her scales, yes? If you would turn them over to our priests, we could attempt such a resurrection."

Galfrey remains silent, a faint air of sadness lingering about her.

"Yes," Verene answers, with some difficulty. She takes out the energy-resisting scale from her pocket, brushing over it with her thumb one last time, and slowly approaches with it held out in offering. Now that the moment is here, she finds she does not want to give up this last point of connection to the silver dragon who had shown them kindness and saved their lives.

Such reluctance can only be called foolish and sentimental in the extreme. She sets the scale firmly on the desk and backs away again. "They still bear a trace of her magic. I know it may not be possible within the limitations of the priesthood's spells, for one reason or another. But I trust they can divine that answer soon enough. And, if it is magically possible but there is an issue of the cost, please tell them I would be able to personally defray it by about half, Councillor Irahai. I can think of no better use for the treasure we recovered from the demons and their cultists.

"After all, Khorramzadeh would not have been so careful to take every part of her body if he was not worried about this. And supposing that all goes to plan and this small force is able to retake Drezen, I do not see how else we dig in enough to hold it, without her. Your Majesty's long history with Zuhra Aponavicius and the Storm King and ability to hold their attention is a point well-taken. But if they only sent a similarly sized demonic strike force in their place, which the massed demonic armies could surely spare, the entire exercise would still be rendered moot. Unless..." she trails off in thought. How did the Sword of Valor fortify Drezen before its fall all those decades ago? If it could be found, could it be used to fortify the city against a retaliatory attack again? "...But no. Whatever it did once, surely it is destroyed or unusable, by now."

"Mistress Pentarian has struck on the correct idea. Actual military command will go to Knight Commander Tirabade." Galfrey says, waving away Elliot's concern there. "And there are naturally many more within the army that you would be accompanying who are more experienced in logistics. You would, however, serve as symbols and champions - an adaptable and essential strike force."

Merixia nods to herself as the Queen describes her plan. A small, mobile force striking at the rear, with a big noisy distraction and a very visible leader up front. It's a classic for a reason. "The role of the strike force is one we already know. A rear attack while you and your armies hold the front line sounds solid to me, your Majesty. And given how long the enemy has been in Drezen, hopefully we can capture some intelligence if we take the keep fast enough. They might have become comfortable enough to write things down." If the Ivory Templars don't have a cell in Nerosyan, even the Queen's court, she'll eat her sword. Not that she's going to say so in front of Queen Galfrey.

"Unless..." she trails off in thought. How did the Sword of Valor fortify Drezen before its fall all those decades ago? If it could be found, could it be used to fortify the city against a retaliatory attack again? "...But no. Whatever it did once, surely it is destroyed or unusable, by now."

Destroy an artifact of Iomedae that easily? Not likely! Merixia shakes her head, taking a moment to figure out how to word that more diplomatically. "I'm no expert on relics of Iomedae, but it sounds like the Sword of Valor was empowered by her personally carrying it on the battlefield. That being the case, destroying it will be no easy task, even for a demon lord. From what I've read of divine relics, usually the deity who created them has to be somehow involved in order to destroy them. The demons might not even be able to touch it without being burned to a crisp; remember how the wardstone burned the dwarf Irabeth fought in our vision? If that's the case, the Sword of Valor is probably still in Drezen somewhere." She grins, slit-pupiled eyes lighting up. "And we just happen to have at least two paladins of Iomedae handy to use it. What a delightful surprise that will be for the demons!"

The queen's assuring words and solid logic found their way to his doubts and started cutting them down just as easily as she did demons - though Azira's gesture of comfort was also a welcome one. Just do what they'd done so far while Irabeth and the army took care of themselves? That he could do. And it made sense that the demons had their crippling weaknesses too. At times like these it was easy to see why Galfrey was such a respected leader, even if the crusade had already lasted a centure without much gain on their side to show for it.

"Major artefacts are very difficult to destroy; usually they require an extremely specific item, act or both, ones that often go against the nature of beings most willing to destroy them. That is what makes them endure," He recalls from Aravashnial's lessons. He grimaces as his elder teacher's ruined eyes come to mind; he would have to ask the queen to restore his sight later, at a better time in this meeting. "Thus, it would make sense the demons haven't been able to do so. But surely, if it wasn't there, Iomedae would just have informed her higher ranking servants in some way? Does she not commune with them?" He looks from Queen Galfrey to Azira and back.

"That aside... I think there may not even be a counterattack if... when we win," He follows, gradually more confident and feeing Meri's infectious enthusiasm getting to him. "We've already seen how poorly coordinated and tactical they were at the Grey Garrison. That they technically have massive advantages from teleportation abilities doesn't mean they are able or willing to use them to their full effect. If defending it is their problem, as her Majesty says, and it then falls, the surviving ones might just decide to call it quits rather than report the bad news to their superiors." He grins as he imagines the poor fool pulling such a stunt to the infamous Balor - and what little would remain of them afterwards.

Both Verene and Thesius beat Elliot on history, but I'll roll history checks in a spoiler block below just in case.

Thesius takes the time to think on the matter finding that anything he might add to the conversation has already been said.

Please feel free to add any knowledge rolls that might be of use for Thesius. They are all at +11.

"I am happy to help wherever you deem it best. Like Verene I would happily help pay for the resurrection of our city's protector as well," he says while taking out the align weapon scale and offering it up as well.

Irahai examines one of the scales and takes it gingerly, tucking it away into her robes. "I will send word to you when our priests are ready to attempt to resurrect her." She says sincerely. "We will bear the costs ourselves, however. There should be enough materials around to ensure it can happen."

"You are right to wonder what the Sword of Valor does, Mistress Tanaquil. It is, in fact, why treachery was required for Drezen to fall in the first place. It warded Drezen against demonic deception, attacks, and teleportation, and bolstered crusader morale with its magic." Galfrey says. "And as your companions say, the banner would be nigh-impossible for the demons to destroy, and indeed it would prove very difficult for them to touch at all."

"Have you any other questions with regards to this mission before I continue?"

"I do have one question, your Majesty, since you asked," Azira ventures somewhat hesitantly. "Do you have an army prepared already or will you be assembling one now that the Fifth Crusade is being called? I ask because I have a friend who I suspect might wish to join us, if she is able. She was wounded rather badly in defense of the city after it fell, but she's recovering well and I'm sure will volunteer for the crusade as soon as she's well."

I already have my cohort, so (obviously) feel free to shoot this down if you don't want one more NPC to deal with, but Azira and Korryn always used to talk about fighting in the crusades together (along with their friends who died), so I feel like she has to ask.

Irahai examines one of the scales and takes it gingerly, tucking it away into her robes. "I will send word to you when our priests are ready to attempt to resurrect her." She says sincerely. "We will bear the costs ourselves, however. There should be enough materials around to ensure it can happen."

"I would be grateful for any update. Thank you, Councillor Irahai." Verene's voice is steady, but her gaze is drawn to Queen Galfrey's somber face. She does not think it will work. She cannot imagine the ageless queen's feelings on this occasion, and does not feel equal to expressing any of her own gracefully, so she withdraws in silence.

At Merixia's and then Elliot's growing enthusiasm for the prospect of using the banner, and the Queen's summary of its properties, she manages a small smile. "I stand corrected, then. So we are charged not just to take back the city, but to find and re-activate the banner so the Crusade can hold it. A warding artifact of such power should be easy to detect, if it is still in Drezen." Though it is easy to imagine ways that demons might be able to circumvent not being able to touch the relic directly, such as with telekinetic magic or by forcing some poor crusader prisoner to stuff it into a bag of holding so they might carry it off to languish somewhere in the Abyss, it is also easy to imagine that demonic arrogance and spite might have led them to be stupid and careless, and to keep the Sword of Valor in Drezen as a kind of despoiled trophy the way they kept the two destroyed antique crusader helms in the Gray Garrison. She is fairly sure her divination for specific objects would eventually be able to find it, as it had the Wardstone piece, as long as it is not in a lead-lined box, warded by other spells, or technically on another plane. Although it might help to have a drawing of exactly what it looked like.

"Have you any other questions with regards to this mission before I continue?"

Verene waits for the Queen or Irahai to answer Azira's question before asking politely, "Is there anything else we should know about Drezen or the Sword of Valor that would help us take the citadel, locate the banner, and use it properly, your Majesty? Such as a back way in, the exact appearance or last known location of the banner, and so on. I understand that Drezen has been the seat of the marilith general Aponavicius, and that as of a few weeks ago the traitor mercenary Staunton Vhane was expecting to take command of it soon, but otherwise my knowledge of the city is shaky; it fell long before I was born, and no one really liked to talk about its loss, for understandable reasons."

"Yes, that would have been my question too... how much is known of this betrayal at Drezen, and who were involved with it? Other than that Staunton Vhane is one of the purpetrators?"

While Verene and the others work on confirming the finer details, Thesius starts to put his mind to work on what they might be able to acquire to help them with this ordeal. It was clear they would likely be supplied with some help, but any number of situations could arise along the way and while in Drezen.

"About a hundred soldiers from my army here will be going with you to Drezen." Galfrey explains. "There are a few experts who will go along with you as well. Aron Kir is an expert in siege warfare, traps, infiltration, scouting and the like. He'll be working with Anevia Tirabade during the march over, and he is also the source of the maps of Drezen that we have."

"They're from the time when we occupied it, however, so they're a tad out of date. Better than nothing, I suspect." Irahai adds.

The queen nods. "Sosiel Vaenic was a cleric of Shelyn here in Kenabres before the attack on Armasse. He's a capable healer, but also familiar with demonic tactics. Nurah Dendiwhar is a bard, and she will support you with her magic and music, but she's also an expert on the region and knows more about Drezen than anyone else in Kenabres at the moment."

She considers. "We don't know much of the specifics of how Drezen fell, only that Staunton Vhane betrayed it from inside. I suspect that he may have interfered somehow with the Sword of Valor, but..."

She looks down for a moment. "Some allies in Kenabres have also volunteered - you know of Anevia and Irabeth Tirabade, of course, but some of the Children of the First Crusade have volunteered, as did Aravashnial when Quednys requested that his eyes be restored."

"This takes me to another question I have of you." She says. "I have heard tell of Kellids in Truestone Park - Ruin Wardens. What can you tell me of them?"

A hundred soldiers. Less than Merixia would have liked, but hopefully they can make it work. She does her best to commit the names and areas of expertise that Queen Galfrey mentions to memory, although she really should see if she can find a journal and writing materials to write this stuff down. If she writes in Infernal it should be secure enough, at least from casual busybodies.

"It's good to know that we'll have another healer along. I'm reasonably competent in that area, but my main skills lie in combat." Because Ragathiel. "Thank you for providing healing for Aravashnial, your Majesty. I wanted so badly to help him, but I just don't have the skill to cast that kind of spell."

"This takes me to another question I have of you." She says. "I have heard tell of Kellids in Truestone Park - Ruin Wardens. What can you tell me of them?"

"They have fought valiantly against the demons, cultists, and looters, as well as providing protection and healing for noncombatants. However, they do not trust crusaders, especially those affiliated with the church of Iomedae. Their god-caller was the more levelheaded of the two leaders. He seemed to feel a certain kinship with me, given the prejudice that both tieflings and Kellids face in Kenabres."

Anevia, Aravashnial, a siege-capable scout, another experienced cleric, and a bard-historian, along with a hundred veteran soldiers. Verene begins to feel slightly more optimistic about the expedition. "Anevia and Master Aravashnial will be healed and come as well? That is great news." She wonders which First Children had volunteered to accompany them. Well, they will find out soon enough. And Anevia had chafed at how her injury had prevented her from accompanying them to the Gray Garrison, even asking them to protect Irabeth when she could not. Now she would be able to stay with Irabeth and watch her back as much as possible, not be left at home to worry. Aravashnial too is probably happy for the chance to strike back against the demons and cultists who had destroyed the others of his Order in Kenabres along with the Blackwing. His knowledge of all things arcane would be indispensable. Verene hopes that his eyes have already been healed, or will be soon, and that the Abadarans will give him the spellbook and materials she arranged. She should probably check in on him once they have left this audience to see that he has received them.

"I have heard tell of Kellids in Truestone Park - Ruin Wardens. What can you tell me of them?"

"They have fought valiantly against the demons, cultists, and looters, as well as providing protection and healing for noncombatants. However, they do not trust crusaders, especially those affiliated with the church of Iomedae. Their god-caller was the more levelheaded of the two leaders. He seemed to feel a certain kinship with me, given the prejudice that both tieflings and Kellids face in Kenabres."

"Apparently, in the aftermath of Armasse, some members of the Inquisition fell to consorting with or worshiping infernal powers, and these outright attacked the Ruin Wardens where they had gathered with some of their people in Truestone Park to hold out against the demons' forces. So they have immediate as well as historical reason to be wary, your Majesty," Verene adds. "The master druid Vorek especially mentioned to us that he wishes to have reparation made to his people for past slights. His partner god-caller, Rashan, seems more tempered in his words but still very aware that the reception of the Sarkorian refugees by native Mendevians and crusaders over the past hundred years has not always been welcoming or tolerant. As this is undoubtedly true, I can only humbly ask that your Majesty will give a sympathetic hearing to their grievances and goals.

When asked for specifics of what they needed, they mentioned food, which we provided; and major healing magic for those with lost limbs, which we could not. In general, it seems they are interested in preserving Sarkorian cultural ways and religious beliefs among Kellid refugees and their descendants here in Mendev; and in having that particularly Sarkorian syncretism of the Green Faith, animism, and many clan-gods become as respected by the Crusade and broader society as the religions of other gods are. But I am sure their own representatives here in Defender's Heart can make their case more specifically and persuasively than I."

Azira remains quiet for the discussion of the Kellids, as she had during their rather unpleasant meeting with the god-scorners.

Galfrey listens, her expression thoughtful as she listens to the women describe their experiences with the Kellids. A hint of sorrow creeps in as they go onwards. "Their mistrust is understandable, given how far some fools have gone in mistreating them. Lamentable, but understandable."

She takes a slow breath. "Infernalism and devil worship is not unknown in the Crusade, though it is both unpleasant and infuriating. I recall when Cheliax turned to infernalism, and many of the First Crusaders were those who fled from the chaos of that civil war." She shakes her head. "But to hear that members of Iomedae's faith have turned to Hell makes especially ill hearing."

"I shall endeavor to see what reparations can be made, but..." She shakes her head. "Our resources are mostly devoted to the war at the moment, and I would not give them merely token reparations."

Irahai nods silently, pulling out a small notebook from her robes and taking a few notes down.

"I will do what I can to help preserve their faith and traditions - I have been remiss in not doing so before now."

"Not to mention being busy with constant fighting the demons." Irahai adds quietly.

"I have spoken with their representatives already." She adds with a somewhat tired smile. "But I wished to hear your impressions of them." The queen looks to the others present, inviting their contribution.

Azira frowns, despite her best attempt to the contrary. She hesitates for a moment as she weighs her words then answers, “They seemed, to me, to be as prejudiced against crusaders and servants of Iomedae as they believe us to be against them… But, the situation will never improve unless someone takes the initiative and begins to build trust and understanding through their actions. If you are able to make some meaningful reparations, your Majesty, perhaps you can begin that work. I would not presume to know what would be an appropriate request or offer, but given their commitment to traditions that were common in Sarkoris before it fell, and their connections with that lost nation, the promise of a land of their own to rule as they see fit in liberated Sarkoran territory, once there is some, would likely appeal to them, I suspect.”

Verene tilts her head to one side, but eventually nods in acknowledgement of the justice of Azira's words. If the Crusade authorities responded in kind to Vorek's words and attitudes, no one but the demons would benefit from the continued division. She does not speak further for now.

Thesius responds after having listened to the others words.

"I believe action taken to punish further discrimination may also help. We are at war and we do not need to further divide those that may be allies. Many worship different beings and I don't see why they should be persecuted unless they are taken action to hurt others to satisfy their beliefs."

Galfrey nods at Azira. "I see. Your impression matches my own, and I understand why they might feel that way. The excesses of your predecessors and others in the Crusade have done great harm to the refugees of Sarkoris." She rubs one of her shoulders absently. "I would offer the land, but it is not mine to give. I fear that the implication of giving them their land back smacks of patronizing arrogance." She sighs. "Politics." The word isn't bitter, but it is exhausted.

Irahai pats her queen's shoulder, and Galfrey straightens. "Now that I am here, I believe that my ability to dampen persecution in Kenabres will be vastly improved... and I shall endeavor to improve the restriction and punishment of those activities elsewhere, as much as I can."

With that, she unrolls a map of the northern reaches of Mendev. "There are two more matters to attend to. First, Knight-Commander Tirabade will be taking you along this route: You will be traveling directly north to Valas' Gift, a small town on the shores of the West Mendev River. From there, you will follow the river northwards to Vilareth Ford." She draws her finger along their route as she speaks. "There you can cross the river to follow the dry Ahari riverbed, which will give you a natural trail to follow. It won't be a road, but it is the best our scouts can find. "You can find the map of the route in the geographic maps link on my profile. Don't move the spoilers, though! They're spoilers.

She turns to the champions with a smile. "Finally, from what I have heard of your tales, you have earned commendations. You all will be announced as Knights of the Fifth Crusade - the first to have this title, but not the last, no doubt. Second, I have a number of specific commendations for those of you who have performed exceptional feats in your retaking of Kenabres. Normally, I would give you these publicly, but time is of the essence."

I'll put more of this in the discussion thread, but I have a small list of qualifications and awards that each character has qualified for. I do need to check to see what folks have done with demons specifically, though.

"Just a hundred men!? To take an [i] entire fortified city? Even with the garrison depleted, that's going to be difficult... the Queen must trust in the five - er, six, with Wulfric - of us *a lot* to take that chance. Though... if we could teleport or fly inside and quickly lower the drawbridges, open any barred gates if there are any, then use the Wardstone powers to kill whatever major demons shows up to stop us, it MIGHT be possible..."[/i] Elliot thinks, so lost in thought on how such an assault would or should go that the question of the Queen regarding Kellids initially passes by him.

But fortunately, his allies are more alert and share the exact same opinions he would relayed regardless. The kellids seemed formidable potential allies, but viewed the crusade with entirely justified suspicions and grudges. Much work would have to be done to secure their aid.

His breath catches as the Queen herself then proceeds to pin a number of medals on his chest - adorning his late father's armor with what he could only assume was about the highest honors one could receive in Mendev. Emotions ranging from pride to regret rose and he tried to remain stoic throughout it all, hoping his dead parents would be proud, and had some way to know in the afterlife that they'd raised someone considered an actual hero by the nation. Or, well, by the Fifth Crusade at least.

"I... thank you, your majesty. But, should we not all receive the same medals? We fought as a single unit throughout the entire siege of Kenabres, and I feel my accomplishments are only possible due to their support. I feel burdened to accept a medal praising me for my quickness when it was my sister's magic that made me so, for one, though I will defer to your judgment."

There is an unlisted medal for constitution on the linked site that isn't in the spoiler, stating you have to be knocked unconscious or below 0 by a demon but then get back into the fight. I'm not sure if anyone of us was ever knocked unconscious? Man the wisdom one is going to be hard to achieve though. Get dominated/charmed and then break before turning on the good guys? Seems like you'd need outside help or some specific mythic ability to do such!

"I would offer the land, but it is not mine to give. I fear that the implication of giving them their land back smacks of patronizing arrogance."

Verene blinks but otherwise conceals her surprise. If — and it is a substantial if — the Crusade with Galfrey and her army at its head wins and drives the demons out of what was once Sarkoris, the land will certainly belong to Mendev by any ordinary standard of warfare Verene understands, and be Mendev's to distribute to her allies as she chooses. Of course, that assumes that the Worldwound can be closed so that it will be safe to live there at all, and that what is left of it after a hundred years of the Abyss's corrupting influence and demonic depredations will still be livable in any real sense.

Irahai pats her queen's shoulder, and Galfrey straightens. "Now that I am here, I believe that my ability to dampen persecution in Kenabres will be vastly improved... and I shall endeavor to improve the restriction and punishment of those activities elsewhere, as much as I can."

The subtle tension in Verene's brow and shoulders relaxes. Her mother had always had complete faith in the Queen and her good intentions, and it seems her confidence was well-placed. Even if it remains puzzling how Galfrey could have been unaware of or unable to control the all-too-common excesses of the Inquisition and its allies for so many decades, things will be better now. She should be happy, and relieved. And yet, this acknowledgement seems incomplete. Does she dare speak up? Could she forgive herself if she does not?

She turns to the champions with a smile. "Finally, from what I have heard of your tales, you have earned commendations. You all will be announced as Knights of the Fifth Crusade - the first to have this title, but not the last, no doubt. Second, I have a number of specific commendations for those of you who have performed exceptional feats in your retaking of Kenabres. Normally, I would give you these publicly, but time is of the essence."

Verene freezes. A knight? She must say something, now. There is no choice. Fortunately while she is still standing frozen, Elliot speaks up first.

"I... thank you, your majesty. But, should we not all receive the same medals? We fought as a single unit throughout the entire siege of Kenabres, and I feel my accomplishments are only possible due to their support. I feel burdened to accept a medal praising me for my quickness when it was my sister's magic that made me so, for one, though I will defer to your judgment."

She shakes her head, unable to help a fond smile. "Elliot, the instinct to share credit speaks well of you, but you have more than earned whatever accolades are bestowed on you as an individual. Wear them proudly, and do not quibble," she advises. Then she sobers slightly. "It sounds as though all of us will have ample opportunity to earn them too, soon enough."

She takes a breath to compose herself before speaking again. Somehow, provoking a schir in melee combat or agreeing to a suicide mission were things far easier than she finds it is to say these words now to a good and just queen.

"I do not mean to quibble either, for I am conscious that your Majesty would be honoring me. But I feel I must say this first, without regard to whether you will choose to grant or withdraw any honor.

"In the three years since returning to Kenabres, I have been an independent scholar. Even after learning the basics of wizardry, enough to fight if I chose, I did not join the Crusade, or any temporal or religious authority. I have sworn no oaths. I have made no vows. There is a reason for that.

With resolution, Verene meets the Queen's eyes. "It is not only Sarkorian believers that the Inquisition and Crusade have maltreated while cloaked in the banner of Iomedae, your Majesty. And here, at least, it did not end with the Third Crusade or the establishment of the Order of Heralds." Her voice is not accusatory, merely quiet and sad. "Tieflings, those with misunderstood or unusual magical abilities, and those who do not openly worship the standard gods have all come under unjust and damaging suspicion. Sometimes they were charged, convicted, punished without cause; sometimes the mere suspicion or whispered allegation was enough to ruin lives or livelihoods."

She thinks of Elliot; she thinks of Horgus Gwerm and his resentment of Anevia and Aravashnial; she thinks even of how, if she had not known how to keep calm and find common cause and talk to people, Iris or she herself might have been dragged off to a cell by Sergeant Volus in that first meeting, when she had not been able to keep herself from intervening.

"Yet as long as they draped themselves in the uniforms and pieties of the Crusade and the goodly gods, true cultists were often able to pass undetected and unscathed, even for decades, as Staunton Vhane did." The Hammers of Heaven had been Torag's devotees in name, as she recalls.

"I am not sure why I am saying this, exactly. I do not hold you responsible; the opposite. I hold you and others like you to be the reason the Crusade has continued, on balance, to do great good. And despite my doubts I still returned to contribute in some small way to resisting the Worldwound, because so long as it persists I believe that is the highest and best use of any mortal life. It is only... I saw the memory of her silence almost destroy my mother. I will not silence myself. I will not pretend beliefs I do not hold or lie about my convictions if asked. If there is a conflict between my conscience and my orders, I will follow my conscience."

Oh. There it is. She straightens, feeling a relief like dropping a heavy weight. "Queen Galfrey. I am not a soldier. I give no god worship. If there is a conflict between my conscience and any oaths or obligations that come with this title, I will forsake those oaths to follow my conscience. I do not know if that is the kind of person you want to be a Knight of the Fifth Crusade."

Azira's face lights up at the revelation that she has been named a knight of the Fifth Crusade, and she wells up with pride as the commendations are pinned to her cloak.

after so many years waiting, finally my time has come... wow, some of these medals look almost the same as ones mom had... I wish you could have been here to see this, but I promise I'll continue to bring honor to our family and follow the example that you and daddy set...

Unfortunately, her long awaited moment of glory is short lived. Her shoulders slump and her frown returns as she listens to the woman she had trained with as girls explain just how far she had wandered from the ideals they both held back then. There were a hundred different things that she wanted to say--to Verene and to the Queen--but, out of respect for her friend she remains silent.

Thesius eyes widen at the announcement that they would be knighted, but soon finds his demeanor calming as he listens to his companions words.

He finds himself nodding in agreement with each of their words. He would prefer their accomplishments shared and appreciated the forwardness of both.

"I must agree that I believe our accomplishments should be shared, but I will not push further then that as it is not my place to do so. However, I will join Verene in her sentiment that I will follow my conscience above all else. While I like to believe that aligns with the wants and needs of the crusade, I can not say that they will not conflict at some point in time. So while I am happy to help where I can, I would weigh your decision to knight us with such knowledge before it happens."

A heavy exhale escapes from Azira at Thesius' use of "us." She trusts that he simply means Verene and himself, but she dares not risk their reluctance being mistaken as reflecting her own feelings.

"I will serve, your Majesty, proudly and without hesitation, and I will hold to the vows of knighthood in the Crusade as befits a sworn sword-knight."

Galfrey nods slightly. "I understand your sentiments, Elliot, but the nature of the magic that they hold is such that they do not work for those who have not performed the appropriate feats personally." Her brow furrows. "There were some issues with sales of the medals when they were first introduced."

She looks to Verene before spreading her hands. "You have done more for this Fifth Crusade than half the army here in Kenabres put together, if not more. Your criticisms of the crusaders are more than legitimate, and... I have no answer to them, other than to continue to fight against those who perpetuate such injustices." She sighs. "However, I do not demand that you serve Iomedae, or any other god. This title represents that you have become a champion for our people. The only request I would make in turn would be that you continue fighting against the demons to the best of your abilities."

"However, should you wish to refuse this title, I would understand."

Irahai smiles sadly. "It is in part because we need people such as yourselves that the injustices have not been as effectively purged as I would like. Even if you follow your conscience before all else, your prowess is such that we cannot afford to demand that you do otherwise."

"Not that we would, in this case." The queen says. "I would very much request that you consider my own orders with the fact that I have fought these demons for almost a century, and that you do not actively oppose Knight-Commander Tirabade. However, beyond that, your actions in Kenabres thus far have demonstrated to me that you all are highly moral individuals."

Galfrey nods firmly at Azira's declaration. "Thank you, Sword Knight. Though I am not your direct superior in the Church, I will ensure that you will be made into a Third Sword Knight in absentia when I have the chance."

"I have no qualms with accepting the title under those terms, especially if it can serve to further inspire hope in those around us. I appreciate your understanding," he says with a grateful bow.

After rising once more, he continues on to add, "I have no want to stop fighting the demonic forces that invade our world and I see this as an opportunity to hopefully not only deal a telling blow to them, but a chance to gain further insight into the war at large. My hopes are that one day we may end this war and learn from it to help prevent another from happening in the future."

Azira's eyes widen at the queen's final declaration. "Thank you, your Majesty, I will strive to prove myself worthy of such an honor."

Verene had not been precisely afraid of the reaction by the time she finished her statement, but still she is somewhat surprised not to receive a set-down. She listens seriously to Galfrey and Irahai, and then like Thesius bows her head deeply with gratitude and respect. "I trust you, your Majesty, and I trust Knight-Commander Tirabade. With all my heart, I want nothing more than to end the threat of the Worldwound, and I will continue using every ability at my disposal to fight the demons. If that is enough for you, it is enough for me. I will humbly accept the honor of being named a Knight of the Fifth Crusade."

"I... thank you, your majesty. But, should we not all receive the same medals? We fought as a single unit throughout the entire siege of Kenabres, and I feel my accomplishments are only possible due to their support. I feel burdened to accept a medal praising me for my quickness when it was my sister's magic that made me so, for one, though I will defer to your judgment."

Merixia gives Elliot a slightly chiding look. "You deserve every one of those medals, Elliot. The Fifth Crusade is only just beginning; as Verene says, we will all have ample opportunity to prove ourselves against the demons." Although it would be nice if there was a medal for healing a comrade on the brink of death. Oh well, that's just part of a cleric's job.

She looks to Verene before spreading her hands. "You have done more for this Fifth Crusade than half the army here in Kenabres put together, if not more. Your criticisms of the crusaders are more than legitimate, and... I have no answer to them, other than to continue to fight against those who perpetuate such injustices." She sighs. "However, I do not demand that you serve Iomedae, or any other god. This title represents that you have become a champion for our people. The only request I would make in turn would be that you continue fighting against the demons to the best of your abilities."

"However, should you wish to refuse this title, I would understand."

Irahai smiles sadly. "It is in part because we need people such as yourselves that the injustices have not been as effectively purged as I would like. Even if you follow your conscience before all else, your prowess is such that we cannot afford to demand that you do otherwise."

"Not that we would, in this case." The queen says. "I would very much request that you consider my own orders with the fact that I have fought these demons for almost a century, and that you do not actively oppose Knight-Commander Tirabade. However, beyond that, your actions in Kenabres thus far have demonstrated to me that you all are highly moral individuals."

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, indeed. Merixia wouldn't have Queen Galfrey's job for all the gold in Avistan. She's all too aware that the Crusade is hurting for people, which means that they can't afford to be too picky about a would-be crusader's history. The fact that the Almas temple of Iomedae eagerly accepted and outfitted her, a tiefling and former Chelaxian, as a crusader says volumes.

"I respect your skill and knowledge as a military leader a great deal, your Majesty, as well as your honor as a paladin of Iomedae. I am honored to accept the title of Knight of the Fifth Crusade, as well as the medal." Merixia bows her head respectfully. "Who knows, maybe I can inspire other tieflings to follow my example." While she understands why so many of them give up on fitting into society and want to get revenge for all the slights, the name calling and whispers and rejection, she knows that they can rise above the world's hatred. That her fellow tieflings can be so much more than they think they can.

"Elliot, the instinct to share credit speaks well of you, but you have more than earned whatever accolades are bestowed on you as an individual. Wear them proudly, and do not quibble,"

"You deserve every one of those medals, Elliot. The Fifth Crusade is only just beginning; as Verene says, we will all have ample opportunity to prove ourselves against the demons."

The young arcanist looks rather bashful over the assurances from the two women dear to him - his eyes seem to scream 'but you've proven yourself too?' - yet he takes their words to heart, straightens once more and puts his chest forward, remaining in formal salute stance for the remaining medalling procedure.

Afterwards, when everyone makes their respective pledge of support, he takes out a simple steel arm ring from his pocket. "Father used to make these. They are ritual bands used for Heitstrenging. For an Ulfen, their oath is their honor - and honor is everything." He looks at it a second or two before slowly sliding it on. "Thus... I hereby swear to take up arms as a Knight of The Fifth Crusade, and see it through - to victory or death, as Father did the previous one. May we ensure our forebears' sacrifices will not be in vain." He cuts a thin gash along the palm of his hand and softly touches the ring with the blood. "And may they watch over us in the battles ahead."

Azira turns her head to look at Elliot as he swears, a proud smile stretching across her face. When he finishes, she gives him an encouraging and approving nod before turning her full attention back to the queen.

Galfrey nods gravely at the party. "So long as your resolve remains strong, you will be shining champions of our crusade. Knight-Commander Tirabade is already selecting the troops that will be joining you, and intends to set out two days from now." She folds her arms, looking down at the map gravely. "Should you wish to make any preparations, I suggest you do so."

Irahai looks at Verene. "I will speak with our priests, to see whether Terendelev may be restored to life, and contact you tomorrow."

"I would be very grateful." Verene nods acknowledgement to Irahai, her mind already racing ahead to the next set of problems. Two days seems like a shockingly short time in which to prepare for any military campaign; she had better start thinking about spells and supplies that may be helpful for the journey. And will they need mounts? She has not ridden in years. Ah, but this was a dismissal, and that is no way to leave a conversation with a queen. She hastily refocuses on the present. "Thank you both for the courtesy of your time, and for the consideration you have granted us. If this task you have entrusted to us can be done, we will do it. Fair winds and fair fortune to you in all your endeavors, and confusion to our enemies. Your Majesty. Councillor." On these words she bows smartly again and backs out of the room as soon as the others have also made their goodbyes. One should never turn one's back on the sovereign, even to leave when dismissed; or at least that is her understanding.

Of course, one should probably not tell the sovereign to her face that she should not knight you because you might not obey lawfully given military orders, either. But that bridge was already crossed and burning merrily behind her. Verene pauses once safely in the corridor and out of sight of the room, and shakes her head like someone emerging from the ocean. Had that really just happened? She had never dreamed of such a thing.

Wulfric studies Verene’s face as she emerges first from the meeting with the queen. His eyes narrow slightly with some kind of recognition—or perhaps a suspicion. “How did the meeting go?” he asks with a hint of concern.