Kelva made note of the unnatural darkness and considered she was going to need a way to deal with that. Too many ways her feeble human eyes might be foiled. But she was also growing bored. With little recourse and her own companions provong not tbe terribly entertaining she fell into rhymes to stave off her boredom while she continued on.
Who killed Sir Rauflenn?”
“I,” said the dero, “With my bow and arrow, I killed Sir Rauflenn.”
“Who saw him die?”
“I,” said the Fly, “With my little eye, I saw him die.”
“Who drank his blood”
“I,” said the Gnoll, “With my little bowl, I drank his blood.”
“Who’ll carve his flesh?”
“I,” said the knave, “With my glaive, I’ll carve the flesh.”
“Who’ll take his wife?”
“I,” said the ogre,“With malice and musky odor, I’ll take his wife.”
“Who’ll cook his child?”
“I,” said the Goblin, “With my giant cauldron, I’ll cook the child”
“Who’ll eat his soul”
“I,” said the Lilitu, “If I make it into stew, I’ll eat his soul.”
“Who’ll dig up his grave?”
“I,” said the midwife, "After I ensure new life, I’ll dig up his grave”
“Who’ll display his bones?”
"I,” said the priest, "To prepare for the feast, I’ll display his bones.”
“Who’ll dance in Her name?” “I,” said the succubus, with breasts and thighs so sumptuous, I’ll dance in Her name.”
“Who’ll pray for Her love?
“We,” said the madmen, “Both glade and glen, we’ll pray for Her love.”
“Who’ll sacrifice hero?”
“I,” said the Lamia, she cackled in mania, "I’ll sacrifice the hero.”
“Who’ll toll the bell?” “I,” said the minotaur "with a great and mighty roar, I’ll toll the bell.”
All the Mothers children fell to laughing and consummating,
When they heard the bell toll for poor Sir Rauflenn
As she walked, Jolene listened to revolting's pretty little song and laughed, "I bet you're a hoot in all the taverns!"
Sobering somewhat she asked fury "Any idea what to expect from these Templars at Tower of Estrod? I assume there's a heavy price to be paid for services rendered." And to be fair the service of being allowed to continue breathing was one Jolene was inclined to regard as significant.
“You come up with all that on your own?” Goresk asked. “I’ve never been too fond of poems or songs.” He continued without waiting for a response. “Well, there is one song I like. Can never remember all of the words. Goes like this,” he started humming a low, slow tune. “D’you know that one?” He looked to Kelva so she knew he was addressing her.
Goresk glanced at Jolene, annoyance on his face, “Not sure. But Minagho bore the mark of Lord Deskari and she said that the Templars are allies. We’re supposed to ask for...uh..Faxon? Yeah, Faxon. He’s gonna get us in touch with someone named Jeslyn and they’ll have something else for us.”
"I pick things up here and there," the woman says with a shrug, "tavern tunes sung by drunken mercenaries playing grab ass with their slaves, soithing melodies sung by gnoll mothers to their newborn cubs, goblin rhymes around a bonfire with fresh meat on the pot, hymnals sung by Mothers followers under the new moon when they're not in a mind for blood and sex. The Mother has few books but many many songs."
The woman seems to genuinely listen to the tune of Goresk's and thinks for a moment before answering, "I do not know it's name but it takes many shapes as most sea shanty's do. The words may change but the song remains the same."
"Faxon, you say? Well, I'll lead the way."
As you all move closer to the tower, you see that even it hasn't remained untouched by the devastation, as sixty-foot-diameter gray stone tower is missing the bulk of its upper floors—some terrific force smashed its upper sections away, creating huge mound of rubble north of the building and leaving the tower now a mere stump with a jagged top.
The singular entrance to the tower is a large double door with many a fantastic beast etched into its silver surface, with two large lion heads forming the handles used to gain entry. No guards are within sight, although you can see a few people running around and away down either side of the street you look down.
Avamedes looks over to Goresk, ”Care to use those big muscles to open up those doors?”
Goresk let out a low whistle at the sight of the destruction. “Think the same thing that hit the Kite hit this too?”
He grumbled under his breath but nodded to Avamedes. Goresk marched up to the double doors. He leaned his scythe against the wall by the door. Took a deep breath. Rolled his shoulders.
And pounded on the door with the bottom of one fist.
“Open up, a~&~#!@s! We got business with you!”
Jolene felt like echoing fury's whistle, quietly she added, "Puts things into perspective doesn't it. Never felt quite so small, well perhaps we'll all be kind of a big deal some day..."
When he pounded on the door she listened intently for any sign of someone. or something answering.
A hidden slider in the door pops open and a set of yellow eyes peers through.
A gruff voice replies to Goresk’s demand.
”Business? Ain’t no business we have with the likes of you. Unless you have something else in mind to say?” something seems strange about the way he said it, as if he was trying to push through a certain message.
"I have a feeling we do love. called Jolene from behind as she gave fury a significant look.
Goresk snatched up his scythe when the voice replied. He shifted his weight and prepared to plant a frustrated kick on the door but caught himself when Jolene spoke up. “I do have something else to say!” Goresk paused. The words eluded him for a moment. “I've new material for the archive.”
"Ah, there it is. That was the right thing to say, friends."
The door opens to reveal a burly younger man holding a glaive.
"Welcome to the remains of the Tower of Estrod. Faxon will be waiting for you down below, I'm sure. He'll want a report on the days' events, hope you're ready." The man points towards a set of stairs inside the inner room, obviously expecting you to head down them.
Goresk hesitated before heading inside. He gave the others a slight nod and made for the stairs.
Jolene swanned in after Fury as if she owned the place, she wasn't best pleased with the idea of reporting to this Faxon whoever or whatever he was. Still she supposed it was a good idea to be on the winners side, and right now the demons seemed to be curb stomping the stuffy crusaders...
The stairs lead down a slightly uncomfortably small hallway until they reach another door, which is quickly thrown open by another cultist in a robe. It opens into a larger wide circular room with the furnishings of a small office, at which sits a new sight: a man with the red flesh of the demons, horns included.
The figure rises as you enter, and speaks. "Ah, you must be the new recruits Minagho has seen fit to send to us. My name, as you must have heard by now, is Faxon. I lead the cult of the Templars of the Ivory Tower in Kenabres, and have been overseeing this city's downfall for quite some time now."
"Come, have a seat everyone. Let's talk business, shall we?"
The sight of the red flesh and demonic horns sent a shiver down her back but Jolene smiled. These were the winners she reminded herself - ones she'd do well to ingratiate herself with, at least for now. So with a wink and a smile she sat down she said, "You've put on quite a show today. Congratulations I don't think those stuffy crusaders had any idea what was coming."
Angahaar takes a seat with a flourish next to Jolene, "Quite so! You've done excellently in bringing Kintargo to it's knees. So, what's this business you wish to discuss?"
Kelva wanders in languidly with all the confidence and audacity of a house cat. Though for all her reverie at the blood and carnage outside the peace of the interior just seems to bore and disinterest her. The truth was if the bloodletting was over for now she could use a long warm bath. Taking a seat without any regard ro whom she was next to she drums her fingers on the table and listens to the prattle of the birds as they prune and preen. Lookinf around she got rhe feeling some of those who stepped out of the crusaders holsing cella qould themselves have rather been out bathing in gore. But, for now it paid to be the patient hunter and see what prey these apparent plottera were going to being before her.
Faxon smiles as Jolene compliments his handiwork.
"Well, unfortunately I can't take all the credit. I had some help from...outside sources. You know how that can be, I'm sure?" he says, eyeing Goresk in particular.
"Regardless, you, for whatever reason, have been chosen by the lilitu to serve the greater purpose of the demonic crusade. The crusaders haven't been fully eliminated quite yet, and we have identified a few key locations they have holed themselves up in. You are obviously not among the most righteous of citizens."
He pauses to look around at the group of misfits gathered around him, his own cultists included, before continuing.
"So, what do you say? Want to get a bit of revenge for whatever mistreatment you have suffered at the hands of the people of Kenabres?"
The crusaders had been keen on stretching her neck, so Jolene was happy enough to oblige, at least for now.
With a perfectly pleasant smile which didn't quite reach her eyes, she replied "They say never to mix business with pleasure, a principle I've broken at every opportunity. Count me in."
Unflinchingly meeting Faxon's gaze she said, "For me vengeance is a very serious business, one that will take time to properly address. Still when the scales have been levelled who can say what the future may bring? It suits me to help lilitu in this matter, but do not mistake my aid for worship, my soul is spoken for by another."
Goresk returned tiefling’s look with his own, flat stare as he took a seat. “Given that Lord Deskari,” he crossed his legs at the ankles and stretched, causing several loud pops to come from his lower back, “or at least those who speak for him, appear to have taken an interest in us, who am I to say ‘no’?” Goresk grabbed one arm at the elbow and pulled it across his chest, causing several more pops.
“Just point me at some crusaders, eh?”
Kelva lounged back yawning clearly bored. "The Mother does not ask of me to partake of petty plots and the grand designs of squawking crows. Vengeance only serves as mild seasoning upon the meat before the flesh is rent. If you have meat hiding in several pantries I will go and rend it into mince if that is your desire. But I do so to satisfy the Mother's want for twisting the pure and to satisfy any preconception of debt you think I have. No more. No less."
Faxon listens to the words the group speaks, and eyes up the group with a new sense of approval. He apparently likes what he sees, and straightens a stack of paper on his desk before speaking again.
"We know what's left of the defenders have holed up in Defender's Heart, a former inn turned sanctuary for the 'holy'. This site is too heavily defended for us to strike at just yet, as most of the more powerful demons have moved on for better prey, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of work to do until we're ready to strike at the Heart, as it were."
He points down to a piece of parchment on his desk, which he reveals to be a map of Kenabres with several X marks on it over various locations.
"Areelu Vorlesh, the half-demon witch who originally opened the Worldwound, has scheduled a visit to the fallen Kenabres, in order to claim it as a jewel in her collection of conquests. Before she gets here, we need to have full control of the city, or at least a majority of it."
"The Kite was mostly destroyed in the aftermath of the attack, as I'm sure you saw, but we have word of several sites the crusaders have chosen to make their last stand. The temple of Iomadae was hit hard by the initial attack, and many of the more powerful knights were thankfully slain, but there are plenty of lower ranking members of their church that have taken refuge among the protective wards of the temple. The Librarium of the Broken Black Wing, run by the old wizard Quednys, is not the most public of these sites, and it's no secret the wizard supported the crusades, and he likely has some supplies the crusaders dearly need. The Hall of Heroes, this towns' shoddy replacement for some sort of momument to the dead crusaders, is now home to a bunch of citizen type defenders, not real combatants."
"Clear out these three defended sites, and you will have earned my trust, and the support of the Ivory Templars."
"Sounds like fun, I reckon I can sweet talk my way into the inn and possibly the temple. Some of our number might be rather conspicuous, but I'm sure we'll manage. After all a little cleavage goes a long way when dealing with men and even some women who should know better..." remarked Jolene.
"Cleavage does take us a long way, yes. Through the ribcage and the spinal cord if you put your hips into it. But what if instead the pretty bird simply locked the cage, set it ablaze and ravaged whatever screaming meat flees the flames? You could even partake of any survivors flesh since that seems to be the pretty birds desire." With a yawn Kelva pushes off the table and stands up stretching languidly as taut muscles seem to shift and twitch beneath scarred flesh.
"I'm bored and a bath is not soon it seems. So why not go to this temple and its protective wards, then this wizard, and then finish the meal with soft desserts at this hall of dead men. The Mother requires payment for the holy visions given today and I wish to do so with a sack full of screams."
Jolene felt her eyes rolling, apparently in revolting's world subtlety was using a dagger instead of a broadsword. Idly she wondered how long one like that would live in normal times, given her practices infection and sepsis seemed as likely a cause of death as any crusader's sword. Then she realised they'd all been due to hang so perhaps she really wasn't that much smarter.
Stifling a biting reply she returned the yawn and found something else to look at. Presumably one of the others would fill the uncomfortable silence that ensued.
Goresk’s eyes lingered on Kelva, one brow arched. “‘Screaming meat flees the flames’? What the hell does that even mean?” He sighed and sat up straight, ”Ya know what? Doesn’t matter. I caught the last part there. Normally, I would be all for heading straight to the crusaders but, I’d be lying if I said I liked the idea of giving a wizard extra time to prepare. Plus,” Goresk bit at the skin around his thumb nail, ”if we hit The Hall of Heroes before the Defender’s Heart, we might be able to lure some of the crusaders out. Pick of a few. Make it a little easier getting into the Heart.”
Goresk paused to bite at his index finger for a moment before continuing.
”However we go ‘bout it all, do the mighty Ivory Templars have anything they might be able to loan us?” He puffed out his chest and affected an attempt at a noble accent, ”Aid for the mighty heroes?!”
Avamedes shoots a conspiratorial grin over to Jolene, "I'd bet the two of us can worm our way in to the Hall, certainly, and perhaps even the temple. Soften them from the inside to let the muscle," his eyes flit towards Goresk as he says this, "hit hard when they do."
When Goresk brings up the idea of aid from the Templars he nods, "Indeed. We can't be entirely expected to do your dirty work without some sort of assistance on your part."
Goresk’s eyes lingered on Kelva, one brow arched. “‘Screaming meat flees the flames’? What the hell does that even mean?” He sighed and sat up straight, ”Ya know what? Doesn’t matter. I caught the last part there. Normally, I would be all for heading straight to the crusaders but, I’d be lying if I said I liked the idea of giving a wizard extra time to prepare. Plus,” Goresk bit at the skin around his thumb nail, ”if we hit The Hall of Heroes before the Defender’s Heart, we might be able to lure some of the crusaders out. Pick of a few. Make it a little easier getting into the Heart.”
Goresk paused to bite at his index finger for a moment before continuing.
Kelva cocks her head quizzically at Goresk, "You've never hunted giant spider before? It is safe within its warm web until you set the torch to it. The spider must either obligingly roast itself for you or throw itself on your spear to escape the flame. The taste is sweet and filling, but lacks the satisfaction that hunting the meat has. The meat screams and cries while its fellows burn alive. Hamstring those who run and you can watch as they despair at their own wretched fate. Many children are born, and many bellies filled by such acts."
Kelva shrugged then causing the long oily black hair to slide down her shoulders and curl up starting to form the begginnings of ringlets.
"But the magical meat can suffer first. They are like spiders in their own way. So long as I have a morsel from the hall to fill my sack with bone, blood, and terror."
Jolene gave revolting the side eye and remarked, "Yes that's wonderful I'm sure, until their fighters sally out and lop your head off."
Putting her arm around handsome and giving him a squeeze she pointed out, "Of course if Avamedes and I have snuck in and poisoned their food, they'll be too busy puking their guts out in the jacks to fight back. As for starting off with the wizard sure why not, I agree it would be foolish to give a practitioner time to recuperate."
”In terms of actual aid, I can’t offer too much quite yet. You haven’t proven yourself to be…ah, useful yet.” the tiefling replies, shrugging.
”I’m sure you can understand that, outcasts as you all are. I can, however, offer you the services of any healing and rest you might need at the Tower. Oh, and this.”
He picks up a sack from the floor behind his desk and tosses it towards you. The sound of clattering coins and clinking potion vials sounds from inside.
”That should give you a good head start. Come back when you’ve cleared out and investigated all three locations, and then we’ll have a good long chat about your future here.”
Jolene inspected the contents of the sack and smiled once more at Faxon. While the smile didn't reach her eyes, she was pleased by the token. "Well then, I'm sure those will come in handy. I think it's time for us to go hunting..."
The Librarium of the Broken Black Wing is a smaller one story library in the southern part of Kenabres, not that far away. Looks like a little under two hours to get there. Beyond the fact that it's a library, you don't know much about it.
Jolene sauntered out of the meeting and said to her companions, "I hope you're not following me, I was always terrible with directions. Still I understand the Librarium of Broken Black Wing is not so far from here. Weird name..."