"A regal ant. A Queen Mother," Molly says with a sigh. "I do not think you can do anything to fix her now. But if you find Sonnorae, she can remake her, remake this entire realm to the way it used to be!"
Even with Molly's tired answer, Pen looks to Visna "I wouldn't know until we tried..." she then looks at the dwarf "... but the attempt would lead to conflict and a potential end. Sonnorae sounds like a better option." she gives the woman a promising nod.
"Aye, the shortest path is not always the truest."
Leaving the Fleshworks behind, you travel next via portal to the Shadow Circus. Tent poles for what must have been an enormous central tent stand bare in a clearing here, ragged pieces of gray cloth clinging to them. A towering central pole still reaches for the sky. Strewn across the area are rusted, broken cages and tumbled wagons missing wheels.
In the central ring of the main tent are the bones of a giant and several bears. To the north slumps a bent and rusted cage of ornate ironwork. Inside are broken armchairs, divans, and tables along with countless remnants of porcelain dishes.
Woven into the elaborate wrought iron, first appearing to be a waxy model, is a crocodile-headed humanoid with cords of fine silk and leather knitted into his flayed and pinned “flesh.” His red eyes flick open when the you arrive, and he calls out to you in a hissing mumble.
However, it quickly becomes apparent that the being is missing his tongue and his teeth. Without them, his speech is unintelligible. You'll have to find some other way to communicate with him...
Pen was already in mid incantation, but stops at Briar's warning. Her cool gaze turns to the man.
Pen looks up at her friend, a softening around her eyes but a darkening remembered pain within in them. "thank you, all pain is relative and a shattering can come from many paths."
Briar's words makes her be careful though, so Pen looks around the room, around the person, with her magical senses, testing for traps or spells before nodding to Briar and opening a path to the crocodile's mind.
We can talk now her voice travels across all of their minds.
"Fear not, Briar. Her strength is such that few can claim it without a honeyed wave bearing the prow of their tongue on, ever on." Visna remarks, a simple pride in her eyes.
The crocodile-headed creature nods to Briar's questions. Once Pen opens up the telepathic bond, you hear the being's hissing voice in your minds.
I beg you to help me, please. My name is Bernaditi. I used to run this circus before the velstracs returned. The fiends corrupted Sonnorae, who took my tongue and my fangs and bound me here in torment. I have information that I am sure you can use. But I would ask you first to return my teeth and tongue to me. They are in the possession of Marzalee the Stitcher!
Where is Marzalee the Stitcher? Pen thinks across the minds. There is no question they would help, her companions are heroes. But mentally she notes when asking for help 'teeth' would have been a better term to use than 'fangs'
In the structure now known as the Fleshworks, Bernaditi replies. Indeed, you remember Molly telling you about Marzalee, the now corrupted giant ant queen.
"We hope to cleanse her of the evil that even now is worked through her unto the detriment of all, but fear not. Though the paths may differ, we will return to you."
Leaving Bernaditi for now, you go through the last portal in Harrowheart to Demon's Bog. A cold lake bed choked with sediment and overgrown with rushes, Demon’s Bog centers around a low, rocky hummock covered in weathered gravestones. Most of the markers are tumbled or askew. You appear beside a stone sarcophagus, its broken lid cast aside. Biting fireflies flit about, their lights the color of blood. Parts of a fallen suspension bridge cross the bog between the hillock and drier land.
Even a cursory search of the gravestones reveals a human body sprawled within a freshly dug and still open grave. The skeletal remains wear a suit of +2 greater resilient brass dragonhide breastplate, and its own +3 greater striking greatsword pierces its unarmored throat and pins it to the ground. Pulling the sword free causes the bones to melt away into sludge.
There doesn't seem to be much else of interest here.
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Not one for robbing Graves it takes Briar a minute to find the courage to remove all the gear from the fallen skeleton, saying a small prayer over the bones before doing so.
"A mighty armament, and raiment to go astride."
She holds out the armor to Visna, "Dragonhide already covers me storied one, I would not wish to take such a prize from you this time."
After claiming the items here, you are ready to take on the Fallen Fortress. You travel by portal to Ticktock Peak, and from there you follow Molly's directions, soon finding the ruins of the once mobile keep on the lower slopes of the mountain. You navigate down to the courtyard of the keep.
Black, tattered banners flap and tremble on bent poles above a slanted courtyard of cracked, dirty cobblestones and garden beds full of weeds and dead plants. Two gigantic, nine-headed trolls stand guard before the keep's entrance here. Upon spotting you, they let out a chorus of cacophonous roars as they rush to attack!
"nine heads seems excessive" Pen mutters rather uncharacteristically.
"And skulls to take," Visna chimes in, for once going with the easy wordplay of a rhyme.
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"You two are starting to scare me with how excited you seem for this." Belmont chimed in at Vesta and Briar with an exasperated tone in his voice. He then pulled out the dwarven clan pistol from his belt holster, spun it in his hand then aimed for the first nine headed troll. "Alright girls and boys! let's dance!" He laughed as he pulled the trigger.
With that shot, the Tiefling rushes to the side, managing to reload his pistol then opening fire on the other troll, his gun letting off a loud and devastating CRACK!
Belmont fires his pistol as he runs for cover, hitting each troll once. However, the wounds quickly regenerate! The many-headed giants stalk towards you, letting out cacophonous roars from all of their heads that threaten to distort your minds!
Success: The creature is stupefied 1 for 1 round.
Failure: The creature is confused for 1 round.
Critical Failure: The creature is confused for 1d4 rounds.
Visna greets the trolls' cacophonous roars with a laugh of fierce joy, beckoning them on to her axe. "On then, O monstrous ones. The bloody end of this clash draws nigh, but never shall it arrive unless we walk its path together."
The sound rocks her head back, sending thunder through her brain, spilling all her organized thoughts. One still remains, protect those she loves. So lighting is grabbed and thrown. Wildly.
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Briar yells mockingly back at the massive trolls, "You've got to find some kind of love in the thrill of the fight for your life, or you'll never get through them all!"
She glances at Visna, "I'll take the big one, you get the other big one ey?"
With that she lurches to the ground and swells into her own massive form cloaked in bloodred shadows which then change to reveal the hulking hyena Briarthorn. Though she doesn't necessarily need to, to tussle with such gargantuan foes, she let's loose a hellish laughing fit at them to goad them on and rile herself up.