Dorek winces, clapping his hands to his ears as a wave of vertigo washes over him and a burst of strange, almost incomprehensible thoughts comes from his shadow. "Ah! Did... d-did anyone else see that?" His head turns, following the bird with a distrustful eye as it takes wing and heads back to Kenabres. "It's l-like the world s-stretched - like I was f-falling, but not in this w-world." He blinks, shaking his head to clear it. "The crow is a b-bird of the night. Dwells in d-dark places. Perhaps it d-dwells too deep in the dark." After a moment, he glances at Nurah. "Have you ever s-seen anything s-strange in the dark, Nurah? Sound made d-darker? Darkness made l-louder? Or perhaps a simple a-absence of light, of e-everything - with no sound at all."
But Nurah interrupts her, ”I can help!”
"Nurah, you interrupted Irabeth." Tandyn admonishes clearly annoyed.
That's... concerning.
"Ah! Did... d-did anyone else see that?"
"I saw it. Should we be worried?"
Tandyn watches as the crow departs. "While I hope that small bird you just met somehow manages to deliver that note to the right people in Kenabres, I have more confidence in a messenger. Irabeth, let's pick up where we left off and get this done."
"I saw it. Should we be worried?"
Dorek grimaces, shaking his head to clear it. "I... I d-don't know. Part of my m-mind tells me this is s-solid ground, but another part says it's a s-spiral downward, towards s-something at its c-center." Blinking, he refocuses on Tandyn, straightening. "It's like... it's like a t-tavern, an inn where w-when you enter it, it's full of p-people who t-turn you away - because there's n-no room, see? Only the p-people aren't r-real, or they're only r-real because you tried to enter. If you w-walk past, then the t-tavern isn't real. It's just the r-room and death."
The tiefling shakes his head again, looking quizzically at his aasimar friend. "Does a-anything I'm saying make s-sense? H-honestly, I'm not even s-sure anymore."
As the army sets out again, Dorek makes his way up to where Sosiel rides, grinning sheepishly. "Look, I'm s-sorry if I startled you e-earlier. I don't even k-know what that was about - my s-shadow has a mind of its own sometimes."
With an effort of will, he rallies, giving a much more cheerful grin in an attempt to not demoralize the cleric. "When we make c-camp, I was going to show everyone some of the t-tricks I learned in the circus. Probably b-borrow Tandyn's manacles, show everyone how I can p-pick a lock with my fangs." He straightens, his scrawny chest swelling with pride. "I used to be one of the B-big Four - that's the m-main attractions, the ones they make p-posters for - every other F-fireday evening at the C-circus Magnifico, you k-know! S-started as a rigger, but I put my t-time in, got together a r-routine, that sort of t-thing. So how about y-you, Sosiel? Are you from M-mendev, or did you come here to f-fight?"
Aroden makes no comment regarding what he sees.
"Animal Messenger, an excellent idea Nurah. Should there be Crusaders at Defender's Heart who are familiar with the spell, it should be as reliable as a messenger, and faster. But just in case the bird's appearance should be misinterpreted as an ill omen - or as a welcome snack - Sir Tandyn's request for a human messenger as well makes for a sound plan."
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After Dorek says 'crow', Thawm takes a closer look at the crow and tries not to blush.
Trying to change the subject, Thawm clears her throat.
"Right. As long as they know what and where to look for it." Thawm explains, nodding to herself as if that settles things.
Knight Commander Uhturj waits patiently for the messenger situation to be sorted, sidling up to Nurah after they continue forward.
"Thanks for volunteering the crow to send a message back there. Got any other tricks up your sleeve?"
""I sought to soften the blow to the halfling, that is all. People can grow resentful when their efforts to help are rejected or scorned. Especially one so eager and earnest to help.""
"Thank you, but I don't want her involved in future messages. She's clearly not trained for official communications. Lives may depend on that message, and we need to know it was delivered. She took it upon herself to include extra army-related information without discussion. Any recruit should know better than to overshare that kind of thing. All of our lives may now depend on that message not passing through a cultist's hands. In addition to being impulsive, she was also rude. Our official messages shouldn't be written by her - especially without review. Perhaps I'm making too much of this or haven't known her long enough, but this isn't the mission for needless risks."
"You're right though. Galfrey assigned her. She must have good intentions. I could have been and should have been kinder. Her helpfulness may just need some guidance. Would you mind staying around her to keep things orderly?"
After a moment, he glances at Nurah. "Have you ever s-seen anything s-strange in the dark, Nurah? Sound made d-darker? Darkness made l-louder? Or perhaps a simple a-absence of light, of e-everything - with no sound at all."
Nurah freezes for a moment but says, "I.. don't know what.. you're talking about?"
Irabeth salutes and says, "I'll see that it gets done."
With an effort of will, he rallies, giving a much more cheerful grin in an attempt to not demoralize the cleric. "When we make c-camp, I was going to show everyone some of the t-tricks I learned in the circus. Probably b-borrow Tandyn's manacles, show everyone how I can p-pick a lock with my fangs." He straightens, his scrawny chest swelling with pride. "I used to be one of the B-big Four - that's the m-main attractions, the ones they make p-posters for - every other F-fireday evening at the C-circus Magnifico, you k-know! S-started as a rigger, but I put my t-time in, got together a r-routine, that sort of t-thing. So how about y-you, Sosiel? Are you from M-mendev, or did you come here to f-fight?"
Sosiel chuckles as Dorek explains his plan, "Hopefully the crusaders will be amenable such a performance. I was born in the countryside in Andoran near Carpenden. I followed my brother, Trever here when he volunteered for the crusade." The man brushes a tear from his eye, "My brother is missing too. He disappeared after a battle on the northeastern end of the Worldwound. I knew then that I could never leave until the Wound is healed. And Aron is here, he would get into too much trouble without me at his side."
On the road, Tandyn approaches Aron. "Aron! You mentioned a map of the citadel. Could you take us through it once we stop for the night?"
"Otherwise, we've only talked about the mission. Tell me a bit about yourself. Where are you from? What compelled you to join the crusade? What sparked your interest in siege warfare?"
Aron's weapons and armor are meticulously polished despite the travel that you have experienced and the days of trouble in Kenabres.
Aron looks uncomfortable as Tandyn asks about his past and he speaks a little defensively, "I was born in Cassomir but I've put that part of my life behind me. I was a part of the Condemned, it was a unit of conscripted criminals used as disposable soldiers. I survived my three year tour, and then joined up with with the Kenabres Wolves. But I didn't fit in with that band of crusaders. Luckily the church of Shelyn helped me, it was there I met Sosiel and we've been inseparable since. Before the fall of Kenabres fell I was working at Clydwell Keep, I was the only human in a team of dwarven engineers there to overhaul it's defenses."
He looks off into the distance before adding, "If you hadn't destroyed the Wardstone when you did, well. Lets say the keep wouldn't be standing."
"Sosiel, stick with us and gods-willing, we'll heal the Wound and more. What brought you and Aron together?"
Over the course of their travel, she doesn't let Nurah escape a good-natured interrogation. "Nurah, what brought you to Mendev and to the Crusade? What sparked your desire for knowledge?"
"Cassomir? You're quite the traveler. This is going to be my first time leaving Mendev." Tandyn gives a slightly self-conscious laugh.
"You know, you don't strike me as much of a Wolf either. Clydwell though... that's an enviable post. And to be accepted by the dwarven engineers... you must have some rare talents."
"If you hadn't destroyed the Wardstone when you did, well. Lets say the keep wouldn't be standing."
"I'm glad our actions could help. I didn't realize things were so dire outside Kenabres as well. Now with the wardstones gone... well, whatever happens things won't be quite the same. I'm glad all of you are here to help us."
"Say, are you feeling ok? You look a bit under the weather. Here, just a moment..." He turns and raises his voice. "Sosiel! Thawm! Come take a look at this..."
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Thawm sidles up to Tandyn.
"What happened?" she asks as Tandyn points out what he was trying to draw her attention to.
"Oh- he uh-" she begins.
Lowering her voice to a loud whisper, she explains: [smaller]"He's been taking something. Something stronger than tea. He'll be fine. Eventually. Probably."[/smalle]
"Sorry I don't have anything to help, though we could ask an alchemist about it." She adds at a normal volume.
"Why don't I visit you each night to monitor your recovery?"
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Ahmose trudges up to Thawm.
Someone call for an Alchemist?
Ahmose takes a long look at Aron. His red, rhemy eyes. His clammy, white hands. His breath seemingly struggling to make a dragon feel good. The Cayden Cailian Brew master smiles.
I gotcha!
The excited Kobold races off to the wagon where his Alchemist lab is stationed.....
"Say, are you feeling ok? You look a bit under the weather. Here, just a moment..." He turns and raises his voice. "Sosiel! Thawm! Come take a look at this..."
Aron beams with pride as Tandyn compliments him but his mood turns dark and downcast as Thawm reveals his secret. He stammers, ”I… I…”
"Sosiel, stick with us and gods-willing, we'll heal the Wound and more. What brought you and Aron together?"
Before Sosiel is able to answer he rides to Aron’s rescue, giving an impassioned plea, ”Please, that’s not necessary. I’m already seeing to his illness. I swear by Shelyn that I will do everything in my power to aid Aron's recovery.”
Over the course of their travel, she doesn't let Nurah escape a good-natured interrogation. "Nurah, what brought you to Mendev and to the Crusade? What sparked your desire for knowledge?"
Nurah smiles brightly as Cecily asks about her past, ”Oh! Well I was a part of Lord Axilar Trezbot’s entourage when he marched to Mendev to aid in the fourth crusade.”
She wistfully stares off into the distance, ”I was only 20 years old then, barely old enough to go on such a dangerous mission. I was his scribe meant to write down all of his exploits. He had ambitions to retake Drezen as well, he was a hard man but treated me fairly, recognized my talents. After his death I began to serve Queen Galfrey, not directly at first of course. Now I’m on the march again back to that citadel, I have a good feeling we’ll be successful this time! Especially with you leading us Baroness.”
She leans in close to Cecily, ”I never thought that your transformation would affect you morally. There was great concern about that afterwards, about demonic corruption. But your tutelage under Terendelev has molded you into a fine Lady, suited to command.”
Thawm barely notices her own faux pas.
"Understood." she manages.
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”Please, that’s not necessary. I’m already seeing to his illness. I swear by Shelyn that I will do everything in my power to aid Aron's recovery.”
"Good man. Aron's lucky to have you, and we're lucky to have both of you. Please know that neither of you need to face things alone. We all rely on each other for so many reasons. Let us know if there's any way we can lend a hand."
She sure is aloof for that much trauma...
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Cecily's eyes bug out at Thawm's suggestion of nightly visits to a young gentleman's tent. She lets out an audible sigh of relief when Thawm acknowledges that she will not be doing that, but Cecily makes her way over regardless. She clears her throat to catch Thawm's attention (multiple times in escalating volume if necessary) before quietly addressing the other woman. "Thawm, as a newly entitled and importantly unmarried young woman, there are certain standards of...virtue that you are expected to uphold. Announcing to the entire army that you intend to visit the tent of a young man nightly is certainly not making the impression that you are protecting your virtue, and that could cause quite the scandal, even if your intentions on such visits were pure, and could negatively affect your marriage prospects. Now, you could arrange for a chaperone, which would ensure that any activities were above board..." Cecily goes on to explain in detail why Thawm should be vigilant in guarding the perception of her virtue and just how important her marriageability is for her future and the future of her new name. But over the course of the conversation, if one reads between the lines, Cecily is speaking more about perception and PR than deed, but it's not entirely clear whether that focus is her intent.
In conversation with Nurah
Cecily smiles demurely. "You flatter me, but I have been trying to make her proud. You must be quite skilled or lucky yourself to have excaped with your life! The reports were thin on what happened to Lord Trezbot, and the whispers cast him as a hard man indeed. What was it like serving under him in such a crisis?"
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Thawm tries hard to follow Cecily's diatribe, but very little sinks in.
When Cecily seems to finally be at the end of things, Thawm snaps to attention and lucidity once more.
"So... a chaperone... could you come too?"
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"Well, I suppose I could, yes." Cecily is a little surprised, but pleased that Thawm asked. "Although not for this, clearly, that's unnecessary now with the boys handling their own affairs. Why, is there someone that you would like to call upon?"
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"I guess if someone gets injured or sick?" Thawm replies thoughtfully, not entirely sure she hasn't lost the thread of conversation.
Then, much more cheerfully, she adds "I'll come ask you when I think of someone to call on."
She nods with a smile to punctuate her announcement, as if that settles everything.
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Nurah looks into the distance again but shakes herself from her reverie, ”Babau assassins took us by surprise. They captured some of us but I managed to escape before they put me to the blade. Everyone fought valiantly but it was a vain effort. I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s ok.”
Vilareth Ford, 52 miles from Valas’s Gift, into the 3rd day of marching, supplies remaining 44
Before midday you approach Vilareth Ford. It is the northernmost crossing point on the West Sellen, few settlements and no fords or bridges exist farther north from here on the Mendev side of the river. It was named for the crusader general who first held the ford against a host of tiefling cultists eager to use it as an invasion point, Vilareth Ford has long been watched over by a small contingent of crusaders.
Anevia and a select few scouts come rushing back about 15 minutes before the ford is in sight ”Halt the advance!”, she yells as loud as she dares. She rides up and explains, ”The ford has been taken! A force composed largely of tieflings now holds it, about 200 strong. The bastards decorated the ford with the crusader's entrails, disgusting. But I think we can ambush them, the surrounding terrain conceals our approach.”
Ahmose begins donning his new military commander uniform....
"Excellent work, Anevia." Knight Commander Uhturj announces.
"We'll get within longbow range quietly, then we'll hit hard and fast." She explains.
She marshals the troops and starts giving orders to the Knights of Kenabres...
As Thawm begins giving orders Tandyn nods in approval. "Right then. If you've got this, we should help in the battle. Nurah, what's your favorite battle song?"
Under Knight Commander Uhturj’s keen guidance, learned from years of study, the plan is completed without a single problem. The Knights of Kenabres round a hill that obscures their approach and the tiefling army is caught unaware and disorganized. The initial volley of arrows darken the sky and the arrow heads pierce tents and flesh alike in a deadly rain. While a few tieflings turn to flee a brimorak demon screams and flings fire at them burning them to a cinder. What few tieflings remain rally, more fearful of the demon than a paladin’s sword. They rush you in a suicidal charge.
Nurah chuckles at the slaughter and yells over the din, "I'm more of a dancer!"
Ahmose (dressed smartly in a General's outfit, complete with various medals of valor pinned to his chest) exits a tent, straightens his General's cap and takes a step to begin the attack.
Who the bleep ordered that particular array of arrows? I absolutely ordered the purple only feathered arrows to be deployed! This is an absolute disaster!
Not really noticing that he is being completely ignored (except by a lone black cat that probably is indeed ignoring him, but he really needs to latch on to something), Ahmose kicks a tuff of grass before re-entering his tent.
Where did I hide that rare purple worm poison....
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The tieflings rush into your lines without regard for their own safety, the Knights of Kenabres stand their ground staunchly and the tieflings are slaughtered to the last for their effords. However for every score of tieflings cut down a knight is gravely wounded. But the ford is retaken with minimal casualties.
After the battle Irabeth, Sosiel, and Nurah all set out separately to seek out survivors to heal. Aron approaches the party and suggests, "Your troops might not like it but you should order them to scavenge for supplies."
Horgus adds, "We will be able to collect their food and water supplies, but their weapons, gear, and tools will be useful after we take Drezen. While Mendev will support our efforts to establish a foothold, having our own means will accelerate the process."
After the last of the tieflings are routed, Thawm looks around pouting.
"Sounds good? You guys decide, I'm going to go treat the wounded. Maybe we should be more cautious next time..."
Tandyn finds a high point in the terrain and raises his voice. "Well done everyone! Please bring the most wounded to Thawm. She has more than enough healing for everyone. While I know most of you can tend your own wounds, please save your energy if possible. You may yet need it."
"As for these bodies... I must ask your help to take everything of use. Our advisors say this will help us bolster Drezen, and they're right. This army is very potent, but to hold Drezen and fully man its defenses we will need to recruit, train, and equip new soldiers for the crusade. While supplies are going to be sent to Drezen, these are here now and so are we. Lord Gwerm, wave your arm. Lord Gwerm will be organizing what we find for transport. Now let's get started."
Tandyn leads the search for supplies.
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As the cultists begin their counter-charge, Dorek rushes to join the other knights as they beat back the attack - for obvious reasons, the one-eyed rogue was not given a longbow like the other crusaders, but he is eager to help in whatever way he can.
"Who the bleep ordered that particular array of arrows? I absolutely ordered the purple only feathered arrows to be deployed! This is an absolute disaster!"
It would be inaccurate to say that nobody hears the eccentric kobold's words - it's simply that, what with the active battle going on in the crusaders' camp, few pay much attention to the Quixotic little lizard. Dorek is quite busy with his own fight, but at the sound of his friend's voice, he spares a glance from the hulking tiefling howling battle cries at him, furrowing his brow in confusion. "N-not you, Ahmose! Thawm is the c-commander! R-remember? We t-talked about..." His crimson gaze flicks back to the cultist, fed up with his towering enemy ranting about Deskari's glory. "Will you S-SHUT UP? I am T-TRYING to speak here!" His bony knee drives upwards and into a sensitive area of the other tiefling, and the man crumples as Dorek wades into the next conflict, a whirlwind of cold iron blades and lashing stingers.
As the healers among the group collect their wounded, Dorek seeks out the handful of dead paladins scattered among the corpses of the mad tieflings, dragging them away from the charnel battlefield so Iomedae's funerary rites can be done. "These warriors s-set out with the hopes and d-dreams of Mendev at their back. They m-meant to retake Mendev - such a s-shame to die out here, taking this f-ford." He sighs, glancing at Tandyn. "Do you t-think your goddess will look f-favorably on them? They died h-heroes, but still... The W-worldwound changes the spirit. T-tarnishes it. Some of these c-cultists, the fallen knights, they were once like you, I t-think - brave, honorable, v-valiant, all things a great h-hero of Iomedae should b-be. What they saw, what they d-did in these t-twisted lands... it c-changed them."
He shudders, glancing out at the abattoir scene before him. "Y-years ago, a woman s-saved my life from cultists near h-here. 'Go quickly,' she t-told me, 'this is no place to d-die.' It isn't until n-now that I understand what she meant."
Aroden will assist Sir Tandyn with collecting supplies and rallying the troops.
"I know it may seem distasteful, but it is a military necessity. And the swords and shields of cultists are just swords and shields - just steel. Use your Detect Evil if you wish. Yes, we must also strip the dead foes of their armor. I understand your concerns. But we have many new recruits to arm from among the survivors of Kenabres. We save their lives by this action."
Aroden sets about the grisly business. As he starts unbuckling a breastplate from a slain tiefling, he wonders how the late soldier came to be there. Was he unjustly cast out by the lands of Men, and found a home among others of his kind in the Worldwound? Or was he a resident of Valas's Gift, forcibly conscripted into this demonic army due to his evident heritage? Was he once fully human, voluntarily joining a demonic cult and seeing his form change to match his allegiance?
"Pharasma judge you fairly."
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As the battle commences, Thawm's snap to military commander surprises Cecily but she rolls with it and quickly falls in, rounding Roch about and heading to the front to fall in with the army.
After the battle, she reconvenes with the group and asks, "Should we not question any of the soldiers that we captured? See if there are any other armies lurking about, if they saw any survivors at our last town, suchlike." With a frown of distaste, she continues. "A pretty, but still horned face may be able to sweet-talk things out of them that a more..." she looks to Tandyn, "Perfect image of a crusader could not."
Cecily finds that she is not as practiced at sweet-talking as she thinks she is.
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"These warriors s-set out with the hopes and d-dreams of Mendev at their back. They m-meant to retake Mendev - such a s-shame to die out here, taking this f-ford." He sighs, glancing at Tandyn. "Do you t-think your goddess will look f-favorably on them? They died h-heroes, but still... The W-worldwound changes the spirit. T-tarnishes it. Some of these c-cultists, the fallen knights, they were once like you, I t-think - brave, honorable, v-valiant, all things a great h-hero of Iomedae should b-be. What they saw, what they d-did in these t-twisted lands... it c-changed them."
Tandyn looks Dorek directly in the eye. "Their passion for the crusade is similar to your blood feud. They fight against the destruction of everything they love and hold dear. Those who die and are Iomedaeans will continue their fight from Proelera."
"Now corruption, that is a fate far worse than death. Redeem who you can, and stop who you can't; but for your own sake do not dwell on the sadness of it all. Instead, redirect those feelings to bolster your resolve. It's harder than it sounds, but it gets easier."
"Perfect image of a crusader could not."
Tandyn starts to blush and quickly turns away. "Right then. If anyone needs me, I'll be lecturing Nurah about not laughing when someone is wounded... even our enemies."
The Blue-scaled Kobold is not seen since his tirade about arrows....
Although out of the tent he entered, Dorek hears
Exiting the tent, Ahmose is seen cursing, kicking shrubbery, and giving the bird to the sky....
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Amid the battlefield you manage to recover a meager amount of uncorrupted food and water, you wonder if the tieflings had a good meal in the weeks before their death, or if they had to resort to cannibalism to sustain themselves. However you manage to recover a number of mundane but valuable items that could serve in the reconstruction of Drezen.
You do not find the corpse of the goat demon commander, and suspect that it abandoned its army once it saw that their defeat was inevitable.
In a grey building you find the survivors of defenders of the ford. A dozen crusaders, led by a woman named Kamilo Dann. She explains, ”I was a sergeant sir. They were taking us one by one every few hours by this goat-faced demon with fire licking at its hooves. We don’t know what happened to our fellows. I have to warn you, though if you’re headed north, we heard that there is another army lurking at a place called Keeper’s Canyon. More tieflings and dretches. I’m afraid I don’t know where this canyon is exactly, sorry sir.”
When any captured tieflings are interrogated they confirm Sergeant Dann’s story but don’t have anything of use to add to it.
The sergeant asks, ”Sir we can’t hold the ford in the shape we’re in, permission to return to Kenabres and report what happened here.”
However Irabeth suggests, ”We can use them to bolster our numbers. It would replace our dead and ease the burden of the injured.”
Lann disagrees and rasps, ”These soldiers have seen enough action for now. Can’t you see the look in their eyes?”
Sosiel adds, ”It would be a mercy to them for what they had to endure.”
Your remaining advisors are silent on the topic.
"I recommend we allow Sergeant Dann, as the commander of her forces, to do as she sees fit. She is not in our chain of command.
That is just my opinion and I may be outvoted.
I would suggest that they encamp at Valas's Gift to search for survivors and meet any who come out from Kenabres to respond to our message.
Now, let me tell you about Keeper's Canyon..."
"Quite right, Knight Commander Aroden." Knight Commander Uhturj concurs.
"We can arrange a message, Sergeant. Also we will be retaking Drezen. As commander Irabeth mentioned, we'd be honored if you and your men could march North with us; but if you'd prefer to help rebuild Kenabres or look for survivors around Valas's Gift, I'm sure they could use the help as well. It's your decision, Sergeant." She explains.
"Sergeant, our mission comes from Queen Galfrey. This is a rare opportunity to retake Drezen and significantly advance the battle lines. Please stay with us a while to recuperate and consider the plan."
Frustration clearly written on the Blue-scaled Kobold's face as he appears after the battle and during the end of the discussion on should we conscript them, or not, the Alchemist shrugs.
Aroden is correct. We technically have zero authority over them, although they can elect to merge with our forces to relegate them to service.
The kobold then farts.
Or they can take their chances with the demonic vultures, demonic rodents, demonic-living cultists, and whatever else we fought inside the city....
Shrugging he continues onward grumbling about good gods not allowing simple poison usage....
Dorek nods as Thawm lays out her case to the survivors. "You are f-free to do as you wish... but you cannot r-return to a place that does not e-exist. Kenabres... the city was p-pulled back from the brink of the Abyss. The w-walls of the city have f-fallen. The fields of Valas's G-gift are salted and b-burned. All of us l-lost something when the demons s-struck - my b-brother, Tandyn's family, C-cecily's oldest friend - but with the m-march on Drezen, we can p-push back the darkness. Honor the m-memory of our lost. I b-beg of you, join us, and show the demons that no matter w-what they do, a crusader's s-spirit does not break!"
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Cecily raises a critical eyebrow at one of Ahmose's statements and it raises further at Dorek's. With iron in her voice, she says to Sergeant Dann, "We will convene in our command tent for a moment, please have your input ready by the time we're done," then she motions to our group of heroes to move.
Once in the tent, she fixes Ahmose and Dorek with a stern glare, hands planted on her hips. "Knight Commanders," she says with and edge to her voice, "you are incorrect. YOU DO have the authority to tell soldiers what to do. Queen Galfrey has entrusted you with the power to command her armies, as a Knight Commander. You may seek their input to understand situations and command them to act as they see fit, but your word is a command. The orders of their own direct officers or lieges may override ours, but in a situation such as this where they have no one else to turn to, they look to us for orders. It does not suit your position as a Knight to be flippant with those orders or to abrogail that responsibility."
She crosses her arms over her chest but her face softens slightly. "Your hearts can be commended, though. I am of the opinion we should keep them, for the same reason you argued not stopping at the village. We have a responsibility to take Drezen, and a dozen soldiers to our hundred could make the difference when we're outside the city and already encountering twice our number. To let them go would be a mercy, yes. Perhaps we send them then to search, and to follow us if any survivors are in fighting shape."
"Let us be more precise in our language here.
Kenabres still exists and has many in need of protection.
It would be incorrect for these soldiers to infer that there is no Kenabres to return to.
This choice must be freely made with full knowledge of the facts of the matter."
Smartly saluting those present, Ahmose marches all stiffly into the tent.
The Alchemist nods to Cecily as she brow beats him (again).
Human political paths are really confusing. Let me know when you want a bomb throw at any unruly crusaders. Having them return to Defender's Heart by way of collecting any survivors at the Field (probably not) along the way seems multi-productive. If any messages need sending too.
Sergent Dann takes a moment to speak with her people and stops the party from leaving them, "If its alright with you sir. We've changed our minds, you're on an important mission and if we can help, we will."
Thawm smiles as she suppresses a squeal.
"Very good, Sergeant Dann." Knight Commander Uhturj explains. She introduces the sergeant to the officer in charge managing the horses and other material.
Thawm worries about Nurah after her reaction to the fighting. She decides to invite Tandyn to help her use magical detection magic first on their advisors, and then on Sergeant Dann and her group.
Smartly saluting Cecily inside the tent, the not in Command (yet) Blue-scaled Kobold returns to witness the complete turn around in the Sargent. Shrugging his shoulders, Ahmose prepares to continue onto the next inevitable confrontation....