"Your Majesty, may I present Elyanias Myoch, Sir Serra Phaer, Cole Zeff, Sir Beagan Berelcar, and Grasker Krydd." Irabeth fills in, abashedly.
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"Thank you, Cole. The evidence seems pretty conclusive. They did, Cole. They were very informative. How far out it went remains to be seen." Irabeth nods, thinking carefully on such matters. "We will have company in short order, Cole. By the end of the week (3 more days) at the latest. I'd like you and your companions to be here when they arrive, if at all possible. Could you let them know?"
"Best to catch Avery in the morning, Ely. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things; Avery's tends to be in a liquid form, and flowing freely by this time in the afternoon, I'm afraid. Kimroth will know when to expect him in the morning, unless you know some way to speed sobriety upon him?"
"Thank you, Cole. That is most appreciated." Irabeth says with a nod of her head. "Eli, if you could see the Avery to the Waterpumps, I would breathe easier. The man knows his engineering, but battle is not his forte. Perhaps one of the others could take a man or three and see to getting the refugees back to their homes?"
"Good afternoon, Cole! Yes. I have several small missions that could use the help of one or more of you. " "1. People are beginning to make plans to move out of Defender's Heart. I'm looking for a few scouts to go check out the places before we let people move back into them." "2. Most reports say that all the demons in Kenabres have been destroyed. I would be interested in knowing how far out that goes, both to the North and the South. " "3. We also need someone to go check out the Water Pumps. One of the engineers has turned up alive, but I hesitate to send him out that way alone. "
Irabeth listens attentively as the knightly gnome begins to fill her in on the details. Several of his flights of description nearly making her dizzy. She starts to interrupt several times, but Beagan catches his breath and begins again before she can' get a word in edgewise. "warm br...wha?" As Xanthos takes pity on them all, she shakes her head to try to settle it and arches a brow at the others, "Can someone else, possibly add, err, narrow, or uhh, clarify... some of that, please?" "You were able to follow all of that, Eli? I am impressed on both your parts, but maybe a...drier... description would be helpful."
Irabeth answers Serra's question belatedly, "I think we can find somewhere back at the Heart. If necessary, we'll carve off a spot in the courtyard, though I don't know how peaceful that will be. Still, the helms are special. I bet Graeme would help you if you asked."
"Perhaps, though she has high standards, Anevia does." She laughs, her cheeks creasing in uncharacteristic good cheer. Regaining her usual somewhat serious demeanor after a moment, she continues, "But a full telling would be appreciated. The memory lapse is very... uncomfortable. Whatever words you have will be better than the lack of words that I have now."
Irabeth listens to Eli's question, then nods, "We will keep troops here, but I would like all of you to come with me back to Defender's Heart. I... I do not remember much, and Quednys will need good information." She grins then, an ease in expression not seen before. "Besides, Anevia will never forgive me if I don't bring you back to tell her what she missed by holding things down for me with Quednys at Defender's Heart. You don't want to get me in trouble at home, do you?"
"Truth be told, Ser Beagan, I don't know much about your Savored Sting. But I do know Demons, and they will pervert anything, anyway, anywhere they can." ********* "No, Cole, I think you should return with me. Quednys will want to hear the details, and it's important that he have a first hand accounting, I think." She sighs and rubs one hand roughly through her hair. "And I don't remember anything after Jeslyn falling. No, You'll all need to come."
"I live, Ser Serra, thanks to the quick work of you five against that demonic B..." Irabeth bites her tongue rather than continue with what she might say. "Thank you, all. You have saved us, at least for now. We can begin to truly get Kenabres back on her feet, though it will take some doing. At least we can begin to move out of Defender's Heart. There is still much to be done."
"She chose her fate." Irabeth looks down upon remains of the frail half elf. She moves as if to heal her, but her a clatter downstairs draws her attention instead. "I'll go check on the others. You, " She points at Serra, "You know what you must do! The rest of you, guard him and guard this room. DO NOT leave it for anything while that stone still stands!" With that, she turns on her heel and rushes out.
"Good work! But we have one more, if the vision pool is to be believed. Is anyone injured? I have but a bit of healing left, if needed." Irabeth offers.
"Great shot, Zeff! Focus on that one, men! The flying one is injured. Let us whittle down this field a little shall we? Beware those horns, though. They have a look of corruption about them! " Irabeth steps up and swings at the flying minotaur, bringing all of her revulsion for Evil into the strike.
She too wounds the mighty beast, but fails to bring it down.
Her eyes flare at the mention of her sword. "I never thought to see it again." and apparently, she still doesn't as the others rush for the stairs. "Very well then, let's go." She turns to Graf and the others. "You stay here. Yell if you hear anything. I'm going with the others."
"Bless Iomedae, you live! Is all well? The fighting has turned in this direction, but we've forces below to hold the door."
"Doing so will rob Vorlesh of a crucial chink in the wardstone field’s armor and prevent her from using it against the crusaders unless the demons can manage to destroy another wardstone—Something I don’t think is possible in the short term, for the Kenabres stone has suffered numerous attacks over the past several years that made this final destruction possible. Almost,” she adds wryly, “as if the demons have been planning for this day from the start.”
"I suspect that the largest portion of their forces will be cultists, tieflings, and cultist tieflings, though we have reports of abrikandilu, dretches, mandragora and vermleks as well." "We have a few potions on hand, and Quednys was able to find a stash of things on his last run that we will be sending with you. Finally, once you find the shard, you will need some way to destroy it. To that end, we have this."
"A good question, Serra. I wish I had an equally good answer. I would expect demons, of course, and their corrupted cultist counterparts. Beyond that, I am uncertain, for creatures like this will use anything, corrupt anything, that they possibly can to accomplish their goals." Irabeth turns to little warrior, noting his stoicism.
Anevia and Quednys bristle slightly at Cole's tone towards the captain, but she either disregards it completely, or doesn't notice. "Not today, No. And it may not be doable in a single strike, but need multiple strikes. If so, we'll also have multiple strikes upon the walls of old Kenabres to draw the majority of their forces away from the Garrison." "But the first one will be tomorrow, two bells before dawn. They will not be expecting us to attack in the dark, when they are strongest and we are more vulnerable."
Irabeth nods, “I like to think the gods are already helping us by bringing the right people to the right place.” "Have you sent anyone else?" “No. A single small force is likely to be able to slip in, especially if strategic strikes are made elsewhere in old Kenabres to draw the demons and cultists away from the target.” "Why destroy it? How big is it? Why not bring it back and use it's power to rebuild the walls? Should we not bring it back if it could be used for good?" “The stone is already corrupted beyond redemption. Indeed, it is a weakness not just in our defenses, but in the defense of all of Mendev and Golarion. ”
The Captain welcomes them briefly to the meeting, Quednys and Anevia also in attendance in the small meeting room. On the table, a rough sketch of the border of the Mendev and the Worldwound sits ready for the further study. "Thank you. By your attendance, I am reassured of the good in your hearts. I hope you will take that one step forward and pledge yourself to fight for Mendev's future." reminder of the previous conversation:
“As horrific as recent events have been, we’ve come to realize that they are, in fact, merely a prelude. The razing of the Kite, the destruction of our wardstone, Terendelev’s murder, and the assault on the city were nothing more than opening gambits. The Worldwound is on the march in a more concentrated assault than we’ve seen since the fall of Drezen. It’s fair to say the Lord of the Locust Host is finally making his move. The end of this hundred-year-war is upon us, and it falls to us to ensure victory.” “While the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth were scattered, those who serve the Lord of the Locust Host himself remain concentrated in Old Kenabres. What we’ve heard from within the barricade they’ve erected is ominous.” “The cultists are waiting for something, and based on our own information and what you’ve managed to recover so far, it sounds like the vile witch Areelu Vorlesh will soon be coming to Kenabres. And it appears that we’ve determined what she intends to do.” Irabeth pauses, looking for understanding amongst the five people in front of her. Apparently satisfied with what she sees, she continues. “When the wardstone was destroyed by the Storm King, it exploded and destroyed the Kite. The network along the border failed, but did not fade completely. I believe this is because a significant portion of our wardstone still exists, and that the cultists have taken it to the old garrison in Old Kenabres. From what we’ve learned, they’re hoping to engineer a way to somehow reverse the field generated by the wardstones—essentially, to use our own greatest defense as a devastating weapon.” While Irabeth continues, the aged librarian moves a set of stones along one side, to make a simulation of the wardstone border with a hole on one side where the Kite should be. Then he takes a pile of smaller stones and clusters them in a border around the first. “The attack on Kenabres had a predictable result: causing the crusade to gather at the border to defend it. Some wonder why the demons haven’t attacked in stronger numbers. I believe that Areelu was counting on us massing along the border, and that if she can corrupt the wardstone field, she can strike a devastating blow against us all. In effect, we’ve lined up for the slaughter.” “Vorlesh is surely seeking some object of great Abyssal power, likely the Nahyndrian crystal mentioned in the missive you recovered, and with it she intends to turn the source of our hope into an unimaginable nightmare. We cannot hope to evacuate everyone from the border—I doubt they would give up the defensive line even if they knew what the enemy planned but we can still stop this from happening — we just need to have someone infiltrate the Gray Garrison, locate the wardstone fragment, and destroy it.” The weight of her gaze falls on each of them in turn, letting the obvious sink in.
"While we do so, you should make yourselves comfortable and consider well what your future plans are." Irabeth turns back to look at the graying man in front of her, "You are, if you wish to be. The war in front of us is likely to be very dark and deadly, and endanger not just your life but your soul as well.It wouldn't be right not to let you think on what your agreement might mean mean before swearing you to the cause. If you still wish to fight having seen what is out there, I will put that hammer of yours to use for the cause of Good." There is no humor in her tone, nor does she smile, though her eyes are kind as they meet his. "The Eagle Watch can use every able bodied warrior available. I do hope you all will be among them. But if this fight is not for your whole heart, is better that we know it now."
Irabeth takes the papers, reading over them quickly, even as her brow draws tighter over her eyes.
She continues reading, shaking the papers after a moment. Irabeth looks grave and says, “We’ve heard mention of these crystals before, and I fear that they’re tied to something far
Eli: "In that case, Eli. I would have you attend the others in the cultist sweep. The triplets will keep the wards in order. Keep an eye on Serra and report back to me anything of importance." with that she nods, dismissing him to what else he might find useful to do with the rest of his evening.
{Eli}: The captain, her expression losing some of its awe with the departure of Grasker and Radiance.
"I see. This is... unfortunate. Do the others feel as you do?" She pauses as she considers. "Anevia had glowing things to say of each of you... And somewhat disturbing things as well, if I am frank about it." Her brow raises as she remembers Anevia's description of the old man's manner with the crazed crusaders. "... In the end I lay my gaze upon each of you and none gave me pause. That is something, but addled need not be evil. I'll be honest with you, we are very tight for soldiers. I have no more to spare. As to the dead in the streets, I debate upon that as well. Perhaps if you return alive, that might be another mission, to gather them and see them situated. Taking their possessions is not right, but leaving them to be picked over by cultists looking to fund their expansion is not smart. The Abadarians are too few in number at this time to go after them all, even those with contracts with the church." Each word is but the tip of an iceberg of thought, and by the end of it, some decision has been reached. Before sharing it, though, she asks one more question. "If my choice is to send an addled knight to tilt at cultists' towers or to send a healer of which we have too few, I must send the crazed knight and hope for the best. But you do not have to attend, Elyanias. Your skills are just as useful here. It is your choice, at least this bit of it."
"I ... I have not seen the like in all my days as a holy warrior in blessed Iomedae's service. Surely, Radiance has chosen a new champion." Still somewhat in awe, she excuses the companions to get some much needed rest.
"Aye, this is Radiance. It is said she once burned with a holy Righteousness in the hand of her Paladin, Yaniel. At the beginning of the Fourth Crusade, Yaniel spoke out against the Mendevian crusaders, accusing them of negligence and sloth, and claiming these faults were what allowed Khorramzadeh to invade Kenabres and damage the wardstone. Her accusations cut too close to the truth, and in a moment of weakness her superiors threatened to excommunicate her. Instead, she said she would enter the Worldwound and fight the Fourth Crusade on her own, with only her magic sword Radiance for company. The church was happy to see Yaniel go, and in the 2 years that followed, she was thought to have been slain. Yet when she returned to Kenabres in 4694 ar, leading a small army of crusaders she’d rescued, both Yaniel and her superiors had changed. For her part, Yaniel had shed her pride and insubordination, and had gained a new appreciation for the difficult decisions leaders are forced to make. And the church leaders had learned that sometimes the truth is exactly what you need to hear. Alas, Yaniel was assassinated before the year was out, slain by the lilitu demon Minagho only a week into her second personal crusade. Her followers managed to return to Kenabres with Radiance, but Yaniel’s body had been taken. The sword had gone dark after Yaniel’s death, its magical powers apparently lost, and so the crusaders elected to place it in the Gray Garrison on display. Unfortunately, she was stolen several months ago. It is good that you have brought her home." As before, the sword lays rather plainly in its case, clearly a well made weapon, but otherwise ordinary weapon. "As you found her, one of you should wield her in your fight against the cultists. Grasker? Will you be her arm for this latest crusade?"
At Eli's comment, Irabeth flicks a brow at Anevia, but the young woman shakes her head. "The Abadarians are aware. If they are able to bring Horgus back, there may be an accounting, though they lack anyone of sufficient skill just now. But they confirmed that he has no family left." Irabeth's broad brow furrows at Grasker's comments. "Monstrous creatures? What sort of creatures? Would these be the Descendents that you mentioned?" Again, Anevia answers silently, but sufficiently. "This is good news! Allies against the demonic hordes would be more than welcome." "Let me catch you up on what we know, which is markedly little at the moment. We do know that The Gray Garrison lies deep within Old Kenabres, which has fallen to the demons. At the moment, they are in a holding pattern, though we are still trying to determine just what it is they are waiting for. I do think you are correct, that the cultists must be rooted out first and foremost. I'm afraid we do not have the 10 knights to spare, Sir Serra, but after all Anevia has told me of your brave actions to date, I have nothing but confidence in the ability of you and your companions to either bring them in, or rid of us of them altogether. I see you have already been to the merchants, and put some of the funds from Horgus's estate to use. Let that empower your strikeforce detail. First light on the morrow will be sufficient, I suspect. Now, if I might see Radiance?"
"Captain, I would like to move to the infirmary, too...." "If you wish, Ely. I'm sure the twins will be grateful for whatever help you might offer. It sounds as if most of you favor a trip to the infirmary before ought else?" she asks, then looks past them as the large doors open before a small gnome. "Ahh, here she is now. Deirdre will help you in that regard, though I doubt she'll allow all of you at once." Irabeth nods to the virbrantly hair gnome that joins them, a small board and pen set up in hand.
asks about practical things, and a place for his father. "Some of the merchants have set up shops, such as they are, within The Heart. They have the basics and will be glad to see anyone that has goods to trade. As far as we know, this is *The* place for whoever and whatever might have survived." She lets that sink in as she addresses the elder Zeff. "I'm sure we can find suitable arrangements for you, Master Zeff, though they may be of a fairly humble nature. If you have need of a healer, we can have one sent for, or if you would like, we can move to the infirmary now. Elsewise, Dierdre will be meeting with each of you in turn to evaluate needs and possible skills that might be put to use."
Irabeth's eyes flare slightly as the gnome talks of invisible squires, but she handles it well enough. Many have been rattled by the recent events; the infirmary is full of the addleminded. "Uhh, thank you, Sir Bea..." She stops, though as he mmentions an 'another' Orcan fiend.
link to a basic map of Defender's Heart
"....Do you know who is in charge of the guard here? I'm looking for my younger brother Gulur." Irabeth's face sobers at the question, and a mutter goes through the crowd. "I'm afraid most of the regular guard didn't make it, Grasker, but, like you and your companions, people do keep dribbling in. The Eagle Watch has taken over in their stead, so I suppose the person in charge would be me, at least until we get the situation stabilized. Your brother's name doesn't ring a bell for me, but there are many in the infirmary that have not been identified. It is possible he is there."
Irabeth nods gravely at Serra's presentation. "Phaer. Phaer? Where have I heard that name?? She smiles, waving off her mild thought drift. "Welcome Serra Phaer of Andoran. You may yet rue that offer, but as I told your friend here, we are in no position to turn down good men. I'll accept your service gladly."
Irabeth turns, facing the white haired man that has traveled so far to face the horrors of the Worldwound. Her face is grim as she looks him over from head to toe. Perhaps she dwells on the white of Eli's eyes, or the poor condition he must surely be in after traveling so far to return to the world of men. Finally, she nods and her face splits into a broad, faintly tusked grin. "We are in no position to turn good men down, and you have more than proven your worth. We'll discuss logistics later, but unless you have word of things that must be addressed in moments, let us see you all settled and fed before we debrief, shall we?" She pats Ely on the shoulder briskly, though she waits for confirmation that there is nothing that needs the remaining might of the Eagle Watch to be called upon prior to food and rest for the hungry and weary.
"Annie! By the blessed sword's light, you're alive! I knew you must be alive!" In a moment, Anevia is caught up in her arms and hugged so tightly, you'd almost fear she might break. Their hug is quiet, intense, and lasts until Irabeth's Lieutenant coughs discreetly behind her. "Oh! Yes! And you have helped her home! You have my deepest gratitude. Welcome to Defender's Heart." |