The groups from the teams to the quarry and crusader camp return to Defender's Heart, worn and weary. Thankfully, Kimroth has prepared a hot stew of re-hydrated jerky and white beans. It isn't much, but surely you and the rest of the Defender's Heart survivors eat like kings compared to the rest of Kenabres.
Your excursions have born fruit. The team that returns from the crusader's camp bears a couple of salvaged cold iron weapons and the quarry team routed a cell of Baphomet cultists. Among the bowls and cups set out for dinner is a chest, displaying a number of neatly wrapped items.
"From our friend Aravashniel," Anevia explains, her wounded leg splinted and propped out along a bench. "Claimed it to be a cache of supplies from the Blackwing that the librarians uncovered after the invasion. He thought we might be able to make better use of it."
Irabeth grunts in agreement. "He's right. You'll need all the help you can get going back to the Gray Garrison. Whatever forces the enemy can claim will be mustered to its defense now, surely." The half-orc paladin stuff a spoonful of stew into her mouth and chews for a moment, eyeing the new equipment laid out on the table.
"I hope it is enough. What will the plan of attack be now?"
Additionally, the party now has two new cold iron weapons which can take the form of whatever the party wants or needs most.
Arloric gratefully accepts the stew, eager to recover his strength after his encounter with the Night Kestrel.
"Most likely they'll have barred the gate, which is how we got in the first time, but with that chime, we might have a way to open the window we couldn't before, which I can reach with Terendelev's scale. What do you think?" he asks the others.
Aberus looks over the cache, his eyes lingering on the chimes. "My only worry there is that we can't get up that wall more than one at a time. In theory, that," he says, "can get through even a barred gate. Though we may have to sound it multiple times."
"I'm hopeful." Kelly says, "We finally seem to be making some progress."
"Since we know for a fact that we'll be outnumbered, I definiteky don't think one at a time would be in our favor." Darya says as she contemplates the mission.
"What can you tell us of the Garrison from your first trip?" Sario asks, rubbing at her shoulders trying to warm up a bit.
"We used a fair number of our resources just getting inside." Aberus says. "The door outside was guarded by vermleks. We claimed the bodies they inhabited—Lord Hulrun and Kandro Nyserian—for burial," he adds, solemnly.
"The door itself is reinforced wood, as you might expect from a military compound. We used a spell for magical silence and another to make good Uriel here larger so that he could bash it in quietly. Once inside," he says with a shurg, "We were swarmed by tieflings and demons. Um, no offense, Arloric."
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"So we should expect more resistance once inside? Some of my magics won't be as effective without plant life but I will make due." Sario says eating some of her stew
"We used a fair number of our resources just getting inside." Aberus says. "The door outside was guarded by vermleks. We claimed the bodies they inhabited—Lord Hulrun and Kandro Nyserian—for burial," he adds, solemnly.
"The door itself is reinforced wood, as you might expect from a military compound. We used a spell for magical silence and another to make good Uriel here larger so that he could bash it in quietly. Once inside," he says with a shurg, "We were swarmed by tieflings and demons. Um, no offense, Arloric."
Arloric raises an eyebrow.
"Why would I take offense, Aberus? I'm neither of those."
He turns to Alexa and frowns.
"I'm sorry, Dorne. I know you had a lot of respect for the Prelate."
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"The door outside was guarded by vermleks. We claimed the bodies they inhabited—Lord Hulrun and Kandro Nyserian—for burial."
Alexa's eyes widen when Aberus mentions that Prelate Hulrun is dead.
"I'm sorry, Dorne. I know you had a lot of respect for the Prelate."
She then turns to the marked man and looks at him like he just said something foolish.
"Don't be. I had every reason to hate the man."
Arloric blinks in surprise at Alexa's reaction to the news.
"I...did too, but I didn't think you hated him THAT much!"
"The forces we faced were not individually terribly challenging, but we were clearly using a lot of our resources, magical and otherwise. That, combined with a lack of weapons sufficient to penetrate a demon's defenses, necessitated breaking off the attack. Now that they are prepared, I suspect their defenses will be reinforced. It will not be an easy fight." Uriel says, mostly to Sario.
"I see, so we should be prepared to spend more resources on the inside? Is there anything here at Defender's heart that can help us out?" Sario asks
"Besides what we have on the table?" Irabeth asks. "Not really. There are a couple merchants here that would be willing to sell their wares though."
"As well as buy anything you might scavenge from Kenabres," Anevia adds.
"Which we've already attempted, actually," Arloric adds. "Horgus Gwerm is still the only noble willing to open their gates to us, and the camp we helped gave us all they had. Whatever we decide to do, it's now or never. The demon witch Areelu Vorlesh won't wait for us."
Arloric blinks in surprise at Alexa's reaction to the news.
"I...did too, but I didn't think you hated him THAT much!"
Alexa snorts. "I did."
"However, we don't have time to get into the details." She brushes some dust off of her chain shirt. "I might be able to get us inside the Garrison--I can probably lie my way inside and open up a way in."
"I'll need some time to make a good disguise. Do we still have any unholy symbols or have they been destroyed already?"
"We should still have a couple of them." Darya says nodding at Alexa's plan. While she wasn't one for deception herself, she definitely appreciated Alexa's more subtle talents.
"What happens if you get caught? how do we break into to get to you?" Sario asks as she keeps eating.
"...hopefully, it won't come to that." Alexa purses her lips. "But, that being said, it can."
"What I'm planning to do is pose as a messenger, of sorts. Or at least someone with written orders from up top. I'm going to try to open the main gates of the Garrison and keep them open long enough for you all to get inside."
"If I get caught, Arloric's plan to open a window with the chime we found is a sound backup."
"How many windows does the Garrison have, again? It's been a while since I last visited there."
"...oh. No windows. Dammit."
Alexa sighs in frustration. "Alright--we'll go with Arloric's plan. I'll keep the disguise because it should allow me to move about the Garrison without attracting too much attention."
"So one little way in other than the main door? Is there a way in from the wall to the building?" Sario asks
"Not that we saw, though we didn't make it farther than the main rooms of the ground floor. It is, however, a garrison, so I would be surprised if it had such weaknesses."
"It's also why it's one of the last places still held by the enemy in the city. After wrecking Kenabres' other defenses they wanted a safe place to complete their ritual with the Wardstone Fragment."
"They have a fragment of the wardstone? do we know what they plan to do with it?" Sario asks
"They're looking to turn what was our greatest defense into a weapon of our doom. Areelu Vorlesh herself is coming here to wreak some foul magic on it that will spread to the other Wardstones, right along the border where Mendev's armies have gathered to fend off this attack! We have to get to the Wardstone fragment first and destroy it, or our survival thus far will have been for naught," Arloric explains.
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"Then we need to get in there sooner rather than later." Darya says with a frown.
"I agree, we cannot let this happen
"I'm ready to go!"
"I'm sure we'll be able to push through, this time. Their pack may have grown since last time, but ours has too, and now we have TWO paladins!"
The party might now have two paladins, but the Grey Garrison's main gate was now guarded by four vermleks. The hideous creatures weren't attempting to hide now; their pale, wormlike heads casting about for any sign of attack. Clearly, the demonic forces here received reinforcements.
"We may need the wildcat among us to take point here. Dorne?" Arloric whispers.
I have a few spells that might help a few to be protected from evil and energy she says.
The disguised Alexa, dressed in a battered helmet, ragged cloak and her lacquered black chain shirt, looks on at the vermleks and grimaces.
"...alright, how do you want me to do this? Just lie and say we're supposed to be reinforcements? Because you've been here before--I don't think that trick will work."
"I guess we test your disguise, if it doesn't work we do it the hard way." Sario says readying her spear
The elf nods.
Catching Darya in a quiet moment, Uriel waves the fellow Paladin over. ”Sister, I have something that I think can help our efforts.” Removing his grandfather’s scabbarded blade from where it was strapped to his back, he passes it to the other Paladin. ”This blade has been in family for generations. I inherited it from my grandfather when he fell in battle. I swore my vows upon it when I became a Paladin.” Pulling it partly from its scabbard so that its dark gray blade is evident, he says ”Its cold iron blade is especially effective against our demonic foes.” Holding the blade out to her, he says ”It would be an honor if you would wield it as we retake the Gray Garrison.”
"You honor me Brother. I will do my best to do both this blade, and your family legacy justice as well reclaim the garrison." Darya replies, accepting the weapon with a note of reverence.
"Do we know how they will hold the city once we retake it?" Sario asks as the question just dawns on her.
"We destroy the Wardstone Fragment, and Areelu's ritual never happens. No disaster on the border, meaning Queen Galfrey is free to send reinforcements to hold and rebuild the city," Arloric replies.
"Sounds like we have our plan, Alexa you do your thing we will cover you from here." Sario says
Alexa swallows and starts to stagger forward, acting like a battered, beleaguered cultist.
Once she gets within 40 feet of the front door, she calls out to the vermleks.