Myth: A New Age
Chapter 1: A New Age
Prologue:Chapter I: A New Age:
"He told me about old Muirthemne, describing it with words that seemed out of place coming from such a grizzled warrior. He spoke of its many spired palaces and monuments and the grand bazaar during each year's harvest. When I told him that I wished I could have seen the city at the height of its power, he said I might see it in my lifetime.
Then he told me that next year the Heron Guard will be reinstating the septannual tournament to fill out their ranks. Men of bravery and warriors of renown from every corner of the empire will gather to compete for the honour of joining them.
And so I came here..."
The man sitting by the fire finishes his story and the bar room erupts into applause, the ancient tavern rocks gently with the noise of approval from the gathered crowd. You have to admit the man does have a gift for storytelling and it looks like he won't be paying for his drinks tonight.
Coming from almost anyone else in that room his story would be absurd but as you sit there, staring at the figure you know every word of it to be the truth.
This man is a veteran of the last war against the Fallen Lord Soulblighter, old lieutenant to the worst villain of the last thousand years, Balor.
It was Balor that sacked the Old Empire, and just about put an end to the Kingdom of Province a mere sixty years ago.
You shake your head and take another swig from your mug. To think the events he just finished recounting occurred barely one year ago, when the pupil attempted to fulfill the ambitions of the master and wipe the lands of men from the map.
But here you sit a pint in hand, under a sturdy roof in the repopulated quarter of that old city, the jewel of the east, Muirthemne.
The Light, and humanity won out, thanks to Emperor Alric, and men like the stranger by the fire, soldiers of the Legion. And now he has come here to try his luck in the grand tournament for a position in the Emperor's own bodyguard, the Heron Guard, the best warriors in the known world.
You know who he is, but the question is who are you?
Character Creation:
Okay choice time (and no you can't be a Trow...):
Name: (feel free to supply a name of your choice, if you need suggestions we can do that too)
1. Sex (should be self explanatory):
a)male
b)female
Background:
Here is how this will work, pick your top three options, your first pick gets 3 points, second 2 and last 1. If you can't find three you like, (well then I guess I really do suck at this); no worries just pick the ones you like or try "the kid" option.
Also I am limiting you to "starting classes" so no Heron Guards, if you really want to be one you can try to win the tournament they will be holding.
Stats work on a one to ten scale, they are not absolute measures of ability per say but should help you figure out how good the classes are in relationship to one another and potential threats, (for example a Trow has a strength of 10, and an Archmage has a intelligence of 10 and so on) the stats can improve with effort but don't expect it to happen very often (maybe once a chapter, if you pick the right choices).
Your character will also have skills which are easier to acquire but no less useful, to keep this simple I will just list the skills as you get them, if it is on the list then you are proficient at it, if we need a more complicated system then that I will come up with something. Most importantly if you want to try something then let me know and I will see if it is feasible. Any questions about a skill just ask and I will try to clarify.
Oh, one last thing, the apprentice starts out with magical knowledge and an "in" into magical circles but magic is not innate in Myth. Anyone can learn provided they have the patience and someone willing to teach them (it will be harder to do with the other backgrounds however).
2. Backgrounds:
a) The Apprentice:
Str: 3/10 Dex: 4/10 Con: 5/10
Int: 7/10 Wis: 6/10 Cha: 5/10
Useful Skills:
Literacy, Language Bruig, quick learner, magical training, scholarly knowledge
Equipment:
plain clothes, spellbook, knife
Current Spells:
An assortment of utility spells and a basic attack spell, nothing special.
You did not fight in the war but rather served your master behind the front lines. Your master was harsh but fair and took good care of you, unfortunately he died in defence of the dam across the Ire River. He often told you that you had the potential to become a true great. You came to Muirthemne in pursuit of magical knowledge as even ruined it is the greatest repository of arcane knowledge in the world and home to a number of colleges and wizard circles.
b) The Veteran:
Str: 5/10 Dex: 5/10 Con: 6/10
Int: 5/10 Wis: 3/10 Cha: 6/10
Useful Skills:
Combat Knowledge, Tactics, Leadership, Literacy, Language Bruig, herbal skill
Equipment:
Broadsword, Kite Shield, Mail, Pot Helmet
You fought alright, sword and shield against the Dark. Ghôls, Souless, Thralls you fought them all but the worst were the enemy mercenaries, living men turned to the service of the Dark. Through the cold and the heat and the blood and the shit you fought on (you even lost an eye to an enemy arrow of all things). All your mates may be dead but you won and free men and women can live their lives because of your sacrifice....
And then they let you go...
So now here you are in Muirthemne searching for work and a meaning to your life...
c) The Northerner:
Str: 8/10 Dex: 6/10 Con: 7/10
Int: 2/10 Wis: 5/10 Cha: 2/10
Useful Skills:
Combat Knowledge, Tracking, Outdoorsman, Berserker Rage, Resistance to Cold, Silent, Language Berserk, Language Bruig
Equipment:
Wool Armour, Greatsword
You could hardly care less about the soft men and women of the empire. You signed up and left the "Strainer of Kraken" to fight the blasted Dark Lords and to keep your word to a dead empire. Now that the war is over perhaps you will stay and perhaps you will go but always you will search for the next great battle and always will you hold the honour of the Beserk lands close to your heart.
d) The Inventor:
Str: 5/10 Dex: 6/10 Con: 6/10
Int: 8/10 Wis: 3/10 Cha: 1/10
Useful Skills:
tinker, demolition training, friend of the dwarves, Language Bruig, Language Dwarven
Equipment:
ruined clothes, backpack with 40 improvised "dwarven" cocktails, 4 satchel charges
You sit in the corner by yourself, you almost wish the damned Fallen Lords had won, at least then you would not have to worry about your future. You are the product of one of the Emperor's attempts at modernizing the army through the introduction of dwarven weapons and knowledge. It was all going so well until on of those idiot nobles blew his own head off with one of your rifles. Now the whole program has been mothballed and you have been cast out with barely a penny to your name...
e) The Archer:
Str: 5/10 Dex: 7/10 Con: 4/10
Int: 3/10 Wis: 3/10 Cha: 8/10
Useful Skills:
Archery, keen eyes, Language Bruig, Language fir'Bolg, courtly manners, combat knowledge
Equipment:
Bow, 24 arrows, 1 fire arrow, cloth armour, knife, falchion
You had joined the archers before the war because father had demanded it. You never thought you would actually be accepted, but the fir'Bolg had seen something in you and taken you into their forests. They had taken in the spoilt child of a minor noble and turned that same spoilt child into a crack shot with a bow, and you made the Dark pay for every inch of ground they tried to take. Following the war you returned home to Strand but Soulblighter had left nothing in his wake, your family dead, your estate in ruins you set out once more to find adventure, to rebuild your family name and to win eternal fame.
f) The "Merchant"
Str 6/10 Dex 6/10 Con 5/10
Int 4/10 Wis 4/10 Cha 5/10
Useful Skills:
Combat Knowledge, gambling, born liar, thief, language bruig, language ghôl, dirty fighter
Equipment:
thick cloak, mail, round shield, broadsword
You pull the cloak closer around yourself as the stranger finishes his tale. You remember the war, you lived it, but from the other side. You were a sell sword in the pay of the Fallen Lords. You won't lie to yourself, though you lie to everyone else, you loved it even as it scared you. The nobles, the merchant lords, all those who had kicked you and beat you and ran you out of the service; well you got them back and even made a fair profit doing it.
And then one day, the mother of plagues, Shiver marched into your camp at the head of a column of Myrkridia.
And you made the mistake of looking into her eyes...
And you saw the madness and ever so much death and you ran...
In truth you still have not stopped running, maybe here in the capitol of Alric's new Cath Bruig Empire you will finally find a reason to stop.
g) The Scavenger
STR: 4/10 DEX: 5/10 CON: 6/10
INT: 6/10 WIS: 7/10 CHA: 2/10
Useful Skills:
Literacy, Magical Training, Scholarly Knowledge, Herbal Skill, Keen Eyes, Language Bruig
Equipment:
clothes, knife, spellbook, a weathered book "On the cycles of Light and Dark", a very stylish hat
Spellbook:
a variety of utility spells and simple attack spells
A life-long study of the arcane and a master with a single-minded obsession for lost artifacts hasn't made you particularly charming, but it's given you a strong constitution, a keen eye for traps, and an even keener mind for magic. Your thirst for knowledge has brought you to Muirthemne, in search for one of the Halycon Stones. Your master would also have come with you if your last excursion into a tomb didn't end with him triggering a pressure plate. Not to worry though, you haven't let the sight of his strewn entrails diminish your optimism. The only trouble here seems to be seeking out some help for your journey. For some reason, everyone seems to think your plan is insane and they don't even want to bother hearing you out.
h) The Courtesan:
Str: 1/10 Dex: 5/10 Con: 3/10
Int: 7/10 Wis: 5/10 Cha: 9/10
Skills:
Born Liar, Quick Learner, Literacy, Courtly Manners, Magical Training, Sexpert
Equipment:
Knife, fine clothes, spellbook.
Spells:
An few utility spells.
Background:
Opportunity is where you find it. Riches and nobility and stories of heroes of light battling dark lords - all of those had little meaning to you. Growing up in a city still recovering from the Fallen war six decades ago, you made a living the only way you could, taking the only opportunity you had. You sold your body, and you were good at it. To capture the nobles' attention you learnt how to speak in a way pleasing to them. To give yourself that little edge over the younger girls that joined the establishment with every passing year, you plied simple tricks of magic from the mages that favoured you. In another life you could have been a mage yourself, they said, lying in bed while you flattered their ego. You laughed. This life suited you just fine. It was one where you did not have to lift a finger for your whims to be fulfilled.
Then, Soulblighter came.
What use had the undead for a courtesan?
The city was razed. Your patrons were killed. You escaped, but just barely.
In the aftermath of that war, you wandered, travelling from town to village to town, doing what you could to stay alive. It was not aimless. You had a destination in mind. Muirthemne, crown jewel of the east. Opportunity is where you find it, and in the new Empire's seat of power, there will be plenty.
i)The Prodigy (designer's note - Male fits better for this)
STR: 3/10 DEX: 4/10 CON: 4/10
INT: 9/10 WIS: 6/10 CHA: 4/10
Useful Skills:
Quick Learner, Herbal Skill, Keen Eyes, Literacy, Language Bruig, Language Berserk
Equipment:
3 Mandrake roots, wool armour, knife
You had never quite fit in, growing up in the lands of Gower. The hearty Northmen there were known for both their great mirth and their great skill at cleaving a man in two. You were known for a dour demeanor and could barely even hold onto the massive claymores your kinsmen carried into battle, let alone cleave a man in two with it. Your peers mocked and bullied you mercilessly for your frailty, and while you ended up developing a thick skin and a stoic attitude from the abuse, you yearned for an escape.
Your salvation came in the unlikely form of Soulblighter's army. His undead had laid waste to your village to add more to their number as they marched further west. Your bolder kinsmen, aided by a token Legion force, placed you in the rearguard of the defense, seeing you as too much of a liability up front.
As they charged forward to meet the enemy, they didn't spot the wight shambling out of the riverbed.
The wounded were brought back to you and a fur-garbed Southerner with the Legion. Shaking, dismembered, and pus oozing from their festering wounds, you went to work by amputating, applying tourniquets and disinfecting wounds with what you had taught yourself of medicine.
While most of your kin had survived thanks to your efforts, rather than growing fond of you, they became more resentful. As they saw it, you had denied them an honourable death. For his part, the Southerner was in awe of your skills; a skilled healer with no formal training was unheard of in the walled, sprawling city of Muirthemne where he hailed from. As he left, slinging his shovel across his back while returning to his comrades, he urged you to seek him out in the city, should you find him. He was even kind enough to provide you with a book, though you didn't have the heart to tell him you were illiterate.
That was over a year ago. Your journey here has been long and difficult, and you've taught yourself to read in the meantime, but you've finally made it. Now to make a new life for yourself.
j) The Witch:
Str: 2/10 Dex: 6/10 Con: 4/10
Int: 8/10 Wis: 6/10 Cha: 4/10
Useful Skills:
Literacy, Language Bruig, language ghôl, quick learner, magical training, scholarly knowledge
Equipment:
thick cloak, plain clothes, spellbook, knife
Current Spells:
An assortment of utility spells and a basic attack spell, nothing special.
You pull the cloak closer around yourself as the stranger finishes his tale. You remember the war, you lived it, but from the other side. Unfortunately, for some reason your master picked the wrong side in the conflict. He was not the kindest man, but you served him faithfully. Or maybe that was fearfully. Until one day, the mother of plagues, Shiver marched into your camp at the head of a column of Myrkridia.
And you made the mistake of looking into her eyes...
And you saw the madness and ever so much death and you ran...
In truth you still have not stopped running, maybe here in the capitol of Alric's new Cath Bruig Empire you will finally find a reason to stop. You have no idea what happened to your master but it was probably (and hopefully) nothing good.
k-z) The "Kid"
Str -- Dex -- Con --
Int -- Wis -- Cha --
Useful Skills:
Equipment:
Your life is an empty book, just waiting to be written...
Don't like any of the characters well then fear not, come up with your own. You have 30pts to spend on stats, pick a reasonable equipment load out (weapon, armour) and make up a few skills. If people back it then I will see what I can do...
Chapter 2: The Scavenger
Chapter 2: The ScavengerAs the cheering dies down in the crowded tavern the patrons return to their own private conversations and you are once again left to your own thoughts.
You catch the barman's attention and order another pint which you take to a small booth in the corner, it is not terribly well lit but there is enough light for your purposes. In the crowded tavern you can't help feeling that you are being watched. Paranoia, not a good sign, your old master had his share of it and it is a trait you were hoping you could do without...
You place your hat on the table, reach into your pack and withdraw a worn and well read tome. Running your hands across the cover you mouth the title, "On the Cycles of the Light and the Dark: A History of Our lands and the Great War, by Professor Henry Jones". This book is the only remaining link you have to your former master, Professer Jones, formerly of the twelve of Scales, formerly of the Magical Institute of Madrigal, currently a coat of red paint adorning some long forgotten tomb. You chuckle then sigh, you will miss the old man...
Opening the tome you flip though its pages, the work is meticulously detailed, outlining the theories on the formation of the world and on the cycles of golden ages and dark ages that has characterized all of human history, though your master believed that Emperor Alric may have broken this cycle you were not so sure.
You were perhaps not the best student of history as many of the entries seem unfamiliar to you, you resolve to change that if you can, if you want to know where you should be going you will need to better know where you came from. But tonight is not the time for a history lesson, you flip through the book to the section on the Great War and Balor's sack of Muirthemne for that is the reason you came to the city; you begin to read...
"Our chronicles pick up the tale of the latest Dark lord much earlier than those of his predecessors. By 2181 A.E. Balor -the latest Leveller- thrived in the east, recruiting and creating his evil hordes. Balor enticed the Myrmidons -once proud human warriors- into volunteering for the grisly undeadhood that drives them mad to this day..."
You skip ahead past the accounts of civil wars and human concerns to the next mention of this Dark lord, Balor...
"His forces slowly assembled, undead and alive alike, and in 2431 A.E. Balor began moving west with his six Fallen Lords..."
You involuntarily shiver at the thought of them; the beautiful and cruel Shiver; the cunning and mad Deceiver; the Lurker, the twice born daughter of flood and famine; the Voiceless One, loveless child of the unwed dawn; the Watcher as terrifying as he was ancient and the greatest necromancer in history, and Soulblighter the most ambitious of the lot and the least merciful. You may not have fought in the war but traveling with your master you saw the destruction they created, reflecting on it you can't say you are sad that they met their ends... you continue to skim the text and then you find it...
"In 2431 A.E. Balor and his vast armies announced their presence in grand style, putting Muirthemne to the torch in an immense mystical blaze that created the Barrier. The twenty four century old empire of Cath Bruig collapsed overnight. Most of the population of the city died in the blaze or in the fighting that followed, the most notable of which was the Emperor himself. The Emperor aware of the end of his empire refused to flee and instead worked to hide the royal artefacts deep in the city to deny Balor the use of them in his wars further west. This last act of bravery may have prevented the demise of all the realms of men. Amongst the relics lost in the city the most important was the Ibis Crown, the symbol of the empire, but a number of lesser but also terrifying relics such as one half of the great Halcyon Stone..."
Alric may have dug out the best loot in the city but he had not found it all yet and the half of the Halcyon Stone that was in the city when it fell is still up for grabs.
That, is in fact why you are here, should be easy you figure. You just have to put together a team, evade the city guard (as unauthorized ruin diving is punished by life in prison), slip into the ruined part of the city, follow the ruins through to underneath the palace fighting off any monsters in the way and retrieve your prize... ok, you have to admit this may not be easy but the Halcyon Stone was Henry's dream and you owe it to the memory of the old man to at least make the attempt.
Based upon your research the stone when whole would give its owner full control over the wind and the weather. Now half of the stone may not be as good as the whole thing but you figure you could find some use for it, and once you get the first half you can start looking for the other piece.
Closing your tome you look around the room, it seems the inn has cleared out for the night, placing the tome gently back in your pack you put your hat back on, the brown leather pressing down upon your auburn locks, you give a wink to the barman (who doesn't quite known what to make of you in your strange outfit) and start the walk back to the tent city you are staying in; you still just can not shake that feeling of being watched.
There are no more rooms for rent in the growing city and besides if you want to find treasure hunters then this is where you will find them. Slipping into your tent you secure a noise trap across the entrance (you can never be too careful in a city like Muirthemne after all) and you drift off to sleep, visions of tomb robbing drifting through your head...
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Morning comes all too quickly and as you stretch out you notice a woman sitting crosslegged with a book on her lap, your book on her lap, her mop of red hair dangles down over her face but when she hears you she looks up at you with the greenest eyes you have ever seen. If you had to guess she is probably a few years younger than you, so early twenties perhaps.
"Oh good morning!" she exclaims, "I did not want to wake you, looked like you needed the sleep."
Great, she is one of those bubbly morning types you think, then the more important realizations start entering your head. She is in your tent, she did not set off the noise trap and it looks like she has the book open to the section on the Halcyon Stone. This could be very bad...
"My name's Brigit, what's yours?" she continues casually, hardly noticing your hesitation; "so what is this, looks important."
She holds up the book for you to see and sure enough it is your notes on the Halcyon Stone.
"Give that back you will damage it!" you snap at her.
With a shrug she gently closes the book and passes it back to you.
"No need to be so crabby...", she momentarily looks offended before a smile reappears on her face.
"Look sorry..." You start before remembering that she should not even be here, hmm, time to be diplomatic, not your strongest area mind you but worth a try, "umm... Brigit what are you doing here?"
"Oh right," she slaps herself on the forehead and assumes a more formal stance; "I am here as an official representative of Dagda, that's my da, head of the new merchant's co-prosperity consortium and he, well we, wanted to extend an invitation to you to come and have a nice meeting with us... I mean you don't have to but da would be really disappointed and so would I..." she trails off and looks at the ground.
Yeah, a "merchant's consortium", so she means a thieves guild, probably one of many in the city. They will want to use you of course but maybe they are the sort of help that you need. As you sit there in silence you can tell that Brigit is getting a bit uncomfortable, eventually she breaks the silence.
"Well, ya don't have to answer right away, if you want to meet us I will be at the tavern you were at last night for most of today, after this I have the rest of the day off you see... anyway see you."
With a wink and a hop she is gone and you are left wondering what the hell just happened.
As you get dressed you realize that you need to figure out what you want to do today, you will need help and there are plenty of options available amongst the desperate, the insane and the cutthroat castoffs of the city, alternatively you could try some of the less scrupulous magic circles. There is Brigit's guild of course or you could try some of the more professional mercenary groups in the city though they will demand gold or favours. Finally you could try petitioning the government for an official permit to comb the ruins, of course if you find the stone they will try to take it from you so that is also a concern.
You figure you will have time to pursue two leads today (one in the morning and one in the afternoon), provided you don't head to the government offices, if you do you will spend all day doing paperwork.
Your resolve to:
A)Go Legit: Go to the government offices, you will have to be careful but they have the best equipment and soldiers around. An official expedition would be the most likely to succeed but would also likely cost you the stone. You would be paid well if you succeed however and may even get an imperial commission if you play your cards right.
B)Stay Independent and look for your own leads (you can pick two):
1)Go see Brigit's guild, she seemed friendly and you could use a few thieves to pull off this expedition. Without a doubt you will have to help them but that is how the world works, a favour for a favour.
2)Discreetly canvass the adventurers in the tent city. People from all over the known world are gathered here and may well provide useful skills for your expedition. However there are good reasons why these people are here and not a member of an actual organization, they may be a little strange and you can not really trust them either.
3)Look into securing the services of a mercenary group, many of these men and women served in the Legion during the war, they have the skills but it will cost you. They can provide the most reliable muscle out of all your options with the exception of actual Imperial soldiers.
4)See if you can use some of your old master's connections to get the help of one of the less orthodox circles. The Warlocks might be able to help as they care little for Imperial laws and are only concerned with knowledge and power. Having another mage or two come along may be a great boon but if your master had taught you anything it is that every other mage is potential competition which you may have to deal with to get your prize.
5)Magic help would be nice but there is no way you are trusting the Warlocks, there is another option however, the Children of the Callieach, a fairly secretive and minor magical circle more interested in the recovery of the past for the benefit of all. They are far less powerful than the Warlocks, dealing mostly in illusions but they are an option.
C) This is the standard other choice, this choice will always be available, if you ever have a plan I would love to hear it.
Also remember that the name vote is still open so feel free to offer suggestions or vote for a name.
Chapter 3: A Temple of Lies and Truth and the Canvas City
Ok, this may be a long update, so get comfortable. Also the choices for this one revolve around everyone's favourite RPG past-time shopping....Chapter 3: A Temple of Lies and Truth and the Canvas City
As you slip into your tunic and trousers you run through your options...
You don't really feel inclined to be running favours for a thieves guild, while you have nothing against them it just strikes you as too much trouble for such an uncertain reward. Besides, who is to say they would keep their word even if you did them a favour; better to go your own way.
And for the same reason the Government was completely out, you want the stone and it would be a complete shame for it to wind up in the Imperial treasury, its secrets lost on accountants and petty bureaucrats.
Pulling your hair back and up into a practical bun you wedge you hat down over your head...
You briefly consider hiring some mercenaries, after all every good mage knows the value of keeping warm bodies between you and the enemy but you quickly dismiss it. The more honest outfits would refuse to break the law while the less scrupulous may turn on you below the city, a knife in the dark is all it would take...
You put your hand on your hip and survey the room, gathering your notes and books in your pack you buckle on your knife... hmmm... you may need to pick up another weapon, a small part of you seems to think a whip would be a good idea, you will have to consider going shopping tomorrow...
What you are certain you will need is magical support, a well placed fireball can solve all sorts of problems, while more subtle magics can avoid conflict in the first place. You consider enlisting a Warlock for just a moment. There are no better combat mages in the Empire after all and yet you hesitate. The Warlocks are not known for their loyalty and if they were to turn on you well you are not certain that you could best one in a magical duel.
You rack your mind for other options... and it hits you, The Children of the Callieach, a minor circle to be sure and nowhere near as powerful as the Warlocks but also far less dangerous. As an added bonus their love for history and knowledge may just override their fear of Imperial law and the minions of the Dark. You resolve to go to their offices this very morning, and once you set your mind to something there is no stopping you...
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"What, in the name of Wyrd, do you mean I can not enter!" you demand
You are standing in the street outside the Circle's offices in the middle of a rather heated exchange with the six foot tall door guard. You could not overpower him even if you tried...
"Just as I said my lady, I am afraid you can't enter." responds the doorman with a dismissive air.
Calming yourself, you inquire; "What would be required to grant me entrance to the most noble circle of the Children of the Callieach?"
The doorman considers your request for a moment; "a formal invitation from a member of the Circle I am afraid, barring that I can think of no way for you to gain entry..." the doorman gives you one of the most smug grins you have ever had to endure.
You look at the ground and mumble; "I have money..."
Now that gets his interest for a moment before he dismisses it, as a servant of the Circle he is paid well and to cross a mage, let alone a circle of them would be suicide.
As you are about to give up a window on the second story opens and a male voice calls down into the street; "Jabber, what in the hells is all the noise about down there?"
The guard, whom you surmise must be named Jabber responds to the voice; "Just some con-artist that wants entry to the circle, don't worry sir I will rough her up something good as-"
You don't let him finish that sentence, if you can't go through this idiot you shall go above him; "I am no con-artist sir, I am a scholar and a fellow traveller seeking an audience with the Circle to propose a mutually beneficial partnership."
"Well you have my interest girl. Jabber let her through."
The guard shifts uncomfortably, he really does not want to let you in but an order is an order.
"Doctor Miosguinn's office is on the second floor, third door on the left..." he states in a clear if strained tone.
"Marvelous," you respond, "thank you for all of your help..." as you walk past the man you brush his leg and cast a minor cantrip, a small suggestion... that he has a poisonous spider in his armour.
As he screams you enter the building...
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The man that sits across from you; Miosguinn, fellow of The Children's Muirthemne branch is in his early forties and does not look anything like a mage, in fact he looks like a librarian but you know better than anyone that looks can be deceiving.
It seems you will not be able to meet with the Circle today, many of its members are out of the city but Miosguinn himself is quite interested in your proposal. It seems that the Smiths of Muirthemne are a topic near and dear to his heart and he agrees to accompany you with his apprentice Isolde. You assume that the bookish girl popping in and out of the room and giving you dirty glances must be her. She could not be more than sixteen and normally you would protest, the ruins are no place for a child but Miosguinn assures you that she is a more than capable of taking care of herself. You shrug, not your problem if the kid dies in the dark, you have warned them and that is as much responsibility as you will take in the matter.
All that he asks is that you give him any tomes or items associated with the Smiths that the expedition may recover. A reasonable request all things considered and it was always doubtful that you would find a mage that would work simply for gold. At least he does not want the stone and while you are not keen to surrender any magical item you see no real problem with this and agree.
You thank the doctor for his time and inform him that you will return in two days to collect him and his student...
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You retreat back to the local tavern, you look for Brigit to let her know you will sadly have to decline her invitation but she is nowhere to be found. You muse, maybe she was called away or she already figured it out for herself and decided to do something more productive with her time.
After a quick, and cheap, lunch in the local tavern, you think about how to spend the afternoon. You resolve to return to the tent city, talents from all over the Empire are to be found amongst the tents and you just have to find them.
As you weave amongst the tents you hear a great commotion, someone, or a group of "someones", is smashing up a tent. Turning the corner you come across quite the scene, a slim and graceful woman is standing to one side while the largest, most rotund gentleman you have ever seen proceeds to destroy her tent with a few of his cronies. A crowd of twenty odd bystanders look on.
Inching closer you can just make out their conversation, it seems he wants his money back while she is claiming she did everything that could be reasonably expected of her... hmmm... a physician perhaps?... as the thought crosses your mind the man grabs a chest and hurls it against the ground, it splinters to reveal her tools of the trade... oh, now you know what this is about, she is a whore or perhaps a courtesan down on her luck. The man must be an unsatisfied client, though looking at her you wonder how anyone could be unsatisfied with her... as these ideas roll through your head the situation continues to escalate. It seems that she is done trying to placate the man and is instead changing her strategy.
"Sir, I have offered my services to merchants and kings, wizards and poets, men and women great and small and each of them has left satisfied, if you are not happy with my services then may I suggest that the fault does not lay with me, sir." The sharpness with which she emphasizes sir cuts through the man's rage and he turns to her.
"What you try'in to say!" yells the great blob of a man.
"I am saying sir that perhaps you are lacking, perhaps your candle is a bit too short, your dagger a little blunt, your dog's head a little flea bitten, your dragon without fire, your fang chipped, your ferret lame, your mutton too tough, in short sir perhaps you are lacking!" the young, and perhaps a little foolish, courtesan replies.
The great lummox displays a look of profound confusion, as if the ladies harangue had overwhelmed his senses.
Stopping for a moment the man repeats himself; "What you try'in to say lady." His tone is flat and full of menace.
But she has completely given in to her anger, "I am saying, you waste of human flesh, you maul in man's clothing that you have the thinnest, the smallest, the most misshapen manhood I have ever had the misfortune to encounter and it is due to your minuscule member that you are unable to find satisfaction. And if that is too much for you to comprehend sir, then I will say only this... You have a small cock!"
At that moment the entire scene freezes in absolute silence, you can see it play out, you know exactly what will happen.
The insult registers in the mind of this moron, his fist balls, he will strike her. What he does not notice is the knife that has slipped out of her sleeve. Still you do not like her odds, it is none of your business of course and yet, you resolve in that moment to do something about it. A brilliant orator would talk the man down, a great warrior would beat him down, but you are neither of these things you are a mage and so you scheme. You look over the man, brown stained shirt, brown worn trousers straining against his girth and then you spot it; the most ugly belt buckle you have ever seen, solid bronze with partial gold plating and you have your plan.
Grabbing your spellbook you work quickly; Sort, no; Polish, well that is what got her in trouble; Light, useless; but there it is...
Retrieve Item a fairly useless little spell that requires a crystal clear image of what you want returned to you. Luckily the image of that belt buckle is burnt into you mind. You ready the spell and you cast it.
His fist comes up and his trousers come down, he stops in shock. You pocket the belt buckle.
And as you look you realize that she may have overstated her case a little, not a problem you were prepared for this possibility and you begin projecting an image into the minds of the crowd. Now if they had been moving, it would not work; if they were aware of your presence, it would not work; if there were more people here, it would not work. But in this case you are just able to manage it, they see exactly what the courtesan described and they begin to laugh.
The courtesan is looking around, she knows someone is casting she can feel it, must have some talent you think, you can sense her attempts to find you and her immense gratitude.
She only hesitates for a moment before launching into one of the most spirited deconstructions of a person you have ever witnessed, you almost feel the urge to write it all down, preserve it for posterity but you have to maintain absolute attention to keep up the illusion.
As the crowd turns on the man and his fellows they begin a hasty retreat, shouting curses as they run, you would not be surprised if the guy left the camp after a humiliation like that, you chuckle to yourself, your good deed for the year done.
Then you realize that she is waving you over, you try not to make eye contact but she is not giving up so eventually you walk over, she leads you into what is left of her tent and motions for you to sit in a gorgeous high-backed velvet chair. Snapping her fingers her small lamp springs to life, so she does have a little training you think congratulating yourself on your keen perception.
The two of you spend the better part of an hour in conversation, turns out that business has not been good for her and she has been forced to expand her clientele. Given the events of this afternoon she is inclined to pursue another line of work if only momentarily. She has some skill with magic and she is quick with a knife though looking at her you can tell she is not really strong enough to do real damage with one. What really impressed you was her gift for words, someone this persuasive would be a useful ally so you take a chance and explain your plan.
She seems disinterested, though polite, until you mention the vast riches and power of the Old Empire. The mention of gold and ancient artefacts is enough to get her wholehearted support and she even offers to let you use a house she owns to entertain more discreet clients. The tent, she explains was more of a store front while the "business" occurred in a more easily controlled environment. You are open to the idea and tell her that you will meet her there in two days time with any support you can muster, she gives you a password so that you may gain entry.
As you bid her goodbye she plants a kiss on your cheek, a thanks to her "brave and cunning rescuer", and says her name is Thaïs, whether that is her real name or merely an alias you are not sure.
As you continue to explore the tent city you hear the sounds of a fight and decide to head towards it. After all it worked out well the last time you think to yourself. As you enter one of the larger squares in this city of canvas and rope you come across quite a sight. A single, one-eyed warrior and a mammoth mountain of muscle wielding a greatsword are fighting back to back against a dozen men, six men circle the pair while the rest lay on the ground wounded, unconscious or perhaps dead. You wonder if you should try to help them but ultimately decide it would be better to see what they can do.
The Berserk, since you are sure that, that is what he is leaps out at the closest man. All fury and speed but with a grace and determination lost in civilized men. He is a wolf amongst dogs and the power and mastery of the blade he displays leaves little doubt that the three men he is fighting are doomed. A whirling storm of steel, the northerner hacks off the arm of the first sell sword and delivers a quick kick to the stomach of the second. He traps the blade of the third on the guard of his blade and renders him unconscious with a quick punch to the head.
Meanwhile on the other side of the square the one-eyed warrior battles against the remaining sell-swords. What the giant had in speed and bravery the warrior has is patience and positioning. He is guiding the fight and the sell-swords are dancing to his tune. A quick thrust to the throat drops one, followed by a heavy push with his shield to the other. Turning to the third sell-sword the warrior salutes him and moves to close, the sell-sword surveys his surroundings and seeing that he is the only man on his side still standing he makes a break for it... right past your extended leg. The sell-sword dives head first into the dirt and decides to take a little nap as you strike him across the back of the head.
The two men move back towards the centre of the square the Northerner practically bellows his victory to the stars while the warrior checks the dead and wounded, stabilizing those that he can and granting quick death to those too far gone.
As you approach the two men, the barbarian momentarily tenses up but then dismisses you as a threat while the warrior greets you.
He introduces himself as Gareth and the big fellow as Tyrvard... "Tyrvard of the Thunderous Blows" his companion corrects him. You offer to buy the two men a drink and they readily agree.
The three of you return to the tavern and this time you make note of its name, The Hanged Man. The barman is starting to warm up to you as you always pay up front and cause no trouble, when you wink at him this time he winks back. You get four pints, two for Tyrvard as he claims the ale of the Empire to be akin to water, and settle down in your usual booth.
Over the course of he next half-hour you outline your plan to the two men, Tyrvard agrees as soon as he hears about the danger of the task, seems he values a good fight over everything else. Gareth is a bit more hesitant but agrees when you point out that the men he just fought probably had friends and that it would be better to get out of camp for a while. You give the two men the address of Thaïs' safehouse and the password to get inside and you tell them to meet you there in two days time.
As you leave the tavern the sun is beginning to set on the horizon, as you head back to your tent you see a lone, frail figure moving from tent to tent, out of curiosity you decide to follow him. At first you think the man a thief, but from every tent he enters you hear screams and cries. Perhaps the man is a murderer you think and you resolve to investigate the situation, if there is a murderer in camp he is a danger to everyone, even you.
Following the man to the next tent you creep close to listen but instead of the sounds of struggle you hear a calm if accented voice giving instructions.
"This man has the dead rot, probably from wandering in the ruins of the city." states the calm voice, clearly.
A second and third voice try to protest but the first cuts them off; "I am not of the Empire and I am not here to enforce their laws, your friend has the dead rot, I can cure it for three silver."
Again the other two voices chime in, the first respond again; "I do not negotiate my prices."
After much grumbling about money-grubbing foreigners the second voice agrees to pay and the third voice lets out a small cry while this man, clearly a physician, gets to work.
Twenty minutes later his work is done, the first voice collects his pay and slips out of the tent so quietly that he actually surprises you as he turns the corner and walks right into you. What follows is a long string of mutual apologies and introductions. The name he gives you is One Serpent Green Talon, definitely the name of a Journeyman...
The Journeymen where an order of healers founded by the disgraced Heron Guard of the Old Empire. When Alric reforged the empire the Journeymen once more took up the mantle of the Heron Guard. And yet here is this man with a Journeyman's name and a clearly northern accent, an intriguing mystery and if there is one thing you love more than magic it is a mystery.
You offer to buy the man a drink, he declines, you offer again, again he declines, you propose tea instead and with a chuckle he accepts. Returning to the Hanged Man for the third time today the barman greets you with an amused smirk which quickly turns to a wide grin when you order a pot of tea and some biscuits. Taking up your usual position in the corner you explain the details of your plan to this pseudo-Journeyman. He is remarkably open to the idea as he has nowhere to go and has had no luck contacting the man he came to see. You give him the address and password to the safehouse and tell him to meet you in two days.
After Serpent (there is no way you are saying that mouthful of a name each time you address him) leaves you switch back over to ale and enjoy a few hours rest and relaxation after a very long day.
You return to your tent exhausted but satisfied, you have made a lot of progress and two days from now you will depart. Tomorrow you will focus on gathering supplies for the expedition given you still have almost all of your funds.
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With the morning comes a new set of choices, there are a few things you can do today, you have to shop for general goods in the morning; food, water, rope, lanterns, tents and a dozen other things will be needed to succeed at your task but there are a few other things that also need attending to.
After paying for the basics you figure you could afford to go shopping at the following locations this afternoon, the question is what sort of items would be of the most use (pick any five items from the list):
The Cleaver's Weapons Shop, you need something better than a knife; a staff, a sword, an axe, hell part of you still wants a whip for some reason and this would be the place to find it.
1) A staff/polearm: it will give you range, though you have no real skill with it, still have to learn sometime
2) A sword: the adventurer's best friend. Perhaps Gareth can teach you a few moves?
3) An Axe: it would be useful as more than a weapon, it would let you break down doors and chop big pieces of wood into little pieces of wood... truly magical
4) A Mace: what could be better for fighting the undead?
5) THE Whip: It is glorious and you don't know why but it just feels right
Old Ren's Armour Shop, you probably are not strong enough for full plate armour (not that you could afford it even if you were) but some leather armour or mail would come in handy when travelling through the ruins.
NOTE: armour does not impact spellcasting in myth, Balor wore full plate armour so you don't have to worry about that, heavy stuff may slow you down however:
6) Padded Armour: not the best but it does not limit your movement
7)Leather Armour: the happy medium
8)Mail Armour: there are monsters down there I want the best I can buy
The Wizen One's magical bazaar, you don't trust the old crone but her items are usually good:
9)Energon Cubes: think of them as little magical batteries for when you need more power
10) Scroll of Firebolt: An arrow of pure fire, it is no fireball but it is a start (cast at full potency as a scroll or memorize and get better with practice)
11) Scroll of Projection: a fake image, the better you concentrate the better it will be (same as #10)
12) 3 Mandrake Roots: used in healing magics, 3 for the price of 1
13) 5 Gleaming Wands: they force invisible enemies into the light, your little magical glowstick
14)Second-rate Tarnkappe: it is like a cloak of invisibility but for it to work you can not move and it only has three charges
Ori Three-fingers, this shop is run by a rude little dwarf. He hates small talk but his prices are fair:
15) 5 "Dwarven" Cocktails: thrown portable explosives, sure you have no experience with them but how hard could it be...
16)1 Satchel Charge: explosives, could be useful, just don't blow your hands off, place and then set off with a fire arrow or fire spell.
Blind Bob's Odds and Ends; who knows what you will find at Blind Bob's (he sure doesn't):
?) want an item that I did not list well feel free to suggest one, get enough support and you may just get it...
As always, if you have any questions just feel free to ask...
Chapter 4: The Grand Bazaar
Chapter 4: The Grand BazaarYou leave the Hanged Man, a quick lunch and a pint was just what you needed. You had spent the better part of the morning purchasing supplies for your expedition and arranging for their delivery to Thaïs' safehouse. She had even sent word back that she had acquired a hand cart to move the supplies and an up to date map of the city to better plan your approach. The woman was proving to be a valuable asset indeed.
With the basics taken care of your afternoon is free and you decide to relax a bit and do some shopping. You turn your mind and your feet towards the Merchant district of the rebuilt city and passing through one of the inner gates you are met with the city of Muirthemne's Grand Bazaar in all of its glory. Whoever said that money could not buy happiness had never visited Muirthemne, anything and everything could be found at the Bazaar, for the right price of course.
Jugglers, dancers and musicians perform in the squares while throngs of shoppers mill about the stalls. Silks and canvass in every colour imaginable adorn your surroundings and the smell of spices, leather and sweat assail your nostrils. Entering the bazaar is almost as dangerous as a good dungeon crawl you think to yourself as you watch a couple from the farmlands being taken for all they are worth by an expert conman. It is a good thing that this is not your first time. You keep a careful hand on your purse as you push through the maze of bodies.
You know where you are going, you need a weapon and that means a trip to see "the Cleaver". An old friend of your master's, they adventured together in their younger days. His alias truly is ridiculous but it works; Cleaver once confided in you, over a few too many pints of ale, that his real name was Ian but he thought it lacked a little punch and showmanship is a fundamental part of the trade.
You come across his shop, set back from the main square, a very large and very fake cleaver hanging over top of the door. As you enter the big man himself greets you inquiring about your master. When you tell him the unfortunate news he expresses his sympathies and in an attempt to change the subject asks you how your knife is holding up.
"It works brilliantly, Ian." you respond with a smile; "actually that is why I am here, I need something a bit more "combat ready" for my next run."
The old weaponsmith expresses some reservations about you going out into a dungeon without Henry, instead he suggests you should find a nice guy, settle down and have a few kids.
You have to chuckle at that a little, give up the knowledge, the power, the adventure? You would rather die, some morbid little part of you chimes in that you just might get your wish.
You shake off the thought, you remind yourself to stay positive or you are beaten before you even begin. As Ian realizes you will not be discouraged he finally surrenders and instead insists on finding you something truly special.
"I will not let Henry's little girl go wandering off without the best that I have," he states with a lot of fondness and not a little concern. "Come into the back room and I will show you my best stock, don't worry we can negotiate the price."
Ian closes up the shop and leads you into the storeroom through his practice room.
In Ian's storeroom are some truly magnificent pieces, a staff with a retractable head that reveals a solid steel spear tip, a sword that Ian assures you could cut a man in half (Ian always had a slight problem with hyperbole), a light and well balanced axe, a nicely balanced mace... but none of these things really catch your attention... then you see it hanging on a hook on the far wall, the most magnificent whip you have ever seen.
Looking at it, it just feels right.
"Ian, what is the story with that whip?"
He arches an eyebrow; "That thing? Some traveler from the east brought it in here, said it was made from some sort of hopping rodent or something, I am afraid I just don't know much about whips, but that crook Azis two stalls over wanted it really bad when he saw it. Figured I would hold on to it just to screw with the man... if you want it though it is yours."
You pick up the whip and enter Ian's practice room, you begin trying to "throw" the whip, it handles beautifully, great range (you would estimate six to seven feet), good movement, the braiding is expertly done, it is damn near perfect... you know this in the core of your being but you are not sure how you know it...
Ian sells you the whip (and some of the lubricant he uses to keep it supple) for a fair price, well to be honest he is definitely cutting you a deal, you thank him and as you go to shake his hand he scoops you up in his great arms and practically squeezes the life out of you. Returning you to your feet, he wipes a tear from his eye and again warns you to be careful and tells you to come visit him more often.
Leaving Ian's shop you move to the part of the bazaar that specializes in the manufacture of armour, you are here to see old Rin. It has been years since you last saw her as neither yourself nor your master wore much in the way of armour but he always said that if you needed protection Rin was the person to ask.
You stand in the doorway looking into her shop and can hardly make out any details given the complete darkness that confronts you, you hesitate, maybe she is not in?
The voice of a woman assails you from the darkness; "Well don't just stand there in the doorway, if you are going to shop then come inside."
As you step into the darkness the door slams shut behind you and the lamps in the shop burst to light, you yelp and the voice giggles.
Thoughts rush through your head, is she a mage? Is this a trap? But you calm yourself and examine the surroundings, tiny yet strong treads run along the walls and floors. You can only just make them out due to your years of dungeon raiding, some run to the ignition devices on the lamps and some to the door. She is no mage just a squirrely old woman that likes to scare her clients, you sign in relief.
"Okay, Ren that was a great joke but come out now or I am leaving," you state in as calm a tone as you can muster
"Alright, alright; kids these days have no sense of humour. So what can I do for you?"
"I need a nice suit of armour." You examine the shelves filled with various varieties of protective wear... padded wool, plate, mail, scale, helmets, shields, gauntlets, greaves, she has it all and it is all expertly crafted. You will admit your respect for the old bat is growing.
You turn to Ren, you already know what you want, leather armour, heavy enough for protection but light enough to not limit your movements.
You tell Ren this, she nods and reaches behind the counter. She places a pair of knee high boots, gloves and a thong on the table and gives you a wide grin, "Here you are dearie, these will make you very popular I imagine."
That damn grin of hers would drive you into a rage if you were not completely aware that, that is what she wants. Instead you calm yourself and take out your purse, jingling it in front of the smith so that she can hear how full it is.
With the prospect of actual money on the table her mischievous grin instantly transforms to a polite and warm smile. "Well, why didn't you tell me you actually had money, wasting our time like that, kids are just so slow these days..."
She goes back into her store room and brings out an excellent suit of Tyrian leather, straight from the Province she promises. Ren leads you back into her fitting room and begins poking, prodding and measuring every inch of you, standard procedure for custom fitted armour but you still feel a bit violated. You figure it has something to do with the big grin she is wearing through it all.
As the two of you return to the front of the shop she is all business, she starts by quoting an exorbitant sum and you manage to haggle her down a bit but you still feel like you are being ripped off. Oh well at least the armour really is of good quality.
You arrange to have the armour delivered to Thaïs' safehouse tomorrow morning when the alterations are done. You open the door to leave but as you turn to leave the shop, Ren whistles to get you attention; "Sure you don't want the boots and smallclothes dearie?" and that damned grin reappears.
You choke down telling her off and turn to leave when the lights cut out and she whistles at you again, you turn just in time to duck a small wooden buckler that is winging its way towards your head. You pick it up off the ground and admire the quality of its craftmanship for just a moment, then Ren chimes in from the darkness, "I like you kid but you really have to work on your people skills; take the buckler, it is on the house..."
Shaking your head you step back into the light, not completely certain that it all was not a bad dream...
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It took a few more hours of weaving between customers and carts to get to the tiny alley in which the magical shops are located. Since mages prefer privacy and don't really want each other knowing what they are buying the alleyway is enshrouded in powerful illusion magics, it looks empty but you know that it is filled with mages coming and going, magic hiding the sight and the sound of them. You enter the alley and queue up to the right of a large yellow line drawn down its length, a light overhead turns green giving you the go ahead to proceed.
Your master explained the system to you once. Due to the powerful illusions in the ally you will not be able to see or hear anything living. The line flashes at points where a mage is next to it so you just have to watch the line and walk down the length of the alley till you get to your destination., since you can not see or hear the other customers you all have to follow the rules and move in the same direction. A delicious piece of irony that your own mutual mistrust leads to a system that completely hinges on trust but such are the workings of mages. As you contemplate the situation you bump into something in front of you, oops, you were not paying close enough attention to the line. You almost apologise but stop yourself, whatever it is it can't hear you anyway...
You make your way around to your stop, a large shop with two separate doors; as you approach the "in" door it is locked. Right, only one customer at a time, you wait about five minutes until the "out" door opens, for a brief second you think you can see the other customer, all tentacles and horror, but the illusions kick in and it disappears. You step into the shop and see the Old Crone herself perched behind the counter.
"Oh it is you..." she says in a neutral if strained tone, her features flat.
You match her tone and manners as best you can; "Just come to make a purchase."
She comes out from behind the counter; "Good cause I don't care for window shoppers..."
You grin just a little; "Well not like you could do anything about it..."
Now she has the smallest trace of a smile on her face; "Kid I have forgotten more about magic than you or Henry ever knew," with the mention of your master's name she drops the charade and gives you a large hug which you promptly return; "How are you kid, and where is Henry?"
You tell her about Henry's demise and she invites you into the back of the shop; "It must have been terrible child..."
"Oh Madb it was, one moment he was there and the next gone." You reply, still wounded from his passing.
You ask her about the shop and what she has been up to and Madb asks you what you have been up to and you tell her the basics, that you are on another run and that you are excited to actually be organizing this one but you leave out the bit about the stone.
If Henry was like a father to you then Madb has been like a mother but the very first thing she ever taught you was to never trust another mage without a very good reason, especially one as powerful as she is. So you lie a little and she lies a lot and you both know it and it changes nothing, you are family.
After an hour or so in conversation the "in" door shakes a little, it does not emit any sound but a line must be forming out there. Madb laughs at the thought of it and as much as she would love leaving a half-dozen archmages and eldritch monstrosities piled up outside her door she does have to return to work so you place your order. A handful of Energon cubes (you count 6), a scroll of firebolt, and 3 Mandrake roots, she also throws in a ball of regular, mundane twine for when you get lost she says with a wink.
You exchange the money for the goods and she plants a single kiss on your forehead telling you to be careful and to come back anytime you like. And with that you are back out in the silence of the alley and something bumps into you and you hurry along back out into the bazaar proper.
Your little shopping trip ate up most of the day, but you still have the evening ahead of you and you wonder what to do with it. This could be your last night above ground for a while, how do you want to spend it?
A) Gareth and Tyrvard will probably be at the bar by now, you should go drink with them, it will pass the time, keep out the cold and the dark and you may come to understand the two men better.
B) Serpent knows of a little tea house nearby that he highly recommends, you could go there and get a proper drink and something to eat, maybe the physician will also be there
C) Thaïs should be at the safehouse by now, organizing all the supplies that you sent over. You really should help her and it will give the two of you time to talk.
D) The night is yours, you go for a walk through the inhabited section of the city, if this will be your last night above ground for some time then you want to watch the stars.
E) Voter's Choice, got an idea just let me know
Chapter 5: An Evening with the Courtesan
Ok new update, ran a bit long, some info on magic, and I get as close to biowarean writing as I am comfortable with... there are three separate but related choices to make at the end so one vote for each of the big decisions...Chapter 5:
An evening with the Courtesan:
As you make the long walk back from the Bazaar you run though your options for the evening since you really don't want to go back to your tent yet.
Gareth and Tyrvard are probably at the Hanged Man right now drinking half the city under the table, hopefully they have taken the time to prepare themselves instead of just drinking all of their money away. You have to admit you have never met a man like Tyrvard before and if all the men of the northern tribes are like that it is easy to see why Alric wants their support.
Gareth is a different story, he does not talk about his past much, says he fought in the war and you can believe it based on the scars and the martial aura he exudes. You are just glad to have two such warriors on your side, a little muscle to complement your magic. Still you do not really want to spend your last night above ground drinking at the Hanged Man, you have done that almost every night for the last week, it is time for a change.
You pass the teahouse that Serpent was raving about yesterday, Brown's is its name. You make a note to try it when you get back but you just do not feel like tea tonight.
As you continue on your way you realize that there is really only one place to go, well unless you just want to wander aimlessly, you chuckle at that idea, you are the "leader" of this expedition and you owe it to everyone to check over your supplies and make sure you are not missing anything.
And with that you make for the address that Thaïs gave you. Part of you expects to find nothing, that her whole act was a con and that you have ruined yourself but you shake off the idea, you remind yourself that you are a good judge of people, or at least Henry always used to say you were. You really do believe that she is on the level and she has become something of the de facto quartermaster of the expedition. You have been coordinating with her throughout the day and her help has been invaluable. You stop by one of the better shops in town and grab a few things for dinner, a savoury pie, a bottle of wine, that sort of thing. You pick up a little extra in case Thaïs is working late and wants some and you begin the walk to the safehouse.
As you reach the building you realize that it is no mere shack, in better times this would have been a coaching house. The attached stables are a little worse for wear but everything looks remarkably stable. You approach the front door and knock, you also draw your knife just in case it is a trap. After a little hesitation and noise from the other side a female voice calls from within for the password. You give it and the door unlocks, you palm the knife, as you step though the door it shuts behind you and someone side-steps behind you. You feel some sort of gadget pressed against the back of your head. The voice instructs you to turn around slowly and you comply, you sigh it is just Thaïs.
Gone are the silks and perfume of yesterday, her attire today while still of high quality is all about function, well maybe with a touch of fashion you will concede, she looks the very image of a clerk, tunic and trousers and her raven black hair in a functional ponytail.
In a casual tone you start; "Hi, Thaïs."
She seems relieved; "Oh Derryth, I was not aware that you would be by before tomorrow, you should have sent a message I could have taken your head off with this thing. Nice whip by the way, looking to get into the trade?"
"Very funny, I would have sent a messenger but it was all very spur of the moment and I wanted it to be a surprise." You reply with a quick smile, raising the bag with your dinner in it, "Also would you mind lowering that thing you have pointed at me it looks dangerous."
"I don't know, maybe I like having you at my mercy..." she gives you a grin.
You match the grin; "Well then I would be forced to draw your attention to the knife angled at your ribs."
She looks down at the knife that has slipped back into view and laughs, she lowers the "crossbow". Some gadget that a client that could not pay gave to her. She actually tried to convince her to come along on the expedition, but the inventor was adamant about leaving for the south. Said something about going where her inventions would be appreciated, Thaïs sighs and explains that the inventor really is a dear but just has no luck with people.
Turning the crossbow over in her hand she explains that it is a handheld prototype based on dwarven theory. It fires these tiny but very deadly bolts from a "magazine" inserted into the underside of the device. She demonstrates the action of the piece, loading and unloading it and you must admit the things those dwarves create truly are marvels. You remember the dinner you are carrying and ask her if she would like some. The two of you sit down to a nice warm meal.
Following the meal she gives you a tour of the facilities, there is a single horse in the stable, to pull an old supply wagon if the hand cart proves insufficient, and most of the supplies are stored in one of the lower rooms near the old loading dock. She was about half way through cataloguing it all when you arrived. You offer to help and the two of you spend the next couple of hours going over the supplies, everything looks to be in place but there are about double the herbs and medical supplies than you ordered.
Thaïs explains that she looked over the invoices for the items as they arrived and while most of the prices were fair the herbalist had dramatically overcharged you (you had suspected it but could not prove it). When the package arrived with the herbalist's apprentice she launched into a dramatic appeal to the young man's sense of honour and duty, "how dare he be a party to such vile business practices, swindling two innocent young women" the man was terribly ashamed and threw in an extra order of herbs as recompense. As Thaïs retells the story she acts out both roles as if on stage, you stifle a laugh.
As you finish the inventory and lock up the storage you return to the main house and the two of you settle down in what was once a study. You talk about your pasts, she tells you about the cities of the Province while you tell her about some of you adventures with Henry and about the old man himself. She offers her sympathies and you thank her as the conversation drifts towards the study of magic.
It seems she has had a solid training in arcane theory, she even knows a few things that you do not, but her set of spells is more suited to pleasure and luxury than hard-living and ruin raiding. The night is still young and you decide it may be a useful exercise in trust to teach her a spell. Nothing too dangerous, not that you really know anything too dangerous yet, but something which has proven to be very useful to you in the past.
When you suggest the idea she is all for it, the woman definitely has a taste for knowledge and power. You should probably be careful around her you think but then you remind yourself that she is probably thinking the same thing, and you are forced to smile. It would be nice to have a colleague that you can actually trust and talk to again now that Henry if gone, you will just have to be careful is all.
"Ok," you tell her; "let's go into the back yard and get started."
You lead her into the back and survey your surroundings, a few boxes, a bunch of empty bottles, yes this will do. You light a lamp so you will be able to see better and line up a dozen bottles. You tell her that the spell you will be teaching her is called Zap, a basic attack spell that will not do too much damage unless you get the target in a soft spot. It will often distract your attacker however and can give you time to escape. You tell her that accuracy and steady hands are of the utmost importance, you take a wide and stable stance, and you begin to focus on the bottle, describing the logical and spiritual movements required to bring about the spell. As you finish you begin firing at the bottles, twelve for twelve, you are on fire tonight and Thaïs is quite impressed.
You set up another six bottles and motion for her to try, it takes a while but she manages a shot, it misses wide, reflects of a large chunk of metal and damn near hits you. Thaïs apologies but you reassure her that the first time you tried it you had trouble too. You decide to help her a little with her stance, remembering Henry's lessons from your youth. You walk up behind her and with a little kick spread her legs out a little wider, you straighten out her shoulders and reinforce her arm, with one hand on her hip and the other on her hand you add you consciousness to hers and direct the bolt to the first bottle, a hit. She leans back into you a little and you direct her to the second bottle, again a direct hit. She gives a slight yelp of satisfaction and you believe she is getting the hang of it.
"Ready to do it on your own?" you ask; "try to hit the remaining four."
As you step away from her she focuses, it take five shots but she hits the four bottles. Not bad and the bolts she is creating are already a little stronger then yours. However you notice that she looks a little run down, even as a child you had better endurance than this, oh well as Henry used to say every caster is unique, like pretty, little, sadistic snowflakes.
Thaïs returns to your side with a rather large smile on her face, you know that feeling, that feeling of greater knowledge, greater power even a little more is so very intoxicating. Looks like you are not such a bad teacher after all, it definitely helped when you thought back to Henry's lessons though, he was a real mage and knew how to properly teach someone, you sigh; all things in time. You congratulate her on her shooting and the two of you return inside to the study.
It seems that Thaïs wants to return the favour and she brings out an old lamp and sets it on a table half way across the room. She explains that one of her clients back west (he was a wizard with not a little skill) taught her how to call up small fires and put them out, it is something that she has found to be quite useful. She demonstrates, sitting next to you on the couch she extends her arm and focuses on the lamp. It flickers to life, she gets up and snuffs it out then she repeats herself three or four times explaining the theory behind the spell. You try it but can't quite get it to work, she pouts a little stating that she must not be a very good teacher.
Trying to cheer her up you think back to the Zap spell earlier, you tell her that you copied as closely as possible the setup used by Henry to teach you the spell and that you think it really helped.
A rather mischievous smile appears on Thaïs' face, "All right let's try that."
She removes the lamp and instead stands you in front of the old fireplace, she stands next to you and raises your hand in the direction of the fireplace. Then she tells you to close your eyes and focus on the very concept of heat, agitation, the dance of unseen elements, and sure enough in your mind's eye appear two dancers. You watch them dance, and she tells you to try to speed it up, and you do, faster and faster the figures spin until it is all a blur. You think you can smell smoke but opening your eyes you do not see a flame, and you are about to turn to Thaïs to tell her so. In fact you are so focused on the spell that when she kisses you your mental control collapses, you kiss... and the fireplace explodes...
As you and Thaïs sit there on the ground, thrown back by the explosion in the fireplace she blushes a little and gives you a sheepish grin; "Well you did say to recreate the conditions under which I first learnt the spell, and I am a courtesan after all."
Fair enough, you are not really sure how you feel about the situation but it is hardly something to worry about, you think, and at any rate you now know that you can conjure fire and that feels pretty good.
You brush the soot off and help each other to your feet, she asks you why the fireplace blew up like that. Seems like she does have a few holes in her knowledge of magical theory.
You try to explain, a single mage can cast some fairly powerful spells but a group of mages can manage even more. You tell her that when you were helping her in the courtyard behind the building, you used your greater control of the spell to give her power better direction, however when she kissed you she poured a lot of extra power into a half finished spell without much control and she completely distracted you ensuring you would lose control as well. Thankfully the fireplace contained most of the flames and burnt out without doing serious or permanent damage. With a gasp she apologizes again but you tell her not to worry about it, she did not know what would happen after all.
With that little bit of adventure over with you think about returning to your tent for the night, it is probably early morning by now and it is a long walk back but you need at least a few hours of sleep. Thaïs offers you a bed for the night, just to sleep in, she adds quickly, but you are not sure if it would be a good idea all things considered.
Weighing up the advantages and disadvantages you decide to stay, you really don't want to walk through the dark back to the tent and a bed would be divine, she shows you to one of the better bedrooms and bids you goodnight. As she closes the door she again apologizes for almost blowing you up.
You use the wash basin to get cleaned up and head to bed. As you lay in bed you think about the people you have assembled for the expedition, the good doctor and his apprentice, Tyrvard and Gareth, Serpent and Thaïs and you wonder if you can or even should trust any of them. You really want to have actual friends, the way Henry and Ian trusted each other was always something you envied a little, but it is also a great way to wind up dead. Well you will just have to see what the morning holds...
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Thaïs greets you when you come downstairs, she must have been out to the shop early as breakfast is laid out in the study. She also tells you that she has taken the liberty of having your tent collected from the camp. She probably still feels a bit guilty about almost killing you, well that is a risk when it come to magic and she will have to be willing to take it if she wants to pursue that path. The two of you pass the day in conversation, your armour arrives along with a second parcel from Ren for Thaïs, a lighter suit of Tyrian leather, less protection but also easier to wear for someone unaccustomed to adventuring. It seems that Thaïs had paid a visit to the Bazaar right after you had saved her, she had placed an order for the heavily modified armour and picked up a few minor magical items in case of emergencies.
That afternoon Serpent arrives wearing padded armour, a satchel full of mandrake roots over one shoulder and his medical supplies in his pack. He also caries a knife and a shovel of all things. When you ask about it he simply responds that you never know when you may have to do a bit of digging. You and Thaïs share a look of confusion but more information is not forthcoming. The three of you spend the afternoon discussing a variety of subjects from your pasts, to politics, to magical theory. It seems that Serpent has interest in magic and the ability but has never really had a teacher, Thaïs whispers to you that the two of you should "train" him you have to laugh at the thought as the both of you are barely better off than he is.
Still it is a thought worth considering, you are all "independent" talents, in that you do not belong to a circle. You could try forming your own Circle for mutual protection and support, you know Thaïs would support the idea after last night, the woman loves knowledge and power almost as much as you do. Serpent is still a bit of a mystery however, you will have to find out who he is and what he really wants from life.
As the afternoon wears on you leave to go pick up the doctor and his apprentice, you find them outside the Children's offices, today he does look like a wizard, dressed in blue-grey robes with a wide brimmed hat. The apprentice is also dressed in similar if less ornate robes and carries a massive pack, seems he makes her carry the supplies, when she sees you she steps slightly behind her master and gives you a dirty look. You don't know why the kid hates you but it is obvious that she does.
"Doctor Miosguinn are you ready to depart?"
"Ah good, Miss Derryth, we are ready when you are."
You collect the two Children and return to the safehouse to find Gareth and Tyrvard have already arrived. Serpent and Tyrvard are standing at opposite sides of the room staring daggers at one another, Thaïs waves you over and explains. It seems that Serpent is from Gower one of the northern realms of men and he and the Beserk do not seem to like one another. He made an off hand remark about the sanity and hygiene of the Northern peoples and Tyrvard did not respond well.
She has managed to get them each to swear that they will work together during the trip and she thinks they will keep their words but she can not be sure. Great, just the sort of thing you needed, you will probably have to talk to them or get Thaïs to manage them since each is an important asset. Or you could cut one loose...
The entire group files upstairs and you lay out the potential routes you can take to the ruin once the sun goes down. In the centre of the room is Thaïs' map marked with known patrol routs, monster sightings and the points of entry...
Pick one option from each of the sets of options ( 1), 2), and 3)):
1)There are three good points of entry, you point to each of the three markers in turn:
a)The First is closest to our target, it has the highest security but will make for the shortest trip. We will have to move quietly and pack lightly to avoid patrols.
b)The Second is further out but it is the biggest entrance and one of the least secure. You can expect monsters but few patrols or other adventurers. It should not impact the length of the trip one way or another.
c)The Third is the furthest out, it will add two weeks to the trip but almost no one knows about it so there will be less resistance.
2)There is also the question of supplies, thanks to Thaïs you have options:
a) Carry everything, this is the stealthiest choice but gives you the least supplies, about half of what you bought.
b)Use the hand cart, this will let you transport most of the supplies but will slow you down if you hit rough terrain. You can not pick this if you go with 1a.
c)Use the wagon, you will be able to take all of the supplies and even be able to transfer some of the load from your packs. You will travel lighter but will still be dependent on the wagon. You can not pick this if you go with 1a.
3)There is also the question of Serpent and Tyrvard:
a)You and Thaïs will just have to manage the situation, you need both men.
b)Tell Tyrvard to leave, he won't be happy but you need the physician.
c)Tell Serpent to leave, you hate to see him go but you need the muscle
Chapter 6: The trip into Darkness
Chapter 6: The trip into DarknessAs you gather around the table everyone expresses an opinion. Some push for speed and stealth while others make a case for a slow and steady approach utilizing magic to cover your weaknesses. They all make good cases but ultimately it is your decision to make, without you none of these people would be here, you just hope that you are not leading them all to their deaths.
"We will use the middle passage," you inform the group.
It is the most open option striking a balance between ease of access and Imperial presence. There will probably be monsters but nothing you can not handle, you reason. You inform Gareth that you will be taking the horse and wagon, it may well be a liability but it is also an asset and if the worst happens you can always abandon it.
Doctor Miosguinn and his apprentice will stay in the back of the wagon and cover it with illusions while you and Thaïs ride in the front. Gareth and Serpent will guard either side of the wagon, if they stay close then they too will be hidden by the Doctor's spells. Tyrvard will act as a scout, partially to give him a longer leash and partially to avoid conflict with Serpent.
With their marching orders established the group gets to work and your little expedition slips out of the rear gate as the sun lazily drifts below the horizon. By the time you reach the restricted area of the city it is approaching midnight, luckily it is a full moon tonight and the light reflected by that celestial body proves sufficient to navigate the ruins by, you drive while Thaïs, holding the map, gives you directions. Miosguinn sits in the back of the wagon across from his apprentice, the two quietly chant the incantations to mask the expedition's presence. From the perspective of an outsider it would seem as if you did not even exist; all sight and sound is suppressed or manipulated.
Every now and then you catch Thaïs watching them, trying to decipher their actions and steal just a little knowledge, you might be tempted to chastise her if you were not attempting to do the same thing.
The journey to the entrance has proven largely uneventful, until you near the site. The Berserk is returning, stalking towards the wagon, a small stone in his hand. Miosguinn gave it to him so that he could locate the wagon underneath its spell, he crawls through the rubble and waits for his chance before leaping over a ruined wall and rejoining the party. He knows his trade well and you doubt any but the best trackers could follow him. It seems he has important news...
"Tyrvard, slow down and tell me what you saw." Gareth is trying to calm the northerner to get a proper report from him.
It seems he spotted a column of two hundred ghôls with a shade leading them, marching towards the city, your group should be able to avoid them given the direction they are headed in. Seems they are going to try and raid the city, it will be a bloodbath in the tent camp... still you do not like their odds, Alric is in the city with the full might of the Heron Guard. Shade or no shade they will get wiped out...
You shrug off Tyrvard's news, it just means fewer enemies for you to worry about. And then you hear it, an explosion not four blocks over, the sounds of fighting echo through the night. Maybe the ghôl advance guard ran into a group of adventurers, or an Imperial patrol. Either way the city may have warning now, hopefully they do not break the ghôls too quickly or you may have an army of them on your heels. You hurry past the sounds of battle and continue on your way to the entrance, everyone is just a little on edge in the cold, dark night.
As you near the entrance to the underground, two sets of figures race by ninety feet ahead, the first group consists of twelve stooped figures barrelling through the night, three upright shadows chase after them. The smallest of the shadows stops, raises its bow and draws an arrow, lights it and fires. One of the twelve drops dead, the arrow explodes as it makes contact with the creature's head. The other two shadows draw and fire plain arrows and two more of the creatures fall. But the remaining nine make it to the entrance and succeed in gathering aid. Twenty of these apelike horrors pour from the wound in the earth and the three shadows begin a fighting retreat. They will not make it, you think to yourself, but at least they flushed out the guards for you.
The three shadows seem to realize that they can not outrun the beasts and instead they head for higher ground, firing as they run. They are all good shots and they have reduced their attackers to twelve by the time they catch the first one. He barely has time to yell as one of the creatures, which you recognize as a ghôl, lifts a curved blade and lops off his head.
The remaining two figures have made it to higher ground and have even managed to kill a couple ghôls, they circle the pair looking for an undefended way up the incline. It is just a matter of time, you know they are dead.
Gareth however has other plans, he motions for you to stop the wagon, you do, he motions for you to get down, you do, and then he explains his plan. He wants to catch these ghôls in the open. If you allow them to kill the pair then they will return to their posts and he wants to avoid cave fighting this early in the trip. He reasons that you have the numbers and the element of surprise on your side, you are not too sure but he does have the military experience and it looks like Tyrvard is barely holding himself back from battle.
"Well Gareth, if you have a plan I would like to hear it..."
With that simple and self-assured smile of his he explains his plan, and it is not bad.
Five minutes later you, Serpent and Thaïs have every major route of escape back to the ruins covered. Unfortunately one of the archers had been killed by a thrown blade from the ghôls but the last one was putting up a good fight, lighting arrows and firing them at her assailants. You are closer now and you have been able to determine that much, the lone survivor is female, she also knows just a little magic as those are regular arrows that are exploding on impact. She has managed to reduce the number of ghôls to six, they do not seem deterred.
Gareth and Tyrvard are just about ready to spring their trap, Tyrvard leaps out first, right next to one of the ghôls, it did not even realize he was there, and with one fluid swing of his greatsword the beast's head soars through the air and lands a foot from one of its companions. As the remaining ghôls turn to face the new threat Gareth attacks from the other side, he slams into a ghôl with his shield, pinning the wiry scavenger against a piece of masonry and dispatches it with a quick thrust of his blade.
One of the creatures charges Gareth's exposed back, the lone archer drops on top of it and with a well placed strike from a long knife cuts deep into its neck, it bleeds out on the ground. Three against two, the ghôls make a break for it. If they get back into the ruins who knows how many reinforcements they could raise. Thankfully that is not a concern, one of the ghôls passes close to Serpent who springs out of hiding striking it with his shovel, it tumbles to the ground as he walks over and shatters its skull, the other is headed right past you and Thaïs. You have already set up a kill zone for it, as it runs towards you, you both spring up and fire your spells at it. She catches it right in the throat collapsing its windpipe, a kill for sure, but just to upstage her a little bit you aim for the eyes. A perfect hit, your bolt enters through one eye socket and scrambles the creatures brain as it bounces around in its skull.
"Show-off..." Thaïs says as she walks up to you and gives you a little jab in the ribs.
"Just reminding you who the master of magic is, is all." you grin at her.
"Well that would be the old man, sleeping in our wagon," she responds returning your smile; "at any rate it looks like the boys are interrogating our young friend over there we should probably see what is going on."
With all of the sentries dead the two of you meet up with Serpent and head over to Gareth and Tyrvard who are in deep conversation with the archer, well Gareth is at least, Tyrvard looks bored as he always does when not drinking, gambling or fighting.
As you get closer you realize that you know this woman, it is the thief Brigit, and despite your reluctance to help her earlier she expresses her thanks for saving her life, she gives you a quick hug before returning to Gareth's side and continuing their conversation. Seems that these things attacked her guild and she and the other two archers were to pursue the ghôls and find out where they are coming from.
She would not mind coming with you and before you can make a decision Gareth agrees, maybe you should have a word with the man about who is in charge here, you think for just a moment.
Then again it would be useful to have another warm body between you and the hordes of monsters down there and she did just kill a dozen ghôls in a running battle so all things considered you probably would have made the same offer.
Brigit, not one to stand on ceremony, says a short prayer for her companions and begins looting their bodies, grabbing their bows and arrows "just in case".
You return to the wagon and introduce Brigit to Miosguinn and his apprentice. Big surprise, Miosguinn is dismissive of her while the apprentice hates her. Come to think of it you have not seen the apprentice react favourably to anyone in the party, and honestly she gives you the creeps. Well, you think to yourself, mages are known for being peculiar, good to see the young keeping tradition alive.
As you and Thaïs return to your seats at the front of the wagon and begin the slow crawl through the ruins, Brigit takes up a position next to Gareth and the two fall back into conversation. You pass the empty sentry posts of the recently deceased ghôls without any complications and begin your long decent into the earth, one last time you look up into the sky, by Wyrd you hope you don't die down there.
Far in the distance you can hear the faint sounds of battle as the defenders of the city and the ghôl army come to blows...
-----------------------------End of Prologue----------------------------
And with that your merry little band enters into the most dangerous dungeon in the known world, will you find power, glory and fortune in the dark or will you all meet your own terrible and bloody deaths? I suppose we will find out in Chapter One: Through the Dark City...
I would love to hear any feedback you may have as I have never run one of these before, anything you liked or disliked, problems with formatting or writing, questions about the setting or anything else, suggestions, it is all appreciated. And if everyone is still actually interested in seeing more then we will pick up the story later this week after I do the promised "behind-the-scenes" update, as always thank you for reading.
Chapter 1: The Guardhouse
Okay, beginning of chapter 1 is out. A fair number of choices at the end since I want an idea of the sort of strategy Derryth will pursue going forward, so enjoy and read all the options.Chapter 1: The Guardhouse
Three days in...
The expedition winds its way down through the ruins of the current city and into the old bones of ancient Muirthemne. As you descend, the history of the place is written upon every stone and passage. You move past the cellars and sewers of the current city and past the rough hewn caves of the ghôls, now mostly empty save for a few stragglers that are easily dispatched.
After days of travel in near silence, weaving from one tunnel to another and always heading downward, the tunnel you are following opens to reveal a great cavern. In the darkness you can not make out just how large it is but even from the mouth of the tunnel you can see the walls of the old city of Muirthemne.
You turn to Thaïs, "Well at least we are in the right place."
"So, any idea of where exactly we can find the stone?" she replies casually.
Gareth cuts in before you can answer her question.
"If I may make a suggestion we should find a place to camp first before we start planning anything. I am sure Miosguinn and his apprentice could use a rest and most of us have been walking for hours."
A fair assessment and you think you know of the perfect place, if it is still standing. Each district should have a guardhouse which should be fairly defensible and could serve to hide your presence. The expedition passes through the old gates without any difficulty and follows your instructions to reach the local guard post.
"Yes, this should do nicely," Gareth turns to Tyrvard and Brigit and gives them their orders, the three of them get to work searching the compound for any hostile inhabitants. Seems you just have to stay with the wagons and wait for them to finish. Not exactly exciting but that is what they are here for.
The warriors finish searching the building, they open the gate to the inner courtyard and you drive your wagon in. It seems the guardhouse has not seen actual use for decades if not centuries. With everyone safely inside you lay out the next phase of the plan.
You begin, "We have to reach the secondary vaults located across the city, it is the most likely location of the stone. They are sufficiently well protected to discourage monsters and adventurers while unimportant enough to spare them from Alric's immediate attention."
"And if it is not there?" asks Gareth.
You nod and respond, "Well it is still the best place from which to expand our search, it is easy to defend and located close enough to the rest of the old palace complex that we will have easy access to the other potential locations of the stone. At any rate we will deal with that situation if the stone is in fact missing."
You decide that you need a better idea of what routes are still open to get to the secondary vault, and so you ask for volunteers. Tyrvard, as always, is ready to go; Brigit also volunteers as it is what she is best at. Finally Doctor Miosguinn volunteers to do some scouting as well, his sudden willingness to help surprises you for a moment but with no real reason to refuse his request you quickly agree.
It seems that you, Thaïs, Gareth and the unnamed apprentice as the least stealthy members of the expedition will remain at camp to get everything ready and reinforce the scouts should they encounter anything. Your time is mostly spent fighting boredom, you offer to help the apprentice but she damn near bites you so you leave her to her master's things. With the tents set up Gareth begins preparing dinner and you and Thaïs offer to help, it is simple food with little odour to avoid attracting the locals. It actually tastes fairly good to be honest and the time you spend helping the man reveals just a little of his character.
"I fought with the Legion, you see. Spend enough time around camp and you pick up a little of everything;" he tests the broth he is working on, "half the time we were operating without a baggage train, just living off the land and running from or chasing after Soulblighter's armies. The dead don't eat and out in the field those rations only last so long."
The slightest smile appears on Gareth's face as he continues, lost in his memories and addressing no one in particular, "I remember this one guy used to claim he knew forty two different ways to cook rat... can you believe that, forty two... good guy too... he, ah... he took a Soulless' javelin in the chest one morning north of Scales, bled out in a ditch. We barely had time to stop and cut off his head. So they couldn't raise him, you understand, a damn shame really..." Gareth just sort of trails off, the smile fading from his face as the camp gives way to silence.
Thankfully your scouts return moments later, seems there are three different avenues you can pursue.
Tyrvard headed to the left of the guardhouse following the old walls and found a passage big enough for the wagon, there were a lot of bones about though and he thought he could hear howling.
Brigit headed in the opposite direction from Tyrvard and came across a wide road shrouded in darkness, she did not hear anything but it was almost like the very darkness was radiating malice.
Miosguinn headed further into the old city, using his magic to hide him, he found a direct way though the city. However it runs close to an entire colony of strange hunchbacked monsters, he thinks they are completely blind and so should not be a huge problem but they seemed to be worshipping something else, something powerful, though he could not get close enough to find out what.
None of the options are particularly appealing and you all agree to leave the final decision until morning.
As you sit at one of the tables in the guardhouse, Thaïs approaches you, seems she has been pursuing that Circle idea from earlier, Serpent seems open to it and she has even convinced Brigit to join so she can show everyone how she does that thing with the arrows. She wants to know if you still want to go through with it, as the most skilled mage in this new circle a lot of the direction would have to come from you.
It is something to consider at least, however before you can give an answer Gareth calls for help from the courtyard. Fearing an attack the two of you rush out to find Tyrvard and Serpent quarrelling, seems Tyrvard has been drinking, again.
You walk up to Gareth, "Now how the hell did he get alcohol again? I though we found the last of it two days ago?"
"Beats me, I keep searching him and he keeps producing more. Can't for the life of me think of where he is getting it from. Must have a hidden still somewhere in the camp. He gets drunk and then I have to nurse him back to health, but it is kind of entertaining," the Veteran replies with equal parts confusion and admiration.
Suppressing a slight smile, something occurs to you, "Why are you looking after him when we have a doctor on hand?"
"Well-" Garth begins before Serpent cuts in...
"I do not want to get fleas Derryth that is why I refuse to treat this barbarian."
"Ai don't ha fleas ya feeble exhus fer a Gowerman, ya all soft fro Gower I knew it in ma bones..." the drunken Berserk replies.
You think he is trying to insult Serpent but between the accent and the slurred speech who really knows. Thankfully Thaïs defuses the situation by "accidently" collapsing one of the tents, the chivalrous drunk steps in to fix it and with a lot of help from Thaïs and Gareth he even succeeds. Something will have to be done about this situation though, before it goes too far.
You head towards your tent and spot the Children staring at you. That apprentice is just plain creepy and her master is not much better. Oh well another thing to deal with in the morning, you climb into your tent and sleep comes as a gentle release.
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You wake up and greet the new day with a curse on your lips.
Quite possibly your least favourite part of dungeon diving is the lack of comfortable, safe, beds. You give Thaïs a little shove so that she may join in your misery. You dress and head out to meet the... well the darkness, but this is a new day with new challenges and a variety of choices for you to make:
1) Which path to take?
a)Tyrvard's path: sure the howling is a bit off-putting but you will be fine... probably.
b)Brigit's path: it is only darkness, not like there are evil monsters out there or anything
c)Miosguinn's path: now colony of monsters does sound bad but it is also the quickest route
2) Do you want to form a Circle of mages with Thaïs, Serpent and Brigit ?
a) Yes
b) No
3)Something has to be done about Tyrvard and Serpent and you need to start with one of them:
a) Try to convince Serpent to stop antagonizing Tyrvard and give him a chance. Thaïs will try and help you with this.
b) Try and convince Tyrvard to give Serpent space and stop arguing with him. Gareth could possibly help you with this.
c) If you have a plan to reconcile the two then go ahead, freeform option.
4) Since you are surrounded by skilled individuals you can try to get one of them to help you improve your skills:
a) Learn combat skills with Gareth
b) Try and improve your drinking skills with Tyrvard (your intuition tells you this may not be the best idea in a dungeon though)
c) Learn to be more sneaky with Brigit
d) Work on your medical and herbal knowledge with Serpent
e) Become more charming and social with Thaïs
f) See if the Children will share any historical knowledge or obscure facts with you
g) Serpent and Thaïs both seem to easily grasp new knowledge, you could get them to show you how they do it.
h) Have an idea feel free to suggest it...
5) Will you respect the privacy of the Children?
a) Yes, they are allies.
b) No, they are up to something and you intend to find out.
Chapter 2: Homeward Bound
Chapter 2: Homeward BoundThaïs climbs out of the tent behind you, "So what is the plan for today, Derryth?" she asks, fidgeting with her tunic.
"Well we have to pick a route through the old city. I have been thinking and the path Brigit found yesterday seems the safest."
You really do not want to have to slip past a group of Myrkridia, if a pack mage is with them then your illusions may do you no good. For similar reasons you suppress your curiosity about the monster colony, whatever dark mysteries they are guarding will just have to remain hidden, it is simply too big of a risk.
As you cross the courtyard you spot Gareth and Serpent in conversation. As they finish Gareth enters the guardhouse and Serpent waves at you and gestures for the two of you to come speak with him. You remember what you had meant to tell Thaïs.
"About the Circle, Thaïs, the answer is yes."
Well that brought a smile to her face, she gives you a small hug and a kiss and turns to go tell Serpent. Before she goes running off however you grab her arm.
"I also need a small favour from you, we need to talk to Serpent about Tyrvard, if the two of them come to blows it will be bad for everyone."
Thaïs arches an eyebrow, "Those two? I have seen that drama play out a dozen times, just put them in a tent together and they will sort out their differences."
She has just a bit of trouble suppressing her laughter as she spits out those words of wisdom and with but a little prodding agrees to help you mediate the conflict.
The two of you make your way past the Children's tent, blue-grey smoke slowly seeps from within the tent.
"I wonder what those two are up to Derryth?"
"None of our business really as long as they do their jobs."
You will admit you are very curious yourself but they are allies. You would not like it if they were spying on you so you should extend them the same basic courtesies.
As you make your way over to Serpent you remember something else you meant to ask Thaïs. Since Serpent is here you may as well ask him too, after you greet Serpent you ask the two of them if they could help you in your attempts to better understand history, theology and the classics. They suggest that first you must understand how to learn before any real learning may take place.
"Well can you two teach me then?" Serpent seems a bit hesitant until you add, "Since I will be helping both of you with magical theory it only seems fair right?"
The realization that he is going to be part of an actual Circle changes his disposition a great deal, looking back and forth at you and Thaïs he asks in disbelief, "You mean the Circle is going to happen, I will actually be able to learn magic?"
When you nod he gives you both a great hug and for a second you think you see just a bit of the Berserk in him, but he quickly calms down.
The two of them walk off together in conversation, planning magical lessons and establishing your "curriculum". They are perhaps getting a bit too much enjoyment out of your "education" but their excitement is contagious and you can not help but smile.
You make your way to the guardhouse proper and find Brigit and Gareth in the middle of one of their deep and serious conversations. You give Brigit the good news and she damn near tackles you before running off to find Thaïs and Serpent, Gareth watches her as she goes.
Finally alone with the expedition's military expert you explain the route you wish to take, after about an hour of planning and going over the old charts the two of you agree to a plan and give the order to break camp. By now everyone knows their role and within an hour you are back on the long road into darkness...
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"Well, I will grant you that, that is one malicious darkness," Thaïs says with a whistle.
"I am less concerned with the darkness than with what may rest within it," is your only response.
The two of you are in your usual seats on the wagon, Gareth and Brigit are out front of the group with Miosguinn testing to see if it is safe to pass. The apprentice is sitting in the back staring a hole in the back of your head; you pretend not to notice. Tyrvard and Serpent meanwhile are arguing about some largely inconsequential matter, and then it all goes quiet.
Gareth has stepped across the barrier and is waving you through; you all light torches except for Miosguinn. The doctor's staff starts to give off a slight blue-grey glow as you enter the darkness. After half an hour of sheer boredom, a shadow crosses your path, or at least that is what it looks like.
You can hardly make it out in the gloom but it is getting closer to Tyrvard and when it springs out at him it is as a nightmare made real. You hardly have time to yell a warning before it is on him. The great warrior is completely unable to fight it and if not for the quick intervention of Gareth, the Berserk would probably be dead. The veteran jumps in hacking at the creature and he is soon joined by Brigit as well. The Shadow dies quickly but Tyrvard looks spent, you climb down and the three of you load him into the back of the wagon.
"That was a Mahir, a Shadow, the tortured soul of a long dead person. We fought a few in the war," Gareth explains as he catches his breath, "It was probably the Mahir that you all felt at the barrier, straining in the darkness, afraid to come into the light. If one of them gets a hold of you then you will be completely paralyzed. To get through this we will have to work together, stay in the light and always work in groups of two or higher."
Gareth's explanation does a lot to calm everyone, now that you know what they are you will just have to be careful.
Forty minutes later, two more shadows come sweeping out of the darkness. This time your group is ready and Brigit drops one with exploding arrows before it can close. The second reaches her but Gareth quickly frees her. Tyrvard is still in no shape to fight though, and to make matters worse, he refuses to let Serpent treat him.
Another hour, another group of shades, four this time. If not for Gareth's strategies and Serpent's mandrake roots it is doubtful you would have made it this far.
Eventually you come to a large round chamber with a pedestal in the middle and on it a crystal. As Miosguinn walks up to it to better examine it you hear a sound...
The sound of shadows swirling...
Behind you...
In front of you...
To all sides...
There must be hundreds of them...
And you think this is it...
This is how you will die...
And you have gotten all of these people killed as well...
You begin casting...
No point in holding back now...
Small darts of energy break against the tide of shadows...
You have used up half your Energon cubes...
Killed dozens of shadows...
And it does not matter
You turn to tell Thaïs you are sorry...
And the chamber fills with light...
The crystal glows now, as do a series of runes around the outside of the room, the shadows flee or are destroyed where they stand. You all turn to Miosguinn to see what he did but the doctor claims that he did not do a thing, the crystal lit itself when you started casting. Great, another mystery; exhausted, the group stops for the day so Serpent can treat your wounds and you and Gareth can look after Tyrvard.
You are all tired but the shadows pushing at the edge of your camp prevent anyone from getting any rest.
Tyrvard drinks, though you tell him not to, calms his nerves he says.
Gareth patrols the border of the camp, checking for weakness or signs of treachery from the shadows.
The Children go to their tent, as if the shadows that press in on you are of no concern.
And to pass the time your little impromptu Circle practices magic. It may seem ridiculous but you can not do anything about the shadows and if you keep thinking about it you will go insane. Better to focus your attentions where it will do some good. It really is a case of the blind leading the blind but you have an idea, a brilliant, crafty, mage-like idea.
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Thirty minutes later you have your company of would be archmages lined up near the Children's tent and you are showing them how to cast firebolt. Not that you can really cast firebolt anyway of course; you have the scroll but have not actually memorized it or anything. Of course your pupils are failing in grand fashion but then that is the point.
Thaïs knows the plan since you told it to her but she is the only one you trust to pull off a convincing act. After twenty minutes of failure Thaïs starts berating you and as the two of you argue out comes the old doctor to see what is going on. She is a much better performer than you are and her strength at this even covers for some of your weakness.
He takes up a position about halfway between his tent and your practice line and he just watches. The two of you continue to argue and once you are sure he is paying attention you order Thaïs to try casting the spell again. She makes a big production of trying and failing while you give her the least helpful advice you can think of.
Miosguinn watches it all and the slight smile on his face slowly turns to a frown. You are doing it wrong, and he knows what you have to do, to do it right and the educator in him is battling with the mage in him for supremacy. He wants to step in and he knows he should not, but after ten minutes of this inner contest he caves in and orders you to take up position at the end of the line.
What follows is a very informative lesson on the theory required to create energy projectiles. With a full "class" of students hanging on his every word he really gets carried away. The man may not be a natural teacher and by all accounts is a rather poor one, but like any mage he really likes to hear himself talk. Thaïs really indulges the man and makes sure to stroke his ego a little too, before you know it you are all casting energy bolts that crackle with electricity. It is not quite a firebolt but it is a good start and you think the four of you could build upon the theory quite nicely.
After Miosguinn retires for the night you and Thaïs explain what happened to a very confused Brigit and Serpent who are both quite impressed with your deviousness. You break for the evening and return to your tent, no sense letting the impending doom of you all keep you from a good night's rest.
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Gareth spent much of the night charting the runes, the central chamber is secure, that much is sure. There is also a single passage that is still warded, but it is running in the opposite direction from your target. Gareth thinks that if you follow the warded path you may find something to help you with the shadows and Miosguinn agrees, he says he had a dream about that path and that you should follow it. Without any real option you agree.
As you wind your way down the warded path you come across a large tower. In an earlier age it would have been magnificent but much of it is ruined or in one of many stages of disrepair. The runes lead right up to the outer walls and as you follow them into the inner courtyard you are surprised to see that the tower is in fact inhabited.
A thin wisp of a girl and a great beast, all muscle and tusk, come out to meet you. Gareth identifies the beast as a maul, says he fought some in the last war, they are quick to anger and generally mean spirited but not inherently evil. He does not really wish to fight the thing.
You cluster together as the girl, maybe seventeen, approaches, " Welcome honoured guests to the last bastion of civilization in an uncivilized world, I am Amena and this is Ithapi. My mistress would like to invite you in to propose a mutually beneficial arrangement," the girl gives a low curtsy and awaits your reply.
With nowhere to go you allow Amena to lead you into the tower's main hall for an audience with her mistress.
As you enter the room you are immediately greeted by a hideous sight. Seated upon a cracked throne is a being you have only read about in stories. She sits rigidly upright and greets you with a smile, the flayed skin of human beings serve as her clothes and as her mask, she is a Fetch.
The Fetch, you remember, were sorceresses from another world. They were lured into service to the Dark Lord Balor and fought alongside him and his lieutenant Soulblighter. With their allies dead the remaining Fetch are trapped in your world and are hunted by all servants of the Light. You are tempted to simply attack the creature right here and now, but without a way past the shadows you decide to hear her out.
"Welcome, honoured magesss..." it seems she is not interested in the warriors in the party but rather is only concerned with the mages, you do not know whether to be flattered or concerned.
"I require your servicesss... and you require my help to see you past the shadowsss. As such I propose a small trade between usss..."
As the leader of the expedition you step forward to discuss terms, though Thaïs is not far behind you should a more delicate touch be required.
"What do you need from us, miss umm..."
"Call me Erisss... I wish to return home, I do not like your world and I think you would be glad to be rid of one of my kind, a stranger to these landsss... I will give you all that I have should you succeed: this tower, its richesss, this child and the beast you saw earlier, just send me home, friendsss..."
You doubt you will ever consider this thing a friend, but you are willing to hear it out.
Eris tells you that she will send you with Ithapi, Amena and three people of your choosing to a nearby library to recover an incantation she needs to finally return home. When you return you will then help her cast the spell to create a gate to her world and allow her to return home. In exchange she will give you all she owns, she can not take it with her after all. She also says that she will empty the tunnels of shadows but she refuses to say how she will do it.
The rest of the expedition must remain behind as her "guests" to ensure that you do not run off, and you do not think she will take no for an answer. Though Thaïs may be able to talk your way out of this.
Choice time:
1) The Plan:
a) You agree to the plan.
b) You have Thaïs attempt to negotiate with Eris. If she succeeds you will have to brave the shadows without protection but you can leave without a fight.
c)You do not negotiate with evil mages. You will kill the fetch and take its secrets by force... hopefully.
d) Try something else..(freeform choice)
2) If you pick 1a then you have to pick three or four people to go with you, who will they be (top three or four picks will go based on the winning vote in #4):
a) Thaïs
b) Gareth
c) Serpent
d) Tyrvard (he is still not completely recovered though, he estimates he is at about 50%)
e) Brigit
f) Miosguinn
g) the Apprentice
3) On a completely unrelated note do you want to memorize the firebolt scroll (and lose the scroll) or keep it for an emergency (use it like a consumable).
a)Memorize it so you can start practicing. (lower strength, but unlimited use based on fatigue)
b)Keep the scroll in case you need it. (higher strength, but single use)
4) Thaïs has convinced Eris to let you pick an extra person if you want, the question is should you?
a)Three people
b)Four people
Chapter 3: The Library
Chapter 3: The Library"Alright, we will help you return home."
At these words Eris lets out a small cry of what you assume must be joy.
"Excellent, may our partnership prove beneficial to both of usss. Amena, child, see to the needsss of our guestsss."
With a speed that surprises you Eris is off of her throne and slips away down one of the hallways leading from the back of the chamber. Amena directs your party to your rooms in one of the adjoining structures. Seems that for tonight at least you will not have to sleep on the ground.
Of course you take your usual precautions, blocking the door, checking for illusions and secret entrances and setting up noise traps. No reason to trust your new ally any more than you have to after all.
The night is good to you, you even manage to slip out to the courtyard for a few hours to properly learn Firebolt. Quite happy with yourself you return to your room and drift off to sleep, visions of power and great riches drifting through your head.
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A full night's sleep does wonders for your disposition and you hum a short tune to yourself as you dress and head back into the main hall.
A quick survey of the hall reveals that your hostess has not decided to grace your party with her presence, she must still be in her private quarters at the back of the compound. The hall is not completely empty however, Thaïs and Serpent are standing together and arguing over something while Brigit is seated nearby chewing on dried fruit which she deftly plucks from a small sack on her lap. Tyrvard is not present but you can hear the Berserk yelling from the courtyard. No one seems particularly concerned, instead they are both staring at Serpent.
"What in the name of Wyrd is Tyrvard screaming about today?" you ask Thaïs.
"Why don't you ask our resident physician what is wrong with the man," she replies clearly annoyed at Serpent.
The physician speaks up, "Well, I may have slipped a purgative into his alcohol to aid in the healing process. To help him balance his humours you understand..." Serpent breaks off mid-sentence as Thaïs cuts him off.
"Well Tyrvard has been "purging" himself for the better part of forty minutes now, it is all I have been able to do to keep him hydrated."
With a sigh you turn to the physician, "Serpent, I thought we agreed that you would not antagonize the man?"
"Derryth I have hardly said two words to him since our conversation yesterday, I am merely attempting to aid in his recov-"
A piece of dried fruit arcs its way across the room and hits the physician right in the side of the head. Brigit stands up, marches over and begins laying into Serpent, "We all know exactly what you are try'in to do and it won't help things at all, friends should not treat each other like that!"
Serpent, equal parts ashamed and surprised by a fresh assault from this new quarter begins to apologize. As his defenses begin to collapse the two women only increase the scorn they hurl at the man. As enjoyable as it is to see them at work you do have to at least try to get these people working together again.
You clear your throat which gets their attention and assuming your most commanding tone you begin, "Brigit is right what you did has certainly not improved matters but I am certain you were only trying to help. Thankfully Serpent, fate has afforded you a brilliant opportunity to work on your bedside manner. You will stay behind with Tyrvard and the apprentice and you can nurse our Berserk back into proper fighting form. I expect a full recovery by the time I get back or you will both regret it, do you understand?"
Serpent stares at his feet, more ashamed than anything else, but nods his head. You dismiss him and ask Brigit to go round up Gareth and Miosguinn to get this whole experience over with as soon as possible.
Alone with Thaïs you continue; "I guess I need to ask you another favour."
"Let me guess, you need me to stay behind and keep those two idiots from killing each other," the way she says it, it sounds less like a question and more like unassailable fact. You both know that those two will need a proper intervention to sort them out.
"Pretty much, yeah. Think you are up to it?"
"Should not be a problem, the purgative aside they have no real reason to be enemies save for prejudice and their own egos. Give me three, maybe four days with them and they will be fine," her confidence is remarkable and quite reassuring. But will it really be that easy?
"I will also need you to keep an eye on Eris, in case she is up to something."
"Hmmm... sounds like two favours to me. Still I am sure you can find a way to make it up to me... maybe a bigger share of the loot?" she says with a wink and a sly smile.
"Thaïs, if we get out of this I may just make you a partner," you suggest with a slight chuckle.
Assuming an expression of feigned excitement she responds, "Well then hurry up and get that incantation for Eris so we can get to the riches and glory part of this expedition already!"
As she rushes you out into the courtyard you tell her not to get herself killed before you get back. Her smile softens a little at this expression of concern and she warns you not to do anything stupid, well nothing more stupid than normal at least.
You turn towards the front gate, looks like everyone is waiting near the gate. They are all ready for the signal to go ahead. Crossing the courtyard you give the order to move out and your party of six slips out through the gate and into the rubble of the old city moving across hidden rune paths that spring to life at Amena's command.
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You have seen your fair share of libraries and archives in your time. The life of a relic hunter is not all dungeon running, romance and excitement like so many people seem to think. Rather it is large stretches of hard work and boredom interspersed with moments of extreme danger and terror.
In fact much of your time with Henry was spent visiting libraries or local archives. Some were small, a single room over-top of a government outpost. Others were quite large, such as the Royal Institute's holdings in Madrigal or the great palace library of Muirthemne. Some were orderly, but these were the exceptions, most were a mess of papers and tomes which could only truly be navigated by their librarians. Part of you always thought they did it on purpose, a little job security is always useful and it is a great way to humble all those field researchers and mages...
As these memories and concerns lazily drift through your mind you turn a corner and are confronted with the building, larger than any library you have seen. It sits in the dust and gloom of ages, a reminder of just how far humanity has fallen and how far Alric will have to go to make his Empire worthy of the name Cath Bruig. It would take weeks to find the incantation through a general search, so hopefully there will be a map inside to narrow down the search a little.
Your group approaches the building sticking to the shadows and attempting to make as little noise as possible. Miosgunn further covers your approach with visual illusions and a few noise dampening spells.
Outside of the entrance to the library sit a dozen or so crooked creatures babbling in an unknown language. From where you are standing you think they are all blind but you can not be sure. Miosgunn identifies them as the same beasts he saw earlier in the center of the city. The Doctor projects a phantom noise on the other side of the street and the creatures race off in search of its origins. You slip into the building before they return and Amena orders Ithapi to begin fortifying the entrance while you head over to what you assume to be the librarian's office and begin looking for a map.
The office is a mess but a couple quick Sort spells improve the situation a bit and after several more minutes of searching you come across a map.
"Alright, here we go..." you cough a little from the dust as you pull out the blueprints for the building. "Amena, what exactly do we know about this incantation?"
The girl steps forward, looks at the map and replies, "Not much I am afraid, it could be a tome or a scroll or a tablet, the records I have come across do not record such information. It would likely be in a secure location through given its value."
"I am not so sure," interjects Doctor Miosguinn, speaking for the first time since you left Eris' tower, "It seems likely that the importance of the incantation was not known at the time or it would be in the palace library or the vaults. I suspect it will probably be buried in the general stacks, probably in a section dealing with history or theology."
Rubbing your chin, you add, "It is also possible that the librarians did not tell anyone, half of them were also mages and it may be that they simply "forgot" to inform their superiors or "lost" the incantation before it could be sent on. It would not surprise me if the head librarian kept it for personal study."
"What is that?" Brigit asks, pointing at the map.
Written in old Bruig are the words basement and storage so that is what you explain to her, "That is the entrance to the basement, Brigit, it might be down there given how much just gets thrown into storage without close inspection so it is something to consider."
Gareth, and Ithapi have no real ideas to add when it comes to finding the incantation. However, Gareth suggests that someone stays to secure the exit in case a quick escape has to be made. He also suggests that everyone travel at least in pairs to minimize the risks posed by shadows or other threats.
It is already rather late in the day so your group secures the librarian's office in order to get some rest, tomorrow you will have to search the library for the incantation, hopefully it will all go off without a hitch.
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You have a choice on what you will try to accomplish during the evening and on how you want to search the building. Keep in mind that all of your party have the basic literacy skills necessary to find the incantation with the exception of Ithapi, but only you, Miosguinn and Amena really know what you are looking for.
1. How do you want to spend your time in the evening:
a)There is not a lot of room to practice combat skills but Gareth could teach you a thing or two about leading others into battle, tactics, and how to command others.
b)Brigit is playing with a little puzzle box in the corner, when you ask her about it she explains that it helps her focus and improved her finger-work. She offers to let you try it if you want.
c)Despite traveling with the doctor for several days now you have not had an opportunity to talk. You could try to open a proper dialogue with the man and if you are successful may learn a few things about magic or history if you pay attention.
d)You hate being in the dark about Eris' motivations. Perhaps you could try talking to Amena who is currently bossing Ithapi around. Maybe the apprentice will reveal details that her master left out. Given Brigit's fairly high opinion of you and easy way with people she may be willing and able to help you with this.
e)You do not want to bother with these people. You will meditate on the nature of magic. Since you can not go anywhere you may as well practice your magical theory some more in an attempt to gain greater control over your spells.
f)Want to do something else? Name it.
2. Gareth recommends leaving one team at the door to secure it, Gareth and Ithapi are the least useful when it comes to searching so they volunteer. But would you rather have three groups searching instead?
a) Gareth and Ithapi guard the exit
b) No one guards the exit, you form three teams instead.
3. With morning the search begins and for safety sake you stay in pairs. Who do you want to travel with (naturally if 2a is chosen Gareth and Ithapi can not be chosen)?
a)Gareth: muscle and a bit of brains, best of both worlds
b)Brigit: competent, silent and resourceful she would be a definite asset
c)Miosguinn: he knows the most about magic of anyone here, better keep him close.
d)Amena: perhaps you can win the girl over... at any rate an extra set of knowledgeable eyes would help
e)Ithapi: not one for conversation but you may need the muscle
4. You look over the map and spot a number of locations where the incantation may be, where do you want to search.?
a)Rare book room: where all the most valuable tomes are kept
b)Artifact room: if it is a tablet it will probably be here
c)Main Stacks - Ancient History: the incantation would be fairly old so it might be filed here
d)Main Stacks - Theology, Planar: given its connection to Planar theory this may be the resting place of the incantation
e)Head Librarian's Office - Maybe the Head Librarian kept it close to hand
f)Basement - There are always secrets in the basement, they are not always good though...
5. Assign locations for the other team(s). (If you pick 2a then choose one, if you pick 2b then choose two.)
The way this will work is that Derryth's team gets first pick so if 4a wins then 5a is removed as a option and the next highest location is picked.
a)Rare book room: where all the most valuable tomes are kept
b)Artifact room: if it is a tablet it will probably be here
c)Main Stacks - Ancient History: the incantation would be fairly old so it might be filed here
d)Main Stacks - Theology, Planar: given its connection to Planar theory this may be the resting place of the incantation
e)Head Librarian's Office - Maybe the Head Librarian kept it close to hand
f)Basement - There are always secrets in the basement, they are not always good though...
The Circle name vote is still open, I will probably close it with the next update, choices are currently:
a) Graceless Ones/The Graceless: 2 (3) votes
b) Inept Ones/The Inept: 2 (3) votes
c) The Circle of the Lost/The Lost: 8 votes
Interlude 1: In the Hands of a Master
Had a bit of free time so I knocked out an "Interlude" while we wait for the votes to come in and the tie(s) to be resolved. I can not guarantee an actual update for about the next 72hrs and I did not want to leave the CYOA without an update for almost a whole week so here you go. If I do wind up having time I will try to give some sort of warning before I close the polls.Interlude 1: In the Hands of a Master
She dreams; of power, of glory and magical might.
She dreams; of riches and fortune and a noble title.
She dreams; of love and romance and a very strange hat?
She awakes; and is met with her reality.
Trapped in the fortress of an otherworldly sorceress, alone save for a child and two fools, waiting for her promised glory and riches and a better future. Though at this point any future would be good enough for her. She knows all too well that the only likely reward for her efforts is death.
As this knowledge begins to settle around her, a shroud over her mind's eye, dimming all of her hopes and dreams she thinks back to what Derryth always says, "Dwelling on our certain demise will just drive us mad. Take something small, something you can change and focus on it. One thing at a time, one step at a time, this way you will reach your goals."
Such thoughts give a person strength, there are things she can do while she waits, things she can change, which will improve their chances of survival dramatically. Today she would set one of these changes in motion. She gets to her feet and begins to dress, drawing her brush through her raven black hair she turns to face herself in the mirror, "Alright Thaïs, let us go talk some sense into the boys."
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He sits in the main hall, in a high backed chair too large for his frail frame. He is reading when Thaïs enters the room, one of his medical texts. He is one hell of a doctor and if she can convince him to help Tyrvard the Berserk's condition should improve overnight.
"Good morning Serpent," she chooses a light and sweet tone to begin.
"Umm good morning Thaïs," the physician replies without making eye contact.
Good he is still embarrassed over his actions yesterday, this should not be too difficult. It is just a matter of figuring out an angle of attack.
Her tone shifts slightly, still sweet but now with a commanding undercurrent, "Well Serpent how is our patient doing?"
"I.. well I have not checked on him yet... I mean I had intended to do it but..."
She takes his book from him and sets it on a nearby table, returning to him and taking his hands in hers she continues, "Serpent, you have a gift, a marvelous and unique gift and we need your help. Derryth needs your help, I need your help and Tyrvard needs your help and you are the only one that can get him back on his feet. Please Serpent, help him."
She stares into his eyes, acting in every way the distressed damsel, the physician stammers out a response, "He... he will not accept my help. Even... even if I offered it too him he is too much like the fools back home... he judges me, just as they all judged me."
Well now that is an interesting piece of information. Thaïs rolls this new tidbit around in her head, getting a taste of the possibilities it opens up. After but a few moments she carefully selects her avenue of attack.
There is no point pushing him too hard now, he may break which would be a shame. However he may just be vulnerable enough right now that she can move to the heart of the matter.
"Serpent, what makes you think that Tyrvard judges you? He is not a Gowerman, he served up and down the stretch of the Cloudspine mountains and I think if you make the attempt he will be open to dialogue."
"He is a barbarian Thaïs, he is a wolf, he is like them I know it!"
Well a bit of fire in the little guy yet, best to quickly extinguish it though.
With a disarming smile and a soothing tone she continues, "You are a scholar Serpent. You want to be a mage. But how can you call yourself either with such a closed mind? You have spent barely ten minutes with the man when you are not arguing over something."
She begins to pick up pace, her temper begins to flares as she speaks, building as she attempts to convince the physician, "What do you really know about the man? You have not tried to know him but I have. Do you know that he comes not from the Twelve Duns but from the islands of the North Sea? Do you know that he had a wife and children? That she was a herbalist and that they were happy together? That he left his homeland after her death and that the loss of her is what makes him drink? That he seeks an honourable death in battle to be reunited with her? Well?"
She begins to tear up as she recounts the horrible death of Tyrvard's wife at the hands of the Trow and Serpent is speechless. He had never thought of the Berserk as an actual person, just another barbarian like those who had tormented him. Shame wells up in his breast and he asks to be excused vowing to see Tyrvard this very day and to treat him to the best of his ability.
As Serpent leaves the room a smile slowly spreads across the woman's face. "One down, one to go," she hums a little tune as she goes to find Tyrvard.
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The northerner has set up camp in what was once the servants' quarters. When asked he says it gives him more room to practice. As Thaïs enters the room she realizes exactly what he meant. Tyrvard sits on one of the ancient tables drinking moonshine out of a large jug. His still must be somewhere nearby but she knows a search would be pointless, when it comes to his still Tyrvard takes no chances.
No sense playing the damsel with Tyrvard, the giant respect strength and a straightforward demeanour so Thaïs hops up next to him on the table and gestures for his jug, with the jug in hand she takes large swig. The Berserk gives her a wolfish grin as she knocks back the moonshine, he patiently waits for her to return the jug and begin speaking.
"Tyrvard, I want to talk to you about Serpent," Thaïs begins, thankfully her years of experience with different clients allows her to clearly understand the Berserk despite his accent and his slightly drunken slur.
"Why? What is he going to do to me today?" Tyrvard enquires with equal parts scorn and a certain morbid curiosity.
"Today, he is going to come treat you, a real treatment this time, and I am asking you to please let him," Thaïs takes the jug again and knocks back another mouth full.
"Now why in the name of your Emperor, would I do that? He damn near killed me with his last treatment. He is rotten, I will warn you now his name is a fitting one. That snake will always bite," Tyrvard snatches back the moonshine and drains the jug of its contents.
"Now Tyrvard, from what he tells me he had a rough time growing up in Gower..."
At the mention of Gower the Berserk nods and cuts her off, "Aye, Gower is no place for real men. Bunch a weak men pretending to be Berserks there. I can see why they would pick on someone different. None of them have any confidence..."
Oh, this is almost too easy, the natural rivalry between the Berserks of the northern coast and those of Gower provides the perfect angle of approach.
"Right, so you can see why he turned out the way he did. Why I imagine if he had only had a proper role model growing up. Someone that could teach him how to be a proper Berserk..." she just sort of lets the idea hang in the air and slowly but surely he picks up on it.
"Perhaps I can teach the boy how to be a proper Berserk... but what should I start with?" The look of profound distress that crosses the man's face almost makes her smile but she holds out.
With a straight face she lays out a few more breadcrumbs for the warrior to follow, "Well he has a great knowledge of herbs and potions, perhaps he could help you with your still?"
Jumping to he feet, Tyrvard bellows this victory of imagination to the heavens, "That is a brilliant idea! When he comes to visit I will suggest just that. I will make a proper Berserk of him even if it kills me!"
Well this should be interesting if nothing else, if they can just get through the next day or two without arguing then everything should be resolved by the time Derryth returns. Maybe she really will get that raise, hell by the time this is over Derryth may just owe her an actual partnership.
Thaïs hops down from the table and heads for the door as the Berserk begins pacing, trying to come up with his very first lesson. As she reaches the door a bright smile appears on her face and she remembers one last detail.
"Oh Tyrvard," the Berserk turns to face her as she continues, "I may have told Serpent that you had a dead wife and kids, you know to get him out here..."
The Berserk at first is deeply confused by this information but gradually that wolfish smile returns to his face, "Well that is something Thaïs, you are a great mage already. You give me a whole family and kill them off in the course of a conversation. Was my wife at least beautiful?"
Thaïs returns his grin, "Gorgeous of course, she was a herbalist and the Trow killed her. Just break the truth to him slowly and feel free to blame me for it. He really is a nice young man Tyrvard, he has just had it rough is all."
The massive Berserk smiles and nods, he assures her that he will try his best for her.
With a wink and a nod she opens the door and disappears into the hallway. She can hear Serpent outside in the courtyard as she slips into a side room to avoid him. As he knocks and enters Tyrvard's quarters she gets comfortable with a small tome, she will have to be on hand for these first few "play dates" in case anything goes wrong but after that who knows.
With a happy sigh she repeats Derryth's words, "Take something small, something you can change and focus on it. One thing at a time, one step at a time, this way you will reach your goals," sitting in the gloom of the ancient building she hums a cheerful tune to herself and opening her little tome she takes another small step towards her goals.
Chapter 4: The Incantation?
Okay, this ran a bit long but it is finally done... whew. The choices at the end may have gotten a bit Byzantine but I prefer to give you options so here you go.Chapter 4: The Incantation?
"So what's the plan boss?" Gareth sits next to you in one corner of the librarian's office.
Every now and then he steals a glance at Brigit when he thinks she is not looking. She sits cross-legged, the very picture of innocence, playing with her mystery cube across the room. As you sit there you have to grin as she quickly glances up and you realize that she is doing the exact same thing as well.
"Well, we have to search the library. I need you and our large friend to guard our escape while the rest of us search the building for this damn inscription," you sigh and rub your temples, "I will take Brigit up to the Head Librarian's office to look for leads and Miosguinn can take Amena to search the planar theory section, I want to know a bit more about what this ritual will do."
"You sure that is a good idea?" the veteran scratches the back of his head and gives the rogue a sidelong glance, "I mean can we really trust either of them alone?"
You don't tell him that you do not really trust any of them yet; instead you nod and continue, "Well the way I see it Miosguinn is just as dependent on us as we are on him. He will not betray us if it will get him killed as well and he has been nothing but an asset so far. As for the girl we know nothing about her and I think it is time to do a little investigating."
Gareth laughs at that, "Sorry boss, but you are not the most sociable person I have ever seen. You're as likely to piss her off as to win her over, nah scratch that you will definitely piss her off."
"Well fuck you too then," you mumble grumpily before a sly grin spreads across your face, "Actually I was thinking of asking your girlfriend to help me out."
You remember once seeing a beet in the south of the Province, damn thing was the deepest red you have ever seen, almost purple even. Right now though Gareth is giving that beet a run for its money.
The blushing warrior finally manages to stammer out a reply, "M.. m.. my girlfriend?" You gesture to Brigit who notices you both staring and gives you a friendly wave.
"Uh... yeah, Brig.. Brigit is great with people, has an easy charm to her like she won't judge you no matter what you have done..." Gareth just sort of trails off, you should probably change subjects before he bursts a blood vessel.
You ask him a few questions about what sort of defenses will be needed to secure the front door. The poor man begins to breathe again as he answers you, his analytical mind turning to the comforting task of confronting hordes of hostile monsters. Another ten minutes roll by and he has a whole plan of battle set out in case of attack, you bid him good night and go to check up on Brigit.
"Hey, Brigit," you wave to the girl as you approach. You wonder if you should not help things along a little between them, would be good for morale and you will probably all die down here anyway. Also if you give her good news she will be more likely to help out, at least that is what you tell yourself.
"Oh, hi Derryth. I was just workin on this puzzle box. Wanna try?" she holds the box up for you to examine it, "I am just not havin much luck tonight."
"Well, I can imagine it is difficult to solve if you spend half your time looking at Gareth."
She lets out a small gasp as her face flushes; you continue, "Kid I will give you a tip, if you want something in life you have to just take it. Let the guy know, I can pretty much guarantee that he feels the same way."
She beams at you and jumps up giving you a hug, "I will go talk to him right away."
You catch her arm as she tries to move past you, "Don't suppose you could hold off for a few hours? I need your help with something first, but after that I will make sure the two of you are not interrupted."
She hesitates for just a moment before agreeing, "Good, I want to find out what is going on with Eris and Amena is the best lead we have, but-"
She cuts you off, "But you are afraid you will screw it up," she gives you a big grin.
You frown, why does everyone just assume you will fail to win her over?
You grumble, "You know what, you and Gareth are perfect for each other, you're both assholes," she laughs and gives you another hug to cheer you up and the two of you head over to one of the side rooms where Amena is bossing Ithapi around.
When she sees you enter the room a frown momentarily crosses her face but it disappears as Brigit pushes past you and introduces herself to Amena. With Brigit present to keep the conversation moving in the right direction the three of you quickly fall into an easy and natural conversation as Ithapi takes a nap in the corner.
Turns out the girl has spent almost her entire life in the tower with Eris and tales of the outside world intrigue her greatly. After a few hours of regaling her with tales of your daring exploits, suitably embellished by Brigit, you feel the girl may just be open to telling you more about her mistress.
"Amena, I was wondering how exactly you came to live with Eris?"
At the question Amena tenses up a little but Brigit comes to the rescue, "Please Amena, you don't have ta tell us anything secret but we would really like to get ta know ya better. Ya know so we can become friends and all."
An idea pops into the rogue's head and she turns to you, "Oh I know maybe she can join our Circle when Eris leaves! Please Derryth," Brigit pleads and it looks like Amena is very interested in what you will say. You are not quite sure whether this is an act or a legitimate request, either way it is a definite "in" with Amena so you make some generally positive if noncommittal comments, just enough for Brigit to work with.
"Oh I know, we can have a proper interview and everything," she hops up and drags over a small desk and three chairs, she motions for Amena to sit on one side of the table while the two of you sit on the other. Ithapi opens one eye at all the noise before giving the three of you a dismissive snort and going back to sleep.
Brigit grabs a piece of board and some paper and begins to write, "Name please."
"Umm.. Amena, but you already know that," replies the slightly befuddled apprentice.
"Place of residence?" Brigit continues in her best "professional" tone.
"The umm... actually the tower does not have a name..." the poor girl looks quite confused and a bit uncomfortable by all of this so you decide to step in.
"Actually Brigit, maybe you should go talk to Gareth, I should be able to handle this interview from here," Amena looks quite relieved when Brigit agrees, hops up and skips towards the door. On the way she gives you a quick wink, the archer has given you an opportunity, now you just have to exploit it.
"So Amena how about you just tell me about yourself and what you can do, I won't pry too much, I promise," you give her a disarming smile and it seems that her earlier distrust of you is largely gone.
She fidgets a little, "Well, my earliest memories are of the tower and my mistress. She scared me as a child but she was in every way a mother to me. She gave me my education in manners, and the proper skills of a servant. She fed me, and clothed me and protected me from the shadows and the other dark things and as I grew older she brought me Ithapi to be my guardian and minder."
When you ask about him she gestures at the sleeping maul, "He is sworn to loyal service by the laws of his people and he has been nothing but kind to me through the eight years I have known him. Eris saved him from the shadows when he was but a maulet and she raised him to be my guardian and to aid me in my exploration of the ruins."
"So the shadows were already present when you were a child?"
"Yes, they have always hated me and my mistress. They are death made manifest and mistress constantly warned me against leaving the rune paths when I was younger. In fact this is the farthest I have ever been from my mistress, I am in truth a little scared."
"So then this incantation we are looking for must be awfully important to your mistress to risk such a charming apprentice?"
"Yes, it is very important, she needs it to go home and a whole circle of mages to help her cast it. I..." she hesitates for a moment," I do not know what it does, I think it is a spell to locate her world but I will not know till I see it. She is very happy to be returning home but she says I can not go with her. She says I would not survive her world, she says that she loves me and worries about me... I... I do not know if I should believe her... I... I just worry you know?"
You know exactly how that feels, in fact you are having trouble thinking of the last time you did not worry, about your choices, your allies, your friends perhaps, but it is sad to see such worry written on the face of one so young. You decide to change topics, it is clear that she will not just betray her mistress but she may know something else that may be useful.
"You are Eris' apprentice but the Fetch are all priestesses, how did she teach you magic?"
Her face brightens a little at this, a topic near and dear to her heart, "Oh, the tower has all sorts of books on magic, and history, and theology, and all sorts of things really. She would let me study them when I was done with my chores. My mistress kept the most powerful ones out of reach so I could not hurt myself and the rest was just hard work and patience. With nowhere to go and nothing much to do I read a lot."
The two of you spend the better part of the evening talking about magic and you even show her a few basic spells, Sort, Polish, even Create Fire. Nothing truly dangerous but helpful nevertheless. As you teach the kid she gradually warms up to you and in return she shows you how to create shadow repelling runes of light and how to use them to locate the hidden rune paths. You will need to practice it to really get much benefit from the spell but the ability to push back shadows will be quite useful down here.
With a warm smile you move to adjourn your little magical conference, "Well Amena I will run your application by the rest of the Circle when we get back but I will say it looks good, and I would personally love to have you join the Circle," you are not sure yourself whether or not you are lying to her, you may yet end up fighting her after all. Still no point in alienating her, and if she thinks she has a future with the group maybe she will choose you over her mistress... maybe.
As you head back to the side room you are sharing with Brigit you find the door barred, Miosguinn chimes in with an amused look on his face, staring at you over the top of a tome he is reading, "Your friend took the soldier in there a couple hours ago, I doubt they will be out till morning." He promptly goes back to ignoring you.
Great, well you will just have to use Gareth's bedding tonight. As you head over to where you last saw his pack Miosguinn speaks up again without raising his eyes from his book, "He took his things with him I am afraid. Looks like you are on the ground tonight..." and of course the old mage does not offer you his bedroll, chivalry truly is dead.
You mumble to yourself, something about "ungrateful assholes" and "docking their pay" as you pull a couple benches together and attempt to get some sleep. It is the worst night's sleep you have had in years...
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"So spill it kid, it better have been worth it," you rub your sore back as you and Brigit climb the stairs to the third floor and the Head Librarian's office.
"There is nothing to tell, we just talked..." she trails off a certain dreamlike quality to her voice.
"Not for almost eight hours you didn't," you cut in, you feel horrible and the idea that you suffered for nothing is driving you near to rage, "If I suffered for nothing-"
She does not let you finish, "We talked and he held me and it was beautiful Derryth, I can not thank you enough," she stops you on the second floor landing and gives you another hug.
You ignore her, warming to the subject a little you continue, "I swear kid, if you are not lying then the two of you wasted a perfect opportunity. Frankly I am a bit disgusted with both of you right now," you look over your shoulder and give her a grin.
Two stairs behind you she pokes you in the back and with a light laugh starts in on you, "Why do you keep calling me a kid anyway, there is like five years tops separating us?"
"It is as much a state of mind as anything else kid, those five years were spent in crypts and bars and libraries," you shudder at the thought of the libraries, glad that Miosguinn and Amena are suffering through the stacks instead of having to do it yourself, "Those five years represent experience, maturity, wisdom, kid maybe some day you will-"
You stop in mid-sentence as an arrow flies right over your head and skewers a three foot millipede that was attempting to ambush you. Seems that Brigit is paying just a bit more attention than you are, she grins at you, "Umm thanks Brigit," she gives you a nod and the two of you continue up the stairs.
"So what are we looking for anyway?"
"Not the faintest idea, it will be magical so we should be able to sense it if we get close enough and it will probably be in old Bruig but beyond that I will know it when I see it. Oh and before I forget do not touch anything without asking, some mages like to booby-trap their hordes and not all of the traps are physical in nature."
Fifteen minutes later the two of you are in the librarian's office, "Well let's have a look, shall we."
Everything looks fairly standard but then a mage would not leave their best items out in the open anyway. You check under the rug for trap doors, you check the draws of the librarian's desk for switches, you try the bookshelves and the busts, the lighting fixtures and the chair legs, nothing absolutely nothing... and then you see it, a small hole in the back wall. It may be a vault perhaps but how to open it, "Brigit, want to take a look at this hole, any ideas on how to open it?"
"Good thing you brought me along, I can have this open in no time," Brigit examines the hole and reaches into her pack, she pulls out a metal cylinder and presses it against the hole, the cylinder opens and a semi-solid liquid pours into the lock, with a word it solidifies.
With a confident smile she turns to you, "See us kids are good for something after all old lady," she immediately turns the handle before you can tell her to wait.
Instinctively you grab her and dive out of the way as a bolt of magic tears across the room and burns a hole in the far wall.
Lying on the floor next to you she gives you a sheepish smile, "Umm thanks Derryth."
You grin, "No problem, now we are even. So want to loot an arcane vault?"
"Do I!" she replies, all excitement and irrepressible energy.
"Ok, but be careful and no grabbing anything magical unless I say it is ok."
The vault is full of magical items, and you find what you think is your prize on the top shelf at the back. It is a small tablet covered in Old Bruig, and it is definitely a powerful planar spell but you will need to examine it further to be sure. Maybe Miosguinn will have some ideas as well. You slip the tablet into your pack and turn to see Brigit attempting to leave with a handful of magical items. As she strides confidently to the doorway she walks right into an invisible barrier and falls to the ground, blue runes appear around the door.
"What was that?" she asks as she shakily gets to her feet.
"Well based on the writing over the door there the room is sealed," you get closer to the runic inscription to continue reading, finally you turn back to Brigit, "Ok, looks like we can remove three items without setting off the barrier. It is actually an ingenious system to prevent large scale robberies while still allowing the mage to take out specific pieces."
Brigit looks a bit disappointed that she can not take everything, "Any way to disable the runes Derryth?"
You rub your chin and put a hand on your hip, "Hmm... if I had the time, Miosguinn and I could probably bypass it but it would take a few days at least and I don't really trust Eris to leave our people unharmed that long. We may be able to come back after we help Eris but who knows what could happen between now and then."
She nods, accepting the limitations, "Well alright then, I want this bow that shoots fire arrows. I am almost out of regular arrows after all those shadows, after all."
Okay, with Brigit's bow and the incantation that makes two. You can take one more item with you, surveying the room you eventually settle on an item to grab and with that the two of you return to camp.
When you return you are greeted with two types of news, bad and terrible. Seems Miosguinn and Amena ran into some trouble in the main stacks, they were attacked by a horde of overgrown arachnids and Amena was bitten by a spider before Miosguinn's calls for help attracted Ithapi to chase them away. She has a slight fever and for some reason refuses to be left alone with Miosguinn, she might be slightly delusional. Gareth has been treating her but he could definitely use a hand to cure her.
You give her the once over and improve on some of Gareth's treatments but he did a good job. She will be fine to walk and Ithapi can carry her if need be but she will not be casting for a few hours at least. Seems the two of them were not able to find anything before the spiders attacked them.
You have Miosguinn examine the tablet, sure enough it is the incantation you are looking for. It is not a full spell, instead it is used to locate another plane of existence and provide an anchor to actually open a gate. Eris must need it to find the "address" of her dimension, it really is her ticket home. Of course this means she must know the actual spell to open a gate already, and if you give her the incantation she could always return to your world. It may not be a good idea to let her return to her people after all, can you really trust the Fetch?
In addition Gareth has another problem to report.
"Seems we were right to guard the doorway, some of those sightless creatures tried to force their way in an hour ago. There were about a dozen of them and we broke them easily but they will probably be back and in greater numbers," the Veteran looks to you for direction.
Ok, choice time. Some of the choices are dependent on others but a request was made to properly plunder the library and I want to give you the opportunity to try. You have been gone two days, it will take one day to get back for those that are wondering.
1. You grabbed an item from the vault, what was it?
A. A glowing blue sword with lightning bolts etched into the hilt and blade.
B. A large round shield made of gold, it has a stylized depiction of a Fetch on it. When Brigit accidentally pointed it at you, you felt terrified.
C. A large black book, bound in dyed human flesh. Thing gives you the creeps but radiates power.
D. A collection of scrolls written in old Bruig, you recognize the symbol of the Heron Guard upon them, looking at them gives you a sense of calm and serenity.
E. An old but plain map written in old Bruig with a small notebook. The notes claim that the book leads to the resting place of one of Wyrd's Dreams. Surprisingly you think it may be genuine.
F. A little blue stone, an attached note claims that it allows the user to indefinitely breathe under water.
H. A tablet in a language you can not read, attached notes suggest it may be of Callieach origins but that can't be right, can it?
I. Some sort of gold cup, probably not good for much right?
2. Stay or Go, you need to commit yourself now. (If you pick 2A then pick two choices from 3, if you pick 2B then pick a choice from 4)
A. Stay; you want that treasure, consequences be damned
B. Leave; monsters outside, a wounded kid, and an impatient Fetch, best to leave for now
3. If you stay who does what? Derryth and Gareth will choose parties to the best of their abilities but what should be their focus? (Pick two)
A. Focus on getting the vault open
B. Focus on searching the rest of the Library for more treasure
C. Focus on defending the front door
D. Focus on something else, freeform
4. If you go there are a few options to pursue.
A. Go out the front door, you may have to fight your way past the creatures.
B. The map notes the location of a side exit on the other side of the building, you could try to use it.
C. The map also notes an exit through a passage in the basement level, it would probably let you avoid the creatures entirely.
5. Now that you have the damn thing what do you intend to do with it. You probably will not have much time to figure this out when you get back so it is better to have this all sorted out now.
A. Honour your end of the deal, give the incantation to Eris.
B. Honour your deal but do not let Eris learn the incantation, she won't like trusting you but you will not give her the ability to return and she will have to live with it.
C. Destroy the incantation, you can not risk her betraying you.
D. Corrupt the incantation and dump her out in the space between the stars where dark things will consume her and her secrets.
E. Honour your deal but corrupt the tablet just in case; if she agrees to let you cast it then proceed as in B, if she refuses then default to D (hopefully you can remember the exact incantation from memory as you will not be able to use the tablet to cast the real spell)
F. Other, freeform
6. With Amena temporarily incapacitated now would be the perfect time to kill her and Ithapi, but after getting to know her last night do you really want to murder them?
A. Yes, we must deprive Eris of every asset we can.
B. No, the kid is not an enemy and you will not just go around murdering people.
Chapter 5: Going Home
Chapter 5: Going Home"So boss, what's the call? Stay or Go?" Gareth is speaking to you but you are hardly listening... your mind is somewhere else, in a bar far away over a decade ago...
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"Alright Derryth, repeat my three rules of dungeon delving," you sit in a run down little tavern in the south of the Province, Henry is across from you and like usual is testing you. But this time it is important, tomorrow you will accompany him on your very first expedition.
You take a deep breath and begin, "One: always know your exits, if you get lost you are as good as dead. Two: always go prepared, an empty canteen or bad equipment will kill you just as surely as the undead or the traps."
"Good... good, and the last," nothing pleases the old man more than knowing that you are paying attention, if you get this last one right he will probably pay for your drinks too.
You hesitate for a moment and then continue, "Umm... Three: never get greedy, you can always try again and there are plenty of relics out there but you only have the one life."
Henry positively beams at you, "Good job kid I may just make you into a professional after all!"
Sure enough, Henry paid for all the drinks that night and the two of you set out the next morning...
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Wyrd, you miss the old man...
Gareth is staring at you, looks like he expects an answer, "We are leaving, the relics will still be here later but I am not risking your lives for a few more trinkets."
The veteran nods in approval, seems he agrees with your decision, "Right boss, I will get everyone moving," he spins on his heels and with a confident stride marches off barking orders.
You pack up your possessions, ensuring that the old map is properly secured in a scroll case you keep for emergencies. If this thing is what you think it is, then it could be your ticket to magical power and glory beyond your wildest dreams but it will not be terribly useful down here.
Fifteen minutes later everyone is ready to depart, you decide to slip out the side exit of the building to avoid any potential ambushes by the sightless horrors.
You are the last to leave and as you step though the exit you hear a crash from across the library, something large has just forced its way through the front door...
It is screaming in rage...
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Your group slips out into the city avoiding a few patrols, thanks in no small part to Miosguinn's enchantments, before you re-enter the section of the city held by the shadows.
Amena guides you to the nearest rune path and you begin to cast but you are not alone, the shadows are aware of your presence and they are closing in around you. They move far to quickly. Brigit using her new bow begins to thin them out but there are simply too many to fight. You will have to try and cast the spell Amena taught you.
It is difficult at first but Amena guides you through it. She tells you to take a happy memory, or a dream, or a hope for the future and to focus on it. The warmth of it, the light of it, the shape and sound and feel of it and to project that happy thought, that sense of complete serenity out into the world around you. You stop and try to think of a memory, a face, something to cling to... and he comes to you...
You think of Henry and you cast...
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"Who goes there?" a voice calls from over the tower's walls and a great shadow is cast against the light emanating from the tower.
Sounds like Tyrvard and he has been drinking again.
"Tyrvard? Its me Gareth, we're back! Open the damn door I don't know how much Derryth has left in her!"
The Berserk moves with a predatory quickness and grace and a moment later the doors open as your group runs inside. You can finally stop casting as you collapse against the wall. It was a trial by fire but you have mastered Amena's rune spell, the girl makes it look so easy but it is incredibly draining maintaining a connection with the rune paths.
"Haha, I knew it! Serpent doubted, but I knew a couple monsters would not claim my friends!" the Berserk has embraced Gareth and Brigit, one under each arm and is in the process of suffocating them when he spots you against the wall. Dropping them he runs over and scoops you up, swinging you through the air, "And our brave leader returns as well, this is a good day! Come Derryth have a drink with me!"
"Ah... Tyrvard... can't... breathe..." you are on the verge of blacking out as you swing through the air.
By the time he finally returns you to your feet Serpent and Thaïs have arrived.
"Derryth!" Thaïs rushes forward and throws her arms around you while Serpent takes your hand and clasps you on the shoulder. Seems they are happy to see you as well though you do wonder if it is genuine happiness or if they are merely relieved that you did not abandon them.
"It is good to see you both as well. Serpent could you please take a look at Amena, she was bitten by some sort of spider and anything you can do would be appreciated, Miosguinn can probably give you more details..." you turn, looking for Miosguinn, but he has already left to find his apprentice.
Serpent leads Amena and Ithapi away to properly check the girl, you have little doubt that she will be fine with such a skilled physician on hand.
The rest of your group heads to Tyrvard's quarters for a drink, when you arrive you find it in an even worse state than when you left. Half of the wooden structure has burnt down and collapsed and Tyrvard has set up shop in the remaining rooms.
"Tyrvard, what in Wryd's name happened to the servants' quarters?" you feel compelled to ask as you marvel at the destruction.
"Ah, well Serpent has been helping me with my still. I think we are really on to something but well one of our experiments got a little out of hand... still it made for a great batch!"
Looks like Thaïs pulled it off but you can't have the two of them blowing things up, "Tyrvard, I don't care how good it was-"
The Berserk hands you a jug, and you cautiously take a sip.
Damn, you don't know what Serpent has done to it but it is about the best thing you have ever tasted. If this whole treasure hunting thing does not work out maybe your group can open a brewery instead...
Tyrvard and Thaïs just grin at you, you stand there rendered speechless by the divine nectar in your mouth so Gareth decides to pick up where you left off, "Tyrvard, Derryth is right we can not have you-" you hand him the jug and he takes a sip.
All talk of shutting down Tyrvard's experiments ends right there...
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Two days have passed since you returned with the incantation and Eris has remained locked in her quarters the entire time. This morning Amena finally gained admittance, it seems her mistress will be ready to see you this evening. But first an important decision must be reached.
"Amena, are you ready to hear the answer of this august body?" Thaïs is doing her best impression of a great archmage as your group stands behind a table in one of the side halls. Amena stands before you fidgeting.
You have gathered the Circle together to pass judgement on the girl, you had just wanted to tell her straight away but Thaïs and Brigit insisted on something a bit more spectacular for her first time.
The room is dimly lit and you all wear robes taken from one of the supply rooms in the tower. Brigit has stitched little stars and moons on them and they do not look half bad... from a distance... if you squint...
Brigit chimes in, in an ominous voice, "Are you ready to join the Circle of the Lost? To swear to uphold the traditions of this Circle and follow its laws?"
Amena definitively looks a bit intimidated by it all which brings a slight smile to your face. But this is getting to be a bit much, you give Amena a wink and interject, "Why the hell, are we called the Lost again?" you turn to Serpent, "Is this some sort of jab at my leadership?"
Serpent laughs, glad that someone else thinks this is completely stupid, "Hell you should have heard some of the other suggestions. Miosguinn wanted to call us the Inept," Brigit grunts at the reminder while Serpent turns to Thaïs, "Hey Thaïs, what was Tyrvard's suggestion yesterday?"
Thaïs coughs uncomfortably, "The... ah, Babylonian Whore Queens I believe..."
You have to chuckle at that, "What in the name of Wyrd is a Babylonian?"
Thaïs laughs, "Even he did not know, when the man drinks he comes up with the oddest things. It is like he is channelling another consciousness or something."
As the conversation continues Brigit attempts to reassert control, "We have ta finish the ceremony people!"
"Alright," you turn to Amena, "Kid you're in, if you ask nicely Brigit will even make you one of these robes. Now who wants a drink?"
Brigit sticks her tongue out at you but it is impossible for her to stay mad for long.
Amena is beaming, you don't think you have ever seen her smile so wide. She gives you all a hug and runs off to tell Ithapi, which reminds you, "Hey, what are we going to do with Ithapi?"
"What do you mean, we take him with us of course," Brigit answers, it seems she has not thought through the repercussions of walking around with a Maul in the empire.
Serpent takes a moment to consider your question before speaking, "I don't know, Mauls fought for the Dark in the last war, having him around may cause problems for us."
Brigit pouts, "But Ithapi hasn't done anything wrong, why should we abandon him."
You try and sooth her a little, "Kid I am not saying we just cut him loose or anything but we have to take into account that people will treat us differently if we have a Maul around, they may not trust us..."
Brigit grins, "We're mages Derryth, they aren't going to trust us anyway. Might as well do the right thing, ya know?"
Seems Thaïs is inclined to agree with Brigit, "He would be a very useful ally and he is completely loyal to Amena. It would not be unprecedented, the Mauls are not inherently evil and both the Warlocks and the Trow fought against us in the Great War but Alric recognizes the Warlocks and word is he is attempting to open diplomatic relations with the Trow."
She makes a good point, "Well it is not something we have to worry about in the short term, let's go get a drink and then get ready for this damn ritual.."
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"Welcome back my esteemed guestsss" the Fetch is perched upon her throne with Amena and Ithapi to either side of her.
You stand in front of your group with the incantation in hand.
"It isss time for me to return home, you have my thanksss now please give me the incantation," she gestures for you to place the incantation in her outstretched hand but you are no fool.
"I am afraid we have a number of conditions first," you take a few dozen steps forward so that you are far enough away from the rest of your group.
If she loses her temper and fries you, you do not want everyone else to get hit as well. Of course it seems Thaïs is not getting the message as she remains right beside you as you march towards the throne.
Your refusal has definitely angered the priestess, she stands and raises her arm as if to cast a spell, "You have demandsss? I will give you everything and you have demandsss? I will crush you, I will fry you, I will-"
You stop her in mid sentence as you raise your hand holding the tablet to smash it. You do not raise your voice, instead you speak calmly and with purpose, "You will cooperate, is what you will do. You are not my enemy but you will not get what you want through threats. We will not give you the incantation. We, no I, will not give you the means to open gates to any world you please. You will tell us how you plan to clear the shadows from the tunnels, you will allow us to send you home and if you do not agree then my large friend over there will kill you. Do we understand one another, Erisss?" You stress the s in her name in mockery of the priestess. You look her in the eyes and prepare to be incinerated, Thaïs takes your hand.
She would speak but this is no time for diplomacy.
Both you and the priestess know exactly where you stand.
This is a question of will.
And Eris simply does not have that sort of strength in her.
She drops back into her throne, all of her bluster and fury spent. She is helpless and if a Fetch could weep you are certain she would.
After a moment of complete silence, she lets out a sort of cackle, "Very well human, I will tell you everything."
Eris places one gloved hand on her forehead and rubs her horns, "I do not have to do a thing. The shadowsss would leave their tunnelsss as soon as we start casting the ritual.... They are here for me and the fear that I might escape them will drive them to attack the tower."
The Berserk howls from the back of the hall, "She would betray us, let me cut her down Derryth!"
But you motion for him to be quiet as she continues to explain, "It is my belief that the wardsss will hold and that we will all be fine. I have spent the last week reinforcing the runesss to ensure that the shadowsss will not get past them."
"Why would you take such pains to protect us?" Thaïs asks.
"Not you, I honestly do not care if any of you live or die but I do not wish to see Amena harmed..." she trails off and refuses to make eye contact. You wonder if it is all a show for the girl's benefit or if perhaps Eris really does care for her "child".
"Amena, knowsss how to manipulate the runesss, she can guide you through the city to wherever you need to go. I simply ask that you take her with you, let her see her world, do not leave her in the dark."
"Why are the shadows after you Eris," she has piqued your curiosity, this is such an unusual mystery that you want, no you need, to hear her story.
The Fetch is beaten, she has very little left to hide and yet she hesitates, "Sixty yearsss ago when Balor lost his war and my sistersss and I were hunted by your kind I fled into the dark under Muirthemne with six of my sistersss and in the dark we found the former inhabitantsss of the city. I am sure you have seen them, the blind creaturesss that comb the ruins. At first they wanted to devour usss, but asss we slaughtered their war partiesss they came to see us asss godsss. My sistersss and I trained hundredsss of lesser talentsss amongst them using stolen spell booksss and led them in a grand ritual to open a gate to our world. But we... I... did not know then what I know now. Without an anchor to my world we opened a gate to the space between worldsss and we let something in... and it killed, and it ate, and it killed, and it ate, until it had its fill and then it slept."
"So the shadows are the victims of this thing then?" you inquire, a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.
"Yesss, it killed my sistersss, and our followersss and the creaturesss took it for a god. They worship it and sacrifice to it and that wasss how I found Amena. She must have been stolen from the surface, I do not know why I saved her. Perhaps I wasss just so tired of being alone... and the rest I am sure Amena has told you already. The shadowsss hate me for I brought this thing into your world, I would say the only thing they hate more than me is the creature itself but it is protected by an entire colony of those creatures while I am alone..." it is more than a little pathetic as the Fetch weakly pleads with you, "Please, just send me home..."
Pity, self-interest, greed, who is to say why but you choose to help her and honour your deal, "Alright, but first I want Amena and Miosguinn to check the runes, we are going to be under siege while we do this and I do not want them to fail."
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Three hours later everything is set for the ritual, the eight of you stand in a circle as you lead the ritual. Tyrvard, Ithapi and Gareth have secured the inner doors and you have applied additional wards in case something goes wrong.
Reading from the tablet you cast your mind into the ether. You pass from this world into the spaces in between, walking a path of jagged, jade and rolling memories and premonitions. You can feel the dark, incomprehensible things watching you, waiting for a mistake to grant them entry into your world, they offer you everything you have ever craved and many things you did not even know you wanted. One of them offers you Henry back and you stop for just a moment.
Miosguinn's presence in the back of your mind steadies you as he whispers cautions though the connection between you. Thaïs, next to you, encourages you to push onward as the circle of mages pours power into you.
You have established the magical structures necessary to locate Eris' world. You reach out to her mind, cold, alien but strangely understandable and she gives you her memories of the place. After thirty minutes of casting you have the location and have anchored the spell there. The rest is up to Eris. You relinquish control of the circle to her as she begins to cast, drawing from the seven of you the power needed to open a gate to her world.
Outside, the world howls in rage as the shadows race towards the tower, Gareth shouts something to Tyrvard and you catch a word... thousands... but you must focus. To break the spell off now would kill half the circle instantly.
Twenty more minutes... at first you had worried that Eris would drain you of everything you had but she shows remarkable restraint, drawing from each only to the best of their abilities. Part of you marvels at her skill as she weaves the spells necessary to create the gate.
Quickly, without anyone really noticing it she opens a gate. It shimmers before you, shades of lavender and lilac. Once more you feel her in your mind, she is passing control of the gate off to you so that she may pass through and you can feel her gratitude. Unable to speak she merely smiles at Amena and steps though.
Eris is gone but you can all see her through the portal, she waves again, but she does not see... does not know that fifteen of her sisters stand behind her. Without any clothes, even the flayed skins of your fellow man, they truly are hideous.
You expect them to greet her but this is no welcoming party. Four of them restrain her while the fifth tears out her heart and the rest make for the portal. Amena screams and you unwind the magics holding the gate together before the spell fails or the Fetch can force their way through. You push the energy from the collapsing gate through to their side triggering a massive plum coloured explosion.
Eris was not your friend but for Amena's sake you hope you killed them all.
The child lies on the floor weeping.
It seems that you can't really go home again after all...
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The shadows assaulted the walls for three days and nights, giving you time to teach everyone how to cast and maintain the runes and giving them a lot of practice to perfect them. You reflect upon the last week and all told things have gone very well for you, maybe too well in fact as you wonder when the other shoe will drop. The tower is yours, as are all of Eris' worldly possessions including the girl and her Maul bodyguard. Now you have some choices to make on what to do next.
1. The Tower: it is not actually all that useful to you at present but there are a number of things you could try based upon what you want to do with it:
A)Loot the Tower: The tower itself does not interest you and you could never hold it against an army of monsters by yourselves but you want to go through Eris' quarters, the library and the vault to see what kind of loot you can find.
B) Destroy the tower: Though Eris was fairly upfront with you she was still an evil sorceress, any treasure she has will also be corrupted and the tower is worthless. Better to just raze the whole thing and be done with it.
C) Keep the tower: you have been playing around with the runes a little and you think you may be able to develop a version that can keep everyone out of the tower except for those you choose. It would take the combined efforts of your whole Circle (meaning you would have to share) but it would make a decent secret stronghold for you all and it would allow you to search the tower completely at your leisure. (if you pick this option then vote for one of the options in choice two.)
D) Do something else with the tower. freeform
2. Get help from the Children: If you chose to keep the tower you could also try and get Miosguinn to cast some illusions on it. Again this would take the form of another ritual with your whole Circle but it would help hide the tower from enemies. They won't be able to even attack your wards if they can not find it after all. (If you picked 1c then pick one of the options.)
A) Yes, get Miosguinn to help improve the tower.
B) No, you do not trust the man enough to ask.
3. Your next destination: Well where do you want to go from here?
A) Back to the library. You still want the rest of the treasure.
B) To the monster colony. You will kill the abomination and lay the shadows to rest just like some sort of hero... hopefully...
C) Onward to the Stone. From the tower you will head back into the tunnels, now that you can activate the rune roads the shadows will not be a threat.
D) A Dwarven Quarter?: According to your maps the tower is quite close to the old city's Dwarven quarter. Dwarves always have the best equipment and it may be worth a look.
E)Run away! Who are you kidding, you will never get to the stone, return to the surface with your tail between your legs.... cowards...
F) Want to go somewhere else? Where? freeform
4. Ithapi: Do you want to get rid of the Maul or keep him.
A) Keep him. He is Amena's best friend and a definite asset, you will just deal with any problems that arise as they come up.
B) Leave him. Amena won't like it but he is a liability.
C) Kill him. Well he is a Maul after all...
5. Your Slaves: Amena and Ithapi are technically your slaves, do you want to do anything about that?
A)Nope, you have no problem with owning them
B)Set them Free, she is already part of your Circle and he is sworn to her service, they are not going anywhere and they would respect the move a lot.
Chapter 6: The Dwarven Quarter
Okay a fairly short update this time, some choices on how to go forward and I had Derryth ask Amena about the library...Chapter 6: The Dwarven Quarter
"A little to the left... no, no that's too far... a little higher... good, good I think we are done here!" you stand outside the walls with Itahpi and Amena guarding you while Tyrvard and Gareth dangle Brigit out over the edge of the walls.
She is applying the last of your new wards. You, of course, are supervising; using a nice little brass spyglass you found in one of the studies while you were working.
"Alright people go get some rest!" you yell to the three figures on the wall, "We will meet you inside!"
It has been a long week but you have finally finished warding the tower. It took two days of experimentation with the shadow repelling runes but together your Circle managed to modify them to repel all intruders. There is now no way into the tower unless the wards are overcome and you can't help but smile at your handiwork.
Even Miosguinn was forced to admit that you do good work. Seems you may have really impressed the old man with this one and he has even warmed to you a bit. Not enough for you to actually trust him with your new tower though, no sense getting reckless after all.
"Mistress, are we ready to return to the tower now?" it took a couple days for Amena to recover but she has been fixed to your side since then, seems she takes her duty to you very seriously.
"Yeah kid, we are done here. It would take some serious magic to break into the tower now. You and Ithapi should make sure your things are in order since we will be heading out tomorrow."
The expressionless look plastered to Amena's face lifts as she realizes that you will be taking the Maul with you, "You mean Ithapi can come with us? Oh thank you mistress, thank you!"
The girl moves to give you a hug but stops herself, she is not sure how to conduct herself now that you are her master. While it was amusing the first dozen or so times it happened it is quickly becoming annoying.
Honestly you have no real use for a slave, let alone two, and it is time you did something about this, "Kid, we need to talk," as the three of you pass through the open gates you motion for Amena to follow you into the main building, "I don't suppose I need to say it but stick close Ithapi, I want to talk to you too."
The Maul is at first a little surprised that you are acknowledging his existence but with a deep bow he replies, "As you wish my mistress."
Once inside you begin, "This whole mistress nonsense is not going to work I am afraid."
"Mistress-" both Ithapi and Amena begin before you raise a hand to silence them.
"See this is what I am talking about, this just won't do. I don't want to be anyone's mistress. No there is only one solution to all this..."
The two of them have lowered their heads, you stop for a moment and wonder just what Eris did to them that they are so afraid of displeasing their owner.
You push such thoughts from your mind and continue, "Yes there is only one thing that I can do about all of this. I am setting you both free."
At the word free it is as if you have lifted a great weight off their shoulders, a thick veil from before their eyes, they raise their heads to look at you and you can see the look in their eyes; they are amazed, simply amazed...
Amena throws herself at you, tears of joy run down her face while the Maul scoops both of you up and begins dancing, singing what you can only assume is a song of his people. He is actually a much better singer than you would have thought, the rich bass tone of his voice ringing out within the hall.
The noise draws in the rest of your group and Tyrvard never one to back down from a challenge begins singing as well.
The rest of the day is spent in merrymaking, in song, in dance and with Tyrvard's special brew. Even Miosguinn has a drink and you think you even catch the apprentice humming before she notices you and a scowl quickly materializes on her face.
It is one of the best days you can remember having in, well forever and that night you sleep the sleep of the innocent and the inebriated...
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"Wait, so we will not be continuing on to our destination?" Serpent is not terribly happy with your choice at the moment.
"Well Serpent, we are right next to the old Dwarven Quarter and we are treasure hunters so..." Brigit chimes in defending you, you are all gathered around your maps in the main hall and you have just revealed your next target to the group.
"But the Dwarven Quarter is out of our way," Gareth jumps in coming to the aid of Serpent, "We should use the runes that you all have learnt to go back through the tunnels."
It seems the group is split down the middle but you are confident you can convince them. While you originally were interested solely in the Dwarven artefacts you might find, your research into the area has uncovered a significant piece of information.
With a cough you once more seize control of the conversation, "Well everyone if you would let me finish I could explain to you why we are going to the Dwarven Quarter."
You pull out a second map which reveals the tunnels under the old city and one large tunnel running from the heart of the Dwarven Quarter to the Imperial Offices of the Smiths of Muirthemne within a stone's throw of your target.
"The Dwarves often did special work for the emperors, the sort of work that can not be delivered to the palace through the front door. If the tunnels are still intact we could shave maybe a week off our trip while avoiding the shadows, the creatures and that horror in the city and any imperial patrols around the old palace complex. So we will go over there, we will take a look around and grab any artefacts we may find and if the tunnels are open than great, if not we come back," you say it with such certainty that the group does not protest and Thaïs begins the process of strengthening your case.
By the time she is done everyone is on board with the plan and you begin packing up your supplies for the road. You give the tower one more check before sealing the front door and you are off to your destination. Your party of ten slipping through the ruins towards the old Dwarven Quarter.
---------------------------------------------
You sit in your usual place on the wagon, Thaïs to one side of you and now Amena to the other. You have spent the last hour trying to think of ways to discreetly ask her about what happened at the library and you have finally found the perfect moment to act.
The Children are both temporarily up front managing the shadow repelling wards, this is the best chance you have had in a week and you decide to capitalize on it.
You turn to her, "Kid, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
She gives you an innocent smile before responding, "Not at all mist- Derryth what did you wish to know?"
"What happened to you and Miosguinn in the library?" Thaïs is leaning in now, seems she wants to know as well.
Amena frowns, "I... we were in the stacks and he saw a tome he wanted... he grabbed it... it was black and had some sort of image on it but..." it is clear that she is not upset but rather is having trouble remembering what she saw or perhaps she simply does not wish to tell you.
She shakes her head and gives you a worried smile, "Sorry Derryth, I do not know. He grabbed a book and put it in his pack and while I was watching him we were attacked by a bunch of spiders. I should have been paying closer attention. He fought... yes he fought them off and then Ithapi arrived and brought me to Sir Gareth and the rest you know. If it had not been for Miosguinn I would probably be dead," she shudders.
"That's okay kid no need to dwell on it. If you remember anything I-"
Thaïs interrupts you, "We would like to know dear. Even if the detail seems small it could be important," seems she is concerned as well.
You look at her and she gives you a nod, you will have to talk about Amena later.
Amena nods at you both, smiles weakly and looks away.
Brigit yelps and runs back towards the wagon with the rest of your group.
You clear your throat to ask her what is wrong and you see the problem as fifty ghôls turn the corner six blocks ahead of you.
They turn.
They see you.
They charge.
Four blocks away now you all begin to cast, if you aim your shots well you can drop half before they reach your line.
Two blocks away, your party lets loose, your spells tear through their ranks but leave no bodies.
As the remaining ghôls bear down on your position they suddenly disappear, not five feet from hitting your battle line.
"Ah.. what the hell was that?" your befuddled Berserk asks.
"Ghosts," Serpent replies but his statement sounds more like a question.
"Well how are we supposed to fight ghost armies?" Brigit chimes in.
Gareth clears his throat and by now you know exactly what he will say, "I fought a few during the war-" the two of you say the words at the exact same time.
"Smartass," the veteran mumbles while Brigit and Thaïs laugh a little, he grins at you before he continues, "They will die same as anything else if you do enough damage. Also they seem to be bound to specific locations so if we have to we can try outrunning them."
"Well then you have your answer people, concentrate fire and keep moving," and with those wise words you push the group onward into the ghost infested Dwarven Quarter.
The next hour proves a real test to Gareth's military leadership, you fight packs of ghôls, human warriors, bowmen, and even the occasional Dwarven scout as well as a variety of lesser ghosts lacking the will or memories to actually take on an identifiable form.
You give Serpent your Mandrake Roots and even have to use up another Energon Cube but you reach the center of the Quarter and are truly surprised at what you see.
Dwarves, not ghosts, actual Dwarves... ten of them in fact.
They have set themselves up behind a barricade just outside of the main Dwarven compound and are currently involved in a chaotic three way battle between a horde of ghosts and a swarm of spiders. They will be overrun if you do nothing but they will take a fair number of their enemies with them as well which would make things easier for you.
The real question is whether or not you want to get involved.
1. Do you get involved?
A) Yes, you will try to help the dwarves.
B) No, you will let them all kill each other and pick off the stragglers
C) Just leave, you will try something else when you get back to the tower.
D) Do something else, freeform option
2. If you want to help the dwarves, how will you go about it?
A)Charge the ghosts from the rear. This may be a bit dangerous given the Dwarven explosives that are being lobbed around. But it would immediately take pressure off the Dwarves
B) Work your way around and charge the spiders instead. Again the explosives could be an issue but it would help out the Dwarves. Miosguinn thinks this would be a bad idea but will follow your lead.
C)Do not charge your opponents. Instead use your magic and arrows to thin out their ranks. This will not help the Dwarves as much but if they can hold out it will eventually win you the battle.
D)Have your Circle cast offensive spells while the Children use illusions to hide the dwarves. This will take pressure off of the dwarves but may also draw the anger of both hordes once their current targets disappear.
E) Misdirection: have the Children break off chunks of both hordes with illusions while everyone focuses on ranged attacks.
F) freeform strategy
3. Miosguinn's tome:
A) Confront him about the tome he took, you want to know if he is holding out on you.
B) Do not confront him, it is none of your business.
C)Do not confront him but try and spy on him.
D)You will politely ask Miosguinn to see the tome. If he refuses you will let the matter go, it is none of your business at the end of the day. Thaïs can help you with this.
E) Do something else about the Children, freeform
Chapter 7: Emptyness and Fullness
Chapter 7: Emptiness and FullnessIn the dark city, far from the light of day, the sounds of battle can be heard. Two of the dwarves have fallen but the remaining eight manage to keep up a steady stream of projectiles. They are just holding back the tide of chattering beasts and howling ghosts but by your estimate they will last maybe another fifteen minutes at best.
You have never really considered yourself a hero, the word rings falsely in your ears and you have no desire to rush to your death. However, you will not just leave these people to their deaths. You want to help and so you give the order.
"We are going to help them," all present understand that this order is not open to negotiation. There will be no arguing this and so they quickly move to discussing the best ways to neutralize the enemy.
"Well why don't we just charge their rear?" asks the Beserk, perhaps more willing to wade into battle than to consider the consequences.
"Not with those explosives being thrown about," Gareth steps forward, "We would be best to attack from a distance to be honest."
That sounds like a fair plan but you think you can do one better, "Doctor Miosguinn, can you and your apprentice draw out some of the attackers with your illusions?"
Miosguinn immediately grasps your strategy, "Yes, Miss Derryth, we can trick the ghosts and probably scare off the spiders as well if it comes to that."
You give the word and the old wizard starts casting, glad to finally have an opportunity to really cut loose. He turns his attention to the ghosts while his apprentice focuses on the spiders.
While the Children cast Gareth offers further advice, "It would be best to concentrate on each splinter group, one at a time, if the eight of us can bring overwhelming force to bear against each group we will be able to minimize the risk of casualties."
The apprentice is finished with her spell, a wall of flame erupts from the ground between the dwarves and the spiders, an obvious illusion but enough to scare off the animals. Out of instinct the arachnids pull back and turn their attention to the deathless horde assaulting them. The dwarves, quite confused by this stroke of good luck, quickly adapt and concentrate their fire on the ghosts still assaulting their position.
As the eight of you move into place for your first ambush, you watch as Miosguinn casts his spells. Behind the horde of ghosts and to either side dance wisps of blue-grey smoke which slowly take on human shape. Gradually colour bleeds into them and after a few moments they seem almost genuine, at a quick glance they would fool you and you are sure the ghosts will take the bait.
Sure enough the ghosts see these new targets and they turn. The horde fractures, torn into four ragged pieces by the dispersing ghosts as each races off in pursuit of these new targets. Miosguinn must be having fun with all of this as he puts on a little show for your enemies. The illusions turn to see the ghosts charging towards them, they begin to scream without a voice, horror expressed in pantomime. The group closest to your position begins to gesture wildly and turn to run. One of them, a little elderly man trips and his daughter attempts to pull him along. The doctor has really outdone himself, even against an actual living opponent these illusions would prove difficult to detect, against the ghosts they work perfectly.
The ghosts crash into the illusions and are met with empty air, you do not know if a ghost can be confused but they come to an immediate stop and turn to rejoin the horde. At that moment you spring your attack.
You reach deep into your mind for a memory, excitement would do, maybe love but the best for a firebolt spell would be a fragment of anger, betrayal or rage. Something powerful and with a desire to hurt another. You remember a stable boy that used to mock you as a child, who used to beat and bully you... good enough.
That ember sparks a flame, and this flame jumps from your hand to your target. The crimson dart dives through the air and strikes your first victim, the bent and scarred ghost of a ghôl. The flames turn green as they snake around the ghost devouring its form, it screams and fades away. Meanwhile, the combined assault of your seven companions easily overwhelms your ghostly prey and you quickly move on to your next target.
You cast and you fight, with whip and knife when needed, and after ten minutes of terror and battle your group has destroyed the last of the ghosts. As you battle the last of these foul spectres, Miosguinn turns his attentions to the spiders. He slowly bottles them up with illusionary fire, driving them further back, before he rejoins your group with his apprentice and the wagon. The dwarves give the crawling masses a parting volley of cocktails to see them on their way before they turn their attention and their weapons towards you.
Now that you are closer you can see that they are not all outfitted with the normal dwarven kit. Five of them look as you would expect; woollen clothes and strange caps, backpacks filled with their explosive concoctions and odd inventions, and short, well groomed beards. Two more match that description save for a lack of beards, fitting given that they are women. The last three however are covered from head to toe in thick plate armour of a make you have rarely seen before, the smaller two have simple but well made equipment while the largest one has an ornate weapon and armour. Four of the lightly armed dwarves lay on the ground injured or unconscious, you can not tell from this distance whether or not their wounds are fatal.
It seems that the large dwarf is in charge and it is also clear that he can not or will not speak Bruig. They eye your group suspiciously. Talking, or rather arguing, amongst themselves. It seems that a few of the younger ones are trying to convince the armoured dwarf to do or say something.
You turn and call back to your group stationed outside of the dwarves' range of fire, "Just great, does anyone speak Dwarven?"
The unanimous answer you receive is no and you are about to try and communicate through a pathetic sort of sign language when two of the dwarves approach you.
It is two of the dwarves that were arguing with their leader, one male and one female, young, probably about the same age if you had to take a guess.
They stop about ten feet from you and bow, when they begin speaking you are surprised that it is in accented yet fluent Bruig, he begins "Greetings and thanks to you for your aid against the creatures of this place."
They are stiff, formal, and a little worried; she picks up where he left off, "We did not think that we would encounter an imperial patrol this far into the old city. Your Emperor Alric must be great indeed if he seeks to claim so much of the city in such little time."
You consider their words before you respond. It seems likely that these dwarves are testing your motives. Surely they must know that you are not Imperials as they would have to sneak past the Imperials just to get down here and well one of you is a Maul.
They want to see if you will lie to them so you take a slight gamble and tell them the truth. They are in your debt at the moment and from what little you know of the dwarves they do not take such things lightly
"I am afraid that as great as Alric is, we are not here as his representatives today. We seek the passages from the Dwarven quarters to the old offices of the Smiths of Muirthemne."
At the mention of the Smiths, the two representatives relax a little. It seems that they were concerned you would try to arrest them or plunder the Dwarven Quarter itself. While you had admittedly planned to do so, you can always do it latter when the dwarves are not around.
The male dwarf coninues, "My name is Bari and this is my wife Ari, we serve as scouts and protectors for our Lord Jari," he gestures back to the armoured dwarf.
Ari cuts in, it seems the two of them have a habit of finishing each others thoughts, "We have come in search of an artefact important to our people, its last known location was within the workshops of the Smiths, it is a-" Ari pauses for a moment and looks at Bari, unsure if she should tell you.
After a moment Bari continues, "I am afraid we can not tell you what it is, it is a matter of personal and communal shame and we must leave it at that."
Jari calls out to the two dwarves in Dwarven and they quickly answer before turning back to you, "My Lord wishes to know if he could purchase your services to escort us to our target, we would of course pay you for your time and any supplies we may require."
You look them over, they are hopeful but you also still sense an undercurrent of fear, they are worried. Shifting your gaze from the dwarves to their equipment it looks like they have next to no supplies with them, perhaps they did not prepare properly or more likely they lost their supplies to the denizens of this place. With almost half their number wounded and the rest worn out they are not likely to survive without further help. Serpent could probably even save most or all of their wounded if you let him. It also looks like they do not have much in the way of riches on them, any payment you would receive will only come if they live to reach the surface.
They could be an asset or a liability, but the choice is yours. You take a deep breath and give them your answer.
-------------------------------------------
It took a couple hours to get into the main complex and properly secure the building. It looks like the place was once a warehouse and there are an assortment of weapons and supplies strewn about in boxes, and chests. Most of it is useless to you but a more detailed search may turn up useful resources.
Once the building is fully under your control, you enter the basement storage down a long and very wide ramp. Seems everything in this city was built big. You find more dust and boxes but at least there are no monsters.
A little voice in the back of your mind suggests that they are merely hiding, waiting for you to slip up but you quickly chase such thoughts away. Serpent notices a very narrow side tunnel and says he recognizes the smell of mandrake roots coming from the darkness, it may be worth checking out.
Finally there is the great door leading into the old tunnels, you would easily be able to drive two wagons through it so space should not be a large problem as long as you stick to the main road. It looks like the tunnels are still intact as best as you can tell, it would speed up your trip tremendously but part of you wonders what new horrors will be waiting in those tunnels.
Brigit also has her first report for you. She has been watching the Children and so far they have done nothing suspicious, well nothing more suspicious than normal. She has not seen either of them in possession of a black tome like you described to her. They are however very protective of a warded blue-grey metal chest but that is not too odd for a pair of mages. She also noticed that each wears a small amulet around their necks which they try to always keep concealed. It is odd but when you ask her for more details on the amulets she has trouble remembering anything.
An interesting mystery but for now you have more pressing concerns:
1. The Dwarves, do you help them?
A)Yes - You agree to escort them since you are all headed to the same place anyway. (If you pick this then choose an option for choice 2)
B)No - You do not need an extra burden, you tell them to return to the surface. You will not help them.
C) Maybe - If they can give you some sort of partial payment up front then you will help, otherwise they are on their own
D)Other - Free form
2. If you choose to help them then do you use your supplies to help them, if so how much?
A) No - they can survive off what they can find.
B) Yes - but basic supplies and mundane medicine only.
C) Yes - you tell Serpent to use any resources needed to save as many lives as possible. Including Mandrake Roots. (You currently have four Mandrake Roots left in total)
D) Yes - you tell Serpent to only use your mundane supplies for now, if you find more Mandrake Roots you can then use some on the Dwarves. They may be upset if they find out you risked their lives so you will probably have to lie a little.
E) Other - free form
3. You have a bit of time to look around the building if you want, though this will spread your group out a bit. Do you?
A) Yes - might as well look for supplies.
B) No - you just want to move on quickly before you run into something else.
C) Other - free form
4. Serpent thinks there are Mandrake Roots down the side tunnel in the basement. Do you let him investigate?
A) Yes - We could use more Mandrake Roots
B) No - Who knows what is down there and it is too narrow a tunnel to send the fighters.
C) Yes - But not alone. Derryth will go with him as will _______ (if you vote for this option then list the third party member that you want to take, the most popular one will go. Tyrvard and Ithapi can not fit and Gareth will have to leave his shield behind to fit)
D) Yes - But send alot of people; Derryth, Gareth, Serpent, Amena, Miosguinn, the apprentice and some of the dwarves, if they complain tell them that in this way we can treat better their wounded comrades. With such a larger group you should be able to handle any challenge. Of course you will get in the way of each other and you will leave the main camp understaffed...
E) Other - free form
5. Then there is the question of the tunnels themselves. Do you want to use them or would you rather go back to the tower and travel through the city and upper tunnels?
A) Use the lower tunnels, it is quicker.
B) Go back to the tower, who knows what is down there.
C) Other - free form
Chapter 8: The Perfect Time
I wanted to try something a bit different with this update. I guess we will see how well it works.Chapter 8: The Perfect Time
"Alright, alright," Serpent has been pestering you for the better part of the last hour, "You can go explore the tunnel but I am coming with you and we are bringing someone else too," you just are not yet sure who exactly.
Serpent runs off to prepare and you begin the search for the third member of your expedition. The dwarves have for the most part warmed to your group, Jori and his two bodyguards still keep their distance but the other seven have made every attempt to demonstrate their gratitude.
Ari and Bari even offered to give you their gold wedding bands to pay for the two mandrake roots you used to heal their wounded. You gave them your answer and sent them on their way.
At any rate it is time to see who wants to climb down a dark, narrow, potentially monster filled tunnel. As you wander through the camp you come across Thaïs, Ari and Bari in deep conversation, seems she is asking them about the Smiths and Bari and Ari are giving a history lesson...
The dwarven pathfinder thumbs through one of his books as he speaks, "Well from what we know the Smiths were skilled magic users and artificers. They had the ear of the Emperors for centuries and wielded considerable political power until the whole order was exterminated by Imperial decree during the time of Connacht."
Your quartermaster hazards a few questions in response, "But why wipe them out if they were so useful? So powerful? Did they anger the Emperor?"
His wife cuts in, "Seems the Smiths were worshipping something they should not have, some sort of Elder God or something. They traded their independence for power and when the Emperor found out he snuffed out the whole order. He made an example of them and their minions, strange spider creatures and cultists. But that comes with the territory now doesn't it, worshipping the Dark Gods has its risks."
Well you have heard enough for today, you take advantage of a momentary pause in the conversation to interject, "Thaïs, I don't suppose you could tell me where everyone is?"
Thaïs gives you a sly smile, "Well... Brigit and Gareth went off to check the building so we probably won't see them till tomorrow..."
Well, you may have to dock their pay for running off but at the end of it all you are happy for them, "Ah, young love and all that. How about everyone else?"
"Tyrvard has enlisted the kids and our new friends," she gestures to Ari and Bari who both bow low, "To properly search the building for supplies so that is what they are doing, they are probably all spread out throughout the warehouse. Jari and his shield dwarves are in one of the old offices while the Children are in their tent like usual."
"Well then, don't suppose you want to come crawling through dark tunnels with Serpent and I?" you flash her a smile.
"If you really need the help sure. However, Bari and Ari have agreed to teach me some Dwarven. Perhaps if we learn Jari's language we can begin to win him over."
Bari pipes up, "I am afraid, Miss Thaïs, that my Lord Jari simply does not trust strangers. I fear your efforts will all be for nothing."
You consider Thaïs' idea for a moment and it seems sound, besides you already know who you want to take with you. You answer Bari, "No, I think Thaïs has the right idea. Even if your lord does not trust us we can better work together if at least one of us speaks your language. Don't let me keep you from your lessons."
As you turn to leave Thaïs asks, "And where are you going?"
You reply without breaking your stride, "To convince the dear doctor to risk his life for some roots of course."
--------------------------------------------------
It was not easy but eventually you coaxed Miosguinn out of his tent and the three of you set off single file down the dark and narrow tunnel. You walk in near silence. You lead with Miosguinn in the middle casting basic concealment spells to mask your presence. Ten minutes in and the roof of the tunnel begins to slope downward, twenty minutes in and the three of you are bent near in half to avoid the low roof, thirty minutes in and you are forced to crawl and all the while Serpent swears you are getting close.
Forty minutes in and you finally come out into a proper chamber. Serpent was right, you can see a whole sack of roots across the room... strapped to the dead body of a Journeyman. The room is filled with bodies, maybe ten in total, all reduced to bones and dust but there is no sign of what may have killed them.
The room itself is close to a perfect cube, fifty meters across. The tunnel comes out a few dozen meters from the actual entrance to the room long since collapsed. At ten meter intervals along two of the walls are small alcoves with suits of armour in them. There is an altar at the opposite end of the room with a large statue behind. Most of the corpses are piled around the altar, "Hmmm... looks like the room is trapped..."
Serpent comes out of the tunnel behind you and takes a look around the room, he sniffs the air a little, "Well I was right about the mandrake roots, but you are right this is obviously a trap."
"Well then we are all in agreement," Miosguinn brushes the dust off his robes as he joins the two of you at the edge of the chamber, "I imagine if we set off the trap then those suits of armour will set to work murdering us. I count seven still in one piece and I am not sure we could beat them cleanly."
You are inclined to agree. You speak, more to yourself than to either of your companions, "Possibly but look at how the bodies are arranged, most of them died close to the altar. I think the trigger for the trap is on the far side of the room, probably the altar or the statue..."
You do not like the situation but you came all this way and you won't turn tail at the first trap you encounter, "We are going to cross the room. You two stay close and Misoguinn keep those illusions up. Do not step anywhere but where I step, there may be other traps as well."
Your initial concerns prove correct, three arrow traps, two spear traps and a small pit trap litter the room all attached to pressure plates or trip wires but your years of experience safely see the group to the far side.
Serpent grabs the roots and you consider looting the nine gold plates on the Journeyman's armour. You search the rest of the bodies but find little of real value, old weapons, armour that you can not use, and expired rations. They do have some money which you promptly pocket but beyond that there is very little of interest or use.
You turn your attention to the alter and the statue. Smeared in dried blood on the altar are the words Beware the Guardians. Seems you were right, the statue and altar must be the means by which these suits of armour, clearly Stygian Knights, are triggered.
The statue takes the form of a young and handsome warrior and looks to be solid bronze with a little latch in the abdomen. It holds a length of chain with a key in the shape of a sword on the end of it which slowly swings back and forth. On the altar are twelve holes arranged in a circle and text that spirals inwards towards the center of the circle.
It reads:
The statue before you
Holds chain that was made
For keeping the time
With its pendulum blade
The mid hour of night
Is farthest away
From where the eyes of the statue
In its head lay
Hours of daytime
And hours of night
Here are the same
I shall shed that light
Each hour is named
After person or thing
Your job is to find me
I am not hiding
With the silence of grave
A death come too soon
The master of Shadow
Stands thirteen past noon
Past him stands the Gypsy
And somewhere between, a valiant sight
A Knight of the realm
And a Dragon who fight
Merchant, a trader
His wares beside him in Wagon
Crouches as far away as he can
From the infamous Dragon
The mystical Gypsy
With her tarot cards
Steadies his wares
Lest they crash into shards
The beast of red scale
And long crimson tongue
Is caught right between Knight’s blade
And the shadowy one
Across from the Castle
Stands the Giant of rock
The Hydra of nightmares
Stands across from the Cock
The Cock is a rooster
With feathers of red
Which stands next to Gypsy
Who gives it its bread
The Peasant sleeps poorly
He tosses and screams
For his is the hour
Of ghosts in his dreams
My place is not tricky
Find where I lie
I stand where not mentioned
Which hour am I?
You turn your attention back to the compartment on the statue. You test it to see if it is locked and it is but when you touch the handle you think you hear a faint voice. Unfortunately you can not make out what it is saying.
If you had to guess you would say that picking the correct choice will open the compartment releasing whatever treasure is inside but picking the wrong answer will probably activate the Stygian Knights. If that happens hopefully Miosguinn can mask your presence while you make your escape.
If experience has taught you anything these sorts of traps often hold powerful treasure but maybe you are pushing your luck. You have the roots, maybe you should just head back. Serpent and Miosguinn are looking to you for an order on how to proceed, time to make a choice.
Now I am not sure how good the Codex is at puzzles but this is a dungeon crawl and it is my belief that there should be some so here is what I will do. If no one can solve the puzzle then I can have Derryth try and do it herself, she has high Wis and Int but it will be a check to see if she can figure it out so there is no guarantee of success.
1. Do you try and solve the puzzle?
A) Yes - You want whatever treasure is hidden in the statue.
B) No - You don't want to risk it.
C) Maybe - You will write down the riddle and work on it as a group at your leisure. You can then come back later... hopefully.
2. If you chose to solve the puzzle then how do you want to go about it? If you want Derryth to try and solve it herself then vote for option A. If you would rather try and solve the puzzle yourselves then vote for option B and provide your answer to the puzzle. The twelve holes are arranged like the face of a clock so simply type the time that corresponds with your answer. For example twelve o'clock or six o'clock.
A) Derryth will try and solve it without voter input
B) The voters will provide Derryth's answer. Type your answer, the one with the most votes wins.
C) Get Serpent and Miosguinn to help decipher the puzzle. (This increases your odds but will still involve a check)
3. Ari and Bari offered to give you their wedding bands to pay for the mandrake roots you used to save their comrades. What did you tell them?
A) You took the wedding bands, they will more than pay for the roots.
B)You could not bring yourself to take their rings.
C) You don't want the rings, instead you tell the dwarves that they owe you a favour to be collected at your discretion.
4. The Journeymen were an order of healers founded by the disgraced Heron Guard after the fall of Old Muirthemne. When Alric reformed the Empire they were disbanded and once more became Heron Guard. Each Journeyman carried nine solid gold tiles taken from the ruins of the place, a symbol of the weight of their shame and duty failed. The tiles are worth a lot if you want to take them, or you could respect the importance of the tiles and leave them.
A) You take them.
B) You leave them on the dead Journeyman.
Chapter 9: A Strange Reward
Chapter 9: A Strange RewardThere are a few things that make your life worth living.
A warm bed and someone to share it with.
Fine jewelry, vast riches or a very stylish hat.
A strong drink with a good friend.
A new spell and the promise of greater arcane might.
But your favourite without a doubt is a good mystery, a puzzle, a riddle, some little trap that tests you and allows you to prove that you are just a bit more clever than whoever created it.
One of your most cherished pastimes when Henry was alive was a good game of riddles... you rarely lost...
"Oh this is easy! So Shadow is at one and Dragon is at two and..." you stand there at the altar drawing a proper diagram to map the riddle to.
The enthusiasm you bring to the task surprises your companions and after a few minutes you are confident that you have the correct answer. You grab the key and ram it into the ninth slot and you swear for just a moment that you hear that muffled voice once more calling out to you. You shoo it from your mind and turn the handle of the key, the compartment in the statue opens and your prize rolls out onto the alter.
It is a roundish package wrapped in hessian cloth. The possibilities run through your mind and you babble a bit, "perhaps it is a solid gold sphere, or some sort of teleportation stone, or what if it is THE ORB OF ULTIMATE POWER!" (though you are fairly certain that you just made that last one up in your excitement).
Serpent and Miosguinn, smiles on their faces, gather around as you begin to unwrap the package, you unwind the rope holding it together and dump out your prize....
.
..
...
....
It is a head...
A dried out, wizen, old head.
Disappointment hits you like a great wave and your temper flares up a bit. You grab the head to pitch it across the room when something falls out of its mouth. A brilliant sapphire tumbles to the ground, followed by a second one and a third. You pop open its mouth to get a better look and there are two more lodged in the back.
"Do you know what these are Miss Derryth?" Miosguinn has snatched up all three and he passes one to you and one to Serpent, "These are Heaven Stones, they are said to grant their bearer great resistance to magic provided that they are carried in the mouth like so."
Without hesitation the doctor pops the sapphire into his mouth. You make a bit of a face, "Doctor Miosguinn you know exactly where that has been, what if you catch something?"
The doctor just grins and shrugs, seems it is a bit difficult to talk with one of these in your mouth.
Serpent examines his stone, "These could be quite useful, but perhaps we should disinfect them first Derryth. I do not think it would be wise to place anything in your mouth that you retrieve from a corpse without proper precautions."
"Well at least there was treasure in the statue. I hate it when I solve a puzzle and get nothing for it," you give the head a good shake and the fourth sapphire tumbles out into your other hand but the final one is lodged in the head's throat.
You think for a moment about bashing the head open but you think you can grab it if you just reach inside. However you are not going to put your hand in the mouth of a corpse.
It would not surprise you if the jaw is rigged to slam down on anyone that reaches inside. Instead you get out your tools and fish the jewel out. Sure enough as soon as you pull on the jewel the jaws of the head slam shut on your tools, that would have hurt...
You pry the jaws open with a little difficulty but eventually you get the last sapphire and you place the head back on the altar. With your treasure secure the three of you turn to leave the chamber.
In doing so you kick up a cloud of dust and what happens next just about kills you all...
Miosguinn sneezes and chokes on the sapphire.
Serpent grabs him from behind and squeezes.
The sapphire flies from his mouth and sets off one of the arrow traps.
You pull them both out of the way as three arrows fly across the room.
One of them grazes you, drawing blood.
It flies past you and hits the head, pining it to the statue.
Then things get decidedly strange.
As your blood touches the head it begins to reanimate; the skin regains its elasticity; the hair regains its colour, strawberry blonde; the eyes fill back out and turn a brilliant blue and the tongue of the head regenerates and begins to move. It is gorgeous, well at least for a severed head. A bright blue rune glows on the head's forehead as well, it is a bit distracting to be honest.
She, you are sure now that the head is female, turns her attention to you, giggles for a bit and begins to speak, "Oh thank you dear, I was trying to shout the answer to you but it is so hard to do with a mouth full of stones... well and no tongue..." she stops and flashes you a warm smile, "Don't suppose that you could pull this arrow out dear?"
For a minute you stand there in complete awe, it is a talking head after all, then you nod and proceed to do just that. As the arrow comes free the head's wound closes, you can tell it pains her but after but a moment she is fully recovered. Well as fully recovered as a severed head can be.
As the four of you stand in silence Serpent decides to get the conversation started, "So, umm... who are you and how did you wind up trapped in there?"
The head starts, "Oh that is easy, I am... umm..." a troubled and slightly puzzled expression clouds the head's countenance, "well, I don't actually know who I am to be honest. As to why I am here, well I imagine I angered someone powerful and they sought to punish me but I don't really remember I am afraid."
This is all quite odd, you ask "Well how long have you been down here?"
"Umm, seventy years maybe... it is a bit difficult to remember to be honest. I remember being quite upset for the first twenty or so years, I wanted to hurt the man that did this to me... he was a colleague, hmmm... My... Myr... ahh, I can't remember but..." she stops and thinks for a moment, "ah, no point holding a grudge right? I think I was some sort of mage and I think I was quite powerful but it is hard to remember really."
With a little concern you continue, "Well is there anything we can do for you?"
She gives you a happy smile, "Oh that is sweet of you dear... well let me think. Actually I don't really need anything what with being almost immortal and all... More than anything I am just bored... oh, I know! You seem to have those leg and arm thingies, you could pick me up and take me with you! It would be nice to be out of this room for a little while at least."
Miosguinn takes you by the arm and whispers in your ear, "I say we put her back in the statue, no good can come of this-"
The head snorts, "You know I can hear you right? You bug me little man, why don't you go away and let me talk to your boss?"
Miosguinn turns to the head, seems she hit a nerve, "Why don't you make me you abomination? You unnatural, abhorent-"
The head sucks her teeth, "You are as an insect before me!" she shouts, then giggles as she begins to cast. She is drawing a lot of power, you can feel it. Then the blue rune on her forehead changes colour from blue to red, she cries out in pain and stops casting as the rune returns to its original colour, "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Miosguinn laughs at her efforts, though you can tell that for a minute there he was terrified.
She sighs and turns her attention back to you, she gives you the saddest stare you have ever been forced to endure, "Seems I am completely powerless... I suspect I even knew that once... Look, dear I can tell you are a mage. I can teach you everything I know, all you have to do is take me with you. I don't want to spend all of, well, forever trapped down here. I don't want to lose what is left of my mind, so please, please, please take me with you."
You decide to humour her for a moment at least, "Well why should I trust you?"
She giggles, "Dear you should not trust anyone," she stares at Miosguinn, "Why not ask this insect, this gnat, this cockroach, this plotting spider why exactly he is cloaked in magics that even I can not penetrate. What are you hiding?"
The head and the doctor stare one another down, "Miss Derryth, this thing is completely mad. You are our leader, I will stand by your decision but I do not like this thing and we should not take it with us."
You tilt your head a little, "Miosguinn, is she right? Are you hiding something?"
He sighs, "Yes, Derryth. When I was a young man I lacked discretion. I was injured badly, my form scarred and forever marred. I wear permanent enchantments to hide my deformities and that is probably what this thing detects. I have never told this to anyone, it is my failing, it was my pride and I beg you, both of you, not to go spreading it around."
You turn back to the head, "Well? Is he telling the truth?"
She looks at you an odd smile playing across her face, "No idea dearie. He may well be or he may be lying to you," she yawns and turns her gaze to the doctor, "If you are telling the truth then you have my sympathies... I know better than anyone what it is like to have your body ruined... or misplaced..." she giggles again and focuses on you.
"So dearie, what are you going to do? Are you going to free me, be a real knight in shining armour or are you going to leave me all alone in this dark, dark hole?" she whimpers a little and gives you the sad eyes again, hell she could teach Thaïs a thing or too about manipulation...
She could be a useful asset or a tremendous risk but she definitely has power, power she has offered to teach you though you wonder what the final price will be.
1. Do you take the head?
A) Yes - no one deserves this fate and she is not immediately dangerous. Besides part of you has always wanted a talking head.
B) No - someone put her down here for a reason.
2. The head will need a name since she can not remember her own. If you take her with you, you should give her one. What will it be?
3. Miosguinn spat his stone across the room. After a few minutes of careful maneuvering you recover it but do you give it back to him?
A) Yes - you still have three more plus Serpent's, you give it back and tell him to be more careful with it.
B) No - the damn thing just about got you all killed. If he can't play safely with his toys then you will hold on to them.
4. An interesting idea occurred to you. You could try to examine the spells that animate the Stygian Knights as they are still dormant. You may be able to figure out how the spell works if you have the time. This would allow you to release the souls trapped in the armour and if you choose it could also allow you to create your own Stygian Knights though it would take a lot of power and practice. Serpent and Miosguinn can help you with this as can the head if you agree to take her with you. Of course if you get it wrong the knights may activate and attack...
A) Yes - you examine the knights to learn the spells.
B) No - you don't risk it.
Chapter 10: Uninvited Guests
I got the update done early, not too long but important choices at the end.Chapter 10: Uninvited Guests
They stand behind you chattering, "I think the key to the spell is sorrow, think of sadness and how to relieve it and-"
Well maybe bickering would be more accurate, "Serpent, stop giving advice on things you know nothing about. These are Stygians they are bound by hatred, she has to find a way to calm-"
"Gentlemen! Will you shut the fuck up!" the three of you are inspecting the nearest Stygian Knight and their constant attempts to "help" are driving you mad.
If you can figure out how the spells are constructed you will probably be able to unwind them and free the souls trapped inside. It is just a happy coincidence that in doing so you will gain even greater arcane knowledge. Of course one wrong move on your part and they will all activate and attack, "Serpent, go get Nine and see if she can help with this."
Serpent carefully moves back to the altar and retrieves Nine, "Miss Nine, we could use your assistance with the knights..." you can hear Serpent explaining the situation to her but you have to stay focused on the spells you are unravelling.
"Well dearie, let me take a look at this," Serpent props the head up so that she can properly view the remaining enchantments, she giggles, "Oh this is easy! I can't believe you have not figured it out yet."
"Well then out with it you insufferable, scatterbrained relic!" your decision to take Nine with you has done nothing to improve Miosguinn's mood.
"No!" she sticks out her tongue and closes her eyes.
Serpent tries to coax the answer from her, "Please Miss Nine it would be a great help to us."
She responds alternating between a sweet tone and complete rage, "Oh dear, I would love to help you and Derryth but I will not aid this ungrateful little insect!"
Their bickering is actually making the task harder, you spare just enough of your attention to try and smooth out the situation, "Well, what if he apologizes?"
Serpent turns her to look at you, "Ummm... It would be a start. Yes, if he apologizes then I will help!"
The doctor understands what he must do and with considerable effort manages a few words, "I... I am sorry Nine-"
"Not good enough," the head practically sings, "Use my full title. I am your superior after all."
You had decided you can her NINE, THE ORB OF ULTIMATE POWER, as a joke at first but she has really taken to the name. In fact she refuses to even listen to Miosguinn unless he uses the full name and title.
Miosguinn sighs, "I am sorry Nine, the Orb of Ultimate Power, for insulting you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Seems she is so pleased with herself that she does not even notice the reference to her misplaced body, "Well as the Orb of Ultimate Power I suppose I must humour the little people of the world. Very well you are forgiven... for now," she breaks out into another giggling fit, yawns and turns her gaze back to the knight you are working on.
After but a few brief moments of reflection she begins her lecture in a singsong voice, "Now then my dear apprentices the answer is quite simple. A Stygian Knight is a defender, a guardian, a protector perhaps. They are bound by duty. In this case the duty of containing me. So stop fighting them with your spells. Instead just lie to them, give them a memory that I have been permanently destroyed and they will stop fighting your efforts to free them."
With that final tip you begin to work the last spells necessary to release the spirit but these are expertly made Stygian Knights and you struggle a little. Nine calmly guides you through each step and quickly, quietly, and without even realizing it the magics binding the Stygian Knight to this world unravel and the armour falls to the floor. From there it is a simple matter to repeat the process. All told it takes an hour and a half with Nine coaching you through different techniques to free all of the spirits.
Nine is a very good teacher and unlike every other mage you have ever met she seems completely unconcerned with hording her knowledge. In fact you have learnt more about magical theory from her in one hour than in the rest of your life combined. Serpent and Miosguinn both give her their complete attention as well, seems she is teaching you things the good doctor was not even aware were possible. The experience excites you but also leaves you a little terrified of her...
With the knights freed the room lies plundered, you lead your companions back across the room mindful of any traps and the four of you return to camp.
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Ten minutes from camp you hear the sounds of battle..
As you leave the tunnel and re-enter the basement complete chaos greets you. The four of you stand there, in shock, but it seems that no one is looking in your direction, no one knows you are here, "Alright, there are three of us and-"
"I have to find my apprentice!" Miosguinn casts a basic illusion and disappears. Well great now you are down to two mages and a head...
Your camp is under attack by a couple dozen spider-like creatures ranging from the size of a large dog to some bigger than a horse. The spiders are accompanied by twenty humans, they all wear black, silver and red robes but three of them seem to be better equipped than the others.
Your forces have been split in half by the attack. But your keen eyesight allows you to pick out almost all of the important details.
Five of the dwarves under Jori's leadership are taking the brunt of the attack. You count two of the dwarven scouts, Jori and his two shield dwarves. The two scouts are providing cover and thinning out the horde while Jori and his bodyguards handle any survivors. They have managed to draw the attention of maybe eighteen spiders and one of the three enemy leaders. The cloaked figure wields a large curved blade with grace and skill but you can tell that Jori is the better fighter as he holds off the figure and three more attackers as well. The dwarves are doing well all things considered but you are worried they may be overrun.
On the other side of the camp Thaïs, Ithapi, Amena, Ari and Bari have set up a barricade. Ari and Bari have set up proper kill zones and are hitting their targets with a speed and accuracy that is uncommon for a dwarf. Thaïs and Amena are picking off any survivors with spells and Thaïs' crossbow while Itapi is hurling large crates and barrels at their attackers. They are easily repelling any spiders that come their way but one of the enemy leaders wielding a large black bow and riding on the back of a particularly large spider is marshaling a dozen of her fellows for another attack.
Off to one side stands a figure in plain black and silver robes with an unadorned silver staff. At first you did not even notice her, she does not move or attack and does not communicate with the other attackers. She is just watching it all unfold.
Finally by the entrance to the lower tunnels stands a figure in very elaborate black, silver and red robes, he wears a great horned headdress and is shouting instructions to everyone around him. He is surrounded by two of the robed figures and a pair of spiders the size of large dogs.
You do not see Gareth, Brigit, Tyrvard and three of the dwarves. They are probably still somewhere in the warehouse above and of course the Children are also missing.
At the moment the two sides are about even. You have the advantage in skill and sheer firepower but they have the numbers and a certain fanatical determination. You may be able to help score a victory here but where should you direct your efforts?
1. How do you want to help?
A) Help Jori's dwarves against the enemy spiders and the swordsman.
B) Help Thaïs, the kids, and the pathfinders against the archer and her men.
C) You feel compelled to find out who the lone figure is. You approach her to start a dialogue as insane as it seems in the middle of a battle.
D) You are drawn to the lone figure but this is a battle, you attack her. Once beaten you can interrogate her at your leisure.
E)Attack the enemy leader using the element of surprise. Take him out and your attackers may retreat.
F) You don't help, you flee back into the tunnel and wait for the fighting to stop...
G) It should be possible to project a mass suggestion onto the attackers and cause them to rout. It will take a lot of power however and it may well fail.
H) Freeform
2. The rest of your group is probably still upstairs, unaware of the battle below their feet. You could try and send Serpent to go find them, do you?
A) Yes - we will need the reinforcements.
B) No - they will not make it in time.
Chapter 11: The Lost and the Damned
Chapter 11: The Lost and the Damned"Well what are we going to do Derryth?" Serpent anxiously asks.
"I am not sure to be honest. I wish Gareth was here he has the military mind not me," you frown and consider your options, people will die here today but as you notice a lone figure standing by herself you begin to think that maybe they don't have to, "Perhaps... perhaps this is all a misunderstanding, maybe we can talk our way out of this?"
Serpent only nods, he is uncertain but willing to follow your lead. The two of you slip along to edge of the room to avoid attention.
She is young, maybe a few years younger than yourself, pretty enough you suppose, silver hair and grey eyes, she stands with the quiet confidence of one used to getting her own way. As you approach the figure she notices you and raises her staff but does not attack.
As soon as she sees you she frowns, seems there is something about you that she does not like and to be honest as you give her the once over you must admit that the feeling is mutual.
The two of you just stand there is silence staring at each other so Serpent steps forward and takes the lead, "Warm greeting Miss-"
"I am known as the Black Spider," she responds as she stares at you. She turns her attention to Serpent and smiles warmly extending her free hand to him, "But you may call me Christine."
"That is a rather odd name," you remark coolly.
She shrugs, maintaining an air of general hostility towards you, "It is the only one I have."
The two of you stare at one another for a moment, there is just something about her you do not like.
"Why are you attacking my friends?"
"Oh, you are with the dwarves, then?"
"After a fashion yes."
"We are attacking them because they seek to rob us."
"And who exactly are you?"
"Mother says we are the Damned, closest thing we have to a name I suppose."
"What do you intend if you win?"
"We will kill them all and take the rest of you as slaves I should think. We simply can not take any risks now. Although..." she gives Serpent a hungry smile and a little wink, "Perhaps we do not have to make all of you slaves if you surrender now..."
When she returns her gaze to you her smile fades and the conversation dies again as the two of you stare daggers at one another.
Serpent makes one last attempt to turn the situation around, "Well Miss Christine, this is Derryth and I am One Serpent Green Talon. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he reaches out to take her hand, still extended towards him. As he does so, she pulls him forward and spins him pushing him up against a nearby bit of wall.
She presses up against him and whispers something in his ear. He blushes as she runs her free hand down his cheek to his neck, "You know , you are actually kind of cute. I think I will bring you home and introduce you to mother. How would you like that?"
This has gone far enough, you are not going to just let her kidnap your friend. You begin to cast immediately, but so does she.
You have a feeling this may not end well as you stare her down, "Let him go," you order with not a little malice in your voice.
"Make me," she gives you a smile that promises nothing but violence.
Well that does it, you know you should not, especially at this range but she is so asking for it, "Serpent, be ready to heal me. I am going to blast this bi-"
"Ladies please!" Serpent is trying his best to defuse the situation and you both stop casting as he grabs your attention, "Christine look at me, do we really have to do this?"
"Well that is up to you gorgeous. Come visit the family, I promise no harm will come to you and I will spare your little follower here," she gestures at you.
You are just barely holding yourself back at this point, if you were not worried about Serpent you would have struck her already, "Follower! I am his friend, I am his boss but I am no one's follower!"
"Could have fooled me, you look like your built for manual labour," she glances at your outstretched hand and gives you that damn smile again, "Just like I thought, farmer's hands, not the hands of a mage."
Concern is written plainly on Serpent's face, he knows your temper better than she does and he knows just how close the situation is to boiling over, "Alright! Alright, Christine, if you promise not to harm my friends then I will go with you."
"Great! You will love it I guarantee," as they turn to leave you move to strike but she is ready.
She throws a small sack at you and as it connects with your outstretched arm it explodes. Fine silver threads bind your hands and ankles together and you fall.
"See lover, I told you I would not hurt your little friend so can we go now?" She gives him a warm smile and slips an arm around his waist.
Serpent sighs, "One moment please."
He slips away from her and walks up to you, sorrow clearly visible on his face. He drops to one knee, "Looks like we must go our separate ways sooner than either of us would have liked..."
"Serpent you don't have to-" you begin but he merely shakes his head.
Looking into your eyes he begins, "Yes I do. I can not prevent her from harming you and I will not have the blood of the only friend I have ever," he stops for but a moment, "I will not have your blood on my hands Derryth."
He places two objects next to you, his sack of mandrake roots and a robe. It takes you a moment to realize that it is one of those makeshift affairs that Brigit cobbled together with the little stars and moons... he kept it... he really...
Your thoughts are interrupted as he rises to his feet, "Live well Derryth."
And with that the two of them walk off together into the darkness of the tunnel.
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Ten minutes, it takes a whole Wyrd-damned ten minutes to finally free yourself of your bonds and as you get to your feet you survey the battlefield.
Jori stands alone, the other four dwarves all lay on the ground dead or incapacitated. His sword is broken, his shield cracked and cast away he is fighting with his gauntlets against the swordsman. Every blow the swordsman strikes seems to drive him further into a rage.
You have seen nothing like it, his followers gone, his weapons broken, he refuses to fall and he is dropping his attackers with deftly placed body blows. As he snaps the neck of the last robed figure only the swordsman remains. The two square off. Jari is by far the better fighter but he must be suffering from dozens of injuries at this point. You are not sure that he will carry the day but for the moment the balance of forces on that side of the battlefield remains equal.
On the other side of the chamber the archer and her remaining followers have the rest of your group pinned down. You can see from your vantage point that Ithapi and Amena are both incapacitated, with serious arrow wounds. Ari and Bari have killed most of the robed figures and spiders but the archer has the range necessary to simply pick them off. Currently she is trading shots with Thaïs who is relying on her crossbow, her magic completely spent for now. You think that the first one to successfully land a shot will win that fight.
The enemy commander continues to observe the battlefield, additional forces have come up from the tunnel and he is now surrounded by ten men and four spiders. He is holding back his forces. He is waiting, perhaps evaluating the abilities of his lieutenants.
Surveying the battlefield he finally makes his move advancing with his men towards Jari.
The dwarf is doomed but as they cross the battlefield an explosion rocks the chamber. Falling debris kills two of the Damned, and a hole opens in the roof. A single figure drops through and lands right onto of the commander driving a boot straight into his face.
"Hahaha! Come! Meet your deaths here, puny spider men!" Tyrvard rolls clear of the group dropping two of their number and three of the spiders as he leaps to his feet. About time the Berserk arrived but you do not see Gareth or Brigit anywhere.
The battle rages before you but no one is yet aware of your presence.
1.What will you do?
A) Aid Jori against the Swordsman, it is your belief that you could completely blindside the Swordsman. You need answers and payment for the escort, if he dies both will probably die with him.
B)Aid Thaïs against the Spider Riding Archer, normally you would not attack a spider that size but as luck would have it the spider is standing right over a satchel charge that has fallen from one of the dwarves packs. One simple create fire spell and boom... of course you will have to really concentrate to hit your target from this range.
C) Tyrvard is currently fighting the entire command group by himself. He has killed over half of them but they are beginning to adjust and are attempting to contain him. The commander is also back on his feet, a bizarre mace in hand and is about to attack the Beserk.
D) You immediately leave the battle and go after Serpent and Christine, sure she "spared" you but you are determined to save your friend and get a little revenge.
E) Nine's voice whispers in the back of your mind , she says that she could end this whole battle in an instant if you would just let her in... You have had enough, damn the consequences, this ends now... you let her in.
F) Freeform
Chapter 12: Aftermath
Chapter 12: AftermathSerpent is gone, at least for now, as much as you might like to go after them you can not leave your expedition to die here. You resolve to stay, the question is where can you be of the most use?
"Dearie, if you let me help you we could end this in but a moment," Nine whispers to you from the sack you shoved her in.
You pull her out of the sack, "Really now Nine, I am not an idiot. If I let you in why would you ever leave?"
She giggles, "Oh dear I am so proud of you! The paranoia, the distrust, you will be a worthy student and a great mage I can just tell."
"I suppose I should be flattered?" you respond in a decidedly flat tone, you are not really in the mood for this right now.
She flutters her eyelashes, "Why of course you should be. You want to do things on your own and that is a good thing," her smile takes on a most peculiar quality as she continues, "It is the only way you will really learn after all... Well then I am going to take a quick nap!"
At first you think she is joking but no she is deathly serious. She closes her eyes and starts snoring, you give her a shake, "Dear I am sleeping, go on now you have a lot of work to do."
Well she is not going to be much help.
You turn your attention to the three fights, considering each in turn. Tyrvard is fresh, you reason he can last even though he is outnumbered. Jori and the swordsman are still even and you doubt he would even recognize your help in his state. No, the best place to help would be against the archer. One lucky shot and she could kill Thaïs and pick off Ari and Bari. You know exactly what you have to do...
A satchel charge, your current target... one canvas bag, loaded with over two pounds of dwarven black powder specially treated to enhance its explosive properties. From what you understand detonating one can cause quite a mess...
You stand in the shadow of a stone pillar and you focus. You picture the dancers again, twirling around one another in your mind's eye, clothes of silken flame. Faster they dance, and faster still as they meld together a twisting blur all amber and cerise.
The satchel charge detonates.
The spider takes the brunt of the blast and is torn into large, wet chucks that are propelled across the room. Its rider is a bit more lucky. She is cast into the air screaming and slams into a nearby pile of debris with a sickening thud. She lies still, her leg bent at a ninety degree angle out to the side. She moans, still alive, but definitely out of this battle.
What happens next tells you a lot about both sides of this conflict. The explosion, and the rider's scream catch the attention of the swordsman and the commander's men, though they fight well they are not accustomed to this level of violence and they are too easily distracted by it. In stark contrast Tyrvard, Jori and the commander continue to fight. They understand the nature of this battle, one does not stop until the opponent is dead.
With the swordsman distracted Jori unleashes one last flurry of blows. To the knee, to the elbow, to the stomach, finally to the throat. Silently the swordsman crumples into a pile on the ground. Jori moves to finish the figure but he just does not have enough left in him. Finally overcome by his wounds he collapses on the ground next to the figure, surrounded by the dead.
Tyrvard takes the opportunity to further thin out the ranks of his opponents, felling the last spider and another two of the Damned. As the balance of the battle shifts the commander raises one hand and begins casting.
Dark words, dark thoughts, you can feel the beginnings of a spell and it is powerful but it does not feel directly dangerous. As you watch the torches in the room quickly dim until all is in complete darkness. A moment later they burst back into full flame but the commander and his remaining men are gone.
As you stand there taking in the carnage you notice a small black, red and silver spider the size of your fist sitting nearby and watching you. Once it realizes that it has your attention it speaks. Not out loud of course but rather through your mind.
It has a message for you from its master, "Go back grave robber. If you push forward you will lose everything, you will die, I can guarantee you that-"
The spider is unable to finish its message however as it is attacked by a slightly larger spider, this one black and silver but without the red markings, this new messenger speaks, "Forward stranger, you are not without allies on the road ahead," it spits out a silver and black ring at your feet which you pocket for now.
With that the spider scurries off into the dark of the tunnel ahead. Great, crazy cultists and cryptic, talking spiders your day just keeps getting better.
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Thaïs notices you as you approach the barricade, "Derryth!" she runs up to you and throws her arms around you, seems it is becoming a bit of a habit of hers, "Was that you with the satchel charge? It had to have been right? I knew you would not abandon me, er... abandon us... umm where is Serpent? Amena and Ithapi need his help!"
You try to calm her down and break the bad news to her as Tyrvard carries Jari over, "Serpent is gone, they took him..."
"What! These vile spider folk have taken Serpent!" the Berserk bellows in rage, "We must move quickly to rescue him!"
Thaïs places one hand on the great warrior's shoulder, "We have to tend to our wounded first and find Gareth and Brigit."
"Has anyone seen the Children?" you ask with a little concern. They both shake their heads, they have not seen Isolde since before the battle and they thought Miosguinn was with you. You check the wagon... all of their things are missing...
You set to the difficult task of putting things back together:
You have some medical skill and Serpent's bag of mandrake roots. Nine has offered to guide you in their use but it will take a lot out of you and you will not be able to use them as well as Serpent does. However you can save lives here.
Thaïs, Tyrvard, Ari and Bari help you set up a makeshift operating room and infirmary. You have a lot to do but not much time to do it in.
(You have 10 mandrake roots in total.)
1. Gareth and Brigit are still missing. Bari has volunteered to go find them. Do you let him?
A) Yes - Gareth has medical experience and they are both excellent fighters. You need them down here in case another attack is launched.
B) No - Who knows why they are not down here yet. There may be something up there and you do not want to lose more people.
C) Yes but you will all do a proper search together after you have dealt with the wounded.
D) Yes but you will send Tyrvard instead of Bari.
2. Amena is badly injured. The wounds are severe but probably not fatal:
A)You treat her with mandrake roots. She is essentially your apprentice and the only other person here with medical knowledge. The quicker she is on her feet the sooner you will have help. (Cost: 2 mandrake roots, Time: 10 min, Bonus: Extra medical help, the time to cure all other patients is halved, this will stack with Gareth's bonus if you can find him).
B) You treat her with mundane treatments. She should be fine but she will not be able to help you or cast much anytime soon. (Time: 15 min)
3. Ithapi is badly injured. The wounds are severe but probably not fatal:
A)You treat him with mandrake roots. He is essentially your ward and one of the few fighters you have left. The quicker he is back to full health the better. (Cost: 2 mandrake roots, Time 20 min, Bonus: extra muscle)
B)You treat him with mundane treatments. He should be fine though he won't be at full strength for a day or two at the very least. (Time: 30 min)
4. Jori has a number of potentially mortal injuries. He will die if you do not use mandrake roots on him:
A)Heal him. (Cost: 4 mandrake roots, Time: 40 min, Bonus: morale?, payment?, answers?)
B)Let him die. It is his fault you are in this situation to begin with and you do not want to waste that many roots.
5. Of the dwarves that fought with Jori you believe you can save two, one of the shield dwarves and one of the grenadiers but it will take mandrake roots to do it.
A) Help them. (Cost 4 mandrake roots, Time 60 min, Bonus: two extra fighters)
B) No you do not want to waste the resources.
6. The swordsman or rather woman now that you get a better look at her is still alive as is the archer. They are both badly wounded but you could stabilize them and take them as hostages. They may have information about the Damned and you may be able to use them to bargain for Serpent's freedom.
A) Yes you help them and you also use mandrake roots on them. You want them to be able to move on their own if you hit an obstacle. (Cost: 4 mandrake roots, Time 10 min, Bonus: hostages)
B) Yes you help them. They will have to ride in the wagon but you should be able to stabilize them. (Time 40 min, Bonus: hostages)
C) You finish them off.
7. Nine has offered to train both you and your circle in combat magics to help with what is ahead. You are not sure what she has in mind but it could definitely help.
A) You accept her help.
B) You refuse her help.
8. The silver and black spider gave you a ring. Do you keep it?
A) Keep it.
B) Throw it away
As always freeform options are available for everything.
Chapter 13: Revelations
Chapter 13: Revelations"Thaïs, I need more light here!" she brings the lantern closer to your patient, Jori the dwarf, currently resting on death's door. As she does so Amena hands you another mandrake root. Nine has been guiding you in their use but you are still wasting about half the energy in them, you simply do not have the skill that Serpent does.
You crack the root open and the magical energy pours forth into your hands, already it is dissipating. As Nine explained it, healing spells are bound up in notions of sacrifice, empathy and life. You think of spring, you think of fields in bloom, of the natural world under a warm sun and you cast. Ivory strings extend from your fingers, worming their way into the dwarf's wounds. As they clean the wounds and sop up the blood they shift in tone to a light seashell, the slightest tint of pink bleeding into the spell. The strings work quickly to remove debris and to close the wound. You are left a little tired but you have much more work to do before you can rest.
Three quarters of an hour have passed since you sent Bari running off but finally Gareth and Brigit limp into camp. Seems Bari managed to find them after all. She is limping, injured, her leg bandaged and Gareth supports her with one arm. You will have to get the story later, for now you order him to clean his hands and help you with the wounded. With the help of both Gareth and Amena you manage to save considerable time. Ithapi is up and moving, even if a bit slowly, Jori and two of his companions are back in full health and you even managed to stabilize the two lieutenants that the Damned left behind.
After the day you have had, you want nothing more than to sleep but first you need answers and there are plenty of questions to ask.
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"Alright, so which one of you is going to tell me what happened?" you lean against one of the fallen pillars as Gareth and Brigit exchange glances. Part of you wants to really lay into them but you know that would do no good.
Gareth starts, "Well we were exploring the far side of the building looking for supplies..."
Brigit chimes in, "And we might ha gotten a little distracted..."
They look at one another, "We lost track of time but then we heard the explosions coming from below and we hurried back."
"Well what happened then?" you know that the answer will be nothing good.
The veteran sighs, "Well, Isolde was waiting for us... she attacked..."
"You mean Misoguinn's girl? How did his apprentice manage to stop both of you?"
A look of terror creeps onto Brigit's face, "She was fast Derryth, too fast and strong too. She moved at odd angles and her teeth..."
Brigit shakes, Gareth puts an arm around her, "She had us dead to rights Derryth. She had Brigit by the leg, bit right into her and was about to finish her off when Miosguinn showed up. He ordered her to let Brigit go, she really did not want to. She said something in a language I have never heard before. They argued, he struck her... the look she gave him... it was like she wanted to rip him in two."
Brigit looks back up at you, "He gave us this," she hands you a crumpled piece of paper on which is scribbled a short note.
To Miss Derryth ó Foghladh
I can not begin to express my shame at being unable to live up to my end of our agreement. You have dealt fairly with me, far more so than I deserve in fact, and it is my hope that you do not think unkindly of me despite my failings. Due to the courtesy you have extended to me I wish to offer you but one piece of advice.
Turn back. Destroy this letter, pretend you have never set eyes upon this place and leave those dwarves to whatever end they make for themselves. I beg you, turn back.
You have no reason to believe me or to trust me save for the fact that I have never done you wrong but I ask you to follow my advice. If you value your life and those of your friends turn back before you lose everything. There are other paths to take to reach your goal, pursue them instead.
M-
I hope you will not hold it against me if I pray we never meet again
Sound advice, you might even normally take it but those people have Serpent and you are loathe to leave without him.
"Then what happened?" you ask as you look up from the note and motion them to continue.
Gareth rubs Brigit's shoulder and looking you in the eye as he answers, "Well then they both disappeared, Bari found us shortly after and sent us down here."
"Alright then. Brigit, get some rest. Gareth, go help Tyrvard keep watch. The last thing we need is to be hit by a surprise attack," they both nod as you walk away.
There is a certain dwarf that owes you answers.
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Ari sits with Jori and the two argue over something that must be terribly important. It seems that this time he wants to do something and she is cautioning against it. The two other dwarves sit slightly back from them, they are listening to the argument but express no opinion. They notice you and Ari greets you as you approach, "Greetings Derryth, I am afraid that at the moment my Lord Jori-"
Jori raises one hand to stop her. He mumbles something in Dwarven and the three other dwarves nod, they get to their feet and leave the two of you alone.
He motions for you to sit and you do. In awkward silence you stare at one another, each passing second feel like an eternity. He pokes at the small fire before him. He seems like a completely different man, his confidence and arrogance gone, he is battered and only time will tell if he is beaten as well.
For a moment you are curious as to how the two of you will communicate given the language barrier.
Then Jori begins to speak, his tone steeped in regret, his face coloured by shame. What he is about to say must be difficult for him but what really catches you off guard is that when he speaks it is in perfect Bruig, "I am a fool... the son of a fool... and the grandson of a fool. Human, no... I hope you will let me call you Derryth. Twice now you have saved my life and I have done nothing but heap ever greater shame upon myself and my people. You have fought with us, bled with us and you have lost your friend to these madmen. I will withhold nothing more now. Ask and I shall answer."
A little overwhelmed by the dwarf's speech you ask the first thing that comes into your head, "Who are you Jori and what are you after?"
The smile he gives you is a grim one, "Two questions then? Very well I shall give you two answers, one short and the other long. I am Jori, the sixth son of Albrecht VII, King of all the Dwarves," he can sense your scepticism as he says these words and so he removes one mailed glove to reveal the royal signet of the House of Albrecht. Either he really is a prince or he killed one as the ring looks real.
Replacing his mailed glove he continues, "As to why I am here, that is a long story. My people have been allies of the Cath Bruig for thousands of years. In fact dwarven ingenuity is responsible for many of the great works that litter this city. A little over a century ago, my grandfather lost our kingdom in a war with the ghôls and their new ally Balor. The twin capitals Myrgard and Stoneheim were sacked and my people fled to the lands of men. My father came to Muirthemne to petition the Emperor for aid but none was forthcoming, and within a few short decades we were forced to flee again as Balor sacked the city above. I was little more than a child at the time but I remember the chaos and the terror and in that chaos my family lost an artefact important to my people."
He pauses to stir the fire, it reflects in his eyes, the fear of a child in a time of war, "Much as you humans have the Ibis Crown to serve as a symbol of your empire, we too have a symbol of leadership. A great maul, a hammer, encrusted with enchantments and protective runes. When my father reclaimed the throne after the Great War we began searching for it. We knew it was only a matter of time before the noble houses began asking to see it, if it is revealed that the maul is lost well..."
"So you and nine of your fellows came to retrieve it?" you ask, intrigued by the opportunities this story presents, provided it is true.
"Well, there were more than ten of us in the beginning. I set out from Myrgard with a sizable force of sixty dwarves. But it is a long journey and we were forced to constantly battle against the ghôls. Still we arrived with thirty strong souls but we were not prepared for what we would find, the shadows, the creatures, the spiders. I led the survivors to the Dwarven Quarter in search of answers but we were constantly hounded by hordes of spiders, had you not arrived when you did we certainly all would have perished."
You prod him with another question to keep him talking, "What do you intend to do now?"
"We will press on, we will avenge our dead, we will try and save your friend, we will reclaim the maul or we will die. There is no other acceptable outcome. I hope that I can count on your support in this Derryth. Should we succeed the house of Albrecht will owe you a great debt, I will owe you another debt... I failed my people, I hope that you can succeed where I failed," as he finishes his sentence his gaze drifts up to the ceiling, contemplating his future or his failures.
With nothing more to say you leave the dwarf to his thoughts. Ari scurries back over to Jori and the two of them fall back into conversation. Well, she talks and he stares into the fire.
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"Any luck with our guests?" Ithapi is guarding the prisoners. They are in stable if weak condition.
He sighs, grunts and delivers his report, "They refuse to talk, just name and rank that is it. Though every now and then they say something when they think I am not listening. Turns out they are related, sisters in fact, the older one that was wielding a sword is named Biliku, the younger one that was doing her best to murder me is called Uttu. They are captains of something called the Red Order but beyond that they refuse to speak. I have tried kind words and threats and nothing seems to work."
You frown, "So they are professional soldiers then?"
He stops for a moment considering the idea, then lets out a single short laugh, "I don't think so Derryth, they can't be more than fifteen or sixteen. They are dumb kids nothing more."
You give your ward a little punch, "Dumb kids he says. Ithapi your just a kid yourself," he cracks a grin as you start to think out loud, "So they are not professionals, maybe we can spook them into talking then..."
Yes that could work, you give him a sly smile, "Well then we will just have to do a little convincing. Go get Thaïs and Amena, I have a plan."
A few moments later everyone is present, you fish Nine our of your bag and after a few moments of surprise and the proper introductions you lay out you plan...
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You and Thaïs walk into the makeshift infirmary and she drags an old table over. You sit Nine on the table, her eyes closed.
The two girls first look at the two of you, then the head, then each other. You can hear them gulp.
Thaïs begins, "Now then girls, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot here. There is no reason why we all can not get what we want is there?"
The older girl blurts out, " Biliku, Captain of the Red Order!"
The younger girl follows her lead, "Uttu, Captain of the Red Order!"
Thaïs continues in a soothing tone, ignoring the outbursts, "Well it is a pleasure to meet you both, I am Thaïs second in command of the Lost. This is Derryth and she is our commander, an archmage of great power and ancient magics."
The two girls look at you, they are uncertain though the younger one probably remembers the beating you gave her. The older one works up the courage to continue, "She... she does not look like an archmage she looks-"
You raise your left hand and give the signal for Amena, hiding nearby, to begin. Flames burst to life on either side of you as sparks fly through the room. The girls scream. You lower your hand and Amena stops casting. Given their reaction you now know that neither of them are mages, they can not tell whether or not you are casting. Perfect.
Thaïs assumes a fake expression of fear, "Oh, girls you must not doubt my mistress she has killed for less. She is a terrible and fell mistress capable of harnessing all of the powers of darkness. Please let me help you, tell us what you know and no harm will befall you. We may even be able to spare those you care about. But if you anger my mistress she will kill you or worse!"
The older girl is putting on a brave face despite her terror, it is all you can do not to burst out laughing, "We... we will tell you nothing. We are brave, we are loyal, we are not afraid of death or of you. Father will-"
The younger girl is visibly shaking now, she squeaks and asks, "What... what could be worse than death sister?"
Well that is your cue, you step forward and place one hand on either side of Nine's head and you shout. Amena, from her hiding spot lets off another volley of sparks and flames around you. Nine opens her eyes and screams the rune on her head shifting red as she channels just a little power for effect.
The girls see all of this and scream as well, the younger one even passes out.
Thaïs makes a big production out of soothing you, "My mistress! Oh dark and fell mistress please spare these girls! They will talk, they do not wish to join your grand head collection!"
The older girl turns white as fine linen, "She... she has a whole collection?" she glances at her unconscious younger sister, "Please, please don't hurt Uttu, I will tell you everything I know!"
You scowl at the girl, snatch up the head and march out of the chamber. Now it is Thaïs' turn to really lay on the charm.
As you and Nine meet back up with Amena the head chatters away, "That was sooo much fun!" she snorts, "I have not scared someone like that in oh, probably one hundred years! You are so much fun Derryth, I am never going to leave you ever!"
Well at least she is happy...
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You sit at your command post, Jori's old office, it has been five hours since the battle and you have a lot to do before you can give pursuit. No point running off into the dark after Serpent, if you are going to do this you will do it right. Gareth, Ari and Thaïs sit across from you and give their reports, Nine is propped up in the corner humming and counting the cracks in the ceiling, it is doing nothing for your headache.
Gareth steps forward first, "Seems Bari found the two missing dwarves, they were in an adjoining building looking for supplies when they found an old dwarven mortar and a few cases of shells. I took the liberty of having them bring it over and set it up to cover the entrance to the tunnels. If they launch another attack they will be in for a surprise."
You smile at the thought of Christine taking a mortar shell to the face, "Good, what about the dead?"
Thaïs answers, "The dwaves are handling their own," Ari nods, "As for the Damned I asked Biliku and they normally feed them to the spiders but burning is fine as well. Tyrvard is working on it as we speak."
"Good, just as long as he makes sure that the smoke vents, we don't need to add suffocation to our list of concerns," you rub your temples, "Did the dead have anything on them we could use?"
Thaïs lets Gareth answer, "A couple days worth of rations each and their weapons. Some personal effects not really worth much so we left them on the bodies. On the bright side their lack of equipment means they must be based nearby-"
Ari cuts in, "They are probably making use of some of the secondary access tunnels which would shave a day or two off the trip but we won't be able to get the wagon down those. My husband has been out scouting the tunnels and we think we found the passage they took but it has recently been collapsed, we won't be able to follow them through it. There is another nearby passage that may link up to the one they took but we have not had time to fully explore it. Also if we want to take the side passage we will have to abandon the wagon I am afraid. Alternatively we could always stick to the main tunnel though it will probably put us a full day behind them at this point."
"How likely are we to catch them if we abandon the wagon?" you ask as a series of improbable plans roll through the back of your mind.
Thaïs answers this time, "Ithapi is still injured and we do have the girls-"
"The prisoners," Gareth corrects.
"They are just children Gareth!" Thaïs snaps.
"They were all children Thaïs!" you raise an eyebrow at that, "Ah sorry... sorry both of you, just a little high strung. I was coming to that point before I was interrupted, the Damned are all young. Maybe between fourteen and eighteen. None of the bodies I saw were over twenty."
You sigh, your headache is getting worse, "Damn... a shame but not really uncommon."
Gareth nods, "What is surprising is that even their officers are quite young. From what Tyrvard told me the only one that seemed to have actual experience was the enemy commander."
Ari speaks up, "Yeah I can confirm that, they had bravery but really lacked organization."
You turn to Thaïs and ask about what she learned from the prisoners, "From what the girls have told me their "order" only numbers about eighty all told and many of those that are left are children and the elderly. It seems that constant skirmishing with the other inhabitants of the old city is wearing them down quicker than they can repopulate. I think we may have broken them here, but I don't know for sure."
You tilt your head, "What do you mean?"
"Well, there seems to be some sort of rift that has formed within the Damned. That Red Order the girls were shouting about, it is one of three that formed a few years ago and it was the largest. From what they told me it all comes down to faith, each group worships their bizarre goddess in a different way. They have been involved in a simmering dispute for something like the last three years with the other two orders. They were told that a great threat was coming their way and they mobilized everything they had to resist it. The girls are quite concerned about what will happen to their order now."
You move to the heart of the matter, "What about Serpent?"
"They told me that this Christine that took him belongs to the Silver Order, the smallest of the three. She came to them and gave them the warning that caused them to mobilize and she accompanied them as a show of good faith. The Silvers seems to be comprised mostly of mages and naturally they are rather secretive though the girls believe there are less than twenty of them all told. There is also a Blue Order but they know very little about it I am afraid."
You lean back, and rub your eyes, "Well... better than nothing I suppose. Are they worth anything to the Reds?"
She flashes you a smile, "They are the high priest's daughters. They were meant to lead the Reds to glory here and ensure their future. They may be worth an awful lot."
You dismiss Gareth and Ari as Amena and Brigit enter the room and Nine begins to lecture about the finer points of blowing things up and breaking your enemy.
Time for a few magic lessons, you have a feeling you will need them and Nine even lets you pick the topic...
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With everyone ready to leave you have a few choices to make:
1.You are not going to abandon Serpent but you have a few options on how to pursue his captor:
A) Use the side passage that Bari discovered. You will have to leave the wagon but it may speed up the trip, you do not know if you can still catch them.
B) Stick to the main passage. You can keep the wagon but it will be slower going and you may meet more resistance.
C) freeform
2. Now that you have your information what do you want to do with the prisoners:
A) Kill them.
B) Use them as hostages against the Reds. (If you abandon the wagon you will have to carry them.)
C) Let them go?
D) Try to win them over and turn them into your emissaries to the Reds (you would probably have to untie them and return their weapons though)
D)freeform
3.Nine gave you a very instructive magic lesson what was it about?
A)Controlling flame and throwing fire.
B)Electricity, lightning and other shocking topics.
C)Frost and the cold.
D)Poison, acid and corrosive spells.
E) Domination, and mental control.
F) Controlling the rocks and stones of the earth
G) Something else? Freeform (she has a fairly broad knowledge of magic so just ask and I will tell you whether or not she can teach it to you).
Chapter 14: Under Siege
Chapter 14: Under SiegeAmena screams, batting at the air as Brigit giggles.
Nine has been teaching your Circle the basics of mental manipulation. Up until now you have only been observing, you fully understand the suggestion spell and benefit little from the first hour of instruction.
Now however Nine is moving on to new spells, "Alright dears, the next spell I am going to show you is compulsion. Suggestion simply plants an idea in the target's mind but compulsion forces them to carry out an act. Concentration is key to this spell, you need to know exactly what you want the target to do to successfully influence them. Give your victim's mind any reason to doubt and they may break free. Now repeat after me-"
Another hour of instruction and you all have a good grasp of the compulsion spell. The four of you stand in silence contemplating the spell when without warning Brigit strikes herself full in the face, "Ouch! Which one of you did that!"
You all claim innocence but Amena has the guiltiest grin on her face. Seems she wanted a little revenge for Brigit's earlier suggestion.
Brigit's brow furrows as she tries to hit back but Amena is on guard. In fact she is paying so much attention to Brigit that she does not even notice Thaïs lean over until it is too late. Smack! Thaïs' hand darts out and strikes Amena in the face.
Thaïs gasps, "Amena I am so sorry!"
Brigit giggles and sticks out her tongue, "More than one way to skin a cat!"
As the two of them stare at one another, Brigit steps forward, swings her head forward and strikes Amena right on the forehead, "Oww!" both ladies groan.
They look at Thaïs who gives them her sweetest grin, "You two should not squabble."
Brigit looks back at Amena, "Ya know what Thaïs your right."
Amena smiles, "I agree one hundred percent."
They both concentrate on Thaïs as she begins to slap herself silly. Nine is silently watching from your desk with a large grin on her face. Seems she is getting a kick out of the show. While you will admit that it is slightly funny it would probably be a good idea to stop now. Still, there is something you want to try first...
Nine's magically theory was just what you needed to perfect your mass suggestion spell but you now believe that you could apply the same principle to a compulsion spell.
You concentrate on the three mages and in unison each extends their hands to their neighbours and they begin shaking hands. The three of them look back at you in complete shock, "I think you should all shake and call it a draw," you give them a smile, "Or I may be forced to show you who is in charge here."
"How are you doing that Derryth?" Thaïs manages to sputter out.
You give her a confident smirk, "Trick of the trade, stick around and I may show you some day."
"Bravo dear, you are an ambitious one!" if Nine could clap she probably would, seems they are all quite impressed with you, "Alright dears, I have one more spell to teach you. It is a sort of mind wipe that knocks your target out. It won't do permanent damage but it will hurt a lot so-"
"So no practicing on each other," you tell the group in your most commanding tone.
Pranks are all well and good but you don't want things to get out of hand.
Brigit grins, "Well, can we practice on you then?"
"No, but..." you reach into your pocket and pull out your Heaven Stones. They should block most of the energy from any attack while letting you all get some practice forming and handling the spell, "If Nine would be willing."
She sighs and dramatically rolls her eyes, "The things I do for my students. All right, load me up," she opens her mouth wide as you slip the stones in.
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You are in your usual seat, Thaïs to your right and Amena to your left with Nine under one arm. Ithapi, Brigit and the prisoners rest in the back while Tyrvard, Gareth and the dwarves guard the wagon. It has taken you a day and a half but you have finally arrived at your destination, the offices of the Smiths of Muirthemne. However, things are not as you expected they would be.
You had expected traps and guards. At the very least you had expected the Reds to attack again. Instead all you find are deserted guard posts, sprung traps and the occasional corpse. You pick up speed, worried about Serpent's safety as you push into the lower levels of the offices.
As you look around it is impossible not to notice the signs of battle. There are corpses everywhere, some human, some spider and some in between. Most are human and dressed in silver, black and red with one or two dressed in silver and black. A handful of the corpses are horribly mutated and dressed in silver, black and blue. One of the corpses is pined under the twisted body of a Blue. It has an ornate silver staff which you take. You check but it is not Christine, part of you is relieved as much as you dislike her. Wherever she is Serpent will be nearby so for his sake you hope they are both safe.
You put your hands on your hips and whistle, "What the hell happened here do you think?"
Bari gives a nearby corpse a little kick, "Looks like the tensions between the Orders finally boiled over, Reds against Blues."
"Looks like the Silver are here as well," Gareth gives the corpse dressed in silver and black a little poke with the end of his sword, "Fighting alongside the Reds it looks like."
"So what should we make of this?" you scratch the back of your head.
Gareth frowns, "If I were going to launch an attack on an entrenched foe I would try and lure out their forces first. Could be the Blues decided to attack when word got back that the Reds were weakened..."
"You think we were bait?" Thaïs asks, a mixture of curiosity and concern playing across her face.
Jori grunts, "No way to know really unless we run into a survivor of this battle.."
"What happened to these Blues?" you ask to no one in particular as you examine the odd mixture of man and spider before you, you drop into a squat to better examine it.
It is a bizarre mockery of a man, four limbs, a torso and a head but the proportions are all wrong and it is covered in thick hairs. What draws your attention however are the two oversized fangs sticking out of its mouth.
You order Ithapi to bring Biliku over, "Hey kid, have you ever seen anything like this before?"
The normal fear she feels for you is completely gone, replaced by the horror and revulsion she feels for the creature before you, "No my lady, I have never encountered anything like this before. The... the Blues were humans like us... not whatever this thing is..." she is beginning to turn a shade of green so you dismiss her.
"Well I don't see Serpent among the dead so we press on I guess," you pull yourself back up leaning on your new staff and climb back up on the wagon.
Your group marches on through the empty lower tunnels. Level after level filled with nothing but the dead. As you near the main floor of the building you can hear a great deal of noise coming from just above you, seems like you have finally found someone.
You leave the wagon and most of your group downstairs as you and Tyrvard creep up the loading ramp to the main floor. The scene that greets you is horrific, the Blues are crowded around the dead of both sides.
They are... eating them.
One of them sits nearby looking away from you. It has the basic shape of a man but something about the way it moves is all wrong. The limbs that stick out from under its blood stained robe are crudely formed and covered in thick hairs and it is holding something in its hands; a leg or an arm you can not quite tell. As you examine it, it throws its head back revealing a warped head and large pair of fangs, it screeches. Its piercing, inhuman wailing draws the attention of its fellows who also throw their heads back and scream, joining their voices together in a disturbing parody of a human choir.
By your estimate there are twenty of these things in small groups of two or three scattered around the room. The large, metal front door of the building has been flung wide open and you think you can hear more of the creatures moving around outside. There is one large group of eight clawing at a massive set of barred doors on the far side of the room and you can faintly hear crying and human voices on the other side. For a second you think you hear Serpent's voice but you are not sure, the voice is just too quiet and too far away. What you are sure of though is that any survivors and any answers are on the other side of those doors, first though you have to get past the Blues.
You return downstairs as your group gathers around.
You begin in a whisper, "There are about twenty of those things up there and survivors holed up in an adjoining room behind a large set of double doors."
Biliku speaks up from the back of the wagon, all fear gone from her as concern for her family and friends seizes control, "That would be the chapel where we keep the holy relics, if father is still alive he will be leading the defense from there."
You shoot a question her way, "Are there any other ways in?"
She is still a bit intimidated by you but she tries her best to be brave, "Not that I am aware of my lady. It is built like a vault, strong doors but only one way in and out."
You rub your temples, and chuckle as you stare at the ceiling "It is never easy is it?" you sigh and turn to the group, "Well everyone, any plans?"
1. You think there are survivors in the far room. If you could get to them you might even find Serpent if he is still alive. How do you want to go about it?
A) Spiderfolk Diplomacy - they seem like such reasonable people... errr, monster things...
B) Ranged and Inner Door -You will rely on ranged weapons and spells to thin out the enemy and use your fighters to cover you while you make for the barred inner door. You will not worry about saving ammo.
C) Ranged and Front Door -You will rely on ranged weapons and spells to thin out the enemy and use your fighters to cover you while you make for the front door to close and bar it. You will not worry about saving ammo.
D)Balanced and Inner Door -You will use your ranged weapons and spells but you will use them sparingly and rely more on close ranged fighting while you make for the barred inner door.
E) Balanced and Front Door - You will use your ranged weapons and spells but you will use them sparingly and rely more on close ranged fighting while you make for the front door to close and bar it.
F) Melee and Inner Door - You want to conserve ammo, you will focus on close ranged combat with ranged and magical support while you make for the barred inner door.
G) Melee and Front Door - You want to conserve ammo, you will focus on close ranged combat with ranged and magical support while you make for the front door to close and bar it.
H) You use suggestion/compulsion to lure some of the Blues downstairs, if they resist the spell you will then try and lure them down using Tyrvard as bait. This may draw them all in however if it fails.
I) You and Thaïs use compulsion to have the Blues close and bar the doors while the rest of your group attacks. You will have to maintain concentrate on your target but it would get the doors closed quickly.
J)You and Thaïs use compulsion to have the Blues close and bar the doors. Once barred you lure as many downstairs as possible using ranged fire and a satchel charge you attempt to kill as many as possible. You mop up any survivors and push back up the ramp in time to prevent any Blues still upstairs from unbarring the doors. The greatest weakness of this plan is that it will require speed and good timing but it minimizes combat time and resources expended.
K) "Mine the passage; have Thais and Derryth use compulsion to close the gates; have Tyrvard attract the attention of the enemy right after that; have Thais assist Derryth in using mass compulsion and/or suggestion to prompt everyone to engage Tyrvard, then retreat (protecting the mages as necessary); have Brigit and Amena attempt crowd control to maintain enemy's focus on Tyrvard and to have as many enemies in the blast radius as possible; finish off the survivors.
If the enemy attempts retreat, compel them to keep the gates barred until the cleanup crew catches up to them. Their morale should be low at this point, their wills weak and their thoughts jumbled, so our mages should have an easy time suggesting anything they want."
L) Freeform
2. Do you free and arm Biliku and Uttu, they are both still injured but you do have a couple bows that they could use to provide additional support.
A) Yes - at his point the more help the better.
B) No - they may turn on you
Chapter 15: Opening Moves
Chapter 15: Opening MovesGareth is in his element as he whispers orders to all assembled, organizing you into ranks to begin your ascent.
"Dwarves to the front, archers and mages behind, warriors to either flank. We roll up the ramp and kill as many as possible as quickly as possible. But do not waste ammo, make sure every shot counts. We have no idea how many of those things are around," he marches back and forth as he speaks, you stand back and let the man work, "If we can not get those doors closed we will probably be overrun so that is priority one. The eight at the inner door will probably hit us as a group. Ari and Bari," the two pathfinders step forward and salute, "I want you to make them your first priority, if we can hit them before they disperse this will be much easier."
Bari chirps up, "Why are the dwarves out front?"
Gareth gives him a grin, "Because when you lot start throwing those things I want you in front of me instead of behind me."
Bari grins as Gareth stops and turns to you, "Any additional instructions boss?"
You step forward from behind the veteran, "Yes, for the mages. Don't worry about doing anything fancy. It will probably be too difficult to force these things to fight their comrades but you can do a lot with a little."
Amena raises a hand, "What do you mean Derryth?"
"Just think about how unsteady a thing walking is, or running for that matter. Make them take a wrong step, make them hesitate for just a second and they will fall. If you do not have a guaranteed kill then aim to incapacitate. We have reason to believe that these things are fast but if they are flat on the ground it won't matter. Above all do not burn yourselves out, ration your spells and pick your targets," Amena nods while you and Gareth take your places in the battle line. He gives the order and you ascend the ramp.
For a group your size you move with a surprising degree of silence and cohesion. The Blues for their part make your job easier by making so much noise they do not even notice the first volley of missiles. Arrows, spells and dwarven cocktails wipe out half of your enemies before they even have time to move. The Blues drop; burnt or blasted by spells, shot through with well placed arrows or blown to small, moist, bits by your dwarven allies.
You group quickly makes for the front door. Two of the Blues intercept Tyrvard and Jori who manage to dispatch them as Biliku and Uttu provide support. Ithapi and Gareth at the head of your group make it to the doors and push them shut. As they secure the great metal bolts in the door it starts to shake and bounce slightly. Something outside is trying to force its way in but is having little luck. All of this takes place before the eight Blues at the door can react but once they realize what is happening they turn and attack as one.
Brigit was right, they are very fast, so fast that Ari and Bari can not get a lock on them. The pathfinders throw but only catch the two at the back of the pack as the rest charge towards you.
"Break their charge!" you call out to the rest of the Lost. Your three mages begin casting as you focus on the lead Blue.
Smeared in blood and ash she is hideous, a great pair of fangs hanging from a broken jaw, twisted arms outstretch towards you. But what you focus on are her legs, you reach out to her mind and find something barely more than animal instinct. Any intellect she may possess has been washed away by bloodlust. This should be doable. You slip her a slight suggestion, that there is a gap in front of her. Without thinking she hesitates for just a moment and the Blue behind her crashes into her back. The two monstrosities roll together slamming into the Blue to their right. The other Blues suffer similar accidents as the six of them collapse together in a pile.
Usually such a trick would do you little good as they are back on their feet after only a few dozen seconds, ready to tear you all apart. However a few seconds is all your pathfinders needed. You raise an arm to shield your face as a wave of blood and body parts hits you, coating you from head to toe.
This skirmish was a quick affair, twenty dead Blues later you stand victorious as your group cheers.
You wipe some of the gore off of yourself, "Well that went well."
Gareth nods then grunts, "It won't always..."
"Don't look now Derryth but I think we have company," Ithapi gestures behind you and as you turn the inner doors creak open.
You are met by two figures, the Red Commander from the earlier battle and Christine. Both look worse than you do which is quite a feat considering you are covered in monster bits.
She begins, "My humble thanks to our brave rescu-", she stops in mid sentence as she spots you. You stare at one another ready to attack her if she begins casting.
The silence is oppressive and you are about to say something when Biliku steps up next to you, draws her bow and fires. The arrow strikes the surprised Red commander in the throat, he does not even have time to scream as he falls to his knees and bleeds out on the floor.
You raise an eyebrow and turn to the girl, "Care to tell me what that was all about?"
She looks you in the eyes her usual fear gone, nods and gestures to the body, "He left me to die, that I could forgive. He left Uttu to die, that I could not forgive," she hands you her bow and steps back behind you.
Well if nothing else you can respect her loyalty to her sister.
You turn your attention back to the Silver mage now standing alone in the doorway, "Where is my friend?"
Her attitude is different than before, still hostile but more restrained, less bold, "He... he is in the chapel tending to our wounded and Biliku's father. You may speak to him if you wish..."
You let Biliku and Uttu walk beside you as Christine leads half your group into the chapel. They seem a little more at ease in your presence, still quite nervous around you but you think given a month or so that you could probably win them over. Of course you do not have a month and so you keep them close, they are your only bargaining chips after all. Christine leads you into the chapel where a crowd of maybe twenty children stand around nervously chatting. They stare at your group with a mixture of awe and fear. By your estimate not one of them is older than twelve and they look to be about half Red Order and half Silver Order.
You reach out and grab Christine's arm, she tenses as you stop her, "Is this it? Where are the warriors of your Orders?"
She refuses to look at you and pulls free of your grasp, "If you have questions save them for those in charge, alright farmer."
You, Thaïs, Biliku, Uttu, Gareth and Jori follow Christine behind a large sheet stretched across the back of the chapel. Within you find ten makeshift beds each holding a badly wounded Red or Silver, those that are conscious turn to watch you as you pass. You head deeper still into the very back of the chapel. As you enter the last room you notice three figures. The first is a giant of a man, stripped to the waist he is missing his right arm below his elbow and much of the right side of his face is bandaged. He rests in bed arguing with a woman in silver. In fact if you had to use a word to describe her it would be just that. She is silver, from the hue of her skin to the highlights of her hair and the colour of her eyes. Everything about her is silver. Putting two and two together you determine that the man must be Biliku's father and the woman Christine's mother, the heads of their orders now without any warriors to command.
The third figure is of course Serpent and when he sees you he drops what he is doing, "Derryth! Thaïs! What are you doing here?" the physician drops what he is doing and races up to you giving you each a warm embrace.
You reach into your pack, "Well you forgot something when you left," you hand Serpent back his robe and he almost breaks down in tears.
"Thank you, thank you both," he takes the robe and slips it into his belongings.
While you catch up with Serpent, Biliku and Uttu are having a similar reunion with their father.
The man sputters in disbelief, "Girls, oh my girls, I thought you were dead. Breamas told me you were both dead," rage plays across the man's face, "Someone bring me Breamas, he will die one thousand times over for his lies!"
Biliku takes her father's hand, "Father, Breamas is dead. I shot him myself but a few moments ago."
He throws his head back and laughs, "Good girl, Biliku! You make an old man proud!"
The girls hug their father as you make a mental note not to anger this family.
At first the Red leader only has eyes for his daughters but after a few minutes he turns his attention to the rest of you, he arches an eyebrow, "Tell me little Uttu, who are your friends here?"
Uttu begins, the look on her face is deathly serious, "These are the Lost, father! They are great warriors and powerful mages from the surface. They are the ones we went out to fight under Breamas' command," she runs over and grabs Thaïs by the hand, dragging her over to the bed, "This is Lady Thaïs and she is their second in command, she is beautiful and terrible and smart and-"
Thaïs cuts the girl short, "It is my pleasure to meet you sir, your daughters are quite charming," she gives the man a deep curtsey as Biliku walks up to you.
She stops short uncertain of what to do. You can tell she wants to introduce you but is not certain if it is her place to do so. Part of you thinks she is still worried you will turn her into a severed head. Out of mercy for the poor child you extend your hand and take hers.
Instantly she drags you across the room to the other side of the bed, "And this father, is Mistress Derryth! She is their leader and she ended the battle with only one spell! She blew up Arachne and beat Uttu like it was nothing!"
Uttu nods and sniffles a little as she remembers her dead mount and pet. She brightens though as she begins talking, "Oh father as soon as she appeared the whole battle shifted. Biliku and I were beaten, and that coward Breamas ran away. Not only is she a... a..." she struggles for words before proudly remembering Thaïs' speech, "an archmage of great powers and ancient magics but she is also a great and skilled healer and doctor. Of those under her command not one died that was not already dead before she got there! And father, she saved out lives! The lives of her enemies! She is great and terrible but wise and merciful too!"
Biliku shakes her head, "No sister, I am sure all the dwarves were dead! She brought them back! Such is her power!"
It is becoming clear now that the sisters are building off one another. Laying out everything you have ever said to them and many things they only dreamed of. Biliku starts in again, "Oh! Also she has a GRAND collection of severed heads! And they talk and scream and do all sorts of things!"
Uttu stares at her feet and adds, "They are a little scary though..."
Biliku nods her head emphatically, "And she controls shadows, and she fights monsters, and she saves people father! Maybe if we ask nicely she will save us!"
Christine, quiet until now, snickers, "The farmer does all that? She must have been holding out on me, 'cause from what I have seen she can barely cast a spell. Maybe you Reds really are incompetent."
You frown as Uttu sticks her tongue out at the Silver, "Nu uh, she is a great mage! She is a... um..."
Biliku comes to her sister's aid, "A fell and terrible master of the dark arts!"
It is a curious thing to watch as the girls alternate between a sort of hero worship and abject terror of your "mastery" of magic. You are going to have to ask Thaïs and Amena about what exactly they have been telling these girls behind your back.
Their father chuckles, "Alright, alright girls. How about you let this Derryth speak for herself. I am Casgair, leader of the Red Order, though that title means little now." he extends his remaining arm towards you.
You shake and assume a more formal tone, "A pleasure to meet you. I am, as your daughters said, Derryth leader of the Lost and this expedition."
"I would welcome you to our home Derryth but there is little left of it or of us to be honest. Breamas, the commander you fought, was the last of my warriors still capable of fighting. I now lead a handful of children, although if there is anything I can do for you to repay you for saving my daughters you need only ask and it is yours."
The Silver leader until now has remained aloof, "While I am sure these reunions are all very heartening we must turn our attention to how we can best survive the Blues. If we can make it into the lower tunnels we can escape-"
Casgair waves her off, "This is my home Neith, I will not leave it to the damned Blues. They will not take the relics-"
At the mention of the relics Jori finally speaks up, "I have a demand to make of you human. You may have among your relics a maul that is of great importance to my people. I wish it returned."
Casgair tenses up, "Listen here dwarf, I am not letting the Blues take the relics and I am sure as hell not letting some dwarf take them either!"
You back away from the brewing argument as the three of them fall to fighting.
"Alright Serpent, I think now might be a good time to leave," you whisper to your friend.
"Derryth it is not that simple I-" he begins as Christine walks over.
"You are not taking my husband anywhere!" she stamps her foot.
"Husband!" you and Thaïs shout at the same time.
You begin interrogating Serpent, "You were gone what two days at most? How in the name of Wyrd did you get married in two days!"
He scratches the back of his neck, "Um... well Christine's mother is some sort of priestess and well things may have gotten out of hand. At any rate Christine really is not that bad when you get to know her."
"Damn it Serpent, she kidnapped you! This is not how a healthy relationship starts!" you grab him by the arm and begin to lead him from the room, "As your friends we are going to get you out of here."
Thaïs nods in agreement, "Once we are away from here I am certain you will see how insane this sounds."
Christine grabs him by his other arm and starts to drag him back into the room, "He is my husband. We love each other and I am more than capable of looking after him. You two will not just steal him away!"
You can't believe what you are hearing, "Steal him away! You stole him you crazy bitch!"
Thaïs helps you pull him back towards the door, "In the middle of a battle of all things you took him from his friends! You have no right to him! Serpent tell her you want to leave."
"Please Serpent, you know my people need help! Tell them you want to stay!"
Serpent attempts to negotiate a truce, "Please ladies, if we could just talk about this you would see how much you have in common."
"I don't have anything in common with her!" you both blurt out at the same time. You and Christine give one another a uncertain stare before you continue to pull on Serpent.
By this point the entire room has collapsed into chaos...
"You have no right-"
"Return to us our relic-"
"Father what should we do-"
"Serpent wants to stay-"
"He wants to go-"
"We have to go-"
"We have to stay-"
"Please ladies-"
"The relics stay, as do we-"
"Enough!" Gareth draws his sword and slams the pommel on a nearby table, instantly the chaos gives way to order and silence as he turns to Jori and the leaders of the Damned, "You have a duty to every living soul out there to protect them from what is to come and if you want to search for the relic Jori then you will need to survive the coming attack. Work together or fall before them! And you three!" you all instantly let go of Serpent, "It is Serpent's decision to make. Let the man make it for Wyrd's sake!"
He continues in a tone that allows for no dissent, "I want to know the floor plan of the building, entrances and exits, chokepoints, all of it. We need to clear firing lanes and set up the artillery if we are staying. If we are going then we need a proper plan of retreat or we will be butchered. Does everyone understand?"
In complete silence you all nod, "Good, now we-"
A voice calls out from the front of the building, "Casgair! Neith! Do you yet live!"
Casgair climbs out of bed with his daughters supporting him as you all make the long walk back to the front door.
You peer through one of the narrow windows at the front of the building, thankfully the windows are too narrow to climb through or you would be overrun. As it is you could probably fire through them though...
You look out and see four robed figures dressed in silver, black and blue standing in the middle of a horde of mutated Blues. With their hoods up you can not make out any features.
The middle figure, tall and thin, calls out again, "Casgair! Neith! Do you yet live!"
The Red calls back, "You can be sure I do Abharsair! Your monsters have not killed us yet!"
"A pity Casgair! I shall have to try harder!"
You whisper to Casgair, "Keep them talking."
He nods as you grab Gareth, Ari and Bari. In your wagon is the old mortar you found which you promptly set up behind one of the windows. You should be able to fire through the window and hit the group if you have to.
"Why are you doing this Abharsair?"
"Why not? You Reds and Silver blaspheme with every breath. Your very existence is an insult to our goddess and once you are dead and I have the relics we will be one step closer to perfection!"
Well now that does not sound insane at all...
There are a number of ways you can try to handle the situation, most are mutually exclusive however.
1. With everyone focused on the army outside you could try and slip away. Do you? The dwarves are unlikely to leave with the maul so close but the rest of your group should have little problem slipping away though you may have to drag Serpent with you...
A) You leave and leave Serpent - this is not your fight and if he wants to stay it is his choice
B) You leave and take Serpent - this is not your fight but you will not let Serpent throw his life away (he may resist though)
C) You stay - these Blues seems dangerous, together you may have a better chance than apart.
2. If you stay, what do you do?
A) Fire the mortar - with any luck you will kill the entire command group in one shot although this will probably provoke an immediate battle
B) Try and negotiate a truce - Well Thaïs will try and negotiate, you have already learnt your lesson
C) Bluff them - Thaïs will try and delay the battle as long as possible while you work together to come up with an actual plan to escape or defend the building.
D) Challenge this Abharsair to a duel? Well it works in all the stories and it would give your people time to prepare but you would be exposing yourself...
E) Freeform
3. If you delay the start of the battle you will have time to come up with a plan:
A) A plan of retreat:
i. Quick Retreat - you leave the wounded and the children. Only people that can carry their own weight will make it anyway.
ii. Balanced Retreat - you take the children but leave the wounded. If they can not walk they will never make it.
iii. Slow Retreat - you load up the wagon with the wounded and you take the children. You do not like the idea of leaving anyone alive for those things to find.
iv. Merciful Quick Retreat - you kill the wounded and the children. At least it will be quicker than what the Blues will do to them.
v. Cover the Retreat - "split use children, Maul, Biliku and her sister to pack wounded people and start retreating, stall for time, if it fail use mortar to thin horde, if dwarfs are good enough demolition experts plant explosives on entrance of tunnel to collapse it after retreat to force enemies to take more time to give chase."
v. Freeform
B)A plan for defence:
i. Long Range Focus - the building is built like a fortress with a number of narrow windows on the first and second floor from which you can fire. You will attempt to thin out their numbers before they get inside with damage dealing spells, arrows, cocktails and the mortar
ii. Medium Range Focus - You will hold off until these things reach the building and will set up a couple choke points to funnel them into. Clever use of satchel charges will help thin them out before they reach your line.
iii. Close Range Focus - You will rely on mental attack spells and the web traps of the Damned to bunch up your enemies at close range where it will be impossible to miss them.
iv. Use everything! - there is an army out there! You will use the Mortar, the satchels, all the spells, and every trick you have to get through this with an absolute minimum amount of risk.
v. Freeform
4. The Ring: (As per request)
A) You throw it away
B) You keep it for later
Chapter 16: Won't Get Fooled Again
Chapter 16: Won't Get Fooled Again"Are you sure this is going to work?" you whisper to the dwarves.
"Please Derryth, we know what we are doing," Ari chastises you, "Any pathfinder worth their salt could hit those four from here, we have got this under control."
Bari nods, "Besides, I bet not one of these cave dwellers even knows what a mortar is. They won't suspect a thing."
Gareth moves up and down your lines, trying to get people in place for what will come next. He does not have enough time for anything clever, "As soon as they are within range, fire at will and don't stop until they are dead or broken. If they get inside we are going to take casualties... if they do get inside we will have to fall back into the chapel so be ready."
You all nod as Bari and Ari argue in Dwarven over which round to pick. Finally Bari reaches into the second case and pulls out a bomb. He grins at you, "Willie Pete," before you can ask what he is talking about he slides the bomb into the tube, you cover your ears and the mortar fires...
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The creature lay in hiding, watching, waiting for its chance to attack. The doors had closed and trapped it outside away from its prey, away from its food. Instantly it thought of betrayal. Had its companions locked it outside? Unwilling to share the warm, fresh meat that awaited inside? Rage bubbled to the surface of the creature's mind, it would find a way in! It would eat! Yet it could hear screams coming from within. The screams of its people and then silence. Questions, so many questions, forced themselves into its mind and choking back its rage it began to listen and to plan.
Its plans however are interrupted by a loud crack and a sort of whistle as something passes through the air over its head...
--------------------------------------------------
Today is Abharsair's day of triumph.
Finally the Blues would rule over the Damned and he would rule over them.
In a few short weeks he would even have the numbers to challenge that abomination in the center of the city and in mere months after that he would drive that pretender Alric from the city above and reclaim Muirthemne for his dark goddess.
He calls out again, "Casgair! Neith! Do you yet live!"
The Red calls back, "You can be sure I do Abharsair! Your monsters have not killed us yet!"
"A pity Casgair! I shall have to try harder!" Abharsair chuckles to himself.
Combined the Red and Silver Orders can not have more than ten warriors between them. This battle is over, this war is won but of course Casgair will draw out the inevitable.
"Casgair! If you surrender now I will make your deaths quick! If you force me to waste another day here then you-"
No warning... no chance to prepare... no spell could save the man... he knows nothing...
Except the heat...
Heat and pain....
The last things Abharsair will ever experience.
-----------------------------------------
You watch the command group through your spyglass, "A direct hit!" you shout.
Cheers go up across your entire line. The four enemy mages are dead.
Or rather three of them are. As the smoke clears you can plainly see that Abharsair and two of the robed figures have been demolished. Their smouldering remains litter the center of the enemy horde. But one of the figures yet stands, wavering slightly as if it is not even there. It raises an arm to hold back the horde but in the chaos less than a third of the Blues follow this order. The rest charge your lines.
You are not the most organized group and you do not have time to maximize the efficiency of your efforts. What you do have though is enough ranged firepower to simply blanket the ground between you and your targets. The bombs from the mortar and the dwarven cocktails tear up the earth in front of the building. On such uneven ground even the Blues have difficulty. Slowed by their numbers and lack of coordination, your archers set to work thinning out their ranks while you and the mages work crowd control.
You and the Lost drive them together with suggestions and compulsions while Christine and Neith slow them with spells of entanglement. As the enemy bunches up the dwarves take advantage hurling cocktails into the worst of them. Their casualties must be horrendous and yet they charge on. Barely twenty make it to the front door. If you were in a wooden structure this would still be a cause for concern but here in the offices of the Smiths, a virtual fortress, there are not nearly enough to force their way into the building.
When they realize this they turn to flee, passing back into your range of fire. The assembled mages switch to direct damage spells and compete to see who can kill the most.
Once again your little alliance lets out a cheer, the divisions of half an hour ago momentarily subsumed by the thrill of victory against a superior force.
Gareth is grinning from ear to ear in relief as he comes up to you, "We did it! I was not sure it would work but we did it! I-"
The veteran notices that you do not look happy, "What's the matter boss?"
Handing him your spyglass you point out the window. As he surveys the battlefield his smile disappears. The single surviving mage has been joined by three others, strangely similar in build and height. They stand before a horde of over one hundred Blues.
The four mages step forward as one and spread out, probably to avoid mortar fire. They speak together, or rather one of them speaks but you can not tell which, "Casgair! I am impressed! You actually allied with those dwarves? I did not think you were capable of such diplomacy!"
Casgair returns to the window, "Who the hell do I have the displeasure of addressing now!"
The mages lift their hands in unison and pull back their hoods, "You may call me Miosguinn! I think you will find that I am more reasonable than my predecessor! I will even give you a choice! Surrender and join with me or fall before me!"
Jori yells, "Mage, what will you do with my people if we surrender!"
Miosguinn raises one hand to his chin, "I am deeply sorry Jori but you and yours will have to join my Order as well!"
Jori laughs, "I am afraid I would make a poor slave, mage!"
Through the spyglass you can see Miosguinn chuckle, "I can respect that dwarf! But if you will not join then you must die! You really should have gone back with Derryth, Jori, but now it is too late for all of us! I can not risk you returning to the surface and spreading word of the Damned, we are not yet ready to fight Alric!"
Neith hisses, "He wants to fight the Emperor? He will get us all killed if we join him."
Casgair lets out an angry grunt and mumbles, "Servitude or death... can't say I like either of those options," he shouts back, "Miosguinn, is it? I will need time to confer with my colleagues!"
"Oh, by all means Casgair! Take as much time as you would like! You can not escape and I am more than willing to wait!" with that the four Miosguinns turn and disappear into the crowd.
You survey the room, "Well people what are our options here?"
Gareth frowns, "We used up most of our ammo fighting the horde off just a moment ago..."
Biliku steps forward, "We have maybe twenty arrows left."
"And my bow," Bigit holds up her weapon.
Gareth turns to the dwarves, "What about explosives?"
Ari nods and sighs, "Right, well we are out of cocktails, we have two mortar bombs, and a dozen satchel charges."
Tyrvard raises a hand, you can tell what he is about to say pains him, "We... we can waste... er use the alcohol from my still to make fire bombs if we can find some bottles and rags."
You mumble, "Hmmm... a bit grim then?"
Jori cuts in, "Then maybe we should take a look at these relics and see if any of them can be of use."
"Look dwarf, you will not get your hands on our relics! So drop it!"
You are about to come to Jori's aid when Christine of all people speaks up, "Lord Casgair, would it be better to lose one relic or all of them? For your people, for mine," she takes Serpent's hand, "We have to be flexible here or none of us will survive."
"Girl, what business-"
You interrupt, "I can't believe I am saying this but she is right. If we fight amongst ourselves we die. It is as simple as that. We need every tool we can get."
Casgair, a little overwhelmed by your strange alliance sputters a little, "While I appreciate what you did for my daughters-"
Biliku interrupts him now, "Father, maybe they are right. What good will the relics do us if we are all dead?"
The Red lowers his head, "Damn it, fine. I will let you search through the relics but be careful with them!"
You nod a couple times, "Okay, we are not completely without weapons and we do still have our magic as well... we might be able to fight back if we have to."
Gareth shakes his head, "Miosguinn has always be fairly cautious or perhaps paranoid may be a better term. He is unlikely to attack us especially after witnessing Abharsair's failure. I think he will probably try and starve us out for a few days and then move in for the kill. Fortunately we still have supplies so we may be able to give him a bit of a surprise there."
Neith interjects, her voice filled with suspicion, "You know this man?"
Thaïs answers, "He was under contract with our expedition to provide magical support. Naturally we had no idea that he was involved with any of this."
It is clear that Casgair is uncertain, "You helped my daughters, fought with us here and I can think of no reason that matters not to trust you. But are we certain he will not attack? With the numbers he has-"
You shake your head, "Most of those Blues are probably illusions. Miosguinn is quite skilled in that field, hence the body doubles while he negotiated. He is probably masking his true numbers to intimidate us. I doubt he has more than thirty followers left."
Neith nods in agreement, "There are definitely spells in effect over the enemy forces. But illusions on that scale would take a lot of power. Miss Derryth does he have that level of skill?"
"No, no he doesn't. I am not sure-" you stop as Nine whispers to you from your pack. Gareth continues the conversation as you drop back a little.
"Dear, he is not casting, I can tell. He is pulling power from somewhere else, something else."
You whisper to her, "Something we should be concerned about?"
"Maybe, I don't know. Whatever he is tapped into is powerful but I don't think it can directly interfere here. Just be aware that wherever his power is coming from it will grant him deep reserves..."
You turn your attention back to the rest of the group. Gareth is speaking, "It looks like he does not know that the rest of us came with Jori. That has to give us an advantage right?"
Brigit nods, "Maybe we could arrange for a face to face negotiation and ambush him?"
"Why not use this opportunity to withdraw?" Neith suggests, "He does not seem to be as aggressive as Abharsair but that does not mean that he is not encircling us as we speak."
"Not again, Neith, I will not abandon my home!" Casgair thunders.
Gareth raises a hand to stop them both, "It is an option we should consider, but it is just that. An option. We should consider them all," he turns to you, "Well boss? What do you think?"
1. What to do? Miosguinn seems willing to wait out the defenders and let them starve. He has given you time, even if he does not know that you (and your supply wagon) are there. The question is what to do with it.
A) Further entrench yourself - you will build up defences and wait.
B) Organize a retreat - now that you have reduced their numbers you try to escape
i) Just your group - you will try to slip away while no one is watching
ii) Anyone that can walk and fight - you leave the children and wounded
iii) Anyone that can walk - you leave the wounded
iv) Everyone - you take everyone with you
v) Everyone and the Relics - you take everyone and carry away the relics as well
C) Negotiate - You see if you and Thaïs can change Miosguinn's mind
i) you negotiate in good faith
ii) you try and lure Miosguinn out and murder him
D) A Trap - Proceed as in A but then pretend to offer battle with the Damned and the dwarves. Have them retreat back into the offices, lure the Blues in and kill them all.
E) Charge! - Proceed as in A but once preparations are complete go on the offensive. You will hit Miosguinn with everything you have in a frontal assault.
F) freeform
Z) Option 9 : Let the severed talking head enter your mind and hopefully give it back after she takes care of the problem.
2. Anti-magic grenades. You think you can weaponize the Heaven Stones and turn them into dispelling grenades. This is a one way process and will destroy the stones when use. If you chose any option that takes time (A, D, E) then you have the opportunity to do so. How many do you want to create?
A) zero
B) one
C) two
D) three
E) four
Chapter 17: Casualties
Chapter 17: CasualtiesTwo days... two days of constant preparation.
It is Gareth's belief that Miosguinn will only give you a few days before he closes in for the kill. You spend this time healing the wounded and making weapons, casting runes and setting up satchel charges. You even manage to transform one of your Heaven Stones into a sort of anti-magic grenade which should help with any illusions you encounter.
Nine trains the assembled mages in techniques to more quickly recognize illusions and you even have a few moments to spar with Gareth and work on your knife play. It won't win the battle but if it comes to hand-to-hand you will at least be prepared.
Tyrvard spends the time building fire bombs. Even now the man refuses to reveal the hiding place of his still to anyone, even Serpent, but he dutifully manufactures ammunition for your dwarven allies.
The plan, as Gareth put it, is to draw out the enemy force by offering battle and then faking a rout. With any luck this will draw your enemy into the offices and into your kill zones. In such a confined space illusions would count for little and it is your belief that once Miosguinn loses line of sight to his targets his illusions will also disperse. You are fairly certain that he is hiding somewhere at the back of the enemy camp and projecting his own image forward.
Once the Blues are all inside you will then slam the doors shut using an improvised dwarven mechanism and slaughter them all and destroying Miosguinn's remaining strength.
To do this you will have to expose some of your forces.
The Reds, the Silver and the dwarves will all have to assemble in front of the building if their "last stand" is to be believable. They will have to advance away from the building but hopefully they will not have to go far. Based upon the earlier advance of the Blues you think they can make it back before the Blues reach them.
The question of who would stay and who would go is a matter of heated discussion as evidenced by the may arguments that play out around you. Casgair talks to his girls, Serpent and Christine argue with Neith, while the dwarves gather round discussing something in Dwarven.
"Father! You have to let us go!" the two girls demand in unison.
Casgair shakes his head and lets out a deep laugh, a roar from the gut, "Normally girls I would. It will be a glorious victory and we Reds will once more stand triumphant! But no, someone must remain to protect our people. You girls have a duty to the children in there to see them through this. The Goddess willing this plan will succeed and I will see you both soon."
He drops to one knee, lowering his colossal frame to look his daughters in the eyes, "Biliku, until I get back you are in charge and Uttu I expect you to help your sister. You will both aid Mistress Derryth to the best of your abilities and I better not hear about any whining, do you both understand?"
The girls nod as he grins, tousling Uttu's hair. Casgair draws himself up to his full height as the girls enter the chapel.
The Red leader waves you over, the bravado he demonstrated in front of his daughters disappears almost instantly, "Mistress Derryth, I have no claim on you," he shakes his head, "I can't ask you for anything, I don't have the right. Hell, if you had arrived a week ago we would probably be enemies. Still I must ask you for a favour... If I don't make it my people are for all purposes dead. A dozen children will not survive for more than a week down here by themselves. If I die I ask that you take them-"
You fold your arms, "If you start thinking like that then you definitely will not make it. Think about your daughters, you have a duty to them. I can't do-"
He raises his hand to stop you, "I appreciate it Derryth and I have no intention of dying today but I hold no illusions. I am old, I am tired..." he stares a his feet and sighs, "I miss my wife. By the Goddess, Derryth, I only have one arm. Even if this succeeds I truly doubt I will survive to see it-"
"FINE!!" you both turn as Christine storms past you. Serpent and Neith exchange a few words before he sets off after her into the chapel.
Neith shakes her head as she watches the two figures retreat into the chapel. She notices you both staring and walks up to you.
"What in the name of Wyrd was that about?" you ask, a little worried about this new development.
She sighs, "It was nothing. I simply told her that she was to stay and watch the children. She was not visable when the Blues first attacked and they will not notice her absence. It is simply too dangerous for her to come with me. In time she will come to accept the wisdom of my decision."
Casgair chuckles, "I would not be so certain of that Neith. I don't remember you ever being reasonable when we were younger."
She smiles, memories of better times forcing their way into her mind, "Well Casgair you were just so good at driving me into a rage. I can't even remember what I saw in you..."
You raise an eyebrow at this, "Oh, so you two..."
He gives you a wink, "The paths not taken Derryth. I was a young man once and Neith here had her charms."
She frowns, "Ancient history Derryth, hardly worth bringing up. But I did not come over here to talk about my misspent youth. I know I have no right to ask-"
You interrupt her, "You want me to look after the remnants of your Order should you die."
She is genuinely surprised, "Yes, I-"
Casgair beams at her, "I just finished asking her to do the same thing for my kids."
Your frown, "Do I really look like a Wyrd-damned orphanage?"
The two leaders laugh as Neith begins again, "I had a whole speech prepared and everything... I will simply say this, my people will likely die without aid. Even if the Blues die here, my Order is finished. I would rather see Christine live a long and happy life than die in the dark..." as she says the words their meaning hits home for her rendering Neith speechless.
You mumble to yourself, largely about what a pain in the ass it would be to have to raise a bunch of orphans, "I will consider it."
They look at one another and Neith speaks, "Thank you Derryth, that is the most we could hope for I suppose."
Jori walks up to you as they leave to rally their warriors.
He gives you a slight nod, "Well Derryth, we are all ready to do this. I am assigning Ari and Bari to your group. They would be wasted as a diversion and I would feel safer knowing that they are back here handling the explosives. I have instructed them to follow your orders in all things..." he hefts the glowing, rune encrusted maul up onto his shoulder, "Well, I guess this is it. If we both make it through this I insist you come to visit me in Myrgard. You will get to see proper dwarven hospitality! If... if we don't make it through this I just wanted to say.... well... thank you Derryth. I would never have gotten this far without you."
You are left standing alone as Jori returns to his group.
Wyrd, you hope this works...
Two days... two days and you are ready. Well, as ready as you are ever going to be.
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"Well Casgair, are you ready to surrender?" Miosguinn, or rather Miosguinns, stand in front of their army. One hundred mutated Blues and another two hundred loyal spiders drawn up behind him. Most are illusions, well you hope most are illusions.
Your allies stand in formation, their wounded healed, the older children armed. All told there are twenty of them. They have drawn themselves up as close to the building as they could get without tipping your hand. The Blues need to believe that the battle is real or the whole plan will fail. You observe the unfolding scene through your spyglass.
"We will never surrender to you mage!" Jori shouts out as his four dwarves each draw a smelting rod, the restored relics of the Damned.
Neith lets out a confident, melodic laugh, "I am afraid the rest of the true faithful must echo that sentiment!"
Miosguinn sighs, "Very well then! I had hoped to avoid yet more pointless deaths but if you wish to do this the hard way-"
Casgair cuts him off, "I have an idea mage! Why don't you surrender to us before we level your entire army!"
The Miosguinns give out a high pitched hiss and order their army forward. If Gareth's plan works the Blues will struggle to cross the battlefield and your people will have time to withdraw. As the Blues close on your allies they begin to rout.
The Blues will chase them inside and you will spring your trap. It is all going so well...
And then it all falls apart...
Miosguinn gestures to a nearby Blue who raises a strange horn and blows a single note. As one, six Blues stationed on a nearby overlook raise their limbs. They stand on the tips of their legs as they let out a number of thin threads. The Miosguinns reach into their robes and draw out a broken stone... no, not just any stone...
Your stone, the bastard has the Halcyon Stone.
He raises the stone and begins to chant, as a breeze begins to blow. The Blues on the overlook let out screams of triumph as the wind grabs a hold of their threads and carries them into the air with tremendous speed, ballooning along. They dive at your fleeing allies, dropping down towards them faster than they can run.
The six Blues each choose a target and you are powerless to help them. Neith turns letting out a blast of silver energy as she covers the retreat of her fellows. She saves Casgair's life though he does not notice as he runs.
She manages to drop half a dozen illusions and two real Blues before she is overrun. She makes no sound as she falls. The Blues swarm her and with a simple twist they pop off her head.
Less than half your allies now remain as they struggle to get back inside. Miosguinn finishes chanting and orders his lackey to once more blow on the horn. Two sharp blasts echo out into the dark and the second stage of Miosguinn's plan begins...
----------------------------------------------------------
The creature waits in darkness. Its new master has promised it meat, more meat than it could ever hope for but it has to sit in this burrow and be very still, very quiet.
So close to the surface now, all it has to do is wait. Wait for the sound of the horn... two blasts, then attack.
Two sharp notes ring out. Now is the time to hunt! Now is the time to kill! Now is the time to eat!
The creature bursts forth from the ground and grabs a hold of the nearest target. He is large, he is powerful, he is covered in the blood of its siblings. Thankfully he only has one arm to fight back with. He is tough, yes, but he will make a good meal though he struggles so.
Still slowly but surely the creature draws its captive back underground. As it does so it bites... over and over again it bites. Injecting its venom into its meal, dissolving its prey, softening it for dinner.
As its captive gurgles beneath it the creature lets out a happy scream and digs in...
------------------------------------------------------
Well so much for the Damned.
Dead to the last man, woman and child. You will have to break the news to Christine and the girls but not now. They need to be functional for what is to come.
The dwarves are doing better. Under Jori's leadership they are making slow progress back to the doors. The smelting rods keep the Blues at bay as Jori lays in with his maul. Everywhere the hammer swings Blues, both real and illusion, drop and spiders scatter. Flame spits from the maul as Jori swings it back and forth, warding off the Blues.
Still, you do not like their odds. You leave the window to consult with Gareth, you whisper "Should we do something? Jori is alone out their, both the Reds and Silver are gone."
The veteran shakes his head, "We stick to the plan. If Jori makes it great but if he doesn't the Blues will rush in to devour the children now that their defenders are dead. The plan will still work."
Brigit starts in, in a whisper, "Bit cold isn't that? They are our friends we should do somethin'."
He has trouble meeting her stare, "There is nothing we can do. People die in battle, no way around it..."
Your group sits in silence as the sounds of battle echo from outside. Jori and his dwarves fight for survival and you must wait.
Ari and Bari fidget but they know as well as anyone that there is nothing they can do.
Jori bursts through the door alone, a smelting torch in one hand and the maul in the other as the Blues pour in after him.
Finally you spring your trap as the bulk of the horde forces its way into the room. As they leave Miosguinn's line of sight the illusions disappear leaving the real Blues and spiders to face your onslaught. You unload on the horde with everything you have and you personally account for fifteen Blues and half a dozen spiders. As you massacre the attackers the front doors slam shut cutting off the bulk of Miosguinn's army from any escape. Ari detonates the satchel charges by the door. As the satchel charges go off underneath your enemies the room is bathed with blood and spider chunks. That should do it you think. His army should be broken...
You can hear Miosguinn screaming in rage from outside and then you hear three short blasts of a horn.
From beneath you, you hear a great crash and the sound of many feet on stone.
You turn your attention to the ramp leading up from the lower levels. You can here the sounds of spiders but you can not see a thing.
You grab the anti-magic grenade in one hand and pitch it towards the ramp. As the illusions fail you are confronted by Isolde and thirty giant spiders. As they rush towards your barricade you detonate the satchel charges by the ramp and manage to wipe out more than half of them.
Isolde, however, easily clears the explosion. She skitters across the wall and launches herself through the air at you. You have no time to cast, no time to draw your weapon, no time to even react as she flies through the air at you.
Mere moments before she hits you she is intercepted by your Berserk. Tyrvard hurls himself at her and sends her sliding across the floor. She quickly springs back to her feet and lets out a high pitched whine as the two begin circling one another. She bobs and weaves around his sword, moving so quickly that he is unable to hit her and slowly she wears him down. Striking at him with fang and knife.
She is good but the Beserk is better if only just. She has the speed but he is a warrior born and bred for battle and he begins to manoeuvre her into a trap. He traps her, stops her, and drives his blade through her chest.
She collapses as Tyrvard lets out a feral roar, as if challenging the heavens. Then he staggers... then he falls... he collapses next to her bleeding from dozens of wounds.
You do not have time to come to his aid as more spiders rush up the ramp towards you. These are no giant spiders though. These are simply regular spiders in every shape and size, the largest are only slightly bigger than your fist. Miosguinn's forces must be spent if this is all he has left. Still, there are at least thousands of them and they surge towards you like a wave. You are skilled, you are prepared and that is all that saves you. Working together you slow their advance.
Your group focuses fire on the ramp, thinning out the invaders but a few make it through. One reaches Ari and she screams as it bites deeply into her neck. Bari swats it off and stomps on it before turning to his wife. She gasps twice and then is silent.
Overcome by grief and rage he collapses to the floor, holding her corpse in his arms...
Your group fights on as Serpent drags Bari into the chapel. You, Christine and the Lost distract and misdirect your attackers while your archers and warriors attempt to thin them out by throwing fire bombs but there are simply too many.
The truth of it is that you will be overrun eventually. Your group redoubles it efforts as Gareth orders you to fall back into the chapel.
You and Gareth cover the retreat hurling your remaining fire bombs and you are the last to cross the threshold. You move to close the doors but Jori, resting to the side of the door, staggers to his feet. He has other plans; he throws you the maul as he runs past scooping up Ari and Bari's packs and he charges the horde of spiders while wielding the smelting rod. Running into the sea of chittering arachnids he disappears. You instantly grasp what he is going to do.
You slam the great doors shut and dive behind cover. A moment later an explosion blows the doors clean off and singes you slightly but fortunately no one is seriously injured.
As you stand you peer back into the room, your ears ring slightly. The roof has collapsed burying much of the room but you can make out a single figure lying in the rubble... Tyrvard.
You race to his side as you call out to Serpent for help.
You sense someone staring at you through one of the new holes in the wall. Miosguinn stands with half a dozen blues in the middle of the battlefield. You stare at one another. Shock, betrayal and hatred are written plainly on his face. He turns and flees with his small entourage.
Even as you attempt to save your friend you know he is too far gone. Serpent joins you at his side. The massive warrior mumbles something weakly. It is amazing that he is even still conscious. Serpent leans in and Tyrvard pushes his sword into the physician's hands as he whispers something in his ear. Serpent weeps as he takes the blade and Tyrvard weakly motions for you to lean in.
You place your ear near to his mouth and he speaks his final words as he slips away.
You dust yourself off, stand and walk away. Your head bowed, just barely holding it together...
Thaïs stops you, quietly she asks, "What did he say?"
You look her in the eyes and let out a slight laugh, a weak thing filled with bitterness and sorrow, "He told me where he hid his still."
She hugs you as you both break down...
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"So I guess we won?" it is a cold morning. Much of the previous night was spent burying the dead and tending to the living. You sit with Gareth as he pokes the cooking fire. Neither of you much feels like talking but the silence is unbearable.
He forces a grin, "Any battle you can walk away from is a victory in my books."
You grunt, "Except some of us did not walk away this time. I-"
He cuts you off, "Stop. I know what you are going to say and this is not your fault."
"But I led him down here Gareth!" your temper flares a little.
"Yes you did," the look he gives you is filled with profound sympathy, "But you can't let it stop you boss. Do you know how many men I lost during the war?"
You shrug.
"Shit boss, I can't live your life for you but trust me here. If you want to command people in battle you have to be willing to lose them," he sighs, "You just have to make sure their deaths aren't in vain. Understand?"
You look up at him, "Does it get easier?"
He does not even have to think about it, "For some people yes. For people like me... people like you... never. Frankly, I would not have it any other way."
"When I lost Henry it hurt... but this..."
"Yeah, I know... People die but when it is your decision that puts them there it really hurts," he stirs the fire again, "But you know Derryth the way I see it you got two choices in a situation like this."
"Yeah... what?" you ask, all weariness and doubt.
"Give up, go home..." he lets the idea hang in the air for a moment.
"Or?"
He jabs at the fire and it flares up. Flames dancing in his eyes as he speaks, "Or we find that son of a bitch and we put him in the ground..."
The conversation dies as you consider your options. You just sit there together staring into the fire...
The rest of your group slowly wakes up, a lot of red eyes and dry throats this morning. It has been a rough night for them all but they are alive and free thanks in large part to your efforts.
They are looking to you for leadership. Question is what to do?
1. Miosguinn: He leads the handful of remaining Blues and he has your stone. Bari intends to track and kill him to avenge his wife, his lord and his friends do you go with him?
A) He is beaten and is not really your enemy, you let him go.
B) This is not over. You will avenge your dead, you will find him and end this.
C) freeform
2. The Reds: Casgair asked you to look after them if anything happened to him. (8 children aged 6 to 8.)
A) You decide to take care of them.
i) you send them to the tower (they will need an escort)
ii)you leave them in the chapel while you hunt for Miosguinn.
B) They are not your problem.
C) You make them fight to the death for your amusement... yeah...
D) freeform
3. The Silver: Neith asked you to look after them if anything happened to her. (5 children aged 7 to 10.)
A) You decide to take care of them.
i) you send them to the tower (they will need an escort)
ii)you leave them in the chapel while you hunt for Miosguinn.
B) They are not your problem.
C) You make them fight to the death for your amusement... yeah...
D) freeform
4. The Relics: The Blues wanted them for some reason, though you do not know why exactly.
A) You will take the relics
i) you load them up now
ii)you leave them for now while you hunt for Miosguinn
iii) You immediately take the relics that seem important and easy to carry (the book and the fang). You can always come back for the rest.
B) You will leave the relics
C) You take those that are immediately useful/important looking (and light) and load up the rest.
D) freeform
5. Anti magic grenades: You have time to make 1 without slowing down too much. Do you?
A) Yes
B) No
Chapter 18: The Hunt
Chapter 18: The HuntYou stand with Thaïs and Gareth surveying your respective groups, "You both understand how we are going to do this?"
They nod, "Yeah Derryth we got it. Thaïs will take the kids and the wagon back to the tower while we press on after Miosguinn."
"Alright then," now that you have made the choice this all seems easier somehow though your next order is a difficult one.
You look Thaïs dead in the eyes, "With only three people you won't be able to fight off any substantial attacks. If... if it comes down to it I want you to abandon the children and escape. They are replaceable, the three of you aren't... understand?"
She hesitates at first but nods, "Alright Derryth... we will do what we have to. Just be careful alright. Miosguinn will be dangerous now that he has nothing left to lose."
You nod, turn on your heels and march off with Gareth close behind, "Has Brigit finished warding the relic room?"
"Yep, it is all set to blow if anyone tries to force an entrance. It should give Miosguinn a surprise if we... well if we fail..." the veteran trails off.
"Good... good," you nod to yourself, "Now where is Bari? I have something to show him and-"
"Farmer!" Christine storms up to you.
"Go on ahead Gareth. I should probably deal with her now rather than later," you wave Gareth on as you take a seat on what used to be a wall and wait for the mage to approach you.
She looks terrible. She must not have slept much last night. You know the feeling all too well, "What do you need Christine?"
"I... I would like to come with you," you can tell she is having trouble being civil to you but she is making an effort, "please..."
You are not feeling terribly charitable this morning, "Polite? Well that is a new trick for you. Why would you, master of magic that you are, need little old me to help you?"
She frowns, "I should have known. Should never have trusted a farmer, a damn peasant to understand.." she turns to leave.
You sigh, "Hold on, hold on," you gesture for her to come back.
She stops and slowly turns back towards you.
"Okay, maybe we just got off to a poor start here. You want to avenge your mother right?"
She nods.
"And you are prepared to follow my orders in this."
She nods.
"Alright then, I can respect that. You can come with us but you have to listen. If we are working against each other Miosguinn could still kill us both."
She exhales, letting out a sigh of relief, "Thank you farmer..."
A thought occurs to you, "You know, your mother would probably want you to guard the children."
She frowns and nods, "I am not really the nurturing type..."
She says it as if it is some great secret which strikes you as immensely funny. You laugh, slap your knee and feign surprise, "No shit, really?"
She stares daggers at you as you sit there laughing but slowly the wall of hostility she has built up crumbles and she begins to laugh as well. As odd as it is the two of you share a good laugh at her expense.
She sighs, "Thank you farmer. I think I needed that," she turns and begins to walk away.
You call after her, "Any chance you're going to stop calling me that?"
She does not miss a beat, "Nope," she disappears back into the chapel. Probably gone to find Serpent.
You close your eyes and mutter to yourself, "Baby steps... hell maybe I won't have to kill her after all... maybe..." you look up into the darkness, "One thing at a time, one step at a time..."
You hop back down from your perch and head off to find your team.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Well Bari, think we can find him?"
The dwarf lets out a confident bark, "Derryth, have I ever told you about the Pathfinders."
You shrug, "Can't say you ever have beyond the fact that you are one and that Ari was as well..."
You can see the rage wash over him as he thinks about his wife. He looks down at his right hand, two gold bands rest on his ring finger.
He looks back at you, "Well, there is a damn good reason for that Derryth. The Pathfinders are dwarven spec ops... strictly black ops you understand. As far as most of the world knows we do not even exist and that is the way we like to keep it. When a Pathfinder wants a person dead, Derryth, they tend to die. We are very good at what we do and that bastard Miosguinn is about to find that out. So yes, I know that I will find him and I know that I will kill him. It is just a question of time."
"Are you sure you should be telling me this Bari?"
He smiles at you, but it is a hard thing without warmth, "Don't see why not. You have done well by my people Derryth. At every opportunity you have stood with us and I know you are doing everything you can. Ari liked you, don't know if she ever told you but she did. I trust you..." he shrugs, "haven't known you long, but I trust you. Besides if you go around screaming about dwarven assassins and secret agents well, you will wind up dead."
He chuckles a little, "You should see us at our best Derryth. With resources, supplies, proper intel, we are a beautiful and terrible thing to behold... That mage is dead, he died when my wife did... just does not know it yet..."
You cough, a little uncomfortable, "Speaking of which I think I may have something that could help," you reach into a pocket and pull out a small stone.
You hold it up so Bari can see it, "Miosguinn was under contract with me to provide magical support. Mostly illusions to hide my expedition. Well, we needed a way for our scouts to find us cloaked behind his spells. Miosguinn gave Tyrvard this stone, he still had it on him when he... when he fell and it is keyed to the mage so..."
Bari grins from ear to ear, "So we have the bastard by the short hairs! What are we waiting for, lets go get him!"
"Hold on. Before we go anywhere I need you to promise you will work with us. Everyone here wants a piece of the mage but we are going to have to work together if we want to get him."
He nods, "Of course Derryth, but I have one request. If we get him alive I want you to give him to me. I am going to make it slow..." the dwarf tests his knife as he says those last words and for a moment you feel sorry for Miosguinn...
----------------------------------------------------
The creature waits. In darkness, just below the surface. The new master has promised more food if it just waits... quietly... patiently... the food will pass this way and it will hunt. It will kill. It will eat.
It waits. For the past eight hours it has waited but it will stay as long as necessary to eat. To feel the sweet taste of fresh meat in its mouth. To hear the screams of its prey. To feel it weakly thrash beneath the creature as it dines. Such things give purpose to its existence.
Its thoughts are interrupted by a faint noise and the vibration of its threads. Something draws near.
It can hear something close. The voice of a girl, it can feel footsteps, it can smell a human. Perhaps this one will be less tough than its last meal. Perhaps this one will fight less. Perhaps this meal will come quicker.
It springs its trap, it feels happy.
It bursts forth, it feels excited.
It lunges forward, it feels...
Pain...
So much pain... impaled upon two feet of steel the creature dies...
---------------------------------------------------
Biliku gives the creature a kick and turns to you as you dispatch your target with an assault spell and your knife, "So that is number six right? Miosguinn is alone?"
You wipe your blade off on the Blue's robes, "Maybe kid but I would take nothing for granted here."
Your group stands in front of the Blue outpost. It is a single building, two stories tall with a pair of large metal doors out front. Brigit walks the perimeter and it seems that there is only one entrance and exit.
You push through the main gates, prepared for anything, but all that meets you is silence and emptiness. Though the exterior of the building lies in ruin the interior is remarkably well appointed. The rugs, tapestries and furniture would be worth a fortune if it were not all splattered with dried blood. A battle was fought here, maybe a week or two ago but you can't be certain.
Thanks to Tyrvard's stone you know Miosguinn is in here somewhere but you are not sure where exactly.
You and Gareth set about coming up with a plan to find the man and prevent any escape attempts he may try to make.
The Plan:
Your Assets:
Derryth - skilled mage, focus mental spells, some combat skill
Gareth - warrior, great combat skills, great commander
Brigit - archer/mage, good shot, good combat skills, magic arrows, focus mental spells
Serpent - medic, some basic attack spells, expert surgeon
Christine - skilled mage, focus movement spells/attack spells
Biliku - warrior, great combat skills
Uttu - archer, good shot
Bari - Pathfinder, good combat skills, improvised explosives, expert infiltrator
1. The Front Door: You should probably leave a team to secure the door in case he tries to slip past you.
A) You leave a team at the door (List who)
B) You do not leave a team at the door. You want the extra bodies to help search.
C)freeform
2. Groups: You can move as a single large group or as a pair of smaller ones. Gareth recommends against traveling individually.
A) You travel as one group, safety in numbers and all that.
B) You split into two groups to quickly search the building. (Who is on each team?)
i. both groups search the same floor.
ii. each group searches a different floor.
C)freeform
3. What floor do you want to search first? (Top two will be picked if Bii wins, Derryth's group will go with the top pick and group two will go with the second highest pick.)
A) Second Story - It seems to mostly be the offices of high ranking Blues up there. Miosguinn may have something in his office he needs.
B) Main Floor - The barracks, kitchen, common room, and armoury. If he has any remaining forces they would probably be around here somewhere.
C) Basement - there is always a basement and you may find something down there. If there is a secret escape route it might be down there.
D)freeform
Chapter 19: The Price of Power
Chapter 19: The Price of Power"Well now what?" Uttu lets out in a whine. You are all crushed. Miosguinn is not here.
"The stone points right to this room," Gareth replies, "He has to be here."
"We should go back downstairs and secure the entrance," Serpent suggests, a little frustrated at the situation.
"No we should all head for the basement right now," Biliku demands and her sister nods in agreement.
"Maybe we should split up," Christine suggests.
"Not against a master illusionist. He could have us fighting each other in a heartbeat," Bari grumbles.
The room is richly furnished. Shelves filled with books line all four walls, interspersed with busts and tapestries probably plundered from nearby sites. Miosguinn lives in style.
Six of your companions argue amongst themselves in the center of the room but you pay them no mind. You are a treasure hunter, a dungeon runner and you know that not everything is as it appears. Brigit for her part is inclined to agree and the two of you are trying to figure out where Miosguinn could be.
"What do you think Derryth?" the two of you stare at the stone. It points at the far wall, "It has to be a fake wall right?"
You nod your head as she speaks, "Well it is also possible that he is simply below us but yes I think so. It would not surprise me if he had a secret room back there somewhere. The man is a mage after all. The question is, if there is a room is the door mechanical or magical in nature?"
She gives you a grin, "Only one way to find out."
The two of you set about testing every book, every statue, every drawer in his desk, eventually you find something. A fake compartment in the back of one of the bookshelves. Opening it you find a button which you naturally press. Part of the wall slides away to reveal a large room.
White walls, white floor, white ceiling, and a soft white light emanating from the center of the room. On the far wall are six glass tanks filled with a blue gray liquid. Bobbing in each tank is a body.
You wave over the rest of your group. If you know anything about secret doors it is that they can close as quickly as they open and you do not want to be cut off from them. You even go so far as to sit a chair in the doorway to ensure you are not all trapped in there.
Upon closer inspection each body bears a striking resemblance to Isolde. These six Isoldes, each identical to the last, float in silence, the runes inscribed on each tank give off a low hum.
The eight of you take in your surroundings, Gareth mutters, "What the hell is Miosguinn doing in here."
One of your companions hazards a guess but you are far more concerned with a small door leading out of the far side of the room. A door that is slowly opening. You ready an assault spell as a figure steps into the room.
A blue-grey staff, blue-grey robes and arms full of books and artefacts, Miosguinn enters the room. His eyes are bloodshot, his hair dishevelled, you doubt he has slept since the battle. When he sees you he stops dead in his tracks and drops most of what he is carrying. A glass sphere hits the ground and shatters igniting a small fire at his feet as his tomes go up in flames.
He manages to hold on to one object however. A small cube inscribed with runes that match those on the glass tanks.
"Derryth," he lets out a low hiss, "why... why are you doing this... why did you not listen to me... why did you not turn back?"
You can feel the hostility he radiates towards your group and you can also feel the hostility they radiate back. Bari, Christine, Biliku and Uttu are just waiting for the order to attack. You are fairly certain that if they do not receive it soon they will anyway.
"The Damned had Serpent, Miosguinn, we could not leave him," you answer cautiously.
He lets out a short laugh, there is only a little malice in it but enough bitterness to make up the difference, "Luck then? Everything I have been striving for, for decades undone by a little bad luck..." he stares at his feet, remarkably unconcerned at the variety and quantity of weapons levelled against him, "But you have your friend back now," he gestures at Serpent, "Why pursue me?"
"The stone Miosguinn, my stone, you have it yes?" you gesture at the man.
The mage nods, "I do. If you want it back simply ask..."
"Tyrvard died in the battle Miosguinn," Serpent interjects, "Can you give him back to us as well?"
Miosguinn scowls, annoyed, "Many people died in that battle. Three whole Orders were extinguished. Do not throw that in my face physician! I tried to spare lives! I offered a peaceful solution!"
Bari grits his teeth, "You offered slavery, mage!"
He shakes his head, his eyes filled with sorrow, "We are all slaves. From the moment we are born to the moment we die we are their slaves..."
You tilt your head, "Who's slaves?"
He gives you a sick smile, "The Gods..." he stops for a moment, unsure if he should continue.
"I... I once told you that I made a mistake in my youth Derryth. Several decades ago the creatures at the center of the city became more aggressive. We only learned the reason much later but the results were immediately apparent. They attacked us, and they butchered many of the Damned. We had been in decline for generations, but the creatures could very well have finished the job right then and there. We won in the end but the cost was high. Among the dead were my family..."
He sees the sympathy written on your face, "No... no pity Derryth... rage... hatred... anything but pity."
He shakes his head as if trying to forcibly clear his mind, quietly he continues, "At any rate I must admit I cared little for them. It was almost a relief when I found them dead... but there was someone I could have saved... should have saved... a girl," he lets out a peculiar laugh as he gestures to the tanks, "I suppose there always is a girl..."
You have a sick feeling in your stomach, "This girl you lost... she was Isolde?"
He nods, "I searched for a way to bring her back for decades. Every night I lay awake in fear, worrying that I might fail. What should have terrified me was the prospect of success. Five years ago I found a being I believed to be our Goddess... at least she claimed to be... maybe she even is but I can tell you that she is nothing like what they worship," he gestures to your Damned allies, "she is so... inhuman... she promised me everything I wanted and she delivered Derryth. She gave me everything I ever asked for."
"Power," he gestures at the objects at his feet, raising his chin defiantly.
"Wealth," he gestures back into his office, his eyes full of wonder.
"Love," he gestures at the tanks along the wall, a look of triumph passes over his face.
But just as quickly as it comes it is gone again. It dissipates and you picture his triumphs as they turn to ash, he continues, "But she took as well. For every gift she gave me she took so much more. Now I am her creature, her slave and I doubt even death will free me..."
This whole situation bothers you on a fundamental level, it feels so wrong, so unnatural and you feel the need to bring this to a close, "As interesting as this all is why bother to tell me?"
"You were decent to me Derryth..." he squints and takes a sharp breathe, "That means more than you could ever know down here. Before I continue I need to know that you understand the cost of power. That I paid for what I know but that I would also always make the choices I have. For me there is no other path."
You nod, "I think I understand but why is it so important that I do?"
He gestures to the door behind him, "It is important because she wants to meet you Derryth. She respects power, she respects success and she has an offer for you. She can give you anything Derryth, anything you could ever want but as I have said there is a cost. I will not lie to you there is a great cost..."
You look back at your companions, "What about them?"
He gives you a predatory smile, "I am sure you can work something out with my Mistress. She is not unreasonable, she has time and patience and understanding."
You ask the obvious question, "If I refuse?"
With one finger he carefully reaches into his shirt and pulls out his pendant, "Well then we find out how good you really are..." he grins at you and raises his cube, "And I get to test my new family..."
You frown, considering your options, "May I have a moment to confer with my colleagues?"
He lets out a sharp bark of a laugh, "No. That did neither of us any good last time. I am afraid I will require an immediate answer."
With that he quickly pops his Heaven Stone into his mouth. His hand moves faster than your eye as he assumes a defensive stance and awaits your response.
1. Your plan:
A) You decide to negotiate with his Mistress. You enter the room he came from, hopefully a fight does not break out while you are gone.
B) You have no interest in this Goddess of his. You try to negotiate with Miosguinn. Maybe you can still get your stone and escape before the fighting starts.
C) You attack immediately, if you are quick enough you may be able to catch Miosguinn off guard. Your companions should be ready to help as well. (Choices three and four are dependent on choosing a C option)
i. The Mentalist - You will attack with Assault in an attempt to drop him quickly before he can release his experiments. You will use both Energon Cubes to maximize your spell, it may just get past the Heaven Stone though you can not be sure. Once incapacitated you can do with him as you wish.
ii. The Firestarter - The small fire at his feet still smoulders. You use both of your Energon cubes and Create Fire to create a localized fireball. His Heaven Stone will not protect him from such an attack. With any luck the mage will be consumed within the flames.
iii. The Traditionalist -No, he will expect magic from you. You pretend to accept his offer but as you pass him you strike out with your knife. Some things just have to be done the old fashioned way.
iv. The Trickster - That cube is awfully distinctive. You think you can probably use Retrieve Item to steal it from him just like the belt buckle back when you met Thaïs. He will immediately retaliate with everything he has but at least he should be without allies.
D) Throw the Dwarf? ("Throw the dwarf at him with the magic grenade in his mouth, he will spit it at Miosguinn at close range and then unleash the other damage dealers, physical works best here.")
E)freeform
2. The grenade. Do you use it if necessary?
A) No - It is eight on one, the grenade would be overkill.
B) Yes - You will take no chances with Miosguinn now.
3. Miosguinn: If he survives your attack what will you do with him?
A) You let him go, you will not murder a defeated opponent. (You will have to convince your group to do this)
B) Take him as a prisoner, there are things he could teach you. (You will have to convince your group to let you do this)
C) Kill him quickly, no one deserves to be tortured. (You will have to calm down Bari if you do this)
D) Give him to Bari. The dwarf will make it slow...
4. The Mistress: Do you meet with her even if you attack/defeat Miosguinn?
A) Yes
B) No
Chapter 20: The True Price of Power
Chapter 20: The True Price of PowerYou stand there staring at Miosguinn. The mage cautiously eyes your group in complete silence. Your allies are tense behind you, half of them are ready to murder this man or die in the attempt. You know you only have a moment to decide your course of action before events will spiral out of your control. So you make your choice.
You close your eyes and the world fades away as you concentrate. Slowly Miosguinn's cube appears in your mind. A hideous thing of black marble cut through with deep red runes that glow menacingly.
Normally you would already be holding the cube by now but the image is so blurry. You feel a pressure build from the room behind Miosguinn as someone or something tries to stop you, something far away and yet powerful. A jagged shard of smokey agony stabs deep into your mind but you push on. You will do this and nothing will stop you. The image of the cube gains definition, clarity and you snatch it. The force pressing down on you withdraws. You sense... surprise and... amusement. It whispers to you... He is all yours... and as quickly as it came on it is gone again.
You open your eyes, the cube rests in your hand. It was difficult but the look of surprise on Miosguinn's face is priceless, "How?"
You grin at him, "Good enough for you?"
He stops himself, shaking his head, "Very well then we will do this the hard way."
His pendent glows as he begins to cast and innumerable blue grey spiders pour forth from within his robes. They launch themselves at your group. You tell yourself that they are illusions but on instinct you raise your buckler anyway. The first spider that hits you digs its razor sharp fangs into the shield and tears a chunk out of it.
They are real.
You can hear the screams of your group behind you as the spiders swarm them. Their screams distract you for just a moment and one of the spiders bites into your throat. You would scream but all that comes out is a slight gurgle. You are dying. You feel the pain and the heat of your blood as it pours from your throat. And your last thought is that Miosguinn has won, that you are all dead and that he will triumph. It is over... you mind is submerged in darkness...
You hear a voice calling out to you... Nine's voice, "Come on dear! Think! I know you are smarter than this! They are not real! Think!"
No... no something about this is not right. Nine is right. You struggle against the spider, it tears into your throat over and over again. You can feel the pain but something is strange. The spider has no weight to it. It should be pressing down on you and it isn't. It has no feel to it... it is not hairy or smooth... it is not hard or soft... it is nothing and as that thought pushes its way into the center of your mind the pain instantly stops. The rest of your group is scattered around the room fighting phantoms as Miosguinn pours energy into his spell. If this goes on much longer they will all die of fright.
You reach into a side pocket and retrieve your destabilized Heaven Stone. With a flick of your wrist you throw it at the mage and it activates as it lands at his feet. The magical blast overloads every artefact within the blast radius. Miosguinn's magics fail him as the spiders disappear and your allies come to their senses. Miosguinn hisses as he spits out his Heaven Stone. It comes to rest on the floor before him. It glows once emits a slight hum before falling silent. The magic in it spent.
As you glance back to the man you witness the physical cost of his power. With his illusions in place he looked every bit the old professor but now his monstrous nature stands revealed for all to see. His right eye is that of a spider and a single fang extends from the right side of his mouth. He shuffles with a noticeable limp, as a crooked leg pokes out at odd angles under his robes.
With his illusions and artefacts neutralized he switches strategy. He lashes out with attack spells and spells of immobilization. He catches Uttu with a mass of webbing that traps her in place and conjures a great glob of a thick acidic fluid which he hurls at Brigit. Gareth manages to block the shot with his shield as he steps between the mage and the archer. The shield hisses as it dissolves and the veteran casts it across the room.
You pop the Heaven Stones into your mouth as you pour power into an assault spell. You think of Tyrvard, struggling to breathe, half buried under rubble and envision pummelling Miosguinn repeatedly. You launch the spell but he beats it down and returns fire. A ray of emerald energy cuts across the room and hits you in the shoulder. You let out a sharp gasp as the ray hits you but thankfully the stones block the magic.
Bari, having recovered his senses, hurls an improvised explosive at the mage. Miosguinn deflects the bottle with a wave of his staff. A blue wind carries the explosive back towards the dwarf who is forced to dive out of the way and straight into Serpent. Gareth and Biliku strike out at Miosguinn with their blades but the mage is quick and catches them with a cloud of vapour that paralyzes them. The two warriors collapse in a pile on the floor as Brigit notches an arrow and prepares to fire. She fires, Miosguinn is quick but not quick enough. The magical arrow sears a hole in his shoulder. He winces and strikes back with a grey ball of energy that pitches your allies into the far corners of the room.
You and Christine remain standing to either side of Miosguinn, forming two points of a large triangle. She nods to you and you both attack the mage. You attack his mind while she attacks his body. He manages to fight back deflecting most of the shots. The two of you together have the power to beat him but you lack the coordination and experience to draw him out. You quickly realize that you will not prevail here if you can not distract the man.
He lets out a guttural hiss as he stares at you and then you here a crackling.
Two of his tanks were caught in the blast and the runes glow brightly. It looks like the stone has destabilized the magics holding the tanks together. Miosguinn stares at the tanks, a look of complete horror on his face. He turns back to you and growls in rage.
You think you have your distraction. You give him your sweetest smile as you palm both energon cubes and you hit the tanks with a firebolt spell. The destabilized runes implode and tear the tanks apart. All six tanks collapse in on themselves in a chain reaction with a loud sucking sound before exploding back out with a deafening pop, showering the room in glass... glass and bodyparts...
Miosguinn screams and throws everything he has at you.
If it were not for the Heaven Stones he would probably kill you. As it is you just take one hell of a beating. You can feel your bones crack as he pours everything he has at you. You will be lucky if a few broken ribs are your only problem after this but he is focused only on you. Christine lets loose, a silver arrow arches across the room and strikes Miosguinn in the thigh. He stumbles and you hit him with an assault spell as Bari and Serpent move to restrain him. He screams and curses, he tries to tear you allies apart but you keep hammering his mind as Bari binds his hands, gags him and blindfolds him. As the mage struggles impotently his spells begin to unravel and your companions gather themselves up.
You cough a few times as you walk towards your group, "We won?" your words had been meant as a statement but it comes out more as a question.
"Yeah boss, I think we did," Gareth slaps you on the back and you wince...
"Everything hurts..." you moan.
He gives you his widest grin, "Well boss, that is how you know you're still alive."
You grunt as you walk over to the mage and start searching him.
No stone... You give him a good kick in the ribs, "Where is the stone Miosguinn?"
He lets out a string of muffled curses. He will not be much help now. You give him another kick for good measure and walk past him into the back room.
There on a large marble altar is your stone. Next to it is a large black egg.
Nine whispers from your bag, "Don't get too close to it dear. Just blast it from back here."
You feel a presence in the back of your mind. The same presence that tried to protect the cube from you. It is satisfied, it is hopeful, it wants you to pick up the egg so that the two of you may talk in person.
It is so sweet, so nurturing, so kind. It promises you wealth, and power, and knowledge. It promises you Tyrvard... it promises you Henry. You do not believe any of it for even a second.
You open your bag slightly, "Alright Nine, what spell do you recommend?"
"Oh any will do, just set it on fire I would say," she happily hums.
You nod, "Done and done."
You concentrate and point your staff at the egg as fire springs forth and consumes it.
The presence in your mind turns on you.
It is so sour, so destructive, so cruel. It promises you poverty, and frailty, and folly. It vows to take everything and everyone from you. Now this you believe and you decide that maybe this goddess needs a little reminder of where you both stand.
You decide to take it on a little mental tour of the last week.
You picture the Reds and the Silver, its followers... under your command.
You picture the Blues, its creatures... all dead.
You picture Abharsair, its general... his smouldering remains decorating some dark crater.
You picture Isolde, its experiment... crushed under rubble.
You picture Miosguinn, its slave... bound and defeated.
You picture Miosguinn as he will be... tied down and split open... dead.
You give it a warning and a promise.
You promise it that none will remember it, that none will revere it, that none will fight for it. You promise it defeat, you promise it isolation, you promise it extinction and in your certainty it believes you and is silent.
You pocket the stone and leave the room as Nine hums a happy little tune to herself.
She whispers to you, "Good job dear."
--------------------------------------------------
Miosguinn screams.
Bari has the mage tied across his desk. The dwarf is a professional, you will give him that, the mage is completely helpless. Though just to be sure you hit him with an assault spell every minute or two to keep him scrambled. You have agreed to leave Miosguinn's fate up to Bari and the dwarf intends to take his time.
Gareth has taken Serpent, Brigit and the girls to secure the rest of the building. Serpent and Brigit because you know they would not understand and the girls because you both agreed that they should not see this.
At first you had thought that Gareth would object to this but when you told him he merely nodded. He immediately understood, "Some things Derryth, some things can't go unanswered. He took one of ours. Anything he gets he had coming..."
You and Christine volunteered to stay and ensure that the mage would not try anything. Very soon he would not even be able to.
You stand on either side of the desk as Bari rushes around with his tools... he cuts... he seals... he cuts... he seals and soon Miosguinn is helpless. He takes the mage's tongue and pulls out a small sack, "Salt," he says to you as he forces the mage's mouth open and pours the salt into the wound. Miosguinn screams and passes out.
As Bari roots through his tools for smelling salts to revive his prisoner you hazard a question, "Do you still need me here Bari?"
The dwarf looks at you confused, "Well no Derryth. He won't ever be able to cast again so he is pretty harmless but don't you want to see the good part?" He unrolls a new set of tools, small picks and knives and a drill. You have no love for the man but this is a bit too much for you.
"No Bari, just as long as he dies," you shake your head, "The rest I leave to you."
You turn and walk from the room.
To your surprise Christine is not far behind.
The two of you enter the hallway together. The rest of the group is not around so you attempt to strike up a conversation, "I thought that you would want to see this through and stay to the end?"
She looks a little green, "So did I at first... but I do not know... I do not feel sorry for Miosguinn or anything... watching it just... it made me feel less... just less."
You shrug, "Had to be done. He killed a lot of people. It should not be quick for him."
She nods, "Yes... I do not think I could do it though..."
You nod along with her, "It is one thing to give the order but to hold the knife... I am not sure what I would do..."
Miosguinn screams from the other room as Bari shouts, "Ah, back in the land of the living are we. Don't worry mage I will keep you here as long as I can. Do you want the drill or the hammer next... hmmm...."
The two of you stand there in awkward silence looking at the floor.
Finally she speaks again, "What you did back there with Miosguinn. Drawing his attention like that. It took courage farmer..."
"Thanks..." you shrug, "I just did what I had to."
She nods, "Maybe... but you do not spare yourself for your people farmer. Mother would respect that... I suppose I do as well..."
You look up at her, a crooked smile and a look of surprise clearly written on your face, "Was that a compliment?"
She meets your gaze and gives you a smirk, "Do not worry, it will never happen again I am sure."
The two of you are about to begin bickering but your little moment is cut short by another scream from the adjoining room.
You both shudder a little, "Remind me to never anger a dwarf," you whisper to her and she nods.
----------------------------------------------------
The gate of your tower creaks open as your group moves back inside. You lost the better part of four days getting back. Between monster attacks and the need to scavenge for supplies your group only managed a leisurely crawl. By the end you all sport some injury; broken ribs, broken arms, Biliku sustained a sprained ankle of all things, you have all gone though the fire but you have come out the other side.
Every few hours you pull out the Halcyon Stone just to remind yourself that it is real.
"You really wanted that stone, didn't you boss?" Gareth walks beside you leaning on Brigit for mutual support.
"Yeah, it was Henry's dream. To finally have it... it just means a lot," he nods along as you speak, "I can't wait to show Thaïs. I have probably described it to her hundreds of times by now but to actually see it. That will be something."
Brigit surveys the courtyard, "Speaking of Thaïs, where is everyone?"
The courtyard is empty and everything is terribly quiet, you cup your hands in front of your mouth and call out, "Hello! Anyone here!"
Slowly you see a figure hobble out to meet you. Ithapi uses a large wooden beam as a crutch as he limps across the courtyard. Your stomach drops, "Ithapi what happened!" the three of you rush up to the maul followed by the rest of your group.
He grunts and gestures for you to be quiet, "Now don't overreact Derryth but we ran into a little trouble-"
You cut him off, "Where is Amena? Where is Thaïs? Ithapi tell me."
A voice comes from behind the maul, "Please Derryth, we just got the children to sleep. I am fine and Thaïs... well she will be fine eventually," Amena comes out through the main doors of the tower.
As sore as you are you hug your apprentice, "Take me to her please."
She leads you into Eris' old quarters while Ithapi finds rooms for Bari and the rest of the Damned. Serpent take Christine upstairs while Gareth and Brigit mind the girls.
Thaïs is propped up in bed reading as you enter. She gives you a weak smile and a wave though it pains her.
You are tempted to start in on her but she is your best friend. You want to give her a chance to explain herself.
Closing the book she gives out a slight grunt as she gestures for you to come closer to her bed. She waves Amena off and your apprentice closes the door behind her as she leaves.
She sighs, "I know, I know. You told me to leave the children if we ran into trouble but-"
You frown, "You disobeyed a direct order Thaïs..."
She gives you a pained expression, "They are just kids Derryth. I could not leave them and I thought that we could handle them-"
Sick from anger and fear you want to yell at her. In fact you are going to do just that as you throw up an arm dramatically. As soon as you do you stop dead as pain shoots through your body. You are still a bit sore from the fight with Miosguinn and the battles on the way back. Serpent did the best he could but without mandrake roots broken ribs simply take time to heal.
You let out a pained yelp. Thaïs can see the pain written on your face and her first instinct is to move to help which simply aggravates her own injuries. She yelps as well and the two of you start laughing as much as it hurts.
"Alright, alright I guess I don't get to lecture you on anything," you chuckle as she moves over to let you on the bed, "It is not like I am terribly pragmatic most of the time either."
She lets out a little laugh but stops short in pain, "Ouch, no laughing for either of us for a while I think."
You nod, "So you got everyone here safely?"
She nods, "Safe and sound. I took a bit of a beating and Ithapi injured his leg but the kids all made it. They are adorable Derryth."
You close your eyes and smile, "Just wait until they start tearing up the tower..."
She beams at the thought but slowly the smile slips away, "Miosguinn... you..."
You nod and frown at the memory of the man, "He is dead... it is over..."
"Are you sure," she says with a little concern.
"After Bari was done with him... yeah I am sure. There is no coming back from that..." you shudder a bit at the memory of the dwarf's handiwork.
Sensing that the topic bothers you she changes subject, "So you have the stone then?"
You grin at her as you reach down and rifle through your pack, "Yes, here it is," you reveal the stone and she gasps a little.
"How does it work?" she reaches for it.
You hesitate and almost pull the stone back, instinctively protective of your new find, "I am not sure yet. It will take a little research but I think I can figure it out."
"Well if you ever need help experimenting with it..." she lets the idea hang in the air as she stares at the stone, eyes wide.
She is your friend, your best friend, but part of you refuses to share. It is your stone after all not hers. Although you do feel terrible holding out on her and you probably would have failed without her. Maybe you should share... You will need a bit of time to figure things out at any rate.
You mumble out a noncommittal answer and stifle a yawn. It has been a while since you have had a good nights sleep and a warm bed.
A comfortable bed and safety from the horrors of this place conspire to drag you down into a deep sleep.
You snore a little and mutter to yourself about children and Dark Gods, magic stones and ancient artefacts. You sleep and you dream as your hopes and fears of tomorrow chase one another through your mind. Thaïs, for her part, rests her head on your shoulder and joins you soon after.
---------------------------End of Chapter 1----------------------------
Alright, you have the first half of the Halcyon stone and the first Chapter is done. Now based on the previous vote you all want a more guided experience when it comes to making your next move. The way I am going to do this is as follows. We will start with general questions and move down to the particulars from there. The result is that there will be a lot of votes without any real story updates until I have enough information to move things forward. To make up for this I will get those general background summaries out so you have a better idea of the ways in which the world conforms to or differs from traditional fantasy settings.
The Questions: (I am going to try and give you as much freedom as I can within the limits of the medium. If you have any questions then feel free to ask.)
For now we will stick to the basics.
Treasure - once I know how much money you have I can give you some proper options.
Personnel - Your group has achieved its aim. At this point it is likely to break up but you could try and keep it together. Once I know which assets you want to keep I can give you more options.
The Plan - You can make one decision right off the hop. Do you want to stay in Muirthemne or travel somewhere else. Each will provide you with different opportunities and challenges.
Part 1. Treasure: Potentially there is a lot of it to be had here. You can go get the Reds' relics, you can ask Christine to help you recover the library of the Silver Order, you can go loot the Blues' outpost, there is the Secondary Vault to explore, there is still the relic room back at the library and finally there is the rest of the tower to explore. I am going to break them down by what would make sense for the characters:
1) The Vault, Red, Blue and Silver Orders - all of these locations are close to each other but it will take time to completely loot them. You are looking at about two months to get everything back to your tower.
A) Loot it!
B) Don't loot it
2) The Library - this is closer and easier but there is no gold here. It would take about a week to loot the vault and a month to loot the whole library.
A) Loot it!
B) Don't loot it
3) The Tower - this is the closest option and the easiest. You can explore the whole tower in two days.
A) Explore the tower
B) Don't explore the tower
Part 2. Personnel: Your group is likely to split up if you let them. The question is what you want to do about it. You have good relations with most of them and many of them are dependent on you so I will go through them one at a time.
1) Thaïs: She will expect to be paid for her time if you let her go. If you want to keep her around you also have a few options available.
A) You let her leave.
B) You keep her on as part of the group.
C) You keep her on but make her a partner.
D) freeform
2) Gareth and Brigit: the two of them are inseparable by this point. If you let them go they will go to her guild if you ever need them. If you want to keep them then you will have to make them a good offer and talk to her father.
A) You let them leave.
B) You keep them on as part of the group.
C) You keep them on as part of the group and offer Gareth a promotion to partner.
D) freeform
3) Serpent and Christine: They will help you retrieve any treasure but Serpent wants to return Tyrvard's sword to his homeland. They will leave the city no matter what. You have a few options, you can let them go and wish them well or you can offer Christine a spot in your Circle and keep them in the group, they will rejoin when they get back from their "honeymoon". If you wish to go with them then see Part 3.
A) You let them leave the group.
B) You offer them positions.
C) freeform
4) Amena, Ithapi, Biliku, Uttu and the orphans: They are your wards and your dependents. If you want you can make them go but they will otherwise stay as they have no where to go.
A) You make them leave.
B) You make them leave but give them some money.
C) You keep them.
D) freeform
Part 3: The Plan Part 1: Do you want to stay in Muirthemne and build up your power base or go somewhere else?
A) Stay - If you stay you can do things like organize a mercenary company, build a proper Circle, or buy your way into the Eastern Nobility. You will also be able to do more training and research (like finding the other half of the stone) this way as you will be stationary. There are also a few important events coming up in the capital. The Heron Guard had to push back their tournament following the attack on the city at the end of the prologue so that will be happening in four or five months. There is also the great carnival in three months and a few other things to do as well.
B) Go - If you want to go anywhere else then pick this option. Bari has invited you to come with him and return the Maul of the Dwarven Kings; Serpent wants to visit the Berserk Lands to pay his respects to Tyrvard's family, there are rumours of a delegation being sent out to the Trow by the Emperor, or you could head out West following the map you found.
Part 4: Finally, what sort of information would you prefer to read about first:
A) The peoples of Myth, countries, races and the like
B) The History of Myth
C) Religion, Theology and Philosophy
D) Artefacts and People of great importance
E) Something Else?
Preparations 1 (Great Figures and Artefacts)
Alright, one massive lore dump coming up. Did it as a conversation to try and break up the walls of text. I will probably do one or two more just to cover all the bases. Also a lot of choices at the end. Hopefully everyone can manage.Preparations Part 1:
You sigh and relax.
It is the third day you have spent holding the gate open. You and your Circle arrived at the secondary vault four days ago. It was only when you saw it that you realized just how much wealth the old empire had. There is more gold here than in entire imperial cities. You and your friends are rich... very rich. At first you had intended to simply carry everything by wagon but that would take far too long. Instead you opened a gate to your tower and let your warriors and the children carry everything through. It will take weeks to clear out the vault and the smaller holdings of the three Damned Orders but you are willing to take the time. Everyone is in high spirits and your collective success has kept conflicts to a minimum. Finally you have time to just relax and enjoy the fruits of the last few months labour. You know it won't last but you remind yourself to take things one step at a time. Patience and cunning will take care of the rest.
As you sit in your tent next to Thaïs the two of you fall to talking about the state of the empire. About great heroes and villains past, about ancient artefacts and deadly magics. As you speak to her you remember Henry's book. You dig it out and flip to the relevant section and you begin reading to her...
Appendix D: Great Persons and Artefacts
Important figures of the Light:
Albrecht VII, King of the Dwarfs
It is no secret that the dwarves and the ghôls have long made war on one another. The southern hills of the continent have been bathed in the blood of both races since time immemorial but the events of the last two hundred years put even that bloody history to shame. Albrecht fought at the head of his father's army against Balor and his ghôl armies. He fought valiantly but in the end he failed to defend his homeland. The twin capitals of Myrgard and Stoneheim fell to the Fallen Lords and with them fell the kingdom.
Albrecht ruled his people in exile for over sixty years, fleeing the advance of the Fallen Lords and offering to humanity what resources and aid he could. Alric's surprise victory over the Fallen Lords provided the dwarves a chance for revenge and they have spent the better part of the last sixty years beating the ghôls back into the wastes and reclaiming their homeland. Much work remains to be done but Albrecht has never been one to shy away from a challenge.
You chuckle and comment to Thaïs, "Seems all dwarves are made of strong stuff."
She nods, "I suppose they have to be. Living at the edge of the world, far from help. They have no one to rely on except each other."
You flip through to the next marked entry. The Emperor of the known world, Alric the First...
Alric I, Emperor of the Cath Bruig, King of the Province, Protector of Tandem, First among the Avatara
Alric was born to King Lotharing II and Queen Luana of Province over ninety years ago. Few realized then the role he would play in the cycle of ages. He was the oldest of three children born to the couple and received martial and military training from some of the best minds in the kingdom. His interests lay elsewhere however. Alric had a natural talent for magic and took to the field with great interest. He attempted to balance his duty to the kingdom with his ambitions as a mage but in the end he surrendered his throne to his younger brother, Caliban, and left for the east in pursuit of ever greater magical knowledge.
At this point Alric disappears from all public records for a span of some twenty years. There are many tales told throughout the empire of his deeds but none can be confirmed with any degree of certainty. What is known is that Alric returned shortly before the war waged between Balor and the remaining people of the Light. Alric joined the ranks of the Avatara and fought alongside his brother's army against the Dark. Following the collapse of the Province's army at Covenant in 2468 A.E. Alric and the other eight Avatara assumed command of the remaining forces of the Light consisting mostly of irregulars. This new force, called the Legion would bear the brunt of Balor's attacks with dignity and determination.
As the war raged on the Avatara uncovered the location of an old enemy of Balor's known only as the Head. With the aid of this new ally the Light began to strike back at the Fallen Lords and scored an number of dramatic victories.
Alric however disappear on a mission across the Cloudspine Mountains into the East. The brave actions of a small band of heroes managed to recover the archmage and he told tales of the Head's treachery. Alric immeditately took command of the remaining forces of the Legion and led them against Balor. Alric tricked Balor and using an ancient artefact, an Eblis Stone, the king managed to best the dark lord and behead him.
Following his victory Alric, the last of the Avatara and now the most powerful known archmage, ascended the throne of Province and set to work rebuilding his kingdom. Hopeful that his peace would last for a thousand years.
You shake your head, "Well we all know how that turned out..."
Thaïs shudders, "Soulblighter."
Balor's lieutenant took his time. Sixty years in fact. He enlisted every ally that he could and he made his play. The last war tested humanity's resolve but once again Alric won out. Soulblighter was beaten and Alric declared the rebirth of the Cath Bruig. You do not envy the man, to be so many things to so many people. At almost one hundred years old he works tirelessly to restore the realms of man and if he gets a few centuries free of strife he may do just that. You certainly wouldn't bet against him. He was not the greatest of the archmages, nor was he the most martial but he was the most cunning. Or perhaps just the luckiest. Either way he survived as all of his peers and enemies perished and that sort of determination deserves respect.
The next entry is on Connacht, sometimes called the Wolf. A skilled general and administrator with dozens of legendary feats to his name. Connacht ended the Wind Age and began the Age of Light. He wiped out the Myrkridia, he broke the Trow, he slew the Leveler of his age and he ruled the Cath Bruig at its height. Alric has large shoes to fill if he hopes to live up to Connacht.
You flip through half a dozen pages listing great mages from the past. Finally you find the rest of the former Avatara.
You point at an etching of a large warrior glowing with magical energy. Thaïs speaks up, "That is Rabican. The spell blade, he led the armies of the Light through much of the Great War following the defeat at Covenant. He beat Shiver at her own game and destroyed her in a dream duel outside of Madrigal."
You nod, "And he fell not a year later to the Watcher. Trapped at Seven Gates by the Fallen Lord he was ambushed and slaughtered along with his men."
You examine the next page, short passages detailing each of the remaining Avatara spring out at you.
You and Thaïs alternate, "Murgen, sorcerer, diplomat, lost in the Tain."
"Maeldun, truthsayer, he wiped out the Pirates of Leix but fell defending the passes over the Cloudspine from the Deciever's forces."
"Cu Roi, loyal and true, perished alongside Murgen within the Tain."
You continue on like this, listing the names of great mages... all dead... it is a bit sobering for both of you.
Thaïs clears her throat, "Well we will just have to do better than they did!"
You nod in agreement as you turn the page.
Ou'Kahn, First among the Fir'Bolg
Long time enemies of man the Fir'Bolg of the modern era have become strong allies of the Light. Little is known about the master archers of the Ermine forest save that they are much better to have as friends then as enemies.
Fir'Bolg archers fought alongside the Legion in the Great War and proved vital to the success of the Light. As a result Ou'Kahn and Alric have signed dozens of treaties recognizing each others rights and two imperial academies have been opened in the Ermine to teach humans how to master the bow.
It is too early to say whether this new relationship of peace and understanding between human and Fir'Bolg will last but there is cause for hope.
You shake your head, "Henry always was an optimist."
Thaïs gives you an appraising look, "Well they did help us win the Great War Derryth and they have trained all of Alric's archers for the last sixty years. I would say they are firmly on our side."
You nod but you are not sure. No one knows anything about the Fir'Bolg and that makes you uneasy.
You flip through the names of ministers and generals but none of them really interest you until you come to final entry...
Mazzarin...
The archmage. Anyone that has ever seriously hoped or dreamed of learning magic aspires to follow in his footsteps. The greatest mage of the Wind Age, of any age in fact. He founded the Avatara before the reign of Connacht. It was his artefacts that allowed Connacht to defeat many of his foes as well. Mazzarin fell to the Watcher in the closing decades of the Wind Age and it was the greatest victory of the Dark in that age. Part of you wonders though. A mage as skilled as Mazzarin would not fall easily and he was a true master. Perhaps the historical record is not quite accurate after all...
Having run through the heroes of the Light the two of you turn your attention towards the Dark. You are confronted by a list of monsters and madmen but chief among them are the Fallen Lords.
"Balor," you whisper, some part of you afraid to even mention his name.
Henry had scribbled something in the margin of this page:
"Although the hero of every age of light is different, every dark age is ushered in by the same beast - a transient divinity that seeks only conflict - The Leveler. And so Tireces returned as Moagim to end the Age of Reason - and Connacht, the great hero of the Wind Age, returned as Balor to lay waste to the greatest empire the world had ever known."
Balor, or perhaps Connacht if the theories are true, was the greatest danger to face the world in a thousand years. Despite this, very little is known about the man in his time as the Leveler. Reports exist dating back centuries of a powerful mage dressed in enchanted plate on the eastern borders of the old Cath Bruig. These are believed to be the earliest sightings of the man we would come to know as Balor. Balor was possessed of a keen mind and boundless patience both of which he utilized to slowly reduce his opponents one by one. One hundred and one years ago he sacked the Kingdom of the Dwarves, mere decades later he reduced the old Cath Bruig Empire to ruins. Had he traveled West then and attacked the Province he would have ushered in his age of Darkness but he did not.
Instead he sent his generals.
It is my belief that Balor did not realize the power that lay in the Province. If he was Connacht then he may still have thought of the Province as an underdeveloped backwater as it was in his time. The modern Province however is a full fledged kingdom with enough power to resist the Cath Bruig Empire before its fall. His generals scored a number of early victories but gradually fell to bickering among themselves. When the Legion struck back at him he was overconfident and unprepared. He vastly underestimated the young Alric and it cost him everything. He was decapitated and his head thrown into The Great Devoid to fall for all eternity.
You shake your head, "It was a very close call though."
Thaïs takes the book, "Well we won in the end right. Like Gareth says, any fight you can walk away from..."
You laugh, "Well in this case we crawled away but I agree. The Light survived, the Dark perished. At the end of the day maybe that is all that matters."
Henry has further entries on each of the other Fallen Lords.
Soulblighter, the Twice Born.
In an earlier age he was known as Damas. He was Connacht's hound, his champion, a warrior of unparalleled skill. As a Fallen Lord he was perhaps the only loyal follower of Balor. Soulblighter attempted to coordinate the campaign in the west but he lacked Balor's skill. Alric outmaneuvered him and slew his lord.
You grab a pen and snatch the book back. You scribble a single line on the bottom of the page.
Sixty years later Soulblighter attempted to gain his revenge. Again he failed.
Thaïs chuckles, "He was a complete failure wasn't he?"
You smile at her, "The worst of the Fallen Lords by far I would say. The man accomplished nothing. Still he was quite dangerous..."
She scratches the side of her head, "So who is next then?"
You turn the page over.
The Deceiver, The Source of Five Hundred Poisons
Your eyes light up, "Now here is a mage! He fought for both the Light and the Dark. Scholar, diplomat, assassin, no one really knows why he agreed to serve Balor. Henry believed that he was a former Avatara by the name of Myrdred he-"
"Myrdred!" Nine shouts from the pillow she is resting on, "That was the bastard's name that did this to me! Oh, if I ever find him!"
The two of you stare at her, "Wait, you knew the Deceiver?"
She blinks twice as you stare at her, "Umm... I guess so yes. The man that did this to me was named Myrdred and it is not like it is a common name or anything..."
You feel the need to ask, "What did you do Nine? Who are you?"
She screws up her lips as she tries to think. After a moment she gives up and smiles at you, "Sorry dear, I don't know. But if we ever find this Myrdred I want to kill him okay?"
"Sorry Nine. Rumour is he died during the last war in a duel with Shiver or at least someone that looked like Shiver. For what it is worth he killed her too."
Nine looks crushed for a moment, "Really? Well I suppose I will get over it... At any rate what else does the book say? Maybe there is an entry on someone else I know."
You look back at the book, "Well the next entry is on Shiver, the Mother of Plagues."
Nine blinks once in understanding, "Even when I was a girl they told stories about her. They called her Culwyeh and Myrdred once called her Ravanna. She was one of the greatest battle mages to ever walk the lands. If she really is dead then the world is better for it."
"If?" Thaïs asks, curiosity and caution battling for control in her.
"Well dear, old Shiver is ancient. She has "died" so many time already. What would be one more? She was beautiful and terrible in equal measure..."
You laugh, "Well if she is still out there somewhere she is not beautiful anymore."
Now Nine is curious, "What do you mean dear?"
You start to lecture, glad to be teaching her something for a change, "Back during the Great War she was killed by Rabican as Thaïs mentioned. She reappeared during the last war but she was greatly diminished... dried out... hideous... and without many of her old powers."
Thaïs hazards a suggestion, "Well maybe it was not really her?"
You shrug, "could be possible," you flip the page again.
Bahl'al, The Watcher, the Mad Goat of the Fens
Even Nine shivers when you read his name. If Mazzarin was the greatest archmage to ever live then the Watcher was number two or three. He is often considered the first necromancer and his mastery of the Dream of Unlife has brought unimaginable suffering to the world.
Nine breaks the silence, "A real piece of work that one..."
You nod and quietly add, "Dead as well... Alric got him..."
Nine is surprised by this, "Well then this new emperor of yours is either very powerful or very clever. Myrdred had been trying to kill the man for centuries..."
Thaïs cuts in, "I think I remember this story. Alric managed to find the Watcher's severed arm, lost during a battle with the Deceiver. He had arrows made from the Watcher's bones and enchanted them to petrify the arch-necromancer. Alric sprung his trap and destroyed the Watcher, transforming him into a statue and shattering him into pieces..."
Nine whistles, "Now that is how you kill a man."
You mumble to yourself, reading ahead while Thaïs and Nine talk, "According to Henry's book there were two more Fallen Lords; Bheil, the Twiceborn daughter of Flood and Famine, and the Voiceless One, the Loveless Child of the Unwed Dawn... hmmm..."
"What is it dear?" Nine prods you.
"It says here that the Voiceless One was called Ravanna. But didn't you say that, that was Shiver, Nine?"
Nine blinks once in confusion, "Yes, at least I think so. Maybe they were the same person?"
"Well I guess we have a mystery here..." Thaïs adds.
You look from one of them to the other, "Well if we ever run into a Fallen Lord I will be sure to ask right before we are all horribly killed."
They both laugh a little as you turn back to the book, "Well that is it for this appendix though Henry has attached a few notes to the end. Looks like a list of artefacts with short entries scribbled next to each," you read through the list to them both:
The Anvil of Culwyeh - Shiver's tool perhaps. What is it? Dangerous... destroyed?
Balmung - Alric's sword, heavily enchanted... very powerful... chain lightning?
Mydred's Staff - powerful channelling device perhaps... how did he do it?
The Eblis Stones - five of them, supposedly all destroyed... Alric found one... maybe more? Note - get Derryth to look into it for me. The girl just loves doing research...
You grumble, "Damn it Henry, you know I hated research..."
Halcyon Stone - one half lost under Muirthemne... so close...
You take out your pen again and strike the entry out, "I have it Henry... I won't let you down..."
The Ibis Crown - Very powerful, in Alric's possession... I wonder if I could steal it?
Maul of the Dwarven Kings - somewhere in Myrgard probably... would be worth a fortune...
The Oriflamme - The royal standard of the house of Mabingion of Tyr... lost during the Great War... powerful magics here... may have to travel to Tyr sometime...
The Tain - pocket sized box containing a whole prison plane... destroyed during the Great War... but what a find it would have been...
Thalor's Eye - a weapon of some sort... need more research...
The Total Codex - currently under lock and key in the Imperial Palace... oh the information it could contain... anything I could ever want...
Trabist's Mirror - lost, resurrection device?... immortality... it must have a cost...
You gently shut the book, "I guess Henry really was ambitious..."
Thaïs smiles, "Well you got it from somewhere right?"
Brigit sticks her head into your tent, "The two of you are late! Serpent and Christine want to take a break and it is your turn to hold the gate open."
"Alright, alright. We will be right there," the two of you gather up your things and exit the tent.
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Alright now for the second round of voting.
You spend about three months looting everything and you are rich. Really rich. So the way I am going to do this is to divide it into sections. First up you have a number of magic items which you can either keep or give to party members. Second you need to pick where you want to go. Third you need to decide if you want to leave people behind to work on things while you are gone.
Part 1: The Loot (Just put down the name of who should get the item)
1. A glowing blue sword with lightning bolts etched into the hilt and blade.
2. A large round shield made of gold, it has a stylized depiction of a Fetch on it. When Brigit accidentally pointed it at you, you felt terrified.
3. A little blue stone, an attached note claims that it allows the user to indefinitely breathe under water.
4. A pair of plain matching bracelets. Give them both to someone or one each to two different people, you choice.
5. A simple golden ring. On the inside is engraved, the ring of the master
6. An empty quiver decorated with snowflakes.
Part 2: The Plan Part 2:
1. Where do you want to go?
A) The Dwarven Kingdom with Bari
B)Tyrvard's Tribe with Serpent and Christine
C)West following the old map you found
D)West to one of the great cities of the Province:
i. Tandem - the Free City of the North - semi independent republic
ii. Madrigal - the capital of the Province - trade city of the West
iii. Tyr - City by the Sea - livestock and fishing
iv. Covenant - The old capital - textiles, merchant houses
v. Scales - The Great City of the South - wine, crafts, courtesans
E) You head Northeast in search of the ancient city of the Trow.
F) You head west into the mountains in search of ancient knowledge in forgotten temples
G) You head North to the sunken cities
H) You head Southwest in search of the hidden library
I) freeform
Part 3: Personnel Tasks (Alright, I don't want to link the options given how many different combinations there will be. This means you are going to have to do some of the work here and come up with a coherent plan. I will need to know who is going to stay in the city and who is going to go with you. I will also need to know what you want each person to do. Yeah, it will get messy but I have complete faith in you.)
1. Biliku and Uttu can set up a spider breeding program for you if they stay. It won't really cost you anything but they will have to stay at the tower to do it.
A) No
B) Yes - Biliku and Uttu stay behind
C) freeform
2. You will not be on hand to manage Circle affairs and you do not want to trust Circle policy to anyone else. So while you are gone no progress will be made on research and mage training. However you can set Gareth to work recruiting muscle to support your efforts if you want.
A) No
B) Yes - have him recruit his old friends from the Legion. There are not many of them left but he vouches for each of them. He tells you that each one of them is worth ten normal men but they will not come cheap. Gareth and Brigit will stay behind.
C) Yes - you have him recruit from the unemployed of the tent city. It will be cheap but it may take a while to whip them into shape. Gareth and Brigit will stay behind.
D) Yes - you have him do both. It will cost more but you can afford it.
E) freeform
3. You could have Thaïs stay behind to manage your financial affairs while you are gone. She will try and make wise investments with your communal funds as opportunities present themselves.
A) No
B) Yes - Thaïs will stay behind
C)freeform
4. The Orphans, you should start thinking about what you are going to do with them. If you are going to let them stay at the tower you should leave someone in charge. Amena and Ithapi know the area best and can begin teaching them if you wish. Alternatively Gareth and Brigit can look after them if they stay in the city. Biliku and Uttu can also try and supervise them. (Keep in mind if you are training forces or raising spiders B&G and B&U will have to split their efforts).
A) You do not leave the children at the tower. You buy an orphanage and staff it. They will stay there though they may have trouble adjusting to surface life.
B) You let the children stay at the tower. Amena and Ithapi will look after them.
C) You let the children stay at the tower. Gareth and Brigit will look after them.
D) You let the children stay at the tower. Biliku and Uttu will try to look after them.
E) freeform
Part 4: Misc.
1. The Black Fang and the Black Staff: Nine says they are definately connected to Miosguinn's "Goddess". If you hold on to them they could be dangerous. On the other hand they may be tools that you can use against her. The decision is yours.
A) Destroy them
B) Keep them. Lock them up in your private vault in the Tower
C) Keep them. Take them with you.
2. Serpent and Christine are going on a trip. Do you give them a bonus for their honeymoon?
A) No
B) Yes - A modest gift
C) Yes - A large gift (the best of everything)
D) freeform
3. You will have to meet with Brigit's dad to negotiate for her services. He owns a fair amount of property on the surface and if you want he could lease you a warehouse and guards. This would let you store some wealth on the surface in case you need it.
A) No
B) Yes
C) No - instead you take the time to shop around for a proper above ground compound. (This option will take a couple months to set up properly and as such it is not compatible with Part 2: 1 A and B)
D) No - though you try to play matchmaker with Gareth and Brigit by winning over her dad.
E) freeform
Preparations 2 (History and Geography)
Another lore dump, tried not to cover the same information over again but there is probably some overlap. Also the final set of choices before chapter two at the end. If you have any specific questions about something you want to do or some element of the setting that I did not explain feel free to ask.Preparations Part 2:
You pinch the bridge of your nose as another headache assails you. Who would have thought that success would breed so many issues. You sit behind what used to be Eris' desk in her private chambers, now your private chambers, you have spent the better part of the last week attempting to catalogue and store all of the resources you recently acquired. Thaïs sits off to one side going through another stack of tomes, her help makes this manageable but it will be difficult even with the two of you working together. Nine rests in the corner, pretending to sleep like usual but by now you can tell when she is eavesdropping.
The gold and mundane wealth was relatively easy to handle. It is piled in the lower storerooms where Gareth oversees its storage, but the magical artefacts and spellbooks you have recovered require your personnel attentions. Loosely speaking the spellbooks fall into three categories, those taken from the Silver Order library, those taken from the Blue Order outpost and a smattering of texts recovered from the library and attached vault. There are dozens of tomes detailing spells from half a dozen schools of magical knowledge here mixed in with history boks and texts on arcane philosophy. It will take months to properly go through what you have recovered and you simply do not have the time.
"Find anything interesting?" you call over to Thaïs, hidden behind a stack of tomes.
"Not much, looks like this is a general history text... but listen to this..."
The Axe Age
Little is known about the earliest age, or perhaps ages, of the world. As such all of human prehistory is simply termed the Axe Age. Humanity lived in small bands as hunters and gatherers. We were the prey of the myrkridia, and far below the notice of the Trow. We lived and we died without leaving any mark upon the world. This was the first age of darkness and it seemed to last without end...
"Hmm... grim stuff," you shake your head, "Of course the Trow did not see it that way. From what Henry used to tell me that was their golden age. They built their great cities to the goddess Nyx and exterminated or enslaved any race they deemed a threat."
"Like the Callieach?" your friend asks.
You nod, "Exactly. What little we know of them paints a picture of a race of master magicians, possessed of a control over magic unseen before or since. It was not for nothing that they are called the Sovereigns of the Time Before..."
Your little speech grabs Nine's attention as Thaïs questions you, "So they fought a war with the Trow? I assume they lost then."
Nine finally cuts in, you knew it was just a matter of time, "Everyone lost against the Trow dear."
You smile, "Everyone except the Legion. But yes, the Callieach had the magic but not the numbers to win a sustained conflict with the Trow. Slowly but surely the Trow pushed them back, giants clad in black metal, they destroyed the Callieach cities and drove them back to their capital. It was there, during the battle of the Real Seal that the Callieach played their final card. They unleashed a spell of such great power that it killed them all and wiped out the invading Trow legions. The hole created by that spell remains to this day, far to the east... The Great Devoid..."
Thaïs gives you an odd look, "I thought you were not interested in history?"
You beam at her, "This is the history of magic. I am always interested in magic."
She shakes her head and smiles, "Alright, so what happened then?"
"Well the Trow declared victory and headed home but their empire entered a state of decline following the war. The Callieach had killed so many of them that they began to rely on slaves to do all their labour. It worked for a time but eventually it proved their undoing. Anyway, what else does that book say?"
Thaïs turns her attention back to the tome, "The next entry is on the Age of Reason, mankind's golden age and the first age of light. It says that the age extends from 3,111 to 2,112 years ago and began when Tireces, the first archmage, managed to defeat the very first known Leveler in 570 H.C. Eight years later he founded the settlement of Llancarfan..."
"Llancarfan?" you ask but Nine quickly shushes you, "Dear, Llancarfan is the old name for Muirthemne, we are probably standing on top of or near the very place that Tireces stood thousands of years ago."
"The city really is that old then?" Thaïs asks. Nine blinks twice in affirmation before continuing, "Oh dears there are probably three or four cities buried down here going right back to the very dawn of human civilization. We are near the heart of the oldest human city in the world."
You gesture for Thaïs to continue, "Well nothing much happens for the next five hundred and sixty two years. Humanity pulls itself up, while the Trow continue to decline. It is a good thing they never realized the threat we posed of they would have wiped us out as well. In the year 1 A.E. the Emperor Clovis I founded the first Cath Bruig Empire and renamed the capital to Muirthemne. Humanity took the scraps left by the Trow and we learnt, we stole the knowledge of iron working from them and we built our power. At the same time the Trow came into conflict with most of the other races in the world, too proud to beg and hide like humanity. They defeated the Forest Giants and drove them back into the great Forest Heart to the south. They crushed the human kingdom of Yer-Ks and drowned it below the waves. Finally they defeated and enslaved the Oghres. The Age of Reason ends in 431 A.E. when the next Leveler, Moagim, rose in the East. He organized the myrkridia and taught them all that they know of military strategy and magic. This horde pushed west and crushed the Cath Bruig Empire. However, in his moment of triumph Moagim was cut down, drawn and quartered his body was scattered to the corners of the earth. For the next thousand years the myrkridia ruled the known lands and terrorized humanity."
You whistle, "And the same thing would have happened to us if not for Alric..."
Nine urges Thaïs to continues, interested in what else is recorded, "This age of darkness, known as the Wolf Age lasted till just over a thousand years ago. In 1431 A.E. Connacht came from the East, some say from Gower, some say from the lands beyond. He descended upon the myrkridia and broke their power, trapping them within the magical prison of the Tain. Within one generation the entire race disappeared."
You scratch the back of your head, "That Connacht was truly something. First he seals away the myrkridia and then her turns his attention to the rulers of the world, the Trow."
Thaïs nods, "It says here that Connacht took advantage of the Trow's reliance on slavery to undermine their empire. It says that the Trow priests controlled their slaves through the Dream of Domination... hmm... I have never head of that one before... and that Connacht's mages managed to unravel the spell and free the Oghres. The resulting war wiped out the Oghres. The Trow, conscious of their own sins, cast down their weapons and forever rejected the gift of iron leaving it to the younger races."
You tilt your head, "It was not the first time they had committed genocide though. What was so special about the Oghre Rebellion that the Trow swore off weapons and withdrew like that?"
Neither Nine nor Thaïs has an answer to this question so you are forced to shrug it off. Another mystery to tease at your mind, "Anything else of interest in there?"
Thaïs considers the page, "Not too much that is not already public record. The Leveler of that age appeared soon after, some say it was Moagim reborn, and Connacht crushed him and his forces. The emperor of the Cath Bruig fell during the battle and by popular acclaim Connacht was named the new emperor. He spent the rest of his life setting humanity on the best footing possible while his champion Damas sought out and destroyed any artefacts that the next Leveler could use against humanity. Connacht's end is not recorded, it is said he journeyed far into the east in search of something but no one knows what..."
You frown slightly, "For a history, this story raises more questions than it answers."
Nine just gives you both a knowing smile, "Most histories do my dear."
Thaïs continues, "Well the next section is just about recent history. Balor's appearance a few centuries ago on the eastern border. The deal he made with the Myrmidons and his recruitment of his six Fallen Lords are all alluded to though no real facts are given. Two centuries ago the Province waged a war of independence against the Cath Bruig and won. A century ago Balor sacked the Dwarven Kingdom and in 2431 A.E. he raised Muirthemne and destroyed the old empire."
You nod confidently, everyone knows the rest of the story, "Ah, now we are moving into recent memory. With the fall of the empire, Balor built up his power in the east while his generals were free to attack the Province. The nobility of the Province were decimated at Covenant and Alric and the Avatara took over the war effort. Shiver was killed outside Madrigal by Rabican, Rabican was killed not a year later at Seven Gates by the Watcher with the surprise aid of the Trow. The Deceiver and the Watcher had it out immediately after and the Deceiver was presumed dead. Cu Roi and Murgen lost their lives in the Tain and to top it all off a civil war broke out between the Head and the remaining Avatara. By 2481 all of the Avatara lay dead save for Alric and every major population center in the west had fallen but the Legion remained. They outmaneuvered Soulblighter and killed the Watcher. Finally Alric tricked Balor at the ancient Trow city of Rhi'anon, decapitated him and sent what remained of the Legion south to the Great Devoid with his head. They must have succeeded as the forces of the Dark collapsed overnight and Soulblighter fled into the east."
Nine is left speechless, "This Alric did all that?"
You nod, "Not just that. Soulblighter spent the next sixty years rebuilding his forces. He somehow resurrected Shiver, or found someone that could pass for Shiver. He located the Summoner, the one man capable of resurrecting the myrkridia, and he undermined much of the eastern nobility. Finally he struck at Alric. He might have caught the emperor by surprise but Alric recieved warning just in time. Alric found and enlisted the aid of the Deceiver, the Warlocks and the Trow and together with the Legion he broke Soulblighter's armies and killed the Fallen Lord deep in the heart of the great volcano Tharsis."
Thaïs grins, "You sound like a fan of his."
You shrug, "He is the greatest living archmage of our time and one of the few reasons we actually won the wars. He deserves all of the praise he gets."
With that whirlwind history lesson out of the way you turn your attention to more pressing matters. You pull out a map of the known world.
![[IMG]](http://www.soulblighter.net/ubermap.jpg)
Everything from the Great Devoid in the East to the great cities of the West is displayed before you. The Trow lands of the North, next to the state of Gower and the Berserk Tribes. The Dwarven Kingdom and the Barren Hills of the ghôls to the south. The Ermine Forest of the Fir'Bolg, the Forest Heart of the Forest Giants and the Deep Mire of the Skrael all jump out at you. So many possible destinations but you are only interested in the Dwarven cities to the southeast. It will be a difficult trip but it should be manageable. In three days time you want to be back on the surface, a week from now you hope to be on the road but there are a number of things that you must see to first and a few final orders to give to your people.
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This will probably be your last chance to give instructions to your whole group for a while. Serpent and Christine will head north across the Barrier, past the Twelve Duns and to the islands in the northern sea. They will probably be gone for awhile. You, Thaïs, Biliku, and Uttu will travel south with Bari to the dwarven capital at Myrgard and you have a few options on how you want to do this. Gareth, Brigit, Amena, Ithapi and the children will stay in the city and again you have some choices on how you want them to undertake the tasks you have given them. Once these final decisions are made your group will return to the surface and split up and Chapter 2 will begin.
Part 1: The Tower, Amena and Ithapi
1. Amena and Ithapi - since the two of them will be looking after the children while you are gone you will have to give them instructions on what to do with them.
A) Have the children study with Amena. Knowledge is power and it is never too early to start.
B) Have the children help Ithapi with fixing up the tower. Physical labour will do them some good.
C) Let the children be children with the bare minimum of structure. Well it should toughen them up a little...
D) Aim for a more balanced and structured approach. They will be given time to themselves but most of there time will be spent in study with Amena or working with Ithapi.
E) freeform
2. Some of the children have expressed an interest in worshipping their goddess. Do you let them?
A) Yes - it probably won't do any real harm and it should comfort them.
B) No - They need to make a clear break.
C) No - You try and give them a substitute god to worship. Something close but hopefully different.
D) freeform
Part 2: The Muscle, Gareth and Brigit
1. You think it might be a good idea to train your warriors on the surface. Gareth and Brigit will have to purchase a compound to do this though and you do not have time to go shopping around with them. You will have to decide if you want them to purchase a compound or not. Also you will need to supply them with the resources to do so They will use the funds you leave them to make the best purchase possible.
A) You have them buy a compound. You do not want too many people knowing about the tower and you would rather have them on the surface.
i. You leave them a little money
ii. You leave them a moderate sum
iii. You leave them a lot of money
B) You do not need a new compound. They will take the recruits they believe are reliable back to the tower which will also grant you further security for the children.
C) freeform
2. While you are gone Gareth may want to test out your new forces by taking a few mercenary contracts. It would make you some money and if they do well it will give your group a bit of a reputation. It may also make enemies... Do you let him take any contracts?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Yes - but you speficically instruct him to take only contracts against former Dark forces
D) freeform
Part 3: Your group
1. A talking head will raise a lot of questions, while not illegal she will draw attention. Do you take Nine with you or leave her at the tower?
A) Yes - you are confident you will be able to hide her.
B) No - you do not want people finding out about her.
C) freeform
2. There are a number of ways you can travel to Myrgard. How do you want to go about it?
A) Just the five of you. You will travel light and try not to draw attention. You can move quickly and silently as a small group.
B) You will join up with a caravan. There is safety in numbers after all.
C) You hire a company of mercenaries to get you to your goal.
i. A group of Berserks that you have seen drinking at the Hanged Man. They know no fear and will gladly escort you.
ii. A group of dwarves Bari has had some dealings with in the past. Reliable but eccentric.
iii. A group of sell-swords, unemployed warriors and archers that live in the tent city. Probably the cheapest option.
D) freeform
Part 4: Your training
1. Travelling on the road, you won't really be able to practice more complex tasks but there are a few things you could try and accomplish. (Pick two)
A)Dwarven Language - Thaïs is learning Dwarven from Bari, you could join her and see what you can pick up.
B)Drinking - Bari says there are few things dwarves respect more than someone that can hold their liquor. You are no lightweight but to keep up with the dwarves would take practice. Thankfully you have Tyrvard's still. If you started now, with Bari and Thaïs' help you could become an expert drinker.
C)Combat Training - You think it would be useful to improve your combat skills. You spar with members of your group in the evenings. (who you spar with will be determined by your choice in part 3 question 2. If it is just the five of you it will be Biliku, if you take an escort it will vary a bit more).
D)Diplomacy? - Thaïs can try to give you some pointers to make you more diplomatic. From what you know of dwarves they respect honesty more than flowery words but a little tact would never hurt.
E) Research on the Road - You will attempt to study the artefacts in your possession along with Nine and Thaïs. It will be more difficult then at the tower but you may uncover something.
F) Something Else? - freeform
Part 5: Your vault
If you want to put anything Derryth is carrying in her inventory into your vault (so I can't destroy it on you
) for safe keeping then let me know.As a reminder of what you are carrying and what is in the vault:
Equipment:
Knife, The Whip, Silver Staff
Clothes, A Very Stylish Hat, Small Wooden Buckler, Leather Armour
Spellbook, Heaven Stone, First Piece of the Halcyon Stone, One of a Matching Pair of Bracelets, Ring of the Master, Water Breathing Stone
Brass Spyglass, A Weathered Book "On the Cycles of Light and Dark", One Hideous Belt Buckle
the Dream Map and Notes, Tyrvard's Still, Miosguinn's Stone, Miosguinn's Cube
Derryth's Vault (storage):
The Heron Scrolls, The Ancient Tablet, The Gate Tablet, One large Unsorted Collection of Scavenged Spellbooks
Chapter 1: A Parting of Ways
Update ran a bit long. Only one choice to make in this update though there are a number of options available.Chapter 1: A Parting of Ways
It has been a busy couple of months. Thaïs immediately accepted the partnership you offered her. Gareth took a bit more convincing but eventually he too gave into your arguments. The two of them should prove quite useful as you seek to expand your power base. With time who knows what you could achieve together.
You spent the last two days handing out payment for services rendered in the form of a little gold and a lot of artefacts. It has been your experience that all artefacts fall within one of two camps. Some are immediately of use, their enchantments are obvious, useful and in high demand. Gareth's new sword that spits lightning, his new shield that instils fear, and Uttu's new quiver that enchants any arrow left within it for a limited time all have clear and immediately useful properties and belong to this camp.
The second camp consists of artefacts that have unusual, obscure, or limited applications, your new ring for example. It will take research and experimentation to determine its effects. You lack the time for research and you possess enough wisdom to know how dangerous it is to simply experiment with a new magical item. Still someone created these artefacts for a purpose and you will unravel their meaning.
"What do these do?" Thaïs is helping you catalogue your new finds, currently she is examining a pair of bracelets recovered from Miosguinn's stash.
"Not sure..." you grumble, your nose lodged firmly in an old magical encyclopaedia.
"Well have you tried putting them on?" she snatches them up.
"No don't!" you move to stop her but she has already slipped one onto each wrist.
Nothing happens.
"Um... do you feel anything? Anything strange?" you ask as you stare at her, concern and curiosity fighting for dominance within you.
She just shrugs, "No... maybe they are meant to be worn by two different people," she slips off one bracelet and holds it out to you, "Come on Derryth, help me out here."
"Nope... no... not going to happen," you shake your head vehemently, "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to go around triggering magical items? These bracelets could do anything..."
She places one hand on each hip, "Derryth you are being paranoid again."
You grin at her, "I am being cautious, not paranoid, it is how you stay alive in this business."
"Coward," she hums.
"Coward," Nine chimes in from her cushion, "I would try it dear..."
You turn on the head, "Nine, stay out of this."
She continues, ignoring your request, "She is right dear, take a chance every now and then."
You gesture at your mentor, "This from a talking head. Maybe you took one too many chances Nine?"
Her sing-song voice pitches a little lower than normal, it lends a vague aura of menace to her words, "Careful now dear. I would not tolerate such a tone from anyone else."
"Sorry Nine..." you do not want her pouting or screaming again.
She beams at you, "Oh that is fine dear. I know you have so much trouble with people. We are going to have to work on that.. In fact I know another spell that could..."
Thaïs comes to your aid, "Certainly Nine, just not right now please."
She gives your friend a warm smile, "Alright dear, later then. You are always so well mannered," she turns back to you, "Dear, you could learn a few things from your little friend. Just give it a try, I am certain that the bracelets are harmless "
Turning her attention back to you, Thaïs picks up where she left off, "So Derryth... the bracelet?"
You sigh, "You are not going to stop till I do this are you?"
She nods, so you snatch up the bracelet and slip it on. It constricts, locking onto your wrist. Thaïs gasps, hers must have done the same as well. You feel a slight buzzing in the back of your mind but it lasts for only a moment and it is gone.
Well you don't feel any different, still you do not like having the bracelet stuck on your wrist. You and Thaïs stand there in silence as Nine begins to cackle, "I can't believe you actually did that dear! Are you completely mad, you have no idea what those things do!"
You snap a little, "Damn it Nine, you told me to do it!"
She giggles uncontrollably, "Yes, but I am an insane talking head. Use a little sense dear..."
You rub your temples, "This... this is why you don't just put things on Thaïs. Now we have to figure out how to get these off..."
Nine still tittering slightly is happy to offer a suggestion, "Oh, I know! Cut your hands off!"
"We are not cutting our hands off..." you mumble, "I... we will think of something. Beside these things do not seem to be doing anything at the moment..."
Nine finally calms herself, "Dears, bring the bracelets over here. Maybe I can tell you something about them."
The two of you stride over to Nine's resting place and hold out your arms, "Well dears the magics on these things seem to be protective in nature. I don't think they will hurt you. There is also another spell under the protection spells... something to do with communication but I have seen nothing like it before... hmm... anyway I think you can get them off if you have the right command word."
"Which would be?" you ask together.
"I am afraid I haven't a clue dears. A proper artificer might be able to figure it out but I do not know where you would find one."
You and Thaïs turn to one another, the same idea at the front of both of your minds, "The Dwarves!"
"Hmm... yes dears they might know. It is worth a try at least."
One more thing for you to deal with it seems. Still at least the enchantments on the bracelets seem to be benign.
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Tap, tap, tap. The silver spoon strikes the golden goblet. "If I can have your attention. I would like to propose a toast." Thaïs stands to your right. Your group has come together to mark the last night you will spend together for what could be many months. Tomorrow you will all go your separate, each to pursue separate goals. Though you have all sworn to return here within a year, none of you hold any illusions about how the world works. This could well be the last time you see many of these people.
Thaïs sits to your right, Gareth to your left, Brigit next to him, followed by Serpent, Christine and Bari. Amena and Ithapi watch over the children in the adjoining room, might as well start practicing now you figure.
One final chair sits at the table, empty. Tyrvard's sword rests against it a reminder of the friend you have lost.
"I would like to toast the success of our venture. To the recovery of the Halcyon stone and enough wealth to set us all up for life!" your friends let our a hearty cheer at the mention of the wealth you have recovered, "I would also like to toast our leader, without which none of this would have been possible! To Derryth!"
"To Derryth!" smiles on each face, your friends toast to your health.
Christine calls out from the far end of the table, "Speech!" she smirks at you.
You frown, "You all know I am terrible at speeches," you mumble.
Serpent, who has had perhaps a little too much of Tyrvard's brew, takes up her cry, "Speeshh!"
Well that does it, before long they are all chanting it, "Alright you bunch of assholes... but I warned you..."
You get to your feet, you were never eloquent but with enough alcohol anything is possible, "It has been months since we left the surface, months without the sun, without warmth, without light. But here in this place you people were my warmth, you were my light. By your efforts," you gesture at those assembled here, "By your sacrifices," you gesture to Tyrvard's empty chair, "Each of you has helped achieve this success. Be proud of yourselves for I am proud of you all! To each of you! To friends here and those that could not be here, I salute you!"
You down your goblet and drop into your chair as your friends applaud. Thaïs gingerly sits down next to you, "Not bad Derryth, not bad at all."
It is an evening of celebration, an evening of excess and of revelry. You embrace it without reserve secure in the knowledge that there are too few such nights in a person's life. When you finally stumble back to your bed you collapse immediately and drift off into the ether.
----------------------------------------------------
Sunlight, gorgeous, beautiful, magnificent, radiant sunlight. It washes over you as you step out of the front door of Thaïs' safehouse. Biliku and Uttu blink repeatedly, their mouths hang open in complete shock. You wonder what it must be like to see the sun for the first time, to experience a soft breeze on your skin. You give them time to take it all in, it is slightly amusing that they refuse to go more than two feet from you and Thaïs.
A single gate spell has brought you all back to the surface. Amena and Ithapi remain behind to mind the children. You promised each of them personally that when you return they will get to see the sky and feel the fresh wind upon their skin. They will do their best you are sure but for now you must see to your remaining business.
Mere hours later...
"This, this is really too much Derryth," the physician can hardly believe your generosity. You have procured the best of everything, at no small expense, for their trip. The best coach you could find and good strong horses. A team of twelve mounted mercenaries from one of the most prestigious and reliable companies in the entire city and three chests of gold to cover any traveling expenses.
You wave off his concerns, "Nonsense Serpent, it is the least I could do and you are my friends-"
Christine cuts you off, "She is right dear, if the farmer wants to waste her money I say we let her."
You grin, "Well one of you is my friend at least."
She gives you a wink, "Love you too farmer. Well dear we should probably be going."
Serpent nods, he gives each of you one final embrace and climbs into the coach, Christine stops in front of you and clasps you by the shoulder, "I just wanted to say thank you farmer, this really does mean a lot to both of us."
You give her a slight nod, "Just enjoy yourselves and don't get killed."
"Don't worry farmer we will be fine. We are not headed into a warzone like I hear you are," turning she climbs into the coach.
"Look after yourself farmer," Christine calls out and before you know it the two of them are off. It will be a long trip but you have done as much as you can to ensure their success.
"Well boss, where to next?"
"You know Gareth you don't have to call me boss. Derryth would do."
"Thanks but no thanks boss. You are still the one in charge even if I am part of management now."
You place your hands on your hips and consider your options for a moment, "Well we have another thirty chests of gold we have to store somewhere and your girlfriend probably wants to see her folks so..."
"Right Derryth, off to see da then," with a hop and a jump she is off and it is all your group can do to keep up with her as she slips though the streets and alleys of Muirthemne's Merchant Quarter.
-----------------------------------------------
The building she brings you to is rather nondescript, you would have passed by it without another thought and that is probably the point. There are no guards outside and as you enter the building you are struck by how empty and quiet it is. Brigit leads you into one of the bedrooms and right up to a bookshelf.
She turns to you, looking each of you in the eyes, "Alright, when I get the door open they are going to be a little jumpy. Under no circumstances should any of you reach for a weapon. Once they realize who I am we will be safe."
She pulls one of the books from the shelf and knocks three times on the back of the bookcase. The bookshelf slides away and your group is met by four armed guards each with a drawn sword levelled at your group. You are fairly certain you could take them all but thankfully it does not come to that. As soon as they see Brigit they lower their weapons.
"Biddy?" their leader, is an older man. Thin and tall, hair greying around his temples. Thirty years ago he would have been quite a catch. Even now he is quite handsome though his face has its share of scars. He is familiar somehow. You look into his eyes, they are green, so very green and they are filled with tears...
"Da!" she throws herself at him and he snatches her up.
"Biddy, I thought... when you did not come back... I..." he hugs his daughter, joy overcoming any reservations he might normally have.
"I am fine da. I was rescued by my friends," for the first time he notices you.
"You? You saved my daughter? I... I can not thank you enough for this you..." now that he has had a moment to consider you he stops, "I know you. Where do I know you from?"
"That's Derryth, da, the mage you sent me to meet," he nods and raises a hand to shush his daughter, "So you took my daughter then? Why?"
Thaïs steps in, "We did not take your daughter sir I assure you. She signed on with our company and is an invaluable asset and a dear friend."
The Dagda turns back to his daughter, "You were out on a job? All this time, I wait here worried to death and you were out on a job! Do you know, do you have any idea how long I looked for you!"
Gareth has a great deal of difficulty watching anyone yell at Brigit, even her father, "Sir please lower your voice."
"And who the hell are you! I will talk to my daughter-"
"Da please, Gareth is my-"
"Your what? What have you been doing for months girl! Out with it!"
"Da please, just let me explain. These people did not abduct me. I went with them 'cause they needed me, they are my friends, they taught me magic and-"
He hits her...
So you hit him...
A single assault spell levelled right at the man. He has no mental defences, he could not ward off the attack even if he knew what was happening to him. You could hold back... you choose not to.
Your spell demolishes the man. He crumples to the ground with a whimper. His three subordinates raise their weapons to strike, you and Thaïs drop two of them with a thought. While Gareth has his blade out and at the third man's throat in the blink of an eye. The third man drops his weapon and raises his hands.
"I... Derryth please do not hurt my da!" Brigit cries.
"Don't worry Brigit, I am not going to hurt him... much," you grab the man and drag him over to a nearby chair.
You give him a sharp slap to clear his head, "Now then Mister... Dagda is it?"
You drag a chair over and sit down across from him, "I do not appreciate it when someone attacks my employees. Do it again and I will not be so gentle, understand?"
He nods, "Good, now I understand that tempers run high in these sorts of situations. I understand that maybe you just got a little carried away there and that you are in fact incredibly sorry for your actions, right?"
Again he nods, "Okay then, now I am willing to forget this whole little incident. Everyone overreacted right? I am sure the two of us will get along wonderfully but I will need a few things from you first. Understand?"
For a third time he nods, "Good. Now here is what I want from you. You will rent me a warehouse for the use of my people in the city. You will charge me a fair rate and that is all..." you turn back to look at Brigit, "Also you will apologize to your daughter and if I ever so much as hear that you have laid one finger on her well..." you let the rest of your threat go unspoken.
"I am sorry Biddy... I am sorry..." the man can manage little more than those three or four words. You order the remaining rogue to fetch paper and ink and right there in the bedroom you draw up a contract for the lease of one warehouse for a very reasonable price.
Your group files back out into the street and you make your way out of the Merchant Quarter. Brigit and Gareth walk next to you.
"Damn Brigit, your dad is a real piece of work," you shake your head.
She tries to stand up for the man, "He normally isn't like that Derryth. He just... he was worried and he has a bit of a temper..."
You frown, "Perhaps... perhaps... we will see."
You slow down and let the rest of your group march ahead of you. You wave Gareth over, "Are you two going to be fine alone in the city?"
Gareth give you a single self-assured nod, "Don't worry boss, we will look after each other and by the end of the day we won't be alone. I know a few people, old hands from my days in the Legion, each of them is easily worth ten regular men. With the money you have left us we will be fine. By the end of the month we will have a proper compound and enough strong arms to deal with anyone that wants to start something."
You are about to begin lecturing him, "If the Dagda tries anything..."
He shrugs off your concerns, "I have dealt with men like him most of my life Derryth. He won't try anything. You put the fear of Wyrd into him... honestly you are a bit terrifying when you go all battle mage like that..."
You chuckle, "Well it is fun and what good is power if you never use it..."
"Well this is it boss," your group has come to the final intersection. You will head over to the new Dwarven Quarter in search of Bari's old acquaintances while Gareth and Brigit will head off to the tent city in search of some of his old friends.
You shake Gareth's hand and pull him in close, "Take care of her, that is an order understand?"
He grins at you and salutes as he moves on to say goodbye to Thaïs, Bari and the girls.
You pull Brigit close in a firm hug, "Take care of him, that is an order understand?" You give her a wink.
She smiles at you and nods. A moment later the two of them have disappeared down the road to the Hanged Man and the tent city.
"Alright everyone, let's get going," you and your group strike out towards the Dwarven Quarter.
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Nine days out of Muirthemne.
Your group has been making good progress. You travel light, just the nine of you. Days are spent cutting cross country while the nights are spent learning the ways of the dwarves. Bari and the mercenaries teach you and Thaïs how to speak Dwarven, you are both quick learners and you make remarkable progress. The rest of your time is spent learning to drink and it is not a simple matter of learning how to drink a lot, though that is part of it. It turns out that for a dwarf, what to drink and when to drink it can be even more important. You have a feeling that even the little you have absorbed so far will go a long way. Another few months and you will both be experts.
Bari's old friends have proven a reliable and worthwhile addition to your group. Four old dwarves, they grumble, and they bicker but they are very good at their jobs. You have not encountered any servants of the Dark so far, a testament to Alric's efforts to secure the eastern lands and the skill of your scouts in avoiding threats.
Your group is currently ten minutes outside of Blackford the last human settlement before entering the Dwarven Kingdom. You need to make this stop to resupply before you enter the true wastes of the southern hills. As you approach the town you notice smoke billowing into the sky.
Bari scurries on ahead. Given his training he is the best person for the task.
Ten minutes pass in complete silence before the Pathfinder returns and you group gathers around.
"Undead," he grumbles, "About twenty of them... mostly unarmed ones... ghasts... with one or two of the armoured and trained kind... the thralls..."
Thaïs frowns, "Any survivors?"
Bari nods, "A bunch of peasants in a makeshift pen in the middle of town."
You consider your options, "We could just go around them... Of course we do need to resupply somewhere and there are only twenty of them..."
Bari shakes his head, "Probably more around there somewhere, probably a necromancer somewhere too holding them all together."
"Okay, okay," you nod, "Can we make it to the next settlement without restocking?"
The leader of your mercenaries shrugs, "Maybe... it would be close but we might be able to pull it off."
Biliku chimes in, "We should help those people right?"
You smile at her, "Nice thought kid but it is never that easy. Though there are good reasons to help... if there is a necromancer around then I do not envy those people... hell of a way to go..."
"Well maybe we should turn back, find an imperial patrol and get them to help."
Bari grunts, "I would rather not. It could take weeks and we have an appointment to keep."
Well this is a bit of a dilemma. What to do...
Current Party:
Derryth - skilled mage, focus mental spells, some combat skill, some magical resistance (heaven stone), some physical resistance (bracelets), some medical skills
Thaïs - skilled mage, focus mental spells, okay shot (crossbow), some physical resistance (bracelets)
Biliku - warrior, great combat skills
Uttu - archer, good shot (bow), frost arrows (40)
Bari - Pathfinder, good combat skills, expert shot (dwarven cocktails), expert infiltrator
Trakk: Dwarven warrior, great combat skills
Gilling: Veteran Grenadier, good shot (dwarven cocktails)
Felling: Grenadier, some medical skills, okay shot (dwarven cocktails)
Telling: Mortar, great shot (mortar), explosive expert
1. What to do? Stay or go. Help these people or leave them to their fates. Ultimately the choice is yours.
A) Leave
i. You will make for the next settlement. Hopefully your supplies will last.
ii. You head back to the nearest Imperial fort. You passed one three days ago and that is probably your best bet.
iii. freeform
B) Stay
i. You will attack the undead straight on. You should be able to handle twenty undead.
ii. You try and lure them out into an ambush. Undead are notoriously stupid, without a necromancer to give them orders they would probably fall for an ambush.
iii. You sneak in. You will get enough food and water to ensure you can make it to the next settlement. These people are done for anyway.
iv. Same as in ii. but Bari will set up an ambush for the enemy necromancer provided they are present.
v. Engage the undead in a running skirmish with the intention of drawing out and killing the commanding necromancer (provided there is one).
vi. A combination of ii. and iii. you, Bari and Biliku as the most silent of the group will scavenge ahead for resources. If you run into trouble you will attempt to lead the undead back into an ambush set up by the rest of your group.
vi.freeform
Chapter 2: The Eagle and the Crows
Chapter 2: The Eagle and the CrowsUndead come in a surprising number of shapes and sizes, or so you have been told time and again.
The most common forms of undead however are remarkably uniform, they are slow and they are stupid but they are also incredibly dependable. Within the admittedly small range of tasks a thrall can succeed at it does quite well. A thrall can march, a thrall can kill and the Fallen Lords required little more from them than that.
Normally columns of thralls would be supported by the more mobile soulless, or the cunning ghôls but from what Bari tells you these thralls and ghasts are alone. Without support they should be easy to dispatch for your group. In fact with the aid of your dwarven mercenaries you could probably dispatch a force of over one hundred with little difficulty. You are faster than them, you are smarter than them, you are simply better than them in every way that matters.
But this is no reason to get overconfident.
"So what is the plan?" Thaïs inquires as she approaches your group.
"Ambush," mumbles Bari.
You nod, "Ambush."
Your mercenaries begin their work. They clear a killing field and take up firing positions. Telling, the explosive expert, sets to work concealing his mortar while Gilling and Felling set up satchel charges, "Just in case," they say.
Within ten minutes your men are all in place. Now you just have to draw out the dead. At first you were going to send Bari but if there is a necromancer around you do not want him or her to know that you have dwarves. Instead you and the girls are going to be the bait.
Hopefully they will take it, hopefully you will escape and hopefully the damn dwarves won't blow you up.
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The three of you stand at the edge of town and start yelling. Immediately you get a reaction.
The dead pour forth. The twenty Bari saw quickly become thirty, then forty, then fifty, then sixty. As the last of the ghasts pour forth a single robed figure emerges. This then must be the necromancer, the key will be to get it to move forward with the horde.
You decide to test the willpower of this new opponent. You send out a slight suggestion. A small thing really. Not even a lie, in fact it is a little piece of the truth and something your opponent would be willing to take a risk for. You send out your little suggestion; that you are in possession of a power artefact, something your adversary would want, could use... and you wait.
The idea takes hold as a tiny smile creeps onto your face, "It bought it," you whisper.
Grabbing Biliku and Uttu the three of you flee back towards the rest of your group, hidden in ambush.
The enemy necromancer pushes its way to the front of the mob, shouting orders in a high pitched squeak. Something about power and a glorious future, the usual delusions of the desperate and the mad.
The three of you run through the kill zone, well ahead of the first thralls. You make a big production of falling, you are slow to rise and feign a sprained ankle. You are no great actor so you slip another little suggestion into the opposing mage's mind. Part of you is a little disappointed. This individual has some power and a great deal of ambition but no will, no sense. His mind, and you are fairly certain now that it is a he, is an easy thing to bend, to twist to your needs. There is no real challenge in this for you.
He leads his mob of dead towards you, he licks his lips, "Well what do we have here?"
He is almost close enough, you just need him to step a bit closer.
You feign terror, "Just... just travelers sir. Please... please don't hurt us..." you are not terribly convincing but with a few more suggestions he buys your act.
He grins wide and takes a step forward, "Oh, I won't hurt you Miss. But I think you might have something in your possession that I might have use for," he turns his attention to Biliku and Uttu as he takes another step forward, "My what lovely girls you have..."
The girls begin to whimper. They are good actors really. His grin stretches even wider and he takes another step forward. The last step needed to trigger you trap.
"Bari! Now!" you grab the girls and dive behind the nearest cover. A single crack is all you hear followed by the explosion as the mortar shell hits the mage and the front of the thrall mob.
With their leader dead the thralls fall back onto their most basic orders. They advance to engage in melee but your group pours out a truly impressive stream of firepower.
You are outnumbered more than five to one but you are also operating in absolutely ideal conditions. There is next to no wind, it is dry, not a cloud in the sky, and the entire horde is bunched up in front of you. In amongst the buildings they may have been a problem but out on open ground your advantage is absolute and unassailable.
Bari laughs like a madman and screams something about a "target rich environment" as he lobs one cocktail after another. You have not seen him this happy in months. Within five minutes your group has slaughtered every enemy you can find. Your victory is complete and everyone is in high spirits as you enter the town.
Most of the buildings in Blackford have been reduced to smoking husks, black burnt timbers jut out into the sky like so many charred bones. The air is filled with a terrible, acrid odour; you suspect that many of these buildings still had people in them when they went up...
There is no movement in this dead village, or at least no human movement. As you enter the village square you spot a large and rather bored looking crow resting on the remains of a fence. You stop. You are not sure but you could swear it is looking right at you.
Your allies move to free the villagers as you continue to stare at the bird. A second and then a third bird land next to the first. They begin to caw to one another, as if discussing the events that have just played out within the village. The longer you watch them the more certain you are that they are talking about you.
"-and this is our leader Derryth. Derryth what are you doing?" Thaïs comes up to you with Uttu and the mayor of the village.
You reluctantly turn from the birds, "Just mage stuff. I don't suppose you and Uttu could do me a favour?"
Thaïs gives you an uncertain smile, "What sort of favour?"
"I want to take out those three crows over there," you subtly gesture with your head at the three birds behind you.
Thaïs and Uttu look around you at the birds. They are a bit too obvious about it for your liking, "Don't make a big production about it. They will notice."
Thaïs is a little concerned for you now, "They? The crows? Maybe you need to lie down for a little while Derryth?"
You frown at her, "Don't treat me like I am insane. I am just being-"
"Paranoid?" Uttu asks.
"Paranoid," Thaïs nods in agreement.
"Cautious," you correct them.
Thaïs shakes her head, "Paranoid."
You smile at her and nod, "Oh paranoid she says," you pull one of your gloves off to reveal the bracelet still stuck to your wrist, "Sure, because my instincts are never right."
Thaïs laughs, "Alright, alright. I will take the one on the left. You take the one in the middle and Uttu can have the one on the right."
You and Uttu agree as you spin on your heels. The crows must know something is up as the three of them take off into the sky. You and Thaïs hit your targets but Uttu misses the bird by mere inches. It lets out a loud caw as it flees towards the east.
Four more crows answer the call and take flight from a large tree at the far edge of town. They move to meet with the first bird but before they can a second shape descends from high above the crow.
A large eagle strikes out at the lone crow and buries its talons into the smaller bird. With its prey firmly in its grasp it heads due south with three of the four remaining crows in hot pursuit. The fourth crow sets a course to the east and proceeds with a great deal of haste.
Thaïs lets out a slight humph, "Well that was strange..."
You shake your head in disappointment, "Ah well, hopefully it was just paranoia on my part..."
The mayor has stood this entire time in silence. He is a tiny, round man with a happy if rather vacant expression on his face. He seems a touch simple and more than a little intimidated by your presence and the strange scene that has played out in front of him. Now however he works up enough courage to speak, "I... I would like to thank ya Mistress Derryth for ya assistance... um... without ya aid we... well... um..." he trails off uncertain of how to address actual mages.
Thaïs works her charm, "It was nothing, really. We could not leave innocent subjects of the empire to such a cruel and unjust fate. It is through the hard work of you and your people that the empire will prosper and grow. In truth we should be thanking you for your efforts."
You can tell that he does not fully grasp everything she is saying. Instead he seizes upon a few words here and there, "Thank ya ma'am, we do try ta work hard. If there be anything... um... anything at all that me and mine can do for ya..."
You smile at the man, "Now that you mention it sir, yes, there is something you could do for us. We are headed southeast into the Dwarven Kingdom but we could do with some supplies to aid in our passage."
He nods slowly, "Ya need food? um... most of what we got was destroyed... um..."
Uttu adds, "We have money. We can pay."
You give her a slight poke in the side and whisper to her, "I am trying to avoid paying kid."
She looks up at you, "But they have lost everything Derryth..."
You mumble, "Bloody kids..."
The mayor is not quite sure what to make of all this, "Um... if ya are willing to stay we can probably gather up something for ya. Why don't ya stay for the evenin' and leave in the mornin'?" You get the impression that he would rather have you around.
You scratch your head, "Well, you don't seem to have much of a town left to stay in-"
Thaïs cuts you off, "What we mean sir is that we do not want to delay you. You should take your people and lead them over to the nearest Legion outpost."
He considers her words for a moment, "Well the patrol should be 'round in a day or two. I think we will wait for 'em. We got elderly and kids ta look after and I wouldn't feel safe taking 'em out on the road without protection... We did have a mage but he went up with half the town..."
The way he trails off you are fairly certain he wants your help but is not confident enough to ask.
You move the discussion back to the issue of supplies, "We only need enough to get us to the next settlement and there are only nine of us. Are you sure you can't give us anything at the moment?"
He frowns but nods, "Yeah, um... maybe half an hour and we could find ya something. Won't be the best stuff but it should keep ya going."
Well then you have your answer. Everyone assembled is waiting on you to make a decision:
A) You escort them back to the nearest fort. You are not confident they will survive by themselves. (It will take about six days to get back with the villagers slowing you down).
B) You stay with them for the next two to three days. Once the patrol shows up you can leave.
C) You accept the mayor's invitation and stay for the night. You will have a better idea of what to do in the morning and it may give you some time to investigate this mage he mentioned. If they did have a mage living here and he is dead then any spellbooks or artefacts he had might be up for grabs.
D) You leave as soon as possible. You are done playing hero for a while. These people are alive because of you, what happens next is not your concern.
i. You buy supplies from the villagers. Uttu is right, you do have the money to pay for it.
ii. You take the supplies from the villagers. You have already given them their lives back. They owe you.
iii. You leave immediately without taking any supplies. You do not want to stay in this place for even a moment longer.
E) You escort them. But not backwards, you take them with you to the next settlement. A dwarven fort to the southeast. (It will take eight days to get there with the villagers slowing you down).
F) You have them send a runner out to the nearest fort.
G) freeform
2. You think the mayor knows something about what is going on here. You will get this information from him though you may have to get a bit rough.
A) Torture the mayor. You need to know.
B) Don't torture the mayor. This may be a bit insane...
Chapter 3: Smoke on the Horizon
Chapter 3: Smoke on the Horizon"You are all going to love Myrgard," Bari sits cross-legged in front of the small campfire; a glass of Tyrvard's Brew clasped in one hand as the fire casts deep shadows across the walls of the cave you are currently settled in.
The girls sleep in the back while your mercenaries keep watch in pairs. You, Thaïs and Bari sit around working on your understanding of dwarven, drinking and just generally passing time. It is a calm night and cool. Almost uncomfortably so, but your fire and a healthy dose of alcohol keep the worst of it a bay.
The mood of the dwarves has been improving every hour it seems. The closer you come to the heart of the kingdom the happier they seem. You are a day and a half from Blackford, half way to the nearest dwarven fort. Bari assures you that once you meet up with the garrison you will be supplied with a whole company of soldiers as an escort. You stand at the still filling up a pair of glasses, you have every reason to believe that you will be safe, perhaps that is why you feel so worried...
"There is no city in the world like it! The wide avenues filled with shops, the great exchange, the banks, the bars," he takes an easy sip from his glass, his eyes closed as he pictures the great city, "Ah, the bars, Derryth. They are a thing to behold. Every shape and size imaginable. Bars and banks, Derryth, that is Myrgard. If you want to understand anything about the city then that is where you must start."
"I can't wait to see it Bari," you reply as you return to the fire, two glasses in hand. You pass one off to Thaïs as he warms to the subject, "Ah, it is magnificent Derryth. My people have achieved wonders in the last sixty years. Perhaps some day the city will rival Stoneheim before the fall."
"Do you spend much time in Myrgard, Bari?" Thaïs leans forward resting her chin on her knees.
He smiles at the question, happy that his audience is in fact paying attention, "Ah, not much no. There was always work to do of some kind or another but I am young and it isn't the place of the young to sit at home and watch the world go by."
You give the dwarf a sly grin, "How old is young Bari?"
His laugh is a short, gruff thing. A bark really, "Young is oh, about ninety years," he nods once, "Yeah, ninety four to be precise, a long time for a human but for a dwarf," he snaps his fingers, "the blink of an eye, so many years but all of it gone in just a moment."
He stares now into the fire as his mind goes back to earlier times, "My parents, they were refugees. Fled west into the Province... I remember being a child in Madrigal. Living in the Dwarven Quarter there... you grew up tough or you did not grow up at all. Some thug, or pimp, or crime boss would scoop you up and that would be the end of it. I was barely in my twenties when the Fallen Lords pushed westward. Signed up with the Legion as soon as I could... just another stupid kid really."
He drains his glass, stands, stretches and gets a refill. You sit there huddled around the fire. Instinctively you scan the horizon for enemies and the sky for birds. Thaïs has told you time and again not to worry but you can not help it. Just the burden of being in charge you suppose.
Bari returns with another glass and drops to the ground in one fluid motion. Tucking his legs back underneath him he picks up where he left off, "So there I was, just this dumb kid, right. I sign up with the Legion, pay was shit, food was shit, and being a dwarf none of the humans would give me the time of day. This was back before the debacle at Covenant. Three quarters of the nobility of the Province, the king included, all dead. The army was broken and it was down to irregulars like us to keep the fight going. Those were some bad days my friends... some of the worst fuckin' days I have ever had. 'Course there were some good things about them as well. I met my Lord Jori in the service... met Ari too..."
"Bari, we don't have to do this now-" he stares into the fire but raises one hand to silence you.
"Don't worry Derryth, what is done is done. I am not going to go all weepy on you," he takes a hard gulp from his glass, "I met my Lord there. Not far from Silvermines, he was putting together a new chapter of a very old Order."
"The Pathfinders?" you make the leap and are rewarded with a nod.
"Yeah, Jori wanted to recruit the best of this new generation of dwarves. Really stir things up so to speak. I was good enough to make the cut, hell I was the best one there... well except for Ari, girl was one hell of a shot. We bonded over cheap ale and dead ghôls, like a fairytale..." he chuckles a little, "So the war ends, we win, the kingdom is re-established and the Pathfinders set to work evening out the old ledger. A lot of debts to be paid, friends to be rewarded, enemies to be crushed. The two of us barely saw one another for years on end. I got the idea in my head that maybe I should do something about that..."
His brow furrows as he stairs at the pair of rings on his finger, "Well turns out she had been waiting for me to ask since the War. Me being the idiot that I am, just didn't have the courage to act... Finally did it a year ago... we were going to take our pay from this mission and retire. Fuck... things just never work out like you want them to I guess. Still I am here, that bastard is dead and we have the hammer so I guess that is a win..."
He knocks back another drink and wanders off to get a refill. When he returns you decide to turn matters to a brighter subject, "So how exactly did you meet Trakk and his men?"
"Ah well that is a story of daring exploits, heroics and great battles," the dwarf gives you a wide grin, "Trakk and his men are ex-military. They used to patrol the borders a bit to the south of here actually. Well one day I am running reconnaissance, looking for this real bastard of a ghôl... named Gorefang... or Gnarlfang... or some such shit. Big white one with red eyes and this nasty scar across its throat from an earlier encounter with a Pathfinder. The ghôl survived, the Pathfinder didn't and we always avenge our dead... Anyway, I am running recon and I hear the sounds of battle. I come up over the ridge and Trakk and his patrol are down there under attack by my target and fifty of his best friends. Well I sneak in nice and close and lob a fire bomb right at the bastard. He goes up in flames and his little raiding party scatter to the four winds." Bari slaps his knee as he lets out a series of short barks.
"Bragging again Bari?" Trakk wanders into camp, "Our shift is over, time to switch."
You wake the girls and the five of you head out while the mercenaries move in to take some rest.
---------------------------------------------
Smoke on the horizon...
You have had a quiet and relaxing trip south to the fort. Naturally this was not meant to last.
As the sparse foliage of the southern empire gives way to the broad orange canyons of the Dwarven Kingdom Bari spots smoke billowing to the south, in the direction of the fort. You send your scouts ahead to observe, what they report back is not reassuring.
The fort is surrounded, the smoke drifting into the air is coming from within. Bari counts maybe three hundred ghasts, one hundred thrall and a couple dozen soulless. Also of note is a pen at the center of the enemy camp containing about thirty wights. Bari spotted three necromancers in and around the command tent though there could be more.
You run the numbers through your head, not great odds but there are a few things working in your favour, "Bari, this might be an odd question, but were there any crows over there?"
He gives you a confused look and scratched the back of his head, "Ah, well... yes... yes I suppose there were. Um... maybe a dozen or so. It is a siege Derryth, they are probably waiting to feed on the dead..."
You narrow your eyes, you know this next question is going to sound insane but you have to ask, "Did any of the crows see you Bari?"
"Well no... I mean I don't think so..." you think the dwarf may be a little worried about you, "Are they important somehow Derryth."
You give the slightest nod, "Possibly, might be more magic involved is this..."
Trakk spits, "Damn mages!" he hesitates a moment, "Ah, sorry ladies, didn't mean either of you."
You wave it off, "Don't worry," turning back to Bari you continue your questioning, "Alright so we are up against a few hundred undead here and at least three mages. What are our options? Is there anything we can do about this situation?"
"Attack?" suggests Telling before Trakk swats him in the back of the head, "Not against these numbers you idiot."
"Retreat?" Thaïs hazards.
Trakk frowns, "We could try for Blackford but the undead may be there as well. We could push on to the capital through the center of the desert but we would have to scavenge after a few days. Food would probably be doable but water..."
You remove your hat, fanning yourself under the midday sun, "How big would a garrison like this be? What sort of allies could we expect."
Trakk shrugs, "Ah, back in my day a full garrison on the northern border was maybe one hundred and fifty dwarves. Fifty or so are out on patrol at any given time so we are looking at less than one hundred dwarves in there. Fairly good odds for them as long as the walls hold out. That is probably why they are besieging them, to storm the fort would eat up most of their resources..."
You feel like there is something missing here, "Wights? You said they have about thirty wights? If I remember right a wight is essentially a walking bomb right?"
The Pathfinder nods, "Yeah if they can get those wights to the walls then the siege will be over in minutes..."
What to do... what to do... you look up into the sky, searching for an answer.
You spot a large eagle circling your position. It notices you watching and flies off to the south.
A) Go around. No one knows you are here. You can slip into the central desert and make your way directly to Myrgard. Food should not be a problem though water might be.
B) Attack. It may seem crazy but if you pick your targets you can do a lot of damage.
i. Infiltration - you will slip into the enemy camp and attempt to destroy the Wight pen and the command tent with satchel charges and dwarven cocktails.
ii. The Mortar 1 - you can shell the camp from here. You target the wight pen first. That should take pressure off the garrison but it would also draw a lot of attention.
iii. The Mortar 2 -you can shell the camp from here. You target the command tent first. If you can neutralize the enemy mages the undead will lose cohesion. Of course if you do not get them all...
iv. Breakthrough - you punch a hole through the undead lines and attempt to get inside the fort.
C) Go back - you head back towards Blackford
D) Wait - you give it a few days and see how things develop.
E) Negotiate? - well you could try talking to the necromancers, one mage to another...
F) Follow the eagle south into the desert. You don't know why but you have a feeling it may be important.
G) Infiltration/Mortar 1 - You will split your forces. Bari will slip through the camp while you relocate the mortar. You will shell the wight camp and attempt to split the enemy. Bari will then signal the garrison to sally forth and strike at the enemy. A lot will depend on the garrison sallying forth but you will just have to trust them and be ready to fall back.
H) freeform - have a strategy? feel free to suggest it.
Chapter 4: Few Against Many
Chapter 4: Few Against Many"This... this is a bit insane Derryth..." Thaïs' reaction mirrors that of the rest of your group.
"It is doable though," you have spent the last ten minutes trying to convince them to take on a enemy that outnumbers them almost fifty to one but you are certain that this will work.
You look each of them in the eyes, attempting to gauge how open they are to your plans. Thaïs is worried but trusts you enough to follow your lead. The girls, meanwhile are excited at the prospect of another victory. Of course at this point the two of them would follow you into hell itself so you will have to be careful with them.
The dwarves seem sceptical though and may need some convincing. Thankfully Bari takes up your cause, he begins persuading them. He starts in clear and commanding Bruig, "Right boys, time to earn your pay. You heard the boss, let's start setting up-"
Trakk shakes his head and responds in dwarven, "We aren't getting paid nearly enough to fight an army Bari, we-"
Bari switches to dwarven as well, probably to spare the girls, "Fuck off with your pay, Trakk. I never figured you for a coward-"
"Now that ain't fair Bari! What she is asking us to do-"
"She is askin' you to do your damn job!" he turns to the other three dwarves for support, "Boys, I know each of you. I have fought with you, bled with you and I know for a fact that those necromancers don't have shit on you. Telling, I once saw you mulch thirty ghôl with a single shell! Felling! Gilling! How many thrall have you put back under the ground? Fifty? One hundred? Two hundred? And Trakk, in all my years I have never met a more determined and skilled warrior!"
Trakk lets out a single dismissive laugh, "You are so full of shit Bari... but lets say you are right and my boys can account for a couple hundred thralls. That is less than half, what will we do about the rest?"
Bari grins at the man, "Well Trakk, that is what you have me for! Now we are going to march over there and fuck those necromancers so hard that the Watcher will feel it in his grave!"
Telling, Gilling, and Felling nod enthusiastically. Trakk considers his options and crosses his arms, "Triple."
The Pathfinder cocks his head, "Double."
"Triple Bari, we will do this but we get paid triple. This is not open to negotiation," Trakk extends his hand, "And I want it up front."
Bari grunts once and rifles through his pack for a stack of papers. He peels off six papers and stuffs them into Trakks' hand. "Pleasure doing business with you Bari," the mercenary gives your group a wide smile, "Alright boys lets get ready, if we are going to do this I want it done right."
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It takes the better part of an hour to secure your position, trap the most likely avenues of approach and set up fall back positions. This will be a long fight.
When all is prepared you give the order.
The familiar crack of the mortar is followed by a large explosion. A direct hit on the wight pen sets off dozens of smaller explosions and devastates the enemy camp. Dirt, stones, and chunks of wight blast the enemy forces. By your estimates a fifth of the enemy fell to this first attack but that still leaves hundreds of hostiles. The majority are now headed to your position...
Following the first strike six necromancers pour out of the command tent. As quickly as possible Telling adjusts the mortar and fires again. This time at the command tent. Three of the necromancers and the tent itself are obliterated by the blast. Good, not great but good enough. You can tell that the three surviving necromancers are having trouble controlling the remaining undead. One stops and attempts to assert control while the other two scatter as Telling reloads and fires again. The stationary necromancer disappears as the mortar shell tears him apart. Four down, two to go... this is going well all things considered.
Your time is up however as the mass of thralls, ghasts, and soulless move to assault your position. Bari hollers to you, "Derryth, focus on the soulless! They can outrange us and if they get too close-" the dwarf is cut short as the javelin of a soulless arches over his head taking his cap clean off. He swears and dives behind cover, popping out every twenty seconds with a new cocktail.
You focus on his attacker as the undead continue their steady advance. The creature in question if a soulless, the upper torso of a skeleton given new life and the gift of levitation by some misguided necromancer. You once read that the soulless that served in the armies of the Fallen Lords could conjure javelins from a magical sack on their backs. These soulless however have no such advantage. Each carries a bundle of ten javelins on their backs. Far less impressive but enough to get the job done regardless.
You focus on your target, you think of the rage you felt when Tyrvard fell. Your helplessness and your desire to hurt someone... you extend your staff as a ribbon of crimson flame bursts forth and strikes the hollowman. The flame crackles and pops as it consumes the creature, devouring the enchantments that maintain its twisted existence. The flames burn green for a moment as the creature collapses in a pile.
Satisfied with your performance you begin searching for another target when you hear a dull buzzing at the back of your mind. Something is wrong... some part of you knows on an instinctive level that Thaïs needs help.
A single image forces its way into your mind. She stands behind you and a little to the left, she does not see, she does not notice the thrall that has slipped up behind her. It is about to raise its axe.
You spin on your heel and lash out without thinking, the nervous energy you release takes on the form of a cobalt bolt of energy which snakes over Thaïs' shoulder and strikes the thrall full on in the head. The electric discharge proceeds to melt the monster's head and shoulders. It tips backwards and collapses. The two of you stand in shock, you have just saved her life. The image was correct but you have no idea how you knew she needed help.
It is an important question that you will need resolved but at the moment it is all you can do to avoid being overrun. That thrall was not alone. One of the surviving necromancers, in command of thirty thralls has cut off your retreat and is advancing into your rear. The rest of your allies are pinned down fighting off the bulk of the horde so it falls to the two of you to deal with this new threat. You take a deep breath and begin casting.
The next five minutes are the most terrifying of your life.
You should be dead.
By all rights those thirty thrall should have killed you both but you are both alive. Every time Thaïs was in danger you felt that buzzing again and you acted. You saved her. You are also almost certain that she can hear the buzzing as well. Eight times you were within a moment of death and eight times at the last second she killed your attacker with her spells or crossbow.
You should be dead but you are not.
You are both alive and you can tell that the necromancer is just as surprised by this turn of events as you are. You give him a vicious smile as the two of you unload on him. He is no battle mage, all he can muster in retaliation are a few magical zaps that sting but do little permanent damage. The two of you are operating under no such limitations. Your firebolt shears off his right arm as Thaïs' energy bolt cuts through his left leg. Burnt orange flames and writhing, azure tendrils mingle forming a purple mist that envelopes your opponent. The spells attempt to consume one another and with a sickening pop the necromancer explodes coating the ground in gore. You give one another a slight nod as you turn your attentions back to the main body of the horde.
You are making progress but not quickly enough. Even disorganized there are simply too many of them for you. You scan the battlefield and focus on the keep's gate, if only the garrison would attack...
A minute passes... then five... slowly your group is being pushed back. Most of your allies sport a variety of minor injuries though you and Thaïs remain largely unharmed do to your odd connection. You are out of energon cubes, cocktails, and mortar shells. You are almost out of mandrake roots and a quarter of your enemy remains standing. The final necromancer has proven cagey. Having witnessed the deaths of all of his peers he refuses to get too close to your position. This presents a problem. He is no commander thankfully. He is simply throwing his forces at you. However with the advantage in numbers he has his simple strategy may just grant him victory.
As your enemy's numbers thin he is gaining greater control over them, they are getting smarter and more disciplined and to top it off he has kept ten soulless in reserve. He is bleeding you dry. Once you lack the ability to strike back he will send in the soulless to pick you off at range and there is nothing you can do about it.
Another five minutes. Uttu is out of arrows now, Thaïs is spent and out of crossbow bolts, you close your eyes and fire off your last spell. A weak firebolt that barely manages to drop a thrall as you stagger backwards. Telling can't stand though you have stabilized him, Felling and Gilling each wield a thrall's axe while Bari with nothing left to lose is swinging the maul like a man possessed.
This is not a fight you can win...
Thankfully you do not have to.
A single horn sounds out from the fort as the gates open. Fifty dwarves, some in plate, some with cocktails pour forth and into the enemy's rear. The undead outnumber them less than two to one now, excellent odds for the dwarves. They devastate your enemies, they slaughter the thralls, butcher the ghasts, annihilate the soulless, and murder the last necromancer. Your group manages to hold out just long enough for a team of twenty dwarves to reach your location. Your group lets out a cheer as the dwarves reach you while Bari ducks behind a large rock while he wraps the maul in cloth and secures it within his pack.
Their leader steps forward and examines your group. He is a large dwarf, with a well trimmed brown beard, "Only eight of you? How many people did you lose?"
You pant slightly, still attempting to catch your breath, "None."
He whistles, "There were hundreds out here and you are telling me you lost no one? I must admit that is difficult to believe. Four humans and four dwarves-"
"Five dwarves!" Bari shouts as he rounds the corner.
"Bari?" the dwarven leader stands, his mouth agape.
"Ori? Well how are you boy!" the Pathfinder strides up, mindful of the corpses under foot and gives the dwarven leader a large hug.
"Bari, it is great to see you! Come, we can talk inside!" Ori leads your group across the battlefield. Some of you walk, most of you have to be carried. Here and there the dwarves make their rounds dispatching the remaining thralls and securing the area. As you walk by, a large crow follows your progress from on top of a handcart. As soon as it notices your gaze upon it, it takes wing and flees to the east calling out to its companions. Eleven crows join it and as a group they head into the east.
Your group passes through the gates into the fort and is met with a gruesome sight. Five dead dwarves, their bodies scattered around the entrance to the fort.
Bari stops, he stands for a moment in silence, then he speaks, "Ori, what happened here?"
Ori does not break stride, "Cowards and traitors Bari but I do not want to talk about it here. Come up to the captain's office."
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The four of you stand in the former captain's office.
Ori snatches up a metal bar and pries open the captain's liquor cabinet, "Anyone want a drink?"
Bari, for once in his life refuses. You and Thaïs follow his lead. Ori sighs and drops into the captain's chair, "Well then I guess I am drinking alone," pulling out his knife he sets to work opening one of the bottles.
The four of you sit in silence. Finally Bari has had enough, "Ori what happened here?"
Ori responds without looking up, "That coward of a captain was willing to just sit in here while a battle was raging outside. We had a disagreement... I discharged my duty and dealt with traitors to the kingdom... not something I am proud of but necessary all the same."
Bari squints, "Fair enough, if the dwarf was a coward then he deserved what he got. But what are you doing out at a border fort Ori? Last I heard you were stationed outside Stoneheim."
With a little effort Ori gets the bottle open, "I am on a mission Bari. I am no longer part of the army. I have been promoted if you catch my drift."
Bari grins, "Welcome to the Pathfinders my boy! I think we will have that drink after all! Derryth, Thaïs come closer!"
Ori frowns, "Bari, you should not mention the... the organization with outsiders present," he gestures at the two of you.
Bari merely scoffs, "These are not outsiders Ori. I am on a mission as well and if not for these ladies and their friends I would not be here."
Ori is uncertain, he scrutinizes you both then shrugs, "Alright Bari if you say so."
Bari, keen to see an old friend and fellow Pathfinder begins to interrogate the younger dwarf, "So what was your mission?"
Ori hesitates, "Prisoner escort."
Bari shakes his head, "Come on boy! Give me more than that."
Ori's eyes narrow, "You first. Tell me what you were doing. I know you left last year with Ari and Lord Jori on government business. Well I am a Pathfinder now so out with it."
Bari considers the request, "You have clearance level six?"
Ori gives him a confused look, "Clearance only goes one to five, Bari."
The older dwarf grins at his friend, "Ori you have a lot to learn yet," Ori looks crushed, "Sorry boy what I am doing is for the king himself. But tell you what, you tell me what you are working on and maybe I can help."
Ori caves, it is clear he wants Bari's advice, "Alright, alright Bari. So two weeks ago one of our patrols caught a mage, we think she might be a necromancer but as we have no proof we can not just kill her."
"I would," Bari grunts, "Better one dead innocent than one living necromancer."
Ori rolls his eyes, "Alright, I can not just kill her. I am taking her back to the capital for investigation. I think the necromancers that attacked us were her allies but she will not own up to it."
Bari grins, "I could make her talk..." then he gestures to you, "Or if you do not want her bruised up then Derryth could-"
"No Bari," Ori cuts his friend off, "This is my mission and I am going to do this by the book."
Bari sighs turning to you, "Don't you just love the boy's principles? Not only does he want to do right but he wants to do things right. Alright Ori, I can respect that but why go through all this trouble? One mage hardly requires the attention of the Pathfinders right?"
"Yes, the mage may be important but the reason I am out here is due to the artefact we found on her," Ori pulls out a small black bag and shakes it, "I have a theory about it but I will need to take it to the capital to get it properly analyzed."
You step closer, "If you want Ori. Thaïs and I could take a look at it. As mages we might be able to give you additional insights into its nature."
He shrugs and dumps the contents out on the table.
A single tiny shard of stone rolls onto the center of the table.
As soon as you see it both you and Thaïs shiver. The aura radiating from that little piece of stone is absolutely smothering. It is evil, not a word you usually throw around but a fitting one here and now. You can also detect more behind the malice radiating from the object. There is sentience here, this stone is aware of you now, it turns its attention to the two of you, it is calling to you.
The dwarves continue to leisurely discuss the rock but you are paralyzed by it. You catch Thaïs staring at it out of the corner of your eye transfixed as well. As dangerous as it is you probe this consciousness.
It is vast and it is dark but you are not alone, Thaïs sits across from you. You believe it may actually be her and not an illusion.
The two of you attempt to tease out information about this thing. You ride the currents of its thoughts backward and as you do you feel like a very tiny boat cast adrift upon an endless sea. The sky is pitch black, as is the water; there are no stars, no moon. All is darkness. You begin to steal small bits of the sea, handfuls of water in the dark. You cup your hands and stare as scenes play out before you.
You are in a drowned city. You will find it. You must find it. You have found it!
You watch from a hill as your enemy falls. Wave after wave of thralls pour into him. Weakening him. Finally you move for the kill.
You are trapped. Furious at your rival. You stand in the dark of your cave. You plot, you rage, eventually you begin to chew at your own imprisoned arm. Your pain motivates you.
You stand at the head of your host. You will stop the young archmage here. He will challenge you. He must challenge you. It is how things are done. Yet he does not. Humans, mortals, charge you. You dispatch them as easily as swatting a fly. You crow your victory to the uncaring sky. You do not see the arrow until it is too late.
You stand frozen by treachery. Large men charge towards you. Your servants fail you. They begin hacking at you. You vow... you vow vengeance... you will return... you will kill them all!
You are scattered. Some small part of you is in the possession of a dwarf. He has dumped you on a table. You sense two minds. Alike but different, curious magics at work between them. You sense a third mind as well... hidden... old for most, through for you young... you know her but she will not speak to you... she rejects you... she will suffer as well. You turn your attention back to the younger minds. You promise them power, wealth, everything you can think of. You tell them to travel east... something is wrong... they are stealing from you... you roar...
The scream of the thing drives you back into your own mind. Your head snaps back and you stagger. Moving in union, Thaïs does as well. You lean on one another for support, and the warmth of human contact does you both a world of good after the cold of that alien mind.
It takes you a moment to fight off its influence and gather your senses, "Ori. Could you please put that stone back in its bag..."
The two dwarves look at you, then at Thaïs. Ori snatches it up and shoves it back into his pouch. It seems to help a little though you can still feel the presence pulling at you.
"Well ladies what did you find?" you can see that Bari is impatient to hear your findings, concerned for your safety certainly, but also impatient.
You turn to Thaïs and nod. There is only one being that could be lurking behind that stone. The same two words are on both your tongues, "The Watcher."
---------------------------------------------
You travel as a group to the capital. With so many dwarves together you are not seriously threatened by the enemy though you are attacked at least once a day and crows follow you constantly.
When you arrive at the capital it is everything Bari claimed and more. The city is unique in the world. Broad, clean streets filled with shops, bars and banks. Hundreds of dwarves and the odd human mingle about in the streets. Bari directs you to the best inn in town and gives you a blank promissory note to draw as much funds as you think you will need for your stay courtesy of the house of Albrecht.
"Well Derryth, I need to be off to turn in my report and return our prize," the Pathfinder gives you a bow.
You raise an eyebrow at this, "You aren't trying to abandon us are you Bari? I thought we would come with you?"
The Pathfinder shakes his head, "A bunch of humans entering the palace uninvited would raise too many questions. I need to give my report to the king, then we can arrange for some pretence for you to gain admittance. Personally my money is on your victory over the necromancers. 'Eight against Eight Hundred!' and all that."
You grin, "One there were nine of us and two there were not eight hundred undead."
The dwarf laughs, "Derryth, I am a ghost. I am never anywhere and as for the undead well they are not going to argue the numbers with us. Whether you like it or not you are a 'real hero'," he gives you a wink, "You all are, for so many things. Don't worry Derryth, you are my friend and I always do right by my friends. Now I will be back in a couple days and we can set up a proper meeting."
With that Bari rejoins the rest of the dwarves on the road for the palace. Trakk approaches you as they leave, "Well Derryth, you have made me far richer than I could have imagined. Turns out we are heroes as well. I am a dwarf of my word though. You paid for protection and the trip both ways so if you need me or my men for anything at all feel free to ask. We will either be here at the inn or down at the Ghôl's Head, two streets over," the mercenary captain gives you a low bow and marches off in the direction of the pub.
1. You have a day or two until Bari returns. How do you want to spend it? (pick two)
A) Thaïs had mentioned an inventor client when you first met her. Supposedly this client is quite skilled and was last seen around Myrgard. You could look for her if you want.
B) The magical academy at Myrgard is renowned for the skill of its artificers. You need to better understand what these bracelets do and you want a way to remove them if necessary.
C) You are interested in the academy but not in the bracelets. Instead you see if you can learn or purchase any new spells in the few days that you have.
D) Bari said to understand the city one should start with the banks and the bars. You choose the banks. There may be opportunities for profit here.
E) Bari said to understand the city one should start with the banks and the bars. You choose the bars. There may be opportunities to learn the latest gossip or make connections here.
F) Shopping. The city sports a number of shops in every shape and size. You spend a day looking around and spending money. You might find something you have always wanted and at the very least it would give you a chance to relax.
G) You spend your time investigating the necromancers, the crows and any connection they might have to The Watcher. If what you experienced is true then this is bad for everyone.
H) You are interested in the academy but not in the bracelets. Instead you see if you can learn of or purchase a power source capable of holding open a gate to your tower.
I) Do something else. Freeform
2. How much money (if any) do you withdraw with the promissary note. (This may impact how the king and the dwarves in general behave around you.)
A) None. You have money of your own.
B) A pittance (approximately 10 wealth points worth.)
C) A Little (approximately 50 wealth points worth.)
D) A respectable amount (approximately 100 wealth points worth.)
E) A fortune (approximately 500 wealth points worth.)
F) Everything! (approximately 1000 wealth points worth.)
Your group rolled very well here, sometimes you get lucky. There was a good chance you could have lost most of your group.
Chapter 5: Banks, Beers and Little Birdies
Chapter 5: Banks, Beers, and Little BirdiesArm and arm the two of you stroll down the broad, clean avenues of Myrgard's high city. Your destination is the grand square of Ploutos and Tyche, home of the goldsmiths of Myrgard.
The girls are in the care of Trakk and his mercenaries; training and visiting with his extended family. Turns out Trakk has a way with children, though firm, he is fair and the girls are starting to warm up to the dwarf. This gives you and Thaïs the opportunity to explore the city at your leisure.
Leaning on one another you gossip and scheme about your future, as you slowly make your way in the bright, cool and crisp morning. The sun lazily pulls itself into the sky as the city comes to life around you. Already teams of dwarves rush back and forth with carts full of every product imaginable, restocking the vendors in preparation for the flood of customers which will soon pour out of their homes and into the streets.
You examine the ancient shops of the city; built of marble, pink, white and black, from the surrounding hills they shimmer slightly as the sun hits them. In the early morning the whole city has a slight glow that in enthralling. The two of you slip into the great square just as it is beginning to fill up for the day. You have a number of meetings scheduled with some of the local bankers, as you enter the square your eyes fall upon your first contact of the day.
He leans against the statue of Tyche, his heavy hands casually stuffed into his pockets. In most ways he is utterly unremarkable. With one exception, his eyes. It is not what they reveal that is fascinating but what they do not. This dwarf is almost completely unreadable to you. Out of curiosity you attempt a tentative survey of his mind, just a slight feint to see what he does. His response is immediate as his eyes spring to life, cold, sharp, and as dangerous as any blade. You quickly break off your attack before he realizes what is happening. This dwarf is no mage thankfully but the will he possesses is the sort that can alter the world.
With a deep breath you approach the man. In Bruig he begins, he is polite if somewhat withdrawn, "Good morning."
The two of you give him a slight curtsey, in quite good Dwarven you reply, "Good morning Mister-"
"Please, no titles," he waves a hand dismissively in the air as he switches to Dwarven as well, "Call me Mayer. You must be Derryth and Thaïs. I have heard of you, what you have done for this kingdom will be on the lips of every gossip and bartender within three days. For this reason I have agreed to meet you. You have my interest ladies, and so you have my time, do not waste either for I will not readily extend them again."
Not one for long speeches you quickly respond, "Very well Mayer, I have a few questions that need answering. Give me the right answers and perhaps we may both make a lot of money..."
------------------------------------------
"Well, that was certainly enlightening," you walk with Thaïs down the broad avenues leading away from the vaults of the goldsmiths of Myrgard.
She nods enthusiastically, "It really is an ingenious solution to their problems. I wonder... perhaps we could take some of these principle back to the empire..."
There is a fire in her eyes. One that matches your own. There is money to be made here though that is of little concern to either of you. Instead it is that which comes with money that has you both worked up. There is money here which means power and that is irresistible for any mage.
You have spent the better part of the day investigating the dwarven banking system in an attempt to understand this strange people. In many ways you found it exceedingly odd but also quite brilliant.
Given how dangerous the dwarven hinterland still is the transport of large sums of gold across the country in out of the question. Instead the dwarven nobility and merchant families leave most of their funds in the care of others. The goldsmiths of Myrgard being the natural choice given their reputation for dependability and security. It seems that any transaction worth mentioning is conducted through the trade of slips of paper guaranteed by the goldsmiths which in turn allow for supposedly immediate withdrawal of the necessary funds from their vaults. The system is fascinating and like nothing you have encountered in the human lands where physical goods are still required to pursue any sort of transaction.
You guide Thaïs into a nearby bar, the Golden Hart, and the two of you grab a booth in the back. In the low light of the establishment she begins to sort through your notes, "So what are our options exactly Thaïs?"
It was difficult to gauge the receptiveness of your prospective partners to the idea of investing in human lands. Part of you realized early on that it would be better not to plant that idea in their minds unless you were sure you could trust them. These people could just as easily wind up as competitors and you do not wish to give them any unnecessary advantage. Despite these constraints Thaïs believes there are a few possible avenues worth pursuing. She deftly plucks three folders from the pile, "Well the way I see it we have a couple courses we could attempt to pursue. That Mayer fellow is well situated to aid us..."
You remember Mayer from this morning. The memory of the man even haunts you a little, "He definitely knows his business but he is not the sort of person that we could easily dominate. With a will as strong as he has even the more powerful spells we could weave would have difficulty finding purchase. If we choose to work with him he will demand to be a partner and I can see no way around that..."
"Well..." Thaïs flips to the second folder, "How about the Barings family then?"
The Barings seemed nice enough though very cautious and quite curious about your motives. A family of refugees from the west the Barings had used their connections within the wool trade to establish themselves in Myrgard. Their position is not quite as strong as Mayer's which means they will have to rely on your resources to a greater degree but they also seemed willing to grant you greater authority in any partnership that would be formed.
You shrug slightly, "It is a possibility. We could also look at getting a proper meeting with the heads of the current banking houses. They would be less opportunistic than these up and coming dwarves but they are also far more conservative and quite adverse to risk..." you hesitate for a moment, "Maybe we do not even need to find a partner, perhaps we could simply steal their principles and set up shop in the empire without them."
Thaïs gives you an uncertain grin, "We would be making enemies of them all that way... but we also would not have to share..."
As the two of you contemplate your options a crowd has gathered near the center of the bar. The owner, a dwarf named Ketley, is holding some sort of meeting, "Welcome everyone to the fourth meeting of the Myrgard Building Society! If everyone would please take a seat we will send around for the monthly collection and then we can begin..."
The two of you watch from your booth as the dwarves go about their business. It seems that this "building society" works as some sort of "cooperative" with each paying member as a stakeholder in the running of the society. Currently Ketley is pooling the resources of all the members to build houses for them all. Once each member has a house the society will terminate and they will go their separate ways. You admit it is an intriguing concept though part of you wonders if they are not missing something.
You lean in closer to Thaïs, "You know if they used their completed homes as collateral they could probably draw in more members and maintain the organization with a rolling membership..."
Intrigued by the idea she whispers, "They could even expand their operations beyond simply housing..."
As their meeting breaks up you think you may have found an alternative route you had not first envisioned though you might still get better results from the "private" banking model you witnessed this morning.
With your sojourn into the world of finances momentarily at an end the two of you set off for the rougher side of town in search of an old "friend" of Thaïs'.
-----------------------------------------------------
"So this woman, Meletē, she is a friend of yours?" you sip on your ale as you wait. The Broken King is one of a handful of human bars in the city. It is run down, dirty, and filled with the worst sorts of human scum. The ale is watered down, the floor covered in sawdust and blood, and you half expect for a fight to break out at any moment. But if you want anonymity then this is the place to come. Thaïs has arranged to meet a former client that she believes could be a real asset to your organization.
"Acquaintance more than anything. She is a dear and quite loyal too but she has no luck at all with people," your partner gives you a grin, "Remind you of anyone?"
You grumble a little, "I am not that bad with people."
She lets out a melodic laugh, the sort that caresses your ear and reminds you why everyone seems to love her, "Derryth, I am your friend. As your friend I am telling you, you are that bad with people."
"Helzo ladizes... vould vone of yoze like ta keeep meee varmm..." you both turn in your seats. The... gentleman... before you resembles the offspring of a maul and a ghôl. Twice the ugly with half the sense, "I am afraid we are otherwise engaged sir," your friend responds.
He stands there in silence as the words attempt to penetrate his mind. After a minute or two a broad grin spreads out across his massive mug, "Ah, yosse are nat inta menzz? Vell come with me an I ca' fizz that..."
You suck your teeth but make the attempt to resolve this peacefully, "Tell you what. Why don't you go on up to one of the rooms and we will come join you later... much, much later..."
At first he nods his head enthusiastically but stops as a look of confusion drifts across his face, a single cloud in an otherwise empty sky, "Vait? Howw vould ya' find me aftar? Ya should come vith me now," he grabs Thaïs by the shoulder and instinctively you unload on him with a maximized assault spell.
He shouts in pain and slides backwards across the floor crying. You give Thaïs a winning grin, "See. I am great with people."
She matches your smile, "Whatever you say Derryth. So what are you going to do about his five friends?" she gestures slightly with her head to the group of men that are even now pilling out of their booth and stumbling over to your spot at the bar.
You give her a wink, "Only five of them? Well first I am going to finish my drink," you knock back the ale, "Then I am going to order another one," you wave over the barman and do just that, "Then I am going to hit the first two of them like so..."
You reach out with your mind.
The mind is a rather abstract thing all things considered but you are always fascinated by how your mind chooses to express this abstraction.
The Watcher's mind is all darkness and water, vast and full of menace. Secrets hidden deep below the surface.
By contrast Thaïs' mind is much like your own, a fortress filled with guards and traps. The two of you have been practicing on one another and it is striking just how similar your defences are, hers look a bit better, while yours function a bit better but it is a difference of degree and not kind.
Once, months ago, you worked up the courage to probe Nine's mind. It was beautiful, deep and terrifying. A city of shifting green glass and gold gossamer. You did not go far into it as it would be all too easy to lose yourself in there permanently. Part of you wonders if that is how she lost herself... trapped within those twisting alleys and enclosed streets.
It is not just mages that pose a challenge though. The banker, Mayer, his mind was an empty white plane dominated by a massive spire of black marble without windows or doors. A construct of his will that would take months of pressure to crack.
All of which is simply to say that each mind is expressed differently. Rendered into sensory information that you can easily process. In the case of these drunks their minds are small villages scattered in a wilderness of stupidity and base desire. There are no walls, no gates, no traps save those fit for beasts. Their minds are completely open to you and so you sweep them away.
The first two drunks drop and trip the men behind them. You casually sip you ale as you pummel the group for the next ten minutes. They lay, unmoving in a large pile in the center of the room. The rest of the patrons burst into raucous laughter. As you dismantle the group they applaud your efforts.
The rest of the night is quiet.
No one bothers you as you sit at the bar, one hour becomes two, then four, then six, "Well Thaïs, looks like she is not coming-"
You do not get a chance to finish the thought as a strange bird crashes in through one of the front windows and comes to rest on the bar between you and Thaïs. It is an odd thing, brass and iron with a silver hue to its wings. One of the wings is broken and the runes inscribed on it flash once and fizzle out, "From your friend I assume?"
Thaïs just nods as she pokes at the bird, "Probably," she picks it up and turns it in her hands. On the underside of the bird is a small hatch which she promptly opens. A scrap of paper slides out.
T.
Bastard found me.
Stuck in his compound. South side of city.
Red building, two black arrows over door.
Have hours at most.
Going to try and take me back to Muirthemne.
Will be killed.
Please.
Help.
M.
You let out a concerned 'humph', "Well that is not good. Did she step on the wrong toes or something?"
Your friend sighs, "I think so. There was an accident. She would not talk about it though. She has trouble asking for help and she did not want me involved. That she is willing to ask for help now must mean she is completely out of options."
You knock back the rest of your ale and grab your hat, "Did you want to help her?"
She smiles and nods, "Yes, if we can. I would appreciate it Derryth but if we do this we would be making enemies..."
"Nonsense, Thaïs, we make nothing but friends everywhere we go. It is a product of my winning personality," you pay for the drinks as the two of you stand and make for the door. You pass the unconscious drunks and you flash her a smile as you boot their leader in the ribs. He lets out a low groan as you step out into the darkness.
1. Investments. You have a few "ins" into the world of dwarven finance. Which would you like to pursue.
A) Mayer. You have the feeling that he will go far. You find him a bit unsettling but he is competent, knowledgeable and would make for a powerful partner.
B) The Barings. They have connections in the Province but lack the resources to currently capitalize on them. With your resources you could work wonders together but they are not fully established yet.
C) The goldsmiths. The heads of the guilds currently control most of the finances in the kingdom. It would cost a fair bit in time and gold but you could try and win them over to your cause.
D) The Building Society. The idea of a cooperative intrigues you. With a little help this organization could really grow and you might be able to grab a fair amount of power behind the scenes.
E) None. You do not need the dwarves now that you have the basics down. You will start up your own bank based out of the empire rather than work with dwarven interests.
F) freeform
2. Meletē, the Inventor. Thaïs' friend has been captured by her enemies. Do you want to try and free her?
A) No. If she has offended someone powerful you have no desire to make more enemies.
B) Yes. You will head to the compound immediately. The two of you will not be able to storm the place by yourselves but you could try to sneak in by posing as servants.
C) Yes. But you will get help first. You will find Trakk, his mercenaries and the girls. You will then storm the compound, you will have to be quick to avoid the city guard though.
D) Yes. You do not want to attack or infiltrate the compound. Instead you will round up your allies and attempt to ambush your adversaries when they try and take Meletē back to the empire.
E) Yes. You have a fair amount of wealth at your disposal. You will go to these people and try to negotiate for the release of Meletē. Surely she has not done anything too unforgivable...
F) freeform
Chapter 6: The Black Arrows
Chapter 6: The Black ArrowsMyrgard at night. A shimmering jewel against the dark, barren hills. By royal ordinance every shop and home facing a street is required to hang lanterns out throughout the night. The result is truly breathtaking as the entire city is lit up by thousands of tiny flames.
Of course this also makes sneaking around more difficult.
As a result you quickly stop by the inn to drop off your things. While you are there you quickly search for your allies but they are all still out visiting Trakk's family or wandering the city drinking. It would take hours to find them and that is time you simply do not have. You will have to go without them, but you have an idea that might help a little.
You approach the innkeeper, "Miss Thaïs and I are going to retire for the evening. We do not want to be disturbed under any circumstances. Understood?"
"Aye, miss. I will see to it that you and your friend are not interrupted," he winks at you.
You give him a strained smile and press on, "Good, do not bother us with anything until at least mid morning," you give the dwarf a small pouch of silver and he nods enthusiastically. Taking Thaïs by the arm you lead her upstairs.
She leans into you and whispers, "What was that all about?"
You grin at her, "If they think we are upstairs then we will have an alibi in case things go sour at the compound. We have no idea who we are dealing with but it might help."
She nods along as you explain, "Good thinking, every little bit might help."
You leave most of your equipment behind. Armour will do neither of you any good if you are caught and most of your weapons would just give you away. Thankfully you are both mages, even completely unarmed you are still very dangerous. Dressed all in black and armed only with a knife each the two of you slip out through the side entrance and escape into the night.
Thankfully the south side of the city is mostly warehouses and storage with the odd block of housing scattered in. In contrast to the rest of the city it is poorly lit but to compensate each warehouse is reminiscent of a small fortress, filled with guards and who knows what else. You do not have too much difficulty finding your target and slip up to a side door.
Now the difficult part begins.
A single rusted lantern rocks slowly on its hook overtop of the side entrance. It throws enough light that you can make out two massive figures huddled together sharing a cigarette while guarding the door. You each pick a target and strike out with an assault spell. The two guards collapse in relative silence as you advance on the door.
A person picks up an odd assortment of skills robbing tombs. Every now and again you would be required to pick a lock and you like to think you are fairly good at it. It takes you a few minutes and a couple times you wish Brigit was here but you manage to get the door open and slip inside. You stuff the guards into a nearby storage closet.
"A shame they are not smaller or we could steal their uniforms," Thaïs muses.
"Wouldn't be a great idea. We know nothing about these people, all it would take is a moment of questioning and they would likely uncover our ruse," you scan the hallway, your eyes light upon what look to be the servants' quarters, "That being said a disguise might be a good idea. We could pretend to be maids... it is doubtful they would tell the servants anything which should give us a plausible cover..."
You slip into the servants' quarters and thankfully find them empty. A few minutes of searching turn up a pair of uniforms. Tunics, black with gold trim, cut low, and breeches to match. They are of remarkable quality, whoever commissioned them definitely has money. Probably not a good thing for you, you are forced to conclude.
As carefully as possible the two of you slip through the compound, you pass the odd servant or guard but none of them stop you. Most are rather intoxicated. It seems much of the compound is tied up feasting. You move as a pair of ghosts while around you, you can hear the laughing and shouting of dozens of guards. Your friend leans in close, whispering in you ear, "Could it be they are celebrating the capture of Meletē?"
You whisper back, "Maybe, but the whole compound though? She would have to be fairly important to warrant that kind of response."
You stop short in front of a beautiful, engraved door. Solid oak with brass hinges and knob. To the left of the door rests a small plaque, 'Ybert, Accounts', "Hmm... maybe we should check it out?"
You press your ear to the door, you hear nothing and so slowly you push the door open and slip inside.
The office is a simple affair, a basic rug, simple desk and three chairs. In one corner rests a cabinet and it is to this that you are drawn. The two of you open it and begin searching through this organization's records. Most of the records are simply lists of sums as one might expect... payment from various customers for "services rendered".
"So we are dealing with mercenaries here?" Thaïs asks her gaze fixed on the records before her.
"Looks like. Either mercenaries or some sort of trading house but given that they kidnapped your friend I would put my money on mercenaries. My guess would be that these men are simply working a contract and..." you finger through the last pages of the newest ledger, "Ah, here we go, the last entry must be your friend, 'M- found, detained, awaiting payment from B.M.F.'"
Your partner nods, "Right, we should get moving and find Meletē then. We have to get her out of here before they try to move her."
The two of you slip back out into the dimly lit hallway and wind your way deeper into the compound. As you creep deeper the air grows cooler. You are moving away from the occupied portion of the compound and into the warehouse section. You are about to turn back when you are treated to a truly impressive litany of curses.
The voice screams out from the office across the warehouse, "Fuck you, you Wyrd-damned, bunch of dimwitted whoresons! One arm! Give me one fucking arm and I will do things to you-" you can not make out the rest of her words over a chorus of laughter.
Thaïs hisses, "That voice, it is Meletē."
The two of you cut across the warehouse as the laughter dies down, "Oh yeah birdie, what will ya do to us?"
As you get closer you take in the scene through a large window that opens onto the warehouse floor. In the dark warehouse you can hide easily and get a clear view of the well lit office. Meletē is bound to a chair as three large sell-swords and a Beserk stand around drinking. She hurls insults at them as they goad her on.
"You maul-reaming, ass-looting, piss-bathing, tit, I will tear your eyes out... I will rip your shrivelled, little, cock off.. I will...mmpphf-" you watch on as a small door in the side of the office opens. As soon as the guards hear the door opening they jam a rag into Meletē's mouth.
A thin, well dressed and handsome man steps into the room. His features are sharp, intelligent and hard as if carved from marble by some divine hand. You eyes are drawn down his face to the single most magnificent moustache you have ever encountered in all your years, as you stare at him, he speaks, "Gentlemen, what in the name of Wyrd are you doing?"
The lead guard steps forward, and scratches the back of his head in mild embarrassment, "Sorry captain... we got a bit bored and wanted ta talk to the prisoner..."
The new arrival gives the guard a look of bemused contempt, "The four of you came down here to talk?"
"Yes sir," the guard nods emphatically as he perspires slightly.
He continues to address the group, staring down each in turn, "Good, as our instructions are to return her to our client unharmed and given the payday on offer here the boss would not appreciate you damaging her. There would be... repercussions for the man responsible. Do you all understand?"
Each of the four men nod as the captain waves to his prisoner, "Good, now untie her. I would like some company and I suspect the lady would prefer coming with me to staying with any of you. Is that not so, my lady?"
Meletē looks at the captain, then back to the four guards, finally she spits out the rag and nods reluctantly. The guards cut her loose as the captain extends his arm, cautiously she takes it, "I don't know what you are up to you snake but if you try anything-"
He shakes his head in disappointment, "My lady I merely wish for some company, nothing more, nothing less. I have no interest in harming you. You do not have to fear me, save that and your threats for my employer."
The captain leads her into the side room from which he came as the four guards pull chairs up to a small table and begin playing cards.
Somehow you need to neutralize the guards, get into the side room and free Meletē. You turn to Thaïs and the two of you begin to plot.
1. The Plan: First you have to deal with the guards. It would be better to neutralize them before they can raise any alarm.
A) Infiltration: one of the crates in the warehouse contains wine. You will pose as servants and bring refreshments to the guards. When they let their... well guard down you will incapacitate them and storm the side room.
B) Assault: You can not drop all four with regular assault spells but if you link up with Thaïs you could try your experimental mass assault spell which should do the trick. You are not sure what it will do to the guards but that is not really your concern. Once the guards are dealt with you will push into the room.
C)Negotiation: You will simply walk up to the guards and request an audience with their captain to negotiate the release of the prisoner. These are mercenaries and you are rich, you should be able to work something out...
D) Deception: You will use false memory, compulsion and suggestion to draw out the guards one at a time and neutralize them. Once the guards are dealt with you will push into the room
E) freeform
2. Intent: You have no idea how many enemies are in the adjoining room or what they are doing. You will have to "play it by ear" but you can at least decide on your intent towards them.
A) Kill'em all: you will not hold back if it comes to violence. You will aim to kill. It will be quicker this way, if messier.
B) Restrained: if it comes to violence you will attempt to incapacitate rather than kill. This may cost you time but should save lives if it comes to it.
C) freeform
Chapter 7: Fishing in the Dark
Chapter 7: Fishing in the DarkHuddled together in the dark you consider your options. Part of you wants to go big. To try out a new spell you have been working on. You are sure it would be fun... but fun will not get the job done. You have managed to make it this far without alerting anyone and you would like to pull this off without creating a scene.
Better to stick with what you know.
You will draw each of these men out, a suggestion here, a compulsion there and you will incapacitate each in the comfort and safety of the darkness. It is painfully dull work, their minds prove incapable of resisting you. You will succeed but it will take time. You seize upon the first mind and begin the process of fashioning the perfect suggestion... a late night rendezvous will do the trick you think... as you work you lean closer to Thaïs.
"Thaïs?" you whisper.
You decide that your bait will be young but not too young... early twenties should do...
"What?" she responds, her voice barely audible.
Brunette? No... you think your target would prefer blonde....
"Have you ever been fishing?" you can not see her face but you know the exact look she is giving you right now.
Blue eyes? Too conventional. Brown then...
It is the same look she gives you whenever you ask her one of these 'deep and probing questions'. It is a look that says 'You are mad' with an undercurrent of 'But I know you are up to something' and just a hint of 'Will you tell me already'. In the almost half a year you have known Thaïs it is without a doubt your favourite.
You decide she will be a new servant. That way you do not have to worry about fabricating a past for her... though to be honest you doubt the guard would even stop to think about it. Still simply because you do not have to try does not mean you should not do your best.
"Fishing?" her tone is muddled... confusion... curiosity... a little annoyance perhaps... in a word, perfect.
Now you just need the background. Drawing on your memory of the servants' quarter you begin to fill in the details...
"Yes, fishing. Have you ever been?" you restate the question as if she is a little slow.
Table, chairs, cupboards... what else...
"No Derryth I have never been fishing," seems she has settled on a tone... amusement... good as anything you suppose, "I assume you have some reason for asking?"
Ah that's it, you remember a small chest in one corner with a very strange lock. It is the small details that truly make the difference...You send off your suggestion and within a moment the first guard stands up and strides off into the darkness. As soon as he is out of view of his companions Thaïs drops him with a single assault spell. This is going to be easy, you begin fashioning the next suggestion as you continue your conversation.
"Oh, well you do not know what you are missing then..." you trail off.
You remember the odd summer here and there in the Province... in between runs. Henry would take you out to this little creek from his childhood. Ass end of nowhere... no people... no towns... just the two of you and the fish...
Thaïs gives you a playful swat, "Derryth, do not just raise the subject and drift off like that."
The second guard wanders off into the dark and Thaïs drops him not two meters from the first as you begin work on the third suggestion.
You turn and try to look at her but it is simply too dark to properly read her, you shrug, "Hmm... sorry. As I was saying you do not know what you are missing. There are few things as relaxing as a day spent fishing. Just you, your line, and the fish. Henry used to take me out to this small stream in the south of the Province... some of the best days of my life were spent out on the water or up to my hips in a creek... hmm... I have never told that to anyone..."
The place was paradise... no war... no danger... no magic... just peace and a sky that went on forever. You have never seriously considered giving up your path in life. For you it is greatness or bust, but if you did... if you did it would be for that little creek and that endless sky.
"Sounds dull," she is baiting you now.
She drops the third guard as you get to work on the fourth, the Berserk.
You should rise above... you don't, "Well admittedly it is not as interesting as fucking people for a livi- Oww..."
She gives you another swat across the back of the head, "You know damn well, that is not what I did."
"Not all of what you did," you correct her.
She lets out a muffled laugh of her own, "Alright, not all of what I did. But you are right, even if you meant it as a joke. It is an interesting job. You meet all sorts of people, keep all sorts of hours. Yes you have intercourse, no sense romanticizing it and calling it love, but a lot of the time the clients just want company. You read to them, you sing for them, you talk to them, you listen, you probably do more listening than anything else... sometimes you just have to smile for them... you would be surprised how many of them just need a smile. You are the shoulder they cry on. What I did Derryth... I was a rock for them, I was a safe haven... I suppose you could say I was their stream. I am not saying they were all good people, Wyrd knows, most of them were probably monsters but they were good to me after a fashion..."
You stare at her in the darkness, as you study her an odd question pops into your mind, "Do you miss it?"
She does not have to think for a moment, "No. No, I can not say I will ever miss it. I miss some of the people, some of the time, but I would not want to go back. I think I have found a better future..." you think she gives you a brief smile though it is a bit hard to tell, "Provided you do not get me horribly killed..."
You are about to reply when you hear footsteps. The Berserk is coming over and Wyrd is he a big one. You both hit him with an assault spell just to be sure. He drops to his knees and lands flat on his face. The two of you scavenge up some rope and cloth to act as gags as you set to work binding the men.
Kneeling next to the men you check your knots. Everything seems to be in place, they should not get loose, "Well that should take care of it then. Shall we go rescue your friend?"
"Yes, lets," she stops short as you turn to go, "Oh Derryth?"
"Yes?" you stop and turn to her.
"If you are willing, I would like to go fishing with you one day," her voice sounds uncertain but hopeful.
You reply enthusiastically, "Sure. I would like that and I doubt Henry would mind. It truly is a beautiful spot and I need someone to share it with."
"Alright then, I had better get practicing," she responds in a joyful tone.
You take her by the arm and gesture to the four guards, "Well that is what we just finished doing. Quite the catch too, though I doubt any of them are worth keeping."
She stifles a melodic laugh as the two of you make for the office.
---------------------------------------------
"I don't hear anything," you whisper to her.
"Should we go in?" she replies, uncertain of what course to take next.
"Well we are not going back empty handed. So yes we are going in," you take a moment to bind a strip of fabric around the bottom of your half of your face. It is not as good as a full mask but it should help to obscure some of your features. Thaïs follows suit.
You check the door, it is unlocked. With one fluid motion the two of you burst into the room. Your silence thus far is rewarded. There in a tiny office sits Meletē, she is drinking wine. Across from her is the captain, a look of shock and outrage written plainly on his face.
It takes him a moment to master himself but all things considered he shows remarkable self control, calmly he begins, "I do not know who you are but you are making a substantial mista-"
He gets no further before you hit him with an assault spell. This man has a stronger will than average but you take the time to incapacitate him without doing any lasting damage. A firebolt would be quicker you are forced to admit but it would not feel right. This man has not wronged you and you have no wish to take his life. Hopefully he realizes the kindness you have extended to him.
"Are you here for me by any chance?" Meletē considers the two of you from her seat.
Thaïs steps towards her friend, "Oh Meletē, it is so good to see you again!"
Meletē gives Thaïs a confused look, between the mask and the uniform she must not recognize her but you can tell she knows the voice. It takes her a moment but when she does figure it out she springs out of the chair and rushes towards her friend, "It is you! Oh thank Wyrd, I did not know if you received my message. These sons of bitches broke into my workshop and stole me away maybe two hours after you contacted me. Oh Tha-"
You cut her off as politely as possible, "No names please. We do not know who is listening."
Meletē gives you an appraising look, seems she is unsure about you and is about to say as much before Thaïs interjects, "She is right Meletē, no names until we are safely away."
The inventor turns her attention back to her friend, "If you say so. Is she trustworthy?"
"I would, no have, trusted her with my life. If not for her I would not have made it here," that seems to convince the inventor.
She gives you a nod, "Well then I guess I owe you as well, whoever you are. So how do we get out of here?"
"Same way we got in," you reach under your tunic and pull out a third servant's uniform. It takes a moment for Meletē to get changed but you are on the move and out of the compound within half an hour.
You wind your way northward as the three of you laugh and chatter like old friends. Everyone is in high spirits following this unqualified success. You slip into an alleyway and out of your costumes before reaching the city proper. You do not know how much time you have before the mercenaries realize what has happened.
You need to find a place to lay low and escape their attentions.
Meletē explains the basics of the situation to you as you walk. She has a bounty on her head for the death of a high ranking noble in the empire. Naturally she claims innocence. The family of this man has money and connections through much of the empire and even within the kingdom. She cautions you that the Black Arrows, the mercenary company you just humiliated, will be out in force as soon as they realize she has escaped. There are also a number of private bounty hunters that are still looking for her as well. She warns you not to trust anyone unless you know them very well.
It seems you have really stirred up the proverbial hornets' nest.
You need a plan...
1. Split up or stay together. You have managed to steal the inventor away without anyone realizing it. When the mercenaries realize she is gone they will naturally start searching for her. Your first decision should be whether you stay together as a group or split up and go your separate ways.
A) Stay together. You did not go through all this trouble only to cut her loose now. You will find a safe house together and guard her until you can contact Bari.
B) Split up. You will decide upon a safe house and she will proceed to it alone. You will then contact her once you find Bari and arrange to pick her up.
C) freeform
2. The Safe House. There are a few places she could hide, each has advantages and disadvantages you are sure.
A)The Inn - perhaps an obvious choice but you could always hide her in your room. If you slip in unnoticed and before daybreak you will have a great alibi should the mercs come sniffing around. Of course if they force their way in...
B)The warehouse - Meletē knows of an abandoned warehouse out on the west side of town. It is isolated and uninhabited as far as she knows so it should be easy to reach. Of course if the mercs figure out she is there they could easily move in, in numbers.
C)The Academy Basement - Meletē is on good terms with some of the enchanters as she works with them regularly. You could try and convince them to hide her. It would be a fairly safe location given the number of mages and guards on hand however it would be difficult to get her in undetected and she would not be able to slip in until morning. She would have to spend the night mobile.
D) The Palace - A bit of a gamble really but you could take her right to the Royal Palace and demand an audience with the king. You might get it or at least get Bari's attention or you might get the attention of bounty hunters and mercenaries...
E) Trakk's family home - The dwarf mentioned the location of his home in passing. It would be a less likely target but that is a lot of heat to bring down on his family, his children and grandchildren.
F) Mayer's Estate - you have an offer for the man anyway. You will simply make hiding Meletē part of the deal. He won't do it for free... hell it will cost you a lot and probably more than gold but he understands this city like few others. You are certain he can hide Meletē.
G) Give her to Trakk - hire Trakk and his team at whatever rate they require and tell him to hide and guard her for the next few days wherever he thinks it's best. Once you find Bari you can go from there.
H) Freeform - somewhere else? Where?
3. Meletē's Workshop. From what you understand she has a number of very useful inventions stored at her workshop. Crossbows, explosives, all sorts of things really. You might want to secure them now rather than later. If you vote to stay together then she will come with you, if you vote to split up then she will head to the safe house while you secure her inventions.
A) Loot the workshop.
B) Leave the workshop.
C) You will leave the workshop for now. You will inquires into purchasing the workshop and all attached property with Mayer's aid. Hopefully no one will loot or destroy the place in the meantime.
D) freeform
Also for those that are curious:
You had to roll for every segment of hallway you crossed going in and out. Whenever you passed a servant or guard you had to roll to maintain your disguise. You did not have to roll to bait the guards. None of them had a WIS over 3 or any modifiers. The captain was given one check to see if he noticed the silence outside while you were disposing of the guards. None of the rolls were particularly difficult though and you easily passed them all. All and all it was a reasonable task to expect these two characters to pull off.
Interlude 1: The Honeymoon
So currently we have a tie on whether or not to loot the workshop. 1.A (stay together) is winning as is 2.G (track down and hire Trakk to hide her). I will check back in 18-20 hours and see if we still have a tie.In the meantime, I have another Interlude I have been playing around with which may interest some people. As I have said, events continue to play out even when you are not present at a location. For example it seems Christine and Serpent have gotten into a little adventure...
Interlude 1: The Honeymoon
The thick canvas of the tent strains in the wind. Another cold, bitter evening in the Beserk lands, on the great island known as the Strainer of Krakens. She hates the cold, that and the lack of proper amenities. Everything they have, they have brought with them from the empire, courtesy of Derryth.
She still is not sure about the farmer, the woman can be completely insufferable most of the time but every now and then the farmer really surprises her. Her bravery, her loyalty, her generosity... maybe she will not have to kill Derryth after all... maybe.
She gives her head a shake, that is something to deal with in the future. Right now she has more pressing matters to attend to. As it stands they are easily the richest people on the entire island and with wealth comes power, with power comes problems and Christine has had far too many of those to deal with in the last few weeks. Speaking of which, she will have to deal with another one shortly.
The crack of a whip brings her back. She surveys her surroundings. Christine stands suspended, striped to the waist. Her arm and legs bound by thin but strong ropes. She can not see him but he is somewhere behind her... somewhere behind her with that damned whip.
The silence is deafening, finally he speaks, "You will tell me where the artefact is girl or I will make this painful."
Her defiant response is immediate, "Never!"
"Very well then," he stresses each syllable, drawing out his reply. She knows what will come next.
She bites her lip as he strikes out with the whip, "How many lashes will it take? Forty? Fifty? You body will give out before my arm does!"
He strikes out again and again and she counts the lashings in her mind, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen... thirty three, thirty four... forty six. She is so close, she will give in, she will tell him everything... every secret she has ever had... everything she has ever wanted... she is completely at his mercy.
She screams.
So he stops.
She can hear him panting behind her, she can feel him untying her as quickly as his shaking hands will allow "Oh Wyrd! I am sorry Christine, I did not hurt you did I?"
Free now she turns to him, frustration and anger competing within her, "Damn it Serpent! Why in the name of the Goddess did you stop! Now we have to start over from the beginning!" a wicked smile creeps onto her face, "Well unless you want to play the captured spy this time and I can be the savage warlord?"
The physician shakes his head emphatically, "No, no. This is your fantasy dear and I am sorry I ruined it," he leans in, brushing her silver locks from in front of her eyes and deftly plants a single kiss on her lips.
As angry as she gets with the man. He has a way with her. In moments he can bring her back to her senses. She pulls him close, "Sorry I yelled dear. I am glad you care for me. Maybe we can do something else instead, hmm..."
Their privacy does not last long. A deep, bass voice calls out from just outside the tent, "My lord? My lady? The council is ready to meet you. May I come in?"
She sighs as she pulls her robes back up around her. Serpent nods to her once and calls out to the voice, "Yes Captain Leo. You may enter."
The captain looks every part the man of war that he is. Two weeks ago he was in command of their escort, a squad of twelve riders, now he leads almost one hundred Berserks in open rebellion against the Council of Seven, now the Council of Six.
"Thank you my lord," Leo bows low, "The Council army has arrived, my men count at least four of the enemy lords and their leader."
Serpent waves the captain off, "Alright Leo, thank you, we will be out in a moment."
The captain gives a second low bow and exits the tent, striding back out into the dark.
Serpent sighs and drops into a nearby chair, he raises one hand to his brow, "I can not believe we are doing this. Do you think it will actually work dear? Can we win?"
She looks at her husband, the man needs a little reassuring so she saunters over and drops onto his lap, "Dear we are doing what we have to..."
She thinks back. A lot has happened in little over a week.
Their party crossed the empire without any real difficulty. The odd bandit attack, easily dispatched by her spells or their horsemen, but nothing truly dangerous. They stopped at the best inns and when no lodging was available they would sleep in their tent, it was relaxing... enjoyable... then they reached the island...
The forty two tribes of the Strainer of Krakens were in an uproar. Not four months earlier seven of the tribes had banded together under the leadership of some 'great prophet'. The prophet's magic and the warriors of the seven tribes had succeeded in subjugating three quarters of the island by the time they arrived. Tyrvard's tribe, the Konthasos, naturally resisted and helped put together an alliance of their own. The rebels met to choose a leader and it was at that exact moment that she and Serpent rode up in their magnificent coach with their finely armed horsemen...
In hindsight what happened next was not all that surprising. The rebels attacked them, they lashed out with their magic as their horsemen moved to cover them. Serpent drew Tyrvard's sword and began channelling through the blade, it glowed silver as he readied his spell.
When she thinks about it, it still makes her smile. Her husband standing at the head of their horsemen, a greatsword glowing in his hand, casting a spell she taught to him... naturally the Berserks took this as a sign from their gods. They now had a prophet of their own, someone to lead them against the council, against the lowland scum, and so overnight Serpent had become King of the Northlands and she was his queen.
Queen Christine... oh she likes that... has a certain ring to it in fact.
They fought their first battle two days ago against one of the seven. Leo's tactics, the courage of the Konthasos and her magic had seen them through it. They had even managed to kill one of the seven.
News of the victory spread.
Now they stand at the head of a little over one hundred warriors, an alliance of twenty seven tribes.
They have brought their enemies to battle here, on the fields of the lowlands not far from the hill they call The Chevin. Here they would fight them, here they would kill them and secure the whole of the island. At least that is the plan.
"... Christine? Sweetheart? You still there?" her husband holds her her, waving a hand in front of her face.
Her eyes sparkle as she stares at him, "Yeah, just drifted off for a second, it has been a strange week..."
"That it has," he pulls her closer, she rests her head on his shoulder, "But like you say, we can not abandon these people-"
"Or our thrones Serpent, we will get thrones right?" she looks up at him, "and crowns, and silks, and gold, and-"
He chuckles a little, "I am sure they will treat us well if we win."
'If we win' he says, she dwells on that for a moment. These 'lowlanders' and their warriors do not concern her. She has her magic, her warriors, her husband. They can deal with a few savages even if they are slightly outnumbered... but this 'prophet', if he is even half as powerful as they say, will be a problem.
Thankfully she has a few tricks up her sleeves yet, "Serpent dear, I have to step out for an hour. I will be back before the battle but I think there are a few things I can do to increase our chances."
------------------------------------------
He did not want to let her go.
He loves his wife dearly, more with each passing day in fact but he also knows that she will always do what she believes is best. Rare is the occasion when he can alter her course, rather it is his job to see she survives this mess.
"Where is she," he mumbles. He stands at the head of his hundred men. Leo has taken his cavalry around and is waiting in ambush to hit the enemy's rear but Christine is still missing.
He looks to his left and right. Tall, proud Berserks stare back at him. Bran of the Iron Skin, Tyrvard's cousin, a great bear of a man covered from head to toe in bright red hair stands to his right, the Berserk notices him staring and gives him a wink, "Death or glory cousin!"
To Serpent's left stands Angtyr with Screaming Iron, Tyrvard's sworn brother, now Serpent's sworn brother, the big man gives him a single nod and a slap on the back, "Ready to drive these lowland bastards back to their swamps brother?"
"Yes, I just wish Christine was back," the physician nods.
The Berserk gives him a sympathetic look, "Ah, your girl looks like she can take care of herself and if she should die... Well there will be dozens of fine northern lasses lined up to enter your bed!"
Leo has leant him a suit of armour, leather mostly but off good quality. In his right hand he holds Tyrvard's blade, he has not the skill to wield it but as a symbol it serves its purpose and when he channels his spells through it, it glows slightly. The Berserks take it is a good omen and it bolsters their morale greatly.
The enemy drawn up against them outnumbers them two to one, a core of fifty Berserks supplemented by levies drawn from the lowlands. But things are not as bleak as they first appear, fully half of the enemy are fit for little more than dying, the rest draw their strength from their lords and their prophet. Should they fall the battle will be over.
Serpent turns to his men, he should probably give some sort of speech but what? He thinks for a moment, he is not a man of action, he is not a leader of men. He wishes Gareth was here, or Derryth, or Tyrvard, or any of them really. He feels so alone and so weak.
Then he remembers one of Derryth's little pearls of wisdom.
Once he had asked her how she became so brave, so strong, so determined in the face of overwhelming odds, up against mad mages and ancient gods. She had leaned in and whispered in his ear, "The answer is simple Serpent. I fake it. Every day I tell myself that I have a duty to those that trust in me. I am not brave but for them I can be. I am not strong but for them I will be. So for me there are only two roads," she held up one hand, palm facing the darkness above them, "Death," then she held up the other and made a fist with it, her eyes ablaze, "Or victory,"
Now months later he remembers her words and draws strength from them.
He has a duty to these people and those he left back in the empire. He will not fail them, he will not fail Christine, he will not fail himself, he takes a deep breath and he fakes courage for them, "No speeches men. I have not the tongue for it. Fight for me! Bleed for me! Die for me! And I promise to free your people! Death or victory!"
"Death or victory!" the call is taken up by his army as Serpent mounts up. He is no horseman but the beast is well trained. It will take him where he needs to be. With one final glance over his army he gives the signal to advance.
--------------------------------------------------
The Prophet reclines in his tent. Alone except for a serving girl and his pet crow.
The rebels have finally offered battle. His lords will crush them and he will rule the entire island. It has been an easy affair when all is said and done. His new master has given him everything he could need to humble the northmen. He will conquer them, then lead them in war against the empire. His master promises him victory after victory and until last week he had no reason to doubt.
He stands, buckling on his ornate armour, he turns searching for his sword...
No reason to doubt at all, then the Seventh had fallen up in the highlands and this rabble had come down to challenge him. Some minor mage had stirred them up against him but he was strong and his master stronger still.
He will succeed. If anything this little rebellion has revealed every traitor in his midst. He will ride out there and crush them all. First though, he could use a drink...
"Girl, more wine!" she quickly grabbed a pitcher and a glass and fills it up for him.
He snatches up the glass and drinks deeply, "Another!"
Dutifully she fills another glass for him and again he empties it. A strong drink, but good. He turns to the girl, she intrigues him. He grabs her by her silver hair, staring into her grey eyes, he gives her a sinister grin, "Girl what is your name? How would you like to be mistress to a king?"
She does not break his stare, "Why be mistress my lord when I can be queen?"
Confused, he pushes her away, "If that is the way you want it girl perhaps-"
A great cheer can be heard from across the battlefield, "Death or Victory!"
He frowns, "You will remain here girl and I will deal with you after the battle!"
Sweetly she replies, the ghost of a smile haunting the corners of her mouth, "Oh but my lord, I intend to deal with you right now."
His eyes narrow, "Who are you girl?"
The smile spreads into a vicious grin, "They call me the Black Spider where I come from but here I am Queen of the Northlands."
The Prophet draws his blade and advances on her, but this girl, unarmed and unarmoured betrays not the slightest hint of fear, two words leave her lips, "Good bye."
She casts a single spell... not at him... but into him...
The Prophet staggers backward crashing through a table. The pain is immense. He tears off his armour as his stomach begins to bubble and squirm. In horror he watchs as his skin begins to crawl, to writhe, to tear.
He screams.
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She has really outdone herself this time. A two part, magical poison. Get the target to ingest it and then cast the spell to active it. Still the next part was going to be rather... unpleasant.
Naturally all the noise alerts the guards. Good, she needs an audience for what is to come. Four of them burst in. She makes sure to memorize each of their faces. When she becomes queen she does not want any of these incompetents guarding her or Serpent.
"Boys you might as well drop your weapons," she drops into the most comfortable looking chair in the room.
"What did you do to the Prophet, you bitch!" shouts the closest man.
That is no way to talk to a queen. She demonstrates her displeasure by blasting his head off with a single, silver bolt of energy, "Now then you three are going to stand right there and watch this. Then you are going to run out of here and tell everyone what you saw. This war is over. You have lost."
On cue their 'prophet' lets out another scream. His stomach has swollen up to twice its natural size and it is rolling. Slowly at first the flesh gives way accompanied by a wet, ripping noise that turns her stomach slightly. Still she has to put on a convincing act so she sits there and watches. Smiling though part of her wants to run from the room.
With one final sickening pop the man known as the 'great prophet' is no more. He is split in half as dozens of newborn spiders pour forth. It takes a little doing to control them all but she only has to get them moving towards the door and the guards. Once they are on their way nature will handle the rest.
Three guards and over forty spiders pour out of the tent into the camp. The panic spreads like wildfire.
Her work done, Queen Christine, slips out the back of the tent headed back to camp.
The crow sits and watches. Attempting to digest everything it has seen. It has so many things to share but first it has to escape, find its brethren and get the message south.
----------------------------------------------------
Serpent fights on, bolts of silver energy and webbing burst forth from his blade as his Berserks fight and die around him.
Four of the council had been present at the battle. Angtyr had decapitated one at the beginning of the fight. Leo had skewered another when he hit the enemy rear. Serpent had even captured one himself with a well placed entanglement spell. The final enemy lord was doing his best to rally his soldiers but something had panicked them. Their entire camp was in an uproar and the prophet had yet to make an appearance. At this point victory was almost guaranteed. Then the challenge came.
"Mage! Are you going to hide back there and let other men die in your stead? Fight me!" this lord is a typical Berserk, big in every way except imagination.
Casually Serpent points his blade at the man and unleashed a pair of silver arrows. The first hits the man in the shoulder, the second catches him in the stomach. He collapses in the grass and the Berserks moved in for the kill.
Throughout the battlefield Berserks howl their victory to the sky. The enemy routs.
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"Forty six... forty seven... forty eight! Forty nine! FIFTY!" she screams the words as Serpent winds downs. After a moment he slips her out of her bonds and the two of them curl up on their bed.
"So how was that your majesty," he grins at her.
"Wonderful, your majesty," she rests on her stomach, her back still a bit tender from the silk whip, "Ah, a queen Serpent! I am a queen, and you are a king! Isn't it wonderful!"
He smiles at her, happy for her but also worried, "We will see my dear. In the end it may simply be an honorary title. The clans will meet in the coming weeks and we will see what comes of it. There are also the final two traitors on the loose and the one we have captive awaiting interrogation. They could cause us all a lot of trouble..."
"Shhh dear," she places a single finger to his lips, "Leave off with all these troubles till tomorrow. Tonight... tonight we celebrate..." the smile she gives him promises a very enjoyable night for them both.
Chapter 8: Anatomy of an Ambush
Chapter 8: Anatomy of an Ambush"What the hell did you do!" Trakk is not particularly pleased that you dragged him into this.
You attempt to reason with the dwarf, "Just calm down and hear me out-"
It does not work.
"Like hell I will! One quarter of the city is on fire! Hundreds of dwarfs are dead! So I repeat myself what the hell did you do!" Trakk paces up and down in the tiny room.
"Look, Trakk, just sit down and we will explain what happened-" as painful as it is your mind reaches back to the events of last night.
--------------------------------------------------
Meletē feeds you bits and pieces of information. The noble family she 'wronged' is old, ancient in fact, with the sort of money and resources that befit their station. If she has to guess she would say that they are the wealthiest or second wealthiest family in the entire empire at this point.
She speaks quickly as you slip through the side streets but one thing she says really catches your attention...
"It is a Wyrd damned shame that I have to abandon all of my inventions, my machines, my weapons... why just the other day I think I discovered the secret of flight. True 'mechanomagical' flight, we could sail above the world in ships of wood and metal. Great tubes, filled with people," part of you wonders if perhaps the wine has gone to her head. Flying machines, are such things truly possible?
What she says next seems far more plausible and practical, "Oh, and my new rifles... all gone..." she sniffles a little at the thought.
Thaïs prods her a little, "What is a rifle?"
She stops dead, "Why only one of my most prized inventions! Think of it as a portable, hand held cannon and you would not be too far off. I offered a whole shipment to the King but he refused. He said that such things would make war 'too terrible'. Emperor Alric however showed interest... well at least until that idiot nobleman managed to blow himself up. Now no one wants them! But I kept working on them! One day I will show them! I will show them all!"
She emits a high pitched cackle which the two of you quickly silence. You don't need to draw any attention tonight.
All this talk of her workshop gives you an idea though, "Do you two think we have time to swing by the warehouse and grab Meletē's inventions before the Black Arrows hit the streets?"
In hindsight this was a very bad idea. At the very least you should probably have avoided bringing Meletē back to her home now that her cover had been blown but such is the beauty of hindsight. At the time it seemed doable.
Your two companions look at one another then nod. The three of you will make a slight detour and gather up Meletē's things before you go to look for Trakk.
That is not to say that you just walked right in to the workshop. You did try to take some precautions. You created a quick disguise for Meletē and the three of you slipped in through the rear door, easily accomplished as Meletē knew where to find the spare key.
You secure the shutters and cast a basic light spell to illuminate the room.
You survey the workshop, it is a mess. Gears, odd pieces of wood, fabric and metal, magical texts and engineering manuals litter the room. Weapons, tools, machines in a staggering variety of shapes and sizes, all sit in various stages of completion. You marvel at the controlled chaos of the place and the ease with which Meletē navigates the heaps of trash to find the gems she is searching for.
She snatches up a set of three thin leather notebooks, loose pages jammed into each at odd angles. She holds them up for you both to see, "These are my life's work. Everything else in here could burn up but these... these are irreplaceable."
You eye a stack of weapons in the corner, odd metal tubes with wooden stocks, "Are those the rifles?"
She gives a proud nod, "Those are my babies, and the barrels next to them contain enough black powder to take out a small fort!"
Thaïs gives her friend a concerned glance, "Is that... safe?"
Meletē grins at you both, "Nope."
You have only been in the workshop for maybe ten minutes but already you are feeling nervous. You wave your two compatriots over, as they reach you, you begin to speak "Well, lets grab what we can and get out of here before-"
With a loud crack the front door gives in and three figures force their way into the room, the central figure is definitely a mage. He carries a crooked staff and the robes to prove it. His colours are those of the Warlocks but they are in a very poor state of repair and the traditional insignias of that circle are missing. He is a thin man and short, a little wiry, he sports an untrimmed beard and a metal skull cap. He is accompanied by a pair of sell swords, big men with dim eyes and cruel smiles. He grins at you, "Before someone finds you? Well too late for that," he turns his attention to Meletē, "You have quite the bounty on your head girl, if you would be so kind as to come with us we will give your friends a quick death. Resist and we will be forced to make it slow. Either way though you will be coming with us so-"
Before he can finish the back door crashes in, "Like hell she will!"
Five more bounty hunters pour into the room. They are each dressed in red and white. Three of them carry bows, arrows at the ready, while the remaining two wield axes and heavy shields. Their leader a broad, muscular woman that reminds you of an ox bellows at the mage, "The girl is coming with us, aren't ya girl? Hell if you come over here we won't even kill your friends. Maybe just rough them up a little."
The expression plastered to her face suggests a certain love of brutality that you find a bit unnerving. You scan the room looking for another escape route. Your eyes settle on a fairly large window on the far side of the house. The three of you would have to run across the room but you might just make it.
As soon as the idea enters your head though it is dashed to pieces. That whole side of the workshop caves in as six dwarves and a very large maul force their way in. All seven of them are naked and foaming at the mouth. They each carry a pair of swords with a number of addition blades strapped all over their bodies. The lead dwarf steps forward and barks an order in horrendously bad Bruig, "Girl, with us, come!"
You are in a horrible situation.
A ridiculous one, but horrible all the same.
Any one of these groups would give you trouble on their own but together there is no way you could fight them all. Thankfully you are quite adept at utilizing spells to influence others. You whisper to Thaïs, "Think you are up for helping me start a fight?"
She gives you the slightest hint of a smile, "I do not see what other option we have."
The three groups are primarily focused on one another. You are all still unarmed and until you start casting they have no reason to believe that you are mages. Unlike the Warlock, or ex-Warlock as the case may be, you have not advertised your vocation. You think it would be best to neutralize him first and those dwarven lunatics would be perfect for the task.
You start casting, two of the dwarves throw themselves at the Warlock but his sell swords intercept them. He turns to you with a grin, "Well then. Seems you girls are not as helpless as I thought. As fellow mages I will be certain to give you fitting deaths."
He begins to cast but is distracted when a single arrow fired from the darkness of a nearby rooftop flies through the hole created by the dwarves and strikes one of the red and white mercenaries in the throat.
That is the final straw.
All hell breaks loose.
You quickly extinguish your light spell and plummet the room into darkness. Torches spring to life as the human mercenaries charge. The Warlock launches a full fireball into the clustered red and white mercenaries. They are flung screaming across the room as the flames consumes them, incinerating them. The three of you make for the back door while the lunatic dwarves are preoccupied with the mage. They throw a volley of blades and sharp metal scrap at him but his sell swords protect him from the worst of it with their shields.
You are the last to run through the back door. As you do, you turn and catch one final glimpse of the battle raging inside. Both sell swords lay dead, as do three of the dwarves. The Warlock is about to destroy the rest when their maul grabs a large metal pipe, easily three meters long and hurls it at the mage. He is impaled upon it, a full meter and a half sticking out of his back but he manages to loose a final fireball that catches Meletē's stockpile of dwarven powder. You dive into the street as the entire structure goes up. Flaming debris is flung into the surrounding buildings which in turn catch fire.
You slowly rise to your feet, the street is a warzone as dozens of factions are drawn into the battle. Dwarven mercenaries hurl their cocktails with little regard for collateral damage, unaffiliated mages of every kind stalk the night unleashing all manner of horrors. Warriors and sell swords from across the known lands fight and die as the local gangs move in to defend their territory or attempt to expand at the expense of their neighbours.
The sheer number of enemies in the end works to your advantage. Three unarmed women draw little attention as you race from the scene and the flames begin to spread. Secondary explosions rock the neighbourhood as screams echo into the night. As you slip into a nearby alley though, you swear you see a burning man step out of the ruins of the workshop, part of you worries that the Warlock may have survived as impossible as that might seem.
You are attacked by the odd mercenary here or there but the ones you can not handle are quickly dropped with an arrow in the throat. Part of you suspects that someone must be looking out for you but you have no idea who or why.
You make it less than a block before three more mercenaries cut off your escape. Mages dressed in violet and lavender, silver poppies embroidered on their cloaks. They glow slightly. They have power but they underestimate you. You and Thaïs each lash out at a target with assault spells. Two of the mages crumple to the ground, the third however unleashes a lavender mist aimed directly at Thaïs. You see the spell engulf her before it happens, no doubt thanks to the bracelets you share, quickly you grab her and pull. You tumble together out of the way as the cloud flies past her and hits Meletē. She begins to gasp as she collapses to the ground. She can not breathe. The mage curses and casts a second spell aimed at the inventor. The cloud dissipates as her breathing steadies but her eyes remain closed and she does not rise.
You take the opportunity provided by this distraction to drop the final mage. Even with Thaïs on top of you it is a simple matter to strike out with your mind at your adversary. He is skilled but it is still two on one and eventually you wear him down. The mage falls though it takes a few attacks and Thaïs' help.
Thaïs lacks the strength to carry her friend so you shoulder the burden. Thaïs straps her to your back as the two of you race off into the night.
You weave your way through the dark alleys and poorly lit side streets. Cutting a crooked path across the city which you hope shakes any pursuers. After half an hour of fleeing and hiding you believe you have finally escaped.
You look back across the city one final time.
The sky is filled with flames.
You can hear the distant sounds of fighting and dying and you wonder just how many mercenaries are still back there and just how high the bounty on your new 'friend' is to warrant such a response.
At any rate, you definitely need a place to hide now. There are not that many humans in the city, and even fewer female mages, it is only a matter of time before someone figures out that you are aiding Meletē. If anyone got a good look at you back there things could get quite dangerous for everyone rather quickly and that is without considering the Black Arrows...
It has been a rough night and it is not over yet. You need to find Trakk and soon.
--------------------------------------------
You all made it out...
But some of you fared better than others...
Biliku and Uttu sit quietly in a corner while Thaïs stands over Meletē, monitoring her condition. The inventor has yet to regain consciousness. She rests on an old cot, her notebooks still clutched firmly in hand. Whatever that mage hit her with still has not worn off and you have no idea how to dispel it.
Thankfully you managed to find Trakk and he has hidden you in an abandoned military bunker deep under the city. A pre-war artefact, it gives you a little space and a lot of security. Supplies may be a problem but you are fairly certain the mercs will not find you here. Good thing too as soon every mercenary and bounty hunter in the city will be after you and they do not have to take you alive. There is no bounty for your return, all they care about is Meletē.
Three swift knocks at the door drag you back into the present. Trakk readies his sword and Telling eases the door open.
It is Felling, back with your personal effects and news of the outside world. In his usual professional manner he gives his report to Trakk, "Whole city is in an uproar. There are guards on every street corner and most of the bounty hunters have been forced into hiding. The king is taking a zero tolerance approach to all freelancers at the moment so everyone is just watching, waiting for hostilities to recommence."
Trakk, seeing your personal effects raises an eyebrow, "You got into the inn then?"
The grenadier nods, "Yes, the innkeeper was quite helpful. I served with his cousin's nephew, good people all around. He helped me slip in and out without anyone noticing but the inn is definitely being watched now. Saw maybe half a dozen bounty hunters and some of those Black Arrow boys as well," he turns to you, "They definitely know you ladies are involved now, only a matter of time before they start interrogating everyone you have had contact with. Which means-"
Trakk interrupts the grenadier, "Which means, me and my men have to be leaving."
You plead with the dwarf, "Trakk, I can pay, four or five times your going rate-"
He just shakes his head, "I am sorry Derryth but they know you are involved. That means they are going to start looking into us as well. If we are missing when they come around... I know some of these people Derryth. They are not above using my family to get to me," he stops for a moment, unsure if he should continue. With a tired sigh he finishes his thought, "I will be honest with you since you have always been straight with me. If it is a choice between you or my granddaughters well I would not hesitate for a second."
He looks at you, then Thaïs. He shakes his head. Then he looks at the girls and his expression softens a little, "It will be best for everyone if it looks like we are not involved with you. I will try and send food and water down when things cool off a little. Hopefully Bari will come round soon, he should know what to do..." the dwarf drops his gaze to his feet, "Wyrd knows, I haven't a clue..."
You place a hand on his shoulder, he looks up at you as you speak, "I fully understand Trakk. If we get out of this I will double your pay at least. Go look after your family."
"Thank you Derryth and don't worry too much. One of the boys should be down with supplies some time tomorrow and I should have information on Bari not long after that," with that Trakk and his three fellows file out of the bunker and you are left with your thoughts.
You mumble under your breathe, "What a mess..."
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One day passes with no word from your allies.
A second day passes again with no contact from the outside world.
Finally on the third day Trakk returns with much needed food, water and news from Bari.
Not much of it is good...
"So Bari will meet with us?" Trakk nods in response to your question.
"When and where?" you press the dwarf.
He lays out the plan to you, "Tomorrow at a Pathfinder safehouse on the south side of town. We can go most of the way through the old tunnel systems and the location itself should be secure."
"At which point he will take us to the king?" Thaïs inquires.
"Maybe," the dwarf seems unsure, "Things are still tense on the surface Derryth. That fire... it was bad... a lot of people died and more died in the anti-foreign riots that followed. The city is in an uproar, the nobles have been calling for the arrest of anyone every suspected of being involved in the incident and it might not be a good idea for the king to be seen meeting with strange humans at the moment. There are elements within the noble houses that would use it against him, Derryth... ah, I don't know... Really the only way to know will be to go and talk to Bari himself." Trakk shrugs, "Sorry I can not be of more help."
Do you still wish to go to the meeting with Bari?
A) Yes, and you take everyone. You do not want to split up with most of the city out for your blood.
B) Yes, but you leave Meletē at the bunker to recuperate. If you want you can leave people to look after her, simple name who you would like to stay. Winning option will be the one with the most votes.
C) No, this whole situation is too dangerous. You will leave town and make your way back to Muirthemne.
D) No, this whole situation is too dangerous. You will turn yourself in at the palace. You are innocent and have nothing to hide. Hopefully the king will protect you.
D) freeform
Chapter 9: An Unexpected Ambush
Chapter 9: An Unexpected AmbushDust... dust and the cold dark. The three of you slip through the old tunnels under the city. Trakk leads while you guard the rear. Thaïs walks a few steps ahead of you. No one is really up for conversation.
The dwarf arrived at the bunker two hours ago. He suggested that Meletē and the girls remain at the bunker for their safety. Given the current danger you are in you were inclined to agree with him. You bid them farewell, told them not to open the door for anyone but you or Thaïs and set off on the long walk to the rendezvous point.
"We are here," Trakk gestures at a ladder leading up, "Bari will be in a warehouse the Pathfinder's use as a safe house, two blocks over. We have to be careful and quiet. Follow me."
The cold, brisk breeze that hits you as you break through to the surface is invigorating. It is a cloudy night, the moon and stars obscured, granting little light beyond the lanterns hung into the street. The air still has a slight smoky quality to it, no doubt blown in from the ruined section of the city. You wonder just how bad it got on the surface in the last couple of days.
Trakk waves you over to a dark alley as the three of you continue on your way.
Mere moments later you are outside the warehouse.
The dwarf leads you in. It is dark, you can barely see a couple meters in front of you, but Trakk warns you against creating any light. Part of you thinks that this whole situation is a little odd but you chock down your paranoia, you tell yourself that it is just nerves.
You stand in the darkness for a few minutes, finally Trakk speaks, "Alright Bari said he would meet you here shortly. He might be running a bit late though so just stay here until he shows up. I have to be going-"
"No you don't Trakk. Feel free to stay!" a distorted voice calls out from the darkness.
"You said I could go! That I would not have to watch this!" Trakk yells back into the darkness.
You instantly grasp what is happening. This is a trap, Trakk sold you out. You take Thaïs by the hand and the two of you begin to slowly back towards the door and away from the dwarf.
The voice calls out to you now, "Ladies, if you would please stop it would be greatly appreciated. You are going to like what comes next I assure you."
Somehow you doubt that, you call out to the voice, "Just who the hell are you?"
It is Trakk that answers, "They are big money Derryth... powerful. We could hide you from the mercs but these guys they are on a whole new level. I am sorry, they did not leave me a choice and-"
The voice is angered by this, "You always have a choice you idiot! You have friends that could have helped you but no, instead you sell out your employer to a bunch of Wyrd damned traitors! Someone turn the lights on!"
A half dozen lanterns flicker to life. There in the center of the warehouse sits Bari surrounded by six other dwarves. You are stuck dumb by the sudden appearance of the Pathfinder.
"Bari!" you can not see Trakk's face but from the tone of his voice you can tell he is terrified.
Bari grins from ear to ear. He swings his legs back and forth, one heel accidently connects with the chair he is sitting in. The chair lets out a moan, "The one and only, Trakk. You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, treason, and probably half a dozen other things I am forgetting. Feel free to scream your innocence, it is always more fun that way."
One of his hands reaches for the blade stuffed in his belt. Bari gives him a dismissive snot, "You know who I am Trakk. You know you these brave souls with me are. You draw that weapon and there is only one way this ends and I won't make it quick."
"I... Bari... they have my girls... all of them, even little Brenna... I..." the dwarf drops to his knees on the verge of crying.
Trakk and Bari continue their conversation, though perhaps interrogation would be a more accurate term, but you are still focused on the 'chair'. It is, or was, a person. Human, striped naked, her ears have been removed, as has her nose, her toes, fingers and one eye.
You can't help but ask, "Wyrd, Bari, what did you do to that woman?"
He gives you a confused look for a second before dramatically hopping to his feet, "Oh you mean my chair!" he gives her a quick kick in the stomach, "Well she was here to kill you, her and twelve of her friends," he grabs a lantern and shines it into the corner of the warehouse. Twelve corpses greet your gaze, a few human but mostly dwarves, all naked and piled up against the wall.
He gives you a warm smile, "As I said Derryth. You are my friend and I do not take kindly to people that try and hurt my friends."
As he says those last words his gaze drifts back to Trakk and his grin takes on a feral aspect.
You understand where he is coming from even if you are not sure about his methods and most of the sympathy you have for this woman evaporates when you realize that a couple hours ago she was planning to kill you. Still you do have a few questions, "But why is she naked Bari?"
"Oh, that is simple. We did not want to get blood on the uniforms," the way he says it, so casually, you can tell this is not the first time he has had a conversation exactly like this. He gives you a moment to digest the information before continuing, "As for why we want the uniforms well that will become apparent within the hour but first I want to hear everything from the traitor himself."
Trakk, still kneeling, simply nods. He does not believe he can escape, you would not have given up so easily but part of you is glad he did. As angry as you are with the dwarf you think you understand why he did it.
He musters the strength to begin, "It started the day after the fire. We managed to hide Derryth and her team in the bunker and we were certain that we had done it clean. Obviously we were mistaken. That night I come home and find the kids missing, they," he gestures at the pile of bodies, "Took them, my wife, my son and his wife, everyone..." the thought of his family in danger fills the dwarf with rage, rage he takes out on his interrogator, "They have them all Bari! Do you know what it is like to have someone close to you in danger, do you! To worry about losing them! Well! Do you! What the hell would you do!"
You know all too well the answer to that question. Bari for his part betrays not a hint of his sorrow over Ari, his response is flat and professional, all the more chilling for its lack of emotion, "Yes, Trakk, I do know and I would not betray my friends so come down off that high fucking horse and continue with your confession."
The Pathfinder stares the other dwarf down from across the room, Trakk breaks eye contact under the crushing weight of Bari's stare, "I... they told me that if I turned over the inventor and Derryth's group they would release my family... what else could I have done? I... I... and now... now they are going to kill them all..."
Bari just shakes his head, "Damn it Trakk, they are going to kill them regardless, hell there is a good chance they are already dead," Trakk winces at the thought, "Did you see any of them? Did they give you any proof that they are still alive? Even if they are still alive do you think for even one second that they would let that many witnesses walk away from this? Trakk... frankly I thought you were smarter than this... just... just continue."
Trakk nods, "They... they wanted to get the mages away from the rest of the group," he turns to you, "They wanted to lure you two out so that they could better hit the bunker... grab the inventor... kill the girls..."
You go pale at the thought and Thaïs' fingers dig into your hand as the news hits her, you start for the door, "Bari we have to go now-"
He waves you off, "Don't worry Derryth. Trakk is right, these people are good but we are just so much better," his team start laughing, "The day after the fire I looked for you. Just about approached Trakk too till I noticed that he was under surveillance. I personally tailed him and found the bunker. Honestly, I wanted to get you out of there right away but this was not an opportunity I could afford to miss. Anyway that hit team will never make it to the bunker. Our people are already in place. Not one of them is coming out of those tunnels alive. Ori is in charge of that team. You remember Ori right? Damn good kid. Anyway, Ori will take Biliku, Uttu and that friend of yours... um... what is her name again?"
One of the Pathfinders steps forward, " Meletē, sir."
"Right, right, Meletē. Well Ori will take the three of them over to our real safe house and we will meet them there. We have a lot to discuss. But first there is the issue of what to do with you, Trakk. You know what the penalty for treason is Trakk? For attempting to kill allies of the kingdom?" he strides over to Trakk, knife in hand, "Any final words?"
"Bari, my family..." Trakk begins.
"If I can save them Trakk, I will," Bari raises the knife.
Trakk closes his eyes, he is strangely calm, at peace with his fate, his failure, "Derryth... Thaïs... I am sorry. Just... just tell the girls I am sorry."
In a moment he will be dead. Part of you wants to say something, part of you wants to let the traitor die. The question is which part to listen to.
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1. Trakk's fate:
A) You let Bari kill Trakk. One less traitor in the world.
B) You ask Bari to spare Trakk. You understand why he did it even if you can not forgive him for it. Instead you suggest that Trakk be sent into exile, what he does from there is none of your concern.
C)You ask Bari to spare Trakk and you offer the dwarf a job. Everyone makes mistakes and you fully understand why he did what he did.
D) You ask Bari to detain Trakk until you can ascertain the fate of his family. You will then make a decision as to his fate. (This choice requires 2A to win, if 2A does not win then the next highest choice will be chosen).
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"Well it doesn't look like much," Thaïs opines
You are in the real safe house, a nondescript little curio shop, rundown and empty except for a truly ancient dwarf that sits, or rather is propped up behind the counter. He snores slightly and gives the impression that he is asleep but you can tell that he is listening to everything that is going on. The rest of Bari's team remained behind to clean up the mess, to secure the 'prisoner' such as she was and to prepare for their next assignment. Something Bari thinks you can help him with though he does not want to get into it until he is certain you can speak freely.
Bari leads you behind the counter and towards the back room. As he moves to pass the ancient dwarf, the 'sleeping' sentinel springs to life. A thin cane swings down to block Bari's way, "Employees only," remarks the dwarf.
"Out of my way you mean old bastard," Bari barks.
"Kids these days... no respect for their elders," the dwarf shakes his head.
"Well if our elders did anything maybe we would respect them more," Bari spits back, grinning slightly.
"Trust me kid, if they put me back into the field then none of you would have anything to do. I would have all threats to the throne neutralized in a week tops, why back in my day-" Bari raises his hands in surrender.
"Alvis, we can talk later. I am bringing guests to the chief," at the mention of their leader the old man lowers his cane, "Alright Bari but I will hold you to that, and you girls better behave yourselves," he gives you each a nod and settles back into his feigned slumber.
The décor of the safe house stands in stark contrast to the storefront, clean sharp lines are the norm. The furniture is plain with an eye to function, tables, chairs, a few desks and a number of lockers which line the walls.
As you enter the girls race up to you. Biliku hugs Thaïs, Uttu tackles you.
They chatter in unison, "You should have seen it! The dwarves can go invisible! They are so quiet and fast too! They got inside faster than we could draw our weapons!"
Uttu starts, her words tumble over themselves to get out, "They brought us here and at first I thought they were going to hurt us and that you would be mad that we did not stay in the bunker-"
Biliku finishes, "But then they showed us all the cool gadgets they have. They have like fifty types of bombs..."
Uttu nods, "And cool ropes that are launched from tubes..."
You did not think it was possible but they are getting ever more excited as they go, Biliku grabs your hand, "They have these gloves that let you climb walls Derryth! They even let Uttu try them!"
Uttu stares at her feet, "I got stuck..."
The relief that washes over you at seeing them safe is palpable. You smile at them and at Thaïs. Finally you look to Bari.
Bari leans against the doorframe watching, "This is why I love my job, saving the day and all that," he grins at you, "So are you ready to get down to business?"
The Pathfinder does not wait for you to respond, instead he pushes off from the door and rapidly crosses the room disappearing into a side chamber. He stops only once along his course and nods to a female dwarf working at a nearby desk, "Astrid."
"Bari," she responds as he passes. Her eyes follow him as he leaves the room before she notices you watching and quickly returns to work.
With a shrug at this exchange you follow him deeper into the building.
It is a small room, three dwarfs sit at a table playing cards. One of them, the youngest, you recognize as Ori. The second is a truly massive dwarf with a thick blonde beard, he laughs merrily as he rakes a pile of coins towards himself, Thaïs leans in, "That must be the chief."
You shake your head, and whisper back, "No I don't think so, look at the way they act towards the third dwarf. He is the one in charge and I think I know who he is."
The third dwarf is older than the other two. He sports a simple white tunic and brown slacks. His auburn hair drawn behind him in a simple ponytail. His beard has the odd streak of white in it which adds an air of distinction and dignity to the dwarf. In fact, if you needed a word to sum him up it would be just that, dignity. He carries himself with the air of someone who leads and has rarely followed, he is confident but not domineering, so secure is he in his power that he has no problem playing cards with his subordinates and while you are no gambler it looks like they are all playing fair.
This dwarf is their leader, a small puzzle for you to unravel and for someone as experienced with mysteries as you are it is a simple matter to decide on his identity.
Bari steps towards the table, "Derryth, Thaïs, may I introduce you to-"
You know who this dwarf is, you are certain of it, and if the stories are true then you know he respects intelligence and courage so you take a little gamble. It pays off, "King Albrecht VII, it is an honour your majesty," you give him a low curtsy.
Bari, Thaïs and the girls stand there in shock. The game at the table stops. The third dwarf looks up at you... he smiles, "Well the girl is quick Bari, just like you said. Please, take a seat next to me, I will deal you in. Have any money?"
Not wanting to disobey an order from the king you grab a chair and pull it over, "A little," you respond.
Thaïs follows suit while Bari shoos the girls back out into the main room. They complain so he hands them a small rod, he calls it a stun baton, and tells them to go play with Alvis and Astrid.
"I will spot you some then," Albrecht tosses you a small sack of coins which you split with Thaïs.
You recount your adventure with Jori, saving him from the spiders, the attack by the Damned, the battle with the Blues, Jori's death, and your vengeance on Miosguinn. Albrecht nods along as you speak but he does not interrupt. Following your story he asks about the undead incursion you fought off and you begin your second tale of the evening, you mention the necromancer at Blackford, the crows, the eagle and the presence of the Watcher. You involuntarily shiver at the memory of that... thing. Thaïs does as well, and you feel less foolish about it. The power behind that mind was, no is, terrifying.
Albrecht frowns, "Yes, Ori mentioned the Watcher. If he rises again it will be bad for everyone. Still not an immediate threat..."
The discussion at the table moves to lighter fare. Gossip, war stories, all manner of talk really. At first blush it might seem odd that a king should be so free with his people but having met Albrecht, he insists that you simply call him Albrecht, you understand why his people would follow him. Here is a leader with that 'common touch', so certain in his own abilities that others can not help but believe in him. He has nothing left to prove to himself and so feels no need to prove things to others.
Out of curiosity you reach out to his mind.
You are met with a replica of Myrgard, filled with dwarves coming and going. The buildings shimmer slightly in the sun. At every street corner sits some sort of mechanical lamp... a light post for lack of a better word. Down the center of the street run tracks and a large metal carriage runs down them. It is like nothing you have ever seen and you have seen the real Myrgard. It is busy but beautiful, free but orderly, it is his vision for his people, his hope for them reflected within his mind. He is Myrgard and you smile at that thought.
"Like what you see mage?" the king smiles at you, "Just don't try and cheat."
You blush slightly at his gentle rebuke and withdraw from his mind. He knew what you were doing and he trusted you enough to let you in. Perhaps he is a little overconfident or perhaps he knows that he can resist you, you are not sure which.
As you play you get a good feel for each of the dwarves.
Bari plays as he lives, brutal and with no regrets, he wins big, he loses big and he is the first one out. Ori plays the numbers, most of the calls he makes are very much by the book but he is too predictable to really come out ahead, he slowly bleeds coins and is the second one out. Argus, the large dwarf and Albrecht's bodyguard, plays defensively and shows better judgement then the other two but falls as well.
Albrecht is cagey, he can be aggressive when needed, defensive when required. He is also damn near impossible to read which makes sense. This is a dwarf that led his people into and back out of exile. He has faced more challenges, internal and external, than you can imagine. His enemies all dead, he stands alone, victorious. You do well, you even gang up on the dwarf with Thaïs but in the end old age and treachery win out. Albrecht wins as Bari brings over a cask of beer.
The king stares at you as he sips on his drink. Finally he speaks, "I think I like you girls. You have aided me twice but I would like to know why you burnt down my city."
With a sigh you begin to explain, Thaïs helps where she can and the king seems largely satisfied with your story, "Well when that girl wakes up I will have to have a word with her about the proper way to store hazardous materials. Still she did not commit a crime and neither did either of you. I have no interest in punishing innocent parties however I can not openly reward you given your involvement in the incident. Still every cloud has a silver lining as my father used to say. I think there is a way for us to take advantage of this situation."
Albrecht gestures to Ori, who promptly speaks up, "The 'mercenaries' we fought in the tunnels were not really mercenaries. They were too well equipped and I recognized one of them from my time in the military. Anyway we got to 'talking' and it turns out he works, or rather worked, for House Eberhardt."
Bari interjects, "I suspected this group was powerful but not that powerful. I grabbed a couple dozen uniforms from the group we hit," he rubs his chin as he thinks of the possibilities, "I was planning on going after them to deal with some personal debts but this might be even better."
Albrecht nods, "Eberhardt is one of my biggest detractors but this little attempted murder and kidnapping ties his family to foreign interests. The Brannons of your empire," he gestures at you and Thaïs, "In particular."
You know who the Brannons are. They are one of the most powerful families in the entire empire. The patriarch of the family is the emperor's minister of finance, his brother is one of the largest landholders in the west. If these are the people after Meletē then you have made very powerful enemies. Your head swims a little at the implications of what you have done. You look to Thaïs, she looks a bit pale. Seems she understands your situation as well.
Albrecht on the other hand simply gives you both a sympathetic smile.
Of course he is not bothered, he makes enemies of the most powerful men in the world all the time. They tend to wind up dead or humbled which is why it is no surprise when he suggests just that, "I would like you ladies to help us with a mission, given your unique talents and successful track record. I am going to send in a team of Pathfinders, disguised as Eberhardt's 'mercenaries'. They will meet with Eberhardt or his agents and we will see just how far up these connections go. Ideally we get something on Eberhardt and I can find him guilty of treason. Without House Eberhardt, the opposition should crumble and I would be free to openly reward you."
You are hesitant, "Sounds like a plan but why do you need us at all?"
"Well," he holds up his hand and begins counting off the reasons, "First of all I know I can trust you. Second, you have a great track record... barring that little fire... Third, from what Bari tells me you are mentalists which should be very helpful on an infiltration mission. Fourth, these people are as much your enemies as mine now. Better to destroy them then let them destroy you and Fifth..."
Bari interrupts, "Fifth, working for the crown pays really well!"
The dwarves join in a chorus of deep rolling laughter.
The king looks you in the eye, a look that promises of success, wealth and adventure, "So what do you say, willing to do another job for me?"
2. The Job, do you take it?
A) Yes, you will take the job. These people tried to kill you, they tried to kill Thaïs, they tried to kill the girls. You won't let that go. (Also power and wealth are nice...)
B) No, you will receive your payment and leave the city. You are done with the dwarves. (All B votes will be counted together, the winning option will be the one with the most votes.)
i. You take your payment in material wealth. (approx. 600 wealth points)
ii. You take your payment in magical knowledge. You will be given free run of the academy but you may have to wait a few years for anti-foreign sentiment to die down. As it currently stands the dwarves will not be terribly willing to work with you.
iii. You take your payment in the form of a favour or three to be collected at a time of your choosing. Albrecht won't be terribly happy about this but he owes you.
C) No, you will receive your payment but stay in the city to tend to your interests, you still need to revisit Mayer for example. (All C votes will be counted together, the winning option will be the one with the most votes.)
i. You take your payment in material wealth. (approx. 600 wealth points)
ii. You take your payment in magical knowledge. You will be given free run of the academy but you may have to wait a few years for anti-foreign sentiment to die down. As it currently stands the dwarves will not be terribly willing to work with you.
iii. You take your payment in the form of a favour or three to be collected at a time of your choosing. Albrecht won't be terribly happy about this but he owes you.
Chapter 10: The Raid
Chapter 10: The RaidMaybe it is weakness.
Maybe it is strength.
Either way you just can not let him do it, "Bari stop."
The Pathfinder pauses, his blade mere millimetres from Trakk's throat. His head snaps towards you, frustration and confusion plainly written on his face for but a second. A single word slips loose from his lips, "Why?"
A good question.
"I..." you pause. Why do you want to save the person that would have, should have, killed you tonight?
The answer comes to you quickly enough.
It is not his fault, not completely at least, you did this to Trakk. You put him here. More importantly you understand why he did it even if you can not exactly forgive him for it, "Bari I do not want you to kill him. He knows what he did was wrong, he does not deserve to die for it."
The dwarf scoffs, "For fuck's sake Derryth! He is a Wyrd damned traitor. Traitors die, it is as simple as that!"
Bari is convinced you are making a mistake but your mind is set. You will not watch Trakk die for this, "All the same Bari let him go."
The Pathfinder emits a slight growl but sheathes his knife, "Alright Derryth it is your call to make but he can not walk away from this unpunished."
"Well, what if you exile him?" you suggest after a moment of thought.
Bari grins, "Ah, here I though you were being merciful but that... now that truly is a fate worse than death."
He turns to Trakk and assumes a formal tone and stance, "Trakk, son of Dvalinn, son of Rugga. You are hereby banished from the lands of your people. You are unwanted. You are outcast. You are exiled. Until the very end of your days and beyond. You will be escorted to the edge of the kingdom and cast out into the world, alone and unloved," a solemn stillness settles in as Trakk absorbs this information. Bari for his part leans in close to the prisoner, "If I ever see you on dwarven soil again Trakk I will kill you, understand?"
Trakk does not make a sound, does not move a muscle, he rests broken in silence on his knees.
Then he springs to life.
He reaches for his blade, draws it and is mere moments from driving it home... into his own throat.
Bari wrestles him to the ground, the Pathfinder lets out a harsh cackle, "Oh no Trakk. You get to live my friend! You have to live and live a long time too!"
Two of Bari's people restrain Trakk as he sobs uncontrollably and screams into the night. You wonder if perhaps it would have been kinder to let him die. You also feel the need to say something to the dwarf. You drop to a knee and stare the dwarf in the eyes, "Go back to Muirthemne. We will see what we can do about your family-"
At the sound of your voice something in him snaps. The dwarf goes rabid, he attempts to lunge at you before being pulled back down to the ground, "They are dead Derryth! They are all dead! Bari is right! They are dead! I have lost them forever and it is your fault! Now! Now I won't even be able to die in my homeland! With my people! You have taken everything! Everything! Save your damned promises for someone that believes them! Your poison Derryth! Wyrd damned poison-"
You have a feeling he could continue in that vein for some time but Bari gives him a few good kicks to the side of the head and drives a rag into his mouth, "Well that was certainly interesting. You know if his family really is dead we should probably just kill him and be done with it."
You stare at the floor. This would be easier if his accusations did not hold a seed of truth, "All the same Bari... I don't want him killed for this. If he tries something later well I will deal with it then..."
Maybe it is weakness.
Maybe it is strength.
But you will not kill someone for trying to protect their family.
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"Derryth? Your head in this? We will be leaving soon." Bari drops down in a chair beside you to your left.
"Umm... yes, yes... just thinking I suppose," you turn in your chair to face him.
"Thinking eh?" he gives you a wink, "Thinking will get you nowhere. Sometimes you just have to 'do' and not worry about the consequences."
"You mean like you?" Thaïs comes up to join the two of you. She takes the chair on your right.
The Pathfinder grins at the woman, "Exactly. When was the last time you saw me think about something?"
You give him a half hearted smile, "Some people would say that, that is part of the problem Bari."
"Bah, you worry too much, you know that? Far, far too much," he waves his hand in the air as if he can physically drive off the notion. Then the smile slips from his face, "Look, about what Trakk said."
You try to interrupt him, "I am fine Bari-"
He nods, "I am sure you are Derryth. But I need you to know that what he said is not true. You are a good friend and Trakk does not know what the hell he is talking about. If not for you I would be dead twice over."
Thaïs chimes in, "He is right Derryth. You do far more to help than to harm. Take comfort in that."
You are not so certain about that at the moment, "He lost a lot though, he said he lost everything... I-"
"Oh cry me a fucking river!" he throws his hands up, "You have both lost people right?" you both nod, "And I have lost people..." he stops for a second, gives his head a shake, then pushes on towards his point, "Sometimes... no, most of the time, things don't turn out like we hope. Well you can't worry about that! And you sure as hell can't spend all your time blaming others or yourself. You just have to take responsibility for your actions and do the best you can. Move on and do better next time!"
"Sure Bari," he can tell you don't believe him but he presses on just the same.
"Yeah, life dealt Trakk a terrible hand here but he still had options. He chose to betray you just like you chose not to take vengeance on him. Though I admit, I still don't get why really. Though..." he gets a bit quiet, and far more thoughtful than you usually see him, "Though it reminds me of what Ari would have done," he shrugs, and the cloud that rests lazily over his eyes dissipates, he give you a mischievous grin, "Must be a woman thing. You are all a little soft."
"Soft, hmmm..." just for that you plant a suggestion in Bari's mind. That his slacks are filled with venomous spiders...
In the entire time you have known Bari, you do not think you have ever heard him squeal like that.
Or squeal at all really.
It is quite satisfying.
------------------------------------------
The uniform does not quite fit. The gloves are a bit big, the tunic is baggy, the slacks threaten to fall down if not for the thin belt cinching them in place. Also the boots pinch a little. As a result it is a rather uncomfortable walk over to the Eberhardt compound on the north side of the city.
Bari and the dwarves are in great spirits, they make casual conversation as you slip through the side streets of Myrgard. The fact that you are all about to risk your lives does not bother them in the slightest and their confidence is contagious.
The Eberhardt compound is massive; easily covering several city blocks. The entire compound is surrounded by a high stone curtain wall. In truth the compound resembles a fort more than a family estate. Bari informs you that most of the major families have similar compounds throughout the city. Dwarves value their privacy and the Eberhardts place a premium on secrecy. Probably related to their many efforts to undermine the Royal House of Albrecht.
For a moment you consider the best way to gain entry but Bari and Ori simply walk right up to the front gate and pound on the massive, iron front doors.
Part of the door slides smoothly back and to the side. A pair of eyes stare out into the night, "What do you want?"
Bari points at your group with his thumb, "Transfer in from Muirthemne."
"One second," the panel slides back into place. You can hear a pair of voices discussing something though you can not make out what. Finally the panel slides in again, "We received no word of new personnel coming in from across the border-"
Bari chuckles and leans against the door, "Just figures. We march all the way down here from that fucking human backwater, fighting ghôls, undead and Wyrd knows what else and those damn paper pushers forgot to send word ahead. You know those boys are always fucking up, why last month they only gave me half my pay. I got half a mind to take this message for the boss and toss it in the damn desert."
The voice on the other side of the door hesitates, "You have a message for the boss?"
Bari feigns irritation, "Well that is what I said right? I was ordered by Mats over in Muirthemne to round up some of the lads and bring a message over. Supposed to be important too..." the Pathfinder assumes a worried expression, "And now because of some idiot up there or down here it is my ass that will get chewed out."
Well he has the guard's sympathy, "Damn brother, I would like to help but I can not just let you in without some sort of proof you are who you say you are. Who's the message from? Maybe you can just give it to me and I can take it to the boss for you."
Bari nods a few times, "Well it is good to see there are still decent folks out there but I was given strict instructions. This message goes straight to the boss and no one else."
"Well I guess that is it then, goodnight," the panel begins to close.
At the last possible moment Bari shouts out, "Wait! I have it. Is Dacey there? I know her from way back, she can vouch for me."
You wonder who the hell this Dacey could be. Then you remember Bari's 'chair' and it all makes sense. He probably had a few hours to extract information from her and he was planning on hitting the compound himself anyway. He would have needed a way to convince the guards...
Once again the guard hesitates, "You're a friend of Dacey's?"
Bari warming to his ruse nods enthusiastically, "Oh yeah, the two of us go way back. Tough bitch that one but a good friend once you get to know her. I served under her years ago in Stoneheim. For a human she shows an admirable concern for those under her command too. That girl... that girl will do almost anything for them, especially if they are in danger," something tells you Bari is not making that up. You shudder when you imagine how he got her to talk, "Hell if she likes you she will give the very shirt from her back. Hey, do you know if she is still seeing that young lad from Tyr... the tanner I think he was?"
The voice gains a bit of confidence at this revelation, "So you do know her! Yeah she is still seeing Roger worthless piece of shit that he is. She is out on assignment right now, taking care of some work for the boss. If you are willing to wait out there-"
Bari applies a bit more pressure, "Ah come on, don't make me stand out here in the dark. Let me wait inside at least, I think it is going to rain..."
"I..." the guard wants to help Bari out but he knows he shouldn't, "I can't let you all in."
Bari looks back at your group, then smiles at the guard, "Alright, alright. Fair enough, how about you just let me in then? One dwarf is not a threat to the entire compound right? Let me in and we can wait until Dacey comes back."
"Ah... yeah, alright. But the rest of your group has to clear off before I open this door," part of you feels a bit bad for this guard. If Bari does not kill him, his employers certainly will but such is the price of incompetence.
Bari shoos the rest of you off, "You lot go have a drink. I will meet you later... lets say in oh, five or so."
Ori plays along, "Five hours chief?"
Bari rolls his eyes, "No you idiot in five minutes... of course five hours. These things take time."
Ori, suitably 'chastised', leads you out of sight away from the compound as the door slowly opens.
Around the corner from the compound Ori begins counting, you turn to the nearest Pathfinder, "What is he doing?"
The Pathfinder shrugs, "Five minutes and Bari will have the door open for us."
---------------------------------------
Five minutes on the dot and the front doors creak open.
As you enter you are met with an impressive sight. Ten dwarfs quietly sleeping... and one with his neck broken. You give Bari a questioning glance, he waves an empty vial in the air, "Very potent, very fast acting, but it costs a damned fortune to get," he gestures at the dead dwarf, "Shame he wasn't a drinker."
The Pathfinders set to work securing the room and hiding the bodies as Bari explains the plan again to make sure everyone is on the same page, "Alright. Now the door guards are not due to be replaced for a couple hours yet so we have time but we also have a lot to accomplish..."
He lays out the rest of the plan for you. The compound consists of six buildings. The central building serves as housing for the Eberhardts themselves and their closest supporters. Next to the central building are the financial offices of House Eberhardt. Across from them is the armoury and prison/dungeon. There is also a barracks where most of the guards will be. There should be about one hundred of them by Bari's estimation.
Your primary target is Dacey's contact:
Dacey gets her orders from a dwarf named Ullr, he is the one you have to find and he is probably in his quarters on the third floor of the central building. Bari will be going after him given he knows the location best and is the most skilled operator.
There are also a number of secondary targets the Pathfinders plan to hit.
Vandill, the captain of this team of Pathfinders, is going to hit the prison with half of his people. Hopefully they will find Trakk's family or other witnesses to the Eberhardts' subversive activities.
Ori intends to search the financial offices with two Pathfinders. Ideally they will find more proof of Eberhardt's dealings. They will also attempt to retrieve any financial information that might aid the king or the kingdom.
Finally you have been informed that two cloaked Pathfinders have slipped into the compound. They will set explosives in the barracks, the armoury and near the curtain wall as required. They should not be needed but if they are it will level those two buildings at least and should collapse part of the wall giving you another escape route.
The remaining Pathfinders will remain in the guardhouse to keep your exit secure.
Since you are on this mission in, more or less, an advisory capacity the Pathfinders are willing to let you choose which team you join.
1. There are two of you. Do you stay together or split up?
A) You and Thaïs stay together and join one team.
B) You and Thaïs split up and go with separate teams.
2. Which team do you join?
A) Bari - you will help capture this Ullr character.
B) Vandill - you will help search for Trakk's family
C) Ori - you will help search the financial offices.
D) Stay in the guardhouse with the last two Pathfinders.
3. If you split up which team will Thaïs go with?
A) Bari - she will help capture this Ullr character.
B) Vandill - she will help search for Trakk's family
C) Ori - she will help search the financial offices.
D) Stay in the guardhouse with the last two Pathfinders.
Chapter 11: Berandal
Chapter 11: Berandal"Urgent message for Ullr," Bari calls out as the three of you approach the door guard.
He tilts his head, "Funny... we are not expecting any messengers tonight."
Bari grins at the man, "No shit, really? Look I have a message for Ullr from Dacey and it is imperative he gets it as soon as possible."
The guard frowns, "Look, why don't you come back in the morning? If I let you in now I have to fill out all sorts of paperwork..."
Bari nods, "Look brother, if I could come back in the morning I would but Dacey just sent a runner back. She has something important for the boss, really important, and he needs to know about it."
The guard rubs his temples, "Alright, alright. Why don't you hand me this message and I will send it up."
Bari gives him a sympathetic smile, "Sorry brother I have orders to take it directly to the-"
The guard cuts him off, "Well you can tell Dacey that she does not have any authority over me, the uppity bitch... You can give me the message or you can wait till morning. No way in hell am I doing all that paperwork..."
The Pathfinder clenches one fist, "You absolutely sure son?"
"Yes, damn it! I am absolutely-" his face goes slack as you reach out with your mind and press into his. While suggestion is a fairly basic spell that most skilled individuals can resist this guard is not one of them.
Surprisingly, you meet some resistance, not because this guard is some genius, not because he is some great sage, rather because he is extremely lazy. He really does not want to fill out the required paperwork. But you are fairly certain that you can get him to do it.
You have been practicing with Thaïs for months now in an effort to better coordinate your abilities and the two of you make an impressive team. You think you know what is required to break a mind now even without the more advanced spells Nine constantly tempts you with. A spell like Dominate could grant you immediate control of this guard. Sadly you do not know it, which means you will have to do this the hard way. You launch your attack and the second you begin Thaïs joins in as well.
The two of you hit him with dozens of suggestions, each lasts for less than a second but for the moment he experiences them they are as real as anything he has lived. You tip him off balance with the image of a sweet dwarven maid bouncing on his knee. He smiles as his eyes glaze over. She hits him with an experience of sheer terror as his eyes open wide in shock and horror. You follow that up with a vision of his dead wife. For a moment you wonder if he has a wife, or had a wife but you shrug it off. For your purposes it does not matter. His eyes tear up. Then she slips him a memory of success and he positively beams at you.
You take turns pushing him from one extreme to another, fear, lust, jealous, happiness, hatred, grief... after ten minutes of constant assault his mind is clay in your hands. He is simply too worn out to resist any longer.
Slowly you begin to build him back up.
The way you want him to be.
You slip a suggestion into his mind...
He should let you though.
"I... I should let you through..."
He will give you the necessary paperwork.
"I will get those papers for you right away," the guard draws up your passes and hands them to Bari.
He is sorry for delaying you.
"I am sorry for delaying you."
He will tell you where to find Ullr.
"I... I should tell you where to find Ullr, third floor, second door on your left. Impossible to miss really."
He will go take a nap, this has all been a horrible dream.
"I... um... I need to go take a nap... yeah... just need to rest for a while."
As he stumbles off into the night the two of you smile at one another.
Bari stands dumbfounded, "Wow... just wow... that was amazing! Can you..." he hesitates for a moment, oddly unsure of himself, "Can you do it again?"
You give him a little swat as the three of you enter the inner compound.
-------------------------------------------
With the proper paperwork it is simple enough to get to Ullr's room. Naturally though, once there things prove slightly more difficult.
"He is not alone," Bari whispers. The Pathfinder leans against the door while the two of you serve as lookouts.
"How many people?" you give the dwarf a quick glance over your shoulder.
"Hard to say," he frowns, "I only hear one other voice but who knows..."
"Well are we going in?" Thaïs asks and you both look to Bari for an answer.
The dwarf tilts his head back and forth, swaying as he weighs his options, "Well we are not leaving without him and we are on a schedule..." his usual wolfish grin spreads out across his broad face, "Ready?" you give him a nod and he bursts through the door with you and Thaïs close behind.
Bari was right. Ullr is not alone.
The dwarf is seated facing the door, across from him, seated with his back to you sits a human, his short, tight hair more grey than black. From what you can see he is dressed completely in black with gold trim. On either side of him stand guards, dressed in similar uniforms though less ornate, each has a sword at his side and a bow in hand. The three figures turn as you enter the room...
You observe the behaviour of each in turn.
The seated man gives you an appraising look, more amused at this interruption than annoyed. A certain peculiar light plays behind is deep hazelnut eyes.
The first guard eyes you warily not sure yet whether you are friend or foe. He is a large man with a simple face. You doubt he is terribly burdened with the curse of weighty thoughts but he looks like he would be good in a fight.
You turn your attention to the third man and that is when you see him.
The captain from the Black Arrows compound.
The man you knocked unconscious.
He gives you a look of confusion and annoyance, thankfully he does not seem to recognize, you at least not yet. He just stares at you, deep in thought.
The older man turns his keen gaze back to Ullr, the slightest hint of a smile plays upon his lips, "Is it the habit of your employees to burst into your offices at all hours of the night?"
Ullr sits in his high backed, plum chair. The dwarf is livid. His face quickly shifting through various shades of red, it finally settles on a purple that perfectly matches the upholstery. He manages to sputter out a few words, "No... no it is not!" the first word for him is the hardest but once that damn is broken the rest comes naturally, "If you three do not have a very good excuse for this then I will have you hung! Do you understand me!"
Bari feigns terror and gives a deep and trembling bow, "I am sorry milord, but we just got word in from Dacey... it... it is important and-"
Ullr leaps from his chair filled with manic energy, "Marvelous! She succeeded then!" he turns to his guest, "Well I am afraid we will not need to retain your services after all, Mister Ceannard. My people have done what yours could not it seems!"
If the seated gentlemen, this Ceannard, is upset by the news he does not show it. He calmly stands, walks to Ullr's bar and pours himself another drink. He does not speak until he has returned to his seat, "Are you sure that you no longer wish to retain the services of my people?"
The dwarf is practically dancing as he gathers up his cloak and hat, "What? Of course I am sure. You had the girl and you let her slip away! Well now my people have dealt with the problem for you. Why on earth would I want you for anything?"
"Very well then. I hereby officially close your account Mister Ullr," as he says those words he throws a quick glance over his shoulder at you, a confident smirk rests comfortably on his thin lips, "Should you require my services or those of my people in the future you have but to ask though we will of course have to negotiate a new rate."
Ullr ignores the man and rushes towards you, "Quickly, quickly. Take me to her this instant!"
Bari gives the dwarf a triumphant grin, "Of course milord, you will be with her within the hour."
A few seconds more and you will have him... of course when has anything been easy for you...
The captain has been studying you since you entered the room. Staring into your eyes... finally he speaks, "Sir I think I know those two."
Ullr stops half way between you and the Black Arrows. Ceannard turns to his man, "Oh really, where from Captain Otto?" part of you suspects he already knows the answer.
Otto eyes you and Thaïs suspiciously, "Well Sir, I can not be sure but those women remind me of the two that abducted the inventor from our facility."
Ceannard's voice takes on a hurt tone though a slight current of humour remains, "Oh Ullr, I should hope you did not rob us of our prize. I doubt you wish to anger the Black Arrows."
Ullr's face begins the transition back to purple as he takes a couple steps towards his guest, "How dare you! How dare you accuse my people of such things! How dare you accuse me of such things! Do not try and place the blame for your incompetence on my staff! House Eberhardt could crush you entire organization in an instant if you cross us! Don't you ever forget who I am!"
Ceannard's demeanour stands in sharp contrast to that of the dwarf, Ullr is a picture of barely contained fury. A small bundle of malice just looking for a target and an excuse. Ceannard by contrast could not be more relaxed, he reminds you of some great cat. No movement by him is wasted. Calmly he begins, "Ullr, what happened at our compound a few nights ago was unfortunate, but those responsible for that lapse in security have paid for it fully," Otto shudders slightly at the word paid, "As for who you are. I know exactly who you are. I know exactly who you work for. So ask yourself why am I not afraid? Perhaps that should concern you. At any rate if you go with those three you will have more pressing concerns to worry about than me I should think..."
Ullr is in a word, uncertain, he does not have any concrete reason to distrust you but Ceannard has made him uneasy, "Ah... you... you are one strange fellow Ceannard," he considers the three of you then shakes his head, "Maybe, maybe I will wait here for now. Tell Dacey that I will come and see her in the morning."
Bari gives Ullr another stiff bow, "Milord, I was ordered to tell you that Dacey has important information that could impact the fortunes of the entire House. I must urge you not to listen to these charlatans," at the word charlatans, Ceannard lets out a slight laugh, "We must go at once milord."
Ullr nods and takes a step towards your group. Then he hesitates and stops. He looks back at Ceannard, "Could I contract you and your two men to escort me to this meeting with my people. I... I do not want to take any risks..."
So close... so very close but you are losing him.
Ceannard sips on his drink, letting the idea roll around in his head, "Perhaps, Ullr, perhaps... but we will have to negotiate a new contract... and at this point there may just be other bidders," you are almost certain he means you though he does not look in your direction and Ullr shows no signs of understanding.
You could try to slip Ullr a suggestion but something about Ceannard worries you. You just can not place it but the man is strange.
You could always try and attack them while they negotiate. It might surprise Otto and the other guard though you doubt it would catch Ceannard off guard.
You are not really certain of what to do but Bari is getting impatient and you are certain he will act in a moment if you do not take the lead.
You just have to figure out what the best course of action is... how hard can that be?
A) Attack, nonlethal - you lash out now while they are negotiating. You will attempt to incapacitate the Black Arrows with your mental spells. You think you might be able to manipulate the large guard but you will not know till you try. Though you will try to spare them, if you have to kill them so be it.
B) Attack, lethal - Ceannard worries you too much to take half measures. You will go all out and try to kill the Black Arrows with Firebolt and your attack oriented spells.
C) Suggestion - you plant a suggestion in Ullr's mind and try to guide him towards your group.
D) Negotiate - You are almost certain that Ceannard knows who you are. You drop the charade and hire his services to help smuggle Ullr out of the compound. You doubt he will come cheap though and he may want more than gold.
E) Play along - You let Ullr hire the Black Arrows, you will just have to deal with them once you get outside the compound though you are not sure how well that will work.
F) Follow Bari's lead - The Pathfinder is the professional here. Though knowing Bari things might get a little messy.
G) Incapacitate Ullr and ask Caennard for his card, who knows when you might need a little muscle that can work to contract.
H) freeform
Chapter 12: Mind Games
Chapter 12: Mind Games"Milord do you really wish to trust these mercenaries with the location of the girl? If you desire more protection then the three of us can provide then simply give the order and I will rouse some of the men!" Bari is doing his best but he is not succeeding.
Ceannard takes another long sip from his drink. He scans the room with a disinterested eye, his gaze finds you, he stares at you as he speaks, "It is odd Ullr that you allow your subordinates to be so bold. Are you not worried that it might send the wrong message? Perhaps you should punish this dwarf... remind him who exactly is in charge here?"
Ullr squints for a moment then begins to nod, "Yes. Yes, you have to pay for your insolence!"
You are almost certain now that Ceannard is influencing Ullr; implanting suggestions within his mind. What bothers you is that you can not feel the man casting. You have no idea how he is doing it.
Ullr marches over to his desk. He practically rips one of the drawers out. Reaching inside he withdraws a knife and rounds the desk heading directly for Bari.
You feel someone casting.
Thaïs steps around behind you.
For a moment Ullr stops.
Thaïs has sent him a compulsion.
Ceannard looks past you at her, his thin smile grows.
Ullr shakes his head and continues to advance on Bari.
You think you understand what is going on here. For Ceannard this is a game. He is going to try and provoke a fight between the dwarves and he is daring you to try and stop him.
You could play his game and battle him for control of the dwarf, but you do not like being toyed with.
You decide to end this quickly.
Ullr is almost upon Bari now. The Pathfinder still projects a submissive air but his hand has been creeping towards his knife. If you do not act, he will.
You are not sure what will happen when you do this. You just hope your friends will be ready.
You focus on Ullr, his mind is already so heavily compromised that it should not be difficult to neutralize him.
You hit him with an assault spell. The dwarf's head rocks backward on his thick neck as he wobbles on his heels. For a split second he is balanced there, hardly touching the ground.
Then he falls.
He hits the floor with a dull thud.
Immediately you turn your attention to the Black Arrows.
Ceannard stares at you and you catch the slightest hint of surprise in his eyes. It is wonderfully satisfying.
Ceannard does not move, neither does the large guard with him.
Otto however is half way through notching an arrow.
Instinctively you lash out with another assault spell.
It seems Thaïs had the same idea as you feel her cast behind you.
The poor captain lets out a slight whine as you knock him off his feet.
"Well I must admit of all the moves you could have made, I did not expect that one," you had worried that Ceannard would react violently to your attack. Instead he seems thoroughly amused, "So now what? Are you going to try and carry Ullr unconscious back through the lower floors? Given how much he knows about the dealings of House Eberhardt they would likely kill you all rather than see him carried off."
Admittedly you had not thought that far ahead, though an idea does occur to you, "Perhaps we could hire your services to aid in our escape?"
Ceannard nods slowly, you have a feeling he is weighing his odds as you speak, "Perhaps you could. Perhaps you could."
You wait in silence for him to say more, but he seems content to sit in silence contemplating his drink. Finally you can take no more, "Well we have resources, we can pay... how much would you require for a job like this?"
Ceannard takes another long, slow sip of his drink. When he looks up at you some of his edge is gone, he seems warmer somehow, more inviting, "For a job like this I can not accept common coin," he winks at you, "Even from such a lovely hand as yours."
You feel a little weak in the knees. He is just so dashing...
Thaïs, sensing that you need a moment, steps up, "Well what would you require to fulfill such a contract?"
He stands, walks to the bar and tops up his drink. You watch every movement he makes, unable to take your eyes off him.
When he is once more seated he continues, "Well my dear lady," he smiles at her and you feel a little sick, "A client of mine has informed me that you have in your care a certain individual, I would require their presence."
He must mean Meletē... it seems like a fair trade... she has caused nothing but problems...
You manage to turn your head slightly in an attempt to gauge Thaïs' reaction to the idea.
What you see fills you with rage, the way she is looking at him... making eyes at him... you have a sudden urge to tear her eyes out. She notices you staring and gives you a look of complete contempt and hatred.
Instinctively you reach for your knife... she reaches for hers... this might not end well for either of you but you are simply too angry to stop now.
How dare she! How dare she come between you and...
and...
and a man you have known less than ten minutes?
Thaïs is your closest and dearest friend, Ceannard you hardly know. Yet you feel an almost overwhelming desire to attack her in 'defence' of your 'relationship' with him.
It is clear what is going on here.
Without the dwarf to play with he is toying with you instead. Thankfully you are made of stronger stuff even if his 'magics', whatever they may be, are very subtle.
You turn from her, though you keep her in your peripheral vision. If she is being influenced as well, and it is not all in your mind, she might still attack.
You smile sweetly at Ceannard.
He smiles back.
You wait until his drink is almost to his face.
Then you set it on fire.
Just to make a point.
He drops the drink and leaps out of his seat, stomping out the flames.
Immediately any 'feelings' you felt for this man disappear. You cast a quick glance at Thaïs, she shakes her head and frowns at the man. She catches you looking and smiles at you mouthing the words 'thank you'.
When he looks back up at you he is not smiling, "You could have killed me!"
You give him a slight smile, patterned on the exact grin he has been sporting all night, "Next time I will."
His grin reappears, "Well my employer spoke highly of you... I suppose he was right," he shrugs and stalks off to the bar, "At this point I may as well take the whole bottle. Not like Ullr is going to need it when you are done with him."
Gracefully he hops up on the bar and tips the bottle towards the unconscious dwarf, "He was a long time customer. Bit of a temper but he always paid on time and he was easy to influence... at times I could get him to pay triple the normal rate for a contract."
Thaïs, clearly still annoyed at the man, speaks up, "So you tried to help him out of a sense of loyalty?"
He shrugs, "No, I did it to see if I could. If you could not resist a little mind control you would hardly be worth my time. Congratulations, you both passed. Most people would have attacked immediately," he bows his head slightly, "My apologies to you both. It is not a test I like to administer but one I felt was necessary given the sort of job we are discussing."
"Well, congratulations to you as well," you cross you arms, "You have just lost a potential customer."
He tilts his head slightly, "Well there are always more opportunities. However it might be wise to hear me out."
You ignore the man, "Bari, can we throw Ullr in a sack or something?"
The Pathfinder snaps his fingers, "I know just the ploy to get him out of here. One second, I will be right back," he rushes to the door but stops before turning the handle, "You two will be fine till I get back?"
You both nod, Thaïs answers, "Yes Bari, we will be fine now. Just hurry back."
Ceannard does not seem too put off by your attempts to ignore him, in fact he continues speaking as if you were giving him your full attention. The man is confident if nothing else, "The individual whose presence I require is not your inventor friend. Frankly I do not care what happens to her now. No, I wish to meet another friend of yours... blonde... beautiful... about, oh, a head tall..."
The two of you give him your full attention after that, "What do you know about her?" you are suddenly keenly aware of Nine's presence. Nestled in the bottom of your pack sleeping her eternity away like usual.
He takes a swig from his bottle, "Well I don't know much about her at all. But my current employer has given me a brief description and he would very much like to meet her. So that is my price. If you want my expert help in slipping out of here then you will give her to me. Otherwise you are on your own."
Thaïs takes a couple hesitant steps towards the man, "Did your employer say she had to come alone? Can we go with her?"
He lifts his gaze to the roof in contemplation, "Clever. He did not actually say one way or the other. If you want to go with her I can see no reason to refuse your request," when he once more lowers his gaze it is directed at you, "Those are the terms then. I can get you out of here easily but in exchange you will either hand over your friend within two days or you may accompany her to see my employer. Should you break the terms of this contract you will have made an enemy of the Black Arrows and my employer... that is not something you want, trust me."
Bari slips back into the room and sets about stuffing Ullr into a large sack. When he finishes he joins the two of you, dragging Ullr in his sack behind him, "So ready to go Derryth? I figure we can steal a few servants' uniforms and sneak out through the back door with the 'dirty laundry'," he gives the bag a kick and chuckles to himself, "a classic ploy, works every time, well almost every time..." he trails off when he notices Ceannard gazing intently at you, "Something going on?"
The Pathfinder and the mercenary each stare at you waiting for an answer as Otto groans and slowly sits up.
A) You accept the deal and agree to give him Nine within two days.
B) You accept the deal and agree to go with Nine within two days. List who you want to take with you if you choose this option. The dwarves will be busy setting up the trial and the 'witnesses' so it will just be you, Thaïs, and the girls to choose from.
C) You accept the deal but intend to betray them.
D) Refuse the deal and simply leave, you want nothing to do with the Arrows or their current employer.
E) Refuse the deal and attack the Black Arrows, you do not trust them not to interfere. You will aim to incapacitate them and tie them up.
F) Refuse the deal and attack the Black Arrows, you do not trust them not to interfere. You will kill them if you can.
G) freeform
Chapter 13: Hope and Hatred
Chapter 13: Hope and HatredIt is a starless night in the desert.
Your expedition of twenty cuts across the dunes with the swift, sure movements of dangerous men accustomed to the dark. Ceannard refuses to rest, refuses to stop. He is as a man possessed. Part of you fears that he is in fact under the influence of some ancient and inscrutable power... some old darkness... but then you knew the risks when you agreed to come.
You think back to that night.
As soon as you agreed to this meeting Ceannard had shown you, your out. A series of secret passages ran through the building, escape routes in case of invasion, Ceannard knew them well and led your out of the compound without a single incident.
You swore to meet him two days later and all of your time since then has been in preparation for this.
Bari did not like it but he could not stop you. He leant you his best knife for 'good luck' and made you swear you would survive long enough to return it.
As for the king he was quite pleased with your performance. So pleased that he has promised you wealth, property, position... though there is a catch, to be expected really... there is always a catch.
You decided it was best not to inform the king of your trip. You reasoned it would simply raise too many questions about the company you keep, about this person you are going to meet, about everything really. You also doubted that the king would even let you make the journey. He had told you that you were to be the face of his campaign against the Eberhardts, a hero of the kingdom he said... someone that could both undermine anti-foreign sentiment and rally the people to his cause...hmmm... a hero?
Honestly you feel more like a scapegoat... if something goes wrong it will be you and not the Pathfinders left dangling in the wind. Makes sense though. After all the Pathfinders do not exist and the king will need someone to reward and to put forth as his agent, his champion, in this whole affair.
Part of you wants to slip away into the desert, flee the Arrows, their employer, the king, but you don't... perhaps you can't. This employer is too big of a mystery, and you have never been able to resist a mystery.
Caennard stops in front of you. The Arrow gives you a moment to catch up. You and Thaïs reach him first. The girls right on your heels, they are quite a bit faster than you both but they have steadfastly refused to leave your shadows since you began this trip. They have taken it upon themselves to be your 'guardians' and Uttu has assured you both that 'no harm shall befall you' while she yet lives. You worry about just that outcome.
"And there it is my dears," Caennard cocks his head back and extends his right arm, directing you attention to the slightest crack in the distant wall of burnt, orange stone before you, "Another hour and we will be there."
"A whole hour!" Uttu whimpers a little, "I would rather be fighting monsters than wandering through the sand for another minute!"
Caennard bends over to look her in the eye, "Well child, you may be in luck as those caves are filled with unknown terrors and lurking fears. Great, hairy beasts as much man as animal, with fangs as long as your forearms and claws as sharp as iron."
The girl's imagination does the rest. She trembles slightly, but puts on a brave face in spite of it, "I... I am not afraid of a few beasts..."
Sensing her sister's trepidation Biliku comes to her aid, "Right! We have fought whole armies of monsters! And not only on one occasion! We always win and we will win here too!"
Caennard grins at the older girl, "Ah, but what I described are only the smallest of the horrors that lurk in those dark halls. The master of the place needs no form, no body, to move about. He is a cold breeze on the air, a shriek in the night, the only warning you will get is the sensation of his eternal hands wrapped around your- ouch!"
You give him a good solid crack across his lower back with you weighted staff, "Stop trying to scare the girls or you will have something to be afraid of."
Rubbing his sore back he bows low, "Of course my lady. Shall we be off?"
"Yes, let's. I want to meet this individual that is so very interested in me," Nine chirps up from under Thaïs' arm. Your mentor insists on seeing everything. A request you readily agreed to, you want her out and paying close attention for any magical anomalies or other signs of a potential trap. The natural result of this is that you and Thaïs have had to take turns carrying her, you will trust no one else with the task.
Caennard nods, "Very well, Mistress Nine," he turns from her back to you. His usual grin has been replaced by the neutral expression of a professional mercenary, "However before we go any further I think it would be wise to clarify our position. We, my men and I, are currently operating under contract for the man you are about to meet. As soon as I deliver you to him and receive payment from him we will act as a deterrent to any attacks from my current employer or third parties for the duration of the meeting. My men and I will then escort your group back to Myrgard where we will receive the remainder of our payment for services rendered. Should our service not be required, we will waive the rest of our fee and settle for the deposit you gave us in Myrgard. Are we in agreement?"
"Yes Caennard, that will do nicely," you start down the dune and towards the rock wall, "Hopefully you and your men will not have to do anything but stand there."
He matches your stride and his grin reappears, "Well Miss Derryth, this is one occasion where I am liable to agree with those sentiments," he projects a relaxed and jovial air but underneath it you can sense fear.
This man is terrified. Though you doubt he will admit it, even to himself.
-----------------------------------------
Darkness.
Aside from the scant light cast from your spells and torches you are confronted by absolute darkness. Caennard leads, with you close behind. If he betrays you, if this is a trap, then he will not be walking away from it either.
"A few things you need to know Miss Derryth," Caennard lectures you over his shoulder, "My employer is quite powerful. I have a certain knack for magic items you see," you give him a questioning look and he shakes his head, "I know what you are going to ask. I am not a mage but I have 'help'. That is as specific as I am willing to get with a stranger. I can usually influence people a little, get a better price out of them. Usually it works, sometimes it does not, as with the two of you for example. This man though, he... well he is a complete blank. I can not even make the attempt... he is terrifying... but then you will see..."
For what seems like hours, and what could actually be hours, you meander through the maze of narrow tunnels. Caennard was not lying about the voices, your group moves in complete silence and yet inhuman whispers and mumbling echoes around you. Once or twice you are convinced that you see movement, just beyond the edge of your vision, however these apparitions never coalesce into physical threats and your trip is mercifully without incident.
Caennard leads you out into a large, round chamber. Most of it is in darkness in keeping with the tunnels you took to get here but in the center of the room stands a figure nine feet tall and clad in black plate mail. In one hand he holds blade, a little over a meter long, that gives off a slight green flame
When it speaks it is as thunder, "Caennard! Have you brought me the head!"
Caennard bows low, "Yes my lord. We have brought the head to you."
"Good! Good! Leave it upon my altar and collect your reward!" the towering figure shouts at the Arrow.
Two of the Arrows retrieve a very large satchel, it is filled with unrefined gold.
Caennard whispers to you, "Place the head on the altar."
Your response is perhaps to be expected, "Like hell I will."
"You! Girl! Do as your commander says and place the head upon the altar!" the armoured figure raises his blade as green flames burst forth around him.
The Arrows are all suitably impressed.
You might be too if you had not pulled this exact same trick on Biliku and Uttu.
Now this spectacle before you is far more complex and definitely a sign of a superior talent but you recognize the theory behind some of these spells. Given time you could probably even replicate them.
First off, the figure does not actually exist, you are certain of it. These are all illusions and you are feeling awfully smug that you figured it out right away.
You smile at the figure, out of the corner of your eye you catch Thaïs grinning as well.
You turn back to the rest of your group, "The flames are not real, the armour is not real and the reason you can not influence him is because he does not exist."
The girls, now aware of the similarities between the trick you pulled and the show in front of you have relaxed somewhat, Uttu even stifles a little, nervious laugh.
You take a step towards the figure with your three companions close behind, "I have a name, it is Derryth. She has a name, it is Nine... well at least for the time being. Now, what is yours?"
"You will suffer for your insolence!" the air cools slightly within the chamber.
You are not quite sure how he did that.
Still you refuse to be intimidated, "See now that is not how this is done. I have told you my name, now you tell me yours,"
"I am death! I am ruin! I am the very last thing you will see if you do not-" You have had enough of this. You want to talk to this employer face to face and if they won't come out then you will force them out.
You begin picking at the edges of the illusions, looking for contradictions. The way the armour sits, the craftsmanship on the blade, little signs that the creator of these illusions is not actually aware of how they should function. Slowly you work you way to the center of the spells. You raise metamagical objections to the underlying assumptions that hold them together. You doubt, and that doubt, that scepticism, becomes the foundation of your attack. The room rattles, or appears to, dust and debris fall around you. A rock large enough to crush you falls not fifty centimetres from you. Again you are certain these are all illusions.
Caennard screams, "Stop this Derryth! He will kill us all!"
Caennard and his men fall back into the tunnel to escape the 'falling debris'.
You, however, have no intention of stopping. Thaïs works with you, an extra set of hands employed in unravelling the spells. The girls stay close, putting on a very brave show though you are certain they are terrified. They are not mages after all, they can not feel the illusions, they are trusting you completely with their lives.
You make a note to take them shopping after this, the kids deserve a reward.
The apparition lets out an unearthly scream and strides towards you, sword raised.
It reaches you, it raises its blade to strike you down... and it disappears.
The illusions fail and the room returns to its original condition.
You turn to the tunnels and shout out to the Arrows, "Alright, you bunch of cowards! It is over!"
Caennard tries his best to act calm as he leads his men out of the tunnels, "Ah... sorry. It will not happen again."
You shake your head in disappointment, "If it does, I expect a full refund."
As you scan the chamber you realize that it is not quite the same as it was. There is a new passage leading out of the rear of the chamber. Naturally you order the Arrows in. Perhaps he is eager to demonstrate the worth of his organization as Caennard sets about securing the tunnel in a surprisingly professional manner. His grin is gone, replaced by a look of determination as he organizes his men to the best of his ability.
When you finally do push through the tunnel you are met with the last thing you would expect within the heart of a desert.
A small meadow. Tall green grass sways slightly as a light breeze manages to find its way into the clearing. A single tree and a small cottage are the only objects of note. A small stream forms a shallow pool in the center of the meadow. The streambed glimmers slightly off your light... you think it might contain gold which would explain how Caennard was receiving payment.
It is all really quite beautiful and you stand there for a moment in spite of yourself simply taking it in.
"The cottage?" Thaïs asks, though from her tone it is clear she knows the answer.
"The cottage," you reply, less as a confirmation to her than as an order to your mercenaries.
The Arrows surround the building. You stand in front of it with Caennard to your left and Thaïs to your right, "Alright, come out of there whoever you are or we will burn the cottage down with you in it!"
Slowly the wicker door of the cottage opens. A young and rather feral looking woman slowly walks out. Hands extended in front of her, in a tired, thin voice she speaks, "All right! I surrender, just don't kill me!"
"She's a witch," Caennard whispers.
"Carefully, Caennard. Some would say I am a witch too," you remind the Arrow.
You take a single step towards the woman, "Care to explain what is going on? Why do you want Nine so badly?"
"I... I should not say in front of all these people... " the woman is torn, between her desire to tell you everything and live, and her reluctance to betray her secret.
"Why not?" you ask the obvious question.
"Well, it is not really my secret to share... it is my master's," well that is a start at least.
"All right then. Can I talk to your master," you take another step towards her.
"Maybe?" she seems to be asking a question, but not of you. She tilts her head slightly, "Yes? Yes! Yes, if you will come inside the cottage then he will let you talk to him."
You look to Thaïs, she shrugs.
You look to Caennard, "We will keep watch out here. If anything attacks we will warn you. If you do not come back... we will avenge you."
Comforting...
You look to Nine, "Well dear, I am awfully curious."
"Well, I have to admit I am too," you turn back to the woman, "Alright, lead on. If you try anything though you will die right along with us."
The five of you follow the witch into the cottage. It is about what you would expect. A single cot; an assortment of handmade tools for hunting and panning the stream; five large bird cages, one of which houses an eagle; and a large pot. The witch catches you staring at it, "Dinner, snake stew... not much to eat out here except snake and rat really... would kill for a steak..."
She pulls away a large woven mat to reveal a hatch in the floor. Sheepishly she explains, "We have to go down," she does not seem exactly thrilled by the idea.
You follow her into the hole and down a low but thankfully short tunnel.
This tunnel, hopefully the last of the evening, opens into a small and simple room.
On a stone slab in the center rests a body on a bed of straw. At first you think it is dead. It is wizen, dried out, corpse-like in almost every way but you notice the slightest movement of its chest. It is alive, if only through sheer force of will.
She sits next to the 'corpse', she reaches for the corpse's hand, hesitates for a moment. She catches you watching, "It... it is easier for him if I am in actual physical contact."
"Umm... easier for what," Uttu squeaks.
The witch sighs, "This."
She grabs the hand and instantly her head snaps backwards.
Her eyes roll back into her head.
She begins to speak but the voice is not wholly her own. Overlaid upon her own voice is a deeper one, stronger too, filled with hatred but not directed at you. You also think you sense an undercurrent of hope, like that of a man that believes he has finally found the answer to the question that he seeks, "You must be Derryth. You were not supposed to meet me like this. I had hoped that I would have made more progress by now... so little time..."
"You wanted to see me corpse man?" it is Nine that speaks up.
"Corpse man?," the witch lets out an unusual chuckle, "Yes I suppose I have been dead long enough that I am truly a corpse as far as the world is concerned. I have lived out the centuries alone in the dark. Forgotten by all. Yet I remember myself which is more than I can say for you... Nine is it? To have forgotten your very name, your voice in this world... I can think of few things so very fitting for an old enemy."
"You are my enemy?" she asks, straining to remember the corpse before her.
"I was never your friend. Though you had, no have, since none of us seem to stay truly dead, far more immediate enemies than me," the dead man seems to be taking a great deal of pleasure out of tormenting Nine. You suppose that misery really does love company.
Nine is on the verge of one of her temper tantrums, "Well if you won't tell me anything helpful at least tell me what you want from me!"
"Help," the witch laughs, low and bitterly, "You help me, and I help you. Then we go our separate ways and return to our eternal war."
Now it is Nine's turn to laugh, "Why in the hell would I help you?"
The witch grins, "Do you want your name back? Your memories?"
Nine's eyes burn with her desire for knowledge, "Yes!"
"Then you will help," the witch grins wider, "I can even remove that ward on your forehead. But first I need my body back. I need to know the spells you use to maintain your youth, I need them now!" the witch's nose starts to bleed. Seems her master does not have a very delicate touch.
For a moment Nine is incredibly excited, then she begins to weep, "I... I don't remember those spells exactly. I think I once knew them... and I remember parts of the simpler ones but... but there are so many and they are so complex and it was such a long time ago... I... I can not help you."
The witch is bleeding from her ears now as well, "You can my dear. The knowledge is still in that beautiful head of yours, we just have to send someone in and extract it. And... since we will be in there anyway..."
"You can recover my memories?" Nine is as excited as you have ever seen her.
"Exactly," the witch nods as blood slowly drips from her head onto the straw underneath her, "My 'apprentice' can describe in detail what will be required for her to make the trip but I must rest now. Maintaining this link is incredibly tiring and her mind suffers a little from the strain."
You take the opportunity to get in a few questions, "Wait! Please, what is your name? What is the significance of the eagles and the crows?"
The witch stares at you as tears of blood begin to seep from her eyes, "Very well, as a favour to a potential ally, or perhaps simply an enemy of my enemies I will answer. You know that the Watcher seeks a way back into the world. There are those who would help him and those who would hinder him. The crows serve his ally, the eagles serve me as I am sure you have already guessed. As for who I am... I am an old enemy of the Watcher's."
Thaïs hazards a guess, "Are you Myrdred? Are you the Deceiver?"
"Close girl, though I suppose you could say that I am a deceiver. He and I have many things in common. We even belonged to the same organization though I should think I can yet claim seniority over him," the witch stretches out every syllable, the archmage riding her mind enjoying the build-up to his great reveal.
His next words carry with them the weight of his conviction, they march forth as unassailable truth and strike with the force of a bolt from the heavens, "My name is Mazzarin and by the fruit of my labours was the Dark laid low."
----------------------------------------------------
The witch, who introduces herself as Lyssa, sits with the five of you back in her cottage. She has spent most of the night describing the nature of the rituals required to enter Nine's mind. This will require a great deal of planning and power but they seem well prepared.
"So if you will allow us, Mistress Nine, I will enter your mind with my master and retrieve the information he seeks. While there we shall also endeavour to undo the blocks upon your memories and return to you your identity," Lyssa stares at her stew, unwilling to make eye contact with any of your group.
"Hmm, it is an interesting idea utilizing a number of unorthodox techniques, But how do you know it will even work? I would not want to waste my time on such foolishness on most occasions..." you have known Nine long enough to sense her uncertainty. She does not want to trust Lyssa and this creature that claims to be Mazzarin but she desperately wants her memories back.
An idea occurs to you though you are not sure it is a good one, "Well, Thaïs and I are mages as well. Could we not enter Nine's mind in your place?"
Nine smiles at you, "Oh dear, it is sweet of you to offer but this would be very dangerous."
Thaïs offers up a suggestion, "Well perhaps we could all go then?"
Lyssa frowns, "Five minds in a single head? Two of them archmages... it could get awfully crowded... things could get... mixed... blended... that might be quite horrible... or it might work... not quite sure..."
Well this is a definite opportunity but an opportunity for what?
To make a power ally?
To help out a friend?
To unleash an enemy?
Or enemies?
Maybe it is simply a brilliant way to get yourself killed or your mind so horribly fried and entangled that you will simply be unable to function anymore.
You think you could talk Nine out of this if you wanted to. There have to be better ways to do this... ones that don't risk so much... the rewards may just be worth it though.
The question is, is it worth it?
A) No - This is insane. You try to convince Nine not to go through with this.
B) Yes - This could be helpful. You try to convince Nine to go through with it. Lyssa and Mazzarin will enter Nine's mind and you will wait on the outcome.
C) Yes - This could be helpful. You try to convince Nine to go through with it. Only you and Thaïs will enter her mind instead. You do not trust these mages and perhaps you do not trust Nine either. You will try to locate all the relevant information yourself.
D) Yes - This could be helpful. You try to convince Nine to go through with it. All four of you will enter Nine's mind. This will give you the best chance of finding everything and will let you keep an eye on things but Lyssa has expressed concerns. You do not like the sound of your mind 'blending' or 'mixing'.
E) Yes - You will enter her mind with Mazzarin and Thaïs. This will give you only one potential 'traitor' to worry about (albeit a very powerful one) and will make things slightly less crowded though many of the risks present in all four of you going will remain.
F) Yes - Only Derryth will enter Nine's mind using Thais as an anchor while the Black Arrows will keep an eye on your new allies.
G) freeform
Chapter 14: The Mad, Mad Mind I
I reorganized the character sheet a little as well. The lists were getting a bit long so skills and spells are now organized by their fields/schools. Let me know it that improved things at all.Chapter 14: The Mad, Mad Mind I
"No, no, no! You are doing it wrong!" Lyssa, or rather Mazzarin, shouts from the great slab. The girl is bleeding again, from the eyes and nose, part of you feels responsible. It seems Mazzarin, while definitely a genius, is not a terribly good teacher. He will calmly explain a spell once. Often in archaic terms. If you fail to grasp it the first time he gets progressively angrier. The angrier he gets, the rougher he gets with Lyssa. You doubt he is doing it on purpose though. He does not seem to want to hurt the witch, he just does not much seem to care if he does.
"Who taught you to craft an assault spell? You can't just jump from Malairt's third principle of mental construction straight to Braman's Gambit like that. Any Mentalist worth his salt will pick your spells apart!" you are fairly certain he is over-exaggerating and that your spells would hold up well against most opponents but he has been helpful. He has found twenty two minor flaws in the way you construct you assault and control spells that would allow a superior talent to fight back. Nothing obvious of course, nothing that your average mage could use against you but still it makes you wonder what exactly Nine was planning.
Mazzarin asks just that, with a level of condescension only attainable by an archmage, "Are you trying to undermine your pupils or are you simply stupid 'Nine'?"
Nine, incapable of rising above such slights immediately responds, "Am I what? Why you useless, wretched corpse! You- you relic! I was testing them, nothing more! And you ruined it!"
"'Testing them?' Really Nine, I am not a fool! You were purposely undermining your own students!" brutally, Lyssa's head snaps back to you and Thaïs, "Now! Do it again! Exactly as I instruct you!"
Nine begins to grin as Mazzarin walks you through mental spells of increasing potency and complexity.
After an hour of instruction she can hold back no longer, "Hypocrite! Liar! You are as bad as I am! No you are worse! You lie about it!" she sticks her tongue out at the archmage and rolls her gaze over to the two of you, "Do you know what he has been doing dears? For every little hole he patches up in your spells he has been opening two more! He thinks he is so very clever! Thinks I won't notice what he is doing to my dear girls! But I am on to him."
Calmly she has you begin again and she guides you through your new spells, sealing off the flaws in each as you go.
You spend the entire day like this. A pawn is the petty arguments of two, arguably insane, archmages. They bicker, hurl insults and attempt to discredit each other in your eyes. The entire experience is a little absurd and more than once you are tempted to break into fits of laughter.
By the time it is over you are exhausted but your spells have been greatly improved and you have even managed to pick up a few new ones though you will need more actual practice with most of them to master them.
The experience itself has also been very enlightening. You have never been so acutely aware of just how petty, how small, even the greatest minds can be. It is not an encouraging thought and part of you worries that even should you succeed in your quest for power you will one day end up like those two.
------------------------------------------------
You and Thaïs sit across from one another. Nine rests between you on the soft grass of the meadow. Biliku and Uttu stand guard nearby with a couple Arrows. The rest of the mercenaries are off guarding Lyssa and Mazzarin in their cell. You did not think it wise to conduct the ritual in front of the archmage, you do not really trust him after all.
"Alright dears, I am ready," the two of you have spent the better part of the evening preparing yourselves for the most dangerous spell either of you have tried to cast to date.
You look to Thaïs, your friend gives you the slightest of nods.
You close your eyes and begin.
"Alright Derryth, repeat my three rules of dungeon delving," you sit in a run down little tavern in the south of the Province, Henry is across from you and like usual is testing you.
Mazzarin had told you that you would begin somewhere familiar.
But this time it is important, tomorrow you will accompany him on your very first expedition.
In many ways it is fitting that your mind brought you here.
You take a deep breath and begin, "One: always know your exits, if you get lost you are as good as dead. Two: always go prepared, an empty canteen or bad equipment will kill you just as surely as the undead or the traps."
This will be your first time 'running' the mind of another person.
"Good... good, and the last," nothing pleases the old man more than knowing that you are paying attention, if you get this last one right he will probably pay for your drinks too.
Sure the two of you managed to practice on one another a couple times but this, this will be a whole new level of danger.
You hesitate for a moment and then continue, "Umm... Three: never get greedy, you can always try again and there are plenty of relics out there but you only have the one life." Henry positively beams at you, "Good job kid I may just make you into a professional after all!"
You smile at Henry as he walks to the bar to get you both another round. This memory is so perfect, so relaxing, part of you wants to just stay here and enjoy it a bit longer... but you can not. You think of the task ahead of you, of Thaïs, of Nine, no point living in the past.
Hmm... that is strange, Henry is coming back empty handed. That is not how this memory is supposed to play out. The barman must have turned him away.
Your mentor sits down across from you, "She says I am cut off kid. Says you need to get up and ask for your own ale."
She? This bar has never had a female bartender. Strange... you stand and head to the bar. If this bartender wants to talk to you, you will oblige her though you have a fairly good idea who it will be already.
Sure enough, Nine stands behind the bar, in one of the more revealing little dresses you have ever seen. She waves to you. Then she waves again and jumps up and down a little, "Oh dear! Is this not simply magnificent! I have arms!" she strikes a pose, "And legs!" she does a high kick over the bar, someone whistles, "Oh thank you dear!" she winks at the patron before turning her attention back to you, "And this is such a lovely little tavern you have here. So that is Henry?" she winks at your mentor, "Cute, in a rugged 'older man' sort of way."
She hops up on the bar and swings her legs over in a single fluid motion. Poised on the edge of the bar she leans forward, elbows on her knees, and hands under her chin, "So dear, gossip with me a little. You and him, did you ever... you know?" she raises her eyebrows and grins.
It takes you a second longer than it should to figure out her meaning, you sputter, "No! Never, Nine! Henry was like a father to me, I would not even-"
She hops down, "Good, then you will not mind if I go and talk to him," she moves to pass you and you grab her arm, "Nine, really?" you whisper to her, "He is not real Nine. He is just an idea, a memory."
She giggles and makes eyes at Henry, "Dear, I have been a severed head for what, a century give or take? All I have got are ideas and memories, now let me have a little fun please."
You refuse to release her arm so she pouts a little, "Oh fine!" we stares at him intently.
"Nine what are you doing?" you feel compelled to ask.
"Committing every detail to memory... there we go," she winks one last time at Henry, "See you later gorgeous."
"Come on, we are going to find Thaïs ," you drag the archmage out the front door as the entire bar voices their displeasure at you. Nine blows kisses to them as the two of you stumble out into the street... but not the street of the little town you were expecting.
White stone walls with red tile roofs greet you. You are still somewhere in the south of the Province but now you are in a city. There is only one city this could be, you are in Scales, the city of wine, the city of music, poetry, love, some say the city of whores...
It is a cool, autumn night. People race through the streets around you, arms full of possessions. You sidestep the odd fight and in the distance you can hear screams... smell smoke... You stop Nine while you gather your thoughts, the old bell tower chimes out midnight. Now you know not just where you are but when.
That bell tower was destroyed the second time the Fallen sacked the city. You are in Scales before it fell, probably in the autumn of 2540 A.E., right before the city fell to Shiver. The screams you can hear, the smoke you can smell, you are almost certain that if you followed them back to their source you would find the Mother of Plagues herself.
Somewhere out there in the darkness is Shiver... or at least something patterned on Shiver. You where not in the city when it fell. Henry had the sense to flee from the south when the first rumours of Soulblighter's return began to spread. These are not your memories and they are obviously not Nine's. Thaïs must have been here, seen the city fall. You are certain now that you are in her mind. When you thought of her you must have jumped over to her mind. Thankfully that means you will not have to worry about the real Shiver, of course Thaïs' idea of Shiver can be just as dangerous to you...
You catch Nine's attention, "We need to find Thaïs," unfortunately this is not your mind, you can not simply bring Thaïs to you. You will have to find her. You rack your mind, trying to remember Thaïs' address, where she would be. She once mentioned that she lived on the north side of the city. With nothing else to go on, that is the direction you take.
The two of you race through the night away from the screams and sounds of battle at the east gate. As you run you interrogate Nine, "Nine, how did you find me in my mind? That might give us a clue on how to find Thaïs."
Nine sidesteps an elderly couple dragging a large chest, "Well dear, I did not find you. You found me. I went looking for you in that fort of yours but there were so many doors and each led out into memories, experiences, fantasies, little worlds of their own. One minute I was walking down a hallway and the next I was behind the bar in this lovely little dress. Speaking of which it is a bit chilly tonight," she snaps her fingers and her barmaid outfit is replaced by a fur coat, velvet tunic and trousers, "So you see dear, I did not really do anything. It was your mind, you had the power. This is your little friend's mind, here she has the power. If she wants-"
The two of you stop short, four blocks ahead a figure floats down the street surrounded by thirty Stygian Knights. She is a nightmare given flesh, the air around her crackles with magical energy and instinctively you know that this is Shiver. She is not looking at you though, she is looking at a crowd of people fleeing in the opposite direction. She casually launches screaming bolts of violet energy into the crowd. Every target she hits falls, gasping, gurgling, their flesh boiling away as they evaporate leaving not a trace.
She is toying with the crowd. Without warning she turns, she sees the two of you. Nine catches a glimpse of her face and freezes, "Dear, I... I know her... I do not know how or from where but... I know her."
Shiver laughing manically pitches a bolt of azure energy towards you. It plummets towards you, accelerating as it goes. You attempt to defend yourself but it proves unnecessary. Well before the spell connects the two of you disappear.
You reappear in a small apartment overlooking the street. Thaïs is there pacing. When she notices the two of you she throws herself at you, "Oh thank Wyrd Derryth! I saw you in the street from the window. I was not sure if it would work! I mean, I thought it would but I just was not sure!" she takes a breath, calms herself, "Sorry, sorry. I caught a glimpse of you out there but I did not want to risk drawing her attention Derryth. So I tried willing you over, thankfully it worked."
"Dear, why did you not simply remove Shiver?" your mentor asks, "This is your mind after all."
Thaïs frowns, "I have tried that before... she... she is just too much for me. I can't beat her, not yet... the memory... it is too much."
You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Do you want help with her?"
She smiles but shakes her head, "No. No, I am fine. It is just something I will have to work through on my own... someday... but let's do what we came to do," She walks over to the door of the apartment, opens it and ushers you through.
You come out in what could only be Nine's mind.
You stand in front of a city of shifting, writhing, emerald glass bound together by golden threads. It is an impressive sight but as you get closer you realize that the city is crawling along. Almost every millimetre of this 'city' is covered in tiny creatures working to maintain their network of webs. They work, they wander, they battle, they devour, they breed. With large, round, hooked jaws they burrow into one another. A symphony of inhuman screams fills the air.
"Wow, Nine... just wow," the three of you stand, well you and Thaïs stand while Nine dances, before the main gate, "So, um, how are we going to do this."
"Well dear, we will go through the front gates and see if we can not find a guide to give us directions," she hums merrily and spins on her heels still quite taken with once more possessing a body.
"So you do not know where we have to go?" Thaïs asks in disbelief.
The archmage pulls a pirouette, "Well dear, when you have been around as long as I have you forget a few things... or a lot of things..." she giggles and flips into a cartwheel.
You shrug and approach the main gate, Thaïs one step behind you.
You knock.
You receive no answer.
You give the door a shove.
It opens a crack, "Are you coming Nine?"
"Yes dears," she races over, running on her hands.
Shaking your head you lead the way into the city.
--------------------------------------
The translucent glass lets in little light.
Each hallway is, as the one before it, empty. The only movement comes from the miniature monstrosities weaving their webs on the outside of the glass. They create beautiful, intricate patterns that gnaw at the edges of your mind when you stare at them for more than a moment.
No sound penetrates through from the exterior. As a result you are mercifully spared you from having to endure the constant wailing of the beasts.
Interspersed along the length of the hallway are oval doorways, each a gaping maw rimmed with short, narrow spikes. Around each door frame a stylized reproduction of the beasts that maintain the place is etched into the thick glass. Some of the openings lead to new hallways, some lead to small rooms, all are dim and empty.
You wander for hours without encountering a soul. Then the hallway shudders and you receive a vision of Thaïs falling into the darkness. The image that hits you is similar to those projected by the bracelets only here in the realm of pure thought you have no choice but to immediately comply, you are compelled to do everything in your power to help her. You instinctively reach for one another as the hallway begins to tip. You grab a hold of the frame of a nearby doorway, narrowly missing one of the spikes as the hall pitches upward and twists.
Nine, too far from the two of you for you to help, plummets into the darkness. Giggling she calls to you as she falls, "Take care dears! I will find you when I can! If I can!"
The two of you hang there in the dim light for what seems like an eternity. Finally the hallway shudders again and tips over onto its 'back' throwing you both down to what was the ceiling.
Aside from a few bruises you are fine, immediately you turn to Thaïs, "Are you alright?"
She seems unsure but nods, "Yes, I think so. Are you fine?"
"Yes," you answer as the two of you get to your feet, you call out, "Nine! Can you hear me!"
Nothing.
Thaïs brushes herself off, "I think we are on our own for the moment. I-"
You hear a scream, a high pitched voice calls out, "Kill, murder, eat!"
The two of you duck low, "That does not sound good," Thaïs shivers.
"Yes but it is also the first sign of life we have encountered since we arrived. Maybe we are finally coming to a portion of the city that is inhabited," you gesture for her to follow you as you creep through a doorway towards the source of the noise.
The room you enter is unlike any you have seen so far.
The room you enter has two floors to it, the upper catwalk you are crouched on and a lower floor on which a brutal battle is being waged. The two are connected by a narrow flight of stairs on the far side.
A dozen, crooked, sickly figures are locked in a fight to the death. From your vantage point you have a good view of the skirmish.
The combatants seem to belong to two different factions. Each side is armed with crude weapons, small spears, axes, bows and arrows made from bone and tendon.
The bigger group of seven creatures are led by a rather large being carrying a small emerald sphere, each one bears a glowing green scar somewhere on its upper body.
The smaller group of creatures are armed and armoured the same as the first but lack the green scars on their bodies.
It is clear that the 'marked' creatures will win this battle so long as the balance of power remains as it is.
One of the unmarked creatures is flung across the room and collapses in a pile along the far wall crying.
You could probably interfere but these things may very well be hostile to you as well.
Still this is the first solid lead you have encountered so far, it might be worth pursuing.
Alternatively you could slip away and try and find Nine. You would feel much safer with her around.
A) Attack the larger group - You are fairly certain that the larger group are the aggressors. The unmarked creatures might just be able to help you if you save their 'lives'. (All A votes will be counted together given how similar they are in intent, the most popular option will then be chosen.)
i. Control: You will try out your new Control spell on the lead creature. If you can get it to attack its followers that should give the unmarked creatures a fighting chance. You will work with Thaïs on this as neither of you have mastered the spell yet.
ii. Assault: You will use your assault spells to incapacitate as many of the creatures as you can. This should allow the unmarked creatures to fight back.
iii. Fear: You will test your new Fear spells to break the marked creature will. Once they begin routing the unmarked should be able to run them down.
iv. Fire: These creatures live in near darkness. You have seen no hints that they are even aware of what fire is. You will hit the lead creature with firebolt, then work your way down the chain of command. They should route rather quickly after that. If this works it would also make for a rather impressive sight and might overawe the locals.
v. Retrieve Item + Control: You will steal the lead creature's orb first then proceed as in Ai
B) Diplomacy - you will wait until the battle ends then attempt to negotiate with the marked creatures and their sphere carrying leader.
C) Spy - You will let the battle play out then attempt to follow the marked creatures back to their lair. You do not think this war party would be open to negotiation but they may have a leader that is more reasonable.
D) Capture - You will slip around to the stairs and grab the incapacitated creature leaning on the far wall. If you are quick you hope you can pull it off without anyone spotting you. Once you have the creature you can properly interrogate it.
E) Leave - These creatures do not really strike you as reasonable. You leave them to their war and go backward looking for Nine.
F) freeform
Chapter 15: The Mad, Mad Mind II
Chapter 15: The Mad, Mad Mind IIDim light filters into the room from above. Outside the miniature nightmares fight and die as they swarm across the glass. An uncaring sun beats down upon their broken forms, they scream in fear, in pain, in triumph.
While you are spared these sounds the scene unfolding before you is little better.
The light catches the creatures as they fight and die. They cast long shadows against the walls which make these hunched beasts appear to be giants.
The large creature raises its sphere and repeats its mantra, "Kill, murder, eaaat!" it stretches that last word out into a screech that pummels your ears. Two of the unmarked creatures drop their weapons and claw at their deformed ears.
The marked creatures press their advantage. Tooth, nail, and bone tearing into the flesh of the unmarked. They are dragged down and torn open by the marked who cast aside their weapons in favour of their bare hands.
Three of the creatures and their leader continue their assault upon the remaining unmarked. The remaining two creatures fight on in silence; a certain grim determination writ upon their faces.
A large part of you wishes to flee from this scene, to abandon this nightmare city and return to some place less broken, less twisted. The animal in you seeks escape but you choke it down. This is your first real lead since you arrived in Nine's mind. For better or worse you will pursue it.
"Thaïs, I have a plan," you tear your eyes from the horror in front of you and back to your friend, "I think if we work together we can weave a Control spell on the leader of those beasts. If we can break him the rest should follow."
Thaïs hesitates, "Are you sure that is a good idea Derryth? We have known the spell for what, a day at most? We do not know how Nine's mind will react to our casting and on top of it all if the spell goes wrong with our minds so close... we could lose a lot."
She raises good points but now that the idea has entered your mind you can not get rid of it. Part of you wants to see what will happen and curiosity has always been a weakness of yours. You smirk, "Well I mean if you think you can't keep up..."
Thaïs raises an eyebrow, "Oh, I can keep up. I am just a little worried that you will not be able to handle the extra energy here. I would not want you to hurt yourself..."
You beam at her, "Great let's get started then. I will attach the hooks into his mind while you construct the harness we are going to put on him. Once I am ready you can pass your half of the spell over to me. We will only be in contact for a second and then I will have him."
You focus on the creature. Its 'mind' for lack of a better word is far different than anything you have ever encountered. The entirety of it is comprised of only a handful of ideas, memories, ambitions and all of them are bloody. It comes on as a series of still images, your mind only able to grasp it in each individual second, not as a whole.
It is disorienting but you adapt. You sink your hooks into the most basic instincts of the creature. The constants of its broken mental landscape. Hatred, rage, and... fear. It is afraid of something.
There is something else within it. Something deeper.
Before you can explore this deeper presence you sense Thaïs reaching out to your mind. She has the harness ready but is being cautious. You will have to manage the handoff just so or you risk getting a bit too close within the mind of this thing. If you do this right your minds will only be in contact for a second...
A second is all it takes.
That deeper presence is cunning, it has grasped what you are trying to do and instead of immediately attacking it waits until you are unbalanced. Until the exact moment your mind and Thaïs' are in contact.
Then with all of its power it pushes you towards her. It giggles with glee, a deranged laugh that sounds for all the world like Nine, "Dears, it is already so very crowded in here. How about we condense things a little?"
You collapse into Thaïs' mind. At first it resists trying to push your mind back out but as you tumble further your minds begin to twist around one another. If you can not think of a way out of this you will lose yourself within minutes.
Most people would panic.
But you have never really been that type.
You calm yourself. You do not fight the pull which would only draw you in quicker. Instead you direct yourself, nudging yourself further out into an orbit around Thaïs' mind, you think on your past, what makes you, you. It works, your minds slow on their collision course. It will take more than a little shove to finish you off, you think.
You can not help but smile when you notice her doing the same thing. Good girl you think, if she had panicked you would both have been doomed. Slowly your minds will collapse into one another but your collective actions have bought you both a few seconds.
You only have moments though... and yet moments within the mind can last an eternity.
Calmly you run through the possibilities.
Can you get help from Thaïs?
No.
If you even think about her too hard your minds will snap back together and that will be the end of you. Whatever comes after that it won't matter for you.
Do you have a spell that could help?
Maybe?
You could in theory attack her. Hit her hard enough with an assault spell and you could probably wipe out her personality. You would 'live', you speculate, you would know all she knows, have lived all she has lived but you would remain yourself... she would die though, here and out there.
You shake your 'head'.
As interesting as this train of though is on an academic level you know, no knew even before you thought it, that you could never do it. You simply do not have it in you to 'murder' your best friend.
You feel happiness at that.
You are not sure if it is your own contentment or Thaïs' bleeding over as you move closer. You push those thoughts from your mind and conjure up another batch of memories, pushing the two of you apart again.
Right, no help, no spells... what does that leave you?
Nothing?
Accept your fate and work with Thaïs to integrate your personalities into as stable a new 'person' as possible?
It might work. You know and trust one another enough that you could probably do it with minimal damage... though there would certainly be damage... would it be that bad?
Your minds begin to speed up again at the thought.
You catch yourself, a bit angry at the idea that you would ever surrender even for a moment.
You will not do that.
You will not do that to Thaïs.
You will not do that to Henry.
You will not do that to the girls, or Madb, or all the others depending on you.
You conjure up every reason you can think of to resist. To remain Derryth. Again you slow, this time almost to a crawl.
You are about to turn back to the task at hand when a peculiar idea hits you.
Where did that last idea, to surrender, come from?
Why would you even do that?
Why would you even think that?
Would you really give in like that?
No.
If nothing else you have always known yourself.
You would not think that.
And you are certain Thaïs would not either. In all the time you have known her she has never been one to give up.
Where did the idea come from?
Persistent aren't you?
An amused voice pushes into your mind, masculine, tired, but a little curious in spite of itself.
You toss a few more memories out from your rapidly depleting stock, anything to buy you enough time to escape, you call out to the voice, "Who is there?"
The voice's tone takes on a sarcastic note.
Why your very own guardian angel...
You have little patience for it, "Great another asshole..."
The voice chuckles.
I like you Derryth. Of all the fools and mages I have been stuck with I think I like you best. It will be a shame when you are gone.
It almost sounds sad at the prospect of you ceasing to be.
You hazard a guess, "You, you are our bracelets? Or in our bracelets..."
You really are a smart kid Derryth.
You shrug off its praise, you do not want a pat on the back. You want answers, "So why were you helping us and why did you plant the idea in my mind to give up just now? Those actions seem to be at odds with one another."
Well giving up would be the best way to ensure your body survives. You would both live on... after a fashion. You are going to have to be pragmatic here Derryth.
"So you are only interested in our continued physical existence. Our minds are of no consequence to you?" you press it further.
Well, I would not say of no consequence. You are both quite entertaining but yes if you strip everything away you could say I am only interested in your bodies.
It chuckles slightly and continues.
Frankly it would save me a lot of trouble if you were both less... strong willed. You are a smart woman Derryth but for such a smart person you do an awful lot of stupid things. Do you have any idea how difficult it was keeping you both alive during that battle with the Necromancers?
You are not sure what to say, "Um, sorry?"
Oh, and not just the Necromancers! What about the mercenaries! And now this... Well your luck has finally run out. I won't save you this time. Maybe whatever new personality comes to inhabit your body will be a bit wiser.
You 'frown' at the thought, "You mean easier to control don't you?"
Six of one, half a dozen of the other, Derryth. It is all the same to me. I need you both alive, I-
You begin casting.
What are you doing?
You begin casting a maximized firebolt spell.
Girl, what are you doing!
You begin casting a maximized firebolt spell, at yourself.
If your disembodied mind could grin it would, "Don't understand? Well then let me explain. You 'need us both alive' as you yourself said. You also said that you 'won't' save me this time, not that you 'can't'-"
It takes on a soothing tone.
Now Derryth, I know facing your end is quite trying but it was going to happen anyway... someday. Don't do anything stupid, I-
You have made up your mind, "You will save us! You will save us or I will obliterate myself. I will die in here and my body will die with me. Then where will you be?"
Clearly annoyed the voice stands its ground.
You are not going to do it. Even if you do your mind will simply collapse and be absorbed by this place. Your body will live, I will live. You do not have the strength to will yourself away!
"Can you read my thoughts?" you calmly ask.
In here? Yes. It replies.
You keep your tone flat, inscrutable, "Then read them. And ask yourself if you really are certain that I can't."
It hesitates, then it looks.
It sees you growing up abandoned in the Province.
It sees you clawing your way from Henry's Tomb.
It sees you below Muirthemne fighting an army and their dark Goddess.
It sees you here and it sees you snuff out your own life.
It sees and understands. You will do this if you have to. You are moments from doing it in fact.
Quietly it answers.
Alright, I will do this for you. I will help you but you will owe me for this. Do you understand? You will owe me big for this.
It seems like such a large decision but it isn't. You will not sacrifice a friend, you refuse to surrender yourself, and oblivion is not a tempting solution. There is only one choice you can make.
You accept the voice's deal, "Alright, a favour for a favour."
The voice chuckles.
Well maybe this was not a complete waste of time after all. Follow my instructions exactly. I have only done this once before and it did not quite work... but this time will be different I can feel it.
You stop him for a moment, "Who are you if you don't mind me asking?"
Me? Derryth I am no one... and everyone... call me the Faceless Man, it is as accurate as anything else.
You are out of memories. Nothing more can keep you apart.
Your mind crashes into Thaïs' but the voice coaches you both. You move as fast as thought, conditioned to instinctively follow instructions from the bracelets. You shift the memory of your first kiss moments before it collides with a childhood nightmare of Thaïs'. She pivots her hopes for the future around your fears of the past. You twist a midsummer night's tryst and slip it past the approving gaze of her father. Henry's death darts past Shiver's sacking of Scales. The two of you continue in this intricate and exhausting dance for what seems like thousands of years.
It is just possible to achieve.
The guidance of this Faceless Man, the complete trust you have in one another, your familiarity with each other's minds, and your absolute determination to succeed together produce a small miracle.
Your minds pass through one another, they unwind from each other and pass safely back into your projected bodies. You have survived, but you feel different. There are memories, emotions, in your mind that you are almost certain are not your own. You don't think you lost anything but you have definitely picked up a little extra. Not full memories really more like... impressions... you doubt you stole anything from your friend but the pull of her thoughts remains.
Still this is definitely a 'win' as Gareth would say. You have survived and perhaps that is enough.
You still exist, Thaïs still exists, and to your amusement the control spell is still in place. Trapped within that deeper level of your minds mere seconds have past within Nine's mind. Quick to capitalize on the situation you reach out with your mind and grab hold of the Control spell, furious over what this thing almost did to you and your friend.
The secondary presence within the creature's mind attempts to resist you but after what you have been through you refuse to let it have its way. It is only one small part of Nine's mind and it is ultimately powerless before your cold fury.
You hit it. Throwing it from the creature's mind back into its little green orb.
With the creature now under your complete command you turn it upon its companions. You are not quick about it, you are not kind about it, you order it to kill, to murder, to eat. It rips, it tears, it breaks them with club and fist and when they all lay dead it wraps its great hands around its head and it snaps its own neck.
As it dies you are thrown back into your own projection.
You go a bit pale as you stand and survey the carnage you have wrought. In your anger you held nothing back. The two remaining unmarked creatures cower in a corner covered in the blood of their enemies. Viscera are strewn about the lower floor. The room is spattered with the blood of the creatures and the corpse of the largest beast rests in the center of it in a wide puddle of blood its head wrenched out at an odd angle.
"Hell Derryth..." Thaïs stands next to you, "I mean, I know they are not real but..."
You rub your temples, "I... I just lost control for a moment... won't happen again..."
"Was... was that Nine that did that to us?" Thaïs asks, leaning on the rail of the catwalk.
"Part of her but you know how she is. The part that attacked us might not be the Nine we know," you shrug and lean forward beside her.
The two creatures notice your presence. One of them notches a bone arrow. You casually set its bowstring on fire with a flick of your wrist. They drop to their knees and begin praying. Mentally drained you ignore them for the moment and continue your conversation, "So did you hear the voice as well? The Faceless Man?"
She nods, "Yes he was not too happy with you, though I think he likes you in spite of himself. He kept muttering..." she grins and mimics his voice, "'That Derryth has one giant pair! A Wyrd damned pain in the ass!'" she lets out a slight laugh, the beauty of it incongruous with your terrifying surroundings, "Looks like he kept his word. I wonder how he knew how to do that?"
You frown, "He told me he had done it once before. That it did not work but that he was sure it would this time..."
She rests a hand on your shoulder, "Well no sense worrying about it at the moment. We will just have to deal with him when the time comes."
You push off from the rail, "Right, let's go see what those creatures can tell us."
-------------------------------------------
It takes the better part of ten minutes to coax the three creatures to their feet and get them communicating.
"We want to get to the center of the city. How do we do that?" you gesture as you speak, they do not seem to have a great understanding of Bruig.
The creatures chatter amongst themselves in a tongue you can not quite place. Their 'leader', or at least the bravest of them, finally speaks up in broken Bruig. He often repeats himself and jumps to his strange tongue every now and again. He is trying to help, but is uncertain of how to express his ideas, "Ah... center... is dangerous, it is very dangerous. More... Fallen... ah... more marked ones. Need... need... help... allies?"
You sigh, "Yes, probably."
The creature gives you a grin, you think it is meant to reassure you but it also reveals his fangs. Those fangs remind you that these creatures might not be terribly friendly if they were not convinced of your powers, "We... we could bring you to the Mistress... she seeks m... mighty allies... drive off the Fallen. Return to the center... to.... home!"
The other two creature nod along with it, "Help us... help you!"
"Maybe..." you are not too sure one way or the other. You are fairly certain that the creatures you saved will vouch for you and this Mistress of theirs may have the resources to get to the center of the city.
The creature senses you hesitation, he draws a bone knife and presses it into your hand, "You... hmm... saved my... being?... my life... I will serve... show you... way to center of... of the city... Think... think you should meet Mistress but..." he hesitates and takes a deep breath, "Will take you alone if... if... necessary."
The other two creatures each draw their daggers and present them to you handle first, "Will serve!"
So you do have a few options...
As you consider them the orb catches your eye. It rests on the floor, covered in a thin layer of blood. You wonder if you should do something about it.
1. Strategy:
A) You will follow these creatures back to their Mistress and see what you can learn. If there really are more of these creatures you might need an army.
B) You will continue on to the center of the city with your three 'guides'. You have no desire to visit a settlement of these things. You should be able to handle the three of them and if you move quietly you might be able to slip past any adversaries you encounter.
C)You will get directions from the creatures and carry on by yourselves. You simply do not trust them enough to go with them.
D) You head back in search of Nine.
E) You give up. You will begin unwinding the spells holding you in Nine's mind. This place is not fit for any sane individual.
F) freeform
2. The Orb:
A) You take the orb to study it. It may be useful though it is dangerous.
B) You leave the orb where it rests. You want nothing to do with it.
C) You destroy the orb.
Chapter 16: The Mad, Mad Minds
Chapter 16: The Mad, Mad MindsNone of your options are particularly appealing. Well, you could leave, that would be very appealing, but you did promise two archmages that you would succeed here. You are not certain how wise or how safe failing would be.
"Options?" Thaïs asks.
"Flee?" you suggest.
Your friend gives you a weak smile, "I would love to but you know we can not."
You nod a couple times, "Yeah... I know. We could go on alone."
"Would that be wise? I mean... you know," she gestures subtly to the three creatures. They fail to notice.
You are both exhausted from the battle, your spells noticeably weaker, and it is doubtful that you will be able to recover until you have had a chance to properly rest your physical bodies. Drained as you are you do not wish to travel further into the city without help... a lot of help, "I know. Think we should meet this Mistress of theirs?"
She gives a reluctant nod, "We are going to need help so... yes."
"One second," you catch sight of the orb again, "We have to deal with that damn orb first."
You shuffle over to the large creature's corpse and heft its club up in both arms, Thaïs places a hand on her hip, "Derryth, what are you doing with that?"
You give her a mischievous grin, "Dealing with the orb, of course."
You raise the club over your head, wobbling a little from the weight of it. You slam the club down on the orb and it shatters. A scream echoes out throughout the city, it sounds like Nine.
The city begins to tremble.
The glass cracks as the creatures outside increase their activities. You can hear them now, their screams. They sound like screams of triumph.
The city continues to shake and groan. The glass begins to hum and a sharp, stabbing pain shoots out from behind your eyes.
For a few minutes you are certain you are going to die.
Then the screams of the creatures and the humming of the glass diminish as the pain recedes.
The city steadies itself though the cracks in the glass remain.
You take a deep breath and exhale.
You are not certain if what you did was right or even helpful but you are still alive so you might as well push on.
"Alright then," you turn to the lead creature, "We will go to meet your Mistress, ah- What should we call you? What is your name?"
The creature tilts its head, twisting it at an odd angle as it thinks, "Do not have... name?"
You doubt that, "Well then how do you communicate? How do you know who is being addressed? How do you differentiate between one another?"
His answer is as short as it is unhelpful, "We know."
A bit annoyed at the creature you press on, "Well, we need something to call you."
The creature shrugs and gives you a wolfish grin. He is attempting to be friendly but everything about him bothers you. He is just wrong, and the more you think about it the more wrong he seems.
You point at him, "You are Goon," you turn to his two associates, "And you two are Geek and Freak, got it?"
The three creatures nod enthusiastically. Either they don't know what those words mean or they don't care as they take to them quickly enough. They even go so far as to cut their 'names' into their on flesh. Geek gets his right, Freak's new nametag though comes out wrong. He carves FREEK across his chest and looks up to you proudly.
You choke down your feeling of revulsion as you gesture to Goon, "Let's get this over with."
-------------------------------------------
You walk for what seems like days. Each dim, unlit corridor looks much the same as the last. Part of you thinks that Goon and his men are leading you in circles, waiting for you to sleep so that they may more easily murder you both. You dismiss the thought, not because you trust these creatures, since you don't, but because here no one seems to sleep. You do not feel any more tired than you did following the battle, of course you also don't feel any better...
As you travel deeper into the city the architecture begins to change. You descend below the earth into the depths of Nines's mind. The twisting glass hallways give way to leathery, pulsing tubes hung loosely on a framework of bleached bone. Here and there spines of glowing, green metal attempt to push through into the interior of the tunnels. They let out a high pitched hum that you would find nearly unbearable were it not muffled by the wet walls of the tunnels.
This city beneath a city seems to run on forever into darkness. The air is hot and wet in sharp contrast to the cold, dry air of the hallways above. The two of you are careful to remain within the loose triangle formed by your guide and protectors. They hop and skitter along, moving down these tunnels at a speed that is difficult to match.
In the distance you can hear screaming.
It gets louder.
You realize that the creatures are taking you towards the source of these screams.
You want to sneak away, or attack them and flee but you suppress that desire.
You are well aware of how damaged Nine is, how twisted her mind can be. This place may be monstrous but you reason that it is no more so than the rest of Nine's mind.
You press on.
Eventually the tunnel you are following opens out into a impressively large cavern. A single, large, glowing, tumour hangs from the roof of the cavern in mockery of a sun you are afraid you will never see again.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands of the creatures swarm throughout the cavern. They dance, they sing, they play, and they eat... several large tables dominate the cavern. Strapped to them are the bent and twisted forms of the Marked. Their screams are what you heard in the tunnels above.
You look to one another, seconds from cutting down your guides and fleeing back into the tunnels and the city above.
Goon seems to sense your unease, "Do not worry... only captives... enemies!... are devoured... not you!... not friends!"
You take a deep breath, you remind yourself that you need the aid of these things, still you can not help but ask, "Why? Why eat them Goon?"
Goon sighs, "Have you seen... have you seen any... food?... in the city above?... in the city below?... We eat for... life!... We eat them... they eat us... big circle..." he shrugs as Geek and Freek nod along.
Thaïs exhales, she asks the question you are both thinking, "So then your weapons?"
Goon nods, "Made from enemies," he drops his gaze, "Made from friends... we... we do what we must?"
He gives the two of you a moment to let that sink in. This madness that has taken Nine is far, far worse than anything you have ever been forced to witness and not for the first time do you desperately wish to flee to some kinder plane, some safer harbour. It is a testament to your will, or your foolishness, that you press on.
Your three protectors lead you down into the crowd. The creatures part to let you through and immediately close ranks behind you. They follow you, running along the ground, climbing along the walls, vaulting over one another to get as close to you as they can.
One of them reaches for you and Goon is on him. He punches him, kicks him and drives him back into the crowd. He shouts at the other creatures and waves his blade. The assembled creatures hop backward a couple steps. They give you a wider berth but you can still feel their eyes upon you, you can feel their curiosity, their hunger... thousands of eyes stare on as you make your way to the very center of the chamber.
Goon leads you to the only structure that appears man made within the caverns, a truly massive tent made from the worn hides of some beast. If you had to guess you would say that it, like everything else, is fashioned from the flesh and bones of these creatures.
He leads you right to the front of the tent. There are no guards, perhaps none are needed.
"In there," he gives you a slight push, "Good luck. We will guard!"
---------------------------------------------------------
You expect a dark interior. Smoke, body parts and some dark goddess of murder and hate.
That is not what you find, not quite.
The tent is orderly, clean and... well, beautiful on the inside. The walls of the tent are reinforced with stone paneling, the floor is covered with well preserved hides. A small fountain sits in one corner; clear, clean water pouring forth. A grand table dominates another corner of the tent, maps pinned to its surface. There is no bed as none would be needed, there is however a throne, a truly massive throne, and perched on its edge is Nine.
Or rather someone that closely resembles Nine. For all the similarities, this is not your mentor. She holds herself differently, the spirit that animates her simply feels different and a little terrifying.
This being radiates power.
She is in almost every way an exact replica of Nine. She is dressed in a sleeveless tunic of cerulean blue with gold trim. Plain black trousers and well made leather boots complete her outfit. Resting next to her throne are a pair of well worn axes. As you observe her in silence she opens her eyes.
You are certain now that this is not Nine. Those eyes do not belong to the woman you know.
You know enough about archmages through to know that they all enjoy being flattered.
You give her an incredibly low curtsy and Thaïs follows suit. You wait for her to begin.
Instead of speaking she attacks.
She pushes out with her mind attempting to invade yours.
If she truly were Nine, with full access to the entirety of her power she could crush you in an instant. As it stands you just barely push her back and you think you can feel Thaïs do the same. Your willpower is strong enough to prevent casual invasion but in your weakened state she could break through if she gave it just a little more effort.
She does not.
You speculate that she was testing you. She failed to easily break you and she has no way of knowing just how powerful you are. It seems that she is content to treat with you until she determines whether or not she can beat you.
"What business do you have within my court?" her voice booms out across the tent, all confidence with an undercurrent of malice. She does not sound like Nine, her voice is deeper, more menacing.
You decide not to lie to her, you have no wish to provoke her though you suspect you do not have to tell her the whole truth, "We are simply two travellers seeking the center of this city," you respond.
She lets out a deep and bitter laugh, "Then you had best turn back traveler. The center of the city has fallen to that traitorous bitch and her monsters."
Thaïs steps in, "Which is why we have come to you. We encountered some of your soldiers valiantly fighting the beasts of your adversary. We broke the Marked creatures and slaughtered them all. We even destroyed one of the orbs their captains carry."
The figure on the throne raises her eyebrows at this, "That was you? I thought I felt a shift in the balance of things. You have done me a tremendous service travelers. Perhaps..." she rests her head on one slender, calloused, hand, "perhaps this is the beginning of the end for her."
Thaïs submissively nods, stringing the archmage along, "It is our great honour to be of service to such a powerful archmage. Your soldiers suggested that we petition you for aid in our fight against our mutual enemy. Is there any way that we might convince you to lend us the support of some of your men to aid in our passage."
The archmage is still for what seems like an age. Finally she speaks, "Then you are in luck for I will help you, but first let me explain what is at stake here. My name is Culwyeh and I am the greatest archmage to ever ascend to the throne of mighty Yer-Ks," she pauses, as if the name of that kingdom should mean something to you.
You vaguely recall the name from ancient history texts but it means little to you.
Still she notices the spark of recognition in your eyes and gives you a thin smile, "So the name of Yer-Ks has not been completely lost to time, for that I am grateful. Long ago, hundreds of thousands of years now, I ruled in the center of the city at the heart of my kingdom. Then from nowhere the Liar appeared. She who will forever be my enemy! She sealed the borders of the kingdom, isolated us from the outside world. We fought over the kingdom and for control of the city until it fell into ruin. I used every spell, every tool I could think of but I could never beat her. Despite my clearly superior grasp of magic she remained illusive. She would never meet me in open battle and so our war spread to the very edges of this realm. After the first hundred years not a tree remained standing. After the first thousand our reserves of metal were exhausted. After the first ten thousand years nothing remained except for out soldiers and our spells. She conjured her city of living glass to shelter her. I fled into the bowels of the earth and grew my creatures."
She grinds her teeth in fury, each moment that passes fuels her rage, each sentence, each thought drives her further over the edge, "This stalemate has lasted for over one hundred thousand years! The men and women of my kingdom have been reduced to what you see out there! But tonight! Tonight it all ends! Tonight I will march to the heart of the city with the heroes that made this all possible! That orb you destroyed has destabilized her city! I will hit her now with everything I have and she will perish even if I must die as well!"
Carried away by her rage she leaps from her throne, snatching up her weapons as she flies across the room and out of the tent. You can hear her screaming out to her creatures. Ordering them into loose columns for the march.
The two of you are left staring at one another, finally you speak, "That went... well?"
Thaïs matches your uncertain tone, "Yes... she seems willing to help, even if she is a bit..."
"Unstable?" you hazard.
Weakly she smiles, "Yes. Though I suppose we have to work with what we have to hand. I do not suppose she will inform us of her plan of battle?"
You fan yourself lightly with your hat, "Doubtful..."
---------------------------------------------
There are times when you delight in being correct. This is not one of them.
Culwyeh knows little in the way of actual strategy and seems content to simply order a general advance as she wades in at the front of her forces.
She lashes out with spell and axe. Every creature she touches begins to gurgle and dissolve, rotting from the inside out. Their eyes cave in, their teeth drop out and their liquefied organs are vacated through the nearest available orifice. They die in one of the worst ways imaginable.
You stay well back from her, thankfully she has forgotten you in her rage. Unfortunately the enemy has not seen fit to follow her example.
You grab Thaïs's arm and pull her back as a bone spear flies past her head. She spins you out of the way of a makeshift axe moments before it strikes home. The Faceless Man is at work again, giving you each enough warning to protect the other as the Marked and Culwyeh's soldiers butcher one another.
Goon, Geek and Freek protect you from the worst of it and every now and then you slip their enemies a slight suggestion or compulsion to ensure their safety.
This has not gone unnoticed by the other unmarked creatures near you. They see your invincibility and the increased prowess of your guardians and they begin to congregate around you.
You try to remember how Gareth lead you under Muirthemne but you lack the skill to command others in battle. You settle for ordering them to advance towards the center of the city.
You follow in Culwyeh's wake, tracing the path of rotting bodies to the very heart of the city. As you get closer to the center of the conflict the city begins to sway. Glass projectiles burst forth from the walls and mow down much of the vanguard. Culwyeh pushes through these traps without a scratch, her magic melts away the projectiles well before they can reach her.
She has nothing to fear but her army takes heavy casualties.
Your column fares better than most but you lose Geek to a stray shard and Freek pitches off a second story catwalk with three Marked on top of him. You feel a moment's sympathy for their fates before reminding yourself that none of these things are real.
That thought makes it easier for you to watch what comes next. Your column arrives at the new front. Just outside of the very heart of the city. The central building has only a single point of access, a wide hallway three levels high.
The scene that greets you puts everything you have seen so far to shame.
Much of the floor and walls of the hallway are painted with the blood of the creatures. On the ground and against the rails they struggle with one another. You count dozens of corpses tangled together in mounds. At the far end two of the Marked captains use their magic to hold off a dozen of Culwyeh's warriors. Across from you is the entrance to the heart of the city. The remaining Marked captain stands guard with less than a dozen soldiers.
You need to go through them but casualties will be high.
You remind yourself that none of this is real and you give the order.
You command Goon and your column to charge the entrenched Marked position. You even use suggestion and compulsion to ensure that none of them even think of retreating. Goon snaps you a quick salute before charging the battle line. You clear a path for him and he even manages to drop the Marked captain commanding the defence before he falls with an arrow in the chest.
The two of you slip across the hallway, subtly redirecting Marked and unmarked alike to more tempting targets. You do not have much to work with but you make do.
After what seems like an eternity you manage to slip inside.
Inside the central structure it is remarkably quiet. Remarkably quiet and... empty. The walls, roof and floor are opaque, unlike the hallways outside but everything is the same shade of green. A single large, bronze lamp hangs from the ceiling but otherwise the room has nothing in it.
"Now what?" Thaïs asks as she catches her breath.
"I don't know," you have to admit, "I thought there would be something here to guide us but-"
Without a word Thaïs pulls you backward by the collar of your armour.
A bolt of light incinerates your hat.
You mutter to yourself, "Damn good thing that was not my real hat," to prove a point you conjure up another one.
Nine's voice calls out to you though you can not tell from where, "Oh, so you are the mages? Do you know what you have done?"
Still annoyed you speak up, "Well to hear Culwyeh tell it we are helping to defeat a usurper and a traitor!"
The voice giggles, "She would remember it that way! I am not a usurper... well... alright I suppose I am but she started it!"
"I don't care who started it I-" Thaïs puts a hand on your shoulder.
She whispers in your ear, "We should keep her talking until we can find out who and where she is."
Thaïs calls out to the voice, "Who do we have the pleasure of addressing?"
"The one without a voice!" the voice giggles.
"You are the Voiceless One?" your friend replies.
"What? Just because I can speak I can't be the Voiceless One? Not all archmages choose literal monikers you know?" she practically squeals with delight, she pitches her voice downward and does her best to effect a sophisticated tone, "Some of us aim for something that will tickle the mind with its deeper meaning... or something like that!" she breaks into another giggling fit.
Undeterred Thaïs presses on, "Interesting that you should say that. We are first and foremost seekers of the Truth. If we have not heard the whole story then we would certainly be interested in hearing your side of it."
The voice sounds uncertain, "Would you? Well then maybe I will tell you!"
A woman materializes before you, she floats slightly off the ground. Long black hair, mercurial eyes, she looks exactly how you would picture Shiver did before the Great War. She speaks to you in Nine's voice but something is off, she has the same playfulness but there is a cruelty there that Nine does not usually exhibit. Nine laughs with life, this woman laughs at it.
"Oh where to begin?" she floats around you in a lazy circle, "Well that self important bitch Culwyeh might have been queen here but she was holding out on her subjects. I came to set them free you see! She kept most of them, the really important ones, all locked up in the darkest and cruellest prisons you could imagine. Then one day I arrive and the people 'cried out for a saviour'. So I led them. Then, out of spite she sealed the borders of the kingdom! She pulled up all the trees to make weapons. I had to turn every scrape of metal, every available body towards the task of annihilating her! But she hid down in those disgusting tunnels! And... well... we ran out of resources so we had to make do... I tried to help my people! Gave them artefacts to help lead them! But she had so many followers and those damn miniature monstrosities of hers keep trying to collapse my city! Then you had to go and help the tyrant try to retake her throne! Still..."
She rubs her chin as she bobs back to the center of the room, "Maybe this is a good thing... she is coming here... will be here shortly... you survived my attempts to snuff you out so you might just be strong enough to tip the balance against her." She snaps her fingers and three little green spheres materialize around her, "I am probably going to need these she is awfully powerful if a little predictable... Now when she comes through those doors-"
The doors blow out and the whole structure screams into your mind.
Culwyeh floats in, covered in gore, "Ravanna! Tonight you will finally die!"
The Voiceless One, Ravanna, disappears giggling, "Well you will have to find me first won't you!"
Culwyeh goes still, she closes her eyes. Slowly a smile spreads across her face.
You and Thaïs back away from the doors towards the far corner of the room.
Culwyeh lashes out with something big. The city shakes and buckles and the very foundations it is built on start to crumble, "I will bring your whole city down on our heads!" she howls, consumed by primal rage.
Shadows pool in the corners of your vision. Streams of green light and absolute darkness lash out towards Culwyeh. Ravanna giggles, "No you won't! No you won't! I'm going to kill you first!"
The spell Ravanna is casting must be quite powerful as her form begins to rematerialize.
Culwyeh catches the briefest outline of her and hurls a ball of magic at her, as it travels it shifts into a cloud of yellow bodied horrors, small insectoid wings bound to eel like bodies whose heads explode into dozens of horrid, ring-toothed maws.
Ravanna dodges most of the cloud but the ones that hit her immediately begin to burrow within her flesh. She screams out and drops her defensive spells as she pours more energy into her attack. The bolts of green light pierce Culwyeh's body and for the first time since you met her the archmage howls in agony. The streams of darkness coil around her, squeezing the life out of her.
The two archmages stand frozen there. Their cries of pain mixed with threats to one another.
Ravanna screams to you, "Help me please! Help me kill the tyrant! Help me free us all!"
Culwyeh bellows at you, "We must kill the usurper! Help me avenge my people or all of this has been for nothing!"
Ravanna pulls every bit of power she has into her spells and Culwyeh attempts to break free. The whole city rumbles, teetering on the edge as the magic that holds it together is strained. You would not be terribly surprised if the tunnel system beneath the city is also on the verge of collapse.
You stand, watching two archmages try their best to obliterate one another. You survey the room looking for options. That is when you see it. Concealed behind Ravanna's spells is another door.
There is a second way out of the room, deeper into the very heart of the city.
You think you hear a cry for help coming from beyond the door though it is simply too quiet to properly make out.
You have a feeling that whatever you do it will have a profound impact on Nine's mental state.
1. What to do?
A) Aid Culwyeh. Your spells won't do much but all you have to do is provide a distraction and the ancient archmage should be able to kill her adversary. (All A votes are counted together)
i. Assault: You probably won't be able to actually hurt her but it might draw off enough power to allow Culwyeh to win.
ii. Firebolt/Energy Bolt: you will each hit her with an attack spell. It is doubtful that you could permanently injure her but you are simply aiming to distract her.
iii. freeform
B) Aid Ravanna. Your spells won't do much but all you have to do is provide a distraction and the younger archmage should be able to finish off her adversary. (All B votes are counted together)
i. Assault: You probably won't be able to actually hurt her but it might draw off enough power to allow Ravanna to win.
ii. Firebolt/Energy Bolt: you will each hit her with an attack spell. It is doubtful that you could permanently injure her but you are simply aiming to distract her.
iii. freeform
C) Run for the front door. You will have to pass the battling archmages but you have to get clear of here before the whole place collapses.
D)Go through the inner doors. You don't trust either of them and it does not really matter to you who wins this 'war' between them. You are here for information and the only place you have left to explore in through that door. You will just have to be quick before one of them wins or the whole place falls down.
E) You attack them both! They will never see that coming...
F) freeform
Chapter 17: A Strange Mind
Chapter 17: A Strange MindYou don't speak.
You grab Thaïs by the arm and the two of you run for the inner door.
"Traitors! Liars! Betrayers! You are as vile as Ravanna! When I free myself you will all die screaming!" Culwyeh screams at you as you withdraw.
"You! You would abandon me to fight the tyrant!" Ravanna giggles, "Fine! Once I free us all I shall come for you next! There is nowhere you can hide!"
The struggling archmages yell in unison, "I will find you!"
You wrench the door open and push Thaïs through. You follow her mere seconds later.
The door slams shut behind you.
What new horror awaits you here?
A tomb of shadowy horrors?
A twisted plane of blood and skulls?
Unending darkness and creeping madness?
No.
You are in a well appointed bedroom.
Fine tapestries on the walls, priceless rugs on the floors, the hard wood furniture screams comfort and quality, and the air in the room is fresh and smells of ginger, cloves and cinnamon. It is as if this room belongs to an entirely different mind, you suspect you have found Nine's retreat, her sanctum.
Not a particularly difficult piece of detective work you must admit, she is sitting right in front of you after all... and she is not alone.
Nine is having a dinner party it seems. She daintily nibbles on small cakes as she laughs merrily and discusses some weighty matter with her guests, three men each of whom look identical. She talks to them though none of them reply. Aside from her meal the only other object of real interest is a small bronze music box perched on a nearby table.
You are not really paying attention to the room though. You are focused almost exclusively on Nine and her guests.
Two things immediately catch your attention. The first is that all four of them seem to have misplaced their clothes. The second is that each one of the men has a face exactly like Henry's.
Nine notices the two of you standing at the door, both clearly in shock. She waves you over with a bright smile and friendly eyes, "Oh dears! There you are! I was just taking a little break with my new friends here. Would you care to join us?"
You have been subjected to some of the worst horrors you can imagine. You have been attacked, threatened, manipulated, and abused. You have almost died numerous times, have almost lost yourself and your friend and the whole time Nine has been eating fancy cakes and enjoying herself with your dead master, your dead friend, your dead 'father'...
Thaïs takes a couple quick steps forward, and scans the room, "Are you alright Nine? We thought we heard you scream. We thought you needed help."
With twinkling eyes Nine reassures your friend, "Oh no, I am fine dears! Well I mean I was screaming... a bit unladylike I must admit... but I do not need saving. I was simply getting to know Henry... er... Henrys better. I am so terribly sorry for worrying you both but as you can see I do not require assistance. We are just taking a slight break," she taps lightly on the side of her head with a single finger and her grin takes on a mischievous aspect, "Actually dears if you would like to help me there are a few things I could use a hand with... or two... why I-" you do not let her finish.
You should be furious, but you are simply numb, you are surprisingly calm in fact, "Nine, please dismiss the Henrys and put some clothes on."
She grins at you, and lifts a thin glass in one delicate hand "Oh dear I could not do that-"
You twitch, you snap, "NINE DISMISS THE HENRYS AND PUT SOME WYRD DAMNED CLOTHES ON!"
Nine drops her glass.
"Oh dear, you should not talk to me like that," her smile begins to fade, "Things could get broken."
You should stop, Thaïs tries to catch your attention but you brush her off as you march towards your mentor. This has to be said, "Nine we almost died out there! Our minds were almost erased! We have had to contend with maddening cannibal horrors and two crazed archmages! We almost lost everything trying to help you and this whole time you have been in here desecrating the memory of the one person who raised me! The one person who prior to this year gave a damn about me! Frankly I do not care what you can do! I do not care how you can hurt me! I will damn well talk to you however I damn well please!"
Rage boils up within Nine, she is about to lay into you, you can feel the magic building around her.
Then she stops as an idea hits her, "Trying to help me..." in an instant the faces of the three Henrys dissolve. A thin evening gown of sheer lavender magic wraps itself around Nine as tiny crystals in the shape of tears weave their way into her hair. They catch the light just so and it is dazzling. She adopts the most serious expression you have ever seen her wear, "Dear, I am sorry."
You take a deep breath, hold it, then slowly release. As the air leaves your lungs the rage does as well, "Don't worry Nine. I am just a little stressed... if you only knew what we have been through in the past few 'days'."
She gives you a sympathetic stare and lets out a broken laugh, "At least you will get to leave when you are done... I am stuck in this madness and here I am so very powerless," she snaps her fingers as she snatches up another thin glass of bubbling fluid. Three shimmering screens appear before you, "Though that might not be much of a problem if those two finally murder each other."
You glance towards the center screen. Ravanna and Culwyeh are still where you left them but they look quite a bit worse. Culwyeh has shifted colour to a deep violet as Ravanna chokes the life from her. Ravanna, meanwhile, has lost an arm and a leg to the swarming horrors and they are beginning to migrate to her torso. You doubt either of them has more than five, maybe ten, minutes at most.
The secondary screen shows the battle that continues to wage outside the central building. The dead now outnumber the living by a couple orders of magnitude but the creatures fight on. Tooth, nails and broken weapons driven through their horrid, twisted bodies.
Finally the third screen shows the city proper. Above and below it trembles. Glass spires shatter as the creatures pour in. Green shards push through the pulsing membranes of the tunnels below and they begin to fill with a thick, oozing mixture of ruined earth and blood.
Nine's entire mind is about to collapse, "There may not be much of 'me' left to worry about in a few minutes dears," she raises her glass in a salute to you both and downs the contents with a single gulp.
She starts in her seat as a new idea hits her, "Oh I have something for you," she produces a single parchment, "It is the enchantment that will restore the body of Mr Corpse Man," even at the end she refuses to call him Mazzarin, "Give that to him. He will want more but that is all he is getting from me!" she strides towards you with a grace and determination that is admirable in the face of her own destruction. Delicately she takes your hand and places the scroll within it, instantly you know it contents, a ritual to prevent and reverse aging. When combined with your knowledge of the heal spell you think you might even be able to restore missing limbs and cure serious injures through it would be a very draining spell to cast and will take years to perfect.
She smiles sadly at you, "Well dears you two should be off while you can still escape. I..." she hesitates, "I want you to know that I really am proud of you both... you will be great mages someday I am certain."
She drops back into her chair in defeat. The room shakes.
You look to Thaïs, it is clear that she is reluctant to leave. You are forced to admit, as dangerous, as insane, as potentially treacherous as Nine is there is a part of you that does not want to see her go.
The three of you stand in silence as the room lightly trembles, afraid to break it with meaningless words. Thaïs speaks at last, "You say you are powerless before them? Are you sure? Maybe you could beat them?"
Nine considers her words, she nods, then speaks, "I could... maybe. But it is like you and that reflection of Shiver... they are both quite powerful. They hold the majority of my magical knowledge you see, along with much of my memories. They are trapped in here though. While I can reach the outside world they have been stuck, battling one another for ages in the dark. They... they are simply better mages than I am truth be told. My mind is strange girls, I do not have the power here that most people do... I am broken."
You have an idea, you do not much like it but you speak it anyway, "You... you could help one of them defeat the other... then try to strike some sort of balance with the survivor."
Nine shakes her head, "If given the chance they would attack me, absorb me. I might be able to choose a winner but it is not likely that I would survive... Culwyeh or Ravanna... they would replace me."
"Are there no other options open to us?" Thaïs kneels before the beaten archmage, trying to catch her gaze.
"Not really no," she rests her head in her hands, "I thought I had an answer but I just ran out of time..."
That piques your curiosity, "What do you mean?" you ask.
She looks up at you then gestures to the music box and the three, now faceless, men, "Play the music box and you will see... or hear I guess," she lets out a half hearted giggle that ends in a pained whine.
With little else to do you open the box.
A metallic voice rings out, distorted, filled with anguish and exhaustion, "Listen carefully my dear. I do not have much time and neither do you. I have sealed your memories to protect you and the world. You will not be able to cast, you will not remember who you are and for this I am sorry but it is the best I can do for you given the circumstances and my own limitations. It will give you a chance, if nothing more..." the voice grunts, "There is a test though. One I taught to you when you were just a girl. If you win... if you win then you will figure it out... if you lose... well if you lose then it is best that whatever beats you never gets free. The three golems in this room can keep you company, they will follow most of your commands as long as those instructions do not endanger the test. Each golem has a gift for you. One of them holds your memories and your powers, the other two hold only your destruction, a complete mind wipe. To receive their 'gifts' you need only ask the golem in question. The one that holds your memories has been charged to only speak the truth, the other two each have a flaw. One of them will always lie while the other is madness personified and may lie or tell the truth with equal probability. It is truly random. Find the one that holds the truth, request its gift and you will have your powers and memories restored to you. I... just know that I am sorry for everything... I was outplayed... I will avenge you if I can..."
The recording plays out into a sad and haunting little tune. Gently you close the box.
You give your two companions a confident grin, "So we find out which one of these golems tells the truth, then we can restore your powers, Nine, and you can restrain those two psychopaths before your mind collapses."
Nine seems uncertain, "I have tried dear but they can not speak, I think their throats are damaged. When I ask them a question they sing in response, either high or low, they never give an actual answer. It is infuriating!"
Thaïs jumps in, "Maybe they are answering? Maybe they are giving you a yes or a no based on whether they answer high or low?"
You nod enthusiastically, "Yes that is a definite possibility. So the way I see it we have to determine which one of them is True, which one of them is False and which one of them is Mad by asking them 'yes or no' questions."
The room shakes again, worse this time, and most of Nine's meal spills onto the floor. Thaïs gives you a concerned look, "And if we are going to do this we have to be quick. We probably only have time to ask maybe four or five questions at most."
Your friend and mentor exchange a worried glance but you remain confident. This is your element; ruins, mazes, traps, riddles, this is what you do and you have never failed yet. You are certain you can figure this out... though part of you wonders if it is the right thing to do.
1. What to do?
A) Flee: you have the spell you came for. You and Thaïs leave now while you still can. Nine might survive the collapse of her mind in her sanctuary though you are not sure what kind of damage it will do.
B) Help Culwyeh: you convince Nine to aid the ancient axe wizard. Ravanna will be destroyed and Nine will fuse with the 'Culwyeh' personality. You are not sure what will happen from there, to her or either of you.
C) Help Ravanna: you will convince Nine to aid the young but stylish archmage. Culwyeh will be destroyed and Nine will fuse with the 'Ravanna' personality. You are not sure what will happen after that, to her or to either of you.
D) Attack them both: You convince Nine to attack them both at the very moment before they completely collapse. She will try and steal enough power and memories from them to stabilize her mind though there is no telling if it will work or what the result will be.
E) You are not alone here. The Faceless Man watches from your bracelets. You ask him to help. He replies, Yes... but you will all owe me a great deal more... You do not much like the sound of that.
F)You will solve this riddle and restore Nine's memories and powers.
i. Derryth and Thaïs will work together to puzzle their way through this logic problem. (this will contain an element of luck of course).
ii. Voters choice: We can run this how I would run a PnP session.
The three golems sit in a row at the table. From left to right they are Golem A (Bronze 'Face'), Golem B (Silver 'Face'), and Golem C (Gold 'Face')when you vote for this option be sure to include A, B, C or Bronze, Silver, Gold to mark which golem you advise Nine to pick when you have made up your mind.
This is a slightly more difficult puzzle than the last one (which really was quite easy) but is not too difficult really. There is no trick, this is simply a logic problem (which is why Nine struggles with it).
It can be solved in two questions and there are multiple ways to go about it. When I was first introduced to it I did it in three which is the traditional number of questions it takes. I will give you five questions since it is difficult to coordinate things in a group. After that you will be out of time and will not be able to ask any more questions. (And to make it interesting if you can do it in three you might get a reward, if you can do it two you are guaranteed one.)
Come up with the questions, ask them and I will give an answer. This might require a bit of discussion to come up with a strategy though.
A couple points to consider:
One: to avoid misinterpretation and so we do not confuse the discussion with the actual questions Derryth will ask be sure to frame them so it is obvious that she is asking the question for example:
I ask A if he is the Liar would not count.
Neither would 'Is Golem A a Liar'.
But, Derryth: "Golem A, are you the Liar?" would count. Hopefully that will keep you from accidentally burning through questions.
As previously mentioned the aim of the game is to figure out which one of the golems is the Truthsayer and have Nine request his reward. One of the golems will always tell you the truth, one of them will always lie to you and the third is completely random. I will flip a coin each time you ask it a question and I will either tell the truth or lie depending on the outcome.
The golems will answer in a high pitched whine or a low pitched moan. One means yes and the other means no though you don't know which is which. All three golems use the same conventions. A high pitched whine from one of them means the same thing as a high pitched whine from the others it is the intention behind it (truth or lies) that will vary.
When you think you have it figured out add the information to your vote.
If you require any further clarification then let me know.
G) freeform
Also: 'Character sheet updated.'
Chapter 18: Just Another Day
It ran a bit long...Chapter 18: Just Another Day
Riches are nice.
Power is great.
But what you enjoy most in life is a good puzzle.
To solve it, to frustrate the designs and intentions of another, to bask in the glory of your success and to have it reaffirmed that you are just that much smarter, that much better, than the person that sought to resist you, to confuse you, to defeat you.
That feeling of exhilaration, exaltation, pure and complete joy and self satisfaction. It is one of the reasons you risk your life raiding tombs, it is one of the reasons you get out of bed in the morning.
There is nothing for you quite like a good test, a good challenge.
This one you solve in two questions.
Now all that is left is to reveal what you know.
Dramatically you point to the middle golem, "He has the information we need."
Your two companions look on in confusion, they question you at the same instant, "Are you sure?"
You flash them a wide grin, "Of course I am sure! I am a professional!"
"Alright then, 'Miss professional', explain it," your friend replies.
You are about to do just that when another large tremor shakes the room. As much as you would enjoy laying it all out for them, now really is not the time, "Look I will explain it to you both when we are not on the verge of complete annihilation. Now, Nine, if you trust me, if you want to 'live' then pick the middle golem now."
Your mentor flutters her long eyelashes and extends one delicate hand to the middle golem, "May I have your gift sir?"
The golem makes a whirling noise, it clicks and its faceplate falls off.
Within the darkness of its empty head a single speck of light shines out.
It begins to grow, slowly at first, as the room around you shakes.
It accelerates, Nine is hit with the blinding light and with a gasp she disappears.
For a moment you doubt yourself.
The light continues to expand. The table disappears, the chairs, Thaïs is caught in mid stide and disappears as well.
Did you make the wrong decision?
It is the last thought that occurs to you before you too disappear.
.
..
...
Well girl I must say I am impressed, it is the Faceless Man, chiming in once again.
At first you think he is speaking to you telepathically again but as your eyes adjust to your new surroundings you notice a thin, pale, elderly gentleman sitting at Nine's table where the golems used to be. His clothes are simple, clean and crisp. Everything about him is unremarkable. If you saw him in the street you doubt you would remember him. Perhaps that is his secret, to go through life and leave only the slightest trace of his passing.
"We are alive?" a voice asks to your right. You turn slightly, careful not to let the Faceless Man out of your sight and you see Thaïs. Turning to the left you see Nine. Well at least you are all still alive for the time being.
You take a moment to get a better grasp of your surroundings.
The room is gone and the light that blinded you is in fact the sun. You are outside of the city, in a green field filled with tiny white and red flowers. A lazy afternoon breeze blows through the meadow and the flowers gently sways to and fro.
The light, the breeze, they both feel so good that you almost drop your guard. At the last moment you remember where you are. Thaïs shoots you a glance of acknowledgement, you are both acutely aware that you are still at risk here despite what your senses tell you.
In the distance the emerald city teeters on the brink. Many of its towers hang suspended in mid air. The entirety of Nine's mind has been frozen in place it seems.
The Faceless Man coughs once to get your attention, "Please, take a seat," he casually gestures to an open chair next to you. You do not particularly care for the compulsion he directs at you. It takes your complete attention to remain standing. A thin smile caresses his lips, "You just will not do anything the easy way will you?" He breaks off his attack though you have a feeling you have not witnessed one, one hundredth of his actual power.
He holds his hands up in mock surrender, "Please ladies, sit. No tricks this time I promise."
He conjures up a large pitcher of cool, clear water. Little slices of cucumber float in it, "I like the taste," he replies to your stares.
He pours himself a glass and offers one to each of you. You and Thaïs politely decline while Nine graciously accepts. With such little niceties taken care of he begins in earnest, "My, my! You are a clever thing Derryth. Solved the puzzle in two steps and what? A minute and a half? You know traditionally it takes three. Culwyeh would have done it in three. Though I suppose she never was one for invention, for creative thought, she could replicate exactly everything I taught her and everything she learnt on her own but she could never innovate. A shame really..."
You are certain he knows what you will ask next, but your curiosity has been piqued, "You taught Culwyeh?"
"I did," he nods slightly, "I have had many 'students' but she was the greatest. Well at least before her fall..."
"Her fall?" Thaïs asks.
He waves his left hand in the air, brushing away the idea, "We will get to that eventually. For now I would like to give you a reward for solving my riddle. It would have gone to Culwyeh but, well, it does not look like she will survive after all," he sighs as he glances back at the frozen city, you are not sure if it is a sigh of regret or disappointment.
When he turns his gaze back to you he presses on, "Where was I? Oh yes, a reward, though I am not certain what exactly you could desire. You are so stubborn Derryth, so difficult to read, and you refuse to let me in so I have picked out a few little spells and you can tell me what you desire most."
He reaches under the table and lifts up the three faceplates of the golems, one bronze, one silver and one gold.
Take your pick my girl, you have earned it!
----------------------------------------------
1. Your reward:
A) The Bronze Mask, the 'Warrior's Mask': It contains a spell that temporarily strengthens the body granting it some bronze-like properties while the spell is maintained. The target become stronger and more durable at the expense of speed and fine motor skill.
B) The Silver Mask, the 'Noble's Mask': It contains a spell that renders the target more persuasive to others. This is a subtle spell and hard to detect as it is often not directed at the intended 'victim' but instead at the caster or a willing accomplice.
C) The Gold Mask, the 'Mage's Mask': A spell that allows the caster to change their facial features to match any face they can remember. The clearer the memory the more exact the reproduction will be. It only works on the face not the whole body which makes you think it is part of a larger spell. The Faceless Man cautions you however that overuse, misuse, or prolonged use can lead to the permanent 'loss' of 'your' face.
D) You do not accept any of the gifts. You can not be sure but you are certain the Faceless Man is up to something and you will accept nothing from him.
-------------------------------------------------
With that matter taken care of he turns to Nine, "So you are what has become of my favourite pupil?"
He tilts his head slightly as he assesses her. Nine, usually one to enjoy such attention, wilts under his gaze. After a moment that seems like an eternity he comes to a decision, "You won, with the help of your pupil mind you but you won all the same. I do not think you will be any worse than Culwyeh was... perhaps you will even be better..." he shrugs slightly, "I will not stand in your way, at least," he pushes a tiny gold box across the table and Nine opens it.
She stares into the box absorbed in what she sees.
You call to her but receive no response.
You reach out to shake her but the Faceless Man stops you with a word, "I wouldn't do that Derryth. It is a lot for her to process and you would not want to interrupt the... well the process."
"How will we know when it is done?" Thaïs asks, concern for her teacher clearly inscribed upon her features.
He gives you a mysterious smile, "It will be done when it is done."
Instinctively you frown and are about to protest.
He lets out a dramatic and weary sigh, "Don't even start. I know what you are going to say. I know you are going to object. You always object," with a careless swipe of his hand Nine's three screens appear before you, "If you want something to pass the time you can watch as Nine learns about her past. If nothing else it will serve as a lesson to you, and a warning."
The first scene that plays out must have been long ago, at the very dawn of human history.
---------------------------------------------
A small fishing village somewhere to the far north.
Tiny hide huts dot the landscape as humans dressed in furs and carrying stone spears and axes move about.
Two young children play amidst the tents.
A young boy, maybe six, brown hair, brown eyes, and caked in mud chases a little girl of the same age around the camp. Her golden hair trails behind her as they laugh. Running with the a joyful abandon inevitably lost as one ages.
The girl stops, she points at figures on the horizon.
She screams as the first of them come into view.
The creatures howl and charge down at the camp in a large pack.
They are nightmares of fur and claw.
They are Myrkridia.
The villagers put up a brave fight but this was well before the age of iron, well before the age of bronze. Without the weapons of later civilizations the Myrkridia can not be matched.
You feel a sense of helplessness as you watch them massacre the village. The little girl grabs her friend's hand and they run from the creatures.
One of them spots the children.
It charges down on them but is struck by a bolt of yellow light. Its hair falls out, as do its claws and teeth. Its liquefied organs pour forth as it deflates, the spell reminds you of Culwyeh fighting against the Marked and you speculate that it is a similar, if not the same, spell.
The girl stares in wonder as a thin man with a regal and distinctive face framed in furs lays into the horde of monstrosities.
Armed with a spear the glistens in the sunlight he strikes out with spell and weapon driving the creatures back before him. He lets not one of them live.
"Heh, I really knew how to make an entrance, didn't I?" the Faceless Man chuckles, more to himself than to either of you, "Of course with time you realize that it is better to let others lead. Power and position are not the same thing and you should never confuse one for the other. Better to be a duke than a king, better to be a king than an emperor. Better still to control all and be seen by none... though such a life does have its costs."
The villagers gather around the man. They bow before him. They worship him.
They bring him furs and food but he wants neither.
He points to the girl. She is his price.
The villagers readily grant it.
They tear the child from her mother.
The boy tries to stop them and receives a sound thrashing for it. They leave him broken in the mud. You doubt he survived.
With the child following behind him the man wanders out of the village into the growing darkness.
You take a small guess, "Why did you take Culwyeh?" you are rewarded with a slight nod of approval.
"I was bored and lonely," the Faceless Man mutters in between sips of his water, "I had spent the last few hundred years wandering alone and I wanted company. The girl was as good as any. She was young, she would be easy to train, to mould, and because she was so young I would not have to worry about training another servant for decades. Things... things did not quite turn out the way I had planned."
He pulls one of the other windows over as a new scene plays out.
--------------------------------------------------
Culwyeh is a grown woman now. She follows behind the Faceless Man as he wanders the north. At first you think merely a couple decades have past but you begin to notice slight differences.
The first thing you notice is that the Faceless Man has a different face. It is broad and flat with the deep lines of someone that lives fully and without reserve. A broad, friendly smile clings to it constantly. Other smaller details present themselves to you now.
Culwyeh sports bronze greaves and a matching chest plate mixed in with her furs. Under one arm she carries a helmet of bronze and a pair of palstave axes hang from her belt. The Faceless Man still carries his spear, the head of which remains the same. The odd stone it is made from still shines brightly in the sun.
The two of them stand at the crest of a tall hill watching a battle play out below.
A few dozen human hunters battle a force of Myrkridia twice their size. They have the edge in discipline but the creatures have the numbers to overcome them.
Culwyeh points at the warriors.
The Faceless Man shakes his head.
She stomps a foot.
He turns away.
Securing her helmet she races down the hill, readying her axes as she goes.
When she hits the rear of the Myrkridian line she tears through it.
Fortified by her magic she is near untouchable and the Myrkridia scatter before her.
The surviving warriors circle her.
Their leader steps forward and salutes her.
When she removes her helmet they fall quiet.
Their leader gestures to her, then to some place over the hills. You gather that he is inviting her back to his camp.
She glances back to the Faceless Man up on the hill. He refuses to look at her.
She nods to the man and leaves with him.
The Faceless Man raises his glass in a toast, "To love! Destroyer of men, leveller of kingdoms, and the ruin of the world!" dramatically he knocks back the entire drink, "Hmm... nope, I need alcohol for this. He waves his hand again and the contents of the pitcher change colour. His glass shifts shape in his hand as he pours himself a rather generous dose of wine, "Ah well, nothing lasts forever they say. What that means for those of us who do, in fact, last forever is that in time we will lose everything."
He flips the window over to reveal a new scene, the development of a city, a kingdom, over hundreds of years all happening at an accelerated pace. Small blurred figures race back and forth as the camp turns into a town and finally a small city, "You see, Nine is living each second of 'her' life over again in there. It will take her quite some time in fact. Even at the speed of thought she has thousands of years to experience and that is before things get... complicated... this could take her years of real time to sort out... Thankfully we do not have to wade through the minutia. I will give you the quick version. We... parted ways at that battle. She went on to lead that tribe to greatness while I continued to wander. She ruled them as their queen alongside that mortal warrior you witnessed. He died but not before they had a son. Their boy ruled on after them as she withdrew from the actual management of the city. Still she never was one for hiding, she remained a public figure, a sort of patron god of the city. In time she ruled, directly and indirectly, most of the north. Her kingdom was called-"
"Yer-Ks, yes 'Culwyeh' mentioned the name," you interrupt him.
"That is right girl, good to know you pay attention," he grins but it is short lived, "She essentially ruled Yer-Ks, the kings and queens of her line were mere puppets and anyone with even a scrap of intellect realized it. Have you heard of the Trow, girls? The 'consorts of Nyx', the 'masters of iron', the 'natural rulers' of the world through much of its history. Well the Trow once encountered a race called the Callieach, masters of the arcane arts, builders of some of the most wondrous cities the world has ever seen! Why the mage towers of the Callieach alone put to shame anything worked by human or dwarven hands... so I am told. At any rate the Trow encountered the Callieach and realized that they could not subjugate them. So they wiped them out and damned both races. Now, the Callieach were the greatest threat to the Trow prior to Connacht himself. What do you think they did when they noticed a new kingdom ruled by a powerful and eternal mage forming to their north?"
He pauses for a moment but it is clear he does not expect or even want an answer. He is wrapped up in his story and you have a feeling he would continue to speak even if you were both to disappear. He wants to speak and so you will let him.
He refills his glass and continues.
Once more a new memory pushes its way forward. Smoke on the horizon, a city under siege, and the Trow. Great grey giants encased in black iron armour wielding hammers and blades bigger than a man. This is the war machine of the greatest empire to ever exist, before the slave revolts that ruined them, before Connacht who trapped them. This is the Trow at their height and they are terrifying even as a memory, "They marched on her. Columns of Trow warriors with their spellbound slaves descended on Yer-Ks. Culwyeh was proud, she was stubborn, she could be quite smart when she bothered, all of it counted for nothing against the Trow though, she stood no chance. She fell in battle with them though I managed to steal away her body. Her kingdom fell below the waves. At the time I sensed dark magic at work in that, not something from the Trow, but as it did not concern me I did not investigate."
The Faceless Man shakes his head, "It took me months to revive her... and even then... she was marked by the experience. She became prone to fits of rage. She was still the woman I cared for but... well she had changed... I suppose we all change... nature of the business."
You wonder if he is misleading you. Trying to portray himself as some sort of tragic figure. Is this all a trap or is he so lost in the past that he is simply letting everything out.
The next memory is centered on a different person.
-------------------------------------------
A young girl with short jet black hair sits on the edge of her mother's table. She gossips and when she thinks she can get away with it she snatches at the bowl of sweets next to her.
Her mother catches her, she scolds her, though you can not quite make out the words. One word however you can read clearly, Shiver.
His weariness is palpable, "Yes, Culwyeh became a real terror after that. Though I will admit things became easier for me. I no long had to hold back around her. In fact, she would often push me to go further. Oh we had a lot of fun together then and I let her take all of the credit. She wanted to hurt everyone, to destroy everything, if she could not rule then no one would and for my part, I simply did not care anymore. Mothers throughout the empire would warn their children, 'Don't break the rules or Shiver will get you', 'Don't lie or Shiver will steal you away', that sort of thing. Eventually she simply became Shiver to all but a few. An ancient evil from an unknown age sent to plague mankind, it is so very rarely that simple."
The child sticks her tongue out at her mother and receives a sharp slap for her trouble. She runs to her room crying.
That night she slips out of her second story window and runs off into the street, a small box under her arms.
He gestures absentmindedly at the screen, "I suppose you know who that child is Derryth? Her name was Ravanna and she would grow up to be a real terror herself though never one of mine. Lets jump ahead a bit more. Sure Ravanna has a sob story all of her own, you don't make it down the centuries without hurting others and being hurt, but I always loathed the bitch so to hell with her!"
---------------------------------------------
"Ah, now this is where things get interesting," the scene that materializes in front of you is of a city under siege or just following a siege. From the architecture you are certain that this is Muirthemne. The smoke, flames and screams in the background suggest that this is right after the fall of that city to the Fallen Lords a century ago.
Three figures stand in a watchtower attached to the palace compound.
"Come now Damas! Together the three of us can manage this!" a wild eyed beauty in black silk, a rather fey creature all things considered, cajoles a muscular warrior. As he turns to face her you see he is missing his nose and much of his lower face.
This is without a doubt Soulblighter.
From what you have heard of the man he was a beast, a creature of hatred and malice and loyal only to Balor. The look in his eyes is so at odds with what you know of him, it is a look of concern, and something else... compassion? No. You are certain that there is none of that in this man. Doubt maybe, fear perhaps, though not for himself.
The woman turns to the third figure in the watchtower, "Tell him Myrdred! Tell him what you told me about that bitch!"
Myrdred, the Deceiver, a thin, balding man in unassuming attire. At first glance he is easily the least impressive of the three, his eyes dart quickly from one of them to the other and he grins widely, he gives off the air of a fool but upon careful consideration he is easily the most dangerous of the three.
Damas does not let him speak, "Why in the name of the gods would you trust this snake anyway! For all you know this is a trap! He will betray us both if we do this!"
He does not seem upset by the accusation. Perhaps because the truth of it is so very obvious. Deferentially he raises a single finger, "If I may speak? Yes, I may betray you. But then you may each betray me in turn, correct? What I propose is that we work together to achieve out goals. Balor puts far too much trust in the ancients but they are not loyal to him. They serve because they have to but what if they get loose one day? What if that monster the Watcher slips his chain? What if that snake the Faceless Man gets loose into the world with no way to find him? What if Shiver finds a way out and decides to butcher us as well?" he begins to pick up speed, to become more excited as he speaks, "No, we need a way to even out the scales! We need tools to lay them low! The Empire has fallen, the Province is a backwater and will not seriously resist us, now is the time to strike! Balor no longer needs them! He has us and the young ones!"
Damas shakes his head, "What you are proposing would be treason. We are forbidden from fighting each other. Ravanna, listen to reason-"
She laughs at him, "Reason Damas? Rules? Really? Shiver does not give a damn about the 'rules'! She will kill me the first chance she gets! The Watcher has already attempted to murder Myrdred numerous times-"
Damas scoffs, "Probably with good reason!"
"Probably..." the Deceiver smiles, "I wonder what 'good reasons' the Faceless Man will come up with to put you down Damas? Balor listens to his council far more than yours already... and now that Balor has the Bonesplitter to serve as his dog you are quickly becoming redundant," Myrdred grins from ear to ear as Damas squirms.
"Damas! We can do this! First Shiver, then the Faceless Man and finally the Watcher!" Ravanna sweeps her arms gracefully through the air, "We will become the new ancients! We simply have to trap them and pick them clean of their knowledge."
The view shifts to the throne room of the old palace.
The Emperor's throne lay broken, tipped on its side.
The room appears empty save for Damas who paces nervously. Casting long shadows along the floor and walls from the large braziers on either side of the room.
Culwyeh, no Shiver, enters, "You wanted to speak to me, Soulblighter?"
She is direct and to the point.
He begins, "Yes, Balor has instructions for you-"
She pays him little more than a passing glance, "Where is he then?"
Soulblighter seethes, "He will be along shortly he-"
"You are lying!" she snarls. Shadows begin to pool in the corners of the room.
"I-" he sputters.
Shiver narrows her eyes.
Ravanna springs her trap.
You watch the scene unfold from two sets of eyes.
The shadows coil around Shiver, immobilizing her as Ravanna leaps forward.
Shiver lashes out, the ground cracking and heaving as tremors shake the throne room. Two of the braziers tip over spilling coals out on the cracked marble floor.
The shadows begin to disintegrate. Ravanna giggles, "A little help please! She is too strong!"
Damas hits Shiver with a spell of his own. A blade of grey-green magic pierces her side. She howls and points at Soulblighter with a now free hand. He hits the floor and skids across the room. His body begins to crack under the pressure but Shiver is completely absorbed fighting off the Voiceless One and Soulblighter.
Then the Deceiver strikes.
You will give him this, he picks the perfect time.
He let his allies do all the work tying her up and tiring her out. Then he delivers the killing strike.
Only he does not kill her.
He incapacitates her.
Ravanna hops over to them as Soulblighter climbs to his feet and limps over as well.
The three of them form a triangle around Shiver.
You recognize this ritual.
It is very similar to the one you used to gain access to Nine's mind.
You can feel Myrdred and Damas reach out to Ravanna. They secure the bridge between her mind and Shiver's.
The Voiceless One crosses over into Shiver's mind.
Everything is still for a moment.
Then Myrdred does something, it is subtle but you can just feel it.
He sabotaged Ravanna... then he lets go.
Shiver and the Voiceless One scream out in unison.
The whole palace shakes.
The perspective shifts again.
You do not see the next scene from Culwyeh's eyes, nor do you see it from Ravanna's. You see it from the Faceless Man's. He gives you a sad smile, "Neither of them witnessed my failure quite like I did. You have sat through most of the tale, you may as well see the end..."
The main doors of the throne room explode inward.
The Watcher and a swarm of Shades storm in with the Faceless Man close behind.
Myrdred raises his hands in surrender and begins to back towards the throne.
Damas tries to stammer a response but the Faceless Man silences him, "Do not speak! And for all that you hold dear do not release the tethers on Ravanna!"
He enters Shiver's mind. Desperate to once again save her. To bring her back. To prove his mastery.
It is odd to see the process from his perspective.
The collision of two minds.
Their panic drives them together.
Though he tries to calm them.
Their mutual hatred keeps them from working together.
Though he tries to reason with them.
Their arrogance prevents them from listening to him.
Though he screams, he begs, he pleads.
And just like that they are gone.
Or almost gone.
He fires off one spell, one message, one lifeline to the woman he knew. Fashioned in the form of a single music box.
He hurls it into the chaos.
That gets the attention of this shattered monstrosity.
The swirling chaos that replaces their minds reaches for him.
It is hungry, it is angry, it is insane.
He flees.
He runs for the first time in his career.
Beaten.
Utterly beaten and that hurts him the most. Not that he failed her but that he failed at all. That he was outmanoeuvred by that child Myrdred, that he had not prepared her for a possibility he had never even thought of. His first thought is how to avenge himself on that little worm, that little coward.
He is angry not sad.
Instinctively you are a bit angry at him for that.
Then he notices Damas.
Never the best mage, never the smartest, never the wisest but he refuses to release her.
He is maintaining the tethers to Ravanna's mind out of sheer stubbornness and stupidity. He risks his very mind but there is no fear in him, not now.
So the anger gives way to shame and the Faceless Man starts to think, starts to scheme and an idea occurs to the him. He may not be able to restore the Shiver but he can restore a Shiver.
From this his greatest failure he can create a testament to his ingenuity, to his ability.
He will fashion a person.
He darts around the edge of this cauldron of insanity.
He snatches up the scraps, copies them and casts them back. The result is an approximation of a mind. Scraps of memories from both women woven together to hide the blanks and inconsistencies. He alters locations, people, places. He removes himself entirely from her memories and in so doing removes a witness to his failure.
He gives her the most direct of their magics, things he can easily steal, things he has seen them cast in the past. He retrieves the Whisper Dream and hangs it at the center of her.
He names her Shiver, the Mother of Plagues and First Lady of the Fallen.
Culwyeh is dead.
Ravanna is dead.
In time the world will cease to remember they ever were.
His failure will remain his own.
He gives his creation to Soulblighter and Damas guides it back to its body.
The Faceless Man returns to his own mind.
Soulblighter clutches an unconscious Ravanna to him. Myrdred remains surrounded by Shades. The Watcher pinning him in place.
The Faceless Man will kill them both but he runs out of time.
Three figures casually stride through the shattered main doors.
The first is wizen, skeletal, a pair of blades in his hands. He is Balor's general and leader of the Myrmidons, the Bonesplitter.
The second is a young woman, a tiny creature hidden in rags, eternally dirty. She is the Lurker, Balor's pet archmage and protégé, the youngest of the Fallen.
The final figure is clad in silver armour. A great horned helm hides his face. He is the Leveller himself, Balor, Connacht, their Emperor.
The assembled archmages drop to their knees as he enters all save Myrdred and the Faceless Man. They glare at one another. Then they smile.
"What has happened here?" Balor sounds annoyed. You get the impression that, that is not a good thing.
It is the Faceless Man that speaks in response, "A small experiment, nothing more," he glances at the Deceiver to see if he will play along.
Myrdred strides confidently towards Balor, he nods at the Faceless Man "We successfully identified and neutralized two traitors in out midst while also applying a new and quite interesting spell."
Balor looks past them at the bodies of Culwyeh and Ravanna, "They sought to betray us?" he sounds almost amused. You suspect he does not believe their story but is willing to let them tell it.
Both men nod, the Deceiver gestures to the Faceless Man, "As my colleague can no doubt inform you those two ladies were conspiring to replace you, they were working together to undo the ties that bind us all together."
The Faceless Man expresses his agreement, "It was our hope that we could convince them to once more serve loyally. We could not. So instead I-"
"We," Myrdred interrupts him raising a single finger in protest.
The Faceless Man coughs, "We, devised a spell to transfer their magical knowledge and loyalty into one body while consigning all of those subversive thoughts to the other."
Myrdred raises an eyebrow at this but manages to hide his surprise. He now vaguely understands what the Faceless Man achieved and he knows exactly what lie to spin, triumphantly he gestures to the prone Ravanna, "My lord may I present to you..."
"Shiver!" the Faceless Man snatches up the loose threads, "From two disloyal Fallen Lords we have made you a single loyal one. She will serve our cause until the end of her days!"
The Faceless Man and the Deceiver smile at one another while their eyes promise murder, death and destruction to each other.
Balor is no fool, he can see this all plainly but it amuses him to let it play out, "Well then! We thank you both for your efforts," he snaps his fingers and Bonesplitter stalks over to the new Shiver. He reaches for her, Damas stares him down.
Bonesplitter looks to Balor. The Lord of the Fallen sighs, "Soulblighter give Shiver to Bonesplitter. You may see her later but for now I must examine her."
The Myrmidon general snatches the unconscious archmage up and hefts her over his broad shoulder.
Balor gives each of them a long stare. Each in turn, turns away. He laughs, he turns and still laughing marches from the room flanked by The Lurker and Bonesplitter.
"Well that went well!" the Deceiver grins. Quite happy for a man surrounded by enemies that would gladly snuff out his life.
The Faceless Man turns on him, "The only reason I did not hand you to Balor is because I want you for myself Myrdred! I won't kill you, not for a few centuries at least but I will take everything from you! I will drive you mad! I will-"
"NO, HE IS MINE!" The Watcher finally speaks, his voice echoing out from within his twisted armour. Inhuman rage animating his one armed frame. As his shades hover around him like flies to a corpse.
Damas stands and approaches the gathered archmages "Myrdred, you are a snake but I swear if it is the last thing I do I will kill you."
Most men would be intimidated by three such threats from three such individuals in such quick succession but the Deceiver is unreadable like usual.
Myrdred's grin grows ever wider, calmly he replies, "Try it, all of you, just try it. I have no one I care for save myself. I have nothing I value save myself. And I am already quite insane I assure you. Old men and imbeciles all of you. Your time has past, so give me everything you have because you will need it all."
Confidently he pushes his way past some of the most powerful and dangerous mages in history. He stops next to Culwyeh's body, "I suppose we should do something about whatever is in her now?"
He receives no reply so he shrugs, "Well don't worry about it. I will deal with it," he deftly snatches up one of Culwyeh's axes. He swings it with a force one would not expect from his thin frame and separates her head from her shoulders with a single chop.
He wraps her head in a piece of hessian cloth and confidently strides out into the night.
The Faceless Man looks on in silence following the Deceiver as he strides into the distance.
Damas shakes his head in disgust.
Just another day in service to the Dark.
--------------------------------------------------
"Why did you show me that?" it is the first question that comes to your mind.
The Faceless Man refuses to make eye contact, "Shiver, my creation, is as far as I know dead. The Watcher is dead, or as dead as he can be. The Deceiver, dead, or at least I hope he is. Balor? Soulblighter? Both dead. Who knows what happened to Bonesplitter or The Lurker. It has been a century Derryth... I suppose I have been humbled... it no longer matters to me like it did and I want you to understand just what Nine was and is. She is a mistake, an aberration, I did not oppose her because I am not certain I can anymore. Whatever you do, do not trust-"
"That is quite enough out of you," Nine's voice rings out as the Faceless Man pops out of existence, "Men! They all love to hear themselves talk! On and on and on..." she giggles.
Nine's eyes are open, she stares at you both with incredible warmth, "My girls. You make me so very proud you know that? If I were you though, I would not trust him. Use him if you can, dispose of him if you are able but never trust him. I still have a great number of memories to sort through but I can tell you that."
You look into her eyes, she still seems a little confused, a little vacant but you can feel that she is much more stable now. You are still not completely sure that this was a good idea but you don't really regret it either. You are happy for her, "So what now Nine?"
She screws up her lips, focusing on your question, "Well dears, I have to properly sort through all of these memories from not just one lifetime but two! It is quite confusing," she lets out one of her little laughs, "Once I have done that and it is all integrated and I have full control over my mind, I have to start clearing out that mess," she points with one thin hand at the twisted, frozen city, "I have to hold down and absorb those two archmages. Then I have to see if I can fix any of the ideas in there. After that I have to clean everything up and set up a proper mental landscape. Something pretty with a lot of light I think. The old city was just too dark."
Thaïs leans past you to get a better view of Nine, "Sounds like you have a lot to do?"
Nine gives you both an apologetic smile, "Oh I do dears! I do! This will take thousands of 'years' to fix!"
Out of curiosity you ask the obvious question, "How long is that in real time Nine?"
"Out there? Oh years at least I should think! I have a lot to fix! Everything in fact!"
"Need help?" you ask though you are a bit afraid she will say yes.
She reaches over and takes your hand, "That is sweet dear, it really is but you have things to do. I have eternity, I can waste a few years or a decade in my own mind but you can not. At least not yet. Just keep my head safe until I wake up please. I should have all sorts of things to teach you then!"
With that Nine sees you off. Your goodbyes are tearful but quick. You do have another archmage waiting for you in the physical world after all and you should not keep him waiting.
---------------------------------------------------
It was early morning when you entered the mindscape. It is past midnight when you return to your bodies and you are famished. Speaking of which you have a sudden craving for a pomegranate despite never having tasted one. You put the desire down to Thaïs' memories and make a note to ask her about where to get one.
As a precaution you check each other's minds for any stray bits of archmage that may have tried to cross over. You are both clean, as far as you can tell at least. All of your memories and feelings are your own, well aside from the impressions you received from one another.
Biliku and Uttu sleep curled up under the nearby tree. The Arrows inform you that though they were tired but that they refused to leave their 'posts'. You smile at their dedication and resist the urge to wake them.
You tell the Arrows to got fetch Lyssa and you wait.
----------------------------------------------------
The Arrows take their time retrieving Mazzarin's apprentice but eventually they return with her. She seems fairly happy to see you, "Good, your back. My master was getting bored and impatient and when he does he gets... rough."
You consider that it might have been better for the witch to keep her separate from her master then an odd idea hits you. You could offer her a job. You are not an archmage and certainly no Mazzarin yet but you would be easier on her. Perhaps you could convince her to leave with you, the Arrows could seal up Mazzarin and you could leave him to rot alone in the dark. You doubt he would see it coming but would betraying an archmage of his power be a good idea?
For the time being you push away the idea. You explain to Lyssa that you have the ritual that will restore Mazzarin's body but that it requires specialized ingredients, "We need either a great deal of magical energy or a large concentration of vital spirits... blood... human blood would be easiest. Enough to submerge him in..."
Lyssa frowns, "That might be difficult. He will probably want me to do it... that... that would kill me..."
The way she says it, like it is a death sentence confuses you, "Well you could refuse right?"
"No. If he finds out, which he will as soon as I go back down there and he enters my mind, he will order me to and that is it. I will do it," she shrugs, "Well I am going to die one day anyway... and I might make it... maybe..."
The ease with which she accepts the idea is a bit unsettling to you. She turns to leave but you stop her, "Hold on, maybe we have options here that won't require someone to die."
2. The Ritual, do you go through with it?
A) Yes, a deal is a deal. You will give him the information needed to cast the spell and you will help him restore himself. (see question 3)
B) No, you and the Arrows leave. You are not helping this Mazzarin. The world does not need another ancient monster wandering about.
C) No, your group and the Arrows leave but you also offer to take Lyssa with you. You won't force her to leave, you and Thaïs will make a case for her coming with you. It will then be up to her.
D) Sort of, you will give Mazzarin the information required to cast it but you will not restore him yourself.
E) freeform
3. The Ritual, if you conduct it how are you going to power it?
A) Magic: You and Thaïs will convince Mazzarin to wait a few days while you recover. You will then conduct the ritual with Lyssa using your magic to fuel the spell. It will probably leave you all quite drained for a twenty four hour period or so after the spell.
B) Lyssa's Blood: You will let Lyssa drain herself to fuel the spell. You will cast it while she bleeds out, she might live... maybe...
C) Lyssa's Blood and a chained Heal spell: You will let Lyssa drain herself to fuel the spell. You will cast it while she bleeds out but as soon as you are done you will cast a Heal spell on her. You might be quick enough to save her. You will draw on Thaïs to cast the Heal spell as you will not have enough power to cast it yourself. This will likely leave all three of you in weakened condition for at least a day.
D) Arrows' Blood: Ceannard and his men have been awfully useless so far. You will take some blood from each of them and use that to fuel the spell. They probably won't like it but Lyssa can give them a bonus or something you think.
E) Send a couple Arrows to get a large number of mandrake roots. You will send the Arrows back to Myrgard to procure about forty mandrake roots. Lyssa has enough gold stored to pay for them so cost is not a concern but it would be difficult to get that many roots without drawing a lot of attention.
F) Modified Lyssa's Blood and a chained Heal spell: You will let Lyssa drain herself to fuel the spell. You will cast it while she bleeds out but as soon as you are done you will cast a Heal spell on her. You might be quick enough to save her. You will draw on Thaïs to cast the Heal spell as you will not have enough power to cast it yourself. This will likely leave all three of you in weakened condition for at least a day. And you ask the second reward for Lyssa, pointing out that with his form restored he can get a new novice anyway.
G) freeform
Chapter 19: Blood for the Blood God?
Chapter 19: Blood for the Blood God?"You sure this is a good idea?" Thaïs asks.
"Nope," you don't look up. This will take your full concentration to pull off. If you are off by even a little... "Damn it!"
You miss... again.
"My arm!" Ceannard howls.
"Quit complaining," you give Ceannard a swat, "And stop squirming or I will miss the vein again!"
As the only one with any sort of real medical training you are responsible for getting the blood out of the Arrows without hurting them too badly. For the most part you succeed though it is not always easy.
"I can not believe I agreed to this- ouch!" you finally find his vein and begin draining him, he looks down at his arm and turns a little pale, "I... I feel a bit weak..."
You look at Thaïs, she looks at you, you both start laughing.
"Do not laugh, I am serious!" the Arrow insists.
You shake your head in disbelief, "You are a mercenary. You must see blood all of the time?"
He looks up at you a confident grin on his weary face, "Well yes. But it usually is not my blood," he hesitates, staring at the blood running from his arm, "And there usually isn't so much of it just lying about," he gestures to the shallow basin at his feet.
You shrug, unmoved, "Well we need enough of it to cover the archmage with. Look, if it bothers you so much don't look at it."
He frowns, "Well then what should I look at? There is blood everywhere!" he stops for a moment as a sly grin creeps onto his pale face, "Hmm... what about my lovely doctors? Will the two of you nurse me back to health, maybe? Give me something else to think about perhaps? Kiss the wound and make it- ahhhh!"
Seems you had the same idea as you both give him a small zap at the same time. The cumulative effect of which is quite a bit stronger than either of you intended, "Alright, alright! I was only joking! I am just trying to keep my mind off the blood you know!"
You give the Arrow a sympathetic smile, feeling a little guilty about shocking him, "We know Ceannard, we know. And look, it worked," you staunch the bleeding as Thaïs carries the basin away and empties it into one of a pair of large pails, "All done!" you declare as you carefully bandage up the wound and help him to his feet.
"Do you need a hand Ceannard?" Thaïs asks as he slowly passes her.
Weakly he shakes his head, "No, no. I will be fine," he does not look fine but seems determined to make it on his own. A matter of pride perhaps... you wonder...
Ceannard wanders out of the hut and joins his men sitting in the grass. Biliku and Uttu rush about amongst them tending to them and administering broth, nuts and scrambled snake eggs to help them recover. With only sixteen Arrows to draw from and poor tools it is a wonder no one dies. A few come too close for your liking but you manage with your combined supplies.
You take a fair bit from each of them, maybe more than you should have, but by the time the sun begins to rise you have an adequate supply of blood.
You stick your head out of the hut and call for your girls. Biliku and Uttu come running, when they get inside you give them your orders, "Now girls, I want you to stay out here and keep watch with the Arrows, they are in no state to fight so if anything attacks you come and find us understand?"
They look at one another, then to Thaïs over your shoulder, finally they look to you and they nod. You smile and tussle their hair, "Good, now back to your posts."
They snap you a salute, mimicking the behaviour of the Arrows they have been tending and race off into the early morning light, back to their guard posts.
You would love to join them under the sun but you have to head in the opposite direction. Once more into the earth, once more into the gloom and darkness. The trapdoor creeks open behind you and Lyssa emerges. She looks tired, spent, and from the bloody cloth in her hand you suspect Mazzarin has been in her mind again.
Lyssa frowns, "I thought you said we needed to submerge him."
You nod and explain your reasoning "Yes, I did but I have been thinking. The spell calls for the target to be covered in a substance capable of channelling the magical energies involved. I assumed this meant complete submersion. That is certainly how Culwyeh did it, in a large, ornate tub of human blood. But I think we can do this by simply coating him in blood. To submerge him we would have to kill at least some of the Arrows and I am not murdering sixteen men to ease your master's pain."
Lyssa thinks on that for a moment then nods, "No more deaths... yes I agree," without a further word she snatches up one of the buckets and heads down into the tunnel.
You are left to wonder just what motivates such a person. She seems to hold no particular loyalty to her master, she does not even seem to like him very much and yet she seems willing to do everything in her power to help him. It is certainly odd.
You grab the other pail and follow her down with your friend close behind. The three of you make the uncomfortable walk to Mazzarin's chamber in silence. You suspect that an observer would confuse you with a trio of ghosts haunting this narrow tunnel. You are all worn down, mentally exhausted, but you push on.
As you enter Mazzarin's cell you scan the room. For some reason you half expected the archmage to rise and greet you, like something out of a horror story.
He rests on his slab, however, unmoving save for the slight rise and fall of his chest.
Lyssa carefully places her bucket on the floor and moves to grab Mazzarin's hand as you lay your bucket down and grab her arm, "Don't," you order her.
She turns to you, "But he won't be able to speak if I don't connect with him."
"Good," you reply, "I want him to listen not talk and I might need you for this. I don't want you any more drained than you already are."
She gives you a reluctant nod and a slight smile, "Thank you," she whispers.
You push past her to her master, "Mazzarin? Can you hear me? One grunt for yes and, well, if you can't it does not much matter now does it?"
The corpse lets out a single gasp which you take for a yes.
"Alright then," you are not terribly thrilled about what you have to do next, "We are going to... strip you, and then we are going to bathe you in blood. We don't have enough to submerge you in so we..." you take a deep breath, "So we are going to give you a sponge bath..." you could swear the old bastard smiles just a little at the thought.
You turn from him to Thaïs and Lyssa, "Let's just get this over with as quickly as possible."
One brisk and very unsettling bath later you have an archmage covered in congealed blood. Henry would be so very proud...
"Alright, now I will handle the actual casting. Sorry Mazzarin but I am not letting you in my head so you can sit this one out. Thaïs, Lyssa, I want you both to give me as much power as you can without hurting yourselves. No rushing, this could take a little while."
You reach out with your mind and begin to construct the foundations of the spell that will revive Mazzarin. You reach out to his body but keep a close watch upon his mind all the same, you can not truly trust the man after all. You feel the Faceless Man observing closely, he whispers into your mind. Don't worry Derryth, I will keep an eye on him. You are not certain how comforting that is.
As you trace the contours of his body you work carefully to locate and identify his pneuma, his breath, the elemental air that forms the basis of life. It is weak, almost nonexistent but it is there. You give a slight sigh of relief, he is not some undead monstrosity, he is not some demonic apparition, he is alive, he is flesh and blood and will. A small sliver of your fear of the man disappears as this knowledge sinks in. You are fairly certain you could 'kill' him at this exact moment if you wanted to. You are also certain that none of you would walk out of this room alive and that he almost certainly would not stay dead.
You push such ideas from your mind and focus on the task at hand. Slowly you chant the incantations to fortify his soul, his breathing becomes more steady, deeper, slowly but surely you are restoring him to his prime.
Now for the difficult part, most of the blood in him has long since turned to dust, a sort of magical sludge weakly pumps through his veins. You need to restore the proper flow of his vital spirits and rekindle his inner fire.
That will take a fair amount of energy.
You call out to your two assistants and they answer. They pour power into your spells which you in turn pour into Mazzarin's body. The blood begins to evaporate as the vital spirits within it are transmitted to Mazzarin's flesh. His lungs, his heart, his liver, all begin to revive. His heart begins to heat, and to beat, and slowly the sludge in his veins begins to move. The colour returns to his flesh. He begins to warm considerably and no longer looks like a corpse.
He has taken on the proportions and characteristics of a young man, you would say he looks to be in his early twenties, he is handsome enough but nothing spectacular. You would say he is average, in every way just average, it is a bit disappointing to be honest. Some tiny part of you had expected him to be... bigger, a magical giant, but here before you he is just a man like any other.
Immediately you remind yourself that he is not what he seems, that he is in fact the greatest archmage to have ever practiced the magical arts. He deserves your respect, and a good deal of caution if nothing else.
You can now feel the air in his lungs, the blood in his veins and suddenly he no longer needs your help to maintain himself. His body begins to function naturally. His liver begins once more to refine pneuma into natural spirits to supply to his heart which in turn creates the vital spirits necessary for physical existence. He is stable now, the worst is past.
The last set of spells require little power but a great deal of finesse, you wave Thaïs and Lyssa off and they gradually break contact with you.
Only one step remains now, to coax his physical brain back to full operation, to take the vital spirits his heart is now producing and to use them, direct them through his brain once more. You channel them, guide them, and begin the process by which they can become true animal spirits. He begins to move, to babble unintelligibly, his rational soul still out of balance with his physical body. You work quickly to stabilize him, to prevent the onset of madness.
The Faceless Man watches in silence but you can sense approval radiating from him. You really are quite good at this for such a young mage Derryth, why with my help-
His voice cuts out and you are dragged back to reality.
You can still feel the Faceless Man but he is focused on something, someone, other than you.
Mazzarin sits on his slab, a confident smile upon his face, "I was not aware that you had a second archmage travelling with you," there is a great deal of cruelty there, hatred too in fact.
Now that he has recovered you can feel the power pouring off of him. He is not even attempting to hide it. You can see it in him, you can feel it near him, you can hear it, taste it, smell it, the complete magical mastery he possesses. It is fascinating, it is intoxicating, it is horrifying, and you know instantly that you are completely at his mercy. You could not fight this man even were you inclined to do so. Even on your best day it would not be close. Even with your entire Circle, even with every mage you have ever known, you would lose. You would lose badly. You had doubted but you doubt no longer.
This is Mazzarin and he is terrifying.
He makes a single push towards your mind, no your minds, he hits all three of you. You can feel the weight of it, he could crush you in an instant but he stops. Or rather he is stopped. The Faceless Man is protecting your minds and it takes every ounce of his strength to do so. In your mind he grunts, he screams, he cries.
With a shrug Mazzarin breaks off his... attack is the wrong word for it, if that had been an attack you would no longer exist... his... probe? Yes, his probe, he was testing you and Thaïs or perhaps the Faceless Man but either way it seems you have passed, at least for the moment.
You decide that complete honesty would be best policy here. If he decides to he can invade your mind with hardly any effort.
He sits on his slab completely exposed but it is you that feels naked.
You choke down your fear and your awe, if nothing else you are stubborn and you will be damned if you are going to be intimidated by anyone, even by this mage, "I was not aware that he was travelling with us either until today."
He gives you what on first glance is a warm smile, but it is odd, sharp in your mind, "Well, if you want I can take those bracelets off of you. It would be a simple thing to do all things considered."
The Faceless Man screams a warning to you, not a compulsion, not a suggestion, not even words, just an emotion. Fear, terror, for himself and for you.
Still, he is a liar, and a manipulator. You would not put it past him to try and influence you against Mazzarin. You are not certain what you should do really.
The Faceless Man cries out.
Mazzarin calmly awaits your reply.
You try to formulate words with a Fallen Lord wailing in your head, "Would... um... would this count as a favour?"
His smile gets broader, and sharper, "You did not have to revive me yourself. You could have dumped the information on poor Lyssa and I would not have blamed you" he gives her a slight nod through she turns a little pale and wobbles slightly, "You did not have to do anything more than that but instead you brought me back to my full glory. I will of course require the exact details of the ritual from you but that is a small matter and easily solved. In exchange for your contributions above and beyond what was required of you I am willing to offer you this additional boon. I will remove the bracelets and free you from the influence of this archmage. All I ask for in exchange are the bracelets themselves. If the being using them is who I suspect it is then he and I have business to settle. Once and for all."
You consider the idea, "May I have some time to consult with my colleague?"
His sharp smile cuts deeper, "Certainly, I will need a few hours to gather some things I have left nearby," he stands and looks you in the eyes, he raises a single hand to his chin in contemplation.
You stand transfixed by his stare, unable to move as your body cries out to you to run, finally he speaks, "Oh, before I forget. On a related note what do you want for your talking head? I should like to have her. Money, power, really anything you could want I can give you. It will be a fair trade I assure you."
Instinctively you begin to inform him that you will not trade your friend for anything.
He does not allow you to respond however, he waves you away and the three of you each take six small steps backward in unison, "I shall return shortly and would prefer an answer then," he snaps his fingers and disappears in a cloud of gray green ash.
"So that was Mazzarin?" you mutter in astonishment.
"I suppose so," Thaïs answers.
"I... I thought he would be kinder... I... I don't know..." Lyssa looks rather shaken, "Ever... ever have that feeling you made the wrong choice in life?"
The three of you blink and stare at one another.
What to do is the question.
1. Mazzarin says he will be gone for a few hours. You could wait for him or you could try to run away, he is rather terrifying...
A) You stay. You wish to do business with him now.
B) You run away (given how close these choices are in intent all options to run away will be counted together, the most popular option will be chosen.)
i. You, Thaïs, Biliku and Uttu will flee. Though you and Thaïs are mentally exhausted you should still be able to make fairly good time. It will take a few hours to reach Myrgard.
ii. You, Thaïs, Biliku and Uttu will flee. You offer to take Lyssa with you, you doubt she will live long in his service. The five of you should be able to make good time. It will take a few hours to reach Myrgard.
iii. You, Thaïs, Biliku, Uttu and the Arrows will flee. The Arrows are still in rather poor condition and will likely slow you down. Of course they will also provide some muscle should you run into trouble. It will take you the better part of half a day to reach Myrgard.
iv. You, Thaïs, Biliku, Uttu and the Arrows will flee. The Arrows are still in rather poor condition and will likely slow you down. Of course they will also provide some muscle should you run into trouble. You also offer to take Lyssa with you, you doubt she will live long in his service. It will take you the better part of half a day to reach Myrgard.
v. freeform
C) Send Biliku, Uttu and Nine away with the Arrows as escort. Derryth and Thais stay to do business with the mage.
D) freeform
2. The Bracelets/The Faceless Man: Mazzarin has offered to free you from the bracelets and the Faceless Man for the price of the bracelets themselves. Do you accept?
A) Yes - you accept.
B) No - you do not accept.
3. Nine: Mazzarin would like to purchase Nine. Will you trade her to him?
A) Yes - you will trade her away (The options will be listed in the next update if you choose to stay. They will likely include money, magical training, artefacts and the like. It is essentially an extra favour.).
B) No - you will not trade her for anything.
4. Favour(s): You still have two favours left. Do you wish to use one or both when Mazzarin returns?
A) No - you will not call in a favour.
B) Yes - you will call in one favour.
C) Yes - you will call in both favours.
5. Favour Selection (if 4b wins the top selection will be chosen, if 4c wins the top two selections will be chosen).
A) Lyssa, you ask for Mazzarin's apprentice. You are fairly certain from talking to her that she would accept the arrangement.
B) Wealth, you do not know how much he will give you but it should be substantial.
C) Artefacts, a list will be presented on his return. You may chose a certain number of them then.
D) Magic, he will grant you instruction in a field of your choice.
E) Summon Shub-Niggurath, what is the worst that could happen?
F) You ask that from now on he never act directly and/or knowingly against you or your friends in any form or manner, this includes Nine, obviously we promise to refrain to take any direct or willing action against him as well. Should you break this agreement your life and the lives of all those you care about/know will be forfeit.
F) freeform
Chapter 20: The Arrows in Flight
Chapter 20: The Arrows in FlightYour return to the surface is quick and silent. This is no time for words, you need to get the children and Nine away from here before the archmage returns. Negotiating with him will be difficult enough as it is, you do not want to give him hostages to use against you as well.
Ceannard ambles up to the three of you as you rush out into the morning air. He has recovered slightly and the colour has returned to his face. Behind him the Arrows mill about chatting while a few sentries stand with the girls keeping watch.
Down in that hole you had not noticed the passage of time but it has been hours. You suspect it is approaching noon.
Ceannard gets a closer look at your face, a hint of concern passes over his in response, "What happened Derryth? You look worried," he grins, "Well more worried than normal."
You give him a nod as you pass him, headed for the girls, "I am."
He falls into your wake as Thaïs gives him the details, he absorbs it all in silence.
You glance at him over your shoulder, to his credit he does not even flinch. He increases his pace slightly, pulling up beside you, he speaks, "You will be needing our services then?"
"Yes, though not here," you wave at the girls, "I need you and your men to take the girls and Nine away from here. Get them to Myrgard, they will know where to go from there, I-"
He does not let you finish, "Our contract was to ensure you all made it back to the city," Ceannard places a hand on your shoulder as you stop short, "I always honour my contracts. If you need us to we will put this archmage back in the ground."
His professionalism is reassuring, the concern in his voice is touching, but now really is not the time, he has not even the slightest clue of what he is up against, "Thank you Ceannard but it will take much more than sixteen men and a couple mages to defeat this man. I have no intention of fighting him but I need the children safe if I am going to do this."
He frowns but nods, "Alright then, I will send them back with Otto and I will stay-"
You shake your head and raise a hand, "You need to be the one to do this, understand? I am trusting my people to your care. I expect you to see them safely to the city and I want your word that you and all of your men will leave."
He wants to argue. You get the feeling that on this issue he could be as stubborn as you are. He tries to speak. You stare at him. He tries again, but you will not be moved; not on this at least. He makes a fist and shakes his head, "You are too Wyrd damned stubborn for your own good, you know that? Fine, I give you my word, we will see your people safely to the city or die in the attempt." He snaps a salute and marches off to organize his people. They still look drained, weak, but they are professionals. They will give it everything they have.
Biliku and Uttu slow their advance from a brisk trot to almost a crawl as they see the look on your face. They know instinctively that you are about to give them instructions they will not like.
You motion for them to hurry up as they wander over to you and Thaïs, you begin, "Girls we have a very important task for you. We need you to take Mistress Nine and go with the Arrows back to Myrgard."
Their jaws drop, Uttu stamps a foot. Biliku protests, "If we leave we won't be able to protect you and Thaïs! We won't be able to do our jobs! You can not ask us to flee like that. We are not cowards!"
The younger girl turns red in the face, "We won't leave and you can't make us!"
It would almost be cute if the most powerful archmage to ever live were not breathing down your neck. Thaïs drops to a knee and takes both of the girls by the hand, softly she begins, taking a slightly different tact, "We know you are brave girls, but that man you saw earlier wants to take Nine away. We can not let that happen. It is of the utmost importance that you take Nine back to Myrgard and find Bari. This is a very important task that no one but you two can do for us. Do you understand?"
Slowly they nod. You place a hand on Thaïs' shoulder, "Do you think you and Uttu could go help the Arrows? I need to talk to Biliku for a moment."
Your friend leads the younger girl away.
Biliku examines you as you take off your pack. Carefully you withdraw Nine's sleeping head and help store it away in her pack, "Nine should not wake up for quite some time and she requires no special care. Just let her sleep and protect her, we should be along shortly..." you try to hide your concern behind a tired smile. You are glad you are so exhausted, had you the energy you would be terrified and you don't want the girl to pick up on that.
You search your mind for advice, "If she does wake up for whatever reason be polite to her, smile, don't contradict her too much and try to get her to go back to sleep. Do not let her poke around in your head either. If she tries, call for Ceannard or one of the Arrows..."
With Nine securely stowed away you straighten he pack, you check the straps to ensure they are properly secured. Biliku fidgets slightly as you fuss over her perhaps a little too much, "You listen to Ceannard understand? He knows these tunnels and the desert well. When you get back to Myrgard you take Uttu and Nine and go straight to the safehouse. Find Bari-"
She shakes free of your grasp and begins readjusting the straps on her pack, quietly she speaks, "Don't worry Derryth I won't let you down. I will get them both safely to Bari," she breaks eye contact, "Just... please... please don't die."
She throws her arms around you, catching you off guard.
Lightly you pat her on the head.
You are not sure what to say really.
The truth is anything but certain.
You know all too well that you may not see either of them again so you tell her what she wants to hear, what she wants to be the truth, what you want to be the truth, "Don't worry kid, we will be absolutely fine. You just take care of your sister and we can go shopping or something when we get back safe and sound."
She smiles at the thought though she looks a little confused. It occurs to you that she has probably never been shopping. She probably does not even really know what that is. The realization makes you laugh a little. It proves contagious as she begins to laugh as well.
If this is to be the last time you see her. At least it will be joyous not sombre.
-------------------------------------------------
The Arrows led by Ceannard march past you. Each with his bow at the ready. He gives you a slight nod as he passes. You feel better that he will be with them. As foolish as he can be, at this moment he exudes confidence. You know he will do everything he can to get them to safety.
As they disappear into the darkness of the tunnels Uttu looks back at you and waves dramatically. The two of you can not help but wave back.
Biliku drags her into the darkness, yelling something about 'professionalism' and 'embarrassment'. The sisters fall to bickering and you can hear them for minutes after they disappear from view.
You turn to Lyssa and Thaïs, the witch speaks up, "Now what?"
You motion back to the hut, "I guess we wait."
------------------------------------------
Waiting is your least favourite part of the life you lead. The danger, the horror, the blood, all of the terrible and disgusting things you have to put up with, none of it is as bad as the waiting. The moments when you are caught between the promise of success and the terror of failure. It can sap you of your strength, deprive you of your rest, if you let it, it can ruin you.
So you do something to keep your mind off it.
"When is he going to show up?" Lyssa asks to no one in particular as she deals out three cards to each of you. She places a another four cards on the table, face up.
"He is an archmage. He will get here when he feels like it," you snatch a four of swords from the table with your four of coins.
"Yes, but he did say he would only be a couple hours," Thaïs reminds you as she places a two of cups on the table.
"Maybe he won't come back?" Lyssa hazards as she sweeps the table, grabbing all three cards with a six of coins, "Hah!"
For a girl that supposedly does not gamble. Lyssa is far too good at this.
Maybe if you can distract her...
You try to redirect the conversation, "Lyssa?"
"Yes?" she responds as you play out your hands.
"How did you wind up out here to begin with?" you frown considering your options.
"I made mistakes... lots of mistakes," she shrugs as she snatches up another card.
Thaïs is doing poorly, must be her nerves, "Well yes, we gathered as much, but I think what Derryth was saying is what kind of mistakes."
She frowns, "The kind it would be very stupid to talk about," she plays her last card to the table.
You snatch it up triumphantly, it is working, you are battling back, "Oh come on, you can tell us. It might make you feel better."
For a second you think she might actually do it. She shakes her head, "It would and it wouldn't..." she begins to deal out another three cards to each of you, "I can't tell you Derryth, please don't ask."
"Alright," you stare at your new hand, "So you can not tell us why you are here but what do you hope to get out of this? Magical knowledge?"
She has a distant look in her eyes, "I have things to make up for Derryth. I was walking a path that... well it would not end well. I can't say my odds are much better here but maybe I can do some good. Helping Mazzarin... I thought I was doing some good. He is... er... was, a hero! The hero, next to Connacht, he could do so much good. He wants to remove the threat of the Dark once and for all...
She places the beautiful seven on the table. This is working almost too well, "Yes, but if you keep going as you have you will be dead within the year. You can not do anyone any good if you are dead."
She considers your words, "I suppose. What are you getting at Derryth?"
"I," you look to your partner and she nods, "We, are offering you a job Lyssa."
She drops her cards, the game forgotten by the three of you, "A job? What... what sort of job?"
Thaïs helps you build your case, "You have talent Lyssa. That much is obvious but you are wasted out here. We would like you to come with us. We may not be archmages but we have our own resources, we can give you knowledge and the tools needed to help people and I can assure you your working conditions will be far superior to those you currently endure."
"I... I think I would like that. What is the catch?" she interrogates you both with her gaze. Her eyes are filled with doubt but there is hope there as well.
You smile, "You are right, there is a catch. We don't want slaves in our organization and we don't want servants either. If you come with us, you become one of us. We trust you and you have to trust us. That means no secrets between us."
Her eyes drop, "Derryth, I already told you... I can't-"
You raise a hand to stop her, "You don't have to answer right away. Think about it. We have time it seems..."
Afternoon passes into evening and still the archmage does not arrive.
You begin to worry.
Was he waiting for you out in the desert?
Have you sent your girls off to their deaths?
Everything is made clear however when Mazzarin does finally arrive.
It begins as a slight glow in the meadow. A greenish haze that seeps under the door of the hut.
The three of you follow the light outside.
It begins to solidify as storm clouds gather.
Mazzarin has decided to enter with style.
The tree in the meadow bursts into emerald flame, a twisting inferno that screams into the coming night.
Lyssa groans, "Damn it... I liked that tree..."
Pink strands weave through the air.
They wrap around the hut and constrict.
The hut folds in on itself. "My bird!" Lyssa screams and starts for the hut. You grab her by the arm and restrain her. There is nothing she can do for it.
You are certain that this entire show is calculated to impress you.
What it does is infuriate you. You scream into the wind, "We get the Wyrd damned point! Your a big bloody magician! Would you please stop now you grumpy old bastard!"
The wind laughs in reply.
You can feel the ground shake. Mazzarin must have collapsed the tunnel underneath the hut and his old cell with it.
Purple lightning cracks through the air and he appears mere metres from you.
He certainly looks the part now.
His robes are red and white, a heavy hood hides his face. Around him strands of green and pink magic dance. At his belt is a blade of gold and moonlight. In his hand a coiled staff of darkness and despair. Serpents of silver and sapphire slither up and down its length. It is massive and well made but more than a little gaudy. It is all clearly crafted to invoke a sense of awe in all that see it.
Naturally you can not help yourself...
You grin, "Compensating for something?"
The ladies giggle nervously.
As an archmage Mazzarin is a master showman but you can tell that deflated him just a little. He looks decidedly unamused, "I have no idea what you mean..."
You can taste the blood in the water. You know you should not but it is just too tempting to press this pompous ass, "Really?" your grin spreads, "I mean we all saw you in the cell. I just thought maybe, you are, you know... a little insecure..." you hold your hands a couple inches apart and tilt your head in mock sympathy.
You can't see his eyes but his jaw clenches.
The Faceless Man cackles in your mind.
Wyrd, girl! Even if we die in the next minute this is completely... utterly... worth it!
Mazzarin drops his spells. The wind dies down, the lightning stops, and the clouds disperse. He glares at you. You stand in silence, you will not give ground to him.
Slowly his mouth stretches into an approximation of a smile, "You lack manners child... but you have done me a great service and it would be a shame to destroy such a useful... ally..." there is a certain menace in that word 'ally'. You think he would prefer to say 'servant' or 'slave' instead. Still for whatever reason he has not broken you yet, something you are doing must be working.
With his entrance ruined he quickly pushes on to the business at hand, "Now, if you will both present your arms I can remove your bracelets and free you from the influence of this... adversary."
"I am afraid we can not do that," Thaïs answers politely.
You chime in as well, "Yes, I am afraid we must decline your generous offer. We shall deal with this archmage ourselves."
Mazzarin frowns, "So you would ally with the Dark?"
You are quick to end that line of thought, "No. Never. But all the same we shall handle this one ourselves."
He practically growls in response, "As you wish... Have you decided what you want in exchange for your talking head?"
"No," you respond coolly.
He grins, "Well that is understandable. I can grant you anything and for those of limited vision-"
You interrupt him, "No, I meant we do not want anything for her. We are sorry but she is a good friend and we simply will not betray our friends for anything.""
"So..." rage begins to build in him, "You would take a Fallen Lord for a friend?"
Thaïs speaks up, "She is no longer a Fallen Lord. The woman, or women, she was are gone forever. She is her own person and she has been nothing but helpful to us. If she shows signs of succumbing to the Dark then we will deal with her as well."
He balls his fist, "She is too dangerous. She is a manipulator, a liar. She was using you! Why she even lied to you! She filled your spells with holes and backdoors!"
Instinctively you reach back to Thaïs and she takes your hand, stepping up next to you.
Calmly you interrupt him again, "So did you."
The two of you wait for him to answer.
He does not respond well to that.
He raises his free hand, "Do you have any idea who you so freely insult! Do you have the slightest clue! I will! I will crush you! I will flay you! I will-"
"Behave exactly like a Fallen Lord?" you give him your best grin. If you are going to die here then you are going to hold nothing back. Thaïs squeezes your hand.
"You torture your apprentice!" you gesture to Lyssa.
"You destroy all around you!" you gesture to the tree and the remains of the hut.
"And now you threaten to snuff out the lives of the very people that helped you, over a slight!" the two of you take a step towards him and he backs up as you build steam, "You know what! I don't think you are Mazzarin! I think you are Balor! Or the Deceiver! Or The Watcher! 'Cause you sure as hell behave like them! So go ahead! Kill us and prove me right!"
You prepare yourself for oblivion.
For the spell or the blow that will strike you down.
It never comes.
He can't do it.
Not now.
Even if he killed all three of you.
He would know.
He would know and it would ruin him.
That knowledge does nothing for his temper however. He steps past you towards his apprentice, "Lyssa, come! We are leaving! We have things to do!"
You raise an arm to block his path, "Not yet. We want a favour first."
It takes every ounce of strength in him not to hit you.
He begins to laugh. It is deep and unrestrained.
"You would..." he sighs, "Very well, what do you want. Some trinket that will elevate you to the status of a minor god? One of my best spells with which to lay all your enemies low? Enough wealth to buy whole kingdoms? Tell me, what do you want Derryth ó Foghladh? What do you want from me?"
"Your apprentice," the answer rolls off your tongue.
He pulls the hood from over his eyes. He stares at you and you meet his gaze. He looks into you, through you, as if he is trying to fathom your very soul.
He is no longer angry, no longer amused, he is confused, "I do not understand you. You have access to the greatest mage who has ever lived. Magical knowledge and artefacts that most can not even dream of and you choose my middling apprentice," she wilts at those damning words, "Why would you want her? Of all things why her? I... I just do not understand..."
"You don't need to," you do not feel like explaining yourself to him, "Will you grant my request or will you break your word?"
He narrows his eyes perhaps in the belief that if he looks hard enough it will all make sense. He is certain that you are stealing some advantage from him but he can not fathom what and it drives him to distraction. He hisses his answer, "Yes... You may have her... Lyssa you are free to leave with these women should you so desire. I shall not stop you."
Lyssa nods, "Thank you Master, I would like that."
He shrugs, "All the same to me if you want to turn down a chance at ultimate power..."
He turns his piercing gaze back to you and a grin creeps back across his face.
"You intrigue me child, and amuse me..." he reaches into his robe and draws forth three black necklaces, chokers. They are as intricate and gaudy as everything else he has, not really your style. A large crystal glimmers at the center of each, "Take these as a gift. I would not want anything to happen to you or the ones you travel with."
You stare at the chokers suspiciously, "Thank you for your courtesy but we must decline."
Take them. Mazzarin commands you.
Each of you reaches out and grabs one.
Put them on. The command rings out in your mind, cold and metallic.
You fight it, even as Lyssa and Thaïs slowly raise theirs and clip them in place.
Put it on. The command comes out stronger.
Slowly your hands rise. Slowly you clip it into place.
Quickly it constricts around your neck, Quickly it bonds to your skin.
It shifts in shape, transforming into a single black ribbon with a tiny spec of a crystal on the front. At least this way it will be easier to hide.
He grins at the three of you, "There, you will all be much safer now."
You can not help but note the ambiguity in his words. Will you be safer from danger or will you be safer for him? You suppose it does not much matter now as you can not do anything about it at the moment.
He steps back from your group, "Until we meet again ladies. I shall think of my three saviours fondly!"
He begins to waver in the light and with a flash he is gone again.
The first thing you do is try to peal his 'gift' off, it won't even budge.
As you turn around you notice Thaïs and Lyssa doing the same thing.
You give your friend an grin of complete and total exhaustion, "Well, eventually we will run out of body parts to get things stuck on..."
You share a laugh over the absurdity of your situation as you help Lyssa sort through the wreckage of her home for supplies.
---------------------------------------------
Your trip back to the city was without incident.
Unfortunately you learn from Biliku and Uttu that theirs was not.
After they let go of the two of you and you manage to calm them down they explain everything.
"Ceannard was so brave Derryth!" Biliku frowns as Uttu explains, "We were attacked by a horde of ghôls! Like five hundred!"
Biliku plays the role of the calm, collected older sister in their little drama, "It was not five hundred Derryth... maybe... um... eighty? One hundred? No more than one hundred and twenty to be certain."
Uttu gives her a shove, "That does not matter! He was so cool! He was all like 'Arrows! Ready bows!'" she stands tall mimicking Ceannard, "'Nock!' And they did! 'Mark!' And they did! 'Draw'"
"And they did..." Biliku replies sarcastically in mockery of her younger sister.
Uttu sticks her tongue out at her, "Then he said it! 'Loose!' And the sky filled with arrows!"
"You are exaggerating again!" Biliku chimes in, "There were only sixteen of them!"
"Nuh uh, seventeen! Ceannard let me fire too! He put me right next to him in the 'spot of honour'! It was amazing Derryth. The Arrows can fire so fast! I mean I though I was fast but wow!" she drops down in front of you, "Not one of the ghôls made it to our line! It was amazing!"
Biliku crosses her arms, "Gareth is better..."
Now you understand their behaviour. This is about pride in their chosen professions. Uttu is happy she got to fight while Biliku is upset that she had to wait.
Uttu shoots back, "No he isn't! Ceannard can kill a man from across the room!"
Biliku returns fire, "So can Gareth! He will hit them with his magic sword!"
"That is cheating!" Uttu insists, "Bows are better!"
"No swords!", Biliku shouts.
"Bows!", Uttu answers.
Astrid yells from the other room, "Who wants to help me test out the latest batch of grenades?"
Both girls squeal at the same time, "Grenades!" you are immediately forgotten as they race off to try out the new toys.
As they run out, Bari finally enters the room, "They have been like that since they got back... I tried to explain to them that it is how you use a weapon that determines its worth but they seem happier fighting to be honest," he lets out a merry laugh as he presents you with a large box, "Your... ah... other friend... Don't worry I didn't tell anyone and no one saw anything. I was careful. She looks a bit different though..."
"Well she is a bit different Bari, better I think," you take the box from him and carefully slip it into your pack.
"Albrecht wants to see you, you know. He is not terribly happy you ran off," the dwarf grabs a seat next to you.
"When?" you reply.
"Three days," Bari stretches, "We just about have all the information we need. Between Ullr, Dacey and Trakk's remaining family-"
You stop him there, "They are alive?"
"Sort of... some of them... The Eberhardts were not kind though. One of the kids made it, Trakk's youngest granddaughter, and the girl's father is alive as well... what is left of him... from what the team tell me it was a real mess. Most of them were on death's door. The only mercy for them was to kill them..." he coughs, "Don't worry though. We have that son of a bitch jailer sitting in a cell in the royal prisons. I am going to pay him a few visits. Show him what a professional can do..."
"If I wanted to see them... could I?" you stare at the dwarf.
"Um... yes I suppose that could be arranged but you look terrible Derryth. My recommendation, get some rest," he slaps you on the back, hops to his feet and wanders out of the room.
You have a couple days before Albrecht will be ready to move against his rivals. How would you like to spend that time?
1. Activities: Pick Three (Top three will be chosen):
A) Rest and Recover - Bari is right, you are completely spent. You will take some time to relax. You are also out of supplies. You will kill two birds with one stone. You will take the girls shopping and spend some time relaxing. Who knows what you will have to deal with next.
B) Meet with Mayer - You want to meet with the dwarf to discuss a future partnership that could make you both a lot of money.
C) The Magical Academy - Your close ties to the Royal House of Albrecht should grant you access to the academies resources. You will spend time learning as much as you can about:
i. Enchantment Spells - you want the ability to remove the bracelets and Mazzarin's little 'present'. The dwarves are experts when it comes to weaving enchantments, hopefully they can help you get started.
ii. Light Manipulation - the dwarves have a great deal of interest in this field. You might not be able to learn a lot in such a short amount of time but you can at least make a start.
D) Look into Meletē's condition - she is still unconscious. Whatever spells are at work in her seem to have a long duration. You hope they are not permanent but the only way to find out is to investigate.
i. The Academy - you will look into what the mages know about her condition and attackers. They might be able to help.
ii. The Violet Mages - you will search the mercenary community for her attackers and extract the information from them. You will approach Ceannard for help in this, he should know the players involved and he is reliable provided you pay.
E) You visit Trakk's family - They are being held at a safe location outside of the city. Bari says you can meet them if you want to... you are not sure what if anything you can do for them or what you will say to them...
F) Inquire at the academy about a power source capable of holding your gate spell open. They may have something or could give you a lead on where to find something.
G) freeform
2. Lyssa: She came with you but you know very little about her. You could try to coax her past out with Thaïs' help. Do you?
A) Yes. You will try to find out more about her through quiet, polite conversation.
B) Yes. You will take the girls out drinking, get her drunk enough and she might tell you something... though things could get out of hand...
C) No. You will not push her.
C) freeform
3. The Impressions: You now have a collection of memories in your head that are not your own. What do you want to do with them?
A) Fence them off - you do not want these ideas influencing you. You will do your best to contain them and advise Thaïs to do the same.
B) Integrate them - they memories are now a part of you anyway. You will work together sort through them in as healthy a way as possible. This process will probably influence you both a little.
C) freeform
4. Split the party or not? You will send Thaïs off to perform three separate tasks while you work.
A) Yes - Split up, you can get twice as much done. List the three tasks you want her to work on. The options are the same as in question 1.
B) No - Do not split up, you work better together and are less exposed as a team.
Chapter 21: Troubled Dreams and Sweet Nightmares
Bit longer than expected... my apologies...Chapter 21: Troubled Dreams and Sweet Nightmares
The six of you weave your way through the mid morning crowd towards the commercial district of the great city. Past temples that look like banks and banks that look like temples, past the grocers and smiths, past the tinkerers and traders. You are headed towards one of the best kept secrets in the city. The shop of the brothers Dietfried, purveyors of all things magical, they will have everything you need and more.
The smell has finally begun to dissipate from the fire, your fire, and the city has slipped back into its usual rhythm. With a few exceptions.
At every major corner a pair of dwarven soldiers stand watch, blades and shields at the ready. Albrecht has not formally raised the emergency measure he instituted following the fire. The official reason for this is to prevent a reoccurrence of that tragedy while the government hunts down all those involved. You, however, know the real reason. Albrecht intends to move against his enemies within the week and he will use the army to help him reinforce his rule. It might just be the pessimist in you, but you are certain that the streets of Myrgard will yet run red with blood. That the glittering white marble of its buildings will be smeared with ash. You have seen it... in your dreams...
In truth you have not been resting well lately. Your experiences out in the desert have drained you and one look to your friend tells you that they have marked her as well. You lean on one another as the girls bounce and spring around you, eternal founts of optimism and energy. It does you a world of good to spend some time relaxing with them.
"Girls! Don't run too far ahead!" you call out to them, smiling.
The sound of your voice reminds them of your presence and their 'duty', Uttu calls back, "We were just scouting!"
Thaïs lets out a melodic laugh, "Well then scout a bit closer please!"
The girls come racing back. Uttu slips under Thaïs's free arm and Biliku slips under yours.
"Now that is a sweet picture right there," Astrid chuckles from behind you. The Pathfinder is your minder for the day.
You asked Bari if he wanted to come but he feigned horror and laughed. He had said that he would follow you into the very mouth of hell. He would fight ancient archmages and dark gods out of friendship to you but shopping... that was one bridge too far for even him.
Astrid on the other hand was delighted to come and as the resident inventor of the Pathfinders she even knew the best shops and shopkeepers to go see.
Lyssa laughs in agreement, she is in better spirits then you have ever seen her, "Reminds me of my family when I was just a little girl."
"Family?" you ask, shooting a questioning glance at them over your shoulder.
"Well aren't you?" Lyssa replies confidently, "You look after one another. You care for each other. If that does not make you a family then I do not know what does."
Astrid nods, "The whole world has been levelled twice in the last hundred years. Take it from a dwarf, find comfort and strength wherever you can get it. Does your soul good."
They are right of course, these people have become your family over the last couple months. A result of a common bond forged by constant danger and reinforced by your dependence on one another for survival. Your Circle, your friends, without them none of this would have been possible. You would do anything for them, well maybe not Christine, but still, the thought fills you with peace, with calm, with satisfaction.
"Ah, here we are," the Pathfinder ducks down a side street as the five of you turn and follow. She leads you down a series of increasingly narrow alleys. The fine marble of the high street shops give way to wood and baked brick. There are no guards on these streets and the dwarves that mill about eye your group suspiciously.
She leads you to a shabby little house. No markings of any kind distinguish it from those around it. Something is off about the building and it takes a moment you a moment to realize that the entire structure is wrapped in powerful illusions. You and Thaïs nod to one another as Astrid explains, "The whole place is layered in spells, part of their security. The Dietfried Brothers are quite good at what they do, good friends of the crown too. They normally won't just see anyone off the street but with me along you should be fine," she gives you a wink, "Consider it just another advantage of working for the crown."
You consider the door for a moment. Sturdy but worn, a crooked doorknocker in the shape of a sleeping demon hangs from the middle of the door. Astrid strikes the door three times. The door knocker blinks twice as it opens an eye, to your shock it is alive, "This," she whispers to you, "Is their doorman. Say hello Hartmann."
The doorknocker yawns, "Hello Astrid. Who are your friends?"
"Just some guests in service to the crown," your guide responds, "May we please enter?"
"Depends," the demon answers coyly, "Have an appointment?"
She leans on the door, it grunts, "Come on Hartmann, I am bringing your masters new customers, rich customers. Do me a favour here."
"Hmm..." his scrunches up his face, "Got a bribe?"
Astrid sighs as she roots around in her pocket. She turns to explain as she draws a small pouch from her pocket, "He will do just about anything for peppermints. He won't let in a threat but for a friend..." she pull out a peppermint and pops it into Hartmann's open mouth.
The door demon smiles, "Thank you Lady Astrid, you and your friends may enter. I have alerted my masters and they will be with you shortly," Hartmann closes his eyes, humming slightly as he sucks on the mint.
"In here," Astrid gestures as she pushes the door open and steps into the darkness, you are not far behind.
The interior of this building could not be any different from the exterior.
Polished brass, imported oak, gold filigree, and red velvet. A number of display cases show off weapons and armour, spellbooks and artefacts. The place is filled from floor to roof with the tools of the adventuring trade.
The elder Dietfried a bald, fat man with a jolly face waltzes towards you, moving between the mounds of magical items with a grace that belies his heavy frame.
He spreads his arms wide, "Astrid! It has been far to long since you have stopped by! It is an absolute pleasure as always! And who are these, your lovely friends! Why it is an absolute pleasure-"
"Brother, may we dispense with all of these pointless courtesies? They women are here to shop not talk," the younger Dietfried appears from behind a tower of spellbooks. He is lean and thin, his eyes red from tears and an eternal frown fixed to the center of his gaunt face. The two brothers could not be more different.
You spend hours window shopping as the elder Dietfried shows you his wares. Uttu and Biliku are well behaved and spend most of their time trying out the various weapons in one of the back rooms under the guidance of the younger Dietfried, Astrid keeps an eye on them for you. You, Thaïs, and Lyssa remain in the front of the shop negotiating over spellbooks and scrolls, artefacts and anomalies.
You all see at least one item you would like and you are able to negotiate a price for a large bag of energon cubes and the last of the Dietfrieds' mandrake roots. Astrid offers to cover the costs in the name of the crown should you desire. If you let her do so the Dietfrieds will add the total to the Pathfinders' business account.
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1. Shopping (Each part A through G is a seperate sub question. Feel free to vote in each.)
A) Uttu's Bowstring:
Uttu wants a new bowstring. It looks to be made of some sort of hair and radiates a faint, chartreuse light. She thinks it looks pretty and she likes the name. The 'Bowstring of the Fairies'. It is superior to the one she has and will improve the strength of her shots. It also has the ability to transform a single arrow into a flare of light when fully charged (approximately once a day provided it has access to sufficient light to recharge). Do you get it for her?
i. Yes (10 WPs)
ii. No
iii. Let Astrid pay for it.
B) Biliku's Bargain:
Biliku has been involved in hours of negotiation with the younger Dietfried over a small round shield and a scabbard. While her arguments are not sound her conviction has worn him down a little. You suspect he just wants to get rid of her and is cutting her a deal to do so. The shield is made out of a strange silver metal and is completely frictionless. All attacks slide right off of it and projectiles thrown at it glance off. The scabbard appears to be a normal, worn, leather scabbard but when a blade is placed within it the light bends around it hiding both the scabbard and the hilt of the blade. It allows the user to appear unarmed while still carrying a weapon. Do you get them for her?
i. Yes (10 WPs)
ii. No
iii. Let Astrid pay for it.
C) Lyssa's Aphids:
Lyssa and the elder Dietfried have been discussing the finer points of animal training and magical infusion. On a hunch he brought her a small vial filled with little blue and bronze aphids. When unleashed they attack a target designated by their owner and leech off the target's magical energies. Once full they will either return to the owner or detonate on the target as per the owner's instructions at the time of release. She seems quite interested in them and intends to purchase them, if you want you could offer to cover the expense or let Astrid do so.
i. Yes, you pay for them (15 WPs)
ii. No, you let Lyssa buy them.
iii. You let Astrid pay for it.
D) Thaïs' Ring:
Thaïs has her eye on a simple gold band. It allows the caster to store a single spell in it for immediate activation. Nice, simple and practical but it is not cheap. Do you let her pay for it, offer to buy it yourself or let Astrid pay for it?
i. Yes, you pay for it (25 WPs)
ii. No, you let Thaïs pay for it.
iii. You let Astrid pay for it.
E) Derryth's Purchase Part 1:
The shop is filled with a variety of interesting items. Do you want to buy anything? (List as many or as few as you want.)
i. A ring of spell storage just like the one Thaïs wants. (25 WPs)
ii. The Book of the Past: An odd little tome that attunes to whoever holds it in their bare hands for more than twenty minutes. Once attuned it begins to fill up with the true and complete life story of its 'owner'. Every time it is picked up by its owner after that it will attempt to update its contents with new information. It can be reset by attuning it to a new owner at which point its contents will be wiped and the process will begin again. (10 WPs)
iii. The Bloodroot: An odd parasitic plant that will bond to the arm of any host it comes in contact with. It will shift into the shape of any weapon the host knows how to use and is remarkably strong and resistant to harm. It is a living part of the hosts body however and if damaged will harm the host. It also has a nasty tendency to spread its young to those close to its host through direct contact or fluid transmission. The Dietfrieds have theirs caged and should you purchase it they will throw the cage in for free. When attached to a host it requires no special care, when unattached it requires water, light and food in the form of rodents and the like. (15 WPs)
iv. The Spinner: A tiny magic powered machine in the shape of a spider. If fed plant matter it will produce organic tread of a high quality. If fed metals it will spin thread of that metal. The Dietfrieds have not tried to feed it anything else but the same process probably applies to a variety of substances. (20 WPs)
v. A vial of aphids similar to those Lyssa is considering. (15 WPs)
vi. The Box: A plain, sealed wooden box. The Dietfrieds have no idea what is in it and won't risk damaging it to find out. It is a complete mystery... a mystery box... (5 WPs)
vii. A tome on elemental spells (35 WPs)
viii. A comb that can store an invisibility spell but makes a humming noise when active. (5 WPs)
ix. A book titled 'Golems for dummies' but they assure you it is just a novelty item. They have not been able to get the spells in it to work. (1 WP)
x. A squid shaped vase that can store up to ten spells but releases them at random. (10 WPs)
xi. freeform - Looking for something in particular. Propose it and the brothers will check their stock.
F) Derryth's Purchase Part 2:
i. You pay for it yourself.
ii. You let Astrid pay for it.
G) General Supplies: Twelve Energon Cubes and Six Mandrake Roots
i. You buy them (10 WPs)
ii. You by just the roots (6 WPs)
iii. You buy just the cubes (6 WPs)
iv. Let Astrid pay for it.
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You make your purchases and leave satisfied.
The brothers, or rather the cheerful elder brother, extends to you an open invitation to stop by should you ever require their services again.
As you leave the shop Astrid presents you with one final gift.
"What's this?" you ask as she hands you and Thaïs a pair of tickets.
"Two passes to the most exclusive spa in the entire city," she grins, "I could see the looks on your faces yesterday. I know exactly what exhaustion looks like and exactly how to cure it! So I booked you both an evening at the Temple of Asclepius. By tomorrow morning you will be as good as new."
The two of you try to politely decline, "We can't take these..."
"Yes you can," she insists, "Don't worry about anything. Lyssa and I will see the girls home safe and sound," she whistles a happy tune, "When you work for the king you get only the best."
She escorts Lyssa and the girls away. They wave as they turn the corner, chattering amongst themselves.
"Well it would be nice to relax," you take your friend by the arm and head back to the high street.
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You whistle as you dress. All things considered you are in a great mood.
The Temple was perfect and just what you needed. The natural springs it was built on revived you bodies and the vapours coming from the deepest parts of the temple restored your minds. When you collapsed in your bed at the end of the day you slipped into the most restful night's sleep you have had in ages.
Now as the sun begins to rise over the desert you can not help but be cheerful as you slip into your smallclothes.
Naturally it was not made to last.
Your whistling is contagious it seems as a second voice drifts into your mind singing in harmony.
"Are you always around?" you mumble to the Faceless Man.
Well Derryth it is not like I can turn our connection off... he replies merrily.
"So every moment... you see and hear everything?" you groan as you slip into your trousers.
Yep. Great isn't it. He sounds far too smug.
"Even when I wake?" you push on.
Yes. He calmly answers.
"When I go to sleep?" you query as you pull on your tunic.
Yes. The same call rings out.
"When I..." he stops you.
Derryth darling. I see everything. I hear everything. If you keep pushing you are going to get an answer you will not like. It is best for your sanity not to worry about it. He chuckles.
"Can't say I appreciate you spying on me all the time..." you mutter all the same.
Well for what it is worth you are not alone. I spy on your friend all the time too. He pauses, you can sense the mischief in him. He is up to no good. Like usual, You know she likes you right.
"I know, I am not an idiot-" you begin to respond but he cuts you off.
No, I mean really likes you- You in turn cut him off.
You have everything you need except your hat...
Now a little annoyed at misplacing it you press on, "Like I said, I am not an idiot. I know. And she is not an idiot, she knows I know. We have spent a good portion of the last two months climbing through each others' minds. We do not have secrets and at least for the time being we are not going to do anything about it. I mean in the last two weeks we have each almost died over twenty times, we almost got our minds wiped, we were almost fused together, several archmages almost murdered us, I-"
Believe me I know. He butts in again terribly self-satisfied, I have been keeping score. Actually if you are curious you are one up on her currently.
You check the closet and the washroom as the Faceless Man drones on...
"Really?" you respond as you continue your search. It feels good for a moment to be winning but you frown as you remember what you are winning at.
He pushes on, But trust me here, you should not pass up a chance at actual happiness. The two of you would be good together-
"Wait a minute," you interject as you check under the bed for your hat.
What? He replies, all curiosity.
"When did you give a damn about love?" you put your hands on your hips and survey the room. It has to be in here somewhere... right?
Um... well... I have been thinking since I told you about Culwyeh. If I had been there for her either time... maybe things would have been different. Maybe... maybe I would be a better man and she would still exist? I don't want you to walk the same path I did Derryth. He lets out a strained sigh.
You will give him that, the man is a natural liar. If you did not know him as well as you do. If you had not seen him in Nine's mind, had not felt him as Mazzarin threatened him you might just believe him. As it is though you don't buy a word of it.
There it is! Under your pillow... a bit flattened but you can fix it. As you pull your hair back and wedge your hat on you confront the Faceless Man, "You creepy old bastard! I don't buy that whole 'I'm reformed' crap for one second! You just want to watch us make out!"
With a sigh he drops his act, Alright Derryth, you got me. I am a disembodied mind bound to a pair of bracelets. If I can not live vicariously through my hosts than what can I do? Can you really blame me?
"Well, once I figure out how to take you off it won't be a problem for either of us, will it?" you frown as you grab your pack and head out of your room.
Thaïs is waiting in the hallway, "Good morning Derryth."
You nod at her, "Morning."
You look one another in the eyes. Instantly you can both tell, "He's been bugging you too huh?"
She nods, "Why is it that every archmage we have met is a creep?
The Faceless Man broadcasts the answer into both your minds, Boredom dear ladies. We have time and we have power and the rest comes naturally.
You both shake your heads as you slip out the front door and meet up with Lyssa.
Today you begin an important task, to get this parasitic archmage off your arms, out of your heads and gone from your lives.
Behind you, somewhere in the bowels of the safehouse you hear giggling and explosions. At least someone is having fun.
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"Fascinating! Absolutely fascinating!" he exclaims, wheezing.
"Why these enchantments are expertly, wonderfully crafted!" his colleague replies in a raspy voice.
"I sense the Dark in those bracelets through!" a third, nasally voice exclaims.
"Maybe they are necromancers or witches? Maybe we should burn them!" squeaks a fourth voice.
A fifth, female and bored, responds, "You don't burn witches idiot! If you inhale the sulphurous fumes you might go mad. You need to drown them!"
"WE SHOULD WEIGH THEM FIRST!" screams a deaf little dwarf.
"We are out of ducks..." comes the reply from the first.
This has been going on for hours...
The rest of the faculty at Myrgard's Royal Academy crowds around the three of you poking and prodding you. They paw at your arms and necks. Muttering dozens of theories as they argue with one another.
You have been dragged apart and pushed together. You have been shoved into a variety of boxes: wooden, metal, stone. You have been submerged in every substance imaginable and still the dwarves ceaselessly prattle on.
You have been assured that they are geniuses. That they are responsible for the innovations that have driven the dwarven state forward.
They babble about experimentation and categorization. About natural principles that you have never encountered before. Something about 'radio waves' though you have no idea what those are. You know the words they are using, or at least they sound familiar, but the way they use them makes no sense. One of them suggests that you have been infected with a 'germ' whatever that is.
You try to be patient. You really do.
But you only have so much patience, "Alright! Enough!"
They hop backward en masse. Startled at your sudden outburst.
"You!" you point to the lead naturalist, "What is wrong with us and how do we fix it!"
"Ah... well..." he looks to his fellows and they begin whispering to each other. They stay like that for five minutes. When you can take no more the lead naturalist spins back around, a wide and deranged smile on his wide lips, "You have two problems ladies! The first are those bracelets. We think there may be a psychic entity residing in them!"
"Which means?" you urge him to speak plainly.
"Uh... there is a consciousness in those bracelets!" he exclaims triumphantly.
"We know that already," Thaïs sighs.
If these are the best you have ladies... I have nothing at all to worry about! the Faceless Man laughs.
The naturalist pushes on undeterred, "But wait! There's more!" he races over to a large tablet and begins to draw with a little piece of stone, "The entity keeps the bracelets locked on your wrists and it is powerful. It grants you some physical protection and should be able to act as a means of communication between the two of you provided you do not get too far apart," you know all of this already and tell him so. He nods and skips to the important part, "So the way to deal with your problem is to remove the entity from the bracelets!"
You grin, "Well now we are making progress! How do we do that?"
Derryth do not do this. The Faceless Man warns you, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.
"Ah... we don't know..." the philosopher hangs his head.
Ah ha ha ha ha! The Faceless Man cackles in your mind.
"YES WE DO!" the tiny dwarf yells at the top of his lungs, "WE CUT THEIR ARMS OFF!"
The Faceless Man laughs harder.
The lead naturalist shakes his head, "That is too crude. It could work but it is a high price to pay. I have a more elegant solution!"
He wheels out a pair of large lead gloves. One for each of you. Proudly he explains, "Wear these and the entity will not be able to do anything!"
The Faceless Man stops laughing.
They look rather bulky and awkward...
You don't really relish wearing those for the rest of your days.
The female dwarf coughs as she roots around in a large bin, "This could help!" She drags out a small backpack with a rod attached to it.
"Oh not that thing Janine!" the head naturalist whines, "It is embarrassing!"
She glares at her colleague, "Doctor Spengler was a genius and this was his greatest work!"
"Was?" you ask, suddenly worried, "What happen to him?"
She won't make eye contact, "He was a genius... but... not all of his inventions worked as well as others, his Myrkridia repellent for example... But this invention will work! The proton pack will suck that spirit right out of your arms! I think... maybe..."
The head naturalist coughs, "The less said about Doctor Spengler and his inventions the better! Now if you would like to try on the gloves ladies-"
"I STILL SAY WE SHOULD CUT THEIR ARMS OFF!" the deaf dwarf insists, "IT WOULD SOLVE EVERYTHING AND WE CAN HEAL THEM UP, RIGHT QUICK!"
"Yes but we can not restore a missing arm, you fool!" the naturalist snaps, "There is only so much we can do for them!"
You decide to interject before they get completely distracted, "What about the necklaces?"
"WELL WE CAN'T CUT YOUR HEADS OFF SO I GOT NOTHING!" the little dwarf shrugs.
The naturalist leads you away from his colleagues, "The bracelets are well made, expertly made in fact, but those necklaces are something else entirely," The Faceless Man grunts, annoyed as Mazzarin upstages him yet again, "From what we can tell they have a number of subtle spells woven into them. One of which is a signal."
"A signal?" Lyssa asks concerned.
He tries to reassure you, " The necklaces emit a slight signal but do not worry ladies. It was difficult to detect and doubtful that your average mage could use the necklaces to find you. They would have to know what to look for in the first place. Even if they did, they would require a lot of skill without our tools to make use of that information."
He pauses for a moment to see if you have any questions. When none are forthcoming he presses on, "Aside from the slight signal the necklaces have a number of spells woven into them all designed to achieve one purpose."
"Which is?" Thaïs asks as concern creeps back into her voice.
"To keep the wearers of the necklaces together. They generate subtle magical and physical protections based on how close the wearers are to one another. When two of you come within ten metres of one another the spells begin to activate and when all three of your necklaces are brought within ten metres of the each other the spells further build in strength."
"Well that does not sound too bad then," you sigh in relief.
He coughs, "Well there is a more sinister aspect to it as well. Some of the spells alter the production of... oh how to explain this... when you are together. All three of you or even two of you. You will feel better... um... happier. More stable. That sort of thing. You will handle stress better too. But, and this is a big but, if you get too far from one another you will start to suffer additional mental strain. You will become more irritable, more prone to fits of depression and the like. As I said, whoever designed these necklaces built them to keep the wearers together. They really are quite brilliant but I am afraid I have little good news for you. These things are so far beyond what we know, honestly I can not even tell you for certain that, that is all they do. These things were created by a true master... I... I am humbled just being in the same room as them," he pauses and looks each of you in the eyes, "Ladies?"
"Yes?" you respond in unison.
"Where did you find those necklaces anyway? They are truly like nothing I have ever seen and I would like to know," his sharp gaze bores into you, you doubt you could fool him.
Thankfully Thaïs is with you, "Far to the west Sir. Before the war with Soulblighter. We thought they were so beautiful but once we put them on we could not take them off. We had hoped that the skill of you and your fellows could aid us but it looks like we must endure their presence for a while yet."
An idea occurs to Lyssa, "Could we wrap our necks in lead perhaps? Like with the bracelets?"
He shakes his head, "It would block the signal but that would also trigger the withdrawal effects. You would all go mad within a week, two at most."
With that wonderful news you turn back to the issue of your bracelets.
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2. The Faceless Man, how do you want to get rid of him? Or do you even want to?
A) No, for the time being you will put up with him.
B) Yes, YOU WILL CUT- ahem, you will cut off your arms. It is guaranteed to work and they can have you back on your feet by tomorrow but the cost is high.
C) Yes, you will let Janine use he proton pack on you. It might suck the Faceless Man out of your bracelets but you are not sure what will happen after that.
D) Sort of, you will wear the giant lead gloves. They look odd and will limit what you can do with one of your hands but they will shield you from the Faceless Man until you can come up with something better.
E) Yes, you have an idea. A very dangerous idea. You will use infiltration to invade the Faceless Man's mind and kill him there. That should wipe his mind and allow you to take of the bracelets. Though it would mean fighting a Fallen Lord in his own mind. Naturally you can not afford to do this immediately so you will take the lead gloves to disable the Faceless Man while you plot your assault.
F) You will take the gloves, but you won't wear them constantly. When you need a private moment, or when you sleep, or when you need to execute some plan The Faceless Man does not need to know about, you'll put them on. When you find yourself in a tough combat sitiuation, or when you aren't doing something terribly suspicious, you'll slip out of them.
G) freeform
3. You are at the Royal Academy anyway. You do not have too much time but you can each study a little about a field of enchanting if you want. (Just pick three choices and list who will study what. Neither of them have any real preference so they are fine leaving it up to Derryth.)
A) The prayers of protection. Used mostly to make armour and other protective items.
B) The songs of joy and inspiration. Used to inspire courage and aid in battle amongst other things. Used mostly in the crafting of weapons and banners.
C) The oaths of the elements. Used in weapons and for all sorts of utility items.
D) The riddles of understanding. Used to strengthen the mind. Often found on robes, hood, or circlets.
E) The paths of progress. Used to sharpen the mind, often woven together with the riddles of understanding or used in their place.
F) Nothing, you will instead use the time and faculties to work on your own spells. Choose a spell to progress with or a spell to teach the someone else. If you want to learn a spell from one of your companions that can also be done. The most popular spell will be chosen if this option wins. Depending on the difficulty of the spell you may not master it in one sitting.
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"Evening Lyssa," the two of you step out onto the roof and greet the witch, you each wear a heavy cloak to keep out the night air. It does not seem to bother her though.
She stands framed in the setting sun repeating her calls to her eagles.
She turns to you and nods slightly, "Derryth, Thaïs."
"How are your efforts going?" your friend asks.
"I have faith my birds will find me," she smiles, the look of worry on her face loses its edge as you approach, "They are quite intelligent animals really. I left them a message before we left. They will know to look for me in Myrgard. I just have to be patient," it is clear it pains her but talking about it seems to help. You hope that what she is feeling is actual relief and not simply the effects of the necklaces but you can not be sure.
You feel better with her around, happier, like you did while on your shopping trip yesterday or at the academy today. Looking at the other women it is clear that they feel the same. You curse Mazzarin under your breathe for toying with people this way. He might see himself as a protector, as a hero, but in many ways he is as bad as a Fallen Lord.
From under your cloak you draw a pot of spiced wine, nothing strong. This is a simply a social occasion and it would be bad form to drink to excess. The wine isn't good, about the best you could expect in dwarven lands though and the spices cover some of the taste.
The three of you fall to friendly conversation for several hours as the sun lazily drifts down past the mountains.
You talk of your childhood in the Province first on the farm with your parents, then fighting and stealing on the streets following their passing. You speak of Henry and Lyssa smiles, she can tell you cared deeply for the old man. Thaïs smiles as well but it has a different quality to it. She has heard many of these stories already but that is not it.
She knows these stories, has known them for months, but now she has lived them as well.
After a great deal of discussion you have decided to help one another work through the impressions you gave each other. You will not hide from them, they are a part of you now.
It was not an easy thing to decide on but once you agreed to head down that road neither of you looked back. Quickly you realized that the best way to do this is to link up mentally and relive these memories together. Your first session dealt with Henry and Thaïs' father respectively. When you were done you were changed forever. You gained a better understanding of the people that help you become the women you are and you gained memories and insights that will forever be a part of you.
When you laugh about Henry's mannerisms she laughs too. We you cry over his death she cries as well.
With your tale done, Thaïs once more goes over the story of her life. You have heard the broad strokes before. Living in Strand and later Scales. Her time with the courtesans and before that with her family, with her father. When she speaks of her love for him you feel it in your breast, when she speaks of her pride at his encouragement, that same pride stirs within you. When she speaks of the deal that ruined them all and broke him you can see the empty look in his eyes, you can feel the terror she felt when she found him and the anger she felt that he would leave her. Not every memory can be happy and you both have enough bad ones for a lifetime...
You do not look forward to reliving them. Yet... it helps... it really does help to have someone that truly and completely understands and you know she feels the same way.
You study Lyssa as Thaïs tells her story. She pours out the wine, she laughs at the good times, she sighs at the bad and you get the distinct impression that maybe now she will tell you something, anything.
The two of you tell Lyssa one final story about the formation of your company, of the Lost and of your battle against the Spider Goddess and her pawn Miosguinn.
When you are finished she is left in awe, "You two... you really are heroes aren't you? Actual Wyrd-damned heroes! I don't know... I mean maybe you are lying to me but," she squints at you, "No, no I don't think you are lying," she smiles, "I think I really did make the right choice joining you."
"So now that we have told you everything..." you begin optimistically.
Thaïs finishes your sentience, "Care to share a little now that you know all about us?"
Instantly Lyssa shuts herself off, "I can't, I already told you. I made mistakes, the kind I have to take to my grave or my grave will come to me."
"Hmm," you grin at Thaïs, she grins back, "Well fine, if you want to be all mysterious we won't push you for now but you have to tell us something after everything we have said. Where did you grow up? That has to be fairly innocuous right?"
"Yes..." she hesitates, "I grew up near Tallow, by the Forest Heart..."
"Oh an eastern girl," you press on enthusiastically, "So you were a farm girl then?"
Lyssa nods, "Yes, we had a small place. My father, mother, brother and me. It was hard living but then you understand that Derryth."
You shrug, "Sure, though I did not spend that many years on a farm."
"Well, I did," Lyssa smiles weakly, "Do you really want to hear about this? I mean it is awfully boring stuff. I did not fight a Dark Goddess or an undead army. I planted the harvest and mended the clothes and I would have grown up to marry a farmer and pop out a few more happy kids. It was not an interesting life..."
"Oh, Lyssa don't run yourself down. I-" Thaïs tries to cheer her up but Lyssa will have none of that.
"No, you misunderstand," she takes a sip from her glass, "It was a simple life but it was a good life. I loved it. My parent were understanding, my brother was kind, the neighbours were nice and they had a boy my age that... well he was my first crush. It was all I needed, all I wanted. All those great lords and powerful mages! Not one of them was happier than I was and that was the truth of it. It did not last though," she sighs, "I guess that much is obvious or I would not be here."
"So what happened," you push her gently.
"Brother died," she shrugs, "Myrkridia attack. Neighbours died too. The loss killed mother. Dad... well he tried his best he really did but at fifty, going on sixty, he could not do it like he used to. I tried to help, did everything I could. Tried to get a job or attract a man or something. Anything to help him out really. Didn't work. Worked himself to death for me... worked himself beyond death really..." she laughs.
"I don't quite get that last bit Lyssa," you scrutinize her.
"I... look if I go any further. If I tell you what I did, well you will probably kill me," she rubs her temples, "I want to tell you. I don't know if it is the necklace influencing me or the kindness you have shown me but I want to tell you. So you tell me, do you want to hear it?"
You are not given time to answer as Bari pokes his head through the access door, "You three are still out here! It is the middle of the night! Come inside! You will catch your death out here!"
The four of you laugh, Lyssa harder than any of you.
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4. Lyssa's story. Do you want to hear the rest of it? Or would you rather not know?
A) Yes, you do not want there to be any secrets between you.
B) No, you get the feeling you will not like what you hear.
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"Violet mages. Hmmm..." Ceannard sits behind his beautiful and massive desk, "You know Derryth, you still owe me a lot of money. Why should I help you?
You hand him a promissory note, "Your money Ceannard, courtesy of the House of Albrecht."
He holds it up to the light, and grins, "Well then. Good to see you are not all talk Derryth. Please sit down, both of you, we can do business."
You and Thaïs each grab a seat across from him, "Well it was reassuring to see that you are not all talk either Ceannard. Uttu had nothing but good things to say about your performance."
His eyes light up at the mention of Uttu, "She is a sweet kid Derryth, both her and her sister were real professionals out there and you can tell them I said that. If they ever need employment-"
"They are children Ceannard," you shake your head.
"They are warriors Derryth, sure they are kids but they have the spirit in them. I should know. Anyway it is never too early to consider your options. Drink?" he gestures to a bottle of whiskey off to one side of his desk.
"Sure," you take a glass as he fills you up, "So about these violet mages?"
He frowns, "They are small time lunatics. They call themselves the Oneiroi. A group of maybe a dozen mages all of which deal in sleep based magics. They take a lot of bounty jobs since they can easily incapacitate their targets. Worked with them once... never again... they are not professionals."
"What do you mean?" you knock back another shot.
"They have a nasty tendency of betraying their employers... their partners," his eyes shift, they take on a dangerous aspect, "I got burnt once. Lost five good men. But they got theirs too. I took three mages for each of the five men I lost. A sleep spell can not stop an arrow and they have never really recovered from that."
"Why not wipe them out?" you naturally ask.
"I do not kill out of bloodlust Derryth. Today's enemy maybe be useful tomorrow. They killed my men so I killed some of theirs, simple as that," he shrugs and knocks back a shot, "Why do you think I like you so much Derryth? You do not kill when you do not have to. That is smart, no matter what these dwarves say about honour. So if you want to hire the Arrows to go after these guys I am sure we can come to a suitable rate."
"Which you will then knock fifty percent off of," for the first time since you entered Thaïs speaks up, "After that display with the illusion you owe us Ceannard."
Ceannard laughs, "Alright. After all not all of my clients are as cute as you two."
"You are hopeless Ceannard," you shake your head.
"That's why you love me," he grins, you both stare at the man trying your best not to laugh, "You do love me right? Like me at least?... girls?... Thaïs?... Derryth?"
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5. The Arrows and the Oneiroi:
A) You hire the Arrows to help you take on the Oneiroi. (40 WPs)
B) You ask for directions and go by yourselves. (5 WPs)
C) You ask for directions and see if any of the Pathfinders want to come. (5 WPs)
D) freeform
Chapter 22: Shattered Sleep
Chapter 22: Shattered Sleep"So ladies how did you want to do this?" the mercenary grins as he pockets a pouch of gemstones, your payment.
You have contracted Ceannard and his Arrows to aid you in extracting the information you seek from the Oneiroi. Ideally you want to get this done with a minimum of danger for all parties involved but from what Ceannard tells you that may not be possible.
You help yourself to his whiskey as you respond, "Don't suppose we could just ask them nicely to tell us what we want to know?"
The Arrow shrugs slightly, "That would depend on what you want to know. Would it not?"
You have not told him about Meletē or the spell that keeps her from waking. You did not believe it necessary to do so and Thaïs agreed. You may be developing a certain respect for the mercenary, hell you may both even like him a little, but he is a mercenary and at the end of the day you simply can not trust the man.
You don't make eye contact though he can see your shoulders tense slightly. His impossibly wide grin gets just a little larger, "See. I have a theory ladies. I am fairly certain you were right at the center of that little debacle outside your inventor friend's house. I also know that the Oneiroi were present, along with every other two bit outfit in the city."
You grow a bit impatient as he lazily circles you. You reply, trying your best to maintain a neutral tone of voice, "So what is your theory?"
He deftly plucks the bottle from your hand and casually fills his own glass, "The Oneiroi hit your friend with one of their capture spells. You want to wake her up. Naturally you come to the one man in the city capable of helping you!" he beams at you both.
"You have a mighty high opinion of yourself Ceannard," you let out a playful laugh.
"Well I am the best!" the mercenary confidently shoots back.
Thaïs gives him a relaxed smile, "The best? The first time we encountered your organization, the two of us invaded your compound and stole your prisoner. The second time we encountered you, you almost lost your eyebrows," she shoots you a smile, you return it as she presses on, "The third time you fled before an obvious illusion-"
Ceannard looks a little deflated, he closes his eyes and scratches the back of his neck, decidedly embarrassed, "Well normally we do better work than that... like with the ghôls for example."
You nod.
You will give him that, he did a wonderful job protecting the girls. As if on cue Uttu howls in triumph from the other room, you are sorely tempted to go check but Lyssa is looking after them and they should not get into too much trouble in the heart of the Arrows compound.
He smiles at the sound, "Anyway, normally we succeed in our contracts and you can be sure if Ullr had not cancelled his contract that we would have found her eventually," you frown at the reminder. He senses his mistake and meekly raises his hand, "Now, now Derryth. I may be a mercenary but I am a professional. You are on my client list now and I will always give you a chance to make a counter offer should some unpleasant business like that ever come up in the future. I may be a hard man," you find that hard to believe, "But I am a fair man as well," that you can agree with. In the short time you have know him Ceannard has always assumed the part of the professional.
"Besides, Ullr was not nearly as gorgeous as you two," he grins again. Alright, he almost always assumes the part of the professional.
You take a nice long sip of your drink, something to clear the mind, "Back to the business at hand. It does not really matter why we want to talk to the Oneiroi right? Can you arrange something?"
He nods, "Sure, at the end of the day it makes no difference to me. I would not recommend trying to negotiate with them, however. They are fanatics, and they have no loyalty at all except to each other. But I can set up a meeting if you want, it will take a few days-"
Thaïs shakes her head, "That is unacceptable I am afraid. We should like to handle this issue today if at all possible."
You nod your agreement, "Yes Ceannard, we live such busy lives you see. We would rather not put this off."
He studies the two of you, trying to discern if you know something he should know. He stares intently but does not spontaneously develop the ability to read minds so after a moment he is forced to concede defeat, "Well, if you want this done today then we will have to get a little forceful I am afraid. Like any mage the Oneiroi are quite paranoid ah... present company excluded of course. If we simply walk up to their compound and request admittance they will naturally refuse. If we push them they will push back. So..."
"So, if we want this taken care of now we will have to attack them and interrogate them after we win," you finish his thought.
"Exactly," he knocks back the last of his drink and motions to the door.
---------------------------------------------
He obeys.
Has always obeyed.
Guarding the compound while his masters work.
It is not his place to question.
As the sun sets before him he thinks.
It is all he can do really.
They came to him in his dreams.
They promised him the hand of that pretty young thing down the street.
The cost was service.
For the rest of his days.
They kept their side of the bargain.
Though they were a bit literal about it.
He still has her hand.
Bundled up in rags by his bunk.
Seemed a shame to throw it away after everything was said and done.
He made his bed.
Now he will lie in it.
Dreaming dreams that are not his own.
It is not so bad really.
This sleeping life.
Though it is quite dull.
Maybe today will be different?
Maybe today will be-
The arrow catches him in the throat.
It is a remarkably quick death.
Probably better than he deserves, he must admit.
For a moment he thinks he will escape.
That elder brother Death shall steal him away from his master Sleep.
Then they come for him.
The Oneiroi.
And he knows.
He will never be free.
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"Well that is the last of their guards," Ceannard winks at you, "Now for the main event."
You, Thaïs, Lyssa, Biliku, Uttu and Ceannard observe the attack from an elevated position south of the Oneiroi compound.
The compound is composed of mud bricks, baked white in the sun. A haphazard coat of violet paint has been smeared across the walls but given how faded it is it must have been applied decades ago. The primary entrance to the compound is a set of large wooden doors located at the front of the structure. A high wall surrounds the rest of the compound but does little to shelter the guards that until three minutes ago wandered about the exterior of the compound.
The Arrows have done a wonderful job all things considered.
Twenty guards patrolled the exterior of the compound and not one of them managed to raise an alarm.
Part of you suspects that Ceannard may not be the complete professional he claims to be. For the relative pittance you paid him he mobilized almost all of the Arrows and swept towards the Oneiroi compound. You suspect that he was simply looking for an excuse to finally wipe them out while maintaining his reputation.
Your forces must outnumber theirs at least two to one. Though, numbers might not count for much once you get inside and you know all too well to never underestimate a mage.
"So ladies, here is the plan," he points at the different entrances of the two story compound as he speaks, "My men will hit the upper and main floors at the same time and sweep them of all resistance. Once the compound is secure we can enter at our leisure."
"We need some of them alive Ceannard," you remind him.
"We will do our best ladies," he responds, "We will try to take them alive of course but you know how dangerous mages can be."
You and your friend exchange a glance, she speaks, "We could always go in personally. That way we are sure to get at least one of them alive."
He inclines his head slightly, "Certainly, though if you go in I will have to insist I come with you. It would not reflect well on the Arrows if we lost a client while on a contract."
"I would like to come as well," Lyssa speaks up from behind you, "I owe you both so much and would like to prove my worth."
"Can we come!" Uttu asks, pulling on your sleeve.
"This is not a game kid," you gently chide her, "Are you sure you want to go in there?"
She nods and her sister answers, "We are your protectors! Where you go we go!"
You could probably order any of them to stay out here if you wanted to though they would probably complain. Something to think about at least as you consider your next move.
You consider the compound carefully. Something about it does not feel right though you can not place it. The shadows waver slightly within the walls. The whole place is unsettling in a way that you can not quite pinpoint which only serves to further worry you.
Ceannard, sensing your hesitation, presents one final option, "Should you ladies prefer, I can also have any potential survivors brought out here to you. There is no need for you to enter if you do not wish to..."
He lets the idea hang in the air as you narrow your focus. Contemplating your next move.
1. The Attack I: The Arrows are going to begin their assault on the compound momentarily. Do you wish to join the first wave of attackers.
A) Yes, you want to ensure that at least some of the mages survive.
B) No, you will let the Arrows take the majority of the risks here. It is what they are paid for after all.
C) freeform
2. The Attack II: If you do not join the first wave of attackers, would you prefer to enter with Ceannard and the reserves after the building is secured. If you do not then they will escort any prisoners they find out to you.
A) Yes, join the reserves mopping up.
B) No, wait outside until the prisoners are brought out to you.
C) freeform
3. The Attack, Party Composition: If you do enter who will you take with you?
A) No one, you will go in alone with the Arrows.
B) You will take someone with you. (Vote for as many or as few people as you wish. If B wins then all choices with more than half the voters' votes will be accepted.)
i. Thaïs
ii. Lyssa
iii. Biliku
iv. Uttu
v. Ceannard
4. Energon Cubes: Now that you have some again would you like to distribute them amongst your party:
A) No
B) Yes, list how many each mage should get. (You have twelve)
5. The Spinner: You think it might be an artefact of the Spider Goddess though you can not be sure. Did you immediately destroy it?
A) Yes
B) No
C) freeform
6. The mystery box won't open easily. You could hold off on opening it till you have the time and tools or you could just smash it open and hope that whatever is inside is durable. Which did you do?
A) Smash it open
B) Wait
C) freeform
7. You and Thaïs now each have a spell ring. Did you take the time to store a spell in each. The two of you have no problem collaborating so you have full access to both characters' spell lists. A few limitations though, rituals and spells that have to be maintained won't work properly. (Simply list the spell you would like to store in each.)
Derryth's Ring: ___________
Thaïs' Ring: ____________
8. You are certain that a number of spells are emanating from the center of the compound, they are faint but they are there. You are not sure whether you want to enter while the spells are still active. You think that the three of you should be able to dispel them (you will each have to use an energon cube to avoid being drained though). It will take roughly a half an hour to dispel you think provided you meet no resistance. Do you dispel them?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Yes and you will send the Arrows in immediately while you work on the spells.
D) Dispel them after the Arrows secure the building but before you go inside.
E) freeform
9.Anti-magic grenade: You will be going up against a group of mages and their spells an anti-magic grenade could come in handy but it will use up your last heaven stone. You will throw the grenade at the beginning of the assault to take out as many of the spells in place as possible, you will then proceed as in 8. Do you make one?
A)Yes
B)No
Chapter 23: Wolves at the Door
Chapter 23: Wolves at the DoorThe Arrows do everything they can to ensure your safety. A team secures the doorway, another team sets up a protective screen and four more teams stand ready to breach the perimeter at Ceannard's orders.
Everything is waiting on his signal and he is waiting on yours.
"Derryth, don't do this," the Faceless Man has been trying to talk you out of attacking the compound's spells.
"Why not?" you whisper in response.
"It is reckless, that's why! You know nothing about the spells at play here! Hell, I know nothing about them! They could be anything!" you know all that of course. You know this is dangerous but you want to ensure the Arrows succeed and you are certain that this is the way to do it. It is precisely because the spells at the heart of the compound are so strange that you feel a need to remove them. You do not want the Arrows under their effects for too long.
"I am doing this," you answer, "Either help or stay out of the way."
"I refuse to help you do something this... this stupid!" the archmage sputters, "Think about all you could lose!" you are fairly certain he means all he could lose but you do not expect any more from him at this point. Ultimately you elect to ignore him, if he will not help then you have nothing more to say to the man.
The three of you stand in a small triangle. You take one another's hands, you close your eyes and you prepare to assault the enemies' spells.
You can not see the enemy mages, in fact you do not even know if there are enemy mages actually maintaining the spells. As a result you are left with a single option. Attack the spells directly and force your way to their heart.
It will not be easy but then what has been for you lately?
You nod to the mercenary captain, "We are ready when you are."
"Alright, I will give the order to advance," you hear the whistle of an arrow.
Explosions rock the night, satchel charges no doubt.
From the shouts and screams that follow you know that the Arrows have begun their attack and so you begin yours.
You begin with the easy stuff.
Alarm spells, sentry spells, warding spells of various types.
Nothing you can not handle.
The three of you know what you are doing even if you are only working from theory and not first hand experience. You and Thaïs are so used to working together at this point that you dodge and weave between each other's spells with a grace and elegance that is mesmerizing. Lyssa for her part does her best to keep up. Despite Mazzarin's low opinion of her skill you believe she demonstrates real talent and even knows a thing or two that surprises you.
All is going according to plan. Most of the enemy spells have been dealt with as you follow the magical currents back to their heart. Then you feel it, the spell you could not identify.
It manifests as a slight pull on your mind coming from the center of the compound.
You immediately halt your advance to properly investigate but it does little good. Something is pulling you further from your body. You try to shout a mental warning to your allies, you try to tell them to pull back but as you cast around with your mind you realize that they are trapped as well.
The three of you are pulled along the magical currents towards the heart of the compound. Your mind begins to grow weary, tired, and gradually you begin to drift off.
Faintly, you think you hear Ceannard calling your name but there is nothing to be done as you quietly drift off to sleep.
---------------------------------------------
Bravely the watchman strides into the woods.
He has walked this path hundreds of times before.
It is all he knows.
It is his purpose.
Once, he thought, he dreamed of another life.
In a city of glittering marble, he traded bits of metal in a great square.
But that could not be.
He has always been a watchman.
Such dreams are mere fancy, nothing more.
He walks on in silence as the night closes around him.
The scant light of his lantern barely pierces the oncoming gloom.
He wants to return to his bed, to the white brick fort, but he refuse to abandon this.
This is his duty.
So he pushes on.
The night comes on quickly now.
And with it come other things.
Enemies.
A branch snaps to his right.
It is on him in an instant.
A nightmare, part lizard, part housecat, with the tongue of a frog and the tail of a desert scorpion.
It is an elf, a fairy, a twisted little beast of the forest.
It will kill him, eat him.
He is ready though.
His blade fills his hand and all too quickly it cuts through to the very heart of the beast.
It gurgles as it dies, twisting, clawing its way down his blade towards him.
He drops the weapon and runs.
In a panic the watchman flees back to the fort.
He must stay on the path.
Should he take but one step off of it he will be lost forever.
Around him the forest springs to life.
Every tree reveals a score of red eyes staring back at him.
Every bush giggles, chuckles, whistles with the mischief and malice of the damned.
He does not look, to look would be to lose everything.
He runs.
Faster.
And faster still.
He is so close now.
Braches snap. Boughs break.
The entire forest screams at the watchman.
Perhaps that is why he fails to notice his death waiting just around the corner.
The wolf is a bolt of auburn against a black night.
Fire on oil.
Blood on the cool, dark earth.
It closes its jaws around his neck.
It sinks its teeth deep.
The watchman dies.
The forest cries in triumph.
------------------------------------------
You howl.
In this eternal, dreaming forest. The hunt and the kill is everything.
You feel complete, whole, as you tear a strip off the dying watchman.
Daintily, you wipe the blood from your muzzle as your companions slink out of the shadows towards you. One black, one brown. Thaïs and Lyssa respectively.
Thaïs lets out a low series of yelps, "Nice kill Derryth," she eyes your prey hungrily but you made the kill and you get to have the first crack at it.
You carefully tear a chunk from the man. Lyssa edges closer to the corpse. Her presumption annoys you. You let out a slight growl of warning, "Don't either of you have something to do other than watch me eat?"
Lyssa whines in response, her ears plastered back, "Not really no. We all have to wait for the right moment to strike and there are only so many patrols."
You understand every noise either of them make.
For a second that strikes you as odd though you shrug it off after only a moment.
They are your pack and you serve the gods of the wild, dark forest. You will bring death to the men in their fort. Those that tried to tame it, to break it. You know you will succeed, eventually.
You exhale sharply. They are not going to leave, they want some of the kill as well. You decide to be charitable, you are their leader but you are not a tyrant. You will share, "Alright you two. Come over here but no fighting."
They fall on the corpse, tearing apart what little remains as you scan the trees in contemplation. They let out happy howls of appreciation as they devour the human.
They sing your praises but something bothers you.
You have the nagging suspicion that you had a greater purpose than this.
That once you were not as you are now.
It is very hazy but you could swear that there is more to your existence than hunting and killing.
The idea is slippery though.
Every time you reach to grab it, it slides away.
You huff in frustration.
That catches Thaïs' attention. She leaves the rest of the meat to Lyssa and sits down next to you, "Something the matter," she whispers.
"Yes," you growl, "I just do not know what..."
"Why not talk about it? That helps me," she pokes you with her muzzle trying to cheer you up.
"I... I don't think any of this is right. I think we were not always like this..." you shift to your left uncomfortably and raise a paw to your face, "Every now and then I catch a face or a place that does not fit," you whine in pain as you force yourself to remember.
Pain, suffering, misery arc through your mind. It would be so much easier to stop trying.
The forest provides all. It protects you and your pack. It will comfort you. It will feed you. And someday when you die it will hug your body to its chest and take you back to the gods.
What more could a wolf want after all?
You are about to tell Thaïs that it is nothing when a nearby tree begins to swell.
The forest screams.
It tells you to run.
You trust the forest and so you are about to do just that.
You don't have time.
The tree splits open as teal flames pour forth.
The two of you yelp and race back to Lyssa.
The three of you turn to run for the forest but the flames are faster.
They encircle you, trap you.
From the smouldering remains of the tree steps a man. Old, distinguished, dignified.
You and your pack growl at him.
He ignores you, instead he calls out to the forest, "You can not have them you know! They are mine and no second rate deity is going to fuck this up for me!"
The forest reacts, a gremlin of stone and wood leaps at the man. It dissolves in mid air, splattering a nearby rock.
He turns his gaze back to you as he clicks his tongue, "Oh Derryth. How do you get yourself into these situations?"
He grins as the fires die down, "Now don't run. I am trying to help you here."
He snaps a branch off a nearby tree and begins to focus on you and your pack.
They whimper but you order them to stand their ground. For some reason you believe this man.
The branch begins to glow.
The forest screams.
You close your eyes.
He hits you.
---------------------------------------
"You know girls, it is a damn good thing you did not have those ridiculous gloves on when you decided to do this! Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you in this dream forest? Any clue at all of what could have happened! No, don't answer that!" the three of you sit in a line, restored to your proper condition though you remember very little of your time as a forest creature. The Faceless Man paces before you, lecturing you, "If I had been incapacitated! Why, you would be stuck as animals for the rest of your days!"
You do not really have time for this. You try to placate the mage, "Well thank you again for your help but we really must be-"
"What you 'must be doing' young lady is sit there and listen," another forest spirit leaps out at him, a twisted amalgam of a catfish, a canary and a weasel, and he snuffs it out without breaking stride.
By your count that makes forty two, not one of them has come close to threatening the Faceless Man.
He sighs dramatically, "You girls will be the death of me you know that!" while you are in fact grateful for his aid you also have had more than enough of his crap.
You ignore him and cast your mind out, looking for the source of the spell that dragged you down into this dream world. It is faint but you find it. The source of the Oneiroi spell is ahead of you, in that fort of white brick.
You stand and begin to walk past him towards the fort in the distance.
He steps in front of you, "Where are you going?"
"We have a job to do," you respond as you step around him, "I intend to finish it."
"Like hell you will," he grabs your arm, "You are coming back with me to where it is safe!"
You grin at the Faceless Man, "If you want to try and force me to then be my guest."
You think he might just do it to until Thaïs interrupts, "If you are concerned with our safety then why not come with us? You constantly tell us that we are your apprentices, well what better time to teach us something?"
"Exactly," you nod, "Show us what you have got... I mean unless you are scared..."
"I am not scared," he growls, but that cut him a little.
Thaïs seizes on the opening, "He is right Derryth. We can not say he is scared and we certainly can not say he is a coward-"
"Ladies," he tries to interrupt as you both ignore him.
You call on every little trick your friend has taught you, you feign surprise and actually do a decent job of it, "Oh no, I would not call him a coward at all! Why he is quite brave to come out here when he is so terrified!"
"Ladies," he tries again a little louder. Again you both ignore him.
Your friend nods enthusiastically, "Yes, it must be very difficult to choke down your fear like that. Why if I were that petrified, that fearful, that anxious, that-"
"Ladies!" he shouts at the top of his lungs.
You turn to him in unison, a look of surprise and concern fastened carefully to your faces, "Yes?" Thaïs responds innocently.
Your group stands in silence as he fumes.
The stillness of the night is only broken when another forest spirit launches itself at the Faceless Man, a bizarre mixture of a dog, a beetle and a lizard. He catches it by the throat and snaps its neck.
He sighs, "Let's just get this over with..." he turns and stalks off towards the fort with the three of you in pursuit.
-----------------------------------------
The Oneiroi compound in this dreamscape is far more impressive than it is in reality.
The walls are high and thick, dozens of guards stand watch, looking out into the forest, and you can feel something powerful radiating magical energy from the center of the compound.
"So what are our options?" you ask your group.
"Let me handle it?" the Faceless Man suggests with a smile, "I can bring down those gates with little effort."
That sounds too easy. There must be a catch and it seems Thaïs thinks the same thing as that is what she asks, "You have never been this free with your power before. What changed?"
He grins, "Smart girl. Here we are in a space outside of physical reality. A place that is not my home but one I am vaguely familiar with. Here I can steal a little power and make it my own. Of course to attack that fortress will require a little more power than I can currently draw on. I can take care of the fort but you will need to grant me just a little extra power to do so. Link your minds up to mine and I will have this fort levelled in no time at all."
"So this is yet another attempt to get into our heads," you grumble. Not angry, not surprised really, just a little disappointed.
"Well it would only be a little part of your minds. Just a single point of contact so that you can feed me the extra energy I need. Of course if you want to do this without my help be my guest," he gestures to the imposing fortress with a self satisfied smirk firmly fixed to his face.
That sounds like a challenge.
You turn to your allies, "If we were going to do it, how would we go about it?"
Thaïs begins, "Mental control spells? We compel one of the guards to open the gate and go from there?"
Lyssa speaks up, uncertain of herself, "There are other minds out there in the forest in the form of animals of various shapes and sizes, like we were. I could try to talk to them, try to convince them to help us. They could provide us with the numbers to take the fort by force if we cover them with illusions and mental manipulation spells."
Fairly good plans all things considered, "Perhaps we could do both. We get a guard to open the gates and then unleash the whole forest on them."
The three of you nod in unison as the Faceless Man frowns, "That is a horrible plan. It will never work," he snorts dismissively.
You are not so sure though. You think it might work and that, that is what annoys the archmage.
You are about to make your decision when another forest spirit materializes, it is a creature of spotted fur and living rock, feathers and greenwood.
It does not attack however, instead it bows lows.
It chatters at you and though you have trouble understanding it at first, gradually its words become intelligible, "You are enemies of the fort men? You help us and we help you! Open gates and we will take care of the rest!"
An interesting proposition but can you trust these creatures?
You remember very little from your time as a wolf and what you do remember is quite hazy. You do remember though that the forest spirits and their gods hate the fort and its guards more than anything. While the spirits are notoriously untrustworthy that hatred is something you can count on.
They could very well betray you but the Faceless Man can act as quite the deterrent and there is no way to stop them from involving themselves anyway should they desire or see an opportunity...
1. Unravelling the Spell: You need to get inside that fort to unravel the final Oneiroi spell, how do you want to do it?
A) You don't - You have taken out most of the Oneiroi spells, that will have to be good enough. You attempt to return to your bodies using the Faceless Man's help.
B) Archmage Assault - You want to see what a Fallen Lord can really do.
C) Assault Independently - You, Thaïs and Lyssa will use your own spells to assault the fort. You will compel one of the guards to open the doors then attack with every resource you can muster.
D) Diplomacy - You try to gain access to the fort by negotiating with the garrison. Perhaps you can convince them that you are watchmen that got lost in the forest though you are not confident.
E) freeform - Gain entry to the fort your own way.
2. The Forest Spirits: The strange forest spirits have offered to help you attack the fort. You do not really trust them but you think they may just attack anyway once the gate is down. Do you agree to work with them?
A) Yes
B) No
Chapter 24: Man is Man's Wolf
The alternative title for this one was Unintended Consequences.There are no organizational or party changes for this one so there will be no second post.
Chapter 24: Man is Man's Wolf
Time passes strangely in this place.
Perhaps the very concept is foreign to it.
This night seems to last an eternity and the forest is strange, animated, hostile.
Everyone in the fort can feel it.
They know in their hearts that something is about to break loose upon them.
The guardsmen huddle just a bit closer together, they stand just a hair lower, they cling to the flames like a drowning man to the flotsam and jetsam that may yet save his life.
The captain makes his rounds, torch in hand.
He jokes, he prods, he stirs the men back up. They are a bastion of civilization in these untamed land. They will break this forest, such is their duty, such has always been their duty.
He stands proudly upon the wall for all of his men to see.
He knows no cowardice.
He knows no fear.
He also provides a very tempting target.
-------------------------------------------
You focus on the man. His will is strong but you are stronger. You delicately place a suggestion in his mind. A watchman is trapped outside, he needs to open the gate.
He takes the bait. He is on your hook now.
He places one gloved hand on the gate controls.
He stops, his mind pushing back against your efforts.
You let him shake the suggestion off, giving him a little line. His mind races from you.
Thaïs waits in ambush for him. She hooks a false memory into his side.
It is not a watchman out there it is his child.
Frantically he works the controls. The doors begin to open.
Again his mind fights back. He has no child. His mind turns on Thaïs but she is already gone, fading back into the darkness of the night.
It is while he is distracted that you choose to strike.
You reel him in, hitting him with a compulsion. You pour all your will into it.
The attack is not terribly elegant. Particularly in comparison to your earlier feints but it is quite effective.
His mind rolls backward as his body works the controls.
The gates are open.
Your 'allies' do the rest.
--------------------------------------
She has no idea what is happening.
One moment she was surveying the forest and the next... the next she watched her captain betray all that he held dear.
The gates are open.
The forest pours in.
Wolves, bears, and stags crash into the courtyard as his men valiantly defend themselves. They are cut down, torn apart by the wolves, ripped in half by the bears, impaled, bludgeoned and stamped out by the stags. It is a bloodbath.
The captain throws himself into the worst of it. He cleaves a bear's head from its shoulder. He splits a wolf almost in two with an axe he conjures from mid air.
With a thousand different cries owls, bats, raptors and songbirds of every shape and size descend from the skies. They peck and claw at the guards on the walls, some flee, others fall.
The captain fights on, weaving magic as he carves into the oncoming host.
Finally even the rodents pour forth.
He falls, the captain falls, under a wave of rats and rabbits, squirrels and mice. Hundreds of pairs of tiny teeth gnawing at him.
Some small, dark part of her finds that immensely amusing.
She pulls herself together. Maybe she can still turn this around. They are just animals. If she can just get back to some of the men she can-
The forest heaves, it cries out and it attacks.
Forest spirits pour forth and through the open gates.
Leaping, hopping, skittering, slithering the horde comes on. Double hinged jaws, hooked claws, clacking talons pour into the compound. Elemental hatred and hunger they pour forth.
They are coming to kill, to consume them all.
She runs through the fort, all is in chaos.
If she can only get to the basement, if she can only open a gate...
To late.
They block her way.
She ducks into a store room and hides in an old brick oven.
They find her though. Hateful hands drag her from her hiding place, out of the dark and into the light, out of ignorance and into madness.
They poke her, prod her, bite her, scratch her.
They drag her into the square and force her onto her knees.
A squat little beast with the body of a toad and the face of a fox hefts a large rock in its sucking fist.
The beast screams. She screams. The horde screams. The rock screams.
Her world spins.
The fist falls on her to snuff out her life.
The rock falls on her to snuff out her life.
Fate falls on her to snuff out her life.
Then suddenly it stops.
She stops it, but what is she, this figure casually striding through the shattered gate?
An angel of mercy?
The figure walks up to the officer, there is not a hint of fear in her.
Some demon from hell's cold, dark caverns?
The creatures part before her.
Some terrible and ancient immortal?
She lowers herself down till she can look the officer in the eye.
Does she command this host? These monsters?
The officer waits for the figure to speak unable to even begin to fathom the depths of this being.
What could the figure possibly want from her?
The figure smiles at her. She tilts her odd hat backward with her thumb. She extends a hand and she speaks, "Good evening. Name's Derryth, what's yours?."
The officer giggles and passes out.
---------------------------------------------
"Well great," you stand up and dust yourself off, "Now who is going to tell us what is going on?"
Thaïs, equally annoyed, replies, "We will just have to find a way to wake her up."
"Um," Lyssa interrupts, "What are they doing?"
She points to the half dozen spirits poking your prisoner.
The squat toad beast at your feet yips to its compatriots. They begin to grab at the unconscious woman, great twisted maws grinning evilly.
"No eating her!" you command them. They turn their attention to you, grins still fastened to their distorted faces. These things are mischievous, hateful even, but not terribly bright. You can see them weighing their odds. They are not sure they can beat you but they seem almost prepared to try.
You don't give them a chance. You single out their leader and you knock him flat with an assault spell. He skitters across the earth yelping with his companions in close pursuit.
You survey the wreckage of the fort. The front gate is ruined. The doors leading into the compound have been torn off and spirits squat everywhere. They tear at the corpses of the guardsmen and argue amongst themselves. Blood and strings of flesh fly through the air as they squabble. They avoid the bricks though, afraid to touch them. They begin smearing blood and mud and offal on the bricks. Covering them up in a layer of human paste.
Most of them eat and play or work to cover the bricks but you can feel dozens, maybe hundreds, of eyes watching your group. You are convinced that these things would attack if they thought they could win, "We need to get somewhere more defensible. We should get out of this courtyard. Take her inside the fort and find somewhere to securely interrogate her."
No one disagrees with your assessment so the four of you carry your prisoner into the fort.
Or rather you, Thaïs and Lyssa carry the prisoner while the Faceless Man supervises.
He says it is 'beneath him to stoop to manual labour'...
The ass...
--------------------------------------------
She proves to be rather talkative all things considered. Though that might also have something to do with the fact that the four of you are the only thing standing between her and the hordes of predatory spirits that have taken over the fort.
All it took was a simple reminder. Either she talks or you feed her to the elves and wash your hands of whole the affair. She caved quickly and it all came pouring out.
"Look," she begins rapidly, sweating profusely, "I am just doing the job I was paid to do. I keep an eye on the watchmen and the guardsmen and relay orders to them from the Oneiroi."
"So you are real then? Not a dreaming mind like everyone else?" Thaïs asks as she leans in next to you.
"Sort of... I have a... well, I am keyed to this gate that lets me come and go... all the officers are! Or were... They... ah, hell... they told me that they wanted someone with a clear mind running security on this side. Normally there are two mages here with us but something happened. They were called back to the physical world for some reason. They would not tell me why though..." she pauses, uncertain. It takes her a moment to vocalize what is on her mind, "You... you aren't going to eat me right?"
"Why would we eat you?" you and your friend ask simultaneously.
"Well... ah... you are spirits of the forest right? I mean clearly smarter and stronger and... ah... cuter..." she stammers, "But that is why you attacked right? You wanted to take advantage of the absence of our mages to seize this side of the path.... right?"
Seems she has a very well defined idea of what you are, completely wrong of course but you see no need to enlighten her. You and Thaïs grin at one another and do your best impressions of evil spirits. Hers, like usual, is perfect. Yours isn't great but you compensate with a couple false memories. Your prisoner buys the act and whimpers as your friend begins, "Well, can you give us a reason not to take revenge on you?"
Seamlessly you continue, "A reason not to kill you?"
She finishes without missing a beat, "A reason not to devour your very soul?"
Eager to save herself the officer nods enthusiastically, "I will tell you everything I know! How we made the bricks! How we caught the guards! How we stole your friends! Everything! Just let me return to the physical world please!"
"Alright," you raise a hand to silence her, "Tell us everything and don't leave out a single detail because we will know and it will not go well for you."
She takes a deep breath and begins, "I was contracted two years ago to run security for this site. At the time there was nothing on this side of the gate except what you creatures make. We humans can cross over, in fact we do all the time when we dream of wild, untamed places but we can not truly take anything over with us. The clothes I wear, the tools and weapons I wield are all extensions of my will or at least that is what the mages said. That is why I can not fight spirits of your power, you are at home here while I am just a stranger..." she hangs her head, "Well the mages thought about how to get around these limitations... they realized that while we could not bring anything physical over we could manipulate the dreaming souls of others... with the right spells we could make them into anything..."
She trails off, you think you understand where she is going with this, "You say you can turn peoples' souls into anything? Bricks for example..."
She refuses to make eye contact, she just nods. Eventually she continues, "The mages... they ran experiments on our prisoners... on the ones with expired contracts or who could not afford to pay our ransom... they found a way to reduce them... to turn them into clay... to mold them, shape them and bake them. Every brick in this fort was once a person and the weakness you are no doubt feeling is down to them. You spirits do not seem to do so well when in contact with them..."
With that great secret out of the way the rest comes out easily, "The watchmen and guardsmen are all former servants or mercenaries in our employ. Those that die on the job are kept here, they serve eternally as per their contract."
You have trouble accepting the cruelty of these acts. You are impressed by the creativity and skill it took to create this fort yet you are disgusted by the complete lack of regard the Oneiroi show for their fellow man.
Thaïs manages to formulate another question as you let it all sink in, "Why did you need the fort in the first place? Why 'steal' our... ah... 'friends'?"
She gives you both a sick smile, "Well, mages in our world need power to cast their spells and you spirits are essentially energy... and ah... we took your friends to act as power sources... that large one we captured a year and a half ago... I don't know if you knew him or not. He is still alive though! Um... they use him to power their spells. They steal from him, knowledge, power, enough to become great! I don't really know why they need it but they are mages. Maybe they just want it because it is there, you know how mages are..." she scans the room, "Er... I guess you don't actually..."
For the first time the Faceless Man speaks, "What was that about a gate?"
She eyes him carefully, "Downstairs... but it will only open for me... it is keyed to prevent spirits like you from escaping back into our world. I always though it was a pain in the ass but I guess those mages were right to be careful."
You can sense the Faceless Man's disappointment, it is thick and heavy in the room.
You push on, "So the source of power for the Oneiroi spells are in the basement?"
She nods.
"Show us," you command her as the five of you form up and head out of the room.
-----------------------------------------------
You step out into the main chamber of the compound it looks substantially different. Most of the floor and some of the walls are coated in gore. The elves fill the room and as you enter hundreds of eyes instantly lock on to you.
The elves have finished eating.
They have finished 'redecorating'.
There is nothing else living in this compound save the five of you.
This might get messy.
The Faceless Man takes point. One brave imp throws itself at him and is burnt to ash as soon as it leaves the ground. The rest watch on in silence. Red, beady eyes track your every movement but none are willing to challenge the archmage.
Your prisoner watches with fascination as you slowly cross the room headed for the basement. Finally she puts it all together, "You... you are not spirits are you?"
You nudge her forward, "Does it matter?" you reply.
The crossing is tense. The longest five minutes of your life.
If they all attacked at once you are not certain you could hold them back. The only thing that saves you is the fact that your group will certainly kill the first forty that attack. They know this and so they hesitate. Outside the wind builds, the trees creak, something stalks closer, carried on the wind.
The basement door is made of the same white bricks as the rest of the compound. Perhaps that is why it still stands. There is no key hole, no handle, "A spell," your prisoner explains. She produces a small white shard of brick and waves it in front of the doorway, it clicks open.
You swing it open and carefully step through.
Lyssa makes certain that the door seals behind you.
Above you, you can here the murmuring of the creatures. They have no intention of leaving.
In this large room lined on all sides with brick there are only two objects.
The first is the portal, it is a two metre by one metre rectangle of white brick. Your prisoner grins with relief when she sees it.
The second is what looks like a black, marble sculpture of a man carved by the blind or the mad. Twisted and broken it lies on the floor. Smashed, leathery wings are pined to the floor with white bricks. Twisted, broken fingers connect to bloodied hands. Its legs have been shattered numerous times and left to heal crooked. It rattles slightly as you approach.
It turns its head as much as possible in its prone position revealing cracked horns and a toothless smile. You also notice that it is blind, shards of white brick driven into its eyes. It mumbles at you. Its tone is not one of anguish but of boredom, "Come back have you? Well do your worst... I will not scream for you."
It pushes at the edges of your mind without really meaning to. This being is powerful, very powerful and you wonder how exactly it ended up like this.
You and Thaïs approach it while the Faceless Man and Lyssa guard you prisoner.
Thaïs gasps, hardly realizing what she is doing as she reaches for the prone figure. You stop her, "Best not to touch it."
It laughs, "Why the sudden concern? You have caressed me many a time with your whips and blades, with this cursed clay!"
"Is there nothing we can do for you?" you ask.
"You... you are not one of the Oneiroi are you?" he snifts the air, "No, you do not smell like them. If you wish to help then free me... or kill me... I no longer care which. Just put an end to this, please-" it lets out a sharp scream and you hear a loud pop come from behind you as the gate opens.
You turn prepared to unleash your spells on your prisoner. You are instead treated to quite the sight.
Lyssa hovers a foot off of the ground suspended by the Faceless Man's magic. She is trapped but so far unharmed.
Your prisoner lies dying before the gate. Her blood lightly splattered on the frame of the gate and the floor in front of it. Most of her blood covers the Faceless Man though and he wears here intestines as a sort of macabre scarf.
He stands grinning less than two metres from the open gate.
He waves to you with his free hand, "See Derryth, where there is a will there is a way. It turns out that the gate was merely configured to our friend's presence. Anyone can go through as long as they are close enough to fool it!"
You take a step towards him, a little sick to your stomach, "So you are going to abandon us?"
"Sort of, yes," he shrugs, "I had intended to stick around for a while longer but an opportunity like this does not present itself every day! I mean think of it Derryth! A body! Freedom! Oh, it has been so long! So I am afraid we must part ways here."
You don't really like the idea of restoring three archmages in a week.
You take another step towards him, "What if I try to stop you?"
"You won't," he grins smugly.
"How can you be so sure," you spit back.
He begins to enumerate the reasons, "You have no reason to and every reason not to. If you attack I will kill your latest addition here," Lyssa bobs in the air when he gestures to her, "I will then incapacitate the two of you. Enter the portal. Massacre the Oneiroi, the Arrows and your little brats and finally I will drag the two of you back to your bodies and press you into my service. Sounds delightful doesn't it?"
You visibly wince at the thought.
He takes a step towards the gate, "Now since I know you will not stop me I will even do you one parting favour. Think of it as a prize for helping me as much as you did! Without you two I would still be stuck in some hole under Muirthemne! I will clear the real compound of the Oneiroi. I will leave you a few choice prisoners to interrogate and I will tell you how to get back to your bodies," he beams, "Think carefully ladies! We can all come out of this winners!"
You try to wring some more information out of him, "How do we get out of here and what will you do if we let you go?"
"Let me go?" he laughs, "Let me go, she says! You can not stop me Derryth and as for what I will do! I will do what I want! The same as I have always done!" he pauses for a moment and raises a careful hand to his face in mock contemplation, "As for how you can get out of here that should be obvious to a smart girl like you! Kill that creature and the Oneiroi spells will fail. You will be free to find your way back to your bodies."
You cast around the room for options.
You could go along with this, it would be the safest option but you hesitate to free yet another archmage.
You could try to get clever. If you kill the creature the gate will close and the Faceless Man will be trapped. He will once again need you and Thaïs so he is not likely to take it out on either of you but that won't protect Lyssa.
You could free this creature. It is very powerful and on familiar ground. If free it will probably be able to shut the gate and may even be willing to help you fight the Faceless Man.
Finally, you could try to destroy the gate itself as he passes into it. The timing would be difficult but if it works you could probably kill the Faceless Man. If you miss though and he passes through he is likely to realize what you did and he may take it out on your allies and the girls.
As you think, the Faceless Man strides towards the gate. He pays you absolutely no attention, he is already thinking on his future. He smiles broadly, his eyes closed.
If you are going to act now would be the time
What to do?
A) You let the Faceless Man leave then you kill the creature unravelling the Oneiroi spells.
B) You let the Faceless Man leave and then free the creature. The spells should unravel with their power supply missing.
C) You kill the creature before the Faceless Man leaves. You keep the Fallen Lord trapped.
D) You will free the creature before the Faceless Man leaves. Hopefully it can defeat the archmage.
i. You will let it deal with the Faceless Man however it thinks is best.
ii. You will try to convince it to keep the gate open until the Faceless Man enters it then convince it to drop the gate on the archmage.
E) You attack the gate itself hoping to kill the Faceless Man. You will then kill the creature just to be sure.
F) You attack the gate itself hoping to kill the Faceless Man. You will then free the creature, you take pity on it.
G) You will attack the officer with everything you have. If you can kill her the gate will close. You will just have to hope the Faceless Man is not protecting her somehow.
H) You will let the Faceless Man go through the gate. You will then attempt to convince the creature to follow. IF it refuses the Faceless Man will likely never know of your treachery. IF it agrees you hope it can either defeat him or that the battle will destroy/fuse both of their minds.
I) freeform
Chapter 25: Faith or Folly?
Chapter 25: Faith or Folly?A hero would have stopped him.
The Faceless Man walks towards the gate. Slowly, confidently, he approaches his freedom. He pauses before passing through, "Thank you ladies. I shall remain eternally grateful for your aid in restoring me. You are my saviours, my angels and I shall look forward to the day when we meet once again."
He gives you the slightest of bows and steps through the gate.
You do nothing to stop him.
Nothing to stop the release of the fifth or sixth most powerful mage in recorded history.
Nothing to stop the release of a true Fallen Lord.
For a moment you think.
You think that if you were a hero you would stop him. You would stop him no matter the cost.
Yet it does not truly bother you.
He has been a useful asset even if not an entirely loyal one and you have no desire to antagonize him.
In the final balance of things he was not, is not, your enemy.
A hero would have stopped him.
Would have sacrificed their life to do so.
But then you have never claimed to be a hero.
You are a mage and you will fight the battles you have to for the things you care about. You will build, you will learn, you will plot and you will grow and perhaps someday you will achieve the sort of power that can permanently remove these old evils from the world. To snuff them out or to redeem them. But that is something for the future.
In the present you will live and take solace in that fact.
For now, for you, that is enough.
A hero would have stopped him.
But heroes die...
-----------------------------------------
Three mages run through the dark.
Lilac robes trailing behind them.
Just a little further.
A little further and they will be safe.
A quarter of the way down the hallway the trailing mage screams as an arrow strikes him in the thigh. He falls, rolling as he hits the ground. The arrow snaps off in his leg and he howls in pain. That pain is swiftly ended by another volley of arrows.
The remaining two do not even look back.
The second mage makes it four fifths of the way before being dropped by four arrows in the back.
The final mage, though, makes it.
A arrow whizzes over his head as he races around the corner. These mercenaries are persistent. He has personally killed four since the battle began but they simply keep coming.
He does not pause for a moment as he turns the corner. He has mere seconds to make it to the dining room.
He sees the doors.
He has made it!
Hands on the handles he pushes.
It will not yield.
He is too late.
He is trapped.
He turns and faces his executioners.
He will sell his life dearly though it matters little in the end.
----------------------------------------
The mercenaries press in on them from every access point but they give ground just as they were taught to. They fall back towards the center of the facility. Towards the master coiled upon its throne, dreaming. Here in its chamber they would make their stand.
The doors shake as the remaining Oneiroi cluster around their master.
They flip tables, set up barricades, ready themselves for the final push.
The mercenaries are persistent. They must taste victory but the Oneiroi will not go quietly. The master will wake and will purge the compound of non believers.
They chant loudly, calling out to it.
One eye drifts open lazily.
A clawed hand stirs.
The doors give way.
The mercenaries pour in.
The master wakes.
---------------------------------------------
Otto dives out of the way, rolls and steadies himself. These mages are quick and their spells are deadly.
A cloud of purple mist envelops three of his men. They gasp, they fall. "Arrows!" the captain shouts out, "Return fire!"
Six arrows loose, then another six, and another. The four enemy mages collapse, writhing in pain as the arrows draw their knifes to finish them off.
The mages struggle but unable to focus there is little they can do as the archers dispatch them. Boots to the head and throat, knives to the stomach and chest, it is a simple thing to finish them off. Muffled moans and screams echo through the corridor.
"Alright men form up," Otto draws his men up for the next push, "We are to join up with the rest of the teams at the heart of the compound. Once secure we will-"
The compound rumbles.
"What the hell was that?" an Arrow mumbles.
"It is coming from the center of the compound," another answers.
"Well then gentlemen we best hurry up," Otto takes off towards the disturbance with his men in tow.
-----------------------------------------
Otto has found the source of the disturbance.
Like a good officer he moved to deal with.
Right now though he is wishing he had not.
He dives behind a table as a swarm of devouring, lavender serpents fly past his head.
The main chamber is a mess. Corpses strewn everywhere. The last ten Oneiroi congregate on a large platform throwing out spells.
In front of them is... something. It vaguely resembles a man but is put together wrong. Twisted wings, oddly bent legs, horns that seem to drain the light from the room.
It is strong... stronger than the best of them.
It is fast... faster than the best of them.
And to top it all off it can cast.
He lost half his men in the first two minutes.
The last five have consisted of constant dodging and weaving. He has used every trick he knows but this is it. He is too tired to carry on.
It hurls a rose coloured bubble at the table. It strikes home with a deafening pop and dissolves the wood around him. Otto slowly stands. The creature... smiles at him.
He readies his sword, about to charge to his death.
"Oh my! What is happening in here!" the voice is feminine and the excitement, the joy, it exudes stands in stark contrast to the bloody spectacle that is playing out around Otto.
He turns, compelled to find the source of this voice.
She is a tall woman with short blonde hair. She wears mail and carries an iron spear in her hand. She strides into the room like she owns the place.
"So you must be an Arrow," she points at Otto, "Which would make you lot the Oneiroi correct?"
The creature howls and throws a twisting corkscrew of blue energy at her.
She moves faster than his eye can track.
She points the spear at the beast and it begins to evaporate, its flesh boils, bubbles, away. Its muscles liquefy, its bones crackle and burst. It howls as it dies, powerless. It dissolves in front of Otto like a bad dream gives way before the dawn. In less than a minute the creature is no more.
The woman sulks a little, "I was really hoping it would be more of a challenge," she shrugs, "Oh well, time to get to work."
The remaining Oneiroi watch on in horror.
She hums as she casts, an old tune, older than living memory.
---------------------------------------------
"So how do we want to do this?" Thaïs asks.
You both already know the answer. You are not going to kill this thing. It would probably be wiser to do so but murder is not something that either of you are terribly comfortable with. Especially when your target has not wronged you in any substantial way.
You adjust your hat, "We let him go I suppose."
You drop down closer to the creature, "You won't kill and devour us if we free you right?"
He gives a pained smile, "Of course I will not."
"Well I guess that is the best we can hope for," you move to free him.
Lyssa calls from across the room, "Derryth stop!"
Thankfully the Faceless Man did not harm her.
The first thing you did after he left was to check on her. She just needed a few moments to recover and you were happy to grant them to her.
"Why?" you naturally ask.
"He will attack, though he is not lying, he will not kill or eat us but he will not let us leave either," she seems certain of this.
"How do you know?" Thaïs asks arching her eyebrows.
"Mazzarin taught me about many of the beings that prey upon mortals. He was fond of telling stories to pass the time, to relive his years of glory. He mentioned a creature once in passing, one that matches this creature in almost every detail," she approaches the two of you as she speaks, "He is a rogue and a scoundrel. With a love for youth and beauty. If given half a chance he will capture us."
"So what do we do?" the question rolls of your tongue.
"We extract an oath from him first," she pushes past you and begins to chant. Her words twist, they are simultaneously too low to make out and too high to truly hear.
The creature grunts, it barks, it howls, then it falls silent, "Fine. Let me go and I will let you go. If that is not enough then we can all wait for my fellows to find a way in."
"So it is safe to release him now?" you ask the witch.
"Yes, as long as we do not overstay our welcome," she nods.
You are about to begin when you hear a slight moaning from across the room. The three of you stop and turn slowly.
"Is... is she still alive?" Lyssa mutters.
"Looks like," you and Thaïs respond in unison.
"Help... help..." she repeats the word weakly, trying to draw some sort of power from it. Over and over she repeats it, afraid that if she should stop she would die. She is likely right.
"Should we... do anything about her," the witch hazards to ask, "Put her out of her misery perhaps?"
"I should like her if you would be so kind," the creature grins as it lies pinned to the floor, "Her people owe mine much and she can help repay that debt."
But you have another idea and looking at your partner you can tell the same idea is worming its way through her mind as well.
You fall into an odd conversation that is half spoken and half assumed.
"We could save her-" you begin.
"Put her is the bracelets-" you friend continues.
"She would live and be of use-" you push on.
"Until we can find or make a body for her," Thaïs nods.
Ultimately you make the decision to:
-------------------------------------------
1. The officer: She lies dying. What if anything will you do about it?
A) Kill her. It would be a mercy.
B) Leave her for the creatures. It is not your concern after all.
C) Save her and take her back to the now empty bracelets. You could use an extra set of eyes watching your back and she would be much easier to control than the previous occupant of the bracelets. What you do after that remains to be seen.
D) freeform
-------------------------------------------
The three of you work to free the creature.
Though it looks like marble it feels like tar. When you touch it you stick slightly. You suspect that if it wanted to it could absorb at least part of you.
You remove the bricks, set its broken bones and withdraw all of the shards that have been buried within it.
When you are done you back away from the creature. It does not move at first but you can feel it casting. Drawing power out of the air around it. Slowly it pulls a few bricks lose as black earth falls in, peppering the floor. As the hole widens energy pours through it and the creature comes to life before you. Colour returns to it and its body regains its former vigour.
Within five minutes it stands before you in all of its glory.
It bows low, it grins, its mouth now full of razor-like teeth "I suppose now we must part ways?" he pauses waiting for your answer. When you nod it frowns slightly, "A shame, I should like to thank my saviours. I should like to thank all of you in depth over the course of a few centuries. I could show you the silver shores of the Deep Dreaming. The floating palaces of Pleasant Slumber. The calm, dark waters of horror and mystery. We could travel for an age ladies, will you not at least consider it?"
Its voice is smooth and strong. It caresses your ears. Urging you to absolve it of its oath. Urging you to go with it into the depths of this place.
You know all too well though that such a trip would be permanent. It would never lead you back out again. Your body would waste away and eventually you would become little more than a spirit yourself.
You politely refuse its offer, "I am afraid we have pressing business to see to in our bodies."
It bows again, "A shame my ladies. Then till we meet again I will bid you long life and sweet dreams."
It begins to boil in front of you. Transitioning into a thin mist as it slips gently away, under the door and out into the fort.
With the Oneiroi spells unravelling it is a simple though long process to drift back to your bodies. The natural attachment each of you has to them serves to guide you back safely like broad leaves carried on the current of some slow, wide river.
As you leave this odd plane of dreams and nightmares a single thought occurs to you, "Well that went well..."
-------------------------------------------------
You drift serenely back into your body.
A happy smile on your face.
As your senses return to you, you realize how wrong everything seems.
It is all so quiet.
The air smells slightly of smoke and magic.
As you regain your senses Thaïs happens to glance at your pack. She casually warns you, "Derryth you pack is open."
You frown, you are sure you closed and secured it before you attacked the compound's spells.
You take it off to check and your heart sinks. Someone has gone through your things. You are missing the Halcyon stone and even worse... you are missing Nine.
"That son of a bitch," you kick a nearby rock in frustration.
"What is the matter," asks the witch.
"The Faceless Man robbed us!" you are furious. After everything you went through to help Nine, to get the stone, they are both gone. He betrayed you... you were such a fool...
Your companions have to drag you back to your feet and through the compound gates. You are shocked by the scene that greets you.
There is little of the Oneiroi compound left.
Most of the building has been levelled.
All but two of the Oneiroi lie dead. The two survivors snore loudly, tied back to back. The Arrows sleep as well, Ceannard, Otto and all the rest of the survivors, lined up in a row leaning on the exterior wall.
You do not see Biliku or Uttu amongst them. Your heart jumps into your throat... he didn't... he couldn't... first Nine... then the stone... and finally the girls... you kept your word... why would he...
The rage builds in you. You are unable to speak, unable to think clearly. If the Faceless Man took them, hurt them, you will, you will-
You do not finish that thought.
Biliku tackles you as Uttu crashes into Thaïs. They refuse to release you. They cling to you like a drowning man to his last lifeline. So the four of you rest on the ground in a large pile as the girls squeeze the life out of both of you.
They bury their heads in your laps, babbling.
It takes you a few minutes to make sense of their story.
"She was soo powerful Thaïs!" Uttu spits out, panicked, "She levelled the whole compound!"
Biliku nods, "Ceannard tried to stop her. He ordered his men to open fire but she burnt up their arrows in mid air."
"Yeah! She totally cheated!" Uttu snorts, "She put them all to sleep too!"
"All except us, yes," Biliku cuts in catching your attention but she drops her gaze as she continues, "We... ah... we hid... we are sorry we left you but Ceannard told us to."
Uttu nods sadly, "It was an 'order'," she proceeds to do her best impression of her idol, wagging her finger as she goes, "'Don't you girls come out for anything understand? Not unless you see me, Derryth or Thaïs,'" she drops the impression, "And we did exactly what he said!"
"Oh, one more thing!" Biliku exclaims, "We... we went through your pack when the lady appeared..."
Uttu hangs her head, "We are sooo sorry and we know we are not supposed to look through your things without asking but..."
The sisters nod to one another, Biliku speaks, "We thought that the lady might try to take Nine like that other archmage was going to do. And you both said it was very important that no one get her so we took Nine-"
"And your favourite stone!" Uttu adds.
"Yes," Biliku nods to her sister, "We took Nine and your stone and we hid. Please don't be angry! We did not want to rob you and we did not want to abandon our posts, honest!"
It is sweet that their first fear was angering you. You want to comfort them but you are overcome with joy at seeing them alive and pride at their quick thinking. You hug the kids instead, to their credit they understand. Thaïs gives them a speech about how proud you both are of them and how their quick thinking saved the day though you have trouble giving it your full attention. They beam and squeeze you both tighter. It is several more minutes before you manage to get back to your feet.
Thaïs and Lyssa take the girls over to inspect the mercenaries as you put the Halcyon Stone and Nine back in your pack.
The Arrows begin to wake up shortly after and you are able to properly survey and secure the compound. Or at least what is left of it.
It seems the Faceless Man, or would that be Faceless Woman now, was as good as her word. She levelled the Oneiroi, killed them all in fact, save for your two hostages.
With her promise fulfilled she then proceeded to raid their vaults and library. From the looks of the place she took the best she could find and destroyed everything else.
All you have to work with are your two hostages and they seem to resent your questioning. You might have to get a bit creative here.
You do find one thing though.
A letter. In the bottom of your pack.
Addressed to you and Thaïs.
My Angels
It is a shame I can not stay to give you my thanks in person but given how you are... shall we say 'compromised' by a man I would never consider a friend I must instead take my leave of you through this letter.
It is my hope that you will remember our time together fondly as I do. Without your help, your courage, your compassion none of this would be possible and I want you to know that I will remember the service you did me.
I would say that should you ever need anything you have only to ask but we all know that, that would be a lie. In our business nothing is free but if you ever have something interesting to trade... well... do not try to find me. You will fail. Should I have need of you or something in your possession I shall contact you and we can go from there.
Until we meet again. Stay safe.
Yours Fondly.
TFM
p.s. I have great plans for the future ladies. Sleep soundly in the knowledge that you are now a part of them.
Not necessarily a comforting thought, but not something you can help for the time being.
To ease your mind you turn to more practical affairs.
------------------------------------------
2. Interrogation: You need to know how to help Meletē. You need to know what these mages know. How do you want to get it?
A) Offer them their freedom in exchange for the information. Naturally you will not free them until Meletē wakes and if they lie and get her killed then they will die as well.
B) You will take them back to the safe house and use your mental spells to break their minds. This will likely take time (days, perhaps weeks) but should eventually get you everything you need to know.
C) You are close friends with one of the best interrogators in the kingdom. You let Bari take a shot at them. You can not rush an artist though.
D) You invade their minds with infiltration and manually extract the information. It is certainly the quickest way to do this and ensure you get the truth but it is also the most dangerous.
E) You will pursue both B and C. You will mentally wear them down and Bari will work on their bodies. This might increase the chance of killing one or both of them but it would also be quicker.
F) Use Item Book of the Past - while this is the slowest method it is also the surest. The book will eventually find what you need.
G) freeform
3. Prisoners: Once you know what you need to know and have restored Meletē what do you want to do with them?
A) Kill them. There are no words for what they were a part of. They deserve death.
B) Let the Pathfinders imprison them. What they were doing has to violate at least some law and even if it does not they can lock them up forever as a personal favour to you.
C) Release them. You have what you need from them. You will not judge them.
D) Offer them jobs? It might work... you suppose...
E) Recondition them. If you succeed in mentally breaking them with 2. B or D you could try to turn them into servants or slaves.
F) Imprison them until you can find a way to dump them into the Dreaming. A fitting fate for them, you think, all things considered.
G) freeform
Chapter 26: Dark Night
Chapter 26: Dark NightIt is another dark night in Myrgard.
The Oneiroi are no more.
Their compound is levelled.
Their leadership is decimated.
They are for all practical purposes, extinguished.
Those that destroyed them flee into the darkness.
You flee into the night with your allies and your prisoners.
Alone you doubt you could avoid the guards rushing to the scene but Ceannard is an old hand at this. He stuffs each of your prisoners in a large sack and leads you around the honest guards and through the corrupt ones. Shadows through the night and coins in hand you come out of it unscathed.
As far as anyone is concerned the Oneiroi were victims of a tragic accident. Given their reputation you doubt anyone will miss them.
You slip across the city towards safety, towards the Pathfinder safe house, a comfortable bed, a hot meal and a little peace.
Unfortunately for you there is little peace to be found there.
---------------------------------------------
Battle rages in the heart of the safe house.
"So here is the plan," the four dwarves huddle together as their opponent waits calmly in the middle of the room, his eyes are closed as if he is sleeping on his feet, "The bastard is fast but if we work together we will beat him here. Astrid, Ori, I want the two of you to hit him from opposite sides, split his attention if you can," the two dwarves nod as he turns to the new arrival, "Stóri, brother, think you can hit him head on?"
The giant dwarf chuckles, "I will give it a shot Bari."
"Good," the Pathfinder nods, "Remember, everything depends on this!"
The four Pathfinders charge. Each picking the optimal avenue of approach, " Stóri hits first. Sheer brute force, a massive fist aimed directly for the sleeping dwarf's head. At the last moment their adversary ducks, swinging under Stóri's arm and to the side he catches him behind the knee. Stóri grunts as his leg buckles. The lone dwarf grabs the large dwarf by his belt and the collar of his tunic, with a grunt he swings him, head first, into a foot locker.
Astrid and Ori are on him in an instant. He ducks, he slides, he swings past their blows. Astrid brings an elbow down on him and he grunts a little as he pushes her back.
Bari kicks at the dwarf a second too late to connect. Ori strikes out with a fist but their enemy is too quick. The three dwarves bob and weave around each other while Astrid and Stóri look for an opening.
Their opponent is sweating. He is good but against these odds he stands little chance of winning. They just need to wear him down, avoid making a mistake, avoid providing an opening and they-
The dwarf redirects a high punch from Ori, using his own momentum he hurls him into Astrid and a recovering Stóri. Bari in desperation unleashes a flurry of blows. Fists, elbows, knees and feet at the tired dwarf.
Not a single one lands.
Their enemy shifts around the blows, he weaves, he bobs and he finds his opening. His leg comes up, crashing with full force into Bari's groin, "Ooooh...fuck...."
The Pathfinder collapses on the floor.
"You know Bari," the lone dwarf pants, "A few more years and you kids might actually beat me."
"Damn it Alvis... you old fuck..." Bari growls on the ground.
"Oh come on kid," the old dwarf taunts him, "It was one kick and you should have been prepared to block it!"
Alvis shakes his head as he returns to the center of the room, "You kids, you just do not know how to fight! Now get up, all four of you, and we will try this again!"
The beaten Pathfinders stagger to their feet, they wobble slightly, Bari in particular. Stóri steadies his friend, "So what is our plan this time?"
Bari takes a deep, sharp breath, as he leans forward on his knees, "Astrid?"
"Yes, Bari," she rubs her shoulder as she approaches.
"Have you got any grenades?" he grins maliciously.
"Great joke Bari," Ori smirks.
"Who the fuck said I was joking? If that old bastard wants to play dirty then we will damn well play dirty!" the Pathfinder coughs.
Stóri shakes his head, "Look we can do this! We almost had him last time. If we all attack him again we will-"
"Lose!" Alvis shouts from across the room and bursts into manic laughter, in his hand is a flash bang grenade.
"Right, that's it! Charge!" Bari screams as he snatches up a nearby grenade belt and the four dwarves rush across the room.
--------------------------------------
"What is that sound?" Thaïs asks as the five of you drag your hostages into the safe house.
"And what is that smell?" you add.
Alvis is not at his usual post so you quietly slip through the shop and into the safe house proper. The place is a mess.
Small pools of blood splatter the floor. Scorch marks mar the walls and a putrid mist hangs in the air.
"Good evening young ladies," Alvis waves to you as he enters the room from one of the larger side chambers, a plum of smoke drifts lazily behind him.
He heads right past you, a smile on his serene face and a spring in his step, "What have you got there?" he gives one of the sacks you have your prisoners in a slight kick. When the sack wriggles slightly he chuckles, "Oh, you have prisoners! You should show them to Bari it might cheer the boy up some," without further explanation he begins to whistle as he returns to his post.
Your hazard a look into the side chamber Alvis came from. It is impossible to see anything, the room is filled with smoke, you call out, "Bari? Astrid? Anyone in?"
"Derryth? That you?" Bari calls back, "Hold on! We will be right out!"
Four badly beaten dwarves stumble out of the smoke.
"Damn Bari, you look like shit," you grin and place your hands on your hips, "Did Alvis do that to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it..." Bari nudges past you as he notices your prisoners, "Who are these two?"
"Prisoners," your friend begins, "Cultists actually. They were worshipping some sort of demon in their compound."
You nod, "We confronted them and destroyed their cult."
"Well fuck!" Bari stamps a foot, "You mean you were off fighting evil cultists and you did not invite us! That is cold ladies, ice cold!"
You cock your head, "Next time Bari. Next time."
"So I imagine you need them for something if you brought them here," Ori remarks as he examines them.
"That is correct," Thaïs responds, "These are the people responsible for Meletē's slumber. They should be able to give us the information needed to reverse the spell... hopefully."
Bari grins, his spirits lifted, "Oh, I get it! You need them to talk so naturally you thought 'I know, let's take these guys to our best friend Bari and let him have a little fun with them right?' Well all is forgiven girls, just leave them with me and-"
You try to let him down gently, "Well that is the thing Bari..."
Thaïs picks up your thought, "We were actually planning on using magic to get them to speak. We have an artefact that should work wonders, once it is keyed to a person it will write out their entire history. In a few days, a week at the most-"
"A week!" Bari laughs, "Two hours! You give me two hours and I will have their entire life stories for you."
"Sorry Bari, we are going to go with the artefact this time," you put a hand on his shoulder.
It is clear that he is disappointed.
"Well this night just keeps getting better! First that old bastard beats the shit out of me! Then I find out I missed a chance to fight some freaky cultists! And now my own friends do not trust me to get a little information for them!" he shakes his head dramatically, "Well, fine! Then the very least you can do is drink with me!"
You are certain that this is not a request you can deny.
You see your prisoners to their cells, specially warded to prevent magic use, and you begin the process to key your book to the first of them. Once keyed you place it back in your pack, hopefully you will have the information you seek shortly.
You, Thaïs, Lyssa and the Pathfinders share a few bottles.
The conversation if jovial.
Bari introduces you to Stóri, a giant of a dwarf, seems he has come up from Stoneheim for a couple weeks to help the king deal with the Eberhardt problem. The king will make his move soon, either tomorrow or the day after and everyone is a little on edge, excited at the prospect of action. The conversation turns from politics to your earlier escapades, you time under Muirthemne, fighting the necromancers, you even give them the almost full story of your attack on the Oneiroi compound. Naturally you both leave out the parts about the Faceless Man. Eventually you excuse yourselves to put the girls to bed.
It is quite the task too, they demand stories of adventure and intrigue and you decide to indulge them.
Eventually they drift off to sleep, innocent smiles upon their faces.
-------------------------------------------
You and Thaïs settle in next to Lyssa around a large table in the back of the safe house. She sits alone with a few unopened bottles reading. As you settle in she tucks the book away and slides you each a bottle, "I do not like drinking alone," she explains.
"Where are the Pathfinders?" you naturally ask.
"Still cleaning up. They made quite the mess and the king is due to stop by tomorrow morning so they have to fix everything they broke. I offered to help but they said they had it well in hand," she shrugs, "I don't think they trust me. Can't really blame them either I guess," you can tell it bothers her a little as she turns the conversation in a more pleasant direction, "The girls asleep?" she asks.
Thaïs smiles, "Yes they are, they wanted a story and Derryth was kind enough to oblige."
You shrug, "They love those old tomb running stories for some reason."
Your friend cracks open her bottle, "Everyone loves those stories Derryth and you tell them well, you really do."
You laugh off the complement, "Sure I do..."
"No I am serious," she catches your eye, "When you talk about Henry there is a genuine warmth there and it really brings the stories to life."
"I don't know..." you reach for your bottle and pry it open, "But I will defer to your professional opinion. You are the expert after all."
Lyssa grins at the two of you, "So what was this story called?"
"Ah well, it is not like I name them or anything," you shrug.
Thaïs sweeps an arm, "It is called, Derryth ó Foghladh and the Temple of Doom!"
The three of you laugh as you arch an eyebrow, "Temple of Doom? It was the crypt of a minor prince of Tyr. There were maybe six traps all told."
"It is all in how you market yourself Derryth," she takes your free hand, "We will never be 'great archmages' by downplaying our achievements. You are a master treasure hunter! A dashing explorer! Seeker of relics! A rescuer of friends and innocents everywhere! And a damn fine mage as well if you will pardon my saying so!"
You take a swig a little carried away by her rhetoric, "Alright then, but what about you? Advisor to princes perhaps? Diplomat extraordinaire! Negotiator! You stare down archmages and abominations same as I do and you do it with class! A rags to riches tale, the girl that fell and picked herself up again! A mage as brilliant as she is beutiful!" you take a hard gulp.
The two of you continue to joke and carry on, carving kingdoms from cloudy ale and lamp light as Lyssa gradually relaxes. You toast Thaïs, she toasts you, you toast to friendship and loyalty, wealth and knowledge.
Thankfully you are old hands when it comes to drinking. You enjoy yourselves but it never gets out of hand. This is a social occasion so you all remain firmly in control.
Gradually your conversation turns to Lyssa. With a lopsided grin on your face you focus to her, "So how about you Lyssa? You are with us now which means you are well on your way to becoming a great archmage as well. What stories should we tell about you? Are you a powerful mage? A brilliant schemer? A great general? An unparalleled warrior? What do you say?"
"I would rather no one said anything about me," she takes a long sip from her drink.
"That is no fun," Thaïs prods her, "Why don't you tell us the rest of your story and we can come up with something together."
Lyssa tenses, "So you want to hear it? You sure?"
You both nod.
"Okay but not here," the three of you take your drinks and head up to the roof of the safe house.
"She checks the roof thoroughly, then she bars the exit, "Not for my sake really but you might not want other people to hear this though I guess it all depends on what you decide to do with the information. I mean-"
"Lyssa, it is all right," you try to reassure her, "We won't judge you."
Thaïs nods in agreement.
"See... you say that now..." she hangs her head, "Alright... here it is... I was... I am... a Necromancer."
You laugh, Thaïs laughs. Lyssa must have an odd sense of humour you think.
Then you both notice how serious, how scared she looks.
You both tense up. Thaïs balls a fist. Your jaw clenches. She is not joking. She was, is, a necromancer... an enemy of every free person in the world.
Your first instinct is to blast her off the roof. But you quickly choke that down. You manage to speak, "We... we are going to need the whole story."
Lyssa shrinks before you, "Yeah, I know... So I told you about losing my brother and mother. About how dad worked himself to death for me. His heart gave out, it was too much work to do alone... I tried to run things on my own but that really was not feasible."
Thaïs scrutinizes the girl, "So then what happened?"
She won't even look at the two of you, "Well... I needed help. None of the villagers would help me but there was this old witch that everyone was afraid of. They said she conspired with dark powers. She didn't but she did have a book in her possession on necromancy. When I explained my problem she taught me the basics, she did not ask for anything and I had nothing to give her... she was kind... all the things she, ah, we did... but she was always kind to me..."
Lyssa trails off but you push her back on course, "So did things improve after that?"
She smiles sadly, "Yes, at least at first. I reanimated my family, the neighbours, even some of the beasts that attacked them. They did not need rest so I gradually expanded my efforts. There were a number of nearby properties that had been left abandoned so I began to have my undead work those as well. I was not cautious enough I guess though really it was only a matter of time. A Legion patrol found my thralls, they butchered them, they chased me. So I ran back to the witch and she protected me. We ambushed the patrol, we killed them all and reanimated their bodies. Then we fled. We ran for a long time, then two years ago we fell in with a larger group of necromancers and brigands. This group in turn chose to follow Soulblighter. I... I fought in the war. I fought for the Dark in the war... right until the battle for Scales. I fled, I saw Shiver that day and I fled... I ran, and I ran until the empire and all of my problems were so distant that they could not touch me."
Neither of you are particularly thrilled to hear this, she is a self confessed necromancer and the penalty for that is death. By all rights you should kill her here and now but you are curious about one more thing, "And Mazzarin?"
She nods, "Yes, I ran from the empire all the way to Myrgard but my past followed me. A necromancer I had know while in Soulblighter's service recognized me. He told me that the Watcher was coming back. That he would grant anyone that served him immortality. I was horrified but I agreed to help. I was certain that if I refused he would expose me or kill me. When I got him alone I murdered him and fled the city. I hid out in the desert after that. Afraid to return to civilization and one day I thought I felt something calling to me. It was faint, very faint but with nothing else to do I followed it. Obviously it was Mazzarin. I thought that if I helped the greatest hero of the Light return then I could start to make amends for what I had done. So that is it," she looks both of you in the eyes, you can feel her resignation but also a certain freedom, "Not a terribly interesting or endearing story perhaps and I am no storyteller but... before you make your decision I want to say that you were right. It does feel better to say this out loud so thank you for that if nothing else. If... if you want to kill me, I won't fight back."
She closes her eyes and hangs her head.
The two of you confer, "Should we kill her?" you ask.
You can tell Thaïs is having as much trouble with this as you are, "Probably, she is a necromancer and if you had asked me a couple months ago I would have said yes..."
"I am sensing a but," you nudge her a little.
She nods, "But, who are we to judge? We have knowingly broken Imperial law ourselves and we spent the better part of the last two months traveling with a trio of Fallen Lords."
You smirk in spite of yourself, "Hell we freed two of them and something that may or may not be the most powerful archmage of all time. She did also save us with that demon and she definitely seems remorseful..."
"Still..." Thaïs begins.
"I know..." you reply.
"Necromancy," you both utter the word together. It is so damning. So final.
------------------------------------------
1. Lyssa's Fate, you chose to:
A) Kill Lyssa - She is a necromancer. That means she dies.
B) Give her to the Pathfinders - This is a death sentence but at least you do not have to do it yourselves.
C) You forgive her - It is not your place to stand in judgement over her. If she is willing to try and change then you will accept her.
D) freeform
-----------------------------------------
It is a dark night.
But with the morning come new problems.
Bari has informed you that the king wants you with him today.
He plans to move against the Eberhardts in front of the entire Assembly of Lords first thing tomorrow morning. If you agree you will spend the entire day with him preparing but he is also willing to give you one final chance to back out.
2. You choose to:
A) Become 'Hero of the Kingdom!' and go with the king. You will bring everyone along.
B) Become 'Hero of the Kingdom!' and go with the king. You will go with Thaïs only.
C) Bow out now while you can remain mostly anonymous you will do something else in the city instead (all C options will be counted together and the most popular option will be chosen.).
i. You will visit the academy for more spell training.
ii. You will visit the academy to learn more about your magical items.
iii. You will schedule a meeting with Mayer to discuss you future dealings
iv. You will stay at the Pathfinder safe house and guard the prisoners
v. freeform
D) Bow out now while you can remain anonymous and return to the empire. You will take your reward in(all D options will be counted together and the most popular option will be chosen.):
i. wealth (650 WPs)
ii. favours
iii. freeform
3. The Bracelets: Caoilainn can not communicate with you at the moment (though she can still send you warnings through still images) as she does not know how to use the bracelets. You can help guide her through the basics of magical theory if you want to. That should help her master use of the bracelets more quickly though it would also help her entrench herself within them.
A) You help her learn so you can properly communicate.
B) You do nothing. Let her figure it herself.
C) You actively work to keep her subjugated. You do not want her to gain too much control, only enough to be useful.
Chapter 27: Desperate Times
Chapter 27: Desperate Times"Well I can't do it..." you say as you shrug.
One look at Thaïs and you can tell she feels the same way, "Yes, she deserves a chance to set things right."
The two of you turn back to Lyssa. The witch has not moved a muscle, her eyes closed, her hands in front of her, she waits for your verdict.
"Lyssa," you call as you and your friend approach her.
Slowly, cautiously, she raises her head to look at each of you. She stares in silence.
Thaïs speaks, "We can not forgive what you did. It is not our place to do so," Lyssa nods in resignation.
"But..." you quickly add. Her eyes momentarily flare to life, hope rekindling their fire, before she quickly douses them once more.
"But," Thaïs continues, "It is also not our place to condemn you. If you want a chance to make up for what you did then we are willing to grant it to you."
You nod, "You are one of us and we will not abandon you if you do not abandon us."
She sweeps forward and casts an arm around each of your necks. You wobble on your heels and just about collapse backward as she hugs you, "Thank you! Thank you! I... I can't even put it in words...I-"
"Lyssa-" you gasp.
"You are choking us-" your friend manages to spit out.
She instantly releases you and takes a quick step back, "I... uh... sorry," she beams, "Thank you though. I... I was certain that you would... well... dispose of me. So... just, thank you..."
You are genuinely happy for her, still a little suspicious of a woman that willingly served the Dark but you feel good, great in fact. For a moment you wonder if the necklaces have anything to do with how you feel, you wonder if perhaps you are being used. Quickly the idea passes from your mind like a single storm cloud on a clear, crisp day. The thought disappears into the ether and you are left with a feeling of certainty, that you have done the right thing here.
This night is dark, it is long, but it is also filled with laughter, with joy, with peace.
A single concern does creep to the fore though as the three of you make your way back inside.
"Obviously we can never tell anyone else about this, not the Pathfinders, not the king, no one-" you begin.
They both nod in agreement though something occurs to Lyssa, "You said there were no secrets within your Circle. Does that mean that we have to tell them about this?"
It is a good question. You have until now pursued a policy of complete honesty with the other members of your Circle but you are not certain that they will handle this news well. At least not at first. Perhaps no secrets does not in fact mean no secrets... but then if you start down that road what will separate you from every other Circle out there?
No matter what you choose to do the three of you swear to make the decision together. If you tell the truth you will make as strong a case as possible for Lyssa. If you choose to lie, or rather simply omit a few details, then you will need to perfectly coordinate your cover story.
Thankfully this is not a choice you have to make immediately. You have time yet, you can- "Derryth. Derryth!"
--------------------------------------------------
You are pulled back into the present. It is early morning, four thirty, maybe five. The rest of your group is still asleep but you are up. You decided to have an early breakfast with Bari and Astrid. The king should be by in four or five hours and you want to be prepared. It should be a busy day.
"Derryth!" Bari calls again.
"Huh, what?" you respond absentmindedly.
"Are you paying attention?" Bari and Astrid sit across from you at the table. Seems you missed something important.
"Sorry," you respond, "I was daydreaming I suppose."
Bari laughs, "What about? Some strapping young lad?"
Astrid elbows him, "Her friend perhaps?" she gives you a sly grin. If she keeps pushing you might have to do something about this.
You return their grins, you are not going to let them rib you without returning fire, "I am not some blushing young maid you two. If I was having that sort of problem I would have dealt with it by now. If I want something, or someone, then I take the direct approach."
Astrid tries to lecture you, "Well she won't wait forever you know. You should speak your mind."
Well now, two can play at this game.
You wag your fork at her, and tap the side of your head with one finger, "I am a mentalist remember, and so is she, we know where we stand. But speaking of 'speaking your mind' when are you going to... you know?" you point your fork at Bari.
It takes her a second to realize that you know she has a thing for Bari. Honestly it was hard to miss, you caught it as soon as you first saw them together. It was obvious. Also obvious is the fact that he has no clue. She stares at you in confusion but when that realization hits home it is completely worth it. She cycles through a number of interesting colours.
White, as the blood drains from her face.
Red, as she blushes under your knowing stare.
Blue, as she forgets to breathe.
For a moment you feel sorry for her but damn it she started this.
He gives you both a confused look, "Did I miss something?"
"I... um... Ihavetocheckourstockofsmokegrenades.Catchyoutwolater.Bye!" she hops up from the table and runs out of the room.
Well now you do feel bad.
Bari wipes the smile from his face, "What the hell..."
"You should have a talk with Astrid, Bari," you state forcibly.
His brows furrow, concerned he speaks, "Why? Has something happened? If she needs help then of course I will be right there for her! She is a good friend, I-"
You shake your head, "You idiot, Bari. Are you telling me that you have never caught her looking at you when you turned your head? Never saw her gaze in your general direction for minutes at a time? Has she never dropped even a single hint?"
"Wait you mean?" it finally hits him.
You nod.
"But... I mean..." he takes a deep breath and stares at his hand. At the pair of gold bands still on his finger, "Derryth... Ari..."
"I know," you lay your fork down.
The two of you sit in silence for an eternity. An ocean of meaning passes between you as you stare at each other.
Finally he speaks, "Well... fuck."
You give him a sly grin, "You really are a poet Bari."
He laughs and you laugh with him.
"Alright, oh great and powerful, fucking, mage. Lay it on me. What should I do?" he assumes a jovial tone but he is raw underneath. Ari is a wound that has not healed... one that probably never will.
You are no professional though. You are not here to solve his problems and you tell him as much, you chuckle as you begin, "Bari I am your friend and I will support you as such but I have no fucking clue what the right answer is here."
He nods, "Well I think a drink is in order."
You are not so sure about that and he seems to pick up on your reluctance.
"Just a little hair of the dog, Derryth, nothing more," he gets up and rummages through the liquor cabinet. He pours you each a small drink and you stand as he passes it to you.
He proposes a toast, "To fucking impossible situations!" and you knock back your drinks.
He drops back into his chair as you delicately sit back down.
He rests his head on one fist, "I should talk to her right?"
"Yep," you reply.
Good he has decided on a course of action. Now he just needs to follow though.
"I don't know though... is it too soon? It feels too soon. Maybe it is too soon," he begins to talk himself out of it.
"Too soon to have a conversation?" you frown. Maybe you will have to give him a little help after all, "Quit being a coward and go talk to her. It is not like you are proposing marriage or something, just talk to her. You can go from there."
"I don't know..." he shakes his head.
"Do it or we will turn you into a newt," a voice threatens from behind you. You turn your head as Thaïs daintily drops down next to you.
He looks at each of you and gives you an uncertain grin, "You can do that?"
"Only one way to find out," you begin chanting, all bullshit but he does not know that.
"Alright, alright!" he hops up mostly in jest but half serious as well. He heads off after Astrid.
"Maybe some good will come of that," you mutter.
"Hopefully," your friend answers, "He could use someone to..."
"Stabilize him?" you beam at her.
"Exactly!" she responds.
"So I have been thinking," you begin as you shift topics.
"About..." she leads you on.
You hold up your arm and reveal your bracelet, "That officer... ah... Caoilainn, was it?"
Thaïs nods, "Yes, that is her name."
You float the idea past your partner, "Well we can not really help each other if we can not even communicate. So I was thinking a few magic lessons are in order but I want your opinion first."
She considers the idea, rolling it around, tasting it, finally she renders her verdict, "Yes, I think that could work. If we can teach her enough of the theory she should be able to actually communicate with us."
Quietly you call out, "Caoilainn, we are going to try and help you. We will begin with the absolute basics and go from there. Try to remember as much as you can but don't worry, we will repeat ourselves, several times if neccesary. Now the first thing you need to know about magic..."
---------------------------------------------
The king does not come in person.
'Too busy preparing.' You are told.
Instead, Argus comes, alone and in disguise. He informs you that he has an escort of twenty Albrecht guards a couple blocks away, you will meet up with them and head to the palace together.
"Good morning ladies!" the dwarf barks.
"Morning Argus," you wave to him.
"Good morning Sir Argus," Thaïs bows slightly.
"Ready to leave?" he asks as he surveys the room.
"Wait!" a voice yells from behind you. Biliku and Uttu come racing out. Uttu hops along as she tries to get her boot on, "You can't leave without us! Who will protect you!"
"Not this time girls," you raise a hand for them to stop.
"Why not?" Uttu moans.
Thaïs takes over, "We are just going to pay a visit to the king, girls. It will be just a bunch of standing around and talking."
Argus laughs, "Mostly standing around. It is the dullest job imaginable."
Uttu nods, "That does sound boring..."
Biliku gives her a dirty look, "That does not matter! We are their protectors! That means we protect them through the exciting stuff and the boring stuff!"
"Oh right!" the younger girl nods, "I forgot..."
You try a different tack, "I don't know girls. Astrid just got in a new crate of grenades... and she asked me if you wanted to help her test them all."
Biliku hesitates, "Grenades? I... um..."
You tussle her hair, "If you want one day off I think that could be arranged."
"That can happen?" she looks to Argus certain that he will tell her the truth.
He nods, "It sure can kid, happens all the time."
"Alright then," she looks back to you, "Can we have a day off Derryth?"
You grin, "Permission granted."
The two of them turn to run off when Biliku halts in mid stride. She spins back on her heels, snaps you a quick salute which you promptly return and she is off again around the corner after her sister.
"Cute kids," Argus grins, "Shall we be going now?"
"Sure, but aren't Bari and Ori coming with us?" you reply as you walk out the door.
He shakes his head, "No the Pathfinders do not exist and the king is under observation by a dozen friendly and hostile factions at any given time. It would be a very bad idea for any of them to be seen with him unless absolutely necessary. It would raise too many long term questions amongst our enemies."
Makes sense you suppose.
The three of you make your way out into the city, towards the patrol and then the palace.
It is a quiet morning, clear, peaceful and you are really enjoying your stroll with your friend, arm in arm. The escort is nice as well. It is almost perfect, which is probably why it does not last.
When you get within five blocks of the palace you hear the sounds of battle.
Two blocks from the palace and you can see a large mob of cloaked dwarves walking towards the front gate directly in front of you across a wide square.
The guards order them to stop, to disperse.
The mob continues to slowly push forward.
The guards point, then shout something. They lob cocktails into the crowd. Killing dozens.
Argus frowns, "Lethal force against civilians, what in the hell..."
A nearby building disgorges a group of thirty dwarves. They walk, or rather shamble, towards the front gate. This group is close enough that you can realize what they really are, thralls. Each wears significant armour and wields a large hammer or axe.
You wonder how over a dozen thralls made it into the heart of the city. Still on their own they are slow and a poor match for dwarven cocktails. This should not be a problem.
As that thought passes through your mind two real problems present themselves.
A pack of twenty hunched, robed figures round the far corner on your left and enter the square. As they do so they throw off their robes and break into a sprint. Without their robes you can see they are clearly ghôls. Three of them carry large sacks under their arms. They are headed for the guards who have not yet detected them.
Your second problem is a group of fifteen robbed dwarves that come floating down off a nearby roof. You quickly realize that these are Soulless, the ranged support for the thralls and ghôls in the square.
They do not move to support the attack on the front gate however. Instead they are trying to cut over one of the side walls and down into the rear of the guards to trap them. The alarm has yet to be raised and they might just be able to pull the manoeuvre off.
You can feel multiple mages casting from nearby buildings. Three individuals or groups of individuals but you can not see anyone. They must all be inside hiding.
Such a bold attack, in daylight and on the palace is unsettling to say the least. These mages are obviously desperate to achieve something but the question is what.
Still such thoughts can wait until the situation has been dealt with.
Argus intends to lead his men to reinforce the guards at the main gate though you suspect he would be willing to consider your advice given your success against an army four times this size with a force one fifth of what you currently have available.
-----------------------------------------------
So you have a battle here, it has been a while but there are two ways we can do this. You can just select an option from the list or you can brainstorm an entire freeform plan yourselves. Whatever you want.
Your Assets:
1. Derryth - mage, mentalist, see character sheet
2. Thaïs - mage, mentalist, see character sheet
3. Argus - warrior, sword and shield, see character sheet
4. 20 Albrecht guards: 10 hand weapons and shields, 5 spearmen, 5 grenadiers
5. 5 surviving gate guards: 2 spearmen, 3 grenadiers
Your (known) enemies:
1. Mob of roughly thirty ghasts at the gate.
2. Mob of thirty thralls approaching the gate through the middle of the square.
3. Pack of twenty ghôls (3 of which carry large sacks) charging the gate from your left.
4. Group of fifteen Soulless trying to circle around and over the wall from your right.
5. At least three individual/groups of necromancer(s) in the surrounding buildings hiding.
1. You choose to:
A) All attack a single target. Simply write down which target and the most popular one will be chosen if A wins.
B) Split up to handle different targets. List which targets and which people. The most popular combinations will be chosen if B wins.
C) freeform - come up with an entire plan of battle yourselves. Pick this if you want to propose something incredibly complicated or clever. Feel free to ask any questions you would like, I will answer what I can.
Chapter 28: Desperate Times II
Chapter 28: Desperate Times IIIt is a clear, cool morning in Myrgard as the residents wake and begin their day.
Somewhere a family enjoys their meal. Hot breakfasts, jovial conversation, a renewed purpose and desire to greet the day.
Somewhere a guard naps in the shade of a nearby warehouse. A cool breeze kissing his face as he snores.
Somewhere a shopkeeper opens for the day, hard work and the promise of a full purse put a smile on his face.
Sadly you are not somewhere.
You are right here.
And here is a battlefield.
"We need to secure those gates!" Argus shouts over the explosions and the screams.
He orders his men to form up and advance towards the gate. Hopefully they will make it before the remaining guards are overrun. You do not like their odds though.
"Any suggestions ladies?" the dwarf asks as the three of you run towards the gate.
You answer, "We will deal with those ghôls, you keep going for the gate, we will give you support once you get there."
"Right, good luck!" he turns to catch up with his men.
"Argus!" you call to him. As he turns you throw him your ring, "It contains a healing spell, use it if you get in trouble."
"Thank you Derryth. Be careful, and don't die!" he grins.
"You either," you reply, "I am going to want the ring back."
As the dwarf wades into the melee around the gate the two of you focus on your own problem. You do not have time to talk strategy. Thankfully at this point you do not really need it.
"Plan?" you casually ask Thaïs.
"Direct attack," she replies without hesitation, "Mental or Elemental?"
You nod, "Elemental. Fire?"
"Yes," the answer slips quickly from her lips, "First or second?"
"First of course," you beam at her and begin casting.
-----------------------------------
A true predator. That is all he has ever wanted to be.
Thrasher loves this part of the job. Running with a pack, iron in hand and blood on the air. It is what he lives for.
The undead are doing their jobs admirably. They are dying in droves but the guards are focused completely on them. Another minute, maybe two, and they will be within range.
One of the dwarves staggers, the ghasts take advantage. They are slow and stupid but they know no fear and feel no pain. He takes another two of them with him before he falls.
At this rate there will be no more dwarves left for Thrasher's blade.
He can't have that.
He runs faster. A true predator on the hunt.
His fists and feet beat the pavement. He gripes his sickle tightly. He builds speed and he readies his sack of wight flesh and biting iron.
Any second now. Any moment and he will make his kill.
He begins to swing, the sack comes up past his ear.
Then it catches fire.
The front and middle of the ghôl pack explode in spectacular fashion.
Thrasher is ripped apart, torn open. His organs cast about him, his face caved half in. Now little more than a split wet sack himself. Food for some carrion bird.
In the seconds he has left, as the darkness closes in on him, he has just enough time to realize that he is no true predator. Merely prey.
He would laugh, if he still had lungs he would laugh. Lacking that luxury he simply closes his eye and embraces the void.
-----------------------------------------
You are quite proud of yourselves. Two little spells and most of the enemy formation has been nicely disposed of. This is not to say that you revel in the taking of lives but a sound plan crafted and carried out brings you joy, and at any rate they started this.
"Can you take out the rear one?" you ask Thaïs.
She nods in response and begins casting.
Turning from the massacre of the ghôls you focus on the next matter that requires your attention.
Argus and his men have hit the ghasts though the group has been forced to split in half to fend of the thralls to their rear. Fortunately with five grenadiers present it should be manageable. Unfortunately you watch as the last of the gate guards dies. Hopefully someone inside can answer your questions because there is no one left outside to do so.
You consider all the ways you could help but there is one thing in particular you would like to try that may speed things up a little.
The Faceless Man granted you a gift, the Warrior's Mask, who better to wear it you think than a warrior.
You begin to concentrate on the spell. You focus, attempt to drive this spell through the well known steps that have always brought you success. You attempt to establish a magical framework, a canal to direct the spell where you want it. As you approach it, as you draw in the energies to cast it; suddenly, it lashes out at you. It roars in your mind and you break off the spell.
An explosion sounds in the distance. The last of the ghôls dies in agony.
Your friend steps closer to you as you pant slightly, "Derryth, are you alright?"
"Yes... just a little unprepared for a spell I tried," a pair of Argus' dwarves fall to the undead horde through their own carelessness. These are not professional soldiers and it is beginning to show. A quick count reveals that he is down to fourteen dwarves, excluding himself, they are taking too many casualties.
"Thaïs can you support the dwarves, weaken those thralls somehow?" you ask as you build up your strength.
"Of course," she smiles as she begins to strike out with fire and lightning at the undead. She shoots you a glance between spells, "I do not mean to pry but what are you trying to do?"
"You'll see," you grin and begin to cast again.
This Warrior's Mask really is strange and this may not be the best place to try out such an unfamiliar spell. Though for you perhaps that is half the fun.
This will be a challenge, a different sort of puzzle, and you will solve it as you always do.
It is strange in its structure, archaic even. This is an old spell, a spell from Man's prehistory, it's dimmest days, perhaps it is even older than that. It certainly has not been modified for thousands of years at least. As such it will take a different mindset to master it. You cast off the trappings of your civilized mind. You put aside all of the magical theory you have learnt. You return to the basics, pure emotion pours like a torrent through you. You conjure up the bravery, the courage, the blood thirst of the warrior. You hunt through the primordial forests of your mind. You kill, you devour, you celebrate and in this way you lure in the spell. It comes to you then, the fury, the unyielding strength of the conqueror, the unbreakable resolve of the defender, it is both so much less and so much more than you have ever known.
It is strength, it is power, it is the secret metal of the flesh.
You take it into yourself, then you cast it out into the world.
Towards your target. Towards Argus.
He stops for a moment as his skin turns to bronze.
A nearby ghast takes advantage. It grabs hold of his sword and tears it way.
Another two fall upon him.
In desperation he punches.
A fist of solid bronze crashes into the ghast's side as the entire creature dissolves around it.
Ribs burst out, its heart flies out between the gates and disappears into the courtyard.
Quickly Argus delivers a strong kick to the second ghast.
He strikes it in the hip and the monster buckles, braches snapping under a heavy foot. A quick, sharp tearing noise fills your ears as the lower half of the ghast enters flight. It's torso falls forward and connects with the dwarf's fist driving upward. Effortlessly its head separates from its body and sails up into the sky, lost forever as its remains ooze out onto the metallic dwarf.
Argus now free of his attackers turns his attention on the thief of his blade. He grabs it by both wrists and delivers a kick to the center of its frame. The creature moans as it is torn clean in half. With one half of the creature in each hand Argus sets to work on the rest of the mob. Every swing scatters corpses about the square. Every kick dissolves knees, hips, femurs. Every punch perforates his opponents, blasting holes clean through their bodies.
At some point he retrieves his sword and begins hacking and slashing his way through the last of the horde. His blade rises and falls in a steady rhythm, the sound of metal on flesh, the dull moans of the undead, it all unfolds in front of you as he slaughters the horde.
While you maintain the spells on Argus your friend is busy mobilizing the dwarves against the soulless attempting to slip over the wall. The dwarves prove of little use in this, the soulless have the advantage in speed, manoeuvrability and range but Thaïs does manage to drop a couple of the stragglers without exposing herself to risk.
The rest of the soulless however make it easily over the wall and into the courtyard. You hope they will not create too much trouble before you can get into the courtyard.
You, Thaïs and the dwarves regroup at the resecured gate.
You drop the spell to conserve your remaining energy. The Warrior's Mask while useful has also proven to be quite draining, made only worse by your lack of familiarity with the spell. You burnt through all three of your energon cubes keeping it up and if you had kept at it for much longer you would have exhausted yourself as well.
The king's champion pants as you approach, "That really was one hell of a spell Derryth! You will have to tell me where you learnt something like that when this is all over! Now shall we take a look inside?"
The first thing you notice upon entering the gatehouse is that the gate controls have been destroyed, there will be no closing the gates for the time being. The three of you ease the door to the adjoining guard post open. Twenty dwarves lie in their beds, each dead, burnt to a crisp. Oddly only their bodies and their beds have been damaged, the flames were localized and did not spread at all. Magic naturally springs to mind.
The smell is horrible, acrid, it clings to your nostrils but this is not the first time you have been confronted with this odour and sadly is unlikely to be the last, "I guess we know why the dwarves from the guard post didn't come out to help..." you say to no one in particular.
Your two companions merely nod as the three of you slip back out of the room and firmly close the door.
With the prospect of reinforcements dashed you push on out of the far door and towards the sounds of battle emanating from the courtyard.
What confronts you in complete chaos.
The courtyard is in flames. Dead and unconscious House Albrecht guards and courtiers litter the ground. A half dozen dwarves dressed in silver and black are helping four mages fight their way out of the compound.
It is not encouraging but it is also not as horrible as you had feared. The speed with which you destroyed the attacking force has certainly added a wrinkle to the plans of your opponents.
You focus on the mages, they are likely the largest threat for you here, you want to know as much about them as you can before you are forced to engage.
Everywhere the mages strike, resistance crumbles. But their spells are sloppy and at least two of them are almost spent. It seems they have been fighting the entire compound and have not paced themselves well.
You watch as the ten remaining soulless drift towards the group and take up defensive positions around them.
The first to catch your attention does so because of the robes he wears. Violet with silver poppies embroidered on the sleeves. He is, perhaps was, an Oneiroi. On his wrists are broken manacles, the chains sway slightly as he casts. Around his neck is a small black bag, it radiates power.
For a moment you wonder if he is aware that his Circle has been destroyed. You wonder what he would do if he found out.
You shake your head, now is not really the time for that. Pushing those thoughts from your mind you focus on his actions. He is skilled enough you suppose though you can pick out the flaws in his spells even from where you are standing. He seems fond of that suffocating mist the Oneiroi use and he attempts to kill three guards with it as you observe. Your final assessment of him is that while he is dangerous he is not terribly capable all things considered.
The second mage, in contrast to the first, catches your attention due to what he is not wearing. Which is to say anything. His skin is charred, cracked, he looks as if he has been burnt alive and with that thought a spark of recognition flares to life in your mind. He is that mercenary from Meletē's workshop, somehow he survived the fire but what he is doing here you are not sure of. He has two things in common with the Oneiroi, the first is that he too is wearing a set of broken manacles, they glow with heat as he casts. The second is that he has a small black bag around his neck as well. He throws out fireballs without reservation or concern for his health. Streams of flames pour out towards the guards as he laughs manically.
The third mage is the woman that Ori was escorting to the compound for questioning. It seems Bari was right, it would have been better to kill her. She is dressed in rags and has a small black bag around her neck. She is not wearing manacles for what that is worth. She also does not seem to be doing much casting. Instead she is focusing her efforts on controlling the soulless that are harrying the guards. By all accounts she is doing a good job of it and seems to be the most controlled of the mages still casting.
Even with all three of them casting though the situation does not feel right. The pull you felt out in the square was stronger than this. A discrepancy perhaps explained by the fourth mage observing their activities.
The final mage does not cast at all. He is tall, thin and dressed entirely in white. Despite the flames, the soot, the blood, and the gore around him not a single drop mars the pristine beatify of his attire. Unlike the others he does not wear a black bag around his neck. You are fairly certain that he was who you felt earlier and if that is the case then he is a match for both you and Thaïs.
As you consider the situation the soulless set to work, with three quick volleys they clear the courtyard of the remaining soldiers, driving the survivors back into the compound for cover.
You do the math.
Ten soulless, six dwarves, four mages. Against your remaining fifteen dwarves and two mages. Not horrible odds but not great ones either.
As you contemplate this they notice you and begin to advances towards your position. The Oneiroi and Warlock in the lead with the necromancer and the thin, white, mage behind them. The soulless float in a loose circle around them preventing the dwarves from advancing too close.
It makes sense. Unless one of them is secretly a Fallen Lord they will lose this fight eventually and the longer this drags on the more dwarven reinforcements will arrive. If they do not break out soon they are done for.
They will hit you hard and together to maximize their chances.
Argus yells to his squad, ordering them to take up defensive positions around the gate.
You and your friend move to the rear of the dwarven formation, if those mages start throwing spells your way you want warm bodies to block them for you.
If only you could find a way to scatter them you would have a much better chance at resisting them.
Perhaps it is luck, perhaps it is fate. Either way you get your wish.
An arrow flies across the courtyard from the roof of the compound and catches the necromancer in the shoulder. She screams and loses some of her control over her minions.
As the soulless begin to break formation two humans and a dozen dwarves charge out of the front gate of the compound.
The dwarves are armed with cocktails, swords and shields and in the colours of House Albrecht. The two humans each bear the mark of the empire in their own way.
The first carries the insignia of the Imperial Army, an officer of the cavalry if you are not mistaken. Broad shoulders, chiselled features, he is in every way the dashing young gentleman which is why it is such a shame when he takes a javelin to the chest and rolls into the dirt. He moans slightly, his leg twitches, he is not dead but he will be soon.
The second man fares better but then that is to be expected. He wears the lacquered plate of a Heron Guard, a thin blade in each hand. His face is weathered with age and hardship but for all that his countenance is serene. He has the look of a man that has found his purpose and is resolved to see it through to whatever end fate decrees. He is at peace with the world and his place in it or at least that is the impression that he projects.
He is fast, far faster than most would expect though not quite as quick as those horrors Miosguinn raised in the dark under Muirthemne. Still he is quick enough to dodge the javelins of the soulless. He darts and weaves, a leaf upon the breeze, as the soulless pour javelins at him. He distracts them long enough that the dwarves begin to close and the integrity of your opponents' group collapses.
This provides you will an excess of targets.
The six... no five, remaining dwarves are locked in a brutal melee with the House Albrecht guards. Neither side is able to get the upper hand here, at least for the moment.
The necromancer has regained control over her soulless and has sent all but two after the archer on the roof. They are just beginning to hover across the courtyard. He tries his best to hit her but she is using the remaining two soulless and a large, sealed rain barrel as a shield.
Argus has ordered his men to advance against the Oneiroi and the Warlock. They have spread out to minimize casualties but the two mages are giving them everything they have got and casualties will be high.
The thin, white mage has activated a number of spells directed at himself. As he does so the signal you originally felt springs back to life. Casually he snatches up an axe and a sword from the bodies of two dead dwarves and he approaches the Heron Guard. The Guard salutes him and waits.
So many tempting targets but so little time...
1. You chose to aim for (all votes for a particular option will be counted together, all A votes, all B votes and so on):
A) The thin, white mage - You will try to help the Heron Guard defeat this opponent.
i. The Warrior's Mask: You will use your remaining energon cubes and link with Thaïs if necessary to cast the Warrior's Mask on the Heron Guard. Hopefully this will help him defeat his opponent.
ii. Greater Energy Bolt: You will have Thaïs use up your energon cubes and let her link with you if necessary to cast Greater Energy Bolt at the mage. With any luck you will blindside him and kill or seriously wound him.
iii. Synchronized Mental Assault: You doubt the mind of this mage will be easy to breach but you can try to wear him down with a classic strategy the two of you are quite proficient at. You will attack his mind in sequence and series while he fights the Heron Guard. Perhaps between the three of you, you can best him.
iv. Synchronized Mental Assault with a Heal spell: You will try to make it over to the downed officer and cast heal on him from your friends ring. You will then attack the thin, white mage as in Aiii.
v. Greater Energy Bolt followed by synchronized mental assault: You will link with your friend and let her cast greater energy bolt at the mage. You will then follow that up with a coordinated mental assault on the mage. Your mental spells will likely be weaker than in Aiii due to the strain of casting the energy bolt.
vi. freeform
B) The necromancer and her soulless - You will try to help the archer deal with his enemies.
i. Intercept the Soulless: You will use your elemental spells and Thaïs' crossbow to kill as many Soulless as you can before they reach the Archer, hopefully you can break their advance.
ii. Attack the necromancer, Elementalists: You will unleash your elemental spells on the necromancer and hope that something hits.
iii. Attack the necromancer, Mentalists: You will unleash your mental spells on the necromancer. If you can daze her she might lose control of her minions of leave cover at which point the archer can take advantage.
iv. freeform
C) The Oneiroi and the Warlock - You will help Argus and his men fight the two mages.
i. Focus on one at a time, Elementalists: you will unleash your elemental spells on one of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify which mage)
ii. Focus on one at a time, Mentalists: you will unleash your mental spells on one of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify which mage)
iii. Each attack one, Elementalists: you will unleash your elemental spells on both of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify who gets which mage)
iv. Each attack one, Mentalists: you will unleash your mental spells on both of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify who gets which mage)
v. The Warrior's Mask: You will use your remaining energon cubes and link with Thaïs if necessary to cast the Warrior's Mask on Argus. Hopefully this will help him defeat his opponents.
vi. freeform
D) The dwarves in black and silver - You will help the guards defeat their opponents.
i. Elementalists: You will unleash your elemental spells on the dwarves and thin them out directly.
ii. Mentalists: You will unleash your mental spells on the dwarves and thin them out indirectly.
iii. freeform
E) You will split your efforts: Derryth will proceed with Biii, while Thaïs will help the dwarves as in Dii.
F) Do something completely different. freeform.
Chapter 29: Desperate Measures
Chapter 29: Desperate MeasuresThere is little time. Too little time. Far too little time.
With shouts and with screams the two sides join battle.
Here. A pair of guards tear down and strangle one of the rogue dwarves.
There. The Warlock hurls another ball of amber flame through the air. It catches two of Argus' men.
They scream as they burn, gouts of flame and blood coat the ground.
In front of you the slaughter unfolds and you know what you must do.
Against all the noise, the screams, the howls, the shouts. Two figures stand in complete silence. They could not be more different.
The mage stands, chest out, chin up, a confident sneer writ on his face. He gives the impression of a new born flame, confident, hungry, and ready to destroy. His clothes, new and expertly tailored shift in the morning light. His slacks and his coat turn from a pristine white to the most perfect black you have ever seen. You would not be the slightest bit surprised if he pulled that little trick merely to hide the blood he intends to spill. He taps his foot as he adjusts his hold on his axe, any second now he will launch his attack.
In contrast the Heron Guard stands with head bowed. He is relaxed, his breathing controlled, his mere presence gives off an aura of serenity. His lacquered plates shine in the sun, the banners on his back flap in the breeze, his blades are drawn and at the ready. He is ready, for whatever might come.
Looking at him you feel more confident, more sure of yourself and of what you intend to do next.
"The white mage," you catch Thaïs' attention.
Your friend nods, "Yes, he is the biggest threat here."
He approaches the Heron Guard a spring in his step and contempt in his eyes.
"Think we can take him?" you ask her.
"Hmm... maybe," she replies.
He darts towards the Guard, a pale flame in the early morning. With axe and with blade he lashes out in a series of quick stabs and chops. The Guard weaves around the blows, a calm morning breeze catches the fabric of his banners as he deflects every blow sent against his. They slide off his armour and his blades; many miss entirely. He takes everything the mage throws at him without breaking a sweat.
The mage takes a step back and grins, he has tested the Guard and found him worthy of his time. The next attack will be at full strength. That is when you will strike.
Thaïs knows that look, she knows what you want to do and she will support you without reservation. It is the only way you will have a shot, "Mental or elemental?" she asks.
"Mental, I think," if the two of you work together and if you can throw him just a little off his guard the Heron Guard should be able to win this.
You hope.
He launches his attack and so you launch yours. With any luck you can get him in a single volley.
Just as he steps within range of the Guard's blades the two of you hit him together. It is like punching a wall, it hurts, but you press on. You hit him in perfectly, together, and blow after blow strikes home in a matter of seconds. The two of you manage to punch a tiny hole in his defenses, it hurts him.
His attack fails, he missteps and the Heron catches him across the side. Only the spells he has active save him, he is just quick enough to avoid the worst of it and just tough enough to take the blow and slip back out of the Guard's range.
The mage scans the courtyard and spots the two of you.
He gives you a wink. It is so very cold.
He drops the axe, places one perfect, ivory hand to his side as the blood flows. He sneers and begins to cast. He snarls as the wound freezes over. An interesting solution to be sure, you doubt it will last long and it probably did quite a bit of damage as well but he will not bleed out in the short term.
He does not bother to retrieve the axe. Immediately he attacks.
"Ready for another attack?" you ask her.
She nods, "Whenever you are."
You focus on him again as he advances on the Guard but he is terribly distracting. His movements are... wrong... for lack of a better term. He moves at odd angles, his limbs twist, they spiral and his blade lashes out in impossible ways. His strikes are completely unpredictable. The mage lands a blow, then a second and a third, each more severe than the last. The Guard takes three step backward and steadies himself as the mage lunges in. This time though the Guard barely moves, as each blow comes for him he waits and at the last second he blocks, he parries, he dodges. You are actually a little surprised that the Heron Guard can keep up. Then you notice that the Guard's eyes are closed, he is listening for the blows and it seems to be working. But he will not win this way, he needs help.
The two of you resume your attack. It is more difficult this time, he is ready but you have no intention of attacking directly again.
You begin with a false memory, the love of his life is in danger, he needs to help, he-
He laughs in your mind. This is a man that loves no one but himself.
Thaïs tries something a little more clever. She suggests that he would gain an advantage by shifting his footing, by pressing his attack just a little farther. That should work, he has proven to be quite aggressive so far.
You throw your support into this new feint. You show him images of his enemy defeated, of victory and success.
He does not respond, he maintains his assault on the Guard. Quick and brutal, at least on the surface, but now that you observe it more closely you can catch the nuance.
He is not like a flame. He is not hungry. If anything his soul is overfull. He is confident but it is not the brash confidence of the new flame. It is the ancient confidence of entropy, of the end of all things and the cold of the grave.
He is ice masquerading as fire and the thought chills you to the bone.
You think upon this and come to a number of realizations.
He is not going to fall for suggestion or compulsion as he has no real desires to exploit.
False memories will mean nothing to him as his own true memories mean so very little.
And crashing through his defences will be akin to trying to shatter an iceberg with a spoon.
He is wearing down the Heron Guard as you watch. Quickly and cleanly he is closing the noose around the Guard's neck.
You sigh, "Thaïs, we have to switch tact here. There is nothing we can threaten him with, nothing we can promise him to make him slip up."
The mage catches the Guard in the leg. The Guard falls
It is all over for the Guard and when he falls the rest will follow. This is it, it is over, the Heron guard is resigned to his fate, the mage is...excited? No. He radiates passion but there is nothing behind it. He is empty. He is cold. He is... bored?
Then it hits you.
Oh! Oh that might work...
Thaïs frowns, "So what do we do, force our way in again? Retreat?"
"No. No I have an idea. Give me your hand and trust me," you grin.
As a nasty little hope worms its way through you, you grin.
-------------------------------------------------
Six Winds Soaring Eagle has served the empire for over four hundred years.
The mage sneers as he looks down at Eagle. He begins to hum under his breath, the Guard can not quite make it out.
In all that time Eagle has only failed in his duty once.
The mage places a single, very expensive shoe on his enemy's chest.
The night Muirthemne fell he was not there. The night his emperor fell he was not there.
The mage shakes his head, he continues to hum to himself, "It's too late to be grateful."
Eagle lived through the shame of that failure. At least he will not live through this one.
The mage brings the blade down, "It's too late to be late again."
In mid stroke he stops, he is staring at something, someone.
Whoever it is has his full attention.
Eagle knows an opportunity when he sees one.
And he has never been one to hesitate.
----------------------------------------------------
The mage stands triumphant. He takes no joy from that fact.
What is one more victory in a chain of endless victories.
As he stands there ready to take a life he is so completely, incredibly, indescribably, bored.
He raises the blade and mutters the lines he has thousands of times before. He says them with all the feigned emotion he can muster. It is important to seem 'alive' even if he no longer believes it himself.
The blade come up, then it comes down.
It will snuff out a life.
Then something far more interesting happens.
A mind reaches out to him. Strong but also bolstered by another.
It takes him a moment to remember those pretty little things across the courtyard. Perhaps he will take them with him when he leaves. They look interesting enough, perhaps he will-
She plants a false memory in his mind.
Effortlessly he resists it.
She tries again.
Again he shrugs it off.
She is not even trying to hide it. What is she trying to do?
Again she tries.
This time he lets it through.
She can not harm him, not really, and he is awfully curious about what she is trying to do.
The memory takes hold. It will only last for seconds before his mind rejects it.
He takes it in, he considers it.
Oh!
Oh dear.
Now that is interesting.
Their enemy is back.
Mazzarin is back.
That is far more important than anything that is happening here.
That is something that his 'master' would very much like to know. Provided it is not a lie of course but he is fairly certain it is not.
He will definitely have to take these women with him now. He will need to interrogate them thoroughly about the return of the archmage.
Perhaps this trip was not a waste of time after all.
He smiles at the women.
He bows to them slightly.
Then he remembers he is still in a fight.
Just a second too late...
-----------------------------------------------
"Hah! Got the fucker!" you cheer as the Guard's blade comes up and opens the mage's throat.
You hug Thaïs, she hugs you. You cheer.
Then the mage's blade comes down and into the Guard's chest.
"Oh!" your friend gasps.
"Damn..." you curse in frustration.
"Wait!" she points to the Guard.
Thin ribbons of green light weave around him. That is right, he is a Heron Guard which means he probably has mandrake roots.
The thin, white mage staggers backward as the Guard regains his footing.
The mage gasps, the spells around him begin to collapse. He raises a hand to his throat but the Guard deftly cuts it off.
His spells unravel, dissolve, and evaporate. His clothes begin to grey, to flake and fall apart. His skin wrinkles, cracks and splits away as it dries over his bones. His hair falls out, his eyes cave in, his blood turns to dust as he collapses backward and shatters. The wind catches what is left of him and carries it away into the sky.
And as quickly as that it is over... or at least you hope it is over...
The Guard salutes the two of you from across the courtyard and you each give him a slight bow in return before each turning to new enemies.
The battle is bloody, the casualties are high but victory is now a certainty.
It is just a question of time.
------------------------------------------
It has been a busy week. Things moved quickly in the aftermath of the battle.
Casualties were high on both sides. Argus survived in large part thanks to your ring but the Cavalry Officer did not make it. Over half of the Albrecht guards also perished. At least your enemy's casualties were higher. The Oneiroi and Warlock both died on their feet, they cast until it killed them. The rogue dwarves also all perished in the melee. Of your enemies only the necromancer survived, badly wounded. She was taken away to a more secure location along with the three pieces of the Watcher you recovered. Finally of the archer that provided your much needed opening, not a trace was found.
You never did reach the Grand Assembly. It turns out that the entire city had been attacked by necromancers, mercenaries and worse.
As soon as the sounds of battle reached the Assembly it dissolved and the lords scattered to the wind. Many took up the defence of the city but many more fled to their estates in the countryside or to the old capital of Stoneheim. Amongst them were the Eberhardts and most of their supporters.
The King has seized upon this opportunity. He has formally accused the Eberhardts and their supporters of treason and conspiring with the Dark.
They try to run, to hide but against the Pathfinders such things are impossible.
While Bari and his people track down the Eberhardts you have some time on your hands but Albrecht has been kind enough to suggest ways for you to fill it. He does not want you splitting up and he does not want you 'wandering off' and to that end you now have forty House Albrecht guards as a permanent escort.
This changes your situation a little. You will be moved into one of the wings of the Royal Compound as formal guests of the King and Queen. You have a number of decisions to make as well.
1. 'Heroic Duties' - Albrecht wants you to stay out of trouble. He is willing to let the two of you sit in the palace all day if you want but he also has a number of suggestions on how you can spend your time as 'Heroes of the Kingdom'.
A) Parties - You spend much of your time meeting the dwarven nobility, establishing contacts and getting to better know them. The older nobility in particular will be eager to meet you.
B) Hunts - A popular pastime amongst the officers of the Royal Army is ghôl hunting. You will join some of these hunts to prove your skill and establish ties with the younger nobility.
C) Dinners - The merchants and bankers are not interested in the grand parties of the nobility. They like long, hardy meals and good conversation. If you want to establish more ties with the merchant set this would be the way to do it.
D) Relief Work - Much of the city has been ravaged by fire or attacks by the undead. You could spend your time helping the poor and desperate, they would certainly appreciate the attention.
E) Sit in the Palace - If you do not want to bask in the attention of the whole city you could just stay in the palace and work on your spells. (Feel free to list spells to master or teach, the top choice(s) will be chosen if this option wins.)
F) Meetings - You will set up a number of 'social' calls to the Mayer Estate to discuss your future dealings. The other merchant houses will take note of this of course.
G) freeform - any plan will have to meet with Albrecht's approval though.
2. The Rest of your group - Lyssa and the girls have remained at the safe house to avoid attention but the girls want to come see you. How do you want to handle that?
A) You move the girls and Lyssa into the palace.
B) You move the girls into the palace and Lyssa will stay at the safe house.
C) You move Lyssa into the palace and the girls will stay at the safe house.
D) They will all stay at the safe house
E) They will all stay at the safe house but you will have them brought to the palace to visit when they want.
Chapter 30: The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 30: The Calm before the StormYou have fought armies that outnumbered you fifty to one.
You have stared down dark gods and goddesses.
You have negotiated with some of the greatest archmages to ever walk the lands.
You are a mage, a treasure hunter, some say a 'hero'.
So then why is this so Wyrd damned difficult!
"No, not that one!" Thaïs scolds you, "That is the wrong fork again!"
She is to be your tutor in this. You quickly lost patience with the dwarves the King sent to 'educate' you. They treated you like an imbecile and a peasant so you had a little fun with their senses. As a result none of them will come near you, thankfully your friend is well aware of proper dining etiquette and has taken it upon herself to improve your manners.
"Damn it!" you shout back, "There are thirty two Wyrd damned forks! Twenty knives! Fourteen spoons! And I do not even know what this thing is!"
You heft a large wooden mallet and shove it at her.
"That," she grins as she takes it and swings it through the air, "Is a ghôl mallet. You use it to smash open the ghôl skulls they will serve as our main course."
You turn a little green, "We... we are going to eat ghôls?"
She nods, enjoying this revelation just a little too much, "Certainly. It is considered quite the delicacy amongst the dwarves. I am told that our hosts have managed to get over a dozen fresh for our dinner."
You push your chair back, "I... I can't do this. Can't you go without me? Please!"
"Sorry, you are our fearless leader remember," she winks at you as she returns the mallet to its place above your plate, "You have to learn how to do this sooner or later."
In resignation you sigh, "Fine, fine. Let's just start from the top then."
"Alright," she takes a deep breath, "Now we are only dealing with the merchant set here so the meal will be smaller from what I understand. There will be eleven courses and only about half the full one hundred and twenty utensils will be utilized. We will begin with the soups..."
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You think you have it all down.
The greetings, the seating order, the utensils, the movements and positioning.
You are certainly smart enough to figure this out, you just have trouble caring.
It is all just so terribly pointless. One fork is functionally as good as another from what you can tell and many of the rules seem contradictory. You are to make conversation but not to actually talk about anything substantial. You are to enjoy the food but not too much. You are not to complement the cooking, nor are you to complain. Yet you also can not simply ignore the food either, it is all quite frustrating.
Then add to that the fact that all of the people you will be dining with likely hold some sort of grudge against you and you are certain that the next several evenings will be uncomfortable ones.
Of course things are not all bad. Albrecht refused to let you go out in your armour and worn clothing. New attire is in order: smocks, hose, kirtles, gowns, surcoats, girdles, capes, hoods, and bonnets all in a variety of styles, colours and materials are paraded in front of you and you take the opportunity to try it all on.
You settle on a number of outfits for a variety of occasions, parties, hunts, diners and more practical affairs as well.
The palace staff also take pains to make you 'presentable'. With a great deal of water and terribly stiff brushes they damn near scrub you raw and douse you in stinging ointments, powders, and oils. They menace you as they clean and style your hair, they torture you as they squeeze you into your bodice, they torment you ceaselessly and more than once you have to fight off the urge to set a few of them on fire. It is a complete and absolute pain but it is difficult to argue with the results.
They wheel over a full length looking glass and you are forced to admit you are like a new woman. Dressed in forest green and earth tones, your hair truly clean for the first time in years, jewel stones in your around your neck and woven into your hair, you are absolutely stunning. A sentiment that is quickly echoed as Argus and Thaïs enter the room.
He whistles, "Those girls really do a great job don't they."
Your friend beams at you as she advances, "He is right Derryth you look gorgeous."
"Um, thanks. Both of you," you smile awkwardly as you turn to greet them. You are floored by what you see. Albrecht's maids have worked their wonders on your friend as well, red silk and gold cloth, she looks amazing and you can not help but return her compliments.
While the two of you trade compliments and commiserate on the torture you have had to endure Argus taps his foot impatiently.
You let him wait for a minute before finally addressing him, "You look like you want to say something Argus."
"Thank you yes," he draws closer to the two of you. The maids withdraw from the room, "The people you will be visiting this week are amongst the most powerful dwarves in the entire kingdom. I would urge you to be cautious and not to purposely antagonize them."
Thaïs gives the Champion a slight nod in gratitude, "We will naturally endeavour to avoiding creating enemies."
"Yes well the advice still stands. Be diplomatic," he looks you in the eyes as he speaks those words.
"I am not that bad Argus," you grin.
"I know these people Derryth. You are going to want to set half of them on fire the second you meet them," he laughs, a short, gruff thing, "I am asking you on behalf of the King to please play nice and not to torch or blow up any of the merchants' houses."
The two of you nod and give him your most innocent looks, he simply smiles and shakes his head, "Get going you two. Please do not destroy anything and try to have fun."
As you slip past him arm in arm you lean in and whisper in your friend's ear, "I think those two instructions are mutually exclusive unfortunately."
She elbows you as you slip out the door headed for the front of the compound and the carriage that will carry you to your destination.
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Tonight you dine with the Barings, an up and coming family of bankers.
You are welcomed warmly enough but you are no fool. You know that most of the people in this mansion have little love for you and are simply looking for reasons to hate you or use you. Initially your instincts urge you to leave this den of vipers but you stick with it. The King knows where you are, if anything were to happen to you the repercussions would be quite extreme. You are completely safe for the time being and so you resolve to make the best of the situation and attempt to get to know the guests.
The other guests consist of eight dwarves from a number of minor trading companies and lending houses. No one you have ever heard about in your inquires into dwarven finance. You manage some basic small talk and keep from making an absolute fool of yourself largely by keeping your mouth shut. This is the sort of thing Thaïs excels at and you let her do much of the talking.
Dinner is... interesting.
When dinner is called you are led in first on the arm of the host, Johann, you take your seat as you run through the thousands of little steps you must take to avoid insulting your host. It makes engaging in petty conversation difficult but perhaps that is for the best. None of them are saying anything interesting anyway. You reply to every question leveled at you politely and you even manage to impress your host with your firm grasp of dwarven.
Twelve courses spread out over a forty minute period. It is less of a marathon than a sprint. Thankfully you do not try to actually eat everything that you are given. Instead you quickly realize that most of this food will simply be thrown out, it exists merely as a physical demonstration of the wealth and resources of your hosts. Cheeses and smoked meats from the Province, fish from south west of Stoneheim, soups and broths and a number of delicacies local and imported including the ghôl skulls your friend mentioned. You manage to will yourself into eating some and the dwarves nod in approval as you swallow a couple modest spoonfuls.
No expense is spared and it is clear that your hosts are trying to impress you even if they do not trust you or even like you very much.
You guess that they are hoping you will put a word in for them with the King. This suspicion is confirmed following dinner when you all retire to drawing room for refreshments and cards. The Barings and their friends speak fondly of the government and of the King but you think you sense an undercurrent of resentment there as well. You have little to go on but your instincts, yet you suspect that these dwarves are quite unhappy about the dramatic fall of House Eberhardt. Try as you might though you are unable to draw them into a conversation on the issue through subtle direction. In truth you just are not very good at it. You could try using your mental spells on them but you do not know if any of them have any magical talent and if you are caught the results would be disastrous.
Across the room Thaïs works a much larger crowd. She has them enraptured and you hope she is having much more success than you are.
Unable to extract any useful political information from them you instead turn the conversation towards more personal matters, finances and the place of the Barings within the larger financial community. Johann warms readily to the subject, perhaps a result of the alcohol you have been plying him with, "Well I will admit Miss Derryth. At the moment my family are not large players in the field but we have substantial holdings in the western empire and it is only a matter of time before we bring those advantages to bear against our competitors," he leans in and whispers conspiratorially, "In fact, I have often thought about expanding our banking system into the human empire. I mean just think of it! All those people and absolutely no competition!"
That news does not sit well with you, this man and his family could well represent a threat to your own plans for the future. Though, perhaps they could also be strong allies should you decide to work with them.
As the evening's entertainment winds down and you and your friend return to your carriage you finally have a chance to discuss your findings. You explain what you learnt from Johann.
Thaïs responds, "Well if they already have the infrastructure set up they could be a real thorn in our side, of course they could also be a great help to us if we decide to ally with them."
"You think they would work with us?" you ask in reply.
She nods slightly, a little unsure of herself, "Yes, I think they would if they saw an advantage in it. I am fairly certain they were discretely supporting Eberhardt but they have been very quick to cut all social ties to the fallen House. They struck me as incredibly pragmatic. They will follow the path of least resistance to power. That might be a problem-"
You finish her thought, "-or it might be a great opportunity for us. A means by which we can control them. If they really are that predictable then we simply have to ensure that they see us as their most likely path to power."
She nods in agreement, "Exactly. We will never be able to trust them, or at least not the current crop of managers but we should be able to control them without too much difficulty as long as we appear powerful."
You steer the conversation to broader topics, "Did they say anything else?"
Thaïs beams confidently, "A little drink and those dwarves were willing to tell me all sorts of secrets. It turns out that House Eberhardt is in deep with a good portion of the Goldsmith Guild. Supposedly they were supplying the Eberhardt's with the financial support necessary to undermine the King. Mrs Baring was of the opinion that much of the guild will suffer the King's ire before long. I doubt we will find too many allies there now that we are well known. I also would not be surprised if the Guild is formally disbanded in a few weeks, rumours seem to indicate that Albrecht wants the power that comes with the material assets the Guild holds. The Barings are convinced that he will accuse them of conspiring with the Dark and will have the whole lot of them killed."
You frown, "A little extreme isn't that?"
She nods, the idea worries her a little as well, "Perhaps there is more to what is going on in the kingdom than we first realized."
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Each day is similar to the last and throughout each you and Thaïs prove inseparable. You rise early and receive proper instruction in how a lady of the kingdom should comport herself. Some of it is even sticking. You spend time with the girls and see to their education. You check in with Lyssa to ensure her mental health and keep her company while she waits for her eagles. You continue to lecture Caoilainn though it is slow going and finally you work on narrowing down the formulas required to revive Meletē. Another day or two and you should have it you think. Everything is going well but you still have reservations, something just does not feel right.
Your evenings are spent visiting with the various merchant houses of the kingdom, some are members of the Guild and some are independent but all are nervous about what the future holds. They seem to fear the King without exception and you suspect that most of them have ties to the Eberhardts either directly or indirectly. If the King does truly intend to purge dissident elements in the kingdom this could get quite bloody.
You tell yourself that, that is not really your concern. You push that thought from your mind and enjoy the fruits of your labours. The King is nothing if not generous and he lavishes gifts upon you. They make everything else more bearable.
Tonight also marks a special occasion. Tonight you will go to visit Mayer at his estate. He was not quick to send an invitation, in fact he waited until you had met the vast majority of his peers to even extend the offer to meet him for dinner. You often wondered why and the mystery surrounding the dwarf only deepened as you asked his competitors about the man.
It seems that Mayer does not attend social functions. He does not go to dinners and he does not invite anyone to his manor with very few exceptions. Some say that he is a servant of some dark goddess, a terrifying creature of darkness and despair that grants him success in all he does. Others say that he is really a necromancer and a former ally of the Watcher's though nothing has ever been proven. The more level headed individuals you questioned simply shrugged and said that the dwarf enjoys his privacy and does not have time for pointless niceties.
All of them agreed though that he demonstrates an uncanny ability to make just the right deals on just the right ventures to always come out on top. The other bankers distrust him, some even hate or fear him but all of them respect him. He started from nothing and his rise has been meteoric. An invitation to have dinner with him is seen as unusual to say the least.
As your carriage pulls up to the estate you begin to suspect that this dinner party will be much smaller than any you have yet been to. The building is well made but not terribly impressive. In fact it is on the small side although it is two stories tall. It lacks any ornamentation or distinguishing marks of any kind, in fact it is so simple and clean as to be striking in and of itself. Despite the quickly advancing night there is only one light coming from the entirety of the building. It shines from the second story window on the far right
As you enter the building through the front doors you realize that you are in fact the only guests here. Mayer does not come to meet you, instead you are met by an ancient little dwarf, holding a single tiny candle, in an unmarked black uniform. He does not speak a word but motions for you to follow him into the depths of the unlit building. You are not led into a sitting room or a dining room or even a drawing room. You are led immediately to his office.
Light pours out from under the door. The servant knocks once, "Come in!" a voice shouts from within.
The servant opens the door and ushers you both inside. He closes it behind you as he leaves the room.
There in the center of the room, at his desk and surrounded by ledgers and scrolls sits Mayer.
He does not even look up at you, "Good evening ladies. I shall have my man bring in something to eat shortly though first I should like to ask you who you really are and why you feel the need to meddle in the business of this kingdom."
You begin to tell him the story you have carefully crafted with Albrecht's agents, "Well it seems that House Eberhardt has been involving themselves with the Dark. After we defeated that army of the undead on the way to Myrgard the Eberhardts took out a contract on our lives, we had no choice but to-"
He raises a hand in annoyance his face buried in a scroll, "I do not have the time or inclination to listen to lies. If you will not tell me the truth then we have no business together and if that is the case then you will both have to excuse me if I ask you to immediately leave."
Thaïs speaks up, "What makes you think we are lying?"
He shakes his head as he strikes out a pair of entries, "I am not an idiot and I am aware of all major contracts currently outstanding in this city. I am aware that the Eberhardts have no dealings with the Dark at all. I am also aware of the story you have been peddling and I know it does not add up with the information I have been receiving. So I will ask again, why have you involved yourself in the affairs of this kingdom?"
You answer his question with a question, "Where do you get your information from that you are so certain we are lying?"
He looks up and smiles slightly, "A little birdie told me," the smile fades quickly as he returns to his paperwork, "Now answer or leave."
As you stand in silence you can hear a pair of voices quietly talking in the adjoining room. It seems you are not, in fact, completely alone.
1. Your answer:
A) You tell Mayer the truth minus your adventures with certain archmages and former necromancers. Government agents and ancient artefacts. (Just your (mis)adventures with Meletē, the connection between the contract on her and the Eberhardts and your desire to destroy them to help your friend.)
B) You leave. If that is the way he wants to be then fine.
C) You will attack him physically. It is admittedly an extreme reaction but if he knows something you do not then you will have an answer right now.
D) You will attack him mentally. Perhaps you can force him to talk without actually hurting him physically.
E) You force your way into the adjoining room to find out who else is here.
F) Ask Mayer to invite the people in the other room in and introduce us. If he does, go along with his proposal. If he refuses, leave.
G) freeform
And the questions that came up in the discussion between updates:
2. Investigating leads with the government. You might want to check some of the leads Ceannard mentioned about the necromancers with Albrecht and his agents. You choose to:
A)Ask Albrecht about it but lie about how you got the information (You will not mention Mazzarin or your true adventures in the desert)
B)Ask Albrecht about it but tell the truth and hope he understands.
C) Don't ask about it. You do not really care about the necromancers, they are not your problem.
D) freeform
3. Lyssa's Activities, how did she spend her time?
A) You instructed her to split her time between doing what she wants and studying at the academy.
B) You ordered her to spend most of her time studying at the academy.
C) You let her spend her time how she pleased.
D) You ask her to help you teach the girls the basics of magical theory as in 4B, an extra mage might help things go more smoothly.
E) freeform
4. The Girls, how did they spend their time?
A)Training with Argus on combat techniques. They won't learn much in a week but they might pick up something.
B)Listening to your lectures about magic with Caoilainn. If they get the basics down they can begin to learn a few spells.
C)With Albrecht's staff. They will be taught how a young lady must behave in polite society. If you have to suffer through this than so do they.
D)You let them do what they want.
E) Get them a teacher and a lot of books and start educating them on a military tactics. It won't do anything in a week, but give it a year and who knows.
F) freeform
Interlude 2: The Serpent's Maw
So it has been a while since we checked in with the other members of your organization and the last interlude was fairly well received so I figured why not try another one. Last time it was Serpent and Christine. This time it it Gareth and Brigit who are doing a fairly good job running a mid sized mercenary company all things considered. So as promised, here you go:Interlude 2: The Serpent's Maw
The moon hangs low in the sky. Round and full it illuminates the night casting deep shadows through the broken city.
No sane person would walk these streets at this hour. During the day the Emperor's soldiers patrol the city but at night, at night, Muirthemne belongs to the Dark and the desperate.
Cutthroats and cultists, madmen and monsters drift past one another in the night. It is the height of folly to interrupt them in their course, to do so is to invite death, madness, horror. Wise men stay in their homes but you can't earn coin that way.
Three cloaked figures huddle at the mouth of an alley. The first is a great mountain of a man with a face even his mother could not love. His is a broad, hard face with great azure eyes and a large crooked nose. He carefully scans the street in front of them. Next to him is a thin man, lean, with the look of a seasoned man of war. He has a certain eastern flavour to him, no doubt from the borderlands at the end of the empire. His eyes are thin and sharp, his black hair drawn back and knotted on top of his head. He grins as he fingers his blade. Their leader while less physically impressive than either of them carries himself with a confidence born of commanding men. He is still in the night, listening carefully as the other two whisper to one another. He is a man of business, a man of action and a man that rarely fails. Yet he seems the most nervous of the three or perhaps simply the most aware of the dangers they face. He leans around the corner and surveys their target with his lone eye.
Their target is a large brick and wood compound. It is unlit, its occupants mostly asleep for the night. On top of the front door is a carving of a great coiled serpent, partially rotten by rain and the elements.
"This has got to be the dumbest thing we have ever done Captain," the large veteran whispers.
"Nah, we done dumber," the thin mercenary answers, "Remember that time up round Scales?"
"Oh yeah," the big man chuckles, "They were scraping pumpkin out of the army barracks for three weeks. Served 'em right the uptight fucks."
"A little less chatter men," the Captain whispers over his shoulder, "Last thing we need is to get caught doing this."
This is robbery.
A very particular sort of robbery.
This is temple robbery. It pays well but by Wyrd you do not want to get caught doing it.
The Transcendent Order of the Grey Serpent is not an old order, nor is it a big one but they are rich and that makes them dangerous. Normally the Captain would not even consider this sort of job but the pay is absolutely obscene and she asked him to do it. She said it would really help out her father and mending fences with the old bastard is high on his list of priorities.
So now here he is, dressed in blacks, waiting with two of his best for her to get the damn door open.
"Captain ya seem tense, are you tense?" the thin merc whispers merrily.
"It is 'cause his sweetheart is in there alone," the big man chuckles slightly, "Captain hates it when she does these sorts of jobs, don't ya Captain?"
"Naram, Garner, what the fuck do you two idiots not get about being quiet?" he hisses.
The two mercenaries chuckle.
They are right of course. He does not like it when she has to do these infiltration runs. Not for any rational reason of course, she is very good at this, but because it would destroy him to lose her. Though on reflection she probably feels the same way when he marches off to do some escort job.
How long will this take? It has been an eternity, or five minutes, he is not sure which. Perhaps it has been both. Then slowly, mercifully, the front door opens a crack.
She is there, she whispers into the night, "Gareth? Naram? Garner? You boys out there?"
"We're here," Gareth answers as the three mercenaries slip in through the now open doors.
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Brigit hugs her man, "See told ya I could do it. Didn't even have to kill anyone. Just a few well placed suggestions and I have the run of the place. We should have twenty minutes to do this in, if we do it right it should take us ten," she tosses the men grey, wool robes, "Even got us some disguises too."
"You are a lifesaver," Naram grins as he pulls the robe over his blacks and wraps the excess fabric around his blade, "So now what?"
"They have the gems in the basement but things might get a bit rough," the archer replies, "Rumour round the city is that there is something down there, something big."
"Well we will just have to be careful," Gareth replies as he motions for Brigit to show them the way, "After you dear."
With a hop and a wink she is off into the heart of the compound with the three men close behind.
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The narrow, slanted stairs make quick descent impossible. One misplaced step in the dark and it would be a long way down to the bottom. Garner leads now, a large shield in front of him and his blade drawn. The four thieves descend into the very heart of the compound, in search of their prize and the wealth it will grant them.
Gradually the smooth stone walls of the passage begin to break up and give way to the jagged, unworked rock of natural caverns. The 'basement' stretches into darkness before them. A grand cavern filled a metre high with cool, dark water.
At the far end is their goal. A massive, grey, stone statue formed in a rough approximation of a serpent. From its open maw hangs a string of twenty two rubies the size of small melons. Each easily bigger than a fist.
Not a sound can be heard from the darkness and the light provided by their torches is as nothing against the darkness.
Gareth grunts, "What do you want to bet that whatever is down here is in that water?"
"Probably a snake, Captain," Naram offers.
"Maybe snakes, as in lots of 'em," Garner grumbles, "Would make sense what with 'em being the 'Order of the fuckin' Serpent'"
"Anyone got any ideas on how to do this without entering the water?" Brigit asks.
She is met with empty stares and shrugs.
"Alright then," she nods, "We will just have to stick together, move slowly, make the absolute minimum of noise, and hope that they aren't poisonous snakes, if there are snakes that is."
As one the four thieves creep into the water. It sloshes slightly as they very carefully wade towards the far end of the cavern and their prize.
Every step, every breath, every movement is carefully calculated as the crossing stretches out into eternity within their minds. Each expects hidden and instant death to fall upon them at a moments notice.
They wait for it but it does not come.
A minute turns into two then five. They make the crossing and they reach the statue.
From there it should be a simple matter to retrieve the rubies and pack them away.
She does her job well. She checks for pressure plates, for trip lines, for needles and hinges and alarms. She finds them all and disables them. Well all the inanimate ones at least. As she removes the rubies she hears a hissing from above her.
That hissing is soon joined by another, then another. Within seconds dozens, maybe hundreds, of reptilian voices ring out through the cavern. On leathery wings they descend towards the thieves in a swarm.
"So much for subtly!" Naram howls as he jumps into the water, his three companions close behind.
They splash through the cold water pushing their bodies to the limit as the flying serpents wheel and dive above them.
They refuse to get too close to the surface of the water though. It is as if they fear something.
"Oh bloody hell!" Naram shouts as the water churns around him.
A great grey serpent rips through the dark tides and coils itself around the mercenary. Its box like jaw open wide. Its scales are massive and knotted, they sag around it, like a small child wrapped in a coat two sizes too big.
It drags Naram under as his companion come to a full stop.
"Wyrd damn it!" shouts Garner at the rear of the group, "We can't fight that fuckin' thing here!"
Brigit stares at it, "Maybe we don't have to! Just watch my back!"
She begins to focus, her mind plunges into the dark waters, plunges towards the outline of the snake's head, towards its mind.
At times like this she wishes her friends were here. Derryth, Thaïs, even Christine. Someone with the magical talent to really handle this. But they are not here, she is and she is the only one that can help this man. She remembers what Derryth told her, 'If you want something in life kid, you have to take it.' Well she want them to all walk away from this and that is what will happen damn it.
The serpent's mind is so basic, so primal. At first you would think that, that would make it easier to control. Fewer barriers, fewer defences, but that is not really the case. It knows what it wants, it wants to eat and convincing it to release its prey will be difficult.
She opens with a pair of assault spells. That catches its attention. Splits its focus between its prey and its attacker. Then she begins with the suggestions. They are crude things but they work well enough here with the creature confused.
She can not create a lasting impression but she makes up for it with sheer quantity. She tells it, it is full. She tells it that he is poisonous. She tells it that he is dangerous. She tells it that there is plenty of food across the cavern floor.
It fights back, tries to maintain control but slowly it gives ground.
Worn out she launches one final attack, a compulsion. She orders the creature to release Naram and swim away. Reluctantly it does so and goes in search of the phantasmal food she conjured in its mind.
Naram bobs to the surface sputtering as Brigit falls backward toward the water. Gareth catches her and steadies her, brushing the hair from her face, "You going to be alright?"
"Yes, thanks," she smiles and shakes her head, "Just need a moment."
"I don't think we have one!" Garner shouts as he drags Naram through the water behind him.
With the larger serpent gone the smaller ones grow bolder.
The four thieves are forced to swim just under the surface to avoid the fangs and the barbed tails of the creatures. They swim in complete darkness, in a single line towards the exit as the flying serpents dip and weave around their last known location.
It is a small miracle that they all reach the other side. They are battered, bruised, half drowned but alive as they climb that long flight of stairs to the surface.
Spirits are high all things considered, which just makes their fall all the more dramatic...
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He returns to the surface, he is alive, she is alive, they are all alive. It was touch and go for a while down there but they came through and as he always say, any fight you walk away from is a victory. He brings up the rear and as he steps back into the main hallway he is promptly greeted by ten guards and the high priest of the Order. Spears and sabres levelled against him and his. That is not what surprises him though. What surprises him is a snivelling little weasel of a man, a known lieutenant of Brigit's father, the Dagda.
Betrayal instantly springs to mind.
"It is as you said," the high priest nods grimly, "Thieves robbing us of our greatest treasures."
"Now if you will simply let me take the girl," the little man steps towards Brigit, "We will be on our way."
"No!" the high priest howls, "They violated the sanctity of out innermost refuge! For this they all die!"
Garner laughs as he limbers up, "You have a mighty high estimation of your odds there priest!"
Naram sneers, "How many men have you killed anyway? I bet I got you beat by a few hundred at least!"
The Dagda's man motions to Brigit, "Come on girl! Your dad wants to speak with ya tonight w-"
The arrow that lodges itself in his throat prevents him from finishing his sentence, "Well boys. How are we going to play this?"
He takes one look at her face and can see the rage there. He has never seen her so angry, so betrayed. He answers.
"The only way we can," he replies as he draws his broadsword and his runeblade, "No witnesses."
The blade hums in his hand, it gives off a blue glow. The colour of the sea in the morning.
With that the runes on Brigit's arrow activate and the weasel's body violently explodes. It is just the distraction the mercenaries need.
Outnumbered they attack.
---------------------------------------------
In the twenty years the Dagda has run his business he has acquired certain tastes. The beef he eats can not be just any beef, it must be the best from the plains of Tyr. The oysters he has every night can not be just any oysters they must come directly from Scales packed in fresh mountain ice. The wine he drinks, ah, the wine, it must come from the rolling hills of Scales. Nothing else will do.
And so it is with not a little annoyance that he enters his apartments to find someone eating his dinner and drinking his wine. Worst of all is that he recognizes the man and he is a man that should be dead.
"Please sit Sir," the man gestures to a chair across from him as he puts the dinner off to one side.
Without missing a beat the Dagda replies, "It is rude to eat someone else's dinner Gareth."
"It would not be the first rude act perpetrated this evening, now please sit... Sir," the Veteran replies more forcefully.
As he gives the order the doors close behind the Dagda and a pair of mercenaries step forward. Wyrd they are an ugly pair. One broad and mean the other tall and vicious. It seems the Dagda has very little choice in this matter.
"Very well," he gives a slight and stiff bow to the mercenaries as he takes a seat across from Gareth, "Now to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit."
"One of your men betrayed you," Gareth fills a second glass with wine and passes it to the Dagda, "He almost got us killed on that job tonight."
"You don't say," the Dagda feigns shock, "Well it is a dangerous line of business we work in."
"Exactly," the Captain replies, "But, he put me, my men, and most importantly your daughter in jeopardy. Such things can not be allowed to occur and so I immediately came to warn you."
The Dagda smiles, "Oh, I am glad that you did, traitors must be punished. Where is he?"
"Dead," the large mercenary speaks.
"Along with the entire Order of the Grey Serpent," his thin colleague adds.
The pair are a little unnerving and if what they say is true then he has vastly underestimated these men. He will not let that happen again but for now he would very much like to make it out of this room. He will save his daughter on another occasion, "Well then it seems that everything worked out splendidly, now if you will excuse me-" he attempts to rise.
"Not quite," Gareth raises a hand and two strong hands pull the Dagda back into his chair, "There is still the matter of payment for the rubies we procured for you."
"Ah yes," the Dagda grins, "About that-"
"We will need triple the agreed upon amount," Gareth says as he refills his glass.
The Dagda begins, "That is not very professional-"
"Neither is trying to assassinate your allies," the Veteran stops pretending and goes for the throat. The Dagda visibly stiffens.
"Boy, you better not be suggesting what I think-" the Captain does not let him finish.
"Do you know why we are having this conversation?" the Captain asks.
"Ah, well-" the Dagda tries to answer.
Gareth raises a hand to stop him, he speaks in a calm and measured tone. One that commands respect, "Anyone else, I mean anyone else and we would simply have snuck into their room one night and snuffed out their life," he snaps his fingers, "We are of the Legion and we do not fuck around. So when I ask you why we are having this conversation I don't actually want a fucking answer. I want you to sit there while I tell you exactly why we are here. Understood?"
"Ye-" Gareth shakes his head.
He picks up the steak knife and points it at the Dagda, "Don't talk. Just nod if you understand."
The Dagda nods.
"Good," he once more picks up his plate and sets to work on the steak again, "Now the reason we are having this conversation is due entirely to your angel of a daughter. She is completely, absolutely, magnificent and she is the sole reason I have not fed you your own ass. Understand?"
Again he nods.
"Good," he pops a piece of steak into his mouth, "This, this is really good steak you know that? Of course you do. Now I am going to set out a few more ground rules here. You will pay us three times the going rate for those rubies and you will do it gladly. Understand?"
He hangs his head but nods slightly. He balls his fists trying to wrestle down his anger and humiliation.
"Good," Gareth takes a nice long sip of the wine, "Now I want to be honest with you and I want to be respectful to you but you are making it damn hard to do either. I love your daughter, I love her enough to kill for her and I love her enough to spare your life. That is how much I love her so I am asking you for her sake to let this go, to grow up and move past this or-"
"Or you will kill me!" the Dagda shouts in a rage, "Is that what you were going to say! That you will fucking kill me! What will she think of you then! I raised her, I looked after her, and I can damn well guarantee that if you even touch a hair on my head she will hate you forever for it!" he grins a feral grin as he finishes his declaration.
"No, that is not what I was going to say," Gareth calmly replies, "I won't kill you."
His head is pulled back, pinned to the back of the chair.
A knife comes out, long, thin, lethal. Someone breathes right next to his ear. He can not see who it is, but he knows, he can smell her.
"No," she whispers, "He won't kill you da... I will."
"Biddy... Biddy please..." he whimpers.
"No da. You let this go tonight or I swear on ma's grave that I will kill you," there is so little of the little girl he knew in her voice. She is so cold. So professional.
It is too much. He has done so much for her. Now this.
It breaks him.
He weeps.
In silence they get up and leave him. They snuff out the lights as they slip out of the room.
He sits, doesn't move a muscle.
Alone in darkness.
He weeps.
----------------------------------------
He checks, then double checks the ledgers. With a satisfied grin he leans back in his chair, eyes closed he chatters happily to himself, "Well money should not be a problem for a while though if we do not keep the boys and girls busy who knows what they could get up to?"
He knows exactly what they could get up to, no good.
Hell he can hear it right now outside his window. He stands and walks towards it. Leaning on the frame, he considers the courtyard.
Three-Fingers sits in a corner positively wailing on his guitar.
Everyone is in high spirits today.
Well except for the Captain and his sweetheart but they will cheer up eventually.
They have been locked in their suite 'talking' for the better part of the day while the rank and file enjoy a day off.
Garner and Naram, the inseparable duo have been hustling the new meat out of their pay for the better part of the morning while the rest of the company lounges around listening to music and drinking.
Brom, a ragged beast in the clothes of a man staggers by laughing, "A few dancing girls and it would be perfect! Ida! Morna! You up for it!"
"Fuck off you asshole!" Ida laughs.
Morna howls, "You get up there first beautiful! Put on a fuckin' show for us and maybe I will return the favour!"
It is while watching this unfold that he notices a guest entering through the main gate of the compound, "Visitor! One of the guards calls out. Says she has business with the Captain!"
He yells back, "Captain's busy! Send her up to me!"
"Sure thing Thayer!" the guard calls back as Thayer returns to his desk and waits for his guest.
She is a mage, or at least she looks like a mage. She is tall, blonde, more handsome than out-and-out beautiful but she commands the room as she enters.
He offers her a seat and politely she accepts, "So Miss..."
"Keelan, if you will," she responds quietly.
"So then dear lady what do you require our services for?" Thayer cuts directly to business.
"I am having a little trouble acquiring a certain artefact in possession of one of the Circles in this city. I have heard that perhaps you are the people to talk to about that," she smiles at him. Instantly he wants to help her.
"Perhaps, perhaps," he nods, "We would need to know more about the defenses these mages have though."
She grins as she begins, "Have you ever heard of a forvalaka?"
Chapter 31: Stormy Night
Chapter 31: Stormy NightMayer waits for answers, filling out paperwork in silence. Outside it begins to rain, a storm is coming on.
He wants his answers, perhaps you will give them to him, "If you want honesty then we expect it in return."
He stops reading, looks up at you, his expression inscrutable, "What did you have in mind?"
"We are not the only people here," you gesture at a small door leading into the adjoining room, "Why don't you introduce us to your other guests?"
He grumbles, "I have no guests and I do not see what any person present in my home has to do with my demand."
As always you can count on Thaïs for support, she takes up your case in a tone both respectful and firm, "It is a matter of trust Mr Mayer. You are obviously interested in conducting business with us or we would not be having this conversation. Now you ask us to trust you but how can we do so if you will not trust us?"
He considers her words carefully then he grins, "A little paranoid, ladies, are you not?" he has decided to act, he stands and waves you towards the door, "Good, paranoia is an invaluable asset in your line of work, and in mine."
He leads you into a dark room and makes certain that the door is well closed behind you. A single light shines from a groove dug into the roof, it casts a pale circle in the center of the room. The walls are lined with thick padding, possibly to muffle noise or protect the occupant.
To your surprise there is but a single occupant. She converses with herself, speaking low and high in turn. She screams to herself and now that you are in the room with her you realize just how much noise she is making. You can not see her clearly though, she sits huddled her face in her hands at the far edge of the circle of light.
As you advance into the room Mayer stops you at the very edge of the light, "No closer ladies. I can not guarantee your safety if you come any closer."
"We can handle ourselves Mayer," you reply but you move no closer. Something about this woman stirs a primal fear in you. Not enough to weaken your resolve but enough to ignite just a little caution in you.
"Many have thought they could 'handle themselves', it rarely ends well," Mayer sighs, "Still you wanted an introduction so let us get this over with."
He calls out to the figure, "My dear, my dear," she raises her head, "Ah good. We have guests my dear and they were kind enough to wish to meet you. Would you please come over here."
As she shuffles toward you, you can make out more details about her. She is not human, but rather a dwarf, her head covered in a tangled mess of flame red hair. She is tall for a dwarf and lean but muscular. Flecks of old, dry blood coat her hands and mouth, you give Mayer a questioning glance, "Sometimes she hurts herself," he replies with a shrug. When she looks up the glint in her yellow eyes reminds you of some large cat on the hunt. She does not speak and barely makes a sound. She is bound around in heavy chains, on her wrists, her ankles, her waist and her neck, they glow faintly with myriad runes.
You hold her gaze and see in her the very depths of madness. Thunder booms out and both you and your friend start in unison. Mayer laughs, "Some heroes," he steps toward the figure and gently takes her hand. She calms a little as she turns to look at him, "Good. Good, she is in one of her calmer states," gently, affectionately he strokes her cheek and whispers to her, "Helena, Helena dear we have guests," he points at you, "That is Miss Derryth," he points at your friend, "And that, is Miss Thaïs," he takes both of her hands in his, "They wished to meet you my dear."
He turns from her to you though he does not release her hands, "Ladies, let me introduce you to Helena Mayer, my wife."
She seems so timid, so docile, so weary, you smile at her as does your friend. She smiles back and mouths your names to herself.
"Well ladies, shall we now return to my office, we may discuss our busin-" Helena mumbles something.
"What is the matter dear?" he turns back to her.
"Do not go..." she whispers.
"Pardon me?" he leans in closer.
"Do not go with them, stay with me..." she gets a little bolder.
He smiles gently and brushes her hair, "I can not my dear but I will return as soon as we are done."
You are on the verge of stepping toward them. To add your voice to his but you stop yourself, that feeling creeps in again, warning you not to get any closer. Perhaps a similar drive motivates Thaïs for lacking your intuition she does step closer.
You grab her arm even before Caoilainn has time to send you a warning, "Don't," you caution her.
She nods as she steps back to your side, "Right, sorry."
Mayer holds his wife as they share a moment, she wraps her arms around him and it is only because of your years spent in dim crypts that you can see what she is doing. She has slipped her hand into his pocket and grabbed something. A small coin, it glows golden in her hand as her chains come loose from their moorings, she is free.
"Mayer!" you call out a warning.
Helena does not hesitate for a moment. She throws Mayer off her, he lands on the far side of the room with a dull thud as she lunges at the two of you. Her chains flailing behind her.
Caoilainn gives it her all, you twist and bob and tumble together. Trying desperately to get beyond the reach of Helena but she is so terribly fast. She catches each of you by the back of the head, dragging you by the hair back into the light at the center of the room. Growling in a deep voice she howls at you, "You will not take him! You will not take him away from me! He is mine! Mine! Now and forever, MINE!!"
With a head in each hand she draws you back, she will crack your heads together like a pair of eggs. You attempt a mental assault but she is so broken, so full of rage that you can not master her in the seconds you have. You begin to cast a firebolt, at the very least you will take her with you.
"Stop!" Mayer shouts. He is back to his feet and has a small blue pebble in his hands. The runes on her chains glow. She screams and releases you both.
Panting he shouts at her, "Bad! Bad Helena! That is not how you treat guests! Sit!"
She whimpers as the runes glow brightly and he limps across the room toward you, on the way he pries the small golden coin from her hand.
He hands you the pebble, "Keep it pointed at her, if she moves order her to stop forcibly. I have to re-secure her chains."
You and Thaïs lean on each other as you keep the pebble firmly pointed at Helena. She eyes you, cackles slightly but makes no move as Mayer draws her chains back through heavy iron rings in the floor and wall. As he secures them they glow slightly.
When he returns to you he takes the pebble back, "Bad Helena, that was very naughty of you. We will have to discuss your punishment later tonight."
She whimpers as, still panting, he leads you back into his office and ensures the door is firmly fixed in place.
He ignores you at first, limps towards his desk and draws out a half full bottle of dwarven whisky, he downs it straight. When he runs out he sputters as he drops into his chair. He hangs his head in his hands, overwhelmed, and takes several deep breathes.
The two of you stand in awkward silence, your hair and gowns dishevelled from the tussle. You exchange glances speaking in pantomime.
Should we go?
I don't know?
Should we perhaps say something?
What though?
He speaks without raising his head, "I am a terrible host ladies."
He smoothes his hair back, straightens his clothes, "Forgive me please. I will have food brought up immediately if you will kindly sit," he gestures to a small table in the corner of the room with four chairs around it, "Please," he sighs as he pulls himself back to his feet.
You and your partner nod to one another, no sense running off immediately.
Diner is served as the three of you sit in silence. It is a simple affair, brown bread, beef broth, red meat and a basic salad. To your relief there is only a single knife, fork and spoon, Mayer shrugs and smiles, "One fork is as good as another."
You laugh and turn to your friend, "See! I am not alone in this after all!" she smiles and Mayer manages to chuckle a little, it seems to break the ice.
He slices off a thin piece of bread as he speaks, "So, about that story you were going to tell me."
Thaïs replies, a little concerned, "Is now the best time? I mean given what happened..." she trails off.
You chimes in, "We can, we can always do this some other time if you would prefer..." you let the idea hang in the air.
He shakes his head, "I live with this every day. Will live with this every day till I die. There will not be a better time I am afraid."
"What is... ah..." you try to find the words.
Thankfully Thaïs steps in, "What is your wife's affliction, Mr Mayer? Perhaps we can help."
He tenses, "She is ill and there is nothing that can be done about it I assure you."
"But, being mages, perhaps there is something we can do?" you attempt to push on.
"No!" he instinctively clenches his fist, "I mean, no thank you. I am well aware of what her condition is and I am also aware that there is no cure. All I can do is make her as comfortable as possible and ensure that she is not a danger to anyone else. Now you said that you would tell me the truth if I trusted you. Well I have, now you have to trust me yes?"
Well a deal is a deal but you are not so foolish as to mention the Faceless, it seems wrong to call him Man now, Nine or Mazzarin. Nor do you mention Lyssa's former occupation or the Pathfinders for obvious reasons. You tell him the 'truth' and he seems satisfied by it.
He picks at his salad, "Impressive. All those enemies dead or humbled. Very impressive. I will have to verify a few things, formalities to ensure that you are telling the... shall we call it the truth even though it is not?"
You tense slightly, under the table Thaïs takes you hand, Mayer simply smiles, "Your story still does not quite match what I know. You are hiding things. For example I should like to know what you were really up to in the desert," he pauses considering both of you, he shrugs, "Well everyone has secrets, myself included, and I do not need to know everything I suppose. For now that is enough, most of your story matches what I know and what I need to know. Beyond that I suppose it does not matter. Should you wish to work together, ladies, my door will always be open."
The rest of the evening passes in stunted conversation. Mayer is actually worse at this then you are and despite your friend's valiant efforts to keep the conversation going there just is not that much to talk about.
Mayer does confirm a few things towards the end of the evening though. You suspect that the events with his wife and the quite liberal drinks he has been pouring himself have a lot to do with that, "The Barings, those imbecilic amateurs were up to their elbows in House Eberhardt business as were over three quarters of the Kingdom's financiers. Why until you showed up it was 'common knowledge' that House Albrecht would fall within the year."
That, you did not know and the surprise is written on both of your faces though Thaïs does do a much better job of disguising it.
He laughs at your shock, "Oh yes. Albrecht has his 'spooks', his 'Pathfinders'," you raise an eyebrow at that, but he pushes on seemingly oblivious to it, "He has a firm hold on the old guard in the army as well but the officers go where the money is and Eberhardt had most of it and three quarters of the lesser houses. Let me assure you ladies there will be a lot of blood and a lot of opportunities for quick minds and steady hands in the days to come."
Thaïs prods him a little, "You sound as if you were not involved in any of this?"
He nods, "Not in any way that could be traced to me. Why play one side when you can play both? In my younger days I was an adventurer myself, I know how to create advantageous situations," the ghost of a smile haunts his face, "I snatched up the assets of over a dozen minor families, casualties of this war between Albrecht and Eberhardt. I must admit that a decisive victory does me little good though it will do little long term harm as well. I am a 'loyal citizen of the kingdom' in every way that matters and I know just enough to burn Albrecht if he ever tries anything," he gives you a self satisfied wink.
Mayer gives you a lot to consider.
As you rise to leave he asks you not to mention his wife to anyone and he expresses his eagerness to meet with you again to discuss your future joint ventures.
The carriage ride home is quiet as the rain dances on the roof. You are both exhausted and quickly fall asleep propped up against one another.
------------------------------------------
The next morning you set up a number of meetings. You have a great deal to accomplish, you wish to discuss the necromancer threat with Albrecht and Argus and you also have to attend to the matter of the girls' education. They can not simply spend all day blowing things up as fun as that is. They need to learn and you have decided that they will receive a proper military education.
You have set up a number of interviews for this afternoon, but first, the King.
You arrange to meet him in his chambers with Argus. This should ensure that you can speak in privacy.
"Hmm, riders on the roads and large crows?" he strokes his chin, "Anything else?"
"Not much, no," you reply, "Other than the fact that the city is definitely infested with necromancers."
"And you say that a mercenary told you this?" he asks.
You nod, "Yes, a friend. We contracted his help to deal with the Oneiroi, demon worshipers, operating out of the city."
"Interesting," he squints, "I should like to meet this man. I shall have him summoned, leave the contact information with my clerk. Now, how did he find out about this?"
"His men spend a lot of time on the roads," Thaïs responds naturally, "Coming in and out of the kingdom. We began to gossip while waiting for the Oneiroi and the issue of these strange birds and black riders came up."
You lean forward slightly, "So you mean to tell us that you know nothing about any of this?"
He frowns and shakes his head, he gestures to Argus, "I want you to start investigating this, find out anything you can about these riders and have every crow in the city killed. Also get a few of the men to look into the officer corps, if anyone is keeping secrets I want to know why," he turns back to you as his champion leaves the room, "I thank you deeply ladies for bringing this to my attention, now if you will excuse me I have other matters to attend to."
The two of you politely leave and chase after Argus.
He rushes to the front of the palace, barking orders to his assistants as he goes.
"Argus! Hold up!" you shout.
"Yes, please wait a moment Sir Argus!" your friend adds.
He pauses and grins at you, "Afraid I do not have much time to talk ladies. I am on the hunt now and nothing can stop me!"
"Just a few quick questions," you plead.
"Ah why not!" he beams. You can tell he is quite happy to get out of the palace for a while.
"So you haven't heard anything about strange birds on the roads," you ask again, "Nothing at all?"
He shakes his head.
"And nothing about black riders? Or perhaps unknown mercenaries operating out of the region?" your friend adds.
"Like I said ladies this is the first we are hearing of it," he sternly replies. As pages rush to and fro demanding his attention, "Do you think there is some connection to those mages that attacked the city and tried to free their friends?"
You nod in unison, "Yes we do, if you hear anything about riders or birds, Argus, just please keep us in the loop."
"Can do ladies," he nods absentmindedly as he walks away bossing around his aids. Quickly he shouts back to you as an aide shoves a pile of papers in his face, "If I hear anything about riders, crows or eagles, you will be amongst the first to know!" With that he disappears out the front door, a train of petty followers trailing behind.
You both frown.
Thaïs feigns a dizzy spell and you catch her and steady her. A page offers support but you wave him off, "Busy couple of days, I will see her back to her room," you wrap an arm around each others waists and pretend to lean on one another for support. As you do so you discretely whisper in her ear, "Did you catch that?"
She whispers back, "Yes."
You whisper the words together, "We did not mention eagles."
---------------------------------------------------
Having met most of the merchant set in the city by now your days are wonderfully free and you set about looking after your own affairs. Word comes from the south that Eberhardt and his remaining supporters have been broken in battle and most of them are now dead or captured. It seems he tried to raise an army around his personal guard but accusations of conspiracy with the Dark undermined all of his attempts. Without any support his rebellion was very short lived and he is currently being transported back to Myrgard to stand trial and what a trial it will be. It is the talk of the entire city and will be held in the Grand Assembly in front of the, remaining, assembled lords. The King himself will act as judge though he will, naturally, not argue the case himself.
You need to decide on how you wish to approach the trial as well as a number of other things.
1. The Trial: You are expected to give testimony, and are in fact amongst the key witnesses of the prosecution, though you will not be forced to if you truly do not wish to.
A) You will work fully with Albrecht's people to come up with the best story possible. You will do everything you can to make sure Eberhardt and his supporters hang for treason and conspiracy with the Dark. They are your enemies as well as Albrecht's and you have no intention of leaving any of them alive and unbroken.
B) You will work with Albrecht's people but will limit your testimony to events that actually happened. The charge of treason will be easy to prove but the charge of conspiracy with the Dark may be more difficult and it will be harder to dispose of Eberhardt's allies as a result. You will try to limit the number of lives that will be lost though you imagine Albrecht may be a little annoyed.
C) You will not work with Albrecht's people. You are starting to have second thoughts about the man, you will not testify. There may be repercussions for this and you are not entirely sure why you want to do this. Perhaps it is guilt over so much potential blood being on your hands.
D) You will not work with Albrecht's people. You are starting to have second thoughts about the man, you will reveal Albrecht's false evidence which should undermine much of his case in public. There will naturally be repercussions for this and you are not entirely sure why you want to do this. Perhaps it is guilt over so much potential blood being on your hands.
E) You will not work with Albrecht's people, in fact you are done with these dwarves entirely. You will attempt to flee the city and leave any rewards behind you, hopefully you will not get caught.
F) freeform
2. Your finances: You have become well acquainted with the dwarven merchant families in the city. You have narrowed down your options to two. The Barings and Mayer.
A) The Barings: They have the resources and should be easy to control as long as you do not give them a reason to betray you.
B) Mayer: A more demanding partner, and he will settle for nothing less than partnership, but also possessed of a keen mind and a great deal of ability.
C) Neither: You will go your own way. When you get back to the empire you will try to set something up yourself in the vacuum that is the eastern empire.
D) freeform
3. The girls' tutor: After a number of interviews you and Thaïs have compiled a short list of potential candidates. (Note that you can hire more than one if you are willing to pay the price. Each combination though will be counted as a seperate choice so for example AE would be counted differently than either A or E, conditionals are your friend here.)
A) 'CvC': A strange case, who merely wrote to you rather than meet you in person for some reason. He presented his argumentation in a didactic fashion and characterized warfare as a synthesis of rational calculation, emotion and pure chance. He steadfastly refused the notion that warfare could be reduced to simple geometry amongst other things. He also made mention of the superiority of a well maintained defense as opposed to an all out offense. The letter has a return address should you wish to propose employment. (WPs unknown monthly, this will require a more through meeting.)
B) Mr Jomini: A former officer in the imperial army from the west, he came promptly at your request. He spoke of war in terms of mathematical and scientific principles. Geometry, concentration of superior force at the crucial place and time and expressed a desire to minimize the loss of life by limiting the force deployed at any given time to just above what is necessary for victory. He seems to be accustomed to a certain standard of living (WPs 40 monthly).
C) Mr Dragomirov: An older man that may be operating under a pseudonym. He stressed the importance of discipline in warfare especially in small units and placed a great deal of emphasis on what he called the 'all out' offence. He seems to be accustomed to a certain standard of living (WPs 35 monthly).
D)Mr. 'Levy': An odd fellow to be sure. He placed a great deal of importance on what he termed 'asymmetrical' warfare and the role of 'guerrillas' and other irregulars against formal military. He drew many of his lessons from the Great War and the War against Soulblighter. He seems to be down on his luck and you could probably hire him cheaply should you so desire. (WPs 15 monthly)
E) Mr. Tacticus: He is... well, he is a Trow. It came as a shock to everyone. He will not tell you why he is in the Dwarven Kingdom, why he is seeking employment, or anything about himself. He also demands a rather large stipend but he claims to have hundreds of years experience fighting actual wars and says he is a master at taking cities (and as a result holding them as well). (WPs 60 monthly)
4. Meletē's ritual: You think you finally have the ritual you need. How do you want to go about this.
A) Make the Oneiroi cast it. They know it best after all and it would be quickest. Should they betray you, you will of course kill them.
B) Cast it yourselves as soon as you learn it. This will take a few days and will require you, Thaïs and Lyssa to work together but it would likely be safer then trusting the Oneiroi.
C) Cast it yourselves but do it at the Royal Academy and only after you are sure you have mastered it and have had the fellows of the academy test it. You will take absolutely no risks here though it may take a week or more and will require a great deal of attention from all three of you.
D) freeform
A note on freeform questions (as opposed to just freeform options): If I missed anything that you would like to pursue then propose it and I will either add a question to this list or I will attach it to the next update.
Chapter 32: To the Victors
Chapter 32: To the VictorsYou had expected this to be more difficult really.
This decision was the product of a rather lengthy discussion. You and Thaïs took your time. You weighed up everything you stood to gain and everything you stood to lose by testifying. In the end you decided to give Albrecht your full support. That would mean lying, in front of the assembled lords of the entire kingdom.
From the moment you made that decision to this very instant you carried with you a fear. A fear that you would be found out. That you would make a mistake, that some unknown witness would arrive to undermine you, that some up and coming advocate would cut your story to pieces and leave your mind and soul to bleed out in front of the assembled lords.
You carried this fear for three days.
Today it is gone.
Today you realize that this is not a trial. It is a mere formality, a show, a spectacle.
The hall is beautiful, large mosaics cover most surfaces while the roof is a giant dome plated of precious metals inset with rare gemstones. They glitter like stars in the night sky.
There are fewer lords in their seats around you than there are prisoners arrayed in front of you. You sit with Thaïs and the King on a raised platform at the far end of the hall. These seats, though they are identical to all the rest in the hall are reserved for royalty. You are told it is a great honour to be allowed to sit in them.
On the chamber floor, under the great bronze arches of the domed ceiling before you Argus argues the case of the government.
No one argues for the defence.
They stand, row on row, shackled together in the center of the chamber. Some weep, some plead, some scream, it will do them no good. The lords will have none of it.
Outside you can hear the calls for Eberhardt's head. For the blood of each and every one of the traitors. At the main doors stand a team of criers, it is their job to keep the crowd engaged and angry but they are not alone in their efforts.
To hear Argus tell it the crowd has been infiltrated by House Albrecht agents, they will ensure that public sentiment stays firmly on the government's side and will work to undermine the efforts of any Eberhardt supporters in the crowd.
Inside the hall you survey the lords, trying to gauge the mood of the room; more than anything they look bored. A couple stare on with teary eyes, perhaps they recognize one of the accused, a friend or a colleague. Most however are loyal to Albrecht, they already know where they will cast their votes.
Albrecht today looks nothing like the dwarf you have come to know. Gone are the simple tunics and casual manners. Today he is King first and foremost. His manners are stiff, cold but authoritative. He dress is that of royalty; heavy, beautiful and intimidating. Resting across his lap is the Maul of the Dwarven Kings, brought out specifically for this occasion to remind all assembled of the power he wields.
Argus is giving a rousing speech as he lists off the crimes of the accused. Despite the spectacle playing out before you, you have trouble paying attention. Your eyes are drawn to one of the prisoners. Tall, grey around the temples, he leans on a crutch as he nurses a broken leg. He stands at the head of this small legion of prisoners. He is Eberhardt and he does not take his gaze off of the King. He will not bow, he will not beg, and if a look could kill then the King would be dead a thousand times over. The King for his part completely ignores Eberhardt. He will not even spare him a glance as he sits in judgement over him.
The trial passes slowly but without real incident. Three times you hear the sound of fighting break out from outside the assembly as Eberhardt supporters attempt to start riots and are crushed and murdered for their troubles.
Argus begins with the physical evidence, then moves to the written confessions of Eberhardt's co-conspirators. You recognize Ullr's name and Dacey's but theirs are only two out of almost forty written confessions.
Through it all you spend most of your time counting the tiles in the great mosaics along the walls. The screams of the damned, the chants of the crowd, the laughter and curses of the lords, it all melts away around you. You contemplate why you are here, why you want to ensure that all of those poor souls die. You ask yourself, is it worth it.
These people are your enemies, but is it worth it?
Then they enter and you are dragged back to reality.
Trakk's remaining family, his granddaughter, his son. They are wheeled in to the chamber. There... there is not much left of them.
He took the worst of it and is little more than a torso and head but she was not spared either.
Thaïs lets out a muffled sob, something in her bends just a little. You know exactly how she feels. Not through empathy but through experience. You know exactly how she feels because you know exactly what she feels, the exact memory that made her cry out.
You have that memory, it is not yours, but your friends. Still it feels real, in every way that matters it is real.
You once had a doll, a delicate, porcelain thing that father brought back from the Great Market in Muirthemne. It was more beautiful than words could describe, skin like snow, hair like coal, lips like rose petals. You took it everywhere. One day it fell under the wheels of one of father's carts. You tried to hide it, tried to fix it, tried to glue it back together with a dozen different things from oatmeal to tar. None of it worked and all you were left with was a broken, wet mess.
As you look at Trakk's granddaughter you see that doll in flesh and blood, instead of porcelain.
To ensure she did not try to flee they shredded her little legs, took her tiny feet, amputated her delicate hands and that was only the beginning.
She is in a word, broken.
It is enough to make you sick.
As you stare at her your head begins to spin. Would that have happened to Biliku and Uttu if you fell into the hands of the Eberhardts? If it had not been for Bari...
You close your eyes, center yourself, slow your breathing. This is not your fault, you know that, but it still feels like it.
The two of them give their testimony. They speak of being captured for unknown reasons, of being tortured, of being saved by unseen figures while heavily sedated.
Argus points at you and shouts something about heroes.
The lords stand and applaud.
The King motions for you to stand, you do so numbly. They bring her up to you, she says something but you do not hear it. She hugs you but you do not feel it. With a shaking hand you pat her on the head and mumble some incredibly clichéd words of encouragement that pass from your mind as quickly as they do from your mouth.
The kid smiles at you and you just about collapse.
Thankfully Argus chooses to end this little charade at that exact moment. He takes the child from you as he heads back down to the floor. You are mercifully allowed to once more take your seat as the lords continue to applaud your heroism in saving the poor child.
As the witnesses leave the room Thaïs takes your hand, she squeezes, you squeeze back, it helps.
Any sympathy you had for Eberhardt and his men leaves the room with that child.
You hope they all hang and as Argus calls you both down to the stand you intend to do everything in your power to make sure that happens.
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Your testimony was but the final nail in the coffin.
Eberhardt was never going to leave that room alive and most of his followers were guaranteed to die with him. Your testimonies merely ensured that they would all perish.
Events moved quickly after that. Eberhardt, his entire House and almost all of his allies met their ends. The hangings went on for a day and a half. It was the largest execution in dwarven history.
It is all anyone in the city can talk about so inevitably it becomes the topic of conversation when you next see Mayer.
"By Wyrd you two," he smirks as he picks at his salad, "Not a single one left. From the oldest greybeard to the youngest child amongst them. You certainly are not ones to be trifled with."
"Thank you Mayer," you reply in unison, more than a little discomfort in your voices.
While he pours himself a drink you take the opportunity to ask a few questions, "Mayer, why did no one try to defend Eberhardt?"
He raises an eyebrow at this, "You mean no one explained to you how trials work?"
You both shake your heads and Thaïs innocently adds, "No, Albrecht's people did not and we did not think to ask."
He leans back in his chair, "Well, the reason no one defended Eberhardt is that no one could be found to take up his case. Dwarven law states that a defendant can not defend himself. This is largely done to disadvantage outsiders, if a dwarf will not speak for you then you are worthless in the eyes of the law. Dwarven law also states that an advocate shall receive the same fate as the person he or she represents. This is done to prevent weak cases from making it to trial. Those two principles together ensured that no one would come to Eberhardt's defense."
You mutter, "That would have been nice to know before the trial."
"Would it have changed your decision?" the banker inquires.
"Maybe?" you respond, uncertain.
He causally picks at a bit of spinach caught in his teeth, "Well then. There you go. Perhaps Albrecht is not being entirely honest with you. He is a politician after all and not without skill in his chosen profession."
Thaïs sighs, "So you are saying he manipulated us? Set us against Eberhardt to his own benefit?"
Mayer grins, a rare thing, "Yes, probably. Though can you say for certain that you did not seek to use him as well? Has he actually forced you to do anything?" you shake your heads and he nods, "Everyone wants something ladies. The two of you would do well to remember that. Everyone, wants, something. Even you, even the King, even me."
Since he is in a talkative mood you try to get a bit more out of him, "Well is there anything else we should know, partner?"
He nods, "Yes, the streets are filled with gold now. Over twenty noble houses have been completely extinguished. The Goldsmith Guild has been decimated, even those fools, the Barings, did not escape, dead to the last dwarf. Officially the government is seizing everything for the 'good of the kingdom' but they lack the people to run it all and the remaining noble houses will require payment for their loyalty. Now is the time to see just how much power one can grab for him or herself."
He nods to himself and smiles at the thought of it.
The rest of your lunch is spent discussing the finer points of your strategy going forward. Mayer lays out a few options you could pursue and after a great deal of discussion you settle upon a path.
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Your return to the palace sees you bombarded with questions from a variety of quarters.
One of your attendants, though you often think of them as jailers, wants to know if you require anything from the shops in the city. Another reminds you that Lyssa is waiting on you to take care of today's enchantments. A third chimes in that Mr. 'Levy' has taken up residence in you wing of the palace and has taken to the training of the girls with aplomb. The forth informs you that the fellows at the academy have received your data on the Oneiroi spell and will begin analyzing it as soon as possible.
You have a lot to do but decide to see Lyssa first, it would be good to catch up with her.
------------------------------------------------
You find the mage on the roof of the palace talking to her birds. She smiles and waves as you approach.
You return her greeting, "So you found your birds?"
She nods, her posture and expression completely relaxed, "Yes, are they not beautiful?"
Thaïs approaches one, "Yes they are gorgeous Lyssa," you could swear the bird grins.
"Smart too," the mage adds with a parent's pride.
That gives you an idea, "Lyssa? If I wanted to send a message to Muirthemne to contact the rest of the group, could your eagles take it there?"
She considers the idea then nods, "Yes. I believe they could but you would need to give them a good description of the location you need them to take it to."
"Hmmm..." you reply.
"Something the matter Derryth?" she asks innocently.
"Yes," Thaïs answers for you, "We do not know exactly where we want the message to go. Only that the target is a medium sized compound somewhere in the city."
The three of you stand in silence for a minute then the idea dawns on you, "Ian! We send the message to Ian at his shop, then he can pass it on to Gareth at the compound wherever that is!"
"Ian?" your friend racks her memory, or rather yours, for someone matching that name. It takes her a moment but she remembers, "Oh! Henry's friend, of course."
She knows Ian is trustworthy and immediately agrees to the idea.
It seems like a good plan but doubts start to nibble at the edges of it, you mutter to yourself, "What if Ian is not there, what if his shop has burnt down, what if the eagle gets intercepted, what if..."
Lyssa grins, "You worry too much, my eagles are professionals," the eagle closest to you nods in agreement, "They can handle this but if you have concerns you could probably just use a normal messenger service."
It is something to consider and you would like to pursue the matter further but for the moment you have work to do, "At any rate we should get to work on today's enchantments."
Your two companions nod as the three of you make your way to someplace quiet to begin.
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Mr 'Levy', or rather Berty as he insists you call him, is an odd man. His eyes are alert, dancing back and forth as he instructs the girls in proper knife play and how to construct improvised deathtraps.
His large ears and bulbous nose give him the appearance of an entertainer when coupled with his pencil thin moustache. At first glance he seems something of a rogue or perhaps a fool but this is a man that knows his business.
In fact you hit it off almost immediately. Turns out he was a street urchin as well and the two of you are swapping stories about stealing bread and fighting in back alleys before an hour has passed.
"Well ya see now Derry, there is one thing and one thing only that I know well," he informes you as you watch him run the girls through a few drill, "I know how ta fight and ta kill the other guy with nothin more than some cheese-wire and an old sock and I know how to teach others ta do the same."
You are tempted to inform Berty that in fact that would constitute four or five separate things. Somehow you resist the urge.
"Well the girls do know how to fight already Mr. Levy," your friend replies.
He nods a couple times, "Please, please, call me Berty and I am sure they do at that!" he squints, "Yep, they sure do Taide. But here is what I am sayin ladies, they got blind spots. They fight too fair if you catch my meanin'. They have ta think like a scoundrel if they want ta beat a scoundrel ya get me?"
"Alright Berty, how does fighting like a scoundrel help them lead men in battle?" you naturally ask.
"Insight, ladies. Ya want to win then you have to be prepared ta fight with whatever ya got. A well trained group of irregulars can be absolutely devastating against a professional military force!" he grins as he walks away, ready to set up the next exercise for the girls.
He shouts over his shoulder as he disappears around the corner, "Besides, Derry, I thought ya already knew! All men are scoundrels! Ya got to be one ta lead some!"
"Well he certainly is interesting," Thaïs comments laughing.
"We do seem to have a knack for finding interesting people," you laugh along with her as you return to your quarters.
-------------------------------------------
That evening you receive an invitation from Albrecht himself.
You find him in his quarters at a large and marvellous table. He is back to his usual attire and behaviour; simple clothes, simple manners. He is playing cards with Argus and the Queen. Without a care in the world they invite you to join their game and even spot you a rather large sack of gold.
"I do not think you ladies have actually met my wife," he gestures to the two of you, "Eleanor, this is Derryth and Thaïs. If it were not for them my dear we would probably be dead by now," he laughs merrily and the Queen smiles at you.
She is noticeably younger than the king though you can not be sure how old either of them are really.
Albrecht then gestures to the Queen, "Derryth, Thaïs, this is the girl that makes me the happiest dwarf in the kingdom. She is my Queen, my light, my love, and I would do damn near anything for her. Eleanor dear why don't you say something."
"I would if you would stop rambling," she answers merrily as she turns her attention back to you, "If there is anything I or my husband can do for you then please just let us know. Really, anything at all."
The King nods, "Yes, you have done so much for us but you have not asked for a thing. Is there anything you desire. Name it and it is yours."
Silently you consider your options. Mayer mentioned property and assets available for those who could grab them, perhaps you should inquire about that.
Simple wealth never goes out of style either so that is an option.
During your few visits to the academy you got the feeling that the fellows were holding out on you. With a letter from the king you could compel them to share their knowledge with you. Though they might resent it.
The dwarven smiths are legendary, you could ask the king to pay for the creation of a unique item or items for you or your friends.
Of you could simply save such favours for the future.
You are not terribly sure what you should ask for. You look to your friend for guidance but she is overwhelmed as well. Looks like you will simply have to make a decision.
1. What do you ask for (this could easily become very complicated so some of the options will be dealt with further in the next update if chosen. They will be marked as such):
A) Confiscated Assets and Property -You will arrange to sit down with Albrecht and his agents to properly pour over the property lists and see if there is anything you want. There are a number of different assets available from mines and factories to warehouses, shipping houses, caravan routes and security companies. (A full list will be presented in the next update should this option win)
B) Wealth - You will request a payment from the more liquid assets seize by the government, gold, gems, and goods will be the order of the day. (All B choices are counted together, the most popular will be chosen.)
i. You request a modest payment - 200 WPs
ii. You request a respectable payment - 500 WPs
iii. You request a large payment - 1000 WPs
iv. You request the majority of the assets seized - 2500 WPs
v. 750 WPs
vi. freeform
C) You request a letter from the King giving you full access to the Royal Academy.
D) Custom Items - You will arrange to meet the royal craftsmen and enchanters to discuss the creation of one or more magical items. (A full list will be presented in the next update should this option win.
E) You will not ask for anything. You will save the favour for later.
F) You ask for permission to begin work on a stable Gate between Myrgard and the empire. The King will naturally have a few concerns so you might have to demonstrate the safety of the spells involved first.
G) freeform
2. Your Business Plan - You decided upon a course of action with Mayer during your meeting, what was it?
A) Properties - You instructed him to seize as much profitable property as he can while things are still chaotic. You will worry about what to do with it later. There are likely to be high start up costs but if you can get everything working you could generate a healthy revenue stream.
B) Profits - You instructed him to seize assets that you could then flip for maximum profit. The long term profits would be non existent as you would not be holding on to the properties but you stand to make a lot in the short term.
C) freeform - You gave him a more specific plan.
3. The Letter - You want to touch base with Gareth and the rest of your organization in Muirthemne. You will give Amena and Gareth instructions and ask for a status report.
A) You will send the letter by eagle.
B) you will send the letter by courier (3 WPs)
C) You will not send a letter.
D) You will send out two copies of the letter, one by courier and one by eagle. Hopefully this should ensure that no matter what one letter arrives safely and unaltered. (3 WPs)
E) freeform
4. The Letter Part 2 - Beyond a request for a status report and instructions to teach Ithapi to read what else do you want to include in the letter? (Any option that receives more than half the total votes will be included.
A) Warn them about Trakk
B) Ask them about the Crows or black riders
C) Warn them about Mazzarin
D) Warn them about The Faceless
E) Warn them about the Watcher, tell them to look out for contracts on hunting necromancers, see if they can gauge anything useful out of this
F) freeform
5. Supplies - You are out of Energon cubes but one of your attendants is willing to go shopping for you. Do you wish to purchase some? If you vote yes then just type how many you would like and how many will go to each person (Twelve Energon Cubes = 6 WPs)
A) Yes
B) No
6. Supplies - Requests, If you want any mundane equipment besides the Energon Cube then write it in and I will tell you the price. An item will require more than half of the total votes to be purchased.
A) Additional arrows for Uttu (1WP = 2 quivers)
B) Seven pieces of nice, basic jewelry. (5 WPs)
C) Seven pieces of cheap, basic jewelry. (1 WP)
D) The broken ether engine the brothers Dietfried own (200 WPs)
E) freeform
7. Freeform. Ask the King to arrange for help in casting the Greater Heal ritual on the remaining members of Trakk's family. Ensure the girl receives a treatment to heal her mind as well as her body. There are a few ways to go about this.
A) Do it yourself. You know at least enough to heal their bodies.
B) Track down the Heron Guard. They are known to be master healers and he may be able to help. He might have a few questions for you though and you should probably tread carefully around him.
C) Try to research the necessary spells with the help of the Royal Academy. They are no healers though it is a field they know little about.
D) You do not risk trying to help her.
E) freeform
Chapter 33: The Cost of Doing Business
Chapter 33: The Cost of Doing BusinessIt has to be three, maybe four, in the morning and you are still just sitting here, again.
Perched on the edge of your bed you can not shake the image of Trakk's granddaughter. During the day you can push it away but it comes back at night, every night.
You have tried everything short of nepenthe, that wonderfully addictive opioid, to fall asleep and none of it is working.
In frustration you get up, if you can not sleep then you will go for a walk.
Quietly you dress; you slip out into the lit hallway. As you carefully close your door the door to Thaïs' room opens and your friend slips out. She spots you immediately and you exchange a nod as you come together.
"Can't sleep?" she whispers.
You nod, "You either?"
She nods, "Trakk's granddaughter-"
"-Brenna, yeah, I know..." you slip into silence as you hold one another's gaze.
"Going for a walk?" she breaks the silence.
"Yes, want to come?" you reply.
She does not answer but extends an arm. You take it as the pair of you drift through the quiet halls of the palace.
She tries to direct you to the gardens but you have another destination in mind, "The roof?" you suggest.
"Sure," she shrugs.
The two of you pass dozens of guards on your way to the roof, a few of them are even real military. The King is not taking any chances and has tripled the security at the palace since the attack by the Watcher's minions. They do not stop you as you wind your way to the top of the palace, they all know who you are now and they all know that the two of you are free to go anywhere but the royal chambers without permission or pass. They merely nod as you pass the last of them and exit to the roof.
The night air is refreshing, it helps clear your head and it seems to be doing wonders for your friend as well. She begins to speak as the two of you lazily stroll along the inner walkways of the buildings exterior, "I just... The image will not remove itself from my mind."
You know exactly how she feels, "I keep seeing my, ah, your-" you shake your head.
"Our," she helps you along.
You nod, "Our memory of that doll, it was so much like her."
"It is horrid, Derryth. She will have to go through her whole life like that, and her father!" your friend speaks, anger rising in her voice.
You calm her with a hand on her shoulder, "I know, I know. If only we could do something for-" you stop and she stops with you. An idea hits you and runs down your spine like a bolt from the heavens. You grin as you turn to your friend, "Maybe she does not have to."
She gives you your favourite look, "You have that look again. What are you plotting now?"
"I think I can fix them Thaïs!" you exclaim triumphantly, "I have the theory needed, a more powerful version of the Heal spell, we could restore their bodies."
She leaps at you, hugs you, and does her best to squeeze the life out of you, "That is magnificent, Derryth! You are magnificent! How do we do it?"
As she releases you, you begin to construct a plan, "Well I will need help casting it, you and Lyssa at the very least. You will both have to master Heal first. We'll also need a lot of energy, mandrake roots maybe or something else entirely," you frown, "Then there are the risks to consider, this spell could easily kill us if we are not careful and I have never actually tried to cast it before. If there are any flaws in it..."
"If there are any flaws in it we will figure them out!" she has snatched up your idea and is running with it, "We can get the King to supply us with mandrake roots! It will be great for his image and he has the money now! I will go locate Lyssa and we can get started right away!"
She turns to run back inside, as you grab her arm you laugh, "It is the middle of the night don't you think we should let her sleep?"
"Too late for that!" a voice calls out from the dark, "Do you two have any idea how much noise you are making?
Lyssa rubs her eyes and picks straw out of her hair as she approaches the two of you.
You trade an amused glance with your friend, "You sleep up here Lyssa?"
"Ah, sometimes," she stretches, "My hut was not always the most relaxing place to rest so I would often sleep under the stars next to my tree. After a while you just sort of get used to it and it is difficult to sleep inside," she shrugs, "So what is this about needing me?"
"We need your help to restore a child and her father," Thaïs answers.
Lyssa smiles, "That sounds like a good cause if ever I heard one. Count me in."
You spend the better part of the night and much of the morning fleshing out your plan. You will increase the time the three of you spend together to properly teach them the spells necessary to perform the ritual. On top of your enchanting practice and supervising the girls this will leave you precious little time to attend to your own affairs but it feels right. You want to help that child and her father, you will help them and by Wyrd you will succeed!
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The next few days are spent in meetings, meetings and yet more meetings slipped in between your practice and other duties. Albrecht's people have sent over a small mountain of paperwork along with an army of clerks to help you sort through the assets on offer. It took a while but you finally settled upon your reward, or at least part of it.
Mayer arrived soon after with a smaller but still daunting report about his activates in your name.
In fact the banker is just finishing his presentation, "So as you can see ladies, my efforts are already beginning to bear fruit. I can secure a substantial amount of the assets available but I need more funds to do it."
"Well we are considering our options on that front Mayer," your friend replies.
You draw out three folders from the stack nearest you, "Yes, we have arranged a number of financing options, we just need to decide how much risk we want to take on here."
The three of you spend the rest of the day discussing how you are going to finance your attempt to secure the assets on offer. You also lay out a few conditions for Mayer to follow as he proceeds with your plan.
As the sun begins to set and the banker leaves your wing of the palace you feel quite confident.
Thaïs organizes papers behind you as you watch the banker go, "I think we are finally making progress here, this might just work out after all."
A dry voice chimes in with undercurrents of mirth and resignation, "I am sure it will work out great and we won't get attacked by psychotic mages, or crazy wives, or undead dwarves or-"
"Alright, I get it! A bit harsh though don't you think," you reply as you turn to face your friend.
She stares at you in shock, "I did not say anything Derryth, but I definitely heard something."
"Wait, you two can hear now?" the voice responds cautiously.
"Caoilainn? Is that you?" you match the voice's caution
The voice screams and cheers, "It worked! Yesssss! It fucking worked! Finally! Oh Wyrd! They can hear me! They can hear me! Ye gods and little fucking fishies, THEY CAN HEAR ME!!!"
Thaïs claps her hands to her ears, "We can hear you! We can hear you shouting in our ears as well!"
"Oh, fuck. Sorry," Caoilainn responds quietly.
"Well then, I guess congratulations are in order, you finally did it," you reply laughing.
You can feel the relief and the joy in her 'voice', "You have no idea, no idea, how lonely it was to be trapped in there. To see and hear everything but not be able to communicate at all."
"We thought as much," you friend answers, "Did our lessons help at all?"
She radiates gratitude, "Yes. Oh, definitely. I mean, I have never touched a spell book in my life. Without your help I have no idea how long it would have taken to figure out how to use these things. Thank you, thank you both. Um, also, thank you for saving my life in the Dreaming. It would have been so easy to just let me die."
"Well, your welcome," you and Thaïs grin at one another while Caoilainn hums a happy tune. It occurs to you that now that you can communicate you should be able to test out the bracelets with a little more freedom than the Faceless allowed you.
You decide to take advantage of Caoilainn's good mood, "Caoilainn?"
"Yes," she answers as she hums.
"Do you think we could test out a few thing now that we can properly communicate?" you do not want to startle her with what you plan to do next.
"Ah, sure. Why not!" she replies still ecstatic over her success.
"Okay," you nod to Thaïs, "The first thing I want to try is to take of the bracelets for a few seconds. We need to know what happens if they are not active."
"Um, that won't kill me will it?" fear begins to bleed into her words.
"No it should not," Thaïs replies, "The original occupant of these bracelets spent quite some time in them in their deactivated state. We do not yet understand how they work though."
"We would really appreciate it," you add.
"Well, ah, yeah, alright. I mean I would be dead or demon food without you so why not," she is trying to be casual about it but it is clear that she is still quite uneasy about this.
"Alright, here we go," You slip your bracelet off and the magic in Thaïs' goes dormant. You count to ten and slip the bracelet back on.
It clamps down on your wrist as your friend yelps, hers must be doing the same. It is squeezing so tightly that you begin to lose feeling in your hand, "Caoilainn, stop! Stop!" you shout.
The bracelets relax again as Caoilainn wheezes in your mind, "Don't... don't ever do that again please."
"What happened?" Thaïs asks.
She calms herself enough to answer, "Everything died. All my senses. I was completely cut off from everything and time just sort of stretched out into eternity. If you told me I was trapped for hundreds of years I would believe it and... and I think there is something else in here with me. It felt like I was being watched and that whatever was watching me was enjoying my fear."
"Could it have been some sort of hallucination?" you ask.
She laughs a little, trying to calm herself, "Yeah, that is probably what it was. Just my mind playing tricks on me, but, ah, don't do it to me again please."
Thaïs, trying to help her, changes subjects, "Well Caoilainn, now that we can properly communicate we would like to offer you a proper position in our organization."
"I suppose, not like I have anywhere else to go. But are you two actually offering me a job?" she laughs.
"Yes," you add, "For now we could use another set of eyes and in time perhaps we will find a way to retrieve your body or get you a new one."
"Well then I guess it is settled," she begins to hum again, "Where do I sign up?"
-----------------------------------------
Your plan to heal Trakk's family has run into minor difficulties. Your incomplete knowledge of the ritual involved is an obstacle that can not be easily overcome. Really there are only three ways to solve the problem that faces you. You could attempt to puzzle through it on your own though that would take time. You could enlist the aid of the fellows at the Academy but you already have them working on the Oneiroi spells for Meletē and you would prefer they focus on one task at a time. It is difficult enough to get them to focus as is.
Finally you could pursue the one person you are certain can help you cast this spell. The Heron Guard you helped during the attack on the palace, Six Winds Soaring Eagle.
It is for this reason that you are visiting the Imperial Embassy this afternoon. It is not a pretty building, there are no overt signs of wealth here. It is simple, unassuming, if you had not been told where to find it you doubt you would have, at least on most days. Today a string of large men hurry in and out of the building, they are carrying boxes out of the embassy and loading them into a number of wagons lined up in the courtyard.
Despite the high security you gained admittance quickly enough, perhaps it was you reputation or your twenty dwarf escort. Either way you were immediately granted access to Six Winds Soaring Eagle's offices. Though naturally your guards had to wait outside.
They are simple, utilitarian. Clean white walls, cold hardwood floors. A desk, three chairs, a bookshelf or two and that is all. It is cool in his office, a welcome reprieve from the heat of the city. The air tastes fresh and smells of pine. For a moment you feel like you are back in the northern empire, it passes quickly as you return your attention to the man you have come to see.
The Heron Guard sits behind his desk, he is dressed in a simple brown tunic and trousers. His hair hangs loose behind him. Even without his armour and blades he maintains his martial air yet merely looking at him instils in you a feeling of peace and serenity.
"I did not thank you for your aid against that creature at the palace," he begins solemnly.
"Don't worry about it," you reply.
"No thanks are required," Thaïs adds in agreement.
"All the same," he bows slightly in his chair, "You have my thanks, if there is something I can do in recompense."
"Well now that you mention it, yes," you respond with enthusiasm, "We could use an expert in healing magic to help some friends of ours, perhaps you could help us?"
"Perhaps," he answers, "Please go on."
Thaïs makes your case, "A pair of dwarves, father and daughter, were recovered from Eberhardt's prisons, they suffered greatly-"
He nods and raises a hand to stop her, "Yes, I was present at the trial. I know who you speak of. It is with deep regret that I must inform you that I do not have the necessary skills to repair them. You see there are many different types of healing spells and the sort of restoration spells necessary to make them whole again are simply beyond my abilities. You would need to take them to Muirthemne and the masters of my order to receive the aid you require."
"Well actually," you correct him, "We think we have the spell needed to restore them but we lack experience in this field of magic. We do not yet have full control over it and we hoped-" you stop as you catch the scent of something coming from outside the room, you think it is alcohol.
Thaïs kindly finishes your thought, "-that someone such as yourself would have the requisite experience to aid us in completing the ritual in question."
You both stare at him cautiously.
He frowns, "Where did you learn this spell?"
You tell him the truth, well most of it, "I devised it myself from the theory behind a simpler spell and with knowledge taken from other fields of magic."
His frown grows deeper, "Where did you learn this 'simpler' spell."
"Does it matter," you reply instantly.
"Perhaps," he holds your gaze, when you do not back down he shrugs, "Perhaps not. I merely ask as it is forbidden for members of my order to teach spells to outsiders. If you learnt this spell from a Heron Guard I am honour bound to find out who."
Your response comes freely and easily, "Then rest assured that I have not received training from any Heron Guard in this matter. My knowledge of healing magic did not have its origins with your order."
He scrutinizes you, attempting to pry answers from you with his eyes alone. You do not flinch, you have nothing to fear, so far you have told him the truth. The odour grows stronger.
He seems satisfied, "Very well, I will help you. Give me a moment to gather my things and we can be off-"
"You will do nothing of the sort!" an older 'gentleman' reeking of alcohol shouts as he barges into the room, "You will remain at the embassy with the rest of the staff until we are ready to leave!"
He is a large man, probably a fighter in his youth given the way he carries himself. Even now, though ringed round in fat, he could probably pose a serious threat to many men half his age. You examine him further, certain that something about him is familiar. His grey hair is trimmed close, his great moustache hangs halfway down his chest. He is dressed in the best that money can buy, from his shoes to his hat. Twenty years ago he was probably quite charming and as he stands there fuming you finally realize who he reminds you of, that young cavalry officer from the palace. This man must be his father.
"Damh, what are you doing in my office?" Eagle responds, calm but clearly annoyed.
"I will go where I damn well please! And you have no right to be that familiar with me Eagle. Address me as Mr. Brannon or not at all!" your ears perk up at the mention of his clan name. This man is your enemy though he thankfully does not realize it yet.
Eagle lets out a weary sigh, you get the feeling that this is not the first time he has had this conversation, "Very well, Mr. Brannon, but what I do on my own time is none of your concern. I fully understand that you are distraught over the death of young Colin but marching around the embassy terrorizing the staff is hardly the way to go about things."
Damh Brannon looks every bit a volcano ready to erupt, he sputters, "You are not leaving Eagle! We have work to do before the embassy closes and you will not dodge this responsibility as well!"
Eagle chokes back his response, instead he turns back to you, "I am afraid I will not be able to help you ladies."
It is clear that Eagle is willing to help but he can not or will not go directly against Damh Brannon's instructions. You could give up and try something else or you could push on and try to get Eagle's help instead.
1. Eagle and the Brannon - How do you want to play this?
A) Try something else (All A options are counted together):
i. You will attempt to puzzle out the spell on your own.
ii. You will get help from the Academy
B) Push on:
i. You will try to convince Eagle to defy Damh's instructions and come with you anyway.
ii. You will try to convince Damh that he should let Eagle come with you immediately though he does seem awfully upset.
iii. Damh seems to enjoy a drink, or at least is drinking to cope with his grief. You offer to escort him to a nearby pub and buy him a drink (or a few dozen) in memory of his son. Perhaps you can convince him to let Eagle help you that way.
iii. freeform
2. Your Reward - Albrecht's men presented you with a list of assents that he could reasonably transfer to you without causing too much of a stir. (You can chose one or two as you see fit. Only choosing one would make Derryth seem less threatening than choosing two but she thinks she could get away with either. Each combination will be counted separately, AB will be counted separately from A or B votes for example.)
A) Mines - Three mines north of Myrgard, two gold and one copper, they belonged to House Eberhardt and when functional produce one tenth of the ore for the kingdom.
B) Warehouses - Four warehouses on the south side of the city. They are currently full of goods but there has not yet been time to catalogue what is in them.
C) The Factory - A new building in which textiles were to be produced. It has not been finished though much of the machinery is in place.
D) The Farms - A substantial stretch of farmland between Myrgard and Stoneheim. These lands produce one third of the food for the kingdom.
E) Blackrock Securities - One of the largest private security forces in the Kingdom. Most of its management are now dead but the organization limps on seeking new financing.
F) Caravan Contracts - The Eberhardt's held a number of trade contracts between Myrgard and Stoneheim which have all been seized. If you can keep the merchants loyal and protected they could make you a fair bit of money.
G) Gold - You will take your reward in confiscated funds (500 WPs) (This can be chosen twice)
3. Mayer's Activities - You gave him a few instructions on how to go about acquiring properties, what were they?
A) Get as much as possible however he can.
B) Secure as much as he can without doing anything legally questionable.
C) Play nice, only pursue properties that are not contested by powerful individuals or houses. You do not want to step on anyone's toes.
D) freeform
4. Financing - How much do you give Mayer to work with? And where do you get it from?
A) From your own pocket, you give him ________. (Include how many WPs you want to give him, the value can not be higher than what you have on hand.)
B) You take out a loan from Mayer of 300 WPs at 15% monthly interest.
C) You take out a loan from the Goldsmith Guild of 1000 WPs at 20% monthly interest
D) freeform
Chapter 34: Streams of Whiskey
Chapter 34: Streams of WhiskeyDamh Brannon and Eagle stare at one another. It is clear that the Guard would very much like the nobleman to leave. You decide to help and perhaps gain the permission you need to borrow Eagle.
"Mr Brannon?" you stand and walk towards the man, "Maybe you need another drink?"
He snorts, "What the hell do you mean by that?"
Thaïs rushes up next to you, "What we mean Sir Brannon is that it would be our honour to buy a patriot such as yourself a drink."
"Exactly," you chime in, "To honour the memory of your son."
He narrows his great eyes, toys with his magnificent moustache and considers your words. His response is not directed at you but at Eagle, "I am going out, I want everything ready by the time I get back. Is that understood?"
The Guard merely nods.
"Good," he extends an arm to each of you, "Now about that drink ladies."
The three of you are quite a sight walking the four blocks from the embassy to the tavern, surrounded as you are by over sixty armed guards; your escort of twenty and Damh's own escort of forty Clan Brannon guards. The man does not travel light.
He asks about your guards and Thaïs feeds him a story about merchant caravans and security contracts; the truth, just a little distorted, a little bent, to your advantage. You are glad she is with you to smooth over these issues as you suspect this will not be the last lie you have to tell him this evening.
----------------------------------------
The Silver Flame is an odd name for a drinking hall. When you first heard of it you thought it was perhaps a temple to some obscure local deity.
In a way you were right.
Of the two thousand taverns, mead halls, and drinking houses in the city the Silver Flame is the most exclusive. You would think that this would lead to a building filled with nothing but the rich, the upper class of dwarven society but that is not the case. One can not buy entry to the Silver Flame, one can not simply walk through the front doors either. To drink here a person has to have done something to earn it or be the guest of a member.
The curious part is that no one knows what is required to earn an invitation and it seems to be different for every individual. Farmers, bankers, crooks and lords all come to the Silver Flame and no one dares to start anything.
Somehow Damh Brannon is a member of this small club. Somehow he has membership and so that is where you are headed this evening.
The compound that houses the tavern is substantial: exterior walls, a courtyard, separate stables and guard quarters. In truth it is less a bar and more a fortress. Brannon vouches for you and your friend but your escort, like his, must wait outside. They join a throng of servants and bodyguards milling about in the wide courtyard as you enter through the intricately carved wooden doors.
You stop for a moment and examine the doors.
On the right door are fields in bloom, children playing, a joyful, low sun hanging protectively in a clear azure sky. Hundreds of tiny figures stand frozen in the minutiae of day to day life. Here a farmer haggles over the price of his grain, there a bard woos some young maiden. At the top of the carving sits a figure upon a magnificent throne. Without face or clear form it is impossible to discern the exact nature of the figure. As you stare at the door you are overcome with a feeling of peace.
You reluctantly turn your attention to the left door only to be greeted with a scene of horror. It is war, it is pestilence and famine and death. Crops aflame, corpses in the streets, mercenaries and monsters battle one another and slaughter the helpless. A cracked throne rests at the head of the carving, before it lies a broken figure. You shudder as you drift inside.
There is magic at work here, that much is painfully obvious.
The tavern itself is well lit and beautifully appointed. The air betrays subtle notes of honey and citrus. A small band plays a relaxing little number as the guest talk quietly amongst themselves. No one pays you any mind as you enter and find a free table.
Damh's entire demeanour has begun to shift, there is less of an edge to him here, away from embassy and the body of his son. You wave a waitress over and order three pints. She brings you your drinks and as she leaves he stands and loudly proposes a toast, "To my boy. Never was there a braver young man, never one so dedicated to the truth, never one that held honour so high!" he knocks back the drink as you and Thaïs follow suit. Some of the other patrons even raise a glass out of sympathy, their gesture earns them a grateful nod from the old gentleman. He sinks back into his chair and orders another three rounds, you begin to wonder just how much he expects to drink today.
You toast to his son's courage, to his honesty, to his bravery, to his commitment to justice, you even toast to his fine taste in clothing. After a half dozen toasts you begin to question just how much longer this is going to go on for before Damh allows you to even speak.
It is not that you do not respect his grief, you know the loss he is feeling and though he is by all rights your enemy your heart still bleeds for the man. You are not so cold yet that you are incapable of that small act of empathy.
Yet you are also aware that his is not the first young son to march into battle never to return. You have met dozen like him in your years wandering the empire. So proud, so bold, so daring; quick to anger and quick to laughter. They love and live so freely these young men.
They live so very quickly and they die quickly as well.
You remember a hazel eyed farm hand from Tyr, broad shouldered, strong jawed and honest even if a bit simple. You spent an enchanting pair of evenings with him in your youth, long before the war, you even tried to keep in touch with the man during your travels.
When war came he enlisted.
Last you heard he is buried somewhere outside Scales.
If only such stories were rarer. You shake your head, shedding the memories as Damh drones on.
"He was such a good boy," Damh mutters, "So quick to help others. So quick to see even the smallest wrong righted. He never spared himself and now, and now he is gone."
He continues to speak airing out dire thoughts that have multiplied in the dark, "It is my fault you know. It is all my fault. I should have stopped him. I should have come myself. I should have, I do not know."
"We can only imagine," you offer your condolences.
He brushes them off as his temper flares, "Everyone I know has given me their 'sympathies', their 'condolences'! When my eldest fell to that witch and her contraptions I received 'condolences' from every quarter! But no help, not a single one of them even tried. So when the news arrived that my dear Colin had fallen to those, those horrors, well I knew what I would receive! A lot of talk but no help! So thank you miss but no thank you! Words mean little to me, actions mean everything!"
"Like buying you another round?" you offer.
He smiles at that, "Yes, another round!" he shouts. He is beginning to draw the occasional glance from the other patrons so your friend tries to reign him in.
"Your son sounds like a good man taken far before his time," her voice drips with sympathy as she speaks, "Why not tell us more of him."
He nods, "Colin was a brave man. Ever since he was a boy he never backed down from a fight and he looked up to his brother, he idolized Devlin, that was my oldest. Everything Devlin did, Colin tried to do as well. When Devlin joined the officer corps it was only a matter of time before Colin would try as well. I, I loved both my sons but Devlin was a useless sort, in battle he was a terror but out of it, out of it he was a little simple, weak willed and not terribly bright. Naturally he was promoted quickly," Damh chuckles at his own joke, "Colin on the other hand. He was going to be someone. I could feel it in my bones. He was a good man and he could have been a great one! Damn those necromancers that laid him low and damn that witch that made him come down here in the first place!"
He slams a fist on the table.
He is at least eight pints in and you have no idea how much he drank prior to this but he is remarkably lucid, that or you are just drunk enough to follow him. Either way you are determined to hear more of his story, "Who is this witch you mentioned?"
He grows increasingly agitated, "Alric-" he catches himself, "Emperor Alric the First, engaged a mage to help modernize our army. Supposedly she had all manner of tricks and tools taken from the dwarves that would make our army unbeatable. Ha! She was a charlatan, and worse she was dangerous. She killed Devlin with her magic and fled the capital soon after. We lost her trail for months but my cousin has many friends, he is the Emperor's most trusted adviser, and he managed to locate her. The hunt was on and Colin always liked a good hunt!"
You share a quick glace with Thaïs, you are both certain that you know who he is talking about, still confirmation would be nice. You push on, "What was this mage's name and how did she kill your son?"
He snorts, "Meletē, I will never forget her name and I will never rest until she is broken and dead," he runs a large hand through his greying hair, "She killed him with one of her infernal devices. I do not remember what it is called, she claimed it would spit fire and death at the enemies of the Crown, instead it took the life of my son."
"Could it have been an accident?" you suggest.
His jaw clenches, you can hear his teeth grinding, when he does speak it is in a tone that will brook no dissent, "It was no accident."
Thaïs draws the conversation away from your sleeping inventor, "It sounds like a great tragedy and a grave miscarriage of justice to be certain," Damh nods along with her, "It is good that we have had this conversation, for I see in you a man of firm principles and great will," you almost laugh as she spits out that line, she gives you a slight kick under the table, "If we could have done anything to help your son in his search, knowing this tale we certainly would have and if we ever uncover anything about this scoundrel this Me... Mel..."
"Meletē," Damh practically growls.
"Yes, Meletē," she nods, "Should we ever find this foul murderer we will do everything we can to help you bring her to justice. But first we need to stop another tragedy from unfolding before our very eyes."
He tilts his head and motions for her to continue.
"A friend of ours and his young child have recently escaped a most horrible fate. They were help captive by worshipers of the Dark that tortured and murdered most of their family. They were rescued but not before they were both horribly mutilated by their captives. They will have to go through their entire lives disfigured as a result."
He nods gravely, "Horrible, absolutely horrible. What can I do though? I can not bring back the dead and I can not heal the wounded."
"But Eagle can," you add, "With our help Eagle can restore this girl and her father physically, if not mentally. We merely need his help for a few days."
Thaïs builds upon your request with a plea of her own, "We throw ourselves on your mercy, do not let another family suffer as yours has."
He plays with his moustache absentmindedly, he considers first you and then your friend, "That is why you wished to borrow Eagle? To restore a father and child? Perhaps, perhaps that is a reasonable request. Yes, alright," he demands paper and ink from the waitress and after a heated but brief exchange she gets it for him. He draws up a formal order for Eagle to help you, and only you, "You may borrow him but for two days only. After that I am afraid we must leave and Eagle must come with us."
"Why two days?" you ask.
"The embassy is closing," he laughs, "My cousin saw to that. Half his city burnt down and a representative of the Emperor dead. Albrecht has lost control of the situation and he has even gone so far as to execute staunch enemies of the Dark like the Eberhardts. It sickens me to see him betray his own people like that. It is one of the reasons I refused to even attend that sham of a trial. There was no justice to be had there! I hear he is currently wasting his attentions on a pair of mages from the north. Great terrors those two, seven feet tall with eyes hardened by foul sorcery and dark secrets. Stay away from Albrecht and his pet mages ladies. No good will come from dealing with them and I will tell all that have ears to hear as much!" he bangs the table again and demands another round, "Just wait I will tell you all about what I have heard of them and you will agree with me I know it!"
The direction the conversation is taking makes you uneasy. You weigh your options.
Can you bow out now or will he object and take offense? As you attempt to gauge Damh's behaviour Thaïs pursues another course, "How about a song instead? Something in remembrance of your sons?"
Damh stops and grins, "Yes, a song!"
He begins to chant it and soon enough some of the more intoxicated patrons take up his call. Gracefully Thaïs glides toward the musicians and after a moment they begin to play one of the most haunting songs you have heard.
Her voice is beautiful in its purity, she sings in the ancient dialect of the south, of the quickness of death and the value of life. The lyrics are simple and their repetition moving as the tavern falls to complete silence before her.
You close your eyes and let the music take you.
"While you live, shine
have no grief at all
life exists only for a short while
and time demands its toll."
As she finishes her number the tavern stares on in silence.
Damh cries to himself and a few of the other patrons begin to weep as well.
Well this won't do. A sad tavern is an unhappy tavern which makes for unhappy management and you want to get out of here with a minimum of difficulty.
You hop up from your chair and race over. You direct your friend to the bar as you turn to the band.
You are no musician and no enertainer. You can not hold this room through your presence the way she can but you know bars like the back of your hand and you have often been told that you do in fact have a beautiful voice when you choose to employ it.
You have no intention of trying to compete with the performance you just heard. Instead with a few quick words to the band you start in on a joyous rendition of a song you have sung in bars, taverns and watering holes throughout the empire.
"There were three farmers in the north, as they were passing by
They swore an oath, a mighty oath, that barleycorn should die
One of them said drown him and the others said hang him high
For whoever will stick to the barleygrain, a beggin´ he will die
They put poor barley into a sack of a cold and rainy day
And took him off to the cuillin´ fields and burned him in the clay
The frost and snow began to melt, and the dew began to fall
And the barley grain put up his head and he soon surprised them all
Bein´ in the summer season and the harvest coming on
The reaper and the binder came and cut poor barley down
The farmer came with his pitchfork and pierced me through the heart
Like a thief a rogue or a highwayman they tied me to the cart
They thrashed me and they steeped me, and they dried me in the kiln
They used me ten times and worse than that, they ground me in the mill
They used me in the kitchen, they used me in the hall
They used me in the parlour among the ladies all
Oh the barleycorn is a comical grain, it makes men sigh and moan
But when they drink a glass or two, they forget their wives at home
The drunkard he is a terrible man he used me worst of all
He drank me up from his dirty paw and he pissed me against the wall."
It works better than you could have anticipated. By the second verse half the bar is mumbling along, some are even laughing. By the fourth everyone is singing, or trying to, and they are all ordering more drinks.
You do not give Damh a chance to drag you away and back into conversation. Instead the two of you run through every drinking song you can think of. At times you take turns, at times you sing together, you run the band hard but it keeps the place lively and the barman even shoots you an approving wink as you finish up your set.
As you finish they applaud once for your performance and again for your friend's. Damh stands up and raises his pint in a toast to the both of you. He begins to speak, but instead tips backward and hits the floor with a thundering crash. He has finally managed to drink himself into oblivion. You strongly doubt he will remember any of this come tomorrow morning.
You shake your head as a pair of guards carry him outside to his men.
As the two of you move to leave, the barman waves you over. He passes you a pair of same cards, black with a silver flame etched on each, "Should you ever wish to come back for another performance, though they are only good for one visit," he grins and winks as you nod and leave the establishment.
Thaïs takes you by the arm as you step out into the cold night, "I did not know you could sing."
"I can't," you reply, "Not really."
She scoffs, "You can and you could be quite good at it if you took the time to try. Just like you can be very sweet when you want to be. You should try it, you would make fewer enemies."
Something to consider perhaps.
-----------------------------------------------
The next morning is suitably uncomfortable. A mild headache, a weak stomach, and a sore throat greet you as you wake. As you meet your friend and Lyssa for your morning magic lessons a number of letters arrive from throughout the city.
Mayer sends you his report, he has taken out a loan in your name to the amount you specified, it is an astronomical amount and only your reputation and connections with the King allowed you to get it. The rate of interest is quite high but he swears he will do his best to secure as many properties as he can without bending or breaking the law as per your instruction. If Mayer is even half as good as he says he is you should be able to pay it off without drowning in debt, you hope, you do not want to have to flee the kingdom with a bounty on your head.
Albrecht's agents have also sent you the revised caravan contracts and ownership licence for Blackrock Securities. You will begin the transition process to seize control of both in a few days. This will require setting up meetings with the remaining leadership of Blackrock as well as the major merchant firms that previously dealt with the Eberhardts. Of course you will also have to look into the state of your caravanserais. Then of course there is the girls' education to keep watch over and your own magical studies.
Your days are going to be very busy indeed.
But before all of that two letters demand your immediate attention. Eagle has agreed to help you with your spell and hopefully you will be able to perfect it before he is required to leave. If you are quick enough you may even be able to conduct the ritual with his direct help which would be a definite advantage.
The second piece of information to draw your attention is that the Academy has finished examining the spells you gave them. There was a trap built into them and a rather subtle one at that. It seems that the spells require the casting mages to enter into a trance like state when the moon is in the proper phase to raise the target's mind out of slumber. The version you were given though had flaws in it that would prevent you from waking yourselves. The Oneiroi were trying to trap you just like your friend it seems.
The fellows have drawn up revised versions of the spells that should be safer and are awaiting your instructions. They inform you that the spells are still dangerous, you are still entering a comatose state to unravel a number of complex spells, but they should now function as designed.
There is a problem however and it immediately presents itself to you. Your window to cast the spell will close within the next two days, the same time you will need to practice your healing ritual with Eagle.
If you miss this opportunity you will have to wait a month for your next chance. It does pose something of a problem. You could try to squeeze both in but your instincts tell you that trying to prepare for two untested and demanding rituals at the same time might be a bad idea.
1. You choose to:
A) Go with the healing ritual, Meletē will just have to wait the extra month.
B) Go with the revised Oneiroi ritual, you will have to do without Eagle's help and figure things out later.
C) Try to do both yourself.
D) Split up, Derryth will focus on the healing ritual with Eagle while Thaïs works on performing the Oneiroi ritual with Lyssa.
E) freeform
Chapter 35: Miracle Worker
Chapter 35: Miracle WorkerYou think you are ready. At least Eagle has been an incredible help to you all. His knowledge of the theory behind restorative spells has been invaluable to your efforts though it has been an odd experience.
It became clear early on that he was convinced you had learnt your spells from one of his colleagues despite your claims to the contrary. As such he has attempted to reveal the 'truth' behind your magical theory for the better part of the last two days. For your part, you have attempted to get him to reveal as much information as possible about Heron spells.
Neither of you really got what you wanted.
He has found no evidence that your knowledge has Heron origins while you have not been able to steal any substantial knowledge from him. What you have achieved together, however, is a stable and, reasonably safe Greater Heal spell. You should be able to cast it without worrying too much about dying and Eagle even offered to help. An offer you immediately accepted, anything to make this process safer really.
You are not worried about the ritual, it is everything else that worries you. You want everything about this day to run perfectly so it is with great trepidation that you, Thaïs, Lyssa and Eagle await the tools you will need to complete the ritual.
"Where are they," Lyssa paces the courtyard, her usual worn clothes and the straw in her hair reinforce the impression that she is something feral from beyond the end of civilization. A savage danger from the darkest mountains, in truth she is simply bored and annoyed though you suspect she enjoys spooking the servants with her wild looks.
"Don't know," you mumble in response as you fan yourself with your hat, your leather armour chafes slightly in the heat, "They are half an hour late."
"We simply have to trust Sir Argus, he has not failed us before," Thaïs reminds you both. In contrast to the two of you she stands perfectly still, of course her armour is quite a bit lighter and easier to bear in this heat.
She is right though you will just have to be patient but it is difficult to do so with everything waiting on your supply of mandrake roots. Without them you may have to call this whole thing off and it is scheduled to start in mere hours.
You tap your foot in quiet annoyance until you hear a truly wonderful sound. The wheels of wagons and the boots of soldiers.
"Do you hear that?" Caoilainn whispers in your mind.
"Yes," you and your friend answer in unison.
As a pair of carts push into the courtyard you can not help but smile. They are overflowing with mandrake roots. It is quite possible that every mandrake root in the entire kingdom has been gathered for this occasion.
The carts are escorted by what must be one hundred soldiers. Not House Albrecht guards either, these are Royal Army soldiers as this is a formal function of the state. Their armour gleams in the sun, each moves in perfect step with their neighbours. These are dwarves of war and they have practiced their art to perfection. Their uniforms are different than those you have seen around the city, the deep purple of their surcoats bear the royal arms of the King, a golden, two headed falcon. At their head is Argus also dressed in the royal colours. These men are the king's very own guard.
Eagle frowns, begins mumbling and shoots the dwarves a number of hostile glances.
"Well, Albrecht certainly came through for us," you whistle as two whole wagons of mandrake roots roll up next to you. You are truly impressed.
"There must be hundreds of them," adds Thaïs with not a little disbelief.
"I have never seen so many," Lyssa stops in awe on the other side of you, "I wonder what this cost?"
"Less than you would think," Argus calls with a laugh from across the courtyard. He has just finished dismissing the soldiers that served as escort for these roots, "We merely had to promise that the names of every vendor to help with this ritual would be published throughout the kingdom. Most offered what they could for the publicity alone, the rest were still willing to negotiate rather steep discounts. Everyone wants to help the heroes that saved our kingdom rescue a poor child from a fate almost worse than death!" the champion grins at the three of you.
Finally he notices Eagle's expression, "And what is wrong with you, eh? Eat something that disagreed with you? Drink something a bit too strong perhaps?"
"Those colours," the Guard answers.
"Yeah, what about them?" Argus presses on as the mirth drains from his tone.
"Your king has no right to use them," the Guard states with complete conviction, "Those colours belong to the Emperor himself!"
Argus merely laughs, "Really now? I did not realize a man could own a colour."
Eagle glares at the dwarf, "As per the treaty sign with Emperor A-"
Argus waves him off, "To hell with your emperors!"
"How dare you!" the Guard tenses, "If not for Emperor Alric you dwarves would not have your kingdom today! He was the Emperor that defeated Balor! He was the Emperor that killed the Watcher! He was the -"
The Champion interrupts him, "Well now that is quite impressive but are you sure you have the right man? Is that the same emperor that abandons his friends on the word of a pair of vipers? The same emperor that spends all his time locked up in his capital? That emperor? Well I will tell you what I think of that emperor, he is a fu-"
"So! How many roots did you manage to get?" you shout over Argus in an attempt to redirect the conversation.
Thaïs comes to your aid immediately, approaching the nearest cart, examining its contents, "Good, very good, it looks like a few hundred at least. We will need every one of these to cast the rituals. When do we begin?"
"As soon as Brenna and her father arrive, everything is ready in the throne room for us to begin," you answer with only a hint of reluctance as you remember the exact conditions you will be required to perform under.
Albrecht was willing to help. He immediately set to work securing everything you could need, of course he also had a number of conditions he wanted met. Most were reasonable but some of them...
One of Albrecht's conditions was that the rituals be performed in front of the whole court. He wants everyone to see what a kind and decent leader he is, no doubt. He also argued that it would be good for the 'Heroes of the Kingdom' to demonstrate their magical prowess. You tried to get out of it, you warned him that if something went wrong an audience would be the last thing you would need.
You fought tooth and nail but he is the King, in the final accounting of things his word is law. You just have to ensure that everything goes according to plan.
"We should go get changed," Lyssa mutters clearly no more excited than you are.
Right, another of Albrecht's 'conditions', you have to look respectable while doing this. Albrecht even had a proper dress picked out for Lyssa, a beautifully deep chocolate with metallic gold trim.
As a small concession you managed to get him to add a matching mask. You claimed that Lyssa gets a little shy around large crowds and with Thaïs' help the King readily believed you.
The last thing you need is for someone to recognize her.
You sigh, nothing like casting a demanding ritual in a corset to start the day, "Well, let's just get this over with then."
-------------------------------------------------
The King sits upon his throne, draped in the symbols of state. The only change in his attire is the colour of his robes, now an impossibly deep purple you have not seen before. You catch Eagle glaring at him occasionally. He either does not notice or does not care, part of you suspects that he has made this change specifically for Eagle's 'benefit'. Perhaps he has at that.
Next to him sits his Queen and in front of them four dwarven princes, each perched on a smaller, lower throne. You notice a few empty thrones, the sixth throne in particular catches your attention, Jori's throne. It will remain forever empty.
Around you on all sides are the remaining nobility of the Dwarven Kingdom. They easily fit into the throne room with room to spare. Lords and ladies crowd up against the living wall formed by the royal guards stationed to defend you.
You are dressed in you finest. The gorgeous green dress you have worn only once before to the Barings' dinner. It looks magnificent but you would rather be doing this in something a bit more practical. At least the jewels you have woven into your hair serve an actual purpose besides looking pretty, most of them have been enchanted to increase your mental clarity and quicken your response time. A few seconds could mean the difference between success and permanent damage to your health.
You look over your much reduced casting circle.
Thaïs stands, radiant, to your right in her red gown. She appears to be the most at ease of your group but you know her well enough not to fall for her act, she is every bit as nervous as you and Lyssa.
Lyssa occupies the spot to your left and has so far drawn most of the attention. Suitably teased and tortured by Albrecht's army of servants she has transformed for a backwood witch to a fine lady at court. When it was all said and done she even admitted that it was sort of fun even if a 'complete waste of time'. Her mask is firmly secured in place by not one but three ribbons woven into her hair, you are certain it will not come loose while you cast.
You notice some of the nobles pointing at her. Ah, a little mystery and they forget all about their 'heroes'. Well, if everything goes according to plan that will change quite quickly.
Finally you lock eyes with Eagle. He has donned his parade uniform. Lacquered plates polished till they shine in the torch light of the hall. Great banners bearing the Emperor's own coat of arms hang from his back. On each hip rests the thin, deadly blade of the Heron Guard. The jewels set into the hilts suggest that these are merely ceremonial blades but from what you know of the Guards they do not believe in form without function. You are certain those blades would prove lethal in a fight.
You take a deep breath, this is not the first ritual you have cast though of course it is your first time casting this ritual. It is also your first time doing so in front of an audience. Honestly it makes you a bit nervous but you are the lead mage here, they will all be looking to you for direction and this is your ritual, your creation. You will pull this off without any complications.
You trust yourself.
You trust your aids.
You trust your spell.
You are certain you will succeed you simply have to want it badly enough.
One look at the child in front of you gives you all the motivation you will ever need.
The four of you stand at each corner of the massive slab of white marble the King has had cut just for this occasion. It is draped in thick red cloth and the child is supported by a small red pillow. She looks up at you, eyes filled with trepidation.
You give her a smile, "It will be alright kid. We will have you fixed up in no time," you wink at her. She smiles weakly, trying her best to ignore the crowd. You curse Albrecht under your breath for involving them.
It has been decided. Brenna will go first, Anleifr, her father, insisted. He wants her fixed while you are all fresh and the chance of something going wrong is lowest. There is wisdom in his demand, she will be easier to repair than he will be and it would be good practice.
Calmly, carefully, you begin.
A number of species can regenerate lost limbs or organs. You are not quite sure what strange elemental spirits allow them to do so, you are after all not a doctor. However you do know that it is possible, you have seen lizards do as much with missing tails and legs. If they can do it then why can't you?
You carefully strip the girl and give her the once over, noting every scar, every missing piece, every stump, every growth, and every imperfection while you are at it.
You cast out your mind and reach for those of your colleagues. You find them quickly enough and they lend their strength to yours.
Eagle, positioned across from you will be your 'adversary', he will act to steady you and to limit you.
His primary task will be to restrain your mind and soul should you push too deeply. He will provide a limiting factor throughout the ritual. According the Eagle this is a common role in a great many of the Guards' spells. The life of each Guard belongs to the Emperor and the Emperor alone. They are not to endanger themselves needlessly and without his orders, so everything must be done carefully. He has informed you time and again that the greatest threat posed by restorative magics is the threat the caster poses to him or herself. The more powerful the healing magic the more tempting it is to push yourself beyond your limitations. To try and help as much as you can, to save every life even at the cost of your own. Learning to let go, to stay within the circle of one's own abilities, is one of the first and most difficult lessons a Guard must learn and he is convinced that it is a test you too must pass to successfully use this ritual.
Thaïs and Lyssa will take on more traditional roles, each according to their natural inclinations. Each will support one of you in your tasks. Thaïs will support you in casting the spells necessary to help your patients while Lyssa will support Eagle in protecting you all.
As you close your eyes and picture Brenna's abstracted form you let out a deep and calming breath.
Eagle's second piece of advice was to control your breathing. You must control yourself if you intend to control the spell. If you let it do whatever it wants it will take too much from you. It will strive toward the aim you set for it and will burn you up to nothing along the way.
It is odd to think in this way. So much of what you know of magic stresses pushing yourself to your utmost but Eagle's theory revolves around limiting yourself. Weakening your impulses and achieving complete control through their negation.
It seems to be working too.
You begin by taking hold of the spirits of the body, you will need their aid for what is to come. You begin with her pneuma, that elemental air, she is young and all things considered healthy so it take little effort to coax it forth. You harness it and increase the production of natural spirits.
As you do so servants bring forward four mandrake roots and break one at each of your feet. The energy swirls upward, twisting green strands dance around you as you cast. A few of the nobles gasp and gossip, you suspect you look every part the hero they dream you are. Even as the ribbons of energy rise from your feet the servants are retrieving more from two great piles to either side of your casting circle. They will need to keep up a steady stream of roots to prevent the exhaustion of any of your group. If you begin to weaken the spell may fail and that would prove disastrous to you all.
You marshal the natural spirits, driving them towards her wounds. They should stimulate growth, all they need is a will to guide them.
Brenna screams, the process has begun.
Someone jostles you slightly. Likely a servant restraining the poor girl. You ignore it and push on.
You can feel the spirits building at every scar, every stub, every sore and wound and you work with a speed and dexterity you did not know you possessed. You pour everything you are given into the spell, you pour in all you have and it works. You can feel her body regenerating, restoring itself but you can go further than that. You can do more, always more! You could improve her eyesight, strengthen her bones, give her skin as smooth a marble, you can- No, you will do what is needed. You will restore her, you will give her back her body but you will stop at that. You will stop at what her body instinctively knows and you will go no further. Those are the limits you set for yourself and you will remain within them.
You finish restoring her form and seize upon the vital spirits of her heart next. You ease them through her new appendages, slowly and careful. First you gave them form and now you breath into them motion.
She lets out a few muffled cries, the poor dear. But it is almost over.
As her vital spirits begin to make the circuit through her restored form you sneak a peak at your work. She lies before you, perfect. The child is as good as new, or at least her body is.
She sobs to herself, not out of pain but out of joy. As you wind down your spells and still the magical energies swirling around you, you are filled with indescribable joy.
Somewhere deep within you, you are certain that this is the single finest thing you have ever done.
She looks up at you, tears in her eyes, unable to speak she merely mouths two words, "Thank you."
The crowd cheers as the child is bundled up and carried to her father. They share a quiet moment together while the crowd applauds, first your collective actions and then the King's unrivalled charity and foresight. Someone shouts for a speech but thankfully Albrecht waves the idea away. You have work to do and the hardest part is still ahead of you.
--------------------------------------------
It takes almost five straight hours but then Anleifr is in much worse shape than his daughter. To reconstruct all of his limbs and most of his face and throat is a serious task and as you finish the last piece of the final incantation you breathe a tremendous sigh of relief.
You are momentarily spent but it is over, you have restored Trakk's family to perfect physical health.
The assembled nobles of the kingdom look on a mixture of approval and boredom on their faces.
Then a scream of rage fills the chamber, followed by a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth. Five dwarves, dressed as servants, charge into the room with lit cocktails in hand. You are not certain how they managed to smuggle weapons into the throne room but you can do little to stop them and if they succeed in throwing those cocktails there will be precious little of any of you left to worry about it.
As soon as they see the weapons the nobles rush in a mass toward the doors. They claw and trample each other in an effort to escape. Barely ten of them move to defend the king and not one pays you any mind.
Three of the assassins make for the king as the royal guards all move to intercept. Most are splattered by a volley of cocktails. They simply do not have the weapons necessary to resist the assassins like this. Given a few minutes they could route the attackers but it is time they do not have.
The remaining two head straight for you and your allies.
You are spent and have no weapons, even Eagle's swords will do little good here.
Thankfully you are not alone.
The first of your attackers raises a cocktail above his head and screams at you, "Death to the traitor king! Death to his pet witches! Death to eeeahhh-" a very large potted fern launches itself at the dwarf. As it falls toward him it extends an arm and snatches the cocktail from him. Deftly it hurls the cocktail across the room and into the pack of dwarves assaulting the king. They disappear in a thick red mist and a light rain of body parts.
The assassin stands, mouth agape, in complete shock as the fern produces a spoon and drives it forcibly into his eye socket. He howls as a chipped plate connects with his throat. A series of punches and a suplex finish him off. He lands on his neck with a sickening crunch.
The remaining assassin eyes the fern warily.
With but a single cocktail between him and the murderous plant he hesitates. It proves to be his undoing as an arrow and a knife catch him in the back. Biliku and Uttu wave at you from behind a pair of statues before disappearing again as the potted fern orders them back into hiding.
As the girls disappear so too does the fern, slipping into the shadows of the chamber and disappearing around a column.
In the chaos of the attack it seems that no one witnessed the heroic acts of the plant. When they do finally realize that the attackers are dead they naturally assume you are responsible. A great cheer goes up from all those assembled. You are heroes, for the third time this evening.
You smile at one another as Thaïs extends an arm and you gratefully take it. The four of you make your way past the crowd of grateful dwarves and towards a very thankful royal family. Along the way Trakk's family wave to you, you can not resist waving back.
Eagle leans forward between the two of you, confusion writ clearly on his face, "What. I mean. A fern?"
Lyssa giggles under her mask and even Caoilainn chuckles in your mind.
Laughing, you respond in unison with but two words, the two words that explain everything, "Berty Levy."
--------------------------------------------
In the days that follow Trakk's family return to the safe house they are being sheltered at. If assassins are after supporters of Albrecht then they may not be safe until everything settles down. Neither you nor the King are willing to risk losing them now.
The possibility that assassins now stalk your every step fills you with a degree of apprehension but you must see to your business, you can not remain locked up in the palace at all times. Albrecht assures you that the Pathfinders remain on the case. You have even heard from Argus that Bari himself has volunteered to lead the hunt for the remaining House Eberhardt loyalists behind the attack on you, you do not like your enemies' odds.
You sit at your desk across from Thaïs as the two of you sort through your files. You have received a report from Mayer detailing the results of your initial round of bidding. You have also received a number of requests for meetings from former clients of the Eberhardts concerning your willingness to discuss the terms under which you will continue to provide them secure lodging and protection along your assigned trade route. Finally you have received a letter from a Mr. 'Jawbone' acting head of Blackrock Securities
You have two primary concerns to deal with over the coming weeks and a number of more general policy decisions to make.
1. What would you like to focus on first? Albrecht understands your desire to get out but is still unwilling to grant you two separate escorts. Unless you wish to sneak out without an escort you will be limited to dealing with one issue at a time.
A) Blackrock Securities - the sooner you can get them organized and making money as opposed to draining assets the better. You will meet with this Mr. Jawbone and run through your options.
B) The Caravan Contracts - you will meet with the Eberhardts' former clients and see how many you can keep under your banner. Without clients you will not be able to make money of the trade route after all.
C) Ditch the escort and split up - You will slip out without your escort and each of you will deal with one of your problems. If you vote for this option then stipulate who will go to each meeting.
D) You will pretend to play along - Thaïs will take your escort to go talk to the merchants. You will then try to sneak out of the palace with the rest of your group to go check up on Blackrock. The King won't like it but if the plan works he never needs to know.
E) freeform
2. Mayer has sent you his report on his efforts to secure property for you. He has spent 200 WPs worth of the funds you gave him and has secured properties that should bring in an estimated 45 WPs monthly while only annoying a couple of competitors. Would you like him to change his strategy?
A) Yes, be more aggressive. Bend the rules if necessary.
B) No, stay the course.
C) Yes, be less aggressive. No sense making enemies.
Now for the questions proposed in the discussion:
3. It might be possible to develop new tactical possibilities by training Caoilainn into an actual mage. However, Derryth does not believe she has the skills to be a truly capable mage and it will likely take effort and time on your part to do so. Do you make the attempt?
A) Yes, she might be useful.
B) No, it is time better spent on improving your own skills or working on something else.
C) You will attempt to teach her the theory behind a single attack spell (Firebolt) in case she needs it some day, beyond that you will not bother.
D) freeform
4. It may be possible to use Caoilainn's split mind as a meeting place to instantly communicate in battlefield situations. It might also be possible to use the quicker passage of time within the mind for further research and development at an accelerated pace. A couple conditions must be met first however. Caoilainn needs to trust both Derryth and Thaïs (and they need to trust her) and a modified Infiltration spell must be developed that has a quick casting time and fewer components. The risks involved include those that are always present when entering another's mind, the chance of mental collapse and fusion. While the first condition can not be rushed the mages could begin to research a way to alter the Infiltration spell should you so desire. Is this a worthwhile path to pursue?
A) Yes, begin research immediately though this will divert attention and resources away from other activities.
B) Not right now, this may be an interesting path to follow but do so at a later date. Preferably when you are back in Muirthemne with your full Circle and assets.
C) No, Derryth will not pursue such a dangerous path of research.
Chapter 36: New Management
Chapter 36: New ManagementYou clutch the dirty, worn folder in your hand as the dim light filtering through the carriage window dances on your lap. In the relative darkness of your transport you avoid the worst of the heat but the air is thick today, humid, and you can not escape it crowded together as you are in this overstuffed conveyance.
Albrecht was kind enough to give you his fastest carriage and twenty light chariots to see you to your destination. It was a kind gesture.
It is just a shame that his quickest carriage was not built for a group your size.
Five people, packed into a cabin designed for two and for over six hours no less. It has been anything but fun, however each individual has a compelling reason to be present. You and Thaïs, crammed together into one corner of the carriage, have to be present as the new owners of Blackrock. Lyssa, wedged in on the other side of you, also needs to be present to set up a proper line of communication between the palace and Fort Blackrock. You can not see them but you suspect that even now a pair of her eagles circle overhead, tracking your movements and those of your escorts. Finally Berty, perched up on the roof driving, had to come to give you a proper military perspective on the usefulness of your new employees.
Normally this would be a job tailor made for Gareth but you do not have time to send for him from the North and you are not certain that it would be wise to weaken your presence in the Imperial Capital further. Thankfully Berty seized upon your idea with his usual enthusiasm, he insisted that it would be a good learning opportunity for Biliku and Uttu though you suspect he simply wants to get out of the palace for a spell.
Still, despite your cramped conditions you are surprisingly content and you do not feel any hostility coming from your traveling companions either. Perhaps it is the promise of adventure, or of profit. Perhaps it is simply the calming effect of your necklaces in such close proximity to one another. Either way, everyone seems remarkably high-spirited and focused.
Well, except for the girls who doze quietly across from you. The two of them have commandeered an entire bench to themselves as they sleep soundly. Berty has been running them hard since the moment he began training them and this is probably the first chance to rest they have had in days.
You do not dream of waking them.
Instead the three of you make do with your rather limited space as you review your notes one final time.
"Personnel?" you begin.
"One hundred and twenty that we know of," Thaïs replies as she checks her figures, "Known assets?"
"Hmm," you rummage through your mind for the answer, it takes you but a moment before you begin listing off assets, "Fort Blackrock, so imaginatively named, about a half day's journey from Myrgard," that would be your current destination, "A smaller facility located in Stoneheim and finally a ship registered in their name based out of Tyr," you frown, "The ship is probably a write off."
Your friend gives you a sad smile in agreement, "By the time we can get an agent out there to prove our ownership it will likely be gone. Either stolen, destroyed, or claimed and renamed by Eberhardt loyalists or simple opportunists."
"Anything else?" you both turn to Lyssa as she sorts out some of the old paperwork you have on your new employees, recovered from Eberhardt's private records.
"Not much," she shrugs, "They barely broke even over the last decade."
"Poor financial management," Thaïs is quick to add.
Lyssa nods, "But they have managed to turn a fair profit under Eberhardt management since their acquisition three years ago. However, a lot of the work came from House Eberhardt itself. It looks like they were being used to undermine Eberhardt's competitors."
"Anything shady?" you ask as you lean in slightly to get a better look at the documents.
"Well none of these records state anything directly but," she flips through a few more sheets, "If one reads between the lines then yes. It looks like they were kidnapping people," she shakes he head, "also extortion, bribery, the occasional 'disappearance', that sort of thing."
"Well, that might come in handy," you suggest half-heartedly and elbow your friend.
Thaïs grins and pokes you back, "What we desperately need them for though, is what they are known for in an official capacity. They are quite proficient at hunting bandits, exterminating monsters and protecting assets," she pulls out three loose pages of notes, "They have never been employed to defend trade routes before, the Eberhardts had other employees for that, but based on the accounts we have here they should be able to handle the work."
You continue in this vein for hours as your escort makes its way into the mountains and the merciless sun begins to retreat below the horizon.
Once during the trip you casually lean over to Thaïs and the two of you take a look out the window; drawing back the velvet curtain with a single slender finger. The scene that greets you is at once awe inspiring and slightly unnerving. You have seen mountains before in your travels. You have crossed the great passes at Bagrada and Seven Gates, through the Cloudspine Mountains, however you have never seen mountains like this before. They are worn, rounded and low; they are also a deep red, made more vivid and menacing by the setting sun. In the distance, nestled near the peak of one of the larger mountains, you see a fort. Black marble, ribboned through with red. A high curtain wall blocks most of your view but you can make out five towers, like the fingers of a hand reaching up into the sky.
Just looking at the place sends a shiver down your spine. Not a shiver of fear mind you but one of excitement. There is magic here, you can feel it, and a single glance at your friend's face confirms it.
"Lyssa," you call to the witch, "Look at this."
With a little effort she manages to reach the window as well and the three of you watch in silence as you make the long and winding trip up the mountainside toward the fort.
------------------------------------------------
The five of you peal yourselves off the interior of your carriage and file out into the courtyard of the fort.
The scene that greets you is as refreshing as the cool evening air winding through the mountains. Row upon row of mercenaries stand at attention in front of you, all in perfect order. Their black tunics are crisp, their white trousers are spotless, each has his or her weapon out in front of them, pointed toward the red dirt. They are awaiting your inspection and they look quite smart in the fading sunlight.
For once it would seem, you have not arrived to mass confusion and panic.
You have to admit that you half expected the place to be in ruins. Raided by royal forces, looters, or the mercenaries themselves as they abandoned the company. Instead everything appears to be in perfect order. A pleasant surprise that brings a collective smile to your faces.
Berty whistles to the girls as soon as they are out of the carriage. Without a moment's hesitation they are off in pursuit as he makes his rounds.
He has already begun his assessment.
He darts back and forth, a ball of pure maniac energy. He pokes and prods at the mercenaries, nodding or frowning in turn. Every now and then he points and whispers something to the girls. Frantically, a pair of officers race behind the trio; trying in vain to keep up.
The three of you stand together off to one side as your warriors go about their business. None of you have the sort of knowledge to lend much help here. Instead you have learnt through experience to let the experts handle such issues.
You do not waste your time however, "What do you two think? Can you feel that?"
They both nod, Lyssa answers first, "Yes, there is definitely magic at work here. Some sort of persistent spell or the aura from an artefact perhaps?"
Thaïs scans the courtyard, "None of these people strike me as mages though. I wonder if they even know about it?"
"Well, we need to find someone in charge and ask them then," no sooner do you say those words than a voice calls out to you.
"Mistress Derryth? Mistress Thaïs?", as you turn to greet the voice you notice a trio of figures approaching your position. The first, the one that called out to you, is an impossibly thin and tall dwarf. He is beardless, boney, almost skeletal. This you surmise is Mr Jawbone. He is flanked by a maul and a man. A study in contrasts.
The maul carries herself with the air of a professional warrior. Her broken tusk and weathered expression hint at a long and bloody tale and pique your curiosity.
Even unarmed and unarmoured as she is she exudes a quiet confidence that you are certain most would find unnerving. The effect is largely lost on the three of you though, a fact that she quickly notices and which earns you a broad smile.
Finally your gaze falls upon the man. It is not surprising that he should come last as he is a complete non-presence. You look at him and you see nothing. He is of average height, average weight, average build. His brown eyes are dull, his brown hair is flat, his black and white uniform is completely standard in the most exact detail. Not even his face is memorable. If you looked away from this man you would have a great deal of difficulty remembering anything about him.
Immediately you realize how useful such a man could be, particularly for less savoury work.
"Yes, I'm Derryth, that's Thaïs and Lyssa" you gesture to each of your colleagues, "Would you be Mr 'Jawbone'?"
"I am," he replies as he advances toward you.
Your escort eyes the trio carefully, their hands do not stray far from the hilts of their blades.
"Well then, good to meet you," you extend a hand and he takes it.
Thaïs steps up next to you, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr Jawbone."
The dwarf shakes her hand next before moving on to Lyssa, "Thank you for your kindness ladies, it is more than an old servant deserves. It is my pleasure to welcome you to your keep. Blackrock, magnificent is it not?"
The three of you signal your agreement.
"I should also introduce you to your remaining senior officers, this is Myora," he gestures to the maul.
She bows, "A pleasure."
"And this is Rand," the old dwarf continues.
Rand does not speak, he barely even nods at the mention of his name. Jawbone coughs once and Rand sighs, "It is a pleasure to meet you," he drones on in a dreary monotone. Wyrd, even his voice is boring.
"Well Derry! I have ta say you have got yourself some fine young soldiers here! Fine young soldiers!" Berty hollers as he finishes up his inspection and approaches you; the girls, as always, in his shadow, "Give me a few months with them and ya won't believe the results I will get!"
Jawbone positively beams, "Well that is good to hear, mister..."
"Berty. Berty Levy but you can just call me Berty. I insist," he grasps the dwarf's hand and gives it a strong shake.
"Well then," Jawbone smiles contently as he turns to his officers, "Myora, Rand, if you would dismiss the men I will show our new employers around the facilities."
The maul and the man disappear into the growing darkness and Jawbone directs you toward the main keep, "We may as well start with the most important offices, and of course the treasury though there is not much to see at the moment."
As you walk Berty falls into a natural back and forth with the mercenary, "So how did ya get a name like Jawbone anyway?"
The dwarf laughs, "Well, in my youth I was quite the persuasive fellow..."
Jawbone shows you around most of the main keep while describing the rest of the fort in great detail. Most of it is fairly standard though. There is a building for servants, a pair of barracks, four floors of offices, a vault in the basement, and officer quarters on the upper floors. The five towers rising out of the top of the keep each belonged to one of the senior officers of the company before the purge. He has been reluctant to open them up out of respect for his former superiors.
Your conversation turns from the compound to the organization as a whole.
The rank and file of the organization have remained remarkably loyal. There were a few desertions but the Myrgard branch of the company still numbers almost sixty. Impressive given how uncertain the future looks for them at the moment. Disciple is good all things considered, morale is down but that is to be expected. Really the only serious problem Blackrock faces is a lack of contracts and the connections needed to find work.
If you can find them that, you should be well on your way to securing their future, a useful asset for yourself, and a possible stream of revenue to fill your coffers.
It is all quite heartening to hear.
In fact everything is going so well that you are beginning to feel paranoid.
Could it be possible that this is all a trap?
Are these people, former followers of the Eberhardts, to be trusted?
Could it be that they are luring you into their fort to seek vengeance on you for murdering their employers?
Perhaps these mercenaries are actually cultists that are merely waiting for you to drop your guard before they sacrifice you to their Dark God. Maybe the magic you can feel is in fact the Watcher, slumbering in the dark heart of the very mountain you are standing on. Or, it just might be possible that-
No, for once things are going your way.
There are no secret cultists, not Dark Gods and no Watcher!
Still it would be worth asking about the magical signal you are picking up, "Jawbone?"
"Yes?" he replies as he leads you deeper into the basement, toward the treasure vault.
"Do you keep anything magical in the vault? Anything with persistent enchantments?" you begin to interrogate the dwarf.
"No, why do you ask?" he leads you around the final corner.
"Well, I am picking up a signal coming from somewhere in this general area," you casually reply as you confidently turn the corner while Jawbone swings open the door to the treasury.
"Oh dear," Jawbone mutters.
Thaïs sighs, "I guess we have our answer now-"
"-and things were going so well too," you match her sentiment.
You are confronted by half a dozen ghôls and a rather large hole in the wall.
Most of them are carrying sacks filled with gold, one of them however has a different sort of sack. You can not make out what is in it, but it drips slightly.
The lead ghôl turns as you stand there with Jawbone and Thaïs by your side. It is huge, milky white with red eyes. On its shoulder is perched a fat, old crow. Around its neck hangs some sort of amulet carved from a large chunk of bone, it glows slightly.
It grins at you as its smaller companions race past it into the hole. It begins to swing its sack, it probably intends to throw whatever is inside at you.
What do you do?
A) You are still in the doorway you pull Thaïs and Jawbone back into the hall and slam the door. Whatever is in that sack you do not want it to hit you.
B) You attack the sack. If you can destroy it while the ghôl is holding it or in mid air you will not have to worry about what it is. You can then turn your attention to the ghôl itself. It might be a difficult shot though.
C) You attack the ghôl, elementalist. You will attempt to take the ghôl out directly. If it does not work though you are likely to get hit with whatever is in that sack.
D) You attack the ghôl, mentalist. You will attempt to attack the ghôl's mind. It might be possible to neutralize it without injuring it. That would allow you to properly interrogate it should you desire. Of course, if you fail then you will likely get hit with whatever is in the sack.
E) You yell to Lyssa to begin casting Strong Wind. You and Thaïs should have time to launch a single round of mental spells. Either the ghôl goes down or she throws the bag. Lyssa will launch the spell if she sees the sack released and will push everyone and everything in front of her away. You, Thaïs and Jawbone will attempt grab the door frame or each other to avoid getting thrown into the room. You will also instruct Uttu to fire on the sack should it leave the ghôl's hand. One way or another that sack will not reach your group. Of course this is a lot to coordinate in a matter of seconds and you hope nothing goes wrong. You will just have to see how things unfold from there.
F) freeform
Chapter 37: Fighting in a Basement
Chapter 37: Fighting in a BasementIt is a good plan.
At least you think so.
Open with a pair of mental attacks to quickly neutralize the target. If that fails then take out the sack with ranged fire. If that also fails then it will not hit your entire group through the judicious use of Lyssa's Strong Wind spell.
If only you had the time to properly explain the plan to the rest of your group...
A lot will happen very quickly. In less than a minute you need to give out three sets of orders and begin attacking. You hope you can pull this off.
"Thaïs, mental," you whisper, she needs no other instructions. The two of you are so used to casting together by now that it comes easily and naturally. She even knows the best order of spells to hit the ghôl with in order to maximize your chances when you come in behind her.
The ghôl begins to cast in response.
A odd spell, bent and twisted. In your mind's eye you see a labyrinth rise between you. Hot black stone baking under a trio of stinging purple suns. It twists and folds in on itself. One moment it is a great cube, the next a sphere, then a pyramid. It is blocking your friend's attempts to directly strike at the ghôl.
You will just have to hope your friend can navigate her opponent's defences as you still have orders to give.
You have a few seconds to shout instructions before your friend will need your help, "Lyssa, wind, the sack! Uttu, shoot the sack!" you wish you had more time to explain things but as long as they both immediately follow your orders you should be fine.
Sadly, your instructions catch them by surprise.
You have never fought with Lyssa before and it shows. She does not know what you are planning and hesitates at the idea of hitting you with one of her spells. She just does not quite trust you enough though it is clear she wants to.
You, however, need her to start casting now. Even if the spell will not be used she still needs to begin this very second or there will be no time, "Lyssa!" you shout again as you begin your assault.
With a jolt she snaps out of it and begins casting. It will be close and you hope you will not need it.
You turn your attention back to the ghôl and the labyrinth she has raised is cracking. Her spell is good, powerful, but she does not seem nearly as skilled as your friend and Thaïs is making good progress.
You dive into this twisted mindscape and your friend smiles as you join her offensive.
You recognize parts of this spell but most of it is totally foreign to you. It seems to possess characteristics taken from a variety of schools. You immediately identify the mentalist aspects and you are certain that illusionist spells are also involved given how closely linked the two subfields are. Beyond that you think you sense some sort of physical manipulation components and something else... movement spells maybe? Some sort of Gate spell perhaps? The rest is simply too different from anything you know to guess at. If you had the time you would marvel at this spell that the ghôl has woven.
You do not have the time however and so you focus solely on dismantling it.
That spell is a masterpiece but the mind that wields it is weaker than yours or your friend's. You set to work on it together, two pairs of great stone fists tearing up rock and shattering stone. The heat of the place does not burn you, the walls can not hold you, her defences will fall.
Together your attacks multiply and the ghôl stands no real chance, she can not shift the maze fast enough to prevent you from catching and destroying vast swaths of it. She simply lacks the mental dexterity to keep up. To prove your point you reach up and snatch one of the purple suns from the sky, you cast it with all your strength at the maze. With a deafening pop that rings through your mind the spell implodes leaving your opponent defenceless. The image of the labyrinth fades as your vision returns to normal.
You doubt more than a couple seconds have past since you attacked the maze but as your eyes fall upon the weary, yet grinning, face of the ghôl you realize that, that is enough.
She hurls the sack at your group as she turns on her heels and speeds for the hole.
The crow flees as well, taking off at top speed and disappearing into the darkness.
The two of them seem certain that you will dive for cover and give her time to escape.
What happens instead certainly comes as a shock to her.
Uttu looses an arrow and strikes the sack near the top. Seems her shot went a little wide as she was attempting to avoid skewering anyone. The arrow sails through the sack, avoids its contents but bends slightly in its course. Its new trajectory sees it pierce the ghôl through the upper thigh.
The ghôl's leg buckles as she falls to her side and crashes into the wall well short of the hole.
You could almost cheer if not for that sack sailing toward your group.
"Grab the door!" you shout as Lyssa unleashes her spell and the wind picks up.
Jawbone and Thaïs each grab hold of the frame and you grab onto the two of them.
The bag slows its advance as the wind takes it, quickly it reverses direction and flies back toward the howling ghôl as she pulls the arrow from her frozen leg.
She turns just in time to see the smile on your face as the sack carried by the gust of wind hits her.
The bag pops as intestines and assorted viscera coat her from head to toe. The wind sweeps her off her feet and slams her once more into the wall, pinning her in place.
She lets out an indignant growl and begins casting. She begins to grow larger and her skin takes on a silvery sheen. The sound of metal on metal rings out as slowly she drags herself to her feet and once more makes for the hole. Pushing herself against the wind as she takes one staggering step after another.
"She is getting away!" someone shouts.
"Lyssa drop the spell!" Berty hollers.
You countermand that order, the only thing slowing her down in the strong wind and you have an idea, "Lyssa do not drop that spell! Berty!"
"Yes!" he shouts back.
"How do you feel about flying?" you give him a wink.
Thaïs laughs, she has already realized what you are planning, "That is insane!"
You grin at her, "It is the last thing that ghôl will expect!"
"I'm always up for new experiences!" Berty roars in response, "If ya got a plan, I'm game!"
"Just hit her!" you shout, "I will do the rest!"
Without a moments hesitation the tactician launches himself past you and into the air. He flies at her with a single fist stretched out in front of him.
She turns, her metallic lips upturned into a cold grin. Chin stuck out, she is just standing there; waiting to receive the attack. Good, this might still work.
You wait until the last second possible. Then you cast the Warrior's Mask. You smile with satisfaction then arch an eyebrow as Thaïs fires off a spell of her own. An energy bolt crackles to life and strikes Berty but his new metallic frame protects him. The bolt dances across him, coiling up his body and concentrating itself in his fist.
The combination of your three spells has given you a flying, electric, bronze Berty Levy.
That ghôl does not even have time to register how fucked she is.
For the third time in as many minutes the ghôl crashes into the wall. This time with Berty on top of her raining down electrified blows and cackling like a madman.
Lyssa cuts the spell as your group pours into the room.
With one final punch he gets up off her. If not for her iron form she would likely be dead now. She sputters and coughs as you crowd around her, over a dozen swords levelled at her throat.
You break the silence, "Do you surrender?"
She does not answer. Perhaps she can not answer you wonder.
Finally she sighs and nods. She begins to shrink back down to her, admittedly impressive, original size as the colour returns to her skin and her spells unravel.
"So I guess we won then?" Lyssa hazards with a tired smile.
"No," the ghôl coughs, "Enough time has past."
You almost ask the obvious question but there is no point. A loud bang and a low rumbling confirm your fears. The ghôl tunnels have likely been collapsed.
She grins, "My boys will complete the mission without me. I have no regrets."
"Well now what?" Jawbone looks to you for guidance.
A more timid person might give up on the gold but it is yours by right and you have never been one to allow such slights to go unanswered. There is only one course of action for you.
"Now we find the rest of her group and get our gold back," you reply calmly, with that tone of complete confidence you have become so adept at faking.
Immediately you begin issuing orders, "Jawbone, your people know the area best. Pick your best scouts and send them out into the hills, I want to know where these ghôls went. Also get a few teams of men down here to see if we can not find out anything from what is left of the tunnels, who knows, there may be a lead. Lyssa, I want you up on the roof running those eagles. It may be night but even ghôls need light, see if they can not locate campfires or torch light coming from the hills or mountains. You will coordinate with Jawbone on this. Hopefully we can find their trail while it is still warm," they both nod as you continue, "Berty, I want you to take the girls and marshal the mercenaries, we need them ready to march as soon as we have information."
Berty grins, "Sure thing Derry. If you don't mind me askin' what are ya and Taide going ta do?"
"Interrogate our prisoner of course," you shoot her a glance and she grumbles to herself.
With clear instructions each of your compatriots races off to complete their assigned tasks. You call out one final order to Jawbone as he leaves, "Jawbone! Send Myora down when you find her," he nods as he disappears through the vault doors.
---------------------------------------
"Comfortable?" you sit across from the ghôl with Thaïs to your left.
Myora stands a couple meters back, one hand on the hilt of her broad, long blade. When interrogating a mage it is always wise to outnumber them or overpower them. Preferably both if possible as they will always be at least a little dangerous.
Between you and your friend you have the magical skill necessary to easily contain the ghôl and Myora gives you a physical advantage as well. It would be suicidal for your prisoner to resist but then she also has little reason not to.
In the light of the torches hung around the room you get a better look at your prisoner. Unlike most of her people she is dressed in armour, mostly leather with the odd plate here and there. Despite the odd look of the armour it is certainly well made as were the weapons you confiscated from her. A long curved blade and matching dagger. Her movements betray a certain predatory gracefulness, and she holds herself with a pride that you have not seen before in a ghôl. Your general impression is that she is important amongst her people or at least is used to being treated with respect. Around her neck hangs her bone amulet.
Your soldiers had attempted to remove it but found the task impossible.
The necklace will not leave her neck and its purpose remains a mystery to you.
"Water?" you offer her a glass.
"No," she replies in clear dwarven.
"Food, perhaps?" you press on.
The ghôl laughs, "Sure, reach across the table and I will gladly take a little bite," she snaps at the air, her large jaws chewing on the shadows cast by your torches.
Thaïs coughs, "Well then perhaps we should begin with introductions. I am Thaïs-"
"And that's Derryth," the ghôl interrupts, she points at you as the thick chains restraining her jingle slightly, "You two are rather well known and it is no secret you run these criminals now."
Myora scoffs, "We are not criminals. We are professional merc-"
"Do I look like I really give a fuck," she shoots the maul a hostile glance, "We both know who you are and what you do so there is no point lying."
Sensing an avenue of approach your friend makes her move, "What are they, miss..."
"Persistant," the ghôl laughs, "A name will do neither of us any good. You will forget it as soon as you get what you want and me, well if I do not die here I shall become a slave or food, neither of which requires a name."
"All the same," you give her a sympathetic smile, "A name would be nice."
She rolls her eyes, "Nanshe. It is what my people know me as."
Myora lets out a slight gasp, "The Butcher."
Nanshe smiles, "To the dwarves yes. To my people I am the 'Hand of Justice'," she shakes her head,"It sounds better in high ghôlish."
"Alright Nanshe if you have information we should hear we are willing to listen," you gesture from your friend to yourself.
Again Nanshe laughs, it rattles in her throat, "Nothing I am sure you do not already know. These 'professional mercenaries' are hired killers, thieves and scoundrels," Myora lets out another snort in protest but Nanshe pushes on, "And I do not even mean that they rob, murder and kidnap my people. Everyone does that. No they murder, abduct and steal from dwarves, from humans, actual 'people' if you catch my meaning. But then why should that bother you? From what I hear you both sit atop a rather impressive pile of corpses yourselves. Makes me jealous really," she snickers.
"So you robbed us to get back at Blackrock for murdering your people?" you friend attempts to direct the conversation back to the subject you are interested in.
"No," the ghôl rolls her eyes and shakes her head, "Like I said, everyone tries to murder us. That is nothing special, your peoples have always done so and always will do so but we will win in the end. A murdered clan here or there hardly warrants vengeance."
"Well then why did you do it?" the question comes naturally to you.
"Because we are both agents of greater powers and we are ultimately powerless to oppose them," you could swear the look she gives you has just a hint of sympathy or perhaps understanding in it. Casually she hooks a single long finger under the amulet at her throat. She leans over as close as she can and gestures for you to come the rest of the way, "Go ahead, try to take it off again."
She waits for a moment until you make your move. You garb the necklace and give it a pull. It remains firmly fastened to her neck. You grab it in both hands and pull again, the result is the same. You release the necklace as she leans back in her chair.
She raises her arms and gives a slight shrug of futility, "Can you guess who gave me that?"
"The Watcher?" you and Thaïs ask in unison.
"Close enough, yes," she grins, "His agents came to my clan years ago. They promised power and my husband accepted. Each of the leaders of my clan received an amulet just like this, it lets us find one another, it grants use a number of other benefits as well but it also marks us. We are his creatures now. We have abandoned our gods, we have abandoned our homeland, now we serve only him," she drops her gaze, "We once numbered in the hundreds, the years have not been kind."
When she lifts her gaze again it is with renewed purpose, "Now I imagine your next question is along the lines of 'why tell us?', right?"
You both nod.
She has noticeably relaxed, "Maybe I will have that water after all."
You pour her a glass.
"Yeah, thank you I guess," she nods, "Well, I am telling you all this because he wants to meet you. He has heard a great deal about you two and he is rather annoyed at you for destroying one of his armies. He was quite furious when you crushed his raid on the palace as well, the report his little white creature made was most upsetting to him. Incidentally, thank you for that. One of my people you killed during that raid, 'Thrasher,'" she scoffs at the mention of his name, "What kind of name is 'Thrasher' anyway?" she shakes her head, "Well, 'Thrasher' wanted to be the next chief of our clan. The ass would not leave me alone, night and day he would try to impress me, so when he did not come back I was quite thrilled to be honest. Anyway, he is upset with you and he is also aware that you work for his 'true enemy', whoever that is. He wants to see if you are open to the idea of switching sides. That miserable little crow told me that if I failed to escape I was to tell you everything that I know. Lay the offer on the table so to speak. He has your gold, he knows about you and he wants you both. Either you will become his or he will kill you, I do not know which is worse to be honest."
"We do not serve anyone," you correct her, "And we have no intention of starting now."
She grins, "Really? What about those eagles that you have? The same eagles that have been shadowing us for over a month. What about that other mage with you? I do not know much but I know she works for the 'enemy'. What about those necklaces, those collars around your necks? Hmm? No, you are slaves just like me. If your owner gives you a longer leash then lucky for you."
"Where are we to go should we choose to talk to your master?" Thaïs leans forward and asks.
"Well, I could show you," the ghôl grins, "Should you wish. Though I can not have you leading an army to my home. Your group would have to be small, no more than twenty and absolutely no dwarves. If my people even see a dwarf it would lead to bloodshed. I would not be able to hold them back and I doubt you would be able to stop your dwarves either."
"How about you just tell us," you prod her slightly.
"How about no," she grins at you, "I am pretty much dead, I mean I have next to nothing to bargain with and your people kill and eat my kind. I have no future but I do have one small chance as you are both well aware of. I will not give you that information."
"You might not have a choice," you gently warn her.
"I can still kill myself," she fixes a stern gaze on you, "I can still do that, and I can do it faster than you can hit me."
"You would really kill yourself?" Thaïs asks.
"To protect my people? In a heartbeat," she looks each of you in the eyes and you can see it, you know she would do it. A large part of you respects that, you would do the same.
Still that poses something of a dilemma. You want your gold back though you are not sure you want to deal with the Watcher to do it. It might just be safer to consider the gold lost and look for opportunities elsewhere. You will put off your decision until the scouts return, perhaps they have found something, "We will talk more later."
Nanshe merely shrugs, "You are running this show, whatever you want."
As you file out of the room you turn and ask one final question, "What was with the sack? I expected explosives, wight chunks, anything but viscera."
Nanshe gives you what is quite possibly the largest grin you have ever seen, "That was the lunch sack. Digging those tunnels works up quite an appetite."
"Why throw your lunch at us?" you ask in disbelief.
Her grin grows ever wider, "Well, most people when they see a ghôl throwing a sack at them have the common sense to run."
You laugh, "Well I am not most people."
"Evidently!" she replies, laughing with you as you leave the cell and plunge her into darkness.
-----------------------------------------
The scouts and Lyssa's eagles do their jobs well. Not five hours later a message comes for you by eagle.
Jawbone and Lyssa deliver it personally, "We did it Derryth!" the witch begins enthusiastically, "Jawbone's men found the ghôls or at least what we think are the ghôls and they are following them as we speak."
Jawbone nods, "They are good men though we do have a problem, ah, I will just let you read the letter. I must warn you it is a bit colourful though. Old Neel, that is our top tracker, is well, a little loose with protocol," the dwarf coughs and shoves the letter towards you. You unfold it as Thaïs reads over your shoulder.
To Jawbone or whoever the fuck is in charge over there:
I swear to Wyrd you old bastard there is absolutely nothing I like more than to climb out of bed in the middle of the night and chase after ghosts in the dark. It is not like I have anything better to do. No, not me, I love traipsing through the Wyrd damned mountains without even a single fucking explanation.
Anyway, I found the tracks of the group you requested. There are a lot of them and they are making slow progress. They are carrying about fifteen large chests filled with something heavy. There are maybe forty of them all told. They are headed northeast, deeper into the mountains toward the Great Devoid. Odd since those are not ghôl lands really. Nothing gets too close the Devoid these days.
Anyway, I will continue to follow them until I receive further orders. Also be careful with those damn eagles there are a lot of crows out here and they seem to be awfully territorial.
At least they make good eating.
Yours loyally,
The best fucking tracker east of the Cloudspine.
Well you have a few options available to you don't you?
What to do? (Your options are quite extensive which means lots of choices again!)
A couple ways this can be done. I will list a bunch of general options, you can take one as given and let me worry about the details. Or you can modify one of the options and propose a more detailed freeform choice. Or you can go completely freeform and give me a very detailed plan of action. You know everything Derryth does (I think) but if you require more information then ask and I will see what I can do. It is up to you.
A) You will attempt to catch up to the ghôls using the information given by Neel. (Since there are a number of assets and individuals at your disposal and listing all the options would create to many choices what I am going to do here is list every discrete element open to you. If this choice wins then all the options with more than half the votes will be chosen as representative of the general will of the A block of voters.)
Individuals: (Jawbone is too old to go running through the mountains, everyone else is fair game though.)
i. Derryth (if you do not send Derryth then all the action will happen off-screen and you will do something else).
ii. Thaïs
iii. Lyssa and her Eagles
iv. Berty Levy
v. Biliku
vi. Uttu
vii. Myora
viii. Rand
ix. Nanshe (as a prisoner, she may be useful or she may be a liability)
Assets: (Your archers are all out acting as scouts. They will join up with you if they can.)
x. Your escort. Fourty members of the Royal Army they are some of the best soldiers you have they have a deep hatred of ghôls as all dwarves do. Dismounted they are amongst your slowest infantry forces.
xi. Your escort's chariots. 20 light chariots, if it comes to a fight they could be decisive provided you have the room to use them.
xii. Your carriage. If you want to move quickly there is no finer way provided you can find a clear route.
xiii. Twenty Blackrock grenadiers. These big dwarves are each armed with a load of cocktails and satchel charges. They are veteran mercenaries. Being dwarves they have a deep hatred of ghôls. They are also amongst your slowest infantry forces.
xiv. Sixteen Blackrock dwarven warriors. Each is armed with a large shield, a spear and a hand weapon. They are veteran mercenaries. Being dwarves they have a deep hatred of ghôls. They are also amongst your slowest infantry forces.
xv. Eight Blackrock human warriors. Each is armed with a large shield, a pair of javelins and a sword. They are veteran mercenaries. They are amongst the fastest of your infantry forces.
xvi. Five Blackrock maul warriors. Each is armed with a very large shield, four javelins and a large blade. They are veteran mercenaries. Their speed is average. They are probably your strongest mercenary forces.
Other A options:
xvii. You will immediately kill Nanshe. You do not believe she will be of use in the future and she is a liability as long as she lives. Obviously this option and option ix are mutually exclusive. If neither this option or option ix is chosen then you will then she will remain imprisoned until you return.
B) You will not pursue the fleeing ghôls. Instead you will take advantage of what Nanshe has told you and approach the Watcher's stronghold. There are a number of ways to do this.
i. You accept Nanshe's invitation. You and a small group will travel with her to meet the Watcher and attempt to negotiate some sort of peace between you. (Your group can not be over twenty and must contain no dwarves but feel free to build it however you want. If this option wins then the set up with the most votes will be chosen.)
ii. You will not accept Nanshe's invitation. You will call her bluff and attempt to torture the information out of her through magical and physical means. She may try to kill herself but you will do your best to prevent that. If this option wins you will marshal your entire force since any chance of a peaceful resolution will already be gone.
C) You will give up on the gold. Instead you will bring your prisoner back to Albrecht and marshal an army to crush the Watcher's forces before they grow too large.
D) You will not pursue the gold at all, nor do you want anything else to do with Nanshe or her people. You will deal with her and leave the issue at that. (Each D option will be counted separately given that they are so different in outcome.)
i. You will release her in secret. You feel a certain kinship with your prisoner and will let her find whatever fate she chooses.
ii. You will sell her to the dwarves. You will sell her to the Royal Academy for 'research'. Her mind will have to be intact.
iii. You will sell her to the dwarves. You will sell her to the King for a banquet. You will need to break her mind first.
iv. You will sell her to the dwarves. You will sell her to the slave masters to be used as breeding stock. You will need to break her mind first.
v. You will simply kill her and be done with it.
E) freeform
Chapter 38: In for a Penny
Chapter 38: In for a PennyYou have no intention of letting the ghôls take your money, you also have no intention of handing yourself over to the Watcher, that leaves but one option for you. You must pursue them, you must catch them, and then...
Well you are honestly not sure what you will do then. You are conflicted and uncertain and your friends have been no help either.
The three of you sit in the large common room at the top of the tower you have claimed for your communal use. It is simply easier to stay together than apart. Mazzarin's amulets give you a much needed boost this way and you have allies readily at hand in case something happens. The room is sparsely decorated and does not look lived in, from what Jawbone tells you its previous owner spent very little time at the fort. You are currently seated around a small wooden table discussing your next move.
"Maybe we can negotiate?" suggests Lyssa.
"With ghôls?" Thaïs replies sceptically.
The witch shrugs, "Why not? They have to want something right? What if we offer to give them back their leader? Nanshe was it? Perhaps she is worth a few chests of gold and diamonds?"
"Perhaps," your friend nods cautiously, "But perhaps all they want is to kill us. Perhaps her removal will be viewed as only a minor setback or even a boon. It may be the wiser course of action to simply attack them on sight. Recapture our wealth and collect the bounty on their heads."
As you sit their listening; another, far less merciful, idea crosses you mind. You could try to capture as many as possible and drag them to the slave markets. The idea is interesting, you normally have little love for slave masters but these ghôls have wronged you, purposefully so, and you are not yet certain if you really are willing to let that go. You dismiss the thought, there may not be a battle, there may not even need to be a battle at all. You can worry about such things should they arise and another, very different, idea has also been working its way through your mind. It is bold, it is daring, maybe even a little mad but part of you quite likes it. Your mind drifts back into the conversation at hand.
Lyssa nods reluctantly, "The few ghôls I have had dealings with were all quite quick to anger but from what you've told me this Nanshe seems to be different."
"Doesn't make her any less dangerous though," you finally chime in, "In fact it may make her more dangerous."
"Do you think she is a threat," Thaïs asks.
You frown slightly then nod, "She is a threat. The question is, is she a threat to us or to the Watcher?"
"What are you planning?" Lyssa tilts her head and stares at you intently.
"Maybe nothing, maybe something," you hesitate for a moment. You know that neither of these women would betray you in this. They are your closest allies at the moment and the only people you felt certain you could trust with your plan. Still what you are proposing would be quite unorthodox, you take a deep breath, "What if we helped Nanshe escape the Watcher?"
They both give you a surprised stare. Thaïs manages a reply, "Go on..."
"Three of the Watcher's armies are comprised of nothing but ghôls and most of them are held together by the Watcher's priests and those necklaces. If we could neutralize the necklaces we could set those clans free. At the very least we would start a civil war in his ranks. Best case scenario he loses the only mobile wing of his entire armed forces. If we help Nanshe free her people we might just be helping ourselves," as you finish the room falls into silence.
The seconds drag as they consider the idea.
"That is a bit of a gamble," Lyssa begins, "You would have to trust a ghôl, Derryth, they are not that reliable."
"Slightly insane, yes," Thaïs adds with a soothing smile, "Even if she does 'ally' with us in good faith we have no way of knowing she will not simply be crushed."
Not exactly the response you were hoping for. You sigh, "Well then maybe we should just kill her and be done with it. I don't want to try this if no one thinks it will work-"
"I like it!" a new voice chimes in from outside the window. The three of you look over to see Berty Levy dangling from your balcony. His eyes wide, a great grin on his face.
"Berty!" you shout in unison.
"The one and only!" you rush over to open the window and let the man in before he falls to his death.
"How long were you out there? Do you have any idea how far of a drop that is?" your face pales a little as a new and horrific thought occurs to you, "The, the girls aren't out there are they?"
Your strategist replies calmly, "One, I was out there for about an hour. Nothing like a few chin ups in the fresh night air to make ya feel alive! Two, the fall from the top of this tower is precisely eight an' a half metres, it simply provides more incentive not ta fail. Three, the girls are sleepin'. A growing body needs plenty of rest and they have to be at their best for later. Especially if we are going with your plan Derry."
"I don't know if we are going with 'my plan' though," you correct him, "I just don't know if it is any good."
"Ya know what it reminds me of?" he asks the room.
The three of you shake your heads.
"Connacht and the Trow," he declares triumphantly, "Ya ever hear that one?"
You and your friend nod together and reply, "Yes, we read about it once."
Lyssa hesitantly speaks, "I haven't."
Berty grins, glad to have an audience, "Well ol' Connacht was a clever bastard. He understood what it took to fight a war against a vastly superior enemy. The Trow, twelve foot tall giants encased from head to toe in black iron where simply unbeatable but their entire empire was based on slavery. Take away the slaves and 'blam'," Berty slams a fist on the table, "No more 'Eternal and Prosperous Trow Empire'. He turned the slaves loose on their masters. Now the Trow were still unbeatable in battle but they lost access to most of their forges and the workers needed to run them. It became increasingly harder to resupply basic necessities. Additionally the Trow had to fight a war on multiple fronts, all throughout their empire they had to put down slave rebellions and that gave ol' Connacht the time he needed to marshal a force that could really put boot ta' ass. The Trow won their civil war but they were so disgusted with the means they used to do it that they swore off iron forever. That was when Connacht finally hit them, their population drained, their industries stalled, their war machine broken, he hits them with one of the finest fighting armies ever assembled and backed by some serious fucking magic. Sealed the whole race up in their temples, entombed alive for eternity. Or at least they would have been if not for Balor. So you see ladies, Derry's idea ain't bad if it works. What we have'ta figure out is whether or not it will work."
"How do we do that?" the question rolls off your tongue.
"Take ta' ghôl with us, keep our options open, see what opportunities present themselves," he eyes the window, "Anyway, I have three more towers ta' run so I will see ya ladies when we are set ta march."
Without a word more he backs up to the far end of the room and with a shout and a holler he sprints across the chamber and jumps out the window head first. The three of you rush to the window and watch as he swings to the next tower on a piece of wire wrapped around a broken wagon wheel which you swear he produced from thin air.
Lyssa turns to the two of you, "And that is the man you have teaching the girls?"
"Well, he is good at his job..." you reply together before trailing off, your eyes following him into the darkness.
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You have made good time all things considered. You packed as many dwarves into your carriage as possible and managed to fit the remain few onto the backs of your escort's chariots. It was not a comfortable ride for them but you simply can not let your dwarves slow down your advance.
The messages you have received from Neel indicate that you are rapidly closing on your quarry. You are less than an hour behind them now and closing. Soon they will be forced to abandon their escape attempt and offer battle. It is time to actually choose a course of action.
Your scouts inform you that the terrain immediately ahead of you is rocky and unsuitable for chariots, but the lands beyond lead to the Great Devoid and are flat and unobstructed.
The enemy numbers about forty, all ghôls in close formation. They are making poor time due to the weight of your stolen wealth. Crows in the hundreds swarm around them through you have not directly come into contact with any of them yet. Your scouts report that if you continue on your course you should start to see them soon.
No other enemy forces have been spotted yet but there is a hint of magic in the air. You might be picking up the residual energies of Nanshe's apprentice or it might be something else entirely, you do not know.
Given the open nature of the situation you find yourself in I can do this one of two ways. I will present you with four broad 'goal oriented' options which Derryth and her people will pursue to the best of their abilities or I can simply turn this over to you to create your own plans of battle.
The first option will be easier to vote for but you may not get the exact plan you desire. The second option will likely be harder to coordinate but you will also get a much larger degree of control over where and how you use your assets.
The choice is ultimately up to you:
A) Go with a 'goal' based plan, (this will likely involve a number of rolls as the situation evolves organically and may not result in exactly the plan you desire.):
i. Alliance - In this option Derryth will attempt to get her wealth back and come to an understanding with Nanshe and the ghôls. As neither group likes the Watcher there may be a basis for some sort of short term working relationship here where Derryth trades the knowledge of how to hide from the Watcher for the return of her stolen wealth. Derryth will attempt to limit the knowledge of this 'alliance' to those in her 'inner circle' of supporters. She will attempt to keep Blackrock out of this. She will also attempt to make contact as quickly as possible.
ii. Negotiation - The ghôls might be willing to trade the stolen wealth for Nanshe. In this choice you will at first attempt to negotiate with them using their leader as a bargaining chip. If they return the wealth then you will return your prisoner. Again she will attempt to keep Blackrock out of this. At the very least she will keep the dwarves in reserve to minimize the chance of hostilities breaking out.
iii. 'Negotiation'/Ploy - In this option Derryth will use the negotiation as a ploy to let her more mobile forces sneak around and onto the plains where they will dismount and block the retreat of the ghôls. Once encircled your forces will strike at both the front and the rear of the enemy formation and attempt to kill or capture as many of the enemy as possible. She does not need to worry about hiding this plan from Blackrock or the dwarves. She is a little concerned though about splitting her forces given the odd magical traces she is picking up.
iv. Direct Assault - In this option Derryth keeps as much of her force together as possible while sending just the charioteers (twenty dwarves) around to cut off the enemy's line of retreat. The twenty charioteers will form a barricade to slow the enemy advance while the bulk of her force will march directly to the enemy. She will not need to hide this plan from Blackrock or the dwarves and it will give her the largest force possible to deal with any threats that may come up but it will also be the slowest to make contact with the opposing force.
B) freeform plans - Probably the option most people will be interested in, this is the option if you want to earn your stars and come up with your own plan of battle. It will give you far greater control over who you use and where. As the plans are proposed I will list them i,ii,iii and so on. Simply alert me when you have a plan ready to add to the list.
Things that you may need to know:
Your assets:
Individuals:
Derryth - Mentalist, receives bonuses if paired with Thaïs, see character sheet for details
Thaïs - Mentalist, receives bonuses if paired with Derryth, see character sheet for details
Lyssa and her Eagles (2) - Illusionist with elemental and animal spells, see character sheet for details
Berty Levy - Warrior, skilled small unit infantry commander, possibly insane, see character sheet for more details
Biliku - Warrior, Derryth's Bodyguard, quite skilled with a blade, see character sheet for details
Uttu - Warrior, Thaïs' Bodyguard, an excellent archer for one so young, see character sheet for details
Myora - Warrior, excellent defensive fighter and Infantry commander, maul, see character sheet for more details
Nanshe - As a prisoner: ghôl leader, her apprentice should be in charge of the opposing force, may be a useful bargaining chip. As an ally: may be able to negotiate on your behalf, may be able to win over her soldiers, a skilled mage with spells largely derived from those once taught by the dark gods, see character sheet for a little information
Troops:
Forty Royal Guards (Dwarves) - your escort, they would prefer to stay close to Derryth and Thaïs but given the situation will accept almost any order you give them. They are probably your best trained soldiers (highest morale), they are also very well equipped in heavy arms and armour.
Twenty Chariots - your escort's chariots, each is equipped with ten javelins (two of which have exploding tips). They are light chariots built for hit and run attacks and rapid deployment in the desert. They also serve as escorts on occasion which is how you wound up with them. They can be devastating on open ground but near useless on uneven terrain.
Your Carriage - If you packed them in it could hold ten dwarves though it is only built for two. It could be used to rapidly deploy infantry or to form a barricade. It is near useless on very uneven terrain.
Twelve Blackrock Grenadiers (Dwarven) - The largest dwarves are made into Grenadiers. They are not heavily armed or armoured but they each carry a full pack of cocktails and four charges. If given time they could lay down a mine field and they are quite good at holding a defensive position. It is very dangerous to position yourself in their line of fire, next to them or even behind them. More often than not you will want to give them a wide berth. They are excited to get a chance to kill a few ghôls and will probably be quite aggressive if given the chance.
Eight Blackrock Warriors (Human) - Mercenary sell swords that are in it primarily for the pay. They are quite skilled and are probably on par with the warriors used by the Legion. They are each armed with a sword, shield and a pair of javelins. They are amongst the fastest fighters in your entire force.
Two Blackrock Archers (Human) - These are the scouts that have managed to link up with your forces. They are your fastest soldiers and are capable of moving through rough terrain with a minimum of difficulty. Each carries a falchion and a bow and twenty four arrows. Each also carries a pair of fire arrows often used for signalling. They are professionals primarily doing this for the pay.
Five Blackrock Warriors (Maul) - Your heavy infantry. One maul is probably worth two humans and five ghôls as long as they are not overwhelmed. Each has a truly intimidating shield and blade with a fair amount of armour as well. Despite the weight of their kit they are capable of tremendous speeds over short distances. A charge by you mauls at the proper time could be the deciding factor. They enjoy the violence of battle but in general they have nothing against the ghôls, it is likely that a couple of them even fought alongside ghôls in the last war.
Your Intel:
--------------------------------------Rough Terrain Ends/Plains Begin------------------------------
The Terrain ahead of you is too rough for chariots but you infantry should manage reasonably well. You prey are less than an hour in front of you and as far as you can tell they are not yet aware that you are following them. They are however surrounded by a screening force of crows which are likely to alert them before you move within striking range. Once they are aware of you they are likely to try and take up a defensive position if they can.x (Blackrock Fort)The odd magicalx <---------- Where the scouts say the ghôls are. They are headed northeast
traces--------------------------------->x
-------------------------------------------Rough Terrain Begins----------------------------------------- <---------Rough terrain also ends with the lines on either sides,----------------Crows begin Here---------------
x <---- You are hereYou will send your chariots around this side in the premade choices.
Enemy:
Crows - In the hundreds.
Ghôls - Approximately forty, one known mage apprentice, a handful with minor magical abilities. It would not be surprising if they had explosives or actual wight parts given that they are in the service of the Watcher. From Neel's report they also seem to be better equipped than most ghôls, with shields, helmets and actual armour.
Unknowns:
-Trace magical signals, may be from your prey, may be a trap.
-How close are they to the Watcher's Fortress? Nanshe is unwilling to say (she likely fears giving away that information and endangering her clan).
Chapter 39: In for a Pound
Chapter 39: In for a PoundYou are still not sure that this is a good idea.
If you do this, if anyone finds out, well, treason to the dwarven nation would be the least of your problems. It is likely that your soldiers would betray you, attack you, or simply desert. They hardly know you and they certainly won't trust you in this. Your escort would likely arrest you as well, drag you back to the king and have you hung. Well, at least they would try.
So then why take this risk?
Because the reward may just be worth it.
If this little plan succeeds then you will have deprived the Watcher's armies of the only mobile elements they possess. His armies would actually be slower than the dwarven defenders on top of being less skilled and less motivated.
From what Nanshe tells you the Watcher currently has over eight hundred ghôls in his service, most are organized into three great armies while the rest serve as scouts, messengers and enforcers. He can accomplish a lot with eight hundred ghôls if he throws them against the Kingdom but he has not and Nanshe says he will not. His ghôl armies currently lie far to the southeast where they are conquering the scattered clans of her people. She tells you that he intends to draw every last ghôl, both the living and the dead, into his armies. They would number in the tens of thousands.
If what she says is true they would comprise a fighting force of such size that the dwarves could not hope to hold them at bay. They would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
An unbeatable enemy indeed.
You remember Connacht and the Trow. A seemingly invincible foe undermined from within. If this works it could be the next step towards defeating the Watcher, protecting the kingdom, and most importantly securing your investments.
You just hope it works.
First step is to get rid of the dwarves. You might be able to negotiate with the humans and mauls if the plan falls through but the dwarves will never accept your deception.
"What do you mean you want us to leave?" the captain asks. He is not taking the news well, "With all due respect ma'am we can not simply leave you alone and surrounded by enemies!"
"Captain, you will not be leaving us alone. We will still have Blackrock on hand to deal with any threats and I don't want these ghôls escaping. Particularly as I have learnt from the prisoner that our prey are carrying a substantial amount of plundered wealth with them."
He perks up at that, he may be your minder but he is also a true dwarf, "What kind of wealth? Where did they get it?"
"Diamonds," you reply, "Supposedly they robbed and murdered a supply caravan on their way through the mountains. That is why they are moving so slowly, they have my gold and a load of diamonds with them."
The captain plays with his beard as he thinks, you already have a fairly good idea of what he is going to say so you wait patiently for him to spit it out, "You know it is customary for officers to receive a percentage of all loot captured from the enemy."
A thin smile slips onto your face, "How much?"
"Twenty percent," he answers with a straight face.
"Bullshit," you scoff, "Myora!"
The maul crosses your temporary camp at the sound of your call, "Yes, Miss Derryth?"
"What is the customary payout to officers of assets seized from the enemy," you enquire of her.
"Three percent ma'am," she reply cooly, "Anything else?"
You wave her off with a warm smile, "No, that will be all for now."
The captain is crestfallen, "Ah well, you see-"
You laugh, "You were just trying to get the best return possible?"
He nods as he stares at his boots, "Yes, ma'am."
"Get your men ready, load up the grenadiers, take the carriage, and head out this instant. Follow the plains east and then north, with any luck you can cut the enemy off. Your primary aim will be the stolen wealth not the ghôls, those chests are worth far more to me than a few dead savages. If I need to contact you then I will do so by eagle, understood? " he nods, salutes and turns on his heels. He does not once look you in the eye.
Not exactly ideal, he will do this for you but what you really want is for him to want to do this. You begin to count in your mind, when you reach ten you call out after him, "Captain!"
He stops dead and slowly turns, "Yes ma'am?"
"Retrieve those diamonds and you will get four percent! And a diamond to each of your men!" the effect of your words are instantaneous.
He immediately brightens, "Yes ma'am!" with a hop in his step he is off to rouse his men.
Well that is a start but it is only going to get harder from here.
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Your second step is to round up your group and strike a deal with Nanshe.
They are where you left them. The four of them surround your prisoner, out of her reach but within range in case she tries anything. Your mercenaries give the whole group a wide berth, perhaps out of caution, perhaps out of fear. Either way it works in your favour.
You march right past your allies and up to the ghôl, she greets you with an amused smirk, "Want something?"
Before you can answer your allies approach, "Is something the matter?" Lyssa asks.
"We are going ahead with my plan," you respond.
Berty grins, Lyssa frowns, Thaïs shakes her head but gives you a supportive look.
"This is a bad idea," the witch stresses, "There are far too many ways this-"
Thaïs stops her with a single delicate hand on her shoulder, "If Derryth says we are going to do this than there is no stopping her. Our efforts would be best spent in aiding her."
Lyssa sighs and nods, "I suppose."
Berty chimes in, "Oh! Oh this is going to be fun! " You are not sure if you should find that encouraging or upsetting.
Your friend turns to you, a slight smile creeps across her face, "Anything you need Derryth, you have our full support as always."
Nanshe coughs, "I assume this plan of yours has to do with me?"
"Yes, now this may sound insane but just hear me out..." you take a deep, calming breath and commit treason.
------------------------------------------
"That is insane," the ghôl laughs.
"But it will work," you insist.
"Maybe," she replies, "It might work, or it will get us all killed."
"A chance of death is better than the certainty of death is it not?" Thaïs reminds her.
"And you would be free of the Watcher as well," you quickly add.
"Oh certainly," the ghôl beams, "What I can't understand is why you would help. You are no servants of the Golden Ones, you are no slaves of the Watcher, and yet you would help me. You would give me back my life and what's more you would give me the means of hiding myself and those like me from the master. It is almost too good to be true."
She considers you both, she glances past you at Lyssa and Berty standing guard, she looks up at the sky and down at her feet, she looks you in the eyes and she nods, "I will do this. I don't see what other options I have really. I will trade you the chests for my freedom and the means to hide from the Watcher."
"Alright then, when you meet up with your people once again you will lead them to the southeast and deposit the chests on the edge of the plains. I will then send you the instructions necessary to hide yourself from the Watcher," you take Thaïs' glove from her and produce your own as well. When wrapped around her neck they should hide her from the Watcher's agents. Sending them by eagle would raise too many questions so as much as you hesitate to do so you must give them to Nanshe now.
As you do an idea occurs to you. If the gloves can hide her signal then by taking them off and putting them back on she should be able to send you simple messages. It would be a great way to communicate but you are not sure you will be able to persuade Nanshe to do it without revealing their true nature. Instead you lean over to Thaïs and whisper your idea in her ear. She nods slowly.
As you hand the gloves to your prisoner your friend speaks, "These gloves are stolen from the Temple of the Shadow Hand in distant Tyr. The thieves that work in the temple must communicate without making a sound. They do so by wrapping the gloves around their necks in particular patterns. We will show you so that you may communicate with us."
Nanshe nods along as you spend the next ten minutes setting up a quick and dirty code system to communicate though. It is rough but it should work. One interruption of the signal will mean she has reached her group. Two will mean she has deposited your goods, at which point she will send up a signal for your eagle to approach. Three will mean she has received your message and is leaving the area. Hopefully you will never meet again.
"So how are you going to get me out of here without injuring anyone?" your prisoner naturally asks.
"Deception and illusion," you reply together.
You elaborate, "The three of us will handle your escape. When it begins use your iron spell to break your chains and flee. Remember though, you are not to harm any of my men under any circumstances, understand?"
Nanshe shrugs, "I will defend myself, I am not going to let your mercenaries murder me when I am this close to freedom," you frown but she pushes on, "I will try not to harm any of them though. You have my word on that."
The word of a ghôl, you are not sure how much that will mean but you are committed.
"Since we are becoming such good friends I have something for you two as well," the ghôl winks at you. She produces a small sliver of black stone engraved on all sides with a red bulb for a handle on one end.
"What is it?" your friend asks.
"A key," your prisoner answers.
You thank her and take the sliver of stone as the two of you back away and approach Lyssa.
It is time to begin the most difficult stage of your plan.
-----------------------------------------
Myora is not happy as she sits on a large boulder looking out into the maze of gullies before them.
They are wasting time! These mages, her new employers, are letting the enemy slip away while she waits trapped in this improvised camp. Every second they stay here, interrogating that ghôl, represents a lost opportunity.
It is not that she loves battle, though she will admit she is quite fond of it.
It is not that she loves profit, though she will admit their quarry could be worth an awful lot.
It is not even that she hates ghôls, her first taste of travel came during Soulblighter's War where she served in the northern armies fighting Berserks and Warlocks.
No, it is merely that she hates being useless. If it were Jawbone leading them that would be one thing, he may be getting old but she trusts his judgement.
If it were one of the old bosses then she would wait patiently as well. They knew what they were doing! Well, right until they didn't. The day they were rounded up in Myrgard and hung, every last one of them. The thought depresses her slightly, some of them were not so bad all things considered.
This Derryth, however, she is not so sure of. With the notable exception of Alric, mages do not make great generals. How many blunders, how many mistakes had Soulblighter and his lieutenants made? Or the Avatarra and Fallen Lords before them? No, mages simply make for poor commanders, not a one of them cares even in the slightest for their soldiers and she will be damned if she will let this mage throw away the lives of her men.
Mages, humph, good for nothing except getting good soldiers killed.
What they should do is simply kill their 'prisoner', it would be a mercy really, and run down their prey. In fact that is exactly what she is going to tell her new commander, she is not going to just sit here and-
A nearby bush stirs.
What was that?
Now a tree wavers.
And she sees it, the putrid, swollen face of a wight.
Followed by another, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, just how many are there?
"Attack," she hollers, "We are under attack!"
The mercenaries form up as she races over to them.
There must be dozens of them. She has no idea how they managed to sneak up on them but with only two archers against over thirty wights they stand no chance.
"Archers prioritize the lead wights, warriors, wait until they close and ready your javeli-" her orders are cut off as the lead wight disintegrates before her eyes, "What the hell?"
She glances across the camp. Her new employers have formed a circle with their guards around them. They stand chanting with their eyes closed and their hands joined; from the center of their circle azure spheres slowly rise into the air. Each is semisolid but riddled with tiny holes, tiny rodents contort in rage; they twist and turn and tumble over each other along the surface of each sphere as each speeds towards its target. Every sphere strikes a wight and each wight that is struck dissolves into thin air without so much as making a noise.
This silent battle unfolds in front of her and it is all she can do just to watch it.
The noiseless dance of the spheres and undead is interrupted by but a single sound, metal on metal.
The prisoner has broken her chains and is racing past Myora's employers.
That Berty fellow yells to the two children that travel with them. They nod and hold their ground as he advances on the ghôl, he bobs and weaves around the prisoner as she tries to strike at him but she quickly gets the better of him. He throws a wide punch, she trips him and bursts past him into the gullies that lie before them.
Myora frowns, the prisoner has escaped, that much can not be helped. She blames herself as much as anyone, there should have been at least an eight soldiers guarding such a creature.
The mages continue to chant, they must not be able to sense the prisoner's escape while working their magics or perhaps they can but are powerless to stop it.
She wants to help, she wants to stop the prisoner but there is just no way to follow the ghôl with so many wights closing in on them.
The chants from the mages get louder as more and more spheres pour forth, now in a multitude of colours. Crimson, spheres that swim with fish of flame. Golden spheres, that swarm with biting insects. Violet spheres, upon which slither and writhe a multitude of serpents before her very eyes.
They swarm the undead and where each one strikes the wights fall leaving no trace.
The battle is over in moments as the silent spheres overrun their attackers.
She breathes a sigh of relief as the mages break their connection.
By her count they had been attacked by over sixty wights.
Without those mages they would all be dead.
Perhaps her new employers really do know what they are doing after all?
------------------------------------------
"How are the mercs?" you ask with a whisper. You are back on the march, trying your best to 'catch' your fleeing prisoner and her subordinates. You will do everything in your power to make sure you fail in that task.
"Suitably impressed," Berty replies quietly with a chuckle, "They are convinced that those wights were real and that the only thing that saved them was you combined magics."
You nod, "Well I am glad they bought it because it cost us most of our energon cube to pull off without draining ourselves."
"Hell Derry," he slaps you on the back, "I knew they were fake and I almost bought it. Whatever you and Taide cooked up-"
You stop him right there, "Oh no, that was all Lyssa. We simply provided the extra power needed to complete her spells. If you want to praise anyone then praise her."
He whistles, "Lys did all that? Damn, did not know the girl had that in her."
Thaïs laughs, "You should have witnessed what she did when we first encountered her. Unless you have a keen mind for such things it is all too easy to be taken in."
"Well then I owe the girl a drink," he grins, "So what's next."
"As soon as we get her si-" Nanshe's signal drops then after a minute reappear, "Did you feel that?" you ask your friend.
She nods, "She is back with her people."
"Alright, better get that eagle in the air then," you wave Lyssa over as you slide a pair of notes from your pack.
The first bears instructions for the captain. It warns him that the prisoner has escaped while reminding him to prioritize the chests over the ghôls. The second is for Nanshe and gives instructions on the true nature of the gloves. She will receive it after you have collected your goods.
Everything is going wonderfully, however that slight signal you picked up has split and begun to move. One of the signals, the weaker of the two, is moving rapidly in Nanshe's direction. The other signal, still weak but the stronger of the two, has matched your speed and general direction. It has not moved closer to you and instead seems content to shadow your movements. This concerns you more than a little but there is nothing you can do about it while pursuing your plan.
There is precious little left for you to do really except continue down the path you have chosen and hope for the best.
-----------------------------------------------
Perhaps it was too much to hope for.
The quick, weak signal reached Nanshe forty minutes ago. Shortly after that both her signal and the mystery one disappeared.
The second mystery signal continues to shadow you as you head east toward the plains and your dwarven soldiers.
By all accounts it seems your plan has failed.
Then something unexpected happens.
The sky to your northeast lights up, bolts of silver lightning arc from the gathering storm clouds as a trio of explosions rock the night. In the distance you can hear hundreds of crows screaming as they light up the night sky, little points of flame quickly consumed by the hungry dark.
You give the light show as much space as you can. With so few soldiers you do not particularly want to stumble into a battle.
You press on to the east. The mysterious signal trailing behind you always keeping its distance. From what Lyssa tells you more crows are gathering behind you, forming another screen to your west between you and the signal.
Everyone is nervous and the men are in low spirits.
The night is oppressive and it closes about you, slowly suffocating you.
You desperately need those extra soldiers.
You push on until you hit the plains.
Still no sign of your dwarves.
You are in the general area Nanshe was to drop your chests but you see no sign of the ghôls or your dwarves.
The signal behind you has grown in power and is quickening its pace.
You do not want fight whatever is following you with so few soldiers.
You swing north, following the low hills that lie between the gullies to your left and the broad plains of this plateau to your right. The signal continues to build behind you as you force your soldiers on. You run like the Watcher himself is pursuing you. Perhaps he is, at least a part of him anyway.
It is with indescribable relief that you catch a glimpse of your carriage as you crest the next hill. You are about to send your remaining eagle on to warn the captain when the signal that has been pursuing you begins to back away and diminish.
It does not disappear but it seems unwilling to get too close now that you have rejoined the main body of your hunting party. It sits, nestled in the gullies somewhere behind you, screened by a growing body of crows.
You will likely have to deal with it eventually but first you desire to know the results of the captain's foray.
---------------------------------------
"Well as you can see ma'am," he gestures to the two piles and smouldering pyre before you, "Awfully strange business this."
"Yes I can see that," you mutter as you survey the scene.
In one pile rests your chests. Four large, marked chests contain your gold while a dozen smaller, unmarked chests hold your diamonds. They seem to all be there though you have not opened them yet.
In the other pile rest fifteen ghôls, each has had their hands cut off, their eyes removed and their tongues cut out. Their armour has been torn off and much of it is missing, their weapons, those that are not broken, have also been taken.
The smouldering pyre is made out of what spare wood could be dragged together and has been lit by large piles of tall grass gathered from the plains. Five charred corpses rest upon it, all ghôls.
You approach the piled dead and drop to a knee next to them.
At first you are puzzled, then you examine the corpses more closely. All of the unburnt ghôls bear the mark of the Watcher, a skull branded on their forearms or chests. They are all dumped together and next to the pile is a human woman. From her robes you would guess she is a mage but you have no clue what Circle she is from. Her robes are gold and white, now smeared pink with blood. Her staff is broken, her throat crushed and a fist sized hole has been punched in her chest. Other than that though she looks undisturbed, she has not been mutilated as the ghôls have. She has been stripped of anything magical she may have had on her person and a quick search turns up nothing much of interest with one exception. Around her neck hangs a small black pouch, if it is what you think it is you do not want to even touch it.
"So everything was exactly like this when you arrived?" Thaïs asks as she and Lyssa drag over one of the smaller chests. Berty and the girls are close behind with one of the larger ones.
"Not exactly," the captain replies, "When we came on the scene those five were already burning. For a second we considered pulling them out of the flames and roasting them properly but it is not professional to eat on the job. The rest were scattered all around so we piled them up. There are a number of tracks headed northeast so it seems that some of the enemy survived but your orders were to stick with the chests so we did not pursue. Found that human girl while we were cleaning up. It did not seem right to pile her with those animals, she must have been a prisoner or something."
"Captain," you reply as you rise to your feet, "She was definitely a prisoner, just not of the ghôls."
He gives you an odd look as you brush past him.
You turn your attention to your allies as they open the first pair of chests.
Berty and the girls wrest open the first chest and it is filled top to bottom with dwarven sovereigns. If each of the four chests are similarly filled then you have enough to run Blackrock for at least a month.
You smile in relief. You have managed to recover your stolen wealth at least.
"Derryth," Lyssa calls to you, "We might have a small problem."
As you approach you look down at the chest of diamonds, it looks full but you quickly realize that it has been dummied up. Less than half the diamonds are still in the chest.
You curse under your breath.
A quick search of the other chests confirms your fears. All of your coins remain but over half the diamonds have gone missing. Each chest contains a couple dozen small bags and under them nothing but rocks and dirt.
All except one that is. From one of the diamond chests you pull out a small locked box. It is made from a single piece of obsidian without any sort of lock or hinge
You shake and something slides inside.
As you run your fingers along the exterior of the box, mindful of any traps it may have you find a tiny hole. A small crack in the stone.
Instantly you remember Nanshe's 'key', that tiny splinter of black stone she gave you as a gift. She must have been planning this the second she agreed to help you.
You wave over Thaïs and Lyssa as you slip around your carriage and out of view. When they join you, you insert Nanshe's key into the hole while pointing the chest away from yourself and your friends. Slowly you pull open its slidding compartment. You can never be too careful with a mage or a ghôl after all.
Nothing happens so you carefully turn the box around to get a better look.
Inside are a handful of notes.
The first is a letter addressed to 'my partners'.
The second is a single dirty sheet of paper. Across it are scrawled a number of characters, some dwarven, and some in a language you have never seen before.
"That is temple ghôlish," whispers Lyssa.
"Can you read it?" you and your friend ask in unison.
"No," she shakes her head, "It is rare even amongst ghôls to find someone who can. It is what their priests use when they write to or receive messages from their gods."
The remaining sheets are in Bruig and look to be torn from a larger work. They are in a completely different hand than the one that wrote the letter and ghôlish sheet. From a quick glance they are definitely spells but it will take you a little time to identify their exact nature.
You tuck them and the ghôlish note back into the box as you flip the letter open.
To My Esteemed Partners:
You have shown a great deal of faith in me. More than I thought possible for people with so little in common. By all rights we should be enemies and yet you have given me both life and hope.
You have done me a great service tonight and in exchange I have robbed you. You must be feeling betrayed and angry at me. I can understand that.
It is for that reason that I write this letter.
Most people believe my kind to be animals or idiots or both and too be fair all to few of my people even attempt to subvert that reputation. I however am not a beast or an idiot. Your interest in my necklace, that little experiment you did with your glove in my cell and your instructions and parting gifts have all clearly revealed the nature of your 'cure'. I have made a collar of your bracelets and I tested it out on the Creature's slave. It worked to perfection, she did not expect a thing. So I thank you for the double freedom you have granted me and I promise to use it well.
However one thing has bothered me since I agreed to your plan. Now bear with me here my co-conspirators. Have you ever heard the story of Connacht and the Trow? Well of course you have, anyone that has had any historical training knows that one. Connacht freed the Oghres, the slaves of the Trow, and then he hid and built up his strength. Connacht built a great army while the Oghres fought and died against the Trow. The Oghres were slaughtered to the last of them but his plan worked. Connacht won in the end, the Trow were entombed alive and the Oghres ceased to exist.
I am sure you can see a few parallels here.
I am no Oghre.
I suspect that you intend for me to start an insurrection. Armed with the knowledge you have given me I suspect you desire me to undermine the Master's hold on my people. Rest assured that in this we are true and eternal allies. I will do everything in my power to see the archmage fall and if we succeed in this then perhaps I may be able to help you kill your master as well.
However, such bold claims bring me back to the matter of your diamonds. No doubt you are well aware that you are missing half of them. I will not lie to you and say that I left some out of a sense of fair play or charity or fondness. I took as much as my remaining soldiers could carry without slowing at all.
As I said, I intend to remain true to you, I intend to fight the Master, I intend to raise an army, and I intend to win.
To that end I will need armour, I will need weapons, I will need supplies and I will need mercenaries to cover the weaknesses in my forces. All of these things will require money, a great deal of money as there are very few people I can turn to for help and they will charge a great deal.
Think of the loss of your diamonds as an investment, as the first seeds from which will spring a free and unified nation for my people. You will be the mothers of it as much as I am, if not more, for without you I would stand no chance at all.
You have my thanks but that seems wholly insufficient. In humble thanks and friendship I offer you a few pieces of knowledge. The most valuable currency in existence for ladies such as you and I. The first you have experienced yourself, under those purple suns you fought this spell and I hope it proves to be of use to you though I only had time to record the first steps on a scrap of old parchment. The rest of the spells are ripped from the spellbook of the Creature's slave. I can not read Bruig and so they are of no use to me.
May these morsels fill you, I hope.
Yours in eternal gratitude,
The Princess
p.s.
Should you require me for anything look up the esteemed persons of the Brothers Dietfried. They will know how to find me but be careful, do not cross them.
Also a word of warning, do not return to Fort Blackrock. It has likely fallen by now and the Creature himself was to lead the charge.
"Well great," you mutter, "So she robbed us."
"Told you we could not trust her," Lyssa grins.
"Well she did not exactly betray us," you counter. In truth you might have done the exact same thing for your people. It does little to soothe your smarting pride though.
"So what do we do?" Thaïs asks, "With the fort fallen it would take the better part of four days to get back to Myrgard-"
You nod and grumble, "And that is assuming that we are not attacked on the way."
Lyssa hazards a suggestion, "She did say that it has 'likely' fallen. Not that it has fallen for sure. We may still be able to save the fort and its defenders if we hurry."
"That would mean ploughing right through the signal that has been trailing us though," you remind her.
"Maybe it will flee," she suggests.
"It would be nice to have someone running from us for a change," your friend adds.
1. You chose to:
A) Head back to the fort. You might have to fight the source of the signal that has been following you and then there would be whatever is waiting for you at the fort itself but you may be able to save Jawbone and the rest of the defenders. The journey will take several hours provided you avoid a fight. If you are attacked you are not sure how long it will take.
B) Head to the south along the plains and then cut southwest through the great mountain passes back to Myrgard. Your soldiers will not like it and morale will be low but you believe the fort is lost and all its defenders slain by now. The journey will take four days provided you are not attacked.
C) Head west through the gullies and try to lose the signal that is following you though you will have to abandon the chariots and carriage. You will then turn south and head for a nearby dwarven military outpost. Your soldiers will not like it and morale will be low but you believe the fort is lost and all its defenders slain by now. The journey will take two days provided you are not attacked.
D) Head south then west around the gullies and towards the dwarven outpost. You will likely run right into the signal that is shadowing you unless it flees. Your soldiers will not like it and morale will be low but you believe the fort is lost and all its defenders slain by now. The journey will take two days provided you are not attacked.
E) Head northeast, you will try to catch Nanshe before she reaches the Watcher's stronghold. You still want your diamonds back. To hell with the risks.
F) freeform
2. What do you do with the loot?:
A) You take as much as can be easily carried.
B) You take it all on foot though it will slow you down.
C) You take it all and load it in the carriage. You will not be able to use the carriage to transport soldiers or yourselves this way (This option is not available in any choice 1 option that abandons the carriage.)
D) freeform
3. There are fifteen dead ghôls in a pile and five on the pyre. Do you do anything with them?:
A) No, you are not about to go chopping up corpses when you have more important things to do.
B) Yes, you take the heads off the Watcher's ghôls but leave Nanshe's alone. Each of those heads is worth a gold coin though you will not desecrate the remains of 'allies' even if the term is applied rather loosely here.
C) Yes, you take the heads of the Watcher's ghôls and Nanshe's. Each is worth a gold piece and they do not need them anymore.
D) freeform
4. There is a little black bag around the dead mage's neck. It likely contains a piece of the Watcher. You are not stupid enough to put it on but you wonder if perhaps you should take it to deny it to your enemy.
A) You take it and put it in the obsidian lockbox.
B) You leave it where it is.
C)Take the Watcher's stone but give it to the Captain of the Royal Escort. Have him keep it in the obsidian box and inside his backpack at all times.
D) freeform
5. Do you wish to send an eagle to Myrgard to ask for reinforcements?:
A) Yes, you send an eagle to the Pathfinders. They will be able to respond quickest and have the best quality soldiers of any of your allies even though there will only be a small number of them. Also you promised Bari that you would let him in on your next suicidal adventure, this would probably count.
B) Yes, you send an eagle to the Arrows. They will be able to deploy rapidly and Ceannard likes you enough that he may help as long as the promised payout is good (100+ WPs). There soldiers are quiet skills though it may take them a bit longer to mobilize.
C) Yes, you send an eagle to the King. He will be able to mobilize the largest force and bring proper siege equipment if necessary however his soldiers will also likely have the least training of any of your options. This is also likely to be the slowest option.
D) No, you will not call for help. It may not reach you in time and this is your business and no one else's.
E) freeform
6. Do you want to change the spells in your rings? (This will require a majority of voters):
Derryth's Ring:
A) Yes. (List the spell you want to place in the ring, no rituals.)
B) No. You will keep your Heal spell.
Thaïs' Ring:
A) Yes. (List the spell you want to place in the ring, no rituals.)
B) No. You will keep your Heal spell.
Chapter 40: Where Angels Fear to Tread
Chapter 40: Where Angels Fear to TreadThe night. This night. It has been kind to you, it has sparked a revolution, it has returned part of your treasures to you and it has spared you loss and misery.
Yet you are not entirely here, the night pulls you away, back into years long gone. Perhaps that is the nature of the night, when the world shrinks around you, or perhaps your mind seeks an escape from the horrors that are likely to await you at your destination. In either case you chase your thoughts back, back to your earliest nights and the lessons they taught you.
As a small child your parents would terrify you with stories of the night, of the dark things and nameless horrors waiting to snatch up rebellious little girls. They told you tall tales of fairies and elves and goblins that would devour you whole or spirit you away to their mossy halls and clap you in the thick chains of eternal servitude.
As a child you had believed them. Early you would race to your bed with the setting sun, early you would rise with the day, but then such is life on the farm. There is very little to do when the light disappears and strange shapes dance in the corners of one's mind. So you learnt to hide from the night as so many do.
You were a good little girl in those years. In the end it mattered little.
Parents dead. Farm gone. You learnt.
In those early years you sought out the night, the fear; you explored the dark places. Your curiosity bloomed then and you sought to prove to yourself that there was nothing in the dark that was not there in the light. Fear and excitement were your constant companions and each spurred the other to greater heights. On the streets of Madrigal, Tyr and Covenant you learned to love the night. As long as you treated her with respect, as long as you approached her with cunning, as long as you paid her, her just due. So long as you did all that the night protected you, hid you and buried your secrets. For a few years that was enough, you lived without contemplating your fears and found peace in action without thought. Keen eyes, quick hands, it was enough.
Then in a tomb, cold and thick with the stench of the dead, you learnt again. You learnt that there are terrors in the dark that can not stand the light.
It was almost your last lesson.
Henry saved you, it was not the first time you met the mage and it would not be the last but it was the most important. It set you on your path.
"Understanding, child," he had said, "With understanding comes power. There are many monsters in this world: some big, some small, some seek the dark, some move in the light. All are real and all are dangerous but only to those that do not understand."
He had explained to you then that the path of the mage, of the true mage, is one of understanding. The men of the light, the beasts of the night, even the Dark Gods themselves are as nothing before the true mage. For the true mage understands them even as they fail to understand themselves.
On that dark night, in that tiny crypt, you learnt the most important lesson of your young life. Never again did fear touch you the same way, never again could it reach into your very soul and rob you of your sovereignty. You still felt it of course, it still pulled on you as it does on all those that live and still remain master of their own minds, but never again would it shape you.
For the first time you forced your absolute will upon the world, for the first time you cast a spell.
It worked. The world bent just a little, not enough to impress anyone, not enough to discourage the monsters of light and dark, but it was a start.
You can trace the exact road that has led you from there to here, the same road that is now leading you back to Fort Blackrock in spite of Nanshe's warnings. You need to understand what you are up against in order to beat it and the fort holds all the answers at the moment.
You hope this is not a trap.
You hope the fort still stands.
You hope you are not too late.
-------------------------------------------
You stop at the path that leads up to the fort, nearly half an hour away. The sky is black with smoke and crows. You will go no further until you have some idea of what you are up against.
"Are they still following us?" your friend asks Berty nervously.
"They sure are Taide," he shakes his head, "The bastards know we are headed to the fort, they know we do not have the time to go chasing after them and they know that they can easily fall on our rear the second we engage whatever forces they have besieging the fort."
"Assuming it still stands," you mutter.
The smoke coming from the top of the mountain has you all concerned but you have to maintain formation and take it slow up these mountain passes. The last thing you need is to get caught strung out on a trail with that signal still shadowing you.
"Ah, don't think like that Derry," he slaps you on the back, "First rule of war is ta never give up! Sometimes you can beat the other guy through sheer bloody-minded stubbornness. Ya' just got to refuse ta' die!"
"Wouldn't that give the advantage to our enemies though," Lyssa chimes in, "What with them being undead and all?"
"Bah! Let me at 'em!" he begins to hop around, shadowboxing, "Why I ain't met the stiff yet that the ol' one, two could not drop!"
As Berty dances about you ask Lyssa for an update, "Has your eagle seen anything at the fort?"
She shakes her head, "A lot of smoke and a lot of crows. That is all she has to report. She can not get us more information unless she get closer but she can not get closer with all the crows about," she lets out a frustrated sigh, "If I send her up again she probably won't come back."
You wave Myora over, "What about our scouts? Have they seen anything?"
The maul nods in satisfaction, "Yes, old Neel has managed to get almost to the gates without being spotted. Don't ask me how though with all those crows around," she lets out a short, harsh laugh, "He really is the best."
"So what does he have to say," Thaïs enquires.
Myora nods and her momentary mirth evaporates, yielding to her usual businesslike demeanour, "The fort has definitely fallen but perhaps I should let our scout give his report himself," she whistles twice and a short, grey man makes his way over to your group.
He does not bother to introduce himself or wait for permission, instead he simply nods and points at you, "You the one in charge now?"
You nod and he launches into his report, "The front gates have been smashed apart, looks like they took a couple blows from something big or powerful. The rest of the fort is completely intact from what I saw and there appears to be no actual damage to the rest of the structure. The smoke we are seeing does not seem to be coming from any fire I could spot. It may be a spell but I have no way of knowing. Good news is I did not see any undead while near the fort but the bad news is it is definitely occupied. While hiding under the wall I heard two individuals speaking in a tongue I am unfamiliar with. They were not speaking any human language and while I am no expert I am fairly certain it was not dwarven or maulish either. The crows are thick as flies around the fort as well but not one of them bothered to look at the ground, they are all scanning the skies, probably looking for your eagles."
"And what of Jawbone, Rand or their men," you ask.
"Jawbone's dead," Neel spits, "His body is strung up over the main gate. A couple others are also hanging off the battlements. No idea what happened to Rand and the rest, though Rand is a sneaky bastard so he might be in there somewhere," Neel shakes his head, "A fucking shame too, Jawbone owed me fifty gold, now that old bastard will never pay up."
The fort fallen, the garrison defeated, it might just be wiser to withdraw.
As you contemplate giving the order your thoughts are interrupted by a howling and crashing of drums.
The signal that has been tailing you flares to life and it is reasonably powerful. Probably as strong as you or Thaïs alone. It seems that your stalker has finally chosen his moment to strike.
In response a curious and haunting melody descends from the fort on the mountain. Two signals flare to life from within the fort. The first is as strong as you and Thaïs put together, it has a slight quality to it that you recognize; a sort of clod flame, dancing but without warmth. You suspect it is the Creature Nanshe warned you about. The second signal, much to your dismay is stronger still. While it is nowhere near as powerful as the great archmages you have encountered it is still beyond you, Thaïs and Lyssa combined.
Discretion may well be the better part of valour here as it quickly becomes clear that you are outmatched. If you were dug in, with the advantage of thick walls and heavy artillery you believe you might just prevail by carefully timing your shots but out here on the side of the mountain you feel horribly exposed.
Myora races to your rear in attempt to form a steady front against your newly emboldened adversary while you turn to your supporters.
"I am open to ideas people," you gesture to the group.
Berty is the first to speak, "Attack the fort! They will never expect it and we need a proper wall between us and whatever is coming our way."
He obviously can't feel the two signals that have come to life within the fort, "Berty, that might be a bad idea," you and Thaïs reply together.
He arches an eyebrow, "Why?"
"Two more mages, stronger than the one behind us are up there," Lyssa whispers.
"Can you beat them?" he quickly asks.
"Maybe one of them if the three of us worked together," you shrug, "I don't know about both of them though. They might simply be too strong."
He nods in resignation, "Then we hit the smaller group and run like hell!"
"That might be the sounder course of action, yes," you nod before asking the question you all fear, "Do we have time though?"
Berty considers the question for a moment, "I would say we got about twenty minutes before whatever is in that fort can get all the way down here. Provided they don't got some means of rapid movement," he hesitates as an idea comes to him. He grunts, clearly unhappy with it but quickly resolves to tell you anyway. He leans in close to your ears, "We could always sacrifice the infantry and six of your escort. If they attack our pursuers then we should be able to smash right through with the chariots and carriage in the confusion. We would be abandoning them though."
You are loath to abandon your mercenaries, "It might be a bit of a gamble but what if the three of us attacked this mage together. Perhaps we could push past him or destroy him and rout his group. They are likely less powerful than we are if they refused to join battle until now."
"We would have to be very quick about it though," Lyssa adds, "All they have to do is hold us off until the group from the fort arrives and we are finished."
"None of these options are terribly encouraging," you are forced to acknowledge, "I just don't know w-"
Your eye catches movement as a large stone shifts to reveal a short, narrow tunnel. A figure steps out of the low tunnel, you have trouble placing him which means it could only be one man, "Rand?" you call hesitantly.
He gives you an inscrutable smile, "Glad you remembered. If you would please follow me I can escort you to safety."
You grin, "Let me marshal the men first."
He frowns and shakes his head, "I am afraid it must be only you and your friends. By now our enemies know that you are here, we will need the distraction provided by our men to safely escape."
"What about the King's men? What about Myora?" you demand.
"The Kings' men must stay, they will fight hardest and buy us the most time," he drops his gaze and for a second you sense sadness, then it is gone again, "Myora must also stay, the passages we must pass through are old and a maul simply will not fit. Please, we must leave quickly."
He looks ready to flee back into the tunnels at any moment, with or without you.
Above you, from the fort on the mountain, something powerful begins to move.
You have no more time.
You choose to:
A) Attack the Fort, it is certainly not what they will expect. But you will have to defeat whatever is up there and whatever is following you.
B) Attack the smaller group that has cut off your escape route. You will try to take out the enemy leaders in the hopes of breaking through with your entire force. The biggest concern is that you may run out of time and end up trapped between your enemies.
C) Order your infantry to attack the smaller force and push them out of your path. If they succeed you should be able to ride through with your carriage and chariots. You will have to abandon all your infantry, Myora and six of the Royal Guards though.
D) Spit your forces. One group (Group A) will engage the enemies coming down from the mountain while the other (Group B) tries to break through the smaller group. It might give Group B more time to escape but everyone in Group A is almost guaranteed to die or get captured. (In this option you are free to list your preferences on who will go in each group. For example, D: Group A: Berty, the Blackrock grenadiers, etc Group B: Myora, the mauls, etc )
E) You will take Rand's tunnels and trust him to lead you through the mountain. You will however have to abandon your infantry, your vehicles, Myora and the chests. Either because they will not fit or because they are needed to buy you time.
F) Ambush Plan: "We give all the remaining cubes to Lyssa with a ring of mass fear to fend off the crows and send her and a sapper team back to mine the whole trail. Lyssa's job is to use illusions to hide the team from crows and scare them off with her ring if that fails. Have Berty take as many volunteers as he needs to get the job done without keeping them hidden burdensome for Lyssa. Neel can take the shot but he should have a backup in case he is felled.
We hit the other group hard and fast and try to break through as quickly as possible. Our goal is to split or bottle their ranks and give ourselves and the sapper party an escape route. Thais and Derryth take out any mages while the troops do what they know how to do. Once the mage is down they opportunity fire as needed. If we hear explosions we give them some time and then withdraw."
G) freeform
Chapter 41: The Drowned Dead
Chapter 41: The Drowned DeadYou turn the possibilities over in your mind. You could fight, charge up the path right into those mages coming after you. You might even catch them by surprise but if they are as powerful as those signals they are emitting suggest then you will have a difficult time defeating them. There is also the force to your rear to consider, they could easily hit you while you battle their superiors.
No, fighting is out.
Then you have to run, simple as that.
Marshal all your forces for a breakthrough attack on the smaller group, or perhaps decapitate their leadership by targeting the enemy mages. You are not sure though whether you have time to succeed with either plan.
There is also Rand's tunnels, but no. You will not abandon your followers without a fight.
You mutter to yourself, "Fight or flee... maybe fight and flee..."
"What are you thinking Derry?" your wiry tactician asks from your side.
"What if we attack both groups," you reply with a subtle smile.
"That... that would be suicide," Rand replies as he edges towards his hole, "I am not going to stay here and die trapped between mages. Come with me, we can regroup, we can come up with a plan, we can-"
You stop him right there. From what you have been told of the man he is not a coward and the odds are admittedly stacked against you in a straight up fight.
Of course you have no intention to fight fair, "We are not using the tunnels. We are going to get out of this together."
Myora and the Captain nod, likely relieved that you do not intend to sacrifice them. Rand, however, does not let you say another word. He is gone in an instant, back into the darkness of the tunnels, racing from the light into the cold earth.
"Want me to send someone after him?" Myora asks, "The traditional penalty for desertion during battle is death."
She radiates hostility, most of it directed at the hole through which Rand made his escape.
Death, a high price to pay but then perhaps it is fitting. In any battle each soldier needs to know that their comrades are there for them until the bitter end. If loyalty will not suffice then fear may have to do in a pinch. Either way it is of little concern now.
Dismissively you gesture at the tunnel, "Let him go, we do not have the time or the people necessary to worry about him at the moment," you motion for your comrades to draw closer, "I have a idea, but I need a little help setting it up. I want to put our grenadiers to work mining the road, then..."
---------------------------------------------------
You consider the enemy formation through your spyglass. It is nothing if not odd.
The ghôls form a tight line pressed shoulder to shoulder, five ranks deep. Before each ghôl in the front rank is an impressive metal shield buried in the dirt.
Behind them, wrapped in heavy cloaks stand nine figures. They feel identical though they clearly are not. Some are short, some are tall, some are lean, almost skeletal, while one is almost as wide as she is tall and you are fairly certain that one of them is a maul. In form they could not be more different but in action they appear identical.
"Decoys?" you mutter.
Thaïs at your side offers a suggestion, "Perhaps some sort of illusion similar to those used by Miosguinn?"
"Maybe," you focus in on the group, "Someone over there is definitely casting."
None of them seem to have their weapons ready from what you can tell and that makes you nervous. You are fairly certain that they are hiding something but you are not sure what.
You hate surprises, at least when they are directed your way, so naturally you resolve to uncover this mystery in the most direct way you know of.
You pick out the first ghôl in the line and you launch an assault his way. Your attack goes wide however, something or someone is shielding the minds of the ghôls thought they are not too terribly strong. It must be the enemy mage.
You could try to force your way through, fight both the ghôl and the mage at the same time and it would work eventually, but there is an easier way to do this.
"Thaïs," she gracefully turns her head as you call her name, "Care to help me interrogate one of our enemies."
She beams, "Certainly, which one did you have in mind?"
"Third from the right," you subtly gesture at the ghôl, best not to hit the same target twice, "When I attack the enemy mage is going to try and stop me, I want you to attack him or her and buy me time."
She nods and begins to focus.
Again you launch your assault, again the ghôl's mind collapses before you. You feel the enemy signal build, it comes for you again. This time your friend is waiting and she hammers it as you sift through the ghôl's recent memories for the information you require.
You are not gentle as you smash through the compartments of his mind. You rip and shred his mental landscape in search of the information you seek and you think you are closing in as one second passes into the next.
Something is wrong.
The signal Thaïs is fighting splits, first into two, then three, then six and finally nine. Nine incredibly weak signals. Each of the new signals would barely be worth your attention, such weak signals hardly even rate as actual talents, and yet you sense danger here. There is something else as well, something dark, watery, deep and eternally hungry.
The new signals lash out at your friend from every direction. They move in mesmerizing patterns, they split, they vanish, they fuse back together and launch a new attack from an unexpected quarter.
What is worse is that every time they strike her they attach the tiniest thread of a spell. You can only just perceive what they are doing. They are weaving a trap for her, trying to drag her mind away toward that hungry darkness. She is aware of this and tries to break away but they are all about her, she can not escape and you doubt you would be able to either if they had caught you in that trap.
Once while crossing the Cloudspine mountains years ago a summer storm had forced you, Henry and your caravan into a set of shallow caves. You waited out the storm there in complete safety and your guards kept away the beasts of the pass. The next morning as you sat on the lip of a nearby ridge and looked out over a wide valley you saw the most fascinating and saddening dance play out before you. An old bear beset by a pack of wolves, far more powerful than its foes it fell all the same to their coordinated attacks. A feint here, a bite there, they dragged it down to death. As your friend attempts to fight off the pack assailing her you once more see that bloody dance.
Thankfully she is not alone as that bear was, she has a friend in this and you will be damned if you will watch her fall. It takes everything the signals have to keep your friend contained, to drag her slowly towards the wet, looming darkness. You have a clear view of what they are doing and you intend to stop them.
You snatch up what little you can from your victim, a few words and imagines, then you launch yourself into a new offensive aimed at the little signals.
Together, in perfect harmony, they could just trap Thaïs, maybe they could even trap you, but the two of you together are far too much for them. They scatter as you move to strike them and your blows hit nothing but ether. Quickly you free your friend and cease casting.
"What?" she pants, "What was that?"
"I don't know," you give her a shoulder to lean on and a moment to recover.
You look out at your enemy, moving in perfect synchronicity. You think of Mazzarin, you think of Faceless, you think of Shiver, and slowly a dark thought comes to you "Maybe... he couldn't... did he?"
"We are running out of time here ladies," the Captain marches up to you with Myora close behind, "My chariots are ready."
"As are the infantry," Myora adds with that tone of cool professionalism you are becoming accustomed to.
"Good," you reply with a slight nod, "However we have a problem. Those ghôls in the front rank are chained together through magic and are concealing long spears. If we hit them with a cavalry charge we won't break through."
"Then we will load a few grenadiers onto the backs of the chariots and we will hit them with a few volleys to soften them up," the Captain answers undeterred.
Sadly there is more, with a sigh you continue, "The second rank also has heavy crossbows."
"What is a crossbow?" the Captain asks as Thaïs produces hers. He laughs, "My men are heavily armoured, if all they have are those little things then they will never injury us."
You shake your head, "Theirs are much larger. They will fire them using the first rank and their shields for cover. Hell, they will probably aim for your horses, they are not well armoured. They have done this before though not against chariots I think."
Myora stares at her feet, lost in thought as the Captain curses, "How in the hell did they get this sort of equipment! Armour! Shields! Now these, these crossbows!"
Thaïs provides the answer, "Our enemy has dwarves in his employ. Perhaps they are giving the ghôls this equipment or perhaps they have taught the tribes how to make them themselves."
"Well what are we going to do?" the Captain mutters in annoyance, quieted by the thought of dwarven traitors serving the Dark.
You think to yourself, now that is a good question and yours is not a military mind. You do not really know how to solve this.
It seems though that someone else does.
Myora begins firing off questions, "You said they have done this before? What were their targets?"
Your answer is quick and to the point, "Merchants, the odd militia."
"Good," she nods, "We can do this if they are not a veteran company. My infantry will go in first, stay behind with the chariots and wait for us to punch an opening."
She seems almost happy as she speaks, you feel compelled to comment on it, "You really enjoy this don't you?"
She gives you a wink, "It is what I live for," she turns to her assembled men, "It is time to show our new employers what Blackrock can do!"
They cheer as they from rank. Mauls to the front, humans to the rear, and the dwarves in the centre.
They advance with Myora at the heart of them.
The first volley hits them quickly enough. The heavy crossbows live up to your worst fears as dozens of bolts strike home with tremendous force.
Yet not a single maul falls.
They laugh in fact, howling at the tops of their lungs.
Those mauls with skin thicker than leather and heavy armour dozens of centimetres thick will not fall to a little arrow fire while the humans and dwarves behind them are safely sheltered.
The ghôls frantically reload their bows as the mercenaries begin to close.
The dwarves swing out from the center, splitting in half they advance on each wing as the mauls increase their pace.They break into a sprint, great shields and blades swinging through the air.
The ghôls are faced with a dilemma, strike the mauls with a close volley and attempt to break their charge and that of the human warriors behind them or focus on the grenadiers, each of which readies a cocktail for a devastating volley of their own.
The robbed figures do not know what to do. This is not a problem that magic can solve, at least not with you and your friend present to pressure them. They also have no mind for military matters, they freeze as Myora's soldiers hit them.
The heavy spears of the ghôls are of little use against the chopping blades of the mauls. The great warriors rend and break the spears by the score while the dwarves bombard the enemy, painting the path in blood and littering it with body parts.
What is left of the enemy force wavers, it is clear the ghôls want to flee but chained together as they are they must stand and fight. You need them to break as you are quickly running out of time.
The scene before you is controlled chaos, bodies flying and blades clashing. Above you the crows circle, flying back and forth from the battle to fort. None of them try to directly interfere though, perhaps they are concerned for their own welfare, Lyssa certainly seems to think that is the case.
You catch the back of a chariot and Thaïs quickly follows as the captain leads his men out. You have to get to those mages and deal with them quickly.
-------------------------------------------
The captain personally drives your chariot with skill and daring. He slips through a hole in the enemy's line with six chariots close behind.
As you approach the enemy mages you feel a small tug on your mind, the piece of the Watcher calls to you but the call is weak. Sealed within multiple boxes each with a different lock and key held by a different member of your group there is no way for anyone to get to the fragment bolted to the floor of the Captain's chariot. It is safe and so are you.
The cloaked mages howl together and begin casting as you approach. A bolt of pitch arcs from the fist of the closest mage. The mage aims for you but is far too slow and does not think to lead his target. Instead the bolt strikes the fourth chariot back but the result is still devastating. The bolt hits the chariot in the side and splatters the riders and horses. They scream together as they begin to dissolve and plummet over the side of the trail into the valley below.
The nine continue to cast, readying another bubbling bolt of black fluid but you have no intention of allowing them to cast unimpeded.
As you approach the group your chariots split. Your chariot swings to your left with two behind you as the other three chariots, including Thaïs', break right. Hopefully they will only be able to target one group at a time.
Four of the chariots loose a javelin, each striking a separate target in the torso or upper legs. Your opponents seem undeterred and barely register the projectiles lodged in their frames. They hurl another bolt of pitch completely missing their target as they coat the ground behind you. A pair of your allies are not so lucky as they race over the patch and their chariot begins to dissolve. Their horses' legs give out and melt away as their wheels buckle throwing the riders clear from the crashing chariot.
Having witnessed the punishment these things can take you decide not to take any chances. You launch a firebolt spell at the closest mage. The crimson bolt coils through the air between you. She watches it come, without fear or anger, she lets it strike her. Even as it consumes her, the flames shifting from red to harvest yellow, emerald green, then sky blue, she continues to cast. The blast knocks back her hood and the visage that greats you is horrific, bloated, rotten, dead. These mages are dead, merely a shell for something else. The idea worms its way through your mind as her flesh burns away, as her muscles are consumed, as her very bones are rendered to dust she merely continues with her spell.
Her ashes blow away in the wind as the mages ready another bolt.
You hold up a single hand with a single finger raised at your friend, you shout the word, "One!"
These things, whatever they are, are not people. They are tools and you will break them all, it is perhaps the closest thing to mercy you can do for them and if you can practice your magic while you do it then so much the better.
You are momentarily distracted by one great cry from above you. The crows, each and every crow from here to the fort, scream out in unison and begin to swirl high into the sky. Their combined mass casts a shadow over the sun. For a second you think they are massing for an attack but it is quite the opposite. Rather than attack, this great airborne army moves off to the northeast. They continue to scream as they go, fleeing as quickly as their wings will carry them. A curious occurrence to be sure.
You return your gaze to the battle just in time to catch a truly amazing sight.
Thaïs scores next, with a energon cube in hand she manages a greater energy bolt that catches a pair of mages on the far side of the pack from you. This is your first time seeing your friend's new spell and it is a thing to behold. It almost has a life of its own as it springs from her knife blade. It claws its way through the air, howling, screaming, diving at its target. Purple, sapphire, cobalt, the many strains of her spell loop around and through one another in a masterful dance as they crash into the pair with a tremendous boom. The bolt arcs between them as they are burnt away in moments.
She beams at you as her group passes near, "Two!" she shouts as she begins to weave another spell at an impossibly tiny little woman.
"Damn show-off," you mutter to yourself. You scan the group looking for a target and spot a set of three. The tall one, the round one, and an elderly one, bent by age. The tall one begins to conjure up another black blob. You wonder if perhaps that is the only spell this group knows that is suitable for offence. They certainly are not powerful or creative but they seem untiring and perhaps that is why they were sent to shadow you.
"Captain, bring us closer to that group," you point at the three.
"Your sure ma'am? They look like they are getting ready to fire!" he shouts back.
"That is what I am counting on!" you will show her how to improvise a spell! You know the basic theory she used to create 'Greater Energy Bolt' and you are fairly certain you can apply it here with firebolt but you also do not want to use up an energon cube like she did so you plan to do something just a little underhanded.
You prepare a Greater Firebolt spell and you wait, the spell perched at the tip of your staff. The plan is ingenious but simple.
Back during your rather suicidal assault against the Watcher's army outside the border fort you and your friend had each hit the same target with an elemental spell. The two spells had attempted to devour one another and did tremendous damage to the target.
This time, working from the same principles you intend to let your enemy's spell power your own. Just as the three cloaked figures are finishing their spell you hit it with your 'Greater Firebolt'. Your spell, much more powerful than theirs and desperate for energy quickly devours their spell and takes on some of its properties. It solidifies somewhat, tuning into a dark red paste that coats each of the three mages, painting every inch of them above the waist in a boiling hot magical concoction that quickly dissolves them into one large puddle of bubbling fluid. It also eats a two metre wide and one metre deep hole in the ground.
"That's four!" you shout to your friend as she watches, mouth agape.
She gives you a wink and proud smile as she blasts the legs from out of a tall, muscular mage and lets the chariot run over its head. Just to make sure it is dead she blasts it again reducing it to ash, "Four for me too!" she shouts.
The remaining mage, the maul, attempt to draw enough power to cast but is unable to and so changes tactics. With a surprising burst of speed it charges at your chariot and up ends it. You and the captain crash out into the dirt. You have the presence of mind to cast the Warrior's Mask on yourself as you roll clear of the wreckage. The Captain manages to land on his feet, "Must be part cat," you mutter.
The beast is quickly bearing down upon you when it is struck in the back with a blue bolt of electricity as your friend rushes by.
It turns to meet this new attack and you exploit the opening to hit it with another firebolt, then a third in rapid succession. You focus on the left side of its body and with you fourth bolt you manage to shave its arm clean off. The massive mound of rotten flesh crashes into the dirt with a resounding thud.
You are slowly wearing this thing down but you only have a few minutes left before your ambush party will come racing down the mountain. You need the enemy routing by the time they show up.
Thaïs coordinates her next shot to hit at the same time as yours. The swirling maelstrom of fire and lightning that is unleashed upon the maul as you hurl your spells is impressive. The dwarves continue to hurl javelins into the monstrosity as well and eventually its bloated body gives out and collapses in the dirt.
With the last mage dead the chains holding the ghôlish line together shatter and all resistance evaporates. The path is clear but you can feel two powerful signals racing down the mountain.
They can probably feel your success and are determined not to let you escape.
As the thought crosses you mind a deafening explosion rings out through the mountains.
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That strange little man and the mage left a few minutes ago.
The dwarves had done their work well. Giggling like children in the first days of spring, they loved their trade as surely as he loved his.
Now he just has to wait.
Just him and his prey.
Well, really just him, his prey, that young tracker and their driver but that does not sound half as good.
They are nervous.
He isn't.
This is not his first hunt.
It is not his first battle.
And if this is war, it is not his first either.
One of the men mentioned an archmage, said something about a Shade, meaning a dead archmage. Well if a guy wants to be technical an undead archmage.
Balor used them. Soulblighter used them. Some even say that Alric's buddy the Deceiver brought a few over to the Light during the last war.
Doesn't much matter really.
Neel has never fought an archmage. He has never fought a Shade either if that is really what is waiting for his arrows but he knows a little, he knows enough.
He knows it can be killed.
He knows that ordinary men like himself have done it in the past and will do it again.
He knows it is possible so he is going to try.
'Cause that fucker killed his friend and some things a man simply can not abide.
---------------------------------------
He hovers along at top speed lost in his own thoughts, he will catch them, that much is certain but it is all so very dull.
This was meant to be an easy job.
Something he was forced to do as a way to make up for his last failure.
Failure.
Something he has not experienced in over five hundred years.
It has a curious taste to it. An interesting aroma but now that he has experienced it again, refreshed his memory so to speak, it too has grown stale.
Boredom.
Nothing is worse than boredom, not pain, not humiliation, not loss, nothing. Tastes like rotten eggs and it just sort of hangs in the back of your throat.
Yet he had to go and worse yet one of the 'master's' little flies insisted on coming along. As if the job was not easy enough they had to bring that experiment of theirs along as well. Why not simply send the entire bloody army and be done with it!
Annoyance.
Ah, annoyance. Better than nothing, tastes like sea salt and burns like mustard. Still, what he wants more than anything is to be surprised. It is so hard to surprise him that every time it happen it is to be cherished.
He was surprised when he discovered that those mages were present.
The crows told him quickly enough and he prepared for something glorious, like the last time they met. Alas they proved to be nothing but a disappointment. They took the bait just like the mercenaries would have and now they have lost their fort and soon they will lose their army and their lives. No, not their lives. They have talent and he will not see them become part of the 'master's' experiments. He will take them, he will bind them to himself and use them as he sees fit. A fitting fate for talented mages without cunning, they will become his tools in the world and they will love it, love him, like they all do.
Unfortunately that means he has to rush somewhat. He has mobilized his entourage and roused the Shade. First they will catch the lone signal on the cliffs, no doubt some sort of rearguard that has lost its nerve.
Well it will serve just as well as the other two.
Then he will descend on his pretty things and snatch them up. The experiment will probably fall to them but it is of little importance, perhaps that will encourage his 'master' to stop toying with that thing he created. If it-
Surprise.
It smells of roses and early morning dew.
It tastes like chocolate and cinnamon.
The arrow flies past him, past two of his men and hits the ground.
His eyes follow its flight, right to a satchel charge.
He grins.
Oh! These girls will be fun to play with!
------------------------------------------------
The entire ridge lights up.
A good chunk of it even rolls down the mountain side.
Neel shouts and pumps a fist in the air, "Well fuck me! I don't know if any of them were archmages or Shades or what-have-you but they are fucking dead now!"
The three soldiers cheer as the remains of the pursuing party rain down around them.
-------------------------------------
"All of them?" you ask in disbelief.
Lyssa nods grinning from ear to ear, "Every last one," she just about shouts.
Myora is quick to caution you, "They may have left part of their force in the fort or they may have a larger force on the way to secure it given that they took pains not to damage it. It may be wiser to continue on to Mygard for the time being."
Berty chimes in, "If they establish themselves in these mountains the army may have a hell of a time dislodging them, Derry. We may be able to capitalize on this tremendous good luck if we can seize and hold the fort until reinforcements can arrive."
You consider your options.
1. There are a few ways you can play this:
A) Return to Myrgard. Without an enemy force in the area (that you know of) the trip should be relatively safe. Once you reach the city you can personally inform the King of what has happened or choose some other course of action.
B) Return to the Fort. You will have to be careful of any traps left by the enemy but your unexpected victory here might allow you to recapture your fort. If you do so you will: (B choices will be counted together with the most popular choice chosen should B win)
Warn the King (The King can send a large military force of Albrecht Guards but they will be the least well trained of your options and will take the second most time. You may be able to get him to give you some funds to help with the defence of the fort. Alternatively he can send a detachment from the Royal Army in his capacity as King. These soldiers will take longer to deploy as they require an order from the assembled Lords but they are also the best trained of your options. If the issue goes before the Lords and passes then you will also likely require funds to help hold the fort. Should the motion fail then you will have to try something else. Alternatively they may offer to buy the fort from you and turn it into a military outpost.)
i. You will send a message to the palace by chariot informing the King of what has happened and asking for House Albrecht reinforcements. This has the advantage of allowing you to get rid of the Watcher fragment in your possession should you so desire. (A simple yes/no on the stone with this option will suffice.)
ii. You will send a message to the palace by eagle informing the King of what has happened and asking for House Albrecht reinforcements. This is the quickest means of requesting help from the King but it will also deprive you of all your air recon capabilities.
iii. You will send a message to the palace by chariot informing the King of what has happened and asking for Royal Army reinforcements. This has the advantage of allowing you to get rid of the Watcher fragment in your possession should you so desire. (A simple yes/no on the stone with this option will suffice.)
iv. You will send a message to the palace by eagle informing the King of what has happened and asking for Royal Army reinforcements. This is the quickest means of requesting help from the King but it will also deprive you of all your air recon capabilities.
Ceannard and the Arrows (Ceannard can mobilize more quickly than anyone else and can keep what is going on a secret should you so desire. His men are well trained and about on par with Blackrock. He will expect to get paid of course.)
v. You will send a message to the Arrows by chariot to purchase Ceannard's help. This has the advantage of allowing you to get rid of the Watcher fragment in your possession (you can still send it on to the King) should you so desire. (A simple yes/no on the stone with this option will suffice.)
vi. You will send a message to the Arrows by eagle to purchase Ceannard's help. This is the quickest means of requesting help from the Arrows but it will also deprive you of all your air recon capabilities.
Your other Blackrock Mercenaries (Myora has offered to send an order to your Stoneheim branch requesting reinforcements should you desire. They can send half their force should you wish. It will take them some time to arrive but they are skilled warriors and it will allow to maintain control over the fort while also avoiding payment for mercenaries.)
vii. You will send a message to Stoneheim by chariot to request reinforcements from your Blackrock branch. This has the advantage of allowing you to get rid of the Watcher fragment in your possession (you can still send it on to the King) should you so desire. (A simple yes/no on the stone with this option will suffice.)
viii. You will send a message to the Arrows by eagle to request reinforcements from your Blackrock branch. This is the quickest means of requesting help from Stoneheim but it will also deprive you of all your air recon capabilities.
ix. You will simply hold the fort with what you have to hand. This is your business and you will deal with it yourself.
x. freeform: any combination of the above or something else entirely.
C) You will take control of fort and set charges to decrease its defensive capabilities. You will then return to the King.
D) Freeform
Chapter 42: The Battle of Blackrock I
Chapter 42: The Battle of Blackrock IIt was a simple matter to retake the fortress, with only a handful of ghôls to act as defenders and no gates to protect them your enemies did not stand a chance.
You gave orders to your vanguard to take them alive for interrogation.
Orders which were promptly ignored as soon as the mercenaries saw Jawbone and their friends strung along the battlements like festival ribbons.
"Another one over here!" Myora shouts. You casually glance out the window as her words drift up to your ears. In her usual cool tone she reminds your men, "Mistress Derryth wants him alive!"
No sooner do the words pass her lips then a ghôl, worn and weary, dressed in ragged black robes, bursts past her and makes for the main gate. He is moving faster than most men can run but though he is moving quickly he does not truly stand a chance.
You contemplate giving the order to let him go, your mouth opens. Then you remember how that would look, how insane it would sound, and you promptly shut it again. It is hard to think of them as animals now but on reflection there is little you can do. They are the enemy and you know for a fact that if they had you in their power you could only pray for a quick death.
For a moment you consider hitting him with an assault spell but there is little point, he is already dead. He ensured it as soon as he ran.
You mutter about the stupidity of it all as your archers loose their arrows.
They catch him before he is even half way across the yard. A trio of arrows connect with a rapid series of thuds. He gasps as they drop him and send him skidding along the stone yard. He twitches slightly and one of your sell swords drives a blade through his neck.
Myora glances up at your window and catches you watching. She turns to her men, "Damn it you slack jawed fuckwits! I told you alive!"
She does her best to act furious and they do their best to act remorseful but you do not buy any of it. It is all a show, put on for your benefit.
"Myora! If I might have a word," you call down to your officer.
"Yes ma'am!" she gives one of the archers a light kick and hurries inside.
Turning from the window you mutter, "They are not following my orders."
"Give it time," Thaïs replies from across the room. She sits at Jawbone's desk sorting through stacks of old documents, she spares you a glance and a smile, "They care enough about your opinion to try to lie to you. That has got to count for something right?"
You laugh and shrug, "Perhaps."
It is true that they do respect you now.
You could see it written on each of their faces after you brought them through this. Many of them likely thought that yesterday would be their last day alive. Perhaps time is all they need, perhaps it is too much to expect that they will follow you like one of their own in a little over two days time.
"Another one!" one of your men yells.
You do not even bother to look this time till a pair of explosions echo out into the afternoon air. You rush to the window, "No cocktails in the fort!"
"Sorry ma'am!" someone calls back from below, "Won't happen again!"
You turn from the window, shaking your head slightly, "I wonder how Gareth does it..."
Thaïs laughs, that sweet, melodic sound that soothes your frayed nerves. It has been a busy couple of days and you are glad you have her here to help.
Below you and about you your subordinates scurry, they are all busy with their assigned tasks and they know, to a man, that time is of the essence.
Your grenadiers are doing their best to set up a number of kill zones around the keep. If you are attacked you want as many advantages as you can get.
Myora, your warriors and your archers are searching the grounds for any remaining enemies. The main buildings seems secure but you do not want any surprises turning up later.
Berty, the girls and your escort are working on a new door or barricade to patch up the hole in your defences created by the enemy mages.
Finally Lyssa has spent most of her time running between the adjoining chamber and the cellar. You have set her to work catching mice and rats. You want more spies, more scouts, and any animals you can find will be put to work for your cause. From the occasional laughter and happy squeaking coming from the chamber you think her assignment is going well.
You also took the precaution to send messages to your allies. Yesterday afternoon, shortly after retaking the fort, you sent word by chariot to Myrgard and Stoneheim. To the King and the head of your Stoneheim branch. Hopefully reinforcements will be quick to arrive.
You also sent a message to the Black Arrows by Lyssa's last eagle. Ceannard's men are some of the best in the east and each would be worth their weight in gold to you if a battle must be fought here.
With all these preparations for war going on around you it may seem strange that the two of you have spent much of the last day trying to make sense of Blackrock's records. But you have to consider the future of the company and your own futures as well. If you survive this then you need a way to make money, and quickly, or you will drown under the debt you have taken on. You would hate to save the kingdom only to spend the rest of your days in a debtor's prison. Though your friend assures you that the dwarves would not go that far unless you tried to flee the kingdom.
"Find anything in your stack?" you ask her.
She frowns, "Yes and No. These records are not simply a mess, they are purposefully misleading. Without Jawbone around it will take me quite some time to sort out everything Blackrock has been up to. I should be able to piece together enough to get them functioning within the week but it could take substantially longer than that to uncover their entire history and discover any hidden assets they may possess."
Not what you wanted to hear.
Myora has been kind enough to give you rough estimations of the personnel tucked away in your other facilities and has also been able to provide you with what she knows about your remaining officers however she has not been able to give you much more than that. She was a junior officer prior to the purge and simply is not aware of much of what Blackrock was up to prior to her promotion.
You desperately need to talk to Rand but the man must be half way to Myrgard by now provided he is not lost somewhere below the mountain.
As you rub your temples you remember something Myora mentioned, "What about the head of our Stoneheim branch? Tind, was it?"
She nods as she draws a folder from a stack to her left, "Yes, he may know more. His records state that he has been with the company for years so he may be our best contact at this point to help us manage the company."
You adjust you hat, "Well then I suppose we will need to arrange a meeting with Tind. Provided we do not all die out here first that is."
She shoots you a sly look, "Always the optimist?"
You grin, "Naturally why I-"
You are interrupted by a rap on the door, "Come in," your friend calls out.
Myora enters, "You wished to see me?"
"Yes," you nod, "How are our preparations coming along?"
"We have nearly completed our search of the fort ma'am. We are clearing the last of the passages at this moment. The grenadiers are also making food progress setting up a few surprises for any aggressors," she pauses to guage your reaction. You signal your approval and motion for her to continue, "Mr Levy and your escort are also making good progress on the front ga-"
"Riders approaching!" one of your men on the outer walls calls out.
The three of you approach the window as a very large wagon pulled by a team of six rolls up to Berty's barricade. Driving the team is a pair of dwarves in heavy black robes, behind them sit another three dwarves and, to your surprise, a pair of eagles perch on the back of the wagon.
Your escort moves to stop them but Uttu instantly recognizes one of the drivers, "Astrid!" she hollers and her sister takes up the call. In an instant they are up onto the cart and badgering the Pathfinder with dozens of questions.
You think to yourself, if Astrid is one of the drivers than surely Bari is the other. Then, as if on cue, the second driver looks up to your window and waves, "Good afternoon Derryth! We heard you were having a few problems with the Dark! Thought we would swing by!"
It takes you a few minutes to get down to the courtyard and in that time Bari has already begun to win your escort over. Effortlessly he weaves together truth and falsehood as he spins a tale about being a soldier of fortune from the Province. He tells them that you saved him from some unfortunate business with a few cultists years back and he has been in your debt ever since. You are surprised by just how much truth is in his story but then perhaps the best sorts of lies are the ones that are mostly truth.
They seem to buy the story as well since by the time you reach the group they have all noticeably relaxed. All except Berty, that is. He approaches you as you cross the courtyard, "Ya know these dwarves?" he whispers in your ear.
"Yes," you respond without hesitation, "They are my friends. Why do you ask?"
He eyes you cautiously, "They are lying Derry, that's why."
"They have a good reason to," you whisper back and move to lead him over to the Pathfinders.
He resists for a moment, then shrugs, "Alright Derry. If ya vouch for them that is good enough for me."
As you approach you are able to discern the identities of Bari's companions. He must have enlisted everyone at the safe house when he received your message as Ori, Stori, and Alvis have all come along. You also recognize some of the boxes they are unloading, Pathfinder weaponry, he must have brought everything and your eyes light up when you spot a pair of mortars nestled in the back of the cart.
Bari catches the look in your eyes, "Well you did say to bring help. So I brought help. Now where is the enemy?"
Ah, you have been dreading this part, "Well Bari the thing is..." you look to Thaïs for help.
For once she can offer none, "Well what you must understand is..."
The dwarf's grin slowly fades from his face, replaced by the most desolate expression, "You, you killed them all didn't you?"
"Now Bari-" you begin but he raises a hand in protest.
"No, no need to soften the blow," he hangs his head, "You fought evil monsters again and I missed it, again."
He looks so defeated, "I..." he turns to the other Pathfinders, "Right, stop unloading. We have to pack all of this back up and get it back to-" you interrupt him with a hand on his shoulder.
Thankfully you know a way to cheer him up, "Yes Bari, we killed them, but only the first batch."
A spark of hope ignites in his eyes, "The first batch?"
Thaïs nods and approaches the dwarf, "Yes the first batch. Our concern is that there will be more," she leans in to whisper in his ear and you just catch her words, "Maybe an army."
"An army," he mouths the words, clearly excited.
"We can tell you more inside," you suggest.
He nods and makes for the compound at top speed.
---------------------------------------------
The Pathfinders settle in without much difficulty and barely a day and a half later Ceannard arrives with his Arrows.
They come dressed in their finest. Crisp black and gold uniforms for his Arrows while his new recruits wear black and bronze. Each has a gleaming blade at his side and an elegant bow on his back. They march in three columns up the winding path with Ceannard riding at their head.
The man is clearly trying to impress and no doubt he will charge quite a bit but you are glad to have him and his archers here.
Between your mercenaries, Bari's Pathfinders, and Ceannard's Arrows your fortress should be quite difficult to assault now. Of course there is no knowing what the Watcher might send your way.
It has been quiet. Far, far too quiet. You have not seen or heard a crow since the battle. You have not seen any enemy movement at all but you know this can not last and it doesn't.
The next evening your eagles spot the approach of an army. Your human scouts return soon after with similar news and sure enough, within six hours you are staring down from your tower window at the enemy army approaching in the distance.
Around the table behind you sits your command group: Thaïs, Berty, Bari, Myora, Ceannard, and Lyssa. No one speaks.
"So what are we looking at here exactly?" you break the silence.
Lyssa begins, "Well, one piece of good news is that they do not seem to posses any crows. Whatever happened to the birds during our battle seems to have scared them off for the time being."
"Could they be hiding perhaps?" your friend asks.
Lyssa shakes her head, "I don't believe so. My eagles have been dealing with these crows for weeks now. They would know if any were near."
Myora chimes in, "Our scouts report the same. They do not seem to have any aerial support. They also do not seem to have more than a few dozen ghôls with them. Most of their army is comprised of thralls and soulless. Maybe four hundred thralls and as many Soulless."
"Then we have a clear advantage?" Bari remarks with a confident grin.
"Not quite," you reply, "They definitely have mages. I can feel them down there."
"How many?" Berty enquires.
"Hard to say really," you sigh, "At least twelve. Some of them are quite powerful too."
"Shades?" Ceannard quietly hazards.
Thaïs nods, "Quite possibly. They are certainly more powerful than we are and there is something more as well. Something familiar."
You know exactly what she is talking about, somewhere down there the Watcher's Creature is casting. You would also not be surprised if the entity controlling those dead mages is also down there.
The already sombre mood in the room is not improved at all as Lyssa begins to speak again, "Not to add further to everyone's concerns but there are few other developments that might concern us. They have brought a large number of covered wagons with them, I do not know what is inside but they might be dangerous. They have also sent an advance party forward to build some sort of pavilion. Though what they hope to achieve in doing so I certainly don't know."
Worth considering perhaps.
At the moment though broader strategic decisions require your attention.
Now that you have seen your enemy you need to decide what you are going to do about them:
A) Defensive Strategy: you will stay in the fort. Secure every entrance as best as you can and wait for the Royal Army and your mercenaries to arrive with help.
B) Offensive Strategy: you will march out and attack their advance party before they can finish whatever they are doing. (feel free to specify the forces/individuals you want to use if you so prefer.)
C) Avian Assault Plan: "Since the sky is finally clear of the crows. While we are busy fighting their vanguard, two of Lyssa's eagles each equipped with a spell ring with something powerful (Greater Firebolt and Greater Energy Bolt respectively) in it would soar in the sky, well beyond the spell range. When the time is right, we give them a signal (say, Uttu's flare in the enemy faces, which can also - probably? - blind them, giving us an additional advantage), whereupon they dive on the enemy from behind at top speed and unleashes the spells at the Mage while we do our best to distract him."
You have a few proposed force compositions for C, they are as follows, if you do not care about the actual composition of the raiding force then a plain C vote will sufffice:
Ci:
"Lyssa, Derryth, and Thais.
Uttu, Billiku, and Berty.
Two of Lyssa's Eagles with a greater energy bolt ring and a greater firebolt ring.
All Pathfinders with their mortars loaded onto two separate chariots with drivers.
Ceannard and half his archers. The other half left in overwatch on walls.
Neel and his scouts.
Twelve chariots loaded with royal guards."
Cii:
"Lyssa, Derryth, Thais and Uttu.
Two of Lyssa's Eagles with a greater energy bolt ring and a greater firebolt ring.
All Pathfinders with their mortars loaded onto two separate chariots with drivers.
Ceannard and half his archers. The other half left in overwatch on walls.
Neel and his scouts.
Eight chariots loaded with royal guards.
Four chariots with drivers for our main characters."
D) Pathfinder's Day Out: "Stay defensive, but let the pathfinders out to cause mayhem behind enemy lines. With crows gone they should be good and time it with a strike against the mage it should be glorious."
E) Avian Assault with Grenadiers: 'However here my take, blitz in with the chariots loaded with grenadiers, rain down cocktails and quickly retreat, then bombard them with the mortars that have taken position in the rear prior to the charge, at this point use blinding and stunning grenades, that will be the ante for TWO eagles charging from above to unleash the greater energy bolts stored in the rings, the White Mage is a sure target the other should be another mage of choice or possibly a group of them.'
The force list for E will be as follows:
"Lyssa, Derryth, Thais and Uttu.
Two of Lyssa's Eagles with a greater energy bolt ring and a greater firebolt ring.
All Pathfinders with their mortars loaded onto two separate chariots with drivers.
Ceannard and half his archers. The other half left in overwatch on walls.
Neel and his scouts.
Eight chariots loaded with grenadiers for throwing cocktails.
Four chariots with drivers for our main characters."
F) freeform: something more specific or complicated.
Chapter 43: The Battle of Blackrock II
Chapter 43: The Battle of Blackrock IIThe preparations for your strike have gone well all things considered.
Thaïs, as always, proved supportive and her words added to your own were more than enough to convince the others to take this risk.
It will certainly be a challenge, but you feel it is worth it. You do not want the Thin White Mage to finish whatever he is doing and the only way you know how to stop him is to kill him, again.
It is a bit frustrating, to put all this effort into removing the man, if he is a man, only to have him reappear within days but you can see no way around it. You need him out of the way for as long as possible and you also need to know what he is doing out there. You need to know what that structure he is erecting will be used for and if possible you intend to destroy it.
For all these reasons you are about to sally forth against an unknown number of mages with unknown capabilities and a small army of undead supporting them.
You had thought the most difficult part would be convincing people to come with you.
That proved easy.
No the most difficult part was convincing a certain someone to stay behind.
You knew going in that this would not be easy, so you resolved to do it together with Thaïs. Your hope was that your friend's way with people would serve to soften the blow a little, it did not work.
"What do you mean I have to stay!" she hurls a clay pot across the room. It strikes the wall a metre from where you stand; leaning against a tall writing desk. It shatters into dozens of small, cutting fragments which join a quickly growing mound in the girls' room.
Thaïs adopts a soothing tone as she approaches the girl, "We are sorry dear but we do not want to put you at risk unnecessarily."
You just about wince, that is not going to help. Biliku may be a child, but she is also a warrior and no warrior wants to be 'protected'. Particularly one whose self appointed job is to protect others.
Biliku is absolutely livid. You have not seen her this upset in the entire time you have known her and sure enough the accusations pour forth, "Goddess! Why don't you trust me! Why don't you ever take me with you!"
"We do trust you dear," your friend tries again, "We just do not want anything to happen to you. The people we will be challenging are very dangerous and-"
"Oh, dangerous! Right!," she snatches up a cup and pitches it toward the pile, "But it is not too dangerous for Uttu!"
The knowledge that her little sister will be going with you certainly has not done wonders for her mood either.
Perhaps it is time to step in, "Kid," Biliku turns toward you as you step toward her, "That is what this is about isn't it. You are worried about Uttu."
With the cause of her discontent now plain for all to see her demeanour shifts. Manic energy gives way to a profound stillness within the girl.
"I-" she drops her gaze, studying her feet. She stands in silence as one moment turns to two, then three, "She is all I have left."
Thaïs begins, "You know we will never let anything happen to her."
"We promise, we will keep her safe," you add with a reassuring smile.
Biliku will have none of it, "You can't promise that."
"Dear we-" your friend begins but you gently stop her.
"Can we have a minute alone Thaïs," you ask, somewhere between an order and a question.
"Of course," she replies with a nod. She gives one final look to the girl and withdraws from the room.
You both watch her go.
As she exits the room and shuts the door you turn to your protector, "You're right. We can't promise that we will protect her."
Biliku's eyes betray a hint of gratitude, the truth, it is all she wants.
You push on as she eyes you carefully, "I won't lie to you here. Any of us could die out there. The people we will be fighting are dangerous and while I hope this plan works I can not guarantee that everyone will make it back," she tries to glance away but you hold her stare, "What I can promise you is that I will take every precaution necessary, and I will not under any circumstance abandon Uttu. You have my word on that."
She knows you, she trusts you, she would die for you.
But this is her sister, her responsibility, she is trusting you with and so she hesitates.
She stares at you, stares into you, your past, your present. She interrogates your very soul with those probing eyes and she finds what she is looking for.
She knows you will keep your word if you can.
She throws herself at you.
It is not the first time and it damn well won't be the last but still you are caught off guard.
She squeezes you, "Thank you, Derryth. Just, thank you."
It must be hard for her, poor kid. You imagine she will fret and worry over her sister the entire time you are gone.
In that instant a peculiar thought takes hold in your mind, "Biliku."
She looks up at you, "Yes?"
"Since I am borrowing one of the most important people in your world, I think it is only fair that you borrow one of the most important people in mine," she releases you as you remove your pack and begin to root through it.
You drop down onto her bed and motion for her to sit next to you, which she dutifully does.
"Ah, here he is!" you exclaim as you dramatically produce a single worn tome from your pack.
She eyes the book sceptically, "There, there is a person in there?"
You laugh. But on reflection it is not such a silly question. After all there is a person in your bracelet and a living, severed head in your room. From her perspective you might have a man trapped in a book as well.
You hand her the tome and she reads the inscription on the cover, "On the Cycles of Light and Dark by Professor Henry Jones."
She turns the book over in her hands, testing its weight and durability as if it were a weapon.
As she opens it you explain, "That book was given to me by the most important person in my life up until this year. He used it as a teaching aid, though I will admit I often didn't pay attention, he used it as a research text, and he used it as a journal. Everything you could ever want to know about the man is tucked into the pages of that book," one such page comes loose and drifts down toward the floor.
You snatch it up and hold it out for her to see, "This is a perfect example. You see the black text there," she nods as she follows your finger, "That is one of only seven intact accounts of the first diplomatic meetings between the Province's General Gaeth and Tenqgor of the Western Skrael during the Great War, the result of which was the first alliance between men and skrael since the fall of Yer-Ks. It was one of the many alliances the Province signed with neighbouring peoples when the Fallen Lords pushed westward."
Biliku nods attentively but it is clear that little of it is sticking. It occurs to you that she, likely does not even know who the Fallen Lords were, what with spending her whole life underground and all.
Still it is of little actual importance for your first lesson, "Anyway, see the blue writing in the margins here," again she nods, "Those are Henry's notes to himself and to me, in this case he decided it would be of use to him to have me learn Skrael. We must have spent three months wandering up and down the edge of the Deep Mire looking for a skrael that would not attack us on sight. We slept in caves and in trees with rocks and logs for pillows and the whole damn time it rained, and rained and rained," you beam as you recount the tale and Biliku nestles up next to you, leaning her head on your shoulder, worn down from worrying and her earlier tantrum.
"So after three months of chasing after a damn 'friendly' skrael we finally find one. Well, turns out that he only speaks Fir'Bolg and half a dozen words of Bruig. We must have spent ten, maybe twelve, months slowly winning over his trust and then he drops dead," you shake your head, chuckling to yourself, "Turns out he was the equivalent of a ninety two year old human. Honestly it was a miracle he made it as long as he did."
Biliku grins and looks up at you, "So that is what you meant. His life is in this book, so he is in this book."
"Exactly," you help her turn back to the correct page and slip the torn sheet back in, "But not just his life," you turn to the middle of the volume, flipping past well worn pages till you reach newly written text, "Henry would often lend the book to me for large periods of time. He would say, 'Derryth! I want everything there is to know about land claims south of Tyr! And I want it by next week!' Now usually by the next week he would have completely forgotten about it, but I still had to write something to make it look like I was busy. So I would do the research sure, but I would also write what I was thinking, or what was going on at the time. There is a lot of 'me' in that book as well."
"And you are giving it to me?" she stares at it in reverence.
"For a while, yes," you smile down at her, "Until we get back it is all yours. Read it, learn from it, maybe put a little of yourself in it too."
"That's... wow," she glances up at you and grins, "I will! I mean, if I can think of anything I will be sure to write about it! Thank you!"
She begins to quickly leaf through the pages, running back through the book to the beginning.
You quietly see yourself out as she rolls onto her bed and begins to read, her feet tracing circles in the air as she rests on her stomach, nose firmly lodged in the book.
----------------------------------------------------
The sun on his back, the cool mountain air in his lungs, the sound of obedient slaves in his ears. There is nowhere he would rather be right now, he can even forgive the Shades for sticking him out here. Ordering him to build their little plaything, he has no need for it, it is too brutish, to inelegant, a means to victory. Just thinking about the structure fills him with, well it would fill him with disdain if he could work up the motivation.
He pushes the thought from his mind, no sense nibbling at such meagre fare when a feast is nearby. He focuses on this day, the sun, the air, the sounds.
It is perfect.
Well, almost perfect.
It is missing something.
It is missing them. Those delightful, clever, little darlings. But he will fix that soon enough.
In nine hours and twenty three minutes they'll be his.
For the first time in an age he grins and it is genuine.
They are two for two and that is far better than the vast majority of the world will ever do.
They are good, so good in fact that he must possess them, he will possess them.
Should they fail, and they will eventually fail, he will pick them up, dust them off and induct them, with all the ceremony befitting their station, into his inner circle. They will love him, they always do.
But until then he lives for the next surprise.
The Copper Mage approaches.
He reflects on that moniker, 'The Copper Mage'. Fitting, for that is all it is now, a copper mage that builds and levels, with metal and lightning, but once his servant had a name. When it was lord and master over all it surveyed. Yes, this 'Copper Mage' was once a king amongst kings. He bested the Thin White Mage four times and for that was rewarded with service within the Creature's most inner circle. This fallen king loves him, they always do.
Ah, and as if on cue. Or rather, exactly on cue. His other servants come to him. There it walks, in that Wyrd-awful fuchsia, it was once an instructor at the premier magical academy in the Old Cath Bruig. An expert at air magic, a 'Goddess of the Winds', so to speak. She bested him five times but three of those were before he became... as he is. She too was awarded a place within his most intimate sphere and just as all the others, she too loves him.
These two together will be all he needs to capture his pretty, little things.
He just needs time an-
A dull being in dark brown leather approaches, another slave, a puppet to him and Puppet is all he will ever be for he does not even bother with names. It speaks to him, warns him of his approaching prey.
Magnificent.
He is not ready but it matters little. This time he will not lose, one way or the other, through cunning or force, he will win the day.
They are not content to hide, his pretty, little things, and he loves them for it.
No doubt they have some great trick to play on him, he can taste it, smell it, feel it drawing closer.
And he wonders as the enemy makes contact, whose trick will win the day?
-------------------------------------------
Everything is ready. The mortars are in position to your left, the archers led by Ceannard are deployed further on and to either side of the mortar. Finally your chariots wait in the wings in case you require a quick strike or a sudden retreat. Neel's men should also be in position by now, stationed in hiding along what is likely to be the enemy's flank.
You and your fellow mages remain well back with Uttu, ready to commit to any spot that looks like it needs additional aid.
Already your enemy forms up ahead of you and begins to advance, it seems you have not caught them completely by surprise but there is nothing you can do about it now as you elect to commence your attack.
On your command Bari's mortars and Ceannard's archers unleash a truly withering amount of fire into the oncoming undead. The first volley is devastating, soulless fall by the score as they push on with the mages spread out behind and the thralls in the middle.
Bari orders Ori to aim directly for the Creature, the shell will move faster than most people can see so it is certainly worth a shot but you are not surprised when it fails to connect. The Thin, White Mage does not move a single muscle to defend himself. Instead one of the mages in the Creature's command group casts out a cone of coppery fluid that spreads out, saturating the air space in front of the Creature. As the shell passes into it, it explodes with a great show of sound and fury that fails to even scorch the mages' clothes.
Ceannard tries next with a single volley from his archers. Over a dozen arrows hurtle through the air toward the Creature. This time the second mage unleashes a spell. A powerful and foul gust of wind sweeps the arrows well off course long before they reach their intended targets.
Quickly, both the Arrows and the Pathfinders redirect their fire toward the rapidly approaching undead.
The remaining soulless are now well in advance of the rest of the army and are pushing along at top speed to reach your lines. As they do so they serve both as a distraction and as a screen for the remaining thralls.
Which is odd when you think about it.
The Creature is using his hollowmen to protect his thralls as they approach. You are no general but you think that they would be better employed the other way round. Common sense would dictate that he use the, largely worthless and expendable, thralls to protect the more valuable and versatile soulless until they could unleash a few volleys of their own.
You wonder what he is up to.
It certainly is a puzzle and not one you really want to deal with at the moment. Still you set your mind to the task, raising your spyglass you examine the advancing formations. The remaining soulless should be no problem, there are barely five left already, another volley and you should have complete ranged mastery save for the enemy mages.
The thralls however have been allowed to advance half of the distance to your position without suffering a casualty.
They could do a lot of damage if they reach your line but again, you are no strategist. Those thralls should be slow and they are bunched together in groups of five. Your men should be able to pick them off at their leisure.
As the thought crosses your mind the sky begins to darken and a strong breeze begins to build. The second mage is once more casting it seems, drumming up some sort of storm. You glance to a distant copse of trees, not a one stirs. The spell is aimed specifically a your men, a few of which are forced to take several steps back and properly brace themselves. This will greatly reduce the range of your projectiles unfortunately.
Well, at least this spell is not likely to hamper your eagles, you just hope they are in their places and remember the plan.
Your attention is pulled back to the battlefield as the Thin White Mage begins to cast. Something odd and powerful, it takes the form of a slight tune upon the wind, upbeat and lively but it does not seem to be directly dangerous.
You casually turn your attention back to the running thralls, wait, the running thralls?
You focus in on them, sure enough, they are sprinting across the battlefield.
Some bellow in excitement, lending their voices to the music carried on the wind. Others swing their weapons wildly through the air as they bare their teeth, hungry looks in their eyes.
Whatever those are, though they may look like thralls, they are certainly not thralls.
Worse yet, some of them begin casting, harnessing the storm above them. They stoke its fury and summon its wrath.
A bolt of blue lightning cracks down from the sky and obliterates two of your chariots. A second bolt hits one of your mortars. Ori howls and throws himself in the dirt. You can not tell if he is alive or dead.
While their brethren bring down the storm others begin to twist, transforming as they run.
They become great broken backed stallions, rotting, flayed bulls, screaming beasts of madness and despair. Part of you shudders at these transformations, even as you marvel at them.
Shapeshifting is a lost art, the only known practitioner of which was Soulblighter and as far as anyone knew he took that secret to the grave with him. How these creatures know how to do it is beyond you.
As you examine them though your keen eyes spot discrepancies. These things don't move correctly for the animals they are fashioned from, the way they run, the way they leap. You think they might be illusions. You hope they are illusions at least and the thought gives you courage.
You begin to shout the order to shift fire but your captains have already taken the initiative.
You watch as Bari shouts new coordinates to his men. A volley of shells, grenades and cocktails fill the air but due to the storm many of them fail to reach their targets. Worse yet, it begins to rain. The enemy must be trying to silence your dwarves with a little water but the Pathfinders seem undeterred. The mortar continues to fire as they switch from cocktails to their special grenades.
Ceannard's men also manage to put up a steady and reasonably accurate rate of fire, dropping almost a dozen of your enemies in a single volley.
You feel the need to step in but quickly remember that these beasts are simply expendable pawns. The Creature alone is likely to require all your abilities and those two mages with him do not seem weak either. From what you have seen here and the strength of their casting auras you are fairly confident that each of them is also a match for both you and your friend combined. In a fair fight you would be easily outgunned, thankfully you do not intend to fight fair.
A cheer encroaches on your thoughts.
As the beasts begin to drop the spells around them fail and those that have 'shifted' instantly snap back to their human forms. You were right, they were merely illusions meant to scare your men and against weaker soldiers they may have worked but the Arrows are the best and the Pathfinders simply will not run from a fight.
The music on the wind builds, it flows over you and through you but it is becoming clear that it is not aimed at you. As it builds to a crescendo the thralls begin to glow slightly and leap into the air. Easily, they cover the distance between them and your line of battle in mere moments.
Uttu squeaks in horror at this new threat levelled against her idol.
"Some sort of physical spell?" you mutter.
Thaïs nods, "Looks that way," concern creeping into her voice.
Your enemies land amongst the Arrows and their axes reap a bloody toll on the mercenaries before they can react. In moments Ceannard loses half of his force, mostly newer recruits as his fully trained Arrows roll and weave out of the way. Quickly they draw their falchions and proceed to take the fight to the enemy. They may be masters with the bow and lightly armoured but it seems they do not lack skill with a blade. As you watch Ceannard personally drops a pair of attackers with a well placed feint, a roll and two quick cuts.
Uttu cheers with each cut and thrust, you think you hear her mutter, "I want a sword like that."
The thralls are falling, though not as quickly as you had hoped. These things certainly fight better than normal thralls but their equipment still drags them down, it is heavy and poorly made. The results are telling.
With your enemies now hopelessly entangled with your own forces most of the Pathfinders and some of your escort quickly rush into the melee.
As you focus on the fight something catches your eye. You focus in on the face of the nearest monstrosity. As the rain soaks it, it appears to be melting. Or rather the blues and greens of its face are running down its neck. Instantly you grasp the importance of this information. These things are not some secret arcane horrors, they are not even thralls, hell, they are not even undead. They are human. Completely human, a few of them may be mages but other than that they are simply sell swords in your enemy's employ. Your men quickly realize the same and cheers ring out along your line as the information spreads. Still, they are fighting with a suicidal conviction that you would not expect from mere sell-swords. You wonder how exactly your enemy has managed to acquire such loyal servants.
Speaking of your enemy you turn your gaze back to his last location but he is gone.
Has he withdrawn?
You scan the battlefield.
No, he has not fled.
In fact he is rapidly advancing with his two mages in tow and a fourth figure in brown leather.
His party is advancing on you, using the distraction caused by his men to cross the battlefield unmolested.
This is it, he will reach your group in moments and you hope that everyone is prepared.
---------------------------------------------
They have been surprisingly direct so far. It disappoints him. It bores him.
He knows that they must have some sort of trick awaiting him but he does not care anymore.
Either he will win for himself a delightful surprise or he will win them. Both outcomes are satisfactory.
As he closes, he raises a single hand, drawing his servants to heel.
Puppet steps forward, today he shall be the Thin White Mage's mouthpiece.
"Good afternoon," his puppet greets those lovely creatures with a slight bow.
"Um, hi," it is not either of his targets that replies, they merely eye his man coolly, but a third woman.
He eyes her, interrogating her as his puppet continues to speak, "You, ah, you are the signal from the ridge, correct?"
She hesitates for a moment then nods.
He smiles warmly though there is not a single ember of real warmth left in him.
"Marvellous!" the puppet clasps his hands together, "I came for two and I shall receive three. You will of course come with your friends into my service."
"Your service?" the mage replies, she glances from the puppet to his master, "You are speaking through this poor man?"
The Creature grins to himself and orders his puppet to nod.
Good, this child is not a complete dullard and may also be of use if given time and proper instruction.
"We aren't going anywhere," the lead mage replies.
She has, hmm, spirit perhaps?
Most unbecoming in a lady or a servant and doubly damning here.
Well he will simply have to cure her of that, "I would prefer if you came of your own free will. It is so much more pleasant that way and I am sure you will agree-"
"I sincerely doubt that sir," the second mage interrupts.
Rude, these two are rude, it annoys him slightly, "My dears there is nothing you can do to me here. My servants will protect me from any spells you may wish to cast and I can assure you that your soldiers will not be able to overcome our combined might. You have put up a splendid performance, though this last act of yours is perhaps wanting, still I must say I am impressed."
He glances past them at the child standing nearby, his puppet steps forward as it speaks, "What a little dear you have there. Is she a mage too perhaps? Would you like to come with your friends dear?"
She sticks out her tongue.
Little brat.
He has no time for children, perhaps he will feed this one to the 'master's' priests. A fitting end for such a creature to be sure.
He turns his attention back to the lead mage as she once more insists on speaking out of turn, something about 'fighting to their last' or some other such nonsense. Such poor behaviour, he shakes his head in disappointment as he gestures for Fuchsia to increase the ferocity of her storm.
The rain turns to hail and thunder rumbles low through the mountains drowning out the lead mage's mewing. She is beaten, whatever she has to say is of little importance. A rival might deserve such respect but a child deserves nothing but punishment.
Hmm... punishment.
Perhaps he should kill their young child now as a lesson, though they might well attack. People can be so terribly unreasonable about such things.
He might lose a single follower, perhaps two, to their first volley of spells but it would be a fair trade all things considered. He would lose a pair of toys but gain three new ones to mould and shape as he sees fit.
Yes.
A fair trade.
He begins to cast.
The girl will die he-
Surprise.
Two quick volleys from behind.
The arrows fly true coming from beyond the limits of Fuchsia's spells. She falls without so much as a scream and as she dies her spell dies with her.
He turns to spot a small group of archers, but nothing he can not handle. An ambush, clever girls, but nothing more than clever. To be brilliant they would have to do so much more.
Quick as thought he issues his orders. To Copper he hisses kill, and points at the archers.
Copper grins as bolts of electricity dance across his fingers and he marches toward the archers, incinerating their arrows as he goes.
He cuts loose on the enemy, easily vapourizing three of them within moments and catches the lead archer in the hip; throwing him to the ground. Ah, at least Copper never disappoints.
To his puppet he whispers capture, the thought slides easily from his mind to that of his servant.
With a nod Puppet is gone, fading into thin air as his invisibility spells take hold.
Unfortunately those rude girls have decided to attack as well. Puppet, loyal servant that he is immediately moves to protect his master as is only natural.
He is quick but only just quick enough to die as the three ladies each loose an elemental spell. Winds buffet Puppet preventing his advance as fire and lightning weave around one another binding together and feeding off each other in a way the Thin White Mage has never encountered before.
The braided purple bolt strikes Puppet. His skin cracks, blackens and flakes off. He wobbles till the spells devour his knees and he falls backward carried by the wind. Crashing into the rocky ground, he dissolves into nothing.
Well this is most unpleasant.
While their surprise is not terribly interesting it has already cost him two of his more interesting pieces. If he loses Copper then this whole expedition will have been a net loss.
As if on cue Copper's signal drops out. With a frustrated sigh he focuses on the cause of this further annoyance. It seems a couple of his enemy's soldiers have managed to slip away from the fighting.
A pair of dwarves bicker over his servant's corpse, "Damn it Bari! It counts as my kill! See that blow there? That was from my staff!"
Those two will pay for killing one of his finest pieces, particularly one as useful as Copper and he knows just the spell to do it.
"You must be losing it old man!" the second dwarf replies, "See that knife sticking out of his throat? That is my knife and I am telling you it counts as my kill! Hell it should count as double points on account of being a mage! That would put me ahead by exactly-"
Damn it all!
He missed.
That old dwarf is far faster than he expected.
The two dwarves roll together along the rough path and spring back to their feet.
His spell continues to dissolve the ground they had been standing on.
He is now severely outnumbered.
Still he does have a way out, gifted to him by the shades in case he was 'once more outsmarted by children'. He shudders slightly, he is going to have trouble living this down.
He reaches into his robes and withdraws a half metre long shard of black stone. It pulses, alive in his hand as he begins the incantation.
----------------------------------------
You're plan is working, the Creature is now alone, without allies and living shields to absorb what will come next.
Hell, you might even be able to beat him now without your last surprise.
Everything has gone so wonderfully. Then in moments it all threatens to come crashing down.
The Creature produces a rod of pitch black stone. It takes you mere moments to realize what you are looking at, it is possibly the largest piece of the Watcher you have ever seen and as he holds it before him he begins to chant. The rod is carved along its length, strange sigils and runes glow silver and red along its surface.
Even looking at it pulls on your mind. You want to possess it, need to possess it and glancing around the battlefield you are not the only one.
A thin black tendril of ethereal energy extends toward you and you are powerless to stop it. It hovers in front of you and a similar tendril snakes toward each of your allies. They are dark, cold and wet, a manifestation of the Creature's will as fuelled by his master's near limitless powers.
Most of your soldiers are too far now to help and those that might serve as threats are all bound by similar tendrils.
Your companions look at one another, hate in their eyes, all it will take is a single order, a single instruction and they would slaughter each other to possess the rod.
Even your own extensive training does little good as you feel your mind pulled toward the rod.
You cast about, looking for some sort of aid as your reserves begin to fade, Caoilainn screams in agony, already lost to the rod. You search for your allies but even Thaïs and Lyssa seem close to the very edge. All may well be lost, your eyes begin to close, then a flash of light crosses your vision and strikes the Creature head on.
Uttu has managed to fire her flare. The Creature must have forgotten about her in the chaos.
Your mind begins to fold but you smile. If the eagles can just reach you in time.
---------------------------------------------
The flare is more of an annoyance than a serious threat now though he will miss that arm.
It will take him at least half a day to replace it and he finds that quite vexing really.
Still he has no one to blame but himself. To think he missed the child, thought her defenceless due to her age. It is not a mistake he will make again.
Well, no matter, it was simple to fix, one more tendril and hardly worth mentioning.
The incantation is working splendidly, in a few more moments the tendrils will attach themselves and he will be able to use one half of his enemies to slaughter the other.
Then he will make his captives pay.
Those dwarves, perhaps he will pour molten copper down their throats, that would be fitting.
That child, he will need to think of something special for her, perhaps the boats? Or the saw? Maybe the compression disks. Or perhaps, just perha-
Well that certainly came as a surprise.
Death from the skies.
He hums to himself as he drifts away on the breeze.
Maybe next time ladies.
------------------------------------------------
"That is a rather deep hole," Lyssa is the first to speak and she sounds awfully impressed.
It is a rather deep hole you are proud to admit, maybe three metres by one metre.
The way your spells interacted was actually a bit terrifying.
A serpent of fire and a great bird of thunder, each crashed into the other and attempted to tear one another apart. At the centre of it all stood your enemy, a direct hit from both of your eagles ensured his demise. They hissed as they burnt off his clothes, they screeched as they devoured his flesh, peeling large chucks off his slender frame.
They screamed together as they cracked and crushed his bones and he just stood there, in shock.
The flames and smoke cast up from his body quickly became electrified as arcs of azure energy coiled around him. The spells even hit him with such velocity that they burned this hole into the very rock. It was quite impressive, you are not afraid to admit.
He died quickly but painfully and you can't say you are sorry to see him go, even if it is only temporary.
If one thing disturbed you about the whole affair, it was the eternal smile plastered to his face and the excitement that mingled with the flames, dancing in his eyes.
As he faded away you could swear that three words were carried to you on the breeze.
Next time ladies.
You shudder slightly but you are victorious and now you must decide what to do with your victory.
1. The Structure: The Creature's party was building something. You need to decide what to do with it.
A) Leave it. You do not want to waste any time with it. (No extra time)
B) Level it. Have the Pathfinders try to destroy it with their remaining mortar. At least you will force the enemy to start over again from the beginning. (Ten minutes?)
C) Investigate it. This may take time, which you may not have, but you will attempt to study the structure and determine what its purpose is. (Unknown time)
D) 'Investigate it. This may take time, which you may not have, but you will attempt to study the structure and determine what its purpose is. Use the time the chariots are taking to shuttle your wounded to investigate. If it is important to the enemy and has unreplaceable components that can't be easily taken, level it. If it has important components that you can transport, steal them. If it is nothing special leave it and save the ammo for the army.'
E) freeform
The Wounded: You have several wounded from the battle but you do have some mandrake roots on hand. You could use them to heal some of your forces while you could try transporting others in your chariots. Note: your force can only travel as quickly as its slowest members. (For example, if the dwarves have to walk then that is the speed you will travel at. If necessary you will send any wounded ahead though.)
2. Ori: He is alive but only barely. Thankfully you have now mastered the Heal spell so a single mandrake root should almost bring him back to healthy condition.
A) Of course you will heal him. (1 mandrake root, 1 minute)
B) You will use your mundane medicine to try to save him. You do not want to use a root just yet. If you can get him stabilized you will need to use a chariot to transport him (1 chariot, 25 minutes)
C) You will link up with Thaïs and Lyssa to cast Heal on Ori without using a mandrake root. This will be a bit more difficult than simply using a root so it will take a little more time. It will also use up one third of your remaining magical reserves. (5 minutes)
3. Neel: He is badly injured but it is not likely fatal. You could easily heal him with a mandrake root or you could try to patch him up and send him back to the fort in a chariot.
A) You will use a mandrake root. (1 mandrake root, 1 minute)
B) You will quickly patch him up and send him by chariot. (1 chariot, 10 minutes)
C) You will link up with Thaïs and Lyssa to cast Heal on Neel without using a mandrake root. This will be a bit more difficult than simply using a root so it will take a little more time. It will also use up one third of your remaining magical reserves. (5 minutes)
4. Your Soldiers: You currently have five wounded soldiers in various conditions (Four Black Arrows and a dwarf from your escort). How do you want to treat them?
A) Use mandrake roots on all of them (5 mandrake roots, 5 minutes)
B) Use mandrake roots on the seriously wounded and send the lightly wounded in chariots (2 mandrake roots, 3 chariots, 15 minutes)
C) Do not use mandrake roots on any of them. Try and save them with mundane medicine and use chariots to transport them (5 chariots, 60 minutes)
5. The Black Rod: It currently sits smouldering at the bottom of the hole you made. From what you can see it is not damaged in the slightest. Merely looking at it fills you with the urge to pick it up and wield it but you hold yourself back. What do you want to do with it?
A) Leave it. You do not want that thing anywhere near you or your people. You will fill in the hole and trap it. If the enemy finds it at least you are likely to kill a few of them as they recover it.
B) Take it. You do not really want it around and you have no intention of actually handling it (or letting your other mages handle it) but you will not leave something this powerful for the enemy.
C)'Throw it in the tunnels and then collapse them. You'll wait outside, far, far away from it until the job is done. Have a chariot drag the staff to the fort and have a dwarf with no magical affinity as driver and a separate dwarf carry it to the tunnels and cover it in molten metal. Cover it in lead if you have enough. If you have almost enough base metals to cover it then consider smelting gold into the mixture to get enough.'
D) freeform
6. You can send messages to the following parties, trying to coordinate your actions with them. (Select as many as you wish, those options that receive more than half the votes will be chosen. If you do not wish to send a message then simply select B)
A) You will send out messages:
i. 'Send a letter via an eagle to Albrecht explaining that you have engaged the main Watcher's army and though you are holding your ground, you are taking casualties. Also send him a detailed breakdown of the Watcher's forces that Nanshe have given you. Request any assistance he can bring, legally or illegally.'
ii. 'Send an eagle to intercept your Stoneheim reinforcements en route and warn them about the enemy sieging the fort so that they would know what to expect. Have them keep the eagle so that they can communicate with you when they get near the Fort. You may have to plan a way for them to get into the Fort through the enemy forces, to use them as a diversion for when you need to make a move, or to have them strike in the enemy rear at the decisive moment.'
B) Don't send any messages. You want the eagles on hand.
Interlude 3: What is there in the Dark
Interlude 3: What is there in the DarkSomething is wrong in the dark tower. Cries of terror fill the darkness.
The sounds of ruined dreams.
The sounds of crushed hopes.
The sounds of fear and of failure and of despair.
The sounds of crawling, skittering horrors that materialize in the night.
The sounds that will teach them to fear the dark.
And they warm her in her restless slumber.
----------------------------------------
"Help!" the call goes up and is soon joined by another and another, "Amena! Monster!"
She bolts out of bed and to the door.
Is it an attack?
With a snap of her fingers a spell jumps to life in her hands. A sphere of life and light in the darkness of the old city.
Shadows? Horrors? What could it be?
Round and round she races as she descends the stairs heading for the children's room.
Has Ithapi failed to guard them? Has the tower been breached?
The cries come as a chorus now, thirteen voices scream out in the dark.
She slams into the door, casting it open and her sphere of light fills the tower bedroom.
Thirteen children race to her. The babble, they weep, they point at the corners and closets, under their beds and outside their window as they crowd around her.
She sighs in relief and begins to soothe them.
Another false alarm but still she dutifully makes the rounds.
She fills every corner with light. She opens and empties every wardrobe. She checks and double checks under each bed. And once more she checks the runes on their window.
Satisfied but shaken the children return to their beds as Amena withdraws from the room.
Nightmares.
That is all it was, all it ever is.
Every night, every night since Derryth left the same call has gone up from the children and every night she has tried to soothe them. Every night she has been forced to make the rounds.
She has not had a good night's sleep in almost a month.
Something has to change.
--------------------------------------------
As she returns to her room to get dressed it comes winging out of the dark.
A bird, an eagle. Or at least that is what she thinks it is, having never actually seen one outside of her tomes.
It lands on her window sill and stares at her.
She stares back.
It smiles at her.
She stares at it.
It taps the glass with its talon.
She stares at it.
It shifts uncomfortably.
She stares at it.
It is seems to be getting annoyed as it slowly raises a leg to clearly display a note bound to it.
Could it be from Brigit and Gareth?
Carefully she opens the window.
Gratefully the bird enters and presents not one but two messages to her.
The first is from Brigit, she enquires after their health and she explains the presence of the eagle.
Amena smiles at the bird, "So you are a friend of Derryth's?"
The bird nods.
"And you are serving as a messenger?" she continues.
Again the bird nods.
"Well it is a pleasure to meet you then," she extends a hand which the bird graciously accepts.
Hmm, smart bird.
The second letter is from Derryth and Thaïs themselves and it is with great interest that she reads of their adventures in the world above.
She nods to herself as she finishes, reading their requests, "They want a update on our condition, they want me to teach Ithapi to read, and Thaïs suggests that I seek his advice should I run into any difficulties," she smiles slightly, "Alright, I should be able to do that."
It seems that something really is going to change.
---------------------------------------------
It is the middle of the night, or at least what passes for night in these dim caverns, and he sits staring out into the dark.
He is taking a break from his work, the reconstruction and expansion of the servants' quarters. He sits cross legged, leaning against the wall, looking out over the courtyard.
He does not sleep much anymore.
The children do not sleep.
So she does not sleep.
So he can not sleep.
It is three in the morning and she should arrive any minute now.
He counts in his head.
One.
He can hear the door below him creek open.
Two.
He hears footsteps on the stairs.
Three.
The door to his room opens. The only finished room on this floor.
"Ithapi?" she begins, "Are you awake?"
She knows he is of course. He sighs and calls to her, "In the adjoining room Amena!"
He can hear her cross his chamber and glances up just in time to see her enter the half finished room.
"Not in bed?" she begins.
"No," he answers with a shrug.
"Do you have a moment to talk?" she asks, she already knows what the answer will be.
"Yes," he replies as he draws himself back to his full height and picks up his tools, "But my break is over so we will have to talk while I work."
She smiles, "Alright."
It is not like she really wants to talk anyway. He has known her long enough to know that she just wants someone to listen. Maybe grunt here or there, offer sympathy, that sort of thing. By now he is quite good at it really.
"It is the children," she brushes sawdust off a nearby bench before hopping up on it, "They are having nightmares."
"Really," he replies dryly as he measures a new board, "You don't say."
As usual she fails to catch his tone, she nods, "Yes, horrible nightmares. Every night in fact. They dream of spiders, they dream of their goddess, she is furious at them and she unleashes her monsters on them. They run, they fall, they die and then they wake screaming. It is all I can do to calm them and convince them that they are safe."
"A shame," he begins to cut the board, the slow rhythm of his saw relaxes him.
"Very much so yes," she sighs, "I just don't know what to do. When Mistr-, when Derryth and the others were here they were fine. I just don't know what is causing these nightmares."
She pauses but he knows she is not really expecting a response from him so he merely nods and starts in on another board. For a second he thinks he can see disappointment in her eyes but he shrugs it off.
"If I could only figure out how to help them," she pushes on, resting her head in her hands, "If only Derryth or Thaïs where here, they could calm the children I just know it!" and then she says the words that completely shock him, "Ithapi, I would like your advice."
He just about cuts a finger off in surprise, "My advice?"
She nods, "Yes, I would like your advice."
Well there is a first time for everything he supposes.
He begins to cut a new board as he answers, "Well, the way I see it is that they feel weak and vulnerable. When our friends were here they were fine. Now that they are gone, the children worry. So if you want them to stop having nightmares then you need them to feel confident and safe."
She nods slowly, "Sounds plausible. How do we do that?"
He stops working and stares at her. She really wants to know what he thinks, "Ah, well, they are afraid of the dark, right? So why not teach them that Light spell of yours. Why not show them how to make the anti-shadow runes. Give them something they can use to protect themselves without hurting each other. Ah, that is how I'd do it."
She beams, "Splendid idea! We will start tomorrow, I will have to work out a lesson plan but- Oh thank you Ithapi! The letter was right!"
"Letter?" the maul responds, slightly confused.
"Oh right," she fishes around in her pocket and produces a pair of letters, "Brigit and Gareth found a way to get a message to us and Derryth and Thaïs wrote to us as well!"
He looks down at the letters, "Ah, that's great. But, well, I will have to take your word for it..."
Her grin grows wider at those words, "No you won't! Starting tomorrow, you are going to learn to read!"
Excitement ignites in his eyes but a current of caution dims the flames, "Really?"
"Derryth requested it herself," she replies with a wink.
The smile he gives her in response could light the entire city.
---------------------------------------------
The lessons go well all things considered and all of the children are excited to learn a little magic.
Only half of the children have any real gift for magic but that is fine, to teach them to create a light is a simple matter and only requires the most basic understanding of magical theory.
"Now I want you all to think of your happiest memory, someone you loved or a wonderful day, just something that brightens your mind and cheers your soul," she stands at the front of the room as her thirteen pupils sit in front of her concentrating.
"Does everyone have a memory?" she asks.
"Yes, Miss Amena," they reply in unison.
"Good," she moves to the next step, "Now I want you to take that happy thought and move it down your arm, down to your hands."
Instantly four lights appear to a collection of gasps and giggles. Two of them flare out immediately but two of the children manage to hold on, "Good work Maya! Excellent job Anansi!" the two children nod as their peers look on.
"I want the rest of you to really concentrate now," she urges the rest of the group on.
Slowly another four lights spring to life: Iktomi, Areop-Enap, Holda, Saulė, each manages to grasp the spell.
After another hour of work Amena even manages to coax to life three more lights from children with little skill for magic. Most of the children are learning but for some it is simply a hurdle they can not overcome.
But that was to be expected, thankfully she has a plan.
She calls to Ithapi, waiting in the hall, and he fills the doorframe, "Mind if I borrow a few of the children?" he asks.
"Not at all," she replies as he singles out the four children unable to form the spell.
Reluctantly they rise from their seats and with heads hung follow the maul from the room.
---------------------------------------
Their plan was always likely to cause pain. Not everyone has talent for magic and though he is certain these children could learn the spell given time and perseverance it will do little to bolster their confidence in the short term.
"I know you kids wanted to learn that spell," he begins as he leads them out into the courtyard, "But not everyone is good at everything. So instead I am going to give you a more practical lesson."
Standing in the middle of the yard are six large dummies. Each takes a different form, some are fashioned after men, some after spiders, and some after the beasts and slaves of the dark. Each is marked and notched and covered in bright paint, red for vital points, yellow for weak points, and blue for strong points.
The children eye the 'creatures' warily.
The maul gestures to two racks of 'weapons'. Wooden swords, spears, axes and mallets hang from the first while a pair of old bows hang off the second paired with a generous supply of dulled arrows.
"Magic is not the only way to protect yourself," he begins, thinking back to the very first lessions Eris ever gave him, "Every single enemy you could ever encounter has a weakness. Every single enemy you could ever encounter can be beaten. That goes for men, for monsters, even for gods. Do you understand?"
"Ye- Yes" one of the children answers, "But how?"
The maul chuckles, "That is what I am going to teach you and any of your friends that want to learn. I will teach you how to fight and I will teach you how to win," he points to the largest of the dummies, a Cyclopean horror with a great wooden horn, "See that?"
They nod quietly, their full attention fixated on the dummy. Without another word the maul draws a scavenged axe from his belt and hurls it toward the wooden figure. It strikes the target and cleaves the 'creature's' head in half.
"Wow," the children respond in unison.
"Now have any of you ever handled a weapon before?" he folds his arms behind his back.
One of the older girls raises her hand, she could not be more than nine, "Father was going to teach me, he let me hold his sword even. Then he, he..."
The maul gently lays a great hand on her shoulder, "That's all right," she looks up at him and he smiles, "I will teach you. But before any of you pick up a weapon you are going to learn to use your most powerful weapon first."
"What's that?" the youngest asks.
The maul gives him a confident grin, "How do you think Mistress Derryth beat the Blues?"
"With magic? 'Cause she is a, ah, a 'Fell and Dark Mistress of the Ar- Arca- ah, Magic Arts'?" the child hazards.
The maul lets out a great booming laugh that causes the children to giggle, "No," he answers warmly, "That was only part of it and not the largest part by far. She won because she used her head. If you learn to use your heads kids then you will be almost unbeatable. So before you learn to swing a sword you will learn where you should swing it and why. You will learn how to win and then I will give you the tools to win."
The children look to one another and slowly begin to nod, "And we will be safe?" one asks.
"And you will be free," the maul replies, "Free to create your own safety. Now shall we begin?"
They nod enthusiastically.
He begins to walk toward the targets and motions for them to follow, "Now the first thing you need to know about fighting is..."
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Something is 'right' in the dark tower. Cries of joy and triumph fill the darkness.
The sounds of spells being mastered.
The sounds of weapons striking home.
The sounds of confidence, the sounds of victory and the end of despair.
The sounds of everyday life that shatter the darkness.
They are sounds that will teach them that there is nothing in the darkness that can not be forced into the light.
They are sounds made by voices and hands that annoy her in her restless sleep.
That infuriate her with their defiance.
That fill her with impotent rage at what might have been.
That should have been hers to mould but which have been stolen from her and turned against her.
And what is worst is that she can do nothing, she can not move, she can not see, she can not act, only hear.
But she is patient, she is ancient, she will find a way into the world and when she does, oh, when she does, she will remember this and she will make them pay.
Chapter 44: The Battle of Blackrock III
Chapter 44: The Battle of Blackrock IIIOne of the advantages of only working with the best is that once your orders were issued you could be certain that they would be carried out.
Your chariots ferry the injured back to the fort as you scouts track the enemy and help slip Lyssa's spies into their ranks. The Pathfinders for their part are pursuing their own ends. Alvis, Stori and Ori have set to mining the most likely avenues of advance for the enemy forces while Bari and Astrid have been combing your enemy's camp for anything that may prove useful.
For your part you have spent the last half an hour thoroughly examining your enemy's building.
The structure your enemies are attempting to raise is fascinating and the three of you have spent a great deal of time examining it. It is fascinating because it is a complete mystery to you. And it is a complete mystery because it is so very ordinary.
In every meaningful way it appears to be merely a normal structure.
It is built from mundane wood and stone, nothing that would be too difficult to replace at least. It does not seem to contain any traps or hidden chambers, in fact it consists of a single large, open-air, nine sided room and nothing more. There are no runes carved in the walls, there are no arcane writings engraved along the support pillars, there are no orbs, or crystals, or corpses, or anything really to give you even a hint of what it could be used for with only a single exception. One of the walls is hinged and split down the middle, you have tested it and sure enough it can open fully and gives you a clear view of the mountainside your fort is located on.
In front of each of the remaining walls rests a large uncut stone, a sort of platform or pedestal that someone could likely sit or stand on.
With little else to provide a hint the three of you set to work theorizing.
"Could it be some sort of defensive structure? Something to protect their army with?" Lyssa suggests.
"Perhaps," Thaïs replies, but she looks sceptical, "However we can not actually strike at their army from the fort and if we leave our defences when their main army arrives they should have the sheer magical power to crush us in the field."
You caution your friend, "Sure, but do they know that they outclass us to such a degree? Is that an assumption they can safely make?"
Your friend shrugs, "I suppose not but have we ever known the Watcher's minions to favour defence?"
You laugh, "I'll give you that. They tend to be rather direct in their methods. So if it is not a shield then perhaps it is a sword."
"What do you mean?" the witch enquires.
"Well," you begin, "Only one side of the building opens, the side that points directly at us. What if the whole purpose of this building is to channel power from a circle of mages to a specific point? Like some sort of giant magical cannon."
Your compatriots frown at the idea and Lyssa responds, "They might have used that rod to break our minds and take the fort without a fight."
A sobering thought indeed but it gives you an idea, "A definite possibility and something to worry about if that Creature were in charge but there've been no cases of shades employing mind control that I know about. I think it would have been less subtle than that. What would happen if they all channelled Dispersal Dreams through such a weapon for example or if they used it to mass cast some sort of elemental spell. They would wipe the fort out if they wanted to or at the very least kill our entire garrison from a distance."
"Is such a thing even possible?" your friend asks.
With a shrug you answer truthfully, "Honestly, I have no idea. However a mage can channel their spells through their staves to give them better direction. The same principle applies to swords, arrows and all sorts of items. So perhaps, if they installed the equipment necessary to direct their spells, they could work together to channel their spells towards our fort."
"Would archmages really be that willing to work together though," Lyssa reminds you.
"Hmm, good point, getting a group of undead archmages to cooperate like that on a spell would be quite difficult" you admit, "I almost wish we could spin this thing around and test my theory on the enemy army."
"Maybe we can?" Bari calls out from the doorway, "Couldn't we just punch out the opposite wall, slip a felled tree or something through the hole to act as a giant staff and start firing away as soon as the enemy come into view?"
The idea does make you smile, "Would we have time to set it up?"
He weighs your question as he moves toward the center of the room, "It might get a bit close but I think so, yes."
Astrid appears in the doorway behind him, "Why not simply rig the building to explode if anyone tries to use it to cast a spell?"
"You can do that?" you and your two colleagues ask in unison.
"Ah, we can do that?" Bari looks at Astrid and she nods, he grins, "Well damn, I guess we can do that!" he beams triumphantly.
Astrid elaborates, "If I start now I should be able to set up a trigger that will detonate the entire structure if any spell is cast through that opening. It would only take maybe forty minutes to completely set up. If they fire off a spell then the entire structure and everything in it will be destroyed."
"If they don't discover our tampering," you remind her.
"Well, yes," she grudgingly admits, "It would be conditional on their continued ignorance of our act of sabotage. However I could also install a secondary trigger to set off the an explosion should anyone try to tamper with my devices. It would take more time though... maybe an extra twenty minutes."
Hmm, you might not have time for that with the enemy army less than an hour and a half away.
The quickest option would be to simply destroy the structure but there is not really anything of value here to destroy, it would be a simple matter for the enemy to rebuild the building should they desire so your inclination is to leave it standing and save the ammunition if you do not intend to do anything with it.
Before you can fully appraise your options however Bari produces a single wrapped text with a wide grin, "Guess what we found in one of the tents."
You take the tome from him and unwrap it, discarding its red velvet covering, to reveal a pristine white tome.
Astrid crosses the room to join your group, she speaks with confidence and wears a self satisfied grin, "Our friend the Creature seems to have lost something and leave it to a Pathfinder to find that which is meant to be hidden."
You and you colleagues glance at one another, "Could it be his spellbook?" your friend guesses.
"That or his journal," you answer with a laugh. You try to open the book but it is warded and refuses to budge. You suppose it really would be too easy for it to simply yield under the most basic of attempts to pry out its secrets.
There is a single loose sheet sticking out of the tome however. Out of curiosity you snatch at it and carefully but persistently begin to pull. Whatever spells keep the book from opening do not seem to prevent you from sliding the page out and as you examine it your joke suddenly becomes far more plausible.
"This must be from a few days ago," you mutter as Lyssa and Thaïs crowd around you and you read the note together in silence.
Dear Diary,
Outplayed again!
It is magnificent! It is wonderful, and joyous and unrivalled in its splendour!
Never, well, not in centuries at least, have I felt this alive!
And it is all thanks to that charming pair of creatures. I will, no I must possess such a pair of minds! They will be the crown jewels in my collection. This must happen, will happen but I am getting ahead of myself.
To think that our trap would itself be a trap!
Gullveig claims that it was all chance but I know better! I know that it was a trap! The publication of Blackrock's change in ownership was a mere ploy, a ruse to draw us out! It has to be! No one could be that lucky! No one could be that foolish! And to think I only found out when I resurrected at the secondary temple site instead of the Grand Temple but again I must pause and return to the beginning, organize my thoughts.
From what I have been able to piece together this plot must have taken months of careful planning to stitch together. It began with the assassination of our agents in Myrgard, a bold move indeed that set our operations there back by at least two months. At the time though we could not even begin to comprehend the enemy we were facing.
Next came the destruction of our northern army by a handful of 'heroic adventurers'. If only that lie were true but the truth is so much worse.
Then came my first meeting with those delightful mages. My first defeat in an age, only true mages, only minds honed and trained by the greatest of archmages (the 'master's' pride be damned for the Enemy is the greatest of mages indeed), I say only minds trained by Mazzarin himself could have been so devious, so clever, to trap me with a truth presented as a lie and meant to be more than a mere distraction! A trap within a trap, a brilliant deception!
But still their fiendishness builds. They knew that once we knew about their connection to the Enemy that we would be compelled, forced in fact, to pursue them. So what did they do then dearest diary? Why I shall tell you!
They purposefully published and spread the knowledge of their takeover of Blackrock Securities to draw us into an attack. Naturally I chose my best agent for such a raid, may the bitch freeze forever in the blasted caverns of hell for her treachery, but how was I to know! How could I even dream that she was in secret alliance with the Enemy! Ah, but hindsight is a glorious thing for now I see it clearly. Every little act of rebellion from dear, sweet Nanshe. Such a brilliant mind that one and one day she too will serve!
But returning to the matter at hand I must admit how shocked, how taken aback, I was by this turn of events. The 'Great Champion of the Light', Mazzarin himself, in collusion with a ghôl princess of all people, simply magnificent.
I must say, diary, that I pride myself on my ability to detect deception but I did not suspect such a deep and secret alliance at all. I applaud my enemies for their skill even as I damn them for their daring!
Which brings me finally to my reason for writing, the Great Temple is no more! While I fought Mazzarin's lieutenants at Blackrock the archmage himself descended upon the temple with an army of horrors the likes of which the world has never seen! With amethyst flames and bolts of crimson magic they flayed flesh from bone as great rays sailed through the air upon currents of plum energy.
Even then though we may have repelled the attack had not the ghôls risen against us on the very same night! They cast down my master's priests and shattered his idols before fleeing into the desert with Nanshe at their head!
Worse yet, to add just a hint of insult to this grave injury she stole my pet, dear Grip, and robbed me of my messengers!
Oh, in one night to see such damage done! To see such a masterful and coordinated strike against our interests! Yes we are dealing with true masters my dear diary!
But there is a way to reverse our recent fortune, I am sure of it.
Those mages, those lovely, enchanting creatures, are surely agents of the Enemy. In league and privy to his most terrible secrets! If I can but defeat them, capture them, then all of his secrets will be mine! We will find him where he hides! We will track down the rebels and destroy them! We will win and it will taste all the better for the trials we will have endured to achieve victory, of this I am certain.
The three of you stifle your laughter.
"Wow, just wow," Lyssa begins, "This guy is completely insane and he wants you two bad."
"I am fairly certain that after today you are on his list too Lyssa," you remind her with a gentle nudge.
Thaïs grins, "Yes, I imagine he will be writing about 'those three maddening creatures' from now on."
"Does it say anything else of importance," Astrid asks.
"No, I am afraid not," Thaïs casually replies, "It is just a great deal of raving about how badly he wishes to 'possess' Derryth and I."
"Yeah, it is just really creepy," you add. It would be best not to mention Mazzarin or Nanshe until the three of you are alone and have some time to properly discuss the impact of your decisions. For the moment though you need to decide if you want to use the building for anything or simply destroy it.
1. The Structure: Do you want to attempt to do anything with it?
A) 'Spike the Cannon' - Rig it with enough explosives to destroy it and everything in it if a spell is fired from it at your fort.
i. You will set up only a single trap that will fire if the structure is used to launch an attack. This will take less time but if discovered would be easier for your enemies to deal with.
ii. You will step up your trap with second trigger that will destroy the structure if the enemy attempts to dismantle your trap. This will take more time and risk the arrival of the enemy vanguard but it should prevent your trap from being easily dismantled.
iii. "Instead of rigging the trap mechanism we use our extra time to set up an appearance of us trying to blow the place up from the outside and failing to do so due to the lack of time, leaving an 'obvious' trap for enemy to disarm to lull them into a false sense of security while they are oblivious to the real one.
We send our slower forces ahead, and then withdraw on the chariots, trying to wreac havoc among the pursuers and inflict as much damage as possible."
iv. "Rig the place and use something unique as a detonator/trigger placed on top of the hut. If the trigger is removed, the place explodes. Once we get away, we keep an eye on the hut. If a mage enters it, we cast Retrieve Item on the detonator. There is a line of sight, and we have a spyglass."
B) Turn it on the invading army - It is built for eight mages not three but you do have a decent supply of Energon Cubes and you are at full strength. You could probably get off a few spells if your theory is correct and you work quickly. Of course you may also be wasting your time.
C) You leave it standing. There is nothing special about it that can not be replicated so you will save your ammunition for the actual battle.
D)Turn it on the invading army. However, prepare to just blow it up and make a quick run for it if the enemy gets too close. You will send all your infantry away immediately to avoid risking them. You will retain a small but mobile force of chariots to help to try and secure a rapid escape.
E) Turn it on the invading army, cast what you can and then sabotage it. While you 'turn' the cannon around and complete it, your allies will rig it to explode. When you are done they will activate the trap and leave the structure. This is not without risks however, the most obvious of which is that you will be required to use the building while it is being wired to explode.
F) freeform
2. The White Mage's Spellbook/Diary/Tome: What do you do with it?
A) Keep it - Who knows what information is in it, it may prove incredibly valuable.
B) Destroy it - Who knows what defences it may have, it may be incredibly dangerous.
C) Take it then cover it in lead as soon as possible.
D) freeform
3. Long term planning. Provided you make it back to the fort without any difficulties (injury/death) you might want to look into plotting your next ploy. It is difficult to say how long this siege may drag on for and there are a few things you could experiment with that may yield interesting results. (You can pick more than one option but it will split the characters' attention and efforts so progress may be slower (checks will be higher) based on the number of things you try to do at once.)
A) Prepare Foci - If you are going to have to fight archmages then a boost to your willpower could be quite useful but to cast the Strengthen Will ritual will require new foci. It will require Lyssa to build them from corpses and will take about a week to prepare.
B) Test animal teleportation - Lyssa's eagles have procured for you three small hares. After a great deal of negotiation and a few rather substantial promises (involving a large quantity of fresh vegetables) Lyssa has convinced the hares to let you experiment on them and provide feedback. These experiments are likely to take some time and may involve the creation of new spells but the ability to create small gates to move animals over large distances could prove quite useful.
C) Gate preparations - Should you want to gate soldiers into or out of your fortress it will require precision timing and a through understanding of the surrounding terrain. You will use a combination of Lyssa's eagles, human scouts and the memories of your soldiers to get a clear picture of the surround terrain and locate the safest points to send soldiers to or pick soldiers up from.
D) Improved explosives - You will set Berty and the Pathfinders to work devising explosives specifically designed to work with your retrieve item spell (and similar spells). This will require your input in providing design specifications and in testing the devices but will largely be dealt with by them.
E) Crack the White Mage's tome - who knows what sorts of information it may hold but it will likely take time to unravel the wards on it. (Naturally this option can only be chosen if you chose to keep the book.)
F) freeform
Chapter 45: The Battle of Blackrock IV
Chapter 45: The Battle of Blackrock IV"Everything ready?" you ask the Pathfinder as he approaches.
Bari remains along with most of your command group to oversee the last stages of your plan, the rest of your forces should already be back at the fort by now. You do not need them for this and you do not wish to risk them unnecessarily; no, you will need every one of them for the fight that is coming. You just hope this works and you will live to see that fight.
He responds with a curt nod, "Just about. How much time have we got?"
Your spyglass affords you a clear view of much of the valley leading toward the fort. Below you and before you march the enemy. Long, thin columns of heavily armoured thralls and slowly drifting soulless stretch out into the distance.It is a surprisingly colourful sight. You scan the advancing lines and each thrall, each soulless is marked with a scrap of cloth, a flag, or simple dyes. A half dozen different patterns catch your eye but most are a variation of one of three general designs.
The first incorporates reds and golden hues that contrast 'nicely' with the blues and greens of the corpses. These designs take the shape of burning bodies prone or standing. Some show a figure walking, some running, and a few even seem to turn and look at you, as if aware that you are watching them. The thought sends a shiver down your spine. Despite the differences in form each of the markings share one other thing in common, each mark contains three figures, three corpses, each aflame.
Those marked with the red brands worry you. There is an order to their advance, a cautiousness, you had not expected. They trail behind the other undead and stick largely to the wagon train where a single great red banner dominates surrounded by a dozen cloaked figures.
What the red undead demonstrate in caution the rest more than make up for in recklessness.
The remaining undead largely fall into one of two camps. The first is marked by a brilliant blue eye on a field of black. The second by a black tome on a field of sea blue. At first you had mistaken them for a single unified force but on closer inspection it becomes clear that they are competing with one another to reach you first.
A smile creeps onto your face as they march forward. They are behaving exacting as you want them to, hopefully they will even overextend themselves and provide you with an opportunity to thin their numbers as you retreat.
You plot what you will do to them but your plans quickly come to a grinding halt as you focus on the front of each column. At the head of each group floats an archmage, one male and one female. You are certain they are archmages, even from this distance you can feel the power rolling off of them as they make no attempt to hide it or conserve it. Their wizen flesh, their tattered robes, their corroded blades, all speak of age and decay, ruin and death.
They are Shades and things are about to get very interesting.
"Bari," you lower your spyglass as your face clouds over, "I want everyone in a chariot within five minutes."
You have no intention of fighting a Shade, let alone two, out in the open like this. One well placed Dispersal Dream right now and your entire group could be wiped out.
Bari gives you a reassuring grin, "Don't worry Derryth. We will be ready to go when the time comes and we should have plenty of warning as well."
A small explosion cracks out through the mountains and you once more raise your spyglass to glimpse a half dozen thralls disintegrate into the air.
"Told you," Bari chuckles as he turns about and quickly strides back towards his team.
Wyrd, you hope this works.
-----------------------------------
"Ha! Now this is living!" Bari shouts from the chariot next to you.
Your cluster of chariots kicks up an impressive cloud of red dust and dirt as you whip along the mountain path.
So far the plan has gone exactly as, well, planned. That is not to say that you are safe yet though.
Sure enough the enemy soulless broke off from the rest of the column and swept toward your position.
You expected that to happen.
And just as surely the enemy Shades did everything in their power to remain at the head of their forces.
Again this did not surprise you.
What did surprise you however was what happened next.
You had carefully monitored their approach as they navigated the minefield your Pathfinder friends had erected. After the fourth of fifth explosion they had each decided to cut their losses and proceed without their thralls.
Their progress after that went far more smoothly.
Still this was all to be expected and by the time they reached the structure you were already gone, on your way back up the winding path to your fortress.
The only real risk left now is that some of the soulless will be able to cut off your retreat by floating up the side of the mountain.
Unfortunately you are never going to fit around many of these turns bunched up as you are. Your chariot begins to slow as the captain waves four chariots forward. Bari, Alvis, Stori and Neel sweep past you in the first group.
The Captain leans over and shouts in your ear, "We need to take these turns in groups of four! Any more than that and we might have an accident! They go first, we go second and the remaining chariots will screen our rear!"
The chariots carrying you, Thaïs, Lyssa and Uttu form up into an evenly spaced block while the remaining chariots deploy in a screen around you. You can not help but notice that he is placing you and your immediate associates in the least amount of danger, the Captain seems intent on seeing you back to the fort safely and professionally.
----------------------------
You are over halfway home as you roll around the bends in the path. You can see the towers of the fort, just a little farther and you will be safe. Or at least as safe as you can be given the terrifying undead abominations chasing you.
For a moment you count your good fortune then the next sight you see causes your heart to drop.
From a large crack in the mountainside, largely obstructed by bushes, maybe ninety or so metres ahead figures have emerged.
They are dressed like thralls but from the way they race about it is clear they are human. They must be more of the Thin, White Mage's followers. It seems he planned for his defeat and left you a parting gift.
They are not what concerns you though, what concerns you is the single robbed figure with them.
He wears rags and carries a rusted blade. He turns toward the lead chariots and he grins.
As he does so he begins to float and a wave of power lights up your mind.
A terrifying thought hits you.
He is a Shade, or comparable to a Shade, and he is in your path.
Worse yet, your lead chariots, Stori's, Alvis', Bari's and Neel's, they are all well within range and far too close to one another.
Your people scatter, trying to spread out but there is only so much room on the path.
The Shade raises his blade and produces a single glowing, green stone, bigger than his fist.
He looks right at you as he unleashes his spell.
The Dispersal Dream.
You have only ever heard about it in stories from the wars but what little you know is terrifying.
Now you have to watch as it tears your friends apart.
It is hard to describe.
It begins as a charge in the air, a metallic taste that catches your tongue then move deep into you. Your joints begin to aches, your hair stands on end, your ears begin to throb with a dull pain.
Then it bursts forth with a crack and a pop.
The horse on Stori's chariot explodes spraying both rider and passenger in viscera and a thick coat of blood but that is only the beginning.
You wonder if the others can see it, feel it, the overpowering, mind shattering power that leaps from the blasted remains of the horse to the chariot and its driver, both of which 'pop' as a shower of blood drenched splinters, a thousand sharp shards of misery, pierce the air.
Stori is thrown clear off the chariot but he will die all the same, the spell has infected him and after a momentary delay he too bursts as he strikes the ground.
The blood drains from your face at the sight. You remember a childhood fair, dirty and hungry, you remember stealing a watermelon twice the size of your head, you remember being chased, you remember being cornered, you remember tossing that great melon up into the air.
You remember the mess it made when it landed.
It is all you can do to avoid vomiting over the side of the chariot.
A quick glance to your friend yields a sympathetic nod, hell, she probably remembers that memory too.
Astrid gasps.
Uttu cries.
But you are a mage and you know it is not over yet.
The charge that hit the chariot, it split, branching out and striking Alvis' chariot.
Horse, chariot, driver, each splatters the path, churning it into a sickening sludge.
You want to look away because you know it will hit Alvis next but you can't pull your eyes from the scene. You watch in silence.
The old dwarf is quick, quicker than most but that matters little now.
All it means is that he will get a little farther before he-
The pop rings out again through the mountains as another good dwarf falls.
The spell dances before your eyes, leaping from one target to the next, using your companions, your friends, as its carriers. Each ensures that the person next to him and behind him will die with him. Each damns those he strives to protect.
Bari's horse and chariot explode next, but there is something different about this explosion.
It is not fuelled by magic.
As the dust begins to settle you see the Pathfinder and his driver lying in the dirt.
You smile, "That brilliant bastard," you mutter, "He broke the chain."
---------------------------------------
"Holy fuck," the young dwarf yells.
"Steady lad," the old man replies, "And whatever you do, don't fucking slow down."
He has only the faintest idea of what just happened but he sure as hell is certain it was not good.
That thing hovering in front of him must be a mage, no, not just any old mage.
A Shade.
He would bet his life on it, which come to think of it is probably not worth much right now.
He is also pretty Wyrd damned certain that whatever fucking spell was just thrown their way was meant to kill them all.
He is certain because the smug smile that thing was wearing a second ago is gone, replaced by a look of slight concern and annoyance.
Carefully it tosses the dull stone it holds away and begins to reach towards its robes.
Whatever that dwarven fellow did, it saved him, bought him time, but likely not more than a few seconds, he might be able to loose an arrow but it would be close.
"What are we going to do sir?" the kid asks, beads of sweat running down his face.
"Kill ourselves an archmage," the old man replies with far more conviction than he feels, "That or die heroes."
The Shade raises his blade once more.
One shot.
With a confident grin he withdraws another glowing green stone.
In the head? No, there is no guarantee that would kill this thing. Then where? There has to be an answer, right?
It begins to cast, just like before, it is building to something.
Neel shoots.
And he hits.
The stone flies from the Shade's hand as he curses in some ancient tongue.
Neel and the driver cheer but their joy is short lived.
It stops the archmage but only for a minute, rather than reach for another stone the Shade begins to concentrate. His face contorts in agony as he once more raises his blade.
Neel reaches for another arrow, more out of instinct than anything else, his mind knows that he is fucked. Simple as that really. He won't be able to stop this next one, not with a single arrow, he would have to hit that thing with far more than that.
Far more than that...
He grins. Well, fuck, he may die today but he is going to take that ugly son of a bitch with him, "Kid, when I give the signal I want you to jump."
The charioteer looks up at him as confusion gives way to understanding, guilt, then determination.
The kid nods.
Good. At least one of them will survive this. Now he will just grab the reins and-
A elbow to the stomach knocks the wind out of him. A forceful shove throws him from the vehicle. Thankfully he has the presence of mind to cover himself as he hits the trail, skidding along in the dirt and the sand.
He manages to raise his head as the spell hits the kid's chariot, "Fuck," he mutters as he rolls to the edge of the path, "Fucking kid..."
-----------------------------------
To be selected.
It is all he has ever wanted.
To carry out the Master's will in the world.
He will crush these children as he has crushed so many others.
He will show the world the power of his magic.
He raises his stone.
Pain.
It shoots through his hand as the stone flies from his fist.
No matter. He has more but first he will deal with the insect that dared to sting him.
He pushes on. He will triumph. There can be no doubt.
The Dream strikes home.
------------------------------
He should be at his mother-in-law's place today.
He should be listening to her bitch and moan about how he was never good enough for her daughter. About how he is a 'simple fucking peasant', so far beneath them as to be worthless.
Never good enough as a recruit.
Never good enough as a soldier.
Never good enough as a guard to the king himself.
You would think that would impress her, but she wants an officer for her daughter.
He should be there, instead he is here.
Some fucking luck.
He laughs at the thought. He wonders if maybe after today she would consider him 'good enough', ah, fuck it.
If there is one thing he does not regret it is that he will never have to listen to that old harpy again.
If there is one thing he will regret, it will be that he never got to say goodbye to her daughter.
It kills him, ha, kills him... but there are some things a person has to do for themselves. His mission is to see these people safely home and he intends to do everything in his power to complete that mission.
He drives the horse on, if he can just get close enough, build enough speed, this might just work.
As the thought crosses his mind his horse explodes.
---------------------------------------
The scene of carnage that unfolds in front of you would be impressive if it were not so disturbing. The Shade miscalculated with that last attack, too close, he cast it too close to his own mercenaries and it cost him every one of them.
Neel's chariot barrelled forward, the driver threw him off, then the spell hit and as horrible as it sounds you sighed in relief. Neel would be hard to replace.
The horse, the chariot, the driver. One great explosion but not the only one.
The spell spread backward.
It leapt and jumped among the Shade's soldiers. Few had time to run, few had time to do anything at all as one by one they painted the side of the mountain. Rattling and popping as they puffed out of existence.
Spent, the Shade reaches into his cloak, no doubt looking for another stone.
You won't give him the chance.
Uttu hits him in the shoulder with an arrow and he takes a step back but quickly shrugs it off. He is a tough one, that is certain.
Not taking any chances you unload on him with a greater firebolt. The spell tears through the rock, it claws up the earth, ignites the air and slams into him with the terrifying roar of some ancient predator.
Mere seconds after it strikes home a second spell crashes into the mage. Lightning rips narrow cracks in the mountainside as a greater energy bolt leaps and bounds toward the mage. The spell booms in your ears as it connects.
The archmage wobbles on his feet as the flames burn about him and sparks arch across his body.
Slowly his hand moves an inch, somehow he is still alive and still trying to cast.
The taste of frost and magic dances across your tongue and you shiver as a desperately cold wind begins to blow. Chunks of ice, some as big as you fist, pelt the mage. A few bounce off harmlessly but most punch deep holes in his wavering form.
He takes a step towards your racing chariots, then he takes a single step back before his legs burn through and break off at the knees. He tips backward and unravels as he strikes the ground.
The Captain runs him over with your chariot and your remaining chariots follow suit.
By the time you are done there is nothing left of the Shade but a few handfuls of dust drifting off on the wind.
"Turn around," you order the Captain, "We need to check for survivors."
"Sorry," the Captain replies without taking his eyes off the road, "I can not do that."
"Like hell you can't!" you shout, "Turn the damn chariot around now! Or I will-"
He gives you a dark look, "You will do nothing young lady! You will stand there quietly and let me do my job to protect you."
"But they may be alive!" you insist, ready to leap off the back of the chariot.
He grabs you firmly by the arm, "They won't be by the time we turn around. We have an army pursuing us! Even now they are scaling the mountain and they have at least two more of those things with them! I will not take that risk!"
"Then let go of me! I will go back myself!" you shout in response, desperate to see to your friends.
"I can't let you do that and you know it!" he tightens his grip, one eye always on the road, "If you jump off then your friends will as well! They sure as hell won't abandon you! Do you want to put them in danger? Do you want to put that child in danger?" he gestures to Uttu, currently watching you like a hawk.
"I-" you begin but are quickly cut off.
"Just shut up for once," he turns his full attention back to the road, "I want to go back there just as much as you do but sometimes we don't get what we want. You have a responsibility to your people and I have a responsibility to you. So we are going to leave them and it is as simple as that."
"You know I could scramble your mind and drive back there myself," you respond coolly.
He matches your tone exactly, "Then do it. 'Cause it is the only way you are going to get the reins."
As you scan the other chariots you realize that your little discussion is being repeated in each of them. Thaïs and Astrid in particular are adamant in their desire to turn around.
You whistle to catch their attention, "We can't go back."
They begin to protest, wearily you shake your head, "That is an order," they do not like it but they cease their struggling for the most part.
The Captain is right. By the time you get turned around, get back down the path, and treat your wounded the enemy will be on top of you. That is not a choice, it is suicide.
He releases you, "Happy now?"
"Yes," he grunts in response, "I am serious Derryth. No matter what it takes I am going to see you and your friends back to Myrgard, you have my word on that."
A cold comfort.
--------------------------------
"How- how- just how could you leave him Derryth?" Astrid asks quietly, she is beaten, the wind taken out of her.
"I- I did not really have a choice," is the best response you can muster.
Myora and your soldiers help clear the courtyard and Berty and Biliku race up. Biliku hugs her sister as she mutters, clearly shaken. Berty whistles trying to get your attention but right now you have to see to Astrid first.
"Oh, what?" her breathing grows shallow and quick, "What will they do to him? Is he even alive? Will they torture him? Will they kill him? Willtheystringhimupandturnhimintoathrall?" she doubles over, rocking slightly.
Ori catches you attention and as you lean down he whispers in your ear, "This is her first time fully in the field. Without a safety net so to speak."
"Astrid?" you try to catch her attention.
"Ican'tbelieveitIcan'tbelieveitIcan'tbelieveit," she mutters repeatedly.
Thaïs tries to calm her, "Astrid? Astrid just listen to us. Everything will be alright."
She can't hear her.
"Astrid is it?" Ceannard speaks up as he hops from his chariot, "They are right. It will be alright, and I know it will be alright because I saw your Bari, that Neel fellow and the surviving driver make for that hole in the rocks. They slipped into the tunnel system. They are alive, I am sure of it."
She stops rocking, "Really?"
He grins, "On my honour as a gentleman."
Her breathing begins to slow and she nods to herself, "We have to find them."
"And we will," you reassure her, "But we have to break that army first."
For a moment you consider digging out all those tunnels you collapsed to bury the Watcher's shard but you can not justify that, not on the faint hope that it will help you find three lost soldiers.
"How?" she replies, "I will do anything I can to help."
Good, you need her focused and working not worrying about her friend and so you give her, her task, "Well I have a few ideas. I need you to work with Ori and Berty to build me something. Bombs, but of a very particular nature."
You gather together Astrid, Ori and Berty and lay out your requirements. You need explosive devices that are unique and easy to remember. They also need to have large and clearly visible pins or arming devices that can be quickly separated. You want something compact, you want something deadly. You ask them if they can do it.
"Hell Derry, I will give it a shot," Berty replies with a wide grin.
Ori nods once as Astrid's gaze lingers on the gates. Reluctantly she turns and the three of them head toward the armoury to see what they can come up with.
"Think they will manage?" Lyssa asks.
"They will have to," you respond quietly, "Then we will find Bari and Neel."
Ceannard coughs uncomfortably, "Look, Derryth... don't get your hopes up about finding them."
You spin on your heels and catch the mercenary staring at his boots. You have never know him to be a pessimist, "What are you saying?"
He stands in silence.
Thaïs asks what you are both thinking, "Are they dead?"
He takes several steps towards the pair of you and drops his voice to a barely audible whisper, "I- I don't know. They weren't moving when I last saw them."
"You lied to Astrid then?" you whisper in response.
"No- Yes- Ah, maybe. They might have been alive and they might have made it to the tunnel that Shade came out of but I don't know," he shrugs, "I told her what she needed to hear. Sometimes, sometimes you have to lie a little to motivate people, you know? I," he coughs uncomfortably, "I should see to my men."
Once more he drops his gaze, slowly turns around and walks off toward his men. Otto and a few other officers run circles around him, badgering him for information but he remains unresponsive as he disappears inside.
"So they might be dead after all," you mutter with a sigh.
"Or they might be alive," your friend is quick to remind you, "Either way there is nothing we can do for them right now. Better to focus on what we can do."
You nod, she is merely saying what you already know, "Take Lyssa and the girls up to our tower. I will be up shortly, we have a lot to see to and little time to do it in."
As the four of them disappear into the building you are left alone in the eerily quiet courtyard with the Captain.
He shifts uneasily, "Well I had best be seeing to my soldiers."
He begins to walk away, "Captain!" you call out after him as you quickly close the distance between you.
"Yes," he replies flatly.
You adopt an authoritative tone, "I need you to follow my orders."
He smirks slightly, "I need you to make it back alive."
You tense and attempt to stare him down, "I am serious Captain."
"So am I," he holds you gaze, "Look, I get it. You are the adventurer, you are in charge here, for all I know you do this sort of thing every week. But I am a soldier and I have my orders. I will not fail in that duty. Understand?"
He is not going to back down on this. Reluctantly you nod.
"Good," he gives you a wink, "Just keep yourself safe."
He turns and once more heads toward the stables.
"Captain?" you call one final time.
His head turns ever so slightly as he pauses in mid stride.
"What's your name?" you ask, "I feel stupid calling you 'Captain' after all this time."
His answer comes swiftly as he walks on, "Hámundr, my name is Hámundr," and with that he slips inside into the dimly lit stables and joins his men.
-----------------------------------------
It is a cold night, and dark. You stare out your window into a starless sky and you can not focus.
Your mind in thousands of kilometres away.
The clouds rolled in a few hours ago, feels like it is going to rain, and you just hope they are natural.
In your mind you are standing in a broad, slow and shallow river.
Your forces were bloodied a little today but in the final estimation you came out ahead. A few archers, a few chariots, a few friends... well best not to dwell on that last bit. There is nothing you can do about it at the moment anyway.
The sun, that lazy orb of light, hangs low in the morning sky.
You won today and as you stand in your dark room and look out into the night you await the sounds and sights of another victory.
Once more in that broad river you cast out your line.
Half an hour ago your enemies completed their structure. Ten minutes ago the building and surrounding path sprang to life, light pouring off of it, tearing the night apart.
You can feel it moving through the water, hopefully it will bite.
You are fairly certain that they intend to use it on the fort. Unlike the Thin White Mage these things, these Shades, will simply overwhelm you with force. You watch their mages scurry about through your spyglass. No doubt they are preparing for some great ritual. You hope they failed to discover your trap or this might be a rather short siege.
It will be quite the catch, you think to yourself, as you scan the river. A shame Henry isn't here to see it.
You hear a rap at your door and you know exactly who it is. The way she steps in the hall, the way her fist gingerly strikes the door. You call out, "Come in Thaïs, no sense standing on ceremony."
Maybe you will not have to dine alone after all...
The door to your chamber creaks open, a hint of worry in her voice, "Standing alone in the dark?"
"Fishing," you reply without turning from the scene before you.
She crosses the room and comes to rest next to you, she proffers a bottle, "I thought you might like a drink."
"Thanks," you quietly mutter your gratitude and raise the bottle to your lips as you keenly observe your foes.
The two of you stand in silence, she produces a bottle of her own and sips on it. Shortly thereafter she produces her own spyglass and takes in the spectacle, "Do you think they will fall for it?"
"Wyrd I hope so," you lean against the cold stone of the tower.
If you can get even a few of them in the blast it will greatly increase your chance of survival.
She simply nods, a slight motion that you feel instead of see, "That ambush-"
You nod, "Our own trick really-"
She rests her head on the stone frame, "We have to be careful."
You laugh, bitter and threadbare, "At least he no longer has crows."
She shakes her head, "We should probably have at least one eagle on hand just in case though. I would hate to lose anyone else to his traps."
"Bari," you mutter.
"Did you want to talk about it?" she asks.
"No," you take a long swig from your bottle.
Perhaps you were a little too terse, as she asks, "Did you want me to leave?"
"No, sorry," you shake your head, trying to clear your thoughts, "It helps you know, having you here."
"I know," she taps her head.
You grin in the dark, "Yeah, I suppose you do."
Not one more word is spoken. None are needed really, because it looks like you have got a bite.
-----------------------------------
Sycorax elbows that little upstart out of her way.
She was here first. She served the Master longest. She is far more true, far more faithful to him than that usurper could ever be.
She will lead this ceremony and destroy their enemies.
Prospero shoves the old bitch back.
Everything she has lost he has taken. Everything that was hers will one day be his. It is just a matter of time really. He will serve the Master far more effectively than she ever could, that much should be clear to anyone with the eyes to see it. Her time is over, his has just begun.
He will lead this ceremony and destroy their enemies.
The elder necromancers form a loose circle around the two Shades. Most present have long ago declared their loyalty.
Some serve the eye, some serve the tome, all serve the Master.
"Why don't the two of you just work the spell together," a bored voice calls out from beyond the light.
She floats into view, dry skin stretched across ancient bone. A horror from the early days of the world. Gullveig, their quartermaster and commander of one third of the Watcher's host.
"With him!" she shouts indignantly.
"With her!" he bellows incredulously.
"Yes," Gullveig insists calmly, "Work together or fight it out, I care not a wit which path you choose but if one of you dies then the survivor will have to explain themselves to the Master."
The two lesser Shades deflate a little at this realization.
Gullveig has already lost one Shade today, it would be such a 'shame' to lose any more. She would not look forward to her next meeting with Bahlíal should that happen.
It is not that she fears the Mad Goat, fear is an emotion best left to children and the weak, but she does respect his power. It is a primal thing, ancient and bottomless. It has always reminded her of the great summer storms of her youth, deadly, sudden, but not dangerous to the careful and cautious mind. She is confident that he can not hurt her.
Still, why take the chance?
It seems the two children she has been sent to mind have finally come to a decision.
"Fine!" Sycorax shouts, a cruel smile cut across her face, "If he wants to help then let him."
"Help?" the second Shade scoffs, "You old hag, I will show you how this is done."
Each selects three disciples, their best and brightest, and quickly the eight mages file into the structure.
The air begins to hum as the magical signals of the eight mages spring to life. She gives the order to the waiting thralls to prepare the structure to fire.
Slowly the great doors open, carefully the five metre channelling rod extends. This should be easy, even for this pair.
She turns from the fort and begins to slowly float back to her tent.
A shot rings out. An explosion but one that is far too close.
Hissing, she spins quickly in the air, "What did those two idiots-"
The blast throws her backward as her concentration momentarily fails. She crashes into her honour guard, shattering the two closest to her, rendering them into a fine dust.
Lying there in the dirt she counts the explosions, "Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight."
One for each mage.
Cursing she shakes her guardians' remains off and lifts herself back into the air. What confronts her, as the smoke clears, is a single gaping hole in the ground, at least six metres deep.
She coughs, lays a single hand on her hip and grins in spite of herself.
On the one hand, this will be difficult to explain to the Mad Goat.
On the other, her personal power base has just tripled in under a minute.
-----------------------------------
You can not quite muster a cheer as you stand together in the dark but that explosion does make you smile.
There were mages in there, there were Shades in there, your trap worked but you also know it was not enough. You will need to be ready for the inevitable counterattack when it comes.
Thankfully you have a few avenues to pursue.
------------------------------------
"Lyssa, can you please get it to stay put?" you turn to the witch in frustration.
It is hard enough to focus without your subject constantly moving.
It has been three days and the enemy has not made a single move against you. They have not attempted to rebuild the structure either which suggests to you that they simply lack the personnel to make another attempt. If that is the case then your situation has improved substantially.
However, the enemy forces have also shown far more consistent caution since your trap and you are fairly certain that, that signals a change in leadership. Given that the enemy force had been split into thirds, it is likely that at least one Shade still remains and that thought worries you a little.
"I am trying Derryth but you have to understand that she is scared," the witch pleads with you.
"Well, it did agree to this didn't it?" your friend enquires.
"Yes," Lyssa slowly replies, "But she is an animal and sometimes instinct takes over. Just give me a minute."
She drops to her hands and knees and looks the hare in the eyes. What follows is a rather heated 'discussion' between your 'volunteer' and the witch.
While Astrid, Berty and Ori have spent the last three days working on your new explosives you have set yourself the task of creating a means by which you can deploy them.
Currently you are attempting to determine if living beings can be safely transported by your Retrieve Item spell. If they can, you might be able to use Lyssa's mice and rats to drop explosives into the middle of enemy formations without sacrificing the animal in question or your very valuable gold rings... or at least that is the theory.
You have not made a lot of progress however. Originally you intended to use a mouse but Lyssa cautioned you against that, if one of them dies and they suspect you are responsible for it then they will become very reluctant to trust you. So you needed something a bit more expendable and Aquila, Lyssa's loyal eagle, was happy to provide.
He brought you three hares two days ago and it has taken most of that time to convince them that you are not going to kill them, at least not on purpose, and that you will reward them handsomely should they cooperate.
You suspect you might have made more progress by now if Lyssa did not spend a third of her time crafting foci for your use but the Strengthen Will ritual might be the difference between life and death if you have to do a lot of casting in the near future.
"Alright," the witch turns back to the two of you, "I think she is ready to try this."
Reluctantly a little red and green hare hops forward. It is a shame you had to paint her but she needs to be unique for this to work and you are fairly certain there are no other green and red hares nearby.
You stretch out your hand, close your eyes, and begin to focus on the hare. You picture it in your hands and a weight materializes there.
You grin, you have done it!
You have teleported a living being using your spell.
Your colleagues cheer you on but something is wrong as their cheers quickly turn to screams.
Your eyes flutter open and what stares back at you is something out of a nightmare.
The, thing, sitting in your hand gurgles merrily. It is a hare or at least partially so but it also looks to be part cat, part dove, and part sea urchin amongst other things. It looks up at you with six compound eyes and grins, revealing row upon row of razor sharp teeth.
It coils and springs at your throat but you hit it with an assault spell followed by your fist.
It hurtles through the air toward Lyssa, "Keep it away!" she shouts and boots it in midair.
It lands with a wet thump in the corner of the room.
"Is it dead?" Thaïs asks, stepping around you to get a better view.
A leg twitches and an eye opens. It rolls onto its back and begins coughing as black smoke pours from its lungs.
The smoke slowly coils into the air and takes on the guise of someone you have met before, "Good afternoon my saviours," the smoke man bows low as he drifts slightly from side to side.
"You're-" your friend begins
"That creature from the Oneiroi compound," you finish her thought.
"Ah," he gives a contented sigh, "You have no idea how absolutely thrilled I am that you remember me."
"What do you want?" Lyssa demands of the demon.
"To help of course," he grins and shadowy teeth spill forth.
"Ah, how?" the question springs from your lips, "You do not even know what we are trying to do."
"Ah, but I do," he laughs, "That was terribly cruel of you to throw that small creature into the space between worlds with your little spell."
"Well we-" you begin.
He will have none of it, "No, no excuses. That poor little thing has no natural defences what-so-ever and your spell certainly supplied none. Why you could have unleashed all manner of horrors."
"Instead we got you," you reply dryly.
He nods sagely, "Instead you got me."
Thaïs keeps a careful eye on the illusionary demon, "I am afraid I do not quite follow. How is it that you know what we are trying to do?"
He claps his hands together, "Ha, the little rabbit told me. It told me everything and in exchange I took it to the palaces of Pleasant Slumber. It will make a delightful pet, or lunch, maybe both," he grins again revealing those keen teeth, "You want to transfer living beings through the space between worlds without first constructing a proper gate," he wags his finger at you, "That is quite the gamble. Every time you do it you will have to hope and pray that there is nothing close enough to capture your cargo."
He gestures to the little goblin wheezing on the ground, "That was but the tiniest trick I played on you. Dangerous perhaps but certainly not lethal to capable mages such as yourselves. Sadly it will die soon and my connection will be broken so I will be brief. If you are willing to work with me, willing to supply me with interesting minds from your world then I will help you in turn. I will send through my goblins, elves and fairies when you use that spell on a living being. I will give you information, I will give you power, and I may even be able to shield the odd messenger should you keep me happy. After all, I can let one go if I know there will be many more to come."
"Do we have to answer now?" you prod him.
He merrily shakes his head, "No. I have all the time in the world. If you want to talk to me again then simply send another hare through, or a rat, or a mouse, or what have you. If you do then I will take it as a sign that you wish to negotiate further. If not then I will assume you are not interested," he coyly rolls his eyes away from you and feigns depression for but a moment.
As the goblin's breathing grows ever more shallow the smoke begins to dissipate, "One last thing my dear, sweet saviours. I would be very careful with what you play with. Not every spirit that answers will be as generous, delightful, gorgeous, gregarious, merciful, tender, loving-" he drifts away into nothingness half way through listing his many fine qualities.
This leaves the three of you in complete silence as the little elf across the room bubbles away into nothing.
Finally you break the silence, "So I suppose teleporting live animals is out then?"
Before either of your colleagues can reply Uttu bursts into the room with a note and Biliku trailing behind her.
"You can't just run around like that!" the older girl yells as she finally catches her sister.
"But it is important!" Uttu counters, "And they need to know important stuff right away!"
"I don't care," Biliku snatches the note from her sister, "They are doing dangerous mage work in here and you can't just barge in."
You cough, "Girls?"
Your two 'protectors' snap around at the sound of your voice.
"Sorry Derryth," Biliku begins but her sister quickly cuts her off.
"Lyssa's eagle came back! The one that went after the Blackrock guys!" she screams as she grabs the note back from Biliku.
She shoves it toward you and your friend. It is short, remarkable in its brevity really, and straight to the point.
To the current heads of Blackrock Securities
We make good time.
Called in a few debts.
Managed to acquire a few dozen horses and a pair of wagons.
Based on current rate of travel we will arrive within three days.
Requesting orders and an appraisal of the situation.
Please enclose confirmation from either Myora or Rand with any instructions to prove authenticity.
7.3.44.5.123.968.12657.8495032.57586
Yours in service,
K & S
It would probably be a good idea to have a plan in place by the time your reinforcements reach you. The question is what should you do?
1. Blackrock Reinforcements: They are at most three days from the fort. What do you wish to instruct them to do?
A) Conceal themselves and wait for an opportunity to attack. You will try to coordinate some sort of offensive with them should the opportunity present itself. Otherwise they are to remain in hiding. Hopefully you will have time to call on them should the enemy launch an offensive.
B) Immediately attack the enemy. Ideally when they strike the enemy in the rear you will be able to sally forth and trap them between your forces. There are a lot of enemies to worry about though and you likely be outnumbered.
C) Set up a rendezvous point and use Gate to bring them into the fort. You could use the reinforcements but you also have not spent any time searching for a suitable location to anchor the Gate to. You will just have to try your best.
D) Order them to enter the tunnels surrounding the mountain and attempt to make their way to the fort that way. They will have to stick to the larger tunnels to avoid abandoning their wagons, horses and any mauls they may have with them. On the bright side though they may find Bari, Neel and the charioteer somewhere down there if they are still alive. However for such a plan to work you will have to dig out the tunnels you collapsed to seal away the Watcher's shard.
E) Have them conceal themselves as in A but also order them to search for Bari and Neel in the tunnels. You will not link up with them though so you do not need to dig out the tunnels.
F) Freeform
2. Information for Blackrock: Your allied commanders have requested an honest appraisal of your situation but do you really want to tell them the (whole) truth?
A) Yes, you will give them an accurate account of what you know and the forces they will be up against. You do not want them making mistakes because of a lack of information.
B) You will tell them 'enough', you will give them a general idea of the enemy force's composition and size, you will also warn them that the enemy has mage support. You will not tell them that they are fighting (a) Shade(s). You do not want them to flee on you.
C) You will tell them only the bare minimum. If you give them too much information they might decide to abandon you.
D) As B, but tell them that Neel and Bari should be able to clue them in on the specifics.
E) Freeform
3. The Demon's Deal: The demon you freed in the Dreaming has proposed a sort of partnership. He will help your spies and saboteurs pass unprotected through the space between worlds. In exchange he will expect you to 'feed' him new and exciting minds. The cost is high but it is not like he will actually hurt them right? He has also promised you knowledge and power should he find one of your 'shipments' particularly interesting. Will you accept this deal?
A) No. You do not bow to gods and demons and you will not make others do so either.
B) Yes. You won't be killing these minds, it will just be a sort of extended vacation, from which they can't return, and the rewards for such a deal certainly sound like they are worth it.
C) Freeform
4. The Rings: Once you got your rings back you naturally reloaded them. What spells did you store in them? (Simply write in the spell you want for each, the most popular choice will get loaded in, no rituals though).
Derryth's Ring: ______________
Thaïs' Ring: _____________
5. Operation Mole Hill/Assassinate Enemy Commander:
"Operation Mole Hill:
Dye all operatives to match the terrain.
We have the rabbits start digging a tunnel underneath the black tent in the back of the enemy camp. It should be easier for the rabbits to get into position without being detected. The marmots join as they are able.
We carefully watch the Archmage and mark her comings and going. She spends a lot of time in the back tent. It holds something valuable.
Once the tunnel is done we have the rodents pack it with explosives and wait for the Archmage to enter tent.
Pull the pin and hopefully behead the opposing force."
This will take a little investment on your part so it would be best to start now if you wish to pursue it.
A) Yes, you will pursue this plan.
B) No, you will not pursue this plan.
Interlude 4: The Golden Empress
Interlude 4: The Golden EmpressDozens of voices chant in unison within the vile temple. Their voices carried high into its vaulted roof, they echo out into the darkness that crowds around the dim lime flames of the temple, the first temple to Bahlíal, the Watcher.
Deep in the heart of the mountains, perched upon the very lip of the Great Devoid. His followers gather to worship his grandeur and bask within his power. A great herd of ghôls gather in silent worship as their priests dance and sing to their patron.
All are joined in this purpose, all are joined in this worship. Or so the priests say but there are many who crave freedom from their new 'master', many that are willing to seize it and she hopes that they will be ready, for tonight her war begins.
"Exalted is he who dies in the name of the Master!" the fat little priest screams upon his dais, "All those that serve loyally shall find immortality in His name!"
It is a line she has heard hundreds of times in the last year alone. They squawk on constantly; those little 'crows', the black robed priests of the Watcher, the Mad Goat of the Fens, Bahl'al or Bahlíal as whim takes him.
Bastard has far too many names she thinks and none of them are worth the time it takes to say them.
She is gathered with the other captains, chiefs and shamans of the clans. They stand together in long rows at the base of the priest's platform. A show of solidarity to reinforce the hold the Watcher has on their people.
From her place she looks out over a sea of faces, young and old, rich and poor, slaves all of them. Slaves of this mage, bought and sold without ever really realizing all they have lost.
Tonight, that changes.
The high priest stretches his arms wide, triumphantly he presses on, impressed and absorbed by his own sermon, "Give thanks to Him, all you gathered here in his glory!" he raises a single hand to point at the statue above them, a black monstrosity carved into the very rock of the temple. From what she understands it is a faithful recreation of the man they all serve, a monstrosity from the dim prehistory of the world. He lets the gaze of his herd drift up to the statue and really focus on it for a moment before continuing. He sweats profusely as he dances upon his platform, invoking the power of his cold, dark lord, "Who here would be anything without his glory! Who here would be great! Who here would be powerful! Who here would be free!"
That is her cue, "Who says we are free now!"
Instantly the service comes to a screeching halt, the high priest stops short and almost tumbles down the steps of his altar so surprised is he that someone would interrupt him, "What do you mean Servant Nanshe? Our master has freed us from the gods of old. He has freed us from the dwarves. He has-"
"Enslaved us!" the chieftain exclaims as she mounts the stairs, stalking closer to her prey, "He has bound us! He has confined us! And when the time is right he will cull us! He is a dead thing in love with dead things and there is but one way our service to him will end! He will betray us, he will kill us, and none will remain to remember our deeds, none will remain to mourn us. None, none will remain, even to laugh at our stupidity!"
The high priest chokes and sputters with rage, "By the Master's will you will be punished, Servant Nanshe!" he reaches into his cloak and draws forth a rod but he has let her get too close. She does not grab at the rod, to do so would be to throw herself into a direct battle of wills with the archmage, a fight she could not hope to win. Instead she grabs the priest by the arm and pulls.
Ghôls are strong and a ghôl bred and forged in battle is stronger still. The little priest screams and tries to break free but she will have none of it. With a foot on his chest she pulls with all her strength and tears his arm off.
He falls to the ground crying as she pitches the rod across the room, "Where is your master, priest! Where are his dark powers! Where is his greatness! Will he save you! No, you will die and none will remember you, none will mourn you, none will even revile you."
She spits at the prone priest, then reaching low she grabs his great, long head in both hands and she pulls.
The remaining priests race for the exits as she gives her signal.
Still with the priest's head in hands she works her spell, an old one, invaluable to life in the desert. It begins to rain, for the first time in an age water touches the stone in this deep cavern, it snuffs out the green flames and plunges the room into utter darkness.
Her people must first be shown how far they have fallen. Far from the waters of the great southern river, far from the light of the sun and the moon, far from their homes. They are nothing, they are the dead and like the dead they must pass through the cold, uncaring, filthy earth.
The herd weeps, it quails, it screams but she will not leave them in the dark. She will lead them back to the light.
Her second spell strikes the Watcher's statue, again and again she hammers it with lightning until it splits in two and collapses to the ground killing a few unlucky priests as it does so.
As she lights the chamber with silver and gold rays her soldiers sweep in with long crooked blades and deadly crossbows. They massacre the priests but they are also careful to let a few get away.
She turns back to the herd, no, not a herd, not any longer, a pack, her pack, and raising the head of the high priest in the air she pitches the priest's head into the crowd. A few of the younger pups scurry away from it but one young hunter picks up the head and howls in triumph.
Slowly they begin to chant her name and the names of the Old Gods.
Her little stage show has won over the people but their leaders will require a different approach.
Her fellow chiefs simply watch her in horror.
"Nanshe, you have killed us all," Ninhursag speaks for the group, she slowly circles Nanshe.
"Perhaps if we kill her the Watcher's Creature will spare us," mutters old Nammu.
"Yes, we should hang her and cut her head from her shoulders," whispers solemn Irkalla.
They begin to encircle her but she does not move. Like it or not she needs their support for this to work, to Ninhursag she speaks, her voice burning with her conviction, "If this," she gestures about the dim cavern, "If this is life. Then what do we fear. It is no better than the dark halls of the dead. If you can not see that then strike me down and damn yourselves, your sons, your daughters, to this fate forever. If you want something better then join with me and help me destroy this man who believes himself a god."
The assembled lords seem shaken, perhaps, just perhaps they will follow her. A thin, bent ghôl ambles up to her, Enki, the greatest of them and the one she will have to impress. He shows only the slightest hint of concern, "Young Nanshe, you would lead us but how can we fight a war when our enemy knows our exact location at all times? How can our armies fight with us there to betray them? And if we stay, how will our armies fight without chiefs to lead them, without shamans to guide them? They will be lost, we will be lost, and we will die all the same."
The young chief smiles, great lips pulled back over perfect fangs, "I can hide us from the Creature and his hounds. In fact if you will all play along I can demonstrate my power in, oh, three minutes or so."
The chiefs nod, they will give her this one chance.
------------------------------------------
The hound bounds, rolls, leaps down the corridors of the compound.
One of the Master's toys has misbehaved, it must be killed, such slights will not be tolerated, and it must be done in front of the rest of the herd lest the servants decide to follow this traitor to their damnation.
It spins around the corner, steadies itself with a free talon and begins sprinting again. It builds speed as it charges and slams through the main doors of the temple. The servants scream and cower before it. Tiny little beasts unworthy of its attention. It twists and rolls across the room, claws, paws, talons and fins cycling beneath it as it spins forward and slithers up the to the corpse of the dead priest.
It sniffs the air, scans the room, it can feel each of the little leaders around it. Each clicks in the back of its mind but none are a match. None are the traitor. It circles the room slowly, did it flee? Could it have run so far, so fast? Such things should be impossible. None can escape the Master's hounds, none can escape it.
It weaves through the arches of the temple, it springs from enclave to enclave, it peeks behind stairs, it scatters the crowd time and again and it finds nothing.
Only the barest scent of the target but hardly enough to sniff it out.
If only it could-
---------------------------------------
She is only going to have one shot at this but she knows exactly how she wants to do this.
It took her hours to set up the contingencies, acquire the components, and prepare her apprentice but she is certain it will work.
After all it worked on her.
She spreads her arms and lets the wind take her.
----------------------------------------
Why didn't it sense the traitor?
It lies bleeding on the ground, dying. Is it dying? Yes. Yes it is dying and such things should not even be possible.
It racks its mind, trying to determine what went wrong.
One moment it was stalking along, searching for a scent and then- ah, and then the wind had picked up, a foul wind had pushed its way into the hound's nostrils.
At first it had thought that, that was the plan. To confound it, ruin it and allow the prey to escape. It had not thought for even a moment that it would be an attack.
Then the traitor hit it. Fire and iron slamming into its back. The first blow broke one of its spines and rendered a set of legs paralyzed. The second blow seared off a claw. The third splattered a tentacle and the blows simply kept coming.
It tried to fight back, tried to ward off this colossal iron warrior but to no avail.
It was beaten, from the very first moment, it was beaten.
All it feels as it slips into darkness is curiosity. How did its prey hide? Why did it have to die?
-----------------------------------------
She stands over the broken creature, coated in blue fluids and gore, "I can fight them, I can fight Him, and I can win! Join me! Join me and we can win!"
The assembled leaders push through the throng, "You can hide from them. You can beat them," they whisper to one another.
Enki steps forward, leaning on his great staff, "Well, young Nanshe perhaps you have what it takes to be our Warleader."
She grins, "Not your Warleader. That position has done our people more harm than good. The age of a single despot lording over his or her followers is over," she turns, making a slow circle, basking in the attention of the crowd, "Ghôls are meant to be free! I will not rule over you as some petty tyrant! I will not break you! I will not have you trade one master for another! I will lead you as the first amongst equals! I will lead you as your Empress!"
A great cheer comes up from the crowd and most of the chiefs and shamans nod to one another before saluting her.
Old Enki merely smirks and leans in to embrace her, "I have been to the human lands girl. I know all too well what an 'Empress' really is. A permanent Warleader."
She whispers back as her hand moves to her knife, "And what do you have to say to that."
He grabs her hand, looks her in the eyes and grins, "It is exactly what our people need to be great again."
He turns to the assembled lords, "All hail Nanshe! True servant of the Golden Ones! The first Empress of the Ghôls! Nanshe the Golden Empress!"
The call goes up as her people, unified, begin their rebellion.
Not a moment too soon either, in the distance she swears she can hear screaming.
-----------------------------------
No stars, no moon, only darkness. The sort of darkness that haunts the imagination of a man, the sort of darkness that conjures up all sorts of apparitions and horrors before the mind's eye. The darkness of childhood, a fear diminished by age and yet always ready to flare back to life.
At least that is how she sees it but she seems to be the only one. So she hides in her wagon and tends to her child, dear little thing, "We are going to go see daddy, darling."
She gurgles happily in response, somewhere between waking and sleep, secure in her mother's arms.
"Cass! More ale!" the caravan master bellows into the night.
She sighs, "Sweetie, I have to go for a second. I will be right back. I promise."
The child murmurs and gurgles as she wraps it in a fur and slips out of the wagon.
The Caravan Master is thin for a dwarf with a large hooked nose and sharp eyes. He is a hard man and expects all to pull their weight but she thinks fondly of him anyway.
Few would have taken her in as he has, fewer still would expect so little in return.
She tends to the men, cooks their meals, and mends the odd piece of clothing but they do not lay a hand on her. Last man to try ate the Master's sword for his troubles.
She skirts the great campfires that dot their encampment. A few meagre sparks of light against the seemingly eternal darkness of this night.
She shakes her head, this feels wrong. Camping out in the open like this. It invites disaster.
Not that they have a choice really.
The last outpost had been levelled and the one before it looked like a strong breeze could knock it over.
Not surprising then that the Master elected to push on.
Still, this darkness feels unnatural, like she is being watched.
She tries to shake the feeling, just get to the ale wagon, get the next barrel, get it to the Master, then get back to her baby.
She quickens her pace and feels just slightly stupid for doing so.
She reaches the wagon, she rolls down the next barrel and begins to roll it back toward the fires.
As the light builds around her, her fears dissipate, tricks of her mind and nothing more she sighs in relief.
The Master smiles at her and waves, "Good, Cass. We were just running out and I need another drink if I am going to believe half the shit Flea is sayin'."
Flea, perhaps the shortest dwarf she has ever seen snorts, "I am tellin' ya boss. I fought a Trow once! Would ha won too if the big ol' coward had not run off!"
The guards gathered round the great fire burst into a chorus of deep, rolling laughter.
The master joins them, "Sure boy. I believe ya'. Hell, we all believe ya!"
Flea hops to his feet and rakes the group with a furious glance, "It's true I tell ya! I am a master fighter! I am the stealthiest, the most dangerous, the most lethal an' the quickest motherfucker ya ever se-"
In an instant the laughter stops.
Flea gags and looks down at his chest. He looks down at the sliver of metal poking out from between the ribs. His eyes water, "I don't wanna die..."
The little dwarf pitches forward into the fire as a wave of howling laughter pours in from the dark.
The Master is on his feet, as are his men, "Back to the wagon Cass!"
She remains frozen to the spot, her eyes fixated on Flea's burning, twitching body.
"Cass! Back to the wagon!" he shouts again.
She just barely hears his words.
The wagon, her child, she remembers and she runs for it.
Behind her she hears the low thud of arrows, the screams of dying men and laughter from the dark.
Leaping figures dance along the edges of the firelight. Long arms carry them along at a quick pace as they close with the remaining guards.
So many of them, there are just so many of them. The thought races through her mind but she pushes it down, she just has to get to the wagon.
The wagon is close now, just a little farther and she will be there.
One of the beasts leaps over a cart and comes to a skidding stop in front of her.
It raises its curved, cruel blade over its head.
On instinct alone she jumps out of the way and slips under the wagon.
The creature is after her in a instant. It grabs her by the boot and pulls.
Frantic she reaches out for a handhold, a weapon, anything.
She grabs a stone and as it pulls her out with all its might she turns and swings.
They are both surprised by the outcome.
The stone comes up and the beast goes down.
She is on it before it hits the ground.
She swings that sharp, heavy stone, over and over again she drives it into the creature's face until their is little left but a puddle of pulp and bone shards.
She almost faints from the sight of it, but the fear, the sheer terror she feels and the thought of her daughter pushes her on.
She grabs the creature's blade and slips into her wagon.
With her child in one arm and the blade extended in the other she huddles in the dark.
She does not cry, she does not make a single sound, as slowly the sounds of battle disappear.
She can hear someone moving outside the wagon. She can feel the wagon moving as well.
Maybe they won? Maybe the Caravan Master and his guards won and now they are leaving? But why has no one come to find her then?
Slowly she edges toward the side of the wagon and carefully lifts the canvas.
She sees a long arm and a cruel, curved blade.
Silently she shifts back to the center of the wagon.
She contemplates jumping out of the wagon, running off into the desert with her child.
Can she outrun them? Probably not.
That creature that leapt into her path was far faster than she is.
Can she fight them? Definitely not.
It was only luck and that beast's carelessness that saw her to victory earlier. Against a pack of them, a group strong enough to kill the Master and his guards, she stands little chance.
So she waits, for what seems like an age.
----------------------------------------------
Noise builds in the distance.
The sound of many wagons, the sound of many feet and the sound of people. Bruig, Dwarven and something else, lower and darker that she can not place. Probably the sounds of these creatures.
She hears weeping, she hears praying, she hears screaming but she also hears laughter, she hears joy and roars of victory.
Once more she hazards a peek.
Before her is a city of canvas and rope, pitched before a temple of red stone.
From every direction come groups much like her own. War parties dragging back prisoners for some unknown but likely diabolical purpose.
As they near this 'city' her group falls into line, joining a grand parade down the largest avenue in the massive encampment.
Crowds gather outside the tents. Small beasts, likely children, jump and cheer with their elders watching on. The warriors wave and shake their weapons, some even begin to sing in their vile tongue and soon the entire city is filled with song almost drowning out the weeping of the prisoners.
The impossibility of escape hits her then and she barely chokes back a sob.
All this noise finally wakes her child and the little girl begins to cry, "Hush now darling. You have to be quiet, please be quiet."
Desperately she tries to silence the child but to no avail.
The sounds of this parade and the other prisoners go a long way towards masquerading her presence but it is only a matter of time till someone hears her daughter.
Tiny fingers slip under the canvas of her wagon and slowly raise it.
A hideous little face stares at her in awe.
"Oh please, please. Just go away. Don't say anything please," she begs quietly.
The little beast howls and dozens of fingers slip under the canvas.
Great fists seize upon the fabric.
She screams.
----------------------------------------
The High Temple of Šauška. One of the greatest of the Old Gods worshiped by the ghôls and a bloody one as well.
"How long do we have to do this for?" Nanshe has precious little patience for ritual when there are practical matters to attend to. They have wasted days looking for a sign that will never come.
"We must do this until the gods show us favour," Enki wags a finger at her, "You know our ways child."
The assembled priests crowd toward her throne and express their agreement vociferously.
"Oh very well," she waves dismissively, "Just get this over with."
A pair of priests exit the room while their fellow clear off the altar. Chunks of dwarf and man are swept away while three large ghôls with ebony brushes set to work cleaning the sacrificial instruments.
Having the favour of the gods may seem nice in theory but Nanshe is well aware that in practice they tend to do very little.
Some days she is certain they are not even there at all, though her spell, her Nightmare, would seemingly put the lie to that.
The priests return dragging a human woman by the hair, a great mop of auburn curls, in her arms is an infant child.
Gods, human children are even more ugly than the adults are.
The woman kicks and screams at the priests as they tear at her simple dress and attempt to take the child. The child screams as well and bites at the priests.
Nanshe shifts uncomfortably in her throne, "Should you not have done this before you brought her in?"
"Y- Yes Empress," one of the acolytes stutters an apology, "We have just been having such problems with this one. It hid in one of our supply wagons and even murdered a fine young warrior."
Nanshe cocks an eyebrow at that, "That," she points at the screaming woman, "That woman killed a ghôl warrior?"
One of the more senior priests nods, "Yes, it was found with his scimitar, seventy two notches it had!"
The rest of the shamans mutter amongst themselves.
"But don't worry Empress," he bows low, "We shall have it subdued momentarily."
Nanshe watches in silence. Something about that woman, the way she struggles for life is strangely compelling. Perhaps it is as simple as her hair colour, maybe it is something more fundamental, her spirit or something. Hell, maybe it is just the fact that Nanshe has not slept in four days, anyway she cuts it though there is something about this woman that piques the Ghôl Empress' curiosity.
The Golden Empress leans forward, her fine, strong jaw resting delicately on one great hand, "Bring her here."
Enki whispers in her ear, "Nanshe, the ritual."
She rolls her eyes and gives a most unladylike snort, for one moment merely a person and not an empress, quietly she offers her retort, "Then get someone else. I want to talk with this 'murderer', then maybe if she bores me, you and your priests can sacrifice her or something."
Enki mutters to himself but gives the order. For now the woman and her child will be spared.
--------------------------------------
They drag her to the throne, at first she fights but quickly she realizes that they are leading her away from the altar and stops.
They release her with a parting shove and shuffle off to find a new sacrifice.
Cautiously she eyes the group before her.
Four large beasts stand upon a raised platform. Their long and powerful limbs wrapped round in simple leather and iron armour. They treat her with a mixture of disdain and disgust.
Above them and behind them are an additional two figures. One wears but a simple red robe and leans upon a great old staff of twisted black wood. The second is dressed in finery, a long and surprisingly elegant black dress covers her inhuman form. A great crown of gold rests upon her brow, she leans forward, her head resting on one massive white hand as she scrutinizes Cassandra with her deep red eyes. She is the only being in the room that does not pour hatred upon her.
The creature on the throne gestures at her and gives a command in its dark tongue. One of its, guards perhaps, steps forward and tries to take her child.
Naturally she resists as the child continues to scream.
Then something happens that she never expected.
It speaks to her, in near perfect Dwarven it speaks to her, "Please, let me see your child."
She is not sure what she expected but it was not that and in her shock the guard snatches up her baby. Instantly she is upon him.
"Stop!" the creature on the throne demands and all three of them, the guard, Cassandra and her child instantly halt.
For a second she wonders if perhaps all the creatures can understand Dwarven but quickly the leader lapses back into her incomprehensible tongue. The guard adjusts his hold on the child, showing far greater care now as the figure on the throne turns her attention back to Cassandra, "Please let go of my soldier."
She does so as the guard brings the child up to the throne and carefully hands her over. Curiously the creature begins to coo and rock the child, for the first time since the attack her daughter giggles and gurgles happily.
It looks up at her, "Do you understand my words human?"
"Yes," her reply comes slowly but calmly though she remains terrified. All that hiding, all that fighting, maybe she just does not have it in her to cower anymore.
"Brave girl," the creature mutters, "Do you know who you are speaking to?"
"No," the answer comes quickly now, something about this creature is reassuring. It has a certain relaxed aura about it that puts Cassandra at ease.
"My name is Nanshe," the creature informs her with a slight smile.
Cass squints at the creature rocking her child. The name sound familiar but- she gasps, "The Butcher."
The creature grins, "That is what some call me yes, but I am also known as the Hand of Justice and now as the Golden Empress," she pauses for a moment and wags a single long finger before her daughter's mouth, "One person's monster is another's hero and things are rarely if ever that simple. But I have no wish to talk about myself, what I want to talk about is you."
"What do you want to know," Cass responds cautiously, doing her best to conceal the concern she feels for her daughter.
"Well for starters who are you?" the creature, a ghôl if what she says is true, gently bounces Cass' daughter in her lap, the kid merrily laughs.
"No one," Cass replies, "Absolutely no one of any importance."
The ghôl shakes her head, "Everyone is someone to someone. If you tell me that you are no one then no one will miss you when you are gone and I may as well turn you over to my priests."
At the mention of her priests another victim is pulled in screaming and driven to the altar.
Nanshe snaps her fingers, drawing Cass' gaze back to the throne, "I would not look at that if I were you. It will get rather messy and you have more important things to worry about. So I ask again, who are you?"
"Just, just the wife of a clerk in Myrgard," she drops her gaze, "We were going to visit him."
Nanshe nods sympathetically, "Poor time to be on the roads."
Cass smiles weakly, "Yes, that is what they told me."
Nanshe rocks the child slowly, "So, you are 'just the wife of a clerk', hmm, so then am I correct in assuming that you can read and write Dwarven?"
Cass nods.
Nanshe grins widely, "And can you speak and read Bruig, being a human I imagine you can?"
Again she nods.
"Good," she give a slight nod, "What is your name?"
"Cass, er, Cassandra. But everyone calls me Cass," the woman answers with a slight shrug, "Why do you want to know all this?"
The prisoner screams behind her, Nanshe stares over her shoulder, frowns and gestures for her priests to retrieve another prisoner.
Cass swallows slowly, "Why, why are you doing this?"
The ghôl merely smiles, "Well Cass, one final question. You were found in possession of a weapon belonging to an honoured brave. Did you kill him?"
Cass begins to answer, to deny it, but stops short as Nanshe wraps on great hand around the child's neck. For the moment she is merely supporting the back of her head but one twist and...
The ghôl speaks, "This is an important question. I want the truth, complete and absolute. Did you kill my brave?"
She hesitates, sweat beading on her forehead. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and answers, "Yes."
"How," Nanshe presses, her tone flat.
"A, a rock," she shakes slightly, not for herself but for her daughter, "He was pulling on my leg and I grabbed a rock and I swung, and I swung, and I swung until he was dead."
"What were you thinking of when you did it?" Nanshe slides to the edge of her throne as Cass opens her eyes.
"What?" the woman replies in surprise, "What was I thinking?"
With a thin smile the ghôl nods, "What were you thinking of when you murdered one of my braves?"
"I, my, my daughter," she clenches her fist, "I had to make it back, I had to do whatever I could to win."
Nanshe relaxes her grip on the child and leans back in her throne. She stares down at the child and once more begins rocking her slightly, "Then you have answered your own question. The ghôlish people are my children and I will do all that you see here and more to protect them. In truth I do not believe in these rituals but they do and so I will indulge them a little now so that I can demand of them service in the future. They will serve willingly and from their service will grow a grand empire in the south to rival even that of the Cath Bruig."
Such a declaration sounds insane but Cass has no response. It is all so much bigger than she is, it is all so unreal, she just wants to go home and she tells Nanshe so, "Please, please just let my daughter and I go."
"Can't do that I am afraid," the Empress shakes her head slowly, "Not after what you have seen."
Cass blanches, "You, you aren't going to kill us are you?"
The ghôl has to think about that for a moment, "No, no I suppose I won't. I won't kill you, but I can not free you either. What I will do is employ you."
Now that truly is insane, "Employ me?"
Nanshe grins as the idea takes hold, "Yes, I think I shall employ you. I need a maid and a clerk for myself. Perhaps you can even teach me Bruig, it would not sit well if the Empress of the South could not speak the common tongue of men now would it?"
"I, I suppose," Cass begins, bewildered.
"Excellent," Nanshe grins at the child, then at Cassandra. She rises from her throne and issues orders to her courtiers. They grumble but she ignores them, "Come with me and we will get you settled in your new quarters immediately."
As she follows her new employer from the room she tries to protest, "But, my husband in Myrgard."
Nanshe slips an arm around her and leads her towards the stairs, "Now, now Cass. Do not fret, we shall reunite you with your husband when I take Myrgard."
"Take Myrgard? But you would have to destroy the Dwarven Kingdom to do that!" the clerk replies in shock as her employer pushes her onward.
"Exactly my dear," Nanshe continues without breaking stride, "The Dwarven Kingdom rests in the very heart of ancient ghôl lands. My empire will not be complete until it is gone."
Cass' head spins, "But, but how? What will you do? How far will you go?"
Nanshe stops and with a grin and a wink replies, "Well, just watch me."
Chapter 46: The Battle of Blackrock V
Chapter 46: The Battle of Blackrock VStale bread and salted pork. Some breakfast.
You are taking your meal in your tower as Thaïs briefs you on recent developments.
It seems that Lyssa has had mixed results with digging holes under the enemy camp. The pair of hares you originally set to work on the task began to behave strangely after a half hour of digging near and under the black tent. Not five minutes after that they wandered off. You have since ordered your rat guards and their marmot 'volunteers' to work in five to ten minute shifts. It will take more time but hopefully will prevent further loses though part of you remains concerned. If the hares have been compromised then the enemy might know you are trying to setup some sort of trap. They have not acted yet which may suggest that they are unaware of your plans or they may merely be waiting for something else before they spring whatever trap they have devised.
It is merely one more worry to add to a growing list.
Your reinforcements have been in regular contact, they have begun to explore the tunnels looking for a discrete way to reach Bari's last known location. They have found nothing yet but you remain hopeful. They have also managed to gain a better picture of the enemy force you are up against. Seems they brought a few scouts of their own along as well. They seemed concerned about their recent discovery of the presence of a Shade in the enemy camp. You managed to pass off your lack of complete honesty with them for a general concern over security. You are not entirely convinced that they have accepted your excuse but to their credit they have not abandoned you, at least for the time being.
Finally you have yet to receive word from Albrecht and that worries you most. What is he doing? Why has he not sent help?
Despite all these concerns though, you still have trouble properly focusing. Your mind wanders, perhaps as the result of a lack of proper sleep, perhaps due to the dim light filtering through your window. Outside the sky resembles a sheet of granite, great grey clouds slowly drift along obscuring the sun and lulling you to sleep. You know though that as soon as you close your eyes memories will assail you. You have not been keeping up with your sessions with Thaïs and without each other's help your imprinted memories are organizing themselves as best as they can. When this is over you are going to have to have a long session to sort through all the impressions and information that assults your dreaming mind, until then you will just have to make do with the little time you have.
You give your head a shake and shove a wad of meat into your mouth. It is just as horrible as you knew it would be but seven days into the siege you can not be too picky.
You wash the tough pork down with a swig from a half finished bottle of ale. It helps.
"Should you really be drinking this early," Thaïs asks with a slight smile. She sits across from you at your tiny table, sharing your meal after your meeting.
"Well," you reply with another slow swig, "Why don't you try some of that," you gesture at the pork on her plate, "And tell me."
She cuts off a sliver and pops it into her mouth. Instantly she makes a face and gestures for the bottle.
"So, not too early then?" you enquire as you slid the bottle from your left to right hand.
She nods rapidly and mercifully you slide the bottle to her. She takes a great gulp of the thin drink, "Yes, thank you."
She slides her plate away, "I don't think I can eat that."
You slip her a sympathetic smile as you nimbly push the plate back, "Needs must when the devil drives."
Her eyes light with the fire of memory, "Henry."
"One of his favourites, yes," you return her warmth.
She closes her eyes. The memory of the old man plays out for her, daintily she play with her food, "He would always say it before asking me-" she catches herself, "Us to do something horrible."
"Or horribly boring," you add with a wink as you slide another piece of pork into your mouth. You are greeted with the simply wondrous taste of salt and gristle.
She cracks an eyelid, you motion for the bottle and she slides it back.
"It is odd," she begins quietly, "Having two sets of memories. Real memories I mean, not illusions or tricks, in my mind."
You sound your agreement as you knock back the alcohol, as you lower the bottle she adds, "Not unpleasant though. I think I would have liked to actually meet Henry. Not in here," she taps the side of her head, "But out here," she gestures to the empty chair between you."
"He would have liked you I think," you slide the bottle back to her as she dutifully saws at the rock on her plate, "I mean he probably would have hit on you," you add with a serene laugh, "But he would have liked you."
She manages to choke down her mouthful with a healthy dose of drink and winks at you, "I know. Trust me, on both counts I know. Do you remember that time in Madrigal. The 'Bent Cock' I believe the place was called."
That sets off a wave of laughter from you both, shaking your head you respond, "I do not know how the old man wound up naked with the Dean of Admissions for the Royal Institute-"
"And her sister," Thaïs quickly reminds you.
You grin grows ever wider, "And her sister," you repeat, "But I swear that man could talk his way out of a murder."
Your friend's eyes sparkle, "If he had not, there would have been a murder."
"Nah," you shrug it off, "Those two old cuckolds could barely hold their blades up," she passes the bottle back to you, "Either set of blades if you believe their wives," you add with a wink as you take another mouthful and slam back the drink.
Your friend laughs melodically and soon enough you join her. Quickly a memory comes to you, "Oh, and how about the exploits of our dear 'family' in Scales?"
Thaïs groans slightly, well aware of the memory you are referring to, "So the girls liked to drink a little. That is hardly a crime is it?"
"No," you concede with a predatory grin, "But it sure led to a lot of crimes."
You laugh together, as you slide the near empty bottle back to her, "Oh what was it Petra used to say?"
At the mention of the 'grand, old dame' you both smile. After your, ah, her father died, Petra was arguably the most important person in Thaïs' life. She picked her up, dusted her off and helped her carry on.
Your friend nods as the scene plays out in your minds, "It was just a little drink with our supper."
She had asked you, no, Thaïs, to come over for a spot of dinner one crisp autumn evening. The last thing you remember you where both laughing merrily and drinking.
You shoot back, "We woke up two days later in the middle of the evening."
Thaïs grins, wagging her finger as she recalls Petra's words, "Yes and old Petra was there she said-"
You nod along enthusiastically, finishing your friend's thought, your thought, "She said, 'Never ask what you did-"
You finish in unison, "'It's better not to know!'"
Once more you burst into laughter together.
"I miss her sometimes," your friend mutters as the laughter dies.
You give her a look of deep sympathy, "I know. Just like I miss Henry."
"I know," she responds and empties the last of the bottle, "You were right that night. It does help to have someone to share this with."
She grows quiet, serious, "Derryth, I-"
Ah, you know that look. You know what she is going to say. It has something to do with the words 'like' or 'love' or something else suitably heavy and sufficiently charged.
"I know," you reassure her, "I just-"
Funny thing about your connection is that she knows your response even before you complete it. You have to wonder, does she know you that well or are you just a little predictable?
"I know," she sighs slightly, "Now is not a good time."
Hearing it out loud like that, it sounds worse than you intended. You feel the need to clarify your confusion, if that makes any sense.
It probably doesn't but damn it you have to try.
"Well, will it ever be a good time?" you are forced to admit, "We always seem to have someone trying to kill us. So, I was thinking, if we survive-"
"If we survive," she nods, repeating your words, "I will get my answer."
She does not phrase it as a question because it isn't one. She is right and you both know it.
If you survive this you will have to give her a proper answer about where exactly the two of you stand, now and into the future. Anything else would simply be cruel.
You feel the need to say something, anything, else but you lack the time.
The door to your apartment burst open as the girls tumble in.
"You have to stop doing this!" Biliku yells as she grasps her little sister by the hair.
"But it is important again!" Uttu elbows her sister, "They need to know important stuff right away!"
"They are busy! There is a," she searches for a word and grasps upon one with a look of triumph, "A protocol to follow."
"Yeah, what is it?" the younger girl demands as she squirms.
Biliku assumes a professional stance, tall and straight-backed, "You tell me, then I tell them and-"
"You just want to hog all the glory for yourself!" Uttu stomps on sister's foot and pushes away from her.
The older girl yelps in pain and surprise, "By the Goddess, I am going to kill you, you little brat!"
"Thaïs! Derryth! Help me!" Uttu races across the room and dives behind your table.
You hide a grin behind your hand.
"Girls, you should not fight," your friend begins, the twinkle in her eyes tell you she finds this quite amusing but she puts on a stern face regardless. The woman is a natural.
"Thaïs is right," you add with one hand still obstructing your smile, "Uttu, you apologize to your sister for hurting her," the kid nods and mouths 'sorry', "And Biliku there are better ways to go about this than wrestling her."
Your 'bodyguard' nod, "Sorry Derryth. Won't happen again."
"Good," your friend adds, "Now, what is all this business about 'important stuff'."
"There is something in the sky!" Uttu shouts and gestures out the window.
Slowly you get up and walk to the window. You lean outside and off in the distance you can just make out a pair of balloons lazily drifting your way from the north west.
"Hmm," you lean on the window frame, "Thaïs come and have a look at this."
She slips in next to you and leans out the window, "Are those dwarven?"
She turns to face you and you beam at her, "Know anyone else that can fly?"
"So Albrecht finally sent help," she replies with a wide grin.
"Looks that way," you respond, "Seems they swung northward as well to avoid running into the enemy that are likely set up along the southern roads. That would explain at least part of their delay in getting here."
"Well then, she takes you by the hand, "We had best get ready to receive guests."
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You stand in your armour, with Thaïs on your right and Lyssa on your left. Hámundr with his dwarves and Myora with her mauls flank your little group, along the edge of the courtyard Ceannard and his archers stand ready as well. You do not know who or what is in those balloons but you will take no chances.
The balloons slowly lower themselves into the courtyard and a dozen dwarves pile out.
You do not recognize them but they all wear House Albrecht uniforms. They do not move like House Albrecht soldiers though, at least not any you have ever encountered. In fact if you had to guess you would say they are Pathfinders.
Their leader approaches you, a great helm pulled tightly over his face. Quickly he unfastens it and you smile at the face that greets you.
"Ladies," the dwarven champion gives you each a nod.
"It is good to see you again Sir Argus," Thaïs responds with her usual deep bow.
"How are you Argus," you slap him on the back, "Didn't want to miss out on all the fun?"
The dwarf grins, "I suppose you could put it that way but perhaps we should talk inside."
"Certainly, Myora will see to your men," the friend replies.
The maul begins to shout orders to your soldiers as the rest of your command group moves inside.
You will give Argus a proper briefing in one of the larger conference rooms, away from the rank and file.
-----------------------------------------
"Sounds like you have been busy," the King's Champion whistles as you conclude your tale.
"Well we find a way to keep ourselves occupied," you reply with a smirk.
"You have done this kingdom another great service," the dwarf nods respectfully, "At least four Shades dead by your estimation, over a dozen enemy mages slain, and their entire offensive blunted."
You nod but the smile slips from your face, "Still, the bulk of their army is intact and their remaining commanders seem reluctant to expose themselves."
"Well, I am sure we will think of something," Argus reassures you, "But that is no longer your problem."
"What do you mean?" Lyssa interrupts to asks.
Argus carefully studies her, "Well Miss Lyssa, what I mean is that you are all free to go. The King has authorized me to take command of the situation here and handle this threat. Mistress Derryth, Mistress Thaïs, you and the girls are to return to the palace as soon as possible."
"What! Why?" you and your friend shout in unison.
"In his Majesty's own words you are 'too valuable' to risk losing," the Champion replies with an apologetic glance, "He does not want to lose you or any of your team in a 'skirmish' I believe her called it."
"Skirmish!" you object in unison.
You begin, "This is not a Wyrd damned skirmish and I wrote as much to him!"
Thaïs is right behind you, "This is quite possibly the Watcher's primary army we are fighting. We can not simply run."
"Well you won't run," Argus winks, "You will fly," you both grumble in unison which just makes Argus grin wider, "Did you know it is quite odd when you two do that?" he waves off your annoyed stares, "Ah, sorry, maybe not the best time for a jokes. My pilots will see you safely back to Myrgard where you will help the king mobilize support. He is meeting a lot of opposition and many of the Lords would rather send the army south. We have not heard from Stoneheim in several days and many of the Lords are concerned about their trade interests there. Your words will count for a lot to convince them, at least the King seems to think so."
"What about our people here?" your friend asks.
Argus purses his lips, "Well, not counting the pilots and yourselves you could take eight."
Ceannard chimes in, "I will not leave my men. I am under contract to defend this fort and I will do so until the end."
Hámundr nods in agreement, "I would strongly recommend you ladies take the Champion's offer but I will remain as well. I must see to my men and I will find out the fate of my missing soldier."
"Well we can't simply abandon everyone," you conclude.
"What if you split up?" Myora suggests from the back of the room.
You wince slightly in unison but nod, "We certainly could do that-"
"But we would not be nearly as effective alone," your friend adds.
Lyssa coughs, "I, I could stay. I know the plan and I can run the animals."
"Are you sure?" you ask.
She seems slightly nervous and fidgets, playing with her necklace absentmindedly, "Yes, I mean I won't lie. I feel safer with support but I am willing to stay if necessary."
You and your friend look at one another the potential repercussions of such a decision clear to you both. If the three of you split up then you will be working on a strict schedule as the signals from your necklaces will begin to take their toll.
Argus sees your hesitation and offers a way out, "His Majesty did say that you should leave but who am I to argue with mages? You could probably turn me into a newt if you wanted to!" he lets out a low, barking laugh, "I sure as hell won't force you to get in the balloons and to be honest I would feel more confident with the 'Heroes of the Kingdom' around. Just take a moment and consider your options."
1. The Balloons, you have been offered a chance to leave. To escape and possibly to bring help. You choose to:
A) Take Argus' Offer: You will go to the King and see what you can do to help mobilize the army. You just hope the fort will stand without your presence.
B) You stay: The enemy has powerful mages at their disposal. If you leave you will be robbing the defenders of any magical support you could offer and you do not feel right about saving yourself at their expense.
C) You split up: Some of you will return to the king and some of you will stay to help guard the fort. This would allow you to pursue both tasks at once but your team is far more effective together than apart. (Please state which characters will go where should you choose this option. Derryth, Thaïs, Lyssa, Biliku and Uttu are all available for either group while the rest might take some convincing to leave.)
D) freeform
2. Operation Mole Hill: Your hares are gone. You have managed to force a handful of marmots to continue the work however with a mixture of generous gifts and subtle threats. The digging stage of the plan is almost complete and soon you will have to commit actual resources to its success. However, the plan may have been compromised. Do you wish to continue with it? (If you elect to take all three mages with you then you will have to trust the rats to execute the plan by themselves using more mundane means. If a mage remains at the fort then the plan will proceed as previously written.)
A) Yes, the payoff is worth the risk.
B) No, you will think of something else instead.
3. If you choose to stay (or send off only one balloon) then you will have the ability to moves small numbers of personnel between your Blackrock reinforcements in the field and the fort. Did you want to move anyone around?
A) No, keep everyone where they are.
B) Yes, (Please list names, quantities, and the like. Given how diverse the responses to this option can be, each will be counted separately.)
i. Berty and the Pathfinders move to your Stoneheim group. You will send them with explosives and instruct them to destroy the enemy crates should the opportunity present itself.
Chapter 47: Battle's End
Chapter 47: Battle's End?Another day, another uninspired meal.
Once more you take breakfast in your tower, once more it consists of tough pork and thin ale, once more you glance out your window into a slate grey sky.
You wonder.
It has been three days and your opponents have not so much as stirred. Surely they are aware that you sent for reinforcements. Surely they are aware that they are working within a strict time limit. So then what are they planning?
You had expected an attack shortly after your representatives left for Myrgard. The fact that your enemy instead seems content to sit and wait has you slightly worried; as does the lack of communication from Albrecht back in the city. Three days, three days and you have not heard a single word from the dwarves, perhaps you really are on your own.
Still, not all of the news has been bad. Your reinforcements outside the fort claim that they have found a path leading deeper into the heart of the mountain. Hopefully they can still find a way around the enemy and to Bari's last known location. If they can, then a proper search can begin. You only hope that they will not be too late to help your friend.
Wearily you rub your temples, doing your best to push back a slight headache.
Lyssa speaks from your left, severing the net of worries that has enveloped you, "We are making good progress on the tunnels under the enemy camp. Our workers have done their part and the rats merely have to fill the tunnels with explosives."
"How long will that take?" Thaïs asks from her seat across from you.
You have invited both of them to breakfast to brief you on recent events. While you are aware of most of what goes on within the fort it is always helpful to properly review events.
"Only a few hours at most, then we simply have to spring the trap," Lyssa frowns as she pushes her pork across her plate, "Don't we have anything else to eat?"
"Well we could kill and cook a few of the mice," Thaïs suggests with a wink.
Her suggestion is met by the sound of furious squeaking as a pair of white rodents slip out of Lyssa's robes and roll out onto the table. The pair of them gesture wildly and you think they are shouting at your friend.
"Not on the table damn it," you groan, "We don't know where those mice have been."
Seems they do not take kindly to your insinuation that they are dirty. They squeak in unison and execute a quick one hundred and eighty degree turn before they begin laying into you. It is all a little surreal.
"Alright, alright," you raise your hands in mock surrender, "We are sorry, aren't we Thaïs?"
"Yes, quite," your friend nods in agreement.
The mice nod slowly and run back to Lyssa. They seem satisfied, even if they do shoot each of you the odd dirty glance while they do it. The pair of mice scurry up the witch's arm and take up position on her right shoulder where they can better observe the room.
This pair seem quite intellegent, even by the standards of the rodents you have already met so you decide to ask Lyssa about it, "Is there anything different about your pet- ah," you stop as the rodents eye you carefully, "Your associates," they nod, content, and quietly squeak to one another.
Lyssa breaks off a few crumbs of pork and passes them to her rodent subordinates, they do not seem particularly thrilled by her 'gift', "Yes, it seems that there is more going on with the rodents of this fort than we first imagined. One of the former leaders of Blackrock fancied himself something of a mage and he took to experimenting with the local mouse population. From what these two have told me his experiments yielded interesting results."
"Such as?" Thaïs prompts her to continue.
"Increased intelligence, increased social complexity, a greater capacity for language, and-" the mouse closest to her ear pulls on her earlobe and whispers something, "Oh, right, far greater beauty," the mouse nods happily, "And finally, well maybe I should just show you."
Politely she speaks with the mice in their own tongue. There is a great deal of discussion but reluctantly they nod and climb back down her arm.
Lyssa explains while they work, "As I mentioned earlier, one of the former occupants of these towers conducted a number of general experiments on the rodent population of the tower. Over successive generations he managed to achieve a great deal but his most surprising accomplishment only came after numerous years of careful breeding."
One of the mice rushes across the table with a large chunk of pork and props it up right on the edge of the table. The second mouse stands on its hind legs and stretches out a single arm.
"What are they doing?" you mutter.
"What does it look like?" Lyssa responds, straining to contain a grin.
"Well, if they were people then I would say they are preparing to cast a-" the bolt of teal energy that bursts from the mouse cuts short your musing.
It strikes the chuck of dried meat, which in turn explodes spraying the empty chair behind it. The mice rear back and cheer.
"Well that is interesting," and a little disconcerting you are forced to admit, "So the mice can cast?"
Lyssa nods, "Sort of. Only these two for now. As we are all aware magic is not a particularly easy thing to master but these two have received a great deal of training and-" one of the mice pulls on Lyssa's sleeve and shakes its head, "Right, sorry," she gives the mouse a slight nod, "Suffice to say that they have undergone a certain degree of modification to be able to do what they do."
"Why did you not mention this earlier?" your friend speaks up as she pushes her plate away, glad for any excuse to avoid her meal.
"Didn't know," Lyssa replies with a shrug, "I only found out about their existence last night when I caught them trying to steal one of my energon cubes."
You eye the pair of rodents incredulously, "What were they going to do with an energon cube?"
Lyssa glances at the mice, they fall to quick conversation but after mere moments nod in unison. Lyssa answers, "They wanted to eat it."
"Eat it?" that sound like a rather bad idea.
"Yes," the witch presses on, "From what they have told me their former master fed them specially treated energon solutions which in turn enhanced their natural magical abilities sufficiently to allow them to cast. However there were side effects, these potions, I am told, are highly addictive and they ran out two days ago. They needed more energon cubes to feed this addiction though they readily admit they are not sure how to prepare the drug."
"Just so I have this clear," you push your plate away as well, fully focused on the pair of mice before you, "We have a pair of intellegent, spell casting mice here that can understand dwarven and are addicted to treated energon dust in a suspension of...?"
"Whiskey," Lyssa adds quietly.
"Energon dust in whiskey?" actually that does not sound half bad.
"Yes, that is the gist of it," the witch places her hand next to the mice, allowing them to race back up to her shoulder, "They have offered their services in exchange for the drug they crave, though I told them I can not promise anything and that the final decision would be yours to make."
An interesting proposition to be sure. Your mind is already turning with the possibilities, you could use them as assassins, spies, trackers and a score of other things as well. Yet you hesitate, you know nothing about these creatures and while they are not dangerous to you now, from what you can tell, that is no guarantee that they will not be a danger in the future. Perhaps it would be better to simply dispose of them now.
You take a deep breath and you give your answer.
----------------------------------------------
She hates these ceremonies but they are necessary for her victory.
Her 'volunteer' lies in the center of the chamber in front of a large black curtain. She is a young woman, a necromancer, one of Prospero's followers and of little use in the grand scheme of things.
The girl has a name, starts with an M or something, but Gullveig will be damned if she can remember it. After a few thousand years names start to mean so very little. After a few thousand years there is, in fact, very little that means anything at all.
Ambition, that remains, it warms her, like the flames that once kissed her.
Hatred, eternally useful, it fuels her even as it consumes her.
The two together, a perfect match, one that has seen her through all manner of difficulties and one that she hopes will see her through the trials to come.
To think that they have lost so much, so quickly. Over a decade of work gone in under two weeks.
She drew up a list this morning, a habit she developed long ago, to better stoke the flames of her anger, to sharpen the edge of her ambition.
Fifteen dead Shades.
Four hundred flattened Stygians.
Three dead Hounds.
The Great Temple laid to waste.
The ghôls in open rebellion.
The priesthood decimated.
The Thin White Mage humiliated, yet again. Though that makes her chuckle just a little.
The loss of the rod.
The loss of her fellow commanders and the destruction of their siege engine.
The Enemy has dealt them numerous heavy blows but they have time. They will recover, they will restore their former strength and then they will conquer.
The girl cries. It fills Gullveig with disgust, there is nothing more pitiful than to cling to life.
All die, she died, this girl will die, those children in that fort will die. It is natural and to be expected. But few get the opportunity that this girl has, few get to contribute to the glory of the Watcher so directly.
But the child can not understand that, it is simply beyond her, so Gullveig does them both a favour and focuses on the girl's mouth, on her lips. They begin to melt, to fuse together, the girl's eyes bulge in terror as the archmage finishes her minor enchantment, "There, no more screams child."
The archmage grins as she crosses the chamber and peals back the curtain. The stench is unimaginable, the result of dozens of bloated, rotting forms, twisted together, braided into one another in a crude approximation of a person, four metres tall.
The girl emits a series of muffled wails at the sight of the thing but remains powerless before the archmage.
Gullveig grabs the girl by the hair and with a single grunt lifts her and hurls her into the center of the writhing mass.
Within moments she is enveloped by the dead, her sealed mouth splits under the strain as she screams into the dark, a howl taken up by her new comrades.
Thirty six voices scream in unison as the abomination slowly rises to its feet.
It is time, it is ready, the beast will bring down the walls and her forces will pour in.
None will survive, none will-
Heat, heat and pain and the end of things.
Lying in the wreckage of her tent, the blasted form of the abomination limp and truly dead around her.
She is... dying.
She cries.
---------------------------------------
Buer, broad of face and slow of wit, staggers to his feet, "Well this is just great! Just fucking great! Now what the fuck are we supposed to do?" he begins to pace back and forth shaking noticeably.
The other surviving necromancers sit or stand around him in the wreckage of their camp.
Gullveig is dead, the abomination that was meant to win them this siege is dead.
They have no Shades, they have no Hounds, they have no more wonder weapons or horrors to hide behind. They have nothing, they are nothing, a handful of veteran and novice necromancers in charge of a horde of lesser undead.
"Should we run?" young Deumus asks as she casts her long curved hands up in despair, "Maybe we can hide?"
"What if they find us!" Flaga shouts her colleague down, her gaunt face distorted in horror, "What if those, those demons, up there," she gestures wildly at the fort, "What if they come swooping down here and destroy us! What if they use whatever magics they possess to strike us dead right now!"
Buer stops short, "They can hit us here? Oh fuck, I mean they must have hit the boss but I didn't think- We have to get the fuck out of here right now!" he begins to race around the group, pulling at their hands, their shoulders, trying to stir them to action.
"No," the dull but calm voice of old Leonard calls from across the ruined camp, "We have a mission to complete here first."
"A mission," the younger man responds, he blinks repeatedly, unable to believe what he is hearing, "We came here with not one, not two, not even three Shades. We came here with four Shades and the Master's own hunter and what have we got to show for it? Death and failure, that's what! If we stay we are going to die! Do you hear me we are all going to fucking die!"
Their argument is cut short by a grunt. At the far edge of the group old Forcas rises, and all still living turn to give him the floor, "We can not simply rout, all that would do is encourage the enemy to attack. Nor can we fight without the proper engines to conduct a siege. As I see it we must withdraw for now. We must preserve our Master's army and his strength. There will be other chances but not here and not now. We will leave but we will do so in an orderly fashion."
Grudgingly Leonard nods and Buer rushes up to the old necromancer, "Alright, what do we do then?"
The old man surveys the camp, "Well, here is my plan..."
------------------------------------
Cheers fill the air around the fort as everyone present witnesses the destruction of the Black Tent and the last of the enemy's Shades.
They are leaderless now and you will just have to hold out until reinforcements arrive.
It should be much easier now to hold the fort and once the Royal Army arrives you will be able to crush the enemy between y-
What are they doing?
The enemy lines begin to shift. The thralls forming into neat columns with a thick screen of soulless to shield them.
They are leaving. They are withdrawing. They are escaping.
Joy and concern war within you.
Should you let them go or should you pursue them? Is it worth the risk or not? You do not have long to decide.
1. The enemy, you choose to:
A) Let them go. You have people to look for and you have achieved enough. You will let the enemy withdraw in defeat.
B) Pursue them. You have scored a number of devastating blows against the enemy without engaging them in proper battle. Your forces are fresh and you have no intention of allowing the bulk of the enemy force to escape unharmed even if they do substantially outnumber you.
C) Harry them. You will send out your most mobile elements to harass the enemy and inflict as much damage as possible though you will instruct them to avoid engaging the enemy in a pitched battle.
D) The Plan (Pending Final Name):
However, I propose to step it up a notch.
First, have our Pathfinders and Berty that we have conveniently dropped behind enemy lines set up a minefield ahead of the enemy on a path they will be retreating towards. The Blackrock reinforcements have horses, and the enemy force moves with the speed of their Thralls and Soulless, which is really slow. We should have no problems with this part.
Have our Blackrock forces wait in an ambush ahead, too. They should not engage in a direct combat, but they should see if there is an opportunity to harass them when their attention is turned elsewhere.
Then, have Lyssa, some dwarven grenadiers (or whoever is good with explosives) and - maybe? - a pair of Black Arrows get into the air balloon. Get it as high as it can go to be safe from the enemy spells, and maybe even higher than that with the help of the Strong Wind spell, and rain grenades from above for as long as you have them. With the numbers our enemies have, precision should not be a concern. Have our archers try and single the enemy mages with their arrows, if that is possible. If we get really high in the balloon, arrows may not normally fly that far, but gravity should help that since we will be shooting downwards. They'll just have to adjust their aim.
Coordinate this assault with the one from Stoneheim troops and/or Pathfinders for maximum confusion.
It should not take long to install a makeshift sail on the balloon to give it more sideways and upwards mobility. With luck, we would even be able to strafe enemy projectile spells that way.
Have everyone equip a chute. Tie them all with a single rope, or just have them grab onto it. If the airship is shot down somehow, have Lyssa guide the crew safely to our side with her Strong Wind spell.
When they are not bombing, she can also help with splitting the larger enemy groups into smaller chuncks with illusion spells, sort of like what we did with Miosguinn when we broke the spider and ghost hordes attacking the dwarves. Though will it work with the enemy mages to guide them through? Still, it might split their attention if they try to control the horde and disbelieve the illusions simultaneously.
Give her enough Energon Cubes to pull it off, maybe even all of them safe for those we might need for our part in the plan and for the mice. Also give her a ring with Heal, just in case. We still have two mandrake roots for emergencies.
And of course, pursue them with the archers and a mortar, trying to inflict some casualties and to guide them straight into our Pathfinders' loving arms and their trap. Derryth and Thais should assist with that, though this should primarily be a job for Ceannard and our mortarmen, as they are the only ones outranging the enemy.
Have Argus handle the smaller tactical details and consult with him on a matter of how to get through this with the least amount of casualties. We do not want to lose anyone here if we don't have to.
Communicate with your forces and coordinate your efforts through the eagles.
With death ahead of them, behind them, above them and generally everywhere, I think our enemies might just panic and rout. Even if they don't, they will have to spread their horde quite thin, as they would be essentially surrounded, and they will have trouble guiding a large number of undead if we disable some of the more experienced mages.
E) freeform
2. The mice, you chose to:
A) Allow Lyssa to work with them to satisfy their addiction. They could be useful and they should not suffer.
B) Allow Lyssa to work with them and expand upon their previous master's experiments. There are a number of possible applications for such creatures that you think are worth pursuing.
C) Kill them, the last thing you need is spell casting animals getting loose or turning on you.
D) As per B but you will also recruit and train a group of 'loyalist' mice in case your new friends some day turn on you.
E) freeform
Chapter 48: Pursuit
Chapter 48: Pursuit"Right everyone, take off your robes," it is admittedly a strange first command and he can see the scepticism written on his new subordinates' faces which makes what he says next even more difficult, "Once you have stripped I want you to chop up a few thralls and smear yourselves in their gore, put their armour on and take up their weapons. For this point onward you all have to move and look like thralls."
"Why?" Buer asks.
It is a fair question and deserves a straight answer.
An answer that Forcas has no trouble giving, "Think back to the war. Think back to what our enemies did every time one of Soulblighter's armies fell. What did they do?"
Forcas is met with nothing but silence. Half of these children have never fought even a minor skirmish let alone an entire campaign. They are untested and to make matters worse many of them are idiots. It might be rude to say but it is the truth.
Thankfully not all of them are children or idiots.
Leonard understands and quickly comes to his old friend's aid, "They kill the mages."
"Exactly," the old man nods, "Every battle, every skirmish, any competent foe will aim for the mages when given a chance. So what do we do?"
Flaga grins in triumph, "Oh! We are going to hide. If we don't look like mages then they will not be able to find us!"
"Precisely!" Forcas pats the girl, young enough to be his granddaughter, on the head and she positively beams, "So everyone, get to changing quickly. Help one another if necessary, this needs to be convincing."
The young necromancers set to work with not a little giggling and blushing as the old men withdraw to discuss their plan.
"Now what?" the younger mage breaks the silence, his tone flat and largely disinterested.
Forcas has never been able to understand that, the way Leonard stays so calm even when his life is at stake, "We will need to split our forces. We will need a rearguard to protect us from the fort and we will need an advance party in place to give us warning of any enemy ambushes-"
"You think they have soldiers outside of the fort already?" Leonard frowns slightly at the thought, it cast a deeper shadow over his already gloomy countenance.
"Possibly," the older mage shrugs, "This area is riddled with old tunnels but what really concerns me is the Enemy himself, not his apprentices in the fort. If he still has that army of horrors out there somewhere we need to do everything possible to avoid it, we-" he exhales sharply, pain shooting up his body.
"Are you going to be alright my friend?" his tone; was that a hint of genuine concern in his old companion's voice?
It brings a smile to the old man's face, "No, I don't suppose I will be," he lets out a pair of short, sharp laughs, "Listen, I wanted to tell you before I told the rest. I am going to lead a group toward the fort to delay the enemy. Just for an hour or so, hold them off then slip away. That sort of thing, you know?"
Ah, that cool look his second gives him.
It really is a shame that, at moments like this, Leonard is not a stupid man.
"Forcas, my dearest friend," his companion begins, "I am afraid I can not let you rob me of this honour. I will stay and lead the attack."
The old man grins in spite of himself, "As the current commander though, I am afraid I will have to pull rank and choose this most prestigious assignment for myself," he pats his 'young' friend on the shoulder in consolation.
Leonard smiles slyly at him, the first smile he has seen from the man in over forty years, "Forcas, answer me plainly, of the two of us who can run faster?"
Forcas grudgingly answers, "You can."
"Correct," his friend's surprising smile spreads, "And of the two of us, who is better at commanding others."
Forcas sighs, "Now really Leonard."
"Ah, ah, ah," the younger mage insists as he gently moves his friend's hand from his shoulder, "Who is a better commander? Who can lead this army though what will be very rough days?"
"I-" he begins.
"Yes, you," Leonard positively beams, "You are the one they will listen to. I will take what thralls and soulless we can spare, I will take a handful of novices to help control them and I will lead this attack."
There is a finality to his friend's words. For all that the old mage desperately desires to argue he can not. It is decided for them both now. He turns, twists slightly, and stops. He stands there, transfixed, staring into his comrade's eyes.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" his second enquires with just a hint of impatience, "We both have a great deal to do and no time to do it in."
"I, just, I thought there might be something more to say, but-" he replies in a slight daze.
"Well I can not think of anything so just save it for when we meet again," his colleague extends a hand, "A hour, two at the most, I promise."
"A hour, two at the most?" the repeats the words, "Alright, I'll see you then."
He embraces this man, his friend, then he bids him goodbye, turns and walks away.
Both of them know they will never meet again.
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"Now this is fun!" the dwarf hollers over the wailing of the wind.
The dwarven love of explosives, and by extension explosions, is legendary and these dwarves are doing everything they can to live up to that reputation.
It is exciting, she will grant them that; a little insane, sure, but also very exciting and made all the more so by the fact that this is her first real command as part of the Lost.
She has no intention of letting her employers down, her friends down- They are her friends right? Maybe? Possibly? Or perhaps they are just using her, it would not be the first time. She gives her head a shake, either way she has no intention of failing someone that is relying on her, not again at least, not like the girl...
"Lyssa!" Otto shouts, "Where is the next target?"
The Arrow captain snaps her back to reality.
She is currently floating in a dwarven balloon overtop of an army of undead while her crew throw explosives and fires arrows into the host below. It is just a shame that things have not gone quite to plan.
The first little wrinkle they encountered was the lack of clear targets. At first it seemed like there were no enemy mages in the retreating columns. Of course there were plenty of them, she could feel them, but they were in hiding. It took her only a moment to realize what they had done and adjust her plan.
She reaches out with her mind and attempts to lock onto another necromancer. Her own experience in the field helps immensely with this task, she is able to determine not just who is casting but roughly what they are casting as well which has allowed her to pinpoint the most powerful mages controlling the most important parts of the horde. Her first two strikes went beautifully and have put a tremendous amount of strain on the enemy's command structure. If she can just take out a few more... ah, there is her next target.
"Otto! Third column, fifth row, see that thrall with the misshapen hands? That is our next target! " she declares with glee.
The balloon drifts steadily toward their prey as the crew ready their weapons.
They unload in a single terrifying volley, once more delivering death from far beyond their opponents' range. Only this time it is different, their projectiles do not land and instead are blown clear of the enemy formation. Someone down there just cast a spell she is intimately familiar with.
Someone down there cast a Strong Wind spell.
"Otto! Another volley!" she commands, doing her best impression of Derryth, even if it is blocked again she will at least be able to get a lock on the enemy spellcaster.
Again they unleash a volley and again it is blown wide but now she has the target. Directly below her, moving with the balloon. This will be a problem. The simplest way through it would be to exhaust her opponent, keep up a stream of fire that would burn through her reserves as quickly as possible. It would eat up a lot of her power though. Alternatively she could try out her aphids though it is likely that they too would be blown off course. No, this is not a problem she can easily solve on her own, but then maybe she does not have to.
First she will need to apply a little pressure, "Otto, get the men to steadily bomb the area below us but only a few projectiles at a time. We want the enemy to exhaust themselves."
The slow stream of fire has the desired effect as the enemy is forced to maintain a constant wind between their undead and her balloon. In many ways this is no different than what she has to do to keep the balloon out of the enemy's probable spell range. However she has a generous supply of energon cubes to help her. The enemy should burn out far more quickly.
At least that is the plan.
Five minutes pass and still the enemy has not burnt out. Her eagles scouts quickly identify the source of the enemy's longevity. A number of thralls have slowly wandered up to her target over the last five minutes. These must be some of the lesser necromancers, they are providing the power necessary for her adversary to continue casting.
What she needs is a distraction, Berty and his team or the Stoneheim reinforcements. She calls to Aquila, throwing her voice out into the wind, and the bird promptly responds. One quick message later and hopefully this deadlock will be resolved.
-----------------------------------------
"So Lys wants us to hit a very particular mage eh?" his new employers' tactician is a curious sort but he has been quite useful so far.
Kaf scratches his head, "So how you suppose we are going to do that?"
He can think of a few ways to do it but would prefer to hear the tactician's take on things. He is still not quite sure about these people and every little piece of information might prove useful.
"Well, we could set up a bomb built just for her, something that would explode based on the winds above it? Maybe we could float it in on the air just so, so it hits her if she casts... hmm..." the little man shakes his head a couple times, "Maybe we need to think bigger, maybe- No wait! Scratch that! I got it! Oh! Oh, this is going to be a masterpiece!"
-------------------------------------------
Your firebolt and Thaïs' energy bolt twine together in their usual dance, they feed off one another as they crash into the enemy formation. They are joined in their flight by dozens of arrows and the odd mortar shell, not terribly accurate but devastating all the same.
You had not expected to meet the enemy here, the valley you are fighting in is wide which favours your enemy but also quite long which has allowed you to launch a number of quick strikes interspersed with a general rolling retreat.
When the battle began you were outnumbered maybe two to one but the enemy simply lacks the mobility and firepower to properly strike at you.
You launch another firebolt at the enemy formation which quickly pairs up with another bolt from your friend, the two of you are getting quite good at that as well. Soon you will be almost as comfortable working with one another on elemental spells as you are with mental spells.
Another pass, another firebolt.
In truth this fight is rather dull, the enemy is large but lacks the sort of elite soldiers or comprehensive strategy necessary to really pose a threat to you. In fact you should be able to win this fight without taking a single casualty.
Then, as if on cue, things get interesting.
The enemy commander has been quiet so far and now you know why as his entire army is enveloped in darkness.
You continue to fire into the enemy battle line but without any real way to see your target you are going to have a much harder time-
A javelin whizzes past your head. He must have rolled his soulless forward as soon as the darkness spell took effect.
Hámundr pulls you back as your chariot and those of your friends cycle out in favour of more 'expendable' teams.
'Expendable', the term does not sit well with you but all of your captains agreed. When in doubt, send in the rank and file.
Your replacement team, now a few chariots smaller, swings past your position. Most members suffer from minor or serious javelin wounds.
This has to end now and you think you have an idea, "Thaïs! Can you feel the enemy commander?"
"Yes Derryth, what do you have in mind," she replies without taking her eyes off the billowing cloud before you.
"We light him up followed by a mental assault to lay him out," she nods as you give the instructions.
"Uttu!" you call out to the girl, "Use your flare, center right, aim for the rear!"
She gives you a single curt nod and launches her arrow.
It lights the darkness as it speeds over the enemy line. You will have an instant as it passes your foe, not long enough for a proper elemental spell but long enough to attack his mind. If you can get him to drop his spell you should be able to destroy him.
You open with an assault to throw him off balance. It catches him cold and sends him reeling as Thaïs follows you in, she pulls a name from his mind, Forcas, and throws out a suggestion.
This Forcas hates him, has always hated him, he wants him dead.
A poor guess it seems as your target's mind immediately rejects the thought and lashes out at your colleague.
Alright, if hate did not work then perhaps love, friendship and duty might.
You hit him again, this time with a compulsion, this Forcas of his needs him. He is dying, alone, with none to mourn him, your target must go to him, now, there can be no delay.
Oh, now that got him.
His mind tries to bolt, he forces it to stay.
Your friend hits him one final time as the darkness closes back in around him. She hits him with a beautifully crafted, false memory. Forcas is dead, he has failed his friend, he is lost, doomed, fallen.
You think you catch a tear as the darkness collapses in on him.
With a clear shot now you each launch your greater elemental bolts. They scream together and rip and tear into one another, coiling, constricting, spinning together they crash into your enemy. He does not really burn, nor does he melt, he dissolves, he evaporates, disintegrates and the force of your spells blast through him and wipe out most of his command staff.
You smile, satisfied, not much to do now except wipe out his fracturing army and push on toward the main enemy force and your friends. Hopefully they are managing without you.
-----------------------------------------
Flaga takes his hand to steady herself, poor girl is terribly stressed from casting for the last fifteen minutes without pause. Still it must be done, with no way to reach the enemy, tucked up in the clouds, there is little they can do save endure.
The bulk of their army is still intact, the majority of their necromancers are also alive, if they can just get far enough to the east hopefully the enemy will give up as the risk of becoming trapped increases. They will give up, they have to give up. The alternative, that they are all doomed, is simply unacceptable. He just needs to think of a way out of this.
The stream of projectiles pours down upon them as Flaga burns through another novice. At the rate they are exhausting necromancers their next move might matter little, they are rapidly approaching that point at which the army will break apart and after that it will be every mage for themselves.
There has to be a way out of this, "Flaga, how high can you throw me with your wind spells?"
"Not high enough to reach them," the girl responds in between laboured breaths, "You are too heavy, too big."
Too big? Too big...
He grins, "What if I were smaller or lighter? Could you throw me high enough then?"
"Sure, ah, probably," the girl replies, uncertain as she strains against the enemy.
"Alright," Forcas waves to Deumus, "Girl! Come here!"
She shuffles over, doing her best to behave like a thrall and run at the same time, "What do you need!" she calls out over the blasting wind.
"Can you make me lighter? Or smaller?" he demands of her as she draws near.
"Lighter! I can do lighter," she nods quickly.
"Then do it girl! And Flaga," she stares up at him, "Throw me high."
-------------------------------
He has been a great many things in his time.
Some spectacular and some quite ordinary.
Some glamorous and some decidedly dirty.
He has been an explorer.
Then a storyteller.
An educator.
An inventor.
A warrior.
A soldier.
A veteran.
A dissident.
A criminal.
A priest.
A spy.
A mercenary.
A tutor.
And finally a potted fern.
It is, when taken together, a rather impressive list and today he will add one more entry to that rather impressive list.
For today he will be a thrall.
One amongst hundreds. His pop always used to say that if you want to hide in the desert then you need to pass for sand, well, if the enemy can do it then why can't he? So he will, so he has, and they have not noticed him at all. He is so close now, he will have one shot at this, one shot to break the enemy's control over the undead or face instant annihilation.
It is truly thrilling, slowly he reaches into his 'borrowed' armour, carefully he withdraws the grenade, he pulls the pin, and he tosses it.
---------------------------------
He is going to die, that much is clear to him now and it is funny but he does not even really fear it anymore.
It is the one thing he has been most terrified of, the one thing he has tried so desperately to avoid for the last ninety three years. Now though, when he is staring it in the face, when the ground is rushing towards him at top speed, he does not feel much of anything at all.
The girls did their part, Deumus made him light as a feather, Flaga threw him as high as he would go, he readied his spell, determined to kill the enemy mage even if it cost him his life. He could do that at least, he was certain of it.
Then, halfway to his target the wind that was propelling him failed and he returned to his natural weight.
So now he is falling and when he hits the ground that will be it. Technically the fall might not kill him, it is a slight possibility but one all the same. Does not much matter though, the enemy have maintained their steady barrage, seconds after hitting the ground the enemy's cocktails will hit him and that will for a certainty kill him.
Curious, he turns to watch and immediately recognizes what went wrong, somehow the girls are dead. All that remains is ash and smoke, the enemy killed them, magic perhaps, maybe those archmages finally decided to make an appearance, if that is the case... he supposes he should be angry, or scared, or jealous but he simply can not muster the emotion. He supposes that he should feel remorse, that he should renounce the life of misery and suffering he has led but to hell with it, he does not feel remorseful either. He did what he had to, no, what he wanted to and he lost. It does not have to be any more complicated than that.
Still, it would have been nice to win.
It would have been nice to see his friend again.
It would have been nice to-
-----------------------------------------
As far as victories go, this one was fairly absolute. With their leaders gone the undead army dissolved into hundreds of small pockets and fragments.
You have established a number of strike teams under Argus' general command to properly crush as many of these small bands as possible and the Champion seems confident that you will be able to destroy most of them before any sort of serious support arrives.
Finally, you can safely say that the siege of Blackrock is over. The Watcher's strength in the north seems to be broken and you have earned a much needed rest. A rest you are not likely to get as Calaeno, one of Lyssa's eagles, arrives with a pair of letters addressed to you and Thaïs.
The first bears the seal of the Royal House of Albrecht, it is brief and not in a hand you recognize but that is not terribly surprising. The King has a number of scribes and he likely dictates most of his letters.
To Derryth and Thaïs
It is our hope that this letter find you well. We have succeeded in rallying our loyal lords to your cause and military aid should now be forthcoming.
Expect our army, led by Lords Welf and Hesse to arrive within a day or two. It is our deepest hope that you can hold out till then.
Should you require any further aid do not hesitate to write.
Albrecht, King of All the Dwarves
"Well, that is underwhelming," your friend remarks, "Though I do wonder what the situation is like in the capital at this very moment."
"I suspect we will find out soon enough," you reply with a shrug, "And I doubt we will like it."
The second letter is far more interesting than the first. It is written upon thinly pressed copper in liquid gold, the letter is sealed with a giant platinum M that shifts in the light and gives the illusion of being on fire.
"I wonder who this is from," you wave the letter with a laugh, "That man just does not do subtle."
You pop the letter open to the sound of horns, actual horns, and let out a slight groan.
To My Dear Associates,
I must say your work against that army was quite impressive, though your reliance on explosives does diminish the achievement just a little. A true mage would not have needed such tricks, a true mage would have bested his opponents in the open field but you are young and you still have time to learn.
Regardless of your methods you have my thanks for disposing of the remnants I sent you. They would have been quite troublesome if left to their own devices and so as a reward and a way to even the scales so to speak I will give you a little advice.
Do not trust the dwarf king's words, do not return to Myrgard, instead I recommend you either leave the Kingdom or if you are feeling adventurous you might wish to march your forces three days journey to the southeast and wait. I would love to see you again and catch up a little.
Yours Truly,
Mazzarin
It seems you have a few options to pursue if you so choose.
A) March out to meet the dwarven army. The sooner you link up with these reinforcements, the sooner you can get an update on the situation in the rest of the kingdom. It would also save time if you can convince them to join in your search for your missing people and any survivors of the Watcher's host.
B) Return to the Fort and help map the tunnels. The more people looking for Bari and Neel the sooner you will find them, one way or the other.
C) Join your strike teams in hunting down the remnants of the Watcher's host. The more you kill now the less you have to worry about later.
D) Return to the Fort and explore the secret staircase. Your negotiations with the rodent's of the Fort have led to a number of interesting developments. One of which was the discovery of a secret passage in the fort. Now might be a good time to explore it.
E) Rally what forces you can and march southeast as per the instructions in Mazzarin's letter. You are curious as to what you will find.
F) "Our 3 Mages plus some good escort go for D) while the rest work on B)."
G)"- The grenadiers under Otto's command unload Lyssa, load up Pathfinder's crates, and bomb the remnants of the enemy army to oblivion.
- The Arrows under Ceannard's and Argus' command mop up the survivors, supported by chariots (as means of transportation only) and a mortar to help them get through this without casualties.
- Do not pursue too far. After inflicting maximum damage and destroying the vast majority of the army, have them return to the fort and join the search for our friends. We don't need every thrall dead.
- Thais, Derryth and Lyssa are to lead the search, aided by Blackrock troops, Hamundr, Astrid and Ori. And our rat volunteers, of course.
- Have the Pathfinders and Berty help wherever they are more needed."
H) "Derryth, girls and spell casting mice to D
Thais, slow forces and part of arrows as backup to B (Ring Heal if either Bari or best tracker were in need of medical attention)
Lyssa, Berthy, Argus, pathfinders, chariots and mobile forces to little undead hunting game [one eagle here, Argus and pathfinders are occupied so we can investigate secrets privately (they are part o king forces alter all)]
Rest of arrows as fort garrison in case of new arrivals."
I) Freeform. If you want to do something more complicated (split your core group for example) then write it in here.
2. You can send out your eagles to contact one or all of the following groups:
A) You will send out eagles (choose as many as you like, provided you have the eagles for it):
i. You contact Mayer. You need to know what is happening in the capital, and he is the only person who had been frank with you so far. You will try to discreetly receive an update on the situation from him. You will also request information about your finances and investments.
ii. You contact Albrecht. You need to inform him that the undead army has been broken and receive an update on what is happening in the capital. If there is a pressing need for the army to help Stoneheim, it is not too late for him to redirect the forces there.
iii. You send an eagle southeast, to where the letter allegedly sent by Mazzarin said you should go. You are curious as to what is going to happen there.
iv. "Send an eagle to search for the army supposedly heading our way, and if they find it, contact Lords Welf and Hesse to inform them that the undead threat is dealt with. Request an update from them, too."
v. Send a second eagle to Albrecht via another route.
B) You do not send out the eagles.
Chapter 49: They Will Sing of Horrors, Darkly
Chapter 49: They Will Sing of Horrors, DarklyOne foot in front of the other, all the way down, down into the cold, black earth, down into darkness, down to your friends, you hope.
It has been several hours at least, that much you are sure of, several hours since you left the light behind you and once more pushed on into the dark. Thankfully though these have not been wasted hours.
Your mercenaries have made little progress mapping the tunnels by themselves but the addition of your rodent trackers have sped things up significantly.
Three hours ago they found your friends' scents.
Two hours ago they led you past five ruined thralls. One of which had a knife lodged in its jaw that was clearly Bari's.
Ten minutes ago they found a large crack in the side of a tunnel that they are convinced your people fled down.
Five minutes ago you assembled your captains and sent your rodent scouts in.
Now you merely await their return.
"They are certainly taking their time," you remark, leaning on your glowing staff.
"Well these things take time," Lyssa replies as she peers into the hole before you.
Myora grimaces, "Would they really flee through such a small hole?"
"We shall have to wait and see," Thaïs answers, leaning next to you against the wall.
"They have been awhile, maybe I should go check," Astrid mutters more to herself than anyone else. She eyes the crack and for a moment you think she will dive into it.
You lower your staff to block the entrance, "We wait. Once we know what is down there we can send a team in."
You do not have to wait long as your mice return shortly thereafter.
It seems that they were right, the trail of your missing people picks up right on the other side of the fissure.
Myora speaks first, "We should find another way around," it is not terribly surprising that she does not want you to follow this path. There is no chance that she or the other mauls will fit through a passage that tight and you do not doubt that she would loathe to be left behind.
You can not think of another way that is sure to find your allies though, so you give the order, "We are going in. Myora, you will stay with the other mauls and guard the entrance, everyone else will follow-"
"Will follow me," Hámundr steps forward and without so much as a glance at you plunges into the hole.
His dedication to his job is touching but infuriating, you grit your teeth as you repeat your order, "Right, everyone in," you motion for them to follow as you join the dwarf in the crevice.
-------------------------------
The little grey mouse races up Lyssa's leg, through her robes and out her collar. Deftly it swings onto her shoulder and sits at her ear as your two mouse mages shift over to make room. It grabs hold of her ear to steady itself and begins to squeak rapidly while the witch fights the urge to nod.
"What is he saying?" Kaf enquires with a grin, the man is still quite amused at the way you have conducted your search. You suspect he will have a lot of questions for Myora when he finally gets a moment alone with your remaining officer.
"He says that there was a fight in the tunnels up ahead," she pauses as the mouse continues his tale, "There are a number of dead thralls but no 'regular' bodies," she frowns, "There is also an odd smell, it is not like anything he has encountered before he-"
She stops short as a strange melody wafts down the tunnel toward your group.
Twenty hands reach for their weapons as your group instantly falls into complete silence.
"Oh, they punish the strong and raise up the weak..." a feminine voice cuts neatly through the silence and darkness in front of you.
"They reward the cowardly in all that they seek..." a child calls in response, giggling merrily as she sings.
"But someday, somehow we will be complete..." the rich tenor of a young man takes up the tune.
"And then, oh yes then, we shall devour the meek." a great booming baritone brings the simple rhythm to its conclusion.
Uttu squeaks slightly as her sister lays a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"What the hell was that?" Lyssa whispers from your right.
"No doubt something we should attempt to avoid," your friend quietly answers from your left.
"Maybe we should go back," Kaf suggests, "Widen the tunnel and bring in a larger force?"
You, Thaïs and Astrid answers as one, "We are not going back."
"Just a suggestion," he shrugs defensively.
You dim the light on your staff as a precaution while you begin to question your scouts through your mage, "Lyssa, do our scouts have a good grasp on what is ahead?"
She asks your question of her subordinate and he squeaks in reply, "They are working on it, the tunnels ahead all seem to converge on a single great chamber and they think that is where are people are."
Ori, largely silent till now speaks up, "I could try to sneak in and see what I can find."
You are not sure that is a good idea, splitting up on unfamiliar territory may well allow whatever is down here with you to pick you off one by one, "I think for the time being we should stay together and let the mice and rats do the scouting."
As you finish your sentence a small pack of mice come racing back to your position. They are led by Martin, your 'champion' amongst the mice of the fort, and he clings to his 'sword' as he runs on three paws.
The group race up to you and begin to climb you and your colleagues. Martin takes a place on your right shoulder and is joined by three of his fellows while four more come to rest on Thaïs' shoulders.
They all squeak at once, trying to get out their story but succeeding only in jumbling it. Lyssa raises a hand to silence them, "One of you speak for the rest, I can not understand you when you all talk at once."
The rodents fall silent as Martin speaks up. Lyssa's eyes flash with excitement as she translates, "They think they found our people, at the end of the tunnel, in the large chamber, there are a number of slabs. They did not get close but they did see that four were occupied."
"Any guards," your friend quickly asks as she checks her crossbow.
Lyssa translates for the mice and Martin replies with an proud series of squeaks, "None that they could see though there were a number of tunnels leading into and out of the room."
Ori, at the edge of your group, stares into the darkness as he speaks, "What about those voices?"
Lyssa swiftly asks and answers, "He says the singing is coming from chambers further into the cave system. He could not smell anything nearby so he is fairly certain that it is just an echo we are hearing."
"Good enough for me," you reply, as you take a step toward the darkness, "Everyone stay close together and move quietly. Hopefully we can get to our people without a fight."
------------------------------------
"Wyrd..." you are at a loss for words.
Bari, Neel, the charioteer, they are all alive but they are not in good shape.
Each of them rests on a large slab within the massive chamber. They are chained to the wall behind them by their necks and each has been stripped naked. They... they have had pieces cut off of them. The charioteer is missing his nose, an arm and a leg. Neel is missing both of his legs and an arm. Bari... Bari is just a torso and a head...
They have been cut and they have been sealed, along each wound is an odd yellow sap that seems to have been used to prevent blood loss and death.
Your people are soldiers, they are professionals, but many of them have never seen something like this. Your head spins and you damn near throw up in your mouth. Thaïs reaches for you and on instinct you grab hold of her hand and squeeze, you mutter together, "We, we can fix this... we can... we can fix this..."
You can hear Lyssa retching behind you and Uttu whimpers quietly as her sister tries to lead her from the scene.
Astrid, Ori and Hámundr race forward.
"Oh Bari! What happened to you!" Astrid cradles the dwarf's head in her arms as Ori feverishly works on his chains.
"Stigr! Come on boy! Wake up!" Hámundr shakes his soldier by the shoulders.
"Derryth," Kaf hisses in your ear, "If they keep yelling..."
His words snap you out of your trance, "Right, Astrid, Hámundr!" you call to them but they pay you no mind.
"We need to calm them," you friend whispers, "Compulsion?"
You nod, "Our best bet, yes."
You each seize on a target and launch your spells. Astrid and Hámundr each fall into silence and look back at you in confusion.
Together you mouth the words 'sorry' and 'be quiet'.
They nod but sadly it is too late.
A low rumbling echoes in the distance followed by a high pitched giggle and a seductive moan.
"That does not sound good," your friend groans.
"We will just have to be quick," you add as the two of you race toward Neel with Kaf close behind.
When you reach the old man it becomes clear that he too is unconscious, "Kaf, get to work on those locks. If we have to I will melt the damn things out of the wall-"
You catch a slight movement out of the corner of your eye. The fourth prisoner in the room stirs slightly and for the first time your attention is drawn to him.
He is small, child-like, and shifts restlessly on his grey stone slab. As bad as your friends look, this child seems to have had it far worse. His limbs are gone, his nose and ears are gone and to make matters worse a great open wound sits in the middle of his chest. A mass of yellow sap holds it closed but it is clear that someone could reach inside if they so chose to.
As you watch him his eyes flicker open, "Help..." he mutters.
You approach the boy, "What happened down here?"
"Pursuing... enemies..." his eyes close as he takes a laboured breath, "Attacked... horror... kept... alive... fresh... food... " his eyes bolt open, "Help me!"
"Racked and bound to uncaring stone!" a voice calls out from behind you, your hair stands on end at the sound. It drifts toward you, light, graceful, and terrifying.
You turn as a second voice answers, it giggles and murmurs to the first, "Here in pain they shall find a home!"
Your eyes light upon it, this thing. Slowly you trace its form. It rolls into the doorway on a thousand tiny, hexagonal talons. They tap out a strange rhythm, the foundation of the song you heard earlier. Each of these tiny multi-jointed limbs feed into a bulging, twisting larval torso and tail that slaps wetly behind the beast. Dozens of ribbed tendrils extend from its torso in every direction and emit a variety of pleasing tones while they whistle through the air. From the other end of the creature four bobbing heads extend along plant-like stalks. They twist and spin around one another surveying the room as they sing.
"Cries unheard, mediocrity undone," the grinning young tenor sings as he stares into you, through you.
"Find your purpose, far from the sun!" the baritone exclaims in triumph, its chins waging, sending tiny ripples back down its stalk to the rumbling, bulbous body below.
Yes, purpose. Here in the dark.
This thing's song whispers to you, tempting you, but you have received far better offers from far more alluring beings than this... abomination.
"Um, Derryth? You aren't going to fall for this are you?" Caoilainn chimes in, snapping you out of your thoughts.
"Oh course not," you quietly reply, "Have a little faith."
"Oh, I do, I do," she replies laughing nervously, "But that thing... what is that thing?"
"Our enemy," your friend replies from your side, surprising you slightly. Thankfully, it seems that all the battles your group has fought together over the last month has done wonder for unit cohesion. Discretely Thaïs, Lyssa and the girls have moved to your side and readied their weapons, at the very least you won't have to worry about this thing picking them off one by one.
"What do you want!" you call out to the beast, perhaps, just perhaps it will let you go without a fight.
Its heads all focus on you, they laugh and it begins to roll into the room, humming as it goes.
Some of your people begin to hum as well.
Well, best to put a stop to this. You launch a single firebolt at the beast and it skitters backward and hisses at you. A shame you did not hit it but you were not really tying to either. You were just sending it a message.
Your men snap out of their trance and begin to back toward your position, forming rank against this new foe.
"How long till out people are loose?" you whisper under your breath, afraid to break eye contact with this thing.
"A few minutes at most," your friend quietly replies.
"What if we do not have a few minutes?" Biliku mutters.
"Then we stall," you answer as, once more, you address the beast, "I said, what do you want! Answer or I will strike you down where you stand."
"Strong it is, but strong enough?" the woman muses.
"Perhaps, perhaps we call its bluff!" the child merrily suggests.
"I would not do that!" you shout, "We have killed much stronger devils than you in our time!" though you are not quite sure that, that is in fact true, "If we fight, I guarantee you that you will die! Now I will ask one more time, what do you want!"
"Awakened, empowered by devouring will," the young tenor answers playfully.
"We desire but only to kill, kill, kill, kill!" the older head bellow as the four begin the laugh.
"You will not kill today!" your friend answers with a bolt of magic that strikes mere millimetres from the beast.
It skitters backward into the entryway and for a moment you sense indecision.
You try to capitalize on its hesitation, "We merely want these three. Give them to us and we will let you live."
"Such a trade is hardly fair!" the woman protests.
"Show us how much you really care!" the child nods in agreement.
"What do you mean?" you ask, dreading the answer.
"This meat we have tried and found to be lacking," the young man begins.
The oldest head grins, "New flesh to be tasted, new bones to be cracking?"
"You, you want a sacrifice? You want us to leave a person for each one we take?" the very thought of it disgusts you.
The four 'heads' nod as they roll and tumble together.
You try one final time to drive home your point, "There are many of us but you are alone! If we fight you we may lose a few but you will die!"
"Alone they say, so sure of their vision!" the woman cackles.
"Perhaps they be wrong, a dire omission!" the child spins as it screams.
The four heads laugh together and far above you, in the darkness, an entire choir begins to sing.
"What are we going to do?" Uttu looks up at you and asks.
That is a good question...
What are you going to do?
1. Seriously, what are you going to do? (All votes for a particular option will be counted together with the most popular variant chosen from the winning choice.)
A) You accept the creatures deal: As much as it kills you to admit this, you do not believe you can win this fight but you will not leave your allies. You will give them three people and hopefully you or your people will be able to return to save these new captives before it is too late. (Name the three people you are going to leave behind, Derryth can be among them if you are feeling particularly suicidal.)
B) The same as A only you will also free the child as well. (Name the four people you will leave behind, Derryth can be among them if you are feeling particularly suicidal.)
C) You will leave now. If you are quick enough you might be able to make it back to the fissure before your enemy can trap you. You will have to leave Bari, Neel and Stigr behind though.
D) Fight of course! You are not going to lose this and you are not going to abandon your people! You just need to come up with a plan... (What I will do here is lay out a few very general plans then include a freeform option, which will allow you to come up with a nice through plan. I will include a full force list and a map in the next post so that you know where everyone is and what kinds of resources you have at your disposal.)
i. Pitched Battle: you will free your friends and withdraw to the far side of the room. You will then try to break the enemy by hitting them with everything you have. Hopefully they run out of bodies before you run out of things to throw at them.
ii. Running Retreat: you will free your friends and then withdraw in a rolling retreat toward the fissure. Hopefully you will be able to reach the passage and slip through it without being trapped.
iii. Rearguard Action: you will free your friends and cover their retreat. Once you are fairly certain they have escaped you will then try to flee back through the tunnels and the fissure. If you can not make it back you will have to look for another way out. The risks of such an action to the delaying party should be fairly obvious... (Feel free to stipulate whatever team you want, Derryth does not have to be part of the rearguard but she would be inclined to be, if you want to split up specific characters that will also require rolls, some characters will be very much against splitting up and I will provide a full list in the next post..)
iv. Demonic Negotiation "- Send the child into the Dreaming. Morpheus (I'll just call him that, since Lyssa thinks that's his name) said that if we send him living beings, he'll send back his elves and fairies. He promised us power and information. As far as the gifts go, this one is quite generous, so he might even come in person. He might know how to fight these creatures, or he might provide us with direct support. We don't know what he can do, but if he ever wants to receive more 'gifts', he'll have to do something to get us out of here.
- Scatter our people just a little bit so that we don't bunch up and get trapped in the yellow substance as a group, but not too far tha one would not be able to help the other if something happens.
- Hit the creature with everything we've got. Have our archers, and even spell-casting mice (why the hell not, if the range permits?), aim for the heads or the eyes. Hopefully, it does feel pain just as we humans do, and it might overwhelm it and make it unable to react. Or maybe we can one-shot it with the Greater Energy Bolt which, apparently, is still stored in Thais' ring.
- Astrid's flash grenades might come in handy if the creatures rely on sight. We might want to check that.
- Break the locks with the Warrior's Mask. Or just rip the chains out of the wall. We don't have minutes to pick them, we must hurry and flee before the other creatures pour through. We must do it fast, and it is the next fastest thing after C.
- Redistribute the energon cubes, if necessary.
- Have the dwarves drop the satchel charges as they retreat. If the creatures do get through, we'll have to detonate those to cover our flight. Try to blow up the creatures, not the tunnels.
- If anyone gets caught in the sap, try to break them out with the Warrior's Mask. Either apply it to them directly, or to the one trying to dig them out, depending on who is stronger.
- The mages can help in a variety of ways, but that would depend on what kind of support we'll get from Morpheus. It's hard to theorize beforehand.
- Send our people through the fissure. A scout should go first, the kids and the wounded go right after them. The mages should not go last, but they should not evacuate quickly, either, as they are the ones who can hope to keep the creatures at bay. Hopefully, Morpheus can cover those who will go last, as he does not belong to the material world and thus isn't risking much."
v. freeform: if you want to do something clever or complicated then this is the choice for you. (I will attach a force list/equipment list and a map to the next post, it might take a few minutes to appear depending on how much trouble I have formatting things.)
2. The child/'child': If you choose to fight you need to decide if you want to spend time to free the child or only your own people. This question only applies if an option C wins.
A) You will free the child as well.
B) You will leave the child, he will only further slow you down.
C) You will kill the child, it is the only mercy you can offer him but it is certain to provoke an attack.
3. "These creatures apparently can affect one's will through their movement and singing. If that becomes a problem for your forces, you think you may want to try to snap them out of it and protect them by having your people sing a different song of their own.
A) You try it. It might save lives.
B) You do not try it. It sounds silly."
Chapter 50: Elf
Chapter 50: ElfThe darkness crowds around you, it presses against the ring of light cast by your spells and torches. At the edge of your vision the creature sits twitching, looking for an opening, in the distance, above and around you, you can hear its comrades growing closer.
Terror, horror, death in the dark, cold earth.
And yet you are not afraid. Perhaps you have simply tired of fear or perhaps like any good mage you know that you will force your desires upon reality, you will remake it in your image and these things will fall before you.
The beast rolls forward slightly, its great bulk casting shadows along the wall behind it.
Okay, maybe they won't fall before you exactly but you should still be able to slip out of here with your people... maybe...
"What are we going to do Derryth?" Biliku repeats her sister's question.
"Something stupid," Thaïs answers with a smile.
"You have not even heard my plan yet," you protest with a grin, doing your best to put on a brave face.
Your grin quickly fades though as the beast, once more, begins to sing
"Broken, bleeding, lacking in spine," the soprano voice of the woman's head call out from across the chamber.
"Come to me children, please be mine," the child-like treble giggles.
Your men waver slightly.
"Oh, fuck off!" Lyssa shouts which prompts a wave of cheers from your men.
A little defiance in the face of an unfathomable terror. That gives you the spark of an idea.
The four heads call out as one, weaving shrill tones together into a horrifying melody.
Your men start to move forward, "Lyssa," you point at the creature, "Stop it."
She focuses, and the cavern fills with the whistling of a high wind. It is just enough to break the hold the creature has on your people. Quickly they fall back into formation.
"Why is it not attacking," your friend whispers.
"It is waiting for reinforcements," Caoilainn answers in your mind, "That is what I would do."
The choir above your head grows louder, somewhere in the darkness dozens, no, hundreds of voices call out in unison, "Love, love me do. You know I love you, I'll always be true, So pleeeasseee love me do..." it is terribly catchy.
You are definitely outnumbered here, even if each creature consistently has four heads, each with a different voice, you guess that your enemy has at least double your numbers and they are quickly falling upon you.
"Well," you flash a wicked grin at your friend, "Maybe we have reinforcements as well."
"What are you thinking?" your disembodied officer enquires.
"She is thinking of calling an old friend of yours," Thaïs responds with a frown, she directs her next question at you "Is that a good idea Derryth?"
"Probably not," you chuckle, "But it will sure as hell be surprising."
Thaïs sighs, "Alright then, where do we begin."
Lyssa shakes her head and begins to laugh, "You two are insane, you know that?"
The two of you beam, "Well thank you for the vote of confidence," you reply together as you all dissolve into laughter.
Kaf eyes the three of you suspiciously, "Ah, what is going on?"
"Mage stuff," you reply, "I will need you to command the retreat while we work our magic. We need to fall back across the room and through the tunnels, we need to get to that fissure and through it before we are overwhelmed. Have the grenadiers lay down satchel charges as we go, if those things start to pursue we will at least be able to thin them out a little."
Your captain nods, unlike eldritch horrors and magic rituals, these are concepts he is familiar with, these are things he can do, and instantly he becomes more confident, "What about the prisoners though?"
"I have a plan for that too, you will break their chains with your bare hands once I am done with you," he seems uncertain at your words but your confidence is contagious, "Once the prisoners are free you are to lead our people out of here, we will remain at the rear where we can best engage the enemy so I will need you to lead the men to the fissure. Keep them moving and do not bunch together, these things can launch that sap of theirs at you."
"Alright," your captain takes a deep breath, "Anything else?"
"Actually there is one thing," you reply with a smile, "Know any good songs?"
"A few," he smirks, "But they are not really fit for ladies and children."
"What did you have in mind?" Thaïs asks with a look of amusement etched on her face.
"Well," Kaf scratches the back of his head awkwardly, "You happen to know The Ball o' Kirriemuir?"
Your friend laughs and nods, as does Lyssa.
Of course you know it. It is common throughout the empire, a bit ribald to be sure, and that is likely why the mercenary and his men know it, but it is certainly simple and catchy. It should work perfectly to drown out the creatures' music, "Alright, once I hit you with the spell needed to free the prisoners I want you and your men to start singing at the tops of your lungs, drowning that thing and its friends out completely. It should hopefully protect us from the music these things play."
Kaf snickers, "Never thought singing would save my life. You do realize we won't be able to give many orders that way, right?"
"I don't see what other choice we have," you remark with a shrug, "We just have to keep falling back in an orderly fashion. Try to look out for each other and make do. If someone falls behind though..."
"Goes without saying," the captain answers quietly as he holds your gaze, "I will do my best."
It is all you can ask for.
The creature scrutinizes your group from the doorway, it clearly wishes to attack but it must not like its odds without help. For the time being it waits.
Above you, you can hear thousands of tiny legs drumming in the dark, you have little time left.
You approach the child, "Help me!" he screams again.
"I am," you quietly reply as you focus upon his form, every scar, every defect, every horror visited on him by these beasts serves to make your spell easier. You close your eyes and you cast retrieve item on the boy.
As soon as you feel his weight in your hands you pitch him away from you.
Opening your eyes you watch its body crash down mere metres from you. It begins to bubble and twist, skin, scales, fur and hair rip and tear along the length of it. Tiny insect-like appendages burst forth from its open wounds as it rights itself. Its mouth opens, its jaw splits in half as a trio of fluted stalks burst forth. It writhes before you and begins to billow smoke.
"What have they done my lovely one?" the tenor croons.
"What have they birthed so far from the sun," the baritone spits while it spins closer in curiosity.
The smoke billows out into a form you are all too familiar with, the demon that Lyssa calls Morpheus, appears before you with a broad smile upon his chiselled face.
He considers each of you in turn then bows slightly and smiles, behind him a pair of impossibly wide wings spread out into the darkness, "My dear saviours. I thought you would send me a rat, a bat, perhaps another hare but not this! A child, oh, but he is so much more than a child! He knows so many delightful things, secret things, he is so very unique and interesting. Why I-" he stops as, for the first time, he takes in the room in its entirety, "Ah, my dear ladies. What have you been up to? Where have you brought me? I-"
"A beautiful visitor arrives in great haste," the woman sighs, batting her eyelashes at Morpheus.
"I wonder dear mother, just how does he taste," the child giggles, licking her lips.
"Oh," he turns slowly to take in the creature, "Now this is interesting."
It fires a glob of yellow sap at Morpheus, the semisolid blob passes through the demon without any ill effect.
"A rhyming beast if I am not mistaken," Morpheus grins, "If it attacks me again, its spine I'll be break'in."
The beast hisses but does not make another attempt.
The demon prince turns his attention back to you, "Am I correct to assume that you desire my help to escape?"
"We certainly would not turn it down," you answer with a wink.
"Well," he pretends to stretch, "It won't be easy," he cocks an ear, "Sounds like there are an awful lot of those things out there. What is your current plan?"
For a moment you worry about the creature hearing your plans but you quickly dismiss the concern. Everyone here knows there is going to be a fight and the creature is well aware of what you are trying to do.
"We are going to free our people," you gesture to your men, "Then will fall back, ah, singing."
"Singing," Morpheus nods to himself, "Yes, I can see how that would work and I can already think of a way to help. I know a few... people... give me, oh, three or four minutes to pull them through and we will cover your retreat. I ask only one thing of you."
"What?" your friend asks with a little trepidation.
"When it starts, when my people come through, you run and do not stop running until you are out of these caves," he tilts his head back, looking up into the darkness, "I have met these things twice now, I do not intend for there to be a third time."
In the shadows above you legs and tendrils begin to creep from the darkness.
You take a deep breath, grab an energon cube and begin to cast.
Kaf gasps as his skin shifts taking on a metalic sheen. He gains bulk and strength, "Derryth..."
"Get to work!" you shout, "We will need every second we can get!"
He grabs a hold of Neel's chains and with a twist snaps them, "Alright boys! We are leaving, grab the prisoners, grab your weapons and let's haul ass!"
Lyssa and Thaïs each lash out with a bolt of energy while Uttu and the rest of your ranged fighters unleash a withering barrage at the beast.
Its four heads scream as it is ripped apart, it wheezes and whistles while puss and gas pour from its rapidly deflating torso. Above you the creatures weave an entrancing melody and fully half of your men lower their weapons.
Kaf sings in response as he shatters Bari's chains:
"Oh, the ball, the ball, the ball, the ball
The ball o' Kirriemuir,
Where folk o' high and low degree
Were screwin' on the floor.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
His men begin to laugh, some shake their heads and raise their weapons as they join in for the second verse, twelve boisterous voices against the dark.
"'Twas on the first of August
The party, it began.
Noo, ne'er shall I forget, me lads,
The gatherin' o' the clans.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
'Twas the gatherin' o' the clans, mon,
And everyone was there
A-playin' wi' the lassies
An' twinin' curly hair
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
They loose arrows, they hurl cocktails and grenades at the walls as the beasts slide down them. With a crack Kaf frees the last of your prisoners and shouts for his men to move. They are slow in turning given the deafening roar of the beasts and the raucous revelling of your soldiers. But after a verse or two more they begin to withdraw toward the far end of the room.
The grenadiers bellow out a verse as they lay their charges.
"Five-and-twenty virgins
Came doun frae Aviemore,
Ane o' them got back sae,
But she was double-bore.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
John McGowan, the father,
Was quite surprised to see
Four and twenty maidenheads
A-hanging frae the tree.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
There was dancin' in the meadows,
There was dancin' in the ricks,
Ye could nae hear the bagpipes
For the swishin' o' the pricks.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
As your men flee the beasts increase the speed of their advance and their tune comes on stronger. They hurl their horrid fluid at your withdrawing soldiers and catch one or two but your men sing on and as you drop your spell you join in with a laugh,
"There was screwin' in the parlour,
An' screwin' on the stones.
Ye could nae hear the music
For the wheezin' and the groans.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Thaïs takes up the next verse as you and your mages hold the rear of your force together,
"There was screwin' on the banister,
Screwin' on the stairs;
Ye couldna' see the carpet
For the mess o' curly hairs.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
You wonder for a moment if she always knew this song or if she learnt it from one of your memories, you shake your head at the thought as Kaf sings in front of you,
"There was fuckin' i' the stable,
There was fuckin' i' the ricks;
An' ye couldna' hear the rantin'
For the plungin' o' the pricks.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
They tried it on the garden path
And once around the park,
And when the candles all burned out
They did it in the dark.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Lyssa fires off a strong wind that sends your pursuers rocking backward on their bulbous frames. Then she hits them with a freezing wind, they scream as the hail and frozen rain pierce their soft, squirming hides. She casts off another pair of energon stones as she takes up the tune,
"The deacon's wife was standin' there,
Her arse against the wall;
"Put your money on the table, lads,
I'll take ye ane an' all.''
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The three of you sing the next pair of verses in harmony and to be honest it sounds quite nice, well and truly at odds with your surroundings and the material itself. 'Angels singin' filth' you think you hear Morpheus mutter as he works his spells across the room from your retreating band,
"The queen was in the parlour,
Eatin' bread and honey
The king was in the chamber maid,
And she was in the money.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The groom was in the corner,
Oilin' up his tool;
The bride was in the icebox,
Her private parts to cool.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
At first they tried it simple,
Then they tried it he's and she's,
But when the ball got rollin'
They went at it fives and threes.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Your men work quickly to free anyone trapped by your enemies' sap but in the end you are forced to leave far too many people. As you plunge into the entrance to the tunnels you count four mercenaries pinned to the floor, at least they will die quickly as you give the order to blow the satchel charges.
In the seconds before the charges explode you survey the room one final time, dozens of the beasts skitter across the floor over their dead. In the distance you can see Morpheus fighting, blasting away the beasts with nothing but his voice. He has opened some sort of gateway made from the flesh and blood of the fallen, and three tall pale horrors have come through to join him. They are dressed in black leather, wild hair down past their shoulders, they salute you oddly, with their index and little fingers raised in the shape of ears or horns. Behind them and around them tiny elves and goblins, twisted amalgams of dozens of breeds, build. They raise great black boxes, they set up flashing cylinders of life and light.
One of the demons raises an odd rod with a narrow head and a fat base, you could swear it is some sort of musical instrument but it looks like no instrument you have ever seen.
You want to stay, to watch and satisfy your curiosity but that is not an option, the blast has reduced an entire wave of the enemy to puss and paste but still they press on and so you push on into the tunnels, guarding the retreat of your men.
It is curious, singing an old drinking song while men fall around you, you do not feel the fear you would expect, you feel defiant, maybe there is a very good reason why armies march to war with drums and horns, it really does make a difference. One of the beasts stumbles out of the dust and smoke, it rears back, intending to lob a great yellow ball your way. No time to react this one is going to hit you as proudly you sing,
"O' cocks some men had but a tad,
An' some men had a lot,
An' some would make a lassie glad
That she'd been born but naught.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Your friend is there beside you, she burns through her last energon cube as she hits the beast full on in the torso with a greater energy bolt, "Keep moving!" she shouts in your ear. The two of you sing in harmony,
"The bride was in her bower,
Explainin' to the groom
The vagina, not the rectum,
Is the entrance to the womb.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
You really hope those will not be your last words as another knot of fluid arcs past you.
"The parson's dochter, she was there
A sittin' way down front,
A wreath of roses in her hair
And a carrot up her cunt.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Come to think of it, those are not much better...
"The minister's dochter tae was there
An' she gat roarin' fu'
Sae they doubled her ower the midden wa'
An' bulled her like a coo.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Well there probably is not a single 'respectable' verse in the entire bloody song...
"The village priest was also there,
And on the floor he sat
Amusing himself by abusing himself
And catching it on his hat.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The undertaker tae was there
Dressed in a lang black shroud,
Swingin' on the chandelier
And pissin' on the crowd.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Masturbating priests and pissing undertakers tumble through your mind as you ignite three of the beasts with a greater firebolt and your last energon cube. One more beast tumbles out of the smoke and ruin and lobs a ball of yellow fluid at you.
"The mayor's dochter, she was there,
And kept the crowd in fits
By jumpin' off the mantle piece
And landin' on her tits.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
What a delightful verse to sing right before this thing hits you. You close your eyes as your men sing behind you.
"The village idiot, he was there,
He was a perfect fool;
He sat beneath an auld oak tree
And whittled off his tool.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Only the projectile never hits, you open you eyes and Biliku is before you with her shield raised. The substance hits the girl hard and she tumbles back into you, you steady her as the sap slides harmlessly off her shield.
"The minister's wife was there as weel,
A' buckled to the front,
Wi' a wreath o' roses roun' her arse
An' thrissels roun' her cunt.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Of course! Her shield, "Kid, stick close to us and keep that shield raised!"
She nods and smiles at you over her shoulder, today she really will be your protector, then she does something else that surprises you. She sings,
"The groom by then was daft wi' glee
An' racin' through the halls
A-pullin' on his pecker an'
A-showin' off his balls.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Your men laugh and cheer the girl. She winks at you and you laugh, slightly concerned, "Did you just make that up?"
"Yeah!" she proudly beams and you wince a little inside.
Oh the things you are teaching these kids... you wonder what Casgair would say if he were still alive. But no time for that, your group is falling behind the main body so you sing louder,
"It's the first lady forward,
And the second lady back
And the third lady's finger
In the fourth lady's crack.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
You race with your remaining people back to the fissure, the mice on Lyssa's shoulder shouting instructions to ensure you do not lose your way. They squeak loudly and in tune with your men, you wonder just what they are singing to make it through this. Lyssa obliges you by translating,
"It's a' the ladies back,
Wi' yer arses tae the wall;
Gin ye can't get fucked at Kirriemuir,
Ye'll ne'er get fucked at all!
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Charming, there goes another little part of your innocence.
The five of you have sent the rest ahead, you are not going to lose anyone else down here, you are going to protect your men. A pair of the beasts squeeze together down the tunnel, with a nod you, Thaïs, Lyssa and Uttu fire a barrage. The beasts wail as they die and the fluid they hurl toward you is absorbed by Biliku's shield. That girl is a lifesaver, without her you would probably all be stuck to the walls by now. Behind you Kaf's singing grows, you must be getting close.
"The village pervert, he was there,
Scratchin' at his crotch,
But no one minded him at all;
He was only there to watch.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
Big John, the farmer, swore an oath,
An' then he cursed an' grat
For his forty acre corn field
Was completely fuckit flat.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
The village masochist, he was there,
Beggin' for a blow;
The sadist merely looked at him
And cruelly answered, "No."
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The fissure, you have made it. Looks like your wounded are through and only the last of your men are left now, "Derryth!" the mercenary shouts down the tunnel as his men continue to sing,
"Four and twenty virgins
Came doon frae Inverness,
And when the ball was over
There were four and twenty less.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
Several lusty wenches
Gathered 'round the door,
And tripped the men as they came through
But beat them tae the floor.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
That last verse, was that Myora singing from the other side of the fissure?
Yes, that was her, she and the mauls are making an awful racket over there. You grin and call out in response,
"John the Blacksmith, he was there
He wouldna play the game;
He fucked a lassie seven times
But wouldnae see her hame.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
"Derryth!" she calls back and the mauls break into cheers, they call out to you in verse,
"Guid old Jock McNorris
Took his partner by the arm,
And grinned, and said, "Another 'do'
Won't do us any harm!"
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Together Kaf and his men on your side of the crack sing along with Myora and your people on the far side. You do not break your stride as you race toward them singing the final verse,
'And when the ball was over,
The opinion was expressed:
The music was exquisite but
The screwin' was the best!'
You listen intently from the edge of your group, peering back into the darkness as your people slide through. In the distance you can hear the beasts singing their horrid tune but you can hear something else as well, battle and... music but you can not quite make it out.
Thaïs, meanwhile, gives Kaf his orders, "You did well captain, now go to your men."
He salutes as he follows the last of his mercenaries through the crack.
"Derryth, we have to go!" your friend calls to you, she turns to Lyssa, "You are next."
The witch nods and plunges into the crack in the wall.
Behind you, your friend continues to work, "Derryth will you hurry up! Uttu dear, your turn."
You can hear the girl squeak as she slips into the passage, followed by her sister.
You feel a hand on your shoulder, "What are you doing?"
You glance at your friend, "Do you hear that? On the wind?"
Wind?
There should not be a breeze down here.
But there is.
And there is a whispering on this wind. An odd progression, familiar and yet like nothing you have ever heard before. It weaves on down the tunnels, through the rock, delicate, slightly sinister and yet enthralling.
"Yes," your friend steps next to you, "What is that?"
The swaying cords are quickly joined by something lower, deeper, a sort of light thundering, a crashing, metal and hide and something else.
And words.
You can not make them out from this distance.
Then you hear them behind you, the beasts, and as you turn they roll out of the passages behind you. Just how many of these things are there?
They lumber out of the dark, separated from the rest, but you are near your breaking point and they are more than a match for you, they sing so softly, so sweetly as they raise their tendrils.
You begin to drift off as Caoilainn screams at you both.
You squeeze your friend's hand, she squeezes back, this is it.
Then you hear something else.
Something about... women?
But you can not make it out.
The beasts laugh, then they scream, in pain and terror and it hits you.
"Dowwwnnnn!" the sound bursts from the darkness as the subtle strains of the music flare to life around you. The rock begins to roll, it begins to bend, and twist and dance.
The aggression of this music stands in stark contrast to everything that came before it, your entire life, nothing like this, you... lack the words...
And you are merely thankful that whatever this is, it is not an attack directed at you, the words are clear now as they drift down the tunnels,
"Hey you, you know me, you've touched me, I'm real
I'm, forever, the one that lets you look and see and
Feel me I'm danger, I'm the stranger
And I, I'm darkness, I'm anger, I'm pain
I am master, the evil song you sing inside your brain
Drive you insane"
The creatures babble to themselves, their legs twitch out of tune, their tendrils snap and slash at each other. Something is manipulating them, making them attack each other, thrash against each other. Is Morpheus doing this? Or perhaps his followers...
"Don't talk, don't let 'em inside your mind"
Then it hits you, this order, this compulsion as the caves begin to dissolve around you and you remember Morpheus' words.
"Run away, run away, girl!"
"We have to go," your friend reminds you or you remind her, you are not sure, it all grows so cloudy, so shaken.
You and your friend stumble together toward the hole, "You first!" you shout.
The cavern pitches around you, "No, you first!" she shouts.
"We are not having this argument!" you put your foot down.
"Right!" she shouts, digging in, "That is why you are going first!"
You grumble and slip into the passage, still holding her hand.
The two of you shuffle as quickly as you can, behind you the roof starts to fall in.
"No, no, no don't let them in your mind
Protect your soul"
The screaming, wailing spell behind you is destroying everything and worst of all the fissure begins to close.
You slip out of the hole, Thaïs' hand still firmly in your grasp, but she, she isn't going to make it, you pull, with all your strength you pull but the fissure is closing so quickly.
Visions of her death race through your mind, trapped between great slabs of rock, crushed into paste, you, you-
Lyssa grabs your hand, "The Warrior's Mask!"
Right, you focus on your friend, you pour every ounce of magical energy you have left into the spell while Lyssa channels everything she has into you and then...
You cast.
The stone crashes in on her but she does not give way, Lyssa howls, you scream, Thaïs roars and she bursts from the hole, tearing a large chunk of rock off with her.
You drop the spell as the three of you sail across the room.
You are not looking forward to hitting the far wall, thankfully you do not have to as Myora plucks the three of you out of the air and gently spins you toward the ground.
She deposits you in a pile against the wall.
"Oh Wyrd..." Lyssa moans.
"Thank you," Thaïs gasps, "Thank you both."
You cough from the middle of the pile, "Next time, you go first."
"You two really are insane," Lyssa groans from the bottom of the pile and laughs in spite of herself, "But I will be damned if you aren't a lot of fun also."
The three of you chuckle wearily in between groans and just as you begin to untangle yourselves you are tackled by Biliku and Uttu.
Somewhere above you, you hear Kaf ask Myora, "And this happens all the time?"
You do not catch her answer over the girls' joy and your own relief to be alive.
------------------------------------------------
Upon returning to your tower you tended to your wounded and made what arrangements you could for Bari, Neel and Stigr. They have not woken yet which is probably for the best, their bodies could use a little rest and recuperation.
Already you and your colleagues are trying to plan the best way to restore them but you are simply too tired to think. You are exhausted, completely, absolutely exhausted.
In fact as soon as the three of you limp up to your tower, supported largely by the girls, you collapse together onto one of the spare beds and pass out.
Sleep claims you and with it comes a whole world of dreams.
------------------------------------------------
You awake in a crimson meadow under an emerald sky.
You rest upon a jade altar in the dress that Albrecht bought for you.
As you rise you notice two other altars, one of ruby and one of axinite. Thaïs and Lyssa rest on each. They rise from their altars with yawns and groans.
"Derryth?" your friend calls to you, "Where are we?"
"Dreaming if I had to guess," you reply cautiously, "Are you real?"
"Of course I am real," she replies a little annoyed, "Are you real?"
"We are all real," Lyssa mutters, "This is some sort of shared dream."
The three of you come together in the center of the meadow, "So why are we here?" you begin.
"Oh," a rich voice calls from above you, "I brought you here."
Morpheus drifts down on a warm and soothing current of air, "For a... ah, a sort of debriefing," he grins, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
You try to ready a spell, try to focus but you find yourself unable to muster enough energy for even the simplest incantation.
He merely shakes his head, "Now, I understand I have a certain reputation but you have nothing to worry about here. I could not sweep the three of you away even if I tried, even if you begged me with all your sweet hearts. You are not actually here, you see, you are dreaming and so you are safe. You can not hurt me and I can not hurt you so I thought we would talk a little."
"Is he telling the truth," you ask the witch.
"Yes," she answers, eyeing the demon, "He is not lying as far as I know. He should not be able to harm us if we are simply dreaming."
"Alright," you turn back to the creature, "What do you want?"
"Wow, straight to the point," he fakes a deep wound, "I thought we could maybe talk a little first, get to know each other, maybe you would see that I am just misunderstood, maybe we could arrange for that vacation for you all, after all?"
"No," the three of you answer in unison.
He dramatically sighs, "Oh very well, I wanted to thank you for giving me that mage. He is such a delightful little thing and he has seen so much. He is a truly unique addition to my... circle of acquaintances. In fact, I am now the envy of every duke and prince in the entire Dreaming, we have not had a find like this in a very long time. I-"
He stops as the three of you glower at him, "Alright, alright. I have an offer for you. The mage you sent me has a master. The boy speaks very highly of him. I would like you to procure this Thin White Mage for me, I should like to add him to my collection, er, my circle of dear acquaintances. I would not normally ask but you are such a resourceful trio and I am certain you could manage somehow. I am also certain we could come to some sort of arrangement. Simply name your price and if it is in my power to give it I shall. So what do you say?"
An interesting proposition to be sure, you confer with your colleagues for a moment and readily come to a decision.
-----------------------------------------
Turns out the three of you slept for almost a day. As you wake the girls bring in three trays of breakfast, salted pork and thin ale... again, but they also bring something far more interesting. Four letters for you.
The first is a dispatch bearing the seal of the House of Welf, it reads:
To the mercenaries of Fort Blackrock:
We have suffered a number of attacks over the last several days but fear not, we are bloodied but victorious and even now we make slow progress toward the fort.
We are greatly cheered to learn that you have bested the raiding party that was so vexing you, we are certain that the King will also be quite happy to learn of this fact.
We expect to arrive within another day at the latest.
Loyal servant of the Crown
Lord Welf
"Well I suppose that is good news though this 'Lord Welf' sounds like a bit of an ass," Lyssa chimes in as she tries her best to ingest some of the pork, "We will have proper reinforcements within half a day at most based on when the eagle returned."
"Yes, I suppose so," you frown, "I wonder though if they really were attacked or if they were just taking their sweet time to get here."
Your friend snatches up another letter as she speaks, "Hmm, this one is from Mayer. It details some of what he has been up to but he is being purposely obtuse. He writes to say that our finances are in 'good order' but that he has also had to take a number of 'measures' that he will not discuss save in person. He notes that we have lost most of our merchant clients by now but he has managed to convince a few of the families that owe him funds to remain under our protection. Sounds like it will be a bit of an uphill battle to turn that around though. He also says that there was an attack on the city by Eberhardt rebels while we were gone, they hit a government facility, he does not come out and say it but it is clear he is talking about a Pathfinder prison, from what he can tell the attack failed but he can not be certain as the Palace is keeping everything very quiet. He also says that something is happening in the South, the Lords forced Albrecht's hand and most of the army has been dispatched in that direction. Further he states that Albrecht sent an army toward our position several days ago. He notes that they are not actual military, they are all House Albrecht, Welf and Hesse guards..."
"So the Lords did not send help after all," you mutter, "Wouldn't that be treason?"
Your friend skims the letter further, "It seems they heard our witnesses and immediately agreed that the threat was quite severe. In fact they agreed so much that each member of the assembly felt compelled to rise and give a speech," she sighs, "A very long speech to that very effect. Albrecht sent out his army eight hours into the proceedings when two thirds of the lords had yet to speak."
"Those fucking assholes!" Lyssa damn near tosses her tray across the room.
"Lyssa," you stop her, "Don't waste good, er, don't waste food."
She sighs and mutters.
Well hell... it does not come as a complete surprise that the lords are trying to get you killed. You will likely have to deal with that at some point as well.
"What else have we got here," you pick up on of the remaining letters, "Albrecht's seal."
"Well open it," Thaïs nudges you.
You skim the letter and mutter to yourself, "He congratulates us on our victory and he apologies for being unable to send more help and help sooner. There is a vague promise that he will do all he can to help us and... little else, he does not mention the attack Mayer mentioned, nor does he say much of anything about events to the south. He does mention in passing that most of the army has gone south and he asks us to return as soon as possible to the capital to discuss our next move."
"Not terribly enlightening," Thaïs replies with a shrug.
"At least he is not trying to kill us," Caiolainn interjects, "That puts him on a rather short list."
You and your friend snicker.
"What is the final letter?" the witch asks.
You turn it over in your hands, it is simple white envelope with a simple white seal, you mutter, "Three guesses who this is from."
You crack the letter and begin to read out loud.
To my Pretty Things,
Very well, subtlety did not work, deception did not work and so I challenge you.
March your remaining forces two days to the southeast.
There you will find me waiting.
Do not make me come and find you.
TWM
Well, that was direct...
1. What do you want to do? (If you want to split your personnel up for any of these options then simply set up a freeform where apprpriate.)
A) Nothing, you will wait for Albrecht's forces to reach the fortress. Once they have reinforced your position and you have met the allied commanders you can decide what to do.
B) Head to Myrgard, you will head to Myrgard in the remaining balloon and meet with the King. (B options will be counted together)
i. You want to renegotiate your relationship with the dwarf. No more hiding things from you though you suspect he will have demands of his own as well.
ii. You want to arrange with the King to cast a Gate spell, you are going to need a lot of mandrake roots to restore your three wounded allies and the only place you will find them is in Muirthemne. You can negotiate the specifics of the process with the king when you see him.
iii. You simply want to hear what the King has to offer, you will meet with him and listen to his plans.
iv. As per Bi, but meet Welf and Hesse on the way to Myrgard and establish the chain of command with the help of Argus and your mercenaries before leaving the fort.
v. freeform
C) You will march to the southeast, if the Thin White Mage wants a fight you will oblige him.
D) You will explore the secret passage your mice have found in the fort.
E) freeform - You will do something else instead.
2. Morpheus' deal. He wants you to send him the Thin White Mage, somehow. To do so you would have to incapacitate the mage without killing him. He is willing to negotiate on the price of this transaction and he has not imposed any sort of time limit given the difficulty of the task. Do you accept his offer?
A) No, you reject the offer. The boy was a one time deal, you have no intention of working with the demon again.
B) Yes, you will accept the demon's offer, all that is left is to negotiate a suitable payment. The demon has no problem paying you in advance. (B options will be counted together).
i. You request spells.
ii. You request secrets.
iii. You request memories.
iv. You request a servant (you will have to provide a body for it to inhabit but the demon will tell you how to prepare a proper anchor).
v. You agree to the deal in principle but you do not want to be bound by it. You will take no reward until the deed is done and then you will negotiate your price.
vi.You request the secrets of Metal! in exchange for the mage should the opportunity present itself but you refuse to commit to the task ahead of time.
vii. You request a Nightmare spell
viii. freeform. You request something else.
C) freeform
And finally given all the sexual themes in this update it is only fitting to present the long awaited waifu choice (have at it lesbomancers...) :
3. Thaïs: Well you both survived and she expects an answer as to where the two of you stand. You are certain you love her by now but you have never tried to categorize that feeling till now and there are a great many different types of love. It would probably be best if you figured this out before she asks you again or you could choose to ignore the issue until it comes to a head.
A) Romantic Love - just as it sounds, nothing could be simpler and yet so complicated though you are not really a stranger to it either. (If you want to come up with a suitably romantic plan to woe said maiden then be my guest.)
B) Compassionate Love - she is your dearest friend but she is just that, a friend, nothing more. (If you want to get a bit specific in how you break the news to her then feel free to suggest specifics.)
C) Familial Love - she is closer to you than a friend, more like a sister maybe though you are not yet sure. (Again, if you would like to give specifics on how to make this news easier for her then feel free to suggest something.)
D) No, you do not need to deal with this at the moment. You will just play it by ear and give her an answer when next she asks. (If you want to be reactive instead of proactive on the issue then this is the choice for you. The issue will certainly come up again though)
E) 'Soulmates' - In the original meaning of the word. You are two halves of a single whole, you would not want to be without her.
F) freeform - as mentioned there are a great many different varieties of 'love'. Have something else in mind? Then feel free to suggest it...
4. A Dream Deal: In exchange for his promise to protect you and your people while in the Dreaming (to the best of his ability) Morpheus would like you to entertain him by telling him stories. You can cancel this contract at any time but when you do his protection will also be revoked. As part of his protection he promises not to abduct any member of your group or detain them, he also promises not to try and influence your companions to return to him at a later date when the contract is not in effect. Do you accept this deal?
A) Yes
B) No
Interlude 5: The Worrier King
Interlude 5: The Worrier KingIt is back, that creeping pain behind the eyes, the knife driven through his skull, no doubt the result of the stress Serpent has been under, or perhaps the lack of sleep he has had to endure, maybe, just maybe, it is down to the tensions within his growing young state, but no, it is likely the result of getting punched in the head every five minutes for the last couple of weeks.
Speaking of which, he better pay attention.
With a deep breath he closes his eyes and is greeted by the silence of the morning, no birds, no beasts, just him and his foe in the low, slow, rolling mists.
He raises his blade, assumes a wide stance and slows his breathing, stretching out each moment, centering himself.
Then the attack comes.
A high blow, aimed at his head, the blade whistles through the air as he sidesteps the blow.
"One," his opponent calls out with a chuckle.
His training has been severe but it is necessary. It was not difficult to break the remnants of the Prophet's forces but in searching their supply train he came across a horrible discovery. The Prophet was only the first on a number of threats directed at the region and his fledgling kingdom. There were other forces marshalling even now, preparing to strike. One word stood out against the rest, a word that filled all of his inner circle with dread.
Myrkridia.
The old horrors let loose in the world since the last war, they have grown in numbers, bred in the dark corners of the world and if the Prophet's journal is too be believed they are headed north in numbers not seen for an age. If his newly minted kingdom is too survive then it must be ready, he must be ready.
The Berserk before him turns in his course and twists his blade back toward him. He manages to bring his blade down in time, deflecting the blow away from his body.
Two weeks ago, that strike would have killed him.
"Two," the Berserk growls.
The massive Northman swings again, a thunderous blow that could cleave a man damn near in half. There is no stopping such a blow so he leaps backward.
"Three," the large opponent calls out with a nod to him.
The next attack takes the form of a quick thrust to the body but he has seen this many time before by now and easily turns the blow.
"Four," Serpent shouts while a smile plays upon his lips. He is doing well, much better than before.
The Berserk laughs, "You won't make it to five brother!"
He waits for the next attack, eyeing his opponent cautiously, if he wants to win this then he needs to land a blow, he needs to go on the offensive.
His blade extended before him, he thrusts. With one hand his opponent catches the tip of his blade with his own, the Berserk rolls the blade away and swings with his free hand.
That great fist, it once more collides with his face and knocks him flat. Instinctively he raises his blade to ward of the finishing blow but it will do little good. If this were a real battle he would be dead.
"Hahaha!" the Berserk bellows in his deep baritone, "Well done brother!"
The Northman extends one great arm as he groans, "I lost Angtyr. I lost again."
"Brother you are too hard on yourself," the Berserk answers with a sympathetic smile.
"I have to be hard on myself, if I am going to lead the clans then I have to be better," he answers as he sucks wind, he does his best to ignore the throbbing in his head, now stronger than ever before, "We need to start again."
"No time Serpent," Angtyr answers with a shrug, "We must depart for the Duns today if we are to arrive in time for the gathering of the clans."
He doubts he is ready for this but it is his idea. No way he can back out now.
"I wish Christine were coming," he sheathes his blade as the pair turn back to the fort.
"She is busy brother," his comrade lays a single great hand upon his brother's shoulder, "She has a way with the Steel-fur spiders and she is our best chance at recruiting the druids to our cause, provided she can find them."
He knows that is true, it does not make their separation any easier though. He will just have to hope that she succeeds in her task while he focuses on his.
Hopefully all the training he has undergone will be enough, he sighs, "Alright, let's get going then."
He hopes he will be up to the challenges before him, not for his sake but for the sake of his people.
-----------------------------------
"Your Majesty, please slow down," the captain calls from behind her.
"Like hell I will Leo!" Christine calls back, leaning over the side of her mount to the horsemen below her, "We need to find more of these beasts! They could well be the difference between victory and defeat."
She whistles to the creature, it increases its pace, stomping along on eight broad legs, clicking as it runs. She, in turn, tightens he grip on its harness. Below it and around it scurry a swarm of smaller beasts, chattering away and eyeing Leo's horses hungrily. Only her presence holds them back, this is power, this is control, an army under her command, one that will secure her throne, her place in the world.
It is just a shame that Serpent is not here with them, if she hurries though she should be back in the capital well before he is due to return.
One of Leo's riders comes charging up the path with three hound sized beasts in close pursuit, "Help! Another pack! Twelve strong!"
She whistles again, a single low note followed by two sharp, shrill notes. Her mount, the largest spider she has ever seen, rolls forward on its massive legs.
The rider whips his mount faster and faster as his pursuers close on him.
"Just a little closer Goliath," she mutters and the beast responds, pushing itself to its utmost.
As soon as she enters range she begins to weave he spells, normally it would take days to bind a spider and weeks to months to train it but her mother was clever. The Silvers knew a way to instantly bind the creatures but not without a cost. She opens her silver spider box and withdraws a single silver pill, she has already expended over half her stockpile to get this far into the dark woods, she hopes this will be worth it. She crushes the pill in her hand and smoke begins to pour forth, weaving into silken strands before her. She plucks at the strands with her mind, weaving them together into cords that drift toward the minds of the creatures. She provokes them and they shift targets moments before they catch Leo's horseman.
They burst past the exhausted cavalryman and charge toward her, "That's right just a little closer," she begins to whistle, each note a string that sticks to their minds, she whistles high and they begin to slow, she whistles low and they begin to sway, in but moments they are hers to do with as she sees fit.
A flick of her wrist and a rolling tone give them all the information they need, eyes glazed over, they fall into formation behind her advancing column. She will need to spend a moment later to fix their loyalties in place but for now this will be enough.
"You there! Scout!" she raises a hand from Goliath's back to flag down the rider.
He pulls his steed to a quick halt before the great 'roc-eater' spider, "Yes ma'am!"
"Report," she commands while Leo draws his mount up beside her.
His report comes quickly in the clipped cool manner of a veteran mercenary, "A nest up ahead ma'am. At least twelve of the little beasties and maybe one or two of the bigger ones as well. They are congregating around an old fellow."
"Good," the Queen answers with a grin, "That would be our druid. Shall we go and meet him then?"
"Your majesty," the mercenary captain begins, "Allow me an my men to ride ahead and ensure this is not a trap-"
"No time Leo! We must press on immediately!" she winks at the exhausted captain and again she whistles, crashing forward, her column of slaved spiders rushing on behind her.
"Sir? Orders?" the scout enquires.
Leo sighs, "We follow her, to the end of the world, we follow."
--------------------------------------------
"So this is Kirriemuir, 'jewel' of the Duns?" Serpent mutters to himself.
It is hardly a paradise, it is barely a city, it is, in fact, merely a collection of old stone longhouses in a loose circle on the highest hill of the Duns.
He is told that eleven months of the year this site is empty, a ghost town home to nothing but wind and the moaning of the barely remembered. But for one month every year the clans gather to sort out their business, feuds are settled, trials are held, treaties are negotiated and all respect the peace of this place. For one month there is no war amongst the clans and all gather in brotherhood.
He has heard stories about Kirriemuir, anyone that has traveled the empire has, though Angtyr was quick to put to rest the worst of the rumours.
He insisted that the gathering of the clans is far less interesting than outsiders think, 'A bunch of old men sitting around gossiping,' he insisted.
Now that he is here though, Serpent is not so sure. There are no wild parties or rivers of alcohol but there are an awful lot of armed warriors and the tension hangs thick in the air.
There is an unspoken promise of violence here but if Serpent is to be recognized as King by the Dunnish tribes then it will have to be here and it will have to be now.
"Well, let's get this over with," he takes the first step toward the town flanked by his brother and his cousin and backed by forty Berserk warriors. At the very least he can take comfort in the fact that his is the largest single faction at this meeting, if things go poorly they will not be outnumbered that badly...
-----------------------------------------------
She lets out three shrill tones before dropping into a low hiss. Goliath dutifully slows and come to rest at the center of the clearing.
Before her an old man sits, bent backed, skin like leather, he eyes her cautiously as he takes a long, slow, draw from a large skein on his lap. On his head sits a worn hat, bizarre in its construction, it is wide brimmed and flat topped though folded on the sides. His great side burns and long moustache form an intricate pattern on his face but the most striking feature he possesses is a pair of moles on his left cheek. He seems at home here, amongst these beasts and a tiny spider with a the head of a great cat and the tusks of a mammoth rests on his shoulder while he casually drinks.
Around him a horde of wolf sized spiders scurry, their legs make a strange sort of music as they dance.
The two mages consider one another in silence.
"Your Majesty!" Leo calls out as he bursts into sight and comes up short at the edge of the clearing.
His horsemen follow his lead, hesitant to close with such a large number of these creatures. That is fine, they are safer back there anyway and she will not need them for this, "Captain! You and your men are to advance no further! You will wait for my signal!"
"Yer Majesty eh?" the old man takes another deep swig from his skin.
"Yes," she replies coolly, "I am Christine, Queen of the Northlands."
He shakes his head, "Not yet y'ain't."
"Excuse me?" she answers, he annoyance reflected in the hissing of her beasts.
The old man laughs, his spiders chatter with glee, "Yer not Queen yet. The Northmen follow ya, what is left of them, but the Dunnish do not recognize ya and so yer not Queen."
She brushes off his objection, "The Dunnish will recognize me, my husband is seeing to that even now," the mention of Serpent sets off a pang of concern within the newly minted queen, she hopes he will manage, she hopes he will succeed, most of all she hopes he will return to her safely.
The old man shrugs, "Perhaps, though I would not bet on it. Still, even if they do, what good will it do? We Berserks have no need of kings and queens, leave that for the weaklings in the south."
She grins, "That is where you are wrong, you Berserks for all your pride lack unity. Without unity you will fall. You would have fallen to the Prophet if not for us and you will fall to the next threat if we fail."
"Is that why yer here?" the old man asks as he draws himself slowly to his feet.
"Yes," she answers as she dismounts, "I want your help, I want the aid of the druids in the creation of a lasting Kingdom of the North."
"We do not give out loyalty to just anyone," he tucks his skein into his belt and folds his arms across his barrel chest.
"I know," she holds his gaze, "I will do whatever is necessary to retain my crown."
"Hmmm," he rubs his strong chin, lost in thought, "Alright girl, follow me."
He turns and strides towards the entrance of the cave, she hesitates but thinks of Serpent and her crown, she follows.
-------------------------------------------
"Let him speak!" Bran slams his fist on the table before him.
"Ha! If your foreign puppet wants to speak, you Konthasos goat-fucker, then let him shout us down like a man," the Bachad representative shouts to boisterous cheers from his fellows.
Angtyr rises, a hand on his blade, "If you speak against the King again I will-"
"You will do nothing, young one," the calm and steady tone of the Culbrea elder throws the raucous room into silence.
None will raise a voice or a hand against this man. Even Serpent, a foreigner, knows his name. He is Truan of the Hundred Battles, he is the lone Berserk chosen by Alric himself during the Great War to pierce the lines of the Dark at Muirthemne and recover the wonder weapon that helped win the war. He is a hero, not just to the Berserks of the Duns but to all who fight for the Light. He is the man Serpent hopes to impress.
"Let this young king speak," old Truan continues, "Let him make his case and we will judge the wisdom of his words, we are free men but we need not be savages."
His words are met with nods of agreement and murmurs of assent.
Serpent stands, he hates being the center of attention like this but it is his role and he must play it, "Thank you Elder Truan," he bows slightly to the old man, a mark of respect for one of the last living heroes of the war, "And my thanks to the assembled chiefs here as well," a handful nod but many more scoff and fold their arms in contempt, "Today I wish to speak of unity, I wish to speak of the future of all Berserks both in the North and in the Duns. We must-"
"There is no we!" the Bachad representative calls out with a howl.
"Ai, let the Northmen have their puppet king! We need no unity! We are free men all and strong in our freedom!" the Taralang elder adds with enthusiasm.
Once more the noise in the stone longhouse drowns out the young king, they call to him, "Leave this assembly!" they shout at him, "Ye do not belong here!" they ridicule him, "Pretender! Fraud! No true Berserk are ye!"
"Enough!" he shouts as he draws Tyrvard's blade, his blade, and drives it through the table before him, "You will listen! I broke the Prophet's armies! I drove back his magic! I slew his champions! And in the spoils of war I took from their camp, I discovered a threat to all of us, all who call themselves Berserks!"
"Ah, he will say anything!" the Taralang elder laughs derisively.
"I say we throw these Northmen and their puppet into the sea! Let them swim back to their homeland!" the Bachad representative bellows before the crowd.
"Silence!" old Truan once more speaks, "We will not break the truce, we will not commit violence during the meeting!"
The assembly mutters in disappointment.
Not to be denied a little bloodshed the Tatalang elder quickly presents an alternative, "Then let's test the boy instead! Have him fight a champion, if he wins then we follow, if he loses then we dismiss these wretches and let them get back to their herds and their island!"
It is an idea that immediately gains traction among the assembly, "Test him! Test him! Test him!" they shout.
Truan sighs, "Who will challenge him then?"
"I will grandfather!" the call comes from the back of the assembly, it is light, melodic, but haughty and with an edge to it as sharp as steel.
The assembly breaks into cheers as Serpent turns to pinpoint the voice.
She is both beautiful and intimidating, almost two metres tall, her flaxen hair hangs loosely down her back, she strides into the center of the chamber with the same lean, predatory grace all veteran Berserks seem to possess.
Behind him Serpent can hear his brother and cousin muttering.
"Well that's not so bad," Angtyr whispers with a sly grin, "Brother might even be able to beat a girl at this point."
Bran's face is ashen, "Not if that is Truan's granddaughter, Kára. It is said that as a child she swore she would wed no man save the one that could hold her life in his hands. Since then she has practiced with the blade every day and every night of her life. She has never been beaten."
"Ah hell," Serpent's brother grunts, "We should just leave now then. Let these Dunnish morons suffer alone for all I care, let the myrkridia feast on their empty heads."
"We can't do that, we will need the numbers in the days ahead" the King whispers to his men, "I have to fight, I have to try."
"But Serpent-" Angtyr tries to caution his brother.
"No 'buts'," the physician answers, "I have to try."
He steps into the center of the chamber, "Very well, I accept."
The room erupts in a chorus of cheers as Bran sighs, "I will go get you medical kit and some alcohol."
-------------------------------------
She fires off a pair of silver arrows as her spiders surge forward.
'A test' they call it. They have agreed to help her and her husband but first they want to know if she is worthy of help.
Humph, 'worthy' of help. She has half a mind to feed them to her spiders.
Still, she has been to their village now, she has seen their power, she has heard their bizarre magic and she knows that it will make a difference in the battles to come.
She will pass their test, she will succeed for herself and for Serpent.
A rock flies past her head, mere millimetres from her skull. Right, she better start paying attention.
Her enemies are curious creatures, blue men, three metres tall, each with six arms and three heads. Their primary means of attack seems to be merely hurling rocks and boulders and so it was not too difficult to devise a proper plan to best them.
She will charge them on Goliath's back along with most of the larger woolly spiders she has bent to her will.
All a distraction to let their smaller cousins slip through the side tunnels, then... Yes!
Dozens of little horrors pour out of cover and leap at the blue giants.
They bite and claw as the enemy line begins to disintegrate. She takes aim for the largest of them and gives Goliath the order to charge.
-------------------------------------
He tries to calm himself, find his center and prepare for her assault.
He is not given the time.
The first three strikes, aimed at his throat, stomach and groin, come in rapid succession without even the slightest pause.
It is all he can do to parry the first two and leap out of the way of the third.
She is faster than he is, she is stronger than he is, and she is trying to kill him.
He tries to come up with a plan, some sort of defence, he hesitates for a moment as he thinks and he receives a fist in his face for his trouble.
The pain arcs through him, ah, his nose is definitely broken and it is getting difficult to focus.
He lashes out at her in desperation, a sweeping slash followed by a thrust.
It costs him his blade as she pins it and wretches it from his grasp.
She laughs and the assembly laughs with her. Angtyr and Bran cough uncomfortably and stare at their feet. This must be embarrassing for them.
He jumps away from her strike and scurries to the far side of the ring.
She sighs, shaking her head, "Here, have your sword back," she tosses Tyrvard's blade into the dirt before him.
He snatches it up, bringing it up quickly to guard his body.
He has been fighting for four minutes now and it is clear to everyone that he can not win this fight. He has trained with a blade for a few months, she has trained her entire life, there is simply too great of a difference between them to overcome.
So, he is going to have to be creative, he is going to have to use his magic.
She charges in on the attack and this time he is ready, he sidesteps her swing and blasts her with a gout of webbing.
She spins as the spell closes in on her, raising her blade to ward of the spell.
It is over, the webbing will hit her and fix her in place, she will-
Her blade bursts into flame and splits the spell in two.
He can sense a hint of magic about her, did she cast? No. But that sword must be enchanted.
She comes at him far quicker now, her steps light and purposefully misleading, she bends and sways as she advances. Driving him slowly to the edge of the ring.
It is then that it happens, she feints to his left, he falls for her trap and her right fist connects full on with the side of his face.
He wobbles backward, rocking on his heels, standing but unable to move, unable to focus.
A flying knee catches him under the jaw and pitches him out of the ring. He crashes to the ground, spread out, barely conscious as she lands on top of him.
His ribs crack under her, he groans in pain, before he blacks out, the last thought that crosses his mind is that he failed his people.
Now he will never be recognized as king.
----------------------------------
"I have past your damn test!" she pitches the large, triangular head at their feet, "Now serve!"
The druids have quietly gathered round the young queen, their spider followers hissing and chattering in the distance.
The old man that led her here steps forward to speak, he tips up his hat to get a better look at her, "Aye, suppose you did," he takes in her horde of loyal spiders, scratching his cheek just below his pair of prominent moles, "An' I suppose we shall. Just let me get my axe."
The rest of the druids nod to one another.
She has done it, she has won them the allies they will need to survive what is to come.
She grins is pride but part of her worries about Serpent and the task set before him.
----------------------------------
When he comes to he is back in their shelter.
"Your awake, we were afraid that maybe she had killed you of put you in a coma," Angtyr hands him jug of something strong and sweet.
"Thank you," the broken king replies, he has trouble looking his brother in the eye, he has failed them all though he is sure they will try to downplay the significance of this defeat. Drawing his thoughts together he manages to choke out a few more words, "Now what?"
"Now we go home," Bran answers from the doorway, "The Dunnish have the excuse they so desperately needed to ignore our warnings. They will not follow us now and so we look to our own."
"When do we leave?" Serpent barely whispers, defeated, distraught.
"As soon as you are ready cousin," the hairy warrior replies.
He tries to drag himself out of bed and as he does so pain shoots through his body.
He grunts and drops back into the bed, "In a few days I guess."
Angtyr and Bran simply nod, "Take as much time as you need Serpent, we will wait till you are ready."
Serpent sighs and gestures for the jug, he is not a drinking man but by Wyrd right now he needs it.
-----------------------------------
He is not ready for four more days.
Though there are no known enemies between here and the island traveling in the north is always a hazardous proposition and he can see no sense in setting out before he is ready, even if he and his men must endure the contempt and snickering insults of the Dunnish.
Bandaged and still sore he begins to pack his things, his medicine, Tyrvard's sword, the woollen robes of his 'office', as he does so he plays back everything that has brought him to this point. His journey to Muirthemne, meeting Derryth- he wonders how she is and what she would think of the mess he is making, no doubt she would be able to think of a way out of this. He shakes his head, this is his problem, well his and Christine's, and they will just have to manage. With any luck she succeeded at her-
A scream fills the room from outside, then another and a third, a whole choir of howls and moans. For a second he just puts it down to some obscure Berserk custom he is unfamiliar with but as the sounds build in intensity and frequency it becomes clear that, that is not the case.
It begins to sound distinctly like a battle out there.
The first instinct of any Berserk warrior would be to rush toward it, blade in hand and deliver furious death to the aggressor, whoever they may be, but he is not a Berserk warrior.
The first instinct of any king would be to rally his guard to him and march out into battle, to drive back the threat through cunning and superior skill, but as much as everyone insists on his kingship he has never felt like a king.
He is a physician, first, foremost and always, and he knows that a battle means wounded. Lives cast onto the very precipice between life and death. He knows that he will be needed and so he grabs his kit and he runs out into the dim morning light for that is what he is and this is what he must do.
-----------------------------------------
The entire village is ablaze, tents and thatched roofs burn as howling figures race through the night. This is a myrkridia attack and they are devastating everything.
Further down the way he spots Angtyr, Bran and his remaining guards, they call to him and quickly form a ring around him.
"Brother! We must leave!" Angtyr yells over the flames and death cries of the Dunnish.
He shakes his head, the answer for him is clear and that gives him courage, "We can't, these people need help!"
"These people do not give a fuck about us cousin!" Bran grabs him by the shoulder and he winces, "Why should we give a fuck about them?"
"Then leave if you want!" the physician shouts back, "But I will not!"
Bran snorts, then laughs, "You have the blood of a Berserk King in your veins, no doubt about it cousin!" he turns to his men, "We are staying boys! Going to crush a few of these pups!"
The Berserks cheer, the prospect of a good scrap does wonders for their mood.
"We need to get to the assembly!" it is clear to Serpent, at least, what the enemy is trying to do, kill enough of the Berserk chieftains and you break the back of any possible resistance.
His followers nod their agreement and the group sets off.
------------------------------------
The scene before the great stone longhouse is somewhat disheartening. Here a large knot of myrkridia throw themselves at a quickly shrinking ring of Berserk defenders. Kára leads the defenders though she does precious little to coordinate their efforts, her idea of leadership, like that of most of her people is to wade in at the front of her men and kill as many enemies as possible. Such a method has its time and place but it is doing little good here. The humans put up a good fight but it will matter little in the end, they are outnumbered at least two to one and a myrkridia is easily a match for all but the best of warriors.
Still, maybe there is something he can do, "Angtyr, do we have any ranged weapons with us?"
"No brother," the great Berserk shakes his head, "No warrior would think of carrying such a weapon into battle."
Naturally, well that is something else he will have to change in the future.
"Is there anyone that would?" he asks Bran.
The Berserk answers readily enough, "Aye cousin, there should be a store of boar spears used for hunting somewhere around here."
"Good," the physician king nods, "We arm ourselves with those and we hit their rear with a few good volleys."
"Why brother?" the big Berserk asks in confusion, "We should attack them now! Drive them away from the assembly!"
Serpent shakes his head, "No, they are ferocious fighters and we can not risk losing anyone as there may be more out there, but we can use their very fury against them. I once heard in a surgeon's account of the last war that myrkridia, when they are wounded, fall into a bloody rage and will savage all around them, friend and foe alike, we will turn the very horde on itself and win victory with the bare minimum of casualties."
The Berserks look at one another and grin, Angtyr speaks, "Hah, you will be a great king for our people!" he turns to his men, "Quickly lads, lets get those spears!"
Within minutes they are ready and they begin their assault.
His plan works to perfection, by the third volley half of the myrkridia have turned on each other in their rage. They howl, they scream and they claw at one another. Rapidly they take their toll on their brothers trapped between the wall of screaming steel that is the defenders and the blind rage of their own.
Serpent waits, holding his men back, as the enemy disintegrates to the cheers of the surviving Dunnish Berserks. A few of them even salute him and Kára spares him a single nod as she rests on her blade.
His men cheer and slap him on the back but he does not make a move, if this was an attempt to snuff out the leadership of the Dunnish Berserks then his enemy would not leave its success to chance. This is not over yet, he is sure of it, and it takes only a moment for his worst fear to be realized. Out of the morning mist a trio of massive myrkridia lumber, each is as tall as a Trow and carries a large sack at its side, these are Myrkridian Giants and these will pose a true challenge to the remaining defenders.
He readies his men for the fight of his life, hopefully it won't be his last.
-----------------------------------------
"Keep slicing at it men! It is bound to fall eventually!" admittedly not the best strategy one could come up with but they are out of spears and he can only channel so much magic at a time, he wants to save it for a truly dire situation.
As he stands there contemplating their strategy Angtyr flies past him and slams into the stone wall of the longhouse, he twitches, still alive, but that must have hurt.
He directs his attention back to the battle before him, Kára circles one of the giants by herself, so far her speed has saved her from a painful end but all that monster will need is a lucky shot. She is tiring from the constant battle and he doubts she will last for long.
The rest of the Dunnish are doing their best to mob the second giant, it kicks at them and snatches to odd Berserk up, pitching them across the square like a child in a tantrum hurling a favourite toy. One of the poor fellows hits the dirt path head first and folds in on his neck, nothing Serpent can do about that, that man was dead as soon as he hit the dirt.
Bran and his remaining honour guard fight the last giant and that is where Serpent intends to make a difference. The beast is outnumbered but only four to one, it produced some sort of great explosive projectile, it looked for all the world like a skull, and when it hit, along with the skulls from its companions, he lost fully two thirds of his men. A horrible surprise but a useful lesson to learn now rather than later.
He fires off a pair of silver arrows that strike the beast in its chest and neck, that catches its attention as they burrow into its flesh. It bellows and kicks Bran out of the way, the Berserk skids across the ground and comes to rest next to an overturned cart. The beast points at Serpent and begins to march toward him. If it reaches him, that will probably be it, he can not fight this thing but he does still have a card or two to play.
He opens with a flash of light, something Christine came up with, a simple little spark to blind the enemy. Then he hits it with an energy bolt and a single silver arrow. It roars in pain but does not fall, that is fine, it is doing precisely what he needs it to do. This next bit will be difficult but if he can manage it will win him the fight.
It opens its mouth wide, bellowing at him in unrestrained fury, and he lobs a glob of thick webbing down its throat.
He grins as its eyes go wide, it scratches at its throat, unable to breathe, it is suffocating, a slow, agonizing death. It drops to its knees, then onto its hands, it looks Serpent in the eyes, gasping its last.
He takes a score of steps backward as it tries to reach for him, it shakes, slams its clawed fist into the dirt and collapses.
His men cheer, Angtyr staggers to his feet and wobbles weakly, Bran, now standing again, runs toward the beast, jumps onto its back and drives his blade in at the base of its skull, a quick kill and a sure one.
Two to go.
------------------------------------------
Kára bobs and weaves around the enormous claws of the giant, if it catches her even once then she is done for.
She feints to her left and slips between its legs again, cutting a deep groove across its thigh. It does not matter much though, this is the eighth such blow she has delivered and yet the beast fights on. It is fast, it is strong and nothing seems to harm it for long. She is over matched on her own, for the first time she has met an opponent she can not beat alone, no, she refuses to accept that, she will find a way to win, she-
Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of cheers from he Dunnish fighters, did they manage to fell one of the beasts?
She spares a glance in the direction of the noise and she sees something she never would have expected.
That little pretender, that 'king', that outsider has felled not just one of these giants but two of them. It coughs and wheezes before him, lying prostrate at his feet. How? How in the name of the Old Ones did he achieve such a feat. He is no warrior, she has measured him and found him wanting, he is no master of the blade, hell, he is not even carrying a weapon, so how did he-
Too slow, she should have been paying attention, the beast hits her, raking her with its claws, as sharp as any blade, like a handful of spear points they pierce her armour and rip into her flesh. It laughs deeply and hurls her at her fellows, the blood draining from what must be a fatal wound.
To die like this, with no great deeds to her name, it sickens her.
Sometime before she hits the ground, she blacks out.
---------------------------------
He does not have any more spells left, he has no weapon but what he does have in abundance is intellect and knowledge.
The Berserks do their part, they hack and slash at the creature, they leap and bound. Bran leads them laughing while Angtyr watches on with jealousy, "Pay attention brother!" Serpent shouts, "I need your help for this."
The Berserk nods, holding a large water skein as Serpent mixes together a dozen rare extracts and local poisons he has collected, "Now this is important, we need to get this sack down its throat, the potion will do the rest of the work for us, do you think you can do it?"
Angtyr nods and grins, "Brother have you ever seen me toss the caber?"
"Brother," the physician smiles, "I do not even know what a caber is."
The Berserk nods solemnly, "Then I will add it to your training regime when we return home."
The young king grunts, "Great."
The wounded Berserk lines up his target, he waits for his opening, Bran drives his blade into the creatures hip, just above the groin, and it howls in agony. Angtyr unstops the flash and hurls it across the square.
The two brothers watch on, neither speaks, neither breathes, as the flask sails through the air and...
It hits!
It sails right into the maw of the beast and down its throat.
Serpent watches what happens next with great interest.
The creature laughs and bellows something in its dark tongue, at first nothing seems to happen but then it begins to bleed, from its eyes, its ears, its mouth, its nose, the dark blood of the myrkridian giant pours forth. It twitches, it convulses, it mutters to itself as it sweats, it pitches backward and curls into a ball shivering.
It dies minutes later.
---------------------------------------
Kára awakes in bed.
Her whole body aches.
Where is she?
How did she survive?
Was the monster beaten?
She hears noises, muffled voices and shuffling feet.
She is not alone.
Somewhere beyond her vision something moves.
They grow closer, she readied herself, eyes open but a crack.
A hand reaches for her blanket, she grabs it by the wrist.
"Good, you are awake," the being answers calmly and with satisfaction, "You had your grandfather quite worried."
The voice is masculine but she can not place it, it belongs to none of her household.
"Who, who are you?" she asks without releasing his wrist.
He steps around to give her a better view.
It is that foreigner, that pretender!
Her head spins, "How? Why? What are you doing?"
"Checking your wounds," he replies calmly, "You came very close to death but you should be fine by tomorrow."
Death? She almost died? And he says he saved her?
"Where is my grandfather?" it is the first thought that springs to her mind.
"Right outside, I will send for him," the man offers.
"Yes, ah, thank you," she replies quietly.
The door opens and she is met by her grandfather's misty eyes and his strong arms.
They have much to talk about.
--------------------------
"Well, I suppose we should be going," Serpent and his remaining men have gathered at the edge of the village.
Their actions yesterday have won them the respect of the Dunnish, if not their loyalty. A handful of lesser clans have pledged their service to his cause but it is less than he had hoped for.
Still, something is better than nothing, at least he will not return home empty-handed.
"Whenever you are ready brother," Angtyr replies as he lays a large hand on his sovereign's shoulder.
He takes the first step along their path, the long road back to the island and his queen. Wyrd, he misses her.
"Young man! Stop!" the call comes from behind them, "Young man! Please stop!"
A large knot of Dunnish Berserks advance on their weakened group. At their head march Truan and his granddaughter, fully recovered, he smiles at his own handiwork, there are only maybe seven men in the entire north that could have saved that woman and he knows he is the best of them even if it is a bit prideful to say so.
The Dunnish group draws to a halt ten metres from his group.
Serpent steps forward and speaks, "Is there something more I can do for you, wise Truan?"
"Yes," the old man grins, "You can remember to take your wife with you!"
The Dunnish cheer and Angtyr chuckles.
"I am afraid I do not understand," the perplexed physician replies.
Kára blushes and mutters something less than flattering about him.
Truan laughs, "Every Berserk in the Duns wants my granddaughter for his wife but not one of them had the strength to do it. Yet you casually achieve what they could not and you are not even aware of the prize you have won! The Old Ones truly have a magnificent sense of humour."
"But I-" the physician stammers, "I still don't understand."
Truan gives the young king a sympathetic nod, "My granddaughter swore a great oath as a girl that she would marry no man save the one that could hold her life in his hands. For years we all thought that such a situation would only come about through direct combat but..."
The light of understanding flares to life in the physician king's eyes, "When I saved her life with my medicine I- oh, oh no this is not going to work! I am terribly sorry but I must decline!" the Dunnish warriors begin to mutter and scowl, some even reach for their blades as Serpent tries to make them see, "You see I already have a wife and-"
Angtyr slaps a large hand over his king' mouth and whispers in his ear, "If you marry Kára then Truan becomes your grandfather as well, the entire Culbrea tribe will become your family and with them you will gain the loyalty of all the Duns. You will be King in the North."
"Which will do us no good if Christine murders me!" the physician whispers back, "Besides, does this Kára even want to marry me?"
"It does not matter," Bran advises his cousin, "If you do not accept you will shame the entire Culbrea tribe and all the Dunnish by extension. It will mean war."
"That is ridiculous!" Serpent retorts.
"That is the Dunnish," Angtyr replies with a wink.
The physician sighs, "Great Truan may I speak to your granddaughter for a moment?"
The Berserk hero nods, "She is your wife, you may do with her as you wish, I-"
"Thank you," he gestures for the warrior maiden to follow him off to the side, she looks to her grandfather and he gives her a little push to get her started.
When the two of them are far enough away from the rest of the Berserks he speaks, "Answer me plainly Kára, is it your wish to marry me?"
"No," her reply comes quickly and firmly, "You are not a warrior and you do not have a warrior's heart, I do not wish to marry you."
Well, that is all he needs to know. It is true, he is not a warrior, he is a physician and a mage, he nods once in understanding, "Then I will not marry you," he turns to walk away.
She grabs his arm, he stops, she is far too strong for him and he would not be able to break free even if he struggled. He turns as she speaks, "That would mean war, you do understand that right? My grandfather would have no choice."
"We always have a choice," the physician answers, "A very good friend taught me that and I will not disrespect her by pretending that we don't. I choose not to live a lie. If that means war then so be it, we will go to war and I will win."
He speaks those words with a confidence he was not sure he possessed. It impresses him a little, seems it impresses her a lot too as she grabs him by the back of the neck and forces her tongue down his throat.
She leaves him gasping for air. She grins, "Perhaps you do not have the heart of a warrior but you do have the heart of a king. I will marry you if you will have me."
Well hell, now how is he going to get out of this?
In the distance he can hear his Northmen and her Dunnish warriors cheering. As they walk back to the group, Bran beams at him while Angtyr and Truan negotiate the bride price.
------------------------------------
Now this is magic!
She has been practicing non-stop since they returned to the new capital.
This magic, this 'axe' they built for her, it is perfect!
And it is loud.
"Majesty!" Leo and half a dozen Berserk officers come crashing into her chamber.
They are blown back and slammed against the wall by the collective magic of the druids, it is all Christine can do to prevent the spells she is working from killing them as the head druid's raspy vocals wind down;
"Don't sweat it, get it back to you,
Don't sweat it, get it back to you,
Overkill, Overkill, Overkill."
Technically the spell should last for a few more minutes yet but out of mercy for her commanders she motions for the group to wind down their 'performance'.
Leo finally staggers to his feet, "Your Majesty, we have word from the coast-" he wobbles on his legs as she rushes across the room to steady him.
"My husband?" the queen asks with trepidation, he has been gone a week longer than expected and it worries her, night and day. On reflection that is probably why she has thrown herself into this new magic, it strengthens her and pushes back her fear, even if only for a time.
The mercenary captain nods, still not able to consistently form words, "He- he is on his way with a large body of warriors- he..."
She squeezes him, "He did it, I knew he would! He won and brought us the allies we need, I wonder," she spins on her heels, tapping her cheek with one finger and dropping the poor captain, "I wonder what sorts of gifts they brought me?"
Well, there will be time for that later. Now she needs to see everything prepared.
-----------------------------------
The soldiers at the ready, her spiders safely out of sight, she even managed to convince the druids to wash themselves in something other than whiskey today.
It is all ready, it is all perfect, as she stands there on the steps of the fort awaiting her husband.
She sees him, riding on a black stallion at the head of his men. Pride wells up inside her, they are now King and Queen in the North, unequalled among the Berserks. They can do anything, beat anyone, they will drive off the myrkridian threat and any other that should rise before them and they will do it together.
He dismounts and races up the steps, she meets him half way and embraces him, "I knew you would make it, what happened? Why did it take so long? Tell me everything?"
Her Serpent grins at her, "Alright dear, I will tell you everything tonight but first," he frowns, "First there is something important I must tell you-"
"So this is yer husband?" the head druid enquires, "Ah, must be more to the man than there seems."
Serpent glances at the old druid, "And who are you sir?"
"Why I'm-" the druid barely has time to begin before Christine cuts him off.
"He is a druid dear! I found them, far to the north, on the very shores of the North Sea, they have agreed to fight for us!" she beams in triumph.
His eyes jump back to her, he matches her grin, "That is magnificent my love. We will need all the help we can get. We ran into a myrkridian raiding party on the mainland, I do not think we have much time left."
"Well then, it is a good thing you managed to rally the Dunnish clans then," she glances over his shoulder at the chiefs riding up in the second column, an old man and a blonde woman at their head, "Serpent?" she releases her husband, "Who are they?"
Her husband answers, pointing to each in turn, "Truan, hero of the Duns, and his granddaughter Kára. Their support was instrumental in rallying the clans."
"Oh... good..." Christine answers without looking at her husband, the queen stares a hole in the Berserk woman as she rides through the gate.
"Listen Christine," he takes her hand, "There is something very important I have to-"
"Husband! What is going on!" Kára calls as she dismounts.
"Husband?" Christine practically hisses.
"Ah, well, see, that-" Serpent struggles to find words. This, this is not going to end well, he just knows it.
"Who is this husband? A servant perhaps?" Kára continues, "Where is your wife? I should like to meet her? Can you send this servant off to fetch her?"
"Servant!" the queen's fists clench, her teeth grate.
Serpent tries to intervene, "My dear- ah, Kára this is-"
The Berserk shakes her head, "I will meet the staff later my dear, right now I wish to meet the enchanting beauty you spoke to me about the entire way here. The great sorceress that is to be my competition."
"Competition?" the two ask together, he is surprise, she in anger.
"Ah yes," the Berserk nods, "I must have forgotten to mention that in Berserk households the place of first wife, or husband, goes to the first one to conceive."
"I- ah- well," the physician stammers, taken aback.
"Serpent," calmly Christine turns to him, she is as a storm about to break loose, she laughs, "I am certain that there is a perfectly good reason why this savage thinks you are her husband but I would like you to please let her down gently, we would not want the great oaf to break something after all."
"Savage? Oaf?" the Berserk tenses, "Serpent, dear, it is improper to let your serving girls talk about your wives in such a way! I demand that you discipline her or I will!"
"Serpent say something!" both women shout in his ears.
It is back, that creeping pain behind the eyes, the knife driven through his skull, and now he knows the exact cause of it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he laughs madly and he longs for the days when all he had to worry about was a punch in the face.
Chapter 51: Lost or Hidden?
Chapter 51: Lost or Hidden?You have decided to remain, to await the arrival of Albrecht's army before you rush off to the capital. You have not defended this fort against an army several times your size and orders of magnitude more power to leave anything to chance.
Besides, it will only be half a day right?
That is not to say that you have wasted time. You have been busy, doing what you can to secure your own position and strike out at your enemies. That is why you have returned to the Dreaming so soon after your last trip.
You sit in that same serene meadow, under that same lazy sky, resting on your emerald altar. You wait, eyes closed, for Morpheus to arrive.
It was not difficult to summon him, he has instructed you in a simple meditative routine to induce lucid dreaming and he has given you a simple incantation with which to call him as you drifted off.
"Where is he?" Thaïs asks, perched next to you on your altar. When you told her your plan she insisted on coming with you and a little company is always appreciated.
"Time is... odd, here. He may be a while but it won't matter," Lyssa answers from behind you, her back against the far side of the altar as she too rests her eyes. The witch also insisted on accompanying you and you could not think of any reason to refuse her, the more company you have in this place the better.
You intend to speak with Morpheus about two separate, yet important issues and-
"Ah! Ladies!" a weak voice calls out to you.
"Morpheus?" you call in response, "Where are you?"
"Everywhere and nowhere dear ladies!" the tiny voice shouts to you.
"Quit playing games and come out now or we are leaving!" Lyssa hollers into the empty meadow.
"Oh very well, you three are no fun," he steps out from behind a tuft of grass, only twenty centimetres tall and less than a metre away from you. He begins to grow as plumes of azure smoke billow up around him and the sky clouds over.
"Show off," the three of you mutter together.
He sighs, shaking his head as the smoke disappears and the sky clears, "You mortal mages, so hard to impress," he frowns for a moment, taking the three of you in as Lyssa rounds the altar and hops up next to you. He mutters something you do not quite make out though you think it is directed at the witch.
Whatever he said and whatever is bothering him they quickly evaporate as a toothy grin splits seamlessly across his face, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
You match his grin, excited to lay out your plans, you raise a single hand and two fingers, "Two matters, separate issues but I am sure you will like both."
He edges closer grinning, then scowls for a second, puts his hand to his chin and mutters, "Hold on! This won't do! If we are going to scheme then we need proper scheming chairs!"
He reaches into his mouth and tears out five large, razor sharp teeth. He casts them in the dirt and with a casual wave of his hand furniture begins to grow from the very earth. Broad, high-backed armchairs, like the great thrones of dark archmages from a storybook take shape before you and a large circular table of bone and grass springs up between them.
"Please sit," he gestures to the furniture.
He is clearly still trying to impress but you oblige him only to find the chairs far more comfortable than they look.
When everyone is seated you continue, "As I said, we have called you here to discuss two matters we would like to put to you. The first has to do with using the Dreaming to relive memories and dreams from our lives."
He arches an eyebrow and leans in, "Why would you want me to help you with that, you have the necessary meditative technique to enter lucid dreams yourselves."
"But not as a group," your friend corrects him. You have already discussed this issue with her and she was all for it, you both reasoned that it should help you better integrate your impressions and as an added bonus it should hopefully increase the cohesion of your group. No secrets has been a motto of the Lost since its founding under Muirthemne, time to put that belief into practice with your growing team.
Lyssa squirms in her seat at your words and takes a deep breath. The concept does not seem to fill her with confidence.
A hint of recognition flashes before him as your friend speaks, "You want to do it here, you want me to connect your minds every time so that you can hold these sessions correct?"
You give him a quick nod, "Yes, but not just the three of us, there would be at least three more, maybe more than that depending on the situation."
He taps the table slowly and grins, his missing teeth have already been replaced by slightly shorter new members and it gives his smile an off center appearance which is slightly disturbing, well, slightly more disturbing, "Oh, I get it, a team building exercise of sorts, if you show one another your pasts and your dreams you will trust one another more?" he chuckles, "Well that or you will ruin your relationships," he looks directly at Lyssa as he speaks and she fidgets a little under his gaze, he shakes his head and turns his attention back to you, "So six, maybe seven, minds at a time? That is within my capabilities but I fail to see what I get out of this. Now if you could offer me something..." he lets his words drift off into the clear, clean meadow.
You lean forward, resting your elbow on the table, "Yes, we suspected as much-"
"-so here is our offer-" your friend chimes in.
With a nod to her you continue to present your offer, "-you will be allowed to participate in as many of our sessions as you wish-"
"-but there is a condition you must agree to first." Thaïs is quick to add.
"Which is?" he asks with a confident smirk.
You match his confidence as best as you are able, "You will vow not to harm any of our number, you will swear not to abduct us, detain us or transport us against our will-"
Your friend picks up the strains of your contract without the slightest pause, "-you will also give your word that you will do everything in your power to protect us from any of the denizens of your realm that might decide to molest us. Furthermore you will swear not to undermine us or do anything knowingly to tempt us to stay with you in the future."
"That is quite the condition ladies," he rubs his chin, "You are asking a lot."
"We do not think so," you answer together.
You push on, "We will be supplying you with new and interesting stories from the physical world and we will be presenting you with a platform from which to tell stories of your own."
"Both of which I am more than capable of doing on my own," he replies without batting an eye.
"But not in this manner," Lyssa finally speaks, she grabs the demon prince's gaze and does not let go, "Not as part of a group sharing stories. You will not be a lone observer, you will be part of a group and I suspect that, that is something quite novel for you."
The witch and the demon stare at one another, he beams and she shifts slightly. He turns back to the pair of you, "Your friend is right. It would be a, unique, experience. I will do it, I will agree to your conditions and you will provide me with stories and a place to tell stories for the rest of your days-"
"Till a time of our choosing," you correct him together.
"Ah," he pouts, "But naturally if you stop providing me with stories-"
"Then we will no longer expect your protection and aid, naturally," the two of you nod as you speak together.
He rubs his hands together, "Brilliant! I will look forward to our first session. In a week, your time, perhaps?"
You nod, "A week seems fine though we retain the right to reschedule as necessary."
He waves of your concern, "Of course, of course, I know how busy you mortals can be."
"Now then, moving on to the second matter before us," your friend begins.
"We have been thinking about your desire to capture the boy's master, this Thin White Mage, and we have a plan," he leans forward as you speak, clearly interested in what you will say next.
Lyssa takes a turn at outlining your plan, it is good to see her involving herself more directly in your dealings of late. Perhaps giving her a command during the battle was the exact sort of catalyst she needed to become more outgoing, you grin slightly as she speaks, "We know where he is in our world, and we know where he will be for the next few days. What we need you to do is contact an acquaintance of ours so that we might speak with her."
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Empress of the East, it has such a nice ring to it. Who would have thought that everything would have gone this well!
The Watcher, that petty little mageling fell before her armies, his creatures broken, his hounds all slain, that scheming White Mage blasted from the face of the world by her complete mastery of the arcane arts! She had been instrumental in their defeat and she had reaped the rewards of such a victory.
Within three years every ghôl tribe from the Seven Silver Cities in the south to the Twenty Nine Mounds in the east had sworn fealty to her and she was finally ready to lead this grand host against the dwarves.
Stoneheim fell in three nights, she broke their armies two days south of Myrgard not a week later, but the capital, now that was a battle worthy of remembrance.
The Royal Academy, the Royal Army, the best the dwarves could throw against her, casualties were high to be sure but she pushed on, leading with grace, intelligence and cunning.
The greatest challenge came from the 'Heroes of the Kingdom', Derryth, Thaïs, Lyssa and their followers. Those mages, now archmages, that had shown her such kindness were now terrible in their fury. They fought for their people even as she fought for her own and their defeat only came at a great cost. A magical duel that lasted a day and a half at the very heart of the city!
Laid low, heads bowed, they were brought to her in chains. He chiefs called for their heads, for blood to stain the ancient altars but no! She had spared their lives as they had spared hers and in her mercy she had shown the world her greatness!
They served now, not as slaves but as partners in her growing Empire, their knowledge had been instrumental in warding off the first few blows from the infuriated Cath Bruig, manipulated by dwarves and their agents into a war that was as bloody as it was unnecessary!
But today it all ends! Today she will marry the Emperor Alric! Today they will unite their empires and bring about a new order in the world, a civilization that will stand the test of time! One that will outlast the ages and-
"Your majesty!" Derryth, Thaïs and Lyssa burst into the room, their silken ribbons trailing behind them as they race to her throne, hand in hand.
"What is it my dearest companions," she asks as she leaps to her feet, spear in hand.
"The dwarves! Our most beautiful lady! They have abducted the Emperor himself with their vile trickery!" her closest friends quiver in fear before her, clinging to one another, awaiting her response.
Beautiful hands upon golden draped hips she raise her chin in the air, "Do not fear my dear friends! Marshal our forces, we will ride at once to my husband's aid! We will crush the monstrous dwarves under our exquisite boots, we will drive the desperate cannibals back to their holes and we will make the world safe for all right thinking peoples!"
Her three bonny companions laugh, emboldened by her courage, all they needed was a little reassurance to once more be the heroes she knew they could be, they cheer her as she descends the stairs from her six metre tall throne, magic swirling around her magnificent form. They shout in unison, "For glory! For reason! For the Empress!"
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"For glory?" Lyssa answers with a smirk.
"For reason?" Thaïs stares at the ghôl, doing her best to stifle a snicker.
"For the Empress? Really?" you shake your head and sigh.
"I, ah, you saw all that didn't you," Nanshe rubs the back of her neck, singularly embarrassed. It took considerable effort on Morpheus' part to draw her out of her dream and into the meadow, not the least because he was laughing so hard.
"Is that really how you want things to go?" you can't help but ask.
"It- it was a dream alright, I want the best for my people," she answers, assuming a slightly defensive tone, "Besides, are you telling me that none of you have ever dreamed of ruling the world."
"Ah-" you begin, "Well..." you have to admit that she has you there, what good is power if you never use it and you would not mind a little kingdom of your own, or a big one, or an empire, or a-
Your thoughts are interrupted by the shuffling of Thaïs and Lyssa and Morpheus' laughter, with a devious grin he begins, "Am I really the only one here that does not dream of ruling an empire?"
"It, it was just a phase," Lyssa mutters, "I, I am over it, I think..."
Thaïs raises her gaze from her feet, "What little girl does not wish to be a princess... and command demonic legions as they conquer the world..." with a cough she rallies your collective defense against the demon prince, "Anyway, perhaps that has something to do with the fact that you already rule an entire plane of existence."
The three of you nod in agreement with her.
"Well you four could always stay here," he grins, "You could help me rule this entire plane as my queens."
"No," the answer comes from four sets of lips in unison.
He shrugs, "Suit yourselves, but there is only so much land to go around out there," he gestures vaguely into the sky, "You are not all going to get what you want out of life."
"We'll manage I am sure," you reply.
The demon prince shrugs, "Whatever you say ladies."
"Perhaps we should attend to the matter at hand?" your friend suggests.
"Yes, I want to know why you three are invading my dreams," the ghôl royal demands, "And who is that, ah, gentleman?"
You decide to take the initiative, "Nanshe, this is Morpheus, Prince of the Dreaming."
He bows low, takes her hand and planting a single kiss on it, "An absolute pleasure madam."
She blushes slightly, "Ah, thanks, I guess."
"And Morpheus, this is Nanshe, the," you decide to take a lesson from your friend and use her more dignified title, a little courtesy can go a long way as you are learning, "The Hand of Justice."
The ghôl royal smiles slightly and nods at you, she really does enjoy the small courtesy you have shown her.
"A pleasure to meet you as well Morpheus," she bows slightly, "Now, I ask again why did you lot bring me here?"
Your friend commences your pitch, "We have an opportunity for you. A chance to strike at a mutual enemy."
"You have my attention," Nanshe motions for the three of you to continue.
With a slight nod and a smile your friend continues, "Prince Morpheus has recently learnt of the existence of our mutual acquaintance the Thin White Mage and he wishes to add that most distinguished gentleman to his permanent collection-"
"-he has offered to permanently move the mage from our world to his plane and as luck would have it we know exactly where the mage will be for the next few days," you pick up your friend's line of thought, "We don't really have the time to deal with him, but we thought perhaps-"
"I do?" the ghôl nods, "I am, of course quite busy seeing to my own affairs, but for him," her grin becomes positively predatory, "For him I would make an exception."
"Alright then," Lyssa reaches into a pocket and pulls out an oversized map, an advantage of dreaming, not everything has to make complete sense. She stretches it out before Nanshe, "Two days march to the south of Fort Blackrock, he is waiting for us."
"Why would he wait for you in the mountains?" the puzzled ghôl asks, "He should have chosen a place closer to Myrgard, I assume you are in Myrgard correct?"
She is not so subtly trying to extract information from you but you decide to give her this, partially because you need to be honest for your plan to work but also because you want to see how she will react.
"No," you begin with a grin, quickly matched by Thaïs and Lyssa, you look for all the world like a trio of wolves circling a lost lamb, "We are still at the fort, we had a few minor difficulties with the Watcher's northern army but they are gone now."
"Gone?" Nanshe asks, bewildered.
"Gone," Lyssa replies with a nod and a predatory grin, "As in dead or 're-dead' in the case of the undead."
"Oh, you stood your ground then..." she casts her gaze to the ground, "And you won..." clearly that was not in her plans, you can almost see the juggling she is doing, the altering of schemes and plots, it is the same sort of reaction you would have in her place.
After a few moments she glances back up at the three of you and beams, "That is great to hear! Any victory against the Watcher is a victory for all of us. So the Thin White Mage is sitting in the middle of the mountains waiting for you? I knew he was obsessive but not this bad..."
"Well," your friend is quick to add, "We did kill him twice."
She laughs and her eyes twinkle as she speaks, "Twice! How did you do that?"
"We blew him off a cliff," Lyssa answers laughing, "Then we dropped a good chunk of the cliff on top of him just to be sure."
"And the second time-" you begin.
"-birds," your friend finishes cryptically.
"Birds?" Nanshe and Morpheus ask in unison.
"Birds," the three of you reply with a nod.
"You have to tell me that one!" the demon prince insists, playing the part of a small boy to a tittle.
"Yes, I have to hear this," Nanshe insists.
"Some other time perhaps," you insist, it is always best to leave them wanting more, "For now we need to discuss just how to go about defeating and trapping the Thin White Mage, now I have a few ideas," you begin with a quick glance to Thaïs and Lyssa.
"Actually, now that you mention it I might have a few ideas as well," the ghôl is quick to add.
You spend what seems like hours huddled around that large table, plotting the downfall of one very self-important mage and you are sure he will appreciate all the attention when he finally realizes what you have done.
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The trio of mages blink out of the Dreaming and he is alone once again.
He likes this plot, it will be fun.
He likes those women, they are fun and all of their friends are fun too.
Hopefully they will live long enough to realize how much better it would be for them in his world. It is slightly vexing that he won't be able to convince them to stay for the duration of their contract but such is the way of the world. We can't always get what we want.
The ghôl empress coughs behind him, "Any chance you can return me to my own mind now."
He wonders, does she qualify as one of the ladies' 'people', it is a legal grey area, it is doubtful that they are members of the same organization however she was brought here on their command and she does seem to be an ally, of sorts... Not that he could take her now even if he wanted to, he needs her to get this 'Thin White Mage' and as a regular dreamer she is free to leave whenever she wants anyway, she just has to realize it.
He tells her as much, "You can go wherever you want Empress Nanshe."
"Oh," she replies with a little surprise, "You know who I am then?"
"There are few things that I do not," he answers casually, mortals are usually impressed by lines such as that.
"Well good for you," she answers with a shrug.
He glowers, what is with all of these mortal women, not one of them is suitably impressed by his powers. Ah, it is a strange and jaded age he is forced to endure. He remembers a time when mortals bowed and scraped at the feet of the dark gods and most of them still do but these mages they are different and they presage a new age.
Ah well, things change, that is the nature of existence, it is the only constant in his life and those that can not move with the times will be forgotten, or trampled. So many of his colleagues will fail that test but he does not intend to, if the mortals wish to be treated as equals instead of livestock then that is how he will treat them for better or worse, at least it will be interesting.
"One quick question," the Empress asks him, "Before I am off."
"Ask away," he answers, carefully considering the mage before him.
"What sort of rewards are you going to give me for this?" her question is a fair one and one he had expected.
"Anything you want," he spreads his arms, "Anything I have the power to give."
"Well, what did you offer my," it takes her a moment to settle on a word, "Allies?"
"Ah the usual," he can not, or will not, lie when it comes to a contract, though he can not remember if it is an actual physical impossibility or merely his own aversion to such base dealings, "Power," she nods and motions for him to continue, "Magic," again she mechanically nods, "Ah, servants?" she raise an eyebrow at that but shakes her head, he waves a hand in the air, "All sorts of things really, secrets, metal, hidden items, odd rituals, that sort of thing."
She thinks for a moment, "What's metal?"
Fuck, she locked on to that far too quickly.
He attempts to downplay it, "Nothing you would care for, just noise and-"
"Noise you say?" she begins to think, "What kind of noise? Is it magical? Can it inspire my soldiers? Can it help me consolidate my empire and crush the dwarves?"
"Ah," he begins to back up, "How about I let you think about your options for a while, no need to choose anything immediately."
"I am not," she begins to advance towards him, "I want to carefully weigh all my options which means, for now, I want you to tell me about this 'metal'."
"No," he crosses his great arms over his chest, "Not until I have the mage."
Nanshe tilts her head and folds her arms, "Alright then, I will bring this mage to you and then we can discuss my reward and this 'metal' of yours."
He casts his head back, his brothers are going to kill him for this but he has never been able to say no to a pretty face, he sighs, then laughs.
Times are changing and they will be interesting indeed.
------------------------------------
You and your command staff have taken over the main boardroom again.
When everyone is seated and quiet you begin, "So who wants to come with me-"
"With us," Thaïs interjects.
You nod, naturally she will be coming, "With us, to explore that passage the mice found?"
"Not me," Kaf is quick to answer, "I want a break from dark places and ancient horrors."
"Look, the only horrors likely to be down there are horrific clots of dust," Lyssa speaks up, "I will go with you two."
She has definitely been more forceful and confident lately, a welcome change all things considered, hopefully she is getting more comfortable with your group, with her group, ideally.
"Alright, so that is three," you answer with a appreciative nod.
"Well, we are going!" Biliku chimes in from the doorway.
"Right!" her little sister added enthusiastically.
You have no real problem with that but it seems someone else does. Berty rises from his stool in the far corner, "Girls, you have lessons today. You will never be officers if you spend all your time running around dank hallways."
You rarely see this side of the girls' instructor. Normally Berty is guaranteed to be the wildest one in the room and that manic energy never truly leaves him but you have seen him preparing the girls' lessons in private and you know that it is a duty that he takes very seriously.
"Sorry girls-" your friend begins.
"-but Berty is right," you add, presenting a unified front, "You need to complete your lessons."
"But what if you get in trouble?" Uttu insists.
"Well that is why I am going with them," Ceannard rises and gives you each a slight bow, "If they will have me."
"You don't have to Ceannard," you remind him, "It is not in your contract."
He smirks slightly, "I hardly need a contract to escort three beautiful women around their own fort. Besides, it is as you say, all we are likely to encounter is the occasional insect and a great deal of dust."
Well, that makes four. You run through the rest of your staff in your mind.
Astrid and Ori are still tending to Bari, so they are busy. They did not even answer your summons to appear at the meeting. Understandable really, out of everyone in the fort they are the only ones you have no claim over, they did not fight because this is their cause, they did not fight because this is their assignment, they did not fight for money nor for honour, they fought because they were your friends and that has cost them enough already.
You have not bothered your escort either, Hámundr has to see to his remaining men and you have left him to that task. He has given you enough already.
Argus and Myora are also absent, patrolling the fort and coordinating their efforts. You want a clear chain of command in place by the time Albrecht's army arrives in a few hours. That last thing you want is to leave the fort divided and disordered, you did not fight off that army only to see the fort tear itself apart as soon as you leave.
"Well, I guess it is just the four of us then," you answer with a shrug.
"Five actually," Otto rises next to his commander.
Ceannard grins at the younger officer, "Are you trying to ruin my triple date son?"
"I am not as convinced as you are that we will find nothing sir," he replies, a twinkle in his eye, "Better to bring along a few soldiers as well."
"Then it is settled," you begin to rise, "The five of us and maybe five more soldiers?"
"That sounds fine ma'am, too many people and we will just get in each other's way anyway," the younger man replies with a spring in his step as he makes for the door, "I will pick them myself and meet you at the entrance to the passage in ten minutes."
Marvellous, hopefully this time you won't uncover some ancient horror.
-----------------------------------
"I suppose it would have been too much to ask for," Lyssa comments with weary grunt.
"Well at least nothing is attacking us," Otto replies merrily, "That has to count for something right?"
"Yes, but why does it always have to be something creepy," you answer as you kick at a tube.
The tunnel led deep into the bowels of the fort but it was not difficult to find your way. The mice were not even really needed though Martin and his fellows are certainly having a wonderful time checking every nook and cranny. It only took you about five minutes to reach the end of the tunnel and what you saw on the other side was not terribly encouraging.
The room is shades of black and red, the black being the same black stone which most of the fort is constructed from, the red being a sort of faded velvet that was likely worth a lot a few centuries ago before time and water set to work on it. The room is poorly lit but that is largely down to the lack of torches in the wall sconces rather than actual design, if the place was tidied up a little it would actually look quite inviting.
The room itself has little left in it, no secret libraries, no stashes of artefacts, no piles of gold, it is quite disappointing really. There are a few items of interest though. The room is divided into two unequal portions at different levels by thick bars made from a metal you have not encountered before. There is a single door with an interesting lock that you can not quite fathom, it seems to shift slightly when you focus on it and the more you attempt to retain any details about it the less you can actually recall. You know it exists and you know it is a lock but beyond that you can not actually retain any information about it.
There is also a sort of large box with a handle on it attached to the bars, you play with it a little and quickly deduce its purpose. If you wanted to you could put almost any item into the box and have it come out the far side but it seems to be designed to only go one way. You think that if you really tried, and had a team on your side of the bars all pull together, you might be able to raise an item placed into the chute back through the box and out of the cage but you would definitely be working against the intentions of the box's designer.
Behind the bars is a gate pushed up against the far wall, it is made of the same black stone as the rest of the fort but it is has intricate patterns carved down its length, a spider motif from what you can see.
Thaïs, next to you, mutters, "So are we thinking Spider Goddess?"
"Seems that way," you quietly reply.
You turn your attention from the sunken 'prison cell', as you have taken to thinking of it, and instead focus on your side of the room. There are four large tubes, the size of an average human along one wall. One of the tubes is filled with fluid but otherwise empty while the remaining three are open. Two of them still have the odd fleck of a semisolid substance about them while the last is completely dry.
Immediately your mind jumps to Miosguinn's tanks under Muirthemne. It does make a sick sort of sense that others would make similar attempts.
On the opposite wall is a small desk, a simple stool, a cot and a bucket. The desk has been ransacked, its shelves scattered out on the floor and their contents removed. The stool lies on it side, perhaps tipped over by whatever or whoever went through the desk so violently. The cot is empty, the bucket is not, unfortunately it adds to the wonderful damp aroma of the place.
Other than that there is not that much to see.
"Well this was a waste of time," Otto remarks as he checks the desk for any subtle clues.
"Is it?" a feminine voice calls in response, a slight chattering adds the impression of an exotic accent to the voice.
"Is someone there?" Ceannard asks as he makes a slow circuit of the room, torch outstretched and a hand on the hilt of his blade.
"Yes," the voice replies sweetly.
"Will you show yourself?" you ask calmly.
"I doubt that is a good idea," she answers quietly.
"Why not?" your friend interrogates the room's occupant.
"You would try to kill me," her tone is far more relaxed than her words suggest.
"You would be surprised," Lyssa confidently retorts, "I think you will find we are 'fairer' than most."
"Yes, please come out," your friend insists.
"I'm shy," the voice coos.
"I doubt that," you call back.
She laughs, "I like you, I am not supposed to but I do."
"Ah," you look to your friend, she shrugs and mouths 'keep her talking', "Ah, thank you but this would be much easier if you would show yourself. Think of it as an act of trust."
"Do you want to trust me?" the voice teasingly asks.
"I want to see who I am talking to," you press her.
The response comes quickly, "Then send your soldiers out of the room."
Well, in truth if this voice could strike at you now then your soldiers would likely do you little good and you are awfully curious. It is doubtful that this is the riskiest thing you have ever done or even the most dangerous thing you have done this week. So...
To hell with it, you will just have to be careful, "Ceannard, please lead the men outside, if we do not call within ten minutes than have your men seal the room and await the army."
"Alright," he turns to Otto, "You heard Miss Derryth, take the men outside."
"You're staying?" Lyssa asks, mildly amused.
"Certainly," he bows, "My honour as a gentleman demands it."
"And your decision has nothing to do with how cute this mysterious stranger sounds, sir?" Otto manages to ask with a wink.
"Of course not Otto," Ceannard guides his officer to the door, "That is just an added bonus."
With the rest of your soldiers gone and the door to the room safely shut your charming new acquaintance works up the courage to show herself.
She materializes before you, on the other side of the metal bars. She is of average height and dimensions, clad in a ragged black dress that is fairly ordinary save for its condition. That is all that is ordinary about her however. Her skin is not the skin of a person it is instead composed of a series of plates, her eyes, well there are so many of them and each looks more like that of an arachnid than a person. Her jaw is roughly human but retains the fangs of the beast she is no doubt based off of. She is, taken together, a cruel and sickening mixture of spider and human and she eyes you with a mixture of bemused contempt and hunger.
"Now that is something different..." Caoilainn whispers in your mind, almost afraid that the creature will somehow hear her.
Instinctively both you and your friend nod at her words.
This creature folds one of her set of arms behind her and begins to pace on her primary legs, "So, now what," she begins, a certain bitterness behind her words.
You are at a bit of a loss for words, this, thing, reminds you of the Blues. It reminds you of the beasts you butchered below Muirthemne, the creatures that killed the girls' parents and destroyed their home and it is clear that it shows you no real love but it is also clearly more intelligent than any hybrid you have ever seen.
"I-" you have to think about this for a moment, "Well, why don't we start with introductions, I-"
She does not let you finish, "You are Derryth, sworn enemy of my dear old, neglectful mother," she begins to point at each of your companions with a different hand, "That is Thaïs, that is Lyssa and that is Ceannard, commander of the, Black Arrows, is it? You can call me anything you want really, the last occupant of this cell called me Nancy, the one before that called me Anne, it is all the same to me."
"How do you know our names," Lyssa naturally enquires.
"The stone, it is woven through with my threads, it makes it stronger than regular rock. Part of the bargain that the original builders of this place made with mother dearest," she does not seem terribly interested in this history lesson, "All I have to do is attach a string to the right block and I can hear everything. It is about the only thing to do down here most of the time."
"How did you get down here my dear," Ceannard, doing his best to remain a gentleman and a professional asks.
"It was all part of a contract," she shrugs, thoroughly bored, "Some dwarven noble wanted a unique castle, something like no one else had and my mother has always had a strong following among the dwarves, probably because both dwarves and spiders love holes in the ground and a well laid trap. You don't need to know the details and I am tired of giving them every decade so let's just say that there were betrayals involved on both sides. The fort was built, people died, my mother received a little entertainment and I became a prisoner for all eternity."
"Why did they keep you around," it seems like the next logical question to ask so you do.
"I am useful," she mutters, "I know you have already run into those charming beasts in the mountain below us, yes? Well I keep them away from the fort, I can emit a slight noise from the rocks by tugging on certain strings, this in turn scares off the rhyming beasts and protects the fort. I have had other uses as well," she gestures at the tubes and drops her head, "Anything else?"
"What do you want?" your friend asks, a safe question, everyone wants something after all.
"A good lay," she winks at Ceannard and he takes a step back in response, "Failing that I would like a live meal perhaps. But if I could ask for anything it would be my freedom, either through the gate behind me or out the door behind you."
You are not sure that would be a good idea, this thing is a demon or half a demon as the case may be and you doubt it would be a good idea to turn it loose.
She can see the doubt written on your face, "Don't worry about it. You are probably the twentieth group to come through here and none of them showed much interest in freeing me. Like I said, if you could bring me a, well you probably would not feed me a dwarf, you have not exactly struck me as the ruthless type, no offense intended. But a horse, that would be quite nice if you could spare one. Or you could just do the smart thing and kill me, it would be easier for both of us, I guess," she sighs and drops down in the corner of the cell, "I suspect though that you will bombard me with questions so I might as well start you off. Don't trust Rand, he will fuck you."
Some small part of you admires this... woman's straight forward manner. If she is as useful as she says then it might be worth keeping her around. After all, you can not be sure that all those beasts died under the mountain, though she would likely resent you for using her. Still, that is not really your problem and you are not certain you can just let such a creature go either.
Maybe you can come to some sort of arrangement or maybe she will betray you in the end, in hindsight it probably would have been easier to just leave her down here to starve. You would have been able to sidestep this situation entirely but every choice is an opportunity, you may as well make a decision now that you are here.
You just hope there are not any more 'ancient arcane abominations' in and around the fort, though with your luck who knows...
1. The Unusual Prisoner: Anne or Nancy or whatever you want to call her she has been trapped down there for some time. There are a few different ways you can go about dealing with her.
A) Status Quo: She will stay where she is and you will keep her alive by feeding her livestock. Things will continue as they always have and she will likely resent you for that though she does not seem to have the resolve to do anything about it part of you wonders if maybe she can't.
B) Kill Her/It: At the end of it all she is a servant of the Spider Goddess, even if she is not the most enthusiastic of servants, she is your enemy and some day she will betray you. Might as well get this over with now and blast her through the bars while you are safe. You will deal with any consequences of this action as they come up and it seems to be something part of her desires at any rate.
C) 'Hire her'? : There is probably a way to get her out of that cage if you really put your mind to it and you do have a history of 'helping the helpless', of course it might burn you someday, still you are prepared to deal with the consequences as they arise and you will just have to hope that this, er, demon is worth the risk.
D) Send her back? : You could try to use that gate to send her back to her mother's realm. Though you have no way to know how the Spider Goddess would respond to such an action. You would also likely need more mages or a lot of energon cubes and, well, you would need to enter that cage one way or the other to take a good look at the gate.
E) Lay lady, lay... : She says she wants a good lay, well you are sure your group can oblige her... hopefully she won't take a limb off or anything and hopefully you will be able to get back out of that cage once you enter it... (all E options will be counted separately given how important the distinctions are...).
i. Brave lone soldier: you will feed the creature and extract a promise of protection from it, then you will send Ceannard in there to attempt seduce her and win her to your cause...
ii. If you want something done right... : you will feed the creature and extract a promise of protection from it, then you and Thaïs will attempt to seduce the creature and win her to your cause...
F) Scorched Earth: You are sick of this fort and the demons that infest it. You will kill the creature, destroy the portal, collapse the room, level the fort, and leave, never to return.
G) Deal with a Demon:
You will have her agree to the following terms in exchange for her freedom:
2. Nephila says she knows the wards on the TWM's journal and the language Gullveig wrote her books in. You can enter an agreement and give her several items to translate, crack, or identify, and then return to you at a place of your choosing and share the information.
A. You give her the following items:
i) The Thin White Mage's journal
ii) Gullveig's spellbook
iii) Gullveig's documents
iv) Gullveig's cyphered letters
v) The Ring of the Master
B. You don't give her anything. You will sort it out on your own.
Chapter 52: The Second Coming
Chapter 52: The Second ComingNephila sways slightly in the dim light as you consider your next move.
You already know what you want to do, you are just not terribly certain that it is a good idea.
"Ah, Derryth," Ceannard whispers from behind you, "What should we do about this young, lady?"
The demon grins and winks at the mercenary, "Flatterer but I am far older than you are handsome."
He shifts uncomfortably under her gaze.
"We free her," you reply, quietly at first and mostly to yourself, as if to test how the idea tastes. Then with a nod you repeat yourself, louder, more confident now, "We free her."
"Alright," Lyssa shrugs, "Why not?"
"How should we go about it then?" Thaïs enquires with a slight smile as the three of you form a loose circle to discuss your options.
Seems neither of them cares to argue about this with you, it is almost as if they expected this to be your answer and now that the formalities have concluded you can all set to work.
"That, ah," Ceannard coughs, "That seems like a bad idea ladies."
"Nonsense," Thaïs waves off his concern, "We will naturally extract some sort of oath or contract from her for her freedom."
You nod, Nephila has already listed your options in that regard, agreements, contracts, these things come naturally to demons but what you are interested in is the most permanent sort of arrangement possible.
You will extract from her an oath.
A blood oath.
But first certain niceties must be taken care of.
Your tiny circle breaks as the three of you turn to face the mercenary. Your collective gaze joins Nephila and he visibly stiffens, uncomfortable under the attentions of so many spellcasters, "Is there something you needed ladies?"
"Yes," you grin, "We will need a horse, live if possible, we will need a couple barrels of that awful swill we have been drinking for the last week, we will need equipment, ah," you turn to Nephila and she gives you an appreciative nod and a warm grin exposing her needle like teeth.
A chill runs down your spine, a holdover from the dim, primordial days of your species. You suppress it, you are a mage, you are not her prey, you are her equal and you will behave as such whether your body likes it or not.
She thinks for a moment, "Leather armour if you have any, it will be easier to alter. A hood, a cloak, a mask if you could, as for weapons, really anything will do. I would prefer something light and quick if you have it though."
The mercenary merely shakes his head and mutters something about contracts, he turns his gaze back to you, "Anything else?"
You reply readily enough, "Some sort of vessel, a cup or tankard perhaps, something big and easy to handle."
The mercenary makes for the door as Nephila sighs behind you in disappointment. You are certain that she wanted something a bit more, special, for her first oath.
You look to Thaïs and she looks to you. You both shake your heads and she speaks, "Ceannard, make that vessel as ornate and as impressive as possible if you could."
In the shadows of her cell Nephila squeals with glee.
-----------------------------------------
"Alright, one more time from the beginning," this is a lot to absorb and you are a bit distracted as well.
You have been questioning your new 'friend' on recent events in the Dwarven Kingdom and the 'history' of her own people. It is fascinating information and all three of you sit in a row taking notes as the demon circles her meal.
She has the horse strung up and is bleeding it before she sets to work devouring it. The animal kicks weakly in her grasp but there is little it can do between the threads and her natural strength.
She hums happily as she works, "Well, most of this is just rumour you understand since I was not alive to see it and only maybe five or six of my elder siblings can even claim to know the 'whole truth'. There are just so many stories in the shadows and webs of my homeland, so many lies as well and I do not doubt for a moment that my mother is behind most of them," she grabs the animal by the neck and wretches its head around, ending its misery, "The one thing I can say for certain is that mother was not always a goddess, she is not one of the original Dark Gods and she did not win her post peacefully."
"Then how did she do it?" Lyssa enquires as she flips a page.
Without waiting a moment more she begins her meals, digging her hands into he flank of the horse she begins to pull until a melon sized chuck comes loose, she devours it with relish before continuing, "She enlisted the aid of other beings though no one can agree on who exactly she turned to. Together they lured her predecessor, some sort of silver serpent with the head of a fish and the tail of a scorpion, from its realm and dispatched it."
"Sounds easy," the witch replies casually.
Nephila lets out a girlish laugh and wipes the blood from her face with the back of one hand, "It was anything but easy, as far as I can tell. Still away from the heart of its power it was beatable. In the popular version of the legend she traps the beast in a great web of her own construction and devours it stealing its power and place but I don't think that is how it happened."
"Oh really?" you look up from your notes, "Why is that?"
She closes her eyes, all of them, and smiles delicately, "I met someone that was there when it happened."
"Who?" you friend asks as the three of you edge closer to the bars.
She leaves off her meal and comes to sit with you, less than a foot now from the three of you with only the bars between you faces and hers, her answer is quiet and peaceful, "My father. The Prince of the Dreaming, Morpheus."
She had mentioned in passing during your earlier conversations and it is unlikely that she is aware of your personal dealings with Morpheus so you do your best to act suitably impressed. In truth you are a little, Morpheus is powerful and certainly more powerful than you but you are certain that he is not that powerful. Certainly not powerful enough to fight an original Dark God.
You tell Nephila about your doubts and she nods slowly, "Well it was more than just the two of them. Morpheus brought his two brothers. My mother brought her seven sisters and then there were two more, two other demons that aided them but I have not been able to piece together anything about them."
Fair enough, you do not believe she is lying to you about that and you are already aware of Morpheus' brothers. Phobetor, called Icelos among his own, the great beast of the Dreaming, a hunter, a stalker, the Lord of Nightmares, and Phantasos, part of the living plane itself, the mad observer of the most surreal dreams created by mortals through the ages. You know all this already but what interests you are these seven sisters of the Spider Goddess.
Nephila elaborates, "The sisters were much like mother from what I can tell and most of them met the usual fate of weaker siblings."
"Which is?" Lyssa hesitantly asks.
"Devoured," Nephila drops her gaze to her feet and scurries back to her meal, "As far as I can tell five of them were eaten by their siblings and father could confirm that three were directly eaten by mother. She took their lives and their power though from what he told me this was after their victory over the old master of mother's plane. He said that each of the sisters ate a portion of the dead god and swore to rule that realm in peace but that was not to be, they began to turn on one another in the dark tunnels and silver webs of that twilight realm. Of the two survivors, one fled into the void and was devoured by something ancient and massive. No one risked getting close enough to see what had killed her for fear of suffering a similar fate. The last sister fled to father and mother pursued my aunt right to father's gates."
She smiles warmly at the thought of the demon lord, and practically beams when she meets your gaze again, "Father told mother to fuck off. That my aunt had come to him for protection, that she had sworn never to leave him and that she was bowing out of the intrigues of my people. Mother would have none of that though and the two fought. Mother was much more powerful than father, she had all the strength of her devoured siblings and most of the strength of that creature but father had been prince for far longer than she had been a goddess and it was his plane they were fighting in which makes quite a difference all things considered," she grins from ear to ear, "Father won and let her go, not out of mercy but because my aunt asked him to. Naturally mother tried again and again after that for some time."
"Well they must have resolved the issue somehow," your friend insists, "If they had not you would not be here correct?"
Nephila nods slowly, "Yes, mother has quite a temper but even she had to relent after a point. My aunt still dwells in father's palace, spinning silver dreams, and mother eventually reconciled with father though I am not sure how exactly," she pauses and frowns, "He won't tell me. He says it is none of my business," she shrugs, "Maybe it isn't."
You are not sure how useful any of this information will be, as fascinating as it is, so you attempt to redirect the conversation to more immediately practical matters.
"Nephila?" you call to her, she has already settled back into he meal and in the time it has taken you to record her tale she has striped a third of the horse down to its bones.
Glances up to you from her meal a bit of muscle wrapped around her right fang, "Yes?"
"Are there any cults, temples or artefacts associated with your mother in the area?" hopefully your question will yield useful results.
She ponders the question for a moment, "There were but that would have been centuries ago. There used to be a large underground temple compound to the northeast of here where her high priests would gather to worship her. I don't know if it is still functional though, or even standing," she picks a bit of gristle out of her hair with a little embarrassment, "There is also likely to be at least one temple in or under Myrgard, the old temple in Myrgard was located in the merchant distract, I can give you instructions if you would like?"
You nod and your friend makes notes as Nephila lists off the directions to the underground complex in the mountains and the old temple under Myrgard. The demon cautions you that there might be traps and guardians at both sites even if they are not being actively used anymore.
"Anything else you can think of?" Lyssa presses her.
She scans the three of you with a sympathetic glance, "Afraid not. There is a temple somewhere in the old levels of Stoneheim but I do not know where. There were also a number of artefacts at each site. Black stones that mother used to communicate with her followers directly but I do not know where they are now and some of them had gone missing even before I became trapped down here."
"Speaking of artefacts," you begin.
She laughs, "Of course, mages and demons are of one mind on this issue, we all want more power," she taps a 'foot' absentmindedly as she tries to remember anything that would be of use, "Well, back before I was caged there was a weapon store in the southeast of the kingdom. A vault sealed, guarded and trapped but filled with weapons of the goddess in case the faithful ever required them. Blades that could cut through stone, whips that could entangle on command, wands, orbs, all sorts of things really. Most of them are bound to my mother though and that might be a problem for people such as yourselves which seek to oppose her. Though they are not designed to allow mother to contact the user they are still derived from her and she may well have built contingencies into their designs to prevent them from being used against her agents," she falls into deep thought, rocking back and forth subtly on the palms of her lower limbs, quietly she begins to speak, "There were rumours though of a rival cult somewhere in Stoneheim, they might have artefacts that you could use though again you would have to deal with a dark power of some sort or the other," she spins gracefully and laughs melodically, a light rolling thing that caresses the ear. She tears an entire leg off the carcase and between bites continues, "I am afraid that is simply the cost associated with using premade artefacts, they all have an original purpose and they were not built for you or for me."
So much for artefacts then. Built to last but not for you.
"Is there anything you can tell us about more recent events?" your friend begins while you muse, "Specifically news related to Houses Albrecht or Eberhardt."
She tilts her first to one side and then to the other, "That is a difficult question to answer as information becomes illusive. I can begin at the beginning though, young Albrecht came to me wanting power and knowledge. He fed me and he clothed me and he kept me company, perhaps he even fell for me in his own way but he was a careful dwarf and a cautious one. He kept me in my cage and though I wanted for nothing materially I would never find freedom under him. Still he was a great man I think, even if never a good one, and I helped him willingly for years. When he stopped visiting it came as something of a surprise to me but he had to have been three hundred years old by that point, perhaps he merely died of old age. He must not have told anyone about me as it was some time before I was visited again," she sighs and tosses the bones from her meal into the corner of the cell, "My next few masters did not invite guests to the fort. Most of them did not do much talking at all really, they were far more interested in experimenting on me so it was some time before I next received information from the outside world. A little over a century ago I began to receive a new and steady flow of information from the kingdom at large. The government of the day decided to garrison this fort to help monitor the ghôlish threat," she begins to laugh, "It came as quite a surprise to me to realize that the odd rumour I had heard here and there were correct. Albrecht's descendents had managed to seize the dwarven throne and had been ruling for some time. I will admit I felt a pang of pride at that. They were the family in the kingdom and at least some of that must have been the result of the help I gave their ancestor. It did not last though, the cultists that tended to me in those years were under strict instructions not to free me and when the fort fell to the Dark I was once more left alone with necromancers and ghôls. From them I learnt of the war and of the human mage Alric. I learnt of his victories against vastly superior foes and I practically cheered his efforts," she shrugs at you curious glances, "What? I can respect the intelligence and courage it would take to fight someone like Balor, I met the... man, once and he was certainly intimidating. Until I heard of Alric I did not believe anyone would beat that warlord. When the Dark lost the war and the dwarves swept eastward again the fort was retaken by dwarven soldiers and for years it was a military outpost from what I could tell. As the years wore on, and I went through a series of cultist and cutthroat masters, the soldiers very gradually gave way to mercenaries who in turn fell under the control of the Eberhardts."
Good, now she is moving to events that might directly impact your efforts.
"The Eberhardts were convinced that the royal family had been compromised by agents of the Dark," she laughs, "They were not entirely wrong either from what I could tell. Every now and then high ranking members of House Eberhardt would meet at the fort where they could talk strategy away from the spies of Myrgard. Of course that allowed me to listen in on their most secret conversations. Something had spooked them, they seemed convinced that the Royal House or perhaps just allied houses had been infiltrated by cultists serving something, unnatural. I do not know what sort of proof they had but they believed, I could hear it in their voices."
"Was there anyone in particular that they suspected?" you have stopped taking notes, this is not the sort of thing you want committed to paper should anyone ever search your possessions.
"House Hesse, House Reginar, House Berg," she replies quickly, "And they seemed to have good reason to believe that at least one member of the royal family was a cultist though they could not tell which one."
You frown and rest you head on one hand, "So... they were building an alliance to overthrow the state and purge the cultists?"
She nods, "That is what I could gather yes. Then several weeks ago something happened and it all came crashing down," she winks at you and the three of you wince slightly before she continues, "Rand, as usual, would tell me only a little and I found even less of it easy to remember," she shifts uncomfortably, "Something big is happening, I am certain of that but I just do not have enough information."
House Hesse.
House Reginar.
House Berg.
Half of the remaining Great Houses controlled or infiltrated by cultists?
That would be bad, and even worse at least one royal, a traitor. You desperately hope that, that is not the case. Just how rotten is the kingdom anyway?
"Anything else?" Thaïs asks brow furrowed and frowning.
The demon shrugs, "Rand dealt with most of the more delicate work that the Eberhardts needed done, he would know more but I am afraid I just can not remember much else."
"Is Rand a follower of your mother's?" you feel compelled to ask.
"I- I don't know," she stares at you as pain and confusion cut across her face, "I just don't know."
Well this has been an illuminating and unsettling conversation but Albrecht's dwarves will be here soon and you really must take care of the rest of your agreement before they arrive and demand to see you.
You stand up and your friends follow, Thaïs speaks, "Well, I think that is everything we had to ask-"
"- but if we think of something else we will let you know," you add with a wink.
Nephila gives you a confused glance at those words but you decide not to enlighten her for the moment.
"So how are we going to do this whole oath thing?" Lyssa asks as she and Thaïs strain to lift the vessel Ceannard and his men brought you.
He insists that it was a great serving vessel and it is quite ornate with the faces of gremlins and elves etched along its stone surface but you are fairly certain that this has never been used for dining before.
In fact, you are fairly certain that this is the pot from Berty's fern but if it makes your new demon friend happy then who are you to object.
Nephila paces on her side of the bars excitedly, "I, ah, well this is my first time but it is fairly easy from what I understand. We cut ourselves and bleed into the chalice-"
"The planter?" you ask with a smirk. Okay, maybe you could not entirely resist.
She grins her needle sharp teeth sliding out between her large fangs. She titters, "The chalice," she insists.
"The chalice," the three of you confirm with a laugh.
Well, you are in charge here so you might as well go first. You draw your knife across your palm and let the blood run down your hand and into the vessel.
Originally you had intended to be the only one to do this but your friends seem willing to participate in a show of solidarity. Misery loves company so you oblige them. At least this way the oath will hold even if you die.
Thaïs is next, she takes your blade from you and without a moment's hesitation draws the blade across her own hand, letting her blood join yours in the vessel at your feet.
Lyssa takes the blade next. She places it against her hand and takes a deep breath.
"You know you do not have to do this," the two of you remind her.
She shakes her head, "I am part of this Circle, I have to do this."
The blade cuts quickly and she winces slightly as she squeezes her hand, he blood running down her closed fist and pooling in the vessel.
It takes a few minutes for you to bandage yourselves and move the vessel over to the bars. You hand Nephila the blade and she thanks you with a quite word and a quick dip of her head.
She extends one hand and gently pulls back the plates of her palm with two others. Now with a clear opening she presses the blade into the gap until her thick black blood begins to ooze forth. It drips slowly into the pot at your feet bubbling when it makes contact with your combined blood.
The reaction raises a doubt in your mind, "Is that safe to drink?"
She laughs, "Safe enough. Why do you want to back out now?"
"No, no," you reassure her, "It is just... different."
The demon shrugs, "If this were fatal to any of us than how have mages and demons made pacts through the centuries?"
Well she does have a point, unless she was lying about the ritual to begin with of course, but if she does poison you then Ceannard has orders to kill her so at least you will all die together... not a very comforting thought though.
"Well, here goes nothing," Lyssa reaches for the bubbling concoction as Nephila binds her hand in a similar manner to your own.
"Wait!" the demon warns her, "We need to officially agree to the terms first for it to be binding, I mean unless you want to drink that twice," she beams at the witch as she points to the pot with her, now bandaged, hand.
'Well our terms are clear," Thaïs begins, "You will swear to never speak of how you were freed, you will swear to never speak of our secrets, you will swear to always tell the truth to the three of us or to any person we designate, you will swear to a non-aggression pact with our organization, you will not knowingly undertake any cause or action that will harm us or our people and most importantly you will swear not to kill, maim or consume sentient beings."
"Unless they attack me or those under my care correct?" the demon asks.
"Naturally," you reply, "You should be allowed to defend yourself from aggressors. Are those terms acceptable?"
"Yes," she replies with all the professionalism of a seasoned negotiator, "Those terms are acceptable. Now for my terms. You will swear not to reveal to anyone the origins of any of the information I give you now or in the future. I have no issue with sharing with the three of you and I have no issue with you spreading the information I give you as you see fit but I do not want some angry demon lord to descend on me is a few months, or years, time and demand to know why I told you something you should not know. You will swear to be truthful with me if I ask you a direct question now or in the future, finally you will swear to your half of the non-aggression pact. You will swear to undertake no action against me or those under my care knowingly."
"Unless we are attacked or those under our care are attacked correct?" the witch is quick to ask.
The demon dips politely, "Of course, you must protect you and yours just as I must protect myself and those I may come to hold dear."
"That does raise a question though," your friend is quick to realize, "If our pact includes other individuals outside of the four of us how will that work if they come to blows."
Nephila thinks for a moment, "Traditionally one or both parties involved are meant to withdraw their support for the conflict in question. I would say that upon realizing the conflict of interests we would be required to extricate ourselves from any such business. Ideally we would take our dependents and personnel with us. However, if the source of the conflict is our dependents and, or, our personnel then we would be required to cut ties with them if we can not convince them to change course."
That seems reasonable all things considered, "Alright, I agree."
Lyssa and Thaïs incline their heads as well, "Those terms are acceptable," your friend answers for them both.
Nephila eyes the pot, "All that is left then is to drink that," she gestures to the thick, bubbling fluid, "You did not happen to bring anything to mix with it did you?"
You roll over a casket of the vile ale you have been consuming throughout the siege and crack it open pouring it out over the bloody mess. It is thin, it tastes horrible but hopefully it will kill some of the taste of what is likely to be a truly horrific beverage.
You give the mix a stir, yeah this is going to be fun.
With the help of Lyssa and Thaïs you raise it to your lips and.. it is delicious. Well that is a pleasant surprise you think as you drain a fourth of the vessel and help steady it for Thaïs. Hesitantly she takes a gulp and blinks in disbelief at how good it tastes, her portion is put away even faster than your own while she mutters in astonishment you help Lyssa drink her portion before passing it off to Nephila. She struggles to empty the remains of the tub into her mouth between the bars and mutters happily, "Good contrast, quite chewy, exuberant bouquet, this... this I would drink again in a heartbeat"
You are not sure whether you should be proud or nervous at the demon's comments and you have little time to even decide on a position before it hits you.
A driving, pounding, excruciating pain that begins in your stomach and bubbles up into your throat and head. You scream and fall toward the bars gripping them for dear life.
Did she poison you? Surely that would mean her own death as well?
Your head swims and you begin to cough uncontrollably while Lyssa and Thaïs stagger forward as well gripping the bars to either side of you.
You take in a deep breath in an attempt to hurl insults at your murderer but that merely triggers another coughing fit.
It is then that Nephila lunges toward you. For a moment you think it is an attack, that she does not intend to wait for her poison to finish you off but she does not grab you.
She grabs the bars, leaning into you, resting her head against yours and she wheezes, "It will... it will pass," she whispers to the three of you, "Just... just give it a moment."
You close your eyes, steady your breathing and she is right. It does.
Though you feel a little changed, a little less free than before.
"That," she gasps, breathless in your ear, "That was interesting."
You whisper back, "Did you know that would happen?"
"My sister said I might feel a little discomfort," she scoff, "I am going to have to show that bitch a little discomfort when I see her next..."
You open your eyes and instinctively pull back at the six eyes focused right on you, you fight your instincts and you lean back in, "So we are bound now?"
"Well," she answers as she pushes off from the bars and composes herself, "I am bound. You are merely, restrained, a little."
"And what does that mean?" the witch asks from your left as she paces the room attempting to clear her head.
The demon begins to stretch, "All it means is that the penalties are much higher if I break our contract and that it is so much easier for you to break the oath. As a demon I can not knowingly act against the spirit or letter of our agreement and if I do by some gross cosmic joke then the punishments will be quite severe for me though to be honest I am not sure what those additional punishments are. As mortals though you can not actually be bound against your will in this way, if you wanted to break our oath and attack me right now you could for example though you would immediately free me as well."
"So then how are we restrained?" your friends quickly enquires.
"Well, if you do break the oath then all the magic in that blood you just consumed will vacate your body at once," she tilts her head to get a better view of your friend, "It will hurt all of us, a lot more than it did just then."
The three of your frown, you speak, "You could have told us that before."
"It does not really matter," she plays down your concerns, "It merely means pain, for all four of us, but no actual damage beyond that as far as I know."
Well, that will have to do. It is not like she can lie to you anymore anyway. If she says you will suffer no permanent harm from breaking the oath then it must be what she really believes.
There are a few more things you need to do yet.
"Think you can climb up that chute Nephila?" you ask and the demon shakes her head.
"No the chute is designed to prevent me from scaling it," she answers wearily.
"Well then we will lower a rope to you," and that is what you do. With one end tied around her the three of you pull and she does her best to grip the sides of the chute. You can see why she has not slipped out on her own over the centuries. It is difficult work at first but it is made easier when you call Ceannard to help you and when you finally decide to employ the Warrior's Mask to boost your strength. After far too much struggling by the four of you and not a little effort expended by Nephila you finally manage to extricate her from the cage.
You pass her, her new clothes, modified armour and weapons which she accepts with many grateful grins and awkward curtseys. While she dresses you set to work on a letter of introduction. Without looking up you call to the demon to get her attention, "What do you intend to do with your freedom Nephila?"
"Well," she pulls her blouse on, "I am not sure really, this is all rather sudden," she buckle up her trousers over her lowest pair of arms, "I suppose I will look for employment somewhere with a sufficiently large mage population that I will not be attacked on sight."
You sign your letter and begin on a second document, a list of instructions, "What if I could introduce you to someone that could help?"
"I-" she stops half way through buckling on her armour, she is clearly a little shocked, "You would do that?"
You stand and cross the room to her, you hand her a pair of letters, one sealed and the other not, "These are a letter of introduction to Madb of Muirthemne, you can find her at the Wizen One's Magical Bazaar in the great market, the second letter is a list of directions to help you find your way. She is a dear friend of mine and if you treat her kindly she will help you I am certain."
The demon embraces you, the unfastened straps of her armour dig into your own and she does her best to squeeze you to death. When she does release you she beams, "Thank you."
Lyssa chuckles behind you, "No need, it is just what we do, it seems."
You and your friend shoot her a pair of sly glances as Nephila moves to each of your allies and embraces them in turn. When she gets to Ceannard he extends his hand, she takes it, drags him into her arms and savages his mouth. She releases him, leaving him gasping, "Sorry handsome, looks like it was just never meant to be."
"I- ah, well," he glances to the three of you and you snicker.
Something in him changes then, perhaps he is simply sick of being the constant butt of your jokes. He coughs, calms himself, straightens out his armour and smoothes back his hair. Taking his time he gently takes her by the closest hand as he holds her curious gaze and leans in closely, brushing a lock of hair from her face as he replies, "Truly a tragic twist of fate. Should you find yourself once more in Myrgard my lady do not hesitate to call upon my hospitality. I assure you, you will not find me wanting," he plants a single kiss upon her hand and she blushes slightly in spite of herself.
He bows to her and then to each of you, as if to extend the offer to your entire group, and turns on his heel before calmly walking to the door and exiting the room.
"Huh, did not think he had that in him," Lyssa comments with a whistle.
--------------------------------------
Lords Welf and Hesse have been waiting for twenty minutes but you had to ensure that Nephila was safely off. She has been given a horse, enough gold to see her safely to Muirthemne, even with her appetite, and some research material as well. You have given her the documents you recovered from Gullveig's camp, with the exception of the Shade's spellbook, along with the Thin White Mage's journal.
In exchange for your aid she has agreed to survey the tunnels under the fort and do her best to seal up any passages that might still lead down to the beasts' hive. You hope all those creatures are dead but you do not want to take any chances.
She will remain in the tunnel along with Ceannard, Otto and their men until they are confident that your fort will be safe, at least in the short term.
"Anything we need to know about Lords Welf and Hesse," you ask your maul officer as you round the final corner headed for the main conference room.
"Only that they are lords and dwarves which together makes them quite insufferable," her tone is flat and cool as always, "They are also quite annoyed at the delay."
This is going to be just magical.
When you enter Argus is already talking strategy with the two lords. When they spot you entering he rises to greet you, they do not.
"Ah, Lady Derryth, Lady Thaïs, wonderful timing!" the king's champion is trying, bless him, he is trying but the lords simply have no intention of being sociable, "Let me introduce you to Lords Hesse and Welf, loyal and just servants of the crowns."
Lord Hesse is a bull of man with a large, broad head resting on a thick, short neck. At his foot lies a large mastiff curled into a tight ball, it lazily lifts its head and considers you with a single impassive eye before dismissing your presence and once more settling into slumber. When you glance from dog to master you can not help but notice their similarities. He sits hunched forward with his shoulders driven into the base of his ears and looks the perfect double of his animal so it is not terribly surprising to you when he barks a terse greeting, "Ladies. Good to meet you."
You really doubt he means that.
Lord Welf is the complete opposite of his colleague. He lounges in his chair, a glass of something imported in his hand. His every movement conveys a certain sense of superiority.
He manages only the most disinterested of greetings, "A pleasure to be sure."
"Yes, well," the champion motions to a pair of chairs, "Please be seated ladies, I was just discussing our victory with the lords."
Welf takes a sip from his drink, and begins to speak with a wide smile and cold eyes, "Yes, once more I would like to express my congratulations on your victory against the enemy force. The King's Champion has made it clear to me that the force you faced must have been quite unnerving, for you, given that your garrison is comprised of irregulars and mercenaries such as yourselves. You have done all of your ilk proud by mustering such a unprecedented effort over the last few weeks. You should be quite proud of yourselves I should think and you have nothing more to fear now, our forces will be more than sufficient to handle any difficulties that might now arise."
"Too true!" Hesse nods along, "Too true my friend. I should say ladies that there is nothing more for you to fear now."
Oh you want to lay these two out. Just a few well placed assault spells, or perhaps a few dozen, but the two of you have a plan. From what your allies tell you neither dwarf is a known mage so this might grant you an interesting opportunity. If Hesse's House is compromised then what better way to check that theory than to take a little poke around inside of the head of Hesse himself.
Thaïs will run interference and give you the opportunity you need, hopefully she will be able to draw all the attention in the room to herself and leave you with plenty of room to manoeuvre.
It begins well enough. She compliments them both and thanks them for their aid while you add the odd word of agreement or reassurance here or there.
Your focus though is on Hesse's mind and the first thing you notice is that there is no easy way into it. If he were a mage this would be easy to explain, of course if he were a mage then he would also be looking for his attacker right now and you would likely have a fight on your hands. Instead Hesse pays you no real attention as your friend and Argus run over the trials you have faced in the last few days.
It seems likely that he is not a mage then so someone or something else must be shielding his mind. Welf perhaps? It is certainly a possibility but if he is involved then he is playing it awfully cool at the moment. The other possibility is that Hesse has something on his person capable of protecting his mind, or perhaps some sort of artefact that provides him a connection to a power capable of shielding him.
Either way you hope to at least get a glimpse of what is going on within his mental landscape so you press on.
His defences take the form of a single massive black sheet draped over the world that is his mind. Not terribly original but sufficient to prevent casual attempts to come to grips with his mind. You spend a few moments scanning for a weakness, a seam you can fray, an edge you can peel back, some imperfection you can take advantage of but you find nothing.
Welf coughs.
Hesse rubs his temples, your presence has been light so far, at most all he should think is that he has a mild headache.
The dog shifts in its sleep as everyone turns to you.
"Derryth?" Argus is asking you something.
"Yes," you answer without breaking off your attempt, it is not the easiest thing in the world to hold a conversation while working in a mind but you are quite familiar with these spells and so far you are managing.
"Well young lady what do you think?" Hesse grunts.
They are waiting on you for some sort of decision though you have not the slightest clue what.
You feel the caress of a soft suggestion enter your mind and you instantly recognize the mind behind it, Thaïs, she tells you to say yes and so you do.
The dwarves all nod, "Wise decision young lady!" Hesse barks, grinning.
That woman really is a lifesaver.
You redouble your efforts now, and you think you see the slightest hint of a crack in his defences. If you had to attack now you think you could but for the time being you just want to take the slightest peak.
You drift in slowly, carefully to the peephole and press your face against it.
His mind is a single great and untamed forest. Beasts and hunters in every shape and size imaginable stalk the shadows of this twilight realm.
There is but a single structure.
A temple.
Black stone and-
Welf sneezes and drops his drink on the dog next to Hesse.
It growls and yips as it startles awake and runs into the corner. Hesse guffaws and beckons the dog to return to his side.
It barks at him with its back firmly pressed against the wall behind it as it edges toward the door. The broad dwarf sighs, "He will be like that for hours now, I am sorry ladies but I must tend to him."
Without a word more he stands and marches from the room, as soon as the door opens the dog is gone at full tilt and he takes off after it with a sharp laugh.
With him goes your chance to learn more, the rest of the meeting goes quietly enough. You make a few quick passes over Welf's mind and he does not appear to notice. You do not detect anything out of the ordinary, his mind is a hill top villa, guards, hounds, the usual defences for a person that schemes for a living but no hints of occult activity or traces of the Dark. If he is a cultist he is hiding very well and it would take an actual attack to uncover more.
You sit through the rest of the meeting but leave the details to Argus and your friend as you attempt to puzzle out exactly what you saw in Hesse's mind. That black stone temple, it definitely did not feel like a natural part of his mind and you begin to believe that perhaps it was planted there by another and as soon as you are alone with Argus and Thaïs you voice that concern, "There is something wrong with Hesse."
"Wrong?" the champion enquires.
"His mind," you tap your head, "It is not all his own."
"Wait, you were poking around in the head of a lord?" Argus grumbles his objection.
Your friend is quick to come to your aid, "We have good reason to believe that House Hesse might be compromised somehow."
"It was worth a tiny peak," you add, then you reassure him, "Unless he is a secret mentalist there is no way he would have figured out what I was doing."
"How did you come to suspect him?" the dwarf naturally asks, "I mean this is the first time you have even spoken to him."
"Ah..." you drop your gaze.
"Well..." your friend can provide no answer either.
The champion grunts, he is clearly not happy that you will not reveal your source or about your probing the minds of loyal lords but too bad. You are serving the crown and defending Albrecht's interests and you tell him as much, "Argus, we needed to know and now we do. Hesse is being influenced by someone or something. His mind was cloaked by something-"
The dwarf is quick to object, "He is a lord Derryth, they need ways to protect themselves from their peers and enemies it is not that surprising that he would have defences."
You nod but press your point all the same, "Not defences that felt like this Argus. This... barrier, he has over his mind does not feel like any mentalist spell I have come across but more importantly was what was behind the barrier. There was some sort of temple or compound and it was made of black stone that felt alien to his mind."
"Felt?" the champions scepticism is palatable.
Thaïs nods, "Yes, every mind feels different and looks different. Everything from deserts to forests to villages and cities, some are even more bizarre than that. If Derryth says this black structure felt different than it likely is not native to Hesse's mind."
"Which means," Argus leans in resting his head in one strong hand.
"Ah," you honestly are not sure, "Well, it means he has something or someone else in his mind or he has a link to something or someone else in his mind."
"Do we know who or what?" the dwarf continues to interrogate you.
"Not really," you are forced to admit, "Just that it is something alien and dark. It might be the Watcher."
"Ok, but it might not be right?" he quickly asks.
"Yes," you reluctantly agree, "It might not be the Watcher."
"Well," the champion leans back in his chair, "I will keep an eye on him then."
"You should throw him in a cell!" your friend insists and you nod along.
You lend your voice to hers, "He could be dangerous!"
"Aye he could be, but he is also the head of a very prominent House in possession of an impressive private army," Argus reminds you, "A House that may be pivotal to the defence of the Kingdom, I can not simply imprison him on your word, the lords would never stand for it."
"But-" you start together.
He raises his hand, "And to top it off you want me to imprison him without telling me how you came to suspect him or even who might be controlling him. We do not know if this dark presence is even a direct threat to the kingdom. Until I have more proof, until I have something I can bring to the lords there is nothing to be done. We will just have to be careful, when you see the King inform him of this and perhaps he can think of a way to solve this possible problem."
You both sigh wearily.
Argus is right, when next you see the king you will just have to raise the issue with him. One of many issues you plan to discuss...
--------------------------------------
High in your tower, overlooking the hills surrounding Fort Blackrock, the two of you sit reminiscing, laughing, and she broaches that delicate subject.
Your response has all the subtlety and grace of a mace to the head.
Not really your finest moment all thing considered.
This is not real though.
It is simply a memory.
One of many you plan to pour over tonight.
Your body is in a balloon somewhere between Blackrock and Myrgard.
With nothing much to do, so you thought it might be wise to get your own 'house' in order. Clean up your mind, make a few important decisions in peace and quiet, alone-
"Are you two always that bad together?" a mocking, masculine voice comes from behind you, you spin on your heels.
"Or was this just a special occasion?" it is above you now, you crane your neck but still you see nothing.
You are fairly certain you know who this is though, so much for peace, quiet and a little time alone. You answer with a shrug, you don't intend to let him get under your skin, "We normally do better."
"Liar," he laughs, "Normally you blow up furniture."
Ouch, that hit.
"Morpheus!" you put your hands on your hips, "Show yourself so we can talk like adults."
"Adults?" the demon cackles, "I thought you were a twelve year old novice, blushing and stammering like you do."
"Go to hell," you spit.
He ignore you, "It is not like it is your first time right?"
With a snap your memory has changed, you are in a dimly lit barn somewhere in the province. A golden haired young man has his arm around your waist, he leads you toward the ladder and up to the loft.
The young man laughs, and speaks "Or even your first time with a woman."
Another snap, another memory. A dreary little archive, twenty log books, four rooms, a pair of lamps and one delightful little blonde... so very many blondes... you wonder why that is.
She smirks at you, and even though you know it is Morpheus you are still a bit taken aback when she speaks, "So why don't you just tell her you love her and get to the fucking?"
She snaps her fingers and becomes Thaïs.
"Stop playing games!" you demand.
"I like games," the demon replies with a grin, "But fine if you don't like this game then let's play another. You can be the beautiful damsel," she snaps her fingers and your clothes are replaced by a beautifully traditional gown, "And I will be the dashing young knight that saves you from a terrible beast!"
As she grins, the illusionary Thaïs dissolves into champion with blade, shield and a little package wrapped in furs, he extends it to you, "Come on Derryth! Ride the tiger!"
"No," you mutter and shove the package back.
He grunts then grins, "How about this then, you can be the dashing young knight and I will be the beautiful damsel," with a blink and a nod you have switched clothing, the demon gives you a deep curtsey and splits the dress damn near in two.
He gazes up at you and pulls a face, you laugh once in spite of yourself, "Fool."
"Whatever it takes to loosen you up a bit," the demon answers laughing, "Seriously though, this is not difficult, I deal with these sorts of things hundreds of times a week. Just be honest with her."
"Well that is the problem," you calmly reply, "I am not quite sure how I feel about her."
"Bullshit," the demon laughs.
You laugh as well, there is something strangely amusing about how relaxed and even, vulgar, the prince is being.
He waves an arm dramatically and blinks back into his true, or at least standard, form. A second wave and your clothes are returned. A third and you are back in the meadow. He snaps his fingers three times and three Thaïs appear before you.
"Now," he begins, "Here we have the lover," he wraps an arm around the first Thaïs, she purrs slightly and gives you a wink.
Gently and seamlessly he slips free of her, "Then we have the friend," he slaps the second Thaïs on the back and she grins at you and waves.
"Finally," he stops next to the last Thaïs, "We have the sister," she bows to you and smiles innocently.
"So, which one is she?" the demon prince asks casually though he is quick to add, "You already know the answer, just go with what feels natural."
You consider each and shake your head, "No good, Morpheus."
The demon frowns, but is not easily deterred, "Care to elaborate. I am still certain we can figure this out."
"Oh," you shoot him a sly glance, "It is 'we' now."
"Hell," the demon scratches his neck, then adds with a good natured jab, "I am invested now. You are stuck with me until the end and I really don't want to have to watch more memories like that one at the tower. So speak up."
"I-" you attempt to put it in words, "All of these phantoms, they are different people, the real Thaïs, she is-"
He leans in, "She is what?"
You focus, no more running from it, you think about that day you met her at her tent when you realized she could be an asset. You think about that night at her house where she tried to be a lover. Your time together under Muirthemne where she was a friend. That day shopping in Myrgard, and every day since, when she was family.
All of it is dwarfed though by the untold eons you spent with her in Nine's mind, defying the murderous intentions of that place. That endless dance of memories in that dark, dank, horrible place.
That dance and the visions that followed.
Her father, your father, her mother, your mother, her life, your life.
There is only one answer, and it comes to you without any further effort on your part, "She is me."
There is no sound in the meadow, not the slightest whisper of a breeze, not the tiniest chirp of an insect, it is all so still, so calm, so clear.
Then it ends.
"Deep," the demon speaks with a smirk and a sage nod.
"Ass," you hit him, laughing, it is a weight off you now. Now you know and now you can act.
"Well, now you have your answer," the demon plants a single large clawed hand on your shoulder, "So what are you going to do with it?"
A devious little idea bubbles up into your mind, a way to show Thaïs not just how much you care but exactly how you care, "Actually, maybe you could help me with this. That is if you are up for arranging a very special dream."
"Special," he grins, "This sounds fascinating. I'm in."
Good, this, this will work. You are sure of it, but you have a lot to discuss before you wake.
---------------------------------------
Albrecht can wait.
You have a lot to discuss with the dwarf but you want to see to your own business first and so you are here at the Brothers Dietfried.
"Can you do it?" you and Thaïs ask as one.
"Certainly," the brothers reply in unison.
The two brothers fall to discussion in a language you do not recognize while the pair of you watch on.
It was not that difficult to convince them to send supplies and your enchanted items to Nanshe. They did not ask how you knew the ghôl leader or why you wanted her to receive the items, they merely nodded quietly at your requests and gave you a price. Thankfully it was a price that was easy to cover with your scavenged bag of ghôlish currency, without any other use for the shells you gladly traded them away for the artefacts and services you needed.
"We must warn you though, the older brother speaks with a sullen solemnity, "Should this be a trap, for our client or for ourselves then-"
"Oh brother," the smaller Dietfried laughs, "They would not do something so, so, foolish!" his cheer never fades but the threat implied behind the word foolish is clear to you both. Thankfully you have no intention to betray them.
"Naturally, we do not betray our partners," Thaïs assures them.
"One additional matter though," you quickly add, "Do you still happen to have that urn we saw when we were last in, the random one. We would like to buy it."
The cheerful brother nods, "Oh yes, of course! We actually had someone enquire about it this very morning for use as a practical joke of all things. What did you want to use it for?"
"A different sort of joke," you reply with a slight smile, "Add it to our shipment to be sent to our mutual friend. We will just need a few moments to load it with enchantments."
"Not a harmful one I hope," the taller brother cautions you.
"Not harmful to yourselves or our friend," Thaïs clarifies.
"Very well," the shorter Dietfried responds with a bubbly laugh, "That will be, oh, two hundred-"
"No," Thaïs is quick to cut him off, "That vase is far too specialized a piece of equipment to command such a price, I suggest you cut it, substantially."
"My dear young lady," Dietfried replies with a chuckle, "You mean to rob us! We must be allowed to make some profit of that valuable piece of-"
As the two of them continue to negotiate you wave the sombre brother off to one side, "I am just going to negotiate for more energon cubes and roots," you explain and Thaïs nods without taking her eyes off her opponent. The two of them are quickly warming to their competition.
You lead the other Dietfried to the far side of the shop, he explains as you walk, "Roots are quite rare these days I am afraid," he sighs deeply, "Even energon cubes are in short supply lately, every mage customer in the region has been by recently it seems. I truly hope that no harm will come to anyone soon," his voice is filled with sorrow but it is slightly rote and you do not believe he really cares all that much.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about another matter away from my partner," you are quick to inform him, "I was wondering if you could build me something using a few parts I have acquired and a few spells that would be useful."
"If it is what I think it is," he begins coolly, "Then we shall do it for you free of charge."
"Wait, what?" you stop in confusion, "I have not even told you what I want built yet."
"It is for her, yes?" he discreetly points at your partner.
"Yes, but-" you begin.
"Then we have already been informed as to its nature and we have already received payment for its construction," he informs you.
"How?" though the answer is beginning to dawn on you.
"A mutual friend," the brother answers with the slightest of smiles, the only smile you have ever seen on his face, the only smile you are ever likely to see on his face, "He said to remind you that 'He is committed now' and that as your 'friend' he offers you this small present to ease your mind and strengthen your resolve."
Well damn, a nice surprise for once, that is a switch.
You hand over the necessary ingredients and turn your attention back to the energon cubes and mandrake roots on offer.
Upon completing your business you go in search of your partner. She is not where you last saw her though there is no reason for concern. She steps out of the back of the shop moments later with a grin on her face and shakes the wide, little Dietfried's hand.
As she walks up to you she gives you a wink, and speaks with a self-satisfied smile "Everything is ready and I negotiated a rather steep discount for us too."
A wonderful way to end a day.
---------------------------------------
Your next stop is Mayer's estate.
As always the house is dark save for a single lit window. He must be home and working, not a terribly great surprise really.
The two of you are shown up to Mayer's office and you find everything much as it was last time you visited.
With one exception, Mayer. He looks different, specifically he looks like shit.
He has a strap of fabric bound around his left eye and when he rises it is with a noticeable limp now. He rounds his desk and extends his right hand in greeting, you reach for it but stop when you realize he is missing two fingers.
"Wyrd, Mayer!" you start, "What happened!"
"Please sit," he gestures to the small table you are used to taking lunch around, "Have you eaten? I have not, I will have something brought up even if it is just cold beef and a little cheese."
That sounds like heaven after what you have been living off of for the last few weeks and you tell him so but honestly you are not too interested in food at the moment.
"Mayer, what happened?" Thaïs echoes your question.
The banker downplays his injuries, "Just a slight disagreement with a few of the minor houses and their bankers... and their bankers' men. They did not want to acknowledge my legal claim to certain properties we needed to repay your debt. They would not budge and I am not the type to take no for an answer," he laughs twice and begins to cough.
"Details would be nice," you prod him.
It takes him a moment to master himself but when he doe he shakes his head, "The only way to keep a secret is to ensure that only one person knows it. I will simply say that I lost an eye and two fingers, they lost everything, the trade is more than fair in my opinion. Which brings me to the matter of your financial investments..."
It turns out that without you to guide him Mayer took your affairs in hand as if they were his own. As your partner he felt justified in doing so and he may not have always acted fully within the letter of the law in executing your will. You might be slightly more angry with him had he not obviously suffered so much for your cause but on reflection this is why you brought the dwarf on board. He knows his business and he knows the kingdom, you have no doubt that you could not have achieved what he has and you have serious doubts that any of the other bankers you talked to could have done even half of what he has. The cost for that skill is an agent that will act on his own initiative and you will just have to deal with the consequences of his nature. Speaking of consequences...
"Some of the houses were less than pleased with my actions," he admits with a shrug, "I, may have overreached a little."
"Are there going to be immediate threats to us as a result?" you enquire in unison.
"Doubtful," the banker shakes his head, "But Houses Seinsheim and Welf are certainly not happy with us and the rest of the houses are hardly amused."
Great, more enemies to worry about but perhaps it is not as bad as all that. If you put in a concerted effort to demonstrate to the houses that you are not a direct threat to them then perhaps you can still defuse the situation.
With that in mind you turn to less personal matters, "What have we missed?" you ask as Mayer's man brings in the food and delicious ale.
"Well," the banker begins, "A government installation was hit as I mention in my letter, I am certain it was a Pathfinder prison and that most of the criminals held there have escaped into the city, things may get a bit volatile for a while."
And yet more enemies to deal with, lovely.
But Mayer does not stop there, "The south is a mess, I can not get any reliable information and no one has entered the city from that direction for at least a week. What little information I can piece together does not exactly draw a pretty picture, ghôlish raiders in numbers we have not seen for a century, undead armies bolstered by Shades and other horrors, strange cloaked warriors roaming the roads, red and green monstrosities that seem to blink in and out of existence and Eberhardt rebels once more in open rebellion against the state. I do not know for certain what revived the republicans' cause but whatever it is it has given them new life. There are rumours however, the word around the city is the Eberhardt himself has returned from the dead, not as an undead but as a living dwarf. They are saying that Albrecht is rotten, that Eberhardt will save the kingdom and turn it into a republic. For the time being the loyalist houses are keeping things under control but..."
You both nod. Things really are a mess and you are not sure you can clean this up by yourselves.
You will need to see the king and soon, tonight even.
You thank Mayer for the meal and promise to help him recover from his wounds. He shrugs it off, "Just the price of doing business," he says but you can not agree to that, this dwarf works for you and you have no intention of leaving him like he is if there is anything you can do about it.
As you leave the room you have time for one final question, "Anything else we should know?"
"Yeah," he seems reluctant to say anything, "A pair of words have begun to appear around the city, 'Unforgotten, Unforgiven', no one knows what they mean though."
On that cheery note, you take your leave.
------------------------------------
The king is not in a good mood when you arrive at his chambers and it does not help that he seems to have been drinking as well. No sooner do you close the door than he rounds on you and lashes out, "What the hell took you so long!"
"Dear, please stop!" his wife shouts in vain.
You are not really in the mood to be yelled at either, "Defending your Wyrd-forsaken country!"
"There won't be a damn country left to defend soon!" he marches up to you, "Have you heard what is happening to the south!"
"Yes, sounds like you have a problem," Thaïs answers coolly.
"A problem! She says an ancestors-be-damned problem!" he shoves her slightly, perhaps too drunk to actually put any force into it.
She does not retaliate, looking him in the eyes as he stands less than a half a metre from her. That is enough for you however, you don't care if he is king, he is being an ass and you intend to calm him down one way or the other.
You grab his shoulder and the guards that constantly monitor his person take two steps forward and reach for their blades.
He shouts at them, "Not a single step more! You hear me! I will fight my own damned battles! I will win on my own!"
He turns on you and grabs your hand, pulling you in close. You can smell the whiskey on him and with a peculiarly calm fury he speaks, "I am king and I will shove whoever I wish. Understand?"
You are about to reply with an assault spell when you feel something in his palm, he turns you so that his back is facing the rest of the occupants of the room, he gives you a wink.
"Understood," you reply calmly as you slip the note he passes you up your sleeve.
"Good," he releases you, "Now go get some rest, I will see you in the morning."
He staggers backward and howls at the top of his lungs, "More fucking whiskey! I am the fucking king and I demand more whiskey!"
The two of you quietly withdraw to your chambers as Queen Eleanor mouths the words, 'I am so sorry.'
-----------------------------------------
"What does the note say?" Lyssa asks as the two of you join her and the girls in your suites. Berty, being Berty, is likely out looking for a replacement fern.
You smooth out the note, it reads:
Can't trust anyone. Only you. Go to the place we first met. Tonight after midnight.
You do not speak the contents of the note, if the king was paranoid enough to stage that whole production then you are going to indulge your paranoia as well. This is a palace and in the halls of power every wall has ears.
Instead you quietly pass the note around while speaking of less urgent matters.
Lyssa's final eagle has at last returned home and she brought two letters with her. The first is from Gareth and Brigit, the second from Amena.
Amena's is short and sweet. She informs you that the children are doing well and that she has begun preparations to help Ithapi learn to read, you and Thaïs smile at that last bit, you both know how much it will mean to the maul. Amena even informs you that some of the children have already learnt their first cantrip.
You muse, "Sounds like the children are making a good start on things."
Thaïs beams, and winks at you "They will be conquering nations in no time."
"You have more kids?" Lyssa asks cautiously.
You both nod while Biliku and Uttu jump to attention, "They are our friends and subordinates," the younger sister insists.
Lyssa dips her head slightly in thanks for the information while you remind her, "You will get the full story when we begin our sessions."
Lyssa winces a little, "Right..."
Thaïs quickly redirects the conversation, "What about the second letter?"
The longer letter is penned by a man that calls himself Thayer. He introduces himself as the clerk and paymaster of Brigit and Gareth's company. He gives a brief overview of the personnel and finances of the organization and lists some of the contracts they have taken on. It sounds like boring work to be honest and the amounts they are making from guard duty and merchant escorts do not seem like enough to keep the company running. You hope that you will not return to Muirthemne only to find all your savings squandered.
However, one quick look at the numbers and accompanying summaries is all that is required for Thaïs to reassure you, "They have taken jobs that are not recorded here."
"Really?" you and Lyssa ask together.
"Yes," she nods, "It is clear under even a cursory comparison that the numbers are too low based on his summaries so either this Thayer thinks we are idiots which is doubtful or he is willing to trust us to puzzle out what is really happening over there."
Well, if they can not put the jobs to writing then you likely do not want to know about them for the moment. You have enough things to focus on here and now without worrying about how Gareth is running things up north. This is merely the price you must pay for empowering your friends to act on your behalf but you trust them to do what they think is best.
Attached to Thayer's summaries and lists is another document penned by Gareth with notes scribbled in the margins by Brigit. It is a quick summary of events in the Empire since you left. On a personal note, it seems they have had to renegotiate your working relationship with her father, you hope nothing has happened to either of them but they do not elaborate on that point so you must let it rest for now. Of more immediate concern perhaps is that Alric has left Muirthemne for Madrigal. Something, and no one knows what, occurred at the palace sometime within the last month to month and a half. At first no one knew about the change but the absence of the Emperor at public events began to draw attention and eventually the public announcement was made. It is being said that the Emperor plans to alternate between the two capitals to better attend to the needs of his people but some are saying that he was forced out. Gareth puts that down to idle gossip though, after all, who would be powerful enough to scare off the Emperor of the restored Cath Bruig so quickly? As a result, most of the Heron Guard have also relocated to Madrigal with only the usual garrison present to defend the palace and their compound. The Legion continues to be dismantled in favour of the new armed forces of the empire and Gareth has taken pains to snatch up as many 'reliable men' as he can from these veterans. He intends to further expand the company and secure a large compound if everything goes according to plan.
"More proof that they are making money," you note approvingly, "Though I am not sure if he should be expanding that quickly, it might draw unwanted attention."
"Like being declared Heroes of the Kingdom and fighting a half dead Fallen Lord," Caoilainn chimes in dryly, seems all she ever does lately is snipe at the two of you.
"Caoilainn," you mutter together.
"What?" she musters a half hearted response.
"Are you having trouble lately?" you enquire with more than a little concern.
"No I am great!" the sarcasm in her voice now palpable, "Why it is so much fun being a disembodied spectre bound to a pair of thrill seekers, with nothing much to do all day, every day..."
"Actually," you reply warmly, "We wanted to teach you something that might help with that."
"Really?" you have her attention now.
"Yes," Thaïs answers for you both, "In fact we have a few hours right now if you are willing to learn?"
The disembodied officer responds with noticeable enthusiasm, "Sure."
It is always so much easier to teach with an enthusiastic student so with the time remaining to you, you set to work teaching Caoilainn how to dream.
----------------------------------
The safe house has certainly seen better days.
The five of you made your way from the palace as quietly as possible, using Lyssa's illusions and your own combined mentalist tricks to ensure you were not followed. You arrived to a dark and seemingly empty building, in fact you did not notice that you were not alone until Ori sprang out at you with his sword drawn.
Thankfully no one was injured.
The remaining Pathfinders are on edge, Ori is up front guarding the shop while Astrid is still tending to Bari in one of the side chambers.
You checked in on them and gave Astrid a shoulder to cry on, it will take a lot to restore your friend but you do not intend to leave him like this, you will help them, you have to help them.
You were directed by the Pathfinder tinkerer to the rear of the building and the same chamber you first met Albrecht in. Lyssa and the girls elect to remain outside as the two of you enter.
He sits alone in a large chair with his back to the wall and a heavy crossbow levelled at the door and his finger on the trigger. When he sees you enter he lowers the weapon and gives you each the slightest inclination of his head.
Without a word he motions for you to sit across from him. On the table rest a single unopened bottle, three glasses and a deck of cards. His mood is quiet, thoughtful, and he begins to deal as you fill up the three glasses.
"You wanted to talk to us?" you begin quietly.
He nods, "I should be dead."
How do you respond to that? Even Thaïs is unsure of what to say so you follow her lead and keep your mouth shut.
The King takes your silence as an indication that you want him to continue, "So many threats, internal and external. It is all falling apart, the mess to the south, the 'miraculous' resurrection of Eberhardt, I just don't know if I can hold it together or if I even should. If Jori had failed, if you had failed, then I would have been humiliated in front of the entire Assembly. I would have lost my throne and my crown and I would have been forced into exile but now I wonder if that might not have been better for me."
He knocks back his drink and pours another one, "At least if I had fallen, at least if I had even died, I would not have to see this, I would not have to do this."
"The army has marched south under Seinsheim and Berg," the King rubs his forehead, there is such sorrow written in his eyes, "Perhaps they will triumph and perhaps they will fall. I had intended for you to go with them and if you hurry you still might be able to but I asked you here to provide you with options. If not for you two, if not for your help with Jori's quest, if not for your aid against the Eberhardts, if not for your heroic stand against the Watcher's army, if not for you then I would already have lost. So I want to give you a choice. You may march south in pursuit of the army should you wish, I know that you would prove invaluable to them, but there is also another business I could use your help with..."
Evidently this business he wishes to broach is difficult for him as he knocks back another drink. His earlier binge may have been just for show but at this rate he is going to drink himself into a real stupor.
"We were attacked while you were gone," he straightens himself up in his chair and wipes his eyes, he seems determined to do this properly, "A Pathfinder prison, the Pathfinder prison that that necromancer was moved to. They tried to free her, they succeeded, they tried to recover the stones but thankfully I refused to keep them together, the stones are hidden in a place only I know of. Worse yet some dwarf claiming to be 'Eberhardt Resurrected' drove off the attackers and put down the worst of them with his band of rebels. Now the whole city whispers his name," the dwarf scoffs, "Ah well, the attack is troublesome but what has me truly shaken is that there are only a handful of people that know about it. Argus, myself, the six guards that run the place and, my family. Argus would not betray me, those guards all laid down their lives to protect the prison, they died to the last man and so that leaves only one explanation that I can think of."
You know what he is going to say but it would be best if he were the one to say it.
"Someone in my family is a traitor," he lets the information fall from his mouth, a great weight from his shoulders. Of course you already had you suspicions and he readily notices that you are not surprised, "You knew?"
"Mentalists," you tap the side of your head, "We knew it was a possibility."
He nods wearily, "Yes, that is also why I want you to do it. I know you are not in the enemy's employ and I know you have the skills needed to do this. I would like you to investigate my children, if you find the one or ones responsible then you have my permission to, to execute them without trial. If you have to, you have my permission to kill them all. Better a dead innocent, as Bari used to say, than a living threat to the kingdom."
The Children:
"We, we will need details," you prompt him quietly.
"Right," he laughs or coughs, maybe a little of both, "Did you ever meet my entire family? No I suppose you did not."
He shakes his head, "I had eleven children, five by my late, first wife, all brave young sons, and the rest by dear Eleanor. One died with my first wife while I was on campaign... always on campaign... if I had been there, then maybe... I did not even get to see the child's body before he was disposed of."
The king gathers himself back up, "Of the remaining ten, four are dead. You met Jori, his younger brother, and two younger sisters also perished. Of my remaining children three went south with the army while three elected to remain in the capital. If you require specifics then you need but ask."
The king falls silent, spent, but he seems willing to answer any questions you might have and Astrid can probably provide you with more general information if needed as well.
As he says, you need but ask.
1. You choose to:
A) Go South: you will pursue the army and link up with them immediately. Given the number of internal and external threats they face they will need help.
B) Stay in Myrgard: you will remain in the capital. The king needs capable an loyal supporters on hand and it should provide you with a number of opportunities (all B choice will be counted together)
i. You will pursue Nephila's directions to that ancient Spider Goddess temple, perhaps there is something there that you can use.
ii. You will spend you time trying to get to know Albrecht's three children that are still in the capital. Perhaps one or more are traitors to the throne.
iii. You will spend your time investigating the great houses to the best of your ability. You may be able to mend a few fences with them and reconcile somewhat and you may be able to uncover if their are any followers of the Dark in their ranks.
iv. You will focus primarily on building your own powerbase. If the whole kingdom is this corrupt then you will turn Blackrock into your own personal army. You need tools to defend yourself and Albrecht with. This will require either a large scale recruitment drive or the absorption of existing mercenary bands.
v. You will focus your efforts on the prison site that was attacked, maybe you can find clues there.
vi. You will have focus your efforts on the palace, if there is a leak it is likely there. (note: your mice might be well suited to this task.)
vii. freeform - You will do something else in Myrgard.
C) A bit of both: You will spend time in the city working on one of the following option before moving south and attempting to join up with the army, provided the situation does not change dramatically. (All C options will be counted together)
i. You will pursue Nephila's directions to that ancient Spider Goddess temple, perhaps there is something there that you can use.
ii. You will spend you time trying to get to know Albrecht's three children that are still in the capital. Perhaps one or more are traitors to the throne.
iii. You will spend your time investigating the great houses to the best of your ability. You may be able to mend a few fences with them and reconcile somewhat and you may be able to uncover if their are any followers of the Dark in their ranks.
iv. You will focus primarily on building your own powerbase. If the whole kingdom is this corrupt then you will turn Blackrock into your own personal army. You need tools to defend yourself and Albrecht with. This will require either a large scale recruitment drive or the absorption of existing mercenary bands.
v. You will focus your efforts on the prison site that was attacked, maybe you can find clues there.
vi. You will have focus your efforts on the palace, if there is a leak it is likely there. (note: your mice might be well suited to this task.)
vii. freeform - You will do something else in Myrgard before heading south.
D) freeform - Come up with your own plan in its entirety. I will try to get the mechanics update out as quickly as I can so you know what you have to work with.
2. Supplies: The Brothers offered to sell you mandrake roots and energon cubes though neither are available in large supplies. They also have a wide selection of stock, if you want anything in particular feel free to ask and they might be able to supply it for a price. (Any item that gets more than half the votes, rounded up, will be purchased. With items you can buy in bulk the most popular quantity will be purchased).
A) Mandrake roots: 10 WPs each.
B) Energon cubes: 2 WPs each
C) Seven Piece of simple but good quality jewelry: 5 WPs
D) One Spell Storing Gold Ring: 75 WPs
E) Request an Item
3. Letters to Blackrock: Now that you have heard half of the Great Houses were compromised, you have your doubts about whether you should have left your fort in the hands of Hesse and Welf. It might also be worh your time to send for some of your people that are currently stationed at the fort.
A) You ask Albrect to recall Hesse and his forces under any pretext he can think of. (to reinforce Stoneheim army, to guard the capital? Not sure myself where I want them. Besides, they aren't even an army.)
B) You recall Lord Welf and his forces.
C) You recall both Lords. You have summoned them to help with the undead menace, and you do not need them now that it is already dealt with.
D) You send an eagle to fetch Nephila. She will come to the city after she is done securing the tunnels and she will approach the Brothers Dietfried. They will contact you when she arrives.
E) You send an eagle to recall Ceannard and the Arrows early (Nephila will just have to make due on her own). They will return to their compound in the city and notify you when they are ready to commence negotiations on their next assignment.
F) You will send for Myora and some of your Blackrock mercenaries (feel free to name how many, if no preference is given then Myora will follow her own judgement).
G) You will send for Kaf and some of your Blackrock mercenaries (feel free to name how many, if no preference is given then Myora will follow her own judgement).
H) You do not act upon this. They are not an immediate concern, and it might be a good idea to keep the Lords where your allies may observe them.
4. Cheese: You owe the mice of Fort Blackrock cheese in exchange for the information they gave you. You have a few options on how you want to find their cheese.
A) Just grab something from the palace. Martin will just have to find something that works for them based on what Albrecht has.
B) Take Martin to the market and let him pick something out. This will cost you time but he will definately be able to find you something.
C) The Brothers Dietfried have an odd box of cheese that Martin says smells delicious but... it glows slightly. The mouse wants it for his people and the Dietfrieds say it is not likely to mutate anyone but you are not too sure and their inability to give you a complete guarantee worries you a little.
D) Martin's pick of the castle + we send someone to go fetch a variety of smaller cheeses from the market.
5. You are concerned that the royal army will not have sufficient magical firepower to handle the threats they will face in the south but there may be a way to quickly reinforce them. You could convince Albrecht to hire the Seekers, a company of mercenary battlemages, to help strengthen the army in the field. The going rate to contract the entire company for a period of one month is 250 WPs, do you advise Albrecht to make this purchase?
A) Yes, a little more power never hurts.
B) No, it is money best spent elsewhere.
6. Mazzarin - Do you tell Albrecht that you freed Mazzarin in the desert?
A) Yes
B) No
7: Should you let Albrecht know about Nanshe now that you have a private audience?
A - Yes.
B - No.
8. You have an option to request the Royal Academy to make you a custom item of your choosing. Do you requisition it?
A. Yes, you will give them a sample of the demon sap and request them to complete your remote bomb project by making bombs that are activated by 'recall item' spell and designed to incapacitate the target rather then blow it up. You want it done by the time you leave the city, since the Pathfinders have already laid down most of the groundwork.
B. No, you do not bother with such requests.
9. Do you feed Martin the glowing chunk of 'completely safe' cheese?
A. Yes, you want to see what will happen
B. No, it is glowing cheese you do not want anyone to ingest that
10. Build a spell storage ring. It will require you giving one of your rings to the Academy to study for a few hours or days and it will likely take about a month to properly enchant it but you believe it should be possible to build another spell storage ring from scratch. The King will cover the development costs.
A) Yes, you undertake developing the ring now.
B) No, you either do not want the ring or do not want them to work on the ring now.
Chapter 53: Detective D
Chapter 53: Detective DThe tap of fingers on the table, the shuffle of cards in his hands, the King stares at you, awaiting a reply.
"Well," you begin quietly, hesitant to break the silence at the table, "We need to see to any overt threats in the city but we also need to check in with the army to ensure nothing has befallen them."
"Yes," Thaïs quickly expresses her agreement, "We can not risk the army but it would be more practical to deal with any opportunities or threats that may confront us here first."
"You wish to pursue both?" Albrecht questions the two of you, a little concerned that perhaps you intend to do too much.
"I think we have to," you sincerely reply, "We need to spend a few days to get our affairs in order anyway before we can head south so we might as well let our people handle the details while we get to know your family in the city."
The King still seems sceptical but your partner works to strengthen your case, "Once we have had a chance to investigate a little we should be able to give you our finding and the Pathfinders can pursue any leads we uncover while we head south to aid the army against whatever they will find down there."
She pauses and takes a sip from her glass giving you an opportunity to jump back in, "We will need a few things from you to help us succeed at both tasks."
"Such as?" the weary dwarf manages to muster as he gulps down his fourth glass.
You list your first request, "We will require written letters in your hand empowering us to act on your behalf in all things."
"Done," the dwarf nods slowly, "Of course. You shall have them before you leave."
"We will require you to mobilize funds and personnel to aid us as well," the first request was largely a formality, you know this one will not be.
"What sorts of funds and personnel are we talking about?" as you suspected the King is quick to ask for details, understandable really given the scrutiny he will be under.
You raise a hand and a single thin finger, "First, I want you to hire on a company of mercenary mages for at least a month."
"More mages," the King squints.
"Yes," Thaïs answers rapidly, "Almost all of your enemies have substantial magical reserves and you have only us and the Academy."
"Is that not enough?" the King asks as he refills his glass, soon he is going to need a new bottle.
"So far it has been," you admit with a little pride, "We have been bold and we have been cunning but most importantly we have been lucky. In our battle with the Watcher's northern host we were at a significant magical disadvantage, one which we only overcame because of a superior position, hidden assets and enemies that did not take us seriously. We will not always have those advantages and we will need more mages to address that balance."
As usual your partner works to drive home your points, "The fellows of the Academy are fine in a researching role but how much practical battlefield experience do they have?"
"Point taken," the King concedes, "The fellows are a bit too eccentric to send out with the army, they would be as much a danger to our own people as they are to the enemy. So what did you have in mind?"
"Battlemages," the two of you answer as one.
Thaïs elaborates, "We have been speaking to our officers about the various mercenary companies in the city and one in particular seems to be of obvious and immediate utility. The," she pauses for a moment, attempting to recall the name, "Seekers, I believe they are called."
"I am not familiar with them but I will have my people contact them with an offer," the worn and weathered dwarf replies, "I should be able to justify the cost as 'in the interests of the Kingdom', should I send them on immediately or?"
He leaves the question hanging for you and you seize it with a grateful bob, "No, we will lead them out to join the army, best not to travel in too small of a group given the conditions to the south and if we arrive as a group it should prevent any traitors in the army from getting them killed before we arrive."
"Is that all?" the King empties the last of his bottle, tapping out the life giving fluid into his glass.
It isn't, and you tell him as much, "We will also need more money for supplies and we want the fellows at the academy to look into developing a very special weapon for us as well."
"Why do you want the money?" he asks by rote, already well aware that he will be giving it to you.
"Energon cubes, a spell ring, and more," you answer plainly, "Things we will need to increase our chances but which we do not have the funds available to cover at the moment.
"I can't be seen giving you anymore," he empties the glass, "The lords and their agents in the treasury will-"
"You won't need to physically give us any funds," you assure him, "Simply let us use the Pathfinders' account with the Brothers Dietfried. Roll the whole thing into the administrative costs you are already hiding from the lords."
The King grins at that and musters a weak laugh, "Ever considered politics? I imagine you would make a fine queen, er, queens," he nods slightly to your friend and she gives him a thin smile in thanks for the courtesy.
"Really?" you remark with genuine surprise, "I would make a poor queen I think, too little patience for all the petty posturing that comes with the post."
He closes his eyes, his smile spreading as he rolls backward through the years in his mind, "I did not think I would make a good king either when I was young," he laughs, or perhaps barks would be more accurate, "Maybe I was right to think so, but I have not done such a terrible job have I?"
"Of course not your Majesty," you reply in unison, "Without you there would be no Kingdom."
"How horrid of you if you flatter an old dwarf?" the smirks, "And how much worse for us all if you don't?"
The strain on the dwarf has stripped away that air of self-confidence that he wore so naturally only a month ago. You can not even imagine what it must feel like, to have one of your own turn on you. You might not have a family similar to his but if someone in your own family, your Circle, betrayed you like that... if Serpent, or Brigit, or Gareth, or Christine- actually, scratch that, you could completely see Christine betraying you- but the rest, if they turned traitor on you, you are not sure how you would take it or even if you could do what Albrecht is doing now, to essentially order their deaths...
The King is giving everything he has left for his kingdom and perhaps that is what stirs in you the desire to be truthful with him.
"Albrecht?" he opens his eyes as you call his name.
"Derryth," he replies with a single slow blink and the happy smile of the slightly inebriated, the world must seem softer to him now, less horrid perhaps.
"Do you want to know what happened when we went to the desert?" your friend shoots you an asking glance, she must be wondering what you plan to accomplish here.
"Yes," again he answers, a slow blink and that same soft tone but you are not a fool, you can already feel the slight shift in the dwarf. You have his full attention now and he must be prepared to capture every detail.
"We were invited to meet a mage in the hills and caves outside the city," you look to your friend and she subtly sighs then dips her head slightly in agreement.
Now that you have committed to telling Albrecht she seems willing to see this through to the end with you, she turns her full attention to the King and she speaks, "The mage was Mazzarin."
The King laughs, it is bitter and scornful, "Look ladies if you do not want to tell me then do not, but do not lie-"
"We are not," she insists, "He was incapacitated, worn down, dried out and he needed our help with a ritual we knew or at least knew part of."
Good, she left Nine out of the narrative. No sense mentioning the former Fallen Lord that sleeps in your pack, you do not intend to mention Lyssa either, or at least not the most damning parts of her past, you push on as the King's look of annoyance passes over into curiosity, tinted with fear, "We helped him complete the ritual and asked to have Lyssa join us in payment, not as a servant or slave but as an employee," you are quick to add, you do not want the King getting the wrong idea about any of this.
"You, you are not lying are you?" the old dwarf mutters, largely to himself, as the lights sway in the dim backroom, "Mazzarin... Is he on our side?"
A natural first question but one you can not give a satisfying answer to, "He is on his side."
The King frowns.
Thaïs attempts to cushion the blow, "Meaning he is definitely against the Watcher."
The King pinches his nose and leans forward, "Well the enemy of my enemy..." he laughs, "Is more often than not also my enemy. Was he living?"
"Living?" you ask together, what an odd question, you would not have been able to help him if he had not been at least a little alive.
"Yes, living," the King pauses, considering just how much he should tell you, "Not many know this but if you are going to deal with the Great Mage, if this really is Mazzarin, well, you should know. During the Great War the Watcher was struck by an arrow, the arrow was enchanted with bone taken from his very arm and when it struck him it turned him to stone. It did not instantly kill him though-"
You know this story, you have heard it told by Berserk veterans the Empire over, "Yes, we know. The Watcher was petrified, overpowered by the peculiar magics woven into that arrow by Alric and his followers but it took one hundred men to return and slay him, staying behind the Legion, ensuring the job was done. Just a shame he did not stay dead."
The king shakes his head, "Yes that is the version everyone knows but it is not quite what happened. Alric sent in a team of Berserks with one hundred men to see the Watcher off before Soulblighter could free him. However his men were not the only ones present. I had a team of Pathfinders observing the battle, if Alric's men failed then they were to ensure that the Watcher did not survive. Thankfully they were not needed but they did have a lot to report to me when they returned westward to my camp after the war. There are complications with that story that leave me wondering."
"Such as?" you ask together, leaning in, now he has your full attention.
"The arm that the Legion recovered at Silvermines was the Watcher's left arm. They carried it with them as they fled east and it proved to be the undoing of the First Necromancer. The problem though is that the Watcher was not missing his left arm when my dwarves encountered him. He was missing an arm but it was the right arm."
"So he restored his left arm then," you answer with a shrug, "Some time between when he was freed and when the Legion ambushed him he replaced his missing left arm."
"And lost his right arm," Thaïs reminds you, "Who could have cost the Watcher an arm?"
"Exactly," the old dwarf replies with a worried smile, "Someone powerful, very powerful, someone with a grudge against the Watcher, someone that had been stalking the archmage since well before the War and was capable of tearing his arm off and pressuring the mage so much he could not replace it."
"Mazzarin?" you hazard a guess.
"Maybe," the King whispers, "There is a second piece of information that I think supports such a theory. When the Berserks made their final assault on The Watcher, when they had broken through his last defences a Shade or a Shade-like being appeared and attacked them along with a handful of thralls. The Berserks cut it down and then finished off its 'master' and for these many years I had thought it nothing. A Shade forced to defend its lord that fell to the steel of brave men but the more I think about the less I like it. The being was visibly weakened and its reserves spent, as if it had to fight through the Watcher's host to reach the archmage..."
"Perhaps it was wounded fighting Alric's men?" your friend theorizes.
"Those one hundred were brave but insignificant against the sheer numbers the Watcher had and certainly against the reinforcements Soulblighter was bringing across the Gjol behind them. It was my belief, based on the accounts submitted to me by my observation team that this shade, if that is what it was, did not belong to the Watcher. Now you tell me that Mazzarin was alive all this time and I am led to believe that the creature was none other than the Great Mage himself!" the King slams his glass down at that declaration.
Perhaps all of that drink is going to his head. The theory is not strictly speaking impossible but it strikes you as unlikely and if it were the case then why would he not share the information with his allies over sixty years ago?
You tell him as much and he nods vigorously, "True, true, if the Great Mage was active during the War then why not inform Alric, right?" the dwarf king lowers his voice, "Well, why inform the King of something he already knew?"
You both give him a puzzled glance and he laughs, "Archmages, dear ladies, archmages. There were wars within that War that were not fought between armies and in the open. So much happened and so little was told to us by our 'allies' the Avatara. Alric was captured during the War, not many know that but it is the truth. He lead his army eastward on the advice of a being I never trusted and he fell into the Deceiver's hands. Five champions were chosen to free him, five heroes of the Light sent into the east by balloon. Two of them were dwarves, some of my best agents but the five that set out were not the five that reached the King. Along the way they lost a member, one of my dwarves, and gained another in the form of a Berserk, wandering alone across the sand. These new five found the King and rescued him and they would serve him loyally throughout the War. When he returned the surviving dwarf told me a tale of fighting hordes across the sand, of struggling against sad odds with a half mad archmage in tow. He told me a great deal of interest but what was even more interesting is what he did not say."
The King pauses here and reaches for another bottle under the table, when he has carefully refilled his glass he continues, "Months later the missing dwarf returned. He had slipped away from the group to neutralize the scouts of the enemy, when he returned his four companions had replaced him and they were behaving strangely. He trailed them, hiding from the champions and later the archmage as well. He followed them through the desert and he recounted a very strange conversation that Alric had with a certain Shade by the name of Sinis, right before he granted the Shade a second death. The King and the Shade exchanged words and Alric mentioned that he thought Sinis had died in the ruins of the Shrine of Nyx when Mazzarin, of all people, collapsed the roof in on him."
You each give the King a confused look, "So then Alric was referring to ancient history, some account of a mage battle perhaps?" you must admit you have never heard of this Shrine of Nyx, though you assume it has to do with the Trow, nor are you familiar with an archmage named Sinis.
The King shakes his head, though he confesses to a certain uncertainty, "That is what I thought as well at first. But my agent was convinced that Alric was referring to recent events. The way he said it, it sounded like the King was there for the event."
"So what are you saying," perhaps you have had too much to drink, or too little, to follow the King's logic.
The King drains the rest of the new bottle and rises to his feet. Pauses, then sits down again, "I- ah, well I am not sure but I know it is important. Alric must know things about Mazzarin, something must have happened in that desert sixty years ago, it all has to make sense somehow but I just don't know. At any rate, I wanted to warn you. Mazzarin may or may not be a Shade, what sort of ritual did you cast on him anyway?"
"Something to restore his youth," you answer together absentmindedly.
"Like the healing spell you worked on that dwarven family?" the King probes further.
"More or less," Thaïs replies noncommittally.
The rather intoxicated dwarf grins, "Well, no problem then. If he were undead then the natural properties of the mandrake roots you used on him would have destroyed him right?"
"Maybe," you mutter. You do not know what a mandrake root would do to a Shade, having never had a chance to test one and find out. All of that is beside the point anyway, you did not use mandrake roots during your ritual and in this case blood might not out.
Mazzarin, a Shade? That would mean that somewhere, someone is or was his master. Could there be a hand guiding the greatest mage to ever live and if so have you played into it by reviving him?
Sobering thoughts to consider as you make the final arrangements with the King and Astrid, then step out into the night.
--------------------------------------
"So who first?" Thaïs is quick to ask as she slips in beside you for breakfast.
It is good to be back in the capital, back to a place where you can begin your day with something a little nicer than pork and ale. Lyssa to your right is working her way through a chicken while the girls fight over a plate of pastries across from you. Before you is a full spread of food courtesy of the royal kitchens, it is a lot, too much really, but you did not have the heart to send it away so you invited the rest of your group in for breakfast. Of course there are not enough plates and glasses to go around so everyone simply mingles at the trolley snatching up what they like, it would not do for a formal meal in 'polite company' but it is far more to your liking than half of the parties you have been forced to attend.
They were all quick to accept, well, except for Berty. He kindly turned you down, it seems he had business to attend to this morning but he promised to return before everyone received their orders for the day.
"Well I don't much feel like dealing with a self appointed crime lord today," you reply as you work on your eggs, "So let's leave son number three for tomorrow."
Thaïs pours herself a small glass of something crimson. Wine perhaps but whatever it is it has a lovely bouquet, "So, son two or four it is then, we leave Wenzel for now."
"Have any preference?" you enquire as you steal her glass and take a sip, hmmm, tastes like, cherries, nice and a wonderful change of pace.
"Well," she snatches the glass back and tries some with a grin, "I was thinking it might be best to arrange a proper time to meet Timo, unless we want to storm the Silver Flame and create a scene we will need at least a day to arrange for a proper meeting."
She takes a long drink from the glass and places it back on the table. You scoop it up again and top it off, "Would that not give him more time to prepare?"
"Possibly," she takes the glass from you, "But I doubt he is the sort of dwarf we could surprise anyway, from what Albrecht has told us he runs an information network that can almost rival that of the Pathfinders' or our dear friend Mister Mayer."
Mayer grunts from across the room, he has been talking to Skite all morning in preparation for today's interviews but he can not help but eavesdrop on your conversation, he calls over "It is true, Albrecht's second son has one of the best networks in the whole Kingdom but he does not have the best agents," he raises his voice even louder, "And whoever is spying on us right now can tell him I said that!"
The banker is no doubt being a little paranoid, a trait you can sympathize with and admire, hell some small part of you even swears you can hear someone moving through the walls in response to Mayer's declaration. You are not sure if it is merely paranoia on your part or an actual agent from one of the numerous networks that might want to keep tabs on you.
"Alright," you take the glass back and pass her your plate, the trade is conducted without resistance now as the two of you work out a proper system to manage things, "So that leaves... Jan, was it?"
She nods, "Yes, the fellow of the Academy and Albrecht's fourth son."
Well it sounds like a reasonable way to go about things, "Jan first then, and we can use the opportunity to check in with the Academy and see what sort of work they can do for us now. We may want to get them started early."
Following breakfast and the prompt return of Berty Levy, with a blue, twitching sack over his shoulder, you set to work handing out everyone's assignments for the next few days.
You, Thaïs and the girls will spend your days meeting with Albrecht's children, if all goes smoothly then you will see Jan today given he is the most accessible. You will then visit Wenzel and Timo respectively after Albrecht's people can arrange proper meetings for you with them. This does run the risk of giving them time to prepare if they are cultists or traitors but at the same time each is surrounded by layers of security that you would need to bypass just to reach them. It is also unlikely that either dwarf would willingly talk to you if you forced your way into their chambers. You reason that there will be plenty of time for violence if your initial investigations yield results.
Most of the rest of your group will be focused on a different task. The Kingdom is rotten, cultists and spies have infiltrated most branches and the list of people you can trust is quite small all things considered. If you are going to be fighting a war against multiple opponents then you will need an army and you plan to leverage your reputation as genuine 'heroes' to help you build it. To that end Lyssa, Mayer, Berty and Skite will focus on expanding your operations by any means necessary. This will involve meeting with various mercenary leaders to see which is amenable to a buyout while also investigating the feasibility of a proper recruitment drive to bring in unaffiliated sell-swords and fresh recruits. Each member of your four person panel will serve a particular purpose. Berty as you resident tactical expert will evaluate the recruits on their potential as military assets within your organization. Skite as the only one of your mercenary captains on hand will give his impressions on the condition of these assets on an organizational level. Mayer will evaluate their potential to increase the earning of your organization and will also attempt to gauge what if any commercial assets possible recruits can bring to the table. Finally Lyssa is there to help screen the candidates for traitors and infiltrators, though she is not a mentalist like you or your friend and will not be able to determine if the minds of others have been seriously tampered with she will still be able to detect any magic directly at work on them and should at least be able to filter out the most likely spies and liabilities. Hopefully you will have the time to further screen your recruits if need be though time will always remain an issue.
As for you mouse allies, they departed earlier this morning in a third group. Martin, Poppy and Mirra have led most of the mice and rats into the walls to eavesdrop on events within the palace. Hopefully their operation will bear fruit as information must be getting out somehow. Ideally they will be able to pursue leads on this end while your group looks for clues out in the field.
That is the plan at any rate and most of your people think it is a good one.
With your meeting concluded you and your three friends set your feet toward the Royal Academy and Albrecht's fourth son.
--------------------------------------------
You find the Academy is its usual state of controlled chaos.
"I SAY WE BLOW IT UP!!" shouts a little dwarf that you immediately recall from your previous visit.
"He was the one that wanted to cut our arms off," Thaïs whispers as the four of you slip past him.
"No you fool!" a taller, hunched over dwarf screams as he charges across the room, "If you blow that up it will take months to replace it!"
"And it will kill us," an elderly dwarf reminds them with a relaxed chuckle, "Us and everyone within three blocks of the Academy."
He does not seem terribly concerned about such a fate and to be honest you find him the most unsettling of the three.
You hesitate to bother them, as their work does seem quite important, and dangerous, very dangerous, but you have to find Jan so you begin your attempt, "Excuse me."
You are trying to be polite but they pay you no mind, "AH! WHAT ARE THE ODDS IT WILL ACTUALLY SELF-DESTRUCT? WE CAN JUST USE A LITTLE EXPLOSIVE IF-"
"No, no, no!" the hunched dwarf snatches the cocktail from the tiny dwarf's hands, "No explosives!"
"WHAT ABOUT A REALLY BIG HAMMER!" the little dwarf attempts to strike some sort of compromise.
"That would also likely kill us all," the relaxed dwarf replies, "Perhaps we should attempt something a little less drastic first?"
"Excuse me," Thaïs repeats you plea for attention.
"Oh, don't bother with them," a voice calls from behind you.
You turn to see that dwarf from your first visit, the one that suggested that, ah, proton pack? Was it? Janine was her name and she did strike you as one of the more reasonable individuals in the place. She approaches you and leads you away from the other three, "Something I can help you with? Did you wish to try my more permanent solution to your bracelet problem?"
"No thank you," Thaïs responds, "We managed to deal with that problem satisfactorily."
"Oh, that's a shame," she face clouds over at the realization that she will not get to test out the device on you, "What can I do for you today?"
"Well actually there may be a few thing," you begin, "We have come to pay a visit to Professor Jan if he is in," you reach for the formal letter of introduction provided to you by the King but she waves away your efforts.
"No need to stand on formalities, we don't," Janine smirks, "And yes, he is in, he is always in. I rarely see him leave in fact. Come on then, I will take you to him."
While you weave your way down into the building you take the opportunity to ask a few more question, "We sent over a few samples of a powerful adhesive and prototype explosive this morning."
She nods, "Yes, I think we had something like that delivered by the King's own courier a few hours ago. Some of the boys down in one of the labs are working on it and they sounded confident they could have something worked out in a day or two."
Well, that is good news. Either these people really are as good as you have been led to believe or Astrid already did most of the work for them.
Thaïs chimes in next, with a question you were just about to ask "While we are here, would it be possible to commission more work from the Academy?"
"Certainly," Janine responds enthusiastically, the prospect of more work visibly exciting her, "What did you have in mind?"
----------------------------------------
You discuss possibilities with Janine, special fabrics and armour, unique rings and weapons, spell lessons, everything you can think of and she is remarkably honest about what is and is not feasible. The prices she quotes you are often high but as long as the King is covering the costs they should be manageable. The real issue for you is time, how long do you want to spend in the city and what are you willing to leave behind when you do move south? Those are the real questions.
Finally she leads you to a large lead plated door in the third sub-basement. Hanging off its impressive handles is a rather unimpressive bit of wood on a wire string. Painted in rough letters across its surface is 'Magic at work, enter at your own risk!'
Wonderful.
"Well, here we are," he declares cheerfully, "Just go right in."
"What about the sign?" Thaïs notes with a little suspicion.
"Oh that thing," she snatches it off the door, "Jan puts that up to give himself a little quiet. That's all. But ah... keep your weapons close."
With a grin and a wink she is off down the hallway, she spins on her heel before ascending the stairs, "If you want to pursue any of those research subjects we discussed then let me know when you are done talking to Jan."
The dwarf disappears into the stairwell, leaving the four of you alone in the otherwise empty hallway.
You knock.
No response.
You knock again.
Again no response.
With a shrug you shove the door open and are met by blinding light, "Kindly come in or shut the door!" a voice calls out to you from inside the chamber. With not much choice in the matter you enter and your friends follow suit.
The room is white, walls, floor, roof, it is all white. In fact it reminds you very much of Miosguinn's lab under Muirthemne, not a happy association to be sure.
Thankfully there are no tubes with people growing in them or angry cultists waiting to impale you upon their knives.
Instead you are greeted by a slim dwarf in a white tunic and trousers, he is leaning over a large wooden table studying six black eggs. On tables pushed up against the walls of the chamber rest a number of items and artefacts. All of them in an unusual black stone that you instantly recognize as similar to the artefact of the Spider Goddess you encountered under Muirthemne.
Immediately you focus on them, readying your defences, certain you are about to be assaulted by the Goddess herself but you receive no messages, no visions, no threats.
The dwarf looks up at you, his confusion matching your own but quickly recognition lights his face, "Do you, do you actually know what these are?" he grins slightly, "You must, you must, to stare at them like that! The question is who are you?"
It is an interesting change of pace, to have someone in the Kingdom that does not recognize you on sight by now. You can't say that you mind either, "My name is Derryth, this is Thaïs, and that is Biliku and Uttu."
He squints, attempting to pinpoint where he has heard your names. It takes him a moment, but he gets there, "Ah, you are the human mages that have been helping father with his troubles," he rounds the table and approaches you, arm outstretched, "My name is Jan, though if you have come all the way down here you probably know that."
"It is a pleasure," your friend assures him, "We just wanted to ask you a couple questions about events over the last few weeks."
He immediately grasps what you mean, "That business with the Pathfinder prison? Horrible incident and the escape of the necromancer, what a terrible shame."
"So you are well aware of what has been happening in the Kingdom?" you ask as you wander toward his tables and examine the closest egg, you do not touch it, for some reason that feels like a bad idea, but as you examine it, it pulses slightly.
"Yes," he comes up next to you, "Timo visits about once a week and we have lunch upstairs, all he can talk about is politics and he knows I will happily listen to all his complaining."
"He is not happy with the way your father conducts things?" your friend asks innocently.
"Ah, well. He thinks he can do a better job. Maybe he can, maybe he can't, I try not to get involved," Jan shifts uncomfortably, "I have never been much of one for politics really. I can't even play the game between the researchers here, always playing for position, trying to get the most funding from the King. Honestly the only reason why I am given this room all to myself is that many of my colleagues are afraid I could use my connection to my father to take their funding away. They put me down here and let me do what I want, honestly, I am fine with that."
Not a terribly fascinating fellow, this Jan, but you know that outward appearances can be deceiving. For the moment you are at least as interested in the artefacts lining this room as you are the dwarf himself, "You are studying the Spider Goddess?"
He beams, "Yes, it is a subject near and dear to my heart. The Goddess has been outlawed for centuries among my people but there is absolutely no denying that she was one of, if not the most important deity worshiped by the dwarves in the distant past. Some of the temple sites, especially in the south and the northeast are truly impressive in their design and demonstrate a great respect for the Goddess. There is a real treasure-trove of history and culture to be unearthed here alongside a few admittedly undesirable elements."
"Such as?" you give him just the slightest of nudges, it is all it takes.
"Ah well, the cult was prone to live sacrifice. Usually of non-members and preferable of non-dwarves but they made do with what they could find. In exchange for these sacrifices the ancestors of my people seemed to believe they would be gifted political and magical power over others," he shakes his head, "It is all so tragic but very fascinating never-the-less."
"Yes, very fascinating," Thaïs strings him along, "These powers, have you found any evidence that they were real?"
"Well," he hesitates for several moments, trying to decide how much he should tell you, when he does decide to speak it is with excitement and a little fear, "Yes, to put it bluntly. I say this to you because I think you already know, that look on your friend's face, that look of recognition, you must know, right? These artefacts down here, if they were taken from this room, I think, I am certain in fact that they would allow her to directly communicate with us, it is truly fascinating."
"Have you ever tried?" you ask together, your tone flat.
He squints slightly, "Ah, maybe I have said enough..."
If you want more out of him you might have to give him something or you could also try forcing it out of him. That is up to you.
1. Jan and the Goddess: Jan does not seem too interested in the affairs of the Kingdom but he seems to be quite knowledgeable about the Spider Goddess. He could likely tell you more if you wish to convince him somehow.
A) Tell him about your past history with the Goddess as a show of good faith. If he is merely a researcher or maybe a guardian of these artefacts then this might win him over, of course if he is a loyal cultist...
B) Lie to him, play up your connection to the Goddess but frame it as that of a loyal servant. If he is a cultist than Thaïs should hopefully be able to convince him to tell you all he knows. Of course, if he is concerned you are a cultist then...
C) Attack him, if you hit him hard enough with your mental spells you should be able to extract all he knows. It is a bit thuggish but he may know important information.
D)Play up your archaeologist side with Thais's vocal help to create a favorable impression without mentioning your time with the Damned.
E) Share the tale of your 'friend' Miosguinn's fate, the way he was ruined would discourage any contacts attempts and show how dangerous this whole clutist situation is. It would show part of the Goddess' true character as well.
F)Play up your archaeologist side with Thais's vocal help and pose yourself as a fellow researcher on the matters concerning the Spider Goddess. Share your findings and 'progress' with him - Miosguinn's story (with several touchy details omitted), knowledge about the origins of the Goddess and her story (say we've found it in some ancient manuscript or whatever is more plausible), Biliku's and Uttu's proficiency with the language (tell him they are daughters of late professor Casgair in Muirthemne or something) - and get everything he knows about the Goddess (and her potential followers) in return.
G) freeform
2. Research Options: Assuming you successfully meet up with Janine when you are done with Jan there are a number of possible avenues of research you could pursue. (Any option with more than half the votes rounded up will be pursued).
A) Create another spell ring - The spell storage rings that the Brothers Dietfried supplied you with have proven quite useful but they are now out of stock. It would take a month and an entire research team but the fellows are convinced they could create an exact duplicate. Once they have the process down they might even be able to mass produce them though you are not sure how wise that would be. If you want to leave them a ring for a few hours or days they can begin on it at once.
B) Weave steel-cloth cloaks - This would require giving them your spinner and the general dimensions of the cloak you want produced but it should allow them to spin four or five cloaks in a few days giving you a reasonably light weight and fairly protective cloak to wear on your journeys.
C) Weave steel-cloth armour - This would also require giving them your spinner and your measurements but it would allow them to make several suits of armour for you and your people out of finely spun metal over the course of a month or so. It would be lighter and more flexible than plate while also providing you with greater protection than leather. Though it will take them around a month to complete the suits once they have the process down they should be able to mass produce them, assuming they do not somehow break the spinner.
D) Weave a composite armour - This would also require giving them your spinner and your measurements and it would require them to source the proper materials. Janine intends to begin by trying to reproduce the compounds silkworms use to create their cocoons. She believes that lightweight silk armour in combination with the odd protective plate or padding will provide a nice blend of flexibility, strength and low weight needed by the 'modern adventurer'. It will likely take them several months to complete the suits but once they get the process down they should be able to mass produce the suits assuming they do not somehow break the spinner.
E) Enchanting lessons - If you want to spend an afternoon working with the fellows they can likely teach you a spell or two in a tradition you are naturally predisposed to.
F) Flight capable cape - It might be possible with the use of the spinner to construct a cape capable of allowing you to glide on the air like a bird. Even the dwarves think that is a little crazy but they are willing to try if you want.
G) freeform
3. You wonder what would happen if you feed on of the pulsing eggs to the spinner. Do you do it?
A) Yes
B) No
Note: Jan and general questions. While the ladies have managed to get in a few broad questions there are likely a number of things you would like to ask Jan that I have not yet covered. Feel free to ask him anything you want as usual and I will provide his answers. There are some subjects he will not be willing to talk to you about if he does not trust you and if that is the case I will simply tell you to ask again after the vote is closed and you have either won him over or thoroughly alienated or abused him.
Chapter 54: The Fish and the Net
Chapter 54: The Fish and the NetThe tap of a foot.
A cough.
A glance.
The silence drags.
He knows more than he is saying, which need not be damning, but if he is a follower of a Dark God it would be best to know now. You need to get him to speak freely with you, the easiest way to do this, of course, would be to overpower his mind and take the information by force. If he is a cultist you would even feel fairly justified in doing so, but, he might be innocent, or he might be more powerful than you think he is.
Sometime magic is not the answer.
So how best to do this?
Flattery?
Deception?
Honesty?
Maybe a little of each. Now that you think on it, you do share a connection with this dwarf. He is a researcher and so are you, after a fashion, you suppose. Admittedly you have never retrieved an artefact out of the kindness of your heart, or for the greater well being of the Empire or the world or the Light. Henry was fond of saying, 'If you are good at something, kid, never do it for free,' and it was a lesson you took to heart. Still, a little matter like that, a mere difference in motivation, should not prove an insurmountable obstacle for you, right?
"Jan," you begin with a bracing breath, "I fully understand that you might not want to share the full findings of your experiments with just anyone. After all, there are many out there that would seek to use such information to their own benefit."
The dwarf nods slowly and speaks, his tone one of barely restrained suspicion, "Too true, Miss Derryth, too true."
"However we are not merely 'anyone'," you grin at the dwarf and do your best to inspire confidence.
He frowns.
You inhale.
Thaïs intervenes before you can speak again, "What she means is that we are already well acquainted with the workings of the Spider Goddess. We have had the opportunity to examine a number of artefacts already with the aid of a team of researchers in the Empire. We merely wish to compare finding, that is all," she smiles so sweetly and the damn dwarf melts.
Why is that everyone immediately loves her and you struggle so damn much?
You sigh, it is just good to have her around, "Precisely," you add with a slight dip of your head, "We undertook an investigation into ruins of Muirthemne several months ago alongside Doctors Miosguinn and Casgair," the girls yelp at the name of their father, poor kids, "Sadly our colleagues fell below the city."
"A tragedy," the researcher nods, "An absolute tragedy."
Your friend sets to work, "Yes, it was truly heartbreaking how they fell. Casgair, our dear friend, entrusted his only family, his two daughters, to our care as a result."
"Really?" the dwarf looks to each of you, then to the girls, "How... horrible. If the loss in not too painful would you care to tell me about it?"
You fight back the urge to smile, it is working. He is interested now, a little more and he might well tell you everything.
The two of you spin quite a tale, you establish the substance of the narrative while Thaïs ensures that it reaches the dwarf with the proper emphasis.
You embarked on an expedition into the city on the secret orders of the Emperor himself. Your team of researchers led by the more experienced Miosguinn and Casgair undertook to examine the rumours surrounding the Spider Goddess Cult said to have been popular amongst the dwarves of the old city centuries ago. In those dark depths you found all you could have hoped for and horrors you had never imagined. Miosguinn proved incapable of resisting the lure of the Goddess and fell into her grasp. Casgair succeeded in stopping the mad mage but only at the cost of his own life. The girls, now orphans, became your charges and like children to the two of you. It is a compelling tale, you think, not particularly true but not really false either. In the broad strokes it is largely correct, you did enter the city, you did go in search of the Offices of the Smiths, Miosguinn did fall to the Goddess and Casgair did die in opposition to the mad illusionist, the details though, almost all lies and you hope he will not be able to see through them.
Thankfully it seems to work.
As you conclude the tale the dwarf nods slowly, leaning toward you or your friend as you shift the burden of this lie back and forth. You even mention offhand that Casgair managed to teach his daughters some of his own considerable knowledge, that each can read, write and speak the language of the Goddess. He eyes the girls carefully at that and they stand up to his scrutiny admirably all things considered. The memory of their father hangs over them but they seem determined to fulfill their 'offices' and act as proper and silent protectors.
Excitement animates his frame at this and he rushes to one of the back tables, waving at the four of you to follow, "If what you say is true then our meeting is most fortuitous, most fortuitous dear ladies! I have recovered a number of texts in the tongue of the Goddess but I can not read any of them, if your charges can then they could unravel so very many mysteries!"
Tomes and tablets he pushes before the girls as they do their best to translate. Naturally many of these tomes are not in the exact dialect they are familiar with, given the large distance in both time and space between those that wrote the texts before you and their own experiences. However they manage and you all receive a rather lengthy lesson in the funeral practices, marriage rites and dietary restrictions of the cult.
Nothing terribly useful however until Jan produces a rather slim and simple looking tablet.
Biliku translates the title, "The Fish and the Net?"
"What is it?" Jan asks as Biliku runs her eyes along the ancient clay.
"A story," she answers without looking up, "Did you want me to recite it?"
"If you could dear," Thaïs replies softly.
So, the girl begins to read,
"The Fish and the Net
Long had the swimmer dwelt in darkness.
Long had it mastered the waves.
Long had it fed, long had it fought.
Long did it reign.
Then it fell.
Strong was the spinner of the silver web.
Strong was the spinner of lies and deceit.
Strong was her envy, strong was her pride.
Strong was her trap-"
Jan grunts, interrupting your charge, "This is a fairly common story among those cultists I have managed to interview."
You shoot him a questioning glance, "Interview?"
He shrugs, slightly embarrassed, "Father has given me special dispensation to interview any cultists captured by the Pathfinders at their prison. I had occasion to make use of the privilege every now and then, to interview the odd cultist before they were hung. It was, in a word, enlightening. This seems to be a version of their creation myth but you have likely already encountered that myth, right?"
"Yes," you are quick to reply together. It is the truth after all, Nephila was quite open with what she thought of her mother's origins, "The Spider Goddess bound her predecessor in a cunning and mighty web then proceeded to devour it and absorb its strength."
"Devour?" Jan, Biliku and Uttu all ask together.
Jan glances at the girls then back to you, "No, the common version of the tale has the Spider Goddess haul the serpent or fish that preceded her out of its watery tunnels. She then hung it high in the air and let it drown, from its corpse she made all of existence. From its body she made the world, from its scales she made the stars, from one of its eyes she made the sun and from the other eye she spun out time and set the world to working. Where did you hear this version about her devouring her predecessor?"
"Muirthemne," Thaïs is quick to answer, "On a mosaic under the offices of the Smiths," the lie rolls off her tongue and through her lips without a moment's hesitation or doubt. It is almost as if for that instant she actually believes what she is telling Jan, perhaps that is the key to what she does. At any rate, you are once more thankful she is around.
Jan makes a quick note of the mosaic on a scrap of paper he snatches up, "I shall have to talk to father about arranging for a proper expedition to Muirthemne then."
"That might not be possible," you are quick to trouble him, "The Empire and the Kingdom are not on the best of terms at the moment."
"Really?" he frowns, "Yes, I suppose Timo did mention something about that, well, damn," he brightens quickly enough though, "I am sure father and your Emperor will work something out though. No one wants another war and Ancestors' know that the last thing either of our people need is more enemies."
Well that is certainly a sentiment you can agree with.
You turn your attention back to the girls and notice that Uttu is practically dancing in an effort to draw your attention, "What is it kid?"
"There is more," she insists.
"More?" Jan leans back in.
"Yes," Biliku asserts, "The story does not end with the construction of the web."
"Well then, by all means continue, young lady," he readies his stylus and the girl begins once more.
"-Strong was her trap.
Yet it failed.
Great was the swimmer.
Great was it maw.
Great was its wrath.
Great was it hunger.
So it pursued.
Far did the spinner run.
Far did she search for aid, for allies.
Far did the spinner fly, beyond the dark waters of the swimmer's home.
Far did the swimmer pursue her.
To its death.
Brave were the twelve that stood against it.
Brave was the spinner and her six sisters, bound by blood.
Brave was the prince and his two brothers, bound by blood.
Brave was the wyrm of flame and shadow, bound by blood.
Brave was the wanderer, brave the mortal, unbound by blood.
And they stood.
Horrid were its screams when the sisters entangled it.
Horrid were its pleas when the princes enchanted it.
Horrid were its wounds when the wyrm bit into it.
Horrid was its death when mortal's spear pierced it.
And it fell.
And they fed."
"That is," the dwarf scratches his head, "I don't know."
He falls into deep thought but Biliku is not done yet, "There is still a bit more. Just a few lines scribbled at the bottom."
Even a cursory examination of the tablet reveals that the last bit of script is not in the same hand as the rest of the inscription. Jan does not respond so you motion for Biliku to continue and she does;
"Contented, the seven sisters, bellies full, seized a home.
Contented, the three princes, hatred quenched, secured their throne.
Contented, the great wyrm roared through the sky.
Contented, the wanderer went home to die."
"What is that supposed to mean?" you ask to no one in particular.
"Is there anything else you can tell us Jan?" Thaïs enquires in her sweetest tone.
"No," he has taken several steps back from your group.
"Something the matter?" you take a step toward him and he takes another back.
"No," he strokes his thin beard and glances at a curious little machine on one of the desks, "Oh my! I completely lost track of time! I am afraid we will have to cut this very intriguing session short ladies," he moves swiftly toward the door and motions for your group to follow. He speaks quickly, littering his words with apologies, "I am terribly sorry about this ladies but I have to chair a meeting on Academy acquisitions this afternoon and I am already running late. Terribly boring of course, but completely unavoidable I am afraid. I am sure you understand though, being fellow researchers as you are."
You attempt to get a word in, to ask a question or perhaps arrange for another appointment but he simply does not give you the opportunity. His words pour forth in one impressive, if slightly panicked, torrent as he leads you into the hallway and seals the research chamber, "Once more I can not even begin to express how sorry I am to leave you here-"
"Well perhaps we could escort you to this meeting and talk on the way?" you suggest.
"Oh, no, no it is just a short walk deeper into the building for me and it would be a gross waste of your time," he rapidly shakes your hands, "I look forward to our next meeting. If you should wish to see me again do not hesitate to make an appointment with the front desk and we will arrange something that works for all of us," he gives you a slight smile, turns on his heel and races off into the building.
"What a strange dwarf," Thaïs mutters, "Think he is up to something?"
"He is a mage, naturally he is up to something," you assert, "The question is will it harm us or help us?"
"Well we could follow him?" she replies.
"You don't think he is going to a meeting?" you respond with a questioning glance.
She merely shrugs. Paranoia perhaps, or maybe something more, intuition, it is rarely easy to tell.
You mumble to yourselves, "What to do, what to do?"
1. What to do:
A) Pursue Jan - You think he knows something more than he told you. It is entirely possible that he is not even headed to a meeting. Of course it might be difficult to track the dwarf through the Academy and it might be dangerous as well given Jenine's casual mention of the experiments that go on here. Then of course there is the possibility that it is all a paranoid delusion...
B) Break into Jan's lab - Now that he is gone you might be able to find out more about the dwarf or the Goddess by breaking into his lab. The wards he is using are quite good (as one would expect from an entire Circle of enchanters) but there does not seem to be much traffic on this floor and it might be possible to break in, of course if you get caught...
C) You leave - You still have half a day ahead of you and plenty of other things you can do with your time (All C votes will be counted together, the most popular option will win)
i. Check in with your recruitment team to see how they are doing.
ii. Return to the Palace and see if you can help the mice spy somehow, this might be difficult give your lack of Animal spells but you might still be able to come up with something.
iii. One of Albrecht's bastards, by the name of Letta, runs a very selective mercenary company. You want to investigate her and perhaps hire her. You will do so now.
iv. You will visit some of the bars throughout the city in an attempt to gather information and contacts or maybe hire the odd mercenary that is not inclined to wait in line or apply to Lyssa's group. Who knows who or what you may find.
v. You will go to visit the Seekers. If you are going to lead these mages and trust them with your life then you want to get to know them before you leave the city.
vi. freeform - do something else
D) 'Have Thais find Janine ASAP to act as a guide (she told us to meet her after we are done) while Derryth and the rest of the team attempt to track the Professor down. We will remove the items with active enchantments from our clothing so that Jan would not be able to detect us easily. Thais and Janine can get back to us by following our necklaces - Thais should be able to 'feel' them like we felt Nanshe's. If Janine has questions we can not answer satisfactorily by ourselves, make use of Albrecht's letters.
You may want to have Thais hide near Jan's laboratory to warn you to come back in case the Professor is simply trying to get you out so that he could hide evidence or otherwise attempt something suspicious. Should Jan leave the premises of the Academy, she should be recalled and leave with us as well.
i) Thais should be the guard and communicate with you through the necklaces with the simple code system you have developed for Nanshe.
ii) There is no need for the guard. The Academy is probably too big for you to get back there on time anyway. Best to not split up.'
E) Find Janine and present the letter from Albrecht to get her and any one else present to help us break into the lab under authority of the crown. Say we tried asking Jan but he ran away during an interview.
F) freeform
Chapter 55: A Small Misstep
Chapter 55: A Small MisstepWhat to do? That really is the question.
This may not be any of your business, Jan might really be running off to a meeting and you have a number of other tasks you could also be pursuing...
But...
Well you are a mage and an adventurer and he is acting awfully suspicious so...
"Alright, I have a plan," you declare triumphantly.
Thaïs smirks, already well aware of the general thrust of your thinking, "Whenever you are ready."
The sisters nod enthusiastically, it is not in them to turn down a little adventure and tracking the dwarf through the bowels of the Academy is sure to provide some.
Buoyed by their collective confidence and enthusiasm you begin, "We-"
"We going to charge after him, headlong into danger with no concern for ourselves or the children in your care," Caoilainn chimes in, in a dry monotone, "Can't wait."
You frown, "We aren't 'charging off', I have a plan-"
She largely ignores your protest as she outlines the disadvantages you will be operating under, "We do not know the floor plan of the building. We have no way of knowing what sorts of dangers await us, and there will be dangers. Worst of all we have absolutely no expendable grunts with us to die when something goes wrong."
"Nothing is going to 'go wrong'," your friend assures her, "We will manage as we always do."
"And," you are quick to add, "We do not need to do this alone."
"No?" the disembodied officer answers, he mood shifting for the better.
"No," you insist, "We do not need to do this alone. Thaïs will go find Janine and get reinforcements while I trail Jan with the girls."
"Wait, what?" Thaïs objects.
Naturally she was never going to like the idea of leaving while the three of you creep closer to danger. You would expect the girls to have the exact same reaction, hell, you would have the exact same reaction. However, someone has to go for help and it only makes sense that it should be the most convincing representative possible. You tell her as much and rapidly add further assurances, "We will merely watch him, we won't actually do anything dangerous until you get back with help and we will use Uttu's arrows to leave a trail you can follow. We will be in no real danger."
That was probably a lie.
At the very least you can not guarantee it.
And really she knows that.
Hell, she probably knows that you know that she knows... if that makes any sense.
At any rate, she plays along.
"Very well," she hands you her two magazines of bolts, "Do not waste Uttu's arrows creating a trail. You might need them."
She turns on her heels and makes for the stairs, pausing momentarily before she plunges into the stairwell, "I will be back as soon as I can."
You give her a nod as she disappears.
"Now what?" you ethereal observer enquires.
"Now we pursue," the girls grin at that and the three of you are off.
-------------------------------------
"Derryth, I have lost her," Caoilainn speaks as you catch your breath, she sounds weak in your mind.
Jan is quick for a dwarf and it has taken all you have just to keep up with him to this point.
"Lost who?" you whisper in response.
"Thaïs," the officer answers, "That last flight of stairs, it- it split me."
"Split you?" you are going to need a better explanation than that.
"I-" your observer fumbles for the words to express her condition, "Since you split up, I could feel a pulling, a stretching sensation. Sort of like if you grabbed me by the arms and she grabbed me by the legs and you both pulled.
"Is that normal?" you take in your surrounding.
Cool, grey, stone walls, cool, grey, stone steps and the three of you perched on a small, grey, stone landing. The entire stairwell is bathed in a dim white light that mildly pains you, a dull ache behind the eyes. Behind you are the hallways leading to Jan's lab, to the stairs and ultimately back to the surface. Ahead of you is Jan and whatever horrors he may have at his command.
The voice in your head grows weaker, "Yeah, the further you get from one another the harder it is to keep tabs on you both. Well, that last flight of stairs was it. I finally snapped."
While her description of the sensation is a little enlightening it does nothing to help you understand the actual significance of the event, assuming the is any, so you prompt her for more, "Meaning?"
"I don't know. It feels like half of me is gone but not dead or anything and it doesn't hurt either. I am still here and there and both and neither and these parts of me, they are-" she stops again, it is entirely possible that she simply does not have the means to express her ideas, " No. I don't know. I can't feel my other half, I don't know where it is or what its doing but I know it is there, somewhere. Does that make any sense?"
You decide to be honest with her, "Not really, no."
She laughs weakly.
This is strange and you do not remember anything like this happening with Faceless either. Of course Faceless was an accomplished archmage with thousands of years of magical experience and near complete control over the bracelets, "Do you need us to turn back?"
"No, no," she insists, "I will be fine, I think, I just won't be of much use to you for the time being."
As much as you want to catch Jan you do not want to lose someone to do it. Still, if she says she is fine than you will push on for now, "Then we will keep going but if you experience any further weakness I expect you to tell me immediately. I did not haul you out of the Dreaming just to have you die down here, understood?"
The is a little genuine warmth in her response, "Understood, thank you."
Below you, you hear a door open.
"Sounds like four, maybe five, levels below us," Biliku whispers.
"Five, definitely," her sister agrees with a determined nod.
Who are you to argue with your pair of trackers? They may be kids but they have spent almost their entire lives hunting and tracking underground. You give them a nod and follow as quickly as you can.
--------------------------------------
That first stairwell was just the start. Five levels down, just as the girls guessed you found a clue, a witness and a guide.
Standing just inside the doorway to the eighth floor is a dwarf that seems vaguely familiar to you. He stares at you, evidently the feeling is mutual, it takes him a moment but he figures out who you are, "Miss Derryth! A pleasure to see you again! How have my gloves been working for you?"
Of course! It is the head naturalist from your first visit to the Academy. He is quick to grasp your hands and begins shaking them vigorously, "What can I do for you today!"
Well, he can start by being quiet, "We are actually pursuing a party we suspect is acting against the interests of the Crown so if you could maybe give us-"
"Really!" he seems quite taken aback by this revelation, "A traitor, operating under our very roof!"
"Please sir, be quiet," you insist, slipping one hand free of his grasp.
"Oh, right," he drops to a whisper, "Might you need any help apprehending this vile traitor?"
"If you could tell us whether you have seen Jan lately and where he might have gone that would be appreciated," you respond as you scan the hallway beyond the dwarf.
"Jan?" the naturalist whispers, "Jan is the traitor? No, no, no, now that I can not believe. That boy is loyal through and through."
Admittedly you can not be certain that Jan actually is up to anything untoward, "Well if he is loyal then I will apologize to him when we find him but he was acting very strangely when we talked earlier today," you hand the dwarf your written permission to act on behalf of the King in all things.
The naturalist frowns as he reads your permission and hands it back, "I can not believe that boy would do anything treasonous but I did see him and I do know where he is going, it is the only place he ever goes when he is not in his office. Sub basement twelve, where we store all of the items we come into possession of that are interesting but not terribly dangerous. If you want I can take you there immediately."
"There is something off about this guy," Caoilainn cautions you. She still sounds weak but no weaker than earlier and you hope she is not keeping anything from you.
"I know," you whisper in response.
It is entirely possible that the head naturalist just happened to be down here at exactly the right moment. It is entirely possible that he is being completely honest with you as well. Entirely possible but highly suspicious and it is good to know that you are not the only one that thinks so however you can not really turn down the naturalist's help. He would insist, you would refuse and likely things would get heated. If he really is a well meaning loyalist then you will have offended a possible ally and if he is another cultist then it could lead to a direct confrontation that would nicely remove your chance of ever finding Jan.
"Pardon me?" the naturalist shatters the silence of your thoughts.
"Ah, I know," a shame you are not better at lying, "I know that you will be the best guide we could possibly ask for," not too bad all things considered.
He grins and nods, "Well, right this way ladies."
-------------------------------
The naturalist leads you across the floor and explains the layout of the Academy as he goes, "You see ladies, sub basements one through seven all contain labs, archives and offices for 'low threat' experiments. The sort of research that might still be dangerous but is unlikely to wipe out the Kingdom in an afternoon for example. Sub basement eight which we are on is merely temporary housing for our researchers. Teams and individuals working on projects in the lower levels all stay in rooms on this floor. It lets them stay closer to their work and avoid going up and down all those stairs," he adds with a wink.
As he leads you around the corner you are confronted by a wide chamber and eight burly dwarfs in full plate armour. Four man what look to be very large crossbows mounted upon thick tripods.
"Scorpions," the naturalist declares in response to your questioning glance, "Some of the finest we have ever produced. Each fires bolts a metre long in rapid succession. If anything tries to crawl out of the stairwell it is in for a terrible surprise."
Well it is reassuring that the dwarves have defences in place, it is also more than a little disconcerting that they have things down their that would need such weapons to contain.
As your group cross the chamber the naturalist waves down a guard as he continues to instruct you in the Academy's defence protocols, "We also have three teams of twelve veterans in the adjoining chambers to ensure that containment is not broken," he turns to the approaching guard, "Did Doctor Jan come through today Captain?"
"Yes, maybe fifteen minutes ago," the guardian answers with a yawn, "Now I need to know your names and destination."
"Of course," the naturalist nods, "I am Doctor Hallr, this is Lady Derryth, and-"
"Derryth! Mayer-" Caoilainn begins.
You clear your throat and nod slightly to let her know that you understand as you cut in to mask your own surprise at his name, "Lady Biliku and Lady Uttu."
The girls grin at such titles as the dwarf continues, "They are accompanying me to the twelfth floor on government business."
The guardian records your information and allows the four of you to continue. Once more you slip into a grey stone stairwell and begin your descent.
Hallr continues to play the part of the guide, "The ninth floor is for dangerous items, those that are not animate on their own but which can cause a great deal of harm if they ever fall into the wrong hands."
You eye the door cautiously as you pass it, unlike the other doors you have encountered this one is cast of solid iron and bound by enchantments, without the proper spells it would take hours to break through. Probably a good thing when all is considered.
You continue your descent, "The tenth floor is for the assorted sentient creations of the academy that are simply too dangerous to release into the wild."
"Sentient creations?" you feel compelled to enquire.
"Yes, well," he shifts uncomfortably, "Sometimes our brightest minds make deals that they should not or pursue avenues of inquiry best left unexplored. We, as an institution, are often left picking up the pieces of these failed experiments. The occupants of floor ten are not treated cruelly and we do our best to find quick and humane ends for all those that suffer but they can not be allowed to run free. Not because they necessarily wish to do harm but rather because they can be easily and readily used to cause harm. The same can not be said for the occupants of floor eleven."
The door, or rather doors, to floor eleven are the most heavily warded that you have yet encountered, "The occupants of floor eleven are malicious to their very core," Hallr shivers slightly as he presses on, "They are things that should never have entered our world and if we had it in our power to do so we would end their lives. Thankfully that floor has but a few occupants."
He leads you deeper to the bottom of the stairwell. The door to the twelfth floor is made of simple wood, there are no enchantments on it and he pays it little mind. Instead he begins searching the far wall, tapping at a cluster of brick a metre off the ground and half a metre from the left, "In truth, Derryth, the twelfth floor holds nothing of value. It connects to a shallow cave filled with old crates of junk and an underground spring. I have been told that the spring flows from the nearby mountains and that one could, in theory, swim out that way. Provided you could hold your breath for a few hours," he laughs, "And provided that the guardians did not kill you."
"Guardians?" Uttu nervously asks.
"Legends," the dwarf waves a hand dismissively, "Some say that dwarf-like creatures live deep under the city but no one has seen them and the last recorded claim of their existence is over two hundred years old. It was just a joke child, nothing more."
"Ah here we go," he presses in a brick and the wall slides away, "This way please."
He leads you down one final flight of stair and stops in front of a heavy black stone door. Splashed across its surface is what appears to be blood and it has a single flawless enchantment etched on its surface in the form of a silver web, "This is the oldest chamber in the entire academy and it is warded by the oldest magic as well. I will ask that you not tell others about what you are about to see. There is but one way to gain entry to this chamber, one needs to believe."
He draws a knife from his belt and you tense, readying a spell. He draws the blade across his hand and smears the blood across the door as he hisses and clicks.
"He is praying," Biliku whispers to you, "He is asking the Goddess to reveal her knowledge and show him the true path."
Well, you are definitely getting results even if it is not what you imagined when you set out. Hallr is leading you right to where you want to go though you will have to be ready to deal with him quickly when necessary as it is now clear that he is, in fact, a cultist.
As you watch him chant you begin to notice that under his words a spell is forming. It takes you a few minutes to figure out what he is doing, he is unlocking the door with this spell and it seems to have little to do with the words he is speaking or even the blood on the door. If you had to guess you would say that this whole ritual is nothing but a bit of theatre with the spell actually driving the action. In fact, you could probably do it yourself if given a little time and practice.
The door creaks and swings open on its hinges. He steps through, his back to you and his arms spread out before him, "Ladies I give to your the first! The oldest! The greatest temple to the Goddess in the entire-"
Biliku cracks him once over the back of the head with the hilt of her blade as you and Uttu watch in stunned silence.
"What?" she shrugs, "We were going to have to knock him out eventually."
Well, she did have the right idea, "Good swing kid but it might have been wise to let him lead us all the way to Jan first," you reply with a laugh as you set to tying up the dwarf.
You bind his wrists and ankles together. You gag him and bind his fingers together. Then you slip your staff under the bindings and give one end to Biliku and Uttu. They can carry the dwarf the rest of the way.
------------------------------------
The temple is magnificent in its dark beauty. Black marble with the odd piece of gold trim. A single vaulted chamber ringed round by smaller cells and above them on the long, high walls and the great domed roof is a single spectacular mosaic. Gemstones, gold, glass and painted rock, together they form a dazzling series of images. The story of the Goddess' faith. It is a story you have heard many times already. The Goddess battles the Swimmer, she traps him, entangles him and hangs him high in the sky to die. From his corpse she creates the world, time and all of existence. Her followers grow and learn. They learn of her existence and all that she has done for them and they serve her, follower her and worship her. It is not an accurate story. Nor is it a true story but here, in her temple, surrounded by the indescribably beauty of the place and a work that must have taken dozen, perhaps hundreds, of hands and years to complete, here, you can see why some do.
It is the girls that draw your attention to the main feature of the temple, pointing and pulling on your sleeves as they do. In the center of the sunken basin that constitutes the main hall of the temple stands a grand statue in the shape of a stunning dwarven woman, skin of solid obsidian, eyes of cut rubies and a pair of great ivory fangs poking out over her full lips. It is a magnificent work though personally you prefer the mosaic.
Below her is an altar.
Below that, a tomb and it is open.
Beside the tomb, your dwarf.
Jan spots you as soon as you seen him. He yelps and dives behind the altar.
"Jan!" you call to him, "Jan come out this instant!"
"No!" he yells in response as you descend into the central chamber and approach the altar. As the last of your group steps off the bottom stair the door you entered by swings shut behind you. Some sort of timed mechanism perhaps or a spring in the stair. You have seen similar mechanisms in temples all across the lands. You might even be trapped in here but one problem at a time. First you deal with the dwarf, then you can try to leave.
"Don't come any closer!" the dwarf yells, "I- I have the spearhead and if you try anything I- I will destroy it!"
Now what is he going on about?
You might as well try to talk him down though you know what the likely outcome of that will be, "Jan, I have no idea what you are talking about! Come out into the open and we will talk about this! We just want to know what you are doing!"
"To hell you do!" the dwarf yells, "You're cultists! You serve that blasted Goddess and you are after the spear! Well you- ah, you will have to go through me to get it! This is part of our Kingdom's history! It belongs in a museum where it can be studied and not with a bunch of fanatics!"
Wait? He thinks you are cultists?
"Jan we are not cultists!" well technically the girls were cultists but even you know better than to say that.
"Right! And I am a Fallen Lord," the dwarf spits back, "You have told me far too much to play stupid now!"
"What are you talking about!" now you are genuinely confused.
"Miosguinn!" the dwarf yells, "I am the foremost scholar in my field! You do not think that I have not heard what happened to the doctor! He went into he ruins under Muirthemne, looking for information on the Smiths and their cult, and he was murdered by his own employer! Murdered by you!"
Well, technically by Bari, you just helped...
"That is not true! Miosguinn was a cultist and-" sadly he does not let you finish.
"Right, he was the cultist! He was a seeker of truth in a dangerous world and a man I have corresponded with for over a decade. You know him for less than three months and he 'falls', very convenient! About as convenient as showing up with a pair of children that can read a supposedly dead language! No, you are cultists, you killed Doctor Miosguinn and now you are going to kill me to get your damned artefact."
"I'll kill you if you don't stop slandering me," you mutter.
"What was that?" he shouts.
"I said, would it kill you to stop slandering me?" you reply.
"Not slander if its the truth!" he hollers mockingly.
"Well what about you!" you lose your temper a little, "You go racing off to a 'meeting' but instead we find you in a temple to the very Goddess you claim to oppose in possession of some sort of artefact sacred to her! Hell you even left Hallr here," you step back and grab the unconscious dwarf by the hair, "To lead us down here! What was the plan? Was he supposed to set off some sort of trap? Maybe give you a warning so that you could dispose of us together."
"Hallr?" Jan pokes his head up over the altar, "I have no idea what you are talking about! As for the rest I left in a hurry because I knew that you cultists would make for the spear now that you have the combination to the tomb! You merely confirmed my suspicions by arriving so quickly!"
You are no diplomat and Jan's mind seems to be made up. If you want to take him in you will likely have to incapacitate him. If you believe him though it might be wise just to let him leave with this spearhead, whatever it is.
The question is what to do, you-
"Derryth, the bracelet-" Caoilainn begins.
"Here is what you are going to do dwarf!" a voice interrupts your thoughts as the door to the temple once more swings open and eight figures file in.
Good timing, Thaïs must have succeeded in bringing help.
Your eyes light upon her and for a brief moment you smile. Then you notice the expression on her face, the blade pressed to her throat and the man holding it.
"Rand!" you tense at the sight of the man, "What the hell-"
"Not Rand and not now," he dismisses you with a sneer, "Dwarf, I want that spearhead!"
"Who the hell are you!" Jan calls out.
"A loyal follower of the Goddess and a protector of her artefacts," he calls in response.
"Well if you come any closer I will destroy the spearhead!" the researcher give this 'not-Rand' the same response he gave you.
"If you do that I will kill you and all these other people as well," he calmly replies, "You don't want their blood on your hands do you?"
"What- what do I care for cultists killing cultists?" he does his best to bluff in response but it is clear to all that it would bother him.
"They are not cultists, dwarf! In fact, I would say there are few that our Goddess would love more to see dead," you have been observing this 'not-Rand' and he is right. He does not have the same slippery air to him and there is a cruelty in his bearing that the Rand you know does not display. If you had to guess you would say that the man before you was one of the men that escorted Rand away from Blackrock.
"I-" Jan tries to stammer a response.
"Look," the Rand clone cuts him off, "This is quite simple. You give me the spearhead. I give you back my hostage. You get to save one of the 'Heroes' of the Kingdom and I get to recover an artefact of great, cultural, importance to my people. Or, you destroy the spearhead and I slaughter you all and no one gets what they want."
"Where is Janine?" you interrupt their negotiation while Jan dithers.
"Dead," the pseudo Rand replies.
"Bastard," you spit at him.
He laughs, "You misunderstand. Janine, much like dear Hallr, there was a loyal follower of the Goddess. I did not kill her. Your friend did," he positively grins, "She really is quite a good shot even with only a single magazine for her crossbow. Dropped Janine within the first minute of our little scuffle. Really you are lucky that I am the one they sent this time. If she had pulled that in front of my brother he would have broke her neck on the spot."
Jan remains silent behind the altar.
You do not like the idea of waiting on the dwarf when Thaïs' life is on the line. Maybe you can strike another sort of deal, "What if I trade you Hallr for Thaïs."
"No," he answers all too quickly, "Hallr knows nothing but what I tell him and he is worth nothing. Hell, he believes the Goddess is merely an allegory for the dwarven transition from underground fishermen to farmers, he is a good preacher but he is no soldier. Kill him, torture him, do what you want with him, he means nothing to me."
Jan finally speaks, "What guarantee do I have that you will let us go once you have the spearhead?"
"You have my word," Jan laughs at this, you can't help but laugh a little as well. Your stomach turns.
You ask the next obvious question, "Why should we believe in your 'word'?"
"Well," he begins with a sinister smile, "It is the only way your friend lives through this. Hell, it is the only way any of you will live through this. But, if that is not good enough then how about this? There are several armies to the south and most of them would see the Kingdom reduced to ruin. My Goddess does not want that, the dwarves were her first followers and if she can, she will save them by whatever means necessary, even if it means letting you live for now. How is that for a reason?"
"So she will defend the dwarves out of loyalty?" the idea sounds ludicrous to you.
"Not loyalty but yes, she will defend them," he replies without further elaboration.
You glance over to the altar and catch Jan staring at you. He is terrified and confused, maybe you could convince him to hand over the spearhead, or maybe you can come up with some other way out of this situation.
1. What to do?
A) Convince Jan to give the spearhead to the Rand clone.
i. Verbally convince him to hand over the spearhead. You can't beat the clone at the moment so you will just have to trust him to keep his word. Hopefully you can convince Jan of this fact.
ii. Use your mentalist spells to make him hand over the spearhead. You are not good at convincing others but you could always try to subtlety alter his thoughts. If he notices what you are doing however he may react in an unfortunate manner.
iii. freeform
B) Attack the cultists. Admittedly you are outnumbered and it is likely that at least some of the cultists are mages of some sort or another but you might be able to pull this off.
i. You open with Warrior's Mask on Thaïs. Hopefully this Rand clone is not a mage and won't be able to detect your casting till it is too late. She might be able to break free if the Rand clone is not too strong and once clear of the group you can open up on them with more powerful spells.
ii. You open with Mentalist spells targeting Rand. You need to get him to lower that blade before you risk doing anything else and mentalist spells are by far the quickest tools in your arsenal.
iii. You do not try to protect Thaïs. You have mandrake roots and a ring with a stored heal spell as long as she is not dead you will be able to heal her after you have dealt with the cultists. Of course if she is killed then there is nothing you can do.
iv. freeform
C) You wait. You think Jan will hand the spearhead over and you think that the cultists will keep their promise. Interfering right now would just make matters worse.
D) You pretend to go along with their demands, then attack them when they least expect it.
E) Threaten Rand with a Greater Energy Bolt (stored in your ring), while he thinks you are casting the spell cast the Warrior's Mask to shield Thaïs instead.
F) Use Caoilainn to negotiate with Rand in order to secure the spearhead. You will negotiate in good faith.
G) PRAY to Mazzarin for help
H) freeform
Chapter 56: Silver Tongue, Bronze Fist
Chapter 56: Silver Tongue, Bronze FistThe dirt and the dust of the place clings to your clothing, it clings to your skin, it hangs in the air as you consider the man and the dwarf. If either of them makes even the slightest mistake there is a very good chance that this temple will be your tomb. That you will die down here with everyone you love, that you will fail to help the Kingdom, fail to realize your potential, fail to see the Empire again, hell, you will even fail to give Thaïs the answer that she deserves.
Yes, there is a very good chance that you will all die down here but then that is hardly new.
It seems that every couple of days you find yourself in these sorts of situations: the dwarven fort; Meletē's workshop; Nine's mind; many, many times in Nine's mind; the Dreaming; Blackrock, Blackrock definitely counts at least twice and the realization of how often you stand next to death should be terrifying, crippling and nauseating but it simply isn't.
You push it down, filter it out, this is just another trap, another puzzle, another problem that can, no, will yield to your mind. It is all simply a matter of figuring out how to win.
So, what have to got?
Two kids and a kidnapped friend. You can't win with this.
Not against superior numbers at any rate, not out in the open, not without some sort of edge, not with your friend a hostage- ah, that does not ring true anymore. She is not simply a friend. She is your counterpart, your better half in so many ways and losing her would be actually be like losing half of yourself. Just as the girls are not merely children, they are your children and if you lost her now, lost them now, you are not sure what you would do.
The panic begins to rise again, you beat it down.
It won't help.
They can not be children now, they are an archer and a warrior, one with a flare stored and the other with a concealed blade just as she is not your better half, she is, she is... a negotiator, a diplomat and a liar.
The grin creeps across your face though you fight it as best as you can.
You can not win this but she can.
As quietly as you can you whisper, "Caoilainn?"
"Derryth?" she whispers back, forgetting for a moment that only you and Thaïs can hear her.
"Time to practice a little teamwork," you gaze shifts from the cultists to Jan's hiding spot and back, "I need you to forward a plan to Thaïs. She needs to get the cultists to agree to an exchange, get Biliku close to Jan and give me an excuse to cast. I will shield her and then we will both hit them with the best offensive spells we have. The last point is most important, I need a reason to cast, understand?"
Her reply comes quickly, "Yeah, yeah, I can do that."
Dutifully she repeats everything you have said, or at least the salient points, Thaïs' glance meets your own as the cultists eye your group wearily and hurl insults and threats Jan's way.
It is almost comical, the hostage will secure not just her own freedom but your safety and her captors' destruction as well. It is a lot to ask for and a lot to ask of her, complete trust, but it has gotten you this far and it never ceases to amaze you that mages so often overlook this single, simple virtue.
The plan is quite simple really. Thaïs will pretend to mediate between your parties, ideally she will even find some way to get Biliku over to Jan to strengthen his position and keep the cultists from the spearhead but the entire negotiation will be a ploy. It will merely be an excuse to allow you to cast a single spell, the Warrior's Mask, once your counterpart is encased in bronze you will hit the cultists with the greater energy bolt stored in your ring. The two spells will activate within seconds of one another and hopefully the Warrior's Mask will shield Thaïs enough to keep her alive. Complete trust, you put your trust in her to set them up and she puts her trust in you to knock them down.
Wyrd, you hope this works.
She is whispering something to the Rand clone, he laughs and mutters something back, his blade tightening against her throat.
Caoilainn keeps you well informed, her words beating out a steady rhythm in your mind as she swings between hope and fear, "He says he does not need her. She says the dwarf is clearly terrified. He says that he hopes so. She says he will never get what he wants if the dwarf panics. He says, he says," he relief is palpable, "He says she may be right. He is going to let her speak."
His blade lowers slightly, pressed now against her collar, you do not doubt for a second that he could still separate head from shoulders in a matter of moments.
"Jan!" she calls out, "Jan can you hear me?"
"Y-yes!" the terrified dwarf shouts back, "What do you want?"
She laughs delicately, almost casually, and the very sound of her voice sets your nerves at ease, "Well, I should like to live," the cultists laugh in unison at her words and after a brief pause she pushes on, "I should like for my friends to live and I should like to see you live as well Jan. The only way that will happen is if you come out of hiding and give the spearhead to these gentlemen."
Not quite what you wanted but your confidante catches your gaze. Quickly her eyes dart from you to Jan and back. It takes you a moment to realize what she wants you to do but you share enough of her to eventually get the message. She wants you to advocate for Jan, pick a hard line and let her play the moderate. Well, you are no diplomat but for her you can play to ass.
"Ah, well, if- if you-" you do let him finish.
You might not be able to convince him of anything but it is a simple enough thing to fan his paranoia.
You shout the dwarf down, "Don't move one damned muscle Jan, if you come out they will kill you, take the spear and slaughter the rest of us!"
"Yeah, what is to stop you from killing me!" he squeaks in agreement from behind the altar.
"Derryth," the Rand clone hisses, "Are you trying to get your friend killed?"
"I am trying to save her from herself!" you declare, it rings hollow in your ears but thankfully Thaïs seizes on your words and lends them credibility.
She begins to lay into you, "Save me from myself? Why of all the patronizing, arrogant-"
And now you see how she wants to play this. You have been fortunate, your Circle is supportive, largely because none of you were proper mages however most Circles, most mage partnerships, are subject to a lot of infighting, backbiting and general nastiness. She wants to stage just such an arguement and though you are not entirely sure why you will trust her and play along.
"Arrogant! Patronizing!" you feed off her performance, it is always so much easier to work with her than by yourself, "Without my brain you would be nothing but a pretty face! Seems damn obvious to me that you have no idea what you are doing!"
"Ladies-" the clone attempts to intervene.
"Oh really! Do you make such rapid progress without me then? How did your negotiations go with Jan before we arrived? How badly did you fail?" she adds the slightest hint of cruelty to her questions and though you know it is all fake it cuts a little all the same.
"At least I have not tried to get poor Jan murdered!" you insist as the scholar lets out a slight whine.
"Do not be such a child!" the clone's hold loosens on her slightly and she takes a single small step toward you. He holds her back and she puts up a slight struggle, "Why can you not bear to let someone help you! I am trying to save you, you imbecile!"
"Imbecile?" you do your best to feign indignation, all things considered you are fairly convincing, "I should have left you on the street where I found!"
"Grave robber!" she spits back.
"Sycophant!" you shout.
She gives you a wink and goes for the throat, "You, you, peasant!" you wince a little as memories of Christine assail you.
"Whore!" you reply, matching her tone the best you can, "Keep her Rand, or whatever you call yourself! I don't want her back! Deal's off!"
"Damn right it is!" your partner echoes your sentiments, "Do whatever you want with this ingrate, I do not care a whit!"
"Why you!" you shout together, red in the face.
"Derryth! Thaïs!" the girls cry together, a few tears and a quiver in their voices. You wonder what Berty has been teaching them as they are quite believable.
"Ladies, enough!" the clone screams.
In many respects the little act the two of you just put on would not stand up to scrutiny. Against an opponent that knows you and your past this little charade would never work. Such a falling out would simply be unimaginable but you have left few enemies alive and these cultists know you only by reputation. For them, mages used to working with mages, such explosions are only natural. Your 'falling out' has them riveted and the Rand clone completely off balance.
His knife is no longer on her, instead he is doing his best to restrain her and calm her down while the girls pretend to do the same to you. You are careful not to cast though, you want the cultists confused not directly hostile.
The clone and Thaïs are muttering to one another. He points at you, she shakes her head, he points again, and you whisper to Caoilainn, "What are they saying."
She laughs in your ear, "He just told her that she should give you another chance. That you can work things out. That the working relationship you developed serving the Kingdom should remain in place and that as the 'reasonable one' she will have to be the bigger person and apologize first."
It takes every ounce of your self restraint not to grin from ear to ear. He really said all that? Either this clone is a fool or your little production was even more successful than you thought. You hold back your smirk as your officer continues, "She just told him that if he is not going to kill you then she will," that might be taking it a bit far you must admit, "But he is doing his best to 'win her over' and she is slowly letting him 'win'."
After a few minutes of tense back a forth between captive and captor your better half speaks, "I- I may have overreacted, I am sorry," she provides you with the perfect template to imitate, embarrassment, a little self-righteousness and just a hint of mutual disdain.
You drop your gaze, cough and do your best to hide your face. Partly to sell your embarrassment and partly to hide the thin smile that keeps trying to break free, "I may have overstepped as well, I am- I am sorry."
"There," the clone declares with a sigh of relief, "Now, the trade is back on right?"
"What is going on out there!" the dwarf calls from his makeshift bunker.
"We are negotiating terms!" you yell back.
"Oh, ah, okay!" the dwarf answers.
You and your counterpart answer together with a nod and a embarrassed smile, "The deal is back on."
"And our odds have improved slightly," Caoilainn notes, "The 'not Rand' has not bothered to secure Thaïs again, the bloody incompetent."
In an ideal world Thaïs would have managed to keep a hand on the clone to prevent him from getting loose when you spring your trap but this is an acceptable outcome as well. With that blade away from her throat your confidante's odds have improved dramatically. It has also served to ingratiate Thaïs with her captor a little, either this clone is playing a very deep game or he simply is not as clever as the 'real' Rand.
She even takes the bold step of 'negotiating' for the clone's side, she begins, "The sooner these gentlemen get their spearhead the sooner we can all go free and the sooner we can talk."
"We can not expect Jan to just step out into the open though," you counter, "He would be a fool to trust to any of us since none of us have his safety as our primary goal."
Thaïs raises a hand, "One moment please," she turns to the clone, adopting a conspiratorial posture, her every movement serving to show her sympathy for the cultists, she is brilliant.
When she turns back to you she takes one last, hesitant glance to the clone, he nods to encourage her, "We have a possible solution. We will send someone to Jan to pick up the spearhead. A single cultist-"
"It should be one of my people," you insist, "It would simplify the trade."
The clone laughs, "I am not letting you touch that spearhead Derryth."
"How about one from each of our groups then," Thaïs suggests as a 'compromise', "We send them over unarmed. One cultist and one person of Derryth's choosing."
"But not Derryth," the clone is quick to repeat.
"And not you either," you add with a laugh.
"Is that acceptable?" Thaïs asks Jan.
He shouts his answer, "I don't know, I don't really want you sending a bunch of people over here either. Can I not just leave it for you?"
"Perfect," Caoilainn mutters her approval.
"No!" the clone bellows in answer, "There would be nothing stopping you from pocketing it."
"What about some sort of shroud?" you suggest, "Can you cast a darkness spell Jan? It would let you hide as long as you left the spearhead at the edge of the spell."
The clone once more objects, "I am not letting that dwarf cast anything while he holds that spearhead! If I even so much as suspect he is working on a spell back there-"
Thaïs lays a hand on his shoulder and he actually does quiet, she speaks calmly but clearly, "Please sir, no need to threaten violence. What if Derryth casts it instead? She knows a darkness spell and could easily mask Jan with the added benefit that she could immediately drop the spell if we suspect the dwarf is up to anything."
He answers her without even a hint of violence in his voice, "I do not like your friend," she shifts uncomfortably at the word friend, another subtle reminder to him of your earlier 'argument' and his role in patching up the situation, "I don't like her casting spells."
"The spell will not be directed toward our group though," she reassures him, "It will be directed specifically at Jan's location, we simply need to have Derryth agree to turn completely away from our group. The risk will be almost nonexistent."
"That could work," the clone mutters repeating the words, "That could work, yes. Derryth," he calls out to you, smug satisfaction writ across his brutal features, "What do you say. I will send one of my dwarves, you send one of your," he stifles a snicker, "One of your children, each unarmed, and you will provide a single darkness spell for our hesitant dwarf. Once I have the spearhead you will get your friend back and we can all go our separate ways."
You do not believe that last promise for a moment. As soon as he has the spearhead you are sure you are all dead. It will never get to that point if your plan works and so you agree, "Sounds good to me."
He singles out a dwarf who quickly relinquishes his blade and pack while you give Biliku her orders, "You are just there to act as an escort and a witness, kid. Stay out of the way and be careful," you lean in to muss her hair and whisper her true orders, "Cut down the cultist as soon as I launch my attack on their main body. Then make your way to Jan and keep both him and the spearhead safe, understood."
She snaps you one of her salutes, "You will do fine kid," she beams at you as you send her on her way.
With all eyes on your volunteers you whisper one final instruction to Uttu, "Kid, I want you to try and take out their leader when I launch my attack. He might be like Isolde so expect him to be fast."
"I'll, do my best," she answers with a determined nod.
It is all you can ask for.
You begin to focus, in a minute, two at the most, it will be over and that knowledge lends you a certain sense of serenity. There is no doubt here, there is no fear, there is only the plan and you will, will it into being.
You calm your mind, slow your breathing and as always with the Warrior's Mask you surrender to impulse. Reason and its formulae give way to instinct as you trace out the forms of the spells.
You trace the form of the warrior, long before soldiers and cities he tracks, he fights, he kills and it fills you with purpose.
Behind you, you think you hear an objection, you think you hear someone claim that the spell you weave is not of the school of Light. Well that much is true.
You trace the form of the conqueror, strength unbound, unbroken, and it fills you with rage.
Thaïs assures them that your spell is harmless, an unorthodox application of magic to achieve an identical effect but you are not sure they believe her.
You trace the form of the defender, eternal resolve and unquenchable courage and it fills you with determination.
It sounds like the clone is about to act, best not to give him any chance at all.
Caoilainn guides you to your goal, "A half turn to your left Derryth she is to the centre left of the pack," your officer coughs and exhales, "I just want to say, whatever happens, it has been a pleasure."
"Same here," you mutter, spinning on your heel.
As soon as you see Thaïs, you cast.
-----------------------------------------------
It was perhaps too much to hope for perfection.
To desire victory without sacrifice.
To earn glory without misery.
To learn without cost.
Sometimes the price of such knowledge is simply too high.
It is a friend.
It is a lover.
It is a child.
It is a family.
Today though it was merely a lot of pain and you had mandrake roots to cure that.
"Quit complaining!" Jan laughs as he picks through the dead.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you get set on fire?" you answer with indignation, nursing your still tender legs.
"Or electrocuted?" Thaïs chimes in next to you still smoking slightly and cradling her newly mended arms.
"Or petrified!" Uttu hurls the piece of stone that was her pack at Jan but the dwarf deftly dodges the misshapen projectile.
"Did you hit him?" Biliku enquires from her perch, "Please tell me you hit the coward!"
"I missed him," the younger girl mutters, "How are your eyes?"
"Still can't see," the older sister grumbles, "When is it going to wear off again?"
"Dear ladies you fail to see-" he comes up short as the four of you shoot withering glances in the general direction of his voice, "Fail to comprehend, the victory we have scored here today against a most sinister foe. Why, together we bested eleven cultist mages without a single loss-"
"What about my eyesight!" the older sister cuts the researcher off, and continues to mutter to herself, "Or my shield... I really liked that shield..."
"A scrap of metal is not worth worrying about," Jan dismisses the shield, "As for your eyesight I am certain that your blindness is merely the result of the rather standard spell of the same name and your vision will return in time, a few hours at the very most."
As insufferable as Jan is being he is largely right. That was a fight that could have gone far worse than it did. The initial attack was a thing of brilliance, the Warrior's Mask to protect Thaïs paired with two greater energy bolts in quick succession. All five of the dwarven cultists fell in that first attack and the clone fell with them.
'Not-Rand' did not go quietly though, the clone had a pair of metal plates embedded under its skin, each of which was enchanted in a manner similar to your rings. He managed to activate both as he was cooked by your lightning. You and Thaïs suffered the brunt of those attacks, a flame that flowed like water assaulted your legs while thunder that clung like mud seared her arms when the Warrior's Mask failed with your broken concentration.
Ultimately Uttu saved the day by finishing off the clone with her arrows. Even charred and filled with over a dozen arrows he managed to stagger forward a few steps and howl at Thaïs before collapsing in on himself. Thankfully when he died so too did his enchantments.
Near the altar Biliku managed to dispatch her opponent quickly and secured both Jan and the spearhead. Ideally it would have ended there but the noise you made managed to attract the remaining cultists in the area. Four more mages that lashed out with light and earth spells. The girls fought bravely buying you time to heal your wounds and launch another offensive which finished off the mages. They received their fair share of broken bones, cuts and damaged equipment for their trouble.
Jan for his part bravely protected the spearhead by fleeing back behind the altar, it is no wonder that the girls are a little annoyed with him, in truth you are a little annoyed as well.
"Now what Jan?" you manage to muster the question with the bare minimum of annoyance.
The researcher momentarily stops looting the corpses, "Well, now I must take the spearhead to father, it might prove instrumental to our long term defence of the Kingdom."
Thaïs asks the next question and by her tone it is clear that she is no more impressed with the dwarf than you are, "Care to explain what exactly the spearhead is meant to do?"
He squints at the pair of you, "It does what all spearheads do. It kills, however if the legends are true then it can kill anything, even a god. Surely you can see the immediate applications for such an artefact when confronted with opponents that refuse to die by normal means."
Well at least you went through all this for something useful, "So we take the spearhead, drive it into the Watcher fragments and no more Watcher?"
"Ah," Jan coughs, "No, I can not seem to get it to work. For the moment it is just a normal spearhead."
The researcher finishes picking over the bodies and piling the loot, he begins to scoop it all into a satchel bag one of the cultists was carrying.
You cock an eyebrow at his actions as you and Thaïs speak together, "What are you doing with all that?"
Jan coughs again, "Ah, well these are all cultist artefacts so I am taking them all for study."
You eye the pile: gold, spellbooks, the odd knife or blade, and that pair of plates that were embedded in the Rand clone. A decent haul all things considered.
You try to be diplomatic, "Put the bag down or I will kill you."
"What!" the researcher damn near chokes on his tongue.
Thaïs and the girls laugh, your partner speaks, "She does not mean it, ah, I think."
You give the worried dwarf a tired grin, "Of course I don't mean it but we did all the fighting, tradition mandates that we get first crack at the loot."
"Oh," the dwarf drops his gaze, "Ah, sorry, I have never really done this sort of thing before."
"I can see again!" Biliku shouts and hops down from her perch.
"Can we go now," Uttu whines, "Please."
Probably a good idea but first you have to divide up the loot.
1. The Loot: What do you want to take? (Vote for as many as you like, anything that gets a majority of the vote you will take. Anything that does not you will leave for Jan):
A) A pair of engraved metal plates taken from the clone's body.
B) Three black blades that bear the symbol of a spider.
C) A half dozen black knives that bear the symbol of a spider.
D) Five spellbooks written in the tongue of the Spider Goddess
E) Collected Gold (5 WPs)
F) Climb up the statue of the Spider Goddess and pry out the ruby eyes, though Jan would prefer you not loot a historic site. (150 WPs)
G) Climb up the statue of the Spider Goddess and pry out the ivory tusks, though Jan would prefer you not loot a historic site. (40 WPs)
2. What to do next? You have not actually lost that much time dealing with Jan and the spearhead. You could return to the Palace or you could do something else with the remainder of your day.
A) Check in with your recruitment team to see how they are doing.
B) Return to the Palace and see if you can help the mice spy somehow, this might be difficult give your lack of Animal spells but you might still be able to come up with something.
C) One of Albrecht's bastards, by the name of Letta, runs a very selective mercenary company. You want to investigate her and perhaps hire her. You will do so now.
D) You will visit some of the bars throughout the city in an attempt to gather information and contacts or maybe hire the odd mercenary that is not inclined to wait in line or apply to Lyssa's group. Who knows who or what you may find.
E) You will go to visit the Seekers. If you are going to lead these mages and trust them with your life then you want to get to know them before you leave the city.
F) Shopping - You go immediately to visit the Brothers Dietfried, you have a lot of equipment that needs to be replaced.
G)freeform - do something else
3. The Cloaks: Janine was going to oversee the production of cloaks for you at the Academy. Sadly she is now dead. Do you still want to give the Spinner to the fellows and have them weave you cloaks?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Yes, you will convince Jan to oversee the project in his spare time though it will likely take him away from researching the spearhead.
D) Yes, you will let that little dwarf, the loud one, take a shot at leading the project. He seems very enthusiastic about his work.
E) freeform
4. Do you leave your petrified equipment with Jan to see if he can fix it (or find someone else on staff at the Academy that can fix it)?
A) You leave the equipment with Jan at the Academy. Perhaps they can figure something out.
B) You take the equipment with you. Perhaps you will figure out a way to fix it yourself or encounter someone in your travels who can.
Note: If you have any additional questions for Jan feel free to ask them. He will probably answer now that it is clear to him that you are not his enemies.
Chapter 57: The Five Sovereigns
Chapter 57: The Five SovereignsWhat to do with this dwarf?
In Jan's office the pair of you circle him, you poke and prod at him, peppering him with questions and it becomes clear. Hallr knows nothing. He is exactly what he seems to be, a scholar and a cultist too but primarily a seeker of knowledge and a loyal servant of the Crown.
Of course that might not last when he realizes that everyone he cares about is dead at your hands.
"May I please see Janine now?" once more he asks to see his colleague, quietly, cautiously but persistently.
So what to do with him?
Well, it would be easiest to just kill him, maybe the sages are right and he will be returned to the great wheel and be given another chance at life, maybe.
Or you could take responsibility for him, the penalty for serving the Goddess is death but you have enough pull with the King that he might grant you the cultist as a favour. That does raise the question of what you would do once you have him. If you tell him the truth you can not predict what Hallr will do but you doubt it will be good for you. You can not let him go, can you? Perhaps, perhaps there is another solution but you will have to think on it for a few hours yet.
You let Thaïs distract him and Biliku delivers another precise blow to the back of his head. Once more he drops like a stone as you turn to Albrecht's son, "Jan, I don't want Hallr killed, at least not yet, and don't tell him about his dead friends yet. We might need him still."
The dwarf shrugs, "Very well. I will have father's people come and collect him, the rest I will gladly let you handle."
Well, it has been an interesting afternoon but you will be glad to get out from under the shadow of the Academy and you have much to do still. You settle a few remaining matters with Jan as he escorts you out of his offices. You give him your spinner and lay out your request for a variety of cloaks you think will prove useful in the future. He assures you that the weapons research and development department will be glad to look into the issue for you. You ask him to keep an eye on them, you do not want them breaking your spinner after all.
He laughs and nods, "A wise precaution. I will keep an eye on the project when I have spare moments."
Additionally you hand him your petrified equipment, casualties of your battle in the temple, and you ask him if he can figure out a way to reverse the magic that has ruined them. He makes no promises but replies that he will look into it for you.
The best you can hope for you suppose. You say your goodbyes and make your way out of his warm apartments and into the cool, clean and empty corridor.
-----------------------------------
You step out into the hallway, Thaïs and the girls close behind. You fan out, filling the width of the austere corridor, as you make your way down to the main floor from Jan's offices. The girls sweep ahead of you, you call them back but they insist they are 'scouting'. Their activity looks more like racing to you but as long as you can see them you suppose there is no harm in it. After the afternoon they have had it would not be so terrible to allow them a small chance to blow off some steam and the odds of being attacked again are quite small. A horrible little voice in your head suggests that such low odds, in fact, make it a certainty but you dismiss such thoughts with a slight frown. No sense in indulging in pessimism, you already have Caoilainn for that.
You continue on your way, your partner next to you and the girls up ahead. The entire floor is silent save for your collective footfalls and the squeals of the girls in front of you.
Breaking the silence you quietly begin, "I almost feel sorry for Hallr, he lost everything."
She nods, "There was a very good chance that he would not be alone in that."
"And I warned you both," Caoilainn takes the opportunity to interject, "I warned you how stupid your plan was and that it might get one or both of you killed. I warned you-" you do your best to tune her out and it is clear at a glance that Thaïs is doing the same.
She is, of course, completely correct. You stood a good chance of losing someone important today, not for the first time mind you and certainly not for the last. It makes you wonder how wise it is to put off for tomorrow what you should have done yesterday.
As if on cue Caoilainn raises her voice, "You two should learn to employ others to do the dangerous work. Do you even care for yourselves? Do you even care for each other?"
Your disembodied officer has been less direct in her opinions on your private lives than some of your other friends but it did not take you long to figure out were she stands. She wants you to say something already, likely a result of her being chained to the two of you and forced to watch you awkwardly circle each other for the last month.
To hell with it, maybe she is right about that too.
This is not the most romantic place, a sterile hall in a silent academy. No music, poor lighting, and no great words or sweeping gestures to go with it. Still, do you really need all that?
"Thaïs," you stop, pulling off to the right as she slows and circles back for you.
"Yes," she tilts her head slightly, curiosity reigns as queen of her countenance.
You can feel Caoilainn hovering at the edge of your mind. A captive but enthusiastic audience for what is about to happen.
Best just to get this out there, you are no poet and you would only screw it up angling for something flashy, "I love you," the words come easily enough, so easy they actually surprise you a little.
Caoilainn gasps, and squeals in spite of herself, "She finally said it! Finally!"
It seems your words surprise Thaïs as well, she takes a step closer, then a step back and drops her gaze, "I- I am sorry Derryth. I have found someone else."
The bottom falls out of your stomach, your legs wobble and your face turns as red as a Madrigal radish.
Caoilainn lets out an even more dramatic gasp, "That bitch!"
"That's, ah-" you have trouble finding the words. This is just like that time with the Baron Connolly's youngest son, Henry mocked you for a week after that. You wish you could just curl up and die.
Then you begin to pour over the 'facts'.
You have only been back for two days and she has been with you the whole damn time. When would she even have a chance to meet someone? Unless...
You put on your best 'broken' expression, not that it is terribly convincing, and you begin again, "I, I am happy for you," you try to strike a weak smile, "I am happy for you and, ah, who is this person anyway?"
She looks up at you, tears in her eyes, not terribly sincere tears but plenty of them all the same, "Ceannard, he just swept me off my feet!"
"What!" Caoilainn screams, incensed.
Your eyes sparkle for but a moment, she is having a little fun, she has to be, and you won't ruin this for her. Even if you can't be tricked you both know someone who can and she deserves it a little after the way she has behaved lately. You do your best to make your face impassive and your voice flat, you do well enough, "Oh did he now? How did it happen?"
"Yes," Caoilainn hisses, "How did it happen!"
Thaïs' lip quivers but the corners of her mouth have already begun to give her away, "He waited until Caoilainn was meditating and then he came to me. He swept me off my feet and onto a bed of roses,"
"Must have pricked a little," you remark as you do your best to fight back a laugh.
Caoilainn damn near weeps.
Thaïs gives you a slight smack and you resume your mournful posture, "He brought me jewels and wine, honeyed cakes and pomegranate sorbet."
"Was there music?" you ask.
"Oh yes!" she replies with enthusiasm, "He has trained his Arrows to be masters with the flute and they serenaded me for hours!"
If Caoilainn had a body she would probably be choking your better half right now.
"I imagine it was a truly impressive sight," you manage to reply as you choke back laughter.
"It was, oh, it was," she spins on her heel and sighs happily, "And the best part was he did not make me wait three months to tell me he loved me!"
That stings a little, you needed that time to work everything out, but you nod your head in agreement and play along, "No he pretty much hit on you from day one."
She ignores you, "It was love from first sight," she sighs again dramatically and comes to rest leaning on the wall beside you.
"There is but one wrinkle you may not be aware of that I feel obliged to draw to your attention," you lean in next to her.
"What is it?" she replies innocently.
Around you the ethereal officer continues to rage, "That she is an unfaithful harlot!"
"I am in love with Ceannard as well," you confess with all the emotion you can bring to bear, "I only told you I loved you to distract you so that I might have him all to myself!"
"WHAT!" you almost feel bad for your clueless aide.
"It's true," you raise a hand to cover your face as you just barely hold it together, "The only reason I taught Caoilainn how to mediate was so that I might be alone with him. Candlelight, fresh lilacs, and a twenty person choir. It was simply more than I could resist, I-"
You can't do it, it is simply too much. You and Thaïs share a conspiratorial wink as Caoilainn sputters, "Of all the mistakes! Of all the screw ups! You two! I have been waiting a month for you to get your acts together and, and-"
You burst into laughter together, it is enough to bring Caoilainn to a screeching halt.
He next words are delivered with the sort of dry contempt that you have come to expect from her, "I- you- both of you-" she grumbles, "I hate you both."
"Caoilainn," you begin, in between gasps as you catch your breath.
"I don't want to hear it," she mutters.
"Caoilainn," Thaïs attempts to apologize.
She will have none of it, "I am going to go mediate. I need a break from you children. Try not to get yourselves murdered while I am gone."
You feel her presence disappear from your mind as you hold Thaïs' gaze, the two of you snickering like girls half your age.
"Poor Caoilainn," Thaïs manages to say.
"She will get over it," you reply, "Besides, after all her little remarks over the last month she deserved it."
Your better half nods, "If you can not take it then best not to dish it out."
You incline your head in recognition of one of Henry's many sayings, "Exactly."
"Now that we truly are alone," the smile fades slightly from your confidante's face as she returns to your earlier words, "When you said you loved me..."
You take her hand, "I meant exactly that," you reassure her.
She beams in response and kisses you.
Thankfully nothing explodes this time as you are dragged into a whirl of competing emotions and the seconds drag out into eternity. Every moment, every minute with her from the second the two of you met speeds through your mind and all of it comes crashing down, distilled into this single moment. Now it is entirely possible that you have had better in your time, there have been several instances you do not recall with complete clarity, what with the wine and the whiskey and the sleep deprivation but of those you can remember this is the best. It just feels right, in a way nothing else has before.
Sadly, as you are so often told even the finest of things must have an end. The end of your embrace comes in the form of two adorable little girls, freshly returned from their 'scouting' trip.
"Derryth, Thaïs, are you coming or- wow!" Uttu's voice chimes in from the very edge of your senses.
"What is it Uttu? Why are they- oh!" the voice of her older sister resonates along the uneager extremity of your perception.
"Are they going to be okay?" the younger girl ponders.
"Hush," he sister commands her, "Come on, we need to give them privacy."
You catch the two of them at the boundary of your vision, Biliku grabs her sister by the arm and pulls. Uttu, naturally resistant to any idea that originates in her older sibling's mind refuses to budge and the two of them quickly fall to fighting.
"Let go!" the younger sister yelps.
"Will you just come on!" the senior sibling demands.
Thaïs, her eyes still a little misty whispers to you, "I suppose we had best tend to the children."
She is right of course, "If we must, we must," with a final glance to your better half the two of you spin on the girls, "Biliku!" you shout.
"Uttu!" your confidante calls out.
The girls snap to attention in mid squabble, "Sorry," they call in unison already well aware of what your next words will be.
"Don't be sorry just get over here and act like professionals," you command them, doing your best to put on a stern face.
The word 'professionals' has exactly the sort of effect on them that you hoped. They quickly separate and in complete silence hop to your sides.
You extend an arm to Thaïs but she slips past it and hooks her arm around your waist instead. You shoot her a surprised look but she merely shrugs and smiles. With as much natural ease as you can muster you reciprocate. It is, in a word, comfortable. You might just be able to get used to this.
The girls bound along beside you as you resume your course through the building, "Are you free, let's say-"
"Two nights from now in the Dreaming?" she finishes your thought.
You cast a curious eye over her, "Yes, exactly what I was going to ask."
She matches your gaze, a look that clearly asks, 'just what are you up to?'
It seems you will both be getting a bit of a surprise in the days ahead and if you had to guess Morpheus is probably involved in more ways than you know.
-------------------------------
This new captain has done a fine job so far. When he saw you come waltzing out of the Academy, armour in ruins, clothing dishevelled he damn near had a heart attack and demanded to know what happened. When you told him about the cultists you could swear he did.
When he regained the ability to form coherent sentences, after a bottle of the strongest swill he could find, you informed him of your plans for the afternoon. At first he thought it was a wonderful joke on your part, to travel into the rough side of the city, weakened as you are, and arrange an impromptu meeting with a mercenary company he has never heard of. When he realized you were completely serious he promptly downed another three bottles.
At this rate you are going to develop a bit of a reputation with the King's guards.
That is not to say that he failed to rise to the challenge you presented him with. He has been careful, perhaps too careful, in escorting you from the Academy to your current location. A rather nondescript little tavern you have been informed is frequented by the Ten Sovereigns, the mercenary company you wish to hire.
Or course, for you, nothing is ever that simple...
Thaïs pulls you back toward her as a bottle arcs past your face and slams into the wall. You spin her out of the way of a pair of dwarves duelling with barstools to your right. It is a good thing that Caoilainn has stopped pouting, without her guidance you probably would have taken a few hits by now.
Believe it or not but this bar fight is not actually your fault.
It began when a rather sizable group of mercenaries picked a fight with a maul, a fir'Bolg, a human and a pair of dwarves. As neither group seemed to much like the other or was willing to back down the inevitable occurred.
"Flying turkey, twenty centimetres to your left," Caoilainn barks her order and you swing your confidante out of harms way as she pulls you down just far enough to avoid a clay pitcher the tumbles through the air above you.
With the girls and most of your escort waiting outside you could put an end to this fairly quickly but a large part of you both wants to see how your prospective employees handle themselves in a fight. So far the group of five, who you assume belong to the Sovereigns, have held their own against more or less the entire tavern. An impressive feat given their complete lack of magical support, however now might be a good time to end this.
"Have you seen enough?" your partner asks.
"Yes," you calmly reply as the pair of you dance past a three course meal that has up and taken flight, "Best to end this before someone gets hurt."
The Captain crashes into the bar in front of you just as the words pass your lips.
"Well, before someone else gets hurt," Thaïs corrects you with a wink. You are certain she is enjoying this just as much as you are, no doubt your wonderful influence at work.
You let out three shrill notes and your escort comes crashing in, weapons drawn. No matter how drunk the fighters are, bar stools and tabletops are no match for swords and incendiary cocktails and the appearance of your guards and the girls, all armed and ready for a fight is enough to scare off most of the patrons.
Quickly you give your escort the order to surround the five Sovereigns and to their credit the mercenaries do not back down. A couple of them even reach for their weapons.
You step up to address the mercenaries while the Captain stumbles to his feet muttering.
The five Sovereigns consider you casually, not a hint of fear in them. Good, they may need such courage. You begin, "Are any of you Letta?"
One of the dwarves takes it upon himself to speak for the group, "Why are you asking about Letta?"
"We have a business proposal that might interest Letta and the Sovereigns," your partner answers, "If you could direct us to her we would be very appreciative."
The dwarf spits, "Can't do that I'm afraid."
"Why not?" the two of you ask in unison.
"Letta's a prisoner," the second dwarf responds, "That fucker Wenzel finally got her three days ago."
"What did she do," the Captain asks, still shaking his head from his earlier collision with the bar.
"She would not pay his taxes," the maul answers with a grunt, he rolls his shoulders forward and considers your escort with a mocking grin, "Took thirty of Wenzel's best to take her and the rest of our company but he did it all the same. Came for her early too, if I had been sober they damn well would have regretted trying it."
Well, that puts a damper on your plans but maybe you are in a position to do something about this, "Does Wenzel actually have the right to collect any taxes? Is she being held legally?"
"Wenzel's the son of the King," the human speaks up, "Not much that can be done against him and he does whatever he wants for the most part. He has a small army in that compound of his."
"So they are not being held legally?" Thaïs repeats your question.
"No," the first dwarf replies with a snort, "They are not being held 'legally'."
You turn to your partner, "Perhaps we can demand their release in the name of the Crown?"
Thaïs shrugs, "He might not cooperate if all that we have heard about him is true."
As the King's third son you are not sure if Wenzel will feel the need to acquiesce to your demands and even if he does it might damage your broader investigation.
Of course you might also be able to simply take Letta and the rest of the prisoners, "Do you know where they are being held?"
The first dwarf nods, "Yeah, but I am not telling you anything. We will deal with this ourselves."
"What if we could help you free them?" your confidante presses on.
"I am still not-" the first dwarf is stopped in mid sentence by the second.
She is certainly suspicious of you but at least she is willing to hear you out, "You would be willing to go against a royal prince? Who are you anyway?"
"Ladies Derryth and Thaïs," the Captain answers for you, "Heroes of the Kingdom."
That elicits the odd muttering from the group before you and even the cocky maul gives you the once over, reappraising his odds perhaps.
"Maybe you could help," the first dwarf speaks again, "But why would you?"
A fair question, why would you help? Especially in the condition you are in. Either way a decision has to be made.
1. You decide to:
A) Wait till your meeting with Wenzel tomorrow and bring the topic up with him then. Evening is already rapidly approaching and you would prefer to return to the safety of the palace if only to restock your supply of bolts and arrows and refresh your spells.
B) Go immediately to Wenzel's compound. You will request a meeting tonight to discuss Letta's imprisonment. It might be a little risky but you are national heroes and in possession of letters authorizing you to act in the name of the King in all things.
i. You will use your position and the letters to force Wenzel to release Letta and her comrades.
ii. You will negotiate for her release and the release of the rest of the Sovereigns without using the letter.
iii. freeform
C) You will stage a break in at Wenzel's compound alongside the remaining Sovereigns and liberate the prisoners by force. It would probably be best if he does not find out you are responsible for it.
D) You will have Albrecht summon Wenzel to the Palace first thing in the morning without giving him the reason. As his influence comes mostly from familial ties, you do not think Wenzel would be able to refuse such an invitation. You will meet up with him in Albrecht's stead and take it from there. You will bring up Letta's imprisonment with him and see firsthand what kind of man he is, what he knows, and what further actions are warranted, if any.
E) freeform
2. Hallr: As a cultist he is your enemy and a potential threat but he has not directly harmed you, in fact he has been largely helpful and reasonably friendly so far. The question is what to do with him now?
A) Let the dwarves worry about him. He is a dwarf and should be judged by their laws, even if the penalty is death.
B) You will request that he be given over to your care and you might have enough pull with Albrecht to have your request granted provided you assure the King that Hallr will never be a threat. What you do with him after that is your business.
i. You tell him to leave the Kingdom and never return, then you let him go.
ii. Morpheus is always looking for new pieces, ah, people to add to his collection. You will give Hallr to him in exchange for something you desire. (Feel free to name what you want, I will tell you if it is feasible or not. The most popular option will be selected if this choice wins).
iii. Have Morpheus construct a pocket dream for Hallr where Janine is alive and his apprentices are all law-abiding, and let him live out the rest of the life he is accustomed to there. In exchange, you will ask Morpheus to tell you any information Hallr knows upon your request.
iv. You try to persuade him that the Cult used him and that it led him to lose everything he cared for.
v. Offer him a job. Explain the whole unpleasant truth about his goddess and the fate his faith has led him to (death or exile). If he doesn't go insane, tell him you have got a better offer. You have a whole tower of things to research and children in the exact same situation he is in that could use a level headed mentor and teacher. For life after loss of this magnitude, he'll need a mission. He's got one waiting for him at your tower with plenty of examples that there is life without the goddess.
vi. freeform - do something else with him
C) freeform - do something completely different with him
3. The 'Truth': Janine, Hallr's apprentice and most of his subordinates died at your hands. Do you tell him yourself what happened to them or do you keep him ignorant of their fates?
A) Tell him.
B) Don't tell him.
4. A Plan: You will ask Morpheus to put you through with the Spider Goddess. Since you have common enemies, despite being enemies yourselves, you might even exchange some of the information that does not directly concern you. You would like to look your adversary in the eyes and see what are her goals in all of this, and it should be rather safe since Morpheus is under an agreement to grant you protection while in the Dreaming.
A) You go with the plan:
i. You go through with the plan to contact the Goddess. You think such a meeting might give you additional insight into the situation you are in, even though she is hostile to you and not terribly trustworthy.
ii. You will contact the Goddess, but you will also write a will requesting Mazzarin to destroy her, her kin and any of her followers of note (with the obvious exceptions of your girls, the orphans, Christine and Nephila) if you ever die regardless of the reason to blackmail her into not interfering with your actions. You are as sick of her constant meddling as she is of yours.
B) No, you do not contact the Goddess. You do not believe it will work and you see it as a waste of time and resources.
Chapter 58: Fateful Meetings
Chapter 58: Fateful MeetingsSo what are your options here?
Leave Letta to Wenzel's tender mercies?
Well, that won't do at all. You need Letta and her people to help you and the surest way get their help is to rescue their leader.
You could help the Sovereigns storm Wenzel's compound, you have certainly faced worse odds in your time, and yet you do not really feel like another 'life or death' confrontation today. You are low on energon cubes, out of mandrake roots and your spell rings are empty, not to mention your lack of armour and ammunition. No, you have no intention of walking into Wenzel's compound in your state. In fact, maybe you do not need to enter Wenzel's hideout at all.
Maybe you can take advantage of your station and connections to make this all so much easier. Now there is a thought that will cheer Caoilainn up.
You consider the five Sovereigns and as you do so you commit to your course. You will have Albrecht summon his son tomorrow. If Wenzel answers then you will have him at your mercy to properly interrogate and nothing should happen to Letta if Wenzel is in your custody. If the Prince refuses then you will have to go to him but at least you will be well rested when you do so. All you have to do now is convince the five remain Sovereigns to put off their plans for at least a day.
You grin and begin...
--------------------------------------
"You have got to be the worst negotiator I have ever met!" Caoilainn lays into you while Thaïs smirks.
"I am not that bad," you mutter defensively.
Your disembodied officer scoffs, "You managed to insinuate that the Sovereigns were incompetent, ill-prepared, amateurish and that, that maul had a damned unpleasant stink about him."
You roll your eyes, you may have made the odd blunder here and there but Caoilainn is definitely over exaggerating, and besides, that maul does have an unpleasant odour about him, "Oh, it was not that bad. I merely explained to them that they would be better off if they let us handle this. Really if they were at all reasonable they could have agreed to at least wait till tomorrow. Besides, if I was doing such a horrible job why did none of you step in to help?"
Your question moves your grinning better half to speak, "Well love, you managed to provoke a fight in two sentences. There was not that much we could do. Really you should have explained your plan to me, someone could have gotten hurt."
Thankfully no one did get hurt, well, at least not too badly, but you resent the idea that you need Thaïs to do all of the negotiating for the two of you, "Not you too," you grumble, "Look there may have been a couple misunderstandings but all told it worked out wonderfully."
If you are honest with yourself the word 'wonderfully' might be a bit generous when applied to the situation.
In hindsight it might have been a lot to ask but you think you laid out the plan well enough. You merely asked them to let their friends languish in Wenzel's cells and forego their plan of attack in order to gamble on the good intentions of two people they had met only moments earlier... actually, now that you repeat it to yourself you can see why they told you to fuck off... and of course the insults you threw back at them probably did not help.
Still you could not let the Sovereigns carry out their attack, you do not want to give Wenzel any reason to refuse your summons, ah, the King's summons, in the morning. If half his compound is in ruins after a successful, or worse yet failed, assault he might just have grounds to postpone your meeting and so you invited the Sovereigns back to the palace.
If there is a bright side to what happened next it is that you got to once more gauge the abilities of the Sovereigns. It was enlightening to say the least and you do not doubt that the Captain will agree, when he regains consciousness that is.
With a tired sigh you give the order to leave, and you worn, weary escort begins the slow crawl back to the palace.
It is your sincere hope that every day won't be like this but you can't really complain. You have set yourself against gods and legends; every day you survive is a triumph in itself.
---------------------------------------------
Dinner is wonderful.
Now this is the proper situation for such a word as a host of people swarm your chambers filling a grand table with meat, fish, fruit and nuts from across the realms. The King has once more spared no expense, perhaps he realizes that none of it will matter anyway if you fail.
You sit at a small table with your partner and the girls, working through a goose and several bottles of a nice white wine from south of Muirthemne. The conversation is free and easy, and the laughter of the girls does wonders for your nerves.
"How are your studies going," you gently prod Uttu.
"Good," she nods, "Mr Levy knows a lot of things and he has promised to teach us everything."
"Like what?" Thaïs helps to nudge a little more from the girl.
"Tactics," Biliku replies for her little sister.
Uttu nods, "And fighting too, he knows a lot about winning fights. He always says, ah," she does her best to impersonate her instructor, "'Remember girls! It is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog!'"
Biliku cuts in, warming to the subject, "Yeah, he says that we will never be the biggest, or the strongest, or the fastest. He says that there will be plenty of men and even some women that will simply be more, ah, 'naturally gifted' than we are-"
Uttu nods emphatically, "But the best part is that there are ways around those advantages. He says we have to work with what we have and outsmart our opponents."
"Right," Biliku builds upon her sister's words, enthusiastically launching into examples, "Let's say we have to fight a guy that is stronger than us-"
"And faster too! Berty always says they will be faster as well," Uttu adds as she stuffs more goose into her mouth.
"Okay, stronger and faster," Biliku nods, "Well there are still lots of ways to win. You can win by being more skilled or you can win by fighting dirty or you can win by ganging up on him or even by magic but most importantly you win by-"
Uttu cuts her sister off, her mouth still full of goose in her enthusiasm, "Buh chusin tha batt-"
"Uttu, chew your food. Then swallow. Then speak," Thaïs instructs her.
She moans but does as she is told, you wait patiently for her to begin again, "By choosing the battlefield!" she exclaims.
Berty glances over to your table, "Damn right girl! Always choose the battlefield!"
Uttu grins at her instructor as you and Thaïs smirk, "So what exactly does that mean?" you prod her.
"It means that different people are good at different things but hardly anyone is good at everything," she replies confidently, "So if I had to fight Biliku I should keep her at range, confine her movements and hit her hard, just like Ceannard would do..." she trails off with a dopey grin at the thought of her hero.
Biliku shoots her sister a competitive glare and responds, "And if I had to fight Uttu I should impair her visibility, advance quickly under cover and strike decisively," she drops her voice to a whisper and blushes slightly, "Just like Gareth would do..."
That provokes a tiny chuckle from you as you propose your next question, "Alright then, how would you beat us?"
"Oh, wow," Uttu whispers, "That's a tough one."
"Yeah," Biliku nods, "Berty says you are the most dangerous type of enemies. He says you are odd."
You are not sure that is a complement, "Odd?" the two of you ask together.
Uttu nods furiously, "Yeah, odd. He says odd people are just the worst to fight because they can think like a normal person but they can also do, um, 'unorthodox' things."
Biliku laughs, "Berty really likes the 'unorthodox'. He says that one creative mind at the right place and the right time can undo the work of even the most careful planner."
Well, at least being 'odd' is a good thing. Come to think of it Berty is awfully odd himself, it is not surprising that he would like that trait in others.
Still, you want to see what the girls have learnt so far, "Well alright, let's say we were not odd. How would you deal with a pair of mentalists."
The girls glance at you, then at one another. They lean in and begin to whisper back and forth. After a few moments of careful deliberation they have something resembling a working plan, "Lead!" Uttu declares.
"Good thinking girl!" Berty shouts over again. You wonder just how much he can actually hear from his table.
"Why?" Thaïs enquires.
"Well," Uttu glances at her sister and Biliku nods for her to continue, "lead stops the Spider Goddess so it should also either stop of limit your ability to use mental spells."
Actually, that might work and it is something to consider. Definitely something you should test at a later time.
"Alright," you grin at the girls, "What else?"
"Ah, we should get you before you even know we are there," Biliku hazards, "An ambush preferably. Some sort of attack that leaves you no time to use your slower spells..."
"Bows," Uttu adds, "or crossbows."
"Or even cocktails," Biliku agrees, "Any sort of ranged weapon, deployed in secret and sprung at the last moment. Berty says that, that is the best way to deal with any mage. Kill them before they even know you are there!"
"That I do, that I do! Damn fine work kids!" their instructor once more bellows.
"Don't you have a report to work on!" you shout back.
He grins, raises his beer and turns back to his group.
"How about, oh, a Fallen Lord?" Thaïs prods them.
They frown, "You don't fight an archmage," Uttu answers, "Too much power."
Biliku nods, "Mr. Levy says to stay away from archmages, let the heroes and gods fight each other. The common soldier or even the common commander should not tackle that kind of enemy if they can avoid it."
"And if you can't?" you poke them once more.
"Ah," Uttu hesitates.
"You do it like Alric," Biliku replies quietly, "You hit them hard, you fight dirty and you give them absolutely no chance to slip out. Anything less and you will lose everything."
A bit dire a pronouncement for a causal dinner you must admit but at least Berty is teaching the girls properly. You turn the conversation to happier matters for a time. Eventually the conversation flags for a moment as the girls reload their plates so you spare a quick glance at the rest of the room.
To your left Lyssa, Berty, Mayer and Skite confer around the stuffed boar. As they pick at the animal they work to finalize their report and recommendations, arguing with on another over salaries, assets and the various merits of the companies they have interviewed today.
Beyond them Martin and the other mice crowd together around a bowl of fruit, squeaking out some sort of chant, perhaps a prayer, before they dive into the dish.
The Sovereigns crowd together in the corner, eyeing the exits and your group with a degree of distrust that is completely understandable given the situation. It did not feel right to throw them in a prison cell and they are not likely to escape your group. You will let them enjoy their dinner and then you will have them sent to a secure part of the compound, guest quarters that Albrecht keeps for just such a situation. You have been assured that they will be treated well and when you succeed tomorrow hopefully they will see the wisdom in your actions.
Your thoughts are broken by your recruitment team rising and approaching your table. It seems they have finally finished their report. You invite them to your little table as the girls excuse themselves to go study in their chamber.
"Well how did your day go?" you ask Lyssa as she takes the open chair next to you.
"Better than yours if what your escort says is true," she replies eyeing your wine.
You motion for her to fill a glass, "It was not that bad, only two fights-"
"Three, Derryth," Thaïs quickly corrects you.
"Well only two that count," you shoot back, "And really only one of them was near fatal which is about-"
"Average?" Lyssa grins and raises her glass, sipping at the magnificent liquid.
You and your better half exchange a glance and answer as one, "Exactly."
"So how was your day?" Thaïs repeats your question.
"Boring," Berty mutter.
"Enlightening," Lyssa responds.
"Exasperating," Skite mumbles
Mayer considers his response carefully, "Profitable, potentially quite profitable."
Such a varied response strikes the two of you as a little odd, "It sounds like you all had very different days."
"Not really," Mayer replies calmly, "Some people just do not have any patience."
"Thirty two mercenary companies Mayer!" Skite interrupts, "Without even a lunch break!"
"Oh it was not that bad," the banker replies, scratching at his scarred hand absentmindedly, "Only about six of those companies are even worth our time."
"Seven," Berty adds as he gets up and plucks another beer from the main table, "I still think we can make use of the rookies."
"They have no assets," Mayer shoots back.
"They have no skills," Skite adds quickly.
"Exactly," Berty replies with a grin, "They have no bad habits that they have to unlearn. They have no responsibilities or ties to the Kingdom. They are outsiders but that is an advantage if we are looking for people that we can trust."
"It is a waste," the banker and the mercenary reply together.
"Well why don't we let our employers decide," your tactician answers.
Your team presents you with seven detailed dossiers and an eighth report outlining the independent mercenaries available for hire in the city.
It is going to take you some time to sort through it all. Thankfully each of your advisers have included their opinions as part of each file. If you can reach a decision by tomorrow they can approach the appropriate parties and work out satisfactory arrangements before you even leave the city.
-----------------------------------------
After dinner most of your guests have cleared out. Berty and Skite have returned to their rooms, the Sovereigns have been safely escorted to their lodgings and the girls are fast asleep in their beds. You managed to bargain them down to only one story tonight, a tale Thaïs has taken to calling Derryth ó Foghladh and the Ark of Covenant. The girls declared it their favourite story yet and drifted happily off to sleep.
You rejoin Lyssa in the main chamber as the mice scurry about the table, picking at all the remains. Lyssa gathers up a sack of meat and smiles at the pair of you as you enter, "For the eagles, they are always complaining that I never give them treats."
The eagles do good work, you will not begrudge them a little indulgence now and then.
Before they clear out though Lyssa does pass on one interesting piece of information. Martin and your mouse team think they have discovered something, one of the King's maids seems to be in contact with at least two people outside of the palace. It is possible that she is leaking information but the mice are not sure. You could have her brought in for interrogation or you could let them continue to observe her and see if they can figure out anything else, the choice is ultimately yours.
--------------------------------------------
One final meeting before the morning.
You stand in the familiar field.
A light breeze blows your gown to and fro.
He is making you wait, well fine, he is royalty after all. A certain degree of arrogance is to be expected but you would really rather not waste your-
A crash of thunder, storm clouds rolling in.
He is aiming to make a grand entrance this time.
"Derryth!" he shouts as he descends in a chariot of fire and mist, "I have come!"
"Good for you," you shout back, "You're also late."
He groans, the sky clears and his chariot vanishes. With a few lazy flaps of his wings he drifts down next to you, "Does anything impress you?"
You consider the question and admit that the answer is yes, Thaïs for example impresses you every day.
"Some people do," you respond quietly. A slight smile on your lips.
He nods, "Ah, well never take it for granted. It is an easy thing to fall out of love."
"It is not just love Morpheus," you lean back against your altar, "Honestly there are not even words for it."
"Everyone says that," the Prince of the Dreaming laughs, low and sonorous, "But in time everyone learns. Nothing is forever."
You will admit, you may not be the most objective person in this case but you would bet he is wrong here.
You shift the conversation, "So are you included in 'everyone'?"
He grins, once more revealing those razor like teeth, "Perhaps. Perhaps I loved once, or many times, perhaps I fell out of love."
"Any chance I could meet some of these former flames of yours," you push him slightly closer to your desired topic.
He meets your question with a question, "Who did you have in mind?"
"Well your daughter has told me so much about your wife..." you let your words trail off into the meadow.
"Which daughter?" he smirks, "And which wife?"
You sigh, "Nephila and your first wife."
He tilts his head, "Nephila, Nephila," his eyes light up, "Was she-"
"One of your daughters by the Spider Goddess," you finish his thought.
"Right, right," he nods a couple times, more to himself than to you, "I have so many children you see but I do recall a Nephila. She came to visit me once. I offered to let her stay. Sadly she did not take me up on that offer but she did have so very many questions," he peers through you, into your very soul, "How do you know Nephila anyway?"
"We helped one another in the past," you answer cryptically, "Perhaps we will help each other again in the future."
"What kind of help," the Prince needles you.
"Do you really need to know?" you respond.
"Depends," he grins, "Do you need to know about my first wife?"
You shake your head, "Fine, we gave each other information and we helped each other with our goals."
He shakes his head, "You should not trust demons Derryth, they will inevitably turn on you."
"But she is your daughter-" you begin.
"Then as her father I am telling you do not trust a demon," he answers quickly, "Unless..."
"Unless you have their oath?" you hazard.
He studies you carefully, "Did you?" he tilts his head, then bursts out laughing, "You did, didn't you! You formed a blood pact with my daughter! I hope she did not take advantage of you."
"I doubt it," you calmly reply, "It was her first time too."
He beams, "Well hell Derryth. Every demon remembers their first time, the pain, the loss of freedom, the connection to a mortal," he sighs, "That takes me back, I remember this little bent chieftain, withered husk of a man really, he wanted youth and he was willing to do all sorts of-" the Prince pauses as you study him carefully, "Well, that is a story for another time but look at you, making deals with demons, blood pacts with my own family no less! That makes you but one step removed from my own kin!"
You are not quite sure how you should feel about that but you push on, "So, since we are practically family is there any chance I could meet your first wife."
"Certainly," he beams, "Ah, if I might ask, what for?"
"I want to talk to her about her family," you quickly reply.
He nods slowly, genuine remorse writ on his face, "What a horrid situation all around. I truly wish you and the Spider Goddess would cease quarreling."
"I doubt that is an option at the moment," you shoot back.
"So very true," he nods, "If you give me a day or two I can set up a meeting. My dear lady does not like to be startled so I must approach the issue carefully."
You nod impatiently, "Whatever must be done, do it."
He grins at you one final time, "Was there anything else you needed?"
"Yes," you reply with a smirk, "I want you to teach me how to open a gateway to the Dreaming. I want to send you at least one mage in body and mind."
His grin spreads, growing impossibly wide, "Oh dearest Derryth! You really do spoil me!"
"Hold on," you warn him, "I have to tell you what I want in return."
"Power?" he hazards.
"Knowledge," you answer.
"And that," he grins, "Is why I like you so much Derryth. You know that knowledge is the only true power to be had."
You spend the better part of your dream working out the details with Morpheus, you will give him the dwarf Hallr, in return he will give you the dwarf's entire store of knowledge. A fair deal for everyone, you suppose, well except maybe Hallr.
----------------------------------------------
"When is he going to get here?" the maul grunts, "How long do we have to wait?"
"Until he shows up," you reply, "If he does not show up then we will have the full support of the Crown when we move on him."
"As long as our friends get out of this alive I have no complaints," the human adds.
It occurs to you that you still have not asked their names. You will have to change that when you have a moment.
Now is not the best time though. You are packed into a side closet with three of the Sovereigns. Thaïs, the girls and the other two Sovereigns occupy the closet on the other side of Albrecht's chamber. A perfectly acceptable trap for Wenzel should he decide to answer his father's summons.
It has been a couple hours though and he still has not shown up, you hope he is merely sobering up and that he has not murdered his prisoners and fortified his compound. You hope you are just being paranoid and that your play will work, you hope you have not royally screwed the Sovereigns, you hope-
The door creeks open and you hear a guard call out, "Prince of the Blood, Count of the Windspears, Wenzel the Bold seeks the King's permission to enter."
"Granted," the King shouts back.
Wenzel, Albrecht's third son, enters and you grasp your first good look at the dwarf.
Well, he did not spend all of that time making himself presentable, that's for sure. His eyes are bloodshot and sunken, his hair pressed to one side of his head, brown but with the odd streak of grey, there is a certain wobble to his step. He skin is pale and a little green, his bulbous nose is crooked, likely broken and healed several times over the years.
He stops well short of his father. The older dwarf smiles weakly, "My boy-"
The son raises a hand in protest, "You lost the right to call me that when you threw me out on my ass."
"I did not throw you out," the King quietly replies, you do not think you have seen him this dispirited, "I just could not watch you do-" he stops as his son drops into the largest chair in the room.
Wenzel throws his legs over one of its arm and rests his head upon the other, closing his eyes. The look on his face is one of malice and supreme confidence "Well, I don't really care to be honest. Let's just get this over with, then we can go back to not giving a fuck about each other."
"Wenzel-" the father starts, taking a step towards his son.
The son cracks a single eye open and graces his father with a look of complete loathing, "Like I said I really could not give a fuck about what you have to say. I made it clear, not so long ago, I hate you, I hate what you are, I hate what you did to mother, I hated your strength when you had it but honestly I hate your weakness even more. I hate you, Albrecht," Wenzel snorts, "And if you were going to do something about me you would have done it by now so clearly this is not about me. Now, I have to ask what did you want me for?"
The King turns from his son, with a strained voice he calls to you, "Alright, he is all yours."
Albrecht does not spare his son another glance, he walks right past the Prince and out the door.
"Albrecht?" Wenzel calls out as he sits up, "What is going on?"
You, Thaïs, the girls and the five Sovereigns file out of the side rooms, weapons and spells at the ready.
"Albrecht!" Wenzel shouts at the retreating figure of his father, now leaving the antechamber, "Who are these people!"
"Wenzel?" Thaïs approaches him, "May we talk?"
"Depends," the Prince fixes a single bloodshot eye on your partner, "What do you want to talk about?"
"How about the Watcher?" you ask, leaning in over his chair.
The Prince leans back and looks up at you. He laughs, "I have no fucking clue what you are talking about."
"Alright," your better half interjects, "How about something else then? How about the locations of certain government prisons and their occupants?"
The Prince spits on the rug, and grins at her, then at you, "Again, I have to plead ignorance."
The maul, his store of patience quickly diminishing, cuts in, "How about the location of Letta and our fellows?"
The Prince beams, hatred flares in his eyes, "I see no reason to answer that either. I fact, I see no reason to stay here at all."
He moves to stand but the maul pushes him back into his chair, "You are not going anywhere until we get some answers. I want to know where our friends are and I want you to free them or I swear I am going to drive my fucking knife through your Wyrd damned throat!"
"I am a royal prince!" Wenzel shouts, "I could have you hung for even threatening me! Now let me go!"
"Make me," the maul replies as he reaches for his belt.
Now might be a good time to intervene, if the Sovereigns kill Wenzel then you won't get any information from him and you will have to explain the incident to the King, then he will have to explain to the court what exactly happened here today.
Of course, maybe the maul's particular brand of persuasion will work after all.
1. The Interrogation, You decide to:
A) Interrogate Wenzel yourselves
i. You will simply talk to the Prince. Thaïs will try to win him over while you will antagonize him as necessary, the two of you will focus on extracting as much information as possible.
ii. You will use your mentalist spells to render the Prince helpless. You will then take all the information you need. At least he will not be physically harmed though you may have to explain your actions to the King if Wenzel really does know nothing.
iii. You have a more permanent solution in mind. You have already talked to Morpheus about using the Dreaming to house individuals you would like to interrogate. You will open a gate and send Wenzel through at the same time that you send off Hallr. The Prince of the Dreaming can then give you all the information you could want and Wenzel would be out of the way. You will have to justify your actions before the King though and it might make retrieving Letta and the rest of the prisoners more difficult.
iv. 'You will engage Wenzel in a conversation as per Ai. You will come up with a business proposal for the Weazels that would be believable enough for Wenzel to swallow. You will try to convince him to summon his second-in-command here with a signed letter to work out the details. You will then discreetly modify the letter so that it would read as an urgent request to bring Letta to the Palace, signed by Wenzel himself, and send it with the fastest carriage to the Weazels' compound. Hopefully, it would be enough to bring the prisoners here, where you would have an easier time freeing them. Keep Wenzel talking until then.'
v. freeform
B) You will let the maul and the Sovereigns conduct the interrogation. They would likely appreciate the gesture but it is likely they will get rough with the Prince and you might have to explain that to Albrecht if Wenzel actually knows nothing.
C) You will let Wenzel go and then track him. If he will not tell you anything then maybe you can find out the same information by following him. You will have to convince the Sovereigns though without tipping off the Prince.
D) 'Thais will lead the interrogation with Derryth acting in support, using mental spells when he is distracted, in short you will try not to destroy his mind, in case that doesn't work you will consign him to the sovereigns.'
Expanding your Operation: Your recruitment team has put together dossiers on seven companies that might be worth your effort to acquire. (As each option has further sub options the way I will handle this is to count each as a separate question. Each question will be broken down into a summary with 'Buy' options and a 'Don't Buy' option. All 'Buy' options will be counted together and the winning choice will be the most popular one. This will mean a lot of voting and you will likely have to be mindful of how the options work together but I have faith in you all...)
Note: If you want to try and negotiate some sort of freeform option then feel free to propose it and I will let you know what can be done.
2. The Blooded Doves: A human outfit, mostly heavy infantry. They are the former guardians of a minor faith, however a schism in their church has left them without a patron. They take on mercenary work to cover their expenses. They dress in red and white and you met a few of them at Meletē's workshop. You could buy them out if you are willing to respect their faith, provide them with space for a chapel at your facilities and clothe and feed them.
Leader: Ada the Dove
Numbers: Sixty human soldiers. Forty of which are heavy infantry, ten of which are light infantry and ten of which are light cavalry. Their cost is higher than average as each has a great deal of intricate equipment to maintain most of which has a religious significance for them.
Flat costs: The Doves will run you about 60WPs a month given the supplies they will require for their own use and for their rituals.
Opinions:
Lyssa likes this option, she reasons that since they already have a god they will not be easily compromised by either the Watcher or the Spider Goddess. She thinks their mental resiliency will come in handy.
Berty likes this option, the Doves provide a core of heavy infantry, something your Blackrock mercenaries lack, with a little light infantry to supplement your own and some light cavalry for mobility.
Mayer does not like this option, the Doves are expensive and will require further assets to maintain their faith. He argues that they simply are not worth the cost.
Skite likes this option, he has had dealings with the Doves in the past and has found them to be reasonable if a little strange. He argues that if you are willing to respect their faith you will be hard pressed to find a more skilled company of infantrymen.
A) Hire
i. To buy out but keep Ada and her officers on - 750 WPs, you will have to make the payments by monthly instalments. Mayer believes that Ada would settle for 30WPs a month.
ii. To buy out and make Ada a partner - 400 WPs, you will have to make the payments by monthly instalments. Mayer believes that Ada would settle for 15WPs a month.
B) Don't Hire
C) Don't hire them now, but postpone the decision until our financial situation improves.
3. Ta' Blue Bastards: They are, interesting. You met a few at Meletē's workshop as well. They fight naked and attack with multiple blades. Most of them are dwarves but there are a few mauls and humans as well. They paint themselves in blue dye as they believe it will protect them in battle. They tend to drink most of their money away and so are always looking for new jobs. If you gave them food, board and booze they would gladly fight for you.
Leader: 'Ta Blue Bastard
Numbers: One hundred and twenty 'berserker braves', (eighty dwarves, twenty humans and twenty mauls).
Flat Costs: The Bastards do not require much more than alcohol. (They will scavenge and steal the rest.) As a result they will cost you about 20WPs monthly.
Opinions:
Lyssa does not like this option. The Bastard told her she had nice 'tits' five times in three minutes. In fact it was a challenge to get any information out of him at all. On the bright side she doubts that he, or his men, are capable of being subverted by the Goddess or the Watcher. They simply lack the intelligence to want for more than a full mug and a blood soaked blade.
Berty is undecided on this option. He says that the Bastard and his men lack the ability to follow simple orders and as a result would be of little long term use. However, you could use them as cannon fodder as it is likely they would charge any enemy no matter the odds. He says it all comes down to what you expect them to do.
Mayer likes this option. He argues that they are cheap bodies that can be placed between you and most any threat. Sure they will die in large numbers but those that die also do not need to be paid and they are dumb enough to follow damn near any order you could give them.
Skite does not like this option. He has worked with the Bastards before and they inevitably ruin all that they touch. If you hire them he tells you to treat them as completely expendable because they are.
A) Hire
i. To fully buy out the Bastard - 100 WPs and twelve cases of the finest whiskey you can get. The whiskey will run you about thirty WPs, beyond that it is likely to only cost you about 8WPs a month.
ii. To buy out and keep the Bastard and his fellows on - 50 WPs. This could be done for 5WPs a month, maybe less if you get them all killed.
iii. To buy out and make the Bastard a partner - Free but he will want any and all alcohol you come across.
B) Don't Hire
4. The Mighty Cocks: A traditional mercenary company held together by gold, beer and a bit of violence. The Cocks are good at fighting and little else, as such they are often mislead by their employers and short changed when it comes time to pay up. Given their violent disposition the Cocks usually manage to get their payment, in gold or blood, either will do. They dress in gaudy greens and red and tend to prefer cheap, easy to acquire weapons and armour. Given the company's history of violence it tends to attract a disproportionate number of Berserks, Mauls and criminals. It is led by a massive Maul known only as the Cock, there are a number of rather entertaining stories about how he got that name. It is likely none of them are true. Give them gold or blood and they will follow.
Leader: The Cock
Numbers: Ninety brawlers (forty Berserks, thirty mauls, and twenty dwarves). They are all poorly armed and armoured.
Flat Cost: The Cocks will cost you about 30WPs monthly to support them and their lifestyles.
Opinions:
Lyssa does not like this option. She says that the Cocks are motivated entirely by material concerns. They will remain loyal as long as you can pay well but they could easily be tempted by the Goddess or the Watcher with the right resources.
Berty likes this option. He says that the Cocks are the sort of brigands that are easy to understand and easy to use. They have just enough disciple to be a consistent tool and enough viciousness to make your enemies rue crossing you. He does note however that you will need to keep a close eye on them as their loyalty will not be guaranteed.
Mayer is undecided on this option. Their asking price is not horrible all things considered but it is hardly great either. He says that it is completely up to you.
Skite is also undecided on this option. He has never worked with the Cocks before. From what he can tell they are more or less like any other mercenary band he has come across and while their materialistic nature does not put him off he also is not terribly impressed by their leadership. He recommends challenging the Cock to a duel if you do decide to recruit them. If you kill the Cock you will have a lot more legitimacy in the eyes of his followers and that might help you control them.
A) Hire
i. To fully buy out the Cock - Free, you will need to challenge him and kill him in single combat. Anything goes.
ii. To buy out and keep the Cock and his lieutenants on - 500 WPs. You could pull this off with a monthly payment of 40WPs, the Cock wants to receive everything he is owed within a year.
iii. To buy out and make the Cock a partner - 300 WPs. You would be looking at a cost of approximately 12 WPs a month if you keep the Cock around, he would like to be paid in full within two years.
B) Don't Hire
C) Ask Berty if he wants to take on the Cock for control of the company. It would be his to lead if he succeeds The girls can provide whatever magical assistance they can before the fight if he wishes.
5. The Knights of the Broken Lance: A company comprised entirely of cavalry, with a fairly even mix of heavy and light cavalry (about thirty riders in total). Most are the fourth or fifth sons of minor noble houses in the Empire. With few careers open to them in the Empire they came south and offered their services to the dwarves. The dwarves generally lack strong mobile elements in their military forces, with the exception of small companies of chariots so the Knights have managed to make a living within the Kingdom. Many of its members long to return to their homeland though and as a result they are open to the idea of serving other humans that can make that happen. They have made a name for themselves patrolling the highways between Myrgard and Stoneheim, protecting merchant caravans and terrorizing brigands. They have a reputation for professionalism but they have been known to charge a lot for even the simplest of jobs. Still, if you want mobility on the battlefield there are few options as goods as the Knights.
Leader: Oscar mac Cumhail
Numbers: Thirty riders, twenty heavy cavalry and ten light cavalry
Flat Cost: The Knights tend to live large. They will cost 80WPs a month to see to their needs and their desires.
Opinions:
Lyssa is undecided on this option. They come from the Province so they are unlikely to be already compromised and as sons of nobility they may find the idea of serving a Fallen Lord or a Dark Goddess repulsive. However they also seem to be motivated largely by a desire for money and a chance to return to their homeland. Such motives could be easily corrupted.
Berty likes this option. Mobility can be key to controlling any battlefield and can provide a commander with a number of options that would not otherwise be available. If you plan to wage war on open terrain then the Knights could prove quite useful.
Mayer does not like this option. Cavalry are very expensive and the Knights have no real assets to speak off in a corporate sense. Each knight receives his or her share of a contract and nothing is kept for communal needs. This company will cost you.
Skite is uncertain about this option. He is ready to admit that a strong cavalry branch could open all sorts of tactical and strategic possibilities but he is uncertain of how readily the Knights would follow the lead of a pair of commoners or a handful of regular mercenaries. He is worried that their may be leadership issues if the Knights are not handled carefully.
A) Hire
i. To fully buy out the Knights - 1000 WPs, so that Oscar can return to the Empire and settle on a proper estate. The first 300WPs would have to be paid up front with the remaining 700WPs paid out annually in chunks of 200 to 300 WPs. Mayer could lend you some money f you really needed it or you could take out another loan with the moneylenders.
ii. To buy out the Knights but keep Oscar on - 400 WPs, in monthly payments of about 16 WPs.
iii. To buy out the Knights and make Oscar a partner - 300WPs, in monthly payments of about 12 WPs each.
B) Don't Hire
6. The Hounds: A fitting name for a company that trains and utilizes beasts on the battlefield. Most of the company is comprised of dwarves and their pet wolfhounds but a handful of fir'Bolgs and humans bring more exotic beasts with them as well. Your team did not get a chance to see such creatures first hand.
Leader: Egil
Numbers: Twenty dwarves, fifty hounds, six humans, four elephants, two fir'Bolg, six Ermine wolves
Flat Costs: The Hounds will cost you about 60 WPs monthly to feed, house and take care of all staff and animals.
Lyssa does not like this option. Not because they might be corrupted but because they treat their animals horribly. She almost wept when she saw the scars on some of their hounds and the conditions they kept them in.
Berty likes this option. He can think of a number of purposes these animals can be set to and he is fairly confident that the Hounds are smart enough to properly execute them.
Mayer likes this option. The animals require little more than basic food and a place to rest while the wages for the handlers are not outrageous either. The elephants are something of a drain but they are just so impressive that he is willing to make an exception.
Skite is undecided on this option. He has only heard of the Hounds second hand and has not directly dealt with them. From what he knows they are decent enough but he is unconvinced about the use of animals in war. He argues that you should not send a hound to do the work of a man but he is ultimately willing to defer to your judgement.
A) Hire
i. To completely buy out the Hounds - 500 WPs, one hundred of which is to be paid up front so that Egil can buy a little plantation he has had his eye on. The rest is to be paid annually in increments of 100 WPs.
ii. To buy out the Hounds but keep Egil on - 400 WPs, at about 16 WPs a month
iii. To buy out the Hounds and make Egil a partner, 200WPs, at about 8 WPs a month
B) Don't Hire
C) Don't Hire and don't let those animals suffer either. You will have Martin, your rodents and perhaps the eagles work together on freeing the Hounds' animals. They will attempt to escape to a secure location and contact you when they are done.
7. The Grey Arrows: A rather interesting company founded by the Lady Grey. It is hard to say if she is actually a Lady with full rank in the Empire but she certainly has the money to back up her claim. Her company consists of archers, equipped with the finest weapons and armour that money can buy but they seem to lack discipline and any real combat experience. The Lady Grey approached your team when she heard that you are close friends with the Black Arrows and regularly work alongside them. It seems that the Lady has a bit of a crush on the mysterious Ceannard, the Black Arrow, and she has sought to emulate him in all things.
Leader: The Lady Grey
Numbers: Sixty 'Grey Arrows', novice human bowmen in exquisite gear.
Flat Cost: The Greys will cost you nothing. In fact the Lady Grey holds assets that bring in about 70 WPs monthly. As long as she is kept happy those funds could likely be yours.
Lyssa likes this option. She thinks it will be a good way to have a little fun at Ceannard's expense and the Greys are unlikely to already be compromised as they all come from outside the Kingdom.
Berty is uncertain about this option. The Greys are a little green and normally he would not consider that a problem but the Lady Grey takes a very firm hand in training them. Unfortunately she is training them improperly. He says a lot will rest on managing the Lady Grey herself.
Mayer really likes this option. The Lady Grey has money, lots of money, and is willing to share under certain circumstances. He says that of all the companies they interviewed the Grey Arrows are the only one that would actually improve your financial situation.
Skite does not like this option. He says that the Lady Grey is merely pretending at being a mercenary to attract Ceannard's attention and worse yet she is completely unmanageable, at least in his opinion. He says you should not bother with her.
A) Hire. The Lady Grey has no wish to retire or become someone's employee. If you wish to absorb her company she insists on being made a partner. Should you agree to this proposal she is willing to pool her resources with yours in exchange for a fair share of all profits (+500WPs).
B) Don't Hire.
8. The Brickyard Boys: A new company, founded after the fire that ravaged the poor end of Myrgard. This company is comprised of former shop owners, clerks, beggars, and unemployed tenants. They cobbled together what equipment they could find and organized themselves behind the biggest member of their group. They seek revenge against the Watcher and his necromancers as well as food, shelter and a decent day's pay. When they heard that the 'Heroes of the Kingdom' were seeking recruits they quickly applied. In fact their representative was first in line.
Leader: Ajiak the Mason
Numbers: Four hundred dwarves armed with makeshift weapons and cloth armour or no armour at all.
Flat cost: It will cost you an additional 20WPs a month to feed and shelter all these people. Options to equip and train them will be available should this option be chosen.
Opinions:
Lyssa is uncertain about this option. She did not detect any outside influences in the representative the Brickyard Boys sent but with such a large group, with such an open membership, it would be difficult to weed out any spies.
Berty is strongly in favour of this option. He argues that you have a body of willing soldiers without a strong command structure or any preconceptions. They are as unmolded clay and you can build them up as you wish. You get the impression that he is quite excited about the possibilities they could present.
Mayer is against this option. In fact he was even against its inclusion in the list provided to you. He argues that these mercenaries will be nothing but a drain on your resources, you will not only have to feed them and shelter them but you will also have to arm and train them and worst of all they have no resources of their own to contribute.
Skite is uncertain about this option. He says it is a bit of a gamble and he is certain that at least some of the members of this company are unfit for military service. However if you can organize and train them it would give you a military presence on par with some of the smaller Great Houses and you would dwarf many of the lesser Houses in size. There are definite possibilities there.
A) Hire
i. Hire but keep Ajiak on - 100 WPs, payable in 5 WP monthly instalments
ii. Buy out the Boys and make Ajiak a partner - 50 WPs, payable in 2 WP monthly instalments.
B) Don't Hire
9. Unaffiliated Mercenaries: There are a number of unaffiliated mercenaries that approached your team seeking work. Wages (per month) and numbers listed below if you would prefer to take a more 'a la carte' approach. All of these mercenaries are skilled but none of them are veterans, they are simply 'regular' examples of their professions unless otherwise noted. (Given the nature of this type of question any option that receives majority approval will be selected, the most popular number/variant will then be chosen. So if you select an option from this list be sure to include the number you wish to hire. If you do not want to hire anyone this way then simply write 'no hires' and I will count it as a vote against each option.)
Dwarves: As the majority race in the Kingdom most of the mercenaries available are dwarves.
A) Grenadiers - Basic load out includes satchel charges (4) and cocktails (40). Wool armour and a knife if needed. Cost: 1 WP for every two. Maximum of forty.
B) Warriors - Basic load out includes a hand weapon, plate armour and shield. Cost: 1 WP for every four. Maximum of forty.
C) Crossbowmen - A rarer sort of soldier, each is armed with a heavy crossbow and a quiver of thirty bolts. They wear leather armour and each has a blade similar to a cutlass. Cost: 4 WPs each. Maximum of twenty.
D) Mortars - These are technically illegal so you would have to be careful in how you deploy them but there are a few available. Each dwarf has his own mortar and twenty shells. Wool armour, a metal helmet and a knife round out their kit. Cost: 10 WPs each. Maximum of five.
E) Enchanters - A few of the junior members of the Academy have also approached your team, drawn by tales of adventure and battling great evil. They are accustomed to a certain standard of living however. Each wears leather armour and wields a two handed hammer and four throwing axes. They specialize in enchantments with some basic knowledge of elemental magic. Cost: 8 WPs each. Maximum of five.
Humans: The second most common race in the Kingdom.
F) Human Sellswords - Each wears leather armour and carries a broadsword and large round shield (leather over wood). These are the basic sorts of mercenaries found the world over. Cost: 2 WPs for three. Maximum of thirty.
G) Human Archers - Each caries a bow and quiver with twenty four arrows. They are also equipped with quilted armour and falchions. Cost: 3WPs for two. Maximum of twenty.
H) Former Legion Warriors - Each carries the mail of a former legionnaire along with the traditional kite shield and broadsword. These men are superior to regular sellswords but they also cost more. Cost 1WP each. Maximum of twenty.
Mauls: The least common of the races that make up the mercenary pool in Myrgard. They tend to command a high price.
I) Warriors - Each wears a combination of furs and simple chain armour. They tend to wield large clubs but a handful have invested in metal weapons as well. Cost: 5WPs each. Maximum of ten.
10. The maid: Martin's team may have discovered a lead in the form of a maid that may be selling secrets to at least two individuals outside the palace. What do you want to do with her?
A) Bring her in for questioning. You and Thaïs will talk to her.
B) Bring her in for questioning. You and Thaïs will use your mentalist spells on her.
C) Bring her in for questioning. You will give her to Morpheus and let him interrogate her in her dreams.
D) Bring her in for questioning. You will let the Pathfinders take her and do what they do best.
E) You will let Martin continue to investigate her as he so chooses.
F) You will have the maid assigned to your person and get her to help you with mundane matters. You and Thaïs will then distract her with conversation and attempt to scan her thoughts.
G) You will attempt to flip her and turn her into a double agent.
I) freeform
11. A loan from Mayer: It has occurred to you that you might be able to convince Mayer to lend you some funds in order to pay down your debt. Admittedly you will then owe Mayer but you might be able to convince him to hold off on collecting payments until your other debts are settled. This should put a little extra money in his pocket and get you out from under the heels of the Goldsmiths sooner. You just need to come up with a way to propose the deal and ease any concerns he may have.
A) Drawing on the wealth you have in Muirthemne you offer Mayer a promissory note and instruct him on how to find Gareth should something happen to you. The dwarf may be a bit hesitant to take such a guarantee however as he has no way of knowing that your wealth is real.
B) You ask Albrecht to draw up a note guaranteeing the sum you intend to borrow. It will be deposited with the goldsmiths and Mayer will be able to collect using one of his many aliases should something happen to you before you can repay the debt.
C) You will give him something you own of sufficient value to cover the debt. When you have paid off the debt he will return the item to you. (Options include all of your spare spellbooks, your half of the Halcyon Stone, and the like. Feel free to suggest something and I will tell you if it covers the amount in Mayer's eyes.)
D) You, or rather Thaïs, will reason with the dwarf. You are convinced that you can show him it is in both of your interests to work together on this. A short meeting is all it should take to sort everything out... you hope.
E) You would rather not ask Mayer for a loan.
F) freeform
12. You are sick of being hamstrung by your finances. You will convince the academy to help you open a portal to your base in Muirthemne at a site outside the city so tat you can retrieve 700WP (if available) to pay down your debts to the Goldsmiths. This will take an extra day but it may be worth it to have a free hand in hiring the mercenaries you will need to keep your investments sound and reassure your dwarven partner that you are indeed solvent. Also, it would be nice to check up on your interests in Muirthemne and leave a will in case the campaign goes sour.
A) Yes, you will attempt to open a gate back to Muirthemne
B) No, you don't wish take the risk or to share your gate spell with outsiders and time is of the essence.
Chapter 59: Questions of Trust
Chapter 59: Questions of TrustHow to do this?
Force would be the easiest way to get what you need. You would just have to demolish Wenzel mentally or physically, hell, you could even just leave him to the Sovereigns. One brief glance at the maul is enough to assure you that he will get the job done if you let him. Of course, there may not be much of the Prince left if you go down that route and that could make things more difficult for you in the long run.
His father would likely resent you if the Prince proves innocent and his brothers would certainly hate you without compelling proof to justify your actions. Finally there is the matter of Letta and the rest of the Sovereigns, if something goes wrong you might never secure their release.
Perhaps there is a smarter way to do this?
A better way to do this?
Is it possible?
Honestly you aren't sure but it is worth a try.
You cough, drawing the attention of all assembled, you grin and then you begin...
.
..
...
Actually this time it might be better to let Thaïs do this, you are only going to get one attempt after all. You just need a way of informing her of your plan. That should be easy enough to accomplish, you just need an excuse to mutter your plot to Caoilainn, she can do the rest.
As you cobble together a plan events continue to play out before you. The Prince, expert diplomat that he is, is moving ever closer to a premature end, "I am going to have you all hung for this! I am going to string you fucking peasants up! I am-"
He grunts and gasps as the maul's fist makes contact, a body blow that leaves him sucking air. You doubt the dwarf would even remain upright in his seat if the other Sovereigns were not holding him in place.
The maul chuckles, "Little Prince, if you don't tell me exactly what I want to hear you are-"
Best not to let the mercenary finish that threat, your better half is going to have enough trouble calming the Prince without any more threats levelled against him, "That's enough," you calmly command the maul.
"I will say when it is enough!" he bellows back, balling a fist and preparing to turn on the Prince again, "This little fuck-"
You step forward and grab the maul by the wrist. He stops dead and stares at you in confusion, you crack a slight smile at the situation. He is probably six or seven times your weight, he towers over you, he could swat you away with a flick of his wrist but as you look into his eyes, behind the annoyance and confusion, all you see is doubt and a hint of fear.
"Let go," he whispers.
"No," you reply coolly, casually.
"I could break you in half," he mutters in response.
"Really," you do your best to feign surprise, it is convincing enough, "You can do that?"
He cocks his head back, his confidence returning. He puffs his chest out, repeating his threat, "When I want to, I can break people."
"Oh," you reply, nodding twice. You do not remove your hand however, instead you beckon him, with a single, slender finger, to lower his head.
He squints at you, tilts his head as he considers you and then, with a brief chuckle, he does just as you request.
You look into his eyes with a serene smile on your face as he moves closer still.
As his head pulls even with your own you lean forward slowly, rising up on your toes. As your lips brush his ear, you speak, a mere whisper, intended for him and him alone, "When I want to, I can break armies."
You drop back on you heels and begin to walk toward the far side of the room, your hand still around his massive wrist. You do not spare him a single glance.
He lets you guide him, his eyes boring into the back of your skull as you lead him across the room and out of range of the rest of your group.
You spin on your heel, and fire off a quiet question to the mercenary, "Do you want your fellows back?"
"Uh," he blinks twice, "Yeah, of course!"
"Then keep your voice down," you hiss, "And do exactly as I say."
You can read it on his face, his first instinct is to object. You don't give him the opportunity, "It is a simple choice- ah, what's your name by the way?"
"Everyone calls me Tusk," he answers bewildered.
"On account of being a maul?" you enquire.
"Yeah," he answers quickly, gathering his wits.
You try to explain yourself, "Well Tusk, I feel that between the tavern and our little conversation here that we may not have gotten off to the best start."
He laughs, "No shit!"
"I said keep your voice done, " you remind him, "I am going to get Letta and the rest of your friends out of Wenzel's compound but I need you to trust me and do what I say."
He shakes his head, "That sounds like a bad idea."
You sigh, it really is a shame that you can't have Thaïs do this, "Look, at this point how are you going to free the rest of the Sovereigns by yourself. You can't just murder a royal prince and expect to get away with it," well, actually he probably could if you spoke for him but Tusk does not need to know that, "And you can't drag him through the streets either."
He grumbles to himself, but nods, "If this does not work..."
You nod impatiently, "If it does not work then do what you have to but I think we can pull this off without any bloodshed."
"What do you need me to do?" the maul asks.
Well, at least now you have your excuse to communicate to Thaïs, "Just stand there and nod occasionally. Make it look like we are having a conversation but keep it quiet, I need to talk to my partner."
He nods but you can already see the questions forming in his mind as you begin to whisper to your ethereal officer, "Caoilainn?"
She clears her throat, clearly a little amused, "'I can break armies,' she says! You really are great with people, you know that?"
"Less talking and more listening please, I have another plan," she practically groans as you speak those words.
"Your plans tend to put us at risk," she mutters.
You take on the tone of an instructor, gently scolding her pupil for a lack of vision, "My plans also save our lives regularly and this one is completely safe, at least for us."
You sense her scepticism, "Well, what is it this time?"
You think she will be quite pleased with this plan, "We need to get a copy of the Prince's seal and a letter requesting that Letta and the rest of the Sovereigns be brought to the palace. Then we merely have to send it to Wenzel's compound and wait for the prisoners to come to us."
"That," she pauses to consider the notion, "That might work I guess and at least it puts us in no personal danger. A question though, oh brave and brilliant commander."
"What?" you answer as Tusk scrutinizes you, it is likely the maul thinks you are just a little mad, maybe you are.
"How do we get Wenzel to agree to writing such a letter?" it is a good question.
"I don't think we need to," you respond carefully, "We just need his seal and a sample of his writing. We get the Pathfinders to help with the rest."
Now this is all speculation on your part but if you were a highly illegal, shadow branch of the government you would likely have the ability to intercept and alter messages written by your enemies. It should not be that difficult to arrange for Wenzel to write a letter for you and once you do it should not be overly difficult to arrange for it to be altered.
If he proves to be exceptionally careless you might even be able to get him to put his name to a document that can be trimmed slightly to alter its meaning.
Caoilainn works quickly to pass the details on to Thaïs as you return to the group. They all seem far more relaxed now, mere clay in her skilled hands. The Prince even laughs with your partner as she recounts some of the miseries you suffered through at dinner with all those bankers when you were first establishing yourselves in the Kingdom.
She waves you over, "I was merely telling the Prince about our dinner with the late Barings and your strong desire to set the entire party ablaze."
The Prince grins at you, "You were really planning to set all those pompous little shits on fire? That's brilliant!"
He certainly seems to be in a better mood. Hopefully you will be able to get what you need from him.
------------------------------------------
"Well, that went well," you bask in the satisfaction of a job well done.
"Yeah, because you kept your mouth shut," Caoilainn chimes in.
Thaïs snickers.
You shrug it off, "Sure, laugh. Just remember which one of us came up with the brilliant plan."
You do not think it is a gross exaggeration to say that the plan was inspired, brilliant even, though it admittedly did not go off perfectly.
Wenzel proved more than willing to enter into a deal with you and quickly sent a missive off to his subordinates at the compound. From there it was a fairly trivial matter to have the message intercepted and altered.
Three hours later the Sovereigns were brought to the Palace and hidden away by Albrecht's people.
As for Wenzel, he left thirty minutes after that, none the wiser but furious that his subordinates had not responded to his call. He promised to be in touch as soon as he finished disciplining his men. You do not doubt though that when he realizes what happened he will hold it against you. You have likely made an enemy today.
Still, your plan to free the Sovereigns worked perfectly. It is just a shame that you were unable to fulfill your other objective. Though you talked to Wenzel for hours you did not learn much of direct use and your attempts to subtly probe his mind proved fruitless. Every time you tried to slip into his mind and pick at his surface thoughts you failed miserably. His mind presented itself as a still lake surrounded by a dark, quiet forest. Whatever secrets he has they were very well hidden and a deep reading would be needed to get more from him.
The Prince left the palace without settling your suspicions one way or the other.
You thought about holding him indefinitely at the palace while you employed a more direct form of interrogation but in the end you dismissed it. You certainly have your suspicions, it would be well within the power of the Goddess or the Watcher to shield a mind subtly, but Wenzel is also a royal prince and it is equally likely that he has taken precautions to prevent his thoughts from being casually read. If you did assault him, in either meaning of the word, then you would be gambling everything on his guilt. If he proved innocent, you would make an enemy not just of him but of his brothers as well and you have enough to worry about without making unnecessary enemies.
You did learn a couple useful pieces of information though.
The first is that one of his lieutenants took a contract and about fifty men to the south of the city two days ago. The second scrap of information consists of the number of his captains, five in total, three dwarves, a maul and a human. Three of which are mages though he seemed unwilling to get into specifics on your first meeting.
It might be worthwhile to investigate his organization more thoroughly though you are uncertain if you are merely being paranoid or if there really is the influence of the Goddess or the Watcher at play here.
Your thoughts are interrupted by the door creaking open. Letta stands in the doorway, her face and arms bruised but not seriously injured. Thankfully Wenzel's people did not have a taste for in-depth torture.
The tired dwarf gives you a single curt nod; her short, blond locks dipping slightly. In a measured, husky tone she begins, "We have spoken about your offer, to investigate the graffiti around the city, and we will do it but we need a place to work out of and certain necessities."
"Shouldn't be a problem," you answer.
Thaïs inclines her head in agreement, "Certainly, whatever you need. Money is not a problem simply give our people a list of what you need."
"Alright then," he folds her weathered arms across her chest, "We will start tomorrow."
With a final nod, she pushes off from the doorframe and backs into the side room quietly closing the door as she goes.
"What do you think of her," your partner enquires.
"Seems nice enough," you respond with a shrug, "Calm, professional, level-headed."
Her question comes quickly on the end of your sentence, "The sort we need?"
"If we can get them, sure, why not?" it is not really a concern for the moment though. You still have much of the afternoon before you and you should not waste the time in idle talk.
1. The rest of the day is yours to do with as you please. You could go looking for trouble or perhaps take care of a few things while you have time in the city. You choose to:
A) Acquire replacement armour and weapons. If you are going to head into a warzone in two days time then you think it might be wise to look into replacing your missing equipment.
i. Go see the King. If you raise the issue of your ruined equipment with him you do not doubt that he will do his best to ensure you are equipped for the task ahead. You will likely have to spend the rest of the day either at the Academy or the armoury being fitted and trying out weaponry however you will also have access to some of the best armourers and crafters in the Kingdom.
ii. Go see the Brothers Dietfried. While you do need replacement equipment you also would like more energon cubes and mandrake roots, resources that are becoming very scarce in the city. If anyone can get some for you it will be the Brothers and they likely still have at least a few pieces of magical equipment you might find a use for.
iii. freeform - If you can think of another potential source of replacement equipment feel free to suggest it.
B) You will go to meet the Seekers. Since these mages will serve as your subordinates during your time in the south it might be wise to meet them now and get a feel for what they are like.
C) You will check in with your recruitment team. They should be organizing your new mercenaries today and there may be benefits to checking in on them before they return this evening with your new captains.
D) You feel the need to go get a drink and that is what you will do. You will take a small escort of no more than five and find a bar to spend the afternoon in. Who knows, you might encounter something or someone interesting.
E) Break into Wenzel's compound. Maybe you can find some sort of evidence that will either confirm your suspicions or prove the dwarf innocent of treason. As long as you are not caught you should be fine, if you are caught though things might get a bit hectic.
F) freeform
2. You have a few avenues of investigating the Weazels further, even without breaking into their compound.
A) You go for it. (several options may be chosen)
i. You send a team of Pathfinders to investigate them. Albrecht can deal with whatever they discover himself.
ii. You send your mice to spy on their compound. They will likely only have a day at most before you leave the city, however.
iii. You send Berty and a team of his choosing to draw out one of their captains from the compound and capture them for interrogation.
B) You do not bother with the Weasels. You have enough enemies as it is, no need to antagonize them further.
Chapter 60: Power Obscured
Chapter 60: Power Obscured"Why isn't he doing anything?" Caoilainn whispers carefully. Once more forgetting that no one can hear her but you and your partner.
You don't really blame her for the lapse though, the old man before you is most definitely unsettling and a quick glance to Thaïs is all you need to confirm your feelings, she gives you a weak smile as her eyes catch yours for just a moment. This man is the Old Man in the Mountain and it is him that you have come to see.
He sits rigidly, a half dozen metres from the pair of you, on a raised dais surrounded by nine braziers. The flames dance around him, casting deep and shifting shadows across the mage and onto the walls of the cylindrical chamber.
You whisper your response to your officer, "He can't, weren't you paying attention when they explained this?"
"Ah..." she begins, embarrassment creeping into her voice, "It was all dull mage stuff so I sort of drifted off..."
Thaïs lightly chides your disembodied officer, "Well this 'mage stuff' might help you learn to better control your own abilities, you should-"
"I know, I know," Caoilainn cuts her off with a grunt, "I should make the most of the opportunities presented to me, but you are going to have to excuse me if..."
You do your best to tune her out as you focus on the ritual before you. Despite your best efforts though, your mind begins to wander...
-------------------------------------------
Three hours ago you arrived at the Seekers' 'compound' on the outskirts of the city.
It is a rather unimpressive building all things considered, a squat, single story structure made of baked clay bricks.
There are no demon guards, no magical locks, no sorcerers' towers, hell, if you did not know that the building belonged to the Seekers you likely would have past over it completely. On some level you find it disappointing but you are quick to grasp the importance of its dull exterior. Above all else mages love their privacy, their secrecy, so it does not surprise you to find the Seekers attempting to cast off the appearance of power in an attempt to solidify their grasp on the reality of the thing. You have no intention of being fooled though, dangerous and useful minds can hide behind the most unassuming of exteriors.
Striding toward the heavy iron bound doors of the building your theory is quickly confirmed. No sooner have you struck the door, three rapid blows as you shout hello, than a pair of robed figures slip around the side of the building to greet you.
You make a few quick attempts to identify yourself and your companions: your partner, the girls and your forty dwarf escort. A forty dwarf escort dressed from head to toe in thick plate; a 'precaution', your new Captain reminds you. Personally you think she is overreacting, how much trouble could you possible get into here anyway?
Your words are not needed however, the robbed figures simply wave your explanations away and motion for you to follow. Clad as they are in thick wool robes you can not make out a single detail about them, you can not even confirm their identities as the ones you seek, at least not without assaulting them mentally or physically; a poor way to start a business arrangement to be sure. Your paranoia flares up at this realization, this could well be a trap, maybe the Captain was right to request extra armour for her men? Suddenly you feel rather naked without any real armour to speak of but you banish that thought from your mind, everything will go fine, you just need to have a little faith...
You, and your entire company, follow the pair. First they circle the building to a side entrance and knock five times in rapid succession. The side door slides open and your pair of silent guides dive into the darkness with but the barest of glances back to ensure you have not managed to get lost.
With few options available to you and a desire to meet someone willing or capable of conversing with you, you lead the group in after them.
So begins your trip through the dark, through winding corridors and twisting passages, you follow your quiet hosts for at least an hour.
They lead you deep into the earth and far from the surface compound, if you had to guess you are now somewhere in the foothills surrounding the city of Mygard.
Following your long, mute and lightless journey the pair lead you into another set of tunnels, ones that are well lit and well used. This, then, is the actual stronghold of the Seekers, safe from all but the best trackers. It is at this point that your guides finally feel comfortable enough to lower their hoods and for the first time you are able to snatch a clear view of them. Their heads shaved and tattooed, they simply smile at you and point deeper into the compound. All attempts to question them meet with failure and so you take the only clear path left to you. You wave your soldiers forward as your party winds its way into the very heart of the compound.
It does not take you long to find new guides, ones that prove far more talkative. Another pair, one man and one woman, their heads also shaved, their bodies stripped to the waist and every exposed area of their flesh covered in scars and ink. At first you think them merely unlucky but as you examine their markings more closely a pattern begins to emerge.
The older of the pair, the man, has thirty two clean, straight, scars across his chest in three careful rows; on his left arm, five crosses, dabbed in red; on his right, seven circles, all in blue. You quickly surmise that the marking must be some sort of tally, of deeds perhaps, though it is impossible to say exactly what sort of deeds without further evidence. This open admission of ignorance does not prevent some dark little part of you from suggesting murder, cannibalism or worse, a little paranoid perhaps but not unreasonably so given the situation.
At the edge of your vision you can see Thaïs' mind working, likely drawing the same conclusions you have and the two of you move together, four eyes taking in the form of the younger Seeker. The patterns carved into her body reinforce your theory, twenty nine cuts running across her chest, seven crosses on her left arm and five circles on her right; definitely some sort of tally.
As you consider the pair in silence your escort maintains a tight watch on your persons and the surroundings. A few shift nervously and finger the hilts of their blades but the Captain, holds them in check.
The presence of such a sizable group slowly but surely draws a large crowd. Men and women, young and old, some little more than children, crowd round the edges of your vision. Each dressed in similar robes, stripped to the waist and covered in markings and ink but a quick survey of the gathering crowd reveal none with more tally marks than the two before you.
They must be the leaders then, though neither of them really looks old enough to be the 'Old Man in the Mountain'. Well it might just be a title, no reason to assume-
The older of the pair speaks, "Ladies Thaïs and Derryth, please follow us. We will take you to the Master."
"Just the two of us?" your partner enquires, naturally reluctant to split up the group.
"Yes," the younger Seeker answers with a slight nod, "Just the two of you if you please."
The Captain opens her mouth to object but you are already ahead of her, "We are not going anywhere without our escort."
The pair move together, raising their hands, "We mean you no harm but it is too dangerous for your allies to approach the Master at the moment. Had we known you planned to meet us today we could have made better arrangements but there is simply no other way at the moment. We can not take anyone to see the master who does not have the ability to defend themselves magically."
You attempt to call their bluff, "Well, if you can not bring us to your master why not bring him to us?"
The younger Seeker shakes her head, "I am afraid that is not safe either for reasons that will become apparent should you choose to come with us."
Damn, you are not prepared to turn back now, "Alright, but we keep our weapons and our spellbooks."
"Naturally," the older Seeker nods in agreement, "As we said, we have no desire to harm you."
Again that dark little part of you chimes in with a foreboding 'yet'.
----------------------------------------------------
The pair of Seekers lead you into a narrow hallway, past numerous wards and magical defences. At all times you are ready to strike, at the very least you will ensure that these two fall with you at the first sign of betrayal.
Treachery never materializes however and you are eventually brought to the 'Master', the Old Man in the Mountain, and he certainly looks the part. A bald head and flowing white beard, his skin bears the marks of countless battles and deep, jagged scars cut across most of his body. He is a large man and fit, easily dwarfing the pair of you and likely larger than even Tyrvard at his prime. You study him in silence; his arms and legs strain as he sits perfectly still upon his dais. You eyes trace his scars and quickly you notice that on top of and around these great wounds, likely earned is life and death struggles undertaken throughout a lifetime of mercenary work, rest a number of shallow, careful and reasonably straight marks. A quick count reveals three hundred and fifty six straight marks. On his left arm, fifty red crosses form broad bands running from his shoulder down past his elbow. On his right arm and approximately equal number of blue circles fall into similar patterns. Silent and focused as he is, the power pouring out of the mage is impressive. He is likely even more powerful than the Thin White Mage though his presence is nowhere near as oppressive as Nine in her fury or Mazzarin at any given moment. This fact is of little comfort to you as it is likely that he possesses enough power to defeat both you and your better half should he desire. Quickly you remind yourself that you are allies and that he has no reason to wish you harm, you do your best to strangle that tiny, paranoid part of you but still it nags at you, worrying you as you evaluate your new mercenaries.
"What is he doing?" you manage to ask of your guides.
"He is interrogating the flames," the older Seeker answers with reverence, "Few have the will to bargain with demons as he does. Fewer still have the skill to come out of such negotiations unbroken," the admiration that the Seeker feels for his master is palpable. Part of you desperately wants to inform the mage that you too have bargained with demons and that you remain uncompromised, well, you are fairly certain you are uncompromised that is.
However, a moment's consideration and a knowing glance from your partner are enough to rid you of that desire.
"When may we speak to him?" you better half politely enquires.
The younger Seeker gives you both an apologetic smile, "As soon as he is finished. At the moment he is engaged in a battle of wills with nine of the demons. Hungry creatures of flame and shadow, he will not be able to speak until the negotiations are concluded."
So you wait as one hour runs into the next.
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You lose the largest part of the afternoon waiting on the leader of the Seekers to resolve his current business. Your two guides remain in the chamber with you through most of this time, carefully monitoring the braziers, the flames and the wards holding them in place. A moment's imbalance could be enough to damn their master to a fiery death and you let them go about their work with the bare minimum of interference.
You do manage to learn a little from them however, their names for example, the older Seeker is known as Qar and Arsinoe is the younger. They are apprentices of the Old Man and serve him directly in all things from the most mundane of tasks to the most difficult ritual bindings.
"Arsinoe?" you call to the younger Seeker. She finishes her work and quickly crosses the chamber, "Do you have a moment?"
She looks to Qar and he scans the braziers before nodding. She quickly snaps her gaze back to the pair of you, "Yes, I have a moment or two, was there something you require?"
You look to your partner, best to let her handle the talking and she is likely to have most of the same questions you do, "If it is not rude might we ask about the meaning of your markings?"
The Seeker nods thoughtfully, "There is no law against sharing such knowledge and it is quite simple really. The straight lines on our chests mark the number of kills we have made. The crosses serve as a reminder of the friends we have lost and the circles of the number of magical duels we have won. The rest of out markings also each have a meaning but none of them would be of much interest to an outsider, they speak to our personal and communal history, little more.
Since Arsinoe has proven fairly talkative so far you decide to hazard a simple question of your own, "What does your master hope to learn by interrogating the flame?"
"He seeks an enemy in service of an enemy of his master," Qar answers from across the room, "He has told us no more than that, what we do not know will not hurt him," he adds as he checks one of the far wards.
You are about to launch a follow up question, about their master and his master, about any enemies they may have, and about a dozen other things you think it might be wise to know when a scream from the dais brings your thoughts crashing back into the here and now.
Their master bellows, his already rigid frame twitching and straining as he throws his head back and screams. Four of the braziers are snuffed out by his shout and the pair of Seekers turn on the remaining flames.
They hiss, they roar, the braziers rock and two of them tip over. It is only then that you get a complete picture of what the Old Man was struggling against. The hideous, hungry minds of the flames burst to life, free from the confines of their prisons. The first races directly toward the Old Man while the second makes for the exit of the chamber, the passageway you are currently standing in front of.
You run possible plans through your mind, perhaps you can break its will? Maybe you can cut off its advance with a flame of your own, burn up all of its fuel and let it extinguish itself? Neither plan exactly fills you with confidence, thankfully the Old Man has it entirely under control. His apprentices intercept the first demon driving it back toward its brazier. Qar focuses on confining its movements by raising and lowering the wards on the floor while Arsinoe hits it time and again with water pulled from the air itself.
With the first demon contained the Old Man is free to turn his attention to the second creature. Just as you begin to weave together an impromptu defence the Old Man draws the beast back with a great devouring wind. You grab your partner's hand and she takes you by the waist as you brace yourselves in the entryway, one quick hand clamped down on your hat, it would be a shame to see it consumed by these beasts.
The creature roars and cackles as it is cast wide across the Old Man's winds. It wavers as it spreads, the pin point of white light at the core of its being sputters as the winds increase. Unable to direct itself and unable to free itself the demon howls once more while Arsinoe moves to extinguish it with a blast of moisture.
The winds die with the last of the demons and the two of you step back into the chamber proper while the Old Man moves to give you a proper greeting, "Good afternoon ladies, it is a pleasure to entertain the three of you and your escort today though I would have preferred a little more warning. I could have scheduled this better had I known in advance."
That is all well and good but- wait, did he say 'three of you'?
The words come from all three of you at the same moment, naturally though only you and your partner are able to vocalize your shock, "What did you mean by three?"
He continues to close the distance between you and his apprentices form up behind him. The closer he gets the clearer your view of him and Wyrd is he ugly: his nose is a crooked affair, broken and poorly mended numerous times; his right ear is half missing; his jaw cracks slightly as he speaks, perhaps the result of the four deep scars the cut across his left cheer and jaw from his ear to his lips; his left eye is also completely dead, it rests in his eye socket, lifeless and unmoving.
You do your best not to stare.
You fail.
He lets out a harsh little bark and his jaw rattles slightly, "Pretty aren't I?"
You cough, Thaïs attempts some sort of compliment but he quickly cuts her short, clearly uninterested in any sympathy you might be able to drum up. Instead he moves directly to answer your question.
"I meant exactly what I said. More often than not I always mean exactly what I say, after a fashion at least," he laughs, a raspy, harsh thing that strikes your ear forcefully, "So once more let me extend to you three, Ladies Derryth, Thaïs and Caoilainn, the full courtesies due to agents of the King. I am already looking forward to working with you over the next month, in the south, it should prove very interesting."
Though it took her a moment to adjust Thaïs has once more stepped into the role of professional negotiator, "And it is an experience we are looking forward to as well. Would it be possible to ask you a few questions now that you are free?"
"Certainly," he replies, cracking a broken grin that causes his lower jaw to grind along his upper one, "I reserve the right not to answer though."
You both nod and answer together, "That is fair."
Your better half begins, "How many do you have under your command?"
He rolls the question around for a moment, playing with it, looking for the most accurate, or perhaps most interesting way to answer it, "One hundred and ten," he smirks at your half concealed surprise, "Not all of them are fit for combat though, for the purposes of our contract I have twenty, no more, no less."
Alright, you do not expect him to take children and the elderly into battle if they can not keep up anyway; twenty good mages at the right place and time could still make a substantial difference, "Anything else?"
He nods, a grim smile spreading, "Perhaps, I do have a few other assets to hand but I was not planning on bringing them south."
"Care to elaborate," you push him a little.
"Not really," he calmly replies, still friendly but completely unmoving.
Thaïs steps in, "Have you been briefed on what may be south of Myrgard?"
"I was told mercenaries and Eberhardt rebels," the Old Man answers with a shrug, "I assumed that meant there was something down there that the Crown does not want to become public knowledge. Correct?"
Well at least he is not an idiot, that could be helpful, provided he is not another Miosguinn, "You have the right of it," you answer, "Demons, necromancers, ghôls, maybe worse."
The Master of the Seekers whistles, "Damn, should have charged more," he does not seem to upset about this new information however.
"So does that change your stance on mobilizing your other 'assets'," Thaïs prods him slightly.
He grunts, "I am not sure," he pauses to scratch his disfigured chin, "Tell you what, I will show you these 'assets' and you tell me if they will be a liability or not. You are in charge of the mission after all."
Fair enough, you agree.
"Anything else you want to know before I show you the other assets you have purchased?" the large Seeker asks.
"Who is your master?" you ask rapidly, hoping to throw him off balance.
He laughs, another short series of sharp notes sounds through the chamber, "I am not going to tell you."
"Why not?" your partner cuts in, coming to your aid.
He answers plainly but without any hint of anger or annoyance, "Because it is none of your business. I am afraid it is simply part of my deal," he replies with a lopsided smile, "Take it or leave it."
You try another angle, "What were you interrogating the flames about?"
He simply shakes his head, "I am afraid I can't tell you that either. Part of a pre-existing agreement sadly."
"There is no way you will tell us?" you ask together.
He thinks about it for several long, silent moments, when he speaks next his crooked grin returns, "Actually. There might be two ways for you to find out."
"How," you quickly ask as one, even Caoilainn joins her voice with yours, curiosity overwhelming her better instincts.
He raises his index finger, enumerating the ways you could extract the information you desire, "First, you could join us. Undertake the rituals necessary to join my Circle and I will tell you. If you survive the rituals then I will tell you everything."
Immediately you are suspicious. You have not undertaken to bind or brainwash any of the members of your own Circle but you are well aware that such practices are common. It is likely that the rituals the Old Man speaks of contain some sort of element that will tie your fate to his and you want to know specifics up front, "What are involved in these rituals of yours?"
He shrugs, "That is part of the ritual. You must enter it with no advanced warning though you may do it as a pair, or rather a trio in your case, should you so choose. The rituals are difficult but not terribly time consuming, if you agree we can perform them before we leave the city in two days time."
Not exactly a tempting offer when you weigh up all you could lose, still, it may have advantages and if you are going to be working with the Seekers it might be useful to know who they serve.
Out of curiosity you ask what your second option is.
The Old Man laughs deeply at this, the gravel in his voice rumbling as he bellows, "You could challenge me to a duel, one on one or two on two, if you win then you would become leader of the Seekers and I would be obliged to inform you of all debts and all contracts currently active. Of course you would then be officially bound by those same agreements.
Again, not a terribly tempting offer even if you were certain you could win, which is not guaranteed by any measure.
You suppose there is also a third avenue open to you, you could attack the Old Man, subjugate his entire company and force the information out of him, it might work but it might be a bit of an extreme reaction given the circumstances.
You push the thought from your mind as you have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment, "How did you know about Caoilainn?"
"I have my ways," he answers with a smirk, "Beyond that I can not really say, trade secrets and all that."
Caoilainn, now quite interested in the hideous mercenary and his unusual knowledge chimes in, "Ask him why they are called the Seekers?"
Actually that is a good question and the two of you ask the Old Man exactly that.
"That is a very long story," he sighs, "And I think you will find that each of my people has a different answer to that question. As for my personal answer, I am afraid I wish to keep it personal. No offense ladies but it really is none of your business."
Another dead end, still it was worth a try. You shift topics, "Might we see your other assets now?" you enquire of the Master of the Seekers.
"Certainly," he leads you back down the hallways toward the rest of your group, "I will need to take you to the secure wing of the compound. Some of these individuals can get quite dangerous if left to roam about unsupervised."
"What do you mean?" your better half asks.
Her question provokes another tired sigh from the Seeker, "I told you that each member of my company has a different interpretation of what it means to be a Seeker. It is not merely a philosophical distinction, they all search for something unique as well, and, well, sometimes they find what they are looking for. Sometimes it is not quite what they thought they wanted and sometimes they can not quite handle that fact. They become dangerous, to themselves and to all those around them but they are still my people and I will preserve them until they fall from old age, disease or battle."
Not, ah, not a very comforting fate to contemplate to be sure.
As you near the secure wing, you think you can hear them.
Screams.
Screams and the dark.
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You are glad to be out of that place. Not a single weapon raised in anger, not a single punch thrown or soldier injured but the Seekers' home was unsettling even if they proved to be generally amicable. Your return to the palace leaves you a little worn down, a little drained but as the sun drifts lazily down toward the dunes you know you have a great deal left to accomplish.
Best to deal with the easier meeting first.
According to Berty your first new officer is already waiting for you in one of the side meeting chambers, the smaller one, the Lady Grey insisted on taking the larger chamber all to herself.
As you approach the door with your partner and the girls close behind you stop suddenly. You can hear voices coming from your chamber, or rather a single voice and it sounds nervous.
The two of you creep forward together, hand in hand and ears pressed to the sturdy doors of the conference room.
"Good evening! Ah, ma'am...s, ah, ma'ams? No, no, no..." a pair of feet pace rapidly right on the other side of the door, "Do I call them sirs maybe? Ohhhh! I don't know! Stupid, stupid! What did Captain Berty say? What did he say? Think, Ajiak, think! You need to do this! You have to make a good impression! Everyone if counting on you: Niilu the Seamstress, Oiva, Normann, Daghild, little Lore.... okay, just breathe, just, just breathe. It is going to be okay. They may be heroes sure and they may be archmages and they may have the King's own ear and they may... they may..."
The footsteps on the far side of the door stop as the individual, this Ajiak, begins to cough, after a moment he begins pacing again, "Think positively, they picked you Ajiak! They had faith in you, you are plenty useful, plenty interesting. You can read! How many of your brothers and sisters can say that hmmm? That's right, only two and one of them is dead and the other can't walk on account of that fire. So we have to do this, er, I have to do this. When they walk through that door I am going to say hello siiirraammms.... noooo....." the voice chokes back a sob, "I can't! I am going to fuck this up, I just know it, I just know I am going to fuck this up and it all going to be my..."
"This is just painful to listen to," you whisper to Thaïs as you scurry back down the hall.
"Should we go in?" you respond quietly, "Put him our of his misery?"
"Yes," she nods, "I think we should."
"This is going to be good," Caoilainn adds as you each place a hand on one of the double doors leading into the chamber.
You push them open as Ajiak spins on his heels and squeaks, his blue eyes reflecting all the terror of a hare caught in a hunter's trap, "Good evening maaa'iiirrr...s!"
Caoilainn outright cackles, girl really needs a hobby or something.
The two of you do your best not to laugh as Ajiak does a brilliant impression of a fish out of water, "I... I... I..." his breathing comes short and quick, if he keeps it up he is going to...
Ajiak crashes backward, with a heavy thud.
Caoilainn stops laughing, "Is he alright?"
As the closest thing to a medic your group has you set to work checking the poor dwarf out, "Looks like he will be fine once he comes to. Girls!" you call into the hallway.
The two jump to attention, springing into the open doorway, "Yeah."
"Go get Berty," Thaïs instructs them, "Ajiak has taken a little tumble and we need something to wake him up with."
The girls nod and take off at a sprint.
"Not the best first impression," you remark dryly.
"I don't think you are really one to judge now are you," a voice calls from the door.
You both turn as Lyssa enters the room with a small sack, "Smelling salts," she explains, giving the bag a shake, "Snatched this out of kitchen, turns out the servants can't go a week without some 'highborn flower' fainting over a slight to her honour."
As she sets to work on the unconscious dwarf you take the opportunity to get a few questions in, "So how have our efforts been going?"
"Good for the most part," she replies without looking up, "The Boys' 'officer corps' has been screened, removed a few trouble makers but other than that no real problems."
"So they are all clean? No mental tampering?" your better half asks with enthusiasm.
Lyssa massages her temples, "Well the officers all seem clean from what we can tell. Albrecht lent us several of the Pathfinder officers to help screen them and we are doing the best we can. We are fairly confident that none of them are under the influence of the Watcher or the Goddess but none of us are mentalists except for you two. If you want complete confidence you would have to screen them all yourself. As for the rank and file it will take much more time to properly screen all of them, The Boys have essentially taken over several blocks in the ruins left after the fire, there is no way to keep people from slipping in and out without a proper location to billet them."
"What about Blackrock?" you ask together.
"I don't know," she shrugs, "You have to talk to one of our military people."
"What's going on in here?" Berty calls out as he rounds the corner, the girls close behind. He cracks a grin as Ajiak starts to come around, "I hope you weren't too hard on him Derry, Taide."
"We barely had time to say hello," you respond as Ajiak blinks rapidly.
"Am, am I dead?" the dwarf mutters.
"Afraid not Ajiak," Berty slips past you and helps the dwarf to his feet, "So how about we try this introduction again."
Ajiak face runs through most of the shades of colour you have had the pleasure to encounter, eventually it settles on a very pale white, "I, I am sorry sirs, er, ma'ams, er, I-"
You raise a hand, "Ajiak, none of this sir or ma'am crap."
"It is complete nonsense," your partner adds, "If you wish to address us simply do so by our names, Derryth-"
"-and Thaïs," you complete Thaïs thought with a grin and extend your hands.
"I, ah, okay, okay, good evening Derryth," he takes your hand and shakes it wildly, "And Thaïs," he takes your partner's hand and gives it a good shake as well.
From the way his knees wobble and the pale shade of his face it is clear that this is about all he can handle for tonight, "We will talk more later Ajiak," you slap him on the back and he just about collapses.
Berty suppresses a grin as Thaïs instructs your newest officer, "Dinner will be served within the hour in the main room and you are welcome to dine with us there."
"I, ah, I, I can't, I mean, Idon'twanttobeungratefuloranythingandallthatbut " Ajiak begins to turn blue, "My daughter, you see, I have to get back to see- to see to her dinner, you see. I mean, I mean, I don't mean to insult you or anything and I know that we owe you everything on account of your helping the King stop those damn- er," he catches sight of the girls, "Sorry, those darn, Eberhardts but she is so young and I don't know how long Oiva will watch her for when it gets around mealtime you see and I-"
You stop him before this gets any worse, "You have a daughter?"
He tries to reply but is forced to settle for merely nodding.
Berty cuts in, "By our count there are about sixty children in the Boys' camp. They were not included in the tally given to us when they made their application though."
Ajiak begins to sputter again, "Ah, damn- er, darn, it was Normann you see. He served with House Berg for a few years, couple decade back, and he said that no one would hire a bunch of peasants with children running around. We had to make ourselves look professional. But," he hangs his head, and slows his breathing "They made me leader you see, on account of my being able to read and not being an alcoholic or an addict. It," he exhales sharply, "It was my choice. I should have mentioned the kids, I just, I wanted to get a contract and- and there is no excuse."
Well, it would have been nice to know about the children in advance but you already knew that by hiring the Boys you would be taking on a lot of extra mouths that might not be of much immediate or direct use. That does not matter, these people work for you now and as long as they serve loyally they are your people, you tell Ajiak as much and he damn near weeps as Berty escorts him our of the room.
"Well that was interesting," you break the silence.
"He was not that bad yesterday," Lyssa remarks.
"Are we going to need to replace him?" your better half enquires, broaching the delicate subject.
You turn the options over in your mind, "I don't know. If he is going to lead men into battle he has to be toughened up a bit but maybe he just made a bad first impression."
"Well you are a master of those so you should know," Caoilainn merrily adds.
You return fire, "I can take the bracelet off you know."
"Sorry," your disembodied officer is quick to apologize.
"No harm done," you reply, "My point is that maybe he will grow into the role with a little support, he might not be a leader yet but that is fine, his people are not soldiers yet either. We will have to make them into an army and that will take time."
"We could give the girls command of the dwarves under Berty's supervision. Train them up together," Lyssa suggests.
"But then we won't have time to protect you two," Uttu objects.
True, but you are not sure you like the idea of dragging the girls south into a warzone anyway. Training the Boys into a fighting force could be a good excuse to keep the girls safe when you do march south, on the other hand you have lost track of the number of times those kids have saved your lives, maybe they can handle themselves.
Finally there is the issue of housing for the four hundred, or rather four hundred and sixty, dwarves now under your command. You could just leave them in the ruins in the poor end of the city but it would have a negative impact on morale and it would also make controlling their movements more difficult. Additionally all those makeshift hovels and cooking fires could very well trigger a second inferno and wipe out a good number of your new mercenaries.
If you wanted to billet them somewhere you could try Blackrock though it would be crowded with all of the soldiers already there and you are not sure exactly how many people the fort could comfortably hold anyway. You could also look for property within the city. The old Eberhardt compound is still empty, it seems that many think it is cursed, haunted by ghosts and the undead raised by the Eberhardts. Of course you know that the Eberhardts were not involved in necromancy so there should be nothing to fear. You could purchase the land and use the old compound to house your new army. Finally you could try to coordinate something with the Black Arrows, maybe Ceannard knows of a few warehouses you can get cheap and refit in his end of town. He should be back sometime tonight or tomorrow morning anyway.
So much to manage and so little time, sadly there is much, much more you have to do tonight before you sleep.
--------------------------------------------
Silence, in a room this size it is made all the worse as the three of you cluster around the smallest table available.
She begins with a stunning smile that leaves her grey eyes completely cold, "Please, allow me to say that it is a pleasure to meet you both. I have been following your recent exploits quite closely and I must say you are both very, impressive," she looks you in the eye and beams, her eyes lighting up for a moment, then she turns to your friend and does the same.
Thaïs does her best to match Lady Grey's tone, "Thank you, we-"
Lady Grey pushes on, her cheery but mechanical tone droning on over your partner's words, "You have done a great deal for this Kingdom but I think you can do better. With the help of my mercenaries, the best equipped mercenaries in the entire Kingdom, you will be able to accomplish so much more. With the help of my money and my resources you will be able to secure the future of this Kingdom for generations of future dwarves. You can do this with my help, we can do this, together," once more she makes eye contact and once more she grins before turning to your better half and doing the same.
You smile slightly, you have a theory.
Once more Thaïs attempts to reply, "Well, that does sound-"
The Mercenary Captain folds her hands in her lap and continues without so much as acknowledging Thaïs' words, "It is just such a wonderful turn of events that should see the three of us brought together like this. We will do such wondrous things for the less fortunate of the Kingdom and I just know we will quickly become the best of friends," for a third time she pauses and makes eye contact. This time you count her movements, her eyes dart up, sharp, calculating but only for a second. Quickly the cold caution gives way to hollow joy; for five seconds she holds your gaze before shifting her focus to your partner.
She is definitely following a set pattern. Could be she is simply nervous, could be she is up to something.
You let Thaïs continue to do the speaking, or at least try to, "Magnificently said and we are greatly-"
"You would not believe," Lady Grey speeds along, "You simply would not believe how hard it is to find proper company in this city. The dwarves are wonderful people but sometime it is simply a relief to speak to other humans, sadly all the best sort left with the embassy and now," she shakes her head sadly, "I would not be surprised if we are the last three human nobles in the entire Kingdom," as she finishes her thought she repeats her ritual, for that is what it is, a ritual, magic or something like it and you know this because you have encountered it before.
Her measured words, her friendly tone, the constant but mechanical nature of her movements, she is trying to influence you but she is not nearly as good as Ceannard is. Her fumbling attempts are producing no noticeable reaction and so she repeats them over and over again.
You wonder what her plan was. Did she hope to turn you against each other? Have you murder one another in this very room? Perhaps she merely wished to control you and through you your entire organization? Honestly though you doubt she would succeed even if she could get the ritual to work.
"Two points," you begin with your usual inscrutable grin.
The Lady Grey tries to protest.
"My dear lady," you interrupt her, "You have already spoken a great deal and we have given you several chances to achieve what you set out to do."
She bats her eyelashes and feigns shock, "Why I have no idea what you mean Lady Derryth," she is fairly convincing but you are certain of what you saw.
You shake your head as Thaïs interrogates you with her eyes. Out of the corner of your eyes you can see her turning over the possibilities and then it hits her, she begins to grin, a hint of anger below her amusement.
You focus in on the Lady Grey, "First, my dear lady we are not of the nobility. I was born a free peasant."
The Mercenary Captain can barely contain her shock and a certain instinctive revulsion, "A peasant? But you have the ear of the King and the attention of- ah, several of the leading individuals in this city."
You push on, ignoring her words with a certain satisfaction, "And Thaïs is not a noble either, isn't that right love?"
Your better half beams, "Yes that is right dear," she nods and turns back to your new partner, "I was born to a merchant family."
The Lady Grey mutters to herself, the grin erased from her face, "Peasants? How... peasants... chose... peasants..."
From what little you know of the woman you are fairly certain what she hoped to achieve here. You press on, "Now for my second point," your words drive the Lady Grey back out of her thoughts and into the moment, "Generally speaking, it is not wise to try and magically manipulate a pair of mentalists."
"Particularly when you have no actual skill in the field," Thaïs adds with a self satisfied smile, "Such endeavours rarely end well."
"I-" the Mercenary Captain begins, "I did not mean-"
"I would not waste our time lying," you caution her together.
"I, I will leave. You don't need to see me out," she moves to rise.
"Sit," you order her, "We are not done yet, I think."
"What?" she tilts her head, "What do you intend to do to me?" she asks as her hand slides down her thigh toward her boot, she likely has a weapon down there.
"That would be another bad idea," you point to her hand, "Reach for a weapon and things will get violent when really, as far as I am concerned, there is no reason for any of that," in truth you are not too sure about that yet. There is a very real chance that you will have to dispose of Lady Grey but there is no need to force a confrontation here and now.
"I-" she stares at you, complete befuddlement writ on her face, "I do not understand. You know I tried to influence you, that I tried to use you, that I might have ki- hurt you. Why would you not destroy me?"
You and your partner share a laugh. At first Lady Grey seems to think you are mocking her as she tenses up.
You are quick to explain, "Admittedly, you have not made a good first impression but you would hardly be the first person in our employ that has tried to kill or control us. Honestly, I am more interested in why you wanted us removed. Perhaps we can come to some sort of understanding where we all get what we want?"
Once more the deafening silence settles in.
Your new officer takes her time before she speaks, "If you do not know why I want you gone then I would rather not say."
"Is there nothing we can do to change your mind?" Thaïs enquires.
You both have a fairly good idea of what this is about but you should hear it from her lips, it will make things easier if she volunteers the information.
When she does not reply you shift tack, "Drink?"
"Pardon me?" she replies.
So you repeat the question, "Do you want a drink?"
"I generally do not drink with pea-" she stops short, "Sorry, yes, that would be nice."
You know just the thing, you slip out of the chamber and return with three glasses straight from Tyrvard's old still. It has taken you a few days to get it up and working again and it will be a few months more before you have something on the level of what the Berserk could brew but even these first few batches are far superior to most of what you have had over the last month.
You hand her the cup and she stares sceptically at the clear liquid.
You laugh, "If we wanted to kill you there are easier ways than poison," you hand Thaïs her glass and sip on your own drink as you return to your seat, "Now, why don't you tell us what is bothering you and how we can help. No sense having secrets between partners right?"
She takes a bracing shot of the beverage, knocking back a mouthful and coughing slightly, "That, that is good," she lowers the glass, "Alright, it is about Ceannard, it has always been about Ceannard..."
She begins with the night they met, "We were late returning to the city from one of the great country estates. It might have been Berg's now that I think on it but that is of little importance. What is important is the attack, beasts, monsters from the dark. We were outnumbered maybe ten to one, my guards, useless amateurs that they were, were cut down and my carriage crashed. They would have dragged me away into slavery, death or worse," she pauses, her eyes springing to life, "Then he arrived, on a white charger at the head of thirty of his Arrows. They drove the beasts away and he swept into the wreckage of my carriage. He was so gentle, so dashing, he promised me that he would see me safely back to the embassy and he did just that, it was- it was the greatest day of my life."
As she continues you can not help but notice the stars in her eyes, "He kissed me only once, on the steps of the embassy and then he was gone. He told me that he had to see to a contract but that he would contact me as soon as he could. I waited, everyday I waited but I did not hear from him so I sent letters, then gifts, then I-" she pauses at this point.
"Another drink?" you offer.
"Yes, thank you," she readily accepts this time.
You bring back a couple jugs this time and once her glass is topped up she quickly empties it. By her third glass she has loosened up noticeably, you conclude she must not be much of a drinker, well, that or both and your partner are alcoholics...
She begins again, half way through her fourth glass, "I know it is absurd but I hired someone to follow him, a mercenary, an archer that knew exactly what Ceannard had been up to. He told me that Ceannard had met someone else, or rather 'someones else', that he was seeing, well..."
"Us?" you ask together.
"Yes," she sighs, "So I thought, maybe I just was not interesting enough for him, I thought maybe if I became a mercenary captain, if I made myself more interesting then..."
"He would contact you again?" Thaïs hazards, her voice tinged with sympathy.
"Yes, exactly," the noblewoman nods, "I thought I could steal him back from you so I formed the Greys and began taking on simple contracts but he never came back."
"Lady Grey," you begin.
"Please, Áine will do," she corrects you.
"Alright," you begin again, "Áine, we are not in love with Ceannard, in fact the only connection we have with him is a business one. He works with us and I would like to say that he is a friend most days as well but that is as far as it goes."
"Really," she blinks repeatedly, "You mean that mercenary misled me?"
"Seems that way," you answer, "Can you tell us anything about him?"
"No, not really," she shakes her head dramatically, "He said his name was Cuulagh but that was all."
"Why did you believe him?" your partner naturally enquires.
"He, um," she frowns, straining to remember, "He had an honest face."
Well great. You have some sort of mercenary out there spreading rumours about your activities. Another potential enemy to add to the list, you suppose.
"Áine," you reach across the table and take her hand, "How would you feel if we contracted the Black Arrows to help train the Greys."
"Train?" he mutters, frowning, "Are you saying that my men need practice? They have the best equipment and facilities I could afford! Some of the best in the entire Kingdom! I do not need help!"
The downside of negotiating with a drunk, mood swings.
Thaïs takes a less direct approach, she reaches across the table and takes Áine's other hand, "Of course they do not need training but think about it. Who would be leading the Arrows?"
She squints, "Ah... Ceannard!"
Your better half nods, "And who leads the Greys?"
"Me!" your drunken officer declares.
"Which means?" you prod her.
"I would spend time with Ceannard!" she beams.
"Exactly," you give her a confident nod, "Stick with us and you will have plenty of opportunities to win over Ceannard."
A happy, dopey grin spreads across her face, "Thank you, thank you both!"
The three of you rise together as you prop her up and direct her to one of the side chambers, you will need to talk to her again later but for now it would be best to let her sleep off the effects of Tyrvard's brew.
---------------------------------------------
"So in summary the Seekers serve some sort of mysterious master that may or may not be our enemy, Ajiak is utterly spineless, the Boys are a disorganized mob and Lady Grey tried to get you to murder each other on the word of some mysterious mercenary tracker? Did I get that right?" Skite cheerfully summarizes as he saws through a chicken, "Do I get to tell you 'I told you so'?"
"Not if you want to keep your job," you answer with a grin.
The table bursts into laughter. Supper has been delightfully relaxing tonight and Albrecht has even arranged for a proper table this time, something that can seat you all together.
"It is not as bad as all that," Berty answers for you, "The Boys aren't mercenaries, yet, but giv'em time, everyone has to start somewhere and based on today's exercises I would say at least two hundred and fifty of them could be turned into proper soldiers with a good training regime."
"And the rest?" Mayer enquires, "We will have to feed, clothe and shelter the remaining two hundred and ten who are unfit for service. I still fail to see how that is a sound investment."
"One, they're people," Berty answers with a confident grin, "Not 'investments', an' two they're not fit for direct service. You would be surprised what people will say round a kid or round someone they figure is too old or weak to make a difference. Never overlook the little guy."
"Noted," the Banker nods, "What about their leader though, if he lacks spine that could be quite a problem."
Berty nods, "Might be but I would give him a chance first, let'em grow into the role an' only demote him if he can't do the job."
"Sounds like a waste of time," the Banker answers, shaking his head.
Your tactician scoffs, "At least my recruits did not try to kill Taide and Derry."
"Nonsense, that is hardly my fault," the Banker wags his fork at the tactician, "I am no mind reader, how was I to know that Lady Grey would attempt anything of that nature."
"Well," the tactician grins, "Maybe she should be demoted."
"We can not do that," the Banker insists, "She is a partner, it would be a nightmare and she would be well within her rights to pull her assets. She is not some damn commoner and she needs to be treated with that in mind!"
"I say can them both," Skite interjects, "Call in Myora or my brother and we can lead these new recruits just fine."
You listen carefully to the advice of your officers but ultimately the choice is your own to make, you are curious what Lyssa thinks of it all though.
"Anything to add Lyssa?" you turn to face the Witch as she works her way through a whole salmon.
"Ah," she lowers her fork, "Not really to be honest. I have no experience leading a mercenary company or business so I will have to defer to the judgement of Mayer, Berty, Skite. If anything worries me it is the identity of that mercenary archer that set Lady Grey after you, if we have yet another enemy it would be good to know who it is. Then there is the question of who the Seekers are working for as well, if it is not Albrecht then it could be any number of people and most of them are our enemies."
Mayer clears his throat, "I will have my people look into this. I was not even aware that the Seekers had a 'master' and I do not like being surprised."
Berty nods, "Yeah, I know a few people I can ask an' I will check out this merc too, the more we know the better off we will be."
That reminds you, "Speaking of being well informed Berty I have a plan for you to try out."
"Oh really," the little tactician grins, "Something terrible and amazing I hope."
You hope your order will not disappoint, "Yes, I want you to draw out and capture one of the Weasels' officers tonight. We need to know if they are compromised and we can not easily go after Wenzel himself."
The tactician grins, "Alright, I will have at least one officer for you by morning. I will need ten men, ten full length mirrors, twenty metres of rope, twenty pigs and enough raw ingredients to fill three drums with the dwarven cocktail solution. The rest I can get for myself."
You scribble a short note for the quartermaster and a second one for the guard captains on duty, "Here you go Berty, when do you want to start?"
He pockets the notes, "No rush, I have all night after all."
You do not though, you still have another ritual to perform. You bid your officers goodnight and start the leisurely walk to the safe house where your ritual will take place.
-------------------------------------------
"Are they all dead?" the Tactician asks the Officer.
"Yeah," the Officer replies, "Twenty three dead and one left alive to flee into the night."
"Good," they should have fifteen to twenty minutes before reinforcements arrive, "Join team three, two blocks north."
The Officer fights the urge to salute, settling for a slight bob of the head as he spins and races into the night.
The plan is fairly simple really. Hit one of Wenzel's operations, kill all of his mercenaries except one and then let the survivor go get help, spreading tales of an attack by a rival gang. At least one of Wenzel's lieutenants will have to show and when they do he will spring the real trap.
The most difficult part of the job was to find the best location possible to hit. Somewhere important but sufficiently isolated from Wenzel's other properties to allow for encirclement and disposal of the enemy force.
Berty settled on this place, a mid sized bar serving as a front for drug production in the city. It took a little convincing and he had to call in the odd favour but it is done, every alley, side street and avenue surrounding the bar is mined, trapped or otherwise occupied by forces hostile to the Weasel's or loyal to him. There will be no escape.
Now all he has to do is wait, or rather wait and check on the pigs.
------------------------------------------------
"Alright," a muffled voice calls from under the door, "You are sealed in. Whenever you are ready you can begin.
You are dozens of metres below the earth in a single sealed chamber used for arcane weapons testing. The doors behind you are triple warded, the doors beyond them are reinforced and guarded by a team of ten Pathfinder officers. If anything goes wrong and they can not contain the result of your ritual there is a second team on the surface, they have orders to destroy the entire facility if necessary. All of this might seem like paranoia but you have no intention of taking a chance here. If Morpheus gave you a faulty ritual, or if you fail to master the spell you will not be responsible for unleashing a horde of lesser demons on the city. There are enough horrors in the world already.
There are six of you in the chamber, you, Thaïs, Lyssa, Hallr, and a pair of Pathfinder agents to act as security, they will kill Hallr if necessary to prevent his escape. Not a terribly likely outcome though, for all the reasons you have already noted and because the cultist remains unconscious. He was brought from his cell in this condition, a little battered, a little bruised, but not seriously harmed, the Pathfinders have been fairly gentle all things considered. With any luck he will remain completely unconscious throughout the procedure.
In front of you is the gate, unlike the gate spell you know this spell calls for a physical structure to be erected. A slight change that you are led to believe will make the process easier to undertake. It seems Morpheus has thought of everything and provided you with a spell that you can cast between the three of you, of course there was a catch. The ritual called for a frame of bone, covered in skin and bound with sinew, all from fresh kills. At each corner there rests a skull, along the walls and floor are traced intricate patterns in the blood and entrails of the slaughtered animals, each reproduced to the exact specification Morpheus laid out. The blood that covers everything from the walls, to the floors, yourselves and the gate will aid in the transmission of magical energy into the spell and through the gate, as the blood dries out the spell will become more difficult to cast and eventually the gate will lose power and close on its own. You would almost say it is elegant if it was not so gruesome.
"I suppose we should begin," Thaïs speaks up to your right.
"Yeah, the sooner we can get washed off the better," Lyssa adds with a curt nod, picking a chunk of liver from her hair.
If they are ready then there is no further point in waiting, "Alright, here is how this is going to work. I am going to attach the anchors to the Dreaming, once we are attached I will need the two of you to help power the gate long enough for our dwarven friends to push Hallr through. After that we will wind down the spell and call it a night. All told it should take no more than fifteen minutes if everything goes right."
No objections, no questions, time to start. You take a deep breath and begin.
------------------------------------------
"What the fuck was that!" she screams.
"How the hell should I fucking know!" he shouts back, "Just keep running!"
It was a trap, crafted by a mind that few could hope to fathom.
A thing of smoke and mirrors, fire and... pigs.
"Shit, shit, shit! To your left!" she screams.
He turns.
Too late.
All she can do is throw herself backward, out of the blast radius, as the squealing, flaming beast crashes into her bodyguard. He screams as man and pig are carried together into the side of the alley. As they strike the brick wall they explode and the last of her men dies
She set out with a force of eighty.
She lost five retaking the bar, driving off the enemy.
Thirty when it then promptly blew up.
Thirteen in running ambushes throughout the city.
And thirty two to the pigs... those fucking pigs...
She takes a breath, then two as she lies on her back in the dark. She is alone now, her sword useless, her armour pointless. If she stays she will fall, she needs to move, to run.
She staggers to her feet.
"Flaming, exploding pigs," she mutters, "What kind of sick fuck-"
Pain.
A blow from behind.
Not even a chance to fight back.
She pitches forward and strikes the pavement.
The last thing she hears as she loses consciousness, "Damn I'm good."
-------------------------------------------
You hum to yourself as you balance in the void, perched on one of the few tethers linking your world and the Dreaming.
Around you the voices tempt you.
In a low hiss, something heavy and old promises you power if you will just step off of the path. It always begins with power, doesn't it? The first thing they offer you, you ignore them.
A merry, bubbling voice wraps itself around your ears. It caresses your mind, promises you pleasures that have been outlawed for millennia, strange rituals that will give you impossible beauty and everlasting youth.
Vanity, you will admit that it is a common trait amongst mages. Not really a trait you indulge in though, at least not for the price you would have to pay here. You continue to hum, laying out the planks that will be your floor and giving yourself more space to safely work with.
Your next tempter comes on a foul wind, he promises you your dead back, his voice buzzing like a swarm of flies. He laughs in your ear, over your left shoulder. He speaks of their suffering and of the daily torture their souls at the hands of his fellows. He promises release and relief if you would simply let him in.
You would be lying if you said you weren't tempted. There are so many people you would like to restore and that number seems to grow with each passing month. Family, friends, allies, all lost and this creature knows their names, he does not skip a single one.
To listen to these voices, their promises, their threats it would be enough to break anyone. The wise course of action is not bargaining, it is not even defiance, you remind yourself to not even acknowledge them. So you hum all the harder, something Henry taught you in a soggy, little shack east of Tyr, you focus on the task before you, on your present and nothing more.
In silence you work and the voices grow annoyed. They switch tactics, they begin to scream and hurl themselves at your structure. Crashing into the magical wards you have set down. As they strike the barrier they take form for a moment. Scales and claws, wings and talons, feathers, fur, fangs; twisted shapes that bounce off your magic and fly screaming into the void. Their forms disappear but their screams do not, they do however change pitch. The low, rumbling howls of rage give way to panicked wailing and it takes you a moment to realize what is happening.
"There is always a bigger predator," you mutter under your breath.
"Yessss, there issss," a lazy voice rings in your ears, not from without, but from within, "Those children will never get the opportunity to make that mistake again. To take form in the void is to welcome death and even assss they stalked you, they were being stalked in turn," the being laughs gently.
You pause, shake your head and press on, humming quietly.
"Your instinctssss are right child, do not speak as there are many here that would mislead you," again the voice sounds out from the very core of you, "Perhapssss I would as well if given half a chance," it laughs.
You focus all the more on your work, this thing is too relaxed, it is not desperate like the other voices and that worries you. Just what has found you here in the space between worlds?
A few moments more and it won't matter, the voice does not seem to much mind, "I imagine you want to know why I am bothering you? Well, you can rest your weary head. We have mutual friendssss, godssss and magessss love to gossip so, and I just happened to stumble on your little gate here. Thought I would do the polite thing and say hello. So hello, Derryth ó Foghladh, and goodbye. I shall eagerly await our next meeting."
You snap the last ward in place and check your work while the lazy voice drifts away, out of your mind and into the dark. The hard part is done, now to deliver your prisoner to what may well be his final home.
You snap back into your body, "It's ready, throw him through."
Grunting the Pathfinders heft Hallr up by his arms and his legs.
"Just push him in," you instruct them, "We will handle the rest."
The unconscious cultist passes into the gate and a black stone tumbles back out to your side, it begins to smoke and scream while the Pathfinders leap backward, drawing their weapons.
You raise a hand, straining under the effects of the spell, "Wait! I think this is a message."
Sure enough the smoke begins to take the shape of a man, a human, wrapped in fur and leather. You recognize it as Morpheus' human form which he takes on from time to time as his mood or his needs demand. You will have to thank him for that little discretion, it will be much easier on the Pathfinders, not to mention your reputation, if your guards are under the impression that Morpheus is a man and not a demon.
He smiles and bows slightly, extending an arm, "You may release the gate at any time ladies. Your prisoner, or rather, my guest is safe and sound now."
"What about the stone and your projection?" you ask, always mindful of the state of the gate.
"Once the connection is broken the stone will begin to evaporate and when the smoke clears my projection will vanish," he promptly replies.
Alright then, you give the signal to your colleagues and they begin to reduce the power they are feeding into the portal. Quickly you work to sever the ties binding your world to the Dreaming and within minutes the gate has been rendered inactive.
A quick glance at Morpheus' stone reveals it is already beginning to dissipate. He dutifully waits for you to finish your work before he begins, "Brilliant work, but no less than I expected from three young and talented mages like yourselves."
"Do we really have time for flattery?" Lyssa chimes in.
The Prince of the Dreaming grins, "Very well, I merely want to check in to say that everything is going perfectly on our end. Hallr has already been transported to the custom dream you commissioned for him. He seems happy enough, at the very least his mind has not rejected the dream so that is a good start and I will contact you again as soon as I have something for you."
His image begins to waver, "So with that dear ladies I will-"
"A question before you go," Thaïs interrupts, catching you by surprise.
"Such as?" he enquires. The stone beneath him disappears completely.
She begins with a question that impresses you with its foresight, "Those stones? How do they work?"
Yes, that would be incredibly useful. If those stones can facilitate communication between planes then perhaps you have stumbled upon a means of long distance communication.
Morpheus shifts uncomfortably, uncertain of where she is going with this, "They are grown in my garden from very rare specimens."
His feet and shins disperse.
"Might we have some?" you press him.
"No, the plants will only grow in my garden," he replies flatly.
Next everything below his hips wavers away.
"What about the stones?" Lyssa throws her efforts behind yours.
"Perhaps," his customary grin, peaks out from the corners of his mouth, "We might arrange something but you would need to give me something of sufficient value in exchange."
He is now little more than a head, hovering in the air.
Actually, that reminds you of an idea, "Perhaps we could talk about developing a proper system of exchange."
He tilts his head, "I am not sure what you mean?"
"Well," you begin, "Are you familiar with the dwarven concept of banking?"
He winks and grins, nothing now remains of him save for his eyes and his mouth, "Yes, I have heard of it but this might not be the best time for such a conversation. We simply do not have the time sadly," first his left eye and then their right blink out.
The last thing to disappear is his grin, consumed by light as the last of him is banished from your world.
You turn to your allies and your friends, "Well, I think we are done here."
You shake the outstretched hands of both of your guards, they blink in disbelief and the older one speaks, "I gotta say, we see some weird things working for the King but mage work is always surreal."
The younger agent nods, "It was a pleasure to help you ma'am, you have yourselves a pleasant night," he marches to the door and strikes it three times, "Alright, rituals done! Let us out! Code is 69405."
The other Pathfinders are slow to open to the doors, partly due to tall the wards and partly out of caution, it is not outside the realm of possibility that you could have been possessed and your memories plundered, every little precaution helps.
It is another hour before you are back to the surface and returned safely to the Palace.
All you crave at this point is sleep and the second your head hits the pillow you are off on your own trip to the Dreaming.
When you awaken, in your field, Thaïs and Lyssa to your right and left the first thing you notice is Morpheus, once more in his regular form. He positively beams, "So ladies, lets talk about you and your account with the 'First Interdimensional Bank of the Dreaming'."
You think he is joking.
You hope he is joking.
Demon bankers... is the world ready for such a thing?
------------------------------------
Morning comes all too quickly but at least you are greeted by good news.
Berty was successful in capturing a Weasel captain. She has been dragged off to a Pathfinder safe house, pending torture or interrogation or both. You are also informed that should you wish to talk to or interrogate the prisoner you need only ask. Your people brought her in and it is your investigation after all. Supposedly he even managed to do it with minimal property damage, only a single build levelled and a handful of wall destroyed, no civilian casualties which is always nice and though there is a formal investigation underway by the City Guard you doubt they will find any evidence of who is responsible. No one in that end of town can even tolerate the Weasels and it seems that few are willing to come forward with any information at all.
Normally you would wait until everyone is assembled, to have breakfast together and synchronize your activities for the day but today you simply can not wait. You have a meeting scheduled with Albrecht's second son Timo and from what you have heard he is not the sort that you want to keep waiting.
It will just be the two of you this morning, or rather it will be: the two of you, your constant shadows, Biliku and Uttu, and your escort. Forty strong just like yesterday though they will be of little help today, guards are not allowed inside of the Silver Flame.
"What do you mean we can't come in!" Biliku protests.
"We are their bodyguards!" he sister insists, "You can't tell us to wait outside! You can't!"
The maul doorman remains unmoved, "I got instructions to let Ladies Derryth and Thaïs in. No one else, so no one else is getting in," he folds his massive arms across his broad chest.
"Girls," you call them, "You are going to have to wait out here."
You have spent long enough with them that you can sense a whine before it has even escaped their throats.
Thaïs deftly utilizes one of your favourite tricks, "Girls? Are you professionals?"
They nod.
"Then sometimes you have to follow the rules," she continues.
Uttu frowns, "But Berty says that you have to be willing to break the rules to get ahead."
"Which is true," you grant her, a firm hand on her shoulder, "But part of being a professional is knowing which rules to break and which ones to follow."
"How do we tell?" she rapidly asks.
This time it is her sister that answers, "Experience," she states with a sage nod that makes it very hard not to smile.
"Exactly," the two of you respond together.
You give them their instructions, and tell them to listen to the Captain until you return, before crossing the threshold into the Silver Flame.
---------------------------------------------
You are ushered through the building, out of the common room and upstairs to the top floor. This floor of the Silver Flames is much like a miniature version of Albrecht's own palace with exquisite tapestries hanging from the walls, and richly woven rugs on the floors. You are not given time to examine any of the works however as your guide hurries you into the antechamber. It is just barely dawn but already the room leading to Timo's apartments is filled with petitioners from across the Kingdom and beyond. Many of them stare daggers at you as you are led past them and directly into the apartments of the Prince.
This is where your guide leaves you, he cautions you against wandering and informs you that the Prince will be with you in a moment. You are left to wait in his office, not for too long but long enough to take in your surrounding.
Everything that Timo possesses seems to be of the very finest quality: the leather on his chairs is from Tyr, the wood is from the Ermine; the wine perched on that desk is from Scales; the weapons in the hands of his guards outside are direct from Stoneheim; he even has a small songbird indigenous to the Twelve Duns locked in a cage to the right of his desk, it seems to be sleeping.
On the right side of the room stands an overstuffed bookshelf, the worn tomes that present their titles to you cover topics ranging from theology and history to magic and the new 'natural philosophy' you encountered at the Royal Academy.
You are tempted to pick a book from the shelf when Timo finally makes his entrance.
He is of average height but his presence is commanding, his eyes are keen, and every time he looks at you he seems to look through you, prying your deepest secrets from you with simple will alone. You sense magic on him though with a prince that is not necessarily an indication of anything, it simply means that he has active enchantments in place. A reasonable precaution if one sets out to meet a pair of mentalists.
He calmly approaches, holding your gaze until he is directly in front of you, "It is a pleasure to meet the two women most directly responsible for the preservation of my father's House," he extends an arm, first to you and then to your partner.
He gestures to the chairs by his desk as he deftly manoeuvres past you and behind it, "Please, take a seat."
You do as you are instructed and he wastes no time striking at the very heart of the matter, "My understanding is that you have been charged by my father with the protection of our House and to that end you have been given the freedom to investigate our family to determine who exactly has been compromised."
"That is correct," you reply, you keep your answer short as you suspect he is not done yet.
"Good," he leans back in the chair, "Now, I have been informed that you have spoken to both Wenzel and Jan and I must say that I am impressed by how you have handled yourself. Jan speaks quite highly of your efforts against the Cult and their- well, creature would probably be the best word for it I suppose. This thing known as Rand has been a thorn in my side for some time now and brother mentioned that you killed one of his kin. For that, I must thank you. I would also like to thank you for not harming Wenzel, he is rather impetuous and not the most agreeable individual I am afraid. However you showed a great deal of restraint in your dealings with him and for that I must once again that you."
He pauses but you doubt he is done yet, he is driving towards something so you may as well sit there and let him say it.
He pushes on, in a charming tone that promises you the world, "You have demonstrated time and time again that you are professional, reliable, and not to be trifled with. In fact, barring the odd indiscretion there is very little I can actually criticize you for with one notable exception. Your choice of employer."
Finally, you can wait no longer, "You mean your father?"
"Yes, exactly," he inclines his head slightly and a confident grin plastered to his face, "But that is easy enough to solve and I intend to do so this instant. I would like to offer you both employment in my service."
"No," you reply as one.
His smile does not fade, he is likely the sort that is used to getting what he wants and you doubt a simple no will discourage him, "Do not reply too quickly, I can pay far better than my father and I can provide you the sort of protection and insulation that he can not. Should my father retain his throne I will still be here. Should my brother ascend I will still be here. Should they both tragically fall then I will be king and should the crown itself be done away with I will remain."
Your partner asks the obvious question, "And if you are killed?"
"I won't be," he answers without a moments hesitation.
Well, he is certainly confident, you will grant him that.
Thaïs stands her ground, speaking for you both, "I am afraid we are still not interested."
"We will see," he leans forward, "Think about my offer and get back to me. The King is bound by a great many restrictions, I am bound by none. Even if it is only to help the Kingdom you can do far more good working for me than for my father."
"Yes, well, we will think about it," you reply, "But that is not why we came here. We came to ask you about the attack on the Pathfinder prison and the escape of the necromancer held there."
He waves off your question, now slightly annoyed at your repeated refusals, "Yes, that business. I should think it is obvious, Wenzel talked. Maybe a few of my half siblings are compromised as well but I doubt it, it was Wenzel, the Weasels have been infiltrated by at least a dozen cultists though the only one I can place for certain is one of his lieutenants, a dwarf, a mage, Åke by name. He fled into the desert on a false contract, I imagine when my brother realizes he has lost those fifty men he will be quiet upset and I doubt your kidnapping and destruction of his soldiers last night will do much to improve his mood. The Weasels are failing and it may take all of my cunning to keep my brother alive," Timo drops his gaze for the first time since you met him, he sighs, "As for the rest of the infiltrators I have left them in place for now. It is my hope that one of them will contact other agents of the Watcher in the city, if I can get a few people into their social circles I might be able to flush the entire city clean of the vermin in a single night. Far more efficient than chasing down every spy, one at a time I am sure you will agree."
So Wenzel is responsible, but not directly?
That seems believable and it does look like Timo has things well in hand here; provided, that is, that he is telling you the truth.
You could try to press him either through magical or mundane means or you could accept his account of events as given and report your findings to the King.
The question is, what to do?
1. Timo: He claims that Wenzel is ultimately responsible for the attack on the Pathfinder prison but that his brother did not do it on purpose. If you believe him then this information will mark the end of your investigation. If however, you think he is lying you might be able to do something about it (Feel free to ask Timo more questions if you wish, he will likely entertain them):
A) You do nothing, you believe Timo or at least you have no desire to antagonize him.
B) You attempt to interrogate him using your magic. Thaïs will keep him occupied while you attempt a surface reading of his thoughts, you will have to be careful to avoid alerting him.
C) You throw caution to the wind and begin a mental assault. If he is as well connected as he says then you will take any useful information from him by force. You will then attempt to reconstruct his mind minus a few details (like your attack).
D) You will attempt to abduct him from the Silver Flame. Once you bring him to a safe house you can interrogate him at your leisure.
E) You politely ask him "and what if you are cultist?". Hopefully that should provoke some sort of reaction.
F) freeform
2. Timo's offer: As much as you would hate to abandon Albrecht, the King has used you on a number of occasions and his son might be able to provide you with more opportunities and freer access to assets. Do you except Timo's offer?
A) No, you work for the King and you will not change that now.
B) Yes, Timo can do more for you than his father has and freer access to resources and information should make your task easier to accomplish.
C) You agree to Timo's proposal with the intention of playing both sides toward your own ends.
D) freeform
3. Activities for the Day: Your meeting will be done by mid morning at the latest. You will then have the rest of the day to do as you wish. What do you want to do?
A) Acquire replacement armour and weapons. If you are going to head into a warzone tomorrow then you think it might be wise to look into replacing your missing equipment.
i. Go see the Brothers Dietfried. While you do need replacement equipment you also would like more energon cubes and mandrake roots, resources that are becoming very scarce in the city. If anyone can get some for you it will be the Brothers and they likely still have at least a few pieces of magical equipment you might find a use for.
ii. You will go to the Royal Armoury and have them acquire human sized armour to refit for your needs. They will likely be able to enchant it slightly.
iii. You will go to the Royal Armoury and commission custom suits. They will have to work night and day and you will have to postpone leaving the city for another day but you will get truly unique armour.
iv. You will proceed as in Aiii but you will not wait for the armour to be finished. You will try to do without and collect it on your return. The smiths and enchanters will have plenty of time to create the best suits they can conceive of.
v. freeform - If you can think of another potential source of replacement equipment feel free to suggest it.
B) You will check in with your recruitment team. They should be organizing your new mercenaries today and there may be benefits to checking in on them before they return this evening.
C) You feel the need to go get a drink and that is what you will do. You will take a small escort of no more than five and find a bar to spend the afternoon in. Who knows, you might encounter something or someone interesting.
D) You will pay a visit to Wenzel's captured captain and see what information you can uncover.
E) freeform
The Seekers:
4)'Additional assets': The Old Man has offered to bring additional mages with him to the south; twenty extra battle mages, all experienced but highly unstable. Do you take him up on his offer?
A) Yes, you could use the extra hands (you will gain an additional twenty battle mages and twenty guardians).
B) No, if they are that dangerous you do not want to have to rely on them in a warzone.
C) Ten extra hands. The more stable 10 out of these 20.
5) The 'Master': The Old Man is working for someone but refuses to tell you as he doe not trust you. You could acquire that information but it will likely cost in one way or another.
A) You leave the issue alone, you do not need to know everyone that the Seekers deal with. It is likely none of your business.
B) You agree to undergo the ritual required to join the Seekers as dangerous as it might be, you think you need to know who the Seekers serve.
C) You challenge the Old Man to a magical duel. It need not be to the death but with magic it is at times unavoidable. If you win you will gain his position and as the new leader of the Seekers you would be entitled to know who the Circle deals with.
i. You challenge him to a one on one fight, just you and him.
ii. You challenge him to a two on two fight, you and Thaïs will duel the Old Man and a Seeker of his choice.
D) freeform
The Boys:
6) Ajiak's position. Ajiak did not exactly make the best impression. You could likely replace him with someone a bit more seasoned or you could leave him in charge of the Boys and see if he grows into the role with Berty's tutoring.
A) Replace him:
i. Replace him with Skite. Your Blackrock officer has far more experience leading soldiers in battle.
ii. Replace him with Berty. As things stand Berty will be training the Boys anyway so you might as well make it official.
iii. Replace him with the girls. It will be a good learning experience for them.
B) You do not replace Ajiak. You will give him a chance to grow into the role.
7) Housing: It would be cheaper to let them continue squatting in the ruins of their homes but it is not terribly safe, for your new mercenaries or the city, and it is not terribly conducive to transforming them into actual soldiers.
A) You leave them in the slums (0 WPs)
B) You will send them to Fort Blackrock to be billeted there. The fort may have to be renovated somewhat to accommodate the extra soldiers though and you will have to have Albrecht recall some of the soldiers stationed there. (-10 WPs)
C) You purchase the Eberhardts' old compound. You will use it to billet your forces in the city. It might be useful to have a presence in the capital and a small fortress right at the heart of the Kingdom could certainly be useful. It will cost you though (-100 WPs for a sizable fort of modern construction, it will also cost you an additional 5 WPs a month).
D) You will send them to Fort Blackrock to be billeted there. You will have Albrecht recall some of the guards, mostly Hesse's, tilting the balance of forces in the Fort in favor of Blackrock mercenaries and Albrecht guards. However, you will have Hesse and his champion stay at the Fort under Argus' supervision. The fort may have to be renovated somewhat to accommodate the extra soldiers, though (-10 WPs)
E) You will talk to Black Arrows about vacant properties for sale in their area. (cost: unknown)
F) freeform
8) The children: Ajiak did not mention the sixty children the Boys have within their numbers. You have no intention of sending them in battle but you do have a few options available to you.
A) Give the to the dwarven nobility. They often hire children on as career servants. The thought is that if you get them young enough you can train them however you like. The children will not be made into slaves and they will be generally safe even if they are not always well treated.
B) Keep the children. When you hired the Boys you hired all of them and you feel the children are your responsibility now as well. You will see to it that they receive proper educations and training.
i. You will let Berty manage them. It might be a lot for your tactician to handle so he will likely have to hire five or six assistants to help him cope but you think the children will benefit from it. (8 WPs monthly)
ii. You will hire new tutors for them, Berty already has enough to deal with. (14 WPs monthly)
iii. You will provide food, shelter and clothing for them but you will leave their education up to their parents or whoever happens to be looking after them. (2 WPs monthly)
iv. You will hire new Berty-approved tutors for them. Berty already has enough to deal with, but the Boys are his idea and he should have a say in how they will be run, up to and including the handling of irregulars. (14 WPs monthly)
v. Send Lyssa and Berty to take a look at them. Hire tutors according to their talents.
vi. freeform
C) freeform
The Greys:
9. The Lady Grey: She tried to kill you, or make you kill each other. Granted she does bring significant resources to the table and she was acting on faulty information but she is certainly dangerous and it might not be worth your time to keep her around.
A) You keep her as a partner. Everyone makes mistakes and she is hardly the first member of your group that has tried to kill you. You will forgive her and allow her to keep her position, she may be grateful.
B) You demote her. You won't throw her out but you will use her actions as an excuse to remove her as a partner. Hard to say whether her pride will let her accept such a deal though.
C) You cast her out. She is too dangerous to have around and you are certain you can use her actions as an excuse to remove her and keep the Greys.
D) You will have her killed. A bit cold admittedly but she did try to kill you, turnabout is fair game.
E) The deal is off but you will fine/extort her for money.
F) You keep her as a partner after a thorough mental investigation.
G) You keep her as a partner. You will try to get into her good graces by offering her advice on how to win Ceannard over. Hopefully, it will give you some measure of control over her and, more importantly, her company.
H) Assure her you wont act against her, but tell her that you will remember her attempt to manipulate or harm you. So long as she behaves you will treat her as a equal but should she try to undermine you again you will react in a manner proportional to her actions.
I) freeform
10. The Arrows: You had the idea to hire on the Arrows to train the Greys into a respectable fighting force. You will need to talk to Ceannard when he arrives but he should reach the city well before you have to leave.
A) You will talk to Ceannard about working more closely with the Arrows in the future. (cost unknown)
B) You will not bother Ceannard about this, Berty and you Blackrock veterans should be able to manage just fine.
11. You seem to have gained a hefty sum of money which might help you pay off your loan to Goldsmiths. Do you want to make a pertial payment?
A) Yes (specify the amount).
B) No, you will keep the money on hand.
12. You think you might have Timo look into the 'wyrm of flame and shadow' at your request, but it would necessitate telling him where you have heard about it and why are you concerned with it.
A) You will tell him about Jan's tablet, and tell him about who you suspect the mentioned individuals are.
B) You do not pursue this line of investigation. If it interests you, you will find it on your own eventually.
Chapter 61: Lost and Found
Chapter 61: Lost and FoundToday will be different.
On the first day of your investigation you fought cultists and drunken mercenaries. On the second day you pit yourself against a crime lord, his toughs and the beasts of the void. You have risked your property, your allies, your family, and your body, mind and soul for the King. Yes, today will be different. Today you go shopping and there is no where better than the Brothers Dietfried for all of your needs.
At least that was true a few weeks ago.
"Are there really none left in the city?" you ask in disbelief.
"Well..." the normally jolly, little Dietfried refuses to meet your gaze as you needle him with questions.
You almost can not believe it.
"No energon cubes and no mandrake roots," the taller Brother confirms in his customary, cold tone, "Sold the last sack of cubes two days ago."
The rotund brother attempts to explain. He breaks out every word he can think of to express his shame, and dabs his sweat covered brow occasionally with a worn red handkerchief as he does so, "We are absolutely, positively, entirely and eternally embarrassed at our inability to- to..."
He looks to his somber brother who rolls his eyes and shrugs, "Every mage in the city has been in here this week and all of them are buying items in bulk. Something has them worried and it is not hard to guess what."
"What do you mean?" Thaïs quickly enquires.
The smaller brother wipes his brow again and gives you a pained look, "War. The south is in complete chaos and if that chaos spreads to Myrgard there are many mages that will want to flee with whatever they can salvage."
He brother smiles. The malice evident behind those lips worries a little part of you, "There are also many that will use the chance to settle old scores. They all crave just a small advantage when setting out to ruin their enemies-"
The smaller Dietfried cuts in, his eyes wide, "Or! Or to protect themselves from such vicious and unscrupulous characters!"
The thin brother nods, drawing a box of dust cover vials from behind the counter, he begins to sort them, "That too. We sell to all, no need to worry ourselves with motive as long as the coin is good."
For a moment it seems like the plump, little Dietfried may just agree but then his great round mouth pops open again, "You-"
You honestly don't care what the brothers get up to on their own time but you can't have them wasting any more of yours, you speak up, drawing them back to the topic at hand, "Alright, so you are completely out of energon cubes due to demand but why don't you have any mandrake roots?"
"Lack of demand," they answer together with a nod, "You are the only mages in the city that are interested in them now that the Imperial Embassy is gone and the supply we had on hand for the Heron Guards has been exhausted between that ritual you performed and an interested buyer in the north."
Great. Just great.
"Well do you have anything that we might use as substitutes?" you quick-witted partner asks.
The brothers exchange a knowing look, "Well-" the tall, thin one begins, "Perhaps we could show you the stock we reserve for our most loyal customers."
The small, round brother nods along, "Yes, I think we might do that," he grins widely, "I doubt they would say anything to the wrong parties-"
"Any parties," the older brother clarifies, smirking.
"Right," the now jolly brother agrees, "They would not say a word to anyone given their own secrets I should think."
If they do have supplies then maybe everything is not as bad as it seems.
You prod them to continue, "So you do have something then?"
"Follow me," the wide brother answers and disappears into the backroom as the thin Dietfried motions for you to pass through.
"Girls!" you call behind you, summoning your bodyguards from behind the racks of swords they have been eyeing, "Come along please."
With a yelp and a leap they are once more to your sides and the four of you make your way past the counter and into the backroom of the shop.
You slip past boxes full of trinkets and garbage, artefacts and oddities toward the far corner of the room.
"This way please!" the merry brother calls to you before plunging down a stairwell, torch in hand.
You follow as close as you can, down the stairwell and into the narrow tunnels below. Under the earth the Brothers' compound is massive, a network of tunnels and side chambers that likely run out of the city and into the hills beyond. You make a note of how they are structured. If you are walking into some sort of trap you will need to know your way back out again and even if you aren't such tunnels may come in handy in the future if you need to get in or out of the city.
As much as you try to fight it a substantial part of you feels that you are being lured to your death down here. Into the maws of hungry horrors or the hands of your hated enemies. The feeling builds as Dietfried finally stops at a heavy wooden door and begins to fish about for his keys. The heavy lock makes an audible click as the large iron key frees it from its frame and with a couple grunts your guide has it open wide. He flashes you a final grin and directs you inside.
You peer inside and part of you is a little disappointed. There are no horrors here, no necromancers or rebels either. The room is simply filled with crates of unmarked goods and one smiling little shopkeeper in the middle of it all.
He stretches out his arms and beams, "Dear customers! Behold our private collection!"
The girls are first into the room, weaving in amongst the crates, "Don't touch anything girls!" your better half shouts after them.
Sound advice for anyone really when dealing with enchanted items, you briefly glance down at your wrist, a reminder of your own lapse months ago.
Dietfried offers you both a tour and you gratefully accept, far better than poking through boxes at random. As you make your way to the supplies section you strike up a little conversation, "How is our mutual acquaintance doing?" you enquire.
He does not turn back as he answers, "Good as far as I know. She said to say thank you for the gifts, they should make her job easier. She also said that she will contact you directly through our other mutual friend when you are done," the little merchant laughs, "You know I am having trouble classifying you two. On the face of it I believed you to be Light mages but maybe you are Dark ones instead given your allies."
"Why can't we be neither?" Thaïs asks the question on your mind.
The shopkeeper stops and turns, taking you both in, "If you do not pick a side eventually you will be declared the enemy of both."
You don't necessarily buy that, "What about the Trow?"
Dietfried shrugs and laughs, "You don't look like Trow to me," he pushes on in silence until you reach a row of large brown crates, "Here we go!" he exclaims with marked enthusiasm.
Fastening his torch to the wall he cracks open on of the boxes and a pale green light illuminates his face. In moments you realize what you are looking at, pure, uncut energon crystals.
The merchant winks at you, "Highly illegal to sell but not technically illegal to own. We bring these crystals in and then carve them down by hand to sell them on. The recent troubles have simply exhausted our supply of cut energon cubes but the crystals we buy in bulk to save on costs. In a few weeks we will have cubes back in stock but I suspect that will not help you much. Now, if I turn my back for a moment and you take some crystals that is hardly my fault is it? And so long as you happen to drop some gold while doing so I see no reason to complain about the loss, understand?"
That certainly is one way to see things. Those crystals could be very useful though they would also be quite wasteful. Generally speaking the only mages that use full crystals are those that need to power Dreams or incredibly complex spells. Using crystals to power your spells would be like throwing away four energon cubes on every casting and their price is sure to be equal to their power. Still, it is not like you have a lot of options.
Dietfried must be able to sense your scepticism as he nods twice and splits open the next crate. It is filled with bottles, each of which gives off a slight green glow, "Energon dust suspended in alcohol. We have a few clients that love this stuff and it will increase your casting power as long as it is in your system."
You have heard of mages drinking energon dust before, usually in various grain alcohols, and it rarely ends well. The classic combination of an inflated sense of power and invulnerability combined with lower self control has levelled more than one magical institution. It is also not very healthy if used in large doses or for extended lengths of time. Naturally it is also quite addictive but it is cheaper than the crystals and you can probably hold it down given your experience.
"Derryth! Thaïs!" the girls shout in unison as they whip around the corner carrying a small box between them. As they race up to you they jostle for position, each attempting desperately to be the one to show you what they found.
You give them a critical look, "Girls, I thought we told you not to go riffling through the crates?"
Biliku nods remorsefully, "Yes, you did but-"
Uttu cuts her off; she is a storm of enthusiasm that can no longer be contained, "We found mandrake roots!"
Thaïs grins, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah! They look just like them, ah, I think, maybe," doubt clouds her face for a moment.
Biliku rallies her sister's flagging confidence, "They are definitely mandrake roots, see."
They shove the red and black box into your faces. The box is ornate, with heavy bronze and gold working on the lid and sides. In the middle is a large gold 'M' that gleams in the torch light.
Dietfried takes one good look at the box and shakes his head, "That is not for sale I am afraid. It is being held for another client and he has paid a premium to have it reserved for his use alone."
"But it is filled with mandrake roots!" Uttu objects, "Can't we just have a couple?"
The merchant slowly shakes his head, "No, no I can't..."
"We can pay well for it," you add, trying to get him to give even the barest centimetre of ground.
"Well, I-" he mutters, lost in thought.
Your partner gives him another tiny shove, "You could have the contents of that box replaced within weeks could you not?"
He runs the numbers in his head, "Two, maybe two and a half weeks..."
"Well then," you grin at him, "If we bought some of them now you could have them replaced easily before anyone catches on. Seems to me that there is easy money to be made here."
"I-" he squints at the box, "I don't know if that would be wise."
"We have the Kingdom's treasury behind us," you remind him, "Just name your price," you feel bad about invoking the King this way but those roots might come in handy, at the least you would like the option to purchase some."
Dietfried answers quietly, "It won't be cheap."
The price he quotes you is steep but at least it is an option.
You spend the rest of the morning and a good chunk of the afternoon with the Brothers. Upstairs in their shop, downstairs in their supply tunnels and all through the backrooms. You do not leave a single chamber untouched in your efforts to locate any and all items that may be of use to you in the south. You want as many options available as possible before you render a decision.
-----------------------------------
"And now as a break from the shopping... more shopping!" Caoilainn is getting cranky it seems.
"Jealous?" you whisper as you and your partner make the rounds through the third shop today, loading up your poor servants with anything that strikes your fancy.
"No," she insists, "I just don't like wasting my time."
"We are not wasting our time," Thaïs mutters under her breathe, before snatching a roll of silk from a seamstress' hand and turning to you, "Oh Derryth! The girls would look magnificent in this come the spring!"
You examine it closely, turning it over in your hands, "I am not so sure. Is it fine enough?"
"Oh yes, my ladies," the seamstress attempts to reassure you, "It comes from the finest worms in the west and..."
In truth, Caoilainn is hardly alone in her opinions. You do not care about any of this and neither does your better half. The girls also pay little attention overall. Uttu enjoys trying on the clothing and playing with the fabrics but she would have just as much fun, or perhaps even more, out at the training field loosing arrows. Biliku on the other hand finds the whole thing ridiculous and a complete waste of time though she dutifully goes through the motions all the same.
This entire afternoon, and all the smocks, gowns, kirtles, surcoats, hose, girdles, capes, hoods, and bonnets you have tried on are for the benefit of one person. All of the silks, furs, linens, cambrics, hides, and cloth of gold, silver and who-knows-what-else have meant nothing to you. They are props in a production meant to fool but one.
This one person is not the center of attention, in fact she is never directly acknowledged at all. She is no lady, no banker, no adventurer or soldier. She has never held high office and likely never will. She is not even wholly free as you are quickly learning.
She is your servant for the day, she is also a spy leaking information to enemies of the Crown. You are certain of this fact, as you have spent the last four hours with her. Casually you have picked through the outskirts of her mind and you have been able to grasp a great deal about her as she works on lacing you up and striping you down, squeezing you in and pushing you out.
It is exhausting work and it is made all the more so by the constantly shifting and often contradictory orders Thaïs has been feeding her all day. Your partner has focused on distracting your servant while you focused on snatching up whatever stray thoughts might bubble to the surface. It is not a quick method to get answers but it is one that has allowed you to recover enough information to make a decision.
Where to begin?
Perhaps with the information given to you would be the best place to start.
Her name is Thyra, you learnt that when she was introduced to you. She has been with the palace staff for three years, yet more information readily available, and in the time she has been at the palace she has not caused a single incident. It is a shame that she is a traitor as she otherwise seems to do a good job.
Now for what you have learnt from her thoughts.
Resentment.
The very first thing you picked up on was resentment. She resents House Albrecht, she resent you and your people, she resents the Kingdom, she seems to even resent life itself. She is carrying a lot of bitterness with her and it shapes the world of her mind.
Her mind is city, it is Myrgard, and in many ways it is the complete opposite to Albrecht's. Her city is cold, it is dark, it is in shadow where his is gleaming with light and warmth. The people of her city shuffle back and forth in chains of iron and moonlight, they moan, frigid greetings, to one another as they pass while in his they stride confidently through the world, bathed in the light. In her mind there is no singing and no unnecessary noise; in his, all is life and sound and movement. Thyra's mind is a city, that is true, but it is the corpse of a city and dwelling on it chills you.
You did your best to peal back that layer of resentment, to try and find the root of her hatred and that is how you struck upon her motive. In one of the great squares of her city there is a monument to fear. A perfect reproduction of Thyra dragged in chains to a debtor's prison. She owes someone a great deal and that is why she resents life in general and her own life in particular.
Whether or not that is enough to justify treason you did not worry about as you began your search for something that would prove to you that her crimes were real.
In the crowd of the square, staring up at the monument to Thyra's fear, you found your proof. A single tiny child, almost too small to notice, the sort that is easily overlooked by most but not by you. You have been that child and you know exactly how much knowledge those little people can hold. Out of instinct, or perhaps empathy, you watched the child slipping through the crowd, stealing what it could from the shades around it to survive and you felt a pang of guilt that you could not help the dwarven child. The realization hit you soon after that, that child was Thyra's guilt, covered in the ash of her crimes but inhabited by a certain natural innocence as any beast must be that kills only to live.
As you pondered on this you noticed a second form nearby, it looked vaguely like a human man but none of its features stuck in your mind. In a city of vague shapes and ill- defined shades this thing was almost non existent but from time to time the child would pass by the creature and deposit her earnings with him. You rotated in the air and dropped down to just outside of the creature's view, you edged forward millimetre by millimetre until you could see its face.
It was that moment that confirmed your suspicions for you. The creature had no face and had no 'feel' to it either. In the mind, where everything is bound to memory, experience, imagination and emotion this thing was barely existent.
It was a blank and you became convinced that, that blank had a name.
Rand.
After that all that was left to do was to pick your fabric and give your report to Albrecht.
Though you are still not entirely sure what you will say.
----------------------------------------------
You lie in bed. It has been a busy day and it promises to be a busy night as well. It will all start any minute now.
Part of you has been dreading this.
You check the bed, it is clean, firm, strong, just what you will need tonight on your trip to the Dreaming.
What if she does not like it?
You check your gift.
The Brothers had it dropped off discretely while you were out.
You hope she likes it.
What if she thinks it is too much?
You smooth out your dress and check your hair one more time. You fidget in you chair despite Lyssa's earlier assurances that you look 'perfect'. You wish you had your hat, you feel naked without it.
What if she does not understand where you are coming from?
So much doubt for what should be the easiest thing in the world, you take a deep breath.
It is the 'curse of the mage' as Henry used to put it. People that spend their entire lives interrogating reality and themselves can never be truly sure of anything. It is great for nuance, great for picking up on subtle clues left by your enemies, great for outsmarting rivals and delivering that final, fatal blow.
It is less useful when it comes to being happy.
So, at times like this you try to remember what Henry taught you, not like you have much else to go on.
You remember one humid summer evening and Henry's words of wisdom over a few dozen pints. He had told you then that sometimes you have to simply take things at face value. You have to believe in the best in people and sometimes you have to trust them even if it bites you in the ass more often than not. He said, "Kid, you can't be afraid to make an ass out of yourself for love. The worst thing that can happen if you take that risk is that you die and that is a moment, no more than that!"
He said it with such conviction and drunken bravado that you could not help but laugh. Then you asked him about the worst thing that can happen if you don't take that risk.
He raised a glass a shouted, "You live!"
A bit predictable maybe but the drunks at the bar liked it, the barmaid did too. Said Henry was a 'natural romantic' and offered to soothe his 'poet's heart' or some such crap.
Last thing you saw of Henry that night was him disappearing up the stairs with the barmaid and her best friend.
First thing you saw of him the next morning he was banging on your door and asking you to hide him under your bed. Seems the barmaid had a husband and her friend had stolen Henry's spellbook and fled into the night... so much for the 'best in people'...
Henry always did have a lot of advice and it never did seem to bother him that one half of it was at odds with the rest...
You're startled out of your thoughts by a hesitant knock at the door.
"Well," you mutter, "Time to make an ass out of myself."
You are just glad that Caoilainn, in an act of mercy, agreed to meditate during your date, the last thing you need is her 'help'.
---------------------------------------
Thaïs is absolutely radiant and gracefully sweeps into your room her arms behind her back. Gently you close the door behind her and stop short as you catch the back of her. In her hangs, dangling loosely is a parcel, a gift perhaps?
She really shouldn't have and as you begin to say so you raise your eyes and notice her gaze fixed on your gift on the table.
She turns to face you the beginnings of the exact same sentence on her lips.
You both beam.
She holds the gift out to you, "You first, I insist."
You take the gift and lead her to the table, sitting together you begin to unwind the protective wrapping on it.
As the packaging comes loose you are left holding a book, she really does know the way to your heart.
It seems to be some sort of tome, she grins nervously as you open it and begin to flick through the pages. You immediately stop at the first section, you read the title out loud to her, "On the Dreams of Men and Monsters: One Mage's Experiences in the Dreaming by Henry Jones," you look up at her in disbelief, a bewildered smile plastered to your face, "When did he? How did he?" you laugh, even after all those years the old man was holding out on so very much.
You gaze at the book, running you fingers along the pages, as the wonder flows away you manage an intelligent question, "How did you find this?"
She smirks and taps her head, "Our memories. A few weeks ago I was hit by a vivid still image of Henry's office in Madrigal before the, ah, the dwarven incident..."
You nod solemnly, now that is a story that you will both take to the grave...
She coughs, "Anyway, on his right hand bookshelf, three books in, fourth shelf there was a volume with his name on it but it was not one I could remember us reading so I did a little digging at the Dietfrieds' to be sure. Sure enough the book existed, it was never a popular work and many thought it was completely false, the result of excessive drinking or some other such nonsense. However, the Brothers had a copy, this copy, and though it was in poor shape they swore by its authority and claimed it had a great many insights to share into how the Dreaming was, or I suppose is, structured. They offered to have it rebound for no charge so I took them up on the offer."
You are a bit taken aback to be honest, all you have to remember Henry by is his book but now you have an entire new story to delve into, you can barely coke out a thank you as the weight of the text and what it represents hits home, "I- Thank you, Thaïs I really can't-"
She helps you turn the pages, "That is not all. The Brothers were kind enough to scrape together a number of spells they have found useful in the Dreaming and they have appended them to the back of the text, and then there is-"
She stops suddenly and leans back a little.
"What's the matter?" you ask, leaning forward.
"Derryth," she begins, keeping a measured and even tone, "At the very end of the text are the spells I learnt as a courtesan and all of the practical information I could think of on how to make yourself more, well, likeable. They are the spells and techniques I tried to use on you when we first met though I hope they will yield better results this time. I thought that we could go over it together, well, if you want to that is."
A book, written by two of the people you hold most dear and supplemented with spells, you could not think of a better gift and you tell her so.
You kiss her and she smiles, relieved, as you nudge her gift toward her.
No time to worry now, hopefully your instincts were right.
Carefully she removes the brown paper wrapping, delicately she opens the wooden transport box and she gasps as she takes it out.
She gently lays it on the table.
It is a black box of the same obsidian as the one you received from Nanshe but that is where the similarity ends. Along each side are carved scenes of incredible complexity, set apart from the black stone by inlays of gold, silver and bronze. The lid is attached by a strong hinge on one end and is divided into four beautiful but complex scenes. Finally at the center of the lid rests the ugliest piece of bronze you have ever set your eyes on, the partial gold plating catches the failing light from the setting sun through your window.
Thaïs stares at that lid, then she looks at you, her eyes sparkle, "You kept it? All this time you kept it? That Wyrd awful belt buckle from that boor?"
You shrug, "I am not sure why I held on to it."
She raises an eyebrow, "It had nothing to do with the fact that it is solid bronze and gold?"
You grin, "Well, maybe that played a part. It sat in my pack for months before I remembered it and I thought what better way use for it than this."
"I love it," she grins.
"There's more," you reply and direct her attention to the scenes on the box.
She scrutinizes each, every now and then she narrows her eyes as something half remembered comes to the surface. Then she rotates the box and something catches her eye. A small scene, a woman in silver with golden hair sits at a table of bronze. Next to her sit three men, each wearing a mask in gold, silver and bronze.
"Nine's mind," she smirks at you and points at it, "Are all of these scenes from your life?"
"Half right," you reply, "Each is a puzzle I have had to solve or a trap I have had to disarm. You once asked me how I answered Faceless' puzzle so quickly, well this is how. Each one of those challenges has helped to form me, no, us as we are. If you want we can practice them together."
She smiles warmly, "I would like that I think. So what happens if I..." she presses in the silver face and the box begins to hum as it springs to life and spells fire.
From the top of the box a wooden cylinder is ejected through the mouth of the belt buckle. Your partner gasps, "What's this? Some sort of tube?"
You nod, "Yes, the Brothers were kind enough to help me design it. It is based on Brigit's puzzle box with a few ideas from some of the traps I have encountered. Each time a puzzle is correctly solved it ejects a tube, open it," you prompt her.
She pops the top off the cylinder and slides out a roll of paper, "This is... the Warrior's Mask?"
Again you nod, "Yes, this one I added myself but the Brother's helped to supply spell scrolls for all of the other puzzles. They said that money was no obstacle."
"You too," she mutters, "Did you talk to..."
"Morpheus?" you finish her thought.
She smiles, "Yes, he must have paid for both our gifts. I wonder what he is up to?"
"Maybe he just wants us to be happy?" you suggest, half joking.
"Yes, the demon prince has our best interests at heart I am sure," she answers with a smirk, latching on to your joke.
You are glad that she likes her gift but you have one final thing to show her. A little something that the tall Brother helped you integrate.
You turn the box over ad insert a small key into its base. Slowly you begin to wind it and the mechanical noises of the box quickly give way to the sound of a single voice, maddeningly beautiful and haunting in it clarity.
Surprised, Thaïs turns to you. She closes her eyes and lets the music take her, "Mother's song, that, that is mother's song... I had forgotten..."
You nod, "One of our earliest memories, it came to me last month and it has not left me since. It is amazing what the mind remembers but hides from itsel-"
From the way she tackles you in mid sentence you surmise she likes your gift quite a bit.
When she allows you air once more she whispers her thanks and tell you that she will keep this music box, this puzzle box, till the end of her days.
-----------------------------------
"Table for two please," you inform the lizard-fish at the door.
It growls out a response, "Reservation?"
"Derryth," you answer.
He shakes his head, "No Derryth."
"Try Derryth and Thaïs," your friend is quick to add as he runs down the list.
He nods slowly, "Right, there it is, have a good evening."
She whispers to you as you glide past the beast, "Morpheus did say that these goblins are very simple beasts. Too much or too little information and they are lost."
You weave your way past ratbears, salmonhawks and catroachs as you make your way to the private rooms of the restaurant. When you asked Morpheus to set up a unique date for the two of you this was not quite what you had in mind but the Prince really did go all out. From what you can tell this is one of the finest establishments in the entire Dreaming so that has to count for something right?
You find your table near the stage, the only unoccupied table in the entire building. A team of crustacean-wolf hybrids are doing their best to set up the entertainment for the evening, they seem to spend much of their time trying to murder each other.
A fat little beast with the feet of a duck and the head of a snake waddles up to your table, "Menussss" he hisses as he hops up and places two sheets of paper on your hands.
You order something that sounds vaguely edible and Thaïs has the same. Your only hope is that it is not moving when it hits your plate. You are just about to fall into easy conversation when the stage lights come up and the performance begins.
An owl-like being that coos like a dove explains that the piece is about the ancient and moving human concept of soul mates. It is sweet that Morpheus took the time to arrange this but in all honesty it is a story you have both heard numerous times before and you know that it is false. It was concocted some time in the Wind Age amongst the people of Scales and it has no roots beyond that. However, you do not want to be rude, especially when surrounded by demons, so you listen politely.
He begins with the classical tale, humans were first formed with two heads, four arms, four legs and a single soul. These original humans were so powerful that even the Dark Gods feared them. Their laughter was as thunder pouring off the mountains. Their joy surpassed even the greatest temptations of the Gods. Their rage could 'cleave' immortals 'in twain'. Their strength could shatter the world. They were formed full, complete and perfect...
And so on, and so on. The orator goes on about the perfection of these early humans for a good four minutes longer than he should. Eventually he mentions that the Dark Gods were jealous of these perfect mortals and so through foul magic and deception they shattered humanity, splitting each soul in two.
Now normally in the story the bard or narrator would tell some sort of tale or 'prophesy' handed down from the 'earliest ages of the world'. In it humanity would restore itself to its original condition and vanquish the Gods once and for all.
Instead the demon simply can not bring himself to talk about the end of the tale. Instead he hones in on the destruction of the original humans by the Gods and with great vigour he enthuses on the subject for a full five minutes before a pair of the crustacean-wolves pull him off stage. They crash together through a number of empty tables, reducing about a fifth of the establishment to rubble within minutes and leaving a number of patrons standing around without a place to sit.
The two of you do your best no to laugh at the poor things, clapping dutifully as they roll away into the darkness.
In their recently vacated place on the stage Morpheus appears in a puff of orange and purple smoke with pale horrors similar to those you saw below Blackrock.
He gives you a single nod and flashes a grin as the music begins. It strokes your ear, vibrating through your soul with the first chords from his musicians.
Morpheus wastes no time before launching into the song his voice a wave that threatens to wash you away.
Throw me a penny
And I'll make you a dream
You look to Thaïs and she grins back at you. You extend your hand across the table and she takes it.
You find that life's not always what it seems
Then think of a rainbow
And I'll make it come real
Roll me, I'm a never ending wheel
You hop to your feet together and begin to dance. It is not the ordered dancing of the high born nor is it the spirited whirling of a peasant festival. It is something else entirely, the music tells you what to do and you do it, simple as that, it just feels right.
The magic bound into every single note, every single word compels you to act and you do it gladly.
I'll give you a star
So you'll know
Just where you are
Don't you know that I might be
Your wishing well, your wishing well
As you bob and jump and grind and shake the space around the stage begins to fill. Demons of all shapes and sizes crowd in, wings, tails, tentacles and more brush past you on the dance floor.
Look in the water, tell me what do you see
Reflections of the love you give to me
Love isn't money, it's not something you buy
So let me fill myself with tears you cry, why?
Once you see someone fall but Morpheus points from the edge of the stage and another demon helps it to its feet...
Time is a never ending journey
Love is a never ending smile
Give me a sign to build a dream on, dream on...
The Demon Prince is in complete control of everyone in the building and they love him for it, you love him for it...
Yeah, throw me a penny
And I'll make you a dream
You find that life's not always what it seems
Love isn't money
It's not something you buy
Let me fill myself with tears you cry
Dancing with Thaïs in the club at the edge of the City of Peaceful Rest you are happier now than you can ever remember being. Some small part of you even considers staying forever...
I'll give you a star
So you'll know just where you are
Someday, some way you'll feel the things I say
Dream for a while of the things that make you smile
Don't you know, don't you know
Oh you know that I'm your wishing well
Your wishing well...
Your world dissolves around you as the song end and you squeeze your partner's hand all the tighter for it. You both pant slightly, grinning from ear to ear. That was fun but thankfully now it is over-
The band begins to play again, from the first note you are spellbound.
The whole crowd is rocking gently together. Tendrils and talons held, 'hand and hand' as every third or fourth demon casts a small bolt of fire up in the air. Some sort of salute or tribute to the band perhaps?
Slowly at first the music sweeps you up and carries you along.
You and Thaïs lean in together and cast create fire, raising your hands into the air. A nearby vulture-pig nods and salutes you.
Your hips begin to sway in unison as with another grin Morpheus begins to sing:
From the first time we touched with our eyes
Only magic could take away my heart
I am always afraid for my heart
So lay beside me now and tell me lies, sweet lies
As long as it's not about love
This is going to be a long night but you would be lying if you said you did not love every second of it...
----------------------------------------
Morpheus towels himself off, he was racing all over the stage on some of those numbers so you would not be surprised if he is a little tired.
He catches the two of you enter and grins, "So, how did you like the show?"
Both of you simply smile at him, exhausted from dancing for what must have been three or four hours.
"So I take it you liked it then?" a feminine voice call from the side room, "Could you please close the door, I would not want us to be interrupted."
As you do so an elegant figure saunters into the room. She is quite possibly the most attractive and yet strangely repulsive being you have ever met. She is white from head to toe, covered in what looks to be armour but is likely a hard natural plating. She has a startling array of eyes and bears a striking resemblance to Nephila. Immediately you realize that there is only one person this could be, Morpheus' first wife, Nephila's aunt and mother-in-law and the Spider Goddess' only living sister.
She smiles at you, which you find slightly unsettling, "My dear husband tells me that you ladies swore a blood pact with dear Nephila, is that correct? How is the poor girl anyway? She came here seeking so many answers and I am afraid all we gave her were questions and frustration."
You match the Princess' polite tone, "Last time we saw her she was doing fine. We freed her from her prison and let her go her own way with a recommendation."
"My, my," the Spider Princess beams, "Do you make it a habit of saving demons in distress then? Why just the other day my husband was telling me of what a wonderful group of mages you all are and how you saved him from those boorish Oneiroi."
Morpheus shifts on his throne, you suspect that he did not expect his wife to tell you what he has been saying to her.
"My lady, you do us too great a kindness," you better half answers, "I am sure your husband would have managed to free himself even without our aid."
She shoots a sidelong glance at her husband, it must easy to do with so many eyes, "Oh certainly he would have managed eventually or one of us would have come along and freed him but it is much more impressive that a handful of mortals should choose to do so even if you did have, ah, help."
You bow your heads in thanks to the Lady's kindness.
The Spider Princess eyes her husband once more, "Perhaps dear you would like to take a nap while I discuss matters with your charming mortal friends. I should very much like to make them my friends as well if all I hear about them is true."
He nods slowly, considering the notion, "Certainly my dear but remember what we talked about. These two and all members of their organization are under my direct protection. We can not compel them and we can not detain them," he grins at you both, "No matter how much we might like to."
As he passes you on the way out of the chamber he stops once, "Ladies, our mutual friend has informed me that you have a parcel waiting for you two days southeast of the city. She says it is a very large and time sensitive parcel and that even now thieves come to claim it. If you wish to collect it you had better do so soon."
You stop him, a single determined hand on his muscular arm, "Are we sure she was acting on her own initiative and not the request of another."
He shrugs, "I have no way of knowing if she was forced to contact me or did so of her own free will I am afraid. She did not appear to be in distress beyond what would be natural given her situation though."
Well, that is probably the best you can hope for.
You both bid the Prince good night and once more express your thanks over the entertainment he arranged for you before turning back to the Spider Princess.
You suspect that you have a lot to discuss.
---------------------------------------
You feel good this morning. Your quiet talk with Thaïs, your evening in the Dreaming, Morpheus' concert and what came after when you woke up have all contributed to a state of confident excitement in you today.
You feel relaxed, you feel energetic, you feel damn well optimistic. You feel like you could save the Kingdom single handed and you want to share that feeling with the world, starting with Ceannard. Which is why you dragged yourselves out of bed at the first rays of dawn and marched down to the Arrows' compound.
It is not that Otto wanted to let you in, you just left him no choice.
"Ceannard!" you bang on the bedroom door, "Ceannard we know you are in there!"
"Go away!" he shouts back, "I am sick!"
"Like hell you are!" Thaïs shouts back.
You give her a surprised glance and she shrugs and beams at you. You shake it off, she must be feeling awfully energetic this morning as well.
"Ceannard, we just want to talk," you begin.
"No!" he shout comes from the other side.
"It's about business," Thaïs dangles another crumb in front of him.
"Ah, what kind of business?" he answers hesitantly.
"The kind that might pay very well!" you answer together.
You can hear him unbolting the door, "Alright, but just you two and I don't want to hear any jokes!"
Jokes?
The door opens a crack and then slightly more. Just enough to let you both slide through with only a little discomfort.
As soon as you are in the mercenary slams the door behind you.
"What the hell Ceannard! What is wrong wi-" you stop in mid sentence as you get a look at his neck.
There, on the left side of his neck are perhaps the largest and deepest hued love bites you have ever seen. Half of his neck is consumed by a continuous purple welt.
The grin creeps up your face.
Thaïs snickers.
You try to hold it back, you really do, but you just can't.
You both burst out laughing.
The mercenary is devastated, "Will you two kindly shut up."
It takes you three minutes more than is decent to do so.
"Oh, Ceannard," Thaïs begins, wiping her eyes.
You almost can't believe it, "Ceannard, you didn't, did you?"
He coughs, "I, ah, I don't want to talk about it."
Suddenly the term bug bite seems all too appropriate.
"She was a demon, Ceannard," you shake your head.
"I said, I do not want to talk about it," he insists.
You raise you hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. It is really none of our business anyway. We came here because we want to hire the Arrows again."
"What for?" is his immediate response.
A good question, what do you want him for?
1. Arrows Contracts:
A) You hire him to escort you to meet Nanshe. Afterwards he will return to the city. (obviously you need to vote to go see Nanshe for this option to count, if you do not then this option will be discarded). (200WPs)
B) You hire the Arrows for a month to go with you into the South. At the end of the month if you still need them you can renew otherwise they will leave. (450 WPs)
C) You hire the Arrows to train the Greys in Myrgard (This option requires the Greys to remain behind when you leave.). (100 WPs)
D) You hire the Arrows to train the Greys at Blackrock (This option requires the Greys to remain behind when you leave.). (120 WPs)
E) You want to absorb the Arrows, their assets and personnel since you use them constantly anyway (All E votes will count together the winner will be the most popular option should E win):
(Included are all of the options from the first listing of the Arrows, if you want to try something else then feel free to make use of the freeform option):
i. You offer to buy out the Arrows and let Ceannard retire (He does not seem to want to retire.). (4000 WPs, payable yearly in installments of 500WPs, you will have to take out a loan with the Goldsmiths to cover the first payment, it will be at 25% compound monthly interest, feel free to list the amount you want the loan to be for. The most popular option will be chosen if this option wins.).
ii. You offer to buy out the Arrows and keep Ceannard and his officers on as, well, officers. (3000 WPs, payable yearly in installments of 500WPs, you will have to take out a loan with the Goldsmiths to cover the first payment, it will be at 25% compound monthly interest, feel free to list the amount you want the loan to be for. The most popular option will be chosen if this option wins.)
iii. You offer to buy the Arrows and keep Ceannard on as a partner (his officers will also stay on as officers naturally). (2000 WPs, payable in installments of 200 WPs four times a year (quarterly). You will have to take out a loan to cover the expense, it will be at 25% compound monthly interest feel free to list the amount you want the loan to be for. The most popular option will be chosen if this option wins.).
iv. Ceannard has never been secretive about how much he likes the two of you. If you want to take him into your bed as well as your organization he is likely to reduce his price. Who knows, maybe love will grow there as well. Of course Áine is unlikely to appreciate it. (It will still cost 1000 WPs, payable in installments of 200 WPs four times a year (quarterly). You will have to take out a loan to cover the expense, it will be at 25% compound monthly interest feel free to list the amount you want the loan to be for. The most popular option will be chosen if this option wins.).
v. Ceannard has never been secretive about how much he likes the two of you. If you want to take him into your bed as well as your organization he is likely to reduce his price. You could also try to talk Lyssa into participating and reduce his price even further... Who knows, maybe love will grow there as well? Áine is unlikely to appreciate it though and Lyssa may or may not be offended by the idea. (It will probably cost 800 WPs, payable in 100 WPs instalments, quarterly. You can take out a loan at 25% compound monthly interest if you so desire but you do not have to).
vi. You offer to buy the Arrows and keep Ceannard on as a partner (his officers will also stay on as officers naturally). You will make such a deal in private. In public, you will have Albrecht hire the mercenaries as his personal forces (not unlike the Seekers) and have him pay the first 200 WPs out of the treasury. You should then be able to use the Arrows for the good of the state without too many questions raised, though any deals that only benefit you should be handled discreetly.
vii. Offer Ceannard a foursome with Derryth, Thais and Nephila. That should reduce the price rather substantially if you don't mind the implications and it is not likely to me a one time affair. (It will cost 500 WPs, payable in 100 WPs instalments, quarterly. You can take out a loan at 25% compound monthly interest if you so desire but you do not have to).
viii. This is just the full orgy option, included for the sake of completeness... You will bed Ceannard, Nephila, Lyssa and Lady Grey. If you somehow actually pull this off then Ceannard will just give you the Arrows, no questions asked. Of course this is also could also spectacularly backfire and destroy much of your operation... There is a substantial element of luck as well given all the ways this could go wrong.
ix. freeform: Try some other arrangement to incorporate the Arrows.
F) freeform: since you will likely want to do something much more complex. Propose it and I will tabulate a cost for you.
2. Equipment: You went shopping at the Brothers Dietfried and this is what you found:
Supplies:
A) 'M' labelled mandrake roots: 40 WPs each
B) Energon Crystals: 30 WPs each
C) Energon Whiskey: 12 WPs a bottle
Regular Items:
D) Leather armour: 5 WPs each suit
E) Large wooden shield: 4 WPs each
F) Arrows: 1WP per 2 quivers
G) Bolts: 1 WP per 2 magazines
H) Light Composite Bow: 10 WPs each
I) Light Crossbow: 12 WPs each
Magical Items:
J) Magic resistant leather armour (grants minor magic resistance to wearer, allowing them to weather the effects of magical spells slightly better.): 30 WPs each
K) Magic resistant mail (grants minor magic resistance to wearer, allowing them to weather the effects of magical spells slightly better.): 35 WPs each
L) Magic resistant coat of plate (grants minor magic resistance to wearer, allowing them to weather the effects of magical spells slightly better.): 40 WPs each
M) Lunar Blade (It is said that this blade waxes and wanes in power with the phases of the moon. In truth it simply operates on a thirty day cycle. The sword begins without a blade and as the thirty days progress (on day fifteen) before dissolving back to nothing on day thirty and beginning again): 30 WPs
N) Pain spikes (When placed next to the skin they will burrow their way into the user. This proves to be incredibly painful as one might expect. If only one is used or multiple spikes are used on the same target then nothing more will occur. However if the spikes are used on multiple individuals it will serve to fasten their 'souls' together. So long as the spikes remain in their flesh pain (both physical and mental) will be spread out between all users. This serves to dull the physical and mental pain any one member of the group will suffer however this comes with a sizable trade-off. Should one user die while still chained to the others then all users will feel the pain of that death. In many cases this is sufficient to kill the other members of the group. Should two or more members die at the same time the remaining members have next to know chance of surviving the backlash.): The set of six spikes is worth 45 WPs
O) Fire resistant leather armour (grants minor resistance to magical and mundane fire, they will not burn you as badly as others.): 20 WPs each
P) Entangled Dice: A pair of dice, one black with white pips and the other white with black pips. When you roll one of them the other will shift so that they read 'opposing numbers'. So if you roll the white die and it comes up 'six' then the black die will shift to reveal a 'one', that sort of thing. The opposite numbers are 1/6, 2/5 and 3/4. The Brothers have not really found a use for them so far. They will sell them to you for: 14 WPs.
Q) There is an old can of oil used to maintain sword blades. When filled with normal oils it enchants them with a random effect that is then applied to the sword it is used on. The effect seems to alter every twenty four hour. So far he has seen a frost effect, a flame effect, a corrosive effect (that ate much of the test blade it was applied to), an electrical effect, a 'lightening' effect that made the blade weigh less and move quicker, a 'strengthening' effect that made the blade heavier, slower, and hit harder, a 'talking' effect which made the blade repeat everything that was said near it on command, a 'party' effect that made the blade radiate blue, pink, orange and green lights but did nothing else, and an explosive effect that cause the sword to explode when it made contact with a target (the soldier he had testing that blade sadly lost his arm as a result).
For some reason Dietfried has had trouble finding a buyer. He will give it to you for 5 WPs.
R) They have about six 'vomit disks'. Basically how they work is you light them on fire and throw them at the target. Anyone within three metres of where they land will be hit with an odor so foul that it will trigger acute vomiting, nausea an extraordinarily painful dry heaving. The effects usually only last about ten minutes but if you have a very keen sense of smell it can last as long as twenty.
They will not work on targets that can not smell for obvious reasons and you will want to be careful to not drop them after you light them. They can just as easily neutralize your group as the enemy's that way. Also he would recommend caution if you use them against wind mages as they can blow the gases the disks release right back at you, provided they are quick enough.
He can sell you a disk for 5WPs each.
S) He has a shield made from a single piece of treated wood. It is completely fire proof and will reflect any fire based spell that hits it back at whoever cast it. If it is hit with ice magic though it will freeze solid and will be rendered useless until it defrosts. (10 WPs)
T) freeform: if you want something that is not on the list or a particular enchantment you do not see then ask I will let you know if it is available.
Additional Items are listed in this post. If you want me to add anything to the formal list here just let me know.
3. Mercenaries: If you feel you could use a bit more muscle when you head south you could hire on additional mercenaries for one month contracts. Their rates are as follows (you can vote for as many as you wish but if you go over your funds you will need to take a loan at 25% monthly compound interest):
A) The Doves: 150WPs
B) The Bastards: 40WPs
C) The Cocks: 125WPs
D)The Knights: 300 WPs
E) The Hounds: 100 WPs
F) Just the Hounds' elephants: 40 WPs
G) freeform
4. Your expedition south: Aside from the Seekers who do you plan to bring with you to the south? (There are so many options here that I will just let people come up with their own teams. You have the Boys, the Greys, any mercenaries you might hire, any escort you might request, and any named characters you have in the city to choose from, go wild).
5. Nanshe and TWM: Morpheus claims that Nanshe has contacted him and requested that you come to pick up the Thin White Mage. He can not prove that she is acting freely and that it is not a trap but she seemed fine from what he could tell.
A) You go to meet Nanshe (If you vote for this option then please list who you want to take to the meeting. It is on your way south so if you choose to take people south with you but do not want them at the meeting then you will have to split your forces in the field.)
As a reminder you can select any of your named personnel that are in the city as well as the Seekers, whatever escort you request from the King and any mercenaries you wish, either from your standing forces in the city, Boys and Greys essentially, or from the mercenary pool should they be hired.
B) You do not go to visit Nanshe, it is either a trap or simply not worth your time.
6. The Spy: The maid you found was definitely a spy. She seems to be motivated to sell information due to substantial debts she owes. None of that will matter to the Pathfinders though, she is aiding the Cultists and will be killed for her actions. What do you want to do?
A) Give Albrecht your report and wash your hands of the affair.
B) Offer to take her with you and interrogate her yourself.
C) Offer to remove her and put her in the Dreaming.
D) Offer to remove her and kill her.
E) Offer to remove her, give her some money (be sure to include how much) and tell her to flee the Kingdom
F) You will inform Timo and Albrecht of her ties to the Cultists. You will then have the Pathfinders/Timo's agents follow her and attempt to map out as much of the Cult as possible. Should this prove successful she may then be used as a double agent to feed the cult information. Hopefully she will lead your allies back to Rand or his doubles which they may detain or destroy as they are able. Like this essentially:
H) freeform
7. Your Sleeping Inventor: You are leaving the capital and Mel is still asleep. What do you want to do with her.
A)You will take her with you. It will be dangerous bringing her into an army camp in the middle of a warzone but it will give you the best chance to wake her up quickly when the moon is right.
B) You will leave her at the palace. Admitedly the security there is not great but few people know she is there, she will just have to sleep for a month or two more while you handle affairs to the south.
C) You have her moved to Blackrock. It will be risky transporting her through the countryside to the fort but once she gets there she should be fairly secure unless Hesse or Welf try something.
D) freeform
8. Your Northern Team: Once you know who is coming with you, you will need to organize those that are remaining behind. (Who will look after transportation and training for the Boys and Greys for example.) Since this question depends so much on all of the other questions I am going to leave this open as a freeform question. How do you want them to run things in your absence? You tell me.
9. Escort: Albrecht will of course give you an escort drawn from his own Royal Guard. You have met all of the key commanders at this point so the question becomes who do you want to come with you.
A) The chariots (20 war chariots with two dwarf teams)
B) The light infantry (40 light infantry: 30 grenadiers and 10 infantry)
C) The heavy infantry (40 heavy infantry: 30 warriors and 10 grenadiers)
D) freeform - if you want something else or you want more than one of the above options then feel free to suggest it. Just remember that every asset you take is one few Albrecht has to deploy elsewhere.
10. Operation 'Fata Morgana'.
You will have Mayer open a store accepting pre-orders for the Energon Cubes for a price of 0.5 WPs each, and spread rumors about it in mage circles (well, the Royal Academy, mostly). You will have Albrecht buy the cubes from anyone willing to sell them for 2 WPs each. You will then see how many would give in to their greed and decide to make a profit over a deficit product, unwittingly supplying you with their cubes in the process. Of course, you will refund the pre-orders so that no regular customers would come to harm.
A) You go for it (specify the amount of funds you are willing to spend on buying the cubes).
B) You refuse to resort to such measures to refill your supplies.
11. Interrogating the Captain: You might wish to interrogate the Weasel captain Berty caught yesterday. It will delay your departure but it might be a worthwhile use of your time. Do you take the time?
A) Yes (all A options are counted together):
i. A quick session. You will not be gentle and you will rips as much information from her mind as you can, as quickly as you can. Her mind will likely be ruined in the process (time: 1 hour)
ii. A longer session. You will try to be careful with her mind. You will begin with low intensity attacks and feints to draw out as much information as you can without doing permanent damage. It will still hurt her a fair bit though and it will take longer to successfully check for the information you desire. (time: 3 hours)
iii. An in depth and expertly conducted session. You will take the time to do this properly. You will wear down her mind over the course of hours before you carefully extract only the information you desire. This will be tiring for both of you and for the prisoner and it will take substantially more time to get the desired effect but it will not harm her in any meaningful way and it will also help you strengthen your own mentalist techniques. (time: 7 hours)
iv. freeform
B) No, you do not spend the time. You want to leave as soon as possible (time: none)
12. Custom Magic Armour: Since you spent much of yesterday being measured anyway you could choose to send those measurements on to the palace and have the King commission custom armour for your use. Feel free to specify the type or armour, any enchantments you would like to have on it and how many suits you want. You can have armour made for any of the named characters you currently have in the city as Derry, Taide and the girls have all been measured and the rest can be measured before you leave. Please keep in mind that the more powerful the armour the more time it will take to finish. Also the more suits you have made the fewer dwarves will be available to work on other projects for the Kingdom. Finally, even the simplest of armour will not be ready before you leave so you will not have access to the armour unless it is shipped to you or you return to the city.
13. Tutors: You can hire tutors for the children to teach them the basic while you are gone. You will hire:
A) None - You will borrow a few of Albrecht's clerks and have them teach the children the basics. They are not the best educators but they are free (If you go with this option then the 14 WPs you have already set aside for this will be returned to you).
B) A few basic tutors - you will hire a few tutors to teach the kids the basics (writing, counting, reading, gymnastics, etc) (14 WPs monthly for six tutors)
C) You will hire more advanced teachers alongside basic tutors - the tutors will focus on teaching the basics while the more specialized teachers will pick out any students that show exceptional skill for more advanced training. Unfortunately you will not be on hand to filter applicates you will be trusting this to whoever you leave in charge. (20 WPs monthly for six tutors and four specialist instructors, you will need to spend an additional 6WPs for the first month to cover this on top of the fourteen WPs you have already set aside).
Freeform Questions 14+ : Since you will be leaving the city after this update and may not be abld to make it back for a while this will likely be your last chance in this chapter to influence the development of your broader organization. If you want to do anything in the city or send letters and instructions to Brigit/Gareth, Amena/Ithapi or your people at Blackrock now is the time to do it as after this you will only have messengers and Lyssa's eagles and you will likely be on the move more often than not.
Also if you have any questions for Ceannard, Morpheus, the Brothers Dietfried or (especially) the Spider Princess feel free to ask. You spent enough time with each of them in this update to ask as many questions as you want.
Interlude 6: The Price of Freedom
Interlude 6: The Price of FreedomIn the heart of the mountains south of Myrgard an army waits. An army of mages, horrors, and monstrosities dragged down through the ages and concentrated here. It has been brought together for one purpose and one purpose only. To avenge his failure, to prove to his 'master' that he has not lost his skill and potency. He will meet them here and will crush them here. He will break them and make them his and then he will march them before the Old Goat and show him the proof of his ability.
This army will win.
It is unstoppable.
It is wholly and completely his.
He stirs in his tent, a thing of white silk, canvas and gold. It once belonged to... Who was it again? Ah, yes, the Consul of Quartz. A beautiful city when it stood but there are some slights that simply can not be tolerated.
A single, startling, blue eye opens and greets the day. It has been three days and he is getting restless. How long does it take to marshal an army? How long does it take to draw together their forces? Admittedly, the dwarves do have tiny little legs...
He smiles, his grin as sharp as any blade, those little legs will not serve them well in retreat. When his slaves lash the flesh from their bones and his hounds track them through the caves and hills.
He rises and glides along the floor of his tent. He feels alive again. He expects so very much from them but he knows those three delightful darlings will not disappoint.
They will be magnificent as always but this time they will fall.
He spins, and twists and claps as he dresses, humming along with an ancient spell in preparation of the battle to come.
Gracefully now he drops into a throne of bone and brass, a 'gift' from the Hetman of Briar. A bribe to spare his life and the minds of his sons. A nice chair but not nearly enough to buy his mercy.
He snatches a coral comb from his desk and runs his thumb along its edge. It is his favourite, taken from the warm, soft hands of the Empress Dowager of the Blue Mountains moments before he fulfilled her purpose and claimed her soul.
He runs the comb through his hair and sighs as he takes in his glorious image in his mirror.
The delay has been almost unbearable.
Oh how he wishes they would race toward him, crash against him, fall before him.
He will have them.
Those pretty things.
He will strip them of all they have, all they want, all they are. He will take from them their foolish hopes, their oh-so-banal dreams, their fears, their regrets, their loyalties.
He will take everything.
Then, he will give them something new to hope for, something new to dream of.
Him.
And they will love him for it.
-----------------------------------
At least the days are beginning to cool and from the peaks of the mountains the odd refreshing breeze pours down to momentarily revive her.
Not much farther now.
She hopes she ready for this.
That Thin White Monstrosity has always been powerful and she doubts that he will be holding anything back now. It worries her a little. Four hundred braves, the best she could find, and a half dozen of her priests sent to battle against all that, that horror can muster. She would be lying if she said the odds were stacked in her favour.
She glances behind her at the chieftains marching with their men: Ninhursag and her sons, clad in iron, heavy shields bound to their arms and sharp spears in hand; old Nammu with a fur cap on her head and a sack over her shoulder, her renowned slingers similarly attired; Irkalla, sword at his side and seventy fearless soldiers at his back; and finally wise Enki, at her side with the other priests of the Gods.
The old priest nods to her when he catches her looking, she smiles slightly in response and turns away. She is not the type to pray but in a moment like this she is sorely tempted.
She breaths in. She breathes out. In. Out. Again and again. It calms her. She focuses on the beating of her heart as it slows. She focuses on her feet as they move to the beat of her column's march
She smirks, no sense worrying about it anymore as she can no longer turn back. Any weakness and the tribes that have been drawn to her will disperse again. Then she will be left with nothing but her own clan and that will mean eventual death. At the hands of the Watcher, or his creature, or the dwarves, or even her own people.
She must fight and she must win to prove that she deserves the title she has claimed. She must pile victory upon victory and what better way to start than by crushing the 'man' responsible for the enslavement of hundreds of her people. It is a gesture that will mean little to the eastern and southern tribes but it is one that will elevate her status in the eyes of the remaining independent northern tribes.
In a lead lined box to her right sits the gift Derryth, Thaïs and Lyssa have given her. It will serve as bait, the magical signal that will draw in the creature and allow her to make her move.
If he does not fall for it then she will have to break his army and capture him herself.
A scout comes racing down the path toward her and she orders the army to halt.
He stops, breathing heavily, as her bodyguards form a solid wall around her and succeed in completely blocking her sight.
She rolls her eyes, these soldiers, these 'Immortals', were Enki's idea. He insisted that she travel with an escort of fifty braves, hand picked warriors from the tribes most loyal to their cause. A sound idea she must admit but they also have an annoying tendency of being overprotective toward their Empress.
She slips her fingers between the plate clad shoulders of the two nearest immortals and pushes her way through their barrier, "Out of my way damn it! If a single messenger was enough to fell me I would not be worth protecting in the first place!"
The scout begins to bow as she nears but she waves away such formalities and gestures for him to speak. Behind her she can hear the Immortals advancing to once more envelop her.
The scout takes a few unsteady breaths and points up the trail repeatedly, "Five minutes, straight ahead."
Alright then, time to prove her worth and strike a blow for her people. She sends out her runners to her captains as Enki negotiates his way through her layers of security.
"Any news, my Empress?" the old ghôl enquires, bowing deeply.
She grunts in response, "It seems we have found the Watcher's creature."
She catches the hint of a frown on the priest's face, "How close."
"Five minutes march directly in front of us," she answers, "He will probably offer battle in the next valley, seize the high ground and make us attack him."
Her only loyal advisor nods, "Anything you want me to do?"
She grins, "Two things. First, send one of your people to get Cass and a couple of the slaves. Second, I want you to tell me about your clan and the stone you were tasked to guard, Crom Cruach."
--------------------------------
He shifts on his throne as his servants give their report. Charming Cerulean, plucked from the soft, warm waters of the endless sea and the dower Empress Dowager, far from her mountain home, they are amongst his best remaining scouts and what they tell him is difficult to accept at first.
Ghôls?
He turns to Orchid and Indigo to see how they react to the news, the brothers stare on impassively. He sighs, it is to be expected. They were never much for conversation those two and entering his service has done little to improve their disposition.
He leans back in his chair and shifts to his right, resting his head on a single perfect hand.
Not dwarves, but ghôls?
He scans his 'court', mages in every hue, sporting furs, feathers, silks and leathers, most stare at their feet waiting for instruction. None of them are eager to express an idea. Really it is his own fault, most of his servants have not seen use in decades and if he does not regularly exercise them he should not expect them to be terribly active.
With no one to turn to or talk to he once more falls back on his own great intellect and keen intuition. Now, this information is certainly a surprise, but he has no reason to doubt it. Cerulean and the Empress Dowager have always been reliable when it comes to collecting information. Today he will be fighting a different enemy than intended but it should not substantially change his plans. He has seen how ghôls fight and he is not impressed. What has fired his imagination though is the second revelation his scouts have delivered. That his quarry is with them, Mazzarin's apprentices are embedded in the ghôlish host.
There is only one way to respond to this, with laughter.
He can barely contain his joy at this particular turn of events. It is all the proof he could ever need. Mazzarin, through his apprentices, is the mastermind behind the ghôlish uprising! All of his enemies are in league and they have come together to offer him one final battle! He will drag all four of them before the Watcher and he will force them to recount in detail their master's plans! Victory here will restore him and the others: the slave, the puppet, the beast, the apprentice and even his dear 'wife', they will respect and fear him once more!
So he laughs as he straps his armour on, he cackles as snatches up his blade, and striding from his tent he gives the order to offer battle.
------------------------------------
The Empress of the Ghôls surveys her forces. She has done well she thinks.
The enemy is drawn up across from them, and the mages have seized the high, uneven terrain at the far end of the valley. There must be at least seventy of them, all mages or similarly powerful horrors drawn here by the will of that thing. Their position is secure and as soon as she tries to charge them they will pour fire, lightning and the gods know what else down on her army.
Under normal conditions when a ghôlish warband encounters an enemy there is only one decision a leader will make. They will either charge or withdraw based on the perceived strength of their opponent. That is the sole concern of the warchief and beyond this single choice they have very little real authority. Each brave fights individually, utilizing all of the cunning, brutality and malice they can muster, victory or defeat is then determined by the skill and ingenuity of each clan's combatants. Against this enemy though, an organized opponent and a mage, such traditions are suicide and so the Empress has taken it upon herself to try something different, hopefully it will catch the Watcher's creature by surprise. Hopefully it will actually work.
She will make the enemy army abandon its position and charge her.
When it does Nammu and the slingers, deployed to the front, will do their best to thin out the enemies ranks at range then, contrary to tradition, they will fall back through her own lines. Behind them Ninhursag and her brave sons stand with a gap between each warrior, if all goes according to plan then Nammu's warriors will be able to flee through the gaps as Ninhursag's soldiers step forward, close ranks and meet the enemy. She has practiced this manoeuvre with them hundreds of times but this will be its true trial, its first test in battle. Ninhursag's infantry will do their best to hold the enemy in place while Irkalla, on the right flank will sweep around the enemy formation and strike at their softer warriors. The Empress herself will hold the left with her clan's warriors and her Immortals, right across from the enemies hounds. Already they bay for blood, slithering, clawing, hopping in place. The fighting will be worst here and she needs her best to keep the creatures from breaking through.
At the rear of her army, with what little reserves she can spare will sit 'Derryth', 'Thaïs', and 'Lyssa' 'commanding' the army and giving the whole affair an air of plausibility.
It should be enough to surprise and capture the Thin White Mage. All she has to do is get him to attack and Enki will handle that.
----------------------------
Why aren't they charging?
It is quite the little puzzle isn't it?
Never before has he encountered a ghôlish warband that has behaved with so much restraint. Even as his patience wanes his respect for his darlings grows to new heights. He wonders what sorts of threats, what kinds of magic, they have used to hold these savage clansmen in place. When he crushes this rabble and captures them he will have to ask.
Well, he has time. He is no rush as the Old Goat has directed his attention elsewhere. The Watcher's gaze is fixed on the south and his 'successful' lieutenants, his loyal little beasts, as they work their way through the defenders of the Kingdom. He has been left out of these plans, his 'manifold failures' weighing him down. He must admit he has had a streak of unfortunate luck lately but all of that is set to change today. Today he does not have the undead to slow him down! He does not have the incompetence of the Shades to force his hand! Today he has his own people, all of them or those that could be spared, and he will win there can be no other outcome! His fifty mages are arrayed in groups of five along a loose line among the hills at this end of the valley. They are outnumbered by the savages but that means little to a mage. Eventually those animals will charge and when they do his followers will cut them down with magic of every variety imaginable! Why, if they are not enough then his hounds will-
What's that now?
What is happening at the front of the enemy's formation?
What are those strange little beasts in their bizarre robes doing?
The wind begins to build, howling through the peaks above them.
It screams down at them and the pressure builds as if someone or something is intently scrutinizing him and his servants.
He raises his gaze and leans forward on his ivory staff as he teeters on his casting dais and his entourage mimic his behaviour, all eight of them, looking into the darkening sky.
He turns back to face the enemy as an ancient ghôl steps from the ranks, smeared in ash and blood, he raises his gnarled, thick staff above his head and his fellows mimic the action. Their chanting builds and as it strikes his ear it takes on new forms, it is the gurgling of a drowning man, it is the screaming of a burning one, it is the flailing, stumbling, faltering shriek of the damned and as their voices rise he realizes finally, fatally, what they are doing. They have no intention to attack, or rather this is their attack...
The wailing builds and from the swirling maelstrom above him a sickly green and yellow mist begins to billow. The lead ghôlish mage points his staff right at the Thin White Mage and his followers mimic the ghôl's movements.
The cloud begins to shift on a foul breeze. Drifting down toward his lines with a certain enthusiasm, a certain malice, that suggests to the Thin White Mage that perhaps it is alive.
For a moment he is at a loss. He had not expected this, whatever it is, and he is not sure how to counter it. He has heard of elemental spells with similar properties and so he orders his elementalists to try and blow the cloud away and toward the ghôls.
The wind mages push with all they can muster and the cloud... It roars at them... In indignation, the spell roars! It bellows its contempt for them, a single deafening, smothering noise that blasts his army and causes his hounds to throw up a chorus of bleating, hissing, growing pleas.
This spell is not mere elemental magic.
It begins to snatch at the forward elements of his force. To his right the mist coils out ethereal tendrils and envelops a dozen of his mages. They do not flee, he has not told them to. They do not scream as the blood begins to leak from their eyes and their mouths. They do not move as their skins and muscles are scrubbed from their bones and their robes dissolve at their feet. In less then half a minute they are little more than bones and after a full minute they are nothing at all.
He hears howling, squawking, barking to his right. One of his hounds is snatched up by the spell and it spins through the air as it is drawn into the cloud. The rest of his hounds begin to back away, their tails, fins, wings folded up in caution and fear.
A common army would have fled by now, thankfully none of his servants are common. They will hold their ground as long as he tell them to. In light of this new information he turns the problem over in his mind as the main body of the cloud creeps closer, building speed as it senses the lungs and minds of even more fresh prey.
Of course!
It hits him and damn near sends him fleeing into the mountains. This spell is a Dream. Not just any Dream either, it is the Rotting Mist Dream that the Dark Gods tore from the corpse of Wyrd and later presented to their favourite children.
He believed it had been destroyed by the dwarves during the Great War but perhaps it survived in a form, passed from one generation of ghôlish priests to another, or perhaps one of those craven beasts that pick at the edge of this world decided to help their mortal fellows by returning this gift to them.
At any rate this knowledge makes things both easier and more difficult. He can not stop this spell, he can not counter it with anything he possesses and it will not stop until the ritual is ended or his army has dissolved entirely. However it should be easy enough to end the ritual. He simply has to kill or disrupt the mages casting it which will mean attacking...
He grins, he did want a challenge after all and they are not disappointing him. If they want him to attack then that is what he will do and he knows just how to begin...
-------------------------------
Enki, the Empress' First Priest is quite proud of his work.
There are certain days that live in the memory and that refuse to die:
The day he met his wife.
The day he became high priest of his clan.
The day his son was born.
The day he lost them both, son and wife, in the defence of Myrgard.
The day that the damned dwarves destroyed Crom Cruach.
The night the Golden Ones visited him and promised vengeance.
The evening that he finally mastered their gift, the Rotting Mist Dream.
To those he can now add the day that he used that gift to fell the first of their foes. His apprentices pour all they have into the spell. Their focus is absolute, just as he taught them, though his begins to drift. He takes in the scene, the silent destruction of the enemy and he is struck by how casually the enemy's slaves embrace their fate. He shivers, considering the idea that he might have been among them given time. He raises his gaze and scans the cloud above them, the devouring, putrefying mist that they have summoned to snuff out the Watcher's slaves. He mutters a prayer to his gods and once more seizes control of the spell, preparing to launch another offensive.
He feels a hand on his shoulder.
Someone is shouting but he can not spare them a moment.
He is struck, knocked to the ground and his connection to the spell breaks.
He shakes his head and looks up. Above him stands his own bodyguard. The ghôl draws his blade and raises it to strike. Enki concentrates and unleashes gouts of poison from his palm, they splatter the bodyguard and his eyes bulge though he makes no sound. The Guard swings the blade down and it bites into Enki's arm, cutting flesh and shattering bone. The priest's arm comes off and the Guard raises his blade again.
This is it. Was it treachery? Was this guard bought? Who betrayed him?
The blow should come any second. He closes his eyes and prays.
He hears a thud and opens his eyes just a crack. The Bodyguard lies dead beside him, a javelin protruding from his back.
Enki tries to rise, the blood pouring from his wound. He makes it to his knees before falling back into the dirt. Around him his soldiers are tearing each other apart. What has come over them?
He coughs, why can't his people achieve anything of lasting worth?
Above his the vultures circle and the Dream dies, along with his own dreams, revealing the sun. He watches the birds circling, their hooked beaks, their sharp talons, their rotting wings... Rotting wings?
He squints, trying to focus on them. They are not living, are they? Yes, they are corpses and buried into each of them are shards of something dark. Black stone in their chests, in their necks, bound to their feet.
He manages a weak laugh. The Watcher's stones. The birds are being used to project the Watcher's influence over the whole host from the air. The entire army must be tearing itself apart at this very moment...
They never did stand a chance did they?
The Old Priest closes his eyes and admits defeat.
---------------------------------------
He hums as he strolls through the slaughter, an escort of twenty mages shielding him from all harm. Then his lips part and he sings, magnificently, joyously he sings and here amongst the carnage he finds the breath of life once more:
Look out my window and what do I see
A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me
All the nightmares came today
And it looks as though they're here to stay
The horrors that race ahead of him and drag behind him chortle at his words. Six of his escorts peal off to handle the charge of a few dozen of the savages. The beasts are cut down without remorse or hesitation. He pushes on, merrily, gracefully:
What are we coming to
No room for me, no fun for you
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the Golden Ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By a puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they're here to stay
With wave of his staff he pitches thirty warriors out of his path. The magic pouring from his artefacts lights the battlefield as he marches along. Ten of his followers break off to handle a massed block of slingers honing in on his command group.
He is almost there now, having cut right through the heart of the dissolving enemy formation. His birds circle lazily overhead. Such creative minds those ladies have and what a wonderful inspiration they have been to him but they were simply outdone by a superior foe. His centuries of experience matched against their mere decades of training, it was a foregone conclusion really.
He can see the leader of these creatures attempting to fight her way to him, poor, poor Nanshe. To rebel against her true master only to follow frauds, she will get all she deserves. Her golden armour catches the rays of the sun, it glimmers and those around her fight all the harder. Her bodyguards also seem to be immune to the influence of his eagles. He wonders why that is exactly.
Ah, no matter, it is of little concern now. He orders all but three of his escort to intercept the 'Empress' and her soldiers. They quickly throw their magic behind the efforts of his hounds and to his immense satisfaction she falls and her soldiers begin to waver.
Hopefully she is not dead. A firebrand like her would make an excellent addition to his collection and he would like to acquire the 'full set' of all four ladies.
He stalks into the enemy's camp and flays the first three beasts he encounters. Few oppose him after that and confidently he steps forward, weaving, dancing, through the wagons toward the command tent.
He opens the flap and orders his followers to bring the ladies out alive.
Cerulean is the first in, followed by the Empress Dowager and the King of Coins. He hears screams, he hears crashing, then the Dowager's head rolls back out of the tent.
He smiles, these three will be worth everything he has been through, everything.
Sweetly he sings as he enters:
Oh you Pretty Things
Don't you know you're driving your Mamas and Papas insane
Oh you Pretty Things
Don't you know you're driving your Mamas an-
The iron fist that connects with the side of his head would have killed a lesser man.
As it is it merely stung a great deal.
He drops and rolls. Leaping back to his feet he readies his spells and frees his sword from its sheath.
The tent is completely dark, the thick canvas blotting out any light.
He mutters an incantation and fills the marquee with light.
They stand together on the far side of the room, covered in thick robes with hoods drawn over their faces. When they notice him they cower together against the far wall. He finds that odd for a moment. They have never cowered before him in any of their past meetings. Perhaps they know that nothing will stop him now? Perhaps they are cowards at their core, the same as all the others? A pang of disappointment rings out within him but he has more pressing matters to attend to. Between them and him is a single ghôl clad in the same black plate as the traitor's bodyguards though it wears a hood instead of a helmet and is missing its right guantlet.
It must have had to dress in a hurry he thinks with a slight chuckle.
It is the one last, tiny obstacle between him and his goal and he will be delayed no longer!
He lashes out with his magic but is met with a curious spell. A black, stone labyrinth rises in his mind, a structure baking below a trio of merciless purple suns. Did they cast this? It does not matter. He presses forward and the labyrinth resists him. He shifts his thoughts but the labyrinth twists with him, enveloping him, one moment it is a sphere, then a pyramid, then a cube. He strains against the spell. He will overcome this trap, he will beat their last gambit, then he will slay their final guardian and he will drag them into the light. He will have them, so close now he pours everything into tearing this spell to pieces.
He hones his mind into a single point, a cutting edge that can rend their defences and he throws everything in one, mighty push. The labyrinth begins to fracture, it begins to crumble and it opens just enough for him to once more see the sky. Those three suns hanging above him, he makes them his target and he pushes. He grasps two of them firmly and with a single, monumental effort he drags them toward one another.
He hears a scream, but not the screams he was expecting. He knows that voice, he has taught that voice and for a moment it throws him.
Nanshe?
He asks instinctively.
Empress.
The answer hits him as a fourth sun rises from beyond the horizon.
Everything burns.
He screams.
-----------------------------------
It was a close thing, far closer than she had intended but she won. They lost half the army and a good third of her Immortals but it could have been far worse. They could have lost everything.
As it is they have simply had to retreat further into the mountains, They have found a cave system and it seems to be clear of anything more dangerous than a few bandits and the odd wild beast. Nothing that can threaten an army of two hundred even one as battered as hers is.
The Watcher's creature is bound and drugged with enough nepenthe to sedate a man twice his size. She will not take any chances. As soon as he lost consciousness his birds began to fall from the sky and without their influence the army was able to rally and drive off the remnants of the Thin White Bastard's slaves but they are still out there, she can feel it, and the Hounds are with them.
She ordered her followers to gather as many of the Watcher's shards as they could find and she has had them encased in lead, taken from the helmets and armour of her Immortals. She grunts, lead in the armour, it was an inspired idea and that little trick probably saved her army today. However, she knows that the fighting is far from over. It will only be a matter of time until his remaining servants make an attempt to free their master. They all would have heard his last cry before he fell and they will be compelled to make the attempt one way or another.
Outside, in the distance, something howls, caws, mewls into the coming night. Hopefully her people managed to find all of the Watcher's shards present at the battle. If they left even a single one then the remnants of the enemy force will be able to contact the Watcher directly and ask for reinforcements.
He could send anything and there are horrors to the south that she would not want to stare down without a fresh army and a few dozen battle mages.
She shudders slightly and shifts at her writing desks.
Something stirs in the corner of her eye, in the shadow by the entrance to her 'room'.
Her mind screams assassin and she carefully reaches into one of the drawers of her desk, fumbling for an energon cube.
Casually she asks "That you Cass?" it is not even a serious question really, more just a way to fill the silence and discern who might be behind her. Odds are quite good that it is her clerk, the human and her child have hardly left her side since the battle. Partly out of concern and partly for their own safety.
She should think of a way to reward Cassandra, she played an adequate 'Derryth' even if she lacks much of the fire that makes the mage so compelling.
"No," an aged voice answers, "I am not your human girl," the disapproving tone the voice takes at the mention of Cass confirms its identity for the young Empress.
"So you lived you old bastard?" she turns half way in her chair to get a good look at her First Priest.
"An empress should not swear, it is not dignified," Enki grunts and scratches at his stump absentmindedly, "But yes, by the will of the Gods I did."
"Fuck dignity Enki," she spits on the dirt floor, "I am living in a cave with an army that has been severely mauled. I will speak as I like."
He bows as much as he is able to, "As you wish my Empress."
She frowns, he is in no condition to be scraping and bowing like that, "How is the arm?"
"Lost," he replies calmly. He is taking it well, far better than she would to be sure, "Our people did all they could to coax the embers of my life back into a flame but restoring my arm was simply beyond their art. I gave it to my apprentices to consume, perhaps they will inherit a measure of my skill from the act."
She shrugs, she would have kept the arm. You never know what can be done with magic...
She shifts the topic, "When can we be mobile again?"
"Two or three days," the priest answers.
She nods to herself, "Two it is then. I want to be back to the city before the Watcher can bring anything else against us."
"Do you really think he will expend resources to recover such a failure?" the old ghôl asks.
"Yes," the Empress answers without doubt, "The Thin White Mage is near indestructible and he is a learning beast. It is one thing to kill him but in capturing him we deny the Watcher one of his agents and an irreplaceable one at that. If the Mad Goat gets word of his creature's capture he will make an effort to save such an asset and to avenge himself on us for the defeat we have handed him here."
The old Priest bows his head and mutters a prayer.
The young Empress rolls her eyes and mutters a few choice words of her own.
They glare at one another.
She smiles.
He does as well.
She would have missed him had he fallen today and she tells him as much.
"My Empress, you are too kind," he attempts another bow and winces slightly, "What will you do now?"
She gives him an inscrutable grin, "Call a few reinforcements of our own. I am going to bed, Enki, see that I am not disturbed unless it is important."
Enki does his best to back out of the chamber and she can hear him giving strict orders to her Immortals as he goes.
She rises from her desk, puts her things in order and slips onto her cot.
She closes her eyes and pictures a field with altars in it and a certain charming Prince of Dreams...
Chapter 62: Disappointments
Chapter 62: DisappointmentsThe sound of his footfalls echoes through the hallway.
He runs.
From alcove, to niche, to nook he scrambles.
Cold sweat runs down his race.
They will find him, if he is not quick, if he is not quiet, they will find him and he has heard the stories.
The horrors they are capable of.
So he runs, as fast as his legs can carry him, he runs.
They swept into the Academy so quickly, past his most clever defences, into the main building and directly toward his department. The rest hid, cowards, he alone has the courage to spirit the artefact away and save his fellows.
Can not fail, his boots knock out a beat to match his racing heart.
Mere metres now, mere metres and-
"Derryth! There's one!" the fatal call resounds behind him.
But they will not take him so easily!
Bravely he stops.
Slowly he turns.
As he does so his eyes settle on a door to his right. He tears it open and plunges into the darkness before him.
----------------------------------------
"What is with these dwarves?" Lyssa hisses, exasperated.
They are acting strangely. In fact you have not found a single one of them today that has responded to your greetings. They all lower their eyes and scurry away or simply point you in the direction of the 'Weapons Development Department' and now that you have reached your goal you are having trouble finding anyone at all. Further complicating things is the fact that Jan seems to have disappeared. His office is empty and no one answered when you knocked at his lab. It makes you nervous, you just want one person to stop and explain to you what is going on. It also makes you annoyed, you have a lot to do today and these flighty fellows are wasting your time.
So when Biliku finally catches sight of one of them, calling quickly to you, "Derryth! There's one!" you set off at a full sprint.
You have no intention of letting this one go, "Which way did he go?" you shout as you slide around the corner, Thaïs at your side and Lyssa a mere step behind.
"Through that door," Uttu answers as she rushes forward alongside her sister. The five of you come to a stop in front of the door and as a single mass you push in. No one draws a weapon or casts a spell but you must say, by this point you are certainly tempted.
It is pitch black in the room, not a single ray of light disturbs the darkness. You quickly put an end to that as you and your partner conjure up a matching pair of lights.
When your eyes adjust to the gloom you almost laugh.
Huddled at the far end of the room are forty two dwarves. They mutter and whisper to one another.
They are terrified.
The two of you step forward, speaking together, "Anyone care to explain to us what is going on?"
Your question sends a ripple through the congregation as the dwarves shove each other and argue.
You clear your throat and their attention snaps back to you, "Now please we have things to do."
The dwarves fall back to arguing, shuffling left and right before you and shouting. Moments before your patience is exhausted the crowd seizes on one of its own, they lift him into the air and pitch him before you onto the floor.
As he pulls himself up to his full, modest height you recognize their offering. It is that tiny dwarf that is always shouting...
He grumbles, "YOU FUCKING TRAITORS! YOU! YOU!" he balls his fists in rage and shakes them at his fellows before turning to you, "IT IS NOT MY FAULT!" he pleads.
Well this fills you with confidence.
"What is not your fault?" your better half asks, dread colouring her tone.
"WELL WE WERE-" he begins.
"Stop shouting!" Lyssa interrupts him.
"YOU STOP SHOUTING! I AM NOT SHOUTING," he responds defensively.
"Don't distract him," you remind your witch.
Thaïs nods, "It is hard enough to get them to focus as is."
The three of you eye him.
"WELL YOU SEE..." the little dwarf begins, dropping his gaze.
One of his fellows, a broad dwarf with a red beard and a redder face, finishes for him, "We- we sort of broke your spinner."
The three of you curse in unison. The dwarves shrink back against the far wall.
They must be afraid you will do something horrible to them, at the moment you just might.
Lyssa manages to master her annoyance first, "How?"
"Well you wanted capes that would let you glide on the air but that was boring! We thought it would be even better if we could build you capes that could fly, capes that were lighter than air itself!," one of the dwarves begins from the back of the crowd.
"So we figured why not make them out of light?" another continues. The entire crowd nod along and express their approval for the idea.
The little dwarf nods, embolden by the consensus and approval of his fellows, "EXCEPT MERELY LETTING SUNLIGHT IN DID NOTHING!"
The red dwarf elaborates, "So we, we ah- we tried using something that produces light..."
You groan and you group plays chorus as the realization hits you all, you damn near shudder as you ask the question, "You filled it with fire, didn't you?"
The little dwarf gives you an odd look, "HOW DO YOU FILL SOMETHING WITH FIRE? THAT IS RIDICULOUS! NO, WE ATTACHED A LENGTH OF STRING TO ITS GEARS AND HIT IT WITH LIGHTNING! PURE LIGHT FROM THE HEAVENS!"
The crowd behind him nods enthusiastically and mutters its approval as the little dwarf presents you with a sack.
You open it slowly, the five of you crowding around your former artefact.
Maybe, maybe it is not so bad?
You open the sack and are met by a half melted lump of gold and iron, one of the legs twitches slightly as you turn it over in your hands.
That's it. You are going to murder each and every one of these idiots...
You are sure that there is not a court in the entire Kingdom that would fault you for it either.
You look to Thaïs, she is clenching her jaw.
You look to Lyssa, she is balling her fists.
Caoilainn, always one to advise restraint, is howling in your ears. She wants blood, you don't blame her.
It is Biliku that steps forward and hazards a question, "Did you manage to make any of the cloaks we ordered before your- ah, your accident?"
The dwarves nod and begin to pass a number of cloaks forward.
The red dwarf lists the fruits of their efforts as you numbly take them in hand, "Yes, it was easy to weave cloaks from steel and they are quite durable. They should be able to stop a knife or arrow from penetrating though you would still receive the force of the blow."
He passes you eight heavy cloaks and while you and the mages stand mute the girls try them on.
"Hmm, not bad," Uttu adds testing the weight of it, "Less than mail to be sure though it does have a bit of weight to it."
Biliku wraps the cloak around her right arm testing its weight as well as she runs through some basic stances, she turns to you, "These should be useful though they will probably be uncomfortable if worn under the desert sun."
At least you go something out of it.
Biliku turns back to the dwarves, "What about the gliding capes?"
The little dwarf nods repeatedly, "OUR EXPERIMENTS DID YIELD RESULTS!"
The red dwarf produces a length of fabric fifteen centimetres wide and one hundred and twenty centimetres long, "One of our earlier tests produced a fabric that is resilient enough to allow someone to glide on it. You would not be able to fly with it but if you jumped off a tall structure you should be able to harness the elemental air around you to slowly descend to the ground."
That does sound useful, you let your bodyguard continue to needle the dwarves, "Good," she nods, "How much of this fabric did you create?"
"Lots!" the red dwarf declares, "But, ah..."
The little dwarf clears his throat, "IT WAS IN THE SAME ROOM AS THE SPINNER WHEN WE TRIED TO MAKE THE LIGHT CAPES AND..."
The red dwarf nods, "There was a fire you see and..."
"We lost everything but the sample!" one of the dwarves yells from the back and is quickly shushed by his peers.
You glare at them, you let them stew in their discomfort till you finally speak, "So we have a gliding scarf?"
One of the dwarfs shouts back from the middle of the crowd, "Yeah! Or a set of handkerchiefs, or a-"
One of his fellows is quick to silence him.
You rub the bridge of your nose, "Right, we are going to take the spinner and all of the capes you have. Jan will have new orders for you all before the end of the day" you turn on your heel and grab hold of one of the doors on your way out, you mutter as you go, "Provided I can find the little bastard that is."
Some dark little part of you notes that the doors to this chamber are quite thick and that there is only one way out. You could start a little fire of your own, you could- but no. You need the dwarves, the Kingdom needs them too but you are not going to just forget this. They owe you and you will have to take this matter up with someone that can compensate you for your loss.
-----------------------------------
It took you far longer than it should have to track down Jan and when you did find him he was in the most unlikely of places.
"So you know Astrid?" you begin.
Jan nods, "Yes, certain key members of the Academy have regular contact with the Pathfinders and Astrid is one of their most gifted tinkerers."
Astrid smiles weakly at the praise. In truth, she does not look good. Her eyes are sunken, she looks pale and she seems sluggish. Bari's state must be weighing on her more than you knew, "Well, any chance I can get to pick the brains of the fellows of the Academy is a pleasure. They know far more than I could ever aspire to."
"Nonsense," Jan insists, "If you ever get tired of this life I know you would fit in perfectly at the Academy."
She smiles again but her eyes dart to the doorway behind you, the side chamber where Bari lies sleeping.
You feel the need to ask, "How is he?"
"Well enough," she answers, her eyes still glued on the doorway, "Well enough."
You hope she understands that you care but you do not have time, you simply do not have enough time in the day to spend it worrying, "When the Kingdom is safe, we will help him Astrid. You have my-"
"Our," Thaïs insists.
You nod, "Our, word on that."
"Thank you," she quietly replies.
Jan clears his throat and attempts to drag the conversation away from your wounded friend, "So what can I do for the two of you?"
You absentmindedly dump your melted spinner out onto the table.
"Wyrd!" the researcher exclaims.
Even Astrid takes a good long look at it, "What is- was that?" she squints at it, "Is that your spinner? What happened to it?"
"The fellows of the Academy happen to it," you explain bitterly, "They wanted to weave light."
"So they set it on fire?" Jan asks with a smirk.
The pair of you shake your heads, "They hit it with lightning."
Jan and Astrid look at each other and burst out laughing at the absurdity of it. It is almost worth losing the spinner to see Astrid laugh again.
You warm a little in fact, "Oh sure, laugh, but guess who was the lead on that project. Who was the person that was supposed to supervise those brilliant idiots and keep them from breaking our artefact?"
"Right..." Jan nods uncomfortably, "So you will be wanting something to make up for your loss then?"
You both nod.
He nods slowly, "Name your price."
You do.
He assures you that you will have it. Before you leave if that is possible and if not then on your return.
You also give Jan instructions on another project you want to Academy to research. You have an idea, for armour that can dampen, or perhaps simply manipulate, the magical signals produced by your enchantments."
Both Jan and Astrid are quite taken by the idea and after giving Astrid her orders you leave the two of them to discuss the possibilities. Hopefully having actual assignments to complete will do them both some good.
------------------------------------
You sit together at one of the side tables in a Pathfinder safe house mere blocks from the Palace and all you can think about is what a disappointment this has been. On a day of disappointments this stings all the more.
This officer knows nothing.
Or rather she knows quite a lot but none of it will help you find the Watcher's agents.
She knows where Wenzel's men are stationed, she knows most of the cons and rackets they are running as well, she even knows that Wenzel prefers his slave girls to be blonde rather than brunette. What she does not know is anything of particular interest to you. She does not know anything of value about Wenzel's former captain, the one singled out to you as a cultist by Timo. She does not know anything about the necromancer led assault on the Pathfinder prison. She does not even know anything about the fates of the escaped prisoners beyond the same basic rumours Timo was able to provide you.
This has been a complete and utter waste of seven hours.
Well, almost.
You have learnt a great deal about dissecting minds and prying out secrets. You are certain that Thaïs has as well. Finally you have both further improved your ability to work together when employing your spells. If you keep that up you might even be able to anticipate each other's every move in battle and strike as a single mind when needed. Something similar to the Drowned Dead only born of harmony and intuition rather than compression and pain.
From that perspective then, this was not a waste of your time and there may yet be a second way that this experience has proved helpful.
She knows nothing that will help your investigation but she does know more than enough to ruin the Weasels. Sadly that is an outcome that Wenzel's family would like to avoid but there is nothing preventing you from getting this information to Wenzel's enemies. Patrol routes, delivery times, smuggling locations and drop off points, if you gave even half of this information to the smaller gangs that border Wenzel's territory you could have the Weasel's crushed within weeks. You could also use the threat of leaking this information to keep Wenzel in line, at least until he can reorganize his organization. The question is really would it benefit you more to wipe out a potential enemy, blackmail the Prince into good behaviour, or simply sit on the information to maintain good relations with the rest of his family. Then, of course, there is the moral element to consider. Wenzel and his men are a blight on the city, there are many, especially amongst the poor that would greatly appreciate his removal. It may be a real kindness you can do them or it may simply encourage more brutal successors to rise in his place.
You have not found what you came here looking for but you have discovered a lot that is worth considering.
-----------------------------------------
This is your first time seeing an elephant up close like this and they make a magnificent entrance drawing into the palace courtyard together. They are beautiful animals and the glimmer of intelligence in their eyes serves as an assurance of their competency and a warning against their abuse. A warning their Hound handlers seem to be gleefully ignoring.
These are beasts of burden and war that have likely seen numerous skirmishes and minor battles but it is clear that the scars that riddle their hides are not all from battle.
Lyssa hisses when she sees their condition, "Fucking bastards..."
You remind her that the King paid those 'fucking bastards' quite a bit for their services and the use of their elephants. She nods slowly but continues to stare daggers at the handlers. You are going to have to keep her away from them if you want to avoid a fight, you don't really need to add more enemies to your growing list. Of course you only need the elephants, not their handlers, and once in the desert who is to say what happened and when. It might be worthwhile to ensure the team of twelve handlers suffer accidents if you think that Lyssa can handle the elephants by herself.
You try to take her mind off the animals, "So how is that armour fitting?"
She slowly pulls her gaze from the beasts and gives both you and your partner a smile, "Oh, it is perfect Derryth. Thank you, thank you both," she gives you each a hug, "I know you did not have to and I swear, I will find a way to repay you-" she trails off as she notices Ceannard an his Arrows enter the square, "What in the world is he wearing around his neck?"
You both turn to take in the Captain, he beams at you and has his men fan out to aid your people in loading the remaining wagons. He cuts quite a fine figure this afternoon, his uniform is perfect but that is not what draws your attention. Wrapped around his throat is a long, black scarf.
The pair of you snicker as Lyssa asks, "Where did you get that?"
"The desert sun can be quite dangerous ladies," he responds casually, "Better to cover your skin."
Your eyes meet Thaïs' and you grin at one another, a pair of wolves circling a calf, you begin, "Yes, you would not want to get any rashes or welts."
"And I imagine it would protect you from insect bites as well," your better half adds feigning complete innocence.
The mercenary grumbles slightly, "So when do we begin this run into the desert."
"As soon as the King and his sons arrive to see us off," the three of you answer together.
He scans the courtyard, "Well the sooner the better I-"
"Oh Ceannard!" a voice calls from the palace door, "Good! You have not left yet!"
He shudders instinctively, but does not turn, "It is her isn't it?"
"Why who do you mean?" you ask innocently.
He leans in, "You know who. Our partner, the one I am to 'instruct' in how to be a mercenary captain."
Thaïs sighs, "No need to play the victim. This is hardly some great burden we are leaving you with."
"As you say," he bows slightly, "It is one I would rather do without though."
"Man up," you slap him on the shoulder, "She is no worse than the rest of us."
"Oh Ceannard!" she shouts again, rapidly closing with your tiny knot of officers, "I wanted to say, well I wanted to say so much but you ran off earlier. It is such a pleasure to see you again, and to work with you so closely, and to be your pa-"
You all clear your throats sending up a chorus of coughs. You trust most of the people in this courtyard but the whole point of your plan is to not make the connection between your organization and the Arrows fully known. As far as the world is concerned Ceannard is in the direct service of the King. Only you, your partners and your core personnel know that Ceannard and his men are now a part of your growing organization. You would like to keep it that way.
"Oh!" Áine gasps, "Oh yes, well it is just such a pleasure to know that we will be spending so very much time together in the future and I thought- I thought before you left maybe you would like a token of my affection?"
Many of the Arrows, your own men and the Greys have stopped to watch this scene. They whisper to one another and a few chuckle.
She presents him with a lilac piece of silk, just a mere ribbon and her sincerity is almost painful to watch.
He raises an eyebrow, "Generally, ah, Miss Grey, business partners do not give one another- ooph," Lyssa elbows him in the side.
"Take the damn ribbon," you whisper as you lean in, helping him right himself.
"Take it as a token of good luck on the start of a new venture," your better half adds quickly.
Áine eyes you all suspiciously.
Ceannard hisses back, "No, if I do that I will never be rid of her. Besides, I doubt Nephila will share."
"Wait what?" Lyssa asks, dropping down to help the two of you.
"We will explain later," you instruct her before turning back to Ceannard, "Take the ribbon, we will talk to Áine. Trust us."
"When has that ever worked out well for me?" he asks in dismay.
You glare at him, "How much richer are you now than three months ago?"
He sighs, "Alright, fine."
You break your impromptu huddle and turn to face Lady Grey, all smiles.
Ceannard bows low, "It would be my honour to accept this token of good fortune to mark the beginning of our latest venture and to give you a token in return, in the spirit of our financial partnership."
"Wait, give her a token?" you hiss, "Ceannard what are you up to?"
He takes her token and carefully pushes it into his glove so that the corner sticks out for all to see. Then he begins to unwrap the scarf from around his throat. Immediately she sees the welts and understands their significance.
She stares daggers at you, then Thaïs and finally Lyssa, she coughs and smiles, "Thank you for your token Ceannard, but I believe an arrow would be a more fitting gift, from one captain to another."
He obliges her, plucking a single black arrow from his quiver and passing it Lady Grey.
She takes it, curtsies slightly and withdraws back toward the palace as quickly as is dignified. You will say one thing for the nobles, they know how to receive humiliation with a smile, if you were in Áine's place you probably would have knocked Ceannard on his ass.
Maybe you still will.
"Ceannard, how was that professional?" you begin to lay into him.
"Had to be done," he shrugs though you think even he regrets it a little.
You start after your business partner, you can't leave her like this.
You can hear Thaïs behind you, giving Lyssa and Ceannard their orders. As she turns to follow you, you are certain you hear her stomp on Ceannard's foot and mutter something about a 'insensitive ass'.
The two of you catch Áine just inside the main doors and she almost draws a knife on you but you manage to catch her by the arm and drag her into an empty side chamber.
You release her, raising your hands to show you mean no harm, "Now Áine, I know this looks bad but-"
"Looks bad!" she screams, "You promised me! You said that you were not interested in him! You said-"
Thaïs tries to sooth her, "We have nothing but a professional relationship with Ceannard."
She narrows her eyes, "Then it was Lyssa?"
Yeah, that is just what you need. If Áine tries to kill your illusionist you know exactly how that will go. The eagles will be eating noble for the next two weeks.
"It was not Lyssa," Thaïs reassures her.
"It was no one you know," you add with a nod.
Thaïs winces a little. Was it something you said?
"You do know who it is then?" Lady Grey circles around to you, "Will you tell me? Please?"
Ah, hell.
" Áine," Thaïs starts again, "It is not important. You are not naive..."
Well, not that naive, you hope.
Your better half pushes on, "Ceannard is a mercenary, he is charming, he is dashing but he is not always nice."
She nods and crumples into a corner, "What do I do?"
You know the answer to that one, "You need to decide if he is worth the effort and if you are willing to tolerate his faults since I would not bet on him changing any time soon."
Thaïs picks up the strain where you leave off, she drops down before the crushed officer and catches her gaze, "He may simply be a different man than you thought he was. If you decide he is not worth it then write it off as an indiscretion of youth and move on to the next one."
"And if I decide he is worth the effort?" she asks slowly.
"Then stop throwing yourself at him," you advise her, "Make him chase you. Be a professional, be a true mercenary captain, wrap yourself in a little mystery..."
You drop down next to your better half and share a grin, "And make sure to abuse him every now and then. I think he actually likes it a little. But no matter which way you decide to go pay attention to what he has to teach you. He is a killer, he is a mercenary and he is a proven leader of men in battle. He is one of the best in the entire Kingdom and if you learn the lessons he will teach you then you could be every bit as great, understand?"
She gives you a weak smile, "Thank you, thank you both."
------------------------------------------
"Well, that was just so much fun," Caoiliann chimes in as you close the door and leave Lady Grey to compose herself, "Isn't it just great that we keep such stable and well adjusted personnel?"
You are not entirely sure that any of you are fit to judge the others but Caoilainn does have a point. You shake your head, "Between these mercenaries and the damned dwarves it is like supervising a large pack of children."
Thaïs laughs melodically, "Darling, that is an insult to the children, they are far less trouble."
You return to the courtyard laughing and are met by a beautiful sight. The wagons are loaded, your soldiers and supplies safely packed away under their canvas covers. Your four elephants wait at the front of the formation, four more wagons packed full of supplies, including your black market mortars are behind them. In perfect formation to either side Hámundr and his chariot teams await your command to pull out. The Old Man in the Mountain is also present with his company of Seekers. He waves to you from the back of his own personal wagon. It seems he brought a pair, one for personal use and a second for the supplies his mercenaries will need.
You crack a slight grin, perhaps they have energon cubes in that wagon of theirs? It is certainly possible but the odds of them sharing, well, that wipes the smile from your face.
All you need now is the King's blessing and you can be on your way.
"Ready to get underway?" the voice of the King startles you from your thoughts. You turn to meet him, glancing back into the palace and behind him, in the shadows of the great hall, you can just make out a pair of shapes, Mayer and Timo. The two of them have likely been in meetings with the King all day, pouring over information and comparing notes. You have left Mayer a comprehensive set of instructions detailing how he is to handle all your affairs in the north of the Kingdom while you are gone. You know he will do what he thinks is best and you hope that his plans resemble your instructions for the most part.
You give your final report to the King and wish him well.
As you turn to join your soldiers he stops you, "Ladies, I just want to thank you both for what you have done for me and for what you are about to do. Help my son, secure my Kingdom and I will do all that is in my power to reward you."
You should hope so, you are about to cross an ancient, possibly immortal, archmages for the third time in a month, the rewards had better match the risks.
As if to ease those very thoughts the King whistles and a large black coach with a team of four black horses rolls into the courtyard. It is unmarked and looks to be of human design, Berty Levy, and what looks to be a rather large goose, sit at the reins. He waves to you and motions you to board.
The King grins, "One final gift for you so that you may travel in comfort to meet my son."
You whistle, now that is one impressive carriage.
Well, at least one thing today is not a disappointment.
The five of you move towards the black coach and Ceannard steps up to join you. You shoo him away, he can ride with the supply wagon for now.
You are the last to enter, you take in one last look at the city that has been your home for the last three months and then you close the door and you are away.
-------------------------------------------
You are a day out of Myrgard and have reached the best point possible to split your forces. You have given this a lot of thought and though you are slightly hesitant it must be done. You will go to meet Nanshe and send the Thin White Mage through to the Dreaming. You do not want that horror loose when you move to face whatever awaits you to the south.
You also know that you simply can not risk the knowledge of your alliance with the ghôls getting out. The dwarves would consider it treason and you would be lucky if all they do is banish you from the Kingdom. You have invested too much time and energy to let that happen and so you will go to this meeting with only the Arrows to guard you. Ceannard has chosen only his veterans for this, men with keen eyes that have done their fair share of misery and know how to keep a secret. The rest of your expedition will remain here until you return. If it is a trap or something goes wrong and you do not return then they will continue on to reinforce the southern army without you. Now you just have to inform them of the plan.
"What are we stopping for?" one of your grenadiers shouts from his wagon.
"We need to split up," Berty shouts back, "And this oasis is the last good stopping point for a day and a half."
"Is that a good idea," the Old Man calls from his carriage, parked next to your own, "Surely we are more powerful moving together than apart."
"Unfortunately, it can not be avoided. This is a direct mission from the King but it should not take long," you reassure him, "The Arrows will accompany our coach in two of the horse drawn wagons while the rest of you will make camp here. We should not encounter any significant resistance this far north but if you do Hámundr is in charge. We should be gone a day, maybe two at the most. If we are not back by the third day then you will continue south until the direction of the Royal Guards and report directly to Prince Reinhard. We will attempt to catch up with you along the way."
Some of your men grumble at the sudden change of plans but they are all skilled mercenaries and used to following orders they do not fully understand. As long as the coin is good, as yours has proven to be, then they will follow your orders as best as they can. Hámundr though, looks like he wants to protest as he approaches your carriage and you lean in to talk in private.
You grin at the dwarf Captain, "Alright, let me have it."
He snorts, "You should take some of my men with you even if you will not take us all. This far north you might not have to worry about necromancers but you could still run into bands of ghôls out there."
You can't help but smile. You almost wish you could tell him that you are counting on running into ghôls but you know he could never accept that, "Your concern is noted Captain, but the Arrows are more than capable of dealing with a handful of raiders and the King has specifically chosen them for this task."
The Guard Captain frowns, "He chose human mercenaries over his own Royal Guard?"
You were hoping he would not notice that but you already have a response planned out. You give him a sly smile, "Yes frankly. You, the Seekers, the Arrows, the Hounds, and even my group. We were all specifically chosen by the King for our abilities. I need you and all of your men to stay here, you are the only soldiers amongst all these mercenaries. These reinforcements need to reach the army and to ensure that happens I need you and your men here, understand?"
He does not like it, that much is clear, but he nods all the same.
"Good," you pull your head back into the carriage, "As soon as you are ready Berty."
"Yes ma'am!" he shouts and his goose honks as your carriage begins to roll. As you reach the edge of the camp the wagons carrying the Arrows fall in behind.
You really hope this is not a trap you are riding toward.
---------------------------------------
The carnage in this valley is impressive and it has drawn all sorts of wildlife out to feast. The bodies rest in great mounds of burnt bone. It looks like almost all of the ghôls' bodies were piled and cremated in a hurry but the corpses of humans, mauls, dwarves, and species you can not even identify litter much of the valley. Strangely enough while the burnt bodies of the ghôls retain their clothing and weapons the other corpses have all been stripped completely. It is Ceannard that first puts words to what you are all thinking.
"What in the hell happened here?" Ceannard gives a naked human corpse a good kick, "Looks like they butchered each other."
"Are you sure this is the place?" Lyssa asks from behind you. She gives the piles of dead bodies a rather wide berth.
"Yes," both of you answer together, you elaborate, "This is where the Thin White Mage said to meet him and this is where Nanshe said her people would be waiting. If I had to guess the piled bodies are her dead and the scattered ones belong to the Thin White Mage's followers."
"So she won then?" Lyssa asks.
"Seems that way," you admit, "Though it could still be a trap, stay-"
Your words are interrupted by a howl and the roar of fire.
You turn to face the sound and in the distance, deeper into the mountains you catch the odd flash of magic. Three spyglasses go up instantly: yours, Thaïs' and Ceannard's.
You can see a number of ghôls perched up on cliffs and in the mouths of caves on the side of a sizable mountain. They are raining stones and javalins down on a number or robed figures that are returning fire with great ribbons of blue, green, orange, and purple magic.
"So the battle is ongoing then?" Ceannard concludes, "Either she suffered a defeat and is fighting for her life or-"
"Or she won but not decisively," you finish his thought, "The Thin White Mage's remaining followers might be trying to free their master and if that is the case then we should move quickly to reinforce them."
"Or," Ceannard begins, "We can make sure we are not rushing into one or more traps. We can advance cautiously and signal our presence to the defenders somehow so they do not mistake us for enemies."
Lyssa presents another option, "We might even be able to find another way through to them without engaging the enemy forces. All of these mountains are filled with caves and the like, we could find an entrance into one of the larger systems and follow it straight through to the ghôlish position."
You are not sure you want to go back underground, back into the caves in these mountains. Who knows what you could encounter down there and you might get lost in the tunnels and never again find your way to the surface.
Lyssa's mice slip out of a pair of pouches in her armour and squeak out a few comments of their own. Lyssa translates as they go, "The mice say that they could map the caves but it would take time, hours, maybe days."
You don't much like the sound of that but you suppose it is an option if you do not want to try and break through whatever enemy forces sit between you and your goal. You know they have mages and the howling you keep hearing upon the wind promises you something even more sinister.
You know your options, now you just need to decide what to do.
1. How do you want to try and reach the defenders in their caves?
A) Roll through the enemy lines in your wagons: You will opt for the quickest means possible to reach the defenders, you will push on in your transports and engage the enemy in a rolling advance. Hopefully the ghôls will have enough sense to distinguish between you and your mutual enemies if they see you attacking the mages. (Estimated time to arrival: 10 minutes, barring any obstacles thrown up by the enemy.)
B) Dismount and advance on foot: You will leave five of the Arrows behind to secure your transports while you move with the rest of your personnel toward the defender's position. It will take you longer to reach the target but you will minimize the risk to your transports as long as the enemy does not specifically target them. You also might be able to take advantages of other paths you might miss on the back of a wagon. (Estimated time to arrival: 30 minutes, barring any obstacles thrown up by the enemy.)
C) Enter the Dreaming and attempt to notify Nanshe that you are at the battlefield. Perhaps you can coordinate some sort of joint action against the attackers. Of course this will only work if she happens to sleep... (Estimated time to arrival: unknown)
D)Try to send an eagle over enemy lines and to the defenders. Hopefully they will not mistake it for an attacker (or lunch) and kill it. You might then be able to organize some sort of joint action with Nanshe. (Estimated time to arrival: unknown)
E) Find the nearest cave entrance and use your mice to try and find a way to Nanshe's position underground. There is probably nothing down there but the odd bear and a lot of bugs right? (Estimated time to arrival: unknown)
F) Operation: Bait and Switch
H) Freeform: The perennial favourite. You need to reach the ghôlish position somehow use whatever assets you can come up with to do so.
2. The Spinner's Price: Well, they broke your artefact as the fellows are want to do. What do you want in return for their destruction of your property?
A) Money, name your price in WPs. (The Spinner originally retailed for 20WPs, asking for more might be greedy but it is not like the dwarves will know the exact worth of the thing.)
B) Items. They could give you a quantity of most mundane items/materials from their stocks should you wish. Simply name what you want and how much (examples include: lead, oils, assorted metals, woods, that sort of thing).
C) Enchanting Equipment. They have plenty of extra tools and enchanting supplies lying around. Many of these objects would cost a fortune to purchase or construct on your own of course they are of little practical use for someone that has limited understanding of dwarven magic and technology:
i. One large pot of enchanted ink. The sort of ink used by the Academy to dye enchantments upon cloth, leather, wood and other suitable surfaces.
ii. One full set of engraving tools. The tools used by the Academy to work enchantments into metals, leathers and other materials.
iii. An anvil. Admittedly an enchanted one but an anvil all the same. These are used by the Academy to shape tools and weapons and the rituals needed to create and use them are carefully guarded secrets. An individual would either need Academy training or a real gift with magic to work out how to use it properly.
iv. Some of Jan's Goddess Artefacts. Since you do not have time to go through them you will pick out five or six at random. They may give you an insight into the Goddess or they might drive you mad, you never know.
D) One full set of engraving tools. The tools used by the Academy to work enchantments into metals, leathers and other materials. Plus some punishment to those nerds who destroy your artefact. Maybe one week without beer will teach them something.
E) You will demand full titles as Academy Professors with the option (but not the obligation) to teach and access to research facilities.
F) Thirty Energon cubes: As many as you can squeeze out of the fellows without wasting a lot of time. Be sure to include how many go to each of your mages, if numbers are not supplied I will just assume that Derryth will hang on to all of them.
G) Freeform: feel free to ask for something else.
3. The Weasels' gathered intelligence: You know just about everything you could ever want to know about the Weasels' day to day operations and organization. You could simply disregard the information as irrelevant to your investigation or you could use it somehow.
A) You do nothing with this information. You wish to maintain good relations with the rest of his family.
B) You blackmail Wenzel with the information:
i. You let him know you could ruin him and demand WPs in exchange for leaving his interests intact.
ii. You let him know you could ruin him and demand nothing but his good behaviour.
iii. Freeform
C) You give the information to rival gangs and allow them to carve up Wenzel's little kingdom. The Weasels will be buried within weeks.
D) Give out the info through proxies so that it cant be traced back to you. Also inform Albrecht about this, so that he can be ready to protect his son if/when he gets in trouble
E) You will alert Timo about your intentions to wipe the Weasels out. Let him use his agents to lure Wenzel out, kidnap him, or otherwise keep him away from his people. Then you will give the information to the gangs and throw the Weasels to the actual wolves. Wenzel will live, which should allow you to maintain good relationships with the rest of the family, but hopefully, he will be powerless to harm you.
F) Proceed as in E only without concern for Wenzel's safety.
G) Freeform.
4. You received eight steel cloth cloaks from the Academy. Who will use them? (Simply list who gets one, you can of course give more than one to a single person or even keep them all for yourself. The most popular set of choices will win.
I will add packages as they are proposed:
A) Derryth, Thaïs, Lyssa, Biliku, Uttu (keep 3 for backup)
B) Derryth, Thaïs, Lyssa, Biliku, Uttu, Berty (keep 2 for backup)
C) Derryth, Thaïs, Lyssa, Biliku, Uttu, Ceannard (keep 2 for backup)
5. Your 'gliding scarf', what do you want to do with it?
A) Leave it at the palace for now. You want to keep that sample until you find a way to produce more.
B) Cut it up and give it to the mice. Gliding mice might be useful. You will make as many as you safely can from the material you have available.
C) Give half of material to the mice and keep the rest for creating more in the future.
D) Freeform
As always, if you feel I missed something important feel free to include freeform questions as well. If you wish to ask anyone you had contact with in this update questions then feel free to ask. If you want to know more specifics about the Weasels I can also provide those, again, merely ask.
Chapter 63: Changes
Chapter 63: ChangesThe sinking sun casts long shadows between the peaks. Hopefully this battle will be quick as you have no wish to fight against the White Mage's creatures in the dark.
"Looks like our bait just left," Ceannard coolly remarks as he lowers his spyglass, "Should only be a few more minutes."
So far your plan has gone off without a hitch. Lyssa's eagle reached its destination unimpeded. Your message to Nanshe was delivered and she quickly met you in the Dreaming to discuss strategy. What she told you was encouraging though some of it worried you slightly.
She still has over one hundred and fifty braves at her disposal and a half dozen priests capable of throwing a little magic. Your shared enemy numbers only about fifty, and only twenty five or so are mages. They are outnumbered more than three to one but these are mages and even if they have been fighting all day and without leadership you do not want to take any more chances than you need to.
Odd howls pierce your thoughts.
Those would be the 'hounds'. Nanshe told you all she could of the creatures: they are undead, the reanimated remains of dozens of species fused together and given malicious will by the necromancers of the Watcher; they are fast, they are strong, they are reasonably intelligent but Nanshe has informed you that they are also irreplaceable. The facilities needed to construct them were raised with the rest of the Watcher's temple in the north and she is certain that he lacks the means to create more quickly. They will be dangerous enemies but if you can kill most of them here then you will have robbed the Watcher of even more assets and further weakened his legions.
"Here they come," Thaïs notes quietly. She points into the distance and you follow her finger as a pack of ten hounds pour out of the shadows of the mountain and across the valley between you. They make for your decoy at top speed.
This is all part of the plan. You have hidden your forces in amongst the cliffs of this mountain, a near neighbour to the one currently inhabited by the ghôls. The idea is a simple one, the ghôls will send out a party of warriors carrying a fake Thin White Mage. This bait group will do their best to flee away from the mountain and past your forces. When the enemy pursues, you will spring your trap and thin out their numbers while the ghôls sally forth. You will trap the enemy between your advancing forces and obliterate them.
Everyone liked the plan.
Nanshe did have one concern though and her fear is playing out before you now.
The hounds are on the move and they are far faster than the ghôls.
The bait group is going to take heavy casualties but there is little you can do about that. Nanshe has assured you that her people will manage to pass through your ambush point, one way or another.
When you asked her to elaborate she merely winked at you. She said that her people are accustomed to sacrifice and suffering, they are born to it, they live it, soaking it up every day of their lives and they will die in it. She said they will not let a little more suffering stop them now.
You are still not sure exactly what she intends to do but it matters little, you can not afford to reveal your presence until enough of the enemy are within range to make a difference. You watch as the group of thirty ghôls are overrun and begin a desperate fight for their lives. The hounds cut off their advance slithering, slinking, bounding around them in loose circles. The ghôls close ranks and press on at top speed, forcing an opening with fist and spear. The hounds dart in, in pairs; they strike out with barbed tendrils, keen claws and clacking mandibles. The ghôls fall quickly, dragged down and pulled from their formation by the clucking, squeaking, roaring beasts. In under a minute they have already lost a third of their number, pinned under their attackers.
Then something curious happens.
As the hounds tear into their struggling prey an explosion resounds from the valley and a pair of combatants blink from existence. This explosion is soon met by a second and a third.
You focus in on the closest struggling figures and you quickly realize why. From within his armour the downed ghôl draws a wight chunk and punchtures it. The ghôls are killing themselves to thin out the hounds and you are struck by just how far they are willing to go to achieve their goals. You watch on with a mixture of admiration and anxiety as the fleshy bomb detonates and both ghôl and beast are consumed by the toxic cloud thrown up. Their flesh is ripped from their bones by the blast and what little is not dispersed is consumed by the corrosive waste. Paralyzed, the pair can not even scream as they die.
Ten hounds for ten ghôl, a bargain really.
Half of the mages have also broken off from the main assault. They are quite a bit slower than the hounds but they should reach the ghôls within moments.
Sure enough they begin to fling bolts of magic toward the fleeing formation. One bolt of vermilion energy strikes a ghôl and punches a half metre hole through its chest, he tilts forward, falling to his knees as the life runs out of him. The mage that threw it, an old man in matching vermilion robes, has definite skill even if he demonstrates little in the way of finesse.
"We should take out that vermilion mage in the first volley," Ceannard remarks, "A lot of power behind that one."
As cold as it is Ceannard has the right idea. Identifying the most powerful mages in that pack of twelve will definitely increase your odds should they fall into your trap. Speaking of which...
You focus in on the other eleven mages.
You watch on as a mage with a large chunk of amber around her neck begins to scream. The three ghôls closest to her fall to their knees, blood seeping from their eyes and ears. You draw Ceannard's attention to her, "Another one that needs to go down quickly. We do not need to lose half our number to a scream or two."
The Mercenary Captain nods without taking his eyes from his spyglass, "So that is two that need to fall immediately-"
Thaïs cuts him off, "Three I think. Look at that green blur on the right."
You redirect your attention, attempting to catch sight of the mage in question. At first you can not focus on it, it darts back and forth quicker than you can move your spyglass, however eventually it does slow down and come to a stop. It pauses right before driving a pair of knives deep into the side of a fleeing ghôl. For that single moment you take it in, its proportions are vaguely human, two arms, two legs, a torso, a head and that is where the similarities end. It's pair of jaws unhinge as it emits a single high pitched scream and tears two large chunks from its prey's shoulder.
The ghôl falls, seemingly paralysed, as the mage moves on to a new target.
Only five of the ghôls remain, their decoy mage flung limply over the shoulder of the lead ghôl. Thankfully they are almost within range.
"That one might be difficult," Ceannard admits with a little reluctance, "But you are right, if it reaches our lines it could do a lot of damage."
"How should we-" you begin to ask but the Arrow raises his hand.
"I will deal with it myself," he reassures you, "It will not be a problem."
"Well it better not," you answer, "As we are out of time."
--------------------------------------
He stands triumphant.
In this cave, smeared with dirt, covered in filth, his clothes torn, his hair dishevelled, he is triumphant!
He begins the ritual:
In this age of grand illusion
You walked into my life out of my dreams
I don't need another change
Still you forced away into my scheme of things
You say we're growing, growing heart and soul
In this age of grand illusion you walked into my life out of my dreams
He has them all now, a full set for his collection and though he should feel magnificent all he has are so many doubts. Still he sings, binding them to him:
Sweet name, you're born once again for me
Sweet name, you're born once again for me
Oh sweet name, I call you again
You're born once again for me
Just because I believe don't mean I don't think as well
Don't have to question everything in heaven or hell
This victory cost him an army, it cost him his pride and even now he is not quite sure how he is going to make his report to the Old Goat.
From what Vermillion tells him it was a very close thing. That trio of human mages were not present with the traitor Nanshe, that much he realized himself though it came too late to prevent his capture. No, they waited in safety while he fought the rebels and it was only after he had been removed that they came to- to what? That is the question isn't it?
He spins on his heels and commands the four of them to speak. They sing sweetly to him in unison:
Lord, I kneel and offer you my word on a wing
And I'm trying hard to fit among your scheme of things
It's safer than a strange land but I still care for myself
And I don't stand in my own light
Lord, Lord, my prayer flies like a word on a wing
My prayer flies like a word on a wing
Does my prayer fit in with your scheme of things?
Hmm, a good start. They aim to please and to follow and yet they echo his own doubts. It will take many sessions to fully bind them and he will have to clear his own mind first. For now he settles on lashing their minds and picking up the scraps that fall out.
Death.
Trap.
Purged.
Removed.
Freedom.
Reward.
He continues to slash at their consciousness as they whine and beg for him to stop.
Does he have enough pieces now?
Yes. They sought to kill him, permanently, for a reward...
Permanently? He turns the idea over in his mind. So, Mazzarin revealed to these four how to permanently end his life? Yes, that makes sense. Clearly the old Avatara knew that the Watcher could not fail so long as he was around. Surely the Great Mage sought to strike a crippling blow to his old rival by murdering his only competent agent...
It is brilliant plan really and one that would have succeeded had his followers not proven their worth in battle. When the three humans struck and the traitor's forces sallied down from their holes his own minions were hard at work. They bound every beast within a day's travel of the battlefield to their will, they conjured up demons, devils, horrors from the very ether. They sold what was left of their souls and minds into a double slavery merely to buy their master's freedom and they succeeded though at great cost.
They forced their way into his cave and they liberated him and once free he unleashed his full fury on his captors. He purged every last one of the filth and chain Nanshe to the bare rock of her own cave.
Then he went hunting and though they fled they could not escape him. He punished those dear ladies and stripped from them all distractions.
Yes, he lost a great a great deal to gain them but he does not mourn his servants. They did precisely as was expected of them, no more and no less. They fulfilled their purpose and earned their peace so he will not dwell on them for a moment more than is necessary.
Now he must turn to more pressing matters. Now he must know how these four planned to do it, how they planned to end his life. He begins to form another command for his new servants. They will tell him everything, every contact they have, every secret they know, every scrap of-
Amber intrudes upon his interrogation, dragging a pair of young bodies behind her, "What should we do with the corpses Master?"
He grins, it is that little brat from the battlefield and her, sister?
Well, they shall make delightful little thralls won't they?
He instructs Amber to gather them all: the ghôls, the human mercenaries and those children and prepare them to be raised. He should be able to get a necromancer up from the south within a day or two, it will not be enough to replace what he has lost but it is a start.
Amber salutes him. He waves her off, always such the soldier that one. He supposes that such habits are hard to break, bred into the very bones as they are.
She withdraws and once more leaves him with his latest conquests.
With a sublime smile he calms his mind and begins again:
In this age of grand illusion
You walked into my life out of my dreams
Sweet name, you're born once again for me
Just as long as I can see, I'll never stop this vision flowing
I look twice and you're still flowing
Just as long as I can walk,
I'll walk beside you, I'm alive in you
Sweet name, you're born once again for me
And I'm ready to shape the scheme of things
---------------------------------------
Amber weaves her way through the smoking remnants of the ghôl camp. She is all smiles today for she has achieved all that she desires, at least for now.
Behind her she drags Biliku and Uttu's corpses, each by one foot. Such dear little girls, it will be good to get to know them properly in the coming days.
So bravely those girls fought and the mercenaries too. To the last man, she is sure of that, to the very last they fought and their captain was the bravest of them all. He, hmm, he stepped in front of Uttu, shielding her from a blow that would have cleaved the child in half and for her part she struck down his murderer with a trio of arrows.
Yes, Amber likes that, nice and dramatic.
The girls themselves? How did they meet their ends?
Why they perished together, surrounded by wolves and bears and demons in the dozens. They fought with skill and with bravery but their position was overrun and they were separated from their 'charges'. They were pulled away from the mages and hacked down by a six headed monstrosity with a sabre of whistling bone in each of its twelve hands-
No, twelve is far too many, six hands?
Six hands, it had six hands and in each a blade of whistling bone.
And that Berty fellow? Disappeared. Dead perhaps but if he did die then it was in some mysterious fashion. An end that matches perfectly the life he led.
Of course the mages could not perish. The Master would be furious if that happened. No, they all lived and he got exactly what he wanted, much easier that way.
Much easier if he is happy.
If he is happy then she is as well, happy enough to sing even:
The lover of life's not a sinner
It makes her master more confident.
The ending is just a beginner
It makes him less likely to question the little details.
The closer you get to the meaning
And it makes him far more entertaining.
The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming
Amber steps out into the cool mountain air and drops the two little corpses. As they hit the ground they dissolve into mist.
So it's on and on and on, oh it's on and on and on
From her back a pair of wings burst forth, dark as the night, as the last bits of her illusion dissolve to reveal the true master of this land. He takes to the air.
It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell
He laughs and sings as he disappears beyond the mountains. Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreaming has added one more piece to his collection.
I can tell,
Fool, fool!
-------------------------------------------------
You have some truly bizarre allies. This observation is so painfully obvious but it only really hits you as you sit here with your better half and the other members of your conspiracy. To Thaïs' right sits Lyssa, the former necromancer, to your left sits Nanshe, the ghôl empress, and across from you all sits Sparassidae, the White Lady and wife to the demon lord Morpheus.
A necromancer.
A ghôl.
And a demon Lady of the Dreaming.
Ah well, you will take what you can get. Lyssa has proven to be a faithful ally and a good friend. Nanshe has demonstrated herself to be a reliable co-conspirator and the Lady has proven quite charming and useful even if you do not trust her. Now if only her husband would arrive so that you can conclude your business h-
They say that life's a carousel
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
The world is full of kings and queens
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
It's heaven and hell, oh well
Morpheus bursts forth into the meadow, gliding down in an amber skirt and vest that are far too tight for him. Sparassidae taps her fingers on the table, bobbing her head slightly as her husband sings. Seems like she wants to start dancing but lacks a partner.
And they'll tell you black is really white
The moon is just the sun at night
And when you walk in golden halls
You get to keep the gold that falls
It's heaven and hell, oh no
Morpheus touches down next to his wife and greets you all with a wide grin.
Fool, fool
You've got to bleed for the dancer
Fool, fool
Look for the answer
Fool, fool, fool
Those razor sharp teeth still send a shiver down your spine.
He takes a moment to catch his breath and unwind then he begins, "And how are my beautiful ladies this evening?"
You answer with a question, "How is our prisoner?"
The Demon Lord grunts, a little deflated, "Good, great in fact. He is currently interrogating you about your connections to the archmage Mazzarin. He seems to think he is the target of a grand conspiracy orchestrated by the Great Mage himself. He also thinks that you are Mazzarin's apprentices."
Sparassidae gasps and gives you a questioning glance, "Are you dear ladies actually apprentices to the Great Mage himself? Why you should have told us that..."
"We are-" you begin.
"Acquaintances of his," Thaïs diplomatically answers for you, "Is that a problem?"
The Lady smiles warmly, "Not at all, not at all..."
You turn your attention back to the Demon Prince, "So he suspects nothing then?"
The Demon grins, "Of course not! The Dreaming has him comfortably bound and even as we speak my goblins are seeing to additional security measures to ensure he remains safely enveloped by his own dreams and delusions. He will be 'conquering the world' for the rest of time."
A fitting fate for the Watcher's Creature, to carry out his master's campaign for the rest of eternity.
Of course, this means that you have completed your side of the bargain. Now Morpheus has to complete his, he owes you a favour.
You do not have to remind him, one quick scan of the four of you tells him everything he needs to know. He sighs, "Time to collect your favours I suppose."
"Metal," Nanshe declares, "I want you to teach me this Metal of yours."
The Demon Prince winces, "What about wealth? I know of a great many unguarded treasures, caches of gold and artefacts, ancient tomes of forbidden knowledge, anything really."
The ghôl glares at him but he presses on, "I could even teach you some of the Nightmare that allows me to manipulate the Dreaming. It would give you a fraction of my own power and-"
The White Lady places a single lace covered hand on her husband's forearm, "If that is what your ally wants dear then that is what we must give her but..."
"But?" Nanshe questions.
Morpheus nods, "The secrets of musical magic are worth a great deal to my people and they could do a lot of harm in the hands of mortals. You have only a one fifth claim to the prize on the Thin White Mage and that is not nearly enough to cover the cost of learning our ways."
You think you understand where Morpheus is headed with this, "So some of what you can offer us is available on an individual basis and some of it will require us to pool our favours, is that correct?"
"As you say," Morpheus nods, "The secrets of our magic take years to master and cost a great deal, should you wish to acquire them I will require unanimity amongst you."
Lyssa grumbles, "Sounds like a good way to make us all burn through our favours at once."
The Prince grins, "You are of course free to choose something else."
Well, this will take a bit of discussion and negotiation so without wasting another moment you begin.
1. Your reward: You have successfully given the Thin White Mage to Morpheus. For this service you are entitled to a favour or favours depending on what exactly you choose. The Demon Price has promised you anything it is in his power to give so you take:
A) Metal - Or more generally the secrets of the demons' musical magic. This will require you to undergo a number of training sessions under Morpheus and perhaps other demons that he trusts. It is likely to take years, if not decades, to master and it can be quite dangerous both to you and the world at large but there is definite power to be had there and it is unlike anything you have encountered before. Morpheus insists that all four of you select this favour if you want it so if this option wins it will expend all the favours the Prince owes your group.
B) Morpheus' Nightmare - Morpheus will teach you the basics of the Nightmare he uses to control his realm. Should you choose this option you will be able to manipulate the Dreaming to a degree normally impossible for mortals, you will also gain greater control over your own form and the forms of others. Additionally you will become more powerful in general within the Dreaming. It will likely take multiple sessions to learn all that Morpheus is willing to teach you and you will likely have to perform other favours in the future to gain all of the knowledge necessary to master the spell. Morpheus will only teach your group the Nightmare should all three of you choose to learn it though he is willing to teach Nanshe by herself should she desire. You are not sure why he is giving her preferential treatment in this regard though it is interesting. Should this option win it will also expend all of your favours.
C) Individual favours: Morpheus knows a great deal that a mage and adventurer might find interesting and he is willing to grant each of you individual favours as long as they are 'reasonable'. As such if you pick this option then please list which three favours you would like. The most popular three will be chosen should this option win.
i. Favour of Wealth - Morpheus will give you the information necessary to find a cache of gold buried southeast of Stoneheim. The cache is probably worth abotu 700WPs.
ii. Favour of Power - Morpheus knows where an undisturbed cache of artefacts made by the Swimmer are located and is willing to give you this information in exchange for a favour. He does not know exactly what is in the cache, only that it was thought to be quite powerful.
iii. Favour of Knowledge - Morpheus knows of an abandoned tower several days to the east of your current location. It was home to a Circle of reclusive mages that were wiped out when the Dark pushed into the west. They specialized and mental and illusion magic and were known to also practice demon summoning and binding. He is not sure exactly what you will find but it should be interesting.
iv. Favour of Adventure - Morpheus has heard rumours about the location of the Dream Soulblighter used to mould the earth. If would be willing to tell you all he knows in exchange for a favour.
v. Favour of Aid - Morpheus will hold a favour in reserve until you call upon him. He will then do his best to protect you or your people and/or destroy an enemy of your choice. With one exception, he will not fight Mazzarin for you, he does not wish to die. You may choose this option as many times as you like.
D) freeform - If you want to request something else then list it and I can tell you whether it will expend a single favour or all of them.
2. A whispering campaign: With your business in the mountains concluded Ceannard and his remaining Arrows will return to Myrgard. You might want to give them some parting instructions. In particular you might want to advise Mayer and Timo to try and undermine the Cultists by spreading rumours that Eberhardt's resurrection was the work of the Dark. It might be to your advantage to try and further muddy the waters though it could also have other consequences.
A) Yes, you might as well pursue every option at your disposal to discredit your enemies. It is possible that this is an avenue your people have not yet tried and even if Mayer and Timo have already undertaken similar efforts it is always best to be sure.
B) No, you do not want to spend time and resources on this. Better to just let your people in the city do what they think is best.
C) freeform
3. Calling Alric: You have had a strange idea. If the Kingdom and the Empire could reconcile their differences then you might be able to get additional support from the north. If the Emperor is made aware of the presence of the Watcher on his southern border he may even come in person to help quash this old enemy. There are a number of ways you could try to contact him should you desire.
A) You do not bother. You doubt anything meaningful will come from the effort and Albrecht may resent you bargaining on behalf of the Kingdom behind his back like that.
B) You directly contact the Emperor through the Dreaming. This might be quite dangerous as the Emperor likely has substantial defences in place to prevent demons and other entities from entering his mind or dreams.
C) You will contact Eagle through his dreams. He should be easier to reach though he may be difficult to convince. However, as a Heron Guard he should be able to get word through his superiors directly to Alric.
D) You will contact Gareth. He should also be easier to reach and he should also be easier to convince. He could then attempt to use his contacts within the Legion to get a message to the Heron Guard or the Emperor himself. This might serve to draw the attentions of the Brannons to Gareth's company though.
E) Send a letter by eagle directly to the Emperor. He likely has even more physical protection than he does magical protection and the Brannons might intercept such a message as well but it would not involve any of your people or your contacts/allies.
F) You will contact Albrecht and convince him to send a letter to the Emperor with an official envoy through the proper channels.
G) Operation: An Unknown Wellwisher:
i) You wait for Albrecht's go-ahead before you proceed with the plan. It would only be polite to ask him beforehand. This could be done with an eagle or via other means.
ii) You proceed without the King's explicit permission. It is stupid to concern yourself with formalities when so much is at stake, and you think you might need to act fast.
H) freeform
4. Calling Mazzarin: You think the demonic host that has been lurking in the south is the product of something Mazzarin has done. You could try using your necklaces to call to the Great Mage and demand an audience, of course you may have to use up your last favour to get him to do anything worth while and there may be consequences should you annoy him again.
A) You will call Mazzarin and ask for an explanation on why he is not helping to fight the Watcher.
B) You would rather not draw the Great Mage's attention again unless you absolutely have to.
C) freeform
5. The Spoils of War: Nanshe's people have claimed all the spoils from your ambush. You could contest their claim to the loot should you wish.
A) You let the ghôls keep all of the valuables they have looted.
B) You demand the possessions from the vermillion, amber and green mages. Those three were the most powerful you noticed and your people killed them. By right their possessions should be yours.
i. You will take everything including their Watcher fragments.
ii. You will take only their spellbooks and artefacts, you will leave the stones.
C) You will claim all of the artefacts and spellbooks taken from the twelve mages your people killed.
i. You will also take their stones.
ii. You will leave their Watcher stones.
D) You will claim all of the loot from all enemies killed in the ambush.
i. You will also take their stones.
ii. You will leave their Watcher stones.
E) You will take half of the loot and everything from the vermillion, amber and green mages.
F) freeform
Interlude 7: The Great Mage
Interlude 7: The Great MageHe has ruled this land for untold millennia.
He built it himself from curdled envy collected by hand from the dark green waters of spite and bile. Here he planted his flag and raised the first temple to his own glory, sculpting it from the caustic loam and mud of his swampy domain with his eight strong arms. In time he drew others to his cause: cast offs, criminals, jilted lovers, tortured souls, dejected politicians, and peculiar failures.
They filled his court with dark words and sorrowful music.
They envied the great, the beautiful, the skilful and in the dank shadows and murky pools of his domain they plotted the downfall of all creation.
Such great plans they weaved as they suckled on each other's sores, such fine fantasies they built for themselves in self imposed ignorance and contempt of the outside world, oh, and what magnificent lies they whispered in each other's ears...
You are magnificent...
You are wanted...
It is not your fault...
You need not change...
You need not try...
For that was his secret, the secret of his realm, they would come to him with their envy, with their lust for the place and possessions of others and he would promise them the world if they would simply sit at his table, if they would simply let the swamp waters rise and submerge them in the mud and the muck of their misery.
Oh, and he knew each and every one of them would take his offer. Each and every one of them would plunge themselves headlong into the murky misery of his realm for but the merest chance at plucking away the good fortune of others.
He had no intention of helping them of course. No, that was not the purpose of the place. He merely sold them a dream and stole all they had: their energy, what little was left, their vision, a dim as it was, and their possessions.
Every now and then they would bring him a bauble or minor artefact of little practical import and he treasures each and every one of them for when he has gathered enough power, enough pure, distilled envy he would rise from this swamp and seize the home of another.
He will grab his foe in his eight muscular arms, he will fix his twelve steely eyes upon his target and he will open his triple jaw to consume his 'better'.
Someday, he will rule it all, he smirks and shifts upon his filthy throne.
Someday, but not today. Today he will-
"What's this," he mummers as the slightest ripple of consciousness teases its way into his mind, "Another guest, or guests?"
He focuses in on these intruders, "Friends, perhaps?"
They must be, for who else would come to his swamp? None of those he takes would be missed and he has been careful to always pay his tribute on time... Yes, they must be more pilgrims come to ask him for a boon and a place at his table.
He licks his tripled lips in anticipation.
He can hear them on the steps, he can feel their hands upon the rusted metal of his temple doors.
Any second now they will enter, two mortals... humans. The best sort of slaves.
He strikes a welcoming pose and begins his speech, it always impresses mortals a little if he begins before they enter his chamber, "Welcome supplicants to my domain! Welcome to the endless swamps of the Horned One! Welcome and be merry fo-"
The doors of his temple blow clean off their hinges, the left door slams into the wall behind him as the right door shears off the heads of six of his courtiers.
The Horned One wobbles unsteadily to his sixteen clubbed feet, "How dare yo-"
A spear of light hits him in his fourth hip. It punctures clear through his leathery flesh and pinions his side to his throne. The searing magic of the spell cooks the mud of his perch, baking it into brick.
He roars at the pair of figures that step into his temple, "Kill them!"
His newt-guard and toad mages charge the pair. Corroded and corrosive blades bared and spells of acid and disease sweeping before them.
One of the pair of robed figures, clearly a mage, steps forward and begins to cast.
Horns sound from the heavens.
The room explodes in ribbons of wild mauve and turquoise fire as a great bronze 'M' forms in the center of the chamber. The light that pours forth from it burns his eyes and the last thing the Horned One sees before he goes blind is his legion of followers blasted to grey ash and his soggy brown temple cooked into bleached brick.
--------------------------------
No one rules now in the sorrowful swamp.
Not that there is much swamp left to rule anyway.
Perhaps one of those little demons scurrying about will manage to club their fellows to death with a chunk of rock and seize this land, or perhaps some foreign power will take it for their own. Either way, the fate of this place is not his concern.
Really it can hardly be said to be a loss, the entire plane was nothing but mud, swamp and insects, it is much nicer as a salt plain. It makes the return trip easier too.
Mazzarin and the boy-
Oh what is his name again?
Edwyn... Elfyn... Emlyn... No, that's not it!
"Boy!" the Great Mage stops abruptly.
His young companion snaps his head up from the book he has been skimming, "Yes Master?"
The ancient archmage glances over his shoulder at the youth, "What is you name again!"
"Emrys, Master," the young mage replies with all the humility he can muster, "The same as it was the last time you asked."
"Emrys, Emrys," the old mage mutters to himself ignoring his apprentice's remark as he resumes his brisk pace. His magnificently gaudy staff strikes out quickly before him at any beasts too slow to escape his advance.
"Boy!" he calls once more without breaking stride, "How many is that now?"
"Twenty two, Master," Emrys answers absentmindedly without raising his gaze from his copy of Aodán's first volume of The Elemental Flame.
Mazzarin has decreed that he must master it within twelve months or suffer 'for his stupidity'. The Great Mage has refused to elaborate. Whether that means that Mazzarin has not worked out what the forfeit will actually be yet, or he merely wishes for Emrys' mind to conjure up the worst horrors imaginable is difficult to say. Either way the boy has no intention of failing in his studies, this is what he wanted all along, a chance to learn magic from the very best. Well, now he has the opportunity and he best make use of it.
"Twenty two!" Mazzarin repeats with glee, "Magnificent! At this rate we will have recovered all of my artefacts within a year!"
Emrys nods along dutifully. As the boy attempts to puzzle out the exact hand movements necessary to control Aodán's Fiery Retort a strange question pops into his mind, "Master?"
"Yes boy," the archmage replies coolly.
"Was it necessary to kill everyone at the temple?" while Mazzarin had assured him at the time that such an act was necessary the boy is no fool, Mazzarin could have easily overpowered them and recovered his artefact.
The Great Mage comes to a full stop, "They were demons. They were tempting and consuming the souls of mortals and some of those mortals were humans and dwarves, children of the Light even if they had fallen far. On top of all that they were thieves, they stole from their victims and in doing so they stole from me."
"Yes Master b-" Emrys' voice fails him as Mazzarin once more mutes his ability to speak. It is a spell Emrys has been subjected to far too often.
"Boy," the archmage begins calmly, taking on the fatherly tone of an elder explaining to a child how the world really works, "You will learn in time that there are but two things you can trust in, in this life. The first is the Light which holds back the Dark and gives meaning and structure to the world. The second is your own strength, the strength of your spells, the strength of your hands if you really must insist on such base methods of combat, and most of all the strength of your will. Those that walk in the Light, those that are civilized and polite can be dealt with in a civilized and polite manner. For example, did we not politely ask the Order of Carlina for my spyglass? And did they not politely return it?"
Well, Emrys must admit that, that is true. Those knights were polite, reasonable, and ready to return his Master's artefact, or at least they were after they found out who they were dealing with...
Mazzarin pushes on, unconcerned about his apprentice's silence, "Yes they did. They did so for even though they are not enlightened as we are and are ultimately incapable of grasping at anything far beyond their own short and insignificant lives they are still men, servants of the Light, and they know for a certainty that by helping us they will help all those that fight the Dark! However, not everyone is gifted with that level of belief. There are many who choose to forsake the Light for the temptations of the Dark and there are also a great many for which the entire notion of the Light is alien. When dealing with those individuals there can only be a single code and that is force, to correct and to punish. Do you understand?"
Emrys points at his mouth.
"Oh, yes, of course," the Great Mage snaps his fingers and returns the gift of speech to the boy.
"Yes Master," the boy nods, "But how do you know that all demons will behave that way? Is it always a given that demons will be so alien to the Light?"
"It is," the Archmage asserts as he pushes on once more, "It is a certainty. All they respect is power."
Emrys has not spent that long with his master but the Great Mage is not all that difficult to read either, he is clearly getting annoyed but the boy pushes on. His curiosity has been peaked, "But Master, if you do not make the attempt how can you know for a certainty that all demons are evil."
He does not turn his head, "Boy, I know."
"How?" Emrys continues to press.
The archmages snaps on his pupil, "Because they stole from me!"
"Like the Order of the Carlina," the boy asks innocently.
The archmage lets out a low growl of frustration and stops to take a moment to compose himself, "Very well then, some things must be learnt from experience. Boy, when next we have to bargain with demons I will say and do nothing unless you ask for my help. You will have to negotiate for the release of my artefact and if you fail I may well leave you to them. How does that sound?"
Terrifying is the first word that springs to Emrys' mind, but also exciting. To negotiate with demons, there is so much he could learn! "Thank you Master!" the boy replies with genuine joy, "I will not disappoint you!"
The archmage emits a second low growl, "What is our next target? Maybe you will get your wish quite soon."
Emrys tucks his tome away and pulls a scrap of paper from his pocket, he unfolds it and scans the list, "It is... Hmm, not demonic but mortal."
Mazzarin gestures for the boy to hurry up, "Well?"
"The list says," Emrys frowns, "Twenty Three, my thimble, Madrigal, Royal Treasury."
The old mage grins diabolically, "Well then boy, ready to pay a visit to your Emperor?"
----------------------------------------
Alric I, Emperor of the Cath Bruig, King of the Province, Protector of Tandem and the Free North, First among the Avatara, and quite possibly the most important man in the world; he sits on the royal throne in the capital of the old Province, Madrigal. Around him mages and courtiers mingle. He eyes them carefully, his thoughts and feelings hidden behind a mask, carefully constructed through years of rule.
Some urge that he flee, he has no intention of doing so.
Some urge that he fight, that would be suicidal.
The Brannon, as always, has some sort of trick up his sleeve. He simply waits for Alric to ask but the King has no intention of doing that either. He may need the Brannons to govern the lords but he does not need them for this.
He has a plan.
Admittedly recent events have caught the old Emperor a little off guard. The deterioration of the dwarven Kingdom, the rise of this 'King' in the Northlands, the attack at the palace in Muirthemne, none of this he expected but this last surprise eclipsed all that came before it.
Mazzarin once more wanders the lands and that changes everything.
He can feel the Great Mage now and a casual glance at his guards confirm that fact. Each of his Heron Guards are on edge, as minor mages each can feel the presence of Mazzarin within the city, any minute now-
"He's here!" one of the Heron Guard shout from the doorway, "Mazzarin! He is here!"
The call sends a wave of panic through his court, just as anticipated. The old Emperor has spent most of the last month ensuring that his people would fear the Great Mage, it will make the rest of his plan easier. In fact his biggest concern for the last three weeks was that Mazzarin would arrive too quickly, before he could prepare everything that would be necessary.
He gestures to his guards to have the room cleared of all non essential personnel. Mazzarin has always loved a crowd, even in the old stories, and Alric has no intention of giving him one.
The courtiers and most of the mages gladly flee, even the Brannon only makes the thinnest of protests before he allows himself to be escorted out.
The room is empty well before the Great Mage appears. Only the Emperor and three others remain, his wife Órfhlaith, his advisor Celg, and his general Mauriac. His Empress stays out of love and duty; his advisor, and court wizard, stays out of necessity and professional pride; and old Mauriac stays out of sheer stubbornness. The man that faced down Balor over sixty years ago has no intention of fleeing now.
The great doors burst open, melting off their hinges, a tangerine light pouring in from the antechamber beyond, "Alric!"
"Brillant, one more thing in this city to fix," mutters old Mauriac, "That will be the third pair of doors in three years."
The Emperor does his best not to grin. Celg smiles from ear to ear.
Mazzarin levitates in through the hole he has created. He is dressed in white silk from the south and cloth of gold, crimson red velvet pokes out from around his wrists and neck. In his hand is a staff of ivory with a single ruby fitted loosely in its top. It spins as he glides into the center of the chamber. Alric casts a critical eye over the archmage, he looks far too young to be the real Mazzarin though looks can be deceiving. What he is certain of though is the archmage's power. The energy pouring off of Mazzarin as he floats lazily in the air is more than enough to convince the Emperor.
This is Mazzarin and behind him is a youth, clad in simple hides and leather. Clutched in his hand is a tome in red and black though he is quick to slip it back into his pack as he moves to stand beside the Great Mage.
Mazzarin scans the room and snorts, "Small court you have King Alric."
The Emperor leans back in his throne, "I apologize that there is not a sufficiently large audience to justify your entrance but there is much that must be done to restore the Empire and far too few hands to do it."
Mazzarin snorts, "Well, then I shall demand as little of your time as possible. I wish for you to return my artefact to me."
The Emperor bows slightly, "How can I refuse the request of the greatest mage of this age or any other, but if I may ask, which artefact do you wish returned? What is it and what does it look like?"
"My thimble," the Great Mage answers without hesitation, "It would be difficult to mistake for any other, it is solid bronze with a large golden 'M' emblazed on the back."
Once more the Emperor has to suppress a smile as he gestures for Celg to retrieve Mazzarin's artefact.
The Court Wizard bows and retreats from the room. He makes a grand production of marshalling as many Guards as he can to track down the relic in question. It will take them precisely five minutes to do so. Alric knows this because it too is part of the plan.
It took two weeks to sort through his entire collection of artefacts in Madrigal for suitable bait but the moment he saw it, gaudy bronze and gold, he knew. He knew he had exactly what Mazzarin wanted and once he knew that the Great Mage would seek him out all he had to do was wait.
With Celg away the Emperor begins the next stage of his plan, "This court has heard of your deeds Mazzarin, First of the Avatara, and it is our pleasure to do whatever is necessary to aid you in your efforts. Efforts that no doubt have the best interests of all at their heart."
Mazzarin shifts cautiously in the air, "Yes, I suppose so. It is merely my duty to-"
The Emperor rises, raising a hand to stop the archmage, he smiles warmly, "Yes, none doubt for a second that you have all of our best interests in mind when you race across our land seizing back what is rightfully yours but still we are compelled to wonder."
"About?" the Great Mage cautiously answers, floating toward the throne.
"About whether this is the best way for you to spend your time?" Alric continues as he advances on the Archmage, "As you have seen the lands of men are not what they once were, the wars that have rebuilt this Empire have also drained the land of resources and the people of their strength. In times like these heroes, true, selfless, bold and wise heroes, are what the people most need and we are at a loss to think of a man more heroic than the Great Mazzarin."
Mazzarin merely nods for the Emperor to continue.
"You are Mazzarin, First of the Avatara and the greatest hero the Light has ever known. We would return to you all that is rightfully yours," the Emperor turns as Calg returns with four Heron Guards close behind.
Each carries a single purple cushion and upon each rest a single object.
"We would return to you your artefact," he gestures for the first cushion and plucks the thimble from it. Casually he extends his hand and presents the artefact to Mazzarin.
The Archmage takes it is silence.
"But, we would also return to you your office," Alric calls for the second cushion upon which rests the red mantle of the Avatara.
He extends the robe to Mazzarin with both hands.
Silently the Great Mage drops from the air and to his feet. Alric drapes the robe across his shoulders.
"We would return to you your authority," Alric calls for the third cushion upon which rests a silver circlet. The symbol of office for the Court Wizard of the Empire. Alric takes up the circlet but Mazzarin does not lower his head. Casually the Emperor passes the crown to Calg.
Mazzarin mutters to himself, carefully considering the proposal.
"Finally, we would grant you the power needed to help us restore the world and solidify the supremacy of the Light," Alric calls for the final cushion topped with a single jade box. He takes it in hand and opens it to reveal a set of Imperial seals before passing it off to Calg, "We would make you governor of the East and defender of the Empire, able to rule in our name and root out the Darkness."
The Great Mage shakes his head, "It is not my desire or my place to govern. I will take my artefact for it is mine and I will accept the robe of the Avatara for it too is by rights mine but the rest you may keep."
He turns on his heels and takes three great strides toward the shattered doors.
Alric also turns, to Calg, and begins to speak, his words clearly intended for Mazzarin to hear, "A shame but fully understandable. Calg, I will need a full report on our assets in Muirthemne, we will simply have to find another way to deal with the Faceless..."
Mazzarin stops short and turns his head slightly, "What was that?"
Alric grins, "The Faceless, we have reason to believe that he is active in Muirthemne again after all of this time. He is but one of many threats that face the Empire but we shall preserver as we always have..."
Mazzarin grumbles, something that the Emperor can not quite make out, "Very well, I will accept your offer and the positions of Court Wizard and of Governor of the East for as long as the Fallen Lords remain a threat but once they are dealt with I will resign the posts. Is that acceptable my... Emperor?"
Alric bows subtly, "Certainly, the aid of the great Mazzarin, even if only for a short while, will always be appreciated by this court. When you reach Muirthemne seek out the Brannons they will help you in all matters."
Calg steps forward to hand the seals and circlet to his successor but Mazzarin merely gestures to his apprentice, "Let the boy carry them."
Calg drops them in Emrys' arms without a further thought and before Alric can say another word great horns sound and the room fills with the noise of thunder. Mazzarin explodes into violet light and when the sound and fury fade the Great Mage and his apprentice are gone.
Alric can feel them leaving the palace and slipping into the city beyond, headed east.
"I am still not sure that this is a wise course of action," Órfhlaith asserts, shattering the silence left by the abrupt departure of the Great Mage, "Can he be safely controlled?"
Alric smiles softly at his Empress, "No."
Calg laughs, "But he can still be managed, one just has to be careful."
"And what if he burns down half the east?" Mauriac asks, unimpressed at the spindly advisor, "He is dangerous."
"The Brannons will keep an eye on him, "Calg responds dismissively, "Which would you rather have, a mage like Mazzarin free to do what he wishes or focused on the annihilation of our enemies in a place where he can be observed and dealt with."
Mauriac shakes his head slowly and sighs in resignation, "Well, I suppose this is superior to letting him run wild."
"Exactly," Calg adds with a grin, "And if he does get out of hand perhaps he will deem it necessary to purge a few dozen Brannons, er-" the mage catches himself a second too late, "My apologies my Empress..."
Órfhlaith waves him off, "My brothers can take care of themselves, they always have," she turns back to her husband and takes his hand, "So he can not be controlled but can he be trusted?"
Alric smirks, "He is a mage dear."
Calg cackles, "So that's a resounding no!"
The aged general scoffs, "Can't be controlled, can't be trusted, why are we even using him again?"
Cryptically Calg replies, "Doubt abounds in chaos, there are too many pieces on the board."
The Emperor stares through the shattered remnants of his throne room doors, and at the crowd of courtiers gathered beyond. The Brannon nods at him from the head of the crowd, quietly Alric adds, "And Mazzarin is good at simplifying things."
Chapter 64: Demonic Verses
Chapter 64: Demonic VersesIt is surprising how quickly you come to a consensus on this. Of all the many things you could ask for all three of you easily settle on the same request. You echo Nanshe's request, speaking as one, "Metal."
Morpheus' shoulders sag ever so slightly, "Are you certain?"
You glance to your witch and to your better half, each nods and smiles, you look back to the regretful Demon Prince and beam.
His wife rubs the back of his neck, "You gave your word dear, now live up to it."
He nods several times, staring at his hands, "Yeah, alright."
When he looks up he is all smiles, "My brothers are probably going to kill me for this but we can worry about that later."
He rises from his chair followed quickly by wife, he speaks calmly, that great grin of his plastered across his face, "Now, you probably are not going to like this next step but just remember to stay calm and breathe."
"Wait, what do you mean," you move to rise only to realize that you are unable to do so. Your chair holds you fast, rooting you to the spot, you shout, "Morpheus!"
He raises his hands defensively, "You want to learn Metal then I need to take you to a place that is a bit safer. No complaining now, this is what you wanted."
Sparassidae is quick to add, "Just keep still darlings, it will hardly take a moment."
Morpheus nods, "Exactly, one minute, two at the most but, ah, it will probably cause a bit of discomfort on your part, my apologies in advance."
Your chair begins to contract, it constricts around your bound wrists and ankles. You instinctively pull back, attempting to slip free, all to no avail of course. In the other chairs your three companions are similarly bound. Nanshe grunts and strains against he seat, Lyssa eyes the dream demons warily while Thaïs closes her eyes and does her best to suppress her anxiety.
You take a pair of deep breathes, doing your best to follow Morpheus' advice but on the third breath your chair snaps forward, forcing the air out of your lungs and rolling you into a tight ball. You feel a pressure, a pain, then nothing; broken ribs certainly, a broken back also in all likelihood. Lyssa lets out a gasp, Nanshe whimpers slightly, you remind yourself that none of this is actually real, that you can wake yourself up whenever you choose and the pain, the pressure, the loss of feeling are all tricks of the mind. No sooner do these thoughts pass through your mind then you regain feeling.
"Morpheus," you hiss, "What the hell are you-"
"Shhh," he instructs you, "I need to focus and you aren't helping."
Your chairs continue to curl round, bending into cylinders of cracking bone. Your head is pushed down past your feet, if this were real you would certainly be dead, and then these bone cylinders begin to shrink. For over half a minute they press in on you, forcing you into an ever tightening disk. You fully expect your bones to break, to puncture through your skin and leave you bleeding out on the floor but curiously you frame does not fracture further. Instead it begins to shrink with your chair. You shrivel away within your prison, first the table towers above you and then the very blades of grass proceed to do the same. By the time the transformation is complete you doubt you are bigger than a standard gold sovereign.
"See, that was not so horrible was it?" the booming voice of the now gigantic Morpheus rings out through the meadow. He laughs and your little container actually shakes at the vibration.
"Morpheus!" you squeak, "We want an explanation or we are leaving!"
A chorus of squeaking springs up to your left and right, seems your confederates agree wholeheartedly.
"Derryth?" he come around your position, scooping up Lyssa and Thaïs on the way. He lowers himself down to his knees to get a better view of you, "Ah, there you are. Now I know you are probably angry but I promise, I have a very good reason for doing this. So don't run away to the waking world just yet."
He palms you and retrieves Nanshe as well. He then proceeds to pass the four of your over to his Lady, "Dear, would you mind hiding our mortal friends?"
"Certainly," Sparassidae replies as she takes the four of you and opens a small velvet pouch, she dumps you in and you land together in the bottom of the purse, the jingling of coins replaced by a chorus of curses.
Nanshe's chair strikes you in the side and you groan, "Sorry," she whispers.
Sparassidae's voice drifts down to you, "We are going to take you somewhere mortals are not exactly allowed to go, so please keep quiet and try not to do anything that will draw attention to yourselves."
She does not wait for a response before closing the pouch and plunging the four of you in darkness for what seems like years...
------------------------------------------
Light, light and freedom, finally.
You beam as the Lady's purse opens but your elation does not last, immediately she upends your container and it is a long fall to the floor.
Sparassidae has simply dumped the four of you out on the ground and with a whistle and a twitch of his nose Morpheus has restored you to your original size, but neither of them seem to have thought through the natural results of their actions.
"Damn it!" the young Empress curses.
"Watch it!" Lyssa exclaims.
"Shift a bit to the left please," your better half requests.
"I am trying," you mutter, before craning your neck to shout at the demons, "How about one of our hosts comes over here and lends us a hand?"
Morpheus' jackal grin lingers for just a second too long, a shiver runs down your back and you glare at him, thoroughly annoyed at his own behaviour and your own instinctive fear of the demon.
Sparassidae steps between you, "Dear, we should help untangle them don't you think?"
"Of course," he fixes his gaze on her, his smile softens around the edges into something a bit more human as he shuffles over and picks you and Thaïs off the top of the pile. He sets you down in your chairs and waves his hand over your heads, the chairs in turn uncoil and release you, none the worse for wear.
You stand in this chamber, barely three metres square. A single dim light swaying back and forth above your head, a sphere of glowing silver fire.
As his wife rights your allies Morpheus decides that an explanation is in order, "As I said, I had a very good reason for transporting you this way. We are currently in the heart of my palace estate on the shores of Peaceful Slumber, my brothers will not be able to easily spy on us here and-"
Nanshe interjects, "Wait, so everything we said in the meadow might have been heard by your brothers? Every scheme, every detail?"
The Prince nods, "Certainly, they rule this plane as much as I do and their influence and agents are everywhere but you are vastly overestimating your own importance if you think they were spying on you."
"Oh..." Nanshe replies, a little deflated.
Morpheus presses on, " Your words and deeds have been as secure and as secret as one could hope for in the Dreaming and they have certainly been more secure than they would have been had I tried to hide you. I meet with a great many mages, demons and gods on a consistent basis and my brothers leave me to my plots for the most part. Neither of them are overly concerned with diplomacy or governance and so they very rarely interfere directly, they leave me to represent our realm unless something gets their direct attention."
The Lady readily elaborates, "For example, a handful of mages learning how to cast our magic in clear violation of the rules of this plane."
Alright, so Morpheus has been hiding you in plain sight till now but you have to wonder. Now that he is actively trying to hide you will that not draw the attention of his siblings?
When you ask just that he smiles warmly, "Normally yes but they are currently distracted. Their acolytes are involved in a musical battle this evening and so long as their attention is directed toward that battle we can do just about whatever we want so long as we are not too loud."
He motions for you to follow as he leaves the tiny room you have been deposited in.
The first thing you notice is that you are outside.
Three great discs of resplendent light hang low in the warm, summer night. Eternal observers, wide eyed, hung in place upon hooks of starlight and forgotten hope by some clever craftsman. Or perhaps some conman, some purveyor of pretty little fancies, for every surface strung by the precious rays of those beaten discs shimmers and lingers in your mind, dancing in your memory and most impressive of all is Thaïs, crowned in the easy and inestimable magnificence of these triple bodies. The scent of citrus and salt water hits you then and the crash of waves from just beyond your sight draws your gaze out into the theatre before you.
"It is magnificent," the Lady remarks next to you. You nod in agreement as she continues, "Take it in for you are the first mortals to ever see this place, it is one of the only true temples you will find in the entire Dreaming. A place dedicated to something finer than power, something that can and did elevate and save an entire people."
You stand at the edge of the stage in a large depression, a sunken bowl with row upon row of seats carved into the rose rock of the cliff side rising around you but what immediately catches your attention are the instruments arrayed before you. Horns, drums, stringed instruments in a dizzying variety of shapes and sizes, and all manner of things from the mundane tools of the trade you have encountered in bars and taverns throughout the Empire to bizarre constructions you have never encountered before.
"Right," Morpheus steps out into the middle of the maze of brass, wood and leather, "If you want to learn our magic you will need instruments and you will need to decide how exactly you wish to focus our magic, you can of course learn metal as I cast it but you might also like to try on of the other genres my people pursue. For example, my brothers are quite fond of-"
The thunder of drums cuts off his lecture, your group spins to spot Nanshe, perched upon a stool behind an absurdly large collection of drums. Grinning she spins a stick in each hand, "I want these."
Morpheus blinks, "Are you sure you don't want to try-"
"Nope," she knocks out another series of semi coordinated strikes, it sounds... unrestrained, "Drums are fine with me but how am I going to carry them back to the waking world?"
Morpheus answers quickly, "You won't. I have no intention of letting you take demonic made instruments into the physical world and least of all these instruments. You will have to figure out how to make your own or you will have to make do with what you can find."
The young Empress frowns, "I suppose I can make that work..."
She begins playing around with the set of drums, testing them, examining them, no doubt trying to figure out the best way to replicate them when she wakes up.
Morpheus sighs and directs his attention back to you, "We have some time to sort out what you want to do so feel free to test out the instruments and if you want I can explain so of the various styles of music my people practice."
Seems this will be a busy dream after all.
----------------------------------------
"I suppose this is where we part ways," Ceannard states the obvious in he early morning light.
You decided to leave Nanshe's camp shortly after waking. Not because of her, mind you, she was polite and her people treated you with a reasonable degree of respect, at least until you demanded a cut of the loot from the battle. The ghôls grew quiet hostile at your demands and though Nanshe was able to convince them to give you everything you desired you deemed it wise to leave as soon as was possible.
It seems that the young Empress only have a loose hold on her people at the moment, a fact you will do well to remember.
The wind whips around your group, clustered together by your carriage. You, Thaïs and Ceannard say your goodbyes, hopefully it will only be for a few months but with the way things are in the south that is far from guaranteed.
"Looks that way, yeah," you extend a hand, he takes it, "Do you remember your orders?"
He nods, "I have been doing this for a long time ladies you don't have to worry about me but I wish you would take a few Arrows with you, someone to watch your back and-"
"That's what they have us for!" Uttu shouts from within the carriage.
"And a damn fine job you will do of it too, I am sure!" Ceannard calls back with a laugh. He plucks a black arrow from his quiver and extends it to you, "Something for the girl."
Thaïs laughs melodically and whispers, "If you go giving her gifts you will never be rid of your admirer."
He laughs, "I think I have enough admirers already-"
"Awww!" Uttu's voice rings out from the darkness of the carriage.
"But," he continues, loud enough for the young spy to hear, "For a star pupil and an excellent soldier I think I can make an exception."
He strides over to the carriage window and passes the arrow through triggering a series of squeaks and squeals from the younger girl and a matching series of muffled groans from her sister.
He returns to the pair of you, "Well, I had best be off, we all have a lot to do and not much time to do it in," he gives you each a slight bow, then turns on his heels and heads from the nearest wagon. He calls out over his shoulder, "Don't get killed! I would hate to have to avenge you as I doubt there would be much profit in it!"
He hops up next to the driver of the nearest team and gives the order to roll out, racing off into the distance, back to the capital and your operations there.
"I am going to miss him a little I think," Thaïs quietly breaks the silence.
"Yeah," you are forced to agree, "But it will only be for a month or two, if that..."
She nods, sharing your hope but also the uncertainty you feel in your very bones.
"Ready to go?" Berty calls from the front of the carriage, "I would like to link up with our people before some sort of horrible, sanity devouring beast locates us!"
That sounds like a fairly good idea to the both of you and as one you give the order to move.
---------------------------------------------
For once, you receive wholly good news. It is enough to bring a smile to your lips in fact.
The bulk of your relief force is exactly where you left it and it is in one piece. Honestly by now you half expected it to have been torn apart by embedded cultists, or infernal legions, or some other vague and menacing threat. Maybe your just getting paran-, ah, more paranoid, but your people are fine, they are getting along about as well as can be expected and the only enemy they have had to fight lately is boredom.
You place your hands on your hips and smile at plan gone well.
Lyssa even goes so far as to declare, "Maybe everything is going to go smoothly after all."
Some little part of you wants to choke her for saying that...
"Soldiers on the road!" one of your grenadiers shouts from the edge of camp, "A whole bunch of them moving this way and quick!"
You snap your spyglass into place and scan the road. Sure enough six chariots, one of them you recognize as one of your scouts, are moving as fast as they can down the stretch of packed earth that serves as a road in this part of the Kingdom. It does not look like the other five chariots are trying to attack yours and as they begin to close you can make out the banner of the Royal Army hanging loosely from two of them, "Looks like they are on our side," you mutter.
"But I doubt the things chasing them are," Thaïs remarks with apprehension.
Flowing behind the chariots are a swarm of what look to be dogs, with a few key differences. Each is larger than a man and shifts in and out of your vision as it races along, snapping at the fleeing dwarves' heels.
"Tell the men to ready our defences," you mutter as Berty pulls up next to you, "I don't think we can outrun these things without losing the elephants."
You have trouble focusing on any particular hound long enough to catch more than the barest of details but you can catch the green and red trails they leave behind as they zip back and forth doing their best to tear the chariots apart. So far the expert driving of the dwarves is enough to keep them ahead of their pursuers but then, finally, fatally, one of the drives makes a mistake. On the hard packed dirt of the road your scout misreads the terrain, too concerned with the hound that has just torn his partner from the back of the chariot. He strikes a hole, likely the result of one of the many battles that have wracked the south for months, and careens off the path. He is thrown clear but the hounds have him before he can stand. They drive him back toward the wreckage of his chariot and keep him there, circling slowly. It is only then that you can make out their details, set upon short necks and broad shoulders each of these creatures has a bunt muzzle, wider than it is long and curled into an odd mockery of a man's smile. They seem to grin as they growl and every now and then one will turn to its fellows and let out a short, barking laugh.
The remaining hounds break off their pursuit of the chariots within thirty metres of your line and instead settle for eyeing your group. The largest of the animals, striped red and white, sits down at the back of the pack, throws its head back and you expect it to howl.
Instead it laughs. It laughs and its fellows laugh with it.
The chariots pass through your line and come to a grinding halt at the rear of your formation.
"Who is in charge here!" one of the formerly fleeing dwarves shouts, "I need to know-"
The dwarf's demands and the creatures' laughing are both interrupted by the sound of horns, hunting horns. Once more you look out over the hard packed earth and the dunes beyond. In the distance you can make out shapes approaching, five of them, shifting in and out of reality as they creep up over the horizon.
You have a handful of minutes at the most before they reach their hounds and your trapped charioteer. Not long after that they will be able to reach your own lines.
So much for things going smoothly.
Part 1: General Choices:
1. You choose to:
A) Negotiate - If these things are demons, which seems likely, then you think you might know who summoned them. You are still wearing Mazzarin's necklaces and you might be able to convince them that you are on the same side. Hopefully they will pass over your group but they might make demands as well. Alternatively they may not be capable of making such a distinction in the first place in which case you will be exposing yourself to even more danger.
B) Fight - Just as the name implies you will try to push back against this presumed enemy.
i. Focus on defence. Your wagon will proved some cover and your forces are well rested as a result of not having to do much for the last few days. Your could order your men to push the wagons together and use the chariots as a makeshift barricade. The small trench your men cut to help protect the camp should also help at least a little. You have the advantage of numbers and you might just be able to beat back any attack that comes or even route the enemy and wipe them out in pursuit. Of course if they group is just the vanguard of a larger host you might wind up fighting a much larger enemy if you stay too long.
ii. Attempt to retreat. You will have your people load into their wagons and attempt a fighting retreat from the back of your wagons. Hopefully the hounds will not be able to harm you if you can maintain a withering stream of fire directed at them. You do not know how fast their 'masters' are but you assume that since they have the dogs do the running for them that they will not be able to catch you if you run. You will have to leave the lone charioteer they have captured but realistically he is dead anyway.
iii. Focus on offense. You have a whole company of battle mages with you along with a number of grenadiers and elephants. If these demons think you are scared of them then they are sorely mistaken. You will advance on them with the intention of breaking their forces and killing as many as you can. You will also attempt to rescue your captured charioteer should the opportunity present itself.
C) PRAY! - If these are Mazzarin's creatures then you may be able to resolve the situation by reaching out to the Great Mage. Of course he is not terribly fond of you and there is no guarantee that you can even call him through his necklaces successfully but you are out of ideas.
D) Operation: Two Ways
E) freeform - something more complicated perhaps, it may well get better results... or cause you more problems...
2. Scheduling I: Awake - Should you survive you will of course continue south correct? If you do, you will need to choose how you want to spend your time. You are free to divide your attention between as many tasks as you would like. You are also, of course, free to suggest new tasks to pursue. (Any activity that is able to gain more than half the votes will be pursued, the more you try to do the harder it will be to progress at anything):
A) Studying with your commanders to improve your ability to lead soldiers on campaign.
B) Studying your magical texts all together improve your spells. You have a few mutually exclusive options here, they are:
i. Study by yourself.
ii. Study with Thaïs.
iii. Study with Lyssa.
iv. Study with Thaïs and Lyssa.
C) Work on your combat skills with Biliku.
D) Work on your aim with Uttu.
E) Enchant more items to improve the combat effectiveness of your soldiers (feel free to specify what you want to cast if you would like).
F) freeform - In case I forgot something.
3. Scheduling II: Asleep - Similar to question two. You could spend your time sleeping actually sleeping which would be beneficial for your state of mind but it would also waste a perfectly good chance to improve yourself further so you have a few options. (Once more, any option that gets more than half the votes will be selected. If you simply want to sleep then write Sleep as your vote and I will count it as a vote against everything else):
A) Study musical magic - You will spend your time at Morpheus' secret theatre training as much as you can.
B) Work with Caoilainn to teach her Calm Casting and hopefully mellow her out a bit.
C) Analyse your dreams/nightmares for weaknesses that might be exploited. You will need a partner for this and Thaïs would be the best choice.
D) Split your time equally between sleeping nd learning musical magic.
E) freeform
4. Training the Seekers - Do you want to teach the Seekers your enchantments? To teach a few will likely take a day, to teach them all will likely take two and once they know them they could take over enchanting your equipment, saving you time in the mornings. However do you really want to share your magical knowledge with outsiders? It will also use time in the short term that you could spend on something else. (If you choose to train them then be sure to specify which of your mages will do it, if you assign multiple people to the task it will likely go quicker at the expense of tying up more people).
A) No - you will keep your spells to yourself.
B) Yes - you will share your knowledge and let the Seekers take over enchanting duties.
i. Train a few (probably one day, maybe two)
ii. Train them all (probably two days, maybe one if it goes well)
C) freeform
Part II: Musical Magic
A) Instrument selection: What, if any, instruments did your mages choose?
Note: Honestly you can list just about any instrument you want here, I will just leave it as a general freeform choice. Keep in mind that the instruments you are most likely to find in the real world will be ones appropriate to a vaguely medieval setting in the case of the Empire or an early modern one in the case of the Kingdom. It will be far easier to find period appropriate instruments than it will be to find electric guitars and in all likelihood if you want to have something demonic/modern you are going to have to steal it from the Dreaming or have it constructed in the physical realm. Additionally if you do not want one or more of the mages to play an instrument then they will simply focus on vocals. Both Derryth and Thaïs already have some experience when it comes to singing traditional/mortal music and they will retain that no matter what is chosen.
B) Choice of genre: Metal is the genre the ladies have seen Morpheus perform but there are many different types of demons and most of them practice different types of music.
Note: Once more I will leave this as a fully freeform choice since I could list dozen of options and still only capture a fraction of the world's music. If you want the ladies to pursue metal than Morpheus will teach them directly. If you would rather they pursue a different genre of music that can also work, everything is on the table from bluegrass, to punk, to swing, to psychedelic and everything in between. Alternatively if you want a more serious take on musical magic to appear in the story then you could choose to have the ladies forego learning an anachronistic/demonic style in favour of pursuing a more traditional style. Between their existing knowledge and Sparassidae's vast repertoire of mortal/traditional music the ladies could master a body of work that would be more subtle and harder to detect for those untrained in musical magic. The choice is completely yours and you can always branch out later but this will provide the foundation for your group to build off of.
Chapter 65: The Hunter
Chapter 65: The HunterIt is not an easy question to answer, 'what to do'?
A great many possibilities spring to your mind all at once and with a but a few moments to decide on a course of action you can hardly gather insight from your officers. No matter, you will find a way, you simply need clarity and you seize upon the first thing that promises to grant you just a little.
You cast your gaze up to the heavens and for a moment your mind drifts up and away. It drifts into the peace and serenity to be found among the shifting clouds, motes of cotton occasionally obscuring the great, luminescent sphere that is the sun. It cuts a path through the sky, turning the sea of blues into reds and violets, the last drops of day, bleeding out into night. Such peace up there in the eternal sky, it fosters clarity, precision of thought, and with it you set your mind to working.
These things do not seem 'natural', for want of a better term, and while you can not be sure they were conjured by Mazzarin you are fairly certain that they were. If they are, then perhaps you can convince them to leave your people alone, hell, maybe you can convince them to aid the Royal Army and remove one threat to the Kingdom immediately.
That being said you hardly wish to risk your own life or the lives of your friends and allies in testing your theory. Perhaps a middle path is best, perhaps you can take all the necessary precautions to protect yourself without exposing yourself to harm. If you fortify your position and stay behind your impromptu barricade that should at least provide you a little cover from which to negotiate.
Yes, that might work, you just hope you are not being greedy...
You give Berty the orders, telling him to fortify your position as quickly as he can and to be mindful of your flanks and rear.
He nods along and begins barking orders to your men, a bounce in his step as he makes the rounds.
As he does so you run through every bit of information you have managed to gather on possible demons operating in the south. You remember that Morpheus had mentioned demons that have the ability to bewitch mortals with their voices.
With that in mind you pull off a pair of dwarves from the defensive line, “I want you two to stuff up your ears with rags and watch my every movement. If I start to behave oddly you are signal me.”
They too nod along. You do not share your fears with them. Your fears that such beings might be able to control more than one person, more than a handful of people, and that even if you do get the signal it may well do you no good, you may well be unable to resist the commands of these things.
You push those thoughts down. If these demons are that powerful then you have no real chance anyway.
The horns sound out again, the creatures have made great progress. You can see them clearly now, at first glance they could almost pass for men. Taller certainly, and with finer features but beyond that they compare favorably with most of the demons you have met. They have no tendrils with which to burrow into you, they have no feeding stalks, no distended frames, no wings, no claws, nothing to set them apart from men with one exception. Each has a pair of animal ears, some take the form of a horse, others the ears of hares, they poke up from between the strands of their fine, fair hair.
Each is dressed in a tunic and trousers of the brightest crimson with a mantle as green as the deep pines on top. Their mantle is further decorated by gold embroidery, it takes the form of leaves and hinds, hares and great flowering trees, each bears a single symbol on their left shoulder as well. A silver badge in the shape of an oak leaf. The final piece of their kit to draw your eye is the weapon each carries. A long, broad headed club, notched up and down its length with symbols you do not recognize.
One of these... Hunters, you suppose, breaks off from their fellows and advances toward your captured scout. The demon stops well short of your dwarf and hitches up his trousers, dropping into a squat, his equine ears twitching slightly. First he turns his head to the left, then he turns his head to the right, then he takes his cudgel from under his arm and he pokes at your soldier.
The soldier tries to grab the stick and is rewarded with a series of swift blows around the head and shoulders as the demon leaps to his feet and brays at the poor dwarf.
Thaïs shakes her head, “What are these things?”
“Damned if I know,” you answer with a concerned sigh.
“Best not to let them get too close,” the Old Man shouts as he moves from his part of the battle line to your own, when he closes he leans in and whispers, “If we attack them with everything we have as soon as they begin to close we should be able to wipe them all out before they reach us.”
You answer back with your orders matching his discrete tone, “We don't attack unless I give the order, understood?”
The Old Man grunts and opens his mouth to protest but stops in mid motion. He bobs his head, “Sure,” he forces a smile, “Absolutely...”
He turns on his heel and wanders back to his people.
“Think he is going to be a problem?” your better half enquirers, watching him go.
“Probably,” you answer, turning your attention back to the advancing demons.
They come to a stop at the line of waiting hounds, one, with the ears of a great gray hare, reaches over and scratches the largest hound behind the ear, it giggles at the affection. Another, with ears of silver fur, begins practicing with its club, swinging it back and forth in wide circles, it accidentally clips one of the hounds and sends it crashing into its pack mates. These things are certainly strong when they want to be.
To a man, er, demon, they seem distinctly unimpressed with your company and the number of weapons ready against them. They seem incredibly relaxed and confident, a fact that does little for your own sense of comfort.
The four are soon joined by the fifth and the remaining hounds, the hunter drags the broken and bloody body of your scout behind him, one large, white hand wrapped firmly around the dwarf's ankle. Your soldier has certainly received a beating but he does seem to be alive from what you can tell.
The fifth demon, the one that so badly savaged your scout, falls to conversation with the others. They gesture at your group, they bray and whine and one takes another great swing with his club. The hounds laugh heartily, then the largest of them rises and circles the hunters once. He slinks in next to the largest of the hunters, a great mountain of a demon with the ears of a goat, died a vibrant ruby red, and from what you can see the hound begins to mutter something.
The hunters turn back to your group en masse and the largest of them points directly at you, he gestures for you to come forward, over your barricade.
Naturally you refuse, waving your hand over your head and directing them to come closer.
He swings his cudgel twice over his head and repeats his instructions.
Once more you make your reluctance to comply quite clear.
He begins to hop and holler, baying at you, till one of his companions quiets him and steps forward. It is the gray hare, the one that had so readily shown its affection for the hounds. Seems he intends to negotiate as he begins to stride toward your position.
“Everyone get ready,” you whisper to your allies, “And remember, no one attacks until I give the order.”
The Hare Hunter whistles as he walks toward your line. He maintains a brisk pace, exudes confidence, as he closes he locks eyes with you and does not drop his gaze.
“Hello! Cousin Derry, hello!” he calls to you, tucking his club under his arm and raising his hands, “I be wishing to talk, nothing more!”
“That's close enough,” you caution him. Thaïs raises her crossbow to drive home your point.
He chuckles, “Ah, cousin Taide, that is a mighty fine bow you have there but you may as well lower it. I would not favour your odds of hitting me with it and if you go and fire that thing then I will have to excuse myself from these proceedings,” he gestures over his shoulder with his thumb, “Brother Beater and Brother Bounder back there would like nothing better than a reason to test your line, I would like to avoid giving them that reason.”
“So you want peace?” Lyssa calls out from your side.
He nods, “Oh, very much so cousin Lys, very much so. At least for the time being that is.”
“Well, we might just be able to make that work,” you answer, your words send up a hiss from the Seekers' part of the line, “Why are you chasing my people.”
“Your people?” the hare slaps his knee, “That is a good one Cousin!” he turns conspiratorially to his left and shouts into thin air, “'Her people' she says! Can you believe that, a mighty fine joker dear Cousin is!”
He snaps his head back toward you and gives you a sly grin.
“Derryth!” Berty shouts from the right flank, “The hounds are circling!”
Sure enough they have begun to spread out and creep around the edges of your battle line. Well, you can't have that.
You round on the Hare Hunter, “I thought you wanted peace, er, Cousin...”
“Cropper,” he answers with a wink, “Call me Cropper, Cousin. I do want peace, I can assure you of that.”
“Then call off the hounds,” you press him.
“Ah,” he scratches the back of his neck, “Alright Cousin, fair enough, fair enough!”
He lets out two high pitched whistles and the hounds begin to draw back toward the main body of the hunting party, they look thoroughly disappointed but Cropper merely grins at you, “That better Cousin?”
“Immensely,” Thaïs replies and spares him a smile, “Thank you.”
He beams, “Ah Cousin, a smile like that, it could light a world, it could. It makes me want to be a better man than I am!”
He does seem to be friendly enough but you are not certain that he is entirely in control of his faction or his faculties. It would be best to end this as quickly as you can, “So, Cousin Cropper, why were you chasing my people?”
He shakes his finger at you, “Cousin Derry, that is what I was getting at. They are not your people. They are necromancer's spies, servants of the Dark, our common foe so to speak.”
“Have any proof?” Lys chimes in.
“I should think you would know,” Cropper answers, his grin turning sharp, “I should think you would know...” he laughs, “I mean with all of your combined experience fighting the Dark, I mean. All that time battling servants of the Watcher, surely, you must have, at some point, maybe, come up with a way to detect those spies, those cowards, those traitors that make themselves the enemy of life everywhere? Right?”
Well there might be a few ways to tell that you can think of but none that you care to share with a half mad demon scout, “Possibly,” you reply carefully.
“Beautiful,” he clasps his hands together, “So as I was saying, and as you can confirm if you have half the mind to do so, those dwarves we are chasing serve the Watcher and it is our job to purge the Dark from the Kingdom.”
“A demon fighting the Dark,” the Old Man shouts as he leaves his place in the line and moves toward you, “What sort of foolishness is this?”
Cropper narrows his eyes, “One, Slaver, I am no demon. Two, the Dark and the Dark Gods are not one and the same. Three, it is not polite to be interrupting a private conversation between family.”
“Family?” the Old Man glares at the hare and then at the three of you, “What is he talking about?”
“I have not the faintest idea,” you reply in unison.
The Old Man begins to tense, “I am sure.”
“Now hold on,” you raise a hand, “No need to jump to conclusions!”
You gesture to Cropper with a single hand, “Why don't we ask him what he means?”
The Old Man grunts and nods, “Alright, why not?”
Cropper pulls himself up to his full height, “That is easy, I was told about the three of you and I was told to keep an eye out for your coming,” he shuffles, the tips of his ears beginning to colour, “Well you see, its well, he, meaning the Master, made us memorize our orders so we would not make a mistake, or get distracted, or run off with all the pretty lads and lasses,” Cropper grins, “So, well, so I set my orders to a little rhyme,” he coughs, clearing his throat, “One o fire, one o night, one o beasts and ya got it right! Hunt the pale man, hunt the beast, hunt their servants, from greatest ta the least!”
The Hare Hunter looks equal parts proud and embarrassed at his little rhyme, “So when I saw the three of you, all mages right, all together like that, I figured, well, I figured what were the odds right? I mean three humans, three women, three mages, one with the red hair and the other with the black and then all those animals on the third, and above, and around, and well, I figured that you were my dear cousins, allies in my Master's hunt, and so that is what I told the others. I told them you must be Derry, and Taide and Lys and that you are our friends or at least not enemies, not yet anyhow.”
“And who is this 'master',” the Old Man presses, “Which Dark God do you serve fiend!”
“Why,” the Hare Hunter shrugs, “Not a one, I serve my Lord and he serves his Lord and we are all swore to the service of the Greatest Mage to ever walk this world. We serve the Mazzarin.”
The Old Man laughs at this, “Mazzarin has been dead for centuries, don't lie to me beast.”
“Beast!” Cropper leaps two meters closer to your line, club in hand, “Beast! Cousins, if you can not control this fiend, this slaver, this merchant of souls then by the hills and the rocks and the trees I will cave his thick head in this moment!”
The Old Man begins to channel, you grab him by the shoulder and hiss in his ear, “What are you doing!”
“Killing a few demons,” he answers coldly.
“Not without my orders,” you insist.
“Then give the order,” he replies, his voice sharp as a razor. He breaks free from you and in a blink speeds his way back to his section of the line. With or without your help it seems that the Seekers are set on fighting this battle. Perhaps you should have expected that given their known attitude toward the 'unnatural'.
“A shame, dear cousins,” Cropper calls to you, swinging his club back a forth, “It would be an absolute shame if your dog bites, then we might have to put him down!”
The other hunters cheer and the hounds laugh mightily.
“Five of you and a handful of hounds,” the Old Man answers, “Can't say I like your odds monster!”
“Oh,” Cropper laughs, “We have got far more than that!”
You don't see anything.
You do however hear something.
It is quite quiet, a mere whisper on the breeze but slowly it begins to build.
It is a threat and a promise of violence though you are not yet sure who it is directed at.
It is the sound of voices and of horses and you can not say how long you have before this whisper breaks into a shout and a panic that will drive your sense from you.
It occurs to you that perhaps Cropper is not the hunter, perhaps his lord is, and you stare up at the sinking sun and wonder what will come when it falls beyond the horizon, what will come with the night?
Cropper watches you, watching the sun, he grins warmly, “Clever Cousin, but don't you worry none. Little more, a little more and my lord will be here, then we can all talk properly, without snapping dogs at our heels.”
1. Well, seems things are about to come to head. How do you want to handle this situation?
A) You do nothing. The Seekers will likely attack the huntsmen and they have an immediate advantage but if their Lord is coming then who knows what will happen. You will simply wait with your forces and make a decision once one side has won. Hopefully both sides will refrain from attacking you but that might be a bit much to ask for.
B) You throw your lot in with the Seekers. That should demonstrate to the Old Man that you are not actively consorting with demons (even though you do technically consort with demons fairly often). It is likely that the Seekers will be suspicious of you going forward but there is nothing you can do about that now, you will just have to win them over later. At least you know where they stand. Unfortunately you will also have to attack an enemy with unknown abilities and numbers, and one which may be about to receive an unknown amount of reinforcements.
C) You throw your lot in with the huntsmen. They claim to be something other than demonic and they do seem to know a lot of what is going on. It is possible they have been given information by Mazzarin that could help you in the south and by helping them deal with the Seekers you might be able to secure them as an ally to the Kingdom. Of course, you don't know how the dwarven leadership will react to such a turn of events, you don't know if you should or even can trust these things and if you declare your support for the huntsmen then you will have to deal with twenty battle mages at fairly close range along with their guardians.
D)Withdraw. As soon as the Seekers attack the huntsmen you will order as much of your forces to withdraw. Hopefully you will be able to put enough distance between you and the battlefield to prevent excessive casualties. At the very least you can try to protect your command group by fleeing in the carriage. It is likely that you will lose some people and it will kill morale but it may be the most reasonable course to pursue.
E) Negotiate. Maybe you can prevent a conflict if you hand over the scouts the huntsmen are chasing. Bit of a long shot though as the Seekers do seem fairly committed to starting something here.
F) freeform – And for anything else, more complex, more clever, you have the ever popular freeform option.
Chapter 66: Projecting
Chapter 66: ProjectingThe Seekers are channeling now.
Cropper has begun to edge back to his line, his fellows are dancing, howling, baying for the blood of your people and the hounds grin mightily, laughing as they rise.
Things are probably about to erupt into violence and you wish you could do something about.
Hell, maybe you can.
You have certainly done dumber things after all and you are still standing...
“Lyssa,” you whisper.
“Yes,” she hissing back, her eyes darting between the battlemages and the demon scouts.
“Try to use the necklace to reach Mazzarin,” it is not like you much want to see the ancient archmage again but you only have so many options available to you.
“What?” Lyssa and Thaïs ask as one.
“Well,” you shrug, “These damn amulets are supposed to emit a signal right? Maybe we can get his attention with them and it would certainly help our situation.”
The look they give you, surprise ribboned through with skepticism, tells you everything you need to know. Still they nod, without any other options they readily choose to follow your plan.
“So,” your better half begins, “While she is praying for help what will we do?”
You grace her with a slight smirk, “Try to talk them down of course.”
“Of course,” she laughs, “What is the worst that could happen?”
You beam, “That's the spirit.”
“I assume you want me to do the talking?” she matches your grin.
“If you could,” you gesture for her to step forward.
“Good to see you are learning to embrace your shortcomings,” Caoilainn chimes in.
“Pay attention to them, not me,” you order her, “If we are about to come under attack I want to know about it as soon as possible.”
“Can do,” your ethereal office responds with only a little sarcasm, “Just don't get us killed,” she really could not resist, could she?
You contemplate giving Thaïs more detailed instructions but you shake the idea off. You are as much a part of her as she is of you and she will know far better than you do how best to achieve your goals.
To prove the point she begins with the Seekers, clearly the more belligerent of the two parties, “Old Man!” she calls clearly over the muttering of the mages.
“What!” he shout back.
“Stop channeling!” she answers, it is admittedly a bit difficult to carry out a nuanced conversation along a battleline but what other option do you have really. If the Seekers turn on you and unleash their spells it would be far better to have something, even warm bodies, between you and them.
“How about no!” the Old Man answers with a feral, hostile laugh. His followers readily join him.
“These gentlemen are not lying!” she gestures to the hunters, “Mazzarin is alive and we need time to verify their claims.”
“Don't tell me you believe in this nonsense!” the Old Man is a damn sight more stubborn than you had hoped for.
Well, maybe you will have to share a bit more information with your allies. You shout above the growing chants, “We have met him!”
Well that catches their attention for a moment, a few of the more junior Seekers even stop chanting before their fellows prod them back into whatever ritual they are working.
The Old Man seems less certain now, if only slightly, “What proof have you got!”
“If you would stand down,” you answer, “If you would merely give us a chance we can explain everything.”
Well, maybe not everything. If the Seekers knew everything they probably would attack you on the spot.
Your better half pushes on, “If I may ask, did you feel a powerful signal originating from the desert and traveling north two months ago? Surely you must have?”
A few of the Seekers nod to one another and begin to mumble.
Maybe she is winning them over.
The Old Man shakes his head and replies resolutely, “I don't know what that was two months ago but it could have been anything. Mazzarin would not conspire with demons!”
Maybe not.
Cropper seems to have had quite enough of being called a demon, “We are not demons ye bleedin' tick! Cousins, I am with you but I can not vouch for my brothers,” he gestures quickly behind him with his thumb and sure enough they are creeping forward.
You look to Thaïs and she shrugs, “Words can only help with those willing to listen...”
Damn...
The Seekers spell begins to build to a head, the chanting growing in intensity and you catch the odd flicker of citrine light dancing around their end of the line. The hunters have begun to spread out in response. They advance, slowly jogging forward, swinging their clubs at their sides.
Well, this is going to be bloody, any moment now...
“I got it!” Lyssa shouts from behind you, “It is working!”
No sooner are those words out of her mouth then you receive all the confirmation you could ever need.
You have been told that your amulets emit a very slight signal, something so carefully camouflaged that it would take magical mastery or very specific instruments to ever detect it.
That is no longer the case.
When her amulet roars to life the signal it emits is overwhelming, it is akin to being dragged from a dark room into the sunlight. No, it is akin to being dragged from a dark room and then pitched directly into the sun. It is completely devastating and everyone: the Seekers, the hunters, their hounds, anyone with even a shred of magical talent immediately stops what they are doing and turns to gaze upon Lyssa.
This leaves your mercenaries rather confused, but only for a moment.
Low, brass horns sound.
A single, blaring note that fills the heavens.
The hunters immediate drop to their knees.
The Seekers have completely forgotten about their attempts to murder the scouts.
A second, higher note sounds. Shrill, it rings in your ears and above Lyssa's head an image begins to form.
An image of a single, twelve metre tall, bronze M.
It hangs in the air as one second draws into the next.
The Old Man gapes.
The M dissolves into a kaleidoscope of colours, shards of magical energy that pour out over your heads and resolve into a thousand tiny wings. Glass butterflies, neat trick.
The swarm of insects push out between the Seeker's line and the hunters, reassembling themselves into the image of a man. Mazzarin, from what you can tell. Though this projection, and you are fairly sure it is in fact a projection, has a number of noticeable differences from the living man you met in the desert.
For starters, the image is twelve feet tall and clad in golden armour with rubies set along its collar. The staff the projection holds writhes in its hands, a pair of serpents, one of ivory and the other of obsidian, dance back and forth. Upon the projections brow is a triple crown topped with the largest sapphire you have ever seen.
It seems that even in his illusions the self important bastard dresses to impress.
“Mazzarin!” the Old Man mutters and falls to his knees, followed by the rest of Seekers and, grudgingly, their guardians as well.
“I AM MAZZARIN!” the projection bellows, “AND THE BEARERS OF THESE AMULETS ARE MY PROPERTY!”
Property?
Fucking hell.
Not allies...
Not acquaintances...
Not apprentices...
Not servants...
Property...
Yeah, that probably is how he sees most people.
“I, ah, I am sorry, ” the Old Man begins.
“THE GREAT MAGE MAZZARIN CARES NOT FOR YOUR EXCUSES!” the projection responds.
The Old Man bows as low as possible and you consider the projection. How exactly is Mazzarin communicating over so much distance like this?
The Old Man bows and scrapes, the change in his demeanour really is quite remarkable, “My Lord, if I had known that my employers spoke for the greatest champion of the Light to ever walk the realms I would have-”
“YES,” the projection once more speaks, “I AM CERTAIN YOU ARE QUITE SORRY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! NO DOUBT YOU WISH TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN REDEEM YOURSELVES AND ESCAPE THE PUNISHMENT YOU SO RICHLY DESERVE!”
“Um, well, yes, certainly,” the Old Man answers unsteadily.
“THERE IS BUT ONE WAY!” the projection continues, “YOU MUST PROTECT MY PETS!”
Pets? As if property were not bad enough, now you are compared to animals?
“YOU MUST SEE THAT NO HARM COMES TO THEM!” the projection smiles, “THAT IS ALL YOU MUST DO FOR I AM COMING! I WILL FIND THEM AND YOU, AND I SWEAR THAT IF THEY SUFFER FROM A SINGLE BROKEN NAIL, A SINGLE HAIR OUT OF PLACE, A SINGLE CLIPPED TAIL THEN YOU SHALL SUFFER FOR TEN THOUSAND YEARS!”
Tail?
Oh, no...
“Lyssa,” you hiss, “Turn it off now.”
She shakes her necklace, slaps it, “I, I don't know how,” she weakly replies.
“BUT IF YOU DO THIS! IF YOU PROTECT MY BELOVED HOUNDS THEN I SHALL REWARD YOU WITH RICHES BEYOND MEASURE, I WILL-” the projection sneezes, “Damn it!”
A second voice chimes in, one you can just about place, “I am afraid we will have to start from the beginning again Sir.”
“Not again!” the projection whines, “Have you any clue, any clue at all how many times I have tried to record this?”
Once more the second voice answers, “I assure you Sir, you will be completely happy with the end result. No one will even think of stealing your dogs again.”
The projection sighs, “Wyrd I hope so. Every time that faceless, spineless bastard kills my pets, every time, it just, it tears a piece out of you...”
This is horrible, the Seekers have already risen and are staring at the production unfolding before them with a mixture of confusion and rage.
Still, you can not tear yourself away. This is a side of Mazzarin you have never seen before.
The projection sniffles, “I just, I just wanted my little Aidan back. He was such a good boy... They, they sent me his paws, one at a time...”
“It will be alright Sir,” the second voice answers cheerfully, very cheerfully, “You will get a new dog, no, three new dogs! And with our necklaces you will never lose them again!”
Wait, now you know where you recognize that voice from. That is the little, jolly Dietfried. They must have helped record this message for Mazzarin.
The projection nods several times, “Thank you. I just need a moment,” he coughs, “Alright, let's begin again.”
“Whenever you are ready,” the Dietfried answers.
“Ah,” the very weary projection of Mazzarin pauses, “None of this will show up in the final message right?”
“Oh course not,” Dietfried reassures him, “We are professionals, we will edit it out.”
“Good,” he nods, “I am not paying extra though, we had a deal.”
A third voice chimes in, definitely belonging to the taller Dietfried, “Do not worry Sir, you will get exactly what you payed for.”
The projection once more dissolves into a swarm of beating wings raised up into the growing darkness of the heavens.
Berty begins laughing, as do a few of your mercenaries.
Cropper looks particularly amused.
The Old Man looks anything but, “What kind of tricks are you trying to weave Derryth!”
Seems he is not quite happy about being humiliated in front of a mere recording.
“I- Ah, well,” you really are not sure how to answer that question at all.
Thankfully Thaïs is with you, “You wanted proof that we have contact with the Great Mage. That is your proof.”
He crosses his arms, “That message could be hundreds of years old, assuming it is even real!”
“But you have no way to know that,” your partner insists, “If you are correct and we are lying then all you lose is a chance to fight and perhaps a chance to die, but if we are right then you will act against the wishes of the single most,” she pauses for a moment, “The single most powerful man in the world. Someone that clearly cares for his allies, someone that clearly cares for those that depend on him, do you really wish to take that chance?”
The Old Man grunts, “Fine, we will do things your way but I insist on being present when we interrogate these supposed spies.”
Good, that is a start. You will likely have a bit of trouble winning over the Seekers going forward but at least you prevented a bloodba-
Horns.
Always with the damned horns.
They are coming from the distance, from the growing shadows cast by the setting sun. It won't be long now until the darkness comes and then whatever being, or beings, Cropper serves will likely make a grand appearance themselves.
You turn to the hunter, “Cousin Cropper, we have the spies now, you know that we serve the same man that you do and that we can be trusted to properly interrogate them.”
The hunter nods, “I know all that and more, Cousin Derry. But there is a problem, being that I can not let you keep our quarry,” he bows low, “I am terribly sorry, miserably so in fact, but my brothers and I can not go back empty handed. There would be a beating waiting, a right proper one too, not just a few quick jabs mind you, so you see, that can not be.”
“Well Cousin,” you shake your head, “I can't just give up the dwarves without proof.”
Cropper grins, “Mighty fair of you Cousin, a damn fine head you have and all that,” he shifts onto his right foot and scratches his side, “I know I can't be expecting you to throw your allies away and all. Which is why I suggested, and I am sure you remember what I suggested, I suggested that we all get nice and comfortable and wait for my Lord. Then I don't get a beating and you get to talk to the one in charge. Sound good?”
Not really, if you are honest. You doubt that a 'lord', whatever that might be, will travel without an entourage and you don't particularly want to have to negotiate with a whole army of these things without more support.
Thaïs reads your reluctance, “As much as we would love to meet your Lord I am afraid, Cousin Cropper, that we really must be on our way.”
The hunter pouts, “Well, like I said Cousin, I can't be letting you off with our prisoners,” reluctantly he begins to limber up, “I will try to be gentle cousin but no promises...”
“Is there no way to avoid such savagery,” Thaïs asks, making one last attempt.
Cropper glances over his shoulder, “Well, hell,” he grins, “Tell you what Cousins. You give me six of the dwarves and I will talk the boys into giving back your wounded one. Then I can say I caught a few and I can lead my Lord away when he comes after the horns. I won't get a beating and you will still have a couple of them to interrogate.”
You are sure that, that idea sounds reasonable to Cropper but it would be a damn uncomfortable thing to have to do, choosing who goes and who stays.
Cropper does not seem to be in too much of a rush, but then if he is telling the truth he has no reason to rush. He just has to stay put until his lord arrives and this will cease to be his problem.
You, however, do not have the luxury of time.
1. You choose to:
A) You will give Cropper the dwarves he was chasing. If they are servants of the Watcher all you will lose is information. If Cropper is lying though you will be sending honest dwarves to their deaths. Once Cropper has the dwarves he will return your captured scout and he will do his best to lead his lord away from your direction. If you fall back, up the road, for a few hours you should be safe. This will add a bit more time to your trip though as you will need to backtrack, move off the roads through the desert and swing around the hunting host. It will likely take you a day and a half longer than planned.
B) You will take Cropper's bargain and give him six of the dwarves. The option will play out much like A except you will retain a few of the supposed spies. This may give you a bit of information if you get a real spy and it may save a few innocent dwarves if they are not. This will also add time to your journey, a day and a half if you do not interrogate the dwarves you keep and two days if you do.
i. You interrogate the dwarves yourself.
ii.You do not interrogate the dwarves. You will deal with them when/if you reach the army instead.
C) You attack Cropper. You have no intention of waiting for his Lord and you have no intention of turning over any of the suspected spies either.
D) You wait patiently for his Lord to arrive. You will simply have to discuss the matter with whoever is in charge, even if the prospect of doing so worries you a little.
E) Operation: Deterrence
F) freeform
Chapter 67: The Good Neighbours
Chapter 67: The Good NeighboursThe last, delicate rays of light desperately cling to the dunes around you and the mountain peaks in the distance. They stand glittering, great teeth of polished stone, barring the way to the coming dark. A deep, endless darkness that threatens to devour all it touches.
Your people sense it, from the mightiest mage to the smallest mouse. A shock and thrill of danger, of excitement, something is about to happen.
Best be prepared for it.
“We will wait, thank you,” you give your measured answer to the Hunter and he simply nods, swinging his club back and forth lazily.
“Fair enough Cousin, fair enough,” he gestures to the south and the east, “My Lord will be along soon enough.”
He drops into a squat, “Don't mind if I get more comfortable then?”
“By all means,” Thaïs answers for you. She whispers to you, “What is the plan?”
“We need to talk,” you answer, Cropper grins at you, you politely smile back, “Ah, think he can hear us?”
Cropper wiggles his ears, “For a certainty Cousin, for a certainty! But don't let that stop you!”
The hounds laugh.
You shake your head and repeat your instructions to your partner, “We need to talk,” you cast another glance at the happy Hunter, “In the carriage.”
He laughs as you signal to your officers to meet you by the carriage. Berty leaves a couple of your mercenaries in charge as Hámundr reiterates his standing orders to his men. Hopefully they won't do anything stupid for the few minutes that you are gone.
Lyssa, Berty, and Hámundr all arrive quickly, the Old Man comes as well, not on your invitation of course, but by his own initiative. You do not order him back to his post. One look at the mage is enough to tell you that he is still teetering on the very edge, he does not like this situation and it is a damn certainty that he does not trust you in the slightest. You have no desire to add yet more strain to your relationship with the man and so he stays.
“Right, I am going to be quick,” you begin, “Berty, Lyssa, I want you to monitor the dwarven scouts that Cropper and his people were chasing. Find some way to render them helpless, if they are the Watcher's spies I do not want them hitting us in the back or starting a battle when Cropper's lord arrives.”
The tiny man and the witch nod, she speaks, “I am sure we can come up with something.”
“Hámundr,” the dwarf gives you a curt nod, “You are the ranking officer here. Will those scouts listen to you if you give them an order?”
The dwarf grunts, “If they are true sons of the Kingdom then they will.”
“Good enough,” you push on, “That will help separate the loyalists from the traitors.”
The Old Man has listened to your plan in silence so far but now he speaks, “And what part do you have for me in your plan.”
You had intended to approach him separately for this but you suspect the mage will find precious little to object to in your request, “You know how to interrogate the minds of others, correct?”
He grins, “Yes, trial by flame.”
“Good,” you respond, “We are going to pick through the mind of the scout that Cropper's people captured but we thought you might like a chance to verify our claims, prove to yourself and your people that we are working in the best interests of the Kingdom.”
The Old Man beams, clearly warming to the idea, “I will gather the necessary components for the ritual.”
Thaïs stops him as he moves to leave your carriage, “Components? We do not have much time, will it take long?”
“No,” he laughs, “It is quick and easy.”
He slips free of her grasp and disappears into the twilight.
With the orders given the pair of you move back to the front of your formation. You call to your disembodied officer, “Caoilainn, keep an eye on things for us will you?”
She grunts something you think is a 'yes'.
“Caoilainn?” you whisper a second time.
“Hmmm?” she answers absentmindedly.
“Are you listening?” your better half asks.
“Yes, yes, I will keep an eye on things,” she answers quickly. You hope she means it.
---------------------------------------------
Not a terribly complex mind to be dealing with really.
The Scout's mind takes the form of a village, two neat rows of tiny, square houses cooking under a hot and merciless sun. Around the houses are small fields, withered and wasted, parched maws begging for even the slightest drop of rain. In the distance the same mountains you recognize from your time at Fort Blackrock rise, blood stained fingers clawing at the sky.
If you had to guess, based on your position in relation to those mountains you are probably a day and a half out of Myrgard. You suspect that this is the Scout's hometown, a fairly safe assumption given your experiences over the last few months. The mind, particularly the minds of the untrained, seek comfort and structure from the familiar and what could be more familiar, more comforting, than one's home.
At least, on the surface it should be comforting, but something bothers you. There is something incredibly wrong with this entire scene and the mind it represents. Thaïs feels it too, your minds so close that thoughts can pass with barely a gesture.
The shapes that move below you do so with a certain lack of finesse. They are stiff, they are slow and though you can sense fear, understandable given the Scout's predicament in the real world, it is not a fear of death.
Together, the two of you resolve to push a little further. You will probably give yourselves away but there is a mystery here that you can't help but poke at.
You bend your thoughts to the same purpose. Granting them speed through will and accuracy through intellect. The traits that will turn them into hunters, predators, in this eerie dreamscape. Combined, it takes them a but a moment to latch on to the feeling of terror that you can vaguely sense. With the scent secured your thoughts drag you along, away from the signs of civilization, away from the odd little village and towards those distant mountains.
A flash of fire, the creaking of wood, screams in the dark. It plays before your eyes and in your ears, mere phantoms, barely discernible, but you push on toward it, carving a crisp circle, driving on between the great cotton mounds around you.
As you cross the low hills, headed for those distant mountains you catch sight of a reservoir. Low and shielded by the surrounding hills. It is here that your thoughts take you, the two of you fixed on the mirrored water below you. You begin to descend toward this artificial lake and the screaming, unmistakable now, builds. Below its sublimely still surface you can make out innumerable shadows. From their movements your first thought is that they are dancing, and in a way you are correct. The figures twist and turn, crackle and pop below the water. They are being burnt, tortured, you drift down until you are mere metres from the surface. Beasts of bent brass and bone, of smoldering pitch and jagged iron are cutting and slashing at the shadows. They throw them in great heaps, raking them across an infinite bed of burning, crackling wood, their bodies melting, popping from the heat.
You fight the urge to scream, to turn in horror from the tragedy before you. Your minds cling to one another, a profound comfort and source of strength.
One of the beasts looks up, it howls, black water, pitch black water, fluid darker than you could ever imagine, pours forth and his fellows turn to join him. They begin to claw upward, tearing themselves free of the lake bed, racing toward you. As the first twisted claw breaks the surface and a wave of rage and hatred washes over you, the two of you flee, not just from this lake but from the Scout's mind altogether.
Your heart in your throat, you hands shaking, you nod to one another.
You are certain, the Scout is under the influence of perhaps the second most powerful being in existence.
He is a slave to the Watcher and as you cast a glance behind you at your men you can not help but wonder how many more of them are in your ranks?
---------------------------------------------------------
“What is the name of Wyrd do you think you are doing!” the Scout Captain shouts.
The Old Man merely grins, “Testing your loyalties.”
He was more than willing to entertain the idea that some of your men had fallen to the Dark when he realized that he would be the one 'putting them to the test'. A test, which it seems, will involve fire.
Your scouts were less than happy when Hámundr confiscated their weapons, they were even more upset when it was revealed that they would all have to be screened for the influence of the Watcher but this has to be done. You want your negotiation with Cropper's people to go smoothly and you do not want any enemy agents forcing a battle here.
Turns out there were quite a few too.
By your count fully half of the scouts that fled to you seeking help are agents of the Watcher. At least that is what you were able to extract from the wounded scout when you pushed back into his mind for a second time.
You doubt he hid anything from you, you were not gentle.
“I don't need a damn 'test' of my loyalties mercenary!” the Scout Captain, turning purple in the face, responds.
You have to agree, technically the Scout Captain does not need a test. Based on the information you have he is 'clean' of any influence from the Watcher. Still, you want the Old Man to trust you, that will involve letting him check all of the scouts so that he can be certain you have the right ones.
It will also leave you with a bit of time to take care of something else you feel you need to do.
“That enough wood?” Berty enquirers of the Seeker.
“Yes,” the Old Man answers with a laugh, striking a fire in the center of your formation, “That will do nicely.”
His mages form a wide ring around the fire and begin to chant while the Old Man begins to explain the ritual to your scouts, “This is a simple and easy ritual. Step into the fire, if you are pure it will not burn you. If you are corrupt then we will all get a bit of a show.
“We need to turn the Watcher's agents over to Cropper's people remember,” you caution him.
He grunts, annoyed, “Right, well, we will be sure to extinguish the traitors before they die.”
You shake your heads, you would stand here and argue with him but you have other things to attend to so you settle for a few quick instructions to Lyssa and Berty, “Don't let anyone start a battle, don't let the Seekers kill all our bargaining chips, and don't let those hounds or the hunters near our barricades, understood? We need to take care of something.”
Berty cocks his head and grins, “Simple!”
Lyssa smiles wearily, “Yeah, simple. Just hurry back.”
She must have an idea of who you are off to see, hopefully she does not realize that it is in order to make up your will, should worse come to worst you want your affairs in order but it would not do wonders for morale if that fact got out.
The pair of you climb quietly into your carriage as behind you someone screams.
Guess they identified your first infiltrator.
----------------------------------------------
“I wonder if he enjoys making us wait?” your better half asks to no one in particular.
“Well, we could leave the meadow and see if we can track him down,” you weakly suggest.
She shakes her head.
You smile.
“No time,” you answer together.
“No time for what?” a familiar voice calls from behind.
You turn and spot your tardy demon prince. He grins, his wings folded over his shoulders like a great mantle.
“We need to talk,” you cut immediately to the task at hand.
“Really?” he winks, “Story time already?”
“We are afraid not,” Thaïs informs him, drawing up level with you.
“A shame,” the Prince answers with a wave of his left arm, his wings parting slightly, “What did you wish to speak about?”
“Our will,” you answer together.
“I-” he pauses, “What are you about to do?”
“Something brilliant,” you assure him.
“Also, probably something incredibly stupid,” your better half feels compelled to add.
Hmmm, she knows you too well...
“Well then,” the Prince takes on a very solemn tone, “What do you need done?”
“We merely need a letter delivered,” your partner reassures him, “You will be compensated for your troubles of course.”
Morpheus clearly seems hesitant, “And who is the letter for?”
“Gareth, formerly of the Legion, currently of the Lost” you begin.
“Or,” Thaïs finishes, “Brigit, formerly of the Merchant Co-Prosperity Consortium and currently of the Lost.”
“Friends?” the Prince asks, curiosity getting the best of him as usual.
“Family,” you correct them together.
He laughs, “You two have an awful lot of 'family' from what I hear. I could almost mistake you for demons yourselves!”
You are not sure if you should take that as a complement...
You hand the Prince the note and once more his wings carefully part to allow his left arm to poke out. He carefully takes the letter in his hand and pulls his arm back under his wings.
Thaïs informs him of your final condition, “The letter is to arrive unopened and unaltered by you or anyone else, is that acceptable?”
His left arm slips back out, he strokes his chin, “It is easy enough to accomplish provided these 'relatives' of yours are not powerful mages or terribly secretive. What will I receive in exchange?”
“Certain documents we have,” you answer, “We can get you the Thin White Mage's spellbook and journal along with the spellbook of a Shade.”
He tilts his head, “Hmmm, a fair enough price for delivering a letter. Who do I see for my reward?”
“Your daughter,” you grin, “Nephila.”
He smiles slyly, “I really do need to visit that girl more often, we have so much to talk about now!”
He extends his left arm to you, “Alright, it is a deal.”
He is not normally so restrained in his motions, something is wrong perhaps?
Thaïs shakes his hand as he presses on, “You know, if you find yourself in trouble then simply open a gate and I will come running. You two owe me far too much to go dying now. It is the least I can do to keep you alive and I am sure we can come to some sort of arrangement for my help should it be necessary.”
You will grant him this, he is always looking to make a deal but if you conjured him up in the physical world at this exact moment you would definitely have to slaughter all of the Seekers. Summoning up a demon lord would be far too much for the Old Man to handle.
He turns to face you his left arm extended.
You extend your right arm, just to see what he will do.
“Ah,” he coughs, “Other hand Derryth.”
“Yes,” you insist, “You should use your other hand it's only right after all.”
“Well,” he shifts, “How about we do things my way since this is my realm?”
“What is wrong with your other arm?” you forego further subtlety.
“I- ah,” he stammers, dropping his gaze.
“Morpheus, show us your arm,” if he has some sort of trick he is hoping to play on you then you will be damned if you let him.
With a grunt, then a sigh, he slowly unfolds his wings.
Well, good news is he isn't holding anything in his right arm.
What catches the both of you by surprise is that he is missing the entirety of his right arm, right up to the shoulder.
“What...” you search for the words.
“We are terrible sorry,” your better half covers for you, “May we ask what happened to your arm.”
“Family squabble,” he answers, trying to downplay his injury, “The arm will grow back, eventually.”
“What was it over,” you can't resist pressing for details now, “The 'squabble' I mean?”
“Well,” he is clearly reluctant to say, “We, my brothers and I, were drinking, pure, distilled jubilation and we came to bragging, then we came to betting, then I may have lost a bet or two and started a bit of a fight. Don't much remember what happened after that, lost the arm, not sure which one of them did it and I have not had a chance to speak to them since.”
“I am sure it will all turn out fine,” your partner tries to reassure him, “At least it was only an arm right?”
He drops his gaze again, “Well, like I said, bets were made...”
You get one of your sinking feelings again, “What did you bet?”
“Just a few canned memories, the odd guest, that sort of thing,” he answers in an attempt to sidestep the specifics.
“Please tell me you did not bet the Thin White Mage,” you practically groan as you ask.
“Of course not!” he answers with a snort, “But when I refused to pay up my brothers decided they would just snatch a few pieces and make a break for it. One of the dreamers they grabbed happened to be the Mage.”
“So he is free,” Thaïs asks, rubbing her temples. Seems you both have a headache coming on.
“What?” he turns to her, “No! He is safely locked away in his dreams. It is just that, well, it is just that one of my Brothers has him now.”
“Which one?” you feel the need to ask.
“Not sure,” Morpheus answers, “Look, don't worry about it. The odds of the Mage getting free are so low as to be nearly impossible. Why, I can count the number of people who have managed to escape the Dreaming on one hand!”
“Well that is a blessing,” you shoot back, “Since you only have the one now anyway.”
The Prince narrows his eyes, he smiles at you but for just a moment the warmth disappears from it,“It will be fine, understand?” Then the warmth returns and he is once more the relaxed though slightly embarrassed 'friend' you have come to know.
All you can think in response is, 'it better be', but you know enough not to further antagonize Morpheus. He may choose to be jovial around you but he is a demon at the end of it all, and you hope you never forget that.
------------------------------
“Wake up!” Caoilainn snaps you both out of your dreams, “Wake up damn it!”
“What- Caoilainn?” you mutter, “What is going on?”
“Shouting!” she answers, “For a minute now, there were strange sounds, horses, then muttering and now shouting!”
You burst out of the carriage only to be greeted by a fairly distressing scene.
Your camp is in chaos, dwarves and men racing about as beyond your line a great host charges along the horizon.
So many horses...
So many men...
A hunting expedition?
No, this is an army. Though it moves with an unnatural grace and speed.
It seems as if scant few moments pass before they are in front of you. Led by a core of armoured nights, fine, fair, beautiful. You gape as the first amongst them removes his helmet and orders his horse to advance. Alone, on his great black steed, he approaches your expedition. His poise, his deportment, he holds himself like a ruler, a lord, a king and you decide in that moment that this must be Cropper's Lord. This is Finnbheara.
Broad forehead, long and slender nose, a curved mouth set above a narrow chin and a great beard mark his dark beauty. Draped across his shoulder, his black velvet cape flutters slightly in the evening breeze.
He considers you, Thaïs and finally Lyssa. His deep, dark eyes filled with the promise of compassion and understanding. Around him, hanging thickly in the air, you can feel the magic at work in this being. It is cool, clean, still, in contrast to the heat and fury of the archmages you have met. Here is a being for which magic is innate, inseparable from his being...
He smiles at you, or maybe Thaïs, possibly Lyssa, it is hard to tell.
Caoilainn sighs, “He's magnificent.”
You do your best not to nod in agreement.
You blink twice, closing your eyes, and drop your head. This negotiation is not going to go well if you can't focus. You wonder if he is doing this on purpose or not.
“Beautiful evening for a stroll, is it not?” you look up at him as he speaks.
Once more blinded you manage to sputter out a few words, “Yes, yes it is.”
You notice Lyssa and Thaïs nodding along happily.
He dismounts, leaps over your chariot barricade in a single fluid motion and lands within the center of the three of you. Your mind shouts at you, he is within your defenses and has completely compromised your line of fire. You could not throw a spell at him now even if you wanted to, the risk of hitting your fellow mages would be to high.
You are not too troubled by these thoughts though. Everything the King does is just so wonderful you are sure that no harm will come to you.
Immediately the Old Man waves three of his protectors off of the battleline and makes for your position. The King turns to Thaïs and with a careful bow asks her, “My dear lady, could you be kind enough to order your men back? I shall only be a minute.”
Your partner nods several times, “Of course,” she spins on her heels, “Everything is fine! Return to your positions!”
“Like hell I will,” the Old Man continues to close.
The King frowns slightly, and glances at Lyssa, “If you could my dear, would you please order your men to intercept those mages?”
The witch nods, and shouts at your mercenaries, “Form a screen between us and the Seekers.”
You simply can not fathom what has gotten into the Old Man. The King before you is certainly not a demon, nor is he a threat of any kind really.
Four more shapes quickly clear your barricades, two male and two female. They land in amongst your soldiers and begin to whisper to them. Slowly your men relax, slowly they sheath their weapons as more of these beings leap over your barricades.
Some very rude and boorish part of your mind is screaming at you. Something about negotiations, something about stating your demands, something about maintaining your defenses but really who cares?
The King steps back from the three of you and bows, “My ladies, I am Finnbheara, King of the people you see before you. It is my understanding that certain members of your expedition serve a vile creature and I should like to spare you the trouble of having to deal with such traitors.”
“We already did,” the three of you begin to answer.
But he raises a hand. That is right, you are being quite rude, interrupting him like this. You should let him finish, it would be the proper thing to do.
“I am most appreciative of your efforts,” he bows again, “You have certainly saved my people a little time,” he glances over at the row of slightly charred traitors the Old Man identified.
Odd, there are far more in chains than your probe of the Scout's mind would suggest.
Oh well, you are certain the Great King will sort this all out for you. No need to worry.
“However,” the King pushes on, “I feel it is my duty to ensure that no evil should befall such charming creatures as yourselves. In fact, it would be a grave failing on my part to let you go without fully investigating the soldiers you travel with. Any of them could be in league with my enemy and I simply could not live with myself if something were to happen to you as a result of my negligence. So, I suggest you allow me to escort you to my camp where my people can protect you until this whole piece of nastiness is resolved.”
That sounds wonderful, why just thinking about it makes you want to say-
“Alright! That's enough!” someone shouts from the rear of the formation.
Who could be so rude?
The three of you turn with the King, frowns on your faces.
There he stands, with Biliku and Uttu beside him, Berty.
You have half a mind to order him to apologize this moment.
The King stares at the little man and grunts, “Lost your cap have you?”
“Lost your mind have ya!” Berty shoots back, “Those three serve Mazzarin! You really want to piss him off!”
“As I was explaining,” the King gestures to you, “They will simply become my guest for a night or two and then they will be on their way.”
“Yeah!” Berty spits, “An' what did they say about that?”
“They have not answered yet,” he smiles sweetly at you, “Well, my dear?”
You want to yes, more than anything you want to say yes. You scan your camp, even the Old Man is smiling, three of these beings surrounding him and chatting quietly. It is good to see they were able to calm him down, he was being far too unreasonable.
“Yes,” your better half answers for you, “We would love to enjoy your hospitality.”
“See,” the King returns his gaze to your unhelpful little officer, “There is no need for conflict here. There is no need for you here.”
Your tactician shakes his head, “See, now I thought ya would show some sense here. I figured you would ride up and try to intimidate Derry and Taide. Maybe make a pass at them, that sort of thing. Never for a moment did I figure you would do this. You have changed and I can't let you take them.”
“You can not win,” the King confidently responds.
Berty whistles and the coverings over your mortars are pulled away, “Neither can you,” the little man adds grimly.
“You are not going to fire on your own employers, you are not that mad,” Finnbheara delivers his answer with just a little less certainty than you expected.
Berty grins, “You sure about that? I mean I would hate to waste all the salt we brought with us but it would make for one hell of a tale.”
“I could reach your men before they fire,” the King counters. With some concern you look at his followers, many of which have begun to back away toward their host.
Berty draws his knife, an iron blade with a silver edge. You have rarely seen him use this knife for much of anything until now. He seems awfully sure of himself, “Absolutely sure of that?”
The two stand in silence facing one another, the King laughs deeply, it sends a chill down your spine, “I may have changed but you have not. You are still the same crazy bastard you always were.”
Berty grins wider, “So that's a no then on forcing a fight?”
The King nods, “Aye, that is a 'no'.”
“Good,” the tactician beams, “So let them go.”
The King shakes his head but something about him shifts slightly. He is still handsome, still commanding but he just is not quite as compelling as he was a moment ago.
In fact, now that you think about it you can't believe you were willing to just drop everything and wander off with him. Seems there are still a fair few sorts of magic you have absolutely no experience with...
“You alright Derry? Taide? Lys?” Berty calls to you, his eyes still locked on Finnbheara.
“Yes, thank you, Berty,” Thaïs responds for all of you.
“I think you should be leaving then!” Berty shouts at the King.
“Not before we are certain that your companions have not been compromised,” the King insists, “We will need to check each of your number for connection to the Watcher,” the King smiles faintly, “Well, all save you- Berty? Is it?”
Berty and the King clearly have history, a fact you find a little intriguing as the possibilities begin to bubble up into your mind. Still that might be a question best left for another day.
With your head starting to clear and the King of the 'demon' army in the south before you now would be a great time to work out some sort of deal, strategy, or agreement. You have prisoners that they want and hopefully you can work out some sort of deal however they seem to want to screen your entire group from possible agents of the Dark and that might bring to light a few facts you would rather avoid sharing.
Like the fact that you are closely involved with a demon prince and his wife.
Or the fact that you have a sleeping Fallen Lord in your pack.
Or the fact that Biliku and Uttu used to be cultists.
Or the fact that Lyssa was a necromancer and openly helped the Dark during the last war.
If Finnbheara puts you through any sort of significant testing then such facts are likely to come out but what are your other options really?
Attack the host?
Summon Morpheus?
Try to stall for time in the hopes that you can come up with some sort of plan?
You do not have many options open to you really.
1. You choose to:
A) You will allow Finnbheara to scan your entire expedition. Hopefully he will not stumble upon anything that will compromise your people.
B)You attack Finnbheara's host (approximate numbers: seventy seven riders and Cropper's hunting party)
C) You agree to allow Finnbheara to scan your expedition then you attempt to slip inside a wagon and open a gate for Morpheus to come through. An army of demons could help you defeat these creatures in all likelihood. Of course then you will have to deal with the Seekers somehow...
D) You stall and hope for a miracle.
E) You tell him to get lost. You should be prepared for a less than enthusiastic response from him however.
F) Agree to the scan under certain conditions
G) Fetch diplomacy.
H) freeform
2. Provided you decide to work with Finnbheara's people you will need to come to some sort of agreement. This is a freeform option, feel free to put forth whatever sort of offer you want and I will tell you what is and is not workable.
A) Offer Terms of Alliance
4. Provided you survive this, you think you could organize an animal division for your forces with Lyssa as a commanding officer. You could ask her to fashion a few items to make the animals be able to talk to one another and to us directly. You also think that having your eagles and mice with gliding cloaks work together may provide you some interesting tactical opportunities.
A) You commission the items, organize the division, and commence the training of your mice paratrooper squad.
B) You do not bother with it. Lyssa might have a better use for her time.
Chapter 68: Insubordination
Chapter 68: InsubordinationBit of a breeze this evening.
The sun has abandoned you and with its departure the heat of the desert is rapidly giving way to a desperate, biting cold. It wraps itself around you, doing its best to claw through your thick cloak to the leather, cloth and finally flesh beneath it.
The darkness and sharp cold of the new born night neatly reflects your own state. Trapped between undesirable courses, the twisting dunes that stretch before match perfectly your own barren thoughts.
To fight, to flee, to surrender, this choice and the prospects of ruin that it brings, it casts a shifting shadow over your mind.
The shadow of desperation.
The shadow of fear.
The shadow of failure.
The shadow of-
Ah, to hell with it. No one ever attained anything by fixating on what could wrong.
Best to just assume you will succeed and go from there, right?
Push for what you know you want, push for what you know you need.
“Alright,” you answer quietly, perhaps a little unsure at first.
“Hmmm?” King Finnbheara answers, “Alright what?”
“Alright,” you repeat yourself, a little louder now, “We will submit to your tests.”
The decision is made now, you are committed and that makes everything else just so much easier.
“Marvelous,” he replies, raising an arm.
He shouts a number of quick orders to his people, nothing you can understand though, their language is unlike anything you have come across yet. Not that you pay him much mind, no, you are still busy working out the details of your plan.
You will not fight here.
That would be beyond stupid as your line has already been compromised.
It is true that you may be able to drive back the King and his fellows, you might even be able to defeat his column of cavalry provided Berty can hit enough of them with the mortars but you would lose people in what would be an entirely pointless battle.
You are better than that, smarter than that, so you will cooperate for now.
You glance over your shoulder at the Old Man, he is all smiles at the moment, but then his mind is not quite his own. The trio of fey creatures sway slowly around him, maintaining their distance. You strongly doubt he will approve of your decision when they finally let him go and you desperately hope he does not lash out at you.
That is another battle you hope to avoid but one problem at a time, one life-threatening, demanding, frustrating problem at a time...
If you survive Finnbheara's attention with mind and body intact then, and only then, will you worry about the Old Man.
You briefly consider threatening Finnbheara, or at the very least taking a hard line with him.
After all, it worked for Berty and the Old Man might actually approve, and yet...
No, that will not serve your purposes. You want to strike an alliance with these beings, you want their help when it comes to fighting the Watcher and the other threats to the Kingdom.
No, you will not be abrasive, you will not be demanding, you will do the reasonable thing, you will do the expected thing.
Almost.
You clear your throat, once more catching the King's attention, “We have conditions though.”
“Conditions?” the King inquires, thoroughly amused, “What sorts of conditions?”
“First,” you begin, “We will require an oath of silence from you and your people. We will submit to your scans but if you do not find ties between us and the Watcher, the Dark or those that hold ill will toward Albrecht's Kingdom. Then you will say nothing to anyone, ever, understood?”
He nods intently, “That should not be a problem. We are only after allies and slaves of the Watcher. My people will swear your oath.”
He turns from you back to his people.
Hmmm, bit rude that.
You clear your throat again, “I am not done.”
“Really,” he speaks, slight irritation creeping into his tone, “What else?”
“I want your word that you will allow everyone that passes your tests to proceed unmolested to the main army,” he turns and nods as you speak, “You will not directly or indirectly interfere with any of my people so long as they pass.”
You wait for him to repeat your words, “I will not directly or indirectly interfere with any of your people so long as they pass, and-” he adds with a sweet smile, “Neither shall any under my command.”
“Good,” you grin, “One more thing. You will personally conduct the scans of my companions and myself in private.”
He beams brightly as he surveys your group, “Well, now that is a request that it would be my absolute pleasure to carry out.”
“Berty will, of course, act as chaperone,” you are quick to add which deflates the King a little.
“For the best a' everyone no doubt!” Berty chimes in, dramatically waving his blade.
The eternal serenity of the King is for a moment broken as he does his best to bore a hole through your tactician with his gaze, he exhales slowly, “Aye, that would probably be for the best. Cropper! Be a good lad and set up my tent, this may take a while.”
------------------------------------------------------
You are not sure why, but when Finn, and he now insists you call him Finn, said tent you just assumed he meant some small, ratty thing like what you have been using for the last several years.
A small, canvas enclosure only just capable of keeping out the wind and rain.
Really, you should have known better.
What kind of King would settle for such a thing?
No, Finn's tent is something far more magnificent. Far more imposing.
Walls of red satin, a roof of white silk, grand chairs, thrones essentially, of solid oak with cushions of crimson velvet and one of the largest, finest, tables you have ever seen.
It is at this table that you are all seated. You sit to Finn's right and your better half sits to his left. Beside you sits Lyssa and beside her sits Berty. Finally the girls sit next to them, Biliku on your end and Uttu across from her.
Nine is still safely in your pack, now at Berty's side. Your tactician readily accepted the burden of caring for her. You had hoped to hide her from the King but his through scans eventually revealed her location.
Thankfully he agreed that it is best not to wake her prematurely and further agreed to leave her in your care. His reasoning was sound, whether she will work for good or ill in the future, she is not currently an ally or servant of the Watcher and so she is not his problem.
You suspect that he is as thankful for that excuse as you are. You doubt he would know what to do with her if he got her.
Nine was not the only thing that Finn's scans revealed, however he readily agreed to speak of these matters in private.
All told while he is naturally very distracting he has not been that unreasonable. Small miracles you guess...
As for your presence at this table, you and your allies are currently waiting for dinner.
Finn was kind enough to offer you something while you wait for his people to finish with your own men and you do have a great deal to talk about as well.
Berty was also quite kind. He kindly reminded the King of his oath, he kindly reminded the King that none of you would be eating or drinking anything the King could give you.
Finn to his credit, did not protest and assured your tactician that he had no intention of feeding you the food of his people. Still, you wonder what the King would have given you and what effect it may have had to make Berty so terribly insistent.
A shame you can not recall much of anything about Finn's people, perhaps you will have to have a long talk with Berty when this is over. As you mull over the idea your lazy gaze is drawn to the edge of the great table and you focus in on the delicate and stunning inlays in its surface.
All along its edges an intricate tale unfolds, tiny men and beasts of metal move, acting out the same screens time and time again. At the foot of the table, hunters and hounds of inlaid silver chase after great beasts of gold and copper. They bring the beasts to battle and cut them down. Servants of brass and iron set to work bleeding, cutting and curing them. Then finally, in one magnificent procession they carry them, along with fat plates of fruit, nuts, and fish of every description toward a grand banquet of flowing quicksilver at the head of the table.
The section directly in front of you details a mere fraction of the procession. A roasted boar, a half dozen pike and a plate of plums twice the size of the 'man' carrying it march past your gaze. Over and over, they follow the same pattern, disappearing at the end of your panel and reappearing on the other side, back at their beginnings.
The illusions woven into this table are absolutely magnificent, entrancing in their complexity. The mage in you is completely consumed in the task of discovering just how they were created, and how they continue to function on their own. Thaïs and Finn are running over the details, no one is watching you and so you indulge your curiosity a little.
You focus on the little man with the plums, peering as closely as you can without drawing attention to yourself and he does something that almost makes you jump to your feet in surprise.
He stops in his endless parade, he turns to face you, the tiny steel dots of his eyes locking onto your own green eyes, and he mouths the words...
'Kill me'.
“Something wrong Derryth?” Lyssa asks when she notices the look of stunned horror that sweeps onto your face.
“Finn?” you begin, “This may be an odd question but the images carved into this table, are they alive?”
“Well, that really depends on your definition of 'alive', doesn't it?” the King answers soothingly.
Not really the answer you were looking for, you press him a little, “Well, are they sentient?”
He does not answer right away, “Derryth, they are barely above the level of beasts. They kill, they steal, they do not show proper respect, they are, and were, animals and so, like base, useless beasts they were given a purpose.”
A great many fine words to say very little of actual meaning, so you insist, “Were they people or are they constructs? Do they know they are trapped on the table's surface? Do they want out?”
You fix your gaze on the King, he snorts, “Fine, they were people, but they are no longer people. They know they are trapped for this is a punishment and it would not serve well if they did not,” he raps on the table, “And no doubt they want out but that is not to be their fate. Happy?”
Not really, no, you have a few more questions, “What did they do?”
“They hurt my people,” he answers coldly, “Or tried to.”
“So this table is a prison then?” your better half interjects.
“Very much so,” the King responds, “I would advise simple ignoring them. If they do not think they can get an audience they will go back to their labour.”
Admittedly, you can not really pass judgment on the King though you do find the idea of eating on top of a prison to be a bit off-putting.
You push for more answers, “What precisely did they do? And what would it cost to free them?”
The King, clearly done with the subject, answers briefly, “None of your business my dear lady and it would cost a princely sum to free them all.”
Hmmm, you suppose it really is not your problem though perhaps you could trade for the release of these prisoners of wood and metal. You doubt you will get more information from the King though and it is completely possible that these beings deserve the fate they have been given.
Dinner comes shortly after, it is light and simple, comprised of common dishes to be found in the Kingdom. All of it is thoroughly mundane though Berty insists on inspecting each dish before any of you try it. You are not sure if he does it out of concern for your well being or a desire to secure the best of everything for himself as he packs away several plates full by the time the rest of you begin.
Dinner passes to drinks and then to proper conversation and Finn's concerns.
He decides to simply list them all calmly, almost casually, he enumerates all the little things you have been so afraid of getting out, “Where to begin? Nine, your amalgamated archmage; Lyssa, the former necromancer; your extensive dealings with Morpheus and Sparassidae; Nephila; Nanshe and her 'Golden Empire'-” he sighs, “Such a list of allies, such interesting arrangements, honestly, given the company you keep I think it would only be natural to assume that you serve the Dark. At the very least, that you serve one of the Dark Gods, and yet- and yet you do not, do you?”
“We do not serve the Dark,” you answer as one, “Or any god, dark or otherwise.”
He holds your gaze and then that of your partner, he nods slowly, sipping on his ale, “I know. Our methods are ancient and while they are not infallible they would be able to detect that, at least. Still, your choice of companions leave something to be desired.”
“Who do you mean?” you both inquire.
“Let us begin with the Fallen Lords,” he closes his eyes, shaking his head, “All three of them.”
You decide to begin with Nine, by far the easier case to defend, “She is not a Fallen Lord, she is not of the Dark.”
You can not know that, even as you say it your mind reminds you of that fact. Rather it is something you feel, an understanding that comes long before reason and lingers well after its parting.
A work of intuition, the same thing that has seen you carry her, care for her, protect her for months now.
“She is dangerous,” the King answers softly.
“She is,” Thaïs acknowledges readily, “She is very dangerous. Still-”
You pick up the threads of her thought, passing the meaning of your thoughts with a single shared nod, “She is one of us. She is not a Fallen Lord and she is not of the Dark.”
The King shrugs, “As I said earlier when the issue first arose. I have no intention of taking her from you. Frankly, she would be far more trouble than I would ever willingly court. I merely warn-”
Thaïs does not let him finish, “And we thank you for your concern but she is our responsibility.”
He laughs at that, “Your 'responsibility,' you realize that with both Culwyeh and Ravanna's knowledge she is quite possibly the third or fourth powerful being in existence? Each of the Fallen Lords that went into her making was a terrifying-” he pauses, mindful of what he saw in your minds, “I am not telling you a thing you do not already know, am I? You were there, in her mind, hell, you have done more to empower her than anyone else.”
“We have done more to fix her,” you insist, “Than anyone else. She is one of us and she is our responsibility.”
He smiles solemnly, “May your loyalty be repaid a thousand fold,” he bows slightly, “As for the other Fallen Lord.”
Lyssa finally chimes in, “Not our fault.”
“Yes,” the King pours himself a new drink deep, earthy and dark, “I know, don't worry, I am not accusing you of anything. Though...” he raises the drink to his lips, savoring it, “Others will not be so understanding...”
You know he means Mazzarin, though he never mentions the Great Windbag's name and in truth maybe you do owe the archmage an apology. Keeping Faceless did not exactly turn out the way you thought it would but it did not end horribly either.
Sure, Faceless threatened the lives of everyone you hold dear but he was good to his, or her as the case may be, word. The former Fallen Lord subdued your enemies and left your allies alive if a little worse for wear.
“Well, we did not willingly free Faceless,” you remind the King, pouring yourself a glass as you do so, “If Mazzarin wishes to punish us for not throwing our lives away there is precious little we can do about it.”
The King tilts his head, taking in your of cool confidence, “He does not scare you does he?”
You shrug and glance at your partner, she shrugs and answers, letting you finish your drink, “Not particularly.”
The King blinks in disbelief, “He could kill you in a second.”
“Yes,” you acknowledge after lowering your drink, “But the way we see it is like so, if the old bastard kills us then we win.”
“What?” The King presses you, grinning in spite of himself, "Please explain, my dear lady."
Berty begins to laugh.
Thaïs elaborates, “He is so much more powerful than us that there is little we can do to stop him. Killing us would be absolutely trivial for him but it would also clearly demonstrate that he is not the Champion of the Light he claims to be.”
The King shakes his head in slowly, still grinning, “So if he kills you...”
“We win,” you conclude triumphantly, “And he would know it, to the very marrow of his bones, to the very end of his years, he would know that his existence is meaningless.”
The King blinks again, “You would be dead.”
Berty takes a deep wheezing breath, desperate for air though he can't stop chuckling.
“We would win,” you answer together.
“I-” Finn begins to laugh.
Berty cuts in, “Now you see why I stick with them.”
Finn nods vigorously, doing his best to master himself, “Yes, I am beginning to understand, Berty,” the King, still laughing, throws his hands up, “They are as mad as you are! The rest of my concerns? Forget them! You are just like Berty, half mad and a servant to no one! I only hope that you do not get yourselves killed before you can achieve something infinitely entertaining!”
Someone whistles from well beyond the entrance of the tent, Finn gracefully pushes back from the table and rises, “Ah, that would be Cropper. One moment please.”
When Finn returns it is with a stack of paper, he sorts through the pages muttering here and there as be paces around the back of the tent. When he finally sits he delivers the results of his followers' tests on your men, “The Seekers are clear of any connection to the Watcher or the Dark and they do not wish any particular ill to befall Albrecht's Kingdom. They may not be innocent in the strictest terms of the word but according to our pact we shall keep their secrets and allow them to travel on their way in peace. The same can be said for your mercenaries, the former Legionaires are all without any hidden allegiances and the dwarves you are directly employing have no ties to the Watcher, the Dark or anyone seeking to destroy the Kingdom. Your Royal Escort however is compromised, about a third of them serve the Watcher and I will need to detain them, I am sorry.”
Well, that is a bit of a blow but it is better to find out now rather than later. One less batch of traitors to deal with you suppose, though now you are more than a little concerned about what will greet you when you reach the main army. If the Watcher's people have managed to enslave members of the King's own guard then how many more in the military have already fallen?
If you can not trust your own allies then that makes an alliance with Finn's people all the more important, you take this moment to broach the subject, “Of course you may take them. That was our agreement after all, but there is another matter we would like to discuss as well.”
Arms folded behind his back he grins and motions for you to continue.
“By my count, there are at least five factions involved in this struggle but only two of them are not hostile to Light and to Dwarven Kingdom-” he does not let you finish, instead raising a single hand.
It seems the King knows exactly what you intend to ask, “You are, of course, referring to my people and your own. No doubt you seek to propose an alliance, correct?”
“Yes, quite,” your partner informs him in your stead.
“I see no real problem with that,” he replies, “I can only speak for myself, mind you, not all of my people but as I am in command here that should be more than sufficient. Our first order of business should be to establish a means of communication.”
Well, this is going well! You even have an idea about how to communicate effectively, “Yes, and I think I have a solution. Cropper mentioned that the horn in his possession is able to call out to your host over vast distances. Would that be sufficient to our needs?”
Finn stokes his chin, “Yes- yes it might be. So long as my host is within a day's travel, by foot, we should be able to hear the horn and respond promptly,” he grins and calls to his man, “Cropper, I know you are lurking out there boy! Get in here! I have a task for you!”
No sooner are the words from the King's lips than the Hunter bounds into the tent, “Mi'lord,” he bows slightly, likely the smallest token of respect he could get away with, “What do you need me doing?”
The Hare Hunter smiles innocently at his lord.
The King will have none of it, “You know damn well what I need done,” he replies with a exaggerated grunt, feigned annoyance that does a poor job of concealing his fondness for the Hunter. You suspect this is a bit of a ritual for the two of them, “How much of our conversation have you been listening to?”
“Hardly any at all,” Cropper reassures his Lord, “Only that you will be wanting me to escort Cousin Derry, Cousin Taide and Cosuin Lys for a time.”
“And what do you think of our plan,” the amused King enquires.
“Sounds like a good bit of fun!” Hare Hunter answers with a wink, “Fallen Lords, an' necromancers, an' demons, oh my!” he breaks into manic laughter, “Good fun Cousins! Good fun!”
“Alright, alright,” the King waves him off, the twinkle in his eye at odds with the scowl on his face, “Go prepare, or pester someone else for a moment, unless you want me to call for the Laignach Faelad.”
You are not sure what a 'Laignach Faelad' is, or are, however the threat, even put forward in jest, has a marked effect on Cropper.
His ears go flat, and the confidence runs out of him for a moment, “Ah, Mi'lord, you don't need to be doing that, you do not need to be doing that at all. I will see to my things and I shall be ready when needed!” he bows to the King, then to each of you and quickly backs out of the chamber.
Finn breaks the silence with a hearty laugh that strokes your ear, “Dear boy, that Cropper. Mind, he can get into a bit of trouble if not supervised but I doubt it will be a concern for you. From what I have seen of your minds you will, no doubt, get along beautifully. ”
This really has gone quite well for you, you have secured an ally for the Kingdom and ferreted out the Watcher's spies in your own ranks while the King has proven reasonable all things considered.
There remains but one final matter, “Finn,” he smirks at the familiarity with which you address him, “We would like to give you a gift on behalf of the Kingdom as a show of good faith. It is our understanding that you have a good eye for horses and we would like to gift you our carriage and team, the finest in the Kingdom we have been told.”
He beams, a perfect grin on his fine face, “I would be honoured to receive such a gift,” he frowns, “Ah, only amongst my people such favours are always repaid. I wish to give you a gift in honour of your gift to me. Simply name your heart's desire and it shall be yours.”
You take a moment to confer with your colleagues and then you make your decision.
----------------------------------------
“He is going to attack you as soon as he gets loose. Surely you must realize that by this point?” it is touching that Finn is so concerned with your safety but you are not sure you believe him.
You tell him as much, “The Old Man may rage, he may resent us, but I really doubt he would cross the Crown by attempting to murder the 'Heroes' of the Kingdom.”
The King snorts, “He is a mage Derryth, he is a mage that has been humiliated several times in the last few hours, all in full view of his followers, he will attack you. Now, he may wait for a better time to do it but it is a certainty from what my people tell me of his mind.”
“What is your recommendation then?” Thaïs asks.
He smiles warmly, “Come with me, I will personally protect you from all harm.”
You shake your heads, answering together, “Not going to happen and do not forget your oath.”
He shrugs sheepishly, “I had to try at least once.”
“What else you got you old bastard?” Berty chimes in.
“Alright, if I can not move you then we shall neutralize the threat. We collar them,” the King answers confidently, he whistles to his people and four large chests are brought forth. He cracks the first open, it is filled with metal bands, runes carved along their surface. He directs four more of his people toward the Old Man, as he explains, “He is not going to want me to do this so a little extra persuasion may be called for.”
He strides up to the mage, “On your knees please.”
“Finn-” you begin, he ignores you.
“Finn!” you try again.
“Derryth,” he calls back over his shoulder, “You made me swear that those of you that passed the test would reach the main army unharmed. I can not keep that oath if the Seekers attack you as soon as I am over the horizon. I will keep my word, even in spite of you.”
Great...
The Old Man smiles at him, it is a dead thing, sharp, mean, and a fitting match for his eyes.
Finn, repeats the order, “On your knees, please.”
The Old Man's arms tense, his body strains.
“Don't let him loose,” the King instructs his people as three more of them join the circle around the mage. Ten of them now and it is all they can do to force the mage to comply.
The edge disappears from the Old Man's smile, “Yes... Yes my Lord.”
He drops to his knees.
You wish you could do something for him but short of attacking Finn's people you are at a loss as to what you could actually do.
“Something has been bothering me,” your disembodied officer remarks.
“Now might not be the best time-” you begin to inform her before your better half cuts you off.
“What?” your partner inquires quietly.
You give Thaïs an annoyed glance.
She flashes you a smile that could light the world, “We can not do anything to prevent this from happening,” she reminds you, gesturing at the mages and Finn's host, “If something is bothering Caoilainn perhaps we can help her, Dear. Caoilainn, please continue.”
Caoilainn pushes on with that little piece of encouragement, her tone uncertain, “Well, you remember that recording in your necklaces?”
“Of course we do,” you answer, that was one of the most amusing things you have seen lately and you doubt you will ever forget it.
You also make a mental note to never cheat the Brothers Dietfried...
“Is something the matter?” Berty whispers from behind you, your pack and Nine still securely fastened to his back.
“They are just talking to Caoilainn,” Lyssa answers from beside him.
“Right, tell her 'hi' for me!” he shouts a bit too loudly, drawing a glance from Finn and his followers several meters ahead of you.
Lyssa elbows him, “She can hear you just fine Berty.”
“Right! Of course!” he cups his hands over his mouth, “Hi Keelin!”
“Don't shout,” she prods him again, “You will draw attention.”
The two fall to good-natured arguing while you return your attention to Caoilainn, “What about that message?”
“Well... I am no expert on magic,” she begins.
“No shit,” you laugh.
You can feel her annoyance, “If you don't want to hear what I have to say...”
“No, no please continue,” Thaïs reassures her, “We want to know.”
“We really do,” you add, “Please.”
“Alright,”she once more take up her thought, “So in the message Mazzarin said he was 'coming' and that was what? A hour ago? Three?”
“Ah, about two and a half maybe,” you hazard a guess absentmindedly, splitting your attention between your current discussion and the ceremony playing out before you. You wonder just what Finn hopes to do with that metal band, “What are you getting at?” you ask your officer.
She takes a deep breath and finally articulates her point, “Well, do you think it was a bluff or is he actually coming?”
“Bluff,” you answer.
“Bluff,” Thaïs responds moments later in complete agreement, “There is no telling how old that message is, nor is there any way of-”
Lyssa stops dead behind you, he argument with Berty coming to a crashing halt.
Finn, his arms raised, the metal band extended, pauses. His attention instantly diverted.
Every mage and magical being in the entire camp freezes in that moment. None dare even to breath.
And you know why.
You can feel it too.
To the north, moving fast, far faster than anything should be able to.
He is coming.
Your eyes scanning the darkness around you, you wearily remark, “Well, this will be fun...”
-----------------------------------------------------
Paperwork.
So much bloody paperwork.
Tax decrees, labour contracts to rebuild the city, criminal proceedings, military expeditions, and of course the Brannons.
Always the Brannons.
They pester him endlessly, at every hour of the day.
So really, it was to be expected.
Eventually it had to happen.
It was just a small fire.
A warning.
How was he to know how very flamable Ardan Brannon's hair would be?
The young man did not die.
So that will save him a little paperwork at least.
It should also motivate the rest of his subordinates a little.
Fire tends to have that effect he finds.
Maybe they will even leave him alone for a few days, let him work on something he wishes to do, maybe, oh he can only hope! Maybe, he will even get to practice a little magic! It has been so damn long since he has been able to work on his spells...
“Governor! Governor!” a nasal voice calls out into his unlit chambers, “Governor! Are you awake!”
Damn...
It is early evening, the sun yielding up its last rays, of course he is still awake. He is sitting alone in the dark because he wants to be alone, is that such a terribly difficult concept to grasp?
He will need to check on the boy in a few hours, then he has errands to run and will not have another chance to mediate for at least six days.
The door creaks open.
The light that spills in completes the destruction of his ritual.
This does little to improve his temper.
The tiny figure of Cleary Brannon fits comfortably within the door frame. The light from the hallway beyond serving to clearly define the contours of Cleary's form and it also makes the young man a very tempting target.
For the briefest of seconds he considers lobbing a fireball at the young man.
But that would be largely futile.
Oh, he would kill Cleary for a certainty and then he would be free of interruptions from his 'assistant' for a time, but then he would need to deal with Cleary's father...
And his six uncles...
And his twelve brothers...
And his forty seven cousins...
And all of that would only be a minor branch of the clan...
The Brannons are like weeds and they have had a grand time filling the garden that is Alric's Empire.
He should just burn the whole thing down, level it and start again.
Which would require a lot of work...
So instead he settles for making Cleary think a fireball is headed his way.
That nasally little scream almost makes this all worth while and in the dim light of his private chamber the Great Mage Mazzarin smiles.
That is better, now he just has to-
The third ring on his left index finger begins to hum.
A low, sustained buzzing.
He rises and makes for the door.
Pushing past the prone Cleary he gives the man a single swift kick in the stomach.
“Terribly sorry about that Cleary, did not see you there,” he steps over the writhing Brannon shouting at the top of his lungs, “Boy! Boy, come here now!”
“Yes, Master?” Emrys' head pops into the hallway from his chamber, “Is something the matter?”
“We are leaving boy! Gather your things and meet me on the roof in three minutes,” the Great Mage informs his apprentice as he ducks into his personal armoury and sorts through his staves.
“Where are we going Master?” The Boy asks, excited at the prospect of adventure.
“To the South!” the Great Mage declares, dramatically plucking a cobalt staff from its place on the wall. He spins the iron capped staff in his hand, good weight, durable, something for the field rather than the Palace.
“To- to the south?” Cleary weakly repeats as he staggers to his feet and slides along the wall clinging to the doorway of Mazzarin's armoury, the magics in place preventing his entry, “Why? Ah- when? Now? When will you- Ah- How long will you be gone? What should I tell uncle?”
The Mage considers his 'assistant', then answers, “I have been called to action! A plea, a prayer for help cast across a failing wind. I must go to rescue and redeem. I will be back when I am back and you may tell your uncle all of that or none of it, I do not much care.”
“I should, ah, I should go with you,” Cleary feebly protests.
“You are not needed,” Mazzarin once more turns his back on the young man, “I have the Boy to carry my things.”
“Yes, well,” Cleary shakes his head, “That is not quite what I meant. You could perhaps use my help? I am not without talent, I-”
Mazzarin hums to himself, picking out cloaks and mantles.
“Are you listening to me Governor?” Cleary asks hesitantly.
No answer.
“Governor?” the Brannon repeats his question.
An awkward silence falls around Cleary then, he balls his fists, “I- Ah- Damn it! You are supposed to train me! Uncle said you would train me! Don't fucking ignore me!”
Don't ignore him?
Alright.
Cleary screams and falls as his mind is once more enveloped in flames and visions of his own end.
Mazzarin strides over to the fallen Brannon, leans over him and sighs, “The Boy figured out how to neutralize that spell the second time I used it on him and he hardly even screamed either. I can teach you nothing, young man, if you will not teach yourself.”
The Great Mage winds up and kicks Cleary once more in the stomach, “Terribly sorry about that Cleary, I did not see you there,” he steps over the screaming Brannon and makes for the door.
Emrys is already waiting, ready to go, it warms his heart that the Boy is so prompt.
He calls back over his shoulder as he snuffs out the lights in the apartment, plunging his 'assistant', his 'student', the Brannon, into the dark, “And I never will see you Cleary, not until you show me there is something there to see. Meditate on that and await my return.”
Cleary sobs in the dark, his mind ablaze, while Mazzarin, whistling, closes the door.
-----------------------------------------
Horns fill the air moments before blinding chartreuse light dominates your sight.
Mazzarin is here and you hope you will not regret summoning him.
“Give me one reason!” his voice booms, “One reason why I should not kill you incompetents!”
Well, this is starting out beautifully.
“Because you like us so much,” you reply without thinking.
Probably not the best time for sarcasm but to hell with it. There is just something about these pompous archmages that gets under your skin.
You hope you won't be like that when you become an archmage.
Though at the moment you would probably be willing to settle for simply living long enough to become an archmage.
“Was that a joke?” the furious voice of Mazzarin demands.
Your vision begins to return, standing less than half a metre from you is Mazzarin himself and a youth you have not met before.
The youth nods slightly, “Good evening Ma'am.”
“Polite kid,” you gesture at the boy and return his slight bob, “Good evening, my name is Derryth and this is Thaïs.”
Thaïs echoes your greeting, “Good evening, to you both.”
He extends a hand, shuffling around an armful of tomes as he does so, "My name is Emrys."
You shake it as you list off the names of your other companions, "That is Berty, Lyssa and the two girls your age are-" as you move to introduce Biliku and Uttu they squeek and make a break for it, "Huh, well that was Biliku and Uttu. Wonder what got into them?"
The Great Mage's scowl deepens as these niceties play out. He must not like the fact that you are ignoring him which merely makes you want to drag this out longer.
Sadly he does not let you, “Yes, yes,” he waves off the pleasantries, “'Good evening', I suppose. Now tell me why I should not kill you all?”
“Alright,” you begin, your annoyance clear, “How about this. We are about the only people actually trying to prevent the fall of the Kingdom and the resurrection of the Watcher. How is that for a reason?”
Mazzarin glares at you.
You don't drop your gaze, you won't give the old bastard the satisfaction.
It is the youth that breaks the silence, “That sounds like a good reason, Master.”
'Bless that Boy', you think.
“We have already neutralized the Watcher's military forces in the North,” your better half works to strengthen your case, “We are currently marching on Stoneheim to raise the Watcher's siege of the city.”
The Great Mage grunts, “Alright, I suppose that is a start but I am through taking risks with you two. You will give me Nine, now.”
“Like hell we will,” you respond without a second thought.
He ignores your protests, “Where is she. You have until the count of three before I simply take the information from you.”
“They don't have her,” Berty answers from behind you.
He has backed away from the rest of your group, the pack still securely on his back.
“Really,” the annoyed Archmage answers, “Then where is she, little man? Do not tell me she escaped as well.”
“I have her,” your tactician answers, “But you aren't getting her.”
Mazzarin blinks twice, “Do you have even the slightest idea who you are talking to?”
“Do you?” Berty spits back, a self-confident grin spreading over his face as his right hand grips his knife.
You really hope that Berty knows what he is doing.
Mazzarin laughs, “Well, you are a brave one little man. When you get to hell you will have the honour of telling all that you fell to the Great Mage, Mazzarin, himself.”
Mazzarin begins to channel, pulling down an absurd amount of power as if it were nothing.
You do not think that the Archmage is going to be gentle.
“Stop!” Finn shouts, he has taken several steps away from the Old Man, though his people are still working hard to contain the Seekers and most of your own men.
“King Finnbheara?” the archmage asks as he spins on his heel. For the first time he takes in the entirety of the situation he has inserted himself into.
He sees the King and his host.
He sees the Seekers and the Old Man on his knees.
He sees your mercenaries, incapacitated by Finn's folk.
And he asks the only question one could ask, “What the hell is going on here?”
“A lot,” you reply.
“I can see that,” the Archmage mutters, “Finnbheara, what are you doing to that man.”
“Binding him,” the King answers, “But that matters little now, with you here that is.”
Mazzarin launches into his orders, “I want a full report of your host's activities since I summoned you and I want a full explanation of what you are doing here with these two and their people.”
“Both of which I will give you,” the King answers, “But not if you attack that man.”
“Why?” Mazzarin asks with a sigh, clearly near the end of his patience.
“If you attack that man, if you intend to kill him, then you will need to first kill me,” the King answers with an startling degree of serenity all things considered.
“Finnbheara, are you honestly attempting to threaten me?” Mazzarin has not stopped channeling but he has slowed somewhat.
“Not threatening, no,” the King maintains his composure, “That would imply that I have the power to stop you but I am promising you that if you attack Berty I will attack you along with all my host. We will perish, from the highest of us to the lowest and you will not receive your reports as a result.”
Suicide by Mazzarin? Who would have thought Finn had it in him? Maybe the two of you are not all that different?
“You would turn on me?” the Mage points at Berty, “You would betray your oath to me for that man?”
“Not betray, I would be honouring an oath,” the King corrects him, “And you know how I can be about oaths.”
Mazzarin glares at the King, glares at Berty, glares at the pair of you, “Fine! Your tent!” he points at Finn, “Two minutes from now and I expect a full report!”
Mazzarin storms toward the grand tent, once he disappears from sight Finn exhales loudly, “Fucking hell,” he doubles over, “Berty, we are even.”
Berty for his part finally lets the self-confident grin run from his face and for the first time since meeting him you can feel the fear radiating off him.
His legs give out and he drops in the sand, “Damn Derry, that is- I never thought I would say it but that was a bit too much excitement for me. You want your pack back?”
“You better hold on to it,” you answer, “At least while Mazzarin is around.”
“Right, right,” he nods weakly, “I can do that.”
With Mazzarin momentarily out of the way Finn returns his focus to the Old Man, “I think we can all agree we have enough to worry about at the moment without these slavers getting loose.”
Finn places the metal band upon the Old Man's brow and it constricts, biting into the mage's flesh.
The runes glow, vibrant green and deep red. They must be active.
The King of the Tuatha Dé holds the Old Man's gaze and speaks calmly but loud enough for all to hear, “Now, I am going to explain how this works for you. That band contains enough magic energy to reduce your head to smoke and ash. If you try to remove it, you will die, if you try to subvert it, you will die, and finally,” he returns to the chests and opens the second one, producing a smooth, marbled stone, green and white, “If the owner of this control gem wishes it, you will die. All it will take is a thought, a single second, and anywhere in this world or any other, you will die. Understood?”
The Old Man nods but that sharp edge has returned to his face.
Finn, unfazed, continues, “All of your people will be fitted with similar bands, all of your slaves will also be fitted with these bands,” he considers one of the robed figures, unconcealed disgust written on his face, “Though frankly it would be a blessing for them to die in this way. The owner of this gem will be able to detonate any of the bands or all of them at will. Understand?”
The Old Man nods, a halting, jerky motion.
“Good,” Finn turns back to you, “Derryth, catch!”
He tosses the gem to you and you quickly palm it.
He turns back to the Old Man and his Seekers, “She is in charge. Obey her and when next we meet I may decide to free you. Betray her, attack her, or her people, and you will likely all fall. Is that understood.”
The Seekers nod, their guardians nod, the Old Man nods. His dark eyes filled with hatred and rage.
The King returns to your side, whispering in your ear as he does so, “Those bands will only respond to that gem if they are within fifty metres of it. Don't tell them that though,” he winks and smiles, then passes you by. As he does so you can hear him mutter, “This is going to be so much fun...”
He disappears into the tent following after with the Great Mage and his apprentice. The youth is quick and quiet as you only now realize he has gone. Of course, Mazzarin does have a way of commanding everyone's attention...
You examine the gem, hell, this will make things interesting.
You had hoped to avoid such unpleasantness but perhaps that was simply too much to hope for given the clear tension between Finn's host and the Seekers.
Although...
A small part of you is a little amused that for once you are not the one wearing the collar but rather the one holding the leash...
“Derryth!” the Old Man calls to you, furious, “How dare you! How dare you turn us over to those- those things! We should have slaughtered their advance party and-”
You do not say a thing to the man, you merely pull the gem from your pocket. He goes pale and silent in the same moment.
Hmmm, effective. Very effective.
It seems that this is to be your first taste of complete power over another and you think you can understand why all the demon lords and archmages you have met are so keen on behaving this way.
This power, it makes everything so much easier.
But should it be easy?
That is the question, isn't it?
You consider the Old Man and you consider the gem. You could give it to him. It would 'free' him, if only a little, though it would also give him even more control over his own people.
Alternatively, you could hold on to the stone. You doubt the Seekers would try anything while you hold the fate of their entire Circle in the literal palm of your hand. If the Seekers and the Old Man really are a threat then this is likely the best security you could ask for.
In the silence of the desert night, you make your choice and live with the consequences.
With the final formalities taken care of and Finn's fears allayed the Host departs with amazing speed to the sound of horses and horns. Your carriage departs with them and a third of the Royal Army's soldiers as well, all bound in chains, dragged behind the tireless horses of the Tuatha Dé.
You do not envy their fates.
Mazzarin also seems ready to leave but not for the south. He informs you that he is headed north once more. It seems that from Finn's reports the Great Mage has determined that the Watcher is not currently a threat worthy of his time. He seems willing to let you, the dwarves and Finn's host deal with the problem for the moment.
As Mazzarin prepares to depart an idea does occur to you. Mazzarin still owes you a favour, you could call it in now and force him to help you stop the Watcher.
The help of the most powerful mage in the world could make a massive difference but if you did call in the favour you would lose any claim you have to the Great Mage's time and resources.
It might be a worthwhile trade but you only have a few moments to decide.
---------------------------------------
“Well, that is not great,” Berty is forced to admit.
Yeah, that is definitely one way to put it.
Your scouts returned ten minutes ago and what they had to tell you has snuffed out whatever feelings of optimism you may have had.
They began with the good news, from what they can tell Stoneheim still stands and the Royal Army has not been wiped out yet.
That is all...
The main body of the army is trapped within its own fortifications. Pinned there by a large cultist force that supposedly 'rose from the desert sands themselves'.
The panicked reports of your scouts suggest that the cultists are not 'natural', they do not move like normal dwarves, they do not act as normal dwarves, they are faster, stronger and have a much higher capacity for pain.
These things, and you have a fairly good idea what exactly they are, ambushed the army on its approach to Stoneheim and managed to push it back to the nearest oasis. Reinhard has managed to hold the oasis though and fortifications have been constructed to help hold back the cultists.
Unfortunately Seinsheim's army was separated from the main body and driven further to the west than the rest of the army. They are currently being harassed by a sizable ghôlish force that seems to be cooperating with the rebels, though your scouts can not be sure if they really are in league with one another.
At the very least the two forces, cultist and ghôlish, are giving each other a wide berth and that is having much the same effects as a proper alliance would. Both enemy forces are hammering your people and preventing them from consolidating.
The undead still seem to be concentrated around Stoneheim and have not moved against any of the other forces in the area as far as your people can tell.
That makes sense from what you know of the city and the needs of the necromancers. They need bodies to replace the armies you have destroyed and the crypts under Stoneheim probably house tens of thousands of them.
If they can get into the city then it would only be a matter of time before they can replace their lost numbers.
You need to find some way to link up with either or both of the forces.
You need to find some way to defeat or drive off the cultist and ghôlish forces.
Finally, you need to reach Stoneheim and raise the siege.
It won't be easy but then you knew that going in.
1. You gave Finn your carriage and horses and he wishes to give you a gift in return but he does not know what you would like. After some time discussing the issue you have narrowed down your optios somewhat. What did you ask for in return?
A) You ask for the services of the Laignach Faelad. You have been informed that they are peerless warriors with the ability to change their shape into that of monstrous wolves. Finn has agreed to lend you their services but he warns you that they are quite ferocious and they have interesting preferences when it comes to food. He does not elaborate.
B) You ask for the aid of his Faoladh. He will grant you a pair of them. They are also shapeshifters, much like the Laignach Faelad but they are of a more mild temperament. You have been told that they are guardians and protectors, capable of taking on the form of the wolf to act as scouts and guardians of the land. Finn will introduce you to a couple of them and will ask them to aid your cause.
C) You ask for a pack of Cú Sídh, the fairy dogs that Finn uses for hunting. He gives them to you with his blessing though he reminds you that they are very clever and that you can not treat them like any normal hounds.
D) Finn has also offered to introduce you to the Merrows of the southwestern Province at a time of your choosing. You have heard that they are quite wealthy and they could make for capable allies though they would be of little help in the middle of a desert half a continent away.
E) Wealth, simple and universal if you do not want to worry about Aos Sí magic and tricks. The gift he would give you would likely be generous, anything less would be rude.
F) Magic, you wish to learn something of the ways of Finn's people. You choose to focus on learning (all F choices are counted together, if this choice wins the most popular variant will be chosen):
i. Healing Magic in the tradition of Miach. Herbs, incantations and direct 'touch' based healing.
ii. Healing Magic in the tradition of Dian Cécht. A tradition with an emphasis on surgery and prosthesis.
iii. Curses and rhyme from Cairpre. To starve, rob, and rend miserable your enemies over time.
iv. Sorcery from Figol, to rain fire on your enemies and sap their strength.
v. Witchcraft from Dianann, to raise up the earth and confuse your enemies' senses.
vi. Charms and the spells that go with them. Finn will give you three large tomes to aid in your mastery of them.
vii. Shapshifting from Cropper. He will show you how to alter your form though your options may be a bit limited.
G) freeform – perhaps you want something else. Ask me and I will tell you if it is within Finn's power.
2. In an interesting departure from the norm you have found yourself holding absolute power over another. The Seekers are bound to serve or die so long as you hold that gem but perhaps you should not keep such power. You choose to:
A) Give the gem to the Old Man. You wish to show him that you have no intention of forcing his service and you know what it is like to be at the mercy of another.
B) You hold on to the gem. You do not trust the Old Man not to betray you and that gem is a useful way of forcing his loyalty.
C) Keep the stone but try to convince him you are not the enemy.
D) freeform
3. Mazzarin is leaving once more. He does not seem terribly concerned about the Watcher's army in the south but you could call in your final favour to make him help you.
A) You use up your final favour to ask Mazzarin to help you save the Kingdom. Part of you thinks he is hoping for just this outcome though.
B) You hold on to your favour and let him leave. You will save the Kingdom without his help and that favour is priceless.
C) Appeal to his character.
D) freeform
4. Plan of Action: Given the situation in the south you need to find a way to join up with one of the fragments of the Royal Army. You then need to drive off the enemy and push on to the city. The question is how? [There are two ways to handle this. You can either pick a broad direction and let the characters formulate a plan, to the best of their ability, as they go or you can pick the freeform option and give me a detailed plan on what you want to do. I have purposely kept the premade options fairly general but the characters will do the best they (read: I) can. I suspect most people will want to really get into the details though so those will be provided in the mechanics post.]
A) i. You will focus on fighting through the cultist army to join up with the main body of the Kingdom's forces. From what your scouts can tell you, you will be dealing primarily with spider demon hybrids similar to what you encountered under Muirthemne. The Goddess must have passed this knowledge on to her followers and they are making full use of it. You will have to hope that Seinsheim and his people can manage without help.
ii. You will focus on fighting the ghôls and driving them off. They are the weaker force and if you can link up with Seinsheim's people then you can move to help the rest of the army after that. Hopefully Reinhard, if he still lives, will be able to handle the cultists until you arrive.
iii. Let Mazzarin deal with it. With the greatest archmage to ever live on your side this should be simple, just stay out of his way and let him claim all the glory...
iv. Nevill's Plan
B) freeform – I suspect this will be the most popular choice. You scouts have prepared reports for you, rough maps, troop locations, that sort of thing. Using those you should be able to come up with an in-depth plan to deal with the situation which, ideally, with increase your odds.
Chapter 69: The Sea of Glass
Chapter 69: The Sea of GlassNovember 18, 2542, South of Myrgard
I am sorry Agata.
When we set out we had such high hopes. Such grand delusions!
We were the King's Army, sent forth to protect the Kingdom, and commanded by his eldest son!
We were the best the Kingdom had to offer, brave dwarves all.
Reinhard spoke of victory and we believed him.
Idiots, all of us.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
Arkell polishes his shield, he scoffs at my writing, Agata.
He says either we will triumph and my writing will be pointless, or we will fall and there will be no one to deliver these musings to you.
I will let you guess which outcome is more likely, my sweet child.
We are pinned now, trapped north of Stoneheim by a rebel force, dwarves and monsters both. Seinsheim has abandoned us, driven off by ghôlish raiders if fat, old Otho's scout are to be believed.
It won't matter anyway, there will be no relief for us, no respite. Every hour, without fail, the monsters come for us, they burrow through the sands, hiding from our weapons, you can hear them sometimes, if you really listen, the low, chattering whispers of them.
They council suicide, they warn us that death will be the greatest kindness we can expect.
I won't lie, I have considered it.
All that holds me back is our ancestors, watching my actions, judging my worthiness.
And so I will fight, until one of those things claws its way over the wall and buries its maw in my stomach.
They are howling now, the quiet whispers building to a frenzied pace, a cacophony of hungry cries.
They will come again soon, already the Captain gives the order, back to the walls and the battle.
I must go though I am not fool enough to hope for victory.
I love you, Agata, and I am sorry.
She closes her journal, looping the leather strap that binds it together around twice before she tucks it into her pack.
The Captain calls again and she answers with the precision expected of her. No sense drawing this out, she must retake her position on the walls. She checks her hammer, secures her cap, rises to her feet and with fatal resolve marches toward the disturbing cries of the monsters.
All she prays for is to survive until morning, to see the sun one final time.
Mounting the palisade she takes her place on the line, working her enchantments to hold the beasts at bay. Before her and below her the sands churn and the hissing hordes are born into the night.
A twisted amalgam of dwarf and spider claws its way up the wooden stakes. Its lean, powerful arms encased in thick black chitin, bury deep into the wood, tearing out chunks for its fellows that follow. Its bulbous eye, fractured into countless little, glimmering shards, fixes on her, a gem of hatred, glowing in the night. With a famished screech it races toward her as she readies her hammer, she will only have time for a single, desperate swing.
Best to make it count.
------------------------------------------------------------
Two minds bent to the same task, working in perfect harmony. There are just some things that are easier as a result, for example, forming a plan.
The archmage Mazzarin leaves Finn's tent, his apprentice close behind. He falls to quite conversation with the King, no doubt saying his goodbyes. The boy's nose is buried in yet another book, gilded pages flip through his fingers. That youth exhibits a degree of concentration and dedication in his actions that would put a great many of his elders to shame.
Considering the trio, already the first seeds of your plan begin to sprout, “We should-” you need not say 'talk to Mazzarin' or 'convince him to help us', Thaïs already understands your meaning.
“Yes,” she answers, “We need to-” 'prey on his pride, his station, his self respect', but she no more needs to say that than you would, the meaning is clear for both of you.
As a team you will manipulate the archmage, you will bend his vices and virtues toward your ends and in doing so you will greatly increase your odds of success in the south. The Great Mage can save a host of lives if he would only make the 'right' choice, you just need to help him see that. To do this you will require subtly and skill but you are both buoyed by a sense of supreme confidence. Together, you can do this.
One final thought occurs to you, the slightest shadow of a smile gracing your face. You turn to your better half and your expression is mirrored on her face.
Mazzarin's apprentice, Emrys, the boy is sincere and seems to hold a degree of favour with the mage that you may be able to use. In lock step you spin and call, “Girls!”
First one, and then the other appear from behind a wagon.
You wave them over, ready to explain your plan and ensure your success in the south.
--------------------------------------------------------------
“No! Damn it, what part of 'no' do you two fail to grasp?” the archmage spits his reply, laced with a suitable amount of venom.
He marches away from Finn's tent, his apprentice in tow.
“We just want to talk, please,” you hurry behind him as he stalks away into the desert.
“We have nothing to talk about!” he answers, quickening his pace.
“We have a great deal to talk about!” you respond, reaching out and grabbing his robes from behind. As soon as you do you regret it, but no time to worry about that now.
“Unhand me, child!” he shouts as he spins round on you.
“Unhand me, child?” you smirk, unable to completely suppress a slight titter, “Really?”
“Derryth, let go of my robes,” he repeats his injunction, slightly calmer than before, but all the more menacing for it.
Thaïs tugs on the cuff of his sleeve, drawing his attention, “Please, we need your help.”
He glowers, “You have done just fine so far on your own, I am sure you will manage.”
An archmage, the greatest of archmages, Mazzarin is no doubt a little offended that you have not been more reliant on his wisdom and instruction. Your plan should work as a result, play to his pride, his position, his self appointed space in the world and perhaps you will get what you want. You just need him to listen long enough for your combined words to take hold.
You sigh and drop your head, “Not this time.”
“Hmmm?” he mutters, motioning for you to continue.
You do your best to feign a hopelessness that you do not truly feel, you think you do well enough, “We are currently marching to the aid of the Royal Army, they are outnumbered and outclassed by ancient horrors and vile necromancers. We are-” you look up at him, a few, fake tears in your eyes, “We are at a loss. Without your help, we are lost. Please.”
Your better half shoots you an approving look, it has taken months but you are getting better at convincing people.
He holds your gaze, his features softening, “You desperately require my aid, children?”
“Yes,” you answer, Thaïs with you.
He smiles innocently, almost fatherly, “Well, good thing you still have that last favour to ask of me,” he gestures dramatically, rolling his hand, as he cocks his head back “You need only put it in words and I will solve all of your problems.”
Wyrd damn it! You guess you have not quite improved enough, the Great Mage is playing you.
That smug old bastard, you have no intention of wasting your last favour on something like this. You do your best to suppress your annoyance but from the way his smile grows into a fiendish grin you have no doubt that he is well aware of how you feel.
Thankfully, Thaïs intervenes, with a tone that speaks of reverence, artfully masking her own annoyance, she begins, “We would not dream of insulting you in such a way.”
The archmage favours her with a suspicious glance, “Elaborate.”
She takes a half step back, as if to take in the entirety of the archmage, carefully she lays out the foundations of her arguement, “You are the Great Mage Mazzarin, you are the Champion of the Light and we would not dream to insinuate-”
He snorts, “I seem to remember you insinuating a great many things when we last met.”
Can't say you regret it either.
She pushes on, ignoring his interruption, “In such an important matter we would not dare to so much as suggest that you would seek personal gain when thousands of innocent lives hang in the balance.”
He raises an eyebrow, “Continue,” he orders.
“Well,” she spares you a single glance, you nod, almost imperceptibly, giving her your support to try her best, “We know, for a fact, that you will do all in your power to protect loyal servants of the Light. We know you would not endanger the Royal Army, no, the whole Dwarven Kingdom simply in order to collect a single favour from a pair of-”
“Amateurs?” Mazzarin suggests with relish before moving on to other suggestions, “Infants? Incompet-”
“Exactly,” you answer with a forced grin.
He turns his back on you and begins walking again, shaking the pair of your loose, “Normally you would be right but I do not have the time. The Watcher must be destroyed and the Faceless Man must be located, I can do neither from this desert,” he directs his next comment to his apprentice, “Boy, we will be returning to the Palace, I need you to pay a visit to an acquaintance and-” it is only now that Mazzarin realizes Emrys is not with him.
“Where did he get off to now?” the archmage mutters.
You're impressed, you did not notice him wander off either. You do have an advantage over the archmage though as you have an idea as to where Emrys went. The girls are probably talking to him, trying to get to know him as per your own instructions. Hopefully they can win him over, you could use another angle to try and manipulate Mazzarin from, and in truth the girls could do with making a few friends their own age.
Your thoughts are interrupted by the roars of the archmage, his concern is actually a little touching, “Worried about him?” you can't help but enquire.
He gives you an annoyed glance, then scoffs, “Hardly, this happens every time we go somewhere. He spots a book, or is kidnapped by some sort of demon...” he trails off, shaking his head, “Naturally I am then forced to rescue him,” he cups his hands over his mouth, “Boy! You have three minutes to show yourself or you will be walking back to Muirthemne!”
Three minutes, best get to work then.
“You are based out of Muirthemne now?” you attempt to rekindle the conversation.
“Ah, yes,” Mazzarin answers, half turning as he scans first the desert and then you camp, “It was necessary as King-” he snorts, “'Emperor' Alric has made me Governor of the East.”
Well that is interesting...
Your better half sallies forth yet again, buoyed by this new piece of information, “Then as Govenor you must realize the effect that the fall of Stoneheim would have on the territory you administer.”
It takes you a split second to realize exactly where your partner is going with this but when you do you only barely manage to suppress your smile. If you can not play to the man's virtues then you shall just have to play to his vices.
So you ask yourself, 'why does the most powerful mage in the world require an apprentice?'
The answer comes quickly enough, the same reason all mages require an apprentice, because he is lazy...
“The Kingdom does not fall under my mandate,” he waves her off, “Boy! If I find you collecting insects you will regret it for all your days!”
You do your best to make the archmage see, “Yes, that is true but if Stoneheim falls it will throw the Kingdom into a panic, dwarven refugees will pour across the Empire's southern border. Refugees you will be responsible for-”
Without so much as a single second between you, Thaïs strikes again, “And all of the caravans, all of the trade that exists between the Empire and the Kingdom will also grind to a halt. That will also fall to you to fix.”
He groans and you know you have him.
As one the two of you speak, “Refugees, merchants, soldiers, emissaries, bureaucrats, and all of them looking to you for guidance.”
The face Mazzarin makes, you could not have hurt more, “That, that is a lot of bother...”
“Yes,” you answer consolingly, “But it is within your power to prevent such a future.”
For the first time tonight you get the impression he might just agree, he grunts, “By helping you save the dwarven army, correct?”
You flash him a pair of predatory grins, “Exactly.”
Silence settles over the three of you then.
You wait together, straining to make out the slightest change in the Great Mage's features.
Will he agree?
Will he go, running screaming into the night?
These are the questions that command your thoughts.
“Fine,” he shrugs, exhaling sharply.
Then he draws himself up to his full height, chin raised, chest once more puffed out, “But I do not intend to stay for more than a week. I, Mazzarin, shall rescue the dwarven army, I will save Stoneheim, and I will fix the mess you children have created!”
Children, again? You have made your fair share of mistakes but he could stand to be just a little less condescending. Still, he is over a thousand years old, from his perspective you probably are children.
“Thank you,” your better half answers, beaming. She leans in and plants a single kiss upon his right cheek, “Thank you for your kindness.”
“I- ah, um-” the archmage sputters.
You can't resist.
You decide to take advantage, push him just a little further, and you follow suit. If he is going to insist that you are children then it only stands to reason...
You grin, a nasty little idea taking hold.
You lean in on his left, mirroring your better half and plant a kiss on his other cheek, “Yeah, thanks, dad.”
He stares at the pair of you, rendered entirely mute by the double shock you have foisted upon him.
It lasts only a moment.
“Get off me!” he shouts as he stumbles backward, “I, I am not doing this for either of you and I care not for your gratitude!”
He spins on his heels and with a burst of preternatural speed wings his way back to camp, hollering for Emrys the entire way.
“Well, we've got him,” you note with an approving nod.
“Now we simply have to manage him,” Thaïs answers with a little less enthusiasm.
--------------------------------------------------
November 19, 2542, South of Myrgard
Child, they have not torn my life from my body yet.
While this is a poor way to start a letter it is an honest one. I had hoped that I could write to you of victory but survival seems to be all that I can hope for now.
Every hour they charge the walls, bursting out of the slick sands, churning up the oozing morass. Three times last night they scaled the walls, twice they broke into the camp proper. They are faster than our fastest, stronger than our strongest and some of them, well, they are not fit to commit to memory.
Whatever the rebels have been dealing in it is dark and I fear we are overmatched.
If not for Reinhard we would already be lost. In the darkness just before the coming dawn they breached the east wall, collapsing it inward. Our soldier scattered as the bodies of their friends and comrades tumbled into the sand. I can not say I blame them, these things instill a primal fear in even the best of us, or perhaps I should say in all but the best of us.
The Prince saved us then, saved the whole army, he raced toward the breach with his honour guard close behind. I saw him step into the gap swinging a great maul over his head. As it whistled through the air and struck home against the first of the enemy we all recognized its nature.
Reinhard wields the Maul of Kings, and before him the beasts fell by the dozen.
He drove back the attack, bought us time to plug the gap and the men cheered his heroism.
Arkell told me after that he believes we will win.
I am not so certain. Reinhard is only a single dwarf and though the creatures now fear him and the Maul he wields he can not be everywhere.
Should they undermine the wall at multiple places how will we respond? How will we survive?
The rising sun raised our spirits, a childish fancy I suppose. Somehow, I thought, no, we thought, that the morning would dispel these horrors but they remain, buried below the sands, waiting for a chance to strike.
I wish I had Arkell's confidence, his faith, but I do not and I can not see a way that this will end well for us.
If I live to tomorrow I will write to you again, if only to help calm my nerves.
If not, well, it is not like you will ever see this anyway.
A deep rumbling stirs her from her task. It suggests size, power, and her own death even muffled as it is by distance and the simple barriers erected by her people.
She closes her journal, rises to her feet and peaks out of her tent.
Dwarves race back and forth as beyond the palisade something terrible rises and a pair of massive, black arms grab hold of the wall.
Ropes tear, wood splinters and a chorus of bestial screams herald what can only be her death.
She stuffs her journal into her pack, grabs her hammer and sprints out into afternoon light.
------------------------------------------
“Well, I will grant Seinsheim this,” Hámundr snaps his spyglass closed, “The old bastard knows how to fight an infantry battle.”
Berty mutters his assent, “That he does,” your tactician tosses Finn's spyglass back to the King, “He could do a better job coordinating his movements with his chariots but other than that he is doing fairly well. Looks like he will have the ghôlish line ready for a rear charge within the next half hour.”
Your entire command staff is gathered on a large dune overlooking the battle between Seinsheim's people and the ghôlish raiders. You and Thaïs stand at the center with Berty and Finn to your left and Hámundr, the Old Man and the head handler of the Hounds on your right. Lyssa and the girls act as guards, slightly behind you, negotiating with your newly acquired hounds.
Mazzarin, and by extension Emrys, is no where to be found.
They are off 'saving' the Royal Army from the cultist forces. Mazzarin insisted that as the 'ranking mage' and 'Champion of the Light' he should get the first pick of opponents. In fact the only thing he seemed concerned about was which enemy force was bigger and more dangerous. When your scouts unanimously answered the cultists he was off without even so much as a goodbye.
You hope that the archmage will remember to protect the dwarves and not just kill everyone on the battlefield.
Mazzarin's departure left the task of dealing with the raiders to you, given the assets in your possession you think you can manage it, provided you can keep everyone working together.
Your working plan at the moment is to pin the raiders between your line and Seinsheim's, once trapped, you will pummel them with mortar fire, spells and cocktails. To that end you have been communicating with the dwarf lord through Lyssa's eagles and so far everything is going according to plan. Should it come to close combat you will utilize the Hound's elephants, protected by the Warrior's Mask but that will hopefully not be necessary.
It is a good plan, you think, and Berty, Finn and Hámundr are all for it.
The Hounds, the Old Man and your Coin-Sìth are going to take a bit more convincing.
The head handler clears his throat, “These spells you are going to cast on us, they are safe?”
You try to reassure him, “They are and we will be casting them on the elephants, not directly on you.”
“So you want us to ride into the middle of an enemy host without infantry support or any sort of protective magic?” the Handler asks, shaking his head, “That does not sound like a good idea to me, what if I lose men?”
“Then the world will be better for it,” Lyssa mutters from behind you.
“Something you want to say girl!” the Hound handler shoots back.
“Plenty-” your witch begins.
You cough, “Lyssa, how are negotiations coming with the Coin-Sìth.”
“Negotiations,” the Handler scoffs, “They are animals, whip'em till they do what you want.”
“We won't do that-” you begin.
“Of course not!” the Old Man interjects, “They are dogs, you only use force on men!”
“Not this again,” you mutter. You have been trying to convince the Old Man that you are not his enemy.
Naturally he demanded proof, he asked for the control gem.
A request you refused.
He has said maybe five words to you since then and none of them have been polite.
You ignore his outburst, he will do as you say, not like he has a choice in the matter.
Both of your mercenary captains know their roles, you remind them that you expect each of them to conduct themselves with professionalism. They are all under contract, they all have a job to do and if they do not do it they will have to answer directly to the King.
You dismiss them before they can answer, let them think about their positions for a while.
This leaves you with only your own personnel and Finn.
“King Finnbheara,” your better half begins, “Would you mind keeping an eye on the Seekers.”
Not a bad idea all things considered. The small team of Hounds does not particularly worry you but if the battlemages decide to revolt a few extra safeguards may be in order.
“Certainly,” the King responds with a bow, “Is there anything else you require from me, dear ladies.”
“Nothing at the moment,” you respond with a smile, “Though I could use a few of your riders mixed in with our advanced guard, a few well placed illusions could save may lives.”
He bows once more and withdraws to meet with his men. They would be far more useful at night but you do not have the time to waste, you need to attack soon.
“Lyssa,” Thaïs begins, moving to the next issue you must address, “How are negotiations going with the Coin-Sìth?”
“Ah,” she shrugs, “They are shrewd negotiators.”
You could swear the hounds smirk at that.
You remember Finn's advice, 'be polite but do not be servile or they will never respect you'.
You address their leader and he struts forward. This will be your first proper conversation with the hound as he has spent most of last night and this morning saying his goodbyes and organizing his, rather large, pack.
He holds himself with ancient dignity, a coat of read hair trimmed with white around the muzzle that streaks down his throat to his stomach. His head raised, he sniffs the air, adjusting his angle to face you as he walks, and it is then that you realize he is blind. His dead eyes fixed on you he sits three metres away and waits for you to speak.
Lyssa conducts the introductions, “Derryth, Thaïs, may I introduce to you the greatest of King Finnbheara's hounds, Enrico, great of purpose, keen of mind, of ancient and noble lineage.”
Enrico? Odd name for a dog.
Your look suggests as much and Lyssa leans in to explain, “A few decades ago he suffered a slight blow to the head while hunting. His birth name is Eocho but he no longer answers to it.”
Her explanation does little to relieve your concern, for a moment you wonder if Finn has taken advantage of you, gifting you a defective hound.
Caoilainn laughs in your mind, “Yes, this was a much better choice than magical power! You could have chosen something that would give you power of life and death, something that maybe, possibly, could have been used to give me a new body but dogs! No, dogs were clearly the right choice!”
Well that is a bit harsh, you stand by your decision, there are a great many things that fast and tireless scouts can achieve for you and in fact you can already think of one use for them.
“Lyssa,” you begin, “Tell, Eoch- Ah, Enrico, that it is a pleasure to meet him and that we are looking forward to pursuing a profitable and harmonious relationship with him and his people. Inform him that we will need them to track any ghôls that flee the battlefield. In particular, we will need them to follow any leaders, representatives or even members of a particular group known as the Tusks.”
Lyssa translates your kind words and your instructions into the tongue of wolves and dogs.
Enrico ignore her words and instead begins licking himself.
Caoilainn roars with laugher.
Lyssa shrugs and tries again.
Enrico once more ignores the instruction.
Lyssa shakes her head and attempts to translate your words into the tongue of the fairies, it comes out broken and garbled, that much you are certain of.
Enrico snorts, shaking his head, he turns around and walks away.
“Sorry,” Lyssa mutters, “I suppose that did not go well, I-”
She stops when Enrico returns with a younger hound in tow.
The ancient Cú Sídh mutters a few words to his younger companion and the two fall to heated discussion. The older hound repeats the same words over and over again. The younger hound protests but all you can understand is a single word, Raniero, repeated time and again.
Is it a place? An action? An item? You have no idea, so you wait patiently, a slight, polite smile on your lips.
The younger hound eventually relents and turns to Lyssa, he begins to bark, and murmur much like a regular dog and Lyssa smiles, nodding her head repeatedly.
She turns to you, “This is Raegen-”
Enrico shakes his head, and repeats the same word he spoke earlier, “Raniero!”
Lyssa stares at the older hound, then the younger, the younger hound growls, clearly frustrated, and nods. Lyssa begins again, “This is, ah, Raniero,” oh, so 'Raniero' is a name, you nod as Lyssa continues, “He is Enrico's son and will speak the, um, 'base' tongue of beasts for his father.”
Raegen, or Raniero as the case may be, nods slowly, clearly unhappy with the proposition.
You beam, “Good, we are making progress.”
You instruct Lyssa to repeat your greeting and your instruction. She falls to conversation with the younger hound and he in turn relays the information to his father. As this whole production plays out before you, you can not help but suspect that the ancient hound perfectly understands both Lyssa's speech and your own. Though you are not sure what he would stand to gain from his act.
Eventually the two hounds finish speaking and Raegen gives Lyssa Enrico's answer.
She turns back to you, disappointment clearly written across her countenance, “Raniero says his father will perform this task for us but only if we agree to pay the associated costs.”
“Which are?” you and your better half ask as one, both dreading the answer.
“Four dishes of pistachio gelato each,” Lyssa begins, “And they want you to hire a team of fifteen servants to scratch them behind the ears for at least an hour a day.”
The laughter that echos through your mind from your disembodied officer completes your own sense of dismay, “That is unacceptable,” you answer together. Clearly this fairy intends to rob you completely if you let him.
You stare into those lifeless eyes and wonder just what you have gotten yourself into.
“Lyssa,” your better half responds, “Inform our esteemed colleague that we will have to negotiate his price.”
Lyssa relays your message to Raniero, Raniero passes it on to Enrico and then the entire chain reverses, Enrico to Raniero, Raniero to Lyssa and Lyssa to you, she says, “He is open to negotiation but insists that the task is both dangerous and troublesome, his people will need sufficient motivation to dutifully carry out the task you would assign them.”
Caoilainn cackles incessantly, “I wonder what the real mages are doing right now? You know, the ones that are pursuing arcane mastery and not negotiating with animals!”
“Caoilainn,” you speak as one.
“Yes,” she answers, gasping for breath.
“Shut up,” you mutter in unison.
She laughs.
You could swear Enrico winks and somewhere in the distance, faint horns sound.
---------------------------------------------------
He is the conqueror of worlds, avatar of his Mistress, his Goddess, upon this plane, born of blood and darkness, deep below the earth.
It took him too long to burrow his way up to the camp, to the tasty little dwarves inside but now that he is here he will reap the lot of them and fill his hungry stomachs with fresh, dwarf flesh.
He tore down their palisade, crushed it under his weight and allowed his young brothers and sisters to pour through. The dwarves scream as they die, dragged down into the seething sands. Pinned below thick carapaces, fangs the size of spearheads tear deep into them. They gurgle as his kin scream victory to the skies.
A little premature perhaps, many of his siblings have only fought in skirmishes in the eternal dark of their mother's realm. They have never fought mortals, and they have never fought an army. They have never witnessed the fury that they little beings can unleash when they are cornered, trapped, struggling for every last second of their meaningless existence.
Sure enough, the enemy are regrouping, dozens have fallen, maybe hundreds, he can not be sure, but so long as their leaders live they will fight on. From his vantage point he scans the enemy lines, if he can take from them their heroes, their commanders, he can break their spirits and a despairing soul is so much more appetizing than one infected with hope or defiance.
Ah, there he is his, the enemy commander, his banner waving in the sun, surrounded by a rather impressive honour guard, a maul carving great arcs through the demons that seek to devour him.
That- Prince is it? He will be a worthy meal for the Goddess' champion.
On heavy legs, each bigger than a tree trunk the monster crashes toward his prey. The long, rumbling howl that he unleashes is enough to scatter many of the dwarves before he even hits their line.
He laughs, he can not blame them, he is so much more then they are, more than they will ever be.
He crashes into the Prince's honour guard, throws them back with his great, armoured legs, he raises a single mailed fist, intending to swat the Prince, crushing him dead.
He howls his victory, the low tone of his voice provoking wails of joy from his family.
At least until it is cut short.
Light.
Horns, shrill and triumphant.
An 'M', it burns itself into his mind.
It is so much more than he is, more than he will ever be, and he knows now the form his death will take.
---------------------------------------------
She does not know where the human came from, but she is grateful that he arrived when he did.
That thing, that monstrosity that tore down the walls had weathered their best attacks. It had shattered resistance wherever it struck and until a moment ago she was certain that it was going to kill Reinhard.
Then the human appeared. A giant bronze 'M' glowing in the sky, horns screaming his arrival, and with a single flick of his wrist he turned that monstrosity inside out.
He cracked open its plates, peeled back its hide, sucked it inside out and sprayed its shrieking, still living, remains back upon its followers.
Screams of joy, howls of victory, quickly gave way to panic amongst the enemy.
They are fleeing now, scattering to the winds.
Her comrades cheer, she cheers, but the look on this man's face, it is as if he has only just begun.
-------------------------------------------------------
“Boy,” the Great Mage calls, “Have you finished that text on Sloan's victory against the bandits of Amon's Grove that I gave you last week?”
“Yes, Master,” Emrys answers, uncertain of what that has to do with the battle raging around them.
“Good,” the mage answers rolling up his sleeves, “And how many spells did it take the archmage to break the brigades with?”
“Ah,” Emrys scours his memory for the answer, “Eight, Master.”
Mazzarin laughs, “Yes, that is right. Sloan did enjoy playing with his targets a little too much.”
The Great Mage shakes his head, “Boy, mark my words well. I shall destroy this host with three spells and to make this interesting we shall use this battle as test of your knowledge. You are to give me the names and the creators of each spell I cast, do this and I shall reward you. Fail me and I shall give you to that pair of incompetents to do with as they see fit for one whole week.”
“Ah, yes, Master,” Emrys tucks his tome away and pulls out a sleeve of paper, he will no doubt need to make notes.
“Ready?” the archmage inquires as he marches after the fleeing enemies. He pays no heed to the the dwarves that stand puzzled as he pushes past.
Emrys nods, following in his wake.
“Good, now the first step toward destroying an army is to drive them together,” Mazzarin begins as he draws in enough power to momentarily blind his apprentice.
Emrys blinks and focuses on the archmage's movements attempting to puzzle out the first of Mazzarin's spells.
Hmmm, this is definitely a mental attack, something that requires Mazzarin to calm the mind, but the theory behind it is strange, related to Vailintín's theory of sympathetic resonance perhaps?
Emrys swings his pack around and begins to search for the book.
“No cheating,” Mazzarin commands him without turning, “This is not an open book test.”
Emrys redoubles his efforts, scanning his scant knowledge of mental magic as he watches his master's movements. When the truth dawns on the youth he exhales sharply and does his best to tap into Mazzarin's spell, it is a hybrid construct, combining elements of opposing mental and physical schools into a single magnificent creation.
Mazzarin is weaving a spell through the demons' own blood, tapping into the vital spirits that bind them together and mark their loyalty to the Goddess. By following his Master's spell outward Emrys can see them all, three hundred and seventy two of them though only half of that number is racing about on the surface.
The Great Mage is just about ready, “Well, Boy! Do you know this spell!”
Emrys drops his gaze, wracking his mind, until at last he stumbles upon it. Side-stepping a demon's corpse, he smiles triumphantly as he races after his master, “Yes! March 14, 546, the archmage Padraig defended the walled town of Bremon from the bre'Unor clan of the warlord Jat-Vir. Padraig was heavily outnumbered and losing but worked a spell that drew together all of his enemies and allowed him to snuff them out with a single casting of the Dispersal Dream, it was called the Piper's Call.”
“Very good, Boy! Do you remember anything else about it?” the mage asks as he unleashes the spell.
“It, ah, hmmm,” the Boy thinks, “It requires a direct blood connection between all those it is cast upon, if they are not related then it will not work!”
Mazzarin nods, “Exactly, it was quite fortuitous for Padraig that bre'Unor are notoriously inbred as are these Spider demons if I recall correctly.”
Emrys does his best to follow his master's movements but tracking the full four hundred demons at once for any sustained length of time is well beyond his ability. All he can determine with any sort of certainty is that they are out there and they are all moving in the same direction, to the south.
Mazzarin passes through the ruins of the palisade, brushing off the attempts of the soldiers to stop him.
“It is dangerous out there!” they shout.
“Not for me!” he bellows in response.
The two humans clear the camp, and come to a halt twenty metres from the writhing horde of monstrosities.
Emrys can feel them churning the sands below his feet, he can see them reforming into ranks, slowly spreading out to encircle him and his master.
The Boy looks to his Master, inching closer to the Great Mage.
Mazzarin seems unconcerned.
One of the abominations steps forward and howls at the archmage. It races toward him but already the Great Mage has begun his second spell.
He draws a single, short line in the sand with his staff.
A wall of sand rises between the mage and the host.
It slams into the charging monstrosity and hurls it backward. Hurling it into the ground and snapping its legs.
The sand shifts under Emrys' feet, drawn away into the wall Mazzarin is casting ever higher into the air. The apprentice steadies himself with his hunting spear as the sands continue to extend before him, great bloody hands reaching up to the sun.
The creatures howl, trapped behind the wall and Emrys is certain the ones below them are digging their way up. Attempting to escape the spell that greedily sucks them inward toward their comrades.
A hand bursts out of the ground and grabs Emrys' boot, attempting to drag him into the swirling maelstorm before them.
He digs in, fighting it,“Master!” he shouts.
The archmage sighs, “You are not an infant, Boy, you can deal with a single demon.”
Emrys swings his spear around and drives it into the creature's hand, it readily releases his foot, as it is pulled along the surface and up into the wall of swirling sand.
“Not what I had in mind, Boy,” his Master chides him, “Any thug can wield a weapon, magic is a nobler tool, observe.”
Mazzarin's staff darts out, extending the line before him and the sands follow his commands exactly. The wall spreads, rising to east and west, curving slightly as it goes.
The Great Mage charts a lazy circle in the ground and Emrys does not doubt for a second that far in the distance this impenetrable wall of sucking sand has closed in on itself.
Hmmm, a circle of sand?
Emrys is not certain he has heard of this one.
Maybe it is a modification of another spell, the Searing Circle? The Ring of Frost?
No, those are both smaller and- And flatter!
This is not a circle but a bowl, a great bowl of churning sand, of churning earth, oh! The boy smiles, “Master! I know this one as well!”
Mazzarin shouts over the raging storm, “Well, do not keep me in suspense!”
Right, the Boy nods, “You modified Merril's Wrath of the Sea, the spell he used to sink the pirate armada that threatened Covenant in the spring of 765. Instead of raising the waves you raised the sands, drawing the entire enemy host into a single swirling vortex!”
“Two for two, Boy!” the archmage allows himself the smallest of grins, “Now watch this.”
Mazzarin mutters something, some sort of chant in a language that Emrys has never heard before. Quietly at first but rising with each repetition, an old language, long forgotten by the world but remembered by this man.
The boy exhales, is it getting warmer?
“A fire spell, Master?” Emrys hazards.
“No,” the Great Mage answers without turning his head, “Do not guess, you must know.”
No, that is right, this is not elemental, Mazzarin is not channeling the element of rage and anger.
“You had best figure it out soon Boy,” the archmage warns him, “I will give you to the count of three.”
There is a- A purity to his movement. A simplicity in the words spoken, the arcs he carves through the air.
The Great Mage stops chanting, “One!”
The power within the mage builds, the heat above them intensifies.
A strange sense of peace pervades the scene even as a demon comes whipping around, it fanged maw open and howling as it races across the surface of the maelstrom. Here a leg twitches, there an arm bursts forth only to be consumed once more, the hunger of the desert obliterating, dwarfing, the similar yearning in the heart of each of the beasts.
Emrys frantically searches for a clue, some light to lead him to the answer.
“Two!” his Master shouts.
The sound of the storm and of the army trapped in it should be deafening but here, next to the Great Mage all is silent, unchanging, fixed in place by the withering stare of the sun.
The sun... A light to guide him... A light...
Mazzarin opens his mouth and in that second Emrys shouts, “Light!”
The mage half turns without breaking his focus, “Good, Boy. Now elaborate.”
Emrys spits out the words as fast as he can form them, “You- You, are going to use the Light, ah, light magic I mean. You are going to- Going to cook them!”
Mazzarin nods, “That is correct. Do you know what the spell is called?”
Emrys' expression of triumph becomes one of deepest despair, “No, Master. I don't not know what is called, I have failed.”
He lets the sheet of paper tumble to the ground.
Mazzarin laughs, “No you haven't, it does not have a name but I think I shall call it Kharybdis, so great is its thirst, and this, the first place it was used will forever be known as the Sea of Glass. Mark that in your book, Boy, you are witnessing history.”
The spell breaks loose, Emrys closes his eyes, the sound comes crashing back, sizzling, wailing, howling in his ears, as an army is extinguished.
-----------------------------------------------
A well laid plan, competently executed.
You did not even have to risk your own people to accomplish it. Seinsheim's army managed to turn the raiders, exposing their rear at which point your forces advanced into range and shattered the enemy with a single devastating blow.
You could say a great deal against the professionalism and loyalty of the Seekers but you can not complain about their knowledge of magic. They sculpted the dunes with expert precision, wind, sand and rock tearing your foe's lines to pieces. Your mortars targeted any enemy formations that survived your magic and your grenadiers picked off most of the rest.
If there is anything you are disappointed about it is the lack of enemy survivors. You had hoped to take at least a few alive but the lethality of your advance ensured that none that approached you survived.
At least you won't have to pay Enrico and his pack for a service they can not perform. The Coin-Sìth lounge about in the sun, they smile at you as you walk by. You shake your head but smile back, 'always be polite' the words echo in your mind.
You are on your way to meet Seinsheim and formally introduce yourselves when you are met by two pieces of distressing information.
Lyssa wanders up to the pair of you, a worried expression on her face, “Derryth, Thaïs, we need to talk.”
“Sure,” you answer, “What about?”
“The elephants,” she replies, “The Hounds want to transfer to Seinsheim's command and he has agreed to their request. Their logic is that Seinsheim serves the King and so they would not be violating their contracts by joining up with him.”
Brilliant, you could use those elephants and would hate to lose them but you doubt that you have any legal grounds to retain them under. The Hounds work for Albrecht, not you, and if they wish to join Seinsheim you would need to examine their contract to stop them, a contract that is currently several days travel to the north.
But Lyssa does not stop there, “Also, the Seekers are already meeting with Seinsheim. The Old Man requested an audience as soon as the battle ended.”
You can only guess what he plans to do, though you believe it is likely that he too wishes to join Seinsheim. With the control gem you could force him to stay but you are not sure how wise that would be.
As you close in on Seinsheim's teal and gold tent you thank Lyssa for the information, you can always take it up with Seinsheim directly though from what you understand he is not exactly a 'people person'.
---------------------------------------------------
“Ladies Thaïs and Derryth,” the guard shouts into the tent, “Seek audience with Lord Seinsheim!”
“Enter!” a low, rough voice answers.
You lower your heads, ducking into the dark tent.
It is almost empty, six figures, five standing, crowd round the center of the pavilion, easily built to hold twenty or thirty.
The first figure to draw your eye is an old dwarf, prone and clad in dented plate above the waist. This is undoubtedly Seinsheim and he is wounded. He is stripped naked below the waist, a deep wound cuts down his left thigh from hip to knee, his physician works feverishly to treat and close the wound.
Seinsheim, for his part, completely ignores both wound and physician. He curses under his breath as he runs through the latest reports brought to him by his captains.
He waves two of the figures surrounding him away, they bow once and make for the back of the tent as you enter through the front. One of them you recognize as a Seeker and the other you think is one of the Hounds' men.
The final two figures are both women, humans, and if you had to guess they are Seinsheim's champions, Galena and Treva. They stare at you with a confidence laced with curiosity, as befits mages encountering colleagues that may yet be allies or enemies.
Seinsheim looks up from his reports, he pauses for a moment, shakes his head, “Bad fucking omens.”
“Don't expect me to thank you for doing your jobs,” he spits into the dirt, “I am sure Albrecht is paying you mercenaries plenty to fight for the Kingdom. So long as you do a good job, we,” he gestures at you with his thumb and then back to himself, “We won't have any problems. Fuck up, like all the other idiots in this damn country, and I will bury you, understand?”
“Wait, excuse us but-” your better half begins.
He snorts, winces slightly as his surgeon pushes the needle though his thigh, “Wasn't asking for your permission, wasn't asking for your opinions, and if I ever do want to know what you think, you won't be in any doubt about it. Strictly speaking the only thing I need you to do is shut up and follow my orders. Now that understood?”
It may be wiser to agree, and if you do you may be able to retain control over the Seekers or the Hounds, provided you still want them. Of course you would have to swallow your pride to do it and you have a feeling that how you react right now will set the tone for your entire relationship with Seinsheim.
He is waiting for a response, well, in truth he is waiting for your agreement, but whether you wish to disappoint him or not you need to answer now.
--------------------------------------------------------
A chorus of impressed and intimidated gasps rises from your column as you near the Royal Army's camp.
Your scouts spoke of a forest of silver glass, marbled red and black, straddling the road south of the oasis. You did not really doubt them but despite that you are struck dumb by its terrifying majesty. It must stretch for kilometres in either direction and you can think of only one cause for its sudden appearance.
Mazzarin.
You and your command staff break off from the main column, swinging south to get a better look.
If you had to guess, that maze of tinted glass is all that remains of the cultist army. Arms, legs, torsos of flesh and chitin dot the otherwise smooth and flat glass walls. As you approach, you spot the face of a dwarf, his neck and brow wrapped in the black cloth of the Spider Cult. The horror in his eyes bears mute testament to the magic unleashed here mere hours ago.
You suppress a shiver that dances at the end of your spine and order your chariot back to the main column.
As you approach the damaged camp, passing through a hole guarded by a team of grenadiers you have your suspicions finally confirmed.
His name is on every tongue, songs and tales of his exploits, some real, most imagined, are told around every cooking fire.
The minds, hearts, eyes of the entire army are focused on one man, the Great Mage, Mazzarin.
Lyssa sighs, “He is going to steal all the credit for this, isn't he?”
You and Thaïs answer together, the answer so obvious that even Berty and Finn join in, “Yes.”
----------------------------------------------------
When you reach the center of camp it is Emrys that greets you, “Mistress Derryth, Mistress Thaïs, Mistress Lyssa,” he bows to each of you in turn.
Biliku and Uttu wave at him, he waves back and smiles politely before instantly turning his attention back to you, “My Master, and Prince Reinhard, wish to see you in the command tent.”
“Me as well, no doubt!” Seinsheim butts in as his grand chariot comes to a halt next to your own.
Emrys shrugs, “I don't know who you are Sir.”
The dwarf lord glares at the boy, “Lord Seinsheim, and you should be glad I am in a good mood or I would have you whipped!”
Emrys shrugs, “No you wouldn't.”
He turns away from the apoplectic lord and disappears into the command tent.
The three of you, along with the girls, Berty and Finn enter the tent after Emrys.
Seinsheim and his champions, not to be left out, crowd in behind.
“Reinhard! Berg! You cowards!” Seinsheim bellows as he enters, “I'm alive, no thanks to you or your people!”
“Oh,” the Prince replies, suitably disappointed.
Berg bows low and continues in the empty tone of a dwarf that has had the exact same conversation every day of his life, “It is good to see you well, Lord Seinsheim.”
“I'm sure you're thrilled, you disappointment of a dwarf!” Seinsheim seems like he could go on in this way for some time.
Mazzarin puts an end to it, “Who is this?” he asks the Prince.
“I am Lord Seinsheim!” the outraged Lord answers before his Prince can speak, “Of the Great House Seinsheim! Who are you?”
“Mazzarin,” the Great Mage answers, bored, “Now shut up.”
“Shut up?” the dwarf lord bristles, “Go fuck yourself you pompous, self-important-”
Instinctively you, and everyone else in the room, take three quick steps away from the dwarf. Even Treva and Galena, without a word, follow your lead.
Your actions make Seinsheim hesitate, not that it matters.
Mazzarin releases the smallest portion of his power and punts Seinsheim through the side of the tent. He lands in the oasis and damn near drowns before three of his guards can fish him out.
Mazzarin yawns, “I wish to rest,” he turns to the Prince, “You will provide me with your largest tent and finest bed.”
Reinhard grins, his expression speaks of unparalleled contentment, “The largest tent and the finest bed in this entire expedition both belong to the esteemed Lord Seinsheim.”
Mazzarin grins as well, every part the wolf as he does so, “Then I will take those. Do not bother me until we are ready to leave.”
“Shouldn't we take part in the planning, Master,” Emrys chimes in.
“Unnecessary,” the Great Mage answers, he gestures to you and Thaïs, “These are my agents, my-” he laughs, “My daughters, in all things treat them as you would my person. If you have any problems short of an army, any issues, any concerns, any tasks that require time, effort, and intuition, you can trust it all safely to them. I sent them to you in your hour of greatest need, all they have done is at my bidding and they will serve you faithfully so long as I wish it.”
He smiles warmly at the two of you, “Now be good girls while I take a nap, I will have new orders for you when I awake, no doubt.”
He struts past you, in every way a peacock, and out into the afternoon sun. You can hear him shouting at Seinsheim's people, ordering them to set up his new tent.
You are not sure, but you think that lazy old bastard just stole credit for everything you have done over the last three months, everything you will do in the future, and managed to saddle you with all of his work short of fighting archmages.
You should be angry but you just feel numb.
Reinhard considers your group, but it is Berg that speaks, “It is a pleasure to meet the 'Heroes of the Kingdom'- Or rather, the 'Daughters of Mazzarin', I have heard a great deal about you already and it is a comfort to know that the Great Mage's hand has been behind all your actions. Now, if you would like we can begin to discuss my plans to lift the siege of Stoneheim, unless you are tired from your travels that is, in which case we can wait for your Lord to awake.”
There is something about Berg that does not sit well with you, it may be best to feign exhaustion and retire for the evening, use the time to investigate the camp, or you might wish to attend this meeting and assert your position, whatever that is now.
Berg grins at you, Reinhard carefully studies you, and you step forward to give your answer.
1. The Hounds and their elephants: They wish to transfer over to Seinsheim's command, they are likely a little worried about the murderous looks Lyssa gives them and the elephants have been getting a little short tempered the more they are around her. How do you wish to respond?
A) You let them go. If they are serving under Seinsheim they are no longer your problem.
B) You talk to Seinsheim about it. You will try to convince him to refuse their service so that they have to stay with you. It might work or it might just antagonize both Seinsheim and the Hounds further.
C) You kill the handlers and take direct control over the elephants. You will have to do it discretely but Lyssa might have a few ideas.
D) You convince Reinhard to take control of them instead of giving them to Seinsheim.
E) You convince Reinhard to formally take control of them instead of giving them to Seinsheim. Then, after transfer is complete, ask the Prince to assign them back to our taskforce.
F) freeform
2. The Seekers: The Seekers have had more than enough of your leadership and it seems they wish to transfer to Seinsheim's service. How do you wish to handle the situation.
A) You let them go. If they are serving under Seinsheim they are no longer your problem.
B) You talk to Seinsheim about it. You will try to convince him to refuse their service so that they have to stay with you. It might work or it might just antagonize both Seinsheim and the Seekers further.
C) You challenge the Old Man for leadership:
i. You will fight him in a one-on-one duel.
ii. You will fight him and a second of his choice in a two-on-two duel.
iii. You will challenge him to a duel and then active his collar, separating his head from his shoulders. It would technically count as a win though it would go against the spirit of such a duel.
D) You use the command gem to force the Seekers to remain with you.
E) You convince Reinhard to take control of them instead of giving them to Seinsheim.
F) freeform
3. Seinsheim: Setting the tone. You meeting with Seinsheim in his tent set the tone for your working relationship with him. How did you approach it?
A) You took a diplomatic approach and agreed to follow his orders in the hopes of winning over the stubborn dwarf lord.
B) You stood up for yourself and your asserted your autonomy. You serve the King, not Seinsheim and you told him as much, working from the idea that he would respect strength.
C) Heal his wound with one of the rings. Then tell him that you are a servant no one, not even the King. Everything you do, you do because you want to do it, not because you follow someone's orders.
D) freeform
4. Your choice: How do you wish to answer Berg's question?
A) You choose to excuse yourself from the meeting.
i. You go to sleep. You could use a several hours of uninterrupted sleep and what are the odds you would miss something important anyway?
ii. You wish to explore the camp and meet with the other leaders of the relief army. See where they stand and if they can be trusted.
iii. You go to sleep with the intention of entering the Dreaming. Morpheus has been waiting patiently for your first meeting and you owe him stories. You would also like to take the chance to confer with him, his wife and his contacts.
iv. You will excuse yourself from the meeting and will try to work with Reinhard instead on screening the dwarven army from cultist infiltrators with the help of Coin-Sith. You will try to gather as much information as you can before the meeting commences.
v. You will excuse yourself and pursue Karwelas' plan
vi. freeform
B) You choose to take part in the meeting and help frame the strategy going forward. Reinhard and Berg are the most important commanders in camp with the exception of Seinsheim, the more time you spend with them the better.
C) freeform
5. The dogs are trying to entertain themselves at your expense. Are you going to do anything about it?
A. Yes. Commence operation 'Trick or Treat'.
B. No, you will just stand there and take it.
C. freeform
6. Now that you have destroyed a large gholish force and Mazzarin have joined forces with the dwarven army, the ghols don't stand much of a chance in the conflict. You could contact Nanshe next time you are due to the musical training and convince her to try and subjugate the now weakened clans, recalling their forces from the south - if there are any left.
A - Yes, you will speak to her about it. She gets to expand her Empire at their expense, and we won't have to hunt their remnants across the Kingdom.
B - No, you will not involve yourself in this.
7. You have not moved too far from Myrgard yet. Do you want to send a report to Albrecht and your team about the situation in the South and maybe get a report back?
A - Yes. Choose which topics you want to get the report on or what orders you want to convey to your forces.
i) You request the update on the situation in Myrgard (the cult, Thyra, Rand, the not-Rand autopsy results, your various forces and their progress with the assigned tasks, maybe even the Weazels or other personnel).
ii) You request the update on the situation in Blackrock (the Boys, Hesse, Welf and their champions).
iii) You instruct Mayer to keep an eye on people who turned to our 'Fata Morgana' firm to place an order for a large quantity of Energon Cubes. (Those are used in the cloning rituals. Perhaps it might lead us to the cloning facilities or the cultist HQ.)
iv) You instruct your Blackrock mice to spy on Hesse, Welf and their forces in the fort. They should report to Myora. You will attach one of the items Lyssa made to converse with the rodents to the letter. (We are certain there are enemy agents among them, and the fort is riddled with mice, so it is a natural course of action. Should have thought of that one earlier, but oh well.)
v) You request a copy of the contract with the Hounds. (No, I don't need it, but this whole "you can't see a contract so you can't argue back" does not sit well with me)
vi) freeform
B - No, there is not much to report yet and you have no orders to give.
8. Do you want to make the following adjustments to the character's sheet?
A. Yes, you make changes (select as many as you want):
i. - arm your third spell ring with Heal instead of Greater Energy Bolt and loan it to Lyssa (so that each of you had means of quick healing)
ii. - arm your mice squad with sharp and pointy weapon and enchant them with Poison Oath to make them capable of taking down a person.
iii. freeform
B - No, no adjustments are necessary.
Chapter 70: Divided Loyalties
Chapter 70: Divided LoyaltiesNovember 19, 2542, Outside the Sea of Glass
Victory!
Child, my hands are shaking as I write this, but we have won! Not some tiny victory either, not some hollow, weak and mewling thing- A complete rout! Absolute victory!
I can hardly think, barely express my elation, it- It is difficult to know what to tell you first. Perhaps I should begin with the smaller shock?
I say small but in truth it is no small thing that I am about to commit to paper. The ghôlish host that has been troubling the south is no more! It was broken by Lord Seinsheim with the assistance of Albrecht's mercenary mages.
Seinsheim's people have been quick to spread the word throughout the camp and though few care for his Lordship none can deny the service he has rendered to the Kingdom today. In fact a great many dwarves have been speaking rather well of Seinsheim. If you as me, I suspect it has a little to do with the free meat his guards are giving out throughout the camp. It is said that so many of the beasts fell today that the army can eat nothing but ghôl meat all the way to Stoneheim if the General will let us. Already the camp fills with the scent of the stuff and the reveling that accompanies these feasts has done wonders for morale.
This alone would be a victory worthy of eternal remembrance, the greatest dwarven victory over those beasts in half a century, but it has been almost entirely overshadowed by a second surprise. The tongues of our countrymen, marshaled and led out by their stomachs, may be bent to Seinsheim's service, but their eyes reveal the truth that haunts their minds. Even in this tent I know it is out there, the monument to the single greatest spell I have ever witnessed. The single greatest spell I am ever likely to witness.
It is a forest of glass shards, hungrily reaching for the sky.
It is a maze of twisted mirror, tinted with the blood and bile of our enemies, and when the light hits it, it seems to whirl as I imagine the ocean would.
I stand, my dear child, in a tent just north of the Sea of Glass. Yesterday it was the enemy army, today it is the latest creation of the greatest archmage to ever live, the first of the Avatara, M-
“So who the fuck is this Mazzarin fella?” a thick, low voice demands to know from outside her tent.
“Some sort of human archmage, I think?” his thinner companion answers as he raises the flap of the tent and the two of them enter, “Ase will know at any rate,” he reassures his companion as the pair wave to her, “Ain't that right Ase?”
She nods without looking up. She will have to finish writing latter.
She slaps her journal closed and loops the binding strap round it to secure it.
She glances up at the pair, staring at her innocently with their hands behind their backs, she speaks, “And what have you two got now?”
The larger dwarf grins merrily, as he presents his gift, “Dinner, whole rack of ribs torn fresh from one of the beasts Seinsheim's folk brought in.”
Damn, they must have had to wait around in the queue for hours to get that.
She would like to get a bit more work done, but it would be rude not to partake, and there are only two of them, and, well, she could use a bit of dinner too.
“See, I knew there was a reason why I put up with you two,” she smiles, waving them over to a large table, scored, worn and chipped all around its circular edge.
The three drop down, big Arkell to her left and his younger brother, Hall, to her right.
“Arkell! Hall!” a voice calls from beyond the tent.
“In here, Captain,” they answer together.
Then Arkell adds, before Ase can stop him, “Come right on in Captain! We're have'n dinner in Ase's tent tonight.”
She does her best to suppress a moan. It is not that the Captain is a bad dwarf, he looks after his subordinates, he gets her what she needs but as soon as he enters the tent she knows with a growing, dreadful certainty that she will get nothing else done tonight.
“That right Ase?” the Captain enquires.
Bless him for his courtesy but there is no getting out of this now.
“Yes, Captain Manning. We are just sitting down to eat,” she glances at Arkell, he beams at her as she continues, “Would you care to join us?”
“I was actually planning on attending dinner with a couple of Seinsheim's guards-” he begins.
With a jolly confidence that brooks no disagreement Arkell cuts in, “Well then invite them over Captain! The more the merrier!”
Ase mutters.
Hall, watching her reaction, stifles a snicker.
Captain Manning pretends to give the tent the once over, “I am afraid it would be a bit crowded in here, Arkell.”
“Why don't we go with you then, Captain?” Hall suggests with as much feigned deference as he can muster.
The Captain grins, “And what would you two do in a room full of officers?”
“Out drink'em!” Arkell declares.
“Out play them too,” Hall is quick to add.
The brothers never did have much respect for rank. The Captain's eyes fix on Ase, “Well, would you care to accompany me, and these two buffoons, to a dinner that will no doubt prove interesting?”
When he puts it that way, how can she resist?
-----------------------------------------------
“Where the fuck is my fucking purse!” a howl of rage, heard half way across your section of camp shatters the quiet of your meeting, “I will flay, alive, the son-of-a-bitch that stole my purse! I will slaughter their descendants! I will-” the curses are carried away on the breeze.
“Was that-” your better half begins.
“The Old Man.” you answer, part question, part answer.
Lyssa shrugs, “He must have misplaced something important. Not our problem anymore anyway.”
That much is certainly true, your earlier meeting with Reinhard was able to achieve that much at the least. The Seekers have been placed under his direct authority and the Hounds, despite their best efforts remain under yours, or rather, they were officially transferred to the Prince's command and he, in turn, returned them to you.
You doubt the handlers were terribly happy about that turn of events but maybe that will teach them not to go behind your back with their problems. A slim hope, but one all the same.
You did not discuss much else with the Prince at your first formal meeting, it was not a suitable occasion to discuss weighty issues. At least not with Lord Berg hanging on every word exchanged. Instead you excused yourselves and set to work formulating a plan.
You had Berty deliver a sealed message directly to the Prince. Its contents, a request for a private meeting to discuss military matters, but the meeting's true purpose will be to establish a means of screening the army for spies.
He agreed to meet you this evening, after he finishes discuss the situation with his command staff. You hope that Reinhard will be open to your suggestions but only time will tell.
For now you have settled on getting everything in place, you have set up screening teams and even come up with a few cover stories to explain their appearance at important 'meetings', in reality screenings, you just need permission now to begin.
There is one plan that you are ready to proceed with though, one that you need no permission to enact and it is this plan that is the reason for your meeting.
“So what are we going to do about our new employees?” Thaïs initiates the operation with an innocent enough question.
“We will just have to pay them in steak for the time being,” you answer immediately, casually, but loud enough to ensure that the Coin-Sith stalking outside your tent can hear you. You left a bit of mild concern creep into your voice, “Of course we may run out soon enough, the dwarves love their feasts, it seems, and what they do not devour the heat and insects eventually will.”
Out of the corner of your eyes you notice the silhouette of a small hound, its ears perked up, likely hanging on your every word. You think it is one of the puppies which should make this all the easier.
“Well, we do still have that venison from Madrigal, ice packed, it will probably keep for at least a few more days,” Lyssa helpfully reminds you. It does not matter that no such venison has ever existed.
“Is it still in wagon number three?” you inquire, whispering, quietly enough to ensure the hound is fully focused on your words.
“Yes,” Thaïs answers, she sighs, “But between the screening teams and our own general security we can hardly spare guards to look after something like that.”
You nod several times, after all, you are not sure just how much of your silhouette the fairy hound can see, “Well, we will just have to do our best, I would hate to lose such well aged meat.”
Watching carefully, the hound's shadow disappears from your vision , darting off into the twilight.
Hopefully the hound will relay your conversation to its elders and hopefully they will take the bait. The rest will be up to Berty; your tactician has promised to catch the hounds and to humble them. Hopefully you will be able to assert, once and for all, your position of superiority.
Lyssa grins, Thaïs winks and you shift the conversation, “We should probably check with Finn tonight, before the meeting, see if he has any insights into how best to use the hounds for screening purposes,” you do not say it, but you also hope the King will grant you additional packs of hounds for the task. Ideally you would like to screen the entire army for spies and saboteurs but that could take some time. To do so you will need to find the King and he does have a habit of making himself scare when there is work to be done.
Thaïs takes the initiative, rising and moving toward the front flap of the tent, “Cropper should be able to find Finn for us,” she passes her summons to one of the guards outside who sets off to find the hunter.
“Care for a drink while we wait?” she asks, gliding away from the front of the tent toward your things and the locked cabinet that protects Tyrvard's old still.
You nod, Lyssa does as well, Tyrvard's brew is superior to any other and Thaïs has been working slowly to improve the recipe in your spare moments. The result is something that is quickly approaching the divine.
She draws up to the travel cabinet you keep the still in and gently unlocks it, gingerly opening it to find... An empty still.
You curse under your breath, catching yourself a moment too late.
Lyssa moans, your better half taps her foot and mutters.
You have been robbed.
“Who could have?” your witch begins.
Well, you are traveling with a company of fairies, if you had to guess it was one of them.
Your messenger returns with a disappointing report. Cropper is nowhere to be found.
Your guard tells you that, supposedly, he left your part of the camp some time ago with a sack in one hand and a number of full leather bags tied to his waist. Enrico was with him and the two were deep in conversation when they passed beyond your lines.
When questioned by your sentries Cropper merely smiled and said that he was on a mission directly from you.
You hope he does not get into too much trouble, even as you know that such hopes are all too likely to be dashed.
For a moment you entertain the notion of going after him but you quickly realize the futility of such an act. Instead you focus on the coming meeting and what you will say to the Prince.
------------------------------------------------------
Dinner.
A feast.
Plates and cups of lead and tin.
They clang. They clatter.
Smoked ghôl, grilled ghôl, boiled ghôl, all piled high upon them as Seinsheim's cooks set to work preparing enough food for an army.
Ase and her three companions skirt the edge of the throng, Captain Manning in the lead. He instructs them as they move, “House Seinsheim's club is toward the back, it is supposed to be officers only, but-”
Hall hawks, drawing himself up to his full height, turning to the left and aiming square at the back of one of Seinsheim's guards. The sound of the phlem clearing his throat makes Ase cringe, the swears that explode for Hall's unfortunate target fill the soldier's eyes with the most meager glimmer of satisfaction, “You are gonna make an exception for us though, right Captain?”
Manning shakes his head, “Not if you are going to behave like animals in there, not if you are going to start something with Seinsheim's people.”
Arkell grins, “Don't worry Captain, we won't start nothing,” for a second Ase can sense Manning's surprise and appreciation, naturally Arkell won't leave it at that, “'Course we might have to end a few things.”
Manning scowls, “Throw a single fucking punch, start a single fucking arguement, get caught cheating, even one fucking time, and you will both be on latrine duty for as long as you limbs and your lungs can keep you fucking above ground, understood!”
Arkell and Hall make sure to mutter the proper assurances, there is little fear in them though, even Ase knows that. The Captain goes way back with these two, to the Great War in fact, and no barroom brawl or cheap con is going to come between them.
Still, the proper decorum must be maintained, even if only for the sake of the recruits and the second-raters.
The Captain leads them on through the crush, pausing only once more as they enter the, rather nondescript, canvas tent that serves as a club for Seinsheim's guard captains. He repeats his order then, muttering under his breath as they enter, “Arkell, Hall, I am asking you two, as a personal favour, don't fucking start anything in there.”
“Yes, Captain,” the pair of veterans respond, their eyes already scanning the room for an easy mark.
Crowded around one of the bigger tables in Seinheim's part of camp, Ase and her fellows set down to dinner with a trio of Seinsheim captains. Nice enough fellows, at least for House guards, but not a one would make it into the army proper.
Second-raters, the lot of them.
One's too fat. The other, too stupid, and the third, well, there is something off about him, not merely cruel, nor vindictive, nor bitter, there are plenty in the army that are one or all of those things. No, Ase is not quite sure what it is about him but she does not like him at all.
He grins at them as they are seated, the Captain in particular, “Didn't think you were coming Manning, thought maybe you backed out.”
“Not me,” the Captain answers easily, “Would not miss dinner, or a chance to take your money.”
“Good,” the fat one answers as he brings forth a bulbous copper pot and a pair of dice, “Favourite pot,” he explains, picking his teeth “Favourite dice too, carved from the knuckles of a big ol'ghôl priestess. Should get lots of use out of them tonight. Want to begin? Play while we eat? Starting stake is five gold pieces.”
Hell, an expensive game, especially when all she wanted was dinner, she starts to back out, “That is a bit rich for my liking.”
The cruel one grins, “Ain't nothing says you got to play,” and with that he dismisses her, turning his attention to the her three companions, “What about you bunch? You in, or is everybody in the army a coward?”
The barb is unnecessary, Arkell and Hall are here to play as is their captain and they answer as much.
“Great!” the fat one answers, he throws the dice in the pot, they skitter along the pot as he slaps the lid down tight and begins to shake it.
The cruel one speaks as his confederate rolls, “Now you all know the rules-”
“I don't suppose you would be needing a seventh?” the soothing notes of a distinctly undwarven voice waft over to the table across the crowded tent.
Every dwarf in the place stops dead, “Who the fuck are you!” the fat one calls out, “This is a private club, members and invites only!”
----------------------------------------------------
As evening gave way to night and the roars and laughter of the dwarven army built, the pair of you set out toward your meeting with Albrecht's son and heir.
You drifted: past your wagons, loaded down with goods, past your hounds, circling those same wagons, past Berty and the girls, lying in ambush for your greedy Coin-Sith, past your human and dwarven mercenaries, drinking and gambling, telling tales as magnificent as they were false and finally you moved past your sentries and into the main dwarven camp. You pressed on past the glares of the Seekers. They no doubt requested a place far removed from your own camp but Reinhard could not grant it to them. Between Berg and Seinsheim's armies there simply was no more space left within the scorched and battered walls of the camp. You pushed past the Seekers' cluster of tents, giving them as wide a berth as you could and moved on to the Hounds' camp. You did not receive any warmer a welcome there.
You hope that will not become a problem down the road, but there is little you can do about it now.
Entering the main camp you receive a slightly warmer welcome. The odd veteran nods at you or bows, every now and then someone shouts out, "There go the Heroes of the Kingdom!" to a few cheers, or, "All hail the 'Daughters of Mazzarin!" That last one in particular is going to get annoying quickly.
Not much you can do about that either. You brought Mazzarin into this and he is doing his best to take advantage, claiming all the glory and your own deeds as his own.
No sooner does the archmage cross your mind then the back of his new tent comes into view, looming large at the heart of the camp. The tent, while retaining the basic dimensions it had earlier today, has changed remarkably. All along its surface small flecks of magic crawl, coating the tent and the surrounding structures in violet and orange light. They deepen the shadows and grant them a certain, sinister, light. A low rumble comes from within the tent, like the slow, relaxed breathing of some ancient god of thunder and fire. You hair rises slightly, a subtle magical charge in the air, and as you begin to round the structure your magical senses are momentarily scattered and scrambled by a wave of energy that breaks gently around you.
The entire scene is vaguely disconcerting and slightly intimidating. No doubt the exact impression the Great Mage wishes to give.
As you move round to the front of the tent your eye catches the slightest movement from the entrance of the pavilion, something emerging from the shadows within. You both stop short and stare as this phantom takes on shape and substance, stepping clear of the shadows of the tent. The light, the noise, the magical interference, all put your mind on edge and for just a second you think that this drifting shadow is some sort of guardian beast, a shadow, a malevolent thing bent to Mazzarin's service.
The 'creature' grunts once and the spell you have woven in your mind unravels. He is pulling something heavy and this little sign of strain and discomfort is more than enough to inform you that he is nothing but flesh and blood, same as you. He turns and instantly you relax, it is only Emrys. He waves at you and the burden he is dragging falls over.
Lying flat on the ground, bathed in witchlight, you can see Emrys' burden. It is an 'M', a seven foot tall, foldable, golden 'M', and from the sound it makes striking the sand you are fairly sure that it is simply painted wood. You have to suppress a slight smile upon the realization of that fact.
“Hello, Mistress Thaïs, Mistress Derryth,” the Boy greets you with impeccable politeness, “How are you both this evening?”
“Good, Emrys,” you answer together and he tilts his head a little at that.
Thaïs takes first turn at speaking for you, “You do not have to call us Mistress, you do know that right?”
You nod, “Yeah, just call us by our names, the rest is a waste of time.”
Emrys nods slowly, hefting his load up off the ground, “I am afraid I can't,” he gestures back into the tent, “Master insists that I show 'due reverence' for my elders. He says,” and here the boy assumes a tone and posture much like Mazzarin's own, “That 'you can not expect respect from your subordinates if you do not give it-'”
You and your better half share a grin as you interrupt, “We don't see him giving much respect to anyone.”
Emrys frowns slightly, remembering the rest of his Master's instructions, “-'if you do not give it to your superiors.'”
You both laugh in harmony, you wink, “Well that explains it,” you doubt he considers anyone short of dead, old Wyrd to be his superior.
“What do you have there Emrys?” your partner inquires.
“Ah,” he glances down at the 'M', “Master wants this hung so that it will frame the entryway to the tent. He says we must make the 'right sort of impression'.”
“That he is a raging narcissist?” you mutter.
Thaïs laughs, the Boy stares at you both innocently as your better half continues her questioning, “And what are you doing after that?”
“Working,” he sighs, “Master wants me to organize his scroll cases, sweep the sand from his tent, and then I have to sort his mail,” he grins and his eyes flash for a moment, “And then I have to practice the thirty seven forms of the southern style of the Physical Adepts of the Red Cliffs, Master expects me to have the basics memorized by the time we leave the Kingdom.”
Sounds like he is tough on the boy, well, you have heard it builds character, “Is he punishing you for something?”
Emrys shakes his head emphatically, “No, not at all! My latest tasks are rewards for the progress I have made in my studies. Master says that by organizing his scroll cases I will be able to observe the various binding methods used to prevent prying hands and quick minds from stealing his secrets. He says that by sweeping the sand out of his tent I will learn patience and humility, both of which are needed in a good apprentice, and-”
You interrupt together, “And sorting his mail will improve you how?”
The Boy is undeterred by your interruption, “I don't know but he gets so very little mail that it will hardly take more than a moment to deal with. Then I have all night to practice my forms.”
Sounds like an illuminating evening even if it is a bit solitary.
Emrys struggles to attach the 'M' to the tent, clipping it in place with iron clamps on the back.
When he is done he mutters a few words in a dialect you do not understand and the spells woven into the wood spring to life. The 'M' begins to glow with an inner fire, casting off just a little warmth and adding its golden light to the palette of colours already at play around you.
Emrys steps back from his work, satisfied, “One task down, two more to go!”
He spins back around to face you and bows low to each of you, “Good night, Mistress Derryth. Good night, Mistress Thaïs.”
As he bows for the second time his pack shifts and a bundle of fresh letters fall out. Emrys dives at them, snatching them up before the wind can carry them away, he sighs in relief at the realization that he has them all securely in hand. You do manage to get a glimpse of the top letter though and you recognize the name of its author, Lyssa.
You wonder what exactly your witch has to say to Mazzarin that would require such an indirect means of communication. Perhaps you can find out if you can convince Emrys to let you peek. You know the boy is quite loyal to his Master but from what you have heard he also has an unquenchable desire for knowledge, particularly magical knowledge, and that might provide you with an opening. You will have to be quick though, Emrys seems intent on entering Mazzarin's tent and Reinhard is waiting for you.
With only a moment to decide you make your choice.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The stranger pushes into the tent all the same.
He is human, likely a mercenary come in with the reinforcements from out of the north. That means he is one of Mazzarin's people and that fact has already dawned on a couple of the officers in the bar, they move to the back of the tent, checking, then double-checking the exits, just in case. Most though are too drunk, too elated, to care who the human serves and with the typical hospitality of her people they holler and bellow at the new arrival. He seems completely unconcerned, walking with an easy gait, chestnut hair poking out in tufts from under a broad-rimmed straw hat. He is dressed in simple leathers with a cloak of red, trimmed with green. He swings a tiny club in his left hand and at his right heel walks a small dog, some sort of tiny pug that has the bearing and confidence of an animal three times its size.
Two of Seinsheim's officers move to intercept the human as the cruel officer repeats his colleague's injunction, “Get the fuck out! You got wool in your ears or something?”
The stranger stops, perplexed, he seems to give the question an honest appraisal, “Have I got wool in my ears? Hmmm, wool in my ears. Wool. In my. Ears. No, I don't suppose I do, but let me check a bit before answering fully.”
He gives his head a shake and frowns, “Well, there is certainly something in there, that much I will gladly grant you,” he shakes his head harder and raises a single, gloved, hand to his right ear, “Ah, I think it is coming loose!” he shouts, then with a look of triumph he produces a single gold coin, “Ha! Well what do you know! I suppose I did have something in my ear and,” he reveals a rather hefty bag tied to his left wrist, “I suppose I have a fair few more besides.”
The jingle of coins relaxes a few of the dwarves but the stranger is not done yet, “Ah, but that is not even the half of it,” he reaches around his back, pulling forth a sizable drinking skin, “If the sound of gold does little to prove our brotherhood, and my fair intentions, then how about a little spirits to raise the same in all of you!”
He uncorks the container and shoves it into the hands of the nearest dwarf, the dwarf takes a single whiff and must love what he smells as he greedily suckles on the bag. The stranger produces a second sack and a third, drinking skins packed with a beverage fine as it is clear.
Resistance melts as the barman attempts to convince his customers to finish their drinks and order more. It seems it will be an uphill battle for the poor bartender.
The stranger saddles up to the table, seizing an empty chair as he goes and pours himself into it with masterful grace.
The fat dwarf grunts, “You want to play, it is f-”
The stranger's purse clanks against the table, whoever he is, he must be rich.
The cruel dwarf cautiously considers the stranger, “How much you got in there anyway?”
The stranger blinks, “Well, not terribly sure to be honest. Let me take just the smallest of looks.”
The stranger shoves his purse forward, an eye, wreathed in flame emblazoned on its exterior. He cracks it open and begins counting.
When he is finished he looks up with an innocent grin, “Oh, must be eighty, maybe ninety gold.”
“You, ah,” the stupid dwarf finally chimes in, “You ever play before?”
The stranger slowly shakes his head, “Nope, first time for everything though, right?”
The cruel dwarf snorts, “You want into this game, it will cost you eight gold a round.”
The Captain mutters a little, Arkell and Hall shift but none of the three contest the raising of the stakes.
The stranger counts out his pieces and throws them in the pile, newly formed by the six dwarves.
Arkell introduces himself, his brother, and Captain Manning. Each of his compatriots responding with a slight nod.
When he gets to her, Ase hazards a question of the man, “Do you happen to have a name? Something we can call you?”
The stranger turns to her and winks, “Rob, First Jack of the Spring, as me dad used to call me when I was but a boy,” he extends a hand to her, which she readily takes, as he continues to introduce himself to all present,“And it is a true pleasure to meet you, an absolute delight if I do say so myself,” he grins, “Which I do, of course, say, ah, meaning myself, meaning it is a pleasure,” he nods a few times and taps his tiny club against the side of his leg, “An this,” he points down at the little pug, “This is Rico, my fine and fair friend for many a season,” he nods again, “So you see, it is plenty easy to remember our names, Rob and Rico, finest of friends, and fine friends to our friends I hope you will find!”
Arkell sniffs, playing with his coins, “So you, ah, come in with Mazzarin's folk?”
“For a certainty I did, Friend Arkell,” Rob grins, “Came down from the north a short spell ago and had a little wander around your fine country. Met a few fine folks," he lets his gaze linger on the cruel dwarf as he speaks, "And some not so fine," he quickly turns back to Ase and beams, "Then I fell in with the Ladies Derry and Taide, I serve them, they serve the Mazzarin, so I keep hearing,” he laughs merrily, an action that mystifies Ase.
At least the stranger seems to be enjoying himself.
“Right,” the fat dwarf interrupts the stranger's enlightening introduction, “We ready to begin now? I would like to get a few rounds in before I got to go back on duty.”
“Whenever you care to begin,” Rob answers with a slight bow as the dice begin to rattle.
The cruel dwarf stares at the stranger, the stranger stares back.
Something is going on here and maybe, just maybe, Ase will be able to find out.
----------------------------------------------
The guards around Reinhard's tent are different than the rest of the soldiers you have seen. While their fellows celebrate they remain focused, concerned only with the protection of their Prince. They do not wear the reds and silvers of the army, not the purple and gold of the new Royal Guard either, they dress in black and it lends a certain sinister air to them, one you are not certain they deserve.
They wave you into Reinhard's tent without a word. You need no permission or pass to go where you please in the camp, your positions as the 'Heroes of the Kingdom' and the 'Daughters of Mazzarin' ensures that much.
The Prince sits with his back to the entrance, relaxed but not completely defenseless as the crossbow resting near his thigh can attest. He is perched on a long wooden bench a large tome cracked open before him. You are immediately curious as to its contents; simply a matter of your nature really.
“Derryth? Thaïs?” he calls out without turning.
“It is us your Royal Highness,” Thaïs answers for you both. Best to let her do the talking till you know more about the heir to the throne.
He half-turns on the bench, to reveal a pair of wide spectacles resting easily on the edge of his nose, “The honorifics are not necessary. I am not your Prince, nor am I your General, you serve my father directly if I understand correctly?”
“We do,” you answer plainly. If he wants a more relaxed form of discussion then you will oblige him.
Thaïs hazards a morsel of elaboration, “We are empowered to pursue his interests across the Kingdom though it may be more accurate to say that we work for him on a case by case basis.”
“In all things?” he asks turning now back to his book.
You glance at one another, and shrug. How to answer that?
“In most things,” you begin.
“Those things we deem important,” your better half clarifies, “We are given a rather free reign.”
He stiffens a little at that, “So my brother tells me. He was going to offer you employment in his service. Did he? Did you accept?”
“He did,” you answer the easy question.
Thaïs answers the harder one with a question of her own, “Would you believe us if we told you we did not accept his offer?”
Once more he turns from his text, just enough to catch a firm vision of you, “Yes, it would agree with what I have heard of you from other sources. Of course,” he begins to list the hypotheticals, a shadow of suspicion plays in the corner of his weary eyes, “You could also, easily, be lying. I could think of a few reasons why my brother would ask you to lie to me.”
“Ambition?” you wager.
He shakes his head, “No, well, yes, but not in the way you think. My brother loves me, I have never doubted that, at court he is one of a very few that I can trust with absolute certainty not to betray me, and yet...” the dwarf closes the book and swings a leg over the bench.
He rises, with the text in hand he carefully carries it over to a large, triple locked trunked. Upon opening it he deposits it carefully and seals the heavy trunk once more, placing the key in his front pocket.
You can not help but ask, “What where you reading?”
A military text?
An economic treaty?
Something on magic perhaps? No, that would make little sense as the heir to the Kingdom Reinhard would not be able to practice magic even were he so inclined.
“A book of principles,” he glances at the chest, “Written by a dwarf that could see them so clearly.”
You decide to push the Prince a little, “Care to elaborate?”
“Maybe,” he answers, returning to his bench and dropping down on it with all the grace of a stone thrown into a well. He leans back against his sizable desk.
He taps his head, “Mentalists, right? You could simply take the information if you wished.”
“We could,” you answer as one, “But we would not.”
He smiles slightly, “Well, that is a little encouraging, more than I expected at least.”
You wonder what he meant by that.
He closes his eyes, “My brother would though. Maybe not to me but to others, those he did not know or like, he certainly would. He would strip their minds bare and use any information found to defend the family, the House, and the Kingdom. So I say he loves me, but,” he raises a hand, “And with Timo there is always a 'but', he would lie to me, he has lied to me, he will lie to me in the future and I am certain that if you chose to serve him he would ask you to lie to me as well. One of many things he does, 'for my own good and the good of the Kingdom', of course.”
The Prince shrugs, “He is so much like my father, as much as I love little Timo, he is in every way my father's son,” the Prince laughs, a quiet thing, haunting his breath, “I wonder if he even realizes it. Hell, I wonder if father realizes it.”
As interesting as it may be to let the Prince simply talk you should try to move the conversation in the desired direction. You only have so much time with him after all. To that end you intend to use notes, passed in secret, but for that you need to get closer, “Reinhard, may we sit?”
Your request snaps the Prince back to attention, “Ah, I have been rude, haven't I? Yes, please, grab a chair from over in the corner, we can sit at the table in the-” he glances around the overstuffed tent, at a loss to find a table not crowded by tomes and armour, weapons and scraps of parchment.
Eventually you settle around one of the smaller tables as the Prince clears a large model artillery piece from its surface. The metal contraption, which Reinhard tells you is a model reconstruction of a Trow carroballista, seems to have a good deal of weight to it but Reinhardt manages well enough.
Once seated you slip him your note. It details your plan, your intentions to use hounds to root out any Spider Cultists and minions of the Watcher within the officer corps of the army. He nods slowly as he reads and you make small talk to cover the silence.
As the Prince writes his reply you return to the topic of the text he was reading, surely it will prove innocuous enough.
As you ask him about it, he passes you his reply.
It reads,
I already know that the army is compromised.
So is House Berg.
Seinsheim, I am not sure about.
You have my permission to proceed with the screenings. I will setup the meetings if you can provide the hounds.
Getting Lords Berg and Seinsheim to cooperate though may take more time than we have.
What does your Master think of this plan? How much time will he give us to get everything in place?
Right, Mazzarin...
As soon as the Great Mage wakes up he is going to want to leave. That will not leave you with enough time to do much in the way of screening, unless you can convince him to wait that is.
You scribble a few assurances, unsure of how exactly you will manage to convince the Great Mage to remain at the oasis for a few more days.
As you pass your note back shouting begins to build from outside.
“What the hell,” the Prince begins.
One of his guards enters, “Apologies for the intrusion, General, but there is some sort of disturbance on the south side of camp. Seinsheim's people are up in arms, they are saying they caught a demon, and they are going to hang him.”
“One of the survivors from the Cultist army?” Reinhard asks, annoyed at the intrusion.
“No, sir,” the guard replies, “Ah, at least not like anything we have seen before. They say it has great fangs and large ears, wheels a club about like a real monster though and it has this great bloody dog with it too. Supposedly the things can change shape and size, they were causing all kinds of trouble in Seinsheim's officer club before Treva and Galena dropped them.”
“Cropper,” you groan together.
“What's a 'cropper'?” the Prince naturally enquires.
“Trouble,” you respond with a slow shake of your head, “But not dangerous, or at least not an enemy of the Kingdom.”
“A friend then?” the Prince presses.
“After a fashion,” you answer together, “We can't let him, or his hound, hang.”
“Right,” the Prince nods, “I will order his release then. Hopefully Seinsheim feels like complying tonight.”
You are about to agree before you stop and think for a moment. That might not actually be the best course of action. If Reinhard orders the release of Cropper and, what must be, Enrico it may make any investigation of the army more difficult. You would hate to have the Prince openly associated with shapeshifting allies. Maybe there is another way to go about this, if you have the Prince ask to attend the execution, delaying it by a few hours, you might be able to sneak in, free your allies and sneak out again. That way the demons would simply disappear and no one could be blamed.
Alternatively, you could go to Seinsheim and personally ask for the release of Cropper and Enrico. If you do that, there are a few ways you could play it. You did heal the dwarf lord, maybe he is the grateful type and will release your allies if you remind him of his debt, or you could claim that the pair serve Mazzarin, which would be true, and that he would be furious if they died, which would almost certainly be a lie. Seinsheim has had a small taste of what Mazzarin can do, the threat of the Great Mage's involvement might be enough to pressure the dwarf lord into relenting. Of course, if you do appeal to Seinsheim you risk exposing your own connection to the Tuatha Dé which may also make your investigation more difficult.
Finally, you could always choose to leave Cropper and Enrico to their own devices. The two of them might be able to escape without your help and it might teach them a lesson or two.
You decide to:
1. Captured Cropper (and Enrico): How do you wish to handle the situation?
A) You will let Reinhard order their release though it might make your subsequent investigations more difficult.
B) You will try to break them out while Reinhard delays the hanging. (All B options are counted together, the most popular option will be chosen)
i. You will let Lyssa and the mice handle this.
ii. You will call on Finn to help. His people should be able to spirit the prisoners away though it might not be as subtle as you would like.
iii. You will go by yourselves. The two of you should have free run of the camp, even Seinsheim's portion of it and using your magic you should be able to secure the release of the prisoners.
iv. Poison and Rodents Plan
v. freeform
C) You go to Seinsheim and remind him of the favour you did him (healing his leg). Hopefully he will hear you out and release the prisoners.
D) You will go to Seinsheim and demand the release of the prisoners in the name of Mazzarin. Hopefully he will be suitably terrified and will agree to your request.
E) You will leave Cropper and Enrico to make their own escape.
F) freeform
2. Mazzarin, the Impatient: When Mazzarin wakes up he is going to want to continue south. You want to screen the army however and that is liable to take a few days. You will need to convince him somehow to do what you want.
A) Be honest with him. You will tell him what you are trying to do and why he needs to help you delay things. Hopefully he will go along with your plan instead of simply 'solving' it himself.
B) Lie to him. You will do your best to convince him that he needs to wait a few days for the army while it organizes itself and the officers prepare for the battle ahead. Hopefully he will be patient instead of demanding an immediate departure.
C) Let Reinhard convince him to wait. You will trust to the Prince to reason with him.
D) The feast: Ask Reinhard to hold a feast in honour of Mazzarin's great victory. The archmage's pride should keep him from refusing and might buy you a day or two.
E) The Gate & Scan Plan
F) freeform
3. Emrys and the mail: Did you try to get Emrys to let you look at Lyssa's letter to Mazzarin or did you deny your curiousity?
A) You did not bother Emrys about Lyssa's letter, it is none of your business.
B) You tried to convince Emrys that he should show you the letter.
i. You promised knowledge and tales of all the places you have been. The boy seems to have a weakness for such things.
ii. You promised him a spell or similar magical knowledge. (feel free to specify what exactly, the most popular option will win)
iii. Offer to let him identify/handle some of your unidentified magical items in exchange for a look at Lyssa's letter. (This option is dependent on 4.C winning, if 4.C does not win the next most popular option will be chosen.)
iv. freeform
C) Ask Lyssa about the contents of the letter when you are alone.
D) freeform
4. You currently have a number of unidentified items on you. You could potentially try and get the Seekers to identify them, provided they don't know those belong to you. Do you go through with it?
A. Yes, you ask Reinhard to help you with that. If he just says those items were recovered from the Watcher's mages and he wants to know what they do, it would not technically be a lie, and the Seekers did offer their services to the army.
B. No, you want nothing to do with the Seekers, and it would be a bad idea to let them know what kind of items you might have.
C. No, you do not want the Seekers poking around in your magical items. Instead you will offer Emrys the opportunity of identifying them.
5. Provided that Cropper finds Finn for you and provided you succeed in your plan to stay at the oasis for a day or two, you can ask Finn to send a runner to Muirthemne to take care of some matters, like delivering a message to your team and recovering Gullveig's correspondence which might help you with the investigation. Will you go for it?
A - yes, send a runner.
B - no, don't bother.