Wrath of the Righteous - Worldwound Incursion [IC]

[Kish]

Hesper briefly rolls her eyes in Shauna's direction before saying, "Of course we'll help your parents. Where are they? Can you take us to them?"

[Zhentarim]

Looking at Luna's naked body, Diamond says "For what it's worth, I support you however you want to run your business. Perhaps I can be a customer later?"

[Kallimakus]

"I'm Klarah" she says, looking at each of them. "I... had to go and get food. I heard there was a safe place not far from here, which must be Defenders' Heart. We were holed up in my basement on the next street, until we ran out of food. That's when I got caught"

[Zhentarim]

Turning to the girl who lost her parents, Diamond said "We'll take you to them, and be armed and loaded in the event we have to fight for them."

[Frosty]

Luna nods. "Please lead the way. We will protect you and your family, Klara. Do you or anyone else require more healing?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna follows along, keeping her sword drawn as she looks around. The encounter with the crusaders had shaken her. To think that there were men inside her own ranks who had become so desperate. Irabeth would need to know about this immediately, to be certain.

[Diachronos]

Skerak follows the group.

[Kallimakus]

The group follows Klarah to her home. Half of the upper floor has collapsed, as did the next house. She pushes the door in and knocks on the basement trapdoor. A couple veering past middle age emerges from the underground. The woman gives Luna a disapproving gaze, before properly seeing what happened to her daughter. They have a warm reunion. Luna receives a rather approving look from the gentleman, who gets a smack from his wife.

"Do you need anything to wear?" Klarah asks Luna. "I... I could give you some of my clothes... Or just change and give yours back.

---

The group heads to Defender's Heart without other incident.

[Frosty]

Luna looks around. "It's not safe here. I can worry about myself after we get back to Defender's Heart. If anything happened to you or your parents while we dawdled around here, I would not forgive myself. Let's go!". The cleric giggles as the husband is smacked for looking at her.

As the group approaches Defender's Heart, Luna makes sure to give the appropriate password.

[Kallimakus]

The password is accepted. There's a different set of guards, but it seems that Luna has managed a reputation for herself already. While she is the centre of attention, the others don't go without encouragement. It's not quite a heroes' welcome yet, but it's getting there. Klarah and her family are welcomed in the inn.

Luna catches a brief glare from the one-armed innkeeper, though it abates as soon as he connects the dots between her state of undress and the new girl wearing Luna's clothes.

Meanwhile, Irabeth has a few questions.
"Did you manage to find the cultists at the Tower of Estrod? Were they really there?"

[Kish]

"Oh yes, there were cultists there, with plans to wipe out the city." Hesper pulls out the letter and hands it to Irabeth. She'll prompt Irabeth with the identity of anyone mentioned in the letter who Irabeth indicates not knowing, but she doesn't expect that to come up.

[Frosty]

Spoiler: At the Inn

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The attention-catching cleric says, "Irabeth, does the name Faxon or Minagho ring any bells? These are the names mentioned in the note. Oh, and Vorlesh. I have no idea what Nahyndrian crystal are, but if they want to co-opt the Wardstones...does that mean the one in Kenabres hasn't been destroyed yet?"

Spoiler: On the way to Topaz Solutions

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"What's our plan for approaching that one? Are we going to lie our way in again?"

[Kallimakus]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart

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The half-orc paladin takes the letter and reads it. She spares Luna barely a glance
"This just got from bad to worse" she says. She listens to Hesper fill her in to who Faxon was, but she knows the other names. "
It's about the Nahyndrian Crystals. This is bigger than Kenabres. I think you will find it easier to talk with Quednys. He's a scholar and our best source of information about the enemy."

[Frosty]

Spoiler: At the Inn

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"Alright. I'll go find him first, then let you know what he thinks." Luna takes the note, and goes off in search of this Quednys, along with the rest of group presumably.

She still fins it amusing how Irabeth refuses to let her eyes wander anywhere below Luna's neck.

[Kallimakus]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart

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Quednys Orlun is an aged and angular human with an eagle's talon tattoo on his cheek. He looks at the emerging heroes, looking a little embarrassed at Luna. "If it wouldn't hurt you miss, please put on some clothes, lest you cause this old man a heart failure" he says in a friendly manner.

[NeoSeraphi]

Spoiler: At the Defender's Heart, With the Group

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Shauna bows politely as Quendys makes his request. "Please excuse our sorry state. We all lost much in that battle."

She pulls at her straps and loosens her breastplate, letting it slip to the ground. Then she turns her back to the group, giving herself a bit of privacy, and peels her own shirt off, handing it to Luna, before replacing her breastplate over her bra.

Spoiler: At the Defender's Heart, Before

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Shauna frowns as she approaches Irabeth. She gives her a salute. "Things are not going well, ma'am."

She gives a detailed report on the crusaders who tried to sacrifice the woman.

"I'm not sure heading right to Topaz Solutions is a good idea," she comments fruitlessly, as they are already on their way. "Are we sure they won't just change their password after hearing about the other spots we've hit?"

[Frosty]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart, with the group

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Luna smiles and nods at the kindly old man. "Sure thing. I'm sure Klarah has had time to get her own clothes by now, so....oh..." She watches Shauna remove her own shirt and then give it to her. "Thank you, Shauna."

The cleric puts on the shirt from the much shorter woman. Pulling down as far as she can, the shirt reaches to just her belly button. A cute crop-top for sure, but her entire, bubbly ass is still completely exposed. "There, much better, right Mr. Quednys?"

She hands over the note from the Tower of Estrod, and gives a summary of what has happened.

Spoiler: On the way to Topaz Solutions

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"I mean, we JUST hit the tower, and left no one alive. I doubt passwords change that quickly. They'd need a way to inform every single cultist. In this chaos, where people are separated and in small units doing their own thing? That's difficult. If they have a new password, we can reasonably say we weren't informed yet."

[Kallimakus]

Spoiler: Irabeth and Shauna

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"That is reprehensible!" she says. "This pulls out the worst in us. But we... You and I... We need to be better Shauna."

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart

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He nods. "Thank you for what you did in my library. I had thought all lives there lost, but you managed to save many. For that, I can't thank you enough."

"Now, I've spoken at length to Irabeth about my fears, but her suspicions were correct, as are my worst nightmares. The Nahyndrian crystals are mined from the Abyss. I believe based on my study that they are demonic power made solid. An ultimate corrupting agent.

[NeoSeraphi]

Spoiler: Irabeth and Shauna

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"What can we do? Our guardian has fallen, and our wardstone has crumbled. Are we...are we lost?" Shauna asks, looking worried.

Spoiler: Group

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"A corrupting agent?" Shauna asks, frowning. "What would the cultists want to do with that?"

[Frosty]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart, with the group

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"This might be a stupid question but...what can you do with a corrupted Wardstone?"

[Kallimakus]

Spoiler: Irabeth and Shauna

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"The loss of Terendelev is a heavy blow" Irabeth admits, "But I do not believe the Wardstone to be entirely destroyed, since the demons have yet to emerge again in force. For more, we should listen to Quednys

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart

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Quednys clears his throat. "It appears that they would meddle with the Wardstone. As to what that would do... We need to appreciate the strategic situation" He nods to Irabeth, who arrived with Shauna after their discussion.

"As horrific as recent events have been, we've come to realize that they are, in fact, merely a prelude. The razing of the Kite, the destruction of our wardstone, Terendelev's murder, and the assault on the city were nothing more than opening gambits. The Worldwound is on the march in a more concentrated assault than we've seen since the fall of Drezen. It's fair to say the Lord of the Locust Host is finally making his move. The end of this hundred-year-war is upon us, and it falls to us to ensure victory.

"While the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth were scattered, those who serve the Lord of the Locust Host himself remain concentrated in Old Kenabres. What we've heard from within the barricade they've erected is ominous. The cultists are waiting for something, and based on our own information and what you've managed to recover so far, it sounds like the vile witch Areelu Vorlesh will soon be coming to Kenabres. And it appears that you determined what she intends to do."

"When the wardstone was destroyed by the Storm King, it exploded and destroyed the Kite. The network along the border failed, but did not fade completely. I believe this is because a significant portion of our wardstone still exists, and that the cultists have taken it to the old garrison in Old Kenabres. From what we've learned, they're hoping to engineer a way to somehow reverse the field generated by the wardstones - essentially, to use our own greatest defense as a devastating weapon."

"The attack on Kenabres had a predictable result: causing the crusade to gather at the border to defend it. Some wonder why the demons haven't attacked in stronger numbers. I believe that Areelu was counting on us massing along the border, and that if she can corrupt the wardstone field, she can strike a devastating blow against us all. In effect, we've lined up for the slaughter.

"Vorlesh is surely seeking an object of great Abyssal power, the Nahyndrian crystal mentioned in the missive you recovered, and with it she intends to turn the source of our hope into an unimaginable nightmare. We cannot hope to evacuate everyone from the border - I doubt they would give up the defensive line even if they knew what the enemy planned. But we can still stop this from happening - we just need to have someone infiltrate the Gray Garrison, locate the wardstone fragment, and destroy it."

[Frosty]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart, with the group

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Luna listens closely while idly playing with the bottom of her shirt.
"Maybe that's why this place still stands. They don't really care about us all that much if they think we'll get corrupted anyways, so they haven't sent the big hitters here. We shall not waste time then. Let's see what intel we can find from Topaz Solutions!

She asks. "So...I assume that at some point we'll all be mounting a frontal assault on the Old Garrison? Maybe as soon as tomorrow? If we see Areelu Vorlesh, what should we do?"

[Diachronos]

Skerak sits and waits patiently for the group to head out for Topaz Solutions.

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna stares in disbelief. "Destroy the wardstone fragment? What? We need the wardstones to protect against the Worldwound! Surely we can repair it if we just take it and store it away somewhere!" she protests.

[Frosty]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart, with the group

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"Take it? Isn't it really big? But I guess if the fragment is small enough, we could try. But we can't waste time. Let's GO check out Topaz quickly."

Spoiler: On the way to Topaz

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"Reflecting back on this. if I want to pretend to be a cultist, some pantaloons or a skirt would've been smart." She smiles at Shauna. "Don't worry, your shirt is very cute. I rather like it..."

[Kallimakus]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart

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"On that matter" Quednys says, producing an intricately carved rod, "I managed to secure this. It is a Rod of Cancellation. It will sever the broken Wardstone from the rest, preventing whatever the vile fiends scheme to achieve."

Irabeth looks at Luna gravely, now straight as she's wearing a shirt. "If you run into Areelu, either run or try to kill her before she kills you. Her power can't be overestimated."

She turns to Shauna. "The Wardstone of Kenabres has become a chink in our armour. As long as enough Wardstones remain, the demons will not be able to scatter across the world. The loss of ours will not bring down. Isn't that right, Quednys?"

"Yes, that is most likely the case. Though loss of even one Wardstone is devastating, having it turned against us would be worse still"

Irabeth looks at the group. "I will muster what strength the Crusade has here for an assault tomorrow. She looks aside from Luna. "I hope you will be able to 'improve morale' tonight with your friend."

Spoiler: On the way to Topaz Solutions

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A wooden sign above the door bears a carving of a bundle of orange herbs and flowers hovering over a beaker filled with smoking orange liquid. The building's windows are tightly shuttered, but the front door hangs halfway off its hinges. It looks like it's seen recent activity.

[Frosty]

Spoiler: At Defender's Heart, with the group

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Luna smiles at Irabeth. "Don't worry. I'll do that and more. Although it'd help if Quednys would allow me to uhh...roam around freely in my work outfit, and service more people at once. There are many soldiers who need cheering up. As for the assault tomorrow, I'd like to help as well. I may not be a crusader, but I don't want to be corrupted by demonic corruption anymore than the next person. But, we can plan better after we bring back any intel from Topaz Solutions. We'll let you know when we get back."

Spoiler: At Topaz

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"Looks like it was recently broken into. Looters? Demons on a rampage? Weapons out. Let's move in..."

The bottomless cleric has her shield and weapon at the ready as she peeks through the door.

[NeoSeraphi]

At the Topaz Solutions, Shauna draws her blade and puts her hand forward, in front of Luna. "Stop. You don't have any armor. Allow someone who is more prepared to handle this."

She approaches the door and kicks it down, looking around with her weapon ready.

Spoiler

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Perception: (1d20)[16]

[Diachronos]

Skerak stands ready to fight if anything comes at them from the store.

[Kallimakus]

Shauna kicks down the door. She spots a group of people inside, counting six in total. In addition to that, there are piles of sacks, one of which is open in a man's lap, where he counts out coins. They don't obviously look like cultists, but they go for their weapons.

"You lot had best just move along" the money-counter says.