For Jod's part, he has already claimed one of the chain shirts and is temporarily taking one of the tabards. He has traded his beloved falchion for a glaive to complete the appearance of one of the dead cultists. He's planning to let one of the others do the talking.
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Sol's pleasure is evident as he struggles into the other chain shirt. He looks down his stomach at it and cranes his neck to see how it falls over his shoulders. He does the same when he dons the tabard.
He is far less pleased with the glaive. It feels heavy and awkward in his hand. The blade drifts uncertainly toward the ground, then shoots skyward. He changes grip a half-dozen times before finding the balance point.
Kira is already dressed the part, so simply makes sure she has her weapons and armour in good order. Her morning prayers are done and her spells are ready.
Despite the deception, Mulluq maintains his spot at the front of the group, at least as well as he can while they go to find the enemy. He asks that the city maintain Wirra in holding until they have an opportunity to return and continue with her along their way. He is adamant that she is to be treated humanely, as he has sworn her protection.
After receiving Mulluq's tabard, Rhok leaves his fur cloak in the mongrelman village, instead dressing as a city guard. He wears spiked gauntlets and an exposed Baphomet holy symbol to complete his look, and carries a veritable arsenal of weapons, including Jod's falchion.
"Now, for our prisoner... Sol, can you tie up Hannik in a way that looks somewhat convincing but is trivial to get out of? Also, we need a leader that will be attended by Mulluq and Ghroth. I guess I could do it - I'm the oldest one of us - but I'm not much of a theologian. Kira, maybe?"
Ah, forgot about the gauntlets. If there's a pair unclaimed, Jod will wear them. If there isn't, that's fine, too.
"I think I could make that work."
"Well- someone's gonna have to carry all my junk I guess. I oughta wear a scarf or bandanna as a wrap to cover the rune. Otherwise any of them with a clue are gonna realize Ghroth and I are together as soon as they see us."
"They say its close so I'll go ahead and lay some force armor on you now Ghroth."
"Okay, done. Tie me up and let's go."
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"Now, for our prisoner... Sol, can you tie up Hannik in a way that looks somewhat convincing but is trivial to get out of? Also, we need a leader that will be attended by Mulluq and Ghroth. I guess I could do it - I'm the oldest one of us - but I'm not much of a theologian. Kira, maybe?"
"I, I can try." Sol measures out and cuts two fathoms of line from his rope.
Then, eyeing Ghroth warily, he approaches Hannik slowly. "Sorry about this."
He motions for her to hold her hands out. "I -- I've seen you at Blackwing."
He winds two wraps of line around her hands. "You wouldn't have noticed me. I was one of the unofficial, pages there."
One end of the line stops and the other takes an extra wrap over one wrist and down between her forearms. "I had no idea you were so great a mage. You can keep Ghroth here for so long. You must rival Aravashniel in power."
He makes a half-bow knot with a little extra length on the free end. "With the knot back here, they won't be able to see it. One good tug on this end..." he points at the longer one, "and it should all pull free. Don't pull on the short end. It will make the knot tighter. Now give it a try and see if it works."
Jod slips on the spiked gauntlets, flexes his hands to get them settled appropriately, and takes up the glaive and a position guarding the "prisoner". He looks at Rhok and nods.
Rhok gives an approving nod. "Let's do this."
"I -- I've seen you at Blackwing."
"You wouldn't have noticed me. I was one of the unofficial, pages there."
"Huh. Yeah I never noticed you. I'd bet the big guy did though. Dont' tell the elf, but I'm a pretty lazy security guard. Ghroth does all the real work."
"I had no idea you were so great a mage. You can keep Ghroth here for so long. You must rival Aravashniel in power."
"Whoa now... Don't let him hear you say that. Callers are extreme specialists. I can do one thing really well- like holding Ghroth or other things on this plane. But- that's about all I can do as far as the arcane arts go." Hannik shrugs, "Its worked out so far, but Aravashniel definitely knows waaay more. He probably burned out most of his spells in the attack and can't prep any more without being able to see his book."
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Sol cants his head while he thinks about that. "Intristing! I don't think I've ever met a -- caller -- before. So Ghroth is more like a familiar than an ordinary summons."
He glances over at the elven mage glumly. "Aravashniel's in a bad spot all right. I hope his sight comes back. My da really admires him."
Sol's expression sinks a little more.
The group have made their preparations. The time has come for action. The adventurers bid farewell to their three companions, plus the strange gnome they picked up along the way, to head for the cultists' lair.
Lann leads them out of a different exit from the Neathhome. The guards by the door nod courteously as they head into the tunnels. There is a palpable sense of excitement amongst the mongrelfolk community. They now all know that they will join their forebears in the crusade above. Already the messengers are spreading out under Kenabres to gather the tribes.
But the tribe the adventurers are visiting will get a very different message. Lann takes a series of twisting passages. The walk is not long and after about fifteen minutes he calls a halt.
Speaking in a low voice, he says, "The home of the bad tribe is just beyond. I will wait here and hide. Once you have dealt with them, return here to me. Good luck - may the Goddess go with you."
"It is time for the demon worshippers to meet the mallet." Rhok casts an illuminating spell on the head of his morningstar and gives it a trial swing. "Let's show them the error of their ways."
Mulluq adjusts his shield on his arm, and decides to keep his weapon sheathed for now. Unconsciously his tail curls up and wraps the hilt, ready to deliver it to his hand. He looks at the odd summoned creature, Ghroth, beside him. Squaring himself and taking a deep breath, he sets his face in a grim line and leads the way forward.
The adventurers step forwards, ready for the battle to come.
They head down the passage. It turns and they find themselves facing barricades made of heaped loose rocks and wooden boards which bisect this cavern. Beyond the barricades, a wooden screen covers the lower half of a tunnel mouth. Two mongrel folk peer at them in surprise from behind the barriers.
"Open in the name of the Horned Lord!", Rhok barks at the nearest mongrelman. "Or face the wrath of his loyal servants." He gives his now-glowing morningstar a twirl to emphasise his point.
On the other side of the 'prisoner', Jod grounds the butt of the weapon into floor of the tunnel and tries to glare at those standing in their way.
The mongrelfolk promptly prostrate themselves on the floor before the newcomers, trembling with terror.
"What use are you down there? Get up and open up so we can get through, we have business with your leader."
The mongrelman nearest looks up from where he is cowering. "Pleathe follow me, mithtreth," he slurs at Kira through a deformed mouth. He shuffles towards the entrance. "Pleathe forgive uth, we did not know you were coming."
Kira will just scowl, and follow them. Unsure weather this is a good thing or not.
The mongrelman leads the group inside, through a doorway, into a larger chamber. Two more mongrelfolk look up blearily from where they sleep in filty pallets on the floor. There are unoccupied pallets for eight more. Three more exits lead from here, each blocked with a stone door.
The mongrelman guide looks at them expectantly.
Mulluq looks around, at the four of them, confusion on his face. "Well, where is your leader? You were told we have business with them." He ensures that he speaks only the truth in his question, refusing to contribute to the lie. He does begin scanning the denizens, however, looking for the tell-tale signs.
Seeing Sol's move, Jod steps to the 'captive', grounds the butt of his glaive on the floor, and takes a firm grip on the long tail of rope 'binding' her as though to keep her from running away, remembering that Sol told her that the long tail would untie the knot with a good pull.
"Well, who leads here?" Kira wants to buy some time while there isn't obvious danger to let Mulluq's sense of Evil kick in.
A door opens. Two humans step through, a man and a woman, dressed the same as the adventurers - crusader tabards, but also glaives and gauntlets.
"Who are you?" asks the man coldly.
At the same time, another door in the opposite end of the chamber also half-opens. A strange looking mongrelwoman - her skin bright blue - peers through.
Kira looks closely at the newcomers, do they appear to be what we expect, or are they actually crusaders? Something feels off to Kira, but she can't think of anything better to do than follow the origional plan.
"We are passing through to the city, we caught these skulking around and thought you may appreciate them."
The man continues to look suspicious. "Who sent you?" he asks, "I've not seen you before."
"Nobody 'sent' us as such. We were just passing through when we were forced underground - the ground collapsed when the crusaders' pet dragon fell. The dead guys by the fungus thing had a map of sorts; good thing we found it, or we would have wandered around down here forever. Though spending some time in a maze seems rather appropriate, no? A test of sorts." Rhok chucles drily. His mood changes quickly when he sees the blue-skinned mongrelman. "YOU! What the f~&@ are you staring at? Get in or get out."
The man still looks suspicious. "Go and get Hosea," he barks at the blue woman, who bows servilely and exits again.