Samirah beams at him, then stands from the table and brings her mostly emptied plate to the bar before returning to Corbin. "I have no doubt that your good work will be recognized and very much appreciated."
She bows her head for a moment, as though to say goodbye, but then pulls Corbin in for a tight hug. "I am very glad you chose to come back to Kenabres with us, and I hope your training goes well in our absence. Someone must watch the place while we're gone!" The embrace is friendly, but she seems to be totally unaware that it might make him uncomfortable or be taken any other way aside from how it was given.
As though making a decision, Samirah nods, and her usual smile is absent. "And this is how you wish to atone?" She says, sweeping her arm towards the camp, and more generally, towards the demon-infested lands ahead of them.
"This city needs you more than I do." She says simply, crossing her legs and sitting up in the bed. "And as you are not the type to say no to hard work, or stop before you're completely exhausted..." she scoots backwards, so that she's laying against pillows and the wall, and pats the bed in front of her.
"Come, let me help you relax."
Chancre nods. "That's it. I didn't mean to leave you with the wrong idea. Which wrong idea do you prefer?"
He vaguely follows Konstantin and Aravashnial.
"I was wondering how you did that," he says to Konstantin.
Konstantin's comment actually draws Aravashnial's attention from the broken ground. "This is something that has been happening since the destruction of the wardstone barrier?"
So far there is no sign of any vescacor at the broken ground.
"It was her kindness when she thought no one was watching." Irabeth says with lightness in her voice.
She closes her eyes, forcing her breathing to slow back down to a normal rate, "I knew one other person that saw the things I do, they shaped him into a... pet. Something that pointed to the dead and basked in attention as they tortured..."
"Seeing that once was warning that I couldn't let anyone know."
Corbin pulls away quickly, his face beet red but he nods.
"I want to atone where I sinned."
He looks up, shrugging as he meets Chancre's eyes, "He would have absolute faith in me. After all it is only cheaters that worry about their loved ones betraying them."
As quick as Roshan is, he is the obvious choice to scout the far side of the city where a small hill mirrors the rise on which the Citadel stands. Moving through the streets of the city the first thing that the silent man notices is the wretched smell - a cross between randy goat and brimstone.
Keeping to the shadows, although that will do little good if he runs into demons with their nightvision, it is slightly surprising that most of the squat, study building are still in one piece and solid.
Near one building Roshan could swear that there is movement inside.
Roshan may not be able to silently get through a locked door, but he can listen at one. He looks for a crack in the wall or a partially open window, then listens and looks inside if he can. His primary concern remains not being seen or heard.
Míril makes note of bridge guards uniforms, especially any sigils or heraldry, in case someone back at camp might know who these guys are based on that. After that she makes her way carefully and silently back to camp.
"I suppose. I am not very clear on all of the details."
"Well, I hope that if you cannot find happiness, then you will find some amount of peace once we're done here." Her smile returns.
She wraps her arms around his chest, then, and rests her chin on top of his head. "I'd be happy to continue, გენაცვალე, but just as happy to rest like this for the night."
Chancre peers at a tree about sixty feet away. "What's that white thing over there?"
She pulls herself away to allow him to stretch out on his stomach, tugging the rest of his clothes away so there are no barriers between her skin and his as she works.
And in the low light of the room, she pays exquisite and slow attention to the muscles of his body, as though she's trying to memorize him with her hands. Once she finishes an area; his upper back, lower back, buttocks, thighs, calves... she follows up with a dusting of kisses.
And when he turns over, she regards him with adoration, and something a little darker. "I am not a religious woman, but if someone told me I was sharing a bed with a god, I would not disagree with them."
She moves back up his body with the same care and slowness, completely avoiding the one area he may wish she would touch the most on her way back up to his chest.
"I would wonder who you were speaking with," he says with affectionate good humor. "Although I suppose it behooves a god to share himself with a goddess."
On the way back to the hidden encampment of your army, you also notice that each of the watchtowers on Citadel Drezen itself is manned with a mixed group of tieflings and demons with siege engines.
Irabeth smiles, "As long as you don't ruin the surprise by telling me."
With it pointed out, Konstantin can also just vaguely make out the far-away white avian shape. Until your attention is drawn to the closer ground, where you see a shift of dirt in several places.
Chancre looks at the ground between himself and the bird. "You want I should take a closer look?"
Then he draws x's atop the watchtowers of Citadel Drezen and sketches off to the side what are likely ballista or catapults along with humanoids with varying degrees of demonic characteristics.
"Aravashnial? I believe this is what you were seeking."The elf does not look happy, but he nods.
"Because who doesn't want to study creatures that can chew through rocks?"
"It's a rare ability in the natural world and even in extraplanar creatures it isn't common." He shakes his head, "I would have preferred that all of the creatures perished in the tumult. While an opportunity for study should not be shunned, I don't exactly have an adamantine box to carry the bugs in."
Aravashnial pulls out a book, his finger skipping over near incomprehensible script, "Could you prevent any that come to the surface are destroyed? If the newly metamorphosed queen was destroyed the hive will not be able to spawn, otherwise it would be prudent to kill her and prevent her remains from being consumed."
As the elf flips through the book, the fingers taking on a spellcaster's movement, the first of the vescacor breaks the surface, followed by two other, spread out on the broken land. Suddenly there is a screech as the white bird takes to the air only to plummet to the ground, plucking one of the newly escaped vescacor with a claw. Landing on a far closer tree the bird tears the creature in half, only to drop the bits the the ground with an affronted cry.
Closer, the bird's white plumage seem dull, the creature herself drawn and overly wiry.
"Treading lightly," Chancre says. "No better option right now. Can't fly."
"I can," Konstantin says offhandedly.
As the elf flips through the book, the fingers taking on a spellcaster's movement, the first of the vescacor breaks the surface, followed by two other, spread out on the broken land. Suddenly there is a screech as the white bird takes to the air only to plummet to the ground, plucking one of the newly escaped vescacor with a claw. Landing on a far closer tree the bird tears the creature in half, only to drop the bits the the ground with an affronted cry.
Closer, the bird's white plumage seem dull, the creature herself drawn and overly wiry.
"Although it appears I do not have to."
In response to Aravashnial's request, Konstantin speaks a few words and gestures, summoning his killing frost from the earth. His attention, however, is focused on the white bird.
Roshan finds Irabeth and/or Konstantin & Samirah. He draws out a rough outline of the city and marks off the area he is referring too, then draws a Crusader's shield and places it behind bars. He draws a goat headed humanoid with a long, two-handed weapon of sorts and rights out "~200".
Then he draws x's atop the watchtowers of Citadel Drezen and sketches off to the side what are likely ballista or catapults along with humanoids with varying degrees of demonic characteristics.
Konstantin looks at the drawings for a moment, then, "Miril?" Looks around. "Miril?"
It is soon after this that Anevia slinks out from the shadows (although the keen senses of most of the group probably picked her out in her careful movements back to camp) a few smudges and scuffs where her clothes had been previously clean. Looking tired she takes Roshan's drawing implement and sketches a shaded skull and crossbones over the southwest area just outside the city.
Then he draws x's atop the watchtowers of Citadel Drezen and sketches off to the side what are likely ballista or catapults along with humanoids with varying degrees of demonic characteristics.
Konstantin looks at the drawings for a moment, then, "Miril?" Looks around. "Miril?"It is soon after this that Anevia slinks out from the shadows (although the keen senses of most of the group probably picked her out in her careful movements back to camp) a few smudges and scuffs where her clothes had been previously clean. Looking tired she takes Roshan's drawing implement and sketches a shaded skull and crossbones over the southwest area just outside the city.
"That was not an invitation to draw. That was an invitation to speak," says an increasingly flustered Konstantin.
"That was not an invitation to draw. That was an invitation to speak," says an increasingly flustered Konstantin.
Anevia does try to hide the gamine smile at Konstantin's words, but the moment of frippery almost visibly drains. She points to the skull, "Massive cemetery." Shakes her head, chewing slightly on her lower lip, "And the dead have no rest, it's crawling with ghouls."
A shrug, "I got over the fence and onto a crypt near the outskirts. Watched them for about an hour. Hundreds of ghouls." She takes a deep breath, "And," tapping the location of the cemetery, "there was one crypt, near the center. Even before the sun went down it was encompassed by shadows."
She glances at Konstantin, then down, she takes a step towards Irabeth, "Shadows that moved in a matter that was decidedly supernatural."
She preens her feathers for a moment.
"That was not an invitation to draw. That was an invitation to speak," says an increasingly flustered Konstantin.
Roshan raises an eyebrow. He is not quite able to hide the quirk from his lips. He places a small "x" near the picture of the ballista/catapults, a "6ish" near the drawings of the humanoids and horned demons. He circles the whole lot and draws a thin dashed line to one of the tower tops.
"Indeed." She soaks up the compliment with a smile, then throws a leg gracefully over him as she lowers herself slowly onto his neglected erection.
She leans over to press her lips against his as he fills her; a contented 'mm' slipping out once he's buried fully. The rise and fall of her hips are as slow and drawn out as the massage. She leans back just enough that he gets a full view of her belly, her breasts, and the flush creeping up her chest to the delicate skin of her throat. She tightens around him as she leans forward slightly to steady herself with her hands on his chest.
"Any chance we can simply smite the entire area and clean up whatever is left?" Samirah asks Anevia, voice hopeful.
To Konstantin and Aravashnial, with a shrug: "I know it's reductive."
Míril slinks in out of the shadows. She takes a quick look at Roshan's drawing before nodding.
"There were a lot of tieflings to dodge," she says, probably in answer to the question of why she took so long.
"I also counted a couple hundred in the tiefling army. They're giving extra security to these building here," as she makes a few marks on Roshan's map, near the dried riverbed. "I broke into one. It houses hundreds of longswords."
Standing up, she adds, "I saw a couple of tieflings on the bridge over the Ahari dry gulch. They were better dressed and equipped than the others. Probably a more permanent guard."
"I checked out the gulch. The sides are pretty steep. I think most of us could make it, but our main army would have a tough time climbing it."
Konstantin listens to Miril's report. "We seem to have the most success when we can take a smaller group and cut the head from the serpent, while our army mops up the more conventional troops. Are we best served attacking these tieflings over the gulch? With luck we could throw the army into disarray, giving our troops the chance to attack from this higher ground."
"I wasn't able to get close enough to eavesdrop on them. All I can say for sure is that their armor and clothing is better than the rest. I feel confident that they're an elite group, but I don't know that they're the figurative head of the serpent."
Míril shrugs. "It may be speculative, but taking out this elite group first may be the best opening. Even if the army doesn't fall into disarray, taking out the tougher group first means we don't have to worry about them later when we're less fresh."
Konstantin looks over the map. "Perhaps our first task should be freeing the crusaders? It would remove the leverage the demons have with hostages, and provide us with reinforcements and those who might know more about the town than we."
Konstantin looks over the map. "Perhaps our first task should be freeing the crusaders? It would remove the leverage the demons have with hostages, and provide us with reinforcements and those who might know more about the town than we."
Míril nods slowly. "That makes sense. But given where they're being held, maybe just a small sneaky--or at least mobile--group goes to free the crusaders while the larger of our force keeps the enemy army's attention with a forward feint?"
Míril nods slowly. "That makes sense. But given where they're being held, maybe just a small sneaky--or at least mobile--group goes to free the crusaders while the larger of our force keeps the enemy army's attention with a forward feint?"
"A good plan," Konstantin says, nodding.
"So who goes on the 'Crusader Rescue' mission?"
One of Anevia's eyesbrows raises, clearly wondering the same thing.
"I would suggest myself, Samirah, you, Chancre, Roshan, Anevia, Pan, and Sosiel. I believe we should keep Aravashnial with the army to make the attack more convincing."
A white falcon spirals downward and alights on Konstantin's shoulder. He glances at it and offers a nod. The bird seems to nod back.
Roshan's eyes drift across the map. Focusing briefly on the destroyed bridge then the one still remaining that they will have to cross to reach Citadel Drezen. His brows knit as he takes a breath, then releases it slowly. He looks to where the Crusaders are held and nods.
A white falcon spirals downward and alights on Konstantin's shoulder. He glances at it and offers a nod. The bird seems to nod back.
The bird gets a blink...and a curious look.
Roshan's eyes drift across the map. Focusing briefly on the destroyed bridge then the one still remaining that they will have to cross to reach Citadel Drezen. His brows knit as he takes a breath, then releases it slowly. He looks to where the Crusaders are held and nods.
Míril observes the trajectory of Roshan's gaze. "With the group that's going, we can probably avoid the bridges entirely and just climb down and up the sides of the dry riverbed. It's steep, but not so steep that we can't all climb it."
Míril observes the trajectory of Roshan's gaze. "With the group that's going, we can probably avoid the bridges entirely and just climb down and up the sides of the dry riverbed. It's steep, but not so steep that we can't all climb it."
Roshan shakes his head, sweeps his hand towards the army of paladins, then points to the broken bridge farther north, then to the one intact bridge between themselves and Citadel Drezen.
He quickly scratches in the dirt. "If bridge destroyed before we can get to it, will be difficult for army to cross. Either need to rebuild under fire, build more in advance, take and hold, or try to achieve other objectives without being noticed."He shrugs, steps back and cedes the floor.
Samirah looks as though she's rejoining the conversation from another plane of existence. She skims over the map, then looks up to Miril and Konstantin. "I will, of course, be happy to go with the smaller group. To Roshan's point, losing the bridge would take our army out of the equation. Any hope that can be solved with magic?" She asks. It's clear she believes, at this point, that magic can solve anything.
She glances at Konstantin, then does a double take. "Found a friend?"
"Sounds good to me. I'm not really a strategic thinker," Chancre says.
She glances at Konstantin, then does a double take. "Found a friend?"
"A friend has found me, I think," he says.
In the pre-dawn hours the army armors up, taking horse and steel and leaving the impedimenta of life behind so as to not be slowed on the broken lands surrounding Drezen. "We should be on the northeast side of the city in the middle of the afternoon," Irabeth says, "we'll take the quiet approach," just the hint of amusement as quiet for an army is a different thing than actual quiet, "until we see a grouping of the schir. Then we'll start the horns and the real crash of combat."
Kamilo Dann steps up, "I got the long straw, so me and my men will defend the bridge once you've gotten their defenders dug out." The quiet wrath of losing most of her people to the demons a controlled but steady simmer.
The group is able to get into view of the city easily that morning, while the army has a much longer, arduous journey during the day. However, before the group heads into the ruins of the city proper, the early day is split with a roar so loud that even from miles away it causes the air to rumble.
Perception
Arcana
Nothing else surprising happens as you creep into position near the bridge. In the brighter light of day, you can see four oxen creatures down at the base of the dry riverbed. One near each of the huge support posts.