Targos

Jan 24, 2019 4:34 am

Maverick bristles at the insinuation. "You know, I am starting to remember why I left this group." Once more, he hops off his seat (now standing at a shorter height than when sitting) and heads for the door. "Keep an eye out for Jhonen. If you see him, he might not be him anymore."

Alalla

gardensun

Jan 24, 2019 4:35 am

Re: Targos

"Will do," Alalla replies. "We appreciate the warning, and the help you gave him while you could."

Maverick

Araklusta

Jan 24, 2019 4:37 am

Re: Targos

Maverick looks like he might say more, but then leaves.

Reòthadh

MrTiberius Inactive forever!

Jan 24, 2019 4:53 am

Re: Targos

"Dorn’s Deep? My homeland. We must go there."

Alalla

gardensun

Jan 24, 2019 5:06 am

Re: Targos

Al raises her eyebrows. "I appreciate wanting to return home, but it isn't a safe place right now. We are going into battle. You were ice a minute ago, and you just walked into a closet. Why should we bring you?" She waits silently for an answer.

Last edited January 24, 2019 1:15 pm

Reòthadh

MrTiberius Inactive forever!

Jan 24, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Targos

"As champion of me people, it is me duty to defend Dorn’s Deep."

The dwarf flexes his arms stretching to see how much he has atrophied in the ice. Happy with the results he checks his armor straps and equipmet.

"I do believe meself ready for adventure again. It’s been far too long."

Idly talking to himself, thinking out loud, he mumbles

"Prolly don’t want a crazy dwerf around."

Last edited January 24, 2019 7:16 pm

Alalla

gardensun

Jan 24, 2019 7:27 pm

Re: Targos

Alalla looks over the dwarf. He is stronger than most by far, though not as strong as herself or Ug. Hardier though. "Champion, huh? You seem like you were capable enough once," she gestures to Reòthadh still standing in the closet, "but right now you look like a liability." Al holds her hands up placatingly. "Don't get me wrong, I would be too if I'd just busted out of a block of ice. But like I said, we are going into battle. We can't bring someone who will just be in danger." Alalla thinks for a minute. They could use the help, especially with Zenithral gone. A knife in her gut twists, but she ignores it. "I have preparations to take care of. If you can convince Ug and Vincent that you are well enough to hold your own, you can come."

Al puts a hand on Ras's small shoulder. "Will you come help me with Erevain?"

She adjusts her snowy cloak as she prepares to leave. "Everyone is a little crazy, Reòthadh." Her voice is quiet and small. "What I don't want is a dead dwarf on my conscience." She exits the inn and heads toward the warehouse.

"How are you doing, Ras?" Al asks after a bit of walking.

Last edited January 24, 2019 8:24 pm

Rastix Bafflestone

Africhik Inactive forever!

Jan 25, 2019 3:39 am

Re: Targos

After being sure that the dwarf is alright, Ras retreats back to watch the conversation unfold. As he watches, he carefully monitors the other members of the group. Zen has disappeared and Erevain is still petrified, but the rest of the group seems... on edge. Despite finally having some time to relax, no one seems to have calmed down. He doesn't know how to help with that.

When Al asks for help with Erevain, Ras nods, relieved. This was something he could do. Al's next question makes him uncomfortable.

"I am..." he pauses briefly, "as well as can be expected." That didn't really answer her question. He tries again. "I am much better after talking with Aeri. My mind was in a dark place, a bad place. A scary place. But Aeri has reminded me of why I am with this group. It was wrong of me to be so self-centered." Ras flushes as he realizes that he has been rambling. Has he ever spoken to Al this much? She always seemed so intimidating before. Maybe they were true comrades now. Or maybe it was the lack of tusks.

"I am concerned for this group. We keep losing members." He swallows, trying not to think too hard about that. "And now Zen too. I even... sometimes..." he pauses again, trying to sort his thoughts. "In some ways it feels like we are losing Ug. And maybe even you." He doesn't make eye contact. "Not physically, of course, but this has been hard on all of us. I was... gone myself for a while."

He sneaks a peek at Al and puts his little hand in hers. "Thank you for your wisdom and your friendship. We would not have made it this far without you."

Having reached Erevain's petrified body, Ras lets go of Al's hand and performs the spell again.

Ras casts Greater Restoration on Erevain

Last edited January 25, 2019 3:43 am

Alalla

gardensun

Jan 25, 2019 4:19 am

Re: Targos

Alalla listens quietly as Ras talks, trying not to mess it up. She must be looming to the gnome, and she's glad to finally hear him speak to her properly.

"We're all lost, aren't we?" she does say after a moment. "I've been working so hard to keep us alive, but there are things worse than death..." She feels her too-small teeth with her tongue, stomach flip-flopping at the sensation of wrongness. "Like Zenithral. I pray..." Al fumbles at the unfamiliar speech. "I pray to Torm he isn't trapped forever in that place..."

Alalla starts as Ras grabs her hand, then looks down with a warm smile. She still covers it with her free hand, despite her lack of tusks. Maybe because of it, now. "Thank you, Ras. The same is true for you. I'm glad you're doing better."

She clears her throat as Ras steps up to restore Erevain, and rubs a tear from her eye.

Erevain

Araklusta

Jan 25, 2019 1:02 pm

Re: Targos

Under Ras' gentle but powerful magic, Erevain is soon fully restored. The muddy gray leaves his clothes and body, and he staggers for a moment before finding his feet. He blinks and shakes his head, then embraces Alalla. After a moment the elf pulls away and kneels down in front of Ras to look him in the eye. "Thank you, Ras. Where would we be without you to mend our hurts and ills? You have saved all of our lives dozens of times. Of all of our companions, it is you who I most trust with my life, and with Alalla's. Thank you, little one."

Rastix Bafflestone

Africhik Inactive forever!

Jan 25, 2019 2:45 pm

Re: Targos

Ras, finding himself oddly emotional and somewhat self-conscious about his previous ramblings to Al, simply looks Erevain in the eye and nods respectfully. He gives Al a brief nod as well, then he turns to leave, giving the couple some privacy.

Alalla

gardensun

Jan 25, 2019 8:18 pm

Re: Targos

Alalla smiles at Ras as he goes, then looks Erevain over. "We had to leave you here overnight while Ras got his strength back." She runs a hand through his hair as though to test Ras' spell. She half expects sand to shake loose from it. Oh, Moonshae, she sighs inwardly.

"Turns out its hard to sleep when your husband is a statue in a warehouse, so I got a lot of preparation done for the Cagebreakers. I need you to look it over if you don't mind."

Alalla rubs her forehead with a sigh. She's avoiding what's most pressing. "We've lost Zenithral," she says bluntly. "While I was pulling you out and falling asleep, Zenithral went after something he saw inside. From what the others say, when he fell asleep he tumbled partway through the door, and then it closed. The woman that was inside, presumably, pulled him the rest of the way through in time for him to not get cut in half, but he's gone." Alalla scowls at the place where the door had stood. "Gone forever, likely. We don't have time to try and get back to that plane, if it's even possible with Pomab dead. The fool should have listened to me," she finishes with a thump of her glaive. Her voice is hard and irritated, but Erevain knows enough to hear the sorrow behind it.

Erevain

Araklusta

Jan 25, 2019 10:22 pm

Re: Targos

Erevain puts a hand to his forehead. "Well, you always knew I could be a bit stone-headed at times." He groans. "I hope that petrification spell does not have a lingering influence of horrible puns."

The elf's head drops sadly as Alalla recounts the loss of Zenithral. "You were right. We should have left the door alone. There may be hope for him yet. We all know that he is clever. If anyone can find their way out of there, it will be him." Erevain nods determinedly. "Besides, I saw the woman there. She was drow, but certainly did not behave as one. She seemed afraid, and that is an emotion the dark elf females never reveal to their foes." He puts a finger to his lip. "And we may find ways to contact him. The sending stones apparently work across the planes, or else why keep a case of them locked up in that place? Perhaps there is other magic that we can use."

Alalla

gardensun

Jan 25, 2019 10:37 pm

Re: Targos

"Perhaps the Heartstone Gem will be able to give us answers." Alalla fingers the tiny knucklehead trout hanging from a bead in her hair. "My fear is that we won't be able to spend the time on a solution even if we find it. The clock is ticking for Ug's mother and Zenithral both." She shakes her head. "We can only do what we can do. It isn't good enough but it will have to do." She sighs. "Come on. I'm sorry you aren't getting much rest, but it's time to get back to it."

Araklusta

Jan 25, 2019 11:30 pm

Re: Targos

With Maverick gone on his way once more, the companions are able to prepare for the journey to Dorn's Deep. Aeri volunteers to take the party as far as Kuldahar, as she is headed there anyway to see if Orric's tower has been tampered with. From there, a wind walk spell should carry them the rest of the way to Dorn's Deep.

Alalla and Erevain see to providing the new tribe of Cagebreakers with instructions to aid Targos in its recovery, and then head east towards the mountains to meet up with Keggruk, Chaide, and the rest of the orcs loyal to Alalla.

With little else to prepare, Vincent and Reòthadh head out to track down some of the shattered army remnants. Morrugh, hoping to sway more orcs to the Cagebreakers, accompanies them and attempts to negotiate with the handful of groups they find. Surprisingly, more than half of the orcs found decide to join Alalla's new tribe. And those who do not... Vincent and Reòthadh easily put them down, each using a mix of weapons and magic. In the end, another two scores of orcs are brought back to Targos.

Meanwhile, Ug catches up on his rest. At times the horned barbarian sleeps restfully, and at others he tosses and turns as nightmares plague his dreams. Dragons, giants, drow, and Mama...

When all is ready the group meets outside of town, where Aerihykloarara takes her true form just as the sun begins to sink below the horizon somewhere beyond the Sea of Moving Ice to the west. With some ropes woven among the dragon's spikes to keep the companions secure, they are able to sleep through the night on the way to Kuldahar.

OOC:

The adventure continues in Chapter 6!

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