On mission

You don your armor and strap on Caliburn. Ferra and Alex need no weapons, and simply wait as you and Sarah prepare. Lira is willing to open her armory, and outfits Sarah for the mission. The armor is a simple set of studded leather, nothing fancy. The real prize, however, is the magnificent war maul that she presents to Sarah.

“Its name is Forgebreaker, and it is my gift to you.”

Sarah hefts the hammer, taking a few test swings. Though the weapon is massive, the muscular hellhound swings it easily, and she smiles. “I can use this. Thank you, Lira.”

Lira nods. “It’s a powerful weapon, use it well. And good luck, to all of you.”

With that, the four of you head out of the compound, wearing cloaks and hoods to hide yourselves. The city is surprisingly quiet, considering the news you heard. As you move through the streets, you see an inordinate number of troops, all wearing the uniforms of house Thenlan. The few people out and about give them a wide berth, and so do you. Thankfully, they don’t seem particularly watchful at the moment.

You do notice that you’re not the only hooded people moving around the city, and if anything, those others are given even more space than the troops. Naturally, this extends to your group as well. You see more and more of the cloaked figures as you get closer to the Thenlan compound, and when you get in sight of their gates, you’re surprised to see that they stand wide open. There’s plenty of people coming and going as well, mostly covered much like you are.

This gives you an idea. You lead the girls into an alley and have a quiet conversation. “Here’s my plan. We just walk in.”

Oh brilliant idea. You’re a master strategist.

Ferra looks at you curiously. “Strangely, I agree with the sarcastic succubus. This does not seem wise.”

Wow, that’s a first. I like you now, golem.

You chuckle. “We look like whoever these cloaked people are. We need to get inside. This is an obvious way.”

Sarah sighs. “It feels…too easy. But I don’t know a better way.”

Alex shrugs. “Better than my idea. I was going to suggest burning the place to the ground.”

She has the best ideas. You should listen to her more.

You roll your eyes. “Right. Let’s just try this. We can run if we have to.”

The girls all nod, and you head into the streets again, walking towards the gates. You keep your heads down, and though you can feel the guards eyes on you, no alarm is raised as you pass through. Risking a glance, you find yourself in a compound not much different than the Gitanna stronghold, though more space is given over to obviously military buildings. What really catches your eyes, though, is the large mansion at the heart of the place. Confidently, you start walking towards it, the girls following with no hesitation.

The compound is largely empty, only a skeleton crew left to defend, apparently. You’re thankful for that as you approach the mansion. With a quick glance to be sure you’re not watched, the four of you slip inside.

Almost immediately, Lilith stirs in your mind. There is strong magic here. I can feel it…below. There’s something below the mansion.

You nod. “Find some way down. That has to be the twins, or some power important to them.”

Strangely, there’s no one in the huge building. After searching for quite some time, it’s Sarah who finds a hidden staircase. Her ability to sense magical auras leads her to a bookcase which slides aside, revealing a wide set of stairs. Even you can feel the power radiating from below. A reddish glow lights the way down, seemingly emanating from the walls themselves.

You look at the girls as you draw Caliburn. “We ready?”

Ferra shifts to her combat form and nods. Sarah hefts Forgebreaker, grinning. And Alex juggles some fireballs and giggles.

I’m ready too, not that you need to know that.

You nod. “Let’s go, then.”