Gahad IC

[iTookUrNick]

"If things go south, lady Iria should have no problem getting out of sight, though I could see the value of an hidden ally nearby. I don't know the plan, so I'll refrain to comment any further." He looks at the hal-elf, expectantly.

[ashifter]

Cato:

Cato comments,

"I can even cast invisibility on myself so the orcs don't know I'm there."

[iTookUrNick]

"Sure" says Edward, shrugging "though I suggest we conserve our strength, least we find ourselves wishing we had"

"Just ask the ladies..." he adds.

[Cognomen]

Iria looks a shade relieved at Cato's offer, but that look is quickly chased off her face, presumably by something the staff has said. She glances at it and then looks back at Cato. "I must admit I would be grateful for backup, but the Lady tells me with great certainty that if I do not appear alone, it will be taken as a sign of weakness. I think it safe to assume she has more experience of orcs than I do. Your idea of invisibility, though..." She looks at the staff again. "What say you, Lady? Is there a risk they would sense the presence of my colleague here if he were nearby?"

[Snacs]

Spoiler: Ez, iria

Show

"No. Such a spell only tricks thine eyes. Not all that walk this earth rely so heavily upon it as some do" The staff says with a light scoff at the offer."Reassure them thy personage is under the protection of mineself. Thy tutelage is important enough to warrant it at least. Walk boldly, and without fear."

[Cognomen]

Iria has clearly been listening to the staff again. After a moment she gives a small sigh and looks at Cato, her expression a bit regretful. "The Lady informs me that Invisibility would not trick the orcs. Apparently they do not rely on their eyes as much as we do. She reminds us all that I am under her protection... I think I had better do as she says. In any case, as Darren has pointed out, we must have as much security as possible around David and Rue."

[ashifter]

Cato:

"While I could argue further, it's true that protecting David and Rue is our top priority. If you feel that the staff can protect you in the event that everything goes wrong, that's your call to make. Good luck, and try not to get killed."


​

[Snacs]

For the first part of the lonely, quiet walk across the bridge Iria's steps are cautious, hesitant and uncertain. Not surprising, with the brooding, dark tower looming in the distance.

As she crosses the threshold on to the marshlands, however, her bearing draws itself up. Her spine straightens, and her cloak bellows out theatrically, as if caught in a stiff breeze. Halfway between the bridge and the tower the marshlands begin to draw themselves back. Centuries of dirt and brackish water go streaming away from Iria's feet. First in small lumps, then great, sloshing waves of bracken and marsh-grass. Tents from the orc encampment are overturned, spilling out cursing occupants.

By the time the Orcs notice Iria's approach the half-elf mage is stalking on broad, faded stones the size of a fully grown man. Exposed beneath the detritus of the swampy earth is a mirror image of the tower in flat white paving stones, as tall as the Tower. Though faded with age the image is striking against the sharp black of the Tower, and the drab colors of the marshland around it. Iria stops a few dozen paces from the orcs, and the sound of the staff striking the stone echoes like a drum across the entire open plain.

"I seek the line of Fool-Killer. Doth his breed yet live?" The voice is not Iria's, despite clearly coming from the woman. After a moment of stunned silence from the gathered orcs, the voice speaks again in a harsher tongue. The group at the tree-line can hear every word clearly.

Spoiler: Ezeze

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The words are the same, just in Orc :D

Two orcs rouse themselves from the group and approach. One is small and whip-slender(for an Orc, as best the rest of the party can see the creature still tops Iria by at least a head), and the other a massive brute, all shoulders and bulk beneath disjointed leather and metal armor. It is dragging a huge club of black stone behind it carelessly.

Spoiler: Iria, Ezeze

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"Steady now little witch. Thine composure shalt be what aids thee, not thy instinct."The voice spoke far more gently in Iria's head than it had using her mouth. A strange sensation, but the staff had asked permission before casting its magic through her to speak and clear the bog from around them.

The closest orc is a horrifying brute. An eye is missing, the jaw rough and disjointed awkwardly, as if struck and healed poorly. Thick yellowing teeth lightly creak as he chews thoughtfully, staring at Iria balefully. A massive club dangles from one meaty paw, as thick around as Iria's middle. The black surface of the club looks similar to the stone fo the tower behind them. The other orc looks almost pathetic next to him, taut where the brute was overly large, and female. She was dressed in loose furs, and carried no weapons that were visible.

"Dramatic, but no leader He. Too many blows, too many fights. A champion mayhaps. No matter, focus on the other. Speak thusly, exactly as I say" The staff was warm in Iria's hand. It hadn't taken control of her body, only spoken through her lips briefly.

"Child of Fool-Killer? It pleases mine eyes to see his line yet lives. Doth thy allegiance still hold sway? Many bargains we hath made, ere our defeat. Wouldst thou honor the word of thy fathers?...."

The Orcs and Iria stand close together, though of course none of the party can hear from their distance. The larger brute begins to pace back and forth with agitation the longer time passes. Its arm lifts, and the heavy club in its hand snaps upwards. It shouts something in its guttural language, and swings downward...

Spoiler: Iria, Ezeze

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"This woman plays us for a fool! There never was a Lady of the Tower. Zo is a myth. A story to keep whelps in line. I'll kill her myself!"The large orc snorts and moves quicker than the staff translating for Iria can speak in her mind. The huge club arcs downward towards Iria's head, though the voice in Iria's head only laughs....

The club twists mid-swing, curling backwards on itself. There's a sickening Thump and a wet crack as the black stone smacks into the orc's own chest. Blood spurts from his mouth as the brute slumps downwards, his one eye huge in stunned surprise.

"Place me upon yonder fool's chest." The staff's voice is firm, cutting through Iria's shock. The metal butt of the staff presses to the orc's skin with a hiss, a foot over from the large dent where the club had struck. The brute's armor falls away across his chest, the smell of singed orc filling the air. A tower takes shape, embossed into the Orcs own skin.

The other Orc watches quietly throughout. Only when the symbol has etched itself fully does she speak.

"My brother should not have taken stones from the Tower. My apologies, Lady of the Tower"The Orc bows her head slightly, speaking in flawless Elven.

and..something happens, but whatever the cause the large orc is on its knees in front of Iria in the next moment, club discarded to one side, its arm hanging limply.

After a few minutes speaking with Iria the orcs turn and retreat towards the others, and Iria gestures for the party to approach.

By the time the party reaches the open plain the Orcs have begun a strange, eery chant.

"Zo. Zo. Zo."

[iTookUrNick]

Edward moves forward with the rest of the group, apparently unable to take his eyes off the scene unfolding in from of him. "Of all the ways this could have gone in our favor, this is certainly one of the most troublesome." says in a low voice, not to be heard by what appears to be their new 'friends'. "Let's hope this does not come around and bite us when we least expect it..."

[Psy-Knight]

Darren smirks to himself seeing the orcs seemingly worshiping Iria. Perhaps raising an orc army to retake the city wasn't a foolish thought.

He shakes his head as he stands close to Edward, "I may not be the greatest with magic, but something that could subdue them so readily, seems like it should have the power to hold them. But I will be on guard if you believe it necessary."

[iTookUrNick]

Darren smirks to himself seeing the orcs seemingly worshiping Iria. Perhaps raising an orc army to retake the city wasn't a foolish thought.

He shakes his head as he stands close to Edward, "I may not be the greatest with magic, but something that could subdue them so readily, seems like it should have the power to hold them. But I will be on guard if you believe it necessary."

Edward scoffs at the other man's comment: "I was not talking about the orcs...". He does not elaborate.

[Cognomen]

As the party starts to join her Iria stays in the same place, standing upon the paving stones with the Tower behind her, her bearing composed -- perhaps even regal, an effect heightened by her resemblance to her father, the former King. She overlooks the orc encampment spread out before her and, though her face is as composed as ever, she can't seem to help a slight smile as she observes the party's brutish new allies. Before the others are within hearing range, she can be seen laughing, then raising the staff and speaking to it briefly before setting it back down.

Spoiler: Icarus, Ezeze

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Iria laughs, a low delighted nervous sound, then picks up the staff. She's obviously trying to control her tone as she speaks to Zo in a murmur, but she can't help the excitement and nervous elation that creeps into her voice. "Lady Zo! That was -- I cannot describe it. Incredible. Unlike anything I have ever experienced. Your powers are indeed great, and your influence..." She trails off as if unable to find more words to describe what just happened, and sets the butt of the staff back on the ground. No wonder she's gone down in history, she thinks to herself, avoiding (as she has been a lot since Zo revealed her name) thinking too hard about the exact nature of the stories that did get handed down. She also, for a split second, remembers the moment when the orc woman addressed Zo as the Lady of the Tower... a title which, obviously, has also been Iria's. It struck her, when the orc said that, but perhaps it's not significant.

Once the party members are near enough, she turns to them and smiles a little tightly, but with a glitter in her eyes that an observant soul might identify as excitement. "Well, everyone. It would seem the Lady has brought us to safety, as promised. I cannot imagine potential pursuers making it easily through the ranks of our new ...friends." She looks to Rue and David and smiles again, more warmly. "The baby is safe, Rue. We will let no harm come to him here."

She then turns again to the party at large. "Well? Shall we go see what the Tower holds?"

[iTookUrNick]

The fact that Iria is radiating glee and reverence at the staff's display does not go unnoticed by Edward, but he decides to keep going: they have invested too much into this to turn back now. Plus, he is actually curious himself of what they might find, despite everything.

"By all means, milady, do show us the way".

[ashifter]

Cato:

Upon hearing Edward's reaction to the chanting, Cato whispers back,

"While these orcs may be a short-term solution to protecting Rue and David, they can only hurt us later. If the public finds out that they are hiding with orcs, the damage to their reputation and credibility may be crippling to the point that they may never regain the public's trust..."

Walking with the group into the tower, Cato also finds himself being overwhelmed with curiosity. How old is this tower? What secrets are contained within? and most importantly, what can the tower tell him of the staff and its powers?

[Ezeze]

Rue walks forward uneasily with David in her arms, but walk forward she does. Her regal upbringing shines through - the trepidation is subtle on her face, and she barely crinkles her nose at all at the smell of maybe a hundred orcs living all in one place.

The lithe (by the standards of orcs anyways) she-orc that started up the chant was less well brought up, but better at hiding the fear of 'Zo' that obviously guides her actions. She leaves the large orc that had been brought low by magic where he is, and nods in what might be generously called a bow towards the others. She doesn't raise her voice to be heard above the cheers, and so can't be heard from more than a few feet away. "The humans, Lady - your guests? The hunt was good today, and we have boar to spare if they are hungry. We can find tents for them as well, unless..." with a jerk of her head she indicates the black tower behind her. Huge holes are evident in its walls and the roof collapsed in long ago, but the foundations were built solidly and still remain. Sleeping inside would likely provide no more protection from the elements - or from other things - than sleeping out in the open.

Spoiler: Iria, Zo

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It's a small thing, but no mention of food or lodging for Iria is mentioned...

[iTookUrNick]

"We'll be fine inside the tower, thank you for asking" answered Ed, knowing full well that the question was not meant for him. He continues, meaning to stop any objection in its track: "Zo will guide us inside"