The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide

[Dr._Bob]

If the hathran is annoyed by Khazrael, she does not show it, or at least the mask hides any expression of disdain.

The hathran replies in the common tongue when Tanner speaks to her.

"That is exactly the point. I can only hope that you ... heroes ... will prove as effective in battle as the huhrong and the wychlaran seem to believe. Otherwise, many good men and women will die in vain."

Her tone makes it clear that nothing she has seen so far has instilled in her much confidence in your abilities.

[barawn]

Damian

When the furor dies down a bit more, Damian looks to Tanner, Khazrael, and the others. "As fun as the verbal sparring between all of you sounds, Tiriel's point from before was quite valid. This isn't a straightforward fight. The Rashemi aren't here to win. They're here to distract."

"I think we have to treat ourselves the same way. Which means focusing more on the goal rather than having everyone survive - I think the most important people to survive are those who can fly: namely Tiriel, Tanner if he's transformed, Khazrael if he still has spells, and whoever has this ring," indicating the ring he's wearing. "We get the item, and the person who gets it gets out of there as fast as possible."

"I'm only mentioning this because it's not an easy reality to face, and I think it needs to be said. Personally, I think Tiriel should be the 'primary recovery' person, because her ability to fly can't be taken away, dispelled, or eliminated. Tanner, Khazrael, and the ringbearer can be backups."

[Koji]

((Whooooooops. Sorry, it's hard to keep Tanner and Damian straight sometimes :D))

[Naleh]

Retay, Necromanerist

"What happened to not fearing death?" growls Retay from his spot in the corner of the red boat. "All of us here have accepted the risks. As long as plenty of those damn bloodsuckers die, I'm happy."

[kuja.girl]

Khazrael
"...but if you want Tiriel to be on retrieval duty, why not tell her yourself?"

OOC: he did Koji - Tiriel's in the same boat (gray) as Damian and Khaz is in a different one (red). X| this makes formulating an ic reply a bit confusing for me.

[Dr._Bob]

Retay, Necromanerist

"What happened to not fearing death?" growls Retay from his spot in the corner of the red boat. "All of us here have accepted the risks. As long as plenty of those damn bloodsuckers die, I'm happy."

The hathran does not even turn around to acknowledge Retay.

"None of us fear death, barbarian, but it is not in our nature to waste life either - whether ours or yours.

"We will arrive at Shandaular in less than two days. I sincerely hope that you will be ready ..."

[blackfox]

Anika

Anika remains silent in her boat, now (belatedly) wishing she had been able to work with Tiriel. The tension and bickering between party members would never help their cause and certainly wasn't helping the Rashemi respect them.

(OOC: Damian has already said anything Anika would want to say to make people stop arguing.)

[Matticus]

Grynde

That was uncomfortable the slightly-elf says flippantly, and then stares at the cloisonne ring for several minutes, utterly vexed by why the rings all seem to hate him. Eventually, he replaces the ring to his finger, disgruntled, swearing to himself that he wouldn't say anything even remotely like the command word unless he had to. Sitting stiffly, he observes the other ringbearers, plucking up the courage to ask for a trade.
The unholy one'd be the same, surely. I'm not evil. The dragon's out of the question. And this one won't work for just anyone......I've always wanted to fly...
Chewing on his bottom lip, he works out how best to phrase his thought, and then opens his mouth.
As this ring doesn't like me, there should be some more trading going on to ensure it's in the hands of one who can use it best. But I won't just give it away.

[barawn]

Damian

Damian bursts out laughing after Grynde's comment of "not just giving the ring away." "Won't... won't... Grynde, that's how you got the ring! Oh, this is just hilarious. My motives are questioned, yet I gave the ring away freely for the good of the group. And yet no one seems to be seriously questioning yours, yet you refuse to!" He laughs a bit more, then manages to pull himself together, grasping the side of the boat.

"Sorry, sorry, that was likely uncalled for. It's very unlike me, as well - but, you have to see the irony from my point of view. Tell me truthfully, Grynde, should we even bother planning our siege? Would you even listen?" The barest hint of a smile is still on his face, yet he seems quite serious.

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

Fizahn looks shocked at Grynde. His voice assumes its usual sarcastic tone once more. "Oh yes. Excellent idea. Because we didn't just give you the ring. We made you pay for it. And we absolutely don't have the good of the group at heart. We're all only looking out for ourselves." He looks around at the rest of the people in his group. People in the boat: Me, Callos, Grynde, Aeroz, Tryntha, and Gala. People who could benefit from the ring: Hmmmm... Me, Callos, Aeroz, Tryntha, and Gala. Why is he so horrible? Fizahn looks at Grynde once more. When he speaks, he is exasperated and his voice has slightly threatening undertones. "Fine. Keep the ring. Just know that you can't use it, and when you die, I will take it off your corpse and give it to someone who can use it!"

[Darius]

Damian

"I think we have to treat ourselves the same way. Which means focusing more on the goal rather than having everyone survive - I think the most important people to survive are those who can fly: namely Tiriel, Tanner if he's transformed, Khazrael if he still has spells, and whoever has this ring," indicating the ring he's wearing. "We get the item, and the person who gets it gets out of there as fast as possible."

"I'm only mentioning this because it's not an easy reality to face, and I think it needs to be said. Personally, I think Tiriel should be the 'primary recovery' person, because her ability to fly can't be taken away, dispelled, or eliminated. Tanner, Khazrael, and the ringbearer can be backups."

Tanner Gondsman

Despite the pit that forms in Tanner's stomach, the cleric realizes that Damian is right. The cleric of Gond turns to Khazrael and says, "Khazrael, if you were to wear the ring Grynde has currently, would it have a similar effect and burn you like it did Grynde?" Realizing that it may sound as if he is asking if Khaz has a good heart, Tanner adds, "The reason why I ask is that if we plan on doing as Damian believes is the best course of action, then the ring may need to be in your hands."

[Koji]

Khazrael

Khazrael ponders Tanner's suggestion, and shakes his head.

"It burned him because, what, he's not pious enough, or just 'cause he's a jerk? I don't think it would like me either. I've got bad luck with that kind of thing, for obvious reasons."

[Darius]

Khazrael

Khazrael ponders Tanner's suggestion, and shakes his head.

"It burned him because, what, he's not pious enough, or just 'cause he's a jerk? I don't think it would like me either. I've got bad luck with that kind of thing, for obvious reasons."

Tanner Gondsman

Sighing heavily, a defeated look crosses the cleric's face. He says to Khazrael and the others from the group with him in the boat, "Then I must face my destiny; for if we are to succeed with minimal casualties. then perhaps it is best that I wear the ring. Unfortunately, I believe Damian is right, and those of us who can fly should be the ones to get the kris. I believe that whoever wears the holy aura ring will be a wonderful target, and thus would be an excellent distraction for those we shall face. I could then allow Tiriel an opportunity to escape with the artifact. What do you think?"

[namo]

Adalmar

Adalmar remains silent during the discussion. He is trying to imagine how best to get the krys back, but he can't think of a good plan.

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel

Tiriel had been sitting in silence, brooding over the fact that Grynde was keeping the cloisonné ring even though it hurt him to use it. He must be an idiot. Or incredibly selfish... probably both.
She hadn't thought much of Damian's plan and had decided to wait and see what everyone else involved thought before saying anything. But now that there were others supporting his idea she decided to stop the nonsense.

"I'm not leaving until Valentine's dead, destroyed, whatever. Even if I did get the dagger it seems pointless for me to leave since she could send those horses or bats after me and we'd be back where we started or possibly, worse."

[Koji]

Khazrael

"Works for me, I guess. We just gotta make sure we don't leave the slowpokes behind, and none of us get caught without backup. Those vampires can't fly, but if they catch you, even one of them is strong enough to pin you down."

He rubs at his chin while gazing to Elthan.

"Wait a minute, you turned into a bat that one time, didn't you? How did that work? Can you do it again?"

[barawn]

Damian

(ooc: kuja_girl, it was Damian's plan actually. )

"Actually, Tiriel, I just assumed we'd have to defeat Valentine to get the kris, considering I figured she had it on her person anyway. That's what the Iron Lord suggested, at least. I was talking about afterwards. Killing Valentine won't make the rest of the undead in Shandaular disappear. Uh. It won't, right, Callos? I mean, it'd be great if it did, but..."

He chuckles slightly, and looks at her with a grin on his face. "See, the other reason I was suggesting that you be the primary person is because I don't really think anything can stop you from taking her out, and it seems like you have a serious desire to be the one to destroy her, too."

"But once we've defeated Valentine, we have to get the kris out of Shandaular and away from Sethra's forces. It does Sethra no serious harm if we recover the kris only to lose it again due to being weakened from the fight to obtain it. I know it may seem a bit premature, but if we don't have a plan for afterwards, that's the quickest way to fail."

He glances over to Callos, then back to Tiriel. "The other thing to consider is that it's important that we reach Valentine as soon as possible, from what Callos said - before nightfall. Which means probably, what we want to do is have two of the groups flanking the third group, holding off any undead coming from the sides, and allowing the third group to move as quickly as possible forward."

[Dr._Bob]

Adalmar recalls that there are caves lining the cliffs below Shandaular. It is possible that they might lead beneath the city and provide an alternate means of entering the ruined city.

The caves and tunnels were narrow, even for adolescent humans, so the Rashemi warriors probably can not use them, but a small strike group might be able to worm their way deep undeneath the city while the Rashemi engage any defenders up above.

Obviously, some of your group can fly, but it is unlikely that the entire party can take an aerial approach.

Possibly, the group could split up and take three routes - overland, underground, and through the air? Or perhaps it would be better to stick together?

...

You discuss the options further before dropping off one by one to sleep, lulled by the rocking of the witchboat ...

[Darius]

Tanner Gondsman

Tanner turns to the hathrans in the boats and asks, "Have you the means to scry or see clairvoyantly? It may help us determine the best course of action?"

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel

"Oh. Yeah, she had it last time we saw her. But even if we defeat Valentine, and get the kris, then what do I do with it? I guess I can just keep out of reach and try to help everyone..."

[Naleh]

Retay

"Well, if you don't think the Rashemi can fit, how do you expect me to get through?" rumbles the barbarian. He turns to glare at Adalmar, as if it was his fault the tunnels were so narrow. "Even if I can slip through, I'm sure to slow us down. And splitting up's no plan. They'd pick us off."

[Darius]

Tanner Gondsman

While thinking Tanner hears Tiriel's and Retay's comments. He first asks Tiriel, "Horses? You said that Valentine would send horses after you? When you can fly, why could horses hinder you?"

Tanner understands the barbarian's distaste for being confined, and he agrees with Retay, "You are right, Retay, we should stay together as much as possible. We do not want a repeat of what happened at the fort. However, if Valentine is a spell slinger, it may be useful to not group up so we are all the target of spells."

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel

Clearly frustrated, Tiriel tries to explain her past encounter with the vampire's steeds, with much hand waving. "How would I know?!? They weren't just horses, but some kind of demon-horse. They appeared out of nowhere on the second floor of the building we were in and then they set it on fire. For all I know they can just *poof* appear in thin air anywhere!"

ooc: someone should feel free to jump in and help her out. really.

[namo]

Adalmar

"I did see them fly from the window on the second floor. They managed to go through the walls without ever... going physically through them. It's hard to explain."

Unconsciously, the ranger grips his bow tighter. He felt it would be his responsibility to limit the movement of those creatures - had Trinark called them nightmares ?

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"Their called nightmares...and believe me the name is well deserved and they can very well catch Shiney if she tried to outrace them." Callos replied through the message spell and just by telling it to the other boats. He was reclining now against the prow of the boat with his spellbook open, already drifting off to sleep as he spoke. Part of him wanted to defend his actions to Fizahn...or to continue his conversation with Grynde which was something he had to address quickly...but instead he focused on relaxing and getting some much needed asleep.

[Darius]

Tanner Gondsman

Tanner can only imagine what Damian's response to this new information will be, so he hopes to speak up before the mercenary cynically does by saying, "Hmm...I see. This is good to know. What other forces or manner of creatures did you encounter that were either minions or under the influence of Valentine or Sethra?"

Tanner takes mental stock - Vampires, ghouls, ghasts, and now nightmares - Gond watch over us all.

[Koji]

Khazrael

He nods to Adalmar, and follows up on his description.

"I almost killed one of them, and I really wish I'd succeeded, since they're not easy to come by. They run between the planes as easily as a normal horse can move over solid earth. Their hooves are on fire, they breathe out thick smoke, and they can fly very quickly. They're pretty smart, too, I think."

Khazrael leans on the side of the boat and looks down into the water.

"I can summon and control bats, but the vampires are a dozen times better at it than I am, and actually used my own ability against us last time. She had two or three other vampires with her, but I didn't see them use any magic or anything. They were young-looking men I think, one might have had brown hair, but I was halfway between darkvision and using the light from the fire, so I can't say for sure. I'd know 'em if I saw 'em, though...unless they can change their shape."

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel

Tiriel gives Callos a glare before ticking off the enimies that Tanner asked about. "Well there was Valentine, the two vampires that Khaz found on the roof, the 2 nightmares and maybe a third that stayed with Valentine, a hoard of skeletons, and some bats. Oh and she was controlling some zombies when Anika and I first met her beneath Telflamm. I don't know if the ghouls were "her's" but we might find some of those again."

Of the monsters listed only the vampires and nightmares cause Tiriel any worry. She doesn't acutaly remember being hit by the zombies, skeletons, bats, or ghouls so she views these as hindernces instead of "foes." Though she does remember quite a few other people being badly hurt by them...

[barawn]

Damian

Damian frowns when Tiriel mentions the nightmares, shaking his head slightly. "Well, that pretty much kills that idea, then. If some of them are still able to chase after you flying, then getting the kris to a safe location, even after we eliminate Valentine, won't be so easy. I think the suggestion of a triple assault above, below, and on ground might be best for ensuring someone gets there, but will they have enough strength to fight Valentine if only they make it?"

He sighs slightly. "It's not an easy problem. I think, though, as much as splitting up might be against some of our notions, it might be best. If we come in as a group of 15 or more, we're sure to draw attention, and Valentine's forces will certainly be capable of massing enough forces in one location to repel us. Splitting up into three groups, we might get lucky and none of them will draw attention, compared to the Rashemi assault."

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

Fizahn stops talking as people begin discussing tactics. He didn't know how to combat undead. He moves to a spot on the boat where he could see everyone on his boat. He looks at all of the people on his boat with a neutral expression. Every time he looks at Grynde, he frowns. He seems to be deep in contemplation about something. His eyes seem almost closed, but he does not appear to be going to sleep anytime soon.