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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 4201740" data-attributes="member: 3448">Upon returning to the Circle, we asked to speak with the Keeper we knew was sane.  When she met with us, we asked if the Hastur would be willing to cross the Shadowline to engage Drakhl.  It would not be without risk, but if he could be lured to the edge of the Shadowline, while we still possessed his phylactery, we would have an opportunity to destroy him permanently.  The Keeper thought carefully and then nodded.  “We will take part in this plan.  In particular, Drakhl might attempt to cross the Shadowline to rescue his phylactery.  If we were caught unaware by such an effort, the dracolich might succeed.  But if we are ready, he would surely perish.  If he is not willing to cross, we will take the battle to him.  I see a chance, in the prolipses, of actually freeing Caldefor.  That is worth hazarding a certain amount of risk.”“We will be moving troops down to Bastion’s manor,” I added.  “Are there additional warriors that we could use to augment the Trueborn we will bring with us?”“Few of your people continue.  Most of those who escaped as refugees have resettled over the years.  However, an offer of land and status might well get you some bands of hardy, though undisciplined, warriors.”Some of my companions spoke favorably about this idea, but I noted a problem.  “We would need to speak to the Count in exile.  The lands are not ours to offer-- they belong to the Count, and to any of his nobles who have remained loyal and joined him in exile.  We could not presume to offer his lands as a reward.”“There may be some who would serve for the offer of loot without land, although they will be fewer and you will need to work harder to recruit them.”Buzz raised the issue of how long it would take Drakhl’s army to reach Bastion’s manor.  That would determine how long we would have to gather troops of our own.  The Hastur said that it would take the Eum four days to make the trip from Dragonhold Ripgut to the manor.  The rest of us had a more realistic estimate:  it would take a minimum of a week, and possibly substantially more time, for the eums to force-march that distance.  [In fact, Konrad botched an Int check here.  The Hastur’s estimate was correct.]  That would leave us substantial time to recruit mercenaries.  We agreed that Sideh and Spring would guard the phylactery, both while we recruited mercenaries and while we traveled to the manor to take possession.The Hastur spoke again.  “Since I have taken an interest in this, I can transport you and any mercenaries you recruit.  Would you be interested in nonhuman troops, from the place of Passing?  Rapa would be particularly convincing, although chuliks might be better in a fight.”“What are they?” we asked.“They are creatures that pass into our plane from beyond.”“Are they reliable?”“We have hired a few for previous purposes.”We agreed that we would travel to the place of Passing to recruit troops.  I also sent Alveera to recruit warriors as well-- I figured that she would be able to find many soldiers interested in work.</blockquote>

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