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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 2248320" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 391Dawn was just breaking over the mountains when the adventurers convened in a small room on the upper storey of the roadhouse.  The Lucky Monkey and the camp surrounding it were already beginning to stir into activity, but stern-faced Hammers ensured that no one approached this room.  The place had once been a small meeting room, but the table and chairs had already been removed for use in the camp, and the few remaining pieces of furniture—a sideboard, a small cabinet, and a weathered chest—had been pushed into a corner to leave most of the floor space open.  Even so, with ten heavily armed and armored people in the room it was getting a bit crowded.  Two stood apart from the others near the door; Jenya Urikas, clad in white, with Beorna a hulking warder in her shadow. Cal stepped onto the chest, drawing the attention of the others to him. “Today we are going to face powerful enemies.  We’ve already tussled with a number of the Thirteen, and we know what they are capable of.  They’ve been dealt a serious blow, but don’t think that you can let your guard down; it’s almost certain that the remaining Cagewrights have a few surprises left up their collective sleeves, and that they’ll be ready for our visit.”“We’ve all faced foes of this strength before, so you know what I’m going to say, but I’ll say it anyway.  Enemies this strong will have attacks that can kill in an instant.  Your fortitude, reflexes, and strength of will may all be challenged.”“We have a plan, and you know what you need to do.  But you also need to be ready to adapt, to change up your tactics based on what they throw at us.  We will need to combine our diverse abilities to best effect.  Those of you who have fought together for a while know best what your companions can do, but we’ll need to bring both groups together to work as a single unit.  We did well in the Cagewright stronghold under Cauldron, but to be honest, there were a few instances where we were sloppy, and it almost cost us dearly.”  “Yer not plannin’ on talkin’ them to death, eh gnome?” Hodge interjected. “You’d be surprised how much talk is in that little body,” Benzan replied, to general laughter. Cal smiled.  His eyes met those of his niece briefly.  “It takes a certain kind of craziness to do what we’re about to do,” he said.  “The kind that leads someone to prod a hornet’s nest with a stick,” he added, glancing over at Benzan, “to see what will happen.  But do not forget that what we’re doing here is vitally important, and if we don’t succeed, people are going to suffer, and die.  Good people, people like the ones you’ve all had a chance to meet over the last few days.  People who no longer have homes thanks to the mad dreams of an imprisoned godling.”“Those dreams will come to an end,” Lok said, his fist tightening against the haft of his axe.“You all know the plan, and the contingencies we came up with last night,” Cal continued.  “Timing is important; the preparatory spells we will cast are of limited duration.  But rushing into an ambush will give the Cagewrights an easy victory.  So we go in, swiftly but methodically, and we hit hard with everything we’ve got.”“Sounds like a plan!” Arun said, lifting his blessed holy avenger.  “To victory, for Moradin, for Cauldron, and for Zenna!” “For Zenna!” the others replied, lifting their weapons in an echo of the dwarf’s cheer.  Benzan did not join in the shout, but his eyes burned with a cold fire, and his fingers were tensed white around the thick shaft of his magical longbow. “I will ward you with Helm’s power,” Jenya said, coming forward.  Behind her Beorna scowled, her eyes hard as she looked at Arun.  Restored to life by a resurrection spell from the high priestess, she’d resumed her role as Jenya’s guardian.  In their gathering of the previous night they’d agreed that Beorna would remain behind to help protect the Jenya and the refugees from a retaliatory attack from the remaining Cagewrights.  There had been another reason beneath the surface, one that none of them had spoken of openly.  If their assault failed, and they were all destroyed, someone had to be left behind to carry on the fight, and ensure that the Cagewrights were not allowed to restart their vile plans.  They’d contacted the Harpers and the hierarchs of the church of Helm, seeking aid, but by the time that any assistance arrived, it was likely that the issue would already be decided, for good or for ill. Arun had been among those pressing the argument most forcefully on this issue, although Jenya had added her support for Beorna remaining behind.  In truth Arun had been relieved when Beorna had reluctantly agreed; the templar had been drained by her return from death, and while she was still a formidable warrior, the paladin did not want to see her thrust back into a deadly situation.  He had to fight the warring feelings inside him, and felt a moment of shame as he glanced over at Hodge.  Dana’s words had ultimately led him to accept the choice made by his friend and cohort to remain with him; what right did he have to press Beorna to make a different one? Beorna’s expression did not soften as she came over to him; she was still angry.  “Watch your back,” she said, touching him to infuse a protective ward upon him.  She took up the heavy shield that Cal had brought back from Waterdeep, and all but jammed it onto his arm.  “You’ve made promises to me, and I will hold you to your oaths.”  She checked his weapons and armor with an experienced eye, frowning as she twisted his scabbard back into its proper position.  “Beorna…”She lifted her eyes to fix his.  “Just come back.”  She turned around without saying more, and returned to Jenya’s side.  It was not the dwarvish way to show intimate feelings in public, but much was said in those simple words.  “Okay, time to fiend up,” Cal said, as he finished casting his own wards.  He, Dana, and Jenya had prepared a virtual battery of protective spells earlier that morning, and the companions were now protected to varying degrees against fire and acid.  Arun summoned a magic circle against evil, and Cal protected himself with stoneskin.  Jenya had prepared several greater magic weapon spells, which she used to augment those arms of lesser power possessed by the group.  Augmenting the benefits of those spells, their breakfast that morning had been a heroes’ feast conjured by Jenya, and thus fortified they were ready for the enemy. Or so they earnestly hoped, at least. “Are you sure that it’s necessary to go as demodands?” Benzan asked.  “Damn if those things don’t stink.”“Part of the effectiveness of the disguise,” Cal said.  “One whiff, and few will want to take a closer look at us.  And if anyone has the right to complain, it’s Mole and myself; your noses aren’t nearly as sensitive as ours.”“Anything for the cause,” Mole said with a mock salute, holding her nose with her other hand.“I still think it might be better to disguise ourselves as the dead Cagewrights,” Benzan persisted. “We went over this,” Dana said.  “It’s almost inevitable that those left know all about what happened to their peers.  Better to be anonymous; it’ll give us a better chance to slip in undetected.”“Not likely,” Benzan said, but he dropped the argument as Cal cast his veil spell, transforming them into the outward semblance of farastu demodands.  The spell was thorough; even though all of them knew that the glamour was illusionary, the thick stench of the fiends still hung in the air, an echo that stained the senses.  There was more preparation to be made, but not here.  The companions gathered in two close circles around Cal and Dana.  All knew their place, and there was no more conversation as the companions tested their weapons and gear one last time.  Finally, Benzan drew out his wand, and using its power made all of them invisible. The air was filled with the soft sound of chanting, and then the eight companions teleported away.</blockquote>

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