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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 2344897" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 415“There is nothing to be gained by delay,” Cal said.  “We are not as prepared as we could be, but we have no choice but to act.”The seven companions stood around the old table in the great room at Travelers’ Rest.  Before them, spread out across the table, was an amazing assortment of weapons, cases of ammunition, scrolls, potions, wands, and other diverse items of magical power.  They’d pooled their resources, chronicling everything that they had available to them, everything that could and would be needed in this deadly venture.  Along the wall behind the gnome were piled cases, sacks, waterskins, coils of rope, small casks of oil, and other mundane supplies that would be carefully loaded into their extradimensional storage devices.  Each would carry a small pack with additional items carefully selected from their total stores, a backup in case they were placed into a situation where their magical bags and backpacks failed to function. “Mole and I were able to find the help we needed at Twilight Hall,” the gnome went on.  “Cylyria was not in attendance, but fortunately the man we needed to see was there.  Jarthel was reluctant to lend us his most prized treasure, but we ultimately prevailed upon him to lend the device to our cause.”“We got a magic flying rug, too,” Mole added, indicating the ten-foot roll that had been laid carefully off to the side, out of the way.  “A big one, that should be able to carry all of us.”“You all know what’s at stake here,” Cal said.  “Our primary mission is to find the location of the prison Skullrot, and recover Benzan.  But several of the Cagewrights escaped to Carceri, and we also have in the mix a mad demon lord whose shackles may be failing.”“Sounds like an average outing for this group,” Lok commented. “Jarthel was able to provide the name of a starting point on Carceri from the Harper libraries,” Cal continued.  “A citadel known as the Bastion of Lost Hope.  We’ll start our search there.”“Let’s be about this, then,” Beorna said.  “We know what we’re about; all this chatter serves no purpose.”They said little more as they packed up their gear, double-checking everything in the manner of experienced veterans.  Cal had prepared a tally of everything they had, and had carefully totaled the cumulative weight of everything they were bringing with them.  They literally had almost no spare space; everything had its place and every one had their specific assignments, down to the spells they’d selected for that day.  They would be going in somewhat light in that regard, due to the spells that Dana and Cal had already cast, but they were not willing to sacrifice another day, to leave Benzan in the hands of their enemies longer than was necessary.  “I feel as though something is missing, without an acerbic complaint from Hodge,” Arun said, as he slid his backup weapon—an adamantine battleaxe won at Shatterhorn—into its loop across his back.“His strength will be needed to help the people of Cauldron return and rebuild,” Beorna said.  The dwarf templar’s mien was utterly serious, her solemn expression set in stone as she tended to her own weapons.  She’d taken Jenya’s death quite hard, and the prospect of revenge was driving her as powerfully as Dana’s goal to recover her husband.  She had immediately volunteered to join them as soon as Dana had shared her revelation about their next destination. Finally, the table was empty, the supplies along the walls vanished into their assigned containers.  Lok went to pick up the heavy carpet, when a solid knock on the outer door interrupted them.A hiss of swords being drawn from scabbards was followed by the bright glow of Arun’s holy avenger shining in the room.  Wary of yet another attack, the companions followed Cal over to the viewing port installed near the portal.  The device, a gnomish innovation, consisted of several mirrors installed covertly in the frame of the door so that someone on the inside of the portal could look out at whoever stood on the outer threshold, without their being aware of being watched.  Cal looked through for a moment, then stepped back, surprised.  “It’s a man in golden armor.  One of his eyes is… burning, it looks like.  He is accompanied by an avoral and a celestial whose flesh has been marred with abyssal markings.”Arun, Dannel, and Mole exchanged a look.  “Morgan,” Dannel said.  “It’s all right, he’s a friend.”Cal drew back the bolts and opened the door.  The man in the golden armor smiled, although the expression was made ominous by the wisps of smoke rising from his left eye socket, where a bright orange flame burned.  “Greetings,” Morgan Ahlendraal said to his erstwhile companions.</blockquote>

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