Lyriel blinks back tears from her eyes as her brother's spectral blade shimmers and vanishes into the Aether.

Jarred back to reality by necessity, she nods to Zuriel in agreement. Yes, I'll need at least that long to organize the priests and priestesses for the rituals to speak with the OSA's dead we've recovered. She smiles thinly. I'm sure we'll be able to find time to fill you in on our adventures this evening.

Her smile fades as she looks around the room and down the stairwell, ensuring they aren't overheard. She drops her voice, turning to Edrahil and speaking in urgent tones. Captain, if I had any say in the matter, Zuriel wouldn't be here in the first place, but he refused to let us handle this without him, she says, shooting the younger Silendril and inscrutable look. He...reacts...to the presence of Infernals. There's no way we can possibly hide who - what - he is while he's here. Not for long, anyway. Every day he's here, he'll be at increased risk. Eventually, they *will* find him, and they'll...

Lyriel breaks off, swallowing dryly. Her green eyes flash defiantly. I *won't* let that happen. If Zuriel doesn't have the sense to spend no more time in the Hells than absolutely necessary, I'll...I'll Dismiss him myself if I have to.

The priestess tilts her chin up and crosses her arms, daring either Silendril to press the issue.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:51, Thu 31 July 2014.

Boreas, having stuffed the loot in his Bag of Holding minutes earlier (for later equitable distribution), responds to the Flamesmen.

We're friends of Zuriel Silendril and Lyriel Vesper, who you may remember from the tower.  We had a bit of a run-in with these mages in the tunnels.  Managed to take down a few before the others escaped through some kind of portal.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 56):

Keef looks from the paladins to his companions.  There is a question on his face but he clearly doesn't find an answer.

We're.... good guys?  And cabin boys... maybe?

In reply to Keef (msg # 57):

The Tunnels

"There are a lot of 'friends' down here, none of them legitimate," the speaker of the paladins says. "Orders are to arrest everyone we found and bring 'em up for questioning. Already got your friend back at the spiked slab. Come along quietly, or we'll be forced to use... well... force."

Provided everyone cooperates, the paladins escort the group (including the corpses and the unwitting imp) back to the shed, where two other paladins are standing over the chained form of Les. He's been beaten bloody, but he's still alive. His eyes widen as Maeve, Boreas, and Keef are brought up next to him.

"Did... did Drake...?" he whispers, unable to finish the question before a paladin backhands him with a gauntlet of molded steel.

"Do not speak, mage," the paladin commands. "Or you will wish you hadn't."

In silence, the group makes its way toward the back entrance of the spire. Now that is is thoroughly surrounded by the Flame, it looks for all the world like a Crusader outpost set in the center of Hell itself.

The Spire

"I share your concern," Edrahil says in response to Lryiel's entreaty. "And am touched by the depth of it. But we have been quite successful thus far in not losing many men. I certainly don't intend to add my son to the short list of the honorably fallen."

They begin their slow sojourn down the stairs, pausing when Lt. Faye comes puffing back up them, nearly bowling them over.

"Sir!" she says, saluting. "We found something."

The "something" Faye found is on the fifth landing, which was a pantry, larder, kitchen, and dining space. One of the main tables has had its tabletop cast aside, revealing a flat plane of utter darkness beneath it. The table isn't wood, but stone, and lacking the tabletop, it is unmistakably another Vorite well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:19, Thu 31 July 2014.

"Is this how the Flame would treat wounded soldiers and prisoners, not to mention a child?" Maeve says with some indignation as the paladin backhands Les, gesturing at herself, Les, and Keef respectively. "I had thought better of you."

Oh, I'm quite sure they wouldn't kill Zuriel. At least, not at first... she thinks darkly, but keeps her silence as Faye arrives.

Running her hand across the tabletop, Lyriel walks over to the well. We've encountered these before. They're used by devotees of Vora. If there's one here... she looks up at Zuriel, concerned. Come to think of it, some of the phrases Brooks and the Commander used were quite...Vora-esque. If Vora has her claws in the OSA, then their stated objective of trying to prevent planar collapse is almost certainly a ruse. Could be they're trying to accelerate it along! Or at least, this group was...

She turns to regard Edrahil. This is a portable hole of some kind. A rift in reality. I *think* it's safe to attempt to pull items out of, but I can't know for sure. If any of the other priests or priestesses here are particularly magically inclined, I would say this bears further study. Hopefully, the bodies of the fallen will provide answers as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:56, Thu 31 July 2014.

In reply to Lyriel Vesper (msg # 60):

Outside the Spire

"We're in hell," the paladin snaps at Maeve, unrepentant. "Nothing here is how it seems. Don't you dare judge me -- only the Goddess has that right."

Inside the Spire

"Vora?" Faye says, furrowing her brow. "But why go through all the trouble? Doesn't she... live here, somewhere? In some sense?"

Edrahil merely scowls at the hole.

"If this thing contains objects of value to that disgusting cult, we should do all we can to relieve it of them. Faye, take Lyriel downstairs to marshall a few of the stronger clerics. I want this mess sorted out."

"Aye, sir," Faye says. "Also, the vanguard has returned with prisoners. Thought you'd want to see them for yourself."

Edrahil grins for the first time since entering the spire.

"Goddess be praised," he says, beckoning for Zuriel to follow him. "Come along. Let's see if we can't find some answers from the living, for a change."

In reply to DM (msg # 61):

Lyriel, Faye, Edrahil, and Zuriel exit the tower as one, and can't help but see the prisoners (and corpses) waiting patiently just outside.

In reply to DM (msg # 62):

Faye tugs on Lyriel's sleeve, leading her toward the clerics, as Edrahil and Zuriel approach the prisoners.

"At ease," Edrahil says to the paladin who had commanded the tunnel group. "What do we have here?"

"One of the mages, sir, and a team of mercenaries he claims was here to extract him. Some actually did get away, I fear, but we collected this lot, at least."

"No matter," the knight-captain says. "Even a single prisoner is more than we were able to secure. You may return to your normal duties. We're setting up camp here for the night, with the Spire as the command tent."

"Aye, sir," the paladin salutes and departs, leaving Boreas, Maeve, Keef, Les, and the bodies of Jenkins and Stevens along with Zuriel and Edrahil.

The armored man crosses his arms over his chest.

"My name is Knight-Captain Edrahil Silendril. I command one third of the Flame's military might, at the present, and I am not a patient man," he begins. "I'm telling you this for your own good. Tell me who you are, why you're here, and what value I might place on your continued upkeep. Lacking a convenient court system at the moment, I have no problem performing the duties of judge, jury, and executioner if your crimes warrant it... which means it's in your best interest to convince me that you're of more use alive than justly dead."

He shifts his stance slightly and makes a sweeping gesture to the group.

"Well? Begin."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:18, Thu 31 July 2014.

Zuriel crosses his arms, betraying nothing other than exchanging a meaningful look with his father.

If it's time to come clean, they'll address me first.

Despite his stern words, Maeve feels immediately at ease in Edrahil Silendril's presence.  His brusque military ways are familiar and reassuring.  She does however wish that she was a bit more presentable when meeting the famed commander.

"Fancy seeing you two here," she says to Zuriel and Lyriel. "Hello again, Faye."

"Knight-Captain Edrahil, my name is Maeve Hassan, of the Gaelian 5th Mounted.  It is a great honor to finally meet you, sir.  Your son has been my brother-in-arms for some time now, and he has spoken of you fondly at some length.  But then he speaks of most things at some length."

[OOC: any of the small army of healbots running around want to patch me up 45 hp?  Not to mention the stupid amounts of con damage everyone else has?]
This message was last edited by the player at 14:29, Thu 31 July 2014.

Zuriel grins at Maeve's jibe, relieved to be able to drop the act completely. He notes the surprised look from Edrahil. "Yes, that Hassan. Based on her own prowess, I should say the reports of her father are not at all overrated."

He gestures in turn to Boreas and Keef. "This is Boreas. Woodsman, and arcane...specialist. And this is Keef. Cabin boy, lion tamer, and mage of no small power."

The paladin gestures dismissively to Les. "He's one of them though."

Lyriel follows Faye, curious to meet her counterparts in the priesthood who decided to follow the Knight-Captain. Conscious of the state of her robes, she takes the relative calm to refine her glamor, smoothing out the folds of her priestess' battle robes.

She also takes the opportunity to make a few minor creative improvements to the overall cut of the garment, improving the fall of the cloth and trimming up the lines to be just a tad more flattering. Within reason of course.

She sighs. Would it kill the Church to actually consult with somebody with a whit of fashion sense before making decisions on our attire?

Boreas nods, as one might expect.  A pleasure, Knight-Captain, though I, too wish our meeting were under better circumstances.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 68):

"Ah, Baldwin's infamous P.A.R.T.Y.," Edrahil says directly. "I'm glad to see that your travels have taken you to a place that's typically the source of all the world's problems. We shall have to catch up this evening."

He motions to a nearby squire.

"These three, in addition to my son and Lady Vesper's daughter, are to be admitted to my table tonight. No others. See to it."

The squire rushes off, joining a train of others engaged in transforming the entire peninsula into something organized, comfortable, functional, and -- above all -- defensible.

"And what of you, mage? What were you doing here, and what would you say you've learned?"

In reply to Edrahil Silendril (msg # 69):

Les swallows audibly, then gets a stubborn look in his eyes.

"Nothing that would interest the Flame. Kill me if you must. The die is cast."

Edrahil shrugs and draws a sword, but before he can advance, the mage squeaks out: "Wait!"

The knight-captain obliges him, and then the mage begins to spew out information. The pertinent points:

- OSA's spires are able to gauge the relative "strength" of a plane relative to the others
- OSA is not entirely made up of Vorites
- Mah'mout has rendered at least four other spires "indestructible"
- The strength of the Hells is by far the highest of any plane measured thus far
- The Heavens have not yet been measured
- The world is ending soon. In this lifetime. If you believe a Vorite, that is.

If you have other questions, ask them now. And Lyriel, what questions do you have for the corpses?

Zuriel looks at Les sharply. "Vora's goals are entirely at odds with the stated objectives of the OSA. What of Darris and Ptolmy? Are the devotees of Vora? What do they hope to gain from all this?"

In reply to Edrahil Silendril (msg # 69):

So the towers are... planar aetho-thermometers?  With aether congruity as the denominator?  Fascinating...

Lyriel listens to Les, composing a list of questions to ask of the living and the dead.

Questions:

-What research was being conducted here?
-How was the tower constructed without interference from Infernals?
-How much of the OSA serves Vora?
-Where are the towers in Fey'driel and the Heavens?
-What does Vora hope to gain from infiltrating the OSA?
-Do the towers have any ability to redirect planar energy?
-What can destroy them once Mah'mout's shielded them?
-How do the Vorite wells work?

I could say the same to you, Captain.  As for the towers, it sounds like they serve a real, useful purpose... in the right hands.  At the moment, they appear to be firmly in the wrong ones, however.  This mage says the whole organization isn't corrupt, and I believe it.  If we can turn the others to our cause, more's the better.

For fear of confiscation, Boreas keeps the loot in his satchel and refrains from mentioning it until the PARTY is alone.

Lyriel's laundry list of questions pretty much covers it, so Maeve does not contribute any of her own.

She *does* however inform Lyriel and Zuriel of the fight in the tunnels, especially the rather important points of Tuskrot's still being alive and the P.A.R.T.Y's cover with OSA being blown.

She also continues to look rather woebegone.

[OOC - Not sure where Lyriel is right now. I think she's gone to meet the clerics? When she gets back though, she'll drop a Sacred Boosted Cure Critical Wounds on Maeve.]

[Maximized Cure Critical Wounds: 51]
This message was last edited by the player at 17:52, Thu 31 July 2014.

Zuriel frowns at Maeve's narrative. "Brooks must have gotten a message off to Darris...damnation."

He sighs in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "No matter. We knew that was a risk. Though there's nothing linking us to Baldwin, I think it may be in his best interests to relocate somewhere beyond Darris' reach."

Zuriel turns to Boreas, conscious of the eyes of the other paladins on him. "Could you get a message to Baldwin? Advise him that he may want to consider seeking refuge with our...southern friends," he says quietly. "We can message ahead for him."

"I suppose it must have been Brooks.  At least, I hope so," Maeve says upon hearing of the tussle in the spire.  "One of the only other alternatives I can think of is that Baldwin himself is somehow responsible.  And while he's more nonchalant about this undertaking than I'd care for, surely even *he* wouldn't be that careless."

"For what it's worth, my presence here has led Tuskrot--and now we can safely assume Darris as well--to assume that the East is allied with the highborn. I can't say what, if any, ramifications that will have."

"That could be...problematic," Zuriel replies, furrowing his eyebrows, "But I doubt Darris will leap to any conclusions without proof. At the least, I don't think it will sour the relationship between the OSA and the Sultanate any further; he did mention having issues with the Ghosts..."