"Before the Order's time, when my joints didn't ache so much, Tonberg was a crystal of faith spreading its teachings across the frontier. Nonhumans were relocated - or purged - from the Sovereign Cities, and efforts were made to ally with the Sixteen Sages to ensure our country's continued prosperity."
Lieze crossed her arm, "Weren't the Sages already dead at that point in time?"
"Indeed they were." Rikard answered, "I can attest to that personally, having searched a few of their towers myself. I was a scout… or, well - we were called 'rangers' back then. Vagabonds, almost. We witnessed the blinding coasts of the west and the uncontacted tribes of its mountain ranges. We swam in clear-as-glass lakes to the east, and spent many a night surrounded by great redwoods. Even travelled the Wildlands - if only for a few hours."
"I don't need to hear this. Cut to the chase, if you would." Lieze demanded.
"...Of course. The Sages." He paused, "As you're no-doubt aware, they'd vanished. No matter how many towers we visited or leads we followed up on, it was as if they'd simply disintegrated where they stood - a theory not entirely impossible, considering we found their robes crumpled on the floor within their studies and alchemy laboratories."
"They became one with the Gods." Drayya joined the conversation, "That was always their goal, just as it is ours. The only difference is that they selfishly hoarded their knowledge and refused to communicate with humanity beyond some very dire circumstances."
"Yes… but what does this have to do with Furainé?" Lieze asked, "She's not a Sage."
"No. But she is the daughter of one." Rikard continued.
"A Sage's… daughter?" She tilted her head.
"If they truly did ascend to the realm of the immortal, then Morgan was their final contribution to the world." He replied.
"I take it you found her in a Sage's tower? Is there any proof that she was one of their daughters?"
"When we entered that alchemy lab, she was there - suspended in a womb of glass on a table. Left to die, or more likely, be discovered by someone in passing." Rikard explained, "We broke her out, wrapped her in a blanket, and hoofed her all the way back to Tonberg. We were only soldiers, certainly, but that was no excuse to let her die."
"Like you, Lieze." Drayya smirked, "An ur-bastard. A child born without a mother."
"This is all very interesting, but why does that make Furainé a woman worthy of interest?" Lieze asked, "Alistair certainly seems to have taken a shine to her, but why is that?"
She already knew a part of the answer - the two of them were members of the same fold. The so-called 'Scions' chosen by the Gods. But one soldier couldn't possibly know that.
"I can't tell you any more than that." Rikard shook his head, "Myself and the rest of my men - we were told never to reveal her existence publicly. She spent her entire life under the Church's watch. They gave her a name. A habit. Something to believe in, I suppose. But even now, her identity is guarded fiercely. I've only seen her a handful of times since that day in the tower."
"That's not the convenient explanation I was looking for." Lieze replied, somewhat disappointed.
"You'll understand at one point or another that trying to answer every question is just plain foolish." He said, "Every man and woman in service of the crown understands how things are going. It's a repeat of the siege - most of them are just running north and never looking back. Soon, there won't be much of a city left to conquer."
"You don't seem too bothered by that." She noticed.
"Well… I'm an old man. Old and tired." Something akin to a chuckle escaped his hoarse throat, "Yes… a selfish old man. I've taken what I desired from this world, and now I'm prepared to die without offering anything in return."
"We've learned all we can, Lieze." Drayya leaned towards her, "Do what you will. A shame we didn't need to use my tools, but time is of the essence. We can't spend all night listening to an old fool's stories."
Lieze paused, "...True."
Rikard didn't offer a word of pleading as she reached into her Bag of Holding and retrieved Ricta's rapier. There was something uniquely pitiful about executing a man who had offered to divulge everything he knew without the need for prodding. That, too, was a symptom of the disease known as 'life', which afflicted men with such extraordinary passiveness as they accelerated towards old age.
She stabbed the weapon's tip into his chest with a fluid movement, surprised by the rapier's sharpness as it sank clean through Rikard's heart with barely a sound. A groan of final acceptance escaped his mouth before the old soldier's body went limp in his restraints.
[Rikard Althos] Defeated
20xp Rewarded
"The daughter of a Sage…" Stowing the weapon away, Lieze repeated those words, "I wouldn't trust a master of sorcery and alchemy as far as I could throw them, never mind someone who only exists as the result of their wicked experimentation."
"I thought you'd be a little happier." Drayya placed her hands on her hips, "At least now you have someone to relate to regarding the circumstances of your birth."
"I will be 'a little happier' once Tonberg is under our control." She replied, "It's time to make a move, lest Alistair beat us to the punch. Let's return to the cemetery and see how Marché is getting on."
"Hm. There's no taking breaks with you, is there?" Drayya sighed, "Very well. Lead on."
Thunder illuminated the bulwark of Tonberg's walls as Lieze and Drayya approached the city from the east. For once, there were no guards to accost them on the way in. The density of Gravewalkers patrolling the streets had increased in the short time they'd been away. Marché and his followers were as busy as ever in the cemetery, having raised a sizable portion of the corpse piles.
"Lieze." He greeted, thankful for an opportunity to rest his mind, "We had a few intruders just a short while ago. Four rank-and-file soldiers wandering into the district to check on the garrison."
"Did any of them escape?" She asked.
"Thankfully, no." He answered, "But this is only the first of many groups to come. Next, there will be priests. Then knights. Then Dragon Cardinals. This may be our district for the time being, but I fear we'll have our claim contested before dawn."
New Quest Received!
'Bulwark' - Defend the east against 3 attacks without losing control of the district
Reward - 2,900xp
"We're not prepared to move north just yet." Lieze placed a hand to her chin, "For now, refrain from placing thralls in the middle of the streets. The last thing we want is for a wandering guard to spot one and report back to his superiors. Preserving this imperfect 'stealth' for as long as possible is crucial to our survival."
"Where should we hide them? Intact homes?"
"Deep in the district, yes. And the sewers, too." She instructed, "Send two of your followers to relocate the hideout's alchemy supplies to the gatehouse. With any luck, Baccharum's informants will return to us with information on the city's defences before dawn."
"I understand." Marché rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Any plans in the meantime? It's been more than half a day since either of you hatched some suicidal plot, so I'm expecting to hear one any minute now."
"Drayya and I will be paying the southern district a visit. We're going to torch some workshops and keep Alistair on his feet." Lieze replied plainly.
"That's right." Drayya folded her arms, "...Wait, no - that's not right."
"Torch some workshops?" Marché repeated, "Is that wise?"
"The Dwarven labourers we hired to expand and fortify the hideout have most likely been expelled from the city." Lieze explained, "If I know Dwarves - and I don't - then they'll have some of that wicked black powder of theirs stashed in the workshop. Baccharum's thugs put it to use on occasion, so there must be a stockpile somewhere in the city."
"-And we're going to steal the black powder, aren't we?" Drayya blinked. She seemed genuinely worried, "We're absolutely not going to throw a torch on it and turn the entire street into a smoking hole, right? Lieze?"
She paused, "...That's not a bad idea at all."
"No - it wasn't a suggestion…"
"I'll entrust you with managing the district in my absence, Marché." Lieze ignored the pleas of her peer, "Don't disappoint me. I expect we'll be back within the hour."
"Wait, wait, wait-" Drayya stepped in front of her, "This is ridiculous. We don't have to do this, you know? We could strategize about our takeover of the northern district! You love strategizing!"
New Quest Received!
'Boom' - Discover and detonate a cache of Dwarven black powder somewhere in Tonberg
Reward - 2,000xp
"For reasons that have only just become apparent, we must do this." Lieze replied, "Spreading terror is a well-established facet of the Order's identity, Drayya. I could care less about this city - all that matters is that the pitiable 'innocents' within are sent to the next life swiftly."
"Have you forgotten that you're the most wanted woman in Tonberg?" She asked.
"It's a good thing you can use your transmutation magic to disguise me, then. Wouldn't you agree?" Lieze tilted her head, "As a matter of fact, that makes it all the more important that you join me. Now come along."
"Marché!" Drayya exclaimed, "Use that rational, city-dwelling head of yours to explain to Lieze that this is the poorest idea she's ever come up with - and that's really saying something!"
"I've long resigned myself to her particular brand of madness." The curly-haired cultist replied, "Good luck. I'll instruct the others not to panic if they hear a deafening explosion."
"That's… oh, goodness…" With a sigh, she lowered her head, "Fine. But the moment we return, we'll start discussing matters unrelated to - and far more important than - levelling a portion of the city on a whim."
Drayya wasn't speaking from a place of incompetence. Lieze understood the risks of such a sudden endeavour, but her recent responsibilities had left her with less time to improve her own capabilities than she would have liked. Sudden and spontaneous decisions seemed to fuel the scale's output of quests, and she would need to be far stronger before taking on the likes of Alistair.
"You are incredibly intolerable." Joining Lieze's side as she departed from the cemetery, Drayya launched into a nostalgic attack of her character, "Only someone raised by Master Sokalar would throw herself in harm's way when it's completely uncalled for."
"The workshop will be empty." She replied, "We enter, find some way to detonate the black powder without killing ourselves, then leave. I doubt anyone will even see us at this time of night."
"We could take the black powder and put it to use somewhere else…?" Drayya suggested.
She was right - Lieze's scale never specified that the black powder had to be detonated inside of the workshop. If the two of them could find some way of moving it - in whatever manner it was stored - she could still complete her quest while using the powder in a more opportune fashion.
"Yes. Let's do that." She agreed, "If we're lucky, it will be stored in barrels or pouches. We can find a cool, dry place to store it."
"See - it helps to use your head once in a while, doesn't it?" Drayya smirked, "Now we have a real reason for doing this. I can think of quite a few places where Dwarven blastpowder would cause some commotion…"