Lieze's plan to abandon her physical body in the pursuit of Lichdom had been snuffed out by a troublesome factor, but that didn't mean her preparations were all for naught. 1,000 Gravewalkers and more opened up a world of opportunities for reinforcing her army.
The day after her fated altercation with Drayya, she began to consider the composition of her forces and the effect it would have on battles to come. For lack of knowledge on the defensive capabilities of the Dwarves, she relied upon Lüngen to fill in the blanks.
"The Dwarves…" At that time, he was plundering the contents of a library in the northern district, "Very small. And very hardy."
"I wasn't curious about their physiology." Lieze crossed her arms. The musty air made her want to sneeze, "There isn't a single historical record of the Dwarven Mountains failing to resist a siege. Not even the Sovereign Cities at their peak could hope to pierce into the north. Why is that?"
"Theirs is an especially adaptive culture." The old scholar continued, "Catapults, ballistae, trebuchets, arbalests - all of these weapons are commonplace nowadays, but the Dwarves were the first to theorise and construct them. Their mountains are a veritable trove of sturdy materials, and a uniquely communal style of living emboldens them with a powerful togetherness."
"-But they've never tried to conquer other lands?" She asked.
"Overextension is so often the folly of great empires." Lüngen replied, "No - they understand the limits of their expansion and are content to hold their ground. The Dwarven border is strictly defined and heavily defended. Simply breaking into their territory will be a challenge all on its own."
Lüngen didn't mince words. He made the Dwarves out to be near-invincible, with all of the evidence he needed to prove it contained within the records of their many defensive triumphs. In terms of pure might, they outclassed the Sovereign Cities by a not-insignificant margin.
"That's why I sent Baccharum ahead." Lieze said, "He'll pose as a refugee escaping from Tonberg, infiltrate the country, and send regular reports back to us detailing their capabilities and potential weaknesses."
"If only every conflict could be resolved with information." Lüngen dragged his arm over a nearby shelf, shovelling tomes into a Bag of Holding he'd pilfered from one of Tonberg's banks, "An army of extraordinary proportions will be required to punch a hole in their defences. You were very right to delay our northern march, Lieze. I fear that every thrall wandering the Sovereign Cities will not be enough."
"I'd like for you to consolidate the Dwarves' offensive capabilities into something that can be passed along to the cultists." Lieze folded her arms, "Weaponry, numbers, leadership - even the natural hazards of the landscape. Keeping the Order educated will prevent us from slipping into obvious pitfalls."
"I'm glad to see you're being proactive about the capabilities of your comrades." He smiles, "So often did Ignas rely upon me to lead thralls when I've always been more useful with a quill in hand. I'll have something prepared by the end of the week."
With that said, Lieze departed from the library and set her sights on another errant factor - namely, the cohesiveness of her army. Drayya, Marché, and Roland were to be her commanders in the coming months, and so it was imperative that she identified the weaknessess in their characters to prevent any future mistakes.
Marché was ideal to start with. His experience was difficult to pin down, having only joined the Order following a stint of independence before Lieze arrived in Tonberg. When she asked around regarding his whereabouts, he turned out to be - in his own words - 'taking the day off' on Lüngen's orders, resting within an abandoned estate in the city's northern nobles quarter.
"I may not look like it, but I'm in incredible pain." He explained, not even deigning to rise from his bed when Lieze barged into the room, "Lüngen told me to steer clear of [Blood Magic], and I can't focus on anything until my hand heals. Didn't Drayya say we ought to be taking a break anyway?"
"As long as you're keeping up with our goals, then I don't care what you spend your day doing." Lieze answered, "I came to discuss your placement in the army. The last thing I want to see is a group not using its thralls to their full potential."
"I suppose we aren't settled on that yet, are we…" He sat up, "For the longest time, we were lucky to have more than three thralls at once. Finding corpses that wouldn't raise any suspicions if they suddenly went missing was a real challenge."
"-That's why I was thinking of assigning you a long-range or diversionary force." Lieze replied, "You've got experience when it comes to evasion and keeping a low profile, but barely any in open combat. We're sorely lacking in long-range options, so a group dedicated to commanding Dark Casters would offset the enemy's advantage."
"...That's not a bad idea." He paused, "I imagine Drayya and Roland are more interested in leading the frontline, so it works out nicely. If we had a number of Rot Behemoths, we could also establish a resilient rear guard to reduce the effectiveness of a flanking manoeuvre."
"You'll be responsible for forming your own units, so don't look to me for permission." She said, "I plan for each of you to be entirely self-sufficient if we're ever forced to split up. Once your hand is healed, I would recommend taking your followers out on some form of training exercise."
"I'll do that." He vowed, "You've given all of us quite the opportunity, Lieze. We aren't about to disappoint you - or anyone else, for that matter."
"Save your words for Drayya. She loves hearing things like that." Lieze made her way back to the door, "Prove that conviction through your actions, and you'll reap the benefits. That's all I have to say on the matter."
A group focusing on long-range attacks would hamper the army's ability to skirmish with an enemy, but Lieze's experiences had taught her that any competent commander would immediately take advantage of a necromancer's lacklustre range to thin their numbers from a distance. Eliminating that factor from the equation would save her a lot of headaches in the future.
Roland was her next target. As acting head of the Deathguard remnants, he represented the most likely faction to resist Lieze's commands in a time of crisis. Organising the composition of his thralls wasn't the problem - guaranteeing his continued loyalty, however, was paramount to her success.
When Lüngen wasn't using the venue as a quiet reading corner, Roland most often took the Golden Flagon for his own needs. When Lieze arrived, she was met with a number of complicated stares from those she had once called her enemies. Copies of the map studied during the castle meeting were splayed across the tavern's tables, annotated and scribbled upon with lines of ink.
"Lieze." Roland waved her over from the largest table, "I've been expecting a visit from you."
The chatter ceased, giving the two a moment to converse. The tension in the air was far from thick, but the fact that it existed at all told Lieze that she hadn't quite won the respect of her former peers just yet.
"There's no telling when we'll be ready to make our move on the Dwarven Mountains, but I'm not using that as an excuse to stagnate our momentum." She said, "Roland - it should go without saying that you will be in charge of this group when the time comes. I want your word that you'll be ready and willing to do whatever's necessary."
"I won't mince words with our leader. I've experienced more than my fair share of complaints regarding your meteoric rise to Sokalar's former position." The young man replied, "I don't doubt that you're qualified to lead us, but you must consider the magnitude of the void Sokalar has left in his wake. Despot or no, he set off this golden age of ours. I'm just wondering if you'll be able to live up to the name."
Lieze had expressed her desire to grant the cultists a degree of independence. It was only natural that resistance to her leadership was a natural result of that freedom. She couldn't use her authority to overwhelm any opposition or risk being called a hypocrite. It was a delicate and volatile situation.
"I'm more than willing to meet any such complaints face-to-face." She said, "I intend to prove my legitimacy through actions rather than words, so I won't bore you with the details of my slow and meticulous ascension. You've seen what I'm capable of."
"That we have." Roland nodded, "-And I hope you'll continue to be full of surprises moving forward. To say our expectations of you are high would be a dreadful understatement."
There was nothing to be done about it. Lieze would have to count on Roland's level head to keep his followers under control until she could prove herself worthy of Sokalar's position. The cultists' freshly-earned freedom would tide them over for a short while.
Last - but certainly not least - was Drayya. Compared to the other two, there was no ambiguity regarding her worthiness to act as one of Lieze's commanders. Just as it was necessary to establish the errant factors present in her army, identifying its most stalwart allies would grant her some peace of mind.
She already knew where to look for Drayya. The girl had assumed ownership of an intact bedroom on the ground floor of the castle not a minute's walk away from Lieze's quarters. The two of them hadn't exchanged words since their altercation and reconciliation the previous day.
A few knocks on her door gained Lieze an audience. Drayya's expression was listless and bored, transforming into something close to warm after laying eyes upon her visitor.
"Lieze." She smirked, "I know it's out of the blue, but I just want to say that- ow!"
She reached out in a moment of tenderness to entwine her fingers with Lieze's, only to find her skin punctured by a cluster of thorns sprouting from the girl's skin. A trickle of blood escaped from her index finger.
"Y-You need to get that sorted out!" She grew frustrated, "You're thorny enough without literal spikes growing out of you! Isn't that uncomfortable?"
"Extremely." Lieze answered, "What were you about to say?"
"It- it doesn't matter now." She replied, "What do you need?"
"I thought we could discuss the topic of your subordinates when the time comes for us to march on the Dwarven Mountains." Lieze said, "You'll need to take an equal split from Marché and Roland's troops. I don't want any conflicts of interest beforehand, so it's best if we figure it out now."
A betrayed sigh slithered out from Drayya's throat, "...So that's why you're here."
"What were you expecting?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all." She insisted, "...I've already identified the candidates I'd like to bring along - with Marché and Roland's blessing, naturally. Would you like to pore over the exhaustive research I've done on their capabilities, or would you like to have a pleasant chat for once?"
Lieze wasn't deaf. She could sense that Drayya wanted to discuss the events of the previous day in greater detail, but her pride and habit of ambiguity forbade her from requesting so directly.
"The former." Lieze already knew that she'd be getting an earful either way, "Let's have a look."