4347843
((Arashnaviel could join us if you wish so, or help with Irabeth and Anevia. Imperi could reform your Loredrinker / Lawgiver (Lawdrinker? Loregiver?) into a gauntlet and have you wield both?))

4347843
((I may not be so great with words, but a campaign I can run. I'll try to make this special for you, darling.))

While the soldiers prepare for the coming battle, Imperi takes out the clockwork armor that you got from the research facility back in the Mournlands. ((Because it's been a while, I'll repost it.))

The clockwork armor is a powerful mechanical aid to physical prowess that also provides protection against attack and a movement bump, but it has a few engineering issues that have prevented its adoption outside a few of the most enthusiastic practitioners of artifice.

A suit of clockwork armor is extremely well machined and made of mithral and adamantine plates. It has steel servos at the elbows and ankles and brass/steel hydraulic pistons around the knees and shoulders. The helmet has a set of protective flaps that lower automatically when the wearer nods in a particular way. The chestplate contains three small unlabeled levers on the inside.

While helping you inside of it, Imperi too slowly forms the design in her own soulmeld. She has studied it for months now, and is confident that she can soon have it formed in 30 seconds. However, this time she adds in the old designs behind her grenade launcher, with the weaponry she just recovered. For good measure she adds in a gasmask, flame thrower, and a double barrel grenade launcher.

"How do I look?" Her voice echoes from within the helmet. "Jealous? Want some as well?"

4349283
I give Mecha-Imperi a cocky smile and thumbs up. "You look smashing. You'll tear through those demons like knife through butter."

I then cast my eye to the window and think of Elder. "Do you think that the Great Dragon is ok? I would like to see to her."

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Simuli, in her natural draconic amazon form, pats Imperi on the head. "You're almost as tall as me now. Keep it up, squirt."

"Ha ha," grumbles Imperi while she pushes away her sister, before turning to you and the window. "I know that she is still fighting, and that is a good sign. He probably prepared for a long battle, but Terendelev is a dragon, and you know how those are." Her armoured body leans into your authentic clockwork armoured form, trying to comfort you.

4350424
I place a hand on Meca-Imperi's to show her my thanks for helping me feel better. "Still, do you think we could go and see if we can help her? Just for a bit? I know you would like a big target to shoot at."

4356431
'Mecha-Imperi' (( )) looks over her grenade launchers, letting them morph into Hotchkisser 6-pound mortars. With her artificer's knowledge they all gain the Bane: Evil Outsider quality, and are sure to cause some serious damage to anything not of this world. "The idea is tempting. Definitely." She lets her incarnate weapons retake their grenade launcher shape. "However, if we play this right then the entire invasion can be over in 2 hour at most. I want to help her too, but would we not only get in the way?"

4356543
((Glad you liked it.))
I look down and try my best to think as I feel millions of thoughts come through my mind. "I do believe that she needs help, but you do have a point that stopping the main forces could leave the armies crippled. But I can't help but feel that if we take out one of their strongest generals and fighters they'll fall into a panic."

Yet my mind still lingers on what the Witch has paned. "But if that wall goes up like they want then, their invasion was a success."

4359826
Imperi lays her armored right hand on your shoulder. Strangely, it does not feel heavy at all. "I too feel that way, but even working in tandem at full power I do not think we could even pose as more than a distraction--and you know that making yourself a target, or worse a hostage, might make this all worse."

Trying to help you ease your mind, she clarifies the bad guy's most likely goals: "They can use the Wardstone to unleash the nation wide protection's energies as a surge of destructive energy to destroy all cities and armies near them. Or worse, they might corrupt it and drag the lands into their own alien world. I don't think that even a hundred Terendelev's could save us when we are stranded there."

Simuli, seeing your distress, stays behind to comfort you while Imperi goes off to prepare further. She used up just about all her essentia, and wishes to use the time needed for the soldiers to prepare for her own preparations. The Miniaturization wand needs to be replaced, essentia stabilized, new weapons made internal and integrated, and there are tweaks that need to be done to the soulmelds.

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I sigh and place a hand on Simulis. "She does have a point. If those fiends get that shard up and running, nothing we do will matter." I look out the window for a while and close my eyes and think...think of all of the things that we have been through, the things we have done together, and all the more we can do if we beat these monsters. I turn to Simuli and it seems that I might have grown bigger in a few ways more than one. "Let's go get ready. We got work to do."

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((D'aww. Character growth.))

From inside your embrace, Simuli nuzzles your cheek. "Love, if your first instinct hadn't been to aid you Elder, then I would not recognize you," she says with a smile. "Even if its logical to split up, we rely on you to be the heart of the group, and your heart tells us to help Terendelev." She strokes valiant little Silver-bolt under his chin. "We promise that we will send Terendelev all the aid that we can. In fact, when Imperi is done then she can make Terendelev's soulmelds even better, thus further ensuring her victory."

4364278
Silver-Bolt purrs happily as Simuli rubs his chin. Smiling happily, I lean in to give her a warm kiss that comes from within my heart. "I do my very best for our family and nothing is going to stop me from doing that. I treasure all of you more than my own life. Now let us prepare for the coming storm, we got a war to win."

Silver-Bolt climbs on top of my head and stands proudly chirps and clicks like he means business.

4365934
((Once more, sorry for taking so long. I needed the time to feel fully prepared.))

The following hour has Simuli on Miniaturization duty. Even though she technically has no soul, she is still Imperi and even more magical than her creator, with the same knowledge as her. It brings a smile to her lips to see refugees entering the tiny resort. Just having something to do helps many of the worried civilians, though not as much people as she had liked are willing to undergo the procedure. When one hour has passed, Imperi returns and you all meet up near the entrance to the fortress. Her metaline crystal looking armour is a bit sleeker, but she still moves rather clumsily in the walking tank due to her not being used to wearing heavy armour. Strangely, her cannon is single barreled once more. You know her enough by now to tell that she is tired--unusual after communing with her inner self, as she calls it. Still, the blue with golden colouring speaks of her conviction, and when she touches Simuli, she as well receives identical meld armour, sized to her larger stature. Instead of cannons, Simuli has a tower shield.

"We will not have enough essentia to power more than two enhancements at the time. Lhikan, you can as always request whatever you like. Simuli, I am counting on your dragonfire to pull me through. The fifth point of essentia is for you."

Outside, you see that Irabeth is addressing her troops. They will attempt to take back the old city gates in order to let civilians escape the apetite of the demons, even though in reality it's but a distraction to help your group slip by. With your sharp eyes, you see her still tiny wife sitting in Irabet's cowl. Earlier they had an argument about letting Anevia fight. While Irabeth does not doubt her wife's skill with the bow, Anevia was never meant to fight on the front lines, but to infiltrate and gather information. But then Simuli reminded them that miniaturized people retain their strength and speed, and thus their ability to kill with arrows. She then told them that Imperi and her actually shrink themselves quite often before a battle to make them extremely hard to hit, and that they love riding each other in battle. Thus, a compromise was made. Anevia spend the rest of the hour familiarizing herself with her newfound abilities. What looks like a small jump to us, is a huge leap, fit for a pegasi, to a tiny.

As per your agreement, you do not accompany Irabeth and her troops as to not draw attention to yourself. You do see that all clerics and wizards, including Arashnaviel, spend a few minutes blessing and warding the soldiers, ensuring that as few lives are lost this day. When they march off, you and your family mount Silver-Bolt. The hounds are in the bag, and Simuli in her Breezie form. It takes but a few minutes to get a high vantage position, and you see them charging the gates. What looks like a trail of glue had blocked the gateway, but the crusaders put planks over it. The culprit, a slug girl, rises from between the houses to see just who foils her feeding tactics.

Slowly, but imposing like a juggernaut, she approaches them and spews a torrent of sticky slime at them, trapping them for easy feeding. Smaller demons, more eager for battle than food, are lured by the noise. Even a few harpies and fairies make their way over, but well aimed arrows and fireballs prove that these giant monster girls are just that: girls. Their skin is not more invulnerable than leather. Still, while they recoil from the pain, a single swipe from their gigantic limbs is enough to crush any defenses.

You better hurry.

Stealthy, you pass the demons making their way towards the gate, and soon come close to where you started just this noon, and come face to face with the Gray Garrison--called for its squat, plain gray stone facade. Before the fall, the Gray Garrison served as a museum, tended by several aged curators who kept the structure in working order out of a sense of duty and to honor the past. Once the initial attack on Kenabres was over, the cultists chose it as their base of operations due to its central location and its ease of defense.

The Gray Garrison seems to have two full floors, and partial third floor. A swift fly around reveals that it has no windows asides from a single one that looked to have been part of the rookery. Will you try the gate, the what is probably guarded postal room, or to try and make your own entrance? Imperi tells you that she could use those 10-feet teleports to get you inside, but you might end up right in the middle of a group of enemies.

4367240
I grimace as think of the situation, but looks like we have kittle or no choice. "Looks like we'll be going through the wall." I say as I climb off Silver-Bolt and let my normal size return. "I'll be sure to give any company we find a rude welcome, too."

I grab my Loredrinker and get into a steady stance and pull back on it. Silver-Bolt, with the girls still clinging to him climbs up on my neck and digs his tiny claws into me. "Here...goes nothing." I say as I begin to phase, concentrating hard.

4370153
You successfully teleport beyond the wall, bringing your family with you. While your mind and body anchor the spell, and you are a few seconds unable to move, you are free to take in your new surroundings. The faces of the portraits that hang on the walls of this room have been slashed. Two marble planters lie smashed in pieces on the ground, and mud streaks across the white stone floor.The inside of the Gray Garrison obviuously used to be a fortress, and it's immediately clear how a medieval fortress could not have windows despite needing fire to be lit and warmed. The rooms within are lit via continual flames placed inside lanterns, as the lack of windows would make the accumulation of smoke a discomfort. Still, the dead air inside is stuffy, warm, and uncomfortable, but the cultists hardly notice-air quality in the Worldwound is far worse, after all. And cultists there are!

This ancient meeting hall is occupied by six tieflings passing the time at the table, playing a card game and using severed body parts harvested from equine victims as gambling chips. Before they can even look up in surprise, Imperi's Eternal Engine soulmeld proves its worth. Ever ready as it makes them to react, Simuli spews out her trademark entangling slowing blueish fire, while Imperi shows off her preparations: 3 grenades fire near simultaneously from her cannon, and as in slow motion you see them impact...with no sound whatsoever. It is as if you are deaf. No explosions are heard, no screams, and no scattered furniture. 2 of the tieflings still survive, and try to make their way towards the plain, stone, doors, but even though their mouths move, again no sound comes out. Slowed and entangled, they keep running, apparently unbothered by the flames, yet barely making it a few feet before Imperi guns them down.

Truly, your girls are a fearsome force when they set their mind to it. ((Praise me?))

What will you do now? Search the room and bodies? Keep going?

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((Tully, you are a master craftswoman and Soulmeld. But now with Zero sound? That is just brilliant...and deadly! All would learn to fear your wrath. They would never see it coming.))

In a show of great cheer, I clap my hands wildly for my girls and their amazing skills, though no sound is heard. I then brief let the girls to quickly scan the room by letting my finger rotate around the place, but also shake my hand to let them know that we must hurry. No sound...so strange. As I quickly help them look, I give them both kisses on the cheeks for a job well done.

4371935
((Yay, praise.. And funny dialogue from you, with loving giant kisses. *gives tiny kisses in return*

Silence is an underrated spell. You can even kick in doors, IF you take into account that the spell only has a 10 Feet radius. Imperi just put it on her grenades as well, and it affects what it hits. Since she can not be certain that it is not resisted, she fires 3 times. ))

If there is one thing that the girls do not like about being shrunk, then it is how difficult it makes to handle objects. While it flashes through their mind just how cute they must look while doing it, they decide to move on as none of the tieflings seemed to hold anything of value.

The stone door leads to what looks like a foyer, and on the right side you see the large entrance gates, barred from inside, leading South. Along the northern wall of this room, a frieze depicts a line of mounted crusaders crashing over a horde of twisted demons. The crusaders' faces have been obliterated and vile graffiti is carved over the entire scene. Fresh blood stains the floor.

Two hideously obese, naked men armed with scythes guard the Gray Garrison's entrance. From the silent image that pops up from Imperi, you identify one of the men as a rotund version of Kandro Nyserian, while the other as a bloated version of Lord Hulrun--once the leader of Kenabres! In fact, you saw him just a few hours ago. When they see you, they start to chuckle, and their heads open into a serrated maw.

4371989
I scowl at these two creatures. How could they...

Before they could do anything, I thrust out my hand and sand flies from me and soon flies down their maws to keep them from saying anything or such. Choking them, I dash ahead with my blade at ready to remove that over sized maw.

((If I need to change this post, I will.))

4372037
Necrotic energy bursts from the first demon, strengthening them while hurting you and your family--grouping together has its drawbacks--but your resolve is hard enough to push through and cut the inpony (inhuman) throat. The second demon prepares to unleash its own burst of blight, to once more hurt you and your family, while healing the wounds on its companion. However, the Eternal Engines do not fail and your girls unleash Silenced shotgun blasts straight into the second's maw, splattering it. The wounded one still lives though, and it slips out of the body it was inhabiting like a giant worm. In a burst of blight, 3 such worms split of it, but Simuli's prepared dragon breath traps them, allowing you to finish them one by one.

When the battle is over, Imperi jumps off Silver-Bolt, and reluctantly dispels her miniaturization so that she can put the two bodies in the Bag of Holding for proper burial. So far for the size advantage.

Getting to the next room, you step through the open door into a befouled shrine. A bracket shows where a longsword once hung over a stylized
gold sunburst affixed to the south wall. Lines of strange runes are carved into the walls on both sides of the sunburst. Dried blood and excrement have been smeared across the sunburst and a short bench for kneeling that sits on the floor. Imperi kneels momentarily in front of the altar, just in case some guardian spirit is watching or that you have the eye of a deity on you. Suddenly she notices something, and calls you over.

"Look at that." She points towards the alcove. It was probably a shrine to Iomedae where visiting guards knelt and prayed before moving deeper into the garrison, meaning that the runes are prayers to Iomedae written in Celestial, however the letters are unusually florid and complex. Now that Imperi points it out, you notice that they hide a message. If looked at it from the right angle--when kneeling--the overly complex letters of the prayers engraved on the wall take the shape of a longsword on which is written, " Let us inherit thine arms, Iomedae."

Imperi speaks the words aloud, but nothing happens. "Maybe because we are not devotees of Iomedae? We should report this to Irabeth." Since you've already done this much, Imperi uses some minor magic to clean the filth away, before signaling to leave for the next room.

Looking through Silver-Bolt's eyes, you can take a peek inside and see that this room was once some sort of museum, but its contents have
been smashed and scattered across the room-even the shelves have been shattered and torn apart in places. The decapitated bodies of two knights, their armor and bodies broken and mangled, lie in the ruins. The cause of this destruction still lurks here-a pair of ratlike demons. They are currently enjoying a grisly game of puppetry, using the severed heads of the two dead crusaders to entertain themselves with mock conversations in high-pitched voices.

4372037
The battle is short and anticlimactic. The demons, barely 4 foot tall, were no match for you and your girls, though there was one particularity: when they blocked your sword with a claw, it shuddered for a moment.

Imperi examines the corpses of the demons, and her face contorts. "Abrikandilu. Wrekker demons. They love destroying objects of beauty, be they works of art, knowledge...or ponies. Somehow, they can destroy nearly anything, even magical items."

Next to them you find that they spared no amount of effort to mutilate the bodies of two paladins, and their gear of course. Only an adamantine morningstar remains, that radiates a faint aura of magic. Imperi recovers it all, and you thus have two more corpses to bury.

Seeing that this room is a dead end, with nothing of interest that is not yet destroyed, you are forced to turn back on your footsteps, and take the other door from the previous room, which leads to a small hall. There is a closed door to your left, and an open one in front of you. Through the open door you see more signs of desecration: blood and filth on the floor.

Where will you go?

4375530
I shack my head as I see all of this terrible destruction. "From the look of things here I would have to say that they doing as much damage to this place as they can. Worms..."

I look around the area. "I think we should start heading toward the...cleanest area. We'll find more of them and possibly the location of the fragment. But first, let's see that door over there." I say pointing at the closed door. Gripping my sword, I start to walk.

((I guess we can use some of the Holy items to locate it can we?))

4375600
((An excellent suggestion, though it would take longer to set up a ritual than to just look for it. After all, they are busy working on it, right? That means it's in a big room or so.))

It seems that the Abrikandilu had fun here as well. Blood and filth smear floor of this long room. Six white stone statues of famous heroes line the hall-each clawed, bloodstained, partially smashed, or otherwise defaced. At the far end of the hall, a raised dais holds an upturned alabaster altar. Sitting atop the upside-down altar is a hideous mass of severed limbs that have been stitched together into a vile monstrous insectoid shape. There appears to be no danger, however.

Resigned, Imperi pokes the abused corpses, and uses some quick spells to clean up. To think that might weapon crafting spells could be used for clean up.

Suddenly, you notice a faint outline of a door behind the altar. A hidden door! Somehow, it's being revealed to you. How will you try to open it?

4375863
I approach the door and feel a strange presences coming from it. I am not so sure why it is hear, but it is.

First, I use my sand to check out what I can find on it and if possible go under it to check out what I can find. If I have to open it with my bare hand I will, but I truly doubt that it will be that easy at this point in time.

4375906
It is sealed tight, with no cracks for your sand to fit under. For a second your mind flicks back to the wrecker demons, and how they managed to destroy anything but that adamantium mace. Yep, that thing would he hard enough to break the wall. But then, you think back on the room before that, and in a hunch you speak aloud the hidden words intended for Iomedae's faithful: " Let us inherit thine arms, Iomedae."

Immediately, the stones roll away to reveal the hidden room. The small chamber is free of dust.

A holy symbol of lomedae hangs unmolested on the wall above a weapon rack filled with swords, crossbows, and spears. Three wooden dummies wear pristine suits of armor. A shelf holds several leather quivers, each stamped with a golden sun. Two silver shields hang from pegs on the wall.

"Smart," remarks Imperi who assesses the armory. "This hidden armory was probably to be used in the event of an enemy attack, or perhaps even in an exact scenario like this, when crusaders have to force entry and possibly rearm themselves." She inspects the contents of the armory with the experienced eyes of an artificer--and some help of her visor.

"This weapon rack contains three cold iron longswords, two cold iron shortswords, two heavy crossbows, a composite longbow--those are nice if you got some extra muscle to pull the string, a masterwork cold iron heavy mace, two cold iron longspears, 50 cold iron crossbow bolts, 100 cold iron arrows, a +I longsword, 5 +I holy arrows, and,--here she lets out an appraising whistle--an arrow of evil outsider slaying! Now that is one I should add to our arsenal."

She holds up the magnificently crafted arrow, made off pristine white wood. "Think of this as the big brother of the Bane weapons. Like them, it is keyed to one particular kind of enemy, and will not work against anything else. Even just the creature not being Evil will cause it to not take effect. But when it does, it disrupts them from the inside, causing their own energies to feedback, possibly killing them outright without taking into account their current strength."

She looks back and you, and grimaces. "This reminds me: as soon as possible we should protect ourselves against this kind of weapons. Fortunately, powerful outsiders are so often immune to death effects that just about none ever bothers to protect against the few that does work on them. If it has any flaws than it's that it must be on a projectile, and can not be crafted on anything smaller than an arrow."

The armor dummies hold two sets of masterwork chainmail and a +I breastplate emblazoned with Iomedae's holy symbol. The two heavy steel shields are both marked with the holy symbol of lomedae. One is a masterwork shield, but the other is a +I blinding shield.

"Ah, now this might be of use to you. A shield with this ability flashes with a brilliant light up to twice per day upon command of the wielder. Except for the wielder, anyone within 20 feet might be blinded for a while. Just concentrating very hard on activating it is often enough, to most people call out the effect, and even their deity, Iomedea in this case, though an argument can be made that if you wield it in Bahamut's name then His' will work too. The symbol on it might even change, to suit His'."

While this cache might have been a godsend for unarmed crusaders, equipping you is just about the one thing that Imperi excels at so sadly it is of little use. Everything in here, except for the Arrow of Slaying, is something that she can already provide you with, even the Blinding property of the shield, and unlike it you are not limited to twice per day. Still, the crusaders might need these, and you never know when they will come in handy, so in the Bag they go.

Suddenly, Simuli calls out from behind you. She stayed outside to guard, and unleashed a long line of breath at a fleeing tiefling. The door at the other end of the room, which Imperi in her methodical approach did not yet open, ((I have a tendency to do that, checking and finishing rooms one by one.)) was opened to a crack, and a tiefling stormed out. Like his brethren, he too seems not much affected by the flames, even though they slow him, and then he does something surprising: he takes out two small vials, and drinks them. These are the same kind of vials that Imperi used to use for her extracts! This is an alchemist! The extracts free him of the constricting breath, and he runs off to the locked door that you passed. She fires off a crossbow bolt, but it misses.

You hear the tiefling knock three times, and then a door opening while shouts of "Intruders!" are heard. What will you do now? Charge after him? Teleport upwards to surprise them? Check the alchemist's lab first?

((I finally managed to find you a map. You can even see the hidden room.))

((And here is the alchemist.))

4376082
My mind flashes as I quick charge at them and throw out my hands which sand shoots like spears toward them and engulfs their heads and I harden them...very tightly to keep them quiet, for good. "Shhhh...." I say as I drag their bodies back to us unmoving. No doubt others must have heard that. I look to the girls and let them know to cheek out the lab.

((This entire post was amazing. I just hope that I did what I needed to do.))

4380019
You decided to go and check out the lab after finishing up the two. You find a priest's room. A long table and six chairs have been pushed against the western wall. On the opposite wall, a tapestry depicting a map of Mendev hangs from a silver rod--the tapestry has been slashed several times and splashed with filth. On the nearby table is an array of alchemical devices and a long wooden sword case wrapped with cords, as if ready for travel.

Imperi takes a look at the solution on the table, and sees that the alchemist was spending his time trying to devise a formula for a solution that causes a holy symbol steeped within it to become infested with the demon plague such that it infects any who touch it. Nasty.

The alchemical equipment on the table consists of a masterwork alchemy lab, and Imperi takes with her what is useful, after destroying the solution. The contents of the plain-looking sword case are of more interest, for inside can be found a +1 evil outsider bane longsword! A note attached to it, reads:

Lord Staunton,
I believe you will find the enclosed weapon to be a singular and familiar delight, for it once belonged to your old 'friend' Irabeth. She sold it to Kandro Nyserian of all ponies--I've no idea why. Kandro's been sitting on it for years--still would be except his home got smashed by an ulkreth. Shame.

He managed to save the sword and came here, begging for an escort north to Drezen, doubtless so he could give you the sword and weasel some cash to help him set up a new home. I hope you don't begrudge a creativity I took--our friend Nyserian serves now as a warm suit for e vermlek as punishment for only revealing the sword now instead of when he first acquired it. I suspect the blade will take to your brother's touch nicely.

Your loyal servant,
Othirubo.

4380335
"Hmmm....I think I know somepony who would like to see this." I say putting the note in my pocket and pick up the sword. It would appear that not everyone hear before the attack had good intentions and this brings me to believe just what happened earlier.

After gathering up everything that we can use I usher my family to the door and turn back as start to breath. "Shall I?" I ask wanting to this room to be burned.

4382040
Simuli puts a hand on your shoulder. "Let's not commit arson in a holy place, darling. The lab is dismantled already."

After strategizing for a moment, the girls decide to follow your lead, and directly teleport upwards. You twist your sword for a whirling attack, and Simuli shapeshifts into her breezie form to sit on your shoulder and provide backup when you need it. Eternal Engines prepared, Imperi teleports you upwards, and you end in what looks like a war room. Stacks of scrolls, books, maps, and more sit atop a large hexagonal table in this room. The walls are painted with detailed maps of Sarkoris, over which features of the Worldwound have been painted. Judging by the signs of work, the cultists were busy researching a huge amount of intelligence on Mendevian troop movements, tactics, resources, defenses, and war plans that have been captured throughout Kenabres. What you do not see are enemies, as they probably went towards the stairs. When a moment later Imperi joins you, you teleport to the third floor--a better chance to find the Wardstone, AND confuse the enemy even further. With a surge of magic, you teleport upwards once more.

This circular room's original purpose is unclear, but now it seems to be a trophy hall of some sort. A low stone pedestal sits on the
floor in the middle of the chamber under a domed ceiling. Atop the pedestal is an iron, barbed cage-and within the cage sits a chunk of softly glowing white stone. A disfigured mare is jabbering to herself, bemoaning her fate.

"Why did they have to leave me in charge? Intruders are here, and what if they fight their way to this floor? The Master could easily crush any opposition, but he left, leaving the glabrezu to stand guard, but she couldn't resist 'joining in the fun', could she? And she elected Nerosyan, and she shifted the responsibility down to one of her underlings-and so it went a few more times until the safekeeping of the fragment fell to me, a humble blood lady of Deskari."

Having learned the value of stealth, you prepare to strike her down before she can unleash whatever hellish magic she has, when suddenly, one of the statues in the room comes to life! In his hands, he holds a ranseur that looks fashioned out of obsidian. mumbling an incantation, he charges forwards to you, but you can raise your Loredrinker in defense. In a move that surprises you, the creature turns to stone again, yet keeps moving. Now, you face a creature with skin as hard as stone!

Fortunately, Imperi prepared for such an eventuality, and your Loredrinker is made of the same material as the mace that not even wrecker demons could break. When Imperi teleports in as well, she sees you striking straight through the Ranseur of the Gargoyle, cutting it and its wielder's stony hide. Suddenly, your dessert blood stirs inside of you, and sand starts to rush around you. As was its function, Loredrinker drinks in the magic of that which it cuts. Like the ranseur, it turns obsidian black before you too turn as well! For a moment, all is still. You sense the age of the stones around you, and how it is strong and protective merely by being. It does not do anything, partakes in no actions, yet it is fortress. You too feel immovable. You are stone.

4384779
Ok...I feel...thick. Like very thick and now I feel ancient. It feels strange as I pull up my hand to my face and feel my arm feeling like solid stone. Yet deep inside of me, I feel completely unstoppable at this point. I feel like a rock that the sea crashes against, unmovable. When clenching my hands, I hear rock rumbling in it.

Feeling what can be only described as unmovable I smirk and turn to the cage and its guard. "You are going to have to move now." I say in a very deep voice standing over her. I raise my dark blade slowly like a guillotine and prepare to bring it down.

((This was simply an amazing post and you are just awesome.))

4384835
((We're here to make us happy, and I know how much you like Gargoyles. After all, you got me hooked on it as well.))
The witch unleashes a foul curse at you, but it fails to take effect on your diamond hard skin. The warrior strikes you with his broken ranseur, but it too bounces of your well toned, muscled chest (( I like strong men.)) Like a juggernaut, you push through unhindered, and take out the Rod of Cancellation, touching it to the Wardstone.

Immediately, the wardstone fragment is destroyed, and it explodes in a blast of golden light and the sound of an angelic choir. Hundreds of razor-sharp shards of stone spray outward, destroying the cage the fragment was inside and piercing Jeslyn and the gish--the explosion miraculously avoids harming the you and your family. Suddenly, flashes of insight rush in your mind, showing you visions of the wardstone--it's history, and present.

An unexpected side effect of the wardstone's destruction occurs. If the holy energies stored in all of the wardstones were the waters of a vast lake formed by a dam, then the fragment just destroyed was the plug in that dam holding the waters back. Rather than simply diffusing the
wardstone's border as the Eagle Watch theorized (and thus removing the border from possible corruption), all of the energies of the wardstones along the border rush out of the " hole" caused by the final destruction of the last and largest fragment of the Kenabres stone. The energy of all of these simultaneously draining artifacts infuses you and your loved ones with incredible power, causing you all to glow with golden light.

All along the border, other wardstones flash with golden light as well, momentarily supercharging their effects. Thousands
of demons are destroyed by the flash of light, and many more are wounded. The attacks along the borders suddenly cease, and the surviving demons flee back into the depths of the Worldwound, thus they do not witness the wardstones fade into total inertness. Although the defenders rejoice at the unexpected pulse of energy, the fact that their greatest defense has apparently burned itself out is cause for concern.

Still stunned, a second vision is received, of the first wardstone being erected in the Kite here in Kenabres in 4639 AR, in a ritual involving the aid of the Hand of the Inheritor--the herald of Iomedae : a golden, winged angel with a halo of small swords around his head. This event happens soon after the Second Crusade begins.

Five more follow. In the year 4665 AR, you see a vision of a 20-year-old Hulrun, the now deceased leader of Kenabres, leading the burning of dozens of supposed " witches" in the courtyard of the Kite before the wardstone. This event launches the Second Crusade.

In the year 4692 AR, you see a vision of Khorramzadeh the Storm King leading a brazen attack on
Kenabres. The Storm King manages to strike a resounding blow with his sword against the wardstone, which suffers only the tiniest of cracks as the balor's sword shatters. Khorramzadeh is then attacked and forced to flee when the silver dragon Terendelev nearly kills him-this event launches the Fourth Crusade.

In the year 4712 AR, you see a vision of Irabeth chasing a burly diamond dog mutt- Staunton Vhane (leader of the Hammers of Heaven mercenary group) into the courtyard containing the wardstone. Both paladins are heavily wounded, and as Staunton backs against the
wardstone, smoke rises and he screams in pain. He ducks to avoid one of Irabeth's blows, then manages to smash her knee with his hammer, dropping her to the ground. Staunton seems ready to deliver a death blow, but the sound of approaching soldiers forces him instead to back away and summon a fiendish giant wasp that he swiftly mounts and then flies away to the north, abandoning Kenabres.

Round 6: you see a vision of Minagho, a beautiful demonic woman with a long thin tail, clawed hands, and curling horns protruding from where her eyes should be, placing the wardstone fragment in this room and of Jeslyn using a wish granted by Minagho to create the cage around it before Minagho teleports away.

Finally, you see a vision of an event you know will now never happen-Areelu Vorlesh using a deep purple Nahyndrian crystal the size of a human's head to corrupt the fragment, causing the entire border to flash with nauseating mauve fire that devastates the border cities and
transforms countless crusaders into half-fiend slaves of the Worldwound. You realize at this point that the demons' entire plan was to draw as many crusaders to the border to defend it from their attacks, in order to maximize the damage this event would have caused.

When you are recovering, but still glowing with mystical energy and unable to move, you see a somewhat transparent beautiful demonic woman with batlike wings, a horned brow, and glowing red eyes--Areelu Vorlesh, the one whose plan you just disrupted. She regards you with a smoldering, furious expression, then says, " This only delays your kind's extinction. But at least I can take steps to hasten your own."

With this, Areelu spreads wide her arms and a rift tears open in reality. A half-dozen babaus tumble through into the room, and beyond them you catch glimpses of even greater demons preparing to enter-vrocks, glabrezus, even a marilith-when suddenly the energy infusing you and your family pulses back outward. You are no longer stunned. As this happens, the powerful energy hits the Abyssal rift and slams it shut-Areelu screams in pain as the magical feedback tears into her body, breaking bones and shredding her wings. An instant later, her projected image vanishes-her connection to the Material Plane has been severed and she has been critically ( but not mortally) wounded, and she hopefully won't be able to further target you directly for some time, but the six babaus that managed to clamber into the Material Plane before the rift closed remain and immediately attack.

You still glow with holy light, and know that this fight will be easy.

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Grinning at the gruesome creatures I prepare for hopefully the last battle for the day. "Looks like your ticket home has just been torn up." I say raising my dark blade. "Just like your bodies in a few minutes." I say as they rush me and I let them.

Slashing the skulls of the two that attacked first barley felt like anything and when one tries to grab onto to me I just grab him in my stone fist, throw him to the ground, and use only one stop to end his un-life. "Next." I say as I glow bright. I try to focus on the here and now, but my mind still wonders on what I saw.

((Hey, the picture is up!))

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((I replaced it with another, hoping that this one would work.))

Simuli cackles when her fire glows with holy light, and even her regular breath incinerates demons as if they were dry paper. Even Silver-Bolt is having fun. Used to be that he was only good for harassing, but now he seems to zip through the ranks like lightning bolt. He even builds up an electrical charge like pegasi do when moving fast enough!

Meanwhile, Imperi keeps to the side, analyzing and experimenting with the condensed natural energy, which empowers you all to repel the intruders on the world.

When the battle is over, she inspects the Wardstone. It's rubble now, though she can pick out 6 fragments that have at least a little power left. "Well, let's finish up here and return to Irabeth and the rest. By the way," she winks at you and her sister, "you look radiant." See, she can make bad puns too. It's a bit disconcerting that saving the world--for now--seems to have little impact on her practicality and focus on family, but that's Imperi for you. She figured out that this power boost is fleeting at best.

Looting the bodies, she finds some items she can use. "And this time, we're not giving away anything we can us, darling." A deadpan look tells you that she is serious. "We were caught woefully unprepared this day, so I want some things in reserve."

A quick search of the garrison tells you that not a single demon or cultist is alive. The body of some fiendish minotaur was a bit of a surprise, and he might have made for a good fight, but alas. He has a Horn of Clarity by his side, which Imperi pockets. A sad display contains the now broken helmets of the very first two crusaders, and just because she can, Imperi casts mending and prestidigitation on what filth and broken things she finds. After all, knowing you, you will want to stay with the army, and they will probably want to work out of the most fortified and central building, so she'll be asked to do repair it all anyway. At least now she's still empowered.

All rooms reveal more corpses--some zombies even--and many more mutilated bodies used to defile sanctuaries. Amongst the data that the scribes were researching, you find some more information about traitors and hidden cultist movements in Kenabres, and Irabeth will likely be interested in these as well. A Manual of war is a nice find as well. These books are written by warriors, but infused with some mind modifying magic, allowing you to change your tactics and skills to use those described in the chapter you just read. ((game info: studying these for one hour let you swap one non-magical combat feat for another))

With the crusader's power, what should be hours of work gets done in minutes. Soon, all is looted and repaired, and to you it feels as if the building itself radiates approvement and hope.

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I wipe my head, even though I am still a glowing Gargoyle from repairing most of the Temples insides. "There we go. Not as good as new, but I can't just tell that this place is happy." Silver-Bolt, who is laying on my head chirps in agreement.

"Now what do you say we go see the Crusaders. We have a lot...a lot of work to do." I say seeing if I can change back to normal. "Besides, we need...to burry the dead." I say quietly.

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The following hourswent by very fast. The crusaders made their way to the Gray Garrison, and congratulated you. While many thousands of lives were lost, many more could have been. But the battle is not over, as the demons attacked not just Kenabres but ALL the surrounding lands. Queen Gallifrey and her armies are helping where she can, and so did Terendelev much to your displeasure.

The holy glow surrounding you brings a bit of hope, and you and Simuli are asked to help with the rebuilding. You find that your sand shaping is much improved now with your new understanding of stone and stillness. Your creations no longer seem to crumble when you leave. With your holy light, and ease of constructing, you are a beacon of hope, and you let the ponies believe in a brighter future.
Irabeth was surprised to gain her father's sword once more, and even more that Horgus seemed to know about it, but that is a story for another time.

Meanwhile, Imperi works hard to gear up for whatever is coming next. She rebuilds the doggies per your preferences, and sees if there is something that she can do with the legacy weapon. Imperi either does not think about it, or cares, but she takes what loot your group recovered from the Garrison, and uses them as 'materials' to prepare. Imperi took a few of the Wardstone shards that held at least a little magic leftover, and embedded them in your armor, warding you against evil spells, and especially demonic magic. She does the same with the doggies, and other familiars. For the first time she laments not wearing armor to embed it in, and she already wears a necklace--the Hand of the Mage, which she uses to fly around shrunk. Eventually, and with quite a bit of reluctance, she trades it in for the amulet of natural armor that the evil cleric had, and reworks the alchemist's gear for herself, giving her his red leather armor +1 and ring of protection. The scythe is a bit too evil looking, and reworked as materials, and so are the potions of the alchemist. The Horn of Clarity, which rouses all troops in 60 feet around the user, is kept apart for you, and the Manual of War is kept for your time off--Imperi would love to combine it with the skill granting soulmelds for fast training.

The original clockwork armor is reworked to add in a gasmask and jetpack thrusters. in addition, she makes a mental note to have the soulmelds shaped in the colour that is most relevant.

Before the dogs are ready, the day is over and you go to sleep in the garrison, By now, Simuli's dissolving is times directly with Imperi's mark, so that the body is recreated at the same tempo as it's being destroyed, giving the impression that nothing happened at all, except that her mark fades once more. Thus, you can sleep while holding your beloveds in your arms.

While you rest, you have a singular, shared dream with your loved ones, in which a scarred but beautiful mare dressed in plate armor visits you and thanks you for their kindness and service, before apologizing that she cannot help you in the future. Yet she can grant you a token of her gratitude, and kisses each of you on the brow.

When you wake up, your glow is gone, and in their place you notice additional rewards inside your body.

((Game effect: you receive a small bonus to a skill of your choice, 5 bonus hitpoints, you master one feat ((flight?)), and a major increase to an ability score ((strength, endurance, agility, intelligence, etc))

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((you also gained your first mythic tier: choose one mythic feat, and master one mythic path ability.))

No pony seemed to object too much when Imperi took the former scrying chamber to work her magic, though she did have to promise it was all for the war effort. Since you and Simuli do such a good job of helping out, while boosting morale, but that you insist that Imperi is the one who makes it all possible, they accept it with a grunt of "yes, we know how casters are". Still, even with your efforts, the city makes a broken desolate impression, as about half the populace died, and many more buildings were destroyed. Enormous rifts had opened in the ground where demons broke into this world.

A few days later, a new ray of hope shines on the beleaguered city with the arrival of Queen Galfrey and her armies, fresh from the defense of other cities along the south.

Kenabres is as far north as Galfrey intends to lead her troops, for word is that the demons are focusing most of their attacks to the south, but before she leaves, she intends to meet with the heroes who played such a vital role in the city's defense-and who, if rumors are to be trusted, are the inheritors of the wardstones' power. News of Queen Galfrey's arrival spreads quickly through the city as her armies arrive-thousands upon thousands of road-weary and battle-worn crusaders thankful for a place to rest, even if that place has been significantly damaged. The crusaders set about refortifying the city even as their leader seeks out those who played such a key role in its defense, and in the transformation, however temporarily, of the wardstones into a potent defense that drove the demons back into the Worldwound, if only for a short time.

By the time she seeks you out, Queen Galfrey has heard the rumors that they are the ones who triggered this event, and that they've become imbued with the wardstones' power. The queen is eager to hear their story about how things developed in the Gray Garrison, and seems both
respectful and wary. She presents herself as a weary commander who nonetheless maintains a heroic facade of hope and faith that, despite current events, this newest crusade will be the last, and that it will end with the forces of good triumphant. Galfrey would prefer to meet with you in a place that you are comfortable, so you end up in Defender's Heart once more.

"While there are some narrow-minded souls among the crusade who blame you for the destruction of the wardstone border, I do not begrudge you for what you did. Far from it. From the sound of it, you saved entire legions of crusaders from a most vile fate by preventing Vorlesh from transforming them, and the blast of energy gave us the time we needed to regroup and prepare for what will certainly come next. But you understand the implications of what you've done, I'm sure-the wardstones are gone, but lomedae has seen fit that you will be their
replacement. I can think of no other reason that would explain why their power would have settled in your bodies and souls and didn't merely fade into the ether. In time, the demons will regroup and reorganize-we can trust their inherent chaos to make this period of regrouping longer than it otherwise would take, but we shouldn't underestimate them. They'll be back soon enough. Already I've had reports from along the front lines that small groups of demons are attacking fortifications and settlements along the southern border.

But what intrigues me most is news from several reliable sources that as our fiendish enemies are starting to mass in the Southern reaches along the Riftshadow within the Worldwound, they have left several of their northern lairs relatively unprotected. In particular, the fiend Aponavicius has taken the bulk of her army from Drezen, leaving it only moderately protected as she joins with the Storm King in lz to, no doubt, plot greater attacks on larger targets like Nerosyan, Karcau, and beyond. The time is right to strike into their territory.

Drezen was the first of our cities to fall after the First Crusade, and we lost more than our kin and our pride that day. We lost the Sword of Valor, a magical banner carried by the Inheritor herself during the Shining Crusade. If Drezen could be retaken-if the Sword of Valor could once again be held by the crusade ... well, I trust I don't need to explain how well that would affect morale. But with the imminent attacks along the border, I cannot spare many to lead an assault on Drezen. And even if I could, a large army attacking the city would only draw Aponavicius back to defend the place. The obvious tactic is to send in a group of capable heroes with a modest but well-trained army to strike now, while the proverbial iron is hot. And this is why I've sought you out. If you can retake Drezen and reclaim the Sword of Valor, not only will you silence the fools who would brand you traitors for destroying the wardstone, but more importantly, you would bolster the entire war effort with your heroism. And I fear we need all the bolstering we can get!"

You are now free to ask her any questions you like. You will also receive some nice medals of honor, with some potent magic in it.

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I give the Queen a node of respect and thanks. "Then that is what we shall see to next. That sword should prove a great aid."

I look of into the distance and then back to her. "I must ask, I know that the demons are still great in number, but it is their leaders that they follow. You wouldn't happen to know any generals on the way to Drezen? Cut of the head and the rest will fall into a panic, easy picking them off. you also wouldn't happen to have any ponies out there already fighting that can join us on the way? I owe the Storm King some Pain. And where shall you go? " I say letting here know that I will finish up rebuilding this place until we leave.

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"The front is relatively quiet for the moment, but I expect that to change any moment when they regroup. Scouts within the Worldwound tell us that the demons and their minions are massing all along the Sarkora River in Riftshadow, and we expect them to hit Nerosyan, Karcau, and other southern points within the week. I need to get Kenabres in order and head back south in a few days as a result, and I hope you'll be well on your way north by then. But no generals I can predict , as demons' nature allows them to virtually teleport at will--geography nor walls mean little to a creature not of the material plane. It is for this matter that I stress discretion, as drawing too much attention will cause the demons to call for aid, and they could have the entirety of the war effort at their behest. This is why you travel with but a small but disciplined troupe.

"It's risky, but the reward is worth it. And the demons won't expect it. In fact, they might not even notice it, what with their attention
focused on the southern borders. If you can secure Drezen quickly enough and find the Sword ofValor, it will do most of the work of keeping the place safe once you've reactivated it."

Imperi speaks up. "What's stopping demons from teleporting in as
reinforcements once we attack?"

"Their own nature. Those left behind have been charged with protecting Drezen, and if they abandon that post, even to teleport away for help, they'll likely be killed. No demon wants to be killed. That and their arrogance about their superiority over mortal life should be more than enough to keep them in Drezen until the very end. At that point, when you've broken their morale, they'll teleport away in droves, which should give you several days to complete your mission."

Once more, Imperi has questions: "What can you tell us about Citadel Drezen, the Sword of Valour, and where it is located?"

"It was built during the First Mendevian Crusade as a strategic foothold inside the World wound. Crystal ponies chiseled it from of a rocky
hill near the source of the Sellen River. It held for well over a decade, withstanding almost constant war before a traitor turned the Sword of Valor over to the demons. We never found out who it was, but with the Sword of Valor's protection gone, the demons overwhelmed Drezen in a night."

"And the relic? Despite the name, it's not a sword. It's a battle standard-an artifact once used by Iomedae herself during the Shining Crusade.
The church loaned the banner to the First Mendevian Crusade and allowed it to hang in Drezen, where it bolstered crusader morale and, perhaps more importantly, warded against demonic attacks, deceptions, and even teleportation." At this, Imperi's ears perk up.

"It is located somewhere inside Citadel Drezen. At one point, it was held in a special vault, but our divinations have only revealed that the banner remains in the Citadel somewhere. Alas, the same wards that protect it against demons also hamper divination attempts-but we know it's still in there, likely kept as a trophy."

Lastly, in response to your request for aid: "we're sending three specialists with you. Aron Kir was a cleric of Shelyn here in Kenabres before the temple was destroyed-he can help with healing as needed, but he's also quite knowledgeable about demons and their tactics. Sosiel Vaenic is an expert on siege tactics, traps, infiltration, scouting, and the like; he's where you'll be getting your map of the Citadel, incidentally. And lastly, there's Nurah Dendiwhar. She'll be supporting you with her bardic magic, but she's also an expert on the region and knows more about Drezen than anyone in Kenabres at this point, I'll wager. I'm also going to be sending an army of crusaders with you. There's only a hundred of them, but they're all devout paladins oflomedae. It's not a large army, but you'll be able to move without attracting attention. Trust me, that's an advantage when it comes to demonic foes. They hit hard, so it's best not to give them the opportunity."

Before she takes the PCs to meet your army and experts, Queen Galfrey smiles and tells you that your successes and triumphs have not gone unnoticed. To make it official, she dubs you " Knights of the Fifth Crusade."

The title gives you permission to lead armies and rule lands. Of a more immediate note, though, when a knight accomplishes a significant task, he or she is rewarded with one or more r(ghteous medals. Currently, there are six different medals a knight can earn in the crusades, each
of which comes with a small boon of magic imbued by priests of Iomedae, Sarenrae, and Torag. You are each awarded every medal that is appropriate for their achievements and glories so far. Seeing Simuli as her own person, she too receives them.

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Imperi and Simuli beam at you when you get rewarded. Sure, they get the same, but this is all because of you.

"This Righteous Medal of Agility is awarded for delivering a death blow to a demon in combat before that demon gets a chance to act in that same combat.
(This medal is associated with Dexterity and grants a + 1 sacred bonus on Initiative checks.)

For discovering vital information of great use against the Worldwound and delivering this intelligence to the crusaders, you are awarded the Righteous Medal of Clarity.
(This medal is associated with Intelligence and grants a +2 sacred bonus on saves against insanity or confusion effects.)

And finally, This Righteous Medal of Valor is rewarded for delivering a death blow to a superior demonic force."
(This medal is associated with Strength and grants a +2 sacred bonus to CMD.)

(Each medal must be worn for it to take effect, but does not need to be visible--though you better do to raise morale and establish your credentials. Each one can be activated once per day to gain a sacred bonus to the related attribute for one minute)

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There are 3 more to be gained throughout the campaign: Righteous Medal of Command: It is awarded to a hero who redeems one of the enemy and convinces the redeemed character to join the crusade.

Righteous Medal of Spint: It is awarded to a hero who becomes possessed or mentally controlled by a demon but escapes from that control

Righteous Medal of Vigor: It is awarded to a hero who is reduced to a dying state by a demon but survives (or alternately, is restored to life) and rejoins the battle before that demon is defeated.

You can tell from the way she holds her head that Imperi is busy scanning them for later reproduction, but she grimaces, showing that it is likely a bust and she can not replicate them.

Never having been one for ceremony, when the award granting is over, Queen Galfrey personally escorts you to the camp where your troops await. Before that though, Imperi has one condition, while she mentally commands the finished doggies to pack up her work shop behind her as you all leave. "I require that our troops be willing to be shrunk for transport. 1/16 at most, or be subject to frequent teleporting." For a moment, it seems as if the Queen's stoic facade cracks, but the moment passes before you can be sure.

"I am certain that you can sell the idea to them. As a last resort you can command them but that might lead to dissension amongst the ranks."

Queen Galfrey escorts you to the camps just outside of Kenabres's northern wall, where her armies wait. She leads you to a group of crusaders at the northern edge of the camps, and as they approach, the knights quickly fall into line, standing at attention. The queen informs you that these knights have volunteered to aid you in retaking Drezen, and that their loyalty and devotion are true. Three others wait at the camp-the three experts who'll be joining the PCs on their journey. Queen Galfrey introduces Aron, Sosiel, and Nurah, then nods in approval. " I've never been one for ceremony, and you've a lot of work ahead of you-I wish you luck in your mission, and hope to hear of your triumph soon!"

You quickly meet up with your new 'experts'.

Sosiel Vaenic

Priest of the Eternal Rose.

Optimistic and passionate, Sosiel is a priest of Shelyn--one of the last in Kenabres after the goddess's temple was destroyed. His presence in the army provides a boost to healing and thus morale.

Aron Kir

Crusader Tactician and Engineer

Aron has lead a rough life, but with the support of his lover Sosiel, he's made great strides forward. His knowledge of battlefield tactics aids the defense of the Knights of Kenabres.

Nurah Dendiwhar

Not much is known about this mischievous bard, except that she loves to travel and try out new things. As an expert in navigating and gathering information, together with her bardic magic and music, she provides both tactical knowledge, ease of traveling, and a great boon to morale.

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For this first presentation to the troops, Imperi had Simuli study the War Manual's chapters on leadership. She knows that she is not the most charismatic person there is, and she had in fact been planning on letting Simuli be the group's representative. However, if she wishes to succeed at her goal of world domination, then it's she herself who must be in the spotlights and gather renown-she's just happy that her battle armor adds a few inches to her height. When you sandshape a platform for her to stand on, she starts her speech.

"Greetings, fellow crusaders. We have been tasked to retake Drezen from the demons so that we may have a foothold in the Worldwound land itself. Their greatest asset, that of at-will teleportation, is useless right now because they were scattered by the Wardstones' release. Generally, we would have a week of respite at the very least. However, I say you that we can reach the city in less than three hours, and retake it in six. After that, if the Sword of Valor is restored to it's proper place, then that same asset would become a liability to them, as for miles the Sword would shine like the Crystal Heart to punish all demons.

Naturally, we will aid all settlements we come across, and since inevitably the demons overran the supply lines between Kenabres and the Worldwound, we will have several stops before we reach Kenabres. Realistically, it will be tomorrow in the early morning when we start our offensive on Drezen.

Next, is the matter of alchemical weapons that I prepared. Flares will be issued to everypony which is to be used not only in need of reinforcements, but also when a demon capable of teleporting is found. Dimensional Locks have been prepared and will be applied by me or my 2 spouses. Asides from the general supplies such as sunrods, and thunder stones, I learned a few special recipes in my days. Healing salves and Sunstake longbow arrows have been prepared as well. Basically, they are hollow and filled with holy water and oils, so that when staked into unholy flesh, they will react violently with it until the abomination takes the time to remove them, which gives you ample opportunity to stake them with more.

"Now, as our Queen said, 'I have never been one for ceremony', so let us move."

With that said, the doggies, still in their dog form to ease the crusaders, take place behind Imperi, facing to the right. Then, Imperi asks the dogs to enlarge to their charger form, and then she enlarges them 4 times herself. so that you can sandshape platforms on their back, ending with what look very much like busses on legs, with stairs leading up.

"Bring the supplies in first, and store them in the back and the sides." The surprised crusaders take well to someone in charge, and start boarding the hounds. And so, not even half an hour after being formed, the Knights of Kenabres leave for war.

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With some rebalancing of her essentia, the hounds' soulmelds power up. The hum of magic and the smell of ozon fill the air, before in a small crack, the hounds and their passengers are shunted through the astral plane northwards. Imperi's free soulspark flew forward and scouted a ruined plaza in Old Kenabres where you and your army reappear on the Material Plane. A few seconds later, you 'hop' again. Six hundred and ten feet are crossed with every jump, and above you in the sky, Imperi's spark scouts the area like a spy satellite to give Imperi and the hounds visual guidance, while it moves like lightning to keep up.

In less than 20 minutes, you come to your first stop:

VALAS'S GIFT
Distance from Kenabres: 28 miles

Valas's Gift lies northeast of Kenabres, a small town surrounded by surprisingly fertile lands. Once one of Kenabres's primary sources of food and grain, Valas's Gift has been destroyed by demons, and its citizens have scattered into the surrounding hinterlands. When your army arrives, they find the village a smoking ruin. What will you do?

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I look down from my perch on Rusty's head and sigh. "What a waste..." I look to our Crusaders. "We are going down for a quick search. We need to see if anypony is still alive. Be on guard at all times and watch each others back. I will lead you."

When the Hounds descend low enough to the ground, I use my Sand Shape ability to craft some stairs for each of the limbs. Pulling out my Loredrinker I address the troops. "I want a handful of you with Crossbows to remain here and provide cover fire if need be. As the rest of you, follow me." I say sand shaping a platform and floating off the Hounds.

((I did not notice the post before this one. How!?))

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((I forgot to tag. Sorry.))

No matter how much you look, no survivors are there to be found. With a heavy heart, but masked by righteous anger, the crusade continues.

Soon, you come to your second stop:

VILARETH FORD
Distance from Valas's Gift: 52 miles

Vilareth Ford is the northernmost crossing point on the West Sellen-few settlements and no fords or bridges exist farther north from here on the Mendev side of the river. Named for the crusader general who first held the ford against a host of tiefling cultists eager to use it as an invasion point, Vilareth Ford has long been watched over by a small contingent of crusaders-yet as the group approaches the ford, Imperi stops the army, and reports to the 3 carriers.

"Grim news. My familiar reports that Vilareth Ford has been taken by the enemy. It sees about 200 tieflings, but there is good news as well. Since the cultists remain there, it is possible that survivors are to be found. None are to be seen in the camp, but be careful when attacking the ford itself. If you have to use area attacks when there, then only disabling ones.

"Lhikan, we count on you to reconfigure the sand to take off the roofs and form battlements and slides. We will teleport inside their camp in a triangle facing inwards. The hounds and our heavy artillery, meaning me, Lhikan, and Imperi, will open indiscriminate fire inside. This will clear a front in the middle of their very camp. Meanwhile, all be on the lookout for demons which must be bound. Archers, sunstakes on the initial salvo, and stay with me."

Imperi her Radiance, reshaped into twin gauntlets, glows with golden blue light, and two cores of luminescence, Positive Energy Elementals, emerges. By using a synergy with the weapon, she can now finally summon her first kind of elementals. All positive energy users have their abilities maximized while within 20 feet of them, and she will spread them for maximum coverage.

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I node grimily and turn to the soldiers. "You heard her Crusaders. Our first battle is about to begin and we must not loose sight of our goal. To purge this realm of their corruption, save the innocent, and do what we can for our home."

I let my sand swirl around me like a swarm of angry insects, my sword pointing downward. "Let me ask you all...are ready for this." I say raising a eye-scale, show the Crusaders that I will not let them down as a commander.

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"Sir, yes sir!"

When the preparations are made, and your sand golems shaped, the hounds place themselves in a large triangle. The elementals bolster 2 groups of archers. The hounds shape 2 gigantic double barreled flamethrowers each, and they too are attuned to Bane Tiefling. Simuli prepares to fly up and perform a strafing run, while Imperi is ready to join her in the air and assassinate their leader if possible before it can teleport away. The recoil of her ballista shot will be enormous, but one strike is all she needs. And necessary even. One early warning might prepare the entire city of Drezen against your small army.

The teleport happens. Amidst the surprised tieflings, 3 hulking metal hounds appear, and each spews a cone of fire hot enough to make the sand glow. With how they are placed, they fill the entire camp without leaving a spot open, and clearing the inside of the triangle. The outside fares no better, for Maximized Smite Evils are strike one shot kills, while Simuli and your golems scatter what few groups can form in defense. The crusaders take care of the rest, and that leaves you free to enter the ford itself. A succubus like being was just in the middle of entering the hall, when you remember to activate the Dimensional Lock enhancement and pierce her nude flesh. From the now open door stumble a dozen naked crusaders with glazed eyes, presumably to aid their master. Love juices coat their body, together with wounds from finger nails and whips.

What will you do with the now pinned lust demon? Redemption might still be possible.

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As I slow make my way across the burning village, my own sand protecting me and Loredrinker taking out who ever tries to harm me, I walk up the Succubus with blanket expression, but soon turns into a bit of a pained look as I try my best to bring out the Silver Dragons negotiating skills and put them into play as my sand binds the Demoness into a sand like coffin.

I look around and to the Crusaders who have come out of the door. "As I'm sure you have seen, things aren't going so well for your allies. One moment..." I say as I spin around and form giant Sand Buzz saws and have them saw off the tops of houses and have them fall safely into the streets, before turning back to her.

"I was taught to always temp my sword with mercy so please don't think of this as a forced thing. You still have the choice of laying down your arms." I say in a clear as crystal voice.

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"I surrender myself, to you," She turns big doe-like eyes to you. ｡ﾟ( ﾟஇ‸இﾟ)ﾟ｡

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I only give her a blank face as I know that she is trying all she can to get out of here alive. "Oh, well then, please remain her then." I tighten the sand a bit more as a warning. "And please don't try to make any moves. My sand seems to really have a mind of its own at times." I say giving her a smile. "Now we can talk and possibly work something out that ends with you keeping your life. I really don't like killing, but don't temp me...I've ended things twice as strong as you."

Still bound her prison, I turn to see how my girls are doing. There is still much to do.

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Simuli seems to be preparing the shrinking ritual to transport the victims. Should she include the succubus as well? Meanwhile, Imperi and the other people are searching the place, and cleaning it up. Imperi commanded them to loot everything they can, and it will get shrunk. Some grumbled a bit about taking from corpses, but she worded it as 'gathering materials to rebuild Drezen'.

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After hearing the reports I turn back to the Succubus. "Well as you can see, your friends didn't as long as they would think. This gives us time to talk as my friends help clean up your mess. First, may I ask your name?" I am thinking of asking Imperi if she could construct a small container that is made of holy metal so that it could hold the Demoness and not transport away if we shrink her.

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"Umestil is what I am called, my lord."

Imperi shakes her head. Permanent anti teleportation wards is something she does not have with her. But since she does not breath... "Love, if you give me and Simuli 20 minutes with her while the crusaders search, then I think she will stay put until this is over."