Dreadlords The Cold North

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair was silent after the translation, letting all of this new information wash over his mind as he was already beginning to try and formulate several plans to follow through with. He and Luthen both agreed that there was no point in killing this man, but they did not need to help him more than make sure he did not die.

In fact, as soon as they healed this man, they would be put on a timer. They needed to have this artifact before he was able to hurry back and warn the Tsar.

"Now that I have an idea of what to look for...I can find the artifact. It's probably giving off an aura like a lighthouse and the pseudo-divine always has a certain look to it."

In fact, those followers were probably still nearby, but maybe he should try and keep this man hidden for a touch longer while they put more distance between themselves.

"We can try to do it silently, but if we do then it needs to be quick."

 

[Marcia]

It seemed that their plans had changed.

With her back to them, Marcia only picked up on half a conversation, unable to overhear Luthen's sign language. It seemed far more practical to keep watch rather than participate for the time being, especially if, as Dreadlord Krixus stated, time was of the essence.

Too many cooks and all that.

That being said, there was a fine line between battle fodder made to follow orders and an Initiate who knew when to offer input and when not to, and after they had conversed and patched up the man, the girl finally spoke.

"If we forgo rest, we can use the night to our advantage," Marcia suggested, looking back over her shoulder at them for their thoughts. They had initially come to the cave to use it as a shelter for the evening, but adaptability was paramount.

 

[Luthen]

Initiate Marcia is correct. They knew now what they needed, and what stood in their way.

Doubling back tonight would give them some semblance of surprise. There was little doubt that the Boyar had already guessed that the artifact they sought was the very one she was using to acquire her power. Catching her off-guard was paramount.

The Four of us will head back tonight. The Dreadlord said clearly, motioning towards the felled Guardsman. Alistair, if you would, collect what knowledge you can from him.

Then he motioned to Vittoria, ensuring that she called Marcia back from the watch. The three of us will draw a map of the fortress as best we can.

We leave in an hour. The Dreadlord ordered with a finality to his words. A little rest would go a long way, even if it was spent pulling through their collective memories.

Quickly the three of them set about drawing a map of the fortress, using details provided by their newfound friend. Before long they had what appeared to be a mostly accurate map of the Keep, though with more than a few gaps when it came to the lower levels. From there a plan was made, and quickly the four Dreadlords set out from the cave once more.

The cold of the night was now joined with flakes of snow, the cutting wind drawing down through the valley as their night time march took them back to Erlysk.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

With a curl of disdain at her lips, Vittoria summoned Marcia with a simple call with her name, turning around to pay attention to Luthen. It was up to Marcia if she got there in time to catch the plan being relayed to them.

She did not translate his signing this time. Vittoria nodded.

Providing her services to working on the map, it was a great way to keep her occupied and on task than to notice how annoying and grating Marcia's inputs were. Luthen was an excellent mediator between them, deescalating anything before it could begin. By the time they were to leave the cave, Vittoria felt sure in their plans.

Despite the gaps, Vittoria was confident their lessons would be put to use in neutralising any threats that came their way.

If it came to it, Vittoria would happily slip her cuffs off and channel her magical reserves at full power.