Arcanist Allura Vysoren stepped back.

Around her the bustle of the war room continued, clerics and monks from all the major temples here at Vasselheim continued their deliberations. She noted that at least two of the gods with followers within the city weren't represented, but the temple of the Everlight was still newly formed, less than two years, and would be opening its doors to those in need rather than assisting in the defence of the city.

And the Mistress of Knowledge had taken a different tack – Allura wondered briefly how many in this temple of the Platinum Dragon, with it's lofty perch over the ancient city, had any idea what lurked underneath the Slayer's Take.

She stretched – the last couple of hours since Vox Machina had departed she had spent seeing what she could do to help and had come to the frustrating conclusion that the answer, right now, was 'not a lot'.

The temples had established means of communication and scrying, and the Ring of Shrouds now attuned to Vex'alia imposed a restriction on their ability to check the progress of the chosen strike team, albeit a necessary part of trying to defend against a newly ascended god.

Not something she thought she'd ever be thinking to herself.

Feeling the stiffness in her shoulder, a lingering pain from Vex's sea rescue after the defeat of Raishan, the Arcanist naturally looked over the room for her wife. That thought did bring a smile to her lips. The idea of having a wife was still new to her. She had known Kima for many years, though they hadn't been close for some of that time, but after the events of the Chroma Conclave, their bond had been deepened to where they had finally committed to each other.

Allura absently toyed with the ring on her finger as she looked about. Kima may be shorter in frame due to her Halfling lineage but her personality was not a shy one and she tended to stand out in crowds. But Allura couldn't see her.

Fighting a sudden cold fear in the pit of her stomach, Allura left the table she was standing near and immediately felt a fool as she saw Kima on the balcony outside.

Lady Kima of Vord, Paladin of Bahamet, was currently on the balcony balustrade that overlooked the city below. Her gauntlets were to one side, and her greatsword, the weapon Avenger, leant within easy reach but otherwise she was in her full plate armour.

Allura walked out onto the balcony, past the pair of guards who had overwatch in this section and approached her diminutive partner. For a moment her face was serene, her eyes closed and the lips ever so slightly moving in that unconscious way she had when praying to her deity. Then her eyes snapped open, straight out towards the horizon and her faced hardened.

That cold feeling in her stomach returned as Allura knew that Kima must soon leave this place and head out with her follow paladins and clerics to defend against what approached. As she reached Kima, she moved one hand up to gently rest on the back of the head of her wife and joined her in looking out.

The view was to the north west of Vasselheim, cradle of civilisation. The mountain range that rose out of the forests were vast but on this day seemed much smaller as the couple looked upon the figure clearly visible. From this distance, it seemed small, it's form hunched under a dome of green hued light. But for the form to be this visible at this distance spoke volumes to the true scale of the titan lumbering towards them, the dome of light in fact a force shield around Thar Amphala, a city lost to the Shadowfell realm in a distant age and now returned by the power of the Whispered One in the push for his final ascend from the unlife that was the archlich's existence unto his godhood. Allura, a powerful magic user in her own right, shook her head at the thought of the amount of power needed to lift a city to the back of a titan, itself brought back as a creature of undeath.

There was a moment of silence between the two, not strained for they took comfort in the love they felt for each other but tense with thoughts of what could happen.

Allura spoke first.

"The current expectation is for the titan to arrive in just a few hours. It has covered a sizeable distance since Devo'ssa dropped them off." She didn't explain who 'them' were – she didn't need to. The appearance of Vecna himself in the war room behind her, even as just an image, had shaken the faith of all within the room and had reiterated the need to keep their final desperate plan as secret as could be managed.

Kima nodded. "Ally, I need to be at the front lines when it arrives. I'm no help in this sort of thing," she gestured at the bustling room.

"I know." There was a lot more Allura wanted to say and she didn't know where to start. Instead she put her forehead against Kima's and they remained that way for a moment. Allura straightened as a Sending arrived.

Her faced paled as she listened to the message.

Message received. We'll let you know if we find anything more.

"Ally, what is it?" Kima asked urgently, seeing that something had gone wrong

"Kima, that was Sherri. Gilmore has been taken."

"What!?" The halfling jumped down to her feet as if to rush off back to Emon.

"That's all she said. Presumably he was in the workshop and isn't now. Someone or something would have taken him."

"What can we do?"

"What can we do, Kima? We are a little busy here. I wonder if it's linked somehow ..." Allura tailed off as her vision rose to look out at the distant titan.

"But why Gilmore?" Kima asked.

Before Allura could answer, another Sending came through. It didn't improve matters.

Understood. She's not the only one. Activate the Crisis stones. Stay safe.

Before Kima could ask anything on the second Sending, Allura spun around and strode off into the war room. Kima took a couple of steps after before remembering her sword and gauntlets.

Allura entered the room, gaze sweeping immediately towards the contingent from the Raven Queen. One of them looked over as the Arcanist approached.

"May we be of service?"

"yes - scry for your champion please. Immediately."

The face was largely obscured by the dark hood but the priestess of the Matron of Ravens cocked her head. "He is under the protection of the Ring of Shrouds, we aren't ..."

Allura interrupted. "Just do it, quickly please."

There was a clatter as Kima arrived. "Easier just to do it when she is like this, sister."

The priestess sighed then motioned to a acolyte, who nodded. The acolyte turned to a bowl and poured a red liquid into it, murmuring the spell.

There was a moment of silence then the acolyte began to speak, absorbed in her spell.

"I can see him, he's on his own in a city."

The priestess gasped - "He shouldn't be able to be found." Those nearby ceased their own conversations and works and began to take note. "Sister, what more do you see?"

The acolyte was unable to hear her priestess whilst scrying but was continuing in any case

"I don't see any more of the surroundings but he is entering a building. He looks worried. He stops, and is approaching a ... wardrobe?" She sounded puzzled. "Now he's entering ... and I've lost him."

The spell broke and the liquid evaporated in the bowl, leaving a residue.

There was silence in that part of the room for a moment.

The acolyte spoke first, looking up at the priestess first then at Allura

"I-I don't understand ..."

Allura responded, but was preoccupied, almost speaking to herself

"They must have split for some reason. But why?"

Kima took her hand, "What was in that second Sending, Ally?" she asked. Allura looked at the faces around her, for a moment seeming to hide the info then briefly shook her head. No, don't hide the information, that's what HE would do.

"I received a Sending from Whitestone. Lady Cassandra de Rolo was just abducted from her court by means of a Gate spell. This follows another disappearance by a council member from Emon a few moments before. I believe that your scry," she gestured to the acolyte before continuing," has your champion in the city on that titan's back with other members of their party nearby. Tell me, when you lost sight of him, was it as if he passed some shield, or as if he entered somewhere."

The acolyte thought for a moment, her young face twisting as she tried to recall as many details.

"Well, I couldn't see much of his surroundings. He was going to a wardrobe but it was like he passed through a door which my Sight couldn't see through, I guess."

Allura looked down at the halfling holding her hand. "That would indicate that there is a Mansion cast there, perhaps. Our bard is still in play as well. We have the trust that the reminder of the group are there too.

"We need to check others who have close ties to them - where possible we need to safeguard those people"

"Should we be telling Vox Machina?" Asking the acolyte, forgetting in her anxiety that that name was one of several that should not be spoken out loud well possible.

"How would you reach them?" Allura asked gently, no rebuke in her tone or face. "Sadly, I think they make discover this has happened. We just have to hope that they can react appropriately when it happens