Maul stepped through the portal, everything around him fading into oblivion for a split second as he traveled through the portal, his body hurtling through space towards where he'd calibrated the ring to take him...it would be Acheron. He knew it must be.
When he stepped out on the other side, the first thing to assault his vision was the endless expanse around him...it was how he knew he was in the right plane, and likely the right layer of Acheron. The terrain of Avalas was comprised solely of floating cubes, terrain almost perfectly flat with little deviation. The terrain in front of him perfectly encapsulated that image - utter nothingness as far as he could see, a gray expanse that ended far in the distance with sheer drops at the cube's other sides. The air was clear enough that the entire face of the cube was easily discernible...along with the thousands upon thousands of combatants on it. Acheron was the plane of eternal conflict, warriors both living and dead finding their way here to fight amongst the other souls here, every face of every cube likely holding some battle that had been going on for months, years, decades...perhaps even centuries.
Behind Maul, the others came pouring out one-by-one, the portal that had opened in the air remaining stationary while the cube continued its movement, dropping each new person further behind than the rest...such a conundrum was why the warforged were still trapped here after so long, fighting a war that they wished they didn't have to. The portals remained frozen in space while the cubes moved about them, making it nearly impossible to leave the plane through any means beyond the magics that warforged knew so little of. His only hope was that the Syndicate had a way to control the cube's movement, keeping it locked in place for the warforged to escape...finally.
When Maul looked at the space around him, however...it wasn't familiar, and it didn't take him long to understand why. They were lucky that they'd even landed on a cube at all, the portal's coordinates just happening to be over a cube during their arrival. They could have been deposited in endless space, waiting for a cube to fly past them in order to pick them up. The warforged...they weren't here, and in the endless expanse of Acheron, perhaps never had been. He still knew that they needed to Thuldanin, the second layer...he'd been the only warforged not to make it through that portal before it was out of reach, countless hours spent wandering the endless battlefields until he managed to catch another portal out of the plane entirely. Their goal was to find a portal there...and hope that they could follow the trail from there.
The group finally reconvened, steering clear of the numerous battles raging around them. This face seemed to be dominated by armies of spectral elves and dwarves clashing, howls in languages Maul didn't understand creating a cacophony around them, only drowned out by the stomping of boots on the iron blocks that they stood on.
"Maul. Where do we go?" Wake had his bow and arrow ready, knees bent low as his battle instincts kicked in.
"Locate Thuldanin portal. Initiate traversal. Locate Bulwark."
"Bulwark?" He'd only said that name once before...it was still relatively unknown to all of them.
"Warforged legion commander." He'd served beside Bulwark, a high ranking warforged when he was still in the army. He knew that the commander would fight for him in a heartbeat...and if Bulwark needed his aid, he would gladly leave the ranks of the Syndicate in order to maintain the operations of his people.
Phyrra turned to Wake. "We're going to need you then...find us a portal, and we'll go through it."
Wake nodded, looking around at the battles around him. The only portal he could feel was the one that they'd just gone through, though even that started to collapse likely due to Lolth closing it behind him. "Okay...but we're in the Outer Planes now. There very well may be a portal to Thuldanin...but there will also be ones for Mechanus and the Nine Hells. Just because I find a portal doesn't mean we should go through it. We're going to need more information than that. Acheron is one of the few planes I've never stepped foot in before. Our best bet is to find somebody that has been here for centuries. I know that the orcs and goblins have fought here for as long as the races have lived...that might be a place to start."
Zaelynir looked at the group, a sense of urgency in his eyes. "So what's a guy to do to have a nice chat with an orc? We aren't making any progress standing here!" He flew up into the air, blasting at one of the spectral elves that got too close to them, the Syndicate as a whole moving to accommodate the raging battle around them. Once they were safe, Zaelynir continued with a smirk. "Or a goblin...I'm never picky."
"Acquire citadel coordinates." The only variability to the sides of a cube of Avalas was from the citadels that the various armies created, towering pillars of iron that served as bases of commands. The citadel grew with the army's strength and longevity, a living interpretation of the mark they'd made on Avalas. He knew little of the plane beyond the few blocks that he'd been on, but if the orcs had truly been here for so long, there would have to be a matching citadel of equal grandeur. Of course, finding such a citadel was an entirely separate challenge amidst the seemingly endless cubes, all of which were often several miles on one side.
Phyrra interjected, picking up where Zaelynir had left off. "The orc wargod is Gruumsh...he is their primary deity, but I don't know much more about him than that." As soon as she was done speaking, however, the gem on her hand surged with light, her eyes radiating the same piercing light as the gem. When she spoke, it was with a distance, a detachment from reality. "Gruumsh lives on Acheron, Avalas specifically. The block he resides on is orbited by other blocks where his subservients reside, one of only a few occurrences of such phenomenon on Avalas." Her eyes finally cleared, Phyrra looking around at the group dizziedly. "What...did I say?"
Wake smiled. "Exactly what we needed to hear. We need to search for a block orbiting others...and hope that it's his."
Maul nodded...the plan was solid, lacking holes. During his time here, he'd never witnessed such a phenomenon, though likely because he'd been busy leading the war effort. Survival on Avalas wasn't difficult when done correctly...so long as they avoided the front lines of battle, they would be able to stay safe. "Follow. Gruumsh location initiated."
Before even moving, Maul's eyes scanned the horizon around him - he could only see a few other cubes at the moment, none of them appearing to exhibit the characteristics Phyrra had just described. Satisfied, he set off, trying to maneuver towards the nearest face of the cube that he could see, his superior height amidst the races on this cube making it an easy task. He led the others across the raging battlefields around them expertly, passing by at least three separate conflicts before even making it to the edge.
Maul was a battlefield commander, used to leading armies far larger than the five experienced beings behind him...their competency made his own shine that much more. There was no avoiding conflict on Avalas entirely, but the trick was understanding what conflicts needed to be taken, and which needed to be ignored. He maneuvered the Syndicate past humans attacking a group of fleeing halflings, seeing the army's movements in advance and charting a course to get them through it. When such avoidance wasn't a possibility, he knew who best had the tool for solving the job. Sometimes, that was Zaelynir, the incubus flying into the air and blasting a fireball in front of them to clear a way. Other times, it was Phyrra, a cloud of darkness granting them the cover they needed to get past. Lance was fantastic for serving as a distraction, Shavvir was excellent at engaging a powerful enemy that had engaged on them, and Wake was best when they simply needed suppressing fire while they moved. Maul barked short orders as necessary, even Phyrra and Zaelynir heeding his commands. It was clear to him now that the others were inexperienced in the realm of warfare, a question he had been holding unanswered for so long. The battles that they had fought with the elves, even in Alvesari, had been planned out weeks in advance...but here, Maul's training had him making the right calls at the right times.
Soon, they reached the edge of the cube, a sheer vertical drop below them stretching for miles until the cube came ended and utter blackness began. From this angle, however, they had sight of nearly half of Avalas, the other half sitting behind them. The group looked, searching for a cube, or group of cubes, that matched the description that they'd been given.
"There." Phyrra pointed out to one of the cubes in the distance, dozens of miles away from where they currently were. At first glance, it certainly seemed promising. Maul noted a cube that seemed to orbit it, likely what Phyrra saw...that was their target.
However, Wake pointed elsewhere, nearly straight down from where they currently were. "Not necessarily. I think I see a citadel." When Maul looked towards the second prospect, it seemed far more promising. He could see several blocks surrounding it, perfectly interspaced around a much larger one in the center. Maul couldn't quite make out the citadel that Wake believed he saw...but it was more likely that it was there.
"Prospect located. Traversal recommended."
"Just...how do we get there?" Lance was looking down at the cube they'd selected, dozens of miles away from where they currently were. In between them was an endless expanse of nothingness...to those unfamiliar with Acheron, moving around was the most confusing part.
Maul started trying to formulate a response, but Wake beat him to it. "Gravity here is fixed to a given cube. As soon as we move to the next side, gravity will shift with us. To go from one cube to another, more often than not you simply have to wait for two cubes to collide, and make the leap. It's...there aren't many better ways."
The warforged nodded, leaning forward as he wrapped himself around the edge of the cube, coming to rest and turning back around to face the others still on the other face. "Affirmative. Travel simplistic, travel time-inefficient. Mass alternatives arguably nonexistent. Travel speed critical." That final portion was the most important to him - he'd seen it happen multiple times. If the army didn't arrive to two cubes meeting in time, there were several times when the warforged army was split in two, very rarely able to join back together. The modron army were not faced with such predicaments, a large portion of their fighting force possessing the ability of flight, rendering the trials of Acheron all but negligible.
Maul scanned the edge of the plane in front of him, seeing their supposed destination cube off in the distance. It was impossible to tell when they might see a cube that could take them closer to their goal, but they would be foolish to miss such an opportunity. They needed to move, and quickly. This face of the cube seemed to be dominated by a massive battalion of elves, seemingly not in conflict with anyone...as of yet. The lack of conflict would provide them the peace they needed to move about and reach their destination quickly.
Wake was the first to make the move, Zaelynir, Lance, and the others soon to follow. Maul began the inexorable march across this plane, pocked by more deformations than the other. Such events were infrequent yet had great impacts, often the collision of two cubes not occurring cleanly. Deep canyons got forged in the faces, sometimes deep enough that the cubes were split into smaller sections...always of equal size, the order of the plane dictating such things constantly.
As they started their march, the ghostly elves that had previously been peaceable turned on them in an instant, hatred filling their eyes as a wave of longbows were drawn, the front ranks quickly shifting as the sword wielders among their ranks rushed to create an impassable wall. Maul turned, expanding his shield out...this war was not something that they could fight. He'd seen it happen, a war with the modrons turning into a battle simply to stay alive here...it was not possible. Fallen spirits couldn't die here, simply reviving the next day to continue the endless conflict. The living...they were not given such benefits.
"Deflect. Resist. Disengage. Engagement undesirable." Maul slammed his shield on the ground, a sphere of deflective energy encompassing them as the arrows bounced harmlessly off of them, the shield's energy having been spent for the day...though such a concept had no meaning here. There was no sun, per se, the cubes and their denizens illuminated amidst the cloud of nothingness that surrounded them.
Shavvir nodded, expending the last of the Raven Queen's power that dwelled within her as she dropped a cloud of darkness in front of them, raven-feathered tentacles reaching out and battering the surrounding elves while wholly consuming those unfortunate enough to find themselves trapped within it. Wake followed up on this, creating a blast of wind that erupted from the ground, stunting another wave of arrows while simultaneously keeping the elves from advancing on them. Zaelynir flew into the air, eyes flaring red momentarily as a pocket of elves no longer found interest in the six adversaries in front of them, instead opting to turn on each other as sword clashed against sword. Phyrra finished off the line of defenses that they had raised, a massive spectral creature hewn to appear similar to Lolth springing into existence, divine fire blasting at the elves that were closest to them.
They had their battle lines drawn...and it was time to run away from them. Even if they did have the manpower to fight the entire army, they didn't have the time...it could potentially take them a month to simply reach the cube that would normally be two days travel away from them, a time solely dependent on their luck...being caught in a war reduced their odds of success. Maul backed off as the others followed behind him, leaving behind the blockade that they had raised. Once they had sufficiently made enough distance, Lance cast one final spell as shadows enshrouded all of them, masking their movements to make sure that they couldn't be followed.
They continued travelling until the elves far in the distance, a large portion of this plane's face surprisingly uninhabited. Phyrra was the one that finally called a break, finding a triangular crater where the corner of another cube had collided to rest.
"Maul...you have to stop."
The warforged tilted his head. "Intention misunderstood."
Zaelynir followed it up, the fire often present in his eyes somewhat dim. "What do you know of magic, Maul?"
"Magic knowledge irrelevant. Magic implementation impossible. Magic-augmented warforged rare." What need was there in understanding magic, when he could never perform it? Beyond that, the modron were hardly practitioners of magic, the war that the two races fought one of spears and swords...the way battles should be fought.
Shavvir continued where the incubus left off. "We can tell, Maul. Magic is finite...you're asking too much. The Raven Queen's power is great but limited...there's nothing I can do without time to rest."
Phyrra nodded. "And even Lolth's power has its limits, albeit far greater than other deities." She didn't bother to look at Shavvir, knowing full well that the shadar-kai was scowling at her. "You ask us to perform magic after magic, Maul...it's taxing, and bordering on unsustainable. We can't keep going on like this."
"Even I'm a little tuckered out...and it usually takes quite a bit to leave me breathing heavy.." Zaelynir let fire dance about in his hands, flickering with the little bit of life that it still carried.
Shavvir followed up quickly, seeing the incoming frustration from the warforged. "Your tactics are spot-on. We've been where we need to be, and we've gotten out as best as we can. However, you can't rely on that to always be the case. If we were to run into another army like that again, there would be nothing I could do but watch. It's just something to be wary of."
Maul was still reeling from what was being told - his calculations weren't correct? That didn't make sense...in all his days as a leader of the warforged, not once did he make an incorrect call. Plenty of times did he make decisions that were not ideal, but they were never bad decisions...the very thought that he struggled to task this ragtag army of six was unbelievable.
Perhaps it was time for him to understand the basics of magic...though he could not perform it, it was becoming clear that it was a crucial part of the enemy's success, as well the Syndicate's. If he was to lead them, which he believed he was...he needed to know the powers of each member of his army, but also their limitations. He'd never seen the likes of Phyrra, Zaelynir, Shavvir, or Wake struggle with this before...likely because they knew themselves, and knew how to pace themselves.
"Feedback appreciated. Strategic modifications guaranteed. Counseling requested."
Shavvir looked back at him. "Counseling? On...magic?"
He nodded. "Affirmative."
Phyrra instantly turned away, hoping that someone else would step up...she'd dealt with Maul enough to know that she didn't want to try to teach him anything. To her surprise, Zaelynir was the one that answered the call. "Sure, big guy...we'll get you sorted out. You're already helping Lance during our second watch, though...I know I'm for sleepless nights, but you…"
"Warforged hibernation efficient. First watch available." Maul often himself not needing even the few hours of rest that he got during the night...the warforged didn't need the rest that mortal races required. He could sustain himself through first and second shift, and rest during the third...it might not be long-term sustainable, but they had plenty of time here. It would work out.
Shavvir let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. I know it's rather early...but let's call it. We fought against the mind flayers this morning, and now this. I think we've earned a break, and who knows when we'll find cover like this again." Despite the indentation being relatively small, it was one of the few deformations on the cube thus far, the one they landed on unfortunately rather unblemished. There was a chance that it was one of the newer ones, unscathed from what had happened previously.
Lance nodded. "I'm beat. However...Maul, where do we find food here? If it's going to be weeks, we are going to have to eat." Lance paused, taking a moment before realizing just who he was talking to. "I'm guessing...you don't even know what passes for food here, do you."
"Affirmative. Sustenance unnecessary. Deposits unknown."
"We'll have to scout around. Perhaps the citadels will have some near them, supposing they're big enough. If not, we're going to need a better solution. We will need to find food at some point...I should be able to help there." Wake looked around, this face of the plane rather untouched...if there was food, there was a chance that they'd find it underground. He knew that there were tunnels in some of the cubes, as well as other anomalies even rarer, one in particular that he was hoping to find, but hadn't seen just yet.
"Understood." Yet another calculation that he'd not made...the need for food. These mortal races befuddled him, requiring and using concepts that he didn't utilize or have a need to understand. It would take time to understand just what all of their intricacies were, the time he spent with them earlier not devoted to such tasks. After their trials today, Maul was confident that they were an effective fighting force - the six of them could do what would take dozens, perhaps even a hundred, warforged. Their capability on the battlefield was guaranteed - now, he had to deal with the irksome task of managing his resources when they weren't in combat. Such minute regulation was new to him, and yet he found himself intrigued by the prospect...it was new knowledge that he could pull in and gain, understanding more of the rules that governed this world.
Maul looked around, just now realizing how exhausted everyone besides himself was...perhaps a break was truly necessary. "Initiate rest sequences. Departure delayed."
"That's what I like to hear." Lance quickly jumped on the opportunity, the others quickly following in his lead as bedrolls were laid out, a quick and makeshift campsite being set up. As had been planned, Maul joined Zaelynir and Wake during first watch, the latter two beginning Maul's introduction to magic while Wake continued his usual task of being wary.
Zaelynir struggled to explain just how magic worked - it wasn't something that he'd ever had to put much thought into. Magic simply ran in his veins, fueling his every actions. He'd never had to study it, perfect it...it simply existed as part of him. Still, he gave it the best attempt that he could.
"Alright, big guy...let's start with the basics. Like Shavvir was saying, a lot of magic has limits with how often it can be performed - this stuff is taxing. You can't just go slinging powerful spells all day long."
"Explanation unrelatable. Battle mechanisms inexhaustible."
Zaelynir furrowed his brow, trying to reconcile with that...he was having to explain complicated techniques to someone that knew nothing about them. He noticed Wake standing watch in the corner, the archer passively paying attention to the conversation at hand. "Okay...you know how Wake has a quiver full of arrows? Every time he fires one, it's gone, and at some point you can run out. Magic...it's kind of like a quiver, except that if you rest for a while your quiver fills up again. Does that make sense?"
Maul thought about it, easily able to reconcile the comparison. "Affirmative. Finite, replenishing resources."
Zaelynir nodded...it was a start. "Now...that doesn't apply to all magic, unfortunately. Some things are so simplistic that they actually can be performed all day long without draining your energy. For example." Zaelynir snapped his fingers, a small light appearing on the end of his hand. "This is easy...I can do this forever. Going back to our example...hmm. I guess it's like your weapon. You always have it, you can always use it. It never goes away. Still on track?"
Again, Maul nodded...he wasn't sure if this was starting to make sense or not, but what Zaelynir had explain was getting through to him. "Affirmative."
The incubus sighed...that was the basics, and he'd stretched his mind trying to relate concepts even that simple to Maul. At some point, there wouldn't be an analogy within the realm of what Maul understood...that would be when it got difficult. "Now, if you can get this, I think we're off to a good start. Various spells range are more powerful than the rest, but draw upon a larger portion of your resources. What you had us doing today, that was some of the most powerful spells that we know. It's best to save those for crucial encounters when we need a way out, not just standard challenges. It's...if you have an arrow that you know can kill anything, you're not going to waste one on a goblin. Are you still with me?"
The warforged pondered the words, tossing them around in his mind while he made sense of them. The explanation was clear, Zaelynir actually having done an excellent job explaining a concept that he'd long since discarded. "Affirmative."
Wake actually interrupted, walking over to the duo while still keeping one eye out on the horizon. "Zaelynir, since when have you cared so much? You've made it very clear that you've got a way out of all this...the Demons will happily accept you back into the fold should this mission fail. What's changed, because not even you can lie your way out of this one. You've done the least possible ever since we left base, up until now."
Zaelynir thought back to Lolth's words...about how successfully toppling Empyria could reap steep rewards. "It's just something about the Lower Planes, dear...don't they just bring out the best in all of us?"
Wake shook his head, the diversion clear as day. "Fine. Keep your reasons to yourself, though I can't say that I complain."
"If it becomes necessary...I'll make sure to let you know first." Zaelynir immediately switched to telepathy, continuing the sentence. "You already know of this. Can't have you knowing too much."
Wake imperceptibly nodded his understanding, responding verbally. "Very well then."
The rest of the watch continued on without event, Wake and Zaelynir soon giving way for Lance. Once again, the two began attempting to hone the skills Lance had gained from his resurrection, spending several hours dueling back and forth between the two, though failing to make much progress. There was something that Lance was missing, and whatever it was, it wasn't something Maul had figured out either. Once Lance was sufficiently spent, the night continued on, second and eventually third watch happening without event.
The next day, they set out once more, Maul determined to utilize the knowledge Zaelynir had given him as they set about on their course for the cube far off in the distance, the one they supposed Gruumsh inhabited. As they went, battles rose and fell around them, the elven menace that had assaulted them earlier not quite stretching to wholly encompass the side of the cube they were on. However, Maul actively tried limiting the issues he ordered, hoping to reserve the resources of his units until he saw a situation he deemed dire enough to warrant an influx of aid. He could sense quick progress - after several hours of travel, none of the three primary spellcasters seemed as fatigued as they had been in half the time the previous day. Reserving their most powerful assets for similar challenges came with its own rewards as well, the massive swings in the battlefield all the more impactful when used correctly. The knowledge he'd learned in just one night wasn't just making him a better member of the group...it was making him a better commander as a whole.
Day became night, the following day finding them reaching the corner of the cube that they were on, the corner closest to their destination. Now, it was simply a waiting game...it could take weeks to simply have one cube collide with another, to say nothing of the perfect sequence they'd need in order to hop that far over. They set up camp there, the corner easily defensible and providing plenty of downtime. With the excess time, Maul continued to learn even more about magic, the four spellcasters describing just what they could do, granting him even more acute knowledge on how to manipulate the battlefield to his favor.
The task that proved most irksome, however, was Lance. Even after a week of practice, he'd seen no more progress than he'd made after that first night. The two of them had tried everything imaginable, the bolts still flying haplessly every single time. It was starting to seem like a lost cause...until Wake stepped in.
The archer looked at his brother, one of many missiles forcing other members of the Syndicate to duck for cover. "Lance...this energy, it comes from our shared soul, correct?"
Lance nodded. "I can only assume...some combination of having half a soul and being resurrected by devils."
Wake ignored his brother's goading, continuing. "Allow me to try to aim it...it is my soul, after all."
"Okay. Maul...once again." The only considerable change that Lance had seen over their time of practice was the ease with which he could make the missiles appear, not necessarily requiring an unexpected circumstance to occur. Simply the act of dodging or sprinting seemed to trigger it, Lance now repeatedly able to launch a missile by simply running up to Maul as the warforged attacked, dodging out of the way.
As soon as the missile launched, Wake focused his mind and body on it, attempting to control the haywire missile. It felt like it heeded his commands, staying course in a straight line for a few seconds before it careened off course, flying into the void around them. "Again."
After several more attempts, it seemed like they finally had it under control - the missile responded to his hand, following where he pointed while his mind kept it focused on his commands. Due to Wake's experience, it didn't take long until the missiles had pinpoint accuracy, flying through small gaps with ease as the expert marksman controlled them. However, it yielded a problem...Lance was unable to control his own abilities, a challenge that seemed nigh impossible to rectify.
"We'll get it figured out...there's something out there that'll fix it."
Lance shook his head. "Stop, Wake...it's fine. I'm alive, and I have you to thank for that. We've figured out how to control this. Even if it's not ideal, it's more than we had before."
"You misunderstand me, brother. I'm confident we'll find a solution. Dis, the second layer of the Nine Hells, is home to the largest market in the Lower Planes. If there's anyone that can create a tool to grant you control over these missiles, they'd be found there."
As much as Lance wanted to believe it...he knew his brother. "Zaelynir...care to chime in?"
The incubus smiled, thus far having been able to enjoy the rest provided by the lack of work. "Oh yes...Dis is a truly wonderful place. Magic, weapons, armor. I've found quite the lovely selection of wares there. Your brother speaks true...if anyone can fix this, it's the devils that made you like this."
Shavvir interjected. "And so...what? What exactly is our plan for getting out of here, if we've even thought that far out? It's been a week and the only portal we've been near is the one we went through. Just how do you think we're getting back home at all?"
Wake cut in, reaching into his coin purse and pulling out a single, golden coin, far larger than normal currency. "This...a Boatman's coin. Who here has worked with Charon before?"
Zaelynir was the only one that had even heard of him before, the rest simply staying quiet while Wake continued. "The River Styx flows across the Lower planes...all of them. Charon watches over the river. One coin can grant passage to an adjacent plane. These are rare - I'm not spending it unless we have no other choice, and this is assuming we find a cube with the Styx on it. Our first goal is to find a portal that takes us out of here, once we're ready to leave. If we can't, however...this will take us to an adjacent plane. Thankfully - "
Phyrra cut in, remembering the planar map on the wall. "The Nine Hells is next to us."
Wake nodded. "Yes. As it so happens, so are Carceri and the Abyss. I've got one of these...so we can't take both cuts." Wake felt the weight in his coin purse...in truth, he'd managed to secure three of the coins during his life, only ever having spent one previously. However, that knowledge wasn't something that he wanted to share...he'd risked his life for each coin, each one far more valuable than his own life. Spending one was an absolute last resort...and he didn't want the others thinking that anything less than that was expected.
"So...we just find the Styx and...knock?" Shavvir folded her arms...it sounded almost too easy.
To her surprise, Wake nodded. "More or less. Toss the coin in the river, and Charon will answer the call. Finding it will be difficult, however, and there's no point even searching if we're going to Thuldanin first. The River Styx only flows on the first layer of each plane...it can't be found in Thuldanin."
"So, if we take the Styx to the Nine Hells, it will take us to Avernus?"
Wake nodded. "Precisely. From Avernus, we'll have to reach the entrance to Dis...but I suspect whatever Bel asks for us will not be contained to Avernus anyways. Word has that Zariel resides in Dis, but nobody knows where. We're already traveling to Dis...might as well see what wares they have."
Shavvir grimaced...yet another plane, and still the Raven Queen evaded her. She knew of Strahd's forces, her Queen telling her firsthand just how powerful of an army awaited them should they earn Strahd's good graces. All this effort through the Underdark, and now Acheron...their limited time was best used elsewhere. In her domain. "Very well...then let us not waste any time."
Unfortunately, time was all they had...and plenty of it. Several days later, a cube finally collided with the one they were on, the Syndicate leaping onto the new cube, its course charted closer to where they wanted to go. All six were able to make it safely across, the next several days spent fighting their way to the closest end of the cube.
Weeks turned into months...and they still hadn't made it yet. They'd hopped several more cubes, each one taking them closer and closer to their goal. They'd drawn closer and closer to their destination, enough to tell that it was the correct one. A towering citadel was formed on the face of one cube, large enough that it was nigh-indistinguishable from the face itself. fontGruumsh's fortress was arguably the largest entity on Avalas besides the cubes based on what they'd seen.
Phyrra looked to Wake for guidance...everyone knew that they had three months, and it was clear that they'd spent that long solely in Acheron. The question of whether or not it was safe to come back had crossed everyone's mind...Empyria may already have been complete for months by the time they got back, their makeshift hideout blown off of the face of the mountainside. "You said you've never been here before...but what's the time-scale?"
"I don't know...we can only hope that it's one-to-one at worst, and that we'll see ourselves out of here shortly. At best, we'll find out that it's only been a couple days. I know from experience that the Nine Hells is not like this, however...one day there equates to about two to three on the Material plane. Do you know the time-scale...or rather, does the Font?"
They'd all toyed with the Font of Knowledge during their endless down time...it lived up to its name. The reaction was always the same, Phyrra's eyes radiating brilliantly, her voice distant but full of knowledge she had no right to know. It seemed to know plenty about the Lower planes, but there had certainly been some facts that it didn't know...perhaps because it had no reason to. Often, they'd sparked the Font's power by asking Phyrra a question, the Font's power activating upon hearing a question it could answer, but the host could not.
This time, it stayed dormant, Phyrra waiting several seconds until giving up. "Guess not...I suppose it'll be a surprise."
Wake nodded, turning his attention once more to the cubes around them. The cube they were on had them crossing directly above Gruumsh's soon - the trajectories made it look like they wouldn't collide, forcing them to plan in advance just how they'd make the leap - this was their first opportunity in months. They couldn't afford to miss it.
The time for watches came, the orders long having been returned to normal. Maul had learned everything he felt necessary about magic, Zaeylnir's lectures being supplemented by Shavvir and Phyrra during the endless downtime. There was more to learn, to be sure...but for Maul, the finer details were best left to those that could utilize them thoroughly.
Maul's training with Lance had also ended - after dozens of additional attempts, it became clear that Wake was the only one capable of controlling the missiles, Lance only able to spawn them. Due to this, the duo had given up their training, Maul transitioning back to third watch while Shavvir returned to second. It was during this watch that the two cubes of interest finally drew closer, the face they stood on directly overlooking Gruumsh' cube. All were roused from their slumber...the time to depart was at hand.
Phyrra and Shavvir took Wake and Maul through Dimension Doors, leaving them suspended in the space between the two cubes. Lance managed to slip Blink through the door as well, teleporting to it as soon as he was on the other side. Zaelynir had the simplest time making it out, simply flapping his wings as he fought the localized pull of gravity, quickly reaching a state of weightlessness long before he reached the other five.
From there, the challenge was twofold - landing safely, and not within the middle of a warzone. Even from here, they could see fierce battle lines drawn on various portions of the city, hordes of goblins taking on battalions of orcs all across the cube, though the brunt of the fighting was constrained to the faces of the cube adjacent to Gruumsh's citadel. Finding a spot that was clear would be next to impossible - but finding one without a current conflict was manageable.
Shavvir drew from the Raven Queen's power, propelling herself through the air while Zaelynir beat his wings, pulling along the other four members as they slowly made their descent to the cube. "What's our plan?"
Maul pointed forward, straight to the largest spire of the citadel...where Gruumsh undoubtedly was. "Minimal traversal required. Battlefield engagement unlikely."
Wake shook his head. "But we'd be landing in the middle of the city. They'll see us as invaders. We won't live long enough to ever see Gruumsh, let alone his advisor. We need to land at the edge of the city...gain their trust and make our way in."
Phyrra couldn't stifle the laugh that followed. "You've never interacted with orcs, have you? Gain their trust? It's not possible. The only thing they care about is your strength. If we land at their front door and take out a few of them...maybe not kill...I think they might actually let us through."
Lance nodded. "Sorry Wake...but she's right. You don't try and negotiate with orcs. They won't let you in unless you force yourself in. If we get as close to our destination as possible, that's our best option."
Wake receded, holding his arms out whilst still floating in the space between the two cubes. "Okay...okay. Let's go."
Shavvir and Zaelynir obeyed, dragging the other four towards the center of the citadel. As they got closer, they started to feel the pull of gravity returning, all of them gathering around Maul as they started to descend. The warforged held his shield out in its expanded form, facing the ground and bracing for impact. As they fell, arrows from ballistae mounted on the walls of the citadel started firing at them, most of them flying egregiously wide as they plummeted to the ground.
Just before landing, Maul activated his shield, a circle of unbreakable energy surrounding them as they all slammed into the ground. The barrier broke their fall, allowing the Syndicate to all get to their feet as several orcs surrounded them.
"Zaelynir, distract!" Maul waited, putting his knowledge of his allie's magic to use...finally.
Zaelynir leaped into the air, magic coursing through his veins as he barraged the orcs in front of them. The magic took grip on several of them, friend now indistinguishable from foe as two of them turned to wail on each other, massive spiked clubs rending flesh from flesh.
"Wake, barrier."
Wake nodded, a gust of wind pouring out of the ground, secluding the Syndicate off from the orcs outside of the central spire.
"Phyrra, Shavvir, cover."
Two clouds of darkness appeared around them, a harmless one on top of them while Shavvir's filled with the horrors of the beyond, hid the wind wall from view. It gave them a perfect chance to retreat into the citadel, plenty more orcs ready and waiting for them.
Maul continued barking commands, utilizing the spells he deemed necessary for the task at hand. Their goal here was simply to subdue them, not outright kill...though the orcs clearly didn't have the same mentality. Still, they fought back, spells, blades, and arrows flying through the air as they fought back, ending their attack as soon as the orc seemed heavily injured.
After whittling down several of them, a booming voice echoed from the space above all of them, a deep and guttural roar that could only belong to one orc. "Who dares invade my kingdom?"
They heard footsteps from above them as the fighting ceased, the orcs stepping backwards. The footsteps continued, growing louder and louder as Gruumsh walked down from his tower. Eventually, he appeared - the One-Eyed God. He stood easily twice as tall as the rest of the orcs, his head nearly scraping against the towering ceilings of the spire. He looked down at the orcs around him - disabled, but surviving. "You have spared my guards. For that, I will not kill you immediately. Speak."
Word Count: 7078
Total Word Count: 51729
The 50k sprint is over, but this story is not. My update pace is going to slow down a bit, but I fully intend to keep this going through the end. I'm still having a ton of fun with this, and I think having a little bit more time to think things through will actually make for a better overall story. Stay tuned for more.
