Faerun: Sword Coast: Wilderness
Karlach liked to think she'd done a pretty bang up job of getting through the absolute hell that was the past ten years of her life.
Sure, being shackled to Zariel's service was a fate worse than death but she'd managed to slip out of Avernus.
And sure, having a Mindflayer tapdole in her head wasn't fantastic, but it was early days and she had hope. Something she'd been sorely lacking for many years.
She'd made new friends, picked up a squirrelly little Cleric named Shadow heart, they'd met on the Nautiloid but it was damn good to see her alive.
And her funny little puzzle box.
She'd met Astarion, a bit of a little bugger that one. Quick with a knife but a little too pleased to be using one. Apparently he was from Baldur's Gate as well.
'Traveled in different circles' the tone he took was not one she was very fond of, but even for a bit of a priss, he was alright.
Then they all met Gale, or Gale met them. Trapped in a stone and all, odd day indeed. He was funny, she liked Gale, bit wordy but seemed like a good sort.
It was just after meeting Gale that they crossed some downed netting and heard hushed whispers not far from them.
Ever curious, Karlach strode to meet two Tieflings, and they'd captured Lae'zel! The green gyth woman that all but heralded her trip through the Nautiloid.
With expert use of her incredible Charisma, Karlach got her two kin out of dodge, catching talk of a Druid's grove and keeping it in the back of her mind.
It was just after they'd got Lae'zel down, just before she made to speak, Karlach saw her ears twitch and she turned slightly.
"Is it some kind of alarm?" Shadowheart seemed curious as well, "I do hear shouting not far from us."
Elves really must have sharp ears, because Karlach couldn't hear a thing. But she had felt… atrophied after her stay in the Nautiloid, the insertion of the tadpole seemed to sap her something fierce.
"Well we should definitely check that out." Karlach was more than willing to take Shads at her word.
They heard heavy footfalls, walking up the path they'd just taken and they all saw a man, covered in small cuts and bruises, singed a little too.
'Am I collecting elves?' Karlach had to wonder for a moment, Astarion, Shadowheart and this new one.
It wouldn't count as a collection with just three, she decided, so felt it was fine.
His armour was a little scuffed but seemed to have done it's job because beyond the damage to his face he seemed just a little scuffed.
The dark colours contrasted with the pulsing blue markings across his neck, making them stand out even more.
Karlach hadn't seen him move much, but he wal
"Alright, Soldier?" She greeted, lifting a hand and waving.
He nodded to them all, "Hi, I'm Zach." Despite the visible injuries he gave them a smile, "Can't stop, gotta kill goblins."
Without even stopping he moved past them all and broke from a walk to a jog to a rapid sprint in the span of a couple steps.
Before they could blink he was gone from their sight, only the displacement of dirt leaving his trail.
"I did say I heard shouting." The dark haired half-elf said, a little dryly.
"No time to wait then, let's rumble." Karlach, axe immediately in hand gestures everyone on.
Shadowheart led them towards the noise, it seemed their chat had cost some time as Goblins had already taken position around a large wooden gate.
Several created hills gave them the advantage to those they targeted, a band of humans in dark green and brown armour, they had an air of experience to them.
Adventurers most likely, Karlach rushed up the hill directly opposite of the large gate and with a single, brutal kick launched one of the goblin archers down into the melee, landing harshly against the singular bugbear in the attacking party.
A cry of Glacies heralded Gale's first spell of the fight, a ray of icy blue frost shot from his hands and struck the Bugbear, who seemed to be making moves towards the human archer.
Karlach saw peripherally that Astarion and Lae'zel not far behind, had decided to keep to the ground.
"Frostbolt." Very little fancy movements or anything, Zach's hands just pulsed with blue magic for a few moments before he thrust his hand forward at a goblin with a staff.
The goblin crumbled in on itself as frost seemed to grow all over its skin, a very audible snap of fingers followed and suddenly air rushed in on the goblin and it exploded into a shower of blue and red crystals.
Karlach's gaze flicked across the battflield, noticing several goblins already in a similar position, and a noticeable displacement in the air around the crew of Tieflings operating the gate winch.
Astarion seemed to lurk in the Gith's shadow for just long enough, pulling a short bow off his back and firing at the brawniest looking goblin in the heart of the melee.
The arrow almost struck true before the goblin was forced to block a blow, instead of the spine it hit the green creature in his side.
This seemed to agitate the goblin who screamed furiously, and was suddenly swelling with energy as he swung with manic energy at each of the humans before him.
The blond with the short sword and shield managed to deflect the blow but the man with the greatclub took the blow across his chest.
Lae'zel charged like a woman possessed as her longsword found a home in the hide of a ferocious looking warg.
The beast whined in pain before spinning to snap at the Gith, getting a short sword to the flank, courtesy of the blond man.
Karlach was impressed, everyone seemed to move like a well oiled machine. She didn't usually find herself in a leadership position, and frankly she was a little overwhelmed at how everyone seemed to look to her for direction.
But challenges were made to be overcome, and as her axe descended on the second goblin on her little hill, she felt it was one she would meet openly.
"Incende!" Shadowheart intoned a Sacred Flame the poured radiant fire across the back of the Bugbear, who shouted furiously.
'I knew she could do it. Those misses on the Nautiloid were probably nerves.' Karlach thought to herself, "Nice hit!"
Shadowheart seemed almost taken back but nodded, looking slightly confused.
'Not good with praise, this one.'
"Tormentun!" Gale's voice called out again as bright darts of magic flew towards the Bugbear, it collapsed under the force of the blows, like it was grinded down each step.
There was something about Gale's stance that seemed almost challenging. Karlach followed his gaze towards and spotted the competitor.
The elf with ice in his hair chuckled, with a flick of his wrist chains of ice wrapped around the Boss, the Warg and the few remaining stragglers. They were all pulled as Zach yanked his hand, their bodies crumbling to the ground as the sound of snapping bones and wrenching flesh filled the air before a deafening silence.
Karlach hadn't seen magic like that before, though admittedly most of what she had seen involved fire or something horrifying. But from what little she did know, it usually involved a lot more speaking and hand waving.
Gale was a good contrast, each spell had a precise, practiced movement. He spoke the words with such force that his voice echoed on itself, like he was pulling the magic towards him with words alone.
The contrast was interesting, probably not thoughts to have during a fight. She reflected idly as a familiar figure dropped onto the field and skewered an archer, far off to the other side of the field.
Wyll, the Blade of Frontiers. One of her hunters, well she hadn't expected to deal with Wyll so quickly but best to get it out of the way.
The fight was basically wrapping up, from what she'd seen, the horrible noise Zach's spell made seemed to strike a primal kind of fear into the few goblins left the other party made quick work of them.
His eyes find hers almost immediately and a grim look settles across his face, his sword poised as he strode towards her, and Karlach towards him.
One thing Karlach noticed as she strode up, was the intense stare from the elf in her party directed at Wyll. Like Zach was sizing up The Blade.
Zach
Gale seemed a little sour, he noticed as the Wizard grumbled under his breath. A few draconic traits could be explained away with claiming Sorcerous origins, but he didn't really care to lie considering the company he was in.
"One horn." Wyll began, all but hissing the familiar words out, "The stink of Avernus, advocatus diaboli. Karlach, servant of Zariel."
"Wyll, didn't think you'd managed to find me this quick. Can't say I'm exactly excited to see the Blade of Frontiers chasing a false lead." Karlach was calm, she had her arms crossed, clearly uninterested in fighting.
Zach looked at Wyll Ravenguard, son of a Duke. Warlock of the Infernal Pact, and folk hero to the people of the Sword Coast.
Wyll was a good dude, Zach liked him quite a bit.
He was a little put out with the story change from Early Access to Full Release. The knock-on effect of those changes kind of kneecapped Wyll's story.
He liked the idea of the 'Hero of the People' being a fraud who tried desperately to keep that hidden. It could have been a story about either making Wyll's claims real, a story from fraud to genuine article.
Shame.
Zach blinked as the others flanked Karlach, he must have zoned out staring at Wyll, that probably came across strange.
"You saw yourself, I never served willingly!" Karlach implored, wow he really must have zoned out to have missed the mindlink moment.
"Fuck." Wyll hissed again, this time it lacked venom, and was instead drenched in realisation. "I've been played."
"Usually how contracts end up." Zach offered his two cents, speaking for the first time.
He expected them to just sort of vaguely acknowledge him, but Wyll seemed to get a little rigid when he spoke. Odd.
"So they do." He answered stiffly, his one good eye drifting down, "It seems you've been witness to a pantomime, and for that I'm sorry."
Karlach smiled good naturedly, "No harm done, Wyll. Care to come along with us? We're working on finding a healer to get these little buggers dealt with."
Wyll allowed himself a small smile, "A healer is a good start. The Druids have their leader, Halsin, who is apparently quite the healer. Though from the looks of it, he's not going to be returning from wherever the goblins are holed up."
Wyll gave a quick overview of the situation with the goblin leaders, and his own stake in the affair.
"Lae'zel, you mentioned a crèche before. What is that?" Karlach turned to the Gith who seemed pleased with the topic.
"A crèche is a place of respite and training. A staging ground for Vlakith's swords to grow sharp. They hold the means to purge our afflictions, by covenant I can say no more."
Lae'zel had a nice voice, it was different hearing it in person in comparison to through one's headphones. The slight hiss in her voice, the rasp and rumble of her words.
"I'd rather avoid any place that has more, Gith." Shadowheart immediately cut in, "The druid is our best bet."
"They aren't mutually exclusive." Zach commented, drawing their attention, "Sorry, didn't really do a good job of introducing myself."
He gave a slight bow, "Zach, Zachary if you're feeling spicy. I was on the ship, but got shot through a wall by dragonfire. Had a nice nap until I woke up, and here we were." He gestures to their surroundings vaguely.
"Must've been a killer sleep, because I got snatched at night." He looked up before blinking and rubbing his eyes.
Karlach snorted in amusement, but Gale spoke first, "I noticed you using a rather interesting method of casting. Gale of Waterdeep, a pleasure."
Zach offered and shook the man's hand, "Pleasures all mine, Gale. I'm not from 'round these parts, just got to Baldur's Gate yesterday or… however long we were on the ship amount of days ago."
"Oh, so a different method entirely! Fascinating, I felt it ripple in the weave but the harmony was all wrong for what was produced!"
"Internal magic instead of external." Zach explained, Karlach seemed to be rallying the rest of the crew as the two magic nerds seemed to be winding up.
Blue motes of light began to blossom across Zach as Mana began to seep out of his skin and through his clothes, "Mana isn't something related to the Weave. Different plane ya'see."
Gale's eyes seemed to glow with excitement, he almost vibrated in place and Zach had to laugh at the sheer giddiness the man seemed to exude.
"But The Weave permeates all planes unless you are from an even further removed plane! Gods! This is amazing! What brought you to Toril?"
Zach smiled and placed his hands in his pockets, though more hooking his right thumb on his belt, considering it's bulk.
"I followed a noise, if you'll believe it. I don't know how it is for others but for me, everything has connective lines." Zach paused for a moment, before conjuring a minor illusion to illustrate.
He tried to mimic the very strings he saw when he… looked the right way, it was a conscious thing but he didn't really do anything different.
Gale admired the display he watched attentively as the man before him cast a simple spell with a twist of his wrist, a short spark of magic made Gale wince and blink.
When he did he saw the world around him differently, everything was woven together with connective lines.
Just as he tried to grasp it all the elf spoke again, his voice warm with the passion of a beloved subject.
"The world is a great cycle of connections, sometimes one of those strands might come loose, and I think that's what I followed here."
Another small spark of magic made Gale blink and it was all back to the way it was, a part of him mourned the loss of such a fantastic sight.
"Where did you find yourself, initially. That is, if you don't mind my asking." Gale was curious, he'd not met someone so far removed from his own expertise and experience and yet so similar in appreciation for the same subject.
Magic.
"Baldur's Gate, though I didn't know it at the time, the Temple of Bhaal. I appeared, above a woman who was about to be sacrificed with chanting cultists everywhere-"
Karlach
"There are children here you fool! What were you thinking!" A red skinned Tiefling, with the tired marks of age around his eyes, ash coloured horns rising up from his forehead.
Zevlor was furious, the sheer animosity in the air was palpable.
"We was runnin', for our lives!" Aradin hissed back, fist clenched as the adrenal high still filled his veins.
"And you lost the druid unbelievable! You'll draw the whole horde upon us you coward!" Zevlor spat with a venom fueled by rage.
"Look you two, fighting amongst ourselves won't get us anywhere. There's goblins, alright let's deal with that. You mentioned a druid, which druid?" Karlach always found that distraction and topic swapping with enough umph behind her got people to act right.
This was before Avernus, and now? Now she was scary.
That did it well enough, both men looked chastised
"The Archdruid of this Grove, Halsin. He sought to deal with the goblin menace at its source." Zevlor answered a glare gathering as he looked at Aradin again.
They turned and say Gale approaching with the glowing-tattooed elf, handing the other humans in Aradins group potions.
He approached with a red and yellow vials in his fingers, "Healing, Stamina. Good pickmeup."
Aradin seemed taken aback at the sudden energy shift, his brain short circuiting a little as his fury sputtered out.
The potions were in his hands and down his gullet before he could really consider much, but he did immediately feel better.
It was like he'd just sat down and relaxed for a few hours. He blinked and looked at his hands, feeling refreshed.
"That's good stuff that is." The curly haired man offered gruffly, "'preciate it."
Zach nodded merrily, "No stress man, you guys were running from the goblins though? Don't s'pose that would be from the heart of the matter, would it?"
Aradin looked at him, visibly confused by the manners of speech and clearly trying to decipher it.
Karlach stepped over, "There a camp or something we need to know about?"
"Temple ruins, west. Some bloody wizard wanted something out of it, and the druid tagged along, root out the goblins and loot the temple. Sounded easy."
Karlach hummed, "More than you bargained for?"
Aradin seemed to ignite as he spat on the ground, "There's an organised horde of the little bastards, didn't even make it inside."
"Whatever, we're outta here. Cheers." The curly haired man nodded at the elf with blue markings on his face.
"You're very welcome." Zach waved the man and his group farewell, they walked past Zevlor deeper into the Grove.
"That was well done, I'm ashamed to admit my own temper was getting the best of me." The ex-paladin nodded at the elf. "I am Zevlor, well met."
"Karlach, What brings you to a Druid's grove, Zevlor?" The red skinned woman asked.
Zach zoned out a little again, he was listening but Karlach had Zevlor's attention now. He took a few steps to the Barbarians other side and peered down at the Druids below.
The Grove was a winding cavern that spiraled into a gorgeous garden of verdant life, druids clad in robes adorned with leaves and twigs sat around a glowing idol.
Divine Took: Idol of Sylvannus
Gives the Oakfather the ability to influence the material plane.
Being within the radius of its influence grants bonuses to nature related spells and abilities.
Analyse was a curious ability, but one he appreciated. He couldn't really learn much from looking at it from such a distance, but didn't really like his chances of pocketing it.
Fog cloud to turn-based mode to fast travel wouldn't work here sadly.
Besides, having a god-anchor in his pocket would be a little too attention grabbing.
"We'll talk to her, Druids help people." Karlach promised with such certainty it seemed to spark in her eyes. She thumped her chest, which seemed to remind the world of the Infernal Engine's existence.
Zevlor smiled, his shoulders sagging as though a great weight had been lifted, "You do us a great kindness, sister. Thank you."
As Zevlor walked off Astarion once more crossed his arms in a huff, "So what, we're messengers now?"
Zach turned from gazing at the Idol to the Vampire, frankly he'd always assumed everyone just pretended not to notice the red eyes and fangs.
Or the puncture marks on his neck.
He was ignored mostly, as the others already began waking deeper into the Grove.
Zach stopped the Pale Elf with a gesture.
"Chill out man, here. Have a drink." Zach fished the gleaming Refill Flask from pocket.
Astarion eyed the offered flask with suspicion, "What's in it?"
Red eyes met green challengingly, Astarion smelt it, of course he did. Almost immediately he noticed something was off.
The Glowing Elf leant in and whispered, "Blood, flask is enchanted."
Astarion's gaze flickered rapidly between the flask and the man offering it, "Simply out of the goodness of your own heart, I'm sure."
An even, commiserating look met his sneer without guile, "You look like a man who needs it."
That cut a little deeper than Astarion would have liked frankly, he considered the flask for a moment before hesitation was eaten away by hunger.
Wordlessly he took the flask and removed the cap, the second the liquid touched his tongue he felt a euphoria that he'd never thought was possible.
It was like being alive again, whatever that meant. The memories were buried so deep he'd forgotten more than he knew.
This feeling, is this what Cazador had been denying him for these centuries?
"Just a sip." Reminded a deceptively musical voice, pulling him gently back to reality.
"First time?" The genuine question burned a little, it wasn't scathing but he'd have almost preferred if it was.
"Whose-" Astarion swallowed the mouthful making him feel more satiated than ever. "Where did you get this?" He asked instead.
"Oh I probably should have opened with that. It's mine."
A blood… offering? Was the glowing fool trying to appease him?
Astarion didn't mind that thought at all.
"The enchantment refills whatever is put into it. I was gonna use it for alchemy shit, but you seemed to really enjoy that. So you can keep it."
Astarion watched as the man seemed to look away for a moment, not trying to avoid his gaze more… staring off into the middle distance.
"I don't have a lot of hard details on-" Zach tapped his nose and then pointed at Astarion, "But I was in a pretty zen state when I filled that, so if you start to get really into meditation sorry about that."
Astarion laughed, he laughed like never before. It was too strange, too impossible. In a day, he'd been freed from his bonds, captured by mindflayers, crash-landed into the middle of nowhere and met a whole gaggle of weirdos that escaped the crash.
And now, he'd been handed possibly the greatest gift he'd ever received from a veritable stranger.
"...Thank you." Astarion had to grapple with the idea of genuine gratitude for a moment.
"You're welcome my dude, that's what friends do."
Astarion snorted, "Oh, friends are we?"
"Scandalous I know." Zach said with all the faux pompness of a Victorian Lady, "Now don't be worried, for my love is like the radiance of the sun. But I shall not burn you, Starboy."
Astarion wrinkled his nose in disgust, "You will not call me that."
The glowing elf clicked his tongue and shook his head in resigned matter, like his hands were tied, "Sorry, bud. No can do, now that I've said it out loud, it flows way to well. Starboy is you now. You're my lil Starboy."
The Pale Elf struck the Glowing one in the shoulder, "Absolutely not! It's demeaning!"
They were walking now, Astarion was unsure when their feet started moving but he'd seemingly kept stride as they'd regrouped with the others.
"Will you accept Starbro?" The stricken expression on his face, Astarion thought the man looked physically injured to say it.
"My name is Astarion." He enunciated with force, glowering at the taller - he'd just noticed that and it annoyed him now - elf.
It seemed to get through his thick skull, "We're not there yet, very well."
Gods! He could strangle the fool! But if it ceased such childish names in the short term he could deal with it.
"You two have fun?" Karlach asked with a smirk, they'd gathered just in front of a ramshackle, put-together forge.
"We did, just a couple of cool dudes. Hanging out-My bitch radar is going off."
Karlach watched with no small amount of amusement as the man's expression from pleased and joyous to blank and deadpan in a blink.
"Down." He looked at the ground beneath their feet, "Imma go start and incident. Should I pretend we don't know each other?"
He looked at Karlach, in a way asking for permission but also declaring he'd already decided to do something.
Lae'zel looked at him, "Speak plainly, or not at all."
Green eyes pierced her being, she felt her heart stop and her breath still for just a moment before it stopped. Like some reflex she had, it was deeply disquieting.
"Do you seek to protect the young?" He asked instead, his face neutral, unyielding.
It was not a face she expected from this plane.
The answer, of course, was obvious, "The young must be preserved so they may grow strong, to kill as honed blades."
He nodded, and began walking off. The others looked at one another before he did the flickering trick.
"How does he do that?" Shadowheart wondered aloud, but was already moving into the same direction, refusing to stand idle.
Moving across rather than around, saved him some time, he wasn't sure how much he had but couldn't rightly believe the world would wait for him.
The stone door slid down and allowed him entry, he rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles, the sound of whimpering and hissing already too much.
Kahga and Rath, two Druids of the Grove stood in opposition to one another.
Kahga was an elf, long red hair done up in an elaborate braid that one could vaguely associate with a cobra hood if one squinted at it. She had an almost yellow tint to her skin that sat just beneath a more pale tone.
Rath was human, bearing a wreath of antlers and vine, sharp hazel eyes and a warm, earthy skin tone.
'What are you sizing up their hides?' He had to ask himself as his eyes fixated, Arabella stood between them frozen with fear as Teela, a copper scaled snake hissed just a breath away.
"You have precious few seconds to explain why you're threatening a child." The ground beneath his feet seemed to be overcome with glimmering shards of frost.
Silver, a wolf companion of Rath, moved in closer to his friend to herd him away.
Kahga sneered, "You dare intrude upon our Grove and make demands of us?"
Green slotted eyes seemed to take on a haunting light as the candles that illuminated the central chamber flickered and dimmed.
"Yes." He said simply his voice was quiet but carrying a resonance that seemed to rattle Kahga's bones.
Teela curled in on herself as the cold air sapped the energy from the reptile, Arabella - despite being able to see her breath - felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
"Come here, kiddo." He looked to the girl and gestured to his side, seeing the other adults frozen in mortal terror she quickly darted away.
"What happened?" He asked, squatting down and resting on his toes.
Self preservation was not a trait one could often find in those that had drank the special sauce of delusion.
"She stole from us, we sheltered them! Provided them food, water, and safety. And yet this devilspawn has the gall to take our sacred idol!"
Zach wasn't surprised Kahga spoke up, it was in her nature to lash out when cornered.
"Did you get it back?" He asked, already knowing the answer, "Because I saw it on my way in, fancy that."
He placed his hands on his shoulders, looking at Arabella, "Isn't that the darndest thing?"
"Theft cannot be undone just because the object has been returned, the girl still committed a crime against us, despite our charity." Hissed Kahga, out of the corner of his eye Zach saw three conspicuous rats emerging from a small crack in the wall.
"Okay then." With a cheerful smile that set alarm bells off in her head, the man stood and strode forward.
Kahga felt like something had seized her throat, distantly she realised other strangers flocking into the room, before the world outside of the man before her went dark.
She could no longer feel the warm embrace of the Oakfather, not the connection to the land beneath her feet that she knew she still stood on.
Kahga felt a fear so deep, so primordial she was rooted in place. Like a simple rabbit before something as monstrous as a Gnoll.
Green eyes glinted, and as his smile widened Kahga became intimately aware of the fact that he possessed a very sharp set of teeth.
"What are you going to do about it?" The voice, it crashed against her from every direction, from within and without. Kahga felt her bones rattle and her organs seize.
She could think, for her brain felt like ice. She could not speak, because to move would be to alert the predator. She wanted to scream, and run. To be as far away as she could.
And eerie blue light cracked against the darkness, resonating from the bulky gauntlet on his right arm.
Suddenly it was all gone, the light returned, her blood moved and her body finally felt alive once more.
"Probably nothing right? Because you got your message across." His voice wasn't warm, but nor was it cold.
His wide smile cracked into a grin as he looked over his shoulder, "Oh hey gang! Don't mind us, we were just chatting. Ethical treatment of prisoners and whatnot."
Arabella, wisely, chose that moment to bail, "Thank you!" Without waiting for permission, the stone door swung down and she fled into the light.
"Everything alright?" Karlach asked, taking a few steps towards them, "We ran into some people, talking about a girl being kept prisoner. Was that her?"
Zach turned to her and summarily ignored Kahga, which was probably for the best as the woman all but dove to a seat as her legs couldn't keep her up.
The other druids moved to check on her, but made a point to not draw attention to themselves.
"Indeed." Zach confirmed, "The kid didn't just run off to nowhere right? I assume we've got some relieved parents to check in with."
Despite knowing exactly where those two people stood right now, he had to come to the crossroads of what to do about Arabella.
In the long run that is.
If he saved her parents her magic would undoubtedly still come to fruition but with two people actively invested in their child not wandering around on some kind of magic vision Quest, her future could be stymied.
Ultimately it boiled down to one question.
'In what world, do I let some kids' parents die?' He asked himself, and already knew the answer, 'Not this one.'
"They were, figure we should head out since this seems to be resolved."
Deciding a path for his own future in the back of his mind, Zach poked at the fire. The sun had begun to set and camp was quickly established near a familiar river.
Zach couldn't even really remember how they got there, just that Karlach had led him around a bend and here they were.
It was a kind of magic unto itself, and frankly he didn't care to question it.
He'd managed to convince the party that the Crypt needed looking into, and they seemed to follow Karlach's lead, who was interested.
She kept the Soul Coin they'd found next to the Book of the Dead in the crypt just before meeting with Withers.
The book he kept, because he knew it was there, so he could make a b-line for it.
The Speak with Dead spell was interesting, it was so close to Necromancy in practice, but in spirit - pun not intended - it was more akin to using the corpse as a medium to call the soul.
The faded, almost obliterated scrawl of text where - with hindsight - he realised were the places of three dipshits.
Bane, Baal and Myrkul.
Honestly considering how personable Ketheric could be, Myrkul kind of minded his own damn business. His only true show of idiocy was teaming up with chuckfuck and knifeman.
"Stare at the fire any harder and it might erupt." A voice, familiar, followed constantly by the sound of an ever-burning engine.
"Well hey there, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He winked, she smiled, it was good.
"Copper for your thoughts?" She sat down on a stump across from him, leaning forward with her hands under her chin.
He blew a stray hair from his face and sighed, "Bit of a weird day, honestly."
Karlach nodded emphatically, "Strangest I've had in a while."
"I'll say the company is good, so it's far from a bad kind of weird." Zach smiled, his expression one of fondness.
Karlach felt her engine rev a little, "Careful, Soldier. A little too hot under the collar and might just scorch those pretty cheeks."
He grinned broadly, and took a few steps away from the campfire before cracking his knuckles.
"Karlach, your majesty is something I am in awe of. But I am the Sun." His body erupted with Solar Light, an incandescent swarm of orange flames bathed across him.
He strode towards her, his radiance dimming to not blind, and took her hand in his.
He knelt, and simply held her hand in his. Pleased as punch that this spur of the moment but of pageantry had gone as he thought it would.
"I've been around, Sugar. A little hellfire won't scorch me." He assured her, only to be tackled as the woman threw her arms around his shoulders and squeezed.
The position was a little awkward so he stood and took her with him.
He was a hugger, and had enjoyed many sensational hugs. The best way to describe it was akin to puzzle pieces fitting together, the curvature of two body's leaning into one another just right.
The point, was that Karlach hugged not only like a woman starved for physical touch, but like someone who was damn fucking good at it.
Zach leant onto her, laid in his head on her shoulder, and sighed gently with a content smile adorning his face, "This is nice."
Karlach squeezed him tighter, hooking her chin over his shoulder and all but crushing their cheeks together, "It's the best."
"Can you turn down whatever light you're making? Some people are trying to enjoy the night!" Astarion's voice cut through the night.
"Ugh, this guy." Zach's Solar Light flickered out but he remained where he was, "Don't worry, I won't burn. I'm too chill for that."
Then he turned to the 'secret'-vampire, "Drink your juice, bro."
"I am most certainly not your bro." Came the catty voice in return, before the Vampire slunk into his tent.
"Fun guy." The glowing elf commented, nestling back into the Tieflings shoulder.
"I don't think I've ever felt something cold that doesn't melt… is this how everyone else feels?" Karlach leant back, idly stroking his cheek with her thumb.
Karlach smirked at the still not-burning man in her arms. He was certainly pretty, oh handsome too but mostly pretty. A veritable oasis in a storm.
Though those eyes, again very pretty, were the eyes of a predator. A being used to being on top of the food chain, she'd seen the look a million times over in Avernus.
He could be very scary, but seemed almost always excited to talk with any of the party.
"What are you?" Karlach asked, and almost bit her tongue for vocalising the thought.
"The greatest thing since sliced bread." A broad grin on his face before he began cackling at his own joke.
Karlach groaned good-naturedly, "Bit full of yourself, aren't you?"
He shrugged, "Fake it 'till you make it, right?"
That was something Karlach understood to her bones.
She leant back, picking the man up and walked towards her tent, "Hope you don't mind cuddling, got a lot of pent up touching needs doin'."
The only change she saw in his expression was the slight widening of his eyes, "Yeah I could get behind that."
"You're the little spoon." She decided.
"I can get… in front of that?" Karlach was glad he agreed so readily, she felt like a million gold.
Wilderness
The Squad had rolled out early in the morning and headed east, the landscape opened up around them.
Already they'd technically had to backtrack, Shadowheart had spotted Goblin tracks leading into a relatively well hidden stone doorway that leans underneath the grove.
Goblins had somehow made their way in, and ambushed or stalked and maimed a druid, either motive resulted in the same, a halfling man face down in mud.
So they killed the goblins, rather easily, and sent the man on his way.
"Ah, lovely day." Karlach said, smeared with some blood across her chest, arms and face from bisecting a goblin with her axe.
"People." She was drawn to a halt on the path as an arm moved across her pointing to Karlach's right.
Her eyes shifted to the glowing elf - she'd forgotten to ask him about that - and then followed his outstretched limb.
She had to squint to see through the shrubbery and foliage but there, laid out on the ground was a stocky man, and two others crowding around him.
"Good eyes." Karlach praised with a grin, moving directly and with purpose. They were near the Grove so either they were passersby or trouble.
"...you can't die Ed! You're a True Soul!" A balding human man with a club tucked onto his belt pleaded with a dwarven man to rise.
The other human, a ginger woman with a shoddy looking short sword, was about to speak but halted and drew her blade.
"Back off! Don't come another step closer!"
Karlach thought the woman akin to a kitten bearing its claws and snorted despite herself.
Suddenly the Dwarf locked eyes with the Tiefling and the two shared a mental conversation, he pled, begged for her to look after the two with him, the buff lady grimaced as the 'talk' ended.
Ed huffed, turned to his comrades, "They are… True Souls trust in… them." He began to rattle out his last breath.
"Healing Potion." Zach, moving without anyone having seen him, poured a gleaming red potion across Ed's very open chest wound, the Dwarf sputtered and groaned as his flesh slowly began to knit back together.
Then he squatted down next to the Dwarf and grabbed the bearded man's face, the worm in his head wriggling in some kind of relief.
"Why are you out here?" The Dragon asked, already knowing the answer.
"Survivors… looking for survivors from the crash." Ed managed out.
The two next to Ed were suddenly snapped up by black ice, rapidly trailing from Zach's feet to theirs and racing up their bodies.
"Funny little amulet you have there." The Dragon said, his free hand tapping the symbol of the Absolute.
Ed seemed visibly confused, but realisation began to fall upon him"The Absolute-You are no True Soul."
"I prefer my Gods hot and ephemeral. Less tentacles, more powerful thighs." Zach answered.
The slit green eyes languidly moved back up to Ed's stone grey, "I can't get that worm out of your head. And your pals here have brands, are they linked?"
No one moved, least of all Ed whose mind was awash with indoctrination and magic.
"Poor bastard." Zach sighed, "Should have just let you bleed out."
"Soldier, explain." Karlach ordered, her tone short and firm.
"Old mate here has a tadpole, which I'm sure you're aware of." Zach began, tapping his temple with a finger, "Wanted to check up close with a disposable body if I could get it out. This amulet denotes an organisation."
Clawed fingers curled around the trinket in question and with a sharp tug, tore it from the stocky man's neck.
"These two-" Gesturing to the Cultisticles flanking him, "Have brands on them that reek of magic, compulsions most like."
Finally Zach stood up, tossing the amulet to Karlach, "Most likely, we're dealing with more than a simple horde of Goblins."
"Oh can we just kill them and be done with this?" Astarion complained loudly.
"Drink your juice." Zach said with a wave of his hand, the Vampire did so. Taking a hearty swig from his flask.
"So an organised force of who knows how many Goblins and probably others… that might be tricky, but just more bodies at the end of the day. Quality versus quantity." Karlach hummed as she tapped her chin in thought.
"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I doubt anyone'll miss a cult."
"A brain worm cult at that. He did that whole mind meld thing, called you a True Soul."
Gale hummed, "I noticed you didn't really seem bothered by it."
"I don't have a brain worm. I killed the 'flayer who tried." Zach admitted with a shrug.
"So what, you've been tagging along just because?" Shadowheart asked skeptically.
The glowing elf shrugged, "Yeah basically."
End
Body:32
Agility:19
Mana:24 (Fury: 72)
Magic:28 (Fury: 84)