World Revolution

[Dracos]

With that done, the army heads off into the gate!

Dracos

[Brian]

You go through the gate, storm-rider women, children, and all.

The first temple you reach, as Eske says before opening the gate, will be the temple of Liena.  When you get there, it's completely abandoned, with no signs of habitation.

No supplies, there's absolutely nothing left.

The temple itself is on what amouts to a stone-strewn hill in the wastes, built out of whatever stones were on hand, mortared together who knows how many ages ago.

[Rezantis]

Rez takes the obvious course of action here, and hunts down a priestess or vassal of Liena to ask if there should have been anyone here.

[Brian]

They all fled ... which is when you ran into them.

[Rezantis]

Just checking.  Really, we had to come out here to make sure nobody else had come, but . . . dammit, we're idiots.

"Next temple, then?"

[Dracos]

After examining the area, Dracos checks with Eske.  If Eske is up to it, they head out to the next temple.  Otherwise, they rest here for a bit.

Dracos

[Brian]

The next temple is the temple of Aestock.

It's a short, rounded building with a single wide doorway.  Smoke is coming from a chimney in this building, though.

When you approach, about a dozen vassals pop out of the doorway with swords, ready to fight you to the death.  They do relax a little when they see you're not agents of the Dreadmarch, and they recognize Eske in particular.

Three more priestesses and and a total of fifteen more vassals are willing (and eager) to join your entourage.

[Rezantis]

"That was easy enough."

Rez does, however, have a quick question for Liandral, who he again goes looking for.

"Ahm . . . Aestock is balance, right? So what do the vassals of Aestock concentrate on?"

[Dracos]

Dracos smiles, greetings the priestesses and welcoming them to join the Storm-Riders.  He then checks on Eske, seeing how the wizard is doing.  He doesn't want to tire him out.

Dracos

[Brian]

"Peace of mind," Liandral says after a moment.  "I think they can turn invisible in battle.  That could just be a legend, though."

Eske is doing pretty well -- he did say that gates that didn't come too close to the seal were easier for him to manage.

[Rezantis]

Rez nods to Liandral. "Thanks - helpful to know.  Anything much of note happen while I was gone, by the way?"

[Dracos]

Dracos takes a moment to examine the temple's viability as a defensive structure and it's ability to handle oh, 30000 people.

Dracos

[Brian]

The temple is only about fifty meters across.  It can probably only barely house twenty people comfortably, and the defensibility is somewhat questionable.  One entrance makes it more defendable, but at the same time, it'd be a death-trap with no escape.

Liandral shakes his head.  "Thankfully, only the attack you arrived on the tail end of," he replies.

[Dracos]

If there are more temples, Dracos asks Eske to open a gate to the next one.

Dracos

[Rezantis]

Rez nods. "Mm, I know what you mean. Boring isn't necessarily a bad thing, when one's in a war."