The True Faiths Sword: XVII
"My lord.. There is a commotion at the Cosline warehouse." Ryvvik kneeled, careful to not make a singular move crouched under his master. The burning pires crackled with a satisfying sound.
"At ease Dlardrageth.." Victoro spoke in a calming soothing voice placing a hand on one of Ryvvik's horns, he stood up at once nodding. "Is Nihiloor aware of our enchantment?"
Ryvvik shook his head.
"No.. Gysheer did a fine job, he'll never know." He replied happily, he stood up straight, his figure towering over the lord by a good five inches, his wings danced slightly above the ground feeling the warm air of the temple spread over them.
"Good.. in that case.. We can ignore the commotion.. I am sure it is of no consequence to us." Lord Victoro spoke so cavalierly on the subject as if this potential hiccup to the plan meant nothing. "How are the children? I hardly see them traverse or ground any longer.." There was a mark of true wistfulness in Lord Cassalanter's voice, genuine concern.
"Xhalph is progressing incredibly my lord, he learns to swing 'Vorodirlis' better everyday, I had him reel in his walks in your garden to focus on his studies." Ryvvik fibbed in that second half, he was far too concerned with someone spotting his children and creating a connection between the great Lord Cassalanter and some infernal dealings. His respect for the Grand priest was too high.
"And, Bishtek?"
Ryvvik clenched a fist and snarled.
"Dlardrageth, I know your son is a late bloomer, but you need only patience. Please, let me instruct him. I assure you, a hopeless case he is not." Those words only served to breathe life into the already brewing fires in him. How could Lord Cassalanter host and be willing to train such a failure that was Bishtek? When Xhalph was so ready, so strong!
"No. My Lord, Bishtek needs to be taught by me. I.. Thank you for that most.. Generous offer." He choked out the words, not wishing to be impolite.
"Dlardrageth.. It is ok to ask for aid, I can see the weights eating at you.. If you need aid, please Lillian would have wanted.-" The Lord stopped himself, presumably out of respect. "Dlardrageth.. I have an assignment for you." The Lord said finally, he descended the steps of the temple's upper prayer platform. Those words filled him with excitement where he had previously been consumed with contempt. He did not need to be reminded of his failure son. He had for so long wanted to truly be part of this faith with the lord that had hosted his family.. He turned with Lord Cassalanter to follow him. The underground temple was massive and shaped like a large cross, its head holding a large statue of their lord, the center prayer space was fifty five feet wide with its cross arms. In every corner a small brazier of flames burned, orange, red, green and so many other colors of incense offerings to those beyond. The room was bustled with followers, many on their knees in the center of the room bleeding onto the harsh grey stone.
"Of- of course my Lord.." He replied. Lord Cassalanter was dressed in a long golden robe with red trim and a golden mask hanging over his face.
"We have a visitor, and perhaps a useful asset.. From our.. Sister faith, they requested I meet her, she is a powerful mage which I wish to work under you Dlardrageth, I believe you and her are already acquainted." Lord Cassalanter's voice was reminiscent of an earthquake, a slow tremor in the ground ready to slide. They walked past the group of worshippers Ryvvik was careful to not step on any of them his large size and heavy armor threatened to topple one to dust. Lord Cassalanter turned right into a narrow hallway under the overhang which rimmed the entirety of the statue and the initial wings. "In here.." He instructed Ryvvik to struggle to squeeze through the ironclad doorway running his hands along the grey tiles all marked with runes and scribes. The doorway opened to a common room, some chairs were placed and other tables of the occult kind were placed around the room, inside Ryvvik found a small gathering of people. Some of them he knew. In one corner Nelius the annoyance sat with his arms crossed. In the other corner sat far away from Nelius was Gysheer she was a forty year old woman with brown hair and brown eyes which spelled trouble. Her face was shaped somewhat like a large orange, and long in the middle without being very tall, she had a small nose and small eyes and an even smaller temper.
"Whoa." A girl from the front row exclaimed, she had blonde hair and grey crazy looking eyes she was dressed in a weird amalgamation of crimson red faith robes and pink overalls underneath stained with all sorts of chemicals and liquids. "What on Toril are you?" He got these kinds of remarks often, Ryvvik signed ready to explain himself but the girl was faster, she darted over circling around him quicker than he anticipated her hands roaming his sturdy black metal armor. "Wings.. Horns.. Your skin is a faint pink but definitely not tiefling.. Huh.." She smelled like old garbage and burnt lemon peels mixed together, her face was slender and curious looking. She gripped his face, turning it over in her hands. "Elven looking-"
"Cersei my dear girl, that is enough." Lord Cassalanter intervened, the girl raised an eyebrow and jumped back into her seat. Ryvvik wanted to speak but found it hard in the presence of his Lord. "Friends.. I would like you all to meet our newest member."
Ryvvik wondered what the hell that meant as he was pushed forward into the room, Lord Cassalanter stepped back. What exactly were they there for? What purpose did Victoro have? Ryvvik strolled forward and took a seat on one of the many chairs watching a side door open as a girl stepped in. She was short, probably around five foot three, her eyes were a sturdy velvet color of red with brown hair parted to one side. She was desirable looking dressed in self-cut robes changed for mobility, letting Ryvvik get a good look at the leather armor she had underneath. Her face was pretty lemon shaped with darker skin. She had a long neck and several daggers at her side. He instantly recognized her; Seffia.
"Hi." She said her voice was sturdy and sultry. "I'm Seffia.. Seffia Naelryke." She bowed, introducing herself. It had been months since he had seen her.
"Please.. Seffia have a seat.." Seffia sat down next to Ryvvik letting him catch sent of her. "Followers.. I employ to fill young Seffia in on our plans.. She is from our sister faith.. And needs information if she is to thrive and aid us."
"Hi, it's been a while.. Ryvvik." Seffia whispered into his ear. His mind leapt from its resting position. Seffia had migrated into the sister faith just around the time Lillian had died. When he had excited the faith for a few months to grieve, all of which was ordered by Lord Cassalanter.
"Information my Lord?" Nelius piped up from the back, it was odd, they were sitting around this room like a club of common adventurers listening to a Master for a quest.
"What I believe Lord Cassalanter wants us to talk about.. Is the vault." Gysheer replied, it was a decent guess Ryvvik assumed he glanced to his right inspecting Seffia, she had an obvious beauty to her. With deep red eyes and an air of superiority that surrounded her, the second thing had not been present the last time they met.
"Once again My friend Gysheer.. You are so right." Lord Cassalanter replied in his melancholy tone leaning on his black ruby encrusted cane.
"Vorv las sy tidd, las sy tidd, za haf afr darv!" Chanting could be heard outside, as Lady Cassalanter.. Ammalia seemed to take over prayer. The Lord turned his neck in a disapproving manner.
"Apologies.. If you will excuse me for a moment." The Lord left the room. Ryvvik breathed a sigh of relief now free to discuss with these new.. Allies. Such a brief introduction would not do. He needed to get more. Their task was hardly described, their goals not even handed to them. Ryvvik had rejoined the faith for no more than thirty minutes, and already he was thrust into a team.
Cersei jumped over the chairs. "Hi, I'm sorry for a moment I thought you a.. Well.." Her voice trailed off. Demon? He presumed most did, with his large batlike red wings, curling horns and fei ancestry to most he looked like a tiefling of some kind, but that wasn't the case.
"Yeah.. Ryvvik gets mistaken for that a lot, he's a descendant of the Fey'ri." Ryvvik was shocked when he turned his head finally noticing Kailwail for the first time. The short stubby halfling of a deep gnome stood there patting his back.
"Aka.. he's nobility." Nelius added in a bitter tone. Ryvvik braced himself, Nelius was a few things.. An elven supremacist, a powerful sorcerer, and a hater of nobility. "I'm Nelius Likiir... might I say you're gorgeous." Ryvvik palmed his head, shoving him back for a second. That was a character Seffia should not have to return to just yet. However, Seffia looked unfazed.
"Noble hm? What's the story behind that?" Cersei inquired. Ryvvik felt his armor clamp up and he rapidly shifted the conversation away, none of that mattered.
"It's a complicated story.." Seffia responded, seemingly prideful that she knew the answer.
"Lord Cassalanter wished us to discuss the vault.. Amongst other things.. I think it's important we start there.." He interjected, he looked around himself, Seffia, Nelius who was still getting back up, Kailwail the cleanly dressed deep gnome, Gysheer, and Cersei.
"The vault? What.. vault?" Seffia asked, confused.
Kailwail sighed. "Lord Cassalanter has made it his goal to give our.. True God a worthy sacrifice, he wishes to be the greatest archpriest of Asmodeus to thank the benevolent Lord for his service." Kailwail explained. 'Wrong..' Ryvvik thought to himself, this was the disconnect between himself and the others, only he knew the true intention of Lord Casslanters plan, a fact that made him slightly giddy. But only he knew Lord Asmodeus's gifts were not benevolent the great true god did have his cost.
"A worthy sacrifice.." Seffia muttered. He was shocked the sister cult had never mentioned this.
"The vault Lord Cassalanter seeks is the great vault of dragons, the enclosure of gold, the sentinel of Dagult Neverember." He butt in. it was clear Lord Cassalanter trusted them alone to figure it all out.
"Never one to mince words huh?" Nelius asked coldly, the elf had never liked him, though his expression seemed to soften at Seffia. "He can be really annoying."
"Dagult Neverember was the previous Open Lord of Waterdeep.. The elected king in a way, it's suspected even today that while in power he embezzled half a million gold dragons from the treasury and hid it in a vault. Lord Cassalanter wishes us to find and secure this bounty for him." Gysheer was the last to approach the group she sat at a nearby station her hood pulled up and tone inflected in a matter of fact stern way. The middle aged woman constantly looked at the ceiling making her impossible to read.
"Hm. and how does he want us to go about finding this vault?" Seffia inquired, Ryvvik remembered she was quite the bright one. Her eyes looked sceptical like she had already realized this was not some benevolent sacrifice, a fact that he wished to keep under wraps.
"Well.. you see, Dagult Neverember had to have a way to keep track of the vault's location.." Ryvvik began.
"OO!" Cersei jumped up ecstatically. "Me me me! I know." He smiled irritatingly at the woman as far as he was concerned she was a dropout and a fool, coming to the faith for no other reasons besides protection. "So, to slip past the whole.. He was the open lord, and now a bunch of money is missing, he wiped his own memories of it, and hid all the information in a stone to avoid testifying against himself. When the officials checked his memory? Nothing!"
"An oversimplification, but an accurate one." Nelius replied slyly, the blonde elf was fidgeting with some multisided rock with numbers painted on its surface, trying to stack multiple of them at a time. "Essentially yeah, the location of the vault is locked inside a rock." Nelius's tower fell over. "Dang It.. Can never stack dice properly.."
'And that vault will be Lord Cassalanters.' Ryvvik swore, he glanced boastfully at his new allies. These people would aid him in furthering Lord Cassalanter's goals in realizing the faith's dreams. He would make sure of it.
"Hold on." Seffia objected. Ryvvik raised an eyebrow. "If this.. Dagult guy wiped it from his memory.. How do we know there even is a stone? Or like.. Anything to prove the vault's existence." She raised a good point. 'I wonder what father would have done with the money..' Ryvvik pondered for a brief second.
"People talk." Gysheer leaned forward rolling her eyes under that absurd cloak. "His men talked.. Told one person, and then another, until it snowballed. For all we know this vault is just that.. A snowballed rumour."
"Nonsense." Ryvvik slammed his fist against the table. "It is real, the Lord of Nessus has sworn to it himself." He stood up daring anyone to raise objections to his assertion. To challenge the visions he and Lord Cassalanter had received in the flames. He had been outside the faith for some time, but he had never lost sight of the true god, or even his place within the faith itself, he was its enforcer, its grand weapon of infernal order to stomp out syol; real chaos. He was the true faith's sword.
"Whatever you say m'lord." Nelius giggled, pulling his math rocks back a bit. Ryvvik glared at him, Nelius was sadly out of his reach for discipline. What Lord Cassalanter saw in the insolent child he hadn't the slightest clue. Only that he was an irritant, and sadly.. Part of the brigade Ryvvik now oversees.
"So we need to find it.. That's easier said than done." Seffia scoffed. Ryvvik stared at the woman, it was good to have her back, and if her casting skills were what was sworn. This would be advantageous.
"But we must try." Gysheer agreed.
"Good." He grit his teeth to avoid snapping at the elf. "Then let's get to work."