Tolbert IronBeard of Montagne-peaks clan was having a good day. One of his comrades knew the location of the source of most if not all evil in this region, a duchy-back triumvirate of mad wizards and evil cultists. The lad had told them of this place, and most wouldn't have believed it if we all didn't trust him on a more personal level before this. Now he had gathered what is probably the strongest force of elites in all the kingdoms, and it's much needed as well. At first, they faced a group of assassins in the sewers, led by a slippery man their expedition lead identified as Kharn, right-hand man of Eliana Malencia. It was a lot of annoying work, but they eventually cleared out the team and sent Kharn packing. While the team was hoping on finishing him off, the bastard got away before they could strike any finishing blows. Asahi seemed to have known this, as he tends to do, so he wasn't too disappointed, saying that we would get him another time like it's an inevitability.
Next they faced the most lucrative black market anyone had ever laid their eyes on, it would've been a mighty fine affair if Tolbert was actually able to do some shopping, even if some of the goods weren't up his moral alley, most goods were merely there to dodge the kingdom's tax. Tolbert can appreciate not wanting to pay tax to anyone other than the dwarven high-king, and even then doing so begrudgingly, but this black market too was simply a facade to cover up the crimes perpetrated here. They faced a garrison of 'untrained thugs' led by someone that looked rather unwashed but moved like an experienced knight. Asahi called him Rowan, the public face of the guard of the duchy. His thugs moved like a trained unit, and he was able to delay their team long enough for the majority of the black market traders to flee, even managed to get a messenger sent to their goal once he realized they weren't here to raid a bunch of penny-pinching merchants. Rowan and a few of his troops disappeared later as well, seemingly into thin air, which is odd considering he didn't strike anyone as the slippery type like Kharn.
After that was the empty hallway with a small storage room leading to their goal, the den of evil. Larielle had dispatched the messenger before he reached the enemy hideout to warn them, but then things kind of started going sideways. A massive mermaid showed up and just... revived the messenger. Did some no doubt heretical magic to make a man stand up like that. Asahi couldn't pin down her identity, which was the weirdest out of all this, she certainly didn't seem like a figure one could just forget. That all leads to the crux of the issue, Tolbert was having a good day, it all started going downhill after the fight with the mermaid, and Tolbert being thrown down a flight of stairs by said mermaid. The messenger managed to make it to the cults, and now their team was bogged waist height in the guts of demons, zombies, and... things.
Tolbert hacks away at another black mass, Asahi said that if the messenger was killed they would face scattered resistance, and if he made it through they would have to be facing all the cults one by one, yet now the cults are attacking with some level of coordination. Another thing today that their rather so far infallible oracle failed to predict. Not to mention the fact that the main hub they had been cutting towards is on fire! They were meant to get evidence of the crimes of the Duchess here, but all they see is a strike team of demons supported by liches and covered by eldritch horrors carve a path through their objectives, and Tolbert knows they won't find anything incriminating as the last cult base is razed to the ground, they barely even fought any of the cultists themselves. Tolbert watches as their fearless leader sits on a finely carved stone bench, somehow seeming more exhausted as the time when he fought off a dragon.
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"I-I didn't expect such a large difference... the duchess brought someone in that could reign in the cultists... somehow. That mermaid gave the messenger an order, and I'm confident that without that order the cults wouldn't have reacted this prepared... they would have been arrogant towards our entry. Did my actions really...?" Asahi states it like he's saying the sun will rise tomorrow, confidence not being lost in his tone, while he still looks defeated. The messenger in question didn't get off easy, his revival was short-lived as it seems the magic that kept him running for a while ran out, his corpse lying in a puddle of blood fifty meters away from where he should have died.
"Cheer up lad, we still just about destroyed the effort the duchess has been putting in this place for a while, there is also enough evidence to force a crackdown, these bastards won't be active for a wee bit again." Tolbert puts his hand on the boy's shoulder, it must be hard to know things others don't and carry the weight of the future.
"The dwarf for all his faults is right, you said that the heir is tainted by a host of vile magics, we can go scout him out." Tolbert scowls at Larielle, and she sees him scowling even with his helmet on.
"Aye, and the elf is right that the pansy noble isn't just affected by vile magic, but if yer predictions keep goin' like this we will most likely face a stronger Jake. Can we call for reinforcements from Rila? They have always been ready to throw a rock toward Faerune." Despite Tolbert addressing Asahi, he still looks with fury towards Larielle.
"Rila... Rila won't be able to help, PMC will also act too slowly. Belluzoar will probably help, he's set to arrive soon." Asahi rubs his forehead, and Nalia quickly rushes over.
"The God of war is coming? And you are planning to ask for his help? Do you know how dangerous the gods can be? Belluzoar isn't exactly known to be very... empathetic." Nalia sounds worried about them, her caution with her words isn't unwarranted either.
"Relax, he will help with his. The Faerune Kingdom won't take kindly to his presence, but we need him nonetheless." Asahi grips his sword tightly, and the look in his eyes is grave.
"Whatever ya say lad, it's gotta be real scary if the avatar of the war god is 'needed'."