Fandom Baldur's Gate: Cruel Dues [Closed]

[cleopat]

Gale’s comment made Marisol wonder if her family was looking for her. If they used their wealth to send out a search party to find their only child. If they decorated the city with posters asking for help in locating her.

She hoped for the chance to find that out sooner rather than later, as it only meant that they were in the city.

But Marisol didn’t get the chance to ponder on such thoughts for very long. A commotion ahead distracted them all.

“Stop your yelling! What’s going on?” shouted a man from above. No doubt the one in charge of who went in and out of the door.

“The goblins! They’re after us! You gotta let us in!” One of the people on the ground shouted with clear panic evident in his voice.

“Then you led them straight to us and our doom!”

Marisol already felt the tingle of electricity pulsing in her fingertips as she overheard the conversation. Goblins? That was never a good thing.

~~~

Of course the latest gossip amongst the servants and maids were of Myna returning, yet seemingly not knowing anything of her life, including her past relationship with Gortash.

Everyone who worked in the residence for Gortash knew of their secret affair, but no one ever dared to discuss it outside of those walls. While Myna never did anything towards them, they knew of her job. Of the whispers of what she’s done.

Hortense helped prepare the bath for Myna, as well as gather some towels, soaps, and oils for her, many of which she used in the past. Surely that meant she would still want them, right?

After Myna got in the bath, Hortense stood outside the bathroom, nearby in case she was in need of assistance for anything.

A little while later, the woman did need assistance with something, and she approached Myna, who left the bathroom. “Is there something I can help you with?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Goblins? Oh, that wasn’t good. “What’s all the yelling about?” Gale could see another tiefling on the wall.

“They led the goblins to us, sir,” another deferred.

“You idiot!” the red tiefling on the wall shouted down, “where is the druid?”

The man standing in front of the wall grabbed an arrow from out of a shield and pointed it up, as if that was somehow a threat, or a commanding gesture, “Please, there’s no—”

A war-horn sounded. No time, indeed.

“Well, perhaps this isn’t the best town to stop in,” Astarion chuckled, edging back before they could be seen.

Gale wrinkled his nose at that, and as the goblins with their worgs rounded the corner prepared to commit violence, Gale took a moment to act on their interest in the party at the wall and murmured, “Voco nubes,” and fog rolled around the goblins, blinding their sight of the party at the wall, and everything else.

Their screams of confusion could be heard immediately.

Astarion chuckled, “Oh, I like that,” it would make sneaking up on them much easier.

~***~

Muscle memory was an interesting thing. Myna remembered this location in feel, but not in mind, and her steps took her to a window. She could only frown, not understanding why she considered this an exit, before she turned back to find a maid, only to see one had followed her.

She didn’t know the maid.

“I…don’t remember the way out,” she felt like she should know the maid. She felt like the admittance was of an admittance of knowing she had known Gortash, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to be doing that. Even if these people here knew her history.

A history she didn’t.

By all the Gods (or perhaps just by Bhaal), it made her blood boil at the thought of all these things these people knew about her! Would they tell her, if she asked? Would she believe it anyways, coming from servants of Gortash?

“Would you show me? I need to leave,” before she killed someone. Perhaps it was his influence? Bane commanded. If Gortash wanted her to believe she was a murderer, he could command it. Perhaps he already had in some subliminal way. Was she already doomed even if she left?

‘Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!’

 

[cleopat]

Chaos started almost immediately, and in the midst of Marisol debating on what they should do, Gale took the first action and blinded the goblins with a thick wall of fog.

She smiled. It seemed that they were joining the fight.

A movement of her hand, calling forth the Weave she had been familiar with since birth, she hurled forth a knife made of ice. It struck an unseeing and unsuspecting goblin and left an icy surface on the ground around him, causing a few other goblins to lose their footing and fall to the ground.

A few of the others looked over at the newcomers in mild surprise, including the red tiefling on top. But that surprise didn’t stay long before they joined the attack, determined to rid their community of the threat the goblins presented.

~~~

The rumors persisted of how Myna was different, and upon her declaration of not knowing the way out, Hortense felt immense sympathy for the woman. Being gone for so long, who knows what happened to her, to be brought back without a single memory of who anyone was in the place.

Hortense and Myna had encountered one another several times in the past.

But should she show Myna the way out? Let a clueless woman wander the city by herself?

The way Myna pleaded crumbled any resolve Hortense had to say ‘no.’

“Okay.” If Gortash found out she was the one to help Myna leave, would he be angry? She could claim ignorance. It wouldn’t be far from the truth! “The nearest exit is just right this way.” Hortense would lead the woman down the hallway and down a flight of stairs, bringing her to a door that would lead out onto the streets.

She hesitated, but said one last thing before leaving Myna, “Please stay safe out there, miss.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Astarion slipped into the fog, which didn’t surprise Gale. He couldn’t make out much, but he grinned as he heard the sound of the ice knife strike a target and heard the shuffling and thudding within.

The wargs burst out, but they were filled with arrows quickly, as other combatants came to the top of the wall.

A scream alerted them to Astarion doing something, and Gale opted to play with the fog and work on clearing holes to seek out the goblins so that they could be filled with holes while surrounded by confusion.

It was a strategy that worked, even though some found their way out of the fog on their own.

Astarion got the last one as it burst out, staff in hand, by slitting its throat and dropping it to the ground.

Gale waved away the fog as Astarion approached the door. “Now then, as you all were saying?” Astarion’s haughty arrogance shown through.

“Open the gate,” the red tiefling declared, and the three who had been trying to get in relaxed, relieved, though it didn’t last. Tension built back in the one who was likely the leader as he stormed ahead of even Astarion.

Astarion merely waited for the other two to join him.

“Nice work with your manipulation of ice,” Gale commended Marisol as he did indeed walk forward, Tara following at his heels. “And a nice, um, use of the cloak of fog, Astarion.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, grinning, “though we may not want to linger long, this place is likely to be overrun.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I think we got all of them. No one will be heading back to tell the goblins this place is here.”

Although perhaps that was in question, given the raised voices of the tiefling and the man who had been outside.

~***~

The maid did not hesitate in agreeing to show her, and Myna followed, glancing around, trying to look for anything that might ring familiar. Anything, perhaps, that she could commit to new memories. Lasting thoughts. Would she forget everything if she fell asleep? Terror lingered that each thought could be made in vain, lost again.

For the moment, though, freedom was offered with a door, and a comment on safety.

So normal.

“Thank you,” she wasn’t sure she would be safe. People hunted her thinking she was a devil. Someone – Orin – did this to her. Who knew how many other enemies she had. Still, Myna was determined to find someone else who knew her, and she was certain that meant finding a tavern or a bar – somewhere bards played.

Someone would know her.

Someone would tell her a different story from Gortash.

‘Both could be true.’

The rain had abated, but the streets were still wet. Night. The moon glowed from between the clouds, and as Myna left behind the riches of Gortash’s neighborhood, she began to hear and see the ruckus of Baldur’s Gate’s crowds, people haggling last minute, or preparing to start a celebration. A bar shaped as a ship caught her eye, and she intended to head that way, before a woman did instead.

Or rather, a flare of fire, and then the realization a tiefling was speaking with a blacksmith – almost begging, really.

‘You’re a tiefling, not a devil.’

Though a woman flaring up like that might be a devil.

“—said I’m closing up shop. Come back—”

“Excuse me?” Myna approached, and she watched the blacksmith’s eyes widen in surprise. Recognition. Okay, she could use that.

“Myna! I—I haven’t seen you around in weeks, girl! Is this a friend of yours?”

Myna glanced at the tiefling. She had no idea who the tiefling was, but she needed help – so she nodded. “Yes, she is. Do you have just a few minutes? I know she wouldn’t be hassling you if it wasn’t important,” she had no idea whatsoever, but it was good to help, right?

 

[cleopat]

Marisol shouldn’t have been surprised by Astarion’s ease through the fog and silently killing their opponents. Not after their surprising introductions.

And she wasn’t. She merely raised a brow at the elf as he left the cloud of fog at the end of their little skirmish, but said nothing. She wasn’t even judging him, but realized that if he wanted to kill her back there, he would’ve.

It would be nice to have him on their side.

Marisol smiled at Gale’s positive comments towards their fighting style. She wasn’t terribly used to trying to protect her own life like that…but it felt right under the use of her magic.

But the end of the battle didn’t bring about peace for everyone. Arguing could be heard soon after the entered through the gate. Marisol hurried forward and briefly overheard what the argument was about.

“-and you could’ve brought the entire goblin horde on our doorstep!” the red tiefling yelled.

“What is going on here?” she asked, hands raised. “The goblins were defeated, and it didn’t look like any were following behind. This location should be safe.”

~~~

Karlach was not having a good evening. She just wanted to ask this blacksmith a question about her damned infernal engine for a heart, and he wouldn’t even hear her! Apparently she was too late, and he was closing up. Which, was fair, but couldn’t he just hear her question first so she knew coming back the next day was worth it?

“Ugh!” she grunted in frustration before becoming aware of someone new coming up to them.

She turned around to see who joined them, and Karlach tensed in apprehension at the face she hadn’t seen in ages. Gortash’s close associate.

But she claimed they were friends, which they were definitely not.

Karlach crossed her arms, faltering slightly when the blacksmith seemed to be reconsidering things. While she saw Myna as an enemy, thanks to her proximity to Gortash, this blacksmith thought otherwise. He only knew her as the friendly, outgoing bard famous around Baldur’s Gate.

“I…I guess I have a few minutes I can spare,” the blacksmith conceded, rubbing the back of his neck.

Karlach sighed in relief. “I just want to know if you can help me and my infernal engine problem.” She tapped on her chest for good measure.

 

[Lucyfer]

The tiefling shot a glare at Marisol for intruding, though it softened a touch at recognizing her as one who helped fight the goblins. “That's not all there is to it–”

“The druid made his own decision,” the human fighter shot back quickly, “if he gives up the grove, that's on him.”

“And Liam?” The tiefling demanded, “do you have any idea the lives you've endangered?” The stress was obvious. More was going on.

Astarion sighed, “I take it that means we won't be rewarded for our heroics,” he shifted his weight, looking as bored as he did annoyed. “I always knew it didn't pay to be a hero.”

The human fighter snorted, but added, “Look. We know the goblin hoard is at the temple. You're some sort of paladin, aren't you? Go take them by surprise,” the human stepped back, lifting his hands in a gesture not of surrender, but expressing how done he was with all of this, “either way, they're right, no goblin survived to report back, so no damage done.”

“Unless one was invisible,” Gale couldn't help it, however as the other human left he quickly corrected, “I'm sure that's not the case, and we apologize. We don't mean to get involved, but we do have some pressing matters to attend to, namely of the needing a healer kind.”

The tiefling looked them over.

None of them looked injured.

~***~

Infernal engine was nothing Myna had heard of, and by the looks of the blacksmith, it wasn't something he was familiar with, either. However, he stepped closer, and took a look down into the steam vents on the tiefling’s chest, before shaking his head.

“Sorry lass. I don't deal with much outside of weapons and armor. This metal isn't anything I've seen before, and the way it's moving…I wouldn't know where to begin. Might want to find an ironhand gnome or a gondian. I hear some are in the employ of the Steelwatch facility.”

Steelwatch.

Gortash was involved in that. Would Myna be able to get access? It seemed worth a shot. She was desperate to prove she wasn't a murderer. Helping this person seemed one way to do that. “Oh! I can get you in to see someone,” probably.

Hopefully.

“I don't know quite remember where it is, I, er, don't get out that way often.”

Maybe?

“It's out by the docks, near the Sea Bitch’s Temple,” he said, not seeming surprised. Perhaps the proximity of the…. “The Steelwatch is new, since you've been…well, where were you Myna? We all missed you in the Mermaid.”

‘I don't know.’

“I went to Rashemen for a stay. Family.” Why Rashemen? Why did that seem familiar? Had she been there? Why did it fill her with fear?

The blacksmith nodded as if it were a perfectly acceptable answer, “Give warning next time, eh?”

“Mm,” Myna managed an agreeable hum, distracted by her own lie and where it came from as she looked to the other tiefling to see if she'd follow.

Was she just trying to get her alone to murder? ‘Stop it!’

 

[cleopat]

Marisol shot Gale a look, wanting to hit him for suggesting that there was an invisible goblin somewhere going back to report the camp on its findings. That wasn't the stress anyone needed right now.

“He’s right, we do need a healer. There is this, um, condition we have that we’re desperate to get rid of,” Marisol further explained.

The red tiefling sighed. “Well, Halsin is one of the best healers around, but he’s imprisoned at the goblin camp. I wish I could help, but we’re dealing with our own crisis here.”

Marisol frowned, curious to know more. “What crisis?”

“There are many refugees in this grove for protection, but the druid Kagha and others have decided to perform a rite that will close off the grove to anyone but them. This will leave the tieflings on the road, and most of them are children.” He sighed with the evidence of many lives weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Marisol felt angry on this tiefling’s behalf. Children being forced onto the treacherous roads, ridiculous! “Why are they doing this?”

He shook his head. “They believe we’re the reason for many enemies coming up to their doorsteps and threatening the grove.”

~~~

Karlach wanted to remain hopeful that this blacksmith could help her in any way, but she sighed in defeat as he admitted he didn’t know what to do. To perhaps check out the Steelwatch facility.

No the fuck she wouldn’t.

But Myna was…willing to help her? And acting strange. Karlach shot the woman a confused look, suspicion building within her hot chest.

She didn’t want to follow Myna, but for some reason, she did, though as soon as the blacksmith was out of earshot, she finally spoke up. “You know I don’t associate with any friends of Gortash.” A traitorous little weasel. “And last I checked, you had no positive feelings about me either. What are you doing?”

 

[Lucyfer]

“Well, it wasn’t as if you planned to stay here forever, was it?” Astarion asked the tiefling, though he knew it wasn’t the polite thing. Honestly! They were likely freeloading on this community. Astarion didn’t care about the druids either, but what did the tieflings expect? To get away with this for years without end? “Sounds like it’s time to move on, unless you all want to become druids.”

“We weren’t!” The tiefling all but shouted at Astarion, “but when we arrived here, we found the roads overrun with goblins, and several towns already overrun with them! We couldn’t pass through with our children!”

“Hold on, hold on,” Gale interjected, “towns?” Gale almost scoffed, but the sheer audacity of that suggest held it back, as Tara took a seat at his feet and began to groom herself, “Goblins aren’t organized enough to take towns. In fact, they shouldn’t be organized enough to be causing this degree of trouble.”

“It’s not just goblins,” the tiefling sighed, dejected, “we don’t understand it, but there seem to be drow leading them, and they’re going on and on about some new deity – the Absolute.”

“The Absolute?” Gale shook his head, baffled, “I’ve never heard of that one, and I know a lot about the divine.”

“So do I,” the tiefling seemed almost challenged by that, and Gale wondered at the reaction, but didn’t press it as the tiefling sighed, “Kagha isn’t the head druid. If Halsin were here, he’d never allow this.”

“That’s why you were so upset he was gone….”

The tiefling nodded.

~***~

‘Do I know you?’

It sounded like Karlach knew Myna, and in a way the others didn’t. She knew the connection to Gortash, and it seemed she didn’t approve at all. And that Myna should know this. Why should she know this? Had she done something to Karlach?

‘Damnit, remember!’

But her mind remained blank as she answered, “You don’t mean anything at all to me,” and then she recognized that sounded vaguely threatening so she paused and looked up at Karlach, trying, willing memory to come back, as she added, “Neither does Gortash. I don’t remember anything since this evening when I woke up covered in my own blood, with two people yelling at me for being a literal devil.”

Most tieflings could relate to that.

Unfortunately.

“And trying to kill me. Everything before that is gone, but—”

Something in her head reeled forward and latched. There wasn’t pain, just an uncomfortable pressure as she staggered forward and put a hand on her head, unable to stop the connection suddenly made with the red woman.

The unknown intruder in her head, decided to try and speak to its own compatriot in the head of the other tiefling, to share, quite against Myna’s will, that unfortunate beginning – but mostly to share that genuine confusion and terror from the start of this new life.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol frowned, feeling sympathy for the plight of the tieflings. A new cult leading the goblins? These goblins overtaking the roads and towns? Where were they supposed to go with their children?

It was a sticky situation for all involved.

“Well, maybe we need to find Halsin then,” Marisol said, as if it was such an easy task to accomplish. “Find him, explain the situation, and see if you can stay here until it’s safer to travel with the children.”

Of course, there was the situation that she, along with her companions, were in. How long did they have before the tadpole took over? Or could this Halsin help them get rid of their little ocular invader?

~~~

Karlach looked slightly taken aback by Myna’s confession. That she didn’t mean anything at all to her. Of course, she shouldn’t feel anything about the statement. They were hardly friends, but surely something would’ve come to mind!

But then Myna continued. She didn’t remember Gortash either, and those two were close. Karlach gave her a confused expression. Myna seemed sincere, but the woman perhaps could lie well.

Nevertheless what the truth was, Karlach listened. She could give the tiefling that much.

But then an uncomfortable pressure in her head, teetering on the painful, erupted, and her mind was filled with images that definitely did not belong to her memories. They tracked with what Myna was trying to say, before the intruder in their heads interrupted and connected them far more than what should have been possible.

The images dissipated from her mind, and Karlach could only look at Myna in stunned silence for a minute. “You’re telling the truth,” she stated plainly. Well, shit. “Any idea how you lost your memories?” Most likely that would be a no, but it would give the tiefling more opportunity to explain what she did know.

 

[Lucyfer]

Zevlor looked quite surprised at the offer from Marisol.

Astarion scoffed a laugh, “Are you mad? He’s with these…goblin cultists, from the sounds of things,” Astarion shifted his weight, “Not that I’m opposed to a little slaughter, but we have far greater problems than that.”

Gale frowned at Astarion’s deductions. They weren’t unreasonable. They did have their own problems, after all. “A new God suggests clerics. Perhaps the Absolute has clerics able to help us. We could always find out.”

It was a way to try to find Halsin, and explore their options, though Zevlor looked rather perplexed, “That wouldn’t be helping us.”

“Well, I never said we wouldn’t also handle the goblins, but they don’t need to know the full story when we arrive. Then we’d certainly be in for a bit of trouble,” he noted, “and if they’re taking in drow, perhaps they’re taking in others.”

“What problem could be so pressing that you’d even consider a goblin cleric’s help?” Zevlor sounded absolutely confounded by the idea of it.

~***~

Myna felt more fear, more panic, rise up in her as she connected with this woman in a way she didn’t think was possible. When the connection shattered, she was left staring into the void, trying to figure out what happened, even as the woman noted she was telling the truth, but wanted more.

More that Myna didn’t have.

If Gortash was right, it might be this woman named Orin, but did that also explain what just happened? “No…no,” she reaffirmed, stronger in her knowledge she knew nothing, before she looked back at Karlach, “What…happened?” Karlach didn’t seem thrown off by it. “How did I show you all of that?”

Could she do that before, was that why it seemed normal to Karlach? It certainly didn’t feel normal. Was it some weird bhaalspawn thing? Hells, she really didn’t know what was going on with herself anymore, only that rage was trying to bubble over against the tide of confusion.

A tide of red blood would clear everything up.

‘NO!’

She didn’t act on the urge.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol hesitated for a moment. Should she tell him what their unusual ailment is? Some might kill first and ask questions later upon learning of their tadpole friends.

But if he somehow knew someone that could help, or understand better why they were willing to search for a cleric in the goblin camp…And she still had hope that they could find this Halsin and bring him back.

Sighing, Marisol leaned forward closer to Zevlor so as to not let anyone else overhear their conversation. “We have an Illithid tadpole in our brains that we are desperate to remove as soon as possible.”

And that desperation would lead her into a goblin camp if it was necessary. There was little Marisol wasn’t willing to do to fix the issue.

~~~

Oh

Myna truly didn’t know anything.

Had somehow the very act of the tadpole insertion temporarily, or permanently, erased her memories? After all, she had to have had the tadpole if their minds connected like it just did.

“I-I think you have this…tadpole inside your brain that was put there unwillingly, very much like I do.” Is there a soft way to approach such a subject? “I can’t explain how you did that exactly, but I’m fairly certain this tadpole has something to do with it.” It’s the only thing she could think of. As far as she knew, mind reading was a power neither one of them had.

“I’ve been trying to find a way to get rid of this tadpole thing in my head, but so far, no one has been able to help me.” No cleric in Baldur’s Gate she had come across could do anything.

 

[Lucyfer]

Surprise.

Horror.

Fear.

Gale watched each one tick across the tiefling’s face. Astarion tensed besides them, prepared to take action if Zevlor turned out to lose any friendliness he had in him due to their situation. Gale resisted a similar urge as Zevlor started to shake his head, “Ilmater’s wounds,” he murmured, “how are you still…you?”

“Well, we haven’t had it for very long,” Gale noted, “though we still do not show the symptoms we ought to be. I’m sure you understand our, ah, desperation now to consider any options that may aid us.”

Zevlor nodded, “There may be some here yet, before you leave. Halsin was training another healer, Nettie. She’s deeper in the Grove, where we are no longer allowed to cross. I am not sure if they would allow you passage. There is, or was, another cleric who came through before I had the gates shut. I do not know if she is still here. She has black hair and wore emblems of the moon.”

“A Selunite?” Gale wondered, “well, they’re not unknown for healing,” although he doubted their ability to remove an illithid tadpole. Still, he didn’t have much hope in a goblin, either. “Do you know what she was here for?”

“Supplies. She had a pressing need to get back to whatever journey she was on, so she may have left already,” Zevlor noted.

~***~

Tadpole? Myna canted her head as Karlach tried to explain what connected them, and what could have happened to her. It was a part of the story Gortash didn’t mention, if he even knew about it, considering how long she was away. ‘What kind of tadpole….’

She remembered the silvery blood.

She remembered the strange pod she’d been in.

A hard slab.

A mind flayer.

‘Illithid tadpole.’

The first memories that had come forward after waking made sense. “So, we have a tadpole in our heads, and you have an unstable infernal engine in your chest.”

‘Tear. Rip. Rend. Destroy.’ Myna bit down on the inside of her cheek as her entire body wanted to rage against this injustice, against impending loss of not only life, but loss of soul. She had to get this thing out of her head.

Would Gortash know how? ‘Stop thinking he can help you.’

“Fine. One problem at a time. Steelwatch for your engine, right? Then there’s Ilmater’s temple…unless you’ve already been there. Or Sorcerous Sundries, or the Society of Brilliance, or—” hells, she didn’t know, and stopped herself short.

One problem at a time.

‘And take them all down with you.’

 

[cleopat]

As the emotions readily crossed the tiefling’s face, Marisol tensed in preparation to defend herself, whether physically or verbally. It was why she hesitated to tell anyone of their affliction. Who knows who would react violently and kill them?

She didn’t blame them for it either.

But he threw them a bone. Two potential healers, one that was part of the Grove, and the other a passing visitor who may have left already.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to convince them to let us see this Nettie,” Marisol stated, as if it was going to happen.

It will. They couldn’t afford to not search out every possible answer they could. “Which way do we go?”

~~~

Karlach grinned as she could see the wheels turn in Myna’s head, and the memory came back. “Yes, that’s exactly it!” she said with excitement that suggested their conditions didn’t consist of such grim matters.

Then she realized exactly that, and winced, but said nothing further.

“Ilmater’s Temple, yes I’ve been to that one. Haven’t gone to Sorcerous Sundries yet,” or several other places she was bound to overlook in her desperation. “I…guess we’ll try Steelwatch,” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could, knowing she was going into what Gortash owned and created.

The thought of him indirectly helping save her life made her experience an uncomfortable emotion, but she was desperate for a cure.

 

[Lucyfer]

Zevlor pointed further into the Grove. “You'll see a slope. Follow it down and you'll find their sanctuary, with the idol of Silvanus and the druids working on their spell,” he sighed the last word, “Nettie does not seem to share the same ill feelings towards outsiders, so I pray she can be of aid to you all.”

“Ah well, I wouldn't put much faith in prayers if they don't seem to be doing you or the druids any good,” Astarion said, a laugh at the start.

Gale scowled at his casual dismissals of the gods, but he wouldn't fight it right there. “Thank you,” he said instead to Zevlor before taking the lead. Only of of earshot of Zevlor did he ask, “What deity caused you such doubt in their powers?”

“Oh. All of them.”

“Perhaps you just haven't met the right one.”

Gale was a bit startled to see a woman now at their side with long black hair. He stepped back and saw a moment's malicious grin, before her expression softened, as if it was never there. “Forgive me. I overheard you with Zevlor. We have the same condition.”

“Oh? The condition of skulking about in shadows like a little thief?” Astarion queried, “you must be that cleric. It doesn't look like you God is of much use to you then, either.”

She shook her head, immediately upset, “My Lady is faultless, it is I that am lacking.”

“Of course, of course, ever the cry of the devoted.”

~***~

The steel watch foundry was along the shore, with tracks leading to it. It was still active at this hour. Sounds escaped it, and the gate was closed, locked.

It wasn't a problem, though. Just as Myna considered going around to the docks that had to come up to the foundry, one of those large metal golems walked up to the gate. “Citizen you are being accompanied by a malfunctioning Steel Watcher. Stand back.”

She glanced back at Karlach, responding, “Yes, I've brought her here for repairs,” her look to Karlach urged patience. If this got them in….

“Repair is not possible. Disassembly will need to take place.”

“That's not what Enver Gortash wants. Let us in so I can discuss this with the supervisor of the program.”

Gears seemed to turn in it's mechanical mind, but, it opened the gate. “You will be escorted in.”

Myna nodded and walked after the Watcher to the foundry doors, large enough for these behemoths to go through once opened, to a factory alive with the process of making more. Guards stood at posts over gondian workers.

Myna winced at the flash of a memory when she looked at one, blinded. An eye rolling on the ground, blood on a dagger, screaming – an irritated huff from Gortash in the background.

She'd been here before, that was certain.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol could only hope that Nettie would be sympathetic to their plight, and she would help them the best she could. Hell, she hoped that Nettie could completely cure them so they wouldn’t have to worry about their little invaders anymore and the subsequent morphosis.

Astarion’s comment was curious to her, and it seemed it was also curious to Gale, who questioned him about it once Zevlor was out of earshot. But she didn’t have a chance to mention anything about it before they were interrupted by a dark haired woman who held a glint of mischief in her.

Who had the same condition as them.

“Wait, you have one of those,” she pointed to her head, “things in you?” Exactly how many of them were wandering around with those worms? Was she on the ship with Marisol? “We were going to see this Nettie healer to see if she can help us at all.” She had to.

Marisol couldn’t fathom her future, her near future, with her condition.

~~~

Karlach looked behind her, before realizing that the metal golem was calling her malfunctioning Steel Watcher. Her mouth gaped open as she stared at it, closing it when Myna confirmed what it said. Her gaze shot to the woman, before she understood what was going on.

She did almost protest when the golem mentioned disassembly. Hadn’t she been taken apart enough in her life?

But Myna convinced it still to let them in, which Karlach could almost sigh in relief.

They followed the Watcher inside, the factory very obviously busy with making more of the Steel Watchers. “Hey! What are you doing here?” A man dressed in armor and a golden helmet approached them, while someone who was dressed similarly walked away. “I didn’t even think you were still alive, much less show your face around here.”

 

[Lucyfer]

The cleric gave a nod to confirm, “Yes…unfortunately,” she sighed, “I met a woman below,” she gestured back, “named Ethel who thought she might be able to do something, but I would have to wait until she returned to her home and visit her there. I haven’t decided if I am going to pursue it.”

Nettie hadn’t been mentioned to her yet, “My name is Shadowheart,” she introduced, “I would like to come with you to see Nettie, if I may.”

“Oh, of course, let’s just take in another stray,” Astarion commented.

“I wasn’t asking you,” Shadowheart said, keeping her focus on Marisol, clearly determining the other woman was the leader of the group.

Gale noticed and chuckled, “Well, for whatever it is worth, I do not have any issues bringing along another; I’d hate to see anyone suffer the consequences of turning into a mind flayer and losing their soul forever.”

Not even a hope to wander the fugue plane.

~***~

Myna looked towards the stranger in the golden helmet. A stranger who knew her. The Black Hand of Bane was prominent on them, making it clear this was indeed Gortash’s operation – and he was indeed a Banite. ‘That doesn’t make you a Bhaalist.’ Although the evidence in her flickering memories continued to point to trouble for that.

“I’m here to see that she gets fixed,” Myna gestured back to Karlach, “she seems to have whatever the Steel Watchers have inside them for a heart and it’s malfunctioning.”

Some of the gondian workers looked over, curious. None of them had put a Steel Watcher core into a living person, so this was news to them. Of course, their staring couldn’t go on long, they had work to do – but Myna noticed it all the same.

“After that, I’ll leave,” she said calmly, assured this could be handled, somehow, someway.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol withheld her grin, or tried to, at Shadowheart’s comment for Astarion. Oh, she liked her already. “I’m Marisol,” at least she would introduce herself, unlike her other two companions, apparently. Men!

“Of course you may join us, Shadowheart.” She wouldn’t mind another woman with them, but she also couldn’t bear the idea of forcing someone with the same affliction as them to just figure it out on their own. It was scary enough of a situation as is.

“Hopefully this Nettie can help us to save anyone from making an additional trip somewhere else.” She just wanted to go home and enjoy a hot bath! But there was the problem of still not knowing exactly where they were, and how far away Baldur’s Gate was.

“Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking?” She might as well get to know their newest companion! She wondered if Shadowheart was also from the Baldur’s Gate area, given the current pattern of those the Mindflayers took were in the area of the city.

~~~

The Black Hand looked over at Karlach as Myna explained her situation, and he scoffed. “The workings of the Steel Watchers? In her?” It was absurd! “You have me a fool?”

He half-expected her to say yes to that rhetorical question.

“How would you even have a mechanical engine for a heart anyways?” He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked to Karlach. “We have never dealt with organic beings here before.”

Karlach stumbled a bit, not quite expecting the question, nor knowing how to fully answer. “Oh, it was quite a traumatic moment for me. So much so, that I can’t remember that time of my life.” She faked a laugh before looking over to Myna for help.

The Black Hand did not look like he believed a word.

 

[Lucyfer]

Shadowheart looked immensely relieved to hear the acceptance in the group, though Astarion just sighed at it.

“I am from Baldur’s Gate,” or at least, that’s where she was going, where her cloister was. She wasn’t truly sure if she was from there, but that didn’t matter. She knew where she had to return to, so it worked. “Is that where all of you are from, as well?”

“Yes,” the pale elf answered, “and I’m Astarion,” he introduced then.

“Alas, I am not from Baldur’s Gate – I seem the odd man out. I am from Waterdeep, but I have visited the Gate in times past,” Gale answered, “Gale, by the way,” he added, as they continued through the Grove to find this Nettie. “What deity is it you serve? It was mentioned you were—”

Before he could get an answer, there was an interruption as tieflings were yelling at druids, and one of those druids decided to take on the form of a bear, the loud roaring startling enough that Gale flinched.

It seemed getting to Nettie might be difficult; the path was now blocked by two druids, and a bear-druid.

~***~

“Yes,” Myna did answer the Banite as he asked his foolish question, because what did he actually know of what was going on? He wasn’t one of the workers, and he didn’t oversee all that Enver Gortash himself did. “You saw a Steel Watcher escort us in. I told it we were here for repairs, because it recognized what Karlach was.”

Myna knew the Steel Watcher hadn’t spoken to this man, but he could easily go ask any one of them.

“I’m not here to talk to you. I’m here to talk to someone who actually works on them, and can fix her, so get me someone important, or get out of my way.” Her words bristled with threat, though perhaps, not the threat he would have been accustomed to from a Bhaalist.

It bristled with the magic of the bard, intent to use her power to order him away.

How embarrassing that would be for people obsessed with domination.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol immediately turned to the commotion ahead of them, where a couple of tieflings and druids devolved into an argument. The sight of the one druid turning into a bear wasn’t a great sign at all.

She stepped ahead of the group, walking quickly over to the commotion. “Please, we just want our daughter back!” pleased one of the tieflings.

“Your daughter is a thief. Kagha will decide what to do with her,” declared one of the druids.

“She’s just a child!”

Marisol approached them, mindful of the bear-druid. “What’s going on here?”

“Their thief of a daughter stole an important idol of the Grove, and now Kagha will determine her fate.”

Marisol frowned. A child! No child deserved to be harshly punished for such a crime. “Children do foolish things all the time. It’s a part of being a child. She shouldn’t be punished more than a simple scolding.”

~~~

The Black Hand would hardly ever trust the word of a Steel Watcher. Guards they may be, but they lacked a brain. There could be a number of reasons why they recognized the tiefling as possessing some mechanical parts to her.

“I would hardly consider the decisions of the Steel Watcher to be the absolutely best ones.” His flickered behind them, towards the entrance, to see if there was any sign of his fellow Black Hand that had left. Nothing yet.

He straightened with the threats that poured from Myna, although, they seemed a bit more tame than what he remembered. Very tame in comparison. Maybe she was holding back because of her tiefling friend.

“I can’t let you in any further. Besides, the workers are very busy today. No one will have time to answer your questions.” An obvious lie, but what did he care?

Karlach wished to throw a fist into the Black Hand’s face.

“Does Lord Gortash even know you’re here?” he continued.

 

[Lucyfer]

The dark skinned woman looked to Marisol as she spoke, “You are neither tiefling or druid, and have no part of our business,” she stated firmly, clearly not willing to engage.

Astarion chuckled, “Well now, you don't seem to be allowing the tieflings any involvement, either.” And they were, evidently, a part of it.

Shadowheart cut in, “We're not trying to be involved, we just want to see Nettie.”

Gale scowled a bit at that. Where a child was concerned, he did want to be involved, but he could still his tongue for the moment.

“No outsiders are allowed in the grotto. Now, if you'll–”

She was interrupted by the halfling at her side, “Hold on a moment, some of you were part of helping the Grove against the goblins, correct?”

“Yes, we were,” Gale answered, “all four of us,” he lied.

Astarion scoffed, though seemed a bit impressed Gale had the audacity to lie.

“Kagha wanted a word with them.”

The druidess sighed, “Very well. Only you four.”

~***~

Myna scowled at the Black Hand preventing further entry, though at least it was causing a commotion of sorts. The workers were starting to pay attention to the conversation, slacking just a bit in their work.

“No, he does not,” and hopefully he wouldn't need to, although Myna supposed she could just go to him, she…didn't trust him. And Karlach had that terrible experience with him.

“You will let me through.” Magic empowered the words into a command flowing through to try and force the Black Hand’s hand, as so many of them often did with those under their authority.

Recognition of the magic may make it difficult, but Myna had to try to overcome, anyways.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol was ready to argue further with the dark skinned woman. She was going to make this her business, dammit! But she didn’t have to, not with the help of her companions.

“Oh please, find our daughter,” the tiefling pleaded to them before they set off to Kagha.

“I didn’t realize druids could be so harsh,” Marisol muttered once they were out of earshot. “To keep a child aware from her parents and decide a punishment over a little stealing?” What child didn’t take something shiny every now and then!

And she still had to think about finding the healer, Nettie. That is, if this Kagha doesn’t decide to immediately cast them out from the Grove. But they helped the Grove against the goblins! That had to buy them one favor.

~~~

The Black Hand expected the spell before she casted the words on him, so it was easier for him to resist the effects. He scowled, and as he opened his mouth, another voice sounded behind them.

“My, my, I leave you alone and you cause a commotion in my foundry?” Gortash walked up to them from behind Myna and Karlach, the latter instantly erupted into boiling rage at the sight of him.

“You!” she snarled, her body feeling hotter by the second.

“Yes, it is me,” he replied with a smirk, albeit a little surprised to see Karlach there, and with Myna.

 

[Lucyfer]

“It is a bit strange,” Gale said to Marisol’s murmuring, glancing around the Grove and those chanting towards a statue of Silvanus. “These must be desperate times,” considering they were all just abducted by mind flayers, though, he couldn’t say that was terribly surprising.

Still, children should be allowed to make mistakes. That’s what being a child was for! He made plenty of mistakes in his time, and learned from them.

“That appears to be the door,” Shadowheart motioned towards it, and Gale nodded, as they all moved that way, and moved aside the boulder that served as a door. On stepping in, voices reached up towards them, although Shadowheart seemed almost immediately distracted by the drawings on the wall

They were interesting – and Gale knew he ought to spend some time with them – but as they descended down the steps, the situation ahead was far more dire. There was a venomous snake, threatening a tiefling child, with two druids arguing over her fate.

“Excuse me!” Gale raised his voice just a bit to cut through the argument.

The druids looked their way, though the girl seemed to be too distracted with watching the snake to do such a thing. “What did this child steal to have her life at stake?”

Astarion appeared amused with Gale’s sudden anger, and kept his mouth shut, for once.

~***~

Enver seemed a touch surprised. Given what Karlach said, that in and of itself was not surprising. “Karlach, please,” Myna tried to keep her tone firm, insistent, in it's implicit plea for her to stay calm.

“Karlach needs fixed,” Myna stated, ignoring Enver’s commentary about causing a fuss. “Your Steel Watchers recognize the machinery in her and I have reason to believe you can fix her,” Myna said, now ignoring the Banite who tried to stop her.

Apparently, he'd just been stalling.

Myna pushed down the urge to break his skill.

“I want her restored.” He likely wouldn't be bought in with something as trite as owing it to Karlach for doing it to her, but he was evidently soft towards herself.

Maybe that was enough.

Maybe not.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol hardly paid any attention to the drawings on the wall, not when she was distracted by the mission of finding this Kagha as well as the child. And, soon, distracted by a snake slithering around a tiefling child with its fangs on full display.

She was also momentarily distracted by the sudden display of anger from Gale, someone who had been very calm and collected from what she’s seen. Her gaze remained on him a second too long, before she turned back to the druid who was terrorizing the girl.

“This heathen stole our sacred idol from us,” Kagha hissed. “She is trouble just like the rest of them.”

“She is just a child with a burning curiosity,” Marisol stepped in. “Threatening her like this? I’m sure she’s already learned her lesson.”

The poor tiefling child just shook in fear, while keeping her full attention on the snake that toyed with her.

~~~

Karlach looked like she was about to explode, for reason outside of the infernal engine for her heart. Enver couldn’t hide the sly smirk that graced his lips, which only further enraged Karlach, her fists tightening in an attempt to not attack him while surrounded by his allies.

“I’m sure I have something that could fix her,” he gestured with his hands at the foundry around them. “I do have many resources and instruments at my disposal, after all.”

“Forget it, I don’t want your help.” The fury within Karlach burned brighter. “Besides, I doubt you’ll do it without a heavy price.”

Gortash held up his hands in surrender and took a single step back. “Do you think so little of me? Maybe I just want to help an old friend.” His dark gaze slid over to Myna with that.

“That’s complete bullshit, and we both know it.”

 

[Lucyfer]

A sacred idol. Some deities were petty enough that it would be a slight, but the deities he knew commonly worshipped among the druids…he didn’t see that. And even if it was the case, this was still outrageous! He would have said as much, but Marisol stepped up to say it instead.

“She is a parasite! She eats our food, occupies our spaces, and this is how she repays us?”

“Yes, it is, because she’s a child,” Gale emphasized, “childhood is for making mistakes, and learning. She made a mistake. She’s learned this is a mistake. She’s not likely to do it again.”

“Oh, I don’t know, when threats aren’t acted upon….” Astarion mused.

Kagha’s brows lifted, clearly liking his logic. The druid at her side, however, added, “She needs to be reunited with her family, we cannot keep her here until the Rite is done. She is an outsider.”

“Tch. Very well,” she spoke briefly to the snake, and the snake lowered its guard, “See her to her family, Rath,” Kagha ordered, and the druid reached for her hand. Still frightened, the girl pushed away from his hand and ran towards the exit where Astarion, Gale, and Marisol were still standing. Gale stepped out of her path, and she continued running up the steps to get free.

~***~

Enver agreed he had ways to fix her. He even offered! But of course, face to face with the man who did this to her, Karlach balked, worried over the cost, and Myna shifted towards her, turning to face her more directly rather than Gortash. “So what if it’s bullshit? The cost won’t fall to you,” Myna stated.

It wasn’t what she wanted to say.

She wanted to say that Karlach didn’t have to pay whatever was demanded. Receive the treatment, and walk out the door! “Don’t let him control you this way. With this rage, with this…this false heart. Take the chance, be healed, and walk out,” to deal with the tadpole problem which – she also needed to deal with, but first things first.

Karlach’s heart.

“You can leave everything else behind. You can still hate him. You—” she didn’t think, when she reached to touch Karlach’s arm. Her hands were burnt on contact. Myna cried out, flinched back, stepped back, and tried to soothe them by pressing them to her own arms – but it did nothing, and she could only cringe and press them down onto her own flesh harder as if it would help.

 

[cleopat]

Marisol’s attention followed the tiefling as she was thankfully let go. She breathed a sigh of relief and gave Rath a grateful look before he left. At least not all the druids were as irrational as their leader.

A moment of silence, and Marisol’s expression of anger did not dissolve. Kagha noticed this, and calmly asked, “What do you think of me? You think me some monster, don’t you?

“Do you enjoy torturing children like that?” Marisol couldn’t help but ask, even if she was aware that she needed to stay on their good side if they were to seek help in regards to the tadpoles.

“A viper bares her fangs defending her brood. Is it not her nature to strike at invaders?” she answered. “Anyways, are you the ones who helped defend our Grove against the goblins?”

Apparently they were moving on to other matters! “Yes, we are.”

~~~

Karlach was about to warn Myna and stop her from touching her arm, but it was too late. Her arm seared the woman’s hand upon instant contact, and Karlach wanted to reach out and comfort her, but…there was that fiery problem again, that one that caused her pain. Her face twisted in anguish at the pain she caused due to the curse of her infernal engine thrusted upon her.

Gortash had turned to his Banite to order him to fetch something, before he turned back to Myna with sympathy in his eyes. Despite the commotion, those in the foundry knew to leave Gortash alone if he wasn’t demanding for assistance.

“Perhaps you should listen to her,” he directed to Karlach, “so that you won’t hurt anyone again.”

Karlach looked conflicted, so for now she just ignored Gortash to apologize to Myna over and over again, even if it wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t help how hot her skin burned!

The Banite returned with a small bucket full of icy water and a rag in one hand, and a bottle of ointment in the other. Gortash grabbed the bucket and pulled out the rag. “Here, let me. This will help stop the immediate burning.”