Standing out of the way in a corner, hands crossed in front of her, one foot lifted and placed against the wall. Mal has taken in all that has been said before she swears under her breath when she hears the downtrodden professor speak of pledging himself to Azash, Why, WHY, would anyone willing give themselves up to be a slave, to any kind of master! Do they have no idea what that means to not have any choice at all in life anymore, stupid people, he does not even warrant my scorn, and as easily as I could kill him. A sly smile spread across her lips at the thought of this, I hope they don't decide top kill him and just keep him locked up for the rest of his pitiful life in agony, death woudl be too good for this filth.
Khessa frantically takes notes in her spellbook, probably reporting many more details than those that Maynard is writing, who has the advantage of a greater basic knowledge and therefore does not write down things that are obvious to him. Having discovered how the professor handed over his soul (apparently, literally) to Azash and with what ceremonies, she shakes her head, sighing...
'I will never understand, how can one fall so low...' the blonde arcane warrior thinks 'How can one accept becoming a monster? To abandon everything that matters and that gives true pleasure... Love... The smile of those who are dear to us... The serenity of innocence... For what? Always for something worse... which doesn't satisfy and which is never enough'.
As already in front of the monk, also in front of the professor the piety of the tall adventuress takes a holiday, ready to return when elements at least remotely worthy of receiving it present themselves. She first has the professor's network of contacts revealed to her (OOC: I'm not asking the questions in detail because if he answers us anyway and doesn't lie to us, perhaps there may be no reason to do so... Let's assume that he reveals these details to us, so that we can have other Azash faithful arrested or otherwise made harmless, ok? Or, @DM, if you prefer, I'll ask him the questions one by one...).
"And the statuette?" she then asks, once the network of contacts has been noted - ready to be neutralized as soon as possible "We have found an evil statuette that belongs to you... An idol of Azash, carved from a similar black stone, but not the same as the slivers. Tell us what you know about this idol. What powers it has. How it is used. How it is produced. What limitations it has. Everything you know, in short, about it".
A look of dread and concern washes over him, "Statuette, what statuette?" He is trying to gather his thoughts, his mind not working as well as before from the shock, then his hand comes trembling to his face. "You mean...an idol? An old idol? Where did you get that, did you go to my home?"
"As part of the worship of Azash, from what I read, there was much debauchery involved, having the worshipers degrade themselves before their god. He took evil pleasure in it, watching his worshipers fall far from the light. These so called orgies involved torture, and other sick practices or carnal pleasure. With the exception of his "faithful", the other participants would be sacrificed after the act was done."
Akkron nods in agreement with Tyekanik... he really doesn't see much reason to keep this bastard alive once they have what they need from him.
"I'm sure that there are a fair number of people in this room who would be more than happy to put you out of your misery if you tell us everything we need to know," the lich says. "If not... there are far worse things than death that can happen..."
He shrugs and takes a deep breath.
"Why not, I can't seem to lie and there is no reason for it. I am from Arjun in Grengia, and all my life I was picked on, teased, made fun of, and no girl would even look at me. I came from a very poor family, that was worked to death by the landlords. I craved power, and wanted revenge! But I am no warrior, and when I tried to become a sorcerer or wizard, couldn't even grasp the basic cantrips. When I thought all was lost, a traveling priest came to me, and offered me a chance to become a priest, for him. It was he who showed these rituals that would lead me to Azash." He pauses for a moment, to collect his thoughts, even a smile coming over his face.
"I gained power quickly, and once I had a taste for it, I wanted more. This priest, ah his name was Annias I believe, from our area, was the one who showed me these rituals. That Azash wanted more then followers, he wanted disciples to spread his word and that he was the true god who will have dominion over all. I thought, why not, I was finally getting wanted I wanted, revenge on those who looked over me, who walked all over me, ignored me, and worked my family to death.
"When I decided to become a disciple of Azash, I had to pledge my heart and soul to him, to gain more power. Annias took me to some old ruins to the east of Arjun, there we did the ceremony. There were others there, dark skinned like that woman over there, calling themselves Zemochs. I was brought before an alter, and on it was an idol, and I heard Azash's voice. When I agreed to become his disciple, I was marked, and the sliver inserted into my arm. I then signed the Black Book using my own blood, and the power coursed through me at that moment." He pauses again, remembering and again a smile comes to his face.
"That power! Oh so much power! It flowed into me, consumed me, became a part of me! In an instant, my mind was open to Azash, and he filled it with an old knowledge, and my abilities grew. I was commanded to go forth, and to be the disciple and spread the word of Azash. To show the people the errors of their way, to convert or soon they will die when he comes to reclaim the land. They gave me my own idol, and I set out to do his bidding. I quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a powerful mage in my own rights, powered by Azash. Not at all like before. Soon, I was a name that was held in respect, and honor, enough so that I became the court sorcerer for the Lord of Brengia." Again, he pauses.
"They didn't even know I created my own temple in the dungeons below the castle, for no one went there. We did the rights, performed the sacrifices. The more I converted to Azash, the more power I received. In time, I was able to secure a position here at the school where without their knowledge, these high and mighty scholars, I was teaching about Azash and his teachings. It was everything I had hoped for. I was the first disciple, the first of a few, and that was oh about 120, 130 years ago. Where does the time go, no?"
When the prisoner marvels and asks where the idol was taken, Khessa stares at him with cold blue eyes: "You're not the one asking the questions here - in case you haven't realized it yet. Now answer!"
And in fact, further urged by Master Akkron, the professor unfolds his long story.
"Oh, well..." comments the blonde arcane warrior "This is certain proof of Annias' guilt, if one day we decide to indict him. And it seems that the key to beating Azash is that of the faithful. He cares so much about making proselytes , that it is obvious that its power (perhaps apart from a small intrinsic core) depends on them. It is certainly advisable to notify the Lord of Brengia, so that he can close the dungeons below the castle and arrest those who use them. And it is probably also advisable to lend greater attention to common folk and social justice - because perhaps this man, if his parents had not been wronged, would have thought for a moment more, before throwing himself body and soul into the cult of Azash. This seems to be a war of souls no less than swords".
"Anyway it really takes uncommon blindness," the tall adventuress turns furiously to the prisoner "not to see that the path you chose would only have made things worse! Azash wants to dominate everyone, much more and much worse than any land lord! Assuming that he had won and that you had not failed him - as you did - who can guarantee that at that point he would not have treated you like everyone else? Enslaved worse than your parents? You would no longer have been of any use to him , once he had obtained everything... And your parents... so dear to you, of course... what do you think would have happened to them after Azash's victory? What would have prevented that god full of hate to ruthlessly devour their souls, since they had never served him? Oh, and then were you angry with those who mocked you? And don't you understand that Azash has mocked you all the time, making you work for him, but giving you in exchange only things that didn't satisfy you, but made you more and more a slave - as you yourself now report? You, as a desperate person... instead of looking for hope, you chose the path of definitive desperation!"
“You still need to finish telling us about these slivers and idols” Khessa insists. "If Azash, who is certainly not a benefactor or a gift giver, provides them to you all, it is clear that they have a purpose. The slivers he slips under your skin keep you in communion with him. Do you know what they are? What are they made of? How are they made? And the idols like yours? Apparently, they increase your power... but what do you know, exactly? Do you know what they are made of? And how do they work? Is it enough for you to own them? I don't thibnk so, since you didn't even notice when your idol was stolen..."
When the prisoner marvels and asks where the idol was taken, Khessa stares at him with cold blue eyes: "You're not the one asking the questions here - in case you haven't realized it yet. Now answer!"
And in fact, further urged by Master Akkron, the professor unfolds his long story.
"Oh, well..." comments the blonde arcane warrior "This is certain proof of Annias' guilt, if one day we decide to indict him. And it seems that the key to beating Azash is that of the faithful. He cares so much about making proselytes , that it is obvious that its power (perhaps apart from a small intrinsic core) depends on them. It is certainly advisable to notify the Lord of Brengia, so that he can close the dungeons below the castle and arrest those who use them. And it is probably also advisable to lend greater attention to common folk and social justice - because perhaps this man, if his parents had not been wronged, would have thought for a moment more, before throwing himself body and soul into the cult of Azash. This seems to be a war of souls no less than swords".
"Anyway it really takes uncommon blindness," the tall adventuress turns furiously to the prisoner "not to see that the path you chose would only have made things worse! Azash wants to dominate everyone, much more and much worse than any land lord! Assuming that he had won and that you had not failed him - as you did - who can guarantee that at that point he would not have treated you like everyone else? Enslaved worse than your parents? You would no longer have been of any use to him , once he had obtained everything... And your parents... so dear to you, of course... what do you think would have happened to them after Azash's victory? What would have prevented that god full of hate to ruthlessly devour their souls, since they had never served him? Oh, and then were you angry with those who mocked you? And don't you understand that Azash has mocked you all the time, making you work for him, but giving you in exchange only things that didn't satisfy you, but made you more and more a slave - as you yourself now report? You, as a desperate person... instead of looking for hope, you chose the path of definitive desperation!"
“You still need to finish telling us about these slivers and idols” Khessa insists. "If Azash, who is certainly not a benefactor or a gift giver, provides them to you all, it is clear that they have a purpose. The slivers he slips under your skin keep you in communion with him. Do you know what they are? What are they made of? How are they made? And the idols like yours? Apparently, they increase your power... but what do you know, exactly? Do you know what they are made of? And how do they work? Is it enough for you to own them? I don't thibnk so, since you didn't even notice when your idol was stolen..."
The professor shakes his head no. "I have no idea where the slivers come from, or what they are made of. With the assentation ceremony, they brought it out in a gold box, and inserted it under my skin. I did not see where it came from, or how it was made. But as soon as it was under my skin, the power flowed and grew over time. As for my idol, the last time I saw it, it was in my apartment. It was there when I left to teach class this morning. So yes, someone must have stolen it while I was in class. With whom did you find it with?"
“With the group of your students who seemed to latch on every word,”Tyekanik growls. “Yet another group you have corrupted it seems. They were trying to sacrifice a girl to summon a demon of some kind. Any idea why?” He leans large over the professor, clearly angry at what this man has led the youth to commit.
The professor shakes his head. "Godfried, it had to be Godfried. He hungered for power like I did, I saw myself in him. He was trying to go too fast, too hard. Did you find a book as well with him? He wasn't ready to perform the ceremony, it would have consumed him and his little group of friends. He must have gone into my apartment; he knew where I kept the idol and book for, he has seen me use it and where I kept it." He shakes his head again. "Are they all dead, did whatever he tried to summon destroy them?"
Akkron regards the prisoner for a moment before he adds his two cents.
"So let me make sure I'm understanding this correctly,"he says slowly. "Your students said more or less the same thing when asked why they decided to follow Azash... so... if I am indeed understanding correctly... those who follow of Azash betrayed not only their country, but quite possibly the entire world, and sold their souls to a mad god because the couldn't get laid?! Look, back when I was a living man I made some bad decisions because of a woman... but this is just sad."
Khessa can't help but smile... she too had noticed this common denominator in the motivations of the last captured Azash's faithfuls and in fact it seemed to her also like a futile reason to take such drastic decisions. Who knows... perhaps other reasons, in reality, were already smoldering underneath and this latest one was only the straw that broke the camel's back.
Sparhawk looks to Brother Maynard, then back to the party. "We'll keep the professor, and those students here for now. As for the name Ghnomb we heard, that's the Troll God of Eat. That makes sense if they are trying to influence one of the Troll Gods, it's the one who from what I recall, feels slighted as he was forced to keep the trolls from ranging down into the valleys to eat the cattle, sheep, and humans. It is strange that the only other one that I know of is Ghworg, the God of Kill, the leader of the Troll Gods. So far we haven't heard anything about him. So, what shall we do? Do we continue northward and speak to the Troll Gods through Bhlokw, or seek out the Zemoch basecamp?"
Khessa muses: "Both threats seem important... However, I would prefer to visit the Trolls first, in the hope of being so convincing as to not only dissuade them from supporting Azash, but to also convince them to support us!"
"Ghnomb feels slighted?" the blonde arcane warrior continues "Why not give him and the trolls the chance... to have a good feats of Zemoch's flesh? They won't taste much worse than humans, right? If we manage to convince the trolls, then we can attack Zemoch's base camp together. And if that joint initiative succeeded well and left both us and them satisfied, we could get them to support us in further actions. Transform them into our allies".
The tall adventurer searches with her blue eyes those of the others: "What do you think? Do you agree? Or do you prefer to give priority to Zemoch's camp?"
Akkron considers Brother Mayard's words and Khessa's suggestion for the next course of action...
"Perhaps," he says. "Though it might be just as reasonable to start with the Zemoch's base. After all, if we are in a position of strength after having wiped out a Zemoch stronghold, that may give us more bargaining power with the trolls. So it seems to me that either option could be the better one. Maybe we should simply choose the one that is closer to us... granted, I could try to teleport us to either, but without knowing the places first-hand, or perhaps having an associated object, there is a serious risk of complications when using such magic."
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Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
"Tempting the trolls with the flesh of the fallen is a good thought,"Tyekanik says, "As is showing them our strength. Either way, speed is of the essence."
((@DM - what's the terrain like where we are? Would we be going by land? Sailing?))
Mal thinks for a moment, then speaks up, "At the moment, the trolls are working for our enemy, if we go to them, we don't really have a position of power to talk to them. Offering them the bodies of the Zemochs is just our words vs Azash's words, so if I was a troll, why rock the boat if I already have a plan set forth, and especially if we have to convince them our plan is better. Now say we approach the trolls after wiping out a Zemoch base, we will be coming from a position of power and showing that their "allies" are inferior and they will gain more glory and loot by siding with us." A chuckle escapes her lips, "Well of course after we pick it clean of the most beneficial loot anyway. I suggest we go for the Zemochs first and then head to the trolls."
Then she lightly touches Akkron's shoulder, "And as much as I trust your magical abilities, I would rather not try and teleport somewhere you have never been. I have witnessed the downsides of that firsthand."
Sparhawk listens to the conversation. "It does make tactical sense, never leave an enemy behind you. If we take out the Zemoch base camp, it removes a threat and would only be a side trip that won't really interfere with us heading northward. If we are all in agreement, then let's rest up, prepare and leave in the morning. I will make sure based on what we have gathered so far, a good location to search for this hidden camp."
"So be it, then!" Khessa enthusiastically accepts "Zemoch base camp first. Tomorrow I will be ready".
(OOC: During the evening, before saying goodbye to her loved ones in dream and going to sleep, Khessa tries to copy into her spellbook, with the help of Master Akkron, another of the spells of which she had bought a scroll in Baldur's Gate : Synaptic Static)
Standing out of the way in a corner, hands crossed in front of her, one foot lifted and placed against the wall. Mal has taken in all that has been said before she swears under her breath when she hears the downtrodden professor speak of pledging himself to Azash, Why, WHY, would anyone willing give themselves up to be a slave, to any kind of master! Do they have no idea what that means to not have any choice at all in life anymore, stupid people, he does not even warrant my scorn, and as easily as I could kill him. A sly smile spread across her lips at the thought of this, I hope they don't decide top kill him and just keep him locked up for the rest of his pitiful life in agony, death woudl be too good for this filth.
A look of dread and concern washes over him, "Statuette, what statuette?" He is trying to gather his thoughts, his mind not working as well as before from the shock, then his hand comes trembling to his face. "You mean...an idol? An old idol? Where did you get that, did you go to my home?"
Brother Maynard explains,
"As part of the worship of Azash, from what I read, there was much debauchery involved, having the worshipers degrade themselves before their god. He took evil pleasure in it, watching his worshipers fall far from the light. These so called orgies involved torture, and other sick practices or carnal pleasure. With the exception of his "faithful", the other participants would be sacrificed after the act was done."
He shrugs and takes a deep breath.
"Why not, I can't seem to lie and there is no reason for it. I am from Arjun in Grengia, and all my life I was picked on, teased, made fun of, and no girl would even look at me. I came from a very poor family, that was worked to death by the landlords. I craved power, and wanted revenge! But I am no warrior, and when I tried to become a sorcerer or wizard, couldn't even grasp the basic cantrips. When I thought all was lost, a traveling priest came to me, and offered me a chance to become a priest, for him. It was he who showed these rituals that would lead me to Azash." He pauses for a moment, to collect his thoughts, even a smile coming over his face.
"I gained power quickly, and once I had a taste for it, I wanted more. This priest, ah his name was Annias I believe, from our area, was the one who showed me these rituals. That Azash wanted more then followers, he wanted disciples to spread his word and that he was the true god who will have dominion over all. I thought, why not, I was finally getting wanted I wanted, revenge on those who looked over me, who walked all over me, ignored me, and worked my family to death.
"When I decided to become a disciple of Azash, I had to pledge my heart and soul to him, to gain more power. Annias took me to some old ruins to the east of Arjun, there we did the ceremony. There were others there, dark skinned like that woman over there, calling themselves Zemochs. I was brought before an alter, and on it was an idol, and I heard Azash's voice. When I agreed to become his disciple, I was marked, and the sliver inserted into my arm. I then signed the Black Book using my own blood, and the power coursed through me at that moment." He pauses again, remembering and again a smile comes to his face.
"That power! Oh so much power! It flowed into me, consumed me, became a part of me! In an instant, my mind was open to Azash, and he filled it with an old knowledge, and my abilities grew. I was commanded to go forth, and to be the disciple and spread the word of Azash. To show the people the errors of their way, to convert or soon they will die when he comes to reclaim the land. They gave me my own idol, and I set out to do his bidding. I quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a powerful mage in my own rights, powered by Azash. Not at all like before. Soon, I was a name that was held in respect, and honor, enough so that I became the court sorcerer for the Lord of Brengia." Again, he pauses.
"They didn't even know I created my own temple in the dungeons below the castle, for no one went there. We did the rights, performed the sacrifices. The more I converted to Azash, the more power I received. In time, I was able to secure a position here at the school where without their knowledge, these high and mighty scholars, I was teaching about Azash and his teachings. It was everything I had hoped for. I was the first disciple, the first of a few, and that was oh about 120, 130 years ago. Where does the time go, no?"
When the prisoner marvels and asks where the idol was taken, Khessa stares at him with cold blue eyes: "You're not the one asking the questions here - in case you haven't realized it yet. Now answer!"
And in fact, further urged by Master Akkron, the professor unfolds his long story.
"Oh, well..." comments the blonde arcane warrior "This is certain proof of Annias' guilt, if one day we decide to indict him. And it seems that the key to beating Azash is that of the faithful. He cares so much about making proselytes , that it is obvious that its power (perhaps apart from a small intrinsic core) depends on them. It is certainly advisable to notify the Lord of Brengia, so that he can close the dungeons below the castle and arrest those who use them. And it is probably also advisable to lend greater attention to common folk and social justice - because perhaps this man, if his parents had not been wronged, would have thought for a moment more, before throwing himself body and soul into the cult of Azash. This seems to be a war of souls no less than swords".
"Anyway it really takes uncommon blindness," the tall adventuress turns furiously to the prisoner "not to see that the path you chose would only have made things worse! Azash wants to dominate everyone, much more and much worse than any land lord! Assuming that he had won and that you had not failed him - as you did - who can guarantee that at that point he would not have treated you like everyone else? Enslaved worse than your parents? You would no longer have been of any use to him , once he had obtained everything... And your parents... so dear to you, of course... what do you think would have happened to them after Azash's victory? What would have prevented that god full of hate to ruthlessly devour their souls, since they had never served him? Oh, and then were you angry with those who mocked you? And don't you understand that Azash has mocked you all the time, making you work for him, but giving you in exchange only things that didn't satisfy you, but made you more and more a slave - as you yourself now report? You, as a desperate person... instead of looking for hope, you chose the path of definitive desperation!"
“You still need to finish telling us about these slivers and idols” Khessa insists. "If Azash, who is certainly not a benefactor or a gift giver, provides them to you all, it is clear that they have a purpose. The slivers he slips under your skin keep you in communion with him. Do you know what they are? What are they made of? How are they made? And the idols like yours? Apparently, they increase your power... but what do you know, exactly? Do you know what they are made of? And how do they work? Is it enough for you to own them? I don't thibnk so, since you didn't even notice when your idol was stolen..."
The professor shakes his head no. "I have no idea where the slivers come from, or what they are made of. With the assentation ceremony, they brought it out in a gold box, and inserted it under my skin. I did not see where it came from, or how it was made. But as soon as it was under my skin, the power flowed and grew over time. As for my idol, the last time I saw it, it was in my apartment. It was there when I left to teach class this morning. So yes, someone must have stolen it while I was in class. With whom did you find it with?"
“With the group of your students who seemed to latch on every word,” Tyekanik growls. “Yet another group you have corrupted it seems. They were trying to sacrifice a girl to summon a demon of some kind. Any idea why?” He leans large over the professor, clearly angry at what this man has led the youth to commit.
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
The professor shakes his head. "Godfried, it had to be Godfried. He hungered for power like I did, I saw myself in him. He was trying to go too fast, too hard. Did you find a book as well with him? He wasn't ready to perform the ceremony, it would have consumed him and his little group of friends. He must have gone into my apartment; he knew where I kept the idol and book for, he has seen me use it and where I kept it." He shakes his head again. "Are they all dead, did whatever he tried to summon destroy them?"
Akkron regards the prisoner for a moment before he adds his two cents.
"So let me make sure I'm understanding this correctly," he says slowly. "Your students said more or less the same thing when asked why they decided to follow Azash... so... if I am indeed understanding correctly... those who follow of Azash betrayed not only their country, but quite possibly the entire world, and sold their souls to a mad god because the couldn't get laid?! Look, back when I was a living man I made some bad decisions because of a woman... but this is just sad."
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Khessa can't help but smile... she too had noticed this common denominator in the motivations of the last captured Azash's faithfuls and in fact it seemed to her also like a futile reason to take such drastic decisions. Who knows... perhaps other reasons, in reality, were already smoldering underneath and this latest one was only the straw that broke the camel's back.
Sparhawk looks to Brother Maynard, then back to the party. "We'll keep the professor, and those students here for now. As for the name Ghnomb we heard, that's the Troll God of Eat. That makes sense if they are trying to influence one of the Troll Gods, it's the one who from what I recall, feels slighted as he was forced to keep the trolls from ranging down into the valleys to eat the cattle, sheep, and humans. It is strange that the only other one that I know of is Ghworg, the God of Kill, the leader of the Troll Gods. So far we haven't heard anything about him. So, what shall we do? Do we continue northward and speak to the Troll Gods through Bhlokw, or seek out the Zemoch basecamp?"
Khessa muses: "Both threats seem important... However, I would prefer to visit the Trolls first, in the hope of being so convincing as to not only dissuade them from supporting Azash, but to also convince them to support us!"
"Ghnomb feels slighted?" the blonde arcane warrior continues "Why not give him and the trolls the chance... to have a good feats of Zemoch's flesh? They won't taste much worse than humans, right? If we manage to convince the trolls, then we can attack Zemoch's base camp together. And if that joint initiative succeeded well and left both us and them satisfied, we could get them to support us in further actions. Transform them into our allies".
The tall adventurer searches with her blue eyes those of the others: "What do you think? Do you agree? Or do you prefer to give priority to Zemoch's camp?"
Akkron considers Brother Mayard's words and Khessa's suggestion for the next course of action...
"Perhaps," he says. "Though it might be just as reasonable to start with the Zemoch's base. After all, if we are in a position of strength after having wiped out a Zemoch stronghold, that may give us more bargaining power with the trolls. So it seems to me that either option could be the better one. Maybe we should simply choose the one that is closer to us... granted, I could try to teleport us to either, but without knowing the places first-hand, or perhaps having an associated object, there is a serious risk of complications when using such magic."
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"Tempting the trolls with the flesh of the fallen is a good thought," Tyekanik says, "As is showing them our strength. Either way, speed is of the essence."
((@DM - what's the terrain like where we are? Would we be going by land? Sailing?))
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Mal thinks for a moment, then speaks up, "At the moment, the trolls are working for our enemy, if we go to them, we don't really have a position of power to talk to them. Offering them the bodies of the Zemochs is just our words vs Azash's words, so if I was a troll, why rock the boat if I already have a plan set forth, and especially if we have to convince them our plan is better. Now say we approach the trolls after wiping out a Zemoch base, we will be coming from a position of power and showing that their "allies" are inferior and they will gain more glory and loot by siding with us." A chuckle escapes her lips, "Well of course after we pick it clean of the most beneficial loot anyway. I suggest we go for the Zemochs first and then head to the trolls."
Then she lightly touches Akkron's shoulder, "And as much as I trust your magical abilities, I would rather not try and teleport somewhere you have never been. I have witnessed the downsides of that firsthand."
You will be riding until you get to the shore, then take a ship to where the Trolls are. The Zemoch base camp is in the mountains
Sparhawk listens to the conversation. "It does make tactical sense, never leave an enemy behind you. If we take out the Zemoch base camp, it removes a threat and would only be a side trip that won't really interfere with us heading northward. If we are all in agreement, then let's rest up, prepare and leave in the morning. I will make sure based on what we have gathered so far, a good location to search for this hidden camp."
"So be it, then!" Khessa enthusiastically accepts "Zemoch base camp first. Tomorrow I will be ready".
(OOC: During the evening, before saying goodbye to her loved ones in dream and going to sleep, Khessa tries to copy into her spellbook, with the help of Master Akkron, another of the spells of which she had bought a scroll in Baldur's Gate : Synaptic Static)
Khessa's Arcana check: 19
You are successful