The Man to Help

The Temple of Daeus is clearly on high alert. Acolytes and Sunguards alike are hard at work across the expanse of the temple grounds blood being removed from the walls and pillars, the grass and pavement. The place, especially the doors, fairly bristle with Sunblades who eye everyone that come and go suspiciously. They are not barring those seeking, but those not of the temple itself are closely watched. The atmosphere is one of controlled sorrow and anger.

Dolan watches the proceedings from his position leaning against one of the pillars, in full adventuring kit, complete with longsword at one hip, a quiver of bolts at the other, and a light crossbow sitting in the grass at booted feet. He had offered to help, and had indeed taken a turn at the scrubbing, but now seems to be merely waiting, arms across his stomach, right arm holding the braced left close.

Cor'lana steps into the Temple of Daeus, wearing a dark-violet dress with a higher neckline than normal. This proves to mostly obscure the curuchuil on her chest, with only the top of the feather and the ends of the knotwork roots showing from underneath the fabric. She's no stranger to people staring at her, and so she maintains an even expression as she looks for Dolan.

Thankfully, she finds him quickly. She walks over to him and finds herself curtsying before him in greeting--perhaps because of the formality of the atmosphere, where a word said too casually might cause tempers and sorrows to flare. "Brydion," she says in greeting. "I came here as soon as I heard. Telamon's outside--he ran into someone as we were walking and they're talking, but I excused myself."

Her violet eyes are bright as she looks at him, sympathetic for the feeling that is all around her. "I was worried, and... it seems I had reason to be. I am here to be an ear should you wish it."

Evidently whatever was discussed outside wasn't particularly long or involved, as Telamon soon follows Lana in. Dressed in his usual -- ruffled white silk shirt, leather trousers, boots and his sleeveless over-cloak, with his circlet on his brow, he's not expecting trouble but he doesn't feel like being unprepared, either. Scanning the temple, he makes a bow to the Sunblades before catching sight of Lana and walking towards her and Dolan.

"Dolan," he addresses the man. "Is Andelena all right? Do they know how they got in?" He offers Dolan his hand to clasp in greeting, his starry eyes glittering with hard resolve.

Dolan seems to be quite alert, and he'd looked up long before they got close. His gaze holds strength, the arms relaxed, and he straightens when he sees her, but it also holds a gamut of thoughts - worry, guilt, uncertainty - that write themselves plainly across the mobile half of his features. "Brightest of days, you two," he greets soberly, taking the armclasp, his grasp strong and easy and very much its usual self. "Sorry I didn't make it back last night. She's - okay. She took it out herself, but -" His eyes drop, and he swallows. "Yeah. It took the face of her little brother. She was protecting him in the Temple while I was gone. I wasn't there for her. It was - pretty bad."

The weight hangs heavily on Cor'lana, her eyes turning downcast with Dolan's words. "That..." She shakes her head. "That is so awful. I'm so sorry. If I'd known that our mission would result in you being away from her..."

She stews on that for a moment. But then she regards Dolan. "But you were instrumental for that poor man. Life has us often taking the hardest choices and seeing the consequences of them."

Telamon does something that, he hopes, might raise Dolan's spirits a tiny bit, even in the face of this atrocity.

He takes Lana's hand. A simple gesture, but one that speaks volumes. "But still," he says firmly, "where there's life, there's hope. You said Andelena was protecting her little brother... was he actually here? Or did the fiend play-act as him the whole time? I can't believe he could've sustained the disguise for very long, here of all places."

The gesture is not lost on Dolan, and even amid the guilty weight he so plainly wears, the lone brown eye brightens, and he looks up. "The curse is gone! Knight be praised for that. How'd you do it?"

The pleasure is short-lived, though, and the smile fades again, quickly. "Probably play-acting. I haven't been able to bring myself to tell Andie -" A hard exhale. "He didn't have to. Seb showed up right before we left, and Andie decided to stay with him at the Temple while I was gone. I don't know how to tell her where the real Seb probably is, if I'm right about what attacked her. I just know we've got to stop this piece of shit, and fast.

He seems, at least, to be present, and a laser focus sits shoulder-to-shoulder with the worry and the guilt. "Soon as she's done talking to the Masters, we're going to go find Magpie and see if the book knows what his weakness is or how to stop him. Andie threw him back to the Hells, but I don't have any illusions of how long that will last." A moment's pause, and he adds, "Do you two know a way to find out for sure where the real Seb is, if we can get something of his?"

"I know, Lana. I made her a promise. She's not angry, thankfully, but I don't feel any better for it. Where are they holding that man? I'll try to help him as much as I can. I've got to do that much."

Cor'lana's hand squeezes Telamon's, and she smiles softly. "Verna was able to break the curse," she says. "It is only fitting that family could break it for family."

But the subject turns back to the demon, and her face similarly curdles back into a frown. "I have a feeling we all know where the real Seb is," she says. "To find Daechir, we used a scrying spell and then a vision spell--things that I can prepare. If your fiancee can provide something of his, that may help."

She looks thoughtful. "I'm not sure where Daechir is being kept. Do you happen to know, Telamon?" she asks, looking up at her husband.

Telamon nods in unison with Cor'lana. "It wasn't pleasant, but it did get broken." He looks at Lana, and his cheeks color a tiny bit. "Needless to say, we're both thrilled, for numerous obvious reasons."

He firmly brings his thoughts back to the task at hand. "Maybe, or maybe not. But as Lana says, there are ways to locate someone who's lost -- even if they've been taken elsewhere in the universe. But I pray that's not the case."

At Lana's inquiry, he shakes his head. "Aya took him away after we'd returned. I'm not sure he's going to be in any state to answer questions for a while, either." His eyes meet Dolan's. "You understand." It's not a question.

"It ain't about questioning him, Tel." Immediately, Dolan shakes his head, straightening up and directing that stare at the starborn. "I was in there just long enough to get half an idea of what he's been put through. His spirit's been crushed, and it's going to take a damned miracle to reach him now. The Knight's blessing is giving me half a chance to maybe reach him, if his girl'll let me. I want to at least try. If she'll let me. I want to deny that bastard the victory."

So many things are written across both sides of his face, muted among the scars but still present, and there for the reading. "I can't imagine what not being able to touch Andie would be like, for either of us," he admits. "I don't want to think about it. So I'm not going to. I'm going to make sure Andie's little brother doesn't meet the same fate. I'll see if Andie can get, or has, something of his. If I do that, will you help me find him? Magpie can help me find Jal'goroth."

Cor'lana regards Dolan for a moment, looking at the complicated expression that her friend wears. "We can and will help you," she says finally. "I have something that can kill Jal'goroth if you find him on this plane."

But she then wears a small smile on her face. "There's a lot on your mind, though, Brydion. I can see it in your face. That's a little more pressing to me at the moment than anything else. A lot has happened--and you need the space to talk about it. Just as I needed the space to talk about what happened with Zalgiman and you compelled it out of me."

Telamon ahhs. "My apologies. I misread the intent." At the mention of the Knight's blessing, his eyes twinkle. "Ah, you're thinking of the gift of light? It's good that you have that too, my friend. I may enjoy the nighttime but the light is also much beloved. And denying the forces of darkness any victory at all, well... that's a perfectly reasonable goal."

He nods firmly. "Don't let yourself get overwhelmed with everything. Focus on the task at hand. Both Lana and I are happy to assist as you need, too." He flexes his fingers. "I don't know about you, but it'll give me great pleasure to keep dealing setbacks to these bastards."

"I - don't exactly know how it happened, Tel. I was trying to call on the Knight, while-" Dolan stops, swallows hard, and wraps his arms around his stomach again. "It happened without me having to cast anything," he finishes, softly. "And it was the only thing that could get a response out of him. I can only think it's a blessing, and I'm damn well going to make use of it."

He goes very, very still, then. "I mean, I may as well be helpful for something. About the only thing I managed in the Hells was to get myself trapped." A shudder ripples through him, and he rubs reflexively at the side of his neck. "Thank you both for the rescue."

Cor'lana shakes her head. "You're selling yourself far too short, Brydion," she says, fixing him with an empathetic and warm gaze. "That thing prowling the halls of the Temple was a terrifying magical entity. I should have thought to use my true sight spell sooner. You were the person best equipped to help Daechir out of all of us who came. You are blessed with Daeus's light, and you brought that light to him."

She smiles gently. "Pothy was right," she says. "Remember what he said. He's annoyingly accurate like that at times."

Telamon is almost in unison with Lana, shaking his head as well. "I don't think any of us were operating at our best, and it's the Hells. There's nothing 'right' about that place." He snorts. "That thing... that was a lot more teeth than ANY of us wanted to see. The perfect jailor too -- even if somehow you'd get it, if it caught you you'd be right back where you started." He shivers a bit.

"In any case, you were, and probably still are, the man needed to help Daechir. I suspect the best place to find out where he's being kept would be to ask Aya's sister, Aryia. She'd definitely know." He taps his chin. "In the interim, though, let me offer some reassurances. The light isn't some strange problem. It is a blessing. A gift. Sometimes, the nature of the world, and the magic therein, lets people gather a tiny bit of mana to themselves, instinctively. There's a parallel with the 'talent' as I call it, but... that's a bit more complex than most people want to deal with."

It's a lot of information there, a lot to process, and Dolan lifts a hand to scratch at his hairline as he mulls that over. "It's - pretty reassuring, honestly. And it'll make our wedding rites way easier. I've got no talent at all, but it's nice to know there's at least something there." This admission is accompanied by a lopsided grin. "Honestly, I'm grateful for it. If I can help, I will. I don't think I know this Aryia, but I can ask around."

The lopsided smile fades, though. "That could have been bad without you two there, though. I - just seeing chains freaks me out pretty bad," he admits quietly. "Being in 'em's worse. I've spent enough time in chains." Another shudder.

"Look, I've got to make an admission to you two. When we go after Jal'goroth, or whichever piece of shit, or all of them - we'd better take some help. People who can fight. I - need to be pretty careful. I didn't say so at the time, but when Daechir tackled me to the floor, he - um, he took my shoulder out. It's been healed," he adds quickly. "I'm okay. It won't be good if I'm the only one who can go toe-to-toe, though."

Cor'lana knows, firsthand, exactly the meaning of that shudder. She's seen it now both in the waking world and in the dreaming world, and she, too, shudders a little, remembering the dream where they were the stuff born of nightmare. "If I could make it so--I would destroy all of the chains in the world," she says in a compassionate tone.

She looks thoughtful as Dolan comments on needing more combatants. "Aya can go toe-to-toe," she says. "But she may be occupied with caring for Daechir. I'll have to review my options. It feels like everyone I know prefers to fight from afar."

And then Cor'lana looks up at Dolan. "... Maybe I'll have to pick up skills of my own," she says. "Because it's not fair for you to take that all on your own. It's not fair for me to keep asking you to come forward because you're one of the strongest fighters I know."

Telamon gives Lana a look. "Play to your strengths, dear. It's good to have back up plans, but you don't know how to wear armor, and you've never trained with it. Neither do I. No, we should probably pursue arcane remedies, while others handle the punching of faces." He steeples his fingers, thinking. "Good fighters are hard to find. But there's a paladin, Serene, in the temple of Eluna. I might try to approach her, ask her for assistance. If Aryia and Aya aren't available, we could collect Skielstregar -- he's a one-man disaster when his dander is up."

Slipping his hand into Lana's once again, Tel smiles. "We'll have to make some inquiries. But the more friends, and the more knowledge we have, the better. Fiends don't fight fair -- so we shouldn't either."

"Skielstregar's a one-lizard wrecking crew," Dolan's cheeky grin suddenly flashes, stretching his features even as they light up. "I'll want him at my back any day. Dirk's helpful, but he fights at range. We ought to see about who else can help." He returns his arms to that folded position across his stomach, turning his attention to Lana. "I'm going to run into them again, Lana. Don't think I don't know that." His tone is gentle. "I just have to find ways to deal with it. You two are both incredible with what you can do, we need that, too. We just can't stoop to their level, because if we do, they win, yeah?"

Just seeing Dolan grin puts a smile on Cor'lana's face again, especially as Telamon takes her hand. "We'll put out feelers, then," she says. "Call on the ones we do know to support us. And..."

She looks thoughtful again. "Maybe we ought to look into..." Cor'lana grins widely. "You know. 'Wedding gifts'. I think you and your fiancee are the type of people who would appreciate enchanted armor and weapons in lieu of something boring like a porcelain teapot, right? Telamon does know people for that."

Telamon nods in agreement. "We'll definitely have to put the word out. Though I want to make it clear we need experienced warriors. I've seen some very new faces at the Guild, and I don't want some poor fellow to sign on when he's completely out of his depth." His expression becomes calculating. "But, that doesn't mean they can't help. I'll need to think on this a bit."

At the mention of wedding gifts, Telamon's eyes light up. "Indeed. The Vintner doesn't usually deal in enchanted weapons... but he keeps a hand in, and he might be able to supply some introductions or suggestions. I should take you and Andie there sometime, Dolan, you'd enjoy it."

Dolan nods his agreement, listening closely. "We've got to learn more about what's holding that portal open, too. As much as I want Jal'goroth's ugly hide for a sword-rag, there's too many like him out there. The best way to make all of this stop is to close that portal, take out the Maw, and give his master no more reason to be around here. I'll speak to Verna about that, and to Magpie about dealing with Jal'goroth, if you two can help me find Seb."

The mention of wedding gifts softens his smile. "You've got some time. We're thinking come the summer - and yes, an introduction to anything that'll help us lay waste to fiends will be more than suitable. Mind you, that's entirely too costly for you to actually buy," he adds. "The introduction would help. As for this Vintner - we could use a break, you're not wrong."

Cor'lana nods entirely in agreement. "I know that Verna's been researching the portal and the Red Maw," she states. "Her attention was primarily on that when I went to visit her the other day--that, and breaking the curse." Here, she gives Telamon's hand a little squeeze. "Which means her attention is now firmly on the portal. And our attention will be on finding Seb for you."

She grins at the mention of the Vintner. "You'll like him," she says. "Odd decision to run a weapons shop in the Noble District, but then again, his clientele is a specific sort of person. He's located next to Jovani, Telamon's tailor--I think you've met, if I remember Telamon correctly."

Telamon smiles, though his eyes betray a little concern. "I worry that Verna's going to overwork herself, is all. But, whatever insights she can find will undoubtedly be useful." At Lana's squeeze, he squeezes back and nods. "I wonder... we've obsessed so much about fiends being summoned. What if they're just walking in from that portal? None of them have been particularly weak, which means many of them have access to teleportation magics. Step through the portal, jump to just outside Alexandria, take on disguise, walk in." Tel's expression becomes faintly sour. "...Bet you that's their plan."

He takes a deep breath. "Well. Just means we need to redouble our efforts. I wonder if we could bait the Red Maw away, long enough to close the portal. It seems to guard it, and we need to get in and shut it down so that it's weakened."

Dolan's black scowl says that he hadn't thought about that possibility, and he swears colorfully. "Of course. That is probably exactly what they're doing, and they might also have help getting over here from Dace Zinskas. We know that it's possible to move via the Dream, too. Too many possibilities." This time, his arms shift a little, crossing across his chest.

A quirk of lips does follow. "Yeah, I know Jovani. Haven't been to his shop, though. We'll have to pay this fellow a visit - and I suppose I ought to see about wedding clothes, too."

"It is possible to move via the Dream," Cor'lana says, and... despite the subject matter, she smiles, albeit bashfully. "Telamon and I found out the hard way one night when we woke up outside of Alexandria with our nightclothes on. Thankfully it was the dead of winter, so I'd worn a woolen nightgown to bed. We'd teleported to escape Dace Zinskas in a dream, and well..."

She grins. "I'd say you'll look fetching for your wedding, but there's only two people whose opinions matter about the looks of those getting married for a wedding: the people getting married. Based on everything you've ever told me about your fiancee, Brydion, I imagine she will think you're the most handsome man alive when you're swearing vows before each other."

Telamon chuckles grimly. "Precisely my thoughts. For a while I thought they were putting an extradimensional pocket into the city and summoning there, but that doesn't work. I'll send you the details if you're curious, but suffice to say that while you can make a pocket, the ward promptly 'flows' into it."

"But yes. Jovani will be overjoyed to see you bouncing back. And you know he's good at what he does. If Andelena's looking for a dress she could do a lot worse than Jovani. You know, you never did tell me what she thought of that outfit Jovani and I cooked up for you." His eyes twinkle gleefully.

That twinkle is matched in Dolan's wicked look, and in that particular tone in his laugh. "Yeah, I do. I'll recommend it, though I'll never know how you managed to talk her into wearing a dress at all. She looked incredible." The look turns thoughtful, and if possible, even more wicked. "I'm not sure which she liked more, me in it or me out of it. The sling helped, although Dirk grabbed me anyway." Oh well, his tone says. "I'd never had an outfit like that before."

Cor'lana snickers, the feytouched mischief quickly coming to play in her eyes. "Jovani's work tends to have that effect on people," she says. "His clothes bring out a different side of people than what is normally perceived, I think. At the very least, people started reacting to me differently after I started wearing bodices and corsets from his shop." The last is said very innocently--in the sense that it's very obviously intended to get a laugh out of both Telamon and Dolan.

She looks up at Telamon. "So I suppose that means you'll be introducing them to Jovani again, followed by the Vintner," she says, before looking at Dolan again. "Could do worse for weddings. Not everyone gets to be dressed--and dressed to kill--for their big day."

Telamon does laugh, at both Dolan's comments and Lana's sally. "It's a different world, Dolan. But I think you did just fine. It can be hard to step outside your usual paths." He grins at Lana. "And you. You're as bad as he is. How many outfits did you have when we first met, again?" He lifts Lana's hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it.

"So yes. We'll need to kill every fiend and fiend-licker we find, stomp out the portal, kill the Red Maw or at least banish it, and then get ready for your wedding." His eyes glint. "How hard can it be?"

"Think of it as a reward for all the shit we've been through," Dolan laughs, at both of their comments, his remaining eye bright as he watches the caress. That is one problem solved, at the least. There are so many others, skillfully enumerated, but - it's a start. "Not everyone pays that much attention to their clothes, Tel. Get used to it."

Lana gets a softer look, but a pleased one. "Yeah. It's a power," he remarks, semi-seriously. "I couldn't tell you how it works. I know better than to ever even try getting Andie into one of those, though, much as I'd love to."

Then, the smile fades entirely. "Thank you, both of you. You're right. Just focus on what's to be done. I think too much when I don't have enough to do."

"It's not so much that thinking is the problem," Cor'lana replies knowingly, offering Dolan a empathetic smile. "It's... having the soil where the darkest of thoughts take root and bloom into evil flowers. Like the ivy that crawls up the sides of the house, it invades when you least want it to or expect it to. It interferes even if you're trying to work on the house."

Cor'lana tilts her head a little to one side. "But because you know the ivy personally--because you have seen it before and you have wrestled with it--you are better suited to help others who are struggling with their own varieties. Such as Daechir. It is the silver lining of having lived with such. If there is any beautiful notion--it is the house that stands despite the ivy that must be cut down, and the house that stands in a neighborhood of those with the ivy, all owners and caretakers going to help each other."

Then she smiles widely. "In that, I hope we are a good neighborhood," she says. "If that makes any sense. We ought not to keep you further from your fiancee. As for the corset? You should ask her. A lady is willing to do a lot for the one she loves."

Telamon lifts his eyebrows at Lana's terms, but he smiles. "That is... very perceptive, and well spoken, Lana," he replies. "People as the house, and relationships as neighborhoods. We are definitely going to need to talk about this further -- and I'm not arguing at all, I'm just fascinated by this line of thought."

He bends down to kiss Lana's cheek, before nodding to Dolan. "I found when I was helping Andelena select her gown that 'play to your strengths' was the best angle. Encourage her to look at things that she thinks would be best for her." He chuckles. "Hence why I suggested the sleeveless gown. She wanted to show off a bit, and judging from your approval, I think she did."

He reaches over to offer Dolan another armclasp. "But yes. Lana is right. Go find Andelena. She's probably missing you."

"She's with the Masters," Dolan corrects, uncrossing his arms, taking the arm, and clasping it firmly. There's an expression, though, there, a pensive one that suggests that the words Lana offers did not go unheeded. "Yeah. I -" His hand drops, then, and his gaze drops with it. "I s'pose I just didn't want you to think less of me for it. It's a pain in the arse sometimes," he admits. "But - I guess I don't really have any regrets. It worked out."

As for Andelena -" Oh, there was plenty there to look at, Tel, for certain sure. And it was all worth a long look, too." Something sparkles in that brown eye, something very much at odds with the expressionless mask of scars on the other side. "I'll keep that in mind, but speaking of-" He looks across the temple grounds, to where a familiar mane of red hair is visible, even from here. "I'd better go. Thanks, both of you. Brightest of days, and I'll check in in a few days."

With that, he turns away, with a flash of grin at the pair, and strides purposefully across the Temple grounds.

"Think less of you? Quite the opposite," Cor'lana says with a smile. "It made me think you're one of the strongest people I know--and that you're a friend who knows some of my darkness better than most. Keep well, Brydion."

She watches him walk away and looks up at Telamon with a flash of realization. "I completely forgot," she says with a little frown. "Pothy wanted me to say hi on his behalf..."

But the sorceress just takes Telamon's arm in hers. "I suppose it's an excuse to find something extra-nice for him to eat," she says. "We have the rest of the day ahead of us."

Telamon just smiles at Dolan. "We will always be friends, I think. We may not quite agree on everything, but I think we get along well enough. And we've been through enough times, been there for each other enough times, that I doubt I could think poorly of you. Brightest of days and nights, my friend."

Watching Dolan depart, he smiles at Lana. "It'll be fine. We'll grab Pothy something special. And at some point, we need to have a proper dinner with all our friends." Hooking his arm in Lana's, the two begin to head off.

"So, my love, where to first? As long as we go there together, I'm game."