Chapter 5.54 (Rewrite)

Chapter 5.54 (Rewrite)
Chapter 5.53; Chapter 5.54 (Non-Canon) ;	Interlude – Krshia
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Chapter 5.54 (Rewrite) is the 59th chapter of Volume 5 and the 11th chapter of Book 9, Tears of Liscor.

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

Erin starts throwin punches so the hobs can flee. Only Numbtongue succeeds. Every group has their own cell, so no prison rules. Surprisingly nice accomodations. Calruz has his own cell and appears broken and confused. The hobs are sorry for what the old hob did, and Erin is having none of it; it’s not their fault what other people do, after all. Reminded of this casual acceptance of them as people, among each other they reaffirm their decision to leave the inn.

Informed of the trebuchets, Klbkch gives orders to prepare the Hive for war. Enraged and swearing to kill the hob responsible, the Free Queen still tries to save Bird, yet despite her efforts the worker continues to fade. The other queens start a conference call and surprise the Free Queen in her ministrations. Klbkch is able to convince the Queens not to dismiss a single worker's life; instead the Silent Queen aids in saving Bird. Once he's stable, the conference commences. They recognise the Free Antinium's progressing the Antinium. Klbkch informs the queens of the trebuchets. They consider the developments, and whether to open hostilities, when, and with whom. Strategies are discussed. The Grand Queen’s decision is to abandon Liscor once its walls are breached and only retake it once all Hives are able to render reinforcements. Xrn explains that the Hive is to offer refuge for the city’s citizens, and only later retake the city, to become its saviour and future ruler/administrator, with a gnoll and drake populace. If the Drakes object, it would turn into the Third Antinium War.

After the conference ends, Klbkch considers the plan. He doesn’t think the Liscorians will take refuge in the Hive – Drakes do not run and all that. But he and the Free Hive will follow the plan regardless. Bird, conscious, in pain, and forgotten throughout that conference, asks his queen if he’s allowed to cry. Aghast at that request, she allows it. The cries are in the typical Antinium monotone way of speech, more reciting than anything, and above all, as annoying as a human baby’s cries would be to its parents.

Az’kerash gets updated by Goblin Lord Reiss, and vice versa. Reiss is incensed at Az’kerash’s suggestion to play into Lord Tyrion’s plans. Az’kerash’s plan is mostly consistent with Tyrion’s, sacrificing goblins to take the city, but during the battle he will sockpuppet his apprentice Reiss to animate all the undead, regardless of species, and have them aid the goblins. Furthermore Bea and Venitra are to aid as well. Reiss is only somewhat convinced there’s hope to take and hold a city,but hope for goblins it is.

Olesm, informed of the Walled Cities request for confirmation and general hesitation, rushes through to Pallass to convince them to aid and faces off against the gnoll senator. He runs roughshod over the senator, insisting on outranking him as the [Strategist], even though he‘s in another city. In an impromptu speech Olesm professes his disgust at the cowardice of Pallass and the other cities in waffling with their aid. Only then does he realise his words were being broadcast worldwide and he flees back to Liscor. Following an inspiration, he pours over the reports from a previous siege of another city, where the populace retreated into a dungeon and held there, for months.

On Baleros Niers has his students comment on the upcoming siege on Liscor and offers his verdict: Olesm’s speech, and with it the implication of the broadcast as public communication (and public indemnation) to the populace, may have given Liscor a chance. Glancing at the dot on the map he made indicating the inn, he ponders perhaps more than a chance.

After most of the hubbub died down, Watchmen and Soldiers are guarding Erin’s magical door, despite the presence of gold-ranked adventurers within in the inn. They all fall asleep curtesy of Typhenous’ magic. He was tasked with securing the door for someone else and gets interrupted and disarmed by Eltistiman, the supposed illusion specialist, who has himself orders to ensure the door stays at the inn. The two discuss and Typhenous’ motive is revealed, as is his sponsor, the "Smiling Man". Eltistiman implies his is Lady Bethal. Unexpected by Eltistiman the Brothers of Serendipitous Meetings and Sisters of Chell come to Typhenous’ aid and knock the illusionist out. After some quick discussion and warnings by the old mage, the rogues depart with the door. They avoid the City Watch and are waylaid and defeated by Numbtongue and thousands of cave goblins. The door and its mana stones are safe again. In the inn Typhenous takes care of Eltistiman and thinks of his sponsors, not just Veltras, but a Pallassian senator and an unknown party as well, whose orders overlapped for Typhenous. He still destroys the mana stone for the connection to Pallass, nicked in the confusion before, to fulfil the orders.