Editing Chapter 5.43

{{Infobox_episode|title = Chapter 5.43|published = December 4, 2018|previousChapter = [[Chapter 5.42]]|wordcount = 19,696|nextChapter = [[Interlude – Niers]]|link=[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/12/04/5-43/  Chapter 5.43]}}'''Chapter 5.43''' is the 46th chapter of [[Volume 5]], and the 24th chapter of [[Book 8]], '''Blood of Liscor'''.

== tl;dr ==
Adventurers fail to free the Gnolls. 20 more [[Raskghar]] awaken. Ceria avoids being raped by Calruz. Mrsha breaks locks with magic. Snatcher makes it into camp and the Gnolls attempt fleeing.

== Synopsis ==

Some [[Cave Goblins]] flee during the fighting, due to rumors of better [[Redfang Elite Warriors|masters]] springing up.

Adventurer teams try to attack the [[Raskghar]] camp from two sides, but are unable to do so. With Halrac and his team, as well as the [[Silver Swords]], being part of the group to try and encircle the camp, they are pushed back by artifact-wielding [[Raskghar]], led by [[Nokha]].

The adventurers decide to withdraw for now; when they do get back to the Raskghar camp, all of them, including the Gnolls, disappeared through the back exit. Frustrated, the adventurer teams decide to pull back through [[Erin]]'s [[Magical Door]], which they set up, with one of [[Pisces]]' Bone Horrors staying behind to destroy the remains when they were all through.

Back in the [[The Wandering Inn|inn]], the distraught adventurers try to make sense of the situation. Xess of Reldiev Scalers tells [[Jelaqua]] that they had messed up the ambush by being seen too early, while [[Pisces]] and other adventurers talk about the contents of [[Ceria]]'s ''message''; [[Mrsha]] is safe for now, but 20 more Gnolls are to be sacrificed and [[Calruz]] suspects treachery. Furthermore, they suspect that the ''quick and lucid'' Raskghar was the result of the ritual being performed.

The [[Raskghar]] move their camp back to the old place they inhabited previously and perform the ritual 20 more times; there are now 21 awakened Raskghar. To celebrate the occassion, all of the [[Raskghar#Powers and Abilities|Awakened]] want to mate. [[Calruz]] tries to force [[Ceria]] to do the same, trying to convince her by stating that he's her ''chieftain''. Ceria manages to appeal to his still sane side. Enraged, Calruz throws her which causes Ceria's wand to come loose. Calruz picks another Raskghar. 

[[Ceria]], crying herself to sleep, manages to form a sharp dagger out of her tears. 

Meanwhile, [[Erin]] moves through her door to the [[Cave Goblins|Goblins]]' hideout, trying to come up with a plan. The Redfangs agree to try and find the Raskghar camp again.

[[Mrsha]], distraugt, throws poo at one of the Raskghar. The riled up Raskghar hurts her, but doesn't kill her for fear of Calruz' retribution.

Calruz, in order to see the strength of his newly awakened Raskghar, decides to attack the nest of [[Scalelings|The Children]]. On the way there, [[Nokha]] asks Ceria what a ''Half-Elf'' is, but [[Ceria]] doesn't go into details. Nokha states that they need Calruz because he's smart and strong, however, Ceria can see that she's lying, as the awakened Raskghar has not yet learned proper body language.

The awakened manage to easily root out the nest they are attacking. [[Ceria]] and [[Calruz]] afterwards loot the nest, and Calruz tells her that his big goal is that the knows it's *wrong* to sacrifice the Gnolls, but that he wants to lead his forces to the [[Liscor's Dungeon|City]] in order to earn glory for his [[Horns of Hammerad|old team]]; he cannot honor them with anything else.

[[Ceria]] informs [[Calruz]] about [[Nokha]] being able to lie and that the awakened [[Raskghar]] are not fully loyal to him. He dismisses this, however, Ceria suspects that the ritual makes them smarter ''all the time.'' Calruz agrees to not sacrifice anymore Gnolls for now, but wants to [[Ceria]]'s help to defeat the already awakened. He then reveals that he knows about Ceria's ice dagger, stating that it would have been ineffective against his [Thick Skin].

[[Pisces]] receives a message in the form of a firefly from [[Ceria]], making him aware of her assumptions of the [[Raskghar]] intending to revolt. [[Pisces]] then joins [[Erin]] in the Goblins' hideout, but is nervous by all the Goblins that are abound. Together, they form a plan.

Back in the Raskghar camp, [[Mrsha]] finds [[Ceria]]'s wand that rolled up to her cage and manages to remove her shackles with [Grow Grass]. The other Gnolls, having noticed, stare at her, stating that Gnolls aren't able to learn magic. Mrsha, after being convincd by [[Elirr]], manages to free several other Gnolls from their shackles too.

[[Calruz]] informs the Raskghar that they will stop with the sacrifices, but that they will attack the city, however, Snatcher show himself with heads on sticks around a corner. Everyone tries to stay as still as possible, however, one of the Gnolls intentionally starts shouting defiance and Mrsha starts to howl, which alerts not only Snatcher and other monsters in the dungeon, but also the [[Redfang Elite Warriors|Hobgoblins]] on the search for Gnolls. [[Snatcher]] moves towards them, but Ceria as well as the [[Cave Goblins]] and Raskghar try to fight [[Snatcher|him]].

During the initial chaos, free of shackles, the Gnolls manage to escape the cages.

== Characters ==
* [[Cave Goblins]]
* Gold-rank Adventurers
** [[Typhenous]]
** [[Flamewardens]]
*** [[Keldrass]]
** [[Halrac Everam]]
** [[Revi]]
** [[Silver Swords]]
*** [[Dawil Ironbreaker]]
** [[Jelaqua Ivirith]]
** [[Seborn]]
** [[Moore]]
** Reldiev Scalers (''First Official Appearance'')'' ''
*** Cassa (''Identity Revealed'') (''Deceased'')
*** Xess (''Identity Revealed'')
** [[Bevussa Slenderscale]]
** [[Zassil]]
* [[Raskghar]] (21 Awakened Raskghar)
** Armored Raskghar
** [[Nokha]] (''Identity Revealed'')
* [[Pisces]]
* [[Yvlon Byres]]
* [[Ksmvr]]
* [[Erin Solstice]]
* [[Lyonette du Marquin]]
* [[Apista]]
* [[Pawn]]
* [[Painted Soldiers]]
* Captive Gnolls (64 = 44 Alive and 20 Deceased)
** [[Vakk]] (''Deceased'')
** [[Mrsha]]
** [[Elirr]]
* [[Calruz]]
* [[Ceria Springwalker]]
* [[Pebblesnatch]]
* [[Headscratcher]]
* [[Rabbiteater]]
* [[Numbtongue]]
* [[Shorthilt]]
* [[Badarrow]]
* [[Niers Astoragon]] (''Only trough Magical Chessboard'')
* [[Snatcher]]
== Locations ==
* [[Floodplains]]
** [[Liscor's Dungeon]]
*** Cave Entrance
** [[The Wandering Inn]]

== Creatures ==
* Bone Horrors
* [[Scalelings]]  

== Magical Artifacts ==
* [[Magical Door]]
* [[Ceria Springwalker#Equipment|Gazereye Stone Wand]]
* Magical Chessboard
[[Category:Chapters]]
[[Category:Volume 5]]
[[Category:Book 8]]