The trip back to the duchy was a tense ohe [Kobold] tribe had no mounts, and were forced to pack all their things with them. They did still have a wooden cart lying around, from which they could carry 'the hoard'. Despite being as small as they are, they are very strong, having no trouble pulling the cart of ies. The expedition was down a man, James was the only one who hadn't been saved. Their strange mermaid doctor cimed that she could keep aable and teically alive, as long as they weren't properly dead. Eliana had no idea what the mermaid cssified as dead, but she was certain her son wasn't dead yet. If he was, then she would be givieward a taste of hell.
Kharn's stant snooping around the kobold's cart did spark a few moments of trouble, especially when their dot involved. The kobolds were as fanatic as one could expect when the kin ons is involved, while the soldiers didn't really get over the fact that the same doctor had really mauled some of them. Zulie was still mentally rec, and would no doubt be fag nightmares for months. Esstrey's endless prodding of the duchess didn't do anyone any favors either, she didn't treat her like someone of her stature should be treated at all. Eliana was clearly somewhat off-put by the questioning, but was too desperate to find a cure for her son to berate the mad doctor.
For Esstrey it was annoying how stingy the expedition is with information, is everyone in this world usually so stubborn? She was barely able to find out that this [tral Governor] has been around for as long as anyone on 'this p' remembers. That questiered a whole slew of questioing to something called [The Veil] eg many worlds with portals, new worlds frequently e into cross-world flict, especially if they are deemed valuable. This p is of [on] quality, and it had been ied long ago. A rather disgusting form of imperialism, where it seems that a mae that could be better pared to a natural disaster is the one responsible for setting up the es. Esstrey simply hopes that Earth will never have to face this thing, she could already imagine what the 'cool-headed minds' in charge of the nuclear arsenal would do in such a sario. She may have lost many memories, but the sheer strategic destru that be wrought by nuclear war is not something so easily fotten once you learn about it.
As the capital city of Malencia, Malus es in sight, Esstrey realizes this is one of the few long-distarips she had in these other worlds that didn't involve attempted robbery. Not from a ck mind you, she detected plenty of heartbeats following them at various moments. The [tral Governor] seems tthen everyohat practices enough, whether it be raiding or driving a coach. The entire coach seems to rock very little over the rough terrain. There are other things that catch Esstrey's eye that proves this theory, like how the cavalrymeo have no trouble steering their horses, who are obviously uled by the pany of the expedition.
The duchy itself is located in a er of the Faerune Kingdom, the entire kingdom is well entrenched due te amount of natural barriers, ao the east, with mountain rao the north-west and the south-west. The duchy is located to the south, fnked by the western pass and the southern pass. The nations outside these passes are said to be savages, but Esstrey guesses that those nations simply don't have the natural barriers the Faerune kingdom has, giving the occasional warlord an easy time. sidering the size of the city Malus, the duchy has made good use of its advantageous position in the world tthen itself greatly, and the current mastermind that engihis situation is currently located in a coaot eveers away from her. Said mastermind also apparently has an issue that she warey to solve.
Esstrey 't tain the grin growing on her face, resources are a vital part of waging quest, and a little merary work for the highest bidder is an easy and safe way to get such resources. It's unlikely she could get herself an enermaids to do piracy here, sihe Faerune Kingdom doesn't have rge standing crime issues. Rowan did try to mention something about illegal religion, but was quickly hushed by Kharn. No matter, she will get information about this one way or the other. If need be she could always summon Zha'klos again, she seemed co-operative enough, albeit a bit aggressive.
For now, Esstrey has more important matters to attend to, like attempting to do a little painting on the kobold cart while they move, there's nothing really special about Malus itself that Esstrey hasn't seen before. A quice reveals it's your average, albeit rge European style medieval city. In the ter is a castle on a piece of high ground, while the city itself is already surrounded by walls. It all seems a bit overdone, especially sidering how irrelevant walls bee against certain foes, Esstrey herself probably wouldn't have much trouble just climbing the walls. Maybe the castle on the hill is there so the nobles look down on the general popuce? That would fit with what Esstrey knows about nobles.
Esstrey's crude painting of a certain demon lord fighting off a band of assassins with guns is interrupted by the voice of the duchess as they approach the hill.
"Doctor, I would like to request you cease carving into the cart of your subordinates and focus, once we ehe castle I expect you to act with at least a modicum of de. I have many internal ehat would love to spread more rumors of my dealings with the less than savory figures of society. This is where the kobolds will enter a sedary passage that leads below the castle, they set up deeper there. Kharhem." The duchess is actually mildly surprised whech adopts a bored look on her face, shifts her body to be stable, and seems tard all her surroundings with a look of disdain and disappoi only a practiced court noble could normally wear. It doesn't stop the sight of the huge mermaid pig up a kobold and patting it on the head any less ridiculous, but as she sets the kobold ba the cart, she at least take so the fact that the witch won't be embarrassioo much duriay here.
