An adventuring party recruited from Osirion teleports into Azir on the 8th of Desnus. Rahadoum's recruiting contact in Osirion wrote ahead to note they were expected. Couple of guys he's known a long time - a wizard, a ranger - and a new guy, sorcerer, probably to replace the cleric they usually travel with. They spend two days in Azir getting oriented and head out to the front. The ranger wears an unusually high quality amulet of Nondetection; the sorcerer wears a headband for intelligence, which is a bit unusual as sorcerers usually don't need it to cast, but some variants do; they are otherwise unremarkable. Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, no reading, which could mean neutral or 'hiding it'. They work quickly and effectively, manage resources reasonably well, get recommended to higher-ups for a closer look on that account.
Nayoki is understandably pretty shaken by this! She takes it with much more composure than Vanyel, though, she hears Parmida out and asks some questions and then says she would like to hear right away when they have news.
- Oh, also, whoever does end up resurrecting Leareth should be aware that he's likely to be very panicked about all of the occurrences, especially if he doesn't remember anything in between, and they should have someone there he knows who can explain everything that's going on, she's happy to come if they want.
That makes sense, of course he does. He must be so horrified about this. Nayoki really hopes it won't affect diplomatic relations with Osirion too badly. She likes the pharaoh, his magic researchers were wonderfully helpful.
He's in a river. Or something. Floating, anyway. Nothing hurts, but - something is wrong.
He tries to remember where he is and how he got here, and can't. He makes a halfhearted grasping attempt to do magic, a Gate or even just a light to see what's going on, and he can't do that either. He's so tired and confused and he can't remember...
No, he does remember dying.
Scared, scaredscaredscared -
Someone will - Khemet will - Khemet will what, Leareth can't remember, he feels so muzzy and nothing makes sense.
Floating. A river? Where is he...
Vanyel sits in the Work Room for a bit next to his pointless enormous diamond, which can't do anything to bring Leareth back sooner because he can't cast True Resurrection.
Eventually he drags himself out and half-collapses onto Yfandes' neck.
Excavation of Chelish military supply caches from captured documentation about them.
Vanyel gets the location from Taver. It's within his Mindspeech range, if he pushes it, but he has to concentrate hard for a while until he can manage it.
:Fazil?:
:I - I just found out...: It's stupidly hard to make himself say it. :Leareth's dead:
:I don't know. Can you - just - come meet me here: He takes a shuddering breath, still slumped against Yfandes. :Starwind and Moondance assassinated him. In the winter palace. Weapon they got from Urtho's Tower on our trip there:
"Yes," Vanyel says out loud, shaking a little. "I - the pharaoh killed them, right away, but - I guess, too late..."
Hug. Also Vanyel cannot hold back any longer on bursting into tears.
:Sounds like approximately? Aroden met with the pharaoh and got an explanation - he's in Osirion now, investigating - Parmida came to tell us. Er, she didn't want it spread around, it'd cause a panic. She thinks the pharaoh will raise him tomorrow. Has to be a True Resurrection, there wasn't a body left from whatever they did to him - he didn't prepare it today and Nefreti hasn't showed up but first thing tomorrow:
"What was the Star-Eyed even aiming at - sorry, Van, we don't have to talk about this right now -"
Then they can restrain their gossiping to 'a little bit, with hand signals' and let him grieve in peace and quiet.