#nivala

Nivala watches as Capable heads towards a back room with the woman who just spoke “A man is not who he is” and she knows that they are close to the answers she has sought for so long. What did her family die for? And when will they be avenged? She steps up next to her friend, disguised as human because of course the town they fought to protect despised their entire race now.

They are allowed entry into a smaller back room. Through speaking, they find out that the gems that Nivala has been carrying not only are a key part of the cult but actually CONTAIN the demonlord himself. She’d smash them now if it would kill him for good. But as she gets lost in those thoughts Capable keeps speaking.

“How did you convince this town that you were one of them?”

It is then that the priestess reveals, she is not merely a piece of the puzzle, she is the orchestrator of the entire tragedy. She turned the town against them. She murdered her clan in the name of Fraz-Urb’luu. Spread lies about them after their death. Razed an entire town just so she could set up shop here, could worship a false god.

It is almost more than Nivala can handle but she does not want to risk Capable’s life. Nivala lost a bit of herself in the underdark, she will try patience for once.

“We still have on of the Goliaths in the back as our prisoner.”

Nivala’s vision tunnels. They walk back and show him off, like some sort of captive animal. Through the slat in the door she sees him. Bearfighter. He is skinny. No goliath should ever be so thin, but it’s him. He’s alive. Her clan lives.

She whispers to him. “Bearfighter, Wallsmasher is here. We’re getting you out.”

She does not wait to see his reaction. She pulls her long club out. “Conceal this, you bitch.”

Capable, her strange friend, this being that she’s not quite sure of but still has come to trust through this journey speaks her demon speak as Nivala works to tear down the priestess’ bodyguard.

"You will kill your allies!  You will confess what you did to this village!  You will clear the goliaths’ name!"

Nivala’s heart breaks and swells at once with the last sentence. Capable is fighting with her, for her. Her rage and this friendship carry her through, her blows land, cutting the gnome down. She lives up to her name, tearing down the wall to Bearfighter’s prison. He is freed. She smiles as she hands him a weapon and sees the fight return to his muscles. This, this is truly what she was meant for. The fight is hers. She barely feels the injuries she is sustaining. 

Capable though. Her spells are failing her and in the chaos of trying to convince this priestess to do what is counter to her nature, Capable is severely hurt. Nivala tries the few things she can think of, pulling out some gem shards and telling the priestess her god is not coming. It is partially true. The demons will never care for these mortals. Nivala sneers and the priestess wavers but Capable’s spells still won’t land.

The fight seems to go on forever and also be much too fast to follow. Capable tries again and again "You will kill your allies!  You will confess what you did to this village!  You will clear the goliaths’ name!" but nothing sticks. Desperate, she thinks, maybe, maybe they can tie her up, knock her out.

It’s then that Nivala remembers. She has some magic now. Together then.

“One more time Capable!” Together they speak the incantation, together they shout:

"You will kill your allies!” 

 “You will confess what you did to this village!” 

“You will clear the goliaths’ name!"

The priestess goes slack where Bearfighter held her down. He’s confused. Goliaths do not trust magic. But Nivala feels in her deepest soul that this has worked.

“Let her go. She’ll do the rest.”

And she does. The priestess slays her priests and confesses to the town. Nivala is not the crying type. But it is a speech that moves her and as the priestess is freed from the spell and chooses the sword over imprisonment, Nivala feels a weight lifted from her. 

There is chaos, looting, there always is after an upheaval. But her work is done. Her clan can rest. Bearfighter comes up to her. There is so much to say but how to even begin. She turns to Capable, instead.