"I'll focus my attention on the rest of the city then... I could put us in constant communication with a telepathic bond so you could instantly request aid or reinforcement?"

She looks to Anevia as she says this, if Darth Occlus refuses, she could just loop in Anevia.

"Is such communication voluntary?"

Right, Darth Occlus doesn't know standard demon lore, maybe she doesn't know standard adventuring spells either?

"Yes, the spell only sends what you intentionally try to communicate.  Even novices can figure out how to use the spell appropriately.  It lasts 20 minutes per caster circle, and I would be casting it from a scroll at minimum strength, so we'll have an hour and a half of use out of it.  And it can handle multiple people... I think Anevia here would be a good choice of an additional person to loop in."

She gives a small wave and a nod.

"Then I have no objections."

Terendelev takes out a sheet of heavy parchment and speaks (the translation effect Darth Occlus is under can almost translate it, as if the sounds are related to but not actually proper words) and makes some complex gestures and arm motions.  The spell itself doesn't feel like any kind of force usage, but the telepathic bond itself is something Darth Occlus can make sense of.  It seems exactly as Terendelev explained.

Just double checking, can you hear me?  You should be able to speak back.  With some practice you can get a bit of other sensory modalities, but it should work easily and simply for basic speech.

I can.  Do you want me to give a rundown on common demon traits and types and such?  (From the usage of lightning earlier I'm assuming you haven't had one before.)

Hm, straightforward enough. Let's see...

I am receiving. Such a thing would be welcome. I spoke briefly with the Count and the Paladin on the topic, though I sense neither is exceptionally well-educated on such matters.

I'll let Anevia handle this, I may need to concentrate, but I will respond to any queries directed at me.  If there is any sign the demons and cultists are organizing an attempt to take the Wardstone that you are not completely confident you can defend against you should tell me.

She flies off again.

Two additional crusaders join them by taking a great leap into the chasm, slowing down to safe speeds in midair with a spell one of them casts.  The one casting the spell is also brandishing his sword as he leaps.

"Show offs..." she mutters under her breath.  There are always some novice adventurers that you can just tell are going to try taking on a demon past their skills and get an express passage to Pharasma's court.

Anyway, so demons, almost universally immune to electricity and poison, heavily resistant to acid, cold, and fire, capable of telepathy, do not need to eat or sleep, technically need to breathe but are resistant to lots of things that would mess up a human breathing...

Anevia has a standard spiel she can go through, starting with basics and essentials, then covering specific demon types, starting with the most common and covering their most tactically relevant traits in general detail.  She will ask occasional questions back just to make sure Darth Occlus is getting the gist correctly.  Her standard spiel is about half an hour and at least mentions Dretch, Succubus, Incubus, Babau, Quasit, Abrikandilu, Schir, and Brimorak  (assuming Darth Occlus doesn't ask her to hurry up or express impatience).

She understands how to learn, and in this domain Anevia has more knowledge. She listens, asks pertinent questions, and by the end is synthesizing information to predict recommended tactics. (And analyzing how she would approach the fights, not that she shares this information unprompted.)

And of course, she stays alert for any further intruders.

A stray demon pokes around every now and then, but Darth Occlus can slay them as easily as she slew the Babau earlier.

You must have really thrown off their plans from whatever they were when you chased off Deskari so fast.  Since it seems we have time do you want a rundown on common demon cultists?  You know, iconography, combat tactics, and so on?

Certainly. It seems likely I will need to kill a few at some point. And if you have any sociological information on the phenomenon, I would be interested in that as well.

Well if the demons aren't going to make a move on the Wardstone she might as well take the time to explain.

As to the sociology... A plurality of (maybe even most) cultists in Mendev are simply desperate, they think us mortals are on the losing side and they can be on the winning side.  They are too desperate to account for how the demons don't exactly treat their human allies well or how they are risking an afterlife in the Abyss.  Of other cultists, and cultists outside of Mendev or the previously desperate ones who get more committed... Sometimes someone does one major Evil thing, they figure their afterlife situation is screwed, and they might as well double down and do as much Evil as they can in hopes they can get an in with a Demon Lord or that they can transform into a full fledged demon faster once they are sent to the Abyss.  Some people simply have something wrong in their head, they already enjoy torture or murder or similar sort of things and aligning with demons and demon lords lets them do more of that.  Sometimes people really want cleric or inquisitor magic, and demon lords aren't too picky about who they empower, and although you need Wisdom to do that kind of magic well the minimum wisdom required isn't actually all that high and so some people think that is a good trade.

Following so far?

I believe I am familiar to the principal demographic to which you refer, yes. The fringe, the disregarded, desperate, and deluded.

Yeah, that description fits.  A century of war and you get a lot of people like that...

As to more immediately useful details... 

Anevia has another standard spiel!  She focuses on the cultists of the demon lords Deskari and Baphomet, listing off holy symbols, favored weapons, favored strategies (Baphomet cultists really favor tricky plots, often even when a more straightforward plan would work better), common sayings, and ideological assumptions.  She catches herself and breaks from her standard spiel as she gets to favored tactics.

So they usually have 1st through 3rd circle casters, but sometimes as high as 5th or 6th... you seem like a veteran adventurer, but I guess you weren't familiar with a telepathic bond before Terendelev explained it.  Should I explain the fundamentals of using magic for adventuring?  From 1st circle spells and up?

At the moment, my best guess is that this is not the universe in which I originated. Proceed under the assumption that I have never heard of magic until today.

That sounds fake, like a new variation of the amnesiac adventurer backstory excuse for not discussing her actual past, but Anevia can roll with it.  She doesn't quite have a standard spiel for this, so she will need to be careful to cover the details well.

Uh, sure.  So spellcasting... typically has a verbal and somatic component and takes 3-6 seconds to cast for each spell, with a few spells taking longer.  Silence the spellcaster or interrupt their motions, you interrupt their spellcasting.  Most Demons have spell-like abilities instead of spells like mortals so this doesn't apply to them, but it is good to know for the cultists.  Arcane spellcasting motions are finicky enough they usually need loose robes, they can't even wear proper armor.  Most offensive spells can either be dodged or resisted by willpower, or can simply be endured, some spells a combination of these things.  Somewhat counterintuitively for new adventurers, the right supporting buff to allies is often better than an outright offensive spell.  Like with a third circle spell, a fireball could kill a dozen enemies, but maybe they are skilled at dodging, or maybe their allied spellcaster used some 2nd circle resist fire and your fireball will barely do anything.  And demons all resist fire anyway.  So instead a third circle haste, to make 5 allies move with extreme speed for half a minute would be a better pick.  

Uh, I think I'm actually still missing the basic basics, if you really never heard of any magic at all until today... trying to simplify even further... arcane magic tends to be better at transmutations and offensive effects, divine magic tends to be better at healing and buffs?  Sorry I don't have a standard speech ready for this one, are you following me?  Is there another angle I should take on this or should I keep explaining?

I expect that I will be able to access proper learning resources in due time. If you do not feel qualified for a full explanation, do not concern yourself. Tell me about these 'circles' you refer to. These are gradations of power?

Okay, simple summary is spellcasters can often shift the battle with the right spell, so break their teeth or jaws or arms to stop them.  Or I guess if the stories already spreading about you are true just loop their arms off entirely if for some reason you can't cut their heads off.

Circles refer to a topology thing about the magic I think?  Like the shape of the spells?  A novice cleric or wizard with a few years training and practice will be able to prepare three 0th circle spells and maybe two or three 1st circle spells.  0th circle spells can be recast all day, higher circles are used up when cast.  Spellcasters can't go up past 1st circle without proper adventuring experience, you know, using their magic under real high pressure situations.  Well, if you organize your school with a high enough fatality rate you can get some 2nd and even some 3rd circle casters, but not higher, and it is normally more practical to send them out to get the experience.  I think decent third circle wizard or cleric should be able to prepare two or three 3rd circle spells, three or four 2nd circle spells, four or five 1st circle spells and four 0th circle spells.  I can list off a dozen or so most common and useful cleric and wizard spells of each circle up to... I guess 5th if you want that for reference?  Or just to get an idea of how powerful each circle is?  With the danger required to circle up, you get the numbers dropping off hard as you look at higher circles.  Mendev only has a handful of 5th circle wizards, 5th circle is notable because that is when wizards become able to teleport long distances.  For 9th circles... there are like two regularly active 9th circle wizards on this continent and their magic is strong enough to shape geopolitics.  For reference, some people were already comparing your lightning to a 6th circle spell, except your lightning was apparently too powerful for the particular spell, so they were guessing metamagic or maybe a lightning oriented sorcerer bloodline or the right magic item boosting you.

I see. It is not obvious to her why mortal danger should improve one's practical topology skills, but neither was the existence of magic. So. I would like that list, just for comparison's sake.

Well the demons are certainly taking their time to get an assault together, so I might as well.

At 0th circle... Anevia explains the offensive cantrips (acid splash, jolt, ray of frost, all kind of worthless against demons and not actually better than a crossbow even against mortals), some useful divinations (detect fiendish presence, detect poison, detect magic, read magic), utility cantrips (message, light, dancing light, mage hand, mending, scrivener's chant, and of course prestidigitation), and of course stabilize (very handy for triaging healing since it can be used unlimited times).  She mentions which ones are available to clerics and which to wizards (and sorcerers), as well as common uses for them and a few less conventional or cleverer uses.

At 1st circle... Anevia explains Endure Elements (very useful in the climate of Mendev and around the Worldwound), Mount (a horse may not sound like too much but it has good duration and it is completely disposable which opens up some options), bless (very minor but covers all people in a big radius), cure light wounds (basic healing), infernal healing (notable as wizard's only healing and slower but more consistent and usually more total healing than cure light wounds), remove fear, remove sickness, sleep (nonlethal option for disabling people, doesn't work on stronger people), color spray, minor image (very useful in the hands of a clever illusionist wizard who knows how to leverage it), keep watch (handy for sentries and extended battles), mage armor (good since wizards otherwise can't wear armor), unseen servant (handy at simple labor, for adventuring you can use it to set off traps), magic missile (force damage hurts demons, but they also have spell resistance), enlarge person (good to put on your best fighter).  Her descriptions thorough and focused on practical angles, but she goes from spell to spell in a kind of meandering order, describing them as she remembers them or thinks of them. 

She spends about a minute explaining each spell and take around a half an hour to get through 0th and 1st circle.

Are you following so far?  Sorry again for not having a standard speech.  But I guess we aren't pressed for time and holding the Wardstone is basically the highest priority we got.

While Anevia is speaking, a few more stray demons come within range of Darth Occlus and are again easily dragged out and dispatched.