The Ingaran Adventures
Episode 43
“Finding the Temple”
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                  Lord Issic:  Half Human, Half Gold Dragon Warrior
Lady India: A gypsy Bard/Shadow Dancer
Lord Phaidon:  A Tamer of the Beasts
Cthaat: A young warrioress
Anathek Dar: Priest of Olanigan
Xorkilanthat: Anathek's aid.
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The Time: Autumn, Drauj 6, 6^th year, 8^th Age
The Place: Talishar – The main occupation of Talishar's residents is fishing.  There are a small handful of hunters as well, and a few farmers have cleared land to the south for small crops, although the forest is so thick and fertile, it is a constant struggle to fight off the encroaching woods that seek to reclaim the cleared spaces.
 

      Morning had arrived. Those who chose to receive item images had received them.  The old lady, Erepoth, was standing in the courtyard, as others prepared the mutilated bodies of her two disciples for burial.
      Phaidon walked up to Erepoth with India.  "I want to apologize for the damage that has been caused and thank you for your gracious hospitality in light of such events," said Phaidon. "The events of yesterday sadden me much."  India also apologized.
      Erepoth nodded her head. She said nothing.  An acolyte came forward and whispered, "She is in mourning.  For one to force her to speak, she must either give a curse or become cursed, so ask her no more questions, lest you try fate."
      "Very well."  Phaidon nodded sadly to Erepoth and the acolyte and chose to respect her time of mourning.  He walked back to India.
      Phaidon asked, "Is everyone in favor of finding this temple?"
      India said, "Yes."  She headed for the front gate of the Sigil Hearth with Phaidon.  Cthaat followed, expecting Issic, Anathek and Xorkilanthat to come along.  Anathek, however, had other ideas.  He walked up to the old Graven One and said, "Tis a terrible thing, but for the best I believe. We are preparing to uncover what lies behind this evil malady. If you have a few moments to help us prepare, it would be most beneficial."
      Erepoth nodded, not looking at Anathek's eyes.  Issic, behind Anathek growled, "Is there anything else that you require of us before we find this temple?"
      Erepoth shook her head at Issic's question.
      "Why do you not speak?" growled Issic.  Anathek held up his hand. She would respond to reason, he was sure. Anathek said, "Information is what most will help the preparation efforts. I have once again gone through the belongings of the witch that went insane."
      Erepoth looked up, angry and hurt.  Who were these people? Who were they to go through the belongings of the dead? She looked Anathek dead in the eyes. "You are a maggot," she said, "Filth that crawls on the dead."  The acolytes around her backed away, afraid.  She had spoken.
      Anathek stepped back, a bit surprised.  Still, he went on. "Can you tell me of the markings on their belongings?  When we found Drabat, he had possessions that seemed to mark him as a controlled entity."
      She narrowed her eyes at Anathek.  "The markings are ours.  They are on our bodies and our things, so that none may have them without all else knowing they were stolen."


      At the gate, India asked, "Where should we start our search?  None of the documents we read showed where the temple was."
      "Well, we have a nice description of it.  Mayhap we can find some locals who know of the location?" asked Phaidon.
      India said, "Perhaps.  Maybe the town."
      When India, Phaidon, and Cthaat passed through the open gates, the Graven Ones closed the massive doors, shutting Issic and Anathek inside.


      With Issic standing behind him, and Xorkilanthat standing next to him, Anathek said to Erepoth, "Have I offended your honor in some way, Elder one?"
      "You have killed one who did not need to die.  You have then robbed her of her belongings, which now belong to us.  You are vile and evil, and darkness gnaws at your very shadow, and children, from this day forward, until life is given to the lifeless, shall cry out in anguish at your presence. You shall know war and shall never know peace."
      Anathek held up his hands. "Hold thy tongue, woman of witchery! You may yet hope this curse to be undone, as beholding the anguish of a Drychtnothian as glorious as a son of mine would sure to be is a thing one rarely lives through.  And anguish finds its origins!"
      The Graven One's lips curled back in fiendish anger and she said, "This curse shall lift after you have killed one that you love."
      Anathek continued to protest. "I have robbed no person!  The woman's possessions are to be examined extensively, as they may hold the same threat as possessions of Drabat did to him." 
      "So long as you hold our possessions, they shall be as a weight around your neck, barring you from freedom."
      "We did what was necessary, as we will now do what is necessary."
      "So shall we."
      Issic was becoming concerned.  He asked Anathek, "What more examination do you need of the items?"
      Anathek ignored Issic, taking a moment to calm himself, reminding himself that anger was the way of his enemies, his fallen enemies. Anathek silently decided to not strike this  witch  dead.  "So be it.  I have been cursed before by enemy and ally.  You say I will know war and shall never know peace.  Pray that your curse holds no power.  For as I said before,  they day will come for my return to this place.  Pray now,  that I know peace at that time."
      Erepoth turned her back on Anathek and said, "I shall spit at your coming as you would spit at a Nyandarian's."
      Anathek held back the spit in his mouth at the mention of Nyandarians.  He knew where the focus of his warring must be.  He was unwilling to gain a new enemy unnecessarily, unaware that he had already made her his enemy.  He said, "So be it!  If I have acted in favor of the Honorable Olanigan, your curse shall remain with you powerless."



      India, Phaidon, and Cthaat continued on their way.  Cthaat kept looking back at the Hearth to see if Issic was coming.  Neither Issic nor Anathek and his aid appeared at the massive doors to the keep wall.     Phaidon said, "They closed the doors.  Should we wait for Issic and Anathek?"
      India said, "No."
      Phaidon nodded. "Let us go back to Talishar, then." They continued on through the forest path.



      Inside, Anathek continued to berate the old Graven One.  The acolytes and Graven Ones watching were astonished.  Anathek recalled a line from the Holy Text of Olanigan: Pretend inferiority and encourage an enemy's arrogance. He will make a mistake. Keep him under strain and wear him down. When your enemy is united, divide him. Attack when your enemies are not prepared; rush forth and attack when they do not expect you. Anathek said, "You claim ownership of the woman's belongings.  I will give them to you, after we are sure they present no danger such as we prevented here."
      Reasonably, Issic said, "Those items have their markings on them, not the markings of the demon god."
      Anathek ignored Issic. "I wish no war with you, Graven One," he said, continuing to argue with the mourning old woman.
      "I wish all wars upon you, Red One."
      Anathek was not going to feel bad about killing that woman no matter how this old woman acted.  After all, that witch had people in chains of fire, and as for the woman with the broken neck, well, she died in the cause of helping them defeat the crazed mage that was openly and dangerously casting wild witchcraft. She was a hero. Anathek commanded Xorkilanthat to spread the Tyrestina's possessions on the ground before them, and help him inspect each marking.
      Erepoth whirled back around at this insult. "You are loathsome!  Inspecting them there as we prepare her for burial!  You are the slime that grows beneath a corpse!"
      "Tend to your grave, Graven One," said Anathek, bored with her. 
      Issic calmly said, "Erepoth, I apologize for what you see as the untimely death of the woman.  I was merely acting to end the ravings of a mad mage, which you know can be deadly."
      She turned back around and said nothing to Issic.  Unless he persisted in speaking to her, she was not ready to curse the half-dragon.
      Anathek asked Xorkilanthat, "Are there any markings on any of the items similar to what was on the Drabat items?"
      Xorkilanthat was laying out the stuff, beginning to inspecting them, drawing each marking on a piece of parchment for later comparisons.  He nodded his head affirmatively, pointing out several markings as Erepoth stood there, outraged.
      "So there is a marking of Dalby?" asked Anathek.  Xorkilanthat shook his head in negation.
      Anathek said, "We suspected that the knife was a way to control Drabat, and of course,  the vampire bite. Are there any similar items or markings?"
      "Yes," said Xorkilanthat.
      "Is it just a graven marking or something else?  A marking associated with wildness or insanity?"  Anathek examined the markings, keeping Erepoth in sight, unsure of her capabilities or if she would attack in anger, not realizing she had made her strongest attack.  Her back was still turned to him, an obvious insult, one turns their back on people they do not fear.  Anathek shrugged.  Obviously he had no reason to fear her.
      Looking the knife over, Anathek saw the knife had graven markings, as well as a marking for madness. "There is nothing like that on the woman's items, so nothing to be concerned with, correct?"
      Xorkilanthat shrugged. "I haven't examined everything yet."
      Whispering, Anathek said, "Well, then we will take the time to do so. Can't hand over dangerous items that may hold important information. Obviously this Erepoth is a bit touched with the madness herself, threatening me as she was."  He was not about to hand over everything without getting everything they needed to know.  He felt sure they were losing a wealth of information, everything, in this woman.  He had hoped for an alliance between her people and his, but suddenly she changed.  The madness, he presumed.
      Xorkilanthat shrugged.  Issic sighed and looked over the markings, using autohypnosis to memorize them.


      Phaidon, Cthaat, and India finally reached Talishar Lake.  Some fishermen were there, sitting on their boats, eating, near the shore. The fishermen watched as they came out of the woods.  They recognized them as some of the party that traveled with the new Lord of Talishar. Satisfied they were not Graven Ones, they returned to their meal with a wry comment about how lucky a man was to come out of the woods with two pretty women beside him.
      Phaidon asked, "Should we find the Reeve or just start questioning people?  What about the woman at the tannery?"
      "Any of those would be fine, I think," said India.
      "We could start with these fishermen," said Cthaat.
      "Good idea, Cthaat.  One thing still bothers me and that is why we found Doctor Dalby's markings on Drabat and in the tannery."
      "That bothers me a bit, too," said India.
      "We will have to try and locate Alexander later on.  No telling where he might be as long as we were away."
      Cthaat waved over the fishermen.  They came to the shore. "Hello," said the fishermen as they walked up.
      "Greetings," said India.
      One of the fishermen, a short, grizzled man, asked, "Did you find out anything about the murders at the Graven Ones'?  Are they responsible?"
      "No," said India. "They are not."
      "Maybe they are responsible for the new island."
      "Island?" asked Phaidon.
      The other fisherman said, "Islands.  There be a pair of them."
      "You said new island, how new?"
      "A rocky island, about thirty feet across, and another one, even smaller, have shown up about four miles down from here.  Considering that there are also some jagged rocks nearby, we decided to avoid this obviously shallow spot."
      The other one said, "Strangely enough, we always thought that area of the lake was one of the deeper parts of Talishar."
      "Are there any buildings or similar 'protrusions' on the islands?"
      "Nay, just rock.  Very smooth, though, and rounded."
      "Does the rock resemble anything or is it just smoothed rock?"
      "Just smoothed rock."
      "You say the islands are four mile..  What was that?"  He had heard a strangled cry.  Phaidon looked around.  One of the fishermen said, "That sounded like Zepe!"  Phaidon and the two women ran in the direction of the cry.



      Anathek said aloud, so Erepoth could hear, "Let us leave this place,  before they work their magic to destroy us and our kingdoms.  We will place atonement and peace offerings at their gate in hopes that they not hunt us down. I wish to leave here as soon as possible and return to my endeavors in my own country."  Sure that she had heard this pronouncement, he stood up.  The Graven Ones gave no response one way or the other. 
      Issic asked Anathek, "Are you ready?"  I spread my wings out in anticipation of picking up Anathek and catching up with the others.
      Anathek said, "Xorkilanthat, gather that stuff, and come."  Xorkilanthat gathered up the items of the Graven One they had killed. Anathek said, "We will learn what we must, and return it when by messenger when there is less anger and danger."
      Issic grabbed the pair of Drychtnothians, one in each arm. "Leave the items.  I have memorized the markings and will reproduce them later for you."
      "Yes," said Anathek, "But then that would leave the dementing powers in the wrong hands."  Xorkilanthat held onto the items.
      Issic growled, "I said leave the items."
      Anathek shrugged, "Or we can take the time now to learn all that we need from them, including what they do."
      Xorkilanthat said to Issic firmly, "I must obey Anathek, not you."
      "You may go onward, Issic," said Anathek, "Without us."
      Issic spread his wings and flew upward.  Erepoth watched him fly and considered recalling him, trapping him.  Still, he had not forced a reply from her during the funeral.  She let him go.  She kept her back to Anathek.



      Phaidon, India, and Cthaat saw a froglike demon tearing a fisherman asunder, chewing on one of his arms.  The monster was a massive, roughly humanoid toad with arms in the place of forearms.  It walked upright and its wide mouth had rows of blunt, powerful teeth, and long spines ran the length of its back.  It stood a towering seven feet tall and a cold, cloying cloud seemed to hang around the vile thing.  Phaidon led the charge against the monster.
      The vile cloud seemed to sap at Phaidon's strength, making him feel greasy and ugly.  Phaidon pulled back on his bow, striking the demon hard with his deadly arrows.  Black ichor splattered upward as the magical arrows crashed against it.  It was solid!  If it was solid, then he felt confident he could kill it. 
      Cthaat entered into the cloying cloud and slashed with her own sword, but the mundane weapon merely bounced off of its rubbery, toad-like skin.  India leaped in, also feeling the sapping of her strength from the cloud, and struck at it with her shadowy blade.  Cthaat succumbed to the vile cloud and collapsed, coughing, hurting.  Phaidon stepped around her and fired more arrows into the demon's head, cracking the skull asunder with their force.  It fell to the ground and turned to black, sticky goo.
      India knelt down and sang a song of healing, restoring Cthaat, making the vileness of that gray cloud vanish from her thoughts.  Phaidon gathered his arrows.



      Issic landed next to Phaidon, India, and Cthaat.  Cthaat ran up to the half dragon and pointed to the steaming puddle of black ichor said, "It killed a fisherman!"
      Issic asked, "Where did it come from?  Teleport in or out of the lake?"
      Cthaat said, "I don't know.  We came upon it after it had killed."
      Phaidon said, "We have no idea, we were over there with some fishermen when Zepe yelled out.  They were telling us about some islands that have appeared in the lake."
      Cthaat said, "We were talking to some fishermen about some islands on Lake Talishar.  New ones."
      "Where is Anathek?" asked Phaidon.
      "He has decided to piddle with the items belonging to the Graven Ones."
      Phaidon shook his head, "That is foolish, they are rightfully theirs.  No matter, should we go and check out those new islands? The fisherman said they are four miles away, but I did not manage to get a direction before Zepe yelled out."
      India said, "I think we should find out where they are.  Perhaps Issic could fly up and check out the lake and see where they are."
      Issic suggested, "If this fisherman was in danger, perhaps we should check on those you were just talking to and get directions."
      "Good idea."  Phaidon headed back towards the other fishermen.
      "Yes," said Cthaat. India shrugged her shoulders and walked with Phaidon back to the other fishermen.
      Phaidon asked, "Do you want to spot them from the air while we talk to the fishermen?  There are two of them about thirty feet across and they have smooth stones."
      Issic flew up, keeping above the rest of the group so as to be close in case of another attack.  About four miles out, he saw the two smooth, round islands. They looked like wet rock. Very low, rounded, and smooth, not unlike little breasts poking out of the water. Issic flew down to the group.
      "Did you see them?" asked India.
      "Yes, I did.  I wanted to ask the fishermen if anyone has been on them yet."
      "They said no before.  They avoid them because the water around them is shallow even though that is supposed to be the deepest part of Lake Talishar."
      India pointed. "The fishermen are there if you want to question them." The fishermen were gathering up their nets; they could see the men through the light trees between the trail and the lake.  Issic led the way to the fishermen.  When they looked up and saw the half-dragon, they nearly bolted in fear, then they recognized him as the demon that obeys Lord Talishar.
      "If it is shallow," began Issic with no introduction, "Does the bottom there look normal or is it as strange as the islands?"
      "Seems strange," said one of the fishermen, "With sharp crags, so we didn't get too close."
      Phaidon asked, "I have a question, good sirs.  If you were to, say, stop fishing for a few days, how long could you do so without affecting your livelihood?"
      "I don't know.  A while I guess.  The wife has some supplies stored up."
      "We cannot force you to stop fishing, however, I feel it would be safer for everyone to stay away from the lake until we clear this mess up."
      Issic growled, "No safer, no more dangerous than anyplace else in this town. People were getting killed in their own homes.  I say let them fish."
      "Very well.  May we borrow someone's boat to investigate those islands?"
      One of the fishermen nodded. "Aye, you can borrow our boats.  We'll walk back."
      "Thank you, we will take good care of it."  They watched the fishermen gather their things and head back down the trail toward Talishar. After they got away, Phaidon asked, "Does anyone want to do anything before we head out?  Talk to Drabat?"
      "No, lets get cracking," said Cthaat.
      "Boat or air, Issic?" asked Phaidon.
      "I will be in the air. In case the boat is attacked from below."
      "That makes me feel good."  Phaidon helped India and Cthaat into the boat and began rowing towards the islands.  Issic flew up and looked for other movement in the water, seeing nothing out of the ordinary for a lake, its waters silent and calm.  In the misty distance, he could make out other boats in the lake out fishing.



      Anathek identified Tyrestina's mirror as a mirror of vanity, her ring, a ring of protection, and the red wand to be a wand of Chains of Vengeance.  He ordered Xorkilanthat to place the belongings in the front of their keep.  Xorkilanthat nodded.  Anathek declared, "Regardless of misunderstanding of Erepoth, I go forward to find the cause of this evil that caused your sister to go insane.  I wish best to her soul and all of yours!"  Anathek led Xorkilanthat out of the keep. 
      The graven ones filed out of the keep, two by two, and followed Anathek and Xorkilanthat down the trail, exactly 30 paces behind them. Very silently, they followed.  When Anathek stopped, they stopped. They were wearing masks, white masks with only eyes in them, no other features. White robes hung on their bodies.  Anathek figured out there were thirty of them, thirty paces back.
      Anathek heard whispering, as of many voices, but none of them were saying anything understandable. He heard the lowing of cattle on the wind, and then he heard a single leaf fall from a tree, landing on the ground next to him.
      Anathek whispered to Xorkilanthat, "Ummm, a strategic advance to the rear  may be necessary here."
      He saw dark panthers in the woods on either side, slinking in silence, thirty yards away. Anathek heard the sounds of sword play, the cries of war.  Then silence.  The Graven Ones waited.
      Another leaf fell.
      Anathek quietly prayed for endurance for the travel they must take in haste.  He prayed for Olanigan to make the very air beneath their feet to become solid for them to walk upon, for power in preparing and choosing his time for battle is as important as power in battle.  He took hold of Xorkilanthat's hand and said, "Prepare to walk upwards!"  Anathek made a mental note of everything in front of him.  He walked along, straight, and cast Darkness, then he and Xorkilanthat walked diagonally upwards, quickly moving through the dark air.
      They saw nothing, but Anathek could feel them following, following in the darkness, following in silence.
      Anathek whispered, "We might have to communicate non-verbally; come where I pull you!" They traveled forwards and upwards.  He could not see, but he sensed they were keeping pace with him, thirty paces behind him.
      All the sudden, Anathek felt the ground beneath his feet.  The darkness vanished.  He and Xorkilanthat were standing in front of the gates of the Sigil Hearth.
      Behind him stood the masked Graven Ones.
      Anathek thought, remembering the curse. "So long as you hold our possessions, they shall be as a weight around your neck, barring you from freedom."  He still planned to hold them to their word and get that tattoo.  Suddenly, he knew.  He understood.  The tattoo!  They had made a tattoo of him!  Just like they could the items! He was stored in a tattoo - and would only be able to escape when she called him forth, or when he managed to kill someone he loved.  He was in a world that did not exist, a world from which there was no escape.



      Out of the water, a perfectly round and smooth carved stone dome projected up about five feet. It was about thirty feet across.  A visible seam encircled a separate stone piece, about six feet in diameter, in the middle of the island.  It suggested a hatch or a plug, although it lay flush with the rest of the stone. Faintly carved into this hatch was a grinning skull of a demon, with horns and sharp teeth.
      Issic hovered near the others.  "What did the top of the temple of the demon god look like?"
      "Like the top of a bald head," said India. "Remember what we read," said India. "'The Temple Itself stood like a massive demon.'"
      "Could this be the temple rising out of the lake, powered by the killings?"
      "Possibly."
      They noticed that the other "island" looked like the back of a hand.
      Phaidon said, "Hmmm. Should we look under the water to see what is below or just try and get in?  Maybe it is just a huge statue? I wonder if the statue is smiling."  Phaidon recited the information he and India found in the library, "'To get from head to heart, or at least on your way, make the demon smile and use the key to open the invisible lock.'"
      "What key?" asks Cthaat.
      Phaidon said, "'Chaos and evil for Ochremeshk are words that are also the key with three uses.'  I am not sure if that is the key or not."  As soon as he said, "Chaos and Evil for Ochremeshk, the hatch began to screw counterclockwise, rising from the surface of the smooth island.
      Issic said, "The question that I have is whether we really want to open this and get to the point that we have to do that sacrifice?"  Then he saw the movement of the hatch.
      "Uh, oh," said Cthaat.
      "Oops," said Phaidon.
      The hatch opened wide. A hole opened down into the statue.
      "Huh.  Well, we have two uses of the key left."  Phaidon frowned. "Do you see anything, Issic?"  Phaidon continued to stand there, gaping.
      India gave Phaidon a shove, "Well, look in!"
      Phaidon put up his hands. "Alright, alright."  Phaidon looked in the hole.  A mosaic of chaotic red and black swirls covered a flat floor fifteen feet below the hatch.  A life sized statue of a man, jet black in flesh, with yellow, dagger shaped eyes, stood in the corner of the room below, his arms at his sides. His face was expressionless, the only feature on its mask-like face were its eyes. A small iron box lay at his feet.
      After staring a bit, Phaidon noticed that the statue was actually wrapped tightly in black leather. The walls around the statue showed scenes of horrible torture, with black clad torturers using unspeakable devices crafted by canny but twisted artisans. Although their shape was human, something about their demeanor suggested that the leather-wearing humanoids were demons. The north wall had a small font built into it, but the grinning demonskull within it seemed to fill the basin with a tiny trickle of blood, not water.
      "Well," asked India, "Do we wait for Alexander, or do we go on down?"
      Phaidon said, "I was thinking the same thing.  We cannot just leave this place open like this if we go look for him." 
      Issic said, "It seems to me from what you have read that we will need all of the teamwork that we can muster to make it through this thing."
      "I agree," said India.
      Phaidon suggested to Issic, "We could stay here and guard the place while you fetch Alexander."
      "Sounds like a plan," said Issic.  He flew off to find Alexander.

Phaidon, India, and Cthaat all received 200 exp. For fighting the demon

Cthaat Angartha, the female human guard who couldn't hurt a demon, Warrior 1/Fighter 1: CR 1; medium humanoid (5'2"); HD 1d8+1d10+8+3; hp 21; Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft; AC 14 (flatfooted 14, touch 10); Attack +4 (1d8+2 longsword or 1d10+2 halberd); AL NG; SV Fort +8, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 15, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 13
            Skills: Sense Motive +2, Intimidate +5, Jump +2, Spot +1
            Feats: Improved Initiative, Endurance, Toughness
            Equipment: Scale mail, Halberd, Longsword