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Hard Core Adventurers- KOTS 20.06 The Cathedral of Shadows
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<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 6226769" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 18px">KOTS Part 19b: Behind You.</span></p><p></p><p>19b.01</p><p></p><p>“Are you sure, chap?” The voice is refined, resolute and recognisable- it’s Sir Garlik, the Dragonborn Paladin- friend of Douvern and Gerda, and member of the rescue team sent to defeat the Wererats at the exchange.</p><p>“I’m not one for prying into other people’s business… but, a note- are you sure that was the right thing to do?” The Paladin finishes.</p><p>Douvern Staul leans his back against a wall and breathes hard; he’s out of condition, and feeling it.</p><p>“I didn’t want to worry her.” He states.</p><p>“Didn’t want to worry her!” Sir Garlick repeats, with incredulity.</p><p>“Zo, you sneak off while she’s zleeping to stop ‘er from worrying! A little cowardly, n’est-ce pas!” Eko moves closer to the pair, she doesn’t look very happy with Douvern.</p><p>“I…” Douvern begins, but is stopped in his tracks.</p><p>“I agreez to come ‘ere becauz you zaid that Gerda was worried about Jimmy, and ze otherz.” Eko folds her arms, and taps her foot- all the while staring daggers at Douvern, and every now and then Sir Garlik- it seems they are both to blame.</p><p>Sir Garlik shrugs and then nods pointedly at Douvern- he may be a holy knight of Bahamut, but he’s not taking the rap for this one.</p><p>“Zo!” Eko exclaims, and focuses all of her ire on Douvern.</p><p></p><p>The old man gulps, rubs his brow with the back of his hand, and quickly decides to come clean under the half-elf’s wilting gaze.</p><p></p><p>“There’s something down there… down in the dark, I didn’t just come to Winterhaven on a whim, nor was I here just to dig up old bones.” Douvern starts up.</p><p>Eko glances at Sir Garlik- the Paladin shakes his head, he knows nothing about this.</p><p>“Go on…” Eko states.</p><p>“A while back a friend of mine, a Fallcrest Watch Sergeant- Murgeddin, confided in me- he said that he’d heard some strange tales about goings on in Winterhaven, and the surrounding area. Mostly it was all the usual stuff- y’know cultists, talk of kidnappings, humanoid attacks; as I say the usual run-of-the-mill paranoia that Watch Sergeant’s dream up on quiet nights,” Douvern continues.</p><p>“Zo, what changez your mind?” Eko asks.</p><p>“It was something Murgeddin said, it made me think of this place…” Douvern looks up, and then about him- at the cold stone flagged floors of the catacombs, the trio are stood in one of the guard rooms in the depths of the Keep on the Shadowfell- Gerda is really not going to be happy.</p><p>“What ‘e zay?” Eko’s rapidly losing her patience.</p><p>“He told me a story about a raid he was on, a seedy tavern in Low Town, back in Fallcrest- I forget its name. The place was a front for all manner of illegal activities, and a magnet for low life… Anyway, the Watch would bust the place up every now and then, on the off-chance they’d find something interesting, and just to let the villains know they were watching…” Douvern continues.</p><p>“They cleared the place out, arrested everybody, or at least all that didn’t get away; they decided to take a snoop around- see what they could find. They discovered a secret passage in the basement that lead in to the sewers, they also found signs that the place had been used to hold captives, or else…” Douvern shrugs, unsure.</p><p>Eko nods to indicate he should go on.</p><p>“Murgeddin talked of slavers- the Iron Circle…” Douvern stops for a moment to let his words sink in.</p><p></p><p>19b.02</p><p></p><p>“Ze Iron Circle- zat is bad.” Eko states.</p><p>Sir Garlik nods- stiffens, and with his longsword in hand looks about the forlorn, and deserted, chamber.</p><p>“Zo, zat iz why we iz ‘ere.” Eko turns the question in to a statement.</p><p>“No, well… I mean, yes- perhaps.” Douvern further confuses the issue.</p><p>“Sacre bleu! What are you zaying you foolish old man?” Eko snaps at Douvern.</p><p>The ‘old man’ looks hurt, at least for a moment, it passes.</p><p>“I’m saying- partially. The Iron Circle worries me, but that’s not why I came here. Murgeddin said that they found something else- he said they found signs of ritual sacrifices, human sacrifices, at least that’s what he thought- he couldn’t be certain. They also found a chamber with strange markings- they were done in blood. He couldn’t make out a lot of it- symbols and glyphs, he said- but there was some stuff, written in the common tongue- or at least an old version of common…”</p><p>“What did it zay?” Eko interrupts.</p><p>Douvern looks up, all eyes are on him, he unfolds a piece of paper- with shaking hands.</p><p>“It said-</p><p></p><p>“Lo’ thee shadow wilt cast in thee tyme off mark; </p><p>Thee deyd shalt hayve domayn whenst thee clawwed lady loseth her gryp;</p><p>In thee vale of nen thee black tyde wilt riseth,</p><p>All wilt be lost, froom thee fall, to thee crest, to thee falls;</p><p>Thee deyd shalt hayve domain.”</p><p></p><p>Douvern waits a moment or two, and then refolds the scrap of paper and puts it back in his pocket.</p><p>“Don’t see it old chap?” Sir Garlik helpfully articulates his and Eko’s confusion.</p><p>“Sounds a bit… fishy. What’s it all mean?” The Paladin of Bahamut concludes.</p><p>“Very, as you say, fishzee!” Eko echoes.</p><p>“’Thee tyme off mark’- that’s now, the rule of the Markelhay’s in Fallcrest. ‘The vale of nen’, easy- that’s the Nentir Valley. But the bit that worries me most is the line ‘froom thee fall, to thee crest, to thee falls’” Douvern states, expecting a reaction.</p><p>Only to be met by blank stares.</p><p>“’Thee fall, to thee crest, to the falls’- it all points to Fallcrest…” Douvern gasps, a little exasperated.</p><p></p><p>Enlightenment comes, but very slowly.</p><p></p><p>“The Falls- in the Feywild!” Eko states.</p><p>“I see it now- the crest is Crestfallen.” Sir Garlik catches up with events.</p><p>“That’s it. Fallcrest in the Vale, and Crestfallen, and the Falls- it’s all the same place, that is the same place only on the Prime Material plane and its echoes- in the Shadowfell, and the Feywild.” Douvern gables a little, excited.</p><p></p><p>The trio think about things for a moment.</p><p></p><p>“Zo, zumthing bad is going to ‘appen- ze shadow it comes.” Eko confirms, “and you zink it will ‘appen ‘ere- in zis place. Why?”</p><p>“This place is known as the Keep on the Shadowfell, rumours have always existed- about how and why the Keep fell in the first instance, but also about a portal that was built here- centuries past, a portal to the Shadowfell. I think it’s all connected somehow. I think Murgeddin thought that too, that’s why he told me- he knew I’d do something about it…” Douvern nods along with his speech.</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps…” Sir Garlik adds, still a little unsure, the dragonborn rubs his chin, “it seems a little…”, the Paladin drifts off, unsure how to end the sentence.</p><p>Douvern stares at Sir Garlik.</p><p></p><p>19b.03</p><p></p><p>“It doesn’t end there- I’ve seen the verse before, written in a book- a long time ago, when I was an adventurer- or else just after I retired. I needed to come to Winterhaven to confirm a few details, talk to Valthruin- the sage…I was right. He confirmed my suspicions- he knows of the book.”</p><p>“What iz zis book?” Eko asks, her interest piqued.</p><p>“I don’t know what it’s called; I don’t even think it has a proper name- the Mages of Saruun referred to it simply as the ‘Black Book’”.</p><p>“Mages of what, old chap?” Sir Garlik enquires.</p><p>“The Mages of Saruun- they run the trading post, the Seven Pillared Hall, in Thunderspire.” Douvern adds.</p><p>“Thunderspire!” Sir Garlik parrots, “this is getting serious- don’t you think; a little complicated.”</p><p>“You know I was an adventurer in the past…” Douvern starts, and is met by nods.</p><p>“… One of my companions, Paldemar- he retired to the Seven Pillared Hall, I went to visit him there, mostly to reminisce; that’s when I saw the book- he had it, he was studying it while…”</p><p></p><p>A sudden noise makes the trio look up.</p><p></p><p>“What was zat?”</p><p></p><p>The trio stand as still as statues, listening intently- silently Eko draws her blade, Sir Garlik already has his sword in hand.</p><p></p><p>Silence.</p><p></p><p>It’s Sir Garlik that breaks the still, his voice however is no more than a whisper.</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps you’re right, perhaps there’s something going on here- or in the Vale, but standing around is not going to solve the mystery. We have work to do. Gerda, Bahamut bless her, will have to worry for a little longer, but hear this Douvern. When we get back, to Winterhaven, you’re through with this- no more wandering around in dungeons, you’re an old man, you have a wife- and a family.”</p><p>Douvern looks down, his tears come surprisingly quickly.</p><p></p><p>The moment passes.</p><p></p><p>“You’re right of course, we must get on- it’s this way, I think.”</p><p></p><p>Douvern lurches forward, and away, the torch he carries chases away the black, behind him Eko and Sir Garlik watch the old man for a moment.</p><p></p><p>“We should have brought the Red Baron with us. He could have proved… useful.” Sir Garlik whispers.</p><p>“Zat is out of ze question! His fever iz yet to… ‘ow you say- break. He is sick, not fit for zer duty.” Eko snaps back, rather harshly. She softens, “still, I mizz ‘im.”</p><p></p><p>“Come on.” Sir Garlik smiles at Eko, and then gently steers her towards Douvern’s light.</p><p></p><p>The Paladin is the last to leave the chamber, taking a moment more to stand in silence, listening intently; he looks momentarily at odds- as if something is not quite right.</p><p></p><p>Then without warning, turns on his heel, and follows his comrades deeper in to the dungeon, deeper in to the shadow.</p><p></p><p>[sblock=Info]</p><p></p><p>Just a note to say that in game, and in previous 4e campaigns I have DM'ed, I've always run with the idea that the Feywild and the Shadowfell are geographically for the most part the same place as the 'normal' world, or at least the major land masses are the same. The Fey and Shadow worlds are mirrors of the Prime Material world, although shaped and populated by flora and fauna which reflects their character.</p><p></p><p>In a previous campaign adventurers had to save Fallcrest by visiting it's Feywild and Shadowfell equivalents, as stated above, known as 'The Falls' and 'Crestfallen', respectively.</p><p></p><p>[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 6226769, member: 16069"] [CENTER][SIZE="5"]KOTS Part 19b: Behind You.[/SIZE][/CENTER] 19b.01 “Are you sure, chap?” The voice is refined, resolute and recognisable- it’s Sir Garlik, the Dragonborn Paladin- friend of Douvern and Gerda, and member of the rescue team sent to defeat the Wererats at the exchange. “I’m not one for prying into other people’s business… but, a note- are you sure that was the right thing to do?” The Paladin finishes. Douvern Staul leans his back against a wall and breathes hard; he’s out of condition, and feeling it. “I didn’t want to worry her.” He states. “Didn’t want to worry her!” Sir Garlick repeats, with incredulity. “Zo, you sneak off while she’s zleeping to stop ‘er from worrying! A little cowardly, n’est-ce pas!” Eko moves closer to the pair, she doesn’t look very happy with Douvern. “I…” Douvern begins, but is stopped in his tracks. “I agreez to come ‘ere becauz you zaid that Gerda was worried about Jimmy, and ze otherz.” Eko folds her arms, and taps her foot- all the while staring daggers at Douvern, and every now and then Sir Garlik- it seems they are both to blame. Sir Garlik shrugs and then nods pointedly at Douvern- he may be a holy knight of Bahamut, but he’s not taking the rap for this one. “Zo!” Eko exclaims, and focuses all of her ire on Douvern. The old man gulps, rubs his brow with the back of his hand, and quickly decides to come clean under the half-elf’s wilting gaze. “There’s something down there… down in the dark, I didn’t just come to Winterhaven on a whim, nor was I here just to dig up old bones.” Douvern starts up. Eko glances at Sir Garlik- the Paladin shakes his head, he knows nothing about this. “Go on…” Eko states. “A while back a friend of mine, a Fallcrest Watch Sergeant- Murgeddin, confided in me- he said that he’d heard some strange tales about goings on in Winterhaven, and the surrounding area. Mostly it was all the usual stuff- y’know cultists, talk of kidnappings, humanoid attacks; as I say the usual run-of-the-mill paranoia that Watch Sergeant’s dream up on quiet nights,” Douvern continues. “Zo, what changez your mind?” Eko asks. “It was something Murgeddin said, it made me think of this place…” Douvern looks up, and then about him- at the cold stone flagged floors of the catacombs, the trio are stood in one of the guard rooms in the depths of the Keep on the Shadowfell- Gerda is really not going to be happy. “What ‘e zay?” Eko’s rapidly losing her patience. “He told me a story about a raid he was on, a seedy tavern in Low Town, back in Fallcrest- I forget its name. The place was a front for all manner of illegal activities, and a magnet for low life… Anyway, the Watch would bust the place up every now and then, on the off-chance they’d find something interesting, and just to let the villains know they were watching…” Douvern continues. “They cleared the place out, arrested everybody, or at least all that didn’t get away; they decided to take a snoop around- see what they could find. They discovered a secret passage in the basement that lead in to the sewers, they also found signs that the place had been used to hold captives, or else…” Douvern shrugs, unsure. Eko nods to indicate he should go on. “Murgeddin talked of slavers- the Iron Circle…” Douvern stops for a moment to let his words sink in. 19b.02 “Ze Iron Circle- zat is bad.” Eko states. Sir Garlik nods- stiffens, and with his longsword in hand looks about the forlorn, and deserted, chamber. “Zo, zat iz why we iz ‘ere.” Eko turns the question in to a statement. “No, well… I mean, yes- perhaps.” Douvern further confuses the issue. “Sacre bleu! What are you zaying you foolish old man?” Eko snaps at Douvern. The ‘old man’ looks hurt, at least for a moment, it passes. “I’m saying- partially. The Iron Circle worries me, but that’s not why I came here. Murgeddin said that they found something else- he said they found signs of ritual sacrifices, human sacrifices, at least that’s what he thought- he couldn’t be certain. They also found a chamber with strange markings- they were done in blood. He couldn’t make out a lot of it- symbols and glyphs, he said- but there was some stuff, written in the common tongue- or at least an old version of common…” “What did it zay?” Eko interrupts. Douvern looks up, all eyes are on him, he unfolds a piece of paper- with shaking hands. “It said- “Lo’ thee shadow wilt cast in thee tyme off mark; Thee deyd shalt hayve domayn whenst thee clawwed lady loseth her gryp; In thee vale of nen thee black tyde wilt riseth, All wilt be lost, froom thee fall, to thee crest, to thee falls; Thee deyd shalt hayve domain.” Douvern waits a moment or two, and then refolds the scrap of paper and puts it back in his pocket. “Don’t see it old chap?” Sir Garlik helpfully articulates his and Eko’s confusion. “Sounds a bit… fishy. What’s it all mean?” The Paladin of Bahamut concludes. “Very, as you say, fishzee!” Eko echoes. “’Thee tyme off mark’- that’s now, the rule of the Markelhay’s in Fallcrest. ‘The vale of nen’, easy- that’s the Nentir Valley. But the bit that worries me most is the line ‘froom thee fall, to thee crest, to thee falls’” Douvern states, expecting a reaction. Only to be met by blank stares. “’Thee fall, to thee crest, to the falls’- it all points to Fallcrest…” Douvern gasps, a little exasperated. Enlightenment comes, but very slowly. “The Falls- in the Feywild!” Eko states. “I see it now- the crest is Crestfallen.” Sir Garlik catches up with events. “That’s it. Fallcrest in the Vale, and Crestfallen, and the Falls- it’s all the same place, that is the same place only on the Prime Material plane and its echoes- in the Shadowfell, and the Feywild.” Douvern gables a little, excited. The trio think about things for a moment. “Zo, zumthing bad is going to ‘appen- ze shadow it comes.” Eko confirms, “and you zink it will ‘appen ‘ere- in zis place. Why?” “This place is known as the Keep on the Shadowfell, rumours have always existed- about how and why the Keep fell in the first instance, but also about a portal that was built here- centuries past, a portal to the Shadowfell. I think it’s all connected somehow. I think Murgeddin thought that too, that’s why he told me- he knew I’d do something about it…” Douvern nods along with his speech. “Perhaps…” Sir Garlik adds, still a little unsure, the dragonborn rubs his chin, “it seems a little…”, the Paladin drifts off, unsure how to end the sentence. Douvern stares at Sir Garlik. 19b.03 “It doesn’t end there- I’ve seen the verse before, written in a book- a long time ago, when I was an adventurer- or else just after I retired. I needed to come to Winterhaven to confirm a few details, talk to Valthruin- the sage…I was right. He confirmed my suspicions- he knows of the book.” “What iz zis book?” Eko asks, her interest piqued. “I don’t know what it’s called; I don’t even think it has a proper name- the Mages of Saruun referred to it simply as the ‘Black Book’”. “Mages of what, old chap?” Sir Garlik enquires. “The Mages of Saruun- they run the trading post, the Seven Pillared Hall, in Thunderspire.” Douvern adds. “Thunderspire!” Sir Garlik parrots, “this is getting serious- don’t you think; a little complicated.” “You know I was an adventurer in the past…” Douvern starts, and is met by nods. “… One of my companions, Paldemar- he retired to the Seven Pillared Hall, I went to visit him there, mostly to reminisce; that’s when I saw the book- he had it, he was studying it while…” A sudden noise makes the trio look up. “What was zat?” The trio stand as still as statues, listening intently- silently Eko draws her blade, Sir Garlik already has his sword in hand. Silence. It’s Sir Garlik that breaks the still, his voice however is no more than a whisper. “Perhaps you’re right, perhaps there’s something going on here- or in the Vale, but standing around is not going to solve the mystery. We have work to do. Gerda, Bahamut bless her, will have to worry for a little longer, but hear this Douvern. When we get back, to Winterhaven, you’re through with this- no more wandering around in dungeons, you’re an old man, you have a wife- and a family.” Douvern looks down, his tears come surprisingly quickly. The moment passes. “You’re right of course, we must get on- it’s this way, I think.” Douvern lurches forward, and away, the torch he carries chases away the black, behind him Eko and Sir Garlik watch the old man for a moment. “We should have brought the Red Baron with us. He could have proved… useful.” Sir Garlik whispers. “Zat is out of ze question! His fever iz yet to… ‘ow you say- break. He is sick, not fit for zer duty.” Eko snaps back, rather harshly. She softens, “still, I mizz ‘im.” “Come on.” Sir Garlik smiles at Eko, and then gently steers her towards Douvern’s light. The Paladin is the last to leave the chamber, taking a moment more to stand in silence, listening intently; he looks momentarily at odds- as if something is not quite right. Then without warning, turns on his heel, and follows his comrades deeper in to the dungeon, deeper in to the shadow. [sblock=Info] Just a note to say that in game, and in previous 4e campaigns I have DM'ed, I've always run with the idea that the Feywild and the Shadowfell are geographically for the most part the same place as the 'normal' world, or at least the major land masses are the same. The Fey and Shadow worlds are mirrors of the Prime Material world, although shaped and populated by flora and fauna which reflects their character. In a previous campaign adventurers had to save Fallcrest by visiting it's Feywild and Shadowfell equivalents, as stated above, known as 'The Falls' and 'Crestfallen', respectively. [/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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