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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4461915" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Thanks for the props in your sig, Richard!</p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 30</p><p></p><p></p><p>It was a subdued and quiet company that made the trek back to Winterhaven. For one thing, most of them still bore grievous wounds, and Devrem lacked the power to heal them further today. Healing depended on the energies of the recipient as much as it did the power of the gods, the priest explained. </p><p></p><p>“Yeah, well, my energy feels pretty damned depleted right about now,” Mara had replied, grimacing as Elevaren had helped her tie off the bandage that covered the gash in her hip. Devrem had said that none of their wounds were life-threatening, at least for the time it would take them to get back to Winterford. </p><p></p><p>They had considered resting up in the kobold lair, but none of them had ultimately been that enthusiastic about the idea in the end. For one thing, the kobold wyrmpriest had escaped; obviously its dedication to Irontooth had been rather less than total. Or maybe its gods had whispered to it which way the battle would end, and it had decided not to be around when that happened. </p><p></p><p>In any case, the fact that the priest was still out there somewhere, along with the few other kobolds that had escaped, helped make their decision. </p><p></p><p>“They’ve been scared off for now,” Mara had said. “But if we give them enough time to think about it, they might recover enough of their courage to try their luck again.”</p><p></p><p>“Or they may bring help,” Jaron had pointed out. Before the raid they would have thought that unlikely, but that was before Devrem had found the scroll in Irontooth’s pouch. </p><p></p><p>The message had been from Kalarel, and while it had been addressed to Irontooth, each of them felt it had really been written for them. </p><p></p><p><em>My spy in Winterhaven suggests we keep an eye out for visitors to the area. It probably does not matter; in just a few more days, I’ll completely open the rift. Then Winterhaven’s people will serve as food for all those Lord Orcus sends to do my bidding.</em></p><p></p><p>Irontooth had said something similar to them, but to see the words in print upon the parchment, written in a smooth and confident hand, somehow made them more threatening. </p><p></p><p>They’d also found a key on the goblin’s corpse, which had opened a chest in the rear of the kobold caves. The chest had contained a quantity of gold, which those least injured were now carrying in their packs, and a suit of fine chainmail of dwarven make. Devrem had claimed that, and now wore it under his black robes. </p><p></p><p>The afternoon had deepened, the sun already starting to set. It would be dark by the time they reached the walls of Winterhaven. After a while, Mara spoke. “So. Orcus. You knew they were here, priest.”</p><p></p><p>“I came to this region because of reports of an Orcus-cult in the area, yes,” Devrem said, without looking back. He had taken to walking in the lead, as though following an invisible tether that led back to town. The others had to hasten to keep up with him, which in their condition, was not easy. </p><p></p><p>“We didn’t come here to join a cause,” Mara said. Elevaren started to say something, but the fighter raised her hand to forestall him. </p><p></p><p>At that, Devrem did stop, and turned to face them. “I did not ask you to. Each of you will have to decide what you will do, what you must do. I can tell you this; if the cult of Orcus succeeds in accomplishing what is has come here to do, then the entire Nentir Vale will fall under a shadow so deep that it may spread to cover the entire world.”</p><p></p><p>And with that, he turned and walked on.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4461915, member: 143"] Thanks for the props in your sig, Richard! * * * * * Chapter 30 It was a subdued and quiet company that made the trek back to Winterhaven. For one thing, most of them still bore grievous wounds, and Devrem lacked the power to heal them further today. Healing depended on the energies of the recipient as much as it did the power of the gods, the priest explained. “Yeah, well, my energy feels pretty damned depleted right about now,” Mara had replied, grimacing as Elevaren had helped her tie off the bandage that covered the gash in her hip. Devrem had said that none of their wounds were life-threatening, at least for the time it would take them to get back to Winterford. They had considered resting up in the kobold lair, but none of them had ultimately been that enthusiastic about the idea in the end. For one thing, the kobold wyrmpriest had escaped; obviously its dedication to Irontooth had been rather less than total. Or maybe its gods had whispered to it which way the battle would end, and it had decided not to be around when that happened. In any case, the fact that the priest was still out there somewhere, along with the few other kobolds that had escaped, helped make their decision. “They’ve been scared off for now,” Mara had said. “But if we give them enough time to think about it, they might recover enough of their courage to try their luck again.” “Or they may bring help,” Jaron had pointed out. Before the raid they would have thought that unlikely, but that was before Devrem had found the scroll in Irontooth’s pouch. The message had been from Kalarel, and while it had been addressed to Irontooth, each of them felt it had really been written for them. [i]My spy in Winterhaven suggests we keep an eye out for visitors to the area. It probably does not matter; in just a few more days, I’ll completely open the rift. Then Winterhaven’s people will serve as food for all those Lord Orcus sends to do my bidding.[/i] Irontooth had said something similar to them, but to see the words in print upon the parchment, written in a smooth and confident hand, somehow made them more threatening. They’d also found a key on the goblin’s corpse, which had opened a chest in the rear of the kobold caves. The chest had contained a quantity of gold, which those least injured were now carrying in their packs, and a suit of fine chainmail of dwarven make. Devrem had claimed that, and now wore it under his black robes. The afternoon had deepened, the sun already starting to set. It would be dark by the time they reached the walls of Winterhaven. After a while, Mara spoke. “So. Orcus. You knew they were here, priest.” “I came to this region because of reports of an Orcus-cult in the area, yes,” Devrem said, without looking back. He had taken to walking in the lead, as though following an invisible tether that led back to town. The others had to hasten to keep up with him, which in their condition, was not easy. “We didn’t come here to join a cause,” Mara said. Elevaren started to say something, but the fighter raised her hand to forestall him. At that, Devrem did stop, and turned to face them. “I did not ask you to. Each of you will have to decide what you will do, what you must do. I can tell you this; if the cult of Orcus succeeds in accomplishing what is has come here to do, then the entire Nentir Vale will fall under a shadow so deep that it may spread to cover the entire world.” And with that, he turned and walked on. [/QUOTE]
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