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The Gate Pass Irregulars: A War of the Burning Sky Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="Cafu" data-source="post: 6083255" data-attributes="member: 6692807"><p>The next morning Felix decided to learn a spell which would relay a magical message to Simeon, the master of the Lyceum in Seaquen. He began casting his spell. It was a long and complicated procedure and as was my wont, I watched with interest; I began making various notes and I realised that at some point, there was no reason why I couldn’t also cast the same spell; I understood the concept and most of the verbal components; it was the somatic aspects that were going to be more tricky as I did not have a holy symbol which I could use to concentrate and focus my magical energy in the same manner that Felix used; more thought needed.</p><p> </p><p>Anyway, all that aside, Felix’s message to Simeon went along these lines: “Ragesian plans in Dassen thwarted; Steppengaard now fully supports Seaquen; Dassen has declared war on Ragesia; trillith involved; urgent research on these required.”</p><p> </p><p>The reply of the spell came instantly: “Congratulations! Knew we could rely on you. Return to Seaquen as quickly as possible. New mission imminent.”</p><p> </p><p>Just as we finished receiving this message, there was a knock on the door and a voice called out:</p><p> </p><p>“Sir Longhelim, the King requests you and your companions join him in the banqueting room. Please follow me.”</p><p> </p><p>Rapidly, we tidied ourselves up and opened the door. The servant outside the door was quite elderly, dignified and magnificently attired; judging by his dress, he must have been one of the most senior in that hierarchy. He turned around in front of us and walked in a stately manner to the hall. As he neared it, he slowed down; as we turned the corner, I immediately saw why: the whole corridor was lined with people; castle staff, soldiers, servants, functionaries, officers, courtiers, they were all there; and they were clapping and cheering; the majordomo led us slowly up the corridor, making sure that everyone saw us as we progressed; it was very cleverly done. We fell behind him naturally walking at the same pace. All in all, it was a procession.</p><p> </p><p>We entered the banqueting hall and it also was lined with people clapping and cheering, again from the castle. For once, there didn’t seem to be a division in rank amongst the audience. Even Steppengaard was standing and applauding our entrance; glancing behind him, I almost stumbled as I saw a familiar smiling figure: Gallo!</p><p> </p><p>A flourish and a blast of trumpets could be heard as we advanced.</p><p> </p><p>Wide-eyed, I turned to Felix next to me and mouthed: “How?”</p><p> </p><p>He turned to me and mouthed: “Later!”</p><p> </p><p>As we finally, reached the King, he raised his hands and the noise died down:</p><p> </p><p>“My friends, we have called you here to express our appreciation. During our wicked deception and our magical descent into madness by the thrice cursed Nina Glibglamer, you were a shining beacon of faith and light. You joined Duke Gallo, when you could have left this land and this King to wallow in deceit! You could have allowed a civil war to erupt! You could have allowed the Ragesians to slaughter the Eight Lords of this Land. You could have allowed them to conquer this proud Land and subject it to the rule of Leska the Foul. Instead, despite the evil actions ordered by the thrice cursed which saw you thrown into the dungeons and at great personal risk to your own lives, you determined to find and stop the Ragesian plans: and this you did!</p><p> </p><p>You saved the Lords! You saved the Land! And finally, you saved the King! And made us see the Ragesians for what they truly are!</p><p> </p><p>Gentlemen, step forward and kneel!”</p><p> </p><p>In total silence, we knelt in front of the King. Gallo handed him a thin sword and he laid it on each of our shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“For honour! For courage! For faith! For truth! For strength! For knowledge! For all of these and more I dub thee Knights of Dassen. You will be given manors and lands within Bresk for you and your heirs to hold for evermore!”</p><p> </p><p>Cheering erupted after this announcement again. Steppengaard held up his hands and it died down.</p><p> </p><p>“As of now, we have realised the perfidy of the Ragesians! As of now, Dassen and Ragesia are at war!”</p><p> </p><p>There was more cheering at this and soldiers clashed their swords against their shields.</p><p> </p><p>Then the noise died down and Gallo finally came forward.</p><p> </p><p>“My friends, thank you for all you have done. As my King has said, Dassen stands in your debt. A civil war would have been devastating. With the breaking of the gnome’s curse, the snows are beginning to melt. It is a good omen; our soldiers will be able to feel the soil of Dassen beneath their feet once more. I return to Gallo’s Fend once more. General Revulus will no doubt be up to some more mischief and I must see to my troops. Should you ever be near my city again, please come and see me. Good luck!”</p><p> </p><p>At that, he strode out of the hall, followed by his escort and advisors.</p><p> </p><p>Steppengaard asked us: “What will you do now?”</p><p> </p><p>“We have been in touch with Master Simeon of the Lyceum in Seaquen and he wishes us to return. Another mission awaits,” replied Longhelim.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah,” said the King, “duty calls; how well I understand that. I will send you with an escort as far as the city. When will you be leaving?”</p><p> </p><p>“We would like one final day to tidy things up here and then we will leave. Your Majesty, we have one boon to ask. It is quite a specialized reward otherwise we would not ask; Faden, my colleague, wishes to cast a specific spell to research various pieces of magic we found on your enemies. This magical spell requires pearls of a certain value; would your magicians see to letting us have some pearls for this spell?”</p><p> </p><p>Steppengaard quickly turned to one of his advisors: “See to it.”</p><p> </p><p>Then he turned to us again: “Please come and say good bye before you leave.”</p><p> </p><p>With that, we left the hall to more cheering and returned to our room. Felix then cast a couple of spells to try to magically contact Torrent and Tiljann. Worryingly, there was no reply from Torrent but there was a reply from Tiljann who was still with the Wayfarers and very happy.</p><p> </p><p>A little time after that, there was a knock on the door and a person stood outside with a little sack on a tray. Looking inside, we could see a collection of pearls; many more than we had expected. This was obviously another expression of Steppengaard’s gratitude for helping to save his Kingdom.</p><p> </p><p>Thanking the man, I took the satchel and saw that there were more than enough pearls for our needs. I readied my spell. As I was doing this, I asked:</p><p> </p><p>“Felix, what about Gallo? I was sure he was dead.”</p><p> </p><p>The priest replied: “One of the most important and influential spells that a priest can ask of his or her deity is the miracle to restore life. Even though it is extremely powerful magic, there are limits: it can only be done for a short period after death; it cannot be done to restore life from death of old age or from natural causes; only from death by unnatural or artificial means, such as being run through by a sword; and it is exhausting and expensive; but it is possible. Steppengard must have ordered this spell to be used to bring Gallo back to life. It is one of the most powerful and secret of a priest’s powers. The Duke must be truly regarded as a pivotal figure in the Land. As I mentioned previously, not only is the spell complicated and hugely expensive, the individual brought back is enfeebled and weakened. It takes a long time to recover from this magic.</p><p> </p><p>There are legends and rumours that even more powerful versions of this magic exist but I have yet to meet anyone who could confirm this, never mind actually cast these spells.”</p><p> </p><p>“That is a truly extraordinary magic. It is a school that I have never even heard of! Is it something we magicians could learn?” I asked eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>Felix smiled: “I suppose it’s not impossible but I have never heard of magician being able to do so.”</p><p> </p><p>My thoughts were whirling in a familiar way as I was preparing the research spells. I was already thinking what it would entail for a wizard to bring back someone from the dead by magic.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the day was spent in researching the magical items, determining who would make the best use of them and resting. The warriors were still sore and battered from the battle and grateful for the rest.</p><p> </p><p>There was a brief interlude when Gallo and his entourage came to say goodbye. We also said farewell for Lord Dashgoban who was returning to his lands; in fact, all the Lords were going back to their lands to make ready for this war. They knew that what the Ragesians couldn’t gain by treachery and magic, they would try to gain through military might.</p><p> </p><p>We avoided Lady Timor.</p><p> </p><p>Once Gallo left, we settled down for the day again and thankfully, the night passed uneventfully.</p><p> </p><p>The next morning, bright and early, we sought a last audience with Steppengaard. The King was already hard at work, sitting behind his desk, repairing the harm that had been done to his Kingdom; but what a difference! He looked as if he was a King once more. The grief was still there, in his eyes, but it was contained. I suspected that it would never go away. He had become another casualty of the Ragesian madness. Despite this, for the first time I had seen him, he looked rested and in command; his eyes were clear, he was well dressed and groomed.</p><p> </p><p>“So, gentlemen, you are ready to leave?”</p><p> </p><p>He opened a drawer and brought out various documents, which he handed to each of us. I opened mine with curiosity.</p><p> </p><p>“These are your patents of nobility in Dassen; there are also deeds to each of your lands and manors. Copies of these rest with my scribes here in the palace. May they bring you fortune.</p><p> </p><p>Now, as promised, I will give you an escort to Seaquen. I know that the Lyceum has plans for you but remember that you are always welcome here in the Land.</p><p> </p><p>Farewell and good luck.”</p><p> </p><p>We all bowed and Longhelim replied: “Thank you for the documents and the escort, Your Majesty. We promise that we will return when we can.”</p><p> </p><p>With that, we collected our baggage from our quarters and joined our escort. People waved and cheered us as we rode through Bresk. </p><p> </p><p>The journey back to Seaquen was uneventful. Our escort left us on the edge of Sour Lake Swamp and we managed to cross this hazard without any mishap. We approached Seaquen with much less ceremony and without seeing a great many people. It looked as if everyone was busy re-building. We entered the town and saw that while some progress had been made, there were still the remains of a depressing amount of destruction wrought by the unnatural storm conjured by the traitor Lee Sidoneth.</p><p> </p><p>What was heartening was that everyone was helping clear the streets; even children were carrying small rocks to specific mountains of rubble. I assumed that these piles of stone would be re-used for more buildings; and everywhere we looked, people were cleaning, sweeping, building, carrying, shouting, working and generally putting Seaquen to rights.</p><p> </p><p>We progressed to the Lyceum and even there, we could see that people were still repairing the damage; thankfully, there, it was mostly superficial: broken windows and such like; it was just that there were a great many of them. We went to the main hall and were immediately admitted to Simeon’s study; we were obviously expected and the magician had left instructions that we were to be led to him as soon as we arrive.</p><p> </p><p>On entering his study, we saw Simon and Kiernan, his dwarven chief of staff. The wizard, smiled tiredly at us:</p><p> </p><p>“At last! It is good to see you! You must be tired and hungry. Let me call for food and drink and then I want to hear everything that happened in Dassen. It sounds as if you have had quite an adventure.”</p><p> </p><p>Food and drink were duly brought. Simeon asked us to talk of inconsequential things until the servers had left the room; it seemed that he was being very careful about security nowadays. I smiled inwardly, pleased that Simeon had obviously taken the lessons from the Lee Sidoneth debacle seriously. The druid must have attended many council meetings in the Lyceum over a long period of time in his capacity as the Harbourmaster of the town, becoming privy to many secrets; his betrayal would have hurt deeply but also driven home some very valuable lessons about trust and the presence of Ragesian spies.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the servers left and we sat down to eat, Simeon said:</p><p> </p><p>“Now, please tell me what happened; leave nothing out; one never knows what could be important.”</p><p> </p><p>This time it was John who took it upon himself to relate everything that had happened to us after we left Seaquen the first time. Simeon and Kiernan waited until he finished and then the questions began:</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure this Madness creature was a trillith?”</p><p> </p><p>I fielded that one: “Yes, its abilities were consistent with those of Indomitability so far we could tell; the power to occupy solid bodies, the incorporeality; Indomitability, Deception, now Madness; they seem to take after human traits and then take them to an extreme but in a bad way. Have you been able to find out anything about them?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” admitted Simeon. “I had never heard of them until your reference. Now, even though I am actively scouring all my sources, I am still stumped. No one seems to have even heard of them, never mind know anything about them. I am at a loss though: Incorporeality? Possession? Spell casting? Something so powerful yet completely unknown? It doesn’t make sense. We will continue researching but I must admit, I am discouraged right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Kiernan then asked: “You are sure that the Ragesians are aware that the Forest of Innenotdar no longer burns?”</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim replied: “Yes, I think we can take that for granted. A note to this Guthwulf, whoever he is, recommends scouting the Forest, specifically for this reason.”</p><p> </p><p>Simeon continued: “So, just to confirm, both Steppengaard and Gallo have promised to protect Seaquen?”</p><p> </p><p>John replied to that one: “Yes, from their own mouths, they both promised that Seaquen would be protected; bear in mind though, they are both nobles and politicians so you work out what their promises are worth…..”</p><p> </p><p>I thought that was a little harsh myself.</p><p> </p><p>Kiernan then asked: “This Book of the Eight Lands…..?”</p><p> </p><p>At that point, the doors burst open and Katrina marched in, accompanied by another figure, a fellow who looked remarkably like a member of one of that strange community of spell casting monks who had settled nearby.</p><p> </p><p>“How come I wasn’t informed that the Resistance is back?” Katrina demanded from Simeon. Suddenly, the tension in the room rose dramatically for some reason. It didn’t take a diplomatic genius to work out that relations between Katrina and Simeon seemed to be fraught.</p><p> </p><p>Katrina then sat down firmly on chair, obviously meaning to be part of the meeting from now on. I watched this interplay with concern; the last thing we needed was another internal conflict. The Gods knew, the Ragesians had won enough victories recently without us making it easier for them by fighting amongst ourselves.</p><p> </p><p>Simeon cleared his throat and said:</p><p> </p><p>“Well, gentlemen, we do have another urgent task for you; it has suddenly become very important and it needs to be attended to urgently. Please, let me hand you over to Katrina, who will brief you further.”</p><p> </p><p>Katrina gave Simeon another sulfurous look and then turned to us:</p><p> </p><p>“Now that we are all here;” there was a distinct pause at this point, accompanies by another glare at Simeon, “first let me introduce you to Three Weeping Ravens.”</p><p> </p><p>The bald man who had accompanied Katrina gave a slight bow.</p><p> </p><p>“His reason for being here will become obvious in a few moments; first, let me update you on what has been happening as regards the aftermath of the Lee Sidoneth fiasco.”</p><p> </p><p>Both Simeon and Kiernan shifted uncomfortably at this. I suspected that they hated being reminded that they had nurtured this spy in their midst for a very long time without any suspicion. The full consequences of his treachery were still unknown at this time.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks to your very detailed accounts, there were clues that Lee had other allies than just the Ragesians. His reference to his “Master” at the end of his life was very odd. The description of his expertise in unarmed martial arts together with his shape shifting ability and his knowledge of storm magic suggested a connection with a mysterious sect. They are based in the Monastery of the Two Winds, a structure on the border between Dassen and Ostalin. The monks there are particularly skilled with wind magic, according to the lore we have been able to find.</p><p> </p><p>So, we sent a mission of five men and women from the Lyceum to make contact with this Monastery. They kept in regular magical contact every other day or so but discovered little of interest. They were based in a small town nearby, called Eresh. They had made contact with the masters of the Monastery, two brothers named Longinus and Pilus; however, these gentlemen, while polite, refused them entrance.</p><p> </p><p>The expedition was making little progress but about a week ago, they reported that a company of Ragesian soldiers had arrived in Eresh and were attempting to take the Monastery. Strangely, they seemed very calm about this new development; it was just after this report that communications ceased. It was also at this point that we suddenly realised that this expedition could be far more important than we had initially thought.”</p><p> </p><p>Kiernan had taken out a scroll and unrolled on the table. It was a map, showing the respective Kingdoms on our peninsula; the Monastery of the Two Winds was clearly marked on there, as well as the borders of Ostalin and Dassen.</p><p> </p><p>Just in case we hadn’t seen it, the dwarven mage pointed out the monastery:</p><p> </p><p>“That is the target; after communications with our expedition ceased, we performed a divination.”</p><p> </p><p>He took out another piece of paper and gave it to Longhelim, who read out the following:</p><p>“No single wind can destroy the Torch’s fire, but a second wind could be its ruin.”</p><p> </p><p>I thought about all this and began to get a little impatient. This was a little too mysterious for me and more importantly, I was thinking that it was getting beside the point. Divinations were often more trouble than they were worth as well as being generally very distracting. Looking at Simeon, I said:</p><p> </p><p>“Well, this is very interesting, and the divination actually produced something for once but I am quite confused here. I mean, while it would be nice to know if Lee Sidoneth had been working with someone else, why does it matter so much; we knew he was working with the Ragesians, that is enough, surely?”</p><p> </p><p>Kiernan smiled at me:</p><p> </p><p>“Normally, I would agree with you. Lee’s treachery was proved beyond doubt; but…….”</p><p> </p><p>He then pointed to a spot on the map in Ostalin, quite close to the Monastery:</p><p> </p><p>“That is the location of Castle Korstull.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah,” I said, “that does indeed make a difference; a huge difference.”</p><p> </p><p>We all knew the significance of Castle Korstull. It was the mysterious location in which the late unlamented Emperor Drakus Coaltongue of Ragesia had met his end. He had been at the head of a Ragesian army, indulging in his favourite pastime: subjugating other kingdoms. More importantly, he was supposed to have the Torch of the Burning Sky with him. This was the artifact that allowed the magical transportation of whole armies. Even a military layman such as I, was aware of the strategic advantage that conveyed. If our side could get its hands on the Torch……</p><p> </p><p>Simeon added at this point: “Before you ask, yes the fire storm is still raging above the castle. No one is getting in there until it abates. The remains of Coaltongue’s army is still lurking outside the castle, trying to get in there somehow, presumably to recover the Torch. We think that the Ragesians who appeared in Eresh may be from that army.</p><p> </p><p>Anyway, our interpretation of the divination is that the heads of the Monastery, being skilled in wind magic, can blow away or at least neutralize the fire storm for long enough so that a group can investigate the Castle and find and recover the Torch; or at least find out what has happened to it.</p><p> </p><p>However, to do that, we have to get in touch with the Masters of the Monastery, help them against the Ragesians, find out if they can do something about the Firestorm and then convince them to go along with our plan. Hopefully, if we help them against the Ragesians, this will make them well-disposed towards us.”</p><p> </p><p>Having seen the sort of power that Lee had conjured up in his storm to level Seaquen, that idea may just have been feasible. I also remembered that Commander Zavius Foebane was supposed to be preparing a powerful group of agents to send to Korstull for exactly this purpose. If we could co-ordinate with the command back here, we could possibly send a magical communication and they would move immediately upon our success, thus potentially stealing a march on the Ragesian army, who would also notice the fire storm abating. It was good plan.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, if it was feasible, we would be hot footing it to the castle as well.</p><p> </p><p>Simeon continued: “So gentlemen, this is where you come in. We would like you to go to Ostalin, travel to the Monastery and help the monks in every way possible, especially if they are being pressed by the Ragesians. If the enemy manages to overcome the monks, then the Gods only know what would happen but I am certain that it would not be good for us.</p><p> </p><p>Assuming you succeed, then, please carry on as we discussed. I don’t need to tell you the importance of getting hold of the Torch. The war could potentially be over in a few days if we managed that.”</p><p> </p><p>Katrina took over at this point: “Three Weeping Ravens was part of the exiles who travelled through Ostalin to Seaquen; not only did they pass by the monastery, they actually spoke to the Masters. Ravens?”</p><p> </p><p>The tall bald man stood up. For the first time, noticed that he had a small raven tattooed on the back of his hand. As he walked to stand in front of us, I saw a larger tattoo of the same bird on his back.</p><p> </p><p>He spoke gently: “Yes, we came upon the monastery and had a conversation with the Masters. They were very polite but very firm. They would not give us sanctuary. It was nothing personal; they just did not wish to attract the attention of the Ragesians.”</p><p> </p><p>Well, that policy had obviously not worked, considering what we heard from Eresh.</p><p> </p><p>Simeon spoke at this point: “Well, since you actually saw them and know where the Monastery is, you are the closest thing we have to a guide. I hope you will accompany our emissaries here.”</p><p> </p><p>Three Weeping Ravens nodded.</p><p> </p><p>We stood up, thinking that our audience was over. Simeon waved us back down again.</p><p> </p><p>“There are several other things to go over. None of these affect you directly right now, but you need to know of them.”</p><p> </p><p>He stood up and took a deep breath.</p><p> </p><p>“There is no gentle way of telling you this: The Second Ragesian Army has taken Gate Pass.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cafu, post: 6083255, member: 6692807"] The next morning Felix decided to learn a spell which would relay a magical message to Simeon, the master of the Lyceum in Seaquen. He began casting his spell. It was a long and complicated procedure and as was my wont, I watched with interest; I began making various notes and I realised that at some point, there was no reason why I couldn’t also cast the same spell; I understood the concept and most of the verbal components; it was the somatic aspects that were going to be more tricky as I did not have a holy symbol which I could use to concentrate and focus my magical energy in the same manner that Felix used; more thought needed. Anyway, all that aside, Felix’s message to Simeon went along these lines: “Ragesian plans in Dassen thwarted; Steppengaard now fully supports Seaquen; Dassen has declared war on Ragesia; trillith involved; urgent research on these required.” The reply of the spell came instantly: “Congratulations! Knew we could rely on you. Return to Seaquen as quickly as possible. New mission imminent.” Just as we finished receiving this message, there was a knock on the door and a voice called out: “Sir Longhelim, the King requests you and your companions join him in the banqueting room. Please follow me.” Rapidly, we tidied ourselves up and opened the door. The servant outside the door was quite elderly, dignified and magnificently attired; judging by his dress, he must have been one of the most senior in that hierarchy. He turned around in front of us and walked in a stately manner to the hall. As he neared it, he slowed down; as we turned the corner, I immediately saw why: the whole corridor was lined with people; castle staff, soldiers, servants, functionaries, officers, courtiers, they were all there; and they were clapping and cheering; the majordomo led us slowly up the corridor, making sure that everyone saw us as we progressed; it was very cleverly done. We fell behind him naturally walking at the same pace. All in all, it was a procession. We entered the banqueting hall and it also was lined with people clapping and cheering, again from the castle. For once, there didn’t seem to be a division in rank amongst the audience. Even Steppengaard was standing and applauding our entrance; glancing behind him, I almost stumbled as I saw a familiar smiling figure: Gallo! A flourish and a blast of trumpets could be heard as we advanced. Wide-eyed, I turned to Felix next to me and mouthed: “How?” He turned to me and mouthed: “Later!” As we finally, reached the King, he raised his hands and the noise died down: “My friends, we have called you here to express our appreciation. During our wicked deception and our magical descent into madness by the thrice cursed Nina Glibglamer, you were a shining beacon of faith and light. You joined Duke Gallo, when you could have left this land and this King to wallow in deceit! You could have allowed a civil war to erupt! You could have allowed the Ragesians to slaughter the Eight Lords of this Land. You could have allowed them to conquer this proud Land and subject it to the rule of Leska the Foul. Instead, despite the evil actions ordered by the thrice cursed which saw you thrown into the dungeons and at great personal risk to your own lives, you determined to find and stop the Ragesian plans: and this you did! You saved the Lords! You saved the Land! And finally, you saved the King! And made us see the Ragesians for what they truly are! Gentlemen, step forward and kneel!” In total silence, we knelt in front of the King. Gallo handed him a thin sword and he laid it on each of our shoulders. “For honour! For courage! For faith! For truth! For strength! For knowledge! For all of these and more I dub thee Knights of Dassen. You will be given manors and lands within Bresk for you and your heirs to hold for evermore!” Cheering erupted after this announcement again. Steppengaard held up his hands and it died down. “As of now, we have realised the perfidy of the Ragesians! As of now, Dassen and Ragesia are at war!” There was more cheering at this and soldiers clashed their swords against their shields. Then the noise died down and Gallo finally came forward. “My friends, thank you for all you have done. As my King has said, Dassen stands in your debt. A civil war would have been devastating. With the breaking of the gnome’s curse, the snows are beginning to melt. It is a good omen; our soldiers will be able to feel the soil of Dassen beneath their feet once more. I return to Gallo’s Fend once more. General Revulus will no doubt be up to some more mischief and I must see to my troops. Should you ever be near my city again, please come and see me. Good luck!” At that, he strode out of the hall, followed by his escort and advisors. Steppengaard asked us: “What will you do now?” “We have been in touch with Master Simeon of the Lyceum in Seaquen and he wishes us to return. Another mission awaits,” replied Longhelim. “Ah,” said the King, “duty calls; how well I understand that. I will send you with an escort as far as the city. When will you be leaving?” “We would like one final day to tidy things up here and then we will leave. Your Majesty, we have one boon to ask. It is quite a specialized reward otherwise we would not ask; Faden, my colleague, wishes to cast a specific spell to research various pieces of magic we found on your enemies. This magical spell requires pearls of a certain value; would your magicians see to letting us have some pearls for this spell?” Steppengaard quickly turned to one of his advisors: “See to it.” Then he turned to us again: “Please come and say good bye before you leave.” With that, we left the hall to more cheering and returned to our room. Felix then cast a couple of spells to try to magically contact Torrent and Tiljann. Worryingly, there was no reply from Torrent but there was a reply from Tiljann who was still with the Wayfarers and very happy. A little time after that, there was a knock on the door and a person stood outside with a little sack on a tray. Looking inside, we could see a collection of pearls; many more than we had expected. This was obviously another expression of Steppengaard’s gratitude for helping to save his Kingdom. Thanking the man, I took the satchel and saw that there were more than enough pearls for our needs. I readied my spell. As I was doing this, I asked: “Felix, what about Gallo? I was sure he was dead.” The priest replied: “One of the most important and influential spells that a priest can ask of his or her deity is the miracle to restore life. Even though it is extremely powerful magic, there are limits: it can only be done for a short period after death; it cannot be done to restore life from death of old age or from natural causes; only from death by unnatural or artificial means, such as being run through by a sword; and it is exhausting and expensive; but it is possible. Steppengard must have ordered this spell to be used to bring Gallo back to life. It is one of the most powerful and secret of a priest’s powers. The Duke must be truly regarded as a pivotal figure in the Land. As I mentioned previously, not only is the spell complicated and hugely expensive, the individual brought back is enfeebled and weakened. It takes a long time to recover from this magic. There are legends and rumours that even more powerful versions of this magic exist but I have yet to meet anyone who could confirm this, never mind actually cast these spells.” “That is a truly extraordinary magic. It is a school that I have never even heard of! Is it something we magicians could learn?” I asked eagerly. Felix smiled: “I suppose it’s not impossible but I have never heard of magician being able to do so.” My thoughts were whirling in a familiar way as I was preparing the research spells. I was already thinking what it would entail for a wizard to bring back someone from the dead by magic. The rest of the day was spent in researching the magical items, determining who would make the best use of them and resting. The warriors were still sore and battered from the battle and grateful for the rest. There was a brief interlude when Gallo and his entourage came to say goodbye. We also said farewell for Lord Dashgoban who was returning to his lands; in fact, all the Lords were going back to their lands to make ready for this war. They knew that what the Ragesians couldn’t gain by treachery and magic, they would try to gain through military might. We avoided Lady Timor. Once Gallo left, we settled down for the day again and thankfully, the night passed uneventfully. The next morning, bright and early, we sought a last audience with Steppengaard. The King was already hard at work, sitting behind his desk, repairing the harm that had been done to his Kingdom; but what a difference! He looked as if he was a King once more. The grief was still there, in his eyes, but it was contained. I suspected that it would never go away. He had become another casualty of the Ragesian madness. Despite this, for the first time I had seen him, he looked rested and in command; his eyes were clear, he was well dressed and groomed. “So, gentlemen, you are ready to leave?” He opened a drawer and brought out various documents, which he handed to each of us. I opened mine with curiosity. “These are your patents of nobility in Dassen; there are also deeds to each of your lands and manors. Copies of these rest with my scribes here in the palace. May they bring you fortune. Now, as promised, I will give you an escort to Seaquen. I know that the Lyceum has plans for you but remember that you are always welcome here in the Land. Farewell and good luck.” We all bowed and Longhelim replied: “Thank you for the documents and the escort, Your Majesty. We promise that we will return when we can.” With that, we collected our baggage from our quarters and joined our escort. People waved and cheered us as we rode through Bresk. The journey back to Seaquen was uneventful. Our escort left us on the edge of Sour Lake Swamp and we managed to cross this hazard without any mishap. We approached Seaquen with much less ceremony and without seeing a great many people. It looked as if everyone was busy re-building. We entered the town and saw that while some progress had been made, there were still the remains of a depressing amount of destruction wrought by the unnatural storm conjured by the traitor Lee Sidoneth. What was heartening was that everyone was helping clear the streets; even children were carrying small rocks to specific mountains of rubble. I assumed that these piles of stone would be re-used for more buildings; and everywhere we looked, people were cleaning, sweeping, building, carrying, shouting, working and generally putting Seaquen to rights. We progressed to the Lyceum and even there, we could see that people were still repairing the damage; thankfully, there, it was mostly superficial: broken windows and such like; it was just that there were a great many of them. We went to the main hall and were immediately admitted to Simeon’s study; we were obviously expected and the magician had left instructions that we were to be led to him as soon as we arrive. On entering his study, we saw Simon and Kiernan, his dwarven chief of staff. The wizard, smiled tiredly at us: “At last! It is good to see you! You must be tired and hungry. Let me call for food and drink and then I want to hear everything that happened in Dassen. It sounds as if you have had quite an adventure.” Food and drink were duly brought. Simeon asked us to talk of inconsequential things until the servers had left the room; it seemed that he was being very careful about security nowadays. I smiled inwardly, pleased that Simeon had obviously taken the lessons from the Lee Sidoneth debacle seriously. The druid must have attended many council meetings in the Lyceum over a long period of time in his capacity as the Harbourmaster of the town, becoming privy to many secrets; his betrayal would have hurt deeply but also driven home some very valuable lessons about trust and the presence of Ragesian spies. As soon as the servers left and we sat down to eat, Simeon said: “Now, please tell me what happened; leave nothing out; one never knows what could be important.” This time it was John who took it upon himself to relate everything that had happened to us after we left Seaquen the first time. Simeon and Kiernan waited until he finished and then the questions began: “Are you sure this Madness creature was a trillith?” I fielded that one: “Yes, its abilities were consistent with those of Indomitability so far we could tell; the power to occupy solid bodies, the incorporeality; Indomitability, Deception, now Madness; they seem to take after human traits and then take them to an extreme but in a bad way. Have you been able to find out anything about them?” “No,” admitted Simeon. “I had never heard of them until your reference. Now, even though I am actively scouring all my sources, I am still stumped. No one seems to have even heard of them, never mind know anything about them. I am at a loss though: Incorporeality? Possession? Spell casting? Something so powerful yet completely unknown? It doesn’t make sense. We will continue researching but I must admit, I am discouraged right now.” Kiernan then asked: “You are sure that the Ragesians are aware that the Forest of Innenotdar no longer burns?” Longhelim replied: “Yes, I think we can take that for granted. A note to this Guthwulf, whoever he is, recommends scouting the Forest, specifically for this reason.” Simeon continued: “So, just to confirm, both Steppengaard and Gallo have promised to protect Seaquen?” John replied to that one: “Yes, from their own mouths, they both promised that Seaquen would be protected; bear in mind though, they are both nobles and politicians so you work out what their promises are worth…..” I thought that was a little harsh myself. Kiernan then asked: “This Book of the Eight Lands…..?” At that point, the doors burst open and Katrina marched in, accompanied by another figure, a fellow who looked remarkably like a member of one of that strange community of spell casting monks who had settled nearby. “How come I wasn’t informed that the Resistance is back?” Katrina demanded from Simeon. Suddenly, the tension in the room rose dramatically for some reason. It didn’t take a diplomatic genius to work out that relations between Katrina and Simeon seemed to be fraught. Katrina then sat down firmly on chair, obviously meaning to be part of the meeting from now on. I watched this interplay with concern; the last thing we needed was another internal conflict. The Gods knew, the Ragesians had won enough victories recently without us making it easier for them by fighting amongst ourselves. Simeon cleared his throat and said: “Well, gentlemen, we do have another urgent task for you; it has suddenly become very important and it needs to be attended to urgently. Please, let me hand you over to Katrina, who will brief you further.” Katrina gave Simeon another sulfurous look and then turned to us: “Now that we are all here;” there was a distinct pause at this point, accompanies by another glare at Simeon, “first let me introduce you to Three Weeping Ravens.” The bald man who had accompanied Katrina gave a slight bow. “His reason for being here will become obvious in a few moments; first, let me update you on what has been happening as regards the aftermath of the Lee Sidoneth fiasco.” Both Simeon and Kiernan shifted uncomfortably at this. I suspected that they hated being reminded that they had nurtured this spy in their midst for a very long time without any suspicion. The full consequences of his treachery were still unknown at this time. “Thanks to your very detailed accounts, there were clues that Lee had other allies than just the Ragesians. His reference to his “Master” at the end of his life was very odd. The description of his expertise in unarmed martial arts together with his shape shifting ability and his knowledge of storm magic suggested a connection with a mysterious sect. They are based in the Monastery of the Two Winds, a structure on the border between Dassen and Ostalin. The monks there are particularly skilled with wind magic, according to the lore we have been able to find. So, we sent a mission of five men and women from the Lyceum to make contact with this Monastery. They kept in regular magical contact every other day or so but discovered little of interest. They were based in a small town nearby, called Eresh. They had made contact with the masters of the Monastery, two brothers named Longinus and Pilus; however, these gentlemen, while polite, refused them entrance. The expedition was making little progress but about a week ago, they reported that a company of Ragesian soldiers had arrived in Eresh and were attempting to take the Monastery. Strangely, they seemed very calm about this new development; it was just after this report that communications ceased. It was also at this point that we suddenly realised that this expedition could be far more important than we had initially thought.” Kiernan had taken out a scroll and unrolled on the table. It was a map, showing the respective Kingdoms on our peninsula; the Monastery of the Two Winds was clearly marked on there, as well as the borders of Ostalin and Dassen. Just in case we hadn’t seen it, the dwarven mage pointed out the monastery: “That is the target; after communications with our expedition ceased, we performed a divination.” He took out another piece of paper and gave it to Longhelim, who read out the following: “No single wind can destroy the Torch’s fire, but a second wind could be its ruin.” I thought about all this and began to get a little impatient. This was a little too mysterious for me and more importantly, I was thinking that it was getting beside the point. Divinations were often more trouble than they were worth as well as being generally very distracting. Looking at Simeon, I said: “Well, this is very interesting, and the divination actually produced something for once but I am quite confused here. I mean, while it would be nice to know if Lee Sidoneth had been working with someone else, why does it matter so much; we knew he was working with the Ragesians, that is enough, surely?” Kiernan smiled at me: “Normally, I would agree with you. Lee’s treachery was proved beyond doubt; but…….” He then pointed to a spot on the map in Ostalin, quite close to the Monastery: “That is the location of Castle Korstull.” “Ah,” I said, “that does indeed make a difference; a huge difference.” We all knew the significance of Castle Korstull. It was the mysterious location in which the late unlamented Emperor Drakus Coaltongue of Ragesia had met his end. He had been at the head of a Ragesian army, indulging in his favourite pastime: subjugating other kingdoms. More importantly, he was supposed to have the Torch of the Burning Sky with him. This was the artifact that allowed the magical transportation of whole armies. Even a military layman such as I, was aware of the strategic advantage that conveyed. If our side could get its hands on the Torch…… Simeon added at this point: “Before you ask, yes the fire storm is still raging above the castle. No one is getting in there until it abates. The remains of Coaltongue’s army is still lurking outside the castle, trying to get in there somehow, presumably to recover the Torch. We think that the Ragesians who appeared in Eresh may be from that army. Anyway, our interpretation of the divination is that the heads of the Monastery, being skilled in wind magic, can blow away or at least neutralize the fire storm for long enough so that a group can investigate the Castle and find and recover the Torch; or at least find out what has happened to it. However, to do that, we have to get in touch with the Masters of the Monastery, help them against the Ragesians, find out if they can do something about the Firestorm and then convince them to go along with our plan. Hopefully, if we help them against the Ragesians, this will make them well-disposed towards us.” Having seen the sort of power that Lee had conjured up in his storm to level Seaquen, that idea may just have been feasible. I also remembered that Commander Zavius Foebane was supposed to be preparing a powerful group of agents to send to Korstull for exactly this purpose. If we could co-ordinate with the command back here, we could possibly send a magical communication and they would move immediately upon our success, thus potentially stealing a march on the Ragesian army, who would also notice the fire storm abating. It was good plan. Of course, if it was feasible, we would be hot footing it to the castle as well. Simeon continued: “So gentlemen, this is where you come in. We would like you to go to Ostalin, travel to the Monastery and help the monks in every way possible, especially if they are being pressed by the Ragesians. If the enemy manages to overcome the monks, then the Gods only know what would happen but I am certain that it would not be good for us. Assuming you succeed, then, please carry on as we discussed. I don’t need to tell you the importance of getting hold of the Torch. The war could potentially be over in a few days if we managed that.” Katrina took over at this point: “Three Weeping Ravens was part of the exiles who travelled through Ostalin to Seaquen; not only did they pass by the monastery, they actually spoke to the Masters. Ravens?” The tall bald man stood up. For the first time, noticed that he had a small raven tattooed on the back of his hand. As he walked to stand in front of us, I saw a larger tattoo of the same bird on his back. He spoke gently: “Yes, we came upon the monastery and had a conversation with the Masters. They were very polite but very firm. They would not give us sanctuary. It was nothing personal; they just did not wish to attract the attention of the Ragesians.” Well, that policy had obviously not worked, considering what we heard from Eresh. Simeon spoke at this point: “Well, since you actually saw them and know where the Monastery is, you are the closest thing we have to a guide. I hope you will accompany our emissaries here.” Three Weeping Ravens nodded. We stood up, thinking that our audience was over. Simeon waved us back down again. “There are several other things to go over. None of these affect you directly right now, but you need to know of them.” He stood up and took a deep breath. “There is no gentle way of telling you this: The Second Ragesian Army has taken Gate Pass.” [/QUOTE]
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The Gate Pass Irregulars: A War of the Burning Sky Campaign
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