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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake_01" data-source="post: 7133962" data-attributes="member: 63254">Chapter 7 (“Absence and death are the same - only that in death there is no suffering.” -Theodore Roosevelt) The created opening allowed the party to enter a long hallway filled with what appeared to be statues carved in the likeness of the Wind Dukes of Aaqa. Everyone noted the chill billowing from the great room beyond, but no one was deterred. Egan tried to break the silence with nervous banter. “This is interesting,” he said as he flipped through the notes he had compiled over the past few days. “What’s that,” Etona asked. “Two names keep coming up over and over again: Nadroc and Zosiel.” The man didn’t even bother to look up as he walked. “I imagine that Zosiel must be the person whom this cairn was built for. His name is said more frequently and with much more reverence. I am fairly certain the tomb we discovered after exiting the column of air is his.” “I didn’t know you spoke Auran,” Etona said. “I’m a fast study,” Egan replied. The hallway led to a larger chamber with two adjacent rooms connected to it. One of the rooms was blocked by brown mold, growing from the column in the center of the chamber. Egan explained that this was the source of the chill they had felt while walking through the hallway and dispatched it quite easily with the ray of magical frost. Etona decided; however, to explore the room not blocked by life-threatening fungus first. Within was what could only described as a private bedchamber, but that is not what drew the elf’s eye. It was the emaciated remains of a young girl floating above the stone slab that passed as a bed. She knew what this meant and so wordlessly, Etona reached out to pull Leyla’s body from its magical encasement. She was immediately struck the powerful enchantments that washed over her. If elven blood did not flow through her veins, she was sure that climbing onto the slab would result in dreams she would never wake from. “Rey, Egan, come quickly,” Etona shouted as she cradled the dead woman’s body. Egan registered the scene almost immediately, the hope evaporating from his eyes. The man sunk to his knees barely touching the husk that was once his sister as he sobbed uncontrollably. Rey rested a comforting hand on Egan’s shoulder and helped escort him out of the cairn. The party took her to the dilapidated mining office nearby and buried her under a plum tree that grew from the front yard. “Why here Egan? Why not near your old home,” Etona asked. “There is nothing there for us,” Egan stated almost catatonically. “Diamond Lake has not been our home for a long time now. She lost her life near this cairn and so she should be laid to rest near it.” “What now,” Rey asked. “We must go back,” Egan replied, “or Leyla’s death will be in vain.” No one countered the statement. Silence followed their heavy spirits back to the tomb.-----------------------------The room across from the one in which they found Leyla’s remains did not yield much of substance, but it certainly was interesting. Most notable were a red metal pedestal and the strange black egg upon it. The egg had a golden glyph inscribed upon its surface which Egan could not decipher. He reported that the metal the pedestal was cast from was Red Steel, a mineral prized by the armies of the Abyss. No one seemed interested in touching either substance, so the decision was made to go back up to Zosiel’s true tomb. The trip itself did not take long as the party had made the journey numerous times before. Only this time, they did not shy away from Zosiel’s command and named him as instructed. His sarcophagus opened with a brilliant blue flash of light and revealed only two items: a magical diadem and a strange loop with a handle attached to it. Everyone agreed the importance of the artifacts, but it took some time before the party agreed what to do with them. Finally, after much debate it was decided that the items would be hidden in the well by the mining office and the party would go seek Allustan’s council. -----------------------------“The hour is rather late for a visit.” “Our apologies Allustan, but we could not wait until morning to trouble you,” Etona said. The old sage beckoned the party inside and listened carefully as Etona caught the man up with the events that had transpired at the Observatory and their recent discoveries at the Whispering Cairn. After the elf had finished her story, the old sage turned to Egan. “I am so sorry to hear about your loss Egan, I am sure that Leyla is in a better place.” “Thank you Master,” Egan replied. Coughing in an attempt to mask his emotion, he continued. “We are curious about the symbol we encountered upon the black stone egg. Do you have any ideas what it could mean?” Allustan nodded thoughtfully. “The symbol you describe is that of Ogremoch. He is the Prince of Evil Earth and a known consort of Tharizdun. I could regale you with tales of heroism about the Temple of Elemental Evil, but I am sure that is not why you are here.” “We are also unsure what the loop and black sphere in some of the bas-reliefs we found on the walls of the tomb indicate. It seems like it was used as a weapon,” Egan let the statement trail off. “Indeed,” Allustan’s voice grew much more animated. “The drawing you have provided is a depiction of a very powerful artifact called the Talisman of the Sphere. This is a weapon deployed by madmen and those who are favored by the Chained God. These talismans give the user some control over a Sphere of Annihilation, a veritable “hole” in reality itself. Anything that comes into contact with one is erased from existence.” “Thank you again Master, we are sorry to have disturbed you,” Egan stammered as he gave Allustan the notes he had compiled inside the Whispering Cairn. “Not at all Egan, this is the very reason I sent you on this exploration. One thing troubles me however,” the sage said with a furrowed brow. “I am unsure what this green worm means. And I dislike what I do not understand.”--------------------------------The next morning the party met Egan at the Spinning Giant for breakfast. Over eggs and bacon, Etona revealed that Kullen’s crew had been by her residence yesterday and informed Phreet that Balbar Smenk was interested in speaking with them. Everyone was wary of the meeting, but there was enough interest in the green worm, Dourstone’s mine, and strange cultists that Egan volunteered to coordinate the specifics. It didn’t take long for the native son of Diamond Lake to parse out how and when Smenk wanted to see them all. The meeting was set for dusk at the mine-owner’s estate, leaving the group with the whole day to themselves. The group’s first order of business was replenishing necessary supplies utilized in their exploration of the Whispering Cairn. Once that had occurred, Etona convinced the party to travel with her to the garrison. She was interested in help if she was going to further entangle herself in the politics of humans. Unlike the Sheriff’s office, the garrison was run with discipline. Men stood vigilantly at their posts while soldiers drilled acts of war. Etona believed that it was going to be difficult to penetrate inside the fortress without bribery, but it turned out that the garrison’s leader was quite interested in useful information. Etona had only to mention the potential danger of green worms and the town’s safety before she was escorted to meet the imposing Captain Tolliver Trask. The man had seen his share of battle, it was evident in the way he conducted himself. He stood hunched over a large map of the region, figurines of forces splayed out over the border to the Mistmarsh. “Dobrun told me that you have pertinent information to the safety of this region. Is that true?” “Yes Captain,” the word sounded foreign to Etona as she said it. “We believe that the town is in grave danger. We have come across an associate of Balbar Smenk’s who was using the old observatory as a laboratory. We put a stop to him and his experiments, but before we released him, he informed us of an evil cult based in the Dourstone mines. The cult is believed to have access to strange green worms that can turn the living into undead.” Raising his eyebrow, Captain Trask’s gaze finally moved from his formations. “Green worms you say. Have you taken this to Sheriff Cubbin?” “With all due respect to Sheriff Cubbin’s station, I am not sure who he is working for,” Etona replied. Trask chuckled. “Indeed. However, my authority does not extend into the town of Diamond Lake. I am tasked with the defense of the surrounding region and it is proving challenging. The lizardfolk tribes grow restless and have begun to intensify raiding along the boundaries of the Mistmarsh. I barely had the manpower to repel them when these attacks were much less frequent.” “Precisely Captain,” Etona said. “You rely on this town for supplies for your men. What if the supplies were interrupted or worse yet you were fighting a conflict with two fronts?” “Maybe I should hire you to secure more funding from Greyhawk,” Trask mused. “But you still don’t understand my position. If what you say is true, then you had a witness to a conspiracy that could have corroborated your story. Whom you decided to release.” “At least we didn't kill him,” Rey interjected. “Be that as it may, right now all you have is a story and no evidence,” Trask continued. “What you need is proof of a crime. Enough of it for serious leverage. If I were to ride my men down the Vein on horseback, that would be tantamount to a political coup. Greyhawk would not abide such a move. But if the situation was so dire that Sheriff Cubbin could not perform the duties of his station, I would be obliged to assist him in any way I could. After all, the protection of our citizens is paramount to our mission here.” Trask looked directly into Etona’s eyes. “Do you understand what I am saying?” “Yes Captain, I believe that I do,” Etona said with a smile. “Good. Come with me,” Trask beckoned as he strode past the bewildered party. “We are going to see a friend of mine, Valkus Dun. He is my spiritual advisor and a High Priest of Heironeous. Right now his flock is confined to a single member,” the man said with a gesture to a red-haired woman sweeping the steps of the chapel. She looked dejected as she went about her duties. “Life for her in the garrison has been challenging, but she is an expert in religious lore. Someone whom you can use to verify your concerns about the undead.” As if on cue, a taller man walked out of the chapel. The sun reflected off of his breastplate, upon which was inscribed a fist holding a bolt of lightning. A mace dangled at his waist, but he seemed to give no notice to the fact that he was prepared for war. “Tolliver, it is good to see you alive,” he said with a grin. “Valkus, I thought you would be dead of boredom by now,” Trask replied as the two clasped hands. “What can the Church of Heironeous do for you this fine day,” Valkus asked. “These...concerned citizens,” indicating the party, “have just been telling me of rumors they have come across within Diamond Lake.” “I didn’t know the sophistication of your intelligence gathering apparatus also included rumors,” Valkus chided. “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Trask retorted. “I believe that is one of your credos. Better brush up on that.” Valkus simply rolled his eyes. “It seems like we have use for Melinde after all.” The young woman instantly perked up. “I need her to substantiate these rumors and as she is an expert on undead lore and in no way affiliated with garrison, she is the perfect person for this job.” “I am touched by your compassion,” Valkus said mockingly. “Melinde is more than capable of reciting undead lore, it is her judgement that concerns me,” the priest said looking over at the woman. “She lacks discipline. I am unsure if she is ready for such responsibility.” “Sweeping the chapel isn’t going to teach her patience,” Trask said bluntly. “How would you know,” Valkus asked. “It didn’t work for you,” Trask countered. “Even after all that sweeping, they still ended up calling you the Avenging Ange-” “It was another time,” Valkus interrupted. “And look where it got me.” “It is time Valkus,” Trask said somberly. The high priest sighed before turning his attention back to his acolyte. “This is your moment Melinde. Succeed or fail, it will be up to you. Go get your things,” Valkus commanded. Etona was going to debate Melinde’s affiliation with Heironeous as it seemed like the sun was literally beaming from her face, something only a priest of Pelor could accomplish. Melinde returned as if battle was imminent. Chainmail covered her form and a white tunic with the silver emblem of Heironeous was stitched upon it. She wore a longsword and carried a shield with a similar symbol painted on its face. “I will not fail you Father,” Melinde declared. For the first time in a long while, the furrow in Valkus’ brow relaxed. “I know.”--------------------------------------------------Living up to his reputation, Smenk kept the party waiting far too long before greeting them at the entrance to his manor. Everyone had grown weary of listening to his thugs patrol the area and Etona was thinking about breaking in when one of the large oak doors swung open. Smenk was a portly, balding man who seemed like the mere act of breathing was a daily struggle. However, he certainly knew how to make an entrance. Flanked by two chained gorillas, the mine-owner almost seemed annoyed at the meeting he had planned. “What do you want?” “We are here to meet about the disturbance in the mine your friend warned us about,” Egan said carefully. “You must be...Leegan,” Smenk said with disdain. “Well come on in. We shouldn’t discuss such matters out her-” The sentence caught in his throat as an arrow blossomed from his chest. For a moment, there was a stillness in the night air. That serenity was promptly shattered by Smenk’s screams and the sound of crossbows firing. Quarrels rained down all around the party, striking Melinde and Rey. The scout could feel her blood turn to fire in her veins before yanking the bolt from her shoulder. Pandemonium had been unleashed. Etona turned to see her companions seek cover from the enemy that had surrounded their position...all except one. Melinde was smiling as blood ran down the side of her neck. She drew her longsword and raised it aloft, screaming in defiance. “In the name of Heironeous, justice will be served!”</blockquote>

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