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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DispelAkimbo" data-source="post: 1048823" data-attributes="member: 1916">Dismounting, the White haired, bearded old man in grey robes headed to the Helmsblade family crypt in the Gardens district near the Royal Compound and pushed the door open, it stopped halfway open, apparently stuck on some rocks.Moving inside the old man reached behind the door and pushed the stone lever, as he did so a grating sound of stone moving on stone could be heard.He turned around in time to see one of the Sarcophagi lids opening, leaning forward enough to look inside he nodded with satisfaction.Inside the Sarcophagi lay the bound and gagged form of the Royal Princess Melissan of Sarivale, she struggled feebly and murmured something.“Fear not princess, you will soon be the guest of my master in Arilan” the old man spoke, and bent forward to lift her from the Sarcophagi with ease.Carrying her struggling form over his shoulder, the old man headed outside once more and wandered over to his horse a large dark roan that stomped its hooves impatiently.He put the Princess on her feet, backed up against the large horse, and taking a sack he put it over her desperately protesting form.“Tis only till we leave the city Princess” he explained and lifted her over the sadly like the sack she appeared to be.Mounting his horse he sat for a moment and turning towards the Royal compound he rode his horse towards the gates.The guards at the gates said nothing, neither seeing nor reacting to him; he rode past them into the courtyard of the compound.The Royal Palace loomed before him, vast and magnificent and he stopped his horse. It stomped at the cobbled floor once more.“Da Bahz tith ras Morgoth, Nindat De bul ta zher got Rhu” he said in a low deep voice.In the courtyard the wind picked up slightly and all around the guards stiffened, their faces suddenly going blank, their flesh becoming drawn and opening in signs of obvious wounds.Slowly the guards in the compound all started shambling towards the palace.It had taken him many months to arrange the accidents of all the royal guards, tracking them down overseeing their murders and then enchanting them, but this day it would all be worth it. His master would reward him well.He turned and slowly rode out of the courtyard, the shambling guards pushing the large metal doors closed behind him.He rode slowly away…***After waiting for more than an hour, Margarian finds himself talked into playing a game of cards with the jailer. He doesn't know the rules and cannot read the symbols on the cards, but he's bored and it passes the time."Wow, you win again Plainsman. That's three copper pieces in a row you've won. You must be lucky." Margarian shrugs, he wasn't really interested in the game or the money. "How about we raise the stakes for this next hand?" The jailer suggests. Margarian shrugs. "Good, good. One silver per hand from now on." The jailer states, rubbing his hands gleefully.The Jailer takes a deep swig on a bottle of wine and deals the next hand. They play for a few moments before the Jailer declares himself the winner and takes Margarians money. Margarian rolls his eyes as he sees what the Jailer is up to. Instead of kicking up a fuss though he goes and checks on the Helmsblade brothers. They seem fine.Margarian sits down at the table moments later and finds the Jailer asleep. "Drunk." He mutters. "Bum!" he adds. He prods the Jailer to wake him up but gets no response. He shakes him but cannot wake him. Finally he checks for a pulse and finds none. "Poison wine?" Margarian wonders and sniffs the wine bottle.Finally, he cries out "Guards!" and waits for someone to arrive.***As they enter the Palace Jaider and Eben hear a gruff voice in the distance call for 'Guards!'"That sounded like Margarian.""Quick, to the dungeon!"They sprint across the palace and down the cold stone steps into the dungeon."What's wrong?" Jaider asks as he skids to a halt, eye scanning the room for signs of trouble."Jailers dead. Poison wine I reckon." Margarian sullenly replies. Jaider walks over to the jailer slumped over the table, grabs a handful of hair and lifts the jailers head back."You don't think that the three inch deep slit across his throat was the cause of death then?" Eben asks the plainsman. Margarian frowns, opens his mouth to speak, closes his mouth and frowns again. After a few moments he finally gathers his thoughts and speaks."But we were alone in here and he was fine one minute, asleep or dead the next.""His body is cold, he's been dead for some time." Jaider comments. "There's no blood from the wound either, a slit throat like that should have left blood everywhere.""If he's been dead for a while, could a magician been using him as a puppet or something?" Margarian asks, desperately trying to understand what has happened. Jaider and Eben knowing little about magic both shrug.***The true Zander Helmsblade stands in his cell, two doors down from his brother, listening as hard as he can to the distant conversation. He can't make out many words after the shouted call for 'Guards' but he's sure he heard something about magic. On a hunch he calls upon his arcane power and casts a spell to detect magical energy in the area around him. At first all seems fine, then after a few moments he spots something.Floating along the corridor his cell is off; he sees a cloud of magical energy. It pauses briefly by the lock of each cell door, where upon a quiet click can be heard. Shortly after each click, the cell door swings open and the prisoner within emerges."By Girion Rowan, look at the prisoners, they all look dead! But still walking!" Zander loudly whispers to his brothers cell. Rowan rises and looks at the activity in the corridor outside his cell. As he does so, his cell door clicks and unlocks."Stay where you are brother!" He says. "I do not know what is happening, but with the dead walking out in the corridor, our cells are the safest place to be!" Zander acknowledges and agrees with his brothers command.The dead prisoners slowly shamble along the corridor and to the door at the end. Once there they start banging on the door and slowly attempt to batter it down.***Thud! Thud! Thud!"Some of the prisoners must be loose!" Margarian exclaims as a hard banging can be heard on the door leading to the prison cells. Jaider moves to the door and opens the small window shutters on the door. He soon closes them again and informs the others of the dead prisoners on the other side."They'll be through that door before too long." Eben comments. Jaider looks round and assesses the situation."Eben, you go upstairs and find some more guards. Margarian, you empty the weapon rack in the storage room. We don't need to leave them weapons for when they break out."Eben runs lightly up the steps out of the dungeon and emerges into a corridor in the palace. Immediately he sees dead guards attacking palace servants. Most of the guards have their throats slit, but a few others have holes in their chests, or even parts of their body missing. All show some evidence of being killed, and none of the wounds look fresh or show signs of bleeding.While Eben is still taking stock of the situation Margarian arrives from below and drops the weapons he is carrying. With the confidence of a fearless solider he draws his sword and steps into the fray, carving up the walking dead and protecting the servants where possible. At one point a couple of living guards appear from around a corridor corner, but no sooner do they appear and a slit appears across their throats, before Margarians very eyes, and they join the ranks of the walking dead.Margarian fights on and is soon stood among a pile of hewn body parts.***Jalderin, Princess Melissan and the two royal guards have only been in the Dining Room for a few moments when the sounds of distant fighting arise."Go see what the problem is!" Jalderin says turning to on of the two guards. His breath catches in his throat for a moment though when the guards die in front of him and then proceed to draw daggers and attack him. Jalderin draws his long sword and with a couple of swings, parries and thrust he soon dispatches the dead guards."Your Highness, we definitely need to get you out of here, now! Please follow me and stay close." Jalderin opens the door to the dining room. In the corridor outside he sees more dead guards attacking servants, and at the end of the corridor Margarian, Jaider and Eben fighting the dead. He leads the princess towards them and the five of them head make their way through the palace to the nearest exit.***Back in the dungeons, the dead prisoners finally manage to break down the door, and shamble their way up into the rest of the palace."Do you think its safe yet?" Zander asks his brother Rowan. Rowan slowly pushes his cell door open and peers either way along the length of the corridor."It looks safe for the moment. Follow me, stay close and be ready to dive into a cell and hold the door at a moments notice." The two brothers step out of their cells and as quietly as possible head towards the end of the corridor."It sounds like fighting is taking place above us." Zander comments as they emerge from the corridor. "Look! There's our equipment!" He adds, pointing to a small holding room. They retrieve their belongings but are dismayed to find their weapons missing."Here, take this." Rowan says, breaking a leg off a nearby chair and handing it to Zander. "A makeshift club, use it like I taught you back in the woodlands." Zander nods and swings it a couple of times to get the weight of his weapon. Rowan breaks another chair leg off for himself, then they ascend the stairs out of the dungeon that has been their abode for the past few days.***Jaider, Jalderin, Eben, Margarian and Princess Meslissan finally fight their way out of the palace and step out into the evening darkness of the palace courtyard."Look, who's that?" Jalderin asks, pointing at a figure, sat on horseback at the palace gates. The rest of them look and can make out a long beard, some grey robes and Margarian says he is sure that the man is of Arilanan origin. There is also a body wrapped up and slumped over the horses back in front of the man.As they stand and look at the man, he makes a hand gesture to a number of dead guards in the courtyard, turns and rides away. The dead guards proceed to close the palace gates and barricade them with anything and everything they can get their hands on."I guess that we're not getting out that way then." Jaider says."The stables!" Jalderin exclaims. "We can get out of the tunnel we found there." So, along with a number of palace servants that they saved, they all head towards the palace stables and descend into the secret tunnel.Margarians head emerges from the tunnel and looks around the Helmsblade Family tomb. Seeing it empty and safe he climbs us and opens the door. As each of the servants climb up from the tunnel and out the tomb Jaider gives them the same order."Go home to your loved ones, lock your doors and stay safe. May Girion watch over you." The servants thank him, bow or curtsy and head off at some speed. After all the servants are gone, Jaider spends a few moments saying a prayer to Girion for the servants that didn't make it out.In a quiet moment, before the princess emerges from the tunnel, Jalderin has a quiet word with Eben. He points out that the princess has two earrings and that they both match the one found in the stables. The two agree to ask the princess about it when they get a moment.Finally, when all the servants have fled into the night, the five are left stood in the Graveyard, assessing their options."The figure on horseback was heading for the south road." Jaider says. "I say we head south too. We can leave the princess in the safety of the temple of Girion if need be, and hopefully catch up with the man on horseback too." The others discuss and eventually agree to the plan.***The palace has fallen eerily quiet when the Helmsblade brothers find their way out into the palace courtyard. The dead guards can still be seen guarding the barricaded gate from the inside, but little else can be seen moving or heard."No exit through the gates I guess." Zander says."The walls." Rowan replies. "We can tie a rope to a flag pole on the palace walls and climb down."The two brothers slink around the edge of the courtyard, staying in the shadow of the walls where possible. They eventually find some steps up the inside of the wall and emerge on top looking out over the city. Rowan pulls a rope from his backpack and ties it around a flagpole. He lets the excess drop down the outside of the wall."Ten foot short!" Zander comments."We'll have to drop that bit." Rowan replies. "You go first and get a move on. Get rid of the chair leg too, we don't want to be arrested outside the palace grounds for carrying weapons!" Zander complies and starts climbing down the rope. He gets about half way when Rowan starts to descend too.Unfortunately Rowan slips and descends at a plummet. He falls a full fifty feet and lands unconscious in a heap at the base of the palace walls.Zander manages to descend the full length of the rope without incident and examines his brother laid on the floor."Looks like my magic is saving your skin again brother. Bet you're pleased you didn't teach me the sword now." He calls upon his magic power and manages to heal some of the damage Rowans fall inflicted. Rowan regains consciousness and the two brothers look around into the darkness of the city to see if anyone had seen them.</blockquote>

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