Capellan
Explorer
Kull's 13th Report - Part 2
The man shared his quarters with a menagerie of beasts, and I concentrated my efforts on these at first, while doing what I could to fend off their master's blows. Despite his unsanitary quarters - the place was more a nest than a room - he was no mean warrior, and I was soon bleeding from several wounds.
As it had become obvious that there was no response from the main tower, Dargrim climbed the stairs to my side, distracting my enemy long enough that I was able to crush his skull with my flail. Immediately, I made for Ulfgar's position, my movements guided by the sounds of battle. By the time I arrived, however, the battle was all but over. Ulfgar's opponents were of lesser skill than my own, and only two still stood at my arrival.
They soon stood no more, and the gatehouse had fallen.
There still was no sign from the keep that our attack had been noticed - a breach of security that would have seen every man flogged, if they served in Our Lord's army - and I determined that it was safe to conduct search of the gatehouse. My goal in this was to try and discover some information as to why these men were present at the Beacon: the lizardfolk had not mentioned humans, and the huge army of renegades they had spoken of was still not in evidence. We had seen only one lizardman.
One of those who fell to Ulfgar was a priest of Our Lord, so perhaps you, your Grace, may know more of their purpose than I. I have enclosed the man's holy symbol, in case you are able to identify who amongst our order has been lost.
I provide this information freely, as a sign of my continued good faith with the church. I will say only that, if our order had a purpose at the Beacon, and I had known of it, I would have met with these men in parley, rather than in battle.
Finding nothing that provided any useful information about the identity or purpose of the brigands, I led the way into the main tower, from which there was still no indication of any alarm at our incursion. Entering the Beacon, I found that the first room I entered was again a stable for mounts. After killing the three beasts within, I pressed on in search of their masters.
I believe I found them on the next level: three humans, just as there had been three mounts. I say humans, though for at least one - the female - that may not be entirely accurate.
To begin again: entering the next level, I encountered a guard, who sought to block the doorway against us. I shouldered the man aside, and he was swiftly dispatched. The hallway he had been guarding had two doors at its far end. One of these now opened: I caught a glimpse of a woman, and heard her shout of surprise, and then the door slammed again.
A few blows sufficed to shatter the door, revealing the room beyond. Within were the woman I had glimpsed before, a bearded man in fine clothes, and a bat.
None of the occupants were entirely what they appeared, however. The man was a wizard; the woman displayed signs of being a were-creature, and the 'bat' proved in truth to be a quasit. It was likely the wizard's familiar. Given time to prepare, it is my belief they might well have overcome my group. Their own lack of discipline and watchfulness was their downfall: we were upon them before they could properly react, and there was nowhere for them to retreat. In the close press of melee, there could be only one outcome, and they were soon all laid low.
Searching the rest of the level, I discovered a room where the floor was set with a circle of magical symbols, at the centre of which was a keyhole. I also found a key that looked like it might fit this hole, but as I am yet to determine the significance of the magical symbols, I have not yet tried it. At the date of penning this report, I am in fact awaiting Gnorric's arrival at the Beacon. Whatever his other faults, his knowledge of arcane matters is very extensive, and he may be able to offer some insight into this artefact, which I believe to be the next step forward in my search. Even after searching the rest of the tower, from roof to cellar, I can find no sign of the renegade lizardfolk. Either the lizardman we spoke to was incorrect, or the circle is a gateway of some kind.
While awaiting Gnorric's arrival, I have conducted an examination of the wizard's library, and found a work on an organisation known as the 'Cult of the Black Scale'. This was a group of dragon-worshippers that plagued this region many years ago. Given the name of the cult, and the fact that they often make their habitat in swamps, I believe that the creature which masterminded the collapse of this region into marshland is likely to be a Black Dragon.
With this in mind it is my intention to conduct an investigation into the abilities and weaknesses of such creatures. Once these are known, I will set myself to finding this creature and ending its life.
In Hextor's Name,
Kull Redfist
The man shared his quarters with a menagerie of beasts, and I concentrated my efforts on these at first, while doing what I could to fend off their master's blows. Despite his unsanitary quarters - the place was more a nest than a room - he was no mean warrior, and I was soon bleeding from several wounds.
As it had become obvious that there was no response from the main tower, Dargrim climbed the stairs to my side, distracting my enemy long enough that I was able to crush his skull with my flail. Immediately, I made for Ulfgar's position, my movements guided by the sounds of battle. By the time I arrived, however, the battle was all but over. Ulfgar's opponents were of lesser skill than my own, and only two still stood at my arrival.
They soon stood no more, and the gatehouse had fallen.
There still was no sign from the keep that our attack had been noticed - a breach of security that would have seen every man flogged, if they served in Our Lord's army - and I determined that it was safe to conduct search of the gatehouse. My goal in this was to try and discover some information as to why these men were present at the Beacon: the lizardfolk had not mentioned humans, and the huge army of renegades they had spoken of was still not in evidence. We had seen only one lizardman.
One of those who fell to Ulfgar was a priest of Our Lord, so perhaps you, your Grace, may know more of their purpose than I. I have enclosed the man's holy symbol, in case you are able to identify who amongst our order has been lost.
I provide this information freely, as a sign of my continued good faith with the church. I will say only that, if our order had a purpose at the Beacon, and I had known of it, I would have met with these men in parley, rather than in battle.
Finding nothing that provided any useful information about the identity or purpose of the brigands, I led the way into the main tower, from which there was still no indication of any alarm at our incursion. Entering the Beacon, I found that the first room I entered was again a stable for mounts. After killing the three beasts within, I pressed on in search of their masters.
I believe I found them on the next level: three humans, just as there had been three mounts. I say humans, though for at least one - the female - that may not be entirely accurate.
To begin again: entering the next level, I encountered a guard, who sought to block the doorway against us. I shouldered the man aside, and he was swiftly dispatched. The hallway he had been guarding had two doors at its far end. One of these now opened: I caught a glimpse of a woman, and heard her shout of surprise, and then the door slammed again.
A few blows sufficed to shatter the door, revealing the room beyond. Within were the woman I had glimpsed before, a bearded man in fine clothes, and a bat.
None of the occupants were entirely what they appeared, however. The man was a wizard; the woman displayed signs of being a were-creature, and the 'bat' proved in truth to be a quasit. It was likely the wizard's familiar. Given time to prepare, it is my belief they might well have overcome my group. Their own lack of discipline and watchfulness was their downfall: we were upon them before they could properly react, and there was nowhere for them to retreat. In the close press of melee, there could be only one outcome, and they were soon all laid low.
Searching the rest of the level, I discovered a room where the floor was set with a circle of magical symbols, at the centre of which was a keyhole. I also found a key that looked like it might fit this hole, but as I am yet to determine the significance of the magical symbols, I have not yet tried it. At the date of penning this report, I am in fact awaiting Gnorric's arrival at the Beacon. Whatever his other faults, his knowledge of arcane matters is very extensive, and he may be able to offer some insight into this artefact, which I believe to be the next step forward in my search. Even after searching the rest of the tower, from roof to cellar, I can find no sign of the renegade lizardfolk. Either the lizardman we spoke to was incorrect, or the circle is a gateway of some kind.
While awaiting Gnorric's arrival, I have conducted an examination of the wizard's library, and found a work on an organisation known as the 'Cult of the Black Scale'. This was a group of dragon-worshippers that plagued this region many years ago. Given the name of the cult, and the fact that they often make their habitat in swamps, I believe that the creature which masterminded the collapse of this region into marshland is likely to be a Black Dragon.
With this in mind it is my intention to conduct an investigation into the abilities and weaknesses of such creatures. Once these are known, I will set myself to finding this creature and ending its life.
In Hextor's Name,
Kull Redfist
