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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6953002" data-attributes="member: 9546">HOW THE NESSIAN KNOT STOLE CHRISTMAS20 Erastus, 4717 - 25 Kuthona, 4717Kelvin spent more and more of his time in the company of Barnabus Thrane, picking the old man's brain and pumping him for ever more information about their mission. Thrane, for his part, relished the role of teacher and mentor, and was more than happy to provide the young mage with personal anecdotes as well as an extensive reading list on the history of the Vale of Valtaerna. There were four pillars that kept Talingarde intact, Thrane informed Kelvin. The first one was the Watch Wall, which had already been neutralized thanks to the actions of the 9th Knot. The second was the Order of Saint Macarius, which counted among its membership every divine spellcaster of Iomedae. Within their fortress monastery in the Vale of Valtaerna, the Order guarded the most sacred site in the realm. The Vale itself was a small mountain valley, and during the winter months its only pass became treacherous. The Vale sealed itself off and no pilgrims visited. For three months, the defenders of the Vale were cut off from the outside world. To enter the Vale, first the two bridges of Saintsbridge must be crossed, which lay beyond the Watchtower that guarded the mouth of the Vale. Once inside, pilgrims usually lodged in the township of Sanctum, a small place populated mostly with priests and guards. Sanctum sat on the banks of the Lake Parynthus, famed for its healing waters. Towering above the lake was the legendary Mountain of the Phoenix. This spire of stone seemed impossible to climb, yet every true priest of Iomedae had to accomplish the feat. Atop the spire was the Flame That Never Dies. Could that be the legendary phoenix itself? Further still, in the shadow of Mount Mitrandius, was the famed Garden of Serenity and the Cathedral of Iomedae Made Manifest. No one went there but Iomedae's chosen.  The head of the Order of Saint Macarius was a priest named Earnan MacCathlain. The Vale itself lay some 50 miles from Ghastenhall, in the eastern Ansgarian Mountains. A small party could pass through the Watchtower by posing as pilgrims, however there were said to be beings inside that could smell evil. The Watchtower itself held a contingent of holy warriors commanded by the Captain of the Watchtower. There were at least 50 such guardsmen. There were also two strange statues in the causeway that were rumored to be some sort of golems. There used to be 500 soldiers within the Vale plus a contingent of dwarves. Likely many of them had been called away to war. However, there were rumors of all sorts of celestial beings from the higher realms that resided there. Saint Macarius founded the Order, but he wasn't the only saint it produced. Saint Angelo the Wise was perhaps the greatest devil hunter Talingarde ever saw. It was said he captured many artifacts of the Asmodean faith. Those that he could destroy, he did, but a few he could not destroy. Those he had placed within a great vault and hidden from the world. He commanded these artifacts placed where the "Sun never sets," a poetic way of referring to the Vale with its eternal flames. Armed with this information, Kelvin reported back to his companions, but there was still time before they had to begin their trek to the holy vale. In the mean time, they decided to seek out the duergar and attempt to forge an alliance against their common foe. They spent two days searching the low foothills outside of Ghastenhall before Grumblejack and Katarina managed to find a well-hidden path that looked to have been recently trodden by steel-shod feet. They followed the tracks to a narrow crevasse in a high cliff face, and then down into the bowels of the hills themselves. It was not long before they caught up to the duergar patrol.It was Lemmy who cautiously approached the group, disguised by the circlet as a duergar himself. "Who are ye?" the commander snapped. "What are ye doin' in the company of these sun-worshippers?""They saved me," Lemmy replied in the dark tongue. "They're not sun-worshippers, but rather followers of the Father of Lies. They seek an alliance with the thane against the cursed light-dwellers!"The duergar conferred among themselves for a moment before the commander turned back."Ye can come along," he said, "but ye'll have to leave the weapons behind."Tardaesha stepped forward and stood before the commander."You have nothing to fear from us," she said soothingly."We got nuthin' to fear from ye," the duergar murmured, enthralled by her beauty."We need our weapons in case the sun-worshipers followed us.""Makes sense to me," the commander nodded."Now let's be about our business," Tardaesha smiled winningly."Aye, just so," the duergar nodded again. "Move along!"The companions were escorted through the splendor of the duergar undercity of Zhaanzen-Kryr. Though the duergar may have been loathsome servants of darkness, they still had all the craft and skill of the dwarves. The architecture was masterful...a dark fairy tale of stone. Everywhere were murals depicting the duergar's betrayal by their dwarven kin and the duergar's eventual victory and retribution. Litanies of hate covered the walls of the city. As large as the city was, even in their brief transit through it the companions could estimate that there were probably not more than a thousand duergar in the entire holdfast. Glowing eyes pierced the bleak gloom as the dark dwarves watched the above-worlders with anger and curiosity. Many of them whispered in the tongue of the underdark, as the strangers passed."Fools! They will see they face the fire before this day is out!"Finally, the 9th Knot was brought before the leader of the duergar, Thane Zashur Arzen. "Why are you here, up-worlders?" Arzen snarled without preamble. "Tell me why I should not have you sacrificed to the forges this instant?""Because then you would face the wrath of our ally the Fire-Axe," Kelvin replied calmly.The Thane's dark visage visibly paled for a moment."The bugbears?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "You serve them?""Hardly," Kelvin scoffed. "We are partners in a mutual endeavor. Namely, the fall of Talingarde. We are even now planning an assault upon the Vale of Valtaerna, and are seeking forces to assist in our cause. The Fire-Axe has committed over 200 of his warriors, and Prince Gaius himself has even agreed to send his spawn with us."Arzen's expression changed. He leaned forward on his throne to peer more closely at his guests. "If you have such allies among the mighty, why have I never heard of you?""We have not stayed alive by advertising our deeds," Kelvin laughed, "though perhaps you have heard of those. Do you know of the sacking of Balentyne? What about the waking of the Horn of Abaddon and the return of Vetra-Kali Eats-The-Eyes? All of it our doing."The Thane rubbed his whiskered chin."Indeed," he murmured. "So now you come before me seeking my allegiance? Tell me, will there be dwarves amongst the defenders of the Vale?""There is rumored to be a dwarven contingent there, yes," Kelvin nodded.Arzen grinned evilly. "Bring any of them that you can to me, alive," he hissed. "Swear to do this, and you will have our commitment!""We will strive our best, you have my word," Kelvin said."Come to us when you are ready to begin your campaign then," the Thane said. "I shall send with you my son, Zargun Arzen, and one-hundred of my finest soldiers. The sun-lovers will never know what hit them!"___________________________________________________________________Shortly after their return to Ghastenhall and the Crowley Estate, the companions of the Nessian Knot received an unexpected visitor. With no warning, a cloud of brimstone and sulfurous smoke erupted in the center of the drawing room, and a strange individual emerged from it. With rust-colored skin and a jutting crown of ridge-like horns, the muscular devil was draped in lengthy contracts. He bowed and began speaking, his speech polite, formal and effusive."Great and powerful masters of darkness," he began, "behold your servant, Dessiter of the Phistophilus. I have only just received word of your great victories and I come on behalf of the Lord of the Ninth Circle to personally congratulate you. But more than that, I bring counsel if this assembly of great lords will deign to hear it.""We've never heard of you," Kelvin said suspiciously. "Thorn did not tell us of your coming.""You fight for the Prince of Hell," Dessiter waved dismissively. "Did you think you would not receive aid?""And what 'aid' is it that you offer?" Kelvin asked."You build an army to storm the Vale of Valtaerna," Dessiter replied. "A truly noble undertaking, but know that the Vale is guarded by more than mortal guardians. Agents of the celestial realm infest that Vale and you will need to defeat them all if Valtaerna is to be taken. There is a mortal master to the Order of St. Macarius, but he is only a figurehead. The true master of the Order is an undying eternal...an angel named Ara Mathra. He is your ultimate enemy and until he is defeated, your mission can only be deemed incomplete. Alas, little is known of the interior of the Vale, my lords. It has been long since any who serve the Dark Prince has managed to infiltrate that stronghold of light. But this much is known: defeating the mortal army stationed there will only be the beginning of your struggle. Just as the Lady of Light wears three faces, so do three eternal flames burn within the Vale. As long as those divine fires burn, the Shining Lady's connection to the Vale will be too powerful for any mortal to overcome. Extinguish the flames and you extinguish your enemies' ability to resist you.""Your information is appreciated," Kelvin said, "but we are prepared for such celestial opponents. We have already gathered hundreds to our banner, including bugbears, oni, vampires, duergar and medusae. None shall stand before us!""I am relived to hear it," Dessiter smiled. "If you are willing to put that commitment to paper, then perhaps I can assist you a bit further."He held out a roll of parchment. Dorian took if from him, unfurled it and began to read. "It's a standard infernal contract," he said at length. "Similar to the one we signed with Thorn.""Won't that cause conflict?" Kelvin asked."Not at all," Dessiter smiled. "I am something of an expert at negotiating contracts, if I do say so myself.""And what do we get if we sign?" Kelvin asked."My wise counsel, obviously," Dessiter said, "...and these..."He gestured behind him and there was another flash of brimstone, this one much larger. Three hulking forms were revealed within it. They resembled  powerfully built wolves the size of  large draft horses, with ebony fur and burning, fiery red eyes."Nessian war hounds!" Lemmy whooped. "I'm in!"One by one the others agreed, signing Dessiter's contract in blood. When the deal was complete, he folded the parchment and tucked it into his belt."Give my regards to my sister, Tiadora, when you see her next," he smiled, and then vanished in a flash of sulfur.___________________________________________________________________Over the next three months the Nessian Knot was not idle. Roger, Tardaesha and Dakota spent time training with the forces the Fire Axe had provided, molding unit tactics among the disorganized bugbears. Meanwhile, Knick-Knack and Raiju made several overland flight trips, concealed by invisibility, to the Vale of Valtaerna itself. They reconnoitered the watchtower which guarded the mouth of the vale, taking note of the positioning of the soldiers upon its roof and wall. They also reported the presence of two strange creatures that prowled the roof, ever watchful and seemingly never sleeping. With this information, Dorian, Tardaesha, Katarina and Kelvin made their own journey to the Vale traveling with, and disguised as pilgrims. Forewarned by Brother Thrane of the ability of the tower guardians to detect subversive thoughts among visitors, they took pains to shield their minds behind complex spells. They were cleared through the main gate and passed through a central causeway that ran the length of the guardhouse. On the far side they passed a pair of massive stone sentinels which Kelvin believed might actually be golems. Once past the watchtower, the companions made their way across the Vale to the village of Sanctum, which sat upon the shore of Lake Parnythus. The valley was idyllic, watered by the River Aiden, with only farmlands and forests to break up its gently rolling hills. In the center of the lake rose the majestic Mountain of the Phoenix, which shed a comforting pale light across the Vale day and night. Sanctum itself defined a sleepy farming community. There were no brothels nor seedy bars and the taverns all closed after dark. Holy practitioners were everywhere, from monks and lay clergy to visiting priests and local church officials. There were more churches, temples and shrines per capita than anywhere else in Talingarde. Most of the population was human, but there was a sizable population of dwarven soldiers and laborers, as well as more than a few halfing farmers. The companions of the Ninth Knot quickly learned that only priests visited the Mountain of the Phoenix, and only the most senior of the clergy were allowed to visit the Cathedral of Iomedae Made Manifest, which lay beyond the Gardens of Serenity. They also learned one more valuable piece of information: the entire Vale would be celebrating the Winter Feast, which occurred on the winter solstice on the 25th day of Kuthona._______________________________________________________________25 Kuthona - Winter FeastFrom a distance the Watchtower of Saintsbridge presented an imposing figure. Made of white stone, it was solidly built and a great banner hung along its facade announcing to anyone who somehow hadn't figured it out yet that it was a fortress in service to Talingarde and the Church of Iomedae. The tower was the centerpiece of a wall that closed the entire entranceway into the Vale. Climbing the steep mountains that surrounded the Vale might be possible for a few mountain goats, but anything else would either have to fly or pass through that forbidding chokepoint. The Watchtower was key to controlling access to the Vale of Valtaerna beyond, and as such, it had to fall.It was dusk, nearing nightfall, when Raiju, Grumblejack, Katarina and Knick-Knack approached the wall west of the tower invisibly. The oni and ogre both flew, while Kat clung to Grumblejack's back. Once they reached the top of the wall, Knick-Knack communicated to Tardaesha that they were in position. In response, Dr. Know opened a dimensional portal and transported Tardaesha and Lemmy to the tower roof, while Kelvin did the same for Dorian, Timeon and Dakota to the eastern wall. The crenellated roof of the tower was accessible by two spiral staircases that descended into the structure. A heavy brass gong was suspended between two large stone pillars, and was secured by heavy ropes to prevent the wind from sounding it accidentally. When Tardaesha and her companions appeared, they did so cloaked in total silence due to a dweomer prepared by Dr. Know, but they did not go unnoticed. Crouched on the rooftop were a pair of strange creatures with the bodies of lions, the wings of eagles, and the faces of wise human men. Tardaesha motioned to Dr. Know, who quickly set to work disabling the gong, while she and Lemmy turned their attention to the guardians. Grumblejack snapped the neck of the first guardsman, creeping up on the man unseen. Raiju dispatched the second one a bit more messily by tearing out his throat. Katarina moved soundlessly to a door that led into the tower itself. Beyond it was a hallway that ran the entire length of the tower to connect through a second door to the opposite parapet wall. Kat cursed under her breath when she saw that second door open and a pair of guards rush through. She could also hear raised voices coming from behind a door leading off the hallway. Apparently something had alerted the soldiers. After another moment, the sounds of battle from the rooftop told her exactly what that was.Back on the roof, just as Kelvin transported himself, Dakota and Timeon topside, Tardaesha charged the nearest of the two watchers, her sword raised and Asmodeus' name on her lips. The creature reared up on its back legs, roaring like a beast as it met her charge. The pair collided like titans, steel and claws flashing and slashing, blood spattering all around them. Dakota snapped off two shots from her bow, but the arrows protruding from its flank did not even slow the watcher. Dak watched in horror at the brutal melee, fear for her sister's life etched across her face. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was really only a matter of seconds, the watcher crashed to the roof flagstones on its back, Tardaesha standing bloodied but triumphant atop it, her blade thrust deep into its chest. "Hey!" Lemmy's voice sounded from across the roof, a touch of panic at its edges. "A little help here!"Dakota turned and saw the second watcher bounding towards the dwarf. Lemmy quickly cast a spell, and several mirror images of him suddenly appeared, dancing around him. The watcher roared in frustration, slashing its claws at the figments, causing several of them to dissolve. Then one of its strikes got lucky and gouged deep furrows into Lemmy's chest. It was about that time that the first of the guards arrived on the roof, alerted by the roaring of the watchers.  Timeon put an arrow through the throat of the first one, while Dakota continued firing at the remaining watcher. Kelvin quickly threw up a wall of fire between it and Lemmy, but the creature simply flew over the top. At that moment, Dr. Know raised one hand triumphantly as the gong clattered silently to the ground. Katarina stalked down the hallway of the tower cloaked in darkness, silently following the guards. Just as she reached the door they went through, however, one of them closed it behind. Kat cursed under her breath. She pressed her ear against the door, listening. She could hear the footsteps of the men retreating up the stairs, but then a moment later she heard them running back down, shouting in alarm. When they threw the door back open, they never even glanced her way, even as she began slicing their throats from behind. Timeon took down another guard just as another squad came rushing up the stairs, but then quickly turned back at the sight of Kelvin's firewall. Raiju snatched one of the soldiers as he reached the head of the stairs, and then hurled him over the side of the roof, sending him screaming down to the courtyard below. Meanwhile, Lemmy was in full retreat from the unceasing rampage of the watcher. His mirror images were in tatters, and the creatures was landing more and more of its blows. With one last swipe across his brow, Lemmy swooned and slumped unconscious.  Grumblejack rushed to the dwarf's side and hacked at the beast, and then Raiju joined him, attacking from its flank.  Finally, the watcher went down after Dakota put one last arrow through its eye. Kelvin had taken to the air and circled the top of the tower, looking for signs that the rest of the garrison might be mobilizing. He saw movement below him as a group of soldiers ran across the courtyard for the inner portcullis. He hurled an explosive ball of acid into their midst, sending bodies flying in all directions. He smiled in satisfaction to himself, but that's when he saw that one of the guards had survived. The man crawled to the inner portcullis, pressed his face against it and shouted hoarsely."We are under attack!!"</blockquote>

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