Lost City of Gaxmoor - The Borderlands Campaign

[Mathew_Freeman]

Great write up for background, and nice to find out your ENworld name, too. Here's some of an account of what happened upon the revival of the new game...
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Gaxmoor Campaign, Sunday 24th August

The figure on the horse rode as hard as he could towards the distant walls. It was the first sign of real habitation that he'd seen in several days. Alongside him ran his new companion, the female Monk, Cho. They'd faced some of the Deathbringers, but these final six had proved the most tenacious. He glanced round - they were likely to catch them before they could reach the walls of the city.

Just at that moment, Cho stumbled for a pace. Xiang slowed his horse for a beat to keep along side her, and in that beat the six mounted foes caught up, drawing weapons and engaging!

The commander swung his horse round to strike as Cho leapt from the ground and stunned him with a flying kick. As the other five closed in, striking with swords, no-dachi and the commanders spiked chain, Xiang-San Chang spurred his horse forwards, the Black Spear levelled at the enemy leaders heart.

"Falling Star Strike!" he called out as he struck with all his might and training, the Spirited Charge crashing into his opponent and finding his heart. In one tremendous blow, Xiang killed his foe cleanly, and the Black Spear fed on his soul. Meanwhile, Cho was almost floating between the sword strikes of the other Deathbringers, spinning and striking back. The two fighters worked together, preventing their foes from surrounding them and with Cho's ability to stun her opponents combined with Xiang's awesomely powerful attacks, the Deathbringers were defeated, only one managing to flee.

He didn't get far.

Following on foot at the same speed as a running horse, she leapt towards a tree, using the momentum to push off and bring the man clean off his horse. As the both rolled to their feet she punished him with a series of punches and kicks, leaving him almost unconscious. With contempt for her beaten foe, she stepped forwards and finished him off, his horse bolting into the distance.

Xiang, meanwhile, with a experienced campaigners eye, had rounded up the other five horses and started to strip the bodies of equipment. Once done, the two warriors led their horses further towards the city.
*****
Aos was summoned to the Margraves chambers, along with Titania, his new cohort. They had been staying in Aos' new business venture, the Sultry Siren Brothel on the edge of Gaxmoor. Leo of the White Way was also told to attend, receiving the message in his room in the tower of the White Way. It seemed the Margrave wished them to perform another mission.

They were also introduced to Xiang and Cho, who stood in the chambers of the Margrave after some questioning by the guards. Their weapons remained outside the room, which Xiang found slightly unsettling. He had not been away from the Spear for many days, and had grown used to it's continual presence in the back of his mind.

The Margrave told them that the Gaxmoor graveyard had become unquiet, with strange lights appearing in the sky overheard. Some local scouts were keeping an eye on it, but were reluctant to investigate further. The Margrave suggested that Aos, Titiana, Leo, Tarquin, Cho and Xiang should investigate and solve the problem. The group agreed, seeing that profit and fame would surely follow.

With a short overnight break for healing and supplies, the group headed just outside the walls to the graveyard. They met the scouts, a half-elven group, and Leo took his usual route of using magic to scout the land. His prying eyes spell brought him much information, including the valuable knowledge that four gnoll corpses lay just inside the gates. The group knew they were likely to attack once anyone entered.

The following day everyone was woken by the captain of the scouts. One of his men had gone missing whilst on sentry duty. The group swiftly dressed and resolved to find her, aided by the scouts. With practised ease, they headed towards the gates. The expected ambush was easily dealt with, Tarquin obliterating the gnoll zombies with a blast of channelled divine energy. The scout leader proved an able tracker, and soon the party was heading deeper inside.

After some exploration, confirming what the prying eyes had reported the day before, the company hit the target. A mausoleum held what appeared to be a large collection of undead, including two massive figures, almost giant size! The problem was that they were behind a large metal grill which proved difficult to open.

Whilst everyone discussed what to do, their enemies were not so slack. With a suddeness that confused everyone, a strange demonic creature appeared, looking comely apart from her huge bat wings. Speaking to the group, she charmed Aos and then Titiana, and it was only when Leo shouted a warning and Xiang set to the attack that the fighting started!

The succubus (for that was what she was) concentrated and managed to summon forth a Vrock to aid her. The creature appeared, saw the Black Spear that Xiang carried and leapt at him, biting and clawing. He fought desperately, but was horribly wounded. Cho leapt forwards, but the charmed Aos intercepted her as she struck at the succubus, and even though her blow landed, the innate powers of the demon prevented the blow from doing any damage.

Tarquin and Leo were not idle, casting dimensional anchor and Evard's Black Tentacles upon the group. The succubus and Xiang were trapped, but Cho and the Vrock broke free, the Vrock doing yet more damage to Xiang. Leo, realising his error, dismissed the spell, which allowed Xiang to step up and strike the succubus down with the Black Spear! This caused the charm effects to stop and the Vrock to vanish. However, whilst we were distracted, the second part of the plan was unfurled...

A gnoll had crept up to the grill and lifted it from inside, and now a small horde of undead and living foes poured out, including a huge Ogre. Regrouping, the party fought them head on. Most of the skeletons were destroyed by Tarquin as he channelled the power of his God, whilst Aos drew the rest of the zombies. The brave scouts died holding off the Ogre, as Leo withdrew and blocked the doorway with a web spell, gaining us valuable time. He was aware, though, that someone inside was trying to dispel his magic.

Striking down the undead outside whilst Cho dealt with a goblin rogue, Aos checked around him. The group had finally brought the Ogre down, Aos himself striking the final blow as Xiang hung back, not willing to risk himself in his wounded condition. Healing was dished out by Tarquin and the magic of Titiana, and everyone faced the doors to the mausoleum.

Aos and Xiang, now fully healed, burnt the magical web and began to enter, but they were met by the two huge zombies glimpsed earlier. Once more, the power of Tarquin turned them, and they fled back inside. Cho followed, noticing that there were still several zombies inside, as well as a Gnoll archer...and the evil necromantic priest behind it all! The battle was joined again!

Xiang headed right, taking on a group of zombies as Aos ducked left to do the same. Cho ran the gauntlet, making it all the way across the room to stun the cleric! The group made swift work of the remaining forces and the stunned cleric, capturing the gnoll archer. Xiang almost brought down one giant zombie with a burst of acid projected from the Spear, to the amazement of the other members of the group, but Aos, in true style, finished it with a lazy throw of a dagger. The evil Cleric was killed unceremoniously by Cho, and the bodies were looted.

In a back room, the missing scout was found bound and gagged, and once freed she and the others took the gnoll for interogation back within the city walls. The group took all useful items and money from their defeated foes, and returned to the Margrave to report their sucess.

Over the next few weeks, much of the loot was sold. The Ogres Maul was put up as a trophy in the Siren, along with the goblins armour, and Xiang and Cho found themselves with plenty of money after selling the horses and equipment of the Deathbringers.

There are but two more noteworthy occourences. During the debriefing with the Margrave, Xiang saw a crane bird land at the window ledge, and then flap away. When he ran over to see what it could be, and how such a bird could be here, it had vanised entirely. The Margrave informed him that the Mountain of Fire and the Mongali were on the verge of allying against the Scornic League - a group of cities that included Gaxmoor. This alliance could be in part because the Mountain of Fire wished to see the return of the Black Spear to it's posession. Xiang instantly volunteered his services in the event of such a war.

Leo was dogged by bad luck. Seeking to create a headband that would increase his intelligence, he spent all winter trying to perfect the device, but failed twice, costing him vast amounts of money and the personal energy he invested in the creation process. He resolved to perhaps set his targets a little lower when he had the time to take another go.

As spring approached, the group decided that perhaps other adventures and battles awaited them in the graveyard...

 

[S'mon]

Thanks Matt - very quick!
300 story XP to Xiang. Also, 150 story XP to Cho for her detailed backstory.

BTW it's 'Shapely Siren' - I have to say I like Sultry Siren better though...

 

[S'mon]

Here's the bridging text from the previous stage of the campaign:

Imarr, 20/9/2738 YE: The others' attempt to kill Tarkane failed as their plans were discovered, and their subsequent attack encountered overwhelming force. The Archpriest of Ksarul dispelled the Girruite planetar Dorakin, and summoned an avatar of Gruganu, the Black Sword of Doom, which slew Galak of Girru, Aos' girlfriend Lady Celia, and Xyzzy's cohort Liliana.
Leo had avoided participating in the assault, while Xyzzy, Aos, and the rogue Darius managed to escape.

The survivors fled west, back to the Borderlands and Dulleaberg, where Xyzzy took up residence (30/9/2738), retiring from active adventuring. Gaxmoor was now occupied by Scornic League forces headed by Margrave Kanor of Dulleaberg, and in the process of being resettled. At Leo's urging the White Way wizards under Dovistar established a base in a mansion on the eastern side of the city, while Aos went into partnership with the madam of the Shapely Siren Brothel and began to enjoy a life of leisure far from the threat of the Overking's soldiery.

M11 2738 YE

30/11/2738: Two months have passed since the adventurers returned to Gaxmoor, and Leo has had plenty of time to work on his researches. Aos' own 'researches' are also going on apace... However, this idyll is interrupted as strange goings on are reported from the old graveyard south of the city walls. The Margrave's soldiers fear to enter, so he calls upon a band of veteran heroes to investigate further. Meanwhile a warrior of strange clothing and exotic appearance approaches from the north, harried by a band of lethal killers...

 

[S'mon]

Leo's Story:

Leo hurried through the hallway. A hundred and one things to do and now this; the masons were late, the carpenters hadn’t finished the shelves as promised and Dovistar was insisting that the alchemical laboratory be finished before the library. It was all very stressful; nothing could be done though. One of the prices of being allowed to stay in Gaxmoor and indeed be given this building in the newly nascent city was to be co-operative to the Margrave. When he sent out a summons, then attendance took precedence over everything. Fortunately, the Margrave did not use his power lightly.
Leo arrived at the Margrave’s residence without incident and was shown through without ceremony.


"Greetings Leo. Thank you for coming so quickly. Your colleague Austin should be here any time now. As soon as he gets here we will begin."


Almost as soon as he had finished speaking there was another knock on the door and Aos was shown in, followed by a tall striking woman Leo had not seen before. She was carrying a lute


"Hello my lord. Let me introduce you to Titania, a wandering player who has decided to grace me with her companionship. Titania, this is the Margrave and Leopold, a good friend of mine."


" Good of you to come so quickly," replied the Margrave. "Now this is what I want to talk to you about….."


At this point, there was another interruption. A wall guard knocked and came in through the door.


"I am sorry to disturb you my lord but you insist to be informed any time we feel someone unusual enters the city. Two such people arrived a short while ago. They claim to have just defeated some assailants outside Gaxmoor."


Two disheveled individuals entered at this point. Both were occidentals with the characteristic flat faces and almond shaped eyes of that region. The man wore a battered suit of plate mail and was obviously a warrior. He was not armed in the presence of the Margrave but the guard behind him was carrying a short spear. The woman was more non-descript without any visible weapons and normal winter clothes, swathed against the cold.


"Welcome to Gaxmoor", said the Margrave. " I am told you have just fought outside the city. Where are you from?"


The man replied, "My name is Xiang and this is my travelling companion Cho. We are both from the region of Mount Fire. The people we fought were pursuing us from there. They are known as the Death Dealers".


Leo had kept quiet but he was finding both the people and the situation intensely interesting. For these two to have traveled all this way, to have survived the normal hazards of travel and to then have also fought off a group of Death Dealers marked them out as formidable indeed. Evidently the Margrave thought so as well.


"I may have a job for you. Would you be interested? Before you answer, let me introduce you to Leopold, a wizard and Aos."


Aos exclaimed at this stage." I am Aos, formerly the greatest duelist in Imarr now the greatest duelist in Gaxmoor."


Leo groaned under his breath. So much for anonymity after their disaster in Imarr.


The two occidentals looked at each other and nodded. "Yes my lord, we would be interested."


The Margrave nods, pleased. "For some time now there have been strange occurrences in the graveyard to the south of the city. My guards refuse to go there but there is a group of mercenary Sith scouts who report walking gnoll corpses and strange lights at night. I would be grateful if you could investigate. The leader of the scouts is named Ahlrand."


With this the Margrave makes it obvious that the audience is over and the four leave the room. Aos invites the strangers to the Shapely Siren to discuss what to do next and Leo points out that before they go much further they should call on the priest Tarquin who would be most useful in this venture. Tarquin is duly collected, introduced and briefed. It is now late and the group arranges to meet in the morning to travel to speak with the Sith.


Everyone meets in the morning. Leo doesn’t know what the strangers thought about the nightly activities in the Shapely Siren but prudently he doesn’t ask. The journey just outside the city to the former inn that is the headquarters of the Sith passes without incident. There is a brief moment of tension before the Sith are convinced that the two occidentals are not related to the Mongali in any way and the group is invited into the building. There, Ahlrand confirms what he reported to the Margrave with some embellishments, including a few attacks by walking corpses on his men. At this stage, Leo decides to take a look at the graveyard himself through his arcane means. He informs the others of his plan and then mutters a few syllables and makes some strange gestures. After a brief period, the others note the appearance of approximately a dozen small spheres. These dart around Leo impossibly quickly, being very difficult to see or follow. Leo sends them into the graveyard and for the rest of the day, these spheres keep coming to Leo and then dart away again. Each time, Leo imparts a new piece of information about the graveyard.


A high fence with a large entrance gate surrounds a variety of crypts and mausoleums. These vary greatly in richness, style and building quality. It is the latter that also determines their state. There is a variety of coloured stonework and architectural styles, from the very elaborate to the downright simple. Leo presumes that this is to reflect the wealth of the various families. There is no sign of walking corpses but the spheres do spot a grouping of gnoll rotted corpses just inside the entrance gates. Tarquin is suspicious of their placement. The whole area exhudes a feeling of quiet menace and despair. Some of the buildings have been ransacked while others have been left alone, suggesting that even the walking dead were afraid to touch them.


As with the rest of the city there are also a large amount of statues of all types and sizes.


This information gathering has taken quite some hours and Leo is exhausted. A decision is taken to wait until the next morning and enter the graveyard during the day.


When dawn breaks the next day, there is a banging on Leo’s door and an agitated Ahlrand comes in with the news that one of his people was abducted whilst she was on sentry duty. He suggests that his scouts and himself should accompany the group on the understanding that the party prioritises the rescue of his sentry. The group agrees to this and prepares to enter the area. It is at this point that the quiet lady, Cho puts herself forward and decides to go ahead of the group. Strangely, she is unarmed but there is a grace and fluidity to her movements Leo has not seen before though her demeanor reminds him of something he has heard or read. He cannot quite place it but it is in the back of his mind. Cho strides forward and as she enters the gates, four walking gnoll corpses suddenly erupt from the ground and attack her. Fortunately, Tarquin is alert to the danger and using the power of his deity obliterates these abominations.


The group strides forward and Cho, more prudently rejoins the group. Using the tracking skills of Ahlrand, the group strides forward, Leo marveling at the architecture and detail of the buildings. One of them captivates his attention to such an extent he uses his arcane ability to look inside it. He doesn’t like what he finds and he decides to leave it alone. All this time, another set of little spheres flits back and forth, regaling him with information. They pass a shrine to Urnus Gregaria, the lost travelling God of the city and approach possibly the oldest crypt in the whole graveyard. Investigation reveals that it was used by the Agylliz family. Leo sends one of his little spheres inside and finds massed ranks of walking corpses waiting inside. The group briefly confers about tactics and then approach only to be stopped by a heavy lowered iron grate. The strong warriors try to lift it but with little success and Xiang is reduced to smashing it with a morning star. Again the group confers on their next course of action when a voice behind them speaks out.


"What do you want and what are you doing here?"


The voice is superb. It sends shivers down everyone’s back and all the group turn around. They see a stunningly beautiful nude woman with large gilded batwings. She is everyone’s perfect partner and the most alluring being anyone has ever seen. Aos is instantly smitten and a moment later, strangely, so is Titania. By this time, alarm bells are ringing and both Leo and Tarquin are shouting warnings. A green beam shoots from Tarquin’s hand only to bounce off her. She screeches in a language never meant to be heard by humans and suddenly a vulture headed monstrosity appears next to her. Cho rushes forward to strike her only to be impeded by Aos, who lashes out with his rapier, ferociously defending the new object of his desire. Xiang moves forward to be engaged by the vulture-head. The fighting is brutal and he is soon bleeding from dozens of wounds. Another beam shoots from Tarquin’s hand and this one attaches itself to her. Suddenly the ground around the whole group erupts with large tentacles, which flatten everyone except the vulture head; confusion is everywhere and Leo curses. This was not a spell he had used before and he miscalculated the area. The lady Cho was fine but Xiang was in trouble since the vulture head ignored the tentacles. Conversely, the beautiful woman was also in the tentacles and cursed obscenely as an effect failed her.


At this point the grate behind the group opened and a horde of the enemy came out. Amongst the undead were also a raging ogre, an orc and a goblin, grinning maniacally while clutching a spear. The ogre struck Tarquin who was visibly staggered by the blow. The half orc and the goblin charged and injured Titania, who vanished into thin air. They then looked for other targets and found them in Cho, Xiang and some of the Sith scouts. Suddenly the black tentacles disappeared. Xiang gave a bellow of joy and savagely attacked the winged woman. She could not withstand his fury and Tarquin could have sworn that there was a satisfied moan from Xiang’s spear as she succumbed and died. He later put it down to his imagination. Vulture head disappeared with her. Tarquin rose into the air and soon the undead abominations were exploding in multitudes as he used the power of his religion. At the same time, a mass of sticky wet looking strands appeared in the room behind the grating, preventing any more of the enemy from coming out until this group had been dealt with. It was hard bloody work but with this group being cut off and Aos finally shaking off his unnatural infatuation, the enemy was destroyed.


Everyone regrouped and Tarquin and Titania both used healing spells. When everyone was ready, the sticky strands were burnt and the group entered the crypt in force. There was still a large grouping of the living dead inside as well as a gnoll archer and above all, a humanoid figure, with a golden circlet around his brow. Leo let loose with a ball of fire, while Tarquin again called upon the power of Urnus Gregaria to destroy these abominations. This time, they were only driven away. The evil priest suddenly whirled and ran to a hereto-unforeseen door in the wall. At this point, Lady Cho, moving with extraordinary speed and skipping past opponents with unearthly ease, ran to the priest and with one blow, incapacitated him. Not to be outdone, Aos joined her and together with Leo, the priest was finished off. It then became an issue of mopping up the rest of the evil forces although a prisoner was taken.


The gnoll prisoner revealed disturbing news. The cambion Heracules, former ruler of Gaxmoor, had visited the graveyard only a month ago. He also revealed that Heracules has a stronghold in the mountains. The priest was a worshipper of the Undead Goddess Hel and hopefully, further interrogation will reveal just what his plans were.


The Sith sentry was found and rescued, the prisoner was handed to the Margrave and the group retired to Gaxmoor with a variety of spoils. Most of these were dweomered weapons and armour with one exception. Upon attempting to identify the golden circlet, Leo was surprised to find engravings of snakes that almost seemed to come alive upon eye contact. When donning it, Leo suddenly felt the urge to explore a massive path of necromantic magic revealed to him. Voices inside his head whispered about the power that could be his. The potential to rule this place, this country, this world, this plane; with no opposition. He should explore this newly acquired fascination with death, and in fact, undeath, which was the true state, the right state. A small corner of his mind was screaming warnings at him and with a titanic wrench, he wrested the circlet from his head. He found his eyes and ears were streaming blood while his head felt as if it was being split in two. He could still hear the voices whispering.


Greatly chastened and using a much more cautious approach, it was revealed that the circlet was the Crown of Quentis, a fabled Red Wizard noted for his affinity to the school of necromancy. The Crown was sacred to the goddess Hel and one of the major posessions of her priesthood. Careful study provided the method of its destruction. It should be melted in the furnaces of the White Way while being blessed by a priest of Urnus Gregaria. Unbeknownst to all, Leo was suffering from nightmares the voices were still whispering in his head.


As a sad postcript, during the winter months, the voices inside his head hurt Leo more and more. His work, his studies, his skills suffered greatly. After two months, a scream was heard from his chambers and he was found unconscious, a small broken piece of jewellery found in a corner as if flung there in disgust. Concerned, Dovistar and Laera took him to the Temple of Urnus Gregaria where Leo sat in a dark room with Tarquin, concentrating upon methods of expelling the voices from his mind.


The effect was immediate. Under the influence of the temple and the priests, the voices were first suppressed and then silenced. Thus the last malevolent legacy of the Crown of Quentis was expunged forever.

 

[S'mon]

Grave Matters
Austin 'Aos' Speere: Fighter-10/Duellist-3
Titiana, Aos' cohort: Bard-10
Leopold of the White Way: Wizard-11
Tarquin, Leopold's Cohort: Cleric-9
Tsui Yio Cho: Monk-10
Xiang-San Chang: Fighter-10
Xiang and Cho fled towards Gaxmoor, outdistancing all but a handful of their fell foe. Within sight of the city walls, 6 Death Dealers caught them - and perished in a bloody battle. 5 fell to the Black Spear, the last tried to flee - but his horse's fleetness could not outdistance Cho. Reaching the city, guards questioned them and escorted them to Margrave Kanor, who requested their assistance along with Aos, Leo & co in investigating the old graveyard south-east of the city.

1/12/2738 YE

The next day the party did so, basing themselves in an inn north of the graveyard inhabited by a small party of Sidhe scouts under the ranger Ahlrand. That night one of the Scouts, Saria, vanished from her sentry post, and Ahlrand's band requested the party's aid in recovering her.

Within the graveyard the party encountered undead raised by the half-orc necromancer Lamesh, along with several tough humanoids. Lamesh summoned demons against them, but the heroes triumphed (at the cost of four Sidhe), rescuing Saria and killing all but a gnoll captive, who revealed that Lamesh and co were working for Heracules, now esconced in a new lair within the Dosk Height mountains southeast of Gaxmoor. Apparently Heracules still plotted against the city.

As winter fell upon the land, Leo spent the next 76 days esconced in magical researches, fruitlessly attempting to construct a headband of intellect that proved to be beyond his capacities. The cost was high. For the others, the midwinter festivities gave a chance to relax and enjoy the absence of danger. However, the occasional sighting of a great crane bird gave Cho and Xiang pause for thought.

1/3/2739 YE

 

[StalkingBlue]

Ha! And I thought I was fast.

Great updates so far. Here's another:

Letter from Tsui Yio Cho

The brush moves swiftly across the parchment, creating symbol after fluid symbol in the uncertain light from the fire. A reader practised in the Veridoran script, as ancient as it is alien to Ea, will notice that this is not calligraphy. The writer moves at a rapid pace –a draft for a business letter, possibly, or a hastily scribbled spy’s report?

The 30th Day of the 12th Month of the Year 2738
3 Years 7 Months 11 Days after Hawk’s Palace’s Fall

I saw a crane again today.

They do not know cranes around here. When I try to describe them, people look at me sideways from their round piglet’s eyes. It is strange how sanity can lie in that which seems insane. (There is a koan in here somewhere, which surely the Lady Ochi would have made me find. Strange, too, that I would write of this to you, who would not know a koan if it hit you in the belly; who, if I spoke of hawks and cranes, would turn back to your sheep and tend to an injured hind leg. You had such patience, always, with wounded things.)

***

I am in Gaxmoor. It is a city on the green southern plains, full of strange people with even stranger customs. Their noses are long, as long as in the tale of Lady Sun melting the bandits’ faces. Their eyes are round like pigs’ eyes. Their knowledge of the civilised peoples is fragmentary. You will not believe this, but I have met men unable to tell a Heavenly Mountain face from a Mongali one.

The bread they bake here is flabby and devoid of spices. Their sheep grow fleece as thick and curly as Mongali beards, and are fat and incapable of climbing from their rich green feed.

Of unarmed fighting I have seen little except among drunken men in the brothel; and that of inferior quality. Warriors here are trained in the same way as in accursed Mount Fire. At least Mount Fire is currently regarded as an enemy here.

The strangest custom I have yet encountered is that they give proper funerals only to poor people. (Yes, I can see you listen up at that.) The wealthy families hide their dead bodies away, unburnt, either in holes in the ground that are then filled in or in stone caskets placed inside houses they construct for their dead, on a hill outside the city dedicated to the purpose. Needless to say, the place attracts rats and all sorts of unhealthy things. But I start by shearing the sheep’s tail.

***

I came to Gaxmoor in the company of a deserter from Mount Fire, Xiang. We were pursued all the way down from the Mountains and around the Sea of Dust by bands of Death Dealers.

By the time we reached the green plains and forests we had either killed or outrun most of our pursuers. One band, however, staid at our heels, no doubt fired by the prospect of winning fame through capturing a certain weapon that Xiang had stolen in his escape. I have become so fearful of treason that even now my brush pulls back from writing it, even to you: Xiang the deserter has stolen the Black Spear.

We were within sight of the city walls when our six pursuers caught up with us. Xiang the deserter showed himself more honourable than I would have thought him by not making his escape when I stumbled and fell behind, but turning to make a stand.

The commander of the band wheeled around us to cut off our retreat while the others attacked from behind with blades drawn. I was lucky enough to stun him for an instant, time enough for Xiang to set the Spear, wheel his horse round and charge him. The Spear killed him in a single thrust, his face distorting in a horror worse than anything I have ever seen when a man dies. It is a horrible thing, this Spear, and yet it defines my path.

We made short work of the remaining Death Dealers. While I pursued the last one, who tried to reach safety, Xiang had the good sense of collecting the others’ armour, weapons and horses. We found later that many of these items were magic and brought high prices in the city. I suppose I could have grown rich by just coming south to sell all those things, useless to me, that I used to chuck into crevasses or leave on the corpses … – you knew what I was and what I did, of course, though we never spoke of it.

At the city gates, Xiang was quick to introduce himself as a deserter from Mount Fire. The guards, far from showing themselves disgusted at the dishonour, admitted us in and brought us before the Margrave, the current ruler of the city. (It took me a while to realise the importance of this man. No one bows formally to him and I heard only one man actually address him as Lord.)

Some others were already present, involved in a council of war with the Margrave. As could be expected in a city that fights in the Mount Fire way, Xiang the deserter’s armour and bearing made much of an impression. We were heard, and it turned out that by defending our lives on territory claimed by Gaxmoor, Xiang and I had infringed some privilege or other of the lord of the city (did I not warn you they have strange customs). The Margrave invited us to join forces with the three longnoses already present, and redeem ourselves by helping investigate some trouble in the city’s place for the dead. Naturally enough, we accepted.

The three longnoses were: Leo of the White Way, a wizard. Aos, who fights with a rapier and lives in a brothel; and Titania, Aos’s companion, who plays the lute and has a trick of disappearing in the midst of battle. Aos was hospitable enough to procure rooms and baths for Xiang and me. Leo went to fetch his friend and helper, Tarquin, a priest.

***

The next day, we went out of the city to an inn near the graveyard where the rich store their dead bodies, to speak to a band of Sith scouts guarding the area. Will you believe it, they had to be reassured first that Xiang the deserter and I were not Mongali! I found later that their captain had heard rumours of Guardians. He had heard they all died.

The Sith told us about strange lights in the night at the graveyard, and a recent attack on the inn. Leo, whom up to then I had mostly seen mumbling over his books filled with scraggly runes, now conjured up a number of eyes, which flew through the air at his command and returned later, to report to him what they had observed at the graveyard – namely, a number of decayed but moving bodies in the bushes and some sets of giant tracks.

A discussion was held about strategy. We decided to wait for morning and settled down to rest at the inn rather than return to the city.

The Sith captain woke us. One of his sentries had disappeared. The tracks, the scouts assured us, led towards the graveyard. We set out immediately in the hope of rescuing the Sith sentry, accompanied by the entire Sith band and preceded by a number of Leo’s flying magical eyes.

Four walking dead gnolls sprang up from the ground as soon as we came near the gate into the graveyard. Their stench was horrible. Strips of decaying flesh dangled from their flanks. They had hardly appeared, however, when Tarquin the priest chanted a religious phrase and they crumbled to dust.

Guided by the Sith trackers, we came first to a dead-house deep within the graveyard, which was infested by masses of rats. Leo’s magical eyes detected magical writing on an inner door, together with a warning against breaking the seal banishing the being beyond the door. After brief discussion we left this dead-house be and moved on.

The tracks led us to a temple building, which had a locked grate on the outside and an inner door – beyond which, Leo assured us, waited a large pack of zombies (half-decayed walking dead) and walking skeletons. Nobody had a key to open the grate. Various plans were discussed for getting it open, the more promising ones involving tearing it open by bare strength, or coming back tomorrow equipped with more appropriate magical means.

While we were talking, we were surprised by a woman of demonic appearance with batlike wings yet startling beauty, addressing us from our backs. The Sith recoiled. Aos, immediately smitten with the deomoness’s beauty, immediately left the grate and pushed his way to the front, crying out ingratiatingly that he was our leader.

In the ensuing fight the demoness conjured a beaked demon of twisted and horrible appearance, which I learnt later was called a vrock and was much feared. True to our previous tactic of first focussing on the leader, Xiang the deserter and I both went for the demoness while the Sith scouts shot arrows at the vrock. As I tumbled past Aos, I received a most painful wound from his rapier. He apologised later. The demoness’s magic washed over me tearing at the veil of my focus; but my concentration held. (I learnt later that Titania had been enspelled by it just like Aos.) Tarquin cast a spell to prevent the demoness from fleeing to her own dimension. Leo conjured up black tentacles writhing from the ground around us, which failed to catch the vrock but ensnared Xiang, who was slowed down by his armour, together with the demoness. I stepped back among the tentacles and closed again with the demoness, but to my frustration found my power insufficient to wound her.

Meanwhile at our backs the grate to the temple screeched open and a multitude of living and dead monsters spilled out to attack. An orc severely wounded Titania, who promptly vanished into thin air. (She came strolling back to dispense healing once everything went quiet again, claiming she had returned to the inn.) The orc and a misshapen dwarfish hill giant called ogre, who foamed at the mouth most dramatically, then proceeded most of the Sith scouts. Brave men, but too quick to throw away their lives in battle. If we had known how easily they would die, surely we should have protected them better.

Tarquin called upon his god and flew straight up into the air and hovered out of reach of the undead, whom he pelted with his religious phrases, destroying them in groups at a time.

Xiang finally killed the demoness with the Spear. The vrock vanished without a trace and Aos was released from her spell. Between us we made short work of the monsters that still moved outside the temple.

Tarquin dispensed his god’s healing grace to those of us who needed it. We regrouped at the doors of the temple and burnt a magical web that Leo had laid to ensnare another band of undead. Tarquin put the fear of his god into a group of undead gnolls. Leo, who had warned us to expect a powerful priest among our opponents, now worked some true battle magic in the form of exploding balls of fire. It is true that hardly any of our foes evaded them, though that may well be because most of them were already dead. I found that the dead do not fight with the quickness of the living.

I went into the inner temple first to find and engage their leader. It was a half-orc, already trying to escape into a back room behind the altar with the cowardice characteristic of the kind. Aos and I quickly killed him. I was relieved to see that this time Aos’s weapon did not stray in my direction. I should mention that Titania played the lute to encourage our fighting; but I fear most of us were focussing too narrowly on our foes to benefit greatly from her play.

The last living gnoll surrendered. We finished off the remaining undead monsters, which were cowering in fear of Tarquin in various niches around the temple. One strange thing: when I found time to breathe, I saw Tarquin, no longer flying, in melee one of the rich decaying citizens on the temple floor. Clumsy as the walking dead attacked, Tarquin still was receiving wounds. The others stood and laughed until I went to help him. What a strange way to treat a priest.

We learnt from the gnoll prisoner that he and the other living monsters had been sent to reinforce the evil priest’s band of walking dead, by a demon lord called Hercules. Hercules appears to have rules over Gaxmoor until very recently, when the city was overrun and taken by its current longnosed rulers. Naturally enough, he is now plotting to retake the city.

Tarquin and Leo determined which of the items we took from our dead foes and found in the back room of the temple were magic or otherwise valuable, and as the arrangement with the Margrave was that we might keep any booty, we took the items with us. We reported back to the Margrave, who showed himself pleased, if mildly concerned at learning that yet more mysteries were waiting in the graveyard.

***

The next day Leo cast magic to determine the specific powers of the items. A few items were claimed by various members of our company. The rest was sold, again yielding staggering amounts of gold. I will have to find a trader I can trust and convert my new wealth into gems.

Two items we destroyed: a cursed spear and the golden circlet the monstrous priest had worn. When analysing the circlet, Leo had suddenly felt compelled to put it onto its head, where it whispered to him thoughts of great and corrupting power. He tore it off with a great effort and threw it from him with all signs of horror and disgust.

The other longnoses agreed that this was a frightening indication of the circlet’s power. I said nothing. Xiang the deserter claimed he did not understand what Leo said. I wonder. Even I can feel the Spear calling, tugging.

Leo consulted other wizards in the city. The result was that the circlet might be an artefact created by a mighty necromancer of old, which was called his Crown. The wizards permitted the circlet to be melted down in their tower’s furnace. Those who were present report that they felt a wave of magic wash over them.

They had a priest say prayers over the melted gold to protect from any malicious after-effects of the destruction. Nevertheless, in the ensuing weeks Leo suffered some frustrating setbacks in his studies, which appear to have involved attempts to make dweomered items for Aos and for himself. He still grumbles about the lost expense in gold and what he calls ‘life energy’.

***

About a month ago Xiang the deserter and I were summoned into the Margrave’s presence. He informed us that Mount Fire is seeking an alliance with the Mongali and may go to war against Gaxmoor and its allies, to retrieve the Black Spear.

Xiang smoothly replied that in the event of war, he would gladly volunteer his services. The Margrave thanked him and dismissed us. Xiang appeared satisfied that this was the end of it.

The Spear must be blinding him. Surely it is only a question of time until the Margrave considers it more politic to return the Spear than to pay with his army’s and his citizens’ blood to protect a deserter’s hide?

And the Margrave is not the only one. Leo has made remarks about the Spear to Xiang that made my scalp prickle. And do I have to say to you that the last word has not been spoken on the Guardians of Hawk’s Palace? To this I must hold, if to nothing else.

***

The wind scratches at the shutters. Old ghosts whirls with the snowflakes and crowd around the threshold to the new year. Dawn soon. I should finish this before my fire dies.

They have other beliefs here than we do in the mountains. Yet … if our priests are right, then your soul has long been reborn – quite possibly more than once, in these terrible times. I can but pray that the essence of these words will reach you, will travel to find that fragment of your soul, that tiniest of splinters residing in the Void from eternity to eternity, anchoring us, waiting.

Ladies, let these words find him.

Tsui Yio Cho

The letter ends. No seal, but then, no need to seal it. The flames in the grate curl around it, push fingers through the writing, gobble the parchment up. Smoke trails up through the chimney. Ashes crumble. The letter is gone.

 

[S'mon]

Cool Kerstin, I got a lump in my throat at the final passage! 350 story XP to Cho.

 

[ZosKia]

The diary of AOS
I have been summoned to see the Margrave. I hope he is in better humour now, when I saw him a couple of days ago he was rather short with me. Titania says it was because he didn’t get a better price when he visited the Siren. I don’t know why he blames me. I have nothing to do with the day to day running; I merely paid towards the rebuilding and took rooms there. He also seems I think I spend too much time carousing. If he looked out the window he would see me morning and evening running around the walls of Gaxmoor, lifting stones and sparring with the guards. Perhaps I should challenge him to a duel, then we shall see who spends their time carousing!
But that thought, however amusing must wait. It turns out that his grace wishes Leo, Titania and I to investigate strange lights at the Gaxmoor graveyard. Before he can fully detail our mission there is a knock at the door. Two guards enter with two strangers of unusual appearance. A shortish but heavily built man whose plate armour would seem to indicate that he is some sort of warrior and an even shorter woman in travelling clothes who I initially thought was some sort of mage.
Apparently they are from Mount Fire, far to the West and they had been pursued from there by a number of Mount Fire soldiers; the last few having been finally defeated just outside the walls. They introduce themselves as Xiang (male) and Choo (female). The Margrave welcomes them to Gaxmoor and introduces Leo, Titania and I, Leo glares me as I introduce myself as the greatest duellist in Gaxmoor but I believe that we should be proud of our achievements; Leo is a powerful wizard but so self effacing that you would think he was an apprentice! The Margrave then asks if Choo and Xiang if they will help us to investigate the graveyard! They agree and the Margrave says that a group of Sith scouts are based in an inn just outside the graveyard, they will be able to brief us further. The meeting over I suggest we adjourn to the Siren to plan for the mission, collecting Tarquin from the temple en route. By the time Tarquin has been collected, introduced to the newcomers and basic plans have been made it is rather late and realising that Choo and Xiang have nowhere to stay I offer them a room and a bath at the Siren. They graciously accept, though Choo does seem rather wary of me.
Early next morning we set out to see the Sith. At first they refuse to see us because they believe that Choo and Xiang are Mongali, it seems the Mongali invaded the Sith lands. Having been convinced that they were not Mongali the Sith invited us into the inn and told us what they had seen; namely strange lights and walking corpses. Leo decides to magically scout the graveyard with numerous magical eyes which whirl around and return to inform Leo what they have seen. The magic took all day but did yield valuable information about the layout of the graveyard; such as the fact there were four gnoll copses just inside the gate, walking dead sentries no doubt. Entering the graveyard at night did not seem wise and so rather than return to the city we stayed overnight with the Sith.
Early next morning the Sith captain woke us to report that one of his warriors had gone missing during the night. Rising swiftly we set out into the graveyard with Choo scouting ahead. As she entered the gate the gnoll corpses rose up to seize her. However upon seeing this Tarquin raised his staff and calling upon his god turned the gnolls to dust, most impressive! The Sith captain proved a most able tracker and quickly led to a large mausoleum which contained a number of skeletons and zombies. The undead seemed inactive and the mausoleum entrance was sealed by a metal grill. Xiang and I tried to open the grill so that Tarquin could destroy the undead as he had done previously however before we got very far there was a noise behind us, whirling around I saw a most beautiful woman with golden wings. “Who is the leader here?” she called. As no one said anything I pushed myself forward “I am” I said. Truly she was most beautiful….
Suddenly I was confronted by hordes of undead and an ogre! Apparently I had been charmed by the winged woman who had now been killed by Xiang breaking the spell. During my enchantment I had apparently attacked Choo, an act for which I later apologised. Tarquin flew above the group and destroyed many of the undead but not before I heard Titania scream. It turned out she had been received an almost fatal blow from the Ogre. Staggering away Titania used her magic to return to the inn leaving the ogre to rampage through the Sith. Having recovered from the charm I proceeded to bring down the ogre while Titania having healed some of her wounds came back to help Tarquin heal Xiang who had received some serious wounds in defeating the demon who had charmed me. The woman Choo had also been wounded but has the ability to heal herself, is she a priest?
While I had been charmed the grill had been opened allowing some of those within out. Fortunately Leo resealed the entrance with a web spell before we could be overwhelmed trapping a lot of the enemy inside while we dealt with those who had got out.
We now presed on into the tomb Xiang and I burning through Leo’s webbing with torches. Tarquin stepped forward and using the power of his god destroyed many of the lesser undead and forced the larger ones to flee. Leo cast a fireball (his first?)
at the remaining undead and their master an evil necromancer. The battle was over quickly; Choo rushed forward and stunned and stunned the necromancer, who was attempting to escape through a secret door, with an unarmed attack before I helped her finish him off; the two giant undead were destroyed, one by a blast of white fire from Xiang’s spear and the final foe, a gnoll, surrendered.
In the secret room we found and freed the missing Sith.
The gnoll prisoner revealed a link between the necromancer, Heracules and the godess Hel, apparently Heracules planned to recapture Gaxmoor with an army of undead created by the necromancer who was a priest of Hel.
We returned to the city with the necromancer’s treasure but vowed to return to the graveyard to explore further although killing the necromancer did seem to put an end to the mysterious lights.
The most intriguing item we found in the necromancer’s horde was a circlet engraved with snakes which Leo took away for research. I later discovered that he been tempted into donning the circlet which had offered him the opportunity to become a powerful necromancer. Apparently he managed to remove the circlet only by a massive force of will, and seeing the effect of it upon Leo Dovistar, the leader of the White Way ordered it melted in the orders furnace. I attended the melting and was almost overcome by the noxious fumes it gave off.
Leo seems to have been badly affected by the circlet, which was apparently linked to Hel and feels that he has been cursed by it since he has twice failed to create an item of power for himself. These failures have apparently cost him some 18000gp in materials and a lot of what he calls life force. Tarquin says he has rid Leo of the curse of Hel. I do hope so.
Speaking of life force I used to find that engaging in combat greatly increased mine, however destroying the necromancer didn’t seem to energise me in the same way; perhaps I am getting old?
AOS

 

[S'mon]

Thanks Andrew, 250 story XP to Aos.

 

[StalkingBlue]

Dang. No updates yet? Where are the cool Xiang action scenes, the well-considered Leo sequences, the deeply self-centred Aos comments?? I was going to settle back for some nice reading here, guys!


...

(waiting ... tapping foot ... tapping other foot ...)

OK. Sniffle.

Here's a letter then.

(Seriously, I was pretty tired on Sunday because my brother cum girlfriend left literally before dawn to catch an early plane - so if I got things horribly wrong, shout and I'll correct them. In fact, if I find out my horrible mistakes by reading your updates, I'll go and correct them anyway.)

------------


Letter from Tsui Yio Cho



The 24th Day of the 3rd Month of the Year 2739
3 Years 10 Months 5 Days since Hawk’s Palace’s Fall


We are off tomorrow. My heart sings at the prospect of getting back on the road.
We have gained two new companions: Saphanie, the Margrave’s own sister, a lady with a temper and an impressive gift for magic; and Sol, a taciturn wood elf security specialist. We have also accomplished one mission and failed in another – there is much to tell.

***

A few mornings ago I was out on the plain west of the city, practising. I find that I breathe easier away from those walls, the streets where people still stare when I pass.

I decided that it was a day of Water: spring has come, wet and early, and the grass bruises deeply where your feet touch it. Some shepherd children were sitting near. They have given up on aping me and just watch. I like to flatter myself that given enough time, even their undisciplined eastern minds may start picking up a thing or two.

Anyway, I was finishing the form of First Water and flowing into the second one, when a woman approached me. I recognised her as an advisor to Margrave Kanor, Grimhelda, who deals in magic potions and in the telling of fortunes. Grimhelda claimed she had been visited in her dream by what she called a great marsh-bird, which had given her a message to pass on to me. These are the words of the bird’s message.

“Guard the Wielder of the Spear and protect Him until such time as It can be restored to Its rightful place. Grow strong and seek the Queen held prisoner in the Mountain of Fire, for She has the Power to free the Guardians of Crane from Their long sleep.”
I knew then for certain that what I have been following were true signs. I also knew that an ally might be gained for the Heavenly Mountains, here in Gaxmoor. Surely I am not the person to go on such an errand but you see, there is no one else. So I went, to see the Margrave. Gods know that I hold him in terror, though I sincerely hope that he does not. I was not born to speak in Courts.

I think the Margrave believed me. He said that he would pass my report on, in confidence, within the League. I expect that means all I told him has by now reached Mount Fire through the Traitor’s spies. If I have made a mistake in telling him, may the consequences fall on me alone.

***

Two days ago, the Margrave summoned our company. He requested that we act as guards to the Margravaine Eloise Brax-Arkand on a diplomatic mission south into Bretania. The Margravaine appears to be in some danger due to certain intricacies of local politics, the details of which escape me. I have still not worked out who is a retainer to whom in these strange lands. We are to set out tomorrow on the first stage of our journey, towards Carrisqui.

At Leo’s request, however, the Margrave granted us leave to first return to the graveyard that we had visited once before in autumn. Saphie and Sol (the Margravaine’s security chief) agreed to accompany us.

Leo and Tarquin had conducted some research during the winter in the city’s archives with the help of the Margrave’s advisors and priests. They were confident that we would be able to defeat Xerxes Diccus, a former prince of the city turned blood-sucking ghoul, who had been locked up in his tomb for some centuries; though likely we would be no match for the lich reported to be sealed up in the even older tomb of the Mageris family.

***

Leo demonstrated to us a new magic contraption he has, a translucent floating hand that can deliver spells by touch. We then entered the graveyard and went to Xerxes Diccus’s tomb. The red-eyed rats we had already seen in autumn swarmed around us again as we approached the doors.

There was much preparatory spellcasting. Both Sol and Saphie immediately proved useful in that we were not forced this time to stand outside a locked tomb debating how best to break in: the outer doors were swiftly opened by Saphie’s spells and Sol’s clever hands.

The inner doors still bore the protective runes that Leo’s magic sight had detected at our last visit. When Saphie dispelled the magic, a tongue of fire licked out of the doorway. Luckily we had all withdrawn to a safe distance.

We got ready to enter. Xiang and Aos pushed the door into the inner chamber open. Instantly a monstrous demon of towering height reared up inside, wreathed in flames and spitting words of glee and hate. I later heard Tarquin and the mages call it a Pit Fiend. In superhuman courage, both Xiang and Aos charged the monster, managed to strike it but were grievously wounded by its claws.

A thought tugged at a corner of my mind, complaining that such a towering monster could hardly fit into the low chamber of the tomb – but I pushed the thought back to narrow my focus as I somersaulted over Xiang’s and Aos’s shoulders into the chamber. Desperate to strike the demon, I only realised when my shin passed through its flank freely that here was a transparent illusion! I pushed myself off the wall in mid-spin and leapt through the magically faked form, calling out to my companions. The demonic image screamed in outrage and disappeared.

Tarquin healed Xiang and Aos, whose wounds were real enough, for having been slashed by an illusion. We pressed on.

Beyond the imaginary Pit Fiend’s chamber, we found another chamber that contained a desk, a wine rack, and a sarcophagus, next to which Sol detected a hole in the floor. There was concern that the vampire, if that was what Xerxes Diccus had in fact become, might escape through the hole in the form of a gas cloud. Leo cast a wall of force, a thin invisible thing that for the length of a few breaths will keep anything from coming or going through. (Sol later bounced off another such wall, which in the heat of battle he had forgotten was there.)

Leo had hardly finished casting when Sol called everybody’s attention to an almost invisible cloud that moved and appeared to be coalescing in a far corner. It was cut off from us for the moment by Leo’s wall, so we decided to deal with it later. We stood around the sarcophagus and lifted off the lid. The sarcophagus was empty.

It was then that the cloud beyond the wall took shape – or shapes, I should say: a number of overlapping images of one of the same man. I saw this once before, in a place I shudder to write of, from that woman who has become the worst thing a person can possibly turn into: a traitor. No more of that here.

We got ready for Leo’s wall to go down and then charged the vampire. Aos’s rapier and Xiang’s Spear hit it in quick succession. It stumbled back against the wall, spread its fingers in front of him chanting arcane phrases, and a fan of fire leapt from him, flat and easy to dodge. The flames did little damage other than to a sleeve of one of Aos’s favourite shirts.

Aos had hardly done cursing when I struck the vampire. It crumpled almost instantly. We all had heard its neck crack and its head was lying at an angle – yet as we stood over it, its wounds were closing. Tarquin brought out some wooden stakes he had had blessed for the purpose, and drove them through the vampire’s heart. The undead body crumbled to dust.

***

This had been easy. So, elated and still charged with the heat of battle, we collected what valuables we could find in Xerxes Diccus’s tomb and withdrew, to return the next day for the Mageris family tomb.

This turned to be an ill-advised decision. The first warning sign that we were not on a lucky path came when Titania attempted to read the ancient writing on an inner door inside the tomb, thereby setting off a burst of magic that injured her and everyone else inadvertently standing close.

We proceeded. We found a corridor with five secret doors with stairs leading down into the darkness beyond them. Saphie through her magic sight discovered that four of the sets of stairs involved magical illusions. When I tapped my foot on one, it went right through. Beneath the illusory stairs lay only spiked pits.

Leo warned us that he had sensed magic melt away from the fifth door when it was opened – likely an alarm of some kind. Yet, nothing came at us. This should have warned us.

We followed the one set of real stairs down into a pentagonal room. This room’s walls were fascinating in that they represented the five elements: four of the walls had doors and beside them murals showing elemental creatures of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, respectively, and the fifth wall was the one we arrived through by means of an archway, the lack of a door and absence of any mural fittingly, if crudely, representing the Void.

We suspected that the elemental creatures represented in the murals would break free and attack us when we opened any of the doors. Leo sealed off half of the chamber with a wall of force by way of precaution. Sol tried to open the door nearest to the elemental of Earth. The door was locked, but the guardian creature broke forth from the mural – a mass of rock that shook the ground with the stomping of its legs and slamming of its granite fists. Sol flew out of its way hastily. We killed the creature, then proceeded to the Door of Water. Moments later we had dispatched all the elemental guardians.

By this time many spells had been expended by Saphie and Leo, and astonishing skill been displayed by Sol in disarming magic traps and overcoming locks. Again, things were going smoothly. In our elation we determined to press on. Tarquin put his hands to the stone around the door locks and by the grace of his god shaped the stone so that one by one, each door came loose and fell in with a crash.

Beyond three of the doors lay chambers with ancient embalmed corpses lying on biers in their finery. The longnoses were concerned that these corpses might rise to defend themselves, so Saphie set the ones in the first room ablaze with a fireball. The corpses did nothing, other than burn merrily. By the time we went in, their jewels and some scrolls and other objects had been eaten by the fire from their belated pyres.

No more fireballs were thrown into the next two rooms, and the treasures were eagerly collected from the corpses. Saphie objected at first to what she called grave robbery (is there some law here that grants ownership in grave treasures to the nearest city?); but she allowed herself to be convinced that we were acting with her brother’s permission.

The fourth and last room contained no corpses but a single stone sarcophagus, sealed with lead and bearing a plaque that proclaimed this to be the final resting place of Lucius Maximus Mageris. After repeated efforts and with the help of Sol’s crowbar, Xiang and Aos together levered off the sealed lid.

Inside the sarcophagus stairs led even further down. Sol scouting ahead, we went down into a wizard’s laboratory. Beyond the door at the far end, Sol heard flames crackle and a parakeet croak. He produced a set of interlinked mirrors to peer underneath the door, and reported an armchair with a figure sitting in it.

More plans were made, more protective spells cast. We readied ourselves. Saphie and Leo went invisible. With a spell, Saphie opened the door from a distance.

The man in the armchair rose to his feet. He was elegantly dressed and wore a circlet with a single precious stone on his forehead. We hardly had time to take in the skeletal form of his hands and face under ages-old leathery skin, when he spread his arms and spoke warm welcoming phrases.

No one had taken time to think why our foe had not risen to meet us, when he must have clearly heard our approach. Now no time was to be left us.
The lich’s words washed over us – already the only course that seemed to make sense was to calm down, follow his invitation, come into his study. The only ones who kept their heads even for a breath were Leo and Aos. Aos charged in to strike our undead host with his rapier, while Leo threw a magic ray at him narrowly past Aos’s ear.

An instant later Aos, too, was caught in the lich’s inescapable net of silken phrases. Leo, judging that on his own he had no chance of overcoming our opponent, pretended to be enchanted along with us. I dully remember the hours that followed: the flickering of the fire, the press of the rim of the carpet where I sat down to stretch my leg; the murmur of the lich conversing with Leo about the history and politics of the last few centuries – all of which appeared as new to him as to me, yet vastly more understandable to him. With what ease a man dead for half a millennium finds his way back into this world!

The lich left at last, leaving us a gift of sorts: a bag of runed tiles to choose from. Only Saphie and Titania tried their luck at this game of chance.

Saphie went first. When she drew her first tile, her hands shook and her hair turned grey. (I saw Xiang, who had been half-eager, shudder and draw back.) The second tile made Saphie cringe and turn pale, sapping some of her life force, which fortunately Tarquin was able later to restore to her, though to her dismay, the grey hair remains. The last tile at least appears to have been of some benefit – a future favour owed her by the divinities or some such.

Titania’s luck was similarly mixed, combining damage that Tarquin later mended with future divine favours. Unbelievably enough, Titania reports having been able to talk directly to her goddess. She asked some questions about her own future, about Aos and about the fate of Gaxmoor, receiving answers of varying usefulness.

There was little of value to be found in the lich’s old apartment, but Leo kept the lich’s parakeet. I understand that in its true form this red-eyed bird is a dangerous demon, of the variety that we encountered briefly at our last visit to the graveyard, when fighting the bat-winged demoness. The cage appears to be its magic prison.

***

We returned to the city and made our report to the Margrave. I found that he accepts failure with the same equanimity as he did desertion. Will these people ever cease to surprise me?

***

Before I end, here are two more things.

First, to my puzzlement, Titania has had a look in her eyes for me ever since we returned from the graveyard: a look that I have not seen in what seems aeons or more. She is misguided, of course. It may well be that her exchange with her deity (if that was indeed her counterpart was) has touched her head. Or else it is her karma to travel down a path without hope. I shall make an effort not to add to her pain.

Second, I have understood only in writing this that I must tell Xiang of my bird’s message. He may well turn the knowledge against me when the time comes. But who am I to hope that I may eventually be found worthy of overcoming the Traitor, if I myself start out on my path in a spirit of deceit? Who am I to hope in any case? But that, I suppose, is beside the matter.

Live, my love. Live and walk the path destined for you in this life, and in all others.



(edit: sp)