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Shackled City Epic: "Vengeance" (story concluded)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1857421" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 263</p><p></p><p>“So what in the ‘ells is that blasted thing?”</p><p></p><p>None of the gathered companions had an answer for Hodge. Standing in the private chapel of the High Priest of Helm, the current holder of that title frowned as she stared down at the focus on their interest.</p><p></p><p>The object that they had taken from the cathedral of Kelemvor lay on a flat stone table covered with a white cloth. It was a cage, just about large enough for a man, decorated with unholy motifs—skulls, bones, and dark runes that seemed to move when the viewer started to look away. It was made of metal, but that was all they could discern of its manufacture from casual observation; even the dwarves were confounded in identifying the alloys. Despite its solid appearance, it weighed no more than about fifty pounds. They’d had little trouble bringing it here, wrapping it in one of the tapestries that had adorned the walls of the temple of Kelemvor, but none of them felt at ease being in the same room with the device. </p><p></p><p>“I cannot answer you, dwarf,” Jenya said. “But it is a magical item of incredible power... and infused with the pure essence of blackest evil.” She rubbed her head, which probably still ached with the surge of power she’d been hit with when she’d used divination magic upon it earlier. Zenna understood; her own <em>detect magic</em> had almost overloaded her senses, but had confirmed that the cage radiated a powerful aura of abjuration, conjuration, and necromancy magic. </p><p></p><p>“I am more concerned with this,” Dannel said, stepping back over to the altar, where he recovered another of the items they’d found. This article was less imposing than the cage; a collection of papers they’d found in a secret drawer in Embril Aloustinai’s quarters in the temple. Her room had been richly decorated but devoid of personal effects and other valuables, suggesting that she’d planned to be away for quite some time, when she’d departed Cauldron some months back. </p><p></p><p>Dannel took the last page in the papers, and read a passage that they’d already heard once before. </p><p></p><p><em>High Priestess,</em></p><p><em>As many have heard me say, the cages alone will not allow the completion of the ritual. What more is needed I cannot say, as so I continue to explore the mysteries of the soul pillars at great peril. The guardian grows ever more restless, and the insanity that lies frozen in Karran-Kural is beginning to stir. </em></p><p><em>My price has doubled.</em></p><p><em>-F.</em> </p><p></p><p>“So this Karran-Kural place may be a hideout for these... cultists? We still don’t even know exactly what we’re dealing with, here,” Arun said. </p><p></p><p>“We have little more than a name, and a place,” Zenna said. “Those papers refer to a ‘Fetor Abradius,’ probably the “F” who signed that last note. It sounds like he was conducting research into a ritual of some sort, something that probably involved that,” she indicated the odd cage, “or others like it.”</p><p></p><p>“You think there’s more of them?” Mole said. </p><p></p><p>“Well, the note used the plural,” Zenna replied. </p><p></p><p>“Bah, ‘ow er we s’posed to find this bastard, w’ just a few scribbles and this ‘ere hunk o’ metal?” Hodge said. </p><p></p><p>Zenna looked to Jenya. “I’ve prepared my <em>commune</em>, and will do my best to get some answers,” the priestess said. </p><p></p><p>The door opened suddenly, and they turned around to see Beorna walking heavily into the room. She’d stolen a few moments to towel off her armor, but she still looked a sight, her short hair sticky with sweat and blood, her clothes ragged from the beating they’d taken over the course of what had been a quite busy day. </p><p></p><p>“How has the situation developed, templar?” Jenya asked. </p><p></p><p>“The city authorities are up in arms, of course,” the dwarf replied. “The evidence that the Kelemvorites were up to no good was pretty hard to refute; hells, just the bodies of those undead monstrosities alone made a damn near irresistible case. I think you’ll need to talk to Skellerang again yourself, though; the man looked right about to pop a blood vessel when I spoke to him.”</p><p></p><p>Zenna smiled to herself ruefully; she could imagine how that conversation had gone. From all accounts Skellerang, the leader of the Watch, was close-minded, arrogant, and utterly full of himself. </p><p></p><p>Oh yeah, she could imagine how that conversation had gone. </p><p></p><p>“There haven’t been any inquiries about... that, have there?” Dannel asked, gesturing at the cage. </p><p></p><p>“Not that I’ve heard,” Beorna said. “But whoever Iverson was working with, I’d wager <em>they</em> know, by now.”</p><p></p><p>It was not a wager that any of them would venture to take. </p><p></p><p>“So what now?” Mole asked. </p><p></p><p>“You should stay here again tonight,” Jenya said. “When the sun sets I will <em>commune</em> with Helm... but not here,” she said, looking down with disgust at the cage. </p><p></p><p>“What should we do with that, High Priestess?” Beorna asked. </p><p></p><p>“For now, put in the sanctum.” At Beorna’s frown she added, “I know, I know, but it is the most secure place in the temple, and is warded from divination magic as well. As you said, our enemies likely know of our involvement, but we shall not make it easy for them.”</p><p></p><p>“Guards?”</p><p></p><p>Jenya lowered her head, a sad look weighing down her features. Zenna realized that she hadn’t seen the young woman, who had been so forceful and inherently optimistic when they’d first met, smile in quite some time. But for all the pressure on her, Jenya Urikas was still that strong woman at heart. “No,” she said. “Alert the acolytes, but I’ll not put them in the path of danger if I can help it. I will see to the defenses of the church myself.”</p><p></p><p>Zenna stepped forward. “If I may, High Priestess, I might be able to offer some suggestions, in terms of the questions you will ask in your <em>commune</em>.”</p><p></p><p>Beorna’s frown grew even deeper, if that was possible, but Jenya quickly nodded. “I appreciate your counsel, Zenna. Come to my quarters in an hour, and I will prepare some tea.”</p><p></p><p>“I could use a bath,” Arun said. He looked tired, as well, but there was nothing of surrender in the paladin’s bearing; to Zenna, he was as he had always been, a rock, the foundation upon which their company rooted their strength. </p><p></p><p>“Eh, I could use a drink o’ three,” Hodge said. </p><p></p><p>“Thought you might,” Beorna said. She drew out a half-gallon jug of thick, clouded glass from her pack, and tossed it to the dwarf. Hodge dropped his axe and barely caught the missile, turning the jug over to reveal dwarvish runes on a slap of paper affixed to the front. </p><p></p><p>“Gutbuster Fifteen!” Hodge exclaimed. “Woman, I could kiss yer!”</p><p></p><p>Beorna smiled. “Maybe... if you were ten years younger, thirty pounds lighter about the gut, and doused in the lake first!” </p><p></p><p>The exchange added a needed moment of levity, and the companions all laughed heartily before the cage dragged them back into the depth of the moment. </p><p></p><p>“I’m going to go to Skie’s,” Mole said. “Trade in some of our excess swag, see if there’s any new rumors on the street.” She started toward the door, but Zenna stopped her. </p><p></p><p>“Don’t go alone,” she said. “Remember, those assassins found us once...”</p><p></p><p>Mole shrugged. “All right, ‘mom,’ I’ll take Dannel. Satisfied?”</p><p></p><p>The elf smiled as he joined her, but the look he and Zenna shared was full of meaning. <em>Be careful</em>, each seemed to say. </p><p></p><p>Beorna glanced over at Hodge, who’d already taken a deep swallow from the jug. “All right, Golden Boy, your friend’s not going to be much good for anything in a few minutes, so help me get this hunk of junk into the Sanctum.” She grabbed onto the cage and lifted it from the table, waiting for Arun to take the rear end of it before starting toward the chapel exit. </p><p></p><p>“Wait,” Zenna said. She grabbed the tablecloth and draped it over the cage, hiding the terrible thing from view.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 1857421, member: 143"] Chapter 263 “So what in the ‘ells is that blasted thing?” None of the gathered companions had an answer for Hodge. Standing in the private chapel of the High Priest of Helm, the current holder of that title frowned as she stared down at the focus on their interest. The object that they had taken from the cathedral of Kelemvor lay on a flat stone table covered with a white cloth. It was a cage, just about large enough for a man, decorated with unholy motifs—skulls, bones, and dark runes that seemed to move when the viewer started to look away. It was made of metal, but that was all they could discern of its manufacture from casual observation; even the dwarves were confounded in identifying the alloys. Despite its solid appearance, it weighed no more than about fifty pounds. They’d had little trouble bringing it here, wrapping it in one of the tapestries that had adorned the walls of the temple of Kelemvor, but none of them felt at ease being in the same room with the device. “I cannot answer you, dwarf,” Jenya said. “But it is a magical item of incredible power... and infused with the pure essence of blackest evil.” She rubbed her head, which probably still ached with the surge of power she’d been hit with when she’d used divination magic upon it earlier. Zenna understood; her own [I]detect magic[/I] had almost overloaded her senses, but had confirmed that the cage radiated a powerful aura of abjuration, conjuration, and necromancy magic. “I am more concerned with this,” Dannel said, stepping back over to the altar, where he recovered another of the items they’d found. This article was less imposing than the cage; a collection of papers they’d found in a secret drawer in Embril Aloustinai’s quarters in the temple. Her room had been richly decorated but devoid of personal effects and other valuables, suggesting that she’d planned to be away for quite some time, when she’d departed Cauldron some months back. Dannel took the last page in the papers, and read a passage that they’d already heard once before. [i]High Priestess, As many have heard me say, the cages alone will not allow the completion of the ritual. What more is needed I cannot say, as so I continue to explore the mysteries of the soul pillars at great peril. The guardian grows ever more restless, and the insanity that lies frozen in Karran-Kural is beginning to stir. My price has doubled. -F.[/i] “So this Karran-Kural place may be a hideout for these... cultists? We still don’t even know exactly what we’re dealing with, here,” Arun said. “We have little more than a name, and a place,” Zenna said. “Those papers refer to a ‘Fetor Abradius,’ probably the “F” who signed that last note. It sounds like he was conducting research into a ritual of some sort, something that probably involved that,” she indicated the odd cage, “or others like it.” “You think there’s more of them?” Mole said. “Well, the note used the plural,” Zenna replied. “Bah, ‘ow er we s’posed to find this bastard, w’ just a few scribbles and this ‘ere hunk o’ metal?” Hodge said. Zenna looked to Jenya. “I’ve prepared my [I]commune[/I], and will do my best to get some answers,” the priestess said. The door opened suddenly, and they turned around to see Beorna walking heavily into the room. She’d stolen a few moments to towel off her armor, but she still looked a sight, her short hair sticky with sweat and blood, her clothes ragged from the beating they’d taken over the course of what had been a quite busy day. “How has the situation developed, templar?” Jenya asked. “The city authorities are up in arms, of course,” the dwarf replied. “The evidence that the Kelemvorites were up to no good was pretty hard to refute; hells, just the bodies of those undead monstrosities alone made a damn near irresistible case. I think you’ll need to talk to Skellerang again yourself, though; the man looked right about to pop a blood vessel when I spoke to him.” Zenna smiled to herself ruefully; she could imagine how that conversation had gone. From all accounts Skellerang, the leader of the Watch, was close-minded, arrogant, and utterly full of himself. Oh yeah, she could imagine how that conversation had gone. “There haven’t been any inquiries about... that, have there?” Dannel asked, gesturing at the cage. “Not that I’ve heard,” Beorna said. “But whoever Iverson was working with, I’d wager [I]they[/I] know, by now.” It was not a wager that any of them would venture to take. “So what now?” Mole asked. “You should stay here again tonight,” Jenya said. “When the sun sets I will [I]commune[/I] with Helm... but not here,” she said, looking down with disgust at the cage. “What should we do with that, High Priestess?” Beorna asked. “For now, put in the sanctum.” At Beorna’s frown she added, “I know, I know, but it is the most secure place in the temple, and is warded from divination magic as well. As you said, our enemies likely know of our involvement, but we shall not make it easy for them.” “Guards?” Jenya lowered her head, a sad look weighing down her features. Zenna realized that she hadn’t seen the young woman, who had been so forceful and inherently optimistic when they’d first met, smile in quite some time. But for all the pressure on her, Jenya Urikas was still that strong woman at heart. “No,” she said. “Alert the acolytes, but I’ll not put them in the path of danger if I can help it. I will see to the defenses of the church myself.” Zenna stepped forward. “If I may, High Priestess, I might be able to offer some suggestions, in terms of the questions you will ask in your [I]commune[/I].” Beorna’s frown grew even deeper, if that was possible, but Jenya quickly nodded. “I appreciate your counsel, Zenna. Come to my quarters in an hour, and I will prepare some tea.” “I could use a bath,” Arun said. He looked tired, as well, but there was nothing of surrender in the paladin’s bearing; to Zenna, he was as he had always been, a rock, the foundation upon which their company rooted their strength. “Eh, I could use a drink o’ three,” Hodge said. “Thought you might,” Beorna said. She drew out a half-gallon jug of thick, clouded glass from her pack, and tossed it to the dwarf. Hodge dropped his axe and barely caught the missile, turning the jug over to reveal dwarvish runes on a slap of paper affixed to the front. “Gutbuster Fifteen!” Hodge exclaimed. “Woman, I could kiss yer!” Beorna smiled. “Maybe... if you were ten years younger, thirty pounds lighter about the gut, and doused in the lake first!” The exchange added a needed moment of levity, and the companions all laughed heartily before the cage dragged them back into the depth of the moment. “I’m going to go to Skie’s,” Mole said. “Trade in some of our excess swag, see if there’s any new rumors on the street.” She started toward the door, but Zenna stopped her. “Don’t go alone,” she said. “Remember, those assassins found us once...” Mole shrugged. “All right, ‘mom,’ I’ll take Dannel. Satisfied?” The elf smiled as he joined her, but the look he and Zenna shared was full of meaning. [I]Be careful[/I], each seemed to say. Beorna glanced over at Hodge, who’d already taken a deep swallow from the jug. “All right, Golden Boy, your friend’s not going to be much good for anything in a few minutes, so help me get this hunk of junk into the Sanctum.” She grabbed onto the cage and lifted it from the table, waiting for Arun to take the rear end of it before starting toward the chapel exit. “Wait,” Zenna said. She grabbed the tablecloth and draped it over the cage, hiding the terrible thing from view. [/QUOTE]
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