Almost there
My eyes opened as divine light coursed through my body. C offered a hand, and helped me rise. I could tell from the faces of my companions I was lucky to stand again. We were upstairs in the keep’s left tower. Morning broke over the Nettlewood’s twisted canopy.
Mundin spat on the ground. “Ya may be pretty, ya may be brave, and ya may be pretty brazen, child, but yer also pretty tough. That was a swipe that would’a ended many young dwarf’s lives.”
I looked at Shaiira, wondering what she thought, after my many lectures on even-handedness and cool-heads-prevailing. She shook her head and smiled. “You’re a fool to come back,” she said.
I grinned at PopPop’s favorite welcoming to the hunters, and that she knew it, too.
“I lost my voice,” I said.
C clasped my shoulder. “All in stride, Siv. Sometimes the fire makes us.”
“OK, which way now?” Vohoi said. The sorcerer was correct, it was time to press forward. Noria had kept last watch, and reported nothing new afoot in the keep. We returned to the dungeon.
We noted that upon passing Orrick’s room, his body was missing. We found no drag marks or further signs of struggle. Odd.
The next door opened to a modest bedchamber, with a sitting chair and a desk. I found more notes in Tsuto’s handwriting, some detailing the attack on Sandpoint we helped defend, some with vague plans for future attacks, and a litany of scornful, hateful passages in what could only be the scrawling of a half-mad man. These haphazard entries depicted a man swallowed by anger, railing against his sister and father especially, and against Sandpoint; yet again singing the praise of Nualia. Knowing what I do now about Tsuto, I was sad to read these notes. I decided to take them to Ameiko; if nothing, it would give her a chance to lay to peace to what has been a difficult chapter in her life.
Another room was evidently the War Room, with detailed maps of Sandpoint and surrounding areas spread across it. One tattered note revealed some future attack, to be executed once the “whispering beast was tamed.” This coincided with what we already knew and met, the quasit and sinspawn beneath Sandpoint. I took this beast to be the last unmet enemy, Malfeshnekor. Who or what it is remained a mystery.
Unmet by foes, we continued on at our leisure, finally coming to a room where a human woman was examining an unusual staff on a long table. Several chunks of rock also lay on the table, and she was surprised to have visitors.
“Who are you?” she asked sharply.
“Um, Brethazmus sent us,” I said.
“To make sure you were all set over here,” Noria added.
“Shaiira sidled up and smiled. “Oh it’s good to meet you, uh, wow, I’m sorry I’m new here and I already forgot your name.”
“Lyrie. And I’m, ah, yeah, I’m good,” she said, stiffening.
“I see you are researching something,” I said. “Ancient Thassilon is a hobby of mine. What are you looking for?” I could see the chunks of stone were etched with runes.
The woman was overtly annoyed and suspicious of us. “Dwarves? I don’t think so,” she said, blasting Vohoi with a quick magic missile. We fell to arms as she vanished from sight, but being a small room, we quickly cornered her.
She re-appeared, her hands in the air. “Don’t kill me!” she shouted.
“Why not?” Mundin snarled. “Being mixed up with the evil here, we best chop you down now.”
“Let her speak,” Noria said.
“Aye.” My voice had weight, and I wanted to see where the paladin was going with this.
“Who do you work for?” Noria asked.
“I am just a researcher, an archaeologist. Nualia hired me to explore these ruins. I harbor no ill will, I swear,” the woman said. I saw her eyes and believed her.
“Ya work for the primest of evil here and wanna leave unscathed?” Mundin said, his hand moving to his axe. She was afraid, I used my voice.
“What will you give us in exchange for your life?” I asked.
I have no ties, I swear. Here,” she said, turning out her pack and pockets. “It’s all yours, just let me live.” A pretty pile of coin and a few scrolls now littered the table. Noria looked at me, I looked at Mundin. He looked at C, who looked at me. I looked at Noria. She closed her eyes for a brief moment.
“Go,” she said. “Never come back, this place will be gone.”
The woman bowed and scampered past us, her feet finally climbing the stairs.
Caramour moved to inspect the staff that lay on the table. It flickered with a grey flame as he approached.
“ ‘Tis yours,” Vohoi said. “Such a piece will complement your arsenal.”
“A sturdier walking stick,” C said, grasping the quarterstaff. “Thanks.”
“You’ll find it suits your fits,” Vohoi added. “The weapon channels your energy.”
We gathered the explorer’s wealth and moved on.
My eyes opened as divine light coursed through my body. C offered a hand, and helped me rise. I could tell from the faces of my companions I was lucky to stand again. We were upstairs in the keep’s left tower. Morning broke over the Nettlewood’s twisted canopy.
Mundin spat on the ground. “Ya may be pretty, ya may be brave, and ya may be pretty brazen, child, but yer also pretty tough. That was a swipe that would’a ended many young dwarf’s lives.”
I looked at Shaiira, wondering what she thought, after my many lectures on even-handedness and cool-heads-prevailing. She shook her head and smiled. “You’re a fool to come back,” she said.
I grinned at PopPop’s favorite welcoming to the hunters, and that she knew it, too.
“I lost my voice,” I said.
C clasped my shoulder. “All in stride, Siv. Sometimes the fire makes us.”
“OK, which way now?” Vohoi said. The sorcerer was correct, it was time to press forward. Noria had kept last watch, and reported nothing new afoot in the keep. We returned to the dungeon.
We noted that upon passing Orrick’s room, his body was missing. We found no drag marks or further signs of struggle. Odd.
The next door opened to a modest bedchamber, with a sitting chair and a desk. I found more notes in Tsuto’s handwriting, some detailing the attack on Sandpoint we helped defend, some with vague plans for future attacks, and a litany of scornful, hateful passages in what could only be the scrawling of a half-mad man. These haphazard entries depicted a man swallowed by anger, railing against his sister and father especially, and against Sandpoint; yet again singing the praise of Nualia. Knowing what I do now about Tsuto, I was sad to read these notes. I decided to take them to Ameiko; if nothing, it would give her a chance to lay to peace to what has been a difficult chapter in her life.
Another room was evidently the War Room, with detailed maps of Sandpoint and surrounding areas spread across it. One tattered note revealed some future attack, to be executed once the “whispering beast was tamed.” This coincided with what we already knew and met, the quasit and sinspawn beneath Sandpoint. I took this beast to be the last unmet enemy, Malfeshnekor. Who or what it is remained a mystery.
Unmet by foes, we continued on at our leisure, finally coming to a room where a human woman was examining an unusual staff on a long table. Several chunks of rock also lay on the table, and she was surprised to have visitors.
“Who are you?” she asked sharply.
“Um, Brethazmus sent us,” I said.
“To make sure you were all set over here,” Noria added.
“Shaiira sidled up and smiled. “Oh it’s good to meet you, uh, wow, I’m sorry I’m new here and I already forgot your name.”
“Lyrie. And I’m, ah, yeah, I’m good,” she said, stiffening.
“I see you are researching something,” I said. “Ancient Thassilon is a hobby of mine. What are you looking for?” I could see the chunks of stone were etched with runes.
The woman was overtly annoyed and suspicious of us. “Dwarves? I don’t think so,” she said, blasting Vohoi with a quick magic missile. We fell to arms as she vanished from sight, but being a small room, we quickly cornered her.
She re-appeared, her hands in the air. “Don’t kill me!” she shouted.
“Why not?” Mundin snarled. “Being mixed up with the evil here, we best chop you down now.”
“Let her speak,” Noria said.
“Aye.” My voice had weight, and I wanted to see where the paladin was going with this.
“Who do you work for?” Noria asked.
“I am just a researcher, an archaeologist. Nualia hired me to explore these ruins. I harbor no ill will, I swear,” the woman said. I saw her eyes and believed her.
“Ya work for the primest of evil here and wanna leave unscathed?” Mundin said, his hand moving to his axe. She was afraid, I used my voice.
“What will you give us in exchange for your life?” I asked.
I have no ties, I swear. Here,” she said, turning out her pack and pockets. “It’s all yours, just let me live.” A pretty pile of coin and a few scrolls now littered the table. Noria looked at me, I looked at Mundin. He looked at C, who looked at me. I looked at Noria. She closed her eyes for a brief moment.
“Go,” she said. “Never come back, this place will be gone.”
The woman bowed and scampered past us, her feet finally climbing the stairs.
Caramour moved to inspect the staff that lay on the table. It flickered with a grey flame as he approached.
“ ‘Tis yours,” Vohoi said. “Such a piece will complement your arsenal.”
“A sturdier walking stick,” C said, grasping the quarterstaff. “Thanks.”
“You’ll find it suits your fits,” Vohoi added. “The weapon channels your energy.”
We gathered the explorer’s wealth and moved on.