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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mathew_Freeman" data-source="post: 4584540" data-attributes="member: 1846">Voyage to the Tomb IsleSerkeljof explained the nature of Glorium. Up until two-hundred years ago, the Kings of the Swordlands had been buried on this small and remote island, locked away in stone tombs.Perceptively, Aengus asked “And what happened two-hundred years ago that made them stop?”“The Curse,” replied Serkeljof. “Across the land, the Dead walked. There were pitched battles everywhere, villages disappeared. It was said that some sailors passed by Glorium and heard the sounds of wailing from within the tombs – they claimed the Kings had awoken and were trying to get out. Once the Curse had passed, we never visited Glorium again. Our dead are cremated, or sent out to see on longships. Never buried. Never again shall the Dead rise from their graves.”“And this island is on the way to us finding the King?” queried Iben. “Then we shall have to stop there and investigate it.”“Agreed,” said Serkeljof. “We will take the longships. You can take your own…vessel…and meet us there.”Ignoring the insult towards Ariel, the group left Serkeljof to his preparations. Boarding their own boat, each one checked their armour and weapons again for readiness. Some now glinted and gleamed with magic – gifts from the Knights of Himimborg after their efforts last night against the rats.Thunder gripped the Spear he had received. There had been several offers to the Warforged, but when he saw the sigil on this item he had strode forward and seized it immediately.A Legion Spear, he had thought. Charged with lightning. I can do a lot with this.The last thing that happened before Himimborg began to be left behind was a short blessing on the voyage. Those workers on the dock paused in their tasks, and the Knights of Himimborg gathered at the edges of their vessels as Thunder spoke to them all.“You are all valiant Knights of Himimborg!” his voice rolled out across the water. “You take on a great Quest today, to find and rescue a King. There will be terrible dangers ahead. Hideous foes await us, magic will assail us, the Dead may walk again. But I know that Kord is with us. He is with us in our Strength, in our Resolve, and in our Courage. He is with us because we earn his favour with our bravery. And he is with us as we crush our enemies, in all their forms, before us! Knights of Himimborg, you are blessed in the name of Kord!” He raised his arms high and bellowed “For the King! For Kord! For glory!”As one, the assembled Knights roared back “For the King! For Kord! For glory!”Setting sail, Ariel kept up easily with the long oar-strokes of the two longships. As the hours flew past, there was little conversation amongst the party. The prospect of investigating an island where the Dead had been locked up in tombs for more than two centuries, possibly eager to get out in all that time, did not make for an enticing prospect. Thunder spent the time in contemplation and prayer, asking for Kord’s assistance in the coming times.As the island came into view in the distance, Aengus fey stepped over to Serkeljof’s ship, disappearing from one place and emerging in the other a heartbeat later. Other Knights had been running from ship to ship by using the still-moving oars as gangplanks, but it looked to take years of practice and the Eladrin didn’t fancy a dip in the sea.After a short conversation with Serkeljof it was decided that the group would land first and do some reconissance, with the rest of the Knights following soon after.Glorium hove closer into view, it’s three towers reaching high into the sky. Two were reasonably small and squat, but the third was huge – reaching more than a hundred feet up. It’s wide base and narrow windows made it almost a fortress in it’s appearance.Landing on barren rock, Sigurd bade Ariel to take herself away a short distance and wait for a call, which she did gladly. The silence of the island was disquieting after the noise of the voyage, and weapons were loosened in sheaths before anyone stepped further out. Between the islands were a series of bridges bordering and crossing several shallow pools of water. The whole place seemed largely deserted.“Wait!” said Iben, suddenly, pointing to the ground ahead. “There are marks, here, faintly made on the rock.” Gathering, the party could see faint scuff marks, as if made by something, or someone, heavy moving around the island. They seemed recent, and the tension rose another notch.Swiftly checking out the two smaller towers, it was discovered that the doors were locked with some sort of mechanism. Not wishing to disturb the place any more than necessary, it was decided to head for the main tower and try that door.As it reached high into the sky ahead of them, both Aengus and Karl produced lock-picking tools and began to squabble humourously about who would be the one to open it. As they began to examine the door, a shout came from over the water. Distantly, all could hear a Knight of Himimborg relaying the information they had not wanted to hear.“Sails! Sails! Four longboats heading here! ‘Ware raiders!”“Outnumbered two-to-one,” commented Thunder. “They’ll have to land and bring the fight here. We should prepare for a battle.”Next time: The Battle of Glorium!</blockquote>

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