(YBA) Kalath in Wicht's Lair II.

[Wicht]

A summary of the story thus far:

Kalath volunteered to enter Wicht's lair alone. A dagerous proposition.

The ancients told him the entrance to the lair was found by first going through the cemetery but that there were hidden entrances to the lair in the cemetery.

Kalath fast talked the goblin guards at the cemetery gate and made his way in, at night. Eschewing the main northward path, Kalath struck out west climbinhg a tombstone laden hill to approach a crypt he saw from the path. Fighting off some zombies, Kalath became aware of wolves prowling the vast cemetery and fled into the safety of the crypt.

The outside of the crypt was marked "No Mercy for the children," and inside he fought with two statues that warned him not to go further but to leave "the children in peace." Inside, Kalath discovered that, horrifyingly enough, children were trapped in padlocked coffins, scratching to get out. Kalath freed six of the children before realizing they were not ordinary children and ina fight killed two of them before fleeing.

Fleeing further west, he found a great tree with wolves around it. The tree had bodies swinging from ropes in its many branches. The wolves he attacked and killed and then traveled further west through the cemetery.

Finally at the furthest west point of the cemetery he found a great tomb, the tomb of Wicht. The guardian inside was too strong however and kalath fled without even striking a blow. Outside he turned on the woves that had begun to pursue him and had struck them dead. Now he goes to explore a well set in the cemetery earth...

 

[Wicht]

The well is of stone. There are no buckets or ropes and one can only specualte as to how water would be drawn.

As Kalath looks closer, it appears that the stones that make the well are carved into the shapes of screaming faces.

It is impossible to see anything down the well and it is impossile to tell how deep it is.

 

[graydoom]

After poking around the well for a bit more, Kalath heads north along the cobbled path.

 

[Wicht]

The well yields nothing further so Kalath heads north. Moving north along the cobbled path, Kalath encounters nothing.

However after walking a few hundred yards he does see an ornate crypt atop a small rise off to the right of the path. As he gets closer he sees that a gravel path heads east, away from the cobbled path towards the crypt.

It is hard to say what, but there is something about the crypt that does not seem to fit in with the rest of the cemetery.

 

[graydoom]

"Well, in the spirit of whatever insanity possessed me to come here in the first place... let's go investigate that crypt!"

Kalath heads towards the crypt.

 

[Wicht]

The tomb is of marble and is adorned with countless carved flowers, vines and wolves. Or at least, it looks like those are stone wolves peering out from the stone flowers. There are no guardians to be seen, nor is there anything written above the stone doors.

The tomb has a wholesome feel to it, despite the presence of the carved wolves. Indeed a closer inspection shows the wolves are carved almost serenely.

 

[graydoom]

Kalath opens the doors and enters the tomb.

 

[Wicht]

The doors will not open for Kalath and as kalath tries harder a voice whispers...

"You are not the one."

 

[graydoom]

"How interesting... a peaceful tomb in this cemetary. Someday, I will find out what this is."

Kalath turns away from the tomb and heads along the gravel path to the east.

 

[Wicht]

heh - the path led east to the crypt, not away from it - I will assume you continue north along the cobbled path- it will work out about the same in a few posts.

The cobbled path running north continues only a few hundred more yards before terminating in a broader path running east and west. There is a sign-post at the intersection and someone has thoughtfully placed a lamp atop it - The sign indicates that the path Kalath has been on is called the "Path of Weeping" and that the cobbled path running east and west is called the "Path of the Dead."

As Kalath views the signs, the air grows a little warmer and tendrils of fog begin to lift from the ground.

A howl from the north lets Kalath know that there are still wolves prowling in the dark.