With a wave of his hand Xanos dismisses the pit. Albrekt and the Commander's corpse rose out of the floor like an elevator platform.
As he and the Commander ascend upward, the vampyr crawls onto the man's fallen corpse.
Albrέkt licks at the man's face like a loyal dog before distending his jaw and feeding...
At Albrekt's touch the Knight' shining armor transforms before your eyes. No longer is it a shining suit of plate armor, festooned with Mitran symbols. Instead it has become black, baroque armor adorned with the infernal iconography of Lord Asmodeus. Truly, the Dark Lord of Nessus watches these deeds.
Searching the dead man and his quarters reveals several things of interest.
You find a locked check. It radiates a magical aura.
In his private quarters you also find a family “bible” of the House of Havelyn. This ancient holy book in praise of Mitra also features a chart detailing Lord Havelyn’s family tree. The books is quite valuable (450gp) but would be incredibly difficult to sell as it obviously belongs to Lord Havelyn. You can cannibalize the gold embellishments to sell (100gp).
Xanos had a fondness for books, so he scanned through the valuable tome.
As he read he raised an eyebrow, then slipped the book into his bag.
"The chest radiates magic. Likely a trap." he said as they found the lockbox.
When the heavy armour transforms Albrέkt gazes at the suit with a hungry look;
"Der Panzer... Wunderschön ist it not? I vish to klaim it..."
The vampyr caresses the ornate black metal with an appreciative smile, then begins to remove his own mundane armour...
"Good work. Unless some one is good with traps or can dispel the magic I suggest every else clears the room and our vampire, who is already dead, tries the keys. Once he has changed into his new clothes that is." Vank says before collecting the rest of the salable loot and putting it in a sack.
"Our stretch of good luck has gone farther than I expected. The most difficult challenges are behind us now. The remaining pieces of the operation are to compromise the siege engines and seize the gatehouse."
"I think we could accomplish both tonight."
"I agree. We should start an alchemical fire under the ice golem. In fact that should attract attention and make it easier to get to the guard tower."
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"I think stealth and our disguises may be enough to sabatoge the seige weapons. A diversion is a good thought for when we near the gatehouse."
"My concern with the golem was that the wizard may have given the control phrase to another person. Now all the likely people he might have given it to are dead. The golem is no longer a risk to us."
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Kaynen knelt beside the chest and gave it a closer look.
Whistling, he stood, uncertain of the trap's origin but not wanting to appear so.
"Not a simple matter, that one. We may wish to take the chest with us, it will take time and caution to ply its secrets, and I'd hate for this trap to destroy anything valuable hidden within."
"There is no rush, Kaynen. If we succeed tonight, by tomorrow evening there will not be anyone left to keep us from taking the strongbox with us. We can come back once everyone is dead."
"But first, the siege engines. Shall we?"
"True but some idiot may try to destroy it rather than let it fall with the castle. Better to keep it with us if we can carry it or hide if we can't." Vank says resting the chest's weight. .
"Yes let's deal with the siege machines."
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Kaynen nods in the general direction of Albrekt.
"I'm sure he can carry it. I believe we have the simple matter of securing a few more rooms before our, ahh.. friends arrive?"
"If we're taking this keep over, could we not just stash the chest someplace safe for the time being, until we're able to pry open its secrets?"
Albrέkt acknowledges he can lift the chest, then suggests a location to Haruk's plan;
"Der tunnel. Ze bugge-beran vil nicht venture zhere... Hide it amongzt der toten... minn empty vezzels..."
The vampyr finishes strapping on his new armour, then flashes a jagged smile.
Haruk flashes Albrekt a grin "Exactly what I was thinking my vampiric friend. This way, nobody can stubble across it or otherwise attempt to steal it from us"
Xanos pursed his lips in thought, then nodded. "Wise. Vank, help Albrekt carry it. Haruk will move ahead of you in case there is anyone who needs diverted from our path. Keynan and I will pull up the rear in case someone approaches from behind."
"Just stash in the keep the import thing is the guards don't know where we put it. How about right in front of the ice golem that should keep it safe."
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Haruk grabs the sheet off the commander's bed and tosses it over the chest. "We'll have to kill the guards we passed on our way up here, but since we no longer have a need to be quiet, that should be simple enough. Anybody happen to know a spell to alter the appearance of the chest?"
"I disagree. Until we are engaged with the gatehouse, stealth is still our best option. Ideally, we could seize the gatehouse and begin to open the gate as we fire off the signal rocket. That should be the very first sign to the garrison that something is wrong."
"I can render the chest invisible for three minutes."
Kaynen considers the chest for a moment.
"Or, perhaps we spend a little more effort searching for the chest's key?"
The bard-alchemist begins a thorough search of the chamber.
The vampyr shakes his head;
"Nein. Der bludletting bekons Jah? I vill karry der chest. Hide its presenze from mortal eyez..."
"Take the chest. I will render it invisible just before we reach the guards." Xanos said.
Albrέkt dutifully nods and hefts the chest.
He turns to the hobgoblin;
"Hoch Wichtel. You hav spellsch zat augment schtrenzh ja? Kast it on me danken."
Albrέkt hefts the chest and begins to move the cache across the courtyard;
:
:
:
You make your way past the guards and they seem none the wiser to your deception. Once back on the ground level, you carry your invisible chest across the courtyard and stash it in the secret tunnel.
Once the treasure is stowed, the brute vampyr readies himself for the coming slaughter.
He grins at the others;
"Soon ve vill paint der schloss vith blut!"
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You make your way to the main gate and gain entry through guile. Once inside, it is a small matter to dispatch the guards. Once secured, you light the signal flare, sending up an arching ball of green phosphorescence, which is impossible to hide from the guards manning the walls.
Short staffed, without a captain on duty, it takes a while for any of the night watchmen to think to report to the sleeping captain. Eventually some industrious soldier does, only to discover the bloody horror that remains in that bed. You can hear the panic spread through the keep as each attempt to find someone of authority is met with only scenes of carnage.
A few of the reamaining guardsmen attempt to breach your position, but the gate was designed to withstand harsher resistance than them. As dawn approaches a great horn call blasts out from the very top of the main tower. In return rises a cacophony of horn blasts arising from the wilds. Sakkarot's army has arrived. In the distance, the sound of the town bell can be heard ringing out in Aldencross
Giants lumber into view above the trees as the main host comes surging into view. Another horn blast rings out, but cuts short in shock as you lower the drawbridge for the advancing hoard. Goblinoids and worse surge into the keep, there is only scattered resistance from those too slow to flee.
In the chaos of the battle, you think it prudent to hunker down out of sight and only have to kill a few overzealous bugbears who presumably mistake you for defenders. By that evening, the whole of the hoard has moved into Taligarde and set up camp.
As you savor your victory, Tiadora pops into view carrying a chest. "Your success has not gone unnoticed. The Cardinal has other plans for you now and I am to take you to a waiting ship docked
along the banks of the nearby lake. But first your reward." She hands you the small be heavy chest, inside is 5k gp in platinum along with a small handwritten note.
token of my esteem. Use it to rest, recover and strengthen
yourselves. Other commands will come when the Knot is
needed. Your work has just begun. – A.
From a promontory, you can see the great bugbear horde camped south of the Watch Wall. Balentyne yet burns behind you. Tiadora remarks, “I have seen no evidence of any army gathering to meet the horde. It seems Zadaria has also succeeded at her mission and has assassinated the commanders. Truly, a great achievement."
“Making matters worse for poor Talingarde, small bands of creatures unaligned with Sakkarot approach the breach, eager to take advantage of the chaos. How could these beasts know already about this break in the Watch Wall? Someone must have told them. Probably best to leave. This region is about to become very dangerous."
“Still, this will not be enough. Balentyne may be broken but Talingarde is yet strong. Soon word will reach the south. The Heartland and the great cities of the Cambrian Bay will marshal their armies. They will meet Sakkarot on the field and it will be far too close to a fair fight. We must do something about that."
“Come, my lords, your ship awaits. Try not to burn this one.”
Lords. She called you lords. And lords you are. Lords of death and destruction. Lords of evil. Do you remember Branderscar? Do you remember being held down and branded like animals? How far you have come and how long yet the journey before you. Tiadora is right. This is only your first steps along the way of the wicked.
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• 4650 gp in Talirean coinage neatly sorted into 100 gp
purses.
• A small box containing a dozen silver and sapphire
military commendation medals (worth 75 gp each –
900 gp in total).
• Ten “double eagles” minted to celebrate the birth of
Bellinda, Princess of Talingarde, eighteen years ago.
These large coins are solid gold and weigh a pound
each (50 gp each – 500 gp in total). They are meant to
be used as official rewards to non-military personnel.
• A sack that contains the “petty cash” – 300 gp in
mixed coinage (mostly silver and copper)
• Seven ornate chalices adorned with gold, silver and
a variety of semi-precious stones. These are gifts official
visitors have presented the commander over the
years. The chalices vary in value but in total are worth
1050 gp.
• 5 potions of cure light wounds (securely wrapped)
• 2 elixirs of truth (also securely wrapped)
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Xanos said little to Tiadora. He only nodded and let her lead the way to the ship. He was carrying a great deal of weight. They had taken many things from the fortress. It was largely useless to him, but it would sell. Coin was what he needed. His plans required reagents that would not come cheap.
Once Tiadora had arrived, Xanos had let his disguise vanish. He looked awful. His dark skin was ashy, his eyes bloodshot. He was not significantly wounded and he had said nothing about any malady during the raid. Whatever was afflicting him, he seemed to be ignoring it as best he could.
When we were waiting in the tunnel after moving all the arrows, your new vampiric sense of smell caught a whiff of something cloying coming from Xanos. Like something sweet mixed with meat that had just begun to turn.
It is stronger now. You aren't trained in healing, but your new instincts tell you that there is something wrong with Xanos' blood.
As Tiadora hails the triumphant Knot Albrέkt greets her astride his new steed; a massive destrier loyal in life to the Lord Commander, now served the vampyric warrior in undeath.
The risen warhorse’s death wounds expose bone and organs, but the necrotic energy coursing through its powerful frame grant both locomotion and menace beyond its mortal coil.
The beast’s eyes balefully watch the Cardinal’s right arm from within blood encrusted barding that covers it from head to withers.
From within his own iron skin Albrέkt smiles proudly as she extols their nefarious accolades. Ribbons of steam snake from his wretched form where still warm blood of unfortunate denizens of the Keep have coated his mail and weapons and from his belt hangs a number of trophy heads both man and bugbear alike.
”Willkommen Mistress... I kall him Golgotha; truly he ist und prachtexemplar Ja?!”
At Tiadora’s behest the undead warrior dutifully dismounts and leads his fetid steed to their awaiting ship. The vampyr casts one final look toward the ruins of Talingarde with a bloody smile;
"Adieu fair Talingarde. Dir sated minn hunger..."
Duly noted Auld One :) Will likely rp any interaction out at some point - given the vamp holds you in a degree of reverence.
Vank watches gleefully as the horde approach, and as they sweep past it is obvious that he is having to restrain himself from joining. After he goes down to town and finds some paint or whitewash and paint a large fist clenched around a lightening bolt so that all might know why the the fort had fallen.
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Before joining withTiadora Vank spends a little time walking amoung the horde, finding hobgoblins and talking to them of their lot within a bugbear lead army and spreading the word that any who wish may seek him out later.
The next evening, Tiadora gathers you together. Turning to Albrekt she says, "Your disability is a nuisance. It it becomes an inconvenience, I will destroy you myself."
She takes the rest of you in, "Cardinal Thorn has instructed me to convey you to your next mission. I have arranged transportation. You will follow me."
She leads you down to the lake shore where a ramshackle river barge with the words “Halstyn’s Folly” written the side, in faded paint, awaits. They begin fawning over Tiadora, with many a whispered "Yes, Mistress.", as they prepare the vessel for departure.
Any inquiries regarding your destination or next mission are met with curt replies of, "The master commands you board. You will learn more later.”
Accommodations are crude. There is only one cabin and Tiadora has already evicted the so-called captain and made that her own personal domain. That means that the rest of the you must sleep with the crew on the deck of the barge. There is a roof but no walls and at night on the lake and rivers, it will be bitterly cold.
"Tonight we set out, but once we cross the lake, we will be only moving during the day. I have other business to attend to at night."
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Xanos could not have been bothered to care less about their accommodations. He Harley responded when spoken to, merely nodding his acceptance when Tiadora have them their orders.
He was clearly suffering. He did not speak of it, or draw attention to whatever was afflicting him, but something was wrong. He withdrew into himself almost entirely, sitting out of the way with a book in front of him, hardly moving save to occasionally turn the page. His skin was ashen and his eyes bloodshot. He often seemed to be sweating and occasionally a visible chill ran through him, which seemed to anger him momentarily. He was beginning to smell sickly but had no visible wounds or illnesses.
As Tiadora challenges Albrέkt, the vampyr merely smiles back at her;
Mein invalidität..!? Zerstören me!? Feh. Vhen der timesch kommen I vil schlake mein thirzt on your blut Miststück of Thorn...
Towering above the woman he nods slowly and in mock reverence.
Of kourse Frauchen."
When Xanos exhibits an increase in his strange malaise, the wretched warrior keeps station near the necromancer should any of the crew approach the man.
The barge sets out slowly. Tiadora is closed mouthed, but does mention that you are bound for the city of Farholde and the journey will take the better part of two weeks. The barge is extremely well provisioned, so at least most of you will be well fed.
The journey soon sets into a familiar rhythm with the crew meekly going about the task of guiding the vessel along its course during the day and anchoring for the night in sight of a village or keep. Each evening Tiadora comes onto deck and disappears only to reappear as dawn approaches. . Occasionally you can hear wails arising from the town.
The pattern continues each day of the journey.