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Calden hears a familiar voice, seeming to come from very far away. "Dimi...?" is the last he can utter before everything turns black.
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Shirzon misses again, while Merephel heal her companions: unfortunately, her healing magic is not enough for Korech or Calden to gain consciousness again.
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The skeletal champion now focus its attentions on Shirzon, lashing out with its longsword against the half-orc as he maintain its defensive stance. Shirzon stay focused and doesn’t get overwhelmed by fear: she’s able to nimbly avoid the skeletal champion strike.
In the meantime, the two skeletons attack Merephel, but the girl is able to protect herself thanks to her shield. Only the first attack hits her, but then she’s able to parry three consecutive attacks with stoic resilience.
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The source of the voice finally shows herself. Dimira wakes up and stumbling across the chamber tries to reach Calden. She then whispers something barely audible in the middle of the combat: «Please Old Father, please Kassen, in the name of everything’s good and beautiful, give me the strength to heal him. THIS MUST END!». As she speaks, a sudden burst of positive energy emanates from the badly wounded Dimira. The girl is in very bad conditions, but her courage, fueled by the sight of Calden being hit almost to death by the skeletal champion, has allowed her to resort to her last strength in a desperate attempt to change the course of the battle. «»
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- Shirzon
- Korech
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Calden is barely aware of the words spoken by Dimira,when he regains consciousness. He looks at the skeleton standing over him, and tries to make eye contact with Merephel. "Kill this one, so I can stand up."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"Dimira?" Shirzon jerks her head toward the injured girl, surprised to see her moving. "So you're Asar, huh? Bit of a sore loser aren't you!" she mocks, getting some of her nerve back. She drops one of her maces on the ground, and the clattering echoes through the crypt. She jumps back and pulls a small bottle of water from her pocket, adopting a similar defensive stance as the skeleton, then hurls it at Asar.
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Korech groans as his eyes slowly flutter open, and he notices a skeleton standing over top of him. He looks around weakly, trying to determine his next action.
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"Thanks Meph," says Calden while he scambles to his feet. His cautiously advances on the champion. "Dimi, you're alive," he exclaims gratefully when he stands and has a chance to look around. When he reaches Asar, he tries to draw its attention. "Over here, Asar. Kill it, Shirzon!"
Calden watches the skeleton looming over him. Feeling that he's at his last strength, he desperately kicks at the undead's knees and ankles. "Dimi, you're alive," he exclaims gratefully. "Hold on, Shirzon. I'm coming to help!"
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Calden tries to hit the skeleton from his prone position, but he misses.
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Shirzon hits Asar with her holy water: the skeletal champion roars eerily, the blue light emanating from its empty eye sockets slowly flickering as his old bones are covered in holy water, sending ripples of sacred smokes out of them, as if they were burning from within.
Unfortunately, Merephel fails to hit the skeleton standing above Calden.
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The skeletal champion moves closer to Shirzon and tries to hit her once more: this time, he has abandoned his defensive stance and wields his weapon two-handedly to try and knock Shirzon down with a single, powerful blow. In a show of great agility and strength, Shirzon parries Asar’s final blow with her mace. For a few seconds, Shirzon’s and Asar’s weapons screech against each other as both try to get the better of their foe.
In the meantime, the two skeletons attack Merephel again, but this time they’re much more accurate: one of them is even able to grab Merephel’s throat in its bony hands, slowly piercing Merephel’s throat as its skeletal fingers delve into the girl’s soft skin .
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Shaky and doddering, Dimira looks with concern at the fight’s outcome. She is clearly exhausted, and her skin reveals days and days of torture and deprivation. Still, she desperately looks at Calden, lying below one of the skeletons. With a frustrated roar, she grabs a skeleton’s femur lying on the ground and lashes out against the skeleton who has just hit Merephel. Unfortunately, the bad mix of fatigue and desperation doesn’t allow the girl to hit the skeleton: «Go away! Leave him alone!», she screams in anger.
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- Shirzon
- Korech
- Merephel
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- Dimira
- Calden
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Merephel lets out a gurgle as the breath leaving her lungs is blocked by the blood running down her throat. She drops to the ground, unconscious, and bleeding to death.
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Calden keeps kicking at the skeleton above him, desperate to finish it and stand up, but failing to connect. Sorry Dimi, I'm not strong enough. I've failed you...
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Down to one weapon, Shirzon focuses, trying to break through Asar's defenses. "You'll have to do better than that! What'sa matter? Did Kassen beat you so bad that you can't even hit a barmaid? Pathetic!"
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Lying on the ground, his head pounding as he lies in a pool of his own blood, Korech sees the skeleton overtop of him. Knowing that he's a dead orc if he attacks from the ground, he rises to his feet unsteadily, desperately hoping he can survive the onslaught from the skeleton.
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Calden misses the skeleton again as he struggles to get back on his feet.
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Shirzon successfully hits Asar. While the skeletal champion seems now critically damaged, it still stands.
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Korech stands up, parrying the blow from the skeleton standing above him as he retrieves his mace from the floor.
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Asar’s eerie voice is now distorted by hatred and fury: «», it hisses as he tries to hit Shirzon one more time with his longword, wielding it two-handedly and now abandoning any defensive stance. With an impetus of heroism, Shirzon is able to parry his strike once again, fiercely standing in front of the skeletal champion.
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In the meantime, one of the other skeletons attacks Korech two times. The half-orc is still staggered and his defenses are low: while he gets hit, drawing upon his orcish resilience the half-orc manages to avoid falling unconscious again. In another heroic impetus, Korech manages to parry the second blow. Now he’s got a chance to hit the skeleton before his strengths abandon him!
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Another skeleton attacks Dimira: this time, the skeleton’s bony hands pierce through the girl’s chest, knocking her down. In a gurgle, her voice smothered by the blood flowing in her throat, Dimira says her last words: «Calden…I…I’ve always…lov…». The blood fills her mouth before she can end her phrase.
Without showing any mercy, the skeleton then hits the prone Calden as he struggles to break free. His cold bones delve into the Kassenite’s throat, and he falls unconscious again.
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"Kassen might be dead, but you haven't bested us yet! I'm going to use your skull for a piss pot!" Shirzon cries, her voice starting to become hoarse from her taunting and panting as she parries blow after blow. She flips her mace to her other hand and shakes out the tension in the first one, sore and numb from blocking Asar's attacks. She swings again, filled with determination.
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Blood-soaked and crazed, Korech lets out a roar, twisting his body as he flails out at the skeleton's head. As he follows through, he collapses face-first on the ground, bleeding to death once more.
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Calden tries to claw his way closer to Dimira when she falls due to the skeleton's attack. All sounds of battle dim from the clotting blood in his ears, but he can just make out that she's trying to say something.
He stretches out to her when he feels a bony grip tight around his throat. "Dimi..." Feeling her hand in his, he squeezes once before his body goes limp.
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Shirzon fails to hit Asar again. It’s clear that fatigue is now starting to weaken the half-orc.
In the meantime, Korech hits and destroy one skeleton with a mighty blow before falling to the ground, bleeding and unconscious again. Shirzon is now alone!
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Asar breaks into an evil laughter: «», it hisses as he tries to hit Shirzon one more time with his longword, wielding it two-handedly. Once again, Shirzon parries the attack.
The other skeleton moves closer and tries to hit Shirzon, but the half-orc dodges his bony claws.
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- Shirzon
- Korech
- Merephel
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- Calden
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"Shut up already!" Shirzon swings her mace up with a flick of the wrist, aiming for Asar's jawbone. She then jumps back reflexively, not wanting Asar and his crony to surround her.
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Shirzon fails to hit Asar again. With the half-orc now alone to face the dangerous skeletal champion, the situation seems to get worse with each second. Asar tries to hit Shirzon with all of his skeletal strength, but the half-orc dodges once again. As she does so, though, the other skeleton manages to catch her off guard and hits her. The skeleton then tries to attack again, but this time Shirzon is careful and parries its blow.
It's clear that Asar is very difficult to hit: even with that blow she considered good enough, Shirzon missed the skeletal champion.
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- Shirzon
- Korech
- Merephel
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- Calden
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Shirzon lashes out again and backs up further, trying to take comfort in the warm glow of the torch behind her. Wait... Is that the Everflame? She glances into the open stone sarcophagus, praying to no deity in particular that something useful might be in it.
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Shirzon’s strike fails to connect again. The half-orc fights desperately, but it seems like there’s no way out for her. Asar is maybe too strong for her alone, or so it seems. But something suddenly happens.
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«Di…Dimira! You…Yo…You’re…No, No No! Wake up! Wake…». Roldare darts into the chamber holding a potion in his hands. With a manic and desperate expression on his face, the crazy man pours the potion’s content in her sister’s mouth. His face is covered in tears as he prays for the potion to bring his sister back to him.
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Asar attacks Shirzon again, as the other skeleton, but they both fail to hit the nimble half-orc!
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Shirzon spots several useful items in Kassen's sarcophagus: an ornated longword, a mundane-looking bag, a strange light-blue gem, and a beatiful wooden shield.
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Dimira suddenly opens her eyes and for a moment she smiles quietly, happy to see her brother again. «Roldare…You’re alive…You…Wait!». She then suddenly realizes the situation and her eyes widens abruptly. «No! No! Calden! Cal…». She looks around frantically and sees Calden lying unconscious on the floor. «NOOO!!!», she screams as she channels her positive energy once more.
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- Shirzon
- Roldare
- Korech
- Merephel
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- Dimira
- Calden
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Shirzon scowls at Kassen's grave goods. Nothing I'd be any good at using... As Roldare bursts in on the scene, though, her scowl transforms into a smirk. "Roldare!" she exclaims, momentarily distracted and cut short by more skeletal attacks. She dodges just in time, and makes an awkward retaliatory swing that hits nothing.
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Korech comes to once more. The world swims around him as he tries to deal with the fact he's still alive, and that Shirzon is battling Asar on her own. His entire body screaming with agony, Korech slowly, slowly gets to his feet.
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As the energy washes over her lifeless form, Merephel's eyes fly open, and she leaps to her feet. She strides forward, holy symbol raised high, screaming at the skeletons.
"Get your DAMNED HANDS AWAY FROM HER, YOU SKELETAL MONSTROSITY!"
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Calden opens his eyes, awakened by Merephel screaming. He slowly raises himself to a crawl then to his feet, still disoriented by his brush with death. I dreamed of Ilimara saying she loved me, except it turned out to be Dimi. He then realizes the girl in question is staring at him. Dimi?
He staggers past Dimira toward the back of the room, where Shirzon is still locked in combat with Asar and one of his skeletons. "Hey you," he challenges the henchman. "We're not done yet. Get over here." While doing this, he tries to make eye contact with Shirzon, motioning that he'll try to slip by and aid her.
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«We-we…We must get out of here Dimi! Come!», screams the fightened Roldare, his face turned pale at the sight of the “one who speaks”. «No! Roldare, we must help them! No, Roldare!», screams Dimira. Her brother has grappled her and is now trying to drag his sister toward the exit of this chamber.
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Merephel’s channeled energy damages both Asar and the other skeleton, but that is not enough to put their threat to an end. The blue, eerie light shimmering in the skeletal champion’s eyes flickers for a split second, but then returns normal.
In the meantime, tired and exhausted from the long fight, Shirzon misses again.
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Asar’s voice is now filled with anger: «You won’t get out of here! I will have my revenge! DIE!!!». The skeletal champions lashes out and hits Shirzon, opening a deep wound in the half-orc’s throat.
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Dimira tries to break free from his brother’s grapple, but she’s unable to. «Let me go, Roldare! They need us! Please!», she screams as his brother continues dragging her toward the northern corner of the room.
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- Shirzon
- Roldare
- Korech
- Merephel
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Asar - /39
Dimira - /9
Roldare - /13
Skeleton #4 - /4
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"ROLDARE!" shouts Calden firmly, trying to bring the man to his senses. "We need you, and Dimi. The people of Kassen are depending on all of us."
Putting action to words, Calden advances, nodding to Korech as he passes in front of the half-orc. Moving past the statue, he kicks at the remaining skeletal henchman. That should give Korech a clear path to Asar.
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Calden’s kick is enough to smash the skeleton, reducing it to an useless pile of old bones!
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- Shirzon
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Asar - /39
Dimira - /9
Roldare - /13
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Knowing that if he swings once, he's done for, Korech staggers southwards, barely standing upright as he moves over to Asar.
"You," Korech rasps. "You bag of bones. You weak. You nothing. We children and we fight good. You coward! Kassen better!"
As best he can, Korech spits a loogey of blood at Asar, trying desperately to attract attention away from his companions who can still manage some attacks.
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Merepehl dashes forward, her holy symbol still in hand. She raises it up, this time emanating healing magics across the group.
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As blood leaks from the wound in Shirzon's throat, her eyes go wide with rage and her teeth clench in a horrific grimace. She unleashes a primal scream, spit and blood flying from her mouth as she makes one last desperate swing at Asar. She then crumples to the ground, bleeding out.
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Drawing upon her last strengths, Shirzon is finally able to hit Asar before collapsing to the ground. With a last eerie shout echoing throughout the whole Crypt, Asar curses you all: «No! It can’t be…NOOO!». The skeletal champion isn’t able to complete its sentence: its bones abruptly collapse and disintegrate, the necromantic energy animating them slowly fading. The blue light flickering in its eyes is suddenly extinguished, and all that remains of this atrocious villain is an old pile of bones and some tattered robes. With a metallic clattering, both Asar’s ornated longsword and its ancient mail fall to the ground.
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«I…I can’t believe it. You’ve done it. You’ve done it! We’re alive! We’re safe! Thanks Erastil, thanks everyone, I thought this nightmare would never end…», whispers Dimira, her face covered in joyful tears.
«The…The-th…The one who speaks is gone! Gone! Gone! Dimira! Oh, Dimira! My beloved sister! We’re alive! We…We’re safe now!», says Roldare incredulously as he hugs her sister, tears covering his face.
You barely have time to catch a breath of relief and realize the great deed you’ve just accomplished. As soon as Asar is turned to dust and Korech slowly drags himself to the light the lantern with the Everflame, a shimmering, light-blue and translucent ghost stirs from what is supposed to be Kassen’s sarcophagus. The ghost is wearing an incorporeal but shiny scale mail. «My thanks to you for having defeated my old rival Asar», says the ghost’s otherworldly voice. «He used to be my adventuring companion, long ago. We split our ways after acquiring a great deal of treasure in a fabled city. He must have felt cheated after our last quest, and I believe that was the reason why he attacked our town years ago. But I managed to defeat him and his bandits with the precious aid of some brave souls. I thought that was the end for both of us, but it seems like I was wrong. Something brought us back, something that kept my spirit here, preventing me from resting in peace. I don’t know what happened, why my sarcophagus is open and why the dead were raised in this Crypt, but I know that whoever has done this was interested in the medallions with which both me and Asar were buried. Asar wasn’t wearing his medallion anymore, and even the one which was buried with me was smuggled out. Those amulets were part of a key that opens up the great treasure vault we plundered so long ago. I remember little about the vault, but I remember that the amulet pointed the way to the vault if reassembled from its three component parts. The last part was given to Iramine, an elven sorceress that was part of our group. I wonder if she still lives…»
Kassen’s ghost smiles warmly at you: «Tell me, who are you? Who are the brave heroes who managed to put an end to Asar once again?»
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When introductions are over, Kassen reaches into his sarcophagus and produces several items, giving them to you: an ordinary-looking bag, a light-blue gem and a wooden, magnificently ornated shield. Then, Kassen gives each of you a scale of his armor: «May my boon aid you in the time of need», the ghost says as he hands out these last gifts.
After handing out these gifts, Kassen’s ghost slowly fades from view, returning to his eternal rest.
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Bracing himself for a blow from Asar that never comes, Korech sees the skeletal champion collapse from a final attack from Shirzon. He lets out a whoop, wrapping Shirzon in bear-hug.
"YOU KILL HIM! YOU DO IT!"
He embraces everyone else in turn in a rare display of enthusiasm, whispering a thanks you to Merephel.
Rushing from the group, he finishes his task and lights the Everflame, and then staggers backwards as Kassen's spirit appears in front of him. He stares, slack-jawed as he realizes he's been asked to introduce himself.
[b]"Uh. Korech. I hunt," he stammers out.
Once the gifts have been received, Korech looks at the others. The lanky half-orc is covered in blood, having been brought to near-death and healed back repeatedly over the last couple of minutes. The adrenaline wearing off, he simply falls onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
"We go home now?"
To her surprise, Shirzon wakes up. Vague memories of Asar's cries echoing through the burial chamber flash through her head, and she slowly stands to see the floor littered with lifeless bones. Suddenly she finds herself being squeezed by Korech, and she returns his hug wearily. "Heh. Couldn't have done it without you, buddy. Without all of us."
As the ghost manifests, Shirzon whips out her magical dagger, on edge as memories of the shadow flood her thoughts. Recognizing Kassen from the crypt's murals, though, she puts her weapon away. After the ghost gives his speech, the half-orc answers, "Uh. I'm Shirzon. I work at the Inn..."
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Shirzon looks over Kassen's gifts, admiring their quality in the light of the Everflame. Looking over the piles of bones and the dirt and blood covering the still living humans, Shirzon sighs with weariness and accomplishment. "Yeah, Korech. We're going home."
When the skeletal champion is vanquished Calden blinks, not quite believing it is truly over. He embraces Dimira tightly, then quickly includes Roldare in the hug. He makes himself release them when Korech goes to light the Everflame. He stands near his companions, his face dirty with dried blood and fresh tears, looking proud at all of them. "We did it. We really did it!"
--
Calden looks disappointed, and a tad fearful, when they learn from Kassen's ghost that Asar wasn't the force ultimately responsible for their ordeal. "So the necromancer is still out there," he whispers to himself. why would his enemy be buried in the same Crypt as Kassen?
Calden raises himself up as stall as he can, when it's his time to introduce himself. He steps forward, ignoring the pain in his leg. "I am Calden Tigg, sheepherder. And follower of Irori." The young lad makes a formal and deep bow, with both arms stiff at his sides. He takes the armor scale from Kassen, turning it in his hand at looking at it. "Thank you, Sir." He steps back and looks around the room. Now that he knows it's over and that they're safe, it's like he's seeing it for the first time, wonder showing in his eyes. "They're never going to believe what we've seen here, back home."
Merephel flinches, as she thought she was about to watch Asar kill Shirzon. She knew that if that blow landed, they would all be dead. When Asar falls, however, she breaths out a sigh of relief.
"How...how did we manage that? I thought for sure we were all going to perish..."
After hearing what Kassen had to say, Merephel introduces herself.
"I am Merephel Angorat, I work at the temple. It is an honor to meet you, sir."
She curtsies in a formal fashion, and then immediately sets about examining the wounds of her traveling companions. Once Korech gives her a hug and thanks her, she pats him fondly on the arm. "No thanks needed Korech. That's what friends do for one another." After fussing with them for a few moments, she turns to Calden, saying,"I agree Calden. But we will always know, won't we?"
She shares a smile with Shirzon, and begins to pack up.
With Asar destroyed and Kassen's spirit finally able to rest in peace, Korech has eventually lit the lantern with the Everflame and you're ready to return to your home town. Before that, though, there are two side crypts you had not seen yet.
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"This crypt is the resting place for a number of villagers, each one entombed inside a stone sarcophagus. Unlike Kassen, none of them appear to be disturbed."
This crypt appears to be the resting place for Kassen heroes who fought at Kassen's side.
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"This crypt contains the resting place for some of the raiders that attacked Kassen so many years ago. The central sarcophagus has been disturbed, its lid lying broken on the ground in front of it. The corpse of a masked man lies beside it."
The dead man is wearing gray robes and an iron mask that covers his face. The stench of rot hangs heavy around him.
The dead man has a few items of interest on his person.
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After examining the rest of the Crypt, you're finally ready to return to your hometown. You rush through the bat-infested chamber and close the door behind you, and then walk all your way back to the Crypt's upper level.
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As you pass through the catacomb where you fought the zombies, you notice a recess in the southeast corner of the room contains a pack. Sitting atop a large bloodstain, this pack holds some rotten rations, a map (detailing the area and pointing out the entrance to the crypt), a potion, a pouch with 13 gp, and a small handbill (of a type typically found posted in taverns). Although faded, the handbill clearly reads as a notice of employment, telling all those interested to meet at “The Ranger’s Lament.” The handbill does not mention a time, date, or who the employer might be.
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You're finally outside of the Crypt of the Everflame. You can see the light of day again: it's been a while since the last time.
Korech looks are in the tomb for the villagers, remaining quiet as he takes in the sights. He's a little less reverential as he enters the tomb for the raiders. He looks curiously at the masked man, uncomprehending.
"Who this? WHat happen?"
Upon finding the map and note, Korech shrugs.
"We go Ranger's Lament? I not know where that is. Maybe find out what happen, though."
After that, Korech takes a moment to look over the zombies.
"Huh, not too old... dress like man by lake. Interesting."
Shirzon investigates the relatively undisturbed side of the crypt. Finding the sarcophagi unopened, she nods at the fallen heroes. I guess they resisted whatever brought back Asar and his mercenaries. Thanks for that.
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Moving on to the other side, Shirzon takes a look at the strange body with its strange mask. She can't figure out much, other than that she wants his things, which she takes.
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Shirzon takes a look at the other body that Korech points out. "Dressed like the guy from the lake? It sounds like whoever was after Kassen and Asar's amulets hired a bunch of mercenaries to help them raid the crypt. Maybe that's why Asar rose? I've heard some of Jocyn's songs about ghosts and stuff attacking people who mess with their graves. Same principle?"
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Out in the sunlight again, Shirzon stretches and revels in the feeling of warmth on her dirty, bruised, and blood covered skin. She looks over at her new friends and the battered but still alive Roldare and Dimira, smiling. Suddenly a thought strikes her and she starts chuckling. The chuckle turns into a proper laugh, and before long Shirzon is rolling in the grass clutching her stomach as she gives into a laughing fit. Eventually she calms down and wipes her eyes before standing up again. "Hoo boy... So, do we want to rest? I'm feeling surprisingly energetic, but we're all in pretty bad shape."
Merephel helps everyone explore, but seems rather distracted. She examines the man in the robes, as well as the zombie. Something is there, she knows, but she just can't quite make the connection in her head.
She reads the handbill, and stares at it blankly. It seems that she may be receding back into herself, now that the threat of mortal peril has passed.
But it is not to be. Once Shirzon starts laughing Merephel cracks a smile, and begins laughing alone with her. Eventually she too, is rolling around on the grass laughing like a madwoman.
Once she finally calms down, she speaks up.
"I agree, we should absolutely rest. But not here. Just in case another zombie or two comes wandering outside. Let's put some distance between us and this accursed place."
Calden follows the rest of the group as they make their way back to the surface, sticking close to Roldare to support the man.
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He falls into a respectful silence when they enter the first side crypt. "These were Kassen's companions. Bless them, at least they were spared the fate of the other skeletons that we fought."
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"So, this is where the grave robbers must have gone first, to grab the amulet off Asar. Maybe they fought amongst themselves, or they were the first victim's of Asar." Calden examines the body, taking the items of interest. "What's this mask that he's wearing? Iron..." He takes the mask as well. "Ilimara told me of this once. I think the iron mask marks him as a follower of Razmir, a cult near Lake Encarthan."
As they head back to the central crypt, he takes a last look at Kassen's tomb. "It doesn't seem right to leave it like that, even if Kassen himself gave us the items it contained. Do you think we should try to replace the covering stone?"
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At the zombies, Calden nods in agreement with Shirzon. "You must be right. He must have had lackeys to help him enter the crypt, to get through the traps and such." He shrugs at Korech, when the half-orc reads the handbill. "I've never heard of that either, Korech. But if it provides a clue as to who took the amulet's from Kassen and Asar, we'd better take that with us, and tell the mayor."
--
When they finally exit the Crypt, Calden stretches to the open sky and takes a deep breath in. "I hadn't realized how much I missed fresh air, and actual light." He looks at the two young woman in their group as they are laughing, eyes as large as saucers. He raises an eyebrow to Korech, silently asking him what he missed. He patiently waits for them to finish laughing, clearly confused by their fit of hysteria. Girls... "Well yes, that seems sensible. We've got two days of travel ahead and we're in no rush." Funny, those wolves probably look a lot less scary now, if we run into any again.
Catching Calden's confused look, Shirzon grins at him. "Do you realize what we've done? Getting the Everflame aside, we just took out Kassen's last enemy's animated bones, rescued Roldare and Dimira from certain death, and survived to uncover some plot involving mercenaries and mask-wearing cultist weirdos. We're practically heroes. Can you imagine, me, a hero?" Shirzon gives another laugh, but manages to calm herself down pretty quickly after a couple of snorts. "Heh. I thought maybe me getting picked to go on the quest was some kind of prank. But Shirzon the hero? Shirzon the Quarter, sure; Shirzon the drunk, that's fair; but Shirzon the hero of Kassen? That's hilarious!"
Calden still looks at Shirzon like he's seeing water burn. Heroes?!
He looks uncertain at her explanation, waving away most of the the feats that Shirzon names. "Well, I suppose... although I don't think we saved them." He points at Dimira, then at Roldare. "Dimira got up to aid us, and at one point Roldare came in to rescue his sister as well. That wasn't all us. And we haven't uncovered any plot at all. We were too late, all we have is some vague clues to turn over to the mayor, a handbill and a mask." He's silent for a bit, clearly thinking.
"Anyway, I don't really feel like a hero. We just stumbled through, and did what was necessary. Didn't we?"
Merephel regarded Calden with a faint smile on her face.
"Sometimes Calden, that's all one can do."
It was then that Merphel smiled at Calden, and walked over to Dimira, taking her arm in a friendly manner.
"Now you my dear, need to talk to me about what you were yelling back there in the Crypt. It isn't anything I didn't see coming, but now that it is the open..."
Her voice trailed off as she steered Dimira away from Calden.
Calden is about to agree with Merephel, until she spoils it with another of her quizzical smiles. He resigns himself to walking beside Korech. Girls...
Shirzon shrugs. "Maybe we just stumbled through. But having help doesn't make someone less - you saw how many people fought with Kassen against Asar. Maybe it's different for you, but no one in town - well, no one who doesn't work at the inn - thinks that I'm worth a damn. A good number of them probably think I should be in a holding cell in the guard tower instead of on their ceremonial quest. But we fought an evil skeleton Asar and lived! And beat him! As far as I'm concerned, we're all heroes.
"Besides," she adds, walking over to Korech and throwing a lanky arm around his shoulder, "are you gonna tell Korech he wasn't heroic in there? Smashing skeletons left and right? 'Cause I'm not!" She beams at Korech and Calden, tusks gleaming in the sun.
Calden flaps his hands in front of him, warding off Shirzon's words while trying to think of something to say. He stumbles over the words. "No, that's... that's not what I meant. I'm proud of all of us, we've all done great. And I really hope that the people of Kassen will treat you better for it. But it's just... heroes? I can't see myself as a hero..."
Calden puts the covering stone to its original position: it was not broken or smashed, just put aside.
---
Dimira blushes when Merephel steers her away from Calden. Then she whispers to her friend, repeatedly leering at Calden, her face covered with a nervous embarassment: «I…I can’t believe you heard it…It was just...you know, when their strenghts wear off people tell a lot of things...I mean...Well...You think he heard it? I...I wish I kept my mouth shout. I thought I wouldn't get another chance to say it, and so I...Can't we pretend I didn't say nothing at all? It's...It's...Embarassing!»
---
Since the group has agreed to rest before starting the journey back to Kassen (even Roldare and Dimira have agreed), you decide to go to the cave shelter in the woods you used two days ago to recover from injuries and wounds. You share guard duty and rest for the whole day: as the adrenaline wears off, you suddenly feel much more tired than you've tought.
---
During the rest period, Merephel gets enough time to try and identify the various items found in the Crypt. Dimira sits near to her as they chat about mundane subjects to distact their minds from the terrors they've recently witnessed.
---
Roldare spends all of his time sleeping and whispering in his dreams, frequently waking up in the middle of his sleep as some dreadful nightmare disturbs his rest. The poor man appears not to have completely overcome the devasting effects from the traumatic experience he witnessed in the Crypt.
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