A temple to the Inheritor. I guess she would be willing to help Torags sons in this endevour
Haskyll moves in and brushes some of the detrius off the alter.
Leira smiles with satisfaction as Droja comments the group had been busy "That's what happens to your kin when they harass our villages"
Once inside Leira touches as well the statue "Wait, are orcs now venerating Iomedae?" asks the girl not understanding.
tis likely the orcs never built this place. Human work, but sturdy. Orcs are ever taking others property.
Anga moves over and looks at the statue.
Ah don't know much about this goddess, but she's a goodly sort ah think.
Ragnir enters the chapel, and offers prayers. Looking around he notes the poor state of the place and starts to clean, all the while offering prayers.
Ragnir, I think we should ensure all is safe before we clean. I am sure she will understand if we do not clean for a few minutes.
After ensuring things are relatively safe, Haskyll will assist Ragnir in cleaning while also chanting prayers.
As the party begins to clean, Droja continues to call out to the Spirit. When Leira makes the comment about "your kin," Droja is quick to respond, "Not my kin. I did not know my Orc father. I was raised by my Human Mother in Freedom Town. She moved there from a village east of Truman in Lastwall. Lastwall folks were uncomfortable with my mother having a Half-Orc child, even though many Lastwall women in the area had been raped by Orcs in the long war between the Orcs of Belkzen and the Lastwall Knights of Ozem. Freedom Town was more of a refuge. But Freedom Town was not immune to Orc raids. During one of the Twisted Nail raids, my mother was killed. I was taken captive and repeatedly abused. When the Orcs learned of my abilities, they became afraid. Except Karrguk, he was not afraid of me. But he should have been. "
After a few minutes of cleaning, a ghost of a male Cleric of Iomedae manifests itself in the room. "I am Fabian Blix. Well met. Your respect for the chapel is welcome."
By Torag's beard, there is a spirit
Anga looks stunned. She thought the half orc was being figurative.
Nodding Ulfgard will join in the cleaning process.
"Oy Torags, hammer. Well met. Well Iomedea seems to be close on many our adventures. We met another statue of her. A well, maybe I should keep my big mouth shut!"
Calrianne grows visibly excited at the mention of Redlake Fort and produces a map of the abandoned border stronghold. The knight informs the party that her ancestor, a man named Fabian Blix, was the fort’s cleric. Fabian died during the final siege of the fort, but one of his sons, "My Great-Grandfather, he escaped through a hidden sewer tunnel," she reveals.
Calrianne’s map shows the majority of Redlake Fort, including the sewer tunnel, which Calrianne believes is submerged. Additionally, the knight says, I would be interested in knowing of Great, Great-Grandfather Fabian’s fate, should the you learn anything about him while you are there."
elder blix, we have meet your great grand daughter, a fine knight of Iomedae. She asked, if we had the chance, to find oot what happened ta ye, as she and your family did not know your fate. Would ye be willin to tell us, so we could relay to him your story?
Ragnir nods like he expected something like that. "Well met, Spirit. Any of the goodly gods are deservin' o' respect. Thanks fer not lettin' the pig snouts reclaim it."
Waiting for a quite moment, Ulfgard patiently takes his time and then will ask the Half-orc if she knows more about his best friend!
"Aye, it is important your Kin knows that you died with honor, and are still in Iomedea´s grace!"
Without any idea about the knights and surprised for the appearance, Leira just remains staring at the spirit totally pale and aghast while the others treat the previous knight encounter topic.
A tangible sense of calm pervades this abandoned chapel. "Great Grand Daughter, has it been so long?". The ghost of Fabian Blix relays in somber tones the story, "Ours is a sad tale. It was the year 4482AR when the Orcs of Belkzen attacked Redlake Fort. We were cut off without hope of resupply. We fought hard against the Orc horde, but eventually our supplies began to run out. The fort’s castellan, Tamand Varias, began pondered cannibalism. As the resident Cleric, Varias sought my counsel. He was seeking assurance that the church would absolve him of wrongdoing on his deathbed. I was shocked by his proposal. I provided him no such guarantee and instead advised the castellan to surrender the fort to the orcs in exchange for the garrison’s freedom. Varias argued that surrender was tantamount to suicide and vowed to hold the fort at any cost. When I responded that the cost might be his soul, the castellan went insane with rage and struck me down with his sword. I rose as spirit in this place, with a knowledge and understanding of all that would take place within the bounds of the Fort.
Resolute to what must be done to feed his troops, Varias locked up the chapel and quietly began murdering those deemed unnecessary for the fort’s defense—primarily the families of the soldiers. I became the first person to be fed to the garrison. To explain this newly discovered supply of fresh meat, Varias told his troops that I had been hoarding food in the chapel, and when discovered, I had fled like a coward into the night, abandoning the garrison to its fate. He also claimed that for their safety, the soldiers’ families and the fort’s remaining food supply had been barricaded inside the chapel, where Iomedae would watch over and protect them. In reality, of course, the chapel was empty, and the garrison’s family members were being slaughtered in the keep’s basement to provide sustenance to the fort’s soldiers. The garrison’s soldiers praised the castellan for his foresight and continued to fight, believing that surrender to the orcs would doom their loved ones—all the time unaware that their families were already dead, and ignorant to the horror that they had supped on their own flesh and blood."
The ghost paused, "Confined to this chapel, I could not warn the soldier's of their families fate. My wife confronted Varias. She too became food for the Fort. My two sons tried to escape through the Fort's latrine. I know one died trying. I do know one escaped. I am glad to know he had family. There is some relief with this knowledge. But this Fort is cursed. I am cursed. The only way to end the curse is to bring to the chapel the cursed bones of Tamand Varias. Upon the alter we can end the curse. His bones remain in the Fort. I sense they maybe scattered. One maybe close."
"Ha that makes sense! What a pig, this Tamand. Well help you and lift the curse!"
"Me be tuckered out. Let's rest, Ingrahild calls out.
Fabian Blix offers the chapel as a safe place to rest.
The party rest for the next eight hours without incident.
Day Forty
Anga settles down, finding a more or less comfortable spot.
Ye know, today has been rather successful. Multiple giants slain, scads of orcs. The dead of trunau can sleep in the embrace of Pharasma more peacefully now. A good day.
Leira grasps her hopeknife remembering her own loses "This is war. It sometimes takes dark acts to hold your home" The girl, exhausted by the long journey of battling and facing her own contradictions walks to one of the chapel corners, dropping her backpack and making it comfortable for rest.
The next day she approaches Anga "I saw some of the tricks you used up the wall. Would I be able to learn that magic to create images of myself?"
ah have nay objections
Aye Kaos, i do still have the skull.
Haskyll digs the skull out
Is this one of the bones you might be looking for.
Soon after offering the skull on the alter, haskyll will find a spot to rest, and then wake with the sun.
"Yes. That is Tamand Varias' skull. Thank you for placing it upon the alter. Now rest. And after your rest, please go and seek Varias' other remains," Fabian Blix then goes to stand guard at the chapel's entrance.
The musical sounds of dwarven snores fills the night
Ingrihild's snores reaches decibels that shake the pews.
Ulfgard takes the chance to ask the half orc about his hammer
Leira will make her watch, then after sharing spells with Anga she will accept to find the body parts "Let's see this done. Where have we not been yet? Where did he died Fabian? Or what was his headquarters"
Droja looks at Ulfgard, "You wield the Hammer of Unmaking. It was Minderhal's hammer. The Lord of Giants used it ages ago to forge the first Stone Giants."
Fabian looks at Leira, "Varias was sealed alive in his bed chamber. The same chamber where Grenseldek made as her bedroom. After the wall he was sealed behind was destroyed, a horrible Ogre ally of Grenseldek took Varias' bones to the armory below on the ground floor. I sense it was seeking to perform a dark ritual with Varias' bone. Fortunately, the wretched creature is missing the skull."
Ragnir looks at the spirit, "D'ye ken anythin' about the despair that be affectin' me an Ingrahild? Is no natural."
Ulfgard lovingly strokes his best friend and speaks up. "Do you know of its powers?"
Leira nods in agreement with Ulfgard "Let's check that armory"
Once the group is ready and reaches the armory's doors, the girl checks them for traps and attempts to give the group access to the room.
Fabian Blix responds to Ragnir, "If we destroy Varias' bones on the alter here, it should both end the curse of despair that has inflicted this place; and allow me to finally rest in peace."
Blix will look at Kaos, "The Ogre has some limited magical abilities, but that is really all I know about the creature. However, he is seldom alone. He has a pair of Ogre concubines that most always accompany him."
Droja will ask Ulfgard to hand her the axe. She cast a Detect Magic on Agrimmosh.
"I fear that I cannot detect anything beyond the legend," she hands the hammer back to Ulfgard almost apologetically.
After revealing the location of the fort's well (K21), the party heads back up to the room where there is a pile of dead Manticores and partially eaten Hill Giants. The stench is becoming overwhelming.
Through the southern double doors is a winding set of stairs from the upper level of the fort to the lower level of the fort. Leira does not find traps on this door or the next. (Room K33).
Rows of decrepit, mildew-covered wooden shelves line this storeroom. Ancient bloodstains soil the floor beneath piles of filthy bedding. A large cast-iron cauldron lies on its side in the northwest corner of the room under a thick layer of dust, undisturbed except for a single large hand-print in the grime. A pungent, sour stench fills the air.
There are another set of double-doors to the southwest.
ah three more ogres. No problem.
Anga tosses her hair at the thought.
an one of them a spell caster. Not many of those.
Anga casts mage armour and shield before entering.
True enough, afore we go, i will need a few moments to prepare for that problem.
Haskyll will take about an hour in the morning to prepare spells and go though his devotions.
"A few ogres. Cute. What sound will they make if I break their knees and squash some toes?"
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First things first, both Droja and Umlo could both be affected by the skull's curse.
Seeing his baby sister in such a state of despair, Umlo too feels a sense of hopelessness.
After Leira checks the door (K34), Kaos enters to see quite the menagerie.
First the room: Rows of barren shelves, empty weapon racks,and vacant armor stands skirt the perimeter of this chamber, lit by numerous candles. In the center of the room, a headless skeleton, wearing a uniform, lies in the middle of a large oval sandpit, surrounded by several arcane symbols and strange, jagged runes etched into the sand. A large, life-sized painting of an obese man hangs on the wall at the far end of the room, it's eerily realistic glare boring into the chamber.
Second the menagerie: This room has been the lair of the Gorb family patriarch—“Pappy” Gutterunch Gorb, an obese ogre with an immense, overhanging belly inscribed with runes. He has gathered the remains of the forts defenders as a final stand. In addition to Pappy, there are two pregnant female Ogres clad in soiled rags far too small for their immense girths. There are six Orcs. Three are holding chain leashes with Dire Wolves on the end. Finally, and oddly enough in its own way, there is a giant crawling hand. Their actions were readied and Pappy orders attack when Kaos opens the door.
Round One
The Orcs release the Dire Wolves. They attack the first one through the door. The first one bites into Kaos' right thigh. The big human trips and falls.
The Orcs draw their Falchion and become ready for an opportunity to strike.
The pregnant Ogres stand guard. Pappy waves a wand.
The giant hand moves close behind the middle Dire Wolf.
If possible, Leira would have cast spider climb with the extend rod long before continue opening doors.
"Mmmm... the uniform of the skeleton and the painting seems a commander office one" comments Leira.
Leira shots an arcane arrow at wolf 3 in front of Kaos.
Ragnir noting the small army arrayed against them, calls on Torag to protect them all. "Gor, but tha' be disgustin'! Ogres be ugly te begin with, but ye should be coverin' all tha' up, ye'll be wantin' te make us toss up our breakfasts. Torag, grant us protection from this disgustin' filth!"