"I was also able to get a bit of a potion that the brotherhood was hawking down in Old Cassomir. Iluna, do you know what it might be? They called it the tears of Razmir." Gonan holds out the bottle of potion for all to see.
Iluna looks at the bottle trying to remember what she can of the Tears of Razmir. "Well, like many things false prophets and criers of mortal heralds carry, it is not truly the medicine the Brothers claim it to be. From what I can recall it causes temporary euphoria, but in the end, those who drink the tears become dependent on the feelings of ecstasy they get from the potion. In a sense, it hooks those who partake into constantly needing more, at which point the brothers are able to charge more for each dose. The brothers can use this addiction to exact greater and greater fees from their buyers. Eventually, some cannot repay their debts in gold, and so the brothers find more... creative ways for them to pay." Iluna is silent momentarily as she revisits old memories. "I don't know how the Tears are made or what reagents they use, as I only ever saw such transactions from a distance. But I know that some of the brothers were bound by the Tears' curse, and that they served only that they might be kept supplied. Daerion would never permit a true brother to partake though, nor did those who were bound by the Tears' curse permitted to rise in the ranks. He said it was 'devotion for the weak,' and that 'the strong should not need the Tears to fuel their faith."
Gonan grimaces as Iluna explains what the tears are. "Although it is a clever way of ensuring income and loyalty, it disgusts me. They cannot be allowed to continue this." He pockets the potion and gazes at the ground beneath him as he considers this new knowledge.
"I agree Gonan. While setting up an ambush here might be more tactically sound, I don't like the idea of letting them continue what ever they are doing in that lighthouse. I say we attack the lighthouse and stop them."
Andaris, getting impatient, interrupts, "pardon, but the illicit activities of a cult like this are hardly surprising. Especially considering that we know if their involvement with the shards. Let us pick up dark cloaks to appear as dark brothers then make our way to the lighthouse. They should not be expecting treachery from their own."
Andaris acquires a description of the cultist clothing from Iluna, then assembles a makeshift disguise. He hopes it will delay undue scrutiny by lighthouse observers.
He approaches the lighthouse quietly, hoping the disguise won't be needed at all.
"pardon, but the illicit activities of a cult like this are hardly surprising. Especially considering that we know if their involvement with the shards. Let us pick up dark cloaks to appear as dark brothers then make our way to the lighthouse. They should not be expecting treachery from their own."
Andaris acquires a description of the cultist clothing from Iluna, then assembles a makeshift disguise. He hopes it will delay undue scrutiny by lighthouse observers.
"Itis not the cloaks that will give you away so much as their masks." Iluna engages the topic without much thought. It is, after all, only second nature to her. "Each of the brothers wears and iron mask. It is primarily a ceremonial piece, but acolytes are instructed to wear them at all times when in public. Acquiring an authentic replica may be somewhat more difficult, though the masks themselves are not identical. Most Razmirans wear such masks. The brothers keep this tradition to validate their practices..."
Iluna pauses, finally realizing Andaris' seriousness. "You aren't seriously considering infiltrating their ranks, are you?"
Andaris replies, "No, the disguise is merely to get to the tower without allowing them time to prepare; we need to observe what is going on in there. Hopefully we will not need to do much fighting. If you prepared a suitable ruse, fighting may be entirely unnecessary."
The tide will be low enough to walk across for a couple hours. The lighthouse is about 750 feet from your location.
Andaris acquires a description of the cultist clothing from Iluna, then assembles a makeshift disguise. He hopes it will delay undue scrutiny by lighthouse observers.
He approaches the lighthouse quietly, hoping the disguise won't be needed at all.
---
He has no visible weapons, except perhaps his cestus.
Andaris, seeing Iluna and Gonan hesitate, grabs them by the arms saying, "Come on, let's hurry, before the ones from in town return".
He drags them with him towards the lighthouse, certain Mihail and Kai'dan are following.
Mihail mounts Lanfarnesse and follows Andaris, lance at the ready.
"Perhaps we should contact the local authorities before we push further," He muses. "What do you think, Kaid'an?"
"I think we are about to assault a lighthouse that is being held by an evil cult, with out a plan. There is now way this is ending with out some blood shed. And... I am kinda excited. We all want adventure and to be heroes, so let's go do something dumb and possible heroic. Besides good knight, easier to ask forgiveness then permission right?"
"I suppose," Mihail shrugs. "Still, best not tarry too long. WHo knows what kind of trouble these people can find."
Gonan, being dragged along by his cloak, stops thinking and falls in behind Andaris, moving quickly between rocky formations towards the lighthouse.
The guards of Harbour Watch don't seem to pay too much attention to the lighthouse, and you easily find a moment when they are busy watching an approaching ship to cross the sand bridge that connects Treacherous Jack to the mainland. A set of stairs leads the door of the lighthouse, above the high-tide line.
There is a brief flurry of motion visible through a window on the fourth floor as you start your approach.
Lanfarnesse does not easily fit through the lighthouse door, and as the base of the lighthouse is repeatedly flooded, nothing to hitch him to is readily available.
The door opens easily, but nobody seems to be inside. The lighthouse is quiet. A staircase rings the inside of the circular outer wall, and a handful of broken barrels and damaged crates lie in a heap on one side of the ground floor.
Iluna is too preoccupied with her own misgivings of the venture to notice anything out of place. When they enter the lighthouse, seeing it deserted she voices her concern again. "I feel as though we may be chasing squirrels up the wrong tree. This place does not look like it has been frequented much at all."
"Be on your guard. Despite its appearance, this place is occupied. I saw something moving around on the fourth floor." Mihail dismounts with a frown, and stows his lance. He draws his flail, and points to the entrance. "Guard," He orders Lanfarnesse sternly.
With that done, Mihail follows the others inside.
Upon entering the lighthouse, Andaris looks around for signs of traps laid by the dark brothers. If he sees none, he begins to climb the stairs, carefully watching for an ambush.
Andaris does not see any obvious traps, but his keen eyes note the edges of a cleverly concealed trap-door underneath the crates.
You notice marks of sweeping in the dust on top of the trapdoor - someone has put effort into making this door appear unused, probably in the last few days.
Andaris notes the poorly tidied area, using his century long experience in floor cleaning. He sees that the dirt is crudely swept to make the area more dirty. 'For what purpose -' he thinks and immediately realizes that there is a trap door in the floor.
"There is a trap door, likely leading into a storage area below the lighthouse. I suggest, however, that we keep our knowledge of this hidden for now. I do not care to be surprised from above while exploring some caverns. Mihail, if you bring your horse inside, we can block the lighthouse entrance with crates then proceed to climb upwards undisturbed. If no one else occupies the tower, I say we can explore the area beneath."
Andaris motions for Kai'dan to lead the way up the stairs, as he observed no immediate danger from traps.
Advancing cautiously, you find nothing on the first three floors but more old storage containers, all empty and in various states of decay.
You arrive on the fourth floor ready for trouble. A faint shuffle is noticed from behind a trio of haphazardly-arranged boxes - there is obviously someone hiding there. A quick, tactical approach reveals the culprits: a young couple, accompanied by a blanket, basket, and bag of wet clothing. The man stands as you get close, hands in the air and eyes wide. "Please sirs, don't hurt us! We'll leave right away!"
"That would be best," Mihail agrees. "We've been told that this lighthouse is a bastion of evil, and are investigating it. Please, let me escort you out."
Andaris looks at the couple, trying to see if they have any concealed weapons.
Andaris smiles sympathetically at the couple, saying, "Our apologies for ruining your afternoon. Before we escort you out, can you tell me if you have seen any other men in black cloaks come and go from this place?"
"Our apologies for ruining your afternoon. Before we escort you out, can you tell me if you have seen any other men in black cloaks come and go from this place?"
"N-no, nobody's been here since at least this morning, when we swam out."
The pair bundle up their possessions and follow Mihail downstairs. The woman looks sidelong at Mihail. "So are you adventurers, then? Have you come to map the Locker? Or hunt for monsters in the swamp?"
Her companion nudges her in the side with his elbow. "Weren't you listening? They're here looking for evil in old Jack." He smiles apologetically. "Though I don't know about any evil here - it's a great place for a picnic. Lovely view, nobody bothering you."
Gonan moves through the group to come alongside the woman now that they're on the main floor.
"The Locker? What is the Locker?"
"Yes, well, sorry to be a bother," Andaris says, nonplussed. He turns and heads back down the stairs, intent on exploring the trap door at the base of the lighthouse.
"The Locker? What is the Locker?"
The young woman smiles at Gonan, seemingly pleased to share information with outsiders. "You don't know about the Locker? It's a bunch of sewers and ruins underneath the shipyards. I hear all sorts of monsters live down there. Adventurers are always showing up to explore it and look for treasure. My uncle once got a real Qadiran gold broach for showing a group of adventurers a secret entrance. They're everywhere, you know, secret entrances."
She sobers somewhat. "He told the guards right away after though, so they could seal the entrance off - sometimes things come out too. People go missing, hauled down to be eaten by blind cannibals." She nods sagely. "My neighbour three doors down had her cat taken. He was there one day, then next he was gone, with only tufts of fur to mark his struggle. Poor thing."
"Aww, come off it, Lyn!" the young man interrupts. "You know that cat just ran away. I can't believe you still tell that story."
Andaris gathers his friends at the base of the lighthouse, then quietly opens the trapdoor and peers down below.
An unlit chamber greets Andaris's eyes, rough stone walls and floor slick with slimy green algae. It looks like an old cellar, long abandoned and repeatedly flooded.
One corner of the room does not seem to be the original stone, but is instead a patchwork wall of broken masonry and rough-hewn rock cemented into a solid barrier.
A roughly 3x5 ft area of floor seems to be a lighter shade - on closer inspection, it has less algae growth than the rest of the cellar.
You estimate that there is only a couple months' worth of growth at the most.
Andaris goes down into the room, which seems to be abandoned and seldom used. He takes a look around:
"It looks like one section of wall here is newer and cobbled together - perhaps a wall collapsed or someone is covering a tunnel? And here, there is a section of floor that has seen more recent use then the rest. Maybe someone removed a box from here recently?"
Andaris walks closer to inspect the floor and wipes it clean to see if there is anything special about the area.
Mihail follows, Gonan' and Iluna's spells lighting the way.
"The growth is only a couple of months old, at best." Mihail comments, poking the algae with a gloved finger.
Andaris notes that while the rest of the floor seems to be comprised of large blocks of flagstone, the entire 3x5 area is a single, unbroken section of stone. It has grooves to mimic the appearance of the seams between blocks, but is all one piece.
Andaris, curious, experiments with the floor and wall.
He attempts to stomp down on the floor, then tries to pry the flagstone out of the floor.
Andaris knocks on the wall section, listening for hollowness on the other side. He gives it a solid strike with his warhammer for good measure.
By listening carefully, Andaris can hear a faint reverberation behind the large section of floor - while the stone is at least a foot thick, there is hollow space behind it.
The rubble-filled portion of wall seems fairly solid.
"Hm," says Andaris, "If this is an entrance to a dark brotherhood hideout... they have certainly me fooled. It looks like one of those sealed up entrances to the locker or something, not a gathering place for cultists. Shall we return to town and try to dig up some information on the dark brotherhood's activities?"
The large slab seems to have been formed with a stone shape spell. That it was shaped to mimic the form of the surrounding floor, rather than a smooth piece, indicates an attempt to conceal this fact.
"I think we need an engineer. Gonan, could you devise a contraption to move this slab?" Mihail proposes. "I have a feeling that whatever is beneath here is either a secret that needs uncovering or a treasure that needs liberating. Possibly both."
Andaris spends some time clearing an area around the larger stone block, removing smaller stones from around it.
Finally able to see the thickness of the large stone, Andaris says, "Tomorrow I can ask for strength in my prayers, I feel that between Mihail, Kai'dan and I we can drag this large stone away from whatever hollow it is covering."
"Well, that's as good a plan as any. Let us do so." Mihail nods decisively.
"I agree, it is a good plan if somewhat direct."
The heroes head off to find accomodations for the night, if the time is appropriate. If it is still early, we gather information around town about the dark brothers.
"Someone doesn't want us finding out what's under this tower. This rock was created with magic... Magic beyond what I am capable of. We should be careful when we return." Before leaving, Gonan gathers up some of the dust and dirt from the nearby area, poorly covering the party's tracks on the side opposite the slab, and making a small mark across the edge of the slab and the floor around it.
Much of the information you gather is easily confirmed by Iluna - the Dark Brothers were last here about six months ago. They spent a few days spreading Razmir's teachings and offering clerical services, including the sale of Tears of Razmir. Today was their second day proselytizing, so it can be expected that they will be here for at least a couple more.
Your questioning leads you to an old man who saw one of the Dark Brothers in the city only a month ago. The Dark Brother wasn't wearing his cloak, but the old sailor says he never forgets a face. He notes that he has not seen that Brother in town this time around.
You find an inn to stay at for the night. In the common room, talk is of the war brewing in the east. A burly man at a loud table covered in empty tankards gives a loud snort. "They can't pay me enough ta get involved in their fightin'. Raidin' ruins is just as good, and ya get nice warm meals when yer finished. Better yet, ain't nobody telling you what to do! I can't stand having somebody else orderin' me around!"
One of his compatriots gives the man a sharp elbow. "So what did you go and get married for, ya crazy-head?" The other three members of the table erupt into laughter while the burly man stammers out a response. All four are well-armed, with large travelling packs in easy reach.
Andaris perks up at the mention of ruin exploration, and walks over to speak with the married man. "Ruins, you say? That's a dangerous business all right. I have explored many distant lands but never the ruins of Taldor. Can I buy you a drink in exchange for a tale?"
Mihail watches Andaris flit over to the other table, and sighs quietly.
"Gonan, could you watch him? I fear he may get himself into trouble, sticking his nose into other beings' business so rashly."
Mihail eyes the four adventurers. Raiding ruins, eh? That can be right dangerous work. Either the ruins here are tamer than the ones back home, or these men are more capable than I thought.
Memories of the Ustalavian Crypts drift across his mind, and he absently rubs the scar on his hip. He shivers briefly, flashing back to a hideous flaming skeleton dressed in blood-drenched chainmail ramming a pike into his thigh. No, raiding ruins is not for the faint of heart. [i]These men must love their liquid courage.[i] He tries counting the tankards, but gives up when he reaches twenty.
"Ruins, you say? That's a dangerous business all right. I have explored many distant lands but never the ruins of Taldor. Can I buy you a drink in exchange for a tale?"
The man smiles broadly. "Of course! Anybody who wants to buy me a drink is a friend of mine!"
The wiry fellow beside him sighs. Now closer, you can see his ears come to graceful points. "Aww, he always tells the same tale. It's not even that good! Tell you what - I tell a better story, you buy me the drink."
The rest of the table protests, demanding that they also get a chance. A dozen tales are shared over the next hour, covering a variety of adventures the four have had. You learn that 4000 years of history has caused Taldor to be rife with old fortifications, lost tombs, and secrets lost by time. Wealthy nobles are anxious to collect relics of old times, hearkening back to when Taldor ruled the majority of Astivan. You are shown some looted items too useful to part with: a finely-worked belt that increases the strength of the wearer, a set of rune-engraved dragon bones, a plain bottle that constantly generates breathable air, a gleaming rapier that bursts into flames at a word, and others. They speak of enemies ranging from goblins to skeletal creatures to moving statues to fell creatures from other planes.
Andaris listened with rapt attention to the tales, fascinated by each one in turn. In a rare moment of stillness he gets the attention of the four and says in a soft voice, "You tell tales of glorious treasures and ancient ruins filled with relics of a golden age, but I have heard whispers of dark magic too. Relics of evil, shards of blackness, have you brave men encountered such shadows?"
Raising his voice, he challenges, "A pint for the most fearsome tale!"
Andaris now hears stories of necromancers, of a cursed sword, and of demons plotting against innocent villagers, but nothing that seems to be related to the Shards of Darkness.
Gonan moves towards the table from the nearby bar where he was sitting and listening in. Pulling over a chair and settling in at the table, he hands over a full mug of a dark liquid to Andaris. "Now, a pint for your most fearsome tale."
Andaris releases a hearty chuckle, "My most fearsome tale? There is quite a list of candidates, but let me tell you of the time I fought demons with my bare hands..." Andaris relates a lengthy tale of how he fought with a group of rebels in the Chuyokai forest of Chu Ye. His descriptions of the hidden fortresses and fearsome Oni are detailed and precise, convincing all that there is much truth behind the brave story.
'Gonan, that was not what I meant at all.' Mihail rubs his face tiredly with one hand. 'Whatever, maybe I will care in the morning.
Mihail heads to bed for the evening, sighing softly.