"Now get on your way, and stop bothering those of us with work to do," Lyan grumps. "We have things in hand. Your aid is not needed, nor is your interference."
"Reckon you're wrong about that. Maybe you don't need the interference, but you will need our help."
The leader comes to a decision and sheaths his sword.
"We're the Skullbreakers. If you're serious about Acererak, we need to talk."
"I am serious also about Acererak. I am always serious. What is there to say?"
"Will that thing stay up long enough for us to talk?" Njall gestures to the shelter.
"I don't care if it stays or goes, but we're taking them back to the Haven. Blindfolded."
The speaker is the ranger. "And let's move before we attract attention."
"Blindfolded? No. If you want our help at this Haven, you can ask."
"We're not best friends yet. If you want to be away from the seething undead, you'll come with us, but we've got our own backs to protect. Giving away the location of our base is unwise in this place."
Njall explains the realities.
"Friend Lyan, you are altogether too wary of possible enemies. You seem to see Evil wherever you go. They are nervous, let us put them at their ease."
"If anyone tries to disarm us on the way, there will be trouble. Blindfolding seems a reasonable precaution, I suppose we maight do the same if we had somewhere safe to stay. But be careful of the ears, mine are very sensitive."
Lisbarr dismisses the safe house and proceeds to stow his belongings comfortably sbout his person, confident that no-one will try to take them away.
He looks at the rest of his party and asks them: "Shall we proceed?"
He makes no gesture that suggests that he is ready for a blindfold. He will, however, make no attempt to stop them if they try unless his ears are adversly affected.
"Do you blame me?" Lyan grumbles. "There has been evil wherever we've gone."
Lyan accedes with ill grace.
Rothel put his arm on Lyan's shoulder and whispers to him, "If it gives you any consolation, though we may be blindfolded," he almost imperceptively points to the claw that hangs on a chain around his neck, "my familiar will not be."
Carefully blindfolded (Lisbarr's ears are not harmed in the process), you are lead with care over rough ground and in a convoluted route. You are aware that the general path is uphill, but that you are backtracking and side-stepping to mask your progress.
"Duck your heads," advises Njall after about a quarter of an hour. As you do so, the sounds of distant battle fade away and you feel sure you are inside. There is a horrible chill in the air. The stonework beneath your feet is smooth, well worked and cold, striking up through your boots.
A few more moments and another door opens bringing with it warmth and a waft of beer. Noise, real, human noise, made by actual people, greets you and your blindfolds are removed. Around you is something that seems to be a combination of a tavern and a frontier stronghold. About twenty strangers meet your gaze as Njall introduces you.
"Found them in the ruins. They're living and they're on our side."
He grins at the party. "Welcome to the Haven. Have a drink."
"Thanks, I'll have an Arkhosian Extra Dry, please. But if you don't have that I'll settle for," while grimacing he says, "Ragwort's Old Combustable."
"Now this is probably the first time I've asked this before, instead of after going to the pub, but where in the world are we?"
"I know now that we're here in the Haven," he looks around, "but the teleportation circle just dumped us amongst the ruins close to where you found us."
LIsbarr eyes the drinks on offer suspiciously, but eventually accepts a jug of something he hopes is ale.
He waits to hear the reply to Norrin's question.
"Dimber's Upstart should suit you."
Njall brings the drinks and adds quietly to Norrin "Be careful what you say. Dimber's proud of that brew."
Aloud, he goes on.
"Skull City. Abode of Acererak's spirit and celebrated location of the ancient Tomb of Horrors."
"Or it was," goes on the deva woman, Myshal. She hovers close to Rothel, looking curiously at him.
Rothel looks back at the woman, confused by her confusion, before addressing the new help "What are the goings on within this 'Skull City', in which we now find ourselves? Our last efforts found us upon another plane defeating the plans of this foul being. Now we are at this present location, with no idea what purpose the gods have for our presence. It appears we yet fight this Acererak, but it is easy to presume you have not made much in the way of progress. What manner of forces are they that we face on this, our newest battlefield?"
He looks directly at the fellow Deva, "Do we know one another from a previous incarnation? Your scrutiny of my countenance is lightly unnerving, if you have words for me, speak them."
Rothel's cold intellect shows as he addresses the facts more than any attempts to remain cordial.
Myshal gestures uncomfortably and looks at Rothel.
"I am not sure. You know yourself our memories are not complete. In my own case, I am certain that I have fought here and failed before. It may be my destiny to relive this cycle until I can find a way to defeat the archlich or my own weakness."
"The Tomb fell centuries ago. We," Njall gestures to the assembled Skullbreakers, "came here when is showed signs of life again. Unlife, I should say."
"None of us will go back into that place. We've mapped what we can, and you're welcome to it, but you'll be on your own if you insist on going into that hellhole."
"After Acererak fell, Skull City continued the way it always had. A haven for necromancers and dark arcanists. They said that the architect of the tomb, Mogahdam still survived and rebuilt the place - and maybe they were right. All I know for sure that six months ago something happened. The whole place was sucked dry overnight. We all heard Mogahdam's screams and since then it's been chaos."
"Half the city call themselves Blackfire Disciples and think Acererak's gone for good and everything is free to plunder. The other half call themselves the Faithmarked and they think this is a test from Acererak, or a punishment for their own lack of faith. We're just surviving and trying to find ways out."
Probably misinterpreting the part of the map labeled 'Store', Norrin is disappointed that some enterprising person or creature has already set up shop inside the tomb to swindle tourists and Faithmarked out of their hard-earned donations.
After his third Dimber's, Norrin realises that despite the uncomfortable confusion between Myshal and Rothel, those two would make a cute couple. So he sits, plotting to set up his deva friend.
"Pronoun trouble," Lyan mutters. "Mogahdam rebuilt which place? Which place was 'sucked dry'? The Tomb or Skull City?"
"Too much Dimbers."
Njall explains.
"Mogahdam rebuilt the Tomb - he was Acererak's chief architect. Six months ago, the Tomb and Skull City with it were sucked dry of everything in them as far as we can tell. Mogahdam's masterwork's been destroyed, but he's still there, screaming over his lost work."
Rothel raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "It seems you are not the only one tied to this task. I do not intend to alarm you, but not only am I aware of my previous incarnations, my most recent was Rakshasa. This claw" he points to the one on a chain, "Was from my former physical shell. I have bound it to me, and use it to control my previous spectral remains that do not transfer to the next embodiment, this that I now inhabit." He pauses to let her grasp what he has admitted, "I have returned to this place to amend what was done in my times before, by undoing whatever aid my previous form had given to this Acererak and his minions. Only then can I remove the stain of Rakshasa from my soul."
Rothel finishes his explanation, and noticing the disturbing grin on Norrin, is worried about what he has in mind. Maybe, by the way he is looking in the direction of Myshal, Rothel will explain to him about the Deva life cycle, and how it differs from that of mortals. He should not let Norrin embarrass imself by trying to woo his fellow Deva.
Norrin notices Rothel watching him, watching her and in a brief moment of lucidity, asks Njall, "Well, we've become acquainted with the Blackfire crew, so what are these Faithmarked like? How do we recognise 'em, besides the likelihood they'll attack us on sight?"
"Faithmarked? They were Acererak's cursed symbol on their faces. Doesn't improve their looks."
Njall buys another round of Dimbers.
"You can rest here. A few of us have rituals and skills if you want to look over your equipment. Then it's a simple choice. You can do what none of us will dare. Or you can stay and firefight undead and necromancers."
"Daring. After rest and Dimbers."
Lisbarr purchases a Ring of Feather Fall and some River of Life Gloves to go with his current equipment. He thanks the person who sold him these items gravely.
"May they serve you better than the previous owner."
"Or you can stay and firefight undead and necromancers."
Norrin says, "I think I'll stay and slay the undead and their necromancer pals." The alcohol has the effect of making him sullen and depressed.
He busies himself rummaging through the lost property section for antiquities and maybe a replacement for his crossbow.
Even through his headache, Norrin sees a lot of useful weaponry.
At dawn, Njall escorts you quietly out of the Haven. He smiles wryly as you see that the safest hiding place in Skull City has its secret entrance within the great skull. You emerge from a molar and look into the darkness beyond.
"That map is pieced together from reports. Some of them were ... fragmentary. All I can really vouch for is the Hallways and the door system. That killed a good friend. I brought her back." Something in his voice tells you there is a story there, and it isn't a good one.
"What do you suggest then? Do we go in and kill everything we find?"
"We'll need light, I think."
"What do you suggest then? Do we go in and kill everything we find?"
"Yep. What else do you suggest?"
"We'll need light, I think."
"You might."
Lyan advances when the others are ready.
"I think this sword will be helpful in your vigil against the living dead, and their cultists" the half-orc presents Njall his grandfather's Sunblade +2.
Njall is appreciative and gives Norrin a small keg of Dimbers as a small token of thanks.