"We might free the two women already held. Or slay this Rahib. To contain these three. Can they be slain? You spoke of three Old Ones, and of Rahib and twinned panthers. Is that the three, in unworthy guise, while they search for better?"
"The more I hear about this guy the more I'm thinking he needs about 2 feet of steel sticking through his lungs."
"A caution, Marcos... not to slow your hand, but there might be ought we'd be better knowing, that only he might tell. Again, not to slow your hand, only to gentle it, if gentle serves best, and that judgement to be yours, whose hand be on the sword."
"You and me both, Marcos."
"Okay, so I stab him in the guts. That'll take a while for him to bleed, and he'll be plenty motivated to answer our questions."
Ikvvy's eyes go wide at the mention of the Black Opal Eye. She wondered about the consequences Adrais' interference, and also about theirs, but the trivial talk from her cousins brought her back.
"I'm divided. Even contained this man may be too dangerous."
She resumes the conversation with the Dragon Guard, organizing her ideas before putting it all together. "So, as my sister said, we can free the two women help, kill Rahib, but now there's a third option, in case we fail those first two. We may snatch away the Black Opal Eye to hide it, although it would be far more dangerous if it traveled with us."
Ikvvy lowers her head to the Snake-like dragon in a sign of respect, while she speaks to him.
"Ular Talam, we seek to destroy these evil influences over the Siswa, but we need more knowledge. The Rahib is our first problem, and we will worry about how to stop the rituals once we get there, but retrieving the two maidens and the killing him would suffice, for now. I ask you to tell us more, as I'm sure you have a good hearth."
As the conversation moves on she will request the following information:
"Do you know the one who answers by the name of Elwyn?"
"Is the Black Opal Eye still safe?"
"Do you know where Adrais' body lays?"
"We know the Siswa have some powerful sleeping gas. What else will they have against us?"
"You have fought the Rahib, so do you think we can defeat him? Can you tell us what he's capable of?"
"I think that to defeat the Rahib and the 'Old Ones' you will need to make use of all the resources as your disposal. Some of which you don't even know are available to you yet."
"You are not the first to come to defeat the Rahib. Some have been slain like Rahasia's father, others like Hasan, Rahasia's intended lanquish in prison cells to the south on this level of the temple. I think a few even yet wander the hallways of the complex. I think you would be wise to seek out those who you can."
"You also need to know that Rahasia's father fought several terrible battles with the Rahib and his forces before being slain. He came to me before his last battle and hid his treasure with me. Aside from Rahasia's dowery and his personal fortune he had a magical artifact that he was going to use against the Rahib but he decided to save for use against the witches if needed. He hide half of it with me and the rest in one of the upper levels of the temple."
"The talisman is made of two parts, a golden pendant and a black jade ring. When the ring is inserted into an impression in the back of the pendant and a password is spoken a invisiable circle 30 feet in radius comes into existance for ten minutes. Inside this circle no evil magic works. This item was the work of the Archmage Elyas long ago based on magics he learned in the lost city of Tuma thousands of years ago. Unfortunately it only has a handful of uses left before it becomes merely jewelry."
"Adrais (Rahasia's father) hid the pendant half around the neck of one the statues the line the 'Hall Of The Truthful Way' on the uppermost level of the temple. The pendant will only come use when the black jade ring is touched to it."
"I don't know what happened to Adrais' body. It could have been disposed of by the Rahab in the swamp, their is a portal alcove on another level that leads to the swamp, that's how the Siswa dispose of the trash. The Rahab could have fed his body to the Gelatinous Cube that roams the halls now, or prehaps he fed it the giant spider that he has taken to keeping."
"I never heard of a Elwyn."
"The Rahib fights with both magic and steel and he directs his cats in battle."
"The Black Opal Eye is still safe hidden in the one of the treasure rooms on the lowest level of Elyas orginal tower."
"I can tell that you have good hearts but how can I tell if you will carry through in this struggle against the Rahib and the 'Old Ones'? ... maybe ... hmmmn ... Will at least one of swear to the code? The code that Lefler swore, and Geoff, and Cador, and Safir, Alexander, Duncan, and so forth down until now, again and again. I will know the truth of your words and your hearts."
Ikvvy looks suspicious for a second. "What? You mean the Old Code? There was an old knight slain in the road, when he tried to help Rahasia to spread letters asking for help? What's the deal with the code?"
She lifts her shoulders to the others, not understanding much, while her player mentally cursed Tassira for being selfish. "Do you know anything about it Sister?"
Furnok is somewhat uncertain about swearing an oath.
"Yeah, we can't swear to something when we don't know what it is," chimes Brad.
"In a age so long ago that all we have left is bits and pieces of myths and ledgends a king declared that 'not might makes right but might for right'. This is the code that he swore to, the code that he swore his fellowship and companions to, the code that would be in time be called the Old Code:"
His heart knows only virtue
His blade defends the helpless
His might upholds the weak
His word speaks only truth
His wrath undoes the wicked.
As Ular-Taman speaks the words to the code it seems to each of you that another voice says each line with him and while the dragonsnake does not raise his voice his words fill the room.
"If but one of you will so swear, my fears and doubts will be gone"
"Pass. Truth is a weapon, same as deception. I will not shackle myself to a bygone era's morality and deprive myself of tools which I might otherwise use to defend myself, or my people."
"The clause is, 'word' speaks only truth, Marcos. Not 'voice'. There's no prohibition of ruse in battle or in life. Only of deceit. Aye, it's a razor's edge."
"But I'll dance on it. Ular Talam, if your code will accept a woman, who'll dance on a razor's edge, or a tavern's floor, whose hands bear fire and healing, but cannot bear a battle-blade... I've wielded scalpel in defense of helpless life, and would again. My heart, tho, is full of other than virtue, it includes a fair portion of that wrath for undoing the wicked...", Arean smiles.
"Your code is worthy of me, if you judge me worthy of it. If you'll judge different; I'll accept that with a smile, and continued alliance. I've a proud heart, but not such that I'm prone to take offense."
"Still, I'll guess, It's one of the warriors, you're wanting."
"There, you have your one." Eldrian looks at the others. "We need to find the talisman. Before the Rahib can release these witches."
Ikvvy gives a mean look to the men around, who have let Arean take on such a knightly task. She motions for them to do something, including her I-don't-want-to-be-a-part-of-this brother.
"A knight, eh? Who would've thought we'd run into an honorable snake. Well, I'll be the first to tell ya that I've a hard time stickin' to the rules. My old sensei said I've got a monkey mind. I get distracted a lot. I curse, I drink, I gamble, I talk like a peasant. I've done more stealing than I oughta. Hell, I even stole this thing."
He pulls out a manuscript.
"The words inside this manuscript changed my life. It's got a different sort of style to it, but it's also about protectin' the weak and perfectin' the self. I can't say I'll be perfect, but you damn well better believe I'll defend the helpless, smack down some wicked, and tell it like it is. So if ya don't mind havin' a flawed knight, I'll swear to your oath, and I'll mean it."
If the snake consents, Brad will indeed recite the oath.
"Then step forward Arean and Braden, kneel and repeat after me me."
As the two recite the old code the air in the room seems to chill and thicken.
"A knight is sworn to valour" You see Rodger of Rastar as a teenager facing a horde of undead outside a small villiage with only a sword.
"His heart knows only virtue" A tall man like creature with blue skin faces down a bar full of cretures, he wears a knee length leather coat, on which is pinned a silver star, in his hand is a strange weapon of some kind with wisps of smoke rising from the end.
"His blade defends the helpless" An image of a dirty ally in a mighty city a small child crys in fright as she is menaces by an eldrich dog but between the dog floots a six inch flying pixie type creature with a thimbe for a helmet and box cutting knife for a sword.
"His might upholds the weak" Bolts of energy rain down from flying craft from the sky. Where they hit people and things burn to a crisp in an instant but in the middle of the road with his hands stretched outward a young mage produces an energy shield which shields civilians
"His word speaks only truth" You can't understand the words but as a talking squid like things speaks a crab like creature recoils in pain.
"His wrath undoes the wicked." A tall woman wearing not armor but a formal gown of some holds a katana two handed while standing over the body of her defeated for.
"Rise Dame Arean and Sir Braden, Knights of the Old Code" Ular-Taman moves. "I hid the black jade ring under the floor tile over witch I was coiled. You can retrieve that and then you can follow me to the room where I hid the rest of Adaris's treasure, as well as a few things I have stored against need.
Following the snake down the tunnel to the north you come to a secret door disguised as a rockslide. Opening the door and going into the room beyond you find:
A 30 foot wide (east to west) by 20 foot wide deep room holding a treasure of tremendous wealth! A solid metal door is set into the east end of the south wall.
800gp
a sword made of Adamantine
a quiver of Adamantine tipped arrows
a white ash staff that is decorated with inlaid silver runes
a ring with a blue topaz stone and a galloping horse creast on the sides
2 potion vials label healing
a marble jar with 6 inlaid gems
2 plantinum birds
12 loose gems (3 rubies, 4 emeralds, 5 diamonds)
By my best calculations you have just barely reached a point where you deserve to level up again. So since the rooms of the dragon snake are the safest place in this complex, and the only place you could do it, go ahead and level up.
Eldrian looks at his sister with a familiar look and speaks quietly to her while the others speak the oath, curiously watching. "We have to hurry. I know the oath doesn't seem at all harmful but I will not be beholden to something that I know little about. Perhaps with more knowledge... and time. We are helping others and destroying evil anyway. I don't see why I need some code to tell me what I already know."
He follows the snake, careful to keep watch for any of the enemies men. "Quite an impressive treasure. The birds Rahasia wanted. Thank you Ular." He walks over and picks up the quiver and inspects the arrows. "Adamantium. Incredible. With these I can pierce almost any defense."
Marcos picks up the black, shiny blade and takes a few test swings with it.
"Hmm..I could do some serious damage with this thing. Any objections to me using it?"
Help yourself, I prefer my falchion
"Let those of magical sight pass their eyes and minds over all... Unless, Ular-Taman knows of them, and would speak? I need no magic to recognize the ring as sharing history with myself?"
Ikvvy childishly applaud the ceremony, and she seems specially happy for Arean, as Braden was a man and becoming a knight was natural for him, but being a Dame was not something easy! "Congratulations! Now we have a knight and a dame among us!" She raises a fist, cheering it!
Then she remembers her brother's words and adds to him. "I know Eldrian, you are right. Sometimes the will is what counts, regardless of the procedure, but these rituals have some kind of power only the gm understands we do not understand, so don't underestimate them." She proceeds with the others to gather what they could use.
"Hmmm, there's a lot of valuable stuff in here. I suggest you take only what you need for now, brothers. Let's leave the valuables here, since they are worthless for us in this place, and in case we fail... - a lump forms in her throat - "well, at least the Rahib will not have them."
She moves closer and as Arean suggested Detects Magic over all of it, including the Black Jade Ring.
"As you all know, I've traveled a fair amount, even an unfair amount, so it's no surprise when I say, I've been abroad. Still, I'm very surprised, to be a Dame."
"I'll conjecture, Ikvvy, much of this is ours by right, if we've enough of the threads to see the weave. That ring, it's a Mindurian motif, or I miss my guess..."
"Yes yes, by now I do understand we will come upon greater and greater treasures at every step, although none of it will be usable for our pleasure, but for our mission. And we will need every cooper piece we can get. But we don't need to carry the gems and other stuff with us, for now. Once and if this is all settled we may come back to retrieve it and use it to prepare ourselves better. Otherwise we will just be carrying extra weight and risk letting it fall on the wrong hands. No one better than you to know if that's Maridun or anything related..."
"I'm fine with a bit of extra weight. We'll need plenty o' coin if we're gonna be travelin' and puttin' a proper stop to our mutual relative Vors. Thank you, Ular-Taman, for namin' me a knight. We're gonna put a stop ta this madman and his plans to unleash these witches."
the black jade ring
The sword
all 20 of the Adamantine tipped arrows
The white ash staff that is decorated with inlaid silver runes
The ring with a blue topaz stone and a galloping horse creast on the sides
The 2 potion vials label healing
"The sword comes long lost Tuma, one of the so called Swords of the Rock. No one of evil intent or nature may touch it without harm much less use it."
"The staff is a healer's staff, left in my care because I can charge it, but it's true owner passed to the last great adventure decades ago, and if you want it you may have it."
"The ring was given to Elyas by a Mari warrior, long long ago, it has the ability let one befind animals."
"The potions and the arrows are as they appear."
"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."
Ikvvy exhales heavily, clear that they did not understand she wanted to come back later. "Ok Braden, as you wish."
She proceeds to take a better look on the items, and wants to talk more with Ular, but this is not the right time to do it.
"What was that, Marcos? Are you ready to move folks? Are we freeing Hasan first?"
"I am ready, yes. That was just something which came to mind when I held this sword. I have a feeling it bears more history than is immediately apparent. "
Springing Hasan sounds good.
"Yep. Let's head south and find him!"
"That's what my companions and I have been doing, escorting people to the shrine so we can defend them all together. We can get all these people to the shrine but there's a problem. We've seen the creatures dragging people off towards the northeast, where the old graveyard is. Can you and your band follow them and try to rescue the people who have been carried off?"
Marcos scoops up the jar, gems, and swaps his normal blade for the adamantine one, strapping the old one on his backpack.
"If someone else would carry the coins, I think we're ready to travel."
Ikvvy and Arean
Black Jade Ring: Magic Talisman described by Ular-Taman
Adamantine Sword: +2 longsword, Holy, Impervious
Arrows:+1 Adamantine Arrows, Durrable
White Ash Staff: Staff of Healing fully charged
Ring with horse: Ring of Animal Friendship
2 Potions: Cure Light Wounds
Ikvvy
Appraise Marble Jar: 1000gp
Appraise Gems: 100gp each
Eldrian straps on the quiver over his shoulder, arranging the two next to each other. Then he checks his gear before being ready to move on. "Let's go."
"Thank you, for now, Dragon Guard. We will try to undo the wicked now, so wish us good luck. One last thing, can you tell me the password for the pendant?"
"Thank you, for now, Dragon Guard. We will try to undo the wicked now, so wish us good luck. One last thing, can you tell me the password for the pendant?"
"Will you need aught for the provisioning of these men? Will you be able to keep them here?"
"Yes, let us go on, to the rescue of this Hassan, ahead of the undoing of Rahib, and his dark mistresses' coven..."
"What will prevent us from being charmed just like the Siswa were? Do you know how that enchantment works?"
Furnock will scout ahead when the group is ready.
Furnok goes out to scout ahead.
The dragonsnake says "After thinking about it, I believe I over reacted before, I don't think the Rahib's curse can effect anyone new at this time. When you are ready to go to the upper level use the southern portal in the gate room. The stairs lead to the sanctuary and the Rahib has gainned control of it's guardian, a fierce construct of the Archmage. You should come back and see me once you have the pendant, I can let you into the lower levels of Elyas's tower."
"One last thing, the Rahib has taken over the leader of the school's personal chambers for his own, a study, a libary, and a bedroom all connected by one hallway. These rooms make up the eastern most portion of this floor of the temple school complex. I don't know if he is there right now or not but it's one of the more likely places to find him."
Furnok will sneak back to the party walking bones heading into the gate room, came down the steps.
"Well done, Furnok. We've not the holy power to destroy them with a word, but I've flames that might serve similarly. Do we pursue, or risk that they patrol upon us later?"
Ikvvy nods to the Dragon Guard and moves to exit the room. "We need to get rid of them! They might threaten the dragon guard and the speeling elves."
"Walking bones? Like undead things? I'm game, lets go smash 'em!"