"What is going on?" Quentino Posandi complains. "What is so important that --? Oh, my boy," his tone changes as he sees Gellius in the crowded room, "back already, are you? Was it a tatzlwyrm?"
"What is going on?" Quentino Posandi complains. "What is so important that --? Oh, my boy," his tone changes as he sees Gellius in the crowded room, "back already, are you? Was it a tatzlwyrm?"
Gellius smiles broadly and greets Quentino with a wry smile.
“Well, not as such,” he confesses before gesturing vaguely at the state of his clothes. “I’m clearly in serious need of a bath, but perhaps you’d be free to share some dinner tonight once I’m a little more presentable? I can provide further details on what we’ve discovered so far. I will be heading back tomorrow with my companions, new and old and I’d appreciate your counsel regarding what we may find and perhaps discuss the town’s future plans for the keep.”
The Uskwold scion tells the others that she needs to check in with her mother and brother at the Wizard's Grace briefly before returning to the Hellknight citadel. She asks the others about the possibility of selling loot they found and/or shopping for additional gear.
“I’d like to suggest we spend the rest of the day resting and re-equipping. Then after a good night’s sleep we head out tomorrow to complete our explorations,” he says. “It’s clear we are likely to face considerable dangers and I agree that trading for some supplies would be wise.”
Gellius smiles broadly and greets Quentino with a wry smile.
“Well, not as such,” he confesses before gesturing vaguely at the state of his clothes. “I’m clearly in serious need of a bath, but perhaps you’d be free to share some dinner tonight once I’m a little more presentable? I can provide further details on what we’ve discovered so far. I will be heading back tomorrow with my companions, new and old and I’d appreciate your counsel regarding what we may find and perhaps discuss the town’s future plans for the keep.”
"Certainly, my lad; I'd be pleased to share a meal with a newly-minted Hero, eh?" Posandi chuckles. "You'll find a lot of folk in Breachill ready to buy a drink for someone who can flash one of those medallions."
Gellius takes the time for a bath and to change into clean clothes, but when he arrives to meet Quentino Posandi, he is displeased to discover that Alek Stagram is joining the pair for dinner. While the councilman is nothing but polite, Gellius has a difficult time steering the conversation toward the future of Citadel Altaerein as the other two keep chatting about the keep's past while the Order of the Nail was in residence. Posandi apparently encountered Alek's grandfather on at least one occasion years ago, and the recollection monopolizes the interest of both men. Gellius completes the evening having eaten a better dinner than he has enjoyed in some time but with the vague disappointment of an opportunity potentially lost -- and with an additional sense of grievance toward Alek Stagram.
Darla returns to the Wizard's Grace with a smidgen of trepidation, unsure of how her mother will react to her sudden decision to answer the Call. It's not yet late enough for the tavern to be its busiest, but the locals in residence erupt with excitement to see her enter
"If it isn't Darla!"
"Did you complete your task, sweetheart?"
"Come on, let's see it then!"
Behind the bar, Trinil Uskwold stands very still, not quite meeting her daughter's eyes as Darla presents her Hero medallion, a little self-conscious at being the center of attention. When the patrons have finished admiring the circle of metal and congratulating the young woman, Darla approaches the bar, medallion still in hand.
"Well," her mother says quietly, smiling a brittle smile. She extends her hand for the medal and takes it, turning the familiar weight to examine front and back. "Well, I never.... 'Course she completed the task," she rebukes the clientele in a louder voice; "she's an Uskwold, isn't she?" Her smile goes a little wobbly as she finally meets Darla's eyes, tearing up a bit. "I'll buy you a drink, my dear, and you can tell us all about it."
Starry-eyed by the surroundings of the bustling Longshanks city, Des is escorted by Aronida and Warbal back past the shiny bronze man, over the river, and to the Great Dreamhouse, where they have promised to deliver a message from Revka to Kellen Carondil, who had shown great hospitality to the wandering goblin during her time in Breachill. Des is astonished to see the size of Desna's temple, its indoor gardens, and its elven head priest, a being the size and color of the humans but with ears almost as long and pointed as a goblin's. Noting Des's wide eyes and shy nature, the priest takes pains to explain or point out anything the young goblin might find interesting without addressing them directly and exacerbating their potential discomfort. He offers Warbal and Des a place to stay in the temple for the night. "After dark, you may come into the observatory to view the stars," he offers, "and Desna always offers restful sleep and pleasant dreams to those who sleep in her temple."
Des takes in the sights with the astonishment and awe one might expect from a young goblin who has never seen anything like it. At the Great Dreamhouse, Kellen Carondil's kindness brings them out of their dazed wonder a little, and Des asks a lot of questions.
"The stars? Haven't seen the stars in a long, long time. Bumblebrashers live mostly under the big castle, only go out to hunt and forage. I used to stay inside though, but tonight I will sleep outside and look at the stars."
Slightly irritated after his dinner with Posandi and Alek, Gellius heads to his room as soon as it is polite to do so and tries to pen a letter to his family back home. He outlines the group's exploits and reaffirms his plans for Citadel Altaerein but runs out of steam somewhat when it comes to the interactions with Alek. Although undeniably a useful member of the team, Gellius can't help but find the man distasteful, the knight's armor and manner reminding him of his miserable time in Hellknight training.
Eventually putting the letter aside, Gellius retires to bed early, uncharacteristically grumpy as he drifts off to sleep.
We'll just have to find his damn ring as soon as we can and send him on his way.
The moment with her mother is awkward, but not terribly so. They've had their differences since Darla became an adult, but never anything serious or particularly long-lasting. Trinil feared on some level that Darla might one day answer the Call for Heroes (even though she'd been groomed to one day take over the day-to-day operation of the Wizard's Grace), and that day had finally come.
"I still have unfinished business at the citadel," the young woman tells both her mom and younger brother. "Hopefully I won't be gone too long." Then it's hugs all around and a few drinks in celebration.
Warbal is afraid of stretching her eyes by looking all the way to the stars, but Des braves the observatory, asking many questions of Kellen Carondil.
If Trinil is disappointed that Darla is heading back out into danger so soon rather than resting on her newly-won laurels, she has the decency to conceal her feelings rather than be a wet blanket on the celebratory atmosphere in the Wizard's Grace.
In the morning, Gellius is displeased but not surprised to see Alek waiting at the muster point; it's his ring they're looking for, after all. He is unhappy when Aronida tells the group, "I've completed the task I signed up for. I think I'll look for my next adventure somewhere else; that citadel doesn't have any attraction for me. But good luck! I'm sure you'll do well."
Darla wishes Aronida well, giving the halfling ranger a big hug and ordering her to stop by the Wizard's Grace if she's ever in these parts again. Her gaze shifts to Gethric, and she hopes he'll be able to deal with his fellow halfling moving on. Though Darla never detected any romantic attraction between the two halflings, the two small folk worked well as a team...as well as in their individual roles within the party. She gazes at Drake; he certainly looks like he can pick up the slack in combat. Then she turns her attention to Des. She simply smiles; no telling what a goblin might bring to the party! Lastly, she turns to Gellius, the party's current leader, waiting for him to give the order to move out.
Well...maybe not quite lastly. Alek waits impatiently. Darla knows that Gellius doesn't like or particularly trust the man. The bard's not sure how she feels about him; he helped the party survive some battles, but once he's retrieved his grandfather's precious ring, he'll likely leave the group high and dry.
Alek seems indisposed to linger over farewells. "Shall we get underway? We can discuss tactics on the road. I presume we want to avoid another debacle like the one we experienced in the Hall of Graves on our first approach."
After saying goodbye and thanking Aronida, Gellius checks that the rest of the group is ready before leading the way out of town and back towards the citadel.
"We should certainly be clear on tactics," he agrees with Alek. "Those skeletal guardians were fast. They caught me unawares last time. This time around, we'll hopefully be a little prepared. With Darla and Des providing support I'm hoping you and Drake will be able to bolster Gethric and myself this time around." He then turns towards Drake.
"You made an impressive speech last night before the council. I hope you're as keen when we're shoulder to shoulder against the enemy," he smiles. "Are you happy to move at the front with Gethric and I? Keep the monsters away from the rest?"
While Gellius chats up Drake, Darla offers Des a smile and some words of encouragement. "I guess that makes you and I 'the rest.' I may look big to you, but...I'm a pretty poor combatant. I earn my share of the loot by magically inspire folks during battle and healing them up a bit afterwards. What are your abilities?"
Des is cautiously squinting at the sky when Darla asks the question. The goblin blinks a few times, thinking and counting on knobby fingers. "I can heal, too. And give people Desna's luck. And sing, a little."
Des stares at the back of the human man with the long, thin sword. "Did he say skeletons? I have something for those, too, but I've never seen any. Are they scary?"
"They are," Darla answers. "These ones were fast, strong, and maybe even smarter than basic undead. We think maybe they were created specifically to guard the Hellknight crypt...so they likely come from fighting stock."
After saying goodbye and thanking Aronida, Gellius checks that the rest of the group is ready before leading the way out of town and back towards the citadel.
"We should certainly be clear on tactics," he agrees with Alek. "Those skeletal guardians were fast. They caught me unawares last time. This time around, we'll hopefully be a little prepared. With Darla and Des providing support I'm hoping you and Drake will be able to bolster Gethric and myself this time around." He then turns towards Drake.
"You made an impressive speech last night before the council. I hope you're as keen when we're shoulder to shoulder against the enemy," he smiles. "Are you happy to move at the front with Gethric and I? Keep the monsters away from the rest?"
"Oh absolutely! You can count on me. I'm actually right at home when it comes to scouting so yeah, up front is good," he concludes, nodding matter of factly.
"There's something...," Alek begins, hesitantly. "Those skeletal guardians... It's said..."
Alek seems on the verge of conveying some sort of information when a shout is heard from the road behind them.
"Gethric! Wait!" A young halfling is running toward the departing group, puffing with effort. "Da says to come back right away, Gethric! It's urgent!"
Gethric turns back to exchange a quick word, grimaces, then turns back to the rest of the party. "Go on," he urges them. "I'll catch up when I can. I know where to find you."
As Drake watches the halflings leave, he turns to Alek. "What were you saying about skeletal guardians again? And I'm guessing we're about to run into these things seeing how you're talking about them, am I right?"
Alek nods. "In the early days of the Order, there was concern that the dead in the vaults could be vulnerable to necromancers. Volunteers were sought; a ward was placed somewhere among the graves, and if a necromantic spell were cast in the area, these volunteers would rise and defend their brothers and sisters -- fighting undead with undead, as it were. The practice fell out of favor long ago, but the ward was apparently put in place in Altaerein before then."
"When we entered the vault, the ward had already been triggered by someone. The guardians were active and fought the interlopers -- us. As your companions have learned, they are formidable, but there is a chance we may not have to fight them. They are, after all, the rightful guardians there, and they are likely to expend more of the group's resources if we continue to approach them with brute force."
"The histories tell that the guardians of the vault were meant to fight side by side with living Hellknights defending the citadel. There is a chance that, if there is any Order regalia remaining in the citadel, the guardians would not attack anyone wearing it. Someone could enter and search for my family ring -- and for any evidence of who desecrated the vaults with necromancy -- with impunity."
"In your exploration of the citadel," Alek asks the party members who have already been there, "have you found any old armor or robes? Even temporary badges issued to raw recruits might do the trick."
Alek nods. "In the early days of the Order, there was concern that the dead in the vaults could be vulnerable to necromancers. Volunteers were sought; a ward was placed somewhere among the graves, and if a necromantic spell were cast in the area, these volunteers would rise and defend their brothers and sisters -- fighting undead with undead, as it were. The practice fell out of favor long ago, but the ward was apparently put in place in Altaerein before then."
"When we entered the vault, the ward had already been triggered by someone. The guardians were active and fought the interlopers -- us. As your companions have learned, they are formidable, but there is a chance we may not have to fight them. They are, after all, the rightful guardians there, and they are likely to expend more of the group's resources if we continue to approach them with brute force."
"The histories tell that the guardians of the vault were meant to fight side by side with living Hellknights defending the citadel. There is a chance that, if there is any Order regalia remaining in the citadel, the guardians would not attack anyone wearing it. Someone could enter and search for my family ring -- and for any evidence of who desecrated the vaults with necromancy -- with impunity."
"In your exploration of the citadel," Alek asks the party members who have already been there, "have you found any old armor or robes? Even temporary badges issued to raw recruits might do the trick."
Shaking his forefinger at the man, "That's a good question," he says before turning to the others. "Because if there is a chance to avoid fighting these things, I'm thinking that's the way to go. I mean, we should at least give it a shot, right? Anything that results in less blood shed for us is a win in my book," he concludes, nodding emphatically.
Darla gives the matter some more thought when her initial recollection of the exploration fails to bring back memories of the discovery of such gear.
"Because if there is a chance to avoid fighting these things, I'm thinking that's the way to go. I mean, we should at least give it a shot, right? Anything that results in less blood shed for us is a win in my book," he concludes, nodding emphatically.
Alek is visibly relieved. "Look, if it doesn't work, I'll be sure and lend a blade this time. But ... those are the rightful guardians of the dead. Destroying them and leaving the graves unprotected feels wrong. I'm sure there must be a drawer or a locker or something with temporary badges for new recruits; they're of no monetary value so they'd have been of no interest to looters."
"Not fighting the scary skeletons, I like that. Tricking scary skeletons that Des is a Hellknight, heh heh heh."
The goblin snickers at the thought.
Alek's grimace implies that he's not sure even a full suit of armor could convince him a goblin was a Hellknight, but he doesn't press the point.
A little short of an hour later, the increasingly-familiar silhouette of Citadel Altaerein atop its hill comes into view.
"We should probably take a moment or two to introduce Drake to the Bumblebrashers," Darla suggests to Gellius. With a worried look on her face, the bard adds, "That'll also give Gethric more time to catch up with us."
"Yes!" Warbal enthuses. "Come and meet Bumblebrashers!" She leads the group around the back of the citadel to the secret entrance to the vaults.
"Home again," breathes Des, happy to reunite with the tribe. Once into the vaults, the goblin begins chatting with the other Bumblebrashers, presumably relating all the big city wonders and adventures.
The group delivers Revka's Hero Medallion and demonstrates Drake to the goblins so they recognize him as one of the party. When they have finished, they leave Warbal with the rest of the tribe and head back outside and around to the main entrance.
Battered reinforced doors hang slightly ajar at the main entrance to Citadel Altaerein. Above the doorframe, a tarnished seal depicting a sunburst made of nails stands out in relief on the keep's stonework. Under the seal runs a worn but clear line of carved text.
Alek nods as he scans the text. "The creed of the Order of the Nail," he remarks. "Are we going in the front door?"
"Front door sounds like a plan to me. I'll scout it out." Drawing his bow, the ranger moves up carefully, scanning the area for any sign of trouble.
Drake peers through the doors into a large foyer. Dented and rusted remnants of suits of spiked armor lean against the northern and southern walls or lie in piles at their feet. Among the broken furnishings scattered about the room, the half-chewed carcasses of small animals lie rotting. A wide but filthy stretch of black carpet leads to two large doors set in the back wall. Scuffs and bits of nail and old wire on the walls indicate where paintings or tapestries once hung. Prominently displayed on each wall, set into the stone itself so it couldn't be removed or looted, is a seal depicting a sunburst made of nails, identical to the one above the outside doors. Along the northern wall, text like the one outside is engraved; along the southern wall, words in Common read, Savagery must be quelled in the land, home, and mind.
Des inches forward cautiously, staying a few steps behind Drake. The goblin had almost gotten used to being outside, but the walls looming ominously before them send shivers down their spine.
Some of Des's apprehension rubs off on Darla, and the young bard creeps forward, occasionally casting detect magic and then scanning for auras.
Noticing nothing threat-wise initially, Drake looks back to the others. "All clear. I'm moving in." He then tries the door to see if it opens. If so, he proceeds inside carefully.
Drake moves into the room, keeping his eyes peeled for threats.
Gellius recognizes the room he saw from the other side through one of the doors, but the large rodents he saw then are no longer in evidence. He knows that the three doors on the far wall all open onto the corridor surrounding the courtyard.
Darla notices no magical auras in the room.
Alek looks around at the filth in the room with distaste. "It's possible we might be able to cobble together something approaching a full suit of armor out of what's left here," he muses, "though I'd say it would need a lengthy fumigation to rid it of vermin before I'd wear it myself."
Des isn't bothered by the dirty bits of armour, and they wander over to one of the displays, picking up a fallen helmet and trying to fit it over their head. The results are about what one would expect, considering the goblin's oversized gourd.
Darla creeps into the chamber and starts to search the rubble , hoping to find scraps for a Hellknight disguise or two or at least something of value.
With time, the group is able to scrounge up enough rusty pieces to assemble one reasonably complete set of Hellknight armor. It will only fit one of the humans, of course.
"Well, we've managed one so far. Let's see if we can manage at least one more. The more the merrier."
Alek nods. "The barracks and training hall are in the south wing; there may have been some gear left behind there," he suggests.
"Then the south wing it is. Let's check it out. Show me the way and I'll lead us the way." With Alek's instruction, Drake heads out toward the south wing.
Des hadn't explored the top level of the citadel much, so the goblin follows cautiously behind the two big men.
Darla follows slowly, occasionally detecting for magic as the party advances.
The party advances through the narrow corridor around the octagonal center of the keep and through the base of one of the watchtowers, coming out in the dingy barracks into the room where the bugbear had its lair. There are several doors along the walls that the group didn't investigate on their first visit.
Looking at the doors, "Don't suppose you all have already been through those doors, have you?"
Opening six of the doors reveals small private bedrooms, apparently for Hellknights of a slightly higher rank than the ones who would have slept in the open barracks.
Alak emerges from one of the bed chambers he was searching. "There was a wooden shield left behind in there ... not one with the Order's symbol on it, unfortunately. And two flasks of holy water. Wish I'd found them before I ran into the imps."
Drake also makes his way out of the bedroom he was in. "I found this vial," he declares, showing it to the others. "But I've no idea what the language is written upon it. Any chance one of you can read it?"
Des crawls out from under one of the beds, holding up a leather thong from which a large fang is hanging.
"Wolf tooth." The goblin peers at the writing on the vial that Drake is holding, then shakes their head.