Malaric was certain he had the Duke on the line, but the instant his first sword broke skin his body burst aflame...
...despite being wholly on fire, the fearless halfling continued the final assault.
*thomp*
...was the unceremonious sound Thalamra's head made as it bonked against the obsidian altar on her way down. Mal's finishing strike was merciful, though you couldn't tell by the mess of gore and bruises on the hulky nanny.
She had the patronage of devils, to be sure...but in the final analysis this Duke Vanthampur was merely human. Like the great High Overseer, stripped of his power was in the end just skin and bone. Evil could never be defeated perhaps, but on the human timescale at least as long as there were heroes it could be pushed back to the brink. The tide could turn for a moment, and the good people of Baldur's Gate (wherever they are) might catch their breath.
”Ouch.” The halfling pats out the flames on his cultist robes. He was already covered in soot. He wonders if he’ll ever get clean again.
"Let's tie her up. We can get a description of the villa from her. And her alive, might keep us relatively safe. Let's bag any evidence of the Duke's infernalness."
Donal rubs his jaw and sets to begin binding and gagging the Duke Vanthampur, Good job, all of you. What else do we have to ruin this worthless duke?
The priest starts rummaging for healing potions... Mal is looking medium rare, and he's feeling a bit cooked himself.
Grim, there is nothing much in this chamber besides the obsidian altar and its flickering infernal runes. The angel shaped flame erupting from its top surface paints the north wall with light, and you can see a few cleverly masoned slits that allow one to view the statue room on the other side. You also see another secret door, rather obvious from this side, leading back to the statue room.
Patting Thalamra down you find a key in her blouse pocket and a second her shoe. Judging from the surgical skill that Malaric fell her and your experience with those close to death, you'd guess she might come to in about...
hour.
"Let's take break. She'll awake in about an hour. Watch those doors." Mal sits down.
I won't argue with that, the Fist guard responds as he massages his bruised jaw. Then he gets up and replaces the false wall, to ensure that they have some time.
While it doesn't disturb your rest, you realize from inside the hidden chamber there is quite a commotion out there in the statue room. Rather, the ex-statue room since it is now a crumbled pile of marble. Cultists have gathered and express their shock and bewilderment about it being destroyed, likely having just finished their breakfast. About the same time a group runs in to announce the vault has been broken into and everything stolen. They murmur about tripling patrols and sending someone to find Thurstwell upstairs (the imp loving son).
When the Duke comes to, she tries to scream and alert them but the gag in her mouth nullifies the effect. Judging by her facial expression, you all have certainly soured her morning.
The lady Hhune slaps the Duke across the face, having waiting patiently for her to regain consciousness. "That's for plundering our crypts...ha! Thalamra Vanthampur. I always knew you were nothing but a thieving little sewer rat!" scolding the Duke with a wagging finger before slapping her again "..and that's for imprisoning me beside that servant of hell!"
Fisk lowered his voice "Slapping old ladies is great fun, but we should still find that puzzle box and Kreeg's contract. I think its the tangible evidence you were looking for..."
Reya seemed torn "...do we really need evidence of her crimes?" unsheathing her silver sword "Perhaps it would be best...to take the role of headsman..."
Donal shakes his head, As much as I may be inclined to agree with you, Reya, we need to prove her guilt to the people first, otherwise we are just murderers to everyone else. Try every other avenue first, then if the law fails, then... No one escapes justice.
The warrior stands, The compound seems to be on high alert. Fisk, do you know where it is, or do we need to extract the information?
Reya startled at Donal's wise words "I...of course you're right...I don't know what came over me." sheathing her blade.
Fisk answered "Na champ, like I said, I don't know, but imagine its with someone that has an interest in the infernal. The idea that a mortal could somehow play with and outsmart the creatures of the hells...it makes for a tempting treasure for intellectuals of a certain sort. If Thalamra didn't have it, I suppose one of her sons must."
Donal crouches down before the bound Vanthampur, tapping his mace on the stone floor, So, where would you keep your contract, if not in the vault? In the altar? In your personal chambers? In your office?
You don't understand. Reya's right. Trial for Thalamra will quickly become a trial for all of you. The judicial system in this city does not work the way you would like. If we don't bring justice, no one will.
Simon gets up and looks hard at the old woman.
I can do it. Or any of you. But it has to be done. Whether we like it or not.
Whatever mental strife the Duke was going through as Donal went through his list, the trained politician was excellent at not letting it show. But when he mentioned 'personal chambers' she flinched...and a little more pressing revealed 'bedroom' seemed to be the answer the Tormtar was looking for.
The bedroom, eh? Donal says, You are good, lady. Too bad darkness has a deep root in your black soul.
The Flaming Fist guard turns to the others, I am fairly certain this is what we need. There is risk leaving her bound. What is the vote? Leave her for justice to be served or lay down justice ourselves?
He hands his single potion of Healing to Mal.
Best get into fighting shape... I have a feeling we're going to need you.
After a bit of discussion, it becomes clear there are a few options to progress...
Using the view slits from this hidden chamber, you could wait until the cultists leave the statue room, then take the tunnel back to the stables.
Or, you could take the shortest distance path past the prison and back to the blindfolded area suspected to be a way up the villa topside.
Or, you could escape into the sewers to the south and mount a new assault from somewhere else.
Or just kill every cultist and clear every room hoping to endure.
Or something else...
Mal would ask the Duke about the location of the thing that her son (the one in the bath) wanted them to find.
When asked of the Villa "12 ft wall...more than 20 Watch. They'll attack anyone sight without prior approval from my mother. As a child I always thought the tower was a weakness...some dark creature could swoop in on wings. But if you're really intent on snooping mom's personal business you'd want to get down in the undercrawl. Ive not been down there myself but know its the stairs next to the kitchen..." he pauses, hesitant to say "...you know, if you're really going in there, you could grab something from my room. Its on the second floor, just upstairs first right...in the footchest is a little troll talisman. Would mean a lot to me to get it back before I go."
Mal looks at Simon, "Have you been upstairs? We need to get to her bedroom to collect Kreeg's contract. We need to find the puzzlebox, and we need to find a toy. You know how to get around?"
"I suggest we lug the Duke around and go searching. Who's got her?" He pulls out and loads his crossbow ready to hunt.
Simon? Donal suggests, He'll be in the back, hurling his hell's fury at our enemies anyway. So, it won't affect his effectiveness in battle...
EDIT: We should check to see if there is anything of use in this room. I wouldn't mind desecrating this altar as well, robbing it of its connection. What say you, Grim?
Don, other than the aforementioned keys on the Duke's person, candelabra and altar, the room is bare. The altar is rather unsettling. It's hard to say which could be worse: were it an altar to an evil god or an altar to a devil. The flickering flame that dances atop the solid obsidian block hints at the latter...its visage matches that of the destroyed statue, a fallen angel...Zariel.
She started the Hellriders... Reya, what do you know of her? Donal asks as he takes the Duke's ring of keys.
"Hey cool. The runes write out That which falls can rise again over and over again. Maybe that means we can restore the city."
"Ready to go?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
She watches the flickering flame take the hesitant shape of Zariel before scattering again to random lapping tendrils, letting a heavy sigh "Zariel's story is partly ours, as it entails how the Hellriders were formed. Long ago, fiends roamed the Fields of the Dead north and west of Elturel...stripping fields bare, slaying livestock, burning houses. Dragging folk away to horrible dooms. Elturel's cavalry fought back, riding wherever the need dictated..but endured great casualties...and the fiends kept appearing in greater number. It is said the High Rider implored people to pray to the gods for help...and the gods responded. So, in the middle of the 1300s we were sent Zariel, an angel...some call her kind solar, though I know not what she is now. She appeared with knowledge of the planar gate the fiends were pouring though, and was able to train and rally an army of thousands. She rode a great golden mastodon to embark on the Ride, a glorious mounted charge into the gate of hell. Only a handful returned, and became known as the Hellriders. Zariel was said to have fallen in battle."
"That aint what I heard about it." Fisk interjected. "Wasn't it a rescue mission, weren't that the reason for the charge? And, forgive me my lady, but was that before or after the High Rider was discovered to be a vampyr? Hmph. Always undead festerin' in those fields...with the Companion gone they'll earn their namesake again, I'd wager -- Fields of the Dead."
Irritated by the spy, Reya shot back "Legends twist history, I've heard many other versions of the same story. What matters is the Creed Resolute."
Donal surely knows something of the Creed Resolute, being the book of oaths and maxims that all citizens of Elturel () of literate age must swear to. In short, it is a way for paladins of many different faiths to work together, created because the identity of the deity behind the Companion was never discovered/nailed down.
"Does it? Wasn't it Kreeg that made you all swear that Creed?"
Reya became visibly flustered at this, having just realized it herself. She sputtered, unable to find words.
Fisk tried to tactfully disengage "Eh...I didn't mean it like that. Long live the Hellriders, my lady..." he bows.
Donal holds up his hands, We do not know when Kreeg fell from grace, the intent was good. Of course, the intent is always good, even if the means are not so clean.
The warrior clenches his hands, Not all of us can keep these hands so clean, but some of us sully them so other need not.
Are we ready to leave? Anything else needed?
Using the view slits from this hidden chamber, you could wait until the cultists leave the statue room, then take the tunnel back to the stables.
Or, you could take the shortest distance path past the prison and back to the blindfolded area suspected to be a way up the villa topside.
Or, you could escape into the sewers to the south and mount a new assault from somewhere else.
Or just kill every cultist and clear every room hoping to endure.
Or something else...
Finally breaking away from the shield, Simon enters into a discussion.
First, I would start by escort the Lady Satiir to the sewers in the south. Fisk, I'd really like you to go with her. The lady may need protection. And both of you can just catch a crossbow bolt in a ridiculous way if you continue to walk with us in dangerous places. Lady Satiir, I hope for your discretion. It will be terrible if something happens to you. Salvation is so close! Fisk, let's just agree on a meeting place when we're done here.
Secondly...
...Ah! It's easy enough to break the connection. Now we will erase this rune and this one, and then we will draw another one... With a slight half-smile, Simon performs some manipulations over the altar with his dagger. That's it! It's done.
Without removing the blade, he smiles his friendly, cold, wide smile. Thirdly, I haven't been upstairs. Here we will have to rely on our own risk. We will go there returning by path past the prison. I think there will be a way up. But first. He looks at the hostess of the house in a blackout. I still think that keeping her alive is looking for new problems for ourselves. We are justice here, there will be no other. Grim, Mal, Reya, I haven't heard your opinion yet. So far, the voices are divided.
Mal replies to Simon, "Fisk may not be enough of a bodyguard for our noble lady here, because the grounds are still patrolled by the Duke's guards. Also, since he knows what the puzzlebox is, he may want to stay with us to complete his mission."
"The Duke is still valuable to us with the staff above. They wouldn't want to risk her life, especially the son. Then, if she catches an errant crossbow bolt, Baldur's Gate would not miss her."
As Simon begins to scrape and peel at the orange glowing runes, the flame again takes the form of Zariel...more precisely, the angry face of Zariel that seems to shout, though only a whisper manages to pierce through the crackle of the fire "...laCkey oF BeL..." before the flame completely extinguishes with a little *flumph*. The rune peels off the obsidian altar like a sticker, made of some soft copper alloy...but when it does, the entire 800 lb block fractures in two! The rest of the runes fall off the scraps like old leaves.
____
Ehem... It turned out pretty well, right? So... In general, let's get back to the main topic. As I said, we escort civilians to the sewer and then go upstairs. Yeah?
Mal replies to Simon with his crossbow over his shoulder, ”Well, I’m against that, yeah. As I’ve said. Grim, Donal. What do you want to do?”.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Simon, the hour long conversation with the entity calling itself the Hidden Lord taxes the limits of your silver tongue. Letting your guard down even for a syllable resets the dialogue with a new enigma. Still, with a devilish persistence, you continue to probe...finding ways for the creature to reveal small morsels of details at times even when the creature itself didn't realize it. At last, you have him trapped behind logic, and in an outburst of pride, he lets the extent of his powers slip...
The Shield of the Hidden Lord is of celestial origin and serves as a prison for creature within, whose mortal followers revere as a god. Over time, its celestial motif and designs have become twisted into a fiendish face that subtly moves in disturbing ways.
While holding this shield, you gain a +2 bonus to AC and resistance to fire damage.
Sentience. The Shield of the Hidden Lord is sentient as long as it imprisons the creature within. While sentient, the shield has the following properties:
The shield has an Intelligence of 22, a Wisdom of 18, and a Charisma of 24, as well as hearing and truesight out to a range of 120 feet.
The shield can speak, read, and understand Common and Infernal, and it can communicate telepathically with any creature it can sense within 120 feet of it. Its voice is a deep, hollow whisper.
The shield has 3 charges. You can use an action to expend 1 charge to cast fireball or 2 charges to cast wall of fire from the shield (save DC 21 for each). The wall of fire spell lasts for 1 minute (no concentration required). The shield regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
Anytime during your turn, the shield can choose to radiate an aura of dread for 1 minute. () Any creature hostile to you that starts its turn within 20 feet of the shield must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this power of the shield for the next 24 hours. Once the shield uses this power, it can’t use it again until the next dawn.
The creature doesn’t really know how to escape from the shield, but believes that it can break free if it’s brought to the Nine Hells...for it’s convinced that the shield’s powers are weaker there.
"Fisk, let's just agree on a meeting place when we're done here."
"Tempting. I hear Troll S#&@ is back on the menu at the Blushing Mermaid...but no, I think I'd be better judged in the eyes of my mistress if I saw this through to the end. I can stay out of sight...but I don't like being unarmed. Can any of you spare a weapon? I'm best with the Bonaduce crossbow...but long shot any of you are carrying one of those, hehe..." he scratched the back of his head, presumably talking about the small hand crossbow popularized by the 14th century cleric of Deneir.
He adds "I don't think these cultists are trained fighters anyways...bored saps from the nobility circles more like, well most of them. A little tactics could probably go a long way keeping us in top shape. The Watch above in the Villa proper might be a different story...not to mention any devils still lurking around."
About that time you hear some rushed footsteps to the south, in the tunnels outside the secret door. "They can't have escaped, no one could squeeze through those iron bars..." Grim and Mal hear them say, likely talking about the passage to the normal sewers just to the south. They would need to be bent or altered to allow you to pass, or to allow you to make them think you passed...
After a few moments they continue to the west. Sensing a chance to move, you carefully slide the plaster panel and escape back into the smelly corridors...
I don't think these cultists are trained fighters anyways...bored saps from the nobility circles more like, well most of them.
Simon squints and looks very bad. I'm also from the nobility. And not a trained fighters for sure. But it can be very difficult to survive the moment when I find that I have been insulted.