On the ground, Asar bellows in rage. "I will rend the flesh from your bones!"
"Are you jealous that you don't have flesh of your own, Asar?" retorts Silvio as the party find some success. He and Winter strike as Asar looks to recover his footing.
;;
Shifting to get behind Asar as Garen strikes, the halfling-dog duo continue the assault.
;
;
Sledge steps back in.
"Hold still, won't you?"
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Median moves forward towards Dimira, and the tavern girl looks at her stunned. She then looks over behind Median's shoulder, her eyes widening. "Watch out!" Dimira cries as an arrow burrows into Median's back .
As he rises, both of the party's holy warriors score successful blows against their foe, but their follow-up attacks fail to penetrate his defenses. Still, Asar is showing multiple wounds from the beating that he has taken, like a couple more solid blows might take him down. With a bit of cunning, the weaponless Sledge moves ahead and wraps his arms around Asar. The ancient warrior grunts and struggles before he wrenches one arm free and stabs it once more straight through Sledge . Sledge looks like he is barely standing, but manages to maintain a hold of Asar.
"I'll cut your head off," Asar growls. "I am Asar Vergas, champion of Lastwall! You are mere worms!"
Median:
Garen:
Silvio:
Winter:
Sledge:
Archer Skeletons:
Asar:
Dimira:
Active Group Buffs:
Map
Incredibly daunted, but holding the proverbial tiger by the tail, Sledge has no option but to press onwards. Either he'd die a martyr, or live a hero. Sledge goes for the pin.
Sledge manages to pin Asar. It was a very close thing, and he isn't sure how long he can hold both the skeleton, and his intestines in place. "Anyone got a rope? Quickly?"
As Sledge boldly grapples with Asar, Silvio and Winter try to strike at Asar's exposed limbs!
;
;
Then Silvio hops off Winter to get next to Sledge, and holds out some rope. "Go get him, Sledge!"
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Sledge forces Asar down to the ground while Silvio and Winter wrench into him: their blows, which would have certainly failed to penetrate Asar's defenses, now crack into his bones. The once-powerful warrior is nearly brought down by the assault. A stream of vulgar curses, mostly aimed at your parentage, spews from Asar's clacking jaws.
As Garen swings his blade, Asar wrenches out of the way. The paladin's sword comes dangerously close to hitting Sledge, but fails to connect with either.
Median:
Garen:
Silvio:
Winter:
Sledge:
Archer Skeletons:
Asar:
Dimira:
Active Group Buffs:
Map
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Median sees that Asar is in a severely compromised position, so she leaves Damira with the healing potion she had been bringing her and moves over to try to help bring Asar down.
She swings down with her cold iron mace, trying to cave in Asar's evil skull for all the pain he had caused them.
(bless)
With Sledge holding him down, Winter trying to pull one of his legs off to serve as a chewing bone, and Silvio and Garen both swinging their weapons to pile the pain onto Asar, Median steps around the corner. There is almost a look of shock apparent within the blue eyes of cold flame as Asar watches his doom come towards him. "Ira--" he gasps before Median's mace crushes Asar's head into the floor.
Around the room, the other skeletons momentarily look confused, and they shake. One takes its bow and decapitates itself, sending its skull flying across the room until it abuts against a far sarcophagus. But the other circle around. One arrow comes flying towards Silvio, but the halfling raises his staff and knocks it out of the way. The same skeleton that shot Median before comes around the corner and shoots her again from point-blank range , while the remaining skeleton to the west takes advantage of Sledge's destruction and finishes what its master had started: too late for Asar, but in just the right time to potentially save itself.
Median:
Garen:
Silvio:
Winter:
Sledge:
Archer Skeletons:
Dimira:
Active Group Buffs:
Map
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Silvio almost can't believe that they killed the mighty skeleton! But as Sledge goes down, it's clear that the victory was not without some cost. He drops the rope he was going to give Sledge, pulls out a healing wand, and tries to ensure the life of the fallen hero.
Sledge is not conscious, but he is stable. Silvio moves over Sledge protectively.
"Winter, attack!" he cries, directing his loyal dog to deliver vengeance. Winter bounds over in seconds and leaps toward the skeleton that had downed Sledge.
; .
With a mighty charge, Winter wrecks the far skeleton. There is no need to drag the skeleton down to the ground, as its bone discombobulate on contact, leaving only two more skeletons rising above the fray. With a swift casting from his wand, Silvio revives Sledge. How many times has Sledge gone down to the brink of death and come back up in the last few days?
Although his blade no longer pulses with holy light, Garen steps down towards the skeleton that had just shot Median, hefts his blade, and cleaves it in two, the skeleton's skull cracking with the force of the paladin's righteous anger.
With that target destroyed, Median moves up to face her final opponent. Her mace swings, but the skeleton catches her blow on its buckler. Then it stares at her, its jaw chattering up and down, but drawing no arrow to attack Median or defend itself. With a follow up blow as Garen, Silvio, and Winter come to join her in the corner, Median puts down the undead plague of the crypt down once and for all.
Dropping Asar's ulna, that he had clutched in a facsimile of rigor mortis, Sledge slowly trudges over and picks up his flail, careful not to exert himself too much, and burst any delicate blood vessels. Then he pulls out his infernal healing wand, and starts dragging himself over towards Damira.
"Damira. I'm glad you're safe and alive. Very glad. But what happened here?"
As the battle concludes and Sledge weakly trudges to his feet, he sees Silvio hurrying over to him. "We did it, Sledge! By the Gods, we did it!" Sledge gets another bit of healing from the wand.
"I'd say you were braver than the lot of us," he adds. "I don't imagine Master Horgus teaching you how to wrestle with skeletons."
"Sledge!" Dimira says as her friend comes into view, looking terrible. She looks around at the rest of you with similar recognition. "You're the ones the Mayor chose," she marvels, looking at the bruised and battered warriors around the room, all suffering from some manner of wounds. You all have seen Dimira many times serving tables at the Seven Silvers Tavern, though you now recall that she was notably not there the evening before you left town. She looks much worse for wear now, her skirt tattered and several cuts and bruises all over her face and arms. She's also clearly dehydrated, and gratefully accepts the waterskin that Median offers. She seems to have benefited from the same pulse from the Everflame that the rest of you did, but she was--and still is--in rough shape. "Except for Khuvaan," she mutters to herself. "I knew you'd come. I told him you would."
She shivers as Sledge asks his question. "The six of us came a few days before the ceremony to set things up. Harmless traps, puzzles, illusions, that kind of stuff. We got here on Moonday. Paak had mentioned that it was weird--he had seen some signs that another group had been here in the last couple of months, but the rest of us just thought it was some teenagers coming here to drink. We all did that when we were younger, so..."
She shrugs and looks uncomfortable, but then continues. "We were about halfway through preparing the first floor when we were attacked, early morning Toilday. Roldare was finishing up sweeping in the pit room. Bree, Paak, and I were playing a game in the cooking room while Gerol and Vark slept in the main area. I looked up and saw a skeleton walk up behind Paak and stab him through the chest. It was so sudden! He fell straight into the fire. Bree got up and started fighting, the way that that Qadiran woman in Kassen taught her. She ended up demolishing a few skeletons and told me to follow her. Then this big, armored skeleton--Asar--showed up and stabbed her straight through. The rest of the skeletons were surrounding me and he told them to stop. He picked me up, slung me over his shoulder, and dragged me down here."
She shakes her head, her face a mask of trauma as she recalls the events. "He asked me lots of questions. He wanted to know what had happened in the past 200 years. When I was done, he told me that he was going to set up a dominion throughout the Fangwood. Then I told him that you were coming and you would stop him. I guess he didn't like that, because he hit me and I passed out."
She bursts into tears and looks at Sledge. "Did you find my brother? Did Rolare die, too?"
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Median gets the lantern out of her pack (being careful to avoid harming the snake) and lights it from the everflame, which is what they were sent here to do, after all, even though it seems very anticlimactic after all they've been through.
When Damira asks about Roldare she says
He's still alive. He'll be glad to see you. He's a little mentally compromised from the stress, though, so just be gentle with him until we can get him to a safe place where he can hopefully recover.
As Median lifts the Everflame Lantern to be lit by the Everflame, the flame within the lantern flickers with blue and golden flame, as though the lantern is resonating specifically with this flame.
A moment later, the ghost of a stout, older, bearded man appears over the open sarcophagus and regards the gathered people before him. The face is similar to that of the wood golem that the party fought on the first floor, though older.
"Brave heroes," the spirit begins, "Thank you for putting an end to Asar Vergas' terror. It is good to see that the youth of the town I founded still grow up strong. As you no doubt suspect, I am Ekat Kassen."
Dimira looks agog, awestruck at what she sees in front of her. She barely had any time to process Median's news before the spirit of the town's founder rises from the grave to speak with them.
Ekat Kassen nods solemnly at the heroes in front of him. "I suppose you may have questions," he says. "I will help you as I can."
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After Median recovers from the sight of a ghost, which shocks her a lot less than it would have a week ago, she says
Okay, I have questions. Why did Asar kill you in the first place? You guys were adventuring companions, right? And then why did he come back from the dead? I am assuming that this doesn't happen every year when people come to light the lamp. ... And what does it feel like to be dead?
Silvio is certainly stunned by the sudden appearance of Elat Kassen. As Median offers a flurry of questions, Silvio adds one more thing.
"You already helped us by giving us the strength to defeat Asar. We're just kids trying to be heroes and we would've been doomed without you. Thank you."
"Don't flatter me Silvo, you'll give me a big head. Without you and Winter, Garen and I would have been overwhelmed. And that tanglefoot bag was ingenious. But no," he admits. "Holgast never taught me to grab a skeleton."
Sledge steps towards Damira, taking a knee next to her. "As Median says, he will live. He may need help returning to normal, but he will live. Now, let's get you up and-" Sledge jumps to his feet as the ghost appears, standing between it and Damira. The words to disrupt undead were beginning to fall from his lips when he actually listened to what it said, and then lowers his arm.
==
Listening to Median's questions, Sledge steps forward. "I have a question for you Mr. Kassen. But it's a private question." Leaning in close to the ghost, he whispers near it's ear.
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[ooc]Big prep day yesterday for my personal ren fair I'm hosting this weekend. Sorry for the delay[.ooc]
Garen moves over to check on the young lady but stays behind Median. He does not know her as well as some of the others and feels it would be best for her to have contact with familiar faces plus he can see that the worst of her wounds was healed by the everflame.
When the ghost appears, Garen is shocked, not because it is a ghost but because he did not expect to be visited by Kassen. He takes a kneed and bows his head, "My lord, we are humbled by your attention and thank you for your aid." the paladin says loudly knowing his voice is being cast at the ground.
Ekat Kassen watches the varied reactions to his presence and chuckles as Sledge begins casting. "No need for that, lad, no need for that." He also nods at the thanks for aid--more or less confirming that it was something that he did that may have helped turn the tide of the battle when all seemed lost.
"All heroes start off trying," he says to Silvio. "The mettle of a man," he pauses and looks over at Median, "Or woman," clearing his throat and returning his attention to the halfling, "Is whether they keep trying."
As Median begins rattling off questions, along with revealing her own knowledge of history, Ekat turns back to her and nods solemnly. "That's true, miss. Asar and I was once fought side by side at Lastwall, many years ago. We fought the undead, protected mortals from their menace. After we left the company, we decided to adventure together. Oh, we were fierce, fighting side by side. But...agh, you don't want to hear me reminisce."
The ghost of Ekat Kassen shrugs and drifts down from his sarcophagus to settle on the dais. "Our last adventure was deeply profitable. I used my fortune to found this town, wanting to pass the bounty of my life on to improve the lives of my fellow men. I hadn't heard from Asar in years when Kassen's Hold started experiencing mercenary raids. I learned that the man responsible was none other than my old traveling companion and former friend. I went out to confront him, and he shouted at me that I had cheated him after our last adventure."
Ekat shakes his head. "But no: we had all split the treasure evenly. I think he learned how prosperous I had become and decided I must have done something untoward. I suppose that he had squandered most of his fortune, whereas my investments had flourished in Kassen's Hold." The ghost's expression looks pained. "To have someone that you once thought of as a brother looking at you with nothing but hate in his eyes...is something that no one should ever have to experience."
Ekat is quiet for a few moments before rousing himself from his sad reverie. "In the end, I struck him down. I had to. But he still dealt me a grievous wound in my hesitation. I staggered back to town with the few survivors of the battle, where I lay bed-ridden for days. I made my daughter promise me that she would inter the bodies of all the dead in the Crypt--including Asar. Yes, he had betrayed me, but...he was still my brother-in-arms. He had been a hero once, and I wanted him and his men to have as proper of a burial as I would have. To give no reason for him to return. And that worked well enough for nearly 200 years, but..."
Ekat floats over to the skeletal remains of his once-companion. "My most sincere hope when I was alive was to leave a better world for my children than the one I inherited. But I'm not sure I succeeded, given...all this."
Ekat's form shimmers and swells slightly as he kneels down over Asar's crushed body. Belatedly, he answers Median's next question. "I cannot speak to what has occurred here in most years. I haven't been here in 174 years. But three months ago, I was wrenched back here and have been stuck in this chamber ever since, unable to do much of anything." The ghost's form shrinks now, a little smaller than he was when he first manifested. "But there were people here then. They stole something..." Staring blankly ahead, the ghost seems to be trying to remember something, and he reaches to his chest and grasps at an ethereal figment of an amulet dangling around a chain. "Our amulets. Mine and Asar's. Maybe that's why...did they know?"
"What does it feel like to be dead? Hmmm," Ekat repeats. "Death is a transition into a new phase, the start of another grand journey. All souls separate from their bodies and pass through the Ethereal Plane and find their way eventually to the River of Souls where they can face Pharasma's judgment. I have enjoyed Heaven's bounty for many years now, and I fully intend to return. So for me, death has been a kindly thing until quite recently."
When Sledge steps up to Ekat Kassen's ghost, he feels an odd coldness as he whispers closely. Kassen isn't ectoplasmic, but the temperature still drops.
"Don't flatter me Silvo, you'll give me a big head. Without you and Winter, Garen and I would have been overwhelmed. And that tanglefoot bag was ingenious. But no," he admits. "Holgast never taught me to grab a skeleton."
"A real team effort," says Silvio with a smile, appreciating Sledge's kind words. He gives Winter a warm, affectionate rub. "Isn't that right, Winter? You're a natural at fighting bags of bones!"
Winter appears not entirely comfortable with the spirit of Ekat Kassen, but seems content to accept the halfling's petting rather than making a fuss about it.
Ekat's form shimmers and swells slightly as he kneels down over Asar's crushed body. Belatedly, he answers Median's next question. "I cannot speak to what has occurred here in most years. I haven't been here in 174 years. But three months ago, I was wrenched back here and have been stuck in this chamber ever since, unable to do much of anything." The ghost's form shrinks now, a little smaller than he was when he first manifested. "But there were people here then. They stole something..." Staring blankly ahead, the ghost seems to be trying to remember something, and he reaches to his chest and grasps at an ethereal figment of an amulet dangling around a chain. "Our amulets. Mine and Asar's. Maybe that's why...did they know?"
"Wait, so those strangers--were they graverobbers? We found a bunch of them dead as we explored this place. And one dead in a lake between here and town. Did they somehow disturb you and Asar by stealing these amulets? We had ghostly aid from others, too--I still have a couple of goodberries that magically appeared."
Having remembered the goodberries, he hands one each to Median and Sledge, who could probably use them.
Ekat ponders your questions before rising and floating about the room. "Our amulets were parts of a key to the last great treasure vault we found. It was a place of stark temptation: near endless treasure and power. My companions and I agreed to split the key into four parts and to carry them with us until the end of our days: for one person to have control over that much wealth and power...well, it was certainly against what Aroden stood for. Asar, Iramine, and Delaab agreed to the plan. We took what we could carry and split the key back into its original four pieces. We also swore to tell no one of the amulets' true purpose." Ekat looks pensively concerned. "The thieves must have somehow found out about the Vault and come looking for the pieces."
Ekat floats back over to the sarcophagus where his mortal remains are interred and looks over his own long-desiccated mortal coil. "Whoever is trying to find the Vault can surely have none but ill intentions. And..." The ghost pauses, fear etched on his transparent face. "I'm afraid of what such a person seeks. What they're capable of. What they will do if they get their hands on all that wealth. And may Aroden forgive me for my selfishness, but," Ekat looks deeply concerned at his own line of reasoning, "I'm afraid of what will become if me if I am unable to return to the River of Souls."
The ghost shakes his head reaches into his sarcophagus. His form solidifies for the briefest moment as he retrieves a few items from within. "Please. I know that you claim you are no heroes, but you are the only ones who now know of what happened here. Please, take these gifts and stop the person responsible for all this from reopening the Vaulet." He hands you a satchel, a fine heavy steel shield, and an aquamarine gem. He also wrenches four scales from his armor and hands them to you. The scales are inscribed with his sigil and are warm to the touch.
"In your hour of need, these scales will grant you a boon." Ekat Kassen looks tired now, if that's possible for a ghost. Even if he is stuck in this chamber, his ability to remain visible seems to be limited. There may be time for only one or two more questions before he returns to the ethereal plane.
"Do you have any questions for Kassen, Damira?"
Without looking at Sledge, Dimira wordlessly shakes her head, continuing to stare ahead at Ekat Kassen's spirit.
Silvio accepts one of the the given scales, and defers to the others on the other magical items. Thank you, Ekat--your return has helped the town of Kassen once more. Where is this Vault you found? If whoever it is knows about it, that might be where they're going next."
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Median takes the bag of holding to carry the group's loot, and accepts one of the warm scales, although she says nothing, not wanting to make a commitment that she couldn't get out of. She feels sorry for the ghost of Ekat, but doesn't understand why any deity would pull him out of heaven for something like that... there had to be another way back.
The "near endless" treasure and power sounded interesting, but she guessed that the claim was wildly exaggerated and the retrieval even more impossible than this had been... which they wouldn't have survived without direct holy intervention. It sounded more like a quest that her father would go on than one she would undertake.
.
Silvio does not seem to be very convincing.
Ekat Kassen's ghost's brow creases in concern at Silvio's question. "I'm sorry, lad, but I pray you'll never have to go there. That way lies only death. Seek Iramine and Delaab instead, and pray that they stayed true. Or try to track the thieves. Do not seek the Golden City."
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Vexed, but pleasantly surprised to be alive, Sledge sidles back away from the ghost. His mood sours. "We need to tell the families back home what happened here. Proper burials to complete. Mourning to be done."
It's too bad that all of that will overshadow any glory we might have gotten. Perhaps Holgast will be proud, even if he is an old codger.
Moving back towards Damira, to pointedly ignore the ghost, he awkwardly says, "I found one of your paintbrushes... outside. Sketching pencil too. You should have them back. Some food too, if I've got any rations left over."
Sledge is pretty obviously not telling the whole truth. Those of you with keen memories might remember Sledge doodling with the pencil and brush before arriving at the crypt. Or that he seemed particularly attached to them when finding out Damira was in danger. Perhaps he had stolen them at some point in the past? It wasn't hard to tell he was lying about where he found the artists tools, regardless, the sentiment about trying to make things right again was equally plain to see.
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Median decides to try helping Silvio, in case he decides to undertake the ghost's mission.
Sir, Silvio is correct. We need to know everything you know. We are from your town, perhaps some of us are even your descendants. As you said, we have the knowledge about the key now, but they may already have all of the parts of the key. We can try to stop it before then, but if we can't, then how important is this to you? If you don't tell us where they are going, they may get there before us, and we won't be able to stop them. Who can you trust if not us?
(+1 if it is daylight outside)
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Garen has been pondering the information and finally speaks up after Median. ”My lord, Median has a significant point. We need some means of getting ahead of the thieves. Your other two companions are long dead. It would be best if we knew where the thieves were headed. Even then, any knowledge you could provide to the last whereabouts of both companions would be useful as we race to keep the key from the robbers’ grasp, bring justice to them, and recover your lost medallion.”
Silvio is grateful as both Median and Garen try to get the information that he couldn't. He lets the more persuasive members of his party continue, before tacking something on at the end. "They all said it better," he agrees. "We just want to do what's right."
.
Dimira seems happy for the distraction of Sledge's awkward attempt at flirtation, and she thanks him. "I do feel like I'm starving," she says, but she keeps on throwing an eye to the town's ghostly founder.
As Median, Garen, and Silvio try to convince Ekat Kassen to tell them where his grand treasure vault is, the ghost shakes his head sadly. "I would tell you if I could, but part of the magic of the amulet was in pointing the way to the Vault. Without it, my memory of the Vault and how to get there is clouded."
Ekat turns to Garen and raises one brow. "I would not count my other companions out, though. Elves live for a very long time. Iramine was from Kyonin, and Ithanual from Ustalav. They might have gone back home or settled elsewhere. I would not know."
Ekat's form shimmers, and he appears strained and stretched.
Silvio is a bit confused as Sledge makes some mention of having found Damira's drawing materials. But he doesn't connect the dots. Instead, he looks apologetically at Garen, and is glad as Kassen offers what he knew about finding the Golden City, even if it wasn't that helpful.
"We'll tell the town elders about what we've learned," adds Silvio simply, not daring to make any more requests. "Maybe they'll know what to do."
"Is there anything you'd like for us to tell anyone still living for you?" Sledge asks, in a remarkable display of tact, despite the fact that he's still not looking at the ghost.
Ekat chuckles, his entire form flickering with the laughter. "Well, if Delaab and Iramine still live, I wish them well. And if my daughter had any descendants, I hope they're thriving."
Ekat's form shimmers once more. "Thank you again, young ones. I am sorry that my best intentions were insufficient to shield you from the horrors of the world. Perhaps you can succeed where I failed."
With these last words, Ekat Kassen slowly fades from view, leaving you once again alone in the chamber, save for the body off in the western chamber and the piles of bones all around the room.
As Ekat's spirit disperses, Silvio closes his eyes and offers a silent prayer. Thank you, Erastil, for all you did to help us rescue Damira and defeat the undead Asar. I pray that you will give all of us peace and deliver us from evil as we mourn the dead.
His eyes open again, Silvio looks to the others, and particularly Damira. "We should find Roldare," he concludes.
Dimira looks up as Roldare's name is mentioned. "Yes please." She doesn't seem to grasp exactly what Median meant by "mentally compromised," but she seems excited about the prospect of seeing her brother.
Asar's body is exactly where the party left it a few minutes ago, skull crushed into the stone floor. Detecting magic, Garen determines that both Asar's sword and his armor are magical.
Before you leave the room, Dimira looks over into the western chamber at the body lying face down next to an open sarcophagus. "I have no idea who that is, by the way. That body was here when Asar dragged me into this room."
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”Sledge didn’t you identify some of that money on the dead guy by the lake as coming from a place called Vigil or something similar? I’m guessing this is the boss of that expedition.” Garen says as his attention is directed to the body. He crosses the room and checks the man to determine how he died and to look for clues.
Garen leaves Dimira under Sledge's watchful eye and enters the western side-crypt. The central sarcophagus of this room has been disturbed, its lid lying broken on the ground in front of it, and the sarcophagus itself empty. The name "Asar Vergas" has been carved into the broken stone. A corpse dressed in gray robes lies beside the sarcophagus, the stench of rot hanging heavy around him. Flipping the corpse over, Garen sees that he is wearing an iron mask that fully covers his face. There are also bruises and striations about his neck, a sure sign of death by strangulation. Garen thinks that he died about 3 months ago.
A cursory glance of the man's person reveals a few more items of interest. First, there is a map of the region, similar to the one that you received from the mayor, with the roads leading to the Crypt marked. On the back of the map is a message scrawled in ink: "The amulets are entombed with Ekat Kassen and Asar Vergas." There is also a wand tucked into his belt, a pair of stylized copper wrist guards, a small horn (for playing, not drinking), a coin pouch with 354 newly minted gold coins, and a spellbook with many pages filled.
Looking over the dead man to the west, Garen recognizes from the mask affixed to his face that he is--or was--a follower of Razmir: The Living God. Cults of Razmir have been gaining traction all around the Lake Encarthan Region, spreading out from the country named after the Living God. Forty-eight years ago, in 4661 AR, Razmir became the most recent mortal to attain godhood by passing the Test of the Starstone: a feat last accomplished by Iomedae almost 900 years ago.