I then went to look at the gaol, where Tirra should still have been incarcerated. I write ‘should’ because when I got there, the guards looked at me puzzlingly. "Back again?" one asked. "Well, yes." I replied, thinking they were referring to when I last talked to Tirra. "I need to speak to her again."
"What? She's gone with you! Don't you know where she is?" the other guard replied, somewhat incredulously.
It became obvious then that something had happened since I last came.
The jailers could not remember exactly what had happened, but they were sure that I had come back, with a large guard in tow, bearing some document signed by a person of import from the Free City, stating that Tirra should be released into their custody.
'B!~~*~#s' I thought. 'At least I have a cast iron alibi'. I bade the jailers farewell, and whilst thinking that this must have been carried out by Khellek and Auric, I came back to the rest of the group, who had divvied up the treasure adequately in my absence.
We then went to Allustan’s residence, where we found him recovering in bed from his entanglement with the dragon. We had Marzena with us, and both of them were greatly heartened to see the other. I took the opportunity to ask about why Allustan was now retired and why Marzena wanted him back.
It turned out that Allustan was involved in the fight against Iuz during the Greyhawk Wars. He worked for one of the Circle of Eight - not Rary, he hastened to add. He was now very reluctant to return to the front line.
Talking about our earlier experiences, Allustan revealed that it was likely that the Ebon Aspect was there for a long time, and that the complex was originally a laboratory occupied by none other than Vecna himself, before his lich-hood. It would appear that this Ebon Triad has a long history and this plan of theirs to unite the three gods is ancient indeed.
Allustan also revealed that Filge was now in Greyhawk City, with Eligos, our magic trader.
Then came the matter of our fallen Stone Knight. Tegan had died trying to defeat the evil draconic lizardmen, and we were determined that she be returned to life. As it happened the dwarf had something of a debt owed her by her kin at Graysmere, and that this could be enough to grant her a return to life by their clergy. Allustan said he could quickly get us to Graysmere, if we all held hands. I said that I had other duties to attend to, and left the raising of our dead compatriot to them. They disappeared.
Apparently, they were well received in the Halls of Fionor. Alun had written a fine description of the history of our Stone Knight. They reveried late into the night, remembering her deeds and words, and the following day a solemn ceremony was conducted, where the body of Tegan was presented in burial shrouds. Hymns were sung and prayers were spoken, and following the long ceremony - our dwarf was raised!
Meanwhile, I was busy. I went back to Ulgo's Hut, after convincing Freya it was necessary for her to accompany me to assure the safety of Diamond Lake and our quest. I recovered the body of Uluvant, and we then went to the graveyard with a view to convincing the priestess of Wee Jas to aid me in a speak with dead. I needed to know what he knew about my father.
Once there, I met up with an acolyte and asked for their aid. The acolyte was hesitant, but I brought my shadows around me and she was both agitated and interested. I gave the acolyte some of my history: My victory over numerous undead. My battle against the necromancer Filge, whose operations in Diamond Lake were ended. My intimate knowledge of how to defeat undead, and my hatred for all their kind. I think I won her over, or at least I got her interested enough to take me across.
Apparently, as she was an elf, Freya was not welcome, and she agreed to leave me in their care. Both of us spoke pointedly about my standing as a respected scout among Commander Trask's garrison. I got the feeling that I was entering a closed circle of secrecy here, and what might happen to me, considering my experience in the black pool of the Ebon Triad, was unknown.
I left Freya and went with the acolyte to the ferry - I was to go across the lake to the shrine of Wee Jas, to meet Amaris.
The acolyte’s name was Tyralandi. I learnt her name as we waited for the boat. The normal ferry was there, but we were waiting for the Green Lady's personal boat to arrive. And soon it did, wreathed in mist.
We made small talk as we crossed, or at least I tried to make talk, of any size. Tyralandi seemed... preoccupied, or bored.
We eventually reached the other side of the lake. We were outside a burial mound. Tyralandi motioned me to go inside, and I ventured in. Within the cairn there were large stone pillars holding up the roof, with stone slabs set along the walls. There were carvings on these slabs, mainly depicting figures in repose. These were presumably the resting places of the hallowed dead. I then noticed that some had been moved recently. I was then brought into the presence of Amariss, who seemed to already know of my arrival. She was stood in the centre of a domed chamber, with magical fires lit all around the room. The various acolytes and clergy around her referred to her as the Deathspeaker.
Her clothing consisted of a multitude of grey veils that seemed to move around her in a cloud. Under the veils, she wore a featureless white mask, which hid all clues to her identity. I thought at the time it was entirely possible she wasn’t a ‘she’ at all. Or a ‘he’ for that matter. She asked in a young-sounding, female voice for me to set the body down. I did so, and she then asked me who this creature was that lay before her.