The party, still stunned by the oaths they've just sworn to Cyrus Maximus, stare at each other unsure what will come next. They don't know what plans the vampire has, but certainly feel like their fate is set. Cyrus asks them to grab his casket and prepare for the ascent to the surface and then on to Koros.
They return to the secret door that they found in the altar room and hear the scuffling of many feet and the moans of many creatures on the other side. Cyrus smiles and says, "Beyond this door are my minions, the former members of the Cult of Terranullus. You made the best choice possible in agreeing to aid me on my mission. If you hadn't, the creatures beyond this door would have made made what little was left of you a sacrifice to the god of death." With that, he waves his hand at the door and suddenly there is silence and he gestures to the party to open the door.
As they do, the party sees dozens of undead creatures kneeling, eyeless sockets on the vampire. He gestures again and they shuffle aside to form a lane for the party to walk through. As they move into the room, though, Kossiri loos for the body of her one-time shield bearer, the one she was compelled to sacrifice. She sees Parvay's body, largely eaten by the ghouls in the room. She breaks down at the site of his body, unable to deal with the emotions of having participated in the death of her hireling.
After a few minutes of uncontrolled sobbing from the magic user, Cyrus walks over to her and tries to calm her: "Worry not, dear woman. You did not kill him. You *tried* admittedly. Also, you were only fulfilling his greatest desire. He desperately wanted to give his life essence to Terranullus and you helped him do that. Come, come. He's at peace now. Let us ascend." Almost mechanically, Kossiri stands up and shambles along with the group.
As they leave this room and proceed back through the rest of the underground complex, they realize that the small section of a mausoleum they found must have been only the smallest fraction of all the tombs in the temple because there are thousands and thousands of undead creatures lining the halls and rooms.
Finally, the party arrives at the tunnel leading to the surface and Cyrus reminds them of their oath before he climbs into the coffin and seals the lid. Grimly, the party climbs the tunnel and pulls the coffin up. When they get to the top and out of the cabin, they realize that every grave that they saw above ground has also vomited forth it's dead but the only evidence of them any more are tracks leading down the mountain. They follow the tracks with heavy hearts and camp where the the aura of evil seemed to ebb the last time. Kossiri looks for Scout and sees her a couple of hundred yards in the woods. She goes into the trees and, after some hesitant sniffing, finally jumps up into the mage's arms and purrs loudly. However, when Kossiri heads back towards the fire, towards the coffin, Scout hisses loudly and jumps down and runs back into the woods.
The next day, the party once again picks up the coffin and continue down the mountain. After six hours, the Silver Blade comes to Zeke's camp, or at least what used to be his camp. The skins that were strung up were torn down and after a short search, they find Zeke's corpse well chewed covered in bloody mud. Rather than being full of fear or rage, the party just looks on in resignation and proceed on down the mountain.
Finally stopping to camp in the barren grasslands north of Koros, the party sees three soldiers approach on horseback from the south. The riders circle the fire before getting off the horses and approaching to talk. They ask what the party is doing out this way. After some tense moments, they finally admit to the group that they are investigating a recent wave of undead that had overrun Koros earlier that day.
The party told him that they didn't know anything about it, worrying more about the soldiers seeing the casket at the edge of the firelight. Unfortunately, the guards notice their wandering attention and go over to examine Cyrus's sleeping chamber. The group tries to talk them out of looking, but the soldiers proceed. They try explaining that they lost a hireling and were bringing him back to Koros to his family. The guards look confused, though, as they open the casket. The adventurers assume the vampire will kill the soldiers as soon as they lift the lid, but instead they look confusedly as each other. "Well, if you are taking this casket to the family, you might want to be sure you have a body in it first." The party runs over and sees only a coffin full of dirt. After the guards leave, a mist forms around the feet of the party, finally coalescing into the figure of Cyrus. He laughs at their confusion and congratulates them on how they handled the soldiers.
As people finally settle down for the night, Kossiri sends out her thoughts to see if Scout is anywhere nearby. Indeed, some two or three hundred yards back north she senses her familiar. Seeking some solace and escape, Kossiri steals away from the campfire and finds Scout in the darkness. She curls up with the cat and relives the last few days. In the middle of the night, however, she's awoken by a hissing cat, spitting at a snake winding its way towards them. She jumps up and sends off a magic missile, drawing the attention of the party, but before they can get close enough to aid their teammate, the electric serpent had laid the magic user low.
The shock of Kossiri's death on top of their anxiety over Cyrus shatters the group. The mage had been such a vital component of the party for so long that her demise left a larger hole in their hearts than anyone could have imagined. Wendall picked up the body very gently and carried it back to the fire. He asks the others to begin gathering firewood to prepare a funeral pyre to say goodbye their friend. Before leaving the spot, however, Dalben searches about for Scout, hating to lose his furry friend as well. With some coaxing, he is able to get Scout to jump on his shoulder and come back with him, making him very happy.
After the members of the Silver Blade spoke eloquently--and at least loudly in Dalben's case--about their former comrade, they turn their eyes towards Koros and a future they can only guess at.
They return to the secret door that they found in the altar room and hear the scuffling of many feet and the moans of many creatures on the other side. Cyrus smiles and says, "Beyond this door are my minions, the former members of the Cult of Terranullus. You made the best choice possible in agreeing to aid me on my mission. If you hadn't, the creatures beyond this door would have made made what little was left of you a sacrifice to the god of death." With that, he waves his hand at the door and suddenly there is silence and he gestures to the party to open the door.
As they do, the party sees dozens of undead creatures kneeling, eyeless sockets on the vampire. He gestures again and they shuffle aside to form a lane for the party to walk through. As they move into the room, though, Kossiri loos for the body of her one-time shield bearer, the one she was compelled to sacrifice. She sees Parvay's body, largely eaten by the ghouls in the room. She breaks down at the site of his body, unable to deal with the emotions of having participated in the death of her hireling.
After a few minutes of uncontrolled sobbing from the magic user, Cyrus walks over to her and tries to calm her: "Worry not, dear woman. You did not kill him. You *tried* admittedly. Also, you were only fulfilling his greatest desire. He desperately wanted to give his life essence to Terranullus and you helped him do that. Come, come. He's at peace now. Let us ascend." Almost mechanically, Kossiri stands up and shambles along with the group.
As they leave this room and proceed back through the rest of the underground complex, they realize that the small section of a mausoleum they found must have been only the smallest fraction of all the tombs in the temple because there are thousands and thousands of undead creatures lining the halls and rooms.
Finally, the party arrives at the tunnel leading to the surface and Cyrus reminds them of their oath before he climbs into the coffin and seals the lid. Grimly, the party climbs the tunnel and pulls the coffin up. When they get to the top and out of the cabin, they realize that every grave that they saw above ground has also vomited forth it's dead but the only evidence of them any more are tracks leading down the mountain. They follow the tracks with heavy hearts and camp where the the aura of evil seemed to ebb the last time. Kossiri looks for Scout and sees her a couple of hundred yards in the woods. She goes into the trees and, after some hesitant sniffing, finally jumps up into the mage's arms and purrs loudly. However, when Kossiri heads back towards the fire, towards the coffin, Scout hisses loudly and jumps down and runs back into the woods.
The next day, the party once again picks up the coffin and continue down the mountain. After six hours, the Silver Blade comes to Zeke's camp, or at least what used to be his camp. The skins that were strung up were torn down and after a short search, they find Zeke's corpse well chewed covered in bloody mud. Rather than being full of fear or rage, the party just looks on in resignation and proceed on down the mountain.
Finally stopping to camp in the barren grasslands north of Koros, the party sees three soldiers approach on horseback from the south. The riders circle the fire before getting off the horses and approaching to talk. They ask what the party is doing out this way. After some tense moments, they finally admit to the group that they are investigating a recent wave of undead that had overrun Koros earlier that day.
The party told him that they didn't know anything about it, worrying more about the soldiers seeing the casket at the edge of the firelight. Unfortunately, the guards notice their wandering attention and go over to examine Cyrus's sleeping chamber. The group tries to talk them out of looking, but the soldiers proceed. They try explaining that they lost a hireling and were bringing him back to Koros to his family. The guards look confused, though, as they open the casket. The adventurers assume the vampire will kill the soldiers as soon as they lift the lid, but instead they look confusedly as each other. "Well, if you are taking this casket to the family, you might want to be sure you have a body in it first." The party runs over and sees only a coffin full of dirt. After the guards leave, a mist forms around the feet of the party, finally coalescing into the figure of Cyrus. He laughs at their confusion and congratulates them on how they handled the soldiers.
As people finally settle down for the night, Kossiri sends out her thoughts to see if Scout is anywhere nearby. Indeed, some two or three hundred yards back north she senses her familiar. Seeking some solace and escape, Kossiri steals away from the campfire and finds Scout in the darkness. She curls up with the cat and relives the last few days. In the middle of the night, however, she's awoken by a hissing cat, spitting at a snake winding its way towards them. She jumps up and sends off a magic missile, drawing the attention of the party, but before they can get close enough to aid their teammate, the electric serpent had laid the magic user low.
The shock of Kossiri's death on top of their anxiety over Cyrus shatters the group. The mage had been such a vital component of the party for so long that her demise left a larger hole in their hearts than anyone could have imagined. Wendall picked up the body very gently and carried it back to the fire. He asks the others to begin gathering firewood to prepare a funeral pyre to say goodbye their friend. Before leaving the spot, however, Dalben searches about for Scout, hating to lose his furry friend as well. With some coaxing, he is able to get Scout to jump on his shoulder and come back with him, making him very happy.
After the members of the Silver Blade spoke eloquently--and at least loudly in Dalben's case--about their former comrade, they turn their eyes towards Koros and a future they can only guess at.
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Posted on December 21, 2011 19:37
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