Breaking the Tomb

cy 4863 - Janos 27th - 29th

The fourth cavern of the Caves of the Dead is dimly lit. A tomb dominates the centre of the small crypt and five recesses contained skeletal figures laid in state. G-Lest casts bless before the party – led by Taryn Bzar – enter the room. Behind the tomb is a man called Horvain, a necromancer, the fourth discipline of the Kals. Brazer reaches into the mind of a killer, an elf of pure evil.

Horvain offers them passage through to the final cavern. "One of you must spill blood and soul onto this tomb and you will be guaranteed safe passage."

Brazer senses the over confidence of the necromancer and feeds this to his companions by their telepathic link. Taryn steps forward. He raises his hand and slowly draws a knife across it; at the same time he bites hard down onto his tongue, blood fills his mouth.

Horvain is pleased to see the blood from Taryn’s clenched fist drip onto the stone tomb but his glee turns to horror as flames bubble from the slab. Brazer senses the necromancer preparing a death spell and feeds this information into Taryn’s mind. The ranger spits the mouthful of blood at the spell caster; a gout of flame like dragons’ breath passes close to Horvain but flies harmlessly past. Taryn strikes once with his bleeding hand; a crushing blow that snaps the neck of the necromancer instantly.

Skeletons that were animating fall lifeless at the death of the necromancer.

G-Lest prays for one hour before they enter the final cave. Unlike the rest this one is large and contains a mausoleum in the centre of the room. Each member of the party knows instinctively that they have reached the tomb of the great Lord Kal himself. Stood next to the structure is a slender youthful sorcerer called Mercurius.

Again Brazer penetrates the sorcerer’s mind and senses further over confidence. When Arvial steps forward to take the challenge Mercurius is sure he will win. He places Arvial two hundred feet away and prepares for the battle ahead. When it starts the Kal sorcerer pours death magic down upon Arvial. Spell after spell; fire, lightning, death magic. Brazer sneaks into Arvial’s mind as the incredible child turns aside every attempt to slay him. Arvial nonchalantly deflects every attack patiently.

Eventually…inevitably Mercurius runs out of steam. Exhausted he kneels down before Arvial and screams; "Who are you child?"

There is a moment when Mercurius thinks about denying them entrance to the tomb. Arvial is fed this information and reacts. His mind kicks down every defence, every secret compartment in the Kal’s mind and crushes his resistance.

Eventually Mercurius opens the tomb. As soon as the door opens a storm hits the cave. Debris rages all around but the party feel none of it. Mercurius, the other chambers and everything in them is shredded to nothingness. Only the tomb of Lord Kal remains.

Inside is the body of Lord Kal. His beautiful unblemished face looks peaceful, reposed and calm as though he has merely fallen into a deep sleep. The spirit of the Kals is strong inside the tomb and sorcery of the highest order can be sensed – even by those without the ability to do so.

Valkaras – the slightly curved longsword made by Lord Kal himself.

The Mantle of the Kals – a headband with telepathic properties.

Amzak, the bow of kings, a great longbow carved from an unknown wood.

The Cloak of the Dead – a necromantic artefact.

The Ring of Kal Amoth – a ring of sorcerous power.

Clytem claims the ring and when he slips it on he feels the sorcery around the room. He can identify all the items and sense the different aspects of all the sorcery and sorcerers in the room. Brazer claims the mantle; his mind is suddenly opened. Furthermore he now has the ability – amongst others – to compartmentalise his mind thus separating it into two. G-Lest claims the cloak and sword whilst Taryn takes the bow Amzak.

As soon as they have liberated the items the tomb, the body and everything around them turns to dust. They find themselves in the Kalador Forest once more. Brazer stretches out his mind in a wide radius, he picks up the concentration of big minds and realises he has found the palace fifty miles to the north. They head immediately for it.

Taryn casts mount and Brazer discovers horses a mile away. Three hunters led by Narmiel agree to lend their horses to the party and soon they make haste towards the palace. Before long Brazer senses an ambush. Five minds lie in wait, archers awaiting their passage.

Taryn hefts the bow Amzak and using Brazer’s mind locates the ambushers. His bow fires a couple of shots five hundred yards distant – the second arrow puntures the heart of one and sprays lethal fire over two others. Brazer smiles as the leader decides they are outgunned but Taryn’s third arrow is already in flight. It crashes through the back of the skull and the dead assassin vomits fire over the last opponent killing him instantly.

They ride up to the ambush sight and a fire has quickly taken hold threatening to engulf several trees. Taryn opens his clenched fist and the firs turns to blood immediately.

When they reach the palace of Luthian Stormrider they are struck by the amount and diversity of the races present. Eventually the reach Aluthar – Luthian’s chancellor – and are ushered quickly into the throne room.

Luthian Stormrider – King of the Kals

Illeum Runesabre – emperor of New Bretonia

Dramnir – the king of the Rosens

Queen Jirenna – ruler of the Khulandir elves.

Grestarn – King of the Talik of Talkhand.

Luthian greets them warmly. It appears that Illeum has shrouded the throne room in a bubble of magic; sight, sound, magic or telepathy cannot penetrate. The talk revolves around the siege of Van Myrid where Valadain Raikos stoically keeps at bay the vast army of queen Illyanth of Elenoria.

They learn that Illyanth’s child will be born on the sixth day of the sixth month and that she is desperate to maintain the purity of her bloodline by slaying Calandrin and Arvial. Another reason is that Calandrin is – technically – the rightful heir to the Elenorian throne though some in the room are sceptical about his claim.

Diplomacy is discussed with few holding out any hope for a favourable result. Illeum suggests mustering an army to march into Myrid with hope of luring Illyanth into a mistake at best and re-enforcing Van Myrid at worst. Taryn wants to take Arvial with them to lure the Elenorian queen out into a fight.

As the discussions progress another idea is formulated. Taryn and the party should go – via theoportation – into Van Myrid itself to bolster Valadain’s chances of survival and – should the need arise – rescue him if things turn against him. Illeum and Jirenna promise a guard of one hundred of their palace guardians – superb troops that should help in their plight.

It is agreed that Calandrin and Arvial will remain in the protective care of the emperor of New Bretonia and when the council is concluded the party head for the temple region. It is to the Malakarians that they turn; the weasel-like high priest Kossrik is pleased that over one hundred people are in his temple. Clytem senses an interloper however; someone has slipped in amongst the hundred troops but neither Clytem nor Brazer can spot the mind.

Kossrik assures them that only one hundred troops will pass to the temple of Van Myrid. "I will divert the sneak thief into my lord’s house and let him deal with it!" Kossrik says with some glee.

True to his word only one hundred troops along with the rest of the party make it through to the temple at Van Myrid.

Heat, noise and death are all around them. The temple is ablaze and the fighting comes from the air as well as through the shattered walls. Immediately the Bretonians and Khulan warriors fan out, their swords savage and brutal as they go. Taryn glances above the near-demolished temple structure. The roof is missing and demonic shapes fly over to drop sorcerous fire onto the troops below. Such is the intensity of that fire it melts solid stone.

The Bretonians engage imps and red-eyed monsters. Their impact is immediate and devastating; the demons are pushed back by the powerful Bretonians and the Khulans prove to be just as effective against them. Taryn tries to assess the situation. He wonders whether the city has fallen or whether this is a concerted and ongoing assault to destroy all the temples in Van Myrid. He knows only too well that if the temples are destroyed they are trapped…