Vanyar’s Gambit

cy 4863 Arr 9th - 10th

Badal Chaining hurries towards the palace in the company of three new companions. Kadesh Lovespear, a Lionian sorcerer, Daryal, a female Jarak assassin and Skarkin, a Lokus warrior. The high priest is greeted by Scalpel on the way through the dark night. Both men are fearful that something ominous has happened.

When their newest companion, Daryal, explains that she’s hearing voices Badal’s worst fears are realised. "The Dark Lord moves against them – find the Fountain of the Dead." She intones, recounting the words she is hearing.

Without warning the dangerous young woman attacks a beggar in a side alley for no apparent reason; Scalpel finishes off the poor unfortunate. Badal is confused but Scalpel confirms his own suspicions that something is very wrong. When they see the crumpled body of a Jarik priest in the middle of the street with arrows in it their worst fears become reality. Daryal discovers three more Jarik bodies in the shadows and surmises that Vanyar has made his move.

"I have to get to the temple," Badal says.

"First we need a sanctuary," Scalpel says, "and I suggest the Rihaj. Our friend Sir Manjar is there."

Daryal takes the beggar’s clothes and disguises Badal as a beggar, a serviceable disguise. Scalpel shifts and scouts ahead to the Rihaj. To his dismay the gates are boarded but the walls are easily breached and soon the party wander around the deserted arena of combat, the sorcerer Kadesh identifies magic in the centre of the sparring area. A spirit gate.

Scalpel shifts and moves through the gate to find Sir Manjar sat calmly inside a safe room, a place built as a bolt hole in times of trouble. The last Middenheimer knight informs them that the arch priest Vanyar has made a move on Van Myrid and the only resistance is Gorat Stern – the Bretonian general – but the knight has no idea who is winning.

"It is deceptively quiet in the city," sir Manjar says, "most people are unaware of what is going on."

They ask him about the Fountain of the Dead but he does not know it. Suddenly Daryal twists to her right and plucks an arrow (meant for Scalpel) out of the air. They rush for cover but the hidden archer is nowhere to be seen. Kadesh identifies the arrow of slaying and notices the scarring it produced on Daryal’s hand melt away before the high priest can heal it.

"I’m going to the Jarik the temple," Scalpel says. He shifts and moves on ahead. The temple of Jarik is in ruins. The altar is smashed and bodies litter the place. Those that are alive are being crucified and amidst all the slaughter stands a triumphant Vanyar. Before him nailed to a stake, is Rumus, former high priest of Jarik. Scalpel watches as a shadowy figure whispers in the ear of the archpriest. "I want no excuses Voragon!" Vanyar says, "find them and slay them!"

The man called Voragon slips away into the shadows.

In a fit of rage Vanyar plunges a dagger into the heart of Rumus and the priest dies screaming in the centre of his burning temple. Scalpel moves onto the Paths of the Dead but Rumus offers no insight into the whereabouts of the Fountain of the Dead.

Back in the Rihaj Scalpel informs them of the grave news and they decide to head to the Great Library, the centre of Myrid learning and the former home to the academies of magic.

The Great Library is now a fortress. Secured inside is Gorat Stern with two thousand veteran Bretonian soldiers. A handful of sorcerers remain, those lucky enough to escape the Malakarians who came at them earlier. The general knows the situation is grave but is pleased to see Badal and Scalpel.

Badal immediately constructs a shrine as the others try to research the Fountain of the Dead. To their further dismay they discover the location of the Fountain – under the lowest crypt in the temple of Malakar.

Badal plane shifts to his god’s plane in desperation. He lands at a forest outside the palace and heads in. Soon a woman called Kalia riding a pure white unicorn greets him, the gamekeeper of Jarik’s estates. She leads him into a grumpy chancellor, a man called Nasaran who informs him that Jarik has called a council of gods and cannot be disturbed…indeed he is not even on the plane.

But Nasaran informs him that the help he needs is on Grayhawk. "Try the Glaennyn; Lord Hamroth resides on top of the temple at Aldegaarde."

So badal plane shifts once more and lands a couple of leagues outside the largest city in the east. He calls the great dragon-like creature and soon Hamroth is before him. "The only sanctuary is the Fountain of the Dead," the Glaennyn says, "seek it and you will all survive."

Badal returns and the party head for the Malakar temple with some trepidation. Daryal, however, a haragei adept has an uncanny knack of spotting and avoiding danger. Soon they are close to the grounds of the temple, which is guarded by priests, shadows, and warriors of Malakar. The party realise that most of the dangers will not be here; the rest of the city is being targeted so they devise a plan to sneak up into the grounds.

Kadesh casts hypnotise on 5 Myrid guards on a routine patrol and sends them into the grounds of the temple. The subsequent commotion (the guards are challenged noisily by the Malakarians) offers a good enough distraction to get them call to the temple outer walls. There are four crypt entrances and each is solidly shut. Daryal knows instinctively which entrance contains the fountain but the door is solidly shut. Scalpel shifts but cannot get behind the door as it is shrouded in an anti magic shell.

An acolyte wanders up to them. "Who’s there?"

Kadesh immediately hypnotises him and gets him to open the crypt via a hidden counterweighted trigger. The stairs go down into abject darkness. Scalpel breaks the neck of the acolyte as they enter and they close the door using a level (although Scalpel jams it shut with a dagger).

The crypt contains skeletons on shelves but little else. Daryal knows there is another exit and – before long – she finds another counterweight trigger. This time a second stairway descends into a smaller room. She senses water!

The party follow the woman down and realise that their magical potential has returned. In the centre of the second chamber is a well; it descends twenty feet to fresh water. Daryal launches herself into the water and is briefly submerged. She swims down as far as she can and then something unique and profound occurs.

At some point down the well gravity is inverted; to such an extent that once beyond the tipping point the swimmer is actually ascending up towards a source of light. Kadesh, Scalpel and Daryal are the first to attempt the unusual swim with sir Manjar, Badal and Skarkin.

The room they ascend is full of light and has a profound magical surge at the centre. They emerge from one of five similar pools of fresh water into a large cavern with torches illuminating the entire chamber. At the centre is an ornate fountain spewing dark oily blood from a single spout.

Kadesh identifies the liquid as Earthsblood.

A discussion follows but without any significant breakthrough so Badal walks up to the fountain, cups a handful of the dark liquid and gulps it down. The high priest dies instantly. His lips and hands charred black from the dangerous substance.

Daryal immediately lifts the amulet (the Ninth Facet) from the priest and puts it over her head.

Scalpel shifts onto the Paths of the Dead but something strange happens. There is no soul on the path, no residue heading toward Limbo.

Shortly afterwards the black marks on Badal’s lips and hands disappear; in fact he looks healthier dead than he did alive. Kadesh is next to drink, followed soon by the others.

All die instantly; Skarkin dies just sniffing the vapours from the vile substance…

But it is not death. All six members of the party hear the sound of a gong in the distance. The air is thin in the chamber and they suspect they are at altitude. All around them are twelve robed and hooded individuals.

"All hail the disciples!" one of them says.

At that moment Daryal realises that the voices in her head she has been hearing for most of her adult life are before her…