Chapter I, Part 4

General Summary

The Brigands & The Tower

82nd-84th of Spring, 117 YA

It was cloudy and cool the morning that the companions headed out again into the flats north of Dyramar. They moved north and then made the decision to head east as they had not explored in that direction yet. They made good time and were pushing east through the center of the flats when they spied a tower south of them. It was on the north side of the Border Hills and seemed to have been constructed to look out over the flats themselves. Figuring that it was of interest, they decided to head towards it. That night they found a fair but exposed place to make camp. The night was mostly uneventful although Geller swore that something passed nearby in the night. He had heard it moving about but nothing had come of the noises.

The next morning, the companions hurried across the flats towards the east. It was a few hours later that they were alerted to a growing dust cloud on the horizon. Seeing it for what it was, an approaching group on mounts, the companions dropped packs and drew weapons to ready themselves. There was no cover on the flats and no chance of out-running them either.

Over a dozen dirty and hard-faced mounted men pulled to a stop as they came within a few hundred yards of the companions. Geller set his arrow to string and the others breathed evenly to calm their racing hearts. From the center, a dark-haired man edged his horse forward and hailed the companions. His name was Aghon, he introduced himself, and continued to move his mount closer as his words took on a more sinister turn. It became quite clear that these were brigands and the companions had little chance of escaping without shedding coin or blood.

The brigand made it clear that they were trespassing on his ‘highway’ and that they had been watched since hitting the flats. A tower, Aghon boasted, we see everything. After that, things went downhill as Brother Prospit, for once, was argumentative and impolite to the bandit leader. It did not take long to see Aghon growing more angry. That was enough for Geller who started it all by loosing his arrow. His eye was good and the arrow slammed into Aghon’s arm but merely caused him to spur his horse and charge at the companions. He was followed closely by a pair of his merry band.

Corthaine’s hands began to incandesce with a blue light as the others readied themselves as well. The whirring of Rhys sling did not drown out the hiss of the arcane bolt unleashed by Corthaine. It whirled through the air with unerring accuracy and slammed into Aghon’s wounded arm. The brigand leader slumped but continued to charge forward as the horse’s momentum was too great. The glorious but brief charge of Aghon ended with him sprawled at the feet of the companions as his horse trampled nearby. The horse was dropped with a hard fist to the jaw and Aghon’s brainpan joined the horse on the ground. One of Aghon’s bodyguards made it to range but lasted no longer and joined his fearless leader in the dust. With a cold smile, the companions watched as the remaining brigands turned tail and ran as fast as their horses could take them.

There was a quick looting and the companions continued their trek to the tower in the distance. This time accompanied by two horses and their former owners tack and coin. They made it close to the northern lip of the Border Hills and decided to make camp. It was felt they were far enough that any brigands would be hard-pressed to see them in the dark. In the morning, they skirted the edge of the hills and Geller spied a path through them that he believed would take them to the tower. From here, the cracked edges of the tower lip could be seen and it was clearly in disrepair if not a complete ruin. They considered the path and realized that the horses would have to be left behind. Unwilling to part with the coin from selling the beasts, they marked the path on Prospit’s rough sketches and headed back to Keep Dyramar.

This time, they hurried back to the Keep with the animals carrying the bulk of their gear. Again, they were asked about the Bright Spear Company and the guards looked disappointed that there had been no sightings. The companions split up with Prospit and Corthaine managing to get an audience with Essara based on their reports of an attack. The young woman grew concerned and inquired if the brigands had mentioned the “King of Stone”? They had not, the group admitted before asking who that person was. Essara explained that the name, the King of Stone, had been heard as a rumor more and more in recent months. It was believed that this so-called King was responsible for the raids to the south-east along Auredain’s border of Northweyr and the taking of a number of caravans in the same area. There was a 1,000 silvers for anyone whose information led to the King of Stone. Essara was also able to identify the tower that they had come across. It was known as the Old Raven Tower though no one knew the origin of the name. She indicated that no one knew much about it. But she indicated that the Overkingdom of Aendor had once built watchtowers like it along trade routes. There was once a vibrant trade route that ran just north of Dyramar and, Essara mentioned with a smile, it was the hope of the Lord-Steward that it would be open again.

While they did that, Rhys, Greevik and Geller managed to sell the horses and tack for a tidy sum. They made a couple of quick purchases including some weapons that were available and inquired about armor. Unfortunately, that had to wait for another day. In speaking with the traders present, Rhys left a message for Alquin indicating that he would be interested in making any procurements that the mage had available. The note was in case the mage-merchant stopped at the Keep while they were out and about. For, intrigued by the Old Raven Tower, they were determined to set out again the next day.

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The Old Raven Tower

85th of Spring, 117 YA

The day the Companions set out from Dyramar was a mild day with occasional light sprinkles. The rain wettened their hair and made the ground soft beneath their boots but the Companions made good time from the keep with a destination in mind. Not to mention being a bit flush from the coinage that they had accrued from the horse sales and more. Guided by Gellor’s memory to the path that he had seen arcing up through the hills, they moved quickly until it came into sight the faint trail among the hills.

Hitching their packs, the Companions ascended smoothly and with little conversation. The cracked and gaping crown of the tower was visible even from the floor below the hills and tended to stifle any untoward sounds amongst them. They headed up the goat trail and made their way to the base of the crumbling tower. The crown of it was open and disintegrating even though the steps leading to the front door appeared solid. There was some difficulty getting the door open but it creaked wide to show an interior that was exposed to the elements and covered in the white patina of bird droppings. A quick exploration found a side-door and iron ladder rungs that led up to the next floor. It took only a few moments to assure themselves that there was nothing of interest on that exposed upper level.

So they turned to the side-door and pried it open only to find the oddest of sights. Inside a small room, set in the floor, was a bronze ‘cap’ of sorts with handles for turning it. The bronze was not as dulled as one might expect and Geller noticed that there appeared to be some tracks in the dust of the small room although the companions crowding it fouled any interpretations. Alert to surprises, the companions tugged on the handles until they spun enough to seemingly unscrew the bronze cap and it lifted on well-oiled hinges to expose an entrance to some underground area.

Last minute checks and they scurried down into the darkness where the need of light invocations was necessary. To their surprise, they were on a worked staircase that led down to a wide but low cavern. There seemed to be shapes in the distance but they were unclear and so the companions moved forward quietly and cautiously. Passing by a slight ledge, Rhys hopped up and checked out several items visible in the gloom only to report them as water barrels. As they moved further in, they could see the cavern continued its wide track towards something dark in the distance but there was a side-passageway to their left.

Creeping up to it, a last-minute warning caused Grimbould to warn the others as three burly shapes in dark leathers and bright blades came out of the passageway. Grimbold wasted no time in knocking one flat down before the others were quickly engaged! It was clear that the half-orcs, for that is what they were, had not been expecting intruders as they stumbled in their defense. This cost them as all three were bloodied and then cut down by the companions. There was a moment’s quiet that was interrupted by the sounds of movement from deeper down the cavern.

It was then that a trio of additional half-orc enforcers slid into view and, to the companions shock, two braziers burst into flames on a dais behind them. Situated at the end of the cavern, the braziers cast a sickly orange light on a hideous statue that caused the hairs on everyone’s arms to stand straight up. Distracted for a moment, the half-orcs seized the momentum and managed to batter the companions back before their spirit was restored by the threat in front of them. As they battled, it was without the aid of Brother Prospit who stood mouth agape at the humanoid statue that bore too many heads, limbs in the wrong place, and other secret parts that were only hinted at in the awful but oddly striking depiction.

The Brother’s mind whirled back to his studies and lessons of old. The sheer inhumanity caused a cold sweat to break on his forehead and upper lip and once, only once, before had he suffered that same reaction. The statue while unfamiliar from his studies was gutwrenchingly familiar to his soul which reeled away from it. It was a depiction of an Elderwrath though which one the brother did not know off-hand. His voice shook as he warned the others just in time as a small framed individual darted into view and Brother Prospit gazed into the mad eyes of an Elderwrath cult magus from across the cavern and swinging blades. She was hideous and everything about her screamed a foulness to the holy brother.

With nails nearly as long as her hands, her slight frame was draped in robes that sported tears and uncomfortable stains. Her hair was matted and long, uncut for many a year, as she scurried up the steps of the dais towards the statue. With a quick warning, Prospit called Edlin’s attention to her and he readied an offensive spell. She tried one of her own in return, even as the mage’s arcane bolts stung her but the companions persevered as they charged at the half-orcs protecting her. In that moment, Brother Prospit saw her disappear behind a curtain set to the side of the statue and he struggled forward only to be stopped by the melee before him.

Precious, long seconds of clanging and grunts led to the companions finally beating down the half-orcs who had ambushed them. Prospit raced up to the curtain, swallowing the bile that came quickly to his throat at being so close to the foul statue. He yanked the curtain aside and saw that there was a corridor hewn from the rock behind it. He gestured to the others and they set off in pursuit. Moving quickly they came through a befouled dining room with a table heaving with the scraps of the last meal eaten by the guards and priestess. A quick look showed no sign of the witch and they discovered a more narrow passage that led down further into the darkness. Before descending, they quickly ransacked a room that clearly belonged to the priestess and even had a small fire burning still… Aside from baubles, they found nothing and Brother Prospit was convinced of the need to learn all he could of this forbidden cult.

The passageway narrowed and wound through the rocks even as they descended further on rough-hewn steps. The walls were natural for much of the distance until it opened up into a paved hallway with arches that had not seen the light of day since time immemorial. The companions slowed their pursuit at this time as no sign of the priestess had been found and the change in architecture concerned all of them; Prospit most of all. Here, just outside Auredain, was a cult of the Nameless: the Elderwrath. His body and mind shivered at the thought and the dread that overtook him as he realized the importance of this…

The Elderwraths harkened from a time before mind and memory were one. Despoilers, enslavers and great dark powers they were. The Elderwraths were responsible for the fall of the Ancient World, the corruption of the Titans and the ensuing emergence of the dark realm of the Shaitan that held an iron grip on the lives of all mortals for millenia. The Elderwraths were locked away, far behind a veil within a prison that no sorcery could break and yet those who worshipped them sought to free them. Brother Prospit could not remember the last time that an Elderwrath cult had made its presence known and it was something that troubled him greatly. With a shaking voice, he urged his companions on into the darkness after the cultist.

They found themselves in a finely carved hallway deep underground with a floor marked with pavers and the ceilings held firm by carved arches bearing loathsome images and faces. All of them could feel it now; a certain dread that iced their spines even as sweat dripped from their faces as they took each tense step further into the hallway. What was that, Edlin’s ears had caught something and it was only his hissed warning that kept them from falling into an ambush. Their pale, weakening light sources revealed the almost animalistic forms of what were once Men and now slavering beasts on all fours. There appeared more in the darkness as a pair of them prowled towards them and the sounds of rocks and gravel moving up and on all sides of them hinted at the presence of many more.

The not-men creeped closer and the companions quickly worried about what they had awoken deep in the bowels of the earth. Having bled enough for one day and concerned that, if they fell there, the Church would never know of the cult Prospit urged everyone to retreat slowly. The not-men prowled towards them as they retreated but eventually held their ground as if they were bound to be guardians of what lay beyond that last arch and could stray no further. The companions could care less and breathed a sigh of relief as they backed again into the underground cult complex. Catching their breath and stepping away from the halls, they quickly decided on exploring the remaining passages of this area.

Their investigations proved gruesome and disturbing. They found the dead body of a young woman stowed in one of the siderooms. The lodgings of the half-orcs were clear by the smell. It was further back in the complex that the Companions located an odd and disturbing room. With a soft, cushioned flooring that appeared to be ‘well-used’ and a number of strange ‘entertainments’ hanging on wall hooks. It was Brother Prospit who stepped back from the room with a grimace and merely noted that he knew what this room was for. The Elderwrath cults were well-documented to use many immoral rituals and many of them involved things best left alone. Ignoring the questions of the others, Brother Prospit fled the room with his cheeks burning. Grimbould chuckled after a few moments and nudged Edlin sufficiently that even the mage got the gist of it. They backed out of the room very carefully without touching anything with their bare skin.

This was echoed most vehemently by Brother Prospit who seemed incredibly disturbed by their discoveries. With little prodding, the brother filled them in on the Elderwraths. Evils from beyond time and reason. These were the ‘things’ that had corrupted the Titans and brought down every civilization in the world at least twice. That an Elderwrath cult had taken up residence here was a revelation that gave Brother Prospit palpitations just thinking about it. Back to the keep, he made clear, was the proper response as the Church needs to hear of this! While few disagreed, they mumbled just the same in an attempt to show some courage in light of the unsettling things that they had seen that day.

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Return to the Keep & Essara's Warning

86th-87th of Spring, 117 YA

The last two days had moved quickly as the Companions finished up their quick explorations of the underground beneath the Old Raven Tower and headed back to Dyramar. Brother Prospit was surprisingly hard to handle as he was intent on returning and letting the Auredain Church know of their discovery. The depth of his emotion was disturbing and the Companions moved with haste all the way back to Keep Dyramar.

On the morning of the 86th, they found themselves within the walls of Dyramar and feeling somewhat safe at last. As soon as the Dawn Sun had broken and prayers said, Brother Prospit dashed off to the Sentinel’s Chapel to speak to Sister Karia about sending a letter to Heraldsport. Alone, Prospit made quick time and wasted none of it by immediately explaining everything to Sister Karia. Showing a mutual concern, she quickly had ink and parchment along with a quill. Brother Prospit drafted the letters as quickly but respectfully as possible before informing Sister Karia that it was essential that these letters make it to the Church. With a dismissive gesture, she informed the young priest that her messenger birds would fly first and that a land messenger would also carry a copy of the missive.

The following day at the Keep donjon, the Companions headed to the keep to meet with Lady Essara who listened aptly to al they relayed to her. She took the maps that Edlin and Prospit had drafted for the Keep’s use. They spoke briefly about next steps and what the Church might do in the absence of any sign of the cult. Prospit was concerned that Heraldsport’s envoy or solution is a few weeks delayed so to take that into consideration he had been calmed down by Sister Karia. When word of the Elderwrath cult was spoken, she grew pale in the face and seemed to take a moment to recover her own thoughts before answering. She methodically questioned them about what they knew and when they learned of it; the evidence and all. Brother Prospit had little patience with this as he was familiar with the symbols and nothing could have prepared him for the feeling that had swept his body. He quickly explained that it was a situation of utmost importance and that the Lord-Steward should be informed immediately. He went on to explain that he had spoken to Sister Karia at the Sentinel's Chapel and word has already been sent to the Cathedral in Heraldsport.

This last part caused the Lady Essara to freeze in place and her face was quickly overcome with frustration as she stared at the priest in front of her. She demanded to know who else he had told and whether anyone else in Dyramar were among those who knew of this cult’s existence. Brother Prospit explained that it was only Sister Karia but he was appalled at her response and inquired of how she could not want folks knowing about this?! She made it very clear that if there was to be any disturbing news that it should come from her offices and nowhere else. The King, she noted, did not need to hear every concern of us! We are here to prove to him that we can handle the responsibility and the demands, she stated.

Brother Prospit, and the others taking their cue from the priest (luckily, Grimbould had stayed at the Inn to continue sampling their wares), quickly assured her that it would not cause a problem. Furthermore, it was explained, that any mention of an Elderwrath cult had to be brought to the attention of the Church as it was of the utmost concern to those in the fold. Lady Essara made it clear that they sought not to keep information so dire from the capital, Crown and Church. She indicated that it was only fitting that such information came from her office in the future. Brother Prospit swallowed a retort and agreed that they would bring such matters to the Keep in the future. With that, the Lady shifted moods in a second and thanked them for all of their service. She counted out twenty-five pieces of Crown gold for the Companions for all they had done. When she was finished counting, she inquired as to their next steps and learned that they meant to head out right away for the Old Raven Tower to continue their investigations. Wishing them luck, they were dismissed by the Lady and headed back to the Inn for a well-earned rest.

Rewards Granted

Coins rewarded from Dyramar.

Various coinage recovered from the underground complex.

Character(s) interacted with

The Elderwrath Cult of Raven Tower. The cult magus managed to flee from the complex.