Session 26 - "Making New Friends, Ruins of Gauntlight - Part 13"

General Summary

Wealday, 5th of Desnus, 4721 AR

Gauntlight Keep

Level 3 - Library

Temple of the Canker

10.54a

After taking a moment to catch their breaths, the Exterminators begin searching their surroundings. Zor'ahn begins detecting magic and finds the necromatic staff the priestess was holding. Kaliff attends to Kalitos and Tristan's wounds as Ehrn works on the fighter's shield. Kaliff begins excitedly looking over the canker and talking about the soul gem they found on Mister Beak and of the constructions in storage upstairs. Kalitos looks over the bookcases and finds that their frames house the glow and appear to be removable.

11.34a

Moving to leave, Kaliff is suddenly struck by a bolt of electricity, scorching a large swash of his flesh. A formless mass of crackling energy appears immediately before the sorcerer, fingers of lightening seeking out from it. It floats towards Kalitos and arcs out another bolt of power. The magus runs his swords through the will-o-wisp, just catching with one blade. Zor'ahn moves to flank, but is unable to capitalize on his position. Tristan takes position as well and puts a grim face on and swings on the wisp, slashing through it. Ehrn steps up and patches some of Kalitos' wounds.
Kaliff pulls out a scroll and barrage of force bolts leap from his fingers, slamming into the creature. The wisp fires a bolt at Kaliff, dropping him, before moving away. With a roar, Kalitos follows after but is not able to land an attack in his rage. Zor'ahn suddenly reaches out to the skull within, touching it with fear. A sudden backlash of electricity arcs into his hand from the wisp. His Mark is left glowing with an eerily, dark light. Just as quickly, positive energy flows into him and Kaliff, rousing the sorcerer. Tristan follows after the wisp as well. He launches a vicious swing that seems to catch within the energy somehow. The barbarian quickly kneels by Kaliff, rejuvenating him. She begins to rage and skewers her glaive through the ball before it suddenly fades from view.
Kaliff cautiously begins to crawl away from the fray and takes cover behind a set of bookcases. Olli attempts to seek out the wisp, but she does not detect it. The group quickly heals.

Scriptorium

11.44a

Opening the door in the east reveals a set of stairs that descend. Listening at the southeastern, Tristan detects muffled muttering sounds. He is able to make out the voice of an adult female speaking in a beautiful language that he does not recognize. Kaliff moves up to decipher. "Where are those lazy scribes?" and "Why are these books still dirty?"

Tristan carefully opens the door to a large room with small tables and chairs with stacks of paper and books on them. To the south a skeleton wearing a chainmail shirt lying on the ground, clutching something. A ghostly elvish woman floats and turns to the group and replies, "Well, it is about time. Get to work, over here." Empty inkwells, appears to be doing something in front of her, engaged in unseeable activities. Zor'ahn examines the skeleton and sees that it could have once belonged to the elf before them.
"Apologies, mistress," Kaliff replies. "I am covering this position for another scribe. What would you bid me do?"
Exasperated the ghost replies, "Finally! As I said yesterday, that pile there needs to be transcribed and it should've been done yesterday. You and your lackeys should already be working on it!"

Kaliff moves for most of the party to take positions at the tables. Zor'ahn is able to make out what appears to be an oval picture frame. Kaliff tells the ghost that Zor'ahn will tidy up. Glancing at the papers, he finds mentions of religious necromancy. She sees Zor'ahn begins floating towards him. He tensing up, but makes no move to stop her. She tells him to move and get to work. He steps back and she passes through the space and then through the wall. Kaliff immediately begins to gather up all the papers nearby as Zor'ahn snatches up the portrait and chainmail from the skeleton. As they rush from the room, the ghost reappears, complaining once again about lazy scribes. Also within the papers, the party finds the second Quagmire letter.

Kaliff explains what was going on in the room. The portrait shows the same drow with the plate, "Volluk Azrinae". The next room over is another room of desks withstains of old blood and decayed viscera all over. Nothing really appears of interest.

Library

Moving back to the entrance of the room, there is still the sound of echoing rustling. Down the hallway the party spies a morlock ghoul feasting on the bodies of the other ghouls. It replies, "So, you are the ones to thank. Well, thank you. Call you friend, if you'd have me." The ghoul explains that he is called Augrael and had been quite hungry up until a half hour ago. The party makes a neutral alliance with the creature and tells them, "If you're looking for your friend, they are about to kill him." When asked, the ghoul describes a dwarf that Zor'ahn says could be one of the those from the Osprey Club. Augrael continues and tells them that he is being held by Caliddo and Volluk and is to be sacrificed at midnight. When asked about the two men further, the ghoul says he doesn't entirely know what they are. Volluk is something inhuman entirely, like a man made up of thousands of worms. Caliddo himself is "not of the living" and is seen as a great knight. Kaliff ponders aloud that Volluk could be something called a "worm that walks" and Caliddo a "graveknight", both powerful supernatural threats.

Temple of the Canker

12.34p

The party decides to allow time for Kaliff to see if he can reanimate the Canker on his own. After bringing down the two previously discovered constructs, Ehrn assists the sorcerer has he constructs the frame and gears that will support and drive the creature.

1.34p

Finally construction is completed, and Kaliff places an anatomical clockwork heart with the soul gem inside into the creatures back. Nothing happens at first, but the gem suddenly begins to glow and veins of green electricity begin to pump and flow with the thing. Kaliff watches in awe, but then suddenly notices that one vital connection was not made, threatening ruin their efforts. With a cry, he plunges an arm into the stinking flesh and is just able to complete the circuit. Kaliff moves to stand before the hulking brute just as its dead white eyes open. "You are 'Thud'," he intones. "I made you and you will listen to me!" Without a word, the clockwork reanimation follows the sorcerer's direction to guard the temple doors.

9.34p

Level 4 - Belcorra's Retreat

Bridge

The party rests without incident and begins to follow the dusty set of stairs leading down from the Restricted Section. As they reach the bottom, flickering ribbons of luminescent ribbons erupt from the ground and form into a glowing message, "Gauntlight is a weapon, built to raze Absalom- it must be brought down!" The message changes into glowing footprints that move off to the west. There is an iron-banded door similar to the upper levels that the footprints walk through. It opens to an immense cavern, cold and damp, with a lake and a stone platform that is elevated above the water by about 10 ft. In the middle of it is a flickering campfire and as well as the sound of a wolf howling wildly, echoing through the hall. With the beast is a feral looking man wearing furs and leathers, crouched in a menacing stance.

Kaliff bids his time. Kalitos moves to hold the line. Ehrn confidently strides forward and tells the man to stand down. She sees that the man has a hand on the large wolf, holding it back. He himself has a pasty, pale appearance with sunken features from possibly starvation. Tristan joins his wife. The man states, "This is my territory, you're not welcome!" and gestures for the party to go back. There is a twinkle of light on his neck from which hangs a necklace that appears out of place there. Zor'ahn moves onto the platform and fishes out some hard tack from his pack. He tosses it at the man's feet and asks, "Friend or Foe? We have no quarrel with you, we merely wish to pass through."
Kaliff and Thud emerge from the tunnel. The man brings his hands up and struggles to make words past his growls. "It has been a long time since I've spoken the Common tongue."
"Who are you?" Tristan asks.
"My name is…" he rips ration in half and shares with the wolf, "My name is Jaul Mezmin."
The party realizes this is the werewolf being hunted by Keeleno Lathenar who was said to have murdered his wife 20 years ago. Jaul scrunches up his face in puzzlement before he recognizes the name. "That is true, it is not something I had intended." He lowers his head and shakes it. "But that was a long time ago." Zor'ahn asks why he is down here who replies that he has been here ever since. He expresses regret and guilt. He narrowly escaped a mob by jumping into the ocean before washing up here. He is unaware of where he actually is. "I am in my own purgatory. This is where I hope to one day be worthy to present myself, but until that time I survive."

Report Date

01 Dec 2024

Primary Location

Gauntlight Keep

Related Characters

• Ehrn Ricard
• Kaliff Raiboren
• Kalitos Raiboren
• Tristan Ricard
• Zor'ahn the Dark Ranger

Constellations