Session 77 - Postmortus Explorations

General Summary

45 Sov'van - Contd

Taking a moment or two to breath, the party just took in the aftermath of the fight. As they looked at the various corpses Zendack wiped his face before falling to his knees, "Thank you, thank you all. I...I..I cannot believe that something so vile was hiding in the heights of our priesthood."
Ranunkel shook his head, "I'm beginning to think that some people don't deserve the respect that we give them based on their authority."
"Shocking," scoffed Denye, rolling her eyes, "that is a simply shocking conclusion." Shaking her head she went over to the victims and began looking over for anything to identify them.
"There is something or someone vile everywhere you look," said Janora, chuckling cruelty, "And no one deserves respect just because of their position....well except witches, you should always respect witches." Shaking her head, Janora went over to check Forest over briefly before sending him to look around the local area and see if anything else smelled either magical or undead.
Ranunkel and Zendack joined Denye in laying out the bodies. The wizard hadn't found much; from the clothes they were commoners and none of them had anything in their pockets. She did find that one of the women wore a locket with pictures of a small boy and girl. Showing the locket to the Sunpriest, Denye asked, "Do you recognize these children, or these folks at all?"
Zendack took the locket and examined it a moment before shaking his head, "I do not sadly. They could be from one of several lower quarters in the city. But may I keep this? I'd like to show this to a few people, perhaps we can find something...if nothing else I shall ask Kandis." Looking around, he added, "There are some priests that I do trust and now that the First Ray is gone. I think I can rally some forces to come down here and put things to right."
Moving over to the corpse of Volen, the witch pulled out the black glass blade and pulled one end into a long pointed finger so she could move the deathlock's robes without touching him. It was not a pretty sight. His skin had been peeled from his entire skull and split down the center of his chest and pulled back like a collar revealing his rib cage and one hand was bone up to the wrist. His robes were in tatters and covered in blood, but they were clearly of a similar style to Zendack's althought of much finer fabrics.
Opening both her witch and her new clerical senses, Janora examined the body carefully. There was a strong taint of necromancy about him as well as a strong sense of a second strange power, but both were fading quickly. "What do you think, Denye," asked the witch, "do you sense anything off of him? There are a couple of power signatures, but they are fading."
"Give me a moment," replied the wizard, "I just need to cast Detect Magic." Pulling out her chalk and spell book she began ritually casting the spell. While she was casting Ell grew impatient and began checking for pockets or other objects. He was wearing a similar golden sun pectoral that was somehow moth-eaten like the others they had seen earlier. It was also smeared with something dark and sticky, but carved into it was the same upside-down ziggurat that Master Dark had worn.
The only other object was a polished rod of wood about 1.5" wide and maybe 2ft long. Ell held it up as Denye came over. The wizard cocked her head to one side and muttered, "Interesting, there is some sort of transmutation magic on it, but there's a sense of necromancy beneath that. Put it in the bag and I'll identify it later." She went over the body carefully but didn't find any other magical sources, Janora confirming that the power she had sensed was gone."
Leaning closer, Janora narrowed her eyes and asked, "Is his heart gone? The other organs are there but I don't see a heart."
"No, you are right," said Denye, shaking her head, "it is gone. How did that happen? The ribcage doesn't seem broken there." Clicking her beak, she added, "Magic, I suppose...but was it just broken and then healed or was it transported out in some way."
Ranunkel spoke up, "I think I've heard of something like that. I can't say for certain that's what he did, but there have been death cults in the past who used magic to remove their hearts and hide them away in ways that gave them a semi-immortality. It wasn't the same thing as becoming a lich, but it was kinda similar."
"Didn't this guy mention that he's died several times?" asked Ell. He went on, "I know we boasted that this was the last time, but now I'm wondering if he has some way to come back."
Janora shook her head, "No...we're going to burn the body and seal him away."
"What if he doesn't need it?" asked Ranunkel, shaking his head. "At the absolute least there are likely other men like him."
"There are always men like him," said a voice in their heads, as Alberich the Suncat appeared, "But as long as there are also folk like yourselves to oppose them, the world has a chance." Surveying the room, the Suncat added, "Good job, you didn't die!"
"You could have helped," muttered Denye before turning to Janora and asking, "Should we take some hair or skin to try to find the heart?"
"Way ahead of you," replied Janroa shifting the black glass blade into a cleaver, "I'm planning on keeping the head. I've got a few questions to ask him and I'm sure that should be enough to find his heart."
"Works for me," said Denye with a shrug. Turning to Zendack she asked, "Do you have any scriptures around intact internment. Are there any specific funeral rites that your people perform? Or scriptures that insist on intact interment."
"No...no," said Zendack shaking his head, "For most of the people, our bodies are given to the flames when we die. Only the Sons of the Sun and a few heroes are entombed, here within the Vault. We remember the spirit of a person, not the meat."
"That's a good policy," agreed Janora, "can we bring the other bodies back over here? I can send them off to the Duskmatron and she will make sure that they are ushered to your Bright Lands." As Ranunkel and the others began to bring the bodies back to the magic circle, the witch raised the obsidian cleaver and cut off the head of Maelrich Volen. Wrapping it in a large piece of cloth, she dropped it into one of the larger pockets of her cloak.
Warning the others to step back, Janora touched the necklace of the raven feather before lifting both hands and casting Cremate on Volen's body, enveloping several of the others. It burned for a moment or two before the Suncat padded forward and put one paw into the flame and it became a 60ft wide pillar of blue-white flame that consumed everything, even the blood and ritual markings on the floor.
As the fire vanished, the cat sat back on its haunches and began to lick his paw, "That was well done Handmaiden of the Raven. I hope you don't mind some assistance, the Sunlord is the god of the Flames."
"Well, they aren't coming back from that," said Janora with a chuckle, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, here in the heart of His Temple."
Denye looked around, "Is there anything else we need to do here? Do we know if Volen was working with anyone?"
"We found some papers that spoke of a cult of unmaking," said Zendack, "but I'm sure we'll find more now that he is gone. As I said, I will speak to Ninth Ray Lorisha Avenor and he will help organize those priest who are trustworthy to clear and clean the Vault. We will also be looking for any confederates among the priesthood, but I don't know what officially could be done, although perhaps the current Son of the Sun can actually be convinced with substantial evidence."
"You found papers on a cult? " asked Denye, "What did they say?"
"It seems like most of the plan is to cause as much death and chaos as possible all over the continent." said Zendack. "As I said, there was talk about the plague that swept through Caisia. I believe there was also a letter from someone who was stirring up a war in the north last Planting. There weren't any names...but that doesn't mean we won't find some in our investigations."
"That can't be all of their plan," said Janora, thoughtfully, "Death and chaos are means...what is it they are trying to accomplish?"
Ell winced, but quickly controlled it, "Fear and pain, maybe?"
"Dead bodies," offered Tear of Midnight Sorrow.
"Wait," said Denye, pointing at the Bells across Janora's chest, "we know that they are trying to bring back the Dark Titan and maybe even the Lost Kingdom."
Janora snapped her fingers, "You're all right. An environment of fear would make it easier to suppress the people and bodies would give them forces. All those souls crossing over could make the line between life and death turbulent...that would likely make it easier to for such a demon to rise again."
"Volen would know of the Lost Kingdom," offered Zendack, "In his early years he served with the Lightwardens out of Keep Vigil. I am fairly certain he has crossed the Wall at least once, but he would have had many opportunities to do so. I shall let you know if we learn more, but once again thank you and Kandis bless you." He took a moment to look nervously at the Bells before adding, "If it is Bells you seek and the Dark Titan returning, Caisia will have even more reason to thank you in the future and may the Lord of Light watch over you."
"If you are ready," said Alberich, mentally, "I can take you back to that cliffside city or anywhere else you would like to go. But not here, we'll have to head back to the real world first."
Sliding up to Zendack, Ell offered, "Are there any like cursed treasures or items that we could take away with us?"
The halfling priest shook his head, "There is gold everywhere...if you feel like you want to take some, feel free I suppose. The only other treasures are in the Heart, but that door hasn't been opened in my lifetime."
"Oh really?" asked Ell as Denye asked, "A door...I can open it."
"Save your spell, wizard," came the voice of the Suncat, "it will not open this door. It has been sealed by the Greater Name of the Sunlord himself and can only be opened by a true Son of the Sun channeling the Voice of Flame." After a few beats he looked at Zendack and added, "Such a one does not exist on this plane and has not for the last 200 years or so."
Denye grumbled about just needing to find more power as the cat went on, "As for what is behind the door, the Eldest of those you already wield as well as a few other items too powerful to be allowed into the world. And a portal that leads back to the Material Plane and one of the Fens of Creation, the secret places from which the world was born and the Eternal Night was chained."
"Wait," said Janora now, "there is a Bell in there? We need that Bell. Ranunkel do you think you can get through the wall?"
The stone dwarf shrugged, "I don't think I can get through the door, but the wall is stone so I don't see why not." He moved up to the wall and put both hands on the mural, before taking a deep breath and pushing forward, merging into the wall. HE got about 5 feet before hitting a barrier of some kind. He tried to move down to come up through the floor, but found it too was blocked. Stepping back into the room, he shook his head and said, "Nope, the room is lined with some sort of metal....even the floor apparently."
Alberich yawned, but said, "None of the Bells move through the world without effect, but Thajenel above all others is too powerful to be allowed into the world for long. Your journeys are not yet to a point where you must have it, perhaps by then things will have changed." This last was said with another glance in Zendack's direction, but the halfling priest seemed oblivious.
Janora noted it though and nodding, said "I can't believe I am saying this...but I think the cat is right. It is clearly safe here, if we can't get in there, I can't imagine there are many other who could."
"I suppose you are right," sighed Denye, "I need to do more research and see what I can learn about that cult...maybe talk to Karobark, Secret, and the others."
"Do you think the rest of the monsters are dead?," asked Ranunkel.
"There may still be a few things," said Denye," but if we go back the same way we got here we shouldn't run into anything."
"Tactically sound," said Jilken, "but that's no reason to let our guard down. But I agree, let's get out of here.
Denye proved to be correct. It took the party about 15-20 minutes to reach the entrance and one by one they stepped through the mirror, appearing once more in the Hall of History. Alberich stretched and looked at the others, "I can jump you from here, shall I take back to White Gryphon or is there somewhere else you would like to go?"
"Do you have a teleport circle in the temple?" asked Denye, "That way we could come back here when it's time."
Zendack shook his head, "If there is one I've never seen it."
Janora pursed her lips, "What about a forest? Are there any near here?"
"Oh, aye," replied the halfling Sunpriest, "the Moonmist Woods are just across the river and about a two days' ride to the east."
"Perfect," said Janora, "take us there. I'll get to know the forest and then we'll find our own way home from there."
Zendack looked a bit confused but the Suncat seemed unruffled. Leaping into the halfling's arms, he said, "Very well, everyone gather in a circle and hold hands. A moment later there was a feeling of being pulled up and out and everything went black. This time the trip was not long, in two blinks of the eye, the party found themselves in a small clearing on the edge of a lake, ankle-deep in heavy snow.
"Thank you all again," said Zendack, "I promise to be in touch if I learn anything of note. And please if there is a way I can help you all, please send word." As the party said their good-byes, the Suncat took a moment to speak to three of the party privately.
Ell heard, "You have a good heart, you seek to deal fairly even when others touched as you would cause pain just for the pleasure of it. Compassion leads to Understanding which grows into Faith and Trust and from them all comes the greatest gift of all…Hope."
In Jilken's mind, the Suncat said, "Hold strong little sister, your mantle is fresh and new. Such things take time to settle. As it does think on this, do you become the role or does the role become you? There is a choice and it is your first of many. The future is not certain and we approach a nexus of tangled skeins from which there are many possible outcomes. You have learned tactics well, now you must learn strategy and leadership."
The message for Ranunkel was, "Child of stone, you were sent seeking and found more than you thought.You yearn for completion and a return to the quiet life, but you may find you no longer fit in that old mold, your time away has changed your shape as surely as water over stone. But think on this, does not the Allhammer shape his children as he wills, much as Kandis does? Perhaps you should ask yourself why he chose thus…or better yet ask him. Go to the southernmost peak of the Summerburg Mts and listen for the heartbeat of the stone…I believe the door will open for you."
Two heartbeats later both the priest and cat vanished. In their place however a small book dropped into the snow. Ell had been standing next to the priest and so leaned over to pick up the book. He almost dropped it again as he read the title, "The Rise and Fall of Hope." Excitedly he flipped through the pages and discovered it was an entire book on the goddess Milani."
As he was showing it to Denye, Jilken asked, "So what is the plan from here?"
"I really should get back to my village to check on things," said Janora.
Denye nodded, "I need to buckle down and do some research...maybe go home for a bit, we'll see."
"I think I need to go on a vision quest," rumbled Ranunkel, "that cat said something about visiting one of the mountains in my home range...and I think, I think I need to do it alone."
"Can it wait for a day or so?" asked Denye, "I want to make sure you have copies of all of my notes on the stone of connection."
"I don't see why not," said the stone druid with a shrug, "It will be easier to take the trade roads from Haven."
"I've got a few things to settle as well," said Ell, "what do you say we plan to meet back up in Wexwood at the end of Kindling?"
Janora was about to agree when she received a Sending from Panna, the librarian of Foxhall. The witch heard, "There is going to be trouble in Baymoon, If you have time, come home. Stop in Foxhall first so I can fill you in." Swearing, Janora replied, "Be there in a couple of hours." Looking back to her friends, she said, "I can drop you off in the forest near Haven, but I need to get back to Baymoon. It seems...it seems something there may be some sort of trouble."
"Do you want us to come with you?" asked Jilken.
The witch shook her head, "I don't think it's reached that point yet. I think I want to go get a look at how things stand, but I promise you that if I need help, I will reach out." That seemed to be all Janora wanted to say about it, mounting her dogesus and directing him deeper into the woods, breaking a trail for the others.

Report Date

13 Sep 2023