Saturday April 20th 1428 Imperial Calendar
The long narrow tunnel ahead flickered with the dim light of candles from an unseen room. Mouse was the first to proceed. To his surprise the burning candles were not the hottest things in the room. "Enzo, you have a visitor,” he said with a duplicitous edge to his voice. Once Enzo entered the room he called back to Calais to delay Celeste in moving forward. Octavious and two succubae were lying in the derelict bed of the Bishop of St. Rose. The two carnal creatures lavishing Octavious with attention, but careful to make sure they were displaying their wares for onlookers too. Octavious started the conversation gleefully delivering the news that Enzo's wish would be granted, with no strings attached. Octavious was going so far as to quell the angry entity Worm and prevent him from exacting his revenge.
Calais had moved forward enough to take in the scene and catch the jist of the conversation. Octavious was holding forth the contract for the wish. Signs of ashen markings were apparent on the parchment, but it was whole and quite real. The sinister purveyor of lies scratched at an apparent smudge on the paper. His coy expression of innocents was clearly an act. "Interesting complicity." was his only remark as he winked at Calais. In a moment he was gone. The pouty succubae lingered for a moment eyeing prospects them they too departed. The lingering scent of there presence was intoxicating and palpable.
When Celeste finally arrived on the scene it was reported to her that Octavious had made a brief appearance to further taunt Enzo. Nothing more of the encounter was revealed. Instead attention was drawn to the unexplored door in the hallway. Casper and Mouse combined their talents to search and clear the small room. A coffin of sorts was propped up inside the room. This was apparently some kind of an interview chamber for the bishop to question the motives of the underworld. An unsanctioned method of divining the workings of evil. The vampyre housed in the room was little more than a husk. Celeste didn’t waste any time finishing his journey to eternal damnation with a shot from the crossbow the bishop had kept on hand to control his fiendish pet. The arrow in the bolt was singularly crafted to end the existence of the vampyre and was ruthlessly efficient once employed.
The chants of the Drow priestess in the main hall were elevating in volume. By the stressed timbre of her voice her anticipation was mounting. Several options were still available to them for further exploration without confrontation. Silverhawk was sent into the main hall with magic from Casper that would make her nearly impossible to see. Mouse crossed the open hall to the door opposite and deftly made his way inside. After confirmation of further doors on the other side he motioned for the others to follow.
One by one the party made the crossing. The Drow ceremony had culminated in the summoning of some massive creature of demonic origins. It had wandered from its place of summoning out into the pews. The threat for now seemed distant except for Silverhawk who was somewhere out in that room with scores of Drow and the demon.
Everyone was across except Calais and Corman. Calais knew his chances of crossing undetected were very poor. Even Celeste who was not the stealthiest among them had cleared the hall undetected. Calais assured Corman that he would cover him as he crossed the hall. As if on cue Corman shambled into the corridor and was immediately noticed by the shaman summoner. Her fingers and lips flashed in semantics of magic. True to his word Calais had Corman’s back. The volley of arrows caught the shaman unawares and the magic on her lips was lost to the pain and surprise. Ducking inside with the body of the party Calais took up a position near the door. The pressure was on to find the stairs quickly. Mouse frantically search room to room only to discover that it was a dead end.
Calais took the initiative to secure access to the remaining option. The double doors leading to the great falls room was still untested. Mouse shouted that the doors were not locked. A squad of Drow archers had lined up near the front-most pews taking cover behind the wooden barrier. Casper lanced one of the nearest Drow with a flash of arcane fire.
The response was immediate a wall of fire dropped like a devilish hand on a chessboard, thereby isolating one of the pieces for removal. Adding add insult to injury. Each person wishing to escape the dead-end would have to brave the flames before emerging into a hail of arrows. One by one the party emerged. Casper, having chanced casting a fireball out into the main hall with no effect. Decided to risk something more powerful. The result was better than he could have hoped for. He could only make out three of the Drow remaining. The demon spawn however didn’t seem effected. He stormed into the side hall bowing his head slightly to enter the hall. Celeste was there to stop his progress. Raising her twin swords in response to his arrival she braced for his attack. The blow struck home true, driving the air from her lungs and sending stars into orbit around her head. Enzo saw that Celeste was alone at the front. Cursing under his breath he charged forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with her. “Guess I better bail you out again.” He said with overtones of humor on his tongue. “I never said I didn’t need your help” she replied still reeling from the strike. Silverhawk took this opportunity to rejoin the group after backtracking through the library. Joining Calais at the rear she drew her bow and fired. The entire party poured damage down on the summoned creature until at last he fell silent. The injuries had been many and widespread. Everyone took a moment to catch they’re breath. Celeste was still reeling from the unholy strike unable to regain her center. Enzo comforted her with a healing hand. “That should take care of things.” He said evenly. Celeste knew what damage the creature had wrot. It was not the kind of thing easily restored. Immediately the dizziness and the unease abated. She had expected that she would have to feel that way until a cleric could ease her malady. The fact that Enzo could do it was shocking and almost as disconcerting as the malady he had abated. Standing upright she looked at him in disbelief. “ You can do that?” her features softened and moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes. Throwing her arms around him she kept repeating, “Thank you, Thank you…”
The commotion Celeste was making did not distract Silverhawk from setting up a guard position back toward the chapel. Nearly stepping back into the heat of the fiery wall she keened her senses and seemed to bring everyone back to the moment. The fire was still burning. That meant the spell caster was still out there. Mouse moved up to the front by Calais and Silverhawk. Each of them a superb hunter, they set about testing there surroundings. In a moment they had their answer. The summoner had returned with one of the Drow males. Her biting words summoned flame from the ceiling above the trio. Her surprise attack found no quarry unaware or unable to evade the deadly strike.
Answering his instincts to close with the spellcaster, Calais surged into the room. As he closed on the summoner he noticed unnatural flames swirling over the surface of her skin. “Damn” he said as he launched into the fray. The elaborate vithmil armor was hardened and difficult to penetrate. A series of well-placed blows were thwarted by the Drow armor. A third Drow warrior came crashing into the room from the bishop’s bedroom. All three were accounted for now. Everyone could feel the moment was upon him or her to end this once and for all. Flooding into the room looking for position to strike at the dark elves the scene started to resemble a scrum. Mouse, feeling nostalgic for the battlefields where he had fought with Sergeant Enzo and Calais Hellebore charged in for a triumphant charge. Forgetting his injuries until he was already in the fray. “Oh hell, I guess I’ve been in worse scrapes than this.” Mouse attacked without effect. The new arrival was a seasoned warrior and silenced Mouse with his long black rapier before the words finished leaving his mouth. Corman noticed that even though Mouse had crumbled under the attack he was still breathing. “I can get him out and revive him. Just give me a little space.” No one answered Comnan’s request, but like the well-oiled machine they had become as a unit, a path opened for him. Enzo and Celeste been pummeling the other male Drow and this time they brought him to an end with their combined efforts.
Calais was preparing himself to attack the remaining male when the female barked a command at him. Calais didn’t understand the words, but the meaning became clear. The warrior withdrew to the bedroom. A few parting shots from he and other skittered off the black armor as he retreated. Turning to face the summoner, now alone. Calais notices a perverse look on her face. She was smiling. She folded her fingers into shapes that gave life to fire. The air in the room vanished. Fire was everywhere. Screaming came from every direction. Shielding his eyes Calais watched as the silhouette of his attacker stepped back through the doorway. When the heat and light finally abated the casualties has mounted. Everyone knew without looking that Mouse had perished in the fire. Everyone was in shit shape and continued exposure to this caster was just going to kill more of them.
Reacting more than acting Calais slammed the door shut and put his body against it to keep it shut. The look on everyone’s faces told the story. They were outmatched. It was time to get out. The wizard was already doing the math. “One too many if we want to make it to Eldred’s Cross.” After a brief pause he said, “Dead weight is free.” Leaving a morbid solution to their problems lingering in the air. Corman had gone down in the fire and was only clinging to life. The solution was unthinkable, but they were too deep into this to leave on foot and have any chance of survival. Before the thought lingering on everyone’s lips could be voiced. Celeste volunteered to stay behind. “I can heal myself and stay out of sight until you return.” The halfhearted attempt at martyrdom was not even a good plan.
“The amulet” The words nearly painted and exit in the air. The vote was unanimous. Joining hands as a group they waited for the words that would take them far from here. Triggering the amulet Casper removed them from the danger. |
