Saturday April 20th 1428 Imperial Calendar (Continued)
The business of finding the tomb of St Rose and the fallen angel was the motivation to continue searching for the lower chambers of the abbey. Exploring the chambers inside the abbey’s healing center revealed the skeletal remains of some of the abbey’s less fortunate occupants. A thorough search of the area revealed a hidden cache of healing.
A carpenter’s workshop was discovered at the back of the room along with several private quarters. Just outside the workshop was a corridor that lead to stairs descending into darkness. The descent brought on a noticeable climate change. The cold air and odor of decay was palpable. the room at the base of the stairs was almost completely filled with crates and boxes. Rats of varying sized cowered in the safety of the empty spaces between the ancient stores.
Pressing deeper into the catacombs revealed a domed room painted with images of the heavens and celestial magnificence. Seated on a stone bench sat a rotting semblance of life. His malevolent gaze preceded a gesture that summoned angry servants of death from the catacombs beyond. Celeste and Enzo quickly formed a front line against the incoming threat. Though the creatures posses supernatural strength and speed, they were no match for the sheer destructive power of the warrior prowess the adventures possessed.
Continuing into the catacombs they soon discovered a chamber filled with the remains of all the bishops who had presided over the abbey since it construction nearly six-hundred years ago. The unused tom of St. Catherine sat in close proximity to the similarly empty tomb of St. Roselyn. Before further exploration could occur the screams of running death could be heard filing into the access halls. Enzo and Calais coordinated a attacks on the wights. Enzo’s streaming acid breath and Calais’ penetrating shot rendered the the undead reavers harmless.
Standing at the deep recesses of the chamber was the unholy semblance of a warrior paladin. His tabard desecrated and all signs of holy association removed by infernal fire. With the flick of a wrist he sent a wave of life quenching destruction down on the party.
The new arrival was radiating evil on a scale that would confound acolytes and friars alike. Celeste understood without hesitation her role in the coming conflict. Opposing the unholy knight was her sworn obligation. The two traded smiting strikes that would have extinguished lesser beings. Soon others joined in the fray, but the unnatural protections diminished or abated any and all attacks. It wasn’t long before the crushing attacks from the Lich/Knight began to take their toll. Even with Corman sharing some of the brunt of the attacks and restoring Celeste’s health at every opportunity, the hellish creature was outlasting the young paladin. Eventually forced to withdraw from the melee or face permanent retirement. Corman nervously stepped in to fill the void. Sensing fear in his new opponent, the lich moved to press his advantage. Corman was not toothless in his attack and sent a wave of life-giving magic into the creature. The blow was obviously damaging to the lich and served to weaken it substantially.
Calais had tried many different tactics trying to find the creature’s weakness. He observed that the magical shield that protected it from Enzo’s acid breath weapon was diminished slightly after each successful blow. Knowing full well that if the lich turned his attention on him for even a moment death would quickly follow. Even still he continued to attack in any way possible. Eventually the moment he had been waiting for was here. The magic protection had faded and Enzo could now heap damaging attacks on the lich. Casper to had found his footing and was finding ways to harm the creature.
Silverhawk made several attacks early on in the battle that had no perceivable effect. Her location at the far end of the hall left her as the rear guard. Mouse, however, took to he opportunity to further explore the tombs. Skilled as he was in removing glyphs and unlocking doors he was ill-equipped to face the undead. This did not dissuade him from searching the tomb for useful artifacts. Silverhawk wasted no time in reminding him of his duty to the group. The ongoing quarrel between the two of them forced Silverhawk to split her time between protecting Mouse while he explored the secret passages in Rosalyn’s tomb and contributing to the attack on the lich. In time she abandoned Mouse to his fate in favor of the security of the group.
The battle in the interim was reaching critical mass. Something or someone had to give. Enzo called for everyone else to vacate the area. Calling out the lich for singular combat, Enzo was now facing extinction in short order. Belching forth another stream of acid on the lich only seemed to fuel its hateful advance. Enzo measured each step each blow and the narrowing options with the precision of a jeweler. He had harmed the lich and could see that it was weak. Out of options and exhausted his plight did not go unnoticed. Celeste, Calais, Corman, Silvrhawk and Casper came to offer assistance. The end had come for the lich and with the flaming hands of the wizard shoving him from his magic sustained existence, the void opened up and swallowed his essence reclaiming one of its sons.
The weary glances of the adventures told it all. The disgraced paladin of St’ Cuthbert Klavius, entombed in the catacombs of the abbey of St. Rose had been banished.
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