[RPG] Swords Against Khyber
Aug. 30th, 2007 03:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stevekensonChapter 11: The Temple of Blood
The heroes arrive in Atur by lightning rail at sunset and begin seeking evidence of Maralon’s arrival in the City of Night. While Corlan and his wolf companion Dapple keep watch on the main entrance into the city, Vandal cases the Crimson Monastery, stronghold of the Blood of Vol, and Marik and Achon explore the central marketplace, where Achon finds Sister Elvinor, a Flamist agent operating in Atur under the identity of an old washer-woman running a laundry in the city. She informs them Maralon arrived in Atur not long before them and created quite a stir at the monastery, where they’re apparently preparing for some important impromtu ceremony. She agrees to help them get into the monastery, posing as a laundry delivery.
Realizing they have little time, Achon goes to get Corlan while Marik goes to collect Vandal. When the gong sounds at the monastery, calling the faithful to worship, Vandal chooses to slip back inside, while Marik returns for the rendevous. Ruffians ambush Achon and Corlan on their way back to the marketplace. They’re easily dispatched, but Achon feels a terrible bloodlust during the fight, just managing to retain control and keeping the lycanthropic curse from overwhelming him.
Vandal sneaks into the priests’ quarters in the monastery to steal a robe to disguise himself and finds the entrance to the catacombs guarded by Karrnathi skeletons demanding a password for entrance. As he returns to the dormatories looking, the rest of the party comes knocking, disguised as delivery men wheeling a cart of laundry (which conceals their weapons and other gear). When Achon kicks the door in on the priest who answers it, Vandal is behind him, blade in hand. They’re able to coax the password (a Blood of Vol prayer) from him, and head quickly to the catacombs.
There they find Maralon beginning an occult ritual, aided by priests of Vol and guarded by several skeleton knights. The heroes burst in and a battle begins, as blood pours down from channels in the worship chambers above: cultists “tithing” to the cause, energizing the undead necromancer and the Heart of Khyber. Achon fights alone against several skeletal knights, fighting down his terrible bloodlust all the while, until Vandal finally strikes Maralon a terrible blow that severs the necromancer’s left arm at the elbow, allowing the dwarf to seize the Heart of Khyber...
... and the temple chamber vanishes in a flash of silver-white flame from the holy symbols given to them in Flamekeep. The heroes find themselves alone in a small, private chapel of the Silver Flame, Vandal holding the dragonshard. The door to the chapel opens to admit High Cardinal Krozen and several Silver Flame Templars.
“Well, well,” the Cardinal purrs, “What have we here?”
The heroes arrive in Atur by lightning rail at sunset and begin seeking evidence of Maralon’s arrival in the City of Night. While Corlan and his wolf companion Dapple keep watch on the main entrance into the city, Vandal cases the Crimson Monastery, stronghold of the Blood of Vol, and Marik and Achon explore the central marketplace, where Achon finds Sister Elvinor, a Flamist agent operating in Atur under the identity of an old washer-woman running a laundry in the city. She informs them Maralon arrived in Atur not long before them and created quite a stir at the monastery, where they’re apparently preparing for some important impromtu ceremony. She agrees to help them get into the monastery, posing as a laundry delivery.
Realizing they have little time, Achon goes to get Corlan while Marik goes to collect Vandal. When the gong sounds at the monastery, calling the faithful to worship, Vandal chooses to slip back inside, while Marik returns for the rendevous. Ruffians ambush Achon and Corlan on their way back to the marketplace. They’re easily dispatched, but Achon feels a terrible bloodlust during the fight, just managing to retain control and keeping the lycanthropic curse from overwhelming him.
Vandal sneaks into the priests’ quarters in the monastery to steal a robe to disguise himself and finds the entrance to the catacombs guarded by Karrnathi skeletons demanding a password for entrance. As he returns to the dormatories looking, the rest of the party comes knocking, disguised as delivery men wheeling a cart of laundry (which conceals their weapons and other gear). When Achon kicks the door in on the priest who answers it, Vandal is behind him, blade in hand. They’re able to coax the password (a Blood of Vol prayer) from him, and head quickly to the catacombs.
There they find Maralon beginning an occult ritual, aided by priests of Vol and guarded by several skeleton knights. The heroes burst in and a battle begins, as blood pours down from channels in the worship chambers above: cultists “tithing” to the cause, energizing the undead necromancer and the Heart of Khyber. Achon fights alone against several skeletal knights, fighting down his terrible bloodlust all the while, until Vandal finally strikes Maralon a terrible blow that severs the necromancer’s left arm at the elbow, allowing the dwarf to seize the Heart of Khyber...
... and the temple chamber vanishes in a flash of silver-white flame from the holy symbols given to them in Flamekeep. The heroes find themselves alone in a small, private chapel of the Silver Flame, Vandal holding the dragonshard. The door to the chapel opens to admit High Cardinal Krozen and several Silver Flame Templars.
“Well, well,” the Cardinal purrs, “What have we here?”
