The Southern Campaigns

The Writings of Chalyb Sequitor - Part VII

Chalyb walked through the morning dew with a tilt to his shoulders and a mission on his mind. He had been up before dawn every morning the last few days, and he hadn’t even been able to work out or practice his sword technique. His friends had been off on errands of their own, although the Giacomo’s had been very helpful in arranging many of the aspects of the feast.

He had needed to speak with the council to expedite the various permits required for the feast. Santo had helped him set up security. He had also been able to recruit many of the lads from the village to act as runners to Tori, Denshi, the lumber camps and the townships near Tranto. It had required Santo standing nearby, and letting all the kids tap Ironhead and get over their initial fears of ‘Scorpionman’. It was worth it, as now everyone in the area knew about the coming feast.

It had kept him busy enough, but it was times like this when he was moving from one task to another that Chalyb’s thoughts turned back to their time beneath the mountains, and the death of his friend.

“Come ON!” Chalyb yelled. They had taken all they could see of value from the bodies of the dwarves, and now the party was making their way quickly back to the surface. Chalyb had been in the beneath many times as part of the Legion, and he knew just how dangerous it could be. The group’s mages were all but spent, and would need to conserve their magic for the flight spells required to get them over the gaps in the caverns. Vanlenlo and Kentaro were also drained from the healing required after the giant ice spider attack them. And Chalyb kept eyeing his sword. He didn’t like the loss of control over his body, nor the bizarre flare of power that had occurred. He hated the feeling now of distrust he had for his weapon. Regardless of the distrust he held his blade out now, the party was a huge glowing group of light sources in the typical darkness of the beneath, and Chalyb wanted out.

They made their way to the surface, and collected the mules. As the party made ready to camp outside the corrupted temple, Chalyb got everyone back on their feet and they made their way down to the destroyed camp of the Yullic cult, camping there ofr access to the fresh water and air.

They spent the whole of the next day there. Chalyb had decided that a rest was in order, and he just wasn’t ready to go heading back down right away. Donna and Ana used their powers to determine that the two gems were magical, and were able to impart magical attacks to the weapons of those who used them. Raphael took the one that imparted electrical power, and Chalyb took the one which granted holy power.

Returning to the corrupted church they went back beneath the mountain and into the caverns. They made their way over to the great wall of ice, and chopping through, found that it connected with the area where they had been attacked by the ice spider and flies. Continuing on carefully, they made their way around the chamber and kept an eye open for anything that might be trapped in the ice.

Unfortunately while keeping an eye on the ice they didn’t keep their eyes on the ceiling, and so were taken aback when an ice spider glided smoothly down to land before them. It’s legs struck out and smashed Raphael, leaving great rips in his body, where the blood had instantly frozen along the wound. Magical bolts leapt from the mages, and Chalyb’s fierce ‘Ignitus Infernum’ echoed in the great cavern as his blazing sword struck out at the spider. Meanwhile Kentaro ran and leapt into the air, rebounding from the spiders back as his iron fists smashed into it’s abdomen.

As the first one shattered, a second fell, then a third. The party was engaged, Chalyb being pierced, Vanlenlo aiding Raphael who was firing off flaming arrows which seemed to simply bounce off the ice spiders frozen carapace. Magical bolts flew, and a great ball of fire erupted in the hall metlting one of the first spiders legs into a refreezing puddle of water. Chalyb held the first one back, while taking hit after hit from it’s giant frozen icicle shaped limbs, when suddenly it arched it’s back and spat off a stream of icy liquid. Holding forth his blazing sword, the fire from the blade flared up like a bonfire and protected him from the ice webbing.

Just then Kentaro screamed as the second ice spider ripped open his gut and his intestines began to flow out. The monk collapsed to the ground trying to hold in his entrails.

Van turned to help and was engulfed in another of the ice webs. It coated him and he was frozen in place. As Chalyb cried out and smote the spider before him it shattered and fell. Ana let loose a powerful blast of lightning that crashed into the ice spider and knocked it back.

Another of the beasts fell, and Chalyb was drawn away, but not before he saw Balla engageing the second and driving it away from their fallen comrade. Rapahaels arrows, and Donnas magical bolts flew all about the field of battle.

Then there was a great screaming sound. Muffled at first, but then as the ice around it shattered, Van finished raising Blastbone and letting it’s bone shattering scream work its magic on the ice beings around him. Once freed, he leapt to Kentaro’s side and drew forth the magical healing wand.

Balla would later describe the magic in the wand as incredible. As Vanlenlo called out for Eria’s blessing, the wand glowed with a holy might. When placed against Kentaro’s wounds, Balla said that the monk’s body seemed to shudder, his entrails pulling back inside, the blood vanishing, and the great gaping wound sealing itself shut. Kentaro’s color returned and he leapt up in all his glory and struck out at the ice spider before him.

Eventually they destroyed the last two spiders and then again retreated to the surface. Pulling back to the town again, They waited for several days as Donna competed the next two stages of enchanting her staff.

It was clear that the feast was going to be well attended, and Chalyb had purchased all the local meat he could. He had arranged for wagonloads of various foodstuffs to arrive a day before the great feast, and also had arranged for two dozen different households and taverns to aid in cooking and serving the meal.

He stepped in a puddle and cursed on his way to secure more alchohol and cider as beverages. He also needed to finish arranging to rent benches and great tables both to act as serving places and places for people to sit.

Balla was in charge of entertainment, and had arranged for a variety of traveling minstils and such. Santo assured him that others would certainly show up, but Chalyb wanted to be sure that at least there would be some entertainment all day long. Apparently Balla was also setting up a series of contests and games, mostly for the children, but some for the adults as well.

When Chalyb arrived at the Wet Step he had to wait for it to open. Sitting outside on a rock beneath a tree, he slipped into reverie again.

On the next day the party once more journeyed to the Ice caves, this time, along the way, they saw sign of the fungus peoples. Van attempted to make peaceful contact, but they shied away.

Returning to the ice caves, they continued their exploration, this time keeping watch along the ceiling as well as the walls. They found and drew out some human remains, and then eventually some remains of the bug people. There were some magical treasures and some money to be had from these.

Upon further exploration, there was nothing left in the ice cave, except two paths out. One led to a great void in the earth a huge gaping hole that extended from the opening of the path out into nothing as far as the eye could see.

The other, after a several turns and branches, led to a passage of worked stone. Exploring this area led to a great chamber with a pair of giant bronze doors and a carved stone obelisk. The floor of this chamber was strewn with bones and the remains of many creatures, some small like cave lizards, but most obviously once sentient beings.

Further searching revealed a passage that led to the homes of ‘the people’ who fired arrows at the party as they drew near. As the party retreated, they were set upon by a great tunnel worm!

Chalyb had expected the thing to be big, but not that big. It was truly gigantic, and as it hissed it’s mouth open three long tentacle shot out and attempted to grab Raphael. Lightning and magical bolts flew from the hands of the mages, and Kentaro moved quickly ahead to lend his aid. Chalyb leapt into the mouth of the beast and began slicing it open. Arrows bounced off its rocklike outer skin, but Chalyb luckily found its brainstem and slashed it to ribbons. The worm slumped and began collapsing.

The party made their way carefully around the carcus, and although Chalyb wanted a trophy, they could not find a way to get one from the worm.

The dwarves had come! Chalyb had learned about it from Juro, being far too busy with the planning of events to even be aware of the large contingent that had arrived yesterday. Once he had learned of their presence, he naturally went to greet them and found that Okan was leading the group. Giving respect to the Leiutenant, he asked after their holdings and such, and was introduced to several members of other clans who had also come down from the mountains to secure peaceful trade with the humans. Naturally, Chalyb forgot their names as soon as they left, but then he wasn’t the brightest will-o-wisp in the forest.

He was on his way to meet with Okan at Lope’s largest tavern. He had fully expected to need to arrange for the dwarves lodging himself, but had been pleased when Sata the River Queen had stepped up and taken care of it herself. She must realize how much increased ore finds would need to be transferred down the river.

As he opened the door and hung his coat, he saw that the tavern was swarming with dwarves, and the villagers who were stopping by to gawk. Chalyb smiled as he saw Okan wave, and made his way over to their table, gesturing for the barmaid to bring him a mug and to get a round for the dwarves on him. The latter caused a small cheer to erupt in the tavern.

“So, you promised to tell me the story of your bizarre helm.” Okan chided as Chalyb sat down. His efforts at arranging the feast, and the doling out of so much wealth to the local peoples had gone a long way towards winning the people of Lope towards accepting him again. There were still a number of holdouts, and he was clearly going to remain “Scorpionhead” to the locals, but the nickname was used in jest now more often than fear, and it pleased Chalyb to know he would not be an outcaste forever.

When the dwarves had arrived, several had noticed and commented about the skullcap, but with more pressing matters to attend to, they had allowed him to push off that story until later. Apparently, later was now.

Returning to the bone room, they cleared it out and set up camp in a reasonably clean area. They found a number of coins and some magical items as well, but decided to wait until later to determine their value and intent.

Van spent the next morning investigating the Obelisk, with Ana hiding out in the hall. Van kept referring to the notes and trying to push and pull and turn the stone at different points. Finally, he laughed, “Vanlenlo, you old fool.” Then he placed his hand on the hilt portion of the engraved sword on the stone.

Chalyb turned to Kentaro, “So all you had to do was grab the sword and enter?”

Kentaro replied, “Those were happier times.” And turned to follow Van.

Beyond the bronze doors was a maze, but with the writings from Sava, Van’s mentor, and apparently the sole surviving Knight of the Order of Eria, the party negotiated it quickly. Passing through the final room, they came to a chamber with another pair of bronze double doors. Within was a shimmering ghostly spirit of a knight.

Van attempted to communicate with it, and eventually as the party all entered the room, the spirit nodded and opened the portals. With that the party entered.

After bringing the dwarves up to speed on Chalyb’s curse, the fate of the demon and their party, Chalyb had left them and went for a long walk out to Donna’s farm, where they spent the evenings having tea and talking.

He treasured those nights. Moreso now. He could talk things over with her, and share his pain. Somehow it made things easier to deal with.

With Mios just beginning in the sky again, the feast was near. And Chalyb still had a lot to do. He had to approach the Temples and set up the prayer services.

The chamber of the Seal had been dark. So dark they had not been able to see very much of it at all. It appeared to extend out and form a great circular room roughly half a mile across. In the center of the room, drawing their attention, was a series of colored lights.

Making their way across the room, they came upon the great seal. They could not see what was within, but there were seven circles of light. Within each of the circle lay the remains of a dead creature. There was a tiny, (meaning human sized) red dragon hatchling in the circle glowing red. A feathered serpent lay in the silver glowing circle. In the Blue Circle the body of a sea serpent. Within the brown circle a dwarfs remains lay. In the black circle was a creature Chalyb had never seen nor ever wanted to again. And within the yellow circle was the decapitated remains of a human being. He wore the armor and tabard of the knights, but somehow his head was missing.

A whispered voice began to sound in the minds of each of the party members. It offered them power, wealth, (apparently to Balla – women), magic, and the removal of Chalyb’s curse, if only we would aid in releasing it. Balla made a move towards one of the circles, and Chalyb swung his fist. Balla ducked the fist, but put up his arms. “I was only kidding!” Chalyb shook his head and turned back to the circle.

Van had unbuckled his pack and removed all his stuff. “Remember me to my wife. Tell her I am sorry we parted in that way. Remember me to my order. Tell them I was true to my calling and to Eria.” With that he reached over and took Balla’s sword from his sheath and stepped into the golden circle.

“NO!” several members of the party cried, but Chalyb just stood there and nodded to Van.

Van nodded back, then pushed the body of the human out of the circle, where it turned to dust. Then looking up one last time at each of them, he smiled his gentle smile and pierced his heart with the point of the sword.

His body fell into a kneeling position, and the light of the Seal flared up in a blinding flash. “NOOOOOOooooooooo…..!” came from with the seal, and suddenly a great writhing mass of flesh appeared in the boundaries of the ward. It was a great mass of tentacles and a humanoid form with horns and purples welts all across its body.

Quickly the party gathered Van’s items and made their way back to the surface, before the cold resisting magic of Eria gave out and they would be trapped here forever.

The day of the Feast had come, and Chalyb was pleased to see the entiretly of the local people come out. All were welcome, the cost of admission being a prayer for the soul of Vanlenlo. That Eria might receive it warmly and with the honors he deserved.

The day was full of laughter and some sadness. Many people had known Vanlenlo, and had come to him for healing, or aid with their crops. Many came up to Chalyb with a private shared word of grief, or a story of how Van had helped them.

Chalyb had been somber through the feast. Talking quietly with those who spoke with him, and participating in the dagger/axe throwing contest, which Raphael walked away with after ten bullseyes in a row.

The dwarves had been greatly impressed with the feast and wished Chalyb’s friend a sfae travel to the earth mother. Okan clearly still wasn’t sure that Chalyb had really seen a demon, bound beneath the earth, but he was coming around to that conclusion.

At midday, each one of the Temples high priests had said a brief prayer for Vanlenlo’s soul, and offered a short homily. Chalyb was pleased that most people remained quiet through these, even when Jenna’s started wandering off topic. He supposed the food and spirits helped, but then chastised himself for not considering that the people here took their religion seriously, and were pleased to honor someone they had respected in life.

Chalyb’s face softened as Donna’s hand found his during the prayers, and a smile formed on his lips as he remembered their return to Lope.

They had come down out of the mountains without incident, and upon arriving at Tori, had spent a day and a half aiding the villagers in once again rebuilding their town. Chalyb was impressed with the tenacity of these people. They were strong in their hearts, and he thought them good people to be working so hard to defend. They had also been the first to begin overlooking his bizarre appearance for the man inside. Ana of course had whined at helping the people out without getting anything in return for it, but Chalyb saw her pitch in shortly thereafter with gusto, and she even waved to several of the townsfolk as they left.

When the party finally arrived in Lope, Chalyb had immediately gone to the militia headquarters and handed over the balefire. When he got back to Donna’s place the others had already begun dividing up the spoils of their adventure, Ana had yelled when Chalyb made them split it seven ways.

“He’s dead! He doesn’t get a share.” Chalyb reminded her of her heart, and who had put it back together for her, and she had relented.

She had not joined the rest of the party when Chalyb went to Van’s farm and knocked on the door.

“You.” Was the response from Van’s wife as she opened the door.

“Your husband is gone.” Chalyb had said.

“Yes, gone off with you instead of remaining here with me and his family.”

Chalyb ignored her, “What he told you about the evil in the vale was true. And he was forced to sacrifice himself to save you and his family, and this town. Before he died, he asked us to remember him to you. He wanted you to know he loved you and your family, and he regretted the way things ended here.”

Chalyb held out a bag of gold to her and as she took it he saw the confusion in her face. “I don’t know if I believe you,” she said as she opened the bag and her jaw dropped at the sight of the gold.

“It is irrelevant if you believe me or not. Van was a good man and he is dead now. Dead serving Eria and protecting you.” And with that he had turned and walked away. He hadn’t looked back.

Fenris had not given the prayer for the Erian temple. Sava had instead. It had been an excellent prayer and homily, quite moving actually. Even if it had been a little too peacenik for Chalybs taste. The feast was winding down now, and Chalyb was glad he had arranged to have someone else cleaning up.

Santo came up to him with two mugs of ale. “Well, Captain, I saw you weren’t drinkin’ all day, and I think it’s about time you gave yourself leave to have a mug with your old buddy Santo.”

“You know I was only a sergent.” Chalyb said, but he took the mug.

“Yeah, I do, but you seem to have your own company now, and I think that earns you a promotion. Don’t you?” Santo was standing beside Chalyb now watching the cleanup take place. “You know the townspeople are calling you Scorp?”

“Yeah”

“You ok with that?”

“I suppose. There really isn’t much I can do about it.”

“Well, of course you could try and smash in the face of anyone who called you a funny name, but then that might ruin all the goodwill you’ve earned here today.”

“So what are you saying?”

Santo turned to Chalyb, “I’m saying, I think you and your ‘Company of Steel’ have made a name for yourselves here. I don’t know if everyone believes all the stories, but I know that the iron arachnid on your head isn’t something people fear around here anymore. If anything, you may find that your reputation gets you calls from the townsfolk for help.”

“Well I’m not gunning for your position if you’re worried.”

“I wasn’t, but thanks for askin’. Actually, I am glad to have you around. I think things are just starting to get interesting.”

And the two warriors watched the setting sun and drank their ale in private Chalyb allowed his memories to have their leave as well.

The door to the Temple of the Keepers in Lope was always open. Today was no exception. When Chalyb arrived he found Sava there holding services. Afterwards, they met and spoke. Chalyb gave the priest the other half of Van’s share of the treasure, and the entire story of what happened in the vale.

Sava shook his head, “It was not his place.”

With that Chalyb left to plan a feast in honor of his departed friend.

FINI