Hogar’s Journal (Translated from Giant)
Year 781 of the
founding of the City
13th
Day of Meloramensis – Part III
Thunderspire Mountain – The
Seven Pillared Hall
Glen trotted off on Sid to retrieve
Vicrael’s body as Rodney made his preparations to transport us back to the
hall. When he returned we huddled
together, a mass of broken and bruised flesh.
Rodney traced a circle around us with the tip of his staff and muttered
something unintelligible. Suddenly pale
blue light exploded from everywhere at once and a whooshing noise filled my
ears. It built towards a crescendo,
becoming thoroughly un-enjoyable and even painful. Just as I thought I could take no more it
began to subside. The light sank into
the structures of the Seven Pillared Hall and the noise coalesced into the
familiar drone of many people going about their daily business together. I found myself between the feet of the eighty
foot tall minotaur statue face to face with Brugg and one of the mages.
Rodney,
Glenn and Krivath explained to the powers that be what had happened down in the
Well of Demons and the part that their estranged colleague Paldemar had played
in the kidnapping epidemic. Minron
accompanied Eligos to the mages’ resident healer to see whether they could do
anything about her transformation. That
left me to take Vic’s body back to the shop.
Glenn offered me Sid’s reigns and the beast allowed me to lead him,
laden with the shrouded figurer of Vic, back to the shop. As I made my way across the hall I heard the
fluttering of wings which signalled the reappearance of Rook. He landed on the pommel of Sid’s saddle and
proceeded to clean him wings with his beak.
“Where
have you been?” I asked, “I haven’t seen you since you went for that swim in
blood.” He hopped around to face me and
flapped his wings in rebuke.
Here and there, his voice sounded in my head, it takes a long time to get blood out of
feathers with just a beak. He turned
his head to regard the shrouded corpse lay across the back of the boar. I saw
his death through your eyes. He was
brave, and perhaps a bit stupid.
“Oh he had both of
those qualities in spades.” I replied, placing my hand on Vic’s back. “Perhaps a little too much of the latter.”
So now you will burn him?
“It is our way.” I
said. “Orcus cannot make use of ashes as he can rotting flesh and mouldering
bone. What of you?” I asked. “We will
leave this place now and search for a cure for the tiefling. Will you join us?”
I will.
A cavern is no place for a crow; however spacious it may be. And your thoughts invade my own in oppressive
detail so I may as well see for myself what happens to you.
We reached the shop
and I tethered Sid in the small stable at the back before going in to see
whether anyone could give me a hand with Vic.
The bell tinkled jauntily above my head as I entered the shop to find
Charrak and the paladin Robert lounging with their feet on the table in mid
conversation.
“Ranger!”
Bob stood and came forward to greet me.
When I’d last seen him he was clad in shining plate from head to toe,
recovering from the attentions of the vampire lord at Silverkin Manor. Here he was dressed simply in homespun tunic
and breeches. His sandy hair was cut
short and two days of stubble bristled from his jaw. “You have returned.” A mote of confusion
passed across his features as he realised that I was alone. “Are the others
with you?”
“They
are attending to the business of reward with the mages.” I said, “as well as
one or two other things. I could use
your assistance in their absence.”
“Of
course.” He said amiably. “Anything to assist one of my saviours. What is it.”
“Vic…
has died. I’d like you to help me carry
him in.”
Bob
and Charrak both took a minute or so to splutter their surprise and condolences
before helping me to carry Vic into one of the back rooms.
“I
will offer a prayer to Bahamut for him.”
Bob said as we left the room.
“The
test that killed him was in honour of the Platinum Dragon.” I replied
curtly. “Your god has done enough for
him already. The Raven Queen will look
after her own.” The paladin had the good grace not to call me up on my
rudeness.
Having conducted
their business the others returned with a pouch of gold coins, an offer to forge
an enchanted weapon for Glen (I have no idea how he persuaded them to do that!)
and no cure for the unfortunate Eligos.
We are going to rest here for tonight and then go to Silverkin Manor to
see whether Jacob can do any better.
As I tried to get
some rest Minron was still awake in the shop. Illuminated by flickering
torchlight he had hunched over a new shield that he had purchased to replace
the one ruined by the warder in the Well of Demons. He was scratching away at the boss with a
small knife. Despairing of sleep I
roused myself to go and see what he was up to.
On the bench next to him was the tooth he had removed from the
dragon. Before him a recess was
appearing in the shield boss roughly the size of a tooth. By morning his shield would proudly display
his grim trophy to friend and enemy alike.
“Minron
Dragonslayer.” I said approvingly.
Minotaurs don’t smile but he definitely contrived to look happy before
replying.
“It was a good
kill. Vic would have been proud.”
“It was and he
would.” I replied, gripping his
shoulder. “I’m proud as well, Dragonslayer.”
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