#41: The Talisman

When we awaken in the morning after our arcane duel with Berigaard, the keep is eerily quiet.  It still smells of putrid flesh, and there are signs of our battle that will not easily be erased.  A chill, wintry breeze still blows through the portal in the wall created by Audric, and there is a metallic tang to the air within the keep—remnants of all the arcane energy unleashed the previous evening.

Vonn gives special attention to his master’s tome of spells, and I find myself as curious as he to discover what magics lie within.  Curious, and more than a little worried—knowing Berigaard’s fell research and having witnessed the magic he brought to bear against us, the likelihood of dangerous or even taboo magic leaves me uncomfortable.  Instead, while he pores over the tome and the others busy themselves about the keep, I open my own spellbook and examine the items we have gathered from Berigaard’s collection and the strange sarcophagus.

I am able to satisfy Vonn’s thirst for knowledge about Berigaard’s staff, the weapon that the necromancer used to turn goblins against their own kin and cleanse the lands surrounding the keep of threat.  My magic reveals that the staff is powered by utterance of a word in a fell tongue, “ixuuko,” and that the item’s magical potency is waning.

The ring recovered from Berigaard is possessed of abjuration magic, likely protective in nature—as one of the most vulnerable of our small group, it makes sense for Vonn to retain possession of the item.  Of all the objects recovered, however, the talisman, a white agate stone on a gold chain, presents the biggest mystery to me.  Though but faint in nature, the aura is of a type I am unable to recognize.  It appears that the stone will always reveal true north—a minor magical boon, but one that could be the difference between life and death in the wilderness of the Frozenfar.  If the talisman is possessed of other properties, they evade me; thinking little more of it, we bequeath the stone to Lom, who will likely benefit most from its use.

Vonn directs a small group to the cellar, which is accessible from outside the keep.  There’s an iron-banded wooden door that’s held fast with a chain, but it is not locked.  Audric calls the Tunterhorn brothers over to support him and Lom; after unchaining the doors and pulling them open, cool, dry air wafts from below that smells stale with age.  Within, there is evidence of provisions from previous seasons and stashes of basic tools, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary.

Lom and Audric make a thorough examination of Berigaard’s papers, which are in a state of disarray as a result of our battle the prior evening.  After gathering them and forming them into small piles, they leaf through the papers looking for anything curious that may not have been part of Berigaard’s research or bits of map.  Nothing is found that stands out as extraordinary, though Lom brings a few pieces to Audric’s attention so that he can look them over more carefully later. 

Not wanting to risk anyone else discovering the stairs leading down to the sarcophagus or encountering whatever defenses Berigaard may have suffered in use of the strange key, we convene and decide to use Audric’s power to shape the stone near the stairs to wall it off.  The effort will take several days’ worth of effort, however, but it seems a worthy cause.

After a busying ourselves in pursuit of various tasks, the keep has started to take on an air of habitability.  We construct a pyre for the necromancer, fueling it with deadfall piles of hardened refuse from the keep’s previous inhabitant, the frost giant.  It is satisfying to watch the necromancer burn, though I do not leave the pyre’s side until even Berigaard’s bones have become brittle and turn to ash.

A recurring theme on our adventures...

When we are finally ready to retire for the evening, we split into four short watches, with the intention of keeping guard from the towers, where an excellent view of the courtyard and surrounding lands is provided from several windows.  I set a few protections of my own into place about the keep before finally seeking rest.

The following morning Audric tends to the hole left in the wall, once again shaping the stone with his hands, seeming to stretch it to fill the void.  Though its location is still obvious to us, knowing exactly where it once was, it would be difficult for anyone else to notice, the wall having been completely restored by Audric’s spell.

Vonn, Selben and I spend more time poring over Berigaard’s tome.  The magic contained within is weighted heavily towards the necromantic arts, revealing a depth of study into the school that surpasses even my own ability.  I’m shaken by the time I put the book down for the day, and don’t look forward to reaching its eventual conclusion.  We turn our conversation towards a resupply trip to Fireshear—though able to subsist off the gruel provided by Maglarosh’s spoon, and while Audric is able to conjure enough potable water to slake our thirsts, it’s hardly a comfortable living.

We make ourselves ready for the return trip, Selben imbuing Audric with the power to gracefully scale the walls so that we leave the gate to the keep barred behind us.  Conjuring a herd of mounts, we make our way rapidly and uneventfully back to Fireshear.  We are gladdened to see Moonmaiden still in harbor.  Remembering that Fireshear is barren when it comes to inns, and unable to afford or find available a guest house on such short notice, we negotiate with Captain Azurris to allow Vonn to board with us in our private quarter aboard the ship.  He agrees, and in thanks, I invite the Captain to join us over dinner, an offer which he heartily accepts.

We return to The Singing Manticore, one of the busiest taverns to be found in Fireshear, and Dame Azurris meets us at the appointed time for a meal.  We share an abridged version of our exploits and make Vonn’s formal introduction.  Later, after the table has finished off several bottles of wine, I broach the topic of the roster of the deceased, specifically the fallen crewman that bears Dame’s own name—Angeline Azurris. 

Dame’s eyes flatten on mention on Angeline, and he admits to us that she was his daughter.  We are more than a little surprised at the revelation; Dame explains that only he and the mate knew of her relation.  She was trying to forge her own path, and the Captain felt no need to reveal it to the crew.  I’m struck by his candidness and view it as a sign of our growing relationship with the man.  Perhaps not friendship, but something more than strictly professional.  Dame seems remorseful over the loss of Angeline, and we spend a moment in silence remembering her and others lost during our fight through Illusk.

After some time and a few more drinks, the topic naturally drifts to matters more mundane—whether Captain Azurris has heard of other ships due to arrive at Fireshear, or whether he has been approached for clients on the return trip.  As of now, he’s deep in overseeing repairs to Moonmaiden and has had little time to pursue other matters.  He claims that Revenant has likely been busy about Fireshear but knows little of the dwarf’s dealings. 

At mention of Revenant, I ask a few questions regarding their relationship, and whether Dame intends to sign on with Revenant again when he eventually departs Fireshear.  Dame states that Moonmaiden belongs to him and him alone—he is under no obligation to deal with the dwarf.  “Revenant wouldn’t have been second in rank, had I my way,” Dame admits candidly.  Though clearly no love is lost between the two, a future arrangement with Revenant it is not out of the question, as he will likely have need to return to Mirabar someday.  Discussion turns towards a future partnership between our group and Captain Azurris—as Archguard, surely the fact that we were able to see the ship through Illusk lends some value to our association.  Dame agrees but admits that it will likely be some time before Moonmaiden is able to accept such offers.  We let him know of our intention to stay in the keep outside Fireshear if he wants to steer any inquiries in our direction.

Once we retire from Captain Azurris’ company, our conversation turns towards our own motivations, goals, and plan for the time we intend to stay in the Frozenfar.  The discussion is not fruitful, however—with so little known about Fireshear, and free of any obligations, we are not sure how to best put our talents to use.  We return to Moonmaiden late that night, and crowd into our private chamber aboard the vessel.

The following morning, I set to the task of reading the remainder of Berigaard’s tome.  It contains but a single unread spell—one that grants the ability to animate the dead.  When I close the tome, I find myself repulsed by the kinds of research in magic it takes to master such a spell.  I consider, for a moment, tearing the pages from the tome and destroying them, lest it tempt another mage to use such evil magic—though as the book does not technically belong to me, I am unwilling to risk our relationship with Vonn over the matter.  As the spell is beyond any of our ability to master, it is not a matter that requires an immediate decision, so I snap the necromancer’s spellbook shut, glad to be done with its study.

Our resupply arrangements completed, we retire to The Singing Manticore for another night, where Audric intends to solicit our services and seek out gainful employment.  He approaches the tavern’s keeper and presents the question—the man responds in a way that indicates it’s a commonly asked question, and his response is disappointing, though unsurprising.  Most adventurers tend to join mining companies or accompany caravans to the remote villages north.  Audric presses, noting our particular talents and experiences.  “We’re looking for something more than guarding a caravan against a couple of wolves,” he says, and the tavern keeper snorts.  It’s not a tactic that rewards us with anything more, however, and we get the feeling that we are being treated as “soft southerners,” unaccustomed to the harsh realities of the Frozenfar.

We recognize Revenant in attendance and are able to gain an audience, where I hope to pitch the services and benefits of having us along for Moonmaiden’s return voyage, should he choose to return to Mirabar.  Revenant is a rugged-looking dwarf, and we realize that we have shared very few words with the sponsor of Mirabar Run.  Our offer is well received, and he explains that while he eventually intends to reconvene with others of his consortium in Mirabar, he has matters here yet to attend and he is in no hurry to arrange a return trip. 

Unwilling to give up so easily, and recognizing that Revenant is in the business of obtaining wealth, I solicit his help in finding us an employer, offering a headhunter’s fee to pass word along to those who might benefit from our services.  He receives the offer well, and we tell him that we are staying in the keep to the north, and to send any potential business our way.  He seems very agreeable to that arrangement, and we depart on good terms.

On the return trip to the keep, all seems to be going well until Lom is flung suddenly from his mount and falls with a crash onto the ground.  We all pull our mounts to a halt and survey our surroundings for threats but find none.  Lom nurses several bruises from the fall but does not seem otherwise harmed. His horse is spooked, though uninjured, seeming almost as surprised as Lom that the tracker was tossed from its back.  Lom stands, and it becomes obvious that something is wrong—he leans curiously to one side, the talisman he is wearing pulling at his neck.  The white agate stone of the necklace has slipped free from Lom’s shirt and hangs in the air, pulling itself ahead as if drawn to something. 

We realize that this is what caused Lom to fall.  Removing the necklace, he holds the stone in one hand, the gold chain limp.  When he instead holds the chain, once more the stone writhes and the talisman floats, outstretched, towards the general direction of our destination.  Several hours yet from the keep, we decide to heed the stone’s pull, at least so long as it corresponds with our path.  It leads us, surprisingly, to the keep itself.

Noting no signs of any disturbance, Selben once again assists Audric in scaling the wall.  We hear Audric lift the heavy bar from its rest and the heavy thud of him tossing it aside before throwing open the gate.  Once in the courtyard, the talisman seems to draw us towards the door to the inner keep.  When we enter, it seems to be pointing instead to Berigaard’s chamber.  Lom sets the stone upon the floor and the talisman skitters along eerily towards the chamber door by its own power. 

Audric picks it up once more, and we enter. Nothing stirs, however, and we follow the talisman’s guidance to the stairwell across the chamber and the secret door beyond.  Remembering the sarcophagus and wanting nothing to do with more undead, we discuss how to proceed.  We weigh the option of Audric continuing his efforts to seal the entry to the corridor, as well as to attempt to ruin the mechanism that allows the key to fit so that the room beyond may never be accessed again.

Even then, I would be unwilling to spend another night in the keep with threat of danger so close—after some discussion, we decide to attempt the room to examine the sarcophagus and try and unravel the mystery of the talisman and its previous owner.  I conjure forth a light upon a stone as Audric steps forward with the key in one hand and the talisman in the other, writhing hungrily in his grasp.  Using the same method as before, he unlocks the door and we hear the grind of stone upon stone as it slides open.

Before we can see anything of the blackness beyond, a creature leaps upon Audric from the dark, an animated skeleton, presumably the one from the sarcophagus.  The creature claws wildly at Audric, though it seems less interested in causing injury than some other fell purpose.  While we gather various defenses to use against the creature and Audric struggles to defend himself, Lom steps forward with the axe of Carcerus and in one, sweeping blow, the axe crashes into the skeleton and it explodes into a cloud of shattered bones, which fall to the ground in a clatter.  The talisman falls limp, and after standing, Audric kicks the bones back into the room and closes the door.

After some reflection on the encounter, Audric provides a possible explanation, that perhaps the talisman detects the undead, but that seems unlikely given the distance that it first affected Lom.

“The talisman seems like it may have been trying to get back to its owner,” Vonn offers, but explains that these are just assertions and not based on any knowledge of the keep or its previous residents.  This leads to further discussions about Berigaard’s motivations for traveling north in the first place, and for choosing this particular location.  Vonn doesn’t know much about the keep’s history, nor of anyone who might know, though it stands to reason that someone in Fireshear is possessed of information on such matters.

As for the skeletal figure, we count ourselves lucky that Audric escaped unharmed.  We discuss its possible motivations—if indeed it has any—and what potential solutions there might be.  I suggest that we could try and communicate with it, assuming that some magic may cause the skeleton to reform and that it is possessed of the ability to communicate—though in our examinations of the sarcophagus, surely the presence of magic would have been revealed.  We talk deep into the night about the possibilities, but don’t come to any conclusions.  Audric retains possession of the talisman, and thankfully, the stone does not stir.

The following morning, we decide to put the mystery to rest.  More prepared this time, Audric opens the door and we brace for an assault, but we are confronted by only silence.  The bones remain in a scattered mess on the chamber floor.  Perplexed, we examine the room and find nothing else of interest, so instead redouble our efforts to determine the magical properties of the talisman.

Such efforts, however, require additional study from both Vonn and Selben, as my own attempts to discern its properties were unsuccessful.  After a day of research, we gather round the table in Berigaard’s chamber and place the talisman in the center, focusing our attention upon it.

I am able to determine nothing more than from my previous handling, and Selben is only able to confirm my findings.  It falls to Vonn to examine the stone, and he handles it carefully, peering into its milky white depths.  His reading of the object confirms what we already know, but before he passes it off, Vonn peers at the stone yet again.  He explains that there is magic deeper than that which we were able to ascertain, magic that links that talisman to its possessor.  After a dormant period, when separated from its owner, the stone will seek him out, magic that we witnessed the previous day.  Vonn is not able to learn anything more, so we stow the talisman away safely and conclude our research.

Our patience is rewarded the next day, as Audric once again feels the pull of the talisman.  This time, however, instead of directing its bearer to the stone sarcophagus, it seems that the stone has decided upon a new owner—Lom!  Its magic is stilled when Lom takes possession of the talisman, and we feel greatly relieved to have solved this part of its mystery.

We respectfully restore the remains to the sarcophagus and close the secret chamber, settling on continuing with our original plan to have Audric conceal the entrance with his magic.  We are not afforded much time, however, as we hear the piercing call of a horn from outside the courtyard.  All else is forgotten as we rush to determine who—or what—has arrived at our door.