Abstinence, 95 Letum 1999 [continued]
Morday, 41 Autumn
Colours 204 LE
The Scribe moves discreetly away from his confused foe, while Revda
picks up his large sword and goes to aid Lycaon and Gazahi against
the second giant. The confused agent of the Voice Macabre now charges
across the room to attack the nearest foe (Gazahi). He meets a swift
end.
The last giant standing continues to attack, but against Revda
and Lycaon there is little hope of it prevailing. It is the barghest
that strikes the killing blow. Clara and Jirokichi manage to destroy
the remaining shadows between them. And then there is silence in
the dark house. Revda's grievous wounds knit back together again
in short order.
Lycaon can here the banging of a door in the chamber beyond and
rushes in. He comes into a vast ball-room that borders the back
garden, it is poorly lit by a series of large chandeliers. There
is a mezzanine looking down on the room. In the room is a group
of a dozen or more half-golem hunched giants and all of them are
charging Lycaon. He quickly does battle (and doesn't like the odds).
The rest of the party rush in. There is some confusion. The Scribe's
peculiar vision can only detect two giants - the rest are illusions?
However, as he doesn't know how many giants everyone else is seeing,
and they don't know how many he is seeing, it takes a little while
for the truth to become apparent.
By this time, Lycaon and Jirokichi are up on the mezzanine out
of the fight, and Alarius has taken to the air to rain arrows (rather
ineffectually on the proceedings). Looking at the chandeliers Lycaon
has an inexplicable insight into the workings of tallow. The candles
were probably lit yesterday and over two thirds of them has burned
out - which is why it is so dark in the room.
Revda is busily whittling away at a giant, when he is joined by
an unexpected ally. A knight with a closed helm, carrying a sword
and shield rushes in. "Lord Revda, you must retreat. This is
a trap," the knight explains. From the voice it is clear that
the knight is Frederica Rathmore. The Scribe doesn't see how two
giants could constitute a trap, but Frederica says that it is the
house that is the trap and they must flee.
Jirokichi wastes no time in leaping from the mezzanine through
the conservatory windows and into the back garden. Alarius follows
through the same hole. Lycaon also heads into the back garden. The
Scribe and Gazahi run for the window at the front of the building
they climbed in through, collecting the Scribe's skeletal burglars
on the way. Revda and Frederica fight their way slowly back to the
front of he house, pursued by the giants. However, they are eventually
able to outpace the lumbering brutes and retreat to safety. Revda,
Frederica, the Scribe, Gazahi and the skeletons head to the other
side of the road and regard the house.
Frederica removes her helmet. It is revealed that she is a member
of the Order of the White Raven. She is a paladin. "Is that
a problem?" she asks the Death Knight. "No…,"
says Revda, a little unwillingly. Frederica explains that one of
the surviving members of her order (a diviner) had discovered that
the Voice Macabre left town yesterday. Frederica came to warn the
party, and the party get the distinct impression that doing so has
alienated her from her companions.
She explains her order were trying to protect the Grey Minstrel.
Although they didn't know anything about the Voice Macabre per se,
they knew that someone wished the Grey Minstrel harm. The Grey Minstrel
brought hope to many, and his gift was of a divine nature. Unfortunately
they failed in that mission, and now his voice his gift is lost.
The Scribe says that this is not the case. The divination he performed
was clear that the Gift of Ysberyl had not been destroyed (at least
not yet). There is a clue somewhere that will allow them to track
it down. Perhaps the parchment that they recovered from the Grey
Minstrel's rooms. Frederica is filled with hope that something can
be done to salvage the situation.
Personally, Revda couldn't care less. All he wants is vengeance
on the Voice Macabre who had thwarted his violent intentions by
not hanging around to be slaughtered. Finding the Voice Macabre
will be next to impossible - however, they don't have to do that.
If they can find the Gift of Ysberyl then the Voice Macabre will
come to them!
What help can the Order of the White Raven be? Frederica is not
altogether sure. They are now very few of them in Tharkis - most
were wiped out by that attack by drow (which she still cannot explain!)
And even if they were at full strength the chance of allying with
this party is very slim indeed.
Suddenly Fisk's townhouse begins to shudder. Several competing
dimensional rifts open simultaneously and the house implodes into
nothingness. The party at the front and the back of the house are
almost sucked into the void. Frederica is lifted off her feed and
dragged to the rift, but Revda reaches out and saves her. In the
back garden it is only Lycaon quick thinking that saves Jirokichi.
Then the house is gone. Lycaon, Jirokichi and Alarius walk over
the crater were it used to be and rejoin their companions. They
are apprised of Frederica's involvement by the others. Revda takes
Frederica to one side and asks her if her Order have access to a
resurrection spell. She says that it is possible, but such magic
is often warped by the Great Dark. She asks Revda why he should
want such a thing, but the Death Knight isn't talking.
Frederica takes her leave of the party and heads into the night,
saying that she will offer what help she can against the Voice Macabre
and urging the group to find the Gift of Ysberyl if they can. The
seven party members remains where they are and discuss the events
that have befallen them. Eventually, sense prevails and they begin
to head to somewhere more discreet. Then Gazahi notices a figure
approaching down the road.
A man steps out of the shadows and walks toward the group. He is
old, tall and almost skeletally thin. His cheeks are sunken, his
cheek bones more pronounced. His nose is hooked, a pair of half-moon
spectacles pinching into the end of it. His legs seem incapable
of supporting even his obviously insubstantial weight. But he is
exceptionally well groomed. He is wearing a long frock coat with
tails, and his shoes are highly polished. Beneath the coat is a
waistcoat, and beneath the waistcoat, a shirt of white silk that
billows into voluminous cuffs at the wrist, and is hidden beneath
a cravat at the neck. His hair is as white as the shirt, and neatly
slicked back away from his aged face, where it falls to his shoulders.
The Scribe says that the man gives out no life energy. He is either
undead or some sort of construct. The man stops and greets the party.
He wishes them a good evening, and compliments them on their achievements.
The Voice Macabre is no easy foe, and to survive them should be
commended.
He introduces himself as Cornelius and says: "I represent
an individual of power and influence in this city. A person who
has taken note of your achievements and been impressed by them.
I have been empowered to offer the seven of you employment. The
tasks will make use of your unique abilities. It will be dangerous
work but ultimately rewarding."
Cornelius is not perturbed by the rudeness of some of the party
members, nor their demands. He will not reveal the name of his employer
(at all) and will not say anything about the mission in the street.
He suggests that the party take a few hours to rest and then meet
an associate of Cornelius (a minotaur) at the Foundling Fountain.
They can then discuss things in more detail.
The party agree.
Without the need to rest at all, the Scribe returns to Mourngrim
Manor and casts Contact Other Plane to learn some more intelligence.
Again he contacts the same pair of divine spirits he talked to before.
This is very curious and extremely unlikely. He asks his questions
of the pair.
"What is the current location of the Gift of Ysberyl?"
The answer is a rather embarrassed "I don't know".
"Who is Cornelius's employer?" The pair answer "Tam"
much to their delight.
Now the Scribe's curiosity has been peaked, and his final question
is: "Who are you?" The pair seem surprised by this question,
and a little flattered. However, they ask the Scribe to rethink
the question. Does he really want to know that? Isn't there something
he would rather know? The Scribe considers his options. The pair
don't seem to want to reveal who they are, so he doesn't press the
point. "Where is Tam?" he asks instead. The answer to
that: "Mourngrim Manor".
The End of The Grey
Man
The Adventures of the Tharkis Seven continue in
The Ripper Strikes!
The Grey Man Index
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