Abstinence, 95 Letum 1999 [continued]
Morday, 41 Autumn
Colours 204 LE
As soon as the cleric's blood touches the altar, his entire corpse
is pulled sideways as if my a powerful invisible hand. The body
is clamped down on the altar by the unseen force that begins to
draw the fluids and the blood from his body. These fluids begin
to flow through the grooves in the altar and then down into the
rivulets that cover the floor of the temple. Lycaon can feel the
blood that is covering him being drawn away to join the flood. Moments
later the blood and fluids are carried the entire length of the
chamber.
There is a pause as Blassadin looks from his dead cleric to Lycaon
and back again. The retreating crowd has reached the doors at the
back of the temple but they are locked. Many are in danger of being
crushed. Then it all kicks off.
Blassadin snarls and gestures toward Lycaon, spinning blades materialise
in the air and streak toward the barghest. They strike him in the
chest. The blood from Lycaon's wounds rises into the air and shoots
toward the altar, where the body of the cleric is now little more
than a desiccated husk. Lycaon can feel the force pulling him as
well, he tries to resist it but is suddenly yanked off his feet
and flies to the altar, landing on his back. He can feel his blood
and other fluids being slowly drained. Fortunately, he is not fighting
alone.
The Scribe gestures and summons a cadre of owl-bear skeletons that
begin to lay into the priests. Although wearing an entirely expressionless
helm, Revda still manages to give the archivist a look of utter
disbelief. They were supposed to be making allies of the clergy
of Karatath, not decapitating them! He sighs. "Very well, leave
no witnesses."
As soon as the clerics are wounded, the unseen force drags them
to the altar where they land atop Lycaon. The barghest is desperately
trying to use his strength and his magical powers to rise, but every
time he thinks he has managed it another body lands on his chest.
He is becoming increasingly annoyed.
However, once Revda has ended the fight by slaying Blassadin, Lycaon
manages to free himself before being completely consumed. His amazing
restorative powers quickly return him to health. The party watch
as the bodies of the clerics are consumed by the hungry altar, and
their blood is taken down the various channels. Jirokichi stands
on his chair to avoid it. The blood begins to pool at the rear of
the church, where the distraught congregation is trying to escape.
They try to back away from it.
A door opens and the Prefect, Tam, enters the chamber. She ignores
the party (and the dead bodies of her comrades). Her eyes are on
the blood. The pool of blood begins to twist and coalesce. It takes
the form of an elf sitting astride a unicorn. The unicorn walks
up the aisle of the temple toward the dais and Prefect Tam.
Great power seems to emanate form the newcomer. Some members of
the party think they might recognise who this is, or rather who
it is meant to be as the being is not here in the flesh. This seems
rather a representation of the Karatath's Right Hand. "Master
Mínaris," says the Prefect, bowing slowly, "I have
awaited your arrival." Mínaris does not speak. He regards
the party but briefly, then he and the prefect depart the scene.
The doors are now unlocked, and the congregation flees into the
night. The party are unsure what to do next. The clergy of the temple
are either absent or dead. They have the entire place to themselves.
Meanwhile, Alarius has flown from Irongate all the way back to
Oldgate. He believes that he has been undetected by the Black Watch.
He arrives at the Thirteen Yards, hoping to find Frederica Rathmore,
the only person that Alarius thinks will have the inclination to
help this girl. Not that the girl appears to want to be helped.
Throughout the flight she demanded to be returned to the temple,
believing that greater woe would befall her if she thwarted the
will of the Karatath clergy than acquiesced to it. Alarius eventually
got sick of her whining and was forced to charm her.
The Thirteen Yards is protected by members of the Black Watch who
have evidently been hired by Greta Sorann to protect the place.
It is not easy convincing them that he needs to see Greta on a matter
of important business, but this is the sort of work that Alarius
excels at. Within the hour, he and his charge are standing in the
kitchen of a small rented town house and are explaining to Frederica
Rathmore what has transpired.
Frederica is not at all happy that Alarius has come to her. She
has her own goals and her own business without taking in waifs and
strays. What is she supposed to do with her? Alarius suggests inducting
the nameless girl into Frederica's order. The paladin is aghast,
and doesn't take kindly to Alarius explaining her responsibilities
as a member of the Order of the White Raven.
However, Frederica does say that she will try and find a new home
and a job for the girl. She enquires if there has been any progress
in hunting down the Voice Macabre, but Alarius says there is not.
He tells her a little of the group's mission in Irongate. Frederica
is of the opinion that the less she hears, the better. Alarius takes
her leave and heads back to Irongate. He wants to return before
dawn.
Back at the Temple of Karatath, the other members of the party
quickly search Blassadin's rooms. Jirokichi takes some keepsakes.
Clara returns to the group, and takes the Scribe to one side. She
says that her experience has returned some of her memories to her.
She now realised that she is dead (the Scribe rejoices), and asks
the Scribe to use his magic to heal her. Clara says that she wants
to find out as much about her past as possible, and requests that
the Scribe casts Legend Lore upon her when the chance presents itself.
She also confides that she will not forgive Revda for his treachery,
and is plotting against him.
Clara's close link to the ethereal plane warns her that the temple
is shifting, that is about to move permanently to the plains outside
the Aegis. The party quickly leave the temple. Once they have done
so they find it completely impossible to re-enter. Clara surmises
they might still be able to reach the 'other' temple by entering
through the bell tower.
This little side-trek has not got them any closer to finding the
"Ripper", nor told them whether the Ripper was connected
to the temple of Karatath or not. After dodging another Black Watch
patrol, the consensus is that they must find somewhere to lie low
and plan their next move.
By now it is nearly dawn, and the living members of the party are
completely exhausted: the ratboys have to rest. Revda suggests commandeering
a near-by hovel, but that doesn't prove to be a popular move. The
party return to the only inn they know of in the area: Glar's hovel
at The Pit.
The square outside Gravegrind doesn't have any activity at this
time of day, and there seems no sign of the Black Watch. Revda says
that he will wait outside the inn for the rest of the night, observing
the poorhouse. Gazahi quickly picks the lock and the remainder of
the group descend the stairs into the musty taproom.
They have no got more than three steps into the room when the doorway
to the upper floor bursts open and Glar is thrown into the chamber.
He is quickly followed by two members of the Black Watch. Another
two come in through the doorway leading into the back alley, and
two more appear from behind the bar. Glar points a finger at the
party identifying them to the Watch. The armoured servants of Grelka
close in.
The Ripper Strikes
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