Session 19: Ravensfield's last dawn Report

General Summary

With a heavy steel clang, the lifeless body of Rayl dropped onto the floor in front of Vezzir’s stone throne. The sound echoed through the empty hall, bouncing off the stone walls and still undead guards alike. For a moment there was no response. The skeletal form on the throne, dressed in the tattered remains of once beautiful robes adorned with arcane symbols, remained lifeless.   Froir scoffed at the time it took the lich to re-animate his withered corpse. Each day it took him a little longer. It was hard to accept such weakness from his supposed master. Still, once alive, the undead lord was far more powerful than he was. For now.   Red hellish flames welled up in the corpse’s eyes and with a groan Vezzir awoke. Froir did not wait for his master to finish waking.
“Rayl has failed. I brought back his useless corpse.”   Vezzir’s gaze fell upon Froir and both men stared into each other’s eyes. Froir attempted to resist the lich’s deathly stare, but ultimately failed. He lowered his head, breaking off the stare and sank to one knee in front of the throne. He could hear Vezzir step down from the dais and walk over to the burned remains of the dark knight.
“So Rayl has finally fallen. It took longer than I anticipated. His bravado and sense of valor always made him bite off more than he could chew. Tell me, commander, did the raid fail entirely?”   Froir kept his head down as he answered. He could hear Vezzir circle Rayl’s corpse while he did.
“No. Ravensfield has been destroyed. The defenders burned it down themselves, either to spite us, or as a defensive tactic. We regained control of Hollow Hill, but the professor was taken as a prisoner by the knights.”   “So, they escaped?”   “Indeed, my lord. They are on their way back to Keralon now.”   To Froirs surprise, Vezzir walked back to his throne and began to cackle as he sat down. He glanced over at Rayls body while waiting for the lich to finish his crazed laugh. Vezzir had pushed the corpse onto its back and had scratched arcane symbols both in a circle surrounding the body and on the armor it was wearing. Froir recognized some of these symbols, necromancy. It would seem that Rayl’s service to Vezzir was not yet over.   Silence had returned to the hall and Froir realized that the lich was watching him.
“Does it unnerve you, what I will do to Rayl?”   Froir had to suppress another scoff. He knew that Vezzir’s magic could not touch him. He was bound to a far more powerful entity. Still, he knew that one day he may find himself the subject of a similar ritual, just not at the hands of Vezzir. The Cult of the Last Vestige was known for its necromantic practices, at least to those few in these lands who knew it existed.
“It does not, my lord. I just wondered why you would honor Rayl with such power after he failed you.”   “He did not fail completely. Ravensfield is gone and the knights have returned to Keralon. Their attention was drawn away from the real prize at Hollow Hill, which we have now recovered. Our plans can continue. As for Rayl, he was a strong knight in life, and will be a stronger one in death.”   Froir nodded, reflecting on his own failure. The knights had managed to use magic to influence his mind. It had been a day before it had worn off and he had been able to rejoin his forces. He was thankful Rayls death provided enough of a distraction for Vezzir not to question his actions during the battle. Froir was sure he would not get away without a punishment. He raised his hand, a signal asking for permission to get up, which he received with a gentle nod from the lich.
“As we await Rayls’s return, I shall strengthen our presence at Hollow Hill. The Knights are traveling south as we speak, so it will be a few days before they can send out another party. Do we take any special precautions?”   Vezzir’s black mouth widened in a grin.
“I already received word of reinforcements sent out by the capital. They cannot meet up with the refugees. We cannot have them return here before we are done. Send out your draconic hell-engine. Kill the reinforcements and keep an eye on the refugees. Kill those knights as well if necessary. In the meantime, prepare to move the dragon’s remains from its lair at Hollow Hill. They are no longer safe there. And send word to Keralon, I have a job for our champion.”