Chapter 3-4 - The Sisters of Akkedis
The road drove south. Gradually the close packed houses and buildings thinned out, replaced by dusty clay soil and wiry scrub bushes. The terrain lay fairly flat, and soon Leilon began to recede into the distance.
As the party travelled south, the terrain gradually changed. The ground became less sandy and dry, lush vegetation began to flourish on all sides; and the flat ground slowly morphed into rolling hillocks and doldrums, covered in long whispering grasses and colourful wild flowers. The road wound between hills and through shallow valleys. The sun reached it's zenith, and the oppressive heat began to weigh heavily on the travellers. The air was heavy and humid, and the quiet road offered little shade from the sun's sweltering gaze. Thankfully, it was still early in the year, and the days were still short. The sun completed it's journey across the sky in a few hours, and as it crept back below the horizon the temperature plummeted.
After two days of travelling south, the road crested the top of a small hill, and the vista in front opened up. The grasslands continued for miles to the east and west. On the western horizon the sea twinkled like a blanket of sapphires. To the east, a few miles distant, a thick wall of foliage marked the edge of the jungle territories of Quan. In front, the ground sloped downward to a massive, slow moving river. On the bank of the river a massive, burned-out stone ruin stood, hunched over road gradually winding down the hill. Beyond the ruined building the road stopped, marking the edge of the Empire and the beginning of the wilds.
From her vantage point on top of the hill, Miaug stared at the ruins of the Sisters of Akkedis Monastery. Looking down she could clearly see the layout of the structure. A large central building once stood three storeys tall, although now the upper floor had crumbled and collapsed into the second storey. Wings stretched out from the central hub in either direction, curving forward like arms which protectively encircled a central courtyard. Where the wings met, a narrow archway led into the courtyard, now heavily overgrown. Fire damage was still clearly visible across most of the structure, ceilings had collapsed and nature had begun to reclaim the land. Thick vines and tendrils sprouted through the rubble, snaking across the structure and draping it in verdant greenery. Tiny white flowers bloom along the length of these vines, giving the whole ruin a strangely peaceful and natural appearance. As she examined the building, Miaug found herself unable to shake a sense of déjà vu so strong it was almost a memory. She knew this building. Ramas suggested that the group set up camp here for the night, and head into the jungle the next morning. Miaug's heart skipped a beat in a mixture of excitement and trepidation at the prospect.
The main archway was still in surprisingly good repair. Wildly overgrown rose bushes have crept up from the courtyard along the walls, and deep violet flowers bloomed along the edge of the path and up across the ceiling. Inside the courtyard, the old garden had been allowed to grow unchecked. Many of the original plants likely grown by the Sister's had been choked out by the encroaching local flora, but a few of the more fast growing species had managed to find a foothold. In addition to the prolific violet rose bushes, Ryoko recognised a spray of white carnations, some hemlock, and a wild cluster of carrots. Ahead, a severely scorched large wooden double door led into the main building. One of the doors had been burned and rotted away at the hinges. Any attempt to open it looked likely to cause it to fall. However, the other door looked more or less intact. Entranced, Miaug walked forward and pushed the intact door open, feeling a strange frisson of recognition as it swung inwards onto a wood dressed entrance hall. Directly in front, a second set of wooden double doors, these ones intact, led further into the building. On either side, stone walled corridors sloped backwards and curved out towards the wings.
Aetilius and Ramas headed towards the eastern wing, to find the ceiling of the corridor had collapsed a short distance ahead, blocking passage. Ryoko and Clootie headed over to check out the western wing, and found the entrance corridor there seemed more intact. Miaug stared, entranced by the main building door, as Badger forced himself against her legs and let out a low, apprehensive growl.
The western wing corridor curved back on itself as the wing curled around the courtyard. Ryoko noticed that the fire damage grew more severe as they travelled away from the main building. Around six metres around the perimeter, the outer wall had collapsed inward, blocking the way. Doorways branched off from the main corridor, the doors had either burned up or long since rotted away and the stonework was stained black from smoke. Each doorway opened onto small rooms all in a similar state of decay. Fire had claimed most of the furniture, and time had destroyed anything which had survived. After they finished investigating all of the accessibly rooms, Ryoko and Clootie shrugged and headed back towards the main building.
The main doors opened into a mid-sized antechamber. In the centre of the room stood a polished marble statue of Silvanus, the graceful elf deity stood with a benevolent smile on her face and her hands held outward in welcome. On the tiled floor in front of her was written the traditional motto of the Sister of Silvanus, 'Bring me your sick and your injured. All are welcome here'. On either side of the statue lay brass offering bowls on tall bronze tripods, each filled with a collection of assorted gemstones. Ramas immediately grabbed two handfuls of gems and stashed them in his pockets, pointedly ignoring Miaug and Aetilius's shocked expressions. Beyond the statue, a corridor led off a short distance, ending in a T-junction.
The party turned left at the junction and followed the corridor a short distance before it turned sharply to the right and opened into a huge, ornately furnished two storey chamber. Roughly square in shape, balconies overlooked either side of the room, bounded by delicately wrought black iron railings. Exquisitely crafted spiral staircases in opposing corners of the room wound up into the balconies. From her vantage point, Miaug could make out rows of bookshelves lining the walls of the upper storeys. She estimated that there must be at least a thousand volumes here. As the Tabaxi looked up in wonder, Aetilius surveyed the ground floor of the chamber. In each of the four walls, a corridor led outward. That would suggest this room was located near the middle of the building. The centre of the room was dominated by a circular raised dias with a grey stone pedestal. Overhead a large inverted glass dome protruded into the space. Surprisingly intact, it acted as a skylight, bathing the room in warm sunlight. Four wooden pews were arranged in a diamond pattern around the pedestal. Strangely, Aetilius noted, there was no evidence of fire or smoke damage in this room. In the nearest corner of the room, a heavy iron banded door was set into the wall, something in it's asymmetry immediately drew Aetilius's eye. He walked over to it, but stopped in his tracks when he realised what was out of place. The door had no handle. He ran his hands over the surface, but could find no hidden latch or mechanism. Ramas came over to assist him, and together they tried to push open the door, but with no success.
Meanwhile, as Miaug was drawn upstairs to the bookshelves; Ryoko and Clootie decided to explore the corridor leading from the right-hand side of the room. Giving up with the door, Aetilius set off to explore the left-hand corridor, while Ramas took a seat on one of the pews and began to fill his pipe.
After a few dozen feet, the right-hand corridor turned sharply to the left. Ryoko strode ahead purposefully, Clootie struggled to keep up. As the little gnome turned the corner after her friend she was shocked to find an empty corridor with no sign of the Iskathi. Clootie started to call for Ryoko, but an unsettled hush seemed to have fallen over the corridor, and even the sounds of her own footsteps seemed muffled and far away. Clootie felt a knotting sensation in her chest and the hairs on the nape of her neck started to stand on end as though something was approaching. Seized by an irrational panic, she ducked into a nearby doorway.
Ryoko turned the corner into another blank corridor, almost identical to the previous, continuing forward for thirty feet before turning right. She turned round to ask Clootie which way she wanted to go, but was surprised to find the corridor behind her empty. She could no longer see the large balconied chamber behind her, instead another featureless corridor stretched out for thirty feet before turning left. Confused she backtracked along this unfamiliar hallway, but as she turned the corner she found it opening into yet another straight corridor. She noticed a set of large wooden double doors set into the wall on the right-hand side, roughly halfway along. Beyond the doors she found herself in a large room, simply furnished with six wooden beds. Beside each bed stood identical small wooden end tables, each topped with a wide jade bowl. Ryoko picked up one of these bowls to examine it. The workmanship was exquisite, it's surface polished to a reflective sheen, and the material laced with bright emerald striations. As she tilted the bowl towards the light she caught sight of her verdant reflection in it's surface. Suddenly something moved over her shoulder. Ryoko dropped the bowl, spinning on her heel and raising her staff. The room was empty, just as it had been when she first came in. Unsettled, Ryoko gripped her staff tightly and made her way back into the corridor.
Clootie found herself in a small, dusty storeroom. Rows of wooden shelves run from floor to ceiling, forming a tight labyrinth of narrow corridors. The storeroom appears well stocked, the shelves are filled with jars, boxes and bags. Clootie walked idly along the rows, absently browsing some of the bags, finding a mixture of dried herbs; strong smelling cheeses; ales and cordials; and a significant amount of rotten food. Suddenly, something moved on the other side of the shelves to her right. She heard shallow, rapid breathing. Then heavy footfalls, moving behind the shelves. Coming closer. She unslung Kulog, holding the hammer tightly in her grip, as the footsteps began to speed up into a run. She readied the hammer as the footsteps drew closer. Louder. Faster. Then nothing. The total and sudden silence was jarring, and Clootie could hear her own heart thumping heavily in her chest. Cautiously she backed along the rows to the door, not daring to look away.
Clootie stepped back into the corridor. As she closed the door, she let out a shaky breath she didn't realise she had been holding. A hand fell on her shoulder. She spun around with a shriek, already swinging Kulog. Aetilius dodged out of the arc of the hammer and raised his hands in a calming gesture. As Clootie recognised him she darted forward and embraced the confused Tiefling.
Miaug wandered along the bookshelves on the balcony, her fingers lightly tracing the spines of the books on the shelves. There were books here on nearly every topic, ancient tomes sat alongside more recent works, none of them showing any sign of wear or age. That nagging feeling of familiarity persisted, an almost dreamlike sense of déjà vu. Miaug turned and leaned against the bannister, looking down over the dias she laughed to herself as she saw Ramas lying across one of the wooden pews, seemingly asleep. Then she noticed movement on the edge of her vision. Her head snapped up towards the source, the opposite balcony, and her hand instinctively went behind her back and curled around her bow. She swept her gaze across the other balcony, but there was no sign of anything unusual. She relaxed slightly and let go of her bow, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness. She made her way back downstairs to wait beside Ramas.
Aetilius and Clootie continued to make their way through seemingly endless winding corridors. When they finally happened upon a wooden double door, Clootie pushed it open immediately, thankful for any change to the monotony. The door swung open to reveal a large, empty room. As Clootie crossed the threshold, looking around curiously, wooden beds and tables fell from the ceiling with a thunderous crash. Jade bowls shattered against the stone floor with a sharp crack. The door slammed shut behind her, knocking Aetilius backwards with the force of the impact. In the middle of the room, a roiling ball of utter darkness began to swirl. Shadowy tendrils began to stretch out in all directions, gradually creeping across the floor towards her.
Miaug slumped against the back of the pew. She could hear Ramas snoring loudly beside her. Something was clawing at the back of her mind, a deep hidden part of her brain was screaming out a primal warning. Something was wrong here, but she couldn't place it. As she looked around the room, she could have sworn the shadows in the corners of the room seemed deeper and more distinct. They seemed to swirl and flow with some secret movement, like a tangible pool of darkness. She unslung her bow, holding it in front of her protectively while she glanced at the corridors. Something definitely wasn't right here? And where were her friends?
Clootie grabbed the door handle and desperately started to pull, but the door wouldn't budge. She shouted for Aetilius, and she heard a dull thud as the teifling threw his body against the other side of the door. Chancing a glance back over her shoulder, Clootie saw the tendrils of darkness had almost reached her. Panicking she pulled her whole body weight against the handles, screaming to Aetilius. He threw himself against the door again, and it swung inwards. Quickly steadying himself, he grabbed Clootie by the tunic and pulled her back into the corridor. He grabbed the door and slammed it shut just before the probing tendrils clawed their way out of the room.
Ryoko, hopelessly lost by this point, turned yet another corner in the apparently endless maze of featureless corridors. With a quick yelp of surprise, she recognised the central dias chamber. She raced into the room, and with great relief she noticed Miaug and Ramas sitting on the pews on the dias. As she ran towards them, she noticed Clootie and Aetilius rushing in from another corridor, a haunted look fixed on Clootie's face. As they crossed the threshold into the room, the shadows at the edge of the room lunged forward, flowing like tar across the entrances to the corridors and surrounding the party. She could hear a low growling sound, and the shadows near the bottom of one of the spiral staircases began to coalesce into a vaguely humanoid shape. At the same time, an audible click echoed around the room and the iron banded door in the corner swung inwards, revealing a staircase leading down into darkness. The shadowy figure turned it's head and fixed Aetilius with a piercing red glare. It's umbral face contorted with anger and with a shriek it lunged out of the darkness, clawing at the paladin with long tenebrous talons. Aetilius instinctively raised his shield, but the talons passed straight through the metal and tore at his flesh beneath his armour. He staggered backward, an icy chill seeming to sap the strength from his body. The creature disappeared as soon as it struck, but Ryoko noticed other shadows around the fringes of the room beginning to stir,
"Quick" she shouted, pointing at the staircase, "Down there!"
The party ran through the door, slamming it shut behind them. Clootie murmured an incantation and three tiny balls of flickering energy appeared above her hands, and started to swirl around the party illuminating their surroundings. Wooden stairs led down into darkness. When they reached the bottom they found themselves in a damp stone cellar. Along the wall opposite the stairs stood racks of wine casks. Behind them, beneath the stairs, the cellar stretched into darkness. As Clootie's Dancing Lights slipped ahead they illuminated the remnants of a massacre. Strewn across the floor lay over a dozen corpses in various stages of decay. These appeared to be the remains of the missing Sisters. Many of the bodies appeared to be missing limbs, others had been decapitated or split in half across the torso. Two more were tied spread-eagled across other casks in the corner of the room. A large circle, surrounded by arcane symbols, had been painted on the floor in what looked like brown paint, but a closer look clearly identified as dried blood.
One of Clootie's Dancing Lights was suddenly extinguished. Just before it vanished, Ramas noticed the shadows beneath it swirling and moving towards the group. The second Dancing Light was snuffed out. Dozens of sets of baleful red eyes glared out of the darkness. With a howl, the shadowy creatures lunged out of the darkness. Icy talons sank deep into Clootie's chest. She tried to cry out in pain, but the breath caught in her lungs. Ramas dodged under another swipe, unsheathing his daggers and thrusting them at the creature which attacked him. The daggers passed harmlessly through the shadow, and it raked it's talons up his exposed back, causing him to drop to his knees. Thinking quickly, Ryoko unslung Lightbringer and with a single word the mace erupted with a glow of brilliant daylight. The creatures shrieked in pain, slinking back into the shadows at the edge of the mace's reach. Aetilius quickly helped Clootie and Ramas back to their feet, and the group all formed up around Ryoko, weapons drawn.
Miaug stood at the back of the group. An arrow nocked in her bowstring, she swept her gaze across the shadowy creatures lurking at the other side of the cellar. Just then, Aetilius moved across between her and Ryoko. For an instant she found herself standing in his shadow, and in that moment icy claws closed around her neck and silently dragged her behind the stack of kegs before her friends noticed. She felt a deep chill radiating outward from the creature's grip, as she felt the life draining from her body. Keeping it's hands clasped around her neck, the creature slithered around and glared into her face with eyes which burned like red hot coals. She could barely breathe. Suddenly, the creature's snarl softened, and it's burning red eyes widened in shock and recognition,
"You... I know you... " it whispered, half to itself. The creature let out a piercing scream, full of barely contained anguish. The other creatures stopped in their tracks, turning to stare.
"It's her. It's the child." the shadow whispered, releasing Miaug's throat and stepping back.
Miaug coughed, putting a hand to her throat. She looked up at the creature,
"Do I know you?"
The creature's twisted countenance softened, and Miaug was shocked to see the face of a middle aged woman. She smiled gently at the Tabaxi,
"Yes child. You were born here"
Suddenly she was doused in daylight as Ryoko raced over holding Lightbringer. The creature shrieked, hiding her face as smoky tendrils began to peel off from her body,
"Stop!" Miaug shouted at Ryoko desperately. Ryoko looked confused and hurt. Miaug threw her cloak over the mace, plunging the cellar back into darkness. The shadowy creatures remained where they stood, watching the party from the other side of the cellar. The middle-aged woman shadow in front of Miaug recovered her composure, looking gratefully at the Tabaxi. When Miaug spoke, there was a slight quaver in her voice,
"How is that possible?"
"Your parents came to our door twenty years ago, exhausted and half-starved. Your mother was heavily pregnant with you at the time. "
"My parents?" Miaug's heart caught in her chest
"Yes. Your mother was named Storm without Rain, and your father was Stream Full of Stars. They asked for our help. We never refuse those in need, so we took them in.
They were cautious at first. Your father in particular was very nervous. Two or three times a day Stream would disappear and prowl the grounds. They never explained, but I got the sense they were being followed.
Over time, they grew to trust us. Then, a few weeks after they arrived, you were born. I delivered you myself. Your parents were delighted, they named you Little Spark. There were complications during the birth, and your mother needed to rest for a while. We helped to take care of you while your mother recuperated. Myself and the rest of the Sisters all grew quite attached to you. It was a wonderful time, but it wasn't to last. A
round two months after you were born, Silvanus came to me in my dreams. She explained to me that you were vital to the future of the world and that we must protect you at all costs. Later that same day, your father came back from patrolling looking worried. He told me he had found footprints stalking around the Mission, and that it wasn't safe here for them any longer. We got your mother ready to travel, and outfitted them with some supplies.
But, before they could leave, we found ourselves surrounded by a group of hideous brutes. Stream referred to them as Quaggoth. They demanded we turn over Stream and Storm to them. I told the other Sisters about my message from Silvanus. I sent two of our fastest runners dressed in your parent's cloaks into the darkness to distract the creatures. The rest of us smuggled your family out the back. The distraction worked, but the Quaggoth were enraged once they realised they had been tricked. They captured and slaughtered our runners in front of us, then they attacked the Mission. We were not warriors, and they swept through us like a plague. They exacted a terrible revenge on us. They kept me chained to the wall and made me watch as they tortured and murdered all of my flock. Then they used the blood of the dead to draw that mystical abomination on the floor. Once I had watched all of my charges die, then they finally killed me. But that symbol is powerful dark magic. All of our souls are bound here to the ruin, so their revenge lasts far beyond our death. T
he worst part of the torture was not knowing if we were successful, if Storm and Stream had escaped and we had fulfilled Silvanus' commands, or if we were bound here as punishment for our failure. But now you are back, and I can see we were victorious."
The woman's face was relaxed and at peace. Miaug looked over at the symbol,
"If we destroy that, will you be free?"
"I do not know" the woman looked puzzled,
"Only one way to find out" Miaug grabbed Lightbringer from Ryoko and strode purposefully over to the circle. With a yell she swung the mace down at the flagstones. The impact shattered one of the stones marked with the circle. The symbols scrawled around the diameter pulsed with sickly red light before flickering and dimming. A bright yellow light suddenly appeared inside the chest of each of the shadowy creatures, growing in intensity and burning away the shadowy shapes. As a light kindled inside her chest, the woman looked at Miaug and smiled warmly,
"Thank you Little Spark. Before she escaped, your mother gave me something. I think you should have it. Upstairs in the ceremony room, there is a hidden compartment in the dias. Look in there."
Light swept across her face, growing brighter every second. Soon Miaug and the rest of the party had to shield their eyes from the dazzling flare. Then suddenly it was over. The cellar was empty of light or shadowy figures,
"I hope they're at peace now" Ryoko said to Miaug, placing her hand on her shoulder.
Back upstairs, the party examined the dias carefully. Ramas eventually found a small hidden compartment beneath the lectern. Inside he found a small crystal box wrapped in a square of purple cloth. He pulled it out and passed it to Miaug. The box opened without a sound, revealing an interior of an unfamiliar soft, spongy material. Nestled within Miaug found a single leather archer's glove and a beautiful golden necklace. The back of the glove was decorated with gold in an intricate pattern: a central circle, around an inch in diameter, with eight spokes protruding like a wheel. Five of the spokes continued along the fingers and thumb, while one curved around onto the palm, and the remaining two ran up to the wrist. The necklace on the other hand was a golden disc on a chain, set with a pale blue gem in it's centre. The disc was marked with a similar eight spoked pattern to the glove. Miaug slipped on the glove. She was amazed at the fit, it seemed like it had been made for her. Just before she put on the necklace, she looked down and was struck by the similarity of the disc to the pattern on the glove. Out of curiosity, she placed the disc into the circular marking on the back of the glove. Energy raced up her arm light lightning. Two crackling arcs of electrical energy sprang out from the glove, forming the curve of a longbow; and a narrow pulse of static danced between the tip of each arc, forming a bowstring. Miaug slipped an arrow out of her quiver and to her surprise and delight, she found she could nock it to this crackling bowstring. She drew it and fired it towards the far wall. As it passed through the bow, blue sparkling energy danced along the shaft and the arrow dissolved into a burst of lightning which lanced out and burned a charred circle into the wall where she had been aiming. The rest of the party looked at her in shock. Miaug let out a shaky breath,
"Well that's pretty cool"
The party explored the previously labyrinthian corridors leading off the Ceremony Room. All of the previously twisting routes were now simple and direct. Most led to bathrooms, wards and storage rooms. The passageway they had previously entered by led directly back to the foyer and statue of Silvanus. Content that the Quaggoth's curse had been dispelled, the party decided to rest up here in relative comfort before beginning their trek into the jungles.
Next: Chapter 3-5 - Welcome to the Jungle
Previous: Chapter 3-3 - Leilon
As the party travelled south, the terrain gradually changed. The ground became less sandy and dry, lush vegetation began to flourish on all sides; and the flat ground slowly morphed into rolling hillocks and doldrums, covered in long whispering grasses and colourful wild flowers. The road wound between hills and through shallow valleys. The sun reached it's zenith, and the oppressive heat began to weigh heavily on the travellers. The air was heavy and humid, and the quiet road offered little shade from the sun's sweltering gaze. Thankfully, it was still early in the year, and the days were still short. The sun completed it's journey across the sky in a few hours, and as it crept back below the horizon the temperature plummeted.
After two days of travelling south, the road crested the top of a small hill, and the vista in front opened up. The grasslands continued for miles to the east and west. On the western horizon the sea twinkled like a blanket of sapphires. To the east, a few miles distant, a thick wall of foliage marked the edge of the jungle territories of Quan. In front, the ground sloped downward to a massive, slow moving river. On the bank of the river a massive, burned-out stone ruin stood, hunched over road gradually winding down the hill. Beyond the ruined building the road stopped, marking the edge of the Empire and the beginning of the wilds.
From her vantage point on top of the hill, Miaug stared at the ruins of the Sisters of Akkedis Monastery. Looking down she could clearly see the layout of the structure. A large central building once stood three storeys tall, although now the upper floor had crumbled and collapsed into the second storey. Wings stretched out from the central hub in either direction, curving forward like arms which protectively encircled a central courtyard. Where the wings met, a narrow archway led into the courtyard, now heavily overgrown. Fire damage was still clearly visible across most of the structure, ceilings had collapsed and nature had begun to reclaim the land. Thick vines and tendrils sprouted through the rubble, snaking across the structure and draping it in verdant greenery. Tiny white flowers bloom along the length of these vines, giving the whole ruin a strangely peaceful and natural appearance. As she examined the building, Miaug found herself unable to shake a sense of déjà vu so strong it was almost a memory. She knew this building. Ramas suggested that the group set up camp here for the night, and head into the jungle the next morning. Miaug's heart skipped a beat in a mixture of excitement and trepidation at the prospect.
The main archway was still in surprisingly good repair. Wildly overgrown rose bushes have crept up from the courtyard along the walls, and deep violet flowers bloomed along the edge of the path and up across the ceiling. Inside the courtyard, the old garden had been allowed to grow unchecked. Many of the original plants likely grown by the Sister's had been choked out by the encroaching local flora, but a few of the more fast growing species had managed to find a foothold. In addition to the prolific violet rose bushes, Ryoko recognised a spray of white carnations, some hemlock, and a wild cluster of carrots. Ahead, a severely scorched large wooden double door led into the main building. One of the doors had been burned and rotted away at the hinges. Any attempt to open it looked likely to cause it to fall. However, the other door looked more or less intact. Entranced, Miaug walked forward and pushed the intact door open, feeling a strange frisson of recognition as it swung inwards onto a wood dressed entrance hall. Directly in front, a second set of wooden double doors, these ones intact, led further into the building. On either side, stone walled corridors sloped backwards and curved out towards the wings.
Aetilius and Ramas headed towards the eastern wing, to find the ceiling of the corridor had collapsed a short distance ahead, blocking passage. Ryoko and Clootie headed over to check out the western wing, and found the entrance corridor there seemed more intact. Miaug stared, entranced by the main building door, as Badger forced himself against her legs and let out a low, apprehensive growl.
The western wing corridor curved back on itself as the wing curled around the courtyard. Ryoko noticed that the fire damage grew more severe as they travelled away from the main building. Around six metres around the perimeter, the outer wall had collapsed inward, blocking the way. Doorways branched off from the main corridor, the doors had either burned up or long since rotted away and the stonework was stained black from smoke. Each doorway opened onto small rooms all in a similar state of decay. Fire had claimed most of the furniture, and time had destroyed anything which had survived. After they finished investigating all of the accessibly rooms, Ryoko and Clootie shrugged and headed back towards the main building.
The main doors opened into a mid-sized antechamber. In the centre of the room stood a polished marble statue of Silvanus, the graceful elf deity stood with a benevolent smile on her face and her hands held outward in welcome. On the tiled floor in front of her was written the traditional motto of the Sister of Silvanus, 'Bring me your sick and your injured. All are welcome here'. On either side of the statue lay brass offering bowls on tall bronze tripods, each filled with a collection of assorted gemstones. Ramas immediately grabbed two handfuls of gems and stashed them in his pockets, pointedly ignoring Miaug and Aetilius's shocked expressions. Beyond the statue, a corridor led off a short distance, ending in a T-junction.
The party turned left at the junction and followed the corridor a short distance before it turned sharply to the right and opened into a huge, ornately furnished two storey chamber. Roughly square in shape, balconies overlooked either side of the room, bounded by delicately wrought black iron railings. Exquisitely crafted spiral staircases in opposing corners of the room wound up into the balconies. From her vantage point, Miaug could make out rows of bookshelves lining the walls of the upper storeys. She estimated that there must be at least a thousand volumes here. As the Tabaxi looked up in wonder, Aetilius surveyed the ground floor of the chamber. In each of the four walls, a corridor led outward. That would suggest this room was located near the middle of the building. The centre of the room was dominated by a circular raised dias with a grey stone pedestal. Overhead a large inverted glass dome protruded into the space. Surprisingly intact, it acted as a skylight, bathing the room in warm sunlight. Four wooden pews were arranged in a diamond pattern around the pedestal. Strangely, Aetilius noted, there was no evidence of fire or smoke damage in this room. In the nearest corner of the room, a heavy iron banded door was set into the wall, something in it's asymmetry immediately drew Aetilius's eye. He walked over to it, but stopped in his tracks when he realised what was out of place. The door had no handle. He ran his hands over the surface, but could find no hidden latch or mechanism. Ramas came over to assist him, and together they tried to push open the door, but with no success.
Meanwhile, as Miaug was drawn upstairs to the bookshelves; Ryoko and Clootie decided to explore the corridor leading from the right-hand side of the room. Giving up with the door, Aetilius set off to explore the left-hand corridor, while Ramas took a seat on one of the pews and began to fill his pipe.
After a few dozen feet, the right-hand corridor turned sharply to the left. Ryoko strode ahead purposefully, Clootie struggled to keep up. As the little gnome turned the corner after her friend she was shocked to find an empty corridor with no sign of the Iskathi. Clootie started to call for Ryoko, but an unsettled hush seemed to have fallen over the corridor, and even the sounds of her own footsteps seemed muffled and far away. Clootie felt a knotting sensation in her chest and the hairs on the nape of her neck started to stand on end as though something was approaching. Seized by an irrational panic, she ducked into a nearby doorway.
Ryoko turned the corner into another blank corridor, almost identical to the previous, continuing forward for thirty feet before turning right. She turned round to ask Clootie which way she wanted to go, but was surprised to find the corridor behind her empty. She could no longer see the large balconied chamber behind her, instead another featureless corridor stretched out for thirty feet before turning left. Confused she backtracked along this unfamiliar hallway, but as she turned the corner she found it opening into yet another straight corridor. She noticed a set of large wooden double doors set into the wall on the right-hand side, roughly halfway along. Beyond the doors she found herself in a large room, simply furnished with six wooden beds. Beside each bed stood identical small wooden end tables, each topped with a wide jade bowl. Ryoko picked up one of these bowls to examine it. The workmanship was exquisite, it's surface polished to a reflective sheen, and the material laced with bright emerald striations. As she tilted the bowl towards the light she caught sight of her verdant reflection in it's surface. Suddenly something moved over her shoulder. Ryoko dropped the bowl, spinning on her heel and raising her staff. The room was empty, just as it had been when she first came in. Unsettled, Ryoko gripped her staff tightly and made her way back into the corridor.
Clootie found herself in a small, dusty storeroom. Rows of wooden shelves run from floor to ceiling, forming a tight labyrinth of narrow corridors. The storeroom appears well stocked, the shelves are filled with jars, boxes and bags. Clootie walked idly along the rows, absently browsing some of the bags, finding a mixture of dried herbs; strong smelling cheeses; ales and cordials; and a significant amount of rotten food. Suddenly, something moved on the other side of the shelves to her right. She heard shallow, rapid breathing. Then heavy footfalls, moving behind the shelves. Coming closer. She unslung Kulog, holding the hammer tightly in her grip, as the footsteps began to speed up into a run. She readied the hammer as the footsteps drew closer. Louder. Faster. Then nothing. The total and sudden silence was jarring, and Clootie could hear her own heart thumping heavily in her chest. Cautiously she backed along the rows to the door, not daring to look away.
Clootie stepped back into the corridor. As she closed the door, she let out a shaky breath she didn't realise she had been holding. A hand fell on her shoulder. She spun around with a shriek, already swinging Kulog. Aetilius dodged out of the arc of the hammer and raised his hands in a calming gesture. As Clootie recognised him she darted forward and embraced the confused Tiefling.
Miaug wandered along the bookshelves on the balcony, her fingers lightly tracing the spines of the books on the shelves. There were books here on nearly every topic, ancient tomes sat alongside more recent works, none of them showing any sign of wear or age. That nagging feeling of familiarity persisted, an almost dreamlike sense of déjà vu. Miaug turned and leaned against the bannister, looking down over the dias she laughed to herself as she saw Ramas lying across one of the wooden pews, seemingly asleep. Then she noticed movement on the edge of her vision. Her head snapped up towards the source, the opposite balcony, and her hand instinctively went behind her back and curled around her bow. She swept her gaze across the other balcony, but there was no sign of anything unusual. She relaxed slightly and let go of her bow, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness. She made her way back downstairs to wait beside Ramas.
Aetilius and Clootie continued to make their way through seemingly endless winding corridors. When they finally happened upon a wooden double door, Clootie pushed it open immediately, thankful for any change to the monotony. The door swung open to reveal a large, empty room. As Clootie crossed the threshold, looking around curiously, wooden beds and tables fell from the ceiling with a thunderous crash. Jade bowls shattered against the stone floor with a sharp crack. The door slammed shut behind her, knocking Aetilius backwards with the force of the impact. In the middle of the room, a roiling ball of utter darkness began to swirl. Shadowy tendrils began to stretch out in all directions, gradually creeping across the floor towards her.
Miaug slumped against the back of the pew. She could hear Ramas snoring loudly beside her. Something was clawing at the back of her mind, a deep hidden part of her brain was screaming out a primal warning. Something was wrong here, but she couldn't place it. As she looked around the room, she could have sworn the shadows in the corners of the room seemed deeper and more distinct. They seemed to swirl and flow with some secret movement, like a tangible pool of darkness. She unslung her bow, holding it in front of her protectively while she glanced at the corridors. Something definitely wasn't right here? And where were her friends?
Clootie grabbed the door handle and desperately started to pull, but the door wouldn't budge. She shouted for Aetilius, and she heard a dull thud as the teifling threw his body against the other side of the door. Chancing a glance back over her shoulder, Clootie saw the tendrils of darkness had almost reached her. Panicking she pulled her whole body weight against the handles, screaming to Aetilius. He threw himself against the door again, and it swung inwards. Quickly steadying himself, he grabbed Clootie by the tunic and pulled her back into the corridor. He grabbed the door and slammed it shut just before the probing tendrils clawed their way out of the room.
Ryoko, hopelessly lost by this point, turned yet another corner in the apparently endless maze of featureless corridors. With a quick yelp of surprise, she recognised the central dias chamber. She raced into the room, and with great relief she noticed Miaug and Ramas sitting on the pews on the dias. As she ran towards them, she noticed Clootie and Aetilius rushing in from another corridor, a haunted look fixed on Clootie's face. As they crossed the threshold into the room, the shadows at the edge of the room lunged forward, flowing like tar across the entrances to the corridors and surrounding the party. She could hear a low growling sound, and the shadows near the bottom of one of the spiral staircases began to coalesce into a vaguely humanoid shape. At the same time, an audible click echoed around the room and the iron banded door in the corner swung inwards, revealing a staircase leading down into darkness. The shadowy figure turned it's head and fixed Aetilius with a piercing red glare. It's umbral face contorted with anger and with a shriek it lunged out of the darkness, clawing at the paladin with long tenebrous talons. Aetilius instinctively raised his shield, but the talons passed straight through the metal and tore at his flesh beneath his armour. He staggered backward, an icy chill seeming to sap the strength from his body. The creature disappeared as soon as it struck, but Ryoko noticed other shadows around the fringes of the room beginning to stir,
"Quick" she shouted, pointing at the staircase, "Down there!"
The party ran through the door, slamming it shut behind them. Clootie murmured an incantation and three tiny balls of flickering energy appeared above her hands, and started to swirl around the party illuminating their surroundings. Wooden stairs led down into darkness. When they reached the bottom they found themselves in a damp stone cellar. Along the wall opposite the stairs stood racks of wine casks. Behind them, beneath the stairs, the cellar stretched into darkness. As Clootie's Dancing Lights slipped ahead they illuminated the remnants of a massacre. Strewn across the floor lay over a dozen corpses in various stages of decay. These appeared to be the remains of the missing Sisters. Many of the bodies appeared to be missing limbs, others had been decapitated or split in half across the torso. Two more were tied spread-eagled across other casks in the corner of the room. A large circle, surrounded by arcane symbols, had been painted on the floor in what looked like brown paint, but a closer look clearly identified as dried blood.
One of Clootie's Dancing Lights was suddenly extinguished. Just before it vanished, Ramas noticed the shadows beneath it swirling and moving towards the group. The second Dancing Light was snuffed out. Dozens of sets of baleful red eyes glared out of the darkness. With a howl, the shadowy creatures lunged out of the darkness. Icy talons sank deep into Clootie's chest. She tried to cry out in pain, but the breath caught in her lungs. Ramas dodged under another swipe, unsheathing his daggers and thrusting them at the creature which attacked him. The daggers passed harmlessly through the shadow, and it raked it's talons up his exposed back, causing him to drop to his knees. Thinking quickly, Ryoko unslung Lightbringer and with a single word the mace erupted with a glow of brilliant daylight. The creatures shrieked in pain, slinking back into the shadows at the edge of the mace's reach. Aetilius quickly helped Clootie and Ramas back to their feet, and the group all formed up around Ryoko, weapons drawn.
Miaug stood at the back of the group. An arrow nocked in her bowstring, she swept her gaze across the shadowy creatures lurking at the other side of the cellar. Just then, Aetilius moved across between her and Ryoko. For an instant she found herself standing in his shadow, and in that moment icy claws closed around her neck and silently dragged her behind the stack of kegs before her friends noticed. She felt a deep chill radiating outward from the creature's grip, as she felt the life draining from her body. Keeping it's hands clasped around her neck, the creature slithered around and glared into her face with eyes which burned like red hot coals. She could barely breathe. Suddenly, the creature's snarl softened, and it's burning red eyes widened in shock and recognition,
"You... I know you... " it whispered, half to itself. The creature let out a piercing scream, full of barely contained anguish. The other creatures stopped in their tracks, turning to stare.
"It's her. It's the child." the shadow whispered, releasing Miaug's throat and stepping back.
Miaug coughed, putting a hand to her throat. She looked up at the creature,
"Do I know you?"
The creature's twisted countenance softened, and Miaug was shocked to see the face of a middle aged woman. She smiled gently at the Tabaxi,
"Yes child. You were born here"
Suddenly she was doused in daylight as Ryoko raced over holding Lightbringer. The creature shrieked, hiding her face as smoky tendrils began to peel off from her body,
"Stop!" Miaug shouted at Ryoko desperately. Ryoko looked confused and hurt. Miaug threw her cloak over the mace, plunging the cellar back into darkness. The shadowy creatures remained where they stood, watching the party from the other side of the cellar. The middle-aged woman shadow in front of Miaug recovered her composure, looking gratefully at the Tabaxi. When Miaug spoke, there was a slight quaver in her voice,
"How is that possible?"
"Your parents came to our door twenty years ago, exhausted and half-starved. Your mother was heavily pregnant with you at the time. "
"My parents?" Miaug's heart caught in her chest
"Yes. Your mother was named Storm without Rain, and your father was Stream Full of Stars. They asked for our help. We never refuse those in need, so we took them in.
They were cautious at first. Your father in particular was very nervous. Two or three times a day Stream would disappear and prowl the grounds. They never explained, but I got the sense they were being followed.
Over time, they grew to trust us. Then, a few weeks after they arrived, you were born. I delivered you myself. Your parents were delighted, they named you Little Spark. There were complications during the birth, and your mother needed to rest for a while. We helped to take care of you while your mother recuperated. Myself and the rest of the Sisters all grew quite attached to you. It was a wonderful time, but it wasn't to last. A
round two months after you were born, Silvanus came to me in my dreams. She explained to me that you were vital to the future of the world and that we must protect you at all costs. Later that same day, your father came back from patrolling looking worried. He told me he had found footprints stalking around the Mission, and that it wasn't safe here for them any longer. We got your mother ready to travel, and outfitted them with some supplies.
But, before they could leave, we found ourselves surrounded by a group of hideous brutes. Stream referred to them as Quaggoth. They demanded we turn over Stream and Storm to them. I told the other Sisters about my message from Silvanus. I sent two of our fastest runners dressed in your parent's cloaks into the darkness to distract the creatures. The rest of us smuggled your family out the back. The distraction worked, but the Quaggoth were enraged once they realised they had been tricked. They captured and slaughtered our runners in front of us, then they attacked the Mission. We were not warriors, and they swept through us like a plague. They exacted a terrible revenge on us. They kept me chained to the wall and made me watch as they tortured and murdered all of my flock. Then they used the blood of the dead to draw that mystical abomination on the floor. Once I had watched all of my charges die, then they finally killed me. But that symbol is powerful dark magic. All of our souls are bound here to the ruin, so their revenge lasts far beyond our death. T
he worst part of the torture was not knowing if we were successful, if Storm and Stream had escaped and we had fulfilled Silvanus' commands, or if we were bound here as punishment for our failure. But now you are back, and I can see we were victorious."
The woman's face was relaxed and at peace. Miaug looked over at the symbol,
"If we destroy that, will you be free?"
"I do not know" the woman looked puzzled,
"Only one way to find out" Miaug grabbed Lightbringer from Ryoko and strode purposefully over to the circle. With a yell she swung the mace down at the flagstones. The impact shattered one of the stones marked with the circle. The symbols scrawled around the diameter pulsed with sickly red light before flickering and dimming. A bright yellow light suddenly appeared inside the chest of each of the shadowy creatures, growing in intensity and burning away the shadowy shapes. As a light kindled inside her chest, the woman looked at Miaug and smiled warmly,
"Thank you Little Spark. Before she escaped, your mother gave me something. I think you should have it. Upstairs in the ceremony room, there is a hidden compartment in the dias. Look in there."
Light swept across her face, growing brighter every second. Soon Miaug and the rest of the party had to shield their eyes from the dazzling flare. Then suddenly it was over. The cellar was empty of light or shadowy figures,
"I hope they're at peace now" Ryoko said to Miaug, placing her hand on her shoulder.
Back upstairs, the party examined the dias carefully. Ramas eventually found a small hidden compartment beneath the lectern. Inside he found a small crystal box wrapped in a square of purple cloth. He pulled it out and passed it to Miaug. The box opened without a sound, revealing an interior of an unfamiliar soft, spongy material. Nestled within Miaug found a single leather archer's glove and a beautiful golden necklace. The back of the glove was decorated with gold in an intricate pattern: a central circle, around an inch in diameter, with eight spokes protruding like a wheel. Five of the spokes continued along the fingers and thumb, while one curved around onto the palm, and the remaining two ran up to the wrist. The necklace on the other hand was a golden disc on a chain, set with a pale blue gem in it's centre. The disc was marked with a similar eight spoked pattern to the glove. Miaug slipped on the glove. She was amazed at the fit, it seemed like it had been made for her. Just before she put on the necklace, she looked down and was struck by the similarity of the disc to the pattern on the glove. Out of curiosity, she placed the disc into the circular marking on the back of the glove. Energy raced up her arm light lightning. Two crackling arcs of electrical energy sprang out from the glove, forming the curve of a longbow; and a narrow pulse of static danced between the tip of each arc, forming a bowstring. Miaug slipped an arrow out of her quiver and to her surprise and delight, she found she could nock it to this crackling bowstring. She drew it and fired it towards the far wall. As it passed through the bow, blue sparkling energy danced along the shaft and the arrow dissolved into a burst of lightning which lanced out and burned a charred circle into the wall where she had been aiming. The rest of the party looked at her in shock. Miaug let out a shaky breath,
"Well that's pretty cool"
The party explored the previously labyrinthian corridors leading off the Ceremony Room. All of the previously twisting routes were now simple and direct. Most led to bathrooms, wards and storage rooms. The passageway they had previously entered by led directly back to the foyer and statue of Silvanus. Content that the Quaggoth's curse had been dispelled, the party decided to rest up here in relative comfort before beginning their trek into the jungles.
Next: Chapter 3-5 - Welcome to the Jungle
Previous: Chapter 3-3 - Leilon
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